bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Develop New “SIMOPS” Procedures to Safe Workover Operations On “PAD”
Authors: Awad Mohamed Omar , Al Ajmi Moudi F. , Al-Mutairi Moute'a
Published: September 2015

As a part of KOC policy to bring recent technologies, two locations were drilled successfully using the concept of PAD.

The PAD Drilling project was conceptualized initially to address surface constraints for upcoming locations due to congestion of flow lines and environmental reasons through a feasibility study conducted in 2005 by KOC. “Cluster Drilling” offers the opportunity to drill multiple locations from a common area “PAD” and this results in more compact operational area for well placement, flow line construction, less foot print area besides complimentary reasons like less rig move time, improve well monitoring during operational surveillance when the wells would be producing.

This approach of PAD Drilling was completely new to KOC, and requires special Drilling Rigs, new HSE regulations and new approved flow line regulations to handle such wells' cluster.

Because of short space among the producing wells, workover operations become challenging and require developing new Simultaneous Operations procedures (SIMOPS) to keep the work under safe conditions. Series of meetings with concerned departments have been conducted and discussed all HSE aspects to secure the operations. Checklist has been prepared and approved.

Using this new SIMOPS Procedures, The first workover operation on PAD was implemented successfully in Nov 2013 with no incidents. The wells were connected back on production with total production rate of 6000 BOPD.

This topic has been endowed CEO HSSE Award 2014.
Genetic Mapping of Race‐Specific Stem Rust Resistance in the Synthetic Hexaploid W7984 × Opata M85 Mapping Population
Authors: Dunckel Sandra M. , Olson Eric L. , Rouse Matthew N. , Bowden Robert L. , Poland Jesse A.
Published: September 2015

Stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) has historically caused severe yield losses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide and has been one of the most feared diseases of wheat and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Stem rust has been controlled successfully through the use of resistant varieties. However, stem rust lineage Ug99 and its derivatives are virulent to many widely deployed stem rust resistance genes including Sr31. Doubled haploid lines from the Synthetic W7984 × Opata M85 wheat reference population were screened for seedling resistance to P. graminis f. sp. tritici races TRTTF and QTHJC. The phenotypic data were adjusted to a 1 to 5 scale and genes for resistance to races TRTTF and QTHJC were localized using composite interval mapping (CIM). Major effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for resistance to stem rust races TRTTF and QTHJC were identified on chromosome arms 1AS, 2BS, 6AS, and 6AL. The gene for resistance to both races on 2BS could potentially be a new stem rust resistance gene. The QTLs for resistance on 1AS and 6AL might be other new genes or alleles while the QTL on 6AS is likely an Sr8 allele. Future work will determine if the resistance loci on 1AS, 2BS, and 6AL are novel. As shown here, the well studied Synthetic × Opata reference population is a valuable source of potentially novel resistance genes for stem rust that can be leveraged in resistance breeding programs.
Geographic Distribution of Soybean Aphid Biotypes in the United States and Canada during 2008–2010
Authors: Cooper Susannah G. , Concibido Vergel , Estes Ronald , Hunt David , Jiang Guo‐Liang , Krupke Christian , McCornack Brian , Mian Rouf , O'Neal Matthew , Poysa Vaino , Prischmann‐Voldseth Deirdre , Ragsdale David , Tinsley Nick , Wang Dechun
Published: September 2015

Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) is a native pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in eastern Asia and was detected on soybeans in North America in 2000. In 2004, the soybean cultivar Dowling was described to be resistant to soybean aphids with the Rag1 gene for resistance. In 2006, a virulent biotype of soybean aphid in Ohio was reported to proliferate on soybeans with the Rag1 gene. The objective was to survey the occurrence of virulent aphid populations on soybean indicator lines across geographies and years. Nine soybean lines were identified on the basis of their degree of aphid resistance and their importance in breeding programs. Naturally occurring soybean aphid populations were collected in 10 states (Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) and the Canadian province of Ontario. The reproductive capacity of field‐collected soybean aphid populations was tested on soybean lines; growth rates were compared in no‐choice field cages at each geographic region across 3 yr. The occurrence of soybean aphid biotypes was highly variable from year to year and across environments. The frequency of Biotypes 2, 3, and 4 was 54, 18, and 7%, respectively, from the 28 soybean aphid populations collected across 3 yr and 11 environments. Plant introduction (PI) 567598B, a natural gene pyramid of rag1c and rag4, had lowest frequency of soybean aphid colonization (18%). Several factors may have contributed to the variability, including genetic diversity of soybean aphids, parthenogenicity, abundance of the overwintering host buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.), and migratory patterns of soybean aphids across the landscape.
Novel Polymorphic Expressed‐Sequence Tag–Simple‐Sequence Repeat Markers in Campeiostachys nutans for Genetic Diversity Analyses
Authors: Luo Dong , Zhou Qiang , Ma Lichao , Xie Wengang , Wang Yanrong , Hu Xiaowen , Liu Zhipeng
Published: September 2015

