bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moving Average Market Timing in European Energy Markets: Production Versus Emissions
Authors: Chang Chia-Lin , Ilomäki Jukka , Laurila Hannu , McAleer Michael
Published: November 2018

This paper searches for stochastic trends and returns predictability in key energy asset markets in Europe over the last decade. The financial assets include Intercontinental Exchange Futures Europe (ICE-ECX) carbon emission allowances (the main driver of interest), European Energy Exchange (EEX) Coal ARA futures and ICE Brent oil futures (reflecting the two largest energy sources in Europe), Stoxx600 Europe Oil and Gas Index (the main energy stock index in Europe), EEX Power Futures (representing electricity), and Stoxx600 Europe Renewable Energy index (representing the sunrise energy industry). This paper finds that the Moving Average (MA) technique beats random timing for carbon emission allowances, coal, and renewable energy. In these asset markets, there seems to be significant returns predictability of stochastic trends in prices. The results are mixed for Brent oil, and there are no predictable trends for the Oil and Gas index. Stochastic trends are also missing in the electricity market as there is an ARFIMA-FIGARCH process in the day-ahead power prices. The empirical results are interesting for several reasons. We identified the data generating process in EU electricity prices as fractionally integrated (0.5), with a fractionally integrated Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) process in the residual. This is a novel finding. The order of integration of order 0.5 implies that the process is not stationary but less non-stationary than the non-stationary I(1) process, and that the process has long memory. This is probably because electricity cannot be stored. Returns predictability with MA rules requires stochastic trends in price series, indicating that the asset prices should obey the I(1) process, that is, to facilitate long run returns predictability. However, all the other price series tested in the paper are I(1)-processes, so that their returns series are stationary. The empirical results are important because they give a simple answer to the following question: When are MA rules useful? The answer is that, if significant stochastic trends develop in prices, long run returns are predictable, and market timing performs better than does random timing.
Analysis, Design, and Implementation of Improved LLC Resonant Transformer for Efficiency Enhancement
Authors: Zhao Zhenxing , Xu Qianming , Dai Yuxing , Yin Hanhang
Published: November 2018

In battery charging applications, the charger changes its output voltage in a wide range during the charging process. This makes the design of LLC converters difficult to be optimized between the efficiency and the gain range. In this paper, an improved resonant transformer is presented for LLC resonant converter charger to improve the gain adjustment and charger efficiency. The resonant inductance and magnetizing inductance are integrated in the designed LLC transformer, and the magnetizing inductance can be adjusted dynamically with the change of output voltage and load, which is realized by a switch-controlled inductor (SCI) parallel to the secondary winding of transformer. The proposed transformer has 22.4% reduction in losses under full load conditions compared to conventional solutions. Moreover, the conduction loss and switching loss of LLC resonant tank are reduced by dynamically adjusting the magnetizing inductance, which improves the comprehensive efficiency of the whole charging process. The proposed transformer design is verified on a 720 W prototype.
Current Situation and Future Perspectives of the Romanian Renewable Energy
Authors: Cîrstea Ştefan Dragoş , Martiş Claudia Steluţa , Cîrstea Andreea , Constantinescu-Dobra Anca , Fülöp Melinda Timea
Published: November 2018

In 2015, Romania was the first country in Europe that achieved EU targets regarding the share of renewables in the generation mix, far ahead of the 2020 deadline. Starting with the energy structure in Romania, the paper: (1) analyses the evolution of the main indicators in the renewable energy sector, (2) discloses the perspectives of renewable energy in Romania synthesizing the main trends of development in the field, and (3) analyses the challenges facing with the development of renewable energy in Romania. Based on analyzing the exploratory data, the paper makes a preliminary prediction of the development of the sector for future decades and proposes targeted countermeasures and suggestions. Romania still has unexploited potential concerning renewable energy sources. Since Romania registered continuous economic growth, the demand for electricity is steadily growing, and this trend is expected to continue. Additionally, Romania could introduce a support mechanism for developing the potential of unexploited existing resources. The results of the present study may be useful for further research regarding public policies for the development of renewable energy. Furthermore, it can represent a useful analysis in order to identify future trends of renewable energy in Romania.
A Bi-Directional LSTM-CNN Model with Attention for Aspect-Level Text Classification
Authors: Zhu Yonghua , Gao Xun , Zhang Weilin , Liu Shenkai , Zhang Yuanyuan
Published: November 2018

The prevalence that people share their opinions on the products and services in their daily lives on the Internet has generated a large quantity of comment data, which contain great business value. As for comment sentences, they often contain several comment aspects and the sentiment on these aspects are different, which makes it meaningless to give an overall sentiment polarity of the sentence. In this paper, we introduce Attention-based Aspect-level Recurrent Convolutional Neural Network (AARCNN) to analyze the remarks at aspect-level. The model integrates attention mechanism and target information analysis, which enables the model to concentrate on the important parts of the sentence and to make full use of the target information. The model uses bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) to build the memory of the sentence, and then CNN is applied to extracting attention from memory to get the attentive sentence representation. The model uses aspect embedding to analyze the target information of the representation and finally the model outputs the sentiment polarity through a softmax layer. The model was tested on multi-language datasets, and demonstrated that it has better performance than conventional deep learning methods.
Adequacy of Data Sources for Investigation of Tertiary Education Student’s Wellbeing in Australia: A Scoping Review
Authors: Partridge Stephanie R. , Howse Eloise , Llewellyn Gwynnyth , Allman-Farinelli Margaret
Published: November 2018

