bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomic diversity of Sri Lankan New Improved Rice Varieties revealed by AFLP markers
Authors: Rajkumar Gowri , Weerasena Jagathpriya , Silva Rangika , Fernando Kumudu
Published: March 2016

Genetic relationships among 28 new improved rice varieties were established using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Cultivars were analyzed with 10 EcoR1 and MseI primer combinations. A total of 517 fluorescent AFLP markers were generated and analyzed. Of these 480 fragments were polymorphic (92.84%) and 37 (7.16%) fragments were monomorphic. The Jaccard’s similarity indices (J) based on the AFLP profiles of the 28 varieties were computed and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) based dendrogram was constructed. The dendrogram separated varieties into three major clusters. Outliers used in the study were uniquely separated from the rest confirming the reliability of data and analysis. The Cophenetic correlation with 0.862 strongly supported the clustering pattern of UPGMA dendrogram. Principal Coordinate analysis and the unrooted tree also confirmed the clustering pattern of the UPGMA dendrogram. Rice varieties in the same cluster showed similar characteristic features (Eg. Grain colour, life span etc). Therefore this genetic diversity data at molecular level will provide detailed estimates of the genetic variation among Sri Lankan new improved rice varieties and also useful in ex situ and in situ genetic conservation, utilization and exchange of genetic material. Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 32-38
In Silico Approach of Structure Prediction and Functional Characterization of Zaire Ebola (Ebov) and Identification of Binding Site for Drug Development
Authors: Islam Md.Jahirul , Fatema Kaniz , Biswas Pipasha
Published: March 2016

Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) is one of the dangerous and a negative-stranded ssRNA virus. EBOV is a zoonotic pathogen that causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans. Nowadays epidemic outbreak caused by EBOV is incurable with present technologies; thus figure out as a major health risk which needs enhanced surveillance. The study was conducted with seven proteins of Zaire ebola (EBOV) and gene sequences are available in NCBI database. The homology modeling was done by SWISS-MODEL, Phyre2 and HHpred. The obtained model was verified with structure validation programs such as PROCHECK, Verify3D and ERRAT. PROCHECK analysis of seven proteins showed that 85-96.6% of the residues are in the most favored region, the verify 3D value of 80-100% indicates that constructed model is good and ERRAT value of 87.442-100% indicates that overall good quality factor. In this study, we also reported phylogenic relationship, physico-chemical characteristics, secondary structure,3-D structure. Moreover, active sites were identified by CASTp suggests that these proteins can be utilized as a potential drug target. Furthermore, the initial findings were reinforced by the results from I-Mutant and mCSM as these tools predicted significant and functional instability of the mutated vp35 protein.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 92-103
In Vitro Screening of Stem Explants of In Situ Uv-B Irradiated Cowpea Varieties for Germplasm Storage
Authors: Rajendiran K , Gowsalya L , Sudha J Sudaroli
Published: March 2016

Even though seeds form the natural progenies of all sexually reproducing plants, change in climate makes it mandatory to device in vitro methods for selecting germplasm for conservation and regeneration. An experiment was conducted to induct callus in stem explants (nodal region from third node from top of canopy) harvested on 30 days after seed germination from in situ control and supplementary ultraviolet-B irradiated (UV-B = 2 hours daily @ 12.2 kJ m-2 d-1; ambient = 10 kJ m-2 d-1) three varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) viz. Gowmathi, Fola and NS-634 to assess their response to in vitro culture. Axillary bud initiation occurred only from GOWMATHI control stem explants, while callus induction occurred in GOWMATHI and FOLA control stem explants. Stem explants harvested from all the three UV-B stressed cowpea varieties did not proliferate callus. The nodal stem explants of the three varieties of cowpea are not the suitable materials for germplasm preservation for growing in UV-B elevated climate.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 44-52
Farmers Perception on Effect of Pesticide on Insect Pollinators at Padampur and Jutpani Vdcs, Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Pudasaini R. , Thapa R. B. , Tiwari S.
Published: March 2016

A survey was conducted to know the farmers perception on the effect of chemical pesticide on insect pollinators at Jutpani andPadampur VDCs, Chitwan, Nepal in 2013. Thirty households were randomly selected and semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect necessary information by face-to-face interview. Majority of the farmers (60%)applied pesticides on crops during mid day. Half of the farmers (50.00%) rankedpopulation decline as effect of pesticide on pollinators, some farmers (16.67%) also observed dead pollinators in field and hives, affecting their distribution (13.33%) and repelling them from field as mentioned by the respondents (13.33%). Majority of respondents (56.67%) perceived that misuse and overuse of chemical pesticide was the major cause of declining insect pollinators, among other causes, 16.67% farmers replied deforestation, 10.00% environmental pollution and 6.67% less cultivated area responsible for the decline. Very few farmers (6.67%) could realise the incidence of disease on pollinator due to pesticidal effects.  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 64-66
In Vitro Callus Proliferation from Leaf Explants of Green Gram after In Situ UV-B Exposure
Authors: Rajendiran K , Vidya S , Arulmozhi D
Published: March 2016

