bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Linkage of the Precipitation in the Selenga River Basin to Midsummer Atmospheric Blocking
Authors: Antokhina Olga Yu. , Antokhin Pavel N. , Martynova Yuliya V. , Mordvinov Vladimir I.
Published: June 2019

The linkage between atmospheric blocking (blocking frequency, BF) and total monthly July precipitation in the Selenga River Basin, the main tributary of Lake Baikal, for the period 1979–2016 was investigated. Based on empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) analysis, two dominant modes of precipitation over the Selenga River Basin were extracted. The first EOF mode (EOF 1) is related to precipitation fluctuations mainly in the Mongolian part of Selenga; the second EOF mode (EOF 2)—in the Russian part of Selenga. Based on two different modes obtained, the total amount of precipitation individually for the Russian and Mongolian part of Selenga was calculated. Correlation analysis has demonstrated that precipitation over the Mongolian part of the Selenga Basin is positively correlated to blocking over Eastern Siberia/Mongolia (80–120° E, ESM-BF). Precipitation over the Russian part of the Selenga Basin is positively correlated to blocking over the Urals-Western Siberia (50–80° E, UWS-BF) and European blocking (0–50° E, E-BF). However, the linkage is not stable, and after the mid-1990s, the obtained positive correlation became insignificant. The analysis has shown that the dominance of E or ESM-blocking in July was the primary driver of the existence of two precipitation modes over the Selenga River Basin. During 1996–2016, the negative trend of time coefficients of EOF 1 and 2 for precipitation in Selenga had been observed, which was characterized by displacement of positive precipitation anomalies outside the basin. At the same time, there was a weakening of the linkage between precipitation in the Selenga Basin and blocking frequency. We have revealed two wave-like modes over Northern Eurasia and the subtropical part of Eurasia corresponding to E, ESM-blocks in 1979–1995 and 1996–2016. The change of the Northern and subtropical wave modes is one of the causes for the weakening of the linkage between atmospheric blocking and precipitation in the Selenga Basin and as a consequence decreased precipitation in the Russian and Mongolian part of Selenga during 1979–2016.
Peacekeeping Conditions for an Artificial Intelligence Society
Authors: Yamakawa Hiroshi
Published: June 2019

In a human society with emergent technology, the destructive actions of some pose a danger to the survival of all of humankind, increasing the need to maintain peace by overcoming universal conflicts. However, human society has not yet achieved complete global peacekeeping. Fortunately, a new possibility for peacekeeping among human societies using the appropriate interventions of an advanced system will be available in the near future. To achieve this goal, an artificial intelligence (AI) system must operate continuously and stably (condition 1) and have an intervention method for maintaining peace among human societies based on a common value (condition 2). However, as a premise, it is necessary to have a minimum common value upon which all of human society can agree (condition 3). In this study, an AI system to achieve condition 1 was investigated. This system was designed as a group of distributed intelligent agents (IAs) to ensure robust and rapid operation. Even if common goals are shared among all IAs, each autonomous IA acts on each local value to adapt quickly to each environment that it faces. Thus, conflicts between IAs are inevitable, and this situation sometimes interferes with the achievement of commonly shared goals. Even so, they can maintain peace within their own societies if all the dispersed IAs think that all other IAs aim for socially acceptable goals. However, communication channel problems, comprehension problems, and computational complexity problems are barriers to realization. This problem can be overcome by introducing an appropriate goal-management system in the case of computer-based IAs. Then, an IA society could achieve its goals peacefully, efficiently, and consistently. Therefore, condition 1 will be achievable. In contrast, humans are restricted by their biological nature and tend to interact with others similar to themselves, so the eradication of conflicts is more difficult.
Cross-Talk between Cadmium and Selenium at Elevated Cadmium Stress Determines the Fate of Selenium Uptake in Rice
Authors: Farooq Muhammad Umer , Tang Zhichen , Zheng Tengda , Asghar Muhammad Ahsan , Zeng Rui , Su Yang , Ei Hla Hla , Liang Yuanke , Zhang Yujie , Ye Xiaoying , Jia Xiaomei , Zhu Jianqing
Published: June 2019