Campeiostachys nutans (Griseb.) J. L. Yang, B. R. Baum et C. Yen is a widely cultivated grass that is used for forage. Considering its limited genomic resources, there is a strong need to increase the available data on this species, which would allow for the identification of genes useful for molecular breeding and lead to increased crop quality and productivity. Complementary DNA (cDNA) samples from 11 different tissues were sequenced using Illumina paired‐end sequencing. A total of 106,220 unigenes were obtained via de novo assembly, and 82,863 (78.01%) unigenes were annotated based on similarity searches using known proteins. In addition, 8727 expressed sequence tag–simple‐sequence repeat (EST‐SSR) loci were identified. A subset of 480 EST‐SSRs was randomly synthesized and screened for validation across a panel of 16 C. nutans accessions using 48 individual plants, with 113 polymorphic EST‐SSRs generating 439 alleles. The number of alleles, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, and polymorphism information content ranged from three to nine, 0.00 to 1.00, 0.51 to 0.84, and 0.39 to 0.82, respectively. Overall, the C. nutans transcriptomic sequences generated in this study provide both an important platform that will facilitate gene discovery for functional genomic studies and EST‐SSR markers for use in breeding.
Financial Constraints and Cash Tax Savings
Authors: Edwards Alexander , Schwab Casey , Shevlin Terry
Published: September 2015

We investigate the association between financial constraints and cash savings generated through tax planning. We predict that an increase in financial constraints leads firms to increase internally generated funds via tax planning. We measure financial constraints based on changes in firm-specific and macroeconomic measures. We find that firms facing increases in financial constraints exhibit increases in cash tax planning. Our results indicate that among profitable firms, firm-years with the largest increases in firm-specific constraints are associated with declines in firms' cash effective tax rates ranging from 3.00 to 5.14 percent, which equate to between 2.87 and 4.82 percent of operating cash flows. We also find that (1) the impact of financial constraints on tax planning is greatest among firms with low cash reserves, and (2) constrained firms achieve a substantial portion of their current tax savings via deferral-based tax planning strategies, despite the lack of a financial statement benefit.

JEL Classifications: E69; H25; H60.

Data Availability: Data used in this study are available from public sources identified in the paper.
Discussion of: Collusive Accounting Supervision and Economic Culture
Authors: Gupta Gaurav
Published: September 2015

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen 1991) and the GLOBE study (House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman, and Gupta 2004), Cieslewicz (2016) examines accounting supervisors' intentions to influence and collude with their subordinates to manipulate accounting information. The influence of cultural variables of collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance on the research model is also examined. In addition to finding support for the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study finds that collectivism and power distance positively impact and uncertainty avoidance negatively impacts, accounting supervisors' intentions to engage in collusive supervision. In my comments below, I discuss some potential areas for improvement in research design, application of Theory of Planned Behavior, and conceptualization of culture at the individual level. I also discuss some potential research areas for researchers who aim to study accountants' behaviors and inculcate culture at different levels in the accounting research.
Development of Non-Invasive Cardiology in Nepal
Authors: Prajapati Dipanker
Published: September 2015

Nepalese Heart Journal 2015;12(2):61-63.
Association of different blood parameters with the early patency of Infarct related artery in ST elevation Myocardial Infarction, a comparative analysis
Authors: Manandhar Reeju , Sun Chaofeng
Published: September 2015

Background and Aims: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI), a severe form of coronary heart disease signifies total occlusion of a coronary artery leading to myocardial necrosis, however about 10-20% of patient’s presents with a patent infarct-related artery on the initial angiogram. The availability of reliable markers for prediction of patency in infarct-related artery is very limited.Methods: We conducted a single centered retrospective study of STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention, to determine how various factors such as blood parameters differ in patients with patent infarct related artery to patients with total occlusion at the time of initial angiography done within 24hours of onset of symptoms and how they affect in outcome of the disease.Results: Mean Platelets Volume level (11.96 fL vs. 10.92 fL, p < 0.001), Lp (a) level (179.57 nmol/l vs 141.16 nmol/l, p < 0.001), CK-MB (290.2 vs. 190.98, p < 0.001), total cholesterol level (4.11 mmol/L vs. 3.8 mmol/L, p < 0.02) in total occlusion group were higher than in the patent infarct related artery group. Wall motion abnormality was 77.2% for 203 patients with total occlusion group and 54.2% for 83 patients with patent infarct related artery group (p<0.01). Mean hospital stay days were higher in total occlusion group as compared to the patent infarct related artery group (p < 0.01).Conclusions: Mean Platelet Volume, Lipoprotien(a), Total cholesterol, and CK-MB levels may play role in predicting patency of Infarct related artery in STEMI.Nepalese Heart Journal 2015;12(2):73-77
UK Rave Culture and the Thatcherite Hegemony, 1988–94
Authors: John Henry R.L.
Published: September 2015

During the late Eighties and early Nineties a youth movement swept the United Kingdom, asserting an ethos of communalism, unity and hedonism radically different to the ‘New Right’ paradigm of the times. Whilst postmodernists have rejected the role of subculture in symbolically both mapping and resisting the machinations of the dominant culture, rave culture's ability to alternately contest and mimic Thatcherite ideology suggests that this dismissal may be unmerited. By employing Foucauldian theory regarding ‘heterotopias’ this paper seeks to demonstrate that youth movements and subcultures should remain in consideration as symbolic challenges and explorations of the hegemonic state ideology.
Manifestations of the Flying Dutchman: On Materializing Ghosts and (Not) Remembering the Colonial Past
Authors: Andeweg Agnes
Published: September 2015

