bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of cyanide wastewater by bulk liquid membrane using tricaprylamine as a carrier
Authors: Li Guoping , Xue Juanqin , Liu Nina , Yu Lihua
Published: March 2016

The transport of cyanide from wastewater through a bulk liquid membrane (BLM) containing tricaprylamine (TOA) as a carrier was studied. The effect of cyanide concentration in the feed solution, TOA concentration in the organic phase, the stirring speed, NaOH concentration in the stripping solution and temperature on cyanide transport was determined through BLM. Mass transfer of cyanide through BLM was analyzed by following the kinetic laws of two consecutive irreversible first-order reactions, and the kinetic parameters (k1, k2, Rmmax, tmax, Jamax, Jdmax) were also calculated. Apparently, increase in membrane entrance (k1) and exit rate (k2) constants was accompanied by a rise in temperature. The values of activation energies were obtained as 35.6 kJ/mol and 18.2 kJ/mol for removal and recovery, respectively. These values showed that both removal and recovery steps in cyanide transport is controlled by the rate of the chemical complexation reaction. The optimal reaction conditions were determined by BLM using trioctylamine as the carrier: feed phase: pH 4, carrier TOA possession ratio in organic phase: 2% (V/V), stripping phase concentration of NaOH: 1% (W/V), reaction time: 60 min, stirring speed: 250 r/min. Under the above conditions, the removal rate was up to 92.96%. The experiments demonstrated that TOA was a good carrier for cyanide transport through BLM in this study.
Sewage sludge pretreatment by microwave irradiation combined with activated carbon fibre at alkaline pH for anaerobic digestion
Authors: Sun Dedong , Guo Sixiao , Ma Nina , Wang Guowen , Ma Chun , Hao Jun , Xue Mang , Zhang Xinxin
Published: March 2016

This research focuses on the effects of microwave-assisted activated carbon fibre (ACF) (MW-ACF) treatment on sewage sludge at alkaline pH. The disintegration and biodegradability of sewage sludge were studied. It was found that the MW-ACF process at alkaline pH provided a rapid and efficient process to disrupt the microbial cells in the sludge. The results suggested that when irradiated at 800 W MW for 110 s with a dose of 1.0 g ACF/g solid concentration (SS) at pH 10.5, the MW-ACF pretreatment achieved 55% SS disintegration, 23% greater than the value of MW alone (32%). The concentration of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, supernatant soluble chemical oxygen demand, protein, and polysaccharide increased by 60%, 144%, 145%, 74%, and 77%, respectively. An increase in biogas production by 63.7% was achieved after 20 days of anaerobic digestion (AD), compared to the control. The results indicated that the MW-ACF pretreatment process at alkaline pH provides novel sludge management options in disintegration of sewage sludge for further AD.
Design and Test of a Solanaceae Grafting Robot
Authors: Sun Qun , Zhao Ying , Guo Anfu , Zhao Dongjie , Wang Chong
Published: March 2016

A grafting robot based on cleft grafting method has been developed to improve efficiency of grafting solanaceae vegetables. This robot consists of four parts including a clamping manipulator and carrying, cutting, feeding mechanisms. These not only enable the robot to conveniently perform clamping, carrying, positioning, cutting, joining, and binding rootstock and scion, but also improve the grafting efficiency. The average success rates for cutting rootstock, cutting scion and conjugation are 98.7%, 99.0% and 59.6% respectively. The developed robot was able to perform steady operations, suggesting potential value for practical applications.
Is Hearing Impairment Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Review
Authors: Emamifar Amir , Bjoerndal Kristine , Hansen Inger M.J.
Published: March 2016

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, inflammatory disease that affects 1% of the population. The auditory system may be involved during the course of disease; however the association of RA and hearing impairment has not been clearly defined.

Objective:

The objective of this review is to evaluate published clinical reports related to hearing impairment in patients with RA. Furthermore, we discuss possible pathologies and associated factors as well as new treatment modalities.

Method:

A thorough literature search was performed using available databases including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and ComDisDome to cover all relative reports. The following keywords were used: hearing loss, hearing difficulties, hearing disorders, hearing impairment, sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, autoimmune hearing loss, drug ototoxicity, drug-induced hearing loss, hearing test, audiometry, auditory dysfunction and rheumatoid arthritis.

Conclusion:

Based on our review it can be postulated that patients with RA are at higher risk of hearing impairment compared to healthy subjects in their course of the disease. The hearing impairment in RA seems to be a multifactorial condition; however the mechanisms of injury, as well as the relative risk factors, are not completely clear. This review can aid to clarify this condition and is a guide for further evaluation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review of hearing impairment in RA.
Serial Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injections Slow the Progression of Radiation Maculopathy Following Iodine-125 Plaque Radiotherapy
Authors: Stacey Andrew W. , Demirci Hakan
Published: March 2016

Background and Objective:

To assess the outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab injection in the management of radiation maculopathy secondary to plaque radiotherapy, and to identify optimal treatment strategies.

Study Design:

A retrospective review of all choroidal melanoma patients at one referral center who were treated with plaque radiotherapy, subsequently developed radiation maculopathy, and received intravitreal bevacizumab.

