bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relevance of MicroRNA200 Family and MicroRNA205 for Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Clinical Outcome in Biliary Tract Cancer Patients
Authors: Urbas Romana , Mayr Christian , Klieser Eckhard , Fuereder Julia , Bach Doris , Stättner Stefan , Primavesi Florian , Jaeger Tarkan , Stanzer Stefanie , Ress Anna , Löffelberger Magdalena , Wagner Andrej , Berr Frieder , Ritter Markus , Pichler Martin , Neureiter Daniel , Kiesslich Tobias
Published: December 2016

Extensive stromal interaction is one reason for the dismal outcome of biliary tract cancer (BTC) patients. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in tumor invasion and metastasis and is partly regulated by microRNAs (miRs). This study explores the expression of anti-EMT miR200 family (miR141, −200a/b/c, −429) and miR205 as well as the EMT-related proteins E-cadherin and vimentin in a panel of BTC cell lines and clinical specimens by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively. MicroRNA expression was correlated to (i) the expression patterns of E-cadherin and vimentin; (ii) clinicopathological characteristics; and (iii) survival data. MicroRNA-200 family and miR205 were expressed in all BTC cells and clinical specimens. E-cadherin and vimentin showed a mutually exclusive expression pattern in both, in vitro and in vivo. Expression of miR200 family members positively correlated with E-cadherin and negatively with vimentin expression in BTC cells and specimens. High expression of miR200 family members (but not miR205) and E-cadherin was associated with longer survival, while low miR200 family and high vimentin expression was a predictor of unfavorable survival. Overall, the current study demonstrates the relevance of the miR200 family in EMT of BTC tumors and suggests these miRs as predictors for positive outcome.
Functional Divergence of Poplar Histidine-Aspartate Kinase HK1 Paralogs in Response to Osmotic Stress
Authors: Héricourt François , Chefdor Françoise , Djeghdir Inès , Larcher Mélanie , Lafontaine Florent , Courdavault Vincent , Auguin Daniel , Coste Franck , Depierreux Christiane , Tanigawa Mirai , Maeda Tatsuya , Glévarec Gaëlle , Carpin Sabine
Published: December 2016

Previous works have shown the existence of protein partnerships belonging to a MultiStep Phosphorelay (MSP) in Populus putatively involved in osmosensing. This study is focused on the identification of a histidine-aspartate kinase, HK1b, paralog of HK1a. The characterization of HK1b showed its ability to homo- and hetero-dimerize and to interact with a few Histidine-containing Phosphotransfer (HPt) proteins, suggesting a preferential partnership in poplar MSP linked to drought perception. Furthermore, determinants for interaction specificity between HK1a/1b and HPts were studied by mutagenesis analysis, identifying amino acids involved in this specificity. The HK1b expression analysis in different poplar organs revealed its co-expression with three HPts, reinforcing the hypothesis of partnership participation in the MSP in planta. Moreover, HK1b was shown to act as an osmosensor with kinase activity in a functional complementation assay of an osmosensor deficient yeast strain. These results revealed that HK1b showed a different behaviour for canonical phosphorylation of histidine and aspartate residues. These phosphorylation modularities of canonical amino acids could explain the improved osmosensor performances observed in yeast. As conserved duplicates reflect the selective pressures imposed by the environmental requirements on the species, our results emphasize the importance of HK1 gene duplication in poplar adaptation to drought stress.
Allergic Aspergillus Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Chakrabarti Arunaloke , Kaur Harsimran
Published: December 2016

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is a unique variety of chronic polypoid rhinosinusitis usually in atopic individuals, characterized by presence of eosinophilic mucin and fungal hyphae in paranasal sinuses without invasion into surrounding mucosa. It has emerged as an important disease involving a large population across the world with geographic variation in incidence and epidemiology. The disease is surrounded by controversies regarding its definition and etiopathogenesis. A working group on “Fungal Sinusitis” under the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) addressed some of those issues, but many questions remain unanswered. The descriptions of “eosinophilic fungal rhinosinusitis” (EFRS), “eosinophilic mucin rhinosinusitis” (EMRS) and mucosal invasion by hyphae in few patients have increased the problem to delineate the disease. Various hypotheses exist for etiopathogenesis of AFRS with considerable overlap, though recent extensive studies have made certain in depth understanding. The diagnosis of AFRS is a multi-disciplinary approach including the imaging, histopathology, mycology and immunological investigations. Though there is no uniform management protocol for AFRS, surgical clearing of the sinuses with steroid therapy are commonly practiced. The role of antifungal agents, leukotriene antagonists and immunomodulators is still questionable. The present review covers the controversies, recent advances in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of AFRS.
Integration of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat Data for Land Cover and Forest Mapping in Northern Tanzania
Authors: Deus Dorothea
Published: December 2016

