bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elevated Proangiogenic Markers are Associated with Vascular Complications within Ghanaian Sickle Cell Disease Patients
Authors: Antwi-Boasiako Charles , Frimpong Emmanuel , Gyan Ben , Kyei-Baafour Eric , Sey Fredericka , Dzudzor Bartholomew , Abdul-Rahman Mubarak , Dankwah Gifty B. , Otu Kate H. , Ndanu Tom A. , Campbell Andrew D. , Ekem Ivy , Donkor Eric S.
Published: June 2018

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that can result in vasculopathy and end organ damage. Angiogenesis has been implicated as a key contributing factor to vascular mediated tissue injury in SCD. The relative plasma levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) greatly influence angiogenesis. Dysregulation of these growth factors, leading to a pro-angiogenic state in SCD patients, has been documented in the developed world but there is very little data in Africa. There is the need, therefore, for studies in Ghanaian SCD patients. The aim of this study was to assess plasma levels of Ang-1, Ang-2, and VEGF in homozygous (HbSS) SCD patients with or without complications and healthy controls (HbAA) in Ghana. The study was a case-control study involving 544 participants: 396 HbSS SCD patients and 148 HbAA healthy controls. The study was conducted at the Center for Clinical Genetics (Sickle Cell Clinic) and Accra Area Blood Centre for National Blood transfusion at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana. The plasma levels of Ang-1, Ang-2, and VEGF of study participants were measured with a double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Complete blood count (CBC) was measured with an autoanalyser. The mean plasma Ang-1, Ang-2, and VEGF were significantly higher in HbSS SCD patients with or without complications than healthy controls (p < 0.001). The Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio was significantly lower in the controls than the HbSS patients (p < 0.001). The Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio was higher in the HbSS patients with leg ulcers as compared with patients with other complications and healthy controls (p < 0.001). There were higher leucocyte counts in HbSS patients than healthy controls. Overall, there was elevated plasma levels of Ang-1, Ang-2, and VEGF in SCD patients. The higher Ang-2/Ang-1 plasma levels in patients with leg ulcers suggests a possible ongoing angiogenesis and response to inflammatory stimuli. The study provides a first report on plasma levels of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, and vascular endothelial growth factors in homozygous sickle cell disease patients in Ghana.
Development of a Sensor Network System with High Sampling Rate Based on Highly Accurate Simultaneous Synchronization of Clock and Data Acquisition and Experimental Verification †
Authors: Yamakawa Yuji , Matsui Yutaro , Noda Akihito , Ishikawa Masatoshi , Shimojo Makoto
Published: June 2018

In this paper, we develop a new sensor network system with a high sampling rate (over 500 Hz) based on the simultaneous synchronization of clock and data acquisition for integrating the data obtained from various sensors. Hence, we also propose a method for the synchronization of clock and data acquisition in the sensor network system. In the proposed scheme, multiple sensor nodes including PCs are connected via Ethernet for data communication and for clock synchronization. The timing of the data acquisition of each sensor is locally controlled based on the PC’s clock locally provided in the node, and the clocks are globally synchronized over the network. We construct three types of high-speed sensor network systems using the proposed method: the first one is composed of a high-speed tactile sensor node and a high-speed vision node; the second one is composed of a high-speed tactile sensor node and three acceleration sensor nodes; and the last one is composed of a high-speed tactile sensor node, two acceleration sensor nodes, and a gyro sensor node. Through experiments, we verify that the timing error between the sensor nodes for data acquisition is less than 15 μs, which is significantly smaller than the time interval of 2 ms or a shorter sampling time (less than 2 ms). We also confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method and it is expected that the system can be applied to various applications.
Combined Treatments of Magnetic Intra-Lysosomal Hyperthermia with Doxorubicin Promotes Synergistic Anti-Tumoral Activity
Authors: El Hajj Diab Darine , Clerc Pascal , Serhan Nizar , Fourmy Daniel , Gigoux Véronique
Published: June 2018

Doxorubicin is a cytotoxic drug used for the treatment of many cancer types. However, its significant dose-related adverse effects including cardiotoxicity may hamper its efficiency. Moreover, the multidrug resistance that appears during treatments limits anti-cancer therapies. Hyperthermia has been introduced as an adjuvant anti-cancer therapy and presents promising opportunities especially in combination with chemotherapy. However, hyperthermia methods including standard magnetic hyperthermia do not discriminate between the target and the surrounding normal tissues and can lead to side effects. In this context, a Magnetic Intra-Lysosomal Hyperthermia (MILH) approach, which occurs without perceptible temperature rise, has been developed. We previously showed that minute amounts of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles targeting the gastrin receptor (CCK2R) are internalized by cancer cells through a CCK2R-dependent physiological process, accumulated into their lysosomes and kill cancer cells upon high frequency alternating magnetic field (AMF) application through lysosomal cell death. Here, we show that the combination of MILH with doxorubicin increases the efficiency of the eradication of endocrine tumor cells with synergism. We also demonstrate that these two treatments activate two different cell death pathways that are respectively dependent on Caspase-1 and Caspase-3 activation. These findings will result in the development of new anti-tumoral, intra-lysosomal-thermo/chemotherapy with better curative effects than chemotherapy alone and that are devoid of adverse effects linked to standard hyperthermia approaches.
Electrospun Oxygen Scavenging Films of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Containing Palladium Nanoparticles for Active Packaging Applications
Authors: Cherpinski Adriane , Gozutok Melike , Sasmazel Hilal Turkoglu , Torres-Giner Sergio , Lagaron Jose M.
Published: June 2018