Results:

A total of 31 patients were identified. The mean visual acuity decreased three Snellen lines in the year leading up to the first bevacizumab injection. After initiating injection therapy, the mean visual acuity remained stable for 9 months. The change in visual acuity of patients who received injections within 90 days of previous injections was significantly better than the visual acuity of those who received injections more than 90 days apart (p=0.0003). Patients who demonstrated late-phase macular leakage on fluorescein angiography at the time of the first bevacizumab injection had better long-term visual acuity outcomes than patients who had no evidence of macular leakage (average of one line improvement of vision vs. ten line loss of vision, p=0.03).

Conclusions:

Intravitreal bevacizumab injection was effective in stabilizing visual acuity in patients with radiation maculopathy. Patients benefited most from injections administered every 90 days or sooner. Fluorescein angiography can help identify patients who will respond favorably to treatment.
miR-29b regulates cell proliferation and invasion in human ovarian clear cell carcinoma by targeting Lysyl oxidase (LOX)
Authors: Wang Xuan , Wang Yan , Wang Guichan , Liu Peishu
Published: March 2016

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer,
reflecting its chemoresistance and frequent late diagnosis, and suggesting
that a more effective treatment approach is needed. Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is
involved in important biological processes such as gene regulation, cell
signaling and cell motility, its deregulation contributing to tumor
formation and development. Although it is known that LOX is involved in
proliferation, migration and invasion in several types of tumors, studies of
LOX in ovarian cancers are scarce. To explore the molecular regulation
mechanisms in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis, the expression change
and the function of LOX was confirmed in ovarian tissues and cells, which
suggested that LOX is a tumor suppressor gene. To further understand how LOX
expression is regulated in ovarian cancer, microRNAs(miRNAs) were considered
because of their role in post-transcriptional regulation of many genes.
Recent work has described differential expression of mature miRNAs in human
cancers. Bioinformatics prediction which was used to find the appropriate
miRNA regulating LOX, revealed that miR-29b regulates LOX protein level via
its binding site on the 3'UTR of LOX mRNAin ES-2 cells, a human ovarian
clear cell carcinoma cell line. miR-29b knockdown inhibited proliferation and
invasion in ES-2 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that
influencing LOX regulation bychanging the level of miR-29b expression could
provide a novel potential approachfor treating human ovarian clear cell
carcinoma.
Ceramic facade cladding as an element of sustainable development
Authors: Toplicic-Curcic Gordana , Grdic Dusan , Ristic Nenad , Grdic Zoran
Published: March 2016

Building in harmony with nature has a small impact on the environment, while
meeting the basic needs of the population. Green architecture is a branch of
architecture including planning, designing and building of various kinds of
buildings, with a low impact on the environment. Construction of the
so-called ?green structures? is in accord with the concept of sustainability
and it attempts to balance environmental, economical and social needs.
Environmentally appropriate materials are used in construction of this type
of structures, which during their production, application and distribution
pollute as little as possible the water, soil and air in the environment. The
more sustainable the building materials used for construction are, the more
sustainable is the structure and its operation with renewable energy sources.
The paper considers ceramic facade elements, i.e. cladding. By using ceramic
facade cladding, one achieves a better preception of an urban environment,
which enriches our lives for new sensual and visual quality, while observing
the green building requirements.
Mycorrhizal Colonization Patterns Under Contrasting Grazing and Topographic Conditions in the Flooding Pampa (Argentina)
Authors: Grigera Gonzalo , Oesterheld Martín ,   Society for Range Management
Published: March 2016

Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) can ameliorate the impact of disturbance on agroecosystem sustainability. The objective of this study was to describe mycorrhizal colonization patterns in contrasting grazing situations (exclosure and continuous grazing) and topographical positions (upland and lowland) in the flooding pampa (Argentina). We determined the mycorrhizal colonization of the community as a whole and of Dallis grass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.), a highly palatable, dominant species. We characterized colonization by the proportion of root length occupied by fungi and their different structures. At the community level, there was higher total colonization in the grazed area than in the exclosure. In contrast, Dallis grass showed higher total colonization and higher proportion of vesicles and arbuscules in the exclosure than in the grazed area. For both levels, colonization was higher in the lowland than in the upland position. Differences were observed only in winter and spring, not in summer. Our results show that 1) continuous grazing is associated with an increase of mycorrhizal colonization at the community level and 2) community-level patterns of mycorrhizal colonization cannot be inferred from dominant species. To our knowledge, this is the first characterization of AM abundance at the plant community level under contrasting long-term grazing conditions in a subhumid grassland.
Transitioning from military to civilian life: the role of mastery and social support
Authors: Hachey Krystal K. , Sudom Kerry , Sweet Jill , MacLean Mary Beth , VanTil Linda D.
Published: March 2016