Land cover and forest mapping supports decision makers in the course of making informed decisions for implementation of sustainable conservation and management plans of the forest resources and environmental monitoring. This research examines the value of integrating of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat data for improved forest and land cover mapping in Northern Tanzania. A separate and joint processing of surface reflectance, backscattering and derivatives (i.e., Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Radar Forest Deforestation Index (RFDI), quotient bands, polarimetric features and Grey Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) textures) were executed using Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The classification accuracy was assessed using a confusion matrix, where Overall classification Accuracy (OA), Kappa Coefficient (KC), Producer’s Accuracy (PA), User’s Accuracy (UA) and F1 score index were computed. A two sample t-statistics was utilized to evaluate the influence of different data categories on the classification accuracy. Landsat surface reflectance and derivatives show an overall classification accuracy (OA = 86%). ALOS PALSAR backscattering could not differentiate the land cover classes efficiently (OA = 59%). However, combination of backscattering, and derivatives could differentiate the land cover classes properly (OA = 71%). The attained results suggest that integration of backscattering and derivative has potential of utilization for mapping of land cover in tropical environment. Integration of backscattering, surface reflectance and their derivative increase the accuracy (OA = 97%). Therefore it can be concluded that integration of ALOS PALSAR and optical data improve the accuracies of land cover and forest mapping and hence suitable for environmental monitoring.
Electroconductive Composites from Polystyrene Block Copolymers and Cu–Alumina Filler
Authors: Nadeem QuratulAin , Fatima Tasneem , Prinsen Pepijn , Ur Rehman Aziz , Gill Rohama , Mahmood Rashid , Luque Rafael
Published: December 2016

Technological advancements and development of new materials may lead to the manufacture of sustainable energy-conducting devices used in the energy sector. This research attempts to fabricate novel electroconductive and mechanically stable nanocomposites via an electroless deposition (ELD) technique using electrically insulating materials. Metallic Cu is coated onto Al2O3 by ELD, and the prepared filler is then integrated (2–14 wt %) into a matrix of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene-graft-maleic anhydride (PS-b-(PE-r-B)-b-PS-g-MA). Considerable variations in composite phases with filler inclusion exist. The Cu crystallite growth onto Al2O3 was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) depicts a uniform Cu coating on Al2O3, while homogeneous filler dispersion is exhibited in the case of composites. The electrical behavior of composites is enhanced drastically (7.7 × 10−5 S/cm) upon incorporation of Cu–Al2O3 into an insulating polymer matrix (4.4 × 10−16 S/cm). Moreover, mechanical (Young’s modulus, tensile strength and % elongation at break) and thermal (thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) properties of the nanocomposites also improve substantially. These composites are likely to meet the demands of modern high-strength electroconductive devices.
Enhancing the Hydrophilicity and Cell Attachment of 3D Printed PCL/Graphene Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Wang Weiguang , Caetano Guilherme , Ambler William , Blaker Jonny , Frade Marco , Mandal Parthasarathi , Diver Carl , Bártolo Paulo
Published: December 2016

Scaffolds are physical substrates for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation, ultimately leading to the regeneration of tissues. They must be designed according to specific biomechanical requirements, i.e., certain standards in terms of mechanical properties, surface characteristics, porosity, degradability, and biocompatibility. The optimal design of a scaffold for a specific tissue strongly depends on both materials and manufacturing processes, as well as surface treatment. Polymeric scaffolds reinforced with electro-active particles could play a key role in tissue engineering by modulating cell proliferation and differentiation. This paper investigates the use of an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system to produce poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/pristine graphene scaffolds for bone tissue applications and the influence of chemical surface modification on their biological behaviour. Scaffolds with the same architecture but different concentrations of pristine graphene were evaluated from surface property and biological points of view. Results show that the addition of pristine graphene had a positive impact on cell viability and proliferation, and that surface modification leads to improved cell response.
Effect of Immersion in Simulated Body Fluid on the Mechanical Properties and Biocompatibility of Sintered Fe–Mn-Based Alloys
Authors: Xu Zhigang , Hodgson Michael , Cao Peng
Published: December 2016

Fe–Mn-based degradable biomaterials (DBMs) are promising candidates for temporary implants such as cardiovascular stents and bone fixation devices. Identifying their mechanical properties and biocompatibility is essential to determine the feasibility of Fe–Mn-based alloys as DBMs. This study presents the tensile properties of two powder metallurgical processed Fe–Mn-based alloys (Fe–28Mn and Fe–28Mn-3Si, in mass percent) as a function of immersion time in simulated body fluid (SBF). In addition, short-term cytotoxicity testing was performed to evaluate the in vitro biocompatibility of the sintered Fe–Mn-based alloys. The results reveal that an increase in immersion duration deteriorated the tensile properties of both the binary and ternary alloys. The tensile properties of the immersed alloys were severely degraded after being soaked in SBF for ≥45 days. The ion concentration in SBF released from the Fe–28Mn-3Si samples was higher than their Fe–28Mn counterparts after 7 days immersion. The preliminary cytotoxicity testing based on the immersed SBF medium after 7 days immersion suggested that both the Fe–28Mn-3Si and Fe–28Mn alloys presented a good biocompatibility in Murine fibroblast cells.
Mechanisms of Body Weight Reduction by Black Tea Polyphenols
Authors: Pan Haibo , Gao Ying , Tu Youying
Published: December 2016

