bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Invasion of alien plant species and their impact on different ecosystems of Panchase Area, Nepal
Authors: Baral S. , Adhikari A , Khanal R. , Malla Y. , Kunwar R. , Basnyat B. , Gauli K. , Acharya R. P.
Published: November 2017

The aggressiveness of invasive alien plant species has been amidst the changing climate, which has necessitated further research in this area. The impact of invasive alien plant species in the Panchase area of Nepal was assessed through the forest resource assessment and other methodologies such as, household survey, group discussion, direct field observation, participatory cluster mapping, quadrat sampling, laboratory analysis, and GIS mapping. A total of nine major invasive species, in which Ageratum houstonianum and Ageratina adenophora were found spread throughout the ecosystem. The invasion was fueled by anthropogenic disturbances such as leaving the agricultural lands, fallow and degradation of habitat. As a consequence, native species such as Artemisia indica and Urtica dioica were outcompeted mostly in the fringes of fallow lands, agricultural lands and in the disturbed sites. The intrusion was, however, less in the forest area, implying that community-managed dense canopy forests are less susceptible to invasion and routine management can offset the negative effects of invasion. Even though many negative consequences of the invasion were observed in the study sites, the possibility of the economically exploiting the biomass of invasive alien plant species for generating income locally was noticed.Banko Janakari, Vol. 27, No. 1, page: 31-42
Distribution and preliminary conservation assessments of commonly used forest species in the Nepalese Himalayas
Authors: Adhikari B , Pendry C. A. , Måren I. E. , Bhattarai K. R. , Chaudhary R. P.
Published: November 2017

Balancing the trade-offs between biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service delivery is a colossal challenge in the areas of the globe with high productivity and high demand, such as in south Asia. In order to meet this challenge, we need enhanced knowledge of the species constituting these semi-natural systems. This paper reports the country-level preliminary conservation assessments for 153 woody plant species from the Middle Hills in central Nepal based on the IUCN criteria. Distribution maps and threat categories are provided for all species. Ten species are categorized as Near Threatened, two as Endangered and one as Vulnerable. Conservation assessments could not be completed for 24 species because of insufficient distribution data.Banko Janakari, Vol. 27, No. 1, Page: 43-54
Gut microbiome and aging: Physiological and mechanistic insights
Authors: Nagpal Ravinder , Mainali Rabina , Ahmadi Shokouh , Wang Shaohua , Singh Ria , Kavanagh Kylie , Kitzman Dalane W. , Kushugulova Almagul , Marotta Francesco , Yadav Hariom
Published: November 2017

The development of human gut microbiota begins as soon as the neonate leaves the protective environment of the uterus (or maybe in-utero) and is exposed to innumerable microorganisms from the mother as well as the surrounding environment. Concurrently, the host responses to these microbes during early life manifest during the development of an otherwise hitherto immature immune system. The human gut microbiome, which comprises an extremely diverse and complex community of microorganisms inhabiting the intestinal tract, keeps on fluctuating during different stages of life. While these deviations are largely natural, inevitable and benign, recent studies show that unsolicited perturbations in gut microbiota configuration could have strong impact on several features of host health and disease. Our microbiota undergoes the most prominent deviations during infancy and old age and, interestingly, our immune health is also in its weakest and most unstable state during these two critical stages of life, indicating that our microbiota and health develop and age hand-in-hand. However, the mechanisms underlying these interactions are only now beginning to be revealed. The present review summarizes the evidences related to the age-associated changes in intestinal microbiota and vice-versa, mechanisms involved in this bi-directional relationship, and the prospective for development of microbiota-based interventions such as probiotics for healthy aging.
A non-invasive glucose level estimation in a multi-sensing health care monitoring system
Authors: Alarcón-Paredes Antonio , Rebolledo-Nandi Zaic , Guzmán-Guzmán Iris Paola , Yáñez-Márquez Cornelio , Alonso Gustavo Adolfo
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

The treatment and care of patients with chronic diseases depends directly on the evolution of biomedical parameters. It is important to have a monitoring health care system that provides biomedical data at any time and place. Here, a multi-sensing health care monitoring system with a built-in non-invasive blood glucose level estimation method is presented.

METHODS:

Six biomedical parameters were obtained from 15 participants. Glucose levels were obtained using a computer vision approach. A standard glucose laboratory test was taken as a baseline, and a commercial glucometer as a secondary reference. The remaining parameters were also contrasted with a commercial vital signs monitor.

RESULTS:

In comparison to standard test, our proposal reported a better performance (RMSE of 9.811) than obtained with the commercial glucometer; the Mann-Whitney test found no significant differences. The remaining biomedical parameters exhibit similar results to the commercial vital signs monitor as validated by a cardiologist.

CONCLUSION:

The results suggest the proposed approach could be considered highly competitive regarding standard tests and validated with commercial health care monitoring systems.
Cross-sectional evaluation of visuomotor tracking performance following subconcussive head impacts
Authors: Brokaw E.B. , Fine M.S. , Kindschi K.E. , Santago II A.C. , Lum P.S. , Higgins M.
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND:

Repeated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been associated with increased risk of degenerative neurological disorders. While the effects of mTBI and repeated injury are known, studies have only recently started examining repeated subconcussive impacts, impacts that do not result in a clinically diagnosed mTBI. In these studies, repeated subconcussive impacts have been connected to cognitive performance and brain imaging changes.

