bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crop Residue Burning in India: Policy Challenges and Potential Solutions
Authors: Bhuvaneshwari S. , Hettiarachchi Hiroshan , Meegoda Jay N.
Published: March 2019

India, the second largest agro-based economy with year-round crop cultivation, generates a large amount of agricultural waste, including crop residues. In the absence of adequate sustainable management practices, approximately 92 seems a very small number of metric tons of crop waste is burned every year in India, causing excessive particulate matter emissions and air pollution. Crop residue burning has become a major environmental problem causing health issues as well as contributing to global warming. Composting, biochar production and mechanization are a few effective sustainable techniques that can help to curtail the issue while retaining the nutrients present in the crop residue in the soil. The government of India has attempted to curtail this problem, through numerous measures and campaigns designed to promote sustainable management methods such as converting crop residue into energy. However, the alarming rise of air pollution levels caused by crop residue burning in the city of Delhi and other northern areas in India observed in recent years, especially in and after the year of 2015, suggest that the issues is not yet under control. The solution to crop residue burning lies in the effective implementation of sustainable management practices with Government interventions and policies. This manuscript addresses the underlying technical as well as policy issues that has prevented India from achieving a long-lasting solution and also potential solutions that have been overlooked. However, effective implementation of these techniques also requires us to look at other socioeconomic aspects that had not been considered. This manuscript also discusses some of the policy considerations and functionality based on the analyses and current practices. The agricultural waste sector can benefit immensely from some of the examples from other waste sectors such as the municipal solid waste (MSW) and wastewater management where collection, segregation, recycling and disposal are institutionalized to secure an operational system. Active stakeholder involvement including education and empowerment of farmers along with technical solutions and product manufacturing can also assist tremendously. Even though the issue of crop residue burning touches many sectors, such as environment, agriculture, economy, social aspects, education, and energy, the past governmental efforts mainly revolved around agriculture and energy. This sectorial thinking is another barrier that needs to be broken. The government of India as well as governments of other developing countries can benefit from the emerging concept of nexus thinking in managing environmental resources. Nexus thinking promotes a higher-level integration and higher level of stakeholder involvement that goes beyond the disciplinary boundaries, providing a supporting platform to solve issues such as crop residue burning.
Parent-Teen Communication about Sexual and Reproductive Health: Cohort Differences by Race/Ethnicity and Nativity
Authors: Lantos Hannah , Manlove Jennifer , Wildsmith Elizabeth , Faccio Bianca , Guzman Lina , Moore Kristin A.
Published: March 2019

Parent-teen discussions about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) are associated with delayed sex and higher contraceptive use among teens. Using the National Survey of Family Growth, we conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses of different types of parent-teen SRH discussions among two cohorts of teens. We describe differences in patterns for males and females by race/ethnicity and nativity, and test for racial/ethnic interactions within each cohort. Analyses found that the prevalence of parent-teen discussions about SRH increased across cohorts. For males and females, there were increases in parent-teen discussions about condoms, and for males only, there were increases in any SRH discussions and discussions about contraception and STIs. Based on interactions, parent-teen discussions and STI discussions increased most for Hispanic females, and among Hispanics, increased most for the foreign-born. These data indicate increases in different types of parent-teen SRH discussions, particularly for males and foreign-born teens overall, and for Hispanic teen females regarding condom use. Future research should examine what factors are driving these changes, including changes in the structure of U.S. Hispanic communities and expansion of evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs.
Relevance Proof of Safety Culture in Coal Mine Industry
Authors: Jiang Wei , Liang Chunyang , Han Wei
Published: March 2019

This paper intends to use data to verify the correlation between safety culture, safety management system and safety knowledge, safety awareness, and safety habits, which is the correlation between the various parts of the behavior safety “2-4” model. Due to data limitations, the results are limited to the study of safety culture related relationships in coal mining enterprises. This paper first designed a questionnaire containing 30 questions, of which 1–5 questions represent safety culture, 6–22 questions represent safety management system, and 23–30 questions represent safety knowledge, safety awareness and safety habits. Employees of 27 coal mining enterprises in Shandong, Henan, Hunan and other places in China were surveyed and sampled by stratified random sampling, and 1514 valid questionnaires were obtained. After item analysis and correlation analysis, and it was found that, within the data of 1514 questionnaires, the item total correlation coefficients of questions 6, 9, 19 and 28 were all less than 0.2, indicating that the identification degree of these four items was poor, which was deleted. Using the data analysis of the remaining 26 questions in the questionnaire, it was found that the relationship between safety culture and the safety management system, the safety management system and safety knowledge, and safety awareness and safety habits is moderately related; safety culture and safety knowledge, safety awareness and safety habits are weakly related. The conclusion shows that the safety culture directly affects the safety management system; the safety management system directly affects the safety knowledge, safety awareness and safety habits; the safety culture indirectly affects safety knowledge, safety awareness and safety habits. However, why the expected strong correlation is not achieved, and whether the same conclusion can be obtained if the data scale is expanded or other types of enterprises are added for questionnaire measurement, these are questions worthy of further study, which is also the author’s next research content.
An Investigation of Soundscape Factors Influencing Perceptions of Square Dancing in Urban Streets: A Case Study in a County Level City in China
Authors: Xiao Jieling , Hilton Andrew
Published: March 2019

