bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Forming Regularity in Line Heating Process for Curved Hull Plate by Considering the Plate Deflection
Authors: Wang Shun , Wang Ji , Liu Yujun , Li Rui , Liu Xiao
Published: January 2018

Nowadays in most shipyards, line heating techniques are widely used in the forming process of hull plates. The precision and efficiency of the process are greatly influenced by the determination of technical parameters, including heating length, heating velocity, and the arrangement of heating line. Previous studies on this, which considered only local shrinkage, produced large errors in the calculation of thick and large curvature plates because the whole deformation was ignored. In this article, new mathematical formulas are proposed to indicate the relationship between the whole deflection and shrinkage during the plate-forming process by line heating. The numerical models were established based on the thermoelastic plastic finite element method considering the deflection. The reliability of the numerical models was verified by the comparison of temperature fields and displacement. Based on the analysis of forming regularity, a new concept named influence factor of deflection (IFD) was proposed from the analysis between deflection and shrinkage. The formulas were derived, which establishes the relation between the IFD and technical parameters. Finally, the experimental results showed that the relative percentage error is 5.13% for IFD, and the forming formulas were verified. The research lays a foundation for the technique of parameter prediction of thick and big curvature plates considering the deflection.

1. Introduction

The procedure of lofting, marking-off, pretreatment of steel plates, cutting, and welding has been automated in shipbuilding. Hull plate forming is the bottleneck of shipbuilding. There are numerous curved hull plates that need to be formed within the shipbuilding industry. Precision and efficiency are the technical difficulties in hull plate forming. It is very important to realize the automatic forming of curved hull plate. Line heating is an important method in hull plate forming, which mainly relies on the experience of the workers (Seong et al. 2013). The general processes are as follows. First, the technical parameters of hull plate forming are obtained based on the workers' experience. Then, hull plate forming is carried out manually by the workers. Last, plate forming quality is detected by using detection templates or a detection box. If plate forming cannot meet the requirements of the standards, the workers need to reform the plate, until it can meet the requirements. These procedures cause low efficiency and great fluctuation in forming quality. Therefore, it is essential to perform automatic line heating research.
The role of family functioning in parenting practices of court‐involved youth
Authors: Tolou‐Shams Marina , Brogan Leah , Esposito‐Smythers Christianne , Healy Meredith G. , Lowery Ashley , Craker Lacey , Brown Larry K.
Published: January 2018

Court‐involved youth engage in risky sex behaviors at higher rates than non‐offending peers and are at particular risk for adverse sexual health outcomes. Parenting practices, such as parent‐child sexual communication and parental monitoring, may protect court‐involved youth from engaging in risky sexual behavior. Parent psychological distress and family dysfunction may, however, compromise parenting practices for court‐involved youth. This study examined associations among parent mental health symptoms, family functioning, and parenting practices within 157 parent‐youth dyads who were court‐referred for mental health treatment. Results revealed that greater parent mental health symptoms were directly related to greater family dysfunction and indirectly associated with poorer parental monitoring through worse family functioning. Findings suggest that directly addressing parent mental health needs in family‐based adolescent sexual health programming for court‐involved youth may be effective in improving parent‐child relationships and family processes that support long term sexual health outcomes for adolescents.
Circulating metabolites and general cognitive ability and dementia: Evidence from 11 cohort studies
Authors: van der Lee Sven J. , Teunissen Charlotte E. , Pool René , Shipley Martin J. , Teumer Alexander , Chouraki Vincent , Melo van Lent Debora , Tynkkynen Juho , Fischer Krista , Hernesniemi Jussi , Haller Toomas , Singh‐Manoux Archana , Verhoeven Aswin , Willemsen Gonneke , de Leeuw Francisca A. , Wagner Holger , van Dongen Jenny , Hertel Johannes , Budde Kathrin , Willems van Dijk Ko , Weinhold Leonie , Ikram M. Arfan , Pietzner Maik , Perola Markus , Wagner Michael , Friedrich Nele , Slagboom P. Eline , Scheltens Philip , Yang Qiong , Gertzen Robert E. , Egert Sarah , Li Shuo , Hankemeier Thomas , van Beijsterveldt Catharina E.M. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Maier Wolfgang , Peeters Carel F.W. , Jörgen Grabe Hans , Ramirez Alfredo , Seshadri Sudha , Metspalu Andres , Kivimäki Mika , Salomaa Veikko , Demirkan Ayşe , Boomsma Dorret I. , van der Flier Wiesje M. , Amin Najaf , van Duijn Cornelia M.
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Identifying circulating metabolites that are associated with cognition and dementia may improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of dementia and provide crucial readouts for preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Methods

We studied 299 metabolites in relation to cognition (general cognitive ability) in two discovery cohorts (N total = 5658). Metabolites significantly associated with cognition after adjusting for multiple testing were replicated in four independent cohorts (N total = 6652), and the associations with dementia and Alzheimer's disease (N = 25,872) and lifestyle factors (N = 5168) were examined.