Obesity is one of the most common nutritional diseases worldwide. This disease causes health problems, such as dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, hypertension and inflammation. There are drugs used to inhibit obesity. However, they have serious side effects outweighing their beneficial effects. Black tea, commonly referred to as “fermented tea”, has shown a positive effect on reducing body weight in animal models. Black tea polyphenols are the major components in black tea which reduce body weight. Black tea polyphenols are more effective than green tea polyphenols. Black tea polyphenols exert a positive effect on inhibiting obesity involving in two major mechanisms: (i) inhibiting lipid and saccharide digestion, absorption and intake, thus reducing calorie intake; and (ii) promoting lipid metabolism by activating AMP-activated protein kinase to attenuate lipogenesis and enhance lipolysis, and decreasing lipid accumulation by inhibiting the differentiation and proliferation of preadipocytes; (iii) blocking the pathological processes of obesity and comorbidities of obesity by reducing oxidative stress. Epidemiological studies of the health relevance between anti-obesity and black tea polyphenols consumption remain to be further investigated.
Pentacoordinate and Hexacoordinate Mn(III) Complexes of Tetradentate Schiff-Base Ligands Containing Tetracyanidoplatinate(II) Bridges and Revealing Uniaxial Magnetic Anisotropy
Authors: Nemec Ivan , Herchel Radovan , Trávníček Zdeněk
Published: December 2016

Crystal structures and magnetic properties of polymeric and trinuclear heterobimetallic MnIII···PtII···MnIII coordination compounds, prepared from the Ba[Pt(CN)4] and [Mn(L4A/B)(Cl)] (1a/b) precursor complexes, are reported. The polymeric complex [{Mn(L4A)}2{μ4-Pt(CN)4}]n (2a), where H2L4A = N,N’-ethylene-bis(salicylideneiminate), comprises the {Mn(L4A)} moieties covalently connected through the [Pt(CN)4]2− bridges, thus forming a square-grid polymeric structure with the hexacoordinate MnIII atoms. The trinuclear complex [{Mn(L4B)}2{μ-Pt(CN)4}] (2b), where H2L4B = N,N’-benzene-bis(4-aminodiethylene-salicylideneiminate), consists of two [{Mn(L4B)} moieties, involving pentacoordinate MnIII atoms, bridged through the tetracyanidoplatinate (II) bridges to which they are coordinated in a trans fashion. Both complexes possess uniaxial type of magnetic anisotropy, with D (the axial parameter of zero-field splitting) = −3.7(1) in 2a and −2.2(1) cm−1 in 2b. Furthermore, the parameters of magnetic anisotropy 2a and 2b were also thoroughly studied by theoretical complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) methods, which revealed that the former is much more sensitive to the ligand field strength of the axial ligands.
Black Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) Flavonoids and Their Health Promoting Activity
Authors: Jurikova Tunde , Mlcek Jiri , Skrovankova Sona , Balla Stefan , Sochor Jiri , Baron Mojmir , Sumczynski Daniela
Published: December 2016

Nowadays, much research attention is focused on underutilized berry crops due to the high antioxidant activity of fruits. Black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) represents an important source of flavonols (quercetin, rutin, myricetin, naringenin, naringin, morin, and kaempferol) and anthocyanins. The fruit components could be utilised as natural colourants or as a part of functional foods and, because of the high antioxidant activity, the berries of black crowberry can be used in the treatment of diseases accompanied with inflammation, or as an effective antibacterial and antifungal remedy. Moreover, the reduction of lipid accumulation and total cholesterol as well as an improvement of postprandial hyperglycaemia have been proven. This review summarizes for the first time the main antioxidants (flavonoids) of black crowberry fruits, with a focus on their health promoting activity.
The Protective Effect of Selenium on Chronic Zearalenone-Induced Reproductive System Damage in Male Mice
Authors: Long Miao , Yang Shuhua , Wang Yuan , Li Peng , Zhang Yi , Dong Shuang , Chen Xinliang , Guo Jiayi , He Jianbin , Gao Zenggui , Wang Jun
Published: December 2016

This study aims to explore the protective effect of selenium (Se) on chronic zearalenone (ZEN)-induced reproductive system damage in male mice and the possible protective molecular mechanism against this. The chronic ZEN-induced injury mouse model was established with the continuous intragastric administration of 40 mg/kg body mass (B.M.) ZEN for 28 days. Then, interventions with different doses (0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg B.M.) of Se were conducted on mice to analyse the changes in organ indexes of epididymis and testis, antioxidant capability of testis, serum level of testosterone, sperm concentration and motility parameters, and the expression levels of apoptosis-associated genes and blood testis barrier- (BTB) related genes. Our results showed that Se could greatly improve the ZEN-induced decrease of epididymis indexes and testis indexes. Results also showed that the decrease in sperm concentration, sperm normality rate, and sperm motility parameters, including percentage of motile sperm (motile), tropism percentage (progressive) and sperm average path velocity (VAP), caused by ZEN were elevated upon administration of the higher dose (0.4 mg/kg) and intermediate dose (0.2 mg/kg) of Se. Selenium also significantly reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) but enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the testis tissue. Further research demonstrated that ZEN increased the level of mRNA expression of BCL2-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase 3 (Casp3), decreased the level of mRNA expression of B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), vimentin (Vim) and cadherin 2 (Cdh2), whereas the co-administration of Se reversed these gene expression levels. Our results indicated that high levels of Se could protect against reproductive system damage in male mice caused by ZEN and the mechanism might such be that Se improved mice antioxidant ability, inhibited reproductive cell apoptosis, and increased the decrease of BTB integrity-related genes caused by ZEN.
Methotrexate and Cytarabine—Loaded Nanocarriers for Multidrug Cancer Therapy. Spectroscopic Study
Authors: Pentak Danuta , Kozik Violetta , Bąk Andrzej , Dybał Paulina , Sochanik Aleksander , Jampilek Josef
Published: December 2016