Square dancing is a popular music-related group physical exercise for health benefits in China mainly participated by mid-aged women and elderly people. This paper investigates the soundscape and enjoyment of the square dancing in urban streets through a case study in Lichuan, a county level city in southwest China, in December 2017. It examines the impact of gender, age, participation and places on perceptions of square dancing soundscape. Two sites along two main urban streets in the city were selected to conduct onsite investigations where residents spontaneously perform square dancing on a daily basis. Ethnographical observations were conducted to identify the social-physical features and sounds of both sites during the dance and without dance. Sound pressure measurements (LAeq and LAmax) were also conducted under the two conditions. An off-site survey was distributed through the local social media groups to understand residents’ everyday experiences and perceptions of square dancing in the city; 106 responses were received for the off-site survey. T-tests and Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis of the survey data. The results show gender does appear to be a factor influencing the regularity of participation in square dancing, with a bias towards more female participants. Participation frequency of square dance has an impact on the enjoyment of square dancing. There is no correlation between the dislike of watching square dancing, or dislike of the music and a desire to restrict locations for square dancing.
Examining the Associations between Walk Score, Perceived Built Environment, and Physical Activity Behaviors among Women Participating in a Community-Randomized Lifestyle Change Intervention Trial: Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities
Authors: Lo Brian K. , Graham Meredith L. , Folta Sara C. , Paul Lynn C. , Strogatz David , Nelson Miriam E. , Parry Stephen A. , Carfagno Michelle E. , Wing David , Higgins Michael , Seguin Rebecca A.
Published: March 2019

Little is known about the relationship between perceived and objective measures of the built environment and physical activity behavior among rural populations. Within the context of a lifestyle-change intervention trial for rural women, Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities (SHHC), we examined: (1) if Walk Score (WS), an objective built environment measure, was associated with perceived built environment (PBE); (2) if WS and PBE were associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); and (3) if MVPA changes were modified by WS and/or PBE. Accelerometers and questionnaires were used to collect MVPA and PBE. Bivariate analyses and linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. We found that WS was positively associated with perceived proximity to destinations (p < 0.001) and street shoulder availability (p = 0.001). MVPA was generally not associated with WS or PBE. Compared to controls, intervention group participants increased MVPA if they lived in communities with the lowest WS (WS = 0), fewer perceived walkable destinations, or extremely safe perceived traffic (all p < 0.05). Findings suggest that WS appears to be a relevant indicator of walkable amenities in rural towns; results also suggest that the SHHC intervention likely helped rural women with the greatest dearth of built environment assets to improve MVPA.
The Contribution of Fluoride to the Pathogenesis of Eye Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms and Implications for Public Health
Authors: Waugh Declan Timothy
Published: March 2019

This study provides diverse lines of evidence demonstrating that fluoride (F) exposure contributes to degenerative eye diseases by stimulating or inhibiting biological pathways associated with the pathogenesis of cataract, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. As elucidated in this study, F exerts this effect by inhibiting enolase, τ-crystallin, Hsp40, Na+, K+-ATPase, Nrf2, γ -GCS, HO-1 Bcl-2, FoxO1, SOD, PON-1 and glutathione activity, and upregulating NF-κB, IL-6, AGEs, HsP27 and Hsp70 expression. Moreover, F exposure leads to enhanced oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant activity. Based on the evidence presented in this study, it can be concluded that F exposure may be added to the list of identifiable risk factors associated with pathogenesis of degenerative eye diseases. The broader impact of these findings suggests that reducing F intake may lead to an overall reduction in the modifiable risk factors associated with degenerative eye diseases. Further studies are required to examine this association and determine differences in prevalence rates amongst fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities, taking into consideration other dietary sources of F such as tea. Finally, the findings of this study elucidate molecular pathways associated with F exposure that may suggest a possible association between F exposure and other inflammatory diseases. Further studies are also warranted to examine these associations.
Prevalence and Work-Related Factors Associated with Lower Back Musculoskeletal Disorders in Female Shellfish Gatherers in Saubara, Bahia-Brazil
Authors: Barreto Moreira Couto Maria Carolina , Rocha Falcão Ila , dos Santos Müller Juliana , Batista Alves Ivone , da Silva Viana Wendel , Maria Cadena Lima Verônica , Gilvane Lopes Pena Paulo , Georgette Woods Courtney , Franco Rego Rita
Published: March 2019