Results

We discovered and replicated 15 metabolites associated with cognition including subfractions of high‐density lipoprotein, docosahexaenoic acid, ornithine, glutamine, and glycoprotein acetyls. These associations were independent of classical risk factors including high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes. Six of the cognition‐associated metabolites were related to the risk of dementia and lifestyle factors.

Discussion

Circulating metabolites were consistently associated with cognition, dementia, and lifestyle factors, opening new avenues for prevention of cognitive decline and dementia.
How Hot Are They? Neural Correlates of Genital Arousal: An Infrared Thermographic and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Sexual Arousal in Men and Women
Authors: Parada Mayte , Gérard Marina , Larcher Kevin , Dagher Alain , Binik Yitzchak M.
Published: January 2018

Background

The few studies that have examined the neural correlates of genital arousal have focused on men and are methodologically hard to compare.

Aim

To investigate the neural correlates of peripheral physiologic sexual arousal using identical methodology for men and women.

Methods

2 groups (20 men, 20 women) viewed movie clips (erotic, humor) while genital temperature was continuously measured using infrared thermal imaging. Participants also continuously evaluated changes in their subjective arousal and answered discrete questions about liking the movies and wanting sexual stimulation. Brain activity, indicated by blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response, was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Outcomes

BOLD responses, genital temperature, and subjective sexual arousal.

Results

BOLD activity in a number of brain regions was correlated with changes in genital temperature in men and women; however, activation in women appeared to be more extensive than in men, including the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, right cerebellum, insula, frontal operculum, and paracingulate gyrus. Examination of the strength of the correlation between BOLD response and genital temperature showed that women had a stronger brain-genital relation compared with men in a number of regions. There were no brain regions in men with stronger brain-genital correlations than in women.

Clinical Translation

Our findings shed light on the neurophysiologic processes involved in genital arousal for men and women. Further research examining the specific brain regions that mediate our findings is necessary to pave the way for clinical application.

Strengths and Limitations

A strength of the study is the use of thermography, which allows for a direct comparison of the neural correlates of genital arousal in men and women. This study has the common limitations of most laboratory-based sexual arousal research, including sampling bias, lack of ecologic validity, and equipment limitations, and those common to neuroimaging research, including BOLD signal interpretation and neuroimaging analysis issues.

Conclusions

Our findings provide direct sex comparisons of the neural correlates of genital arousal in men and women and suggest that brain-genital correlations could be stronger in women.
Use of a Parabolic Microphone to Detect Hidden Subjects in Search and Rescue
Authors: Bowditch Nathaniel L. , Searing Stanley K. , Thomas Jeffrey A. , Thompson Peggy K. , Tubis Jacqueline N. , Bowditch Sylvia P.
Published: January 2018

Introduction

This study compares a parabolic microphone to unaided hearing in detecting and comprehending hidden callers at ranges of 322 to 2510 m.

Methods

Eight subjects were placed 322 to 2510 m away from a central listening point. The subjects were concealed, and their calling volume was calibrated. In random order, subjects were asked to call the name of a state for 5 minutes. Listeners with parabolic microphones and others with unaided hearing recorded the direction of the call (detection) and name of the state (comprehension).

Results

The parabolic microphone was superior to unaided hearing in both detecting subjects and comprehending their calls, with an effect size (Cohen’s d) of 1.58 for detection and 1.55 for comprehension. For each of the 8 hidden subjects, there were 24 detection attempts with the parabolic microphone and 54 to 60 attempts by unaided listeners. At the longer distances (1529–2510 m), the parabolic microphone was better at detecting callers (83% vs 51%; P<0.00001 by χ2) and comprehension (57% vs 12%; P<0.00001). At the shorter distances (322–1190 m), the parabolic microphone offered advantages in detection (100% vs 83%; P=0.000023) and comprehension (86% vs 51%; P<0.00001), although not as pronounced as at the longer distances.

Conclusions

Use of a 66-cm (26-inch) parabolic microphone significantly improved detection and comprehension of hidden calling subjects at distances between 322 and 2510 m when compared with unaided hearing. This study supports the use of a parabolic microphone in search and rescue to locate responsive subjects in favorable weather and terrain.
Brexit and Acquired Rights
Authors: Waibel Michael
Published: January 2018

On March 29, 2017, the U.K. Government triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) on withdrawal from the European Union following a referendum on June 23, 2016 in which 51.89 percent voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. As a hybrid provision, the much-discussed withdrawal provision in Article 50 TEU is part of EU law yet also anchored in public international law. Although the European Union is a unique, supranational organization that creates rights for individuals that are directly effective in national law, its member states created the European Union based on traditional treaties under international law.
Editorial
Authors: Fleming Jenny , Simpson Grahame
Published: January 2018

