bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
El papel de las PYMES en las sociedades y su problemática empresarial
Authors: Solis Granda Luis Eduardo , Robalino Muñiz Rosa Claudiana
Published: September 2019

Las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES) representan un parte importante de la economía de un país, alrededor del 80% de las empresas constituidas en el Ecuador corresponden a PYMES y ésta conducta se observa en los demás países del mundo, pero lamentablemente se encuentran deficiencias en la gestión administrativa lo que ocasiona que ante la sociedad sean consideradas como empresas que no maduran o desarrollan económicamente. El objetivo de esta investigación es indagar sobre los procesos de gestión y la problemática de las PYMES a través de una investigación documental y deductivo-cuantitativo ya que en los últimos años la revisión de literatura, el debate y discusión sobre el tema en mención se ha ampliado y profundizado. Los resultados obtenidos de investigación revelaron: (1) retraso tecnológico (2) falta de asociatividad de las PYMES evidenciando, una deficiencia en la gestión interna y dificultad para enfrentar las competencias nacionales e internacionales. El aporte de esta investigación se centra en ahondar en las causas específicas de estos problemas, para determinarlas y puedan ayudar a mejorar el desarrollo productivo de los empresarios y microempresarios.
Referencias para calificar espacios comunes en ciudades de zonas metropolitanas del valle de Toluca, México
Authors: Gómez-Vera Laura Teresa , Zendejas-Santín Verónica , García Luna-Villagrán Georgina Alicia
Published: September 2019

El propósito del presente trabajo fue definir y entender los criterios que inducen a la conformación de indicadores que permitan comprender las variables relativas al derecho de cohabitar espacios comunes en condiciones sostenibles. Esto como una referencia para calificar ciudades de zonas metropolitanas con base en las teorías de habitabilidad, competitividad urbana y nuevo urbanismo. En términos metodológicos, se analizaron los ejes de permeabilidad, de variedad, de robustez, de legibilidad y de riqueza. De estos se desprendieron las dimensiones sociales, económicas y ambientales en las que se clasificaron las categorías de medición. Resultan ser señales del crecimiento inclusivo y de los principios de habitabilidad a favor de la competitividad urbana. Las aportaciones de este estudio se reflejan en la interpretación de dichas categorías que encamina al diseño de indicadores para delimitar el significado y el desempeño de proyectos y políticas institucionales. De esta manera se trabaja a favor de la toma de decisiones de los colectivos para mejorar la calidad de vida en las ciudades de zonas metropolitanas del valle de Toluca, México.
Percepción estudiantil sobre trampa académica en una extensión universitaria
Authors: Romero Sandoval Adriana , Ponce Cornejo Enrique
Published: September 2019

La educación superior desde un enfoque conceptual es un acto de dirección y desarrollo. La trampa académica es una práctica de deshonestidad muy frecuente, así lo demuestran varios estudios realizados sobre el tema, donde se encuentra afectada el fin de la educación superior. Este estudio busca conocer la percepción general de los estudiantes sobre lo que constituye un acto de trampa académica con el uso de tecnología o sin tecnología en una extensión universitaria ubicada en una zona rural. Se utiliza variables demográficas como sexo, semestre en el que está cursando y promedio académico. El instrumento utilizado es un apéndice de la encuesta diseñada por Donald McCabe, cuenta con 25 tipos de situaciones donde los estudiantes deberán indicar que tan serio es el acto en discusión, 1 No es trampa, 2 Trampa trivial, 3 Trampa moderada, o 4 Trampa seria. Los resultados del estudio indican que, la mayoría de los estudiantes en una extensión rural universitaria tienen una comprensión relativamente clara del significado de trampa académica.
Statistical Modeling of Photo-Bending Actuation of Hybrid Silicones Mixed with Azobenzene Powder
Authors: Taniguchi Takuya , Blanc Loïc , Asahi Toru , Koshima Hideko , Lambert Pierre
Published: September 2019

Mechanically responsive materials are promising as next-generation actuators for soft robotics, but have scarce reports on the statistical modeling of the actuation behavior. This research reports on the development and modeling of the photomechanical bending behavior of hybrid silicones mixed with azobenzene powder. The photo-responsive hybrid silicone bends away from the light source upon light irradiation when a thin paper is attached on the hybrid silicone. The time courses of bending behaviors were fitted well with exponential models with a time variable, affording fitting constants at each experimental condition. These fitted parameters were further modeled using the analysis of variance (ANOVA). Cubic models were proposed for both the photo-bending and unbending processes, which were parameterized by the powder ratio and the light intensity. This modeling process allows such photo-responsive materials to be controlled as actuators, and will possibly be effective for engineering mechanically responsive materials.
Understanding the Open Innovation Trends: An Exploratory Analysis of Breadth and Depth Decisions
Authors: Bernal Pilar , Salazar Idana , Vargas Pilar
Published: September 2019