Lower back musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are an important public health problem and the leading cause of disability worldwide, but with yet unknown prevalence among shellfish gatherers. To investigate the prevalence and work-related factors associated with lower back MSD in a population of female shellfish gatherers, an epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out in Saubara, Bahia-Brazil, in 2013. The Brazilian version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), in addition to a questionnaire containing the physical demands adapted to the artisanal work, were applied to a random sample of 209 female shellfish gatherers. The prevalence of lower back MSD was 72.7%. Using multivariate logistic regression, the shellfish gatherers who had worked for more than 26 years in the activity showed a prevalence of 1.22 (95% CI: 1.04–1.44) times higher compared to those unexposed. Lower back MSD was 1.24 (95% CI: 1.08–1.42) times higher among those more exposed to work sitting with trunk flexion. Those performed manual handling and muscle force with the arms had a prevalence ratio of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.01–1.39). These results show the need for greater awareness of health and social welfare factors impacting workers in small-scale fisheries and will promote the elaboration of health care policies for this occupational class.
Testis-Specific SEPT12 Expression Affects SUN Protein Localization and is Involved in Mammalian Spermiogenesis
Authors: Yeh Chung-Hsin , Wang Ya-Yun , Wee Shi-Kae , Chen Mei-Feng , Chiang Han-Sun , Kuo Pao-Lin , Lin Ying-Hung
Published: March 2019

Male infertility is observed in approximately 50% of all couples with infertility. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a conventional artificial reproductive technique for treating male infertility, may fail because of a severe low sperm count, immotile sperm, immature sperm, and sperm with structural defects and DNA damage. Our previous studies have revealed that mutations in the septin (SEPT)-coding gene SEPT12 cause teratozoospermia and severe oligozoospermia. These spermatozoa exhibit morphological defects in the head and tail, premature chromosomal condensation, and nuclear damage. Sperm from Sept12 knockout mice also cause the developmental arrest of preimplantation embryos generated through in vitro fertilization and ICSI. Furthermore, we found that SEPT12 interacts with SPAG4, a spermatid nuclear membrane protein that is also named SUN4. Loss of the Spag4 allele in mice also disrupts the integration nuclear envelope and reveals sperm head defects. However, whether SEPT12 affects SPAG4 during mammalian spermiogenesis remains unclear. We thus conducted this study to explore this question. First, we found that SPAG4 and SEPT12 exhibited similar localizations in the postacrosomal region of elongating spermatids and at the neck of mature sperm through isolated murine male germ cells. Second, SEPT12 expression altered the nuclear membrane localization of SPAG4, as observed through confocal microscopy, in a human testicular cancer cell line. Third, SEPT12 expression also altered the localizations of nuclear membrane proteins: LAMINA/C in the cells. This effect was specifically due to the expression of SEPT12 and not that of SEPT1, SEPT6, SEPT7, or SEPT11. Based on these results, we suggest that SEPT12 is among the moderators of SPAG4/LAMIN complexes and is involved in the morphological formation of sperm during mammalian spermiogenesis.
Melatonin-Mediated Regulation of Growth and Antioxidant Capacity in Salt-Tolerant Naked Oat under Salt Stress
Authors: Gao Wenying , Feng Zheng , Bai Qingqing , He Jinjin , Wang Yingjuan
Published: March 2019

Melatonin (MT; N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a pleiotropic signaling molecule that has been demonstrated to play an important role in plant growth, development, and regulation of environmental stress responses. Studies have been conducted on the role of the exogenous application of MT in a few species, but the potential mechanisms of MT-mediated stress tolerance under salt stress are still largely unknown. In this study, naked oat seedlings under salt stress (150 mM NaCl) were pretreated with two different concentrations of MT (50 and 100 μM), and the effects of MT on the growth and antioxidant capacity of naked oat seedlings were analyzed to explore the regulatory effect of MT on salt tolerance. The results showed that pretreating with different concentrations of MT promoted the growth of seedlings in response to 150 mM NaCl. Different concentrations of MT reduced hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and malondialdehyde contents. The exogenous application of MT also increased superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxide activities. Chlorophyll content, leaf area, leaf volume, and proline increased in the leaves of naked oat seedlings under 150 mM NaCl stress. MT upregulated the expression levels of the lipid peroxidase genes lipoxygenase and peroxygenase, a chlorophyll biosynthase gene (ChlG), the mitogen-activated protein kinase genes Asmap1 and Aspk11, and the transcription factor genes (except DREB2), NAC, WRKY1, WRKY3, and MYB in salt-exposed MT-pretreated seedlings when compared with seedlings exposed to salt stress alone. These results demonstrate an important role of MT in the relief of salt stress and, therefore, provide a reference for managing salinity in naked oat.
The Contribution of Genetic Factors to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: Apolipoprotein E Gene, Gene Interactions, and Polygenic Risk
Authors: Fan Jialing , Tao Wuhai , Li Xin , Li He , Zhang Junying , Wei Dongfeng , Chen Yaojing , Zhang Zhanjun
Published: March 2019

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Although it has been studied for years, the pathogenesis of AD is still controversial. Genetic factors may play an important role in pathogenesis, with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene among the greatest risk factors for AD. In this review, we focus on the influence of genetic factors, including the APOE gene, the interaction between APOE and other genes, and the polygenic risk factors for cognitive function and dementia. The presence of the APOE ε4 allele is associated with increased AD risk and reduced age of AD onset. Accelerated cognitive decline and abnormal internal environment, structure, and function of the brain were also found in ε4 carriers. The effect of the APOE promoter on cognition and the brain was confirmed by some studies, but further investigation is still needed. We also describe the effects of the associations between APOE and other genetic risk factors on cognition and the brain that exhibit a complex gene–gene interaction, and we consider the importance of using a polygenic risk score to investigate the association between genetic variance and phenotype.
Mechanisms of FSH- and Amphiregulin-Induced MAP Kinase 3/1 Activation in Pig Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes During Maturation In Vitro
Authors: Prochazka Radek , Nemcova Lucie
Published: March 2019

