bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Ultrasound in Screening Dense Breasts—A Review of the Literature and Practical Solutions for Implementation
Authors: Thigpen Denise , Kappler Amanda , Brem Rachel
Published: March 2018

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Estimates indicate a nearly 40% breast cancer mortality reduction when screening women annually starting at age 40. Although mammography is well known to be a powerful screening tool in the detection of early breast cancer, it is imperfect, particularly for women with dense breasts. In women with dense breast tissue, the sensitivity of mammography is reduced. Additionally, women with dense breasts have an increased risk of developing breast cancer while mammography has a lower sensitivity. Screening ultrasound, both handheld and automated, is effective in detecting mammographically occult cancer in women with dense tissue. Studies have shown that ultrasound significantly increases detection of clinically important, small, largely invasive, node-negative cancers. The purpose of this review article is to summarize the literature to date regarding screening breast ultrasound, emphasizing differences in cancer detection in high risk and intermediate risk women, and to discuss practical ways to implement screening ultrasound in clinical practice, including automated whole breast ultrasound, as a viable solution to the increasing need for additional screening.
Computational Information Geometry for Binary Classification of High-Dimensional Random Tensors
Authors: Pham Gia-Thuy , Boyer Rémy , Nielsen Frank
Published: March 2018

Evaluating the performance of Bayesian classification in a high-dimensional random tensor is a fundamental problem, usually difficult and under-studied. In this work, we consider two Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)-based binary classification problems of interest. Under the alternative hypothesis, i.e., for a non-zero SNR, the observed signals are either a noisy rank-R tensor admitting a Q-order Canonical Polyadic Decomposition (CPD) with large factors of size N q × R , i.e., for 1 ≤ q ≤ Q , where R , N q → ∞ with R 1 / q / N q converge towards a finite constant or a noisy tensor admitting TucKer Decomposition (TKD) of multilinear ( M 1 , … , M Q ) -rank with large factors of size N q × M q , i.e., for 1 ≤ q ≤ Q , where N q , M q → ∞ with M q / N q converge towards a finite constant. The classification of the random entries (coefficients) of the core tensor in the CPD/TKD is hard to study since the exact derivation of the minimal Bayes’ error probability is mathematically intractable. To circumvent this difficulty, the Chernoff Upper Bound (CUB) for larger SNR and the Fisher information at low SNR are derived and studied, based on information geometry theory. The tightest CUB is reached for the value minimizing the error exponent, denoted by s ⋆ . In general, due to the asymmetry of the s-divergence, the Bhattacharyya Upper Bound (BUB) (that is, the Chernoff Information calculated at s ⋆ = 1 / 2 ) cannot solve this problem effectively. As a consequence, we rely on a costly numerical optimization strategy to find s ⋆ . However, thanks to powerful random matrix theory tools, a simple analytical expression of s ⋆ is provided with respect to the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) in the two schemes considered. This work shows that the BUB is the tightest bound at low SNRs. However, for higher SNRs, the latest property is no longer true.
Output-Feedback Control for Discrete-Time Spreading Models in Complex Networks
Authors: Alarcón Ramos Luis , Bernal Jaquez Roberto , Schaum Alexander
Published: March 2018

The problem of stabilizing the spreading process to a prescribed probability distribution over a complex network is considered, where the dynamics of the nodes in the network is given by discrete-time Markov-chain processes. Conditions for the positioning and identification of actuators and sensors are provided, and sufficient conditions for the exponential stability of the desired distribution are derived. Simulations results for a network of N = 10 6 corroborate our theoretical findings.
Some Inequalities Combining Rough and Random Information
Authors: Gu Yujie , Zhang Qianyu , Yu Liying
Published: March 2018

Rough random theory, generally applied to statistics, decision-making, and so on, is an extension of rough set theory and probability theory, in which a rough random variable is described as a random variable taking “rough variable” values. In order to extend and enrich the research area of rough random theory, in this paper, the well-known probabilistic inequalities (Markov inequality, Chebyshev inequality, Holder’s inequality, Minkowski inequality and Jensen’s inequality) are proven for rough random variables, which gives a firm theoretical support to the further development of rough random theory. Besides, considering that the critical values always act as a vital tool in engineering, science and other application fields, some significant properties of the critical values of rough random variables involving the continuity and the monotonicity are investigated deeply to provide a novel analytical approach for dealing with the rough random optimization problems.
A Hybrid Excited Machine with Flux Barriers and Magnetic Bridges
Authors: Wardach Marcin , Paplicki Piotr , Palka Ryszard
Published: March 2018

In this paper, an U-shape flux barrier rotor concept for a hybrid excited synchronous machine with flux magnetic bridges fixed on the rotor is presented. Using 3D finite element analysis, the influence of axial flux bridges on the field-weakening and -strengthening characteristics, electromagnetic torque, no-load magnetic flux linkage, rotor iron losses and back electromotive force is shown. Three different rotor designs are analyzed. Furthermore, the field control characteristics depending on additional DC control coil currents are shown.
An Artificially Intelligent Technique to Generate Synthetic Geomechanical Well Logs for the Bakken Formation
Authors: Parapuram George , Mokhtari Mehdi , Ben Hmida Jalel
Published: March 2018

