bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasmonics in the Ultraviolet with Aluminum, Gallium, Magnesium and Rhodium
Authors: Gutiérrez Yael , Alcaraz de la Osa Rodrigo , Ortiz Dolores , Saiz José , González Francisco , Moreno Fernando
Published: January 2018

Ultraviolet plasmonics (UV) has become an active topic of research due to the new challenges arising in fields such as biosensing, chemistry or spectroscopy. Recent studies have pointed out aluminum, gallium, magnesium and rhodium as promising candidates for plasmonics in the UV range. Aluminum and magnesium present a high oxidation tendency that has a critical effect in their plasmonic performance. Nevertheless, gallium and rhodium have drawn a lot of attention because of their low tendency of oxidation and, at the same time, good plasmonic response in the UV and excellent photocatalytic properties. Here, we present a short overview of the current state of UV plasmonics with the latest findings in the plasmonic response and applications of aluminum, gallium, magnesium and rhodium nanoparticles.
Standing Wave Field Distribution in Graded-Index Antireflection Coatings
Authors: Deng Hongxiang , Dong Xianyue , Gao Huanhuan , Yuan Xiaodong , Zheng Wanguo , Zu Xiaotao
Published: January 2018

Standing wave field distributions in three classic types of graded-index antireflection coatings are studied. These graded-index antireflection coatings are designed at wavelengths from 200 nm to 1200 nm, which is the working wavelength range of high energy laser system for inertial-fusion research. The standing wave field distributions in these coatings are obtained by the numerical calculation of electromagnetic wave equation. We find that standing wave field distributions in these three graded-index anti-reflection coatings are quite different. For the coating with linear index distribution, intensity of standing wave field decreases periodically from surface to substrate with narrow oscillation range and the period is proportional to the incident wavelength. For the coating with exponential index distribution, intensity of standing wave field decreases periodically from surface to substrate with large oscillation range and the period is also proportional to the incident wavelength. Finally, for the coating with polynomial index, intensity of standing wave field is quickly falling down from surface to substrate without an obvious oscillation. We find that the intensity of standing wave field in the interface between coating and substrate for linear index, exponential index and polynomial index are about 0.7, 0.9 and 0.7, respectively. Our results indicate that the distributions of standing wave field in linear index coating and polynomial index coating are better than that in exponential index coating for the application in high energy laser system. Moreover, we find that the transmittance of linear index coating and polynomial index coating are also better than exponential index coating at the designed wavelength range. Present simulation results are useful for the design and application of graded-index antireflection coating in high energy laser system.
Diagnosing Changes of Winter NAO in Response to Different Climate Forcings in a Set of Atmosphere-Only Timeslice Experiments
Authors: Huang Yu , Ren Hong-Li , Chadwick Robin , Cheng Zhigang , Chen Quanliang
Published: January 2018

Changes of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability in response to different climate forcings, and their possible causes, are decomposed and investigated using a set of atmosphere-only timeslice experiments forced by sea surface temperature (SST) from coupled runs. The results indicate that the effects of uniform SST warming and direct CO2 radiative forcing could enhance NAO variability, while SST pattern change could lead to large inter-model difference for model simulations. For the influences of uniform SST warming and the direct CO2 radiative effect, the most significant air temperature increases occur at mid-low latitudes instead of northern polar regions, which produces a greater meridional temperature gradient at mid-high latitudes, thus leading to enhanced westerly winds according to the thermal wind theory. The effects of uniform SST warming and CO2 direct radiative forcing could lead to intensification of winter NAO variability, although this result does not consider ocean-atmosphere coupling. The meridional temperature gradient decreases in most areas of the northern Atlantic under the forcing of SST pattern change, but with a larger inter-model uncertainty, which makes the change of winter NAO variability in response to SST pattern change an open issue.
Effect of Different Glass Shapes and Size on the Time Course of Dissolved Oxygen in Wines during Simulated Tasting
Authors: Giuseppina Paola Parpinello , Matteo Meglioli , Arianna Ricci , Andrea Versari
Published: January 2018

The different shapes and sizes of wine glass are claimed to balance the different wine aromas in the headspace, enhancing the olfactory perception and providing an adequate level of oxygenation. Although the measurement of dissolved oxygen in winemaking has recently received much focus, the role of oxygen in wine tasting needs to be further disclosed. This preliminary study aims to explore, for the first time, the effect of swirling glasses of different shapes and sizes on the oxygen content of wine. Experimental trials were designed to simulate real wine tasting conditions. The O2 content after glass swirling was affected to a considerable extent by both the type of wine and the glass shape. A lack of correlation between the shape parameters of five glasses and the O2 content in wine was found which suggests that the nonequilibrium condition can occur during wine tasting. The International Standard Organisation (ISO) glass—considered to be optimal for the wine tasting—allowed less wine oxygenation than any other glass shapes; and the apparent superiority of the ISO glass is tentatively attributed to the more stable oxygen content with time; i.e., less variability in oxygen content than any other glass shape.
Emerging Roles for VEGF-D in Human Disease
Authors: Stacker Steven , Achen Marc
Published: January 2018