OBJECTIVE:

Recent research suggests that performance on a visuomotor tracking (VMT) task may help improve the identification of mTBI. The goal of this study was to investigate if VMT performance is sensitive to the cumulative effect of repeated subconcussive head impacts in collegiate men’s lacrosse players.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional, prospective study was completed with eleven collegiate men’s lacrosse players. Participants wore helmet-mounted sensors and completed VMT and reaction time assessments. The relationship between cumulative impact metrics and VMT metrics were investigated.

RESULTS:

In this study, VMT performance correlated with repeated subconcussive head impacts; individuals approached clinically diagnosed mTBI-like performance as the cumulative rotational velocity they experienced increased.

CONCLUSION:

This suggests that repeated subconcussive impacts can result in measurable impairments and indicates that visuomotor tracking performance may be a useful tool for monitoring the effects of repeated subconcussive impacts.
Ubiquitous Nature of Fluoroquinolones: The Oscillation between Antibacterial and Anticancer Activities
Authors: Idowu Temilolu , Schweizer Frank
Published: November 2017

Fluoroquinolones are synthetic antibacterial agents that stabilize the ternary complex of prokaryotic topoisomerase II enzymes (gyrase and Topo IV), leading to extensive DNA fragmentation and bacteria death. Despite the similar structural folds within the critical regions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic topoisomerases, clinically relevant fluoroquinolones display a remarkable selectivity for prokaryotic topoisomerase II, with excellent safety records in humans. Typical agents that target human topoisomerases (such as etoposide, doxorubicin and mitoxantrone) are associated with significant toxicities and secondary malignancies, whereas clinically relevant fluoroquinolones are not known to exhibit such propensities. Although many fluoroquinolones have been shown to display topoisomerase-independent antiproliferative effects against various human cancer cells, those that are significantly active against eukaryotic topoisomerase show the same DNA damaging properties as other topoisomerase poisons. Empirical models also show that fluoroquinolones mediate some unique immunomodulatory activities of suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines and super-inducing interleukin-2. This article reviews the extended roles of fluoroquinolones and their prospects as lead for the unmet needs of “small and safe” multimodal-targeting drug scaffolds.
Polyphenols as Promising Drugs against Main Breast Cancer Signatures
Authors: Losada-Echeberría María , Herranz-López María , Micol Vicente , Barrajón-Catalán Enrique
Published: November 2017

Breast cancer is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide, and in spite of clinical and pharmacological advances, it is still a clinical problem, causing morbidity and mortality. On the one hand, breast cancer shares with other neoplasms some molecular signatures such as an imbalanced redox state, cell cycle alterations, increased proliferation and an inflammatory status. On the other hand, breast cancer shows differential molecular subtypes that determine its prognosis and treatment. These are characterized mainly by hormone receptors especially estrogen receptors (ERs) and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Tumors with none of these receptors are classified as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and are associated with a worse prognosis. The success of treatments partially depends on their specificity and the adequate molecular classification of tumors. New advances in anticancer drug discovery using natural compounds have been made in the last few decades, and polyphenols have emerged as promising molecules. They may act on various molecular targets because of their promiscuous behavior, presenting several physiological effects, some of which confer antitumor activity. This review analyzes the accumulated evidence of the antitumor effects of plant polyphenols on breast cancer, with special attention to their activity on ERs and HER2 targets and also covering different aspects such as redox balance, uncontrolled proliferation and chronic inflammation.
On the Seismic Design of Structures with Tilting Located within a Seismic Region
Authors: Valenzuela-Beltrán Federico , Ruiz Sonia , Reyes-Salazar Alfredo , Gaxiola-Camacho J.
Published: November 2017

A reliability-based criterion to estimate strength amplification factors for buildings with asymmetric yielding located within a seismic region presenting different soil conditions is proposed and applied. The approach involves the calculation of the mean annual rate of exceedance of structural demands of systems with different levels of asymmetric yielding. Two simplified mathematical expressions are developed considering different soil conditions of the valley of Mexico. The mathematical expressions depend on the ductility of the structural systems, their level of asymmetric yielding, their fundamental vibration period and the dominant period of the soil. In addition, the proposed expressions are compared with that recommended by the current Mexico City Building Code (MCBC). Since the expressions are developed with the help of simplified structural systems, the validity of such expressions is corroborated by comparing the expected ductility demand of multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) structural systems with respect to that of their equivalent simplified systems. Both structural representations are associated with a given annual rate of exceedance value of an engineering demand parameter. The expressions proposed in this study will be incorporated in the new version of the MCBC.
Performance Evaluation of Waterproofing Membrane Systems Subject to the Concrete Joint Load Behavior of Below-Grade Concrete Structures
Authors: Song Jaeyoung , Oh Kyuhwan , Kim Byoungil , Oh Sangkeun
Published: November 2017

