bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enrichment of Hydrogen from a Hydrogen/Propylene Gas Mixture Using ZIF-8/Water-Glycol Slurry
Authors: Li Hai , Gao Xueteng , Jia Chongzhi , Chen Wan , Liu Bei , Yang Lanying , Sun Changyu , Chen Guangjin
Published: July 2018

In this work, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), a subclass of metal organic frameworks (MOFs), was dispersed in a water-glycol solution to form a porous slurry. Using this porous slurry, a tail gas mixture containing hydrogen/propylene was separated. Experiments were performed to investigate the effects of using only the solid ZIF-8 material, a ZIF-8/water slurry, a ZIF-8/glycol slurry, or a ZIF-8/water-glycol slurry on the selectivity of the separation. The experimental results show that the slurry made from ZIF-8/water-glycol (20%) achieves good gas separation. The respective influences of the solid content, initial pressure, and temperature on the separation performance were also investigated in detail. We found that lower temperature, a ZIF-8 mass fraction of 20 wt %, and a higher operation pressure are suitable for the recovering of hydrogen from a H2/C3H6 mixture. The selectivity of C3H6 over H2 reaches 128 at 680 kPa initial pressure. The slurries were completely reusable for at least three cycles. The structure of the ZIF-8 material was not altered after repeated separation, meaning the material can likely be reused more than three times on an industrial scale.
Heritage Ethics and Human Rights of the Dead
Authors: Perreault Kelsey
Published: July 2018

Thomas Laqueur argues that the work of the dead is carried out through the living and through those who remember, honour, and mourn. Further, he maintains that the brutal or careless disposal of the corpse “is an attack of extreme violence”. To treat the dead body as if it does not matter or as if it were ordinary organic matter would be to deny its humanity. From Laqueur’s point of view, it is inferred that the dead are believed to have rights and dignities that are upheld through the rituals, practices, and beliefs of the living. The dead have always held a place in the space of the living, whether that space has been material and visible, or intangible and out of sight. This paper considers ossuaries as a key site for investigating the relationships between the living and dead. Holding the bones of hundreds or even thousands of bodies, ossuaries represent an important tradition in the cultural history of the dead. Ossuaries are culturally constituted and have taken many forms across the globe, although this research focuses predominantly on Western European ossuary practices and North American Indigenous ossuaries. This paper will examine two case studies, the Sedlec Ossuary (Kutna Hora, Czech Republic) and Taber Hill Ossuary (Toronto, ON, Canada), to think through the rights of the dead at heritage sites.
Mitochondrial HTRA2 Plays a Positive, Protective Role in Dictyostelium discoideum but Is Cytotoxic When Overexpressed
Authors: Chen Suwei , Sanislav Oana , Annesley Sarah J. , Fisher Paul R.
Published: July 2018

HTRA2 is a mitochondrial protein, mutations in which are associated with autosomal dominant late-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). The mechanisms by which HTRA2 mutations result in PD are poorly understood. HTRA2 is proposed to play a proteolytic role in protein quality control and homeostasis in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Its loss has been reported to result in accumulation of unfolded and misfolded proteins. However, in at least one case, PD-associated HTRA2 mutation can cause its hyperphosphorylation, possibly resulting in protease hyperactivity. The consequences of overactive mitochondrial HTRA2 are not clear. Dictyostelium discoideum provides a well-established model for studying mitochondrial dysfunction, such as has been implicated in the pathology of PD. We identified a single homologue of human HTRA2 encoded in the Dictyostelium discoideum genome and showed that it is localized to the mitochondria where it plays a cytoprotective role. Knockdown of HTRA2 expression caused defective morphogenesis in the multicellular phases of the Dictyostelium life cycle. In vegetative cells, it did not impair mitochondrial respiration but nonetheless caused slow growth (particularly when the cells were utilizing a bacterial food source), unaccompanied by significant defects in the requisite endocytic pathways. Despite its protective roles, we could not ectopically overexpress wild type HTRA2, suggesting that mitochondrial HTRA2 hyperactivity is lethal. This toxicity was abolished by replacing the essential catalytic serine S300 with alanine to ablate serine protease activity. Overexpression of protease-dead HTRA2 phenocopied the effects of knockdown, suggesting that the mutant protein competitively inhibits interactions between wild type HTRA2 and its binding partners. Our results show that cytopathological dysfunction can be caused either by too little or too much HTRA2 activity in the mitochondria and suggest that either could be a cause of PD.
Use of an E2SFCA Method to Measure and Analyse Spatial Accessibility to Medical Services for Elderly People in Wuhan, China
Authors: Luo Jing , Chen Guangping , Li Chang , Xia Bingyan , Sun Xuan , Chen Siyun
Published: July 2018

