bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cellular Plasmalogen Content Does Not Influence Arachidonic Acid Levels or Distribution in Macrophages: A Role for Cytosolic Phospholipase A2γ in Phospholipid Remodeling
Authors: Lebrero Patricia , Astudillo Alma M. , Rubio Julio M. , Fernández-Caballero Lidia , Kokotos George , Balboa María A. , Balsinde Jesús
Published: July 2019

Availability of free arachidonic acid (AA) constitutes a rate limiting factor for cellular eicosanoid synthesis. AA distributes differentially across membrane phospholipids, which is largely due to the action of coenzyme A-independent transacylase (CoA-IT), an enzyme that moves the fatty acid primarily from diacyl phospholipid species to ether-containing species, particularly the ethanolamine plasmalogens. In this work, we examined the dependence of AA remodeling on plasmalogen content using the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7 and its plasmalogen-deficient variants RAW.12 and RAW.108. All three strains remodeled AA between phospholipids with similar magnitude and kinetics, thus demonstrating that cellular plasmalogen content does not influence the process. Cell stimulation with yeast-derived zymosan also had no effect on AA remodeling, but incubating the cells in AA-rich media markedly slowed down the process. Further, knockdown of cytosolic-group IVC phospholipase A2γ (cPLA2γ) by RNA silencing significantly reduced AA remodeling, while inhibition of other major phospholipase A2 forms such as cytosolic phospholipase A2α, calcium-independent phospholipase A2β, or secreted phospholipase A2 had no effect. These results uncover new regulatory features of CoA-IT-mediated transacylation reactions in cellular AA homeostasis and suggest a hitherto unrecognized role for cPLA2γ in maintaining membrane phospholipid composition via regulation of AA remodeling.
How Does SUMO Participate in Spindle Organization?
Authors: Abrieu Ariane , Liakopoulos Dimitris
Published: July 2019

The ubiquitin-like protein SUMO is a regulator involved in most cellular mechanisms. Recent studies have discovered new modes of function for this protein. Of particular interest is the ability of SUMO to organize proteins in larger assemblies, as well as the role of SUMO-dependent ubiquitylation in their disassembly. These mechanisms have been largely described in the context of DNA repair, transcriptional regulation, or signaling, while much less is known on how SUMO facilitates organization of microtubule-dependent processes during mitosis. Remarkably however, SUMO has been known for a long time to modify kinetochore proteins, while more recently, extensive proteomic screens have identified a large number of microtubule- and spindle-associated proteins that are SUMOylated. The aim of this review is to focus on the possible role of SUMOylation in organization of the spindle and kinetochore complexes. We summarize mitotic and microtubule/spindle-associated proteins that have been identified as SUMO conjugates and present examples regarding their regulation by SUMO. Moreover, we discuss the possible contribution of SUMOylation in organization of larger protein assemblies on the spindle, as well as the role of SUMO-targeted ubiquitylation in control of kinetochore assembly and function. Finally, we propose future directions regarding the study of SUMOylation in regulation of spindle organization and examine the potential of SUMO and SUMO-mediated degradation as target for antimitotic-based therapies.
Role and Therapeutic Targeting of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Skin Cancer: A Review of Current Status and Future Trends on Natural and Synthetic Agents Therapy
Authors: Chamcheu Jean , Roy Tithi , Uddin Mohammad , Banang-Mbeumi Sergette , Chamcheu Roxane-Cherille , Walker Anthony , Liu Yong-Yu , Huang Shile
Published: July 2019

The mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and associated phosphatidyl-inositiol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathways regulate cell growth, differentiation, migration, and survival, as well as angiogenesis and metabolism. Dysregulation of these pathways is frequently associated with genetic/epigenetic alterations and predicts poor treatment outcomes in a variety of human cancers including cutaneous malignancies like melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Recently, the enhanced understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of skin dysfunction in patients with skin cancers has provided a strong basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for these obdurate groups of skin cancers. This review summarizes recent advances in the roles of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and their targets in the development and progression of a broad spectrum of cutaneous cancers and discusses the current progress in preclinical and clinical studies for the development of PI3K/Akt/mTOR targeted therapies with nutraceuticals and synthetic small molecule inhibitors.
High-Rise Apartments and Urban Mental Health—Historical and Contemporary Views
Authors: Larcombe Danica-Lea , van Etten Eddie , Logan Alan , Prescott Susan L. , Horwitz Pierre
Published: July 2019

High-rise apartment buildings have long been associated with the poor mental health of their residents. The aims of this paper are to examine whether this connection is necessarily so, by reviewing the evidence relating to the relationships between high-rise living and social wellbeing, occupant’s stress levels, and the influence they have on mental health. From selected literature, psychological stress and poor mental health outcomes of the populations that live in high-rise apartments are indeed apparent, and this is particularly so for apartments in poor neighbourhoods. Yet many apartments in developed cities are in affluent areas (particularly those with views of green/blue space), where residences on higher floors are more expensive. Either way, high-rise living and mental health outcomes are a social justice issue. Our review allows us to propose two models relating to high-rise living relevant today, based on these differences.
Vacuum-Free and Highly Dense Nanoparticle Based Low-Band-Gap CuInSe2 Thin-Films Manufactured by Face-to-Face Annealing with Application of Uniaxial Mechanical Pressure
Authors: Schuster Matthias , Stapf Dominik , Osterrieder Tobias , Barthel Vincent , Wellmann Peter J.
Published: July 2019

