bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and practice related to Occupational Hazards among Maruti Cement Factory workers in Mirchaiya, Siraha, Nepal
Authors: Sah Jay Prakash , Shah Sanjeev Kumar , Yadav Dipendra Kumar , Salahuddin Md , Yadav Chandra Kant , Razin Md Sayfullah , Rashid Mahjabin , Dhital Shalik Ram
Published: December 2016

The main objective of the study is to find out the knowledge, practice and use of Personal Protective Equipments (PPE) among workers of cement factory limited located at Mirchaiya, Siraha, Nepal. We have tried to identify the various sources of information regarding occupational hazards, frequency of health visit in case of health problems or illness, hygiene practices among factory workers and socio-demographic characteristics like age, sex, marital status, income among the workers of cement factory. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study containing both qualitative and quantitative data. The primary data has been collected through semi-structured questionnaire assisted by researcher. Non-purposive sampling technique was used during the collection of data. Nearly three fourths of the respondents had satisfactory knowledge about occupational hazards. 86% workers responded as Tuberculosis to be the disease caused during work in cement factories. All the workers had some basic knowledge about PPE but only 33% of workers said that mask, gloves, boot and clothes fall under PPE. More than three fourths had knowledge regarding the effectiveness of the PPE. 96% of the total respondents used PPE during their working time. About 31% workers had been suffering from illness. 72% workers had a trend to visit doctor only in case of illness or if required. Only 82% workers had a trend to wash eyes with water only in case of dust present in eye. Similarly, only 78% workers had a practice of hand washing with water. And, only 4% of the co-workers had information regarding occupational hazards and use of PPE. We conclude that the variables having significant influence on the knowledge and practice of workers about occupational hazards were education, receiving information about the job-associated hazards, and attending a training course about occupational health and safety. These variables should be taken into consideration in any program addressing occupational health and safety issues in Nepal.
Determination of Bacterial Loads of Ice cream in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh
Authors: Hasan Md Kamrul , Rahman Md Mostafizer , Khan Md Shahidur Rahman , Afroz Farzana
Published: December 2016

The present study was conducted for the determination of bacterial loads of ice cream. A total of nine samples of three brands-Igloo, Polar and Kwality were collected from local market from Dinajpur during the period from July to December, 2012. Thereafter, microbiological attribute were analyzed and studied comparatively. Total viable count (TVC), total Escherichia coli counts (TEC) and total Staphylococcal counts (TSC) were performed according to the American Public Health Association, using plate count agar medium for TVC and Eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar media for total E. coli count and Staphylococcus agar no. 110 for total Staphylococcal count. The average TVC counts/ml of Igloo, Polar and Kwality were 1.19 x 104 CFU/ml (log 4.1), 1.39 x 104 CFU/ml (log 4.1) and 8.53 x 103 CFU/ml (log 3.9) respectively. It was found that the highest extent of microbial contamination and proliferation of viable bacteria occurred in Polar ice cream The average E. coli counts obtained from the study was in Igloo 9.26 x 103 CFU/ml (log 4.0), in Polar 1.14 x 103 CFU/ml (log 3.0) and in Kwality 7.95 x 102 CFU/ml (log 2.9). The presence of numbers of E. coli in Igloo ice cream was little bit high indicated the poor hygienic practices during manufacture, post process contamination and unsatisfactory transportation. Statistically the E. coli were more closely related to total viable counts than the Staphylococcal counts. The average Staphylococcal counts in the samples of Igloo, Polar and Kwality were 2.60 x 103 CFU/ml (log 3.4), 0.0 CFU/ml (log 0.0), and 0.0 CFU/ml (log 0.0), respectively. The results demonstrated that kwality ice creams are of the superior quality product in respect of sanitary condition.
Biology, Therapy and Implications of Tumor Exosomes in the Progression of Melanoma
Authors: Isola Allison , Eddy Kevinn , Chen Suzie
Published: December 2016

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and about 6% of the estimated cancer diagnoses this year will be melanoma cases. Melanomas are derived from transformation of the pigment producing cells of the skin, melanocytes. Early stage melanoma is usually curable by surgical resection, but late stage or subsequent secondary metastatic tumors are treated with some success with chemotherapies, radiation and/or immunotherapies. Most cancer patients die from metastatic disease, which is especially the case in melanoma. A better understanding of tumor metastasis will provide insights and guide rational therapeutic designs. Recently, the importance of melanoma-derived exosomes in the progression of that cancer has become more apparent, namely, their role in various stages of metastasis, including the induction of migration, invasion, primary niche manipulation, immune modulation and pre-metastatic niche formation. This review focuses on the critical roles that melanoma exosomes play in the progression of this deadly disease.
Selective Hydrogenation of Concentrated Vinyl Acetylene Mixed C4 by Modified Pd Catalysts: Effect of Cu
Authors: Insorn Paisan , Kitiyanan Boonyarach
Published: December 2016