This issue of Brain Impairment celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment through an invited Guest editorial by Dr Jan Ewing. Dr Ewing was a founding member of ASSBI, authored the first president's address to be published in Brain Impairment (Volume 1, Issue 1), and is the long-term chair of the ASSBI Publications Committee. Dr Ewing draws upon her long experience to address the theme ‘looking behind to look ahead’ in the Guest Editorial. A poem composed by Dr Ewing, titled Reminiscence, celebrates the past 40 years of ASSBI and is reproduced in this special issue. The remainder of this issue consists of five original research papers addressing stroke, followed by the presidential address and the usual other elements of each year's final issue including the abstracts from the 2017 ASSBI conference.
Habitual dietary fibre intake influences gut microbiota response to an inulin-type fructan prebiotic: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over, human intervention study
Authors: Healey Genelle , Murphy Rinki , Butts Christine , Brough Louise , Whelan Kevin , Coad Jane
Published: January 2018

Dysbiotic gut microbiota have been implicated in human disease. Diet-based therapeutic strategies have been used to manipulate the gut microbiota towards a more favourable profile. However, it has been demonstrated that large inter-individual variability exists in gut microbiota response to a dietary intervention. The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether habitually low dietary fibre (LDF)v. high dietary fibre (HDF) intakes influence gut microbiota response to an inulin-type fructan prebiotic. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, thirty-four healthy participants were classified as LDF or HDF consumers. Gut microbiota composition (16S rRNA bacterial gene sequencing) and SCFA concentrations were assessed following 3 weeks of daily prebiotic supplementation (Orafti®Synergy 1; 16 g/d) or placebo (Glucidex®29 Premium; 16 g/d), as well as after 3 weeks of the alternative intervention, following a 3-week washout period. In the LDF group, the prebiotic intervention led to an increase inBifidobacterium(P=0·001). In the HDF group, the prebiotic intervention led to an increase inBifidobacterium(P<0·001) andFaecalibacterium(P=0·010) and decreases inCoprococcus(P=0·010), Dorea(P=0·043) andRuminococcus(Lachnospiraceae family) (P=0·032). This study demonstrates that those with HDF intakes have a greater gut microbiota response and are therefore more likely to benefit from an inulin-type fructan prebiotic than those with LDF intakes. Future studies aiming to modulate the gut microbiota and improve host health, using an inulin-type fructan prebiotic, should take habitual dietary fibre intake into account.
The God Came to Me in a Dream: Epiphanies in Voluntary Associations as a Context for Paul's Vision of Christ
Authors: Rollens Sarah E.
Published: January 2018

Much of the written evidence for Greco-Roman associations provides information about meeting frequency, group activities, venues for gathering, and membership requirements. At the same time, many inscriptions and papyri also contain short narratives that directly contribute to the common identity of the association. These narrative elements often take the form of a vision, a dream, or an oracle that a patron receives that encourages him or her to found the association or direct its practices in some way. I suggest in this article that many of Paul's audiences would have received his story about encountering the risen Christ as rather commonplace given the frequency of these similar claims among voluntary associations. In other words, the article explores how Paul's (mainly non-Judean) audiences would have slotted his claims into their cultural repertoire of ideas, especially if they considered his Christ group to be just like the many other associations with which they were already familiar. Association inscriptions offer an important collection of examples that can be analyzed alongside Paul's claim to have seen the risen Christ.
Regular and Agency Workers: Attitudes and Resistance in Chinese Auto Joint Ventures
Authors: Chen Yiu Por (Vincent) , Chan Anita
Published: January 2018

This paper focuses on agency workers in China's auto industry. Some scholars foresee that this new category of workers, particularly in the auto industry, will play a leading role in global labour resistance. In this context, we conducted a questionnaire survey of 483 regular and agency workers at five major auto joint ventures in China and compared their work conditions, job satisfaction and willingness to take collective actions. Based on these findings, we argue that these companies have good reasons to keep the gap in wages and in work conditions small. This, along with management practices inherited from the Maoist system, can mitigate workers' dissatisfaction and reduce their tendency to take militant actions.
Lamin A/C augments Th1 differentiation and response against vaccinia virus and Leishmania major
Authors: Toribio-Fernández Raquel , Zorita Virginia , Rocha-Perugini Vera , Iborra Salvador , Martínez del Hoyo Gloria , Chevre Raphael , Dorado Beatriz , Sancho David , Sanchez-Madrid Francisco , Andrés Vicente , Gonzalez-Granado Jose-Maria
Published: January 2018

Differentiation of naive CD4+ T-cells into functionally distinct T helper (Th) subsets is critical to immunity against pathogen infection. Little is known about the role of signals emanating from the nuclear envelope for T-cell differentiation. The nuclear envelope protein lamin A/C is induced in naive CD4+ T-cells upon antigen recognition and acts as a link between the nucleus and the plasma membrane during T-cell activation. Here we demonstrate that the absence of lamin A/C in naive T-cell reduces Th1 differentiation without affecting Th2 differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, Rag1
−/−
mice reconstituted with Lmna
−/−
CD4+CD25
−
T-cells and infected with vaccinia virus show weaker Th1 responses and viral removal than mice reconstituted with wild-type T-cells. Th1 responses and pathogen clearance upon Leishmania major infection were similarly diminished in mice lacking lamin A/C in the complete immune system or selectively in T-cells. Lamin A/C mediates Th1 polarization by a mechanism involving T-bet and IFNγ production. Our results reveal a novel role for lamin A/C as key regulator of Th1 differentiation in response to viral and intracellular parasite infections.
Quantum engine efficiency bound beyond the second law of thermodynamics
Authors: Niedenzu Wolfgang , Mukherjee Victor , Ghosh Arnab , Kofman Abraham G. , Kurizki Gershon
Published: January 2018

