bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Lipophenol Antioxidants Reduce Oxidative Damage in Retina Pigment Epithelial Cells
Authors: Moine Espérance , Brabet Philippe , Guillou Laurent , Durand Thierry , Vercauteren Joseph , Crauste Céline
Published: December 2018

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial pathology and its progression is exacerbated by oxidative stress. Oxidation and photo-oxidation reactions modify lipids in retinal cells, contribute to tissue injury, and lead to the formation of toxic adducts. In particular, autofluorescent pigments such as N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E) accumulate as lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelial cells, contribute to the production of additional reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lead to cell degeneration. In an effort to develop efficient antioxidants to reduce damage caused by lipid oxidation, various natural polyphenols were structurally modified to increase their lipophilicity (lipophenols). In this study, resveratrol, phloroglucinol, quercetin and catechin were selected and conjugated to various polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) using classical chemical strategies or enzymatic reactions. After screening for cytotoxicity, the capacity of the synthesized lipophenols to reduce ROS production was evaluated in ARPE-19 cells subjected to H2O2 treatment using a dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe. The positions of the PUFA on the polyphenol core appear to influence the antioxidant effect. In addition, two lipophenolic quercetin derivatives were evaluated to highlight their potency in protecting ARPE-19 cells against A2E photo-oxidation toxicity. Quercetin conjugated to linoleic or α-linolenic acid were promising lipophilic antioxidants, as they protected ARPE-19 cells from A2E-induced cell death more effectively than the parent polyphenol, quercetin.
ATM Dependent DUSP6 Modulation of p53 Involved in Synergistic Targeting of MAPK and p53 Pathways with Trametinib and MDM2 Inhibitors in Cutaneous Melanoma
Authors: Wu Chiao-En , Koay Tsin Shue , Esfandiari Arman , Ho Yi-Hsuan , Lovat Penny , Lunec John
Published: December 2018

MAPK and p14ARF–MDM2–p53 pathways are critical in cutaneous melanomas. Here, synergistic combination of the MEK inhibitor, trametinib, with MDM2 inhibitors, nutlin-3/RG7388/HDM201, and the mechanistic basis of responses, for BRAFV600E and p53WT melanoma cells, are reported. The combination treatments induced higher levels of p53 target gene transcripts and protein products, resulting in increased cell cycle arrest and apoptosis compared with MDM2 inhibitors alone, suggesting trametinib synergized with MDM2 inhibitors via upregulation of p53-dependent pathways. In addition, DUSP6 phosphatase involvement was indicated by downregulation of its mRNA and protein following pERK reduction by trametinib. Furthermore, suppression of DUSP6 by siRNA, or inhibition with the small molecule inhibitor, BCI, at a dose without cytotoxicity, potentiated the effect of MDM2 inhibitors through increased ATM-dependent p53 phosphorylation, as demonstrated by complete reversal with the ATM inhibitor, KU55933. Trametinib synergizes with MDM2 inhibitors through a novel DUSP6 mechanism in BRAFV600E and p53WT melanoma cells, in which DUSP6 regulation of p53 phosphorylation is mediated by ATM. This provides a new therapeutic rationale for combination treatments involving activation of the ATM/p53 pathway and MAPK pathway inhibition.
Regulators of Oncogenic Mutant TP53 Gain of Function
Authors: Yamamoto Satomi , Iwakuma Tomoo
Published: December 2018

The tumor suppressor p53 (TP53) is the most frequently mutated human gene. Mutations in TP53 not only disrupt its tumor suppressor function, but also endow oncogenic gain-of-function (GOF) activities in a manner independent of wild-type TP53 (wtp53). Mutant TP53 (mutp53) GOF is mainly mediated by its binding with other tumor suppressive or oncogenic proteins. Increasing evidence indicates that stabilization of mutp53 is crucial for its GOF activity. However, little is known about factors that alter mutp53 stability and its oncogenic GOF activities. In this review article, we primarily summarize key regulators of mutp53 stability/activities, including genotoxic stress, post-translational modifications, ubiquitin ligases, and molecular chaperones, as well as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and dimer-forming mutations in mutp53.
Resistive Low-Temperature Sensor Based on the SiO2ZrO2 Film for Detection of High Concentrations of NO2 Gas
Authors: Myasoedova Tatiana N. , Mikhailova Tatiana S. , Yalovega Galina E. , Plugotarenko Nina K.
Published: December 2018

The SiO2ZrO2 composite films were prepared by means of sol-gel technology and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The presence of the stable monoclinic ZrO2 with an impurity of tetragonal phases is shown. The film surface is characterized by the presence of ZrOCl2·6H2O or ZrCl(OH)/ZrCl(OH)2 grains. The crystallite size negligibly depends on the annealing temperature of the film and amount to 10–12 nm and 9–12 nm for the films thermally treated at 200 °C and 500 °C, respectively. The film’s resistance is rather sensitive to the presence of NO2 impurities in the air at a low operating temperature (25 °C). Accelerated stability tests of the initial resistance showed high stability and reproducibility of the sensor based on the SiO2ZrO2 film thermally treated at 500 °C.
Fabrication of AlCoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy Coating on an AISI 304 Substrate via a CoFe2Ni Intermediate Layer
Authors: Cui Wenyuan , Karnati Sreekar , Zhang Xinchang , Burns Elizabeth , Liou Frank
Published: December 2018

