bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep Convection over Africa: annual cycle, ENSO, and trends in the hotspots
Authors: Hart Neil , Washington Richard , Maidment Ross
Published: April 2019

Africa is one of the three key regions of deep convection in the global tropics. There is a wealth of information on the intensity, variability and change of convection and associated rainfall in regions across the continent but almost all of this literature is regionally focused and confined to specific seasons. This fragmented approach precludes a continent-wide view of deep convection leaving the following key issues unanswered: When is deep convection the most wide-spread across Africa? Where on the continent is deep convection most active? Where does wide-spread convection have the most interannual variability? This paper confronts these questions using a satellite-derived integral of deep convection. At the continental scale, March exhibits the most extensive deep convection while the West African monsoon during June-July exhibits the least. El Niño generally suppresses pan-African convective activity while La Niña enhances this activity. These pan-African signals are largely determined by regional hotspots: the eastern Congo hosts the most persistent wide-spread deep convection, southeastern southern Africa displays the highest interannual variability, and regional highlands maintain local convective activity hotspots. Furthermore, pan-African annual mean convective activity has increase ∼10% between 1983 and 2015 with increases of >20% recorded in local hotspots. Results in this study provide a climatological baseline for both observational and model-based studies of African climates and offer insights into when African convection has the greatest potential impact on the general circulation.
ON THE APPLICATION OF GALERKIN'S METHOD TO ANALYZING EIGEN VIBRATIONS OF ELASTIC BODIES
Authors: Saurin V. V.
Published: April 2019

The topicality of the issues related to studying vibrations of elastic bodies and structures is discussed. The publications and results obtained in this field have been analyzed. It is noted that one of the common characteristics of all the approximate methods of analyzing boundary-value problems is certain ambiguity in formulating finite-dimensional approximations of the solution. A boundary-value problem of determining eigen frequencies of a homogeneous membrane has been formulated. The basic idea of the approaches in question is that variables used in equations of mathematical physics can always be divided into two groups, one of which consists of the so-called measureable variables, such as displacement, velocity, temperature etc., and the other one includes non-measureable ones, such as stress, pulse, heat flow etc. Issues related to various classical formulations of spectral problems arising in the theory of elasticity have been investigated. The method of integral-differential relations is described, which is an alternative to classical numerical approaches. The possibility of constructing various bilateral energy-based evaluations of the accuracy of approximate solutions, following from the method of integral-differential relations has been studied. A one-parameter family of quadratic non-negative functionals has been introduced, the stationarity condition of which together with integral-differential constraints form a complete equation set describing dynamic behavior of elastic bodies. A projection approach to analyzing spectral problems of linear plasticity theory has been considered. Using the example of the problem of free vibrations of a circular membrane, the effectiveness of the method of integral-differential relations is demonstrated. Various energy-based evaluations of an approximate solution constructed using polynomial approximations of the sought functions are proposed. Application of the standard technique of Bubnov-Galerkin's method to the problem of free vibrations is shown to lead to the appearance of complex eigen frequencies, the real part of the eigenvalue being its approximate value, whereas its imaginary part being able to serve as an evaluation of the accuracy of the solution. The proposed numerical algorithm makes it possible to uniquely evaluate the integral quality of the obtained numerical solutions.
ENHANCING BUSINESS PERFORMANCE OF CV IDEAS INDONESIA
Authors: Prasetyo Dwi Robby , Wisnukepakisan Ketut Sadhunata , Priadi Galih Bagus , Audria Dhea , Syukra Akhmad , Tiberi Jerome C
Published: April 2019

IDEAS are an acronym for Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Art & Science. We have collaborated with the principle that a problem can be solved with an integrated solution. IDEAS were initiated in 2012 in Bandung. Starting with some disciplines such as Architecture, Economics, Design, Microbiology, & Agribusiness. With this diversity we can explore solution with various disciple. Our focus is on developing a sustainable lifestyle.
How Ethics Affect In Logistics
Authors: AlAali Zainab Moosa , Paucarima Ruth Powosino
Published: April 2019

This paper shows the impact of ethics on business, where ethics are divided into several sections, including personal ethics, social ethics, religious and professional ethics. This research will focus on ethics policy in business and the importance of imposing it on employees and managers in the companies. Followed by the results of their application to employees and customers. This research employs a descriptive methodology, using literature studies as source of theories. The study case is taken in a Nissan company based in Japan.
FACTORS INFLUENCING INDIAN FIRMS DECISION MAKING IN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN AFRICA
Authors: Kukreja Mukta , Joshi Dr. Mahesh Chandra
Published: April 2019

India’s economic progress and relations with other developing regions have received much attention, particularly the way in which Indo-African relations have evolved since 2000. This paper aims to put Indian FDI in Africa into perspective and provide some answers on the nature and possible impact of these flows to the continent. The study utilized the international typology offered by Dunning OLI paradigm to identify the important of Location Specific Advantages and how these advantages leads to selection of location for investment purposes by investors The study findings demonstrated that potential market growth, market opportunities and consumer base are the important indicated Indian firms targets Africa to seek new and unexplored markets of Africa. Competitiveness climate is important determinant along with economies of scale, investment incentives and availability of natural resources.
Anti Müllerian Hormone (AMH) Level as Ovarian Reserve Marker before and after Cystectomy Laparotomy
Authors: Sahabuddin Rosdiana , Abdullah Nusratuddin , Manoe IMS Murah
Published: April 2019

Objective: To investigate the comparison of the Anti-Mullerian

Hormone (AMH) as the ovarian reserve marker before and

after cystectomy.

