bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of Novel 2-(Substituted amino)alkylthiopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones as Potential Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Attia Mohamed , El-Emam Ali , Al-Turkistani Abdulghafoor , Kansoh Amany , El-Brollosy Nasser
Published: December 2013

5-Alkyl-6-(substituted benzyl)-2-thiouracils 3a,c were reacted with (2-chloroethyl) diethylamine hydrochloride to afford the corresponding 2-(2-diethylamino)ethylthiopyrimidin- 4(3H)-ones 4a,b. Reaction of 3a–c with N-(2-chloroethyl)pyrrolidine hydrochloride and/or N-(2-chloroethyl)piperidine hydrochloride gave the corresponding 2-[2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl]-thiopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 5a–c and 2-[2-(piperidin-1-yl)ethyl]thiopyrimidin-4(3H)-ones 6a,b, respectively. Treatment of 3a–d with N-(2-chloroethyl)morpholine hydrochloride under the same reaction conditions formed the corresponding 2-[2-(morpholin-4-yl)ethyl]thiopyrimidines 6c–f. On the other hand, 3a,b were reacted with N-(2-bromoethyl)phthalimide and/or N-(3-bromopropyl)phthalimide to furnish the corresponding 2-[2-(N-phthalimido)ethyl]-pyrimidines 7a,b and 2-[3-(N-phthalimido)-propyl]pyrimidines 7c,d, respectively. Compounds 3a–d, 4a,b, 5a–c, 6a–f and 7a–d were screened against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Bacillus subtilis NRRL 4219 and Bacillus cereus), yeast-like pathogenic fungus (Candida albicans ATCC 10231) and a fungus (Aspergillusniger NRRL 599). The best antibacterial activity was displayed by compounds 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a, 5b, 6d, 6f, 7b and 7d, whereas compounds 4b, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b and 6f exhibited the best antifungal activity.
Protective Effects of Quercetin and Quercetin-5',8-Disulfonate against Carbon Tetrachloride-Caused Oxidative Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Cui Yanmang , Han Yong , Yang Xingbin , Sun Yanfei , Zhao Yan
Published: December 2013

Oxidative stress is one of the major factors in the pathogenesis of liver disease. Quercetin is a plant-based antioxidant traditionally used as a treatment for hepatic injury, but its poor solubility affects its bioavailability. We here report the regulative effects on hepatoprotection and absorption in mice of quercetin sulfation to form quercetin-5',8-disulfonate (QS), a novel synthetic compound. Oral administration of both QS and the parent quercetin at 100, 200 and 500 mg/kg·bw prior to acute CCl4 oxidative damage in mice, effectively attenuated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p < 0.05), and suppressed the CCl4-induced depletion of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD). Selective 5',8-sulfation of quercetin increased the hepatoprotective effect, and its relative absorption relative to quercetin (p < 0.05) as indicated by an improved 24-hour urinary excretion and a decreased fecal excretion determined by HPLC. These results and histopathological observations collectively demonstrate that quercetin sulfation increases its hepatoprotective effects and absorption in mice, and QS has potential as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent for liver diseases.
Cytoprotective Effect of American Ginseng in a Rat Ethanol Gastric Ulcer Model
Authors: Huang Chi-Chang , Chen Yi-Ming , Wang Dean-Chuan , Chiu Chien-Chao , Lin Wan-Teng , Huang Chih-Yang , Hsu Mei-Chich
Published: December 2013

Panax quinquefolium L. (American Ginseng, AG) is one of the most popular herbal medicines in the World. We aimed to investigate whether chronic (28-day) supplementation with AG could protect against ethanol-induced ulcer in gastric tissue. Furthermore, we investigated the possible molecular mechanisms leading to AG-mediated gastric mucosal protection. We randomized 32 male Wistar rats into four groups for treatment (n = 8 per group): supplementation with water (vehicle) and low-dose (AG-1X), medium-dose (AG-2X) and high-dose (AG-5X) AG at 0, 250, 500, and 1250 mg/kg, respectively. In the first experiment, animals were fed vehicle or AG treatments for 4 weeks. At day 29, 75% ethanol was given orally to each animal at 10 mL/kg to induce gastric ulceration for 2 h. In a second experiment, animals were pretreated orally with each treatment for 1 hr before a single oral administration of ethanol (70%, 10 mL/kg). Trend analysis revealed that AG treatments inhibited ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage. AG supplementation dose-dependently decreased the pro-inflammatory levels of interleukin 1β and cyclooxygenase 2 and the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins tBid, cytochrome C, and caspases-9 and -3 and increased the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and p-Bad. AG could have pharmacological potential for treating gastric ulcer.
Development of a Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Azacitidine in Rat Plasma and Its Application to a Bioavailability Study
Authors: Li Dongpo , Zhang Tianhong , Kou Longfa , Zhang Youxi , Sun Jin , He Zhonggui
Published: December 2013