Determining the properties of nanoparticles obtained by novel methods and defining the scope of their application as drug carriers has important practical significance. This article presents the pioneering studies concerning high degree incorporation of cytarabine (AraC) and methotrexate (MTX) into liposome vesicles. The main focus of this study were cytarabine-methotrexate-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) interactions observed in the gel and fluid phases of DPPC bilayers. The proposed new method of use the Transmittance2919/2850 ratio presented in our research is sensitive to subtle changes in conformational order resulting from rotations, kinks and bends of the lipid chains. The transition temperatures characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) were consistent with the results obtained by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used in order to determine the size and shape of the liposomes obtained. The mutual interactions occurring between the drugs studied and the phospholipids were analyzed using the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).
Metal-Free Photoredox Catalyzed Cyclization of O-(2,4-Dinitrophenyl)oximes to Phenanthridines
Authors: Liu Xiubin , Qing Zhixing , Cheng Pi , Zheng Xinyu , Zeng Jianguo , Xie Hongqi
Published: December 2016

A metal-free visible-light photoredox-catalyzed intermolecular cyclization reaction of O-2,4-dinitrophenyl oximes to phenanthridines was developed. In this study, the organic dye eosin Y and i-Pr2NEt were used as photocatalyst and terminal reductant, respectively. The oxime substrates were transformed into iminyl radical intermediates by single-electron reduction, which then underwent intermolecular homolytic aromatic substitution (HAS) reactions to give phenanthridine derivatives.
Extract of Monascus purpureus CWT715 Fermented from Sorghum Liquor Biowaste Inhibits Migration and Invasion of SK-Hep-1 Human Hepatocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Chang Wen-Teish , Chuang Cheng-Hung , Lee Wan-Ju , Huang Chin-Shiu
Published: December 2016

Liver cancer is the most endemic cancer in a large region of the world. This study investigated the anti-metastatic effects of an extract of Monascus purpureus CWT715 (MP) fermented from sorghum liquor biowaste and its mechanisms of action in highly metastatic human hepatocarcinoma SK-Hep-1 cells. Kinmen sorghum liquor waste was used as the primary nutrient source to produce metabolites (including pigments) of MP. In the presence of 10 µg/mL MP-fermented broth (MFB), the anti-invasive activity increased with increasing fermentation time reaching a maximum at six days of fermentation. Interestingly, MFB also produced maximal pigment content at six days. Treatment for 24 h with MFB (10–100 µg/mL) obtained from fermentation for six days significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion, and these effects were concentration-dependent. MFB also significantly enhanced nm23-H1 protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner, which was highly correlated with migration and invasion. These results suggest that MFB has significant anti-migration and anti-invasion activities and that these effects are associated with the induction of nm23-H1 protein expression.
Political Correctness between Wise Stoicism and Violent Hypocrisy
Authors: Magnani Lorenzo
Published: December 2016

This article aims at commenting in a novel way on the concept of political correctness, by showing that, even if adopting a politically-correct behavior aims at promoting a precise moral outcome, violence can be still perpetrated, despite good intentions. To afford in a novel way the problem of political correctness, I will adopt a theoretical strategy that adheres to moral stoicism, the problem of “silence”, the “fascist state of the mind” and the concept of “overmorality”, which I have introduced in my book Understanding Violence. The Intertwining of Morality, Religion, and Violence: A Philosophical Stance (Springer: Heidelberg/Berlin, Germany, 2011). I will demonstrate that political correctness certainly obeys the stoic moral rule, which teaches us that we have to diminish conflicts and, so, the potential for derived violence, by avoiding to pronounce words and expressions that can be offensive and so conflict making. Unfortunately, political correctness often increases the so-called already widespread overmorality, typical of our era, and postulates too many minor moral values (or rights) to be attributed to individuals and groups, which must be respected. Therefore, engaging in political correctness obscures more serious issues regarding social, political and economic life, committing a sin of abstractness and idealization. At the same time, by discouraging the use of words and expressions, the intrinsic overmoralization at work creates potential new conflicts and potential derived violence.
Dynamic River Masks from Multi-Temporal Satellite Imagery: An Automatic Algorithm Using Graph Cuts Optimization
Authors: Elmi Omid , Tourian Mohammad , Sneeuw Nico
Published: December 2016