Methods: This study used prospective cohort design which included

all women with the ovarian cyst who underwent cystectomy

laparotomy. The subjects were examined AMH level before and after

the procedure. Data were analyzed using one- way Anova, T- paired

test, and T-independent test with p value
INDONESIA’S DEFENSE HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Lardo Soroy
Published: April 2019

The National Defense System is a systematic and planned concept, structure and organization, fostering the spirit of the universe of the people and nation, to strengthen and defend themselves from various threats, challenges, obstacles and disturbances that break the Indonesian building and network. The concept embodies software that contains the philosophy, purpose, theoretical framework and framework of the concept of national defense, as a soul and heart that moves continuously in the spirit of conscience defending the country. The purpose of this study is to develop a study about the strategic role of defense health as a diversified potential for multifunctional health to guide the national level of resilience. The potential of health in the field of defense with its strategic thinking decomposes the breadth of Indonesia's geographic region, which has distinctive characteristics of health problems based on geomedicine maps. The dynamic stratification of health problems makes geomedicine maps as a measure of defense health policy. The concept proposed in this study is expected to be one of the basic references in forming a defense health study program at Indonesia Defense University. The method, that needs to be developed, is the transformation of the health of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). At this time, it has achieved dynamic values in realizing a broader role, not only in the field of health services and support, but it has begun to expand into the field of research and development (R & D). This development also related to global challenges, where the spread/pandemic of illness becomes an extraordinary homework, especially related to defense health. Defense health is a multiparadigmatic concept with multidisciplinary scientific dimensions and parameters, and various multi-approaches (analysis, synthesis, and solution), based on philosophy and history, build a defense health characteristic that has a scientific perspective that has reliability and validity, so th purpose of this study can be obtained.
Dairy buffalo production system under semi-intensive management in the coastal area of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman SMR , Islam MN , Rashid MH , Siddiki MSR , Islam MA
Published: April 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the present status of production system of dairy buffalo under semi-intensive management in coastal area of Bangladesh. The data were collected during farm visit and recorded in prepared questionnaire and check list. The findings of the study revealed that very minimum housing facilities were provided to the buffaloes. Both the grazing and confinement time were found similar (around 6 hrs in a day) and they spent almost 3 hrs in a day for wallowing. The majority of the lactating buffaloes were not being adequately fed. Farmers usually supplied local grass (4.98±2.89 kg DM/day) and rice straw (10.90 ±2.85 kg DM/day) with one or two concentrate feed separately as supplement (1.51±0.80 kg DM/day). The daily average DCP and TDN supply were 0.365 and 6.417 kg/d respectively which were undersupplied as compared to standard requirement. The productive and reproductive performance of indigenous dairy buffalo was not similar to high producing dairy buffaloes. The average lactation yields (litre/lactation) were found as 469.52±163.71. The EC value (2.73±3.53) of milk indicated as healthy milk production. Milk consumption pattern (8%) was not satisfactory. Milk market was volatile. Natural breeding (95.7%) was more prominent practice than artificial insemination (AI) (4.3%). The most of the buffalo cows showed heat from early night to early morning (22.2-54.2%). Technology adaptation for buffalo rearing was very much poor. Technology adaptation index for the use of concentrate feed, artificial insemination, de-worming and vitamin-mineral premix were 16.34, 13.46, 23.07 and 6.25 respectively. It therefore be concluded that technological transformation could be boost up to national milk production by developing of the management practise of dairy buffalo under semiintensive system in Bangladesh.