The Pd and Pd-Cu on alumina catalysts were tested for hydrogenation of vinyl acetylene in mixed C4 in a circulating tubular reactor. The results showed that adding proper amounts of Cu improved the reaction activity, but inhibited 1,3-butadiene selectivity. Moreover, the presence of Cu retarded the carbon deposition on catalysts during the reaction. Temperature programmed oxidation (TPO), Temperature programmed reduction (TPR), H2 chemisorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were utilized to characterize the catalysts. The characterization suggested both geometric and electronic modifications.
Guaranteed Bounds on Information-Theoretic Measures of Univariate Mixtures Using Piecewise Log-Sum-Exp Inequalities
Authors: Nielsen Frank , Sun Ke
Published: December 2016

Information-theoretic measures, such as the entropy, the cross-entropy and the Kullback–Leibler divergence between two mixture models, are core primitives in many signal processing tasks. Since the Kullback–Leibler divergence of mixtures provably does not admit a closed-form formula, it is in practice either estimated using costly Monte Carlo stochastic integration, approximated or bounded using various techniques. We present a fast and generic method that builds algorithmically closed-form lower and upper bounds on the entropy, the cross-entropy, the Kullback–Leibler and the α-divergences of mixtures. We illustrate the versatile method by reporting our experiments for approximating the Kullback–Leibler and the α-divergences between univariate exponential mixtures, Gaussian mixtures, Rayleigh mixtures and Gamma mixtures.
Exploring Stochastic Sampling in Nuclear Data Uncertainties Assessment for Reactor Physics Applications and Validation Studies
Authors: Vasiliev Alexander , Rochman Dimitri , Pecchia Marco , Ferroukhi Hakim
Published: December 2016

The quantification of uncertainties of various calculation results, caused by the uncertainties associated with the input nuclear data, is a common task in nuclear reactor physics applications. Modern computation resources and improved knowledge on nuclear data allow nowadays to significantly advance the capabilities for practical investigations. Stochastic sampling is the method which has received recently a high momentum for its use and exploration in the domain of reactor design and safety analysis. An application of a stochastic sampling based tool towards nuclear reactor dosimetry studies is considered in the given paper with certain exemplary test evaluations. The stochastic sampling not only allows the input nuclear data uncertainties propagation through the calculations, but also an associated correlation analysis performance with no additional computation costs and for any parameters of interest can be done. Thus, an example of assessment of the Pearson correlation coefficients for several models, used in practical validation studies, is shown here. As a next step, the analysis of the obtained information is proposed for discussion, with focus on the systems similarities assessment. The benefits of the employed method and tools with respect to practical reactor dosimetry studies are consequently outlined.
Detection and Quantification of the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein 1 (FMRP)
Authors: LaFauci Giuseppe , Adayev Tatyana , Kascsak Richard , Brown W.
Published: December 2016

The final product of FMR1 gene transcription, Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein 1 (FMRP), is an RNA binding protein that acts as a repressor of translation. FMRP is expressed in several tissues and plays important roles in neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and ovarian functions and has been implicated in a number of neuropsychological disorders. The loss of FMRP causes Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). In most cases, FXS is due to large expansions of a CGG repeat in FMR1—normally containing 6–54 repeats—to over 200 CGGs and identified as full mutation (FM). Hypermethylation of the repeat induces FMR1 silencing and lack of FMRP expression in FM male. Mosaic FM males express low levels of FMRP and present a less severe phenotype that inversely correlates with FMRP levels. Carriers of pre-mutations (55–200 CGG) show increased mRNA, and normal to reduced FMRP levels. Alternative splicing of FMR1 mRNA results in 24 FMRP predicted isoforms whose expression are tissues and developmentally regulated. Here, we summarize the approaches used by several laboratories including our own to (a) detect and estimate the amount of FMRP in different tissues, developmental stages and various pathologies; and (b) to accurately quantifying FMRP for a direct diagnosis of FXS in adults and newborns.
The Relationship between Serum Bilirubin and Elevated Fibrotic Indices among HBV Carriers: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Chinese Population
Authors: Du Min , Zhang Shanshan , Xiao Lin , Xu Yanyan , Liu Peiyi , Tang Yuhan , Wei Sheng , Xing Mingyou , Miao Xiaoping , Yao Ping
Published: December 2016