Our knowledge of the spatio-temporal variation of river hydrological parameters is surprisingly poor. In situ gauge stations are limited in spatial and temporal coverage, and their number has been decreasing during the past decades. On the other hand, remote sensing techniques have proven their ability to measure different parameters within the Earth system. Satellite imagery, for instance, can provide variations in river area with appropriate temporal sampling. In this study, we develop an automatic algorithm for water body area monitoring based on maximum a posteriori estimation of Markov random fields. The algorithm considers pixel intensity, spatial correlation between neighboring pixels, and temporal behavior of the water body to extract accurate water masks. We solve this optimization problem using the graph cuts technique. We also measure the uncertainty associated with the determined water masks. Our method is applied over three different river reaches of Niger and Congo rivers with different hydrological characteristics. We validate the obtained river area time series by comparing with in situ river discharge and satellite altimetric water level time series. Along the Niger River, we obtain correlation coefficients of 0.85–0.96 for river reaches and 0.65 for the Congo River, which is demonstrably an improvement over other river mask retrieval algorithms.
A Portable Array-Type Optical Fiber Sensing Instrument for Real-Time Gas Detection
Authors: Hung San-Shan , Chang Hsing-Cheng , Chang I-Nan
Published: December 2016

A novel optical fiber array-type of sensing instrument with temperature compensation for real-time detection was developed to measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ammonia simultaneously. The proposed instrument is multi-sensing array integrated with real-time measurement module for portable applications. The sensing optical fibers were etched and polished before coating to increase sensitivities. The ammonia and temperature sensors were each composed of a dye-coated single-mode fiber with constructing a fiber Bragg grating and a long-period filter grating for detecting light intensity. Both carbon dioxide and oxygen sensing structures use multimode fibers where 1-hydroxy-3,6,8-pyrene trisulfonic acid trisodium salt is coated for carbon dioxide sensing and Tris(2,2′-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate and Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride are coated for oxygen sensing. Gas-induced fluorescent light intensity variation was applied to detect gas concentration. The portable gas sensing array was set up by integrating with photo-electronic measurement modules and a human-machine interface to detect gases in real time. The measured data have been processed using piecewise-linear method. The sensitivity of the oxygen sensor were 1.54%/V and 9.62%/V for concentrations less than 1.5% and for concentrations between 1.5% and 6%, respectively. The sensitivity of the carbon dioxide sensor were 8.33%/V and 9.62%/V for concentrations less than 2% and for concentrations between 2% and 5%, respectively. For the ammonia sensor, the sensitivity was 27.78%/V, while ammonia concentration was less than 2%.
An Open Platform for Seamless Sensor Support in Healthcare for the Internet of Things
Authors: Miranda Jorge , Cabral Jorge , Wagner Stefan , Fischer Pedersen Christian , Ravelo Blaise , Memon Mukhtiar , Mathiesen Morten
Published: December 2016

Population aging and increasing pressure on health systems are two issues that demand solutions. Involving and empowering citizens as active managers of their health represents a desirable shift from the current culture mainly focused on treatment of disease, to one also focused on continuous health management and well-being. Current developments in technological areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), lead to new technological solutions that can aid this shift in the healthcare sector. This study presents the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a platform called Common Recognition and Identification Platform (CRIP), a part of the CareStore project, which aims at supporting caregivers and citizens to manage health routines in a seamless way. Specifically, the CRIP offers sensor-based support for seamless identification of users and health devices. A set of initial requirements was defined with a focus on usability limitations and current sensor technologies. The CRIP was designed and implemented using several technologies that enable seamless integration and interaction of sensors and people, namely Near Field Communication and fingerprint biometrics for identification and authentication, Bluetooth for communication with health devices and web services for wider integration with other platforms. Two CRIP prototypes were implemented and evaluated in laboratory during a period of eight months. The evaluations consisted of identifying users and devices, as well as seamlessly configure and acquire vital data from the last. Also, the entire Carestore platform was deployed in a nursing home where its usability was evaluated with caregivers. The evaluations helped assess that seamless identification of users and seamless configuration and communication with health devices is feasible and can help enable the IoT on healthcare applications. Therefore, the CRIP and similar platforms could be transformed into a valuable enabling technology for secure and reliable IoT deployments on the healthcare sector.
The Socio-Ecological Factors that Influence the Adoption of Green Infrastructure
Authors: Tayouga Sarah , Gagné Sara
Published: December 2016

Green infrastructure is defined as any type of infrastructure that has the purpose of lessening the burden of development on the environment and/or has the aim of providing ecosystem services, such as runoff management, air temperature reduction, carbon sequestration, and habitat provisioning. Despite these potential benefits and a recent increase in popularity, the widespread use of green infrastructure has been limited. To ascertain why this may be the case, we asked: What are the socio-ecological factors that influence the adoption of green infrastructure? To answer this question, we carried out a review of the literature. We found 32 papers addressing our research topic, three quarters of which were published since 2009. Based on the results and conclusions of the articles we reviewed, we identify six factors that influence the adoption of green infrastructure: Education, the Provision of Ecosystem Services, Financial Incentives, Coordination Among Actors, Laws and Policies, and Planning Recommendations. We present a model of the direct and indirect effects of each factor on the adoption of green infrastructure and investigate the geographic variability of factors. Our results indicate that Education, the Provision of Ecosystem Services, and Financial Incentives are the most influential factors affecting the adoption of green infrastructure because they are supported by the greatest number of articles regardless of location of study and have the greatest number of linkages with other factors and adoption in our model. We conclude with evidence-based strategies to promote the use of green infrastructure in order to create more sustainable environments.
The Effects of Locational Factors on the Performance of Innovation Networks in the German Energy Sector
Authors: Kutschke Anke , Rese Alexandra , Baier Daniel
Published: December 2016