Current studies on measuring the accessibility of medical services for the elderly (AMSE) have ignored the potential competition among supply and demand and the distance decay laws. Hence, an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method (i.e., the road network-based Gaussian 2SFCA method) is proposed to calculate AMSE scores after considering different types of roads, including urban rail transit, freeways, major roads, minor roads and rural roads. Based on the first National Geographic Conditions Monitoring (NGCM) data, this study took Wuhan, China, as a case study and assessed the variation of AMSE using two different threshold times (i.e., Platinum Ten and Golden Hour). Next, global (i.e., sensitivity and hot spot analysis) and local analyses (i.e., three regional area internal comparisons) of AMSE scores were conducted to accurately identify details in the variation of spatial accessibility. It was observed that the E2SFCA method could be easily applied to measure AMSE. The results showed that 48.63% of the elderly population in Wuhan had a higher or the highest level of medical accessibility in “Platinum Ten”, while 72.97% had a higher or the highest level in the “Golden Hour”, and hot spots of AMSE scores were located in central urban areas and presented an enclosure structure using both threshold travel times, which could provide guidance to governments or planners on issues of spatial planning and identifying elderly medical services shortage areas.
Understanding the Influence of Crop Residue Burning on PM2.5 and PM10 Concentrations in China from 2013 to 2017 Using MODIS Data
Authors: Zhuang Yan , Chen Danlu , Li Ruiyuan , Chen Ziyue , Cai Jun , He Bin , Gao Bingbo , Cheng Nianliang , Huang Yueni
Published: July 2018

In recent years, particulate matter (PM) pollution has increasingly affected public life and health. Therefore, crop residue burning, as a significant source of PM pollution in China, should be effectively controlled. This study attempts to understand variations and characteristics of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations and discuss correlations between the variation of PM concentrations and crop residue burning using ground observation and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. The results revealed that the overall PM concentration in China from 2013 to 2017 was in a downward tendency with regional variations. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the PM10 concentration was more closely related to crop residue burning than the PM2.5 concentration. From a spatial perspective, the strongest correlation between PM concentration and crop residue burning existed in Northeast China (NEC). From a temporal perspective, the strongest correlation usually appeared in autumn for most regions. The total amount of crop residue burning spots in autumn was relatively large, and NEC was the region with the most intense crop residue burning in China. We compared the correlation between PM concentrations and crop residue burning at inter-annual and seasonal scales, and during burning-concentrated periods. We found that correlations between PM concentrations and crop residue burning increased significantly with the narrowing temporal scales and was the strongest during burning-concentrated periods, indicating that intense crop residue burning leads to instant deterioration of PM concentrations. The methodology and findings from this study provide meaningful reference for better understanding the influence of crop residue burning on PM pollution across China.
Ultraviolet Radiation Albedo and Reflectance in Review: The Influence to Ultraviolet Exposure in Occupational Settings
Authors: Turner Joanna , Parisi Alfio V.
Published: July 2018

Ultraviolet (UV) albedo and UV reflectance are defined, compared and contrasted, to explain their roles and place in studies focusing on UV radiation and exposure measurements, in the context of localised albedo measurement and human UV exposure studies. This review recommends that the term UV albedo be used when investigating natural horizontal surfaces when the albedo is not known to change significantly over time. The term UV reflectance should be mostly used for non-natural surfaces and non-horizontal measurements and will change with respect to the geometry of the irradiances reflected and received, and due to the intrinsic nature of the surface itself. UV albedo measurements made in the literature have been compiled, in both broadband and spectral UV albedo measurements. Broadband measurements have been tabulated and spectral UV measurements have been displayed visually. The methodology of measurements is briefly discussed. Finally, studies that consider how high albedo or reflectance sites influence UV exposure are reviewed. It was concluded that there is currently no known relationship between the albedo or reflectance of a surface and the resulting influence it has on individual UV exposure. This presents an opportunity for researchers to continue exploring the influence of reflective UV surfaces.
Shared Decision-Making and Women’s Adherence to Breast and Cervical Cancer Screenings
Authors: Han Jayoung , Jungsuwadee Paiboon , Abraham Olufunmilola , Ko Dongwoo
Published: July 2018

We examined the effect of shared decision-making (SDM) on women’s adherence to breast and cervical cancer screenings and estimated the prevalence and adherence rate of screenings. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design using the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data collected by the National Cancer Institute. Adherence was defined based on the guidelines from the American Cancer Society and the composite measure of shared decision-making was constructed using three items in the data. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to examine the association between the SDM and adherence, controlling for cancer beliefs and socio-demographic variables. The analysis included 742 responses. Weighted to represent the U.S. population, 68.1% adhered to both breast and cervical cancer screening guidelines. The composite measure of SDM was reliable (α = 0.85), and a higher SDM score was associated with women’s screening adherence (b = 0.17; p = 0.009). There were still women who did not receive cancer screenings as recommended. The results suggest that the use of the SDM approach for healthcare professionals’ communication with patients can improve screening adherence.
The Spatio-Temporal Disparities of Areas Benefitting from the Wind Erosion Prevention Service
Authors: Xu Jie , Xiao Yu , Xie Gaodi , Zhen Lin , Wang Yangyang , Jiang Yuan
Published: July 2018