Young adulthood is a period of transition, which for many includes higher education. Higher education is associated with specific risks to wellbeing. Understanding the available data on wellbeing in this group may help inform the future collection of data to inform policy and practice in the sector. This scoping review aimed to identify the availability of data sources on the wellbeing of the Australian young adult population who are attending tertiary education. Using the methods of Arksey and O’Malley, data from three primary sources, i.e., Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and relevant longitudinal studies, were identified. Data sources were screened and coded, and relevant information was extracted. Key data for eight areas related to wellbeing, namely, family and community, health, education and training, work, economic wellbeing, housing, crime and justice, and culture and leisure sources were identified. Forty individual data sets from 16 surveys and six active longitudinal studies were identified. Two data sets contained seven of the areas of wellbeing, of which one was specific to young adults in tertiary education, while the other survey was not limited to young adults. Both data sets lacked information concerning crime and justice variables, which have recently been identified as being of major concern among Australian university students. We recommend that government policy address the collection of a comprehensive data set encompassing each of the eight areas of wellbeing to inform future policy and practice.
Parenting Style and Reactive and Proactive Adolescent Violence: Evidence from Spain
Authors: Moreno-Ruiz David , Estévez Estefanía , Jiménez Teresa I. , Murgui Sergio
Published: November 2018

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the parenting styles—authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian, and neglectful—and reactive and proactive school violence among peers. These analyses were also performed by sex and age groups. The sample consisted of 2399 Spanish adolescents (50.2% male), aged between 12 and 18 years, mean (M) = 14.69, standard deviation (SD) = 1.82. A multivariate analisys of variance (MANOVA, 4 × 2 × 2) was applied, considering parenting style, sex, and age group (12–14 and 15–18 years) as independent variables to analyze the possible effects of interaction. Reactive, proactive, and pure violence were the dependent variables. The results showed the main effects of parenting styles, sex, and age, as well as an interaction between sex, age, and parenting styles. The interpretation of the findings suggested that the authoritarian parenting style was related to greater engagement in proactive and reactive violent behaviors. In relation to the effect of the interaction between sex, age, and parenting styles, it was observed that adolescents from indulgent families, of both sexes and in any of the studied age groups, obtained lower scores in proactive violence. The discussion highlights the importance of affection and warmth for well-adjusted children’s behavior.
Optimization of County-Level Land Resource Allocation through the Improvement of Allocation Efficiency from the Perspective of Sustainable Development
Authors: Tang Lijing , Wang Dongyan
Published: November 2018

Land resources provide stable support for economic development in China. However, due to the scarcity of land, the contradiction between agricultural land protection and construction land expansion is prominent. Under such circumstances, optimal allocation of land resources between agricultural and nonagricultural uses is vitally important. In view of the fact that land resources are indispensable inputs for production activities in agricultural and nonagricultural sectors, reducing the efficiency loss of land resource allocation between agricultural and nonagricultural uses is the only way to optimize the process. Counties are the basic administrative units in China, and their improvement of allocation efficiency will help optimize nationwide land resource allocation. This paper constructs models for estimating county-level land resource allocation efficiency from the perspective of sustainable development and searches for countermeasures to improve allocation efficiency. W County is used as an example to demonstrate how to choose these targeted countermeasures. It is concluded that the best way to optimize county-level land resource allocation between agricultural and nonagricultural uses can be found by estimating allocation efficiency from the perspective of sustainable development.
Mobile Measurements of Particulate Matter in a Car Cabin: Local Variations, Contrasting Data from Mobile versus Stationary Measurements and the Effect of an Opened versus a Closed Window
Authors: Dröge Janis , Müller Ruth , Scutaru Cristian , Braun Markus , Groneberg David A.
Published: November 2018