The study probed the association between bilirubin and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and progression. A cross-sectional analysis of 28,500 middle aged and elderly Chinese participants was performed to analyze the differences of bilirubin in terms of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive or negative and the correlation between bilirubin and severity of hepatic fibrosis estimated by non-invasive indices. Bilirubin was significantly higher in the HBsAg (+) group than the HBsAg (−) group. Higher bilirubin levels were consistently associated with elevated liver fibrosis indices among HBsAg carriers. Compared with quartile 1 of total bilirubin (TBil), the multivariable-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for elevated fibrosis indices of quartile 4 were 2.24 (95% CIs, 1.57–3.21) estimated by fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4) and 2.22 (95% CIs, 1.60–3.08) estimated by aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI). In addition, direct bilirubin (DBil) had a stronger association with elevated liver fibrosis indices than did indirect bilirubin (IBil). Furthermore, the relationship between DBil and elevated fibrosis indices was more robust among participants who were female, overweight or had central fat distribution. These findings suggested that bilirubin levels, especially DBil, were independently associated with an increased risk of increased fibrosis indices.
Low-Dose Methylmercury-Induced Genes Regulate Mitochondrial Biogenesis via miR-25 in Immortalized Human Embryonic Neural Progenitor Cells
Authors: Wang Xinjin , Yan Mengling , Zhao Lina , Wu Qing , Wu Chunhua , Chang Xiuli , Zhou Zhijun
Published: December 2016

Mitochondria are essential organelles and important targets for environmental pollutants. The detection of mitochondrial biogenesis and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and p53 levels following low-dose methylmercury (MeHg) exposure could expand our understanding of underlying mechanisms. Here, the sensitivity of immortalized human neural progenitor cells (ihNPCs) upon exposure to MeHg was investigated. We found that MeHg altered cell viability and the number of 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU)-positive cells. We also observed that low-dose MeHg exposure increased the mRNA expression of cell cycle regulators. We observed that MeHg induced ROS production in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, mRNA levels of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gammacoactivator-1α (PGC-1α), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) and p53-controlled ribonucleotide reductase (p53R2) were significantly elevated, which were correlated with the increase of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number at a concentration as low as 10 nM. Moreover, we examined the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) known as regulatory miRNAs of p53 (i.e., miR-30d, miR-1285, miR-25). We found that the expression of these miRNAs was significantly downregulated upon MeHg treatment. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-25 resulted in significantly reducted p53 protein levels and decreased mRNA expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis regulation. Taken together, these results demonstrated that MeHg could induce developmental neurotoxicity in ihNPCs through altering mitochondrial functions and the expression of miRNA.
Association of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) Gene Polymorphisms with Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures (OVCFs) in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Kim Jung , Han Soo , Lee Yeon , Ahn Tae , Lim Jae , Chung Young , Shin Dong , Lee Woo , Han In , Kim Nam
Published: December 2016

Osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures are strongly associated with mortality and morbidity, both in developing and developed countries. Menopause accelerates bone loss due to estrogen deficiency and age-related linear bone loss. We investigated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene polymorphisms in postmenopausal women with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). In this case-control study, 355 postmenopausal women were genotyped for the presence of PAI-1 gene polymorphisms −844A > G, −675 4G > 5G, 43G > A, 9785A > G, and 11053T > G. Genetic polymorphisms of PAI-1 were analyzed by the polymerization chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism assay, and their association with disease status and folate and homocysteine levels was determined in 158 OVCF patients and 197 control subjects. The PAI-1 −675 5G5G (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 3.302; p = 0.017) and 43GA + AA (AOR, 2.087; p = 0.042) genotype frequencies showed significant association with the increased prevalence of OVCFs in postmenopausal women. In addition, we performed gene–environment interaction studies and demonstrated an association between PAI-1 gene polymorphisms and OVCF prevalence. Our novel finding is the identification of several PAI-1 genetic variants that increase susceptibility to OVCF. Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in PAI-1 may contribute to OVCF, and that they can be developed as biomarkers for evaluating OVCF risk.
Liver Growth Factor (LGF) Upregulates Frataxin Protein Expression and Reduces Oxidative Stress in Friedreich’s Ataxia Transgenic Mice
Authors: Calatrava-Ferreras Lucía , Gonzalo-Gobernado Rafael , Reimers Diana , Herranz Antonio , Casarejos María , Jiménez-Escrig Adriano , Regadera Javier , Velasco-Martín Juan , Vallejo-Muñoz Manuela , Díaz-Gil Juan José , Bazán Eulalia
Published: December 2016

Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a severe disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance that is caused by the abnormal expansion of GAA repeat in intron 1 of FRDA gen. This alteration leads to a partial silencing of frataxin transcription, causing a multisystem disorder disease that includes neurological and non-neurological damage. Recent studies have proven the effectiveness of neurotrophic factors in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we intend to determine if liver growth factor (LGF), which has a demonstrated antioxidant and neuroprotective capability, could be a useful therapy for FA. To investigate the potential therapeutic activity of LGF we used transgenic mice of the FXNtm1MknTg (FXN)YG8Pook strain. In these mice, intraperitoneal administration of LGF (1.6 μg/mouse) exerted a neuroprotective effect on neurons of the lumbar spinal cord and improved cardiac hypertrophy. Both events could be the consequence of the increment in frataxin expression induced by LGF in spinal cord (1.34-fold) and heart (1.2-fold). LGF also upregulated by 2.6-fold mitochondrial chain complex IV expression in spinal cord, while in skeletal muscle it reduced the relation oxidized glutathione/reduced glutathione. Since LGF partially restores motor coordination, we propose LGF as a novel factor that may be useful in the treatment of FA.
Nutrimetabolomics: An Update on Analytical Approaches to Investigate the Role of Plant-Based Foods and Their Bioactive Compounds in Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases
Authors: Rangel-Huerta Oscar , Gil Angel
Published: December 2016