Ecosystem services are closely linked to human welfare. The flow of ecosystem service can establish spatio-temporal relationships between ecosystem service provision areas (SPAs) and service beneficiary areas (SBAs). In this study, the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model was used to simulate the spatial flow path of the wind erosion prevention (WEP) service in Yanchi County. The frequency at which the simulated trajectories passed through each grid cell was used as a proxy for spatio-temporal disparities in SBAs, and the distribution of benefitting land cover, population, and gross domestic product (GDP) reflected the effects of the WEP flow. The flow paths of the Yanchi County WEP in 2010 mainly extended to eastern and central China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and eastern Russia, and were more intensive and longer in spring and winter than in autumn and winter. The SBAs covered an area of 1153.2 × 104 km2 in 2010, with dominant service beneficiary areas (DSBAs) comprising 185.1 × 104 km2 and accounting for 16.1% of the total beneficiary area of the year. The areas through which the flow paths passed with a high frequency (≥10%) were mainly located in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, western Shandong, Hebei, Beijing, and northern Hubei, and the spatial scale of these areas varied, demonstrating obvious seasonal changes, and was the largest in spring. The benefitting land cover was mainly cropland across all of the SBAs, with one billion benefitting people (accounting for 77.11% of the total population of China) associated with a gross domestic product (GDP) of 26.8 trillion RMB (Chinese currency; as of 2018-06-22, 6.497 RMB = US $1, accounting for 87.90% of the total GDP of China). Furthermore, the population and socio-economic development in the DSBAs (21 million people and 0.53 trillion RMB GDP) were no longer affected by wind erosion from Yanchi County. This study revealed the spatio-temporal disparities of the SBAs of WEP in Yanchi County from an ecosystem services flow perspective and provides a scientific and effective basis for policymakers to perform standard ecological compensation accounting and to formulate ecological protection policies.
Evaluation of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Sheets Overexpressing BMP-7 in Canine Critical-Sized Bone Defects
Authors: Kim Yongsun , Kang Byung-Jae , Kim Wan Hee , Yun Hui-suk , Kweon Oh-kyeong
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro osteogenic capacity of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) overexpressing adipose-derived (Ad-) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) sheets (BMP-7-CS). In addition, BMP-7-CS were transplanted into critical-sized bone defects and osteogenesis was assessed. BMP-7 gene expressing lentivirus particles were transduced into Ad-MSCs. BMP-7, at the mRNA and protein level, was up-regulated in BMP-7-MSCs compared to expression in Ad-MSCs. Osteogenic and vascular-related gene expressions were up-regulated in BMP-7-CS compared to Ad-MSCs and Ad-MSC sheets. In a segmental bone-defect model, newly formed bone and neovascularization were enhanced with BMP-7-CS, or with a combination of BMP-7-CS and demineralized bone matrix (DBM), compared to those in control groups. These results demonstrate that lentiviral-mediated gene transfer of BMP-7 into Ad-MSCs allows for stable BMP-7 production. BMP-7-CS displayed higher osteogenic capacity than Ad-MSCs and Ad-MSC sheets. In addition, BMP-7-CS combined with demineralized bone matrix (DBM) stimulated new bone and blood vessel formation in a canine critical-sized bone defect. The BMP-7-CS not only provides BMP-7 producing MSCs but also produce osteogenic and vascular trophic factors. Thus, BMP-7-CS and DBM have therapeutic potential for the treatment of critical-sized bone defects and could be used to further enhance clinical outcomes during bone-defect treatment.
Mitochondrial Dysfunctions in Type I Endometrial Carcinoma: Exploring Their Role in Oncogenesis and Tumor Progression
Authors: Musicco Clara , Cormio Gennaro , Pesce Vito , Loizzi Vera , Cicinelli Ettore , Resta Leonardo , Ranieri Girolamo , Cormio Antonella
Published: July 2018

Type I endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common form of EC, displaying less aggressive behavior than type II. The development of type I endometrial cancer is considered a multistep process, with slow progression from normal endometrium to hyperplasia, the premalignant form, and endometrial cancer as a result of an unopposed estrogenic stimulation. The role of mitochondria in type I EC tumor progression and prognosis is currently emerging. This review aims to explore mitochondrial alterations in this cancer and in endometrial hyperplasia focusing on mitochondrial DNA mutations, respiratory complex I deficiency, and the activation of mitochondrial quality control systems. A deeper understanding of altered mitochondrial pathways in type I EC could provide novel opportunities to discover new diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as potential therapeutic targets.
Establishment and Characterization of the Novel High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Cell Line OVPA8
Authors: Tudrej Patrycja , Olbryt Magdalena , Zembala-Nożyńska Ewa , Kujawa Katarzyna A. , Cortez Alexander J. , Fiszer-Kierzkowska Anna , Pigłowski Wojciech , Nikiel Barbara , Głowala-Kosińska Magdalena , Bartkowska-Chrobok Aleksandra , Smagur Andrzej , Fidyk Wojciech , Lisowska Katarzyna M.
Published: July 2018