This article investigates remediations of the Flying Dutchman legend – the story about a ghost ship doomed to sail the oceans forever – in English and Dutch sources from the nineteenth and twentieth century. It explains the popularity and wide dissemination of the Flying Dutchman by interpreting the story, firstly, within the context of Anglo-Dutch colonial competition and, secondly, within the context of new technological developments, paying particular attention to the moments when the Flying Dutchman seems to lose its spectral character and becomes a real object or person. Of the two interpretations of the spectre put forward here – staging colonial history versus staging technological advancement –, the second seems to be the more dominant throughout the history of continuous remediation and adaptation of the Flying Dutchman. When the ghost materializes, temporality is reversed: the focus shifts from the present's fraught relation to the past to the present's imagination of the future. In the dissemination of the figure itself however the colonial dimension is often still present.
Q-Switched Operation with Carbon-Based Saturable Absorbers in a Nd:YLF Laser
Authors: Weigand Rosa , Balmaseda Margarita , Pérez José
Published: September 2015

We have numerically studied the influence of the absorption modulation depth of carbon-based saturable absorbers (graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) on the Q-switched regime of a diode-pumped Nd:YLF laser. A short-length cavity was used with an end mirror on which CNTs or mono- or bi-layer graphene were deposited, forming a saturable absorber mirror (SAM). Using a standard model, the generated energy per pulse was calculated, as well as the pulse duration and repetition rate. The results show that absorbers with higher modulation depths, i.e., graphene, deliver higher energy pulses at lower repetition rates. However, the pulse duration did not have a monotonic behavior and reaches a minimum for a given low value of the modulation depth typical of CNTs.
Investigation on Hourly and Monthly Thermal Comfort in the Humid Tropics of Malaysia
Authors: Djamila Harimi , Ming Chu , Kumaresan Sivakumar
Published: September 2015

Investigations on hourly and monthly indoor neutral temperature variations in the humid tropics are limited in literature. In Malaysia, the variation of hourly outdoor mean temperature is slightly higher than the monthly mean temperature. Consequently, this leads to the hypothesis that the variation of hourly neutral temperatures might be higher than the monthly neutral temperatures. Understanding the impact of hourly and monthly temperature variation on thermal comfort will certainly provide the design direction of future indoor environments. In this study, extensive measurements from residential buildings were used to investigate the observed variation. Linear regression and Griffiths methods were explored for analyzing the results. There was almost no variation on hourly and monthly neutral temperatures within the range under study. Further research is highly recommended due to the limited data collection and the limitations of the employed methods. It is highly advised to further investigate the hourly temperature variation on thermal comfort during nighttime and early morning. This is for an accurate interpretation of the results.
Adaptive Thermal Comfort in Japanese Houses during the Summer Season: Behavioral Adaptation and the Effect of Humidity
Authors: Rijal Hom , Humphreys Michael , Nicol Fergus
Published: September 2015

In order to clarify effect of humidity on the room temperatures reported to be comfortable, an occupant thermal comfort and behavior survey was conducted for five summers in the living rooms and bedrooms of residences in the Kanto region of Japan. We have collected 13,525 thermal comfort votes from over 239 residents of 120 homes, together with corresponding measurements of room temperature and humidity of the air. The residents were generally well-satisfied with the thermal environment of their houses, with or without the use of air-conditioning, and thus were well-adapted to their thermal conditions. The humidity was found to have very little direct effect on the comfort temperature. However, the comfort temperature was strongly related to the reported skin moisture. Behavioral adaptation such as window opening and fan use increase air movement and improve thermal comfort.
Specialized Cilia in Mammalian Sensory Systems
Authors: Falk Nathalie , Lösl Marlene , Schröder Nadja , Gießl Andreas
Published: September 2015

Cilia and flagella are highly conserved and important microtubule-based organelles that project from the surface of eukaryotic cells and act as antennae to sense extracellular signals. Moreover, cilia have emerged as key players in numerous physiological, developmental, and sensory processes such as hearing, olfaction, and photoreception. Genetic defects in ciliary proteins responsible for cilia formation, maintenance, or function underlie a wide array of human diseases like deafness, anosmia, and retinal degeneration in sensory systems. Impairment of more than one sensory organ results in numerous syndromic ciliary disorders like the autosomal recessive genetic diseases Bardet-Biedl and Usher syndrome. Here we describe the structure and distinct functional roles of cilia in sensory organs like the inner ear, the olfactory epithelium, and the retina of the mouse. The spectrum of ciliary function in fundamental cellular processes highlights the importance of elucidating ciliopathy-related proteins in order to find novel potential therapies.
Towards Online Visualization and Interactive Monitoring of Real-Time CFD Simulations on Commodity Hardware
Authors: Koliha Nils , Janßen Christian , Rung Thomas
Published: September 2015

