bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A PCA and Mahalanobis distance‐based detection method for logical hardware Trojan
Authors: Huang Jiaoying , Yang Daming , Gao Cheng , Fu Chengcheng
Published: October 2018

Due to wide application of FPGA devices, which are easy to be attacked by HTs, it has been risen up more concern on chip security. In order to ensure the efficiency of detection, side‐channel analysis is used to detect HTs. However, existing methods for HT detection cannot detect the LHTs with the small size, which takes up lower than 1% area of the whole chip, considering that signal of LHTs is drowned in process deviations. To complete the side‐channel analysis for LHT, we proposed an algorithm that combines PCA and Mahalanobis distance to improve the accuracy of LHTs detection. In addition, performed on FPGA of Xilinx, a sample of LHTs was designed and verified, which took up nearly 0.1% area of the whole chip. The influence of process deviation on the power consumption of FPGA was simulated by Hspice. A set of power‐frequency data of golden FPGA was generated by Matlab as panel data, which was considering the influence. Another two sets of FPGA with and without LHT were generated to test the accuracy of the proposed method. For LHT and golden FPGA, the detection accuracy of proposed method is 99% and 87%, respectively.
Effect of hole on sound absorption coefficient of micro‐perforated panels investigated by Melling computing
Authors: Wang Kun , Wang Wei , Yan Xiong
Published: October 2018

Microperforated board is one of the important ways to absorb noise. However, the mechanism is still not well understood of the interaction between micropores, and the influence of the distance between the micropores on the sound absorption performance of microperforated plates is still not clarified. Professor Merlin introduced the influence of micropore interaction on the sound absorption performance of microperforated plates. Based on Maa and Melling theory, this paper proposed an absorption coefficient that considers the effect of perforation interactions. In addition, the formula was used to calculate the absorption coefficient and the resonance frequency and, subsequently, was tested by the conducted experiments. The results show that the structure parameters of the micro‐perforated panel affect its absorption coefficient, and the model can search the absorption coefficient more efficiently, with the calculated result close to the experimental value.
Secured and anonymous data transmission in Manet environment using zone‐based intrusion detection system
Authors: Soms Nisha , Malathi P.
Published: October 2018

Zone‐based intrusion detection is a supporting protection mechanism for mobile adhoc environment consisting of large volume of distributed number of nodes. With the presence of malicious nodes, security will be violated, which is focused in proposed research by introducing Secured and Anonymous Zone‐Based Intrusion Detection System (SAZIDS). Here, anonymous rule sharing is guaranteed by introducing the Anonymous Location‐Aided Routing in MANET in which group signatures would be generated by all zone members based on group public key provided by the intra zone leader. Thus, the exact location of zone members cannot be revealed. To ensure the secured rule sharing, Enhanced Adaptive ACKnowledgment is utilized, which would ensure the presence of malicious nodes. This is done at the time of rule sharing by the intra zone leaders. After secured sharing of rule set, in order to optimize the memory storage, in this work, rule set aggregation is performed, which would merge the rules, thus resolving the bandwidth and associated memory issues. The overall evaluation of SAZIDS is performed in the NS2 simulation environment, which proves secured and reliable transmission of data without the involvement of malicious activities.
Energy efficient low‐power full‐adder by 65 nm CMOS technology in ALU
Authors: N Suresh Kumar , K Paramasivam
Published: October 2018

The arrangement of energy efficient low‐power full adder has vital role in VLSI systems. In this paper Energy Efficient Low‐power 9T full‐adder is proposed. Its functioning basis of Power Delay Product (PDP), Delay, power and area is distinguished in accordance with that current 1 bit full‐adder simulated by utilizing various Complementary MOS logic designs. Output provides an average minimization of 99.28% in power usage, 67.87% in area, 99.89% in delay, and 99.99% in Power‐Delay Product (PDP) distinguished to the traditional 28 Transistors CMOS logic. The ALU design has been implemented using 9T full adder. These logic gates are analysis at 65 nm technology of CMOS by utilizing Schematic Editor Tool.
An improved prediction algorithm of seamless tubing corrosion based on an extension neural network
Authors: Wang Ti‐chun , Tong Chang‐sheng , Yao Sheng‐hu
Published: October 2018

In view of the fact that the corrosiveness of seamless steel tubes under actual conditions was difficult to predict, the main influencing factors of seamless oil tube corrosion under actual conditions were analyzed, and a model for predicting the corrosion of seamless oil tubes was constructed. The algorithm of the extension neural network was introduced. The Python language was used to implement the extensible neural network algorithm, and the influencing factors of steel tube corrosion were trained. The extension neural network was simulated and verified, and finally, the system is implemented by the mobile APP.
Study of single event transient induced by heavy‐ion in NMOS transistor and CMOS inverter
Authors: Gao Cheng , Zhang Rui , Huang Jiaoying , Fu Chengcheng
Published: October 2018

