bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted Isolation of Tsitsikammamines from the Antarctic Deep-Sea Sponge Latrunculia biformis by Molecular Networking and Anticancer Activity
Authors: Li Fengjie , Janussen Dorte , Peifer Christian , Pérez-Victoria Ignacio , Tasdemir Deniz
Published: August 2018

The Antarctic deep-sea sponge Latrunculia (Latrunculia) biformis Kirkpatrick, 1908 (Class Demospongiae Sollas, Order Poecilosclerida Topsent, Latrunculiidae Topsent) was selected for chemical analyses due to its potent anticancer activity. Metabolomic analysis of its crude extract by HRMS/MS-based molecular networking showed the presence of several clusters of pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids, i.e., discorhabdin and epinardin-type brominated pyridopyrroloquinolines and tsitsikammamines, the non-brominated bis-pyrroloiminoquinones. Molecular networking approach combined with a bioactivity-guided isolation led to the targeted isolation of the known pyrroloiminoquinone tsitsikammamine A (1) and its new analog 16,17-dehydrotsitsikammamine A (2). The chemical structures of the compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR, HR-ESIMS). Due to minute amounts, molecular modeling and docking was used to assess potential affinities to potential targets of the isolated compounds, including DNA intercalation, topoisomerase I-II, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase enzymes. Tsitsikammamines represent a small class of pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids that have only previously been reported from the South African sponge genus Tsitsikamma Samaai & Kelly and an Australian species of the sponge genus Zyzzya de Laubenfels. This is the first report of tsitsikammamines from the genus Latrunculia du Bocage and the successful application of molecular networking in the identification of comprehensive chemical inventory of L.biformis followed by targeted isolation of new molecules. This study highlights the high productivity of secondary metabolites of Latrunculia sponges and may shed new light on their biosynthetic origin and chemotaxonomy.
Marine Collagen/Apatite Composite Scaffolds Envisaging Hard Tissue Applications
Authors: Diogo Gabriela , López-Senra Estefania , Pirraco Rogério , Canadas Raphael , Fernandes Emanuel , Serra Julia , Pérez-Martín Ricardo , Sotelo Carmen , Marques Alexandra , González Pio , Moreira-Silva Joana , Silva Tiago , Reis Rui
Published: August 2018

The high prevalence of bone defects has become a worldwide problem. Despite the significant amount of research on the subject, the available therapeutic solutions lack efficiency. Autografts, the most commonly used approaches to treat bone defects, have limitations such as donor site morbidity, pain and lack of donor site. Marine resources emerge as an attractive alternative to extract bioactive compounds for further use in bone tissue-engineering approaches. On one hand they can be isolated from by-products, at low cost, creating value from products that are considered waste for the fish transformation industry. One the other hand, religious constraints will be avoided. We isolated two marine origin materials, collagen from shark skin (Prionace glauca) and calcium phosphates from the teeth of two different shark species (Prionace glauca and Isurus oxyrinchus), and further proposed to mix them to produce 3D composite structures for hard tissue applications. Two crosslinking agents, 1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride/N-Hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI), were tested to enhance the scaffolds’ properties, with EDC/NHS resulting in better properties. The characterization of the structures showed that the developed composites could support attachment and proliferation of osteoblast-like cells. A promising scaffold for the engineering of bone tissue is thus proposed, based on a strategy of marine by-products valorisation.
Plasma Modification and Synthesis of Membrane Materials—A Mechanistic Review
Authors: Wang Jingshi , Chen Xiao , Reis Rackel , Chen Zhiqiang , Milne Nick , Winther-Jensen Bjorn , Kong Lingxue , Dumée Ludovic
Published: August 2018

Although commercial membranes are well established materials for water desalination and wastewater treatment, modification on commercial membranes is still necessary to deliver high-performance with enhanced flux and/or selectivity and fouling resistance. A modification method with plasma techniques has been extensively applied for high-performance membrane production. The paper presents a mechanistic review on the impact of plasma gas and polymerization, at either low pressure or atmospheric pressure on the material properties and performance of the modified membranes. At first, plasma conditions at low-pressure such as plasma power, gas or monomer flow rate, reactor pressure, and treatment duration which affect the chemical structure, surface hydrophilicity, morphology, as well as performance of the membranes have been discussed. The underlying mechanisms of plasma gas and polymerization have been highlighted. Thereafter, the recent research in plasma techniques toward membrane modification at atmospheric environment has been critically evaluated. The research focuses of future plasma-related membrane modification, and fabrication studies have been predicted to closely relate with the implementation of the atmospheric-pressure processes at the large-scale.
The In-Plane Structure and Dynamic Property of the Homogeneous Al-Al Solid-Liquid Interface
Authors: Yan Rui , Ma Sida , Jing Tao , Dong Hongbiao
Published: August 2018

