bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential increase in the thickness of abdominal muscles during different squat exercises in college athletes
Authors: Lee Young-Jung , Lim One-Bin , Cynn Heon-Seock , Yi Chung-Hwi
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND:

The squat exercise is frequently used to develop muscle strength of the lower back, hip, and knee regions to improve physical performance.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effects of squat exercises involving three types of isometric hip contractions and two types of wall conditions on the thickness of abdominal muscles in college athletes.

METHODS:

Twenty-seven college athletes, 17 men and 10 women, took part in the study. Subjects performed the standard squat without hip contraction, the isometric hip adduction squat, and the isometric hip abduction squat with and without using a wall. Abdominal thickness was measured with an ultrasound and presented as muscle thickness ratio.

RESULTS:

The transversus abdominis (TrA) and internal oblique (IO) thickness ratio was significantly greater during the isometric hip adduction squat exercise compared to the standard and isometric hip abduction squat exercises. The TrA and IO thickness ratio in the isometric hip abduction squat exercise was significantly higher than that in the standard squat exercise. The external oblique (EO) thickness ratio was significantly higher in the squat exercise without wall compared to the squat exercise with wall.

CONCLUSIONS:

Isometric hip adduction squat exercise may be an effective method for increasing the TrA and IO thickness ratio while performing the squat exercise without wall may help increase the EO thickness ratio.
Derrida on Carnophallogocentrism and the Primal Parricide
Authors: Baumeister David
Published: May 2017

This article discusses the concept of carnophallogocentrism and its place in Derrida's philosophy of animality. I read Derrida's embryonic account of carnophallogocentrism in light of his treatment of the primal parricide of Freud's Totem and Taboo and suggest that opening this interpretive channel allows us to grasp how carnophallogocentrism can contribute to the history of ‘anthropo-centric subjectivity’ that Derrida diagnoses in The Animal That Therefore I Am. In conversation with recent commentators, I begin by characterizing carnophallogocentrism as the idea that a symbolic yet constitutive schema of ingestion underlies the relation between ‘man’ and ‘animal’. I then turn to Freud's image of the primal parricide and to Derrida's treatment of it in several texts. Given the strong structural parallels between carnophallogocentrism and the primal parricide – which figures human civilization as the historical product of a founding event of patriarchal violence and sacrificial ingestion – attending to Derrida's treatment of the primal parricide helps us fill out his view of carnophallogocentrism, and so better appreciate the breadth of his approach to the historical relation between humans and other animals.
Inventing London: Derrida's Legacies in Sally Potter'sYesand Anthony Minghella'sBreaking and Entering
Authors: Diebschlag Natalie
Published: May 2017

Taking Jacques Derrida's multi-faceted notion of invention as a common denominator of on the one hand artistic practice and, on the other, the writing strategies of deconstruction, this article investigates the ethics of cinematic expression in a reading of two examples of twenty-first-century British filmmaking, Sally Potter's Yes and Anthony Minghella's Breaking and Entering. Both films deploy the demographically diverse cityscape of contemporary London as the stage for their respective geopolitical concerns – that is, post-9/11 in the case of Yes and anxieties surrounding the EU expansion in the case Breaking and Entering – and set out to explore the destructive as well as the convivial possibilities of serendipitous encounters along cultural, social and gender divides. In so doing, they articulate a dual ontology, one which is situated in the reality of present-day politics and one which enacts the messianic structure of deconstruction. More importantly, they do so by reflecting on the transformative potential of invention, whether in the guise of literature, architecture, acrobatics, music or film. The first part of this article touches upon experimentalist features and themes in Yes and relates them to instances of Derridean ethics; the second part is more narrative-oriented and focuses on a parallel reading of Derrida's ‘On Cosmopolitanism’ and Minghella's portrayal of King's Cross, a north London area in transition, as a deconstruction of cosmopolitanism, that is an instantiation of the semi-concept of the city of refuge.
Modelling Nutrient Load Changes from Fertilizer Application Scenarios in Six Catchments around the Baltic Sea
Authors: Thodsen Hans , Farkas Csilla , Chormanski Jaroslaw , Trolle Dennis , Blicher-Mathiesen Gitte , Grant Ruth , Engebretsen Alexander , Kardel Ignacy , Andersen Hans
Published: May 2017

The main environmental stressor of the Baltic Sea is elevated riverine nutrient loads, mainly originating from diffuse agricultural sources. Agricultural practices, intensities, and nutrient losses vary across the Baltic Sea drainage basin (1.75 × 106 km2, 14 countries and 85 million inhabitants). Six “Soil and Water Assessment Tool” (SWAT) models were set up for catchments representing the major agricultural systems, and covering the different climate gradients in the Baltic Sea drainage basin. Four fertilizer application scenarios were run for each catchment to evaluate the sensitivity of changed fertilizer applications. Increasing sensitivity was found for catchments with an increasing proportion of agricultural land use and increased amounts of applied fertilizers. A change in chemical fertilizer use of ±20% was found to affect watershed NO3-N loads between zero effect and ±13%, while a change in manure application of ±20% affected watershed NO3-N loads between zero effect and −6% to +7%.
An Improved Differential Quadrature Time Element Method
Authors: Qin Mingbo , Xing Yufeng , Guo Jing
Published: May 2017

