bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exposures and Health Risks from Volatile Organic Compounds in Communities Located near Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Activities in Colorado (U.S.A.)
Authors: McMullin Tami S. , Bamber Alison M. , Bon Daniel , Vigil Daniel I. , Van Dyke Michael
Published: July 2018

The study objective was to use a preliminary risk based framework to evaluate the sufficiency of existing air data to answer an important public health question in Colorado: Do volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the air from oil and gas (OG) operations result in exposures to Coloradoans living at or greater than current state setback distances (500 feet) from OG operations at levels that may be harmful to their health? We identified 56 VOCs emitted from OG operations in Colorado and compiled 47 existing air monitoring datasets that measured these VOCs in 34 locations across OG regions. From these data, we estimated acute and chronic exposures and compared these exposures to health guideline levels using maximum and mean air concentrations. Acute and chronic non-cancer hazard quotients were below one for all individual VOCs. Hazard indices combining exposures for all VOCs were slightly above one. Lifetime excess cancer risk estimates for benzene were between 1.0 × 10−5–3.6 × 10−5 and ethylbenzene was 7.3 × 10−6. This evaluation identified a small sub-set of VOCs, including benzene and n-nonane, which should be prioritized for additional exposure characterization in site-specific studies that collect comprehensive time-series measurements of community scale exposures to better assess community exposures.
Recent Developments in Using Drosophila as a Model for Human Genetic Disease
Authors: Oriel Christine , Lasko Paul
Published: July 2018

Many insights into human disease have been built on experimental results in Drosophila, and research in fruit flies is often justified on the basis of its predictive value for questions related to human health. Additionally, there is now a growing recognition of the value of Drosophila for the study of rare human genetic diseases, either as a means of validating the causative nature of a candidate genetic variant found in patients, or as a means of obtaining functional information about a novel disease-linked gene when there is little known about it. For these reasons, funders in the US, Europe, and Canada have launched targeted programs to link human geneticists working on discovering new rare disease loci with researchers who work on the counterpart genes in Drosophila and other model organisms. Several of these initiatives are described here, as are a number of output publications that validate this new approach.
A Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic Analysis of Cells Cultured in DMEM 10% FBS and Chemically Defined Medium Using Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Nakashima Yoshiki , Nahar Saifun , Miyagi-Shiohira Chika , Kinjo Takao , Kobayashi Naoya , Saitoh Issei , Watanabe Masami , Fujita Jiro , Noguchi Hirofumi
Published: July 2018

Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) are representative cell sources for cell therapy. Classically, Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) has been used as culture medium for hADSCs. A chemically defined medium (CDM) containing no heterologous animal components has recently been used to produce therapeutic hADSCs. However, how the culture environment using a medium without FBS affects the protein expression of hADSC is unclear. We subjected hADSCs cultured in CDM and DMEM (10% FBS) to a protein expression analysis by tandem mass spectrometry liquid chromatography and noted 98.2% agreement in the proteins expressed by the CDM and DMEM groups. We classified 761 proteins expressed in both groups by their function in a gene ontology analysis. Thirty-one groups of proteins were classified as growth-related proteins in the CDM and DMEM groups, 16 were classified as antioxidant activity-related, 147 were classified as immune system process-related, 557 were involved in biological regulation, 493 were classified as metabolic process-related, and 407 were classified as related to stimulus responses. These results show that the trend in the expression of major proteins related to the therapeutic effect of hADSCs correlated strongly in both groups.
PPARγ Controls Ectopic Adipogenesis and Cross-Talks with Myogenesis During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration
Authors: Dammone Gabriele , Karaz Sonia , Lukjanenko Laura , Winkler Carine , Sizzano Federico , Jacot Guillaume , Migliavacca Eugenia , Palini Alessio , Desvergne Béatrice , Gilardi Federica , Feige Jerome
Published: July 2018

Skeletal muscle is a regenerative tissue which can repair damaged myofibers through the activation of tissue-resident muscle stem cells (MuSCs). Many muscle diseases with impaired regeneration cause excessive adipose tissue accumulation in muscle, alter the myogenic fate of MuSCs, and deregulate the cross-talk between MuSCs and fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), a bi-potent cell population which supports myogenesis and controls intra-muscular fibrosis and adipocyte formation. In order to better characterize the interaction between adipogenesis and myogenesis, we studied muscle regeneration and MuSC function in whole body Pparg null mice generated by epiblast-specific Cre/lox deletion (PpargΔ/Δ). We demonstrate that deletion of PPARγ completely abolishes ectopic muscle adipogenesis during regeneration and impairs MuSC expansion and myogenesis after injury. Ex vivo assays revealed that perturbed myogenesis in PpargΔ/Δ mice does not primarily result from intrinsic defects of MuSCs or from perturbed myogenic support from FAPs. The immune transition from a pro- to anti-inflammatory MuSC niche during regeneration is perturbed in PpargΔ/Δ mice and suggests that PPARγ signaling in macrophages can interact with ectopic adipogenesis and influence muscle regeneration. Altogether, our study demonstrates that a PPARγ-dependent adipogenic response regulates muscle fat infiltration during regeneration and that PPARγ is required for MuSC function and efficient muscle repair.
Mucins and Truncated O-Glycans Unveil Phenotypic Discrepancies between Serous Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines and Primary Tumours
Authors: Coelho Ricardo , Marcos-Silva Lara , Mendes Nuno , Pereira Daniela , Brito Catarina , Jacob Francis , Steentoft Catharina , Mandel Ulla , Clausen Henrik , David Leonor , Ricardo Sara
Published: July 2018

