bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Variable Influences of Sea Level, Sedimentation and Exposure on Holocene Reef Development over a Cross-Shelf Transect, Central Great Barrier Reef
Authors: Ryan Emma J. , Smithers Scott G. , Lewis Stephen E. , Clark Tara R. , Zhao Jian-xin
Published: October 2018

Coral reefs globally are impacted by natural and anthropogenic stressors that are compounded by climate change. Understanding past reef responses to natural stressors (cyclones, sea-level change, freshwater inputs, and sedimentation) can provide important insights to further understand recent (within the past century) trends in coral cover and diversity. Here we use a compilation of recently published data to investigate the Holocene development of five fringing reefs that are located on a cross-shelf transect on the central Great Barrier Reef, and that are exposed to varying degrees of natural and anthropogenic sedimentation, storm exposure, and Holocene sea-level change. Forty-two reef cores collected using a combination of manual percussion coring and hydraulic drilling techniques, were analysed and dated using uranium-thorium methods. The chronostratigraphic records of reef development established using 105 recently published radiometric ages and seven new uranium-thorium ages from the reef cores and fossil microatolls preserved across the reef flats were compared to investigate cross-shelf variations in reef development. This is the first study to conduct an internal investigation of reef framework across an inshore–offshore gradient to examine the varying levels of influence of sedimentation, sea level and cyclones. Our observations from the central Great Barrier Reef show that reefs furthest offshore from the mainland coast were typically initiated earliest after the post-glacial marine transgression. Reef flat size, morphology, and growth style varied according to constraints placed on reef development by the composition, depth, shape, and relief of the underlying substrate. We establish that terrigenous sedimentation had a marked effect on the development of inshore reefs closest to the mainland (within 10 km of the mainland coast). Periods of relatively high terrigenous sedimentation correspond with enhanced reef accretion rates, and also resulted in a superior record of palaeo-ecological coral composition (i.e., better preservation) at inshore sites. In contrast, mid-Holocene cyclones played a seemingly more important role in the development of reefs >10 km from the mainland; although cyclones clearly affect reefs closer inshore, their geomorphology is affected by a range of controlling factors. Insights provided by these five Holocene reef chronostratigraphies provide useful baseline understanding of reef condition and growth along a cross-shelf transect where the reefs are exposed to variable stressors.
Computational Design Optimization for S-Ducts
Authors: D’Ambros Alessio , Kipouros Timoleon , Zachos Pavlos , Savill Mark , Benini Ernesto
Published: October 2018

In this work, we investigate the computational design of a typical S-Duct that is found in the literature. We model the design problem as a shape optimization study. The design parameters describe the 3D geometrical changes to the shape of the S-Duct and we assess the improvements to the aerodynamic behavior by considering two objective functions: the pressure losses and the swirl. The geometry management is controlled with the Free-Form Deformation (FFD) technique, the analysis of the flow is performed using steady-state computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the exploration of the design space is achieved using the heuristic optimization algorithm Tabu Search (MOTS). The results reveal potential improvements by 14% with respect to the pressure losses and by 71% with respect to the swirl of the flow. These findings exceed by a large margin the optimality level that was achieved by other approaches in the literature. Further investigation of a range of optimum geometries is performed and reported with a detailed discussion.
Quantum-Inspired Evolutionary Approach for the Quadratic Assignment Problem
Authors: Chmiel Wojciech , Kwiecień Joanna
Published: October 2018

The paper focuses on the opportunity of the application of the quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm for determining minimal costs of the assignment in the quadratic assignment problem. The idea behind the paper is to present how the algorithm has to be adapted to this problem, including crossover and mutation operators and introducing quantum principles in particular procedures. The results have shown that the performance of our approach in terms of converging to the best solutions is satisfactory. Moreover, we have presented the results of the selected parameters of the approach on the quality of the obtained solutions.
4T Analog MOS Control-High Voltage High Frequency (HVHF) Plasma Switching Power Supply for Water Purification in Industrial Applications
Authors: Krishna T. N. V. , Sathishkumar P. , Himasree P. , Punnoose Dinah , Raghavendra K. V. G. , Himanshu  , Naresh Bandari , Rana R. A. , Kim Hee-Je
Published: October 2018

High-power plasma power supply is very useful for many industrial and medical applications. Plasma is generated artificially in the laboratory or industry by applying the electric or magnetic field. In this manuscript, we presented the simple 4T analog MOS control high voltage high frequency inverter circuit as a plasma power supply using modulation index technique. The presented plasma power supply operated at 25 kHz frequency and 10 kV peak to peak voltage. It generates a 0 V to 10 kV controllable electric field. The generated electric field is applied and produces plasma, which can be used for many industrial applications. A 10 kV to 5 kW plasma power supply has been practically developed based on the proposed topology and experimentally tested and, additionally, excellent output power conversion efficiency is achieved. From these results, the 4T analog MOS control high voltage high frequency (HVHF) plasma switching power supply is verified.
Consensus Control of Distributed Energy Resources in a Multi-Bus Microgrid for Reactive Power Sharing and Voltage Control
Authors: Yu Li , Shi Di , Xu Guangyue , Guo Xiaobin , Jiang Zhen , Jing Chaoyang
Published: October 2018

