bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines after Eight Weeks of Low-Dose Naltrexone for Fibromyalgia
Authors: Parkitny Luke , Younger Jarred
Published: April 2017

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex, multi-symptom condition that predominantly affects women. The majority of those affected are unlikely to gain significant symptomatic control from the few treatments that are approved for FM. In this 10-week, single-blind, crossover trial we tested the immune effects of eight weeks of oral administration of low-dose naltrexone (LDN). We enrolled eight women with an average age of 46 years, symptom severity of 62 out of 100, and symptom duration of 14 years. We found that LDN was associated with reduced plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-15, IL-17A, IL-27, interferon (IFN)-α, transforming growth factor (TGF)-α, TGF-β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). We also found a 15% reduction of FM-associated pain and an 18% reduction in overall symptoms. The findings of this pilot trial suggest that LDN treatment in fibromyalgia is associated with a reduction of several key pro-inflammatory cytokines and symptoms. The potential role of LDN as an atypical anti-inflammatory medication should be explored further.
How Older Adults and Their Families Perceive Family Talk about Aging-Related EOL Issues: A Dialectical Analysis
Authors: Egbert Nichole , Child Jeffrey , Lin Mei-Chen , Savery Carol , Bosley Tammy
Published: April 2017

For older adults, approaching end-of-life (EOL) brings unique transitions related to family relationships. Unfortunately, most families greatly underestimate the need to discuss these difficult issues. For example, parents approaching EOL issues often struggle with receiving assistance from others, avoiding family conflict, and maintaining their sense of personhood. In addition, discussions of EOL issues force family members to face their parents’ mortality, which can be particularly difficult for adult children to process emotionally. This study explored aging issues identified by aging parents and their families as they traverse these impending EOL changes. Ten focus groups of seniors (n = 65) were conducted. Focus groups were organized according to race (African-American/European-American), gender, and whether the older adult was living independently or in an assisted care facility. When asked open-ended questions about discussing aging and EOL issues with family members, participants revealed tensions that led us to consider Relational Dialectics Theory as a framework for analysis. The predominant tension highlighted in this report was certainty versus uncertainty, with the two sub-themes of sustained life versus sustained personhood and confronting versus avoiding EOL issues. For these data, there were more similarities than differences as a result of gender, race, or living situation than one might expect, although culture and financial status were found to be influential in the avoidance of EOL discussions. The results of this study help to provide additional insight into relational dialectics related to aging, EOL, and the importance of communication in facilitating family coping.
Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa—Treatment Satisfaction and the Perception of Change
Authors: Dahlgren Camilla Lindvall , Stedal Kristin
Published: April 2017

Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) has recently been developed for children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). It focuses on decreasing rigid cognitions and behaviors, as well as increasing central coherence. Overall, CRT has been proven feasible for young individuals with AN, but little is known regarding the specifics of its feasibility, and the perception of change associated with the intervention. Consequently, the aim of the current study was to explore service users’ perspective on CRT with a specific focus on treatment delivery, treatment content, and perceived change. Twenty adolescents (age 13–18) with AN participated in a 10-session course of CRT. A 20-item treatment evaluation questionnaire was administered at the end of treatment, focusing on four aspects of the intervention: (1) general attitudes towards treatment, (2) treatment specifics, (3) the perception of change and (4) the patient-therapist relation. The main findings suggest high levels of treatment satisfaction, but somewhat limited perceptions of change. The current study is one of the most detailed accounts of adolescents’ perspective on CRT published on eating disorders, and highlights several important aspects of the treatment viewed through the eye of the receiver.
Novel Synthesis of Plasmonic Ag/AgCl@TiO2 Continues Fibers with Enhanced Broadband Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Bao Nan , Miao Xinhan , Hu Xinde , Zhang Qingzhe , Jie Xiuyan , Zheng Xiyue
Published: April 2017

The plasmonic Ag/AgCl@TiO2 fiber (S-CTF) photocatalyst was synthesized by a two-step approach, including the sol-gel and force spinning method for the preparation of TiO2 fibers (TF), and the impregnation-precipitation-photoreduction strategy for the deposition of Ag/AgCl onto the fibers. NaOH aqueous solution was utilized to hydrolyze TiCl4, to synthesize TF and remove the byproduct HCl, and the produced NaCl was recycled for the formation and deposition of Ag/AgCl. The surface morphology, specific surface area, textural properties, crystal structure, elemental compositions and optical absorption of S-CTF were characterized by a series of instruments. These results revealed that the AgCl and Ag0 species were deposited onto TF successfully, and the obtained S-CTF showed improved visible light absorption due to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag0. In the photocatalytic degradation of X-3B, S-CTF exhibited significantly enhanced activities under separate visible or UV light irradiation, in comparison to TF.
Classification of Rainfall Warnings Based on the TOPSIS Method
Authors: Zeyaeyan Sadegh , Fattahi Ebrahim , Ranjbar Abbas , Vazifedoust Majid
Published: April 2017