Optimal research results rely on the selection of cellular models capable of recapitulating the characteristics of primary tumours from which they originate. The expression of mucins (MUC16 and MUC1) and truncated O-glycans (Tn, STn and T) represents a characteristic footprint of serous ovarian carcinomas (SOCs). Therefore, selecting ovarian cancer (OVCA) cell lines that reflect this phenotype is crucial to explore the putative biological role of these biomarkers in the SOC setting. Here, we investigated a panel of OVCA cell lines commonly used as SOC models, and tested whether, when cultured in 2D and 3D conditions, these recapitulate the mucin and O-glycan expression profiles of SOCs. We further explored the role of truncating the O-glycosylation capacity in OVCAR3 cells through knockout of the COSMC chaperone, using in vitro and in vivo assays. We found that the majority of OVCA cell lines of serous origin do not share the mucin and truncated O-glycan footprint of SOCs, although 3D cultures showed a higher resemblance. We also found that genetic truncation of the O-glycosylation capacity of OVCAR3 cells did not enhance oncogenic features either in vitro or in vivo. This study underscores the importance of well-characterized cellular models to study specific features of ovarian cancer.
Multi-Acting Mitochondria-Targeted Platinum(IV) Prodrugs of Kiteplatin with α-Lipoic Acid in the Axial Positions
Authors: Savino Salvatore , Marzano Cristina , Gandin Valentina , Hoeschele James D. , Natile Giovanni , Margiotta Nicola
Published: July 2018

Platinum(II) drugs are activated intracellularly by aquation of the leaving groups and then bind to DNA, forming DNA adducts capable to activate various signal-transduction pathways. Mostly explored in recent years are Pt(IV) complexes which allow the presence of two additional ligands in the axial positions suitable for the attachment of other cancer-targeting ligands. Here we have extended this strategy by coordinating in the axial positions of kiteplatin ([PtCl2(cis-1,4-DACH)], DACH = Diaminocyclohexane) and its CBDCA (1,1-cyclobutanedicarboxylate) analogue the antioxidant α-Lipoic acid (ALA), an inhibitor of the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK). The new compounds (cis,trans,cis-[Pt(CBDCA)(ALA)2(cis-1,4-DACH)], 2, and cis,trans,cis-[PtCl2(ALA)2(cis-1,4-DACH)], 3), after intracellular reduction, release the precursor Pt(II) species and two molecules of ALA. The Pt residue is able to target DNA, while ALA could act on mitochondria as activator of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, thus suppressing anaerobic glycolysis. Compounds 2 and 3 were tested in vitro on a panel of five human cancer cell lines and compared to cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and kiteplatin. They proved to be much more effective than the reference compounds, with complex 3 most effective in 3D spheroid tumor cultures. Notably, treatment of human A431 carcinoma cells with 2 and 3 did not determine increase of cellular ROS (usually correlated to inhibition of mitochondrial PDK) and did not induce a significant depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane or alteration of other morphological mitochondrial parameters.
A Non-Enzymatic Method to Obtain a Fat Tissue Derivative Highly Enriched in Adipose Stem Cells (ASCs) from Human Lipoaspirates: Preliminary Results
Authors: De Francesco Francesco , Mannucci Silvia , Conti Giamaica , Dai Prè Elena , Sbarbati Andrea , Riccio Michele
Published: July 2018

Adipose tissue possesses phenotypic gene expression characteristics that are similar to human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Nevertheless, the multilineage potential may be inhibited, and cells may not expand adequately to satisfy the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP). An autologous hMSC-enriched fat product would fulfil the void from a biomedical and clinical perspective. In this study, we suggest a novel mechanism using a closed system without enzymes, additives or other modifications, which will produce non-expanded, accessible material. This decentralized fat product, unlike unprocessed lipoaspirates, adequately encloses the vascular stroma with adipocytes and stromal stalks along with their vascular channels and lumina. This fat product contained hASCs and fewer hematopoietic elements such as lipoaspirates, which were digested enzymatically according to flow cytometric investigations, and molecular analysis also showed significant hASC uniformity within the cells of the stromal vascular tissue. Moreover, the fat product produced a higher quantity of hASCs similar to hMSCs in isolation with the typical characteristics of an osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic lineage. Interestingly, these properties were evident in the non-enzymatic derived adipose tissue, as opposed to hASCs in isolation from the enzymatically digested lipoaspirates, suggesting that the aforementioned procedure may be an adequate alternative to regenerate and engineer tissue for the treatment of various medical conditions and promote efficient patient recovery.
Mining of Brassica-Specific Genes (BSGs) and Their Induction in Different Developmental Stages and under Plasmodiophora brassicae Stress in Brassica rapa
Authors: Jiang Mingliang , Dong Xiangshu , Lang Hong , Pang Wenxing , Zhan Zongxiang , Li Xiaonan , Piao Zhongyun
Published: July 2018

