bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equilibrium based analytical model for estimation of pressure magnification during deflagration of hydrogen air mixtures
Authors: Karanam A. , Sharma P. K. , Ganju S. , Singh R. K.
Published: December 2016

During postulated accident sequences in nuclear reactors, hydrogen may get released from the core and form a flammable mixture in the surrounding containment structure. Ignition of such mixtures and the subsequent pressure rise are an imminent threat for safe and sustainable operation of nuclear reactors. Methods for evaluating post ignition characteristics are important for determining the design safety margins in such scenarios. This study presents two thermo-chemical models for determining the post ignition state. The first model is based on internal energy balance while the second model uses the concept of element potentials to minimize the free energy of the system with internal energy imposed as a constraint. Predictions from both the models have been compared against published data over a wide range of mixture compositions. Important differences in the regions close to flammability limits and for stoichiometric mixtures have been identified and explained. The equilibrium model has been validated for varied temperatures and pressures representative of initial conditions that may be present in the containment during accidents. Special emphasis has been given to the understanding of the role of dissociation and its effect on equilibrium pressure, temperature and species concentrations.
Loss of flow Accident (LOFA) analyses using LabView-based NRR simulator
Authors: Arafa A. , Saleh H. I. , Ashoub N.
Published: December 2016

This paper presents a generic Loss of Flow Accident (LOFA) scenario module which is integrated in the LabView-based simulator to imitate a Nuclear Research Reactor (NRR) behavior for different user defined LOFA scenarios. It also provides analyses of a LOFA of a single fuel channel and its impact on operational transactions and on the behavior of the reactor. The generic LOFA scenario module includes graphs needed to clarify the effects of the LOFA under study. Furthermore, the percentage of the loss of mass flow rate, the mode of flow reduction and the start time and transient time of LOFA are user defined to add flexibility to the LOFA scenarios. The objective of integrating such generic LOFA module is to be able to deal with such incidents and avoid their significant effects. It is also useful in the development of expertise in this area and reducing the operator training and simulations costs. The results of the implemented generic LOFA module agree well with that of COBRA-IIIC code and the earlier guidebook for this series of transients.
Calculation of the fuel composition and the deterministic reloading pattern in the second cycle of the BUSHEHR VVER-1000 reactor using the weighting factor method
Authors: Rahmani Y. , Pazirandeh A. , Ghofrani M. B. , Sadighi M.
Published: December 2016

To calculate the optimum reloading pattern in the second cycle of BUSHEHR VVER-1000 reactor, it was necessary to first calculate the burnup and fuel composition of each fuel assembly at the end of the first operational cycle so that the types of applicable fuel assemblies in the second cycle could be determined. Time-dependent calculations were performed using the WIMSD-5B and CITATION-LDI2 codes coupled with thermo-hydraulic computations during the first cycle. A weighting factor was defined for all 16 types of fuel assemblies in the second cycle based on their types and fuel compositions. In the process of calculating the deterministic reloading pattern, the number of probable arrangements was reduced from 7.55 × 1022 cases to just 1 856 cases by using a weighting-factor method and the structural constraints of the reactor core. The thermo-neutronic parameters of each of the 1 856 arrangements were then calculated by coupling the WIMSD-5B and CITATION-LDI2 codes with the thermo-hydraulic program. Afterwards, the processes of screening the probable arrangements and searching for the optimal reloading pattern were carried out based on the values of these parameters.
Effect of air pollution on FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% of the traffic policemen in Dhaka ci
Authors: Ahmed Shahriar , Akter Qazi Shamima , Eva Hossneara , Bhowmik Mita
Published: December 2016

Background: Due to large number of vehicles, air pollution is increasing day by day in Dhaka city. Automobile exhaust cause acute and chronic respiratory disease in traffic policemen as they are exposed to air pollution for prolong period of time.Objective: To observe the effect of long term exposure to air pollution on FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% of traffic policemen.Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College (DMC), Dhaka from July 2014 to June 2015. Fifty apparently healthy traffic policemen with the age 25 to 45 years were selected as study group. Fifty age and BMI matched healthy male subjects were selected as control. The study subjects were selected from different traffic junctions and the control from different offices of Dhaka city. FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% of all the subjects were measured by a digital spirometer. Statistical analysis was done by Independent sample t test.Results: In this study FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were significantly (p< 0.001) lower in the traffic policemen than the control group.Conclusion: From the result of this study it can be concluded that prolonged exposure to air pollution may decrease pulmonary function of the traffic policemen in Dhaka city.Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2016, December; 11(2): 39-42
Comparison in the physiology results between Male and Female undergraduate medical students
Authors: Khan Mohammad Uzire Azam
Published: December 2016

