bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upper Respiratory Infections and Barotrauma Among Commercial Pilots
Authors: Boel Nina Monrad , Klokker Mads
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: Health incapacitation is a serious threat to flight safety. Therefore, a study conducted 10 yr ago examined the incidents of ear-nose-throat (ENT) barotrauma and upper respiratory infection (URI) among commercial pilots and found that a large number continued to carry
out their duties despite the risk of incapacitation. Now, 10 yr later, this new study examines if the attention to URIs has improved.METHOD: This study was conducted at the Danish Aeromedical Centre over the course of 1 yr with 463 valid respondents to a questionnaire on URIs and
ENT barotrauma. These respondents were compared to 940 respondents answering the same questionnaire 10 yr prior in the same setting.RESULTS: This study shows a significant increase in the number of pilots flying despite signs of an URI from 42.8 to 50.1% and in the number of pilots
using decongestant medicine from 43.3 to 59.5%. The proportion of pilots experiencing one or more ENT barotraumas has also increased from 37.4 to 55.5% for barotitis media and from 19.5 to 27.9% for barosinusitis.CONCLUSION: Half of all pilots in this study fly despite signs of
an URI. This is a significant increase and shows that after 10 yr an URI is still not considered a valid reason for reporting in sick despite international aeromedical recommendation. Based on these findings, the study recommends that awareness of the risk of flying with an URI be increased.Boel
NM, Klokker M. Upper respiratory infections and barotrauma among commercial pilots. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(1):17–22.
Virtual Reality Applications for Stress Management Training in the Military
Authors: Pallavicini Federica , Argenton Luca , Toniazzi Nicola , Aceti Luciana , Mantovani Fabrizia
Published: March 2017

INTRODUCTION: Stress Management Training programs are increasingly being adopted in the military field for resilience empowerment and primary stress prevention. In the last several years, advanced technologies (virtual reality in particular) have been integrated in order to develop
more innovative and effective stress training programs for military personnel, including soldiers, pilots, and other aircrew professionals. This systematic review describes experimental studies that have been conducted in recent years to test the effectiveness of virtual reality-based Stress
Management Training programs developed for military personnel. This promising state-of-the-art technology has the potential to be a successful new approach in empowering soldiers and increasing their resilience to stress.METHODS: To provide an overview from 2001 to 2016 of the application
of virtual reality for Stress Management Training programs developed for the military, a computer-based search for relevant publications was performed in several databases. Databases used in the search were PsycINFO, Web of Science (Web of Knowledge), PubMed, and Medline. The search string
was: (“Virtual Reality”) AND (“Military”) AND [“Stress Training” OR (“Stress Management”)].RESULTS: There were 14 studies that met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review.DISCUSSION: The main observation to
be drawn from this review is that virtual reality can provide interactive Stress Management Training to decrease levels of perceived stress and negative affect in military personnel. This technology appears to be a promising tool for assessing individuals’ resilience to stress and for
identifying the impact that stress can have on physiological reactivity and performance.Pallavicini F, Argenton L, Toniazzi N, Aceti L, Mantovani F. Virtual realtiy applications for stress management training in the military. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(12):1021–1030.
Pilots’ Attention Distributions Between Chasing a Moving Target and a Stationary Target
Authors: Li Wen-Chin , Yu Chung-San , Braithwaite Graham , Greaves Matthew
Published: March 2017