Copper indium gallium sulfo-selenide (CIGS) based solar cells show the highest conversion efficiencies among all thin-film photovoltaic competition. However, the absorber material manufacturing is in most cases dependent on vacuum-technology like sputtering and evaporation, and the use of toxic and environmentally harmful substances like H2Se. In this work, the goal to fabricate dense, coarse grained CuInSe2 (CISe) thin-films with vacuum-free processing based on nanoparticle (NP) precursors was achieved. Bimetallic copper-indium, elemental selenium and binary selenide (Cu2−xSe and In2Se3) NPs were synthesized by wet-chemical methods and dispersed in nontoxic solvents. Layer-stacks from these inks were printed on molybdenum coated float-glass-substrates via doctor-blading. During the temperature treatment, a face-to-face technique and mechanically applied pressure were used to transform the precursor-stacks into dense CuInSe2 films. By combining liquid phase sintering and pressure sintering, and using a seeding layer later on, issues like high porosity, oxidation, or selenium- and indium-depletion were overcome. There was no need for external Se atmosphere or H2Se gas, as all of the Se was directly in the precursor and could not leave the face-to-face sandwich. All thin-films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV/vis spectroscopy. Dense CISe layers with a thickness of about 2–3 µm and low band gap energies of 0.93–0.97 eV were formed in this work, which show potential to be used as a solar cell absorber.
Offline Next Generation Metagenomics Sequence Analysis Using MinION Detection Software (MINDS)
Authors: Deshpande Samir V. , Reed Timothy M. , Sullivan Raymond F. , Kerkhof Lee J. , Beigel Keith M. , Wade Mary M.
Published: July 2019

Field laboratories interested in using the MinION often need the internet to perform sample analysis. Thus, the lack of internet connectivity in resource-limited or remote locations renders downstream analysis problematic, resulting in a lack of sample identification in the field. Due to this dependency, field samples are generally transported back to the lab for analysis where internet availability for downstream analysis is available. These logistics problems and the time lost in sample characterization and identification, pose a significant problem for field scientists. To address this limitation, we have developed a stand-alone data analysis packet using open source tools developed by the Nanopore community that does not depend on internet availability. Like Oxford Nanopore Technologies’ (ONT) cloud-based What’s In My Pot (WIMP) software, we developed the offline MinION Detection Software (MINDS) based on the Centrifuge classification engine for rapid species identification. Several online bioinformatics applications have been developed surrounding ONT’s framework for analysis of long reads. We have developed and evaluated an offline real time classification application pipeline using open source tools developed by the Nanopore community that does not depend on internet availability. Our application has been tested on ATCC’s 20 strain even mix whole cell (ATCC MSA-2002) sample. Using the Rapid Sequencing Kit (SQK-RAD004), we were able to identify all 20 organisms at species level. The analysis was performed in 15 min using a Dell Precision 7720 laptop. Our offline downstream bioinformatics application provides a cost-effective option as well as quick turn-around time when analyzing samples in the field, thus enabling researchers to fully utilize ONT’s MinION portability, ease-of-use, and identification capability in remote locations.
Land Subsidence Control Zone and Policy for the Environmental Protection of Shanghai
Authors: He Xi-Cun , Yang Tian-Liang , Shen Shui-Long , Xu Ye-Shuang , Arulrajah Arul
Published: July 2019

Land subsidence was once a major geo-hazard in the city of Shanghai, China. From 1921 to 1965, the maximum cumulative land subsidence in the urban areas of China reached 2.6 m. This large subsidence has resulted in high economic losses for Shanghai. The Regulation of Prevention and Control of Land Subsidence of Shanghai Municipality was published in 2013 (simply cited as the 2013-regulation in the following context). The characteristics of the 2013-regulation included the combination of the subsidence monitoring network and the groundwater detection network due to both the effects of groundwater withdrawal and construction. In addition, the setting up of a supervision system was also incorporated in the 2013-regulation. To control the land subsidence, Shanghai demarcated three land subsidence control zones, where special measures have been implemented. From a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) point of view, the 2013-regulation attains a high total score, indicating that the control of groundwater withdrawal and recharge is effective. The observed land subsidence over the past six years also confirms the effectiveness of the 2013-regulation with the most consideration of SEA for sustainable environment protection in Shanghai. However, more effort should be made in the implementation of SEA in land subsidence control in the future.
Association of Diet Quality with Low Muscle Mass-Function in Korean Elderly
Authors: Jung Mikyeong , Park Saejong , Kim Hyesook , Kwon Oran
Published: July 2019