Cadmium (Cd) is a well-known metal imposing threats to human health, and it can be accumulated in polished rice over the permitted range of 0.2 mg kg−1 (GB 2762-2017). It has been reported that selenium (Se) application decreases Cd uptake. Se-rich diets have gained attention recently, but the potential of Se-rich rice in mitigating Cd stress needs further investigation. In this study, a pot experiment in the field was conducted to assess the influence of environmental factors and exogenous split application of Se on the nutritional status of rice under Cd stress. The results indicated that the increased fertilizer treatment in soil bulk linearly increased the metal content in rice grains. Approximately 50–70% of metal was recovered in rice tissues, while 5–20% of the metal that was applied leached down into the soil. A Se concentration of 0.4 mg kg−1 could significantly improve the total Se content in grain and mitigate Cd toxicity (1 mg kg−1) below the permitted range. Panicles and roots were more active for total Se accumulation in Se-rich and non-Se-rich rice, respectively. Polishing and milling operations can significantly reduce the Cd content, as rice bran in rice tissues accumulated most of the metal’s residues. The late matured rice cultivars consumed more heat units, and more metal contents were found in them. Collectively, it was found that Se can mitigate Cd toxicity, but the rice cultivation at T2 (high Cd; 2 mg kg−1 and Se; 1 mg kg−1) increased the metal uptake capability and health-risk index in polished rice, with its Se content heightened over permitted range of 0.04 to 0.30 mg kg−1 (GB/T 22499-2008). However, further molecular studies are required, in order to completely access the inverted Se accumulation behavior in rice tissues at high Cd soil stress.
Multidisciplinary Management of Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Critical Appraisal of Current Evidence
Authors: Gholam Pierre M. , Iyer Renuka , Johnson Matthew S.
Published: June 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of new cancer diagnoses in the United States, with an incidence that is expected to rise. The etiology of HCC is varied and can lead to differences between patients in terms of presentation and natural history. Subsequently, physicians treating these patients need to consider a variety of disease and patient characteristics when they select from the many different treatment options that are available for these patients. At the same time, the treatment landscape for patients with HCC, particularly those with unresectable HCC, has been rapidly evolving as new, evidence-based options become available. The treatment plan for patients with HCC can include surgery, transplant, ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, transarterial radioembolization, radiation therapy, and/or systemic therapies. Implementing these different modalities, where the optimal sequence and/or combination has not been defined, requires coordination between physicians with different specialties, including interventional radiologists, hepatologists, and surgical and medical oncologists. As such, the implementation of a multidisciplinary team is necessary to develop a comprehensive care plan for patients, especially those with unresectable HCC.
Role of Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase in Stage III Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Basile Debora , Gerratana Lorenzo , Buonadonna Angela , Garattini Silvio , Perin Tiziana , Grassilli Emanuela , Miolo Gianmaria , Cerrito Maria , Belluco Claudio , Bertola Giulio , De Paoli Antonino , Cannizzaro Renato , Lavitrano Marialuisa , Puglisi Fabio , Canzonieri Vincenzo
Published: June 2019

Background: Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) is involved in the immune response and its deficiency impairs B cell maturation. We evaluated the expression of a novel BTK isoform, p65BTK, in colorectal cancer (CRC), to identify its impact on survival. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 87 consecutive stage III CRC patients treated at the National Cancer Institute of Aviano (1999–2017). Multiple specimens were collected and analyzed for staining intensity and percentage of tumor cells positive for p65BTK. Prognostic impact was tested by univariate Cox regression analysis. Results: After a median follow-up of 82.59 months, median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 11.67 months and 31.33 months, respectively. Interestingly, 10% of patients did not express p65BTK. For the immunohistochemistry IHC intensity 1, the best cutoff point was 1% of p65BTK positivity; for IHC intensity 2, it was 50%; and for IHC intensity 3, it was 80%. Through univariate analysis, patients with highly expressed p65BTK (IHC intensity 3 and ≥80%) were shown to have the worst prognosis in terms of DFS (HR: 6.23; p = 0.005; 95% C.I. 1.75–22.79) and OS (HR: 2.54; p = 0.025; 95% C.I. 1.12–5.76). Conclusions: p65BTK is frequently expressed in CRC and, if highly expressed, is an unfavourable prognostic factor. However, further confirmation is needed and its potential targeting needs to be studied.
1,4-NADH Biomimetic Co-Factors with Horse Liver Alcohol Dehydrogenase (HLADH), Utilizing [Cp*Rh(bpy)H](OTf) for Co-factor Regeneration, Do in Fact, Produce Chiral Alcohols from Reactions with Achiral Ketones
Authors: Fish Richard H.
Published: June 2019

In this Catalysts Comment Article, we will present our latest published results [...]
Signatures of Quantum Mechanics in Chaotic Systems
Authors: Short Kevin M. , Morena Matthew A.
Published: June 2019

We examine the quantum-classical correspondence from a classical perspective by discussing the potential for chaotic systems to support behaviors normally associated with quantum mechanical systems. Our main analytical tool is a chaotic system’s set of cupolets, which are highly-accurate stabilizations of its unstable periodic orbits. Our discussion is motivated by the bound or entangled states that we have recently detected between interacting chaotic systems, wherein pairs of cupolets are induced into a state of mutually-sustaining stabilization that can be maintained without external controls. This state is known as chaotic entanglement as it has been shown to exhibit several properties consistent with quantum entanglement. For instance, should the interaction be disturbed, the chaotic entanglement would then be broken. In this paper, we further describe chaotic entanglement and go on to address the capacity for chaotic systems to exhibit other characteristics that are conventionally associated with quantum mechanics, namely analogs to wave function collapse, various entropy definitions, the superposition of states, and the measurement problem. In doing so, we argue that these characteristics need not be regarded exclusively as quantum mechanical. We also discuss several characteristics of quantum systems that are not fully compatible with chaotic entanglement and that make quantum entanglement unique.
MAthE the Game: A Serious Game for Education and Training in News Verification
Authors: Katsaounidou Anastasia , Vrysis Lazaros , Kotsakis Rigas , Dimoulas Charalampos , Veglis Andreas
Published: June 2019