According to the second law, the efficiency of cyclic heat engines is limited by the Carnot bound that is attained by engines that operate between two thermal baths under the reversibility condition whereby the total entropy does not increase. Quantum engines operating between a thermal and a squeezed-thermal bath have been shown to surpass this bound. Yet, their maximum efficiency cannot be determined by the reversibility condition, which may yield an unachievable efficiency bound above unity. Here we identify the fraction of the exchanged energy between a quantum system and a bath that necessarily causes an entropy change and derive an inequality for this change. This inequality reveals an efficiency bound for quantum engines energised by a non-thermal bath. This bound does not imply reversibility, unless the two baths are thermal. It cannot be solely deduced from the laws of thermodynamics.
A versatile MOF-based trap for heavy metal ion capture and dispersion
Authors: Peng Yaguang , Huang Hongliang , Zhang Yuxi , Kang Chufan , Chen Shuangming , Song Li , Liu Dahuan , Zhong Chongli
Published: January 2018

Current technologies for removing heavy metal ions are typically metal ion specific. Herein we report the development of a broad-spectrum heavy metal ion trap by incorporation of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid into a robust metal-organic framework. The capture experiments for a total of 22 heavy metal ions, covering hard, soft, and borderline Lewis metal ions, show that the trap is very effective, with removal efficiencies of >99% for single-component adsorption, multi-component adsorption, or in breakthrough processes. The material can also serve as a host for metal ion loading with arbitrary selections of metal ion amounts/types with a controllable uptake ratio to prepare well-dispersed single or multiple metal catalysts. This is supported by the excellent performance of the prepared Pd2+-loaded composite toward the Suzuki coupling reaction. This work proposes a versatile heavy metal ion trap that may find applications in the fields of separation and catalysis.
Uncovering the anticancer mechanism of Compound Kushen Injection against HCC by integrating quantitative analysis, network analysis and experimental validation
Authors: Gao Li , Wang Ke-xin , Zhou Yu-zhi , Fang Jian-song , Qin Xue-mei , Du Guan-hua
Published: January 2018

Compound Kushen Injection (CKI) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preparation that has been clinically used in China to treat various types of solid tumours. Although several studies have revealed that CKI can inhibit the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, the active compounds, potential targets and pathways involved in these effects have not been systematically investigated. Here, we proposed a novel idea of “main active compound-based network pharmacology” to explore the anti-cancer mechanism of CKI. Our results showed that CKI significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration of SMMC-7721 cells. Four main active compounds of CKI (matrine, oxymatrine, sophoridine and N-methylcytisine) were confirmed by the integration of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) with cell proliferation assays. The potential targets and pathways involved in the anti-HCC effects of CKI were predicted by a network pharmacology approach, and some of the crucial proteins and pathways were further validated by western blotting and metabolomics approaches. Our results indicated that CKI exerted anti-HCC effects via the key targets MMP2, MYC, CASP3, and REG1A and the key pathways of glycometabolism and amino acid metabolism. These results provide insights into the mechanism of CKI by combining quantitative analysis of components, network pharmacology and experimental validation.
Premature recruitment of oocyte pool and increased mTOR activity in Fmr1 knockout mice and reversal of phenotype with rapamycin
Authors: Mok-Lin E. , Ascano M. , Serganov A. , Rosenwaks Z. , Tuschl T. , Williams Z.
Published: January 2018

While mutations in the fragile X mental retardation-1 (FMR1) gene are associated with varying reproductive outcomes in females, the effects of a complete lack of FMR1 expression are not known. Here, we studied the ovarian and reproductive phenotypes in an Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse model and the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Breeding, histologic and mTOR signaling data were obtained at multiple time points in KO and wild type (WT) mice fed a control or rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor) diet. KO mice showed an earlier decline in ovarian reserve than WT mice with an increased proportion of activated follicles. mTOR and phosphorylated S6 kinase (p-S6K) levels, a measure of downstream mTOR signaling, were elevated in the KO ovaries. Rapamycin blocked these effects in KO mice, and increased the primordial follicle pool and age of last litter in WT mice. Our data demonstrates an early decline in reproductive capacity in Fmr1 KO mice and proposes that premature recruitment of the primordial pool via altered mTOR signaling may be the mechanism. Reversal of phenotypes and protein levels in rapamycin-treated KO mice, as well as increased reproductive lifespan of rapamycin-fed WT mice, suggest the mTOR pathway as a potential therapeutic target.
Iron-induced calcification in human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells through interleukin-24 (IL-24), with/without TNF-alpha
Authors: Kawada Sayuri , Nagasawa Yasuyuki , Kawabe Mutsuki , Ohyama Hideki , Kida Aritoshi , Kato-Kogoe Nahoko , Nanami Masayoshi , Hasuike Yukiko , Kuragano Takahiro , Kishimoto Hiromitsu , Nakasho Keiji , Nakanishi Takeshi
Published: January 2018