Background: In recent years more female students than males qualify to study in medical colleges of Bangladesh. Whether female students do better than males in their course exam is not known.Objective: To compare the 1st term physiology result between male and female undergraduate medical students.Method: This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Abdul Malek Ukil Medical College, Noakhali during the period of June-August13. One hundred and fifteen students of a selected public medical college of Bangladesh were enrolled purposively for the study. Written informed consent of students and authority was taken. Data on admission merit-score and1st term marks were collected. The written marks were scored out of 70 and oral out of 100. The result was classified as passed, failed and absent. The statistical analysis was done by Students t test and Chi-square test as applicable. P value <0.05 was significant.Result: Among the selected students male were 48 (41.74%). The mean admission merit-score of male and female students was similar (p>0.05). In 1st term exam the male and female students obtained similar marks in written (p>0.05) and in oral (p>0.05). When the result was categorized as passed, failed and absent, still they yielded no significant difference between male and female students result (p>0.05).Conclusion: The result of male and female undergraduate medical students in the 1st term physiology exam was similar.Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2016, December; 11(2): 47-49
Glycaemic status and insulin resistance in diabetic peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Akter Taslima , Akhter Qazi Shamima , Rahman Mezbahur , Azim Sabrina Fahmida , Farid Fouzia
Published: December 2016

Background: Complication of diabetes mellitus includes peripheral neuropathy which causes ischemic foot ulceration. Hyperglycemia and insulin resistance may accelerate the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Objective: To assess the glycaemic status and insulin resistance for development of peripheral neuropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: This control case control study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from July 2014 to June 2015. A total number of 150 Type 2 diabetic patients of both sexes were selected with age ranging 40 to 50 years. Among them, 75 patients with peripheral neuropathy were included in study group and 75 patients without peripheral neuropathy were control. For evaluation of glycaemic status, fasting serum glucose (FSG), Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and to calculate insulin resistance by homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting serum insulin (FSI), were estimated. For statistical analysis, unpaired Students t test was done.Results: In this study, significant increase in FSG, HbA1c, FSI, HOMA-IR were found in diabetic subjects with peripheral neuropathy in comparison to control group.Conclusion: From the study results, it is concluded that poor glycaemic control and greater insulin resistance may be associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Bangladesh Soc Physiol. 2016, December; 11(2): 54-58
Multisensory Imaginings: An Audionarratological Analysis of Philip Roth's NovelIndignationand its German Radio Play AdaptationEmpörung
Authors: Mildorf Jarmila , Kinzel Till
Published: December 2016

This article analyses the German radio play adaptation of Philip Roth's novel Indignation (Empörung, 2010) from an audionarratological perspective and shows how both the book and the radio play offer potential for multisensory experiences on the part of readers and radio audiences. The article furthermore explores how the two media differ in their semiotic and sensory affordances and possibilities. It is argued that aural signs and signals predetermine certain aspects of the storyworld in the radio play: for example, characters' and the narrator's voices, soundscapes, but also ambient sound and music. Due to its focus on the aural channel, radio drama calls on audiences' imagination in distinct ways, while also complicating narratological concepts. The ‘transcriptivity’ from written to spoken text that is inherent in the transposition of novel into radio play accounts for the fact that the radio play also adds new multisensory and interpretive dimensions to its pre-text. It therefore has to be considered in its own right, as an artistic form appealing to its audiences through its own sensory channels.
Virtual Literatures: Technology, Agency, Meaning
Authors: Carter Richard
Published: December 2016

What does it mean when the technologies and techniques of literary expression intersect with those of simulated virtual environments? Specifically, how are the expressive properties of scriptural markings reshaped and recast when conveyed and received through modes of viewing and interaction afforded by digital rather than printed spaces? Virtual-literary works such as New Word Order: Basra (2003) and Dear Esther (2012) raise just these questions, which have significant implications for conceptualising the literary experience within a digital context. This article develops a response to these issues by concentrating less on the technical differences between printed and digital media and focusing instead on how their expressive potential is actualised within the space of the interpretative encounter. It presents a model, derived from work in the sociology of science and the digital humanities, in which the literary is understood as emerging from a performative matrix of intersecting actors, materials, and processes in real time – of which the medium is one component. From this standpoint, the significance of the virtual-literary encounter is that it represents an extension of these performative vectors into comparatively novel digital contexts, enabling different narrative, thematic, and semantic aspects to be crystallised in relation to alternative technocultural developments. Such encounters are countertextual in demonstrating the potentialities of literary expression beyond the naturalised spaces of print – a reframing rather than a superseding of the literary.
Multisensory Tristram Shandy
Authors: Malone Cynthia Northcutt
Published: December 2016

