bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrating Urban Form, Function, and Energy Fluxes in a Heat Exposure Indicator in View of Intra-Urban Heat Island Assessment and Climate Change Adaptation
Authors: Agathangelidis Ilias , Cartalis Constantinos , Santamouris Mat
Published: May 2019

Cities worldwide are getting warmer due to the combined effects of urban heat and climate change. To this end, local policy makers need to identify the most thermally vulnerable areas within cities. The Local Climate Zone (LCZ) scheme highlights local-scale variations; however, its classes, although highly valuable, are to a certain extent generalized in order to be universally applicable. High spatial resolution indicators have the potential to better reflect city-specific challenges; in this paper, the Urban Heat Exposure (UHeatEx) indicator is developed, integrating the physical processes that drive the urban heat island (UHI). In particular, the urban form is modeled using remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) techniques, and used to estimate the canyon aspect ratio and the storage heat flux. The Bowen ratio is calculated using the aerodynamic resistance methodology and downscaled remotely sensed surface temperatures. The anthropogenic heat flux is estimated via a synergy of top–down and bottom–up inventory approaches. UHeatEx is applied to the city of Athens, Greece; it is correlated to air temperature measurements and compared to the LCZs classification. The results reveal that UHeatEx has the capacity to better reflect the strong intra-urban variability of the thermal environment in Athens, and thus can be supportive for adaptation responses. High-resolution climate projections from the EURO-CORDEX ensemble for the region show that the adverse effects of the existing thermal inequity are expected to worsen in the coming decades.
Statistical Lyapunov Theory Based on Bifurcation Analysis of Energy Cascade in Isotropic Homogeneous Turbulence: A Physical–Mathematical Review
Authors: de Divitiis Nicola
Published: May 2019

This work presents a review of previous articles dealing with an original turbulence theory proposed by the author and provides new theoretical insights into some related issues. The new theoretical procedures and methodological approaches confirm and corroborate the previous results. These articles study the regime of homogeneous isotropic turbulence for incompressible fluids and propose theoretical approaches based on a specific Lyapunov theory for determining the closures of the von Kármán–Howarth and Corrsin equations and the statistics of velocity and temperature difference. While numerous works are present in the literature which concern the closures of the autocorrelation equations in the Fourier domain (i.e., Lin equation closure), few articles deal with the closures of the autocorrelation equations in the physical space. These latter, being based on the eddy–viscosity concept, describe diffusive closure models. On the other hand, the proposed Lyapunov theory leads to nondiffusive closures based on the property that, in turbulence, contiguous fluid particles trajectories continuously diverge. Therefore, the main motivation of this review is to present a theoretical formulation which does not adopt the eddy–viscosity paradigm and summarizes the results of the previous works. Next, this analysis assumes that the current fluid placements, together with velocity and temperature fields, are fluid state variables. This leads to the closures of the autocorrelation equations and helps to interpret the mechanism of energy cascade as due to the continuous divergence of the contiguous trajectories. Furthermore, novel theoretical issues are here presented among which we can mention the following ones. The bifurcation rate of the velocity gradient, calculated along fluid particles trajectories, is shown to be much larger than the corresponding maximal Lyapunov exponent. On that basis, an interpretation of the energy cascade phenomenon is given and the statistics of finite time Lyapunov exponent of the velocity gradient is shown to be represented by normal distribution functions. Next, the self–similarity produced by the proposed closures is analyzed and a proper bifurcation analysis of the closed von Kármán–Howarth equation is performed. This latter investigates the route from developed turbulence toward the non–chaotic regimes, leading to an estimate of the critical Taylor scale Reynolds number. A proper statistical decomposition based on extended distribution functions and on the Navier–Stokes equations is presented, which leads to the statistics of velocity and temperature difference.
Stationary Wavelet-Fourier Entropy and Kernel Extreme Learning for Bearing Multi-Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Rodriguez Nibaldo , Barba Lida , Alvarez Pablo , Cabrera-Guerrero Guillermo
Published: May 2019

Bearing fault diagnosis methods play an important role in rotating machine health monitoring. In recent years, various intelligent fault diagnosis methods have been proposed, which are mainly based on the features extraction method combined with either shallow or deep learning methods. During the last few years, Shannon entropy features have been widely used in machine health monitoring, improving the accuracy of the bearing fault diagnosis process. Therefore, in this paper, we consider the combination of multi-scale stationary wavelet packet analysis with the Fourier amplitude spectrum to obtain a new discriminative Shannon entropy feature that we call stationary wavelet packet Fourier entropy (SWPFE). Features extracted by our SWPFE method are then passed onto a shallow kernel extreme learning machine (KELM) classifier to diagnose bearing failure types with different severities. The proposed method was applied on two experimental vibration signal databases of a rolling element bearing and compared to two recently proposed methods called stationary wavelet packet permutation entropy (SWPPE) and stationary wavelet packet dispersion entropy (SWPPE). Based on our results, we can say that the proposed method is able to achieve better accuracy levels than both the SWPPE and SWPDE methods using fewer failure features. Further, as our method does not require any hyperparameter calibration step, it is less dependent on user experience/expertise.
Assessment of Different Cooling Techniques for Reduced Mechanical Stress in the Windings of Electrical Machines
Authors: Silwal Bishal , Mohamed Abdalla Hussein , Nonneman Jasper , De Paepe Michel , Sergeant Peter
Published: May 2019