Artificially intelligent and predictive modelling of geomechanical properties is performed by creating supervised machine learning data models utilizing artificial neural networks (ANN) and will predict geomechanical properties from basic and commonly used conventional well logs such as gamma ray, and bulk density. The predictive models were created by following the approach on a large volume of data acquired from 112 wells containing the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. The studied wells cover a large surface area of the formation containing the five main producing counties in North Dakota: Burke, Mountrail, McKenzie, Dunn, and Williams. Thus, with a large surface area being analyzed in this research, there is confidence with a high degree of certainty that an extensive representation of the Bakken Formation is modelled, by training neural networks to work on varying properties from the different counties containing the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. Shear wave velocity of 112 wells is also analyzed by regression methods and neural networks, and a new correlation is proposed for the Bakken Formation. The final goal of the research is to achieve supervised artificial neural network models that predict geomechanical properties of future wells with an accuracy of at least 90% for the Upper and Middle Bakken Formation. Thus, obtaining these logs by generating it from statistical and artificially intelligent methods shows a potential for significant improvements in performance, efficiency, and profitability for oil and gas operators.
Methods to Improve Survival and Growth of Planted Alternative Species Seedlings in Black Ash Ecosystems Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer
Authors: Bolton Nicholas , Shannon Joseph , Davis Joshua , Grinsven Matthew , Noh Nam , Schooler Shon , Kolka Randall , Pypker Thomas , Wagenbrenner Joseph
Published: March 2018

Emerald ash borer (EAB) continues to spread across North America, infesting native ash trees and changing the forested landscape. Black ash wetland forests are severely affected by EAB. As black ash wetland forests provide integral ecosystem services, alternative approaches to maintain forest cover on the landscape are needed. We implemented simulated EAB infestations in depressional black ash wetlands in the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan to mimic the short-term and long-term effects of EAB. These wetlands were planted with 10 alternative tree species in 2013. Based on initial results in the Michigan sites, a riparian corridor in the Superior Municipal Forest in Wisconsin was planted with three alternative tree species in 2015. Results across both locations indicate that silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), American elm (Ulmus americana L.), and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) are viable alternative species to plant in black ash-dominated wetlands. Additionally, selectively planting on natural or created hummocks resulted in two times greater survival than in adjacent lowland sites, and this suggests that planting should be implemented with microsite selection or creation as a primary control. Regional landowners and forest managers can use these results to help mitigate the canopy and structure losses from EAB and maintain forest cover and hydrologic function in black ash-dominated wetlands after infestation.
Overstory Structure and Surface Cover Dynamics in the Decade Following the Hayman Fire, Colorado
Authors: Fornwalt Paula , Stevens-Rumann Camille , Collins Byron
Published: March 2018

The 2002 Hayman Fire burned with mixed-severity across a 400-ha dry conifer study site in Colorado, USA, where overstory tree and surface cover attributes had been recently measured on 20 0.1-ha permanent plots. We remeasured these plots repeatedly during the first post-fire decade to examine how the attributes changed through time and whether changes were influenced by fire severity. We found that most attributes were temporally dynamic and that fire severity shaped their dynamics. For example, low-severity plots experienced a modest reduction in live overstory density due to both immediate and delayed tree mortality, and no change in live overstory basal area through time; in contrast, high-severity plots experienced an immediate and total loss of live overstory density and basal area. Large snag density in low-severity plots did not vary temporally because snag recruitment balanced snag loss; however, in high-severity plots large snag density increased markedly immediately post-fire and then declined by about half by post-fire year ten as snags fell. Mineral soil cover increased modestly immediately post-fire in low-severity plots and substantially immediately post-fire in high-severity plots, but changed little in ensuing years for either severity class. By incorporating pre-fire and repeatedly-measured post-fire data for a range of severities, our study uniquely contributes to the current understanding of wildfire effects in dry conifer forests and should be of interest to managers, researchers, and others.
De Novo Sequencing and Assembly Analysis of Transcriptome in Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl.
Authors: Cai Qifei , Li Bin , Lin Furong , Huang Ping , Guo Wenying , Zheng Yongqi
Published: March 2018

To enrich the molecular data of Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl. and study the regulating factors of different morphology controled by apical dominance. In this study, de novo assembly of transcriptome annotation was performed for two varieties of Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl. that are obviously different in morphology. More than 147 million reads were produced, which were assembled into 88,092 unigenes. Based on a similarity search, 11,692 unigenes showed significant similarity to proteins from Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. From this collection of unigenes, a large number of molecular markers were identified, including 2829 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 158 unigenes expressed differently between two varieties, including 98 up-regulated and 60 down-regulated unigenes. Furthermore, among the differently expressed genes (DEGs), five genes which may impact the plant morphology were further validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The five genes related to cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX), two-component response regulator ARR-A family (ARR-A), plant hormone signal transduction (AHP), and MADS-box transcription factors have a close relationship with apical dominance. This new dataset will be a useful resource for future genetic and genomic studies in Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl.
The Effect of Acute Consumption of Energy Drinks on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and Blood Glucose in the Group of Young Adults
Authors: Nowak Dariusz , Gośliński Michał , Nowatkowska Kamila
Published: March 2018

