bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Virucidal Efficiency of Chemical Agents: A comparative Analysis
Authors: Islam Md Deen , Auroni Tabassum Tasnim , Khatun Mst Salma , Monjur Md Shifat E , Yasmin Mahmuda , Ahsan Chowdhury Rafiqul , Nessa Jamalun
Published: June 2016

Present study was designed to explore the influences of different categories of chemical factors, such as organic solvents, oxidizing agents, anionic detergent and dye on persistence of locally isolated coliphages and shigaphages from clinical sewage samples. Thirty percent ethanol initiated 83.20 and 62.86% reduction in the number of coliphage and shigaphage plaques in our study respectively. Chloroform mediated decrease in our observation was 53.13 and 88.33% for coliphages and shigaphages, respectively. The number of the shigaphage plaques was reduced by 62.5% following biphasic diethyl ether (DEE) treatment. About 72.66% of coliphages were deactivated after exposure to biphasic diethyl ether. Exposure of the isolated coliphages and shigaphages to 1% formalin had completely destroyed the viability of the bacteriophages. Coliphage survival in this investigation was 37.5% and 2.4% following treatment with 0.3 and 3.0% hydrogen peroxide respectively. The decrease in overall coliphage and shigaphage population was 95.83% and 94.14% while treated with 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The number increased for the viruses infecting E. coli by 9.52% where the number of shigaphages declined by 14.63% while growing in presence of a divalent cation [Ca(NO3)2]. Coliphage and shigaphage populations were diminished by 61. 76% and 53.48% respectively after treatment with the neutral red (0.0075%) followed by exposure to visible light.Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 31, Number 1-2,June-Dec 2014, pp 47-52
In vitro Anti-Bacterial Activity of Oral Herbal Medicines Assessed by Agar Well Diffusion and Broth Micro-Dilution Methods
Authors: Das Kamal Kanta , Acharjee Mrityunjoy , Noor Rashed
Published: June 2016

Recently antibacterial activity of ten commonly available oral herbal medicines has tested in our laboratory. Current investigation further endeavoured to compute the microbial propagation in six more oral herbal medicines, including the drug resistance pattern of the microbial isolates, and antibacterial potential of the medicines by employing both agar well diffusion method and broth micro-dilution procedure to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Among the 30 samples of 6 categories studied, the total viable bacteria were found within the range of 104-107 cfu/ml, while the presence of fungi was noticed only in 3 samples up to 105 cfu/ml. All samples were found to be contaminated with Staphylococcus spp., 2 samples with Escherichia coli and 1 sample was found to be contaminated with Klebsiella spp. Most of the isolates showed resistance against commonly used 13 antibiotics; 80% isolates were found to be multidrug-resistant (MDR). All samples exhibited antibacterial activity with their MIC values up to 55 mg/ml. However, using the agar well diffusion assay, antibacterial activity was detected only in case of only 1 sample.Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 32, Number 1-2,June-Dec 2015, pp 15-19
Plant Growth Promoting Ability of Soil Arsenite Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Diba Farzana , Sannyal Santonu Kumar , Alam SM Sabbir , Hossain M Anwar , Sultana Munawar
Published: June 2016

Arsenic (As) pollution in both soil and water is a global threat and challenge to us. Soil As contamination resulted in desolation of agricultural land and damaging human health via the food chain. Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) enhance the ability of heavy metal/metalloid tolerance, increase biomass production in plant under adverse condition and also reduce the soil toxicity. This present study focuses on selection of the plant growth promoting trait within arsenite resistant bacteria, previously isolated from As contaminated soils of Faridpur district, Bangladesh. A total of 17 arsenite resistant bacteria belonging to 8 different genotypes comprising 6 different genera (Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Delftia, Wohlfahrtiimonas, Dietzia and Brevibacillus) were screened for their ability to produce plant growth promoting abilities such as indole acetic acid (IAA) production and phosphate solubilization (PS). Among 17 isolates, 15 93.75% (15/16) isolates produced IAA and 83.71% (12/14) isolates had the capacity to solubilize phosphate. Arsenite resistant Bacillus spp. were highly potent in both IAA production (33.33%) and phosphate solubilization (50%) followed by Pseudomonas spp. (40% IAA and 33.33% PS). High IAA production (91.5?g/ml) was exhibited by isolate Bacillus sp. A1b possessing a MICarsenite of 10 mM and maximum phosphate solubilization was observed by Bacillus sp. H2k. One of the arsenite resistant bacteria Detzia sp. H2f having 27 mM arsenite tolerance were able to produce IAA and showed maximum PS ability that was not previously reported. These isolates can be potential candidates for the enhancement of plant growth, provide protection of plants against As toxicity and be beneficial for sustainable agronomic production in As contaminated soils.Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 32, Number 1-2,June-Dec 2015, pp 25-31
Failures of Form: Ideology and the Death Drive in the Work of Adrian Stokes
Authors: Haywood Kirsten
Published: June 2016

