bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Question of a Role for Statins in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Roizenblatt Marina , Naranjit Nara , Maia Mauricio , Gehlbach Peter L.
Published: November 2018

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible central vision loss in patients over the age of 65 years in industrialized countries. Epidemiologic studies suggest that high dietary fat intake is a risk factor for the development and progression of both vascular and retinal disease. These, and other associations, suggest a hypothesis linking elevated cholesterol and AMD progression. It follows, therefore, that cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, may influence the onset and progression of AMD. However, the findings have been inconclusive as to whether statins play a role in AMD. Due to the significant public health implications of a potential inhibitory effect of statins on the onset and progression of AMD, it is important to continually evaluate emerging findings germane to this question.
Gut Microbiota-Dependent Trimethylamine N-Oxide Pathway Associated with Cardiovascular Risk in Children with Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Hsu Chien-Ning , Lu Pei-Chen , Lo Mao-Hung , Lin I-Chun , Chang-Chien Guo-Ping , Lin Sufan , Tain You-Lin
Published: November 2018

Despite cardiovascular disease (CVD) being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD), less attention has been paid to subclinical CVD in children and adolescents with early CKD stages. Gut microbiota and their metabolite, trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), have been linked to CVD. Ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring (ABPM) and arterial-stiffness assessment allow for early detection of subclinical CVD. We therefore investigated whether gut microbial composition and TMAO metabolic pathway are correlated with blood-pressure (BP) load and vascular abnormalities in children with early-stage CKD. We enrolled 86 children with G1–G3 CKD stages. Approximately two-thirds of CKD children had BP abnormalities on ABPM. Children with CKD stage G2–G3 had a higher uric acid level (6.6 vs. 4.8 mg/dL, p < 0.05) and pulse-wave velocity (4.1 vs. 3.8 m/s, p < 0.05), but lower TMAO urinary level (209 vs. 344 ng/mg creatinine, p < 0.05) than those with stage G1. Urinary TMAO level was correlated with the abundances of genera Bifidobacterium (r = 0.307, p = 0.004) and Lactobacillus (r = 0.428, p < 0.001). CKD children with abnormal ABPM profile had a lower abundance of the Prevotella genus than those with normal ABPM (p < 0.05). Our results highlight the link between gut microbiota, microbial metabolite TMAO, BP load, and arterial-stiffness indices in children with early-stage CKD. Early assessments of these surrogate markers should aid in decreasing cardiovascular risk in childhood CKD.
Regulation of Protein Structural Changes by Incorporation of a Small-Molecule Linker
Authors: Kim Youngmin , Yang Cheolhee , Kim Tae Wu , Thamilselvan Kamatchi , Kim Yonggwan , Ihee Hyotcherl
Published: November 2018

Proteins have the potential to serve as nanomachines with well-controlled structural movements, and artificial control of their conformational changes is highly desirable for successful applications exploiting their dynamic structural characteristics. Here, we demonstrate an experimental approach for regulating the degree of conformational change in proteins by incorporating a small-molecule linker into a well-known photosensitive protein, photoactive yellow protein (PYP), which is sensitized by blue light and undergoes a photo-induced N-terminal protrusion coupled with chromophore-isomerization-triggered conformational changes. Specifically, we introduced thiol groups into specific sites of PYP through site-directed mutagenesis and then covalently conjugated a small-molecule linker into these sites, with the expectation that the linker is likely to constrain the structural changes associated with the attached positions. To investigate the structural dynamics of PYP incorporated with the small-molecule linker (SML-PYP), we employed the combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy and experiment-restrained rigid-body molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Our results show that SML-PYP exhibits much reduced structural changes during photo-induced signaling as compared to wild-type PYP. This demonstrates that incorporating an external molecular linker can limit photo-induced structural dynamics of the protein and may be used as a strategy for fine control of protein structural dynamics in nanomachines.
Longitudinal Tension and Mechanical Stability of a Pressurized Straw Tube
Authors: Glonti Levan , Enik Temur , Kekelidze Vladimir , Kolesnikov Alexander , Madigozhin Dmitry , Molokanova Natalia , Movchan Sergey , Potrebenikov Yuri , Shkarovskiy Sergey
Published: November 2018

For the development of charged particle detectors based on straw tubes operating in vacuum, a special measurement technique is required for the evaluation of their mechanical properties. A summary of the known equations that govern straw behavior under internal pressure is provided, and a new experimental method of a strained pressurized straw tube study is presented in this paper. The Poisson’s ratio of the straw wall, which defines the stability conditions of a built-in tube, was measured for the NA62 spectrometer straw, and its minimum pre-tension was estimated.
The Interaction of miR-378i-Skp2 Regulates Cell Senescence in Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Tsai Yi-Chun , Kuo Po-Lin , Kuo Mei-Chuan , Hung Wei-Wen , Wu Ling-Yu , Chang Wei-An , Wu Ping-Hsun , Lee Su-Chu , Chen Hung-Chun , Hsu Ya-Ling
Published: November 2018