There is a growing body of evidence that links nutrition to muscle mass and function in the elderly, suggesting that it has an important role to play both in the prevention and management of age-related sarcopenia. Some nutrients have been studied, but less is known about the influence of overall diet quality on the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. This study investigated the interrelationship between the recommended food score (RFS), as an indicator of overall diet quality, and muscle mass function among the Korean elderly. The sample consisted of 521 participants (263 men and 258 women), aged >65 years, who participated in the 2014–2015 National Fitness Award project. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Low muscle mass was defined as having an ASM corrected for height lower than the cutoff value established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Muscle function, assessed by handgrip strength (HGS), was defined as low if it was below the 20th percentile of elderly men and women. Low muscle mass-function, defined as low muscle mass with low muscle strength (HGS), was found in 29 men (11.0%) and 22 women (8.5%). In elderly men, the low muscle mass-function group had significantly lower RFS values than the normal group after adjustments for age, body fat percentage, drinking, smoking, education, and physical activity (p = 0.019). However, there was no association between RFS and muscle mass-function in elderly women. Our findings suggest that better diet quality may be associated with higher muscle mass in elderly Korean men.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Homeostasis and Systemic Diseases: Hypothesis, Evidences, and Therapeutic Opportunities
Authors: Vizoso Francisco , Eiro Noemi , Costa Luis , Esparza Paloma , Landin Mariana , Diaz-Rodriguez Patricia , Schneider Jose , Perez-Fernandez Roman
Published: July 2019

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are present in all organs and tissues, playing a well-known function in tissue regeneration. However, there is also evidence indicating a broader role of MSCs in tissue homeostasis. In vivo studies have shown MSC paracrine mechanisms displaying proliferative, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidative, or angiogenic activity. In addition, recent studies also demonstrate that depletion and/or dysfunction of MSCs are associated with several systemic diseases, such as lupus, diabetes, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as with aging and frailty syndrome. In this review, we hypothesize about the role of MSCs as keepers of tissue homeostasis as well as modulators in a variety of inflammatory and degenerative systemic diseases. This scenario opens the possibility for the use of secretome-derived products from MSCs as new therapeutic agents in order to restore tissue homeostasis, instead of the classical paradigm “one disease, one drug”.
Exhibiting Uncertainty: Visualizing Data Quality Indicators for Cultural Collections
Authors: Windhager Florian , Salisu Saminu , Mayr Eva
Published: July 2019

Uncertainty is a standard condition under which large parts of art-historical and curatorial knowledge creation and communication are operating. In contrast to standard levels of data quality in non-historical research domains, historical object and knowledge collections contain substantial amounts of uncertain, ambiguous, contested, or plainly missing data. Visualization approaches and interfaces to cultural collections have started to represent data quality and uncertainty metrics, yet all existing work is limited to representations for isolated metadata dimensions only. With this article, we advocate for a more systematic, synoptic and self-conscious approach to uncertainty visualization for cultural collections. We introduce omnipresent types of data uncertainty and discuss reasons for their frequent omission by interfaces for galleries, libraries, archives and museums. On this basis we argue for a coordinated counter strategy for uncertainty visualization in this field, which will also raise the efforts going into complex interface design and conceptualization. Building on the PolyCube framework for collection visualization, we showcase how multiple uncertainty representation techniques can be assessed and coordinated in a multi-perspective environment. As for an outlook, we reflect on both the strengths and limitations of making the actual wealth of data quality questions transparent with regard to different target and user groups.
Yeast Species, Strains, and Growth Media Mediate Attraction of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)
Authors: Lasa Rodrigo , Navarro-de-la-Fuente Laura , Gschaedler-Mathis Anne C. , Kirchmayr Manuel R. , Williams Trevor
Published: July 2019

Specific ecological interactions between insects and microbes have potential in the development of targeted pest monitoring or control techniques for the spotted wing drosophilid, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), an exotic invasive pest of soft fruit. To evaluate D. suzukii attraction to yeast species from preferred types of fruit, three yeasts were isolated from blackberry fruit and two yeasts from raspberry fruit and used to bait simple plastic bottle traps. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hanseniaspora uvarum were identified from blackberries, whereas a different H. uvarum strain was identified from raspberry. Yeast identification was based on sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit 26S rRNA gene. Commercial baker’s yeast (S. cerevisiae) was similar or more effective for the capture of D. suzukii males and females than yeasts isolated from blackberry or raspberry when grown in sucrose. However, when grown in corn syrup, a strain of S. cerevisiae from blackberry captured the highest number of females and a strain of H. uvarum isolated from raspberry captured high numbers of males and females. Species of Candida, Hanseniaspora, and Pichia from a laboratory yeast collection did not outperform baker’s yeast in pairwise tests when grown in sucrose solution or yeast-peptone-dextrose medium. The raspberry strain of H. uvarum grown in corn syrup outperformed S. cerevisiae grown in sucrose, in terms of captures in baited traps under laboratory conditions. We conclude that yeast species, strain, and growth medium can have a marked influence on D. suzukii attraction to baited traps, a finding that could assist in the development of yeast-related monitoring or control techniques targeted at this pest.
A Novel Provable Secured Signcryption Scheme ????: A Hyper-Elliptic Curve-Based Approach
Authors: Ullah Insaf , Amin Noor , Khan Junaid , Rehan Muhammad , Naeem Muhammad , Khattak Hizbullah , Khattak Shah , Ali Haseen
Published: July 2019