The hierarchical control architecture, including layers of primary, secondary and tertiary controls, is becoming the standard operating paradigm for microgrids (MGs). Two major factors that limit the adoption of existing hierarchical control in microgrid are the low accuracy in reactive power sharing and the requirement for complex communication infrastructure. This paper addresses this problem by proposing a novel distributed primary and secondary control for distributed generators dispersed in a multi-bus microgrid. The proposed method realizes voltage control and accurate reactive power sharing in a distributed manner using minimum communication. Each distributed generator only needs its own information and minimum information from its neighboring units. Topology of the network can be flexible which supports the plug-and-play feature of microgrids. In a distribution system, high R/X ratio and system imbalance can no longer be neglected and thus the sequence component analysis and virtual impedance are implemented in the proposed control framework. The proposed framework is validated by simulation results on a MG testbed modified from the IEEE 13-bus distribution system.
Competing Retailers’ Environmental Investment: An Analysis under Different Power Structures
Authors: Li Xuyue
Published: October 2018

Sustainability issues in supply chains have received increasingly significant concern. Facing incentives such as environmental tax and consumer environmental awareness, firms and even retailers have started to make sustainability investments. To evaluate the retailer’s contribution to sustainability issues, we study a supply chain with one manufacturer and two symmetric competing retailers who have the option to make sustainable investment in their upstream members directly in green technology or clean production. We investigate the optimal sustainable investment and operation decisions under three power structures: (1) firms have the same power (Nash game); (2) the manufacturer is more powerful (Manufacturer-lead Stackelberg game) and (3) the retailers are more powerful (Retailer-lead Stackelberg game). By analyzing the optimal decisions and the economic performances, we show that the retailers always have incentives to make sustainable investment in all power structures. However, the retailers’ power affects firms’ decisions, the economic and the environmental performances. When the investment cost is low, the emission reduction due to investment is the most significant with less powerful retailers. With relatively high investment cost, whether the retailers having more power make more sustainable investment depends on the unit tax saving and effect factor of emission reduction on the demand. From the environmental perspective, simultaneous games may conduct the most significant total emission reduction in most cases. We also consider an asymmetric case and compare it with the symmetric one.
Fuzzy Byproduct Gas Scheduling in the Steel Plant Considering Uncertainty and Risk Analysis
Authors: Sun Xueying , Wang Zhuo , Hu Jingtao
Published: October 2018

In the iron and steel enterprises, efficient utilization of byproduct gas is of great significance for energy conservation and emission reduction. This work presents a fuzzy optimal scheduling model for byproduct gas system. Compared with previous work, uncertainties in byproduct gas systems are taken into consideration. In our model, uncertain factors in byproduct systems are described by fuzzy variables and gasholder level constraints are formulated as fuzzy chance constraints. The economy and reliability of byproduct gas system scheduling are sensitive to different confidence levels. To provide a reference for operators to determine a proper confidence level, the risk cost is defined to quantify the risk of byproduct gas shortage and emission during the scheduling process. The best confidence level is determined through the trade-off between operation cost and risk cost. The experiment results demonstrated that the proposed method can reduce the risk and give a more reasonable optimal scheduling scheme compared with deterministic optimal scheduling.
A dq-Domain Impedance Measurement Methodology for Three-Phase Converters in Distributed Energy Systems
Authors: Saad Muhammad , Ali Husan , Liu Huamei , Khan Shahbaz , Zaman Haider , Khan Bakht Muhammad , Kai Du , Yongfeng Ju
Published: October 2018

A distributed energy system (DES) using controlled power electronics converters delivers power to loads, via conventional, as well as a number of renewable, energy sources. However, stability concerns retard the integration of power electronics converters into an existing DES. Therefore, due to the high penetration of power converters, the overall network analysis of DES is becoming increasingly difficult. Impedance-based DES modeling emerged as an effective technique as it reduces the system into source and load subsystems and offers easier analysis of the dynamic interactions between them. These models can be obtained using either analytical calculations, simulations, or experimental measurements. In this work, firstly, a line-to-line current injection technique is used for the measurement of alternating current (AC) impedances. Since it requires repeated injections, a d q -domain impedance measurement methodology based upon a set of independent perturbations and measurements is proposed. The perturbation is injected via a sweep signal which is preprocessed by the digital signal processor (DSP) prior to injection. The d q reference frame is synchronized with the three-phase AC system using a low-bandwidth phase-locked loop (PLL). The close matching of impedance parameters measured in simulation using the proposed approach with those obtained using analytical expressions and the line-to-line current injection technique verifies the effectiveness of the approach. Furthermore, the method was also implemented experimentally, and the close matching of the results with the analytical and simulation results validates the overall modeling and measurement procedure.
A Review of Airside Heat Transfer Augmentation with Vortex Generators on Heat Transfer Surface
Authors: Chai Lei , Tassou Savvas A.
Published: October 2018