Callus induction was tried with leaf explants (third leaf from top of canopy) harvested from in situ control and supplementary UV-B irradiated (UV-B = 2 hours daily @ 12.2 kJ m-2 d-1; ambient = 10 kJ m-2 d-1) three varieties of green gram viz. CO-8, NVL-585 and VAMBAN-2 to study their viability for germplam conservation. Callus induction occurred both in control and UV-B stressed NVL-585 leaf explants. VAMBAN-2 both in unstressed and UV-B stressed conditions did not initiate callus. Only control leaf explants from CO-8 proliferated callus. Callus of UV-B irradiated NVL-585 weighed less (51.28 %) than control. Parenchyma cells were smaller in callus inducted from in situ UV-B exposed NVL-585 leaf explants. The leaf explants from UV-B stressed NVL-585 varieties of green gram responded to in vitro callus proliferation making them fit for germplasm conservation for cultivating in UV-B elevated environment.Int J ApplSci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 82-91
Evolving Stem Cells Research in Vision Restoration: A Reality Check!
Authors: Singh Vivek
Published: March 2016

No abstract
Lawsonia Inermis Linn: A Plant with Cosmetic and Medical Benefits
Authors: Sharma Ritesh Kumar , Goel Anjana , Bhatia A. K.
Published: March 2016

Plants play a major role on the earth and human beings depend on plants because of their medicinal properties. About 80% of the world population using plants as a medicinal drugs because plants have no side effects and show synergistic effect unlike modern medicine. In the present study, review and authentication of the various aspects of the plant Lawsonia inermis was carried out. This plant is mainly present in subtropical and tropical areas and is used in all over the world. The common name of L. inermis is Henna and Mehndi. It has been used for over 9000 years for their cosmetic values as a dye. Traditionally, in Asian countries like India and Pakistan, plant leaves are applied to hands, hairs and feet. Morphologically the plant is a small tree or shrub. L. inermis is cultivated for roots, flowers, stem bark and seeds for their medicinal uses. Proteins, carbohydrates and fatty acid are primary metabolites along with secondary metabolite such as tannins, quinines, terpenoids, coumarins etc which are present in L. inermis plant. Phytochemical constituents of L. inermis are responsible for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and hypoglycaemic properties. The plant has also been reported for antibacterial, antifungal, immunostimulatory, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity. Presence of these properties in L. inermis plant develops it as medicine against various pathogenic organism and diseases. This review gives a wide view on the phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and traditional uses of the plant.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 15-20
Understanding significance and p-values
Authors: Bangdiwala Shrikant I
Published: March 2016

Correction 7th May 2016: p.523, Column 1, second paragraph, line 10 - 'the quantiles at the extremes - say 5%, 1%, which were useful' was changed TO 'the quantiles at the extremes - say 10%, 5%, 2%, and 1%, which were useful'.p.523, Column 2, second paragraph, line 3 - 'this is misconstrued with 'statistical significance' changed TO 'mistaken with 'statistical significance'.Since the p-value is a single index, following the ASA’s statement, we strongly support that it cannot and should not be considered as the sole basis for scientific reasoning. Given the misuses and misconceptions concerning p-values, the recommendation is to present the estimate of the effect, provide a measure of uncertainty of the estimation (e.g. confidence interval), and interpret the results in terms of scientific importance.
Application of a fuzzy expert system for failure load estimation of two serial pinned or bolted sandwich composite plates
Authors: Sen Faruk , Ballı Serkan
Published: March 2016

The present paper reports about the application of fuzzy expert system for estimating failure loads of two serial pinned/bolted sandwich composite plates. Considered composite material for present application was produced by a glass fiber reinforced layer and aluminum sheets to create sandwich structures. Briefly outlines, the experimental data of a previous study were related to different geometrical boundary conditions and also numerous preload moments as 0 (pinned), 2, 3, 4 and 5 (bolted) Nm. Anyway, both a fuzzy expert system and a regression analysis were applied depending on mentioned geometrical parameters and pinned/bolted joint arrangements in this work. Obtained results point out that the fuzzy expert system was more suitable than regression analysis method for modeling and estimation of analyzed sandwich composite. Achievements of the fuzzy expert system and the regression analysis methods were considered in terms of error ratios and mean absolute deviations.
Bus Financing in Urban Transport Projects in Mexico: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: López Dodero Abel , Hoyos Guerrero Alejandro , Targa Rodriguez Felipe , López Heras Antonio
Published: March 2016