SET has become the main concern of radiation effect researchers as technology scales down and increasing sensitivity of modern integrated circuits. Transient response induced by heavy‐ion, especially the impact of parasitic bipolar amplification in both the NMOS transistor and the CMOS inverter, is investigated in this paper. The bipolar effect of the bulk NMOS transistor has been studied through transient current measurements by using 3‐D simulation. The simulation of a 3‐D structure has confirmed the enhancement effect due to the bipolar‐like structure inherent to the NMOS transistor. With regard to the CMOS inverter, waveforms of transient voltage pulse are fully measured via 2‐D mixed‐mode simulation. In addition, the impact of LET on transient voltage pulse amplitude and width is analyzed; also, the effect of load capacitance on voltage pulse amplitude is discussed as well. The 2‐D mixed‐mode simulation results indicate that SET pulse amplitude increases with the value of LET due to enhancement of drift, while SET pulse width increases with the LET for the reason of more significant parasitic bipolar amplification effect. In addition, SET pulse amplitude increases monotonically with the load capacitance. This paper further investigates the bipolar amplification mechanism in bulk MOSFET and analyzes the variation of transient voltage pulse in different conditions in deep submicron device.
The dynamics behaviors of Chay neuron model under different parameters
Authors: Kaijun Wu , Chao Yu , Dicong Wang
Published: October 2018

Based on C‐language and Matlab, this paper numerically simulates the dynamic behaviors of Chay neuron model under different parameters using the bifurcation diagram of Inter‐spike interval (ISI), time response graph, and phase diagram. The results show that the period‐adding, period‐doubling, and chaos phenomena of Chay neuron model were observed intuitively in the bifurcation diagram of ISI controlled by different parameters, and these phenomena were also found in the corresponding time response graph and phase diagram. These results provide a basis for further understanding the physiological characteristics of Chay neuron model.
Secure cloud‐based e‐learning system with access control and group key mechanism
Authors: Kanimozhi S. , Kannan A. , Suganya Devi K. , Selvamani K
Published: October 2018

There are lot of research works carried out in the field of Information Technology (IT), which have more impact on the education throughout the world. The main contribution from IT in today's education world is e‐learning. There are several institutions implemented the mechanism and several technologies of e‐learning in different countries. E‐learning provides more flexibility in education. Although there are several organizations and institutions had come up with the e‐learning system, the cost of investment involved for the infrastructure setup is much higher for e‐learning applications. Cloud Computing is one of the important technology, which provides different services, which plays a vital role in the education domain and e‐learning mechanism. In addition, the security factor in sharing the content is also much important nowadays as the content is shared among different countries with multiple source environments. In this paper, cloud‐based e‐learning is implemented using access control mechanism, which prevents the cloud resources from illegal user access. The key management schemes combined with access control technique is discussed for secure content sharing and to protect the e‐learning environment. The traditional e‐learning mechanism is compared with the cloud e‐learning for the better understanding of the cloud usage and advantages. Findings indicate that cloud‐based e‐learning utilizes cloud services in a secure way and also more flexible and scalable in accessing the e‐learning content.
An efficient RSA cryptosystem by applying cuckoo search optimization algorithm
Authors: Raja shree S. , Chilambu Chelvan A. , Rajesh M.
Published: October 2018

Cloud computing is a promising technology that provides ubiquitous and on‐demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing devices. However, the security is a major challenge in cloud environment due to the data sharing via the internet and data stored in the cloud. In cloud computing, there are various security issues such as confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. Among these issues, data integrity play a significant role in the cloud computing and various techniques were proposed to secure the data stored in the cloud. In this paper, an efficient RSA algorithm is proposed to overcome the data integrity problem in the cloud by applying Cuckoo Search Optimization (CSA) algorithm. In this, the encryption of data and secret key generation is done using RSA cryptosystem for securing data from unauthorized users'. In order to avoid the brutal force attack, CSA algorithm is used to optimize the encryption of the key. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs faster than the conventional RSA and Data Encryption Standard (DES) algorithms. Moreover, the proposed algorithm provides better throughput while increasing the private key length of the algorithm.
Design and implementation of intelligent energy control for tariff management using multi‐agent system in smart/micro grid
Authors: Satheesh Kumar G.S. , Nagarajan C.
Published: October 2018

Incorporation of the renewable resources (RR) with regular grid has many challenges like location difference between the renewable energy source and energy distribution point, and characteristic constraints like variability in weather may reduce wind energy, and reduced rain may result in lower hydroelectric energy and so on. In this work, an efficient method is proposed to integrate the RR energy in to the regular power grid. By integrating the RR with conventional energy grid, the user consumption charges can be considerably reduced and, the exploitation of fossil fuels can be gradually reduced. The work also proposes an efficient mechanism to employ real‐time tariff management by demand control center that collects the usage information in real‐time scale. Experimental simulations are performed using MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. For real‐time simulations, fuzzy controller‐ and TCP/IP‐based communication technologies are used. The results show that the proposed work exhibit a better performance against SCADA system, and it shows effective implementation of tariff and energy utility management.
Online and automatic identification of encryption network behaviors in big data environment
Authors: Hejun Zhu , Liehuang Zhu
Published: October 2018