Metabolomics is the study of low-weight molecules present in biological samples such as biofluids, tissue/cellular extracts, and culture media. Metabolomics research is increasing, and at the moment, it has several applications in the food science and nutrition fields. In the present review, we provide an update about the most frequently used methodologies and metabolomic platforms in these areas. Also, we discuss different metabolomic strategies regarding the discovery of new bioactive compounds (BACs) in plant-based foods. Furthermore, we review the existing literature related to the use of metabolomics to investigate the potential protective role of BACs in the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic diseases, namely cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Evidence of Tolerance to Silica-Based Desiccant Dusts in a Pyrethroid-Resistant Strain of Cimex lectularius (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)
Authors: Lilly David , Webb Cameron , Doggett Stephen
Published: December 2016

Insecticide resistance in bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) has become widespread, which has necessitated the development of new IPM (Integrated Pest Management) strategies and products for the eradication of infestations. Two promising options are the diatomaceous earth and silica gel-based desiccant dusts, both of which induce dehydration and eventual death upon bed bugs exposed to these products. However, the impact of underlying mechanisms that confer resistance to insecticides, such as cuticle thickening, on the performance of these dusts has yet to be determined. In the present study, two desiccant dusts, CimeXa Insecticide Dust (silica gel) and Bed Bug Killer Powder (diatomaceous earth) were evaluated against two strains of C. lectularius; one highly pyrethroid-resistant and one insecticide-susceptible. Label-rate doses of both products produced 100% mortality in both strains, albeit over dissimilar time-frames (3–4 days with CimeXa vs. 14 days with Bed Bug Killer). Sub-label rate exposure to CimeXa indicated that the pyrethroid-resistant strain possessed a degree of tolerance to this product, surviving 50% longer than the susceptible strain. This is the first study to suggest that mechanisms conferring resistance to pyrethroids, such as cuticular thickening, may have potential secondary impacts on non-synthetic insecticides, including desiccant dusts, which target the bed bug’s cuticle.
Fretting Behavior of SPR Joining Dissimilar Sheets of Titanium and Copper Alloys
Authors: He Xiaocong , Deng Cong , Zhang Xianlian
Published: December 2016

The fretting performance of self-piercing riveting joining dissimilar sheets in TA1 titanium alloy and H62 copper alloy was studied in this paper. Load-controlled cyclic fatigue tests were carried out using a sine waveform and in tension-tension mode. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray techniques were employed to analyze the fretting failure mechanisms of the joints. The experimental results showed that there was extremely severe fretting at the contact interfaces of rivet and sheet materials for the joints at relatively high loads levels. Moreover, the severe fretting in the region on the locked sheet in contact with the rivet was the major cause of the broken locked sheet for the joints at low load level.
Quantification of Microbial Phenotypes
Authors: Martínez Verónica , Krömer Jens
Published: December 2016

Metabolite profiling technologies have improved to generate close to quantitative metabolomics data, which can be employed to quantitatively describe the metabolic phenotype of an organism. Here, we review the current technologies available for quantitative metabolomics, present their advantages and drawbacks, and the current challenges to generate fully quantitative metabolomics data. Metabolomics data can be integrated into metabolic networks using thermodynamic principles to constrain the directionality of reactions. Here we explain how to estimate Gibbs energy under physiological conditions, including examples of the estimations, and the different methods for thermodynamics-based network analysis. The fundamentals of the methods and how to perform the analyses are described. Finally, an example applying quantitative metabolomics to a yeast model by 13C fluxomics and thermodynamics-based network analysis is presented. The example shows that (1) these two methods are complementary to each other; and (2) there is a need to take into account Gibbs energy errors. Better estimations of metabolic phenotypes will be obtained when further constraints are included in the analysis.
Fabrication of Pneumatic Microvalve for Tall Microchannel Using Inclined Lithography
Authors: Kaminaga Maho , Ishida Tadashi , Omata Toru
Published: December 2016

We used inclined lithography to fabricate a pneumatic microvalve for tall microchannels such as those used to convey large cells. The pneumatic microvalve consists of three layers. The upper layer is the actual liquid microchannel, which has a parallelogram-shaped cross section of width 500 μm, height 100 μm, and an acute angle of 53.6°. The lower layer is a pneumatic microchannel that functions as an actuator, and the middle layer is a thin polydimethylsiloxane membrane between the upper and lower layers. The operation of the pneumatic microchannel actuator causes the thin membrane to bend, resulting in the bending of the liquid microchannel and its closure. It was confirmed that the closure of the liquid microchannel completely stopped the flow of the HeLa cell suspension that was used to demonstrate the operation of the microvalve. The HeLa cells that passed through the microchannel were also observed to retain their proliferation and morphological properties.
Droplet Microarray Based on Superhydrophobic-Superhydrophilic Patterns for Single Cell Analysis
Authors: Jogia Gabriella , Tronser Tina , Popova Anna , Levkin Pavel
Published: December 2016

