bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Signal Analysis for Damage Evaluation of Metallic Slit-Plate Hysteretic Dampers
Authors: Abarkane Chihab , Galé-Lamuela David , Benavent-Climent Amadeo , Suárez Elisabet , Gallego Antolino
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes a pulse-echo Ultrasonic Testing (UT) methodology to quantify the damage of hysteretic dampers subjected to cyclic loadings. Energy dissipation is known as an innovative strategy for the protection of buildings against earthquakes. It consists of installing special devices called dampers in the construction, which are entrusted to dissipate most of the energy input by the earthquake, thus keeping the main structure basically undamaged. In particular, the hysteretic dampers dissipate the input energy through plastic deformations in their metallic parts. Several moderate ground motions would not exhaust the capacity of the dampers, but they cause damage—plastic deformations in the device. Therefore, continuous or periodic inspections of the damper are required in order to decide upon its eventual replacement. In this particular work, several hysteretic dampers made of stainless steel were subjected to different patterns of low-frequency cyclic loads that caused diverse levels of damage. Each damper underwent pulse-echo UT before and after the cyclic loading. Spectral energy of the echo signals was properly calculated at each damage level in order to define a reliable damage index. The new index has been compared with a well-established mechanical damage index, ID, previously proposed by the authors. A successful correlation was observed, making the pulse-echo UT technique promising for this particular application.
Analytical Solution of Electro-Osmotic Peristalsis of Fractional Jeffreys Fluid in a Micro-Channel
Authors: Guo Xiaoyi , Qi Haitao
Published: November 2017

The electro-osmotic peristaltic flow of a viscoelastic fluid through a cylindrical micro-channel is studied in this paper. The fractional Jeffreys constitutive model, including the relaxation time and retardation time, is utilized to describe the viscoelasticity of the fluid. Under the assumptions of long wavelength, low Reynolds number, and Debye-Hückel linearization, the analytical solutions of pressure gradient, stream function and axial velocity are explored in terms of Mittag-Leffler function by Laplace transform method. The corresponding solutions of fractional Maxwell fluid and generalized second grade fluid are also obtained as special cases. The numerical analysis of the results are depicted graphically, and the effects of electro-osmotic parameter, external electric field, fractional parameters and viscoelastic parameters on the peristaltic flow are discussed.
Micromachined Resonant Frequency Tuning Unit for Torsional Resonator
Authors: Lee Jae-Ik , Jeong Bongwon , Park Sunwoo , Eun Youngkee , Kim Jongbaeg
Published: November 2017

Achieving the desired resonant frequency of resonators has been an important issue, since it determines their performance. This paper presents the design and analysis of two concepts for the resonant frequency tuning of resonators. The proposed methods are based on the stiffness alteration of the springs by geometrical modification (shaft-widening) or by mechanical restriction (shaft-holding) using micromachined frequency tuning units. Our designs have advantages in (1) reversible and repetitive tuning; (2) decoupled control over the amplitude of the resonator and the tuning ratio; and (3) a wide range of applications including torsional resonators. The ability to tune the frequency by both methods is predicted by finite element analysis (FEA) and experimentally verified on a torsional resonator driven by an electrostatic actuator. The tuning units and resonators are fabricated on a double silicon-on-insulator (DSOI) wafer to electrically insulate the resonator from the tuning units. The shaft-widening type and shaft-holding type exhibit a maximum tuning ratio of 5.29% and 10.7%, respectively.
Bacterial Endophyte Colonization and Distribution within Plants
Authors: Kandel Shyam , Joubert Pierre , Doty Sharon
Published: November 2017

The plant endosphere contains a diverse group of microbial communities. There is general consensus that these microbial communities make significant contributions to plant health. Both recently adopted genomic approaches and classical microbiology techniques continue to develop the science of plant-microbe interactions. Endophytes are microbial symbionts residing within the plant for the majority of their life cycle without any detrimental impact to the host plant. The use of these natural symbionts offers an opportunity to maximize crop productivity while reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture. Endophytes promote plant growth through nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, nutrient acquisition, and by conferring tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Colonization by endophytes is crucial for providing these benefits to the host plant. Endophytic colonization refers to the entry, growth and multiplication of endophyte populations within the host plant. Lately, plant microbiome research has gained considerable attention but the mechanism allowing plants to recruit endophytes is largely unknown. This review summarizes currently available knowledge about endophytic colonization by bacteria in various plant species, and specifically discusses the colonization of maize plants by Populus endophytes.
Influence of Froth Height on Column Flotation of Kaolin Ore
Authors: Pita Fernando
Published: November 2017