SAARC J. Agri., 16(2): 43-59 (2018)
The Importance of Portfolio Assessment in Personality Development
Authors: Abdimurodova Sh. , Bozorova D. , Kurbonova N.
Published: April 2019

Self-management is one of the structural components in the competitiveness model of the student’s as prospective specialists. Reflection is one of the most important elements of san elf-management, indication of competitiveness and the self-evaluation process as well. The aim of the research was to analyze and evaluate the theoretical aspects of reflection, including self-evaluation, for facilitation of self-development of prospective specialists’ competitiveness. Reflection is an important pre-condition for facilitation of self-development of prospective specialist’s competitiveness. Portfolio is one of the pedagogical tools for facilitation of reflection and self-development of competitiveness of prospective specialists in the study environment at university.
A Case Study on Developing a Classroom Web Application Using Behavior-Driven Development
Authors: Vance Austin , Cickovski Trevor
Published: April 2019

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) is a software design methodology which bridges the developer-client gap by evolving software through communication between the two sides and shaping it to the goals of shareholders. As a recently published iterative development strategy, BDD is slowly being adopted as a software practice in a wide range of domains. We study the applicability of BDD to designing Narwhal, a classroom drawing application that mimics a combination of PowerPoint slides and whiteboard. Through this case study, we employ junior and senior seminar students as clients and view the effects of BDD on Narwhal’s evolution over a three-month period. We conclude with a discussion on the general applicability of BDD to the design of classroom tools following lessons learned from this case study.
Proteomic Study of Ribosomal Proteins from Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bos taurus, Gallus gallus, and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha: Application in a Teaching Laboratory Setting
Authors: Miura Yoshihiro , Yeager Eric , MacKenzie James , Bendinskas Kestutis
Published: April 2019

Ribosomes are central to protein synthesis and our understanding of ribosomes has advanced antibiotics research. The proteomic study of ribosomes presented here utilizes a combination of differential centrifugation and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization – time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to analyze ribosomes from various species in a teaching laboratory setting. Five biologically varied species were used: Escherichia coli (bacteria), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast), Bos taurus (cow), Gallus gallus (chicken), and Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Chinook salmon). Samples were lysed, ribosomes were isolated via ultracentrifugation using a discontinuous sucrose gradient and the individual protein subunits were separated via sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Tryptic digest and MALDI-TOF MS were then conducted on fifteen bands excised from the gel, and the mass spectra of both the whole protein sample and peptides were analyzed. Five out of these fifteen bands were positively identified as various ribosomal proteins, with two uncertain identifications. Additionally, three of the five positively identified proteins that travelled the same distance on the gel were determined to be orthologous. Finally, a class of 14 Biochemistry II students utilized these protocols, identified 3 ribosomal proteins and provided their evaluations of the ultracentrifugation-proteomics teaching laboratory.

Key Words: Proteomics, MALDI-TOF MS, ultracentrifugation, ribosomes, teaching laboratory
PERLINDUNGAN HUKUM KONSUMEN PROPERTI ATAS SISTEM PRE PROJECT SELLING DI KOTA BATAM
Authors: Bhakti Rizki Tri Anugrah
Published: April 2019

Sistem Pre Project Selling yang dilakukan oleh pengembang perumahan (developer) sebagai pelaku usaha, seringkali enimbulkan kerugian bagi para konsumen. Apabila konsumen menderita kerugian makai a berhak untuk menuntut penggantian kerugian tersebut kepada pengembang perumahan (developer) yang bersangkutan. Tuntutan penggantian kerugian inilah yang oleh hukum dimungkinkan dan sepenuhnya diatur dalm bentuk perlindungan hukum, baik yang terdapat dalam Undang-Undang Perlindungan Konsumen maupun Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Perdata. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui akibat hukum yang ditimbulkan dari adanya sistem Pre Project Selling yang dilakukan pengembang perumahan (developer) dan bagaimana perlindungan hukum bagi konsumen dari adanya sistem Pre Project Selling yang dilakukan pengembang perumahan (developer) tersebut. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian normatif, yaitu penelitian yang berdasarkan pada kajian yang sesuai dengan teori dan aturan hukum yang telah ditetapkan. Penelitian normatif ini juga berfungsi untuk memberikan argumentasi secara yuridis ketika terjadi kekosongan, kekaburan, dan konflik norma. Dengan demikian penelitian ini dirasa sangat penting sebagai bahan masukan kebijakan agar memeberikan nilai keadilan bagi masyarakat.
Variation of Detailed Protein Composition of Cow Milk Predicted from a Large Database of Mid-Infrared Spectra
Authors: Franzoi Marco , Niero Giovanni , Visentin Giulio , Penasa Mauro , Cassandro Martino , De Marchi Massimo
Published: April 2019

This study aimed to investigate factors affecting protein fractions, namely α-casein (α-CN), β-casein (β-CN), κ-casein (κ-CN), β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and α-lactalbumin (α-LA) predicted from milk infrared spectra in milk of dairy and dual-purpose cattle breeds. The dataset comprised 735,328 observations from 49,049 cows in 1782 herds. Results highlighted significant differences of protein fractions in milk of the studied breeds. Significant variations of protein fractions were found also through parities and lactation, with the latter thoroughly influencing protein fractions percentage. Interesting correlations (r) were estimated between β-CN, κ-CN and β-LG, expressed as percentage of crude protein, and milk urea nitrogen (r = 0.31, −0.20 and −0.26, respectively) and between α-LA and fat percentage (r = 0.41). The present study paves the way for future studies on the associations between protein fractions and milk technological properties, and for the estimation of genetic parameters of predicted protein composition.
Short Cationic Peptidomimetic Antimicrobials
Authors: Kuppusamy Rajesh , Willcox Mark , Black David StC. , Kumar Naresh
Published: April 2019

