bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Dicing and Splicing” Sphingosine Kinase and Relevance to Cancer
Authors: Haddadi Nahal , Lin Yiguang , Simpson Ann , Nassif Najah , McGowan Eileen
Published: September 2017

Sphingosine kinase (SphK) is a lipid enzyme that maintains cellular lipid homeostasis. Two SphK isozymes, SphK1 and SphK2, are expressed from different chromosomes and several variant isoforms are expressed from each of the isozymes, allowing for the multi-faceted biological diversity of SphK activity. Historically, SphK1 is mainly associated with oncogenicity, however in reality, both SphK1 and SphK2 isozymes possess oncogenic properties and are recognized therapeutic targets. The absence of mutations of SphK in various cancer types has led to the theory that cancer cells develop a dependency on SphK signaling (hyper-SphK signaling) or “non-oncogenic addiction”. Here we discuss additional theories of SphK cellular mislocation and aberrant “dicing and splicing” as contributors to cancer cell biology and as key determinants of the success or failure of SphK/S1P (sphingosine 1 phosphate) based therapeutics.
Critical Role of the Human ATP-Binding Cassette G1 Transporter in Cardiometabolic Diseases
Authors: Hardy Lise , Frisdal Eric , Le Goff Wilfried
Published: September 2017

ATP-binding cassette G1 (ABCG1) is a member of the large family of ABC transporters which are involved in the active transport of many amphiphilic and lipophilic molecules including lipids, drugs or endogenous metabolites. It is now well established that ABCG1 promotes the export of lipids, including cholesterol, phospholipids, sphingomyelin and oxysterols, and plays a key role in the maintenance of tissue lipid homeostasis. Although ABCG1 was initially proposed to mediate cholesterol efflux from macrophages and then to protect against atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), it becomes now clear that ABCG1 exerts a larger spectrum of actions which are of major importance in cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). Beyond a role in cellular lipid homeostasis, ABCG1 equally participates to glucose and lipid metabolism by controlling the secretion and activity of insulin and lipoprotein lipase. Moreover, there is now a growing body of evidence suggesting that modulation of ABCG1 expression might contribute to the development of diabetes and obesity, which are major risk factors of CVD. In order to provide the current understanding of the action of ABCG1 in CMD, we here reviewed major findings obtained from studies in mice together with data from the genetic and epigenetic analysis of ABCG1 in the context of CMD.
CFTR-NHERF2-LPA2 Complex in the Airway and Gut Epithelia
Authors: Zhang Weiqiang , Zhang Zhihong , Zhang Yanhui , Naren Anjaparavanda
Published: September 2017

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP- and cGMP-regulated chloride (Cl−) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) channel localized primarily at the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells lining the airway, gut and exocrine glands, where it is responsible for transepithelial salt and water transport. Several human diseases are associated with altered CFTR channel function. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by the absence or dysfunction of CFTR channel activity, resulting from mutations in the gene. Secretory diarrhea is caused by the hyperactivation of CFTR channel activity in the gastrointestinal tract. CFTR is a validated target for drug development to treat CF, and extensive research has been conducted to develop CFTR inhibitors for therapeutic interventions of secretory diarrhea. The intracellular processing, trafficking, apical membrane localization, and channel function of CFTR are regulated by dynamic protein–protein interactions in a complex network. In this paper, we review the current knowledge of a macromolecular complex of CFTR, Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 2 (NHERF2), and lysophosphatidic acids (LPA) receptor 2 (LPA2) at the apical plasma membrane of airway and gut epithelial cells, and discuss its relevance in human physiology and diseases. We also explore the possibilities of targeting this complex to fine tune CFTR channel activity, with a hope to open up new avenues to develop novel therapies for CF and secretory diarrhea.
Mitochondrial-Targeted Antioxidant Maintains Blood Flow, Mitochondrial Function, and Redox Balance in Old Mice Following Prolonged Limb Ischemia
Authors: Miura Shunsuke , Saitoh Shu-ichi , Kokubun Tomoki , Owada Takashi , Yamauchi Hiroyuki , Machii Hirofumi , Takeishi Yasuchika
Published: September 2017

Aging is a major factor in the decline of limb blood flow with ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) with regard to limb perfusion recovery in aging during ischemia. We performed femoral artery ligation in young and old mice with or without treatment with a scavenger of mitochondrial superoxide, MitoTEMPO (180 μg/kg/day, from pre-operative day 7 to post-operative day (POD) 21) infusion using an implanted mini-pump. The recoveries of cutaneous blood flow in the ischemic hind limb were lower in old mice than in young mice but were improved in MitoTEMPO-treated old mice. Mitochondrial DNA damage appeared in ischemic aged muscles but was eliminated by MitoTEMPO treatment. For POD 2, MitoTEMPO treatment suppressed the expression of p53 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl2 and upregulated the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ischemic aged skeletal muscles. For POD 21, MitoTEMPO treatment preserved the expression of PGC-1α in ischemic aged skeletal muscle. The ischemic soleus of old mice showed a lower mitochondrial respiratory control ratio in POD 21 compared to young mice, which was recovered in MitoTEMPO-treated old mice. Scavenging of mitochondrial superoxide attenuated mitochondrial DNA damage and preserved the mitochondrial respiration, in addition to suppression of the expression of p53 and preservation of the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) in ischemic skeletal muscles with aging. Resolution of excessive mitochondrial superoxide could be an effective therapy to recover blood flow of skeletal muscle during ischemia in senescence.
Correction: Xingchen Zhou, et al. Whole Exome Sequencing in Psoriasis Patients Contributes to Studies of Acitretin Treatment Difference. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 295
Authors: Zhou Xingchen , He Yijing , Kuang Yehong , Li Jie , Zhang Jianglin , Chen Mingliang , Chen Wangqing , Su Juan , Zhao Shuang , Liu Panpan , Chen Menglin , Shen Minxue , Chen Xiaoping , Zhu Wu , Chen Xiang
Published: September 2017