Using molecular dynamics simulation and a newly developed COMB3 potential, the in-plane ordering and diffusion constant profiles at the homogeneous (100), (110), and (111) interfaces between solid and liquid Al have been examined. We found that the in-plane ordering characterized by 2-D density maps and 2-D structure factors existed in the first 6, 10, and 3 out-of-plane layers at the (100), (110), and (111) interfaces, respectively, showing a strong dependence on substrate orientation. In layers with in-plane ordering, the diffusion constant is greatly reduced relative to its value in the bulk liquid, while the influence of layers without in-plane ordering is negligible. The three diffusivity components turn out to be isotropic at the homogeneous interfaces. The Al-Al interfaces studied here will serve as an important reference in comparisons of the structure and properties of different solid-liquid interfaces, which will greatly support the design of grain refiners.
Preparation of Spherical Mo5Si3 Powder by Inductively Coupled Thermal Plasma Treatment
Authors: Kang Jang-Won , Park Jong Min , Choe Byung Hak , Lee Seong , Park Jung Hyo , Park Ki Beom , Kim Hyo Kyu , Na Tae-Wook , Seo Bosung , Park Hyung-Ki
Published: August 2018

A method was developed to fabricate spherical Mo5Si3 powder by milling and spheroidizing using inductively coupled thermal plasma. A Mo5Si3 alloy ingot was fabricated by vacuum arc melting, after which it was easily pulverized into powder by milling due to its brittle nature. The milled powders had an irregular shape, but after being spheroidized by the thermal plasma treatment, they had a spherical shape. Sphericity was increased with increasing plasma power. After plasma treatment, the percentage of the Mo3Si phase had increased due to Si evaporation. The possibility of Si evaporation was thermodynamically analyzed based on the vapor pressure of Mo and Si in the Mo5Si3 liquid mixture. By this process, spherical Mo silicide powders with high purity could be fabricated successfully.
Strength Analysis of a Novel High-Pressure Die with Double-Layered Split Structure
Authors: Yi Zhuo , Fu Wenzhi , Li Mingzhe , Zhao Liang , Wang Liyan , Li Rui
Published: August 2018

A novel double-layered split die (DLSD) was designed to have higher pressure-bearing capacity and larger sample cavity volume. In DLSD, the cylinder and first layer supporting ring are split into several blocks. It has a prismatic cylinder and a quasi-prismatic sample cavity. The stress distribution of DLSD was investigated and compared with that of the conventional belt-type die (BTD) and a single-layered split die (SLSD) by the finite element method. The results show that the SLSD can only decrease the stress of the cylinder as there remains significant stress on the first layer supporting ring. However, the novel DLSD can, remarkably, decrease the stress placed on the cylinder and first layer supporting ring simultaneously due to the improvement of the stress states. Additionally, the maximum stress and pressure-bearing capacity of DLSD with different numbers of split blocks were further investigated. It is concluded that the maximum stress of the cylinder increases gradually with an increase in the number of split blocks. Meanwhile, the pressure-bearing capacity decreases accordingly. The experiments show that the pressure-bearing capacities of DLSD with 4 and 8 split blocks are all remarkably higher than that of the BTD. DLSD with 4 split blocks has relatively higher pressure-bearing capacity. This work presents a promising high-pressure die with a double-layered split structure for the synthesis of superhard materials.
Editorial for the Special Issue on Micro/Nano-Chip Electrokinetics, Volume II
Authors: Xuan Xiangchun , Qian Shizhi
Published: August 2018

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The Interaction of the Gut Microbiota with the Mucus Barrier in Health and Disease in Human
Authors: Corfield Anthony P.
Published: August 2018

Glycoproteins are major players in the mucus protective barrier in the gastrointestinal and other mucosal surfaces. In particular the mucus glycoproteins, or mucins, are responsible for the protective gel barrier. They are characterized by their high carbohydrate content, present in their variable number, tandem repeat domains. Throughout evolution the mucins have been maintained as integral components of the mucosal barrier, emphasizing their essential biological status. The glycosylation of the mucins is achieved through a series of biosynthetic pathways processes, which generate the wide range of glycans found in these molecules. Thus mucins are decorated with molecules having information in the form of a glycocode. The enteric microbiota interacts with the mucosal mucus barrier in a variety of ways in order to fulfill its many normal processes. How bacteria read the glycocode and link to normal and pathological processes is outlined in the review.
Opportunistic Water-Borne Human Pathogenic Filamentous Fungi Unreported from Food
Authors: Novak Babič Monika , Zupančič Jerneja , Brandão João , Gunde-Cimerman Nina
Published: August 2018

