bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No Direction Home:Molloy, Travelogue, and Nomadic Modernism
Authors: Sheehan Paul
Published: June 2017

The dialectic of movement and rest can be seen at work throughout Beckett's oeuvre, but it is particularly evident in the Trilogy. Rather than treat the trio of novels as a work-in-regress, however – from the two protagonists’ wanderings in Molloy to the tales of confinement and inertia in the sequels – this article shows how the motion / stasis pair is brought together in Molloy. On the one hand, there are generic traces here of ‘travel writing’, given that Molloy and Moran are travellers who (as narrators) record their peregrinations; on the other, Molloy illuminates these traces via Deleuze and Guattari's elucidation of nomadism, a theoretical rationale that can help us to understand what governs the movements of Molloy and Moran throughout the novel. I argue that Beckett, as the most celebrated exemplar of late modernism, provides a pathway whereby first-wave modernism in the interwar period is transformed into continental theory in the decades after the war. Although versions of this modernism-into-theory hypothesis have been posited since at least the 1980s, none of them has attempted to ascertain the specific nexus or juncture whereby modernist writing is transfigured into theoretical reflection. This article proposes that Molloy be read as a potential site for such a rearticulation – for demonstrating how the alienated modernist loner of so much fiction and poetry earlier in the century can be aligned with the theoretical tenets that inform and illuminate deterritorialised wandering. This is complicated by the fact that Molloy and Moran follow two very different nomadic trajectories. Indeed it is, finally, the latter that exemplifies vagrant movement across physically deterritorialised space, thus providing the more useful model for the protean, suggestive formation that is ‘nomadic modernism’.
On the Mortification of Novelistic Discourse inThree Novels
Authors: Murphet Julian
Published: June 2017

This paper argues for a specific labour of form in the so-called Trilogy, namely, the irreversible mortification of novelistic discourse. The great three-novel sequence is the literary space in which Beckett contrived to have done with his most dangerous temptations towards “life and invention”, in and around the generic tar-pits of the comic novel. With implacable resolve, the author laid out before him the generic coordinates – novelistic narration; novelistic description; novelistic characterization; and the novelistic calibration of ‘opinions’ – only to take each to the internal limit of its humanistic delusion. The result is a leave-taking with a difference: not the sudden supersession or heroic vanquishing of ‘novelism’, but its laborious mortification, in order to immunise the promise of some form to come against the lingering infections of a now undead genre. Beckett's path through the novel was immanent, subjecting it to a process of degradation and internal dissolution, rather than attacking it through satire or side-stepping it altogether. The new form toward which he was reaching could only be attained through this patient and systematic dismantlement of the novel form from within its own coordinates. Reviewing the accelerating and metastasizing immanent critique from novel to novel in the Trilogy, this essay demonstrates how remorseless and logical it was, and how the momentum it gained served an aesthetic ambition that was also a biographical purgation: never again would Beckett attempt a novel. From this point forward, prose was liberated to serve non-novelistic ends.
Wordly Corrasions: Philology and Narrative inWorstward Ho
Authors: Byron Mark
Published: June 2017

Scholarly research over the last twenty years has marked a profound shift in the understanding of Beckett's sources, his methods of composition, and his attitudes towards citation and allusion in manuscript documents and published texts. Such landmark studies as James Knowlson's biography, Damned to Fame (1996), and John Pilling's edition of the Dream Notebook (1999), and the availability of primary documents such as Beckett's reading notes at Reading and Trinity libraries, opened the way for a generation of work rethinking Beckett's textual habitus. Given this profound reappraisal of Beckett's material processes of composition, this paper seeks to show that Beckett's late prose work, Worstward Ho, represents a profound mediation on writing, self-citation, and habits of allusion to the literary canon. In its epic gestures, it reorients the heavenly aspiration of Dante's Commedia earthwards, invoking instead the language of agriculture, geology and masonry in the process of creating and decreating its imaginative space. Beckett's earthy epic invokes and erodes the first principles of narrative by way of philology as well as by means of deft reference to literary texts and images preoccupied with land, farming, and geological formations. This process is described in the word corrasion, a geological term referring to the erosion of rock by various forms of water, ice, snow and moraine. Textual excursions into philology in Worstward Ho also unearth the strata comprising Beckett's corpus (in particular Imagination Dead Imagine, The Lost Ones, and Ill Seen Ill Said), as well as the rock or canon upon which his own literary production is built. A close reading of Worstward Ho turns up a number of shrewd allusions to the King James Bible and Thomas Browne, as one might expect, but also perhaps surprisingly sustained affinities with the literary sensibilities of Alexander Pope and the poetry of S. T. Coleridge. The more one digs, the more Beckett's ‘little epic’ seems to become one of earthworks, bits of pipe, and masonry, a site and record of literary sedimentation.
Cross-Language Plagiarism Detection System Using Latent Semantic Analysis and Learning Vector Quantization
Authors: Ratna Anak Agung Putri , Purnamasari Prima Dewi , Adhi Boma Anantasatya , Ekadiyanto F. Astha , Salman Muhammad , Mardiyah Mardiyah , Winata Darien Jonathan
Published: June 2017

