bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimising Non-Processing Energy Consumption and Tardiness Fines in a Mixed-Flow Shop
Authors: Peng Chen , Peng Tao , Zhang Yi , Tang Renzhong , Hu Luoke
Published: December 2018

To meet the increasingly diversified demand of customers, more mixed-flow shops are employed. The flexibility of mixed-flow shops increases the difficulty of scheduling. In this paper, a mixed-flow shop scheduling approach (MFSS) is proposed to minimise the energy consumption and tardiness fine (TF) of production with a special focus on non-processing energy (NPE) reduction. The proposed approach consists of two parts: firstly, a mathematic model is developed to describe how NPE and TF can be determined with a specific schedule; then, a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm with multi-chromosomes (MCEAs) is developed to obtain the optimal solutions considering the NPE-TF trade-offs. A deterministic search method with boundary (DSB) and a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA) are employed to validate the developed MCEA. Finally, a case study on an extrusion die mixed-flow shop is performed to demonstrate the proposed approach in industrial practice. Compared with three traditional scheduling approaches, the better performance of the MFSS in terms of computational time and solution quality could be demonstrated.
On the Dynamics of Flexible Plates under Rotational Motions
Authors: Fu Shifeng , Jin Yaqing , Kim Jin-Tae , Mao Zhongyu , Zheng Yuan , Chamorro Leonardo
Published: December 2018

The reconfiguration of low-aspect-ratio flexible plates, required power and induced flow under pure rotation were experimentally inspected for various plate stiffness and angular velocities ω. Particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) were used to characterize the plate deformation along their span as well as the flow and turbulence statistics in the vicinity of the structures. Results show the characteristic role of stiffness and ω in modulating the structure reconfiguration, power required and induced flow. The inspected configurations allowed inspecting various plate deformations ranging from minor to extreme bending over 90∘ between the tangents of the two tips. Regardless of the case, the plates did not undergo noticeable deformation in the last ∼30% of the span. Location of the maximum deformation along the plate followed a trend s m ∝ l o g ( C a ) , where C a is the Cauchy number, which indicated that s m is roughly fixed at sufficiently large C a. The angle (α) between the plate in the vicinity of the tip and the tangential vector of the motions exhibited two distinctive, nearly-linear trends as a function of C a , within C a ∈ ( 0 , 15 ) and C a ∈ ( 20 , 70 ), with a matching within these C a at C a > 70, α ≈ 45 ∘. Induced flow revealed a local maximum of the turbulence levels at around 60% of the span of the plate; however, the largest turbulence enhancement occurred near the tip. Flexibility of the plate strongly modulated the spatial distribution of small-scale vortical structures; they were located along the plate wake in the stiffer plate and relatively concentrated near the tip in the low-stiffness plate. Due to relatively large deformation, rotational and wake effects, a simple formulation for predicting the mean reconfiguration showed offset; however, a bulk, constant factor on ω accounted for the offset between predictions and measurements at deformation reaching ∼ 60 ∘ between the tips.
Exploiting JTAG and Its Mitigation in IOT: A Survey
Authors: Vishwakarma Gopal , Lee Wonjun
Published: December 2018

Nowadays, companies are heavily investing in the development of “Internet of Things(IoT)” products. These companies usually and obviously hunt for lucrative business models. Currently, each person owns at least 3–4 devices (such as mobiles, personal computers, Google Assistant, Alexa, etc.) that are connected to the Internet 24/7. However, in the future, there might be hundreds of devices that will be constantly online behind each person, keeping track of body health, banking transactions, status of personal devices, etc. to make one’s life more efficient and streamlined. Thus, it is very crucial that each device should be highly secure since one’s life will become dependent on these devices. However, the current security of IoT devices is mainly focused on resiliency of device. In addition, less complex node devices are easily accessible to the public resulting in higher vulnerability. JTAG is an IEEE standard that has been defined to test proper mounting of components on PCBs (printed circuit boards) and has been extensively used by PCB manufacturers to date. This JTAG interface can be used as a backdoor entry to access and exploit devices, also defined as a physical attack. This attack can be used to make products malfunction, modify data, or, in the worst case, stop working. This paper reviews previous successful JTAG exploitations of well-known devices operating online and also reviews some proposed possible solutions to see how they can affect IoT products in a broader sense.
Perceptions of Healthcare-Associated Infection and Antibiotic Resistance among Physicians Treating Syrian Patients with War-Related Injuries
Authors: Älgå Andreas , Karlow Herzog Karin , Alrawashdeh Murad , Wong Sidney , Khankeh Hamidreza , Stålsby Lundborg Cecilia
Published: December 2018