Thermal loading can induce mechanical stresses in the windings of electrical machines, especially those impregnated with epoxy resins, which is mostly the case in modern traction motors. Although designers look for cooling techniques that give better performance in terms of the power density and efficiency of the machine, several thermal cycles can lead to fatigue and the degradation of the copper insulation, epoxy and consequently the windings. In this paper, the performance of different cooling techniques has been compared based on the temperature distribution and the mechanical stress induced in the windings. Three-dimensional finite element thermo-mechanical models were built to perform the study. Two different variants of water jacket cooling, two configurations of direct coil cooling and two cases of combined water jacket and direct coil cooling methods have been considered in the paper. The results show that the combined water jacket and direct coil cooling perform the best in terms of the temperature and also the mechanical stress induced in the windings. An experimental set-up is built and tested to validate the numerical results.
Use of Waste Glass as A Replacement for Raw Materials in Mortars with a Lower Environmental Impact
Authors: Letelier Viviana , Henríquez-Jara Bastián I. , Manosalva Miguel , Parodi Camila , Ortega José Marcos
Published: May 2019

Glass waste used in mortars or concretes behaves similar to cement, with resulting environmental benefits. In this light, the behavior of glass powder of various particle sizes has been analyzed as a cement replacement in mortars, in an attempt to minimize the loss of strength and durability, and maximize the amount of materials replaced. The dry density, water accessible porosity, water absorption by immersion, capillary absorption coefficient, ultrasonic pulse velocity and both compressive and flexural strengths were studied in the mortars. Furthermore, a statistical analysis of the obtained results and a greenhouse gases assessment were also performed. In view of the results obtained, glass powder of 38 microns allows up to 30% of the cement to be replaced, due to the filler effect combined with its pozzolanic activity. Moreover, it has been observed that glass powder size is one of the factors with the greatest influence among the properties of porosity, absorption and capillarity. On the other hand, in the mechanical properties, this factor does not contribute significantly more than the amount of glass powder. Finally, the greenhouse gasses analysis shows that the incorporation of glass powder reduces the CO2 emissions associated with mortar up to 29.47%.
Experimental Study on Reducing CO2–Oil Minimum Miscibility Pressure with Hydrocarbon Agents
Authors: Liu Junrong , Sun Lu , Li Zunzhao , Wu Xingru
Published: May 2019

CO2 flooding is an important method for improving oil recovery for reservoirs with low permeability. Even though CO2 could be miscible with oil in regions nearby injection wells, the miscibility could be lost in deep reservoirs because of low pressure and the dispersion effect. Reducing the CO2–oil miscibility pressure can enlarge the miscible zone, particularly when the reservoir pressure is less than the needed minimum miscible pressure (MMP). Furthermore, adding intermediate hydrocarbons in the CO2–oil system can also lower the interfacial tension (IFT). In this study, we used dead crude oil from the H Block in the X oilfield to study the IFT and the MMP changes with different hydrocarbon agents. The hydrocarbon agents, including alkanes, alcohols, oil-soluble surfactants, and petroleum ethers, were mixed with the crude oil samples from the H Block, and their performances on reducing CO2–oil IFT and CO2–oil MMP were determined. Experimental results show that the CO2–oil MMP could be reduced by 6.19 MPa or 12.17% with petroleum ether in the boiling range of 30–60 °C. The effects of mass concentration of hydrocarbon agents on CO2–oil IFT and crude oil viscosity indicate that the petroleum ether in the boiling range of 30–60 °C with a mass concentration of 0.5% would be the best hydrocarbon agent for implementing CO2 miscible flooding in the H Block.
Spatial Analysis of Residual Biomass and Location of Future Storage Centers in the Southwest of Europe
Authors: López-Rodríguez Fernando , García Sanz-Calcedo Justo , Moral-García Francisco J.
Published: May 2019

Forests can be exploited for obtaining biomass, which belongs to a bioenergy group with great energy potential that could replace fossil fuels. This article presents a novel procedure to quantify, map and define biomass, which takes into account both environmental and economic issues. With regard to the environment, only the annual growth of tree species is considered, and not the previous stocks. The growth is determined by logarithmic equations through an original procedure supported by a biomass estimator, which represents the amount of biomass generated annually for energy use, and by means of Excel tables, the exploitable biomass values are obtained. Previously, and by using GIS, areas with slopes exceeding 20% are discarded, thus avoiding soil erosion and damage, and in any case that biomass is not extracted for economic reasons. The same procedure is followed, discarding those areas located more than 4 km from forest roads and runways, as transport costs are increased. Finally, those layers with low energy potential are eliminated as well. Therefore, annually selected quantities of biomass can be obtained safely and abundantly by using detailed distribution maps of the resources, and through planning and performing efficient forestry extraction works.
A Text-Mining Approach to Assess the Failure Condition of Wind Turbines Using Maintenance Service History
Authors: Blanco-M. Alejandro , Marti-Puig Pere , Gibert Karina , Cusidó Jordi , Solé-Casals Jordi
Published: May 2019