This paper reports on the development and characterization of oxygen scavenging films made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) containing palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) prepared by electrospinning followed by annealing treatment at 160 °C. The PdNPs were modified with the intention to optimize their dispersion and distribution in PHB by means of two different surfactants permitted for food contact applications, i.e., hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Analysis of the morphology and characterization of the chemical, thermal, mechanical, and water and limonene vapor barrier properties and the oxygen scavenging capacity of the various PHB materials were carried out. From the results, it was seen that a better dispersion and distribution was obtained using CTAB as the dispersing aid. As a result, the PHB/PdNP nanocomposites containing CTAB provided also the best oxygen scavenging performance. These films offer a significant potential as new active coating or interlayer systems for application in the design of novel active food packaging structures.
Effect of the Sodium Polyacrylate on the Magnetite Nanoparticles Produced by Green Chemistry Routes: Applicability in Forward Osmosis
Authors: Zufía-Rivas Juan , Morales Puerto , Veintemillas-Verdaguer Sabino
Published: June 2018

Aqueous dispersions of magnetic nanocomposites have been proposed as draw electrolytes in forward osmosis. One possible approach for the production of nanocomposites based on magnetite nanoparticles and sodium polyacrylate is the synthesis of the magnetic iron oxide by coprecipitation or oxidative precipitation in the presence of an excess of the polymer. In this work, we explored the effect of the polymer proportion on the nanomaterials produced by these procedures. The materials obtained were compared with those obtained by the coating of magnetite nanocrystals produced beforehand with the same polymer. The samples were characterized by chemical analysis, photon correlation spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetometry. The general trend observed is that the polymers heavily modify the texture of the magnetic material during the synthesis, with a drastic reduction of the particle size and magnetic response. The polycrystalline texture that is generated permits the incorporation of the polymer both on the external surface and in the intergranular space. The aqueous dispersions of the nanocomposites were highly stable, with a hydrodynamic size that was roughly independent of the polymer/magnetite ratio. Such dispersions show an osmotic pressure that is proportional to the concentration of the polymer. Interestingly, the proportionality constant was similar to that of the free polymer only in the case of the samples prepared by oxidative precipitation, being lower in the case of the samples prepared by coprecipitation. Finally, the possibilities of using these materials as draw electrolytes in forward osmosis will be briefly discussed.
High-Throughput Preparation of Silk Fibroin Nanofibers by Modified Bubble-Electrospinning
Authors: Fang Yue , Xu Lan , Wang Mingdi
Published: June 2018

As a kind of natural macromolecular protein molecule extracted from silk, silk fibroin (SF) has been widely used as biological materials in recent years due to its good physical and chemical properties. In this paper, a modified bubble-electrospinning (MBE) using a cone-shaped gas nozzle combined with a copper solution reservoir was applied to obtain high-throughput fabrication of SF nanofibers. In the MBE process, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonates (SDBS) were used as the surfactant to improve the spinnability of SF solution. The rheological properties and conductivity of the electrospun SF solutions were investigated. And the effects of gas flow volume, SF solution concentration and additive amounts of SDBS on the morphology, property and production of SF nanofibers were studied. The results showed the decrease of gas flow volume could decrease the nanofiber diameter, enhance the diameter distribution, and increase the production of nanofibers. And the maximum yield could reach 3.10 g/h at the SF concentration of 10 wt % and the SDBS concentration of 0.1 wt %.
Obesity with Comorbid Eating Disorders: Associated Health Risks and Treatment Approaches
Authors: Da Luz Felipe Q. , Hay Phillipa , Touyz Stephen , Sainsbury Amanda
Published: June 2018

Obesity and eating disorders are each associated with severe physical and mental health consequences, and individuals with obesity as well as comorbid eating disorders are at higher risk of these than individuals with either condition alone. Moreover, obesity can contribute to eating disorder behaviors and vice-versa. Here, we comment on the health complications and treatment options for individuals with obesity and comorbid eating disorder behaviors. It appears that in order to improve the healthcare provided to these individuals, there is a need for greater exchange of experiences and specialized knowledge between healthcare professionals working in the obesity field with those working in the field of eating disorders, and vice-versa. Additionally, nutritional and/or behavioral interventions simultaneously addressing weight management and reduction of eating disorder behaviors in individuals with obesity and comorbid eating disorders may be required. Future research investigating the effects of integrated medical, psychological and nutritional treatment programs addressing weight management and eating disorder psychopathology in individuals with obesity and comorbid eating disorder behaviors—such as binge eating—is necessary.
Examining the Nutritional Quality of Canadian Packaged Foods and Beverages with and without Nutrition Claims
Authors: Franco-Arellano Beatriz , Labonté Marie-Ève , Bernstein Jodi T. , L’Abbé Mary R.
Published: June 2018

