bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of a Human Rhinovirus-14 3C Protease-Inducible Caspase-3
Authors: Wagner Hanna J. , Weber Wilfried
Published: May 2019

The engineering of enzymes for the purpose of controlling their activity represents a valuable approach to address challenges in both fundamental and applied research. Here, we describe and compare different design strategies for the generation of a human rhinovirus-14 (HRV14) 3C protease-inducible caspase-3 (CASP3). We exemplify the application potential of the resulting protease by controlling the activity of a synthetic enzyme cascade, which represents an important motif for the design of artificial signal transduction networks. In addition, we use our engineered CASP3 to characterize the effect of aspartate mutations on enzymatic activity. Besides the identification of mutations that render the enzyme inactive, we find the CASP3-D192E mutant (aspartate-to-glutamate exchange at position 192) to be inaccessible for 3C protease-mediated cleavage. This indicates a structural change of CASP3 that goes beyond a slight misalignment of the catalytic triad. This study could inspire the design of additional engineered proteases that could be used to unravel fundamental research questions or to expand the collection of biological parts for the design of synthetic signaling pathways.
Silver(I) Complexes of the Pharmaceutical Agents Metronidazole and 4-Hydroxymethylpyridine: Comparison of Cytotoxic Profile for Potential Clinical Application
Authors: Radko Lidia , Stypuła-Trębas Sylwia , Posyniak Andrzej , Żyro Dominik , Ochocki Justyn
Published: May 2019

In previous papers, we have reported on the high antifungal and significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria of the water-soluble silver(I) complexes of metronidazole and derivatives of pyridine compared to silver nitrate. In the present study, the cytotoxic activity of the silver(I) complexes of metronidazole and 4-hydroxymethylpyridine was compared with that of silver nitrate. Metronidazole and 4-hydroxymethylpyridine were investigated using Balb/c 3T3 and HepG2 cell lines in order to evaluate the potential clinical application of silver(I) complexes. The cells were exposed for 72 h to compounds at eight concentrations. The cytotoxic concentrations (IC50) of the study compounds were assessed within four biochemical endpoints: mitochondrial activity, lysosomal activity, cellular membrane integrity, and total protein content. The investigated silver(I) complexes displayed comparable cytotoxicity to that of silver nitrate used in clinics. Mean cytotoxic concentrations calculated for investigated silver(I) complexes from concentration–response curves ranged from 2.13 to 26.5 µM. HepG2 cells were less sensitive to the tested complexes compared to fibroblasts (Balb/c 3T3). However, the most affected endpoint for HepG2 cells was cellular membrane damage. The cytotoxicity of both silver complexes was comparable for Balb/c 3T3 cells. The cytotoxic potential of the new silver(I) compounds compared to that of silver nitrate used in medicine indicates that they are safe and could be used in clinical practice. The presented results are yet more stimulating to further studies that evaluate the therapeutic use of silver complexes.
Exploiting the Nucleophilicity of the Nitrogen Atom of Imidazoles: One-Pot Three-Component Synthesis of Imidazo-Pyrazines
Authors: Galli Ubaldina , Hysenlika Rejdia , Meneghetti Fiorella , Del Grosso Erika , Pelliccia Sveva , Novellino Ettore , Giustiniano Mariateresa , Tron Gian Cesare
Published: May 2019

A novel one-pot multicomponent reaction to synthesize substituted imidazopyrazines is described. In brief, 1H-(imidazol-5-yl)-N-substituted methanamines react with aldehydes and isocyanides in methanol at room temperature to give imidazopyrazine derivatives in excellent yields. The imidazole nitrogen atom was able to intercept the nascent nitrilium ion, channeling the reaction toward to the sole formation of imidazopyrazines, suppressing the competitive formation of other possible side products deriving from the reaction with the high-energy nitrilium ion. The number of examples and the variability of the nature of isocyanides, aldehydes, and amine components herein employed, witness the robustness of this novel methodology.
Chitosan-Based (Nano)Materials for Novel Biomedical Applications
Authors: Kravanja Gregor , Primožič Mateja , Knez Željko , Leitgeb Maja
Published: May 2019

Chitosan-based nanomaterials have attracted significant attention in the biomedical field because of their unique biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, and antimicrobial nature. Multiple perspectives of the proposed antibacterial effect and mode of action of chitosan-based nanomaterials are reviewed. Chitosan is presented as an ideal biomaterial for antimicrobial wound dressings that can either be fabricated alone in its native form or upgraded and incorporated with antibiotics, metallic antimicrobial particles, natural compounds and extracts in order to increase the antimicrobial effect. Since chitosan and its derivatives can enhance drug permeability across the blood-brain barrier, they can be also used as effective brain drug delivery carriers. Some of the recent chitosan formulations for brain uptake of various drugs are presented. The use of chitosan and its derivatives in other biomedical applications is also briefly discussed.
Nanoporous Iron Oxide/Carbon Composites through In-Situ Deposition of Prussian Blue Nanoparticles on Graphene Oxide Nanosheets and Subsequent Thermal Treatment for Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Azhar Alowasheeir , Yamauchi Yusuke , Allah Abeer Enaiet , Alothman Zeid A. , Badjah Ahmad Yacine , Naushad Mu. , Habila Mohamed , Wabaidur Saikh , Wang Jie , Zakaria Mohamed Barakat
Published: May 2019

