bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spread Identity: A new dynamic address remapping mechanism for anonymity and DDoS defense
Authors: Phatak Dhananjay , Sherman Alan T. , Joshi Nikhil , Sonawane Bhushan , Relan Vivek G. , Dawalbhakta Amol
Published: May 2016

We present and experimentally evaluate Spread Identity (SI) – a new dynamic network address remapping mechanism that provides anonymity and DDoS defense capabilities for Internet communications. For each session between a source and destination host, the trusted source gateway dynamically and randomly assigns an IP address for the source host from the pool of all routable IP addresses allocated to the source organization. Similarly, in response to a name resolution query from the source gateway, the trusted authoritative DNS server for the destination organization dynamically assigns an IP address for the destination host from the pool of all routable IP addresses allocated to the destination organization. These assignments depend upon the state of the server (including load, residual capacity, time of day) and policy. Different hosts can share the same IP address when communicating with distinct peers. Each gateway creates a NAT entry, valid for the communication session, based on the dynamic assignment by its organization.

An eavesdropper listening to packets flowing through the Internet between the source and destination gateways learns only the source and destination domains; the eavesdropper cannot see the actual complete IP addresses of the source and destination hosts. In addition, SI enhances DDoS defense capabilities by enabling packet filtering based on destination addresses. With multiple IP addresses for the same destination, filtering based on destination addresses can block attackers without necessarily blocking legitimate users. Deploying SI requires changes to organizational gateways and, possibly, to the edge-routers that interface with organizational gateways; but network mechanisms farther upstream, including the core routers in the Internet, remain unchanged. Likewise, the installed base of operating systems running individual hosts in the internal network, together with the end-user application suites they support, remain untouched. SI mechanisms are backward compatible, incrementally deployable, and robustly scalable. A naïve implementation of SI can increase the DNS traffic; however, when SI is implemented at both the source and the destination ends, it is possible for SI to reduce DNS traffic.

Ns-2 simulations and experiments on the DeterLab test bed corroborate the main hypotheses and demonstrate advantages of the SI paradigm. Ns-2 simulations demonstrate that file transfer success rates for our SI DDoS protection mechanism are similar to those of filter- and capability-based approaches, with lower file transfer times than for filter-based approaches. DeterLab trials demonstrate that SI consumes similar resources (connection establishment time, network address translation table size, packet forwarding rate and memory) to those of a typical single NAT system, though with higher name resolution times.
Human–computer cryptography: An attempt
Authors: Matsumoto Tsutomu
Published: May 2016

Can you securely prove your identity to a host computer by using no dedicated software at your terminal and no dedicated token at your hands? Conventional password checking schemes do not need such a software and hardware but have a disadvantage that an attacker who has correctly observed an input password by peeping or wiretapping can perfectly impersonate the corresponding user. Conventional dynamic (one-time) password schemes or zero-knowledge identification schemes can be securely implemented but require special software or hardware or memorandums. This paper develops human-friendly identification schemes such that a human prover knowing a secret key in her or his brain is asked a visual question by a machine verifier, who then checks if an answer sent from the prover matches the question with respect to the key. The novelty of these schemes lies in their ways of displaying questions. This paper also examines an application of the human identification schemes to human–computer cryptographic communication protocols.
Spatial and temporal dimensions of butterfly species diversity in Jahangirnagar University campus and its suburbs, Bangladesh
Authors: Akter Farjana , Habib Mirza Shamim Ahasan , Hossain Md Monwar
Published: May 2016

Survey was conducted in four different areas viz. Jahanginagar University Campus, Gerua, Nabinagar and Chandra of Bangladesh from October 2012 to September 2013. A total of 100 species of butterflies under 9 families were identified. The maximum number of butterflies (31 species) was recorded under the family Lycaenidae followed by Nymphalidae (17 species), Pieridae (16 species), Hesperiidae (15 species), Satyridae (7 species), Papilionidae (7 species), Danaidae (5 species) and 1 species to each family of Acraediae and Amathusiidae. Species diversity was higher from summer to early monsoon and declined in late winter. Out of four areas, the highest number of butterfly was recorded at Jahangirnagar University campus followed by Gerua, Nabinagar and the lowest at Chandra. Out of 100 species, 7 were very common, 12 were common, 17 were rare, 64 were very rare. Dusky Part Wing (Psolos fuligo Mabille, 1876) under the family Hesperiidae was recorded for the first time in Bangladesh.Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 4(1): 27-40, 2015 (June)
Plankton population and physico-chemical properties of a lake of Jahangirnagar University campus, Bangladesh at various lunar rhythms
Authors: Anny Most Fahima Ahmed , Ara Ismot
Published: May 2016