Azacitidine is widely used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). The analysis of azacitidine in biological samples is subject to interference by endogenous compounds. Previously reported high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS/MS) bioanalytical assays for azacitidine suffer from expensive sample preparation procedures or from long separation times to achieve the required selectivity. Herein, supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (SFC-MS/MS) was explored as a more promising technique for the selective analysis of structure-like or chiral drugs in biological matrices. In this study, a simple, rapid and specific SFC/MS/MS analytical method was developed for the determination of azacitidine levels in rat plasma. Azacitidine was completely separated from the endogenous compounds on an ACQUITY UPLC™ BEH C18 column (100 mm × 3.0 mm, 1.7 μm; Waters Corp., Milford, MA, USA) using isocratic elution with CO2/methanol as the mobile phase. The single-run analysis time was as short as 3.5 min. The sample preparation for protein removal was accomplished using a simple methanol precipitation method. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of azacitidine was 20 ng/mL. The intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 15%, and the relative error (RE) was within ±15% for the medium- and high-concentration quality control (QC) samples and within ±20% for the low-concentration QC samples. Finally, the developed method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats following the intravenous administration of azacitidine.
Improvements in Iron Status and Cognitive Function in Young Women Consuming Beef or Non-Beef Lunches
Authors: Blanton Cynthia
Published: December 2013

Iron status is associated with cognitive performance and intervention trials show that iron supplementation improves mental function in iron-deficient adults. However, no studies have tested the efficacy of naturally iron-rich food in this context. This investigation measured the hematologic and cognitive responses to moderate beef consumption in young women. Participants (n = 43; age 21.1 ± 0.4 years) were randomly assigned to a beef or non-beef protein lunch group [3-oz (85 g), 3 times weekly] for 16 weeks. Blood was sampled at baseline, and weeks 8 and 16, and cognitive performance was measured at baseline and week 16. Body iron increased in both lunch groups (p < 0.0001), with greater improvement demonstrated in women with lower baseline body iron (p < 0.0001). Body iron had significant beneficial effects on spatial working memory and planning speed (p < 0.05), and ferritin responders (n = 17) vs. non-responders (n = 26) showed significantly greater improvements in planning speed, spatial working memory strategy, and attention (p < 0.05). Lunch group had neither significant interactions with iron status nor consistent main effects on test performance. These findings support a relationship between iron status and cognition, but do not show a particular benefit of beef over non-beef protein consumption on either measure in young women.
Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Implications for Lycopene Intervention
Authors: Ip Blanche , Wang Xiang-Dong
Published: December 2013

Increased prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the consequences of the current obesity epidemic. NAFLD is a major form of chronic liver disease that is highly prevalent in obese and overweight adults and children. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the severe form of NAFLD, and uncontrolled inflammation as displayed in NASH has been identified as one of the key events in enhancing hepatic carcinogenesis. Lycopene is a non-provitamin A carotenoid and the pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe tomato and tomato products, as well as some fruits and vegetables. Lycopene’s innate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have generated research interests on its capacity to protect against human diseases that are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. In addition, differential mechanisms of lycopene metabolism including endogenous cleavage by carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (BCOs), generate lycopene metabolites that may also have significant impact on human disease development. However, it remains to be elucidated as to whether lycopene or its metabolites apolycopenoids have protective effects against obesity-related complications including inflammation and tumorigenesis. This article summarizes the in vivo experiments that elucidated molecular mechanisms associated with obesity-related hepatic inflammation and carcinogenesis. This review also provides an overview of lycopene metabolism, and the molecular pathways involved in the potential beneficial properties of lycopene and apolycopenoids. More research is clearly needed to fully unravel the importance of BCOs in tomato carotenoid metabolism and the consequence on human health and diseases.
A Multicountry Ecological Study of Cancer Incidence Rates in 2008 with Respect to Various Risk-Modifying Factors
Authors: Grant William
Published: December 2013

Observational and ecological studies are generally used to determine the presence of effect of cancer risk-modifying factors. Researchers generally agree that environmental factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and low serum 25-hdyroxyvitamin D levels are important cancer risk factors. This ecological study used age-adjusted incidence rates for 21 cancers for 157 countries (87 with high-quality data) in 2008 with respect to dietary supply and other factors, including per capita gross domestic product, life expectancy, lung cancer incidence rate (an index for smoking), and latitude (an index for solar ultraviolet-B doses). The factors found to correlate strongly with multiple types of cancer were lung cancer (direct correlation with 12 types of cancer), energy derived from animal products (direct correlation with 12 types of cancer, inverse with two), latitude (direct correlation with six types, inverse correlation with three), and per capita gross national product (five types). Life expectancy and sweeteners directly correlated with three cancers, animal fat with two, and alcohol with one. Consumption of animal products correlated with cancer incidence with a lag time of 15–25 years. Types of cancer which correlated strongly with animal product consumption, tended to correlate weakly with latitude; this occurred for 11 cancers for the entire set of countries. Regression results were somewhat different for the 87 high-quality country data set and the 157-country set. Single-country ecological studies have inversely correlated nearly all of these cancers with solar ultraviolet-B doses. These results can provide guidance for prevention of cancer.
Healthcare Workers’ Hand Microbiome May Mediate Carriage of Hospital Pathogens
Authors: Rosenthal Mariana , Aiello Allison , Larson Elaine , Chenoweth Carol , Foxman Betsy
Published: December 2013