INTRODUCTION: Attention plays a central role in cognitive processing; ineffective attention may induce accidents in flight operations. The objective of the current research was to examine military pilots’ attention distributions between chasing a moving target and a stationary
target.METHOD: In the current research, 37 mission-ready F-16 pilots participated. Subjects’ eye movements were collected by a portable head-mounted eye-tracker during tactical training in a flight simulator. The scenarios of chasing a moving target (air-to-air) and a stationary
target (air-to-surface) consist of three operational phases: searching, aiming, and lock-on to the targets.RESULTS: The findings demonstrated significant differences in pilots’ percentage of fixation during the searching phase between air-to-air (M = 37.57, SD = 5.72) and
air-to-surface (M = 33.54, SD = 4.68). Fixation duration can indicate pilots’ sustained attention to the trajectory of a dynamic target during air combat maneuvers. Aiming at the stationary target resulted in larger pupil size (M = 27,105, SD = 6565), reflecting higher cognitive loading
than aiming at the dynamic target (M = 23,864, SD = 8762).DISCUSSION: Pilots’ visual behavior is not only closely related to attention distribution, but also significantly associated with task characteristics. Military pilots demonstrated various visual scan patterns for searching
and aiming at different types of targets based on the research settings of a flight simulator. The findings will facilitate system designers’ understanding of military pilots’ cognitive processes during tactical operations. They will assist human-centered interface design to improve
pilots’ situational awareness. The application of an eye-tracking device integrated with a flight simulator is a feasible and cost-effective intervention to improve the efficiency and safety of tactical training.Li W-C, Yu C-S, Braithwaite G, Greaves M. Pilots’ attention
distributions between chasing a moving target and a stationary target. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(12):989–995.
Bipolar Disorder in Aviation Medicine
Authors: Vuorio Alpo , Laukkala Tanja , Navathe Pooshan , Budowle Bruce , Bor Robert , Sajantila Antti
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: One of the most difficult challenges in aviation medicine is to diagnose, as early as possible, pilots with psychiatric disorders that may impair pilot performance and increase the risk of incidents and accidents. This diagnosis applies particularly to bipolar disorder
(BD), where return to flying duty is not an option in the majority of cases. BD is a long-term mental disorder presenting remittent depressive, hypomanic, manic, or mixed episodes between low symptomatic or asymptomatic intermediate periods. Onset in most cases is in late teen or early adult
years. Suicidal intentions and suicide risk are significantly elevated in individuals with BD compared to the general population.METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed of BD and aviation accidents and the National Transportation Safety Board database of fatal general
aviation accidents was searched. One case report and two database reports of interest from 1994 to 2014 were identified.RESULTS: The findings set a minimum frequency of BD in general aviation fatalities to be approximately 2 out of 8648 (0.023%) in the United States.DISCUSSION:
The reported incidence may underestimate the real number of BD cases for several reasons, including the fact that the medical history of pilots is not always available or is sometimes not the primary interest of a safety investigation. This study suggests that the demarcation of psychiatric
disorder related to fitness to fly is an important step in safety.Vuorio A, Laukkala T, Navathe P, Budowle B, Bor R, Sajantila A. Bipolar disorder in aviation medicine. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(1):42–47.
Intracranial and Intraocular Pressure During Various Degrees of Head-Down Tilt
Authors: Marshall-Goebel Karina , Mulder Edwin , Bershad Eric , Laing Charles , Eklund Anders , Malm Jan , Stern Claudia , Rittweger Jörn
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: More than half of astronauts develop ophthalmic changes during long-duration spaceflight consistent with an abnormal intraocular and intracranial pressure (IOP, ICP) difference. The aim of our study was to assess IOP and ICP during head-down tilt (HDT) and the additive
or attenuating effects of 1% CO2 and lower body negative pressure (LBNP).METHODS: In Experiment I, IOP and ICP were measured in nine healthy subjects after 3.5 h HDT in five conditions: -6°, -12°, and -18° HDT, -12° with 1% CO2, and -12°
with -20 mmHg LBNP. In Experiment II, IOP was measured in 16 healthy subjects after 5 min tilt at +12°, 0°, -6°, -12°, -18°, and -24°, with and without -40 mmHg LBNP.RESULTS: ICP was only found to increase from supine baseline during -18° HDT (9.2 ±
0.9 and 14.4 ± 1 mmHg, respectively), whereas IOP increased from 15.7 ± 0.3 mmHg at 0° to 17.9 ± 0.4 mmHg during -12° HDT and from 15.3 ± 0.4 mmHg at 0° to 18.7 ± 0.4 mmHg during -18° HDT. The addition of -20 mmHg LBNP or 1% CO2
had no further effects on ICP or IOP. However, the use of -40 mmHg LBNP during HDT lowered IOP back to baseline values, except at −24° HDT.DISCUSSION: A small, posterior intraocular-intracranial pressure difference (IOP > ICP) is maintained during HDT, and a sustained
or further decreased difference may lead to structural changes in the eye in real and simulated microgravity.Marshall-Goebel K, Mulder E, Bershad E, Laing C, Eklund A, Malm J, Stern C, Rittweger J. Intracranial and intraocular pressure during various degrees of head-down tilt. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(1):10–16.
Measuring Uptake and Elimination of Nitrogen in Humans at Different Ambient Pressures
Authors: Sundblad Patrik , Frånberg Oskar , Siebenmann Christoph , Gennser Mikael
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: To measure nitrogen (N2) wash-out and uptake requires elaborate set-ups, especially when doing the measurements at increased or decreased ambient pressure. Here we present a transportable device for quantifying N2 turnover in humans which can
be used at different ambient pressures.METHODS: A modified close-circuit electronic rebreather was used to assess N2 turnover. Changes in N2 volume within the rebreathing circuit, reflecting N2 uptake or washout, were derived from the continuously
monitored total system volume and the calculated volumes of oxygen and water vapor. The calculation of continuous N2 volume curves was performed off-line using dedicated computer software.RESULTS: Four subjects participated in the proof-of-concept tests. At steady state,
the drift in calculated N2 volume in the rebreathing circuit over a 1-h duration was minimal. Three of the subjects participated in additional N2 steady-state measurements where 1019 mL (BTPD) of N2 was injected into the rebreathing circuit over 20 min and
the measured volume increase was 1006 ± 32 mL. Lastly, N2 elimination was assessed during decompression to 0.5 atm and while breathing hyperoxic gas. N2 uptake was measured during compression to 1.8 atm. The elimination and uptake curves were deemed to be realistic.DISCUSSION:
A method for assessing N2 turnover in humans has been developed and a first evaluation has been performed. It is easy to work with operationally and can be used at different ambient pressures. More research is needed in order to further validate it as a method for assessing N2
turnover in humans.Sundblad P, Frånberg O, Siebenmann C, Gennser M. Measuring uptake and elimination of nitrogen in humans at different ambient pressures. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2016; 87(12):1045–1050.
Clinical Experience and Learning Style of Flight Nurse and Aeromedical Evacuation Technician Students
Authors: De Jong Marla J. , Dukes Susan F. , Dufour Karey M. , Mortimer Darcy L.
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND: The clinical experience and preferred learning style of U.S. Air Force flight nurses and aeromedical evacuation technicians are unknown.METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey design, we gathered data regarding the clinical experience, level of comfort
providing clinical care, and preferred learning style of 77 active duty (AD), Air Force Reserve (AFR), and Air National Guard (ANG) nurses enrolled in the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Flight Nurse course, and 121 AD, AFR, and ANG medical technicians enrolled in the Aeromedical
Evacuation Technician course.RESULTS: Nurses and medical technicians reported 7.6 ± 5.5 and 3.9 ± 4.5 yr of experience, respectively. AD, AFR, and ANG nurses had comparable years of experience: 5.8 ± 3.2, 8.3 ± 6.6, and 7.9 ± 4.2 yr, respectively;
however, AD medical technicians had more years of experience (5.6 ± 4.4 yr) than AFR (3.1 ± 4.8 yr) and ANG (1.9 ± 2.8 yr) medical technicians. Both nurses and medical technicians reported infrequently caring for patients with various disease processes and managing equipment
or devices that they will routinely encounter when transporting patients as an aeromedical evacuation clinician. Nurses and medical technicians preferred a kinesthetic learning style or a multimodal learning style that included kinesthetic learning. Nearly all (99%) nurses and 97% of medical
technicians identified simulation as their preferred teaching method.DISCUSSION: These findings confirm faculty concerns regarding the clinical experience of flight nurse and aerospace evacuation technician students.De Jong MJ, Dukes SF, Dufour KM, Mortimer DL. Clinical experience
and learning style of flight nurse and aeromedical evacuation technician students. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(1):23–29.
Prevalence, Predictors, and Prevention of Motion Sickness in Zero-G Parabolic Flights
Authors: Golding John F. , Paillard Aurore C. , Normand Hervé , Besnard Stéphane , Denise Pierre
Published: March 2017

