bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intramolecular force-compensated hydrogel-based sensors with reduced response times
Authors: Binder Simon , Gerlach Gerald
Published: March 2019

The method of intramolecular force compensation forms a new approach for reducing the response time of hydrogel-based chemical sensors and improving their long-term stability. The principle is based on a single bisensitive hydrogel, that fulfills both the function of a sensor and an actuator. This paper presents the measuring principle, the required bisensitive hydrogel and a sensor setup. The results show the desired bisensitivity of the sensor to the temperature and ion concentration as well as the successful reduction of the response time by more than 50 % compared to the conventional deflection method. The continuous sensor operation with the application of varying measuring solvents indicates a negligibly low hysteresis behaviour.
Electromigration in Single Crystal Cadmium 1,*
Authors: Alexander W. B.
Published: March 2019

Measurements of electromigration in single crystals of cadmium have been made as a function of orientation. The resulting values for the effective charge numbers are

Z =1.54 ± 0.15 and Z⊥=3.20±0.3.

The results are also expressed in terms of the effective charges for the separate atomic jumps, (1) to a vacancy in the same basal plane and (2) to a vacancy in an adjoining plane. While the parallelism of these findings with those for zinc is apparent, there is one significant difference. In cadmium vacancy creation (and annihilation) tends to alter the c-axis dimension preferentially.
Electrotransport on Surfaces and Interfaces
Authors: Adam P
Published: March 2019

A summary of possible mechanisms of surface and interface mass transport in the presence of an electric field and current, and a brief review of experimental data are presented. Emphasis has been given to the relationship between faceting on metal surfaces and a charge carrier flow. A theory for this is presented based on the theory of pure thermal faceting by Mullins 8. The cal­culated values of the effective charge show a negative temperature gradient and are close to one for reasonably high temperatures, proving that the “drift term” caused by charge carrier scattering is negligible
The Volumes of Formation of Schottky Defects in Ionic Crystals
Authors: Faux I. D. , Lidiard A. B.
Published: March 2019

In this paper we calculate the volumes and energies of formation of Schottky defects in the alkali halides NaCl, NaBr, KCl and KBr. Both the polarisable point-dipole and a simple shell model are evaluated. The calculation uses a generalised and extended Mott-Littleton approach in conjunction with results derived previously by the lattice statics method of Kanzaki. The polarisable point-dipole model, as might be expected, is bad, but the shell model leads to good values for the Schottky formation energies, which not only compare well with experiment but are insensitive to the size of the region (‘region I’) around the defect for which the lattice displacements are computed explicitly (i. e. as distinct from the outer Mott-Littleton region, ‘region II’) . The predicted volumes of formation of Schottky defects are less than the molecular volume, νm, i. e. the volumes of relaxation are negative (NaCl, - 0.69 vm; NaBr, - 0.73 vm; KCl, - 0.52 vm; KBr, -0,51 vm in the static lattice approximation). This is in conflict with the results of experiments on the effect of pressure upon the ionic conductivity of these crystals although some other experimental data are consistent with negative relaxation volumes. The disagreement is briefly discussed and the possibility that temperature effects are greater than is implied by the quasi-harmonic model is noted as a possible explanation
Self-Diffusion in Molten Lithium. Isotopic mass dependence
Authors: Murday J. S. , Cotts R. M.
Published: March 2019

The liquid state self-diffusion coefficients of Li6 and Li7 in isotopically enriched Li6 and Li7 metal and in several isotopic alloys have been measured by the nuclear magnetic resonance spin echo, pulsed magnetic gradient technique. At the melting point 180.5 °C, the self diffusion co­efficients are measured as Dm
6= (6.8 + 0.7) · 10-5 cm2/sec for Li6 in 99% Li6, and Dm7 = (5.8 ± 0.6) -10-5 cm2/sec for Li7 in 99.9% Li7. The ratio of measured values (Dm6/Dm7) = 1.18 ± 0.07, which is greater than the square root of the mass ratio, (m7/m6) 1/2 = 1.08. The isotopic ratio of self diffusion coefficients is observed to be less than the ratio of the mutual diffusion coefficients in almost pure Li6 and almost pure Li7, (Dᴍm6/Dᴍm7) = 1.35, and the viscosity ratio, (η7/η6) = 1.44. The dependence of D upon isotopic alloy concentration appears to be relatively weak and linear in all but the very low concentrations. As a test of the experimental method, D was measured in liquid Na, H2O , and D2O . In liquid sodium at the melting point, D = (3.7 + 0.3) • 10-5 cm2/sec. The Na measurement and the values of D in water are about 5% below other published data, but they are in agreement within experimental uncertainties. Results of this experiment contain syste­matic corrections amounting to 15 - 20% caused principally by the finite size of the droplets of the liquid metal samples. The corrections as well as the limitations of the technique in measurement of self diffusion coefficients in metals are discussed
Centrifugal Distortion Parameters of Fulminic Acid, HCNO, from the Millimeter-Wave Rotational Spectra
Authors: Winnewisser Manfred , Winnewisser Brenda P.
Published: March 2019