One function of skin microbiota is to resist colonization and infection by external microorganisms. We sought to detect whether the structure of the hand microbiota of 34 healthcare workers (HCW) in a surgical intensive care unit mediates or modifies the relationship between demographic and behavioral factors and potential pathogen carriage on hands after accounting for pathogen exposure. We used a taxonomic screen (16S rRNA) to characterize the bacterial community, and qPCR to detect presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Candida albicans on their dominant hands. Hands were sampled weekly over a 3-week period. Age, hand hygiene, and work shift were significantly associated with potential pathogen carriage and the associations were pathogen dependent. Additionally, the overall hand microbiota structure was associated with the carriage of potential pathogens. Hand microbiota community structure may act as a biomarker of pathogen carriage, and modifying that structure may potentially limit pathogen carriage among HCW.
Preparation and Characterization of the TiO2 Immobilized Polymeric Photocatalyst for Degradation of Aspirin under UV and Solar Light
Authors: Mukherjee Debjani , Barghi Shahzad , Ray Ajay
Published: December 2013

The traditional use of TiO2 powder as a photocatalyst for degradation of organic compounds has several post-degradation treatment problems, such as filtration, precipitation, etc. A novel method was developed to immobilize TiO2 to minimize/eliminate such problems. Polymeric membrane was used as a base material, over which the TiO2 photocatalyst was immobilized as a thin layer. Preparation and characterization of five different types of polymeric/TiO2 film photocatalysts were elucidated. The catalysts’ films were cross-linked by physical, chemical, and combination of these two processes. The polymers used in the formulation of the catalysts membranes are nontoxic in nature (approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The morphology of the films were studied by SEM. Photocatalytic degradation of acetylsalicylic acid was carried out to study the efficacy and efficiency of the polymeric membrane based TiO2 as photocatalysts under both UV and solar light irradiation. The degradation was observed to be dependent on the catalyst loading as well as the film thickness. The effects of the types of cross-link bonds on the photocatalytic degradation were also investigated.
Rapid Determination of Optimal Conditions in a Continuous Flow Reactor Using Process Analytical Technology
Authors: Roberto Michael , Dearing Thomas , Branham Charles , Bleie Olav , Marquardt Brian
Published: December 2013

Continuous flow reactors (CFRs) are an emerging technology that offer several advantages over traditional batch synthesis methods, including more efficient mixing schemes, rapid heat transfer, and increased user safety. Of particular interest to the specialty chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries is the significantly improved reliability and product reproducibility over time. CFR reproducibility can be attributed to the reactors achieving and maintaining a steady state once all physical and chemical conditions have stabilized. This work describes the implementation of a smart CFR with univariate physical and multivariate chemical monitoring that allows for rapid determination of steady state, requiring less than one minute. Additionally, the use of process analytical technology further enabled a significant reduction in the time and cost associated with offline validation methods. The technology implemented for this study is chemistry and hardware agnostic, making this approach a viable means of optimizing the conditions of any CFR.
Phenological Metrics Derived over the European Continent from NDVI3g Data and MODIS Time Series
Authors: Atzberger Clement , Klisch Anja , Mattiuzzi Matteo , Vuolo Francesco
Published: December 2013

Time series of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are important data sources for environmental monitoring. Continuous efforts are put into their production and updating. The recently released Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) NDVI3g data set is a consistent time series with 1/12° spatial and bi-monthly temporal resolution. It covers the time period from 1981 to 2011. However, it is unclear if vegetation density and phenology derived from GIMMS are comparable to those obtained from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI with 250 m ground resolution. To check the consistency between GIMMS and MODIS data sets, a comparative analysis was performed. For a large European window (40 × 40°), data distribution, spatial and temporal agreement were analyzed, as well as the timing of important phenological events. Overall, only a moderately good agreement of NDVI values was found. Large differences occurred during winter. Large discrepancies were also observed for phenological metrics, in particular the start of season. Information regarding the maximum of season was more consistent. Hence, both data sets should be well inter-calibrated before being used concurrently.
Training Area Concept in a Two-Phase Biomass Inventory Using Airborne Laser Scanning and RapidEye Satellite Data
Authors: Rana Parvez , Tokola Timo , Korhonen Lauri , Xu Qing , Kumpula Timo , Vihervaara Petteri , Mononen Laura
Published: December 2013