Detecting and determining which systems or subsystems of a wind turbine have more failures is essential to improve their design, which will reduce the costs of generating wind power. Two of the most critical failures, the generator and gearbox, are analyzed and characterized with four metrics. This failure analysis usually begins with the identification of the turbine’s condition, a process normally performed by an expert examining the wind turbine’s service history. This is a time-consuming task, as a human expert has to examine each service entry. To automate this process, a new methodology is presented here, which is based on a set of steps to preprocess and decompose the service history to find relevant words and sentences that discriminate an unhealthy wind turbine period from a healthy one. This is achieved by means of two classifiers fed with the matrix of terms from the decomposed document of the training wind turbines. The classifiers can extract essential words and determine the conditions of new turbines of unknown status using the text from the service history, emulating what a human expert manually does when labelling the training set. Experimental results are promising, with accuracy and F-score above 90% in some cases. Condition monitoring system can be improved and automated using this system, which helps the expert in the tedious task of identifying the relevant words from the turbine service history. In addition, the system can be retrained when new knowledge becomes available and may therefore always be as accurate as a human expert. With this new tool, the expert can focus on identifying which systems or subsystems can be redesigned to increase the efficiency of wind turbines.
Design and Control of a Permanent Magnet RotLin Motor for New Foldable Photovoltaic Units
Authors: Zou Yu , Cheng Ka Wai Eric
Published: May 2019

In this study, a new permanent magnet rotary-linear (RotLin) motor is proposed for foldable photovoltaic units. Firstly, the mechanical structure, operation principles and magnetic circuits of the motor are introduced, and a design procedure elaborated the parameters calculation in the linear part and the rotary part. Finite element method (FEM) is used to analyze the magnetic field of the motor, and linear force outputs and torque outputs are obtained. Secondly, a control scheme is designed for the prototype of the motor including the position control and the speed control. The deformation on the mover and the magnetic coupling effect between the linear part and the rotational part are discussed. Finally, experimental results show that this motor can simultaneously realize a linear movement with continuous rotation. The linear poisoning accuracy can achieve 0.4 µm and the angular speed can be controlled with steady errors less than 3 rpm, proving the effectiveness of the proposed RotLin motor.
Analysis of Convergence Characteristics of Average Method Regulated by ISO 9869-1 for Evaluating In Situ Thermal Resistance and Thermal Transmittance of Opaque Exterior Walls
Authors: Choi Doo Sung , Ko Myeong Jin
Published: May 2019

In the last few decades, an average method which is regulated by ISO 9869-1 has been used to evaluate the in situ thermal transmittance (U-value) and thermal resistance (R-value) of building envelopes obtained from onsite measurements and to verify the validity of newly proposed methods. Nevertheless, only a few studies have investigated the test duration required to obtain reliable results using this method and the convergence characteristics of the results. This study aims to evaluate the convergence characteristics of the in situ values analyzed using the average method. The criteria for determining convergence (i.e., end of the test) using the average method are very strict, mainly because of the third condition, which compares the deviation of two values derived from the first and last periods of the same duration. To shorten the test duration, environmental variables should be kept constant throughout the test or an appropriate period should be selected. The convergence of the in situ U-value and R-value is affected more by the length of the test duration than by the temperature difference if the test environment meets literature-recommended conditions. Furthermore, there is no difference between the use of the U-value and R-value in determining the end of the test.
Development of Hardware-in-the-Loop-Simulation Testbed for Pitch Control System Performance Test
Authors: Cheon Jongmin , Kim Jinwook , Lee Joohoon , Lee Kichang , Choi Youngkiu
Published: May 2019

This paper deals with the development of a wind turbine pitch control system and the construction of a Hardware-in-the-Loop-Simulation (HILS) testbed for the performance test of the pitch control system. When the wind speed exceeds the rated wind speed, the wind turbine pitch controller adjusts the blade pitch angles collectively to ensure that the rotor speed maintains the rated rotor speed. The pitch controller with the individual pitch control function can add individual pitch angles into the collective pitch angles to reduce the mechanical load applied to the blade periodically due to wind shear. Large wind turbines often experience mechanical loads caused by wind shear phenomena. To verify the performance of the pitch control system before applying it to an actual wind turbine, the pitch control system is tested on the HILS testbed, which acts like an actual wind turbine system. The testbed for evaluating the developed pitch control system consists of the pitch control system, a real-time unit for simulating the wind and the operations of the wind turbine, an operational computer with a human–machine interface, a load system for simulating the actual wind load applied to each blade, and a real pitch bearing. Through the several tests based on HILS test bed, how well the pitch controller performed the given roles for each area in the entire wind speed area from cut-in to cut-out wind speed can be shown.
Selection of Blends of Diesel Fuel and Advanced Biofuels Based on Their Physical and Thermochemical Properties
Authors: Rodríguez-Fernández José , Hernández Juan José , Calle-Asensio Alejandro , Ramos Ángel , Barba Javier
Published: May 2019