The study of firms’ decisions on open innovation has recently attracted the attention of scholars studying the process that firms follow from closed to open models. Extant research has acknowledged that firms tend toward open innovation models and has identified the optimum levels of breadth and depth of openness toward which firms should tend. Surprisingly, there is little evidence on how firms move toward open innovation and whether they follow scholars’ recommendations. In this paper, we investigate the adoption of the open innovation model, studying firms’ decisions on breadth and depth and switching behaviours over time. This paper provides a discussion of firms’ degree of openness and how firms structure and reassess their decisions on open innovation over time. This framework was applied to the Panel of Technological Innovation database that includes data on Spanish innovating firms for the period 2005–2013.
Aeroelastic Assessments and Functional Hazard Analysis of a Regional Aircraft Equipped with Morphing Winglets
Authors: Noviello Maria Chiara , Dimino Ignazio , Concilio Antonio , Amoroso Francesco , Pecora Rosario
Published: September 2019

The application of morphing wing devices can bring several benefits in terms of aircraft performance, as the current literature shows. Within the scope of Clean Sky 2 AirGreen 2 European project, the authors provided a safety-driven design of an adaptive winglet, through the examination of potential hazards resulting from operational faults, such as actuation chain jamming or links structural fails. The main goal of this study was to verify whether the morphing winglet systems could comply with the standard civil flight safety regulations and airworthiness requirements (EASA CS25). Systems functions were firstly performed from a quality point of view at both aircraft and subsystem levels to detect potential design, crew and maintenance faults, as well as risks due to the external environment. The severity of the hazard effects was thus identified and then sorted in specific classes, representative of the maximum acceptable probability of occurrence for a single event, in association with safety design objectives. Fault trees were finally developed to assess the compliance of the system structures to the quantitative safety requirements deriving from the Fault and Hazard Analyses (FHAs). The same failure scenarios studied through FHAs have been simulated in flutter analyses performed to verify the aeroelastic effects due to the loss of the actuators or structural links at aircraft level. Obtained results were used to suggest a design solution to be implemented in the next loop of design of the morphing winglet.
Soil Water Infiltration Model for Sprinkler Irrigation Control Strategy: A Case for Tea Plantation in Yangtze River Region
Authors: Lu Yong-zong , Liu Peng-fei , Montazar Aliasghar , Paw U Kyaw-Tha , Hu Yong-guang
Published: September 2019

The sprinkler irrigation method is widely applied in tea farms in the Yangtze River region, China, which is the most famous tea production area. Knowledge of the optimal irrigation time for the sprinkler irrigation system is vital for making the soil moisture range consistent with the root boundary to attain higher yield and water use efficiency. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of soil water infiltration and redistribution under the irrigation water applications rates of 4 mm/h, 6 mm/h, and 8 mm/h, and the slope gradients of 0°, 5°, and 15°. A new soil water infiltration model was established based on water application rate and slope gradient. Infiltration experimental results showed that soil water infiltration rate increased with the application rate when the slope gradient remained constant. Meanwhile, it decreased with the increase in slope gradient at a constant water application rate. In the process of water redistribution, the increment of volumetric water content (VWC) increased at a depth of 10 cm as the water application rate increased, which affected the ultimate infiltration depth. When the slope gradient was constant, a lower water application rate extended the irrigation time, but increased the ultimate infiltration depth. At a constant water application rate, the infiltration depth increased with the increase in slope gradient. As the results showed in the infiltration model validation experiments, the infiltration depths measured were 38.8 cm and 41.1 cm. The relative errors between measured infiltration depth and expected value were 3.1% and 2.7%, respectively, which met the requirement of the soil moisture range consistent with the root boundary. Therefore, this model could be used to determine the optimal irrigation time for developing a sprinkler irrigation control strategy for tea fields in the Yangtze River region.
Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Temporal and Spatial Changes in Physiological Process and Gene Expression in Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) Grown under Drought Stress
Authors: Hou Zehao , Yin Junliang , Lu Yifei , Song Jinghan , Wang Shuping , Wei Shudong , Liu Zhixiong , Zhang Yingxin , Fang Zhengwu
Published: September 2019

Common buckwheat is a traditional alternative crop that originated from the northwest of China and is widely cultivated worldwide. However, common buckwheat is highly sensitive to drought stress, especially at the seedling stage, and the molecular mechanisms underlying the response to drought stress still remain elusive. In this study, we analyzed the stress phenotypes of buckwheat seedlings under drought condition. The results showed the wrinkled cotyledon due to the decrease of relative water content (RWC) in response to the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. Transcriptomic analysis was further performed to analyze the regulation patterns of stress-responding genes in common buckwheat cotyledons and roots under drought stress conditions. Characterizations of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed differential regulation of genes involved in the photosynthesis and oxidoreductase activity in cotyledon, and that they were highly related to the post-transcriptional modification and metabolic process in root. There were 180 drought-inducible transcription factors identified in both cotyledons and roots of the common buckwheat. Our analysis not only identified the drought responsive DEGs and indicated their possible roles in stress adaption, but also primarily studied the molecular mechanisms regulating the drought stress response in common buckwheat.
Effect of Dietary Replacement of Fishmeal by Insect Meal on Growth Performance, Blood Profiles and Economics of Growing Pigs in Kenya
Authors: Chia Shaphan Y. , Tanga Chrysantus M. , Osuga Isaac M. , Alaru Alphonce O. , Mwangi David M. , Githinji Macdonald , Subramanian Sevgan , Fiaboe Komi K. M. , Ekesi Sunday , van Loon Joop J. A. , Dicke Marcel
Published: September 2019