On his return from Italy in 1929, the art writer Adrian Stokes went into psychoanalysis with Melanie Klein, to confront a depression ‘intent on frustrating and destroying him’. This paper looks at the strange, hybrid text that psychoanalysis gave rise to: an account of Hyde Park as the place where meaning itself was being generated, and destroyed. In particular, it looks at Stokes's preoccupation with waste and remainders, and the failed attempts of industrial capitalism's ‘mechanical restitutions’, to put them to rights. In giving an account of his own destructive thought process during these years, I propose that Stokes gives a vivid account of his socio-political moment, but also works through a particular debate that was emerging for the British Psychoanalytic Society during these years: a debate about whether the death drive or the ‘negative’ could be meaningful for psychoanalytic theory.
Techniques for Screening Translation Inhibitors
Authors: Osterman Ilya , Bogdanov Alexey , Dontsova Olga , Sergiev Petr
Published: June 2016

The machinery of translation is one of the most common targets of antibiotics. The development and screening of new antibiotics usually proceeds by testing antimicrobial activity followed by laborious studies of the mechanism of action. High-throughput methods for new antibiotic screening based on antimicrobial activity have become routine; however, identification of molecular targets is usually a challenge. Therefore, it is highly beneficial to combine primary screening with the identification of the mechanism of action. In this review, we describe a collection of methods for screening translation inhibitors, with a special emphasis on methods which can be performed in a high-throughput manner.
Altered Mechano-Electrochemical Behavior of Articular Cartilage in Populations with Obesity
Authors: Manzano Sara , Doblaré Manuel , Hamdy Doweidar Mohamed
Published: June 2016

Obesity, one of the major problems in modern society, adversely affects people’s health and increases the risk of suffering degeneration in supportive tissues such as cartilage, which loses its ability to support and distribute loads. However, no specific research regarding obesity-associated alterations in the mechano-electrochemical cartilage environment has been developed. Such studies could help us to understand the first signs of cartilage degeneration when body weight increases and to establish preventive treatments to avoid cartilage deterioration. In this work, a previous mechano-electrochemical computational model has been further developed and employed to analyze and quantify the effects of obesity on the articular cartilage of the femoral hip. A comparison between the obtained results of the healthy and osteoarthritic cartilage has been made. It shows that behavioral patterns of cartilage, such as ion fluxes and cation distribution, have considerable similarities with those obtained for the early stages of osteoarthritis. Thus, an increment in the outgoing ion fluxes is produced, resulting in lower cation concentrations in all the cartilage layers. These results suggest that people with obesity, i.e. a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2, should undergo preventive treatments for osteoarthritis to avoid homeostatic alterations and, subsequent, tissue deterioration.
Mechanistic and Structural Studies of Protein-Only RNase P Compared to Ribonucleoproteins Reveal the Two Faces of the Same Enzymatic Activity
Authors: Schelcher Cédric , Sauter Claude , Giegé Philippe
Published: June 2016

RNase P, the essential activity that performs the 5′ maturation of tRNA precursors, can be achieved either by ribonucleoproteins containing a ribozyme present in the three domains of life or by protein-only enzymes called protein-only RNase P (PRORP) that occur in eukaryote nuclei and organelles. A fast growing list of studies has investigated three-dimensional structures and mode of action of PRORP proteins. Results suggest that similar to ribozymes, PRORP proteins have two main domains. A clear functional analogy can be drawn between the specificity domain of the RNase P ribozyme and PRORP pentatricopeptide repeat domain, and between the ribozyme catalytic domain and PRORP N4BP1, YacP-like Nuclease domain. Moreover, both types of enzymes appear to dock with the acceptor arm of tRNA precursors and make specific contacts with the corner of pre-tRNAs. While some clear differences can still be delineated between PRORP and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) RNase P, the two types of enzymes seem to use, fundamentally, the same catalytic mechanism involving two metal ions. The occurrence of PRORP and RNP RNase P represents a remarkable example of convergent evolution. It might be the unique witness of an ongoing replacement of catalytic RNAs by proteins for enzymatic activities.
Single Molecule Bioelectronics and Their Application to Amplification-Free Measurement of DNA Lengths
Authors: Gül O. , Pugliese Kaitlin , Choi Yongki , Sims Patrick , Pan Deng , Rajapakse Arith , Weiss Gregory , Collins Philip
Published: June 2016

As biosensing devices shrink smaller and smaller, they approach a scale in which single molecule electronic sensing becomes possible. Here, we review the operation of single-enzyme transistors made using single-walled carbon nanotubes. These novel hybrid devices transduce the motions and catalytic activity of a single protein into an electronic signal for real-time monitoring of the protein’s activity. Analysis of these electronic signals reveals new insights into enzyme function and proves the electronic technique to be complementary to other single-molecule methods based on fluorescence. As one example of the nanocircuit technique, we have studied the Klenow Fragment (KF) of DNA polymerase I as it catalytically processes single-stranded DNA templates. The fidelity of DNA polymerases makes them a key component in many DNA sequencing techniques, and here we demonstrate that KF nanocircuits readily resolve DNA polymerization with single-base sensitivity. Consequently, template lengths can be directly counted from electronic recordings of KF’s base-by-base activity. After measuring as few as 20 copies, the template length can be determined with <1 base pair resolution, and different template lengths can be identified and enumerated in solutions containing template mixtures.
Acute Local Spontaneous and Profuse Gingival Hemorrhage during Neoadjuvant Treatment with Paclitaxel and Trastuzumab
Authors: Sarmast Nima , Gutierrez Quevedo Maria , Wang Howard , Gutierrez Herrera Estatio
Published: June 2016