An absorbed reader typically pays little conscious attention to the visual, tactile, and sometimes aural sensory experiences of reading. Unexpected formal and visual features of Laurence Sterne's nine-volume fictional narrative, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, startle readers out of absorption and call attention to familiar operations like decoding black figures on white paper and turning pages. My edition of Volume I is designed to engage the senses through its visual structure, textures, and unexpected materials (buttons, marbled paper strips, and ribbons) and through formal surprises (interpolated documents, accordion-fold inserts, and paper lace). In its structure and materials, this edition highlights the odd formal features of Sterne's novel and the cognitive work that the narrator requires of earnest and industrious readers.
Slip Flow and Heat Transfer of Nanofluids over a Porous Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium with Temperature Dependent Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Hussain Sajid , Aziz Asim , Aziz Taha , Khalique Chaudry
Published: December 2016

It is well known that the best way of convective heat transfer is the flow of nanofluids through a porous medium. In this regard, a mathematical model is presented to study the effects of variable viscosity, thermal conductivity and slip conditions on the steady flow and heat transfer of nanofluids over a porous plate embedded in a porous medium. The nanofluid viscosity and thermal conductivity are assumed to be linear functions of temperature, and the wall slip conditions are employed in terms of shear stress. The similarity transformation technique is used to reduce the governing system of partial differential equations to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The resulting system of ODEs is then solved numerically using the shooting technique. The numerical values obtained for the velocity and temperature profiles, skin friction coefficient and Nusselt’s number are presented and discussed through graphs and tables. It is shown that the increase in the permeability of the porous medium, the viscosity of the nanofluid and the velocity slip parameter decrease the momentum and thermal boundary layer thickness and eventually increase the rate of heat transfer.
A Label-Free Aptamer-Based Fluorescent Assay for Cadmium Detection
Authors: Luan Yunxia , Lu Anxiang , Chen Jiayi , Fu Hailong , Xu Li
Published: December 2016

Selective detection of ultratrace amounts of cadmium (Cd2+) is extremely important for food safety and environmental monitoring because of its toxicity and widespread use. In this work, we developed a facile, rapid, sensitive, and highly selective method for the detection of Cd2+ based on a label-free aptasensor using an unmodified double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid-specific dye (PicoGreen). The linear range was 0.10–100 µg/mL, and the detection limit (0.038 ng/mL) was lower than the guideline from the World Health Organization for Cd2+ in drinking water (3 ng/mL). The sensor exhibited excellent selectivity towards Cd2+ ions. We tested the aptasensor in application to a series of real water samples spiked with different concentrations of Cd2+. Compared with atomic absorption spectrometry, the results showed good tolerance to the matrix effect. The developed approach shows great potential for on-site and high-throughput analysis in routine monitoring.
Multiple Forms of Glutamate Dehydrogenase in Animals: Structural Determinants and Physiological Implications
Authors: Bunik Victoria , Artiukhov Artem , Aleshin Vasily , Mkrtchyan Garik
Published: December 2016

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) of animal cells is usually considered to be a mitochondrial enzyme. However, this enzyme has recently been reported to be also present in nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes. These extramitochondrial localizations are associated with moonlighting functions of GDH, which include acting as a serine protease or an ATP-dependent tubulin-binding protein. Here, we review the published data on kinetics and localization of multiple forms of animal GDH taking into account the splice variants, post-translational modifications and GDH isoenzymes, found in humans and apes. The kinetic properties of human GLUD1 and GLUD2 isoenzymes are shown to be similar to those published for GDH1 and GDH2 from bovine brain. Increased functional diversity and specific regulation of GDH isoforms due to alternative splicing and post-translational modifications are also considered. In particular, these structural differences may affect the well-known regulation of GDH by nucleotides which is related to recent identification of thiamine derivatives as novel GDH modulators. The thiamine-dependent regulation of GDH is in good agreement with the fact that the non-coenzyme forms of thiamine, i.e., thiamine triphosphate and its adenylated form are generated in response to amino acid and carbon starvation.
Random Splicing of Several Exons Caused by a Single Base Change in the Target Exon of CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Gene Knockout
Authors: Kapahnke Marcel , Banning Antje , Tikkanen Ritva
Published: December 2016

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated sequence 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system is widely used for genome editing purposes as it facilitates an efficient knockout of a specific gene in, e.g. cultured cells. Targeted double-strand breaks are introduced to the target sequence of the guide RNAs, which activates the cellular DNA repair mechanism for non-homologous-end-joining, resulting in unprecise repair and introduction of small deletions or insertions. Due to this, sequence alterations in the coding region of the target gene frequently cause frame-shift mutations, facilitating degradation of the mRNA. We here show that such CRISPR/Cas9-mediated alterations in the target exon may also result in altered splicing of the respective pre-mRNA, most likely due to mutations of splice-regulatory sequences. Using the human FLOT-1 gene as an example, we demonstrate that such altered splicing products also give rise to aberrant protein products. These may potentially function as dominant-negative proteins and thus interfere with the interpretation of the data generated with these cell lines. Since most researchers only control the consequences of CRISPR knockout at genomic and protein level, our data should encourage to also check the alterations at the mRNA level.
Erratum: Panagopoulos, C.N., et al. Wear Behaviour of Nanostructured Polymer-Based Safety Films on Soda-Lime Glass. Coatings 2016, 6, 26
Authors: Panagopoulos C. , Georgiou E. , Tradas G. , Giannakopoulos K.
Published: December 2016