Nutrient content claims, health claims, and front-of-pack symbols (henceforth referred to as “nutrition claims” in the present study) are often found on food labels in Canada. However, it is currently unknown whether foods and beverages (F&Bs) carrying nutrition claims have a more favourable nutritional profile than those without such claims. This study examined differences in the global nutritional quality, as determined by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (FSANZ-NPSC), of Canadian F&B bearing nutrition claims as compared to those without, as well as in their nutritional composition. Data (n = 15,184) was obtained from the University of Toronto 2013 Food Label Information Program. Forty-two percent of F&Bs carrying nutrition claims (n = 2930/6990) were found to be ineligible to carry claims based on the FSANZ-NPSC, in comparison to 66% of F&Bs without (n = 5401/8194, p < 0.001). Sugars and sweets, and miscellaneous products were the food categories with larger proportions of foods carrying nutrition claims not meeting the FSANZ-NPSC eligibility criteria. F&Bs with nutrition claims had fewer calories, less saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, and higher content of protein and fibre than comparable products without nutrition claims (p < 0.05 in all cases). In conclusion, nearly half of F&Bs carrying nutrition claims in Canada did not meet the FSANZ-NPSC threshold, although Canadian products carrying nutrition claims have an overall “healthier” profile than their counterparts without such claims.
Intake of Dietary One-Carbon Metabolism-Related B Vitamins and the Risk of Esophageal Cancer: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis
Authors: Qiang Yuzhen , Li Qianwen , Xin Yongjuan , Fang Xuexian , Tian Yongmei , Ma Jifei , Wang Jianyao , Wang Qingqing , Zhang Ruochen , Wang Junhao , Wang Fudi
Published: June 2018

Several B vitamins are essential in the one-carbon metabolism pathway, which is central to DNA methylation, synthesis, and repair. Moreover, an imbalance in this pathway has been linked to certain types of cancers. Here, we performed a meta-analysis in order to investigate the relationship between the intake of four dietary one-carbon metabolism-related B vitamins (B2, B6, folate, and B12) and the risk of esophageal cancer (EC). We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for relevant studies published through 1 March 2018. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the highest versus the lowest level of each dietary B vitamin was then calculated. From 21 articles reporting 26 studies including 6404 EC cases and 504,550 controls, we found an inverse correlation between the consumption of vitamin B6 and folate and the risk of EC; this association was specific to the US, Europe, and Australia, but was not found in Asia. A dose-response analysis revealed that each 100 μg/day increase in folate intake reduced the risk of EC by 12%. Moreover, each 1 mg/day increase in vitamin B6 intake decreased the risk of EC by 16%. Surprisingly, we found that each 1 μg/day increase in vitamin B12 intake increased the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma by 2%, particularly in the US and Europe, suggesting both geographic and histological differences. Together, our results suggest that an increased intake of one-carbon metabolism-related B vitamins may protect against EC, with the exception of vitamin B12, which should be consumed in moderation.
Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety of Newer Antidiabetic Drugs Approved from 2013 to 2017 in Controlling HbA1c in Diabetes Patients
Authors: Palanisamy Sivanandy , Yien Emily Lau Hie , Shi Ling Wen , Si Low Yi , Qi See Hui , Ling Laura Soon Cheau , Lun Teng Wai , Chen Yap Nee
Published: June 2018

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is the most common form of diabetes mellitus and accounts for about 95% of all diabetes cases. Many newer oral as well as parenteral antidiabetic drugs have been introduced in to the market in recent years to control hyperglycemic conditions in diabetes patients and many of these drugs produce potential side effects in diabetes patients. Hence, this systematic review was aimed to analyze and compare the efficacy and safety of oral antidiabetic agents in controlling HbA1c in T2DM patients, that were approved by the United States-Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) from 2013 to 2017. All randomized controlled, double-blind trials published in English during the search period involving the newer antidiabetic agents were selected. In the outcome assessment comparison, semaglutide demonstrated the highest efficacy in lowering HbA1c, with a 1.6% reduction (p < 0.0001) when given at a dose of 1.0 mg. The safety profile of all the agents as compared to placebo or control were similar, with no or slight increase in the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) but no fatal reaction was reported. The most common AEs of all the antidiabetic agents were gastrointestinal in nature, with several cases of hypoglycemic events. However, among all these agents, semaglutide seems to be the most efficacious drug to improve glycemic control in terms of HbA1c. Alogliptin has the least overall frequency of AEs compared to other treatment groups.
Synthesis and Aqueous Solution Properties of an Amino Bisphosphonate Methacrylate Homopolymer via RAFT Polymerization
Authors: Falireas Panagiotis G. , Negrell Claire , David Ghislain
Published: June 2018