Air pollution of particulate matter (PM) from traffic emissions has a significant impact on human health. Risk assessments for different traffic participants are often performed on the basis of data from local air quality monitoring stations. Numerous studies demonstrated the limitation of this approach. To assess the risk of PM exposure to a car driver more realistically, we measure the exposure to PM in a car cabin with a mobile aerosol spectrometer in Frankfurt am Main under different settings (local variations, opened versus a closed window) and compare it with data from stationary measurement. A video camera monitored the surroundings for potential PM source detection. In-cabin concentrations peaked at 508 µg m−3 for PM10, 133.9 µg m−3 for PM2.5, and 401.3 µg m−3 for coarse particles, and strongly depended on PM size and PM concentration in ambient air. The concentration of smaller particles showed low fluctuations, but the concentration of coarse particles showed high fluctuations with maximum values on busy roads. Several of these concentration peaks were assigned to the corresponding sources with characteristic particle size distribution profiles. The closure of the car window reduced the exposure to PM, and in particular to coarse particles. The mobile measured PM values differed significantly from stationary PM measures, although good correlations were computed for finer particles. Mobile rather than stationary measurements are essential to assess the risk of PM exposure for car passengers.
Assessment of Risk, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change by the Health Sector in Madagascar
Authors: Rakotoarison Norohasina , Raholijao Nirivololona , Razafindramavo Lalao Madeleine , Rakotomavo Zo Andrianina Patrick Herintiana , Rakotoarisoa Alain , Guillemot Joy Shumake , Randriamialisoa Zazaravaka Jacques , Mafilaza Victor , Ramiandrisoa Voahanginirina Anne Marie Pierrette , Rajaonarivony Rhino , Andrianjafinirina Solonomenjanahary , Tata Venance , Vololoniaina Manuela Christophère , Rakotomanana Fanjasoa , Raminosoa Volahanta Malala
Published: November 2018

Madagascar is cited as one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, with significant impacts to the health of its population. In this study, the vulnerability of Madagascar’s health sector to climate change was assessed and appropriate adaptation measures were identified. In order to assess climate risks, vulnerability and identify adaptation options, the Madagascar Ministry of Public Health as well as the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service worked in close collaboration with a team of local experts to conduct a literature review, field surveys, and analyses of current and future climate and health trends. Four climate-sensitive diseases of primary concern are described in the study: acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrhea, malnutrition, and malaria. Baseline conditions of these four diseases from 2000 to 2014 show acute respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases are increasing in incidence; while incidence of malnutrition and malaria decreased over this period. To assess future impacts in Madagascar, this baseline information was used with climate projections for the two scenarios—RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5—for the periods 2016–2035, 2036–2070 and 2071–2100. Future climate conditions are shown to exacerbate and increase the incidence of all four climate sensitive diseases. Further analysis of the exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to the climate hazards suggests that the health sector in four regions of Madagascar is particularly vulnerable. The study recommends adaptation measures to improve the monitoring and early warning systems for climate sensitive diseases, as well as to reduce population vulnerability.
Effect of Acute Stress on the Expression of BDNF, trkB, and PSA-NCAM in the Hippocampus of the Roman Rats: A Genetic Model of Vulnerability/Resistance to Stress-Induced Depression
Authors: Serra Maria , Poddighe Laura , Boi Marianna , Sanna Francesco , Piludu Maria , Sanna Fabrizio , Corda Maria , Giorgi Osvaldo , Quartu Marina
Published: November 2018

The Roman High-Avoidance (RHA) and the Roman Low-Avoidance (RLA) rats, represent two psychogenetically-selected lines that are, respectively, resistant and prone to displaying depression-like behavior, induced by stressors. In the view of the key role played by the neurotrophic factors and neuronal plasticity, in the pathophysiology of depression, we aimed at assessing the effects of acute stress, i.e., forced swimming (FS), on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its trkB receptor, and the Polysialilated-Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (PSA-NCAM), in the dorsal (dHC) and ventral (vHC) hippocampus of the RHA and the RLA rats, by means of western blot and immunohistochemical assays. A 15 min session of FS elicited different changes in the expression of BDNF in the dHC and the vHC. In RLA rats, an increment in the CA2 and CA3 subfields of the dHC, and a decrease in the CA1 and CA3 subfields and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the vHC, was observed. On the other hand, in the RHA rats, no significant changes in the BDNF levels was seen in the dHC and there was a decrease in the CA1, CA3, and DG of the vHC. Line-related changes were also observed in the expression of trkB and PSA-NCAM. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the differences in the BDNF/trkB signaling and neuroplastic mechanisms are involved in the susceptibility of RLA rats and resistance of RHA rats to stress-induced depression.
G Proteins and GPCRs in C. elegans Development: A Story of Mutual Infidelity
Authors: Matúš Daniel , Prömel Simone
Published: November 2018

Many vital processes during C. elegans development, especially the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in embryogenesis, are controlled by complex signaling pathways. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), such as the four Frizzled family Wnt receptors, are linchpins in regulating and orchestrating several of these mechanisms. However, despite being GPCRs, which usually couple to G proteins, these receptors do not seem to activate classical heterotrimeric G protein-mediated signaling cascades. The view on signaling during embryogenesis is further complicated by the fact that heterotrimeric G proteins do play essential roles in cell polarity during embryogenesis, but their activity is modulated in a predominantly GPCR-independent manner via G protein regulators such as GEFs GAPs and GDIs. Further, the triggered downstream effectors are not typical. Only very few GPCR-dependent and G protein-mediated signaling pathways have been unambiguously defined in this context. This unusual and highly intriguing concept of separating GPCR function and G-protein activity, which is not restricted to embryogenesis in C. elegans but can also be found in other organisms, allows for essential and multi-faceted ways of regulating cellular communication and response. Although its relevance cannot be debated, its impact is still poorly discussed, and C. elegans is an ideal model to understand the underlying principles.
Fibrin as a Tissue Adhesive and Scaffold with an Angiogenic Agent (FGF-1) to Enhance Burn Graft Healing In Vivo and Clinically
Authors: Feldman Dale S. , Osborne Scott
Published: November 2018