Through laser metal deposition, attempts were made to coat AlCoCrFeNi, a high-entropy alloy (HEA), on an AISI 304 stainless steel substrate to integrate their properties. However, the direct coating of the AlCoCrFeNi HEA on the AISI 304 substrate was found to be unviable due to cracks at the interface between these two materials. The difference in compositional change was suspected to be the source of the cracks. Therefore, a new transition route was performed by coating an intermediate layer of CoFe2Ni on the AISI 304 substrate. Investigations into the microstructure, phase composition, elemental composition and Vickers hardness were carried out in this study. Consistent metallurgical bonding was observed along both of the interfaces. It was found that the AlCoCrFeNi alloy solidified into a dendritic microstructure. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed a transition of the crystal structure of the AISI 304 substrate to the AlCoCrFeNi HEA. An intermediate step in hardness was observed between the AISI 304 substrate and the AlCoCrFeNi HEA. The AlCoCrFeNi alloy fabricated was found to have an average hardness of 418 HV, while the CoFe2Ni intermediate layer had an average hardness of 275 HV.
Modeling and Analysis of a PCM-Controlled Boost Converter Designed to Operate in DCM
Authors: Suntio Teuvo
Published: December 2018

Peak current-mode (PCM) control has been a very popular control method in power electronic converters. The small-signal modeling of the dynamics associated with PCM control has turned out to be extremely challenging. Most of the modeling attempts have been dedicated to the converters operating in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and just a few to the converters operating in discontinuous operation mode (DCM). The DCM modeling method published in 2001 was proven recently to be very accurate when applied to a buck converter. This paper provides the small-signal models for a boost converter and analyses for the first time its real dynamic behavior in DCM. The objectives of this paper are as follows: (i) to provide the full-order dynamic models for the DCM-operated PCM-controlled boost converter; (ii) to analyze the accuracy of the full and reduced-order dynamic models; and iii) to verify the validity of the high-frequency extension applied in the DCM-operated PCM-controlled buck converter in the case of the boost converter. It is also shown that the DCM-operated boost converter can operate only in even harmonic modes, similar to all the CCM-operated PCM-controlled converters. In the case of the DCM-operated PCM-controlled buck converter, its operation in the odd harmonic modes is the consequence of an unstable pole in its open-loop power-stage dynamics.
BGVI: A New Index to Estimate Street-Side Greenery Using Baidu Street View Image
Authors: Yu Xinyang , Zhao Gengxing , Chang Chunyan , Yuan Xiujie , Heng Fang
Published: December 2018

The significance of street-side greenery monitoring is increasing for precise urban planning and environmental management, especially in rapid sprawling urban cities, while there have been few studies focusing on urban greenery estimation using new profile image system. In this study, Baidu Street View (BSV) images, which were taken by Baidu vehicles and had view angles similar to those of pedestrians on the street, were selected for calculating the magnitude of street profile greenery. From 278 randomly selected street sample sites in Tai’an city of China, 3336 images were acquired via the Baidu Application Programming Interface (API). A Baidu Green View Index (BGVI) was proposed to quantitatively describe the street-side profile greenery. The results demonstrated that green vegetation can be distinguished efficiently from BSV images. The BGVI varied in the different portions of the study area, and it can be used to grade street system by considering pedestrians’ visualized greenery. Though BGVI had a significant correlation with the overlooking green canopy coverage, in some street sample sites it can delineate different scenarios. BGVI can be regarded as complementary information to urban planning and management.
Heavy Metals of Santiago Island (Cape Verde) Alluvial Deposits: Baseline Value Maps and Human Health Risk Assessment
Authors: Cabral Pinto Marina M. S. , Ferreira da Silva Eduardo A.
Published: December 2018

The chemical composition of surface geological materials may cause metabolic changes and promote endemic diseases (e.g., oncological, gastrointestinal, neurological or cardiovascular diseases). The results of a geochemical survey is presented following the guidelines proposed by the International Project IGCP 259 performed on the alluvium of Santiago Island (Cape Verde) and focused on public health issues. Geochemical mapping is the base knowledge needed to determine critical contents of potential toxic elements and the potentially harmful regions in the planet. This work presents maps of baseline values of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in Santiago alluvium and the assessment of their human health risks. According to the results the Cd, Co, Cr, Ni and V baseline values are above the Canadian guidelines for stream sediments (for any proposal use) and for soils (for agricultural and residential proposal uses) and also above the target values of Dutch guidelines. Hazard indexes (HI) were calculated for children and adults. For children (HI) are higher than 1 for Co, Cr and Mn, indicating potential non-carcinogenic risk. For the other elements and for adults there is no potential non-carcinogenic risk. Cancer risk was calculated for Cd, Cr and Ni exposures, for adults and children, and the results are only slightly higher than the carcinogenic target risk of 1 × 10−6 for adults exposed to Cr by inhalation. However, these results may be underestimated because alluvial contaminants may be indirectly ingested by groundwater and by crop and vegetables consumption.
A Case of Listeria monocytogenes ST-219 Meningo-Encephalitis
Authors: Sotgiu Giovanni , Muresu Narcisa , Dettori Marco , Mura Erica , Cossu Andrea , Dolores Masia Maria , Murgia Paola , Cocuzza Clementina , De Santis Enrico , Scarano Christian , Spanu Carlo , Piana Andrea
Published: December 2018

