bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Screening of Soybean Genotypes under Salinity Stress
Authors: Hasan M.K. , Nasiruddin K.M. , Al-Amin M. , Hossain A.K.M.S.
Published: June 2016

Salinity is one of the most limiting factors for successful crop production in in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Thirty eight soybean genotypes were screened at 8mMNaCl under in vitro condition. Salinity reduced Shoot dry weight, Root dry weight and Plant height. Salt susceptibility index was fully and positive correlated with percent reduction of total dry weight. Principal component analysis showed that the first two components were extracted that comprises of about 98.6% of the total variation in the genotypes. Based on the K-means clustering, 8, 6, 12 and 12 genotypes were categorized under cluster II, IV, III and I and considered as tolerant, moderately tolerant, moderately susceptible and susceptible which represents the 21, 16, 31.5 and 31.5%, respectively. Genotypes Shohag, AGS 313, PK 416, AGS 66, MACS 57, AGS 195, GC 308, AGS 129 were found relatively tolerant to salinity.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(2): 207-212
Application of Mycorrhizal Technology for Improving Yield Production of Common Bean Plants
Authors: Abdel-Fattah Gamal M. , Shukry Wafaa M. , Shokr Mahmoud M.B. , Ahmed Mai A.
Published: June 2016

This study aimed to investigate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi with different levels of NPK fertilizers on yield production of common bean plants which common bean plants were subjected to five levels of NPK fertilizers (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 %). Application of AMF significantly increased the growth and yield components of common beans with minimized the levels of NPK comparing to equivalents non-mycorrhizal ones. The results obtained revealed that inoculation with AMF and the concentrations 50% and 75% of NPK with AMF are the greater than other concentrations and non-mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal Common bean plants had significantly higher number of pods, length of one pod, pods weight, 100 seeds weight, weight of seed/plant and intensity of mycorrhizal colonization(M%) . Concentrations of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) and total carbohydrates, crude protein and mycorrhizal dependency of some yield parameters were significantly increased in mycorrhizal plants at different NPK levels when comparing to those of non-mycorrhizal plants paticularly at (50% and 75%) concentration of NPK, but lower Na concentration in mycorrhizal common bean seeds than those of non-mycorrhizal.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(2): 191-197
Bioaugumentation Efficiency of Microbial Bacteria and Strategy for Its Recovery through Addition of NPK Fertilizers and the Study of Its Morphology
Authors: Mohsin Umema , Lowry Madan , Sharma Ranu , Moond Mamta
Published: June 2016

The study basically focuses on hydrocarbon contamination that is caused because of bacteria present in the soil. Transport Nagar Area in Jaipur is mostly covered with garages and hence surrounded by crude oil, petrol, diesel and other fractions of crude oil. Soil and ground water are polluted with diesel fuel from leaking underground storage tanks which happens as a result of accidental spills and leakage from pipelines which causes harm to the both flora and fauna. In the study conducted the treatment samples were observed with significant difference with the control. The microbial count was maintained in the range of 3.86*104- THBP per gram soil and 1.87*103- PDBP per gram soil. The highest bacterial growth was showed after 60 days with 40% NPK because of the presence of an inorganic nutrition, bacterial activity and as a result petroleum degradation was maximum.Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(2): 233-235
Gay as classroom practice
Authors: Simonsson Angelica , Angervall Petra
Published: June 2016

In this study conceptions of sexuality in classroom praxis are investigated. Sexuality and education is a growing field of research, in Sweden as well as internationally, something which has been recently represented also in Confero, not least in the contributions in the special issue “Queering School, Queers in School”. In the introduction to an anthology on gender, sexuality and education, Carlson and Meyer point out that school, as an institution, plays an important role in society when it comes to regulating gender and sexuality since school is a producer of differences in terms of “separable binary oppositions” such as man-woman and straight-gay, that are easily understood within the dominating culture and where one in each couple is usually more highly valued than the other. Carlson and Meyer further assert that school as an institution, in this way, produces gender and sexuality. One example of this is presented by Dalley and Campbell, who in their study of pupil interaction in high school conclude that the male pupils produce heterosexuality, whether actual or pretended, as normal by referencing homosexuality as abnormal. Our reading of these studies indicates that within both formal and informal schooling, meaning and knowledge is produced through everyday practices in which conceptions of gender and sexuality are crucial. In these practices, heterosexuality holds a position as taken-for-granted and normative.
RETRACTED: Testosterone Protects Mitochondrial Function and Regulates Neuroglobin Expression in Astrocytic Cells Exposed to Glucose Deprivation
Authors: Toro-Urrego Nicolas , Garcia-Segura Luis M. , Echeverria Valentina , Barreto George E.
Published: June 2016