The present contribution reports on the synthesis via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of a methacrylate derivative bearing an aminobisphosponate moiety as a pendant group, namely, ethyl N,N-tetramethylbis(phosphonate)-bis(methylene) amine methacrylate (MAC2NP2). The polymerization was performed by the use of cyanoisopropyl dithiobenzoate as chain transfer agent at 70 °C in various solvents with different polarities including N,N-dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, and in bulk. Best results were obtained in N,N-dimethylformamide where higher conversions and polymerization rates were noticed. The successful hydrolysis of the phosphonate ester groups was performed using bromotrimethylsilane with excellent yields leading to the formation of highly water soluble and pH-responsive polymers. Finally, a preliminary solution behavior study was carried out by investigating the aqueous solution properties of synthesized amino bisphosphonate methacrylate homopolymers and their phosphonic acid analogs via potentiometric titration and zeta potential measurements.
Solving Materials’ Small Data Problem with Dynamic Experimental Databases
Authors: McBride Michael , Persson Nils , Reichmanis Elsa , Grover Martha
Published: June 2018

Materials processing is challenging because the final structure and properties often depend on the process conditions as well as the composition. Past research reported in the archival literature provides a valuable source of information for designing a process to optimize material properties. Typically, the issue is not having too much data (i.e., big data), but rather having a limited amount of data that is sparse, relative to a large number of design variables. The full utilization of this information via a structured database can be challenging, because of inconsistent and incorrect reporting of information. Here, we present a classification approach specifically tailored to the task of identifying a promising design region from a literature database. This design region includes all high performing points, as well as some points having poor performance, for the purpose of focusing future experiments. The classification method is demonstrated on two case studies in polymeric materials, namely: poly(3-hexylthiophene) for flexible electronic devices and polypropylene–talc composite materials for structural applications.
Void Properties in Dense Bed of Cold-Flow Fluid Catalytic Cracking Regenerator
Authors: Kim Sung Won , Kim Sang Done
Published: June 2018

Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) processes have been used widely in petroleum refineries. FCC regenerators play important roles for maintaining catalyst activity and supply the reaction heat. The regenerator efficiency is mainly connected to the hydrodynamics of the fluidized bed, because the gas and solid behaviors are very important factors in mass and heat transfer. The void properties, such as chord length, rising velocity, frequency, and fraction, have been determined in a large cold flow model (0.48 m-ID × 6.4 m-high) of the FCC regenerator, which was geometrically scaled down from a commercial FCC unit. The local void chord length, rising velocity, frequency, and fraction exhibit their maximum value along the radial direction of the bed. The cross-sectional mean void chord length, rising velocity, and fraction increase and the cross-sectional mean void frequency decreases with height in the bed. The variation of void properties in the FCC regenerator with turbulent fluidized bed exhibit similar trends to those in a bubbling fluidized bed. The void properties in the FCC regenerator have been correlated with the experimental parameter on the basis of bubbling bed concept. The predicted void velocities based on the correlations agreed well with the experimental data from present and previous studies. A modified bubbling fluidized bed model could describe the void properties in the regenerator operated in turbulent fluidized bed regime.
The Effects of Provincial and Individual Religiosity on Deviance in China: A Multilevel Modeling Test of the Moral Community Thesis
Authors: Wang Xiuhua , Jang Sung Joon
Published: June 2018

This paper examines the moral community thesis in the secular context of China. Using multilevel logistic regression, we test (1) whether both individual- (measured by affiliation with Islam, Buddhism and Christianity) and aggregate-level religiosity (measured by the number of mosques, Buddhist temples, and churches per 10,000 people in province) are inversely related to law and rule violations at the individual level and (2) whether province-level religiosity enhances the inverse relationship between individual religiosity and deviant behaviors. Results from the 2010 China General Social Survey and the Spatial Explorer of Religions provide some support for the moral community proposition that contextual religiosity affects deviance at the individual level. Specifically, we find provincial as well as individual level of Islam to be inversely related with the violation of the law and rules. However, we find that neither the provincial level of Christianity and Buddhism nor cross-level interaction is related to deviance. The only exception, cross-level interaction involving the individual and provincial level of Islam, is in the opposite direction (i.e., positive, not negative). The implications of our findings are discussed.
Masked Instability: Within-Sector Financial Risk in the Presence of Wealth Inequality
Authors: Choi Youngna
Published: June 2018

