bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hand‐Plucked Forage Yield and Quality and Seed Production from Annual and Short‐Lived Perennial Warm‐Season Legumes Fertilized with Composted Manure
Authors: Muir James P.
Published: September 2018

Productive warm‐season forage legume species adapted to drier regions of the southeastern USA have yet to be identified. This trial evaluated adaptability, forage quality, hand‐plucked forage yield, and seed production of legumes in north‐central Texas as affected by dairy manure compost and harvest deferment. For 2 yr, eight warm‐season annual or short‐lived perennial legume species, with or without 20 Mg dairy manure compost ha−1 yr−1 added to the soil, were either hand‐plucked monthly throughout the season or once‐only in the autumn. Compost increased (P < 0.05) forage P and crude protein (CP) concentrations and plant‐available soil P by the end of the trial. Phasey bean [Macroptilium lathyroides (DC) Urb.], peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and ‘iron‐clay’ cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]) harvested throughout the season yielded over 2.5 Mg of high quality forage ha−1 yr−1 during the higher rainfall year. Autumn‐only harvests produced lower yields but “Tecomate” lablab [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet] and peanut responded to autumn rainfall in the higher rainfall year with yields over 1.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 Forage yields were less than 1.0 Mg ha−1 yr−1 during the second year when plots received only 358 mm of moisture from January through September. Both partridge pea [Chameacrista fasciculata (Michx) Greene] and phasey bean produced over 5000 seed ha−1 yr−1 the higher rainfall year under autumn‐only harvest and over 1200 seed ha−1 yr−1 under all‐season harvest. Quality of the herbage changed with precipitation, species, and harvest. Although not highly productive under dryland conditions, these legumes can contribute both forage and seeds for livestock and wildlife.
An Improved Media System for High Regeneration Rates from Barley Immature Embryo‐Derived Callus Cultures of Commercial Cultivars
Authors: Dahleen Lynn S. , Bregitzer Phil
Published: September 2018

Improved plant regeneration from tissues of elite barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.) will facilitate their genetic transformation. Significant improvements in green plant regeneration from tissues of ‘Morex’ and ‘Harrington’ were achieved by modifying iron and boric acid concentrations, and by adding 6‐benzyl aminopurine (BAP) to the culture medium. The plant regeneration in response to various concentrations of eight micronutrients indicated that MS concentrations were appropriate for KH2PO4, NaMoO4, MnSO4, KI, CoCl2, and ZnSO4 Increased H3BO3 (0.75 mM) and decreased FeSO4 (0.05 mM) improved green plant regeneration. The addition of 0.1 mg/L BAP to maintenance media resulted in an increase in regeneration. The effect of these changes, in combination with previously reported improvements, was assessed by comparing regeneration responses of eight cultivars and elite breeding lines on the improved media versus the original MS‐based media. Green plant regeneration was improved for all tested lines and cultivars, from an average of two green plants to 29 green plants per Petri dish. Regeneration rates from all elite lines and cultivars on the improved media exceeded that of the highly regenerable ‘Golden Promise’ on the original media, indicating that poor plant regeneration should no longer limit the transformation of modern North American cultivars.
Determination of Genetic Diversity in Tall Fescue with AFLP Markers
Authors: Mian M. A. Rouf , Hopkins Andrew A. , Zwonitzer John C.
Published: September 2018

Little information is available regarding genetic variation in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb). Such information is important in constructing mapping populations and targeting germplasm collection and utilization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity among a number of tall fescue accessions, cultivars, and selected genotypes. In one experiment, 16 persistent tall fescue plants (genotypes) were assayed by a fluorescence‐labeled amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) detection method using DNA samples from individual plants. In a second experiment, AFLP diversity among 18 tall fescue populations, including sources of ‘KY‐31’, cultivars derived from KY‐31 and accessions collected from Oklahoma and Texas, was assessed by an infrared dye‐labeling method using DNA samples bulked by each population. On the basis of 461 AFLP markers from six primer combinations, the 16 individual plants were clustered in groups that largely supported the known origins of these plants. On the basis of genetic divergence, several candidate parents were identified for constructing a mapping population. Analysis of bulked DNA samples revealed that sources of KY‐31 and cultivars derived from KY‐31 generally clustered separately from accessions collected in the southern Great Plains. Such accessions thus provide an additional source of genetic variation for tall fescue breeding programs.
Germplasm Diversity among Four Sugarcane Species for Sugar Composition
Authors: Tai P. Y. P. , Miller J. D.
Published: September 2018

The characterization of the World Collection of Sugarcane is needed for effective preservation and use of genetic resources. The objective of this study was to evaluate sugarcane germplasm from field plots by means of an analysis of sugar composition of four Saccharum species (32 S. officinarum L., 30 S. barberi Jesw., 27 S. robustum Brandes and Jeswiet ex Grassl, and 28 S. sinense Roxb.) plus four commercial cultivars. Stalks were cut from all clones of 1‐yr‐old plant cane and 11 clones from the first ratoon crop were crushed for juice analysis by conventional (Brix‐pol) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. Most juice quality measurements showed a significant interaction between clones and crop cycles. The frequency distribution of sucrose content of the plant cane for S. officinarum, S. barberi, and S. robustum showed a marked skewness toward high sucrose content. The four species, however, showed different trends based on sugar content: S. officinarum clones were distributed in the plot of low glucose and fructose contents with sucrose content extending from low to high; S. sinense clones were distributed in the plot from low sucrose and low glucose–fructose to high sucrose and high glucose–fructose; and S. barberi and S. robustum clones were distributed in the plot between the former two species. Cluster analysis also indicated the heterogeneity within and among these four species. Information on sugar composition should assist curators in separating clones in their collection and breeders in selecting superior clones for use in their breeding programs.
Freeze Tolerance of bermudagrasses
Authors: Anderson Jeff , Taliaferro Charles , Martin Dennis
Published: September 2018

