bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Removal of Ammonium Nitrogen and COD of Domestic Wastewater using Platinum Coated Titanium as an Anode Electrode
Authors: Ghimire Umesh , Jang Min , Jung Sokhee P. , Park Daeryong , Park Se Jin , Yu Hanchao , Oh Sang-Eun
Published: March 2019

Biological treatment systems face many challenges in winter to reduce the level of nitrogen due to low temperatures. The present work aimed to study an electrochemical treatment to investigate the effect of applying an electric voltage to wastewater to reduce the ammonium nitrogen and COD (chemical oxygen demand) in domestic wastewater. This was done by using an electrochemical process in which a platinum-coated titanium material was used as an anode and stainless steel was used as a cathode (25 cm2 electrode area/500 mL). Our results indicated that the removal of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+–N) and the lowering of COD was directly proportional to the amount of electric voltage applied between the electrodes. Our seven hour experiment showed that 97.6% of NH4+–N was removed at an electric voltage of 5 V, whereas only 68% was removed with 3 V, 20% with 1.2 V, and 10% with 0.6 V. Similarly, at 5 V, the removal of COD was around 97.5%. Over the seven hours of the experiment, the pH of wastewater increased from pH 7.12 to pH 8.15 when 5 V was applied to the wastewater. Therefore, electric voltage is effective in the oxidation of ammonium nitrogen and the reduction in COD in wastewater.
A Dynamic Stochastic Hybrid Model to Represent Significant Wave Height and Wave Period for Marine Energy Representation
Authors: Verdejo Humberto , Awerkin Almendra , Kliemann Wolfgang , Becker Cristhian , Chávez Héctor , Barbosa Karina A. , Delpiano José
Published: March 2019

This paper presents a methodology to represent ocean wave power generation based on real data observation for significant wave height (SWH or H s ) and wave period (WP or T). This technique is based on a hybrid model, which considers Fourier series and stochastic differential equations, allowing a continuous time representation of the random changes in the parameters associated with wave power generation ( H s and T). The methodology is explained, including estimation methods and a validation procedure. The data series generated by the models erre used to create simulated wave power output applying a transformed matrix and a theoretical model. The results validate the utilization of this technique, when the objective is to obtain a robust dynamic representation of a random process, oriented to linear studies.
Analysis of the Design of a Poppet Valve by Transitory Simulation
Authors: Gomez Ivan , Gonzalez-Mancera Andrés , Newell Brittany , Garcia-Bravo Jose
Published: March 2019

This article contains the results and analysis of the dynamic behavior of a poppet valve through CFD simulation. A computational model based on the finite volume method was developed to characterize the flow at the interior of the valve while it is moving. The model was validated using published data from the valve manufacturer. This data was in accordance with the experimental model. The model was used to predict the behavior of the device as it is operated at high frequencies. Non-dimensional parameters for generalizing and analyzing the effects of the properties of the fluid were used. It was found that it is possible to enhance the dynamic behavior of the valve by altering the viscosity of the working fluid. Finally, using the generated model, the influence of the angle of the poppet was analyzed. It was found that angle has a minimal effect on pressure. However, flow forces increase as angle decreases. Therefore, reducing poppet angle is undesirable because it increases power requirements for valve actuation.
Transient Response Estimation of an Offshore Wind Turbine Support System
Authors: Liu Fushun , Li Xingguo , Tian Zhe , Zhang Jianhua , Wang Bin
Published: March 2019

To obtain reliable estimations of the dynamic responses of high-rising marine structures such as offshore wind turbines with obvious nonzero initial conditions, traditional frequency-domain methods cannot be employed because they provide only steady-state results. A novel frequency-domain transient response estimation method for offshore wind turbines is presented in this paper. This method builds upon a recent, significant theoretical development, which found that expressions of external loads in the frequency domain can be obtained by discretizing their eigenvalues and corresponding complex coefficients rather than directly by discrete Fourier transform (DFT) analysis, which makes it possible to deal with nonzero conditions in the frequency domain. One engineering advantage of this approach is its computational efficiency, as the motion equations of the system can be solved in the frequency domain. In order to demonstrate this approach, a case of a monopile-supported wind turbine with nonzero initial conditions was investigated. The numerical results indicate that the approach matches well with the time-domain method, except for a small, earlier portion of the estimated responses. A second case study of a sophisticated, jacket support wind turbine, involving practical issues such as complex external loads and computation efficiency, is also discussed, and comparisons of the results with the time-domain method and traditional frequency-domain method using the commercial software ANSYS are included here.
Transformation of an Office Building into a Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB): Implications for Thermal and Visual Comfort and Energy Performance
Authors: Ballarini Ilaria , De Luca Giovanna , Paragamyan Argun , Pellegrino Anna , Corrado Vincenzo
Published: March 2019