Planktonic biomass and physico-chemical properties of water from a lake at Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh were studied during new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter phases from 16th June to 15th July 2015. Twenty four species of phytoplankton belonging to Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae and Euglenophyceae were recorded. Maximum abundance (162-301 unit/l) of Chlorophyceae was recorded in first quarter phase followed by full moon phase (112-224 unit/l), new moon phase (85-222unit/l) and last quarter phase (60-125 unit/l), respectively. Chlorella vulgaris and Biddulphia aurita were the most abundant phytoplankton throughout the lunar period. Among the zooplankton, 5 species of Protozoa, 2 species of Rotifer, 3 species of Cladocera and 1 species of Ostracoda were recorded. Highest zooplankton was recorded in full moon phase (54-105 unit/l) and Daphnia cephalata was the most abundant species throughout the lunar cycle. Physico-chemical parameters indicate that the water temperature, colour, odour and pH were almost similar throughout the lunar cycle, whereas maximum dissolved oxygen (7.16 mg/l) and minimum (4.43 mg/l) were found during the last quarter and the full moon phase, respectively. The highest content of free carbon dioxide (4.36 mg/l) and chloride (22.8 mg/l) were recorded during first quarter and full moon phase accordingly.Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 4(2): 31-36, 2015 (December)
In vitro clonal propagation of BARI Ada-1 (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)
Authors: Yesmin S , Hashem A , Khatun MM , Nasrin S , Tanny T , Islam MS
Published: May 2016

Abstract not availableJahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 4(2): 53-57, 2015 (December)
Validation of a Mathematical Model for Green Algae (Raphidocelis Subcapitata) Growth and Implications for a Coupled Dynamical System with Daphnia Magna
Authors: Stemkovski Michael , Baraldi Robert , Flores Kevin , Banks H.T.
Published: May 2016

Toxicity testing in populations probes for responses in demographic variables to anthropogenic or natural chemical changes in the environment. Importantly, these tests are primarily performed on species in isolation of adjacent tropic levels in their ecosystem. The development and validation of coupled species models may aid in predicting adverse outcomes at the ecosystems level. Here, we aim to validate a model for the population dynamics of the green algae Raphidocelis subcapitata, a planktonic species that is often used as a primary food source in toxicity experiments for the fresh water crustacean Daphnia magna. We collected longitudinal data from three replicate population experiments of R. subcapitata. We used this data with statistical model comparison tests and uncertainty quantification techniques to compare the performance of four models: the Logistic model, the Bernoulli model, the Gompertz model, and a discretization of the Logistic model. Overall, our results suggest that the logistic model is the most accurate continuous model for R. subcapitata population growth. We then implement the numerical discretization showing how the continuous logistic model for algae can be coupled to a previously validated discrete-time population model for D. magna.
A Micro-Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM) for Large-Scale Dimensional Measurement of Micro-Slits
Authors: Ito So , Kikuchi Hirotaka , Chen Yuanliu , Shimizu Yuki , Gao Wei , Takahashi Kazuhiko , Kanayama Toshihiko , Arakawa Kunmei , Hayashi Atsushi
Published: May 2016

This paper presents a micro-coordinate measuring machine (micro-CMM) for large-scale dimensional measurement of a micro-slit on a precision die coater by using a shear-mode micro-probe. A glass micro sphere with a nominal diameter of 52.3 μm was attached on one end of a tapered glass capillary tube as a probe tip ball. The micro-slit width of a slot die coater with a nominal slit width of 85 μm was measured by the micro-CMM. The probe tip was placed in the slit for the measurement. The effective working length of the probe was confirmed experimentally to be at least 1 mm. In order to measure the gap width uniformity over the entire slot die length of 200 mm, an air-bearing linear slide with a travelling stroke of 300 mm was employed in the micro-CMM to position the probe along the length direction of the slot die. The angular alignment error and the motion error of the air-bearing linear slide as well as those of the stages for positioning the probe along the direction perpendicular to the length direction of the slot die were investigated for evaluation of the expanded uncertainty of gap width measurement.
The Effect of Ligand Design on Metal Ion Spin State—Lessons from Spin Crossover Complexes
Authors: Halcrow Malcolm
Published: May 2016

The relationship between chemical structure and spin state in a transition metal complex has an important bearing on mechanistic bioinorganic chemistry, catalysis by base metals, and the design of spin crossover materials. The latter provide an ideal testbed for this question, since small changes in spin state energetics can be easily detected from shifts in the spin crossover equilibrium temperature. Published structure-function relationships relating ligand design and spin state from the spin crossover literature give varied results. A sterically crowded ligand sphere favors the expanded metal–ligand bonds associated with the high-spin state. However, steric clashes at the molecular periphery can stabilize either the high-spin or the low-spin state in a predictable way, depending on their effect on ligand conformation. In the absence of steric influences, the picture is less clear since electron-withdrawing ligand substituents are reported to favor the low-spin or the high-spin state in different series of compounds. A recent study has shed light on this conundrum, showing that the electronic influence of a substituent on a coordinated metal ion depends on its position on the ligand framework. Finally, hydrogen bonding to complexes containing peripheral N‒H groups consistently stabilizes the low-spin state, where this has been quantified.
A Novel Single Winding Structure and Closed Loop Control of the Suspension Force Vector of Bearingless Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors
Authors: Zhu Huangqiu , Yuan Jianfei , Jv Jintao
Published: May 2016