Clean drinking water and sanitation are fundamental human rights recognized by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the Human Rights Council in 2010 (Resolution 64/292). In modern societies, water is not related only to drinking, it is also widely used for personal and home hygiene, and leisure. Ongoing human population and subsequent environmental stressors challenge the current standards on safe drinking and recreational water, requiring regular updating. Also, a changing Earth and its increasingly frequent extreme weather events and climatic changes underpin the necessity to adjust regulation to a risk-based approach. Although fungi were never introduced to water quality regulations, the incidence of fungal infections worldwide is growing, and changes in antimicrobial resistance patterns are taking place. The presence of fungi in different types of water has been thoroughly investigated during the past 30 years only in Europe, and more than 400 different species were reported from ground-, surface-, and tap-water. The most frequently reported fungi, however, were not waterborne, but are frequently related to soil, air, and food. This review focuses on waterborne filamentous fungi, unreported from food, that offer a pathogenic potential.
Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Simultaneous Determination and Pharmacokinetic Study of Fourteen Alkaloid Components in Dog Plasma after Oral Administration of Corydalis bungeana Turcz Extract
Authors: Dong Hongrui , Yan Guanyun , Wang Zhibin , Wu Chengcui , Cui Binbin , Ren Yixuan , Yang Chunjuan
Published: August 2018

A rapid and sensitive Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fourteen alkaloids in beagle dog plasma after a single oral dose of the Corydalis bungeana Turcz (C. bungeana) extract selected bifendate as the internal standard (IS). The plasma samples were preprocessed by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with aether before separation on an Agilent SB-C18 column (1.8 µm, 150 × 2.1 mm) using a gradient elution program. The mobile phase consists of 0.2% acetic acid and acetonitrile at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. In the positive ion mode, the analytes were detected by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The results indicated that calibration curves for fourteen analytes have good linearity (R2 = 0.9904). The lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) of fourteen alkaloids and IS were all over 4.87 ng/mL and the matrix effects ranged from 94.08% to 102.76%. The mean extraction recoveries of Quality control samples at low (LQC), medium (MQC) and high (HQC) and IS were all more than 78.03%. The intra- and inter-day precision (R.S.D.%) also met the criterion, at the same time the deviation of assay accuracies (R.E) ranged from −13.70% to 14.40%. The Tmax values of fourteen alkaloids were no more than 1 h. The range of Cmax was from 74.16 ± 8.71 to 2256 ± 255.9 ng/mL. The assay was validated in the light of the regulatory bioanalytical guidelines and proved acceptable, which was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of these compounds in beagle dogs after oral administration of Corydalis bungeana Turcz extract.
Functionalized Folic Acid-Conjugated Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymer Actively Targets 3D Multicellular Tumour Spheroids and Delivers the Hydrophobic Drug to the Inner Core
Authors: Li Xia , Sambi Manpreet , DeCarlo Alexandria , Burov Sergey V. , Akasov Roman , Markvicheva Elena , Malardier-Jugroot Cecile , Szewczuk Myron R.
Published: August 2018

Engineering of a “smart” drug delivery system to specifically target tumour cells has been at the forefront of cancer research, having been engineered for safer, more efficient and effective use of chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer. However, selective targeting and choosing the right cancer surface biomarker are critical for a targeted treatment to work. Currently, the available delivery systems use a two-dimensional monolayer of cancer cells to test the efficacy of the drug delivery system, but designing a “smart” drug delivery system to be specific for a tumour in vivo and to penetrate the inner core remains a major design challenge. These challenges can be overcome by using a study model that integrates the three-dimensional aspect of a tumour in a culture system. Here, we tested the efficacy of a functionalized folic acid-conjugated amphiphilic alternating copolymer poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (FA-DABA-SMA) via a biodegradable linker 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DABA) to specifically target and penetrate the inner core of three-dimensional avascular human pancreatic and breast tumour spheroids in culture. The copolymer was quantitatively analyzed for its hydrophobic drug encapsulation efficiency using three different chemical drug structures with different molecular weights. Their release profiles and tumour targeting properties at various concentrations and pH environments were also characterized. Using the anticancer drug curcumin and two standard clinical chemotherapeutic hydrophobic drugs, paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil, we tested the ability of FA-DABA-SMA nanoparticles to encapsulate the differently sized drugs and deliver them to kill monolayer pancreatic cancer cells using the WST-1 cell proliferation assay. The findings of this study revealed that the functionalized folic acid-conjugated amphiphilic alternating copolymer shows unique properties as an active “smart” tumor-targeting drug delivery system with the ability to internalize hydrophobic drugs and release the chemotherapeutics for effective killing of cancer cells. The novelty of the study is the first to demonstrate a functionalized “smart” drug delivery system encapsulated with a hydrophobic drug effectively targeting and penetrating the inner core of pancreatic and breast cancer spheroids and reducing their volumes in a dose- and time-dependent manner.
Feasible Route for a Large Area Few-Layer MoS2 with Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Zhong Wei , Deng Sunbin , Wang Kai , Li Guijun , Li Guoyuan , Chen Rongsheng , Kwok Hoi-Sing
Published: August 2018