A newly designed millimeter-wave spectrometer has been employed for precise measurements of the millimeter-wave rotational spectrum of HCNO. Absorptions in several excited vibrational states as well as the ground state could be measured. The present paper presents the observed frequen­ cies and molecular constants obtained for the ground state and the first excited state of v4 and of v5, the vibrational bending modes
Stimulated Raman Scattering from a Polariton in LiJO3
Authors: Schrotter H. W.
Published: March 2019

Stimulated Raman scattering from the polariton associated with the phonon of symmetry A at 793 cm-1 was observed at 753 cm-1 from the ruby exciting line for 0° scattering, to­ gether with the second Stokes component at 1506 cm-1
Eine Bemerkung zur Zentrifugalanalyse nach Watson
Authors: Typke Volker
Published: March 2019

The transformations connecting centrifugal distortion con­ stants in Ir-and IIIr-representation are given and discussed with the molecule Dimethylsulfoxide
New Star Shape Tetra-Cationic Surfactant Synthesis and Evaluation as Corrosion Inhibitor for Carbon Steel in Different Acidic Media
Authors: El-Sharaky Elsayed A. , Khamis Eman A. , El-Azabawy Olfat E. , El-Tabei Aziza S.
Published: March 2019

A new star shape tetra-cationic surfactant was synthesized to evaluate as corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in different acid media. This surfactant prepared by the reaction of tris(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) O,O′,O′′-(nitrilotris(ethane-2,1-diyl)) trimaleate with 1-bromododecane and abbreviated as STCS. The chemical structure of the prepared surfactant was confirmed by FT-IR,13C and1HNMR and elemental analysis. Their aggregation behavior in watery solution was explored by surface tension measurements. The surface tension of water was decreased nearly to 35 mN m−1when adding the surfactant. This result demonstrates that the surfactant shows remarkable surface activity, due to the effect of the head groups. Corrosion inhibition efficiency of the surfactant on the carbon steel surface in 1 M hydrochloride acid and 1 M H2SO4was evaluated using the electrochemical measurements. These measurements revealed that the synthesized surfactant act as effective mixed-type corrosion inhibitors. Their adsorption on a carbon steel surface was well described by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Corrosion inhibition efficiency was enhanced with increasing the concentration of inhibitor and increasing the temperatures. The results of the quantum chemical calculations and the electrochemical measurements were in good agreement.
Laboratory Investigation on the Effect of Emulsion Type and Additive on Microsurfacing Mix
Authors: Bhargava Nishant , Lynshing Bright Star Well , Ryntathiang Teiborlang L. , Siddagangaiah Anjan Kumar
Published: March 2019

In this article, the effect of emulsion type and additive on the performance of microsurfacing mix is evaluated both for initial mix characteristics and long-term performance. Three mix formulations were used for microsurfacing performance assessment, including cationic slow set (CSS) 1-h, cationic quick set (CQS) 1-h Mix 1 with additive, and CQS 1-h Mix 2 without additive. Here, the additive used primarily imparts rapid setting and acts as an adhesion promoter. Also, for each formulation, microsurfacing performance was assessed at 4 emulsion contents. The initial properties were evaluated in terms of workability, set and cure time of the mix, and filler–emulsion compatibility. On the other hand, long-term performance of the mix was assessed in terms of resistance to raveling and rutting. It was found that the emulsion type had a major effect on cohesion development where the mix with CSS 1-h emulsion had relatively lower cohesion than CQS 1-h Mix 1. The abrasion loss and sand adhesion were also affected by emulsion type, which could probably be attributed to better compatibility of CQS 1-h emulsion with the aggregates used in this study. It was also interesting to note that although the performance of CQS 1-h Mix 1 was acceptable, the addition of additive resulted in substantial improvement of both workability and performance. The filler–emulsion compatibility increased from 4 to 12 points with the use of additive. The abrasion loss was reduced by 262 to 663 % depending on the emulsion content. Statistical analysis at the 5 % significance level also showed that both emulsion type and additive had a significant influence on microsurfacing performance in terms of mixing time, consistency, cohesion, raveling, and rutting resistance. However, the resistance to moisture damage provided by additive resulted in insignificant differences between CSS 1-h and CQS 1-h Mix 1.
A Screen for Synaptic Growth Mutants Reveals Mechanisms That Stabilize Synaptic Strength
Authors: Goel Pragya , Khan Mehak , Howard Samantha , Kim Giwoo , Kiragasi Beril , Kikuma Koto , Dickman Dion
Published: March 2019