Listeriosis is a foodborne disease characterized by high hospitalization and fatality rates, especially in vulnerable groups including elderly subjects, pregnant women, etc. We report on the first case of Listeria monocytogenes ST-219 meningo-encephalitis in a woman aged 83 years. An epidemiological and molecular investigation was performed to detect the source of infection and the virulence factors associated with L. monocytogenes invasiveness in this patient. All environmental- and clinical-associated isolates were found to belong to serotype 4b and ST-219 as well as possessing actA, prfA, hlyA, and rrn virulence genes. Antibiotic susceptibility testing also detected resistance to cotrimoxazole, clindamycin, erythromycin, and oxacillin in these isolates. Conventional and molecular surveillance of listeriosis cases, based on the systematic assessment of spatio-temporal trends, virulence genes, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing patterns, are key to preventing and controlling the emergence and spread of L. monocytogenes strains, including hypervirulent clones.
Clinically Relevant Post-Translational Modification Analyses—Maturing Workflows and Bioinformatics Tools
Authors: Pascovici Dana , Wu Jemma X. , McKay Matthew J. , Joseph Chitra , Noor Zainab , Kamath Karthik , Wu Yunqi , Ranganathan Shoba , Gupta Vivek , Mirzaei Mehdi
Published: December 2018

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) can occur soon after translation or at any stage in the lifecycle of a given protein, and they may help regulate protein folding, stability, cellular localisation, activity, or the interactions proteins have with other proteins or biomolecular species. PTMs are crucial to our functional understanding of biology, and new quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) and bioinformatics workflows are maturing both in labelled multiplexed and label-free techniques, offering increasing coverage and new opportunities to study human health and disease. Techniques such as Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) are emerging as promising approaches due to their re-mining capability. Many bioinformatics tools have been developed to support the analysis of PTMs by mass spectrometry, from prediction and identifying PTM site assignment, open searches enabling better mining of unassigned mass spectra—many of which likely harbour PTMs—through to understanding PTM associations and interactions. The remaining challenge lies in extracting functional information from clinically relevant PTM studies. This review focuses on canvassing the options and progress of PTM analysis for large quantitative studies, from choosing the platform, through to data analysis, with an emphasis on clinically relevant samples such as plasma and other body fluids, and well-established tools and options for data interpretation.
Effect of Inflammatory Mediators Lipopolysaccharide and Lipoteichoic Acid on Iron Metabolism of Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells Alters in the Presence of BV-2 Microglia
Authors: Pandur Edina , Varga Edit , Tamási Kitti , Pap Ramóna , Nagy Judit , Sipos Katalin
Published: December 2018

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), the Gram-negative and the Gram-positive bacterial cell wall components are important mediators of neuroinflammation in sepsis. LPS and LTA are potent activators of microglial cells which induce the production of various pro-inflammatory cytokines. It has been demonstrated that disturbance of iron homeostasis of the brain is one of the underlying causes of neuronal cell death but the mechanisms contributing to this process are still questionable. In the present study, we established monocultures of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and co-cultures of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and BV-2 microglia as neuronal model systems to selectively examine the effect of inflammatory mediators LPS and LTA on iron homeostasis of SH-SY5Y cells both in mono- and co-cultures. We monitored the IL-6 and TNFα secretions of the treated cells and determined the mRNA and protein levels of iron importers (transferrin receptor-1 and divalent metal transporter-1), and iron storing genes (ferritin heavy chain and mitochondrial ferritin). Moreover, we examined the relation between hepcidin secretion and intracellular iron content. Our data revealed that LPS and LTA triggered distinct responses in SH-SY5Y cells by differently changing the expressions of iron uptake, as well as cytosolic and mitochondrial iron storage proteins. Moreover, they increased the total iron contents of the cells but at different rates. The presence of BV-2 microglial cells influenced the reactions of SH-SY5Y cells on both LPS and LTA treatments: iron uptake and iron storage, as well as the neuronal cytokine production have been modulated. Our results demonstrate that BV-2 cells alter the iron metabolism of SH-SY5Y cells, they contribute to the iron accumulation of SH-SY5Y cells by manipulating the effects of LTA and LPS proving that microglia are important regulators of neuronal iron metabolism at neuroinflammation.
Mechanical and Microstructural Characterization of an AZ91–Activated Carbon Syntactic Foam
Authors: Movahedi Nima , Taherishargh Mehdi , Belova Irina V. , Murch Graeme E. , Fiedler Thomas
Published: December 2018