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the major cause of end stage renal disease. Proximal tubular epithelial cell (PTEC) injury occurs early in diabetic kidney, and it is correlated with consequent renal failure. Cellular senescence participates in the pathophysiology of DN, but its role remains unclear. We conducted a cross-disciplinary study, including human, in vivo, and in vitro studies, to explore the novel molecular mechanisms of PTEC senescence in DN. We found that HG induced cell senescence in PTECs, supported by enhanced β-galactosidase staining, p53 and p27 expression, and reduced cyclin E levels. Transcriptome analysis of PTECs from a type 2 diabetic patient and a normal individual using next generation sequencing (NGS) and systematic bioinformatics analyses indicated that miR-378i and its downstream target S-phase kinase protein 2 (Skp2) contribute to HG-induced senescence in PTECs. High glucose (HG) elevated miR-378i expression in PTECs, and miR-378i transfection reduced Skp2 expression. Urinary miR-378i levels were elevated in both db/db mice and type 2 diabetic patients, whereas decreased Skp2 levels were shown in proximal tubule of db/db mice and human DN. Moreover, urinary miR-378i levels were positively correlated with urinary senescence-associated secretory phenotype cytokines and renal function in in vivo and human study. This study demonstrates that the interaction between miR-378i and Skp2 regulates PTEC senescence of DN. miR-378i has the potential to predict renal injury in DN. These findings suggest future applications in both therapy and in predicting renal dysfunction of DN.
Fatigue is Highly Prevalent in Patients with Asthma and Contributes to the Burden of Disease
Authors: Van Herck Maarten , Spruit Martijn A. , Burtin Chris , Djamin Remco , Antons Jeanine , Goërtz Yvonne M. J. , Ebadi Zjala , Janssen Daisy J. A. , Vercoulen Jan H. , Peters Jeannette B. , Thong Melissa S. Y. , Otker Jacqueline , Coors Arnold , Sprangers Mirjam A. G. , Muris Jean W. M. , Wouters Emiel F. M. , Van ’t Hul Alex J.
Published: November 2018

The 2018 update of the Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention does not mention fatigue-related symptoms. Nevertheless, patients with asthma frequently report tiredness, lack of energy, and daytime sleepiness. Quantitative research regarding the prevalence of fatigue in asthmatic patients is lacking. This retrospective cross-sectional study of outpatients with asthma upon referral to a chest physician assessed fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-Fatigue (CIS-Fatigue)), lung function (spirometry), asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)), dyspnea (Medical Research Council (MRC) scale), exercise capacity (six-minute walk test (6MWT)), and asthma-related Quality-of-Life (QoL), Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) during a comprehensive health-status assessment. In total, 733 asthmatic patients were eligible and analyzed (47.4 ± 16.3 years, 41.1% male). Severe fatigue (CIS-Fatigue ≥ 36 points) was detected in 62.6% of patients. Fatigue was not related to airflow limitation (FEV1, ρ = −0.083); was related moderately to ACQ (ρ = 0.455), AQLQ (ρ = −0.554), and MRC (ρ = 0.435; all p-values < 0.001); and was related weakly to 6MWT (ρ = −0.243, p < 0.001). In stepwise multiple regression analysis, 28.9% of variance in fatigue was explained by ACQ (21.0%), MRC (6.5%), and age (1.4%). As for AQLQ, 42.2% of variance was explained by fatigue (29.8%), MRC (8.6%), exacerbation rate (2.6%), and age (1.2%). Severe fatigue is highly prevalent in asthmatic patients; it is an important determinant of disease-specific QoL and a crucial yet ignored patient-related outcome in patients with asthma.
De-Ritis Ratio Improves Long-Term Risk Prediction after Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Steininger Matthias , Winter Max-Paul , Reiberger Thomas , Koller Lorenz , El-Hamid Feras , Forster Stefan , Schnaubelt Sebastian , Hengstenberg Christian , Distelmaier Klaus , Goliasch Georg , Wojta Johann , Toma Aurel , Niessner Alexander , Sulzgruber Patrick
Published: November 2018

Background: Recent evidence suggested levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and AST/ALT ratio (De-Ritis ratio) were associated with a worse outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, their value for predicting long-term prognosis remained unknown. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic potential of transaminases on patient outcome after AMI from a long-term perspective. Methods: Data of a large AMI registry including 1355 consecutive patients were analyzed. The Cox regression hazard analysis was used to assess the impact of transaminases and the De-Ritis ratio on long-term mortality. Results: The median De-Ritis ratio for the entire study population was 1.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.0–2.6). After a median follow-up time of 8.6 years, we found that AST (crude hazard ratio (HR) of 1.19 per 1-SD [95% confidence interval (CI): 1 .09–1.32; p < 0.001]) and De-Ritis ratio (crude HR of 1.31 per 1-SD [95% CI: 1.18–1.44; p < 0.001]), but not ALT (p = 0.827), were significantly associated with long-term mortality after AMI. After adjustment for confounders independently, the De-Ritis ratio remained a strong and independent predictor for long-term mortality in the multivariate model with an adjusted HR of 1.23 per 1-SD (95% CI: 1.07–1.42; p = 0.004). Moreover, the De-Ritis ratio added prognostic value beyond N-terminal pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, Troponin T, and Creatine Kinase. Conclusion: The De-Ritis ratio is a strong and independent predictor for long-term mortality after AMI. As a readily available biomarker in clinical routine, it might be used to identify patients at risk for fatal cardiovascular events and help to optimize secondary prevention strategies after AMI.
Therapy and Management of Pneumocystis jirovecii Infection
Authors: White P. Lewis , Price Jessica S. , Backx Matthijs
Published: November 2018