Single-cell analysis provides fundamental information on individual cell response to different environmental cues and is a growing interest in cancer and stem cell research. However, current existing methods are still facing challenges in performing such analysis in a high-throughput manner whilst being cost-effective. Here we established the Droplet Microarray (DMA) as a miniaturized screening platform for high-throughput single-cell analysis. Using the method of limited dilution and varying cell density and seeding time, we optimized the distribution of single cells on the DMA. We established culturing conditions for single cells in individual droplets on DMA obtaining the survival of nearly 100% of single cells and doubling time of single cells comparable with that of cells cultured in bulk cell population using conventional methods. Our results demonstrate that the DMA is a suitable platform for single-cell analysis, which carries a number of advantages compared with existing technologies allowing for treatment, staining and spot-to-spot analysis of single cells over time using conventional analysis methods such as microscopy.
Six New Triterpene Derivatives from Aralia chinensis Var. dasyphylloides
Authors: Gao Rui-xi , Liao Maochuan , Huang Xianju , Chen Yu , Yang Guangzhong , Li Jun
Published: December 2016

Aralia chinensis var. dasyphylloides is widely distributed in China and used as a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of digestive and immune system diseases. The present study aimed to search for novel oleanolic-type triterpenoids in low-polarity fractions. Six new triterpene derivatives (1–6), together with two known compounds were isolated from the barks of A. chinensis var. dasyphylloides. Their structures were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. They were identified as 3-oxo-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28,30-dioic acid (1), 30-hydroxy-3-oxo-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid (2), 3β-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (3), 3β,30-dihydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (4), 3β-hydroxy-oleana-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid-3-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-d-glucopyranoside (5), 3β,29-dihydroxy-oleana-9(11),12-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (6), namely, araliachinolic acids I and II and araliachinosides I–IV. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds was tested against HepG2, A549, SGC7901, and MCF7 cell lines, but no apparent activity was observed at a concentration of 50 μM.
Metformin Treatment and Homocysteine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Zhang Qianying , Li Sheyu , Li Ling , Li Qianrui , Ren Kaiyun , Sun Xin , Li Jianwei
Published: December 2016

The aim of this systematic review is to assess whether metformin could change the concentration of serum homocysteine (Hcy) with and without simultaneous supplementation of B-group vitamins or folic acid. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, EmBase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the concentration of serum Hcy in metformin-treated adults. Meta-analysis was applied to assess the association between metformin and the changes of Hcy concentration. Twelve publications were included in this study. In the overall analysis, metformin administration was not statistically associated with the change of Hcy when compared with the control treatment (mean difference (MD), 0.40 μmol/L; 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.07~0.87 μmol/L, p = 0.10). In the subgroup analysis, metformin was significantly associated with an increased concentration of Hcy in the absence of exogenous supplementation of folic acid or B-group vitamins (MD, 2.02 μmol/L; 95% CI, 1.37~2.67 μmol/L, p < 0.00001), but with a decreased concentration of serum Hcy in the presence of these exogenous supplementations (MD, −0.74 μmol/L; 95% CI, −1.19~−0.30 μmol/L, p = 0.001). Therefore, although the overall effect of metformin on the concentration of serum Hcy was neutral, our results suggested that metformin could increase the concentration of Hcy when exogenous B-group vitamins or folic acid supplementation was not given.
Hypoglycemic Effect of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Is Due to Enhanced Peripheral Glucose Uptake through Activation of AMPK/p38 MAPK Pathway
Authors: Leem Kang-Hyun , Kim Myung-Gyou , Hahm Young-Tae , Kim Hye
Published: December 2016

Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (OFS) has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat several illnesses, including diabetes. However, detailed mechanisms underlying hypoglycemic effects remain unclear. In this study, the mechanism underlying the hypoglycemic activity of OFS was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo systems. OFS treatment inhibited α-glucosidase activity and intestinal glucose absorption assessed by Na+-dependent glucose uptake using brush border membrane vesicles. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is widely recognized as an important regulator of glucose transport in skeletal muscle, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) has been proposed to be a component of AMPK-mediated signaling. In the present study, OFS dose-dependently increased glucose uptake in L6 muscle cells. The AMPK and p38 MAPK phosphorylations were stimulated by OFS, and inhibitors of AMPK (compound C) and p38 MAPK (SB203580) abolished the effects of OFS. Furthermore, OFS increased glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane. OFS administration (1 g/kg and 2 g/kg body weight) in db/db mice dose-dependently ameliorated hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and glucose tolerance. Insulin resistance assessed by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index were also dose-dependently improved with OFS treatment. OFS administration improved pancreatic function through increased β-cell mass in db/db mice. These findings suggest that OFS acts by inhibiting glucose absorption from the intestine and enhancing glucose uptake from insulin-sensitive muscle cells through the AMPK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
Hydrodynamic Interactions and Entanglements of Polymer Solutions in Many-Body Dissipative Particle Dynamics
Authors: Yong Xin
Published: December 2016