To handle the difficulty in identifying encrypted network traffic in big data environment, a fast and online identification method for encryption network behaviors was proposed. Twitter audios, messages, videos, images, and other encrypted network behaviors were deeply studied in big data environment, and the features were extracted from a lot of encryption network behaviors, and the model database based on the correlation coefficient was established by these features, and the correlation coefficient between the network interactive data and the model database was calculated by acquiring the network interactive data at real time. The reference distance will be proposed and used to eliminate the noise of similar traffic sets; at last, the automatic and online identification of encryption network behaviors based on correlation coefficient and reference distance in big data environment were implemented by combination with the classification threshold, and the online identification rate was about 93% by this method, and the experiment results show the proposed method is applicable and effective.
Structural and Electrical Characteristics of an Aurivillius Family Compound Bi2LaTiVO9
Authors: Gupta Prabhasini , Mahapatra Prasanta Kumar , Choudhary Ram Naresh Prasad
Published: October 2018

The synthesis and characterization of bismuth lanthanum titanium vanadate (i.e., Bi2LaTiVO9), a new member of bismuth layer structure ferroelectric, are reported in this paper. The compound crystallizes in a single phase orthorhombic system. The smallest pentavalent V5+ ion in the compound results in higher polarization and low loss properties as compared to other similar compounds of Aurivillius family. The partial substitution of La3+ ion at the Bi3+ sites of Bi2O2 layers results in relaxor ferroelectric behavior with an expected decrease in transition temperature. The activation energy for both relaxation and conduction processes is in the vicinity of the activation energy of oxygen vacancy suggesting oxygen–vacancy activated charge carriers in both conductivity and relaxation processes.
Migratory connectivity in the Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)
Authors: Chabot Amy A. , Hobson Keith A. , Van Wilgenburg Steven L. , Pérez Guillermo E. , Lougheed Stephen C.
Published: October 2018

Aim

We combine genetic and stable isotope data to quantify migration patterns in Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), a species of conservation concern in North America, to assess how connectivity differs and impacts population evolution, ecology, and conservation.

Location

We sampled shrikes across the majority of their nonbreeding range, from the Atlantic Coast to the western United States east of the Rocky Mountains and throughout Mexico.

Methods

Our study used a Bayesian framework using δ2Hf from a breeding season origin feather and nuclear genetic microsatellite markers to distinguish between co‐occurring migratory and nonmigratory individuals on the wintering grounds and, for migrants, to assign individuals to a breeding ground origin and genetic group.

Results

Migratory shrikes were present throughout the nonbreeding range but the proportion differed among sample areas. Four main wintering areas were identified. Connectivity ranged from weakly negative in birds wintering on the Atlantic Coast to strongly positive between wintering grounds in the southwestern United States and Mexico and northwestern breeding populations. Connectivity was weakest in L. l. migrans, and strongest in L. l. mexicanus and L. l. excubitorides. Although believed to be nonmigratory, long‐distance movements of individuals were observed in L. ludovicianus and L. l. mexicanus. Our data support a pattern of chain migration, again most notable in the western half of the species nonbreeding range, and differential migration based on age.

Main conclusions

Our study provides of one such of the first quantitative measures of migratory connectivity and is among the first studies of a short‐distance migratory passerine in North America. The higher migratory connectivity among western, versus eastern populations, and less severe population declines attributable to habitat loss or reproductive success, may result in more localized and/or less severe limiting factors for western populations and more severe on the Atlantic coast and Mississippi Alluvial Valley wintering grounds.
A novel allele for inducible Cre expression in germinal center B cells
Authors: Weber Timm , Seagal Jane , Winkler Wiebke , Wirtz Tristan , Chu Van Trung , Rajewsky Klaus
Published: October 2018

The germinal center reaction is essential for efficient humoral immunity, but it can also give rise to B cell lymphomas. Cre/loxP‐mediated conditional gene knock‐out or knock‐in can be used for the genetic manipulation of germinal center B cells in vivo. Here we present a novel allele, Cγ1‐CreERT2, that allows for timed activation of Cre recombinase in a small fraction of germinal center B cells. This allele will be useful to study normal and malignant germinal center B cell development in vivo.
Recent Progress and Challenges of Micro‐/Nanostructured Transition Metal Carbonate Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Jingfa , Li Min , Guo Cong , Zhang Lei
Published: October 2018

Invited for the cover of this issue are Prof. Jingfa Li from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China, and co‐workers. The cover image shows the application of transition metal carbonate anodes in lithium ion batteries for a sustainable and green energy system.
A Generalizability Theory Study to Examine Sources of Score Variance in Third‐Party Evaluations Used in Decision‐Making for Graduate School Admissions
Authors: McCaffrey Daniel F. , Oliveri Maria Elena , Holtzman Steven
Published: October 2018