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most frequent histological type of ovarian cancer and the one with worst prognosis. Unfortunately, the majority of established ovarian cancer cell lines which are used in the research have unclear histological origin and probably do not represent HGSOC. Thus, new and reliable models of HGSOC are needed. Ascitic fluid from a patient with recurrent HGSOC was used to establish a stable cancer cell line. Cells were characterized by cytogenetic karyotyping and short tandem repeat (STR) profiling. New generation sequencing was applied to test for hot-spot mutations in 50 cancer-associated genes and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis was used to check for TP53 status. Cells were analyzed for expression of several marker genes/proteins by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and immunocytochemistry (ICC). Functional tests were performed to compare OVPA8 cells with five commercially available and frequently used ovarian cancer cell lines: SKOV3, A2780, OVCAR3, ES2, and OAW42. Our newly-established OVPA8 cell line shows morphologic and genetic features consistent with HGSOC, such as epithelial morphology, multiple chromosomal aberrations, TP53 mutation, BRCA1 mutation, and loss of one copy of BRCA2. The OVPA8 line has a stable STR profile. Cells are positive for EpCAM, CK19, and CD44; they have relatively low plating efficiency/ability to form spheroids, a low migration rate, and intermediate invasiveness in matrigel, as compared to other ovarian cancer lines. OVPA8 is sensitive to paclitaxel and resistant to cisplatin. We also tested two FGFR inhibitors; OVPA8 cells were resistant to AZD4547 (AstraZeneca, London, UK), but sensitive to the new inhibitor CPL304-110-01 (Celon Pharma, Łomianki/Kiełpin, Poland). We have established and characterized a novel cell line, OVPA8, which can be a valuable preclinical model for studies on high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Non-Covalent Associates of siRNAs and AuNPs Enveloped with Lipid Layer and Doped with Amphiphilic Peptide for Efficient siRNA Delivery
Authors: Poletaeva Julia , Dovydenko Ilya , Epanchintseva Anna , Korchagina Kseniya , Pyshnyi Dmitrii , Apartsin Evgeny , Ryabchikova Elena , Pyshnaya Inna
Published: July 2018

Elaboration of non-viral vehicles for delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids, in particular siRNA, into a cell is an actively growing field. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) occupy a noticeable place in these studies, and various nanoconstructions containing AuNPs are reported. We aimed our work to the rational design of AuNPs-based siRNA delivery vehicle with enhanced transfection efficiency. We optimized the obtaining of non-covalent siRNAs-AuNPs cores: ionic strength, temperature and reaction time were determined. Formation of cores was confirmed using gel electrophoresis. Stable associates were prepared, and then enveloped into a lipid layer composed of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and novel pH-sensitive lipidoid. The constructions were modified with [Str-(RL)4G-NH2] peptide (the resulting construction). All intermediate and resulting nanoconstructions were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to control their physico-chemical properties. To examine the biological effect of the delivery vehicle, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing human embryonic kidney (HEK) Phoenix cells were incubated with the resulting construction containing anti-GFP siRNA, with the siRNA effect being studied by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection of the cells with the resulting construction reduced the GFP fluorescence as efficiently as Lipofectamin 3000. Thus, siRNA vehicle based on non-covalently bound siRNA-AuNP core and enveloped into a lipid layer provides efficient delivery of siRNA into a cell followed by specific gene silencing.
Wireless Sensor Networks: Toward Smarter Railway Stations
Authors: Alawad Hamad , Kaewunruen Sakdirat
Published: July 2018

Railway industry plays a critical role in transportation and transit systems attributed to the ever-growing demand for catering to both freight and passengers. However, owing to many challenges faced by railway stations such as harsh environments, traffic flow, safety and security risks, new and adaptive systems employing new technology are recommended. In this review, several wireless sensor networks (WSNs) applications are proposed for use in railway station systems, including advanced WSNs, which will enhance security, safety, and decision-making processes to achieve more cost-effective management in railway stations, as well as the development of integrated systems. The size, efficiency, and cost of WSNs are influential factors that attract the railway industry to adopt these devices. This paper presents a review of WSNs that have been designed for uses in monitoring and securing railway stations. This article will first briefly focus on the presence of different WSN applications in diverse applications. In addition, it is important to note that exploitation of the state-of-the-art tools and techniques such as WSNs to gain an enormous amount of data from a railway station is a new and novel concept requiring the development of artificial intelligence methods, such machine learning, which will be vital for the future of the railway industry.
A Sterol from Soft Coral Induces Apoptosis and Autophagy in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Weng Jing-Ru , Chiu Chang-Fang , Hu Jing-Lan , Feng Chia-Hsien , Huang Chiung-Yao , Bai Li-Yuan , Sheu Jyh-Horng
Published: July 2018

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor that plays a key role in regulating cellular metabolism, and is a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. To search for potential PPARγ activators, a compound library comprising 11 marine compounds was examined. Among them, a sterol, 3β,11-dihydroxy-9,11-secogorgost-5-en-9-one (compound 1), showed the highest PPARγ activity with an IC50 value of 8.3 μM for inhibiting human breast adenocarcinoma cell (MCF-7) growth. Western blotting experiments showed that compound 1 induces caspase activation and PARP cleavage. In addition, compound 1 modulated the expression of various PPARγ-regulated downstream biomarkers including cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)6, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), p38, and extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Moreover, compound 1 increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, upregulated the phosphorylation and expression of H2AX, and induced autophagy. Interestingly, pre-treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine rescued cells from compound 1-induced growth inhibition, which indicates that the cytotoxic effect of compound 1 is, in part, attributable to its ability to induce autophagy. In conclusion, these findings suggest the translational potential of compound 1 in breast cancer therapy.
Study of diversity of anthocyanin composition in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits
Authors: Burdulis Deividas , Ivanauskas Liudas , Dirsė Vidmantas , Kazlauskas Saulius , Ražukas Almantas
Published: July 2018