At present, because of their advantages of simple structure, low cost, low power consumption and high efficiency, single winding bearingless permanent magnet synchronous motors (SBPMSMs) have become one of the research hotspots in the bearingless technology field. However, a high motional-electromotive force (EMF) is generated by rotor rotation in the single winding, which already has side-effects on the normal suspension force current, and the suspension force response can be delayed. Because the method of double torque current inverse injection in the symmetrical winding allows the motional-EMFs of the corresponding phase windings to offset each other in the opposite direction, with no adverse effects on original performance, a T-shaped single winding configuration is proposed to realize precisely that effect. In this paper, the analytical expressions of the radial suspension force and torque are deduced and the motional-EMF and performance are analyzed by finite element method using the Ansys-Maxwell software. In addition, a suspension force vector closed loop control strategy is proposed to improve the suspension performance. The complete control strategy of torque and suspension force is designed based on the above motor winding configuration. Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to verify the T-shaped winding structure. The control strategy is demonstrated by software (MATLAB) simulation and an experimental prototype. These results show that the winding structure and the control strategy can achieve the desired effect, improving the radial suspension force.
Development of an Expert System for the Evaluation of Students’ Curricula on the Basis of Competencies
Authors: Sánchez Luis , Santos-Olmo Antonio , Álvarez Esther , Huerta Monica , Camacho Sara , Fernández-Medina Eduardo
Published: May 2016

The concept of competence, which emerged during the reform of computer engineering degrees, has not brought benefits to companies when attempting to select the most suitable candidates for their jobs. This article aims to show some of the research that has been conducted to determine why companies have not found these skills useful and how both can be aligned. Finally, we show the development of an Expert System that will enable companies to select the most suitable candidates for their jobs, considering personal and social skills, along with technical knowledge. This prototype will serve as a basis to align the competencies defined in the curricula with professional requirements, thus allowing a true alignment between degree courses and the needs of professional companies.
The Roles of NDR Protein Kinases in Hippo Signalling
Authors: Hergovich Alexander
Published: May 2016

The Hippo tumour suppressor pathway has emerged as a critical regulator of tissue growth through controlling cellular processes such as cell proliferation, death, differentiation and stemness. Traditionally, the core cassette of the Hippo pathway includes the MST1/2 protein kinases, the LATS1/2 protein kinases, and the MOB1 scaffold signal transducer, which together regulate the transcriptional co-activator functions of the proto-oncoproteins YAP and TAZ through LATS1/2-mediated phosphorylation of YAP/TAZ. Recent research has identified additional kinases, such as NDR1/2 (also known as STK38/STK38L) and MAP4Ks, which should be considered as novel members of the Hippo core cassette. While these efforts helped to expand our understanding of Hippo core signalling, they also began to provide insights into the complexity and redundancy of the Hippo signalling network. Here, we focus on summarising our current knowledge of the regulation and functions of mammalian NDR kinases, discussing parallels between the NDR pathways in Drosophila and mammals. Initially, we provide a general overview of the cellular functions of NDR kinases in cell cycle progression, centrosome biology, apoptosis, autophagy, DNA damage signalling, immunology and neurobiology. Finally, we put particular emphasis on discussing NDR1/2 as YAP kinases downstream of MST1/2 and MOB1 signalling in Hippo signalling.
Legume NADPH Oxidases Have Crucial Roles at Different Stages of Nodulation
Authors: Montiel Jesús , Arthikala Manoj-Kumar , Cárdenas Luis , Quinto Carmen
Published: May 2016

Plant NADPH oxidases, formerly known as respiratory burst oxidase homologues (RBOHs), are plasma membrane enzymes dedicated to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. These oxidases are implicated in a wide variety of processes, ranging from tissue and organ growth and development to signaling pathways in response to abiotic and biotic stimuli. Research on the roles of RBOHs in the plant’s response to biotic stresses has mainly focused on plant-pathogen interactions; nonetheless, recent findings have shown that these oxidases are also involved in the legume-rhizobia symbiosis. The legume-rhizobia symbiosis leads to the formation of the root nodule, where rhizobia reduce atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. A complex signaling and developmental pathway in the legume root hair and root facilitate rhizobial entrance and nodule organogenesis, respectively. Interestingly, several reports demonstrate that RBOH-mediated ROS production displays versatile roles at different stages of nodulation. The evidence collected to date indicates that ROS act as signaling molecules that regulate rhizobial invasion and also function in nodule senescence. This review summarizes discoveries that support the key and versatile roles of various RBOH members in the legume-rhizobia symbiosis.
Bacterial Molecular Signals in the Sinorhizobium fredii-Soybean Symbiosis
Authors: López-Baena Francisco , Ruiz-Sainz José , Rodríguez-Carvajal Miguel , Vinardell José
Published: May 2016