There is great potential for improving the financial sustainability of urban transport projects by rethinking how to structure projects in Mexico. In recent years, several Mexican cities have experienced a notable improvement in their urban transport services. However, as old structures are replaced by new schemes, new challenges arise. One of these challenges is discussed: how to improve bus financing in urban transport projects in Mexico. These projects are experiencing financial problems because the cost of formalization and the large investments required for service provision are placing pressure on tariff levels. Solutions range from local tax exemptions to direct government interventions (equity for the acquisition of buses) with a cost to local and state financing. However, these solutions do not take into account project structuring in terms of risk allocation. In Mexico, service providers are responsible for the acquisition of buses even if they have insufficient access to financing, and project structures do not enable off-balance-sheet financing. Therefore, private agents with weak creditworthiness have to bear high financial costs and risk both their own financial sustainability and that of the project. This situation is mainly the result of commercial, political, and regulatory risks. The public authority is in a better position to manage some of these risks. Reallocating these risks would boost market interest and competition and enable a more efficient investment of public resources. In this way, project structures would get closer to a project finance scheme that would lower financing costs by better aligning incentives and reallocating risks among stakeholders.
Market and Institutional Characteristics of Passenger Van Services in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Chalermpong Saksith , Ratanawaraha Apiwat , Sucharitkul Suradet
Published: March 2016

The market and institutional characteristics of passenger van services in Bangkok, Thailand, are examined. Empirical evidence from the field survey, which included route and ownership types and cost structures, is presented first. Then regulatory and institutional issues in the van services are discussed, with particular attention to the dominant roles of route associations. It was found that passenger vans provide indispensable services to travelers in Bangkok, in terms of both point-to-point services between residential areas and commercial centers and feeder services connecting areas underserved by public transport to rail transit systems. Starting as informal services, passenger vans in Bangkok have become legalized over the years. With constantly growing demand and supply restriction by excessive regulations, the licenses for legal operation have become prohibitively expensive. Together with lax regulatory enforcement and prevalent corruption, there is a proliferation of unregistered vans that compete directly against registered vans. The conclusion contains policy recommendations.
Waiting Endurance Time of Pedestrians Crossing at Signalized Intersections in Beijing
Authors: Zhang Zhiyong , Wang Dong , Liu Ting , Liu Yunxia
Published: March 2016

Pedestrians are important participants at signalized intersections. Currently, the planning and design of signalized intersections give priority to the efficiency of vehicle movement. To ensure the efficient movement of vehicles, many pedestrian crossing environments have been destroyed in Beijing. The phrase “Chinese style of crossing the road” is a form of ridiculing some Chinese pedestrians who may cross the street during the red light if there are enough people crossing; it has nothing to do with traffic lights. According to the characteristics of the current traffic in Beijing, the focus of this study was on the pedestrians who arrived at the waiting area for the signalized intersection crosswalk during the red signal phase. Both a video survey and a manual survey were used to obtain base data for the waiting endurance time of pedestrians crossing in Beijing under different influence factors, and 9,554 samples of endurance time were collected. A Cox’s proportional hazards regression model of pedestrian waiting endurance time was built. The results show that the ideal endurance time is 18.7 s, and the limit to waiting endurance time is 52.8 s. The waiting endurance time is affected by temperature, gender, age, travel time, and red signal timing, but the influence of land use is not significant
Biodegradation of Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine in Solution and Soil by Bacteria Isolated from Activated Sludge
Authors: Liao Qili , Feng Changgen , Wang Li
Published: March 2016

The biodegradation effect and pathway of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), which is a major rocket propellant with highly toxic properties, with two strains isolated from the acclimated activated sludge were investigated in solution and in soil. The results demonstrated that Stenotrophomonas sp. M12 (M12) was able to degrade UDMH of 50 mg·L−1 as the sole carbon source in aqueous mineral salt medium (MSM), but could not degrade UDMH in soil. Comamonas sp. P4 (P4) barely degraded UDMH of 50 mg·L−1 as the sole carbon source in aqueous MSM, but the degrading capacity of P4 could be improved by the addition of an extra carbon source. Meanwhile, P4 was able to degrade UDMH of 100–600 mg·kg−1 in the soil. The degradation of UDMH in the soil was influenced by organic matter, autochthonous microorganisms, and metal ions. UDMH could inhibit metabolism of M12 and P4, and the inhibition influence was more severe in aqueous MSM than in soil. Oxygen content was important for M12 biodegrading UDMH, and co-metabolism helped P4 to self-detoxify and self-recover. The main intermediates of UDMH were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) qualitative analysis, and the concentrations of UDMH and its important transformation products were determined in solution and soil. According to the determination results, the synchronous degradation theory was proposed, and the degradation pathway was discussed.
The Involvement of Acetaldehyde in Ethanol-Induced Cell Cycle Impairment
Authors: Scheer Marc , Schneider Katrina , Finnigan Rochelle , Maloney Eamon , Wells Mark , Clemens Dahn
Published: March 2016