Rivest, Shamir, & Adleman (RSA), bilinear pairing, and elliptic curve are well-known techniques/algorithms for security protocols. These techniques suffer from higher computation and communication costs due to increased sizes of parameters, public keys, and certificates. Hyper-elliptic curve has lower parameter size, public key size, and certificate size. The aim of the proposed work is to reduce the computational cost and communication cost. Furthermore, we validate the security properties of our proposed scheme by using the well-known simulation tool called automated validation of Internet security protocols and applications. Our approach ensures security properties such as resistance against replay attack, confidentiality, authenticity, unforgeability, integrity, non-repudiation, public verifiability, and forward secrecy.
On a Robust, Sensitive Cell-Free Method for Pseudomonas Sensing and Quantification in Microfluidic Templated Hydrogels
Authors: Seto Jong
Published: July 2019

Through the use of droplet microfluidics to integrate cell-free activity into inert hydrogel beads, we have developed a platform that can perform biologically relevant functions without the need for cells. Specifically, cell-free lysates serve a utility in performing cellular functions and providing biologically relevant metabolic products without requiring the optimal biological conditions for cell growth and proliferation. By teasing out specific biological components that enable transcription and translation to occur, these cell-like functions can be reconstituted in vitro without requiring the entire cell and milieu of cellular organelles. This enables the optimization of synthetic biological circuits, either by concentration or logic switches, simply through the addition or removal of genetic components (plasmids, inducers, or repressors) of regulatory elements. Here, we demonstrate an application of cell-free processes that is robust and portable, independent of a substrate, to apply for sensing and reporting functions of a quorum-sensing molecule N-3-oxododecanoyl homoserine lactone (3OC12HSL) found crucial for pathological Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. We develop an agarose bead platform that is easily adaptable and simply programmable to fit a variety of biological and chemical sensing applications for the utility of ease of delivery and activation in remote environments—even in conditions with very little hydration.
Emerging Encapsulation Technologies for Long-Term Reliability of Microfabricated Implantable Devices
Authors: Ahn Seung-Hee , Jeong Joonsoo , Kim Sung June
Published: July 2019

The development of reliable long-term encapsulation technologies for implantable biomedical devices is of paramount importance for the safe and stable operation of implants in the body over a period of several decades. Conventional technologies based on titanium or ceramic packaging, however, are not suitable for encapsulating microfabricated devices due to their limited scalability, incompatibility with microfabrication processes, and difficulties with miniaturization. A variety of emerging materials have been proposed for encapsulation of microfabricated implants, including thin-film inorganic coatings of Al2O3, HfO2, SiO2, SiC, and diamond, as well as organic polymers of polyimide, parylene, liquid crystal polymer, silicone elastomer, SU-8, and cyclic olefin copolymer. While none of these materials have yet been proven to be as hermetic as conventional metal packages nor widely used in regulatory approved devices for chronic implantation, a number of studies have demonstrated promising outcomes on their long-term encapsulation performance through a multitude of fabrication and testing methodologies. The present review article aims to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the long-term encapsulation performance of these emerging materials with a specific focus on publications that have quantitatively estimated the lifetime of encapsulation technologies in aqueous environments.
The Finnish New Variant of Chlamydia trachomatis with a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the 23S rRNA Target Escapes Detection by the Aptima Combo 2 Test
Authors: Hokynar Kati , Rantakokko-Jalava Kaisu , Hakanen Antti , Havana Marika , Mannonen Laura , Jokela Pia , Kurkela Satu , Lappalainen Maija , Unemo Magnus , Puolakkainen Mirja
Published: July 2019

In 2019, more than 200 cases of Chlamydia trachomatis negative/equivocal by the Aptima Combo 2 assay (AC2, target: 23S rRNA) with slightly elevated relative light units (RLUs), but positive by the Aptima Chlamydia trachomatis assay (ACT, target: 16S rRNA) have been detected in Finland To identify the cause of the AC2 CT false-negative specimens, we sequenced parts of the CT 23S rRNA gene in 40 specimens that were AC2 negative/equivocal but ACT positive. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; C1515T in the C. trachomatis 23S rRNA gene) was revealed in 39 AC2/ACT discordant specimens. No decrease in the number of mandatorily notified C. trachomatis cases was observed nationally in Finland in 2010–2019. When RLUs obtained for AC2 negative specimens were retrospectively evaluated in 2011–2019, a continuous increase in the proportion of samples with RLUs 10–19 was observed since 2014, and a slight increase in the proportion of samples with RLUs 20–84 in 2017–2019, indicating that the Finnish new variant of C. trachomatis might have been spreading nationally for several years. This emphasizes that careful surveillance of epidemiology, positivity rate and test performance are mandatory to detect any changes affecting detection of infections.
Geochemical Characterization of Iron and Steel Slag and Its Potential to Remove Phosphate and Neutralize Acid
Authors: Piatak Nadine M. , Seal Robert R. , Hoppe Darryl A. , Green Carlin J. , Buszka Paul M.
Published: July 2019