We would like to submit the following correction to the published paper [1], the reason for this action is that the data in Table 3 were reanalyzed by one more accurate statistic method: On page 12, the sentence of paragraph three “OR and 95% CI were calculated by limited backward-LR (likelihood ratio) logistic regression analysis with adjustment by clinical variables” should be corrected into “OR and 95% CI were calculated by limited enter logistic regression analysis with adjustment by clinical variables”.[...]
The Spread of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Coexistence with Helicoverpa zea in Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Pinto Fábio , Mattos Marcos , Silva Farley , Rocha Silma , Elliot Simon
Published: September 2017

Helicoverpa armigera, one of the world’s most destructive crop pests, was first documented in Brazil in 2013. Within a few months, this polyphagous insect had spread over the Northeast and Central-West of Brazil, causing great agricultural losses. With several reports of populations resistant to pesticides and Bt crops around the world, there is great concern about the spread of this pest in Brazil. There is confusion about the actual distribution of this species due to the high morphological similarity with the native corn earworm Helicoverpa zea, which may also coexist with H. armigera in the field. Our aims here were (i) to confirm its presence in the State of Minas Gerais, one of the most important agricultural regions in the country; and (ii) to assess the co-occurrence of this pest with the congeneric corn earworm H. zea. Using molecular screening, we confirmed the presence of H. armigera in Bt-crops of soybean and cotton, and non-Bt-crops of soybean, cotton and maize. Mixed infestations of H. armigera with H. zea were found in non-Bt maize (Viçosa, Southeastern Minas Gerais). These results highlight the need for adequate control strategies for H. armigera in Brazil, to deal with its polyphagous feeding habits, high dispersal capacity and possible risks of hybridization with congeneric species.
A New Outlook of Complementizers
Authors: Shim Ji , Ihsane Tabea
Published: September 2017

This paper investigates clausal complements of factive and non-factive predicates in English, with particular focus on the distribution of overt and null that complementizers. Most studies on this topic assume that both overt and null that clauses have the same underlying structure and predict that these clauses show (nearly) the same syntactic distribution, contrary to fact: while the complementizer that is freely dropped in non-factive clausal complements, it is required in factive clausal complements by many native speakers of English. To account for several differences between factive and non-factive clausal complements, including the distribution of the overt and null complementizers, we propose that overt that clauses and null that clauses have different underlying structures responsible for their different syntactic behavior. Adopting Rizzi’s (1997) split CP (Complementizer Phrase) structure with two C heads, Force and Finiteness, we suggest that null that clauses are FinPs (Finiteness Phrases) under both factive and non-factive predicates, whereas overt that clauses have an extra functional layer above FinP, lexicalizing either the head Force under non-factive predicates or the light demonstrative head d under factive predicates. These three different underlying structures successfully account for different syntactic patterns found between overt and null that clauses in various contexts.
Water Pool Behaviors of Water Lubricating for Glass/Steel Point Contact
Authors: Zhang Hang , Liu Shu-Hai , Xiao Hua-Ping
Published: September 2017

The behavior of pools of water for lubrication under a point of contact between a glass disk and a steel ball is studied here, employing a home-built apparatus. A deformed water pool is found to form around the contact region under different rolling speeds. To investigate the effect of rolling speed on the water pool, two parameters (advancing angle and receding angle) are introduced to describe the shape of the water pool. Two distinct glass surfaces, namely a smooth surface and a microgrooved surface, are observed. In the case of the smooth surface, the advancing/receding angle of the water pool significantly decreases with increasing rolling speed before the rolling speed reaches a critical value (80 mm/s). At speeds higher than 80 mm/s, the water pool is in a stable state and the advancing/receding angle remains steady. In the case of the microgrooved surface, the influence of the microgroove on water lubricating flow disappears when the rolling speed reaches a critical value (1030 mm/s).
Sol-Gel Derived Active Material for Yb Thin-Disk Lasers
Authors: Almeida Rui , Ribeiro Tiago , Santos Luís
Published: September 2017