There is a need for a strategy to reduce scarring in meshed skin graft healing leading to a better cosmetic result without a significant increase in cost. The strategy in this paper is to increase the closure rate of a meshed skin graft to reduce scarring, which should also decrease the infection rate. Specifically, we used fibrin glue to attach all parts of the graft to the wound bed and added in an angiogenic growth factor and made the fibrin porous to further help the growth of blood vessels from the wound bed into the graft. There was a 10-day animal study and a one-month clinical study. Neither making the fibrin porous or adding an angiogenic agent (i.e., fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1)) seemed to make a significant improvement in vivo or clinically. The use of fibrin on a meshed skin graft appears to speed up the regenerative healing rate leading to less scarring in the holes in the mesh. It appears to shorten the healing time by five days and keep the tissue stiffness close to normal levels vs. the doubling of the stiffness by the controls. A larger clinical study, however, is needed to definitively prove this benefit as well as the mechanism for this improvement.
Border Handling for 2D Transpose Filter Structures on an FPGA
Authors: Bailey Donald G. , Ambikumar Anoop S.
Published: November 2018

It is sometimes desirable to implement filters using a transpose-form filter structure. However, managing image borders is generally considered more complex than it is with the more commonly used direct-form structure. This paper explores border handling for transpose-form filters, and proposes two novel mechanisms: transformation coalescing, and combination chain modification. For linear filters, coefficient coalescing can effectively exploit the digital signal processing blocks, resulting in the smallest resources requirements. Combination chain modification requires similar resources to direct-form border handling. It is demonstrated that the combination chain multiplexing can be split into two stages, consisting of a combination network followed by the transpose-form combination chain. The resulting transpose-form border handling networks are of similar complexity to the direct-form networks, enabling the transpose-form filter structure to be used where required. The transpose form is also significantly faster, being automatically pipelined by the filter structure. Of the border extension methods, zero-extension requires the least resources.
Energy Harvesting from a Thermoelectric Zinc Antimonide Thin Film under Steady and Unsteady Operating Conditions
Authors: Mirhosseini Mojtaba , Rezania Alireza , Iversen Bo , Rosendahl Lasse
Published: November 2018

In practice, there are some considerations to study stability, reliability, and output power optimization of a thermoelectric thin film operating dynamically. In this study stability and performance of a zinc antimonide thin film thermoelectric (TE) specimen is evaluated under transient with thermal and electrical load conditions. Thermoelectric behavior of the specimen and captured energy in each part of a thermal cycle are investigated. Glass is used as the substrate of the thin film, where the heat flow is parallel to the length of the thermoelectric element. In this work, the thermoelectric specimen is fixed between a heat sink exposed to the ambient temperature and a heater block. The specimen is tested under various electrical load cycles during a wide range of thermal cycles. The thermal cycles are provided for five different aimed temperatures at the hot junction, from 160 to 350 °C. The results show that the specimen generates approximately 30% of its total electrical energy during the cooling stage and 70% during the heating stage. The thin film generates maximum power of 8.78, 15.73, 27.81, 42.13, and 60.74 kW per unit volume of the thermoelectric material (kW/m3), excluding the substrate, corresponding to hot side temperature of 160, 200, 250, 300, and 350 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the results indicate that the thin film has high reliability after about one thousand thermal and electrical cycles, whereas there is no performance degradation.
Correlation between the Microstructures of Bonding Interfaces and the Shear Strength of Cu-to-Cu Joints Using (111)-Oriented and Nanotwinned Cu
Authors: Juang Jing-Ye , Lu Chia-Ling , Li Yu-Jin , Tu K. N. , Chen Chih
Published: November 2018

Highly (111)-oriented Cu pillar-bumps were bonded to highly (111)-oriented Cu films at temperatures ranging from 200 °C/100 °C to 350 °C/100 °C in N2 ambient conditions. The microstructures of the bonded interfaces affected the shear strength performance of the bonded Cu joints. The bonded interfaces at 300 °C/100 °C and 350 °C/100 °C had far fewer voids than interfaces bonded at 200 °C/100 °C and 250 °C/100 °C. In addition, grain growth took place across the bonding interfaces at temperatures above 300 °C/100 °C. The corresponding orientation map (OIM) showed the preferred orientation of large grown grains to be <100>. Shear tests revealed that the fracture mode was brittle for joints bonded at 200 °C/100 °C, but became ductile after bonded above 300 °C/100 °C. Based on the results, we found that voids and grain growth behavior play import roles in the shear strength performance of bonded Cu joints.
Pressure Effect of the Vibrational and Thermodynamic Properties of Chalcopyrite-Type Compound AgGaS2: A First-Principles Investigation
Authors: Yang Jianhui , Fan Qiang , Yu You , Zhang Weibin
Published: November 2018

