bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Placement Stability, Cumulative Time in Care, and Permanency: Using Administrative Data from CPS to Track Placement Trajectories
Authors: Hélie Sonia , Poirier Marie-Andrée , Esposito Tonino , Turcotte Daniel
Published: November 2017

Objectives: The Quebec Youth Protection Act was amended in 2007. The main goal of this reform was to improve placement stability for children who are removed from their home for their protection. Among several legal provisions introduced was the establishment of maximum age-specific durations of out-of-home care, after which a plan must be established to provide stability for children placed in substitute care by finding permanent homes for them. The purpose of this study is (1) to examine trends in placement use and placement stability since the reform and (2) to document the current frequency of each type of placement setting, the cumulative time in care before the exit to permanency, and the sustainability of the permanency outcome. Methods: The study relies on 3 entry cohorts of all children investigated who received protection measures in the province of Quebec during 3 specific time frames before and after the reform (n = 9620, 8676, 8425). Cohorts were observed for a period varying from 3 to 4 years. Administrative data from all 16 child protection agencies were used to track placement trajectory indicators and to compare cohorts. Results: There has been a decrease in the proportion of children receiving protection measures who were placed in care since the reform, and placement in kinship care has become more frequent among children placed. Placement stability improved slightly after the reform. Overall, for infants, the most frequent type of permanency attained is adoption, while reunification is the option most often indicated for older children. Some children are at a greater risk of experiencing unstable placement trajectories: young children have a high rate of reunification breakdown, some wait a long time to be adopted, and adolescents are frequently removed from the substitute care setting where they were supposed to stay until the age of 18. Conclusions: The results suggest interesting avenues for policy makers and service providers to improve the stability of placement trajectories. Advantages and disadvantages of administrative data are discussed.
Who Participates in the Great ShakeOut? Why Audience Segmentation Is the Future of Disaster Preparedness Campaigns
Authors: Adams Rachel , Karlin Beth , Eisenman David , Blakley Johanna , Glik Deborah
Published: November 2017

Background: In 2008, the Southern California Earthquake Center in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program launched the first annual Great ShakeOut, the largest earthquake preparedness drill in the history of the United States. Materials and Methods: We collected online survey data from 2052 campaign registrants to assess how people participated, whether audience segments shared behavioral patterns, and whether these segments were associated with five social cognitive factors targeted by the ShakeOut campaign. Results: Participants clustered into four behavioral patterns. The Minimal cluster had low participation in all activities (range: 0–39% participation). The Basic Drill cluster only participated in the drop, cover and hold drill (100% participation). The Community-Oriented cluster, involved in the drill (100%) and other interpersonal activities including attending disaster planning meetings (74%), was positively associated with interpersonal communication (β = 0.169), self-efficacy (β = 0.118), outcome efficacy (β = 0.110), and knowledge about disaster preparedness (β = 0.151). The Interactive and Games cluster, which participated in the drill (79%) and two online earthquake preparedness games (53% and 75%), was positively associated with all five social cognitive factors studied. Conclusions: Our results support audience segmentation approaches to engaging the public, which address the strengths and weaknesses of different segments. Offering games may help “gamers” gain competencies required to prepare for disasters. Targeting the highly active Community-Oriented cluster for leadership roles could help build community resilience by encouraging others to become more involved in disaster planning. We propose that the days of single, national education campaigns without local variation should end.
Comfort, Energy Efficiency and Adoption of Personal Cooling Systems in Warm Environments: A Field Experimental Study
Authors: He Yingdong , Li Nianping , Wang Xiang , He Meiling , He De
Published: November 2017

It is well known that personal cooling improves thermal comfort and save energy. This study aims to: (1) compare different personal cooling systems and (2) understand what influences users’ willingness to adopt them. A series of experiments on several types of personal cooling systems, which included physical measurements, questionnaires and feedback, was conducted in a real office environment. The obtained results showed that personal cooling improved comfort of participants in warm environments. Then an improved index was proposed and used to compare different types of personal cooling systems in terms of comfort and energy efficiency simultaneously. According to the improved index, desk fans were highly energy-efficient, while the hybrid personal cooling (the combination of radiant cooling desk and desk fan) consumed more energy but showed advantages of extending the comfortable temperature range. Moreover, if personal cooling was free, most participants were willing to adopt it and the effectiveness was the main factor influencing their willingness, whereas if participants had to pay, they probably refused to adopt it due to the cost and the availability of conventional air conditioners. Thus, providing effective and free personal cooling systems should be regarded as a better way for its wider application.
Sleep and Dietary Patterns in Pregnancy: Findings from the GUSTO Cohort
Authors: Van Lee Linde , Chia Ai-Ru , Loy See Ling , Colega Marjorelee , Tham Elaine , Cai Shirong , Yap Fabian , Godfrey Keith , Teoh Oon , Goh Daniel , Tan Kok , Chong Yap-Seng , Broekman Birit , Chong Mary
Published: November 2017