Orphan genes, also called lineage-specific genes (LSGs), are important for responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, and are associated with lineage-specific structures and biological functions. To date, there have been no studies investigating gene number, gene features, or gene expression patterns of orphan genes in Brassica rapa. In this study, 1540 Brassica-specific genes (BSGs) and 1824 Cruciferae-specific genes (CSGs) were identified based on the genome of Brassica rapa. The genic features analysis indicated that BSGs and CSGs possessed a lower percentage of multi-exon genes, higher GC content, and shorter gene length than evolutionary-conserved genes (ECGs). In addition, five types of BSGs were obtained and 145 out of 529 real A subgenome-specific BSGs were verified by PCR in 51 species. In silico and semi-qPCR, gene expression analysis of BSGs suggested that BSGs are expressed in various tissue and can be induced by Plasmodiophora brassicae. Moreover, an A/C subgenome-specific BSG, BSGs1, was specifically expressed during the heading stage, indicating that the gene might be associated with leafy head formation. Our results provide valuable biological information for studying the molecular function of BSGs for Brassica-specific phenotypes and biotic stress in B. rapa.
Transcriptome Analyses in Different Cucumber Cultivars Provide Novel Insights into Drought Stress Responses
Authors: Wang Min , Jiang Biao , Peng Qingwu , Liu Wenrui , He Xiaoming , Liang Zhaojun , Lin Yu’e
Published: July 2018

Drought stress is one of the most serious threats to cucumber quality and yield. To gain a good understanding of the molecular mechanism upon water deficiency, we compared and analyzed the RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic responses of two contrasting cucumber genotypes, L-9 (drought-tolerant) and A-16 (drought-sensitive). In our present study, combining the analysis of phenotype, twelve samples of cucumber were carried out a transcriptomic profile by RNA-Seq under normal and water-deficiency conditions, respectively. A total of 1008 transcripts were differentially expressed under normal conditions (466 up-regulated and 542 down-regulated) and 2265 transcripts under drought stress (979 up-regulated and 1286 down-regulated). The significant positive correlation between RNA sequencing data and a qRT-PCR analysis supported the results found. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in metabolic pathway and biosynthesis of secondary metabolism were significantly changed after drought stress. Several genes, which were related to sucrose biosynthesis (Csa3G784370 and Csa3G149890) and abscisic acid (ABA) signal transduction (Csa4M361820 and Csa6M382950), were specifically induced after 4 days of drought stress. DEGs between the two contrasting cultivars identified in our study provide a novel insight into isolating helpful candidate genes for drought tolerance in cucumber.
CO Preferential Photo-Oxidation in Excess of Hydrogen in Dark and Simulated Solar Light Irradiation over AuCu-Based Catalysts on SBA-15 Mesoporous Silica-Titania
Authors: Barroso-Martín Isabel , Infantes-Molina Antonia , Talon Aldo , Storaro Loretta , Rodríguez-Aguado Elena , Rodríguez-Castellón Enrique , Moretti Elisa
Published: July 2018

In this work, SBA-15 silica and silica-titania have been used as supports for photocatalysts based on AuCu alloy (Au:Cu = 1) to be used in the preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX) in excess of hydrogen at room temperature and atmospheric pressure both in the dark and under simulated solar light irradiation. To study their textural, structural, chemical and optical properties, the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), adsorption-desorption of N2 at −196 °C, 13C and 29Si solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV-vis) spectroscopy. Titanium was present mainly in the form of titania aggregates, but also as small particles interacting with the SBA support. In both catalysts, the metal alloy nanoparticles displayed an average size of 4 nm as demonstrated by TEM measurements. AuCu/Ti-SBA turned out to be photoactive and selective in the photo-CO-PROX reaction showing the highest activity, with conversion and selectivity towards CO2 of 80%, due both to the presence of titania incorporated in SBA-15 and to the synergistic effect of Cu when alloyed with Au.
Modified Porous SiO2-Supported Cu3(BTC)2 Membrane with High Performance of Gas Separation
Authors: Lu Chunjing , Wang Gang , Wang Keliang , Guo Daizong , Bai Mingxing , Wang Ying
Published: July 2018

The structures and applications of metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) have been attracting great interest due to the wide variety of possible applications, for example, chemical sensing, separation, and catalysis. N-[3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine is grafted on a porous SiO2 disk to obtain a modified porous SiO2 disk. A large-scale, continuous, and compact Cu3(BTC)2 membrane is prepared based on a modified porous SiO2 disk. The chemical structure, surface morphology, thermal stability, mechanical stability, and gas separation performance of the obtained Cu3(BTC)2 membrane is analyzed and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a gas separation experiment. The results show that the prepared Cu3(BTC)2 membrane has an intact morphology with its crystal. It is continuous, compact, and intact, and has good thermal stability and mechanical stability. The result of the gas separation experiment shows that the Cu3(BTC)2 membrane has a good selectivity of hydrogen and can be used to recover and purify hydrogen.
Physico-Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Polymer Concrete with Recycled Glass Aggregate
Authors: Zegardło Bartosz , Szeląg Maciej , Ogrodnik Paweł , Bombik Antoni
Published: July 2018