Synapses grow, prune, and remodel throughout development, experience, and disease. This structural plasticity can destabilize information transfer in the nervous system. However, neural activity remains stable throughout life, implying that adaptive countermeasures exist that maintain neurotransmission within proper physiological ranges. Aberrant synaptic structure and function have been associated with a variety of neural diseases, including Fragile X syndrome, autism, and intellectual disability. We have screened 300 mutants inDrosophilalarvae of both sexes for defects in synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction, identifying 12 mutants with severe reductions or enhancements in synaptic growth. Remarkably, electrophysiological recordings revealed that synaptic strength was unchanged in all but one of these mutants compared with WT. We used a combination of genetic, anatomical, and electrophysiological analyses to illuminate three mechanisms that stabilize synaptic strength despite major disparities in synaptic growth. These include compensatory changes in (1) postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor abundance, (2) presynaptic morphology, and (3) active zone structure. Together, this characterization identifies new mutants with defects in synaptic growth and the adaptive strategies used by synapses to homeostatically stabilize neurotransmission in response.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThis study reveals compensatory mechanisms used by synapses to ensure stable functionality during severe alterations in synaptic growth using the neuromuscular junction ofDrosophila melanogasteras a model system. Through a forward genetic screen, we identify mutants that exhibit dramatic undergrown or overgrown synapses yet express stable levels of synaptic strength, with three specific compensatory mechanisms discovered. Thus, this study reveals novel insights into the adaptive strategies that constrain neurotransmission within narrow physiological ranges while allowing considerable flexibility in overall synapse number. More broadly, these findings provide insights into how stable synaptic function may be maintained in the nervous system during periods of intensive synaptic growth, pruning, and remodeling.
Why We Need to Think About the Global Middle Ages
Authors: Frankopan Peter
Published: March 2019

Medieval history has become synonymous with the study of western Europe. This article argues that it is important to widen the geographic focus to better understand the Middle Ages as a whole, and in doing so, counter Eurocentric views of the past that have dominated and shaped views of the past. At a time of profound global change today, it is worth reflecting on how and why other regions and cultures have been pushed into the shadows, and why it is imperative to show them now in new light.
“¿Pertenece a Chile?”. Civilización y desierto, rentismo y subordinación: la formación del territorio nacional en el extremo sur del Perú (Tarapacá 1827-1877)
Authors: Castro Luis Castro , Ruíz Inmaculada Simón
Published: March 2019

Se revisa y analiza el proyecto político del Estado peruano de hacer de Tarapacá, la provincia más meridional del país durante el siglo XIX, parte integrante del territorio nacional. Bajo esta perspectiva, se pone atención tanto en las categorías georeferenciales y culturales de civilización y desierto desplegadas por las expediciones de Bollaert y Raimondi, mandatadas respectivamente por el subprefecto Ramón Castilla y el presidente José Rufino Echenique, como en los rasgos de subordinación y rentismo que utilizó el aparato político-administrativo para articular asimétricamente la relación Estado-Región.*** “Pertence ao Chile?”. Civilização e deserto, rentismo e subordinação: a formação do território nacional no extremo sul do Peru (Tarapacá 1827-1877) ***Revisão e análise do projeto político do Estado peruano de fazer de Tarapacá, a província mais meridional do País durante o século XIX, uma parte integrante do território nacional. Sob essa perspectiva, são enfatizadas as categorias georeferenciais e culturais de civilização e deserto implantadas pelas expedições de Bollaert e Rai mondi, organizadas (respectivamente pelo subprefeito Ramón Castilla e pelo presidente José Rufino Echenique), como os traços da subordinação e rentismo que utilizou o aparelho político-administrativo para articular assimetricamente a relação estado-região.Palavras-chave: Território nacional. Civilização. Deserto. Subordinação. Rentismo.
Uma história social da expertise em direitos humanos: trajetórias transnacionais dos profissionais do direito na Argentina
Authors: Vecchioli Virginia
Published: March 2019

Este trabalho trata sobre a incorporação da expertise em direitos humanos na Argentina a partir da análise das trajetórias sociais de vários grupos de profissionais do direito que promoveram e fizeram possível que os direitos humanos ganhassem um lugar de destaque na agenda pública e nas políticas de Estado desde o início da democracia no País. A análise mostra o valor-chave que teve a confluência entre a legitimidade adquirida pelo conhecimento experto em direitos humanos a partir da inclusão de advogados argentinos nas redes transnacionais de juristas, da profissionalização do ativismo de direitos humanos e da participação de algumas das suas lideranças em posições-chaves na estrutura do Estado. A importação desta forma de expertiseproduziu transformações tanto no âmbito do Estado como nas formas de compreender o engajamento em causas públicas. Ao longo de um extenso processo, que será descrito aqui, conformou-se uma nova elite jurídica e política.
Para a compreensão do império colonial português na era da descolonização
Authors: Castelo Cláudia
Published: March 2019

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Revista Estudos Ibero-Americanos – v. 45, n. 1, 2019
Authors: Maia Tatyana De Amaral , Murari Luciana
Published: March 2019

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Behaviour of various experimental wall fragments exposed to real climate conditions – temperature measurement
Authors: Jurasova Daniela , Juras Peter
Published: March 2019