During the last years, there has been a growing multidisciplinary interest in alternative educational approaches, such as serious games, aiming at enhancing thinking skills and media literacy. Likewise, the objective of this study is to present the design and the development of an educational web application for learning the necessary steps towards the detection of bogus content, according to the fact-checking procedures. The game presents news articles, which have to be characterized as fake or real by the players. During the effort to reach the correct decision, the players can use tools and practices for identifying relevant information regarding the clues, which frame a news story (title, date, creator, source, containing images). After presenting the progress of interface design and development, this paper reports the results of a randomized online field study (n = 111), which provides some preliminary evidence. Specifically, it is validated that the game can raise awareness, teach about authentication tools, and highlight the importance of patterns that include evidence regarding the authenticity of articles. Additionally, thorough discussion was conducted within a media class (n = 35) to receive useful feedback/evaluation about the offered utilities and their usability. The findings suggest that educational games may be a promising vehicle to inoculate the public against misinformation.
Remote-Controlled Fully Implantable Neural Stimulator for Freely Moving Small Animal
Authors: Yun Seunghyeon , Koh Chin Su , Jeong Joonsoo , Seo Jungmin , Ahn Seung-Hee , Choi Gwang Jin , Shim Shinyong , Shin Jaewoo , Jung Hyun Ho , Chang Jin Woo , Kim Sung June
Published: June 2019

The application of a neural stimulator to small animals is highly desired for the investigation of electrophysiological studies and development of neuroprosthetic devices. For this purpose, it is essential for the device to be implemented with the capabilities of full implantation and wireless control. Here, we present a fully implantable stimulator with remote controllability, compact size, and minimal power consumption. Our stimulator consists of modular units of (1) a surface-type cortical array for inducing directional change of a rat, (2) a depth-type array for providing rewards, and (3) a package for accommodating the stimulating electronics, a battery and ZigBee telemetry, all of which are assembled after independent fabrication and implantation using customized flat cables and connectors. All three modules were packaged using liquid crystal polymer (LCP) to avoid any chemical reaction after implantation. After bench-top evaluation of device functionality, the stimulator was implanted into rats to train the animals to turn to the left (or right) following a directional cue applied to the barrel cortex. Functionality of the device was also demonstrated in a three-dimensional (3D) maze structure, by guiding the rats to better navigate in the maze. The movement of the rat could be wirelessly controlled by a combination of artificial sensation evoked by the surface electrode array and reward stimulation. We could induce rats to turn left or right in free space and help their navigation through the maze. The polymeric packaging and modular design could encapsulate the devices with strict size limitations, which made it possible to fully implant the device into rats. Power consumption was minimized by a dual-mode power-saving scheme with duty cycling. The present study demonstrated feasibility of the proposed neural stimulator to be applied to neuroprosthesis research.
Effect of Sensors Sensitivity on Lithium-Ion Battery Modeled Parameters and State of Charge: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ali Muhammad Umair , Zafar Amad , Nengroo Sarvar Hussain , Hussain Sadam , Kim Hee-Je
Published: June 2019

The accurate estimation of the state of charge (SOC) is usually acknowledged as one of the essential features in designing of battery management system (BMS) for the lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles (EVs). A suitable battery model is a prerequisite for correct SOC measurement. In this work, the first and second order RC autoregressive exogenous (ARX) battery models are adopted to check the influence of voltage and current transducer measurement uncertainty. The Lagrange multiplier method is used to estimate the battery parameters. The sensitivity analysis is performed under the following conditions: Current sensor precision of ±5 mA, ±50 mA, ±100 mA, and ±500 mA and voltage sensor precision of ±1 mV, ±2.5 mV, ±5 mV, and ±10mV. The comparative analysis of both models under the perturbed environment has been carried out. The effects of the sensor’s sensitivity on the different battery structures and complexity are also analyzed. Results shows that the voltage and current sensor sensitivity has a significant influence on SOC estimation. This research outcome assists the researcher in selecting the optimal value of sensor accuracy to accurately estimate the SOC of the LIB.
Miniature Compact Folded Dipole for Metal Mountable UHF RFID Tag Antenna
Authors: Erman Fuad , Hanafi Effariza , Lim Eng-Hock , Wan Mohd Mahyiddin Wan Amirul , Harun Sulaiman Wadi , Umair Hassan , Soboh Rawan , Makmud Mohamad Zul Hilmey
Published: June 2019