The paper presents an analysis of the possibility of using glass waste from worn out lighting materials as an aggregate for a polymer concrete. Glass waste was obtained from the company utilizing glass lighting elements, which was then subjected to crushing. The aggregate obtained was subjected to the tests of basic features, which were compared with aggregates that are traditionally applied to concretes. The next stage of the research program was the production of a polymer concrete that contained glass aggregate. Several types of mixtures were prepared in which glass waste was combined in various proportions with traditional sand–gravel aggregate. As a part of the research, the basic physical and mechanical characteristics of polymer concretes were determined. The microstructure of composites was also analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The results of the research have shown that the aggregate obtained from glass waste can be successfully used for the production of a polymer concrete. The most beneficial physico-mechanical properties were obtained for a composite in which glass waste was used as a 50% substitute for traditional aggregate.
Investigation of the Propagation of Stress Wave in Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys
Authors: Cui Yehui , Zeng Xiangguo , Chen Huayan , Chen Jun , Wang Fang
Published: July 2018

Based on irreversible thermodynamic theory, a new constitutive model incorporating two internal variables was proposed to investigate the phase transformation and plasticity behavior in nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys (SMAs), by taking into account four deformation stages, namely austenite elastic phase, phase transition, martensitic elastic phase, and plastic phase. The model using the material point method (MPM) was implemented by the FORTRAN code to investigate the stress wave and its propagation in a NiTi rod. The results showed that its wave propagation exhibited martensitic and austenitic elastic wave, phase transition wave, and plastic wave. However, a double-wave structure including the martensitic and austenitic elastic wave and plastic wave occurred when the martensitic elastic wave reached the phase transformation wave. Thus, the reflection wave at a fixed boundary exhibited a different behavior compared with the elastic one, which was attributed to the phase transition during the process of reflection. It was found that the stress increment was proportional to the velocity of phase transition wave after the stress wave reflection. In addition, the influences of loading direction and strain rate on the wave propagation were examined as well. It was found that the phase transition wave velocity increased as the strain rate increased. The elastic wave velocity of martensite under compressive conditions was larger than that under tensile loading. In contrast, the plastic wave velocity under compression was less than that subjected to the tensile load.
Computational Methodologies in the Exploration of Marine Natural Product Leads
Authors: Pereira Florbela , Aires-de-Sousa Joao
Published: July 2018

Computational methodologies are assisting the exploration of marine natural products (MNPs) to make the discovery of new leads more efficient, to repurpose known MNPs, to target new metabolites on the basis of genome analysis, to reveal mechanisms of action, and to optimize leads. In silico efforts in drug discovery of NPs have mainly focused on two tasks: dereplication and prediction of bioactivities. The exploration of new chemical spaces and the application of predicted spectral data must be included in new approaches to select species, extracts, and growth conditions with maximum probabilities of medicinal chemistry novelty. In this review, the most relevant current computational dereplication methodologies are highlighted. Structure-based (SB) and ligand-based (LB) chemoinformatics approaches have become essential tools for the virtual screening of NPs either in small datasets of isolated compounds or in large-scale databases. The most common LB techniques include Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationships (QSAR), estimation of drug likeness, prediction of adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties, similarity searching, and pharmacophore identification. Analogously, molecular dynamics, docking and binding cavity analysis have been used in SB approaches. Their significance and achievements are the main focus of this review.
Poststroke depression and its impact on quality of life
Authors: Rastenytė Daiva , Krančiukaitė Daina
Published: July 2018

Depression is one of the most common problems after stroke. Depression is not only frequently occurring outcome of stroke, but stroke is also a clear risk factor for depression. Depression after stroke can affect anyone regardless of his/her age, sex, background, or the severity of stroke. It can develop immediately after the stroke or weeks or months later. Many people are not routinely assessed for depression after stroke, and only a minority are properly diagnosed and treated. Patients with poststroke depression have lower functional status, increased cognitive impairment, and higher mortality rates than stroke patients without depression. Poststroke depression is also associated with poor psychosocial outcome and poor quality of life; therefore, there is a strong case for the early diagnosis and treatment of poststroke depression.
Cost-Effective Technologies to Study the Arctic Ocean Environment †
Authors: Piermattei Viviana , Madonia Alice , Bonamano Simone , Martellucci Riccardo , Bruzzone Gabriele , Ferretti Roberta , Odetti Angelo , Azzaro Maurizio , Zappalà Giuseppe , Marcelli Marco
Published: July 2018

The Arctic region is known to be severely affected by climate change, with evident alterations in both physical and biological processes. Monitoring the Arctic Ocean ecosystem is key to understanding the impact of natural and human-induced change on the environment. Large data sets are required to monitor the Arctic marine ecosystem and validate high-resolution satellite observations (e.g., Sentinel), which are necessary to feed climatic and biogeochemical forecasting models. However, the Global Observing System needs to complete its geographic coverage, particularly for the harsh, extreme environment of the Arctic Region. In this scenario, autonomous systems are proving to be valuable tools for increasing the resolution of existing data. To this end, a low-cost, miniaturized and flexible probe, ArLoC (Arctic Low-Cost probe), was designed, built and installed on an innovative unmanned marine vehicle, the PROTEUS (Portable RObotic TEchnology for Unmanned Surveys), during a preliminary scientific campaign in the Svalbard Archipelago within the UVASS project. This study outlines the instrumentation used and its design features, its preliminary integration on PROTEUS and its test results.
Development of a User-Adaptable Human Fall Detection Based on Fall Risk Levels Using Depth Sensor
Authors: Nizam Yoosuf , Mohd Mohd Norzali Haji , Jamil M. Mahadi Abdul
Published: July 2018