In this study, activated carbon (AC) particles were combined with AZ91 alloy to manufacture a magnesium syntactic foam. This novel lightweight foam has a very low density, in the range of 1.12–1.18 gcm−3. The results show that no chemical reaction occurred between the AZ91 matrix and the activated carbon particles. The mechanical properties of the foam were evaluated under quasi-static compression loading conditions, and showed a consistent trend for the energy absorption of the fabricated AZ91–AC syntactic foams. The deformation mechanism of samples was a brittle fracture mode with the formation of shear bands during the fracture of all samples.
The Effect of Selective Laser Melting Process Parameters on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al6061 and AlSi10Mg Alloys
Authors: Maamoun Ahmed H. , Xue Yi F. , Elbestawi Mohamed A. , Veldhuis Stephen C.
Published: December 2018

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers customization of the microstructures and mechanical properties of fabricated components according to the material selected and process parameters applied. Selective laser melting (SLM) is a commonly-used technique for processing high strength aluminum alloys. The selection of SLM process parameters could control the microstructure of parts and their mechanical properties. However, the process parameters limit and defects obtained inside the as-built parts present obstacles to customized part production. This study investigates the influence of SLM process parameters on the quality of as-built Al6061 and AlSi10Mg parts according to the mutual connection between the microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties. The microstructure of both materials was characterized for different parts processed over a wide range of SLM process parameters. The optimized SLM parameters were investigated to eliminate internal microstructure defects. The behavior of the mechanical properties of parts was presented through regression models generated from the design of experiment (DOE) analysis for the results of hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength. A comparison between the results obtained and those reported in the literature is presented to illustrate the influence of process parameters, build environment, and powder characteristics on the quality of parts produced. The results obtained from this study could help to customize the part’s quality by satisfying their design requirements in addition to reducing as-built defects which, in turn, would reduce the amount of the post-processing needed.
Screening Vitis Genotypes for Responses to Botrytis cinerea and Evaluation of Antioxidant Enzymes, Reactive Oxygen Species and Jasmonic Acid in Resistant and Susceptible Hosts
Authors: Rahman Mati Ur , Hanif Muhammad , Wan Ran , Hou Xiaoqing , Ahmad Bilal , Wang Xiping
Published: December 2018

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungal phytopathogen with devastating effects on many Vitis genotypes. Here, a screening of 81 Vitis genotypes for leaf resistance to B. cinerea revealed two highly resistant (HR), twelve resistant (R), twenty-five susceptible (S) and forty-two highly susceptible (HS) genotypes. We focused on the HR genotype, ‘Zi Qiu’ (Vitis davidii), and the HS genotype ‘Riesling’ (V. vinifera), to elucidate mechanisms of host resistance and susceptibility against B. cinerea, using detached leaf assays. These involved a comparison of fungal growth, reactive oxygen species (ROS) responses, jasmonic acid (JA) levels, and changes in the anti-oxidative system between the two genotypes after inoculation with B. cinerea. Our results indicated that the high-level resistance of ‘Zi Qiu’ can be attributed to insignificant fungal development, low ROS production, timely elevation of anti-oxidative functions, and high JA levels. Moreover, severe fungal infection of ‘Riesling’ and sustained ROS production coincided with relatively unchanged anti-oxidative activity, as well as low JA levels. This study provides insights into B. cinerea infection in grape, which can be valuable for breeders by providing information for selecting suitable germplasm with enhanced disease resistance.
Lignans from Bursera fagaroides Affect In Vivo Cell Behavior by Disturbing the Tubulin Cytoskeleton in Zebrafish Embryos
Authors: Antúnez-Mojica Mayra , Rojas-Sepúlveda Andrés M. , Mendieta-Serrano Mario A. , Gonzalez-Maya Leticia , Marquina Silvia , Salas-Vidal Enrique , Alvarez Laura
Published: December 2018

By using a zebrafish embryo model to guide the chromatographic fractionation of antimitotic secondary metabolites, seven podophyllotoxin-type lignans were isolated from a hydroalcoholic extract obtained from the steam bark of Bursera fagaroides. The compounds were identified as podophyllotoxin (1), β-peltatin-A-methylether (2), 5′-desmethoxy-β-peltatin-A-methylether (3), desmethoxy-yatein (4), desoxypodophyllotoxin (5), burseranin (6), and acetyl podophyllotoxin (7). The biological effects on mitosis, cell migration, and microtubule cytoskeleton remodeling of lignans 1–7 were further evaluated in zebrafish embryos by whole-mount immunolocalization of the mitotic marker phospho-histone H3 and by a tubulin antibody. We found that lignans 1, 2, 4, and 7 induced mitotic arrest, delayed cell migration, and disrupted the microtubule cytoskeleton in zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, microtubule cytoskeleton destabilization was observed also in PC3 cells, except for 7. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the cytotoxic activity of 1, 2, and 4 is mediated by their microtubule-destabilizing activity. In general, the in vivo and in vitro models here used displayed equivalent mitotic effects, which allows us to conclude that the zebrafish model can be a fast and cheap in vivo model that can be used to identify antimitotic natural products through bioassay-guided fractionation.
Two New Cytotoxic Steroidal Alkaloids from Sarcococca Hookeriana
Authors: Huo Shaojie , Wu Jichun , He Xicheng , Pan Lutai , Du Jiang
Published: December 2018