This article describes the design of an Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) miniature folded dipole Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag antenna that can be mountable on metallic objects. The compact tag antenna is formed from symmetric C-shaped resonators connected with additional arms embedded into the outer strip lines for miniaturization purposes. It is loaded with outer strip lines, resulting in a flexible tuning method that is capable of matching the integrated circuit (IC) chip’s impedance. The proposed tag is fabricated on a single layer of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrate. It has simple structure and does not require any metallic vias or shorting plate. The miniature tag antenna with a size of 82.75 × 19.5 × 1.5   mm 3 yields a total realized gain of − 0.53   dB at the resonance frequency when attached to a 40 × 40   cm 2 metal plate. The presented design utilizes a European RFID band, and the simulated results of realized gain, read range, and input impedance are verified with measurement results.
Exergy and Exergoeconomic Analysis of a Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power System Based on Solar Thermal Biomass Gasification
Authors: Wu Jin , Wang Jiangjiang , Wu Jing , Ma Chaofan
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this paper is to improve the utilization of renewable energy by exergy and exergoeconomic analysis of the novel combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) system, which is based on solar thermal biomass gasification. The source of heat to assist biomass and steam gasification is the solar heat collected by a dish collector, and the product gas being fuel that drives the internal combustion engine to generate electricity and then to produce chilled/hot water by a waste heat unitization system. The analysis and calculation of the exergy loss and exergy efficiency of each component reveal the irreversibility in the heating and cooling conditions. Then, the exergoeconomic costs of multi-products such as electricity, chilled water, heating water, and domestic hot water are calculated by using the cost allocation method based on energy level. The influencing factors of the unit exergy cost of products are evaluated by sensitivity analysis, such as initial investment cost, biomass cost, service life, interest rate, and operating time coefficient. The results reveal that the internal combustion engine takes up 49.2% of the total exergy loss, and the most effective method of products cost allocation is the exergoeconomic method based on energy level and conforms to the principle of high energy level with high cost.
Carbon Capture for CO2 Emission Reduction in the Cement Industry in Germany
Authors: Markewitz Peter , Zhao Li , Ryssel Maximilian , Moumin Gkiokchan , Wang Yuan , Sattler Christian , Robinius Martin , Stolten Detlef
Published: June 2019

The share of global CO2 emissions deriving from the cement industry is about 5%. More than 50% of these are process-related and cannot be avoided. This paper addresses the application of CO2 capture technology to the cement industry. Analyses focusing on post-combustion technology for cement plants are carried out on the basis of detailed model calculations. Different heat supply variants for the regeneration of loaded wash solution were investigated. CO2 avoidance costs are in a range of 77 to 115 EUR/tCO2. The achievable CO2 avoidance rate for the investigated cases was determined to be 70% to 90%. CO2 reduction potentials were identified using CCS technology, focusing on the German cement industry as a case study. The results show that adopting carbon capture technology could lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
A Three-Phase Transformerless T-Type- NPC-MLI for Grid Connected PV Systems with Common-Mode Leakage Current Mitigation
Authors: Madasamy P. , Suresh Kumar V. , Sanjeevikumar P. , Holm-Nielsen Jens Bo , Hosain Eklas , Bharatiraja C.
Published: June 2019

DC to AC inverters are the well-known and improved in various kinds photovoltaic (PV) and gird tied systems. However, these inverters are require interfacing transformers to be synchronized with the grid-connected system. Therefore, the system is bulky and not economy. The transformerless inverter (TLI) topologies and its grid interface techniques are increasingly engrossed for the benefit of high efficiency, reliability, and low cost. The main concern in the TL inverters is common mode voltage (CMV), which causes the switching-frequency leakage current, grid interface concerns and exaggerates the EMI problems. The single-phase inverter two-level topologies are well developed with additional switches and components for eliminating the CMV. Multilevel inverters (MLIs) based grid connected transformerless inverter topology is being researched to avail additional benefits from MLI, even through that are trust topologies presented in the literature. With the above aim, this paper has proposed three -phase three-level T type NP-MLI (TNP-MLI) topology with transformerless PV grid connected proficiency. The CM leakage current should handle over mitigating CMV through removing unwanted switching events in the inverter pulse width modulation (PWM). This paper is proposes PV connected T type NP-MLI interface with three-phase grid connected system with the help of improved space vector modulation (SVM) technique to mitigate the CM leakage current to overcome the above said requests on the PV tied TL grid connected system. This proposed the SVM technique to mitigate the CM leakage current by selecting only mediums, and zero vectors with suitable current control method in order to maintain the inverter current and grid interface requirements. The proposed PV tied TNP-MLI offering higher efficiency, lower breakdown voltage on the devices, smaller THD of output voltage, good reliability, and long life span. The paper also investigated the CM leakage currents envisage and behavior for the three-phase MLI through the inverter switching function, which is not discussed before. The proposed SVM on TL-TNP-MLI offers the reliable PV grid interface with very low switching-frequency leakage current (200mA) for all the PV and inverter operation conditions. The feasibility and effectiveness of the TLI and its control strategy is confirmed through the MATLAB/Simulink simulation model directly as compared with 2kW roof top PV plant connected TL-TNP-MLI experimentation, showing good accordance with theoretical investigation. The simulation and experimental results are demonstrated and presented in the good stability of steady state and dynamics performances. The proposed inverter reduces the cost of grid interface transformer, harmonics filter, and CMV suppressions choke.
The Effect of Processing on Digestion of Legume Proteins
Authors: Drulyte Donata , Orlien Vibeke
Published: June 2019