Iron and steel slags from legacy and modern operations in the Chicago-Gary area of Illinois and Indiana, USA, are predominantly composed of Ca (10–44 wt. % CaO), Fe (0.3–28 wt. % FeO), and Si (10–44 wt. % SiO2), with generally lesser amounts of Al (<1–15 wt. % Al2O3), Mg (2–11 wt. % MgO), and Mn (0.3–9 wt. % MnO). Mineralogy is dominated by Ca ± Mg ± Al silicates, Fe ± Ca oxides, Ca-carbonates, and high-temperature SiO2 phases. Chromium and Mn concentrations in most samples may be environmentally significant based on comparison with generic soil contaminant guidelines. However, simulated weathering tests suggest these elements are present in generally insoluble phases making their use in water treatment applications possible; however, the generation of high pH and alkaline solutions may be an issue. As for possible water treatment applications, batch and flow-through experiments document effective removal of phosphate from synthetic solutions for nearly all slag samples. Air-cooled fine fractions (<10 mm) of modern slag were most effective; other types, including modern granulated, modern air-cooled coarse fractions (>10 mm), and legacy slag removed phosphate, but to a lesser degree. An additional water treatment application is the use of slag to neutralize acidic waters. Most slag samples are extremely alkaline and have high net neutralization potentials (NNP) (400–830 kg CaCO3/t), with the highest approximately equivalent to 80% of the neutralization potential of calcite. Overall, phosphate removal capacity and NNP correlate positively with total Ca content and the dissolution of Ca minerals facilitates secondary Ca phosphate formation and consumes acid during hydrolysis. Utilizing locally available slag to treat waste or agricultural waters in this region may be a higher value alternative than use in construction, potentially offsetting restoration costs to degraded legacy areas and decreasing steel manufacturers’ current waste footprint.
Comparative Studies of Quaternary Ammonium Salts on the Aggregation and Dispersion Behavior of Kaolinite and Quartz
Authors: Jiang Hao , Xiang Guoyuan , Khoso Sultan , Xie Jiahui , Huang Kai , Xu Longhua
Published: July 2019

Fine particles in the presence of flotation reagents exhibit different dispersion and aggregation behaviors in a mineral suspension, and affect the flotation separation processes. In this study, the effects of three quaternary ammonium salts (i.e., dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride (TTAC), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC)) on the dispersion and aggregation behaviors of kaolinite and quartz were studied. The mechanism was systematically investigated using sedimentation tests, reagent adsorption analysis, zeta potential measurements, and SEM analysis. In the absence of reagents, the kaolinite and quartz particles exhibited good aggregation behaviors at acid and neutral pHs compared with alkaline conditions. Except for CTAC, the presence of DTAC and TTAC improved the aggregation behavior of both minerals in neutral and alkaline conditions. More, the sedimentation yields of both minerals were increased significantly with increasing the concentration of DTAC and TTAC. However, the increasing concentration of CTAC resulted in an increase in the dispersion of kaolinite and quartz particles under the same conditions. At neutral and alkaline conditions, the zeta potentials and adsorbed amounts of all three salts on the mineral surfaces were increased significantly with increasing the concentrations of salts, and the adsorbed amount adopted the following sequence: CTAC > TTAC > DTAC. The zeta potential results showed that the stronger adsorption of quaternary ammonium salts on mineral surfaces at neutral and alkaline conditions was mainly because of electrostatic interactions.
Experimental Investigation on the Performances of Innovative PV Vertical Structures
Authors: Acciari Gianluca , Adamo Gabriele , Ala Guido , Busacca Alessandro , Caruso Massimo , Giglia Graziella , Imburgia Antonino , Livreri Patrizia , Miceli Rosario , Parisi Antonino , Pellitteri Filippo , Pernice Riccardo , Romano Pietro , Schettino Giuseppe , Viola Fabio
Published: July 2019

The sustainable development of our planet is considerably related to a relevant reduction of CO2 global emissions, with building consumption contributing more than 40%. In this scenario, new technological conceptions, such as building-integrated photovoltaic technology, emerged in order to satisfy the requirements of sustainability imposed by the European Union. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a technical and economical comparison of the performances of different vertical-mounted innovative photovoltaic systems, potentially integrated on a building instead of on traditional windows or glass walls. The proposed investigation was carried out by means of experimental tests on three different next-generation vertical structures. The related results are described and discussed, highlighting the advantages and the drawbacks of the proposed technologies.
A New Insight into the Comonomer Effect through NMR Analysis in Metallocene Catalysed Propene–co–1-Nonene Copolymers
Authors: Wu Qiong , García-Peñas Alberto , Barranco-García Rosa , Cerrada María Luisa , Benavente Rosario , Pérez Ernesto , Gómez-Elvira José Manuel
Published: July 2019