We investigate masked financial instability caused by wealth inequality. When an economic sector is decomposed into two subsectors that possess a severe wealth inequality, the sector in entirety can look financially stable while the two subsectors possess extreme financially instabilities of opposite nature, one from excessive equity, the other from lack thereof. The unstable subsector can result in further financial distress and even trigger a financial crisis. The market instability indicator, an early warning system derived from dynamical systems applied to agent-based models, is used to analyze the subsectoral financial instabilities. Detailed mathematical analysis is provided to explain what financial instabilities can arise amid seemingly stable economy and positive market data. The theoretical conjecture is verified by historical macroeconomic time series of the United States households among whom a substantial wealth inequality has been officially confirmed.
Dynamic Change Analysis of Surface Water in the Yangtze River Basin Based on MODIS Products
Authors: Rao Pinzeng , Jiang Weiguo , Hou Yukun , Chen Zheng , Jia Kai
Published: June 2018

The use of remote sensing to monitor surface water bodies has gradually matured. Long-term serial water change analysis and floods monitoring are currently research hotspots of remote sensing hydrology. However, these studies are also faced with some problems, such as coarse temporal or spatial resolution of some remote sensing data. In general, flood monitoring requires high temporal resolution, and small-scale surface water extraction requires high spatial resolution. The machine learning method has been proven to be effective against long-term serial surface water extraction, such as random forests (RFs). MODIS data are well suited for large-scale surface water dynamic analysis and flood monitoring because of its short return cycle and medium spatial resolution. In this paper, the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) in China was selected as the study area, and two MODIS products (MOD09A1 and MOD13Q1) and RF method were used to extract the surface water from 2000 to 2016. Considering the disadvantages of temporal or spatial resolution of these two MODIS products, this study also presents a data fusion method to combine them and get higher spatiotemporal resolution water results. Finally, 762 surface water maps from 2000 to 2016 are obtained, whose temporal and spatial resolution is every eight days and 250 m, respectively. In addition, water extent variation is analyzed and compared to observed precipitation data. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) this constructed approach for long-term serial surface water extraction based on the RF classifier is feasible, and a good fusion method is used to obtain the surface water body with higher spatiotemporal resolution; (2) the maximum area of the surface water extent is 48.53 × 103 km2, and seasonal and permanent water areas are 20.51 × 103 km2 and 28.01 × 103 km2, respectively; (3) surface water area is increasing in the YRB, such that seasonal water area decreased by 3450 km2, and the permanent water area increased by 3565 km2 in 2001–2015; (4) precipitation is the main factor causing variation in the surface water bodies, and they both show an increasing trend in 2000–2016. As such, the approach is worth referring to other remote sensing applications, and these products are very both valuable for water resource management and flood monitoring in the study area.
A Plug-and-Play Human-Centered Virtual TEDS Architecture for the Web of Things
Authors: Hernández-Rojas Dixys L. , Fernández-Caramés Tiago M. , Fraga-Lamas Paula , Escudero Carlos J.
Published: June 2018

This article presents a Virtual Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (VTEDS)-based framework for the development of intelligent sensor nodes with plug-and-play capabilities in order to contribute to the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) toward the Web of Things (WoT). It makes use of new lightweight protocols that allow sensors to self-describe, auto-calibrate, and auto-register. Such protocols enable the development of novel IoT solutions while guaranteeing low latency, low power consumption, and the required Quality of Service (QoS). Thanks to the developed human-centered tools, it is possible to configure and modify dynamically IoT device firmware, managing the active transducers and their communication protocols in an easy and intuitive way, without requiring any prior programming knowledge. In order to evaluate the performance of the system, it was tested when using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Ethernet-based smart sensors in different scenarios. Specifically, user experience was quantified empirically (i.e., how fast the system shows collected data to a user was measured). The obtained results show that the proposed VTED architecture is very fast, with some smart sensors (located in Europe) able to self-register and self-configure in a remote cloud (in South America) in less than 3 s and to display data to remote users in less than 2 s.
Real-Time Curvature Detection of a Flexible Needle with a Bevel Tip
Authors: Zhang Bo , Chen Fangxin , Yang Miao , Huang Linxiang , Du Zhijiang , Sun Lining , Dong Wei
Published: June 2018

As one of the major methods for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers in their early stages, the percutaneous puncture technique has bright prospect in biopsy, ablation, proximity radiotherapy, and drug delivery. Recent years, researchers found the flexible needle cannot realize feedback control during the puncture surgeries only by path planning. To solve this problem, the flexible needle is tried to achieve real-time detection in this paper. Compared with previous methods, the strain gauges glued on the needle surface rather than the medical imaging techniques is used to collect the information to reconstruct the needle curve, which is benefit to integrate the whole system and obtain a more simple and accurate closed-loop control. This paper presented the math model of curve fitting and analyzed the causes of curve fitting errors. To verify the feasibility of this method, an experiment setup was built. Results from the experiments validated the solution in this paper to be effective.
Wide-Band Color Imagery Restoration for RGB-NIR Single Sensor Images
Authors: Soria Xavier , Sappa Angel D. , Hammoud Riad I.
Published: June 2018