Below-grade structures such as parking lots, underground subway tunnels, and basements are growing in scale and reaching deeper below-ground levels. In this type of environment, they become subject to higher water pressure. The concrete material of the structures is exposed to wet conditions for longer periods of time, which makes the proper adhesion of waterproofing membranes difficult. Joint movements from increased structural settlement, thermal expansion/shrinkage, and physical loads from external sources (e.g., vehicles) make securing durable waterproofing challenging. While ASTM Guides, Korean Codes, and BS Practice Codes on below-grade waterproofing stress the importance of manufacturer specification for quality control, ensuring high quality waterproofing for the ever-changing scale of construction remains a challenge. This study proposes a new evaluation method and criteria which allow for the selection of waterproofing membranes based on specific performance attributes and workmanship. It subjects six different waterproofing membrane systems (installed on dry and wet surface conditioned mortar slab specimens with an artificial joint to different cyclic movement widths) to 300 cycles in water to demonstrate that inadequate material properties and workmanship are key causes for leakages.
An Integrated Participative Spatial Decision Support System for Smart Energy Urban Scenarios: A Financial and Economic Approach
Authors: Abastante Francesca , Lami Isabella , Lombardi Patrizia
Published: November 2017

The decision-making process regarding heating supply system options in a district perspective is extremely challenging. This paper aims to present a new method to support urban energy decisions in real-time processes, which was developed in the context of a European project (DIMMER (District Information Modeling and Management for Energy Reduction, 2013–2016)). The method is composed of three parts: (i) a new web-based spatial decision support system (SDSS), called “Dashboard”; (ii) an ad hoc energy-attribute analysis (EAA) tool to be integrated into Dashboard; and (iii) a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). In contrast to other SDSSs, one of the main strengths of Dashboard is the ability to acquire, store, and manage both geo-referenced and non-geo-referenced data, and perform real-time analyses of spatial problems taking into account a wide range of information. In this sense, Dashboard can formally visualize and assess a potentially infinite number of attributes and information, as it is able to read and process very large web databases. This characteristic makes Dashboard a very effective tool that can be used in real-time during focus groups or workshops to understand how the criterion trade-offs evolve when one, or several, decision parameters change. The paper describes the main procedure of the new method and testing of Dashboard test on a district in Turin (Italy).
Role of Scaffold Protein Proline-, Glutamic Acid-, and Leucine-Rich Protein 1 (PELP1) in the Modulation of Adrenocortical Cancer Cell Growth
Authors: De Luca Arianna , Avena Paola , Sirianni Rosa , Chimento Adele , Fallo Francesco , Pilon Catia , Casaburi Ivan , Pezzi Vincenzo
Published: November 2017

PELP1 acts as an estrogen receptor (ER) coactivator that exerts an essential role in the ER’s functions. ER coregulators have a critical role in the progression and response to hormonal treatment of estrogen-dependent tumors. We previously demonstrated that, in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), ERα is upregulated and that estradiol activates the IGF-II/IGF1R signaling pathways defining the role of this functional cross-talk in H295R ACC cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to determine if PELP1 is expressed in ACC and may play a role in promoting the interaction between ERα and IGF1R allowing the activation of pathways important for ACC cell growth. The expression of PELP1 was detected by Western blot analysis in ACC tissues and in H295R cells. H295R cell proliferation decrease was assessed by A3-(4,5-Dimethylthiaoly)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and [3H] thymidine incorporation. PELP1 is expressed in ACC tissues and in H295R cells. Moreover, treatment of H295R with E2 or IGF-II induced a multiprotein complex formation consisting of PELP1, IGF1R, ERα, and Src that is involved in ERK1/2 rapid activation. PELP1/ER/IGF1R/c-Src complex identification as part of E2- and IGF-II-dependent signaling in ACC suggests PELP1 is a novel and more efficient potential target to reduce ACC growth.
Novel Quaternary TlGaSn2Se6 Single Crystal as Promising Material for Laser Operated Infrared Nonlinear Optical Modulators
Authors: Parasyuk Oleh , Babizhetskyy Volodymyr , Khyzhun Oleg , Levytskyy Volodymyr , Kityk Iwan , Myronchuk Galyna , Tsisar Oksana , Piskach Lyudmyla , Jedryka Jaroslaw , Maciag Artur , Piasecki Michal
Published: November 2017

The studies of the laser operated third order nonlinear optical features of novel TlGaSn2Se6 crystal were done. The main efforts were devoted to a search of a possibility to apply these crystals as laser operated optoelectronic material. For this reason, the third harmonic generation of the Nd:YAG pulse laser 1064 nm as the fundamental beam with varied energy density of up to 200 J/m2 was studied. As a source of laser operated light, we have used the cw laser (532 nm), exciting the material above the energy gap. Additionally, the influence of middle-energy Ar+ ions on the XPS spectra of the TlInSn2Se6 surface has been explored. We have shown that the main contribution of the Se4p states is manifested in the upper part of the valence band of TlInSn2Se6 We have established that for the TlGaSn2Se6 crystal there exists a possibility of variation of the third harmonic generation efficiency using illumination by external continuous wave laser beam. The discovered effect makes it possible to utilize TlGaSn2Se6 crystal in advanced optoelectronic laser operated devices.
Correction: Abdollahzadeh Jamalabadi, M.Y.; Hooshmand, P.; Bagheri, N.; KhakRah, H.; Dousti, M. Numerical Simulation of Williamson Combined Natural and Forced Convective Fluid Flow between Parallel Vertical Walls with Slip Effects and Radiative Heat Transfer in a Porous Medium. Entropy 2016, 18, 147
Authors: Abdollahzadeh Jamalabadi Mohammad , Hooshmand Payam , Bagheri Navid , KhakRah HamidReza , Dousti Majid
Published: November 2017