This study evaluated the accuracy of boreal forest above-ground biomass (AGB) and volume estimates obtained using airborne laser scanning (ALS) and RapidEye data in a two-phase sampling method. Linear regression-based estimation was employed using an independent validation dataset and the performance was evaluated by assessing the bias and the root mean square error (RMSE). In the phase I, ALS data from 50 field plots were used to predict AGB and volume for the 200 surrogate plots. In the phase II, the ALS-simulated surrogate plots were used as a ground-truth to estimate AGB and volume from the RapidEye data for the study area. The resulting RapidEye models were validated against a separate set of 28 plots. The RapidEye models showed a promising accuracy with a relative RMSE of 19%–20% for both volume and AGB. The evaluated concept of biomass inventory would be useful to support future forest monitoring and decision making for sustainable use of forest resources.
Cross-Comparison of Vegetation Indices Derived from Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) Sensors
Authors: Li Peng , Jiang Luguang , Feng Zhiming
Published: December 2013

Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) are currently operational for routine Earth observation. There are substantial differences between instruments onboard both satellites. The enhancements achieved with Landsat-8 refer to the scanning technology (replacing of whisk-broom scanners with two separate push-broom OLI and TIRS scanners), an extended number of spectral bands (two additional bands provided) and narrower bandwidths. Therefore, cross-comparative analysis is very necessary for the combined use of multi-decadal Landsat imagery. In this study, 3,311 independent sample points of four major land cover types (primary forest, unplanted cropland, swidden cultivation and water body) were used to compare the spectral bands of ETM+ and OLI. Eight sample plots with different land cover types were manually selected for comparison with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), the Land Surface Water Index (LSWI) and the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR). These indices were calculated with six pairs of ETM+ and OLI cloud-free images, which were acquired over the border area of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand just two days apart, when Landsat-8 achieved operational obit. Comparative results showed that: (1) the average surface reflectance of each band differed slightly, but with a high degree of similarities between both sensors. In comparison with ETM+, the OLI had higher values for the near-infrared band for vegetative land cover types, but lower values for non-vegetative types. The new sensor had lower values for the shortwave infrared (2.11–2.29 µm) band for all land cover types. In addition, it also basically had higher values for the shortwave infrared (1.57–1.65 µm) band for non-water land cover types. (2) The subtle differences of vegetation indices derived from both sensors and their high linear correlation coefficient (R2 > 0.96) demonstrated that ETM+ and OLI imagery can be used as complementary data. (3) LSWI and NBR performed better than NDVI and MNDWI for cross-comparison analysis of satellite sensors, due to the spectral band difference effects.
Karst Depression Detection Using ASTER, ALOS/PRISM and SRTM-Derived Digital Elevation Models in the Bambuí Group, Brazil
Authors: De Carvalho Osmar , Guimarães Renato , Montgomery David , Gillespie Alan , Trancoso Gomes Roberto , De Souza Martins Éder , Silva Nilton
Published: December 2013

Remote sensing has been used in karst studies to identify limestone terrain, describe exokarst features, analyze karst depressions, and detect geological structures important to karst development. The aim of this work is to investigate the use of ASTER-, SRTM- and ALOS/PRISM-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) to detect and quantify natural karst depressions along the São Francisco River near Barreiras city, northeast Brazil. The study area is a karst landscape characterized by karst depressions (dolines), closed depressions in limestone, many of which contain standing water connected with the ground-water table. The base of dolines is typically sealed with an impermeable clay layer covered by standing water or herbaceous vegetation. We identify dolines by combining the extraction of sink depth from DEMs, morphometric analysis using GIS, and visual interpretation. Our methodology is a semi-automatic approach involving several steps: (a) DEM acquisition; (b) sink-depth calculation using the difference between the raw DEM and the corresponding DEM with sinks filled; and (c) elimination of falsely identified karst depressions using morphometric attributes. The advantages and limitations of the applied methodology using different DEMs are examined by comparison with a sinkhole map generated from traditional geomorphological investigations based on visual interpretation of the high-resolution remote sensing images and field surveys. The threshold values of the depth, area size and circularity index appropriate for distinguishing dolines were identified from the maximum overall accuracy obtained by comparison with a true doline map. Our results indicate that the best performance of the proposed methodology for meso-scale karst feature detection was using ALOS/PRISM data with a threshold depth > 2 m; areas > 13,125 m2 and circularity indexes > 0.3 (overall accuracy of 0.53). The overall correct identification of around half of the true dolines suggests the potential to substantially improve doline identification using higher-resolution LiDAR-generated DEMs.
Homogeneity Analysis of the CM SAF Surface Solar Irradiance Dataset Derived from Geostationary Satellite Observations
Authors: Brinckmann Sven , Trentmann Jörg , Ahrens Bodo
Published: December 2013