Pig production is one of the fastest growing livestock sectors. Development of this sector is hampered by rapidly increasing costs of fishmeal (FM), which is a common protein source in animal feeds. Here, we explored the potential of substituting FM with black soldier fly larval meal (BSFLM) on growth and blood parameters of pigs as well as economic aspects. At weaning, 40 hybrid pigs, i.e., crossbreeds of purebred Large White and Landrace were randomly assigned to five iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic dietary treatments: Control (0% BSFLM and 100% FM (T0)), and FM replaced at 25% (T25), 50% (T50), 75% (T75) and 100% (T100) with BSFLM. Average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated for the whole trial. Hematological and serum biochemical parameters, the cost–benefit ratio (CBR) and return on investment (RoI) were evaluated. No significant effect of diet type was observed on feed intake and daily weight gain. Red or white blood cell indices did not differ among diets. Pigs fed T25, T75 and T100, had lower platelet counts compared to T0 and T50. Dietary inclusion of BSFLM did not affect blood total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. CBR and RoI were similar for the various diets. In conclusion, BSFLM is a suitable and cost-effective alternative to fishmeal in feed for growing pigs.
Aggressiveness, Mating Behaviour and Lifespan of Group Housed Rabbit Does
Authors: Gerencsér Zsolt , Matics Zsolt , Szabó Rubina T. , Kustos Károly , Mikó Annamária , Nagy István , Odermatt Meinrad , Atkári Tamás , Szendrő Zsolt
Published: September 2019

Aggressiveness is one of the main problems in group housing of rabbit does. The aim of the experiment was to investigate the frequency of aggressiveness and mating behaviour as well as the lifespan of does depending on group composition. The female and male rabbits were housed in one of the 7.7 m2 pens (four females and one male per pen). Based on the ages of female rabbits two homogenous groups (HOM) were formed containing four 17-week-old females and two heterogeneous groups (HET) containing three 17-week-old and one 1-year-old female. Twenty-four-hour video recordings were taken during the first month after assembling the groups, and the aggressive actions (fights) and matings were counted. The lifespan was examined over a 200-day experimental period. On the day after assembling the groups the number of fights among does was high in HET group. The same aggressive behaviour only started a week later in HOM group, and some fights between females and the male were also observed. The daily peaks of aggressiveness were in the morning (after the light on) and in the evening (before and after the lights off). The primary position of females in the hierarchy was clear but sometimes no differences were detected among the subordinate females. The mortality of does was connected with their rank order. The number of matings was very high on the day of assembling the groups and a second small peak was observed at the end of the hypothetical pseudo-pregnancy. In addition to mating between male and females, female–female and female–male mounting was also observed. Despite of the small sample size it seems that aggressive behaviour is frequent in group housing systems, which is contrary to animal welfare. Natural mating is not effective in group-housing system.
Actinomycete-Derived Polyketides as a Source of Antibiotics and Lead Structures for the Development of New Antimicrobial Drugs
Authors: Robertsen Helene L. , Musiol-Kroll Ewa M.
Published: September 2019

Actinomycetes are remarkable producers of compounds essential for human and veterinary medicine as well as for agriculture. The genomes of those microorganisms possess several sets of genes (biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC)) encoding pathways for the production of the valuable secondary metabolites. A significant proportion of the identified BGCs in actinomycetes encode pathways for the biosynthesis of polyketide compounds, nonribosomal peptides, or hybrid products resulting from the combination of both polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). The potency of these molecules, in terms of bioactivity, was recognized in the 1940s, and started the “Golden Age” of antimicrobial drug discovery. Since then, several valuable polyketide drugs, such as erythromycin A, tylosin, monensin A, rifamycin, tetracyclines, amphotericin B, and many others were isolated from actinomycetes. This review covers the most relevant actinomycetes-derived polyketide drugs with antimicrobial activity, including anti-fungal agents. We provide an overview of the source of the compounds, structure of the molecules, the biosynthetic principle, bioactivity and mechanisms of action, and the current stage of development. This review emphasizes the importance of actinomycetes-derived antimicrobial polyketides and should serve as a “lexicon”, not only to scientists from the Natural Products field, but also to clinicians and others interested in this topic.
Using Colistin as a Trojan Horse: Inactivation of Gram-Negative Bacteria with Chlorophyllin
Authors: Richter Peter , Krüger Marcus , Prasad Binod , Gastiger Susanne , Bodenschatz Mona , Wieder Florian , Burkovski Andreas , Geißdörfer Walter , Lebert Michael , Strauch Sebastian M.
Published: September 2019