Blood vessels and lymphatic vessels are located in many tissues and organs throughout the body, and play important roles in a wide variety of prevalent diseases in humans. Vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) is a secreted protein that can promote the remodeling of blood vessels and lymphatics in development and disease. Recent fundamental and translational studies have provided insight into the molecular mechanisms by which VEGF-D exerts its effects in human disease. Hence this protein is now of interest as a therapeutic and/or diagnostic target, or as a potential therapeutic agent, in a diversity of indications in cardiovascular medicine, cancer and the devastating pulmonary condition lymphangioleiomyomatosis. This has led to clinical trial programs to assess the effect of targeting VEGF-D signaling pathways, or delivering VEGF-D, in angina, cancer and ocular indications. This review summarizes our understanding of VEGF-D signaling in human disease, which is largely based on animal disease models and clinicopathological studies, and provides information about the outcomes of recent clinical trials testing agonists or antagonists of VEGF-D signaling.
Mutations in EMT-Related Genes in ALK Positive Crizotinib Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Wei Jiacong , Van der Wekken Anthonie , Saber Ali , Terpstra Miente , Schuuring Ed , Timens Wim , Hiltermann T. , Groen Harry , Van den Berg Anke , Kok Klaas
Published: January 2018

Crizotinib is an effective drug for patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but upon treatment, the tumors inevitably become crizotinib resistant in time. The resistance mechanisms are only partly understood. In this study, we aim to identify gene mutations associated with resistance in ALKpositive advanced non-squamous NSCLC treated with crizotinib. Four ALK positive patients with progressive disease following crizotinib treatment were identified with paired pre- and post-crizotinib tumor tissue from our previously published cohort. Somatic variants in these samples were detected by whole exome sequencing. In one of the four patients, an ALK-resistance associated mutation was identified. In the other three patients, no ALK-resistance associated mutations were present. In these patients we identified 89 relevant somatic mutations in 74 genes that were specific to the resistant tumors. These genes were enriched in 15 pathways. Four pathways, were related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT): proteoglycans in cancer, HIF-1 signaling, FoxO signaling pathway, and ECM-receptor interaction. Analysis of other EMT-related pathways revealed three additional genes with mutations specific to the crizotinib-resistant tumor samples. The enrichment of mutations in genes associated with EMT-related pathways indicates that loss of epithelial differentiation may represent a relevant resistance mechanism for crizotinib.
Recent Advances in the Detection of Neurotransmitters
Authors: Si Bo , Song Edward
Published: January 2018

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that act as messengers in the synaptic transmission process. They are essential for human health and any imbalance in their activities can cause serious mental disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Hence, monitoring the concentrations of various neurotransmitters is of great importance in studying and diagnosing such mental illnesses. Recently, many researchers have explored the use of unique materials for developing biosensors for both in vivo and ex vivo neurotransmitter detection. A combination of nanomaterials, polymers, and biomolecules were incorporated to implement such sensor devices. For in vivo detection, electrochemical sensing has been commonly applied, with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry being the most promising technique to date, due to the advantages such as easy miniaturization, simple device architecture, and high sensitivity. However, the main challenges for in vivo electrochemical neurotransmitter sensors are limited target selectivity, large background signal and noise, and device fouling and degradation over time. Therefore, achieving simultaneous detection of multiple neurotransmitters in real time with long-term stability remains the focus of research. The purpose of this review paper is to summarize the recently developed sensing techniques with the focus on neurotransmitters as the target analyte, and to discuss the outlook of simultaneous detection of multiple neurotransmitter species. This paper is organized as follows: firstly, the common materials used for developing neurotransmitter sensors are discussed. Secondly, several sensor surface modification approaches to enhance sensing performance are reviewed. Finally, we discuss recent developments in the simultaneous detection capability of multiple neurotransmitters.
Perplexing Coordination Behaviour of Potentially Bridging Bipyridyl-Type Ligands in the Coordination Chemistry of Zinc and Cadmium 1,1-Dithiolate Compounds
Authors: Tiekink Edward
Published: January 2018

The X-ray structural chemistry of zinc and cadmium 1,1-dithiolates (for example, xanthate, dithiophosphate and dithiocarbamate) with potentially bridging bipyridyl-type ligands (for example, 4,4′-bipyridine) is reviewed. For zinc, the xanthates and dithiophosphates uniformly form one-dimensional coordination polymers, whereas the zinc dithiocarbamates are always zero-dimensional, reflecting the exceptional chelating ability of dithiocarbamate ligands compared with xanthates and dithiophosphates. For cadmium, one-dimensional coordination polymers are usually found, reflecting the larger size of cadmium compared with zinc, but zero-dimensional aggregates are sometimes found. Steric effects associated with the 1,1-dithiolate-bound R groups are shown to influence supramolecular aggregation and, when formed, polymer topology in order to reduce steric hindrance; the nature of the bipyridyl-type ligand can also be influential. For the dithiocarbamates of both zinc and cadmium, in instances where the dithiocarbamate ligand is functionalised with hydrogen bonding potential, extended supramolecular architectures are often formed via hydrogen bonding interactions. Of particular interest is the observation that the bipyridyl-type ligands do not always bridge zinc or cadmium 1,1-dithiolates, being monodentate instead, often in the presence of hydrogen bonding. Thus, hydroxyl-O–H…N(pyridyl) hydrogen bonds are sometimes formed in preference to M←N(pyridyl) coordinate-bonds, suggesting a competition between the two modes of association.
A Low-Cost Maximum Power Point Tracking System Based on Neural Network Inverse Model Controller
Authors: Robles Algarín Carlos , Sevilla Hernández Deimer , Restrepo Leal Diego
Published: January 2018