A ytterbium doped active material for thin-disk laser was developed based on aluminosilicate and phosphosilicate glass matrices containing up to 30 mol% YbO1.5. Thick films and bulk samples were prepared by sol-gel processing. The structural nature of the base material was assessed by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and the film morphology was evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The photoluminescence (PL) properties of different compositions, including emission spectra and lifetimes, were also studied. Er3+ was used as an internal reference to compare the intensities of the Yb3+ PL peaks at ~ 1020 nm. The Yb3+ PL lifetimes were found to vary between 1.0 and 0.5 ms when the Yb concentration increased from 3 to 30 mol%. Based on a figure of merit, the best active material selected was the aluminosilicate glass composition 71 SiO2-14 AlO1.5-15 YbO1.5 (in mol%). An active disk, ~ 36 μm thick, consisting of a Bragg mirror, an aluminosilicate layer doped with 15 mol% Yb and an anti-reflective coating, was fabricated.
The Application of a Novel Ceramic Liner Improves Bonding between Zirconia and Veneering Porcelain
Authors: Lee Hee-Sung , Kwon Tae-Yub
Published: September 2017

The adhesion of porcelain to zirconia is a key factor in the success of bilayered restorations. In this study, the efficacy of a novel experimental liner (EL) containing zirconia for improved bonding between zirconia and veneering porcelain was tested. Four ELs containing various concentrations (0, 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 wt %) of zirconia were prepared. Testing determined the most effective EL (EL3 containing 3.0 wt % zirconia) in terms of shear bond strength value (n = 15). Three different bar-shaped zirconia/porcelain bilayer specimens were prepared for a three-point flexural strength (TPFS) test (n = 15): no-liner (NL), commercial liner (CL), and EL3. Specimens were tested for TPFS with the porcelain under tension and the maximum load was measured at the first sign of fracture. The strength data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05) as well as Weibull distribution. When compared to NL, the CL application had no effect, while the EL3 application had a significant positive effect (p < 0.001) on the flexural strength. Weibull analysis also revealed the highest shape and scale parameters for group EL3. Within the limitations of this study, the novel ceramic liner containing 3.0 wt % zirconia (EL3) significantly enhanced the zirconia/porcelain interfacial bonding.
Multi-Scale Low-Entropy Method for Optimizing the Processing Parameters during Automated Fiber Placement
Authors: Han Zhenyu , Sun Shouzheng , Fu Hongya , Fu Yunzhong
Published: September 2017

Automated fiber placement (AFP) process includes a variety of energy forms and multi-scale effects. This contribution proposes a novel multi-scale low-entropy method aiming at optimizing processing parameters in an AFP process, where multi-scale effect, energy consumption, energy utilization efficiency and mechanical properties of micro-system could be taken into account synthetically. Taking a carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg as an example, mechanical properties of macro–meso–scale are obtained by Finite Element Method (FEM). A multi-scale energy transfer model is then established to input the macroscopic results into the microscopic system as its boundary condition, which can communicate with different scales. Furthermore, microscopic characteristics, mainly micro-scale adsorption energy, diffusion coefficient entropy–enthalpy values, are calculated under different processing parameters based on molecular dynamics method. Low-entropy region is then obtained in terms of the interrelation among entropy–enthalpy values, microscopic mechanical properties (interface adsorbability and matrix fluidity) and processing parameters to guarantee better fluidity, stronger adsorption, lower energy consumption and higher energy quality collaboratively. Finally, nine groups of experiments are carried out to verify the validity of the simulation results. The results show that the low-entropy optimization method can reduce void content effectively, and further improve the mechanical properties of laminates.
Level of Theory and Solvent Effects on DASA Absorption Properties Prediction: Comparing TD-DFT, CASPT2 and NEVPT2
Authors: García-Iriepa Cristina , Marazzi Marco
Published: September 2017

Donor–acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) are a very recent class of organic photoswitches that combine excellent properties, such as color and polarity change, a large structural modification, and excellent fatigue resistance. Despite their potential applications in different fields, very few studies have focused on rationalizing their electronic structure properties. Here, by means of different state-of-the-art theoretical methods, including solvent and vibrational effects, we show that while time dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT) can qualitatively describe DASAs’ excited states, multiconfigurational quantum chemistry methods along with dynamic electron correlation (CASPT2, NEVPT2) are required for a quantitative agreement with the experiment. This finding is reasoned based on the different charge transfer characteristics observed. Moreover, the TD-DFT computed two-photon absorption properties are reported and suggested to red-shift the absorption band, as required for biological applications.
Eco-Friendly and Biodegradable Biopolymer Chitosan/Y2O3 Composite Materials in Flexible Organic Thin-Film Transistors
Authors: Du Bo-Wei , Hu Shao-Ying , Singh Ranjodh , Tsai Tsung-Tso , Lin Ching-Chang , Ko Fu-Hsiang
Published: September 2017