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...]
A Novel Derivation of the Time Evolution of the Entropy for Macroscopic Systems in Thermal Non-Equilibrium
Authors: Sciubba Enrico , Zullo Federico
Published: November 2017

The paper discusses how the two thermodynamic properties, energy (U) and exergy (E), can be used to solve the problem of quantifying the entropy of non-equilibrium systems. Both energy and exergy are a priori concepts, and their formal dependence on thermodynamic state variables at equilibrium is known. Exploiting the results of a previous study, we first calculate the non-equilibrium exergy En-eq can be calculated for an arbitrary temperature distributions across a macroscopic body with an accuracy that depends only on the available information about the initial distribution: the analytical results confirm that En-eq exponentially relaxes to its equilibrium value. Using the Gyftopoulos-Beretta formalism, a non-equilibrium entropy Sn-eq(x,t) is then derived from En-eq(x,t) and U(x,t). It is finally shown that the non-equilibrium entropy generation between two states is always larger than its equilibrium (herein referred to as “classical”) counterpart. We conclude that every iso-energetic non-equilibrium state corresponds to an infinite set of non-equivalent states that can be ranked in terms of increasing entropy. Therefore, each point of the Gibbs plane corresponds therefore to a set of possible initial distributions: the non-equilibrium entropy is a multi-valued function that depends on the initial mass and energy distribution within the body. Though the concept cannot be directly extended to microscopic systems, it is argued that the present formulation is compatible with a possible reinterpretation of the existing non-equilibrium formulations, namely those of Tsallis and Grmela, and answers at least in part one of the objections set forth by Lieb and Yngvason. A systematic application of this paradigm is very convenient from a theoretical point of view and may be beneficial for meaningful future applications in the fields of nano-engineering and biological sciences.
Comparison of Two Entropy Spectral Analysis Methods for Streamflow Forecasting in Northwest China
Authors: Zhou Zhenghong , Ju Juanli , Su Xiaoling , Singh Vijay , Zhang Gengxi
Published: November 2017

Monthly streamflow has elements of stochasticity, seasonality, and periodicity. Spectral analysis and time series analysis can, respectively, be employed to characterize the periodical pattern and the stochastic pattern. Both Burg entropy spectral analysis (BESA) and configurational entropy spectral analysis (CESA) combine spectral analysis and time series analysis. This study compared the predictive performances of BESA and CESA for monthly streamflow forecasting in six basins in Northwest China. Four criteria were selected to evaluate the performances of these two entropy spectral analyses: relative error (RE), root mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2), and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE). It was found that in Northwest China, both BESA and CESA forecasted monthly streamflow well with strong correlation. The forecast accuracy of BESA is higher than CESA. For the streamflow with weak correlation, the conclusion is the opposite.
Correction of the Unobtrusive ECG Using System Identification
Authors: Boehm Anna , Yu Xinchi , Leonhardt Steffen , Teichmann Daniel
Published: November 2017

Unobtrusively acquired electrocardiograms (ECG) could substantially improve the comfort of patients. However, such ECGs are not used in clinical practice because (among other reasons) signal deformations impede correct diagnosis of the ECG. Here, methods are proposed for correction of the unobtrusive ECG, based on system identification. Knowing the reference ECG, models were developed to correct the unobtrusively acquired ECG. A finite impulse response (FIR) model, a state space model and an autoregressive model were developed. The models were trained and evaluated on the Goldberger leads recorded from an ECG T-shirt with dry electrodes, and from a gold standard ECG. It was found that the FIR model corrects the unobtrusive ECG with good agreement ( ρ aVR = 0.84 ± 0.10, ρ aVL = 0.65 ± 0.24, ρ aVF = 0.88 ± 0.04), while the other models do not yield significant improvements, or become unstable. The R-peaks were also accurately corrected by the FIR model ( MSE aVR = 0.10 ± 0.10, MSE aVL = 0.14 ± 0.27, MSE aVF = 0.03 ± 0.02). To conclude, the proposed FIR method succeeded in significantly correcting the unobtrusive ECG signal.
Environmentally-Benign Dimethyl Carbonate-Mediated Production of Chemicals and Biofuels from Renewable Bio-Oil
Authors: Kim Keon , Lee Eun
Published: November 2017

Due to the increasing emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), the development of fuels and chemicals based on renewable resources has attracted much attention. Bio-oil, as a carbon rich material, has been considered as a feedstock for biodiesel production. In conventional methanol-mediated transesterification of bio-oil for biodiesel production, significant amounts of glycerol are being generated as a byproduct. In order to overcome these issues, dimethyl carbonate (DMC) has been recently used as an alternative acyl acceptor to avoid the generation of glycerol. DMC is an environmentally-benign chemical reagent and reactive solvent due to safety, health, and environmental benefits. Moreover, DMC can be produced from CO2. Co-production of biodiesel and chemicals such as glycerol carbonate is possible as the concept of zero-waste utilization of bio-oil. Value-added chemicals can be synthesized using DMC as a reagent. This paper provides a review on the physical and chemical properties of DMC as a solvent, as well as the production methods for DMC. DMC-mediated production of various chemicals and fuels in both chemical and enzymatic processes are discussed together with their pros and cons.
Treefall Gap Mapping Using Sentinel-2 Images
Authors: Barton Iván , Király Géza , Czimber Kornél , Hollaus Markus , Pfeifer Norbert
Published: November 2017