The “comonomer effect” is an intriguing kinetic phenomenon in olefin copolymerization that still remains without a detailed explanation. It typically relates to the rate of enhancement undergone in ethylene and propene catalytic polymerization just by adding small fractions of an alpha-olefin. The difficulty lies in the fact that changes caused by the presence of the comonomer in reaction parameters are so conspicuous that it is really difficult to pin down which of them is the primary cause and which ones are side factors with marginal contribution to the phenomenon. Recent investigations point to the modification of the catalyst active sites as the main driving factor. In this work, the comonomer effect in the metallocene copolymerization of propene and 1-nonene is analysed and correlated to the comonomer role in the termination of the chain-growing process. The associated termination mechanisms involved furnish most of chain-free active sites, in which the selective interaction of the comonomer was proposed to trigger the insertion of monomers. A thorough characterisation of chain-end groups by means of the 1H NMR technique allows for detailing of specific transfer processes, ascribed to comonomer insertions, as well as evidencing the influence of the growing chain’s microstructure over the different termination processes available.
Cellulose Nanostructure-Based Biodegradable Nanocomposite Foams: A Brief Overview on the Recent Advancements and Perspectives
Authors: Motloung Mpho Phillip , Ojijo Vincent , Bandyopadhyay Jayita , Ray Suprakas Sinha
Published: July 2019

The interest in designing new environmentally friendly materials has led to the development of biodegradable foams as a potential substitute to most currently used fossil fuel–derived polymer foams. Despite the possibility of developing biodegradable and environmentally friendly polymer foams, the challenge of foaming biopolymers still persists as they have very low melt strength and viscosity as well as low crystallisation kinetics. Studies have shown that the incorporation of cellulose nanostructure (CN) particles into biopolymers can enhance the foamability of these materials. In addition, the final properties and performance of the foamed products can be improved with the addition of these nanoparticles. They not only aid in foamability but also act as nucleating agents by controlling the morphological properties of the foamed material. Here, we provide a critical and accessible overview of the influence of CN particles on the properties of biodegradable foams; in particular, their rheological, thermal, mechanical, and flammability and thermal insulating properties and biodegradability.
Electrically Conductive, Transparent Polymeric Nanocomposites Modified by 2D Ti3C2Tx (MXene)
Authors: Tanvir Aisha , Sobolčiak Patrik , Popelka Anton , Mrlik Miroslav , Spitalsky Zdenko , Micusik Matej , Prokes Jan , Krupa Igor
Published: July 2019

The electrically conductive, transparent, and flexible self-standing thin nanocomposite films based on copolyamide matrix (coPA:Vestamelt X1010) modified with 2D Ti3C2Tx (MXene) nanosheets were prepared by casting and their electrical, mechanical and optical properties and then, were investigated. The percolation threshold of the MXene filler within the coPA matrix was found to be 0.05 vol. %, and the highest determined electrical conductivity was 1.4 × 10−2 S·cm−1 for the composite filled with 5 wt. % (1.8 vol. %) of MXene. The electrical conductivity of the as-prepared MXene was 9.1 S·cm−1, and the electrical conductivity of the MAX phase (the precursor for MXene preparation) was 172 S·cm−1. The transparency of the prepared composite films exceeded 75%, even for samples containing 5 wt. % of MXene, as confirmed by UV spectroscopy. The dynamic mechanical analysis confirmed the improved mechanical properties, such as the storage modulus, which improved with the increasing MXene content. Moreover, all the composite films were very flexible and did not break under repeated twisting. The combination of the relatively high electrical conductivity of the composites filled with low filler content, an appropriate transparency, and good mechanical properties make these materials promising for applications in flexible electronics.
What Is Charity? William Langland’s Answers with Some Diachronic Questions
Authors: Aers David
Published: July 2019

Charity turns out to be the virtue which is both the root and the fruit of salvation in Langland’s Piers Plowman, a late fourteenth-century poem, the greatest theological poem in English. It takes time, suffering and error upon error for Wille, the central protagonist in Piers Plowman, to grasp Charity. Wille is both a figure of the poet and a power of the soul, voluntas, the subject of charity. Langland’s poem offers a profound and beautiful exploration of Charity and the impediments to Charity, one in which individual and collective life is inextricably bound together. This exploration is characteristic of late medieval Christianity. As such it is also an illuminating work in helping one identify and understand what happened to this virtue in the Reformation. Only through diachronic studies which engage seriously with medieval writing and culture can we hope to develop an adequate grasp of the outcomes of the Reformation in theology, ethics and politics, and, I should add, the remakings of what we understand by “person” in these outcomes. Although this essay concentrates on one long and extremely complex medieval work, it actually belongs to a diachronic inquiry. This will only be explicit in some observations on Calvin when I consider Langland’s treatment of Christ’s crucifixion and in some concluding suggestions about the history of this virtue.
A Novel Hyperspectral Endmember Extraction Algorithm Based on Online Robust Dictionary Learning
Authors: Song Xiaorui , Wu Lingda
Published: July 2019