Introduction: The Survey on Transition to Civilian Life (STCL) was created to measure the adjustment outcomes of recently released Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. The survey was administered to a sample of CAF regular force members released from 1998 to 2007. The aim of the current study was to examine resources that promote the successful adjustment to civilian life. Specifically, the goal was to conduct a secondary analysis of the STCL that examined the roles of mastery and social environment (that is, community belonging and satisfaction with support) in the transition to civilian life, as well as how these variables correlate with health and life stress. Methods: The sample data were used to conduct Kendall's tau correlations. Prevalence estimates, 95 per cent confidence intervals, and ordinal logistic regressions were conducted using weighted data that accounted for the complex survey design to ensure findings were representative of the sampled veteran population. Results: Ordinal logistic regression results revealed that mastery, satisfaction with types of social support (friends and family), and a sense of community belonging acted as potential protective factors that were associated with easier adjustment to civilian life for Veterans with physical health conditions, mental health conditions, and higher levels of life stress. The first model showed that the odds of an easier adjustment were lower for those who were more stressed (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0.13), self-reported a physical health condition (AOR=0.53), and self-reported a mental health condition (AOR=0.23). The second model revealed that the odds of an easier adjustment were lower for those Veterans dissatisfied with their family relationships (AOR=0.42) and their relationships with friends (AOR=0.47) and those with a very weak sense of community belonging (AOR=0.39), and they were higher among those with high levels of mastery (AOR=3.93). Discussion: The results of this study point to the importance of personal characteristics and aspects of the social environment in the adjustment to civilian life among military veterans. As well, ensuring a successful adjustment to civilian life may lead to better outcomes, such as enhanced mastery, following transition.
Design, synthesis and anti-diabetic activity of some novel xanthone derivatives targeting α-glucosidase
Authors: Bairy Partha Sarathi , Das Aparoop , Nainwal Lalit Mohan , Mohanta Tapan Kumar , Kumawat Mukesh Kumar , Mohapatra Pradyumna Kishore , Parida Pratap
Published: March 2016

Twenty eight xanthone derivatives were designed and docked into the N-terminal catalytic domain of maltase-glucoamylase (ntMGAM) by considering Miglitol as standard drug. Most of the molecules showed excellent docking scores and docking interaction as compared to the binding cavity of the standard molecule. The five best scoring ligands were synthesized and characterized by a number of analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The molecules were screened for the in vivo antidiabetic activity in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic animal model in Wistar rats. Compound P4 showed the most prominent inhibition among others. The synthesized compounds reported significant (p< 0.01) effect of lowering glucose levels in the blood compared to miglitol as a standard α-glucosidase inhibitor.

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Induction of diabetes: 
Multivariate Algorithmics for Finding Cohesive Subnetworks
Authors: Komusiewicz Christian
Published: March 2016

Community detection is an important task in the analysis of biological, social or technical networks. We survey different models of cohesive graphs, commonly referred to as clique relaxations, that are used in the detection of network communities. For each clique relaxation, we give an overview of basic model properties and of the complexity of the problem of finding large cohesive subgraphs under this model. Since this problem is usually NP-hard, we focus on combinatorial fixed-parameter algorithms exploiting typical structural properties of input networks.
Acoustics of a Music Venue/Bar—A Case Study
Authors: Ramakrishnan Ramani , Dumoulin Romain
Published: March 2016

A vacant unit, once used by a Portuguese Deli, was converted to a bar/music room in Toronto. The unit was divided into two spaces along its north-south axis. The western portion was designed as a music room that would provide a performance space from a solo artist to a Jazz combo to a small rock band. The eastern part was designed as a regular bar/dining area. The plan also called for a microbrewery unit at the back of the unit. The bar music can be loud, while the music room can be pianissimo to forte depending on the type of performance. The acoustical design aspects are critical for the music room. In addition, the acoustical separation between the two spaces is equally important. The music room/bar is currently in use. The design results are compared to actual field measurements. The results showed that the music venue performed satisfactorily. The acoustical separation between the music venue and the bar/restaurant was better than expected other than an installation deficiency of the south side sound lock doors. The background sound along the northern portion was NC-35 or less. However, the southern portion’s background sound exceeded NC-35 due to the hissing of the return air grille. The acoustical design and the performance results of the music venue-bar/restaurant are presented in this paper.
Novel Charge Ordering in the Trimer Iridium Oxide BaIrO3
Authors: Terasaki Ichiro , Ito Shun , Igarashi Taichi , Asai Shinichiro , Taniguchi Hiroki , Okazaki Ryuji , Yasui Yukio , Kobayashi Kensuke , Kumai Reiji , Nakao Hironori , Murakami Youichi
Published: March 2016

We have prepared polycrystalline samples of the trimer Ir oxide BaIrO3 with face-shared Ir3O12 trimers, and have investigated the origin of the phase transition at 182 K by measuring resistivity, thermopower, magnetization and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. We propose a possible electronic model and transition mechanism, starting from a localized electron picture on the basis of the Rietveld refinement. Within this model, BaIrO3 can be basically regarded as a Mott insulator, when the Ir3O12 trimer is identified to one pseudo-atom or one lattice site. The transition can be viewed as a transition from the Mott insulator phase to a kind of charge ordered insulator phase.
Quantifying the Impact of Feedstock Quality on the Design of Bioenergy Supply Chain Networks
Authors: Castillo-Villar Krystel , Minor-Popocatl Hertwin , Webb Erin
Published: March 2016