Heat exchanger performance can be improved via the introduction of vortex generators to the airside surface, based on the mechanism that the generated longitudinal vortices can disrupt the boundary layer growth, increase the turbulence intensity and produce secondary fluid flows over the heat transfer surfaces. The key objective of this paper is to provide a critical overview of published works relevant to such heat transfer surfaces. Different types of vortex generator are presented, and key experimental techniques and numerical methodologies are summarized. Flow phenomena associated with vortex generators embedded, attached, punched or mounted on heat transfer surfaces are investigated, and the thermohydraulic performance (heat transfer and pressure drop) of four different heat exchangers (flat plate, finned circular-tube, finned flat-tube and finned oval-tube) with various vortex-generator geometries, is discussed for different operating conditions. Furthermore, the thermohydraulic performance of heat transfer surfaces with recently proposed vortex generators is outlined and suggestions on using vortex generators for airside heat transfer augmentation are presented. In general, the airside heat transfer surface performance can be substantially enhanced by vortex generators, but their impact can also be significantly influenced by many parameters, such as Reynolds number, tube geometry (shape, diameter, pitch, inline/staggered configuration), fin type (plane/wavy/composite, with or without punched holes), and vortex-generator geometry (shape, length, height, pitch, attack angle, aspect ratio, and configuration). The finned flat-tube and finned oval-tube heat exchangers with recently proposed vortex generators usually show better thermohydraulic performance than finned circular tube heat exchangers. Current heat exchanger optimization approaches are usually based on the thermohydraulic performance alone. However, to ensure quick returns on investment, heat exchangers with complex geometries and surface vortex generators, should be optimized using cost-based objective functions that consider the thermohydraulic performance alongside capital cost, running cost of the system as well as safety and compliance with relevant international standards for different applications.
Comparison of Ecosystem Services from Mixed and Monospecific Forests in Southwest Germany: A Survey on Public Perception
Authors: Almeida Iulia , Rösch Christine , Saha Somidh
Published: October 2018

Scientific studies have shown that mixed forests of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) provide higher ecosystem services than monospecific forests. Mixed forests are known for their high resilience to climate change impacts and superior biodiversity compared to monospecific forests. Despite this superiority, the transformation from monospecific to mixed forests can meet socio-technical challenges that are manifested in dissent or even in conflicts. The integration of stakeholders and citizens plays a key role in analyzing their perceptions and views of forest transformation. Their knowledge is required to co-design and implement socially acceptable options and pathways to increase the share of mixed forests. Based on a survey in Southwest Germany, we analyzed stakeholders’ and citizens’ perceptions of ecosystem services of monospecific and mixed forests of silver fir and beech. The findings show that people believe that mixed forests provide better cultural, regulating, and supporting ecosystem services than monospecific forests. However, provisioning services were perceived as being equally or even better provided by monospecific forests. The assumed abundance of old trees and the feelings of pleasantness especially influenced the superior perception of ecosystem services provided by mixed forests. The results indicate that there is public support for the transformation of monospecific silver fir and beech forests into mixed forests in Southwest Germany.
Genetic Diversity and Population Genetic Structure of Erythrophleum fordii Oliv., an Endangered Rosewood Species in South China
Authors: Tan Jing , Zhao Zhi-Gang , Guo Jun-Jie , Wang Chun-Sheng , Zeng Jie
Published: October 2018

Erythrophleum fordii Oliv. is a valuable rosewood species indigenous to the tropical and warm sub-tropical zones of Vietnam, Laos, and South China. The natural forests have been heavily fragmented mostly due to over-exploitation and over-utilization, and alteration to croplands and fast-growing plantations. Therefore, it has been included in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species as an endangered species. In the present study, genetic diversity and population genetic structure of 11 populations were estimated by SSR makers in South China. Five high polymorphic loci were studied with a total of 34 alleles, among which, seven were private alleles. The mean number of alleles per locus (A), the mean number of efficient alleles per locus (Ae), the observed (Ho) and expected (He) heterozygosity, and Shannon’s index (I) of the 11 populations were 3.40, 2.31, 0.52, 0.56, and 0.90, respectively. Correlation analysis between genetic parameters and geographical factors showed that He and I were in significant negative correlation with longitude, indicating that genetic diversity of E. fordii reduced gradually from West to East in south China. FIS of eight populations with above five samples was on average 0.01, most loci conformed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in these populations; their genetic differentiation coefficient (FST) was 0.18, indicating that genetic differentiation among populations was relatively low and there existed 18% genetic variation among populations. Gene flow (Nm) between these populations was 1.28. The Mantel test showed that genetic distance was not significantly correlated with geographical distance (p > 0.05). It was concluded that populations with high genetic diversity or private alleles, especially Longmen, Wuming and Pingxiang populations should be a priority for in situ conservations, meanwhile more populations and as many families as possible in each population should be collected for ex situ conservations of germplasm resources of this species in the future.
Combining Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fibers with Multimode, Solid Core Fiber Couplers through Arc Fusion Splicing for the Miniaturization of Nonlinear Spectroscopy Sensing Devices
Authors: Stawska Hanna , Popenda Maciej , Bereś-Pawlik Elżbieta
Published: October 2018