Unintentional falls are a major public health concern for many communities, especially with aging populations. There are various approaches used to classify human activities for fall detection. Related studies have employed wearable, non-invasive sensors, video cameras and depth sensor-based approaches to develop such monitoring systems. The proposed approach in this study uses a depth sensor and employs a unique procedure which identifies the fall risk levels to adapt the algorithm for different people with their physical strength to withstand falls. The inclusion of the fall risk level identification, further enhanced and improved the accuracy of the fall detection. The experimental results showed promising performance in adapting the algorithm for people with different fall risk levels for fall detection.
LifeChair: A Conductive Fabric Sensor-Based Smart Cushion for Actively Shaping Sitting Posture
Authors: Ishac Karlos , Suzuki Kenji
Published: July 2018

The LifeChair is a smart cushion that provides vibrotactile feedback by actively sensing and classifying sitting postures to encourage upright posture and reduce slouching. The key component of the LifeChair is our novel conductive fabric pressure sensing array. Fabric sensors have been explored in the past, but a full sensing solution for embedded real world use has not been proposed. We have designed our system with commercial use in mind, and as a result, it has a high focus on manufacturability, cost-effectiveness and adaptiveness. We demonstrate the performance of our fabric sensing system by installing it into the LifeChair and comparing its posture detection accuracy with our previous study that implemented a conventional flexible printed PCB-sensing system. In this study, it is shown that the LifeChair can detect all 11 postures across 20 participants with an improved average accuracy of 98.1%, and it demonstrates significantly lower variance when interfacing with different users. We also conduct a performance study with 10 participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the LifeChair device in improving upright posture and reducing slouching. Our performance study demonstrates that the LifeChair is effective in encouraging users to sit upright with an increase of 68.1% in time spent seated upright when vibrotactile feedback is activated.
Design of Security Paper with Selective Frequency Reflection Characteristics
Authors: Lee Sang-Hwa , Kim Min-Sik , Kim Jong-Kyu , Hong Ic-Pyo
Published: July 2018

In this research, a security paper based on frequency selective structure technologies was designed and fabricated using selective wave reflection characteristics to prevent the offline leakage of confidential documents. Document leakage detection systems using security papers detect security papers using transceiving antenna gates. For the application of such systems, the structure must be designed with excellent reflection performance and stability at the angle of incidence. For this purpose, a loop and patch-type frequency selective structure based on a four-legged element structure was designed to have X-band frequency reflection characteristics. This design was based on optimized variables and was realized through the screen printing method using silver ink on A4 paper. It was verified that both the design and simulation results matched well. To verify its actual applicability, a detector module operable at 10 GHz was manufactured to observe both the security paper detection range in relation to distance with a signal strength of −10 dBm and the detection area in relation to the number of times that the security paper had been folded.
SiCILIA—Silicon Carbide Detectors for Intense Luminosity Investigations and Applications
Authors: Tudisco Salvatore , La Via Francesco , Agodi Clementina , Altana Carmen , Borghi Giacomo , Boscardin Maurizio , Bussolino Giancarlo , Calcagno Lucia , Camarda Massimo , Cappuzzello Francesco , Carbone Diana , Cascino Salvatore , Casini Giovanni , Cavallaro Manuela , Ciampi Caterina , Cirrone Giuseppe , Cuttone Giacomo , Fazzi Alberto , Giove Dario , Gorini Giuseppe , Labate Luca , Lanzalone Gaetano , Litrico Grazia , Longo Giuseppe , Lo Presti Domenico , Mauceri Marco , Modica Roberto , Moschetti Maurizio , Muoio Annamaria , Musumeci Franco , Pasquali Gabriele , Petringa Giada , Piluso Nicolò , Poggi Giacomo , Privitera Stefania , Puglia Sebastiana , Puglisi Valeria , Rebai Marica , Ronchin Sabina , Santangelo Antonello , Stefanini Andrea , Trifirò Antonio , Zimbone Massimo
Published: July 2018

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound semiconductor, which is considered as a possible alternative to silicon for particles and photons detection. Its characteristics make it very promising for the next generation of nuclear and particle physics experiments at high beam luminosity. Silicon Carbide detectors for Intense Luminosity Investigations and Applications (SiCILIA) is a project starting as a collaboration between the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and IMM-CNR, aiming at the realization of innovative detection systems based on SiC. In this paper, we discuss the main features of silicon carbide as a material and its potential application in the field of particles and photons detectors, the project structure and the strategies used for the prototype realization, and the first results concerning prototype production and their performance.
Strategic Location-Based Random Routing for Source Location Privacy in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Mutalemwa Lilian C. , Shin Seokjoo
Published: July 2018