In CKD patients, arteriosclerotic lesions, including calcification, can occur in vascular smooth muscle cells in a process called Moenckeberg’s medial arteriosclerosis. Iron overload induces several complications, including the acceleration of arteriosclerosis. However, the relationship between Moenckeberg’s arteriosclerosis in vascular smooth muscle cells and iron accumulation has remained unknown. We tested the accelerated effect of iron on calcification in cultured human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). After establishment of this model, we performed a microarray analysis using mRNA from early stage culture HASMCs after iron stimulation with or without TNF-alpha stimulation. The role of interleukin-24 (IL-24) was confirmed from candidate genes that might contribute to calcification. HASMCs demonstrated calcification induced by iron and TNF-alpha. Calcification of HASMCs was synergistically enhanced by stimulation with both iron and TNF-alpha. In the early phase of calcification, microarray analysis revealed up-regulation of IL-24. Stimulation of HASMCs by IL-24 instead of iron induced calcification. The anti-IL-24 antibody reversed the effect of IL-24, supporting the important role of IL-24 in HASMCs calcification. In conclusion, iron-induced calcification in vascular smooth muscle cells occurred via IL-24, IL-24 was increased during the calcification process induced by iron, and IL-24 itself caused calcification in the absence of iron.
Empirical study of physicochemical and spectral properties of CuII-containing chelate-based ionic liquids
Authors: Wei Huidan , Wang Yongtao , Yao Jia , Li Haoran
Published: January 2018

The structure–property relations of chelate-based ionic liquids were systematically explored through the study of physicochemical and spectral properties.
Synthesis and reactivity of an anionic allenylidene complex
Authors: Hill Anthony F. , Manzano Richard A.
Published: January 2018

The reaction of [W(CCCSiMe3)(CO)2(Tp*)] (Tp* = hydrotris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) with MeLi generates the first example of an anionic allenylidene complex Li[W(CCCMeSiMe3)(CO)2(Tp*)] which reacts with electrophiles (H+, Me+) at the β-carbon to afford vinylcarbyne complexes and with bromineviaoxidative C–C coupling at the β-carbon.
Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of a series of new platinum and palladium diphosphane complexes
Authors: Cullinane Carleen , Deacon Glen B. , Drago Penny R. , Erven Anja P. , Junk Peter C. , Luu Jenny , Meyer Gerd , Schmitz Simon , Ott Ingo , Schur Julia , Webster Lorraine K. , Klein Axel
Published: January 2018

Organometallic complexes with diphosphane, diolefin, and polyfluorinated aryl ligands R were synthesised and tested for antiproliferative activity.
5′-Vitamin B12 derivatives suitable for bioconjugation via the amide bond
Authors: Jackowska A. , Chromiński M. , Giedyk M. , Gryko D.
Published: January 2018

Vitamin B12 derivatives bearing either the amino or the carboxylic group at the 5′-position were synthesised hence enabling conjugation of therapeutics to vitamin B12via the amide bond.
Low-achieving students’ attitudes towards learning chemistry and chemistry teaching methods
Authors: Kousa P. , Kavonius R. , Aksela M.
Published: January 2018

The aims of this study were to determine low-achieving students’ attitudes towards chemistry and how the attitudes differ within a low achieving group. The most preferred teaching methods were also defined. Empirical data (n= 2949) were collected by stratified sampling from fifteen-year-old Finnish lower-secondary school students as part of a Finnish National Board of Education assessment. The students were divided into five groups according to their achievement in the chemistry-exam. 159 of the students who had deficient exam results were defined as low-achieving (LA) students, and within that group non-native speakers, students with special needs and gender were selected as the background variables. Boys, non-native speakers and those who had special support had more positive attitudes towards chemistry within the LA group. The most preferred teaching methods in the low-achieving group were (i) visiting companies, institutes, museums and exhibitions; (ii) using the internet, videos, magazines and books for studying and (iii) small group working. According to the LA students their teachers should take more into account their wishes for teaching methods. This study suggests that more positive attitudes could lead to a better achievement when the teaching methods are preferred by most of the students. This paper proposes some ideas for both teachers and teacher training.
Revisiting paradigms of Ca2+ signaling protein kinase regulation in plants
Authors: Bender Kyle W. , Zielinski Raymond E. , Huber Steven C.
Published: January 2018