The maturation of mammalian oocytes in vitro can be stimulated by gonadotropins (follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH) or their intrafollicular mediator, epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like peptide—amphiregulin (AREG). We have shown previously that in pig cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), FSH induces expression and the synthesis of AREG that binds to EGF receptor (EGFR) and activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase 3/1 (MAPK3/1) signaling pathway. However, in this study we found that FSH also caused a rapid activation of MAPK3/1 in the cumulus cells, which cannot be explained by the de novo synthesis of AREG. The rapid MAPK3/1 activation required EGFR tyrosine kinase (TK) activity, was sensitive to SRC proto-oncogene non-receptor tyrosine kinase (SRC)-family and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, and was resistant to inhibitors of protein kinase A (PKA) and metalloproteinases. AREG also induced the rapid activation of MAPK3/1 in cumulus cells, but this activation was only dependent on the EGFR TK activity. We conclude that in cumulus cells, FSH induces a rapid activation of MAPK3/1 by the ligand-independent transactivation of EGFR, requiring SRC and PKC activities. This rapid activation of MAPK3/1 precedes the second mechanism participating in the generation and maintenance of active MAPK3/1—the ligand-dependent activation of EGFR depending on the synthesis of EGF-like peptides.
CUBAN, a Case Study of Selective Binding: Structural Details of the Discrimination between Ubiquitin and NEDD8
Authors: Santonico Elena , Nepravishta Ridvan , Mandaliti Walter , Castagnoli Luisa , Cesareni Gianni , Paci Maurizio
Published: March 2019

The newly identified CUBAN (Cullin binding domain associating with NEDD8) domain recognizes both ubiquitin and the ubiquitin-like NEDD8. Despite the high similarity between the two molecules, CUBAN shows a clear preference for NEDD8, free and conjugated to cullins. We previously characterized the domain structure, both alone and in complex with NEDD8. The results here reported are addressed to investigate the determinants that drive the selective binding of CUBAN towards NEDD8 and ubiquitin. The 15N HSQC NMR perturbation pattern of the labeled CUBAN domain, when combined with either NEDD8 or ubiquitin, shows a clear involvement of hydrophobic residues that characterize the early stages of these interactions. After a slow conformational selection step, hydrophobic and then neutral and polar interactions take place, which drive the correct orientation of the CUBAN domain, leading to differences in the recognition scheme of NEDD8 and ubiquitin. As a result, a cascade of induced fit steps seems to determine the structural preference shown for NEDD8 and therefore the basis of the selectivity of the CUBAN domain. Finally, molecular dynamics analysis was performed to determine by fluctuations the internal flexibility of the CUBAN/NEDD8 complex. We consider that our results, based on a structural investigation mainly focused on the early stages of the recognition, provide a fruitful opportunity to report the different behavior of the same protein with two highly similar binding partners.
Beneficial Effects of Adiponectin on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerotic Progression: Mechanisms and Perspectives
Authors: Yanai Hidekatsu , Yoshida Hiroshi
Published: March 2019

Circulating adiponectin concentrations are reduced in obese individuals, and this reduction has been proposed to have a crucial role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome. We focus on the effects of adiponectin on glucose and lipid metabolism and on the molecular anti-atherosclerotic properties of adiponectin and also discuss the factors that increase the circulating levels of adiponectin. Adiponectin reduces inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, which leads to an improvement of insulin resistance. Adiponectin-induced improvement of insulin resistance and adiponectin itself reduce hepatic glucose production and increase the utilization of glucose and fatty acids by skeletal muscles, lowering blood glucose levels. Adiponectin has also β cell protective effects and may prevent the development of diabetes. Adiponectin concentration has been found to be correlated with lipoprotein metabolism; especially, it is associated with the metabolism of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglyceride (TG). Adiponectin appears to increase HDL and decrease TG. Adiponectin increases ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and decreases hepatic lipase, which may elevate HDL. Increased LPL mass/activity and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) receptor and reduced apo-CIII may increase VLDL catabolism and result in the reduction of serum TG. Further, adiponectin has various molecular anti-atherosclerotic properties, such as reduction of scavenger receptors in macrophages and increase of cholesterol efflux. These findings suggest that high levels of circulating adiponectin can protect against atherosclerosis. Weight loss, exercise, nutritional factors, anti-diabetic drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, and anti-hypertensive drugs have been associated with an increase of serum adiponectin level.
Nuclear ERK: Mechanism of Translocation, Substrates, and Role in Cancer
Authors: Maik-Rachline Galia , Hacohen-Lev-Ran Avital , Seger Rony
Published: March 2019

The extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK) are central signaling components that regulate stimulated cellular processes such as proliferation and differentiation. When dysregulated, these kinases participate in the induction and maintenance of various pathologies, primarily cancer. While ERK is localized in the cytoplasm of resting cells, many of its substrates are nuclear, and indeed, extracellular stimulation induces a rapid and robust nuclear translocation of ERK. Similarly to other signaling components that shuttle to the nucleus upon stimulation, ERK does not use the canonical importinα/β mechanism of nuclear translocation. Rather, it has its own unique nuclear translocation signal (NTS) that interacts with importin7 to allow stimulated shuttling via the nuclear pores. Prevention of the nuclear translocation inhibits proliferation of B-Raf- and N/K-Ras-transformed cancers. This effect is distinct from the one achieved by catalytic Raf and MEK inhibitors used clinically, as cells treated with the translocation inhibitors develop resistance much more slowly. In this review, we describe the mechanism of ERK translocation, present all its nuclear substrates, discuss its role in cancer and compare its translocation to the translocation of other signaling components. We also present proof of principle data for the use of nuclear ERK translocation as an anti-cancer target. It is likely that the prevention of nuclear ERK translocation will eventually serve as a way to combat Ras and Raf transformed cancers with less side-effects than the currently used drugs.
Relevance of Oxygen Concentration in Stem Cell Culture for Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Mas-Bargues Cristina , Sanz-Ros Jorge , Román-Domínguez Aurora , Inglés Marta , Gimeno-Mallench Lucia , El Alami Marya , Viña-Almunia José , Gambini Juan , Viña José , Borrás Consuelo
Published: March 2019

The key hallmark of stem cells is their ability to self-renew while keeping a differentiation potential. Intrinsic and extrinsic cell factors may contribute to a decline in these stem cell properties, and this is of the most importance when culturing them. One of these factors is oxygen concentration, which has been closely linked to the maintenance of stemness. The widely used environmental 21% O2 concentration represents a hyperoxic non-physiological condition, which can impair stem cell behaviour by many mechanisms. The goal of this review is to understand these mechanisms underlying the oxygen signalling pathways and their negatively-associated consequences. This may provide a rationale for culturing stem cells under physiological oxygen concentration for stem cell therapy success, in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Electrocatalytic Activities towards the Electrochemical Oxidation of Formic Acid and Oxygen Reduction Reactions over Bimetallic, Trimetallic and Core–Shell-Structured Pd-Based Materials
Authors: Gunji Takao , Matsumoto Futoshi
Published: March 2019

The structural design of nanosized electrocatalysts is extremely important for cathodic oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and anodic oxidation reactions in small organic compounds in direct fuel cells. While Pt is still the most commonly used electrode material for ORR, the Pd electrocatalyst is a promising alternative to Pt, because it exhibits much higher electrocatalytic activity towards formic acid electrooxidation, and the electrocatalytic activity of ORR on the Pd electrode is the higher than that of all other precious metals, except for Pt. In addition, the mass activity of Pt in a core–shell structure for ORR can be improved significantly by using Pd and Pd-based materials as core materials. Herein, we review various nanoscale Pd-based bimetallic, trimetallic and core–shell electrocatalysts for formic acid oxidation and ORR of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). This review paper is separated into two major topics: the electrocatalytic activity towards formic acid oxidation over various Pd-based electrocatalysts, and the activity of ORR on Pd-based materials and Pd core–Pt shell structures.
Ability of Muscidifurax raptorellus and Other Parasitoids and Predators to Control Drosophila suzukii Populations in Raspberries in the Laboratory
Authors: Bonneau Phanie , Renkema Justin , Fournier Valérie , Firlej Annabelle
Published: March 2019

Drosophila suzukii is an invasive pest and economic threat to berry crops in Europe and the Americas. Current methods of control of this pest rely primarily on frequent applications of insecticides; therefore, there is a need for alternative control methods to reduce insecticide reliance. In this study, we evaluated the biological control potential of three parasitoid wasps: Diglyphus isaea, Muscidifurax raptorellus and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae, and four predators: Chrysoperla carnea, Dicyphus hesperus, Orius insidiosus and Podisus maculiventris. Experiments were conducted for 15 days under controlled conditions in experimental arenas with D. suzukii females and raspberries, allowing for all life stages of D. suzukii to be available to natural enemies. Results showed the first evidence of M. raptorellus’s ability to parasitize D. suzukii, resulting in a 40% reduction. Orius insidiosus, P. vindemmiae and C. carnea were also efficient, reducing D. suzukii numbers by 49%, 43% and 32%, respectively. Predator preferences for each D. suzukii life stage were assessed. The clutch size, sex ratio and adult size variability of D. suzukii pupal parasitoids were also evaluated. This study expands the list of species that can effectively parasitize D. suzukii and provides new insights into the biological responses of M. raptorellus to D. suzukii pupae.
What Factors Affect Income Inequality and Economic Growth in Middle-Income Countries?
Authors: Vo Duc Hong , Nguyen Thang Cong , Tran Ngoc Phu , Vo Anh The
Published: March 2019