Locational factors, like the quantity and quality of skilled labour, demanding customers, competitors, supporting industries, and research institutions, are assumed to have an influence on the competitiveness of a region and the performance of the regional actors. However, few studies focus on this topic from an innovation network perspective in the energy sector. Our study tries to close this gap: a sample of 128 German innovation networks of companies and research institutes in the energy sector is used to analyse the effects of locational factors on the performance (effectiveness) of innovation projects. Based on the distinctions in Porter’s Diamond Model, we find that two locational factors—the quality and quantity of the demand conditions and skilled labour—have positive effects. In contrast to the widespread assumption in the literature we could not find evidence for positive impacts on the quality and quantity of the competitive environment. In fact, the effect on performance was negative.
Remedial Measures for Erroneous Environmental Policies: Assessing Infrastructure Projects of Waste-to-Energy Incineration in Taiwan with a Case Study of the Taitung Incinerator
Authors: Liu Lih-Ren , Lee Yuh-Ming
Published: December 2016

Taiwan, like many other countries, often incentivizes private investors to participate in the construction of infrastructures for environmental protection. The build-operate-transfer (BOT) or build-operate-own (BOO) model of financing public infrastructure was introduced to Taiwan in the 1990s. Among them, the construction of incinerators to treat the municipal solid waste using the BOT/BOO model was quite a success in the beginning. With the socio-technical change of lifestyle and waste generation, the amount of amount of trash dropped dramatically. The policy failed eventually, however, because the government over-estimated the trash quantity and refrained from inter-municipality cooperation to treat trash efficiently. This failure triggered a rash of intense debates and legal disputes. In the case of the Taitung incinerator, the 26th incinerator located in southeastern Taiwan, the arbitration resulted in the government making significant compensation payments to the private sector. The finished construction was consequently converted into a “mothballed and pensioned off” facility. This study applies in-depth interviews and literature review to discuss aspects contributing to the policy failure and proposes some possible remedial measures. Five aspects are summarized, namely, the administrative organization’s rigid attitude, the irrationality of the BOT/BOO contracts, the loss of the spirit of BOO partnerships, the heavy financial burden on local government, and the abandonment of inter-municipality cooperation. The remedial measures for the policy failure are presented in the form of thorough policy evaluation, room for contract adjustments under the BOT/BOO model, encouragement of cross-boundary cooperation, and revision of the legal framework for implementing decentralization.
Economic and Environmental Analysis of Investing in Solar Water Heating Systems
Authors: Şerban Alexandru , Bărbuţă-Mişu Nicoleta , Ciucescu Nicoleta , Paraschiv Simona , Paraschiv Spiru
Published: December 2016

Solar water heating (SWH) systems can provide a significant part of the heat energy that is required in the residential sector. The use of SWH systems is motivated by the desire to reduce energy consumption and especially to reduce a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The purposes of the present paper consist in: assessing the solar potential; analysing the possibility of using solar energy to heat water for residential applications in Romania; investigating the economic potential of SWH systems; and their contribution to saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions. The results showed that if solar systems are used, the annual energy savings amount to approximately 71%, and the reduction of GHG emissions into the atmosphere are of 18.5 tonnes of CO2 over the lifespan of the system, with a discounted payback period of 6.8–8.6 years, in accordance with the savings achieved depending on system characteristics, the solar radiation available, ambient air temperature and on heating load characteristics. Financially, the installation of SWH systems determines net savings of 805–1151 Euro in a 25-year period in the absence of governmental subsidies. According to the sensitivity analysis, installing a SWH system with subsidies of up to 50% determines the reduction of the discounted payback period to 3.1–3.9 years and the increase of net savings to 1570–1916 Euro. These results indicate that investing in these systems is cost-effective for Romanian households as long as the governmental subsidies increase.
Impact of Climate Change on Drought in the Upstream Yangtze River Region
Authors: Lu Guihua , Wu Hongwei , Xiao Heng , He Hai , Wu Zhiyong
Published: December 2016

Based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) dataset and a variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrological model, this study assesses the possible influence of climate change in the upstream region of the Yangtze River on droughts in the future 30 years. Long-term daily soil moisture content were simulated by VIC model at a 50 km × 50 km resolution from 1951 to 2013. Regional historical drought events were then recognized based on soil moisture anomaly percentage index and validated with field data. Five relatively independent representative global circulation models were selected and the outputs of them were downscaled temporally and spatially as the inputs of VIC model for daily soil moisture content simulations both in the period of 1971–2000 for the present-day climate and in the period of 2021–2050 for the future. The results show that the projected annual mean temperature is likely to increase from 1.4 °C to 1.8 °C. The projected change in mean annual precipitation could be increased slightly by 0.6% to 1.3%, but the trend of precipitation change in summer and autumn might be opposite of that. Comparing the drought characteristics values recognized in 1971–2000, seven to eight additional regional drought events are likely to happen in 2021–2050. Drought duration and drought intensity are also likely to extend for 18 d to 25 d and increase by 1.2% to 6.2%, respectively. But, drought area could decrease slightly by 1.3% to 2.7% on average. These changes in drought characteristics values suggest that regional drought could become more severely prolonged and frequent in future.
Bacterial Communities and Antibiotic Resistance Communities in a Full-Scale Hospital Wastewater Treatment Plant by High-Throughput Pyrosequencing
Authors: Ahn Youngho , Choi Jeongdong
Published: December 2016