Background: Energy drinks (EDs) are very popular among young people, who consume them for various reasons. A standard ED typically contains 80 mg of caffeine, as well as glucose, taurine, vitamins and other ingredients. Excessive consumption of EDs and accumulation of the above ingredients, as well as their mutual interactions, can be hazardous to the health of young adults. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of acute consumption of energy drinks on blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose. Methods: The study involved 68 volunteers, healthy young adults (mean age 25 years), who were divided into two groups: the first consumed three EDs at one-hour intervals, and the second drank the same amount of water. All participants had their blood pressure (BP)—systolic and diastolic (SBP and DBP)—as well as heart rate (HR) and blood glucose (BG) measured. In addition, participants could report any health problems before and after consuming each portion of ED. Results: In the above experiment, having consumed three portions of ED (240 mg of caffeine), the participants presented a significant increase in DBP (p = 0.003), by over 8%, which coincided with a lack of any significant impact on SBP (p = 0.809). No significant changes were noted in HR (p = 0.750). Consumption of EDs caused a significant increase (p < 0.001) in BG, by ca. 21%, on average. Some participants reported various discomforts, which escalated after 2 and 3 EDs. Conclusions: Acute consumption of EDs contributed to increased diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose and level of discomfort in healthy young people. Our results reinforce the need for further studies on a larger population to provide sufficient evidence.
Investigation of Removal Capacities of Biofilters for Airborne Viable Micro-Organisms
Authors: Soret Rémi , Fanlo Jean-Louis , Malhautier Luc , Geiger Philippe , Bayle Sandrine
Published: March 2018

New emerging issues appears regarding the possible aerosolization of micro-organisms from biofilters to the ambient air. Traditional bioaerosol sampling and cultural methods used in literature offer relative efficiencies. In this study, a new method revolving around a particle counter capable of detecting total and viable particles in real time was used. This counter (BioTrak 9510-BD) uses laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) technology to determine the biological nature of the particle. The concentration of viable particles was measured on two semi-industrial pilot scale biofilters in order to estimate the Removal Efficiency in viable particles (REvp) in stable conditions and to examine the influence of pollutant feeding and relative humidification of the gaseous effluent on the REvp. The REvp of biofilters reached near 80% and highlighted both the stability of that removal and the statistical equivalence between two identical biofilters. Pollutant deprivation periods of 12 h, 48 h and 30 days were shown to have no influence on the biofilters’ removal capacity, demonstrating the robustness and adaptation capacities of the flora. In contrast, a 90-day famine period turned the biofilters into emitters of viable particles. Finally, the humidification of the effluent was shown to negatively influence the removal capacity for viable particles, as drying off the air was shown to increase the REvp from 60 to 85%.
Kluyveromyces marxianus, an Attractive Yeast for Ethanolic Fermentation in the Presence of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids
Authors: Mehmood Nasir , Alayoubi Ranim , Husson Eric , Jacquard Cédric , Büchs Jochen , Sarazin Catherine , Gosselin Isabelle
Published: March 2018

Imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) are promising solvents for lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) pretreatment and allow the achievement of higher ethanolic yields after enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanolic fermentation. However, residual ILs entrapped in pretreated biomass are often toxic for fermentative microorganisms, but interaction mechanisms between ILs and cells are still unknown. Here we studied the effects of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [Emim][OAc] and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylphosphonate [Emim][MeO(H)PO2] on Kluyveromyces marxianus, a thermotolerant ethanologenic yeast. Morphological impacts induced by ILs on K. marxianus were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis and showed wrinkled, softened, and holed shapes. In Yeast-Malt-Dextrose (YMD) medium, K. marxianus tolerated IL additions up to 2% for [Emim][OAc] and 6% for [Emim][MeO(H)PO2]. Below these thresholds, some IL concentrations enhanced ethanolic yields up to +34% by switching the metabolic status from respiratory to fermentative. Finally, K. marxianus fermentation was applied on several substrates pretreated with [Emim][OAc] or [Emim][MeO(H)PO2] and enzymatically hydrolyzed: a model long fiber cellulose and two industrial LCBs, softwood (spruce) and hardwood (oak) sawdusts. The maximum ethanolic yields obtained were 1.8 to 3.9 times higher when substrates were pretreated with imidazolium ILs. Therefore K. marxianus is an interesting fermentative yeast in a second-generation bioethanol process implying IL pretreatment.
Advances in Multiple Sclerosis 2017
Authors: Göbel Kerstin , Kleinschnitz Christoph , Meuth Sven
Published: March 2018

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most emerging fields in neurology[...]
Galectins as Molecular Targets for Therapeutic Intervention
Authors: Dings Ruud , Miller Michelle , Griffin Robert , Mayo Kevin
Published: March 2018