This work reports the successful preparation of nanoporous iron oxide/carbon composites through the in-situ growth of Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. The applied thermal treatment allows the conversion of PB nanoparticles into iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles. The resulting iron oxide/carbon composite exhibits higher specific capacitance at all scan rates than pure GO and Fe2O3 electrodes due to the synergistic contribution of electric double-layer capacitance from GO and pseudocapacitance from Fe2O3. Notably, even at a high current density of 20 A g−1, the iron oxide/carbon composite still shows a high capacitance retention of 51%, indicating that the hybrid structure provides a highly accessible path for diffusion of electrolyte ions.
Design and Regulation of Novel MnFe2O4@C Nanowires as High Performance Electrode for Supercapacitor
Authors: Geng Lei , Yan Fengfeng , Dong Chenhao , An Cuihua
Published: May 2019

Bimetallic oxides have been considered as potential candidates for supercapacitors due to their relatively high electric conductivity, abundant redox reactions and cheapness. However, nanoparticle aggregation and huge volume variation during charging-discharging procedures make it hard for them to be applied widely. In this work, one-dimensional (1D) MnFe2O4@C nanowires were in-situ synthesized via a simply modified micro-emulsion technique, followed by thermal treatment. The novel 1D and core-shell architecture, and in-situ carbon coating promote its electric conductivity and porous feature. Due to these advantages, the MnFe2O4@C electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance of 824 F·g−1 at 0.1 A·g−1 and remains 476 F·g−1 at 5 A·g−1. After 10,000 cycles, the capacitance retention of the MnFe2O4@C electrode is up to 93.9%, suggesting its excellent long-term cycling stability. After assembling with activated carbon (AC) to form a MnFe2O4@C//AC device, the energy density of this MnFe2O4@C//AC device is 27 W·h·kg−1 at a power density of 290 W·kg−1, and remains at a 10 W·h·kg−1 energy density at a high power density of 9300 W·kg−1.
Self-Powered Flexible Blood Oxygen Monitoring System Based on a Triboelectric Nanogenerator
Authors: Chen Huamin , Xu Yun , Zhang Jiushuang , Wu Weitong , Song Guofeng
Published: May 2019

Flexible optoelectronics based on inorganic functional components have attracted worldwide attention due to their inherent advantages. However, the power supply problem presents a significant obstacle to the commercialization of wearable optoelectronics. Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology has the potential to realize self-powered applications compared to the conventional charging technologies. Herein, a flexible self-powered blood oxygen monitoring system based on TENG was first demonstrated. The flexibility of the TENG is mainly due to the inherent properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and the continuously undulating surface of crumpled gold (Au) and the rough surface on the electrode and PDMS effectively increased the output performance. The output voltage, output current density, and power density were 75.3 V, 7.4 μA, and 0.2 mW/cm2, respectively. By etching the sacrificial layer, we then derived a flexible blood oxygen and pulse detector without any obvious performance degradation. Powered by the TENG, the detector is mounted onto the thumbnail, from where it detects a stable photoplethysmography (PPG) signal which can be used to calculate the oxyhemoglobin saturation and pulse rate. This self-powered system provides a new way to sustainably monitor physiological parameters, which paves the way for development of wearable electronics and battery-free systems.
Dietary Egg Sphingomyelin Prevents Aortic Root Plaque Accumulation in Apolipoprotein-E Knockout Mice
Authors: Millar Courtney L. , Norris Gregory H. , Vitols Addison , Garcia Chelsea , Seibel Samantha , Anto Liya , Blesso Christopher N.
Published: May 2019

Western-style diets have been linked with dyslipidemia and inflammation, two well-known risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dietary sphingomyelin (SM) has been reported to modulate gut microbiota, and lower serum lipids and inflammation in mice on Western-style diets. However, few studies have examined if nutritionally-relevant intake of dietary SM can impact atherosclerosis progression. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine if incorporating 0.1% (w/w) egg SM (ESM) (equivalent to ~750 mg/day in humans) into a high-fat (45% kcal), cholesterol-enriched diet (HFD) could prevent atheroprogression in apoE−/− mice (n = 15/group). We found that mice fed with the ESM-rich diet had significantly lower epididymal fat mass (−46%) and tended to have higher spleen weights (+15%). There were no significant differences in serum lipids between groups. However, ESM-fed mice had significantly lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity. Additionally, ESM-fed mice displayed significantly less aortic root lipid accumulation (−31%) compared to controls. This improvement in atherosclerosis was paired with over a two-fold reduction in circulating serum amyloid A (SAA) in ESM-fed mice. Finally, there was also a modulation of the gut microbiota with ESM supplementation. ESM may have the potential to prevent atherosclerosis, however further research in the clinical setting is warranted.
Choline and DHA in Maternal and Infant Nutrition: Synergistic Implications in Brain and Eye Health
Authors: Mun Jonathan G. , Legette LeeCole L. , Ikonte Chioma J. , Mitmesser Susan H.
Published: May 2019