A Differential Quadrature Time Element Method (DQTEM) was proposed by the author and co-worker, its drawback is the need of larger storage capacity since the dimension of the coefficients matrix for solution is the product of both spatial degrees of freedom and temporal degrees of freedom. To solve this problem, an improved DQTEM is developed in this work, in which the differential quadrature method is used to discretize both spatial and time domains, sequentially, and the dimension of the coefficients matrix is greatly reduced without losing solution accuracy. Theoretical studies demonstrate the improved DQTEM features superiorities including higher-order accuracy, adequate stability and symplectic characteristics. The improvement of DQTEM is validated by extensive comparisons of the present DQTEM with the original DQTEM.
Dental Applications of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in Cariology
Authors: Schneider Hartmut , Park Kyung-Jin , Häfer Matthias , Rüger Claudia , Schmalz Gerhard , Krause Felix , Schmidt Jana , Ziebolz Dirk , Haak Rainer
Published: May 2017

Across all medical disciplines, therapeutic interventions are based on previously acquired diagnostic information. In cariology, which includes the detection and assessment of the disease “caries” and its lesions, as well as non-invasive to invasive treatment and caries prevention, visual inspection and radiology are routinely used as diagnostic tools. However, the specificity and sensitivity of these standard methods are still unsatisfactory and the detection of defects is often afflicted with a time delay. Numerous novel methods have been developed to improve the unsatisfactory diagnostic possibilities in this specialized medical field. These newer techniques have not yet found widespread acceptance in clinical practice, which might be explained by the generated numerical or color-coded output data that are not self-explanatory. With optical coherence tomography (OCT), an innovative image-based technique has become available that has considerable potential in supporting the routine assessment of teeth in the future. The received cross-sectional images are easy to interpret and can be processed. In recent years, numerous applications of OCT have been evaluated in cariology beginning with the diagnosis of different defects up to restoration assessment and their monitoring, or the visualization of individual treatment steps. Based on selected examples, this overview outlines the possibilities and limitations of this technique in cariology and restorative dentistry, which pertain to the most clinical relevant fields of dentistry.
Single Mode Air-Clad Single Crystal Sapphire Optical Fiber
Authors: Hill Cary , Homa Dan , Yu Zhihao , Cheng Yujie , Liu Bo , Wang Anbo , Pickrell Gary
Published: May 2017

The observation of single mode propagation in an air-clad single crystal sapphire optical fiber at wavelengths at and above 783 nm is presented for the first time. A high-temperature wet acid etching method was used to reduce the diameter of a 10 cm length of commercially-sourced sapphire fiber from 125 micrometers to 6.5 micrometers, and far-field imaging provided modal information at intervals as the fiber diameter decreased. Modal volume was shown to decrease with decreasing diameter, and single mode behavior was observed at the minimum diameter achieved. While weakly-guiding approximations are generally inaccurate for low modal volume optical fiber with high core-cladding refractive index disparity, consistency between these approximations and experimental results was observed when the effective numerical aperture was measured and substituted for the theoretical numerical aperture in weakly-guiding approximation calculations. With the demonstration of very low modal volume in sapphire at fiber diameters much larger than anticipated by legacy calculations, the resolution of sapphire fiber distributed sensors may be increased and other sensing schemes requiring very low modal volume, such as fiber Bragg gratings, may be realized in extreme environment applications.
Functionalisation of Polyvinylpyrrolidone on Gold Nanoparticles Enhances Its Anti-Amyloidogenic Propensity towards Hen Egg White Lysozyme
Authors: Das Tulika , Kolli Vidyalatha , Karmakar Srijeeb , Sarkar Nandini
Published: May 2017

Protein amyloids are characterized by aggregates that usually consist of fibres containing misfolded proteins and having a cross β-sheet conformation. These aggregates can eventually lead to several degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The present study describes the effect of chemically synthesized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-conjugated gold nanoparticles (PVP-AuNps) on hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) amyloids. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized using various biophysical techniques like Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-potential measurement and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The aggregation studies showed that PVP acts as a partial inhibitor of HEWL amyloidogenesis. However, when conjugated to gold nanoparticle surface, it leads to complete inhibition of amyloid formation. Apart from inhibition, PVP-conjugated gold nanoparticles also exhibited a significant disaggregation effect on mature amyloids and hence can be exploited as an effective therapeutic agent against hereditary systemic amyloidosis.
Divergence and Sufficiency for Convex Optimization
Authors: Harremoës Peter
Published: May 2017

Logarithmic score and information divergence appear in information theory, statistics, statistical mechanics, and portfolio theory. We demonstrate that all these topics involve some kind of optimization that leads directly to regret functions and such regret functions are often given by Bregman divergences. If a regret function also fulfills a sufficiency condition it must be proportional to information divergence. We will demonstrate that sufficiency is equivalent to the apparently weaker notion of locality and it is also equivalent to the apparently stronger notion of monotonicity. These sufficiency conditions have quite different relevance in the different areas of application, and often they are not fulfilled. Therefore sufficiency conditions can be used to explain when results from one area can be transferred directly to another and when one will experience differences.
Effects of Instructional Guidance and Sequencing of Manipulatives and Written Symbols on Second Graders’ Numeration Knowledge
Authors: Osana Helena , Adrien Emmanuelle , Duponsel Nathalie
Published: May 2017