This work presents the design, modeling, and implementation of a neural network inverse model controller for tracking the maximum power point of a photovoltaic (PV) module. A nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) was implemented in a serial-parallel architecture. The PV module mathematical modeling was developed, a buck converter was designed to operate in the continuous conduction mode with a switching frequency of 20 KHz, and the dynamic neural controller was designed using the Neural Network Toolbox from Matlab/Simulink (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA), and it was implemented on an open-hardware Arduino Mega board. To obtain the reference signals for the NARX and determine the 65 W PV module behavior, a system made of a 0.8 W PV cell, a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor and a static neural network, was used. To evaluate performance a comparison with the P&O traditional algorithm was done in terms of response time and oscillations around the operating point. Simulation results demonstrated the superiority of neural controller over the P&O. Implementation results showed that approximately the same power is obtained with both controllers, but the P&O controller presents oscillations between 7 W and 10 W, in contrast to the inverse controller, which had oscillations between 1 W and 2 W.
Energy Flexibility from Large Prosumers to Support Distribution System Operation—A Technical and Legal Case Study on the Amsterdam ArenA Stadium
Authors: Kuiken Dirk , Más Heyd , Haji Ghasemi Maryam , Blaauwbroek Niels , Vo Thai , Van der Klauw Thijs , Nguyen Phuong
Published: January 2018

To deal with the rising integration of stochastic renewables and energy intensive distributed energy resources (DER) to the electricity network, alternatives to expensive network reinforcements are increasingly needed. An alternative solution often under consideration is integrating flexibility from the consumer side to system management. However, such a solution needs to be contemplated from different angles before it can be implemented in practice. To this end, this article considers a case study of the Amsterdam ArenA stadium and its surrounding network where flexibility is expected to be available to support the network in the future. The article studies the technical aspects of using this flexibility to determine to what extent, despite the different, orthogonal goals, the available flexibility can be used by various stakeholders in scenarios with a large load from electric vehicle charging points. Furthermore, a legal study is performed to determine the feasibility of the technical solutions proposed by analysing current European Union (EU) and Dutch law and focusing on the current agreements existing between the parties involved. The article shows that flexibility in the network provided by Amsterdam ArenA is able to significantly increase the number of charging points the network can accommodate. Nonetheless, while several uses of flexibility are feasible under current law, the use of flexibility provided by electric vehicles specifically faces several legal challenges in current arrangements.
Application of Predictive Feedforward Compensator to Microalgae Production in a Raceway Reactor: A Simulation Study
Authors: Pawłowski Andrzej , Guzmán José , Berenguel Manuel , Acíen Francisco , Dormido Sebastián
Published: January 2018

In this work, the evaluation of a predictive feedforward compensator is provided in order to highlight its most important advantages and drawbacks. The analyzed technique has been applied to microalgae production process in a raceway photobioreactor. The evaluation of the analyzed disturbance rejection schemes were performed through simulation, considering a nonlinear process model, whereas all controllers were designed using linear model approximations resulting in a realistic evaluation scenario. The predictive feedforward disturbance compensator was coupled with two feedback control techniques, PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) and MPC (Model Predictive Control) that are widely used in industrial practice. Moreover, the classical feedforward approach has been used for the purpose of comparison. The performance of the tested technique is evaluated with different indexes that include control performance measurements as well as biomass production performance. The application of the analyzed compensator to microalgae production process allows us to improve the average photosynthesis rate about 6% simultaneously reducing the energy usage about 4%.
Cloud-Based Battery Condition Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis Platform for Large-Scale Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems
Authors: Kim Taesic , Makwana Darshan , Adhikaree Amit , Vagdoda Jitendra , Lee Young
Published: January 2018

Performance of the current battery management systems is limited by the on-board embedded systems as the number of battery cells increases in the large-scale lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery energy storage systems (BESSs). Moreover, an expensive supervisory control and data acquisition system is still required for maintenance of the large-scale BESSs. This paper proposes a new cloud-based battery condition monitoring and fault diagnosis platform for the large-scale Li-ion BESSs. The proposed cyber-physical platform incorporates the Internet of Things embedded in the battery modules and the cloud battery management platform. Multithreads of a condition monitoring algorithm and an outlier mining-based battery fault diagnosis algorithm are built in the cloud battery management platform (CBMP). The proposed cloud-based condition monitoring and fault diagnosis platform is validated by using a cyber-physical testbed and a computational cost analysis for the CBMP. Therefore, the proposed platform will support the on-board health monitoring and provide an intelligent and cost-effective maintenance of the large-scale Li-ion BESSs.
Numerical Simulations for a Partial Disk MHD Generator Performance
Authors: Li Lai , Huang Hu-lin , Zhu Gui-ping
Published: January 2018