Qualitative and quantitative composition of anthocyanins in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits was assayed. The aim of our study was to evaluate total anthocyanin content and their composition in bilberries collected from various regions and at different time. For the quantification of total anthocyanins in frozen fruits, the spectrophotometrical assay was performed. The highest amount of anthocyanins in bilberry fruits, collected in Lithuania, was found in samples from Šilutė (0.399%), the lowest one – from Valkininkai region (0.264%), but higher amounts of anthocyanins were found in the samples collected in Russia (Archangelsk region) and Sweden (Stockholm region). High-performance liquid chromatography was applied for qualitative evaluation of individual anthocyanins in the different material. Quantification of anthocyanidin content was performed after acidic hydrolysis of anthocyanin glycosides. Chromatographic analysis has shown that there are no differences in qualitative composition of anthocyanidins. In all samples, cyanidin was found in the highest quantities (mean amount 0.053 µg/mL). Delphinidin and petunidin was found in quantities 2.5 fold lower than cyanidin, and malvidin and peonidin were found in the smallest quantities. Only in the blueberries collected in Sweden, malvidin was found in the highest amount. It was 1.5 fold higher than amounts of petunidin and delphinidin.
Paeonol-Loaded Ethosomes as Transdermal Delivery Carriers: Design, Preparation and Evaluation
Authors: Ma Hongdan , Guo Dongyan , Fan Yu , Wang Jing , Cheng Jiangxue , Zhang Xiaofei
Published: July 2018

Paeonol exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic as well as pain-relieving activities. However, its intrinsic properties, such as low water solubility, poor stability and low oral bioavailability, restrict its clinical application. The current study aimed to optimize paeonol-loaded ethosomal formulation and characterize it in terms of encapsulation efficiency (EE), vesicle size (VS), zeta potential (ZP) and polydispersity index (PDI), in addition to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) studies. Here, paeonol-loaded ethosomes were prepared by the injection method and optimized by the single-factor test and central composite design-response surface methodology. The optimized paeonol-loaded ethosomes had an EE of 84.33 ± 1.34%, VS of 120.2 ± 1.3 nm, negative charge of −16.8 ± 0.36 mV, and PDI of 0.131 ± 0.006. Ethosomes showed a spherical morphology under the transmission electron microscope (TEM). DSC, XRD and FT-IR results indicated that paeonol was successfully incorporated into the ethosomes. In-vitro transdermal absorption and skin retention of paeonol from paeonol-loaded ethosomes were 138.58 ± 9.60 µg/cm2 and 52.60 ± 7.90 µg/cm2, respectively. With reasonable skin tolerance, ethosomes could be a promising vehicle for transdermal delivery of paeonol.
A New Kind of Quinonic-Antibiotic Useful Against Multidrug-Resistant S. aureus and E. faecium Infections
Authors: Campanini-Salinas Javier , Andrades-Lagos Juan , Gonzalez Rocha Gerardo , Choquesillo-Lazarte Duane , Bollo Dragnic Soledad , Faúndez Mario , Alarcón Pedro , Silva Francisco , Vidal Roberto , Salas-Huenuleo Edison , Kogan Marcelo , Mella Jaime , Recabarren Gajardo Gonzalo , Vásquez-Velásquez David
Published: July 2018

A rapid emergence of resistant bacteria is occurring worldwide, endangering the efficacy of antibiotics and reducing the therapeutic arsenal available for treatment of infectious diseases. In the present study, we developed a new class of compounds with antibacterial activity obtained by a simple, two step synthesis and screened the products for in vitro antibacterial activity against ATCC® strains using the broth microdilution method. The compounds exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 1–32 μg/mL against Gram-positive ATCC® strains. The structure–activity relationship indicated that the thiophenol ring is essential for antibacterial activity and the substituents on the thiophenol ring module, for antibacterial activity. The most promising compounds detected by screening were tested against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) clinical isolates. We found remarkable activity against VREF for compounds 7 and 16, were the MIC50/90 were 2/4 µg/mL and 4/4 µg/mL, respectively, while for vancomycin the MIC50/90 was 256/512 µg/mL. Neither compound affected cell viability in any of the mammalian cell lines at any of the concentrations tested. These in vitro data show that compounds 7 and 16 have an interesting potential to be developed as new antibacterial drugs against infections caused by VREF.
The Inhibitory Effects of Djulis (Chenopodium formosanum) and Its Bioactive Compounds on Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes
Authors: Chyau Charng-Cherng , Chu Chin-Chen , Chen Shih-Ying , Duh Pin-Der
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to provide new insights into the role of the ethanolic extracts of Djulis (Chenopodium formosanum, EECF) and its bioactive compounds in preventing adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The results demonstrated EECF significantly inhibited oil red O-stained material (OROSM), triglyceride levels and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The expression of the critical molecules involved in lipid synthesis such as PPARγ, C/EBPα and SREBP-1c was attenuated in EECF-treated cells. According to HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS/MS analysis, rutin, kaempferol, betanin and another nine compounds were present in EECF. The suppression of lipid accumulation by rutin, kaempferol and betanin occurred by decreasing the gene expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα and SREBP-1c. Taken together, these findings suggest the presence of bioactive compounds in EECF may partly account for the anti-adipogenesis of EECF and EECF is therefore a potentially lipid lowering functional food.
DFT Simulations of the Vibrational Spectrum and Hydrogen Bonds of Ice XIV
Authors: Zhang Kai , Zhang Peng , Wang Ze-Ren , Zhu Xu-Liang , Lu Ying-Bo , Guan Cheng-Bo , Li Yanhui
Published: July 2018