Extreme weather, by definition, is any unexpected, unusual, unpredictable, severe or unseasonal weather condition. A rainfall event that is considered normal in one region may be considered a torrent in a dry region and may cause flash flooding. Therefore, appropriate weather warnings need to be issued with respect to areas with different climates. Additionally, these alerts should be easy to understand—by clear classification—in order to apply reinforcements. Early warning levels not only depend on the intensity and duration of rainfall events, but also on the initial water stress conditions, land cover situations and degree of urbanization. This research has focused on defining different warning levels in northwest Iran using long-term precipitation data from 87 weather stations well distributed across the study area. Here, in order to determine alert levels, TOPSIS (The Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), as one of the most common methods in multi-criteria decision making, has been used. Results show that five main levels of alerts can be derived, leading to the provision of spatial maps. Further, it can be deduced that these levels are highly associated to the location of a region at different times: months/seasons. It has been observed that the issuance of a warning for precipitation should correspond with the location and time. At one location during different seasons, different alert levels would be raised corresponding to the rainfall. It was also concluded that using of fixed alert levels and extending them to larger areas without considering the seasons could be grossly misleading.
Molecular Assisted Identification Reveals Hidden Red Algae Diversity from the Burica Peninsula, Pacific Panama
Authors: Freshwater David , Idol Jennifer , Parham Seth , Fernández-García Cindy , León Noemi , Gabrielson Paul , Wysor Brian
Published: April 2017

The marine flora of Panama harbors a rich diversity of green, red and brown algae, and despite chronic understudy, it is reported as the second most diverse marine flora along the Pacific Central American coast, with 174 macroalgal species. Extensive new collections and molecular assisted identification (MAI) by an international team of researchers has revealed an even greater diversity for this country. Here, the intertidal and shallow subtidal marine flora of the remote Burica Peninsula is introduced. This area is characterized by an uplifted extensive intertidal flat composed of firm, sedimentary benthos known as mudrock, on which abundant algal communities thrive, even during extended periods of exposure. A collection of nearly 200 brown, green and red macroalgae specimens representing the first marine floristic inventory of this region was made in January 2011, and results of analyses of 45 foliose red algae specimens are presented. DNA sequence data for several loci (rbcL-3P; COI-5P; UPA) have been generated for molecular assisted identification and to guide morphological assessments. Twenty-six species were identified among the specimens including 21 new Pacific Panama records, as well as previously unrealized transisthmian distributions, and two new species, Neorubra parvolacertoides sp. nov. and Grateloupia irregularis sp. nov.
Nano-Based Drilling Fluids: A Review
Authors: Vryzas Zisis , Kelessidis Vassilios C.
Published: April 2017

Nanomaterials are engineered materials with at least one dimension in the range of 1–100 nm. Nanofluids—nanoscale colloidal suspensions containing various nanomaterials—have distinctive properties and offer unprecedented potential for various sectors such as the energy, cosmetic, aerospace and biomedical industries. Due to their unique physico-chemical properties, nanoparticles are considered as very good candidates for smart drilling fluid formulation, i.e., fluids with tailor-made rheological and filtration properties. However, due to the great risk of adapting new technologies, their application in oil and gas industry is not, to date, fully implemented. Over the last few years, several researchers have examined the use of various nanoparticles, from commercial to custom made particles, to formulate drilling fluids with enhanced properties that can withstand extreme downhole environments, particularly at high pressure and high temperature (HP/HT) conditions. This article summarizes the recent progress made on the use of nanoparticles as additives in drilling fluids in order to give such fluids optimal rheological and filtration characteristics, increase shale stability and achieve wellbore strengthening. Type, size and shape of nanoparticles, volumetric concentration, addition of different surfactants and application of an external magnetic field are factors that are critically evaluated and are discussed in this article. The results obtained from various studies show that nanoparticles have a great potential to be used as drilling fluid additives in order to overcome stern drilling problems. However, there are still challenges that should be addressed in order to take full advantage of the capabilities of such particles. Finally the paper identifies and discusses opportunities for future research.
Maximum Boost Control Method for Single-Phase Quasi-Switched-Boost and Quasi-Z-Source Inverters
Authors: Nguyen Minh-Khai , Choi Youn-Ok
Published: April 2017

The maximum boost control method for a single-phase switched-boost inverter (SBI) and single-phase Z-source inverter (ZSI) is proposed in this paper. In the proposed method, the low frequency voltage is added to the constant voltage for generating the variable shoot-through time intervals. For improving the AC output quality of the inverter, an active power switch is used to replace one of the diodes in the single-phase SBI. The operating principles and circuit analysis using the proposed maximum boost control method for single-phase inverters are presented. Laboratory prototypes are built to verify the operation of the proposed pulse-width modulation (PWM) control method for both single-phase quasi-ZSI and single-phase quasi-SBI.
Power-Smoothing Scheme of a DFIG Using the Adaptive Gain Depending on the Rotor Speed and Frequency Deviation
Authors: Lee Hyewon , Hwang Min , Muljadi Eduard , Sørensen Poul , Kang Yong Cheol
Published: April 2017