Scores from noncognitive measures are increasingly valued for their utility in helping to inform postsecondary admissions decisions. However, their use has presented challenges because of faking, response biases, or subjectivity, which standardized third‐party evaluations (TPEs) can help minimize. Analysts and researchers using TPEs, however, need to be mindful of the potential for construct‐irrelevant differences that may arise in TPEs due to differences in evaluators' rating approaches, which introduces measurement error. Research on sources of construct‐irrelevant variance in TPEs is scarce. We address this paucity by conducting generalizability theory (G theory) analyses using TPE data that informs postsecondary admissions decisions. We also demonstrate an approach to assess the size of interevaluator variability and conduct a decision study to determine the number of evaluators necessary to achieve the desired generalizability coefficient. We illustrate these approaches using a TPE whereby applicants select their evaluators, leading to a situation where most evaluators solely rate one applicant. We conclude by presenting strategies to improve the design of TPEs to help increase confidence in their use.
Defining scenario
Authors: Spaniol Matthew J. , Rowland Nicholas J.
Published: October 2018

Scholars claim that futures and foresight science should overcome “confusion” regarding the definition of core concepts, for example, the scenario. Admittedly, defining scenario has been a challenge. Current practice, which results in repeated attempts to clarify said confusion with yet another new definition of scenario, has apparently not advanced the field. An alternative option is not to redefine scenario, but to, instead, create a shared definition composed of component parts of pre‐existing definitions. The result is an operant or synthesized definition based on analysis of claims indicating what “a scenario is…” and “scenarios are…” in the literature on scenario planning. The authors find that scenarios have a temporal property rooted in the future and reference external forces in that context; scenarios should be possible and plausible while taking the proper form of a story or narrative description; and that scenarios exist in sets that are systematically prepared to coexist as meaningful alternatives to one another. Despite claims to the contrary, the authors find that the academic community of futures and foresight science does not seem to suffer from so‐called confusion over the definition of scenario, and thus, it is time to sunset the use of claims to this end.
Independent elevation of peripheral oxytocin concentrations and reduction in cognitive empathy during 4‐fluoroamphetamine intoxication
Authors: Dolder Patrick C. , de Sousa Fernandes Perna Elizabeth B. , Mason Natasha L. , Hutten Nadia R. P. W. , Toennes Stefan W. , Theunissen Eef L. , Ramaekers Johannes G. , Kuypers Kim P. C.
Published: October 2018

Objectives

4‐Fluoroamphetamine (4‐FA) is a novel psychoactive substance with a pharmacological profile and reported subjective effects (e.g., empathy) intermediate between 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and amphetamine. Studies have shown that MDMA and amphetamine increase emotional empathy without affecting cognitive empathy; MDMA simultaneously leads to elevated levels of oxytocin, unrelated to its behavioral effects. The aim of the present study was to assess the reported enhancement of empathy by 4‐FA, to assess its effects on oxytocin, and to test potential associations between both.

Methods

Twelve healthy poly‐drug users were included in a double‐blind placebo‐controlled two‐way crossover study. Treatments were 4‐FA (100 mg) and placebo; empathy was assessed by means of the multifaceted empathy test, and blood samples were taken before and after treatment administration to determine oxytocin concentrations.

Results

4‐FA reduced cognitive empathy, whereas emotional empathy was left unaffected. One hour after treatment, plasma oxytocin levels were significantly increased compared with placebo. Behavioral and hormonal effects were unrelated.

Conclusion

Although 4‐FA shares its pharmacological mechanism with MDMA and amphetamine, current findings seem to indicate that it affects empathy differently. The 4‐FA‐induced increase in oxytocin levels was independent of behavioral effects, which confirms previous findings that drug‐induced effects on peripheral oxytocin levels are not associated with empathy.
Relative timing of mitochondrial endosymbiosis and the “pre‐mitochondrial symbioses” hypothesis
Authors: Gabaldón Toni
Published: October 2018

The origin of eukaryotes stands as a major open question in biology. Central to this question is the nature and timing of the origin of the mitochondrion, an ubiquitous eukaryotic organelle originated by the endosymbiosis of an alphaproteobacterial ancestor. Different hypotheses disagree, among other aspects, on whether mitochondria were acquired early or late during eukaryogenesis. Similarly, the nature and complexity of the receiving host is debated, with models ranging from a simple prokaryotic host to an already complex proto‐eukaryote. Here, I will discuss recent findings from phylogenomics analyses of extant genomes that are shedding light into the evolutionary origins of the eukaryotic ancestor, and which suggest a later acquisition of alpha‐proteobacterial derived proteins as compared to those with different bacterial ancestries. I argue that simple eukaryogenesis models that assume a binary symbiosis between an archaeon host and an alpha‐proteobacterial proto‐mitochondrion cannot explain the complex chimeric nature that is inferred for the eukaryotic ancestor. To reconcile existing hypotheses with the new data, I propose the “pre‐mitochondrial symbioses” hypothesis that provides a framework for eukaryogenesis scenarios involving alternative symbiotic interactions that predate the acquisition of mitochondria. © 2018 The Authors. IUBMB Life published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 70(12):1188–1196, 2018
SLC1A2 mediates refractory temporal lobe epilepsy with an initial precipitating injury by targeting the glutamatergic synapse pathway
Authors: Zhang Yinian , Dong Huateng , Duan Lei , Yuan Guoqiang , Liang Wentao , Li Qiao , Zhang Xinding , Pan Yawen
Published: October 2018