In this article, we report continuous and large-area molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) growth on a SiO2/Si substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS) combined with sulfurization. The MoS2 film was synthesized using a two-step method. In the first step, a thin MoS2 film was deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at 400 °C with different sputtering powers. Following, the as-sputtered MoS2 film was further subjected to the sulfurization process at 600 °C for 60 min. Sputtering combined with sulfurization is a viable route for large-area few-layer MoS2 by controlling the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering power. A relatively simple growth strategy is demonstrated here that simultaneously enhances thin film quality physically and chemically. Few-layers of MoS2 are established using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, high-resolution field emission transmission electron microscope, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. Spectroscopic and microscopic results reveal that these MoS2 layers are of low disorder and well crystallized. Moreover, high quality few-layered MoS2 on a large-area can be achieved by controlling the radio-frequency magnetron sputtering power.
A Review on the Protective Effects of Honey against Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Ramli Nur Zuliani , Chin Kok-Yong , Zarkasi Khairul Anwar , Ahmad Fairus
Published: August 2018

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of diseases comprising of obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. There are numerous pre-clinical as well as human studies reporting the protective effects of honey against MetS. Honey is a nutritional food low in glycemic index. Honey intake reduces blood sugar levels and prevents excessive weight gain. It also improves lipid metabolism by reducing total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which leads to decreased risk of atherogenesis. In addition, honey enhances insulin sensitivity that further stabilizes blood glucose levels and protects the pancreas from overstimulation brought on by insulin resistance. Furthermore, antioxidative properties of honey help in reducing oxidative stress, which is one of the central mechanisms in MetS. Lastly, honey protects the vasculature from endothelial dysfunction and remodelling. Therefore, there is a strong potential for honey supplementation to be integrated into the management of MetS, both as preventive as well as adjunct therapeutic agents.
Different Risk for Hypertension, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, and Hyperuricemia According to Level of Body Mass Index in Japanese and American Subjects
Authors: Kuwabara Masanari , Kuwabara Remi , Niwa Koichiro , Hisatome Ichiro , Smits Gerard , Roncal-Jimenez Carlos A. , MacLean Paul S. , Yracheta Joseph M. , Ohno Minoru , Lanaspa Miguel A. , Johnson Richard J. , Jalal Diana I.
Published: August 2018

Obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia. Here, we evaluated whether the same body mass index (BMI) for the U.S. population conferred similar metabolic risk in Japan. This was a cross-sectional analysis involving 90,047 Japanese adults (18–85 years) from St. Luke’s International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan and 14,734 adults from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected in the U.S. We compared the prevalence of hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia according to BMI in Japan and the U.S. The prevalence of hypertension, DM, and dyslipidemia were significantly higher in the U.S. than Japan, whereas the prevalence of hyperuricemia did not differ between countries. Higher BMI was an independent risk factor for hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia both in Japan and in the U.S. after adjusting for age, sex, smoking and drinking habits, chronic kidney disease, and other cardiovascular risk factors. The BMI cut-off above which the prevalence of these cardio-metabolic risk factors increased was significantly higher in the U.S. than in Japan (27 vs. 23 kg/m2 for hypertension, 29 vs. 23 kg/m2 for DM, 26 vs. 22 kg/m2 for dyslipidemia, and 27 vs. 23 kg/m2 for hyperuricemia). Higher BMI is associated with an increased prevalence of hypertension, DM, dyslipidemia, and hyperuricemia both in Japan and U.S. The BMI cut-off above which the prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors increases is significantly lower in Japan than the U.S., suggesting that the same definition of overweight/obesity may not be similarly applicable in both countries.
Best Practices and Innovative Solutions to Overcome Barriers to Delivering Policy, Systems and Environmental Changes in Rural Communities
Authors: Haynes-Maslow Lindsey , Osborne Isabel , Jilcott Pitts Stephanie B.
Published: August 2018

To better understand the barriers to implementing policy; systems; and environmental (PSE) change initiatives within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) programming in U.S. rural communities; as well as strategies to overcome these barriers, this study identifies: (1) the types of nutrition-related PSE SNAP-Ed programming currently being implemented in rural communities; (2) barriers to implementing PSE in rural communities; and (3) common best practices and innovative solutions to overcoming SNAP-Ed PSE implementation barriers. This mixed-methods study included online surveys and interviews across fifteen states. Participants were eligible if they: (1) were SNAP-Ed staff that were intimately aware of facilitators and barriers to implementing programs, (2) implemented at least 50% of their programming in rural communities, and (3) worked in their role for at least 12 months. Sixty-five staff completed the online survey and 27 participated in interviews. Barriers to PSE included obtaining community buy-in, the need for relationship building, and PSE education. Facilitators included finding community champions; identifying early “wins” so that community members could easily see PSE benefits. Partnerships between SNAP-Ed programs and non-SNAP-Ed organizations are essential to implementing PSE. SNAP-Ed staff should get buy-in from local leaders before implementing PSE. Technical assistance for rural SNAP-Ed programs would be helpful in promoting PSE.
Extraintestinal Manifestations of Celiac Disease: Early Detection for Better Long-Term Outcomes
Authors: Laurikka Pilvi , Nurminen Samuli , Kivelä Laura , Kurppa Kalle
Published: August 2018