The influence of the froth height in the reverse flotation of kaolinitic ore was analyzed based on the recovery by entrainment and by true flotation of iron, titanium and manganese oxides (FeO, TiO2 and MnO). Also, the influence of the particle size in the drainage process was analyzed. The recovery by entrainment and by true flotation of the three oxides is inversely proportional to the froth height. The entrained particles are drained more easily in the froth phase than the floated particles since they are not attached to the bubbles. The recovery by entrainment and drainage of the entrained material is similar for the three oxides. However, the recovery by true flotation and drainage of the floated material is different for the three oxides. FeO has the lowest recovery, as a consequence of the minor contribution of its hydrophobic minerals, while MnO has the greatest recovery values. For the entrained material, the finest fraction is entrained more easily, but it is also drained more easily, meaning these particles have more mobility in the froth zone. For the true floated material, the finest fraction is drained more easily, indicating the greater mobility of these particles in the froth; however, the coarsest fraction is drained more easily than the two intermediate fractions, indicating the weaker attachment of the larger particles to the bubbles.
Structural Diversity and Biological Activities of the Cyclodipeptides from Fungi
Authors: Wang Xiaohan , Li Yuying , Zhang Xuping , Lai Daowan , Zhou Ligang
Published: November 2017

Cyclodipeptides, called 2,5-diketopiperazines (2,5-DKPs), are obtained by the condensation of two amino acids. Fungi have been considered to be a rich source of novel and bioactive cyclodipeptides. This review highlights the occurrence, structures and biological activities of the fungal cyclodipeptides with the literature covered up to July 2017. A total of 635 fungal cyclodipeptides belonging to the groups of tryptophan-proline, tryptophan-tryptophan, tryptophan–Xaa, proline–Xaa, non-tryptophan–non-proline, and thio-analogs have been discussed and reviewed. They were mainly isolated from the genera of Aspergillus and Penicillium. More and more cyclodipeptides have been isolated from marine-derived and plant endophytic fungi. Some of them were screened to have cytotoxic, phytotoxic, antimicrobial, insecticidal, vasodilator, radical scavenging, antioxidant, brine shrimp lethal, antiviral, nematicidal, antituberculosis, and enzyme-inhibitory activities to show their potential applications in agriculture, medicinal, and food industry.
Recyclable Magnetic Titania Nanocomposite from Ilmenite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Hong Tianjie , Mao Jun , Tao Feifei , Lan Mingxuan
Published: November 2017

Using ilmenite as a raw material, iron was converted into Fe3O4 magnetic fluid, which further was combined with titanium filtrate by a solvothermal method. Finally Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites with the uniform size of 100–200 nm were prepared. This approach uses rich, inexpensive ilmenite as a titanium and iron source, which effectively reduces the production cost. The crystal structure, chemical properties and morphologies of the products were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, UV-Vis, XPS and VSM. The novel photocatalyst composed of face-centered cubic Fe3O4 and body-centered tetragonal anatase–TiO2 exhibits a spherical shape with porous structures, superparamagnetic behavior and strong absorption in the visible light range. Using the degradation reaction of Rhodamine B (RhB) to evaluate the photocatalytic performance, the results suggest that Fe3O4/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activities and stability under visible light and solar light. Moreover, the magnetic titania nanocomposites displayed good magnetic response and were recoverable over several cycles. Based on the trapping experiments, the main active species in the photocatalytic reaction were confirmed and the possible photocatalytic mechanism of RhB with magnetic titania was proposed. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability, combined with excellent magnetic recoverability, make the prepared nanocomposite a potential candidate in wastewater purification.
Modulation of Cytochrome P450, P-glycoprotein and Pregnane X Receptor by Selected Antimalarial Herbs—Implication for Herb-Drug Interaction
Authors: Fasinu Pius , Manda Vamshi , Dale Olivia , Egiebor Nosa , Walker Larry , Khan Shabana
Published: November 2017

Seven medicinal plants popularly used for treating malaria in West Africa were selected to assess herb-drug interaction potential through a series of in vitro methods. Fluorescent cytochrome P450 (CYP) assays were conducted using the recombinant CYP enzymes for CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 to assess the effect of the methanolic extracts on the metabolic activity of CYPs. Secondly, the inhibitory effect of the extracts was evaluated on P-glycoproteins (P-gp) using calcein-AM, a fluorescent substrate, in MDCK-II and hMDR1-MDCK-II cells. The inhibition of P-gp activity was determined as a reflection of increase in calcein-AM uptake. Additionally, the enzyme induction potential of the extracts was assessed through the modulation of PXR activity in HepG2 cells transiently transfected with pSG5-PXR and PCR5 plasmid DNA. Significant inhibition of CYP activity (IC50 < 10 µg/mL) was observed with the following herbs: A. muricata [CYP2C9, 3A4 and CYP2D6]; M. indica [CYP2C9]; M. charantia [CYP2C9 and CYP2C19]; P. amarus [CYP2C19, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4]; T. diversifolia [CYP2C19 and CYP3A4]. Extracts of four herbs (P. amarus, M. charantia, T. diversifolia and A. muricata) exhibited significant inhibition of P-gp with IC50 values (µg/mL) of 17 ± 1, 16 ± 0.4, 26 ± 1, and 24 ± 1, respectively. In addition, four herbs (A. mexicana, M. charantia, P. amarus and T. diversifolia) showed a >two-fold increase in induction in PXR activity. These findings suggest that these herbs may be capable of eliciting herb-drug interactions if consumed in high quantities with concomitant use of conventional therapies.
The Effect of Eu Doping on Microstructure, Morphology and Methanal-Sensing Performance of Highly Ordered SnO2 Nanorods Array
Authors: Zhao Yanping , Li Yuehua , Ren Xingping , Gao Fan , Zhao Heyun
Published: November 2017