Logging residues, which refer to the unused portions of trees cut during logging, are important sources of biomass for the emerging biofuel industry and are critical feedstocks for the first-type biofuel facilities (e.g., corn-ethanol facilities). Logging residues are under-utilized sources of biomass for energetic purposes. To support the scaling-up of the bioenergy industry, it is essential to design cost-effective biofuel supply chains that not only minimize costs, but also consider the biomass quality characteristics. The biomass quality is heavily dependent upon the moisture and the ash contents. Ignoring the biomass quality characteristics and its intrinsic costs may yield substantial economic losses that will only be discovered after operations at a biorefinery have begun. This paper proposes a novel bioenergy supply chain network design model that minimizes operational costs and includes the biomass quality-related costs. The proposed model is unique in the sense that it supports decisions where quality is not unrealistically assumed to be perfect. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is proven by assessing a case study in the state of Tennessee, USA. The results demonstrate that the ash and moisture contents of logging residues affect the performance of the supply chain (in monetary terms). Higher-than-target moisture and ash contents incur in additional quality-related costs. The quality-related costs in the optimal solution (with final ash content of 1% and final moisture of 50%) account for 27% of overall supply chain cost. Based on the numeral experimentation, the total supply chain cost increased 7%, on average, for each additional percent in the final ash content.
Tunneling Horizontal IEC 61850 Traffic through Audio Video Bridging Streams for Flexible Microgrid Control and Protection
Authors: Short Michael , Abugchem Fathi , Dawood Muneeb
Published: March 2016

In this paper, it is argued that some low-level aspects of the usual IEC 61850 mapping to Ethernet are not well suited to microgrids due to their dynamic nature and geographical distribution as compared to substations. It is proposed that the integration of IEEE time-sensitive networking (TSN) concepts (which are currently implemented as audio video bridging (AVB) technologies) within an IEC 61850 / Manufacturing Message Specification framework provides a flexible and reconfigurable platform capable of overcoming such issues. A prototype test platform and bump-in-the-wire device for tunneling horizontal traffic through AVB are described. Experimental results are presented for sending IEC 61850 GOOSE (generic object oriented substation events) and SV (sampled values) messages through AVB tunnels. The obtained results verify that IEC 61850 event and sampled data may be reliably transported within the proposed framework with very low latency, even over a congested network. It is argued that since AVB streams can be flexibly configured from one or more central locations, and bandwidth reserved for their data ensuring predictability of delivery, this gives a solution which seems significantly more reliable than a pure MMS-based solution.
Transient Numerical Simulation of the Melting and Solidification Behavior of NaNO3 Using a Wire Matrix for Enhancing the Heat Transfer
Authors: Koller Martin , Walter Heimo , Hameter Michael
Published: March 2016

The paper presents the results of a transient numerical investigation of the melting and solidification process of sodium nitrate (NaNO3), which is used as phase change material. For enhancing the heat transfer to the sodium nitrate an aluminum wire matrix is used. The numerical simulation of the melting and solidification process was done with the enthalpy-porosity approach. The numerical analysis of the melting process has shown that apart from the first period of the charging process, where heat conduction is the main heat transfer mechanism, natural convection is the dominant heat transfer mechanism. The numerical investigation of the solidification process has shown that the dominant heat transfer mechanism is heat conduction. Based on the numerical results, the discharging process has been slower than the charging process. The performance of the charged and discharged power has shown that the wire matrix is an alternative method to enhance the heat transfer into the phase change material.
Long-Term Treatment with Citicoline Prevents Cognitive Decline and Predicts a Better Quality of Life after a First Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Alvarez-Sabín Jose , Santamarina Estevo , Maisterra Olga , Jacas Carlos , Molina Carlos , Quintana Manuel
Published: March 2016

Stroke, as the leading cause of physical disability and cognitive impairment, has a very significant impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). The objective of this study is to know the effect of citicoline treatment in Qol and cognitive performance in the long-term in patients with a first ischemic stroke. This is an open-label, randomized, parallel study of citicoline vs. usual treatment. All subjects were selected 6 weeks after suffering a first ischemic stroke and randomized into parallel arms. Neuropsychological evaluation was performed at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after stroke, and QoL was measured using the EuroQoL-5D questionnaire at 2 years. 163 patients were followed during 2 years. The mean age was 67.5 years-old, and 50.9% were women. Age and absence of citicoline treatment were independent predictors of both utility and poor quality of life. Patients with cognitive impairment had a poorer QoL at 2 years (0.55 vs. 0.66 in utility, p = 0.015). Citicoline treatment improved significantly cognitive status during follow-up (p = 0.005). In conclusion, treatment with long-term citicoline is associated with a better QoL and improves cognitive status 2 years after a first ischemic stroke.
Nearest Neighbor Search in the Metric Space of a Complex Network for Community Detection
Authors: Saha Suman , Ghrera Satya
Published: March 2016