Concrete objects used to illustrate mathematical ideas are commonly known as manipulatives. Manipulatives are ubiquitous in North American elementary classrooms in the early years, and although they can be beneficial, they do not guarantee learning. In the present study, the authors examined two factors hypothesized to impact second-graders’ learning of place value and regrouping with manipulatives: (a) the sequencing of concrete (base-ten blocks) and abstract (written symbols) representations of the standard addition algorithm; and (b) the level of instructional guidance on the structural relations between the representations. Results from a classroom experiment with second-grade students (N = 87) indicated that place value knowledge increased from pre-test to post-test when the base-ten blocks were presented before the symbols, but only when no instructional guidance was offered. When guidance was given, only students in the symbols-first condition improved their place value knowledge. Students who received instruction increased their understanding of regrouping, irrespective of representational sequence. No effects were found for iterative sequencing of concrete and abstract representations. Practical implications for teaching mathematics with manipulatives are considered.
A Survey on Smart Agent-Based Microgrids for Resilient/Self-Healing Grids
Authors: Dehghanpour Kaveh , Colson Christopher , Nehrir Hashem
Published: May 2017

This paper presents an overview of our body of work on the application of smart control techniques for the control and management of microgrids (MGs). The main focus here is on the application of distributed multi-agent system (MAS) theory in multi-objective (MO) power management of MGs to find the Pareto-front of the MO power management problem. In addition, the paper presents the application of Nash bargaining solution (NBS) and the MAS theory to directly obtain the NBS on the Pareto-front. The paper also discusses the progress reported on the above issues from the literature. We also present a MG-based power system architecture for enhancing the resilience and self-healing of the system.
Theoretical and Experimental Evaluation of the Temperature Distribution in a Dry Type Air Core Smoothing Reactor of HVDC Station
Authors: Wang Yu , Chen Xiaoyue , Pan Zhuohong , Lu Hailiang , Wen Xishan , Jiang Zhipeng , Chen Bin , Chen Tuteng
Published: May 2017

The outdoor ultra-high voltage (UHV) dry-type air-core smoothing reactors (DASR) of High Voltage Direct Current systems are equipped with a rain cover and an acoustic enclosure. To study the convective heat transfer between the DASR and the surrounding air, this paper presents a coupled model of the temperature and fluid field based on the structural features and cooling manner. The resistive losses of encapsulations calculated by finite element method (FEM) were used as heat sources in the thermal analysis. The steady fluid and thermal field of the 3-D reactor model were solved by the finite volume method (FVM), and the temperature distribution characteristics of the reactor were obtained. Subsequently, the axial and radial temperature distributions of encapsulation were investigated separately. Finally, an optical fiber temperature measurement scheme was used for an UHV DASR under natural convection conditions. Comparative analysis showed that the simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data, which verifies the rationality and accuracy of the numerical calculation. These results can serve as a reference for the optimal design and maintenance of UHV DASRs.
Multi-Objective Dynamic Economic Dispatch with Demand Side Management of Residential Loads and Electric Vehicles
Authors: Narimani Mohammad , Maigha  , Joo Jhi-Young , Crow Mariesa
Published: May 2017

In this paper, a multi-objective optimization method based on the normal boundary intersection is proposed to solve the dynamic economic dispatch with demand side management of individual residential loads and electric vehicles. The proposed approach specifically addresses consumer comfort through acceptable appliance deferral times and electric vehicle charging requirements. The multi-objectives of minimizing generation costs, emissions, and energy loss in the system are balanced in a Pareto front approach in which a fuzzy decision making method has been implemented to find the best compromise solution based on desired system operating conditions. The normal boundary intersection method is described and validated.
AKR1C1 as a Biomarker for Differentiating the Biological Effects of Combustible from Non-Combustible Tobacco Products
Authors: Woo Sangsoon , Gao Hong , Henderson David , Zacharias Wolfgang , Liu Gang , Tran Quynh , Prasad G.L.
Published: May 2017

Smoking has been established as a major risk factor for developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but less attention has been paid to the effects of smokeless tobacco products. Our objective is to identify potential biomarkers to distinguish the biological effects of combustible tobacco products from those of non-combustible ones using oral cell lines. Normal human gingival epithelial cells (HGEC), non-metastatic (101A) and metastatic (101B) OSCC cell lines were exposed to different tobacco product preparations (TPPs) including cigarette smoke total particulate matter (TPM), whole-smoke conditioned media (WS-CM), smokeless tobacco extract in complete artificial saliva (STE), or nicotine (NIC) alone. We performed microarray-based gene expression profiling and found 3456 probe sets from 101A, 1432 probe sets from 101B, and 2717 probe sets from HGEC to be differentially expressed. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed xenobiotic metabolism and steroid biosynthesis were the top two pathways that were upregulated by combustible but not by non-combustible TPPs. Notably, aldo-keto reductase genes, AKR1C1 and AKR1C2, were the core genes in the top enriched pathways and were statistically upregulated more than eight-fold by combustible TPPs. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) results statistically support AKR1C1 as a potential biomarker for differentiating the biological effects of combustible from non-combustible tobacco products.
Land Cover Classification in an Ecuadorian Mountain Geosystem Using a Random Forest Classifier, Spectral Vegetation Indices, and Ancillary Geographic Data
Authors: Ayala-Izurieta Johanna , Márquez Carmen , García Víctor , Recalde-Moreno Celso , Rodríguez-Llerena Marcos , Damián-Carrión Diego
Published: May 2017