Bermudagrasses, Cynodon spp., periodically sustain winter injury in the transition zone between warm‐ and cool‐season turfgrasses. Our objective was to determine relative freeze tolerance levels of advanced lines, recently released cultivars, and standard varieties by means of laboratory‐based methodology. Freeze tolerance evaluations were divided into three groups on the basis of intended use. The vegetatively propagated fairway types (and their freeze tolerance values) included ‘GN‐1’ (−5.9°C), ‘Baby’ (−6.7°C), ‘Tifway’ (−6.7°C), ‘TifSport’ (−7.2°C), ‘Quickstand’ (−8.0°C), and ‘Midlawn’(−8.4°C). GN‐1 was significantly less hardy than TifSport, Quickstand and Midlawn. The second set of bermudagrasses comprised the seed‐propagated varieties: ‘Arizona Common’ (−5.6°C), ‘Mirage’ (−6.1°C), ‘Jackpot’ (−6.3°C), ‘Guymon’ (−7.4°C), and ‘Yukon’ (−7.6°C). Arizona Common was significantly less freeze tolerant than Guymon and Yukon. Mirage and Jackpot were not significantly hardier than Arizona Common. The third series of plants included vegetatively propagated bermudagrasses used for putting greens: ‘Champion’ (−4.8°C), ‘Floradwarf’ (−4.9°C), ‘MS‐Supreme’ (−5.2°C), ‘MiniVerde’(−5.8°C), ‘Tifeagle’ (−6.0°C), ‘Tifdwarf’ (−6.5°C), and ‘Tifgreen’ (−6.5°C). Tifdwarf and Tifgreen were significantly hardier than all of the other putting green bermudagrasses tested except for Tifeagle. Results should be useful in selecting appropriate genotypes for the transition zone of turfgrass adaptation.
Organic Nanotheranostics for Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Phototherapy
Authors: Zhu Houjuan , Xie Chen , Chen Peng , Pu Kanyi
Published: September 2018

Phototherapies including photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) have emerged as one of the avant-garde strategies for cancer treatment. Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a new hybrid imaging modality that shows great promise for real-time in vivo monitoring of biological processes with deep tissue penetration and high spatial resolution. To enhance therapeutic efficacy, reduce side effects and minimize the probability of over-medication, it is necessary to use imaging and diagnostic methods to identify the ideal therapeutic window and track the therapeutic outcome. With this regard, nanotheranostics with the ability to conduct PA imaging and PTT/PDT are emerging. This review summarizes the recent progress of organic nanomaterials including nearinfrared (NIR) dyes and semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) in PA imaging guided cancer phototherapy, and also addresses their present challenges and potential in clinical applications.
Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase Inhibitors: A Review of Recent (2000- 2017) Advances and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies
Authors: Singh Sarbjit , Harmalkar Dipesh S. , Choi Yongseok , Lee Kyeong
Published: September 2018

:

Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as diabetes, is the 8th leading cause of death worldwide. As of 2015, approximately 415 million people were estimated to be diabetic worldwide, type 2 diabetes being the most common accounting for approximately 90-95% of all diagnosed cases with increasing prevalence. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is one of the important therapeutic targets recently discovered to treat this chronic disease. In this focused review, we have highlighted recent advances and structure-activity relationship studies in the discovery and development of different fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase inhibitors reported since the year 2000.
Exosome-like Nanovectors for Drug Delivery in Cancer
Authors: Arrighetti Noemi , Corbo Claudia , Evangelopoulos Michael , Pastò Anna , Zuco Valentina , Tasciotti Ennio
Published: September 2018

Cancer treatment still represents a formidable challenge, despite substantial advancements in available therapies being made over the past decade. One major issue is poor therapeutic efficacy due to lack of specificity and low bioavailability. The progress of nanotechnology and the development of a variety of nanoplatforms have had a significant impact in improving the therapeutic outcome of chemotherapeutics. Nanoparticles can overcome various biological barriers and localize at tumor site, while simultaneously protecting a therapeutic cargo and increasing its circulation time. Despite this, due to their synthetic origin, nanoparticles are often detected by the immune system and preferentially sequestered by filtering organs. Exosomes have recently been investigated as suitable substitutes for the shortcomings of nanoparticles due to their biological compatibility and particularly small size (i.e., 30-150 nm). In addition, exosomes have been found to play important roles in cell communication, acting as natural carriers of biological cargoes throughout the body. This review aims to highlight the use of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles for cancer and showcases the various attempts used to exploit exosomes with a focus on the delivery of chemotherapeutics and nucleic acids.
Hydrogel-clay Nanocomposites as Carriers for Controlled Release
Authors: Ianchis Raluca , Ninciuleanu Claudia Mihaela , Gifu Ioana Catalina , Alexandrescu Elvira , Nistor Cristina Lavinia , Nitu Sabina , Petcu Cristian
Published: September 2018