The aim of this review is to highlight current insights into the roles of choline and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in maternal and infant nutrition, with special emphasis on dietary recommendations, gaps in dietary intake, and synergistic implications of both nutrients in infant brain and eye development. Adequate choline and DHA intakes are not being met by the vast majority of US adults, and even more so by women of child-bearing age. Choline and DHA play a significant role in infant brain and eye development, with inadequate intakes leading to visual and neurocognitive deficits. Emerging findings illustrate synergistic interactions between choline and DHA, indicating that insufficient intakes of one or both could have lifelong deleterious impacts on both maternal and infant health.
The Implementation of Randomization Requires Corrected Analyses. Comment on “Comprehensive Nutritional and Dietary Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder—A Randomized, Controlled 12-Month Trial, Nutrients 2018, 10, 369”
Authors: Vorland Colby , Brown Andrew , Dickinson Stephanie , Gelman Andrew , Allison David
Published: May 2019

We commend Adams et al [...]
Timing of Food Introduction and the Risk of Food Allergy
Authors: Ferraro Valentina , Zanconato Stefania , Carraro Silvia
Published: May 2019

Given that the prevalence of pediatric IgE-mediated food allergies (FA) has followed a substantive increase in recent decades, nowadays, a research challenge is to establish whether the weaning strategy can have a role in FA prevention. In recent decades, several studies have demonstrated that delayed exposure to allergenic foods did not reduce the risk of FA, leading to the publication of recent guidelines which recommend against delaying the introduction of solid foods after 4–6 months of age, both in high- and low-risk infants, in order to prevent food allergy. In the present review, focusing on cow’s milk protein, hen’s eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat and fish, we describe the current scientific evidence on the relationship between timing of these foods’ introduction in infants’ diet and allergy development.
A Contemporary View of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Biology and Strain-Specific Differences
Authors: Pandya Mansi , Callahan Sean , Savchenko Kyryll , Stobart Christopher
Published: May 2019

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a human respiratory pathogen which remains a leading viral cause of hospitalizations and mortality among infants in their first year of life. Here, we review the biology of RSV, the primary laboratory isolates or strains which have been used to best characterize the virus since its discovery in 1956, and discuss the implications for genetic and functional variations between the established laboratory strains and the recently identified clinical isolates.
Assessment of the Antimicrobial Potentiality and Functionality of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Isolated from the Conventional Inner Mongolian Fermented Cheese Against Foodborne Pathogens
Authors: Muhammad Zafarullah , Ramzan Rabia , Abdelazez Amro , Amjad Adnan , Afzaal Muhammad , Zhang Shanshan , Pan Siyi
Published: May 2019

Lactobacillus plantarum are amongst the diversified lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species which are being utilized abundantly in the food industry. Numerous L. plantarum strains have been reported to produce several antimicrobial compounds. Diacetyl, hydrogen peroxide, organic acids, as well as bacteriocins can also be exemplified by a variable spectrum of actions. The current study was intended to conduct the screening and characterization of antimicrobial prospective of L. plantarum from traditional Inner Mongolian fermented hard cheese. Foodborne pathogens, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, were examined by using the Oxford cup technique and the mixed culture inhibition assays. The resulting analyses disclosed that L. plantarum KLDS1.0344 indicated broad antimicrobial spectrum against all selected pathogens as compared to other LAB used in this study. Additionally, the decrement of the pathogen population was observed up to 3.47 logs in mixed culture inhibition assays. L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 acid production was recorded up to 71.8 ± 3.59 °D in mixed culture while antimicrobial particles released in cell free supernatants demonstrated bacteriocin-like characteristics showing substantial pH stability (2.0–6.0), proteolytic enzyme reduced the antibacterial activity (15.2 ± 0.6 mm–20.4 ± 0.8 mm), heat stability (20 min at 120 °C) against selected pathogens. Moreover, the spectrum range of antimicrobial peptides after the partial purification was decreased as compared to the crude bacteriocin-like compound. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed the molecular weight range of partially purified bacteriocin from 12 to 45 kDa. After analyzing the obtained data from the current experimentation showed that the capability of L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 to oppose the pathogen growth in vitro relies on the occurrence of organic acids along with bacteriocin-like compounds proving L. plantarum KLDS 1.0344 as a potentially appropriate candidate as an alternative bio-control agent against foodborne pathogens.
Folic Acid-Functionalized Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots for Targeted Chemo-Photothermal Combination Cancer Therapy
Authors: Luo Miaomiao , Cheng Wei , Zeng Xiaowei , Mei Lin , Liu Gan , Deng Wenbin
Published: May 2019