Colistin (polymyxin E) is a membrane-destabilizing antibiotic used against Gram-negative bacteria. We have recently reported that the outer membrane prevents the uptake of antibacterial chlorophyllin into Gram-negative cells. In this study, we used sub-toxic concentrations of colistin to weaken this barrier for a combination treatment of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium with chlorophyllin. In the presence of 0.25 µg/mL colistin, chlorophyllin was able to inactivate both bacteria strains at concentrations of 5–10 mg/L for E. coli and 0.5–1 mg/L for S. Typhimurium, which showed a higher overall susceptibility to chlorophyllin treatment. In accordance with a previous study, chlorophyllin has proven antibacterial activity both as a photosensitizer, illuminated with 12 mW/cm2, and in darkness. Our data clearly confirmed the relevance of the outer membrane in protection against xenobiotics. Combination treatment with colistin broadens chlorophyllin’s application spectrum against Gram-negatives and gives rise to the assumption that chlorophyllin together with cell membrane-destabilizing substances may become a promising approach in bacteria control. Furthermore, we demonstrated that colistin acts as a door opener even for the photodynamic inactivation of colistin-resistant (mcr-1-positive) E. coli cells by chlorophyllin, which could help us to overcome this antimicrobial resistance.
Does Apical Papilla Survive and Develop in Apical Periodontitis Presence after Regenerative Endodontic Procedures?
Authors: Palma Paulo , Martins João , Diogo Patrícia , Sequeira Diana , Ramos João , Diogenes Aníbal , Santos João
Published: September 2019

Regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) have emerged as a treatment option for immature necrotic teeth to allow the reestablishment of a newly formed vital tissue and enable continued root development. The apical papilla stem cells (SCAPs) play an important role in physiologic root development and may also contribute to further root development during REPs. The goal of these case reports is to show evidence of the apical papilla survival and development, in human teeth with apical periodontitis, after REPs, with 5-year clinical and radiographic follow-up. In the first case, an 11-year-old girl with acute apical abscess of tooth 15 was referred for a REP. Treatment was performed with an intracanal medication followed by induction of a blood clot and a Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) cervical barrier. The 5-year follow-up showed an appreciable increase in root length as well as root canal thickness. In case 2, a 16-year-old girl was referred for endodontic treatment of tooth 21. The parents of the patient recalled a previous dental trauma (no specified on the patient records) on tooth 21 at age 7. The dental history reports a previous endodontic treatment failure and presence of a long-standing sinus tract. A mineralized tissue beyond the root apical portion could be seen at the preoperative X-ray. Nonsurgical root canal retreatment with an apical barrier was suggested as the treatment plan and accepted by the patient. After 2 weeks, the patient was recalled for a follow-up appointment presenting spontaneous pain, swelling, and sinus tract. Apical surgery was performed. Histopathological assessment of the apical root fragment collected showed the presence of dentin, cementum and pulp tissue, including odontoblasts. The 5-year follow-up depicted complete apical healing. The present case reports support survival and continued potential differentiation of the apical papilla after endodontic infection.
Cooperative Multi-UAV Collision Avoidance Based on a Complex Network
Authors: Huang Yang , Tang Jun , Lao Songyang
Published: September 2019

The conflict resolution problem in cooperative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) clusters sharing a three-dimensional airspace with increasing air traffic density is very important. This paper innovatively solves this problem by employing the complex network (CN) algorithm. The proposed approach allows a UAV to perform only one maneuver—that of the flight level change. The novel UAV conflict resolution is divided into two steps, corresponding to the key node selection (KS) algorithm based on the node contraction method and the sense selection (SS) algorithm based on an objective function. The efficiency of the cooperative multi-UAV collision avoidance (CA) system improved a lot due to the simple two-step collision avoidance logic. The paper compares the difference between random selection and the use of the node contraction method to select key nodes. Experiments showed that using the node contraction method to select key nodes can make the collision avoidance effect of UAVs better. The CA maneuver was validated with quantitative simulation experiments, demonstrating advantages such as minimal cost when considering the robustness of the global traffic situation, as well as significant real-time and high efficiency. The CN algorithm requires a relatively small computing time that renders the approach highly suitable for solving real-life operational situations.
Information Extraction of Cybersecurity Concepts: An LSTM Approach
Authors: Gasmi Houssem , Laval Jannik , Bouras Abdelaziz
Published: September 2019

Extracting cybersecurity entities and the relationships between them from online textual resources such as articles, bulletins, and blogs and converting these resources into more structured and formal representations has important applications in cybersecurity research and is valuable for professional practitioners. Previous works to accomplish this task were mainly based on utilizing feature-based models. Feature-based models are time-consuming and need labor-intensive feature engineering to describe the properties of entities, domain knowledge, entity context, and linguistic characteristics. Therefore, to alleviate the need for feature engineering, we propose the usage of neural network models, specifically the long short-term memory (LSTM) models to accomplish the tasks of Named Entity Recognition (NER) and Relation Extraction (RE). We evaluated the proposed models on two tasks. The first task is performing NER and evaluating the results against the state-of-the-art Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) method. The second task is performing RE using three LSTM models and comparing their results to assess which model is more suitable for the domain of cybersecurity. The proposed models achieved competitive performance with less feature-engineering work. We demonstrate that exploiting neural network models in cybersecurity text mining is effective and practical.
The UV Plasmonic Behavior of Rhodium Tetrahedrons—A Numerical Analysis
Authors: Gutiérrez Yael , González Francisco , Moreno Fernando
Published: September 2019