Galectins are a family of small, highly conserved, molecular effectors that mediate various biological processes, including chemotaxis and angiogenesis, and that function by interacting with various cell surface glycoconjugates, usually targeting β-galactoside epitopes. Because of their significant involvement in various biological functions and pathologies, galectins have become a focus of therapeutic discovery for clinical intervention against cancer, among other pathological disorders. In this review, we focus on understanding galectin structure-function relationships, their mechanisms of action on the molecular level, and targeting them for therapeutic intervention against cancer.
In-Silico Integration Approach to Identify a Key miRNA Regulating a Gene Network in Aggressive Prostate Cancer
Authors: Cava Claudia , Bertoli Gloria , Colaprico Antonio , Bontempi Gianluca , Mauri Giancarlo , Castiglioni Isabella
Published: March 2018

Like other cancer diseases, prostate cancer (PC) is caused by the accumulation of genetic alterations in the cells that drives malignant growth. These alterations are revealed by gene profiling and copy number alteration (CNA) analysis. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that also microRNAs have an important role in PC development. Despite efforts to profile PC, the alterations (gene, CNA, and miRNA) and biological processes that correlate with disease development and progression remain partially elusive. Many gene signatures proposed as diagnostic or prognostic tools in cancer poorly overlap. The identification of co-expressed genes, that are functionally related, can identify a core network of genes associated with PC with a better reproducibility. By combining different approaches, including the integration of mRNA expression profiles, CNAs, and miRNA expression levels, we identified a gene signature of four genes overlapping with other published gene signatures and able to distinguish, in silico, high Gleason-scored PC from normal human tissue, which was further enriched to 19 genes by gene co-expression analysis. From the analysis of miRNAs possibly regulating this network, we found that hsa-miR-153 was highly connected to the genes in the network. Our results identify a four-gene signature with diagnostic and prognostic value in PC and suggest an interesting gene network that could play a key regulatory role in PC development and progression. Furthermore, hsa-miR-153, controlling this network, could be a potential biomarker for theranostics in high Gleason-scored PC.
Special Issue on Context Awareness
Authors: Riboni Daniele
Published: March 2018

Context-awareness is a fundamental ingredient of pervasive computing.[...]
Wear Behaviours and Oxidation Effects on Different UHMWPE Acetabular Cups Using a Hip Joint Simulator
Authors: Affatato Saverio , Ruggiero Alessandro , Jaber Sami , Merola Massimiliano , Bracco Pierangiola
Published: March 2018

Given the long-term problem of polyethylene wear, medical interest in the new improved cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), with or without the adding of vitamin E, has risen. The main aim of this study is to gain further insights into the mutual effects of radiation cross-linking and addition of vitamin E on the wear performance of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). We tested four different batches of polyethylene (namely, a standard one, a vitamin E-stabilized, and two cross-linked) in a hip joint simulator for five million cycles where bovine calf serum was used as lubricant. The acetabular cups were then analyzed using a confocal profilometer to characterize the surface topography. Moreover; the cups were analyzed by using Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry in order to assess the chemical characteristics of the pristine materials. Comparing the different cups’ configuration, mass loss was found to be higher for standard polyethylene than for the other combinations. Mass loss negatively correlated to the cross-link density of the polyethylenes. None of the tested formulations showed evidence of oxidative degradation. We found no correlation between roughness parameters and wear. Furthermore, we found significantly differences in the wear behavior of all the acetabular cups. XLPEs exhibited lower weight loss, which has potential for reduced wear and decreased osteolysis. However, surface topography revealed smoother surfaces of the standard and vitamin E stabilized polyethylene than on the cross-linked samples. This observation suggests incipient crack generations on the rough and scratched surfaces of the cross-linked polyethylene liners.
Hot Deformation Behavior and a Two-Stage Constitutive Model of 20Mn5 Solid Steel Ingot during Hot Compression
Authors: Liu Min , Ma Qing-Xian , Luo Jian-Bin
Published: March 2018

20Mn5 steel is widely used in the manufacture of heavy hydro-generator shaft forging due to its strength, toughness, and wear resistance. However, the hot deformation and recrystallization behaviors of 20Mn5 steel compressed under a high temperature were not studied. For this article, hot compression experiments under temperatures of 850–1200 °C and strain rates of 0.01 s−1–1 s−1 were conducted using a Gleeble-1500D thermo-mechanical simulator. Flow stress-strain curves and microstructure after hot compression were obtained. Effects of temperature and strain rate on microstructure are analyzed. Based on the classical stress-dislocation relationship and the kinetics of dynamic recrystallization, a two-stage constitutive model is developed to predict the flow stress of 20Mn5 steel. Comparisons between experimental flow stress and predicted flow stress show that the predicted flow stress values are in good agreement with the experimental flow stress values, which indicates that the proposed constitutive model is reliable and can be used for numerical simulation of hot forging of 20Mn5 solid steel ingot.
Wastes as Aggregates, Binders or Additions in Mortars: Selecting Their Role Based on Characterization
Authors: Farinha Catarina , De Brito Jorge , Veiga Rosário , Fernández J. , Jiménez J. , Esquinas A.
Published: March 2018