Background: Hepatocytes metabolize the vast majority of ingested ethanol. This metabolic activity results in hepatic toxicity and impairs the ability of hepatocytes to replicate. Previous work by our group has shown that ethanol metabolism results in a G2/M cell cycle arrest. The intent of these studies was to discern the roles of acetaldehyde and reactive oxygen, two of the major by-products of ethanol metabolism, in the G2/M cell cycle arrest. Methods: To investigate the role of ethanol metabolites in the cell cycle arrest, VA-13 and VL-17A cells were used. These are recombinant Hep G2 cells that express alcohol dehydrogenase or alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome P450 2E1, respectively. Cells were cultured with or without ethanol, lacking or containing the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or trolox, for three days. Cellular accumulation was monitored by the DNA content of the cultures. The accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase, Cdc2 in the inactive phosphorylated form (p-Cdc2) and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 were determined by immunoblot analysis. Results: Cultures maintained in the presence of ethanol demonstrated a G2/M cell cycle arrest that was associated with a reduction in DNA content and increased levels of p-Cdc2 and p21, compared with cells cultured in its absence. Inclusion of antioxidants in the ethanol containing media was unable to rescue the cells from the cell cycle arrest or these ethanol metabolism-mediated effects. Additionally, culturing the cells in the presence of acetaldehyde alone resulted in increased levels of p-Cdc2 and p21. Conclusions: Acetaldehyde produced during ethanol oxidation has a major role in the ethanol metabolism-mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest, and the concurrent accumulation of p21 and p-Cdc2. Although reactive oxygen species are thought to have a significant role in ethanol-induced hepatocellular damage, they may have a less important role in the inability of hepatocytes to replace dead or damaged cells.
A Comparative Study of Corrosion Resistance for HVAF-Sprayed Fe- and Co-Based Coatings
Authors: Sadeghimeresht Esmaeil , Markocsan Nicolaie , Nylén Per
Published: March 2016

There is an increasing demand to replace Co-based coatings with cheap and environmentally friendly Fe-based coatings in corrosive environments. The main objective of this work was to evaluate whether Fe-based coatings could present a better corrosion performance than Co-based coatings. Therefore, two types of Fe-based and one type of Co-based coatings with chemical compositions (in wt %) of Fe-28Cr-16Ni-1.85C (FeNiCrC), Fe-17Cr-12Ni (FeNiCr), and Co-28Cr-1C (CoCrC) were produced by High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) spraying. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was studied comparatively by electrochemical tests in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution at 25 °C. The polarization test results showed that the FeCrNiC coating protected the underlying substrate better than the CoCrC coating, while the FeCrNi coating failed to hinder the penetration of corrosive ions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements revealed that the solution penetrated into the coating through defects, however the corrosion process slowed down due to clogging of the interconnected defects by corrosion products. Increasing the in-flight average particle temperature from 1400 °C to 1500 °C led to a denser coating with fewer defects which seemed to improve the corrosion resistance of the FeCrNiC coating. The high-alloyed Fe-based coatings had the best corrosion protection performance and can thus be recommended as a potential alternative to Co-based coatings.
Very Strong Parallel Interactions Between Two Saturated Acyclic Groups Closed with Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds Forming Hydrogen-Bridged Rings
Authors: Blagojević Jelena , Janjić Goran , Zarić Snežana
Published: March 2016

Saturated acyclic four-atom groups closed with a classic intramolecular hydrogen bond, generating planar five-membered rings (hydrogen-bridged quasi-rings), in which at least one of the ring atoms is bonded to other non-ring atoms that are not in the ring plane and, thus, capable to form intermolecular interactions, were studied in this work, in order to find the preferred mutual positions of these species in crystals and evaluate strength of intermolecular interactions. We studied parallel interactions of these rings by analysing crystal structures in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and by quantum chemical calculations. The rings can have one hydrogen atom out of the ring plane that can form hydrogen bonds between two parallel rings. Hence, in these systems with parallel rings, two types of hydrogen bonds can be present, one in the ring, and the other one between two parallel rings. The CSD search showed that 27% of the rings in the crystal structures form parallel interactions. The calculations at very accurate CCSD(T)/CBS level revealed strong interactions, in model systems of thiosemicarbazide, semicarbazide and glycolamide dimers the energies are −9.68, −7.12 and −4.25 kcal/mol. The hydrogen bonds between rings, as well as dispersion interactions contribute to the strong interaction energies.
Potential Influence of Aspirin on Neopterin and Tryptophan Levels in Patients with a Delirium
Authors: Egberts Angelique , Fekkes Durk , Ziere Gijsbertus , Van der Cammen Tischa , Mattace-Raso Francesco
Published: March 2016