Two new steroidal alkaloids, named hookerianine A (1) and hookerianine B (2) were isolated from the stems and roots of Sarcococca hookeriana Baill., along with two known compounds, sarcorucinine G (3) and epipachysamine D (4). On the basis of spectroscopic methods and by comparison with literature data, their structures were determined. As well as X-ray crystallography was performed to confirm compound 4. To identify novel antitumor inhibitors, all compounds were performed a CCK-8 assay against five human cancer cell lines SW480, SMMC-7721, PC3, MCF-7 and K562 in vitro. Compound 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities to all cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 5.97–19.44 μM. Compound 3 was the most effective one against SW480 and K562 cell lines with IC50 values of 5.77 and 6.29 μM, respectively.
Synthesis of Chromium Carbide Nanopowders by Microwave Heating and Their Composition and Microstructure Change under Gamma Ray Irradiation
Authors: Jin Kai , Jia Yuanbo , Zhao Zhiwei , Song Weiqiang , Wang Shun , Guan Chunlong
Published: December 2018

Chromium carbide nanopowders were synthesized by mechanical alloying-assisted microwave heating. The effect of gamma irradiation on phase composition and microstructure of chromium carbide nanopowders synthesized by the microwave heating method was analyzed. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. The results showed that well-dispersed chromium carbide nanopowders can be synthesized by maintaining the temperature at 1000 °C for 1 h. Gamma ray irradiation had an important effect on the microstructure of chromium carbide nanopowders. The interplanar spacings of chromium carbide (110) crystal faces before and after gamma ray irradiation were 0.3725 nm and 0.3824 nm, respectively. The crystal structure of chromium carbide was changed by gamma ray irradiation. Gamma ray irradiation can also increase the binding energy of chromium carbide, which is beneficial to improve the thermal stability and mechanical properties of chromium carbide at high temperature.
Quantification of Ethanedinitrile in Air Using a New and Accurate Gas Chromatography Method
Authors: Brierley Sam E. , Adlam Anthony R. , Hall Matthew K. D.
Published: December 2018

Compared to previously tested fumigants such as methyl bromide, sulfuryl fluoride and phosphine; ethanedinitrile (EDN) is a new fumigant which is being trialled around the world as a pre-plant soil treatment and as a quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) treatment of commodities. To collect the data necessary to assess the effectiveness of this fumigant, an accurate analytical method is needed across a wide concentration range. We reviewed the methods of detection for EDN described in recently published fumigation studies and have developed and validated a method to quantify EDN in air using a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (GC–FID). Our tested method has a linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of R2 0.9988, 1.36%, 98.8%, 0.750 ppm and 1.073 ppm, respectively. These values were determined using internationally recognised guidelines for the validation of non-standard analytical methods, which means that our method can be applied to the different validation requirements of regulatory agencies and countries. Our method can be used for experimental conditions that require detection at low and high concentrations simultaneously because it is accurate, fast (0.6 min) and repeatable across a concentration range of 1 to 40,000 ppm. This method will help to standardise the quantification of EDN by research groups and facilitate acceptance of data by regulatory organisations around the world.
Dietary Cadmium Intake and Sources in the US
Authors: Kim Kijoon , Melough Melissa , Vance Terrence , Noh Hwayoung , Koo Sung , Chun Ock
Published: December 2018

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that can contribute to numerous diseases as well as increased mortality. Diet is the primary source of Cd exposure for most individuals, yet little is known about the foods and food groups that contribute most substantially to dietary Cd intake in the US. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate dietary Cd intake and identify major food sources of Cd in the US population and among subgroups of the population. Individuals aged 2 years and older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2012 were included in this study (n = 12,523). Cd intakes were estimated from two days of 24-h dietary recalls by matching intake data with the Cd database of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Total Diet Study 2006 through 2013. The average dietary Cd consumption in the population was 4.63 μg/day, or 0.54 μg/kg body weight/week, which is 22% of the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 2.5 μg/kg body weight/week. Greater daily Cd intakes were observed in older adults, males, those with higher income, higher education, or higher body mass index. The highest Cd intakes on a body weight basis were observed in children 10 years and younger (38% of TWI), underweight individuals (38% of TWI), and alcohol non-consumers (24% of TWI). The food groups that contributed most to Cd intake were cereals and bread (34%), leafy vegetables (20%), potatoes (11%), legumes and nuts (7%), and stem/root vegetables (6%). The foods that contributed most to total Cd intake were lettuce (14%), spaghetti (8%), bread (7%), and potatoes (6%). Lettuce was the major Cd source for Caucasians and Blacks, whereas tortillas were the top source for Hispanics, and rice was the top contributor among other ethnic subgroups including Asians. This study provides important information on the dietary Cd exposure of Americans, and identifies the groups with the greatest dietary Cd exposure as well as the major sources of dietary Cd among sociodemographic subgroups.
Dietary Patterns and Association with Obesity of Children Aged 6–17 Years in Medium and Small Cities in China: Findings from the CNHS 2010–2012
Authors: Liu Dan , Zhao Li-Yun , Yu Dong-Mei , Ju La-Hong , Zhang Jian , Wang Jing-Zhong , Zhao Wen-Hua
Published: December 2018