Current policies focus on encouraging the use of renewable energy sources in transport to reduce the contribution of this sector to global warming and air pollution. In the short-term, attention is focused on developing renewable fuels. Among them, the so-called advanced biofuels, including non-crop and waste-based biofuels, possess important benefits such as higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings and the capacity not to compete with food markets. Recently, European institutions have agreed on specific targets for the new Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001), including 14% of renewable energy in rail and road transport by 2030. To achieve this, advanced biofuels will be double-counted, and their contribution must be at least 3.5% in 2030 (with a phase-in calendar from 2020). In this work, the fuel properties of blends of regular diesel fuel with four advanced biofuels derived from different sources and production processes are examined. These biofuels are (1) biobutanol produced by microbial ABE fermentation from renewable material, (2) HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) derived from hydrogenation of non-edible oils, (3) biodiesel from waste free fatty acids originated in the oil refining industry, and (4) a novel biofuel that combines fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and glycerol formal esters (FAGE), which contributes to a decrease in the excess of glycerol from current biodiesel plants. Blending ratios include 5, 10, 15, and 20% (% vol.) of biofuel, covering the range expected for biofuels in future years. Pure fuels and some higher ratios are considered as well to complete and discuss the tendencies. In the case of biodiesel and FAME/FAGE blends in diesel, ratios up to 20% meet all requirements set in current fuel quality standards. Larger blending ratios are possible for HVO blends if HVO is additivated to lubricity improvers. For biobutanol blends, the recommended blending ratio is limited to 10% or lower to avoid high water content and low cetane number.
Interval Energy Flow Analysis in Integrated Electrical and Natural-Gas Systems Considering Uncertainties
Authors: Wang Shouxiang , Yuan Shuangchen
Published: May 2019

As integrated electrical and natural-gas systems (IENGS) are popularized, the uncertainties brought by variation of electrical load, power generation, and gas load should not be ignored. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of those uncertain variables on the steady-state operation of the whole systems. In this paper, an interval energy flow model considering uncertainties was built based on the steady-state energy flow. Then, the Krawczyk–Moore interval iterative method was used to solve the proposed model. To obtain precise results of the interval model, interval addition and subtraction operations were performed by affine mathematics. The case study demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared with Monte Carlo simulation. Impacts of uncertainties brought by the variation of electrical load, power generation, and gas load were analyzed, and the convergence of energy flow under different uncertainty levels of electrical load was studied. The results led to the conclusion that each kind of uncertainties would have an impact on the whole system. The proposed method could provide good insights into the operating of IENGS with those uncertainties.
A 3D Numerical Study of Interface Effects Influencing Viscous Gravity Currents in a Parabolic Fissure, with Implications for Modeling with 1D Nonlinear Diffusion Equations
Authors: Furtak-Cole Eden , Telyakovskiy Aleksey S.
Published: May 2019

Although one-dimensional non-linear diffusion equations are commonly used to model flow dynamics in aquifers and fissures, they disregard multiple effects of real-life flows. Similarity analysis may allow further analytical reduction of these equations, but it is often difficult to provide applicable initial and boundary conditions in practice, or know the magnitude of effects neglected by the 1D model. Furthermore, when multiple simplifying assumptions are made, the sources of discrepancy between modeled and observed data are difficult to identify. We derive one such model of viscous flow in a parabolic fissure from first principals. The parabolic fissure is formed by extruding an upward opening parabola in a horizontal direction. In this setting, permeability is a power law function of height, resulting in a generalized Boussinesq equation. To gauge the effects neglected by this model, 3D Navier-Stokes multiphase flow simulations are conducted for the same geometry. Parameter variations are performed to assess the nature of errors induced by applying the 1D model to a realistic scenario, where the initial and boundary conditions can not be matched exactly. Numerical simulations reveal an undercutting effect observed in laboratory experiments, but not modeled when the Dupuit-Forchheimer assumption is applied. By selectively controlling the effects placed on the free surface in 3D simulations, we are able to demonstrate that free surface slope is the primary driver of the undercutting effect. A consistent lag and overshoot flow regime is observed in the 3D simulations as compared to the 1D model, based on the choice of initial condition. This implies that the undercutting effect is partially induced by the initial condition. Additionally, the presented numerical evidence shows that some of the flow behavior unaccounted for in the 1D model scales with the 1D model parameters.
Ellen-Maria Ekström and the Stories That Connect Us
Authors: Richardson Cathy , Löwenborg Christina
Published: May 2019