This case report describes a 33-year-old female currently undergoing breast cancer treatment following the AC-T-T (doxorubicin hydrochloride (Adriamycin) and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel (Taxol) and trastuzumab (Herceptin)) treatment regimen. Her chief complaint at the time of the emergency visit at the dental office was that she had an episode of profuse spontaneous bleeding located at the palatal gingiva in the maxilla between the left central and lateral incisor. To our knowledge, this is a novel finding related to the medications she is utilizing and should be further investigated.
Estimation of Gini Index within Pre-Specified Error Bound
Authors: Chattopadhyay Bhargab , De Shyamal
Published: June 2016

Gini index is a widely used measure of economic inequality. This article develops a theory and methodology for constructing a confidence interval for Gini index with a specified confidence coefficient and a specified width without assuming any specific distribution of the data. Fixed sample size methods cannot simultaneously achieve both specified confidence coefficient and fixed width. We develop a purely sequential procedure for interval estimation of Gini index with a specified confidence coefficient and a specified margin of error. Optimality properties of the proposed method, namely first order asymptotic efficiency and asymptotic consistency properties are proved under mild moment assumptions of the distribution of the data.
The Greenhouse Gas Emission from Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Construction in China
Authors: Ma Feng , Sha Aimin , Yang Panpan , Huang Yue
Published: June 2016

This study proposes an inventory analysis method to evaluate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Portland cement concrete pavement construction, based on a case project in the west of China. The concrete pavement construction process was divided into three phases, namely raw material production, concrete manufacture and pavement onsite construction. The GHG emissions of the three phases are analyzed by a life cycle inventory method. The CO2e is used to indicate the GHG emissions. The results show that for 1 km Portland cement concrete pavement construction, the total CO2e is 8215.31 tons. Based on the evaluation results, the CO2e of the raw material production phase is 7617.27 tons, accounting for 92.7% of the total GHG emissions; the CO2e of the concrete manufacture phase is 598,033.10 kg, accounting for 7.2% of the total GHG emissions. Lastly, the CO2e of the pavement onsite construction phase is 8396.59 kg, accounting for only 0.1% of the total GHG emissions. The main greenhouse gas is CO2 in each phase, which accounts for more than 98% of total emissions. N2O and CH4 emissions are relatively insignificant.
Brusatol Enhances the Radiosensitivity of A549 Cells by Promoting ROS Production and Enhancing DNA Damage
Authors: Sun Xiaohui , Wang Qin , Wang Yan , Du Liqing , Xu Chang , Liu Qiang
Published: June 2016

NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been identified as a master regulatory factor in the protection of cells from oxidative and electrophilic stress. However, overexpression of Nrf2 in lung cancer may cause chemoresistance, as well as radioresistance. In this study, we examined the relationship between radioresistance and Nrf2 protein levels in H1299, A549, and H460 cells, and finally chose the A549 cell line to continue with due to its strong radioresistance and high Nrf2 protein levels. We found that the Nrf2 inhibitor, brusatol, could prevent the increase and accumulation of Nrf2 after exposure to irradiation. Additionally, following treatment with 80 nM brusatol, A549 cells became sensitive to irradiation, suffering severe DNA damage. Combination treatment with brusatol and ionizing radiation (IR) can distinctly increase the level of reactive oxygen species in A549 cells, causing a 1.8-fold increase compared with the control, and a 1.4-fold increase compared with IR alone. In fact, in the treatment with both brusatol and IR, lung cancer cell proliferation is halted, gradually leading to cell death. Because Nrf2 is closely linked to DNA damage repair, inhibiting the function of Nrf2, as in brusatol treatment, may increase the DNA damage caused by radiotherapy or chemotherapy, possibly enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs. Our study is the first to demonstrate brusatol’s ability to enhance the responsiveness of lung cancer cells to irradiation, and its potential application as a natural sensitizer in radiotherapy.
Profiling Taste and Aroma Compound Metabolism during Apricot Fruit Development and Ripening
Authors: Xi Wanpeng , Zheng Huiwen , Zhang Qiuyun , Li Wenhui
Published: June 2016