Directive 2010/31/EU promotes the refurbishment of existing buildings to change them into nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs). Within this framework, it is of crucial importance to guarantee the best trade-off between energy performance and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The implications of a global refurbishment scenario on thermal and visual comfort are assessed in this paper pertaining to an existing office building. The retrofit actions applied to achieve the nZEB target consist of a combination of envelope and technical building systems refurbishment measures, involving both HVAC and lighting. Energy and comfort calculations were carried out through dynamic simulation using Energy Plus and DIVA, for the thermal and visual performance assessments, respectively. The results point out that energy retrofit actions on the building envelope would lead to significant improvements in the thermal performance, regarding both energy savings (−37% of the annual primary energy for heating) and thermal comfort. However, a daylighting reduction would occur with a consequent higher electricity demand for lighting (36%). The research presents a detailed approach applicable to further analyses aimed at optimizing the energy efficiency measures in order to reduce the imbalance between visual and thermal comfort and to ensure the best performance in both domains.
A Model to Predict Crosscut Stress Based on an Improved Extreme Learning Machine Algorithm
Authors: Liu Xiaobo , Yang Lei , Zhang Xingfan
Published: March 2019

The analysis of crosscut stability is an indispensable task in underground mining activities. Crosscut instabilities usually cause geological disasters and delay of the project. On site, mining engineers analyze and predict the crosscut condition by monitoring its convergence and stress; however, stress monitoring is time-consuming and expensive. In this study, we propose an improved extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm to predict crosscut’s stress based on convergence data, for the first time in literature. The performance of the proposed technique is validated using a crosscut response by means of the FLAC3D finite difference program. It is found that the improved ELM algorithm performs higher generalization performance compared to traditional ELM, as it eliminates the random selection for input weights. Furthermore, a crosscut construction project in an underground mine, Yanqianshan iron mine, located in Liaoning Province (China), is selected as the case study. The accuracy and efficiency of the improved ELM algorithm has been demonstrated by comparing predicted stress data to measured data on site. Additionally, a comparison is conducted between the improved ELM algorithm and other commonly used artificial neural network algorithms.
High-Efficiency DC–DC Converter with Charge-Recycling Gate-Voltage Swing Control
Authors: Suh Jung-Duk , Yun Yeong-Ho , Kong Bai-Sun
Published: March 2019

This paper proposes a high-efficiency DC–DC converter with charge-recycling gate-voltage swing control with a light load. By achieving a variable gate-voltage swing in a very efficient manner by charge recycling, the power efficiency has been substantially improved due to the lower power consumption and the achieved balance between the switching and conduction losses. A test chip was fabricated using 65-nm CMOS technology. The proposed design reduces the gate-driving loss by up to 87.7% and 47.2% compared to the conventional full-swing and low-swing designs, respectively. The maximum power conversion efficiency was 90.3% when the input and output voltages are 3.3 V and 1.8 V, respectively.
Sustainable Groundwater Exploitation Aiming at the Reduction of Water Vulnerability in the Brazilian Semi-Arid Region
Authors: Cavalcante Júnior Roberto Gomes , Vasconcelos Freitas Marcos Aurélio , da Silva Neilton Fidelis , de Azevedo Filho Franklin Rocha
Published: March 2019

Semi-arid regions have historically suffered from low water availability. In addition, the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events credited to global climate change has made it increasingly clear that among the challenges faced by society water resource management is extremely necessary. In this context, desalination based on renewable energy resources integrated with production systems that make use of the waste resulting from this process becomes a socio-environmentally indicated alternative to expand existing supply strategies and sustainable water use in isolated locations, and/or areas distant from large urban centers, thus addressing local potential and reducing environmental impacts. This study assesses the use of Photovoltaic Solar Power Plants (PSPPs), as well as of residues generated in a Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis System (BWRO), in productive units linked to fish and family farming. This is as an alternative way to reduce water vulnerability in the Brazilian semi-arid area (BS), adhering to climate change adaptation measures in the light of Brazilian public policies through the Freshwater Program (Programa Água Doce—PAD), which aims to promote access to good quality water to approximately 500 thousand people in the Brazilian semi-arid region.
Performance and Efficiency Analysis of an HT-PEMFC System with an Absorption Chiller for Tri-Generation Applications
Authors: Gwak Geonhui , Kim Minwoo , Kim Dohwan , Faizan Muhammad , Oh Kyeongmin , Lee Jaeseung , Choi Jaeyoo , Lee Nammin , Lim Kisung , Ju Hyunchul
Published: March 2019

An absorption chiller model for tri-generation (combined cooling, heating, and power) is developed and incorporated with the high temperature- (HT-) proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system model that was developed in our previous study. We employ a commercially available flow simulator, Aspen HYSYS, for solving the energy and mass balances of various system components, including an HT-PEMFC stack that is based on a phosphoric acid-doped PBI membrane, natural gas-fueled reformer, LiBr-H2O absorption chiller, balance of plant (BOP) components, and heat exchangers. Since the system’s operating strategy for tri-generation must be changed, depending on cooling or heating loads, a major focus of this study is to analyze system performance and efficiency under different requirements of electricity generation, cooling, and heating conditions. The system simulation results revealed that high-current fuel-cell operation is essential in raising the cooling capacity, but the overall system efficiency is slightly reduced as a result. Using a lower fuel-air ratio for the burner in the reforming module is one alternative that can minimize the reduction in the overall system efficiency under high-current fuel-cell operation and large cooling-capacity modes.
Development and Field Demonstration of a Gamified Residential Demand Management Platform Compatible with Smart Meters and Building Automation Systems
Authors: Zehir Mustafa Alparslan , Ortac Kadir Baris , Gul Hakan , Batman Alp , Aydin Zafer , Portela João Carlos , Soares Filipe Joel , Bagriyanik Mustafa , Kucuk Unal , Ozdemir Aydogan
Published: March 2019