In this article, Metis scholar and psychotherapist Cathy Richardson, together with Swedish psychotherapist, Christina Löwenborg, write about their family, their shared genealogy and their experience of connection and roots in what some might call feminist genealogy or feminist storytelling. This history spans four generations, two continents and a cultural divide. The authors share a great-grandmother, Ellen-Maria Ekström, who lived in Småland in southern Sweden, from 1876–1951. In this paper, the authors explore the implications of being co-descendants of Ellen-Maria and the heritage—women’s knowledge that comes from their maternal relations.
Illegitimate and Repeated Genomic Integration of Cell-Free Chromatin in the Aetiology of Somatic Mosaicism, Ageing, Chronic Diseases and Cancer
Authors: V. Raghuram Gorantla , Chaudhary Shahid , Johari Shweta , Mittra Indraneel
Published: May 2019

Emerging evidence suggests that an individual is a complex mosaic of genetically divergent cells. Post-zygotic genomes of the same individual can differ from one another in the form of single nucleotide variations, copy number variations, insertions, deletions, inversions, translocations, other structural and chromosomal variations and footprints of transposable elements. High-throughput sequencing has led to increasing detection of mosaicism in healthy individuals which is related to ageing, neuro-degenerative disorders, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. These age-related disorders are also known to be associated with significant increase in DNA damage and inflammation. Herein, we discuss a newly described phenomenon wherein the genome is under constant assault by illegitimate integration of cell-free chromatin (cfCh) particles that are released from the billions of cells that die in the body every day. We propose that such repeated genomic integration of cfCh followed by dsDNA breaks and repair by non-homologous-end-joining as well as physical damage to chromosomes occurring throughout life may lead to somatic/chromosomal mosaicism which would increase with age. We also discuss the recent finding that genomic integration of cfCh and the accompanying DNA damage is associated with marked activation of inflammatory cytokines. Thus, the triple pathologies of somatic mosaicism, DNA/chromosomal damage and inflammation brought about by a common mechanism of genomic integration of cfCh may help to provide an unifying model for the understanding of aetiologies of the inter-related conditions of ageing, degenerative disorders and cancer.
Perspectives of Stakeholders on Technology Use in the Care of Community-Living Older Adults with Dementia: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: van Boekel Leonieke , Wouters Eveline , Grimberg Bea , van der Meer Nardo , Luijkx Katrien
Published: May 2019

Although technology has the potential to promote aging in place, the use of technology remains scarce among community-living older adults with dementia. A reason might be that many stakeholders are involved who all have a different perspective on technology use (i.e., needs, wishes, attitudes, possibilities, and difficulties). We systematically searched the literature in order to provide an overview of perspectives of different stakeholders on technology use among community-living older adults with dementia. After selection, 46 studies were included. We mainly found perspectives of informal caregivers and, to a lesser extent, of persons with dementia and formal caregivers. Perspectives of suppliers of technology were not present. Shared perspectives among persons with dementia and informal and formal caregivers were, among other things, ease of use, stability and flexibility of technology, importance of privacy, and confidentiality. We also found that among older persons, fun and pleasure, in addition to enhancing freedom and independence, facilitates technology use. Informal caregivers’ peace of mind and relief of burden also appeared to be important in using technologies. Formal caregivers value the potential of technologies to improve monitoring and communication. Insight in shared, and conflicting perspectives of stakeholders are essential to enhance the use of technology.
Effects of KEAP1 Silencing on the Regulation of NRF2 Activity in Neuroendocrine Lung Tumors
Authors: Sparaneo Angelo , Fabrizio Federico Pio , la Torre Annamaria , Graziano Paolo , Di Maio Massimo , Fontana Andrea , Bisceglia Michele , Rossi Antonio , Pizzolitto Stefano , De Maglio Giovanna , Tancredi Antonio , Grimaldi Franco , Balsamo Teresa , Centra Flavia , Manzorra Maria Carmina , Trombetta Domenico , Pantalone Angela , Bonfitto Antonio , Maiello Evaristo , Fazio Vito Michele , Muscarella Lucia Anna
Published: May 2019

Background. The KEAP1/NRF2 pathway has been widely investigated in tumors since it was implicated in cancer cells survival and therapies resistance. In lung tumors the deregulation of this pathway is mainly related to point mutations of KEAP1 and NFE2L2 genes and KEAP1 promoter hypermethylation, but these two genes have been rarely investigated in low/intermediate grade neuroendocrine tumors of the lung. Methods. The effects of KEAP1 silencing on NRF2 activity was investigated in H720 and H727 carcinoid cell lines and results were compared with those obtained by molecular profiling of KEAP1 and NFE2L2 in a collection of 47 lung carcinoids. The correlation between methylation and transcript levels was assessed by 5-aza-dC treatment. Results. We demonstrated that in carcinoid cell lines, the KEAP1 silencing induces an upregulation of NRF2 and some of its targets and that there is a direct correlation between KEAP1 methylation and its mRNA levels. A KEAP1 hypermethylation and Loss of Heterozygosity at KEAP1 gene locus was also observed in nearly half of lung carcinoids. Conclusions. This is the first study that has described the effects of KEAP1 silencing on the regulation of NRF2 activity in lung carcinoids cells. The epigenetic deregulation of the KEAP1/NRF2 by a KEAP1 promoter hypermethylation system appears to be a frequent event in lung carcinoids.
Health Benefits of Heat-Killed (Tyndallized) Probiotics: An Overview
Authors: Piqué Núria , Berlanga Mercedes , Miñana-Galbis David
Published: May 2019