The production of waste has increased over the years and, lacking a recycle or recovery solution, it is forwarded to landfill. The incorporation of wastes in cement-based materials is a solution to reduce waste deposition. In this regard, some researchers have been studying the incorporation of wastes with different functions: aggregate, binder and addition. The incorporation of wastes should take advantage of their characteristics. It requires a judicious analysis of their particles. This research involves the analysis of seven industrial wastes: biomass ashes, glass fibre, reinforced polymer dust, sanitary ware, fluid catalytic cracking, acrylic fibre, textile fibre and glass fibre. The main characteristics and advantages of each waste are enunciated and the best type of introduction in mortars is discussed. The characterization of the wastes as particles is necessary to identify the most suitable incorporation in mortars. In this research, some wastes are studied with a view to their re-use or recycling in mortars. Thus, this research focuses on the chemical, physical and mechanical characterization of industrial wastes and identification of the potentially most advantageous type of incorporation.
Metal-Insulator-Metal-Based Plasmonic Metamaterial Absorbers at Visible and Infrared Wavelengths: A Review
Authors: Ogawa Shinpei , Kimata Masafumi
Published: March 2018

Electromagnetic wave absorbers have been investigated for many years with the aim of achieving high absorbance and tunability of both the absorption wavelength and the operation mode by geometrical control, small and thin absorber volume, and simple fabrication. There is particular interest in metal-insulator-metal-based plasmonic metamaterial absorbers (MIM-PMAs) due to their complete fulfillment of these demands. MIM-PMAs consist of top periodic micropatches, a middle dielectric layer, and a bottom reflector layer to generate strong localized surface plasmon resonance at absorption wavelengths. In particular, in the visible and infrared (IR) wavelength regions, a wide range of applications is expected, such as solar cells, refractive index sensors, optical camouflage, cloaking, optical switches, color pixels, thermal IR sensors, IR microscopy and gas sensing. The promising properties of MIM-PMAs are attributed to the simple plasmonic resonance localized at the top micropatch resonators formed by the MIMs. Here, various types of MIM-PMAs are reviewed in terms of their historical background, basic physics, operation mode design, and future challenges to clarify their underlying basic design principles and introduce various applications. The principles presented in this review paper can be applied to other wavelength regions such as the ultraviolet, terahertz, and microwave regions.
Evaluation of Workability on the Microstructure and Mechanical Property of Modified 9Cr-2W Steel for Fuel Cladding by Cold Drawing Process and Intermediate Heat Treatment Condition
Authors: Heo Hyeong-Min , Kim Jun-Hwhan , Kim Sung-Ho , Kim Jong-Ryoul
Published: March 2018

In this study, we evaluated the cold drawing workability of two kinds of modified 9Cr-2W steel containing different contents of boron and nitrogen depending on the temperature and time of normalizing and tempering treatments. Using ring compression tests at room temperature, the effect of intermediate heat treatment condition on workability was investigated. It was found that the prior austenite grain size can be changed by the austenite transformation and that the grain size increases with increasing temperature during normalizing heat treatment. Alloy B and Alloy N showed different patterns after normalizing heat treatment. Alloy N had higher stress than Alloy B, and the reduction in alloy N increased while the reduction in alloy B decreased. Alloy B showed a larger number of initially formed cracks and a larger average crack length than Alloy N. Crack length and number increased proportionally in Alloy B as the stress increased. Alloy B had lower crack resistance than Alloy N due to boron segregation.
Identification of an Epoxide Metabolite of Lycopene in Human Plasma Using 13C-Labeling and QTOF-MS
Authors: Cichon Morgan , Moran Nancy , Riedl Ken , Schwartz Steven , Clinton Steven
Published: March 2018

The carotenoid lycopene is a bioactive component of tomatoes and is hypothesized to reduce risk of several chronic diseases, such as prostate cancer. The metabolism of lycopene is only beginning to be understood and some studies suggest that metabolites of lycopene may be partially responsible for bioactivity associated with the parent compound. The detection and characterization of these compounds in vivo is an important step in understanding lycopene bioactivity. The metabolism of lycopene likely involves both chemical and enzymatic oxidation. While numerous lycopene metabolites have been proposed, few have actually been identified in vivo following lycopene intake. Here, LC-QTOF-MS was used along with 13C-labeling to investigate the post-prandial oxidative metabolism of lycopene in human plasma. Previously reported aldehyde cleavage products were not detected, but a lycopene 1,2-epoxide was identified as a new candidate oxidative metabolite.
Silicon-Based Microfabrication of Free-Floating Neural Probes and Insertion Tool for Chronic Applications
Authors: Schander Andreas , Stemmann Heiko , Kreiter Andreas , Lang Walter
Published: March 2018