Income inequality in many middle-income countries has increased at an alarming level. While the time series relationship between income inequality and economic growth has been extensively investigated, the causal and dynamic link between them, particularly for the middle-income countries, has been largely ignored in the current literature. This study was conducted to fill in this gap on two different samples for the period from 1960 to 2014: (i) a full sample of 158 countries; and (ii) a sample of 86 middle-income countries. The Granger causality test and a system generalized method of moments (GMM) are utilized in this study. The findings from this study indicate that causality is found from economic growth to income inequality and vice versa in both samples of countries. In addition, this study also finds that income inequality contributes negatively to the economic growth in the middle-income countries in the research period.
Successive Paradigm Shifts in the Bacterial Cell Cycle and Related Subjects
Authors: Norris Vic
Published: March 2019

A paradigm shift in one field can trigger paradigm shifts in other fields. This is illustrated by the paradigm shifts that have occurred in bacterial physiology following the discoveries that bacteria are not unstructured, that the bacterial cell cycle is not controlled by the dynamics of peptidoglycan, and that the growth rates of bacteria in the same steady-state population are not at all the same. These paradigm shifts are having an effect on longstanding hypotheses about the regulation of the bacterial cell cycle, which appear increasingly to be inadequate. I argue that, just as one earthquake can trigger others, an imminent paradigm shift in the regulation of the bacterial cell cycle will have repercussions or “paradigm quakes” on hypotheses about the origins of life and about the regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle.
Effect of Plasma Nitriding Pretreatment on the Mechanical Properties of AlCrSiN-Coated Tool Steels
Authors: Chang Yin-Yu , Amrutwar Siddhant
Published: March 2019

Surface modification of steel has been reported to improve hardness and other mechanical properties, such as increase in resistance, for reducing plastic deformation, fatigue, and wear. Duplex surface treatment, such as a combination of plasma nitriding and physical vapor deposition, achieves superior mechanical properties and resistance to wear. In this study, the plasma nitriding process was conducted prior to the deposition of hard coatings on the SKH9 substrate. This process was done by a proper mixture of nitrogen/hydrogen gas at suitable duty cycle, pressure, and voltage with proper temperature. Later on, the deposition of gradient AlCrSiN coatings synthesized by a cathodic-arc deposition process was performed. During the deposition of AlCrSiN, CrN, AlCrN/CrN, and AlCrSiN/AlCrN were deposited as gradient interlayers to improve adhesion between the coatings and nitrided steels. A repetitive impact test (200k–400k times) was performed at room temperature and at high temperature (~500 °C) to assess impact resistance. The results showed that the tribological impact resistance for the synthesized AlCrSiN increased because of a progressive hardness support. The combination of plasma nitriding and AlCrSiN hard coatings is capable of increasing the life of molding dies and metal forging dies in mass production.
Morphology and Wear Resistance of Composite Coatings Formed on a TA2 Substrate Using Hot-Dip Aluminising and Micro-Arc Oxidation Technologies
Authors: Wang Shaopeng , Zhou Lian , Li Changjiu , Li Zhengxian , Li Hongzhan
Published: March 2019

Aluminium layers were coated onto the surface of pure titanium using hot-dip aluminising technology, and then the aluminium layers were in situ oxidised to form oxide ceramic coatings, using the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technique. The microstructure and composition distribution of the hot-dip aluminium coatings and ceramic layers were studied by using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The phase structure of the MAO layers was studied using X-ray diffraction. The surface composition of the MAO layer was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The wear resistance of the pure titanium substrate and the ceramic layers coated on its surface were evaluated by using the ball-on-disc wear method. Therefore, aluminising coatings, which consist of a diffusion layer and a pure aluminium layer, could be formed on pure titanium substrates using the hot-dip aluminising method. The MAO method enabled the in-situ oxidation of hot-dip pure aluminium layers, which subsequently led to the formation of ceramic layers. Moreover, the wear resistance values of the ceramic layers were significantly higher than that of the pure titanium substrate.
Effects of Cations/Anions in Recycled Tailing Water on Cationic Reverse Flotation of Iron Oxides
Authors: Tang Min , Wen Shuming
Published: March 2019

It is well known that reverse flotation performance of iron oxides is affected by water quality. Since many potential variations among water sources recycling in a mineral processing plant bring unpredictable effects on the flotation system of iron oxides: disturbing ions/compounds, pH, hardness, residual reagents, etc. In this study, the recycled tailing water from a local plant, characteristically constituting of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Al3+, Fe3+, Cl−, SO42− etc., was introduced into the cationic reverse flotation process of an iron ore. A series of bench flotation tests using iron ores, micro-flotation tests using pure fine quartz, water chemical analyses, and zeta potential measurement were conducted with the objective of identifying the possible influences of both cations and anions in the recycled tailing water on the flotation performance. The flotation results pointed out that the cation with higher valency had more severe influences on the recovery of iron oxides. The formation of the pH-dependent surface complexes on mineral surfaces, for example, Fe(OH)+, Fe(OH)2+, and Fe(OH)3 resulted from Fe3+ ions adsorption, contributed to the less negative zeta potentials of the quartz, and consequently weakened its interaction with the amine collector. It is worthy to note that SO42− ions seem to have a more positive effect on the recovery of iron oxides than Cl− ions. This is probably attributed to the formation of inner/outer- sphere surface complexes on the iron oxides, inhibiting the dissolution of the iron ions/species, and the coordination with these cations from the recycled tailing water, shielding their disturbances in the flotation.
Mine Backfilling in the Permafrost, Part I: Numerical Prediction of Thermal Curing Conditions within the Cemented Paste Backfill Matrix
Authors: Beya Fabrice , Mbonimpa Mamert , Belem Tikou , Li Li , Marceau Ugo , Kalonji Patrick , Benzaazoua Mostafa , Ouellet Serge
Published: March 2019