In an in vitro study, it was found that aspirin might decrease neopterin production and tryptophan degradation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible association between aspirin use and mean neopterin and tryptophan levels in patients with and without a delirium and whether the use of aspirin is associated with a decreased prevalence of delirium. Neopterin and tryptophan levels were determined previously in acutely ill admitted patients aged ≥65 years. The possible influence of aspirin on mean levels of neopterin and tryptophan was investigated with univariate analysis of variance in adjusted models. Eighty-three patients were included; 22 had a delirium. In patients without a delirium (no aspirin (n = 31) versus aspirin (n = 27)), mean neopterin levels were 47.0 nmol/L versus 43.6 nmol/L (p = 0.645) and tryptophan levels were 33.1 µmol/L versus 33.9 µmol/L (p = 0.816). In patients with a delirium (no aspirin (n = 13) versus aspirin (n = 9)), mean neopterin levels were 77.8 nmol/L versus 71.1 nmol/L (p = 0.779) and tryptophan levels were 22.4 µmol/L versus 27.3 µmol/L (p = 0.439). No difference was found in the distribution of aspirin users between patients with and without a delirium. In this study, we found that the use of aspirin had no significant effect on mean levels of neopterin and tryptophan. However, the raw data suggest that there might be a potential influence in patients with a delirium. Aspirin use was not associated with a decreased prevalence of delirium.
Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis of 5-HT7 Receptor Antagonists: Piperazin-1-yl Substituted Unfused Heterobiaryls
Authors: Strekowski Lucjan , Sączewski Jarosław , Raux Elizabeth , Fernando Nilmi , Klenc Jeff , Paranjpe Shirish , Raszkiewicz Aldona , Blake Ava , Ehalt Adam , Barnes Samuel , Baranowski Timothy , Sullivan Shannon , Satała Grzegorz , Bojarski Andrzej
Published: March 2016

A series of piperazin-1-yl substituted unfused heterobiaryls was synthesized as ligands of the 5-HT7 receptors. The goal of this project was to elucidate the structural features that affect the 5-HT7 binding affinity of this class of compounds represented by the model ligand 4-(3-furyl)-2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)pyrimidine (2). The SAR studies included systematical structural changes of the pyrimidine core moiety in 2 to quinazoline, pyridine and benzene, changes of the 3-furyl group to other heteroaryl substituents, the presence of various analogs of the 4-methylpiperazin-1-yl group, as well as additional substitutions at positions 5 and 6 of the pyrimidine. Substitution of position 6 of the pyrimidine in the model ligand with an alkyl group results in a substantial increase of the binding affinity (note a change in position numbers due to the nomenclature rules). It was also demonstrated that 4-(3-furyl) moiety is crucial for the 5-HT7 binding affinity of the substituted pyrimidines, although, the pyrimidine core can be replaced with a pyridine ring without a dramatic loss of the binding affinity. The selected ethylpyrimidine (12) and butylpyrimidine (13) analogs of high 5-HT7 binding affinity showed antagonistic properties in cAMP functional test and varied selectivity profile—compound 12 can be regarded as a dual 5-HT7/5-HT2AR ligand, and 13 as a multi-receptor (5-HT7, 5-HT2A, 5-HT6 and D2) agent.
Dietary Nucleotides Supplementation and Liver Injury in Alcohol-Treated Rats: A Metabolomics Investigation
Authors: Cai Xiaxia , Bao Lei , Wang Nan , Xu Meihong , Mao Ruixue , Li Yong
Published: March 2016

Background: Previous studies suggested that nucleotides were beneficial for liver function, lipid metabolism and so on. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolic response of dietary nucleotides supplementation in alcohol-induced liver injury rats. Methods: Five groups of male Wistar rats were used: normal control group (basal diet, equivalent distilled water), alcohol control group (basal diet, 50% alcohol (v/v)), dextrose control group (basal diet, isocaloric amount of dextrose), and 0.04% and 0.16% nucleotides groups (basal diet supplemented with 0.4 g and 1.6 g nucleotides kg−1 respectively, 50% alcohol (v/v)). The liver injury was measured through traditional liver enzymes, expression of oxidative stress markers and histopathological examination. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was applied to identify liver metabolite profiles. Results: Nucleotides supplementation prevented the progression of hepatocyte steatosis. The levels of total proteins, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol triglyceride, as well as the oxidative stress markers altered by alcohol, were improved by nucleotides supplementation. Elevated levels of liver bile acids (glycocholic acid, chenodeoxyglycocholic acid, and taurodeoxycholic acid), as well as lipids (stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, phosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine) in alcohol-treated rats were reversed by nucleotides supplementation. In addition, supplementation with nucleotides could increase the levels of amino acids, including valyl-Leucine, l-leucine, alanyl-leucine and l-phenylalanine. Conclusion: These data indicate potential biomarkers and confirm the benefit of dietary nucleotides on alcoholic liver injury.
Photophysical Characterization and in Vitro Phototoxicity Evaluation of 5,10,15,20-Tetra(quinolin-2-yl)porphyrin as a Potential Sensitizer for Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Costa Letícia , Silva Joana , Fonseca Sofia , Arranja Cláudia , Urbano Ana , Sobral Abilio
Published: March 2016