INTRODUCTION: Zero-G parabolic flight reproduces the weightlessness of space for short periods. However, motion sickness may affect some fliers. The aim was to assess the extent of this problem and to find possible predictors and modifying factors.METHODS: Airbus zero-G
flights consist of 31 parabolas performed in blocks. Each parabola consisted of 20 s of 0 g sandwiched by 20 s of hypergravity of 1.5–1.8 g. The survey covered N = 246 person-flights (193 men, 53 women), ages (M ± SD) 36.0 ± 11.3 yr. An anonymous questionnaire included
motion sickness rating (1 = OK to 6 = vomiting), Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (MSSQ), antimotion sickness medication, prior zero-G experience, anxiety level, and other characteristics.RESULTS: Participants had lower MSSQ percentile scores (27.4 ± 28.0) than
the population norm of 50. Motion sickness was experienced by 33% and 12% vomited. Less motion sickness was predicted by older age, greater prior zero-G flight experience, medication with scopolamine, lower MSSQ scores, but not gender or anxiety. Sickness ratings in fliers pretreated with
scopolamine (1.81 ± 1.58) were lower than for nonmedicated fliers (2.93 ± 2.16), and incidence of vomiting in fliers using scopolamine treatment was reduced by half to a third. Possible confounding factors including age, sex, flight experience, and MSSQ could not account for
this.CONCLUSION: Motion sickness affected one-third of zero-G fliers despite being intrinsically less motion sickness susceptible compared to the general population. Susceptible individuals probably try to avoid such a provocative environment. Risk factors for motion sickness included
younger age and higher MSSQ scores. Protective factors included prior zero-G flight experience (habituation) and antimotion sickness medication.Golding JF, Paillard AC, Normand H, Besnard S, Denise P. Prevalence, predictors, and prevention of motion sickness in zero-G parabolic flights. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(1):3–9.
In-Rem Property in Adam Smith's Lectures on Jurisprudence
Authors: Robinson John
Published: March 2017

For decades, both economists and legal scholars have regularly used the metaphor of a ‘bundle of rights’ to describe property. In recent and growing literature, the bundle formulation has been the target of a number of critiques, some of which point to Adam Smith, among others, as a source for an alternative perspective on property. This paper examines Smith's work and argues that Smith is an appropriate authority and focal figure for a traditional, in-rem view of property. It illustrates how Smith's usage of concepts in the civil-law tradition, his appreciation for Hume, and especially his unique theory of the impartial spectator, together make clear that Smith's understanding of property is irreconcilable with the modern bundle formulation.
Large Scale Implementations for Twitter Sentiment Classification
Authors: Kanavos Andreas , Nodarakis Nikolaos , Sioutas Spyros , Tsakalidis Athanasios , Tsolis Dimitrios , Tzimas Giannis
Published: March 2017