Sinorhizobium (Ensifer) fredii (S. fredii) is a rhizobial species exhibiting a remarkably broad nodulation host-range. Thus, S. fredii is able to effectively nodulate dozens of different legumes, including plants forming determinate nodules, such as the important crops soybean and cowpea, and plants forming indeterminate nodules, such as Glycyrrhiza uralensis and pigeon-pea. This capacity of adaptation to different symbioses makes the study of the molecular signals produced by S. fredii strains of increasing interest since it allows the analysis of their symbiotic role in different types of nodule. In this review, we analyze in depth different S. fredii molecules that act as signals in symbiosis, including nodulation factors, different surface polysaccharides (exopolysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, cyclic glucans, and K-antigen capsular polysaccharides), and effectors delivered to the interior of the host cells through a symbiotic type 3 secretion system.
RVMAB: Using the Relevance Vector Machine Model Combined with Average Blocks to Predict the Interactions of Proteins from Protein Sequences
Authors: An Ji-Yong , You Zhu-Hong , Meng Fan-Rong , Xu Shu-Juan , Wang Yin
Published: May 2016

Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) play essential roles in most cellular processes. Knowledge of PPIs is becoming increasingly more important, which has prompted the development of technologies that are capable of discovering large-scale PPIs. Although many high-throughput biological technologies have been proposed to detect PPIs, there are unavoidable shortcomings, including cost, time intensity, and inherently high false positive and false negative rates. For the sake of these reasons, in silico methods are attracting much attention due to their good performances in predicting PPIs. In this paper, we propose a novel computational method known as RVM-AB that combines the Relevance Vector Machine (RVM) model and Average Blocks (AB) to predict PPIs from protein sequences. The main improvements are the results of representing protein sequences using the AB feature representation on a Position Specific Scoring Matrix (PSSM), reducing the influence of noise using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and using a Relevance Vector Machine (RVM) based classifier. We performed five-fold cross-validation experiments on yeast and Helicobacter pylori datasets, and achieved very high accuracies of 92.98% and 95.58% respectively, which is significantly better than previous works. In addition, we also obtained good prediction accuracies of 88.31%, 89.46%, 91.08%, 91.55%, and 94.81% on other five independent datasets C. elegans, M. musculus, H. sapiens, H. pylori, and E. coli for cross-species prediction. To further evaluate the proposed method, we compare it with the state-of-the-art support vector machine (SVM) classifier on the yeast dataset. The experimental results demonstrate that our RVM-AB method is obviously better than the SVM-based method. The promising experimental results show the efficiency and simplicity of the proposed method, which can be an automatic decision support tool. To facilitate extensive studies for future proteomics research, we developed a freely available web server called RVMAB-PPI in Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) for predicting PPIs. The web server including source code and the datasets are available at http://219.219.62.123:8888/ppi_ab/.
Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Effects of Procyanidins from Wild Grape (Vitis amurensis) Seeds in Ethanol-Induced Cells and Rats
Authors: Bak Min , Truong Van-Long , Ko Se-Yeon , Nguyen Xuan , Ingkasupart Pajaree , Jun Mira , Shin Jin , Jeong Woo-Sik
Published: May 2016

In the present study, we characterized the antioxidant and hepatoprotective mechanisms underlying of wild grape seed procyanidins (WGP) against oxidative stress damage in ethanol-treated HepG2 cell and Sprague-Dawley (SD)-rat models. In HepG2 cells, WGP not only diminished the ethanol (EtOH, 100 mM)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression, but also renovated both the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase. Additionally, to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of WGP, rats were orally administered 10 or 50 mg/kg WGP once daily for seven days prior to the single oral administration of EtOH (6 g/kg). The results show that WGP administration decreased the EtOH-induced augment of the levels of serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase as well as serum alcohol and acetaldehyde. WGP treatment upregulated the activities and protein levels of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and antioxidant enzymes but downregulated the protein expression level of liver CYP2E1 in EtOH-treated rats. Moreover, the decreased phosphorylation levels of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) by ethanol were induced in both HepG2 cell and rat models. Overall, pretreatment of WGP displayed the protective activity against EtOH-mediated toxicity through the regulation of antioxidant enzymes and alcohol metabolism systems via MAPKs pathways.
Heart Disease in Women: Unappreciated Challenges, GPER as a New Target
Authors: Feldman Ross
Published: May 2016

Heart disease in women remains underappreciated, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Further, although we are starting to understand some of the social and behavioral determinants for this, the biological basis for the increased rate of rise in atherosclerosis risk in women after menopause remains very poorly understand. In this review we will outline the scope of the clinical issues related to heart disease in women, the emerging findings regarding the biological basis underlying the increased prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors in postmenopausal women (vs. men) and the role of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) and its genetic regulation as a determinant of these sex-specific risks. GPER is a recently appreciated GPCR that mediates the rapid effects of estrogen and aldosterone. Recent studies have identified that GPER activation regulates both blood pressure. We have shown that regulation of GPER function via expression of a hypofunctional GPER genetic variant is an important determinant of blood pressure and risk of hypertension in women. Further, our most recent studies have identified that GPER activation is an important regulator of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor metabolism and that expression of the hypofunctional GPER genetic variant is an important contributor to the development of hypercholesterolemia in women. GPER appears to be an important determinant of the two major risk factors for coronary artery disease-blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. Further, the importance of this mechanism appears to be greater in women. Thus, the appreciation of the role of GPER function as a determinant of the progression of atherosclerotic disease may be important both in our understanding of cardiometabolic function but also in opening the way to greater appreciation of the sex-specific regulation of atherosclerotic risk factors.
A Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cell for Powering a Single-Hop Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Zhang Daxing , Zhu Yingmin , Pedrycz Witold , Guo Yongxian
Published: May 2016