The objective of this article is to bridge the gap between two important research directions: (1) nearest neighbor search, which is a fundamental computational tool for large data analysis; and (2) complex network analysis, which deals with large real graphs but is generally studied via graph theoretic analysis or spectral analysis. In this article, we have studied the nearest neighbor search problem in a complex network by the development of a suitable notion of nearness. The computation of efficient nearest neighbor search among the nodes of a complex network using the metric tree and locality sensitive hashing (LSH) are also studied and experimented. For evaluation of the proposed nearest neighbor search in a complex network, we applied it to a network community detection problem. Experiments are performed to verify the usefulness of nearness measures for the complex networks, the role of metric tree and LSH to compute fast and approximate node nearness and the the efficiency of community detection using nearest neighbor search. We observed that nearest neighbor between network nodes is a very efficient tool to explore better the community structure of the real networks. Several efficient approximation schemes are very useful for large networks, which hardly made any degradation of results, whereas they save lot of computational times, and nearest neighbor based community detection approach is very competitive in terms of efficiency and time.
Semisolid Microstructural Evolution during Partial Remelting of a Bulk Alloy Prepared by Cold Pressing of the Ti-Al-2024Al Powder Mixture
Authors: Qin Yahong , Chen Tijun , Wang Yingjun , Zhang Xuezheng , Li Pubo
Published: March 2016

A new method, powder thixoforming, has been proposed to fabricate an in situ Al3Tip/2024Al composite. During partial remelting, the microstructural evolution of the bulk alloy prepared by cold pressing of the Ti, Al, 2024Al powder mixture was investigated, and the formation mechanism of the Al3Ti particles produced by the reaction between the Ti powder and the Al alloy melt is also discussed in detail. The results indicate that the microstructural evolution of the 2024 alloy matrix can be divided into three stages: a rapid coarsening of the powder grains; a formation of primary α-Al particles surrounded with a continuous liquid film; and a slight coarsening of the primary α-Al particles. Simultaneously, a reaction layer of Al3Ti can be formed on the Ti powder surface when the bulk is heated for 10 min at 640 °C The thickness (X) of the reaction layer increases with the time according to the parabolic law of \(X = -0.43t^{2} + 4.21t + 0.17\). The stress generated in the reaction layer due to the volume dilatation can be calculated by using the equationσ \(\sigma_{Al_{3}Ti} = -\frac{ E_{Al_{3}Ti} }{6(1-v{Al_{3}Ti})} \frac{ t^{3}_{Al_{3}Ti} }{t_{Ti}} \left(\frac{1}{R} - \frac{1}{R_{0}} \right) \). Comparing the obtained data with the results of the drip experiment, the reaction rate for the Ti powder and Al powder mixture is greater than that for the Ti plate and Al alloy mixture, respectively.
Controlled Photocatalytic Synthesis of Core–Shell SiC/Polyaniline Hybrid Nanostructures
Authors: Kormányos Attila , Endrődi Balázs , Ondok Róbert , Sápi András , Janáky Csaba
Published: March 2016

Hybrid materials of electrically conducting polymers and inorganic semiconductors form an exciting class of functional materials. To fully exploit the potential synergies of the hybrid formation, however, sophisticated synthetic methods are required that allow for the fine-tuning of the nanoscale structure of the organic/inorganic interface. Here we present the photocatalytic deposition of a conducting polymer (polyaniline) on the surface of silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles. The polymerization is facilitated on the SiC surface, via the oxidation of the monomer molecules by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light irradiation through the photogenerated holes. The synthesized core–shell nanostructures were characterized by UV-vis, Raman, and Fourier Transformed Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical methods. It was found that the composition of the hybrids can be varied by simply changing the irradiation time. In addition, we proved the crucial importance of the irradiation wavelength in forming conductive polyaniline, instead of its overoxidized, insulating counterpart. Overall, we conclude that photocatalytic deposition is a promising and versatile approach for the synthesis of conducting polymers with controlled properties on semiconductor surfaces. The presented findings may trigger further studies using photocatalysis as a synthetic strategy to obtain nanoscale hybrid architectures of different semiconductors.
Marine Natural Products from New Caledonia—A Review
Authors: Motuhi Sofia-Eléna , Mehiri Mohamed , Payri Claude , La Barre Stéphane , Bach Stéphane
Published: March 2016

Marine micro- and macroorganisms are well known to produce metabolites with high biotechnological potential. Nearly 40 years of systematic prospecting all around the New Caledonia archipelago and several successive research programs have uncovered new chemical leads from benthic and planktonic organisms. After species identification, biological and/or pharmaceutical analyses are performed on marine organisms to assess their bioactivities. A total of 3582 genera, 1107 families and 9372 species have been surveyed and more than 350 novel molecular structures have been identified. Along with their bioactivities that hold promise for therapeutic applications, most of these molecules are also potentially useful for cosmetics and food biotechnology. This review highlights the tremendous marine diversity in New Caledonia, and offers an outline of the vast possibilities for natural products, especially in the interest of pursuing collaborative fundamental research programs and developing local biotechnology programs.
A New Indole Alkaloid from the Toad Venom of Bufo bufo gargarizans
Authors: Dai Ying-Hui , Shen Bo , Xia Ming-Yu , Wang An-Dong , Chen Yu-Lin , Liu Dong-Chun , Wang Dong
Published: March 2016