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Neutron Study of Multilevel Structures of Diamond Gels
Authors: Lebedev Vasily , Kulvelis Yury , Kuklin Alexander , Vul Alexander
Published: December 2016

The structure of a hydrogel consisting of diamond nanoparticles formed by the explosion method has been studied. Small angle neutron scattering has been used as a method for characterization of the gel. Joint approaches for data analysis in reciprocal and direct space have been developed to restore a multilevel structure. The pristine hydrogel of positively charged diamond particles (~5 nm in size, concentration ~5 wt %), even by four-fold dilution below its formation critical point, (C* ~ 4 wt %) retains practically the original structure where single particles are joined into small groups integrated into chain fractal-type aggregates creating a network. This indicates a local stability of the gel and means a transformation of continuous gel into a system of micro-domains suspended in water. A perfection of the diamond crystals’ facets was revealed that is of principal importance for the configuration of potentials, inducing the diamonds’ electrostatic attraction due to different electric charges of facets. It is distinguished from the results for the suspensions of diamonds in graphene shells that showed a deviation of scattering from Porod’s law.
Standardization and Quality Control in Data Collection and Assessment of Threatened Plant Species
Authors: Morrison Lloyd , Young Craig
Published: December 2016

Informative data collection is important in the identification and conservation of rare plant species. Data sets generated by many small-scale studies may be integrated into large, distributed databases, and statistical tools are being developed to extract meaningful information from such databases. A diversity of field methodologies may be employed across smaller studies, however, resulting in a lack of standardization and quality control, which makes integration more difficult. Here, we present a case study of the population-level monitoring of two threatened plant species with contrasting life history traits that require different field sampling methodologies: the limestone glade bladderpod, Physaria filiformis, and the western prairie fringed orchid, Plantanthera praeclara. Although different data collection methodologies are necessary for these species based on population sizes and plant morphology, the resulting data allow for similar inferences. Different sample designs may frequently be necessary for rare plant sampling, yet still provide comparable data. Various sources of uncertainty may be associated with data collection (e.g., random sampling error, methodological imprecision, observer error), and should always be quantified if possible and included in data sets, and described in metadata. Ancillary data (e.g., abundance of other plants, physical environment, weather/climate) may be valuable and the most relevant variables may be determined by natural history or empirical studies. Once data are collected, standard operating procedures should be established to prevent errors in data entry. Best practices for data archiving should be followed, and data should be made available for other scientists to use. Efforts to standardize data collection and control data quality, particularly in small-scale field studies, are imperative to future cross-study comparisons, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews.
Starter Cultures for Sparkling Wine
Authors: Garofalo Carmela , Arena Mattia , Laddomada Barbara , Cappello Maria , Bleve Gianluca , Grieco Francesco , Beneduce Luciano , Berbegal Carmen , Spano Giuseppe , Capozzi Vittorio
Published: December 2016

The sparkling wine market has expanded in recent years, boosted by the increasing demand of the global market. As for other fermented beverages, technological yeasts and bacteria selected to design commercial starter cultures represent key levers to maximize product quality and safety. The increasing economic interest in the sector of sparkling wine has also implied a renewed interest in microbial resource management. In this review, after a brief introduction, we report an overview of the main characterization criteria in order to select Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains suitable for use as starter cultures for the production of base wines and to drive re-fermentation of base wines to obtain sparkling wines. Particular attention has been reserved to the technological characterization aspects of re-fermenting phenotypes. We also analysed the possible uses of selected non-Saccharomyces and malolactic strains in order to differentiate specific productions. Finally, we highlighted the main safety aspects related to microbes of enological interest and underlined some microbial-based biotechnological applications helpful to pursue product and process innovations. Overall, the sparkling wine industry may find a relevant benefit from the exploitation of the wide resources associated with vineyard/wine microbial diversity.
microRNA Expression in Sentinel Nodes from Progressing Melanoma Patients Identifies Networks Associated with Dysfunctional Immune Response
Authors: Vallacchi Viviana , Camisaschi Chiara , Dugo Matteo , Vergani Elisabetta , Deho Paola , Gualeni Ambra , Huber Veronica , Gloghini Annunziata , Maurichi Andrea , Santinami Mario , Sensi Marialuisa , Castelli Chiara , Rivoltini Licia , Rodolfo Monica
Published: December 2016