The domestic processing methods, soaking, cooking (traditional, microwave, pressure), and baking and the industrial processing, autoclaving, baking, and extrusion are used to improve consumption of legumes. The growing awareness of both health and sustainability turns the focus on protein (bio)availability. This paper reports the effect of these processing methods on the legume protein digestibility. Overall, the protein digestibility increases after processing by the different methods. However, since both the type of legume and the applied methods differ it cannot be concluded which specific method is best for the individual legume type.
Special Issue on Remote Sensing of Snow and Its Applications
Authors: Arslan Ali Nadir , Akyürek Zuhal
Published: June 2019

Snow cover is an essential climate variable directly affecting the Earth’s energy balance. Snow cover has a number of important physical properties that exert an influence on global and regional energy, water, and carbon cycles. Remote sensing provides a good understanding of snow cover and enable snow cover information to be assimilated into hydrological, land surface, meteorological, and climate models for predicting snowmelt runoff, snow water resources, and to warn about snow-related natural hazards. The main objectives of this Special Issue, “Remote Sensing of Snow and Its Applications” in Geosciences are to present a wide range of topics such as (1) remote sensing techniques and methods for snow, (2) modeling, retrieval algorithms, and in-situ measurements of snow parameters, (3) multi-source and multi-sensor remote sensing of snow, (4) remote sensing and model integrated approaches of snow, and (5) applications where remotely sensed snow information is used for weather forecasting, flooding, avalanche, water management, traffic, health and sport, agriculture and forestry, climate scenarios, etc. It is very important to understand (a) differences and similarities, (b) representativeness and applicability, (c) accuracy and sources of error in measuring of snow both in-situ and remote sensing and assimilating snow into hydrological, land surface, meteorological, and climate models. This Special Issue contains nine articles and covers some of the topics we listed above.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment as a Versatile Tool to Enhance the Care of the Older Person Diagnosed with Cancer
Authors: Overcash Janine , Ford Nikki , Kress Elizabeth , Ubbing Caitlin , Williams Nicole
Published: June 2019

The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is a versatile tool for the care of the older person diagnosed with cancer. The purpose of this article is to detail how a CGA can be tailored to Ambulatory Geriatric Oncology Programs (AGOPs) in academic cancer centers and to community oncology practices with varying levels of resources. The Society for International Oncology in Geriatrics (SIOG) recommends CGA as a foundation for treatment planning and decision-making for the older person receiving care for a malignancy. A CGA is often administered by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) composed of professionals who provide geriatric-focused cancer care. CGA can be used as a one-time consult for surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy providers to predict treatment tolerance or as an ongoing part of patient care to manage malignant and non-malignant issues. Administrative support and proactive infrastructure planning to address scheduling, referrals, and provider communication are critical to the effectiveness of the CGA.
Comparison of Risk for End-Stage Renal Disease Between Physicians and the General Population: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Yen Chin-Kai , Tan Tian-Hoe , Feng I-Jung , Ho Chung-Han , Hsu Chien-Chin , Lin Hung-Jung , Wang Jhi-Joung , Huang Chien-Cheng
Published: June 2019

Physicians experience high stress and have much responsibility during a night shift, which contributes to increased sympathetic activity, the risk factor for renal disease. The risk for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in physicians is still unclear. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study to clarify this issue. Using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 30,268 physicians and 60,536 individuals from the general population matched with a ratio of 1:2 by age and sex. All participants who had ESRD before 2006 and residents were excluded. ESRD risk between physicians and the general population and among physician subgroups was compared by following up their medical histories until 2012. We also compared the treatments between both cohorts with ESRD. Physicians had a lower ESRD risk than the general population (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4–0.7), particularly in the middle-age subgroup (35–64 years) (AOR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.3–0.7); however, there was no difference in the older age subgroup (≥65 years) (AOR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.6–1.7). More physicians received peritoneal dialysis (63.0% vs. 11.1%) and renal transplantation (5.6% vs. 1.7%) than the general population after being diagnosed with ESRD. Compared with the general population, physicians had a lower ESRD risk and higher treatment selection for peritoneal dialysis and renal transplantation after being diagnosed with ESRD. Better medical knowledge, a greater awareness of diseases and their risk factors, more rigorous implementation of preventive measures, and easy access to medical care may play a role in this aspect. Further studies are warranted for elucidating the associated mechanisms.
Associations between Profiles of Self-Esteem and Achievement Goals and the Protection of Self-Worth in University Students
Authors: Ferradás María del Mar , Freire Carlos , Núñez José Carlos , Regueiro Bibiana
Published: June 2019