This study aimed to identify the genes related to epilepsy and their effects on epilepsy, as well as the underlying mechanism. Using microarray analysis, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out and then used to build weighted gene coexpression networks using WGCNA. Module membership and evaluation of gene significance (GS) were adopted to detect hub genes. The DAVID online tool was used to understand the function of modules and target genes. The Licl‐pilocarpine chronic rat epilepsy model was used to simulate mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with an initial precipitating injury. Hippocampal expression of the proteins solute carrier family 1 member 2 (SLC1A2), glial fibrillary acidic protein, interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR) was determined by ELISA and Western blot. Nissl staining was used to measure neuronal loss. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the percentage of positive cells to reflect the distribution of NMDAR1. Here, 3232 potential genes highly correlated with epilepsy were selected from the screened DEGs, among which SLC1A2 was related to brain development and its expression was significantly decreased in epilepsy patients. According to Gene Ontology and KEGG analysis, SLC1A2 mediates epilepsy through the glutamatergic synapse pathway. Tissue experiments suggested that Slc1a2 could genuinely ameliorate epilepsy through the glutamatergic synapse pathway, mitigate neuronal loss, and suppress astrocytosis and inflammatory responses. Our study suggested that low hippocampal content of SLC1A2 is a potential biomarker of epilepsy and may affect the function of neurons through the glutamatergic synapse pathway. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):213–222, 2019
An overview of nanoscale radionuclides and radiolabeled nanomaterials commonly used for nuclear molecular imaging and therapeutic functions
Authors: Farzin Leila , Sheibani Shahab , Moassesi Mohammad Esmaeil , Shamsipur Mojtaba
Published: October 2018

Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology applications in nuclear medicine offer the promise of better diagnostic and therapeutic options. In recent years, increasing efforts have been focused on developing nanoconstructs that can be used as core platforms for attaching medical radionuclides with different strategies for the purposes of molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery. This review article presents an introduction to some commonly used nanomaterials with zero‐dimensional, one‐dimensional, two‐dimensional, and three‐dimensional structures, describes the various methods applied to radiolabeling of nanomaterials, and provides illustrative examples of application of the nanoscale radionuclides or radiolabeled nanocarriers in nuclear nanomedicine. Especially, the passive and active nanotargeting delivery of radionuclides with illustrating examples for tumor imaging and therapy was reviewed and summarized. The accurate and early diagnosis of cancer can lead to increased survival rates for different types of this disease. Although, the conventional single‐modality diagnostic methods such as positron emission tomography/single photon emission computed tomography or MRI used for such purposes are powerful means; most of these are limited by sensitivity or resolution. By integrating complementary signal reporters into a single nanoparticulate contrast agent, multimodal molecular imaging can be performed as scalable images with high sensitivity, resolution, and specificity. The advent of radiolabeled nanocarriers or radioisotope‐loaded nanomaterials with magnetic, plasmonic, or fluorescent properties has stimulated growing interest in the developing multimodality imaging probes. These new developments in nuclear nanomedicine are expected to introduce a paradigm shift in multimodal molecular imaging and thereby opening up an era of new diagnostic medical imaging agents. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 251–285, 2019.
Early embryonic exposure of ionizing radiations disrupts zebrafish pigmentation
Authors: Wang Yupei , Zhou Xin , Zhao Baoquan , Ren Xiaotang , Chen Yuhong , Si Jing , Zhou Rong , Gan Lu , Zhang Hong
Published: October 2018

Studies have demonstrated that zebrafish are powerful tools for monitoring environmental toxicity, including radiation hazard. Here we investigated the developmental toxicity of ionizing radiation (IR) in an in vivo embryonic zebrafish model. The effects of heavy ion (12C6+), proton, and X‐ray radiation on early zebrafish embryos were determined. A similar dose‐dependent decrease in the hatch and survival rate of zebrafish embryos was observed after exposure to these irradiations. Exposure of zebrafish embryos to 1–4 Gy IR caused significant loss of pigmentation. Quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, and in situ hybridization (ISH) experiment revealed that atp5α1 was markedly upregulated in irradiated zebrafish embryos. In addition, IR resulted in a rapid decrease in total adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation. With dual functions of synthesizing or hydrolyzing ATP, ATP synthase regulated H+ transport crossing the mitochondrial inner. Administration of the mitochondrial ATP synthase inhibitor, oligomycin, partially restored pigmentation in irradiated zebrafish embryos, but the ATPase inhibitor, BTB06584, had no effect. Taken together, these results showed that IR exposure downregulated zebrafish pigmentation through regulation of H+ ion transport in mitochondria.
Detection of six common human paramyxoviruses in patients with acute febrile respiratory symptoms using a novel multiplex real‐time RT‐PCR assay
Authors: Liu Gao‐Shan , Niu Pei‐Hua , Zhao Sheng‐Cang , Lu Rou‐Jian , Tan Wen‐Jie
Published: October 2018