Computerized cross-language plagiarism detection has recently become essential. With the scarcity of scientific publications in Bahasa Indonesia, many Indonesian authors frequently consult publications in English in order to boost the quantity of scientific publications in Bahasa Indonesia (which is currently rising). Due to the syntax disparity between Bahasa Indonesia and English, most of the existing methods for automated cross-language plagiarism detection do not provide satisfactory results. This paper analyses the probability of developing Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) for a computerized cross-language plagiarism detector for two languages with different syntax. To improve performance, various alterations in LSA are suggested. By using a linear vector quantization (LVQ) classifier in the LSA and taking into account the Frobenius norm, output has reached up to 65.98% in accuracy. The results of the experiments showed that the best accuracy achieved is 87% with a document size of 6 words, and the document definition size must be kept below 10 words in order to maintain high accuracy. Additionally, based on experimental results, this paper suggests utilizing the frequency occurrence method as opposed to the binary method for the term–document matrix construction.
An Improved Brain-Inspired Emotional Learning Algorithm for Fast Classification
Authors: Mei Ying , Tan Guanzheng , Liu Zhentao
Published: June 2017

Classification is an important task of machine intelligence in the field of information. The artificial neural network (ANN) is widely used for classification. However, the traditional ANN shows slow training speed, and it is hard to meet the real-time requirement for large-scale applications. In this paper, an improved brain-inspired emotional learning (BEL) algorithm is proposed for fast classification. The BEL algorithm was put forward to mimic the high speed of the emotional learning mechanism in mammalian brain, which has the superior features of fast learning and low computational complexity. To improve the accuracy of BEL in classification, the genetic algorithm (GA) is adopted for optimally tuning the weights and biases of amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex in the BEL neural network. The combinational algorithm named as GA-BEL has been tested on eight University of California at Irvine (UCI) datasets and two well-known databases (Japanese Female Facial Expression, Cohn–Kanade). The comparisons of experiments indicate that the proposed GA-BEL is more accurate than the original BEL algorithm, and it is much faster than the traditional algorithm.
The Implications of Contractual Terms of Employment for Women and Leadership: An Autoethnographic Study in UK Higher Education
Authors: Vicary Anne , Jones Karen
Published: June 2017

This article is concerned with the implications of casual, non-permanent forms of employment that have become a common cultural practice in higher education. It proposes that contractual terms of employment have important implications for women and leadership in higher education, since to pursue leadership, usually one must first gain permanency in an organization, in contractual terms. Based on an autoethnographic study by a female academic in a UK higher education institution, the article illustrates that temporary forms of employment, should they be protracted, can stifle leadership aspirations due to lack of career progression opportunities and lead to a sense of alienation from the target community of practice, and even to personal difficulties, such as feelings of isolation and poor self-esteem. The article discusses theoretical and practical implications for women’s leadership arising from the findings and makes recommendations for improvements in practice in the higher education sector. The findings and recommendations from this study will also be relevant to other organizational contexts where casual or temporary, fixed term, zero-hours non-permanent forms of employment are common.
Application of Finite Layer Method in Pavement Structural Analysis
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Xing Qinyan , Dong Yiyi , Wang Dawei , Oeser Markus , Yuan Si
Published: June 2017

The finite element (FE) method has been widely used in predicting the structural responses of asphalt pavements. However, the three-dimensional (3D) modeling in general-purpose FE software systems such as ABAQUS requires extensive computations and is relatively time-consuming. To address this issue, a specific computational code EasyFEM was developed based on the finite layer method (FLM) for analyzing structural responses of asphalt pavements under a static load. Basically, it is a 3D FE code that requires only a one-dimensional (1D) mesh by incorporating analytical methods and using Fourier series in the other two dimensions, which can significantly reduce the computational time and required resources due to the easy implementation of parallel computing technology. Moreover, a newly-developed Element Energy Projection (EEP) method for super-convergent calculations was implemented in EasyFEM to improve the accuracy of solutions for strains and stresses over the whole pavement model. The accuracy of the program is verified by comparing it with results from BISAR and ABAQUS for a typical asphalt pavement structure. The results show that the predicted responses from ABAQUS and EasyFEM are in good agreement with each other. The EasyFEM with the EEP post-processing technique converges faster compared with the results derived from ordinary EasyFEM applications, which proves that the EEP technique can improve the accuracy of strains and stresses from EasyFEM. In summary, the EasyFEM has a potential to provide a flexible and robust platform for the numerical simulation of asphalt pavements and can easily be post-processed with the EEP technique to enhance its advantages.
Development of a TiC/Cr23C6 Composite Coating on a 304 Stainless Steel Substrate through a Tungsten Inert Gas Process
Authors: Heidarshenas Behzad , Hussain Ghulam , Asmael Mohammed.
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to develop a composite coating on 304 stainless steel employing a TIG (tungsten inert gas) process. Ti wire cored with graphite powder was used as the means of coating material. The process parameters were controlled to develop a coating with optimum characteristics (i.e., hardness and wear resistance). The microstructure of the coating was analyzed with SEM and XRD. It was found that both the hardness and the wear resistance increase as the current increases, while both of these properties decrease as travelling speed increases. It was found that the coated samples with composite layers were harder than the substrate and can range up to 1100 HV, almost 4.5 times higher than the hardness of 304 stainless steel. Likewise, the wear resistance of the coating was observed to be 4.5 times higher than that of the substrate. The high performance of the coating, as revealed by microstructural analysis, was due to the formation of TiC and Cr23C6.The optimum conditions for producing the coating are thus proposed to include a 120 A current and a 3.17 mm/s travel speed.
Structural and Electrical Properties Characterization of Sb1.52Bi0.48Te3.0 Melt-Spun Ribbons
Authors: Ohorodniichuk Viktoriia , Dauscher Anne , Branco Lopes Elsa , Migot Sylvie , Candolfi Christophe , Lenoir Bertrand
Published: June 2017