Sugars, organic acids and volatiles of apricot were determined by HPLC and GC-MS during fruit development and ripening, and the key taste and aroma components were identified by integrating flavor compound contents with consumers’ evaluation. Sucrose and glucose were the major sugars in apricot fruit. The contents of all sugars increased rapidly, and the accumulation pattern of sugars converted from glucose-predominated to sucrose-predominated during fruit development and ripening. Sucrose synthase (SS), sorbitol oxidase (SO) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) are under tight developmental control and they might play important roles in sugar accumulation. Almost all organic acids identified increased during early development and then decrease rapidly. During early development, fruit mainly accumulated quinate and malate, with the increase of citrate after maturation, and quinate, malate and citrate were the predominant organic acids at the ripening stage. The odor activity values (OAV) of aroma volatiles showed that 18 aroma compounds were the characteristic components of apricot fruit. Aldehydes and terpenes decreased significantly during the whole development period, whereas lactones and apocarotenoids significantly increased with fruit ripening. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) results revealed that β-ionone, γ-decalactone, sucrose and citrate are the key characteristic flavor factors contributing to consumer acceptance. Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD) may be involved in β-ionone formation in apricot fruit.
Pleiotropic Actions of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs) in Dysregulated Metabolic Homeostasis, Inflammation and Cancer: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives
Authors: Laganà Antonio , Vitale Salvatore , Nigro Angela , Sofo Vincenza , Salmeri Francesca , Rossetti Paola , Rapisarda Agnese , La Vignera Sandro , Condorelli Rosita , Rizzo Gianluca , Buscema Massimo
Published: June 2016

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) have demonstrated a lot of important effects in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and in the correct functioning of adipose tissue. Recently, many studies have evaluated a possible effect of PPARs on tumor cells. The purpose of this review is to describe the effects of PPARs, their action and their future prospective; Methods: Narrative review aimed to synthesize cutting-edge evidence retrieved from searches of computerized databases; Results: PPARs play a key role in metabolic diseases, which include several cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, impaired immunity and the increasing risk of cancer; in particular, PPARα and PPARβ/δ mainly enable energy combustion, while PPARγ contributes to energy storage by enhancing adipogenesis; Conclusion: PPAR agonists could represent interesting types of molecules that can treat not only metabolic diseases, but also inflammation and cancer. Additional research is needed for the identification of high-affinity, high-specificity agonists for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and other metabolic diseases. Further studies are needed also to elucidate the role of PPARs in cancer.
Platelet-Rich Plasma-Loaded Poly(d,l-lactide)-Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(d,l-lactide) Hydrogel Dressing Promotes Full-Thickness Skin Wound Healing in a Rodent Model
Authors: Qiu Manle , Chen Daoyun , Shen Chaoyong , Shen Ji , Zhao Huakun , He Yaohua
Published: June 2016

Traditional therapeutic methods for skin wounds have many disadvantages, and new wound dressings that can facilitate the healing process are thus urgently needed. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains multiple growth factors (GFs) and shows a significant capacity to heal soft tissue wounds. However, these GFs have a short half-life and deactivate rapidly; we therefore need a sustained delivery system to overcome this shortcoming. In this study, poly(d,l-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA-PEG-PDLLA: PLEL) hydrogel was successfully created as delivery vehicle for PRP GFs and was evaluated systematically. PLEL hydrogel was injectable at room temperature and exhibited a smart thermosensitive in situ gel-formation behavior at body temperature. In vitro cell culture showed PRP-loaded PLEL hydrogel (PRP/PLEL) had little cytotoxicity, and promoted EaHy926 proliferation, migration and tube formation; the factor release assay additionally indicated that PLEL realized the controlled release of PRP GFs for as long as 14 days. When employed to treat rodents’ full-thickness skin defects, PRP/PLEL showed a significantly better ability to raise the number of both newly formed and mature blood vessels compared to the control, PLEL and PRP groups. Furthermore, the PRP/PLEL-treated group displayed faster wound closure, better reepithelialization and collagen formation. Taken together, PRP/PLEL provides a promising strategy for promoting angiogenesis and skin wound healing, which extends the potential of this dressing for clinical application.
PBK/TOPK Expression Predicts Prognosis in Oral Cancer
Authors: Chang Chin-Fang , Chen Sung-Lang , Sung Wen-Wei , Hsieh Ming-Ju , Hsu Hui-Ting , Chen Li-Hsin , Chen Mu-Kuan , Ko Jiunn-Liang , Chen Chih-Jung , Chou Ming-Chih
Published: June 2016

Oral cancer is a common cancer with poor prognosis. We evaluated the expression of PBK/TOPK (PDZ-binding kinase/T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase) and its prognostic significance in oral cancer. PBK/TOPK expression was measured by immunohistochemical staining of samples from 287 patients with oral cancer. The association between PBK/TOPK expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed. The prognostic value of PBK/TOPK for overall survival was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models. A high PBK/TOPK expression level was correlated with long overall survival. The prognostic role of PBK/TOPK expression was significant in young patients (p < 0.05), patients with smoking habits (p < 0.05), and late stage disease (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that PBK/TOPK expression is enhanced in oral cancer. High PBK/TOPK expression, either alone or in subgroups according to clinicopathological features, may serve as a favorable prognostic marker for patients with oral cancer.
Design of Hybrid Wired/Wireless Fieldbus Network for Turbine Power Generation System
Authors: Xu Sheng , Fei Minrui , Wang Haikuan
Published: June 2016