The rates of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) are increasing in the HIV-negative susceptible population. Guidance for the prophylaxis and treatment of PcP in HIV, haematology, and solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients is available, although for many other populations (e.g., auto-immune disorders) there remains an urgent need for recommendations. The main drug for both prophylaxis and treatment of PcP is trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, but resistance to this therapy is emerging, placing further emphasis on the need to make a mycological diagnosis using molecular based methods. Outbreaks in SOT recipients, particularly renal transplants, are increasingly described, and likely caused by human-to-human spread, highlighting the need for efficient infection control policies and sensitive diagnostic assays. Widespread prophylaxis is the best measure to gain control of outbreak situations. This review will summarize diagnostic options, cover prophylactic and therapeutic management in the main at risk populations, while also covering aspects of managing resistant disease, outbreak situations, and paediatric PcP.
Hydroxide Conduction Enhancement of Chitosan Membranes by Functionalized MXene
Authors: Wang Lina , Shi Benbing
Published: November 2018

In this study, imidazolium brushes tethered by –NH2-containing ligands were grafted onto the surface of a 2D material, MXene, using precipitation polymerization followed by quaternization. Functionalized MXene was embedded into chitosan matrix to prepare a hybrid alkaline anion exchange membrane. Due to high interfacial compatibility, functionalized MXene was homogeneously dispersed in chitosan matrix, generating continuous ion conduction channels and then greatly enhancing OH− conduction property (up to 172%). The ability and mechanism of OH− conduction in the membrane were elaborated based on systematic tests. The mechanical-thermal stability and swelling resistance of the membrane were evidently augmented. Therefore, it is a promising anion exchange membrane for alkaline fuel cell application.
Exploiting Genomic Relations in Big Data Repositories by Graph-Based Search Methods
Authors: Musa Aliyu , Dehmer Matthias , Yli-Harja Olli , Emmert-Streib Frank
Published: November 2018

We are living at a time that allows the generation of mass data in almost any field of science. For instance, in pharmacogenomics, there exist a number of big data repositories, e.g., the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) that provide millions of measurements on the genomics level. However, to translate these data into meaningful information, the data need to be analyzable. The first step for such an analysis is the deliberate selection of subsets of raw data for studying dedicated research questions. Unfortunately, this is a non-trivial problem when millions of individual data files are available with an intricate connection structure induced by experimental dependencies. In this paper, we argue for the need to introduce such search capabilities for big genomics data repositories with a specific discussion about LINCS. Specifically, we suggest the introduction of smart interfaces allowing the exploitation of the connections among individual raw data files, giving raise to a network structure, by graph-based searches.
Quantum Information: A Brief Overview and Some Mathematical Aspects
Authors: Kibler Maurice R.
Published: November 2018

The aim of the present paper is twofold. First, to give the main ideas behind quantum computing and quantum information, a field based on quantum-mechanical phenomena. Therefore, a short review is devoted to (i) quantum bits or qubits (and more generally qudits), the analogues of the usual bits 0 and 1 of the classical information theory, and to (ii) two characteristics of quantum mechanics, namely, linearity, which manifests itself through the superposition of qubits and the action of unitary operators on qubits, and entanglement of certain multi-qubit states, a resource that is specific to quantum mechanics. A, second, focus is on some mathematical problems related to the so-called mutually unbiased bases used in quantum computing and quantum information processing. In this direction, the construction of mutually unbiased bases is presented via two distinct approaches: one based on the group SU(2) and the other on Galois fields and Galois rings.
Fourier Series for Functions Related to Chebyshev Polynomials of the First Kind and Lucas Polynomials
Authors: Kim Taekyun , Kim Dae San , Jang Lee-Chae , Jang Gwan-Woo
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we derive Fourier series expansions for functions related to sums of finite products of Chebyshev polynomials of the first kind and of Lucas polynomials. From the Fourier series expansions, we are able to express those two kinds of sums of finite products of polynomials as linear combinations of Bernoulli polynomials.
Beneficial Effects of Marine Algae-Derived Carbohydrates for Skin Health
Authors: Kim Ji Hye , Lee Jae-Eun , Kim Kyoung Heon , Kang Nam Joo
Published: November 2018

Marine algae are considered to be an abundant sources of bioactive compounds with cosmeceutical potential. Recently, a great deal of interest has focused on the health-promoting effects of marine bioactive compounds. Carbohydrates are the major and abundant constituent of marine algae and have been utilized in cosmetic formulations, as moisturizing and thickening agents for example. In addition, marine carbohydrates have been suggested as promising bioactive biomaterials for their various properties beneficial to skin, including antioxidant, anti-melanogenic and skin anti-aging properties. Therefore, marine algae carbohydrates have potential skin health benefits for value-added cosmeceutical applications. The present review focuses on the various biological capacities and potential skin health benefits of bioactive marine carbohydrates.
Untargeted Metabolomics of Extracts from Faecal Samples Demonstrates Distinct Differences between Paediatric Crohn’s Disease Patients and Healthy Controls but No Significant Changes Resulting from Exclusive Enteral Nutrition Treatment
Authors: Alghamdi Adel , Gerasimidis Konstantinos , Blackburn Gavin , Akinci Didem , Edwards Christine , Russell Richard K. , Watson David G.
Published: November 2018