Layered Eu-doped SnO2 ordered nanoarrays constructed by nanorods with 10 nm diameters and several hundred nanometers length were synthesized by a substrate-free hydrothermal route using alcohol and water mixed solvent of sodium stannate and sodium hydroxide at 200 °C. The Eu dopant acted as a crystal growth inhibitor to prevent the SnO2 nanorods growth up, resulting in tenuous SnO2 nanorods ordered arrays. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the tetragonal rutile-type structure with a systematic average size reduction and unit cell volume tumescence, while enhancing the residual strain as the Eu-doped content increases. The surface defects that were caused by the incorporation of Eu ions within the surface oxide matrix were observed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The results of the response properties of sensors based on the different levels of Eu-doped SnO2 layered nanoarrays demonstrated that the 0.5 at % Eu-doped SnO2 layered nanorods arrays exhibited an excellent sensing response to methanal at 278 °C. The reasons of the enhanced sensing performance were discussed from the complicated defect surface structure, the large specific surface area, and the excellent catalytic properties of Eu dopant.
Transparent Low Molecular Weight Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate-Based Hydrogels as Film Media for Photoswitchable Drugs
Authors: Pelras Théophile , Glass Sarah , Scherzer Tom , Elsner Christian , Schulze Agnes , Abel Bernd
Published: November 2017

Hydrogels have shown a great potential as materials for drug delivery systems thanks to their usually excellent bio-compatibility and their ability to trap water-soluble organic molecules in a porous network. In this study, poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels containing a model dye were synthesized by ultraviolet (UV-A) photopolymerization of low-molecular weight macro-monomers and the material properties (dye release ability, transparency, morphology, and polymerization kinetics) were studied. Real-time infrared measurements revealed that the photopolymerization of the materials was strongly limited when the dye was added to the uncured formulation. Consequently, the procedure was adapted to allow for the formation of sufficiently cured gels that are able to capture and later on to release dye molecules in phosphate-buffered saline solution within a few hours. Due to the transparency of the materials in the 400–800 nm range, the hydrogels are suitable for the loading and excitation of photoactive molecules. These can be uptaken by and released from the polymer matrix. Therefore, such materials may find applications as cheap and tailored materials in photodynamic therapy (i.e., light-induced treatment of skin infections by bacteria, fungi, and viruses using photoactive drugs).
Four Mixed-Ligand Zn(II) Three-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis, Structural Diversity, and Photoluminescent Property
Authors: Wang Chih-Chieh , Ke Szu-Yu , Cheng Chia-Wen , Wang Yu-Wen , Chiu Hsiao-Shan , Ko Yu-Chien , Sun Ning-Kuei , Ho Mei-Lin , Chang Chung-Kai , Chuang Yu-Chun , Lee Gene-Hsiang
Published: November 2017

Assemblies of four three-dimensional (3D) mixed-ligand coordination polymers (CPs) having formulas, {[Zn2(bdc)2(4-bpdh)]·C2H5OH·2H2O}n (1), [Zn(bdc)(4-bpdh)]n (2), {[Zn2(bdc)2(4-bpdh)2]·(4-bpdh)}n (3), and {[Zn(bdc)(4-bpdh)]·C2H5OH}n (4) (bdc2− = dianion of 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 4-bpdh = 2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-3,4-diaza-2,4-hexadiene) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. Structural determination reveals that the coordination numbers (geometry) of Zn(II) ions in 1, 2, 3, and 4 are five (distorted square-pyramidal (SP)), six (distorted octahedral (Oh)), five (trigonal-bipyramidal (TBP)), and four (tetrahedral (Td)), respectively, and are bridged by 4-bpdh with bis-monodentate coordination mode and bdc2− ligands with bis-bidentate in 1, chelating/bidentate in 2, bis-monodentate and bis-bidentate in 3, and bis-monodentate in 4, to generate two-fold interpenetrating 3D cube-like metal-organic framework (MOF) with pcu topology, non-interpenetrating 3D MOF, two-fold interpenetrating 3D rectangular-box-like MOF with pcu topology and five-fold interpenetrating diamondoid-like MOF with dia topology, respectively. These different intriguing architectures indicate that the coordination numbers and geometries of Zn(II) ions, coordination modes of bdc2− ligand, and guest molecules play important roles in the construction of MOFs and the formation of the structural topologies and interpenetrations. Thermal stabilities, and photoluminescence study of 1–4 were also studied in detail. The complexes exhibit ligands based photoluminescence properties at room temperature.
Online Global Land Surface Temperature Estimation from Landsat
Authors: Parastatidis David , Mitraka Zina , Chrysoulakis Nektrarios , Abrams Michael
Published: November 2017