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is a main staging biomarker in melanoma and is the first lymph node to drain the tumor, thus representing the immunological site where anti-tumor immune dysfunction is established and where potential prognostic immune markers can be identified. Here we analyzed microRNA (miR) profiles in archival tumor-positive SNBs derived from melanoma patients with different outcomes and performed an integrated analysis of transcriptional data to identify deregulated immune signaling networks. Twenty-six miRs were differentially expressed in melanoma-positive SNB samples between patients with disease progression and non-progressing patients, the majority being previously reported in the regulation of immune responses. A significant variation in miR expression levels was confirmed in an independent set of SNB samples. Integrated information from genome-wide transcriptional profiles and in vitro assessment in immune cells led to the identification of miRs associated with the regulation of the TNF receptor superfamily member 8 (TNFRSF8) gene encoding the CD30 receptor, a marker increased in lymphocytes of melanoma patients with progressive disease. These findings indicate that miRs are involved in the regulation of pathways leading to immune dysfunction in the sentinel node and may provide valuable markers for developing prognostic molecular signatures for the identification of stage III melanoma patients at risk of recurrence.
Regulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence by Distinct Iron Sources
Authors: Reinhart Alexandria , Oglesby-Sherrouse Amanda
Published: December 2016

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium and versatile opportunistic pathogen. Like most other organisms, P. aeruginosa requires iron for survival, yet iron rapidly reacts with oxygen and water to form stable ferric (FeIII) oxides and hydroxides, limiting its availability to living organisms. During infection, iron is also sequestered by the host innate immune system, further limiting its availability. P. aeruginosa’s capacity to cause disease in diverse host environments is due to its ability to scavenge iron from a variety of host iron sources. Work over the past two decades has further shown that different iron sources can affect the expression of distinct virulence traits. This review discusses how the individual components of P. aeruginosa’s iron regulatory network allow this opportunist to adapt to a multitude of host environments during infection.
Removal and Biodegradation of Nonylphenol by Four Freshwater Microalgae
Authors: He Ning , Sun Xian , Zhong Yu , Sun Kaifeng , Liu Weijie , Duan Shunshan
Published: December 2016

The removal and biodegradation of nonylphenol (NP) by four freshwater microalgae, including three green algae (Scendesmus quadriauda, Chlorella vulgaris, and Ankistrodesmus acicularis) and one cyanobacterium (Chroococcus minutus) were studied in bacteria-free cultures exposed to different concentrations of NP for 5 days. All four algal species showed a rapid and high ability to remove NP (including bioaccumulation and biodegradation). Among these species, A. acicularis (Ankistrodesmus acicularis) had the highest NP removal rate (83.77%) at 120 h when exposed to different NP treatments (0.5–2.5 mg·L−1), followed by C. vulgaris (Chlorella vulgaris) (80.80%), S. quadriauda (Scendesmus quadriauda) (70.96%) and C. minutus (Chroococcus minutus) (64.26%). C. vulgaris had the highest NP biodegradation percentage (68.80%) at 120 h, followed by A. acicularis (65.63%), S. quadriauda (63.10%); and C. minutus (34.91%). The extracellular NP contents were lower than the intracellular NP contents in all tested algae. The ratio of the extracellular NP content and the intracellular NP content ranged from 0.04 to 0.85. Therefore, the removal of NP from the medium was mainly due to the algal degradation. These results indicate that A. acicularis and C. vulgaris are more tolerant to NP and could be used for treatment of NP contaminated aqueous systems effectively by bioremoval and biodegradation.
RNA Interference of the Ecdysone Receptor Genes EcR and USP in Grain Aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) Affects Its Survival and Fecundity upon Feeding on Wheat Plants
Authors: Yan Ting , Chen Hongmei , Sun Yongwei , Yu Xiudao , Xia Lanqin
Published: December 2016

RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely used in functional genomics of insects and received intensive attention in the development of RNAi-based plants for insect control. Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and ultraspiracle protein (USP) play important roles in molting, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. EcR and USP orthologs and their function in grain aphid (Sitobion avenae F.) have not been documented yet. Here, RT-PCR, qRT-PCR, dsRNA feeding assay and aphid bioassay were employed to isolate EcR and USP orthologs in grain aphid, investigate their expression patterns, and evaluate the effect of RNAi on aphid survival and fecundity, and its persistence. The results indicated that SaEcR and SaUSP exhibited similar expression profiles at different developmental stages. Oral administration of dsRNAs of SaEcR and dsSaUSP significantly decreased the survival of aphids due to the down-regulation of these two genes, respectively. The silencing effect was persistent and transgenerational, as demonstrated by the reduced survival and fecundity due to knock-down of SaEcR and SaUSP in both the surviving aphids and their offspring, even after switching to aphid-susceptible wheat plants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that SaEcR and SaUSP are essential genes in aphid growth and development, and could be used as RNAi targets for wheat aphid control.
Vitamin E Circular Dichroism Studies: Insights into Conformational Changes Induced by the Solvent’s Polarity
Authors: Marquardt Drew , Van Oosten Brad , Ghelfi Mikel , Atkinson Jeffrey , Harroun Thad
Published: December 2016