The rapid growth of antimicrobial resistance against several frontline antibiotics has encouraged scientists worldwide to develop new alternatives with unique mechanisms of action. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted considerable interest due to their rapid killing and broad-spectrum activity. Peptidomimetics overcome some of the obstacles of AMPs such as high cost of synthesis, short half-life in vivo due to their susceptibility to proteolytic degradation, and issues with toxicity. This review will examine the development of short cationic peptidomimetics as antimicrobials.
Risk Factors for Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions in Young Adults
Authors: Torre Peter , Reed Mark B.
Published: April 2019

Young adults with normal hearing may exhibit risk factors for hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how self-reported personal music (PM) system volume use, preferred listening level, and self-reported alcohol use affects distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Two-hundred, sixteen young adults, 161 women and 55 men, participated. Questionnaire data included the PM system and alcohol use. DPOAEs were obtained from 1–6 kHz and collapsed into 1/3rd octave bands and a probe microphone was used to determine preferred listening level. Alcohol was defined as drinks per month (DPM), categorized as No, Light (≤14), and Heavy (>14). Men who reported loud/very loud volume use had statistically significant lower DPOAEs at 1.5, 2, and 3 kHz than men who reported lower volume use. Light and Heavy DPM men had lower DPOAEs at 1.5, 2, and 3 kHz than no DPM men, but this was not statistically significant. There were no DPOAE differences for either variable in women and there was no association between preferred listening level and DPOAEs for women or men. Men who reported loud/very loud volume use and any DPM had poorer mid-frequency DPOAEs. There was not an association for volume use or DPM and DPOAEs in women.
Supervised Machine-Learning Predictive Analytics for National Quality of Life Scoring
Authors: Kaur Maninder , Dhalaria Meghna , Sharma Pradip Kumar , Park Jong Hyuk
Published: April 2019

For many years there has been a focus on individual welfare and societal advancement. In addition to the economic system, diverse experiences and the habitats of people are crucial factors that contribute to the well-being and progress of the nation. The predictor of quality of life called the Better Life Index (BLI) visualizes and compares key elements—environment, jobs, health, civic engagement, governance, education, access to services, housing, community, and income—that contribute to well-being in different countries. This paper presents a supervised machine-learning analytical model that predicts the life satisfaction score of any specific country based on these given parameters. This work is a stacked generalization based on a novel approach that combines different machine-learning approaches to generate a meta-machine-learning model that further aids in maximizing prediction accuracy. The work utilized an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) regional statistics dataset with four years of data, from 2014 to 2017. The novel model achieved a high root mean squared error (RMSE) value of 0.3 with 10-fold cross-validation on the balanced class data. Compared to base models, the ensemble model based on the stacked generalization framework was a significantly better predictor of the life satisfaction of a nation. It is clear from the results that the ensemble model presents more precise and consistent predictions in comparison to the base learners.
Deep CNN for IIF Images Classification in Autoimmune Diagnostics
Authors: Cascio Donato , Taormina Vincenzo , Raso Giuseppe
Published: April 2019

The diagnosis and monitoring of autoimmune diseases are very important problem in medicine. The most used test for this purpose is the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. An indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test performed by Human Epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cells as substrate antigen is the most common methods to determine ANA. In this paper we present an automatic HEp-2 specimen system based on a convolutional neural network method able to classify IIF images. The system consists of a module for features extraction based on a pre-trained AlexNet network and a classification phase for the cell-pattern association using six support vector machines and a k-nearest neighbors classifier. The classification at the image-level was obtained by analyzing the pattern prevalence at cell-level. The layers of the pre-trained network and various system parameters were evaluated in order to optimize the process. This system has been developed and tested on the HEp-2 images indirect immunofluorescence images analysis (I3A) public database. To test the generalisation performance of the method, the leave-one-specimen-out procedure was used in this work. The performance analysis showed an accuracy of 96.4% and a mean class accuracy equal to 93.8%. The results have been evaluated comparing them with some of the most representative works using the same database.
A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part I Experiment
Authors: Elbakheit Abdel Rahman
Published: April 2019