The present review aims to summarize the research efforts undertaken in the last
few years in the development and testing of hydrogel-clay nanocomposites proposed as carriers
for controlled release of diverse drugs. Their advantages, disadvantages and different
compositions of polymers/biopolymers with diverse types of clays, as well as their interactions
are discussed. Illustrative examples of studies regarding hydrogel-clay nanocomposites
are detailed in order to underline the progressive researches on hydrogel-clay-drug pharmaceutical
formulations able to respond to a series of demands for the most diverse applications.
Brief descriptions of the different techniques used for the characterization of the obtained
complex hybrid materials such as: swelling, TGA, DSC, FTIR, XRD, mechanical,
SEM, TEM and biology tests, are also included. Enlightened by the presented data, we can
suppose that hydrogel-clay nanocomposites will still be a challenging subject of global assiduous
researches. We can dare to dream to an efficient drug delivery platform for the
treatment of multiple affection concomitantly, these being undoubtedly like ”a tree of life”
bearing different kinds of fruits and leaves proper for human healing.
Streptococcal Collagen-like Protein 1 Binds Wound Fibronectin: Implications in Pathogen Targeting
Authors: McNitt Dudley H. , De Water Livingston Van , Marasco Daniela , Berisio Rita , Lukomski Slawomir
Published: September 2018

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The outlook for an effective global vaccine is reduced because of significant antigenic variation among GAS strains worldwide. Other challenges in GAS therapy include the lack of common access to antibiotics in developing countries, as well as allergy to and treatment failures with penicillin and increasing erythromycin resistance in the industrialized world. At the portal of entry, GAS binds to newly deposited extracellular matrix, which is rich in cellular fibronectin isoforms with extra domain A (EDA, also termed EIIIA) via the surface adhesin, the streptococcal collagen-like protein 1 (Scl1). Recombinant Scl1 constructs, derived from diverse GAS strains, bind the EDA loop segment situated between the C and C’ β-strands. Despite the sequence diversity in Scl1 proteins, multiple sequence alignments and secondary structure predictions of Scl1 variants, as well as crystallography and homology modeling studies, point to a conserved mechanism of Scl1-EDA binding. We propose that targeting this interaction may prevent the progression of infection. A synthetic cyclic peptide, derived from the EDA C-C’ loop, binds to recombinant Scl1 with a micromolar dissociation constant. This review highlights the current concept of EDA binding to Scl1 and provides incentives to exploit this binding to treat GAS infections and wound colonization.
The Current Status and Perspectives of Delivery Strategy for Boronbased Drugs
Authors: Yinghuai Zhu , Lin Xinglong , Xie Hongming , Li Jianlin , Hosmane Narayan S. , Zhang Yingjun
Published: September 2018

Boron-containing compounds are essential micronutrients for animals and plants despite their low-level natural occurrence. They can strengthen the cell walls of the plants and they play important role in supporting bone health. However, surprisingly, boron-containing compounds are seldom found in pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, there are no inherent disadvantages reported so far in terms of the incorporation of boron into medicines. Indeed, drugs based on boron-containing compounds, such as tavaborole (marked name Kerydin) and bortezomib (trade name Velcade) have been investigated and they are used in clinical treatment. In addition, following the advanced development of boron neutron capture therapy and a new emerging proton boron fusion therapy, more boron-containing medicinals are to be expected. This review discusses the current status and perspectives of delivery strategy for boron-containing drugs.
Therapeutic Approaches for the Management of Sleep Disorders in Geriatric Population
Authors: Salas-Crisóstomo Mireille , Torterolo Pablo , Veras André Barciela , Rocha Nuno Barbosa , Machado Sérgio , Murillo-Rodríguez Eric
Published: September 2018

Objective:

Aging is a natural biological phenomenon that occurs in human beings. With increasing of age, there is an appearance of deleterious changes related to progression onto pathological conditions, including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, hearing and vision impairments, as well as sleep disorders. It is important to recognize that some sleep disturbances reported by aged subjects include insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, among others. Moreover, accumulating evidence indicates that coexistence of medical issues with sleep disorders constitutes clinical challenges for treatment of comorbidities in elderly. Here, we have attempted to review and summarize the available literature that assesses the sleep disturbances in aging. In addition, we highlight the management of sleep disorders associated with aging. Due to the particular health condition of aged adults, the development of effective pharmacological interventions for sleep disorders treatment in aging is warranted.

Methods:

Review of studies retrieved from the PubMed.

Results:

The sleep-wake cycle includes abnormalities classified as sleep disorders. Comorbidity between sleep disturbances and aging-related health issues will represent a public health challenge to be addressed in the near future. Moreover, this scenario will suggest an area that requires further drug investigation and design of new pharmacological and pharmaceutical strategies to treat sleep disorders in the elderly population.