The community of whole microbes and antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) in hospital wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) receiving domestic wastewater (DWW) and hospital wastewater (HWW) was investigated. Samples from an influent of a secondary clarifier, at each treatment train, were characterized for the whole microbial community and ARB on the antibiotic resistance database, based on high-throughput pyrosequencing. The pyrosequencing analysis revealed that the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the DWW sample was higher (~1.6 times) than in the HWW sample, whereas the abundance of Proteobacteria in the HWW sample was greater than in the DWW sample. At the top twenty of the genus level, distinct genera were observed—Saprospiraceae in the DWW and Zoogloea in the HWW. Apart from the top twenty genera, minor genera showed various antibiotic resistance types based on the antibiotic resistance gene database.
Efficiency Criteria as a Solution to the Uncertainty in the Choice of Population Size in Population-Based Algorithms Applied to Water Network Optimization
Authors: Mora-Melià Daniel , Gutiérrez-Bahamondes Jimmy , Iglesias-Rey Pedro , Martínez-Solano F.
Published: December 2016

Different Population-based Algorithms (PbAs) have been used in recent years to solve all types of optimization problems related to water resource issues. However, the performances of these techniques depend heavily on correctly setting some specific parameters that guide the search for solutions. The initial random population size P is the only parameter common to all PbAs, but this parameter has received little attention from researchers. This paper explores P behaviour in a pipe-sizing problem considering both quality and speed criteria. To relate both concepts, this study applies a method based on an efficiency ratio E. First, specific parameters in each algorithm are calibrated with a fixed P. Second, specific parameters remain fixed, and the initial population size P is modified. After more than 600,000 simulations, the influence of P on obtaining successful solutions is statistically analysed. The proposed methodology is applied to four well-known benchmark networks and four different algorithms. The main conclusion of this study is that using a small population size is more efficient above a certain minimum size. Moreover, the results ensure optimal parameter calibration in each algorithm, and they can be used to select the most appropriate algorithm depending on the complexity of the problem and the goal of optimization.
Formose reaction controlled by boronic acid compounds
Authors: Imai Toru , Michitaka Tomohiro , Hashidzume Akihito
Published: December 2016

Formose reactions were carried out in the presence of low molecular weight and macromolecular boronic acid compounds, i.e., sodium phenylboronate (SPB) and a copolymer of sodium 4-vinylphenylboronate with sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (pVPB/NaSS), respectively. The boronic acid compounds provided different selectivities; sugars of a small carbon number were formed favorably in the presence of SPB, whereas sugar alcohols of a larger carbon number were formed preferably in the presence of pVPB/NaSS.
FIRST SEASON MWA EOR POWER SPECTRUM RESULTS AT REDSHIFT 7
Authors: Beardsley A. P. , Hazelton B. J. , Sullivan I. S. , Carroll P. , Barry N. , Rahimi M. , Pindor B. , Trott C. M. , Line J. , Jacobs Daniel C. , Morales M. F. , Pober J. C. , Bernardi G. , Bowman Judd D. , Busch M. P. , Briggs F. , Cappallo R. J. , Corey B. E. , Oliveira-Costa A. de , Dillon Joshua S. , Emrich D. , Ewall-Wice A. , Feng L. , Gaensler B. M. , Goeke R. , Greenhill L. J. , Hewitt J. N. , Hurley-Walker N. , Johnston-Hollitt M. , Kaplan D. L. , Kasper J. C. , Kim H. S. , Kratzenberg E. , Lenc E. , Loeb A. , Lonsdale C. J. , Lynch M. J. , McKinley B. , McWhirter S. R. , Mitchell D. A. , Morgan E. , Neben A. R. , Thyagarajan Nithyanandan , Oberoi D. , Offringa A. R. , Ord S. M. , Paul S. , Prabu T. , Procopio P. , Riding J. , Rogers A. E. E. , Roshi A. , Shankar N. Udaya , Sethi Shiv K. , Srivani K. S. , Subrahmanyan R. , Tegmark M. , Tingay S. J. , Waterson M. , Wayth R. B. , Webster R. L. , Whitney A. R. , Williams A. , Williams C. L. , Wu C. , Wyithe J. S. B.
Published: December 2016