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are envisioned as one of the most promising alternative renewable energy sources because they can generate electric current continuously while treating waste. Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cells (TMFCs) can be inoculated and work on the use of soil, which further extends the application areas of MFCs. Energy supply, as a primary influential factor determining the lifetime of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes, remains an open challenge in sensor networks. In theory, sensor nodes powered by MFCs have an eternal life. However, low power density and high internal resistance of MFCs are two pronounced problems in their operation. A single-hop WSN powered by a TMFC experimental setup was designed and experimented with. Power generation performance of the proposed TMFC, the relationships between the performance of the power generation and the environment temperature, the water content of the soil by weight were measured by experiments. Results show that the TMFC can achieve good power generation performance under special environmental conditions. Furthermore, the experiments with sensor data acquisition and wireless transmission of the TMFC powering WSN were carried out. We demonstrate that the obtained experimental results validate the feasibility of TMFCs powering WSNs.
Common Roadblocks for Biomaterials Metrologists
Authors: Wininger Michael
Published: May 2016

In this issue, Naylor et al. [1] report on the surface topography of prosthetic phalanges, important research that is increasingly vital to researchers and clinicians alike.[...]
Molecular Dynamics Study of Self-Assembly of Aqueous Solutions of Poly[9,9-bis(4-Sulfonylbutoxyphenylphenyl) Fluorene-2,7-diyl-2,2’-Bithiophene] (PBS-PF2T) in the Presence of Pentaethylene Glycol Monododecyl Ether (C12E5)
Authors: Stewart Beverly , Burrows Hugh
Published: May 2016

Results are presented using molecular dynamics (MD) of the self-assembly of the conjugated polyelectrolyte poly[9,9-bis(4-sulfonylbutoxyphenylphenyl) fluorene-2,7-diyl-2,2’-bithiophene] (PBS-PF2T) with 680 mM pentaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E5) in water. Simulations are used to examine the interaction between PBS-PF2T and C12E5 and suggest a break-up of PBS-PF2T aggregates in solution. These systems are dominated by the formation of cylindrical phases at temperatures between 0 °C and 20 °C and also between 45 °C and 90 °C. More diffuse phases are seen to occur between 20 °C and 45 °C and also above 90 °C. Simulations are related to previous computational and experimental studies on PBS-PF2T aggregation in the presence of tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C12E4) in bulk and thin films.
Nanoparticles for Control of Biofilms of Acinetobacter Species
Authors: Singh Richa , Nadhe Shradhda , Wadhwani Sweety , Shedbalkar Utkarsha , Chopade Balu
Published: May 2016

Biofilms are the cause of 80% of microbial infections. Acinetobacter species have emerged as multi- and pan-drug-resistant bacteria and pose a great threat to human health. These act as nosocomial pathogens and form excellent biofilms, both on biotic and abiotic surfaces, leading to severe infections and diseases. Various methods have been developed for treatment and control of Acinetobacter biofilm including photodynamic therapy, radioimmunotherapy, prophylactic vaccines and antimicrobial peptides. Nanotechnology, in the present scenario, offers a promising alternative. Nanomaterials possess unique properties, and multiple bactericidal mechanisms render them more effective than conventional drugs. This review intends to provide an overview of Acinetobacter biofilm and the significant role of various nanoparticles as anti-biofouling agents, surface-coating materials and drug-delivery vehicles for biofilm control and treatment of Acinetobacter infections.
Streamlined Membrane Proteome Preparation for Shotgun Proteomics Analysis with Triton X-100 Cloud Point Extraction and Nanodiamond Solid Phase Extraction
Authors: Pham Minh , Wen Ting-Chun , Li Hung-Cheng , Hsieh Pei-Hsuan , Chen Yet-Ran , Chang Huan-Cheng , Han Chau-Chung
Published: May 2016