This study explores the estimation of land surface temperature (LST) for the globe from Landsat 5, 7 and 8 thermal infrared sensors, using different surface emissivity sources. A single channel algorithm is used for consistency among the estimated LST products, whereas the option of using emissivity from different sources provides flexibility for the algorithm’s implementation to any area of interest. The Google Earth Engine (GEE), an advanced earth science data and analysis platform, allows the estimation of LST products for the globe, covering the time period from 1984 to present. To evaluate the method, the estimated LST products were compared against two reference datasets: (a) LST products derived from ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer), as higher-level products based on the temperature-emissivity separation approach; (b) Landsat LST data that have been independently produced, using different approaches. An overall RMSE (root mean square error) of 1.52 °C was observed and it was confirmed that the accuracy of the LST product is dependent on the emissivity; different emissivity sources provided different LST accuracies, depending on the surface cover. The LST products, for the full Landsat 5, 7 and 8 archives, are estimated “on-the-fly” and are available on-line via a web application.
Rolling Guidance Based Scale-Aware Spatial Sparse Unmixing for Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Feng Ruyi , Zhong Yanfei , Wang Lizhe , Lin Wenjuan
Published: November 2017

Spatial regularization based sparse unmixing has attracted much attention in the hyperspectral remote sensing image processing field, which combines spatial information consideration with a sparse unmixing model, and has achieved improved fractional abundance results. However, the traditional spatial sparse unmixing approaches can suppress discrete wrong unmixing points and smooth an abundance map with low-contrast changes, and it has no concept of scale difference. In this paper, to better extract the different levels of spatial details, rolling guidance based scale-aware spatial sparse unmixing (namely, Rolling Guidance Sparse Unmixing (RGSU)) is proposed to extract and recover the different levels of important structures and details in the hyperspectral remote sensing image unmixing procedure, as the different levels of structures and edges in remote sensing imagery have different meanings and importance. Differing from the existing spatial regularization based sparse unmixing approaches, the proposed method considers the different levels of edges by combining a Gaussian filter-like method to realize small-scale structure removal with a joint bilateral filtering process to account for the spatial domain and range domain correlations. The proposed method is based on rolling guidance spatial regularization in a traditional spatial regularization sparse unmixing framework, and it accomplishes scale-aware sparse unmixing. The experimental results obtained with both simulated and real hyperspectral images show that the proposed method achieves visual effects better and produces higher quantitative results (i.e., higher SRE values) when compared to the current state-of-the-art sparse unmixing algorithms, which illustrates the effectiveness of the rolling guidance based scale aware method. In the future work, adaptive scale-aware spatial sparse unmixing framework will be studied and developed to enhance the current idea.
Improving Land Use/Land Cover Classification by Integrating Pixel Unmixing and Decision Tree Methods
Authors: Yang Chao , Wu Guofeng , Ding Kai , Shi Tiezhu , Li Qingquan , Wang Jinliang
Published: November 2017

Decision tree classification is one of the most efficient methods for obtaining land use/land cover (LULC) information from remotely sensed imageries. However, traditional decision tree classification methods cannot effectively eliminate the influence of mixed pixels. This study aimed to integrate pixel unmixing and decision tree to improve LULC classification by removing mixed pixel influence. The abundance and minimum noise fraction (MNF) results that were obtained from mixed pixel decomposition were added to decision tree multi-features using a three-dimensional (3D) Terrain model, which was created using an image fusion digital elevation model (DEM), to select training samples (ROIs), and improve ROI separability. A Landsat-8 OLI image of the Yunlong Reservoir Basin in Kunming was used to test this proposed method. Study results showed that the Kappa coefficient and the overall accuracy of integrated pixel unmixing and decision tree method increased by 0.093% and 10%, respectively, as compared with the original decision tree method. This proposed method could effectively eliminate the influence of mixed pixels and improve the accuracy in complex LULC classifications.
Colorectal Cancer and Colitis Diagnosis Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and an Improved K-Nearest-Neighbour Classifier
Authors: Li Qingbo , Hao Can , Kang Xue , Zhang Jialin , Sun Xuejun , Wang Wenbo , Zeng Haishan
Published: November 2017

Combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with endoscopy, it is expected that noninvasive, rapid detection of colorectal cancer can be performed in vivo in the future. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectra were collected from 88 endoscopic biopsy colorectal tissue samples (41 colitis and 47 cancers). A new method, viz., entropy weight local-hyperplane k-nearest-neighbor (EWHK), which is an improved version of K-local hyperplane distance nearest-neighbor (HKNN), is proposed for tissue classification. In order to avoid limiting high dimensions and small values of the nearest neighbor, the new EWHK method calculates feature weights based on information entropy. The average results of the random classification showed that the EWHK classifier for differentiating cancer from colitis samples produced a sensitivity of 81.38% and a specificity of 92.69%.
Adapting Local Features for Face Detection in Thermal Image
Authors: Ma Chao , Trung Ngo , Uchiyama Hideaki , Nagahara Hajime , Shimada Atsushi , Taniguchi Rin-ichiro
Published: November 2017