Proper knowledge about resources in forest management is fundamental. One of the most important parameters of forests is their size or spatial extension. By determining the area of treefall gaps inside the compartments, a more accurate yield can be calculated and the scheduling of forestry operations could be planned better. Several field- and remote sensing-based approaches are in use for mapping but they provide only static measurements at high cost. The Earth Observation satellite mission Sentinel-2 was put in orbit as part of the Copernicus programme. With the 10-m resolution bands, it is possible to observe small-scale forestry operations like treefall gaps. The spatial extension of these gaps is often less than 200 m2, thus their detection can only be done on sub-pixel level. Due to the higher temporal resolution of Sentinel-2, multiple observations are available in a year; therefore, a time series evaluation is possible. The modelling of illumination can increase the accuracy of classification in mountainous areas. The method was tested on three deciduous forest sites in the Börzsöny Mountains in Hungary. The area evaluation produced less than 10% overestimation with the best possible solutions on the sites. The presented work shows a low-cost method for mapping treefall gaps which delivers annual information about the gap area in a deciduous forest.
Optimization of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) Growth: From Laboratory Scale to Pilot Scale
Authors: Delrue Florian , Alaux Emilie , Moudjaoui Lagia , Gaignard Clément , Fleury Gatien , Perilhou Amaury , Richaud Pierre , Petitjean Martin , Sassi Jean-François
Published: November 2017

Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) is the most cultivated microalga worldwide. Improving its cultivation in terms of biomass productivity, quality, or production cost could significantly impact the Spirulina industry. The objectives of this paper were defined as to contribute to this goal. Spirulina biomass productivity was investigated through medium choice. A modified Zarrouk’s medium was selected as it gave higher final dry weights and longer sustained growth than Hiri’s and Jourdan’s media. Then, in order to reduce Spirulina production cost, modified Zarrouk’s medium was rationalized by testing different dilutions. It was found that modified Zarrouk’s medium could be diluted up to five times without impacting the growth rates in a 28-days batch cultivation. Higher dry weights were even observed after 21 days of batch cultivation (1.21 g/L for 20%-modified Zarrouk’s medium in comparison to 0.84 g/L for modified Zarrouk’s medium). Iron uptake was then investigated as one of the major contributors to Spirulina nutritional quality. An increase in iron content was obtained by replacing iron sulfate by iron EDTA at a concentration of 10 mgFe/L (2.11 ± 0.13 mgFe/gbiomass for EDTA-FeNa, 3 H2O at 10 mgFe/L compared to 0.18 ± 0.13 for FeSO4,6H2O at 2 mgFe/L). Impact of light intensity on Spirulina biomass productivity was also investigated in a 2 L Photobioreactor (PBR). Specific growth rates were calculated for Photosynthetically Photon Flux Densities (PPFD) from 85 to 430 µmol/m2/s. At 430 µmol/m2/s, photoinhibition was not observed and the specific growth rate was maximum (0.12/day). Finally, a 40-day cultivation experiment was conducted in a 1000 L PBR giving a maximum daily areal productivity of 58.4 g/m2/day. A techno-economic analysis gave production cost two to 20 times higher for PBR (from 18.71 to 74.29 €/kg) than for open ponds (from 3.86 to 9.59 €/kg) depending on Spirulina productivity.
A Comprehensive Survey on Real-Time Applications of WSN
Authors: Ali Ahmad , Ming Yu , Chakraborty Sagnik , Iram Saima
Published: November 2017

Nowadays, the investigation of the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has materialized its functional area ubiquitously such as environmental engineering, industrial and business applications, military, feedstock and habitat, agriculture sector, seismic detection, intelligent buildings, smart grids, and predictive maintenance, etc. Although some challenges still exist in the wireless sensor network, in spite of the shortcoming, it has been gaining significant attention among researchers and technologists due to its versatility and robustness. WSN is subject to a high potential technology that has been successfully implemented and tested in real-time scenarios, as well as deployed practically in various applications. In this paper, we have carried out an extensive survey in real-time applications of wireless sensor network deployment in a practical scenario such as the real-time intelligent monitoring of temperature, criminal activity in borders and surveillance on traffic monitoring, vehicular behavior on roads, water level and pressure, and remote monitoring of patients. The application of the Wireless Sensor Network in the assorted field of research areas has been widely deliberated. WSN is found to be the most effective solution in remote areas which are not yet explored due to its perilous nature and unreachable places. Here, in this study, we have cited the recent and updated research on the ubiquitous usage of WSN in diverse fields in an extensive and comprehensive approach.
Proposed Fuzzy-NN Algorithm with LoRaCommunication Protocol for Clustered Irrigation Systems
Authors: Kontogiannis Sotirios , Kokkonis George , Ellinidou Soultana , Valsamidis Stavros
Published: November 2017