It is always a difficult task to assign the peaks recorded from a vibrational spectrum. Herein, we explored a new pathway of density functional theory (DFT) simulation to present three kinds of spectra of ice XIV that can be referenced as inelastic neutron scattering (INS), infrared (IR), and Raman experimental spectrum. The INS spectrum is proportional to the phonon density of states (PDOS) while the photon scattering signals reflect the normal vibration frequencies near the Brillouin zone (BZ) center. Based on good agreements with the experimental data, we identified the relative frequency and made scientific assignments through normal vibration modes analysis. The two hydrogen bond (H-bond) peaks among the ice phases from INS were discussed and the dynamic process of the H-bond vibrations was found to be classified into two basic modes. We deduced that two H-bond modes are a general rule among the ice family and more studies are ongoing to investigate this subject.
Dietary Acid Load, IGF-1 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and Bone Resorption among Postmenopausal Chinese Women
Authors: Lim Sook Yee , Zalilah Mohd Shariff , Chin Yit Siew , Ramachandran Vasudevan , Chan Yoke Mun
Published: July 2018

The interaction of dietary and genetic factors may affect the development of bone deterioration. This study investigated whether the effects of dietary acid load (DAL) on bone loss in postmenopausal Chinese women were moderated by the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) single nucleotide polymorphism, a known gene that plays a role in the regulation of bone formation and bone remodeling. A total of 217 healthy participants were recruited from the National Council of Senior Citizens Organizations Malaysia. Serum collagen type 1 cross-linked C-telopeptide was used as a surrogate bone marker to assess bone resorption and Agena® MassARRAY genotyping analysis was used to identify the signaling of IGF-1 rs35767. The dietary acid load was measured by potential renal acid load score while physical activity was ascertained using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression was applied to test the main and interaction effects of DAL and IGF-1 genotypes in bone resorption. The result supported the diet-dependent acid-base balance theory that higher DAL was positively associated with bone resorption (β = 0.152, p = 0.031, F(6,207) = 2.11, sig-F = 0.036, R2 = 0.079). However, the results indicated that there was no significant correlation between IGF-1 and bone resorption, or any significant interaction between DAL and IGF-1. In conclusion, there was no moderating effect of IGF-1 on the relationship between DAL and bone resorption.
Novel PSMA-Coated On-Off-On Fluorescent Chemosensor Based on Organic Dots with AIEgens for Detection of Copper (II), Iron (III) and Cysteine
Authors: Jiang Rui , Liu Na , Li Fan , Fu Wensheng , Zhou Yun , Zhang Yan
Published: July 2018

Herein, a novel on-off-on fluorescent chemosensor for copper (II) ion (Cu2+), iron (III) ion (Fe3+) and cysteine is developed simply by the nano-precipitation method. The prepared organic dots with AIEgens (AIE dots) are advantageous over other metal ions in detecting Cu2+, Fe3+ with high selectivity and sensitivity by forming agglomerations (on-off). The agglomerations formed by AIE dots and Cu2+ redistributed and the fluorescence was obviously recovered in the presence of cysteine (off-on). This sensor has a wide linear range for Cu2+, Fe3+ and cysteine. The fluorescent detection limits of AIE dots are calculated to be 107 nM for Cu2+, 120 nM for Fe3+ and 78 nM for cysteine, respectively. These results indicate that the AIE dots can be used as a potential probe for Cu2+, Fe3+ and cysteine detection.
A Smart Sensing Architecture for Domestic Monitoring: Methodological Approach and Experimental Validation
Authors: Monteriù Andrea , Prist Mario Rosario , Frontoni Emanuele , Longhi Sauro , Pietroni Filippo , Casaccia Sara , Scalise Lorenzo , Cenci Annalisa , Romeo Luca , Berta Riccardo , Pescosolido Loreto , Orlandi Gianni , Revel Gian Marco
Published: July 2018