The mechanical behavior of cemented paste backfill (CPB) in permafrost regions may depend on the thermal curing conditions. However, few experimental data are available for calibrating and validating numerical models used to predict these conditions. To fill this gap, a three-dimensional (3D) laboratory heat transfer test was conducted on CPB placed in an instrumented barrel and cured under a constant temperature of −11 °C. Results were used to calibrate and validate a numerical model built with COMSOL Multiphysics®. The model was then used to predict the evolution of the temperature field for CPB cured under the thermal boundary conditions for a backfilled mine stope in the permafrost (at −6 °C). Numerical results indicated that the CPB temperature gradually decreased with time such that the entire CPB mass was frozen about five years after stope backfilling. However, the permafrost equilibrium temperature of −6 °C was not reached throughout the entire CPB mass even after 20 years of curing. In addition, the evolution of the temperature field in the permafrost rock showed that the thickness of the thawed portion reached about 1 m within 120 days. Afterwards, the temperature continues to drop over time and the thawed portion of the permafrost refreezes after 365 days.
Recent Advances in Cell Penetrating Peptide-Based Anticancer Therapies
Authors: Habault Justine , Poyet Jean-Luc
Published: March 2019

Cell-penetrating-peptides (CPPs) are small amino-acid sequences characterized by their ability to cross cellular membranes. They can transport various bioactive cargos inside cells including nucleic acids, large proteins, and other chemical compounds. Since 1988, natural and synthetic CPPs have been developed for applications ranging from fundamental to applied biology (cell imaging, gene editing, therapeutics delivery). In recent years, a great number of studies reported the potential of CPPs as carriers for the treatment of various diseases. Apart from a good efficacy due to a rapid and potent delivery, a crucial advantage of CPP-based therapies is the peptides low toxicity compared to most drug carriers. On the other hand, they are quite unstable and lack specificity. Higher specificity can be obtained using a cell-specific CPP to transport the therapeutic agent or using a non-specific CPP to transport a cargo with a targeted activity. CPP-cargo complexes can also be conjugated to another moiety that brings cell- or tissue-specificity. Studies based on all these approaches are showing promising results. Here, we focus on recent advances in the potential usage of CPPs in the context of cancer therapy, with a particular interest in CPP-mediated delivery of anti-tumoral proteins.
Influence of Pickling Process on Allium cepa and Citrus limon Metabolome as Determined via Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics
Authors: Farag Mohamed A. , Tawfike Ahmed F. , Donia Marwa S. , Ehrlich Anja , Wessjohann Ludger A.
Published: March 2019

Brine, the historically known food additive salt solution, has been widely used as a pickling media to preserve flavor or enhance food aroma, appearance, or other qualities. The influence of pickling, using brine, on the aroma compounds and the primary and secondary metabolite profile in onion bulb Allium cepa red cv. and lemon fruit Citrus limon was evaluated using multiplex metabolomics technologies. In lemon, pickling negatively affected its key odor compound “citral”, whereas monoterpene hydrocarbons limonene and γ-terpinene increased in the pickled product. Meanwhile, in onion sulphur rearrangement products appeared upon storage, i.e., 3,5-diethyl-1,2,4-trithiolane. Profiling of the polar secondary metabolites in lemon fruit via ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to MS annotated 37 metabolites including 18 flavonoids, nine coumarins, five limonoids, and two organic acids. With regard to pickling impact, notable and clear separation among specimens was observed with an orthogonal projections to least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) score plot for the lemon fruit model showing an enrichment of limonoids and organic acids and that for fresh onion bulb showing an abundance of flavonols and saponins. In general, the pickling process appeared to negatively impact the abundance of secondary metabolites in both onion and lemon, suggesting a decrease in their food health benefits.
Synthesis, Stability Studies, and Antifungal Evaluation of Substituted α- and β-2,3-Dihydrofuranaphthoquinones against Sporothrix brasiliensis and Sporothrix schenckii
Authors: Garcia Ferreira Patricia , Pereira Borba-Santos Luana , Noronha Leticia Lorena , Deckman Nicoletti Caroline , de Sá Haddad Queiroz Marcella , de Carvalho da Silva Fernando , Rozental Sônia , Omena Futuro Débora , Francisco Ferreira Vitor
Published: March 2019