Calcium (Ca2+) serves as a universal second messenger in eukaryotic signal transduction. Understanding the Ca2+ activation kinetics of Ca2+ sensors is critical to understanding the cellular signaling mechanisms involved. In this review, we discuss the regulatory properties of two sensor classes: the Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CPKs/CDPKs) and the calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins that control the activity of CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) and identify emerging topics and some foundational points that are not well established experimentally. Most plant CPKs are activated by physiologically relevant Ca2+ concentrations except for those with degenerate EF hands, and new results suggest that the Ca2+-dependence of kinase activation may be modulated by both protein–protein interactions and CPK autophosphorylation. Early results indicated that activation of plant CPKs by Ca2+ occurred by relief of autoinhibition. However, recent studies of protist CDPKs suggest that intramolecular interactions between CDPK domains contribute allosteric control to CDPK activation. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms regulating plant CPKs. With CBL–CIPKs, the two major activation mechanisms are thought to be (i) binding of Ca2+-bound CBL to the CIPK and (ii) phosphorylation of residues in the CIPK activation loop. However, the relative importance of these two mechanisms in regulating CIPK activity is unclear. Furthermore, information detailing activation by physiologically relevant [Ca2+] is lacking, such that the paradigm of CBLs as Ca2+ sensors still requires critical, experimental validation. Developing models of CPK and CIPK regulation is essential to understand how these kinases mediate Ca2+ signaling and to the design of experiments to test function in vivo.
Back to the future: new target-validated Rab antibodies for evaluating LRRK2 signalling in cell biology and Parkinson's disease
Authors: Eyers Patrick A.
Published: January 2018

The addition of phosphate groups to substrates allows protein kinases to regulate a myriad of biological processes, and contextual analysis of protein-bound phosphate is important for understanding how kinases contribute to physiology and disease. Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is a Ser/Thr kinase linked to familial and sporadic cases of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent work established that multiple Rab GTPases are physiological substrates of LRRK2, with Rab10 in particular emerging as a human substrate whose site-specific phosphorylation mirrors hyperactive LRRK2 lesions associated with PD. However, current assays to quantify Rab10 phosphorylation are expensive, time-consuming and technically challenging. In back-to-back studies reported in the Biochemical Journal, Alessi and colleagues teamed up with clinical colleagues and collaborators at the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) for Parkinson's research to develop, and validate, a panel of exquisitely sensitive phospho-specific Rab antibodies. Of particular interest, the monoclonal antibody-designated MJFF-pRAB10 detects phosphorylated Rab 10 on Thr73 in a variety of cells, brain extracts, PD-derived samples and human neutrophils, the latter representing a previously unrecognised biological resource for LRRK2 signalling analysis. In the future, these antibodies could become universal resources in the fight to understand and quantify connections between LRRK2 and Rab proteins, including those associated with clinical PD.
Evolution of tools and methods for monitoring autophagic flux in mammalian cells
Authors: Yang Kevin C. , Sathiyaseelan Paalini , Ho Cally , Gorski Sharon M.
Published: January 2018

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved lysosome-mediated degradation and recycling process, which functions in cellular homeostasis and stress adaptation. The process is highly dynamic and involves autophagosome synthesis, cargo recognition and transport, autophagosome–lysosome fusion, and cargo degradation. The multistep nature of autophagy makes it challenging to quantify, and it is important to consider not only the number of autophagosomes within a cell but also the autophagic degradative activity. The rate at which cargos are recognized, segregated, and degraded through the autophagy pathway is defined as autophagic flux. In practice, methods to measure autophagic flux typically evaluate the lysosome-mediated cargo degradation step by leveraging known autophagy markers such as MAP1LC3B (microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3 beta) or lysosome-dependent fluorescent agents. In this review, we summarize the tools and methods used in mammalian cultured cells pertaining to these two approaches, and highlight innovations that have led to their evolution in recent years. We also discuss the potential limitations of these approaches and recommend using a combination of strategies and multiple different autophagy markers to reliably evaluate autophagic flux in mammalian cells.
The importance of the photosynthetic Gibbs effect in the elucidation of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle
Authors: Ebenhöh Oliver , Spelberg Stephanie
Published: January 2018

The photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle, or Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle, is now contained in every standard biochemistry textbook. Although the cycle was already proposed in 1954, it is still the subject of intense research, and even the structure of the cycle, i.e. the exact series of reactions, is still under debate. The controversy about the cycle's structure was fuelled by the findings of Gibbs and Kandler in 1956 and 1957, when they observed that radioactive 14CO2 was dynamically incorporated in hexoses in a very atypical and asymmetrical way, a phenomenon later termed the ‘photosynthetic Gibbs effect’. Now, it is widely accepted that the photosynthetic Gibbs effect is not in contradiction to the reaction scheme proposed by CBB, but the arguments given have been largely qualitative and hand-waving. To fully appreciate the controversy and to understand the difficulties in interpreting the Gibbs effect, it is illustrative to illuminate the history of the discovery of the CBB cycle. We here give an account of central scientific advances and discoveries, which were essential prerequisites for the elucidation of the cycle. Placing the historic discoveries in the context of the modern textbook pathway scheme illustrates the complexity of the cycle and demonstrates why especially dynamic labelling experiments are far from easy to interpret. We conclude by arguing that it requires sound theoretical approaches to resolve conflicting interpretations and to provide consistent quantitative explanations.
The molecular basis of immune regulation in autoimmunity
Authors: Yang Shu-Han , Gao Cai-yue , Li Liang , Chang Christopher , Leung Patrick S.C. , Gershwin M. Eric , Lian Zhe-Xiong
Published: January 2018