In an electric power grid that has a high penetration level of wind, the power fluctuation of a large-scale wind power plant (WPP) caused by varying wind speeds deteriorates the system frequency regulation. This paper proposes a power-smoothing scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) that significantly mitigates the system frequency fluctuation while preventing over-deceleration of the rotor speed. The proposed scheme employs an additional control loop relying on the system frequency deviation that operates in combination with the maximum power point tracking control loop. To improve the power-smoothing capability while preventing over-deceleration of the rotor speed, the gain of the additional loop is modified with the rotor speed and frequency deviation. The gain is set to be high if the rotor speed and/or frequency deviation is large. The simulation results based on the IEEE 14-bus system clearly demonstrate that the proposed scheme significantly lessens the output power fluctuation of a WPP under various scenarios by modifying the gain with the rotor speed and frequency deviation, and thereby it can regulate the frequency deviation within a narrow range.
Decomposition Characteristics of SF6 and Partial Discharge Recognition under Negative DC Conditions
Authors: Tang Ju , Yang Xu , Ye Gaoxiang , Yao Qiang , Miao Yulong , Zeng Fuping
Published: April 2017

Four typical types of artificial defects are designed in conducting the decomposition experiments of SF6 gas to obtain and understand the decomposition characteristics of SF6 gas-insulated medium under different types of negative DC partial discharge (DC-PD), and use the obtained decomposition characteristics of SF6 in diagnosing the type and severity of insulation fault in DC SF6 gas-insulated equipment. Experimental results show that the negative DC partial discharges caused by the four defects decompose the SF6 gas and generate five stable decomposed components, namely, CF4, CO2, SO2F2, SOF2, and SO2. The concentration, effective formation rate, and concentration ratio of SF6 decomposed components can be associated with the PD types. Furthermore, back propagation neural network algorithm is used to recognize the PD types. The recognition results show that compared with the concentrations of SF6 decomposed components, their concentration ratios are more suitable as the characteristic quantities for PD recognition, and using those concentration ratios in recognizing the PD types can obtain a good effect.
Epidemiological History of Cypress Canker Disease in Source and Invasion Sites
Authors: Danti Roberto , Della Rocca Gianni
Published: April 2017

Seiridium cardinale is a fungal pathogen responsible for pandemic cypress canker disease (CCD). The fungus has shown the ability to infect different hosts in many areas throughout the globe, but its spread and impact were favored by conducive environmental conditions. The most severe epidemics were reported in California and the Mediterranean, the former considered the source area of the pathogen from which the Mediterranean infestation have originated. Here we reconstruct the epidemiological history of the disease in California and the Mediterranean. Evolution of the disease in the two contrasting areas was weighed in relation to differences between the two environments in terms of climate, landscape properties, and adopted management practices. In addition, differences emerged among the source and invasive populations in terms of genetic and phenotypic variability, structure, and mode of reproduction allow a few comments to be made about the environmental implications and related quarantine of new introductory events.
Developing a Cloud-Reduced MODIS Surface Reflectance Product for Snow Cover Mapping in Mountainous Regions
Authors: Khoramian Amin , Dariane Alireza
Published: April 2017

Cloud obscuration is a major problem for using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images in different applications. This issue poses serious difficulties in monitoring the snow cover in mountainous regions due to high cloudiness in such areas. To overcome this, different cloud removal methods have been developed in the past where most of them use MODIS snow cover products and spatiotemporal dependencies of snow to estimate the undercloud coverage. In this study, a new approach is adopted that uses surface reflectance data in the cloud-free pixels and estimates the surface reflectance of a cloudy pixel as if there were no cloud. This estimation is obtained by subsequently applying the k-nearest neighbor and dynamic time compositing methods. The modified surface reflectance data are then utilized as inputs of a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI)-based algorithm to map snow cover in the study area. The results indicate that the suggested approach is able to appropriately estimate undercloud surface reflectance in bands 2, 4 and 6, and can map the snow cover with 97% accuracy, which is a substantial improvement over the conventional method with an accuracy of 86%. Finally, although a clear underestimation of snow cover (about 15%) is observed by applying the proposed approach, still, it is much better than the 30% underestimation obtained by the conventional method.
Development of Flood Warning System and Flood Inundation Mapping Using Field Survey and LiDAR Data for the Grand River near the City of Painesville, Ohio
Authors: Lamichhane Niraj , Sharma Suresh
Published: April 2017