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), respiratory syncytial virus type A (RSV‐A), RSV‐B, and human parainfluenza viruses 1, 2, and 3 (HPIV‐1, HPIV‐2, and HPIV‐3) are common respiratory paramyxoviruses. Here, we developed a two‐tube triplex one‐step real‐time reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (real‐time RT‐PCR) and evaluated its performance using clinical samples. The data showed that this novel assay was 100% consistent with the monoplex real‐time RT‐PCR assay (in‐house), which was superior to the commercial routine multiplex‐ligation‐NAT‐based assay. Meanwhile, the clinical nasopharyngeal swabs of 471 patients with the acute febrile respiratory syndrome (AFRS) were analyzed using the established method. The results showed that 52 (11.7%) cases were positive for paramyxovirus. Among them, HPIVs and RSV‐A had the highest detection rate. The age and seasonal distribution of human paramyxovirus infection were analyzed. In conclusion, we developed a novel multiplex real‐time RT‐PCR assay for the rapid detection of six common human paramyxoviruses, which were dominant in patients with AFRS in Qinghai.
Apoptotic effect of enterodiol, the final metabolite of edible lignans, in colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Shin Min‐Kyoung , Jeon Yong‐Deok , Jin Jong‐Sik
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND

Enterodiol (END) is transformed by human intestinal bacteria from lignans contained in various whole‐grain cereals, nuts, legumes, flaxseed, and vegetables. It is known to have several physiological effects, but its effects on mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and apoptosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells have not yet been elucidated. We therefore investigated the effects of END on apoptosis in CRC cells and whether these effects are mediated via MAPK signaling.

RESULTS

Cell proliferation was decreased by END treatment in a time‐dependent manner. In particular, END treatment resulted in an apoptosis rate of up to 40% in CT26 cells but showed no cytotoxicity toward RAW264.7 macrophages. Treatment with END also suppressed the migration of CRC cells in a concentration‐dependent manner. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 was down‐regulated with END treatment. Furthermore, END decreased the expression levels of anti‐apoptotic proteins in CRC cells.

CONCLUSION

Enterodiol inhibited the growth of CRC cells by controlling the MAPK signaling pathway involved in proliferation and apoptosis. These results demonstrate that END has an apoptotic effect in CRC cells. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Sub‐minute determination of rifampicin and isoniazid in fixed dose combination tablets by capillary zone electrophoresis with ultraviolet absorption detection
Authors: Duarte Lucas Mattos , Amorim Tatiane Lima , Chellini Paula Rocha , Adriano Luiz Henrique Cantarino , de Oliveira Marcone Augusto Leal
Published: October 2018

A validated sub minute capillary zone electrophoresis method with direct ultraviolet absorption detection for simultaneous determination of isoniazid and rifampicin in fixed‐dose combination tablets was developed. Background electrolyte was defined based on the analytes effective mobility curve and it was composed by 20 mmol/L of sodium carbonate/sodium bicarbonate at pH 10.2. A careful validation procedure considering the main figures of merit was performed. Regression models were satisfactory for isoniazid and rifampicin, showing no lack of fit within 95% significance interval. Interday and intraday precision were evaluated in standard and sample and slight relative standard deviations were achieved for concentration, area, and migration time. Recovery values for accuracy in two levels were 99.97 and 90.08% for isoniazid and 95.45 and 95.12% for rifampicin. The limits of detection for isoniazid and rifampicin were 0.22 and 0.34 mg/L, respectively, and the limits of quantification were 0.74 and 1.13 mg/L, respectively. Method selectivity was verified by injecting diluent, background electrolyte, a standard mixture, and a sample, confirming no interferent peaks. The method proved to be simple, environmentally friendly, sensitive, and was successfully applied for simultaneous quantification of isoniazid and rifampicin in fixed‐dose combination tablets.
Accurate and sensitive determination of sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil in illicit erectile dysfunction medications and human urine by LC with quadrupole‐TOF‐MS/MS and their behaviors in simulated gastric conditions
Authors: Öztürk Er Elif , Özbek Belma , Bakırdere Sezgin
Published: October 2018

The widespread use of phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors has attracted broad attention of counterfeiters to develop illicit erectile products with inaccurate amounts, unknown toxicity, and purity of active ingredients. Correspondingly, intake of these products endangers consumer health and needs to be screened for precautionary actions to reduce this risk. Therefore, in this study, a sensitive and rapid analytical method has been developed for simultaneous determination of selected phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors present in illicit erectile medications and human urine. Quantification of the analytes was performed by liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry system. The chromatographic separation was successfully achieved with a run period of 8 min. Low detection limits were obtained in the range of 1.63–9.81 ng/g with relative standard deviations below 7.72% obtained using the replicate measurements of lowest concentration in calibration plots. The analytical performance of the proposed method proved good linearity, low detection limits, good accuracy and precision with high percent recoveries for human urine samples. Developed method was successfully applied to real samples including four different brands of illicit erectile medications. The results obtained revealed the presence of high levels of sildenafil in analyzed samples. The behaviors of selected phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors were also studied in simulated gastric conditions.
Tourism and economic growth in Asia: A bootstrap multivariate panel Granger causality
Authors: Wu Tsung‐Pao , Wu Hung‐Che
Published: October 2018