Modern irrigation systems utilize sensors and actuators, interconnected together as a single entity. In such entities, A.I. algorithms are implemented, which are responsible for the irrigation process. In this paper, the authors present an irrigation Open Watering System (OWS) architecture that spatially clusters the irrigation process into autonomous irrigation sections. Authors’ OWS implementation includes a Neuro-Fuzzy decision algorithm called FITRA, which originates from the Greek word for seed. In this paper, the FITRA algorithm is described in detail, as are experimentation results that indicate significant water conservations from the use of the FITRA algorithm. Furthermore, the authors propose a new communication protocol over LoRa radio as an alternative low-energy and long-range OWS clusters communication mechanism. The experimental scenarios confirm that the FITRA algorithm provides more efficient irrigation on clustered areas than existing non-clustered, time scheduled or threshold adaptive algorithms. This is due to the FITRA algorithm’s frequent monitoring of environmental conditions, fuzzy and neural network adaptation as well as adherence to past irrigation preferences.
Gene Regulatory Network Rewiring in the Immune Cells Associated with Cancer
Authors: Han Pengyong , Gopalakrishnan Chandrasekhar , Yu Haiquan , Wang Edwin
Published: November 2017

The gene regulatory networks (GRNs) of immune cells not only indicate cell identity but also reveal the dynamic changes of immune cells when comparing their GRNs. Cancer immunotherapy has advanced in the past few years. Immune-checkpoint blockades (i.e., blocking PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4) have shown durable clinical effects on some patients with various advanced cancers. However, major gaps in our knowledge of immunotherapy have been recognized. To fill these gaps, we conducted a systematic analysis of the GRNs of key immune cell subsets (i.e., B cell, CD4, CD8, CD8 naïve, CD8 Effector memory, CD8 Central Memory, regulatory T, Thelper1, Thelper2, Thelp17, and NK (Nature killer) and DC (Dendritic cell) cells associated with cancer immunologic therapies. We showed that most of the GRNs of these cells in blood share key important hub regulators, but their subnetworks for controlling cell type-specific receptors are different, suggesting that transformation between these immune cell subsets could be fast so that they can rapidly respond to environmental cues. To understand how cancer cells send molecular signals to immune cells to make them more cancer-cell friendly, we compared the GRNs of the tumor-infiltrating immune T cells and their corresponding immune cells in blood. We showed that the network size of the tumor-infiltrating immune T cells’ GRNs was reduced when compared to the GRNs of their corresponding immune cells in blood. These results suggest that the shutting down certain cellular activities of the immune cells by cancer cells is one of the key molecular mechanisms for helping cancer cells to escape the defense of the host immune system. These results highlight the possibility of genetic engineering of T cells for turning on the identified subnetworks that have been shut down by cancer cells to combat tumors.
Juvenile-Onset Diabetes and Congenital Cataract: “Double-Gene” Mutations Mimicking a Syndromic Diabetes Presentation
Authors: Lenfant Caroline , Baz Patrick , Degavre Anne , Philippi Anne , Senée Valérie , Vandiedonck Claire , Derbois Céline , Nicolino Marc , Zalloua Pierre , Julier Cécile
Published: November 2017

Monogenic forms of diabetes may account for 1–5% of all cases of diabetes, and may occur in the context of syndromic presentations. We investigated the case of a girl affected by insulin-dependent diabetes, diagnosed at 6 years old, associated with congenital cataract. Her consanguineous parents and her four other siblings did not have diabetes or cataract, suggesting a recessive syndrome. Using whole exome sequencing of the affected proband, we identified a heterozygous p.R825Q ABCC8 mutation, located at the exact same amino-acid position as the p.R825W recurring diabetes mutation, hence likely responsible for the diabetes condition, and a homozygous p.G71S mutation in CRYBB1, a gene known to be responsible for congenital cataract. Both mutations were predicted to be damaging and were absent or extremely rare in public databases. Unexpectedly, we found that the mother was also homozygous for the CRYBB1 mutation, and both the mother and one unaffected sibling were heterozygous for the ABCC8 mutation, suggesting incomplete penetrance of both mutations. Incomplete penetrance of ABCC8 mutations is well documented, but this is the first report of an incomplete penetrance of a CRYBB1 mutation, manifesting between susceptible subjects (unaffected mother vs. affected child) and to some extent within the patient herself, who had distinct cataract severities in both eyes. Our finding illustrates the importance of family studies to unmask the role of confounding factors such as double-gene mutations and incomplete penetrance that may mimic monogenic syndromes including in the case of strongly evocative family structure with consanguinity.
Towards the Selection of an Optimal Global Geopotential Model for the Computation of the Long-Wavelength Contribution: A Case Study of Ghana
Authors: Yakubu Caleb , Ferreira Vagner , Asante Cosmas
Published: November 2017