Due to the inherent limitations, single chemo or photothermal therapies (PTT) are always inefficient. The combination of chemotherapy and PTT for the treatment of cancers has attracted a great interest during the past few years. As a photothermal agent, black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) possess an excellent extinction coefficient, high photothermal conversion efficacy, and good biocompatibility. Herein, we developed a photo- and pH-sensitive nanoparticle based on BPQDs for targeted chemo-photothermal therapy. Doxorubicin (DOX) was employed as a model drug. This nanosystem displayed outstanding photothermal performance both in vitro and in vivo. Folic acid conjugation onto the surface endowed this system an excellent tumor-targeting effect, which was demonstrated by the cellular targeting assay. The BPQDs-based drug delivery system exhibited pH- and photo-responsive release properties, which could reduce the potential damage to normal cells. The in vitro cell viability study showed a synergistic effect in suppressing cancer cell proliferation. Therefore, this BPQDs-based drug delivery system has substantial potential for future clinical applications.
A Qualitative Study on Danish Student Pharmacists’ Attitudes Towards and Experience of Communication Skills Training
Authors: Duijm Neeltje P. , Svensberg Karin , Larsen Casper , Kälvemark Sporrong Sofia
Published: May 2019

As the pharmacy profession evolves, good communication skills are vital for securing the safer and more rational use of medicines. Currently there is a lack of qualitative studies researching European student pharmacists’ and their experience with communication skills training (CST). This qualitative study aimed to fill this gap by exploring Danish student pharmacists’ attitudes towards, and experiences of, CST. Focus group interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of Danish student pharmacists in 2016. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively. Fifteen students participated in three focus groups. Five categories identified as key aspects were: professional communication vs. normal conversation, motivation to engage in training, how to learn communication skills, experience with CST and universities’ role in teaching communication skills. In conclusion, there were both positive and negative attitudes towards CST among the participants. However, they had little experience with CST. Bloom’s taxonomy of the affective domain and Kolb’s experiential learning model appear to be useful in understanding students’ attitudes towards CST. Pharmacy educators can use this study to structure and improve their CST curricula by knowing what influences students’ attitudes towards CST.
Effect of Triblock Copolymer on Carbon-Based Boron Nitride Whiskers for Efficient CO2 Adsorption
Authors: Kamran Urooj , Rhee Kyong Yop , Park Soo-Jin
Published: May 2019

Herein, we investigated novel carbon-containing P123 copolymer-activated boron nitride whiskers (P123-CBNW) fabricated via a structure directing approach followed by a single-step heat treatment under N2. The resulting materials were found to be highly micro- and mesoporous. The influence of the activating agent (P123 copolymer) on the CO2 adsorption efficiency was determined. The prepared samples possessed high specific surface areas (594–1732 m2/g) and micropore volumes (0.258–0.672 cm3/g). The maximum CO2 uptakes of the prepared adsorbents were in the range 136–308 mg/g (3.09–7.01 mmol/g) at 273 K and 1 bar and 97–114 mg/g (2.22–4.62 mmol/g) in the following order: CBNW < P123-CBNW3 < P123-CBNW2 < P123-CBNW1 < P123-CBNW0.5. The isosteric heat of adsorption values (∆Qst) were found to be 33.7–43.7 kJ/mol, demonstrating the physisorption nature of the CO2 adsorption. Extensive analysis revealed that the presence of carbon, the high specific surface area, the high microporosity, and the chemical structural defects within the adsorbents are responsible for raising the CO2 adsorption ability and the selectivity over N2 gas. The fabricated adsorbents show excellent regeneration ability after several repeated adsorption cycles, making the prepared adsorbents promising candidates for gas storage applications.
Influence of Injection Timing on Performance and Exhaust Emission of CI Engine Fuelled with Butanol-Diesel Using a 1D GT-Power Model
Authors: Ahmed Salman Abdu , Zhou Song , Zhu Yuanqing , Feng Yongming , Malik Adil , Ahmad Naseem
Published: May 2019

Injection timing variations have a significant effect on the performance and pollutant formation in diesel engines. Numerical study was conducted to investigate the impact of injection timing on engine performance and pollutants in a six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. Diesel fuel with different amounts (5%, 15%, and 25% by volume) of n-butanol was used. Simulations were performed at four distinct injection timings (5°, 10°, 20°, 25°CA bTDC) and two distinct loads of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP = 4.5 bar and 10.5 bar) at constant engine speed (1800 rpm) using the GT-Power computational simulation package. The primary objective of this research is to determine the optimum injection timing and optimum blending ratio for improved efficiencies and reduced emissions. Notable improvements in engine performance and pollutant trends were observed for butanol-diesel blends. The addition of butanol to diesel fuel has greatly diminished NOX and CO pollutants but it elevated HC and CO2 emissions. Retarded injection timing decreased NOX and CO2 pollutants while HC and CO2 emissions increased. The results also indicated that early injection timings (20°CA bTDC and 25°CA bTDC) lowered both CO2 and unburned hydrocarbon emissions. Moreover, advanced injection timing slightly improved brake thermal efficiency (BTE) for all engine loads. It is concluded that retarded injection timing, i.e., 10°CA bTDC demonstrated optimum results in terms of performance, combustion and emissions and among the fuels 15B showed good outcome with regard to BTE, higher heat release rate, and lower pollution of HC, CO, and NOx.
An Improved Compact Genetic Algorithm for Scheduling Problems in a Flexible Flow Shop with a Multi-Queue Buffer
Authors: Han Zhonghua , Zhang Quan , Shi Haibo , Zhang Jingyuan
Published: May 2019