Sporotrichosis is a neglected fungal infection caused by Sporothrix spp., which have a worldwide distribution. The standard antifungal itraconazole has been recommended as a first-line therapy. However, failure cases in human and feline treatment have been reported in recent years. This study aimed to synthesize several α- and β-2,3-dihydrofuranaphthoquinones and evaluate them against Sporothrix schenckii and Sporothrix brasiliensis—the main etiological agents of sporotrichosis in Brazil. The stability of these compounds was also investigated under different storage conditions for 3 months. The samples were removed at 0, 60, and 90 days and assessed by 1H-NMR, and their in vitro antifungal susceptibility was tested. Furthermore, we evaluated the superficial changes caused by the most effective and stable compounds using scanning electron microscopy and determined their effects when combined with itraconazole. Nine dihydrofuranaphthoquinones showed good antifungal activity and stability, with MIC values of 2–32 µM. Compounds 6 and 10 were the most active dihydrofuranaphthoquinones in vitro for both species; in fungi, these compounds induced yeast–hyphae conversion and alteration in the hyphae and conidia structures. Compound 10 also exhibited a synergistic activity with itraconazole against S. schenckii, with a ΣFIC index value of 0.3. Our results indicate that Compounds 6 and 10 are potential candidates for the development of new antifungal agents for the treatment of sporotrichosis.
Rh(III)-Catalyzed Annulation of Boc-Protected Benzamides with Diazo Compounds: Approach to Isocoumarins
Authors: Dong Guangyu , Li Chunpu , Liu Hong
Published: March 2019

A mild rhodium-catalyzed annulation of Boc-protected benzamides with diazo compounds via C−C/C−O bond formation has been explored. In the presence of [Cp*RhCl2]2, AgSbF6 and Cs2CO3, Boc-protected benzamides can be effectively annulated to yield isocoumarins in 0.5–2 h.
Visualization of Aspalathin in Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) Plant and Herbal Tea Extracts Using Thin-Layer Chromatography
Authors: Amor Stander Emily , Williams Wesley , Rautenbach Fanie , Le Roes-Hill Marilize , Mgwatyu Yamkela , Marnewick Jeanine , Hesse Uljana
Published: March 2019

Aspalathin, the main polyphenol of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), is associated with diverse health promoting properties of the tea. During fermentation, aspalathin is oxidized and concentrations are significantly reduced. Standardized methods for quality control of rooibos products do not investigate aspalathin, since current techniques of aspalathin detection require expensive equipment and expertise. Here, we describe a simple and fast thin-layer chromatography (TLC) method that can reproducibly visualize aspalathin in rooibos herbal tea and plant extracts at a limit of detection (LOD) equal to 178.7 ng and a limit of quantification (LOQ) equal to 541.6 ng. Aspalathin is a rare compound, so far only found in A. linearis and its (rare) sister species A. pendula. Therefore, aspalathin could serve as a marker compound for authentication and quality control of rooibos products, and the described TLC method represents a cost-effective approach for high-throughput screening of plant and herbal tea extracts.
Investigation on Spectrum-Effect Correlation between Constituents Absorbed into Blood and Bioactivities of Baizhu Shaoyao San before and after Processing on Ulcerative Colitis Rats by UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS Coupled with Gray Correlation Analysis
Authors: Cai Hao , Xu Yangyang , Xie Li , Duan Yu , Zhou Jia , Liu Jing , Niu Minjie , Zhang Yating , Shen Lin , Pei Ke , Cao Gang
Published: March 2019

Baizhu Shaoyao San (BSS) is a crucial traditional Chinese medicinal formula widely applied for the treatment of painful diarrhea, diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and some other gastrointestinal diseases. Corresponding to the clinical medication, the three medicinal herbs (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium) included in BSS should be processed using some specific methods of stir-frying. To find the underlying correlations between serum chemical profiles and curative effects of crude and processed BSS on ulcerative colitis rats, and further explore for the effective material basis of processing, an UHPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS technique coupled with gray correlation analysis (GCA) was developed. A total of 134 compounds were identified in rat sera after oral administration of BSS, among which 24 compounds were prototypes and 110 compounds were metabolites. Meanwhile, an ulcerative colitis model was established in rats by enema with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, and the pharmacodynamic indicators for drug efficacies were evaluated as well. According to the results, processed BSS showed better efficacy than crude BSS. The top 10 potential effective components with high degree of correlation were identified based on GCA results, which were thought to be the crucial compounds that contributed to the enhancement of therapeutic effects in BSS after processing.
Recent Advances in Aptamer Discovery and Applications
Authors: Zhang Yang , Lai Bo Shiun , Juhas Mario
Published: March 2019

Aptamers are short, single-stranded DNA, RNA, or synthetic XNA molecules that can be developed with high affinity and specificity to interact with any desired targets. They have been widely used in facilitating discoveries in basic research, ensuring food safety and monitoring the environment. Furthermore, aptamers play promising roles as clinical diagnostics and therapeutic agents. This review provides update on the recent advances in this rapidly progressing field of research with particular emphasis on generation of aptamers and their applications in biosensing, biotechnology and medicine. The limitations and future directions of aptamers in target specific delivery and real-time detection are also discussed.