While mass spectrometry (MS) plays a key role in proteomics research, characterization of membrane proteins (MP) by MS has been a challenging task because of the presence of a host of interfering chemicals in the hydrophobic protein extraction process, and the low protease digestion efficiency. We report a sample preparation protocol, two-phase separation with Triton X-100, induced by NaCl, with coomassie blue added for visualizing the detergent-rich phase, which streamlines MP preparation for SDS-PAGE analysis of intact MP and shot-gun proteomic analyses. MP solubilized in the detergent-rich milieu were then sequentially extracted and fractionated by surface-oxidized nanodiamond (ND) at three pHs. The high MP affinity of ND enabled extensive washes for removal of salts, detergents, lipids, and other impurities to ensure uncompromised ensuing purposes, notably enhanced proteolytic digestion and down-stream mass spectrometric (MS) analyses. Starting with a typical membranous cellular lysate fraction harvested with centrifugation/ultracentrifugation, MP purities of 70%, based on number (not weight) of proteins identified by MS, was achieved; the weight-based purity can be expected to be much higher.
Stromal Activation by Tumor Cells: An in Vitro Study in Breast Cancer
Authors: Merlino Giuseppe , Miodini Patrizia , Paolini Biagio , Carcangiu Maria , Gennaro Massimiliano , Dugo Matteo , Daidone Maria , Cappelletti Vera
Published: May 2016

Background: The tumor microenvironment participates in the regulation of tumor progression and influences treatment sensitivity. In breast cancer, it also may play a role in determining the fate of non-invasive lesions such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-obligate precursor of invasive diseases, which is aggressively treated despite its indolent nature in many patients since no biomarkers are available to predict the progression of DCIS to invasive disease. In vitro models of stromal activation by breast tumor cells might provide clues as to specific stromal genes crucial for the transition from DCIS to invasive disease. Methods: normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) were treated under serum-free conditions with cell culture media conditioned by breast cancer cell lines (SkBr3, MDA-MB-468, T47D) for 72 h and subjected to gene expression profiling with Illumina platform. Results: TGM2, coding for a tissue transglutaminase, was identified as candidate gene for stromal activation. In public transcriptomic datasets of invasive breast tumors TGM2 expression proved to provide prognostic information. Conversely, its role as an early biosensor of tumor invasiveness needs to be further investigated by in situ analyses. Conclusion: Stromal TGM2 might probably be associated with precancerous evolution at earlier stages compared to DCIS.
Developing an Absorption–Based Quality Control Method for Hu–Gan–Kang–Yuan Capsules by UFLC–QTOF–MS/MS Screening and HPLC–DAD Quantitative Determination
Authors: Wei Fenghuan , Chen Minting , Luo Chaohua , Chen Feilong , Shen Qun , Mo Zhixian
Published: May 2016

Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparations (TCMPs) contain massive numbers of ingredients responsible for their multiple efficacies. An absorption–based quality control method for complicated TCMPs using Hu–gan–kang–yuan Capsule (HGKYC) as an example was developed. To select proper chemical markers for quality control of HGKYC, an ultra–fast liquid chromatography (UFLC) coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time–off light mass spectrometry (UFLC–QTOF–MS/MS) method was used for the rapid separation and structural identification of the constituents in the HGKYC extract and the rat serum after oral administration of HGKYC. As a result, one hundred and seven prototype constituents including flavonoids, organic acid, phenylpropanoids, anthraquinones, saponins, alkaloids, terpenes, phenols and amino acids in HGKYC extract, and 43 compounds found in rat serum after oral administration of HGKYC were unambiguously identified or tentatively characterized by comparing retention times and MS information with those of authentic standards or available literature references. Finally, a simple, low–cost and effective method of simultaneous determination for baicalein, wogonin, paeonol and emodin in HGKYC was developed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector. In conclusion, an absorption–based quality control pattern was developed and successfully used for evaluating HGKYC.
Self-Locking Avoidance and Stiffness Compensation of a Three-Axis Micromachined Electrostatically Suspended Accelerometer
Authors: Yin Yonggang , Sun Boqian , Han Fengtian
Published: May 2016

A micromachined electrostatically-suspended accelerometer (MESA) is a kind of three-axis inertial sensor based on fully-contactless electrostatic suspension of the proof mass (PM). It has the potential to offer broad bandwidth, high sensitivity, wide dynamic range and, thus, would be perfectly suited for land seismic acquisition. Previous experiments showed that it is hard to lift up the PM successfully during initial levitation as the mass needs to be levitated simultaneously in all six degrees of freedom (DoFs). By analyzing the coupling electrostatic forces and torques between three lateral axes, it is found there exists a self-locking zone due to the cross-axis coupling effect. To minimize the cross-axis coupling and solve the initial levitation problem, this paper proposes an effective control scheme by delaying the operation of one lateral actuator. The experimental result demonstrates that the PM can be levitated up with six-DoF suspension operation at any initial position. We also propose a feed-forward compensation approach to minimize the negative stiffness effect inherent in electrostatic suspension. The experiment results demonstrate that a more broadband linear amplitude-frequency response and higher suspension stiffness can be achieved, which is crucial to maintain high vector fidelity for potential use as a three-component MEMS geophone. The preliminary performance tests of the three-axis linear accelerometer were conducted under normal atmospheric pressure and room temperature. The main results and noise analysis are presented. It is shown that vacuum packaging of the MEMS sensor is essential to extend the bandwidth and lower the noise floor, especially for low-noise seismic data acquisition.
Travel Mode Detection with Varying Smartphone Data Collection Frequencies
Authors: Shafique Muhammad , Hato Eiji
Published: May 2016