Melt-spinning (MS) has been reported as a promising tool to tailor the microstructure of bulk thermoelectric materials leading to enhanced thermoelectric performances. Here, we report on a detailed characterization of p-type Bi0.48Sb1.52Te3 ribbons produced by melt-spinning. The microstructure of the melt-spun ribbons has been studied by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The analyses indicate that the ribbons are highly-textured with a very good chemical homogeneity. TEM reveals clear differences in the microstructure at large and short-range scales between the surface that was in contact with the copper wheel and the free surface. These analyses further evidence the absence of amorphous regions in the melt-spun ribbons and the precipitation of elemental Te at the grain boundaries. Low-temperature electrical resistivity and thermopower measurements (20–300 K) carried out on several randomly-selected ribbons confirm the excellent reproducibility of the MS process. However, the comparison of the transport properties of the ribbons with those of bulk polycrystalline samples of the same initial composition shows that MS leads to a more pronounced metallic character. This difference is likely tied to changes in deviations from stoichiometry due to the out-of-equilibrium conditions imposed by MS.
Four Datasets Derived from an Archive of Personal Homepages (1995–2009)
Authors: Rife Sean
Published: June 2017

While data from social media are easily accessible, understanding how individuals expressed themselves on the Internet in its initial years of public availability (the mid-late 1990s) has proved difficult. In this data deposit, I describe how archival data from Geocities homepages were retrieved and processed to remove non-text data, then further refined to create separate datasets, each of which provides unique insights into modes of personal expression on the early Internet. The present paper describes four datasets, all of which were derived from a larger collection of personal websites: (1) a large corpus of raw text data from Geocities personal homepages, (2) a linguistic analysis of basic psychological properties of the same Geocities pages, using an open-source implementation of the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC), (3) a dataset of links between homepages (suitable for network analysis), and (4) a manifest dataset summarizing the size and last update date for each file in the dataset. Data from over 378,000 Geocities pages are included. In addition to providing a detailed description of how these datasets were created, I describe how they might be utilized in future research.
Game-Theoretic Optimization of Bilateral Contract Transaction for Generation Companies and Large Consumers with Incomplete Information
Authors: Tang Yi , Ling Jing , Wu Cheng , Chen Ning , Liu Xiaofeng , Gao Bingtuan
Published: June 2017

Bilateral contract transaction among generation companies and large consumers is attracting much attention in the electricity market. A large consumer can purchase energy from generation companies directly under a bilateral contract, which can guarantee the economic interests of both sides. However, in pursuit of more profit, the competitions in the transaction exist not only between the company side and the consumer side, but also among generation companies. In order to maximize its profit, each company needs to optimize bidding price to attract large consumers. In this paper, a master–slave game is proposed to describe the competitions among generation companies and large consumers. Furthermore, a Bayesian game approach is formulated to describe the competitions among generation companies considering the incomplete information. In the model, the goal of each company is to determine the optimal bidding price with Bayesian game; and based on the bidding price provided by companies and the predicted spot price, large consumers decide their personnel purchase strategy to minimize their cost. Simulation results show that each participant in the transaction can benefit from the proposed game.
Multiscale Information Theory and the Marginal Utility of Information
Authors: Allen Benjamin , Stacey Blake , Bar-Yam Yaneer
Published: June 2017