The waste from semiconductor manufacturing processes causes serious pollution to the environment. In this work, a non-toxic material was developed under room temperature conditions for the fabrication of green electronics. Flexible organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) on plastic substrates are increasingly in demand due to their high visible transmission and small size for use as displays and wearable devices. This work investigates and analyzes the structured formation of aqueous solutions of the non-toxic and biodegradable biopolymer, chitosan, blended with high-k-value, non-toxic, and biocompatible Y2O3 nanoparticles. Chitosan thin films blended with Y2O3 nanoparticles were adopted as the gate dielectric thin film in OTFTs, and an improvement in the dielectric properties and pinholes was observed. Meanwhile, the on/off current ratio was increased by 100 times, and a low leakage current was observed. In general, the blended chitosan/Y2O3 thin films used as the gate dielectric of OTFTs are non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and operate at low voltages. These OTFTs can be used on surfaces with different curvature radii because of their flexibility.
Magnetic Abrasive Machining of Difficult-to-Cut Materials for Ultra-High-Speed Machining of AISI 304 Bars
Authors: Wang Rui , Lim Pyo , Heng Lida , Mun Sang
Published: September 2017

This research proposes an optimized magnetic abrasive machining process that uses an ultra-high-speed system to perform precision machining on a workpiece. The system can process several microns of material, either for machining surface roughness or for machining a workpiece for a precise micro-diameter. The stainless steel workpieces have been machined using an ultra-high-speed magnetic abrasive machining (UHSMAM) process. The experiments were performed analyzing the accuracy of the machined workpiece diameter, using response surface methodology. The results obtained after machining have been analyzed to determine the effect of different process parameters such as machining speed, machining time, machining frequencies, inert gas in/out, magnetic pole types, and magnetic abrasive mesh size for the individual workpiece, as well as to study various interaction effects that may significantly affect the machining performance of the process. The obtained outcomes of the analysis for different workpieces have been critically compared to understand the effect of the considered process parameters based on the resulting mechanical properties. Regression analysis was used to confirm the stability of the micro-diameter and the processing efficiency. Atomic force microscope (AFM) micrographs were also obtained to study the surface morphology of the precision-machined workpiece.
Behavior of the Steel T91 under Multi Axial Loading in Contact with Liquid and Solid Pb
Authors: Di Gabriele Fosca , Hojna Anna , Chocholousek Michal , Klecka Jakub
Published: September 2017

In this work, the conditions for the occurrence of Liquid Metal Embrittlement (LME) in the ferritic-martensitic steel T91 in contact with lead, Pb, were examined. Slow tensile tests with notched specimens revealed that in a temperature range close to the melting point of Pb, the steel is sensitive to LME (350–400 °C) and to Solid Metal Induced Embrittlement (SMIE) (300 °C). The cracking was stimulated by wetting (using a chemical flux) and the notch effect. It was found that the multi axial stresses state and the high level of plastic strain in front of the notch were the key factors triggering crack initiation.
In Situ Study of Phase Transformations during Non-Isothermal Tempering of Bainitic and Martensitic Microstructures
Authors: Talebi S. , Ghasemi-Nanesa Hadi , Jahazi Mohammad , Melkonyan Haikouhi
Published: September 2017

Phase transformations during non-isothermal tempering of bainitic or martensitic microstructures obtained after quenching of a medium-carbon low-alloy steel was studied. The microstructures correspond to different locations of an as-quenched large-sized forged ingot used as a die material in the automotive industry. High-resolution dilatometry experiments were conducted to simulate the heat treatment process, as well as to investigate different phenomena occurring during non-isothermal tempering. The microstructures were characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Dilatometry analyses demonstrated that tempering behavior varied significantly from bainitic to martensitic microstructures. Retained austenite, which exists between bainitic ferrite sheaves, decomposes to lower bainite causing a remarkable volume increase. It was found that this decomposition finishes below 386 °C. By contrast, martensite tempering was accompanied with a volume decrease due to the decomposition of medium-carbon martensite to low carbon martensite and carbides.
Mineralogy and Processing of Hydrothermal Vein Quartz from Hengche, Hubei Province (China)
Authors: Lin Min , Pei Zhenyu , Lei Shaomin
Published: September 2017

Quartz occurs in many geological materials, and is used in numerous industrial fields as a raw material. Mineralogy and the processing of hydrothermal quartz were studied by optical microscope, electron probe microanalysis, scanning electron microscope, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. A combination of the geological occurrence of the quartz deposit, mineralogical studies, and the processing technologies of the hydrothermal quartz was accomplished. The results show that impurities within the quartz mainly include muscovite, hematite, apatite, and secondary fluid inclusions. The main chemical impurities are Al (353 μg·g−1), K (118 μg·g−1), Fe (61.2 μg·g−1), P (15.5 μg·g−1), Na (13.4 μg·g−1), Mg (11.8 μg·g−1), Ti (8.31 μg·g−1), and B (10.8 μg·g−1). Based on these results, a combined process consisting of calcination and fluoride-free pressure acid leaching was established to effectively decompose and dissolve the quartz, and remove gangue minerals and fluid inclusions. The calcination process not only removed volatile components; it also destroyed the crystal structure of gangue minerals and enhanced their release probabilities. The calcination process has a positive influence on the removal of impurity elements by the fluoride-free pressure acid leaching process. A total of 85.2 wt % and 84.0 wt % of impurity elements was removed using the leaching systems of HCl-NH4Cl and H2SO4-NH4Cl, respectively.
Forsythiae Fructus: A Review on its Phytochemistry, Quality Control, Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics
Authors: Dong Zhanglu , Lu Xianyuan , Tong Xueli , Dong Yaqian , Tang Lan , Liu Menghua
Published: September 2017