Evidence on the association between sleep, diet, and eating behaviors in pregnant women is lacking. We examine this in a cohort of apparently healthy pregnant women. At 26–28 weeks gestation, 497 participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep and a 24-h recall to assess dietary intake. Diet quality was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index for pregnant women in Singapore (HEI-SGP) score and previously derived dietary patterns (vegetables-fruit-rice, seafood-noodles, and pasta-cheese-meat pattern). Eating behaviors studied included the longest night-time fasting interval, frequency of consumption occasions, energy from discretionary foods, and nighttime eating. Adjusted means were estimated between poor/good quality and short/normal sleepers using linear regressions, including covariates. Good sleep quality versus poor sleep quality, was associated with better diet quality (mean HEI-SGP 54.6 vs. 52.0; p = 0.032), greater adherence to the vegetables-fruit-rice pattern (mean 0.03 vs. −0.15; p = 0.039), lesser adherence to the seafood-noodle pattern (mean −0.14 vs. 0.03; p = 0.024), and a trending lower calories from discretionary foods (mean 330.5 vs. 382.6 kcal; p = 0.073), after adjusting for covariates. After additional adjustment for anxiety, only sleep quality and the seafood-noodle pattern remained significantly associated (p = 0.018). Short sleep was not associated with any diet or eating behavior. In conclusion, good sleep quality is associated with a better diet quality and a greater adherence to the vegetable-fruit-rice pattern, but with lesser adherence to the seafood-noodle diets in pregnant women.
An Integrated Spatial Clustering Analysis Method for Identifying Urban Fire Risk Locations in a Network-Constrained Environment: A Case Study in Nanjing, China
Authors: Xia Zelong , Li Hao , Chen Yuehong
Published: November 2017

The spatial distribution of urban geographical events is largely constrained by the road network, and research on spatial clusters of fire accidents at the city level plays a crucial role in emergency rescue and urban planning. For example, by knowing where and when fire accidents usually occur, fire enforcement can conduct more efficient aid measures and planning department can work out more reasonable layout optimization of fire stations. This article proposed an integrated method by combining weighted network-constrained kernel density estimation (NKDE) and network-constrained local Moran’s I (ILINCS) to detect spatial cluster pattern and identify higher-risk locations of fire accidents. The proposed NKDE-ILINCS weighted a set of crucial non-spatial attributes of point events and links, and considered the impact factors of road traffic states, intersection roads and fire severity in NKDE to reflect real urban environment. This method was tested using the fire data in 2015 in Nanjing, China. The results demonstrated that the method was appropriate to detect network-constrained fire cluster patterns and identify high–high road segments. Besides, the first 14 higher-risk road segments in Nanjing are listed. These findings of this case study enhance our knowledge to more accurately observe where fire accidents usually occur and provide a reference for fire departments to improve emergency rescue effectiveness.
Analysis of the Roles of the Arabidopsis nMAT2 and PMH2 Proteins Provided with New Insights into the Regulation of Group II Intron Splicing in Land-Plant Mitochondria
Authors: Zmudjak Michal , Shevtsov Sofia , Sultan Laure , Keren Ido , Ostersetzer-Biran Oren
Published: November 2017

Plant mitochondria are remarkable with respect to the presence of numerous group II introns which reside in many essential genes. The removal of the organellar introns from the coding genes they interrupt is essential for respiratory functions, and is facilitated by different enzymes that belong to a diverse set of protein families. These include maturases and RNA helicases related proteins that function in group II intron splicing in different organisms. Previous studies indicate a role for the nMAT2 maturase and the RNA helicase PMH2 in the maturation of different pre-RNAs in Arabidopsis mitochondria. However, the specific roles of these proteins in the splicing activity still need to be resolved. Using transcriptome analyses of Arabidopsis mitochondria, we show that nMAT2 and PMH2 function in the splicing of similar subsets of group II introns. Fractionation of native organellar extracts and pulldown experiments indicate that nMAT2 and PMH2 are associated together with their intron-RNA targets in large ribonucleoprotein particle in vivo. Moreover, the splicing efficiencies of the joint intron targets of nMAT2 and PMH2 are more strongly affected in a double nmat2/pmh2 mutant-line. These results are significant as they may imply that these proteins serve as components of a proto-spliceosomal complex in plant mitochondria.
Combined Effects of Simulated Microgravity and Radiation Exposure on Osteoclast Cell Fusion
Authors: Shanmugarajan Srinivasan , Zhang Ye , Moreno-Villanueva Maria , Clanton Ryan , Rohde Larry , Ramesh Govindarajan , Sibonga Jean , Wu Honglu
Published: November 2017