Real-time rendering in the realm of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in particular and scientific high performance computing (HPC) in general is a comparably young field of research, as the complexity of most problems with practical relevance is too high for a real-time numerical simulation. However, recent advances in HPC and the development of very efficient numerical techniques allow running first optimized numerical simulations in or near real-time, which in return requires integrated and optimized visualization techniques that do not affect performance. In this contribution, we present concepts, implementation details and several application examples of a minimally-invasive, efficient visualization tool for the interactive monitoring of 2D and 3D turbulent flow simulations on commodity hardware. The numerical simulations are conducted with ELBE, an efficient lattice Boltzmann environment based on NVIDIA CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), which provides optimized numerical kernels for 2D and 3D computational fluid dynamics with fluid-structure interactions and turbulence.
Electrically Rotatable Polarizer Using One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal with a Nematic Liquid Crystal Defect Layer
Authors: Ozaki Ryotaro , Ozaki Masanori , Yoshino Katsumi
Published: September 2015

Polarization characteristics of defect mode peaks in a one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal (PC) with a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) defect layer have been investigated. Two different polarized defect modes are observed in a stop band. One group of defect modes is polarized along the long molecular axis of the NLC, whereas another group is polarized along its short axis. Polarizations of the defect modes can be tuned by field-induced in-plane reorientation of the NLC in the defect layer. The polarization properties of the 1D PC with the NLC defect layer is also investigated by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation.
On Bootstrap Inference for Quantile Regression Panel Data: A Monte Carlo Study
Authors: Galvao Antonio , Montes-Rojas Gabriel
Published: September 2015

This paper evaluates bootstrap inference methods for quantile regression panel data models. We propose to construct confidence intervals for the parameters of interest using percentile bootstrap with pairwise resampling. We study three different bootstrapping procedures. First, the bootstrap samples are constructed by resampling only from cross-sectional units with replacement. Second, the temporal resampling is performed from the time series. Finally, a more general resampling scheme, which considers sampling from both the cross-sectional and temporal dimensions, is introduced. The bootstrap algorithms are computationally attractive and easy to use in practice. We evaluate the performance of the bootstrap confidence interval by means of Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the bootstrap methods have good finite sample performance for both location and location-scale models.
Numerical Analysis on the Stability of Hydraulic Fracture Propagation
Authors: Zhang Zhaobin , Li Xiao , He Jianming , Wu Yanfang , Zhang Bo
Published: September 2015

The formation of dense spacing fracture network is crucial to the hydraulic fracturing treatment of unconventional reservoir. However, one difficulty for fracturing treatment is the lack of clear understanding on the nature of fracture complexity created during the treatment. In this paper, fracture propagation is numerically investigated to find the conditions needed for the stable propagation of complex fracture network. Firstly, starting from a parallel fracture system, the stability of fracture propagation is analyzed and a dimensionless number M is obtained. Then, by developing a hydraulic fracturing simulation model based on displacement discontinuity method, the propagation of parallel fractures is simulated and a clear relation between M and the stability of parallel fractures is obtained. Finally, the investigation on parallel fractures is extended to complex fracture networks. The propagation of complex fracture networks is simulated and the results show that the effects of M on complex fracture networks is the same to that of parallel fractures. The clear relation between M and fracture propagation stability is important for the optimization of hydraulic fracturing operation.
Development of a Remote Monitoring System for Henhouse Environment Based on IoT Technology
Authors: Li Hua , Wang Huan , Yin Wenqing , Li Yongwei , Qian Yan , Hu Fei
Published: September 2015

To monitor multiple environmental factors of henhouses in modern chicken farms, a henhouse online monitoring system based on wireless sensor network was developed using wireless sensor technology and computer network technology. Sensor data compensation and correction were designed to be achieved using software and data fitting methods, data reliable transmission achieved using a data loss recovery strategy, and data missing during monitoring addressed using a self-decision and online filling method. Operation test of the system showed that: The system was economic and reliable; it enabled wireless monitoring and Web display of the environmental factors of a henhouse; and the root mean square errors (RMSEs) between the estimated values from the self-decision and on-line filling method and experimental values of the four environmental factors were 0.1698, 3.0859, 77 and 0.094, respectively, indicative of high estimation accuracy. The system can provide support for modern management of henhouses and can be transplanted to related monitoring scenarios in the agricultural field.
The Material and “Inner Life” in Music: Beethoven, Psychological Coherence, and Meaning
Authors: Eckerson Sara
Published: September 2015

Current studies on Adolph Bernhard Marx generally focus on Marx’s seminal texts in music theory and pedagogy, such as Die Lehre von der musikalischen Komposition, praktisch theoretisch (1837–1847) and Marx’s theory of sonata form, but they infrequently explore the philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of Marx’s criticism. The present essay will analyze a series of statements Marx wrote that address the aesthetic principles one should employ in descriptions of musical meaning, including “spiritual guidelines” (die geistigen Lenkfäden) and psychological coherence (des psychologischen Zusammenhangs). We will investigate Hegel’s influence on Marx’s thought, in addition to other contemporary philosophical positions, in relation to the themes of musical content, form, and the creative process. The study will aim to reveal the function of “spiritual guidelines” and specifically psychological coherence in aesthetics as the basis of a fresh look into musical meaning and ideal content in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Op. 125.
Fire Blight Control: The Struggle Goes On. A Comparison of Different Fire Blight Control Methods in Switzerland with Respect to Biosafety, Efficacy and Durability
Authors: Gusberti Michele , Klemm Urs , Meier Matthias , Maurhofer Monika , Hunger-Glaser Isabel
Published: September 2015