Forsythiae Fructus, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used both as a single herb and in compound prescriptions in Asia, mainly due to its heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. Modern pharmacology has proved Forsythiae Fructus possesses various therapeutic effects, both in vitro and in vivo, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activities. Up to now, three hundred and twenty-one compounds have been identified and sensitive analytical methods have been established for its quality control. Recently, the pharmacokinetics of Forsythiae Fructus and its bioactive compounds have been reported, providing valuable information for its clinical application. Therefore, this systematic review focused on the newest scientific reports on Forsythiae Fructus and extensively summarizes its phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and standardization procedures, especially the difference between the two applied types—unripe Forsythiae Fructus and ripe Forsythiae Fructus—in the hope of providing a helpful reference and guide for its clinical applications and further studies.
The Variation of Oncidium Rosy Sunset Flower Volatiles with Daily Rhythm, Flowering Period, and Flower Parts
Authors: Chiu Yi-Tien , Chen Hsin-Chun , Chang Chen
Published: September 2017

Oncidium is an important ornamental crop worldwide, and in recent years, the characteristics of the flower aroma have become a concern for breeders. This study used headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the volatile compounds to study the aroma characteristics of Onc. Rosy Sunset. A total of 45 compounds were identified, with the major compound being linalool. Onc. Rosy Sunset had the highest odor concentration from 10:00 to 12:00 and lowest from 20:00 to 24:00. The inflorescence emitted the highest quantities of volatile compounds during stages 3–6, which then decreased with the aging of the flowers. In Onc. Rosy Sunset, the sepals and petals were the major parts for the floral fragrance emission, in which linalool content was the highest, whereas the lip and column had a different composition of major volatile compounds, of which benzaldehyde, β-myrcene, and β-caryophyllene dominated.
Hollow Au–Ag Alloy Nanorices and Their Optical Properties
Authors: Yu Keke , Sun Xiaonan , Pan Liang , Liu Ting , Liu Anping , Chen Guo , Huang Yingzhou
Published: September 2017

Hollow noble metal nanoparticles have excellent performance not only in surface catalysis but also in optics. In this work, the hollow Au–Ag alloy nanorices are fabricated by the galvanic replacement reaction. The dark-field spectrum points out that there is a big difference in the optical properties between the pure Ag nanorices and the hollow alloy nanorices that exhibit highly tunable localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) and that possess larger radiative damping, which is also indicated by the finite element method. Furthermore, the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and oxidation test indicate that hollow Au–Ag alloy nanorices show good anti-oxidation and have broad application prospects in surface-plasmon-related fields.
Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms in the Wonderland of Food Industry
Authors: Colagiorgi Angelo , Bruini Ilaria , Di Ciccio Pierluigi Aldo , Zanardi Emanuela , Ghidini Sergio , Ianieri Adriana
Published: September 2017

The foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is a concern in food safety because of its ability to form biofilm and to persist in food industry. In this mini-review, the issue represented by this pathogen and some of the latest efforts performed in order to investigate the composition of biofilms formed by L. monocytogenes are summarized.
In Vitro and in Vivo Study of Poly(Lactic–co–Glycolic) (PLGA) Membranes Treated with Oxygen Plasma and Coated with Nanostructured Hydroxyapatite Ultrathin Films for Guided Bone Regeneration Processes
Authors: Torres-Lagares Daniel , Castellanos-Cosano Lizett , Serrera-Figallo María , García-García Francisco , López-Santos Carmen , Barranco Angel , Rodríguez-Gonzalez Elipe Agustín , Rivera-Jiménez Cristóbal , Gutiérrez-Pérez José-Luis
Published: September 2017

The novelty of this study is the addition of an ultrathin layer of nanostructured hydroxyapatite (HA) on oxygen plasma modified poly(lactic–co–glycolic) (PLGA) membranes (PO2) in order to evaluate the efficiency of this novel material in bone regeneration. Methods: Two groups of regenerative membranes were prepared: PLGA (control) and PLGA/PO2/HA (experimental). These membranes were subjected to cell cultures and then used to cover bone defects prepared on the skulls of eight experimental rabbits. Results: Cell morphology and adhesion of the osteoblasts to the membranes showed that the osteoblasts bound to PLGA were smaller and with a lower number of adhered cells than the osteoblasts bound to the PLGA/PO2/HA membrane (p < 0.05). The PLGA/PO2/HA membrane had a higher percentage of viable cells bound than the control membrane (p < 0.05). Both micro-CT and histological evaluation confirmed that PLGA/PO2/HA membranes enhance bone regeneration. A statistically significant difference in the percentage of osteoid area in relation to the total area between both groups was found. Conclusions: The incorporation of nanometric layers of nanostructured HA into PLGA membranes modified with PO2 might be considered for the regeneration of bone defects. PLGA/PO2/HA membranes promote higher osteosynthetic activity, new bone formation, and mineralisation than the PLGA control group.
Dual-Emissive Waterborne Polyurethanes Prepared from Naphthalimide Derivative
Authors: Wang Tao , Zhang Xingyuan , Deng Yipeng , Sun Wei , Wang Qidong , Xu Fei , Huang Xiaowen
Published: September 2017