Main aim of this paper is to illustrate the experimental partial results of a study on various exterior wall fragments. The study was performed for selected wall fragments and time periods, with attention focused also on wall orientation (East and South) with identical layering and also on dynamic thermal parameters connected to the thermal comfort during summer and winter. Evaluation is done for real measured climate conditions in the area of experimental laboratory (exterior – University of Zilina) and interior conditions set according to the Slovak standard. For needs of the long-term experiment (since March 2017), temperature and relative humidity between layers are monitored. This paper deals specifically with the temperature measurement of selected days. For future publications also coupled heat-air-moisture transport analysis is intended. In this part of analysis, some extreme boundary conditions were selected and reviewed from the point of view of measured temperature inside the wall. Temperature peaks are characterized with respect to exposure to real atmospheric conditions.
Cost efficiency of retrofit measures for typical masonry houses in Kosovo
Authors: Bajraktari Egzon , Nushi Violeta , Almeida Manuela
Published: March 2019

A major challenge our society faces today is the energy consumption of buildings. Building stock is responsible for about 40% of energy consumption worldwide. The same applies to Kosovo, where a large number of houses are poorly weatherized and inefficient in terms of energy consumption. Most of the energy consumption in the household sector in Kosovo is dedicated to the needs for heating purposes. Furthermore, many of these houses use wood or coal for heating, releasing a lot of gases in the air and so contributing to an increased air pollution both indoors and outdoors. The Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” aims to address the issue of energy efficiency for these houses. Specifically, in this study we intend to evaluate various retrofit measures applicable in the country for typical masonry houses and identify the cost-efficient solution. This paper reports the initial results of the study and discusses related challenges.
Minimizing makespan of Personal Scheduling problem in available time-windows with split-min and setup-time constraints
Authors: TRANG SON HONG , HUYNH NGUYEN TUONG , TRAN LANG VAN
Published: March 2019

This paper deals with personal scheduling problem in available time-windows with split-min and setup-time constraints. The jobs are splitable into sub-jobs and a common lower bound on the size of each sub-job is imposed. The objective function aims to find a feasible schedule that minimizes the maximum completion time of all jobs. The proposed scheduling problem was proved to be strongly NP-hard by a reduction to 3-SAT problem in the preliminary results. We propose in this paper an exact method based on MILP model to find optimal solution, some heuristics to find feasible solution and a meta-heuristic based on tabu search algorithm to find good solution. The computational results show the performance of proposed exact method, some heuristics and tabu search algorithm.
CONGESTION CONTROL ALGORITHM FOR MESSAGE ROUTING IN STRUCTURED PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS
Authors: Nghĩa Nguyễn Đình , Sơn Nguyễn Hoài
Published: March 2019

Many complex applications have been built on the basis of structured peer-to-peer (P2P) networks such as information retrieval systems, file sharing systems, and so on. These applications often have to process a large number of queries quickly and efficiently. When the number of queries to a node exceeds its capacity, a local bottleneck occurs and reduces the information processing of the other nodes in the network. This paper proposes a congestion control algorithm for message routing in structured P2P networks by changing the routing table of nodes in the network to route the packet to the destination without going through the congested node. The performance of proposed method has been evaluated and compared with the conventional Chord protocol. The result shows that our proposed method improves the query success rate significantly while minimizing the number of packets generated during congestion control process
SIMULATION OF RECONFIGURATION SYSTEM USING MATLAB-SIMULINK ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Thanh Ngo Ngoc , Quang Nguyen Phung
Published: March 2019

Reconfiguration strategy is intended to minimize losses and increase efficiency of the photovoltaic (PV) system under non-homogeneous solar irradiation based on irradiance equalization. The reconfiguration system (RS) includes: irradiance equalization algorithms which is effective in the calculation to find optimal configuration; dynamic electrical scheme (DES) switching matrix which is controlled to obtain the optimal configuration for PV array. The recent publications focus on bringing out the algorithms with the aim to select the optimal connection configuration and control DES switching matrix. However, no published work has used Matlab-simulink to simulate RS operation. In this paper, the author uses the Matlab-simulink environment to simulate RS operation. Through results, the model demonstrates that with RS, the effectiveness of the PV array performance can rise by 10-50% under non-homogeneous solar irradiation.
ON THE TESTING MULTI-VALUED MARTINGALE DIFFERENCE HYPOTHESIS
Authors: Tuyên Lục Trí
Published: March 2019

This paper presents a definition of Multi-Valued Martingale Difference (MVMD) based on Castaing representation of a multi-valued martingale that consists of martingale difference selections. Testing the Multi-Valued Martingale Difference Hypothesis (MVMDH) then examined. Testing the Martingale Difference Hypothesis (MDH) earlier was based on linear measures then later developed  two directions in order to account for the existing nonlinearity in economic and financial data. First, the classical approaches have been modified by take into account the possible nonlinear dependence. Second, the use of more sophisticated statistical tools such as those based generalized spectral analysis. According to this article, both these developments in MDH are modified for MVMDH and applies them to exchange rate data and returns of stock market data.
VLSP Shared Task: Named Entity Recognition
Authors: Nguyen Huyen T M , Ngo Quyen T , Vu Luong X , Tran Vu M , Nguyen Hien T T
Published: March 2019