A thermal camera captures the temperature distribution of a scene as a thermal image. In thermal images, facial appearances of different people under different lighting conditions are similar. This is because facial temperature distribution is generally constant and not affected by lighting condition. This similarity in face appearances is advantageous for face detection. To detect faces in thermal images, cascade classifiers with Haar-like features are generally used. However, there are few studies exploring the local features for face detection in thermal images. In this paper, we introduce two approaches relying on local features for face detection in thermal images. First, we create new feature types by extending Multi-Block LBP. We consider a margin around the reference and the generally constant distribution of facial temperature. In this way, we make the features more robust to image noise and more effective for face detection in thermal images. Second, we propose an AdaBoost-based training method to get cascade classifiers with multiple types of local features. These feature types have different advantages. In this way we enhance the description power of local features. We did a hold-out validation experiment and a field experiment. In the hold-out validation experiment, we captured a dataset from 20 participants, comprising 14 males and 6 females. For each participant, we captured 420 images with 10 variations in camera distance, 21 poses, and 2 appearances (participant with/without glasses). We compared the performance of cascade classifiers trained by different sets of the features. The experiment results showed that the proposed approaches effectively improve the performance of face detection in thermal images. In the field experiment, we compared the face detection performance in realistic scenes using thermal and RGB images, and gave discussion based on the results.
Factors Affecting the Adoption of Gamified Smart Tourism Applications: An Integrative Approach
Authors: Yoo Changsok , Kwon Shinhye , Na Hyunsoo , Chang Byenghee
Published: November 2017

Considering that the core concerns in sustainability are threats to the survival of humankind and the ecosystems that humans depend on, changing the consumption and production behaviors of individuals and society is inevitable. However, people are reluctant to change their own behavior in support of sustainability goals. This tendency seems to be especially strong in tourism because the main value of tourism is hedonic utility. Thus, the tourism industry is now introducing gamification and smart tourism to shift tourist behavior toward sustainability, but most of studies and practices only focus on the performance and application of gamification without considering customer adoption patterns and perceptions during the process. This study empirically investigated what factors affect the adoption of smart tourism applications that incorporate game elements, using the Google Maps tourist guide program. As an initial approach, we incorporated diverse theoretical approaches: perceived usefulness; perceived ease of use; perceived enjoyment from technology acceptance model; information and interaction motivations from the uses and gratifications theory; the network effect; distributive justice; flow as responses to the game characteristics of smart tourism applications; and information privacy concerns as a negative factor for diffusion. The result showed that hedonic characteristics of the gamified smart tourism application (GSTA) are strong in adoption. Perceived enjoyment had a significant influence on the intention to use, but information quality, related to cognitive experience, did not. The flow and perceived distributive justice associated with the game content were not significant, but the interaction motivation was significant in the research model. The results of this study show that individuals regard a GSTA as a low-level game tool. Also, it is important to preoccupy the smart tourism application market in terms of marketing strategy because the network effect is relevant to both perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment. We also found that the need to provide personal information would negatively affect the adoption of a gamified smart tourism application.
Tityus serrulatus Scorpion Venom: In Vitro Tests and Their Correlation with In Vivo Lethal Dose Assay
Authors: Cajado-Carvalho Daniela , Galvão Juliana , Kuniyoshi Alexandre , Carneiro Patrícia , Paes Leme Adriana , Pauletti Bianca , Marengo Eliana , Portaro Fernanda
Published: November 2017

Scorpion stings are the main cause of human envenomation in Brazil and, for the treatment of victims, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of antivenoms. The first step to achieve effective antivenom is to use a good quality venom pool and to evaluate it, with LD50 determination as the most accepted procedure. It is, however, time-consuming and requires advanced technical training. Further, there are significant ethical concerns regarding the number of animals required for testing. Hence, we investigated the correspondence between LD50 results, in vitro assays, and a strong correlation with proteolytic activity levels was observed, showing, remarkably, that proteases are potential toxicity markers for Tityus serrulatus venom. The comparison of reversed-phase chromatographic profiles also has a potential application in venoms’ quality control, as there were fewer neurotoxins detected in the venom with high LD50 value. These results were confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Therefore, these methods could precede the LD50 assay to evaluate the venom excellence by discriminating—and discarding—poor-quality batches, and, consequently, with a positive impact on the number of animals used. Notably, proposed assays are fast and inexpensive, being technically and economically feasible in Tityus serrulatus venom quality control to produce effective antivenoms.
Multipurpose HTS Coagulation Analysis: Assay Development and Assessment of Coagulopathic Snake Venoms
Authors: Still Kristina , Nandlal Randjana , Slagboom Julien , Somsen Govert , Casewell Nicholas , Kool Jeroen
Published: November 2017