Multi-spectral RGB-NIR sensors have become ubiquitous in recent years. These sensors allow the visible and near-infrared spectral bands of a given scene to be captured at the same time. With such cameras, the acquired imagery has a compromised RGB color representation due to near-infrared bands (700–1100 nm) cross-talking with the visible bands (400–700 nm). This paper proposes two deep learning-based architectures to recover the full RGB color images, thus removing the NIR information from the visible bands. The proposed approaches directly restore the high-resolution RGB image by means of convolutional neural networks. They are evaluated with several outdoor images; both architectures reach a similar performance when evaluated in different scenarios and using different similarity metrics. Both of them improve the state of the art approaches.
Lessons for Sustainable Development: Marine Mammal Conservation Policies and Its Social and Economic Effects
Authors: Manjarrez-Bringas Nahieli , Aragón-Noriega Eugenio Alberto , Beltrán-Morales Luis Felipe , Cordoba-Matson Michael Victor , Ortega-Rubio Alfredo
Published: June 2018

The objective of this research is to assess the main social and economic effects on local fishermen in El Golfo de Santa Clara, as a result of the severe fishing restrictions enforced to protect the marine mammal “vaquita” (Phocoena sinus). Sustainable development includes natural resources conservation and the improvement of the social and economic conditions of local inhabitants. In Mexico, the vaquita is in imminent danger of extinction. It is a marine cetacean endemic to the Upper Gulf of California. Conservation measures to save this species, such as gear-switching and transformation subsidies from fishing activities to tourist services, have caused severe social and economic impacts on the local fishermen of this region. Presently, it is estimated that there are only 30 vaquita individuals left in the wild, and none are in captivity. In this study, we conduct surveys of the human local population involved in the incidental bycatch fishing of the vaquita, and also use secondary sources to come up with recommendations, based on taking into account stakeholder needs. For this fishing community the economic and social problems have worsened because currently there are limited economic activity options in the area for the human population, and the vaquita population continues to decline. Recommendations are offered to contribute to the ecological sustainability of this species, and for economic and social sustainability of local fishermen.
Determinants of Pro-Environmental Behavior among Young and Older Farmers in Taiwan
Authors: Fang Wei-Ta , Ng Eric , Zhan Yong-Shen
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study was to explore the determinants of farmers’ pro-environmental behaviors in Taiwan. A total of 526 valid questionnaires were received from a randomly stratified sample of young (below 40 years old) and older (above 40 years old) farmers located in Central Taiwan. The findings revealed that young farmers’ pro-environmental behaviors were directly affected by personal norms, and also indirectly from personal and social norms through perceived behavioral control. In contrast, older farmers’ pro-environmental behaviors were directly affected by social norms, whereas personal norms also had an indirect impact via perceived behavioral control. Results from this study could contribute towards the development of appropriate strategies for the two age groups of farmers who respond to the different determinants of their pro-environmental behaviors.
Life Cycle Environmental Impact of Biomass Co-Firing with Coal at a Power Plant in the Greater Houston Area
Authors: Kommalapati Raghava Rao , Hossan Iqbal , Botlaguduru Venkata Sai Vamsi , Du Hongbo , Huque Ziaul
Published: June 2018

Electricity generation from coal is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and has adverse effects on the environment. Biomass from forest residue can be co-fired with coal to reduce the impact of fossil-fuel power plants on the environment. W. A. Parish power plant (WAP, Richmond, TX, USA) located in the greater Houston area is the largest coal and natural gas-based power generation facility in Texas and is the subject of the current study. A life cycle assessment (LCA) study was performed with SimaPro® and IMPACT 2002+ method, for the replacement of 5%, 10%, and 15% coal (energy-basis) with forest residue at the WAP power plant in Texas. Results from the LCA study indicate that life cycle air emissions of CO2, CO, SO2, PM2.5, NOX, and VOC could reduce by 13.5%, 6.4%, 9.5%, 9.2%, 11.6%, and 7.7% respectively when 15% of coal is replaced with forest residue. Potential life cycle impact decreased across 9 mid-point impact categories of, human/aquatic toxicity, respiratory organics/inorganics, global warming, non-renewable energy, mineral extraction, aquatic acidification, and terrestrial acidification/nitrification. The potential impact across damage/end-point categories of human health, ecosystem quality, climate change, and resources reduced by 8.7%, 3.8%, 13.2%, and 14.8% respectively for 15% co-firing ratio.
A Countryside to Sip: Venice Inland and the Prosecco’s Uneasy Relationship with Wine Tourism and Rural Exploitation
Authors: Visentin Francesco , Vallerani Francesco
Published: June 2018