Metabolomic profiling using high resolution mass spectrometry with hydrophilic interaction chromatography was applied to 11 faecal extracts from eleven healthy children and to 43 faecal extracts from eleven children undergoing exclusive enteral nutrition for the treatment of active Crohn’s disease (CD) at timepoints before, during (15, 30, and 60 days), and after treatment. Differences between the control and CD samples were identified at each timepoint. An orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model identified eight metabolites that were normally distributed according to Q-Q plots. The OPLS-DA model was able to discriminate the CD samples from the controls at every timepoint, but the model was not able to differentiate the CD samples from one another at the different timepoints during treatment with exclusive enteral nutrition. The differentiated metabolites identified in the CD samples included tyrosine, an ornithine isomer, arachidonic acid, eicosatrienoic acid, docosatetraenoic acid, a sphingomyelin, a ceramide, and dimethylsphinganine. Despite successful treatment, underlying differences remained in the metabolome of the CD patients. These differences dominated the separation of the samples when multivariate methods were applied.
Construction of Z-Scheme g-C3N4/CNT/Bi2Fe4O9 Composites with Improved Simulated-Sunlight Photocatalytic Activity for the Dye Degradation
Authors: Di Lijing , Yang Hua , Xian Tao , Chen Xiujuan
Published: November 2018

In this work, ternary all-solid-state Z-scheme g-C3N4/carbon nanotubes/Bi2Fe4O9 (g-C3N4/CNT/BFO) composites with enhanced photocatalytic activity were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The morphology observation shows that ternary heterojunctions are formed in the g-C3N4/CNT/BFO composites. The photocatalytic activity of the samples for the degradation of acid orange 7 was investigated under simulated sunlight irradiation. It was found that the ternary composites exhibit remarkable enhanced photocatalytic activity when compared with bare BFO and g-C3N4/BFO composites. The effect of the CNT content on the photocatalytic performance of the ternary composites was investigated. The photocatalytic mechanism of g-C3N4/CNT/BFO was proposed according to the photoelectrochemical measurement, photoluminescence, active species trapping experiment and energy-band potential analysis. The results reveal that the introduction of CNT as an excellent solid electron mediator into the ternary composites can effectively accelerate the electron migration between BFO and g-C3N4. This charge transfer process results in highly-efficient separation of photogenerated charges, thus leading to greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/CNT/BFO composites. Furthermore, the g-C3N4/CNT/BFO composites also exhibit highly-efficient photo-Fenton-like catalysis property.
In Vitro Evaluation of Sulforaphane and a Natural Analog as Potent Inducers of 5-Fluorouracil Anticancer Activity
Authors: Milczarek Małgorzata , Mielczarek Lidia , Lubelska Katarzyna , Dąbrowska Aleksandra , Chilmonczyk Zdzisław , Matosiuk Dariusz , Wiktorska Katarzyna
Published: November 2018

Isothiocyanates (R-NCS) are sulphur-containing phytochemicals. The main source are plants of the Brassicaceae family. The best known plant-derived isothiocyanate is sulforaphane that has exhibited anticancer activity in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Recent attempts to expand their use in cancer therapy involve combining them with standard chemotherapeutics in order to increase their therapeutic efficacy. The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of sulforaphane and its natural analog alyssin on the anticancer activity of the well-known anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil. The type of drug-drug interactions was determined in prostate and colon cancer cell lines. Confocal microscopy, western blot and flow cytometry methods were employed to determine the mechanism of cytotoxic and cytostatic action of the combinations. The study revealed that additive or synergistic interactions were observed between 5-fluorouracil and both isothiocyanates, which enhanced the anticancer activity of 5-fluorouracil, particularly in colon cancer cell lines. An increased cytostatic effect was observed in case of alyssin while for sulforaphane the synergistic interaction with 5-fluorouracil involved an intensification of apoptotic cell death.
Valorization of Brewers’ Spent Grain for the Production of Lipids by Oleaginous Yeast
Authors: Patel Alok , Mikes Fabio , Bühler Saskja , Matsakas Leonidas
Published: November 2018