Testosterone is a hormone that has been shown to confer neuroprotection from different insults affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Testosterone induces this protection by different mechanisms that include the activation of anti-apoptotic pathways that are directly implicated in neuronal survival. However, little attention has been devoted to its actions on glial cells. In the present study, we have assessed whether testosterone exerts protection in a human astrocyte cell model, the T98G cells. Our results indicate that testosterone improves cell survival and mitochondrial membrane potential and reduces nuclear fragmentation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. These effects were accompanied by a positive regulation of neuroglobin, an oxygen-binding and sensor protein, which may serve as a regulator of ROS and nitrogen reactive species (NOS), and these protective effects of testosterone may be at least in part mediated by estradiol and DHT. In conclusion, these findings suggest that astroglia may mediate some of the protective actions of testosterone in the brain upon pathological conditions.
A Review of ENSO Influence on the North Atlantic. A Non-Stationary Signal
Authors: Rodríguez-Fonseca Belén , Suárez-Moreno Roberto , Ayarzagüena Blanca , López-Parages Jorge , Gómara Iñigo , Villamayor Julián , Mohino Elsa , Losada Teresa , Castaño-Tierno Antonio
Published: June 2016

The atmospheric seasonal cycle of the North Atlantic region is dominated by meridional movements of the circulation systems: from the tropics, where the West African Monsoon and extreme tropical weather events take place, to the extratropics, where the circulation is dominated by seasonal changes in the jetstream and extratropical cyclones. Climate variability over the North Atlantic is controlled by various mechanisms. Atmospheric internal variability plays a crucial role in the mid-latitudes. However, El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is still the main source of predictability in this region situated far away from the Pacific. Although the ENSO influence over tropical and extra-tropical areas is related to different physical mechanisms, in both regions this teleconnection seems to be non-stationary in time and modulated by multidecadal changes of the mean flow. Nowadays, long observational records (greater than 100 years) and modeling projects (e.g., CMIP) permit detecting non-stationarities in the influence of ENSO over the Atlantic basin, and further analyzing its potential mechanisms. The present article reviews the ENSO influence over the Atlantic region, paying special attention to the stability of this teleconnection over time and the possible modulators. Evidence is given that the ENSO–Atlantic teleconnection is weak over the North Atlantic. In this regard, the multidecadal ocean variability seems to modulate the presence of teleconnections, which can lead to important impacts of ENSO and to open windows of opportunity for seasonal predictability.
Improved Manufacturing Performance of Screen Printed Carbon Electrodes through Material Formulation
Authors: Jewell Eifion , Philip Bruce , Greenwood Peter
Published: June 2016

Printed carbon graphite materials are the primary common component in the majority of screen printed sensors. Screen printing allows a scalable manufacturing solution, accelerating the means by which novel sensing materials can make the transition from laboratory material to commercial product. A common bottleneck in any thick film printing process is the controlled drying of the carbon paste material. A study has been undertaken which examines the interaction between material solvent, printed film conductivity and process consistency. The study illustrates that it is possible to reduce the solvent boiling point to significantly increase process productivity while maintaining process consistency. The lower boiling point solvent also has a beneficial effect on the conductivity of the film, reducing the sheet resistance. It is proposed that this is a result of greater film stressing increasing charge percolation through greater inter particle contact. Simulations of material performance and drying illustrate that a multi layered printing provides a more time efficient manufacturing method. The findings have implications for the volume manufacturing of the carbon sensor electrodes but also have implications for other applications where conductive carbon is used, such as electrical circuits and photovoltaic devices.
Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Direct Substitution of 2-Ethoxytetrahydrofuran with Trifluoroborate Salts
Authors: Fisher Kayla , Bolshan Yuri
Published: June 2016

Metal-free transformations of organotrifluoroborates are advantageous since they avoid the use of frequently expensive and sensitive transition metals. Lewis acid-catalyzed reactions involving potassium trifluoroborate salts have emerged as an alternative to metal-catalyzed protocols. However, the drawbacks to these methods are that they rely on the generation of unstable boron dihalide species, thereby resulting in low functional group tolerance. Recently, we discovered that in the presence of a Brønsted acid, trifluoroborate salts react rapidly with in situ generated oxocarbenium ions. Here, we report Brønsted acid-catalyzed direct substitution of 2-ethoxytetrahydrofuran using potassium trifluoroborate salts. The reaction occurs when tetrafluoroboric acid is used as a catalyst to afford functionalized furans in moderate to excellent yields. A variety of alkenyl- and alkynyltrifluoroborate salts readily participate in this transformation.
Hybrid Modulation of Bidirectional Three-Phase Dual-Active-Bridge DC Converters for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Wang Yen-Ching , Ni Fu-Ming , Lee Tzung-Lin
Published: June 2016