To explore the structural, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of the chalcopyrite-type compound AgGaS2 under pressure, we applied hydrostatic pressure to the relaxed compound based on the first principles calculation and quasi-harmonic approximation. The structural parameters, including lattice constants and bond lengths decrease monotonically with the increasing pressure. The phonon dispersion curves under various pressures reveal the structural phase transition of chalcopyrite-type compound AgGaS2 at about 4 GPa. The intrinsic mechanism of thermal conductivity for the chalcopyrite-type compound AgGaS2 has been shown with phonon anharmonicity. The frequencies of the optical phonons at the center point Γ of the first Brillouin zone were calculated with the longitudinal optical–transverse optical (LO–TO) splitting mode. The dependence of the frequencies of the optical phonons on the pressure provides the information for the Raman spectroscopic study under high pressure. The pressure dependence of the Grüneisen parameters indicates that the instability of chalcopyrite-type compound AgGaS2 is associated with the softening of the acoustic phonon modes at around the center point Γ. The thermal conductivity for chalcopyrite-type compound AgGaS2 could be reduced by applying external pressure. The various thermodynamic properties, such as the Helmholtz free energy, entropy, and heat capacity, at different temperatures and pressures were discussed and analyzed based on the phonon properties.
The Effect and Associate Mechanism of Nano SiO2 Particles on the Diffusion Behavior of Water in Insulating Oil
Authors: Tian Wenxin , Tang Chao , Wang Qian , Zhang Shiling , Yang Yali
Published: November 2018

Moisture has a significant effect on the internal insulation performance of transformers, and is closely related to the breakdown voltage of transformer insulating oil. In the present work, we studied the effect of nano-SiO2 particles on the diffusion of water in insulating naphthenic mineral oil using molecular dynamics simulation. Six models were established, three of which contained nano-SiO2 particles together with water concentration of 1 wt.%, 2 wt.%, or 3 wt.%. For each model variations in free volume, mean square displacement, and interaction energy were assessed. The addition of nano SiO2 particles was found to reduce the free volume fraction of the model and as well as the free motion of water molecules in the oil. These particles also increased the interaction between the oil and water molecules, indicating that insulating oil containing nano-particles has a greater binding effect on water. The diffusion coefficient of water in oil containing nano-SiO2 particles was reduced, such that water molecules were less likely to diffuse. The results also show that these particles adsorb water molecules in the oil and to reduce diffusion. Consequently, the addition nano-scale SiO2 particles could potentially improve the breakdown voltage of the insulating oil.
Some Properties of the Fuss–Catalan Numbers
Authors: Qi Feng , Cerone Pietro
Published: November 2018

In the paper, the authors express the Fuss–Catalan numbers as several forms in terms of the Catalan–Qi function, find some analytic properties, including the monotonicity, logarithmic convexity, complete monotonicity, and minimality, of the Fuss–Catalan numbers, and derive a double inequality for bounding the Fuss–Catalan numbers.
Algorithm for Probabilistic Dual Hesitant Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Based on Aggregation Operators with New Distance Measures
Authors: Garg Harish , Kaur Gagandeep
Published: November 2018

Probabilistic dual hesitant fuzzy set (PDHFS) is an enhanced version of a dual hesitant fuzzy set (DHFS) in which each membership and non-membership hesitant value is considered along with its occurrence probability. These assigned probabilities give more details about the level of agreeness or disagreeness. By emphasizing the advantages of the PDHFS and the aggregation operators, in this manuscript, we have proposed several weighted and ordered weighted averaging and geometric aggregation operators by using Einstein norm operations, where the preferences related to each object is taken in terms of probabilistic dual hesitant fuzzy elements. Several desirable properties and relations are also investigated in details. Also, we have proposed two distance measures and its based maximum deviation method to compute the weight vector of the different criteria. Finally, a multi-criteria group decision-making approach is constructed based on proposed operators and the presented algorithm is explained with the help of the numerical example. The reliability of the presented decision-making method is explored with the help of testing criteria and by comparing the results of the example with several prevailing studies.
Family of Enneper Minimal Surfaces
Authors: Güler Erhan
Published: November 2018

We consider a family of higher degree Enneper minimal surface E m for positive integers m in the three-dimensional Euclidean space E 3 . We compute algebraic equation, degree and integral free representation of Enneper minimal surface for m = 1 , 2 , 3 . Finally, we give some results and relations for the family E m .
Cytotoxic Potential of the Novel Horseshoe Crab Peptide Polyphemusin III
Authors: Marggraf Mariana B. , Panteleev Pavel V. , Emelianova Anna A. , Sorokin Maxim I. , Bolosov Ilia A. , Buzdin Anton A. , Kuzmin Denis V. , Ovchinnikova Tatiana V.
Published: November 2018