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) constitute a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a greater burden on low- and middle-income countries. War-related injuries generally lead to large tissue defects, with a high risk of infection. The aim of this study was to explore how physicians in a middle-income country in an emergency setting perceive HAI and antibiotic resistance (ABR). Ten physicians at a Jordanian hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières were interviewed face-to-face. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by qualitative content analysis with an inductive and deductive approach. The participants acknowledged risk factors of HAI and ABR development, such as patient behavior, high numbers of injured patients, limited space, and non-compliance with hygiene protocols, but did not express a sense of urgency or any course of action. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics were reported as main contributors to ABR development, but participants expressed no direct interrelationship between ABR and HAI. We conclude that due to high patient load and limited resources, physicians do not see HAI as a problem they can prioritize. The knowledge gained by this study could provide insights for the allocation of resources and development of hygiene and wound treatment protocols in resource-limited settings.
A Systematic Review of the Basis for WHO’s New Recommendation for Limiting Aircraft Noise Annoyance
Authors: Gjestland Truls
Published: December 2018

The new WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region have recommendations for limiting noise exposure associated with adverse health effects. The limits are said to be based on a systematic review of existing evidence. This paper gives a systematic assessment of the presented evidence with respect to annoyance from aircraft noise. The new guidelines have been based on the results from a selection of existing aircraft noise studies. This paper demonstrates that a similar selection of other existing post-2000 studies will yield very different results. In addition, the validity of the presented evidence has been questioned as some of the referenced studies have not been conducted according to standardized methods, and the selection of respondents is not representative of the general airport population.
Influence Factors on Injury Severity of Traffic Accidents and Differences in Urban Functional Zones: The Empirical Analysis of Beijing
Authors: Sun Zhiyuan , Wang Jianyu , Chen Yanyan , Lu Huapu
Published: December 2018

The objective of this study was to identify influence factors on injury severity of traffic accidents and discuss the differences in urban functional zones in Beijing. A total of 3982 sets of accident data in Beijing were analyzed from the perspective of whole city and different urban functional zones. From the aspects of accident attribute, occurrence time, infrastructure, management status, and environmental condition, the influence factors set of injury severity of traffic accidents in Beijing are set up in this paper, which include 17 influence factors. Based on Pearson’s chi-squared test, factors are preselected. On the basis of binary logistic regression analysis, the impact of the value of influence factors on injury severity of traffic accidents is calibrated. Based on classification and regression tree analysis, the impact of influence factors is analyzed. Through Pearson’s chi-squared test and binary logistic regression analysis, it is found that there are similarities and differences among different urban functional zones. There are two common influence factors, including accident type and cross-section position, and six personalized influence factors, including lighting conditions, visibility, signal control, road physical isolation facility, occurrence period and road type, and the other nine weak influence factors. The results of binary logistic regression analysis and classification and regression tree analysis are basically the same. The factors that should be paid attention to in different urban functional zones and the value of the factors that need special attention are determined by synthesizing two methods.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Deletion of Large Genomic Fragments in Soybean
Authors: Cai Yupeng , Chen Li , Sun Shi , Wu Cunxiang , Yao Weiwei , Jiang Bingjun , Han Tianfu , Hou Wensheng
Published: December 2018