In 2016, Italian production of wine exceeded 51 million hectolitres and among the twenty regions, the region with the most production by volume (millions of hectolitres) was the Veneto region, north-east of Italy, with almost 11 million. In particular, the success of Prosecco at the global level is the most important driving factor at both the economic and productivity levels. The worldwide success of Prosecco wine entails a remarkable change in both the local and regional configuration of agrarian landscapes. Traditional winegrowing swiftly changed into an intensive monoculture with remarkable investments and the spread of new viticulture entrepreneurships. The discussion proposed here intends to investigate the process of heritage construction or ‘heritagisation’, UNESCO candidacy, as an important issue for rural tourism promotion in the context of a productive winescape. We concentrated our analysis on the DOCG area, a complex space where several forces need to coexist; the productive drive of growing requests (global and local) of Prosecco, as well as rural representation based on local habits and a concrete hilly landscape. Rural tourism is clearly an important sector in terms of revenue and employment, especially for local communities, and it can help to ensure economic stability; however, doing so in a way that benefits the area and the landscape is not so straightforward. There are potential problems in facilitating increased urbanization, such as the standardization of landscape and damage to the area if plans are mismanaged. In the case of best practices, a desirable model of tourism can be tapped into while helping rural regions take advantage of more sustainable tourism development and landscape management.
Assessing Multiple Pathways for Achieving China’s National Emissions Reduction Target
Authors: Wang Mingyue , Liu Yu , Liu Yawen , Yang Shunxiang , Yang Lingyu
Published: June 2018

In order to achieve China’s target of carbon intensity emissions reduction in 2030, there is a need to identify a scientific pathway and feasible strategies. In this study, we used stochastic frontier analysis method of energy efficiency, incorporating energy structure, economic structure, human capital, capital stock and potential energy efficiency to identify an efficient pathway for achieving emissions reduction target. We set up 96 scenarios including single factor scenarios and multi-factors combination scenarios for the simulation. The effects of each scenario on achieving the carbon intensity reduction target are then evaluated. It is found that: (1) Potential energy efficiency has the greatest contribution to the carbon intensity emissions reduction target; (2) they are unlikely to reach the 2030 carbon intensity reduction target of 60% by only optimizing a single factor; (3) in order to achieve the 2030 target, several aspects have to be adjusted: the fossil fuel ratio must be lower than 80%, and its average growth rate must be decreased by 2.2%; the service sector ratio in GDP must be higher than 58.3%, while the growth rate of non-service sectors must be lowered by 2.4%; and both human capital and capital stock must achieve and maintain a stable growth rate and a 1% increase annually in energy efficiency. Finally, the specific recommendations of this research were discussed, including constantly improved energy efficiency; the upgrading of China’s industrial structure must be accelerated; emissions reduction must be done at the root of energy sources; multi-level input mechanisms in overall levels of education and training to cultivate the human capital stock must be established; investment in emerging equipment and accelerate the closure of backward production capacity to accumulate capital stock.
Cooperative Longevity and Sustainable Development in a Family Farming System
Authors: Giagnocavo Cynthia , Galdeano-Gómez Emilio , Pérez-Mesa Juan Carlos
Published: June 2018

This paper focuses on small holding, family farming in Southeast Spain where agricultural economic activity is predominantly organized around cooperative business models. A variety of diverse studies on the Almería agricultural and credit cooperative sector and the exploration of social-economic and eco-social indicators, in addition to economic-market indicators are presented. Each correspond to a cooperative “logic” that spans theoretical perspectives from the dominant economic-market model, new institutionalism, and an eco-social approach, echoing theories on collective coordination governance, and the avoidance of the “tragedy of the commons”. The latter is of particular importance given environmental challenges and scarce resources for agricultural activity. The cooperatives in Almería have increasingly relied on collective collaboration and coordination in order to meet social-economic and social-ecological challenges, transforming their role from that founded on a market dominant logic to that of cooperation as a coordination mechanism based on the mutual benefit of the community and environment. In turn, their ability to meet a wide range of needs and challenges of members and the community leads to their longevity. Cooperatives are able to act as both a market and non-market coordination mechanism, balancing the economic, social, and environmental dimensions, such that neither market nor non-market logics are dominant or exclusive.
Does Migrant Status and Household Registration Matter? Examining the Effects of City Size on Self-Rated Health
Authors: Zhou Chunshan , Chen Jing , Wang Shaojian
Published: June 2018

Rapid urban population growth, especially in the last three decades, has begun to present a serious threat to living conditions, and posing increased risks to human health. Investigating the relationship between population size of city areas and self-rated health (SRH) can, we argue, provide insights for the management of population growth and improving SRH. This study employed a multilevel analysis to reveal the effects of city size on SRH both from migrant status and household registration perspectives, using data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) for 2013. The results indicate that an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between city size and SRH. Income and population density were shown to constitute significant positive impact drivers in relation to SRH. In contrast, migrant status and household registration exerted a significant negative effect on SRH. While the SRH status of migrants was not influenced by city size, city size was found to influence the SRH of individuals differently in different regions (i.e., eastern, central, and western parts of China). The results will be helpful in understanding the effect of the dynamics of city size on SRH in China, and will assist the Chinese government in employing effective strategies to improve SRH status.
Transcriptome Analysis of C. elegans Reveals Novel Targets for DON Cytotoxicity
Authors: Di Rong , Zhang Hanzhong , Lawton Michael A.
Published: June 2018