Complex systems display behavior at a range of scales. Large-scale behaviors can emerge from the correlated or dependent behavior of individual small-scale components. To capture this observation in a rigorous and general way, we introduce a formalism for multiscale information theory. Dependent behavior among system components results in overlapping or shared information. A system’s structure is revealed in the sharing of information across the system’s dependencies, each of which has an associated scale. Counting information according to its scale yields the quantity of scale-weighted information, which is conserved when a system is reorganized. In the interest of flexibility we allow information to be quantified using any function that satisfies two basic axioms. Shannon information and vector space dimension are examples. We discuss two quantitative indices that summarize system structure: an existing index, the complexity profile, and a new index, the marginal utility of information. Using simple examples, we show how these indices capture the multiscale structure of complex systems in a quantitative way.
Thermal Response Testing Results of Different Types of Borehole Heat Exchangers: An Analysis and Comparison of Interpretation Methods
Authors: Zarrella Angelo , Emmi Giuseppe , Graci Samantha , De Carli Michele , Cultrera Matteo , Santa Giorgia , Galgaro Antonio , Bertermann David , Müller Johannes , Pockelé Luc , Mezzasalma Giulia , Righini Davide , Psyk Mario , Bernardi Adriana
Published: June 2017

The design phase of ground source heat pump systems is an extremely important one as many of the decisions made at that time can affect the system’s energy performance as well as installation and operating costs. The current study examined the interpretation of thermal response testing measurements used to evaluate the equivalent ground thermal conductivity and thus to design the system. All the measurements were taken at the same geological site located in Molinella, Bologna (Italy) where a variety of borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) had been installed and investigated within the project Cheap-GSHPs (Cheap and efficient application of reliable Ground Source Heat exchangers and Pumps) of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The measurements were initially analyzed in accordance with the common interpretation based on the first-order approximation of the solution for the infinite line source model and then by utilizing the complete solutions of both the infinite line and cylinder source models. An inverse numerical approach based on a detailed model that considers the current geometry of the BHE and the axial heat transfer as well as the effect of weather on the ground surface was also used. Study findings revealed that the best result was generally obtained using the inverse numerical interpretation.
A Novel Decentralized Economic Operation in Islanded AC Microgrids
Authors: Han Hua , Li Lang , Wang Lina , Su Mei , Zhao Yue , Guerrero Josep
Published: June 2017

Droop schemes are usually applied to the control of distributed generators (DGs) in microgrids (MGs) to realize proportional power sharing. The objective might, however, not suit MGs well for economic reasons. Addressing that issue, this paper proposes an alternative droop scheme for reducing the total active generation costs (TAGC). Optimal economic operation, DGs’ capacity limitations and system stability are fully considered basing on DGs’ generation costs. The proposed scheme utilizes the frequency as a carrier to realize the decentralized economic operation of MGs without communication links. Moreover, a fitting method is applied to balance DGs’ synchronous operation and economy. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed scheme are verified through simulations and experiments.
Energy Modelling and Automated Calibrations of Ancient Building Simulations: A Case Study of a School in the Northwest of Spain
Authors: Ogando Ana , Cid Natalia , Fernández Marta
Published: June 2017

In the present paper, the energy performance of buildings forming a school centre in the northwest of Spain was analyzed using a transient simulation of the energy model of the school, which was developed with TRNSYS, a software of proven reliability in the field of thermal simulations. A deterministic calibration approach was applied to the initial building model to adjust the predictions to the actual performance of the school, data acquired during the temperature measurement campaign. The buildings under study were in deteriorated conditions due to poor maintenance over the years, presenting a big challenge for modelling and simulating it in a reliable way. The results showed that the proposed methodology is successful for obtaining calibrated thermal models of these types of damaged buildings, as the metrics employed to verify the final error showed a reduced normalized mean bias error (NMBE) of 2.73%. It was verified that a decrease of approximately 60% in NMBE and 17% in the coefficient of variation of the root mean square error (CV(RMSE)) was achieved due to the calibration process. Subsequent steps were performed with the aid of new software, which was developed under a European project that enabled the automated calibration of the simulations.
Recent Advances in Energy Time Series Forecasting
Authors: Martínez-Álvarez Francisco , Troncoso Alicia , Riquelme José
Published: June 2017

This editorial summarizes the performance of the special issue entitled Energy Time Series Forecasting, which was published in MDPI’s Energies journal. The special issue took place in 2016 and accepted a total of 21 papers from twelve different countries. Electrical, solar, or wind energy forecasting were the most analyzed topics, introducing brand new methods with very sound results.
The Role of Temperature in the Safety Case for High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal: A Comparison of Design Concepts
Authors: Heierli Joachim , Genoni Oliver
Published: June 2017

The disposal of heat-generating radioactive waste in deep underground facilities requires a sparing use of spatial resources on the one side and favorable temperature conditions over the project lifetime on the other side. Under heat-sensitive conditions, these goals run in opposite directions and therefore a balance of some kind must be found. Often the elected strategy is to determine the size of the repository by capping the temperatures in the near-field, thus setting an upper limit to the deterioration of barrier materials. Alternatively, the spatial resources available in the siting area can be used to further reduce temperatures as long as supplementary benefits are returned from doing so. Using analytical modeling of the heat flow in the circumambient rock of a repository for high-level waste and spent fuel, this contribution examines possible obstacles in substantiating the safety case, namely the retrievability of waste during the operational lifetime of the facility, the representativeness of pilot disposal areas for monitoring, and the effect of thermal anomalies underground. The results indicate that there are, amongst the visited criteria, several benefits to the temperature-optimizing strategy over the prevailing space-optimizing concepts. The right balance between saving spatial resources and obtaining optimal temperature conditions is yet to be found.
Fungal Contaminants in Drinking Water Regulation? A Tale of Ecology, Exposure, Purification and Clinical Relevance
Authors: Babič Monika , Gunde-Cimerman Nina , Vargha Márta , Tischner Zsófia , Magyar Donát , Veríssimo Cristina , Sabino Raquel , Viegas Carla , Meyer Wieland , Brandão João
Published: June 2017