Rhodium (Rh) nanoparticles have attracted a lot of attention due to their strong and ambient-stable UV plasmonic response. Very recently, the synthesis of Rh tetrahedra with and without concave defect-rich surfaces serving in plasmon assisted photocatalytic energy conversion has been reported. In this work, we perform a systematic numerical study on plasmonic behavior and surface charge distribution in order to optimize the use of Rh tetrahedra in surface-enhanced spectroscopies and photocatalysis. We analyze the effect of the edges and corners reshaping, a deformation already reported to appear in Rh nanocubes which have been repeatedly re-used in photocatalytic processes. It is demonstrated that rounding the edges and corners weakens both the near-field enhancement and surface charge densities in these locations, which in turn are the more reactive regions due to the presence of uncoordinated sites. In addition, we study how the near-field and charge density is redistributed on the surface of the tetrahedra when concavities of different sizes and depths are introduced. Through this study, we show that, in order to simultaneously maximize the near-field enhancement and surface charge densities in the concavity and at external edges and corners, medium size deep concavities are needed.
Design and Implementation of a Polar Wind and Solar Hybrid Power Supply Controller
Authors: Chen Yan , Ma Chunyan , Hou Xiangnan , Dou Yinke , Chen Rui
Published: September 2019

Based on the preliminary study of the distribution of wind and light resources in the Zhongshan Station of Antarctica, and the conclusion that the scenery and resources of the station area are sufficient and complementary, this paper proposes to adapt to the power supply problem of the aeroponic, stereoscopic cultivation device in the Controlled Micro-environment applied to the polar regions. The overall architecture of the power supply system is designed. Based on the STC8A8K64S4A12 single-chip microcomputer, the hardware circuit and software program of the wind and solar hybrid power supply system controller are also designed. Finally, the debugging experiment is carried out.
A Static Balancing Method for Variable Payloads by Combination of a Counterweight and Spring and Its Application as a Surgical Platform
Authors: Woo Jaehong , Seo Jong-Tae , Yi Byung-Ju
Published: September 2019

Stackable mechanism architecture has demonstrated effective gravity-balancing over entire workspaces. Adjustable balancing is required when balancing is broken due to changing the payload at the distal end of a mechanism. In this paper, adjustable balancing of the stackable mechanism for a variable payload is investigated. For this, balancing conditions for three adjustable balancing methods are suggested, and a new balancing method combining a spring and counterweight is considered as an effective means of adjustable balancing for variable payloads. The excellent performance of the system is proven through experiments. Electromyography (EMG) sensors are employed to measure the amount of energy expenditure during the drilling task. It was verified through several tests that an operator holding a drill mounted at the distal end of a stackable arm felt less energy compared to an operator holding the drill directly in free space. The developed balancing arm was successfully applied during a mastoidectomy. A 3-step warning algorithm along with a braking function was found to be effective for safe surgery.
Detecting the Extremely Small Angle of an Axicon by Phase-Shifting Digital Holography
Authors: Zheng Yuchuan , Chen Li , Fan Weiru , Hu Xiansheng , Chen Ziyang , Pu Jixiong
Published: September 2019

Axicon is an optical element that can be used to produce high-quality Bessel beams efficiently. In general, the smaller the base angle of the axicon is, the longer the diffraction-free distance of the generated Bessel beam will be. Therefore, axicon with an extremely small base angle is important for the generation of Bessel beam. However, the measurement of an extremely small base angle is a challenge. Here, we applied the phase-shifting digital holography in the measurement of axicon angle. The errors of the three measured axicons with base angles of 0.5°, 1°, and 1° were 1.94%, 4.43%, and 1.63%, respectively.
Consumer-Driven Usability Test of Mobile Application for Tea Recommendation Service
Authors: Lee Jisun , Kang Seungwoo
Published: September 2019

The rapidly growing interest in healthy lifestyles and the health benefit of foods and the growing tea-consuming population are driving the growth of the tea industry. In particular, the growing preference among Millennials for premium blended tea is leading the growth of the tea market. In this paper, we study the feasibility of recommendation services for blended tea, which has not been addressed well by existing recommender systems. To this end, we design TeaPickTM, a mobile application that suggests a blend of tea suited to the user’s preferences including desired health benefits. To evaluate the application and its recommendations, we conduct not only a usability test, but also a consumer acceptance test with 31 participants. Our user study shows that the participants were positive about the recommendation service provided by our application and were generally satisfied with the recommended tea.
Mapping the Sea on Scotland’s Peripheries
Authors: Panneels Inge
Published: September 2019