Named entities (NE) are phrases that contain the names of persons, organizations, locations, times and quantities, monetary values, percentages, etc. Named Entity Recognition (NER) is the task of recognizing named entities in documents. NER is an important subtask of Information Extraction, which has attracted researchers all over the world since 1990s. For Vietnamese language, although there exists some research projects and publications on NER task before 2016, no systematic comparison of the performance of NER systems has been done. In 2016, the organizing committee of the VLSP workshop decided to launch the first NER shared task, in order to get an objective evaluation of Vietnamese NER systems and to promote the development of high quality systems. As a result, the first dataset with morpho-syntactic and NE annotations has been released for benchmarking NER systems. At VLSP 2018, the NER shared task has been organized for the second time, providing a bigger dataset containing texts from various domains, but without morpho-syntactic annotation. These resources are available for research purpose via the VLSP website vlsp.org.vn/resources. In this paper, we describe the datasets as well as the evaluation results obtained from these two campaigns.
Development of Vietnamese Speech Synthesis System using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Nguyen Thinh Van , Nguyen Bao Quoc , Phan Kinh Huy , Do Hai Van
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we present our first Vietnamese speech synthesis system based on deep neural networks. To improve the training data collected from the Internet, a cleaning method is proposed. The experimental results indicate that by using deeper architectures we can achieve better performance for the TTS than using shallow architectures such as hidden Markov model. We also present the effect of using different amounts of data to train the TTS systems. In the VLSP TTS challenge 2018, our proposed DNN-based speech synthesis system won the first place in all three subjects including naturalness, intelligibility, and MOS.
ACCELERATION IN STATE-OF-THE-ART ASR APPLIED TO A VIETNAMESE TRANSCRIPTION SYSTEM
Authors: Pham Nhut Minh , Quân Vũ Hải
Published: March 2019

This paper presents the adoption of state-of-the-art ASR techniques into Vietnamese. To better assess these techniques, speech corpora in the research community are assembled, and expanded, making a unified evaluation material under the name VN-Corpus. On this corpus, three ASR systems are built using the conventional HMM-GMM recipe, SGMM, and DNN respectively. Experimental results crown DNN with the overall WER of 12.1%. In the best case, DNN even cut down to 9.7% error rate.
Preface
Authors: Mai Luong Chi
Published: March 2019

Preface
Development of Shoot Cultures from Leaf Explant of Portulaca quadrifida L.
Authors: PATHAK Ashutosh , JOSHI Aruna , SHARMA Asha
Published: March 2019

Portulaca quadrifida (Portulacaceae) is an annual succulent herb having medicinal value and is consumed as a vegetable or salads in India. In the present study, leaf explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium fortified with sucrose (3%) and combinations of N6-benzyladenine (6-BA) and kinetin (KIN) individually and in combination with 1-naphtalene acetic acid (NAA). Rapid regeneration was observed in medium fortified with combinations of 6-BA (8 µM) and NAA (1 µM) which formed 19.40 ± 0.64 shoots with 100% response. Variation in sucrose concentrations (4-6%) was tried but it failed to increase the shoot number. When the optimized medium was fortified with different carbon sources viz. dextrose, glucose and maltose, they could not evoked better response and sucrose proved to be more effective for regeneration. Rooting of in vitro shoots was achieved in ½MS + sucrose (1%) + indole-3-butyric acid (IBA, 2 µM).
Microbial Diversity in Water and Biofilm Samples from Well Sources in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: AGBABIAKA Toyin Olayemi , OLOFINTOYE Blessing Olubunmi
Published: March 2019

The aim of the study was to investigate the microbial populations of water and biofilm samples from seven hand dug wells in Ilorin, Nigeria, which are for private and public use. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen demand were determined. Biofilm growths were induced from water samples obtained from selected wells. Twenty bacteria isolated were identified using morphological and biochemical characteristics as well as molecular methods and includes Shigella sonnei, Shigella dysenteriae, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus sphaericus, Salmonella enteritidis, Proteus mirabilis strain IK-MB4-518F, Bacillus licheniformis strain RH104, Bacillus subtilis, Erwinia sp., Proteus vulgaris, Yersina sp., Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain GS1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 218B, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Vibrio sp., Escherichia coli and Bacillus pasteurii. Total bacterial count ranged from 1.8×104-1.53×106 cfu/ml. Water samples from these wells are therefore not potable and some of the isolates are potential health hazards to human population.
Axillary Shoots Derived from Thin Cell Layer and Adenine Sulphate Application in in vitro Mass Propagation of Gerbera [Gerbera jamesonii (H. Bolus ex Bolus f.)]
Authors: WINARTO Budi , YUNIARTO Kurnia , WEGADARA Dan M.
Published: March 2019