Conclusion:

The review highlights the sleep disturbances in aging. We focus on current knowledge in medicinal chemistry and further design of new treatments tools for managing sleep disturbances in the aged population.
Five Years of the KNIME Vernalis Cheminformatics Community Contribution
Authors: Roughley Stephen D.
Published: September 2018

Since the official release as a KNIME Community Contribution in June 2013, the
Vernalis KNIME nodes have increased from a single node (the ‘PDB Connector’ node) to
around 126 nodes (November 2017; Version 1.12.0); furthermore, a number of nodes have
been adopted into the core KNIME product. In this review, we provide a brief timeline of the
development of the current public release and an overview of the current nodes. We will focus
in more detail on three particular areas: nodes accessing publicly available information via
web services, nodes providing cheminformatics functionality without recourse to a cheminformatics
toolkit, and nodes using one of the cheminformatics toolkits present in KNIME. We
will conclude with a number of case studies demonstrating the use of KNIME at Vernalis.
Prognostic Impact of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 in Non- Small Cell Lung Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Selvaraj Gurudeeban , Kaliamurthi Satyavani , Lin Shuhuang , Gu Keren , Wei Dong-Qing
Published: September 2018

Background and Objectives:

Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is a multifunctional natural matrixin inhibitor that is generally considered a negative regulator of cancer metastasis. Clinical studies reporting the prognostic value of TIMP-1 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) are inconsistent. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prognostic impact of TIMP-1 expression in NSCLC.

Methods:

Appropriate studies with full-text articles were identified in searches of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science databases up to March 7, 2018. The pooled Hazard Ratio (HR) of overall survival with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was employed to assess the relationship between the expression of TIMP-1 and NSCLC patient survival.

Results:

The meta-analysis comprised 40 studies including 3,194 patients. Study outcomes indicated that high TIMP-1 expression is independently associated with poor overall survival (HR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.50, 1.69; P < 0.00001) with 61% of heterogeneity. In addition, we analyzed subgroups, including ethnicities, histological types, percentage of TIMP-1 expression levels, specimens, and tumor stage. All results were statistically significant. The outcome of our meta-analysis indicates that high expression levels of TIMP-1 are correlated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC.

Conclusion:

Expression levels of TIMP-1 represent a potential prognostic biomarker in NSCLC patients in addition to being a possible therapeutic target.
The Therapeutic Role of Xenobiotic Nuclear Receptors Against Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Pu Shuqi , Wu Xiaojie , Yang Xiaoying , Zhang Yunzhan , Dai Yunkai , Zhang Yueling , Wu Xiaoting , Liu Yan , Cui Xiaona , Jin Haiyong , Cao Jianhong , Li Ruliu , Cai Jiazhong , Cao Qizhi , Hu Ling , Gao Yong
Published: September 2018

Background:

Diabetes, with an increased prevalence and various progressive complications, has become a
significant global health challenge. The concrete mechanisms responsible for the development of diabetes still remain
incompletely unknown, although substantial researches have been conducted to search for the effective therapeutic
targets. This review aims to reveal the novel roles of Xenobiotic Nuclear Receptors (XNRs), including the
Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR), the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR), the Liver X Receptor (LXR),
the Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) and the Constitutive Androstane Receptor (CAR), in the development of diabetes
and provide potential strategies for research and treatment of metabolic diseases.

Methods:

We retrieved a large number of original data about these five XNRs and organized to focus on their recently
discovered functions in diabetes and its complications.

Results:

Increasing evidences have suggested that PPAR, FXR, LXR ,PXR and CAR are involved in the development
of diabetes and its complications through different mechanisms, including the regulation of glucose and lipid
metabolism, insulin and inflammation response and related others.

Conclusion:

PPAR, FXR, LXR, PXR, and CAR, as the receptors for numerous natural or synthetic compounds, may
be the most effective therapeutic targets in the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Na+/K+ ATPase Inhibitors in Cancer
Authors: Alevizopoulos Konstantinos , Calogeropoulou Theodora , Lang Florian , Stournaras Christos
Published: September 2018

Sodium potassium pump (Na+/K+ ATPase) is a transmembrane protein complex found in all higher eukaryotes acting as a key energy-consuming pump maintaining ionic and osmotic balance in cells. Recently recognized as an important transducer and/or integrator of various signals as well as a protein-protein interaction scaffold forming receptor complexes with signaling properties, the most prominent pharmacological role of Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitors is the increase of myocardial contractility in pathologic conditions such as congestive heart failure. Consequently, modulators of Na+/K+ ATPase such as digoxin have been approved by regulatory authorities and are widely used in the treatment of cardiac failure since 1975. Initiating from early observations of reduction of cancer incidence in cardiac patients taking digoxin, recent epidemiological and other studies have consolidated the anti-cancer potential of Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitors in indications such as prostate, breast, lung cancer or leukemia. More importantly, a new series of pharmacologically optimized Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitors has recently shown strong anti-cancer activities in multiple preclinical assays and have reached early clinical trials. Altogether, these results suggest that Na+/K+ ATPase is an emerging cancer target that merits further investigation. In this review, we summarize key functional properties of the enzyme that are highly relevant for cancer cell selectivity, review the most prominent chemical classes of Na+/K+ ATPase inhibitors and analyze their downstream effectors. Moreover, we discuss overall development prospects of these candidate drugs on their way to becoming new effective treatments of cancer in patients.
A Review on Quantum Dots: Synthesis to In- silico Analysis as Next Generation Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Manna Sounik , Ghosh Munmun , Chakraborty Ranadhir , Ghosh Sudipto , Mandal Santi M.
Published: September 2018