Sentiment Analysis on Twitter Data is indeed a challenging problem due to the nature, diversity and volume of the data. People tend to express their feelings freely, which makes Twitter an ideal source for accumulating a vast amount of opinions towards a wide spectrum of topics. This amount of information offers huge potential and can be harnessed to receive the sentiment tendency towards these topics. However, since no one can invest an infinite amount of time to read through these tweets, an automated decision making approach is necessary. Nevertheless, most existing solutions are limited in centralized environments only. Thus, they can only process at most a few thousand tweets. Such a sample is not representative in order to define the sentiment polarity towards a topic due to the massive number of tweets published daily. In this work, we develop two systems: the first in the MapReduce and the second in the Apache Spark framework for programming with Big Data. The algorithm exploits all hashtags and emoticons inside a tweet, as sentiment labels, and proceeds to a classification method of diverse sentiment types in a parallel and distributed manner. Moreover, the sentiment analysis tool is based on Machine Learning methodologies alongside Natural Language Processing techniques and utilizes Apache Spark’s Machine learning library, MLlib. In order to address the nature of Big Data, we introduce some pre-processing steps for achieving better results in Sentiment Analysis as well as Bloom filters to compact the storage size of intermediate data and boost the performance of our algorithm. Finally, the proposed system was trained and validated with real data crawled by Twitter, and, through an extensive experimental evaluation, we prove that our solution is efficient, robust and scalable while confirming the quality of our sentiment identification.
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps, Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Treatment
Authors: Bravo-Barrera Jessica , Kourilovitch Maria , Galarza-Maldonado Claudio
Published: March 2017

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a network of extracellular fibers, compounds of chromatin, neutrophil DNA and histones, which are covered with antimicrobial enzymes with granular components. Autophagy and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase are essential in the formation of NETs. There is increasing evidence that suggests that autoantibodies against beta-2-glycoprotein-1 (B2GP1) induce NETs and enhance thrombosis. Past research on new mechanisms of thrombosis formation in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has elucidated the pharmacokinetics of the most common medication in the treatment of the disease.
The Continued Promise and Many Disappointments of Oncolytic Virotherapy in Gastrointestinal Malignancies
Authors: Ahn Daniel , Bekaii-Saab Tanios
Published: March 2017

Oncolytic virotherapy represents a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Oncolytic viruses, including genetically engineered and naturally occurring viruses, can selectively replicate in and induce tumor cell apoptosis without harming normal tissues, thus offering a promising tool in the armamentarium for cancer therapy. While this approach has garnered much interest over the past several decades, there has not been significant headway across various tumor types. The recent approval of talimogene laherparepvec, a second-generation oncolytic herpes simplex virus type-1, for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, confirms the therapeutic potential of oncolytic viral therapy. Herein, we will highlight and review the role of oncolytic viral therapy in gastrointestinal malignancies while discussing its limitations and potential alternative mechanisms to improve its treatment efficacy.
Development of a Fabrication Process Using Suspension Plasma Spray for Titanium Oxide Photovoltaic Device
Authors: Hadi A Hsian Sagr , Ando Yasutaka
Published: March 2017

In order to reduce the high costs of conventional materials, and to reduce the power necessary for the deposition of titanium dioxide, titanium tetrabutoxide has been developed in the form of a suspension of TiO2 using water instead of expensive ethanol. To avoid sedimentation of hydroxide particles in the suspension, mechanical milling of the suspension was conducted in order to create diffusion in colloidal suspension before using it as feedstock. Consequently, through the creation of a colloidal suspension, coating deposition was able to be conducted without sedimentation of the hydroxide particles in the suspension during the deposition process. Though an amorphous as-deposited coating was able to be deposited, through post heat treatment at 630 °C for 60 min, the chemical structure became anatase rich. In addition, it was confirmed that the post heat treated anatase rich coating had enough photo-catalytic activity to decolor methylene-blue droplets. From these results, this technique was found to have high potential in the low cost photo-catalytic titanium coating production process.
Body-Borne Computers as Extensions of Self
Authors: Leigh Sang-won , Sareen Harpreet , Kao Hsin-Liu , Liu Xin , Maes Pattie
Published: March 2017

The opportunities for wearable technologies go well beyond always-available information displays or health sensing devices. The concept of the cyborg introduced by Clynes and Kline, along with works in various fields of research and the arts, offers a vision of what technology integrated with the body can offer. This paper identifies different categories of research aimed at augmenting humans. The paper specifically focuses on three areas of augmentation of the human body and its sensorimotor capabilities: physical morphology, skin display, and somatosensory extension. We discuss how such digital extensions relate to the malleable nature of our self-image. We argue that body-borne devices are no longer simply functional apparatus, but offer a direct interplay with the mind. Finally, we also showcase some of our own projects in this area and shed light on future challenges.
Wind Energy Potential and Power Law Indexes Assessment for Selected Near-Coastal Sites in Malaysia
Authors: Albani Aliashim , Ibrahim Mohd
Published: March 2017