A ducted photovoltaic façade (DPV) unit was studied using experimental prototype and simulated in a full scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The study comes in two parts; this is Part I, as detailed in the title above, and Part II is titled “A Ducted Photovoltaic Façade Unit with Buoyancy Cooling: Part II CFD Simulation”. The process adopted in the experimental study is replicated in the simulation part. The aim was to optimize the duct width behind the solar cells to allow for a maximum buoyancy-driven cooling for the cells during operation. Duct widths from 5 to 50 cm were tested in a prototype. A duct width of 45 cm had the maximum calculated heat removed from the duct; however, the lowest cell-operating temperature was reported for duct width of 50 cm. It was found that ΔT between ducts’ inlets and outlets range from 5.47 °C to 12.32 °C for duct widths of 5–50 cm, respectively. The ducted system enhanced module efficiency by 12.69% by reducing photovoltaic (PV) temperature by 27 °C from 100 °C to 73 °C. The maximum measured heat recovered from the ducted PV system was 422 W. This is 48.98% from the incident radiation in the test. The total sum of heat recovered and power enhanced by the ducted system was 61.67%.
Optimizing Evaluation Methods for the Embodied Energy and Carbon Management of Existing Buildings in Egypt
Authors: Tarabieh Khaled , Khorshed Mirette
Published: April 2019

There is an increasing demand for the decarbonization of existing buildings. The development of standardized calculation methods has simplified calculation processes and enabled wider engagement with the topic. As the industry advances, optimization and accounting for regional differences will increase in importance. This paper reviews the key drivers in the field, both locally and internationally, and proposes a performance-based evaluation method specific to local construction in Egypt. The aim of the method is to assist in the renovation of existing buildings by guiding the decision-making process through the proposed evaluation framework. A local case study of an existing multi-story apartment building was used to create a baseline for typical local multi-story residential buildings and demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed evaluation method. This framework provides the owners of buildings with a decision-making process by which carbon impacts associated with future renovations and operations of existing buildings can be minimized.
Preparation of Metal Amalgam Electrodes and Their Selective Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction for Formate Production
Authors: Abbas Syed Asad , Kim Seong-Hoon , Saleem Hamza , Ahn Sung-Hee , Jung Kwang-Deog
Published: April 2019

Electrochemical CO2 reduction to produce formate ions has studied for the sustainable carbon cycle. Mercury in the liquid state is known to be an active metallic component to selectively convert CO2 to formate ions, but it is not scalable to use as an electrode in electrochemical CO2 reduction. Therefore, scalable amalgam electrodes with different base metals are tested to produce formate by an electrochemical CO2 reduction. The amalgam electrodes are prepared by the electrodeposition of Hg on the pre-electrodeposited Pd, Au, Pt and Cu nanoparticles on the glassy carbon. The formate faradaic efficiency with the Pd, Au, Pt and Cu is lower than 25%, while the one with the respective metal amalgams is higher than 50%. Pd amalgam among the tested samples shows the highest formate faradic efficiency and current density. The formate faradaic efficiency is recorded 85% at −2.1 V vs SCE and the formate current density is −6.9 mA cm−2. It is concluded that Pd2Hg5 alloy on the Pd amalgam electrode is an active phase for formate production in the electrochemical CO2 reduction.
Laccase-Catalyzed Oxidation of Mixed Aqueous Phenolic Substrates at Low Concentrations
Authors: Rangelov Stoyan , Nicell Jim A.
Published: April 2019

It has been proposed that Trametes versicolor laccase can be used to detoxify wastewaters that are contaminated with phenolic pollutants. However, the oxidation of phenols at low concentrations may be impacted if other substrates tend to interfere with or enhance the oxidation of the target substrate. To test this, experiments were conducted to evaluate effects arising from the simultaneous presence of mixed substrates including phenol (P), estradiol (E2), cumylphenol (CP), and triclosan (TCL), each of which are characterized by different rates of oxidation and tendencies to inactivate laccase. Slower and faster substrates were found to have only minor negative impacts upon the rate of conversion of targeted substrates, except where they tended to cause inactivation. No enhancements in substrate oxidation were observed. A multi-substrate kinetic model was shown to be able to accurately predict the time course of reactions of mixed substrates over extended periods at micromolar and sub-micromolar concentrations, except when estradiol and triclosan were simultaneously present. In this case, more enzyme inactivation was observed than would be expected from the oxidation of individual substrates alone. The utility of the model for providing insights into the reaction phenomenon and for evaluating the feasibility of oxidizing targeted substrates in the presence of other substrates is demonstrated.
Myricetin Suppresses the Propagation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Down-Regulating Expression of YAP
Authors: Li Minjing , Chen Jinliang , Yu Xiaofei , Xu Sen , Li Defang , Zheng Qiusheng , Yin Yancun
Published: April 2019

Myricetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid with protective effects against a variety of cancers. However, the molecular mechanism of myricetin against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has still not been fully elucidated. Previous studies have indicated that YAP is essential for cancer initiation and progression. However, whether YAP contributes to the anti-cancer effects of myricetin remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to investigate the effect of myricetin on HCC, and identify the underlying mechanisms. We report that myricetin induced apoptosis and proliferation inhibition in HepG2 and Huh-7 cells. Myricetin inhibited expression of YAP by promoting its phosphorylation and subsequent degradation. Myricetin inhibited YAP expression by stimulating kinase activation of LATS1/2. Knockdown expression of LATS1/2 by shRNA attenuated myricetin-induced phosphorylation and degradation of YAP. Furthermore, myricetin sensitized HCC cells to cisplatin treatment through inhibiting YAP and its target genes, both in vitro and in vivo. The identification of the LATS1/2-YAP pathway as a target of myricetin may help with the design of novel strategies for human HCC prevention and therapy.
Functional Characterization of Clinically-Relevant Rare Variants in ABCG2 Identified in a Gout and Hyperuricemia Cohort
Authors: Toyoda Yu , Mančíková Andrea , Krylov Vladimír , Morimoto Keito , Pavelcová Kateřina , Bohatá Jana , Pavelka Karel , Pavlíková Markéta , Suzuki Hiroshi , Matsuo Hirotaka , Takada Tappei , Stiburkova Blanka
Published: April 2019

ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) is a physiologically important urate transporter. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that congenital dysfunction of ABCG2 is an important genetic risk factor in gout and hyperuricemia; recent studies suggest the clinical significance of both common and rare variants of ABCG2. However, the effects of rare variants of ABCG2 on the risk of such diseases are not fully understood. Here, using a cohort of 250 Czech individuals of European descent (68 primary hyperuricemia patients and 182 primary gout patients), we examined exonic non-synonymous variants of ABCG2. Based on the results of direct sequencing and database information, we experimentally characterized nine rare variants of ABCG2: R147W (rs372192400), T153M (rs753759474), F373C (rs752626614), T421A (rs199854112), T434M (rs769734146), S476P (not annotated), S572R (rs200894058), D620N (rs34783571), and a three-base deletion K360del (rs750972998). Functional analyses of these rare variants revealed a deficiency in the plasma membrane localization of R147W and S572R, lower levels of cellular proteins of T153M and F373C, and null urate uptake function of T434M and S476P. Accordingly, we newly identified six rare variants of ABCG2 that showed lower or null function. Our findings contribute to deepening the understanding of ABCG2-related gout/hyperuricemia risk and the biochemical characteristics of the ABCG2 protein.
Recent Trends in Research on the Genetic Diversity of Plants: Implications for Conservation
Authors: Carvalho Yasmin G. S. , Vitorino Luciana C. , Souza Ueric J. B. de , Bessa Layara A.
Published: April 2019

Genetic diversity and its distribution, both within and between populations, may be determined by micro-evolutionary processes, such as the demographic history of populations, natural selection, and gene flow. In plants, indices of genetic diversity (e.g., k, h and π) and structure (e.g., FST) are typically inferred from sequences of chloroplast markers. Given the recent advances and popularization of molecular techniques for research in population genetics, phylogenetics, phylogeography, and ecology, we adopted a scientometric approach to compile evidence on the recent trends in the use of cpDNA sequences as markers for the analysis of genetic diversity in botanical studies, over the years. We also used phylogenetic modeling to assess the relative contribution of relatedness or ecological and reproductive characters to the genetic diversity of plants. We postulated that genetic diversity could be defined not only by microevolutionary factors and life history traits, but also by relatedness, so that species more closely related phylogenetically would have similar genetic diversities. We found a clear tendency for an increase in the number of studies over time, confirming the hypothesis that the advances in the area of molecular genetics have supported the accumulation of data on the genetic diversity of plants. However, we found that the vast majority of these data have been produced by Chinese authors, and refer specifically to populations of Chinese plants. Most of the data on genetic diversity have been obtained for species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category NE (Not Evaluated), which indicates a relative lack of attention on threatened species. In general, we observed very high FST values in the groups analyzed and, as we focused primarily on species that have not been evaluated by the IUCN, the number of plant species that are threatened with extinction may be much greater than that indicated by the listing of this organization. We also found that the number of haplotypes (k) was influenced by the type of geographic distribution of the plant, while haplotype diversity (h) was affected by the type of flower, and the fixation index (FST), by the type of habitat. The plant species most closely-related phylogenetically have similar levels of genetic diversity. Overall, then, it will important to consider phylogenetic dependence in future studies that evaluate the effects of life-history traits on plant genetic diversity.
Implications of Spatial Habitat Diversity on Diet Selection of European Bison and Przewalski’s Horses in a Rewilding Area
Authors: Zielke Luisa , Wrage-Mönnig Nicole , Müller Jürgen , Neumann Carsten
Published: April 2019