We presented a methodology to accurately classify mountainous regions in the tropics. These landscapes are complex in terms of their geology, ecosystems, climate and land use. Obtaining accurate maps to assess land cover change is essential. The objectives of this study were to (1) map vegetation using the Random Forest Classifier (RFC), spectral vegetation index (SVI), and ancillar geographic data (2) identify important variables that help differentiate vegetation cover, and (3) assess the accuracy of the vegetation cover classification in hard-to-reach Ecuadorian mountain region. We used Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite images of the entire scene, a RFC algorithm, and stratified random sampling. The altitude and the two band enhanced vegetation index (EVI2) provide more information on vegetation cover than the traditional and often use normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in other settings. We classified the vegetation cover of mountainous areas within the 1016 km2 area of study, at 30 m spatial resolution, using RFC that yielded a land cover map with an overall accuracy of 95%. The user´s accuracy and the half-width of the confidence interval for 95% of the basic map units, forest (FOR), páramo (PAR), crop (CRO) and pasture (PAS) were 95.85% ± 2.86%, 97.64% ± 1.24%, 91.53% ± 3.35% and 82.82% ± 7.74%, respectively. The overall disagreement was 4.47%, which results from adding 0.43% of quantity disagreement and 4.04% of allocation disagreement. The methodological framework presented in this paper and the combined use of SVIs, ancillary geographic data, and the RFC allowed the accurate mapping of hard-to-reach mountain landscapes as well as uncovering the underlying factors that help differentiate vegetation cover in the Ecuadorian mountain geosystem.
Application of a Standardized Precipitation Index for Meteorological Drought Analysis of the Semi-Arid Climate Influence in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: Juliani Bruno , Okawa Cristhiane
Published: May 2017

In recent years, the Southeast region in Brazil has suffered from the effects of drought events. Analyzing the history of drought events is fundamental to establish potential risks of the occurrence of droughts in the future. One of the many ways to prevent substantial impacts and evaluate a drought risk assessment is through analysis of severity, duration and frequency characteristics of these events. In this context, the current study developed Severity-Duration-Frequency curves and derived an isohyetal map for the area influenced by the semi-arid climate in the state of Minas Gerais, through the analysis of 17 rainfall stations. The drought events identification and the analysis of its conditions were assessed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for a 12-month time scale. The SDF curves were developed using the minimum cumulative 12-month precipitation values fitted to the Gamma distribution for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12-month drought durations. The computed SDF curves for each station were further regionalized in order to obtain a general result for the study area. It can be observed that for a return period of 100 years, the estimated cumulative 12-month precipitation varies from 353 mm in a 1-month drought duration to 458 mm in a 12-month drought duration. The derived isohyetal map provides a more accurate local application of the results.
Impacts of Capital Structure on Performance of Banks in a Developing Economy: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Siddik Md. , Kabiraj Sajal , Joghee Shanmugan
Published: May 2017

The capital structure decision plays an important role in the performance of a firm. Therefore, there have been many studies inspecting the rapport of capital structure with the performance of firms, although the findings of these studies are inconclusive. In addition, there is a relative deficiency of empirical studies examining the link between capital structure and the performance of banks in Bangladesh. This study attempts to fill this gap. Using the panel data of 22 banks for the period of 2005–2014, this study empirically examined the impacts of capital structure on the performance of Bangladeshi banks assessed by return on equity, return on assets and earnings per share. The results of the pooled ordinary least square analysis showed that capital structure inversely affects bank performance. The findings of this empirical study are of greater significance for the developing countries like Bangladesh because it calls for the concentration of the bank management and the policy makers to pursue the policies that reduce reliance on debt to achieve the optimal level of capital structure. The results of this study are also analysed in the light of earlier studies.
Modeling Spatial Effect in Residential Burglary: A Case Study from ZG City, China
Authors: Chen Jianguo , Liu Lin , Zhou Suhong , Xiao Luzi , Song Guangwen , Ren Fang
Published: May 2017