Fire blight (FB), caused by Erwinia amylovora, is one of the most important pome fruit pathogens worldwide. To control this devastating disease, various chemical and biological treatments are commonly applied in Switzerland, but they fail to keep the infection at an acceptable level in years of heavy disease pressure. The Swiss authorities therefore currently allow the controlled use of the antibiotic streptomycin against FB in years that are predicted to have heavy infection periods, but only one treatment per season is permitted. Another strategy for controlling Erwinia is to breed resistant/tolerant apple cultivars. One way of accelerating the breeding process is to obtain resistant cultivars by inserting one or several major resistance genes, using genetic engineering. To date, no study summarizing the impact of different FB control measures on the environment and on human health has been performed. This study consequently aims to compare different disease-control measures (biological control, chemical control, control by antibiotics and by resistant/tolerant apple cultivars obtained through conventional or molecular breeding) applied against E. amylovora, considering different protection goals (protection of human health, environment, agricultural diversity and economic interest), with special emphasis on biosafety aspects. Information on each FB control measure in relation to the specified protection goal was assessed by literature searches and by interviews with experts. Based on our results it can be concluded that the FB control measures currently applied in Switzerland are safe for consumers, workers and the environment. However, there are several gaps in our knowledge of the human health and environmental impacts analyzed: data are missing (1) on long term studies on the efficacy of most of the analyzed FB control measures; (2) on the safety of operators handling streptomycin; (3) on residue analyses of Equisetum plant extract, the copper and aluminum compounds used in apple production; and (4) on the effect of biological and chemical control measures on non-target fauna and flora. These gaps urgently need to be addressed in the near future.
Ecological Risk of Heavy Metals and a Metalloid in Agricultural Soils in Tarkwa, Ghana
Authors: Bortey-Sam Nesta , Nakayama Shouta , Akoto Osei , Ikenaka Yoshinori , Baidoo Elvis , Mizukawa Hazuki , Ishizuka Mayumi
Published: September 2015

Heavy metals and a metalloid in agricultural soils in 19 communities in Tarkwa were analyzed to assess the potential ecological risk. A total of 147 soil samples were collected in June, 2012 and analyzed for As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn. Mean concentrations (mg/kg dw) of heavy metals in the communities decreased in order of Zn (39) ˃ Cr (21) ˃ Pb (7.2) ˃ Cu (6.2) ˃ As (4.4) ˃ Ni (3.7) ˃ Co (1.8) ˃ Hg (0.32) ˃ Cd (0.050). Correlations among heavy metals and soil properties indicated that soil organic matter could have substantial influence on the total contents of these metals in soil. From the results, integrated pollution (Cdeg) in some communities such as, Wangarakrom (11), Badukrom (13) and T–Tamso (17) indicated high pollution with toxic metals, especially from As and Hg. Potential ecological risk (RI) indices indicated low (Mile 7) to high risks (Wangarakrom; Badukrom) of metals. Based on pollution coefficient (Cif), Cdeg, monomial ecological risk (Eir) and RI, the investigated soils fall within low to high contamination and risk of heavy metals to the ecological system especially plants, soil invertebrates and/or mammalian wildlife. This represented moderate potential ecological risk in the study area, and mining activities have played a significant role.
Ghrelin Attenuates Liver Fibrosis through Regulation of TGF-β1 Expression and Autophagy
Authors: Mao Yuqing , Zhang Shaoren , Yu Fujun , Li Huanqing , Guo Chuanyong , Fan Xiaoming
Published: September 2015

Ghrelin is a stomach-derived growth hormone secretagogue that promotes various physiological effects, including energy metabolism and amelioration of inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective mechanism of ghrelin against liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (2.0 mL/kg of 10% CCl4 v/v solution in peanut oil) two times per week for eight weeks. Ghrelin (10 μg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected two times per week for eight weeks. A second murine liver fibrosis model was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) and concurrent ghrelin administration for four weeks. Hematoxylin eosin (H&E), and Masson’s trichrome were used to detect pathological changes to liver tissue. Western blotting was used to detect protein levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, phosphorylated Smad3 (p-Smad3), I-collage, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) 1, phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB), and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3). In addition, qRT-PCR was used to detect mRNA levels of TGF-β1, I-collage, α-SMA, MMP2, TIMP1 and LC3, while levels of TGF-β1, p-Smad3, I-collage, α-SMA, and LC3 were detected immunohistochemically. Levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were significantly decreased by ghrelin treatment. Ghrelin administration also significantly reduced the extent of pathological changes in both murine liver fibrosis models. Expression levels of I-collage and α-SMA in both models were clearly reduced by ghrelin administration. Furthermore, ghrelin treatment decreased protein expression of TGF-β1 and p-Smad3. The protein levels of NF-κB and LC3 were increased in the CCl4- and BDL-treatment groups but were significantly reduced following ghrelin treatment. In addition, ghrelin inhibited extracellular matrix formation by decreasing NF-κB expression and maintaining the balance between MMP2 and TIMP1. Our results demonstrated that ghrelin attenuates liver fibrosis via inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad3 and NF-κB signaling pathways, as well as autophagy suppression.
Identification of Ramie Genes in Response to Pratylenchus coffeae Infection Challenge by Digital Gene Expression Analysis
Authors: Yu Yongting , Zeng Liangbin , Yan Zhun , Liu Touming , Sun Kai , Zhu Taotao , Zhu Aiguo
Published: September 2015