Succumbing to Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) bacteria is a great distress to the recent health
care system. Out of the several attempts that have been made to kill MDR pathogens, a few gained
short-lived success. The failures, of the discovered or innovated antimicrobials, were mostly due to
their high level of toxicity to hosts and the phenomenal rate of developing resistance by the pathogens
against the new arsenal. Recently, a few quantum dots were tested against the pathogenic bacteria and
therefore, justified for potential stockpiling of next-generation antibacterial agents. The key players for
antimicrobial properties of quantum dots are considered to be Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). The
mechanism of reaction between bacteria and quantum dots needs to be better understood. They are
generally targeted towards the cell wall and membrane components as lipoteichoic acid and phosphatidyl
glycerol of bacteria have been documented here. In this paper, we have attempted to simulate
ZnS quantum dots and have analysed their mechanism of reaction as well as binding potential to the
above bacterial membrane components using CDOCKER. Results have shown a high level of antibacterial
activity towards several pathogenic bacteria which specify their potentiality for future generation
antibacterial drug development.
Synthesis of RNA Bearing C5-polyamine Modified Pyrimidine Nucleosides at the 3´-end by T4 RNA Ligase
Authors: Masuda Tomokazu , Kimura Shingo , Masud Mohammad Mehedi , Ozaki Hiroaki
Published: September 2018

The incorporation of the modified nucleoside into the 3´-overhang regions of short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) has been reported to enhance their nuclease resistance and improve RNA interference activity. In this study, DNA 2-mers containing C5-polyamine-modified pyrimidine nucleosides were synthesized and then ligated to the 3´-end of the RNA by T4 RNA ligase. The modification of the base moiety with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine affected the ligation efficiency, but the DNA 2-mer containing only one modified nucleoside was ligated with sufficient efficiency. We propose a novel synthetic route to modified siRNA bearing various modified groups in the 3´-overhang region.
Identification of Phage Virion Proteins by Using the g-gap Tripeptide Composition
Authors: Yang Liangwei , Gao Hui , Liu Zhen , Tang Lixia
Published: September 2018

Phages are widely distributed in locations populated by bacterial hosts. Phage proteins can be divided into two main categories, that is, virion and non-virion proteins with different functions. In practice, people mainly use phage virion proteins to clarify the lysis mechanism of bacterial cells and develop new antibacterial drugs. Accurate identification of phage virion proteins is therefore essential to understanding the phage lysis mechanism. Although some computational methods have been focused on identifying virion proteins, the result is not satisfying which gives more room for improvement. In this study, a new sequence-based method was proposed to identify phage virion proteins using g-gap tripeptide composition. In this approach, the protein features were firstly extracted from the ggap tripeptide composition. Subsequently, we obtained an optimal feature subset by performing incremental feature selection (IFS) with information gain. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) was used as the classifier to discriminate virion proteins from non-virion proteins. In 10-fold crossvalidation test, our proposed method achieved an accuracy of 97.40% with AUC of 0.9958, which outperforms state-of-the-art methods. The result reveals that our proposed method could be a promising method in the work of phage virion proteins identification.
An Alternate View of Dimensional Homogeneity, and Its Impact on Engineering Science
Authors: Adiutori Eugene F.
Published: September 2018

Aims:

This article proposes an alternate view of dimensional homogeneity that greatly simplifies the solution of nonlinear engineering problems.

Background:

The conventional view of dimensional homogeneity is generally credited to Fourier (1822).

Objectives:

The objectives of this article are to describe the alternate view of dimensional homogeneity and to demonstrate its application to practical engineering problems.

Methods:

By presenting the solution of several nonlinear engineering problems, this article compares solutions based on the alternate view of dimensional homogeneity with solutions based on the conventional view.

Results:

Example problems demonstrate that nonlinear engineering problems are much easier to solve if the solutions are based on the alternate view of dimensional homogeneity rather than the conventional view. The relative simplicity results because the alternate view of dimensional homogeneity reduces the number of variables in nonlinear problems.

Conclusion:

The widely accepted view of dimensional homogeneity should be replaced by the alternate view because the solution of nonlinear engineering problems is greatly simplified.
Hepatoprotective Effects of Algerian Crataegus oxyacantha Leaves
Authors: Mecheri Amira , Benabderrahmane Wassila , Amrani Amel , Boubekri Nassima , Benayache Fadila , Benayache Samir , Zama Djamila
Published: September 2018