Due to the sparsity of hyperspectral images, the dictionary learning framework has been applied in hyperspectral endmember extraction. However, current endmember extraction methods based on dictionary learning are not robust enough in noisy environments. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a novel endmember extraction approach based on online robust dictionary learning, termed EEORDL. Because of the large scale of the hyperspectral image (HSI) data, an online scheme is introduced to reduce the computational time of dictionary learning. In the proposed algorithm, a new form of the objective function is introduced into the dictionary learning process to improve the robustness for noisy HSI data. The experimental results, conducted with both synthetic and real-world hyperspectral datasets, illustrate that the proposed EEORDL outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches under different signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, especially for high-level noise.
Evaluation of Chlorophyll-a and POC MODIS Aqua Products in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Moutier William , Thomalla Sandy , Bernard Stewart , Wind Galina , Ryan-Keogh Thomas , Smith Marié
Published: July 2019

The Southern Ocean (SO) is highly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, an accurate estimate of phytoplankton biomass is key to being able to predict the climate trajectory of the 21st century. In this study, MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), on board EOS Aqua spacecraft, Level 2 (nominal 1 km × 1 km resolution) chlorophyll-a (C S a t ) and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC s a t ) products are evaluated by comparison with an in situ dataset from 11 research cruises (2008–2017) to the SO, across multiple seasons, which includes measurements of POC and chlorophyll-a (C i n s i t u ) from both High Performance Liquid Chromatography (C H P L C ) and fluorometry (C F l u o ). Contrary to a number of previous studies, results highlighted good performance of the algorithm in the SO when comparing estimations with HPLC measurements. Using a time window of ±12 h and a mean satellite chlorophyll from a 5 × 5 pixel box centered on the in situ location, the median C S a t :C i n s i t u ratios were 0.89 (N = 46) and 0.49 (N = 73) for C H P L C and C F l u o respectively. Differences between C H P L C and C F l u o were associated with the presence of diatoms containing chlorophyll-c pigments, which induced an overestimation of chlorophyll-a when measured fluorometrically due to a potential overlap of the chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-c emission spectra. An underestimation of ∼0.13 mg m − 3 was observed for the global POC algorithm. This error was likely due to an overestimate of in situ POC i n s i t u measurements from the impact of dissolved organic carbon not accounted for in the blank correction. These results highlight the important implications of different in situ methodologies when validating ocean colour products.
Roundup®, but Not Roundup-Ready® Corn, Increases Mortality of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Talyn Becky , Lemon Rachael , Badoella Maryam , Melchiorre Darwin , Villalobos Maryori , Elias Raquel , Muller Kelly , Santos Maggie , Melchiorre Erik
Published: July 2019

Genetically modified foods have become pervasive in diets of people living in the US. By far the most common genetically modified foods either tolerate herbicide application (HT) or produce endogenous insecticide (Bt). To determine whether these toxicological effects result from genetic modification per se, or from the increase in herbicide or insecticide residues present on the food, we exposed fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, to food containing HT corn that had been sprayed with the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup®, HT corn that had not been sprayed with Roundup®, or Roundup® in a variety of known glyphosate concentrations and formulations. While neither lifespan nor reproductive behaviors were affected by HT corn, addition of Roundup® increased mortality with an LC50 of 7.1 g/L for males and 11.4 g/L for females after 2 days of exposure. Given the many genetic tools available, Drosophila are an excellent model system for future studies about genetic and biochemical mechanisms of glyphosate toxicity.
Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Reveal Presence of a Novel Ungulate Bocaparvovirus in Alpacas
Authors: Kumar Deepak , Chaudhary Suman , Lu Nanyan , Duff Michael , Heffel Mathew , McKinney Caroline A. , Bedenice Daniela , Marthaler Douglas
Published: July 2019

Viruses belonging to the genus Bocaparvovirus (BoV) are a genetically diverse group of DNA viruses known to cause respiratory, enteric, and neurological diseases in animals, including humans. An intestinal sample from an alpaca (Vicugna pacos) herd with reoccurring diarrhea and respiratory disease was submitted for next-generation sequencing, revealing the presence of a BoV strain. The alpaca BoV strain (AlBoV) had a 58.58% whole genome nucleotide percent identity to a camel BoV from Dubai, belonging to a tentative ungulate BoV 8 species (UBoV8). Recombination events were lacking with other UBoV strains. The AlBoV genome was comprised of the NS1, NP1, and VP1 proteins. The NS1 protein had the highest amino acid percent identity range (57.89–67.85%) to the members of UBoV8, which was below the 85% cut-off set by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The low NS1 amino acid identity suggests that AlBoV is a tentative new species. The whole genome, NS1, NP1, and VP1 phylogenetic trees illustrated distinct branching of AlBoV, sharing a common ancestor with UBoV8. Walker loop and Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) motifs that are vital for virus infectivity were identified in NS1 and VP1 proteins, respectively. Our study reports a novel BoV strain in an alpaca intestinal sample and highlights the need for additional BoV research.
Prediction of Seasonal Frost Heave Behavior in Unsaturated Soil in Northeastern China Using Interactive Factor Analysis with Split-Plot Experiments and GRNN
Authors: Wan Hanli , Bian Jianmin , Wu Juanjuan , Sun Xiaoqing , Wang Yu , Jia Zhuo
Published: July 2019