The loss of bone mass and alteration in bone physiology during space flight are one of the major health risks for astronauts. Although the lack of weight bearing in microgravity is considered a risk factor for bone loss and possible osteoporosis, organisms living in space are also exposed to cosmic radiation and other environmental stress factors. As such, it is still unclear as to whether and by how much radiation exposure contributes to bone loss during space travel, and whether the effects of microgravity and radiation exposure are additive or synergistic. Bone is continuously renewed through the resorption of old bone by osteoclast cells and the formation of new bone by osteoblast cells. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of microgravity and radiation by evaluating the maturation of a hematopoietic cell line to mature osteoclasts. RAW 264.7 monocyte/macrophage cells were cultured in rotating wall vessels that simulate microgravity on the ground. Cells under static 1g or simulated microgravity were exposed to γ rays of varying doses, and then cultured in receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) for the formation of osteoclast giant multinucleated cells (GMCs) and for gene expression analysis. Results of the study showed that radiation alone at doses as low as 0.1 Gy may stimulate osteoclast cell fusion as assessed by GMCs and the expression of signature genes such as tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (Trap) and dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (Dcstamp). However, osteoclast cell fusion decreased for doses greater than 0.5 Gy. In comparison to radiation exposure, simulated microgravity induced higher levels of cell fusion, and the effects of these two environmental factors appeared additive. Interestingly, the microgravity effect on osteoclast stimulatory transmembrane protein (Ocstamp) and Dcstamp expressions was significantly higher than the radiation effect, suggesting that radiation may not increase the synthesis of adhesion molecules as much as microgravity.
Using Next-Generation Sequencing to Detect Differential Expression Genes in Bradysia odoriphaga after Exposure to Insecticides
Authors: Chen Haoliang , Lin Lulu , Ali Farman , Xie Minghui , Zhang Guangling , Su Weihua
Published: November 2017

Bradysia odoriphaga (Diptera: Sciaridae) is the most important pest of Chinese chive. Insecticides are used widely and frequently to control B. odoriphaga in China. However, the performance of the insecticides chlorpyrifos and clothianidin in controlling the Chinese chive maggot is quite different. Using next generation sequencing technology, different expression unigenes (DEUs) in B. odoriphaga were detected after treatment with chlorpyrifos and clothianidin for 6 and 48 h in comparison with control. The number of DEUs ranged between 703 and 1161 after insecticide treatment. In these DEUs, 370–863 unigenes can be classified into 41–46 categories of gene ontology (GO), and 354–658 DEUs can be mapped into 987–1623 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The expressions of DEUs related to insecticide-metabolism-related genes were analyzed. The cytochrome P450-like unigene group was the largest group in DEUs. Most glutathione S-transferase-like unigenes were down-regulated and most sodium channel-like unigenes were up-regulated after insecticide treatment. Finally, 14 insecticide-metabolism-related unigenes were chosen to confirm the relative expression in each treatment by quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The results of qRT-PCR and RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq) are fairly well-established. Our results demonstrate that a next-generation sequencing tool facilitates the identification of insecticide-metabolism-related genes and the illustration of the insecticide mechanisms of chlorpyrifos and clothianidin.
Molecular Alliance of Lymantria dispar Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus and a Short Unmodified Antisense Oligonucleotide of Its Anti-Apoptotic IAP-3 Gene: A Novel Approach for Gypsy Moth Control
Authors: Oberemok Volodymyr , Laikova Kateryna , Zaitsev Aleksei , Shumskykh Maksym , Kasich Igor , Gal’chinsky Nikita , Bekirova Viktoriya , Makarov Valentin , Agranovsky Alexey , Gushchin Vladimir , Zubarev Ilya , Kubyshkin Anatoly , Fomochkina Iryna , Gorlov Mikhail , Skorokhod Oleksii
Published: November 2017

Baculovirus IAP (inhibitor-of-apoptosis) genes originated by capture of host genes. Unmodified short antisense DNA oligonucleotides (oligoDNAs) from baculovirus IAP genes can down-regulate specific gene expression profiles in both baculovirus-free and baculovirus-infected insects. In this study, gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larvae infected with multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV), and LdMNPV-free larvae, were treated with oligoDNA antisense to the RING (really interesting new gene) domain of the LdMNPV IAP-3 gene. The results with respect to insect mortality, biomass accumulation, histological studies, RT-PCR, and analysis of DNA apoptotic fragmentation suggest that oligoRING induced increased apoptotic processes in both LdMNPV-free and LdMNPV-infected insect cells, but were more pronounced in the latter. These data open up possibilities for promising new routes of insect pest control using antisense phosphodiester DNA oligonucleotides.
Sphingosine 1-Phosphate (S1P) Signaling in Glioblastoma Multiforme—A Systematic Review
Authors: Mahajan-Thakur Shailaja , Bien-Möller Sandra , Marx Sascha , Schroeder Henry , Rauch Bernhard H.
Published: November 2017

The multifunctional sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid signaling molecule and central regulator in the development of several cancer types. In recent years, intriguing information has become available regarding the role of S1P in the progression of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive and common brain tumor in adults. S1P modulates numerous cellular processes in GBM, such as oncogenesis, proliferation and survival, invasion, migration, metastasis and stem cell behavior. These processes are regulated via a family of five G-protein-coupled S1P receptors (S1PR1-5) and may involve mainly unknown intracellular targets. Distinct expression patterns and multiple intracellular signaling pathways of each S1PR subtype enable S1P to exert its pleiotropic cellular actions. Several studies have demonstrated alterations in S1P levels, the involvement of S1PRs and S1P metabolizing enzymes in GBM pathophysiology. While the tumorigenic actions of S1P involve the activation of several kinases and transcription factors, the specific G-protein (Gi, Gq, and G12/13)-coupled signaling pathways and downstream mediated effects in GBM remain to be elucidated in detail. This review summarizes the recent findings concerning the role of S1P and its receptors in GBM. We further highlight the current insights into the signaling pathways considered fundamental for regulating the cellular processes in GMB and ultimately patient prognosis.
Source Code Documentation Generation Using Program Execution
Authors: Sulír Matúš , Porubän Jaroslav
Published: November 2017