A new route of in vitro mass propagation protocol of Gerbera jamesonii (H. Bolus ex Bolus f.) derived from application of thin cell layers (TCL) and adenine sulphate (AS) was successfully developed and established. Shoot tip explants and half-strength MS medium containing 0.25 mg/l N6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 20 g/l sucrose and 7 g/l Swallow agar were used as explant source and basic medium. Different TCL of transversal TCL (tTCL) and longitudinal TCL (lTCL) in four slicing positions of 1, 2, 3 and 4; varieties and clones i.e. G. jamesonii ‘Black Jack’, ‘Carambole’, ‘Nuance’, ‘Violente’, 01.098 and 11.46 clone; AS concentrations viz. 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg/l were tested in the study. Each step of in vitro culture established had unique and specific results. In the initiation stage, first slicing position of ‘Black Jack’ shoot tip tTCL was the most optimal combination treatment to produce 7.0 shoots per explant with 13.5 leaves. The first slicing position on shoot tip explants of 01.098 clone tTCL and 20 mg/l AS in half-strength MS medium containing 0.25 mg/l BAP were the most optimal combination treatment in obtaining the highest number of shoots produced per shoot up to 9.4 shoots per shoot with 34.1 leaves and 2.37 cm length of leaves in the proliferation stage, however the treatment did not give significant effect compared to control. Under periodical subcultures on the basic medium, number of shoots and leaves increased gradually from the initial culture with 3-6 shoots per shoot and 9.4-11.6 leaves till the fourth subculture with 6-11 shoots per shoot and 16.7-28.8 leaves and declined thereafter. Subculturing of shoots in accordance to produce qualified shoots for planting materials could be carried out till sixth to seventh subculture. The highest shoot multiplication rate (SMR) was established on 01.098 clone with as high as 7.3. The well shoots were easily rooted on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/l BAP, 0.05 mg/l NAA and 1.5 g/l AC. Plantlets were then transferred to ex vitro condition for acclimatization on a mixture of burned-rice husk and organic manure (1:1, v/v) with 85-100% survivability. The ‘Black Jack’ and 11.46 clone were the best genotypes on the acclimatization stage with 100% survivability of plantlets. Results of the study have implication that first slicing position of shoot tip tTCL can be applied in establishing of in vitro propagation protocol for other gerberas.
Bio-cultural Diversity and Ethnobotanic Utility of Indigenous Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Lakhimpur District, Assam, India
Authors: WANGPAN Tonlong , GOGOI Hemprova , TAPI Taka , TANGJANG Sumpam
Published: March 2019

The traditional landraces of rice plant had a major role in building socio-economic status of rural poor. The present study deals with the diversity and ethnobotanic significance of indigenous landraces of rice in Lakhimpur district of Assam, India. Altogether, twenty-one indigenous landraces of rice were collected during the present study. Each class having important role to play, the major classes of rice include glutinous, common rice and aromatic rice. Other than being a staple food, rice and its products are still frequently used by rural folk in various festivals, religious and social ceremonies in the form of sweets, cakes, snacks and beverages. Bora-dhan was reported with the highest use value. Based on grain’s qualitative and quantitative traits, the obtained dendrogram contains four different clusters; while, the OTUs (Operational taxonomic unit) present in a cluster display morphological similarity. The dendrogram also illustrated diversified distribution of grains in this region. The study also reveals the profound relationship of people with the traditional landraces of rice. The ethnic farmers should be made aware to promote on-farm conservation of crop diversity, before it is lost under the debris of modernization.
Phytotherapy and Polycyclic Logging: Implication on Genetic Multiplicity and Diversity of African Mahogany in Tropical Rainforest
Authors: LAWAL Amadu , ADEKUNLE Victor A. J. , ONOKPISE Oghenekome U.
Published: March 2019

There are over 8,000 globally threatened tree species. For each species, there is a different story behind why they are threatened and what values we stand to lose if we do not find the means to save them. Mahogany, a member of Meliaceae, is a small genus with six species. Its straight, fine and even grain, consistency in density and hardness makes it a high valued wood for construction purposes. The bitter bark is widely used in traditional medicine in Africa. The high demand for bark has also led to the total stripping of some trees, complete felling of larger trees to get the bark from the entire length of the tree and bark removal from juvenile trees. These species are now threatened with extinction due to selective and polycyclic logging, and also excessive bark removal. The natural regeneration of mahogany is poor, and mahogany shoot borer Hypsipyla robusta (Moore) attacks prevent the success of plantations within the native area in West Africa. In developing countries, most of the Khaya species exists in the wild state; therefore, the regeneration and long-term conservation are at the mercy of the vagaries of nature and the profit driven herb collectors and timber merchants. It becomes urgently necessary by government of developing countries to place ban on further harvesting of mahogany species to allow the remaining few trees of mahogany in the forest to recuperate and produce substantial seeds for regeneration.
Maturation and Germination of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Somatic Embryos
Authors: MAZRI Mouaad Amine , MEZIANI Reda , BELKOURA Ilham , ELMAATAOUI Saida , MOKHLESS Boutaïna , NOUR Souad
Published: March 2019