The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) has collected hundreds of hours of Epoch of Reionization (EoR) data and now faces the challenge of overcoming foreground and systematic contamination to reduce the data to a cosmological measurement. We introduce several novel analysis techniques, such as cable reflection calibration, hyper-resolution gridding kernels, diffuse foreground model subtraction, and quality control methods. Each change to the analysis pipeline is tested against a two-dimensional power spectrum figure of merit to demonstrate improvement. We incorporate the new techniques into a deep integration of 32 hours of MWA data. This data set is used to place a systematic-limited upper limit on the cosmological power spectrum of

mK2 at k = 0.27 h Mpc−1 and z = 7.1, consistent with other published limits, and a modest improvement (factor of 1.4) over previous MWA results. From this deep analysis, we have identified a list of improvements to be made to our EoR data analysis strategies. These improvements will be implemented in the future and detailed in upcoming publications.
KILOPARSEC-SCALE DUST DISKS IN HIGH-REDSHIFT LUMINOUS SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES
Authors: Hodge J. A. , Swinbank A. M. , Simpson J. M. , Smail I. , Walter F. , Alexander D. M. , Bertoldi F. , Biggs A. D. , Brandt W. N. , Chapman S. C. , Chen C. C. , Coppin K. E. K. , Cox P. , Dannerbauer H. , Edge A. C. , Greve T. R. , Ivison R. J. , Karim A. , Knudsen K. K. , Menten K. M. , Rix H.-W. , Schinnerer E. , Wardlow J. L. , Weiss A. , Werf P. van der
Published: December 2016

We present high-resolution (0.″16) 870 μm Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) imaging of 16 luminous (

) submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) from the ALESS survey of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South. This dust imaging traces the dust-obscured star formation in these

galaxies on ∼1.3 kpc scales. The emission has a median effective radius of R

e
= 0.″24 ± 0.″02, corresponding to a typical physical size of

1.8 ± 0.2 kpc. We derive a median Sérsic index of n = 0.9 ± 0.2, implying that the dust emission is remarkably disk-like at the current resolution and sensitivity. We use different weighting schemes with the visibilities to search for clumps on 0.″12 (∼1.0 kpc) scales, but we find no significant evidence for clumping in the majority of cases. Indeed, we demonstrate using simulations that the observed morphologies are generally consistent with smooth exponential disks, suggesting that caution should be exercised when identifying candidate clumps in even moderate signal-to-noise ratio interferometric data. We compare our maps to comparable-resolution Hubble Space Telescope

-band images, finding that the stellar morphologies appear significantly more extended and disturbed, and suggesting that major mergers may be responsible for driving the formation of the compact dust disks we observe. The stark contrast between the obscured and unobscured morphologies may also have implications for SED fitting routines that assume the dust is co-located with the optical/near-IR continuum emission. Finally, we discuss the potential of the current bursts of star formation to transform the observed galaxy sizes and light profiles, showing that the

descendants of these SMGs are expected to have stellar masses, effective radii, and gas surface densities consistent with the most compact massive (

1–2 × 1011

) early-type galaxies observed locally.
A NEW CATALOG OF HOMOGENIZED ABSORPTION LINE INDICES FOR MILKY WAY GLOBULAR CLUSTERS FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION INTEGRATED SPECTROSCOPY
Authors: Kim Hak-Sub , Cho Jaeil , Sharples Ray M. , Vazdekis Alexandre , Beasley Michael A. , Yoon Suk-Jin
Published: December 2016

We perform integrated spectroscopy of 24 Galactic globular clusters (GGCs). Spectra are observed from one core radius for each cluster with a high wavelength resolution of  ∼2.0 Å FWHM. In combination with two existing data sets from Puzia et al. and Schiavon et al., we construct a large database of Lick spectral indices for a total of 53 GGCs with a wide range of metallicities, −2.4 ≲ [Fe/H] ≲ 0.1, and various horizontal-branch morphologies. The empirical index-to-metallicity conversion relationships are provided for the 20 Lick indices for the use of deriving metallicities for remote, unresolved stellar systems.
Rearing and observation of immature stages of the hoverfly Microdon katsurai (Diptera, Syrphidae)
Authors: Iwai Hironori , Horikawa Daiki , Arakawa Kazuharu , Tomita Masaru , Komatsu Takashi
Published: December 2016

The hoverfly Microdon (Chymophila) katsurai Maruyama et Hironaga 2004 was speculated to be a myrmecophilous species associated with the ant Polyrhachis lamellidens based on observations of adults near the ant nest. However, there have been no reports regarding the observation of immature stages of this species in association with P. lamellidens.

For the first time, we found three M. katsurai larvae inside a P. lamellidens nest and conducted rearing experiments on the larval M. katsurai. P. lamellidens workers did not show any inspection or attack behavior against the M. katsurai larvae under rearing conditions, suggesting that M. katsurai larvae can survive inside a P. lamellidens nest. Although no predatory behavior by the M. katsurai larvae was observed, all the M. katsurai larvae pupated and emerged in a rearing environment. The dorsal surface of the larval M. katsurai has a distinct pale green color with a uniform reticular structure. The puparium of M. katsurai shows several morphological features that are characteristic of the subgenus Chymophila. We conclude that M. katsurai is likely a myrmecophilous species that utilizes P. lamellidens as a specific host and that classification of M. katsurai based on puparium morphology is concordant with that based on adult morphology.