Microbiological drinking water safety is traditionally monitored mainly by bacterial parameters that indicate faecal contamination. These parameters correlate with gastro-intestinal illness, despite the fact that viral agents, resulting from faecal contamination, are usually the cause. This leaves behind microbes that can cause illness other than gastro-intestinal and several emerging pathogens, disregarding non-endemic microbial contaminants and those with recent pathogenic activity reported. This white paper focuses on one group of contaminants known to cause allergies, opportunistic infections and intoxications: Fungi. It presents a review on their occurrence, ecology and physiology. Additionally, factors contributing to their presence in water distribution systems, as well as their effect on water quality are discussed. Presence of opportunistic and pathogenic fungi in drinking water can pose a health risk to consumers due to daily contact with water, via several exposure points, such as drinking and showering. The clinical relevance and influence on human health of the most common fungal contaminants in drinking water is discussed. Our goal with this paper is to place fungal contaminants on the roadmap of evidence based and emerging threats for drinking water quality safety regulations.
Dietary Calcium Intake and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish Children: The ANIVA Study
Authors: Rubio-López Nuria , Llopis-González Agustín , Picó Yolanda , Morales-Suárez-Varela María
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of dietary calcium intake with anthropometric measures, physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in 1176 Spanish children aged 6–9 years. Data were obtained from “Antropometría y Nutrición Infantil de Valencia” (ANIVA), a cross-sectional study of a representative sample. Dietary calcium intake assessed from three-day food records was compared to recommended daily intakes in Spain. Anthropometric measures (weight and height) were measured according to international standards and adherence to the MedDiet was evaluated using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) test. For the total sample of children, 25.8% had inadequate calcium intake, a significantly higher prevalence in girls (p = 0.006) and inadequate calcium intake was associated with lower height z-score (p = 0.001) for both sexes. In girls, there was an inverse relationship between calcium intake and body mass index (p = 0.001) and waist/hip ratio (p = 0.018). Boys presented a polarization in physical activity, reporting a greater level of both physical and sedentary activity in comparison with girls (p = 0.001). Children with poor adherence to MedDiet, even if they consume two yogurts or cheese (40 g) daily, adjusted by gender, age, total energy intake, physical activity and father’s level of education, are at risk of inadequate total calcium intake (odds ratio adjusted [ORa]: 3.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–9.94, p = 0.001). The intake of these dairy products was insufficient to cover calcium intake recommendations in this age group (6–9 years). It is important to prioritize health strategies that promote the MedDiet and to increase calcium intake in this age group.
Melatonin Scavenger Properties against Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress: Impact on Gamete Handling and In Vitro Embryo Production in Humans and Other Mammals
Authors: Loren Pía , Sánchez Raúl , Arias María-Elena , Felmer Ricardo , Risopatrón Jennie , Cheuquemán Carolina
Published: June 2017

Oxidative and nitrosative stress are common problems when handling gametes in vitro. In vitro development in mammalian embryos is highly affected by culture conditions, especially by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), because their absence or overproduction causes embryo arrest and changes in gene expression. Melatonin in gamete co-incubation during in vitro fertilization (IVF) has deleterious or positive effects, depending on the concentration used in the culture medium, demonstrating the delicate balance between antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity. Further research is needed to better understand the possible impact of melatonin on the different IVP steps in humans and other mammals, especially in seasonal breeds where this neuro-hormone system highly regulates its reproduction physiology.
OTC Derivatives and Global Economic Activity: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bodnar Gordon , Fortun Jonathan , Marquez Jaime
Published: June 2017

That the global market for derivatives has expanded beyond recognition is well known. What is not know is how this market interacts with economic activity. We provide the first empirical characterization of interdependencies between OECD economic activity and the global OTC derivatives market. To this end, we apply a vector-error correction model to OTC derivatives disaggregated across instruments and counterparties. The results indicate that with one exception, the heterogeneity of OTC contracts is too pronounced to be reliably summarized by our measures of economic activity. The one exception is interest-rate derivatives held by Other Financial Institutions.
Simultaneously Toughening and Strengthening Soy Protein Isolate-Based Composites via Carboxymethylated Chitosan and Halloysite Nanotube Hybridization
Authors: Liu Xiaorong , Kang Haijiao , Wang Zhong , Zhang Wei , Li Jianzhang , Zhang Shifeng
Published: June 2017