Root lesion disease, caused by Pratylenchus coffeae, seriously impairs the growth and yield of ramie, an important natural fiber crop. The ramie defense mechanism against P. coffeae infection is poorly understood, which hinders efforts to improve resistance via breeding programs. In this study, the transcriptome of the resistant ramie cultivar Qingdaye was characterized using Illumina sequence technology. About 46.3 million clean pair end (PE) reads were generated and assembled into 40,826 unigenes with a mean length of 830 bp. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis was performed on both the control roots (CK) and P. coffeae-challenged roots (CH), and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Approximately 10.16 and 8.07 million cDNA reads in the CK and CH cDNA libraries were sequenced, respectively. A total of 137 genes exhibited different transcript abundances between the two libraries. Among them, the expressions of 117 and 20 DEGs were up- and down-regulated in P. coffeae-challenged ramie, respectively. The expression patterns of 15 candidate genes determined by qRT-PCR confirmed the results of DGE analysis. Time-course expression profiles of eight defense-related genes in susceptible and resistant ramie cultivars were different after P. coffeae inoculation. The differential expression of protease inhibitors, pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs), and transcription factors in resistant and susceptible ramie during P. coffeae infection indicated that cystatin likely plays an important role in nematode resistance.
Gene Expression of Type VI Secretion System Associated with Environmental Survival in Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae by Principle Component Analysis
Authors: Cui Zhouqi , Jin Guoqiang , Li Bin , Kakar Kaleem , Ojaghian Mohammad , Wang Yangli , Xie Guanlin , Sun Guochang
Published: September 2015

Valine glycine repeat G (VgrG) proteins are regarded as one of two effectors of Type VI secretion system (T6SS) which is a complex multi-component secretion system. In this study, potential biological roles of T6SS structural and VgrG genes in a rice bacterial pathogen, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) RS-1, were evaluated under seven stress conditions using principle component analysis of gene expression. The results showed that growth of the pathogen was reduced by H2O2 and paraquat-induced oxidative stress, high salt, low temperature, and vgrG mutation, compared to the control. However, pathogen growth was unaffected by co-culture with a rice rhizobacterium Burkholderia seminalis R456. In addition, expression of 14 T6SS structural and eight vgrG genes was significantly changed under seven conditions. Among different stress conditions, high salt, and low temperature showed a higher effect on the expression of T6SS gene compared with host infection and other environmental conditions. As a first report, this study revealed an association of T6SS gene expression of the pathogen with the host infection, gene mutation, and some common environmental stresses. The results of this research can increase understanding of the biological function of T6SS in this economically-important pathogen of rice.
Drug Carrier for Photodynamic Cancer Therapy
Authors: Debele Tilahun , Peng Sydney , Tsai Hsieh-Chih
Published: September 2015

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive combinatorial therapeutic modality using light, photosensitizer (PS), and oxygen used for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. When PSs in cells are exposed to specific wavelengths of light, they are transformed from the singlet ground state (S0) to an excited singlet state (S1–Sn), followed by intersystem crossing to an excited triplet state (T1). The energy transferred from T1 to biological substrates and molecular oxygen, via type I and II reactions, generates reactive oxygen species, (1O2, H2O2, O2*, HO*), which causes cellular damage that leads to tumor cell death through necrosis or apoptosis. The solubility, selectivity, and targeting of photosensitizers are important factors that must be considered in PDT. Nano-formulating PSs with organic and inorganic nanoparticles poses as potential strategy to satisfy the requirements of an ideal PDT system. In this review, we summarize several organic and inorganic PS carriers that have been studied to enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy against cancer.
CRISPR-Cas9: A Revolutionary Tool for Cancer Modelling
Authors: Torres-Ruiz Raul , Rodriguez-Perales Sandra
Published: September 2015

The cancer-modelling field is now experiencing a conversion with the recent emergence of the RNA-programmable CRISPR-Cas9 system, a flexible methodology to produce essentially any desired modification in the genome. Cancer is a multistep process that involves many genetic mutations and other genome rearrangements. Despite their importance, it is difficult to recapitulate the degree of genetic complexity found in patient tumors. The CRISPR-Cas9 system for genome editing has been proven as a robust technology that makes it possible to generate cellular and animal models that recapitulate those cooperative alterations rapidly and at low cost. In this review, we will discuss the innovative applications of the CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate new models, providing a new way to interrogate the development and progression of cancers.
Impacts of Alternative Splicing Events on the Differentiation of Adipocytes
Authors: Lin Jung-Chun
Published: September 2015