The presence of fiber optic devices, such as couplers or wavelength division multiplexers, based on hollow-core fibers (HCFs) is still rather uncommon, while such devices can be imagined to greatly increase the potential of HCFs for different applications, such as sensing, nonlinear optics, etc. In this paper, we present a combination of a standard, multimode fiber (MMF) optic coupler with a hollow core photonic bandgap fiber through arc fusion splicing and its application for the purpose of multiphoton spectroscopy. The presented splicing method is of high affordability due to the low cost of arc fusion splicers, and the measured splicing loss (SL) of the HCF-MMF splice is as low as (0.32 ± 0.1) dB, while the splice itself is durable enough to withstand a bending radius (rbend) of 1.8 cm. This resulted in a hybrid between the hollow core photonic bandgap fiber (HCPBF) and MMF coupler, delivering 20 mW of average power and 250-fs short laser pulses to the sample, which was good enough to test the proposed sensor setup in a simple, proof-of-concept multiphoton fluorescence excitation-detection experiment, allowing the successful measurement of the fluorescence emission spectrum of 10−5 M fluorescein solution. In our opinion, the presented results indicate the possibility of creating multi-purpose HCF setups, which would excel in various types of sensing applications.
Playing Hide-and-Seek in Beta-Globin Genes: Gene Conversion Transferring a Beneficial Mutation between Differentially Expressed Gene Duplicates
Authors: Strážnická Michaela , Marková Silvia , Searle Jeremy B. , Kotlík Petr
Published: October 2018

Increasing evidence suggests that adaptation to diverse environments often involves selection on existing variation rather than new mutations. A previous study identified a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 2 of two paralogous β-globin genes of the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) in Britain in which the ancestral serine (Ser) and the derived cysteine (Cys) allele represent geographically partitioned functional variation affecting the erythrocyte antioxidative capacity. Here we studied the geographical pattern of the two-locus Ser/Cys polymorphism throughout Europe and tested for the geographic correlation between environmental variables and allele frequency, expected if the polymorphism was under spatially heterogeneous environment-related selection. Although bank vole population history clearly is important in shaping the dispersal of the oxidative stress protective Cys allele, analyses correcting for population structure suggest the Europe-wide pattern is affected by geographical variation in environmental conditions. The β-globin phenotype is encoded by the major paralog HBB-T1 but we found evidence of bidirectional gene conversion of exon 2 with the low-expression paralog HBB-T2. Our data support the model where gene conversion reshuffling genotypes between high- and low- expressed paralogs enables tuning of erythrocyte thiol levels, which may help maintain intracellular redox balance under fluctuating environmental conditions. Therefore, our study suggests a possible role for gene conversion between differentially expressed gene duplicates as a mechanism of physiological adaptation of populations to new or changing environments.
Fabrication of Stabilized Fe–Mn Binary Oxide Nanoparticles: Effective Adsorption of 17β-Estradiol and Influencing Factors
Authors: Ning Qimeng , Yin Zhihong , Liu Yunguo , Tan Xiaofei , Zeng Guangming , Jiang Luhua , Liu Shaobo , Tian Sirong , Liu Ni , Wang Xiaohua
Published: October 2018

Fe–Mn binary oxide nanoparticles (FMBON) were reported to be high performance as adsorbent for pollutants removal from aqueous solution. However, there are still limitations in practice application due to the FMBON tend to aggregate into the micro millimeter level. In order to avoid the agglomeration of nanoparticles, this work synthesized the stabilized Fe–Mn binary oxide nanoparticles (CMC-FMBON) by using water-soluble carboxymethyl celluloses (CMC) as the stabilizer. The characteristics of CMC-FMBON and FMBON were measured by using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Zeta potential. This work systematically investigated the adsorption capacity of CMC-FMBON for 17β-estradiol (E2) and the influences of external environmental factors on E2 removal. The results indicated that CMC-FMBON had much smaller particles, wider dispersion and larger surface area than the FMBON. CMC-FMBON showed better adsorption performance for E2 than FMBON with the maximum adsorption capacity of CMC-FMBON and FMBON were 124.10 and 98.14 mg/g at 298 K, respectively. The experimental data can be well fitted by the model of pseudo-second-order and Langmuir model. The E2 removal by CMC-FMBON was obviously dependent on pH with the maximum adsorption occurring when the pH was acidic. The removal capacity of CMC-FMBON increased when enhancing ionic strength in solution. Background electrolytes promoted slightly E2 adsorption process whereas the presence of humic acid inhibited the E2 removal. π-π interactions, hydrogen bonds, and oxidation might be responsible for E2 removal. This research suggested that the CMC-FMBON has been considered to be a cost-efficient adsorbent for removing E2 from water.
Estimating Major Risk Factor Relativities in Rate Filings Using Generalized Linear Models
Authors: Xie Shengkun , Lawniczak Anna T.
Published: October 2018