Biological activity of the new antimicrobial peptide polyphemusin III from the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus was examined against bacterial strains and human cancer, transformed, and normal cell cultures. Polyphemusin III has the amino acid sequence RRGCFRVCYRGFCFQRCR and is homologous to other β-hairpin peptides from the horseshoe crab. Antimicrobial activity of the peptide was evaluated and MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) values were determined. IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) values measured toward human cells revealed that polyphemusin III showed a potent cytotoxic activity at concentrations of <10 μM. Polyphemusin III caused fast permeabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane of human leukemia cells HL-60, which was measured with trypan blue exclusion assay and lactate dehydrogenase-release assay. Flow cytometry experiments for annexin V-FITC/ propidium iodide double staining revealed that the caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK, did not abrogate disruption of the plasma membrane by polyphemusin III. Our data suggest that polyphemusin III disrupts the plasma membrane integrity and induces cell death that is apparently not related to apoptosis. In comparison to known polyphemusins and tachyplesins, polyphemusin III demonstrates a similar or lower antimicrobial effect, but significantly higher cytotoxicity against human cancer and transformed cells in vitro.
Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Performance of Half-Heusler Compounds
Authors: Poon S. Joseph
Published: November 2018

Half-Heusler phases (space group F 4 ¯ 3 m , C1b) have recently captured much attention as promising thermoelectric materials for heat-to-electric power conversion in the mid-to-high temperature range. The most studied ones are the RNiSn-type half-Heusler compounds, where R represents refractory metals Hf, Zr, and Ti. These compounds have shown a high-power factor and high-power density, as well as good material stability and scalability. Due to their high thermal conductivity, however, the dimensionless figure of merit (zT) of these materials has stagnated near 1 for a long time. Since 2013, the verifiable zT of half-Heusler compounds has risen from 1 to near 1.5 for both n- and p-type compounds in the temperature range of 500–900 °C. In this brief review, we summarize recent advances as well as approaches in achieving the high zT reported. In particular, we discuss the less-exploited strain-relief effect and dopant resonant state effect studied by the author and his collaborators in more detail. Finally, we point out directions for further development.
Inclusion Body Bead Size in E. coli Controlled by Physiological Feeding
Authors: Kopp Julian , Slouka Christoph , Strohmer Daniel , Kager Julian , Spadiut Oliver , Herwig Christoph
Published: November 2018

The Gram-negative bacterium E. coli is the host of choice for producing a multitude of recombinant proteins relevant in the pharmaceutical industry. Generally, cultivation is easy, media are cheap, and a high product titer can be obtained. However, harsh induction procedures combined with the usage of IPTG (isopropyl β-d-1 thiogalactopyranoside) as an inducer are often believed to cause stress reactions, leading to intracellular protein aggregates, which are so known as so-called inclusion bodies (IBs). Downstream applications in bacterial processes cause the bottleneck in overall process performance, as bacteria lack many post-translational modifications, resulting in time and cost-intensive approaches. Especially purification of inclusion bodies is notoriously known for its long processing times and low yields. In this contribution, we present screening strategies for determination of inclusion body bead size in an E. coli-based bioprocess producing exclusively inclusion bodies. Size can be seen as a critical quality attribute (CQA), as changes in inclusion body behavior have a major effect on subsequent downstream processing. A model-based approach was used, aiming to trigger a distinct inclusion body size: Physiological feeding control, using qs,C as a critical process parameter, has a high impact on inclusion body size and could be modelled using a hyperbolic saturation mechanism calculated in form of a cumulated substrate uptake rate. Within this model, the sugar uptake rate of the cells, in the form of the cumulated sugar uptake-value, was simulated and considered being a key performance indicator for determination of the desired size. We want to highlight that the usage of the mentioned screening strategy in combination with a model-based approach will allow tuning of the process towards a certain inclusion body size using a qs based control only. Optimized inclusion body size at the time-point of harvest should stabilize downstream processing and, therefore, increase the overall time-space yield. Furthermore, production of distinct inclusion body size may be interesting for application as a biocatalyst and nanoparticulate material.
Effects of Kisspeptin-10 on Hypothalamic Neuropeptides and Neurotransmitters Involved in Appetite Control
Authors: Orlando Giustino , Leone Sheila , Ferrante Claudio , Chiavaroli Annalisa , Mollica Adriano , Stefanucci Azzurra , Macedonio Giorgia , Dimmito Marilisa Pia , Leporini Lidia , Menghini Luigi , Brunetti Luigi , Recinella Lucia
Published: November 2018

Besides its role as key regulator in gonadotropin releasing hormone secretion, reproductive function, and puberty onset, kisspeptin has been proposed to act as a bridge between energy homeostasis and reproduction. In the present study, to characterize the role of hypothalamic kisspeptin as metabolic regulator, we evaluated the effects of kisspeptin-10 on neuropeptide Y (NPY) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression and the extracellular dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine, 5-HT), dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIIA) concentrations in rat hypothalamic (Hypo-E22) cells. Our study showed that kisspeptin-10 in the concentration range 1 nM–10 μM was well tolerated by the Hypo-E22 cell line. Moreover, kisspeptin-10 (100 nM–10 μM) concentration independently increased the gene expression of NPY while BDNF was inhibited only at the concentration of 10 μM. Finally, kisspeptin-10 decreased 5-HT and DA, leaving unaffected NE levels. The inhibitory effect on DA and 5-HT is consistent with the increased peptide-induced DOPAC/DA and 5-HIIA/5-HT ratios. In conclusion, our current findings suggesting the increased NPY together with decreased BDNF and 5-HT activity following kisspeptin-10 would be consistent with a possible orexigenic effect induced by the peptide.
Direct Determination of Ni2+-Capacity of IMAC Materials Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Kirchler Christian , Henn Raphael , Modl Julia , Münzker Felix , Baumgartner Tanja , Meischl Florian , Kehle Alexander , Bonn Günther , Huck Christian
Published: November 2018