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) accounts for 85% of the total amount of by-products generated by the brewing industries. BSG is a lignocellulosic biomass that is rich in proteins, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. In the present study, BSG was subjected to pretreatment by two different methods (microwave assisted alkaline pretreatment and organosolv) and was evaluated for the liberation of glucose and xylose during enzymatic saccharification trials. The highest amount of glucose (46.45 ± 1.43 g/L) and xylose (25.15 ± 1.36 g/L) were observed after enzymatic saccharification of the organosolv pretreated BSG. The glucose and xylose yield for the microwave assisted alkaline pretreated BSG were 34.86 ± 1.27 g/L and 16.54 ± 2.1 g/L, respectively. The hydrolysates from the organosolv pretreated BSG were used as substrate for the cultivation of the oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides, aiming to produce microbial lipids. The yeast synthesized as high as 18.44 ± 0.96 g/L of cell dry weight and 10.41 ± 0.34 g/L lipids (lipid content of 56.45 ± 0.76%) when cultivated on BSG hydrolysate with a C/N ratio of 500. The cell dry weight, total lipid concentration and lipid content were higher compared to the results obtained when grown on synthetic media containing glucose, xylose or mixture of glucose and xylose. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report using hydrolysates of organosolv pretreated BSG for the growth and lipid production of oleaginous yeast in literature. The lipid profile of this oleaginous yeast showed similar fatty acid contents to vegetable oils, which can result in good biodiesel properties of the produced biodiesel.
Taxifolin Resensitizes Multidrug Resistance Cancer Cells via Uncompetitive Inhibition of P-Glycoprotein Function
Authors: Chen Hsiu-Ju , Chung Yun-Lung , Li Chia-Ying , Chang Ying-Tzu , Wang Charles C. N. , Lee Hsiang-Yen , Lin Hui-Yi , Hung Chin-Chuan
Published: November 2018

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) effluxes lots of chemotherapeutic agents and leads to multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer treatments. The development of P-gp inhibitors from natural products provide a potential strategy for the beneficial clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the natural flavonoid taxifolin, luteolin, (−)-gallocatechin, and (−)-catechin on human P-gp activity. The kinetic interactions and underlying mechanisms of taxifolin-mediated transporter inhibition were further investigated. The transporter inhibition ability was evaluated in human P-gp stable expression cells (ABCB1/Flp-InTM-293) by calcein-AM uptake assays. The kinetics study for P-gp inhibition was evaluated by doxorubicin and rhodamine123 efflux assays. The MDR reversal ability of taxifolin were performed by SRB assays to detect the cell viability in sensitive cancer cell line (HeLaS3), and resistant cancer cell line (KB-vin). Cell cycle analysis and ABCB1 real-time RT-PCR were used for mechanical exploration. The results demonstrated that taxifolin decreased ABCB1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. The function of P-gp was inhibited by taxifolin through uncompetitive inhibition of rhodamine 123 and doxorubicin efflux. The combination of taxifolin significantly resensitized MDR cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents. These results suggested that taxifolin may be considered as a potential P-gp modulator for synergistic treatment of MDR cancers.
Functional Roles of O-Glycosylation
Authors: Breloy Isabelle , Hanisch Franz-Georg
Published: November 2018

O-Glycosylation in general has impact on a diversity of biological processes covering cellular aspects (targeted transport of glycoproteins), molecular aspects (protein conformation, resistance to proteolysis), and aspects involved in cellular communication (cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction). [...]
Novel Methinic Functionalized and Dendritic C-Scorpionates
Authors: Martins Luísa M. D. R. S. , Wanke Riccardo , Silva Telma F. S. , Pombeiro Armando J. L. , Servin Paul , Laurent Régis , Caminade Anne-Marie
Published: November 2018

The study of chelating ligands is undoubtedly one of the most significant fields of research in chemistry. The present work is directed to the synthesis of new functionalized derivatives of tripodal C-scorpionate compounds. Tris-2,2,2-(1-pyrazolyl)ethanol, HOCH2C(pz)3 (1), one of the most important derivatives of hydrotris(pyrazolyl)methane, was used as a building block for the synthesis of new functionalized C-scorpionates, aiming to expand the scope of this unexplored class of compounds. The first dendritic C-scorpionate was successfully prepared and used in the important industrial catalytic reactions, Sonogashira and Heck C-C cross-couplings.
Novel 5′-Norcarbocyclic Pyrimidine Derivatives as Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Khandazhinskaya Anastasia L. , Alexandrova Liudmila A. , Matyugina Elena S. , Solyev Pavel N. , Efremenkova Olga V. , Buckheit Karen W. , Wilkinson Maggie , Buckheit Robert W. , Chernousova Larisa N. , Smirnova Tatiana G. , Andreevskaya Sofya N. , Leonova Olga G. , Popenko Vladimir I. , Kochetkov Sergey N. , Seley-Radtke Katherine L.
Published: November 2018

A series of novel 5′-norcarbocyclic derivatives of 5-alkoxymethyl or 5-alkyltriazolyl-methyl uracil were synthesized and the activity of the compounds evaluated against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis was completely inhibited by the most active compounds at a MIC99 of 67 μg/mL (mc2155) and a MIC99 of 6.7–67 μg/mL (VKPM Ac 1339). Several compounds also showed the ability to inhibit the growth of attenuated strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ATCC 25177 (MIC99 28–61 μg/mL) and Mycobacterium bovis ATCC 35737 (MIC99 50–60 μg/mL), as well as two virulent strains of M. tuberculosis; a laboratory strain H37Rv (MIC99 20–50 μg/mL) and a clinical strain with multiple drug resistance MS-115 (MIC99 20–50 μg/mL). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) evaluation of M. tuberculosis H37Rv bacterial cells treated with one of the compounds demonstrated destruction of the bacterial cell wall, suggesting that the mechanism of action for these compounds may be related to their interactions with bacteria cell walls.
Optical Multilevel Pulse Width Modulation for Analog Mobile Fronthaul
Authors: Combi Lorenzo , Gatto Alberto , Boffi Pierpaolo , Spagnolini Umberto , Parolari Paola
Published: November 2018