Chemical cross-linking modification can significantly enhance the tensile strength (TS) of soy protein isolate (SPI)-based composites, but usually at the cost of a reduction in the elongation at break (EB). In this study, eco-friendly and high-potential hybrid SPI-based nanocomposites with improved TS were fabricated without compromising the reduction of EB. The hybrid of carboxymethylated chitosan (CMCS) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) as the enhancement center was added to the SPI and 1,2,3-propanetriol-diglycidyl-ether (PTGE) solution. The chemical structure, crystallinity, micromorphology, and opacity properties of the obtained SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film was analyzed by the attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that HNTs were uniformly dispersed in the SPI matrix without crystal structure damages. Compared to the SPI/PTGE film, the TS and EB of the SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film were increased by 57.14% and 27.34%, reaching 8.47 MPa and 132.12%, respectively. The synergy of HNTs and CMCS via electrostatic interactions also improved the water resistance of the SPI/PTGE/HNTs/CMCS film. These films may have considerable potential in the field of sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging.
Effect of Zinc Phosphate on the Corrosion Behavior of Waterborne Acrylic Coating/Metal Interface
Authors: Wan Hongxia , Song Dongdong , Li Xiaogang , Zhang Dawei , Gao Jin , Du Cuiwei
Published: June 2017

Waterborne coating has recently been paid much attention. However, it cannot be used widely due to its performance limitations. Under the specified conditions of the selected resin, selecting the function pigment is key to improving the anticorrosive properties of the coating. Zinc phosphate is an environmentally protective and efficient anticorrosion pigment. In this work, zinc phosphate was used in modifying waterborne acrylic coatings. Moreover, the disbonding resistance of the coating was studied. Results showed that adding zinc phosphate can effectively inhibit the anode process of metal corrosion and enhance the wet adhesion of the coating, and consequently prevent the horizontal diffusion of the corrosive medium into the coating/metal interface and slow down the disbonding of the coating.
Multi-Dimensional Spectrum-Effect Relationship of the Impact of Chinese Herbal Formula Lichong Shengsui Yin on Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Wang Yanhong , Li Yang , Zhang Yan , Feng Guan , Yang Zhixin , Guan Qingxia , Wang Rui , Han Fengjuan
Published: June 2017

Lichong Shengsui Yin (LCSSY) is an effective and classic compound prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) used for the treatment of ovarian cancer. To investigate its pharmacodynamic basis for treating ovarian cancer, the multi-dimensional spectrum-effect relationship was determined. Four compositions (I to IV) were obtained by extracting LCSSY successively with supercritical CO2 fluid extraction, 75% ethanol reflux extraction, and the water extraction-ethanol precipitation method. Nine samples for pharmacological evaluation and fingerprint analysis were prepared by changing the content of the four compositions. The specific proportions of the four compositions were designed according to a four-factor, three-level L9(34) orthogonal test. The pharmacological evaluation included in vitro tumor inhibition experiments and the survival extension rate in tumor-bearing nude mice. The fingerprint analyzed by chromatographic condition I (high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detec tor，HPLC-PDA) identified 19 common peaks. High-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector-Evaporative Light-scattering Detector (HPLC-PDA-ELSD )hyphenated techniques were used to compensate for the use of a single detector, and the fingerprint analyzed by chromatographic condition II identified 28 common peaks in PDA and 23 common peaks in ELSD. Furthermore, multiple statistical analyses were utilized to calculate the relationships between the peaks and the pharmacological results. The union of the regression and the correlation analysis results were the peaks of X5, X9, X11, X12, X16, X18, Y5, Y8, Y12, Y14, Y20, Z4, Z5, Z6, and Z8. The intersection of the regression and the correlation analysis results were the peaks of X11, X12, X16, X18, Y5, Y12, and Z5. The correlated peaks were assigned by comparing the fingerprints with the negative control samples and reference standard samples, and identifying the structure using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry detector(HPLC-MS). The results suggested that the pharmacodynamic basis of LCSSY on anti-ovarian cancer activities were germacrone, furandiene, β-elemene, calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, epimedin B, icariin, ginsenoside Rc, astragaloside, ginsenoside Rd, astragaloside II, and some unknown components.
Serum Uromodulin Levels in Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in the Early Phase of Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Kuśnierz-Cabala Beata , Gala-Błądzińska Agnieszka , Mazur-Laskowska Małgorzata , Dumnicka Paulina , Sporek Mateusz , Matuszyk Aleksandra , Gil Krzysztof , Ceranowicz Piotr , Walocha Jerzy , Kucharz Jakub , Pędziwiatr Michał , Bartuś Krzysztof , Trąbka Rafał , Kuźniewski Marek
Published: June 2017