Autoimmune diseases can be triggered and modulated by various molecular and cellular characteristics. The mechanisms of autoimmunity and the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases have been investigated for several decades. It is well accepted that autoimmunity is caused by dysregulated/dysfunctional immune susceptible genes and environmental factors. There are multiple physiological mechanisms that regulate and control self-reactivity, but which can also lead to tolerance breakdown when in defect. The majority of autoreactive T or B cells are eliminated during the development of central tolerance by negative selection. Regulatory cells such as Tregs (regulatory T) and MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells), and molecules such as CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4) and IL (interleukin) 10 (IL-10), help to eliminate autoreactive cells that escaped to the periphery in order to prevent development of autoimmunity. Knowledge of the molecular basis of immune regulation is needed to further our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of loss of tolerance in autoimmune diseases and pave the way for the development of more effective, specific, and safer therapeutic interventions.
Ideal neighbourhood mask for speech enhancement
Authors: Arcos C.D. , Vellasco M. , Alcaim A.
Published: January 2018

A novel approach for speech enhancement applications by applying spectral mask estimation is introduced. The new application uses the local binary patterns to estimate an ideal neighbourhood mask. This will indicate which time–frequency units of the noisy speech are dominated by the noise. The performance assessment of the proposed application in conjunction with the traditional mask techniques, i.e. ideal binary mask and ideal ratio mask, are carried out under various environments in terms of the objective speech quality measures, as well as word error rate performance in speech recognition systems using deep neural networks. Results indicated that the proposed mask yielded significantly better performance than the conventional techniques.
Curvelet‐based multiscale denoising using non‐local means & guided image filter
Authors: Panigrahi Susant Kumar , Gupta Supratim , Sahu Prasanna K.
Published: January 2018

This study presents an image denoising technique using multiscale non‐local means (NLM) filtering combined with hard thresholding in curvelet domain. The inevitable ringing artefacts in the reconstructed image – due to thresholding – is further processed using a guided image filter for better preservation of local structures like edges, textures and small details. The authors decomposed the image into three different curvelet scales including the approximation and the fine scale. The low‐frequency noise in the approximation sub‐band and the edges with small textural details in the fine scale are processed independently using a multiscale NLM filter. On the other hand, the hard thresholding in the remaining coarser scale is applied to separate the signal and the noise subspace. Experimental results on both greyscale and colour images indicate that the proposed approach is competitive at lower noise strength with respect to peak signal to noise ratio and structural similarity index measure and excels in performance at higher noise strength compared with several state‐of‐the‐art algorithms.
SIW slot antenna for passive measurement of thermal anomalies in biological tissues
Authors: Ravi Vidyalakshmi M. , Arunachalam Kavitha
Published: January 2018

A body contacting substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) slot antenna with 1 GHz cut‐off frequency is presented for deep tissue thermometry. The SIW is shorted at one end and fed by an exponentially tapered microstrip line with a defected ground structure. An inclined (137°) off‐centred, asymmetric twin slot (23.3×3 mm2) etched on the SIW ground plane is optimised for resonance at 1.3 GHz and directional power deposition over 1.2–1.4 GHz. Antenna measurements indicate >10 dB return loss and high immunity to ambient electromagnetic interference. Antenna brightness temperature measurements indicate the ability to detect a 10 mm diameter hot spot with a temperature rise of 0.6°C at 45 mm depth from the phantom surface.
Laboratory tests on an near‐field to far‐field transformation technique from non‐redundant bi‐polar data
Authors: D'Agostino Francesco , Ferrara Flaminio , Gennarelli Claudio , Guerriero Rocco , Migliozzi Massimo
Published: January 2018

An experimental verification of a fast and accurate technique, which allows the evaluation of the antenna radiation pattern from a non‐redundant, i.e. minimum, number of near‐field (NF) measurements acquired via a bi‐polar scan, is provided in this study. This probe compensated NF‐to‐far‐field (NFTFF) transformation exploits a non‐redundant sampling representation of the voltage acquired by the probe, achieved by shaping the antenna with a double bowl, a very flexible model particularly tailored to antennas characterised by a quasi‐planar geometry. The input NF data necessary for executing the standard plane‐rectangular NFTFF transformation are efficiently recovered from the acquired non‐redundant bi‐polar ones by applying a two‐dimensional optimal sampling interpolation formula, so that a remarkable measurement time saving is attained. Some results of laboratory proofs performed at the Antenna Characterization Lab of the University of Salerno are reported to demonstrate the accuracy and the practical effectiveness of the presented NFTFF transformation technique.
Phase‐reshaping strategy for enhancing grid‐connected inverter robustness to grid impedance
Authors: Lin Zhou , Chen Zheng , Yajuan Liu , Bin Li , Jinhong Liu , Bao Xie
Published: January 2018