This work uses a multivariate panel Granger causality test to examine the causal relationship between real international tourism receipts and economic growth in 11 Asian regions for the period from 1995 to 2015, accounting for both dependency and heterogeneity across regions. The results of this study support evidence for the growth hypothesis in the regions, such as Cambodia, China, and Malaysia. A reverse relationship supports evidence on the conservation hypothesis for the regions, such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and South Korea. A reciprocal causal relationship was found in Macau and Singapore.
Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the dual wavelength picosecond laser for the treatment of benign pigmented lesions in Asians
Authors: Kung Ka‐yee , Shek Samantha Y.‐N. , Yeung Chi K. , Chan Henry H‐L.
Published: October 2018

Background and Objectives

Cutaneous pigmentary disorders are both more common and more difficult to treat in patients with skin color given the higher melanin content in the epidermis. Although Q‐switched lasers are widely considered to be the standard treatment for both epidermal and dermal pigmentary conditions, a very high risk of post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) of up to 25% is seen in patients with skin of color. Recently, the novel picosecond laser with pulse durations operating at sub‐nanosecond domains has been shown to be effective in tattoo removal and in the treatment of acne scars. The objective of this study is to examine the safety and efficacy of the dual wavelength picosecond laser for the treatment of benign pigmented skin lesions in Asian patients.

Methods

Twelve subjects with benign pigmentary disorders and Fitzpatrick skin types III to IV were recruited in a prospective clinical study to examine the safety and efficacy of the dual wavelength picosecond laser. Patients were treated at approximately 2–6 week intervals depending of the type of lesion. The primary efficacy endpoint is the global percent of clearance which was evaluated by blinded observers using post treatment photographs compared to baseline photographs. Safety was evaluated before and after each laser treatment and patients were asked to rate the level of pain according to the Visual Analog Scale after each treatment session. Patient satisfaction was assessed at the completion of treatment with questionnaires. All patients were followed up at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the last treatment session.

Results

The pigmentary conditions treated included melasma, freckles, lentiginies, café au lait macules, and Hori's macules. Three months after treatment, 53.8% of all pigments achieved excellent response (75–94% lightening,) 30.8% of pigments achieved good response (50–74% lightening,) and 7.7% of pigments achieved both fair (25–49% lightening) and poor responses (0–24% lightening), respectively. The average number of treatment sessions required to reach at least 50% clearance was 4.5 for melasma, 1 for freckles, 1.5 for lentigines and 1 for café au lait. The patient with Hori's macules did not reach 50% clearance after a total of six treatments. Sixty three percent of patients reported satisfaction in the subjective assessment, while 27.3% were neutral and 9.1% were very dissatisfied. The post inflammatory hyperpigmentation rate was 4.8% and 6.5% of subjects developed blistering as a side effect of treatment.

Conclusion

The dual wavelength picosecond laser is a safe and effective treatment of benign pigmentary conditions in patients with skin of color. In particular, superior clinical efficacy is demonstrated for treatment of freckles and lentigines with a low risk of PIH. Lasers Surg. Med. 51:14–22, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stability investigation of electrodeposited zirconium diboride ceramic coatings in molten zinc
Authors: Wang Qian , Zhang Jun Wei , Zhang Liang , Liu Hui Jun , Zeng Chao Liu
Published: October 2018

ZrB2 coating was synthesized by molten salt electrodeposition and its stability in molten zinc at 550 °C was investigated by static immersion tests. Macro morphologies, microstructures, phase and chemical composition of the uncoated and ZrB2‐coated 201 stainless steels after immersion in molten zinc for different periods were analyzed to evaluate their corrosion resistance. The results indicated that bare substrate suffered severe corrosion after several hours immersion in molten zinc and the corrosive products were composed of inner δ phase (Fe, Cr)Zn7 and outer ζ phase (Fe, Cr)Zn13. As a contrast, ZrB2 coating acted as an effective barrier against the invasion of molten zinc and greatly improved the corrosion resistance of the substrate materials. The results may provide a potential way to design ZrB2‐based ceramic coatings for corrosion protection in molten zinc environment.
Selecting lipopeptide‐producing, Fusarium‐suppressing Bacillus spp.: Metabolomic and genomic probing of Bacillus velezensis NWUMFkBS10.5
Authors: Adeniji Adetomiwa Ayodele , Aremu Oluwole Samuel , Babalola Olubukola Oluranti
Published: October 2018