At present, the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) has been mainly focused on knocking out target genes, and most site-directed mutagenesis has occurred at single cleavage sites and resulted in short deletions and/or insertions. However, the use of multiple guide RNAs for complex genome editing, especially the deletion of large DNA fragments in soybean, has not been systematically explored. In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 technology to specifically induce targeted deletions of DNA fragments in GmFT2a (Glyma16g26660) and GmFT5a (Glyma16g04830) in soybean using a dual-sgRNA/Cas9 design. We achieved a deletion frequency of 15.6% for target fragments ranging from 599 to 1618 bp in GmFT2a. We also achieved deletion frequencies of 12.1% for target fragments exceeding 4.5 kb in GmFT2a and 15.8% for target fragments ranging from 1069 to 1161 bp in GmFT5a. In addition, we demonstrated that these CRISPR/Cas9-induced large fragment deletions can be inherited. The T2 ‘transgene-free’ homozygous ft2a mutants with a 1618 bp deletion exhibited the late-flowering phenotype. In this study, we developed an efficient system for deleting large fragments in soybean using CRISPR/Cas9; this system could benefit future research on gene function and improve agriculture via chromosome engineering or customized genetic breeding in soybean.
Endothelial Function: A Short Guide for the Interventional Cardiologist
Authors: Gori Tommaso
Published: December 2018

An impaired function of the coronary endothelium is an important determinant of all stages of atherosclerosis, from initiation, to mediation of functional phenomena—such as spasm and plaque erosion, to atherothrombotic complications. Endothelial function is modified by therapies, including stent implantation. Finally, endothelial function changes over time, in response to physical stimuli and pharmocotherapies, and its assessment might provide information on how individual patients respond to specific therapies. In this review, we describe the role of the endothelium in the continuum of coronary atherosclerosis, from the perspective of the interventional cardiologist. In the first part, we review the current knowledge of the role of endothelial (dys)function on atherosclerotic plaque progression/instabilization and on the mechanisms of ischemia, in the absence of coronary artery stenosis. In the second part of this review, we describe the impact of coronary artery stenting on endothelial function, platelet aggregation, and inflammation.
Genetic Hierarchy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: From Clonal Hematopoiesis to Molecular Residual Disease
Authors: Martignoles Jean-Alain , Delhommeau François , Hirsch Pierre
Published: December 2018

Recent advances in the field of cancer genome analysis revolutionized the picture we have of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Pan-genomic studies, using either single nucleotide polymorphism arrays or whole genome/exome next generation sequencing, uncovered alterations in dozens of new genes or pathways, intimately connected with the development of leukemia. From a simple two-hit model in the late nineties, we are now building clonal stories that involve multiple unexpected cellular functions, leading to full-blown AML. In this review, we will address several seminal concepts that result from these new findings. We will describe the genetic landscape of AML, the association and order of events that define multiple sub-entities, both in terms of pathogenesis and in terms of clinical practice. Finally, we will discuss the use of this knowledge in the settings of new strategies for the evaluation of measurable residual diseases (MRD), using clone-specific multiple molecular targets.
Evaluation of Fruit Bagging as a Pest Management Option for Direct Pests of Apple
Authors: Frank Daniel L.
Published: December 2018

Bagging fruit with plastic, paper, and two-layer commercial bags was evaluated for control of insect pests and diseases in an experimental apple orchard planted with ‘Red Delicious’ trees. Results from fruit damage evaluations at harvest showed that bagging significantly reduced fruit damage from direct apple pests compared with non-bagged control plots, and generally provided similar levels of fruit protection when compared with a conventional pesticide spray program. Of the three bagging materials evaluated, plastic bags provided numerically higher levels of fruit protection from insect pests, and two-layer commercial bags provided numerically higher levels of fruit protection from fruit diseases. Fruit quality as measured by percentage Brix was higher in non-bagged control plots than all other treatment plots. Fruit quality as measured by fruit diameter was not significantly different among treatments. Plastic and two-layer commercial bags generally required less time to secure around apple fruit than paper bags. The proportion of bags that remained on fruit until harvest ranged from 0.54–0.71 (commercial bags), 0.64–0.82 (plastic bags), and 0.32–0.60 (paper bags), depending on the year.
Effect of Water-Based Nanolubricants in Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Grinding
Authors: Molaie Mir Majid , Zahedi Ali , Akbari Javad
Published: December 2018