Automated source code documentation approaches often describe methods in abstract terms, using the words contained in the static source code or code excerpts from repositories. In this paper, we describe DynamiDoc: a simple automated documentation generator based on dynamic analysis. Our representation-based approach traces the program being executed and records string representations of concrete argument values, a return value and a target object state before and after each method execution. Then, for each method, it generates documentation sentences with examples, such as “When called on [3, 1.2] with element = 3, the object changed to [1.2]”. Advantages and shortcomings of the approach are listed. We also found out that the generated sentences are substantially shorter than the methods they describe. According to our small-scale study, the majority of objects in the generated documentation have their string representations overridden, which further confirms the potential usefulness of our approach. Finally, we propose an alternative, variable-based approach that describes the values of individual member variables, rather than the state of an object as a whole.
Requirements and Pitfalls in AAL Projects. Guide to Self-Criticism for Developers from Experience
Authors: Aumayr Georg , Bleier Doris Marie , Sturm Nadine
Published: November 2017

Since 2012, several national and international projects on ambient assisted living (AAL) active and healthy ageing gave insight into the different steps of development processes where the requirements of the target group were not met or just failed to be realized. This article shall provide a summary of terms and requirements from the experience of practice and project work on the topic. This article is a reflection and guide for self-criticism for technical developers. Starting with some terms and how they are linked to each other gives an overview of the field of action for the projects, which our experience is based on. A mixture between literature and results of projects illustrates the requirement analysis as it was anticipated in recent years. The conclusion consists of recommendations for further research on requirements.
Growth of Anisotropic Gold Nanoparticle Assemblies via Liposome Fusion
Authors: Sugikawa Kouta , Kadota Tatsuya , Matsuo Kotaro , Yasuhara Kazuma , Ikeda Atsushi
Published: November 2017

Anisotropic assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) has attracted extensive attention because of the potential applications in materials science, biology, and medicine. However, assembly control (e.g., the number of assembled NPs) has not been adequately studied. Here, the growth of anisotropic gold NP assemblies on a liposome surface is reported. Citrate-coated gold NPs adsorbed on liposome surfaces were assembled in one dimension at temperatures above the phase transition temperature of the lipid bilayer. Growth of the anisotropic assemblies depended on the heating time. Absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the gradual growth was attributed to liposome fusion, which was strongly affected by the size of the gold NPs. This method enabled us to precisely control the number of NPs in each anisotropic assembly. These results will enable the fabrication of functional materials based on NP assemblies and enable investigations of cell functions and disease causality.
Temperature Uncertainty Analysis of Injection Mechanism Based on Kriging Modeling
Authors: You Dongdong , Liu Dehui , Jiang Xiaomo , Cheng Xueyu , Wang Xiang
Published: November 2017

A kriging modeling method is proposed to conduct the temperature uncertainty analysis of an injection mechanism in squeeze casting. A mathematical model of temperature prediction with multi input and single output is employed to estimate the temperature spatiotemporal distributions of the injection mechanism. The kriging model applies different weights to the independent variables according to spatial location of sample points and their correlation, thus reducing the estimation variance. The predicted value of the kriging model is compared with the sample data at the corresponding position to investigate the influence of the temperature uncertainty of the injection mechanism on the injection process including friction. The results indicate that the significant error is observed at a few sample points in the early injection due to the impact of the uncertainty facts. The variance mean and standard deviation obtained by the model calibrated by experimental samples reduce largely in comparison to those obtained from the initial kriging model. This study indicates that model calibration produces more accurate prediction.
Calcined Chitosan-Supported Layered Double Hydroxides: An Efficient and Recyclable Adsorbent for the Removal of Fluoride from an Aqueous Solution
Authors: Wu Hanjun , Zhang Huali , Yang Qingxue , Wang Dongsheng , Zhang Weijun , Yang Xiaofang
Published: November 2017

In this work, calcined chitosan-supported layered double hydroxides (CSLDO) were synthesized through a co-precipitation method that restrained the particles’ aggregation of LDHs and exhibited huge specific surface areas, which can enhance the fluoride adsorption capacity. CSLDOs were characterized by physical and chemical methods and used for fluoride adsorption in an aqueous solution. The results indicated that the nanoparticles were constructed first and then assembled to form a porous and layered structure, and chitosan-supported layered double hydroxides (CSLDHs) calcined at 400 °C (CSLDO400) showed the highest specific surface area of 116.98 m2·g−1 and the largest pore volume of 0.411 cm3·g−1. CSLDO400 exhibited excellent adsorption performance at a wide pH range from 5 to 9 for fluoride. The adsorption kinetics indicated that the adsorption reached equilibrium after 120 min, and followed a pseudo-first-order model. It agreed well with the Langmuir isotherm with maximum adsorption amounts of 27.56 mg·g−1. The adsorption of fluoride ions was spontaneous and endothermic. Furthermore, CSLDO400 showed a high stability for fluoride removal; it could still achieve 68% removal for fluoride after repeating five times of adsorption–desorption cycles. This study demonstrated that CSLDO400 is a promising functional material to remove fluoride from surface/ground water.
The Biological Properties of OGI Surfaces Positively Act on Osteogenic and Angiogenic Commitment of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Ghensi Paolo , Bressan Eriberto , Gardin Chiara , Ferroni Letizia , Soldini Maria Costanza , Mandelli Federico , Soldini Claudio , Zavan Barbara
Published: November 2017