In health, uromodulin is the main protein of urine. Serum uromodulin concentrations (sUMOD) have been shown to correlate with kidney function. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is among the main complications of severe acute pancreatitis (AP). No reports exist on sUMOD in patients with AP, including the diagnostic usefulness for early prediction of AP severity. We measured sUMOD during first 72 h of AP. Sixty-six adult patients with AP were recruited at the surgical ward of the District Hospital in Sucha Beskidzka, Poland. AP was diagnosed according to the Revised Atlanta Classification. Blood samples were collected at 24, 48 and 72 h of AP, and sUMOD concentrations were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent test. sUMOD decreased non-significantly during the study. Patients with severe AP had non-significantly lower sUMOD concentrations than those with mild disease. Significant positive correlation was observed between sUMOD and estimated glomerular filtration rate on each day of the study and negative correlations were shown between sUMOD and age, serum creatinine, cystatin C and urea. Patients with AKI tended to have lower sUMOD. Although sUMOD correlated significantly with kidney function in the early phase of AP, measuring sUMOD did not allow to reliably predict AP severity or development of AKI.
Essential Oils of Oregano: Biological Activity beyond Their Antimicrobial Properties
Authors: Leyva-López Nayely , Gutiérrez-Grijalva Erick , Vazquez-Olivo Gabriela , Heredia J.
Published: June 2017

Essential oils of oregano are widely recognized for their antimicrobial activity, as well as their antiviral and antifungal properties. Nevertheless, recent investigations have demonstrated that these compounds are also potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and cancer suppressor agents. These properties of oregano essential oils are of potential interest to the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this manuscript is to review the latest evidence regarding essential oils of oregano and their beneficial effects on health.
Fruits for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Zhao Cai-Ning , Meng Xiao , Li Ya , Li Sha , Liu Qing , Tang Guo-Yi , Li Hua-Bin
Published: June 2017

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are leading global health problems. Accumulating epidemiological studies have indicated that consuming fruits was inversely related to the risk of CVDs. Moreover, substantial experimental studies have supported the protective role of fruits against CVDs, and several fruits (grape, blueberry, pomegranate, apple, hawthorn, and avocado) have been widely studied and have shown potent cardiovascular protective action. Fruits can prevent CVDs or facilitate the restoration of morphology and functions of heart and vessels after injury. The involved mechanisms included protecting vascular endothelial function, regulating lipids metabolism, modulating blood pressure, inhibiting platelets function, alleviating ischemia/reperfusion injury, suppressing thrombosis, reducing oxidative stress, and attenuating inflammation. The present review summarizes recent discoveries about the effects of fruits on CVDs and discusses potential mechanisms of actions based on evidence from epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies.
Phytosterols and Omega 3 Supplementation Exert Novel Regulatory Effects on Metabolic and Inflammatory Pathways: A Proteomic Study
Authors: Lambert Carmen , Cubedo Judit , Padró Teresa , Sánchez-Hernández Joan , Antonijoan Rosa , Perez Antonio , Badimon Lina
Published: June 2017

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide. In addition to drug treatment, nutritional interventions or supplementations are becoming a health strategy for CVD prevention. Phytosterols (PhyS) are natural components that have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels; while poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), mainly omega-3 (ω3) fatty acids, have shown to reduce triglyceride levels. Here we aimed to investigate whether the proteins in the main lipoproteins (low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL)) as well as proteins in the lipid free plasma fraction (LPDP) were regulated by the intake of PhyS-milk or ω3-milk, in overweight healthy volunteers by a proteomic based systems biology approach. The study was a longitudinal crossover trial, including thirty-two healthy volunteers with body mass index (BMI) 25–35 kg/m2 (Clinical Trial: ISRCTN78753338). Basal samples before any intervention and after 4 weeks of intake of PhyS or ω3-milk were analyzed. Proteomic profiling by two dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by mass spectrometry-(MALDI/TOF), ELISA, Western blot, conventional biochemical analysis, and in-silico bioinformatics were performed. The intake of PhyS-milk did not induce changes in the lipid associated plasma protein fraction, whereas ω3-milk significantly increased apolipoprotein (Apo)- E LDL content (p = 0.043) and induced a coordinated increase in several HDL-associated proteins, Apo A-I, lecitin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), Apo D, and Apo L1 (p < 0.05 for all). Interestingly, PhyS-milk intake induced a reduction in inflammatory molecules not seen after ω3-milk intake. Serum amyloid P component (SAP) was reduced in the LPDP protein fraction (p = 0.001) of subjects taking PhyS-milk and C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2)expression detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in white blood cells was significantly reduced (p = 0.013). No changes were observed in the lipid-free plasma proteome with ω3-milk. Our study provides novel results and highlights that the PhyS-milk induces attenuation of the pro-inflammatory pathways, whereas ω3-milk induces improvement in lipid metabolic pathways.
Targeting Overconsumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages vs. Overall Poor Diet Quality for Cardiometabolic Diseases Risk Prevention: Place Your Bets!
Authors: Arsenault Benoit , Lamarche Benoît , Després Jean-Pierre
Published: June 2017