Currently, because of stricter environmental standards and highly competitive markets, machining operations, as the main part of the manufacturing cycle, need to be rigorously optimized. In order to simultaneously maximize the production quality and minimize the environmental issues related to the grinding process, this research study evaluates the performance of minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) grinding using water-based nanofluids in the presence of horizontal ultrasonic vibrations (UV). In spite of the positive impacts of MQL using nanofluids and UV which are extensively reported in the literature, there is only a handful of studies on concurrent utilization of these two techniques. To this end, for this paper, five kinds of water-based nanofluids including multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), graphite, Al2O3, graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles, and hybrid Al2O3/graphite were employed as MQL coolants, and the workpiece was oscillated along the feed direction with 21.9 kHz frequency and 10 µm amplitude. Machining forces, specific energy, and surface quality were measured for determining the process efficiency. As specified by experimental results, the variation in the material removal nature made by ultrasonic vibrations resulted in a drastic reduction of the grinding normal force and surface roughness. In addition, the type of nanoparticles dispersed in water had a strong effect on the grinding tangential force. Hybrid Al2O3/graphite nanofluid through two different kinds of lubrication mechanisms—third body and slider layers—generated better lubrication than the other coolants, thereby having the lowest grinding forces and specific energy (40.13 J/mm3). It was also found that chemically exfoliating the graphene layers via oxidation and then purification prior to dispersion in water promoted their effectiveness. In conclusion, UV assisted MQL grinding increases operation efficiency by facilitating the material removal and reducing the use of coolants, frictional losses, and energy consumption in the grinding zone. Improvements up to 52%, 47%, and 61%, respectively, can be achieved in grinding normal force, specific energy, and surface roughness compared with conventional dry grinding.
Development of a Multi-Pass Drawing Process Design System for Steel Profiles
Authors: Lee Sang-Kon , Lee In-Kyu , Lee Sung-Yun
Published: December 2018

The process design of a multi-pass steel profile drawing depends mainly on the experience of the industrial experts. Therefore, in the actual industrial field, a systematic design method is required to improve the efficiency of process design. Development of such a method will result in a reduction in production cost and time. In this study, a process design system that can be installed in AutoCAD V14 was developed. By using the developed design system, the drawing load, stress, and strain, among other parameters, can be calculated. In addition, intermediate die shapes can be designed. After the process design, both process information and drawings of dies can be obtained. In order to verify the effectiveness of the developed process design system, it was used to design multi-pass profile drawing processes. Finally, finite element (FE) analysis and a drawing experiment were carried out to verify the designed processes.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Evaluating Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Dental Implants and Extraction Procedures
Authors: Singh Gill Amrik , Morrissey Hana , Rahman Ayesha
Published: December 2018