Osteogenesis process displays a fundamental role during dental implant osteointegration. In the present work, we studied the influence of Osteon Growth Induction (OGI) surface properties on the angiogenic and osteogenic behaviors of Mesenchymal Stem cells (MSC). MSC derived from dental pulp and HUVEC (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells) were grown in on OGI titanium surfaces, and cell proliferation and DNA synthesis were evaluated by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] test and DNA quantification. Gene expression has been performed in order to evaluate the presence of mRNA related to endothelial and osteogenesis markers. Moreover, morphological and biochemical analyses of osteogenesis commitments has been performed. On OGI surfaces, MSC and HUVEC are able to proliferate. Gene expression profiler confirms that MSC on OGI surfaces are able to express endothelial and osteogenic markers, and that these expression are higher compared the expression on control surfaces. In conclusion On OGI surfaces proliferation, expression and morphological analyses of angiogenesis-associated markers in MSC are promoted. This process induces an increasing on their osteogenesis commitment.
Co-Precipitation Synthesis and Optical Properties of Mn4+-Doped Hexafluoroaluminate w-LED Phosphors
Authors: Senden Tim , Geitenbeek Robin G. , Meijerink Andries
Published: November 2017

Mn4+-activated hexafluoroaluminates are promising red-emitting phosphors for white light emitting diodes (w-LEDs). Here, we report the synthesis of Na3AlF6:Mn4+, K3AlF6:Mn4+ and K2NaAlF6:Mn4+ phosphors through a simple two-step co-precipitation method. Highly monodisperse large (~20 μm) smoothed-octahedron shaped crystallites are obtained for K2NaAlF6:Mn4+. The large size, regular shape and small size distribution are favorable for application in w-LEDs. All Mn4+-doped hexafluoroaluminates show bright red Mn4+ luminescence under blue light excitation. We compare the optical properties of Na3AlF6:Mn4+, K3AlF6:Mn4+ and K2NaAlF6:Mn4+ at room temperature and 4 K. The luminescence measurements reveal that multiple Mn4+ sites exist in M3AlF6:Mn4+ (M = Na, K), which is explained by the charge compensation that is required for Mn4+ on Al3+ sites. Thermal cycling experiments show that the site distribution changes after annealing. Finally, we investigate thermal quenching and show that the luminescence quenching temperature is high, around 460–490 K, which makes these Mn4+-doped hexafluoroaluminates interesting red phosphors for w-LEDs. The new insights reported on the synthesis and optical properties of Mn4+ in the chemically and thermally stable hexafluoroaluminates can contribute to the optimization of red-emitting Mn4+ phosphors for w-LEDs.
On the Inception of Financial Representative Bubbles
Authors: Ferrara Massimiliano , Pansera Bruno , Strati Francesco
Published: November 2017

In this work, we aim to formalize the inception of representative bubbles giving the condition under which they may arise. We will find that representative bubbles may start at any time, depending on the definition of a behavioral component. This result is at odds with the theory of classic rational bubbles, which are those models that rely on the fulfillment of the transversality condition by which a bubble in a financial asset can arise just at its first trade. This means that a classic rational bubble (differently from our model) cannot follow a cycle since if a bubble exists, it will burst by definition and never arise again.
Physiological Peculiarities of Lignin-Modifying Enzyme Production by the White-Rot Basidiomycete Coriolopsis gallica Strain BCC 142
Authors: Elisashvili Vladimir , Kachlishvili Eva , Asatiani Mikheil , Darlington Ramona , Kucharzyk Katarzyna
Published: November 2017

Sixteen white-rot Basidiomycota isolates were screened for production of lignin-modifying enzymes (LME) in glycerol- and mandarin peel-containing media. In the synthetic medium, Cerrena unicolor strains were the only high laccase (Lac) (3.2–9.4 U/mL) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) (0.56–1.64 U/mL) producers while one isolate Coriolopsis gallica was the only lignin peroxidase (LiP) (0.07 U/mL) producer. Addition of mandarin peels to the synthetic medium promoted Lac production either due to an increase in fungal biomass (Funalia trogii, Trametes hirsuta, and T. versicolor) or enhancement of enzyme production (C. unicolor, Merulius tremellosus, Phlebia radiata, Trametes ochracea). Mandarin peels favored enhanced MnP and LiP secretion by the majority of the tested fungi. The ability of LiP activity production by C. gallica, C. unicolor, F. trogii, T. ochracea, and T. zonatus in the medium containing mandarin-peels was reported for the first time. Several factors, such as supplementation of the nutrient medium with a variety of lignocellulosic materials, nitrogen source or surfactant (Tween 80, Triton X-100) significantly influenced production of LME by a novel strain of C. gallica. Moreover, C. gallica was found to be a promising LME producer with a potential for an easy scale up cultivation in a bioreactor and high enzyme yields (Lac-9.4 U/mL, MnP-0.31 U/mL, LiP-0.45 U/mL).
Different Inhibitory Potencies of Oseltamivir Carboxylate, Zanamivir, and Several Tannins on Bacterial and Viral Neuraminidases as Assessed in a Cell-Free Fluorescence-Based Enzyme Inhibition Assay
Authors: Quosdorf Stefanie , Schuetz Anja , Kolodziej Herbert
Published: November 2017