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are deployed in sensitive applications, such as in military and asset monitoring. In these applications, it is important to ensure good source location privacy. This is owing to the open nature of WSNs and the easiness of an adversary to eavesdrop on sensor communication and back trace the location of the source node. This paper proposes a scheme to preserve the source location privacy based on random routing techniques. To achieve high privacy, packets are randomly routed from the source to the sink node through strategically positioned mediate or diversion nodes. The random selection of mediate or diversion nodes is location-based. Depending on the location of the source node, packets are forwarded through different regions of the network. The proposed scheme guarantees that successive packets are routed through very different routing paths and adversaries find it confusing to back trace them to the source node location. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme effectively confuses the adversary and provides higher source location privacy to outperform other routing-based source location privacy schemes.
Inhibitory Effects and Killing Kinetics of Lactic Acid Rice Gel Against Pathogenic Bacteria Causing Bovine Mastitis
Authors: Chotigarpa Rinrada , Na Lampang Kannika , Pikulkaew Surachai , Okonogi Siriporn , Ajariyakhajorn Kittisak , Mektrirat Raktham
Published: July 2018

Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis are the major teat skin bacteria and lead to severe bovine mastitis. Teat antiseptic is an important tool for controlling intramammary infection. The antibacterial activity of lactic acid (LA) against one reference strain of S. aureus ATCC 25923 and two field strains including S. aureus and S. epidermidis was investigated using the broth microdilution method. Its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 0.5% for strains belonging to both species. An antiseptic preparation containing 5% LA with modified rice gel (LA-RG) was successfully prepared. Rheological behavior of LA-RG was found to be a pseudoplastic flow with thixotropy with viscosity of approximately 0.007 Pas. LA-RG exhibited a sufficient adhesive property in the rolling ball test with a length of 9.67 ± 0.04 cm. Killing kinetic studies of LA-RG showed that the killing rate of LA-RG was significantly faster than that of LA. After 32 min of exposure to LA-RG, approximately 86% and 60% of S. aureus and S. epidermidis were reduced, respectively. Abnormal bacterial cell surface after exposure to LA-RG was observed by scanning electron microscopy. It is concluded that LA-RG is a promising preparation as an alternative product for preventing mastitis in dairy cattle.
Stuck on a Plateau? A Model-Based Approach to Fundamental Issues in Visual Temporal-Order Judgments
Authors: Tünnermann Jan , Scharlau Ingrid
Published: July 2018

Humans are incapable of judging the temporal order of visual events at brief temporal separations with perfect accuracy. Their performance—which is of much interest in visual cognition and attention research—can be measured with the temporal-order judgment (TOJ) task, which typically produces S-shaped psychometric functions. Occasionally, researchers reported plateaus within these functions, and some theories predict such deviation from the basic S shape. However, the centers of the psychometric functions result from the weakest performance at the most difficult presentations and therefore fluctuate strongly, leaving the existence and exact shapes of plateaus unclear. This study set out to investigate whether plateaus disappear if the data accuracy is enhanced, or if we are “stuck on a plateau”, or rather with it. For this purpose, highly accurate data were assessed by model-based analysis. The existence of plateaus is confidently confirmed and two plausible mechanisms derived from very different models are presented. Neither model, however, performs well in the presence of a strong attention manipulation, and model comparison remains unclear on the question of which of the models describes the data best. Nevertheless, the present study includes the highest accuracy in visual TOJ data and the most explicit models of plateaus in TOJ studied so far.
Programação da produção e meta-heurísticas: uma revisão de mapeamento sistemático
Authors: Ferreira Ailton Silva , Mustafa Hussein Adnen , Oliveira Cristiano Manhães , Terra Tiago Andrade Muniz , Said Thiago Dan
Published: July 2018

A Programação da Produção tem recebido atenção de pesquisadores da área de Pesquisa Operacional desde a década de 50 e um grande número de trabalhos foi desenvolvido desde então, da mesma forma, devido à Internet, o rastreamento bibliográfico de um campo de pesquisa está vez mais demorado, como também encontrar relações entre autores e publicações relevantes, está ficando cada vez mais difícil, devido ao crescente volume de informações. Dessa forma, este trabalho busca realizar uma revisão de mapeamento sistemático, com relação à programação da produção e algumas das principais meta-heurísticas (Hill Climbing, Simulated Annealing, TabuSearch,Harmony Search, GRASP, Evolutionary Algorithms, Genetic Algorithms, Evolution Strategies, Genetic Programming, Differencia lEvolution, Evolutionary Programming, Particle Swarm Optimization, Memetic Algorithms e Ant Colony), através de indicadores bibliométricos  e análise de redes (Page Rank), busca-se demonstrar a relação de artigos, autores e publicações mais importantes e de maior prestígio de dados originados da base Web of Science com auxílio das ferramentas NAILS e GEPHI. Finalmente, é demonstrado que a utilização de meta-heurísticas na Programação da Produção - PP, apesar de ser uma linha de pesquisa antiga, ainda se mantém com grande interesse e em constante desenvolvimento.
Les métamorphoses de la reconnaissance
Authors: Évrard Brigitte , Quazza Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2018