Coagulation assays currently employed are often low throughput, require specialized equipment and/or require large blood/plasma samples. This study describes the development, optimization and early application of a generic low-volume and high-throughput screening (HTS) assay for coagulation activity. The assay is a time-course spectrophotometric measurement which kinetically measures the clotting profile of bovine or human plasma incubated with Ca2+ and a test compound. The HTS assay can be a valuable new tool for coagulation diagnostics in hospitals, for research in coagulation disorders, for drug discovery and for venom research. A major effect following envenomation by many venomous snakes is perturbation of blood coagulation caused by haemotoxic compounds present in the venom. These compounds, such as anticoagulants, are potential leads in drug discovery for cardiovascular diseases. The assay was implemented in an integrated analytical approach consisting of reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) for separation of crude venom components in combination with parallel post-column coagulation screening and mass spectrometry (MS). The approach was applied for the rapid assessment and identification of profiles of haemotoxic compounds in snake venoms. Procoagulant and anticoagulant activities were correlated with accurate masses from the parallel MS measurements, facilitating the detection of peptides showing strong anticoagulant activity.
Urbanization and Inequality/Poverty
Authors: Liddle Brantley
Published: November 2017

The level of world urbanization has crossed the 50% mark, and nearly all future population growth is projected to occur in cities. Cities are disproportionately wealthy, but are associated with poverty, too. Addressing the dual challenges of urbanization and poverty is key to achieving sustainable development. This paper performs cross-sectional regressions, based on Kuznets, as a starting point for understanding the relationship between urbanization and poverty/inequality indicators. Increases in gross domestic product per capita unambiguously lowered poverty and narrowed rural-urban gaps. By contrast, levels of urbanization were either unrelated to poverty/inequality indicators and measures of rural-urban gaps, or had a nonlinear effect where, initially, increases in urbanization likewise led to improvements in those areas, while at higher levels of urbanization, increases in urbanization exacerbated poverty and rural-urban gaps.
A Bioinformatic Pipeline for Monitoring of the Mutational Stability of Viral Drug Targets with Deep-Sequencing Technology
Authors: Kravatsky Yuri , Chechetkin Vladimir , Fedoseeva Daria , Gorbacheva Maria , Kravatskaya Galina , Kretova Olga , Tchurikov Nickolai
Published: November 2017

The efficient development of antiviral drugs, including efficient antiviral small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), requires continuous monitoring of the strict correspondence between a drug and the related highly variable viral DNA/RNA target(s). Deep sequencing is able to provide an assessment of both the general target conservation and the frequency of particular mutations in the different target sites. The aim of this study was to develop a reliable bioinformatic pipeline for the analysis of millions of short, deep sequencing reads corresponding to selected highly variable viral sequences that are drug target(s). The suggested bioinformatic pipeline combines the available programs and the ad hoc scripts based on an original algorithm of the search for the conserved targets in the deep sequencing data. We also present the statistical criteria for the threshold of reliable mutation detection and for the assessment of variations between corresponding data sets. These criteria are robust against the possible sequencing errors in the reads. As an example, the bioinformatic pipeline is applied to the study of the conservation of RNA interference (RNAi) targets in human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) subtype A. The developed pipeline is freely available to download at the website http://virmut.eimb.ru/. Brief comments and comparisons between VirMut and other pipelines are also presented.
cfa-miR-143 Promotes Apoptosis via the p53 Pathway in Canine Influenza Virus H3N2-Infected Cells
Authors: Zhou Pei , Tu Liqing , Lin Xi , Hao Xiangqi , Zheng Qingxu , Zeng Weijie , Zhang Xin , Zheng Yun , Wang Lifang , Li Shoujun
Published: November 2017

MicroRNAs regulate multiple aspects of the host response to viral infection. This study verified that the expression of cfa-miR-143 was upregulated in vivo and in vitro by canine influenza virus (CIV) H3N2 infection. To understand the role of cfa-miR-143 in CIV-infected cells, the target gene of cfa-miR-143 was identified and assessed for correlations with proteins involved in the apoptosis pathway. A dual luciferase reporter assay showed that cfa-miR-143 targets insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (Igfbp5). Furthermore, a miRNA agomir and antagomir of cfa-miR-143 caused the downregulation and upregulation of Igfbp5, respectively, in CIV-infected madin-darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. This study demonstrated that cfa-miR-143 stimulated p53 and caspase3 activation and induced apoptosis via the p53 pathway in CIV H3N2-infected cells. In conclusion, CIV H3N2 induced the upregulation of cfa-miR-143, which contributes to apoptosis via indirectly activating the p53-caspase3 pathway.
Development of a Dog-Assisted Activity Program in an Elementary Classroom
Authors: Correale Cinzia , Crescimbene Lara , Borgi Marta , Cirulli Francesca
Published: November 2017