Background: Hawthorn (C. oxyacantha), a common edible plant, is widely used for the preparation of a different foodstuff and is also used in traditional medicine to treat heart problems and gastrointestinal ailments. Recently, a few patents of Crataegus preparation for protective effects (prevention of cardiovascular and hepatic diseases) have been developed.  Objective: The current study aimed to explore the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of nbutanol extract of Crataegus oxyacantha leaves in acute liver damage induced by Doxorubicin (DOX).  Methods: Crataegus oxyacantha (100 mg/kg body weight) or vitamin E as a standard antioxidant (100 mg/kg body weight) were administered orally to female rats for 10 days, in the presence or absence of hepatotoxicity induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of DOX (15 mg/kg on the 8th day). On day 11, blood and liver samples were analyzed for biomarker levels and histopathological changes. Liver homogenates were used for determination of oxidative stress parameters that include Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione (GSH) level and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activity.  Results: Treatment with n-butanol extract of C. oxyacantha leaves significantly improved the altered liver enzyme activities and oxidative stress markers. The histopathological observations confirm the results of biochemical parameters.  Conclusion: The obtained results support the traditional use of C. oxyacantha to cure gastrointestinal ailments and highlighted its possible use in the food and pharmaceutical industries as a source of natural antioxidant.
An overview of the natural gas sector in Tanzania - Achievements and challenges
Authors: Bishoge Obadia Kyetuza , Zhang Lingling , Mushi Witness Gerald , Suntu Shaldon Leparan , Mihuba Grace Gregory
Published: September 2018

In the recent years, Tanzania has discovered a lot of natural gas reserves which are expected to influence positively the socio-economic and political development of the nation. It provides the potential opportunities to government, domestic and foreign companies and thelocal community. However, the main objective of any natural resource management is to assist the country to realizethe actual economic growth of its people. This paper, therefore, is intended to provide the overview of the natural gas sector in Tanzania. It analyses natural gas history, reserves, extraction and supply; infrastructure; market and pricing; and it moreover, evaluates the achievements and challenges facing the natural gas industry development.
Direct seeded rice: An option for enhancing the productivity, improving resource use efficiency and minimizing the production cost of the rice
Authors: . DEOKARAN , SINGH MANDHATA , PARVEZ ARIF , MISHRA J S , BHATT BP
Published: September 2018

A front line demonstration on direct seeded rice was conducted during Kharif season of 2014 and 2015 to enhance the productivity of rice, improving resource use and minimizes the production cost. Frontline demonstration is a medium to make awareness about the technology direct seeded rice (DSR) and popularised amongst farmers. The present study showed that yield attributing characters under DSR was higher compared to farmers practice-puddled transplanted rice (PTR). However, grain yield under PTR was slightly higher (5.1%) than DSR. Economics of rice production technology, favour DSR over farmers practice-puddled transplanted rice (PTR) due to higher net return and a benefit-cost ratio under DSR as compared to transplanting. Direct seeded rice fetches a high net return of Rs. 39,875 with benefit-cost ratio of 2.74, as compared to PTR, attributed by the involvement of high cost for land preparation and nursery raising, transplanting and irrigation under transplanting.
Evaluation of F1 hybrids in onion developed through male sterility
Authors: GUPTA AMAR JEET , MAHAJAN V , LAWANDE KE , SINGH MAJOR
Published: September 2018

Eight F1 hybrids viz., DOGR Hy-1, DOGR Hy-2, DOGR Hy-3, DOGR Hy-4, DOGR Hy-5, DOGR Hy-7, DOGR Hy-8 and DOGR Hy-50 were found promising and have been tested at various locations through All India Network Research Project on Onion and Garlic. Among these, DOGR Hy-1 (413.00 q/ha), DOGR Hy-2 (349.60 q/ha) and DOGR Hy-50 (374.55 q/ha) showed 42.84%, 20.91% and 24.11% heterosis, respectively, for bulb yield over the best check during rabi season. DOGR Hy-3 (342.00 q/ha), DOGR Hy-4 (340.80 q/ha) and DOGR Hy-5 (387.25 q/ha) showed 16.22%, 15.81% and 20.11% heterosis, respectively, over the best check during kharif season. DOGR Hy-7 (407.50 q/ha) showed 34.88% heterosis over the best check Bhima Red during rabi and also found suitable for kharif. DOGR Hy-8 (544.45 q/ha) showed 23.57% heterosis over the best check Bhima Shakti during late kharif. Although all hybrids had good storability, early maturity and free from doubles and bolters, two hybrids namely DOGR Hy-7 and DOGR Hy-50 were the best in respect of these characters.
Studies on seasonal effect of calving on reproduction and production traits of Murrah buffaloes
Authors: MILAN RAM , KUMAR SANJEEV , SINHA RRK , TEWARI RP
Published: September 2018

The effect of various seasons (winter, summer, rainy and autumn) of calving on service period, dry period, lactation period and lactation milk yield of Murrah buffaloes was studied. The study reveals that the overall mean service period was recorded 110.68 ± 3.27 (days). However, the longest service period was recorded in winter calvers 165.59 ± 9.67 (days), whereas shortest service period was 98.43 ± 4.62 (days) in rainy season calvers. The effect of season of calving on service period was to be highly significant. The overall mean dry period was 136.16 ± 3.29 (days). The longest and smallest dry periods were recorded 156.86 ± 9.59 (days) and 131.07 ± 4.70 (days) in winter and rainy season calvers, respectively. The effect of season of calving on dry period was non-significant. The overall lactation period was 296.58 ± 4.15 (days). Further, the study also indicated that longest lactation period were recorded as 323.63 ± 13.47 (days) in summer while shortest lactation period was recorded 283±5.99 (days) rainy calvers. The effect of season of calving on lactation period was significant. The maximum and minimum lactation milk yield were 1735.04 ± 105.47 (litres) and 1514.26 ± 91.96 (litres) in summer and winter calvers, respectively. The effect of season of calving on lactation milk yield was non-significant in Murrah buffaloes.
AKILLI ŞEHİR HAVA TAKİP SİSTEMİ VE ASTIM HASTALARI İÇİN PM2.5 KONSANTRASYONU ÖLÇÜM ARACININ GELİŞTİRİLMESİ
Authors: KARACI Abdulkadir
Published: September 2018