Bidirectional power converters for electric vehicles (EVs) have received much attention recently, due to either grid-supporting requirements or emergent power supplies. This paper proposes a hybrid modulation of the three-phase dual-active bridge (3ΦDAB) converter for EV charging systems. The designed hybrid modulation allows the converter to switch its modulation between phase-shifted and trapezoidal modes to increase the conversion efficiency, even under light-load conditions. The mode transition is realized in a real-time manner according to the charging or discharging current. The operation principle of the converter is analyzed in different modes and thus design considerations of the modulation are derived. A lab-scaled prototype circuit with a 48V/20Ah LiFePO4 battery is established to validate the feasibility and effectiveness.
Keeping Pace with Criminals: An Extended Study of Designing Patrol Allocation against Adaptive Opportunistic Criminals
Authors: Zhang Chao , Gholami Shahrzad , Kar Debarun , Sinha Arunesh , Jain Manish , Goyal Ripple , Tambe Milind
Published: June 2016

Game theoretic approaches have recently been used to model the deterrence effect of patrol officers’ assignments on opportunistic crimes in urban areas. One major challenge in this domain is modeling the behavior of opportunistic criminals. Compared to strategic attackers (such as terrorists) who execute a well-laid out plan, opportunistic criminals are less strategic in planning attacks and more flexible in executing well-laid plans based on their knowledge of patrol officers’ assignments. In this paper, we aim to design an optimal police patrolling strategy against opportunistic criminals in urban areas. Our approach is comprised by two major parts: learning a model of the opportunistic criminal (and how he or she responds to patrols) and then planning optimal patrols against this learned model. The planning part, by using information about how criminals responds to patrols, takes into account the strategic game interaction between the police and criminals. In more detail, first, we propose two categories of models for modeling opportunistic crimes. The first category of models learns the relationship between defender strategy and crime distribution as a Markov chain. The second category of models represents the interaction of criminals and patrol officers as a Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) with the number of criminals as the unobserved hidden states. To this end, we: (i) apply standard algorithms, such as Expectation Maximization (EM), to learn the parameters of the DBN; (ii) modify the DBN representation that allows for a compact representation of the model, resulting in better learning accuracy and the increased speed of learning of the EM algorithm when used for the modified DBN. These modifications exploit the structure of the problem and use independence assumptions to factorize the large joint probability distributions. Next, we propose an iterative learning and planning mechanism that periodically updates the adversary model. We demonstrate the efficiency of our learning algorithms by applying them to a real dataset of criminal activity obtained from the police department of the University of Southern California (USC) situated in Los Angeles, CA, USA. We project a significant reduction in crime rate using our planning strategy as compared to the actual strategy deployed by the police department. We also demonstrate the improvement in crime prevention in simulation when we use our iterative planning and learning mechanism when compared to just learning once and planning. Finally, we introduce a web-based software for recommending patrol strategies, which is currently deployed at USC. In the near future, our learning and planning algorithm is planned to be integrated with this software. This work was done in collaboration with the police department of USC.
Characterization and Genomic Analysis of a Highly Efficient Dibutyl Phthalate-Degrading Bacterium Gordonia sp. Strain QH-12
Authors: Jin Decai , Kong Xiao , Liu Huijun , Wang Xinxin , Deng Ye , Jia Minghong , Yu Xiangyang
Published: June 2016

A bacterial strain QH-12 isolated from activated sludge was identified as Gordonia sp. based on analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence and was found to be capable of utilizing dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and other common phthalate esters (PAEs) as the sole carbon and energy source. The degradation kinetics of DBP under different concentrations by the strain QH-12 fit well with the modified Gompertz model (R2 > 0.98). However, strain QH-12 could not utilize the major intermediate product phthalate (phthalic acid; PA) as the sole carbon and energy source, and only a little amount of PA was detected. The QH-12 genome analysis revealed the presence of putative hydrolase/esterase genes involved in PAEs-degradation but no phthalic acid catabolic gene cluster was found, suggesting that a novel degradation pathway of PAEs was present in Gordonia sp. QH-12. This information will be valuable for obtaining a more holistic understanding on diverse genetic mechanisms of PAEs-degrading Gordonia sp. strains.
A Photonic 1 × 4 Power Splitter Based on Multimode Interference in Silicon–Gallium-Nitride Slot Waveguide Structures
Authors: Malka Dror , Danan Yossef , Ramon Yehonatan , Zalevsky Zeev
Published: June 2016

In this paper, a design for a 1 × 4 optical power splitter based on the multimode interference (MMI) coupler in a silicon (Si)–gallium nitride (GaN) slot waveguide structure is presented—to our knowledge, for the first time. Si and GaN were found as suitable materials for the slot waveguide structure. Numerical optimizations were carried out on the device parameters using the full vectorial-beam propagation method (FV-BPM). Simulation results show that the proposed device can be useful to divide optical signal energy uniformly in the C-band range (1530–1565 nm) into four output ports with low insertion losses (0.07 dB).
Curcumin and Osteosarcoma: Can Invertible Polymeric Micelles Help?
Authors: Maran Avudaiappan , Yaszemski Michael , Kohut Ananiy , Voronov Andriy
Published: June 2016