The evolution of radio access networks is towards a centralized architecture (C-RAN), with massive antenna deployments and large radio-frequency bandwidths. In the next future, traditional optical transport technologies based on digital radio over fiber will no longer be able to support the mobile fronthaul traffic connecting antennas hosted at remote radio units and centralized baseband units. Analog radio over fiber can be selected to support the mobile fronthaul (MFH) network and, in particular, pulse width modulation (PWM) is a viable alternative for analog signal transport. In order to increase the MFH spectral efficiency, we propose to exploit multilevel PWM (M-PWM) in a wavelength division multiplexing-passive optical network (WDM-PON) network, comparing its performance with a conventional 2-level PWM solution. Experimental results show successful transmission over 7.5-km standard single mode fiber (SSMF) of up to 16 aggregated LTE-like 20-MHz signals with 64-QAM on each subcarrier, while up to eight aggregated LTE-like 20-MHz signals with 256-QAM could be supported. M-PWM thus allows either using higher order modulation formats or aggregating a higher number of LTE channels.
Key Technologies for THz Wireless Link by Silicon CMOS Integrated Circuits
Authors: Fujishima Minoru
Published: November 2018

In terahertz-band communication using ultra-high frequencies, compound semiconductors with superior high-frequency performance have been used for research to date. Terahertz communication using the 300 GHz band has nonetheless attracted attention based on the expectation that an unallocated frequency band exceeding 275 GHz can be used for communication in the future. Research into wireless transceivers using BiCMOS integrated circuits with silicon germanium transistors and advanced miniaturized CMOS integrated circuits has increased in this 300 GHz band. In this paper, we will outline the terahertz communication technology using silicon integrated circuits available from mass production, and discuss its applications and future.
Electrical Energy Management Based on a Hybrid Artificial Neural Network-Particle Swarm Optimization-Integrated Two-Stage Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Process in Smart Homes
Authors: Lin Yu-Hsiu , Hu Yu-Chen
Published: November 2018

Concerning electrical energy used in today’s modern society, electrical energy demands requested from downstream sectors in a smart grid are continuously increasing. One way to meet the electrical demands requested is to monitor and manage industrial, commercial, as well as residential electrical appliances efficiently in response to Demand Response (DR) programs for Demand-Side Management (DSM). Monitoring and managing electrical appliances that consume electrical energy in fields of interest can be realized through use of Energy Management Systems (EMS) with Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM). This paper presents an Internet of Things (IoT)-oriented Home EMS (HEMS). Also, a novel hybrid Artificial Neural Network-Particle Swarm Optimization (ANN-PSO)-integrated NILM approach is proposed and used to model and identify electrical appliances for DSM in the HEMS. ANN can be applied in NILM as a load identification task. Nevertheless, the performance of ANN used for load identification depends on three principal design factors: The network topology designed, the type of activation functions chosen, and the training algorithm adopted. As a result, PSO is conducted and used to incorporate meta-heuristics with ANN considering the three principal design factors relating to an ANN design. The HEMS with the novel hybrid ANN-PSO-integrated NILM proposed in this paper was deployed and evaluated in a realistic residential house environment. As the experimentation reported in this paper shows, the presented HEMS utilizing the proposed novel hybrid ANN-PSO-integrated NILM to model and identify monitored electrical appliances is feasible and workable, with an overall classification rate of 91.67% in load classification for DSM.
Modeling and Simulation of Energy Systems: A Review
Authors: Subramanian Avinash Shankar Rammohan , Gundersen Truls , Adams Thomas Alan
Published: November 2018

Energy is a key driver of the modern economy, therefore modeling and simulation of energy systems has received significant research attention. We review the major developments in this area and propose two ways to categorize the diverse contributions. The first categorization is according to the modeling approach, namely into computational, mathematical, and physical models. With this categorization, we highlight certain novel hybrid approaches that combine aspects of the different groups proposed. The second categorization is according to field namely Process Systems Engineering (PSE) and Energy Economics (EE). We use the following criteria to illustrate the differences: the nature of variables, theoretical underpinnings, level of technological aggregation, spatial and temporal scales, and model purposes. Traditionally, the Process Systems Engineering approach models the technological characteristics of the energy system endogenously. However, the energy system is situated in a broader economic context that includes several stakeholders both within the energy sector and in other economic sectors. Complex relationships and feedback effects exist between these stakeholders, which may have a significant impact on strategic, tactical, and operational decision-making. Leveraging the expertise built in the Energy Economics field on modeling these complexities may be valuable to process systems engineers. With this categorization, we present the interactions between the two fields, and make the case for combining the two approaches. We point out three application areas: (1) optimal design and operation of flexible processes using demand and price forecasts, (2) sustainability analysis and process design using hybrid methods, and (3) accounting for the feedback effects of breakthrough technologies. These three examples highlight the value of combining Process Systems Engineering and Energy Economics models to get a holistic picture of the energy system in a wider economic and policy context.
Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge in Paraná State, Brazil: A Decade of National Regulation
Authors: Bittencourt Simone
Published: November 2018