Nowadays, the oral use of probiotics is widespread. However, the safety profile with the use of live probiotics is still a matter of debate. Main risks include: Cases of systemic infections due to translocation, particularly in vulnerable patients and pediatric populations; acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes; or interference with gut colonization in neonates. To avoid these risks, there is an increasing interest in non-viable microorganisms or microbial cell extracts to be used as probiotics, mainly heat-killed (including tyndallized) probiotic bacteria (lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria). Heat-treated probiotic cells, cell-free supernatants, and purified key components are able to confer beneficial effects, mainly immunomodulatory effects, protection against enteropathogens, and maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity. At the clinical level, products containing tyndallized probiotic strains have had a role in gastrointestinal diseases, including bloating and infantile coli—in combination with mucosal protectors—and diarrhea. Heat-inactivated probiotics could also have a role in the management of dermatological or respiratory allergic diseases. The reviewed data indicate that heat-killed bacteria or their fractions or purified components have key probiotic effects, with advantages versus live probiotics (mainly their safety profile), positioning them as interesting strategies for the management of common prevalent conditions in a wide variety of patients´ characteristics.
Systems Biology Approaches to Investigate Genetic and Epigenetic Molecular Progression Mechanisms for Identifying Gene Expression Signatures in Papillary Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Yeh Shan-Ju , Lin Chien-Yu , Li Cheng-Wei , Chen Bor-Sen
Published: May 2019

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer. Particularly, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) accounts for the highest proportion of thyroid cancer. Up to now, there are few researches discussing the pathogenesis and progression mechanisms of PTC from the viewpoint of systems biology approaches. In this study, first we constructed the candidate genetic and epigenetic network (GEN) consisting of candidate protein–protein interaction network (PPIN) and candidate gene regulatory network (GRN) by big database mining. Secondly, system identification and system order detection methods were applied to prune candidate GEN via next-generation sequencing (NGS) and DNA methylation profiles to obtain the real GEN. After that, we extracted core GENs from real GENs by the principal network projection (PNP) method. To investigate the pathogenic and progression mechanisms in each stage of PTC, core GEN was denoted in respect of KEGG pathways. Finally, by comparing two successive core signaling pathways of PTC, we not only shed light on the causes of PTC progression, but also identified essential biomarkers with specific gene expression signature. Moreover, based on the identified gene expression signature, we suggested potential candidate drugs to prevent the progression of PTC with querying Connectivity Map (CMap).
Transfer of the Experimental Autoimmune Glaucoma Model from Rats to Mice—New Options to Study Glaucoma Disease
Authors: Reinehr Sabrina , Reinhard Jacqueline , Wiemann Susanne , Hesse Karoline , Voss Christina , Gandej Marcel , Dick H. Burkhard , Faissner Andreas , Joachim Stephanie C.
Published: May 2019

Studies have suggested an involvement of the immune system in glaucoma. Hence, a rat experimental autoimmune glaucoma model (EAG) was developed to investigate the role of the immune response. Here, we transferred this model into mice. Either 0.8 mg/mL of the optic nerve antigen homogenate (ONA; ONA 0.8) or 1.0 mg/mL ONA (ONA 1.0) were injected in 129/Sv mice. Controls received sodium chloride. Before and 6 weeks after immunization, the intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured. At 6 weeks, retinal neurons, glia cells, and synapses were analyzed via immunohistology and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Additionally, optic nerves were examined. The IOP stayed in the normal physiological range throughout the study (p > 0.05). A significant reduction of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was noted in both immunized groups (p < 0.001). Remodeling of glutamatergic and GABAergic synapses was seen in ONA 1.0 retinas. Furthermore, both ONA groups revealed optic nerve degeneration and macrogliosis (all: p < 0.001). An increase of activated microglia was noted in ONA retinas and optic nerves (p < 0.05). Both ONA concentrations led to RGC loss and optic nerve degeneration. Therefore, the EAG model was successfully transferred from rats to mice. In further studies, transgenic knockout mice can be used to investigate the pathomechanisms of glaucoma more precisely.
Silver Nano/Microparticles: Modification and Applications
Authors: Jun Bong-Hyun
Published: May 2019