In this paper, numerical simulations are carried out to predict the performance of a new designed configuration of the disk magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator, which segments the generator into dozens of parts. The behaviors and characteristics of segments are mainly investigated with number of parts at 24, 36, 60, 72, 90 adopted Large Eddy Simulation (LES). The numerical results declared that these division generators approach more stable plasma ionization and better performance than that of the conventional disk MHD generator at the same working conditions. The optimal value can be reached when the angle is 5–10 degrees (36–72 parts). Due to the division of the generator, the internal resistance is larger than that of the conventional disk channel that causes the reduction of Faraday current, hence the Lorentz force, j θ B , decreased. Therefore, the radial velocity increased and static pressure decreased. Consequently, the reduction of static pressure contributes to improvement to the plasma uniformity and ionization stability. Those features reveal that the designed configuration has the obvious advantage on raising energy conversion efficiency and power output.
Mitigation of Volatile Fatty Acid Build-Up by the Use of Soft Carbon Felt Electrodes: Evaluation of Anaerobic Digestion in Acidic Conditions
Authors: Moreno Rubén , Martínez Elia , Escapa Adrián , Martínez Olegario , Díez-Antolínez Rebeca , Gómez Xiomar
Published: January 2018

Anaerobic digestion and bioelectrochemical systems have great potential to recover energy from waste streams and help overcome common hurdles associated with this process, as integrated technologies. In this study, the benefit of integrating an electrogen-enriched bioanode in a batch anaerobic digester was explored under ambient temperature conditions associated with organic overloading and reactor acidity. An increase in CH4 production was observed in the electrode-containing reactors (0.56 L CH4 kgVS−1 h−1) in comparison with the conventional anaerobic digester (0.14 L CH4 kgVS−1 h−1) during the initial stages of operation. In addition, the mere presence of electrodes operating in open circuit mode resulted in a delay in volatile fatty acid (VFA) build-up. This seems to be associated with the enhancement in VFA consumption due to biomass proliferation on the electrode surface, rather than on electrochemical activity.
Changes in Intestinal Gene Expression of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Related to Sterol Uptake and Excretion upon β-Sitosterol Administration
Authors: Takase Mai , Ushio Hideki
Published: January 2018

Replacement of fishmeal with plant ingredients will introduce not only plant oil and protein but also phytosterol to the fish diet. Mammals strictly restrict the uptake of phytosterol at intestinal epithelial cells by regulating the gene expressions of sterol uptake and excretion proteins; however, phytosterol is found in the fish muscle and other organs. In order to assess the ability of phytosterol uptake by the intestinal epithelial cells of fish, no-sterol diet, cholesterol-, and β-sitosterol-containing diet was separately administered to zebrafish, and the relative mRNA expressions related to sterol uptake and excretion were evaluated. Gene expression of Niemann-Pick C1-like protein 1 in the sitosterol-fed group was significantly higher than that of the cholesterol-fed group (p < 0.05). The expression of apolipoprotein A-I gene was also higher in the sitosterol-fed group than that in the no-sterol and cholesterol-fed groups. The expressions of ATP-binding cassette, sub-family G, member 5 and 8, were significantly higher in the sitosterol-fed group, compared to the no-sterol group. Regarding the gene expression of ATP-binding cassette sub-family A, member 1, the sitosterol-fed group showed higher expression level compared to the other groups (p < 0.01). These results suggest that fish should be tolerant to phytosterols in contrast to mammals.
Optical/Infrared Polarised Emission in X-ray Binaries
Authors: Russell David
Published: January 2018

Recently, evidence for synchrotron emission in both black-hole (BH) and neutron star X-ray binaries has been mounting, from optical/infrared spectral, polarimetric, and fast timing signatures. The synchrotron emission of jets can be highly linearly polarised, depending on the configuration of the magnetic field (B-field). Optical and infrared (OIR) polarimetric observations of X-ray binaries are presented in this brief review. The OIR polarimetric signature of relativistic jets is detected at levels of ∼1–10%, similarly to for active galactic nuclei (AGN) cores. This reveals that the magnetic geometry in the compact jets may be similar for supermassive and stellar-mass BHs. The B-fields near the jet base in most of these systems appear to be turbulent, variable and on average, aligned with the jet axis, although there are some exceptions. These measurements probe the physical conditions in the accretion (out)flow and demonstrate a new way of connecting inflow and outflow, using both rapid timing and polarisation. Variations in polarisation could be due to rapid changes of the ordering of the B-field in the emitting region, or in one case, flares from individual ejections or collisions between ejecta. It is predicted that in some cases, variable levels of X-ray polarisation from synchrotron emission originating in jets will be detected from accreting galactic BHs with upcoming spaceborne X-ray polarimeters.
A Proposal of a Regular Black Hole Satisfying the Weak Energy Condition
Authors: Chinaglia Stefano
Published: January 2018

We discuss a black hole generated by some matter fluid, whose stress-energy tensor is known. We show that it is regular and that it satisfies the Weak Energy Condition (WEC) and the null energy condition (NEC). Finally, we look for its asymptotic behavior.
Splicing Analysis of Exonic OCRL Mutations Causing Lowe Syndrome or Dent-2 Disease
Authors: Suarez-Artiles Lorena , Perdomo-Ramirez Ana , Ramos-Trujillo Elena , Claverie-Martin Felix
Published: January 2018