Neuraminidase is a key enzyme in the life cycle of influenza viruses and is present in some bacterial pathogens. We here assess the inhibitory potency of plant tannins versus clinically used inhibitors on both a viral and a bacterial model neuraminidase by applying the 2′-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-α-d-N-acetylneuraminic acid (MUNANA)-based activity assay. A range of flavan-3-ols, ellagitannins and chemically defined proanthocyanidin fractions was evaluated in comparison to oseltamivir carboxylate and zanamivir for their inhibitory activities against viral influenza A (H1N1) and bacterial Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCNA). Compared to the positive controls, all tested polyphenols displayed a weak inhibition of the viral enzyme but similar or even higher potency on the bacterial neuraminidase. Structure–activity relationship analyses revealed the presence of galloyl groups and the hydroxylation pattern of the flavan skeleton to be crucial for inhibitory activity. The combination of zanamivir and EPs® 7630 (root extract of Pelargonium sidoides) showed synergistic inhibitory effects on the bacterial neuraminidase. Co-crystal structures of VCNA with oseltamivir carboxylate and zanamivir provided insight into bacterial versus viral enzyme-inhibitor interactions. The current data clearly indicate that inhibitor potency strongly depends on the biological origin of the enzyme and that results are not readily transferable. The therapeutic relevance of our findings is briefly discussed.
Preparative Separation and Purification of Four Glycosides from Gentianae radix by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography and Comparison of Their Anti-NO Production Effects
Authors: Chen Bao , Peng Yinghua , Wang Xinhui , Li Zhiman , Sun Yinshi
Published: November 2017

Secoiridoid and iridoid glycosides are the main active components of Gentianae radix. In this work, one iridoid and three secoiridoid glycosides from Gentianae radix have been purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography in two runs using different solvent systems. Ethyl acetate–n-butanol–water (2:1:3, v/v/v) was the optimum solvent system to purify ca. 4.36 mg of loganic acid, 3.05 mg of swertiamarin, and 35.66 mg of gentiopicroside with 98.1%, 97.2% and 98.6% purities, respectively, while 31.15 mg of trifloroside with 98.9% purity was separated using hexane–ethyl acetate–methanol–water (1:3:1:3, v/v/v/v). The structures of the glycosides were identified by mass spectrometry and NMR. After separation, the anti-nitric oxide production effects of the compounds on lipopolysaccharide-induced BV-2 murine microglial cells were also evaluated. All of the compounds inhibited the production of nitric oxide in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV-2 cells with high cell viabilities in a concentration-dependent manner, which demonstrated that were able to be used as a nitric oxide inhibitor.
19F‐NMR Diastereotopic Signals in Two N-CHF2 Derivatives of (4S,7R)-7,8,8-Trimethyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4,7-methano-2H-indazole
Authors: García-Pérez Diana , López Concepción , Claramunt Rosa , Alkorta Ibon , Elguero José
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we report the anisochrony of the fluorine atoms of a CHF2 group when linked to a pyrazole ring. The pyrazole is part of (4S,7R)-7,8,8-trimethyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4,7-methano-2H-indazole also known as (4S,7R)-campho[2,3-c]pyrazole, which has two stereogenic centers. Gauge-Independent Atomic Orbital (GIAO)/Becke, 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr (B3LYP)/6-311++G(d,f) calculated 19F chemical shifts of the minimum energy conformations satisfactorily agree with the experimental data. The energy differences between minima need to consider solvent effects (continuum model) to be satisfactorily reproduced.
Mechanical, Corrosion and Biological Properties of Room-Temperature Sputtered Aluminum Nitride Films with Dissimilar Nanostructure
Authors: Besleaga Cristina , Dumitru Viorel , Trinca Liliana , Popa Adrian-Claudiu , Negrila Constantin-Catalin , Kołodziejczyk Łukasz , Luculescu Catalin-Romeo , Ionescu Gabriela-Cristina , Ripeanu Razvan-George , Vladescu Alina , Stan George
Published: November 2017

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) has been long time being regarded as highly interesting material for developing sensing applications (including biosensors and implantable sensors). AlN, due to its appealing electronic properties, is envisaged lately to serve as a multi-functional biosensing platform. Although generally exploited for its intrinsic piezoelectricity, its surface morphology and mechanical performance (elastic modulus, hardness, wear, scratch and tensile resistance to delamination, adherence to the substrate), corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility are also essential features for high performance sustainable biosensor devices. However, information about AlN suitability for such applications is rather scarce or at best scattered and incomplete. Here, we aim to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the morpho-structural, compositional, mechanical, electrochemical and biological properties of reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtered AlN nanostructured thin films with various degrees of c-axis texturing, deposited at a low temperature (~50 °C) on Si (100) substrates. The inter-conditionality elicited between the base pressure level attained in the reactor chamber and crystalline quality of AlN films is highlighted. The potential suitability of nanostructured AlN (in form of thin films) for the realization of various type of sensors (with emphasis on bio-sensors) is thoroughly probed, thus unveiling its advantages and limitations, as well as suggesting paths to safely exploit the remarkable prospects of this type of materials.
Nanostructured MnO2 as Electrode Materials for Energy Storage
Authors: Julien Christian M. , Mauger Alain
Published: November 2017