Childhood obesity is associated with both near- and longer-term health implications. Few studies have been conducted to explore the associations between dietary patterns and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents. The present study was designed to identify dietary patterns and their relationships with childhood obesity in medium and small cities. This is a cross-sectional study of children participants aged 6–17 years old in the 2010–2012 China Nutrition and Health Survey (CNHS). Socio-demographics, life-style, physical activity, anthropometric variables, and hundred-item food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) were collected. Household income was classified as low, middle, and high. Traffic tools, from non-advanced to advanced, included walking, biking, bus, and car. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis of data from FFQs. Two dietary patterns were identified: a Westernized pattern (i.e., high cakes, snacks, sugary beverages, aquatic products, red meat, fruits, and nuts) and a Traditional Chinese pattern (i.e., high cereals, tubers, legumes, fried cereal food, and vegetables). The Westernized pattern was positively correlated with energy intake, household income, traffic tools, and negative correlated with age and housework time. The Traditional Chinese pattern was positively correlated with age, energy intake, and housework time, and negatively correlated with household income and traffic tools. After adjusting for confounding factors, the Westernized pattern was found to be associated with BMI increment, yielding β coefficients (95% confidence interval, 95% CI) of 0.57 (0.40, 0.85) for the fourth quartile. In addition, the Westernized pattern was also found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of obesity, yielding an odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) of 1.49 (1.21, 1.84) from fully-adjusted confounders. Promoting healthier eating patterns could help to prevent obesity in Chinese children. The findings of this study could be used to guide the development of evidence-based preventive nutrition interventions to curb childhood obesity epidemic in small–medium cities in China.
β-Eudesmol, an Oxygenized Sesquiterpene, Reduces the Increase in Saliva 3-Methoxy-4-Hydroxyphenylglycol After the “Trier Social Stress Test” in Healthy Humans: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Study
Authors: Ohara Kazuaki , Misaizu Akane , Kaneko Yuji , Fukuda Takafumi , Miyake Mika , Miura Yutaka , Okamura Hisayoshi , Yajima Jumpei , Tsuda Akira
Published: December 2018

Hops, the immature inflorescences of the female hop plant (Humulus lupulus L.) are one of the main components of beer and provides flavor and bitterness. β-Eudesmol, an oxygenated sesquiterpene, is reported to accumulate in a particular hop cultivar. Recently, we revealed that β-Eudesmol ingestion affected autonomic nerve activity in an animal model. The effect on humans has not been elucidated, therefore, we investigated the effects of β-Eudesmol on reducing objective and subjective markers related to sympathetic nerve activity after the application of mental stress in healthy participants. Fifty participants (male and female aged 20 to 50 years) were randomly assigned to two groups. Five minutes before taking the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as a mental stressor, participants in each group ingested a beverage containing β-Eudesmol, the active beverage, or a placebo beverage that did not contain β-Eudesmol. Saliva 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), a major product of noradrenaline breakdown and a representative marker of sympathetic nerve activity, was significantly lower just after the TSST in the active group compared with the placebo group. Saliva cortisol, a marker of the endocrine stress response system, was not significantly different between the two groups. No adverse events related to test beverage ingestion were observed. This is the first experimental evidence of β-Eudesmol effect for mental stress in human.
Urban-Rural Differences in Nutritional Status and Dietary Intakes of School-Aged Children in Cambodia
Authors: Horiuchi Yoko , Kusama Kaoru , Kanha Sar , Yoshiike Nobuo ,   The FIDR research team
Published: December 2018

This study aimed to describe the nutritional status and dietary patterns of Cambodian school-aged children compared with those in the South East Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS; Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam in 2011) and to clarify the urban-rural differences using data from a nationally representative sample. The survey was conducted in 2014/2015 with a sample of 2020 children aged 6–17 years from 136 randomly selected schools. Standardized anthropometric measurements and a 1-day dietary survey by 24-hour recall method were conducted. Extended analyses in the present study revealed that the difference between rural and urban areas was similar to that of the SEANUTS; the overall prevalence of stunting remained high (33.2%). Stunting was more prevalent in children living in rural areas than in those in urban areas (total: 36.4% vs 20.4%). In contrast, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was not as high (3.1%), but was higher among urban children in all age groups compared with those living in rural areas (total: 6.4% vs 2.3%). Overall, the dietary intake of children did not meet the local recommended dietary allowances, which was similar to the results of the SEANUTS and differed across urban and rural areas.
Strategy for Fault Diagnosis on Train Plug Doors Using Audio Sensors
Authors: Sun Yongkui , Xie Guo , Cao Yuan , Wen Tao
Published: December 2018