L’Analyse Transactionnelle est souvent présentée comme une discipline permettant d’articuler l’intrapsychique et le social. Dans cette série d’articles, nous envisageons la reconnaissance comme pivot de l’articulation entre intrapsychique et intersubjectif. Dans cette perspective, nous la placerons au cœur de la constitution du sujet. Il nous a semblé en effet que le concept de « reconnaissance » était un thème clé de voûte de la théorie transactionnaliste. À travers nos différentes recherches et lectures, il nous est apparu qu’Éric Berne a été comme souvent, particulièrement visionnaire sur ce thème. Cependant, il a développé sa pensée à partir de ses intuitions sans avoir toujours eu le temps de les étayer 1 solidement. À la lumière des avancées théoriques proposées par d’autres auteurs et dans d’autres approches – psychanalyse, neuropsychologie, philosophie, psychologie sociale, sociologie –, qui n’étaient pas encore toutes disponibles à l’époque de Berne, nous avons cherché à développer les liens entre le concept de « reconnaissance » tel que le voient d’une part l’analyse transactionnelle et d’autre part ces différentes théories, en particulier sur le plan du développement psychique de l’individu. Notre projet se constitue donc comme une analyse critique, une confirmation et une poursuite de la réflexion Bernienne sur le sujet.
Les métamorphoses de la reconnaissance
Authors: Évrard Brigitte , Quazza Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2018

Notre but ici est d’élaborer une compréhension plus fine des mécanismes en jeu dans le développement de l’individu, et aussi de ceux qui sont à la base de la mise en place du scénario. Compte tenu de ce que nous avons développé précédemment, nous envisagerons ici les grandes étapes du développement de l’individu, cherchant à identifier (1) qui sont les autruis significatifs, (2) quelle est la forme typique/caractéristique de reconnaissance recherchée à chaque stade, en lien avec les besoins et les désirs, comment cette reconnaissance « joue » dans le développement, et (3) quelles peuvent être les problématiques spécifiques liées à la reconnaissance.
Apprendre à soigner en période coloniale. De la transmission formelle des savoirs biomédicaux à la pratique hybride des soins (Madagascar, Imerina)
Authors: Burguet Delphine
Published: July 2018

Resumé L’article propose une lecture historique des manières dont les savoirs biomédicaux ont été reçus par les étudiants malgaches en médecine, dans un contexte où l’enseignement supérieur destiné aux indigènes était en pleine évolution dans les pays colonisés par la France. L’étude, qui repose sur des documents d’archives, montre également comment les savoirs sont (dé)construits et (ré)appropriés dans un contexte sociopolitique local et colonial, ce qui amène les apprenants indigènes à des aménagements, des hybridations et des ruptures dans l’application concrète des savoirs, en ce qui concerne les pratiques de soins et leur posture professionnelle.
Circulation et transmission des savoirs issus des patrimoines immatériels : le cas afro-brésilien
Authors: Douxami Christine
Published: July 2018

Resumé Cet article interroge les modalités et les enjeux de la transmission des savoirs issus des patrimoines immatériels afro-brésiliens. Les systèmes de plans de sauvegarde initiés depuis la Convention de l’Unesco de 2003 ont permis un regain d’intérêt pour ces savoirs autrefois relégués au second plan, en raison de leur identification à des populations subalternes. Ces plans ont modifié la perception de ces savoirs, leur place dans la société, et le rôle des institutions culturelles à leur égard. Cependant, la reconnaissance en tant « qu’œuvre d’art » de ces manifestations n’est pas acquise et reste centrale pour que s’effectue, à terme, une transformation en profondeur du regard porté sur ces patrimoines. Les plans de sauvegarde proposent une sélection pragmatique de savoirs pour la transmission. Certains programmes et détenteurs de ces savoirs cherchent à sauvegarder ces savoirs sans les modifier pour préserver une supposée « pureté » et « authenticité ». Mais les plans opèrent aussi une sélection et favorisent une transmission porteuse d’hybridation. L’article souligne que la question du statut artistique et de la véritable reconnaissance de ces patrimoines (qu’ils soient plus ou moins hybridés) reste non résolue.
Lieux d’apprentissage et dynamiques des savoirs apicoles au Maroc
Authors: Adam Antonin , Michon Geneviève , Sorba Jean-Michel , Amzil Lahoucine
Published: July 2018

Resumé Présente dans la majeure partie du monde, l’apiculture repose sur des savoirs, des objets et des cultures techniques fortement diversifiés. Sa pratique résulte tout à la fois d’un apprentissage par expérience, de lectures d’ouvrages savants et d’enseignements académiques. Ces enseignements sont érigés sur les bases de recherches scientifiques et d’un savoir technique formalisé portant notamment sur la biologie de l’abeille. Aujourd’hui, ce savoir formalisé et homogénéisé est diffusé dans des espaces où d’autres savoirs, éprouvés par le temps long, sont encore présents. C’est le cas du Maroc, où se côtoient et s’hybrident souvent, savoirs formels et expérience locale. Cet article se propose d’étudier les conséquences de cette rencontre sur les lieux d’apprentissage, les réseaux socioprofessionnels et les enseignements dispensés sous l’égide des institutions agricoles et entre pairs (associations spécialisées et apiculteurs renommés). La perspective de la recherche est l’analyse d’un processus d’hybridation et de ses effets sur la transmission des savoirs dans un contexte de circulation élargie des savoirs.
Déjouer la « drague intéressée » à Dakar : homosocialité, masculinité et circulation des savoirs
Authors: Faynot Nicolas
Published: July 2018