Fluorescent and room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials are widely used in bioimaging, chemical sensing, optoelectronics and encryption. Here, a series of single-component dual-emissive waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) with both fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence were synthesized. Dye without halogen atom incorporated into WPUs can only exhibit fluorescence due to poor spin-orbit coupling. When bromine atom is introduced into dye, we found that WPUs can emit both fluorescence and room-temperature phosphorescence with lifetimes up to milliseconds because of enhanced spin-orbit coupling. Moreover, with an increase in dye concentrations in WPUs, excimers are formed due to the aggregation effect, and may promote communication between singlet and triplet states. At different dye concentrations, structural, thermal, and luminescent properties serve as the main focus.
Presenting a 4-Item Spiritual Well-Being Index (4-ISWBI)
Authors: Fisher John , Ng David
Published: September 2017

Spiritual well-being is perceived to be reflected in the quality of relationships that people have in four areas, namely with God, others, nature, and self. Many spiritual well-being questionnaires exist, but not many provide an adequate assessment of these four relationships. As part of a survey of parental perceptions of holistic early childhood education in kindergartens in Hong Kong, 1383 parents and 165 teachers, from 22 kindergartens, completed a written survey questionnaire which helped to investigate the potential for a single question with four parts to provide a valid and reliable measure for spiritual well-being. Face, content, and construct validity were confirmed, together with Cronbach’s alpha providing a test for reliability. Similarity of findings from regression analysis of items in the 4-ISWBI with domains of spiritual well-being in the 20-item SHALOM, as well as partial discrimination by gender, reinforce the validity of the 4-ISWBI as a sound indicator of spiritual well-being and its four domains. In brief, the 4-Item Spiritual Well-Being Index (4-ISWBI) promises to be a handy instrument to aid researchers looking for a convenient, concise, coherent indicator, but not an exhaustive measure, of spiritual well-being.
Alike Scene Retrieval from Land-Cover Products Based on the Label Co-Occurrence Matrix (LCM) †
Authors: Liu Jun , Luo Bin , Qin Qianqing , Yang Guopeng
Published: September 2017

The management and application of remotely sensed data has become much more difficult due to the dramatically growing volume of remotely sensed imagery. To address this issue, content-based image retrieval (CBIR) has been applied to remote sensing image retrieval for information mining. As a consequence of the growing volume of remotely sensed imagery, the number of different types of image-derived products (such as land use/land cover (LULC) databases) is also increasing rapidly. Nevertheless, only a few studies have addressed the exploration and information mining of these products. In this letter, for the sake of making the most use of the LULC map, we propose an approach for the retrieval of alike scenes from it. Based on the proposed approach, we design a content-based map retrieval (CBMR) system for LULC. The main contributions of our work are listed below. Firstly, the proposed system can allow the user to select a region of interest as the reference scene with variable shape and size. In contrast, in the traditional CBIR/CBMR systems, the region of interest is usually of a fixed size, which is equal to the size of the analysis window for extracting features. In addition, the user can acquire various retrieval results by specifying the corresponding parameters. Finally, by combining the signatures in the base signature library, the user can acquire the retrieval result faster.
A Multiscale Deeply Described Correlatons-Based Model for Land-Use Scene Classification
Authors: Qi Kunlun , Yang Chao , Guan Qingfeng , Wu Huayi , Gong Jianya
Published: September 2017

Research efforts in land-use scene classification is growing alongside the popular use of High-Resolution Satellite (HRS) images. The complex background and multiple land-cover classes or objects, however, make the classification tasks difficult and challenging. This article presents a Multiscale Deeply Described Correlatons (MDDC)-based algorithm which incorporates appearance and spatial information jointly at multiple scales for land-use scene classification to tackle these problems. Specifically, we introduce a convolutional neural network to learn and characterize the dense convolutional descriptors at different scales. The resulting multiscale descriptors are used to generate visual words by a general mapping strategy and produce multiscale correlograms of visual words. Then, an adaptive vector quantization of multiscale correlograms, termed multiscale correlatons, are applied to encode the spatial arrangement of visual words at different scales. Experiments with two publicly available land-use scene datasets demonstrate that our MDDC model is discriminative for efficient representation of land-use scene images, and achieves competitive classification results with state-of-the-art methods.
Scale- and Region-Dependence in Landscape-PM2.5 Correlation: Implications for Urban Planning
Authors: Feng Huihui , Zou Bin , Tang Yumeng
Published: September 2017