Manganese dioxides, inorganic materials which have been used in industry for more than a century, now find great renewal of interest for storage and conversion of energy applications. In this review article, we report the properties of MnO2 nanomaterials with different morphologies. Techniques used for the synthesis, structural, physical properties, and electrochemical performances of periodic and aperiodic frameworks are discussed. The effect of the morphology of nanosized MnO2 particles on their fundamental features is evidenced. Applications as electrodes in lithium batteries and supercapacitors are examined.
Validity and Reproducibility of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Dietary Factors Related to Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Tollosa Daniel , Van Camp John , Huybrechts Inge , Huybregts Lieven , Van Loco Joris , De Smet Stefaan , Sterck Ellen , Rabâi Céline , Van Hecke Thomas , Vanhaecke Lynn , Vossen Els , Peeters Marc , Lachat Carl
Published: November 2017

Dietary factors play a major role in the development of colorectal cancer. This study evaluated the reproducibility and validity of a 109-food item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to measure the consumption of foods and nutrients related to the development of colorectal cancer in a population aged ≥50 years in Flanders, Belgium. A semi-quantitative FFQ was administered two times in a period of two weeks to evaluate reproducibility (FFQ1 and FFQ2). The validity of the FFQ was assessed by comparing FFQ1 against the 3-day diary method (3 DD). A total of 162 respondents (mean age 57.5 years) provided data for the FFQ, of whom 156 also participated in the validity assessment. Mean differences in the intake of foods and nutrients between FFQ1 and FFQ2 were, overall, small and statistically insignificant. However, a higher estimation was observed by FFQ1 as compared to the 3-DD method for the majority of food groups and nutrient intake in the validity assessment. A systematic mean difference (g/day) was observed for eight food groups in the Bland–Altman agreement test; the largest was for fruit intake. Regarding the nutrients, a systematic mean difference was observed in calcium, fat, and vitamin D intake. Overall, the reproducibility of the FFQ was good, and its validity could be satisfactory for estimating absolute food and nutrient intakes and ranking individuals according to high and low intake categories.
Micronutrient Deficiencies among Breastfeeding Infants in Tanzania
Authors: Bellows Alexandra , Smith Emily , Muhihi Alfa , Briegleb Christina , Noor Ramadhani , Mshamu Salum , Sudfeld Christopher , Masanja Honorati , Fawzi Wafaie
Published: November 2017

Infant mortality accounts for the majority of child deaths in Tanzania, and malnutrition is an important underlying cause. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to describe the micronutrient status of infants in Tanzania and assess predictors of infant micronutrient deficiency. We analyzed serum vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, and ferritin levels from 446 infants at two weeks of age, 408 infants at three months of age, and 427 mothers three months post-partum. We used log-Poisson regression to estimate relative risk of being deficient in vitamin D and vitamin B12 for infants in each age group. The prevalence of vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiency decreased from 60% and 30% at two weeks to 9% and 13% at three months respectively. Yet, the prevalence of insufficiency at three months was 49% for vitamin D and 17% for vitamin B12. Predictors of infant vitamin D deficiency were low birthweight, urban residence, maternal education, and maternal vitamin D status. Maternal vitamin B12 status was the main predictor for infant vitamin B12 deficiency. The majority of infants had sufficient levels of folate or ferritin. Further research is necessary to examine the potential benefits of improving infants’ nutritional status through vitamin D and B12 supplements.
The Association between Food Addiction and Early Maladaptive Schemas in Overweight and Obese Women: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Imperatori Claudio , Innamorati Marco , Lester David , Continisio Massimo , Balsamo Michela , Saggino Aristide , Fabbricatore Mariantonietta
Published: November 2017

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) as core features associated with eating psychopathology. The aims of the present study were to assess in overweight and obese women: (i) the association between dysfunctional eating patterns (i.e., food addiction and binge eating) and EMSs, and (ii) the association between food addiction and EMSs after controlling for potential confounding variables (i.e., binge eating severity and psychopathology). Participants were 70 overweight and obese women seeking low-energy-diet therapy. The patients were administered self-report measures investigating food addiction, binge eating, EMSs, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Food addiction severity was strongly associated with all main schema domains. Binge eating severity was positively related to disconnection/rejection (r = 0.41; p < 0.01), impaired limits (r = 0.26; p < 0.05), and other-directedness domains (r = 0.27; p < 0.05). The disconnection/rejection schema was independently associated with food addiction severity, after controlling for the presence of other potential confounding variables (i.e., binge eating severity and psychopathology) suggesting that this domain may be a crucial factor for the development of food addiction.
The Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of Highly Filled Rice Husk Biochar/High-Density Polyethylene Composites
Authors: Zhang Qingfa , Cai Hongzhen , Ren Xueyong , Kong Lingshuai , Liu Jianbiao , Jiang Xuya
Published: November 2017