Bidirectional neural interfaces for multi-channel, high-density recording and electrical stimulation of neural activity in the central nervous system are fundamental tools for neuroscience and medical applications. Especially for clinical use, these electrical interfaces must be stable over several years, which is still a major challenge due to the foreign body response of neural tissue. A feasible solution to reduce this inflammatory response is to enable a free-floating implantation of high-density, silicon-based neural probes to avoid mechanical coupling between the skull and the cortex during brain micromotion. This paper presents our latest development of a reproducible microfabrication process, which allows a monolithic integration of a highly-flexible, polyimide-based cable with a silicon-stiffened neural probe at a high resolution of 1 µm. For a precise and complete insertion of the free-floating probes into the cortex, a new silicon-based, vacuum-actuated insertion tool is presented, which can be attached to commercially available electrode drives. To reduce the electrode impedance and enable safe and stable microstimulation an additional coating with the electrical conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS is used. The long-term stability of the presented free-floating neural probes is demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. The promising results suggest the feasibility of these neural probes for chronic applications.
Comparative Study of the Mineral Composition and Its Connection with Some Properties Important for the Sludge Flocculation Process-Examples from Omarska Mine
Authors: Tankosić Ljiljana , Tančić Pavle , Sredić Svjetlana , Nedić Zoran
Published: March 2018

Studied sludge samples are composed of major goethite and quartz; less clay minerals; and minor magnetite, hematite, clinochlore and todorokite. They have quite similar qualitative, but different semi-quantitative compositions. There are similar particle size distributions between the samples, and the highest contents of ~50% belongs to the finest classes of <6 μm. Among size classes within the samples, almost identical iron contents are present; indicating their similar mineral compositions, which make these systems very complex for further separation processes. Sludge II has a higher natural settling rate, due to its higher density and mineral composition. With addition of the flocculant, settling rates increase significantly with the increase of the liquid component in both of the samples. The effect of flocculant on the settling rate is different between samples, and depends on their mineral composition. The time of settling does not play a role in selectivity, to the ratio of the mass of floating and sinking parts, and iron content does not change with time. The content of iron partially increases by flocculation; therefore, this method should be considered as an appropriate one. Zeta potential values for sludge are mostly between those for goethite and quartz, indicating their particle mixture and intricately association.
Miro1 Enhances Mitochondria Transfer from Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MMSC) to Neural Cells and Improves the Efficacy of Cell Recovery
Authors: Babenko Valentina , Silachev Denis , Popkov Vasily , Zorova Ljubava , Pevzner Irina , Plotnikov Egor , Sukhikh Gennady , Zorov Dmitry
Published: March 2018

A recently discovered key role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondrial traffic has opened a wide alley for studying the interactions between cells, including stem cells. Since its discovery in 2006, intercellular mitochondria transport has been intensively studied in different cellular models as a basis for cell therapy, since the potential of replacing malfunctioning organelles appears to be very promising. In this study, we explored the transfer of mitochondria from multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MMSC) to neural cells and analyzed its efficacy under normal conditions and upon induction of mitochondrial damage. We found that mitochondria were transferred from the MMSC to astrocytes in a more efficient manner when the astrocytes were exposed to ischemic damage associated with elevated ROS levels. Such transport of mitochondria restored the bioenergetics of the recipient cells and stimulated their proliferation. The introduction of MMSC with overexpressed Miro1 in animals that had undergone an experimental stroke led to significantly improved recovery of neurological functions. Our data suggest that mitochondrial impairment in differentiated cells can be compensated by receiving healthy mitochondria from MMSC. We demonstrate a key role of Miro1, which promotes the mitochondrial transfer from MMSC and suggest that the genetic modification of stem cells can improve the therapies for the injured brain.
Representation Learning for Class C G Protein-Coupled Receptors Classification
Authors: Cruz-Barbosa Raúl , Ramos-Pérez Erik-German , Giraldo Jesús
Published: March 2018

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral cell membrane proteins of relevance for pharmacology. The complete tertiary structure including both extracellular and transmembrane domains has not been determined for any member of class C GPCRs. An alternative way to work on GPCR structural models is the investigation of their functionality through the analysis of their primary structure. For this, sequence representation is a key factor for the GPCRs’ classification context, where usually, feature engineering is carried out. In this paper, we propose the use of representation learning to acquire the features that best represent the class C GPCR sequences and at the same time to obtain a model for classification automatically. Deep learning methods in conjunction with amino acid physicochemical property indices are then used for this purpose. Experimental results assessed by the classification accuracy, Matthews’ correlation coefficient and the balanced error rate show that using a hydrophobicity index and a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM) can achieve performance results (accuracy of 92.9%) similar to those reported in the literature. As a second proposal, we combine two or more physicochemical property indices instead of only one as the input for a deep architecture in order to add information from the sequences. Experimental results show that using three hydrophobicity-related index combinations helps to improve the classification performance (accuracy of 94.1%) of an RBM better than those reported in the literature for class C GPCRs without using feature selection methods.
Efficient (3S)-Acetoin and (2S,3S)-2,3-Butanediol Production from meso-2,3-Butanediol Using Whole-Cell Biocatalysis
Authors: He Yuanzhi , Chen Feixue , Sun Meijing , Gao Huifang , Guo Zewang , Lin Hui , Chen Jiebo , Jin Wensong , Yang Yunlong , Zhang Liaoyuan , Yuan Jun
Published: March 2018