As the grid inductor increases the phase difference between the inverter admittance and the grid admittance increases at their intersection frequency showing that the harmonic amplification coefficient is enhanced. When the phase difference exceeds 180° the admittance ratio cannot satisfy Nyquist criterion and the system becomes unstable. To address this problem a phase‐reshaping strategy aiming to revise the phase of the inverter admittance in a wide frequency region without using any real‐time information referring to the grid impedance or the resonant frequency is proposed. The strategy is realised by the combination of the feedforward of the voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC) and the harmonic compensators. In the feedforward, a phase lag network is employed to modify the admittance phase in a wide frequency region. The harmonic compensator in parallel to the current controller is used to offset the magnitude rise brought in by the PCC voltage feedforward. After adopting the proposed strategy, the upper limit of the phase difference is constrained at 150° and the magnitude of the inverter admittance is lower than that of the original one at low‐order odd‐harmonic frequency. The validity of the proposed strategy is verified by the experimental results.
Two harmonic analysis of short circuit current in wind farm
Authors: Shifeng Zhang , Yunlei Yang , Xiao Chang , Min Zhang , Shengwen Li , Jinhao Wang , Da Lei , Huipeng Li , Long Xu
Published: January 2018

With the increase of capacity and the improvement of economy, doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG) is gradually becoming the most widely used wind power generator in the world. DFIG has different characteristics of transient operation from the synchronous generator and its short‐circuit current is affected by the converter control mode, thus when there is a voltage sags occurs, the short‐circuit current of the wind farm may contain a certain amount of two harmonic. Power transformer is one of the most important power equipment in power system and the normal or not of transformer protection determines the safe and stable operation of power system. At present, the main protection of transformer is longitudinal differential protection. In order to correctly identify the inrush current, it is usually equipped with two harmonic braking measures to ensure the reliable operation of differential protection. Therefore, when the transformer failure occurs in wind farm, the protection may refuse to operate due to the reason that the short‐circuit current contains a certain amount of two harmonic. Focused on the large‐scale application of DFIG and the lack of the short‐circuit current harmonic characteristics analysis, this work is devoted to the study of two harmonic characteristics and their influence on transformer protection when the grid voltage occurs in a non‐depth drop. Through the analysis of the short‐circuit current, harmonic components under different control modes of converter research the characteristics and production mechanism of the two harmonic currents of the doubly‐fed wind power generator. This also lays a solid foundation for the improvement of transformer protection. Finally, the correctness of the analysis is verified by the experiments of short‐circuit and time‐domain simulation.
Kinetics and equilibrium studies of the adsorption of methylene blue on Euryale ferox shell‐based activated carbon
Authors: Zhang Haiyan , Liu Yangai , Wu Xiaowen , Jin Xiaozhao , Zhang Zhijie , Zhao Hang , Liu Jia , Huang Zhaohui , Fang Minghao , Min Xin
Published: January 2018

Euryale ferox shells were used to prepare activated carbon (AC) by physiochemical activation using potassium hydroxide as the activation agent at 800°C for 2 h. The as‐prepared AC surface area was 2028 m2 g−1, while the average pore diameter and total pore volume were 3.425 nm and 0.98 cm3 g−1, respectively. The equilibrium and kinetics for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) on E. ferox shell‐based AC were investigated at 20°C. The equilibrium data for MB adsorption were in agreement with Langmuir equation, and the maximum adsorption value was 617 mg g−1. Adsorption was denoted by two simplified kinetic models, pseudo‐first‐order and pseudo‐second‐order equations, respectively. The MB adsorption was well fitted to the pseudo‐second‐order model. Thermodynamics parameters were calculated and discussed and the adsorption of MB on E. ferox shell‐based AC was exothermic and spontaneous.
Interfused nanofibres network in scalable manufacturing of polymeric fibres via multi‐nozzle electrospinning
Authors: Al‐Mezrakchi Ruaa Yaseen Hammoudi , Naraghi Mohammad
Published: January 2018

The authors have studied the formation of an interfused network of nanofibres in multiple‐needle electrospinning, a phenomenon reported here for the first time to their knowledge. Their study points to the significant role of humidity in controlling the morphology of nanofibre ensemble in electrospinning: when the humidity is sufficiently low, entangled mat of nanofibres with little or no interfusion between them are formed. However, at sufficiently high humidity, electrospun jets diffused into each other, forming a network of interfused fibres. The onset of jet interfusion during electrospinning is notable with naked eyes. The humidity that corresponds to the onset of the jet interfusion is referred to as the humidity threshold. They studied the formation of the nanofibre interfusion, and the relationships between humidity threshold and nanofibre diameters with processing parameters. They then presented a theory which explains the formation of the interfused network of fibres in terms of water condensation on the jets due to evaporative cooling. The presented approach allows for direct (one‐step) fabrication of high surface area interfused nanofibre network without post‐processing. This unique fibre structure can have significant implications on fibre applications for air and water filtering, where the structural integrity of the filter matters.