As the only entry/exit for passengers getting on and off a train, the train plug door is of great importance to keep train operation safe and reliable. As signal processing technologies develop rapidly, taking the easy acquisition advantages of sound signals, a novel fault diagnosis method for train plug doors using multi-scale normalized permutation entropy (MNPE) and an improved particle swarm optimization based multi-class support vector machine (IPSO-MSVM) is proposed. Firstly, sound samples are collected using high-precision audio sensor. In the features extraction process, a hybrid method blending empirical mode decomposition (EMD), multi-scale permutation entropy (MNPE) with Fisher discrimination criterion is utilized. First, EMD is used to decompose each sound signal into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residue for stationary processing. Then, MNPE features are extracted from the IMFs. To obtain the most significant features, the Fisher discrimination criterion is further applied. To address the time-consuming defects of traditional grid based method for selecting the optimal parameters of multi-class SVM, an improved PSO (IPSO) is proposed. The superiority of the IPSO-MSVM model and the hybrid feature extraction method was tested on the collected sound samples by comparing to commonly applied methods. Results indicate the identification accuracy of the proposed method is highest, which reaches 90.54%, demonstrating its feasibility.
Coarse-to-Fine Adaptive People Detection for Video Sequences by Maximizing Mutual Information †
Authors: García-Martín Álvaro , SanMiguel Juan C. , Martínez José M.
Published: December 2018

Applying people detectors to unseen data is challenging since patterns distributions, such as viewpoints, motion, poses, backgrounds, occlusions and people sizes, may significantly differ from the ones of the training dataset. In this paper, we propose a coarse-to-fine framework to adapt frame by frame people detectors during runtime classification, without requiring any additional manually labeled ground truth apart from the offline training of the detection model. Such adaptation make use of multiple detectors mutual information, i.e., similarities and dissimilarities of detectors estimated and agreed by pair-wise correlating their outputs. Globally, the proposed adaptation discriminates between relevant instants in a video sequence, i.e., identifies the representative frames for an adaptation of the system. Locally, the proposed adaptation identifies the best configuration (i.e., detection threshold) of each detector under analysis, maximizing the mutual information to obtain the detection threshold of each detector. The proposed coarse-to-fine approach does not require training the detectors for each new scenario and uses standard people detector outputs, i.e., bounding boxes. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms state-of-the-art detectors whose optimal threshold configurations are previously determined and fixed from offline training data.
Temperature Measurement of Fluid Flows by Using a Focusing Schlieren Method
Authors: Martínez-González A. , Moreno-Hernández D. , Guerrero-Viramontes J. A. , León-Rodríguez M. , Zamarripa-Ramírez J. C. I. , Carrillo-Delgado C.
Published: December 2018

A method for measuring planar temperature fields of fluid flows is proposed. The focusing schlieren technique together with a calibration procedure to fulfill such a purpose is used. The focusing schlieren technique uses an off-axis circular illumination to reduce the depth of focus of the optical system. The calibration procedure is based on the relation of the intensity level of each pixel of a focused schlieren image to the corresponding cutoff grid position measured at the exit focal plane of the schlieren lens. The method is applied to measure planar temperature fields of the hot air issuing from a 10 mm diameter nozzle of a commercial Hot Air Gun Soldering Station Welding. Our tests are carried out at different temperature values and different planes along the radial position of the nozzle of the hot air. The experimental values of temperature measurements are in agree with those measured using a thermocouple.
Multipotent Systems: Combining Planning, Self-Organization, and Reconfiguration in Modular Robot Ensembles
Authors: Kosak Oliver , Wanninger Constantin , Hoffmann Alwin , Ponsar Hella , Reif Wolfgang
Published: December 2018

Mobile multirobot systems play an increasing role in many disciplines. Their capabilities can be used, e.g., to transport workpieces in industrial applications or to support operational forces in search and rescue scenarios, among many others. Depending on the respective application, the hardware design and accompanying software of mobile robots are of various forms, especially for integrating different sensors and actuators. Concerning this design, robots of one system compared to each other can be classified to exclusively be either homogeneous or heterogeneous, both resulting in different system properties. While homogeneously configured systems are known to be robust against failures through redundancy but are highly specialized for specific use cases, heterogeneously designed systems can be used for a broad range of applications but suffer from their specialization, i.e., they can only hardly compensate for the failure of one specialist. Up to now, there has been no known approach aiming to unify the benefits of both these types of system. In this paper, we present our approach to filling this gap by introducing a reference architecture for mobile robots that defines the interplay of all necessary technologies for achieving this goal. We introduce the class of robot systems implementing this architecture as multipotent systems that bring together the benefits of both system classes, enabling homogeneously designed robots to become heterogeneous specialists at runtime. When many of these robots work together, we call the structure of this cooperation an ensemble. To achieve multipotent ensembles, we also integrate reconfigurable and self-descriptive hardware (i.e., sensors and actuators) in this architecture, which can be freely combined to change the capabilities of robots at runtime. Because typically a high degree of autonomy in such systems is a prerequisite for their practical usage, we also present the integration of necessary mechanisms and algorithms for achieving the systems’ multipotency. We already achieved the first results with robots implementing our approach of multipotent systems in real-world experiments as well as in a simulation environment, which we present in this paper.
Environmental Accounting of Financial Development and Foreign Investment: Spatial Analyses of East Asia
Authors: Mahmood Haider , Furqan Maham , Bagais Omar Ali
Published: December 2018