Mutations in the OCRL gene are associated with both Lowe syndrome and Dent-2 disease. Patients with Lowe syndrome present congenital cataracts, mental disabilities and a renal proximal tubulopathy, whereas patients with Dent-2 disease exhibit similar proximal tubule dysfunction but only mild, or no additional clinical defects. It is not yet understood why some OCRL mutations cause the phenotype of Lowe syndrome, while others develop the milder phenotype of Dent-2 disease. Our goal was to gain new insights into the consequences of OCRL exonic mutations on pre-mRNA splicing. Using predictive bioinformatics tools, we selected thirteen missense mutations and one synonymous mutation based on their potential effects on splicing regulatory elements or splice sites. These mutations were analyzed in a minigene splicing assay. Results of the RNA analysis showed that three presumed missense mutations caused alterations in pre-mRNA splicing. Mutation c.741G>T; p.(Trp247Cys) generated splicing silencer sequences and disrupted splicing enhancer motifs that resulted in skipping of exon 9, while mutations c.2581G>A; p.(Ala861Thr) and c.2581G>C; p.(Ala861Pro) abolished a 5′ splice site leading to skipping of exon 23. Mutation c.741G>T represents the first OCRL exonic variant outside the conserved splice site dinucleotides that results in alteration of pre-mRNA splicing. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating the effects of OCRL exonic mutations at the mRNA level.
SNCA Is a Functionally Low-Expressed Gene in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yan Yuanliang , Xu Zhijie , Hu Xiaofang , Qian Long , Li Zhi , Zhou Yangying , Dai Shuang , Zeng Shuangshuang , Gong Zhicheng
Published: January 2018

There is increasing evidence for the contribution of synuclein alpha (SNCA) to the etiology of neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, little is known about the detailed role of SNCA in human cancers, especially lung cancers. Here, we evaluated the effects of SNCA on the occurrence and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses of data obtained from the Oncomine platform, the human protein atlas (HPA) project and the cancer cell line encyclopedia (CCLE) demonstrated that SNCA expression was significantly reduced in both ADC tissues and cancer cells. The results of relevant clinical studies indicated that down-regulation of SNCA was statistically correlated with shorter overall survival time and post-progression survival time. Through analysis of datasets obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, significant low levels of SNCA were identified in cisplatin-resistant ADC cells. Moreover, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) elevated the expression of SNCA in the ADC cell lines H1299 and H2009. Our work demonstrates that low levels of SNCA are specifically found in ADC and that this gene may be a potential therapeutic target for this subset of lung cancers. Determination of the role of SNCA in ADC biology would give us some insightful information for further investigations.
Poinsettia Growth and Development Response to Container Root Substrate with Biochar
Authors: Guo Yanjun , Niu Genhua , Starman Terri , Volder Astrid , Gu Mengmeng
Published: January 2018

A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the growth and development of poinsettia ‘Prestige Red’ (Euphorbia pulcherrima) grown in a commercial peat-based potting mix (Sunshine Mix #1) amended with biochar at 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 100% (by volume) at four different fertigation regimes: F1: 100 to 200 mg·L−1 nitrogen (N), F2: 200 to 300 mg·L−1 N (control), F3: 300 to 400 mg·L−1 N, or F4: 400 to 500 mg·L−1 N. The experiment was a two-factor factorial design with 10 replications for each combination of biochar by fertigation. As the percentage of biochar increased, root substrate pore space and bulk density increased, while container capacity decreased. Root rot and red bract necrosis only occurred in F4 combined with 100% biochar. Plants grown in 40% biochar had a similar growth and development to those in 0% biochar. Up to 80% biochar, plants exhibited no significant change, except in terms of dry weight, which decreased at higher biochar percentages (60% and 80%). In summary, at a fertigation rate of 100 mg·L−1 N to 400 mg·L−1 N, up to 80% biochar could be used as an amendment to peat-based root substrate with acceptable growth reduction and no changes in quality.
Evaluation of Well Designs to Improve Access to Safe and Clean Water in Rural Tanzania
Authors: Kilungo Aminata , Powers Linda , Arnold Nathan , Whelan Kelli , Paterson Kurt , Young Dale
Published: January 2018

The objective of this study was to examine three well designs: drilled wells (20–30 m deep), closed dug wells (>5 m deep), and hand-dug open wells (<5 m deep), to determine the water quality for improving access to safe and clean water in rural communities. Heterotrophic plate count (HPC), total coliforms (TC), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and turbidity, were used to assess the water quality of 97 wells. Additionally, the study looked at the microflora diversity of the water, focusing on potential pathogens using outgrowth, PCR, and genome sequencing for 10 wells. Concentrations of TC for the open dug wells (4 × 104 CFU/100 mL) were higher than the drilled (2 × 103 CFU/100 mL) and closed dug wells (3 × 103 CFU/100 mL). E. coli concentration for drilled and closed dug wells was <22 MPN (most probable number)/100 mL, but higher for open wells (>154 MPN/100 mL). The drilled well turbidity (11 NTU) was within the standard deviation of the closed well (28 NTU) compared to open dug wells (49 NTU). Drilled and closed wells had similar microbial diversity. There were no significant differences between drilled and closed dug wells. The covering and lining of hand-dug wells should be considered as an alternative to improve access to safe and clean water in rural communities.
Systematic Screening for Occupational Exposures in Lung Cancer Patients: A Prospective French Cohort
Authors: Pérol Olivia , Charbotel Barbara , Perrier Lionel , Bonnand Sandrine , Belladame Elodie , Avrillon Virginie , Rebattu Paul , Gomez Frédéric , Lauridant Géraldine , Pérol Maurice , Fervers Beatrice
Published: January 2018