In this study, rice husk biochar/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were prepared via melt mixing followed by extrusion. Effects of biochar content and testing temperature on the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of the composites were studied. Morphological analysis of the rice husk biochar and composites were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that biochar had a positive effect on dynamic viscoelasticity, creep resistance and stress relaxation properties of the composites, but the creep resistance and stress relaxation of the composites decreased with the increase of temperature. SEM analysis showed that HDPE components were embedded in the holes of the rice husk biochar, and it is believed that strong interaction was achieved.
Automated Detection of Buildings from Heterogeneous VHR Satellite Images for Rapid Response to Natural Disasters
Authors: Li Shaodan , Tang Hong , Huang Xin , Mao Ting , Niu Xiaonan
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we present a novel approach for automatically detecting buildings from multiple heterogeneous and uncalibrated very high-resolution (VHR) satellite images for a rapid response to natural disasters. In the proposed method, a simple and efficient visual attention method is first used to extract built-up area candidates (BACs) from each multispectral (MS) satellite image. After this, morphological building indices (MBIs) are extracted from all the masked panchromatic (PAN) and MS images with BACs to characterize the structural features of buildings. Finally, buildings are automatically detected in a hierarchical probabilistic model by fusing the MBI and masked PAN images. The experimental results show that the proposed method is comparable to supervised classification methods in terms of recall, precision and F-value.
Source Parameters of the 2016–2017 Central Italy Earthquake Sequence from the Sentinel-1, ALOS-2 and GPS Data
Authors: Xu Guangyu , Xu Caijun , Wen Yangmao , Jiang Guoyan
Published: November 2017

In this study, joint inversions of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Global Position System (GPS) measurements are used to investigate the source parameters of four Mw > 5 events of the 2016–2017 Central Italy earthquake sequence. The results show that the four events are all associated with a normal fault striking northwest–southeast and dipping southwest. The observations, in all cases, are consistent with slip on a rupture plane, with strike in the range of 157° to 164° and dip in the range of 39° to 44° that penetrates the uppermost crust to a depth of 0 to 8 km. The primary characteristics of these four events are that the 24 August 2016 Mw 6.2 Amatrice earthquake had pronounced heterogeneity of the slip distribution marked by two main slip patches, the 26 October 2016 Mw 6.1 Visso earthquake had a concentrated slip at 3–6 km, and the predominant slip of the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.6 Norcia earthquake occurred on the fault with a peak magnitude of 2.5 m at a depth of 0–6 km, suggesting that the rupture may have reached the surface, and the 18 January 2017 Mw 5.7 Campotosto earthquake had a large area of sliding at depth 3–9 km. The positive static stress changes on the fault planes of the latter three events demonstrate that the 24 August 2016 Amatrice earthquake may have triggered a cascading failure of earthquakes along the complex normal fault system in Central Italy.
Identification of C-Band Radio Frequency Interferences from Sentinel-1 Data
Authors: Monti-Guarnieri Andrea , Giudici Davide , Recchia Andrea
Published: November 2017

We propose the use of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to provide a continuous and global monitoring of Radio Frequency Interferences (RFI) in C-band. We take advantage of the first 8–10 echo measures at the beginning of each burst, a 50–70 MHz wide bandwidth and a ground beam coverage of ~25 km (azimuth) by 70 km (range). Such observations can be repeated with a frequency better than three days, by considering two satellites and both ascending and descending passes. These measures can be used to qualify the same Sentinel-1 (S1) dataset as well as to monitor the availability and the use of radio frequency spectrum for present and future spaceborne imagers and for policy makers. In the paper we investigate the feasibility and the limits of this approach, and we provide a first Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) map with continental coverage over Europe.
A CoAP-Based Network Access Authentication Service for Low-Power Wide Area Networks: LO-CoAP-EAP
Authors: Garcia-Carrillo Dan , Marin-Lopez Rafael , Kandasamy Arunprabhu , Pelov Alexander
Published: November 2017

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) landscape is expanding with new radio technologies. In addition to the Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Network (LR-WPAN), the recent set of technologies conforming the so-called Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LP-WAN) offers long-range communications, allowing one to send small pieces of information at a reduced energy cost, which promotes the creation of new IoT applications and services. However, LP-WAN technologies pose new challenges since they have strong limitations in the available bandwidth. In general, a first step prior to a smart object being able to gain access to the network is the process of network access authentication. It involves authentication, authorization and key management operations. This process is of vital importance for operators to control network resources. However, proposals for managing network access authentication in LP-WAN are tailored to the specifics of each technology, which could introduce interoperability problems in the future. In this sense, little effort has been put so far into providing a wireless-independent solution for network access authentication in the area of LP-WAN. To fill this gap, we propose a service named Low-Overhead CoAP-EAP (LO-CoAP-EAP), which is based on previous work designed for LR-WPAN. LO-CoAP-EAP integrates the use of Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) infrastructures and the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) protocol. For this integration, we use the Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) to design a network authentication service independent of the type of LP-WAN technology. LO-CoAP-EAP represents a trade-off between flexibility, wireless technology independence, scalability and performance in LP-WAN.