Hybrid fieldbus network integrating wireless networks with existing wired fieldbuses has become new a research direction in industrial automation systems. In comparison to wired fieldbuses, the hybrid wired/wireless fieldbus network has a different system architecture, data transmission mechanism, communication protocol, etc. This leads to different challenges that need to be addressed. This paper proposes a hybrid wired/wireless fieldbus network which consists of a wireless industrial control network (WICN), a wired PROFIBUS-DP (Process Field Bus-Decentralized Periphery) fieldbus network, and a wired MODBUS/TCP (Mod Bus/Transmission Control Protocol) fieldbus network. They are connected by a new gateway which uses a shared data model to solve data exchange in different network protocols. In this paper, we describe the architecture of the proposed hybrid wired/wireless fieldbus network and data transmission mechanisms in detail, and then evaluate the performance of hybrid fieldbus network via a set of experiments. The experiment results confirm that the proposed hybrid wired/wireless fieldbus network can satisfy the performance requirement of industrial network control systems. Furthermore, in order to further investigate feasibility of the proposed hybrid wired/wireless fieldbus network, it is deployed at a steam turbine power generation system, and the performance figures obtained further verify its feasibility and effectiveness.
Governance of the Internet of Things—From Infancy to First Attempts of Implementation?
Authors: Weber Rolf
Published: June 2016

In the course of the Internet’s growing importance within the last decade, the Internet of Things (IoT) has also been a subject of much debate. Being defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the development of item identifications, sensor technologies and the ability to interact with the environment, the term Internet of Things, in more simple words, stands for a technology that is based on the connection of everyday objects to the Internet which exchange, aggregate and process information regarding their physical environment for providing value-added services to end-users. Notwithstanding the extensive research activities having been conducted in the recent past and the broad consensus as to the necessity of a basic normative framework for IoT applications, a final multilateral agreement is still missing. In this respect, an analysis of possible approaches solving the present challenges seems to be worthwhile to conduct.
Calibration Methods of Acoustic Emission Sensors
Authors: Ono Kanji
Published: June 2016

This study examined outstanding issues of sensitivity calibration methods for ultrasonic and acoustic emission transducers and provides workable solutions based on physically measureable quantities, laser-based displacement measurement in particular. This leads to mutually consistent determination of transmitting and receiving sensitivities of sensors and transducers. Methods of circumventing problems of extraneous vibrations on free transmitters are used, giving the foundation for face-to-face calibration methods. Working on many ultrasonic and acoustic emission transducers, their receiving and transmitting sensitivities are found to be always different, while their ratios exhibit unexpected similarity. This behavior is attributed to monopolar pulse generation and bipolar received signals due to electrical charge transfer during elastic wave motion and reflection on the back face. This is verified through a quantitative piezoelectric sensing experiment. Displacement vs. velocity calibration terminology is clarified, redefining the “V/µbar” reference for contact sensor calibration. With demonstrated differences in the transmitting and receiving sensitivities of transducers, the requirement of the Hill-Adams equation invalidates the basic premise of the currently formulated reciprocity calibration methods for acoustic emission transducers. In addition, the measured reciprocity parameter for the case of through-transmission significantly deviates from the approximate theoretical prediction. It is demonstrated that three methods provide reliable sensor calibration results that are complimentary among them.
Mechanical Properties and Atomic Explanation of Plastic Deformation for Diamond-Like BC2
Authors: Zheng Baobing , Zhang Meiguang , Chang Shaomei
Published: June 2016

Motivated by a recently predicted structure of diamond-like BC2 with a high claimed hardness of 56 GPa (J. Phys. Chem. C 2010, 114, 22688–22690), we focus on whether this tetragonal BC2 (t-BC2) is superhard or not in spite of such an ultrahigh theoretical hardness. The mechanical properties of t-BC2 were thus further extended by using the first principles in the framework of density functional theory. Our results suggest that the Young’s and shear moduli of t-BC2 exhibit a high degree of anisotropy. For the weakest shear direction, t-BC2 undergoes an electronic instability and structural collapse upon a shear strain of about 0.11, with its theoretically ideal strength of only 36.2 GPa. Specifically, the plastic deformation under shear strain along the (110)[001] direction can be attributed to the breaking of d1 B–C bonds.
Modeling the Effect of Composition and Temperature on the Conductivity of Synthetic Copper Electrorefining Electrolyte
Authors: Kalliomäki Taina , Aromaa Jari , Lundström Mari
Published: June 2016

The physico-chemical properties of the copper electrolyte significantly affect the energy consumption of the electrorefining process and the quality of the cathode product. Favorable conditions for electrorefining processes are typically achieved by keeping both the electrolyte conductivity and diffusion coefficient of Cu(II) high, while ensuring low electrolyte viscosity. In this work the conductivity of the copper electrorefining electrolyte was investigated as a function of temperature (50–70 °C) and concentrations of copper (Cu(II), 40–60 g/L), nickel (Ni(II), 0–20 g/L), arsenic (As(III), 0–30 g/L) and sulfuric acid (160–220 g/L). In total 165 different combinations of these factors were studied. The results were treated using factorial analysis, and as a result, four electrolyte conductivity models were built up. Models were constructed both with and without arsenic as the presence of As(III) appeared to cause non-linearity in some factor effects and thus impacted the conductivity in more complex ways than previously detailed in literature. In all models the combined effect of factors was shown to be minor when compared to the effect of single factors. Conductivity was shown to increase when copper, nickel and arsenic concentrations were decreased and increase with increased temperature and acidity. Moreover, the arsenic concentration was shown to decrease the level of conductivity more than previously suggested in the literature.
Novel (E)-β-Farnesene Analogues Containing 2-Nitroiminohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine: Synthesis and Biological Activity Evaluation
Authors: Qin Yaoguo , Zhang Jingpeng , Song Dunlun , Duan Hongxia , Li Wenhao , Yang Xinling
Published: June 2016