Abstract: Flooding is one of the most frequent natural disasters across the world, which damages properties and may take the lives of people. Flood warning systems can play a significant role in minimizing those effects by helping to evacuate people from the probable affected areas during peak flash flood times. Therefore, a conceptual approach of an automated flood warning system is presented in this research to protect several houses, roads, and infrastructures along the Grand River, which are vulnerable to flooding during a 500 year return period flash flood. The Grand River is a tributary of Lake Erie, which lies in the Grand River watershed in the northeastern region of the United States and has a humid continental climate and receives lake-effect precipitation. The flood warning system for the Grand River was developed specifically during high flow conditions by calculating flood travel time and generating the inundation mapping for 12 different selected flood stages, which were approximately 2 to 500 years in recurrence interval, ranging from 10 ft. to 21 ft. at gage station 04212100, near the City of Painesville, OH. A Hydraulic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) was utilized for hydraulic modeling. Geospatial data required for HEC-RAS was obtained using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets, which were pre-processed and post-processed in HEC-GeoRAS to produce flood inundation maps. The flood travel time and flood inundation maps were generated by integrating LiDAR data with field verified survey results in order to provide the evacuation lead time needed for the people of probable affected areas, which is different from earlier studies. The generated inundation maps estimate the aerial extent of flooding along the Grand River corresponding to the various flood stages at the gage station near the City of Painesville and Harpersfield. The inundation maps were overlaid on digital orthographic maps to visualize its aerial extents, which can be uploaded online to provide a real-time inundation warning to the public when the flood occurs in the river.
Mitochondrial Genomes Provide Insights into the Phylogeny of Lauxanioidea (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha)
Authors: Li Xuankun , Li Wenliang , Ding Shuangmei , Cameron Stephen , Mao Meng , Shi Li , Yang Ding
Published: April 2017

The superfamily Lauxanioidea is a significant dipteran clade including over 2500 known species in three families: Lauxaniidae, Celyphidae and Chamaemyiidae. We sequenced the first five (three complete and two partial) lauxanioid mitochondrial (mt) genomes, and used them to reconstruct the phylogeny of this group. The lauxanioid mt genomes are typical of the Diptera, containing all 37 genes usually present in bilaterian animals. A total of three conserved intergenic sequences have been reported across the Cyclorrhapha. The inferred secondary structure of 22 tRNAs suggested five substitution patterns among the Cyclorrhapha. The control region in the Lauxanioidea has apparently evolved very fast, but four conserved structural elements were detected in all three complete mt genome sequences. Phylogenetic relationships based on the mt genome data were inferred by Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods. The traditional relationships between families within the Lauxanioidea, (Chamaemyiidae + (Lauxaniidae + Celyphidae)), were corroborated; however, the higher-level relationships between cyclorrhaphan superfamilies are mostly poorly supported.
Beneficial Effects of Melatonin on the In Vitro Maturation of Sheep Oocytes and Its Relation to Melatonin Receptors
Authors: Tian Xiuzhi , Wang Feng , Zhang Lu , He Changjiu , Ji Pengyun , Wang Jing , Zhang Zhenzhen , Lv Dongying , Abulizi Wusiman , Wang Xuguang , Lian Zhengxing , Liu Guoshi
Published: April 2017

(1) Background: The binding sites of melatonin, as a multifunctional molecule, have been identified in human, porcine, and bovine samples. However, the binding sites and mechanisms of melatonin have not been reported in sheep; (2) Methods: Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in TCM-199 supplemented with melatonin at concentrations of 0, 10−3, 10−5, 10−7, 10−9, and 10−11 M. Melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) were evaluated via immunofluorescence and Western blot. The effects of melatonin on cumulus cell expansion, nuclear maturation, embryo development, and related gene (GDF9, DNMT1, PTX3, HAS2, and EGFR) expression were investigated. The level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were evaluated in oocytes and cumulus, respectively; (3) Results: Both MT1 and MT2 were expressed in oocytes, cumulus cells, and granulosa cells. Melatonin with a concentration of 10−7 M significantly enhanced the rates of nuclear maturation, cumulus cells expansion, cleavage, and blastocyst. Melatonin enhanced the expression of BMP15 in oocytes and of PTX3, HAS2, and EGFR in cumulus cells. Melatonin decreased the cAMP level of oocytes but enhanced the cGMP level in oocytes and cumulus cells; (4) Conclusion: The higher presence of MT1 in GV cumulus cells and the beneficial effects of melatonin indicated that its roles in regulating sheep oocyte maturation may be mediated mainly by the MT1 receptor.
Potential Role of Free Fatty Acids in the Pathogenesis of Periodontitis and Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Shikama Yosuke , Kudo Yasusei , Ishimaru Naozumi , Funaki Makoto
Published: April 2017

Clinical studies have shown that metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia are associated with increased risk of oral-related diseases, such as periodontitis and Sjögren’s syndrome. Although changes in the immune system are critical in both of these metabolic disorders and oral-related diseases, the mechanism underlying the interaction between these diseases remains largely unknown. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are known to be associated with higher concentrations of free fatty acids in blood. Among free fatty acids, saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid have been demonstrated to induce inflammatory responses mainly via the innate immune systems, and to be involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in tissues such as adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, and skeletal muscle. Here, we highlight recent advances in evidence for the potential involvement of palmitic acid in the pathogenesis of periodontitis and Sjögren’s syndrome, and discuss the possibility that improvement of the lipid profile could be a new strategy for the treatment of these diseases.
Coordinated Actions of MicroRNAs with other Epigenetic Factors Regulate Skeletal Muscle Development and Adaptation
Authors: Bianchi Marzia , Renzini Alessandra , Adamo Sergio , Moresi Viviana
Published: April 2017