Occupational lung cancers are under-reported and under-compensated worldwide. We assessed systematic screening for occupational exposure to carcinogens combining a self-administered questionnaire and an occupational consultation to improve the detection of occupational lung cancers and their compensation. Social deprivation and the costs of this investigation were estimated. Patients with lung cancer received a self-administered questionnaire to collect their job history, potential exposure to carcinogens and deprivation. A physician assessed the questionnaire and recommended an occupational consultation if necessary. During the consultation, a physician assessed if the lung cancer was work-related and, if it was, delivered a medical certificate to claim for compensation. Over 18 months, 440 patients received the self-administered questionnaire: 234 returned a completed questionnaire and a consultation was required for 120 patients. Compensation was judged possible for 41 patients. Among the 35 medical certificates delivered, 19 patients received compensation. Nearly half the patients (46%) were assessed as socially deprived and these patients took significantly longer to return the questionnaire compared with those who were not deprived. The mean cost of the process was €62.65 per patient. Our results showed a systematic self-administered questionnaire can be used to identify patients potentially exposed to carcinogens and to improve compensation.
Alpha Lipoic Acid: A Therapeutic Strategy that Tend to Limit the Action of Free Radicals in Transplantation
Authors: Ambrosi Nella , Guerrieri Diego , Caro Fiorella , Sanchez Francisco , Haeublein Geraldine , Casadei Domingo , Incardona Claudio , Chuluyan Eduardo
Published: January 2018

Organ replacement is an option to mitigate irreversible organ damage. This procedure has achieved a considerable degree of acceptance. However, several factors significantly limit its effectiveness. Among them, the initial inflammatory graft reaction due to ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) has a fundamental influence on the short and long term organ function. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during the IRI actively participates in these adverse events. Therapeutic strategies that tend to limit the action of free radicals could result in beneficial effects in transplantation outcome. Accordingly, the anti-oxidant α-lipoic acid (ALA) have been proved to be protective in several animal experimental models and humans. In a clinical trial, ALA was found to decrease hepatic IRI after hepatic occlusion and resection. Furthermore, the treatment of cadaveric donor and recipient with ALA had a protective effect in the short-term outcome in simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplanted patients. These studies support ALA as a drug to mitigate the damage caused by IRI and reinforce the knowledge about the deleterious consequences of ROS on graft injury in transplantation. The goal of this review is to overview the current knowledge about ROS in transplantation and the use of ALA to mitigate it.
Lysophosphatidic Acid Signaling Axis Mediates Ceramide 1-Phosphate-Induced Proliferation of C2C12 Myoblasts
Authors: Bernacchioni Caterina , Cencetti Francesca , Ouro Alberto , Bruno Marina , Gomez-Muñoz Antonio , Donati Chiara , Bruni Paola
Published: January 2018

Sphingolipids are not only crucial for membrane architecture but act as critical regulators of cell functions. The bioactive sphingolipid ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P), generated by the action of ceramide kinase, has been reported to stimulate cell proliferation, cell migration and to regulate inflammatory responses via activation of different signaling pathways. We have previously shown that skeletal muscle is a tissue target for C1P since the phosphosphingolipid plays a positive role in myoblast proliferation implying a role in muscle regeneration. Skeletal muscle displays strong capacity of regeneration thanks to the presence of quiescent adult stem cells called satellite cells that upon trauma enter into the cell cycle and start proliferating. However, at present, the exact molecular mechanism by which C1P triggers its mitogenic effect in myoblasts is lacking. Here, we report for the first time that C1P stimulates C2C12 myoblast proliferation via lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling axis. Indeed, C1P subsequently to phospholipase A2 activation leads to LPA1 and LPA3 engagement, which in turn drive Akt (protein kinase B) and ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2) activation, thus stimulating DNA synthesis. The present findings shed new light on the key role of bioactive sphingolipids in skeletal muscle and provide further support to the notion that these pleiotropic molecules might be useful therapeutic targets for skeletal muscle regeneration.
Fungi in Bronchiectasis: A Concise Review
Authors: Máiz Luis , Nieto Rosa , Cantón Rafael , Gómez G. de la Pedrosa Elia , Martinez-García Miguel
Published: January 2018