Here we describe a pilot Dog-Assisted Activity program that was designed to improve wellbeing and social integration in a multi-cultural elementary classroom in which some episodes of bullying had been reported. We developed a 5-encounters protocol with the aim of introducing pet dogs into the class to stimulate understanding of different types of communication and behavior, ultimately facilitating positive relationships among peers. A preliminary evaluation was carried out in order to assess the effect of the program on teachers’ perception of children’s difficulties (e.g., peer relationship problems) and strengths (prosocial behaviors) by means of a brief behavioral screening tool, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ—Teacher version). Overall results indicate that, by means of the recognition of the dogs’ behavior and non-verbal communication, children were able to express their emotions and to show behaviors that had not been recognized by the teachers prior to the intervention. In particular, the SDQ Total Difficulties scores suggest that the teacher had increased awareness of the students’ difficulties as a result of the dog-assisted program. Overall, the presence of animals in the educational environment may provide enjoyment and hands-on educational experiences, enhanced psychological wellbeing, and increased empathy and socio-emotional development.
Unraveling the Long-Term Effects of Cr(VI) on the Performance and Microbial Community of Nitrifying Activated Sludge System
Authors: Wang Xingang , Dai Hongliang , Zhang Jie , Yang Tongyi , Chen Fangyan
Published: November 2017

The long-term effects of different influent Cr(VI) concentrations (0–0.5 mg L−1) on the nitrification activities and microbial community structures of nitrifying activated sludge system were investigated in this study. Results showed that the performance of ammonia oxidation was significantly inhibited, and the effluent concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) increased markedly when the influent Cr(VI) loading was equal or greater than 0.2 mg L−1. The specific oxygen utilization rate (SOUR), specific ammonium oxidation rate (SAOR), and specific nitrite oxidation rate (SNOR) of the system decreased from 53.24, 6.31, and 7.33 mg N g−1 VSS h−1 to 18.17, 1.68, and 2.88 mg N g−1 VSS h−1, respectively, with an increase of Cr(VI) concentration from 0 to 0.5 mg L−1. The protein/polysaccharide (PN/PS) ratio increased with the increasing Cr(VI) concentration, indicating that excessive PN secreted by microorganisms was conducive to resisting the toxicity of Cr(VI). High-throughput sequencing revealed that the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrospira) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira) all decreased with the increasing Cr(VI) concentration, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were more sensitive to heavy metal toxicity than nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. The activities of nitrifying activated sludge system could not be completely recovered after a 30-d recovery process.
Evolution of Uranium Isotopic Compositions of the Groundwater and Rock in a Sandy-Clayey Aquifer
Authors: Malov Alexander
Published: November 2017

Uranium isotopes have been used as mechanistic or time scale tracers of natural processes. This paper describes the occurrence and redistribution of U in the Vendian aquifer of a paleo-valley in NW Russia. Forty-four rock samples were collected from nine boreholes with depths up to 160 m, and 25 groundwater samples were collected from 23 boreholes with depths up to 300 m. The U, Fe concentration, and 234U/238U activity ratio were determined in the samples. Estimations were made of the 14C and 234U-238U residence time of groundwater in the aquifer. It has been established that the processes of chemical weathering of Vendian deposits led to the formation of a strong oxidation zone, developed above 250 m.b.s.l. The inverse correlation between the concentrations of uranium and iron is a result of removal of U from paleo-valley slopes in oxidizing conditions, accumulation of U at the bottom of the paleo-valley in reducing conditions, and accumulation of Fe on the slopes and removal from the bottom of the paleo-valley. Almost all U on the slopes has been replaced by a newly formed hydrogenic U with a higher 234U/238U activity ratio. After, dissolution and desorption of hydrogenic U occurred from the slopes during periods with no glaciations and marine transgressions. Elevated concentrations of U are preserved in reduced lenses at the paleo-valley bottom. In these areas, the most dangerous aspect is the flow of groundwater from the underlying horizons, since during the operation of water supply wells it can lead to the creation of local zones of oxidizing conditions in the perforated screens zone and the transition of uranium into solution. For groundwater under oxidizing conditions, an increase in the concentration of uranium is characteristic of an increase in the residence time (age) of water in the aquifer. Also, the 234U/238U activity ratio increases with increasing radioactivity of groundwater. Therefore, the most rational approach is to use groundwater for drinking water supply from the slopes of the Northern Dvina basin.
Water Saving and Cost Analysis of Large-Scale Implementation of Domestic Rain Water Harvesting in Minor Mediterranean Islands
Authors: Campisano Alberto , D’Amico Giuseppe , Modica Carlo
Published: November 2017