Using many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD), polymer solutions with concentrations spanning dilute and semidilute regimes are modeled. The parameterization of MDPD interactions for systems with liquid–vapor coexistence is established by mapping to the mean-field Flory–Huggins theory. The characterization of static and dynamic properties of polymer chains is focused on the effects of hydrodynamic interactions and entanglements. The coil–globule transition of polymer chains in dilute solutions is probed by varying solvent quality and measuring the radius of gyration and end-to-end distance. Both static and dynamic scaling relations for polymer chains in poor, theta, and good solvents are in good agreement with the Zimm theory with hydrodynamic interactions considered. Semidilute solutions with polymer volume fractions up to 0.7 exhibit the screening of excluded volume interactions and subsequent shrinking of polymer coils. Furthermore, entanglements become dominant in the semidilute solutions, which inhibit diffusion and relaxation of chains. Quantitative analysis of topology violation confirms that entanglements are correctly captured in the MDPD simulations.
Aerosol Retrievals from CALIPSO Lidar Ocean Surface Returns
Authors: Venkata Srikanth , Reagan John
Published: December 2016

This paper describes approaches to retrieve important aerosol results from the strong lidar return signals that are received by the space-borne CALIPSO lidar system after reflecting off-ocean surfaces. Relations, from which the theoretically expected values of area under ocean surface returns can be computed, are presented. A detailed description of the lidar system response to the ocean surface returns and the processes of sampling and averaging of lidar return signals are provided. An effective technique that reconstructs the lidar response to surface returns—starting from down-linked samples—and calculates the area under it, has been developed and described. The calculated area values are validated after comparing them to their theoretically predicted counterpart values. Methods to retrieve aerosol optical depths (AODs) from these calculated areas are described and retrieval results are presented, including retrieval comparison with independent AOD measurements made by an airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) that yielded quite good agreement. Techniques and results are also presented on using the spectral ratios of the surface response areas to determine spectral ratios of aerosol round-trip transmission and AOD spectral difference, without need of a specific/accurate ocean-surface reflectance model.
The Customized Automatic Processing Framework for HY-2A Satellite Marine Advanced Products
Authors: Liu Wei , Liu Shibin , Huang Lei , Duan Jianbo , Zhang Jing , Li Xinpeng , Liu Jianbo
Published: December 2016

HY-2A, as the first Chinese ocean dynamic environment satellite, provides an effective and efficient way of observing ocean properties. However, in the operational stage, some inconveniences of the existing ground application system have appeared. Based on the review of users’ requirements for data services, the Customized Automatic Processing Framework (CAPF) for HY-2A advanced products is proposed and has been developed. As an extension of the existing ground application system, the framework provides interfaces for adding customized algorithms, designing on-demand processing workflows, and scheduling the processing procedures. With the customized processing templates, the framework allows users to easily process the products according to their own expectations, which facilitates the usage of HY-2A satellite advanced products.
Adjustable Trajectory Design Based on Node Density for Mobile Sink in WSNs
Authors: Yang Guisong , Liu Shuai , He Xingyu , Xiong Naixue , Wu Chunxue
Published: December 2016

The design of movement trajectories for mobile sink plays an important role in data gathering for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), as it affects the network coverage, and packet delivery ratio, as well as the network lifetime. In some scenarios, the whole network can be divided into subareas where the nodes are randomly deployed. The node densities of these subareas are quite different, which may result in a decreased packet delivery ratio and network lifetime if the movement trajectory of the mobile sink cannot adapt to these differences. To address these problems, we propose an adjustable trajectory design method based on node density for mobile sink in WSNs. The movement trajectory of the mobile sink in each subarea follows the Hilbert space-filling curve. Firstly, the trajectory is constructed based on network size. Secondly, the adjustable trajectory is established based on node density in specific subareas. Finally, the trajectories in each subarea are combined to acquire the whole network’s movement trajectory for the mobile sink. In addition, an adaptable power control scheme is designed to adjust nodes’ transmitting range dynamically according to the movement trajectory of the mobile sink in each subarea. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed trajectories can adapt to network changes flexibly, thus outperform both in packet delivery ratio and in energy consumption the trajectories designed only based on the network size and the whole network node density.
Bent Fiber Sensor for Preservative Detection in Milk
Authors: Saracoglu Omer , Hayber Sekip
Published: December 2016