Although the spectrum of fungal pathology has been studied extensively in immunosuppressed patients, little is known about the epidemiology, risk factors, and management of fungal infections in chronic pulmonary diseases like bronchiectasis. In bronchiectasis patients, deteriorated mucociliary clearance—generally due to prior colonization by bacterial pathogens—and thick mucosity propitiate, the persistence of fungal spores in the respiratory tract. The most prevalent fungi in these patients are Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus; these are almost always isolated with bacterial pathogens like Haemophillus influenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, making very difficult to define their clinical significance. Analysis of the mycobiome enables us to detect a greater diversity of microorganisms than with conventional cultures. The results have shown a reduced fungal diversity in most chronic respiratory diseases, and that this finding correlates with poorer lung function. Increased knowledge of both the mycobiome and the complex interactions between the fungal, viral, and bacterial microbiota, including mycobacteria, will further our understanding of the mycobiome’s relationship with the pathogeny of bronchiectasis and the development of innovative therapies to combat it.
Characterization of a Potential Probiotic Lactobacillus brevis RK03 and Efficient Production of γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Batch Fermentation
Authors: Wu Chien-Hui , Hsueh Yi-Huang , Kuo Jen-Min , Liu Si-Jia
Published: January 2018

Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fish and evaluated for their γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing abilities. Out of thirty-two isolates, Lactobacillus brevis RK03 showed the highest GABA production ability. The effects of various fermentation parameters including initial glutamic acid level, culture temperature, initial pH, and incubation time on GABA production were investigated via a singleparameter optimization strategy. For industrial large-scale production, a low-cost GABA producing medium (GM) broth was developed for fermentation with L. brevis RK03. We found that an optimized GM broth recipe of 1% glucose; 2.5% yeast extract; 2 ppm each of CaCO3, MnSO4, and Tween 80; and 10 μM pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) resulted in a maximum GABA yield of 62,523 mg/L after 88 h following the addition of 650 mM monosodium glutamate (MSG), for a conversion rate of 93.28%. Our data provide a practical approach for the highly efficient and economic production of GABA. In addition, L. brevis RK03 is highly resistant to gastric acid and bovine bile salt. Thus, the discovery of Lactobacillus strains with the ability to synthesize GABA may offer new opportunities in the design of improved health-promoting functional foods.
Correction: Wentao Wu, et al. Evolution Analysis of the Aux/IAA Gene Family in Plants Shows Dual Origins and Variable Nuclear Localization Signals. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 2107
Authors: Wu Wentao , Liu Yaxue , Wang Yuqian , Li Huimin , Liu Jiaxi , Tan Jiaxin , He Jiadai , Bai Jingwen , Ma Haoli
Published: January 2018

The authors would like to insert some websites and citations in the following sentence, “First, the complete proteomes of these species were downloaded from the Phytozome website (Version 11; Available online: www.phytozome.org)” in the “Materials and Methods” section on page 13, paragraph 3.1 of their paper published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences [1].[...]
Role of Microenvironment in Glioma Invasion: What We Learned from In Vitro Models
Authors: Manini Ivana , Caponnetto Federica , Bartolini Anna , Ius Tamara , Mariuzzi Laura , Di Loreto Carla , Beltrami Antonio , Cesselli Daniela
Published: January 2018

The invasion properties of glioblastoma hamper a radical surgery and are responsible for its recurrence. Understanding the invasion mechanisms is thus critical to devise new therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the creation of in vitro models that enable these mechanisms to be studied represents a crucial step. Since in vitro models represent an over-simplification of the in vivo system, in these years it has been attempted to increase the level of complexity of in vitro assays to create models that could better mimic the behaviour of the cells in vivo. These levels of complexity involved: 1. The dimension of the system, moving from two-dimensional to three-dimensional models; 2. The use of microfluidic systems; 3. The use of mixed cultures of tumour cells and cells of the tumour micro-environment in order to mimic the complex cross-talk between tumour cells and their micro-environment; 4. And the source of cells used in an attempt to move from commercial lines to patient-based models. In this review, we will summarize the evidence obtained exploring these different levels of complexity and highlighting advantages and limitations of each system used.
ФC31 Integrase-Mediated Isolation and Characterization of Novel Safe Harbors for Transgene Expression in the Pig Genome
Authors: Bi Yanzhen , Hua Zaidong , Ren Hongyan , Zhang Liping , Xiao Hongwei , Liu Ximei , Hua Wenjun , Mei Shuqi , Molenaar Adrian , Laible Götz , Zheng Xinmin
Published: January 2018

Programmable nucleases have allowed the rapid development of gene editing and transgenics, but the technology still suffers from the lack of predefined genetic loci for reliable transgene expression and maintenance. To address this issue, we used ФC31 integrase to navigate the porcine genome and identify the pseudo attP sites suitable as safe harbors for sustained transgene expression. The combined ФC31 integrase mRNA and an enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) reporter donor were microinjected into one-cell zygotes for transgene integration. Among the resulting seven EGFP-positive piglets, two had transgene integrations at pseudo attP sites, located in an intergenic region of chromosome 1 (chr1-attP) and the 6th intron of the TRABD2A gene on chromosome 3 (chr3-attP), respectively. The integration structure was determined by TAIL-PCR and Southern blotting. Primary fibroblast cells were isolated from the two piglets and examined using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which demonstrated that the chr1-attP site was more potent than chr3-attP site in supporting the EGFP expression. Both piglets had green feet under the emission of UV light, and pelleted primary fibroblast cells were green-colored under natural light, corroborating that the two pseudo attP sites are beneficial to transgene expression. The discovery of these two novel safe harbors for robust and durable transgene expression will greatly facilitate the use of transgenic pigs for basic, biomedical and agricultural studies and applications.
Probiotic Incorporation in Edible Films and Coatings: Bioactive Solution for Functional Foods
Authors: Pavli Foteini , Tassou Chrysoula , Nychas George-John , Chorianopoulos Nikos
Published: January 2018