Maturation and germination of somatic embryos are two crucial steps in the somatic embryogenesis process. Herein, we evaluated the effects of several factors on the maturation and germination of date palm somatic embryos. Globular somatic embryos of cv. ‘Najda’ were cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium at full strength (MS), half strength (1/2MS), and one-third strength (1/3MS), with or without agar, and supplemented with various concentrations of mannitol, sorbitol, polyethylene glycol (PEG, MW 8000) and abscisic acid (ABA). Our results showed that culture medium strength and texture (liquid or semi-solid), osmotic agents, and the concentration and time of exposure to ABA influence somatic embryo maturation. The highest mean number of mature somatic embryos (106.4 per 100 mg fresh weight callus) was obtained after 3 weeks of culture on full-strength liquid MS medium supplemented with 30 g L-1 PEG and 40 µM ABA, followed by 9 weeks of culture on the same medium but without ABA. Somatic embryo germination was achieved by transferring mature embryos to MS medium containing various combinations of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and gibberellic acid (GA3). The highest germination rate (68%) of somatic embryos occurred in the presence of 0.5 mg L-1 NAA. However, there was no significant difference with the other germination media (54-66%). Plantlet acclimatization was successfully accomplished, and the survival rate was 80% after 6 months in the glasshouse. The findings of the present study open new prospects for massive propagation of this bayoud-resistant date palm cultivar.
The Effects of Wheat Flour and Barley Flour on the Quality and Properties of Biscuits Colored with Synthetic and Natural Colorants
Authors: EL-BELTAGI Hossam S. , AMER Abeer A. , ALI Rehab F. M. , MOUSA Somia M. , ABDEL-RAHIM Emam
Published: March 2019

Biscuit is one of the most popular processed ready to eat snacks that have possesses several attractive features including wide consumer base, relatively less expensive, more convenient with long shelf-life and have ability to serve as vehicles for important nutrients. It’s usually available in different sizes, tastes and shapes.  It can also be enriched or fortified with other ingredients in order to meet specific nutritional or therapeutic needs of consumers. In recent years, numerous studies have shown the potential of utilizing natural plant such as green leafy vegetable in cookies and biscuit production; the potential of amaranthus leaves used as a source of iron and β-carotene inpakora, vada, namakpal, kurmure, biscuit and cake. The present research was carried out to throw the light on the effect of wheat flour and barley flour with natural and synthetic colors to improve chemical composition, the nutritional value and quality characteristics of producing biscuits. The results indicate that that treatment 100% barley flour 72% with turmeric and cocoa as a natural colors recorded a significant increase in the content of protein, ash, minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium and some physical analysis like weight, volume, density as well as sensory evaluation. As compared with wheat flour 72% and synthetic color tartrazine ADI 7.5 mg/kg.bw and chocolate brown ADI 0.15 mg/kg.bw. In conclusion, results showed that barley flour improved nutritional quality, physical characteristics and sensory characteristics of produce biscuit with mixture natural and natural color.
The Role of DNA Methylation in Perennial Plants
Authors: BASDEKI Lia , HAGIDIMITRIOU Marianna
Published: March 2019

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification of the genome in all organisms. This review presents the effect of DNA methylation in perennial fruit trees such as chestnut, apple, peach etc. In particular, DNA methylation has been shown to affect bud dormancy, the changes of developmental stages such as: flowering, the synthesis of anthocyanins, among other flavonoid compounds; it also affects the fertilization and perpetuation of many fruit trees. Finally, DNA methylation can be used as a tool for investigating the epigenetic diversity of a species.
Introduction Pages
Authors: SESTRAS Radu E.
Published: March 2019

Notulae Scientia Biologicae (http://www.notulaebiologicae.ro), Issue 1, Volume 11, 2019: The papers published in this issue (http://www.notulaebiologicae.ro/index.php/nsb/issue/current) represent interesting novelties in different topics of life science. Among the exciting researches, we invite readers to find news about: The role of DNA Methylation in perennial plants; Peste des petits ruminants: Aetiology, pathology, immunology, disease status in Africa, diagnosis, control, prevention and treatment; Phytotherapy and polycyclic logging: implication on genetic multiplicity and diversity of African mahogany in tropical rainforest; Insight into re-emergence of cassava brown streak disease: the need to explore diverse approaches for effective control; Microbiological characterization of grilled meat “Tchatchanga” in Cotonou (Southern Benin): Enumeration, isolation and resistance profile of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli; Development of shoot cultures from leaf explant of Portulaca quadrifida L.; Evaluation of in vitro shoot elongation and rooting of date palm, and determination of physiological characteristics of regenerated plantlets; Maturation and germination of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) somatic embryos; Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects of black brand of lipton tea (Camellia sinensis) on normal male albino rats.
Cutaneous Toxicity After Chemoradiotherapy and PD-L1 Inhibition in Two Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: More than Meets the Eye
Authors: van den Ende Tom , Menting Stef P. , Ambarus Carmen A. , van Oijen Martijn G.H. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W.M.
Published: March 2019

Dermatological adverse events have frequently been reported after immune checkpoint inhibition. When an adverse event occurs during combination of immune checkpoint inhibition with chemotherapy, the question arises which agent is responsible. Unnecessary withdrawal of either chemotherapy or immunotherapy could lead to suboptimal treatment outcomes. Here we report on two patients who developed a cutaneous drug reaction with fever during treatment with paclitaxel, carboplatin, radiotherapy, and PD-L1 inhibition (atezolizumab) for resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma. In the first case atezolizumab was suspected, and in the second paclitaxel. We discuss the clinical manifestation, treatment, and pathophysiology underlying both cases.
Diagnosis and Management of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Renal Toxicity: Illustrative Case and Review
Authors: Sise Meghan E. , Seethapathy Harish , Reynolds Kerry L.
Published: March 2019