We used circular dichroism (CD) to study differences in CD spectra between α-, δ-, and methylated-α-tocopherol in solvents with different polarities. CD spectra of the different tocopherol structures differ from each other in intensity and peak locations, which can be attributed to chromanol substitution and the ability to form hydrogen bonds. In addition, each structure was examined in different polarity solvents using the Reichardt index—a measure of the solvent’s ionizing ability, and a direct measurement of solvent–solute interactions. Differences across solvents indicate that hydrogen bonding is a key contributor to CD spectra at 200 nm. These results are a first step in examining the hydrogen bonding abilities of vitamin E in a lipid bilayer.
Scoparone Inhibits LPS-Simulated Inflammatory Response by Suppressing IRF3 and ERK in BV-2 Microglial Cells
Authors: Cho Duk-Yeon , Ko Hyun , Kim Joonsoo , Kim Byung-Wook , Yun Yo-Sep , Park Jeong-In , Ganesan Palanivel , Lee Jin-Tae , Choi Dong-Kug
Published: December 2016

Microglia activation and the release of various inflammatory cytokines are largely related to neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other brain diseases. The suppression of microglial cells using natural bioactive compounds has become increasingly important for brain therapy owing to the expected beneficial effect of lower toxicity. Scoparone (6,7-dimethoxycoumarin), a major bioactive compound found in various plant parts, including the inner shell of chestnut (Castanea crenata), was evaluated on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV-2 microglia cells. The results indicated that scoparone suppresses the LPS-stimulated increase of neuroinflammatory responses and inhibited the pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the BV-2 microglial cells. A mechanistic study showed that scoparone specifically inhibited the LPS-stimulated activation via a major regulation of IRF-3 and a regulation of ERK, whereby the phosphorylation in the BV-2 microglial cells is blocked. These data suggest that scoparone has anti-neuroinflammatory effects in LPS-activated BV-2 microglial cells, and could possibly be used in the development of novel drugs for the prevention and treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.
Influence of a Crosslinker Containing an Azo Group on the Actuation Properties of a Photoactuating LCE System
Authors: Braun Lukas , Linder Torsten , Hessberger Tristan , Zentel Rudolf
Published: December 2016

Photoactuating liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE) are promising candidates for an application as artificial muscles in microdevices. In this work, we demonstrate that by optimizing (1) the illumination conditions and (2) the mixture of azo monomer and azo crosslinker, thick films of an all-azo LCE can be prepared, which show a strong length change without bending during photoactuation. This becomes possible by working with white light (about 440 nm), whose absorption is low, leading to a large penetration depth. By adding an azo crosslinker to a previously prepared system, several improvements of the actuation properties—like a stronger photoactuation at lower operational temperatures—could be achieved. In addition, films of different crosslinker concentrations and thicknesses were produced by photopolymerization at varying temperatures within a magnetic field, and their thermo- and photoresponsive behavior was investigated. An extraordinarily strong maximal thermal actuation of 46% and—by exposure to white light at 70 °C—a photoresponsive change in length of up to 40% in just about 13 s could be obtained. Even densely crosslinked samples were still able to photoactuate remarkably. Isothermal back-deformation could either be achieved by irradiation with red light (7 min) or by keeping the film in the dark (13 min).
Land Cover Classification in Complex and Fragmented Agricultural Landscapes of the Ethiopian Highlands
Authors: Eggen Michael , Ozdogan Mutlu , Zaitchik Benjamin , Simane Belay
Published: December 2016

Ethiopia is a largely agrarian country with nearly 85% of its employment coming from agriculture. Nevertheless, it is not known how much land is under cultivation. Mapping land cover at finer resolution and global scales has been particularly difficult in Ethiopia. The study area falls in a region of high mapping complexity with environmental challenges which require higher quality maps. Here, remote sensing is used to classify a large area of the central and northwestern highlands into eight broad land cover classes that comprise agriculture, grassland, woodland/shrub, forest, bare ground, urban/impervious surfaces, water, and seasonal water/marsh areas. We use data from Landsat spectral bands from 2000 to 2011, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and its temporal mean and variance, together with a digital elevation model, all at 30-m spatial resolution, as inputs to a supervised classifier. A Support Vector Machines algorithm (SVM) was chosen to deal with the size, variability and non-parametric nature of these data stacks. In post-processing, an image segmentation algorithm with a minimum mapping unit of about 0.5 hectares was used to convert per pixel classification results into an object based final map. Although the reliability of the map is modest, its overall accuracy is 55%—encouraging results for the accuracy of agricultural uses at 85% suggest that these methods do offer great utility. Confusion among grassland, woodland and barren categories reflects the difficulty of classifying savannah landscapes, especially in east central Africa with monsoonal-driven rainfall patterns where the ground is obstructed by clouds for significant periods of time. Our analysis also points out the need for high quality reference data. Further, topographic analysis of the agriculture class suggests there is a significant amount of sloping land under cultivation. These results are important for future research and environmental monitoring in agricultural land use, soil erosion, and crop modeling of the Abay basin.
Improved Geoarchaeological Mapping with Electromagnetic Induction Instruments from Dedicated Processing and Inversion
Authors: Christiansen Anders , Pedersen Jesper , Auken Esben , Søe Niels , Holst Mads , Kristiansen Søren
Published: December 2016