Systematic review of experimental and clinical data on the use of curcumin in the treatment of osteosarcoma is presented. The current status of curcumin’s therapeutic potential against bone cancer is analyzed in regard to using polymeric micelles (including recently developed invertible, responsive, micelles) as a platform for curcumin delivery to treat osteosarcoma. The potential of micellar assemblies from responsive macromolecules in a controlled delivery of curcumin to osteosarcoma cells, and the release using a new inversion mechanism is revealed.
Microwave Rapid Sintering of Al-Metal Matrix Composites: A Review on the Effect of Reinforcements, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Matli Penchal , Shakoor Rana , Amer Mohamed Adel , Gupta Manoj
Published: June 2016

Aluminum metal matrix composites (AMMCs) are light-weight materials having wide-spread use in the automobile and aerospace industries due to their attractive physical and mechanical properties. The promising mechanical properties of AMMCs are ascribed to the size and distribution of the reinforcement, as well as to the grain size of the matrix. Microwave rapid sintering involves internal heating of aluminum compacts by passing microwave energy through them. The main features of the microwave sintering technique are a short processing time and a low energy consumption. The aim of this review article is to briefly present the microwave rapid sintering process and to summarize the recent published work on the sintering and properties of pure Al and Al-based matrix composites containing different reinforcements.
Kazakh Ziziphora Species as Sources of Bioactive Substances
Authors: Šmejkal Karel , Malaník Milan , Zhaparkulova Karlygash , Sakipova Zuriyadda , Ibragimova Liliya , Ibadullaeva Galya , Žemlička Milan
Published: June 2016

Ziziphora species represent the prototypical example of the Lamiaceae family. The phytochemicals present in Ziziphora include monoterpenic essential oils, triterpenes and phenolic substances belonging to the flavonoids. In Kazakh traditional medicine, Ziziphora species possess several medicinal uses. In particular, Z. bungeana Lam. and Z. clinopodioides Lam. are used for the treatment of illnesses related to the cardiovascular system or to combat different infections. Unfortunately, the majority of the information about the complex Ziziphora species is only available in Russian and Chinese language, therefore, we decided gather all available information on Kazakhstan Ziziphora, namely its content compounds, medicinal uses and published patents, to draw the attention of scientists to this very interesting plant with high medicinal potential.
Analysis of Odorants in Marking Fluid of Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) Using Simultaneous Sensory and Chemical Analysis with Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction and Multidimensional Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry
Authors: Soso Simone , Koziel Jacek
Published: June 2016

Scent-marking is the most effective method of communication in the presence or absence of a signaler. These complex mixtures result in a multifaceted interaction triggered by the sense of smell. The objective was to identify volatile organic compound (VOC) composition and odors emitted by total marking fluid (MF) associated with Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica). Siberian tiger, an endangered species, was chosen because its MF had never been analyzed. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) for headspace volatile collection combined with multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry for simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses were used. Thirty-two VOCs emitted from MF were identified. 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the sole previously identified compound responsible for the “characteristic” odor of P. tigris MF, was identified along with two additional compounds confirmed with standards (urea, furfural) and four tentatively identified compounds (3-methylbutanamine, (R)-3-methylcyclopentanone, propanedioic acid, and 3-hydroxybutanal) as being responsible for the characteristic aroma of Siberian tiger MF. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses improved characterization of scent-markings and identified compounds not previously reported in MF of other tiger species. This research will assist animal ecologists, behaviorists, and zookeepers in understanding how scents from specific MF compounds impact tiger and wildlife communication and improve management practices related to animal behavior. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses is applicable to unlocking scent-marking information for other species.
The Effect of Capsaicin on Salivary Gland Dysfunction
Authors: Shin Yong-Hwan , Kim Jin , Park Kyungpyo
Published: June 2016

Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanilyl-6-nonenamide) is a unique alkaloid isolated from hot chili peppers of the capsicum family. Capsaicin is an agonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1), which is expressed in nociceptive sensory neurons and a range of secretory epithelia, including salivary glands. Capsaicin has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in sensory neurons. Recently, increasing evidence has indicated that capsaicin also affects saliva secretion and inflammation in salivary glands. Applying capsaicin increases salivary secretion in human and animal models. Capsaicin appears to increase salivation mainly by modulating the paracellular pathway in salivary glands. Capsaicin activates TRPV1, which modulates the permeability of tight junctions (TJ) by regulating the expression and function of putative intercellular adhesion molecules in an ERK (extracelluar signal-regulated kinase) -dependent manner. Capsaicin also improved dysfunction in transplanted salivary glands. Aside from the secretory effects of capsaicin, it has anti-inflammatory effects in salivary glands. The anti-inflammatory effect of capsaicin is, however, not mediated by TRPV1, but by inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, capsaicin might be a potential drug for alleviating dry mouth symptoms and inflammation of salivary glands.
Recent Advances in Interface Engineering for Planar Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Yin Wei , Pan Lijia , Yang Tingbin , Liang Yongye
Published: June 2016