Demand management is becoming an indispensable part of grid operation with its potential to aid supply/demand balancing, reduce peaks, mitigate congestions and improve voltage profiles in the grid. Effective deployments require a huge number of reliable participators who are aware of the flexibilities of their devices and who continuously seek to achieve savings and earnings. In such applications, smart meters can ease consumption behavior visibility, while building automation systems can enable the remote and automated control of flexible loads. Moreover, gamification techniques can be used to motivate and direct customers, evaluate their performance, and improve their awareness and knowledge in the long term. This study focuses on the design and field demonstration of a flexible device-oriented, smart meter and building automation system (BAS) compatible with a gamified load management (LM) platform for residential customers. The system is designed, based on exploratory surveys and systematic gamification approaches, to motivate the customers to reduce their peak period consumption and overall energy consumption through competing or collaborating with others, and improving upon their past performance. This paper presents the design, development and implementation stages, together with the result analysis of an eight month field demonstration in four houses with different user types in Istanbul, Turkey.
Drought Impacts and Compounding Mortality on Forest Trees in the Southern Sierra Nevada
Authors: Pile Lauren , Meyer Marc , Rojas Ramiro , Roe Olivia , Smith Mark
Published: March 2019

The increase in compounding disturbances, such as “hotter droughts” coupled with insect outbreaks, has significant impacts on the integrity of forested ecosystems and their subsequent management for important ecosystem services and multiple-use objectives. In the Southern Sierra Nevada, years of severe drought have resulted in unprecedented tree mortality across this mountainous landscape. Additionally, past land management practices, including fire suppression, have led to overly stocked, homogenous forest stand structures, dominated by small diameter, shade-tolerant and fire-intolerant tree species. Thus, the current condition of the landscape has further increased the susceptibility of forest trees to multiple stressors. We sought to determine the effects of extreme drought and insect outbreaks on tree mortality and their influence on forest stand structure and composition. To characterize mortality patterns, we monitored the condition of mature forest trees (>25.4 cm diameter at breast height) across 255 monitoring plots with four repeated measurements from 2015 through 2017. Tree mortality varied by species and through time. Reductions in pine species (Pinus lambertiana Douglas and P. ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) occurred earlier in the study period than Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. Ex Hildebr. or Calocedrus decurrens (Torr.) Florin. Across species, larger tree size, most often associated with tree height, was consistently related to increased survival in mature, overstory trees. As expected, sites with greater pine stocking and subsequently more bark beetle (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) host availability had increased pine mortality, especially for P. ponderosa. For Abies concolor, lower overstory basal area increased tree survival for this species. This study highlights the importance of effective forest monitoring, especially during a period of unprecedented ecological change as the compounding disturbance had a disproportional effect on pine species in smaller diameter classes. Proactive forest management may be necessary to maintain and promote these ecologically important species in heterogeneous mixtures across the landscape.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentration in Leaf Litter and Soil in Xishuangbanna Tropical Forests: Does Precipitation Limitation Matter?
Authors: Mani S. , Cao Min
Published: March 2019

Tropical forests are generally expected to be limited by the availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and these nutrient limitations could be increased by changes in forest biogeochemistry due to limited precipitation. This effect is presumed to be enhanced in the forests predominated by monsoon climate. The present study examined the impacts of monthly precipitation on total N and P in leaf litter and soil of Xishuangbanna tropical forests. Litterfall and top soil were sampled from each of the five 20 × 20 m plots established in the primary (PTF) and secondary tropical forests (STF), at monthly interval for one year. Soils were strongly acidic and showed significant differences between the sites. The monthly amounts of soil and leaf litter nutrients showed great variations between the PTF and STF. Leaf litter N and P were associated with precipitation in both dry and rainy seasons. Soil N and P were not significantly related to precipitation, indicating that changes in vegetation composition and litterfall production together accounted for variation in soil N and P. Our results suggest that the precipitation limitation may affect the leaf litter N and P changes, but did not support the prediction that precipitation limitation can immediately lead to effects on soil N and P in the Xishuangbanna tropical forests.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Three Glucosinolate Transporter (GTR) Genes from Chinese Kale
Authors: Jiang Ding , Lei Jianjun , Cao Bihao , Wu Siyuan , Chen Guoju , Chen Changming
Published: March 2019