This paper aspires to examine the environmental effects of financial market development (FMD), foreign direct investment (FDI), and trade openness on the CO2 emissions per capita along with the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in six East Asian countries from 1991–2014. For this purpose, spatial econometrics is applied to consider the spillover effects from neighboring countries. The results of the study corroborate the spillover effects from neighboring countries’ CO2 emissions per capita, FMD, FDI, and trade openness, and the EKC hypothesis is proven true in this region. Local FDI inflows, trade openness, and energy intensity are found to be responsible for local environmental degradation. Local FMD has an insignificant environmental effect, but neighboring countries’ FMD has contributed to the local CO2 emissions per capita. Further, positive (negative) environmental spillover effects are found from neighboring countries’ FDI (trade openness).
Fundus Image Classification Using VGG-19 Architecture with PCA and SVD
Authors: Mateen Muhammad , Wen Junhao , Nasrullah  , Song Sun , Huang Zhouping
Published: December 2018

Automated medical image analysis is an emerging field of research that identifies the disease with the help of imaging technology. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a retinal disease that is diagnosed in diabetic patients. Deep neural network (DNN) is widely used to classify diabetic retinopathy from fundus images collected from suspected persons. The proposed DR classification system achieves a symmetrically optimized solution through the combination of a Gaussian mixture model (GMM), visual geometry group network (VGGNet), singular value decomposition (SVD) and principle component analysis (PCA), and softmax, for region segmentation, high dimensional feature extraction, feature selection and fundus image classification, respectively. The experiments were performed using a standard KAGGLE dataset containing 35,126 images. The proposed VGG-19 DNN based DR model outperformed the AlexNet and spatial invariant feature transform (SIFT) in terms of classification accuracy and computational time. Utilization of PCA and SVD feature selection with fully connected (FC) layers demonstrated the classification accuracies of 92.21%, 98.34%, 97.96%, and 98.13% for FC7-PCA, FC7-SVD, FC8-PCA, and FC8-SVD, respectively.
Flow Regime and Nutrient-Loading Trends from the Largest South European Watersheds: Implications for the Productivity of Mediterranean and Black Sea’s Coastal Areas
Authors: Cozzi Stefano , Ibáñez Carles , Lazar Luminita , Raimbault Patrick , Giani Michele
Published: December 2018

In the last century, large watersheds in Southern Europe have been impacted by a combination of anthropogenic and climatic pressures, which have rapidly evolved to change the ecological status of freshwater and coastal systems. A comparative analysis was performed for Ebro, Rhône, Po and Danube rivers, to investigate if they exhibited differential dynamics in hydrology and water quality that can be linked to specific human and natural forces acting at sub-continental scales. Flow regime series were analyzed from daily to multi-decadal scales, considering frequency distributions, trends (Mann–Kendall and Sen tests) and discontinuities (SRSD Method). River loads of suspended matter, nutrients and organic matter and the eutrophication potential of river nutrients were estimated to assess the impact of river loads on adjacent coastal areas. The decline of freshwater resources largely impacted the Ebro watershed on annual (−0.139 km3 yr−1) and seasonal (−0.4% yr−1) scales. In the other rivers, only spring–summer showed significant decreases of the runoff coupled to an exacerbated flow variability (0.1–0.3% yr−1), which suggested the presence of an enhanced regional climatic instability. Discontinuities in annual runoff series (every 20–30 years) indicated a similar long-term evolution of Rhône and Po rivers, differently from Ebro and Danube. Higher nutrient concentrations in the Ebro and Po (+50%) compared to Rhône and Danube and distinct stoichiometric nutrient ratios may exert specific impacts on the growth of plankton biomass in coastal areas. The overall decline of inorganic phosphorus in the Rhône and Po (since the 1980s) and the Ebro and Danube (since the 1990s) mitigated the eutrophication in coastal ecosystems inducing, however, a phase in which the role of organic phosphorus loads (Po > Danube > Rhône > Ebro) on coastal productivity could be more relevant. Overall, the study showed that the largest South European watersheds are differently impacted by anthropogenic and climatic forces and that this will influence their vulnerability to future changes of flow regime and water quality.
Recent Advances in Experimental Studies of Steady-State Dilution and Reactive Mixing in Saturated Porous Media
Authors: Xu Tiantian , Ye Yu , Zhang Yu , Xie Yifan
Published: December 2018

Transverse dispersive mixing plays an important role in controlling natural attenuation of contaminant plumes and the performance of engineered remediation strategies. The extent of transverse mixing can be significantly affected by porous media heterogeneity and anisotropy. For instance, flow focusing in the high-permeability inclusions leads to an enhancement of dilution and reactive mixing in steady-state solute transport. Numerous modeling studies have been performed to understand the mechanism of conservative and reactive transport in homogeneous and complex heterogeneous porous media. However, experimental investigations are necessary to show an intuitive phenomenon and to validate the modeling results. This paper briefly reviews recent laboratory experimental studies on dilution and reactive mixing of steady-state transport in saturated homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media. In this context, setups and measuring techniques are described in pore-scale and Darcy-scale experiments. Parameters quantifying dilution and reactive mixing in the experiments are also introduced. Finally, we discuss the further experimental works necessary to deepen our understanding of dilution and reactive mixing in natural aquifers.