The high demands of academia and the fear of failure lead some university students to prioritize defending their personal worth through the use of complex strategies such as self-handicapping or defensive pessimism. Adopting a person-centered approach, this study established two objectives: First, to analyze the conformation of different motivational profiles based on the combination of self-esteem and achievement goals (learning, performance approach, and performance avoidance); and second, to determine if the identified profiles differ from one another in the use of self-handicapping and defensive pessimism. A total of 1028 university students participated in the research. Four motivational profiles were obtained: (a) High self-esteem, low learning goals, high performance approach goals, and high performance avoidance goals; (b) high self-esteem, high learning goals, low performance approach goals, and low performance avoidance goals; (c) low self-esteem, low learning goals, high performance approach goals, and high performance avoidance goals; and (d) low self-esteem, high learning goals, high performance approach goals, and medium performance avoidance goals. Profiles (c) and (d) were significantly related to self-handicapping and defensive pessimism, respectively. These results suggest that students with low self-esteem are more vulnerable to self-protection strategies. Additionally, under self-handicapping and defensive pessimism, the achievement goals are slightly different.
Patent Landscape Analysis of Dental Caries in Primary Teeth
Authors: Bencze Zsuzsa , Fraihat Nadine , Varga Orsolya
Published: June 2019

Inventions from the field of health research are mostly protected by patents. The main objective of this study is to identify the research and development trends of dental innovations for children, with a special focus on the inventions for dental caries in primary teeth and early childhood caries (ECC) by performing a patent landscape analysis on a global scale with special attention to the role of European countries in patenting activities. A patent landscape analysis is a tool used to identify trends in different areas of innovations. Patents and patent applications were extracted from Orbit Intelligence. The keyword based search process was refined by manual selection and grouped into prevention, treatment and diagnosis categories. The absolute number and legal status of patent families, priority years, priority countries, and assignees were examined. The total number of patents of dental caries in primary teeth was 61. According to the legal status of the patents, 27% are granted, 19% pending and 54% are dead. The earliest patent is from 1931 and the most recent is from 2018. Regarding the field of inventions, 37 patents were identified as prevention, 16 patents were treatment and 8 were diagnostics related. China holds the most patents. The huge burden of dental caries in primary teeth is poorly represented in global research and development. Additionally, inventions in dental caries of the primary dentition from the European Union lagged far behind China and the US, highlighting our insufficient research initiatives and programs.
Mercury Exposure in Mother-Children Pairs in A Seafood Eating Population: Body Burden and Related Factors
Authors: Karatela Shamshad , Ward Neil , Paterson Janis
Published: June 2019

Background: Mercury is a neurotoxin that affects neurodevelopment in children; however, its association at the lowest concentration is not clear. The main objective of this study is to measure and evaluate mercury concentrations in mother–child pairs and its association demographics, lifestyle, and dietary factors within the Pacific Island Families living in Auckland, New Zealand. Methods: Mercury exposure was assessed in a sub-sample of mother–child pairs who were a part of the Pacific Island Families birth cohort, in Auckland, New Zealand at the 6-year phase. Hair samples were collected from both mothers and their children to determine mercury concentrations. Total mercury was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for hair samples. An interviewer-based reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) examined the frequency of seafood by all the participants. Other variables such as sociodemographic (ethnicity and gender), lifestyle factors (income, education, and smoking status) and health outcomes (child behaviour and obesity) were also collected. Results: In this study, 41% of both mothers and their children had mercury concentrations above the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended value of 1 µg/g. Most of the participants ate fish 3 or more times a week. A significant correlation was observed between mother and child hair mercury concentrations (Spearman Rho 0.79 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65, 0.88)). Conclusions: Mercury levels in children can be affected by their mothers’ levels due to similar eating patterns.
Class I-Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibition is Superior to pan-HDAC Inhibition in Modulating Cisplatin Potency in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Bandolik Jan J. , Hamacher Alexandra , Schrenk Christian , Weishaupt Robin , Kassack Matthias U.
Published: June 2019

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and aggressive ovarian cancer subtype with the worst clinical outcome due to intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Standard treatment involves platinum compounds. Cancer development and chemoresistance is often associated with an increase in histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) to increase platinum potency in HGSOC. Four HGSOC cell lines with different cisplatin sensitivity were treated with combinations of cisplatin and entinostat (class I HDACi), panobinostat (pan-HDACi), or nexturastat A (class IIb HDACi), respectively. Inhibition of class I HDACs by entinostat turned out superior in increasing cisplatin potency than pan-HDAC inhibition in cell viability assays (MTT), apoptosis induction (subG1), and caspase 3/7 activation. Entinostat was synergistic with cisplatin in all cell lines in MTT and caspase activation assays. MTT assays gave combination indices (CI values) < 0.9 indicating synergism. The effect of HDAC inhibitors could be attributed to the upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes (CDNK1A, APAF1, PUMA, BAK1) and downregulation of survivin. In conclusion, the combination of entinostat and cisplatin is synergistic in HGSOC and could be an effective strategy for the treatment of aggressive ovarian cancer.
Raman Evidence of p53-DBD Disorder Decrease upon Interaction with the Anticancer Protein Azurin
Authors: Signorelli Sara , Cannistraro Salvatore , Bizzarri Anna Rita
Published: June 2019