(3S)-Acetoin and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol are important platform chemicals widely applied in the asymmetric synthesis of valuable chiral chemicals. However, their production by fermentative methods is difficult to perform. This study aimed to develop a whole-cell biocatalysis strategy for the production of (3S)-acetoin and (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol from meso-2,3-butanediol. First, E. coli co-expressing (2R,3R)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase, NADH oxidase and Vitreoscilla hemoglobin was developed for (3S)-acetoin production from meso-2,3-butanediol. Maximum (3S)-acetoin concentration of 72.38 g/L with the stereoisomeric purity of 94.65% was achieved at 24 h under optimal conditions. Subsequently, we developed another biocatalyst co-expressing (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase and formate dehydrogenase for (2S,3S)-2,3-butanediol production from (3S)-acetoin. Synchronous catalysis together with two biocatalysts afforded 38.41 g/L of (2S,3S)-butanediol with stereoisomeric purity of 98.03% from 40 g/L meso-2,3-butanediol. These results exhibited the potential for (3S)-acetoin and (2S,3S)-butanediol production from meso-2,3-butanediol as a substrate via whole-cell biocatalysis.
Molecular Modeling and Structural Stability of Wild-Type and Mutant CYP51 from Leishmania major: In Vitro and In Silico Analysis of a Laboratory Strain
Authors: Keighobadi Masoud , Emami Saeed , Lagzian Milad , Fakhar Mahdi , Rafiei Alireza , Valadan Reza
Published: March 2018

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease and a major public health in the most countries. Leishmania major is the most common cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis. In the Leishmania parasites, sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), which is involved in the biosynthesis of sterols, has been identified as an attractive target for development of new therapeutic agents. In this study, the sequence and structure of CYP51 in a laboratory strain (MRHO/IR/75/ER) of L. major were determined and compared to the wild-type strain. The results showed 19 mutations including seven non-synonymous and 12 synonymous ones in the CYP51 sequence of strain MRHO/IR/75/ER. Importantly, an arginine to lysine substitution at position of 474 resulted in destabilization of CYP51 (ΔΔG = 1.17 kcal/mol) in the laboratory strain; however, when the overall effects of all substitutions were evaluated by 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation, the final structure did not show any significant changes (p-value < 0.05) in stability parameter of the strain MRHO/IR/75/ER compared to the wild-type protein. The energy level for the CYP51 of wild-type and MRHO/IR/75/ER strain were −40,027.1 and −39,706.48 Kcal/mol respectively. The overall Root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) deviation between two proteins was less than 1 Å throughout the simulation and Root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF) plot also showed no substantial differences between amino acids fluctuation of the both protein. The results also showed that, these mutations were located on the protein periphery that neither interferes with protein folding nor with substrate/inhibitor binding. Therefore, L. major strain MRHO/IR/75/ER is suggested as a suitable laboratory model for studying biological role of CYP51 and inhibitory effects of sterol 14α-demethylase inhibitors.
Association of Melatonin Production with Seasonal Changes, Low Temperature, and Immuno-Responses in Hamsters
Authors: Xu Xiaoying , Liu Xiaoyan , Ma Shuran , Xu Ya , Xu Ying , Guo Xiazhen , Li Dekui
Published: March 2018

Seasonal changes impact the melatonin production and immuno-activities in vertebrates. This is believed due to the photoperiodic alterations of the different seasons which impact the functions of pineal gland. The short photoperiod promotes pineal melatonin production. As a result, during the winter, animals have significantly higher levels of melatonin than in summer. However, the seasonal changes also include temperature changes. This factor has never been systemically investigated in animals. In the current study, we observed that increased temperature had limited influence on melatonin production. In contrast, cold temperature is the major factor to induce melatonin production in hamsters. Cold temperature per se can upregulate the expressions of melatonin synthetic gene AANAT and ASMT, which are the important enzymes for melatonin biosynthesis. The elevated melatonin levels induced by the cold exposure in hamster in turn, improve the immuno-responses of the animals with increased levels of IL1, 6, and 10 as well CD3. In addition, melatonin as a potent antioxidant and thermogenic agent would improve the survival chance of animals during cold weather.
Transcript Profiling and Gene Identification Involved in the Ethylene Signal Transduction Pathways of Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) during ISR Response Induced by Butanediol
Authors: Jiang Han-Yu , Zhang Jin-Lin , Yang Jiang-Wei , Ma Hui-Ling
Published: March 2018