Background and objectives: The use of antibiotic prophylaxis in extraction and implant dentistry is still controversial, with varying opinions regarding their necessity. The overuse of antibiotics has led to widespread antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of multi drug resistant strains of bacteria. The main aim of this work was to determine whether there is a genuine need for antibiotic prophylaxis in two common dental procedures; dental implants and tooth extractions. Methods: Electronic searches were conducted across databases such as Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, the UK National Health Service, Centre for reviews, Science Direct, PubMed and the British Dental Journal to identify clinical trials of either dental implants or tooth extractions, whereby the independent variable was systemic prophylactic antibiotics used as part of treatment in order to prevent postoperative complications such as implant failure or infection. Primary outcomes of interest were implant failure, and postoperative infections which include systemic bacteraemia and localised infections. The secondary outcome of interest was adverse events due to antibiotics. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool was used to assess the risk of bias, extract outcomes of interest and to identify studies for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Results: Seven randomised clinical trials (RCTs) were included in the final review comprising n = 1368 patients requiring either tooth extraction(s) or dental implant(s). No statistically significant evidence was found to support the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics in reducing the risk of implant failure (p = 0.09, RR 0.43; 95% CI 0.16–1.14) or post-operative complications (p = 0.47, RR: 0.74; 95% CI 0.34–1.65) under normal conditions. Approximately 33 patients undergoing dental implant surgery need to receive antibiotics in order to prevent one implant failure from occurring. Conclusions: There is little conclusive evidence to suggest the routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis for third molar extractive surgery in healthy young adults. There was no statistical evidence for adverse events experienced for antibiotics vs. placebo. Based on our analysis, even if financially feasible, clinicians must carefully consider the appropriate use of antibiotics in dental implants and extraction procedures due to the risk of allergic reactions and the development of microbial drug resistance.
Report from the Scientific Poster Session at the 13th Annual Cardiometabolic Health Congress in Boston, USA, 24–27 October 2018
Authors:   Organizing Committee CMHC 2018
Published: November 2018

More than one third of the population has at least one cardiometabolic risk factor-dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, diabetes, and/or obesity. [...]
Synthesis, Experimental and Density Functional Theory (DFT) Studies on Solubility of Camptothecin Derivatives
Authors: Lai Chin-Hung , Chang Chia-Chin , Weng Yi-Lin , Chuang Ta-Hsien
Published: December 2018

Two camptothecin derivatives, 10-cyclohexyl-7-methyl-20(S)-camptothecin and 7-methyl-10-morpholino-20(S)-camptothecin, were synthesized and their differences in solubility were investigated using four chosen solvent systems. Based on our results, 10-cyclohexyl-7-methyl-20(S)-camptothecin exhibited higher solubilities than 7-methyl-10-morpholino-20(S)-camptothecin in polar aprotic solvents. However, these two camptothecin derivatives did not exhibit apparent differences in solubility between 5% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/95% normal saline co-solvent system and 5% dimethylacetamide (DMAC)/95% normal saline co-solvent system. To rationalize their differences in solubility, we also tried to perform a DFT-B3LYP study to investigate their interaction with one water molecule.
Precursor Phenomena of Barium Titanate Single Crystals Grown Using a Solid-State Single Crystal Growth Method Studied with Inelastic Brillouin Light Scattering and Birefringence Measurements
Authors: Oh Soo Han , Ko Jae-Hyeon , Lee Ho-Yong , Lazar Iwona , Roleder Krystian
Published: December 2018

The nature of precursor phenomena in the paraelectric phase of ferroelectrics is one of the main questions to be resolved from a fundamental point of view. Barium titanate (BaTiO3) is one of the most representative perovskite-structured ferroelectrics intensively studied until now. The pretransitional behavior of BaTiO3 single crystal grown using a solid-state crystal growth (SSCG) method was investigated for the first time and compared to previous results. There is no melting process in the SSCG method, thus the crystal grown using a SSCG method have inherent higher levels of impurity and defect concentrations, which is a good candidate for investigating the effect of crystal quality on the precursor phenomena. The acoustic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties, as well as birefringence, of the SSCG-grown BaTiO3 were examined over a wide temperature range. Especially, the acoustic phonon behavior was investigated in terms of Brillouin spectroscopy, which is a complementary technique to Raman spectroscopy. The obtained precursor anomalies of the SSCG-grown BaTiO3 in the cubic phase were similar to those of other single crystals, in particular, of high-quality single crystal grown by top-seeded solution growth method. These results clearly indicate that the observed precursor phenomena are common and intrinsic effect irrespective of the crystal quality.
Interaction of Arylidenechromanone/Flavanone Derivatives with Biological Macromolecules Studied as Human Serum Albumin Binding, Cytotoxic Effect, Biocompatibility Towards Red Blood Cells
Authors: Adamus-Grabicka Angelika A. , Markowicz-Piasecka Magdalena , Ponczek Michał B. , Kusz Joachim , Małecka Magdalena , Krajewska Urszula , Budzisz Elzbieta
Published: December 2018