Predictive modeling is a key technique in auto insurance rate-making and the decision-making involved in the review of rate filings. Unlike an approach based on hypothesis testing, the results from predictive modeling not only serve as statistical evidence for decision-making, they also discover relationships between a response variable and predictors. In this work, we study the use of predictive modeling in auto insurance rate filings. This is a typical area of actuarial practice involving decision-making using industry loss data. The aim of this study was to offer some general guidelines for using predictive modeling in regulating insurance rates. Our study demonstrates that predictive modeling techniques based on generalized linear models (GLMs) are suitable in auto insurance rate filings review. The GLM relativities of major risk factors can serve as the benchmark of the same risk factors considered in auto insurance pricing.
Improved Jitter Elimination and Topology Correction Method for the Split Line of Narrow and Long Patches
Authors: Li Chengming , Yin Yong , Wu Pengda , Liu Xiaoli , Guo Peipei
Published: October 2018

Extracting the split line of narrow and long patches is important for the generalization of land-use thematic data. There are two commonly used methods for extracting the split lines: One is based on Delaunay triangulation and the other is based on straight skeletons. However, it is difficult for the straight skeleton method to preserve geometric structure and topological consistency with the original data when dealing with polygons that have irregularity and complexity of junctions. Therefore, we propose an improved jitter elimination and topology correction method for split lines based on a constrained Delaunay triangulation. First, a split line adjustment algorithm based on the geometric structure of the polygon is proposed to eliminate the jitters. Second, a split line topology correction algorithm is proposed for nodes with degree 1 or degree 2, considering the boundary topological constraint. The reliability of the proposed method is verified by comparing it with the straight skeleton method using sample data and the superiority of the proposed method is verified by using actual data from China’s geographical conditions census in the Guizhou province.
Multi-Agent Planning for Automatic Geospatial Web Service Composition in Geoportals
Authors: Farnaghi Mahdi , Mansourian Ali
Published: October 2018

Automatic composition of geospatial web services increases the possibility of taking full advantage of spatial data and processing capabilities that have been published over the internet. In this paper, a multi-agent artificial intelligence (AI) planning solution was proposed, which works within the geoportal architecture and enables the geoportal to compose semantically annotated Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Services based on users’ requirements. In this solution, the registered Catalogue Service for Web (CSW) services in the geoportal along with a composition coordinator component interact together to synthesize Open Geospatial Consortium Web Services (OWSs) and generate the composition workflow. A prototype geoportal was developed, a case study of evacuation sheltering was implemented to illustrate the functionality of the algorithm, and a simulation environment, including one hundred simulated OWSs and five CSW services, was used to test the performance of the solution in a more complex circumstance. The prototype geoportal was able to generate the composite web service, based on the requested goals of the user. Additionally, in the simulation environment, while the execution time of the composition with two CSW service nodes was 20 s, the addition of new CSW nodes reduced the composition time exponentially, so that with five CSW nodes the execution time reduced to 0.3 s. Results showed that due to the utilization of the computational power of CSW services, the solution was fast, horizontally scalable, and less vulnerable to the exponential growth in the search space of the AI planning problem.
Molecular Features Distinguish Gastric Cancer Subtypes
Authors: De Re Valli
Published: October 2018

Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths [...]
Breeding for Anthracnose Disease Resistance in Chili: Progress and Prospects
Authors: Ridzuan Raihana , Rafii Mohd , Ismail Siti , Mohammad Yusoff Martini , Miah Gous , Usman Magaji
Published: October 2018

Chili anthracnose is one of the most devastating fungal diseases affecting the quality and yield production of chili. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge concerning the chili anthracnose disease, as well as to explore the use of marker-assisted breeding programs aimed at improving anthracnose disease resistance in this species. This disease is caused by the Colletotrichum species complex, and there have been ongoing screening methods of chili pepper genotypes with resistance to anthracnose in the field, as well as in laboratories. Conventional breeding involves phenotypic selection in the field, and it is more time-consuming compared to molecular breeding. The use of marker-assisted selection (MAS) on the basis of inheritance, the segregation ratio of resistance to susceptibility, and the gene-controlling resistance may contribute to the development of an improved chili variety and speed up the selection process, while also reducing genetic drag in the segregating population. More importantly, by using molecular markers, the linkage groups are determined dominantly and co-dominantly, meaning that the implementation of a reliable method to produce resistant varieties is crucial in future breeding programs. This updated information will offer a supportive direction for chili breeders to develop an anthracnose-resistant chili variety.
Generation of a 3D Liver Model Comprising Human Extracellular Matrix in an Alginate/Gelatin-Based Bioink by Extrusion Bioprinting for Infection and Transduction Studies
Authors: Hiller Thomas , Berg Johanna , Elomaa Laura , Röhrs Viola , Ullah Imran , Schaar Katrin , Dietrich Ann-Christin , Al-Zeer Munir A. , Kurtz Andreas , Hocke Andreas C. , Hippenstiel Stefan , Fechner Henry , Weinhart Marie , Kurreck Jens
Published: October 2018