A new indole alkaloid named bufobutarginine (1), along with three known bufotenines, namely, serotonin (2), bufotenidine (3), and bufotenine (4), were isolated from the water extract of toad venom. Their structures were elucidated by spectral methods. This is the first time that arginine has been found to be involved in the biosynthesis of bufotenines in parotid of toad. The cytotoxic activities of these compounds have been assayed against A375 and A549 cell lines by the MTT method; however, they showed no cytotoxic activities.
Experimental Investigation and Simplistic Geochemical Modeling of CO2 Mineral Carbonation Using the Mount Tawai Peridotite
Authors: Rahmani Omeid , Highfield James , Junin Radzuan , Tyrer Mark , Pour Amin
Published: March 2016

In this work, the potential of CO2 mineral carbonation of brucite (Mg(OH)2) derived from the Mount Tawai peridotite (forsterite based (Mg)2SiO4) to produce thermodynamically stable magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) was evaluated. The effect of three main factors (reaction temperature, particle size, and water vapor) were investigated in a sequence of experiments consisting of aqueous acid leaching, evaporation to dryness of the slurry mass, and then gas-solid carbonation under pressurized CO2. The maximum amount of Mg converted to MgCO3 is ~99%, which occurred at temperatures between 150 and 175 °C. It was also found that the reduction of particle size range from >200 to <75 µm enhanced the leaching rate significantly. In addition, the results showed the essential role of water vapor in promoting effective carbonation. By increasing water vapor concentration from 5 to 10 vol %, the mineral carbonation rate increased by 30%. This work has also numerically modeled the process by which CO2 gas may be sequestered, by reaction with forsterite in the presence of moisture. In both experimental analysis and geochemical modeling, the results showed that the reaction is favored and of high yield; going almost to completion (within about one year) with the bulk of the carbon partitioning into magnesite and that very little remains in solution.
Aromatic Constituents from the Stems of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. Mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao
Authors: Hao Jia , Li Jian , Li Xiaoxia , Liu Yanxia , Ruan Jingya , Dong Yongzhe , Zhang Yi , Wang Tao
Published: March 2016

Four new aromatic constituents, astraflavonoids A (1), B (2), C (3), and astramemoside A (4), along with sixteen known ones 5–20 were obtained from the stems of A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Among the known isolates, 14 was obtained from the Astragalus genus for the first time, while 7–12, 18–20 were isolated from the species for the first time. The effects of the compounds obtained from the plant on glucose consumption were analyzed in differentiated L6 myotubes in vitro, whereby compounds 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 18 displayed significant promoting effects on glucose consumption in L6 myotubes. Among them, the activities of 1, 2 and 7 were comparable to that of insulin, which suggested that these compounds may be involved in glucose metabolism and transport.
Fumigant Toxicity of Lamiaceae Plant Essential Oils and Blends of Their Constituents against Adult Rice Weevil Sitophilus oryzae
Authors: Kim Sung-Woong , Lee Hyo-Rim , Jang Myeong-Jin , Jung Chan-Sik , Park Il-Kwon
Published: March 2016

To find a new and safe alternative to conventional insecticides, we evaluated the fumigant toxicity of eight Lamiaceae essential oils and their constituents against the adult rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae. Of the eight species tested, hyssop (Hyssopus offcinalis), majoram (Origanum majorana), and Thymus zygis essential oils showed strong fumigant toxicity against S. oryzae adults at 25 mg/L air concentration. Constituents of active essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detector (FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 13, 15, and 17 compounds were identified from hyssop, majoram, and Thymus zygis essential oils, respectively. Pinocamphone and isopinocamphone were isolated by open column chromatography. Among the test compounds, pinocamphone and isopinocamphone showed the strongest fumigant toxicity against S. oryzae. Sabinene hydrate, linalool, α-terpineol, and terpinen-4-ol exhibited 100% fumigant toxicity against S. oryzae at 3.9 mg/L air concentration. The measured toxicity of the artificial blends of the constituents identified in hyssop, majoram, and Thymus zygis oils indicated that isopinocamphone, terpine-4-ol, and linalool were major contributors to the fumigant toxicity of the artificial blend, respectively.
Nanoparticles Composed of Zn and ZnO Inhibit Peronospora tabacina Spore Germination in vitro and P. tabacina Infectivity on Tobacco Leaves
Authors: Wagner George , Korenkov Victor , Judy Jonathan , Bertsch Paul
Published: March 2016