Population-based screening studies have shown celiac disease to be one of the most common chronic gastrointestinal diseases. Nevertheless, because of the diverse clinical presentation, the great majority of patients remain unrecognized. Particularly difficult to identify are the multifaceted extraintestinal symptoms that may appear at variable ages. Although the pathogenesis and long-term outcome of these manifestations are still poorly established, there is some evidence that unrecognized celiac disease predisposes to severe complications if not diagnosed and prevented with an early-initiated gluten-free diet. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that physicians of different disciplines learn to recognize celiac disease in individuals with non-gastrointestinal symptoms. In the future, more studies are needed to clarify the factors affecting development and prognosis of the extraintestinal manifestations.
Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviours in African Migrant Women Living in High Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Framework Synthesis
Authors: Ngongalah Lem , Rankin Judith , Rapley Tim , Odeniyi Adefisayo , Akhter Zainab , Heslehurst Nicola
Published: August 2018

Dietary and physical activity behaviours during preconception and in pregnancy are important determinants of maternal and child health. This review synthesised the available evidence on dietary and physical activity behaviours in pregnant women and women of childbearing age women who have migrated from African countries to live in high income countries. Searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Pubmed, CINAHL, Scopus, Proquest, Web of Science, and the Cochrane library. Searches were restricted to studies conducted in high income countries and published in English. Data extraction and quality assessment were carried out in duplicate. Findings were synthesised using a framework approach, which included both a priori and emergent themes. Fourteen studies were identified; ten quantitative and four qualitative. Four studies included pregnant women. Data on nutrient intakes included macro- and micro-nutrients; and were suggestive of inadequacies in iron, folate, and calcium; and excessive sodium intakes. Dietary patterns were bicultural, including both Westernised and African dietary practices. Findings on physical activity behaviours were conflicting. Dietary and physical activity behaviours were influenced by post-migration environments, culture, religion, and food or physical activity-related beliefs and perceptions. Further studies are required to understand the influence of sociodemographic and other migration-related factors on behaviour changes after migration.
Effects of Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of 12 Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Li Kelei , Liu Chunxiao , Kuang Xiaotong , Deng Qingxue , Zhao Feng , Li Duo
Published: August 2018

Previous studies have not drawn a consistent conclusion about effect of multivitamin and multimineral supplementation (MVMS) on blood pressure. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library (up to May 2018) and references of relevant articles was undertaken. The present meta-analysis included 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), of which eight RCTs in 2011 subjects evaluated the effect of MVMS on blood pressure and four RCTs in 21,196 subjects evaluated the effect of MVMS on the risk of hypertension. MVMS had a lowering effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP): the weighted mean difference (WMD) was −1.31 mmHg (95% CI, −2.48 to −0.14 mmHg) and −0.71 mmHg (95% CI, −1.43 to 0.00 mmHg), respectively. Subgroup analysis indicated that the lowering effect of MVMS on blood pressure was only significant in 134 subjects with chronic disease but not in 1580 healthy subjects, and the WMD for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and DBP in subjects with chronic disease was −6.29 mmHg (95% CI, −11.09 to −1.50 mmHg) and −2.32 mmHg (95% CI, −4.50 to −0.13 mmHg), respectively. The effect size of MVMS on SBP in 58 hypertensive subjects (WMD, −7.98 mmHg; 95% CI, −14.95 to −1.02 mmHg) was more than six times of that in 1656 normotensive subjects (WMD, −1.25 mmHg; 95% CI, −2.48 to −0.02 mmHg). However, no significant effect on DBP was observed in both hypertensive and normotensive subgroups. There was no significant effect of MVMS on risk of hypertension in 22,852 subjects with a normal blood pressure at baseline. In conclusion, although MVMS had a significant lowering effect on blood pressure in normotensive subjects, the lowering effect was too small to effectively prevent future hypertension. MVMS may be an effective method for blood pressure control in subjects with chronic disease including hypertension, but the sample size of subjects with hypertension or other chronic disease was too small, and more well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm this result.
An Update on Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus
Authors: Sakkas Hercules , Bozidis Petros , Giannakopoulos Xenofon , Sofikitis Nikolaos , Papadopoulou Chrissanthy
Published: August 2018

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the arthropod-borne flaviviruses (arboviruses) which are mainly transmitted by blood-sucking mosquitoes of the genus Aedes. ZIKV infection has been known to be rather asymptomatic or presented as febrile self-limited disease; however, during the last decade the manifestation of ZIKV infection has been associated with a variety of neuroimmunological disorders including Guillain–Barré syndrome, microcephaly and other central nervous system abnormalities. More recently, there is accumulating evidence about sexual transmission of ZIKV, a trait that has never been observed in any other mosquito-borne flavivirus before. This article reviews the latest information regarding the latter and emerging role of ZIKV, focusing on the consequences of ZIKV infection on the male reproductive system and the epidemiology of human-to-human sexual transmission.
Polyacrylonitrile-Nanofiber-Based Gel Polymer Electrolyte for Novel Aqueous Sodium-Ion Battery Based on a Na4Mn9O18 Cathode and Zn Metal Anode
Authors: Zhang Yongguang , Bakenov Zhumabay , Tan Taizhe , Huang Jin
Published: August 2018