Increasingly, electromagnetic induction methods (EMI) are being used within the area of archaeological prospecting for mapping soil structures or for studying paleo-landscapes. Recent hardware developments have made fast data acquisition, combined with precise positioning, possible, thus providing interesting possibilities for archaeological prospecting. However, it is commonly assumed that the instrument operates in what is referred to as Low Induction Number, or LIN. Here, we detail the problems of the approximations while discussing a best practice for EMI measurements, data processing, and inversion for understanding a paleo-landscape at an Iron Age human bone depositional site (Alken Enge) in Denmark. On synthetic as well as field data we show that soil mapping based on EMI instruments can be improved by applying data processing methodologies from adjacent scientific fields. Data from a 10 hectare study site was collected with a line spacing of 1–4 m, resulting in roughly 13,000 processed soundings, which were inverted with a full non-linear algorithm. The models had higher dynamic range in the retrieved resistivity values, as well as sharper contrasts between structural elements than we could obtain by looking at data alone. We show that the pre-excavation EMI mapping facilitated an archaeological prospecting where traditional trenching could be replaced by a few test pits at selected sites, hereby increasing the chance of finding human bones. In a general context we show that (1) dedicated processing of EMI data is necessary to remove coupling from anthropogenic structures (fences, phone cables, paved roads, etc.), and (2) that carrying out a dedicated full non-linear inversion with spatial coherency constraints improves the accuracy of resistivities and structures over using the data as they are or using the Low Induction Number (LIN) approximation.
Three-Factor User Authentication and Key Agreement Using Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Park YoHan , Park YoungHo
Published: December 2016

Secure communication is a significant issue in wireless sensor networks. User authentication and key agreement are essential for providing a secure system, especially in user-oriented mobile services. It is also necessary to protect the identity of each individual in wireless environments to avoid personal privacy concerns. Many authentication and key agreement schemes utilize a smart card in addition to a password to support security functionalities. However, these schemes often fail to provide security along with privacy. In 2015, Chang et al. analyzed the security vulnerabilities of previous schemes and presented the two-factor authentication scheme that provided user privacy by using dynamic identities. However, when we cryptanalyzed Chang et al.’s scheme, we found that it does not provide sufficient security for wireless sensor networks and fails to provide accurate password updates. This paper proposes a security-enhanced authentication and key agreement scheme to overcome these security weaknesses using biometric information and an elliptic curve cryptosystem. We analyze the security of the proposed scheme against various attacks and check its viability in the mobile environment.
Respirometric Index and Biogas Potential of Different Foods and Agricultural Discarded Biomass
Authors: Ciuta Simona , Antognoni Stefano , Rada Elena , Ragazzi Marco , Badea Adrian , Cioca Lucian
Published: December 2016

The biological stability of biomass is an important parameter for treatment plant design, process control or compost use. Measuring the biological reactivity of waste with the help of indicators such as respirometric indexes (RI) becomes an important tool to prevent the significant environmental impact of biodegradable wastes in accordance with European legislation. The aim of this paper is to show the importance of the RI technique as a tool to establish further uses of biomass such as fertilizer or biogas. The respirometric process length for different types of biomass (grape marc, apple pomace and olive pomace) was quantified. Higher moisture content seemed to favor the biological activity during the respirometric experiments and shorten the length of the process. The duration of olive pomace respirometry did not exceed 3 days, while the respirometric activity of apple scraps the lasted approximately 2 days. The highest RI values were encountered for the apple pomace, 4888 mgO2·kgVS−1·h−1. The majority of the discarded biomasses are categorized in the third class of stability materials in the course of degradation. This technique is important to detect the biodegradability of substrates, as well as to gain insight into the quantity and generation rate of biogas produced, information that is important from an engineering management perspective.
Examining the Interrelationship among Critical Success Factors of Public Private Partnership Infrastructure Projects
Authors: Shi Shiying , Chong Heap-Yih , Liu Lihong , Ye Xiaosu
Published: December 2016