This paper investigated the wind energy potential by analysing a certain amount of gathered 10-min measured data at four stations located at coastal sites in Malaysia, i.e., Kudat, Mersing, Kijal, and Langkawi. The wind data are collected from a total of four new wind measurement masts with sensors mounted at various heights on the tower. The measured data have enabled the establishment of wind resource maps and the power law indexes (PLIs) analysis. In addition, the dependence of PLI upon surface temperature and terrain types is studied, as they are associated to the form of exponential fits. Moreover, the accuracy of exponential fits is assessed by comparing the results with the 1/7 law via the capacity factor (CF) discrepancies. In order to do so, the wind turbine with a hub-height similar to the maximum height of the measured data at each site is selected to simulate energy production. Accordingly, the discrepancy of CF based on the extrapolated data by employing 1/7 laws and exponential fits, in spite of being computed using measured data, is determined as well. Furthermore, the large discrepancy of the wind data and the CF, which has been determined with the application of 1/7, is compared to the exponential fits. This is because; discrepancy in estimation of vertical wind speed could lead to inaccurate CF computation. Meanwhile, from the energy potential analysis based on the computed CF, only Kudat and Mersing display a promising potential to develop a medium capacity of wind turbine power, while the other sites may be suitable for wind turbines at a small scale.
Flame Structure and Chemiluminescence Emissions of Inverse Diffusion Flames under Sinusoidally Driven Plasma Discharges
Authors: De Giorgi Maria , Sciolti Aldebara , Campilongo Stefano , Ficarella Antonio
Published: March 2017

Reduction of nitric oxides (NOx) in aircraft engines and in gas turbines by lean combustion is of great interest in the design of novel combustion systems. However, the stabilization of the flame under lean conditions is a main issue. In this context, the present work investigates the effects of sinusoidal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on a lean inverse diffusive methane/air flame in a Bunsen-type burner under different actuation conditions. The flame appearance was investigated with fixed methane loading (mass flux), but with varying inner airflow rate. High-speed flame imaging was done by using an intensified (charge-coupled device) CCD camera equipped with different optical filters in order to selectively record signals from the chemiluminescent species OH*, CH*, or CO2* to evaluate the flame behavior in presence of plasma actuation. The electrical power consumption was less than 33 W. It was evident that the plasma flame enhancement was significantly influenced by the plasma discharges, particularly at high inner airflow rates. The flame structure changes drastically when the dissipated plasma power increases. The flame area decreases due to the enhancement of mixing and chemical reactions that lead to a more anchored flame on the quartz exit with a reduction of the flame length.
Orchestrating an Effective Formulation to Investigate the Impact of EMSs (Energy Management Systems) for Residential Units Prior to Installation
Authors: Mahmood Danish , Javaid Nadeem , Ahmed Sheraz , Ahmed Imran , Niaz Iftikhar , Abdul Wadood , Ghouzali Sanaa
Published: March 2017

Demand Response (DR) programs under the umbrella of Demand Side Management (DSM) tend to involve end users in optimizing their Power Consumption (PC) patterns and offer ﬁnancial incentives to shift the load at “low-priced” hours. However, users have their own preferences of anticipating the amount of consumed electricity. While installing an Energy Management System (EMS), the user must be assured that this investment gives optimum comfort of bill savings, as well as appliance utility considering Time of Use (ToU). Moreover, there is a difference between desired load distribution and optimally-scheduled load across a 24-h time frame for lowering electricity bills. This difference in load usage timings, if it is beyond the tolerance level of a user, increases frustration. The comfort level is a highly variable phenomenon. An EMS giving optimum comfort to one user may not be able to provide the same level of satisfaction to another who has different preferences regarding electricity bill savings or appliance utility. Under such a diversity of human behaviors, it is difﬁcult to select an EMS for an individual user. In this work, a numeric performance metric,“User Comfort Level (UCL)”isformulatedonthebasisofuserpreferencesoncostsaving,toleranceindelayregardinguse of an appliance and return of investment. The proposed framework (UCL) allows the user to select an EMS optimally that suits his.her preferences well by anticipating electricity bill reduction, tolerable delay in ToU of the appliance and return on investment. Furthermore, an extended literature analysis is conducted demonstrating generic strategies of EMSs. Five major building blocks are discussed and a comparative analysis is presented on the basis of the proposed performance metric.
The Relationship between Sap Flow Density and Environmental Factors in the Yangtze River Delta Region of China
Authors: Liu Xin , Zhang Bo , Zhuang Jia‐Yao , Han Cheng , Zhai Lu , Zhao Wen‐Rui , Zhang Jin‐Chi
Published: March 2017