Son zamanlarda, hava kirliliği insan sağlığında ve çevrede ciddi
etkilere yol açtığından dolayı gerçek zamanlı hava kalitesi ölçümü konusunda
kamu bilinci artmaktadır. Çeşitli boyutlarda, genellikle toz olarak
sınıflandırılan partikül madde varlığı, açık hava ve kapalı alan senaryolarında
hava kalitesini etkileyen önemli bir faktördür. Şehirlerin iç ve dış ortamlarındaki
hava kirleticilerinin izlenmesi teknik açıdan zahmetli ve çok pahalı bir iştir.
Bu çalışmada dış ortamlardaki PM2.5 yoğunluğunu, nemi ve sıcaklığı
ölçen düşük maliyetli bir araç geliştirilmiştir. Geliştirilen araç PM2.5,
ısı ve nem verilerini ölçerek Wi-Fi üzerinden Thing Speak  IoT platformuna göndermektedir. Ayrıca astım
hastaları ve diğer risk grupları için PM2.5 oranı eşik değerini
aştığında hem sesli hem de görsel uyarı verilmektedir. Geliştirilen sistem
farklı deneysel tasarımlar gerçekleştirilerek test edilmiştir. Test sonuçlarına
göre, geliştirilen aracın PM2.5 yoğunluğunu doğru bir şekilde
ölçtüğü, ölçüm verilerini anlık olarak IoT platformuna gönderdiği ve eşik
değeri aşıldığında hem LCD ekran üzerinde mesaj olarak hem de sesli olarak
uyarı verdiği görülmüştür.
Provision of Paid Web-Based Medical Consultation in China: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Data From a Medical Consultation Website (Preprint)
Authors: Li Yumei , Yan Xiangbin , Song Xiaolong
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Web-based medical consultation, which has been adopted by patients in many countries, requires a large number of doctors to provide services. However, no study has provided an overall picture of the doctors who provide online services.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to examine doctors’ participation in medical consultation practice in an online consultation platform. This paper aimed to address the following questions: (1) which doctors provide Web-based consultation services, (2) how many patients do the doctors get online, and (3) what price do they charge. We further explored the development of market segments in various departments and various provinces.

METHODS

This study explored the dataset including all doctors providing consultation services in their spare time on a Chinese Web-based consultation platform. We also brought in statistics for doctors providing offline consultations in China. We made use of Bonferroni multiple comparison procedures and z test to compare doctors in each group.

RESULTS

There are 88,308 doctors providing Web-based consultation in their spare time on Haodf, accounting for 5.25% (88,308/1,680,062) of all doctors in China as of September 23, 2017. Of these online doctors, 49.9% (44,066/88,308) are high-quality doctors having a title of chief physician or associate chief physician, and 84.8% (74,899/88,308) come from the top, level 3, hospitals. Online doctors had an average workload of 0.38 patients per doctor per day, with an online and offline ratio of 1:14. The average price of online consultation is ¥32.3. The online ratios for the cancer, internal medicine, ophthalmology-otorhinolaryngology, psychiatry, gynecology-obstetrics-pediatrics, dermatology, surgery, and traditional Chinese medicine departments are 16.1% (2,983/18,481), 4.4% (16,231/372,974), 6.3% (8,389/132,725), 9.5% (1,600/16,801), 5.8% (12,955/225,128), 18.0% (3,334/18,481), 10.8% (24,030/223,448), and 3.8% (8,393/22,3448), respectively. Most provinces located in eastern China have more than 4000 doctors online. The online workloads for doctors from most provinces range from 0.3 to 0.4 patients per doctor per day. In most provinces, doctors’ charges range from ¥20 to ¥30.

CONCLUSIONS

Quality doctors are more likely to provide Web-based consultation services, get more patients, and charge higher service fees in an online consultation platform. Policies and promotions could attract more doctors to provide Web-based consultation. The online submarket for the departments of dermatology, psychiatry, and gynecology-obstetrics-pediatrics developed better than other departments such as internal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. The result could be a reference for policy making to improve the medical system both online and offline. As all the data used for analysis were from a single website, the data might be biased and might not be a representative national sample of China.
Electronic Health Lifestyle Coaching Among Diabetes Patients in a Real-Life Municipality Setting: Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Komkova Anastasija , Brandt Carl Joakim , Hansen Pedersen Daniel , Emneus Martha , Sortsø Camilla
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Internet and mobile interventions aiming to promote healthy lifestyle have attracted much attention because of their scalability and accessibility, low costs, privacy and user control, potential for use in real-life settings, as well as opportunities for real-time modifications and interactive advices. A real-life electronic health (eHealth) lifestyle coaching intervention was implemented in 8 Danish municipalities between summer 2016 and summer 2018.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the effects associated with the eHealth intervention among diabetes patients in a real-life municipal setting. The eHealth intervention is based on an initial meeting, establishing a strong empathic relationship, followed by digital lifestyle coaching and collaboration supported by a Web-based community among patients.