A fiber optic sensor sensitive to refractive index changes of the outer region of the fiber cladding is presented. The sensor uses bent plastic optical fibers in different bending lengths to increase sensitivity. Measurements were made for low-fat milk, the refractive index of which is altered by some preservatives such as formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium carbonate. Concentrations of the preservatives in the milk were changed between 0% and 14.3% while the refractive indices occurred between 1.34550 and 1.35093 for the minimum (0%) and maximum (14.286%) concentrations of sodium carbonate, respectively. Due to bending-induced sensitivity, the sensor is able to detect refractive index changes less of than 0.4%. The results show that there is excellent linearity between the concentration and normalized response of the sensor.
A Wide-Swath Spaceborne TOPS SAR Image Formation Algorithm Based on Chirp Scaling and Chirp-Z Transform
Authors: Yang Wei , Chen Jie , Zeng Hong , Wang Peng , Liu Wei
Published: December 2016

Based on the terrain observation by progressive scans (TOPS) mode, an efficient full-aperture image formation algorithm for focusing wide-swath spaceborne TOPS data is proposed. First, to overcome the Doppler frequency spectrum aliasing caused by azimuth antenna steering, the range-independent derotation operation is adopted, and the signal properties after derotation are derived in detail. Then, the azimuth deramp operation is performed to resolve image folding in azimuth. The traditional dermap function will introduce a time shift, resulting in appearance of ghost targets and azimuth resolution reduction at the scene edge, especially in the wide-swath coverage case. To avoid this, a novel solution is provided using a modified range-dependent deramp function combined with the chirp-z transform. Moreover, range scaling and azimuth scaling are performed to provide the same azimuth and range sampling interval for all sub-swaths, instead of the interpolation operation for the sub-swath image mosaic. Simulation results are provided to validate the proposed algorithm.
Node Deployment with k-Connectivity in Sensor Networks for Crop Information Full Coverage Monitoring
Authors: Liu Naisen , Cao Weixing , Zhu Yan , Zhang Jingchao , Pang Fangrong , Ni Jun
Published: December 2016

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are suitable for the continuous monitoring of crop information in large-scale farmland. The information obtained is great for regulation of crop growth and achieving high yields in precision agriculture (PA). In order to realize full coverage and k-connectivity WSN deployment for monitoring crop growth information of farmland on a large scale and to ensure the accuracy of the monitored data, a new WSN deployment method using a genetic algorithm (GA) is here proposed. The fitness function of GA was constructed based on the following WSN deployment criteria: (1) nodes must be located in the corresponding plots; (2) WSN must have k-connectivity; (3) WSN must have no communication silos; (4) the minimum distance between node and plot boundary must be greater than a specific value to prevent each node from being affected by the farmland edge effect. The deployment experiments were performed on natural farmland and on irregular farmland divided based on spatial differences of soil nutrients. Results showed that both WSNs gave full coverage, there were no communication silos, and the minimum connectivity of nodes was equal to k. The deployment was tested for different values of k and transmission distance (d) to the node. The results showed that, when d was set to 200 m, as k increased from 2 to 4 the minimum connectivity of nodes increases and is equal to k. When k was set to 2, the average connectivity of all nodes increased in a linear manner with the increase of d from 140 m to 250 m, and the minimum connectivity does not change.
An Accurate Non-Cooperative Method for Measuring Textureless Spherical Target Based on Calibrated Lasers
Authors: Wang Fei , Dong Hang , Chen Yanan , Zheng Nanning
Published: December 2016

Strong demands for accurate non-cooperative target measurement have been arising recently for the tasks of assembling and capturing. Spherical objects are one of the most common targets in these applications. However, the performance of the traditional vision-based reconstruction method was limited for practical use when handling poorly-textured targets. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-sensor fusion system for measuring and reconstructing textureless non-cooperative spherical targets. Our system consists of four simple lasers and a visual camera. This paper presents a complete framework of estimating the geometric parameters of textureless spherical targets: (1) an approach to calibrate the extrinsic parameters between a camera and simple lasers; and (2) a method to reconstruct the 3D position of the laser spots on the target surface and achieve the refined results via an optimized scheme. The experiment results show that our proposed calibration method can obtain a fine calibration result, which is comparable to the state-of-the-art LRF-based methods, and our calibrated system can estimate the geometric parameters with high accuracy in real time.
Factors Influencing the Spatial Difference in Household Energy Consumption in China
Authors: Ding Yongxia , Qu Wei , Niu Shuwen , Liang Man , Qiang Wenli , Hong Zhenguo
Published: December 2016