This paper examines the use of mapping methodologies in some recent examples of contemporary art that chart the layered seascapes of the remote coastlines on North West Scotland as seen through the lens of visual culture in the Anthropocene. The art projects interrogate conflicting perspectives on landscape and nature in the North. The case studies demonstrate, both directly and indirectly, the political and cultural tensions made evident by the mapping of the micro and macro undercurrents at work in the region, and examine how mapping has been used as a methodology to visualise those intractable material relationships, often using the map as a trope to do so. These mappings make visible the enmeshments of these remote locations into a global ecosystem. The concept of the Anthropocene provides a useful framework to describe the contemporary context of climate change, ecological decline, biodiversity loss and recent discourses on land use within which the artworks by two artists, Julia Barton and Stephen Hurrel, will be discussed. The significance of Kester’s concept of Littoral Art were explored through the eponymous art project by Barton, which maps the human debris brought by the northern sea currents to the shores of the Western and Northern coasts, and Stephen Hurrel’s cultural mapping of the island of Barra on the West Coast. These projects were further considered in the context of Timothy Morton and Tim Ingold’s meshwork theory and the concept of the 19th century Scottish town planner and environmentalist Patrick Geddes, whose urging to ‘think global, act local’ is implicit in the multi-layered understanding of the Anthropocene.
A Performance Study of the Impact of Different Perturbation Methods on the Efficiency of GVNS for Solving TSP
Authors: Papalitsas Christos , Karakostas Panayiotis , Andronikos Theodore
Published: September 2019

The purpose of this paper is to assess how three shaking procedures affect the performance of a metaheuristic GVNS algorithm. The first shaking procedure is generally known in the literature as intensified shaking method. The second is a quantum-inspired perturbation method, and the third is a shuffle method. The GVNS schemes are evaluated using a search strategy for both First and Best improvement and a time limit of one and two minutes. The formed GVNS schemes were applied on Traveling Salesman Problem (sTSP, nTSP) benchmark instances from the well-known TSPLib. To examine the potential advantage of any of the three metaheuristic schemes, extensive statistical analysis was performed on the reported results. The experimental data shows that for aTSP instances the first two methods perform roughly equivalently and, in any case, much better than the shuffle approach. In addition, the first method performs better than the other two when using the First Improvement strategy, while the second method gives results quite similar to the third. However, no significant deviations were observed when different methods of perturbation were used for Symmetric TSP instances (sTSP, nTSP).
Contribution of Meteorological Conditions to the Variation in Winter PM2.5 Concentrations from 2013 to 2019 in Middle-Eastern China
Authors: Liu Zhaodong , Wang Hong , Shen Xinyong , Peng Yue , Shi Yishe , Che Huizheng , Wang Guanghui
Published: September 2019

Severe air pollution events accompanied by high PM2.5 concentrations have been repeatedly observed in Middle-Eastern China since 2013 and decreased in recent years. The reason for this caused widespread attention. The month of January was selected to represent the winter season annual changes in the winter PM2.5 and meteorological conditions—including the upper-air meridional circulation index (MCI), winds at 700 and 850 hPa levels and surface meteorology—from 2013 to 2019. These conditions were analyzed to study the contribution of meteorology changing to the annual PM2.5 changing on the regional scale. Results show that, based on values of upper-level MCI, the years 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019 were defined as meteorology-haze years and the years 2016 and 2018 were defined as meteorology-clean years. A change in meteorological conditions may lead to a 26% change in PM2.5 concentration between 2014 and 2013 (two meteorology-haze years) and 16–20% changes in PM2.5 concentration between meteorology-haze years and meteorology-clean years. Changes in pollutant emissions may cause 21–47% changes in PM2.5 concentration between each two meteorology-haze years. A comparison of two meteorology-clean years and pollutant emissions in 2018 may be reduced by 40% compared with 2016. Overall, changes in emissions had a greater influence on changes in PM2.5 compared with meteorological conditions.
Pharmacokinetic Properties of Fluorescently Labelled Hydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin
Authors: Váradi Judit , Hermenean Anca , Gesztelyi Rudolf , Jeney Viktória , Balogh Enikő , Majoros László , Malanga Milo , Fenyvesi Éva , Szente Lajos , Bácskay Ildikó , Vecsernyés Miklós , Fehér Pálma , Ujhelyi Zoltán , Vasvári Gábor , Árvai István , Rusznyák Ágnes , Balta Cornel , Herman Hildegard , Fenyvesi Ferenc
Published: September 2019