Under rapid urbanization, many cities in China suffer from serious fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. As the emission sources or adsorption sinks, land use and the corresponding landscape pattern unavoidably affect the concentration. However, the correlation varies with different regions and scales, leaving a significant gap for urban planning. This study clarifies the correlation with the aid of in situ and satellite-based spatial datasets over six urban agglomerations in China. Two coverage and four landscape indices are adopted to represent land use and landscape pattern. Specifically, the coverage indices include the area ratios of forest (F_PLAND) and built-up areas (C_PLAND). The landscape indices refer to the perimeter-area fractal dimension index (PAFRAC), interspersion and juxtaposition index (IJI), aggregation index (AI), Shannon’s diversity index (SHDI). Then, the correlation between PM2.5 concentration with the selected indices are evaluated from supporting the potential urban planning. Results show that the correlations are weak with the in situ PM2.5 concentration, which are significant with the regional value. It means that land use coverage and landscape pattern affect PM2.5 at a relatively large scale. Furthermore, regional PM2.5 concentration negatively correlate to F_PLAND and positively to C_PLAND (significance at p < 0.05), indicating that forest helps to improve air quality, while built-up areas worsen the pollution. Finally, the heterogeneous landscape presents positive correlation to the regional PM2.5 concentration in most regions, except for the urban agglomeration with highly-developed urban (i.e., the Jing-Jin-Ji and Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomerations). It suggests that centralized urbanization would be helpful for PM2.5 pollution controlling by reducing the emission sources in most regions. Based on the results, the potential urban planning is proposed for controlling PM2.5 pollution for each urban agglomeration.
Diversification of Land Surface Temperature Change under Urban Landscape Renewal: A Case Study in the Main City of Shenzhen, China
Authors: Liu Yanxu , Peng Jian , Wang Yanglin
Published: September 2017

Unprecedented rapid urbanization in China during the past several decades has been accompanied by extensive urban landscape renewal, which has increased the urban thermal environmental risk. However, landscape change is a sufficient but not necessary condition for land surface temperature (LST) variation. Many studies have merely highlighted the correlation between landscape pattern and LST, while neglecting to comprehensively present the spatiotemporal diversification of LST change under urban landscape renewal. Taking the main city of Shenzhen as a case study area, this study tracked the landscape renewal and LST variation for the period 1987–2015 using 49 Landsat images. A decision tree algorithm suitable for fast landscape type interpretation was developed to map the landscape renewal. Analytical tools that identified hot-cold spots, the gravity center, and transect of LST movement were adopted to identify LST changes. The results showed that the spatial variation of LST was not completely consistent with landscape change. The transformation from Green landscape to Grey landscape usually increased the LST within a median of 0.2 °C, while the reverse transformation did not obviously decrease the LST (the median was nearly 0 °C). The median of LST change from Blue landscape to Grey landscape was 1.0 °C, corresponding to 0.5 °C in the reverse transformation. The imbalance of LST change between the loss and gain of Green or Blue landscape indicates the importance of protecting natural space, where the benefits in terms of temperature mitigation cannot be completely substituted by reverse transformation.
Understanding How Low-Level Clouds and Fog Modify the Diurnal Cycle of Orographic Precipitation Using In Situ and Satellite Observations
Authors: Duan Yajuan , Barros Ana
Published: September 2017

Satellite orographic precipitation estimates exhibit large errors with space-time structure tied to landform. Observations in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (SAM) suggest that low-level clouds and fog (LLCF) amplify mid-day rainfall via seeder-feeder interactions (SFI) at both high and low elevations. Here, a rainfall microphysics model constrained by fog observations was used first to reveal that fast SFI (2–5 min time-scales) modify the rain drop size distributions by increasing coalescence efficiency among small drops (<0.7 mm diameter), whereas competition between coalescence and filament-only breakup dominates for larger drops (3–5 mm diameter). The net result is a large increase in the number concentrations of intermediate size raindrops in the 0.7–3 mm range and up to a ten-fold increase in rainfall intensity. Next, a 10-year climatology of satellite observations was developed to map LLCF. Combined estimates from CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations) and CloudSat products reveal persistent shallower cloud base heights at high elevations enveloping the terrain. The regional cloud top height climatology derived from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) shows high-frequency daytime LLCF over mountain ridges in the warm season shifting to river valleys at nighttime. In fall and winter, LLCF patterns define a cloud-shadow region east of the continental divide, consistent with downwind rain-shadow effects. Optical and microphysical properties from collocated MODIS and ground ceilometers indicate small values of vertically integrated cloud water path (CWP < 100 g/m2), optical thickness (COT < 15), and particle effective radius (CER) < 15 μm near cloud top whereas surface observed CER ~25 μm changes to ~150 μm and higher prior to the mid-day rainfall. The vertical stratification of LLCF microphysics and SFI at low levels pose a significant challenge to satellite-based remote sensing in complex topography.
Self-Learning Based Land-Cover Classification Using Sequential Class Patterns from Past Land-Cover Maps
Authors: Kim Yeseul , Park No-Wook , Lee Kyung-Do
Published: September 2017