Examining the interrelationships among critical success factors (CSFs) for public private partnership (PPP) projects is of importance for improving PPP project performance and maintaining the sustainability of PPP project implementation. Previous studies mostly focused on the identification of the CSFs for PPP projects; limited studies investigated the interrelationships among CSFs. Hence, the research objectives are (a) to determine the interrelationships among CSFs of PPP projects taking into account the public and (b) to identify influence paths contributing to take advantage of CSFs in the process of PPP implementation. A literature review and expert interviews were adopted to construct the CSFs framework; nine hypotheses were constructed and tested by the structural equation modelling (SEM) based on the data collected from a questionnaire survey. This research reveals that the relationship between public and private partners is the leader-follower relationship, not the partnership relationship, in PPP projects, indicating that the responsibilities, power or resources existing among partners are very unequal. It also highlights that public involvement has a negative effect on the process of service provisions, and costs and risks exist in the process of public involvement in PPP projects. The determined interrelationships among CSFs will contribute to the sustainability and success of a PPP project.
Effects of Government Grassland Conservation Policy on Household Livelihoods and Dependence on Local Grasslands: Evidence from Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Du Bingzhen , Zhen Lin , Yan Huimin , De Groot Rudolf
Published: December 2016

Grassland degradation intensifies human-environment conflicts and adversely affects local residents’ livelihoods. To reduce grassland degradation in Inner Mongolia, China, the government has enforced (since 1998) a series of grassland conservation and management policies that restrict the use of grasslands. To ease the impact on the residents’ livelihoods, the national and regional governments have offered a series of top-down arrangements to stimulate sustainable use of the grasslands. Simultaneously, local households spontaneously developed bottom-up countermeasures. To determine the effects of these processes, we interviewed members of 135 households using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. We analyzed the effects on household dependence on local grasslands and on perceptions of the future of grassland use. Our findings show that the implementation of the grassland conservation policies significantly affected household livelihoods, which in turn affected household use of natural assets (primarily the land), their agricultural assets (farming and grazing activities) and their financial assets (income and consumption), resulting in fundamental transformation of their lifestyles. The households developed adaptation measures to account for the dependence of their livelihood on local ecosystems by initializing strategies, such as seeking off-farm work, leasing pasture land, increasing purchases of fodder for stall-fed animals and altering their diet and fuel consumption to compensate for their changing livelihoods.
Continuous Learning Graphical Knowledge Unit for Cluster Identification in High Density Data Sets
Authors: Adikaram K.K.L.B. , Hussein Mohamed , Effenberger Mathias , Becker Thomas
Published: December 2016

Big data are visually cluttered by overlapping data points. Rather than removing, reducing or reformulating overlap, we propose a simple, effective and powerful technique for density cluster generation and visualization, where point marker (graphical symbol of a data point) overlap is exploited in an additive fashion in order to obtain bitmap data summaries in which clusters can be identified visually, aided by automatically generated contour lines. In the proposed method, the plotting area is a bitmap and the marker is a shape of more than one pixel. As the markers overlap, the red, green and blue (RGB) colour values of pixels in the shared region are added. Thus, a pixel of a 24-bit RGB bitmap can code up to 224 (over 1.6 million) overlaps. A higher number of overlaps at the same location makes the colour of this area identical, which can be identified by the naked eye. A bitmap is a matrix of colour values that can be represented as integers. The proposed method updates this matrix while adding new points. Thus, this matrix can be considered as an up-to-time knowledge unit of processed data. Results show cluster generation, cluster identification, missing and out-of-range data visualization, and outlier detection capability of the newly proposed method.
Homobasidiomycetes resupines et Heterobasidiomycetes saprophytes. XII. - Le genre Christiansenia Hauerslev 1969
Authors: Boidin Jacques , Lanquetin Paule
Published: December 2016

Résumé. — Le genre Christiansenia n'est pas monospécifique mais doit contenir au moins 3 espèces, dont l'une est le type du genre Syzygospora Martin. Christiansenia pallida existe en France ; son étude cytologique est donnée et le terme de zygoconidie proposé.
Orthogonal protection of saccharide polyols through solvent-free one-pot sequences based on regioselective silylations
Authors: Traboni Serena , Bedini Emiliano , Iadonisi Alfonso
Published: December 2016

tert-Butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) and tert-butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) are alcohol protecting groups widely employed in organic synthesis in view of their compatibility with a wide range of conditions. Their regioselective installation on polyols generally requires lengthy reactions and the use of high boiling solvents. In the first part of this paper we demonstrate that regioselective silylation of sugar polyols can be conducted in short times with the requisite silyl chloride and a very limited excess of pyridine (2–3 equivalents). Under these conditions, that can be regarded as solvent-free conditions in view of the insolubility of the polyol substrates, the reactions are faster than in most examples reported in the literature, and can even be further accelerated with a catalytic amount of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB). The strategy proved also useful for either the selective TBDMS protection of secondary alcohols or the fast per-O-trimethylsilylation of saccharide polyols. In the second part of the paper the scope of the silylation approach was significantly extended with the development of unprecedented “one-pot” and “solvent-free” sequences allowing the regioselective silylation/alkylation (or the reverse sequence) of saccharide polyols in short times. The developed methodologies represent a very useful and experimentally simple tool for the straightforward access to saccharide building-blocks useful in organic synthesis.