Chinese kale is a native vegetable in Southern China and the flowering stalk is the most commonly used edible part due to its high glucosinolate content and other nutritional qualities. The GTR protein played important roles in the glucosinolate transport process. In this study, three BocGTR1 genes were cloned from Chinese kale for the first time. Their gene structure, physicochemical properties, signal peptides, transmembrane structures, functional domains, second and third-order protein structures, and phylogenetic relationships were predicted. The expression levels of BocGTR1a and BocGTR1c were much higher than those of BocGTR1b in various tissues, especially in leaves and buds. In addition, the expression patterns of three genes were examined under various abiotic stresses or hormone treatment, including those induced by wounding, heat stress, methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, salt, and MgCl2 treatment. BocGTR1a and BocGTR1c were strongly induced by wounding and heat stress. The expression of BocGTR1a and BocGTR1c was significantly silenced in plants transformed by RNAi technology. Total glucosinolate content was significantly decreased in mature leaves and increased in roots of RNAi-transformed plants compared to wild-type plants. In addition, we found that BocGTR1a and BocGTR1c may participate in glucosinolate accumulation in different tissues with a selection for specific glucosinolates. These results indicated that BocGTR1a and BocGTR1c may be the key genes involved in the glucosinolate accumulation in different tissues of Chinese kale.
Molecular Evolution of Tryptophan Hydroxylases in Vertebrates: A Comparative Genomic Survey
Authors: Xu Junmin , Li Yanping , Lv Yunyun , Bian Chao , You Xinxin , Endoh Daiji , Teraoka Hiroki , Shi Qiong
Published: March 2019

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in various physiological processes in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Serotonin is also a precursor for melatonin biosynthesis, which mainly occurs in the pineal gland of vertebrates. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) acts as the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis and is the initial enzyme involved in the synthesis of melatonin. Recently, two enzymes—TPH1 and TPH2—were reported to form the TPH family in vertebrates and to play divergent roles in serotonergic systems. Here, we examined the evolution of the TPH family from 70 vertebrate genomes. Based on the sequence similarity, we extracted 184 predicted tph homologs in the examined vertebrates. A phylogenetic tree, constructed on the basis of these protein sequences, indicated that tph genes could be divided into two main clades (tph1 and tph2), and that the two clades were further split into two subgroups of tetrapods and Actinopterygii. In tetrapods, and some basal non-teleost ray-finned fishes, only two tph isotypes exist. Notably, tph1 in most teleosts that had undergone the teleost-specific genome duplication could be further divided into tph1a and tph1b. Moreover, protein sequence comparisons indicated that TPH protein changes among vertebrates were concentrated at the NH2-terminal. The tertiary structures of TPH1 and TPH2 revealed obvious differences in the structural elements. Five positively selected sites were characterized in TPH2 compared with TPH1; these sites may reflect the functional divergence in enzyme activity and substrate specificity. In summary, our current work provides novel insights into the evolution of tph genes in vertebrates from a comprehensive genomic perspective.
A Proactive Environmental Approach for Preventing Legionellosis in Infants: Water Sampling and Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring, a 3-Years Survey Program
Authors: Alexandropoulou Ioanna , Parasidis Theodoros , Konstantinidis Theocharis , Panopoulou Maria , Constantinidis Theodoros C.
Published: March 2019

A proactive environmental monitoring program was conducted to determine the risk and prevent nosocomial waterborne infections of Legionella spp. in infants. Sink taps in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and two obstetric clinics were monitored for Legionella spp. A total of 59 water samples were collected during a 3-year period and 20 of them were found colonized with Legionella pneumophila. Standard culture, molecular, and latex agglutination methods were used for the detection and identification of Legionella bacteria. Hospital personnel also proceeded with remedial actions (hyperchlorination and thermal shock treatment) in the event of colonization. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of erythromycin, ciprofloxacin was determined for Legionella isolates using the e-test method. Our data indicate that the majority of neonatal sink-taps were colonized at least once during the study with Legionella spp. Among 20 isolates, 5 were considered as low-level resistant, 3 in erythromycin and 2 in ciprofloxacin, while no resistant strains were detected. Environmental surveillance in neonatal and obstetric units is suggested to prevent waterborne infections, and thus to reduce the risk of neonatal nosocomial infections.
Conservation of the Built Heritage: Pilot Site Approach to Design a Sustainable Process
Authors: Gulotta Davide , Toniolo Lucia
Published: March 2019

The conservation project of built heritage is a complex process, dealing with an extremely heterogeneous range of elements and different substrates with a large variety of conservation conditions. In recent years, its sustainability has become a relevant issue, due to the general limitation of resources and unique features of cultural heritage assets. The conservation project, therefore, requires a thorough knowledge of the specific characteristics of the site, a reliable evaluation of the treatment’s efficacy and durability, and efficient control of procedures and timing of the site during the conservation activities. A suitable approach to design the intervention is the implementation of a pilot site for the knowledge of surfaces and structures, and for the testing of different operative procedures. This approach needs the collaborative work of a multidisciplinary team coordinated by the project manager. This paper reports on the design of the conservation project of the Renaissance façade of the Monza cathedral, with the development of a pilot site as a relevant example of a complex surface. The three-phase process—preliminary knowledge, testing and implementation of the treatment methodologies, and scale-up to the general conservation project—is described and discussed with significant reference to real data from the case study.
Are Office-Based Workplace Interventions Designed to Reduce Sitting Time Cost-Effective Primary Prevention Measures for Cardiovascular Disease? A Systematic Review and Modelled Economic Evaluation
Authors: Gao Lan , Nguyen Phuong , Dunstan David , Moodie Marjory
Published: March 2019

Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of workplace-delivered interventions designed to reduce sitting time as primary prevention measures for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Australia. Methods: A Markov model was developed to simulate the lifetime cost-effectiveness of a workplace intervention for the primary prevention of CVD amongst office-based workers. An updated systematic review and a meta-analysis of workplace interventions that aim to reduce sitting time was conducted to inform the intervention effect. The primary outcome was workplace standing time. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated for this intervention measured against current practice. Costs (in Australia dollars) and benefits were discounted at 3% annually. Both deterministic (DSA) and probabilistic (PSA) sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: The updated systematic review identified only one new study. Only the multicomponent intervention that included a sit-and-stand workstation showed statistically significant changes in the standing time compared to the control. The intervention was associated with both higher costs ($6820 versus $6524) and benefits (23.28 versus 23.27, quality-adjusted life year, QALYs), generating an ICER of $43,825/QALY. The DSA showed that target age group for the intervention, relative risk of CVD relative to the control and intervention cost were the key determinants of the ICER. The base case results were within the range of the 95% confidence interval and the intervention had a 85.2% probability of being cost-effective. Conclusions: A workplace-delivered intervention in the office-based setting including a sit-and-stand desk component is a cost-effective strategy for the primary prevention of CVD. It offers a new option and location when considering interventions to target the growing CVD burden.
Population Health Inequalities Across and Within European Metropolitan Areas through the Lens of the EURO-HEALTHY Population Health Index
Authors: Costa Claudia , Santana Paula , Dimitroulopoulou Sani , Burstrom Bo , Borrell Carme , Schweikart Jürgen , Dzurova Dagmar , Zangarini Nicolás , Katsouyanni Klea , Deboseree Patrick , Freitas Ângela , Mitsakou Christina , Samoli Evangelia , Vardoulakis Sotiris , Marí Dell’Olmo Marc , Gotsens Mercè , Lustigova Michala , Corman Diana , Costa Giuseppe
Published: March 2019

The different geographical contexts seen in European metropolitan areas are reflected in the uneven distribution of health risk factors for the population. Accumulating evidence on multiple health determinants point to the importance of individual, social, economic, physical and built environment features, which can be shaped by the local authorities. The complexity of measuring health, which at the same time underscores the level of intra-urban inequalities, calls for integrated and multidimensional approaches. The aim of this study is to analyse inequalities in health determinants and health outcomes across and within nine metropolitan areas: Athens, Barcelona, Berlin-Brandenburg, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Prague, Stockholm and Turin. We use the EURO-HEALTHY Population Health Index (PHI), a tool that measures health in two components: Health Determinants and Health Outcomes. The application of this tool revealed important inequalities between metropolitan areas: Better scores were found in Northern cities when compared with their Southern and Eastern counterparts in both components. The analysis of geographical patterns within metropolitan areas showed that there are intra-urban inequalities, and, in most cities, they appear to form spatial clusters. Identifying which urban areas are measurably worse off, in either Health Determinants or Health Outcomes, or both, provides a basis for redirecting local action and for ongoing comparisons with other metropolitan areas.
Effects of Food Contamination on Gastrointestinal Morbidity: Comparison of Different Machine-Learning Methods
Authors: Song Qin , Zheng Yu-Jun , Yang Jun
Published: March 2019

Morbidity prediction can be useful in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of medical services, but accurate morbidity prediction is often difficult because of the complex relationships between diseases and their influencing factors. This study investigates the effects of food contamination on gastrointestinal-disease morbidities using eight different machine-learning models, including multiple linear regression, a shallow neural network, and three deep neural networks and their improved versions trained by an evolutionary algorithm. Experiments on the datasets from ten cities/counties in central China demonstrate that deep neural networks achieve significantly higher accuracy than classical linear-regression and shallow neural-network models, and the deep denoising autoencoder model with evolutionary learning exhibits the best prediction performance. The results also indicate that the prediction accuracies on acute gastrointestinal diseases are generally higher than those on other diseases, but the models are difficult to predict the morbidities of gastrointestinal tumors. This study demonstrates that evolutionary deep-learning models can be utilized to accurately predict the morbidities of most gastrointestinal diseases from food contamination, and this approach can be extended for the morbidity prediction of many other diseases.
Uncovering the Turnover Intention of Proactive Employees: The Mediating Role of Work Engagement and the Moderated Mediating Role of Job Autonomy
Authors: Shin Inyong , Jeung Chang-Wook
Published: March 2019