Alternative splicing was found to be a common phenomenon after the advent of whole transcriptome analyses or next generation sequencing. Over 90% of human genes were demonstrated to undergo at least one alternative splicing event. Alternative splicing is an effective mechanism to spatiotemporally expand protein diversity, which influences the cell fate and tissue development. The first focus of this review is to highlight recent studies, which demonstrated effects of alternative splicing on the differentiation of adipocytes. Moreover, use of evolving high-throughput approaches, such as transcriptome analyses (RNA sequencing), to profile adipogenic transcriptomes, is also addressed.
Characterization, Quantification, and Determination of the Toxicity of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles to the Bone Marrow Cells
Authors: Paik Sae-Yeol-Rim , Kim Jong-Seok , Shin Sung , Ko Sanghoon
Published: September 2015

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been used to develop iron supplements for improving the bioavailability of iron in patients with iron deficiency, which is one of the most serious nutritional deficiencies in the world. Accurate information about the characteristics, concentration, and cytotoxicity of IONPs to the developmental and reproductive cells enables safe use of IONPs in the supplement industry. The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity of IONPs in bone marrow cells. We prepared three different types of iron samples (surface-modified iron oxide nanoparticles (SMNPs), IONPs, and iron citrate) and analyzed their physicochemical properties such as particle size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology. In addition, we examined the cytotoxicity of the IONPs in various kinds of bone marrow cells. We analyzed particle size distribution, zeta potential, iron levels, and subcellular localization of the iron samples in bone marrow cells. Our results showed that the iron samples were not cytotoxic to the bone marrow cells and did not affect the expression of cell surface markers and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced the secretion of cytokines by murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Our results may be used to investigate the interactions between nanoparticles and cells and tissues and the developmental toxicity of nanoparticles.
Differences in Judgments of Creativity: How Do Academic Domain, Personality, and Self-Reported Creativity Influence Novice Judges’ Evaluations of Creative Productions?
Authors: Tan Mei , Mourgues Catalina , Hein Sascha , MacCormick John , Barbot Baptiste , Grigorenko Elena
Published: September 2015

Intelligence assessment is often viewed as a narrow and ever-narrowing field, defined (as per IQ) by the measurement of finely distinguished cognitive processes. It is instructive, however, to remember that other, broader conceptions of intelligence exist and might usefully be considered for a comprehensive assessment of intellectual functioning. This article invokes a more holistic, systems theory of intelligence—the theory of successful intelligence—and examines the possibility of including in intelligence assessment a similarly holistic measure of creativity. The time and costs of production-based assessments of creativity are generally considered prohibitive. Such barriers may be mitigated by applying the consensual assessment technique using novice raters. To investigate further this possibility, we explored the question: how much do demographic factors such as age and gender and psychological factors such as domain-specific expertise, personality or self-perceived creativity affect novices’ unidimensional ratings of creativity? Fifty-one novice judges from three undergraduate programs, majoring in three disparate expertise domains (i.e., visual art, psychology and computer science) rated 40 child-generated Lego creatures for creativity. Results showed no differences in creativity ratings based on the expertise domains of the judges. However, judges’ personality and self-perception of their own everyday creativity appeared to influence the way they scored the creatures for creativity.
Small Molecule Targeting of Protein–Protein Interactions through Allosteric Modulation of Dynamics
Authors: Cossins Benjamin , Lawson Alastair
Published: September 2015

The protein–protein interaction (PPI) target class is particularly challenging, but offers potential for “first in class” therapies. Most known PPI small molecules are orthosteric inhibitors but many PPI sites may be fundamentally intractable to this approach. One potential alternative is to consider more attractive, remote small molecule pockets; however, on the whole, allostery is poorly understood and difficult to discover and develop. Here we review the literature in order to understand the basis for allostery, especially as it can apply to PPIs. We suggest that the upfront generation of sophisticated and experimentally validated dynamic models of target proteins can aid in target choice and strategy for allosteric intervention to produce the required functional effect.
Spectroscopic Study on the Interaction between Naphthalimide-Polyamine Conjugates and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)
Authors: Tian Zhi-Yong , Song Li-Na , Zhao Yuan , Zang Feng-Lei , Zhao Zhong-Hua , Chen Nan-Hao , Xu Xue-Jun , Wang Chao-Jie
Published: September 2015