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a selective and minimally invasive therapeutic approach, involving the combination of a light-sensitive compound, called a photosensitizer (PS), visible light and molecular oxygen. The interaction of these per se harmless agents results in the production of reactive species. This triggers a series of cellular events that culminate in the selective destruction of cancer cells, inside which the photosensitizer preferentially accumulates. The search for ideal PDT photosensitizers has been a very active field of research, with a special focus on porphyrins and porphyrin-related macrocycle molecules. The present study describes the photophysical characterization and in vitro phototoxicity evaluation of 5,10,15,20-tetra(quinolin-2-yl)porphyrin (2-TQP) as a potential PDT photosensitizer. Molar absorption coefficients were determined from the corresponding absorption spectrum, the fluorescence quantum yield was calculated using 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) as a standard and the quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation was determined by direct phosphorescence measurements. Toxicity evaluations (in the presence and absence of irradiation) were performed against HT29 colorectal adenocarcinoma cancer cells. The results from this preliminary study show that the hydrophobic 2-TQP fulfills several critical requirements for a good PDT photosensitizer, namely a high quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation (Φ∆ 0.62), absence of dark toxicity and significant in vitro phototoxicity for concentrations in the micromolar range.
Ex-Vivo Tissues Engineering Modeling for Reconstructive Surgery Using Human Adult Adipose Stem Cells and Polymeric Nanostructured Matrix
Authors: Morena Francesco , Argentati Chiara , Calzoni Eleonora , Cordellini Marino , Emiliani Carla , D’Angelo Francesco , Martino Sabata
Published: March 2016

The major challenge for stem cell translation regenerative medicine is the regeneration of damaged tissues by creating biological substitutes capable of recapitulating the missing function in the recipient host. Therefore, the current paradigm of tissue engineering strategies is the combination of a selected stem cell type, based on their capability to differentiate toward committed cell lineages, and a biomaterial, that, due to own characteristics (e.g., chemical, electric, mechanical property, nano-topography, and nanostructured molecular components), could serve as active scaffold to generate a bio-hybrid tissue/organ. Thus, effort has been made on the generation of in vitro tissue engineering modeling. Here, we present an in vitro model where human adipose stem cells isolated from lipoaspirate adipose tissue and breast adipose tissue, cultured on polymeric INTEGRA® Meshed Bilayer Wound Matrix (selected based on conventional clinical applications) are evaluated for their potential application for reconstructive surgery toward bone and adipose tissue. We demonstrated that human adipose stem cells isolated from lipoaspirate and breast tissue have similar stemness properties and are suitable for tissue engineering applications. Finally, the overall results highlighted lipoaspirate adipose tissue as a good source for the generation of adult adipose stem cells.
The Role of Clinical Proteomics, Lipidomics, and Genomics in the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Martins Ian
Published: March 2016

The early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has become important to the reversal and treatment of neurodegeneration, which may be relevant to premature brain aging that is associated with chronic disease progression. Clinical proteomics allows the detection of various proteins in fluids such as the urine, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of AD. Interest in lipidomics has accelerated with plasma testing for various lipid biomarkers that may with clinical proteomics provide a more reproducible diagnosis for early brain aging that is connected to other chronic diseases. The combination of proteomics with lipidomics may decrease the biological variability between studies and provide reproducible results that detect a community’s susceptibility to AD. The diagnosis of chronic disease associated with AD that now involves genomics may provide increased sensitivity to avoid inadvertent errors related to plasma versus cerebrospinal fluid testing by proteomics and lipidomics that identify new disease biomarkers in body fluids, cells, and tissues. The diagnosis of AD by various plasma biomarkers with clinical proteomics may now require the involvement of lipidomics and genomics to provide interpretation of proteomic results from various laboratories around the world.
A Comparison of Multiple Datasets for Monitoring Thermal Time in Urban Areas over the U.S. Upper Midwest
Authors: Krehbiel Cole , Henebry Geoffrey
Published: March 2016

Traditional studies of urban climate used air temperature observations from local urban/rural weather stations in order to analyze the general pattern of higher temperatures in urban areas compared with corresponding rural regions, also known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. More recently, satellite remote sensing datasets of land surface temperature have been exploited to monitor UHIs. While closely linked, air temperature and land surface temperature (LST) observations do not measure the same variables. Here we analyze land surface temperature vs. air temperature-based characterization and seasonality of the UHI and the surface UHI (SUHI) from 2003 to 2012 over the Upper Midwest region of the United States using LST from MODIS, and air temperature from the Daymet modeled gridded daily air temperature dataset, and compare both datasets to ground station data from first-order weather stations of the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) located in eleven urban areas spanning our study region. We first convert the temperature data to metrics of nocturnal, diurnal, and daily thermal time and their annual accumulations to draw conclusions on nighttime vs. daytime and seasonal dynamics of the UHI. In general, the MODIS LST-derived results are able to capture urban–rural differences in daytime, nighttime, and daily thermal time while the Daymet air temperature-derived results show very little urban–rural differences in thermal time. Compared to the GHCN ground station air temperature-derived observations, MODIS LST-derived results are closer in terms of urban–rural differences in nighttime thermal time, while the results from Daymet are closer to the observations from GHCN during the daytime. We also found differences in the seasonal dynamics of UHIs measured by air temperature observations and SUHIs measured by LST observations.
Sustainable Optimization for Wastewater Treatment System Using PSF-HS
Authors: Geem Zong , Kim Jin-Hong
Published: March 2016