2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) is utilized in the formulation of pharmaceutical products and recently orphan designation was granted for the treatment of Niemann–Pick disease, type C. The exact mechanism of HPBCD action and side effects are not completely explained. We used fluorescently labelled hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (FITC-HPBCD) to study its pharmacokinetic parameters in mice and compare with native HPBCD data. We found that FITC-HPBCD has fast distribution and elimination, similar to HPBCD. Interestingly animals could be divided into two groups, where the pharmacokinetic parameters followed or did not follow the two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. Tissue distribution studies revealed, that a significant amount of FITC-HPBCD could be detected in kidneys after 60 min treatment, due to its renal excretion. Ex vivo fluorescent imaging showed that fluorescence could be measured in lung, liver, brain and spleen after 30 min of treatment. To model the interaction and cellular distribution of FITC-HPBCD in the wall of blood vessels, we treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with FITC-HPBCD and demonstrated for the first time that this compound could be detected in the cytoplasm in small vesicles after 30 min of treatment. FITC-HPBCD has similar pharmacokinetic to HPBCD and can provide new information to the detailed mechanism of action of HPBCD.
MET Inhibitors in Small Cell Lung Cancer: From the Bench to the Bedside
Authors: Hardy-Werbin Max , del Rey-Vergara Raúl , Galindo-Campos Miguel Alejandro , Moliner Laura , Arriola Edurne
Published: September 2019

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive type of lung cancer. The different systemic treatment approaches attempted in the last 35 years have not improved overall survival in the advanced stage. Targeted therapies assessed in clinical trials have failed to show efficacy against SCLC. Within the potentially interesting targets, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) pathway activation is associated with worse survival and chemoresistance in SCLC. Preclinical data suggest that the inhibition of the MET pathway can revert chemoresistance and prevent tumor growth. Recently, immunotherapy has shown modest but relevant activity in SCLC. Interestingly, MET modulation seems to be involved in increasing the efficacy of standard checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we review the preclinical and clinical data of MET inhibition in SCLC, and the role of this pathway in the immune response.
Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Prostate Cancer—An Intriguing Example of Tumor Evolution at Play
Authors: Patel Girijesh Kumar , Chugh Natasha , Tripathi Manisha
Published: September 2019

Our understanding of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) has assumed a new perspective in light of the recent advances in research. Although classical NEPC is rarely seen in the clinic, focal neuroendocrine trans-differentiation of prostate adenocarcinoma occurs in about 30% of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) cases, and represents a therapeutic challenge. Even though our knowledge of the mechanisms that mediate neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) is still evolving, the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as a key driver of this phenomenon is increasingly becoming evident. In this review, we discuss the molecular, cellular, and therapeutic mediators of NED, and emphasize the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in orchestrating the phenotype. Understanding the role of the TME in mediating NED could provide us with valuable insights into the plasticity associated with the phenotype, and reveal potential therapeutic targets against this aggressive form of PCa.
Hepatic Stress Response in HCV Infection Promotes STAT3-Mediated Inhibition of HNF4A-miR-122 Feedback Loop in Liver Fibrosis and Cancer Progression
Authors: Aydin Yucel , Kurt Ramazan , Song Kyoungsub , Lin Dong , Osman Hanadi , Youngquist Brady , Scott John W. , Shores Nathan J. , Thevenot Paul , Cohen Ari , Dash Srikanta
Published: September 2019

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection compromises the natural defense mechanisms of the liver leading to a progressive end stage disease such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The hepatic stress response generated due to viral replication in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) undergoes a stepwise transition from adaptive to pro-survival signaling to improve host cell survival and liver disease progression. The minute details of hepatic pro-survival unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling that contribute to HCC development in cirrhosis are unknown. This study shows that the UPR sensor, the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), mediates the pro-survival signaling through nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation in a persistent HCV infection model of Huh-7.5 liver cells. The NRF2-mediated STAT3 activation in persistently infected HCV cell culture model resulted in the decreased expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4A), a major liver-specific transcription factor. The stress-induced inhibition of HNF4A expression resulted in a significant reduction of liver-specific microRNA-122 (miR-122) transcription. It was found that the reversal of hepatic adaptive pro-survival signaling and restoration of miR-122 level was more efficient by interferon (IFN)-based antiviral treatment than direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). To test whether miR-122 levels could be utilized as a biomarker of hepatic adaptive stress response in HCV infection, serum miR-122 level was measured among healthy controls, and chronic HCV patients with or without cirrhosis. Our data show that serum miR-122 expression level remained undetectable in most of the patients with cirrhosis (stage IV fibrosis), suggesting that the pro-survival UPR signaling increases the risk of HCC through STAT3-mediated suppression of miR-122. In conclusion, our data indicate that hepatic pro-survival UPR signaling suppresses the liver-specific HNF4A and its downstream target miR-122 in cirrhosis. These results provide an explanation as to why cirrhosis is a risk factor for the development of HCC in chronic HCV infection.
Radiomics and Texture Analysis in Laryngeal Cancer. Looking for New Frontiers in Precision Medicine through Imaging Analysis
Authors: Chiesa-Estomba Carlos Miguel , Echaniz Oier , Larruscain Ekhiñe , Gonzalez-Garcia Jose Angel , Sistiaga-Suarez Jon Alexander , Graña Manuel
Published: September 2019