Retaining proactive employees with the potential to be high performers is recognized as an essential condition for an organization’s survival and prosperity. However, few studies have logically explained and empirically clarified the link between proactive personality, which represents a distal proactive tendency, and turnover intention to predict actual turnover behavior. With the research objective to address these research gaps, we expected that work engagement as a proximal motivational mechanism was likely to mediate the relationship between proactive personality and turnover intention, and that job autonomy as a critical job context was likely to moderate the relationship between proactive personality and work engagement. We developed a moderated mediation model incorporating these expectations. The results of the survey conducted on employees working for mid-sized manufacturing firms in Korea were consistent with our expectations. The findings of this study help uncover the intentions of turnover exhibited by proactive employees.
In Vivo Analysis of Embryo Development and Behavioral Response of Medaka Fish under Static Magnetic Field Exposures
Authors: Sun Weinong , He Yaqing , Leung Sai-Wing , Kong Yuen-Chong
Published: March 2019

The static magnetic field (SMF) in human exposure has become a health risk concern, especially with respect to prolonged exposure. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has been considering cell or animal models to be adopted to estimate the possible human health impacts after such exposure. The medaka fish is a good animal model for human-related health assessment studies; this paper examines both the embryo development and behavioral responses in medaka fish in vivo to long-term SMF exposure at the mT level. SMF exposure was examined for the complete developmental period of embryos until hatched; the embryos were monitored and recorded every 24 h for different morphological abnormalities in their developmental stages. The behavioral response of adult fish was also examined by analyzing their swimming velocities and positioning as compared with that of the control group. It was observed that there were no impacts on embryo development under prolonged exposure up to about 100 mT while the swimming behavior of the adult fish under exposure was different to the control group—the swimming movement of the treated group was more static, with an average velocity of 24.6% less as observed over a 24-h duration.
Influence of Pyrolysis Temperature on Cadmium Removal Capacity and Mechanism by Maize Straw and Platanus Leaves Biochars
Authors: Wang Haixia , Zhang Mingliang , Lv Qi
Published: March 2019

The influence of pyrolysis temperature on cadmium (Cd) removal capacity and mechanisms by maize straw biochars (MSB) and Platanus leaves biochars (PLB) pyrolyzed at 300, 400, 500 and 600 °C was investigated. The results showed that the biochars pyrolyzed at 500 °C had the highest adsorption capacity for Cd, and the maximum adsorption at pH 5.0 was 35.46 mg/g and 25.45 mg/g for MSB and PLB, respectively. The increase in adsorption efficiency with increasing temperature indicated that the adsorption of Cd onto the biochars was endothermic. Based on the balance analysis between cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) released and Cd adsorbed onto biochar in combination with SEM-EDX, FTIR, and XRD analysis, it was concluded that cation exchange, complexation with surface functional groups, precipitation with minerals (CdCO3), and coordination with π electrons were the dominant mechanisms responsible for Cd adsorption by MSB. With the pyrolysis temperature increasing from 300 to 600 °C, the contribution of cation exchange (Ca2+ and Mg2+) on Cd removal by MSB decreased from 37.4% to 11.7%, while the contribution of precipitation with Otavite (CdCO3) and Cd2+-π electrons interaction increased. For PLB, the insoluble Cd minerals were not detected by XRD, and the contribution of cation exchange had no significant difference for PLB pyrolyzed at 300, 400, 500 and 600 °C.
A Semi-distributed Model for Predicting Faecal Coliform in Urban Stormwater by Integrating SWMM and MOPUS
Authors: Hou Xiaoshu , Chen Lei , Qiu Jiali , Zhang Yali , Shen Zhenyao
Published: March 2019

The microbial contamination of urban stormwater has an important impact on human health and stormwater reuse. This study develops an exploratory semi-distributed model, MOPUS_S, which can simulate faecal coliform levels in separate sewer systems in urban catchments. The MOPUS_S was built by coupling the SWMM model and the microbial MOPUS model. The parameters associated with the deposition and wash-off of microorganisms were more influential than those related to microorganism survival processes. Compared to other existing bacterial models, MOPUS_S showed comparable performance in predicting faecal coliform concentrations. The performance varied largely between rainfall events, with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values ranging from −5.03 to 0.39 and R2 ranging from −0.02 to 0.83, respectively. The model simulation results for low and medium concentrations were better than those for the peak concentrations. Poor simulation results of peak concentrations obviously affect the overall model performance. In general, MOPUS_S could be capable of predicting the faecal coliform load in urban catchments and be a useful tool for urban stormwater management planning.
Do Drinking Motives Mediate the Relationship between Neighborhood Characteristics and Alcohol Use among Adolescents?
Authors: Martin Gina , Inchley Joanna , Currie Candace
Published: March 2019