The agricultural use of sewage sludge brings benefits to soil and plant crops, but due to the possible presence of contaminating substances and pathogenic organisms it is necessary to follow the criteria for safe use for health and the environment. In Brazil, the Conama 375/06 Resolution established criteria and procedures for agricultural use of sewage sludge and Paraná is one of the few states in the country to use this alternative. This case study presents the management process and the results of the agricultural destination of the sludge in Paraná State, Brazil, from 2007, year in which the resolution came into force, to 2017. The management is carried out in two spheres of action: one in the context of the sludge management units (SMU) and another in the agricultural sphere. The sludge is provided free of charge to farmers, which reduces expenses with fertilizers and soil acidity correctives, resulting in economic and social benefits to the communities where it is used. However, from the year 2011 there was a reduction in the amount destined for agricultural use. The requirements of the national regulation make the process complex, overly bureaucratic and burdensome, requiring a review of its criteria.
Franciscan Tradition in Management and Leadership Thinking Today
Authors: Warode Markus , Gerundt Mareike
Published: November 2018

What can we learn from the Franciscan Tradition for the management world today? This research question has lead the research at the Philosophical-Theological College of the German Capuchins for many years. In this paper we focus on the 800-year history of the Franciscan family as a learning organization in order to explore the question of transformation as a key concept of Franciscan life resp. Franciscan leadership. To do so we look at the founder of the Order, Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) first. Francis himself stands for a personal, continuous process of transformation in which he chooses the Gospel as a basic orientation for his life. He completely changed his life goals and defines the identity of the entire Franciscan organization. In this context, the core values of the Franciscans, such as evangelical poverty, serving character, and the aspect of brotherhood will be discussed. The Franciscan Community serves as a perfect field of practice for bringing together attitude and action. Finally, practical experiences from the Franciscan tradition, like developing of structural elements (e.g., the annual chapters) are related to the management context. By focusing on the practice and the focus on transformation, the Franciscan example can inspire modern organizations.
Towards National Consensus: Spiritual Care in the Australian Healthcare Context
Authors: Holmes Cheryl
Published: November 2018

The Enhancing Quality and Safety: Spiritual Care in Health National Consensus Conference brought together key stakeholders from across Australia to agree a national framework to ensure quality and safety in spiritual care services through a nationally consistent approach to the provision of spiritual care in Australian hospitals. A working group planned the conference that was held over two days. Invitations were distributed to a wide range of stakeholders to ensure a diversity of voices contributed to the outcomes. The conference proceedings included presentations, small group work and facilitated discussion to enable progress on the conference objective. A conference report of the key outcomes was produced and widely distributed. The national consensus conference outcomes described five principles for the design and delivery of spiritual care services for the Australian context. Ten policy statements described key deliverables that could be used to benchmark and measure a nationally consistent approach to spiritual care.
Deep Culture and the Mystical Agency of Mary in Eastern Christianity
Authors: Qadir Ali , Tiaynen-Qadir Tatiana
Published: November 2018

The Virgin Mother Mary has always been venerated in Eastern Christianity far beyond her scriptural role. In this paper, we propose a symbolic framework of deep culture and apply it to understanding the prominence of Mary and the manner in which she plays a role in people’s lives through a bewildering variety of Marian icons. The framework begins with a mystical/esoteric perspective to appreciate Mary as a symbol that is multivalent, irreplaceable, archetypal, interior, and manifest yet hidden. We analyze images and stories of five highly venerated icons in Greece, Russia, Finland, and amongst diasporic Orthodox Churches, as well as associated hymns. Our analysis reveals that Mary’s significance for Orthodox faithful is best understood in her role as symbolic doorway to mystical religiosity. This role is highly agentic, although not in the sense in which agency is typically—exoterically—understood as analytical and external, but rather as esoterically affective and internally transformative. We show how a deep culture framework adds to our knowledge of Mary in Orthodox Christianity and how it can be used to examine similar figures in other contemporary and historical religious traditions.
Political Law on the Environment: The Authority of the Government and Local Government to File Litigation in Law Number 32 Year 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management
Authors: Listiyani Nurul , Said M. Yasir
Published: November 2018

The construction of legal norms concerning the government’s right to file litigation for compensation in Article 90 paragraph (1) of Law No. 32 Year 2009 on Environmental Protection and Management (hereafter referred to as UUPPLH) is very important. However, Article 90 paragraph (1) of UUPPLH raises legal problems in the form of obscurity of norms, regarding the basis that underlies government institutions’ and regional governments’ authority to file claims for compensation. The first hypothesis believes that most of the environmental problems are caused by the ineffectiveness of supervision by the government itself. This research focuses on studying the government’s right to file litigation as a law enforcement effort in the natural resources sector. The method used in this research is normative juridical, which comprehensively assesses the norms regulated by the government’s authority on the environment. The result of the study shows that the legal rights of the government can be utilized to claim civil liability in the form of compensation for ecosystem losses. Constitutionally, the legal basis of the government’s right to file litigation is the State’s right to control the earth, water, and natural resources as regulated in ground norm Article 33 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. However, to enforce article 90, the government needs to realize that supervision is the key element of preventive measures.
Assessing Hydrological Modelling Driven by Different Precipitation Datasets via the SMAP Soil Moisture Product and Gauged Streamflow Data
Authors: Yi Lu , Zhang Wanchang , Li Xiangyang
Published: November 2018