Bioprinting is a novel technology that may help to overcome limitations associated with two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures and animal experiments, as it allows the production of three-dimensional (3D) tissue models composed of human cells. The present study describes the optimization of a bioink composed of alginate, gelatin and human extracellular matrix (hECM) to print human HepaRG liver cells with a pneumatic extrusion printer. The resulting tissue model was tested for its suitability for the study of transduction by an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector and infection with human adenovirus 5 (hAdV5). We found supplementation of the basic alginate/gelatin bioink with 0.5 and 1 mg/mL hECM provides desirable properties for the printing process, the stability of the printed constructs, and the viability and metabolic functions of the printed HepaRG cells. The tissue models were efficiently transduced by AAV vectors of serotype 6, which successfully silenced an endogenous target (cyclophilin B) by means of RNA interference. Furthermore, the printed 3D model supported efficient adenoviral replication making it suitable to study virus biology and develop new antiviral compounds. We consider the approach described here paradigmatic for the development of 3D tissue models for studies including viral vectors and infectious viruses.
Effects of Panax Notoginseng Saponins on Esterases Responsible for Aspirin Hydrolysis In Vitro
Authors: Sun Zongxi , Wu Yali , Liu Song , Hu Shaonan , Zhao Bo , Li Pengyue , Du Shouying
Published: October 2018

Herb–drug interactions strongly challenge the clinical combined application of herbs and drugs. Herbal products consist of complex pharmacological-active ingredients and perturb the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS)-based drugs are often combined with aspirin in vascular disease treatment in China. PNS was found to exhibit inhibitory effects on aspirin hydrolysis using Caco-2 cell monolayers. In the present study, a total of 22 components of PNS were separated and identified by UPLC-MS/MS. Using highly selective probe substrate analysis, PNS exerted robust inhibitory potency on human carboxylesterase 2 (hCE2), while had a minor influence on hCE1, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and paraoxonase (PON). These effects were also verified through molecular docking analysis. PNS showed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on hydrolytic activity of aspirin in HepaRG cells. The protein level of hCE2 in HepaRG cells was suppressed after PNS treatment, while the level of BChE or PON1 in the extracellular matrix were elevated after PNS treatment. Insignificant effect was observed on the mRNA expression of the esterases. These findings are important to understand the underlying efficacy and safety of co-administration of PNS and aspirin in clinical practice.
A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Candidate Genes Related to Salt Tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa) at the Germination Stage
Authors: Yu Jie , Zhao Weiguo , Tong Wei , He Qiang , Yoon Min-Young , Li Feng-Peng , Choi Buung , Heo Eun-Beom , Kim Kyu-Won , Park Yong-Jin
Published: October 2018

Salt toxicity is the major factor limiting crop productivity in saline soils. In this paper, 295 accessions including a heuristic core set (137 accessions) and 158 bred varieties were re-sequenced and ~1.65 million SNPs/indels were used to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of salt-tolerance-related phenotypes in rice during the germination stage. A total of 12 associated peaks distributed on seven chromosomes using a compressed mixed linear model were detected. Determined by linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks analysis, we finally obtained a total of 79 candidate genes. By detecting the highly associated variations located inside the genic region that overlapped with the results of LD block analysis, we characterized 17 genes that may contribute to salt tolerance during the seed germination stage. At the same time, we conducted a haplotype analysis of the genes with functional variations together with phenotypic correlation and orthologous sequence analyses. Among these genes, OsMADS31, which is a MADS-box family transcription factor, had a down-regulated expression under the salt condition and it was predicted to be involved in the salt tolerance at the rice germination stage. Our study revealed some novel candidate genes and their substantial natural variations in the rice genome at the germination stage. The GWAS in rice at the germination stage would provide important resources for molecular breeding and functional analysis of the salt tolerance during rice germination.
Phytohormones Regulate the Development of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis
Authors: Liao Dehua , Wang Shuangshuang , Cui Miaomiao , Liu Jinhui , Chen Aiqun , Xu Guohua
Published: October 2018

Most terrestrial plants are able to form a root symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi for enhancing the assimilation of mineral nutrients. AM fungi are obligate symbionts that depend on host plants as their sole carbon source. Development of an AM association requires a continuous signal exchange between the two symbionts, which triggers coordinated differentiation of both partners, to enable their interaction within the root cells. The control of the AM symbiosis involves a finely-tuned process, and an increasing number of studies have pointed to a pivotal role of several phytohormones, such as strigolactones (SLs), gibberellic acids (GAs), and auxin, in the modulation of AM symbiosis, through the early recognition of events up to the final arbuscular formation. SLs are involved in the presymbiotic growth of the fungus, while auxin is required for both the early steps of fungal growth and the differentiation of arbuscules. GAs modulate arbuscule formation in a dose-dependent manner, via DELLA proteins, a group of GRAS transcription factors that negatively control the GA signaling. Here, we summarize the recent findings on the roles of these plant hormones in AM symbiosis, and also explore the current understanding of how the DELLA proteins act as central regulators to coordinate plant hormone signaling, to regulate the AM symbiosis.
Screening of Additive Manufactured Scaffolds Designs for Triple Negative Breast Cancer 3D Cell Culture and Stem-Like Expansion
Authors: Polonio-Alcalá Emma , Rabionet Marc , Guerra Antonio J. , Yeste Marc , Ciurana Joaquim , Puig Teresa
Published: October 2018

Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are tumor-initiating cells responsible for metastasis and tumor reappearance, but their research is limited by the impossibility to cultivate them in a monolayer culture. Scaffolds are three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems which avoid problems related with culturing BCSC. However, a standardized scaffold for enhancing a BCSC population is still an open issue. The main aim of this study is to establish a suitable poly (lactic acid) (PLA) scaffold which will produce BCSC enrichment, thus allowing them to be studied. Different 3D printing parameters were analyzed using Taguchi experimental design methods. Several PLA scaffold architectures were manufactured using a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printer. They were then evaluated by cell proliferation assay and the configurations with the highest growth rates were subjected to BCSC quantification by ALDH activity. The design SS1 (0.2 mm layer height, 70% infill density, Zigzag infill pattern, 45° infill direction, and 100% flow) obtained the highest proliferation rate and was capable of enhancing a ALDH+ cell population compared to 2D cell culture. In conclusion, the data obtained endorse the PLA porous scaffold as useful for culturing breast cancer cells in a microenvironment similar to in vivo and increasing the numbers of BCSCs.
Integration of Context Information through Probabilistic Ontological Knowledge into Image Classification
Authors: Apicella Andrea , Corazza Anna , Isgrò Francesco , Vettigli Giuseppe
Published: October 2018

The use of ontological knowledge to improve classification results is a promising line of research. The availability of a probabilistic ontology raises the possibility of combining the probabilities coming from the ontology with the ones produced by a multi-class classifier that detects particular objects in an image. This combination not only provides the relations existing between the different segments, but can also improve the classification accuracy. In fact, it is known that the contextual information can often give information that suggests the correct class. This paper proposes a possible model that implements this integration, and the experimental assessment shows the effectiveness of the integration, especially when the classifier’s accuracy is relatively low. To assess the performance of the proposed model, we designed and implemented a simulated classifier that allows a priori decisions of its performance with sufficient precision.
Better Understanding the Potential Importance of Florida Roadside Breeding Habitat for the Monarch
Authors: Daniels Jaret , Kimmel Chase , McClung Simon , Epstein Samm , Bremer Jonathan , Rossetti Kristin
Published: October 2018

The North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population has declined significantly over the past two decades. Among the many other factors, loss of breeding habitat has been implicated as a potential leading driver. In response, wildlife agencies and conservation practitioners have made a strong push to restore and conserve milkweeds on both wild and managed landscapes including agricultural lands as well as transportation and utility rights-of-way. Roadsides in particular have been emphasized as a targeted landscape for monarch habitat restoration. While much attention has been focused on habitat in California, along the I-35 corridor from Texas to Minnesota, and more broadly across the agricultural Midwest, research on the occurrence of roadside breeding habitat and the development of best vegetative management practices conducted in the Deep South has been limited. We sampled roadside verges in north-central Florida for the presence of two early season milkweed species, that are particularly important for early season monarch recolonization, Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias humistrata. Our findings suggest that roadsides harbor extensive populations of the target milkweeds with the vast majority of plants occurring on the back slope of the verge. Alterations to current roadside mowing frequency and scope are needed to effectively conserve these populations and ensure that they are available for use by the monarch.
Association between End-Stage Renal Disease and Incident Diabetes Mellitus—A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Wu Pin-Pin , Kor Chew-Teng , Hsieh Ming-Chia , Hsieh Yao-Peng
Published: October 2018