The effect of a naphthalimide pharmacophore coupled with diverse substituents on the interaction between naphthalimide-polyamine conjugates 1–4 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by UV absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4). The observed spectral quenching of BSA by the compounds indicated that they could bind to BSA. Furthermore, caloric fluorescent tests revealed that the quenching mechanisms of compounds 1–3 were basically static type, but that of compound 4 was closer to a classical type. The Ksv values at room temperature for compound-BSA complexes-1-BSA, 2-BSA, 3-BSA and 4-BSA were 1.438 × 104, 3.190 × 104, 5.700 × 104 and 4.745 × 105, respectively, compared with the value of MINS, 2.863 × 104 at Ex = 280 nm. The obtained quenching constant, binding constant and thermodynamic parameter suggested that the binding between compounds 1–4 with BSA protein, significantly affected by the substituted groups on the naphthalene backbone, was formed by hydrogen bonds, and other principle forces mainly consisting of charged and hydrophobic interactions. Based on results from the analysis of synchronous three-dimensional ﬂuorescence and CD spectra, we can conclude that the interaction between compounds 1–4 and BSA protein has little impact on the BSA conformation. Calculated results obtained from in silico molecular simulation showed that compound 1 did not prefer either enzymatic drug sites I or II over the other. However, DSII in BSA was more beneficial than DSI for the binding between compounds 2–4 and BSA protein. The binding between compounds 1–3 and BSA was hydrophobic in nature, compared with the electrostatic interaction between compound 4 and BSA.
Stabilization of Urinary MicroRNAs by Association with Exosomes and Argonaute 2 Protein
Authors: Beltrami Cristina , Clayton Aled , Newbury Lucy , Corish Peter , Jenkins Robert , Phillips Aled , Fraser Donald , Bowen Timothy
Published: September 2015

A pressing need for new chronic kidney disease (CKD) biomarkers persists. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as a novel class of disease biomarkers in body fluids, but mechanisms conferring their stability in urine have not been fully elucidated. Here we investigated stabilization in human urine of ubiquitously expressed miR-16, and miR-192, which we have shown previously to be downregulated in renal fibrosis, by association with extracellular vesicles and with argonaute protein (AGO) 2. Endogenous urinary miR-16 was significantly more resistant to RNase-mediated degradation than exogenous, spiked-in, Caenorhabditis elegans cel-miR-39. We used our previously optimized high-resolution exosome isolation protocol with sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation to sub-fractionate the primary extracellular vesicle-rich urinary pellet. MiR-16 and miR-192 were enriched in exosomal sucrose gradient fractions, but were also detected in all other fractions. This suggested association of urinary miRNAs with other urinary extracellular vesicles and/or pellet components, complicating previous estimates of miRNA:exosome stoichiometry. Proteinase K digestion destabilized urinary miR-16 and we showed, for the first time, RNA-immunoprecipitation of urinary miR-16:AGO2 and miR-192:AGO2 complexes. Association with exosomes and AGO2 stabilized urinary miR-16 and miR-192, suggesting quantitative urinary miRNA analysis has the potential to identify novel, non-invasive CKD biomarkers.
Antibacterial Effects of Cinnamon: From Farm to Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries
Authors: Nabavi Seyed , Di Lorenzo Arianna , Izadi Morteza , Sobarzo-Sánchez Eduardo , Daglia Maria , Nabavi Seyed
Published: September 2015

Herbs and spices have been used since ancient times, because of their antimicrobial properties increasing the safety and shelf life of food products by acting against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. Plants have historically been used in traditional medicine as sources of natural antimicrobial substances for the treatment of infectious disease. Therefore, much attention has been paid to medicinal plants as a source of alternative antimicrobial strategies. Moreover, due to the growing demand for preservative-free cosmetics, herbal extracts with antimicrobial activity have recently been used in the cosmetic industry to reduce the risk of allergies connected to the presence of methylparabens. Some species belonging to the genus Cinnamomum, commonly used as spices, contain many antibacterial compounds. This paper reviews the literature published over the last five years regarding the antibacterial effects of cinnamon. In addition, a brief summary of the history, traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, and clinical impact of cinnamon is provided.
Qur’anic Interpretation and the Problem of Literalism: Ibn Rushd and the Enlightenment Project in the Islamic World
Authors: Sidiropoulou Chryssi
Published: September 2015

This article examines the claim that Ibn Rushd of Cordoba (“Averroës,” 12th century B.C.) is a precursor of the Enlightenment and a source of inspiration for the emancipation of contemporary Islamic societies. The paper critically discusses the fascination that Ibn Rushd has exercised on several thinkers, from Ernest Renan to Salman Rushdie, and highlights the problem of literalism in Qur’anic interpretation. Based on Ibn Rushd’s Decisive Treatise (Fasl al-maqāl), the paper investigates Ibn Rushd’s proposed division of (Muslim) society into three distinct classes. The main question here is whether there is a substantial link between the people of the Muslim community, given the three distinct kinds of assent (tasdīq) introduced by Ibn Rushd. I argue that if such a link cannot be supplied, then it is hard to see in Ibn Rushd an enlightened social model for today’s Muslim societies. Furthermore, that the great majority of people are prevented from having any contact with non-literal interpretation of the Scripture and non-revealed ways of thinking. The latter position, though, does not seem to bring Ibn Rushd close to the Enlightenment. My analysis of religious language is inspired by Wittgenstein’s position that the meaning of a term cannot be detached from its use. I suggest that given the different lives of people belonging to Ibn Rushd’s different classes, the terms they use can mean quite different things. This argument in fact weakens Ibn Rushd’s association with the Enlightenment.