Smartphones are becoming increasingly popular day-by-day. Modern smartphones are more than just calling devices. They incorporate a number of high-end sensors that provide many new dimensions to smartphone experience. The use of smartphones, however, can be extended from the usual telecommunication field to applications in other specialized fields including transportation. Sensors embedded in the smartphones like GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope can collect data passively, which in turn can be processed to infer the travel mode of the smartphone user. This will solve most of the shortcomings associated with conventional travel survey methods including biased response, no response, erroneous time recording, etc. The current study uses the sensors’ data collected by smartphones to extract nine features for classification. Variables including data frequency, moving window size and proportion of data to be used for training, are dealt with to achieve better results. Random forest is used to classify the smartphone data among six modes. An overall accuracy of 99.96% is achieved, with no mode less than 99.8% for data collected at 10 Hz frequency. The accuracy is observed to decrease with decrease in data frequency, but at the same time the computation time also decreases.
Matrix Completion Optimization for Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks for Intelligent IoT
Authors: Nguyen Thu , Shin Yoan
Published: May 2016

Localization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is one of the primary functions of the intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) that offers automatically discoverable services, while the localization accuracy is a key issue to evaluate the quality of those services. In this paper, we develop a framework to solve the Euclidean distance matrix completion problem, which is an important technical problem for distance-based localization in WSNs. The sensor network localization problem is described as a low-rank dimensional Euclidean distance completion problem with known nodes. The task is to find the sensor locations through recovery of missing entries of a squared distance matrix when the dimension of the data is small compared to the number of data points. We solve a relaxation optimization problem using a modification of Newton’s method, where the cost function depends on the squared distance matrix. The solution obtained in our scheme achieves a lower complexity and can perform better if we use it as an initial guess for an interactive local search of other higher precision localization scheme. Simulation results show the effectiveness of our approach.
Synthesis of Household Yard Area Dynamics in the City of San Juan Using Multi-Scalar Social-Ecological Perspectives
Authors: Meléndez-Ackerman Elvia , Nytch Christopher , Santiago-Acevedo Luis , Verdejo-Ortiz Julio , Santiago-Bartolomei Raúl , Ramos-Santiago Luis , Muñoz-Erickson Tischa
Published: May 2016

Urban sustainability discourse promotes the increased use of green infrastructure (GI) because of its contribution of important ecosystem services to city dwellers. Under this vision, all urban green spaces, including those at the household scale, are valued for their potential contributions to a city’s social-ecological functioning and associated benefits for human well-being. Understanding how urban residential green spaces have evolved can help improve sustainable urban planning and design, but it requires examining urban processes occurring at multiple scales. The interaction between social structures and ecological structures within the subtropical city of San Juan, the capital and the largest city of Puerto Rico, has been an important focus of study of the San Juan ULTRA (Urban Long-Term Research Area) network, advancing understanding of the city’s vulnerabilities and potential adaptive capacity. Here we provide a synthesis of several social-ecological processes driving residential yard dynamics in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, through the evaluation of empirical findings related to yard management decisions, yard area, and yard services. We emphasize the role of factors occurring at the household scale. Results are discussed within the context of shrinking cities using an integrated, multi-scalar, social-ecological systems framework, and consider the implications of household green infrastructure for advancing urban sustainability theory.
Impacts of Floods on Organic Carbon Concentrations in Alluvial Soils along Hydrological Gradients Using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
Authors: Saint-Laurent Diane , Paradis Roxane , Drouin Ariane , Gervais-Beaulac Vernhar
Published: May 2016

This study examines the spatial distribution of the organic carbon found in alluvial soils affected by successive floods. In flood zones, very little is known of the processes associated with the development of soils subjected to frequent flooding, in particular with respect to the accumulation of litter and organic carbon concentrations. The aim of this study is to better understand the distribution of organic carbon based on various hydrological gradients associated with flood recurrence. A digital elevation model was developed from LIDAR data to assess the microtopography of the site, and further delineate floodplains and no-flood zones. Various soil properties were considered in addition to organic carbon, such as pH, soil bulk density, litter, drainage, and topographic levels (elevation). The results show that the soils in the frequent-flood zones (FFz, recurrence of 0–20 years) have significantly less total organic carbon than the soils in the no-flood zones (NFz) and the moderate flood zones (MFz, 20–100 years). Average values obtained for the surface horizons (0–20 cm) vary by 1.74% ± 0.85% (FFz), 3.34% ± 1.09% (MFz) and 3.54% ± 1.77% (NFz), respectively. The absence of ground litter in the frequent flood zones helps decrease the input of organic matter in the surface horizons and progressively results in soil depletion.
Digging for known genetic mutations underlying inherited bone and cartilage characteristics and disorders in the dog and cat
Authors: Haase Bianca , Mazrier Hamutal , Wade Claire
Published: May 2016