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) is the preferred green lawn grass, with excellent turf characteristics but poor disease resistance. At present, the mechanisms of disease resistance in creeping bentgrass are poorly understood, especially the ethylene signal transduction pathway under the induced systemic resistance (ISR) response. In this study, butanediol (BDO), as a new type of disease-resistance compound, was applied to creeping bentgrass seedlings to induce the ISR response. Then, we measured ethylene production and related enzyme activities. Additionally, transcript profiling and gene identification were performed in association to ethylene signal transduction pathways. The changes of ethylene production and related enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthases (ACS) activities showed significant difference at 24 h after Rhizoctonia solani inoculation among five treatments of various BDO concentrations. After 100 µmol L−1 BDO treatment, ethylene production and related enzyme activities reached their peak levels. Additionally, 208,672 unigenes of creeping bentgrass were obtained by de novo assembly. In total, 15,903 annotated unigenes were grouped into 33 canonical pathways in the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis. Among those, 1803 unigenes were classified as ‘signal transduction’. There were 6766 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among B24 (inoculated-rhizobacteria in MS medium with 100 µmol L−1 BDO for 24 h), NB24, B72 and NB24 (no rhizobacteria in MS medium with 100 µmol L−1 BDO for 24 h) libraries, and 4,639 DEGs between B24 and B72 (inoculated-rhizobacteria in MS medium with 100 µmol L−1 BDO for 72 h) libraries, with 4489 DEGs in all three libraries. As suggested by the RT-PCR assay, the expression levels of ethylene-responsive and defense-related genes were variable among treated samples during the BDO-induced ISR responses. The expression levels of EIN, ERF, NPR1, PR3 and PR4 genes increased and reached their peaks in the first 24 h after R. solani infection in the BDO-induced ISR reaction compared with NB24 treatments. This results is consistent with the changes of important ethylene biosynthetic enzymes and ethylene concentrations during the BDO-induced ISR responses. We further found the intermediate substances for the signaling pathway, and the relationships between the expression levels of BDO-induced ISR disease-resistance genes and those of the response genes for ethylene signal pathway. Our findings present a genetic basis for systemic resistance of creeping bentgrass through transcriptomic analysis and our study provides a theoretical and practical basis for the improvement of turfgrass disease resistance and quality.
Antioxidant Activity of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Protein Fractions
Authors: Li Yan , Zheng Yajun , Zhang Yufeng , Xu Jianguo , Gao Gang
Published: March 2018

Coconut cake is an abundant and good potential edible protein source. However, until now it has not been extensively used in the food industry. To promote its usage, the characterization, nutrition value and antioxidant activity of coconut cake protein fractions (albumin, globulin, prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2) were studied. Results revealed that all the albumin, globulin, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 fractions showed a high nutrition value. The prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 all exhibited good radical scavenging activity and reducing power, and the globulin and prolamine showed high ion chelating ability (89.14–80.38%). Moreover, all the fractions except glutelin-2 could effectively protect DNA against oxidative damage. Several peptides containing five to eight amino acids with antioxidant activity were also identified by LC-MS/MS from the globulin and glutelin-2 fractions. The results demonstrated that the coconut cake protein fractions have potential usages in functional foods.
Preparation, Modification, Characterization, and Biosensing Application of Nanoporous Gold Using Electrochemical Techniques
Authors: Bhattarai Jay , Neupane Dharmendra , Nepal Bishal , Mikhaylov Vasilii , Demchenko Alexei , Stine Keith
Published: March 2018

Nanoporous gold (np-Au), because of its high surface area-to-volume ratio, excellent conductivity, chemical inertness, physical stability, biocompatibility, easily tunable pores, and plasmonic properties, has attracted much interested in the field of nanotechnology. It has promising applications in the fields of catalysis, bio/chemical sensing, drug delivery, biomolecules separation and purification, fuel cell development, surface-chemistry-driven actuation, and supercapacitor design. Many chemical and electrochemical procedures are known for the preparation of np-Au. Recently, researchers are focusing on easier and controlled ways to tune the pores and ligaments size of np-Au for its use in different applications. Electrochemical methods have good control over fine-tuning pore and ligament sizes. The np-Au electrodes that are prepared using electrochemical techniques are robust and are easier to handle for their use in electrochemical biosensing. Here, we review different electrochemical strategies for the preparation, post-modification, and characterization of np-Au along with the synergistic use of both electrochemistry and np-Au for applications in biosensing.
The Adsorption of Dextranase onto Mg/Fe-Layered Double Hydroxide: Insight into the Immobilization
Authors: Ding Yi , Liu Le , Fang Yaowei , Zhang Xu , Lyu Mingsheng , Wang Shujun
Published: March 2018

We report the adsorption of dextranase on a Mg/Fe-layered double hydroxide (Mg/Fe-LDH). We focused the effects of different buffers, pH, and amino acids. The Mg/Fe-LDH was synthesized, and adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the effects. The maximum adsorption occurred in pH 7.0 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer, and the maximum dextranase adsorption uptake was 1.38 mg/g (416.67 U/mg); histidine and phenylalanine could affect the adsorption. A histidine tag could be added to the protein to increase the adsorption significantly. The performance features and mechanism were investigated with X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The protein could affect the crystal structure of LDH, and the enzyme was adsorbed on the LDH surface. The main interactions between the protein and LDH were electrostatic and hydrophobic. Histidine and phenylalanine could significantly affect the adsorption. The hexagonal morphology of LDH was not affected after adsorption.