Chronic overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is amongst the dietary factors most consistently found to be associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in large epidemiological studies. Intervention studies have shown that SSB overconsumption increases intra-abdominal obesity and ectopic lipid deposition in the liver, and also exacerbates cardiometabolic risk. Similar to the prevalence of obesity and T2D, national surveys of food consumption have shown that chronic overconsumption of SSBs is skyrocketing in many parts of the world, yet with marked heterogeneity across countries. SSB overconsumption is also particularly worrisome among children and adolescents. Although the relationships between SSB overconsumption and obesity, T2D, and CVD are rather consistent in epidemiological studies, it has also been shown that SSB overconsumption is part of an overall poor dietary pattern and is particularly prevalent among subgroups of the population with low socioeconomic status, thereby questioning the major focus on SSBs to target/prevent cardiometabolic diseases. Public health initiatives aimed specifically at decreasing SSB overconsumption will most likely be successful in influencing SSB consumption per se. However, comprehensive strategies targeting poor dietary patterns and aiming at improving global dietary quality are likely to have much more impact in addressing the unprecedented public health challenges that we are currently facing.
Are the Gut Bacteria Telling Us to Eat or Not to Eat? Reviewing the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiology, Disease Progression and Treatment of Eating Disorders
Authors: Lam Yan , Maguire Sarah , Palacios Talia , Caterson Ian
Published: June 2017

Traditionally recognized as mental illnesses, eating disorders are increasingly appreciated to be biologically-driven. There is a growing body of literature that implicates a role of the gut microbiota in the etiology and progression of these conditions. Gut bacteria may act on the gut–brain axis to alter appetite control and brain function as part of the genesis of eating disorders. As the illnesses progress, extreme feeding patterns and psychological stress potentially feed back to the gut ecosystem that can further compromise physiological, cognitive, and social functioning. Given the established causality between dysbiosis and metabolic diseases, an altered gut microbial profile is likely to play a role in the co-morbidities of eating disorders with altered immune function, short-chain fatty acid production, and the gut barrier being the key mechanistic links. Understanding the role of the gut ecosystem in the pathophysiology of eating disorders will provide critical insights into improving current treatments and developing novel microbiome-based interventions that will benefit patients with eating disorders.
A Socio-Ecological Examination of Weight-Related Characteristics of the Home Environment and Lifestyles of Households with Young Children
Authors: Quick Virginia , Martin-Biggers Jennifer , Povis Gayle , Hongu Nobuko , Worobey John , Byrd-Bredbenner Carol
Published: June 2017

Home environment and family lifestyle practices have an influence on child obesity risk, thereby making it critical to systematically examine these factors. Thus, parents (n = 489) of preschool children completed a cross-sectional online survey which was the baseline data collection conducted, before randomization, in the HomeStyles program. The survey comprehensively assessed these factors using a socio-ecological approach, incorporating intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental measures. Healthy intrapersonal dietary behaviors identified were parent and child intakes of recommended amounts of 100% juice and low intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages. Unhealthy behaviors included low milk intake and high parent fat intake. The home environment’s food supply was found to support healthy intakes of 100% juice and sugar-sweetened beverages, but provided too little milk and ample quantities of salty/fatty snacks. Physical activity levels, sedentary activity and the home’s physical activity and media environment were found to be less than ideal. Environmental supports for active play inside homes were moderate and somewhat better in the area immediately outside homes and in the neighborhood. Family interpersonal interaction measures revealed several positive behaviors, including frequent family meals. Parents had considerable self-efficacy in their ability to perform food- and physical activity-related childhood obesity protective practices. This study identified lifestyle practices and home environment characteristics that health educators could target to help parents promote optimal child development and lower their children’s risk for obesity.
Vitamin E Modifies High-Fat Diet-Induced Increase of DNA Strand Breaks, and Changes in Expression and DNA Methylation of Dnmt1 and MLH1 in C57BL/6J Male Mice
Authors: Remely Marlene , Ferk Franziska , Sterneder Sonja , Setayesh Tahereh , Kepcija Tatjana , Roth Sylvia , Noorizadeh Rahil , Greunz Martina , Rebhan Irene , Wagner Karl-Heinz , Knasmüller Siegfried , Haslberger Alexander
Published: June 2017

Obesity is associated with low-grade inflammation, increased ROS production and DNA damage. Supplementation with antioxidants might ameliorate DNA damage and support epigenetic regulation of DNA repair. C57BL/6J male mice were fed a high-fat (HFD) or a control diet (CD) with and without vitamin E supplementation (4.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) for four months. DNA damage, DNA promoter methylation and gene expression of Dnmt1 and a DNA repair gene (MLH1) were assayed in liver and colon. The HFD resulted in organ specific changes in DNA damage, the epigenetically important Dnmt1 gene, and the DNA repair gene MLH1. Vitamin E reduced DNA damage and showed organ-specific effects on MLH1 and Dnmt1 gene expression and methylation. These results suggest that interventions with antioxidants and epigenetic active food ingredients should be developed as an effective prevention for obesity—and oxidative stress—induced health risks.