Background: Glucose is one of the constituents in hemodialysates and peritoneal dialysates. How the dialysis associates with the incident diabetes mellitus (DM) remains to be assessed. Methods: The claim data of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who initiated dialysis from and a cohort of matched non-dialysis individuals from 2000 to 2013 were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to examine the risk of incident DM among patients on hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Predictors of incident DM were determined for HD and PD patients using Fine and Gray models to treat death as a competing event, respectively. Results: A total of 2228 patients on dialysis (2092 HD and 136 PD) and 8912 non-dialysis individuals were the study population. The PD and HD patients had 12 and 97 new-onset of DM (incidence rates of 15.98 and 8.69 per 1000 patient-years, respectively), while the comparison cohort had 869 DM events with the incidence rate of 15.88 per 1000 patient-years. The multivariable-adjusted Cox models of Fine and Gray method showed that the dialysis cohort was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.49 (95% CI 0.39–0.61, p value < 0.0001) for incident DM compared with the comparison cohort. The adjusted HR of incident DM was 0.46 (95% CI 0.37–0.58, p value < 0.0001) for HD and 0.84 (95% CI 0.47–1.51, p value = 0.56) for PD. Conclusions: ESRD patients were associated with a lower risk of incident DM. HD was associated with a lower risk of incident DM, whereas PD was not.
Metagenome Analysis as a Tool to Study Bacterial Infection Associated with Acute Surgical Abdomen
Authors: Wu Shao-Chun , Rau Cheng-Shyuan , Liu Hang-Tsung , Kuo Pao-Jen , Chien Peng-Chen , Hsieh Ting-Min , Tsai Ching-Hua , Chuang Jung-Fang , Huang Chun-Ying , Hsieh Hsiao-Yun , Hsieh Ching-Hua
Published: October 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to profile the bacterium in the ascites and blood of patients with acute surgical abdomen by metagenome analysis. Methods: A total of 97 patients with acute surgical abdomen were included in this study. Accompanied with the standard culture procedures, ascites and blood samples were collected for metagenome analysis to measure the relative abundance of bacteria among groups of patients and between blood and ascites. Results: Metagenomic analysis identified 107 bacterial taxa from the ascites of patients. A principal component analysis (PCA) could separate the bacteria of ascites into roughly three groups: peptic ulcer, perforated or non-perforated appendicitis, and a group which included cholecystitis, small bowel lesion, and colon perforation. Significant correlation between the bacteria of blood and ascites was found in nine bacterial taxa both in blood and ascites with more than 500 sequence reads. However, the PCA failed to separate the variation in the bacteria of blood into different groups of patients, and the bacteria of metagenomic analysis is only partly in accordance with those isolated from a conventional culture method. Conclusion: This study indicated that the metagenome analysis can provide limited information regarding the bacteria in the ascites and blood of patients with acute surgical abdomen.
Dichlorido(η6-p-cymene)[tris(2-cyanoethyl)phosphine]ruthenium(II)
Authors: Henderson William , Nair Ashwin , Halcovich Nathan , Tiekink Edward
Published: October 2018

The tris(2-cyanoethyl)phosphine (tcep) complex [RuCl2{P(CH2CH2CN)3}(η6-p-cymene)] (p-cymene = p-CH3C6H4iPr) was synthesised by the bridge-splitting reaction of the chlorido-dimer [RuCl2(η6-p-cymene)]2 with tcep. The complex was characterised by a single-crystal X-ray structure determination as well as NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry, and microelemental analysis. X-ray crystallography shows the ruthenium atom is coordinated by p-cymene in a η6-fashion, two chlorides and the phosphorus atom of the tcep ligand with the donor set defining a distorted octahedral geometry. The ESI mass spectrometry study reveals that the complex readily forms negative ions [M + Cl]− and [2M + Cl]− by association with a chloride ion.
2,3,4-Trioxo-1-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-7-ium-7yl)-cyclobutan-1-ide
Authors: Lande Duc , Kunick Conrad , Grünefeld Johann
Published: October 2018

2,3,4-Trioxo-1-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-7-ium-7-yl)-cyclobutan-1-ide was obtained by reaction of squaric acid with 7-azaindole in acetic anhydride.
Effects of Initial Water Content on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Lean Clay Soil Stabilized by Compound Calcium-Based Stabilizer
Authors: Yin Chenglong , Zhang Wei , Jiang Xunli , Huang Zhiyi
Published: October 2018

Initial water content significantly affects the efficiency of soil stabilization. In this study, the effects of initial water content on the compressibility, strength, microstructure, and composition of a lean clay soil stabilized by compound calcium-based stabilizer were investigated by static compaction test, unconfined compression test, optical microscope observations, environment scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that as the initial water content increases in the range studied, both the compaction energy and the maximum compaction force decrease linearly and there are less soil aggregates or agglomerations, and a smaller proportion of large pores in the compacted mixture structure. In addition, for specimens cured with or without external water supply and under different compaction degrees, the variation law of the unconfined compressive strength with initial water content is different and the highest strength value is obtained at various initial water contents. With the increase of initial water content, the percentage of the oxygen element tends to increase in the reaction products of the calcium-based stabilizer, whereas the primary mineral composition of the soil-stabilizer mixture did not change notably.
Mechanical Analysis of Ceramic/Polymer Composite with Mesh-Type Lightweight Design Using Binder-Jet 3D Printing
Authors: Kim Dong-Hyun , Lee Jinwoo , Bae Jinju , Park Sungbum , Choi Jihwan , Lee Jeong Hun , Kim Eoksoo
Published: October 2018

3D printing technology has recently been highlighted as an innovative manufacturing process. Among various 3D printing methods, binder jetting (BJ) 3D printing is particularly known as technology used to produce the complex sand mold quickly for a casting process. However, high manufacturing costs, due to its expensive materials, need to be lowered for more industrial applications of 3D printing. In this study, we investigated mechanical properties of sand molds with a lightweight structure for low material consumption and short process time. Our stress analysis using a computational approach, revealed a structural weak point in the mesh-type lightweight design applied to the 3D-printed ceramic/polymer composite.