Flow shop scheduling optimization is one important topic of applying artificial intelligence to modern bus manufacture. The scheduling method is essential for the production efficiency and thus the economic profit. In this paper, we investigate the scheduling problems in a flexible flow shop with setup times. Particularly, the practical constraints of the multi-queue limited buffer are considered in the proposed model. To solve the complex optimization problem, we propose an improved compact genetic algorithm (ICGA) with local dispatching rules. The global optimization adopts the ICGA, and the capability of the algorithm evaluation is improved by mapping the probability model of the compact genetic algorithm to a new one through the probability density function of the Gaussian distribution. In addition, multiple heuristic rules are used to guide the assignment process. Specifically, the rules include max queue buffer capacity remaining (MQBCR) and shortest setup time (SST), which can improve the local dispatching process for the multi-queue limited buffer. We evaluate our method through the real data from a bus manufacture production line. The results show that the proposed ICGA with local dispatching rules and is very efficient and outperforms other existing methods.
Optimization of Macroalgal Density and Salinity for Nutrient Removal by Caulerpa lentillifera from Aquaculture Effluent
Authors: Bambaranda B.V.A.S. Manori , Sasaki Nophea , Chirapart Anong , Salin Krishna R. , Tsusaka Takuji W.
Published: May 2019

Determining the optimum levels of macroalgal density and salinity for removing aquaculture effluent has gained increasing research interest in recent years because of the growing concerns over environmental sustainability. Here, we determined the effects of macroalgal density and salinity on the uptake of NO2−, NO3−, NH3, and PO43− by Caulerpa lentillifera from the effluent of Poecilia latipinna using spectrophotometry. Laboratory experiments were conducted to measure nutrient uptake at five different macroalgal density levels (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 g/L) and three salinity levels (20, 30, and 40 ppt) with and without aeration. Quadratic regression analysis revealed significant nonlinear and linear effects of macroalgal density on the uptake of NO2−, NO3−, NH3, and PO43−, where the maximum uptake was predicted to occur at the macroalgal densities of 31.6, 33.3, 50.0, and 20.0 g/L, respectively. Likewise, the effects of salinity on the uptake of NO2−, NO3−, NH3, and PO43− were significant and nonlinear where the maximum uptake was predicted to occur at the salinity levels of 29.1, 30.7, 29.5, and 29.5 ppt, respectively. The result of the effects of aeration was mixed but somewhat indicated a positive effect on the nutrient uptake within the 24 h period. Our results could help aquaculturists to minimize the excessive nutrients by C. lentillifera from aquaculture effluent while achieving long-term sustainable aquaculture production.
Process Optimization by a Response Surface Methodology for Adsorption of Congo Red Dye onto Exfoliated Graphite-Decorated MnFe2O4 Nanocomposite: The Pivotal Role of Surface Chemistry
Authors: Pham Van Thinh , T. Nguyen Hong-Tham , Thi Cam Nguyen Duyen , T. N. Le Hanh , Thi Nguyen Thuong , Thi Hong Le Nhan , Lim Kwon Teak , Duy Nguyen Trinh , Tran Thuan Van , Bach Long Giang
Published: May 2019

Natural graphite, a locally available, eco-friendly, and low-cost carbonaceous source, can be easily transformed into exfoliated graphite (EG) with many surface functional groups via a chemical oxidation route. Combination between EG and magnetic MnFe2O4 is a promising strategy to create a hybrid kind of nanocomposite (EG@MnFe2O4) for the efficient adsorptive removal of Congo red (CR) dye from water. Here, we reported the facile synthesis and characterization of chemical bonds of EG@MnFe2O4 using several techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, the quantity method by Boehm titration was employed to identify the content of functional groups: Carboxylic acid (0.044 mmol/g), phenol (0.032 mmol/g), lactone (0.020 mmol/g), and total base (0.0156 mmol/g) on the surface of EG@MnFe2O4. Through the response surface methodology-optimized models, we found a clear difference in the adsorption capacity between EG-decorated MnFe2O4 (62.0 mg/g) and MnFe2O4 without EG decoration (11.1 mg/g). This result was also interpreted via a proposed mechanism to elucidate the contribution of surface functional groups of EG@MnFe2O4 to adsorption efficiency towards CR dye.
Recycling of Coal Ash in Concrete as a Partial Cementitious Resource
Authors: Mangi Sajjad Ali , Wan Ibrahim Mohd Haziman , Jamaluddin Norwati , Arshad Mohd Fadzil , Mudjanarko Sri Wiwoho
Published: May 2019