The aim of this study was to determine the cytotoxic effect of 3-arylidenechromanone (1) and 3-arylideneflavanone (2) on HL-60 and NALM-6 cell lines (two human leukemia cell lines) and a WM-115 melanoma cell line. Both compounds exhibited high cytotoxic activity with higher cytotoxicity exerted by compound 2, for which IC50 values below 10 µM were found for each cell line. For compound 1, the IC50 values were higher than 10 µM for HL-60 and WM-115 cell lines, but IC50 < 10 µM was found for the NALM-6 cell line. Both compounds, at the concentrations close to IC50 (concentration range: 5–24 µM/L for compound 1 and 6–10 µM/L for compound 2), are not toxic towards red blood cells. The synthesized compounds were characterized using spectroscopic methods 1H- and 13C-NMR, IR, MS, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The lipophilicity of both synthesized compounds was determined using an RP-TLC method and the logP values found were compared with the theoretical ones taken from the Molinspiration Cheminformatics (miLogP) software package. The mode of binding of both compounds to human serum albumin was assessed using molecular docking methods.
S5, a Withanolide Isolated from Physalis Pubescens L., Induces G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest via the EGFR/P38 Pathway in Human Melanoma A375 Cells
Authors: Fan Yuqi , Mao Yiwei , Cao Shijie , Xia Guiyang , Zhang Qiang , Zhang Hongyang , Qiu Feng , Kang Ning
Published: December 2018

S5 is a withanolide natural product isolated from Physalis pubescens L. Our previous experimental studies found that it has significant antitumor activity on renal cell carcinoma. In the present study, the anti-melanoma effect of S5 and the related molecular mechanism was first investigated. It was found that S5 induced an obvious growth inhibitory effect on human melanoma A375 cells with low toxicity to human peripheral blood cells. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the cell death mode of S5 on A375 cells is not due to inducing apoptosis and autophagy. However, there was a significant time-dependent increase in G2/M phase after treatment of A375 with S5. Meanwhile, S5 could also decrease the protein expression of Cdc25c, Cdc2, and CyclinB1, and increased the expression of p-P53 and P21, suggesting that S5 inhibited A375 cell death through G2/M phase arrest. Moreover, the signal pathway factors P38, extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were observed taking part in the S5-induced A375 cells growth inhibitory effect. In addition, suppressing P38 and EGFR reversed the cell proliferation inhibitory effect and G2/M cell cycle arrest induced by S5 and inhibition of EGFR enhanced the downregulation of the expression of P38 and p-P38, indicating that S5 induced A375 G2/M arrest through the EGFR/P38 pathway. Briefly, this study explained for the first time the mechanism of S5-induced A375 cell growth inhibition in order to provide the basis for its clinical application in melanoma.
Pilloin, A Flavonoid Isolated from Aquilaria sinensis, Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Activity In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Tsai Yun-Chen , Wang Sin-Ling , Wu Mei-Yao , Liao Chia-Huei , Lin Chao-Hsiung , Chen Jih-Jung , Fu Shu-Ling
Published: December 2018