Raman spectroscopy, which is a suitable tool to elucidate the structural properties of intrinsically disordered proteins, was applied to investigate the changes in both the structure and the conformational heterogeneity of the DNA-binding domain (DBD) belonging to the intrinsically disordered protein p53 upon its binding to Azurin, an electron-transfer anticancer protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The Raman spectra of the DBD and Azurin, isolated in solution or forming a complex, were analyzed by a combined analysis based on peak inspection, band convolution, and principal component analysis (PCA). In particular, our attention was focused on the Raman peaks of Tyrosine and Tryptophan residues, which are diagnostic markers of protein side chain environment, and on the Amide I band, of which the deconvolution allows us to extract information about α-helix, β-sheet, and random coil contents. The results show an increase of the secondary structure content of DBD concomitantly with a decrease of its conformational heterogeneity upon its binding to Azurin. These findings suggest an Azurin-induced conformational change of DBD structure with possible implications for p53 functionality.
The ‘Botanical Triad’: The Presence of Insectary Plants Enhances Natural Enemy Abundance on Trap Crop Plants in an Organic Cabbage Agro-Ecosystem
Authors: Shrestha Binita , Finke Deborah L. , Piñero Jaime C.
Published: June 2019

Habitat manipulation through the incorporation of non-crop plants such as trap crops (to lure pests away from the cash crop) and insectary plants (to provide resources for natural enemies) into agro-ecosystems is an ecological approach to pest management. In a field-scale study, we quantified the effects of integrating the use of trap crops with insectary plants as a novel method to control pest herbivores in an organic cabbage agro-ecosystem. We hypothesized that pests would be concentrated in the trap crop habitat and suppressed by insectary-subsidized natural enemies in situ. We documented arthropod abundance (both adults and immature stages) associated with (1) two insectary plant species (sweet alyssum, Lobularia maritima, and buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum) either alone or in combination; (2) a trap crop mixture of mighty mustard (Brassica juncea), red Russian kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala), and glossy collards (Brassica oleracea var. italica), and (3) cabbage cash crop (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). Trap crops were more attractive to pests than the cash crop. On a per-plant basis, densities of the herbivores Evergestis rimosalis, Trichoplusia ni, and Plutella xylostella were 154, 37, and 161× greater on the kale trap crop than on the cabbage cash crop, and 54, 18, and 89× greater on the collards trap crop than on the cash crop. Insectary plants contributed to the consumption of pests that aggregated on the trap crop. Parasitism of E. rimosalis by the braconid wasp Cotesia orobenae was significantly increased, and the abundance of eggs and larvae of the predatory coccinellid beetle Coleomegilla maculata was greater on the trap crop in the presence of insectary plants compared to trap crops that lacked insectary plants. The ‘Botanical Triad’ of cash crop, trap crop, and insectary plants represents a new type of agro-ecosystem manipulation that integrates ecosystem service providers (e.g., predators and parasitoids) within the cropping system.
Analysis of Uncharacterized mKiaa1211 Expression during Mouse Development and Cardiovascular Morphogenesis
Authors: L. Snider Paige , Snider Elizabeth , Simmons Olga , Lilly Brenda , J. Conway Simon
Published: June 2019

Mammalian Kiaa1211 and Kiaa1211-like are a homologous pair of uncharacterized, highly conserved genes cloned from fetal and adult brain cDNA libraries. Herein we map the in utero spatiotemporal expression of mKiaa1211 and mKiaa1211L mRNA and their expression patterns in postnatal testis, skin, gastrointestinal, and adipose progenitor tissues. Significantly, mKiaa1211 is present throughout the early stages of mouse heart development, particularly in the second heart field (SHF) lineage as it differentiates from mesenchymal cells into cardiomyocytes. We also show that mKiaa1211 is expressed within several early neuronal tissues destined to give rise to central, peripheral, and sympathetic nervous system structures. Expression profiling revealed that the paralog mKiaa1211L is not expressed during the normal developmental process and that mKiaa1211 expression was noticeably absent from most adult terminally differentiated tissues. Finally, we confirm that a previously uncharacterized CRISPR/CAS-generated mKiaa1211 mouse mutant allele is hypomorphic.
High N-Terminal proB-Type Natriuretic Peptide Indicates Elevated Risk of Death after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Compared to Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Roth Christian , Schneider Matthias , Dalos Daniel , Gangl Clemens , Toth Christian , Goliasch Georg , Berger Rudolf
Published: June 2019