In order to discover novel eco-friendly compounds with good activity for aphid control, (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), the main component of the aphid alarm pheromone, was chosen as the lead compound. By introducing a 2-nitroimino-hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine moiety (abbreviated NHT) to replace the unstable conjugated double bond system of EβF, a series of novel EβF analogues containing the NHT moiety were synthesized via the reaction of substituted NHT rings with (E)-1-chloro-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-diene. All the compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, and high resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). The bioassay results showed that all the analogues displayed different repellent and aphicidal activities against green peach aphid (Myzus persicae). Particularly, the analogue 4r exhibited obvious repellent activity (repellent proportion: 78.43%) and similar aphicidal activity against M. persicae (mortality: 82.05%) as the commercial compound pymetrozine (80.07%). A preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was also performed, which offered valuable clues for the design of further new EβF analogues.
Synthesis, Fungicidal Activity and Mode of Action of 4-Phenyl-6-trifluoromethyl-2-aminopyrimidines against Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Liu Chunhui , Cui Zining , Yan Xiaojing , Qi Zhiqiu , Ji Mingshan , Li Xinghai
Published: June 2016

Anilinopyrimidines are the main chemical agents for management of Botrytis cinerea. However, the drug resistance in fungi against this kind of compounds is very serious. To explore new potential fungicides against B. cinerea, a series of 4-phenyl-6-trifluoromethyl-2-amino-pyrimidine compounds (compounds III-1 to III-22) were synthesized, and their structures were confirmed by 1H-NMR, IR and MS. Most of these compounds possessed excellent fungicidal activity. The compounds III-3 and III-13 showed higher fungicidal activity than the positive control pyrimethanil on fructose gelatin agar (FGA), and compound III-3 on potato dextrose agar (PDA) indicated high activity compared to the positive control cyprodinil. In vivo greenhouse results indicated that the activity of compounds III-3, III-8, and III-11 was significantly higher than that of the fungicide pyrimethanil. Scanning electron micrography (SEM) and transmission electron micrography (TEM) were applied to illustrate the mechanism of title compounds against B. cinerea. The title compounds, especially those containing a fluorine atom at the ortho-position on the benzene ring, could maintain the antifungal activity against B. cinerea, but their mechanism of action is different from that of cyprodinil. The present study lays a good foundation for us to find more efficient reagents against B. cinerea.
Location and Effects of an Antitumoral Catechin on the Structural Properties of Phosphatidylethanolamine Membranes
Authors: Casado Francisco , Teruel José , Casado Santiago , Ortiz Antonio , Rodríguez-López José , Aranda Francisco
Published: June 2016

Green tea catechins exhibit high diversity of biological effects including antioncogenic properties, and there is enormous interest in their potential use in the treatment of a number of pathologies. It is recognized that the mechanism underlying the activity of catechins relay in part in processes related to the membrane, and many studies revealed that the ability of catechins to interact with lipids plays a probably necessary role in their mechanism of action. We present in this work the characterization of the interaction between an antitumoral synthetically modified catechin (3-O-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)-(−)-catechin, TMCG) and dimiristoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (DMPE) membranes using an array of biophysical techniques which include differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations. We found that TMCG incorporate into DMPE bilayers perturbing the thermotropic transition from the gel to the fluid state forming enriched domains which separated into different gel phases. TMCG does not influence the overall bilayer assembly of phosphatidylethanolamine systems but it manages to influence the interfacial region of the membrane and slightly decrease the interlamellar repeat distance of the bilayer. TMCG seems to be located in the interior of the phosphatidylethanolamine bilayer with the methoxy groups being in the deepest position and some portion of the molecule interacting with the water interface. We believe that the reported interactions are significant not only from the point of view of the known antitumoral effect of TMCG, but also might contribute to understanding the basic molecular mechanism of the biological effects of the catechins found at the membrane level.
Stress Waves and Characteristics of Zigzag and Armchair Silicene Nanoribbons
Authors: Fan Yu-Cheng , Fang Te-Hua , Chen Tao-Hsing
Published: June 2016