The relationship between burglary and socio-demographic factors has long been a hot topic in crime research. Spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity are two issues to be addressed in modeling geographic data. When these two issues arise at the same time, it is difficult to model them simultaneously. A cross-comparison of three models is presented in this study to identify which spatial effect should be addressed first in crime analysis. The negative binominal model (NB), Bayesian hierarchical model (BHM) and the geographically weighted Poisson regression model (GWPR) were implemented based on a three-year residential burglary data set from ZG, China. The modeling result shows that both BHM and GWPR outperform NB as they capture either of the spatial effects. Compared to the NB model, the mean absolute deviation (MAD) of BHM and GWPR was decreased by 83.71% and 49.39%, the mean squared error (MSE) of BHM and GWPR was decreased by 97.88% and 77.15%, and the R d 2 of BHM and GWPR was improved by 26.7% and 19.1%, respectively. In comparison with BHM and GWPR, BHM fits the data better with lower MAD, MSE and higher R d 2 . The empirical analysis indicates that the percentage of renter population, percentage of people from other provinces, bus line density, and bus stop density have a significantly positive impact on the number of residential burglaries. The percentage of residents with a bachelor degree or higher, on the other hand, is negatively associated with the number of residential burglaries.
A Country Profile of the Czech Republic Based on an LADM for the Development of a 3D Cadastre
Authors: Janečka Karel , Souček Petr
Published: May 2017

The paper presents a country profile for the cadastre of the Czech Republic based on the ISO 19152:2012 Land Administration Domain Model (LADM). The proposed profile consists of both legal and spatial components and represents an important driving force with which to develop a 3D cadastre for the Czech Republic, which can guide the Strategy for the Development of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the Czech Republic to 2020. This government initiative emphasizes the creation of the National Set of Spatial Objects, which is defined as the source of guaranteed and reference 3D geographic data at the highest possible level of detail covering the entire territory of the Czech Republic. This can also be a potential source of data for the 3D cadastre. The abstract test suite stated in ISO 19152:2012—Annex A (Abstract Test Suite) and the LADM conformance requirements were applied in order to explore the conformity of the Czech country profile with this international standard. To test their conformity, a mapping of elements between the LADM and the tested country profile was conducted. The profile is conformant with the LADM at Level 2 (medium level) and can be further modified, especially when legislation is updated with respect to 3D real estate in the future.
Monitoring and Assessing Post-Disaster Tourism Recovery Using Geotagged Social Media Data
Authors: Yan Yingwei , Eckle Melanie , Kuo Chiao-Ling , Herfort Benjamin , Fan Hongchao , Zipf Alexander
Published: May 2017

Tourism is one of the most economically important industries. It is, however, vulnerable to disaster events. Geotagged social media data, as one of the forms of volunteered geographic information (VGI), has been widely explored to support the prevention, preparation, and response phases of disaster management, while little effort has been put on the recovery phase. This study develops a scientific workflow and methods to monitor and assess post-disaster tourism recovery using geotagged Flickr photos, which involve a viewshed based data quality enhancement, a space-time bin based quantitative photo analysis, and a crowdsourcing based qualitative photo analysis. The developed workflow and methods have also been demonstrated in this paper through a case study conducted for the Philippines where a magnitude 7.2 earthquake (Bohol earthquake) and a super typhoon (Haiyan) occurred successively in October and November 2013. In the case study, we discovered spatiotemporal knowledge about the post-disaster tourism recovery, including the recovery statuses and trends, and the photos visually showing unfixed damages. The findings contribute to a better tourism rehabilitation of the study area.
Expression of Root Genes in Arabidopsis Seedlings Grown by Standard and Improved Growing Methods
Authors: Qu Yanli , Liu Shuai , Bao Wenlong , Xue Xian , Ma Zhengwen , Yokawa Ken , Baluška František , Wan Yinglang
Published: May 2017

Roots of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown in the laboratory using the traditional plant-growing culture system (TPG) were covered to maintain them in darkness. This new method is based on a dark chamber and is named the improved plant-growing method (IPG). We measured the light conditions in dark chambers, and found that the highest light intensity was dramatically reduced deeper in the dark chamber. In the bottom and side parts of dark chambers, roots were almost completely shaded. Using the high-throughput RNA sequencing method on the whole RNA extraction from roots, we compared the global gene expression levels in roots of seedlings from these two conditions and identified 141 differently expressed genes (DEGs) between them. According to the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment, the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were most affected among all annotated pathways. Surprisingly, no genes of known plant photoreceptors were identified as DEGs by this method. Considering that the light intensity was decreased in the IPG system, we collected four sections (1.5 cm for each) of Arabidopsis roots grown in TPG and IPG conditions, and the spatial-related differential gene expression levels of plant photoreceptors and polar auxin transporters, including CRY1, CRY2, PHYA, PHYB, PHOT1, PHOT2, and UVR8 were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Using these results, we generated a map of the spatial-related expression patterns of these genes under IPG and TPG conditions. The expression levels of light-related genes in roots is highly sensitive to illumination and it provides a background reference for selecting an improved culture method for laboratory-maintained Arabidopsis seedlings.
Molecular Mechanism of Quorum-Sensing in Enterococcus faecalis: Its Role in Virulence and Therapeutic Approaches
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Goraya Mohsan , Arafat Yasir , Ajmal Muhammad , Chen Ji-Long , Yu Daojin
Published: May 2017