Nano/micro-size particles are widely applied in various fields [...]
Melatonin Reduces Excitability in Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons with Inflection on the Repolarization Phase of the Action Potential
Authors: Oliveira-Abreu Klausen , Silva-dos-Santos Nathalia , Coelho-de-Souza Andrelina , Ferreira-da-Silva Francisco , Silva-Alves Kerly , Cardoso-Teixeira Ana , Cipolla-Neto José , Leal-Cardoso José
Published: May 2019

Melatonin is a neurohormone produced and secreted at night by pineal gland. Many effects of melatonin have already been described, for example: Activation of potassium channels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and inhibition of excitability of a sub-population of neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The DRG is described as a structure with several neuronal populations. One classification, based on the repolarizing phase of the action potential (AP), divides DRG neurons into two types: Without (N0) and with (Ninf) inflection on the repolarization phase of the action potential. We have previously demonstrated that melatonin inhibits excitability in N0 neurons, and in the present work, we aimed to investigate the melatonin effects on the other neurons (Ninf) of the DRG neuronal population. This investigation was done using sharp microelectrode technique in the current clamp mode. Melatonin (0.01–1000.0 nM) showed inhibitory activity on neuronal excitability, which can be observed by the blockade of the AP and by the increase in rheobase. However, we observed that, while some neurons were sensitive to melatonin effect on excitability (excitability melatonin sensitive—EMS), other neurons were not sensitive to melatonin effect on excitability (excitability melatonin not sensitive—EMNS). Concerning the passive electrophysiological properties of the neurons, melatonin caused a hyperpolarization of the resting membrane potential in both cell types. Regarding the input resistance (Rin), melatonin did not change this parameter in the EMS cells, but increased its values in the EMNS cells. Melatonin also altered several AP parameters in EMS cells, the most conspicuously changed was the (dV/dt)max of AP depolarization, which is in coherence with melatonin effects on excitability. Otherwise, in EMNS cells, melatonin (0.1–1000.0 nM) induced no alteration of (dV/dt)max of AP depolarization. Thus, taking these data together, and the data of previous publication on melatonin effect on N0 neurons shows that this substance has a greater pharmacological potency on Ninf neurons. We suggest that melatonin has important physiological function related to Ninf neurons and this is likely to bear a potential relevant therapeutic use, since Ninf neurons are related to nociception.
FPGA Implementation of Crossover Module of Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Attarmoghaddam Narges , Li Kin Fun , Kanan Awos
Published: May 2019

This paper proposes a hardware realization of the crossover module in the genetic algorithm for the travelling salesman problem (TSP). In order to enhance performance, we employ a combination of pipelining and parallelization with a genetic algorithm (GA) processor to improve processing speed, as compared to software implementation. Simulation results showed that the proposed architecture is six times faster than the similar existing architecture. The presented field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of PMX crossover operator is more than 400 times faster than in software.
The Prevalence of Bartonella Bacteria in Cattle Lice Collected from Three Provinces of Thailand
Authors: Promrangsee Chulaluk , Khositharattanakool Pathamet , Somwang Puckavadee , Sunantaraporn Sakone , Phumee Atchara , Preativatanyou Kanok , Tawatsin Apiwat , Brownell Narisa , Siriyasatien Padet
Published: May 2019

Cattle lice are obligatory blood-sucking parasites, which is the cause of animal health problems worldwide. Recently, several studies have revealed that pathogenic bacteria could be found in cattle lice, and it can act as a potential vector for transmitting louse-borne diseases. However, the cattle lice and their pathogenic bacteria in Thailand have never been evaluated. In the present study, we aim to determine the presence of bacterial pathogens in cattle lice collected from three localities of Thailand. Total genomic DNA was extracted from 109 cattle louse samples and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) of 18S rRNA was developed to identify the cattle louse. Moreover, PCR was used for screening Bartonella spp., Acinetobacter spp., and Rickettsia spp. in cattle louse samples. The positive PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The phylogenetic tree based on the partial 18S rRNA sequences demonstrated that cattle lice species in this study are classified into two groups according to reference sequences; Haematopinus quadripertusus and Haematopinus spp. closely related to H. tuberculatus. The pathogen detection revealed that Bartonella spp. DNA of gltA and rpoB were detected in 25 of 109 samples (22.93%) both egg and adult stages, whereas Acinetobacter spp. and Rickettsia spp. were not detected in all cattle lice DNA samples. The gltA and rpoB sequences showed that the Bartonella spp. DNA was found in both H. quadripertusus and Haematopinus spp. closely related to H. tuberculatus. This study is the first report of the Bartonella spp. detected in cattle lice from Thailand. The finding obtained from this study could be used to determine whether the cattle lice can serve as a potential vector to transmit these pathogenic bacteria among cattle and may affect animal to human health.
The Preliminary Study of Water-Retention Related Properties of Biochar Produced from Various Feedstock at Different Pyrolysis Temperatures
Authors: Kameyama Koji , Miyamoto Teruhito , Iwata Yukiyoshi
Published: May 2019