The selection of a global geopotential model (GGM) for modeling the long-wavelength for geoid computation is imperative not only because of the plethora of GGMs available but more importantly because it influences the accuracy of a geoid model. In this study, we propose using the Gaussian averaging function for selecting an optimal GGM and degree and order (d/o) for the remove-compute-restore technique as a replacement for the direct comparison of terrestrial gravity anomalies and GGM anomalies, because ground data and GGM have different frequencies. Overall, EGM2008 performed better than all the tested GGMs and at an optimal d/o of 222. We verified the results by computing geoid models using Heck and Grüninger’s modification and validated them against GPS/trigonometric data. The results of the validation were consistent with those of the averaging process with EGM2008 giving the smallest standard deviation of 0.457 m at d/o 222, resulting in an 8% improvement over the previous geoid model. In addition, this geoid model, the Ghanaian Gravimetric Geoid 2017 (GGG 2017) may be used to replace second-order class II leveling, with an expected error of 6.8 mm/km for baselines ranging from 20 to 225 km.
Influence of Flow Velocity on Tsunami Loss Estimation
Authors: Song Jie , De Risi Raffaele , Goda Katsuichiro
Published: November 2017

Inundation depth is commonly used as an intensity measure in tsunami fragility analysis. However, inundation depth cannot be taken as the sole representation of tsunami impact on structures, especially when structural damage is caused by hydrodynamic and debris impact forces that are mainly determined by flow velocity. To reflect the influence of flow velocity in addition to inundation depth in tsunami risk assessment, a tsunami loss estimation method that adopts both inundation depth and flow velocity (i.e., bivariate intensity measures) in evaluating tsunami damage is developed. To consider a wide range of possible tsunami inundation scenarios, Monte Carlo-based tsunami simulations are performed using stochastic earthquake slip distributions derived from a spectral synthesis method and probabilistic scaling relationships of earthquake source parameters. By focusing on Sendai (plain coast) and Onagawa (ria coast) in the Miyagi Prefecture of Japan in a case study, the stochastic tsunami loss is evaluated by total economic loss and its spatial distribution at different scales. The results indicate that tsunami loss prediction is highly sensitive to modelling resolution and inclusion of flow velocity for buildings located less than 1 km from the sea for Sendai and Onagawa of Miyagi Prefecture.
Factors That Influence Linkages to HIV Continuum of Care Services: Implications for Multi-Level Interventions
Authors: Pinto Rogério , Witte Susan , Filippone Prema , Baird Karen , Whitman Wendy
Published: November 2017

Worldwide, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continuum of care involves health promotion providers (e.g., social workers and health educators) linking patients to medical personnel who provide HIV testing, primary care, and antiretroviral treatments. Regrettably, these life-saving linkages are not always made consistently and many patients are not retained in care. To design, test and implement effective interventions, we need to first identify key factors that may improve linkage-making. To help close this gap, we used in-depth interviews with 20 providers selected from a sample of 250 participants in a mixed-method longitudinal study conducted in New York City (2012–2017) in order to examine the implementation of HIV services for at-risk populations. Following a sociomedical framework, we identified provider-, interpersonal- and environmental-level factors that influence how providers engage patients in the care continuum by linking them to HIV testing, HIV care, and other support services. These factors occurred in four domains of reference: Providers’ Professional Knowledge Base; Providers’ Interprofessional Collaboration; Providers’ Work-Related Changes; and Best Practices in a Competitive Environment. Of particular importance, our findings show that a competitive environment and a fear of losing patients to other agencies may inhibit providers from engaging in linkage-making. Our results suggest relationships between factors within and across all four domains; we recommend interventions to modify factors in all domains for maximum effect toward improving care continuum linkage-making. Our findings may be applicable in different areas of the globe with high HIV prevalence.
Quantifying Tourist Behavior Patterns by Travel Motifs and Geo-Tagged Photos from Flickr
Authors: Yang Liu , Wu Lun , Liu Yu , Kang Chaogui
Published: November 2017

With millions of people traveling to unfamiliar cities to spend holidays, travel recommendation becomes necessary to assist tourists in planning their trips more efficiently. Serving as a prerequisite to travel recommender systems, understanding tourist behavior patterns is therefore of great importance. Recently, geo-tagged photos on social media platforms like Flickr have provided a rich data source that captures location histories of tourists and reflects their preferences. This article utilizes geo-tagged photos from Flickr to extract trajectories of tourists and then extends the concept of motifs from topological spaces, to temporal spaces and to semantic spaces, for detecting tourist mobility patterns. By representing trajectories in terms of three distinct types of travel motif and further using them to measure user similarity, typical tourist travel behavior patterns associated with distinct sightseeing tastes/preferences are identified and analyzed for tourism recommendation. Our empirical results confirm that the proposed analytical framework is effective to uncover meaningful tourist behavior patterns.
Working with Open BIM Standards to Source Legal Spaces for a 3D Cadastre
Authors: Oldfield Jennifer , Van Oosterom Peter , Beetz Jakob , Krijnen Thomas
Published: November 2017