Concrete construction offers a great opportunity to replace the cement with a coal-based power plant waste—known as coal bottom ash (CBA)—which offers great environmental and technical benefits. These are significant in sustainable concrete construction. This study aims to recycle CBA in concrete and evaluate its particle fineness influence on workability, compressive and tensile strength of concrete. In this study, a total of 120 specimens were prepared, in which ground CBA with a different fineness was used as a partial cement replacement of 0% to 30% the weight of cement. It was noticed that workability was decreased due to an increased amount of ground CBA, because it absorbed more water in the concrete mix. The growth in the compressive and tensile strength of concrete with ground CBA was not significant at the early ages. At 28 days, a targeted compressive strength of 35 MPa was achieved with the 10% ground CBA. However, it required a longer time to achieve a 44.5 MPa strength of control mix. This shows that the pozzolanic reaction was not initiated up to 28 days. It was experimentally explored that 10% ground CBA—having particle fineness around 65% to 75% and passed through 63 µm sieve—could achieve the adequate compressive and tensile strength of concrete. This study confirmed that the particle fineness of cement replacement materials has a significant influence on strength performance of concrete.
A Comparative Study of Texture and Convolutional Neural Network Features for Detecting Collapsed Buildings After Earthquakes Using Pre- and Post-Event Satellite Imagery
Authors: Ji Min , Liu Lanfa , Du Runlin , Buchroithner Manfred F.
Published: May 2019

The accurate and quick derivation of the distribution of damaged building must be considered essential for the emergency response. With the success of deep learning, there is an increasing interest to apply it for earthquake-induced building damage mapping, and its performance has not been compared with conventional methods in detecting building damage after the earthquake. In the present study, the performance of grey-level co-occurrence matrix texture and convolutional neural network (CNN) features were comparatively evaluated with the random forest classifier. Pre- and post-event very high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing imagery were considered to identify collapsed buildings after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Overall accuracy (OA), allocation disagreement (AD), quantity disagreement (QD), Kappa, user accuracy (UA), and producer accuracy (PA) were used as the evaluation metrics. The results showed that the CNN feature with random forest method had the best performance, achieving an OA of 87.6% and a total disagreement of 12.4%. CNNs have the potential to extract deep features for identifying collapsed buildings compared to the texture feature with random forest method by increasing Kappa from 61.7% to 69.5% and reducing the total disagreement from 16.6% to 14.1%. The accuracy for identifying buildings was improved by combining CNN features with random forest compared with the CNN approach. OA increased from 85.9% to 87.6%, and the total disagreement reduced from 14.1% to 12.4%. The results indicate that the learnt CNN features can outperform texture features for identifying collapsed buildings using VHR remotely sensed space imagery.
Correcting Swath-Dependent Bias of MODIS FRP Observations With Quantile Mapping
Authors: Kaur Inderpreet , Hüser Imke , Zhang Tianran , Gehrke Berit , Kaiser Johannes
Published: May 2019

Active fire observations with satellite instruments exhibit a well-documented increase of the detection threshold with increasing pixel footprint size, i.e., distance from the sub-satellite point. This results in a viewing angle-dependent, negative bias in gridded representations of the observed Fire Radiative Power (FRP), which in turn is frequently being used for climate monitoring of biomass burning and for pyrogenic emission inventories. We present a method based on quantile mapping to alleviate this bias and apply it to the gridded-FRP from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite instruments. The gridded-FRP observations are corrected with a correction function that depends on the satellite viewing angle and the magnitude of FRP in each grid cell. Assuming the fire observations at nadir to be the best representation of the truth, we derive a correction function by mapping cumulative distribution function (CDF) of off-nadir gridded-FRP to the CDF of near-nadir gridded-FRP. The method can be directly applied to correct the negative bias in gridded-FRP observations at a grid resolution of 1 ∘ or more. The performance of the correction methodology is confirmed through comparisons with co-located Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) satellite observations: After bias correction, the gridded-FRP observations from both satellites agree better than before, particularly over savanna, tropical forests, and extra-tropical forests. Experiments with the Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) show that the impacts of the bias-corrected MODIS/Aqua gridded-FRP observations and VIIRS/Suomi-NPP gridded-FRP observations on regional FRP analyses are comparable, which confirms the potential for improving fire emission inventories and climate monitoring based on FRP.
An Integrative Framework for Online Prognostic and Health Management Using Internet of Things and Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Qu Yuanju , Ming Xinguo , Qiu Siqi , Zheng Maokuan , Hou Zengtao
Published: May 2019

With the development of the internet of things (IoTs), big data, smart sensing technology, and cloud technology, the industry has entered a new stage of revolution. Traditional manufacturing enterprises are transforming into service-oriented manufacturing based on prognostic and health management (PHM). However, there is a lack of a systematic and comprehensive framework of PHM to create more added value. In this paper, the authors proposed an integrative framework to systematically solve the problem from three levels: Strategic level of PHM to create added value, tactical level of PHM to make the implementation route, and operational level of PHM in a detailed application. At the strategic level, the authors provided the innovative business model to create added value through the big data. Moreover, to monitor the equipment status, the health index (HI) based on a condition-based maintenance (CBM) method was proposed. At the tactical level, the authors provided the implementation route in application integration, analysis service, and visual management to satisfy the different stakeholders’ functional requirements through a convolutional neural network (CNN). At the operational level, the authors constructed a self-sensing network based on anti-inference and self-organizing Zigbee to capture the real-time data from the equipment group. Finally, the authors verified the feasibility of the framework in a real case from China.
RETRACTED: Alcohol Misuse Among Young Adults in Northern Italy
Authors: Pavarin Raimondo
Published: May 2019