What factors determine the spatial heterogeneity of household energy consumption (HEC) in China? Can the impacts of these factors be quantified? What are the trends and characteristics of the spatial differences? To date, these issues are still unclear. Based on the STIRPAT model and panel dataset for 30 provinces in China over the period 1997–2013, this paper investigated influences of the income per capita, urbanization level and annual average temperature on HEC, and revealed the spatial effects of these influencing factors. The results show that the income level is the main influencing factor, followed by the annual average temperature. There exists a diminishing marginal contribution with increasing income. The influence of urbanization level varies according to income level. In addition, from the eastern region to western region of China, variances largely depend upon economic level at the provincial level. From the northern region to southern region, change is mainly caused by temperature. The urbanization level has more significant impact on the structure and efficiency of household energy consumption than on its quantity. These results could provide reference for policy making and energy planning.
Dynamic Development of Regional Disparity in Mainland China: An Experimental Study Based on a Multidimensional Index
Authors: Bin Peng
Published: December 2016

This paper stems from the previous wisdom to investigate the transitional dynamics of regional disparity in China during the period 1998–2010. This is the very first time that 30 Chinese regions have been benchmarked according to a multidimensional index based on a stochastic kernel density. The multidimensional index contains five domains to capture the socioeconomic development: macroeconomic conditions, science and innovation, environmental sustainability, human capital, and public facilities. This experimental study reveals the existence of a three-peak pattern of convergence during 1998–2010, and improves the understanding of the evolution of regional disparity in China in terms of the comprehensive socioeconomic development.
Analysis of Supply Chain under Different Subsidy Policies of the Government
Authors: Guo Dongxue , He Yi , Wu Yuanyuan , Xu Qingyun
Published: December 2016

The increasing public attention on green products prompted firms and government to focus on the design and manufacturing of these products. This study focuses on a supply chain system that consists of three members, namely, supplier, manufacturer, and government, and then investigates the effects of government subsidies on social welfare and the profits of supply chain members. We utilize game and optimization theories to calculate and compare the optimal decisions and profits of players in the following scenarios: (i) the government provides a subsidy rate to the cost of manufacturer’s greenness efforts (first subsidy policy); and (ii) the government grants a per unit subsidy to the manufacturer for the demand for green product (second subsidy policy). We also derive the necessary condition for the most effective subsidy policy that maximizes expected social welfare and profits. Our analysis derives the following findings: (i) under the first subsidy policy, the government tends to provide high subsidy rate to a manufacturer with low marginal profit; (ii) under the second subsidy policy, the government tends to offer low subsidy to a manufacturer with low marginal profit; and (iii) a government’s selection of subsidy policy depends on the sensitivity of consumers to price.
Towards the Comprehensive Design of Energy Infrastructures
Authors: Scholten Daniel , Künneke Rolf
Published: December 2016

Energy infrastructures are increasingly perceived as complex, adaptive socio-technical systems. Their design has not kept up; it is still fragmented between an engineering and economic dimension. While economists focus on a market design that addresses potential market failures and imperfections, opportunistic behavior, and social objectives, engineers pay attention to infrastructure assets, a robust network topology, and control system design to handle flows and eventualities. These two logics may be complementary, but may also be at odds. Moreover, it is generally unclear what design choices in one dimension imply for the other. As such, we are ill-equipped to identify, interpret, and address the challenges stemming from technical innovations, e.g., the integration of renewable energy technologies, and institutional changes, e.g., liberalization or new forms of organization like cooperatives, which often have interrelated operational and market implications. In response, this paper proposes a more comprehensive design framework that bridges the engineering and economic perspectives on energy infrastructure design. To this end, it elaborates the different design perspectives and develops the means to relate design variables of both perspectives along several layers of abstraction: the form of infrastructure access of actors, the division of responsibilities among actors, and type of coordination between actors. The intention is that this way system and market design efforts can be better attuned to each other and we further our understanding and conceptualization of the interrelationship between the techno-operational and economic-institutional dimensions of energy infrastructures. The framework also aids in overseeing the broader institutional implications of technical developments (and vice versa) and stimulates awareness of lock-ins and path-dependencies in this regard.
Impacts of Socially Responsible Corporate Activities on Korean Consumers’ Corporate Evaluations in the Agrifood Industry
Authors: Lee Dongmin , Moon Junghoon , Choe Young , Jeong Jaeseok
Published: December 2016

The variety of socially responsible corporate activities employed in the agrifood industry has been broadening. An increasing number of agrifood companies have been employing strategic approaches to socially responsible activities, reinforced by Porter and Kramer’s concept of creating shared value (CSV). This study compares the effects on corporate evaluations of two socially responsible corporate activities: philanthropic giving and CSV. Because prior studies concerning the effects of corporate prosocial behaviors on consumer responses have yielded mixed results, the present study examines the effects of a priori perceptions of companies by using corporate stereotypes as moderators. The results show that the type of socially responsible corporate activity (CSV vs. philanthropic giving) does not influence corporate evaluations. However, in cases of CSV (vs. philanthropic giving), consumers evaluate an unwarm but competent company more attractively and place higher value on an incompetent but warm company. This research is important not only for enriching existing literature, but also for providing guidelines to practitioners with respect to selecting appropriate corporate initiatives based on perceived consumer stereotypes.