A satellite-based climate record of monthly mean surface solar irradiance (SIS) is investigated with regard to possible inhomogeneities in time. The data record is provided by the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CM SAF) for the period of 1983 to 2005, covering a disk area between ±70° in latitude and longitude. The Standard Normal Homogeneity Test (SNHT) and two other homogeneity tests are applied with and without the use of reference SIS data (from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) and from the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) ERA -Interim reanalysis. The focus is on the detection of break-like inhomogeneities, which may occur due to satellite or SIS retrieval algorithm changes. In comparison with the few suitable BSRN SIS observation series with limited extension in time (no data before 1992), the CM SAF SIS time series do not show significant inhomogeneities, even though slight discrepancies in the surface measurements appear. The investigation of the full CM SAF SIS domain reveal inhomogeneities related to most of the documented satellite and retrieval changes, but only for relatively small domain fractions (especially in mountainous desert-like areas in Africa). In these regions the retrieval algorithm is not capable of adjusting for the changes of the satellite instruments. For other areas, e.g., Europe, no such breaks in the time series are found. We conclude that the CM SAF SIS data record has to be further assessed and regionally homogenized before climate trend investigations can be conducted.
Envisat/ASAR Images for the Calibration of Wind Drag Action in the Doñana Wetlands 2D Hydrodynamic Model
Authors: Ramos-Fuertes Anaïs , Marti-Cardona Belen , Bladé Ernest , Dolz Josep
Published: December 2013

Doñana National Park wetlands are located in southwest Spain, on the right bank of the Guadalquivir River, near the Atlantic Ocean coast. The wetlands dry out completely every summer and progressively flood again throughout the fall and winter seasons. Given the flatness of Doñana’s topography, the wind drag action can induce the flooding or emergence of extensive areas, detectable in remote sensing images. Envisat/ASAR scenes acquired before and during strong and persistent wind episodes enabled the spatial delineation of the wind-induced water displacement. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model of Doñana wetlands was built in 2006 with the aim to predict the effect of proposed hydrologic restoration actions within Doñana’s basin. In this work, on-site wind records and concurrent ASAR scenes are used for the calibration of the wind-drag modeling by assessing different formulations. Results show a good adjustment between the modeled and observed wind drag effect. Displacements of up to 2 km in the wind direction are satisfactorily reproduced by the hydrodynamic model, while including an atmospheric stability parameter led to no significant improvement of the results. Such evidence will contribute to a more accurate simulation of hypothetic or design scenarios, when no information is available for the atmospheric stability assessment.
Remote Sensing-Derived Bathymetry of Lake Poopó
Authors: Arsen Adalbert , Crétaux Jean-François , Berge-Nguyen Muriel , Del Rio Rodrigo
Published: December 2013

Located within the Altiplano at 3,686 m above sea level, Lake Poopó is remarkably shallow and very sensitive to hydrologic recharge. Progressive drying has been observed in the entire Titicaca-Poopó-Desaguadero-Salar de Coipasa (TPDS) system during the last decade, causing dramatic changes to Lake Poopó’s surface and its regional water supplies. Our research aims to improve understanding of Lake Poopó water storage capacity. Thus, we propose a new method based on freely available remote sensing data to reproduce Lake Poopó bathymetry. Laser ranging altimeter ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite) is used during the lake’s lowest stages to measure vertical heights with high precision over dry land. These heights are used to estimate elevations of water contours obtained with Landsat imagery. Contour points with assigned elevation are filtered and grouped in a points cloud. Mesh gridding and interpolation function are then applied to construct 3D bathymetry. Complementary analysis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) surfaces from 2000 to 2012 combined with bathymetry gives water levels and storage evolution every 8 days.
Development of an Antigen-DNAzyme Based Probe for a Direct Antibody-Antigen Assay Using the Intrinsic DNAzyme Activity of a Daunomycin Aptamer
Authors: Omar Noorsharmimi , Loh Qiuting , Tye Gee , Choong Yee , Noordin Rahmah , Glökler Jörn , Lim Theam
Published: December 2013

G-Quadruplex (G-4) structures are formed when G-rich DNA sequences fold into intra- or intermolecular four-stranded structures in the presence of metal ions. G-4-hemin complexes are often effective peroxidase-mimicking DNAzymes that are applied in many detection systems. This work reports the application of a G-rich daunomycin-specific aptamer for the development of an antibody-antigen detection assay. We investigated the ability of the daunomycin aptamer to efficiently catalyze the hemin-dependent peroxidase activity independent of daunomycin. A reporter probe consisting of biotinylated antigen and daunomycin aptamer coupled to streptavidin gold nanoparticles was successfully used to generate a colorimetric readout. In conclusion, the daunomycin aptamer can function as a robust alternative DNAzyme for the development of colorimetric assays.
A FPGA Embedded Web Server for Remote Monitoring and Control of Smart Sensors Networks
Authors: Magdaleno Eduardo , Rodríguez Manuel , Pérez Fernando , Hernández David , García Enrique
Published: December 2013