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are monoclonal antibodies directed at negative regulatory components on T cells, such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), and its ligand, programmed cell death ligand-1. ICIs initate antitumor immunity; however, these agents are associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect a variety of organs. Renal irAEs most commonly present with asymptomatic acute kidney injury (AKI), which is often detected by routine laboratory testing. The severity of AKI associated with irAEs ranges from mild (grade 1–2) to severe (grade 3–4). It is often challenging to diagnose because this group of patients often have multiple reasons to have AKI (dehydration, sepsis, or nephrotoxic medication exposure). We present an illustrative case of a 60-year-old man with metastatic melanoma who presented with AKI during treatment with nivolumab and review the literature to address frequently asked questions concerning the diagnosis and management of renal irAEs in patients with advanced cancer. Importantly, most patients will recover completely, and some may tolerate a rechallenge of ICI therapy, with prompt and effective treatment.

Key Points

Renal immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are less frequently reported than other irAEs; however, it is possible that available data underestimate their true incidence because of missed diagnoses and under-reporting. Although severe renal irAEs are more easily detected, smaller rises in creatinine may not be appreciated or may be attributed to other causes, because the differential diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with cancer is broad. Baseline creatinine should be established prior to beginning immune checkpoint inhibitorss (ICIs), and it should be monitored with every cycle. If a patient develops AKI, the ICI should be held while the evaluation is pursued. A thorough workup of suspected renal irAEs must exclude other potential causes of AKI such as infection, dehydration, urinary tract obstruction, and nephrotoxin exposure. Acute kidney injury after ICI therapy does not appear to be more common in patients with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL per min per 1.73 m. One particular concern, however, is that those with baseline renal disease have less “renal reserve,” and repeated AKI events may push a patient closer to end-stage renal disease. Thus, clinicians must exert caution when rechallenging patients with pre-existing renal disease with ICI therapy in the event of a prior AKI from ICI-related allergic interstitial nephritis.
Anlotinib Versus Sunitinib as First-Line Treatment for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Randomized Phase II Clinical Trial
Authors: Zhou Ai-Ping , Bai Yuxian , Song Yan , Luo Hong , Ren Xiu-Bao , Wang Xiuwen , Shi Benkang , Fu Cheng , Cheng Ying , Liu Jiyan , Qin Shukui , Li Jun , Li Hanzhong , Bai Xianzhong , Ye Dingwei , Wang Jinwan , Ma Jianhui
Published: March 2019

Background

Anlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor inhibiting angiogenesis. This multicenter, randomized phase II trial aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib in comparison with sunitinib as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Materials and Methods

Patients with mRCC from 13 clinical centers were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive anlotinib (n = 90) or sunitinib (n = 43). Anlotinib was given orally at a dose of 12 mg once daily (2 weeks on/1 week off), and sunitinib was given orally at 50 mg once daily (4 weeks on/2 weeks off). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety.

Results

The median PFS was similar with anlotinib and sunitinib (17.5 vs. 16.6 months, p > .05). The median OS (30.9 vs. 30.5 months, p > .05), ORR (30.3% vs. 27.9%), and 6-week DCR (97.8% vs. 93.0%) were similar in the two groups. Adverse events (AEs) of grade 3 or 4 were significantly less frequent with anlotinib than with sunitinib (28.9% vs. 55.8%, p < .01), especially in terms of thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. AEs occurring at a lower frequency with anlotinib were hand-foot syndrome, eyelid edema, hair depigmentation, skin yellowing, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. The incidence of serious AEs was lower with anlotinib than with sunitinib.

Conclusion

The clinical efficacy of anlotinib was similar to that of sunitinib as the first-line treatment for mRCC, but with a more favorable safety profile.
Behaviour and design of three-tower, self-anchored suspension bridge with a concrete girder
Authors: Pan Shengshan , Cui Yao , Zhang Zhe , Zhu Weizhi
Published: March 2019

This research presents the general design of a three-tower, self-anchored suspension bridge with a concrete stiffening girder based on practical engineering. The finite-element method is adopted to explore the structural behaviour of a bridge affected by shrinkage and creep of the concrete stiffening girder. The results show that shrinkage and creep of the concrete stiffening girder have a major effect on the mechanical behaviour of the side towers and stiffening girder. A new main cable system consisting of a prefabricated parallel wire strand (PPWS) cable with a polyethylene jacket and cold-cast anchorage is proposed to allow the main cables to be tensioned and the bridge cable force to be adjusted at any time. The experimental results of the PPWS cable show that the design and manufacture of the largest cable in China are safe and reliable. Moreover, the numerical simulation results for a new cable clamp connecting two main cables to a single hanger indicate that its design is reasonable. Furthermore, the anti-corrosive properties of the special cable system are investigated. The behaviour results as well as some key design technologies of this bridge style in the study provide valuable knowledge for its future application.