To improve the accuracy of classification with a small amount of training data, this paper presents a self-learning approach that defines class labels from sequential patterns using a series of past land-cover maps. By stacking past land-cover maps, unique sequence rule information from sequential change patterns of land-covers is first generated, and a rule-based class label image is then prepared for a given time. After the most informative pixels with high uncertainty are selected from the initial classification, rule-based class labels are assigned to the selected pixels. These newly labeled pixels are added to training data, which then undergo an iterative classification process until a stopping criterion is reached. Time-series MODIS NDVI data sets and cropland data layers (CDLs) from the past five years are used for the classification of various crop types in Kansas. From the experiment results, it is found that once the rule-based labels are derived from past CDLs, the labeled informative pixels could be properly defined without analyst intervention. Regardless of different combinations of past CDLs, adding these labeled informative pixels to training data increased classification accuracy and the maximum improvement of 8.34 percentage points in overall accuracy was achieved when using three CDLs, compared to the initial classification result using a small amount of training data. Using more than three consecutive CDLs showed slightly better classification accuracy than when using two CDLs (minimum and maximum increases were 1.56 and 2.82 percentage points, respectively). From a practical viewpoint, using three or four CDLs was the best choice for this study area. Based on these experiment results, the presented approach could be applied effectively to areas with insufficient training data but access to past land-cover maps. However, further consideration should be given to select the optimal number of past land-cover maps and reduce the impact of errors of rule-based labels.
Monitoring the Response of Roads and Railways to Seasonal Soil Movement with Persistent Scatterers Interferometry over Six UK Sites
Authors: North Matthew , Farewell Timothy , Hallett Stephen , Bertelle Audrey
Published: September 2017

Road and rail networks provide critical support for society, yet they can be degraded by seasonal soil movements. Currently, few transport network operators monitor small-scale soil movement, but understanding the conditions contributing to infrastructure failure can improve network resilience. Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) is a remote sensing technique offering the potential for near real-time ground movement monitoring over wide areas. This study tests the use of PSI for monitoring the response of major roads, minor roads, and railways to ground movement across six study sites in England, using Sentinel 1 data in VV polarisation in ascending orbit. Some soils are more stable than others—a national soil map was used to quantify the relationships between infrastructure movement and major soil groups. Vertical movement of transport infrastructure is a function of engineering design, soil properties, and traffic loading. Roads and railways built on soil groups prone to seasonal water-logging (Ground-water Gley soils, Surface-water Gley soils, Pelosols, and Brown soils) demonstrated seasonal subsidence and heave, associated with an increased risk of infrastructure degradation. Roads and railways over Podzolic soils demonstrated relative stability. Railways on Peat soils exhibited the most extreme continual subsidence of up to 7.5 mm year−1. Limitations of this study include the short observation period (~13 months, due to satellite data availability) and the regional scale of the soil map—mapping units contain multiple soil types with different ground movement potentials. Future use of a higher resolution soil map over a longer period will advance this research. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the viability of PSI as a technique for measuring both seasonal soil-related ground movement and the associated impacts on road and rail infrastructure.
An Adaptive Classification Strategy for Reliable Locomotion Mode Recognition
Authors: Liu Ming , Zhang Fan , Huang He
Published: September 2017

Algorithms for locomotion mode recognition (LMR) based on surface electromyography and mechanical sensors have recently been developed and could be used for the neural control of powered prosthetic legs. However, the variations in input signals, caused by physical changes at the sensor interface and human physiological changes, may threaten the reliability of these algorithms. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of applying adaptive pattern classifiers for LMR. Three adaptive classifiers, i.e., entropy-based adaptation (EBA), LearnIng From Testing data (LIFT), and Transductive Support Vector Machine (TSVM), were compared and offline evaluated using data collected from two able-bodied subjects and one transfemoral amputee. The offline analysis indicated that the adaptive classifier could effectively maintain or restore the performance of the LMR algorithm when gradual signal variations occurred. EBA and LIFT were recommended because of their better performance and higher computational efficiency. Finally, the EBA was implemented for real-time human-in-the-loop prosthesis control. The online evaluation showed that the applied EBA effectively adapted to changes in input signals across sessions and yielded more reliable prosthesis control over time, compared with the LMR without adaptation. The developed novel adaptive strategy may further enhance the reliability of neurally-controlled prosthetic legs.
Video Synchronization With Bit-Rate Signals and Correntropy Function
Authors: Pereira Igor , Silveira Luiz , Gonçalves Luiz
Published: September 2017

We propose an approach for the synchronization of video streams using correntropy. Essentially, the time offset is calculated on the basis of the instantaneous transfer rates of the video streams that are extracted in the form of a univariate signal known as variable bit-rate (VBR). The state-of-the-art approach uses a window segmentation strategy that is based on consensual zero-mean normalized cross-correlation (ZNCC). This strategy has an elevated computational complexity, making its application to synchronizing online data streaming difficult. Hence, our proposal uses a different window strategy that, together with the correntropy function, allows the synchronization to be performed for online applications. This provides equivalent synchronization scores with a rapid offset determination as the streams come into the system. The efficiency of our approach has been verified through experiments that demonstrate its viability with values that are as precise as those obtained by ZNCC. The proposed approach scored 81 % in time reference classification against the equivalent 81 % of the state-of-the-art approach, requiring much less computational power.