Flavonoids, widely present in medicinal plants and fruits, are known to exhibit multiple pharmacological activities. In this study, we isolated a flavonoid compound, pilloin, from Aquilaria sinensis and investigated its anti-inflammatory activity in bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and septic mice. Pilloin inhibited NF-κB activation and reduced the phosphorylation of IκB in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, pilloin significantly suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as TNF-α, IL-6, COX-2 and iNOS, in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Additionally, pilloin suppressed LPS-induced morphological alterations, phagocytic activity and ROS elevation in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The mitogen-activated protein kinase-mediated signalling pathways (including JNK, ERK, p38) were also inhibited by pilloin. Furthermore, pilloin reduced serum levels of TNF-α (from 123.3 ± 7 to 46.6 ± 5.4 ng/mL) and IL-6 levels (from 1.4 ± 0.1 to 0.7 ± 0.1 ng/mL) in multiple organs of LPS-induced septic mice (liver: from 71.8 ± 3.2 to 36.7 ± 4.3; lung: from 118.6 ± 10.6 to 75.8 ± 11.9; spleen: from 185.9 ± 23.4 to 109.6 ± 18.4; kidney: from 160.3 ± 11.8 to 75 ± 10.8 pg/mL). In summary, our results demonstrate the anti-inflammatory potential of pilloin and reveal its underlying molecular mechanism of action.
Broccoli Fluorets: Split Aptamers as a User-Friendly Fluorescent Toolkit for Dynamic RNA Nanotechnology
Authors: Chandler Morgan , Lyalina Tatiana , Halman Justin , Rackley Lauren , Lee Lauren , Dang Dylan , Ke Weina , Sajja Sameer , Woods Steven , Acharya Shrija , Baumgarten Elijah , Christopher Jonathan , Elshalia Emman , Hrebien Gabriel , Kublank Kinzey , Saleh Saja , Stallings Bailey , Tafere Michael , Striplin Caryn , Afonin Kirill A.
Published: December 2018

RNA aptamers selected to bind fluorophores and activate their fluorescence offer a simple and modular way to visualize native RNAs in cells. Split aptamers which are inactive until the halves are brought within close proximity can become useful for visualizing the dynamic actions of RNA assemblies and their interactions in real time with low background noise and eliminated necessity for covalently attached dyes. Here, we design and test several sets of F30 Broccoli aptamer splits, that we call fluorets, to compare their relative fluorescence and physicochemical stabilities. We show that the splits can be simply assembled either through one-pot thermal annealing or co-transcriptionally, thus allowing for direct tracking of transcription reactions via the fluorescent response. We suggest a set of rules that enable for the construction of responsive biomaterials that readily change their fluorescent behavior when various stimuli such as the presence of divalent ions, exposure to various nucleases, or changes in temperature are applied. We also show that the strand displacement approach can be used to program the controllable fluorescent responses in isothermal conditions. Overall, this work lays a foundation for the future development of dynamic systems for molecular computing which can be used to monitor real-time processes in cells and construct biocompatible logic gates.
Antifungal Prenylated Diphenyl Ethers from Arthrinium arundinis, an Endophytic Fungus Isolated from the Leaves of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)
Authors: Zhang Peng , Li Xin , Yuan Xiao-Long , Du Yong-Mei , Wang Bin-Gui , Zhang Zhong-Feng
Published: December 2018

An endophytic fungus Arthrinium arundinis TE-3 was isolated and purified from the fresh leaves of cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Chemical investigation on this fungal strain afforded three new prenylated diphenyl ethers (1–3) as well as three known analogues (4–6). Structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was carried out by analysis of 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HRESIMS) spectra, as well as by comparison of those data with literature data. The absolute configuration of the stereogenic center at C-8 in 1 was assigned by comparison of the experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compounds 1 and 2 showed selective antifungal activity against Mucor hiemalis with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8 and 4 μg/mL, respectively. Compounds 5 and 6 exhibited inhibitory activity against Alteraria alternata with an MIC value of 8 μg/mL. In the cytotoxic assay, 2, 5, and 6 displayed moderate in vitro cytotoxicity against the human monocytic cell line (THP-1 cell line), with IC50 values of 40.2, 28.3, and 25.9 μM, respectively. This study indicated that endophytic fungi possess great potential for exploring new bioactive secondary metabolites.
Alcohol Pattern Consumption Differently Affects the Efficiency of Macrophage Reverse Cholesterol Transport in Vivo
Authors: Greco Daniela , Battista Simone , Mele Laura , Piemontese Antonio , Papotti Bianca , Cavazzini Stefania , Potì Francesco , Di Rocco Giulia , Poli Andrea , Bernini Franco , Zanotti Ilaria
Published: December 2018