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium spp. that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in cereal crops. Ingestion of food contaminated with DON poses serious human health complications. However, the DON cytotoxicity has been mostly deduced from animal studies. In this study, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a tractable animal model to dissect the toxic effect of DON. Our results indicate that DON reduces the fecundity and lifespan of C. elegans. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that DON upregulates innate immunity-related genes including C17H12.8 and K08D8.5 encoding PMK-1 (mitogen activated protein kinase-1)-regulated immune effectors, and F35E12.5 encoding a CUB-like domain-containing protein. Furthermore, our RNAseq data demonstrate that out of ~17,000 C. elegans genes, 313 are upregulated and 166 were downregulated by DON treatment. Among the DON-upregulated genes, several are ugt genes encoding UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGTs) which are known to be involved in chemical detoxification. The three upregulated genes, F52F10.4 (oac-32), C10H11.6 (ugt-26) and C10H11.4 (ugt-28) encoding the O-acyltransferase homolog, UGT26 and UGT 28, respectively, are shown to contribute to DON tolerance by a RNAi bacterial feeding experiment. The results of this study provide insights to the targets of DON cytotoxicity and potential mitigation measures.
Detection of Aflatoxigenic and Atoxigenic Mexican Aspergillus Strains by the Dichlorvos–Ammonia (DV–AM) Method
Authors: Kushiro Masayo , Hatabayashi Hidemi , Yabe Kimiko , Loladze Alexander
Published: June 2018

The dichlorvos–ammonia (DV–AM) method is a sensitive method for distinguishing aflatoxigenic fungi by detecting red (positive) colonies. In this study, the DV–AM method was applied for the isolation of aflatoxigenic and atoxigenic fungi from soil samples from a maize field in Mexico. In the first screening, we obtained two isolates from two soil subsamples of 20 independent samples and, in the second screening, we obtained two isolates from one subsample of these. Morphological and phylogenic analyses of the two isolates (MEX-A19-13, MEX-A19-2nd-5) indicated that they were Aspergillus flavus located in the A. flavus clade. Chemical analyses demonstrated that one isolate could produce B-type aflatoxins, while the other produced no aflatoxins. These results demonstrate that the DV–AM method is useful for the isolation of both aflatoxigenic and atoxigenic Aspergilli.
Delivering Phage Products to Combat Antibiotic Resistance in Developing Countries: Lessons Learned from the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Africa
Authors: Nagel Tobi E.
Published: June 2018

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis and HIV/AIDS epidemic exhibit many parallels. In both, infectious diseases have caused millions of deaths worldwide, with AMR expected to kill even more people each year than HIV/AIDS did at its peak. In addition, both have required or will require new classes of drugs for control. For HIV/AIDS, development of vital antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) was accomplished in several stages: expanding public awareness about the disease, gathering commitment from the international community to tackle the problem, and eventually establishing policies and global funds to deliver new therapeutics. For AMR, the pursuit of new antimicrobials appears to be following a similar trajectory. This paper examines how lessons and processes leading to ARVs might be applied to developing AMR drugs, in particular bacteriophages (phages). These possess many essential characteristics: inexpensive manufacture, rapid drug development, and a ready means to prevent phage-resistant microbes from emerging. However, the broad application of phage-based products has yet to be fully demonstrated, and will require both international coordination and modified regulatory policies.
Identification of Novel HIV-1 Latency-Reversing Agents from a Library of Marine Natural Products
Authors: Richard Khumoekae , Williams David E. , De Silva E. Dilip , Brockman Mark A. , Brumme Zabrina L. , Andersen Raymond J. , Tietjen Ian
Published: June 2018

Natural products originating from marine and plant materials are a rich source of chemical diversity and unique antimicrobials. Using an established in vitro model of HIV-1 latency, we screened 257 pure compounds from a marine natural product library and identified 4 (psammaplin A, aplysiatoxin, debromoaplysiatoxin, and previously-described alotaketal C) that induced expression of latent HIV-1 provirus in both cell line and primary cell models. Notably, aplysiatoxin induced similar levels of HIV-1 expression as prostratin but at up to 900-fold lower concentrations and without substantial effects on cell viability. Psammaplin A enhanced HIV-1 expression synergistically when treated in combination with the protein kinase C (PKC) activator prostratin, but not the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) panobinostat, suggesting that psammaplin A functions as a latency-reversing agent (LRA) of the HDACi class. Conversely, aplysiatoxin and debromoaplysiatoxin synergized with panobinostat but not prostratin, suggesting that they function as PKC activators. Our study identifies new compounds from previously untested marine natural products and adds to the repertoire of LRAs that can inform therapeutic “shock-and-kill”-based strategies to eliminate latent HIV-infected reservoirs.