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells are considered as one of the most promising next-generation solar cells due to their advantages of low-cost precursors, high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and easy of processing. In the past few years, the PCEs have climbed from a few to over 20% for perovskite solar cells. Recent developments demonstrate that perovskite exhibits ambipolar semiconducting characteristics, which allows for the construction of planar heterojunction (PHJ) perovskite solar cells. PHJ perovskite solar cells can avoid the use of high-temperature sintered mesoporous metal oxides, enabling simple processing and the fabrication of flexible and tandem perovskite solar cells. In planar heterojunction materials, hole/electron transport layers are introduced between a perovskite film and the anode/cathode. The hole and electron transporting layers are expected to enhance exciton separation, charge transportation and collection. Further, the supporting layer for the perovskite film not only plays an important role in energy-level alignment, but also affects perovskite film morphology, which have a great effect on device performance. In addition, interfacial layers also affect device stability. In this review, recent progress in interfacial engineering for PHJ perovskite solar cells will be reviewed, especially with the molecular interfacial materials. The supporting interfacial layers for the optimization of perovskite films will be systematically reviewed. Finally, the challenges remaining in perovskite solar cells research will be discussed.
Integrated Analysis of the Wood Oil from Xanthocyparis vietnamensis Farjon & Hiep. by Chromatographic and Spectroscopic Techniques
Authors: Bazzali Ophélie , Thai Tran , Hoi Tran , Khang Nguyen , Hien Nguyen , Casanova Joseph , Bighelli Ange , Tomi Félix
Published: June 2016

In order to get better knowledge about the volatiles produced by Xanthocyparis vietnamensis, a species recently discovered in Vietnam, its wood oil has been analyzed by a combination of chromatographic (GC, CC) and spectroscopic (GC-MS, 13C-NMR) techniques. Forty components that accounted for 87.9% of the oil composition have been identified. The composition is dominated by nootkatene (20.7%), 11,12,13-tri-nor-eremophil-1(10)-en-7-one (17.2%), γ-eudesmol (5.1%), nootkatone (4.7%), valencene (3.5%) and 13-nor-eremophil-1(10)-en-11-one (2.6%). The structure of two new compounds—10-epi-nor-γ-eudesmen-11-one and 12-hydroxy-isodihydroagarofuran—has been elucidated, while 11,12,13-tri-nor-eremophil-1(10)-en-7-ol is reported as a natural product for the first time. The composition of X. vietnamensis wood oil varied drastically from those of leaf oils, dominated by hedycaryol (34.4%), phyllocladene (37.8%) or by pimara-6(14)-15-diene (19.4%).
Synthesis and Evaluation of Ciprofloxacin-Nitroxide Conjugates as Anti-Biofilm Agents
Authors: Verderosa Anthony , Mansour Sarah , De la Fuente-Núñez César , Hancock Robert , Fairfull-Smith Kathryn
Published: June 2016

As bacterial biofilms are often refractory to conventional antimicrobials, the need for alternative and/or novel strategies for the treatment of biofilm related infections has become of paramount importance. Herein, we report the synthesis of novel hybrid molecules comprised of two different hindered nitroxides linked to the piperazinyl secondary amine of ciprofloxacin via a tertiary amine linker achieved utilising reductive amination. The corresponding methoxyamine derivatives were prepared alongside their radical-containing counterparts as controls. Subsequent biological evaluation of the hybrid compounds on preformed P. aeruginosa flow cell biofilms divulged significant dispersal and eradication abilities for ciprofloxacin-nitroxide hybrid compound 10 (up to 95% eradication of mature biofilms at 40 μM). Importantly, these hybrids represent the first dual-action antimicrobial-nitroxide agents, which harness the dispersal properties of the nitroxide moiety to circumvent the well-known resistance of biofilms to treatment with antimicrobial agents.
A One-Pot Tandem Strategy in Catalytic Asymmetric Vinylogous Aldol Reaction of Homoallylic Alcohols
Authors: Hou Xufeng , Jing Zhenzhong , Bai Xiangbin , Jiang Zhiyong
Published: June 2016

Reported is a rationally-designed one-pot sequential strategy that allows homoallylic alcohols to be employed in a catalytic, asymmetric, direct vinylogous aldol reaction with a series of activated acyclic ketones, including trifluoromethyl ketones, γ-ketoesters, and α-keto phosphonates, in high yields (up to 95%) with excellent regio- and enantio-selectivity (up to 99% ee). This modular combination, including Jones oxidation and asymmetric organocatalysis, has satisfactory compatibility and reliability even at a 20 mmol scale, albeit without intermediary purification.
Soft Interaction in Liposome Nanocarriers for Therapeutic Drug Delivery
Authors: Lombardo Domenico , Calandra Pietro , Barreca Davide , Magazù Salvatore , Kiselev Mikhail
Published: June 2016