METHODS

We conducted an observational study examining the effect of an eHealth intervention on self-reported weight change among 103 obese diabetes patients in a real-life municipal setting. The patients in the study participated in the eHealth intervention between 3 and 12 months. A weight change was observed at 6, 9, and 12 months. We used regression methods to estimate the impacts of the intervention on weight change.

RESULTS

We found that the eHealth intervention significantly reduced weight among diabetes patients, on average 4.3% of the initial body mass, which corresponds to 4.8 kg over a mean period of 7.3 months. Patients who were in intervention for more than 9 months achieved a weight reduction of 6.3% or 6.8 kg.

CONCLUSIONS

This study brings forward evidence of a positive effect of a real-life eHealth lifestyle intervention on diabetes patients’ lifestyle in a municipal setting. Future research is needed to show if the effect is sustainable from a long-term perspective.
Effectiveness Assessment of a Client-Server-Model Based Self-Practice Therapy for Naming Aphasia (Preprint)
Authors: Yang Chun-Han , Chang Ping-Hsin , Lin Ko-Long , Yang Herng-Shing , Cheng Kuo-Sheng
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Naming problem is often seen in patients with aphasia (PWA). For whom, the practice is an important issue during therapy. It is well known that intensive as well as errorless practice can benefit the patients with naming problem. However, it is not usually possible to meet the prescribed face-to-face treatments in clinics due to the shortage of speech therapist.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is firstly to develop a client-server model based self-practice strategy for the treatment of naming problem, and then to assess the learning effectiveness during treatment.

METHODS

A total of 13 aphasic patients with naming problem (aged 32–73 years) were recruited in this study with written informed consent. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. All the participants were diagnosed as having the Broca’s aphasia without impaired auditory comprehension or progressive brain disease. A client server model was implemented in a mobile device based system to provide the picture/video-naming practice using a semantic cueing hierarchy for Mandarin Chinese. Learning performance were evaluated at the baseline test, one-week post-intervention (immediate results), and 12 weeks later (follow-up). The participants were asked to perform this self-practice system for three months, and to receive the routine face-to-face therapy once a week as well.

RESULTS

The naming abilities presented as novel naming score of these aphasia participants assessed in baseline test, immediate test, and follow up test were 37.96±22.58, 62.55±22.66, and 53.69±23.34, respectively. The results of Wilcoxon signed ranks test found that the scores in immediate test and baseline test, as well as the follow up test (p=0.001) and the baseline test (p=0.008) were significantly different. The participants' satisfaction with the system was almost over 90%.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed system is demonstrated to effectively enhance the naming ability and long-term retention for PWA with additional self-practice. A client server model based naming therapy is easy to access and adaptable for personalized treatment protocol. Besides, the cost and time spent for outpatients during face-to-face therapy may be reduced. Self-assessment and naming library update can also be remotely provided. It is suggested that a mobile device-based self-practice combined with regular hospital-based therapy once a week will significantly improve the naming ability of PWA.
Similarities and Differences of the Dam Giong Epics (Vietnam) and Reamker (Cambodia), Ramakien (Thailand), PhraLakPhra Lam (Laos) (Note 1)
Authors: Thi Hue Hoang , Tien Dung Nguyen
Published: September 2018

There are a lot of similarities and differences in The Dam Giong epics of Bahnar ethnic in Central Highlands-Vietnam and Reamkerepic (Cambodia), Ramakien epic (Thailand) and PhraLakPhra Lam epic (Laos). Although there are some similarities in content and themes, these epics differ in capacity, structure, character system and some other artistic elements. Reamker, Ramakien, PhraLakPhra Lam are short independent epics, deriving from Ramayana epic (Indian). Meanwhile, The Dam Giong epics, about a hero named Giong, have a large capacity of hundreds of epics. These epics derive from myths, legends and creeds of Bahnar ethnic in the Central Highlands-Vietnam, especially, they are “living” epics. Nowadays, the epics of Dam Giong are still being circulated and they are developing in the lives of Bahnar ethnic. Currently, in Central Highlands-Vietnam, the epics of Dam Giong are still composed and the number of these epics is constantly increasing.
La comunicación de la nanotecnología del carbono a través del análisis crítico de textos informales en la educación química preuniversitaria
Authors: MEINGUER LEDESMA JORGE
Published: September 2018

En este trabajo se expone una estrategia metodológica para comunicar generalidades sobre la nanotecnología del carbono en el contexto de la enseñanza de la química en el bachillerato. La propuesta es el resultado de incorporar textos provenientes de la comunicación pública de la ciencia al ámbito escolar para promover elementos de pensamiento crítico sobre el tema. En el artículo se discute, la importancia de divulgar aspectos relacionados con la nanotecnología del carbono en la educación química, el valor que se asocia al uso de fuentes mediáticas para promover una respuesta crítica hacia temas científicos con amplia relevancia social ─como es el caso de la nanotecnología─, la efectividad de la estrategia implementada y sus implicaciones en el fomento de una cultura científica.