The results of this study indicate that the maize rhizosphere remains a reservoir for microbial strains with unique beneficial properties. The study sought to provide an indigenous Bacillus strain with a bioprotective potential to alleviate maize fusariosis in South Africa. We selected seven Bacillus isolates (MORWBS1.1, MARBS2.7, VERBS5.5, MOREBS6.3, MOLBS8.5, MOLBS8.6, and NWUMFkBS10.5) with biosuppressive effects against two maize fungal pathogens (Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum) based on 16S rDNA gene characterization and lipopeptide gene analysis. The PCR analysis revealed that lipopeptide genes encoding the synthesis of iturin, surfactin, and fengycin might be responsible for their antifungal activities. Few of the isolates also showed possible biosurfactant capability, and their susceptibility to known antibiotics is indicative of their eco‐friendly attributes. In addition, in silico genomic analysis of our best isolate (Bacillus velezensis NWUMFkBS10.5) and characterization of its active metabolite with FTIR, NMR, and ESI‐Micro‐Tof MS confirmed the presence of valuable genes clusters and metabolic pathways. The versatile genomic potential of our Bacillus isolate emphasizes the continued relevance of Bacillus spp. in biological management of plant diseases.
Technical Note: Intrinsic raw data‐based CT misalignment correction without redundant data
Authors: Sawall Stefan , Hahn Andreas , Maier Joscha , Kuntz Jan , Kachelrieß Marc
Published: October 2018

Purpose

CT image reconstruction requires accurate knowledge of the used geometry or image quality might be degraded by misalignment artifacts. To overcome this issue, an intrinsic method, that is, a method not requiring a dedicated calibration phantom, to perform a raw data‐based misalignment correction for CT is proposed herein that does not require redundant data and hence is applicable to measurements with less than plus fan–angle of data.

Methods

The forward projection of a volume reconstructed from a misaligned geometry resembles the acquired raw data if no redundant data are used, that is, if less than plus fan–angle are used for image reconstruction. Hence, geometric parameters cannot be deduced from such data by an optimization of the geometry‐dependent raw data fidelity. We propose to use a nonlinear transform applied to the reconstructed volume to introduce inconsistencies in the raw data that can be employed to estimate geometric parameters using less than plus fan–angle of data. The proposed method is evaluated using simulations of the FORBILD head phantom and using actual measurements of a contrast‐enhanced scan of a mouse acquired using a micro‐CT.

Results

Noisy simulations and actual measurements demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of correcting for artifacts arising from a misaligned geometry without redundant data while ensuring raw data fidelity.

Conclusions

The proposed method extends intrinsic raw data‐based misalignment correction methods to an angular range of or less and is thus applicable to systems with a limited scan range.
Primordial follicle activation is affected by the absence of Sohlh1 in mice
Authors: Liu Gongqing , Li Yuan , Du Bing , Sun Qi , Qi Wanjing , Liu Yuan , Zhang Xue , Jin Meiyu , Zheng Zhihong
Published: October 2018

Previous studies have reported that only primordial follicles and empty follicles can be found in 7.5 days postparturition (dpp) Sohlh1−/− mouse ovaries and females are infertility. There appears to be a defect in follicle development during the primordial‐to‐primary follicle transition in Sohlh1−/− mouse ovaries. However, detailed analyses of these phenomena have not been performed. In this study, we used Sohlh1−/− transgenic mice to explore the role of Sohlh1 in folliculogenesis. The results showed that only primordial follicles and empty follicles can be observed in Sohlh1−/− ovaries from 0.5 to 23.5 dpp. The expression of Foxo3 and FOXO3 was downregulated; nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of FOXO3 was normal in 7.5‐dpp Sohlh1+/+ but not Sohlh1−/− ovaries; and primordial follicle activation (PFA) was not observed in 7.5‐dpp Sohlh1−/− mice. The expression levels of KIT, AKT, and P308‐AKT were downregulated (p < 0.05), whereas that of P473‐AKT was not significantly changed (p > 0.05). The KIT/PI3K/AKT pathway was inhibited. Furthermore, we conducted a dual luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. The results showed that SOHLH1 can upregulate the Kit gene by binding to the −3698 bp E‐box motif. The absence of Sohlh1 may affect PFA in mouse ovaries via downregulation of Kit and inhibition of the KIT/PI3K/AKT pathway.
Micromechanical approach to swelling behavior of capillary‐porous media with coupled physics
Authors: Eghbalian Mahdad , Pouragha Mehdi , Wan Richard
Published: October 2018

A detailed multiscale analysis is presented of the swelling phenomenon in unsaturated clay‐rich materials in the linear regime through homogenization. Herein, the structural complexity of the material is formulated as a three‐scale, triple porosity medium within which microstructural information is transmitted across the various scales, leading ultimately to an enriched stress‐deformation relation at the macroscopic scale. As a side note, such derived relationship leads to a tensorial stress partitioning that is reminiscent of a Terzaghi‐like effective stress measure. Otherwise, a major result that stands out from previous works is the explicit expression of swelling stress and capillary stress in terms of micromechanical interactions at the very fine scale down to the clay platelet level, along with capillary stress emerging due to interactions between fluid phases at the different scales, including surface tension, pore size, and morphology. More importantly, the swelling stress is correlated with the disjoining forces due to electrochemical effects of charged ions on clay minerals and van der Waals forces at the nanoscale. The resulting analytical expressions also elucidate the role of the various physics in the deformational behavior of clayey material. Finally, the capability of the proposed formulation in capturing salient behaviors of unsaturated expansive clays is illustrated through some numerical examples.