A gel polymer electrolyte was formed by trapping an optimized Na+/Zn2+ mixed-ion aqueous electrolyte in a polyacrylonitrile nanofiber polymer matrix. This electrolyte was used in a novel aqueous sodium-ion battery (ASIB) system, which was assembled by using a zinc anode and Na4Mn9O18 cathode. The nanorod-like Na4Mn9O18 was synthesized by a hydrothermal soft chemical reaction. The structural and morphological measurement confirmed that the highly crystalline Na4Mn9O18 nanorods are uniformly distributed. Electrochemical tests of Na4Mn9O18//Zn gel polymer battery demonstrated its high cycle stability along with a good rate of performance. The battery delivers an initial discharge capacity of 96 mAh g−1, and 64 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at a high cycling rate of 1 C. Our results demonstrate that the Na4Mn9O18//Zn gel polymer battery is a promising and safe high-performance battery.
Microwave Technologies: An Emerging Tool for Inactivation of Biohazardous Material in Developing Countries
Authors: Zimmermann Klaus
Published: August 2018

Inappropriate treatment and disposal of waste containing biohazardous materials occurs especially in developing countries and can lead to adverse effects on public and occupational health and safety, as well as on the environment. For the treatment of biohazardous waste, microwave irradiation is an emerging tool. It is a misbelief that microwave devices cannot be used for inactivation of solid biohazardous waste; however, the inactivation process, and especially the moisture content, has to be strictly controlled, particularly if water is required to be added to the process. Appropriate control allows also inactivation of waste containing inhomogeneous compositions of material with low fluid/moisture content. Where appropriate, especially where control of transport of waste cannot be guaranteed, the waste should be inactivated directly at the place of generation, preferably with a closed waste collection system. In waste containing sufficient moisture, there are direct useful applications, for example the treatment of sewage sludge or human feces. A number of examples of microwave applications with impacts for developing countries are presented in this review. In respect to energy costs and environmental aspects, microwave devices have clear advantages in comparison to autoclaves.
Accuracy Assessment of GlobeLand30 2010 Land Cover over China Based on Geographically and Categorically Stratified Validation Sample Data
Authors: Wang Yu , Zhang Jingxiong , Liu Di , Yang Wenjing , Zhang Wangle
Published: August 2018

Land cover information is vital for research and applications concerning natural resources and environmental modeling. Accuracy assessment is an important dimension in use and production of land cover information. GlobeLand30 is a relatively new global land cover information product with a fine spatial resolution of 30 m and is potentially useful for many applications. This paper describes the methods for and results from the first country-wide and statistically based accuracy assessment of GlobeLand30 2010 land cover dataset over China. For this, a total of 8400 validation sample pixels were collected based on a sampling design featuring two levels of stratification (ten geographical regions, each with nine or eight land-cover classes). Validation sample data with reference class labels were acquired from visual interpretation based on Google Earth high-resolution satellite images. Error matrices for individual regions and entire China were estimated properly based on the sampling design adopted, with the former aggregated to get the latter through suitable weighting. Results were obtained, with agreement at a sample pixel defined both as a match between the map (class) label and either the primary or alternate reference label therein and, more strictly, as a match between the map label and the primary reference label only. Based on the former definition of agreement, the overall accuracy of GlobeLand30 2010 land cover for China was assessed to be 84.2%. User’s accuracy and producer’s accuracy were both greater than 80% for cultivated land, forest, permanent snow and ice, and bareland, with user’s accuracy for water bodies estimated 94.2% (82.1% for wetland, 79.8% for artificial surface) and producer’s accuracy for grassland estimated 89.0%. These indicate that GlobeLand30 2010 depicts land cover circa 2010 in China quite accurately, although estimates of accuracy indicators based on the latter definition of agreement were lower as expected with an estimated national overall accuracy of 81.0%. Regional and class variations in accuracy were revealed and examined in the light of their associations with land cover distributions and patterns. Implications for use and production of GlobeLand30 land cover information were discussed, so were commonality and lack of it between GlobeLand30 and other fine-resolution land cover products.
Filtering Stems and Branches from Terrestrial Laser Scanning Point Clouds Using Deep 3-D Fully Convolutional Networks
Authors: Xi Zhouxin , Hopkinson Chris , Chasmer Laura
Published: August 2018

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can produce precise and detailed point clouds of forest environment, thus enabling quantitative structure modeling (QSM) for accurate tree morphology and wood volume allocation. Applying QSM to plot-scale wood delineation is highly dependent on wood visibility from forest scans. A common problem is to filter wood point from noisy leafy points in the crowns and understory. This study proposed a deep 3-D fully convolution network (FCN) to filter both stem and branch points from complex plot scans. To train the 3-D FCN, reference stem and branch points were delineated semi-automatically for 14 sampled areas and three common species. Among seven testing areas, agreements between reference and model prediction, measured by intersection over union (IoU) and overall accuracy (OA), were 0.89 (stem IoU), 0.54 (branch IoU), 0.79 (mean IoU), and 0.94 (OA). Wood filtering results were further incorporated to a plot-scale QSM to extract individual tree forms, isolated wood, and understory wood from three plot scans with visual assessment. The wood filtering experiment provides evidence that deep learning is a powerful tool in 3-D point cloud processing and parsing.
Individual Tree Crown Segmentation and Classification of 13 Tree Species Using Airborne Hyperspectral Data
Authors: Maschler Julia , Atzberger Clement , Immitzer Markus
Published: August 2018