The development of smart nanocarriers for the delivery of therapeutic drugs has experienced considerable expansion in recent decades, with the development of new medicines devoted to cancer treatment. In this respect a wide range of strategies can be developed by employing liposome nanocarriers with desired physico-chemical properties that, by exploiting a combination of a number of suitable soft interactions, can facilitate the transit through the biological barriers from the point of administration up to the site of drug action. As a result, the materials engineer has generated through the bottom up approach a variety of supramolecular nanocarriers for the encapsulation and controlled delivery of therapeutics which have revealed beneficial developments for stabilizing drug compounds, overcoming impediments to cellular and tissue uptake, and improving biodistribution of therapeutic compounds to target sites. Herein we present recent advances in liposome drug delivery by analyzing the main structural features of liposome nanocarriers which strongly influence their interaction in solution. More specifically, we will focus on the analysis of the relevant soft interactions involved in drug delivery processes which are responsible of main behaviour of soft nanocarriers in complex physiological fluids. Investigation of the interaction between liposomes at the molecular level can be considered an important platform for the modeling of the molecular recognition processes occurring between cells. Some relevant strategies to overcome the biological barriers during the drug delivery of the nanocarriers are presented which outline the main structure-properties relationships as well as their advantages (and drawbacks) in therapeutic and biomedical applications.
Improvements in Cycling but Not Handcycling 10 km Time Trial Performance in Habitual Caffeine Users
Authors: Graham-Paulson Terri , Perret Claudio , Goosey-Tolfrey Victoria
Published: June 2016

Caffeine supplementation during whole-/lower-body exercise is well-researched, yet evidence of its effect during upper-body exercise is equivocal. The current study explored the effects of caffeine on cycling/handcycling 10 km time trial (TT) performance in habitual caffeine users. Eleven recreationally trained males (mean (SD) age 24 (4) years, body mass 85.1 (14.6) kg, cycling/handcycling peak oxygen uptake ( V · peak) 42.9 (7.3)/27.6 (5.1) mL∙kg∙min−1, 160 (168) mg/day caffeine consumption) completed two maximal incremental tests and two familiarization sessions. During four subsequent visits, participants cycled/handcycled for 30 min at 65% mode-specific V · peak (preload) followed by a 10 km TT following the ingestion of 4 mg∙kg−1 caffeine (CAF) or placebo (PLA). Caffeine significantly improved cycling (2.0 (2.0)%; 16:35 vs. 16:56 min; p = 0.033) but not handcycling (1.8 (3.0)%; 24:10 vs. 24:36 min; p = 0.153) TT performance compared to PLA. The improvement during cycling can be attributed to the increased power output during the first and last 2 km during CAF. Higher blood lactate concentration (Bla) was reported during CAF compared to PLA (p < 0.007) and was evident 5 min post-TT during cycling (11.2 ± 2.6 and 8.8 ± 3.2 mmol/L; p = 0.001) and handcycling (10.6 ± 2.5 and 9.2 ± 2.9 mmol/L; p = 0.006). Lower overall ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were seen following CAF during the preload (p < 0.05) but not post-TT. Lower peripheral RPE were reported at 20 min during cycling and at 30 min during handcycling, and lower central RPE was seen at 30 min during cycling (p < 0.05). Caffeine improved cycling but not handcycling TT performance. The lack of improvement during handcycling may be due to the smaller active muscle mass, elevated (Bla) and/or participants’ training status.
Announcing the 2016 Pharmaceuticals Travel Award for Young Investigators
Authors: Vanden Eynde Jean Jacques
Published: June 2016

For the ﬁrst time in its short history, our journal is able, this year, to support a young researcher in the ﬁeld of medicinal chemistry by offering a travel grant of 800 CHF.[...]
Sensing and Longing for God in Andrey Zvyagintsev’s The Return and Leviathan
Authors: Kondyuk Denys
Published: June 2016

This article explores apophatic ways of presenting God (the Other) in two films of Andrey Zvyagintsev. The lens for this analysis is the phenomenological theology of John Panteleimon Manoussakis, using the following concepts: (1) God as personal Other; (2) the relational nature of God’s self-disclosure through prosopon; (3) God as revealed in space/sight; (4) God as revealed in hearing/time; and (5) God as revealed in touch/self-understanding. This analysis, pursued through close examination of Zvyagintsev’s The Return (2003) and Leviathan (2014), demonstrates the relevance of Manoussakis’s theology to the study of religion and film, particularly in its sensual and experiential themes and emphases.
Integrating Crowdsourced Data with a Land Cover Product: A Bayesian Data Fusion Approach
Authors: Gengler Sarah , Bogaert Patrick
Published: June 2016