Nowadays, the consumption of food products containing probiotics, has increased worldwide due to concerns regarding healthy diet and wellbeing. This trend has received a lot of attention from the food industries, aiming to produce novel probiotic foods, and from researchers, to improve the existing methodologies for probiotic delivery or to develop and investigate new possible applications. In this sense, edible films and coatings are being studied as probiotic carriers with many applications. There is a wide variety of materials with film-forming ability, possessing different characteristics and subsequently affecting the final product. This manuscript aims to provide significant information regarding probiotics and active/bioactive packaging, to review applications of probiotic edible films and coatings, and to discuss certain limitations of their use as well as the current legislation and future trends.
Computational Insights into the Interactions between Calmodulin and the c/nSH2 Domains of p85α Regulatory Subunit of PI3Kα: Implication for PI3Kα Activation by Calmodulin
Authors: Ni Duan , Liu Dingyu , Zhang Jian , Lu Shaoyong
Published: January 2018

Calmodulin (CaM) and phosphatidylinositide-3 kinase (PI3Kα) are well known for their multiple roles in a series of intracellular signaling pathways and in the progression of several human cancers. Crosstalk between CaM and PI3Kα has been an area of intensive research. Recent experiments have shown that in adenocarcinoma, K-Ras4B is involved in the CaM-PI3Kα crosstalk. Based on experimental results, we have recently put forward a hypothesis that the coordination of CaM and PI3Kα with K-Ras4B forms a CaM-PI3Kα-K-Ras4B ternary complex, which leads to the formation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the mechanism for the CaM-PI3Kα crosstalk is unresolved. Based on molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, here we explored the potential interactions between CaM and the c/nSH2 domains of p85α subunit of PI3Kα. We demonstrated that CaM can interact with the c/nSH2 domains and the interaction details were unraveled. Moreover, the possible modes for the CaM-cSH2 and CaM-nSH2 interactions were uncovered and we used them to construct a complete CaM-PI3Kα complex model. The structural model of CaM-PI3Kα interaction not only offers a support for our previous ternary complex hypothesis, but also is useful for drug design targeted at CaM-PI3Kα protein-protein interactions.
The Osteogenic Differentiation Effect of the FN Type 10-Peptide Amphiphile on PCL Fiber
Authors: Yun Ye-Rang , Kim Hae-Won , Jang Jun-Hyeog
Published: January 2018

The fibronectin type 10-peptide amphiphile (FNIII10-PA) was previously genetically engineered and showed osteogenic differentiation activity on rat bone marrow stem cells (rBMSCs). In this study, we investigated whether FNIII10-PA demonstrated cellular activity on polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers. FNIII10-PA significantly increased protein production and cell adhesion activity on PCL fibers in a dose-dependent manner. In cell proliferation results, there was no effect on cell proliferation activity by FNIII10-PA; however, FNIII10-PA induced the osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells via upregulation of bone sialoprotein (BSP), collagen type I (Col I), osteocalcin (OC), osteopontin (OPN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) mitochondrial RNA (mRNA) levels; it did not increase the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) mRNA level. These results indicate that FNIII10-PA has potential as a new biomaterial for bone tissue engineering applications.
SeMiner: A Flexible Sequence Miner Method to Forecast Solar Time Series
Authors: Díscola Junior Sérgio , Cecatto José , Merino Fernandes Márcio , Xavier Ribeiro Marcela
Published: January 2018

X-rays emitted by the Sun can damage electronic devices of spaceships, satellites, positioning systems and electricity distribution grids. Thus, the forecasting of solar X-rays is needed to warn organizations and mitigate undesirable effects. Traditional mining classification methods categorize observations into labels, and we aim to extend this approach to predict future X-ray levels. Therefore, we developed the “SeMiner” method, which allows the prediction of future events. “SeMiner” processes X-rays into sequences employing a new algorithm called “Series-to-Sequence” (SS). It employs a sliding window approach configured by a specialist. Then, the sequences are submitted to a classifier to generate a model that predicts X-ray levels. An optimized version of “SS” was also developed using parallelization techniques and Graphical Processing Units, in order to speed up the entire forecasting process. The obtained results indicate that “SeMiner” is well-suited to predict solar X-rays and solar flares within the defined time range. It reached more than 90% of accuracy for a 2-day forecast, and more than 80% of True Positive (TPR) and True Negative (TNR) rates predicting X-ray levels. It also reached an accuracy of 72.7%, with a TPR of 70.9% and TNR of 79.7% when predicting solar flares. Moreover, the optimized version of “SS” proved to be 4.36 faster than its initial version.