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of heavy episodic drinking (HED), consumption patterns, protective and risk behaviours and motivations in a sample of young Italians with recent alcohol use. Design: Cross-sectional study. The target population was young people (18–29 years) living in the metropolitan area of Bologna (Northern Italy). A mixed study design with quantitative and qualitative instruments was used. Findings: Four focus groups were held; 500 young people were interviewed. The results show ample alcohol misuse among youths and highlight a process of normalization of excess-oriented practices. Following single episodes of HED, almost all the interviewees experienced health problems or negative consequences in the fields of relations and social commitments. A particular group of habitual alcohol drinkers (frequent and repeated misuse) were identified with a high likelihood of encountering problematic situations and stated that their motivation for their last episode of HED was boredom and the search for psychoactive effects. From the current focus, it can be seen that those who take large quantities of alcoholic beverages do so to reach a state of inebriation. Young adults seem to be well-informed as to the psychoactive properties of alcoholic beverages and are aware of the related risks. Originality/value: A gradual loss of traditional references in the alcohol culture emerges among Italian youths. Future studies targeted at the cultural aspects of alcohol misuse are needed.
The Development of Silica Hydride Stationary Phases for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography from Conception to Commercialization
Authors: Matyska Maria , Pesek Joseph
Published: May 2019

The development of a stationary phase material for high-performance liquid chromatography based on a surface of silica hydride as opposed to silanols on ordinary silica is discussed including synthetic approaches, characterization, and applications. There are several synthetic approaches available to create a silica hydride surface. Modification of the Si–H moiety on the silica surface can be accomplished through the use of a hydrosilation reaction. Both the intermediate silica hydride and the material modified with an organic moiety can be characterized by a number of spectroscopic as well as a variety of other methods. Further insights into the retention mechanism are provided through chromatographic measurements. The ultimate utility of any chromatographic stationary phase material is determined by its success in solving challenging analytical problems. A broad range of applications is reviewed to illustrate the versatility and usefulness of silica hydride-based stationary phases.
Designing Protected Areas for Social–Ecological Sustainability: Effectiveness of Management Guidelines for Preserving Cultural Landscapes
Authors: Sarmiento-Mateos Patricio , Arnaiz-Schmitz Cecilia , Herrero-Jáuregui Cristina , D. Pineda Francisco , Schmitz María F.
Published: May 2019

Rural cultural landscapes are social–ecological systems that have been shaped by traditional human land uses in a co-evolution process between nature and culture. Protected areas should be an effective way to protect cultural landscapes and support the way of life and the economy of the local population. However, nature conservation policymaking processes and management guidelines frequently do not take culturalness into account. Through a new quantitative approach, this paper analyzes the regulatory framework of two protected areas under different management categories, located in an ancient cultural landscape of the Madrid Region (Central Spain), to identify the similarities in their conservation commitments and the effectiveness of their zoning schemes. The results show some arbitrariness in the design and management of these parks, highlighting the importance of prohibited measures in their zoning schemes that encourage uses and activities more related to naturalness than to culturalness. The recognition of protected areas as cultural landscapes and their management considering both naturalness and culturalness issues are important methods of better achieving sustainable management objectives from a social–ecological approach. This methodological approach has proven useful to unravel various legislative content, and its application on a larger scale could reveal important information for the sound management of protected areas (PAs) in cultural landscapes.
Evaluating Hydrological Models for Deriving Water Resources in Peninsular Spain
Authors: Pérez-Sánchez Julio , Senent-Aparicio Javier , Segura-Méndez Francisco , Pulido-Velazquez David , Srinivasan Raghavan
Published: May 2019

Water availability is essential for the appropriate analysis of its sustainable management. We performed a comparative study of six hydrological balance models (Témez, ABCD, GR2M, AWBM, GUO-5p, and Thornthwaite-Mather) in several basins with different climatic conditions within Spain in the 1977–2010 period. We applied six statistical indices to compare the results of the models: the Akaike information criterion (AIC), the Bayesian information criterion (BIC), Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE), coefficient of determination (R2), percent bias (PBIAS), and the relative error between observed and simulated run-off volumes (REV). Furthermore, we applied the FITEVAL software to determine the uncertainty of the model. The results show that when the catchments are more humid the obtained results are better. The GR2M model gave the best fit in peninsular Spain in a UNEP aridity index framework above 1, and NSE values above 0.75 in a 95% confidence interval classify GR2M as very good for humid watersheds. The use of REV is also a key index in the assessment of the margin of error. Flow duration curves show good performance in the probabilities of exceedance lower than 80% in wet watersheds and deviations in low streamflows account for less than 5% of the total streamflow.
Evaluation of Sustainable Livelihoods in the Context of Disaster Vulnerability: A Case Study of Shenzha County in Tibet, China
Authors: Zhao Yannan , Fan Jie , Liang Bo , Zhang Lu
Published: May 2019