The sustainability in a river with respect to water quality is critical because it is highly related with environmental pollution, economic expenditure, and public health. This study proposes a sustainability problem of wastewater treatment system for river ecosystem conservation which helps the healthy survival of the aquatic biota and human beings. This study optimizes the design of a wastewater treatment system using the parameter-setting-free harmony search algorithm, which does not require the existing tedious value-setting process for algorithm parameters. The real-scale system has three different options of wastewater treatment, such as filtration, nitrification, and diverted irrigation (fertilization), as well as two existing treatment processes (settling and biological oxidation). The objective of this system design is to minimize life cycle costs, including initial construction costs of those treatment options, while satisfying minimal dissolved oxygen requirements in the river, maximal nitrate-nitrogen concentration in groundwater, and a minimal nitrogen requirement for crop farming. Results show that the proposed technique could successfully find solutions without requiring a tedious setting process.
Research on Investment Efficiency and Policy Recommendations for the Culture Industry of China Based on a Three-Stage DEA
Authors: Zeng Shihong , Hu Mimi , Su Bin
Published: March 2016

The China State Council promulgated the “Culture Industry Promotion Plan” on 26 September 2009, raising the status of the culture industry to that of a strategic industry. This paper applies a three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to investigate the efficiency of investments made in the culture industry in 2011 in China. The results show that the overall efficiency of the culture industry in China is still at a relatively low level. The scale of companies in the culture industry is a key factor restricting development. The external environment has a great influence on this efficiency; the efficiency gap between the eastern, central and western areas is obvious and reflects the degree of the environmental impact on the culture industry in these regions. The western region will experience progress if the environment changes. In contrast, the central and eastern regions will see less progress. This paper proposes the following corresponding policy recommendations based on the analysis. (1) China should focus on expanding the scale of culture industry enterprises. (2) We need to accelerate the market-oriented reform of cultural institutional mechanisms. (3) We should pay attention to the efficiency gap between cultural industries in the eastern, central and western areas. We should use government power to support the development of cultural industries in the western region.
Casorati Inequalities for Submanifolds in a Riemannian Manifold of Quasi-Constant Curvature with a Semi-Symmetric Metric Connection
Authors: Zhang Pan , Zhang Liang
Published: March 2016

By using new algebraic techniques, two Casorati inequalities are established for submanifolds in a Riemannian manifold of quasi-constant curvature with a semi-symmetric metric connection, which generalize inequalities obtained by Lee et al. J. Inequal. Appl. 2014, 2014, 327.
Predictive Uncertainty Estimation of Hydrological Multi-Model Ensembles Using Pair-Copula Construction
Authors: Klein Bastian , Meissner Dennis , Kobialka Hans-Ulrich , Reggiani Paolo
Published: March 2016

Predictive uncertainty (PU) is defined as the probability of occurrence of an observed variable of interest, conditional on all available information. In this context, hydrological model predictions and forecasts are considered to be accessible but yet uncertain information. To estimate the PU of hydrological multi-model ensembles, we apply a method based on the use of copulas which enables modelling the dependency structures between variates independently of their marginal distributions. Given that the option to employ copula functions imposes certain limitations in the multivariate case, we model the multivariate distribution as a cascade of bivariate copulas by using the pair-copula construction. We apply a mixture of probability distributions to estimate the marginal densities and distributions of daily flow rates for various meteorological and hydrological situations. The proposed method is applied to a multi-model ensemble involving two hydrological and one statistical flow models at two gauge stations in the Moselle river basin. Verification and inter-comparison with other PU assessment methods show that copulas are well-suited for this scope and constitute a valid approach for predictive uncertainty estimation of hydrological multi-model predictions.
Network Capacity Assessment and Increase in Systems with Intermittent Water Supply
Authors: Ilaya-Ayza Amilkar , Campbell Enrique , Pérez-García Rafael , Izquierdo Joaquín
Published: March 2016

Water supply systems have been facing many challenges in recent decades due to the potential effects of climate change and rapid population growth. Water systems need to expand because of demographic growth. Therefore, evaluating and increasing system capacity is crucial. Specifically, we analyze network capacity as one of the main features of a system. When the network capacity starts to decrease, there is a risk that continuous supply will become intermittent. This paper discusses how network expansion carried out throughout the network life span typically reduces network capacity, thus transforming a system originally designed to work with continuous supply into a system with intermittent supply. A method is proposed to expand the network capacity in an environment of economic scarcity through a greedy algorithm that enables the definition of a schedule for pipe modification stages, and thus efficiently expands the network capacity. This method is, at the same time, an important step in the process of changing a water system from intermittent back to continuous supply—an achievement that remains one of the main challenges related to water and health in developing countries.
Financial Considerations of Hospital-Based Palliative Care
Authors: Sullender Renee , Selenich Sarah
Published: March 2016