For many environmental applications, an accurate spatial mapping of land cover is a major concern. Currently, land cover products derived from satellite data are expected to offer a fast and inexpensive way of mapping large areas. However, the quality of these products may also largely depend on the area under study. As a result, it is common that various products disagree with each other, and the assessment of their respective quality still relies on ground validation datasets. Recently, crowdsourced data have been suggested as an alternate source of information that might help overcome this problem. However, crowdsourced data still remain largely discarded in scientific studies due to their inherent poor quality assurance. The aim of this paper is to present an efficient methodology that allows the user to code information brought by crowdsourced data even if no prior quality estimation is at hand and possibly to fuse this information with existing land cover products in order to improve their accuracy. It is first suggested that information brought by volunteers can be coded as a set of inequality constraints about the probabilities of the various land use classes at the visited places. This in turn allows estimating optimal probabilities based on a maximum entropy principle and to proceed afterwards with a spatial interpolation of these volunteers’ information. Finally, a Bayesian data fusion approach can be used for fusing multiple volunteers’ contributions with a remotely-sensed land cover product. This methodology is illustrated in this paper by focusing on the mapping of croplands in Ethiopia, where the aim is to improve the mapping of cropland as coming out from a land cover product with mitigated performances. It is shown how crowdsourced information can seriously improve the quality of the final product. The corresponding results also suggest that a prior assessing of remotely-sensed data quality can seriously improve the benefit of crowdsourcing campaigns, so that both sources of information need to be accounted together in order to optimize the sampling efforts.
Object-Based Assessment of Satellite Precipitation Products
Authors: Li Jingjing , Hsu Kuo-Lin , AghaKouchak Amir , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: June 2016

An object-based verification approach is employed to assess the performance of the commonly used high-resolution satellite precipitation products: Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN), Climate Prediction center MORPHing technique (CMORPH), and Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Multi-Satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42RT. The evaluation of the satellite precipitation products focuses on the skill of depicting the geometric features of the localized precipitation areas. Seasonal variability of the performances of these products against the ground observations is investigated through the examples of warm and cold seasons. It is found that PERSIANN is capable of depicting the orientation of the localized precipitation areas in both seasons. CMORPH has the ability to capture the sizes of the localized precipitation areas and performs the best in the overall assessment for both seasons. 3B42RT is capable of depicting the location of the precipitation areas for both seasons. In addition, all of the products perform better on capturing the sizes and centroids of precipitation areas in the warm season than in the cold season, while they perform better on depicting the intersection area and orientation in the cold season than in the warm season. These products are more skillful on correctly detecting the localized precipitation areas against the observations in the warm season than in the cold season.
Resolution-Enhanced Harmonic and Interharmonic Measurement for Power Quality Analysis in Cyber-Physical Energy System
Authors: Liu Yanchi , Wang Xue , Liu Youda , Cui Sujin
Published: June 2016

Power quality analysis issues, especially the measurement of harmonic and interharmonic in cyber-physical energy systems, are addressed in this paper. As new situations are introduced to the power system, the impact of electric vehicles, distributed generation and renewable energy has introduced extra demands to distributed sensors, waveform-level information and power quality data analytics. Harmonics and interharmonics, as the most significant disturbances, require carefully designed detection methods for an accurate measurement of electric loads whose information is crucial to subsequent analyzing and control. This paper gives a detailed description of the power quality analysis framework in networked environment and presents a fast and resolution-enhanced method for harmonic and interharmonic measurement. The proposed method first extracts harmonic and interharmonic components efficiently using the single-channel version of Robust Independent Component Analysis (RobustICA), then estimates the high-resolution frequency from three discrete Fourier transform (DFT) samples with little additional computation, and finally computes the amplitudes and phases with the adaptive linear neuron network. The experiments show that the proposed method is time-efficient and leads to a better accuracy of the simulated and experimental signals in the presence of noise and fundamental frequency deviation, thus providing a deeper insight into the (inter)harmonic sources or even the whole system.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Scattering-Based SARBM3D Despeckling Algorithm
Authors: Di Simone Alessio
Published: June 2016

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery greatly suffers from multiplicative speckle noise, typical of coherent image acquisition sensors, such as SAR systems. Therefore, a proper and accurate despeckling preprocessing step is almost mandatory to aid the interpretation and processing of SAR data by human users and computer algorithms, respectively. Very recently, a scattering-oriented version of the popular SAR Block-Matching 3D (SARBM3D) despeckling filter, named Scattering-Based (SB)-SARBM3D, was proposed. The new filter is based on the a priori knowledge of the local topography of the scene. In this paper, an experimental sensitivity analysis of the above-mentioned despeckling algorithm is carried out, and the main results are shown and discussed. In particular, the role of both electromagnetic and geometrical parameters of the surface and the impact of its scattering behavior are investigated. Furthermore, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the SB-SARBM3D filter against the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) resolution and the SAR image-DEM coregistration step is also provided. The sensitivity analysis shows a significant robustness of the algorithm against most of the surface parameters, while the DEM resolution plays a key role in the despeckling process. Furthermore, the SB-SARBM3D algorithm outperforms the original SARBM3D in the presence of the most realistic scattering behaviors of the surface. An actual scenario is also presented to assess the DEM role in real-life conditions.
An Approach to the Use of Depth Cameras for Weed Volume Estimation
Authors: Andújar Dionisio , Dorado José , Fernández-Quintanilla César , Ribeiro Angela
Published: June 2016