Few studies of frost heave mechanisms have considered multifactor interactions, particularly in unsaturated saline soils typical of northeastern China. We collected soil samples in western Jijin Province and assessed their potential frost heave behavior with reference to four controllable factors: soluble salt content (CSS), compactness (C), temperature (T), and water content (WC) using a two-level split-plot experiment. The resulting frost heave ratio was between −0.6% and 2.1%. Analysis of variance showed that water content, compactness, and temperature had significant effects on frost heave behavior, with water content having the strongest correlation (factor coefficient of 0.82), while content of soluble salt (CSS) had no significant effect. The interaction factors (products of single factors) CSS × WC and C × WC had significant effects on frost heave behavior. A correlation analysis using these interaction factors with experimental data drawn from previous research showed results consistent with the improved frost heave experiment as the significant effects of single factors on frost heave behavior ranked from WC > C > T and the interaction factors CSS × WC and C × WC gain had significant effects. We then established two generalized regression neural network (GRNN) models based on the single and interaction factors in order to predict frost heave behavior, showing that adding the latter to the input dataset improved the model accuracy. Thus, future research on predicting frost heave behavior in unsaturated saline soils should consider multiple interacting factor for greater accuracy.
Hydrological Responses to the Future Climate Change in a Data Scarce Region, Northwest China: Application of Machine Learning Models
Authors: Zhu Rui , Yang Linshan , Liu Tao , Wen Xiaohu , Zhang Liming , Chang Yabin
Published: July 2019

Forecasting the potential hydrological response to future climate change is an effective way of assessing the adverse effects of future climate change on water resources. Data-driven models based on machine learning algorithms have great application prospects for hydrological response forecasting as they require less developmental time, minimal input, and are relatively simple compared to dynamic or physical models, especially for data scarce regions. In this study, we employed an ensemble of eight General Circulation Models (GCMs) and two artificial intelligence-based methods (Support Vector Regression, SVR, and Extreme Learning Machine, ELM) to establish the historical streamflow response to climate change and to forecast the future response under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5 in a mountainous watershed in northwest China. We found that the artificial-intelligence-based SVR and ELM methods showed very good performances in the projection of future hydrological responses. The ensemble of GCM outputs derived very close historical hydrological hindcasts but had great uncertainty in future hydrological projections. Using the variables of GCM outputs as inputs to SVR can reduce intermediate downscaling links between variables and decrease the cumulative effect of bias in projecting future hydrological responses. Future precipitation in the study area will increase in the future under both scenarios, and this increasing trend is more significant under RCP 8.5 than under scenario 4.5. The results also indicate the streamflow change will be more sensitive to temperature (precipitation) under the RCP 8.5 (4.5) scenario. The findings and approach have important implications for hydrological response studies and the evaluation of impacts on localized regions similar to the mountainous watershed in this study.
PENGARUH GAYA KEPEMIMPINAN TERHADAP KINERJA KARYAWAN PT. BPR MITRA RUKUN MANDIRI
Authors: Insani Vivie , Saragih Romat
Published: July 2019

Every company must have a goal to achieve. Manpower (human resources) is a main key in achieving the goals of the company, therefore the company requires good quality of human resources to obtain the expected performance. One way that can be done to improve performance is to implement the right leadership style            This study aims to analyze the influence of the leadership style on employee performance in PT BPR Mitra Rukun Mandiri Bandung. Sampling technique was saturation sampling type under non-probability sampling, where all population was used as research sample with the total number of 35 respondents. The technique of analysis used simple regression analysis.

The result of research shows that Leadership Style is in quite good category and Employee Performance is in low category.  Based on hypothesis test, the result shows leadership style significantly influences employee performance at PT. BPR Mitra Rukun Mandiri Bandung.

 Keywords: Leadership Style, Employee Performance, Human Resources Management
LABA BERSIH DAN KEBIJAKAN HUTANG SERTA DAMPAKNYA TERHADAP KEBIJAKAN DEVIDEN
Authors: Sopiati Sopi , Novianti Windi
Published: July 2019

This research was conducted in Property and Real Estate companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX). The purpose of this study is to develop how much influence the net income and debt policy, as measured by debt to equity ratio (DER) partially and simultaneously on dividend policy as measured by the dividend payout ratio (DPR). The method used in this research is descriptive method verification with quantitative approach. The sample used in this study is the annual financial statements 2010 - 2014 as many as 30 samples. The test statistic used is multiple linear regression analysis, the classical assumption test, analysis of the correlation coefficient, determination coefficient and hypothesis testing using SPSS V.20.00 for windows. Results of the analysis showed that the net income positive effect on dividend policy (DPR), debt policy (DER) a negative effect on dividend policy (DPR), net income and debt policy (DER) and simultaneous partial effect on dividend policy (DPR).

Keywords : net income, debt policy, dividend policy