To compare the effectivenesses of different precipitation datasets on hydrological modelling, five precipitation datasets derived from various approaches were used to simulate a two-week runoff process after a heavy rainfall event in the Wangjiaba (WJB) watershed, which covers an area of 30,000 km2 in eastern China. The five precipitation datasets contained one traditional in situ observation, two satellite products, and two predictions obtained from the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. They were the station observations collected from the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM IMERG), the merged data of the Climate Prediction Center Morphing (merged CMORPH), and the outputs of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the WRF four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation system, respectively. Apart from the outlet discharge, the simulated soil moisture was also assessed via the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) product. These investigations suggested that (1) all the five precipitation datasets could yield reasonable simulations of the studied rainfall-runoff process. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients reached the highest value (0.658) with the in situ CMA precipitation and the lowest value (0.464) with the WRF-predicted precipitation. (2) The traditional in situ observation were still the most reliable precipitation data to simulate the study case, whereas the two NWP-predicted precipitation datasets performed the worst. Nevertheless, the NWP-predicted precipitation is irreplaceable in hydrological modelling because of its fine spatiotemporal resolutions and ability to forecast precipitation in the future. (3) Gauge correction and 4D-Var data assimilation had positive impacts on improving the accuracies of the merged CMORPH and the WRF 4D-Var prediction, respectively, but the effectiveness of the latter on the rainfall-runoff simulation was mainly weakened by the poor quality of the GPM IMERG used in the study case. This study provides a reference for the applications of different precipitation datasets, including in situ observations, remote sensing estimations and NWP simulations, in hydrological modelling.
Evaluating the Temporal Dynamics of Uncertainty Contribution from Satellite Precipitation Input in Rainfall-Runoff Modeling Using the Variance Decomposition Method
Authors: Ma Qiumei , Xiong Lihua , Liu Dedi , Xu Chong-Yu , Guo Shenglian
Published: November 2018

Satellite precipitation estimates (SPE), characterized by high spatial-temporal resolution, have been increasingly applied to hydrological modeling. However, the errors and bias inherent in SPE are broadly recognized. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent input uncertainty in hydrological models driven by SPE contributes to the total prediction uncertainty, resulting from difficulties in uncertainty partitioning. This study comprehensively quantified the input uncertainty contribution of three precipitation inputs (Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) near-real-time 3B42RTv7 product, TRMM post-real-time 3B42v7 product and gauge-based precipitation) in rainfall-runoff simulation, using two hydrological models, the lumped daily Ge´nie Rural (GR) and distributed Coupled Routing and Excess STorage (CREST) models. For this purpose, the variance decomposition method was applied to disaggregate the total streamflow modeling uncertainty into seven components (uncertainties in model input, parameter, structure and their three first-order interaction effects, and residual error). The results showed that the total uncertainty in GR was lowest, moderate and highest when forced by gauge precipitation, 3B42v7 and 3B42RTv7, respectively. While the total uncertainty in CREST driven by 3B42v7 was lowest among the three input data sources. These results highlighted the superiority of post-real-time 3B42v7 in hydrological modeling as compared to real-time 3B42RTv7. All the input uncertainties in CREST driven by 3B42v7, 3B42RTv7 and gauge-based precipitation were lower than those in GR correspondingly. In addition, the input uncertainty was lowest in 3B42v7-driven CREST model while highest in gauge precipitation-driven GR model among the six combination schemes (two models combined with three precipitation inputs abovementioned). The distributed CREST model was capable of making better use of the spatial distribution advantage of SPE especially for the TRMM post-real-time 3B42v7 product. This study provided new insights into the SPE’s hydrological utility in the context of uncertainty, being significant for improving the suitability and adequacy of SPE to hydrological application.
Joint Passive Detection and Tracking of Underwater Acoustic Target by Beamforming-Based Bernoulli Filter with Multiple Arrays
Authors: Chen Zhongyue , Xu Wen
Published: November 2018

In this paper, improved Bernoulli filtering methods are developed to deal with the problem of joint passive detection and tracking of an underwater acoustic target with multiple arrays. Three different likelihood calculation methods based on local beamforming results are proposed for the Bernoulli filter updating. Firstly, multiple peaks, including both mainlobe and sidelobe peaks, are selected to form the direction-of-arrival (DOA) measurement set, and then the Bernoulli filter is used to extract the target track. Secondly, to make full use of the informations in the beamforming output, not only the DOAs but also their intensities, the beam powers are used as the input measurement sets of the filter, and an approach based on Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) is developed for distinguishing between signal and noise. Lastly, a hybrid method of the former two is proposed in the case of fewer then three arrays. The tracking performances of the three methods are compared in simulations and experiment. The simulations with three distributed arrays show that, compared with the DOA-based method, the beam-based method and the hybrid method can both improve the target tracking accuracy. The processing results of the shallow water experimental data collected by two arrays show that the hybrid method can achieve a better tracking performance.