This article describes the implementation of a web server using an embedded Altera NIOS II IP core, a general purpose and configurable RISC processor which is embedded in a Cyclone FPGA. The processor uses the μCLinux operating system to support a Boa web server of dynamic pages using Common Gateway Interface (CGI). The FPGA is configured to act like the master node of a network, and also to control and monitor a network of smart sensors or instruments. In order to develop a totally functional system, the FPGA also includes an implementation of the time-triggered protocol (TTP/A). Thus, the implemented master node has two interfaces, the webserver that acts as an Internet interface and the other to control the network. This protocol is widely used to connecting smart sensors and actuators and microsystems in embedded real-time systems in different application domains, e.g., industrial, automotive, domotic, etc., although this protocol can be easily replaced by any other because of the inherent characteristics of the FPGA-based technology.
The Performance Analysis of Distributed Brillouin Corrosion Sensors for Steel Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Wei Heming , Zhao Xuefeng , Kong Xianglong , Zhang Pinglei , Cui Yanjun , Sun Changsen
Published: December 2013

The Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA)-based optical fiber method has been proposed to measure strain variations caused by corrosion expansion. Spatial resolutions of 1 m can be achieved with this kind of Brillouin sensor for detecting the distributed strain. However, when the sensing fiber is wound around the steel rebar in a number of circles in a range of several meters, this spatial resolution still has limitations for corrosion monitoring. Here, we employed a low-coherent fiber-optic strain sensor (LCFS) to survey the performance of Brillouin sensors based on the fact that the deformation measured by the LCFS equals the integral of the strains obtained from Brillouin sensors. An electrochemical accelerated corrosion experiment was carried out and the corrosion expansion was monitored by both BOTDA and the LCFS. Results demonstrated that the BOTDA can only measure the expansion strain of about 1,000 με, which was generated by the 18 mm steel rebar corrosion, but, the LCFS had high sensitivity from the beginning of corrosion to the destruction of the structure, and no obvious difference in expansion speed was observed during the acceleration stage of the corrosion developed in the reinforced concrete (RC) specimens. These results proved that the BOTDA method could only be employed to monitor the corrosion inside the structure in the early stage.
Gait and Foot Clearance Parameters Obtained Using Shoe-Worn Inertial Sensors in a Large-Population Sample of Older Adults
Authors: Dadashi Farzin , Mariani Benoit , Rochat Stephane , Büla Christophe , Santos-Eggimann Brigitte , Aminian Kamiar
Published: December 2013

In order to distinguish dysfunctional gait, clinicians require a measure of reference gait parameters for each population. This study provided normative values for widely used parameters in more than 1,400 able-bodied adults over the age of 65. We also measured the foot clearance parameters (i.e., height of the foot above ground during swing phase) that are crucial to understand the complex relationship between gait and falls as well as obstacle negotiation strategies. We used a shoe-worn inertial sensor on each foot and previously validated algorithms to extract the gait parameters during 20 m walking trials in a corridor at a self-selected pace. We investigated the difference of the gait parameters between male and female participants by considering the effect of age and height factors. Besides; we examined the inter-relation of the clearance parameters with the gait speed. The sample size and breadth of gait parameters provided in this study offer a unique reference resource for the researchers.
Knowledge-Based Estimation of Edible Fern Harvesting Sites in Mountainous Communities of Northeastern Japan
Authors: Matsuura Toshiya , Sugimura Ken , Miyamoto Asako , Tanaka Nobuhiko
Published: December 2013

Once local expert knowledge regarding the harvesting of various non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is lost, it is difficult to recover. We investigated whether the knowledge of expert forest harvesters can be used to determine the habitat distribution and harvesting sites of three popular edible wild ferns, i.e., ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), and royal fern (Osmunda japonica), in mountainous communities of western Fukushima, Japan. Using multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information system (GIS), we found that harvesters were easily able to recognize differences in the spatial characteristics of the habitat distribution of fern species due to both natural and anthropogenic factors. These factors were described by various GIS layers, such as vegetation and terrain features (e.g., gradient, aspect, and slope position) derived from a 20-m digital elevation model (DEM). Harvesting sites were limited by their distance from a roadway, which differed among species. By comparison with the GPS records of actual harvesting sites, we estimated the potential harvesting sites of each fern species with reasonable accuracy, particularly for bracken. Our results show that the knowledge of expert forest harvesters can be quantified using MCE and GIS, which is useful for determining the spatial characteristics of NTFP harvesting and ensuring sustainable management practices.
Integrating Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Post-2015 Development Agenda: Goal Structure, Target Areas and Means of Implementation
Authors: Lucas Paul , Kok Marcel , Nilsson Måns , Alkemade Rob
Published: December 2013

The United Nations’ discussions on defining a new set of post-2015 development goals focus on poverty eradication and sustainable development. Biodiversity and ecosystem services are essential for poverty eradication, which is also one of the foundations of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Based on an assessment of current proposals of goals and targets, and a quantitative pathway analysis to meet long term biodiversity and food security goals, this paper discusses how biodiversity and ecosystem services can be integrated into a broad set of goals and targets, and concludes with relevant target areas and means of implementation for which specific targets need to be defined. Furthermore, it responds to the call of the CBD to consider the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the related Aichi biodiversity targets in the post-2015 development agenda. The paper’s analysis identifies three overlapping but also supplemental ways to integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services in the post-2015 agenda: integrated goals, goals addressing earth system functioning and goals addressing environmental limits. It further concludes seven target areas to be included under the goals to address biodiversity and ecosystem services in the context of food and agriculture: access to food, demand for agricultural products, sustainable intensification, ecosystem fragmentation, protected areas, essential ecosystem services and genetic diversity. The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity provides a good basis for integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in the post-2015 development agenda. Many Aichi targets address the proposed target areas and the means of implementation discussed, while they need to be complemented with targets that specifically address human well-being, as well as institutions and governance.
Cytotoxic and Cytolytic Cnidarian Venoms. A Review on Health Implications and Possible Therapeutic Applications
Authors: Mariottini Gian , Pane Luigi
Published: December 2013