Resumé Les discours de certains hommes dakarois mettent en avant leurs difficultés devant les formes de sexualité transactionelle dans lesquelles ils sont impliqués. Ils conçoivent et mettent en œuvre des stratégies de défense afin de s’assurer du désintérêt économique de leurs prétendantes et petites amies. Une multiplicité de savoirs émanant de pairs, de migrants sénégalais, de séries télévisées, est mobilisée afin de déjouer les ambitions matérialistes qu’ils attribuent aux femmes, considérant leurs manœuvres comme portant atteinte à leurs prérogatives. Les espaces d’homosocialités masculines se présentent dans cet article comme des lieux d’apprentissage et de partage où ces savoirs circulent à différentes échelles et par des supports divers.
Reliability of and Correlation Between Measurements of Acetabular Morphology
Authors: Davila-Parrilla Ariel D. , Wylie James , O'Donnell Courtney , Maranho Daniel A. , Carry Patrick , Novais Eduardo N.
Published: July 2018

The authors sought to determine the intra- and interrater reliability of contemporary measures of acetabular morphology among a group of hip surgeons and to determine the correlations between measures of acetabular morphology. On 2 separate occasions, 3 hip surgeons independently performed blinded evaluations of anteroposterior pelvic radiographs of 40 patients. The lateral center-edge angle, medial center-edge angle, acetabular arc, extrusion index, acetabular index, Sharp's angle, posterior wall sign, crossover sign, femoro-epiphyseal acetabular roof index, acetabular wall indexes, and delta angle were assessed. A linear mixed model was used for variance estimation, and kappa and intra-class correlation coefficients were assessed for reliability. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for all possible pairs of radiographic measures. The acetabular index had the greatest interrater agreement (0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84–0.93), whereas the lateral center-edge angle had the higher intrarater agreement (0.96; 95% CI, 0.92–0.98). The acetabular arc angle had the lowest interrater agreement (0.44; 95% CI, 0.29–0.57), and the Sharp's angle had the lowest intrarater agreement (0.66; 95% CI, 0.41–0.84). The posterior wall sign had an interrater agreement of 0.35 (95% CI, 0.11–0.54) and an intrarater agreement of 0.68 (95% CI, 0.49–0.86). The crossover sign had an interrater agreement of 0.66 (95% CI, 0.43–0.84) and an intrarater agreement of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.52–0.89). The acetabular index, lateral center-edge angle, and extrusion index presented with high coefficients of correlation. In addition, acetabular anteversion correlated with severity of dysplasia. Commonly used parameters such as the acetabular index, lateral center-edge angle, and extrusion index are reliable radiographic parameters to assess acetabular morphology. However, correlation between measures suggests that they may be redundant in quantifying acetabular morphology. [
Orthopedics
. 2018; 41(5):e629–e635.]
Id3 Restricts γδ NKT Cell Expansion by Controlling Egr2 and c-Myc Activity
Authors: Zhang Baojun , Jiao Anjun , Dai Meifang , Wiest David L. , Zhuang Yuan
Published: July 2018

γδ NKT cells are neonatal-derived γδ T lymphocytes that are grouped together with invariant NKT cells based on their shared innate-like developmental program characterized by the transcription factor PLZF (promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger). Previous studies have demonstrated that the population size of γδ NKT cells is tightly controlled by Id3-mediated inhibition of E-protein activity in mice. However, how E proteins promote γδ NKT cell development and expansion remains to be determined. In this study, we report that the transcription factor Egr2, which also activates PLZF expression in invariant NKT cells, is essential for regulating γδ NKT cell expansion. We observed a higher expression of Egr family genes in γδ NKT cells compared with the conventional γδ T cell population. Loss of function of Id3 caused an expansion of γδ NKT cells, which is accompanied by further upregulation of Egr family genes as well as PLZF. Deletion of Egr2 in Id3-deficient γδ NKT cells prevented cell expansion and blocked PLZF upregulation. We further show that this Egr2-mediated γδ NKT cell expansion is dependent on c-Myc. c-Myc knockdown attenuated the proliferation of Id3-deficient γδ NKT cells, whereas c-Myc overexpression enhanced the proliferation of Id3/Egr2–double-deficient γδ NKT cells. Therefore, our data reveal a regulatory circuit involving Egr2–Id3–E2A, which normally restricts the population size of γδ NKT cells by adjusting Egr2 dosage and c-Myc expression.
Generating Curves of Minimal Ruled Real Hypersurfaces in a Nonflat Complex Space Form
Authors: Maeda Sadahiro , Tanabe Hiromasa , Udagawa Seiichi
Published: July 2018

We first provide a necessary and sufficient condition for a ruled real hypersurface in a nonflat complex space form to have constant mean curvature in terms of integral curves of the characteristic vector field on it. This yields a characterization of minimal ruled real hypersurfaces by circles. We next characterize the homogeneous minimal ruled real hypersurface in a complex hyperbolic space by using the notion of strong congruency of curves.