In Europe, the interest in introducing megaherbivores to achieve ambitious habitat restoration goals is increasing. In this study, we present the results of a one-year monitoring program in a rewilding project in Germany (Doeberitzer Heide), where European bison (Bison bonasus) and Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) were introduced for ecological restoration purposes. Our objectives were to investigate diet and habitat preferences of Przewalski’s horses and European bison under free-choice conditions without fodder supplementation. In a random forest classification approach, we used multitemporal RapidEye time series imagery to map the diversity of available habitats within the study area. This spatially explicit habitat distribution from satellite imagery was combined with direct field observations of seasonal diet preferences of both species. In line with the availability of preferred forage plants, European bison and Przewalski’s horses both showed seasonal habitat preferences. Because of their different preferences for forage plants, they did not overlap in habitat use except for a short time in the colder season. European bison used open habitats and especially wet open habitats more than expected based on available habitats in the study area. Comparative foraging and feeding niches should be considered in the establishment of multispecies projects to maximize the outcome of restoration processes.
Early Output Quasi-Delay-Insensitive Array Multipliers
Authors: Balasubramanian Padmanabhan , Maskell Douglas , Naayagi R. T. , Mastorakis Nikos
Published: April 2019

Multiplication is a widely used arithmetic operation in microprocessing and digital signal processing applications, and multiplication is realized using a multiplier. This article presents the quasi-delay-insensitive (QDI) early output versions of recently reported indicating asynchronous array multipliers. Delay-insensitive dual-rail encoding is used for data representation and processing, and 4-phase return-to-zero (RTZ) and return-to-one (RTO) handshake protocols are used for data communication. Many QDI array multipliers were realized using a 32/28 nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Compared to the optimum indicating array multiplier, the proposed optimum early output array multiplier achieves a 6.2% reduction in cycle time and a 7.4% reduction in power-cycle time product (PCTP) with respect to RTZ handshaking, and a 7.6% reduction in cycle time and an 8.8% reduction in PCTP with respect to RTO handshaking without an increase in the area. The simulation results also convey that the RTO handshaking is preferable to the RTZ handshaking for the optimum implementation of QDI array multipliers.
Recent Advances in the Use of Sourdough Biotechnology in Pasta Making
Authors: Montemurro Marco , Coda Rossana , Rizzello Carlo
Published: April 2019

The growing consumers’ request for foods with well-balanced nutritional profile and functional properties promotes research on innovation in pasta making. As a staple food and a common component of diet, pasta can be considered as a vector of dietary fiber, vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, and functional compounds. The conventional process for pasta production does not include a fermentation step. However, novel recipes including sourdough-fermented ingredients have been recently proposed, aiming at enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of this product and at enriching commercial offerings with products with new sensorial profiles. The use of sourdough for pasta fortification has been investigated under several aspects, including fortification in vitamin B, the reduction of starch digestibility, and gluten content. Sourdough fermentation has also been successfully applied to non-conventional flours, (e.g., from pseudocereals and legumes), in which an overall increase of the nutritional value and health-promoting compounds, such as a significant decrease of antinutritional factors, were observed. Fermented non-conventional flours, obtained through spontaneous fermentation or using selected starters, have been proposed as pasta ingredients. As the result of wheat replacement, modification in textural properties of pasta may occur. Nonetheless, fermentation represents an efficient tool in improving, besides nutritional and functional profile, the sensory and technological features of fortified pasta.
EcoTILLING Reveals Natural Allelic Variations in Starch Synthesis Key Gene TaSSIV and Its Haplotypes Associated with Higher Thousand Grain Weight
Authors: Irshad Ahsan , Guo Huijun , Zhang Shunlin , Gu Jiayu , Zhao Linshu , Xie Yongdun , Xiong Hongchun , Zhao Shirong , Ding Yuping , Ma Youzhi , Liu Luxiang
Published: April 2019

Wheat is a staple food commodity grown worldwide, and wheat starch is a valuable source of energy and carbon that constitutes 80% of the grain weight. Manipulation of genes involved in starch synthesis significantly affects wheat grain weight and yield. TaSSIV plays an important role in starch synthesis and its main function is granule formation. To mine and stack more favorable alleles, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TaSSIV-A, B, and D were investigated across 362 wheat accessions by Ecotype-Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genome (EcoTILLING). As a result, a total of 38 SNPs in the amplified regions of three TaSSIV genes were identified, of which 10, 15, and 13 were in TaSSIV-A, B, and D, respectively. These 38 SNPs were evaluated by using KASP and six SNPs showed an allele frequency >5% whereas the rest were <5%, i.e., considered to be minor alleles. In the Chinese mini core collection, three haplotypes were detected for TaSSIV–A and three for TaSSIV–B. The results of an association study in the Chinese mini core collection with thousand grain weight (TGW) and spike length (SPL) showed that Hap-2-1A was significantly associated with TGW and Hap-3-1B with SPL. Allelic frequency and geographic distribution indicated that the favored haplotype (Hap-2-1A) has been positively selected in Chinese wheat breeding. These results suggested that the Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers can be applied in starch improvement to ultimately improve wheat yield by marker assisted selection in wheat breeding.
Allele Frequency Difference AFD–An Intuitive Alternative to FST for Quantifying Genetic Population Differentiation
Authors: Berner Daniel
Published: April 2019