Smart homes play a strategic role for improving life quality of people, enabling to monitor people at home with numerous intelligent devices. Sensors can be installed to provide a continuous assistance without limiting the resident’s daily routine, giving her/him greater comfort, well-being and safety. This paper is based on the development of domestic technological solutions to improve the life quality of citizens and monitor the users and the domestic environment, based on features extracted from the collected data. The proposed smart sensing architecture is based on an integrated sensor network to monitor the user and the environment to derive information about the user’s behavior and her/his health status. The proposed platform includes biomedical, wearable, and unobtrusive sensors for monitoring user’s physiological parameters and home automation sensors to obtain information about her/his environment. The sensor network stores the heterogeneous data both locally and remotely in Cloud, where machine learning algorithms and data mining strategies are used for user behavior identification, classification of user health conditions, classification of the smart home profile, and data analytics to implement services for the community. The proposed solution has been experimentally tested in a pilot study based on the development of both sensors and services for elderly users at home.
Fast Visual Odometry for a Low-Cost Underwater Embedded Stereo System †
Authors: Nawaf Mohamad Motasem , Merad Djamal , Royer Jean-Philip , Boï Jean-Marc , Saccone Mauro , Ben Ellefi Mohamed , Drap Pierre
Published: July 2018

This paper provides details of hardware and software conception and realization of a stereo embedded system for underwater imaging. The system provides several functions that facilitate underwater surveys and run smoothly in real-time. A first post-image acquisition module provides direct visual feedback on the quality of the taken images which helps appropriate actions to be taken regarding movement speed and lighting conditions. Our main contribution is a light visual odometry method adapted to the underwater context. The proposed method uses the captured stereo image stream to provide real-time navigation and a site coverage map which is necessary to conduct a complete underwater survey. The visual odometry uses a stochastic pose representation and semi-global optimization approach to handle large sites and provides long-term autonomy, whereas a novel stereo matching approach adapted to underwater imaging and system attached lighting allows fast processing and suitability to low computational resource systems. The system is tested in a real context and shows its robustness and promising future potential.
Development of Wheel Pressure Control Algorithm for Electronic Stability Control (ESC) System of Commercial Trucks
Authors: Seo Minjun , Yoo Changhee , Park Sang-Shin , Nam Kanghyun
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a wheel cylinder pressure control algorithm for application to the vehicle electronic stability control (ESC) systems for commercial trucks. An ESC system is an active system that improves the driving stability by distributing the appropriate braking pressure to each wheel, which is an essential system for safe driving. It is important that the ESC system, through proper braking pressure supply, delivers the correct pressure under control. However, to reduce the cost involved, commercial trucks use a solenoid valve of the on/off-type, rather than a proportional valve that has good pressure control capability. The performance of a proposed wheel pressure control system based on an on/off solenoid valve control was verified by means of experiments conducted using the wheel pressure control algorithm presented in this paper.
An Ultrahigh Sensitivity Acetone Sensor Enhanced by Light Illumination
Authors: Zhang Heng , Qin Hongwei , Gao Chengyong , Hu Jifan
Published: July 2018

Au:SmFe0.9Zn0.1O3 is synthesized by a sol-gel method and annealed at 750 °C. Through XRD, SEM and XPS analysis methods, the microstructure of the material has been observed. The average particle size is about 50 nm. The sensor shows a high sensitivity toward acetone vapor. As the relative humidity increases, the resistance and sensitivity of the sensor decline. To obtain a low optimum operating temperature, light illumination with different wavelengths has been introduced. The sensitivity toward acetone is improved at lower operating temperature when the sensor is irradiated by light. The smaller the wavelengths, the better the sensitivity of the sensor. Compared with other gases, the sensor shows excellent selectivity to acetone vapor, with better sensitivity, selectivity and stability when under light illumination.
Levenberg-Marquardt Neural Network Algorithm for Degree of Arteriovenous Fistula Stenosis Classification Using a Dual Optical Photoplethysmography Sensor
Authors: Du Yi-Chun , Stephanus Alphin
Published: July 2018

This paper proposes a noninvasive dual optical photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to classify the degree of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) stenosis in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Dual PPG measurement node (DPMN) becomes the primary tool in this work for detecting abnormal narrowing vessel simultaneously in multi-beds monitoring patients. The mean and variance of Rising Slope (RS) and Falling Slope (FS) values between before and after HD treatment was used as the major features to classify AVF stenosis. Multilayer perceptron neural networks (MLPN) training algorithms are implemented for this analysis, which are the Levenberg-Marquardt, Scaled Conjugate Gradient, and Resilient Back-propagation, to identify the degree of HD patient stenosis. Eleven patients were recruited with mean age of 77 ± 10.8 years for analysis. The experimental results indicated that the variance of RS in the HD hand between before and after treatment was significant difference statistically to stenosis (p < 0.05). Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm (LMA) was significantly outperforms the other training algorithm. The classification accuracy and precision reached 94.82% and 92.22% respectively, thus this technique has a potential contribution to the early identification of stenosis for a medical diagnostic support system.
Design and Optimization of FBG Implantable Flexible Morphological Sensor to Realize the Intellisense for Displacement
Authors: Tian Changbin , Wang Zhengfang , Sui Qingmei , Wang Jing , Dong Yanan , Li Yijia , Han Mingjuan , Jia Lei , Wang Hanpeng
Published: July 2018