Palliative care is an interdisciplinary care philosophy addressing patient and family needs and goals without providing a cure for the underlying disease. Palliative care can be successfully provided alongside curative care, which does focus on treating the disease. Studies have indicated that palliative care offers a variety of quality of life benefits to both the patient and family. Prompted by rapid growth of hospital-based palliative care, we explored the literature to better understand the financial incentives and barriers to these programs. Although patients who receive palliative care in the hospital have lower hospital costs than matched patients who do not receive palliative care, many hospitals face challenges in being reimbursed for services rendered by their interdisciplinary teams. In some cases, hospitals may absorb 50 percent of the costs of their palliative care teams because of lack of adequate reimbursement. Despite the opportunity for cost savings for a variety of stakeholders, without payment reform hospitals may be constrained from providing palliative care to all who might benefit. Additional research is needed to understand how patients, hospitals, and payers may participate in cost savings attributable to palliative care so that policymakers can effectively promote these services.
AN ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS MODEL TO EVALUATE ROAD SECTION DESIGN
Authors: Barić Danijela , Pilko Hrvoje , Strujić Josip
Published: March 2016

The traffic system is as essential to modern society as the circulatory system to the human body. Road section design is therefore a key infrastructure activity for economic development, and multi-criteria decision-making can provide an interdisciplinary approach that moves beyond purely economic optimisation to include technological, technical and ecological factors. The present work describes applying the multi-criteria Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to evaluate road section design in an urban environment through differential weighting of various criteria and sub-criteria. The model is tested on a stretch of National Road D8 in the municipality of Podstrana near the city of Split (Croatia), which serves as an important route for commuters and tourists. The proposed AHP model provided reliable results that were robust to sensitivity analysis. This approach involving differential criterion weighting may prove useful for evaluating and selecting appropriate road section designs for this and other contexts.
RINGED SUBSTRUCTURE AND A GAP AT 1 au IN THE NEAREST PROTOPLANETARY DISK
Authors: Andrews Sean M. , Wilner David J. , Zhu Zhaohuan , Birnstiel Tilman , Carpenter John M. , Pérez Laura M. , Bai Xue-Ning , Öberg Karin I. , Hughes A. Meredith , Isella Andrea , Ricci Luca
Published: March 2016

We present long baseline Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the 870 μm continuum emission from the nearest gas-rich protoplanetary disk, around TW Hya, that trace millimeter-sized particles down to spatial scales as small as 1 au (20 mas). These data reveal a series of concentric ring-shaped substructures in the form of bright zones and narrow dark annuli (1–6 au) with modest contrasts (5%–30%). We associate these features with concentrations of solids that have had their inward radial drift slowed or stopped, presumably at local gas pressure maxima. No significant non-axisymmetric structures are detected. Some of the observed features occur near temperatures that may be associated with the condensation fronts of major volatile species, but the relatively small brightness contrasts may also be a consequence of magnetized disk evolution (the so-called zonal flows). Other features, particularly a narrow dark annulus located only 1 au from the star, could indicate interactions between the disk and young planets. These data signal that ordered substructures on ∼au scales can be common, fundamental factors in disk evolution and that high-resolution microwave imaging can help characterize them during the epoch of planet formation.
Helicobacter pylori antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Bangladesh: Emerging levofloxacin resistance
Authors: Aftab Hafeza , Miftahussurur Muhammad , Subsomwong Phawinee , Ahmed Faruque , Khan AK Azad , Yamaoka Yoshio
Published: March 2016

Introduction: The most recent study to report Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance rates in Bangladesh was published 15 years ago and did not include levofloxacin. We therefore aimed to determine the current antibiotic susceptibility of H. pylori to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline and levofloxacin in Bangladesh. Methodology: This study included 133 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopy examination at Dhaka Medical College in November 2014. The serial two-fold agar dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of the five antibiotics. Results: Among 56 cultured strains, H. pylori showed high rates of resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole (39.3% and 94.6%, respectively). Moreover, levofloxacin showed an emerging antimicrobial resistance pattern (66.1%), which was higher in patients with gastritis than that in those with peptic ulcers (p = 0.02). The resistance rate of levofloxacin was significantly higher in patients living in Dhaka city compared to those living in the village (p = 0.049). However, amoxicillin and tetracycline resistance rates were very low. Resistance to both metronidazole and levofloxacin was most commonly observed. Conclusions: The rates of resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin were high in Bangladesh, which suggests that triple therapy based on these drugs may not be useful as first-line therapies in Bangladesh. Alternative strategies such as furazolidone-based triple therapy, bismuth-based quadruple therapies, or sequential therapy may be more effective for patients in in Bangladesh.