Background: Reduced left ventricular function (LVF) is a predictor for stent-thrombosis. In advanced heart failure (characterized by high NT-proBNP) with an activated coagulation system, coronary events clinically perceived as sudden death or death from heart failure may be more common in patients treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) than in patients treated by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Our study analyses (1) if patients with reduced LVF who require coronary revascularization will have a better survival benefit with CABG or PCI, and (2) if the survival benefit is predicted by NT-proBNP. Methods: This observational retrospective study included patients from the coronary catheter laboratory database of the Medical University of Vienna (CCLD-MUW). Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to test the hypothesis that there is an interaction in the risk of death between those with lower or elevated NT-proBNP levels and the revascularization procedure (PCI or CABG). The relative risk of PCI compared to CABG as reference was calculated for patients with low and elevated NT-proBNP levels. Results: In the entire study population with 398 patients (340 PCI and 58 CABG) the revascularization procedure had no predictive value. When the revascularization procedure*NTproBNP interaction was forced into the Cox regression model, this term was an independent predictor of death. The relative risk of PCI compared to CABG was similar in patients with lower NT-proBNP—1.01 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45–2.24), but was significantly increased in patients with elevated NT-proBNP—1.58 (95% CI, 1.07–2.33). Conclusion: Death is associated to the revascularization procedure, but only in those patients with elevated NT-proBNP levels. NT-proBNP is a predicting factor for the revascularization procedure: elevated levels showed an increased risk of death after PCI compared to CABG, whereas lower levels were associated with a similar risk after both revascularization procedures.
Congenital Heart Defects in Monochorionic Twins: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gijtenbeek Manon , Shirzada Maryam R. , Ten Harkel Arend D. J. , Oepkes Dick , C. Haak Monique
Published: June 2019

Monochorionic (MC) twins are at an increased risk of developing congenital heart defects (CHDs) compared to singletons and dichorionic twins. The development of acquired CHDs in this specific group of twins is associated with twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an overview of the reported birth prevalence of CHDs in liveborn MC twins with and without TTTS. Twelve studies were included in this review. Compared to the reference population, MC twins were 6.3 times more likely to be born with a CHD (59.3 per 1000 liveborn twins; relative risk (RR) 6.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.4–9.1), and TTTS twins had a 12-fold increased risk of having a CHD at birth (87.3 per 1000 live births; RR 12.4, 95% CI: 8.6–17.8). The increased incidence of CHDs can mainly be attributed to the risk of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (35/1000 TTTS twin live births vs. 0.5/1000 singleton live births). We recommend an expert fetal echocardiogram in all MC twins, follow-up scans in the event of TTTS, and a postnatal cardiac evaluation in all TTTS survivors.
On the Marine Energy Resources of Mexico
Authors: Hernández-Fontes Jassiel V. , Felix Angélica , Mendoza Edgar , Cueto Yandy Rodríguez , Silva Rodolfo
Published: June 2019

The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Mexico offer a variety of marine energy sources for exploitation. Although the Mexican government has made important efforts to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, national participation in clean energies is still limited in terms of electricity production. This paper presents a practical theoretical assessment of marine energy sources around Mexico, with the aim of identifying potential zones for subsequent, more detailed, technical evaluations and project implementations. The energy sources considered are ocean currents, waves, salinity, and thermal gradients. Using global databases, the percentages of energy availability for the defined thresholds were computed to establish the prospective regions with the most persistent power availability. This approach proved to offer more meaningful information than simple averaged values. Moreover, some environmental and socio-economic factors to be considered for future ocean energy resource assessments in Mexico were also discussed. The results show that the wave energy potential is highest in the northwest of Mexico (~2–10 kW/m for more than 50% of the time), and that there is a constant source of ocean current energy off Quintana Roo state (~32–215 W/m2 for more than 50% of the time). The thermal gradient power is more persistent in the southwest and southeast of the country, where ~100–200 MW can be found 70% of the time. The salinity gradient energy is strongest in the southeast of Mexico. The practical approach presented here can be extended to perform preliminary resources assessments in regions where information is scarce.
Domain Decomposition Method for the Variational Assimilation of the Sea Level in a Model of Open Water Areas Hydrodynamics
Authors: Agoshkov Valery , Lezina Natalia , Sheloput Tatiana
Published: June 2019

One of the modern fields in mathematical modelling of water areas is developing hybrid coastal ocean models based on domain decomposition. In coastal ocean modelling a problem to be solved is setting open boundary conditions. One of the methods dealing with open boundaries is variational data assimilation. The purpose of this work is to apply the domain decomposition method to the variational data assimilation problem. The method to solve the problem of restoring boundary functions at the liquid boundaries for a system of linearized shallow water equations is studied. The problem of determining additional unknowns is considered as an inverse problem and solved using well-known approaches. The methodology based on the theory of optimal control and adjoint equations is used. In the paper the theoretical study of the problem is carried out, unique and dense solvability of the problem is proved, an iterative algorithm is proposed and its convergence is studied. The results of the numerical experiments are presented and discussed.