The mechanical properties of silicene nanostructures subject to tensile loading were studied via a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The effects of temperature on Young’s modulus and the fracture strain of silicene with armchair and zigzag types were examined. The maximum in-plane stress and the corresponding critical strain of the armchair and the zigzag silicene sheets at 300 K were 8.85 and 10.62, and 0.187 and 0.244 N/m, respectively. The in-plane stresses of the silicene sheet in the armchair direction at the temperatures of 300, 400, 500, and 600 K were 8.85, 8.50, 8.26, and 7.79 N/m, respectively. The in-plane stresses of the silicene sheet in the zigzag direction at the temperatures of 300, 400, 500, and 600 K were 10.62, 9.92, 9.64, and 9.27 N/m, respectively. The improved mechanical properties can be calculated in a silicene sheet yielded in the zigzag direction compared with the tensile loading in the armchair direction. The wrinklons and waves were observed at the shear band across the center zone of the silicene sheet. These results provide useful information about the mechanical and fracture behaviors of silicene for engineering applications.
Do Red Edge and Texture Attributes from High-Resolution Satellite Data Improve Wood Volume Estimation in a Semi-Arid Mountainous Region?
Authors: Schumacher Paul , Mislimshoeva Bunafsha , Brenning Alexander , Zandler Harald , Brandt Martin , Samimi Cyrus , Koellner Thomas
Published: June 2016

Remote sensing-based woody biomass quantification in sparsely-vegetated areas is often limited when using only common broadband vegetation indices as input data for correlation with ground-based measured biomass information. Red edge indices and texture attributes are often suggested as a means to overcome this issue. However, clear recommendations on the suitability of specific proxies to provide accurate biomass information in semi-arid to arid environments are still lacking. This study contributes to the understanding of using multispectral high-resolution satellite data (RapidEye), specifically red edge and texture attributes, to estimate wood volume in semi-arid ecosystems characterized by scarce vegetation. LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) and random forest were used as predictive models relating in situ-measured aboveground standing wood volume to satellite data. Model performance was evaluated based on cross-validation bias, standard deviation and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) at the logarithmic and non-logarithmic scales. Both models achieved rather limited performances in wood volume prediction. Nonetheless, model performance increased with red edge indices and texture attributes, which shows that they play an important role in semi-arid regions with sparse vegetation.
Use of MODIS Sensor Images Combined with Reanalysis Products to Retrieve Net Radiation in Amazonia
Authors: De Oliveira Gabriel , Brunsell Nathaniel , Moraes Elisabete , Bertani Gabriel , Dos Santos Thiago , Shimabukuro Yosio , Aragão Luiz
Published: June 2016

In the Amazon region, the estimation of radiation fluxes through remote sensing techniques is hindered by the lack of ground measurements required as input in the models, as well as the difficulty to obtain cloud-free images. Here, we assess an approach to estimate net radiation (Rn) and its components under all-sky conditions for the Amazon region through the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) model utilizing only remote sensing and reanalysis data. The study period comprised six years, between January 2001–December 2006, and images from MODIS sensor aboard the Terra satellite and GLDAS reanalysis products were utilized. The estimates were evaluated with flux tower measurements within the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) project. Comparison between estimates obtained by the proposed method and observations from LBA towers showed errors between 12.5% and 16.4% and 11.3% and 15.9% for instantaneous and daily Rn, respectively. Our approach was adequate to minimize the problem related to strong cloudiness over the region and allowed to map consistently the spatial distribution of net radiation components in Amazonia. We conclude that the integration of reanalysis products and satellite data, eliminating the need for surface measurements as input model, was a useful proposition for the spatialization of the radiation fluxes in the Amazon region, which may serve as input information needed by algorithms that aim to determine evapotranspiration, the most important component of the Amazon hydrological balance.
Experimental Analysis of Bisbenzocyclobutene Bonded Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers
Authors: Manwar Rayyan , Chowdhury Sazzadur
Published: June 2016

Experimental measurement results of a 1.75 mm × 1.75 mm footprint area Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) planar array fabricated using a bisbenzocyclobutene (BCB)-based adhesive wafer bonding technique has been presented. The array consists of 40 × 40 square diaphragm CMUT cells with a cavity thickness of 900 nm and supported by 10 µm wide dielectric spacers patterned on a thin layer of BCB. A 150 µm wide one µm thick gold strip has been used as the contact pad for gold wire bonding. The measured resonant frequency of 19.3 MHz using a Polytec™ laser Doppler vibrometer (Polytec™ MSA-500) is in excellent agreement with the 3-D FEA simulation result using IntelliSuite™. An Agilent ENA5061B vector network analyzer (VNA) has been used for impedance measurement and the resonance and anti-resonance values from the imaginary impedance curve were used to determine the electromechanical coupling co-efficient. The measured coupling coefficient of 0.294 at 20 V DC bias exhibits 40% higher transduction efficiency as compared to a measured value published elsewhere for a silicon nitride based CMUT. A white light interferometry method was used to measure the diaphragm deflection profiles at different DC bias. The diaphragm center velocity was measured for different sub-resonant frequencies using a Polytec™ laser Doppler vibrometer that confirms vibration of the diaphragm at different excitation frequencies and bias voltages. Transmit and receive operations of CMUT cells were characterized using a pitch-catch method and a −6 dB fractional bandwidth of 23% was extracted from the received signal in frequency domain. From the measurement, it appears that BCB-based CMUTs offer superior transduction efficiency as compared to silicon nitride or silicon dioxide insulator-based CMUTs, and provide a very uniform deflection profile thus making them a suitable candidate to fabricate highly energy efficient CMUTs.
A Novel Low-Cost, Large Curvature Bend Sensor Based on a Bowden-Cable
Authors: Jeong Useok , Cho Kyu-Jin
Published: June 2016