The present paper reports a new method for the quantification of the Ni2+-capacity of an immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) material using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Conventional analyses using UV absorption spectroscopy or atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) need to dissolve the silica-based metal chelate sorbent as sample pretreatment. In the first step, those methods were validated on the basis of an ideal homogenous NiSO4-solution and unveiled that UV with an intermediate precision of 2.6% relative standard deviation (RSD) had an advantage over AAS with an intermediate precision of 6.5% RSD. Therefore, UV analysis was chosen as reference method for the newly established NIRS model which has the advantage of being able to measure the material directly in diffuse reflection mode. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was used as multivariate data analysis tool for quantification. The best PLSR result obtained was: coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.88, factor = 2, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) = 22 µmol/g (test-set validation) or 7.5% RSDPLSR. Validation of the Ni2+-capacity using UV absorption spectroscopy resulted in an intermediate precision of ±18 µmol/g or 5.0% RSD. Therefore, NIRS provides a fast alternative analysis method without the need of sample preparation.
Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Alkyl-Quinoxalin-2(1H)-One Derivatives as Anti-Quorum Sensing Molecules, Inhibiting Biofilm Formation in Aeromonas caviae Sch3
Authors: Blöcher René , Rodarte Ramírez Ariel , Castro-Escarpulli Graciela , Curiel-Quesada Everardo , Reyes-Arellano Alicia
Published: November 2018

With the increasing antibiotic resistance of bacterial strains, alternative methods for infection control are in high demand. Quorum sensing (QS) is the bacterial communication system based on small molecules. QS is enables bacterial biofilm formation and pathogenic development. The interruption of QS has become a target for drug discovery, but remains in the early experimental phase. In this study, we synthesized a set of six compounds based on a scaffold (alkyl-quinoxalin-2(1H)-one), new in the anti-QS of Gram-negative bacteria Aeromonas caviae Sch3. By quantifying biofilm formation, we were able to monitor the effect of these compounds from concentrations of 1 to 100 µM. Significant reduction in biofilm formation was achieved by 3-hexylylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one (11), 3-hexylylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one-6-carboxylic acid (12), and 3-heptylylquinoxalin-2(1H)-one-6-carboxylic acid (14), ranging from 11% to 59% inhibition of the biofilm. This pilot study contributes to the development of anti-QS compounds to overcome the clinical challenge of resistant bacteria strains.
Preparation and Properties of Highly Electroconductive and Heat-Resistant CMC/Buckypaper/Epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors: Zheng Ting , Wang Guanhui , Xu Nuo , Lu Chunrui , Qiao Yingjie , Zhang Dongxing , Wang Xiaodong
Published: November 2018

Self-assembled buckypapers have been successfully prepared using sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) as a binder. The lowest resistivity that was reached was 0.43 ± 0.03 Ω·m, when the buckypapers were prepared by the same mass of CMC and carboxy-modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A heat-resistant electroconductive nanocomposite with epoxy resin as the matrix and CMC/buckypapers as the reinforcement was fabricated by a resin impregnation molding technique. The effects of CMC/buckypaper layers on the conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical and dynamic mechanical performance of the epoxy resin polymer nanocomposites were investigated. It was found that CMC/buckypapers hold great promise for improving the properties of nanocomposites, and the buckypapers’ performance can be enhanced by using modified CNTs to prepare them. The obtained nanocomposites showed an approximate 71.23% bending strength improvement (125.04 ± 5.62 MPa) and a 30.71% bending modulus improvement (5.83 ± 0.68 GPa), with an increased number of CMC/buckypaper layers. An enhanced degradation temperature and residual mass were also achieved for the nanocomposites when compared with a pure polymer. The nanocomposites with four CMC/buckypaper layers possessed the highest storage modulus (1934 MPa), which was approximately 60% higher than that of a neat polymer (1185 MPa). Therefore, CMC/buckypapers could be effectively used to manufacture heat-resistant electroconductive polymer nanocomposites with improved properties.
Iron as a Therapeutic Target in HFE-Related Hemochromatosis: Usual and Novel Aspects
Authors: Loréal Olivier , Cavey Thibault , Robin François , Kenawi Moussa , Guggenbuhl Pascal , Brissot Pierre
Published: November 2018