Canopy transpiration is an important component of evapotranspiration, integrating physical and biological processes within the water and energy cycles of forests. Quercus acutissima and Cunninghamia lanceolata are two important, fast‐growing and commercial tree species that have been extensively used for vegetation restoration, water conservation and building artificial forests in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. The primary objective of this study was to characterize sap ﬂow densities of the two species by comparing daytime and nocturnal sap ﬂow patterns and their relationships with environmental factors. Sap ﬂow densities (Sd) were measured between September 2012 and August 2013 using the commercially‐available thermal dissipation probes. Hourly meteorological data were measured in an open ﬁeld, located 200 m away from the study site, including photosynthetically‐active radiation (Par), air temperature (Ta), relative air humidity (Rh), vapor pressure deficit (Vpd) and precipitation (P). Soil water content (Swc) data were logged hourly in different layers at Q. acutissima and C. lanceolata forests. Results indicated that the mean Sd in summer was higher than that in spring and autumn. Both the Sd of Q. acutissima and C. lanceolata showed distinct diurnal patterns. Nocturnal sap flow densities (Sdn) were noticeable, and both species followed similar declining patterns during our study period. The daytime sap flow density (Sdd) was more sensitive to environmental factors than Sdn. Sap flow density was significant linearly correlated with Par, Vpd and Ta, and Par and Vpd explained the greatest amount of variation in daytime sap flow of Q. acutissima and C. lanceolata, respectively. Our study will enrich knowledge of plantation forest physical and biological processes and provide valuable information for plantation forest management in the Yangtze River Delta region of China.
Development of Gene‐Based SSR Markers in Winged Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) for Diversity Assessment
Authors: Wong Quin , Tanzi Alberto , Ho Wai , Malla Sunir , Blythe Martin , Karunaratne Asha , Massawe Festo , Mayes Sean
Published: March 2017

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) is an herbaceous multipurpose legume grown in hot and humid countries as a pulse, vegetable (leaves and pods), or root tuber crop depending on local consumption preferences. In addition to its different nutrient‐rich edible parts which could contribute to food and nutritional security, it is an efficient nitrogen fixer as a component of sustainable agricultural systems. Generating genetic resources and improved lines would help to accelerate the breeding improvement of this crop, as the lack of improved cultivars adapted to specific environments has been one of the limitations preventing wider use. A transcriptomic de novo assembly was constructed from four tissues: leaf, root, pod, and reproductive tissues from Malaysian accessions, comprising of 198,554 contigs with a N50 of 1462 bp. Of these, 138,958 (70.0%) could be annotated. Among 9682 genic simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs identified (excluding monomer repeats), trinucleotide‐repeats were the most abundant (4855), followed by di‐nucleotide (4500) repeats. A total of 18 SSR markers targeting di‐ and tri‐nucleotide repeats have been validated as polymorphic markers based on an initial assessment of nine genotypes originated from five countries. A cluster analysis revealed provisional clusters among this limited, yet diverse selection of germplasm. The developed assembly and validated genic SSRs in this study provide a foundation for a better understanding of the plant breeding system for the genetic improvement of winged bean.
Time Prediction Models for Echinococcosis Based on Gray System Theory and Epidemic Dynamics
Authors: Zhang Liping , Wang Li , Zheng Yanling , Wang Kai , Zhang Xueliang , Zheng Yujian
Published: March 2017

Echinococcosis, which can seriously harm human health and animal husbandry production, has become an endemic in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. In order to explore an effective human Echinococcosis forecasting model in Xinjiang, three grey models, namely, the traditional grey GM(1,1) model, the Grey-Periodic Extensional Combinatorial Model (PECGM(1,1)), and the Modified Grey Model using Fourier Series (FGM(1,1)), in addition to a multiplicative seasonal ARIMA(1,0,1)(1,1,0)4 model, are applied in this study for short-term predictions. The accuracy of the different grey models is also investigated. The simulation results show that the FGM(1,1) model has a higher performance ability, not only for model fitting, but also for forecasting. Furthermore, considering the stability and the modeling precision in the long run, a dynamic epidemic prediction model based on the transmission mechanism of Echinococcosis is also established for long-term predictions. Results demonstrate that the dynamic epidemic prediction model is capable of identifying the future tendency. The number of human Echinococcosis cases will increase steadily over the next 25 years, reaching a peak of about 1250 cases, before eventually witnessing a slow decline, until it finally ends.
A Review of the Field on Children’s Exposure to Environmental Contaminants: A Risk Assessment Approach
Authors: Ferguson Alesia , Penney Rosalind , Solo-Gabriele Helena
Published: March 2017

Background: Children must be recognized as a sensitive population based on having biological systems and organs in various stages of development. The processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination of environmental contaminants within a child’s body are considered less advanced than those of adults, making them more susceptible to disease outcomes following even small doses. Children’s unique activities of crawling and practicing increased hand-to-mouth ingestion also make them vulnerable to greater exposures by certain contaminants within specific environments. Approach: There is a need to review the field of children’s environmental exposures in order to understand trends and identify gaps in research, which may lead to better protection of this vulnerable and sensitive population. Therefore, explored here are previously published contemporary works in the broad area of children’s environmental exposures and potential impact on health from around the world. A discussion of children’s exposure to environmental contaminants is best organized under the last four steps of a risk assessment approach: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment (including children’s activity patterns) and risk characterization. We first consider the many exposure hazards that exist in the indoor and outdoor environments, and emerging contaminants of concern that may help guide the risk assessment process in identifying focus areas for children. A section on special diseases of concern is also included. Conclusions: The field of children’s exposures to environmental contaminants is broad. Although there are some well-studied areas offering much insight into children exposures, research is still needed to further our understanding of exposures to newer compounds, growing disease trends and the role of gene-environment interactions that modify adverse health outcomes. It is clear that behaviors of adults and children play a role in reducing or increasing a child’s exposure, where strategies to better communicate and implement risk modifying behaviors are needed, and can be more effective than implementing   changes in the physical environment.
Oral Health Status of Patients with Lysosomal Storage Diseases in Poland
Authors: Drążewski Damian , Grzymisławska Małgorzata , Korybalska Katarzyna , Czepulis Natasza , Grzymisławski Marian , Witowski Janusz , Surdacka Anna
Published: March 2017