The use of depth cameras in precision agriculture is increasing day by day. This type of sensor has been used for the plant structure characterization of several crops. However, the discrimination of small plants, such as weeds, is still a challenge within agricultural fields. Improvements in the new Microsoft Kinect v2 sensor can capture the details of plants. The use of a dual methodology using height selection and RGB (Red, Green, Blue) segmentation can separate crops, weeds, and soil. This paper explores the possibilities of this sensor by using Kinect Fusion algorithms to reconstruct 3D point clouds of weed-infested maize crops under real field conditions. The processed models showed good consistency among the 3D depth images and soil measurements obtained from the actual structural parameters. Maize plants were identified in the samples by height selection of the connected faces and showed a correlation of 0.77 with maize biomass. The lower height of the weeds made RGB recognition necessary to separate them from the soil microrelief of the samples, achieving a good correlation of 0.83 with weed biomass. In addition, weed density showed good correlation with volumetric measurements. The canonical discriminant analysis showed promising results for classification into monocots and dictos. These results suggest that estimating volume using the Kinect methodology can be a highly accurate method for crop status determination and weed detection. It offers several possibilities for the automation of agricultural processes by the construction of a new system integrating these sensors and the development of algorithms to properly process the information provided by them.
An Efficient Bayesian Approach to Exploit the Context of Object-Action Interaction for Object Recognition
Authors: Yoon Sungbaek , Park Hyunjin , Yi Juneho
Published: June 2016

This research features object recognition that exploits the context of object-action interaction to enhance the recognition performance. Since objects have specific usages, and human actions corresponding to these usages can be associated with these objects, human actions can provide effective information for object recognition. When objects from different categories have similar appearances, the human action associated with each object can be very effective in resolving ambiguities related to recognizing these objects. We propose an efficient method that integrates human interaction with objects into a form of object recognition. We represent human actions by concatenating poselet vectors computed from key frames and learn the probabilities of objects and actions using random forest and multi-class AdaBoost algorithms. Our experimental results show that poselet representation of human actions is quite effective in integrating human action information into object recognition.
Object Occlusion Detection Using Automatic Camera Calibration for a Wide-Area Video Surveillance System
Authors: Jung Jaehoon , Yoon Inhye , Paik Joonki
Published: June 2016

This paper presents an object occlusion detection algorithm using object depth information that is estimated by automatic camera calibration. The object occlusion problem is a major factor to degrade the performance of object tracking and recognition. To detect an object occlusion, the proposed algorithm consists of three steps: (i) automatic camera calibration using both moving objects and a background structure; (ii) object depth estimation; and (iii) detection of occluded regions. The proposed algorithm estimates the depth of the object without extra sensors but with a generic red, green and blue (RGB) camera. As a result, the proposed algorithm can be applied to improve the performance of object tracking and object recognition algorithms for video surveillance systems.
Sustainable Behavior: Study Engagement and Happiness among University Students in South Korea
Authors: Choi Jihye
Published: June 2016

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships among sustainable behavior, study engagement, and happiness. The participants were 202 undergraduate students. The present study used structural equation modeling to examine the relationship among variables, and two models were examined. The analyses revealed that the present data best fit Model 1, in which sustainable behavior was directly associated with happiness and mediated by study engagement (χ2(24) = 46.743, Turker-Lewis Index = 0.933, Comparative Fit Index = 0.955, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.06). The results indicate that sustainable behavior affect happiness directly. Additionally, sustainable behaviors affect happiness indirectly by mediation of study engagement. In closing, implications for educational practices are discussed.
Comparative Immunogenicity of the Tetanus Toxoid and Recombinant Tetanus Vaccines in Mice, Rats, and Cynomolgus Monkeys
Authors: Yu Rui , Fang Ting , Liu Shuling , Song Xiaohong , Yu Changming , Li Jianmin , Fu Ling , Hou Lihua , Xu Junjie , Chen Wei
Published: June 2016

Tetanus is caused by the tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) and is one of the most dreaded diseases especially in the developing countries. The current vaccine against tetanus is based on an inactivated tetanus toxin, which is effective but has many drawbacks. In our previous study, we developed a recombinant tetanus vaccine based on protein TeNT-Hc, with clear advantages over the toxoid vaccine in terms of production, characterization, and homogeneity. In this study, the titers, growth extinction, and persistence of specific antibodies induced by the two types of vaccine in mice, rats, and cynomolgus monkeys were compared. The booster vaccination efficacy of the two types of vaccines at different time points and protection mechanism in animals were also compared. The recombinant tetanus vaccine induced persistent and better antibody titers and strengthened the immunity compared with the commercially available toxoid vaccine in animals. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the development of a safe and effective recombinant tetanus vaccine to enhance the immunity of adolescents and adults as a substitute for the current toxoid vaccine.