The issue of achieving sustainable livelihoods (SL) is a persistent problem that has gained significant interest for all countries. Even though contexts of vulnerability have been highlighted to be critical to SL, the difference of SL under vulnerability contexts, particularly disaster, has been ignored. As one disaster-prone area, there is an urgent need to conduct studies on SL in Shenzha, within the context of the construction of a national park. This paper proposes to address this research gap by evaluating SL under various disaster contexts in Shenzha, China. According to the frequency of natural disasters, towns in Shenzha can be divided into three groups: Snowstorm and windstorm-dominated towns (SWT), mixed towns (MT) and drought-dominated towns (DT). The results showed that (1) a great disparity of SL can be observed among the three vulnerability groups. The scores of these SL were sorted into descending order as: DT > SWT > MT. (2) In detail, herdsmen in DT have a high value of SL because they have high livelihood assets, livelihood strategies and disaster management capabilities. (3) Herdsmen in SWT have high livelihood assets, particularly human and financial assets, and livelihood strategies. (4) The low livelihood assets and livelihood strategies have restricted the SL of herdsmen in MT. An analysis of SL under various disaster contexts helped to depict the characteristics of SL. Accordingly, targeted policies were developed for the development of SL under various disaster contexts.
Dam Removal Effects on Benthic Macroinvertebrate Dynamics: A New England Stream Case Study (Connecticut, USA)
Authors: Poulos Helen M. , Miller Kate E. , Heinemann Ross , Kraczkowski Michelle L. , Whelchel Adam W. , Chernoff Barry
Published: May 2019

Dam removal is an increasingly common stream restoration tool. Yet, removing dams from small streams also represents a major disturbance to rivers that can have varied impacts on environmental conditions and aquatic biota. We examined the effects of dam removal on the structure, function, and composition of benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities in a temperate New England stream. We examined the effects of dam removal over the dam removal time-series using linear mixed effects models, autoregressive models, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and indicator and similarity analyses. The results indicated that the dam removal stimulated major shifts in BMI community structure and composition above and below the dam, and that the BMI communities are becoming more similar over time. The mixed model analysis revealed that BMI functional groups and diversity were significantly influenced by sample site and several BMI groups also experienced significant interactions between site and dam stage (P < 0.05), while the multivariate analyses revealed that community structure continues to differ among sites, even three years after dam removal. Our findings indicate that stream restoration through dam removal can have site-specific influences on BMI communities, that interactions among BMI taxa are important determinants of the post-dam removal community, and that the post-dam-removal BMI community continues to be in a state of reorganization.
Research on the Spatial–Temporal Synthetic Measurement of the Coordinated Development of Population-Economy-Society-Resource-Environment (PESRE) Systems in China Based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Authors: Lu Chenyu , Yang Jiaqi , Li Hengji , Jin Shulei , Pang Min , Lu Chengpeng
Published: May 2019

The issue of how to realize the coordinated development of various elements in human–land systems, or, in other words, how to achieve the coordinated development of population-economy-society-resource-environment (PESRE) systems, has become an important topic, which has received global attention. This study takes 31 provinces in China as the research objects, and carries out the research on the spatial–temporal synthetic measurement of the coordinated development of PESRE systems. The conclusions are as follows. From 1995 to 2015, the process of change of coupling coordination degree of China’s PESRE systems can be divided into two types: Rising first and then declining, and fluctuant continuously. The number of provinces of the first type was higher, and most provinces were on the verge of uncoordinated development status or in a weakly coordinated development status. The coupling degree of PESRE systems at the provincial level in China generally shows some positive spatial correlations, and the level of coordinated development displays some obvious spatial aggregation patterns. Moreover, the degree of such aggregation first increases and then weakens. The eastern parts of China represent the main “high-high” type aggregation regions. The central and western parts of China represent the main “low-low” types, account for the largest proportion, and display obvious aggregation characteristics.
Walkability and Resilience: A Qualitative Approach to Design for Risk Reduction
Authors: Porębska Anna , Rizzi Paola , Otsuki Satoshi , Shirotsuki Masahiro
Published: May 2019

Quality of life and well-being are hardly ever an issue when life itself is at stake. The advantages of high-quality walkable streets and public spaces are underestimated when larger problems need to be addressed first and seemingly more serious solutions need to be applied. Hence, a quantitative approach to evacuation route planning and design prevails over a qualitative one or at least a hybrid one. The scope of the ongoing study partially presented in this paper is to find methods for addressing the complicated present and the disastrous future at the same time. The one applied in the case study reported here—Susaki City in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan, which is preparing for the next Nankai earthquake and tsunami, expected sometime soon—was a cycle of active research and international workshops organized in cooperation with the local community and administration. The aim was to understand the challenges that concern the design of dual spaces that are suitable for both everyday life and emergency situations and are connected by walkable spaces. As a result, the paper offers insight into the limits of punctual treatments as well as the relativity of objective and subjective dimensions of urban walkability in the context of risk. Despite the complexity of the issue, a walkable built environment was revealed to be a countermeasure rather than a fad.