Epigenetics plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression in development, in response to cellular stress or in disease states, in virtually all cell types. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA molecules that mediate RNA silencing and regulate gene expression. miRNAs were discovered in 1993 and have been extensively studied ever since. They can be expressed in a tissue-specific manner and play a crucial role in tissue development and many biological processes. miRNAs are responsible for changes in the cell epigenome because of their ability to modulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. Recently, numerous studies have shown that miRNAs and other epigenetic factors can regulate each other or cooperate in regulating several biological processes. On the one hand, the expression of some miRNAs is silenced by DNA methylation, and histone modifications have been demonstrated to modulate miRNA expression in many cell types or disease states. On the other hand, miRNAs can directly target epigenetic factors, such as DNA methyltransferases or histone deacetylases, thus regulating chromatin structure. Moreover, several studies have reported coordinated actions between miRNAs and other epigenetic mechanisms to reinforce the regulation of gene expression. This paper reviews multiple interactions between miRNAs and epigenetic factors in skeletal muscle development and in response to stimuli or disease.
The Angiogenesis Inhibitor ALS-L1023 from Lemon-Balm Leaves Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease through Regulating the Visceral Adipose-Tissue Function
Authors: Kim Jeongjun , Lee Haerim , Lim Jonghoon , Oh Jaeho , Shin Soon , Yoon Michung
Published: April 2017

Similar to neoplastic tissues, growth and development of adipose tissue are thought to be angiogenesis-dependent. Since visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we hypothesized that angiogenesis inhibition would attenuate obesity-induced NAFLD. We fed C57BL/6J mice a low-fat diet (LFD, chow 10% kcal fat), a high-fat diet (HFD, 45% kcal fat) or HFD supplemented with the lemon-balm extract ALS-L1023 (HFD-ALS) for 15 weeks. ALS-L1023 reduced endothelial cell-tube formation in vitro. HFD increased VAT angiogenesis and induced weight gains including body weight, VAT mass and visceral adipocyte size compared with LFD. However, HFD-ALS led to weight reductions without affecting calorie intake compared with HFD. HFD-ALS also reduced serum ALT and AST levels and improved lipid metabolism. HFD-ALS suppressed steatosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and accumulation of collagen in livers. HFD-ALS modulated hepatic expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis, antioxidation, and apoptosis. Concomitantly, analysis of VAT function revealed that HFD-ALS led to fewer CD68-positive macrophage numbers and lower expression of inflammatory cytokines compared with HFD. Our findings show that the anti-angiogenic herbal extract ALS-L1023 attenuates NAFLD by targeting VAT during obesity, suggesting that angiogenesis inhibitors could aid in the treatment and prevention of obesity-induced human NAFLD.
Overexpression of S-Adenosyl-l-Methionine Synthetase 2 from Sugar Beet M14 Increased Arabidopsis Tolerance to Salt and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Ma Chunquan , Wang Yuguang , Gu Dan , Nan Jingdong , Chen Sixue , Li Haiying
Published: April 2017

The sugar beet monosomic addition line M14 is a unique germplasm that contains genetic materials from Beta vulgaris L. and Beta corolliflora Zoss, and shows tolerance to salt stress. Our study focuses on exploring the molecular mechanism of the salt tolerance of the sugar beet M14. In order to identify differentially expressed genes in M14 under salt stress, a subtractive cDNA library was generated by suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). A total of 36 unique sequences were identified in the library and their putative functions were analyzed. One of the genes, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (SAMS), is the key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a precursor of polyamines. To determine the potential role of SAMS in salt tolerance, we isolated BvM14-SAMS2 from the salt-tolerant sugar beet M14. The expression of BvM14-SAMS2 in leaves and roots was greatly induced by salt stress. Overexpression of BvM14-SAMS2 in Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced salt and H2O2 tolerance. Furthermore, we obtained a knock-down T-DNA insertion mutant of AtSAMS3, which shares the highest homology with BvM14-SAMS2. Interestingly, the mutant atsam3 showed sensitivity to salt and H2O2 stress. We also found that the antioxidant system and polyamine metabolism play an important role in salt and H2O2 tolerance in the BvM14-SAMS2-overexpressed plants. To our knowledge, the function of the sugar beet SAMS has not been reported before. Our results have provided new insights into SAMS functions in sugar beet.
Clinical and Molecular Characterization of Patients with Fructose 1,6-Bisphosphatase Deficiency
Authors: Li Niu , Chang Guoying , Xu Yufei , Ding Yu , Li Guoqiang , Yu Tingting , Qing Yanrong , Li Juan , Shen Yiping , Wang Jian , Wang Xiumin
Published: April 2017