Manufactured nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly being used for commercial purposes and certain NP types have been shown to have broad spectrum antibacterial activity. In contrast, their activities against fungi and fungi-like oomycetes are less studied. Here, we examined the potential of two types of commercially available Zn NPs (Zn NPs and ZnO NPs) to inhibit spore germination and infectivity on tobacco leaves resulting from exposure to the fungi-like oomycete pathogen Peronospora tabacina (P. tabacina). Both types of NPs, as well as ZnCl2 and bulk ZnO control treatments, inhibited spore germination compared to a blank control. ZnO ENMs were shown to be a much more powerful suppressor of spore germination and infectivity than bulk ZnO. ZnO and Zn NPs significantly inhibited leaf infection at 8 and 10 mg·L−1, respectively. Both types of NPs were found to provide substantially higher concentration dependent inhibition of spore germination and infectivity than could be readily explained by the presence of dissolved Zn. These results suggest that both NP types have potential for use as economic, low-dose, potentially non-persistent anti-microbial agents against the oomycete P. tabacina.
Stability Study of Flexible 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene Thin-Film Transistors with a Cross-Linked Poly(4-vinylphenol)/Yttrium Oxide Nanocomposite Gate Insulator
Authors: Kwon Jin-Hyuk , Zhang Xue , Piao Shang , Choi Hyoung , Bae Jin-Hyuk , Park Jaehoon
Published: March 2016

We investigated the electrical and mechanical stability of flexible 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylehtynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene) thin-film transistors (TFTs) that were fabricated on polyimide (PI) substrates using cross-linked poly(4-vinylphenol) (c-PVP) and c-PVP/yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanocomposite films as gate insulators. Compared with the electrical characteristics of TIPS-pentacene TFTs with c-PVP insulators, the TFTs with c-PVP/Y2O3 nanocomposite insulators exhibited enhancements in the drain current and the threshold voltage due to an increase in the dielectric capacitance. In electrical stability experiments, a gradual decrease in the drain current and a negative shift in the threshold voltage occurred during prolonged bias stress tests, but these characteristic variations were comparable for both types of TFT. On the other hand, the results of mechanical bending tests showed that the characteristic degradation of the TIPS-pentacene TFTs with c-PVP/Y2O3 nanocomposite insulators was more critical than that of the TFTs with c-PVP insulators. In this study, the detrimental effect of the nanocomposite insulator on the mechanical stability of flexible TIPS-pentacene TFTs was found to be caused by physical adhesion of TIPS-pentacene molecules onto the rough surfaces of the c-PVP/Y2O3 nanocomposite insulator. These results indicate that the dielectric and morphological properties of polymeric nanocomposite insulators are significant when considering practical applications of flexible electronics operated at low voltages.
Potential of High Spatial and Temporal Ocean Color Satellite Data to Study the Dynamics of Suspended Particles in a Micro-Tidal River Plume
Authors: Ody Anouck , Doxaran David , Vanhellemont Quinten , Nechad Bouchra , Novoa Stefani , Many Gaël , Bourrin François , Verney Romaric , Pairaud Ivane , Gentili Bernard
Published: March 2016

Ocean color satellite sensors are powerful tools to study and monitor the dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) discharged by rivers in coastal waters. In this study, we test the capabilities of Landsat-8/Operational Land Imager (OLI), AQUA&TERRA/Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and MSG-3/Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) sensors in terms of spectral, spatial and temporal resolutions to (i) estimate the seawater reflectance signal and then SPM concentrations and (ii) monitor the dynamics of SPM in the Rhône River plume characterized by moderately turbid surface waters in a micro-tidal sea. Consistent remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) values are retrieved in the red spectral bands of these four satellite sensors (median relative difference less than ~16% in turbid waters). By applying a regional algorithm developed from in situ data, these Rrs are used to estimate SPM concentrations in the Rhône river plume. The spatial resolution of OLI provides a detailed mapping of the SPM concentration from the downstream part of the river itself to the plume offshore limits with well defined small-scale turbidity features. Despite the low temporal resolution of OLI, this should allow to better understand the transport of terrestrial particles from rivers to the coastal ocean. These details are partly lost using MODIS coarser resolutions data but SPM concentration estimations are consistent, with an accuracy of about 1 to 3 g·m−3 in the river mouth and plume for spatial resolutions from 250 m to 1 km. The MODIS temporal resolution (2 images per day) allows to capture the daily to monthly dynamics of the river plume. However, despite its micro-tidal environment, the Rhône River plume shows significant short-term (hourly) variations, mainly controlled by wind and regional circulation, that MODIS temporal resolution failed to capture. On the contrary, the high temporal resolution of SEVIRI makes it a powerful tool to study this hourly river plume dynamics. However, its coarse resolution prevents the monitoring of SPM concentration variations in the river mouth where SPM concentration variability can reach 20 g·m−3 inside the SEVIRI pixel. Its spatial resolution is nevertheless sufficient to reproduce the plume shape and retrieve SPM concentrations in a valid range, taking into account an underestimation of about 15%–20% based on comparisons with other sensors and in situ data. Finally, the capabilities, advantages and limits of these satellite sensors are discussed in the light of the spatial and temporal resolution improvements provided by the new and future generation of ocean color sensors onboard the Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite platforms.
Automated Extraction and Mapping for Desert Wadis from Landsat Imagery in Arid West Asia
Authors: Liu Yongxue , Chen Xiaoyu , Yang Yuhao , Sun Chao , Zhang Siyu
Published: March 2016