Physicochemical properties of biochar, which are used as a soil amendment material in agricultural fields, are different depending on biomass feedstock and pyrolysis processes. In this study, we evaluated the influence of feedstock type and pyrolysis temperature on the water-retention related properties of biochar. Wood-chips [cedar (CE) and cypress (CY)]; moso bamboo (MB); rice husk (RH); sugarcane bagasse (SB); poultry manure (PM) and agricultural wastewater sludge (WS) were each pyrolysed at 400, 600 and 800 °C with a retention time of two hours. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs (SEM), hydrophobicity indices, pore-size distribution measured by mercury-intrusion porosimetry, water-retention curves (WRCs) and plant-available water capacities (AWCs) of the biochars were measured to evaluate their potentials as soil-amendment materials for improving soils’ water-retention. As the pyrolysis temperature was increased, the hydrophobicity index decreased. On the other hand, pyrolysis temperature did not affect the distribution of micrometre-range pores, which are useful for plant-available water, of biochars. The AWCs of the biochars formed from CE, CY and SB were greater than those produced from other feedstocks, at 600 and 800 °C. Therefore, we can suggest that the biochars derived from wood-chips (CE and CY) and SB have greater potential for enhancing soils’ water-retention.
Optimal Design of Shape Memory Alloy Composite under Deflection Constraint
Authors: Gandhi Yogesh , Pirondi Alessandro , Collini Luca
Published: May 2019

Shape-adaptive or morphing capability in both aerospace structures and wind turbine blade design is regarded as significant to increase aerodynamic performance and simplify mechanisms by reducing the number of moving parts. The underlying bistable behavior of asymmetric cross-ply composites makes them a suitable candidate for morphing applications. To date, various theoretical and experiential studies have been carried out to understand and predict the bistable behavior of asymmetric laminates and especially the curvature obtained in their stable configurations. However, when the bi-stable composite plate is integrated with shape memory alloy wires to control the curvature and to snap from a stable configuration to the other (shape memory alloy composite, SMAC), the identification of the design parameters, namely laminate edge length, ply thickness and ply orientation, is not straightforward. The aim of this article is to present the formulation of an optimization problem for the parameters of an asymmetric composite laminate integrated with pre-stressed shape memory alloys (SMA) wires under bi-stability and a minimum deflection requirement. Wires are modeled as an additional ply placed at the mid-plane of the composite host plate. The optimization problem is solved numerically in MATLAB and optimal design variables are then used to model the SMAC in ABAQUS™. Finite element results are compared against numerical results for validation.
Blockade of Human α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor by α-Conotoxin ImI Dendrimer: Insight from Computational Simulations
Authors: Xu Xiaoxiao , Liang Jiazhen , Zhang Zheyu , Jiang Tao , Yu Rilei
Published: May 2019

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are ligand-gated ion channels that are involved in fast synaptic transmission and mediated physiological activities in the nervous system. α-Conotoxin ImI exhibits subtype-specific blockade towards homomeric α7 and α9 receptors. In this study, we established a method to build a 2×ImI-dendrimer/h (human) α7 nAChR model, and based on this model, we systematically investigated the molecular interactions between the 2×ImI-dendrimer and hα7 nAChR. Our results suggest that the 2×ImI-dendrimer possessed much stronger potency towards hα7 nAChR than the α-ImI monomer and demonstrated that the linker between α-ImI contributed to the potency of the 2×ImI-dendrimer by forming a stable hydrogen-bond network with hα7 nAChR. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the binding mechanism of α-ImI dendrimer to hα7 nAChR, and the methodology reported here opens an avenue for the design of more selective dendrimers with potential usage as drug/gene carriers, macromolecular drugs, and molecular probes.
Actinomycin V Inhibits Migration and Invasion via Suppressing Snail/Slug-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Progression in Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells In Vitro
Authors: Lin Shiqi , Zhang Caiyun , Liu Fangyuan , Ma Jiahui , Jia Fujuan , Han Zhuo , Xie Weidong , Li Xia
Published: May 2019

Actinomycin V, an analog of actinomycin D produced by the marine-derived actinomycete Streptomyces sp., possessing a 4-ketoproline instead of a 4-proline in actinomycin D. In this study, the involvement of snail/slug-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the anti-migration and -invasion actions of actinomycin V was investigated in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro. Cell proliferation effect was evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Wound-healing and Transwell assay were performed to investigate the anti-migration and -invasion effects of actinomycin V. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, snail, slug, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), and twist proteins and the mRNA levels were detected by rt-PCR. Actinomycin V showed stronger cytotoxic activity than that of actinomycin D. Actinomycin V up-regulated both of the protein and mRNA expression levels of E-cadherin and down-regulated that of N-cadherin and vimentin in the same cells. In this connection, actinomycin V decreased the snail and slug protein expression, and consequently inhibited cells EMT procession. Our results suggest that actinomycin V inhibits EMT-mediated migration and invasion via decreasing snail and slug expression, which exhibits therapeutic potential for the treatment of breast cancer and further toxicity investigation in vivo is needed.