Bend sensors have been developed based on conductive ink, optical fiber, and electronic textiles. Each type has advantages and disadvantages in terms of performance, ease of use, and cost. This study proposes a new and low-cost bend sensor that can measure a wide range of accumulated bend angles with large curvatures. This bend sensor utilizes a Bowden-cable, which consists of a coil sheath and an inner wire. Displacement changes of the Bowden-cable’s inner wire, when the shape of the sheath changes, have been considered to be a position error in previous studies. However, this study takes advantage of this position error to detect the bend angle of the sheath. The bend angle of the sensor can be calculated from the displacement measurement of the sensing wire using a Hall-effect sensor or a potentiometer. Simulations and experiments have shown that the accumulated bend angle of the sensor is linearly related to the sensor signal, with an R-square value up to 0.9969 and a root mean square error of 2% of the full sensing range. The proposed sensor is not affected by a bend curvature of up to 80.0 m−1, unlike previous bend sensors. The proposed sensor is expected to be useful for various applications, including motion capture devices, wearable robots, surgical devices, or generally any device that requires an affordable and low-cost bend sensor.
Normalized Metadata Generation for Human Retrieval Using Multiple Video Surveillance Cameras
Authors: Jung Jaehoon , Yoon Inhye , Lee Seungwon , Paik Joonki
Published: June 2016

Since it is impossible for surveillance personnel to keep monitoring videos from a multiple camera-based surveillance system, an efficient technique is needed to help recognize important situations by retrieving the metadata of an object-of-interest. In a multiple camera-based surveillance system, an object detected in a camera has a different shape in another camera, which is a critical issue of wide-range, real-time surveillance systems. In order to address the problem, this paper presents an object retrieval method by extracting the normalized metadata of an object-of-interest from multiple, heterogeneous cameras. The proposed metadata generation algorithm consists of three steps: (i) generation of a three-dimensional (3D) human model; (ii) human object-based automatic scene calibration; and (iii) metadata generation. More specifically, an appropriately-generated 3D human model provides the foot-to-head direction information that is used as the input of the automatic calibration of each camera. The normalized object information is used to retrieve an object-of-interest in a wide-range, multiple-camera surveillance system in the form of metadata. Experimental results show that the 3D human model matches the ground truth, and automatic calibration-based normalization of metadata enables a successful retrieval and tracking of a human object in the multiple-camera video surveillance system.
Intelligent Multisensor Prodder for Training Operators in Humanitarian Demining
Authors: Fernández Roemi , Montes Héctor , Armada Manuel
Published: June 2016

Manual prodding is still one of the most utilized procedures for identifying buried landmines during humanitarian demining activities. However, due to the high number of accidents reported during its practice, it is considered an outmoded and risky procedure and there is a general consensus about the need of introducing upgrades for enhancing the safety of human operators. With the aim of contributing to reduce the number of demining accidents, this paper presents an intelligent multisensory system for training operators in the use of prodders. The proposed tool is able to provide to deminers useful information in two critical issues: (a) the amount of force exerted on the target and if it is greater than the safe limit and, (b) to alert them when the angle of insertion of the prodder is approaching or exceeding a certain dangerous limit. Results of preliminary tests show the feasibility and reliability of the proposed design and highlight the potential benefits of the tool.
Non-Contact Measurement of the Spectral Emissivity through Active/Passive Synergy of CO2 Laser at 10.6 µm and 102F FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) Spectrometer
Authors: Zhang Ren-Hua , Su Hong-Bo , Tian Jing , Mi Su-Juan , Li Zhao-Liang
Published: June 2016

In the inversion of land surface temperature (LST) from satellite data, obtaining the information on land surface emissivity is most challenging. How to solve both the emissivity and the LST from the underdetermined equations for thermal infrared radiation is a hot research topic related to quantitative thermal infrared remote sensing. The academic research and practical applications based on the temperature-emissivity retrieval algorithms show that directly measuring the emissivity of objects at a fixed thermal infrared waveband is an important way to close the underdetermined equations for thermal infrared radiation. Based on the prior research results of both the authors and others, this paper proposes a new approach of obtaining the spectral emissivity of the object at 8–14 µm with a single-band CO2 laser at 10.6 µm and a 102F FTIR spectrometer. Through experiments, the spectral emissivity of several key samples, including aluminum plate, iron plate, copper plate, marble plate, rubber sheet, and paper board, at 8–14 µm is obtained, and the measured data are basically consistent with the hemispherical emissivity measurement by a Nicolet iS10 FTIR spectrometer for the same objects. For the rough surface of materials, such as marble and rusty iron, the RMSE of emissivity is below 0.05. The differences in the field of view angle and in the measuring direction between the Nicolet FTIR method and the method proposed in the paper, and the heterogeneity in the degree of oxidation, polishing and composition of the samples, are the main reasons for the differences of the emissivities between the two methods.