Much work has already been done on how a 3D Cadastre should best be developed. An inclusive information model, the Land Administration Model (LADM ISO 19152) has been developed to provide an international framework for how this can best be done. This conceptual model does not prescribe the technical data format. One existing source from which data could be obtained is 3D Building Information Models (BIMs), or, more specifically in this context, BIMs in the form of one of buildingSMART’s open standards: the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). The research followed a standard BIM methodology of first defining the requirements through the use of the Information Delivery Manual (IDM ISO29481) and then translating the process described in the IDM into technical requirements using a Model View Definition (MVD), a practice to coordinate upfront the multidisciplinary stakeholders of a construction project. The proposed process model illustrated how the time it takes to register 3D spatial units in a Land Registry could substantially be reduced compared to the first 3D registration in the Netherlands. The modelling of an MVD or a subset of the IFC data model helped enable the creation and exchange of boundary representations of topological objects capable of being combined into a 3D legal space overview map.
IGFBP-3 Interacts with the Vitamin D Receptor in Insulin Signaling Associated with Obesity in Visceral Adipose Tissue
Authors: Moreno-Santos Inmaculada , Castellano-Castillo Daniel , Lara María , Fernandez-Garcia Jose , Tinahones Francisco , Macias-Gonzalez Manuel
Published: November 2017

Adipose tissue has traditionally only been considered as an energy storage organ. Nevertheless, the importance of this tissue in systemic physiology and, especially, in systemic inflammation has been highlighted in recent years. Adipose tissue expresses proteins related to vitamin D (VD) metabolism, and it has been proposed that it can act as a VD storage tissue. The active form of VD, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), is able to modify adipocyte and adipose tissue physiology via the VD receptor (VDR), decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue. Moreover, VD deficiency and VDR has been reported to be associated with obesity and diabetes. However, the results of the different studies are not conclusive. Insulin growth binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been identified in adipose tissue, but their roles are poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the plasma levels of VD and the gene expression of VDR in the adipose tissue of subjects with morbid obesity (MO) and with different degrees of insulin resistance (IR), as well as the functionality of direct interaction between IGFBP-3 and VDR, which could explain its inhibitory role in adipogenesis. Our results show a novel role of the VD system in the regulation and activation of IGFBP-3 in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of patients with MO, as a new and alternative mechanism proposed in the insulin signaling associated with obesity.
Dual-Located WHIRLY1 Interacting with LHCA1 Alters Photochemical Activities of Photosystem I and Is Involved in Light Adaptation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Huang Dongmei , Lin Wenfang , Deng Ban , Ren Yujun , Miao Ying
Published: November 2017

Plastid-nucleus-located WHIRLY1 protein plays a role in regulating leaf senescence and is believed to associate with the increase of reactive oxygen species delivered from redox state of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. In order to make sure whether WHIRLY1 plays a role in photosynthesis, in this study, the performances of photosynthesis were detected in Arabidopsis whirly1 knockout (kowhy1) and plastid localized WHIRLY1 overexpression (oepWHY1) plants. Loss of WHIRLY1 leads to a higher photochemical quantum yield of photosystem I Y(I) and electron transport rate (ETR) and a lower non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) involved in the thermal dissipation of excitation energy of chlorophyll fluorescence than the wild type. Further analyses showed that WHIRLY1 interacts with Light-harvesting protein complex I (LHCA1) and affects the expression of genes encoding photosystem I (PSI) and light harvest complexes (LHCI). Moreover, loss of WHIRLY1 decreases chloroplast NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH) activity and the accumulation of NDH supercomplex. Several genes encoding the PSI-NDH complexes are also up-regulated in kowhy1 and the whirly1whirly3 double mutant (ko1/3) but steady in oepWHY1 plants. However, under high light conditions (800 μmol m−2 s−1), both kowhy1 and ko1/3 plants show lower ETR than wild-type which are contrary to that under normal light condition. Moreover, the expression of several PSI-NDH encoding genes and ERF109 which is related to jasmonate (JA) response varied in kowhy1 under different light conditions. These results indicate that WHIRLY1 is involved in the alteration of ETR by affecting the activities of PSI and supercomplex formation of PSI with LHCI or NDH and may acting as a communicator between the plastids and the nucleus.
Collateral Damage Intended—Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Vasculature Are Potential Targets in Cancer Therapy
Authors: Cavaco Ana , Rezaei Maryam , Niland Stephan , Eble Johannes A.
Published: November 2017

After oncogenic transformation, tumor cells rewire their metabolism to obtain sufficient energy and biochemical building blocks for cell proliferation, even under hypoxic conditions. Glucose and glutamine become their major limiting nutritional demands. Instead of being autonomous, tumor cells change their immediate environment not only by their metabolites but also by mediators, such as juxtacrine cell contacts, chemokines and other cytokines. Thus, the tumor cells shape their microenvironment as well as induce resident cells, such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells (ECs), to support them. Fibroblasts differentiate into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which produce a qualitatively and quantitatively different extracellular matrix (ECM). By their contractile power, they exert tensile forces onto this ECM, leading to increased intratumoral pressure. Moreover, along with enhanced cross-linkage of the ECM components, CAFs thus stiffen the ECM. Attracted by tumor cell- and CAF-secreted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), ECs sprout from pre-existing blood vessels during tumor-induced angiogenesis. Tumor vessels are distinct from EC-lined vessels, because tumor cells integrate into the endothelium or even mimic and replace it in vasculogenic mimicry (VM) vessels. Not only the VM vessels but also the characteristically malformed EC-lined tumor vessels are typical for tumor tissue and may represent promising targets in cancer therapy.