The toxicity of Cnidaria is a subject of concern for its influence on human activities and public health. During the last decades, the mechanisms of cell injury caused by cnidarian venoms have been studied utilizing extracts from several Cnidaria that have been tested in order to evaluate some fundamental parameters, such as the activity on cell survival, functioning and metabolism, and to improve the knowledge about the mechanisms of action of these compounds. In agreement with the modern tendency aimed to avoid the utilization of living animals in the experiments and to substitute them with in vitro systems, established cell lines or primary cultures have been employed to test cnidarian extracts or derivatives. Several cnidarian venoms have been found to have cytotoxic properties and have been also shown to cause hemolytic effects. Some studied substances have been shown to affect tumour cells and microorganisms, so making cnidarian extracts particularly interesting for their possible therapeutic employment. The review aims to emphasize the up-to-date knowledge about this subject taking in consideration the importance of such venoms in human pathology, the health implications and the possible therapeutic application of these natural compounds.
Advancing Toward HIV-1 Vaccine Efficacy through the Intersections of Immune Correlates
Authors: Tomaras Georgia , Haynes Barton
Published: December 2013

Interrogating immune correlates of infection risk for efficacious and non-efficacious HIV-1 vaccine clinical trials have provided hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of induction of protective immunity to HIV-1. To date, there have been six HIV-1 vaccine efficacy trials (VAX003, Vaxgen, Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA), VAX004 (Vaxgen, Inc.), HIV-1 Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) 502 (Step), HVTN 503 (Phambili), RV144 (sponsored by the U.S. Military HIV Research Program, MHRP) and HVTN 505). Cellular, humoral, host genetic and virus sieve analyses of these human clinical trials each can provide information that may point to potentially protective mechanisms for vaccine-induced immunity. Critical to staying on the path toward development of an efficacious vaccine is utilizing information from previous human and non-human primate studies in concert with new discoveries of basic HIV-1 host-virus interactions. One way that past discoveries from correlate analyses can lead to novel inventions or new pathways toward vaccine efficacy is to examine the intersections where different components of the correlate analyses overlap (e.g., virus sieve analysis combined with humoral correlates) that can point to mechanistic hypotheses. Additionally, differences in durability among vaccine-induced T- and B-cell responses indicate that time post-vaccination is an important variable. Thus, understanding the nature of protective responses, the degree to which such responses have, or have not, as yet, been induced by previous vaccine trials and the design of strategies to induce durable T- and B-cell responses are critical to the development of a protective HIV-1 vaccine.
Evaluation of Version-7 TRMM Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis Product during the Beijing Extreme Heavy Rainfall Event of 21 July 2012
Authors: Huang Yong , Chen Sheng , Cao Qing , Hong Yang , Wu Biwen , Huang Mengyu , Qiao Lei , Zhang Zengxin , Li Zhe , Li Weiyue , Yang Xiuqin
Published: December 2013

The latest Version-7 (V7) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) products were released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in December of 2012. Their performance on different climatology, locations, and precipitation types is of great interest to the satellite-based precipitation community. This paper presents a study of TMPA precipitation products (3B42RT and 3B42V7) for an extreme precipitation event in Beijing and its adjacent regions (from 00:00 UTC 21 July 2012 to 00:00 UTC 22 July 2012). Measurements from a dense rain gauge network were used as the ground truth to evaluate the latest TMPA products. Results are summarized as follows. Compared to rain gauge measurements, both 3B42RT and 3B42V7 generally captured the rainfall spatial and temporal pattern, having a moderate spatial correlation coefficient (CC, 0.6) and high CC values (0.88) over the broader Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin (HBT) regions, but the rainfall peak is 6 h ahead of gauge observations. Overall, 3B42RT showed higher estimation than 3B42V7 over both HBT and Beijing. At the storm center, both 3B42RT and 3B42V7 presented a relatively large deviation from the temporal variation of rainfall and underestimated the storm by 29.02% and 36.07%, respectively. The current study suggests that the latest TMPA products still have limitations in terms of resolution and accuracy, especially for this type of extreme event within a latitude area on the edge of coverage of TRMM precipitation radar and microwave imager. Therefore, TMPA users should be cautious when 3B42RT and 3B42V7 are used to model, monitor, and forecast both flooding hazards in the Beijing urban area and landslides in the mountainous west and north of Beijing.
Some reflections on the understanding of the oxygen reduction reaction at Pt(111)
Authors: Gómez-Marín Ana M , Rizo Ruben , Feliu Juan M
Published: December 2013