Radiomics and texture analysis represent a new option in our biomarkers arsenal. These techniques extract a large number of quantitative features, analyzing their properties to incorporate them in clinical decision-making. Laryngeal cancer represents one of the most frequent cancers in the head and neck area. We hypothesized that radiomics features can be included as a laryngeal cancer precision medicine tool, as it is able to non-invasively characterize the overall tumor accounting for heterogeneity, being a prognostic and/or predictive biomarker derived from routine, standard of care, imaging data, and providing support during the follow up of the patient, in some cases avoiding the need for biopsies. The larynx represents a unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for clinicians due to its complex tridimensional anatomical structure. Its complex regional and functional anatomy makes it necessary to enhance our diagnostic tools in order to improve decision-making protocols, aimed at better survival and functional results. For this reason, this technique can be an option for monitoring the evolution of the disease, especially in surgical and non-surgical organ preservation treatments. This concise review article will explain basic concepts about radiomics and discuss recent progress and results related to laryngeal cancer.
Chemical and Electronic Changes of the CeO2 Support during CO Oxidation on Au/CeO2 Catalysts: Time-Resolved Operando XAS at the Ce LIII Edge
Authors: Bansmann Joachim , Abdel-Mageed Ali M. , Chen Shilong , Fauth Corinna , Häring Thomas , Kučerová Gabriela , Wang Yuchen , Behm R. Jürgen
Published: September 2019

While being highly active for the CO oxidation reaction already at low temperatures, Au/CeO2 catalysts suffer from continuous deactivation with time on stream, with the activity and deactivation depending on the initial catalyst activation procedure. In previous X-ray absorption measurements at the Au LIII edge, which focused on changes in the electronic and geometric changes of Au, we found a modest increase of the Au particle size during reaction, with the Au nanoparticles (NPs) present in a dominantly metallic state during reaction, regardless of the pretreatment. Here we aim at expanding on these insights by examining the changes in electronic and chemical composition of the CeO2 support induced by different pretreatment procedures and during subsequent CO oxidation at 80 °C, by following changes at the Ce LIII near edge region in time-resolved operando X-ray absorption measurements. The results indicate a strong dependence of the initial concentration of Ce3+ ions on the pretreatment, while during subsequent reaction this rapidly approaches a steady-state value which depends on the oxidative/reductive character of the reaction gas mixture, but is largely independent of the pretreatment. These results are discussed and related to earlier finding on the electronic properties of Au nanoparticles under identical reaction conditions.
HtrA4 Protease Promotes Chemotherapeutic-Dependent Cancer Cell Death
Authors: Wenta Tomasz , Rychlowski Michal , Jarzab Miroslaw , Lipinska Barbara
Published: September 2019

The HtrA4 human protease is crucial in placentation and embryo implantation, and its altered level is connected with pre-eclampsia. The meta-analyses of microarray assays revealed that the HtrA4 level is changed in brain tumors and breast and prostate cancers, which suggests its involvement in oncogenesis. In spite of the HtrA4 involvement in important physiological and pathological processes, its function in the cell is poorly understood. In this work, using lung and breast cancer cell lines, we showed for the first time that the full-length HtrA4 and its N-terminally deleted variant promote cancer cell death induced by chemotherapeutic drugs by enhancing apoptosis. The effect is dependent on the HtrA4 proteolytic activity, and the N-terminally deleted HtrA4 is more efficient in the cell death stimulation. Furthermore, HtrA4 increases the effect of chemotherapeutics on the clonogenic potential and motility of cancer cells, and it increases cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. HtrA4 may modulate cell death by degrading the anti-apoptotic XIAP protein and also by proteolysis of the executioner pro-caspase 7 and cytoskeletal proteins, actin and β-tubulin. These findings provide new insight into the mechanism of the HtrA4 protease function in cell death and oncogenesis, and they may help to develop new anti-cancer therapeutic strategies.
Diverse Roads Taken by 13C-Glucose-Derived Metabolites in Breast Cancer Cells Exposed to Limiting Glucose and Glutamine Conditions
Authors: Gkiouli Maria , Biechl Philipp , Eisenreich Wolfgang , Otto Angela M.
Published: September 2019

In cancers, tumor cells are exposed to fluctuating nutrient microenvironments with limiting supplies of glucose and glutamine. While the metabolic program has been related to the expression of oncogenes, only fractional information is available on how variable precarious nutrient concentrations modulate the cellular levels of metabolites and their metabolic pathways. We thus sought to obtain an overview of the metabolic routes taken by 13C-glucose-derived metabolites in breast cancer MCF-7 cells growing in combinations of limiting glucose and glutamine concentrations. Isotopologue profiles of key metabolites were obtained by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). They revealed that in limiting and standard saturating medium conditions, the same metabolic routes were engaged, including glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, as well as the TCA cycle with glutamine and pyruvate anaplerosis. However, the cellular levels of 13C-metabolites, for example, serine, alanine, glutamate, malate, and aspartate, were highly sensitive to the available concentrations and the ratios of glucose and glutamine. Notably, intracellular lactate concentrations did not reflect the Warburg effect. Also, isotopologue profiles of 13C-serine as well as 13C-alanine show that the same glucose-derived metabolites are involved in gluconeogenesis and pyruvate replenishment. Thus, anaplerosis and the bidirectional flow of central metabolic pathways ensure metabolic plasticity for adjusting to precarious nutrient conditions.