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive inherited disease caused by the mutation of the FBP1 gene, the incidence is estimated to be between 1/350,000 and 1/900,000. The symptoms of affected individuals are non-specific and are easily confused with other metabolic disorders. The present study describes the clinical features of four Chinese pediatric patients who presented with hypoglycemia, hyperlactacidemia, metabolic acidosis, and hyperuricemia. Targeted-next generation sequencing using the Agilent SureSelect XT Inherited Disease Panel was used to screen for causal variants in the genome, and the clinically-relevant variants were subsequently verified using Sanger sequencing. Here, DNA sequencing identified six variations of the FBP1 gene (NM_000507.3) in the four patients. In Case 1, we found a compound heterozygous mutations of c.704delC (p.Pro235GlnfsX42) (novel) and c.960_961insG (p.Ser321Valfs) (known pathogenic). In Case 2, we found a compound heterozygous mutations of c.825 + 1G>A and c.960_961insG (both were known pathogenically). In Case 3, a homozygous missense mutation of c.355G>A (p.Asp119Asn) (reported in ClinVar database without functional study) was found. Case 4 had a compound heterozygous mutations c.720_729del (p.Tyr241GlyfsX33) (novel) and c.490G>A (p.Gly164Ser) (known pathogenically). Further in vitro studies in the COS-7cell line demonstrated that the mutation of ASP119ASN had no impact on protein expression, but decreased the enzyme activity, and with which the clinical significance of Asp119Asn can be determined to be likely pathogenic. This report not only expands upon the known spectrum of variation of the FBP1 gene, but also deepens our understanding of the clinical features of FBPase deficiency.
Nanotechnology of Positive Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyu , Porras-Gutierrez Ana-Gabriela , Mauger Alain , Groult Henri , Julien Christian
Published: April 2017

This work presents the recent progress in nanostructured materials used as positive electrodes in Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Three classes of host lattices for lithium insertion are considered: transition-metal oxides V2O5, α-NaV2O5, α-MnO2, olivine-like LiFePO4, and layered compounds LiNi0.55Co0.45O2, LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 and Li2MnO3. First, a brief description of the preparation methods shows the advantage of a green process, i.e., environmentally friendliness wet chemistry, in which the synthesis route using single and mixed chelators is used. The impact of nanostructure and nano-morphology of cathode material on their electrochemical performance is investigated to determine the synthesis conditions to obtain the best electrochemical performance of LIBs.
Treatment and Prevention of Bleeds in Haemophilia Patients with Inhibitors to Factor VIII/IX
Authors: Rocino Angiola , Franchini Massimo , Coppola Antonio
Published: April 2017

The development of alloantibodies neutralising therapeutically administered factor (F) VIII/IX (inhibitors) is currently the most severe complication of the treatment of haemophilia. When persistent and at a high titre, inhibitors preclude the standard replacement treatment with FVIII/FIX concentrates, making patients’ management challenging. Indeed, the efficacy of bypassing agents, i.e., activated prothrombin complex concentrates (aPCC) and recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa), needed to overcome the haemostatic interference of the inhibitor, is not comparable to that of factor concentrates. In addition, the therapeutical response is unpredictable, with a relevant inter-individual and even intra-individual variability, and no laboratory assay is validated to monitor the efficacy and safety of the treatment. As a result, inhibitor patients have a worse joint status and quality of life compared to inhibitor-free subjects and the eradication of the inhibitor by immune tolerance induction is the preeminent therapeutic goal, particularly in children. However, over the last decades, treatment with bypassing agents has been optimised, allowing home treatment and the individualisation of regimens aimed at improving clinical outcomes. In this respect, a growing body of evidence supports the efficacy of prophylaxis with both bypassing agents in reducing bleeding rates and improving the quality of life, although the impact on long-term outcomes (in particular on preventing/reducing joint deterioration) is still unknown. This review offers an update on the current knowledge and practice of the use of bypassing agents in haemophiliacs with inhibitors, as well as on debated issues and unmet needs in this challenging setting.
Predictors of Active Extravasation and Complications after Conventional Angiography for Acute Intraabdominal Bleeding
Authors: Haber Zachary , Charles Hearns , Erinjeri Joseph , Deipolyi Amy
Published: April 2017

Conventional angiography is used to evaluate and treat possible sources of intraabdominal bleeding, though it may cause complications such as contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The study’s purpose was to identify factors predicting active extravasation and complications during angiography for acute intraabdominal bleeding. All conventional angiograms for acute bleeding (January 2013–June 2015) were reviewed retrospectively, including 75 angiograms for intraabdominal bleeding in 70 patients. Demographics, comorbidities, vital signs, complications within one month, and change in hematocrit (ΔHct) and fluids and blood products administered over the 24 h prior to angiography were recorded. Of 75 exams, 20 (27%) demonstrated extravasation. ΔHct was the only independent predictor of extravasation (p = 0.017), with larger ΔHct (−17%) in patients with versus those without extravasation (–1%) (p = 0.01). CIN was the most common complication, occurring in 10 of 66 angiograms (15%). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was the only independent predictor (p = 0.03); 67% of patients with GFR < 30, 29% of patients with GFR 30–60, and 8% of patients with GFR > 60 developed CIN. For patients with intraabdominal bleeding, greater ΔHct decrease over 24 h before angiography predicts active extravasation. Pre-existing renal impairment predicts CIN. Patients with large hematocrit declines should be triaged for rapid angiography, though benefits can be weighed with the risk of renal impairment.
A Novel Vision-Based Classification System for Explosion Phenomena
Authors: Abusaleh Sumaya , Mahmood Ausif , Elleithy Khaled , Patel Sarosh
Published: April 2017