Quorum-sensing systems control major virulence determinants in Enterococcus faecalis, which causes nosocomial infections. The E. faecalis quorum-sensing systems include several virulence factors that are regulated by the cytolysin operon, which encodes the cytolysin toxin. In addition, the E. faecalis Fsr regulator system controls the expression of gelatinase, serine protease, and enterocin O16. The cytolysin and Fsr virulence factor systems are linked to enterococcal diseases that affect the health of humans and other host models. Therefore, there is substantial interest in understanding and targeting these regulatory pathways to develop novel therapies for enterococcal infection control. Quorum-sensing inhibitors could be potential therapeutic agents for attenuating the pathogenic effects of E. faecalis. Here, we discuss the regulation of cytolysin, the LuxS system, and the Fsr system, their role in E. faecalis-mediated infections, and possible therapeutic approaches to prevent E. faecalis infection.
Mutant p53 Protein and the Hippo Transducers YAP and TAZ: A Critical Oncogenic Node in Human Cancers
Authors: Ferraiuolo Maria , Verduci Lorena , Blandino Giovanni , Strano Sabrina
Published: May 2017

p53 protein is a well-known tumor suppressor factor that regulates cellular homeostasis. As it has several and key functions exerted, p53 is known as “the guardian of the genome” and either loss of function or gain of function mutations in the TP53 coding protein sequence are involved in cancer onset and progression. The Hippo pathway is a key regulator of developmental and regenerative physiological processes but if deregulated can induce cell transformation and cancer progression. The p53 and Hippo pathways exert a plethora of fine-tuned functions that can apparently be in contrast with each other. In this review, we propose that the p53 status can affect the Hippo pathway function by switching its outputs from tumor suppressor to oncogenic activities. In detail, we discuss: (a) the oncogenic role of the protein complex mutant p53/YAP; (b) TAZ oncogenic activation mediated by mutant p53; (c) the therapeutic potential of targeting mutant p53 to impair YAP and TAZ oncogenic functions in human cancers.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Resistance-Associated Substitutions in Hepatitis C Virus in Patients in Which Direct Acting Antiviral-Based Therapy Failed
Authors: Yoshida Kanako , Hai Hoang , Tamori Akihiro , Teranishi Yuga , Kozuka Ritsuzo , Motoyama Hiroyuki , Kawamura Etsushi , Hagihara Atsushi , Uchida-Kobayashi Sawako , Morikawa Hiroyasu , Enomoto Masaru , Murakami Yoshiki , Kawada Norifumi
Published: May 2017

We evaluated the transition of dominant resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) in hepatitis C virus during long-term follow-up after the failure of DAAs (direct acting antivirals)-based therapy. RASs in non-structure (NS)3/4A, NS5A, NS5B, and deletions in NS5A from 20 patients who failed simeprevir/pegylated-interferon/ribavirin (SMV/PEG-IFN/RBV) and 25 patients who failed daclatasvir/asunaprevir (DCV/ASV) treatment were examined by direct sequencing. With respect to SMV/PEG-IFN/RBV treatment, RAS was detected at D168 in NS3/4A but not detected in NS5A and NS5B at treatment failure in 16 of 20 patients. During the median follow-up period of 64 weeks, the RAS at D168 became less dominant in 9 of 16 patients. Among 25 DCV/ASV failures, RASs at D168, L31, and Y93 were found in 57.1%, 72.2%, and 76.9%, respectively. NS5A deletions were detected in 3 of 10 patients treated previously with SMV/PEG-IFN/RBV. The number of RASs in the breakthrough patients exceeded that in relapsers (mean 3.9 vs. 2.7, p < 0.05). RAS at D168 in NS3/4A became less dominant in 6 of 15 patients within 80 weeks. Y93H emerged at the time of relapse, then decreased gradually by 99% at 130 weeks post-treatment. Emerged RASs were associated with the clinical course of treatment and could not be detected during longer follow-up.
Nimodipine but Not Nifedipine Promotes Expression of Fatty Acid 2-Hydroxylase in a Surgical Stress Model Based on Neuro2a Cells
Authors: Herzfeld Eva , Speh Lea , Strauss Christian , Scheller Christian
Published: May 2017

Nimodipine is well characterized for the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and has been shown to promote a better outcome and less delayed ischemic neurological deficits. Animal and clinical trials show neuroprotective efficacy following nerve injuries. We showed a neuroprotective effect on Neuro2a cells. Subsequent microarray analysis revealed—among others—fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) upregulated by nimodipine in vitro, which is a component of myelin synthesis. Differentiated Neuro2a cells were analyzed for nimodipine-mediated survival considering stress treatment in comparison to nifedipine-treatment. Cell survival was determined by measurement of LDH activity in the culture medium. Nimodipine decreased surgery-like stress-induced cell death of differentiated Neuro2a cells. Neuro2a cell culture was analyzed for changes in FA2H expression induced by nimodipine or nifedipine in surgery-like stress conditions. We analyzed expression levels of FA2H mRNA and protein by qPCR using fa2h specific primers or a FA2H-specific antibody in nimodipine or nifedipine non- and pre-treated Neuro2a cell culture, respectively. Nimodipine but not nifedipine increases FA2H protein levels and also significantly increases mRNA levels of FA2H in both undifferentiated and differentiated Neuro2a cells. Our findings indicate that higher expression of FA2H induced by nimodipine may cause higher survival of Neuro2a cells stressed with surgery-like stressors.
Nanosecond-Pulsed DBD Plasma-Generated Reactive Oxygen Species Trigger Immunogenic Cell Death in A549 Lung Carcinoma Cells through Intracellular Oxidative Stress
Authors: Lin Abraham , Truong Billy , Patel Sohil , Kaushik Nagendra , Choi Eun , Fridman Gregory , Fridman Alexander , Miller Vandana
Published: May 2017