Gene mapping projects for many traits in both dogs and cats have yielded new knowledge. Both researchers and the public alike have been fascinated by the inheritance of breed characteristic phenotypes and sporadic disorders. It has been proposed that selective breeding practices have on occasion generated alterations in structure that might be harmful. In this review, simply inherited disorders and characteristics affecting bone and cartilage for which a putative mutation is known are collected. A better understanding of the known inherited basis of skeletal conditions and disorders will assist veterinarians to improve their diagnoses and increase their effectiveness on advising clients on the prevention, management, prognosis and possible treatment of the conditions.
ESTIMATING STRENGTH OF RUBBERIZED CONCRETE USING EVOLUTIONARY MULTIVARIATE ADAPTIVE REGRESSION SPLINES
Authors: CHENG Min-Yuan , CAO Minh-Tu
Published: May 2016

This study proposes an artificial intelligence (AI) model to predict the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of rubberized concrete. This Evolutionary Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (EMARS) model is a hybrid of the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) within which MARS addresses learning and curve fitting and ABC implements optimization to determine the fittest parameter settings with minimal prediction error. K-fold cross validation was utilized to compare EMARS performance against four other benchmark data mining techniques including MARS, Back-propagation Neural Network (BPNN), Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN), and Genetic Programming (GP). Comparison results showed EMARS to be the best model for predicting rubberized concrete strength and study results demonstrated EMARS as a reliable tool for civil engineers in the concrete construction industry.
HIGH STAR FORMATION RATES IN TURBULENT ATOMIC-DOMINATED GAS IN THE INTERACTING GALAXIES IC 2163 AND NGC 2207
Authors: Elmegreen Bruce G. , Kaufman Michele , Bournaud Frédéric , Elmegreen Debra Meloy , Struck Curtis , Brinks Elias , Juneau Stéphanie
Published: May 2016

CO observations of the interacting galaxies IC 2163 and NGC 2207 are combined with HI, Hα, and 24 μm observations to study the star formation rate (SFR) surface density as a function of the gas surface density. More than half of the high-SFR regions are HI dominated. When compared to other galaxies, these HI-dominated regions have excess SFRs relative to their molecular gas surface densities but normal SFRs relative to their total gas surface densities. The HI-dominated regions are mostly located in the outer part of NGC 2207 where the HI velocity dispersion is high, 40–50 km s−1. We suggest that the star-forming clouds in these regions have envelopes at lower densities than normal, making them predominantly atomic, and cores at higher densities than normal because of the high turbulent Mach numbers. This is consistent with theoretical predictions of a flattening in the density probability distribution function for compressive, high Mach number turbulence.
Is there still a role for abdominal plain X-ray in acute abdomen?
Authors: Paolillo Ciro , Spallino Ilenia , Cervellin Gianfranco , Catena Fausto
Published: May 2016

The imaging workup of patients with acute abdominal pain still starts with abdominal X-ray in several clinical settings and facilities. Unfortunately, conventional plain film is of limited utility if performed as a routine investigation. Abdominal radiography is valuable only in patients with suspected perforated viscus and large bowel obstruction. Ultrasound is mostly valuable in the vast majority of abdominal pain presentations, whereas computed tomography scan should be considered as second level test.
Defining criteria to choose appropriate destination hospital for trauma patients: Piacenza Local Health Authority’s Piacenza trauma algorithm protocol
Authors: Mozzarelli Fabio , Nani Stefano , Rossi Enrica , Pizzamiglio Mario
Published: May 2016

Ambulance crew’s choosing of appropriate destination hospital for trauma patients can affect survival and morbidity outcomes. Aim of the present study is to devise a decision-making algorithm in order to allow the best choice of destination hospital for trauma patients and to apply it on an electronic device able to facilitate the decision made by ambulance staff. The method used was analysis of literature data, context and workload with a retrospective observational study. A comparison between the destination hospitals actually chosen and those that could have been chosen with the Piacenza trauma algorithm has been applied. The data shows a 9.5% (P>0.10) more advantageous change in appropriateness in the choice of medical facility and a 1.4% increase in admissions to the Emergency Department of the provincial hospital. The creation and use of a medical protocol and its consequent installation on an electronic device (tablet) that can be shared over a computer platform could help medical staff make appropriate pre-hospital choices as regards the destination hospital for trauma patients.
Cerebral sinus venous thrombosis in traumatic brain injury
Authors: Mueller-Hoecker Christina , Pietsch Urs
Published: May 2016

A 36-year-old, healthy man was admitted to the emergency department with a traumatic brain injury with an injury severity score of 25 points. The head computed tomography revealed a subarachnoidal, epidural hemorrhage as well as a fracture of the occipital calotte. Intracranial pressure (ICP) management was installed according to the LUND concept. In the following scan an angiography revealed a thrombosis of the sinus sigmoideus and transversus. Located next to the fractured skull, the thrombosis was highly likely traumatic, caused by the head trauma. As there was only a little congestion of the blood flow, no lysis or thrombectomy was performed. To lower ICP, a craniectomy was performed. After seven days, mechanical ventilation was terminated. Four days later the patient was already stable enough to be discharged from the surgical itensive care unit.