Patients with lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) suffer from physical and mental disabilities, which together with poor access to professional care may lead to impaired oral health. This cross-sectional case-control study characterized the status of oral health in patients with LSDs in Poland. Thirty-six children and young adults with various forms of LSDs were examined. The data were compared with those from age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Exemplary cases were presented to highlight typical problems in oral care associated with LSDs. When possible, saliva was collected and analyzed for total protein, inflammatory mediators, and antioxidant status. Generally, patients with LSDs had significantly higher prevalence of caries, inferior gingival status, and inadequate oral hygiene. The severity of oral health impairment in mucopolysaccaridoses, the most common LSD in Poland, was similar to that seen in patients with mannosidoses or Pompe disease. Saliva could be collected only from few less handicapped patients. In MPS, it did not appear to differ significantly from the controls, but in patients with Pompe disease it contained lower concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), but higher levels of tumor necrosis factor receptors 1 and 2 (TNF-R1, TNF-R2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). In conclusion, Polish patients with LSDs have an inadequate level of oral hygiene and substantially deteriorated oral health.
Changes in Brain Monoamines Underlie Behavioural Disruptions after Zebrafish Diet Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Environmental Mixtures
Authors: Vignet Caroline , Trenkel Verena , Vouillarmet Annick , Bricca Giampiero , Bégout Marie-Laure , Cousin Xavier
Published: March 2017

Zebrafish were exposed through diet to two environmentally relevant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) mixtures of contrasted compositions, one of pyrolytic (PY) origin and one from light crude oil (LO). Monoamine concentrations were quantified in the brains of the fish after six month of exposure. A significant decrease in noradrenaline (NA) was observed in fish exposed to both mixtures, while a decrease in serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) was observed only in LO-exposed fish. A decrease in metabolites of 5HT and DA was observed in fish exposed to both mixtures. Several behavioural disruptions were observed that depended on mixtures, and parallels were made with changes in monoamine concentrations. Indeed, we observed an increase in anxiety in fish exposed to both mixtures, which could be related to the decrease in 5HT and/or NA, while disruptions of daily activity rhythms were observed in LO fish, which could be related to the decrease in DA. Taken together, these results showed that (i) chronic exposures to PAHs mixtures disrupted brain monoamine contents, which could underlie behavioural disruptions, and that (ii) the biological responses depended on mixture compositions.
A Human Antibody That Binds to the Sixth Ig-Like Domain of VCAM-1 Blocks Lung Cancer Cell Migration In Vitro
Authors: Kim Mi , Jang Ji , Park Chang , Kim Taek-Keun , Kim Youn-Jae , Chung Junho , Shim Hyunbo , Nam In , Han Jung , Lee Sukmook
Published: March 2017

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is closely associated with tumor progression and metastasis. However, the relevance and role of VCAM-1 in lung cancer have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we found that VCAM-1 was highly overexpressed in lung cancer tissue compared with that of normal lung tissue, and high VCAM-1 expression correlated with poor survival in lung cancer patients. VCAM-1 knockdown reduced migration of A549 human lung cancer cells into Matrigel, and competitive blocking experiments targeting the Ig-like domain 6 of VCAM-1 (VCAM-1-D6) demonstrated that the VCAM-1-D6 domain was critical for VCAM-1 mediated A549 cell migration into Matrigel. Next, we developed a human monoclonal antibody specific to human and mouse VCAM-1-D6 (VCAM-1-D6 huMab), which was isolated from a human synthetic antibody library using phage display technology. Finally, we showed that VCAM-1-D6 huMab had a nanomolar affinity for VCAM-1-D6 and that it potently suppressed the migration of A549 and NCI-H1299 lung cancer cell lines into Matrigel. Taken together, these results suggest that VCAM-1-D6 is a key domain for regulating VCAM-1-mediated lung cancer invasion and that our newly developed VCAM-1-D6 huMab will be a useful tool for inhibiting VCAM-1-expressing lung cancer cell invasion.
Zebrafish Embryo as an In Vivo Model for Behavioral and Pharmacological Characterization of Methylxanthine Drugs
Authors: Basnet Ram , Guarienti Michela , Memo Maurizio
Published: March 2017