A novel application for non-thermal plasma is the induction of immunogenic cancer cell death for cancer immunotherapy. Cells undergoing immunogenic death emit danger signals which facilitate anti-tumor immune responses. Although pathways leading to immunogenic cell death are not fully understood; oxidative stress is considered to be part of the underlying mechanism. Here; we studied the interaction between dielectric barrier discharge plasma and cancer cells for oxidative stress-mediated immunogenic cell death. We assessed changes to the intracellular oxidative environment after plasma treatment and correlated it to emission of two danger signals: surface-exposed calreticulin and secreted adenosine triphosphate. Plasma-generated reactive oxygen and charged species were recognized as the major effectors of immunogenic cell death. Chemical attenuators of intracellular reactive oxygen species successfully abrogated oxidative stress following plasma treatment and modulated the emission of surface-exposed calreticulin. Secreted danger signals from cells undergoing immunogenic death enhanced the anti-tumor activity of macrophages. This study demonstrated that plasma triggers immunogenic cell death through oxidative stress pathways and highlights its potential development for cancer immunotherapy.
Atg7 Regulates Brain Angiogenesis via NF-κB-Dependent IL-6 Production
Authors: Zhuang Shi-Fang , Liu Dong-Xin , Wang Hui-Jie , Zhang Shu-Hong , Wei Jia-Yi , Fang Wen-Gang , Zhang Ke , Cao Liu , Zhao Wei-Dong , Chen Yu-Hua
Published: May 2017

The formation of brain vasculature is an essential step during central nervous system development. The molecular mechanism underlying brain angiogenesis remains incompletely understood. The role of Atg7, an autophagy-related protein, in brain angiogenesis was investigated in this study. We found that the microvessel density in mice brains with endothelial-specific knockout of Atg7 (Atg7 EKO) was significantly decreased compared to wild-type control. Consistently, in vitro angiogenesis assays showed that Atg7 knockdown impaired angiogenesis in brain microvascular endothelial cells. Further results indicated that knockdown of Atg7 reduced interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in brain microvascular endothelial cells, which is mediated by NF-κB-dependent transcriptional control. Interestingly, exogenous IL-6 restored the impaired angiogenesis and reduced cell motility caused by Atg7 knockdown. These results demonstrated that Atg7 has proangiogenic activity in brain angiogenesis which is mediated by IL-6 production in a NF-κB-dependent manner.
Glutathione as a Redox Biomarker in Mitochondrial Disease—Implications for Therapy
Authors: Enns Gregory , Cowan Tina
Published: May 2017

Technical advances in the ability to measure mitochondrial dysfunction are providing new insights into mitochondrial disease pathogenesis, along with new tools to objectively evaluate the clinical status of mitochondrial disease patients. Glutathione (l-ϒ-glutamyl-l-cysteinylglycine) is the most abundant intracellular thiol, and the intracellular redox state, as reflected by levels of oxidized (GSSG) and reduced (GSH) glutathione, as well as the GSH/GSSG ratio, is considered to be an important indication of cellular health. The ability to quantify mitochondrial dysfunction in an affected patient will not only help with routine care, but also improve rational clinical trial design aimed at developing new therapies. Indeed, because multiple disorders have been associated with either primary or secondary deficiency of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and redox imbalance, developing mitochondrial therapies that have the potential to improve the intracellular glutathione status has been a focus of several clinical trials over the past few years. This review will also discuss potential therapies to increase intracellular glutathione with a focus on EPI-743 (α-tocotrienol quinone), a compound that appears to have the ability to modulate the activity of oxidoreductases, in particular NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1.
Clausal Subordination and the Structure of the Verbal Phrase
Authors: Den Dikken Marcel
Published: May 2017

In his first approach to recursion in clausal embedding, Chomsky (1957) postulates a proform in the matrix clause linked to an independently constructed clause that, via an application of the generalised transformation, eventually becomes the matrix verb’s complement. Chomsky (1965) replaces this with a direct clausal embedding analysis, with clausal recursion in the base component of the grammar. I argue here that, while direct clausal recursion is certainly needed, an update to the Chomsky’s (1957) approach (minus the application of the generalised transformation) deserves a prominent place in syntactic theory as well. The discussion is based on data from Dutch, German, and Hungarian. This paper addresses the role of presuppositionality in the context of clausal coordination, the analysis of the so-called wh-scope marking construction, and the importance of Agree in connection with a subordinate clause’s transparency or opacity to extraction. Central in the analysis is a perspective on the structure of the verbal phrase which accommodates two discrete structural positions for the object.
The Present SP Tests for Determining the Transition Temperature TSP on “U” Notch Disc Specimens
Authors: Matocha Karel , Dorazil Ondrej , Hurst Roger
Published: May 2017