The need for a proper design and implementation of adequate surveillance system for detecting and categorizing explosion phenomena is nowadays rising as a part of the development planning for risk reduction processes including mitigation and preparedness. In this context, we introduce state-of-the-art explosions classification using pattern recognition techniques. Consequently, we define seven patterns for some of explosion and non-explosion phenomena including: pyroclastic density currents, lava fountains, lava and tephra fallout, nuclear explosions, wildfires, fireworks, and sky clouds. Towards the classification goal, we collected a new dataset of 5327 2D RGB images that are used for training the classifier. Furthermore, in order to achieve high reliability in the proposed explosion classification system and to provide multiple analysis for the monitored phenomena, we propose employing multiple approaches for feature extraction on images including texture features, features in the spatial domain, and features in the transform domain. Texture features are measured on intensity levels using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) algorithm to obtain the highest 100 eigenvectors and eigenvalues. Moreover, features in the spatial domain are calculated using amplitude features such as the YCbCr color model; then, PCA is used to reduce vectors’ dimensionality to 100 features. Lastly, features in the transform domain are calculated using Radix-2 Fast Fourier Transform (Radix-2 FFT), and PCA is then employed to extract the highest 100 eigenvectors. In addition, these textures, amplitude and frequency features are combined in an input vector of length 300 which provides a valuable insight into the images under consideration. Accordingly, these features are fed into a combiner to map the input frames to the desired outputs and divide the space into regions or categories. Thus, we propose to employ one-against-one multi-class degree-3 polynomial kernel Support Vector Machine (SVM). The efficiency of the proposed research methodology was evaluated on a totality of 980 frames that were retrieved from multiple YouTube videos. These videos were taken in real outdoor environments for the seven scenarios of the respective defined classes. As a result, we obtained an accuracy of 94.08%, and the total time for categorizing one frame was approximately 0.12 s.
Factors Influencing Perceptions and Use of Urban Nature: Surveys of Park Visitors in Delhi
Authors: Paul Somajita , Nagendra Harini
Published: April 2017

Urban green spaces provide important recreational, social and psychological benefits to stressed city residents. This paper aims to understand the importance of parks for visitors. We focus on Delhi, the world’s second most populous city, drawing on 123 interviews with park visitors in four prominent city parks. Almost all respondents expressed the need for more green spaces. Visitors valued parks primarily for environmental and psychological/health benefits. They had limited awareness of biodiversity, with one out of three visitors unable to identify tree species and one out of four visitors unable to identify animal species frequenting the park. Most of the daily visitors lived within 0.5 km of these parks, but a small fraction of visitors traveled over 10 km to visit these major parks, despite having smaller neighbourhood parks in their vicinity. This study demonstrates the importance of large, well-maintained, publicly accessible parks in a crowded city. The results can help to better plan and design urban green spaces, responding to the needs and preferences of urban communities. This research contributes to the severely limited information on people’s perceptions of and requirements from urban nature in cities of the Global South.
Plantago asiatica L. Ameliorates Puromycin Aminonucleoside-Induced Nephrotic Syndrome by Suppressing Inflammation and Apoptosis
Authors: Kho Min , Park Ji , Han Byung , Tan Rui , Yoon Jung , Kim Hye , Ahn You , Lee Yun , Kang Dae , Lee Ho
Published: April 2017

Objective: Nephrotic syndrome, a kidney disease with a variety of causes, is mainly characterized by heavy proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, and ascites. This study was designed to evaluate the underlying mechanism of action of Plantago asiatica L. (PAL) in treating nephrotic syndrome induced by puromycin aminonucleoside. Methods: PAL has been used in Asia as a traditional medicine and dietary health supplement. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were intravenously injected with puromycin aminonucleoside (75 mg/kg/day), then treated with either Losartan (30 mg/kg/day) or PAL (200 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for seven days. Results: PAL significantly decreased ascites, proteinuria level, and plasma lipid parameters. In addition, treatment with PAL attenuated histological damage and hypoalbuminemia. Treatment with PAL also restored podocin expression and reduced inflammation markers such as intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1). Lower expression levels of the apoptosis markers Bax, caspase-3 and capase-9 were documented in SD rats receiving PAL. PAL also significantly decreased the phosphorylation levels of MAPKs such as ERK, JNK and p38. Conclusion: As a multifunctional agent, PAL has a renoprotective effect in nephrotic syndrome rat models. The anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties, along with reductions in hyperlipidemia and ascites, represent important therapeutic effects. These results indicate that Plantago asiatica is likely to be a promising agent in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome.
Visual Place Recognition for Autonomous Mobile Robots
Authors: Horst Michael , Möller Ralf
Published: April 2017