Genetic hemochromatosis is an iron overload disease that is mainly related to the C282Y mutation in the HFE gene. This gene controls the expression of hepcidin, a peptide secreted in plasma by the liver and regulates systemic iron distribution. Homozygous C282Y mutation induces hepcidin deficiency, leading to increased circulating transferrin saturation, and ultimately, iron accumulation in organs such as the liver, pancreas, heart, and bone. Iron in excess may induce or favor the development of complications such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, diabetes, heart failure, hypogonadism, but also complaints such as asthenia and disabling arthritis. Iron depletive treatment mainly consists of venesections that permit the removal of iron contained in red blood cells and the subsequent mobilization of stored iron in order to synthesize hemoglobin for new erythrocytes. It is highly efficient in removing excess iron and preventing most of the complications associated with excess iron in the body. However, this treatment does not target the biological mechanisms involved in the iron metabolism disturbance. New treatments based on the increase of hepcidin levels, by using hepcidin mimetics or inducers, or inhibitors of the iron export activity of ferroportin protein that is the target of hepcidin, if devoid of significant secondary effects, should be useful to better control iron parameters and symptoms, such as arthritis.
The Construction and Validation of Child, Adolescent and Parental Decision Aids for Considering Methylphenidate Drug Holidays in ADHD
Authors: Ibrahim Kinda , Randolph Gina , Doran Olivia , Donyai Parastou
Published: November 2018

Guidelines recommend encouraging young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are taking medication long-term, to discuss their preferences for stopping or changing their treatment, including a discussion about ‘drug holidays’, with their doctor. Yet, to date, no written information has been available to empower children and adolescents with ADHD and their parents to make informed decisions about drug holidays. The aim of this study was to design and develop a suite of decision aids to help families decide if they want to take a drug holiday from methylphenidate. The material was designed with reference to the literature and in consultation with a secondary-care specialist, and validated with two panels composed of specialists and parents using content validity questionnaires and interviews; before being finished and branded by a design service. Three decision aids were produced, with parental and adolescent versions composed of a booklet and a pull-out form for self-completion, and the child version being a booklet for reading and self-completion. Existing research calls for suitable written materials to feasibly increase the uptake of practitioner-initiated planned drug holidays from methylphenidate. We envisage these materials will open up the space to discuss drug holidays in ADHD during annual reviews, in line with UK government guidelines.
Editorial for “Remote Sensing from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”
Authors: Emery William J. , Schmalzel John
Published: November 2018

The recent proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms has greatly increased our ability to remotely sense the Earth’s surface from the air at particularly low altitudes. [...]
Instantaneous Top-of-Atmosphere Albedo Comparison between CERES and MISR over the Arctic
Authors: Zhan Yizhe , Di Girolamo Larry , Davies Roger , Moroney Catherine
Published: November 2018

The top-of-atmosphere (TOA) albedo is one of the key parameters in determining the Arctic radiation budget, with continued validation of its retrieval accuracy still required. Based on three years (2007, 2015, 2016) of summertime (May–September) observations from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), collocated instantaneous albedos for overcast ocean and snow/ice scenes were compared within the Arctic. For samples where both instruments classified the scene as overcast, the relative root-mean-square (RMS) difference between the sample albedos grew as the solar zenith angle (SZA) increased. The RMS differences that were purely due to differential Bidirectional Reflectance Factor (BRF) anisotropic corrections ( σ A D M ) were estimated to be less than 4% for overcast ocean and overcast snow/ice when the SZA ≤ 70°. The significant agreement between the CERES and MISR strongly increased our confidence in using the instruments overcast cloud albedos in Arctic studies. Nevertheless, there was less agreement in the cloud albedos for larger solar zenith angles, where the RMS differences of σ A D M reached 13.5% for overcast ocean scenes when the SZA > 80°. Additionally, inconsistencies between the CERES and MISR scene identifications were examined, resulting in an overall recommendation for improvements to the MISR snow/ice mask and a rework of the MISR Albedo Cloud Designation (ACD) field by incorporating known strengths of the standard MISR cloud masks.
Application of Additive Layer Manufacturing Technique on the Development of High Sensitive Fiber Bragg Grating Temperature Sensors
Authors: Leal-Junior Arnaldo , Casas Jonathan , Marques Carlos , Pontes Maria José , Frizera Anselmo
Published: November 2018

This paper presents the development of temperature sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) embedded in 3D-printed structures made of different materials, namely polylatic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). A numerical analysis of the material behavior and its interaction with the FBG sensor was performed through the finite element method. A simple, fast and prone to automation process is presented for the FBG embedment in both PLA and TPU structures. The temperature tests were made using both PLA- and TPU-embedded FBGs as well as an unembedded FBG as reference. Results show an outstanding temperature sensitivity of 139 pm/°C for the FBG-embedded PLA structure, which is one of the highest temperature sensitivities reported for FBG-based temperature sensors in silica fibers. The sensor also shows almost negligible hysteresis (highest hysteresis below 0.5%). In addition, both PLA- and TPU-embedded structures present high linearity and response time below 2 s. The results presented in this work not only demonstrate the feasibility of developing fully embedded temperature sensors with high resolution and in compliance with soft robot application requirements, but also show that the FBG embedment in such structures is capable of enhancing the sensor performance.