Zebrafish embryo is emerging as an important tool for behavior analysis as well as toxicity testing. In this study, we compared the effect of nine different methylxanthine drugs using zebrafish embryo as a model. We performed behavioral analysis, biochemical assay and Fish Embryo Toxicity (FET) test in zebrafish embryos after treatment with methylxanthines. Each drug appeared to behave in different ways and showed a distinct pattern of results. Embryos treated with seven out of nine methylxanthines exhibited epileptic-like pattern of movements, the severity of which varied with drugs and doses used. Cyclic AMP measurement showed that, despite of a significant increase in cAMP with some compounds, it was unrelated to the observed movement behavior changes. FET test showed a different pattern of toxicity with different methylxanthines. Each drug could be distinguished from the other based on its effect on mortality, morphological defects and teratogenic effects. In addition, there was a strong positive correlation between the toxic doses (TC50) calculated in zebrafish embryos and lethal doses (LD50) in rodents obtained from TOXNET database. Taken together, all these findings elucidate the potentiality of zebrafish embryos as an in vivo model for behavioral and toxicity testing of methylxanthines and other related compounds.
Light to Hydrogen: Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation from Water with Molecularly-Defined Iron Complexes
Authors: Junge Henrik , Rockstroh Nils , Fischer Steffen , Brückner Angelika , Ludwig Ralf , Lochbrunner Stefan , Kühn Oliver , Beller Matthias
Published: March 2017

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation is considered to be attractive due to its combination of solar energy conversion and storage. Currently-used systems are either based on homogeneous or on heterogeneous materials, which possess a light harvesting and a catalytic subunit. The subject of this review is a brief summary of homogeneous proton reduction systems using sacrificial agents with special emphasis on non-noble metal systems applying convenient iron(0) sources. Iridium photosensitizers, which were proven to have high quantum yields of up to 48% (415 nm), have been employed, as well as copper photosensitizers. In both cases, the addition or presence of a phosphine led to the transformation of the iron precursor with subsequently increased activities. Reaction pathways were investigated by photoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), Raman, FTIR and mass spectroscopy, as well as time-dependent DFT-calculations. In the future, this knowledge will set the basis to design photo(electro)chemical devices with tailored electron transfer cascades and without the need for sacrificial agents.
KDP Aqueous Solution-in-Oil Microemulsion for Ultra-Precision Chemical-Mechanical Polishing of KDP Crystal
Authors: Dong Hui , Wang Lili , Gao Wei , Li Xiaoyuan , Wang Chao , Ji Fang , Pan Jinlong , Wang Baorui
Published: March 2017

A novel functional KH2PO4 (KDP) aqueous solution-in-oil (KDP aq/O) microemulsion system for KDP crystal ultra-precision chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) was prepared. The system, which consisted of decanol, Triton X-100, and KH2PO4 aqueous solution, was available at room temperature. The functional KDP aq/O microemulsion system was systematically studied and applied as polishing solution to KDP CMP technology. In this study, a controlled deliquescent mechanism was proposed for KDP polishing with the KDP aq/O microemulsion. KDP aqueous solution, the chemical etchant in the polishing process, was caged into the micelles in the microemulsion, leading to a limitation of the reaction between the KDP crystal and KDP aqueous solution only if the microemulsion was deformed under the effect of the external force. Based on the interface reaction dynamics, KDP aqueous solutions with different concentrations (cKDP) were applied to replace water in the traditional water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion. The practicability of the controlled deliquescent mechanism was proved by the decreasing material removal rate (MRR) with the increasing of the cKDP. As a result, the corrosion pits on the KDP surface were avoided to some degree. Moreover, the roughnesses of KDP with KDP aq/O microemulsion (cKDP was changed from 10 mM to 100 mM) as polishing solutions were smaller than that with the W/O microemulsion. The smallest surface root-mean-square roughness of 1.5 nm was obtained at a 30 mmol/L KDP aq solution, because of the most appropriate deliquescent rate and MRR.
Structural Evolution during Milling, Annealing, and Rapid Consolidation of Nanocrystalline Fe–10Cr–3Al Powder
Authors: Kumar Rajiv , Bakshi S. , Joardar Joydip , Parida S. , Raja V. , Singh Raman R.
Published: March 2017

Structural changes during the deformation-induced synthesis of nanocrystalline Fe–10Cr–3Al alloy powder via high-energy ball milling followed by annealing and rapid consolidation by spark plasma sintering were investigated. Reduction in crystallite size was observed during the synthesis, which was associated with the lattice expansion and rise in dislocation density, reflecting the generation of the excess grain boundary interfacial energy and the excess free volume. Subsequent annealing led to the exponential growth of the crystallites with a concomitant drop in the dislocation density. The rapid consolidation of the as-synthesized nanocrystalline alloy powder by the spark plasma sintering, on the other hand, showed only a limited grain growth due to the reduction of processing time for the consolidation by about 95% when compared to annealing at the same temperature.
Behaviour of Corroded Single Stud Shear Connectors
Authors: Xue Wen , Chen Ju , Zhu Ji-Hua
Published: March 2017

In this study, the effect of corrosion on the static behavior of stud shear connectors was investigated. An innovative test setup for single stud shear connectors was designed and established. Two series of specimens having different stud diameters were fabricated and tested. The test specimens were firstly corroded to different corrosion rates by the electronic accelerating method. Static loading tests were then performed to obtain the load-slip curves and ultimate strengths of the corroded test specimens. The actual corrosion rates were measured from the studs obtained from the tested specimens. The test results were compared with the push out test specimens having similar corrosion rates. It is shown that the test results obtained from the single stud shear connectors are conservative compared with the corroded push test specimens, which prove the validation of the single stud shear connector test method. The effect of corrosion on the behavior of stud shear connectors was also presented.