Place recognition is an essential component of autonomous mobile robot navigation. It is used for loop-closure detection to maintain consistent maps, or to localize the robot along a route, or in kidnapped-robot situations. Camera sensors provide rich visual information for this task. We compare different approaches for visual place recognition: holistic methods (visual compass and warping), signature-based methods (using Fourier coefficients or feature descriptors (able for binary-appearance loop-closure evaluation, ABLE)), and feature-based methods (fast appearance-based mapping, FabMap). As new contributions we investigate whether warping, a successful visual homing method, is suitable for place recognition. In addition, we extend the well-known visual compass to use multiple scale planes, a concept also employed by warping. To achieve tolerance against changing illumination conditions, we examine the NSAD distance measure (normalized sum of absolute differences) on edge-filtered images. To reduce the impact of illumination changes on the distance values, we suggest to compute ratios of image distances to normalize these values to a common range. We test all methods on multiple indoor databases, as well as a small outdoor database, using images with constant or changing illumination conditions. ROC analysis (receiver-operator characteristics) and the metric distance between best-matching image pairs are used as evaluation measures. Most methods perform well under constant illumination conditions, but fail under changing illumination. The visual compass using the NSAD measure on edge-filtered images with multiple scale planes, while being slower than signature methods, performs best in the latter case.
Range Analysis of Thermal Stress and Optimal Design for Tungsten-Rhenium Thin Film Thermocouples Based on Ceramic Substrates
Authors: Zhang Zhongkai , Tian Bian , Yu Qiuyue , Shi Peng , Lin Qijing , Zhao Na , Jing Weixuan , Jiang Zhuangde
Published: April 2017

A thermal stress range analysis of tungsten-rhenium thin film thermocouples based on ceramic substrates is presented to analyze the falling off and breakage problems caused by the mismatch of the thermal stresses in thin film thermocouples (TFTCs) and substrate, and nano-indentation experiments are done to measure and calculate the film stress to compare with the simulation results. Optimal design and fabrication of tungsten-rhenium TFTCs based on ceramic substrates is reported. Static high temperature tests are carried out, which show the optimization design can effectively reduce the damage caused by the thermal stress mismatch.
Low Power Near Field Communication Methods for RFID Applications of SIM Cards
Authors: Chen Yicheng , Zheng Zhaoxia , Gong Mingyang , Yu Fengqi
Published: April 2017

Power consumption and communication distance have become crucial challenges for SIM card RFID (radio frequency identification) applications. The combination of long distance 2.45 GHz radio frequency (RF) technology and low power 2 kHz near distance communication is a workable scheme. In this paper, an ultra-low frequency 2 kHz near field communication (NFC) method suitable for SIM cards is proposed and verified in silicon. The low frequency transmission model based on electromagnetic induction is discussed. Different transmission modes are introduced and compared, which show that the baseband transmit mode has a better performance. The low-pass filter circuit and programmable gain amplifiers are applied for noise reduction and signal amplitude amplification. Digital-to-analog converters and comparators are used to judge the card approach and departure. A novel differential Manchester decoder is proposed to deal with the internal clock drift in range-controlled communication applications. The chip has been fully implemented in 0.18 µm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology, with a 330 µA work current and a 45 µA idle current. The low frequency chip can be integrated into a radio frequency SIM card for near field RFID applications.
Chemical Sensors and Biosensors in Italy: A Review of the 2015 Literature
Authors: Compagnone Dario , Francia Girolamo , Natale Corrado , Neri Giovanni , Seeber Renato , Tajani Antonella
Published: April 2017

The contributions of Italian researchers to sensor research in 2015 is reviewed. The analysis of the activities in one year allows one to obtain a snapshot of the Italian scenario capturing the main directions of the research activities. Furthermore, the distance of more than one year makes meaningful the bibliometric analysis of the reviewed papers. The review shows a research community distributed among different scientific disciplines, from chemistry, physics, engineering, and material science, with a strong interest in collaborative works.
A Smart Voltage and Current Monitoring System for Three Phase Inverters Using an Android Smartphone Application
Authors: Mnati Mohannad , Van den Bossche Alex , Chisab Raad
Published: April 2017

In this paper, a new smart voltage and current monitoring system (SVCMS) technique is proposed. It monitors a three phase electrical system using an Arduino platform as a microcontroller to read the voltage and current from sensors and then wirelessly send the measured data to monitor the results using a new Android application. The integrated SVCMS design uses an Arduino Nano V3.0 as the microcontroller to measure the results from three voltage and three current sensors and then send this data, after calculation, to the Android smartphone device of an end user using Bluetooth HC-05. The Arduino Nano V3.0 controller and Bluetooth HC-05 are a cheap microcontroller and wireless device, respectively. The new Android smartphone application that monitors the voltage and current measurements uses the open source MIT App Inventor 2 software. It allows for monitoring some elementary fundamental voltage power quality properties. An effort has been made to investigate what is possible using available off-the-shelf components and open source software.