The principal difference between the small punch (SP) testing technique and standardized impact testing lies in the fact that the SP tests carried out in accordance with CWA 15627 Small Punch Test Method for Metallic Materials use disc-shaped test specimens without a notch. Especially in tough materials, the temperature dependence of SP fracture energy ESP in the transition area is very steep and lies close to the temperature of liquid nitrogen. In this case, the determination of SP transition temperature TSP can lead to significant errors in its determination. Efforts to move the transition area of penetration testing closer to the transition area of standardized impact tests led to the proposal of the notched disc specimen 8 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm in thickness with a “U” shaped notch 0.2 mm deep in the axis plane of the disc. The paper summarizes the results obtained to date when determining the transition temperature of SP tests TSP, determined according to CWA 15627 for material of pipes made of P92, P22, and a heat treated 14MoV6-3 steel in the as delivered state. Although the results obtained confirmed the results of other works in that the presence of a notch in a SP disc is insufficient to increase the transition temperature significantly and certainly not to the values obtained by Charpy testing, comparison of the different behaviors of the alloys tested reveals some evidence that the notch reduces the energy for initiation. This implies that the test on a notched disc is more a test of crack growth and would be a useful instrument if included in the forthcoming EU standard for SP testing.
Chemistry and Selective Tumor Cell Growth Inhibitory Activity of Polyketides from the South China Sea Sponge Plakortis sp.
Authors: Li Jiao , Li Cui , Riccio Raffaele , Lauro Gianluigi , Bifulco Giuseppe , Li Tie-Jun , Tang Hua , Zhuang Chun-Lin , Ma Hao , Sun Peng , Zhang Wen
Published: May 2017

Simplextone E (1), a new metabolite of polyketide origin, was isolated with eight known analogues (2–9) from the South China Sea sponge Plakortis sp. The relative configuration of the new compound was elucidated by a detailed analysis of the spectroscopic data and quantum mechanical calculation of NMR chemical shifts, aided by the newly reported DP4+ approach. Its absolute configuration was determined by the TDDFT/ECD calculation. Simplextone E (1) is proven to be one of the isomers of simplextone D. The absolute configuration at C-8 in alkyl chain of plakortone Q (2) was also assigned based on the NMR calculation. In the preliminary in vitro bioassay, compounds 6 and 7 showed a selective growth inhibitory activity against HCT-116 human colon cancer cells with IC50 values of 8.3 ± 2.4 and 8.4 ± 2.3 μM, corresponding to that of the positive control, adriamycin (IC50 4.1 μM). The two compounds also showed selective activities towards MCF-7 human breast cancer and K562 human erythroleukemia cells while compound 3 only displayed weak activity against K562 cells.
Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor for Continuous Lactic Acid Fermentation
Authors: Fan Rong , Ebrahimi Mehrdad , Czermak Peter
Published: May 2017

Membrane bioreactor systems can enhance anaerobic lactic acid fermentation by reducing product inhibition, thus increasing productivity. In batch fermentations, the bioconversion of glucose is strongly inhibited in the presence of more than 100 g·L−1 lactic acid and is only possible when the product is simultaneously removed, which can be achieved by ceramic membrane filtration. The crossflow velocity is a more important determinant of flux than the transmembrane pressure. Therefore, to stabilize the performance of the membrane bioreactor system during continuous fermentation, the crossflow velocity was controlled by varying the biomass concentration, which was monitored in real-time using an optical sensor. Continuous fermentation under these conditions, thus, achieved a stable productivity of ~8 g·L−1·h−1 and the concentration of lactic acid was maintained at ~40 g·L−1 at a dilution rate of 0.2 h−1. No residual sugar was detected in the steady state with a feed concentration of 50 g·L−1.
Experimental Investigation on the Fatigue Life of Ti-6Al-4V Treated by Vibratory Stress Relief
Authors: Gao Han-Jun , Zhang Yi-Du , Wu Qiong , Song Jing
Published: May 2017

Vibratory stress relief (VSR) is a highly efficient and low-energy consumption method to relieve and homogenize residual stresses in materials. Thus, the effect of VSR on the fatigue life should be determined. Standard fatigue specimens are fabricated to investigate the fatigue life of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy treated by VSR. The dynamic stresses generated under different VSR amplitudes are measured, and then the relationship between the dynamic stress and vibration amplitude is obtained. Different specimen groups are subjected to VSRs with different amplitudes and annealing treatment with typical process parameters. Residual stresses are measured to evaluate the stress relieving effects. Finally, the fatigue behavior under different states is determined by uniaxial tension–compression fatigue experiments. Results show that VSR and annealing treatment have negative effects on the fatigue life of Ti-6Al-4V. The fatigue life is decreased with the increase in VSR amplitude. When the VSR amplitude is less than 0.1 mm, the decrease in fatigue limit is less than 2%. Compared with specimens without VSR or annealing treatment, the fatigue limit of the specimens treated by VSR with 0.2 mm amplitude and annealing treatment decreases by 10.60% and 8.52%, respectively. Although the stress relieving effect is better, high amplitude VSR will lead to the decrease of Ti-6Al-4V fatigue life due to the defects generated during vibration. Low amplitude VSR can effectively relieve the stress with little decrease in fatigue life.