Adolescents not only vary in their alcohol use behavior but also in their motivations for drinking. Young people living in different neighborhoods may drink for different reasons. The aims of this study were to determine if neighborhood characteristics were associated with adolescent drinking motives, and whether drinking motives mediate the relationship between neighborhood context and regular alcohol use. Data from the Scottish Health Behaviours in School-aged Children 2010 survey of students in their 4th year of secondary school were used. The study included 1119 participants who had data on neighborhood characteristics and had used alcohol in the past year. Students were asked questions about the local area where they lived, their alcohol use, and their motives for drinking alcohol, based on the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised Short Form (DMQR-SF). Multilevel multivariable models and structural equation models were used in this study. Coping motives showed significant variation across neighborhoods. Structural equation models showed coping motives mediated the relationships between neighborhood deprivation, living in an accessible small-town, and neighborhood-level disorder with regular alcohol use. Public health policies that improve neighborhood conditions and develop adaptive strategies, aimed at improving alcohol-free methods for young people to cope better with life’s stresses, may be particularly effective in reducing inequalities in adolescent alcohol use if targeted at small towns and areas of increased deprivation.
Public Facility Utility and Third-Hand Smoking Exposure without First and Second-Hand Smoking According to Urinary Cotinine Level
Authors: Moon Si Yun , Kim Tae Won , Kim Yoon-Ji , Kim Youngki , Kim Se Yeong , Kang Dongmug
Published: March 2019

Third-hand smoke (THS) causes pathological changes in the liver, lungs, and skin. THS exposure can be ubiquitous, chronic, and unconscious. However, little is known about THS exposure in public facilities and its susceptible population. This paper aimed to identify which public facilities and socio-demographic groups were especially vulnerable to THS. Data from 1360 adults obtained from Korean National Environmental Health Survey I (2009–2011) were analyzed. To study the sole effect of THS, we restricted the study population to those participants who had never smoked and who had no exposure to second-hand smoke. The assessed variables included the type and frequency of public transportation, frequency of use of 12 different public facilities, and 8 socio-demographic factors. Urinary cotinine was used as a biomarker. T-tests and analysis of variance were used for univariate analyses, while generalized linear regression was used for multivariate analysis. Frequent use of public transportation, bars, internet cafés, and participants with low levels of education, divorced or bereaved, living in multi-unit houses, and with smokers within the family were associated with significantly high urinary cotinine levels. These findings indicate that the frequent use of public transportation, certain public facilities and certain socio-demographic factors can result in high THS exposure.
Accurate Reconstruction of the LoD3 Building Model by Integrating Multi-Source Point Clouds and Oblique Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Wen Xuedong , Xie Hong , Liu Hua , Yan Li
Published: March 2019

3D urban building models, which provide 3D information services for urban planning, management and operational decision-making, are essential for constructing digital cities. Unfortunately, the existing reconstruction approaches for LoD3 building models are insufficient in model details and are associated with a heavy workload, and accordingly they could not satisfy urgent requirements of realistic applications. In this paper, we propose an accurate LoD3 building reconstruction method by integrating multi-source laser point clouds and oblique remote sensing imagery. By combing high-precision plane features extracted from point clouds and accurate boundary constraint features from oblique images, the building mainframe model, which provides an accurate reference for further editing, is quickly and automatically constructed. Experimental results show that the proposed reconstruction method outperforms existing manual and automatic reconstruction methods using both point clouds and oblique images in terms of reconstruction efficiency and spatial accuracy.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, Trichostatin A, Synergistically Enhances Paclitaxel-Induced Cytotoxicity in Urothelial Carcinoma Cells by Suppressing the ERK Pathway
Authors: Hsu Fu-Shun , Wu June-Tai , Lin Jing-Yi , Yang Shao-Ping , Kuo Kuan-Lin , Lin Wei-Chou , Shi Chung-Sheng , Chow Po-Ming , Liao Shih-Ming , Pan Chun-I , Hong Jo-Yu , Chang Hong-Chiang , Huang Kuo-How
Published: March 2019

Trichostatin A (TSA), an antifungal antibiotic derived from Streptomyces, inhibits mammalian histone deacetylases, and especially, selectively inhibits class I and II histone deacetylase (HDAC) families of enzymes. TSA reportedly elicits an antiproliferative response in multifarious tumors. This study investigated the antitumor effects of TSA alone and in combination with paclitaxel when applied to two high-grade urothelial carcinoma (UC) cell lines (BFTC-905 and BFTC-909). Fluorescence-activated cell sorting, flow cytometry, and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium assay were used to assess TSA’s cytotoxicity and effects on apoptosis induction. TSA induced synergistic cytotoxicity, when combined with paclitaxel (combination index < 1), resulted in concomitant suppression of paclitaxel-induced activation of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. A xenograft nude mouse model confirmed that TSA enhances the antitumor effects of paclitaxel. These findings demonstrate that the administration of TSA in combination with paclitaxel elicits a synergistic cytotoxic response. The results of this study indicate that the chemoresistance of UC could be circumvented by combining HDAC inhibitors to target the ERK pathway.
Gamma-Tocotrienol Induces Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells by Targeting the Ang-1/Tie-2 Signalling Pathway
Authors: Tang Kai Dun , Liu Ji , Russell Pamela J. , Clements Judith A. , Ling Ming-Tat
Published: March 2019