Wadis, ephemeral dry rivers in arid desert regions that contain water in the rainy season, are often manifested as braided linear channels and are of vital importance for local hydrological environments and regional hydrological management. Conventional methods for effectively delineating wadis from heterogeneous backgrounds are limited for the following reasons: (1) the occurrence of numerous morphological irregularities which disqualify methods based on physical shape; (2) inconspicuous spectral contrast with backgrounds, resulting in frequent false alarms; and (3) the extreme complexity of wadi systems, with numerous tiny tributaries characterized by spectral anisotropy, resulting in a conflict between global and local accuracy. To overcome these difficulties, an automated method for extracting wadis (AMEW) from Landsat-8 Operational Land Imagery (OLI) was developed in order to take advantage of the complementarity between Water Indices (WIs), which is a technique of mathematically combining different bands to enhance water bodies and suppress backgrounds, and image processing technologies in the morphological field involving multi-scale Gaussian matched filtering and a local adaptive threshold segmentation. Evaluation of the AMEW was carried out in representative areas deliberately selected from Jordan, SW Arabian Peninsula in order to ensure a rigorous assessment. Experimental results indicate that the AMEW achieved considerably higher accuracy than other effective extraction methods in terms of visual inspection and statistical comparison, with an overall accuracy of up to 95.05% for the entire area. In addition, the AMEW (based on the New Water Index (NWI)) achieved higher accuracy than other methods (the maximum likelihood classifier and the support vector machine classifier) used for bulk wadi extraction.
Nonlocal Total Variation Subpixel Mapping for Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Feng Ruyi , Zhong Yanfei , Wu Yunyun , He Da , Xu Xiong , Zhang Liangpei
Published: March 2016

Subpixel mapping is a method of enhancing the spatial resolution of images, which involves dividing a mixed pixel into subpixels and assigning each subpixel to a definite land-cover class. Traditionally, subpixel mapping is based on the assumption of spatial dependence, and the spatial correlation information among pixels and subpixels is considered in the prediction of the spatial locations of land-cover classes within the mixed pixels. In this paper, a novel subpixel mapping method for hyperspectral remote sensing imagery based on a nonlocal method, namely nonlocal total variation subpixel mapping (NLTVSM), is proposed to use the nonlocal self-similarity prior to improve the performance of the subpixel mapping task. Differing from the existing spatial regularization subpixel mapping technique, in NLTVSM, the nonlocal total variation is used as a spatial regularizer to exploit the similar patterns and structures in the image. In this way, the proposed method can obtain an optimal subpixel mapping result and accuracy by considering the nonlocal spatial information. Compared with the classical and state-of-the-art subpixel mapping approaches, the experimental results using a simulated hyperspectral image, two synthetic hyperspectral remote sensing images, and a real hyperspectral image confirm that the proposed algorithm can obtain better results in both visual and quantitative evaluations.
Scalable Indoor Localization via Mobile Crowdsourcing and Gaussian Process
Authors: Chang Qiang , Li Qun , Shi Zesen , Chen Wei , Wang Weiping
Published: March 2016

Indoor localization using Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) fingerprinting has been extensively studied for decades. The positioning accuracy is highly dependent on the density of the signal database. In areas without calibration data, however, this algorithm breaks down. Building and updating a dense signal database is labor intensive, expensive, and even impossible in some areas. Researchers are continually searching for better algorithms to create and update dense databases more efficiently. In this paper, we propose a scalable indoor positioning algorithm that works both in surveyed and unsurveyed areas. We first propose Minimum Inverse Distance (MID) algorithm to build a virtual database with uniformly distributed virtual Reference Points (RP). The area covered by the virtual RPs can be larger than the surveyed area. A Local Gaussian Process (LGP) is then applied to estimate the virtual RPs’ RSSI values based on the crowdsourced training data. Finally, we improve the Bayesian algorithm to estimate the user’s location using the virtual database. All the parameters are optimized by simulations, and the new algorithm is tested on real-case scenarios. The results show that the new algorithm improves the accuracy by 25.5% in the surveyed area, with an average positioning error below 2.2 m for 80% of the cases. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can localize the users in the neighboring unsurveyed area.
Road-Aided Ground Slowly Moving Target 2D Motion Estimation for Single-Channel Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Wang Zhirui , Xu Jia , Huang Zuzhen , Zhang Xudong , Xia Xiang-Gen , Long Teng , Bao Qian
Published: March 2016

To detect and estimate ground slowly moving targets in airborne single-channel synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a road-aided ground moving target indication (GMTI) algorithm is proposed in this paper. First, the road area is extracted from a focused SAR image based on radar vision. Second, after stationary clutter suppression in the range-Doppler domain, a moving target is detected and located in the image domain via the watershed method. The target’s position on the road as well as its radial velocity can be determined according to the target’s offset distance and traffic rules. Furthermore, the target’s azimuth velocity is estimated based on the road slope obtained via polynomial fitting. Compared with the traditional algorithms, the proposed method can effectively cope with slowly moving targets partly submerged in a stationary clutter spectrum. In addition, the proposed method can be easily extended to a multi-channel system to further improve the performance of clutter suppression and motion estimation. Finally, the results of numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.