This paper describes a novel methodology to evaluate the benefits of large-scale installation of domestic Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) systems in multi-story buildings. The methodology was specifically developed for application to small settlements of the minor Mediterranean islands characterized by sharp fluctuations in precipitation and water demands between winter and summer periods. The methodology is based on the combined use of regressive models for water saving evaluation and of geospatial analysis tools for semi-automatic collection of spatial information at the building/household level. An application to the old town of Lipari (Aeolian islands) showed potential for high yearly water savings (between 30% and 50%), with return on investment in less than 15 years for about 50% of the installed RWH systems.
Precipitation Trends over Slovakia in the Period 1981–2013
Authors: Zeleňáková Martina , Vido Jaroslav , Portela Maria , Purcz Pavol , Blištán Peter , Hlavatá Helena , Hluštík Petr
Published: November 2017

The objective of this paper was to analyze the temporal and spatial trends in annual and seasonal precipitation in Slovakia utilizing 487 gauging station data collected statewide in the period from 1981 to 2013. The nonparametric Mann–Kendall (MK) statistical test, which has been widely used to assess the significance of trends in hydrological time series, was applied to detect the significant trends. The Theil–Sen (TS) approach was applied to quantify the trend magnitude, and the Sequential Mann–Kendall (SQMK) test was used to detect abrupt temporal trend shifts. In general, precipitation data in the study area have not changed during the last 33 years, and there are no big gaps. However, predominantly increasing trends in precipitation time series were found at most of the gauging stations in Slovakia. The results corroborate previous climatic studies in the area of central Europe. In Slovakia, there is evidence of different rain distribution from the monthly point of view. Decreasing trends were detected in December in the northern part of Slovakia, while the central and southern parts revealed increasing trends. Most of the stations showed increasing summer precipitation trends, especially in July. It is expected that the findings of this comprehensive study of precipitation trends over Slovakia will produce more insights for the understanding of the regional hydrological behavior in Slovakia over the last several decades.
Interface conditions of roughness-induced superoleophilic and superoleophobic surfaces immersed in hexadecane and ethylene glycol
Authors: Li Yifan , Pan Yunlu , Zhao Xuezeng
Published: November 2017

Interface conditions are an important property that can affect the drag of fluid flow. For surfaces with different oleophobicity, the boundary slip at the solid–oil interface is mostly larger than that at the solid–water interface. Roughness is a key factor for the wettability of superoleophilic/superoleophobic surfaces, and it has been found to affect the effective value of slip length in measurements. Moreover, there are no studies on the effect of roughness on slip at interfaces between oil and superoleophilic/superoleophobic surfaces. A theoretical description of the real surface roughness is yet to be found. Results show that the effective slip length is negative and decreases with an increasing root mean squared (RMS) roughness of surfaces, as the increasing roughness enhances the area with discontinuous slip at the solid–liquid interface. The underlying mechanisms are analyzed. The amplitude parameters of surface roughness could significantly inhibit the degree of boundary slip on both superoleophilic surfaces in Wenzel state and superoleophobic surfaces in Cassie state immersed in oil. The oleic systems were likely to enhance boundary slip and resulted in a corresponding reduction in drag with decreasing roughness on the solid–oil interfaces.
BOUNDEDNESS IN A BIOFILM-CHEMOTAXIS MODEL IN EVOLVING POROUS MEDIA
Authors: Schulz Raphael
Published: November 2017

The article concerns with a model discribing the growth of a biofilm made by chemotactical bacteria within a saturated porous media and affects the flow through the pores. The underlying model describing this process on the macroscale is derived in [21]. Therein also solvability in a weak sense and boundedness of solutions with high regularity is investigated. This current paper verifies the existence of bounded weak solutions in case of less regularity assumptions on the data.
M Dwarf Rotation from the K2 Young Clusters to the Field. I. A Mass–Rotation Correlation at 10 Myr
Authors: Somers Garrett , Stauffer John , Rebull Luisa , Cody Ann Marie , Pinsonneault Marc
Published: November 2017

Recent observations of the low-mass (0.1−0.6

) rotation distributions of the Pleiades and Praesepe clusters have revealed a ubiquitous correlation between mass and rotation, such that late M dwarfs rotate an order-of-magnitude faster than early M dwarfs. In this paper, we demonstrate that this mass–rotation correlation is present in the 10 Myr Upper Scorpius association, as revealed by new K2 rotation measurements. Using rotational evolution models, we show that the low-mass rotation distribution of the 125 Myr Pleiades cluster can only be produced if it hosted an equally strong mass–rotation correlation at 10 Myr. This suggests that physical processes important in the early pre-main sequence (PMS; star formation, accretion, disk-locking) are primarily responsible for the M dwarf rotation morphology, and not quirks of later angular momentum (AM) evolution. Such early mass trends must be taken into account when constructing initial conditions for future studies of stellar rotation. Finally, we show that the average M star loses ∼25%–40% of its AM between 10 and 125 Myr, a figure accurately and generically predicted by modern solar-calibrated wind models. Their success rules out a lossless PMS and validates the extrapolation of magnetic wind laws designed for solar-type stars to the low-mass regime at early times.