Knowledge of the distribution of tree species within a forest is key for multiple economic and ecological applications. This information is traditionally acquired through time-consuming and thereby expensive field work. Our study evaluates the suitability of a visible to near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral dataset with a spatial resolution of 0.4 m for the classification of 13 tree species (8 broadleaf, 5 coniferous) on an individual tree crown level in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve ‘Wienerwald’, a temperate Austrian forest. The study also assesses the automation potential for the delineation of tree crowns using a mean shift segmentation algorithm in order to permit model application over large areas. Object-based Random Forest classification was carried out on variables that were derived from 699 manually delineated as well as automatically segmented reference trees. The models were trained separately for two strata: small and/or conifer stands and high broadleaf forests. The two strata were delineated beforehand using CHM-based tree height and NDVI. The predictor variables encompassed spectral reflectance, vegetation indices, textural metrics and principal components. After feature selection, the overall classification accuracy (OA) of the classification based on manual delineations of the 13 tree species was 91.7% (Cohen’s kappa (κ) = 0.909). The highest user’s and producer’s accuracies were most frequently obtained for Weymouth pine and Scots Pine, while European ash was most often associated with the lowest accuracies. The classification that was based on mean shift segmentation yielded similarly good results (OA = 89.4% κ = 0.883). Based on the automatically segmented trees, the Random Forest models were also applied to the whole study site (1050 ha). The resulting tree map of the study area confirmed a high abundance of European beech (58%) with smaller amounts of oak (6%) and Scots pine (5%). We conclude that highly accurate tree species classifications can be obtained from hyperspectral data covering the visible and near-infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our results also indicate a high automation potential of the method, as the results from the automatically segmented tree crowns were similar to those that were obtained for the manually delineated tree crowns.
Correction: Shao, Z.; et al. A Benchmark Dataset for Performance Evaluation of Multi-Label Remote Sensing Image Retrieval. Remote Sens. 2018, 10, 964
Authors: Shao Zhenfeng , Yang Ke , Zhou Weixun
Published: August 2018

In our paper [1], we presented a dense labeling dataset that can be used for not only single-label and multi-label remote sensing image retrieval but also pixel-based problems such as semantic segmentation.[...]
Improved Method for GLONASS Long Baseline Ambiguity Resolution without Inter-Frequency Code Bias Calibration
Authors: Zhu Jiasong , Liu Yanyan , Wang Bing , Ye Shirong
Published: August 2018

Use of a frequency-division multiple access strategy causes Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS) receiving equipment to experience both inter-frequency phase bias (IFPB) and inter-frequency code bias (IFCB). While IFPB can be calibrated using a linear model, there is no general model for IFCB calibration, which causes great difficulty in GLONASS ambiguity resolution over long baselines; most current GLONASS ambiguity resolution research is confined to short baselines. In this paper, based on a single-differencing between-receivers (SDBR) model, a wide-lane phase combination-based approach is proposed to fix the GLONASS ambiguities over long baselines. External precise ionospheric products are introduced to eliminate the ionospheric delay. To mitigate the effect of the residual ionospheric delays, we fix the relative wide-lane ambiguity using the Hatch–Melbourne–Wubbena (HMW) combination. The results show that 96% and 55% of the wide-lane round-off residuals are within 0.2 cycles for the Global Positioning System (GPS) and GLONASS, respectively, if the traditional HMW method is used. The method proposed here for GLONASS can improve these percentages significantly, reaching up to 95.5%. The root mean square (RMS) position errors are 1.43, 1.06 and 4.32 mm for GPS in the north, east and up directions, respectively. When GLONASS with ambiguity fixing is added, the corresponding RMS values are reduced significantly to 1.26, 1.02 and 3.87 mm, respectively.
High-Efficiency Output Pressure Performance Using Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers with Substrate-Embedded Springs
Authors: Lee Byung Chul , Nikoozadeh Amin , Park Kwan Kyu , Khuri-Yakub Butrus T.
Published: August 2018

Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) with substrate-embedded springs offer highly efficient output pressure performance over conventional CMUTs, owing to their nonflexural parallel plate movement. The embedded silicon springs support thick Si piston plates, creating a large nonflexural average volume displacement efficiency in the operating frequency range from 1–3 MHz. Static and dynamic volume displacements of the nonflexural parallel plates were examined using white light interferometry and laser Doppler vibrometry. In addition, an output pressure measurement in immersion was performed using a hydrophone. The device showed a maximum transmission efficiency of 21 kPa/V, and an average volume displacement efficiency of 1.1 nm/V at 1.85 MHz with a low DC bias voltage of 55 V. The device element outperformed the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic HD3203, in the maximum transmission efficiency or the average volume displacement efficiency by 1.35 times. Furthermore, its average volume displacement efficiency reached almost 80% of the ideal state-of-the-art single-crystal relaxor ferroelectric materials PMN-0.33PT. Additionally, we confirmed that high-efficiency output pressure could be generated from the CMUT device, by quantitatively comparing the hydrophone measurement of a commercial PZT transducer.
High-Precision Detection of Defects of Tire Texture Through X-ray Imaging Based on Local Inverse Difference Moment Features
Authors: Zhao Guo , Qin Shiyin
Published: August 2018