Measuring the magnitude of differentiation between populations based on genetic markers is commonplace in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology. The predominant differentiation metric used for this purpose is FST. Based on a qualitative survey, numerical analyses, simulations, and empirical data, I here argue that FST does not express the relationship to allele frequency differentiation between populations generally considered interpretable and desirable by researchers. In particular, FST (1) has low sensitivity when population differentiation is weak, (2) is contingent on the minor allele frequency across the populations, (3) can be strongly affected by asymmetry in sample sizes, and (4) can differ greatly among the available estimators. Together, these features can complicate pattern recognition and interpretation in population genetic and genomic analysis, as illustrated by empirical examples, and overall compromise the comparability of population differentiation among markers and study systems. I argue that a simple differentiation metric displaying intuitive properties, the absolute allele frequency difference AFD, provides a valuable alternative to FST. I provide a general definition of AFD applicable to both bi- and multi-allelic markers and conclude by making recommendations on the sample sizes needed to achieve robust differentiation estimates using AFD.
Health-Related Quality of Life and Its Determinants among Criminal Police Officers
Authors: Wu Xinrui , Liu Qian , Li Qi , Tian Zhengwen , Tan Hongzhuan
Published: April 2019

Criminal police officers are viewed as having a very tiring and stressful job, one that is closely correlated with work disability and other factors that might impair quality of life. Few studies have addressed the issue of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population. Thus, this study aimed to assess the HRQoL of criminal police officers compared with the general adult population and identify determinants associated with HRQoL. Based on a cross-sectional study of 281 criminal police officers in China, we used the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) scale, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) to collect data. Tobit regression models and logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with HRQoL. The average EQ-5D-3L index score and EQ-5D visual analogue set (EQ-5D VAS) score were 0.919 and 77.22, respectively (total comparable population 0.958 and 80.12, respectively). Anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort were the most frequently-reported problems. Lower HRQoL was associated with age, drinking alcohol, physical activity, injury on duty, and symptoms of anxiety or depression. These findings indicated that criminal police officers have poorer quality of life than the general adult population and that risk-oriented interventions should be implemented to improve the HRQoL of criminal police officers.
An Underground Radio Wave Propagation Prediction Model for Digital Agriculture
Authors: Salam Abdul
Published: April 2019

Underground sensing and propagation of Signals in the Soil (SitS) medium is an electromagnetic issue. The path loss prediction with higher accuracy is an open research subject in digital agriculture monitoring applications for sensing and communications. The statistical data are predominantly derived from site-specific empirical measurements, which is considered an impediment to universal application. Nevertheless, in the existing literature, statistical approaches have been applied to the SitS channel modeling, where impulse response analysis and the Friis open space transmission formula are employed as the channel modeling tool in different soil types under varying soil moisture conditions at diverse communication distances and burial depths. In this article, an electromagnetic field analysis is presented as an enhanced monitoring approach for subsurface radio wave propagation and underground sensing applications in the field of digital agriculture. The signal strength results are shown for different distances and depths in the subsurface medium. The analysis shows that the lateral wave is the dominant wave in subsurface communications. Moreover, the shallow depths are more suitable for soil moisture sensing and long-range underground communications. The developed paradigm leads to advanced system design for real-time soil monitoring applications.
Thrombin Preconditioning of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing by Boosting Their Biogenesis and Enriching Cargo Content
Authors: Sung Dong Kyung , Chang Yun Sil , Sung Se In , Ahn So Yoon , Park Won Soon
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal preconditioning regimen for the wound healing therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). To this end, we compared various preconditioning regimens for both the quantitative and qualitative production of MSC-derived EVs, and their therapeutic efficacy for proangiogenic activity in vitro and cutaneous wound healing in vivo. After preconditioning with thrombin (40 U), H2O2 (50 μM), lipopolysaccharide (1 μg/mL), or hypoxia (10% O2), EV secretion was assessed quantitatively by measuring production per cell and protein quantification, and qualitatively by measuring a proteome profiler and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) contained within EVs. The therapeutic efficacy of EVs was assessed in vitro by proliferation, migration and tube formation assays of human umbilical cord blood endothelial cells (HUVECs), and in vivo by quantification of cutaneous wound healing. Thrombin preconditioning optimally boosted EV production and enriched various growth factors including vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenin contained within EVs compared to other preconditioning regimens. Thrombin preconditioning optimally enhanced proliferation, the migration and tube formation of HUVECs in vitro via pERK1/2 and pAKT signaling pathways, and cutaneous wound healing in vivo compared to other preconditioning regimens. Thrombin preconditioning exhibited optimal therapeutic efficacy compared with other preconditioning regimens in promoting proangiogenic activity in vitro and in enhancing cutaneous wound healing in vivo. These preconditioning regimen-dependent variations in therapeutic efficacy might be mediated by boosting EV production and enriching their cargo content.