Emerging evidence suggests that gamma-tocotrienol (γ-T3), a vitamin E isomer, has potent anti-cancer properties against a wide-range of cancers. γ-T3 not only inhibited the growth and survival of cancer cells in vitro, but also suppressed angiogenesis and tumour metastasis under in vivo conditions. Recently, γ-T3 was found to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), leading to suppression of tumour formation and chemosensitisation. Despite its promising anti-cancer potential, the exact mechanisms responsible for the effects of γ-T3 are still largely unknown. Here, we report the identification of Ang-1 (Angiopoietin-1)/Tie-2 as a novel γ-T3 downstream target. In prostate cancer cells, γ-T3 treatment leads to the suppression of Ang-1 at both the mRNA transcript and protein levels. Supplementing the cells with Ang-1 was found to protect them against the anti-CSC effect of γ-T3. Intriguingly, inactivation of Tie-2, a member receptor that mediates the effect of Ang-1, was found to significantly enhance the cytotoxic effect of γ-T3 through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and subsequent interruption of autophagy. Our results highlighted the therapeutic potential of using γ-T3 in combination with a Tie-2 inhibitor to treat advanced prostate cancer.
An Anabolic Signaling Response of Rat Soleus Muscle to Eccentric Contractions Following Hindlimb Unloading: A Potential Role of Stretch-Activated Ion Channels
Authors: Tyganov Sergey , Mirzoev Timur , Shenkman Boris
Published: March 2019

Mechanisms that convert a mechanical signal into a biochemical response in an atrophied skeletal muscle remain poorly understood. The aims of the study were to evaluate a temporal response of anabolic signaling and protein synthesis (PS) to eccentric contractions (EC) in rat soleus during hindlimb unloading (HU); and to assess a possible role of stretch-activated ion channels (SAC) in the propagation of a mechanical signal to mTORC1 following HU. Following HU, an isolated soleus was subjected to EC. Upon completion of EC, muscles were collected for western blot analyses to determine the content/phosphorylation of the key anabolic markers. We found that a degree of EC-induced p70S6K phosphorylation and the rate of PS in the soleus of 3- and 7-day unloaded rats was significantly less than that in control. A decrease in EC-induced phosphorylation of p70S6K, RPS6 and PS in the 7-day unloaded soleus treated with SAC inhibitor did not differ from that of the 7-day unloaded soleus without SAC blockade. The results of the study suggest that (i) HU results in a blunted anabolic response to a bout of EC, (ii) attenuation of mTORC1-signaling and PS in response to EC in unloaded soleus may be associated with inactivation of SAC.
Dual-Specificity Phosphatases in Neuroblastoma Cell Growth and Differentiation
Authors: Nunes-Xavier Caroline E. , Zaldumbide Laura , Aurtenetxe Olaia , López-Almaraz Ricardo , López José I. , Pulido Rafael
Published: March 2019

Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are important regulators of neuronal cell growth and differentiation by targeting proteins essential to neuronal survival in signaling pathways, among which the MAP kinases (MAPKs) stand out. DUSPs include the MAPK phosphatases (MKPs), a family of enzymes that directly dephosphorylate MAPKs, as well as the small-size atypical DUSPs, a group of low molecular-weight enzymes which display more heterogeneous substrate specificity. Neuroblastoma (NB) is a malignancy intimately associated with the course of neuronal and neuroendocrine cell differentiation, and constitutes the source of more common extracranial solid pediatric tumors. Here, we review the current knowledge on the involvement of MKPs and small-size atypical DUSPs in NB cell growth and differentiation, and discuss the potential of DUSPs as predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets in human NB.
BplMYB46 from Betula platyphylla Can Form Homodimers and Heterodimers and Is Involved in Salt and Osmotic Stresses
Authors: Wang Yan-Min , Wang Chao , Guo Hui-Yan , Wang Yu-Cheng
Published: March 2019

MYB proteins play important roles in the regulation of plant growth, development, and stress responses. Overexpression of BplMYB46 from Betula platyphylla improved plant salt and osmotic tolerances. In the present study, the interaction of eight avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) transcription factors with BplMYB46 was investigated using the yeast two-hybrid system, which showed that BplMYB46 could form homodimers and heterodimers with BplMYB6, BplMYB8, BplMYB11, BplMYB12, and BplMYB13. Relative beta-glucuronidase activity and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that the interaction between BplMYB46 and the five MYBs increased the binding of BplMYB46 to the MYBCORE motif. A subcellular localization study showed that these MYBs were all located in the nucleus. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR results indicated that the expressions of BplMYB46 and the five MYB genes could be induced by salt and osmotic stress, and the BplMYB46 and BplMYB13 exhibited the most similar expression patterns. BplMYB46 and BplMYB13 co-overexpression in tobacco using transient transformation technology improved tobacco’s tolerance to salt and osmotic stresses compared with overexpressing BplMYB13 or BplMYB46 alone. Taken together, these results demonstrated that BplMYB46 could interact with five other MYBs to form heterodimers that activate the transcription of target genes via an enhanced binding ability to the MYBCORE motif to mediate reactive oxygen species scavenging in response to salt and osmotic stresses.