Automatic defect detection is an important and challenging issue in the tire industrial quality control. As is well known, the production quality of tire is directly related to the vehicle running safety and passenger security. However, it is difficult to inspect the inner structure of tire on the surface. This paper proposes a high-precision detection of defects of tire texture image obtained by X-ray image sensor for tire non-destructive inspection. In this paper, the feature distribution generated by local inverse difference moment (LIDM) features is proposed to be an effective representation of tire X-ray texture image. Further, the defect feature map (DFM) may be constructed by computing the Hausdorff distance between the LIDM feature distributions of original tire image and each sliding image patch. Moreover, DFM may be enhanced to improve the robustness of defect detection algorithm by a background suppression. Finally, an effective defect detection algorithm is proposed to achieve the pixel-level detection of defects with high precision over the enhanced DFM. In addition, the defect detection algorithm is not only robust to the noise in the background, but also has a more powerful capability of handling different shapes of defects. To validate the performance of our proposed method, two kinds of experiments about the defect feature map and defect detection are conducted to demonstrate its good performance. Moreover, a series of comparative analyses demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can accurately detect the defects and outperforms other algorithms in terms of various quantitative metrics.
Self-Sensing Nonlinear Ultrasonic Fatigue Crack Detection under Temperature Variation †
Authors: Kim Namgyu , Jang Keunyoung , An Yun-Kyu
Published: August 2018

This paper proposes a self-sensing nonlinear ultrasonic technique for fatigue crack detection under temperature variations. Fatigue cracks are identified from linear (α) and nonlinear (β) ultrasonic parameters recorded by a self-sensing piezoelectric transducer (PZT). The self-sensing PZT scheme minimizes the data acquisition system’s inherent nonlinearity, which often prevents the identification of fatigue cracks. Also, temperature-dependent false alarms are prevented based on the different behaviors of α and β. The proposed technique was numerically pre-validated with finite element method simulations to confirm the trends of α and β with changing temperature, and then was experimentally validated using an aluminum plate with an artificially induced fatigue crack. These validation tests reveal that fatigue cracks can be detected successfully in realistic conditions of unpredictable temperature and that positive false alarms of 0.12% occur.
fPADnet: Small and Efficient Convolutional Neural Network for Presentation Attack Detection
Authors: Nguyen Thi Hai Binh , Park Eunsoo , Cui Xuenan , Nguyen Van Huan , Kim Hakil
Published: August 2018

The rapid growth of fingerprint authentication-based applications makes presentation attack detection, which is the detection of fake fingerprints, become a crucial problem. There have been numerous attempts to deal with this problem; however, the existing algorithms have a significant trade-off between accuracy and computational complexity. This paper proposes a presentation attack detection method using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), named fPADnet (fingerprint Presentation Attack Detection network), which consists of Fire and Gram-K modules. Fire modules of fPADnet are designed following the structure of the SqueezeNet Fire module. Gram-K modules, which are derived from the Gram matrix, are used to extract texture information since texture can provide useful features in distinguishing between real and fake fingerprints. Combining Fire and Gram-K modules results in a compact and efficient network for fake fingerprint detection. Experimental results on three public databases, including LivDet 2011, 2013 and 2015, show that fPADnet can achieve an average detection error rate of 2.61%, which is comparable to the state-of-the-art accuracy, while the network size and processing time are significantly reduced.
Efficient Force Control Learning System for Industrial Robots Based on Variable Impedance Control
Authors: Li Chao , Zhang Zhi , Xia Guihua , Xie Xinru , Zhu Qidan
Published: August 2018

Learning variable impedance control is a powerful method to improve the performance of force control. However, current methods typically require too many interactions to achieve good performance. Data-inefficiency has limited these methods to learn force-sensitive tasks in real systems. In order to improve the sampling efficiency and decrease the required interactions during the learning process, this paper develops a data-efficient learning variable impedance control method that enables the industrial robots automatically learn to control the contact force in the unstructured environment. To this end, a Gaussian process model is learned as a faithful proxy of the system, which is then used to predict long-term state evolution for internal simulation, allowing for efficient strategy updates. The effects of model bias are reduced effectively by incorporating model uncertainty into long-term planning. Then the impedance profiles are regulated online according to the learned humanlike impedance strategy. In this way, the flexibility and adaptivity of the system could be enhanced. Both simulated and experimental tests have been performed on an industrial manipulator to verify the performance of the proposed method.