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a pivotal process in electrochemistry. Unfortunately, after decades of intensive research, a fundamental knowledge about its reaction mechanism is still lacking. In this paper, a global and critical view on the most important experimental and theoretical results regarding the ORR on Pt(111) and its vicinal surfaces, in both acidic and alkaline media, is taken. Phenomena such as the ORR surface structure sensitivity and the lack of a reduction current at high potentials are discussed in the light of the surface oxidation and disordering processes and the possible relevance of the hydrogen peroxide reduction and oxidation reactions in the ORR mechanism. The necessity to build precise and realistic reaction models, which are deducted from reliable experimental results that need to be carefully taken under strict working conditions is shown. Therefore, progress in the understanding of this important reaction on a molecular level, and the choice of the right approach for the design of the electrocatalysts for fuel-cell cathodes is only possible through a cooperative approach between theory and experiments.
Four-component reaction of cyclic amines, 2-aminobenzothiazole, aromatic aldehydes and acetylenedicarboxylate
Authors: Gao Hong , Sun Jing , Yan Chao-Guo
Published: December 2013

The four-component reaction of 2-aminobenzothiazole, aromatic aldehydes, acetylenedicarboxylate and piperidine or pyrrolidine in ethanol afforded the functionalized 2-pyrrolidinones containing both benzothiazolyl and piperidinyl (or pyrrolidinyl) units in good yields. On the other hand, the similar four-component reactions resulted in the functionalized morpholinium or piperidinium 2-pyrrolidinon-3-olates in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid.
Synthesis and Photochromic Properties of 1-(3-methyl-2-pyridyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-formylphenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluoroyclopentene
Authors: Zhang Xiao Dong , Wei Sha Sha , Liu Gang
Published: December 2013

An unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene 1-(3-methyl-2-pyridyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-formylphenyl)-3-thienyperfluoroyclopentene (1a) was synthesized, its photochromic properties were examined, The results showed that the compound exhibits good photochromism with UV/Vis light irradiation. The Diarylethene1achanged the color from colorless to plum upon irradiation with 297 nm UV light, in which absorption maxima were observed at 560 and 535 nm in hexane and PMMA films, respectively.
Aerobic Production of Butanol with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NELB-12
Authors: El-Hadi Dina , Zheng Zong Ming , Dong Chang Qing
Published: December 2013

n-butanol is a basic chemical compound with lower volatility, intersolubility and higher heating value, making it suitable to be used as a potential alternative biofuel. One butanol producing strain was isolated from soil and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. Two universal primers (27F, 1492R) were used. Squence analysis indicated 16S rDNA sequence (Accession Number KF418240) of this strain was 99% identical to that ofBacillus amyloliquefaciens. This strain was designed asBacillus amyloliquefaciensNELB-12. Optimaization of fermentation medium composition and fermentation conditions were carried out. The optimal medium main components were 30 g/l starch, 4 g/l ammonium nitrate, and 30 g/l beef extract. The optimal fermentation cultured with working volume of 120 ml in 250 ml flask at pH 6.5, 39°C, and 100 rpm. Bacillus NELB-12 could produce butanol at higher concentration that reached 8.9 g/l with a total ABE of 12.7 g/l and showed a high butanol tolerance.B. amyloliquefaciensNELB-12 is considered as an economical and cost effective potential producer for butanol industry.
Truck Scale Remote Weighing Monitoring System Based on WEB
Authors: Zhao Yan Jun , Gao Cheng Bin
Published: December 2013

Truck scale can be on-line monitor cargo weight, so it is widely used in weighing. The requirements and the basic composition of the truck scale weighing monitoring system is introduced. The requirement analysis of the truck scale weighing monitoring system is carried through and the functions of the weighing monitoring system are detailed analyzed. The network monitoring system architecture and software architecture is designed. Truck scale weighing monitoring system is analyzed using UML and the Use Case diagram is given. The truck scale weighing monitoring system is designed. The experimental results show that truck scale weighing monitoring system has good openness and security and can improve the enterprise efficiency.
A New Truck Scale On-Line Remote Anti-Cheating System Based on Information Technology
Authors: Zhao Yan Jun , Gao Cheng Bin
Published: December 2013

Truck scale is one of the important weighing equipment. To on-line remote monitoring truck scale cheating devices, new truck scale on-line remote anti-cheating system is brought out and truck scale on-line remote anti-cheating system is designed. The remote anti-cheating system includes the anti-cheating monitoring terminal, CAN and GPRS transmission module and remote weighing anti-cheating system. Truck scale anti-cheating monitoring terminal collects the anti-cheating data and sent to the remote anti-cheating system through CAN and GPRS transmission module. The experimental system is built and the experiment is carried out. The experimental results show that the on-line remote anti-cheating system of the truck scale can on-line monitor truck scale cheating devices and improves the system security.