The measurement accuracy of the intelligent flexible morphological sensor based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structure was limited in the application of geotechnical engineering and other fields. In order to improve the precision of intellisense for displacement, an FBG implantable flexible morphological sensor was designed in this study, and the classification morphological correction method based on conjugate gradient method and extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm was proposed. This study utilized finite element simulations and experiments, in order to analyze the feasibility of the proposed method. Then, following the corrections, the results indicated that the maximum relative error percentages of the displacements at measuring points in different bending shapes were determined to be 6.39% (Type 1), 7.04% (Type 2), and 7.02% (Type 3), respectively. Therefore, it was confirmed that the proposed correction method was feasible, and could effectively improve the abilities of sensors for displacement intellisense. In this paper, the designed intelligent sensor was characterized by temperature self-compensation, bending shape self-classification, and displacement error self-correction, which could be used for real-time monitoring of deformation field in rock, subgrade, bridge, and other geotechnical engineering, presenting the vital significance and application promotion value.
A Hierarchical Voting Based Mixed Filter Localization Method for Wireless Sensor Network in Mixed LOS/NLOS Environments
Authors: Wang Yan , Hang Jinquan , Cheng Long , Li Chen , Song Xin
Published: July 2018

In recent years, the rapid development of microelectronics, wireless communications, and electro-mechanical systems has occurred. The wireless sensor network (WSN) has been widely used in many applications. The localization of a mobile node is one of the key technologies for WSN. Among the factors that would affect the accuracy of mobile localization, non-line of sight (NLOS) propagation caused by a complicated environment plays a vital role. In this paper, we present a hierarchical voting based mixed filter (HVMF) localization method for a mobile node in a mixed line of sight (LOS) and NLOS environment. We firstly propose a condition detection and distance correction algorithm based on hierarchical voting. Then, a mixed square root unscented Kalman filter (SRUKF) and a particle filter (PF) are used to filter the larger measurement error. Finally, the filtered results are subjected to convex optimization and the maximum likelihood estimation to estimate the position of the mobile node. The proposed method does not require prior information about the statistical properties of the NLOS errors and operates in a 2D scenario. It can be applied to time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), received signal (RSS), and other measurement methods. The simulation results show that the HVMF algorithm can efficiently reduce the effect of NLOS errors and can achieve higher localization accuracy than the Kalman filter and PF. The proposed algorithm is robust to the NLOS errors.
Towards an Efficient Identification Process for Large-Scale RFID Systems
Authors: Sanchez Leonardo , Ramos Victor
Published: July 2018

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is one of the most widely used wireless communications technologies nowadays. Among the numerous processes executed within an RFID system, the identification processis the most important one. There have been several proposals to efficiently execute such a mechanism, which are based on the use of an RFID identification method. Besides, one of the most studied scenarios comprises one reader and a set of RFID tags, which we call the centralized approach. Recent work shows that executing the identification process in a distributed or parallel way may be of great benefit for applications with high requirements on time and resources usage, i.e., applications where the time required to execute the identification process needs to be low. In this paper, we focus is on large RFID systems and compare two identification mechanisms, one based on the centralized approach and the other based on the distributed approach. Our aim is to find the advantages and disadvantages of each approach for general RFID scenarios. We observe that the distributed approach is very promising compared to the traditional approach since considerable improvements are found in identification delay, and also the implementation costs would be highly reduced.
A Capability Maturity Model for Life Cycle Management at the Industry Sector Level
Authors: Seidel-Sterzik Helene , McLaren Sarah , Garnevska Elena
Published: July 2018

One approach to incorporate environmental sustainability in organisations is the implementation of Life Cycle Management (LCM). LCM is a comprehensive and integrated approach for measuring and managing environmental impacts. Successful sector-wide uptake of LCM has the potential to enable the environmental impacts associated with an industry sector to be efficiently measured and managed in a continual improvement process. There is an opportunity for the New Zealand primary sector to strengthen its competitiveness in the global market place by demonstrating the environmental credentials of its products and supporting the country’s “green and clean” image. Previous research has identified the barriers and enablers to successful LCM uptake by New Zealand primary sector Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) in a sector-based context. This paper builds on that foundation and presents a Life Cycle Management Uptake Evaluation Framework (LUEF) that allows both individual organisations and industry sectors to identify the key factors affecting successful LCM uptake and assess their level of maturity for each factor. The key factors used in this study are structure, culture, resource availability, LCM strategy, knowledge, market requirements and communication. The study employed a qualitative methodology and used face-to-face interviews with different stakeholders in the value chain for the New Zealand kiwifruit sector to inform the development of the framework. In the framework, each factor is represented as a maturity scale to allow organisations as well as industry sectors to assess their position on the scale. This will help them to create a baseline assessment, both for themselves as an organisation, as well as on an industry sector level. The baseline assessment will allow them to identify areas for improvements, which can be tracked over time by checking the progress on the scales in the individual areas. It can also be used as a communication tool for stakeholders in the supply chain (e.g., growers, post-harvest operators and staff from industry boards). These stakeholders can use the tool to measure and compare performance, including evaluating their own performance against the industry average, as well as performance of the industry sector over time. This is useful to engage these stakeholders and demonstrate that changes (such as reducing carbon footprints) have a positive impact and lead to progress (as well as highlighting any actions that need to be reviewed and adjusted).