It has been well established that moderate alcohol consumption inversely correlates with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, whereas binge alcohol drinking increases cardiovascular disease risk. The aim of this study was to assess in vivo the impact of different drinking patterns on reverse cholesterol transport (RCT); the atheroprotective process leading to the removal of excess cholesterol from the body. RCT was measured with a standardized, radioisotope-based technique in three groups of atherosclerosis-prone apolipoprotein E knock out mice: Placebo group, receiving water, which would mimic the abstainers; moderate group, receiving 0.8 g/kg alcohol/day for 28 days, which would mimic a moderate intake; binge group, receiving 0.8 g/kg alcohol/day for 5 days/week, followed by the administration of 2.8 g/kg alcohol/day for 2 days/week, which would mimic a heavy intake in a short period. Mice in the binge drinking group displayed an increase in total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and non-HDL-c (all p < 0.0001 vs. placebo), and a significantly reduced elimination of fecal cholesterol. The moderate consumption did not lead to any changes in circulating lipids, but slightly improved cholesterol mobilization along the RCT pathway. Overall, our data confirm the importance of considering not only the total amount, but also the different consumption patterns to define the impact of alcohol on cardiovascular risk.
Performance Analysis of Optical Spatial Modulation in Atmospheric Turbulence Channel †
Authors: Olanrewaju Hammed G. , Thompson John , Popoola Wasiu O.
Published: December 2018

In this paper, spatial pulse position modulation (SPPM) is used as a case study to investigate the performance of the optical spatial modulation (SM) technique in outdoor atmospheric turbulence (AT). A closed-form expression for the upper bound on the asymptotic symbol error rate (SER) of SPPM in AT is derived and validated by closely-matching simulation results. The error performance is evaluated in weak to strong AT conditions. As the AT strength increases from weak to strong, the channel fading coefficients become more dispersed and differentiable. Thus, a better error performance is observed under moderate-to-strong AT compared to weak AT. The performance in weak AT can be improved by applying unequal power allocation to make free-space optical communication (FSO) links more distinguishable at the receiver. Receive diversity is considered to mitigate irradiance fluctuation and improve the robustness of the system to turbulence-induced channel fading. The diversity order is computed as half of the number of detectors. Performance comparisons, in terms of energy and spectral efficiencies, are drawn between the SPPM scheme and conventional MIMO schemes such as repetition coding and spatial multiplexing.
3D Mueller-Matrix Diffusive Tomography of Polycrystalline Blood Films for Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Ushenko Volodimir , Sdobnov Anton , Syvokorovskaya Anna , Dubolazov Alexander , Vanchulyak Oleh , Ushenko Alexander , Ushenko Yurii , Gorsky Mykhailo , Sidor Maxim , Bykov Alexander , Meglinski Igor
Published: December 2018

The decomposition of the Mueller matrix of blood films has been carried out using differential matrices with polarized and depolarized parts. The use of a coherent reference wave is applied and the algorithm of digital holographic reconstruction of the field of complex amplitudes is used. On this basis, the 3D Mueller-matrix diffuse tomography method—the reconstruction of distributions of fluctuations of linear and circular birefringence of depolarizing polycrystalline films of human blood is analytically justified and experimentally tested. The dynamics of the change in the magnitude of the statistical moments of the first-fourth order, which characterize layer-by-layer distributions of fluctuations in the phase anisotropy of the blood film, is examined and analyzed. The most sensitive parameters for prostate cancer are the statistical moments of the third and fourth orders, which characterize the asymmetry and kurtosis of fluctuations in the linear and circular birefringence of blood films. The excellent accuracy of differentiation obtained polycrystalline films of blood from healthy donors and patients with cancer patients was achieved.
When History Substitutes for Theology: The Impact of Quaker Scholars’ Religious Affiliations on the Study of Nineteenth Century American Quakerism
Authors: May Isaac Barnes
Published: December 2018

This article argues that histories of 19th century Quakerism are often veiled interdenominational theological arguments among Quakers. It looks at the historiography of the Hicksite Separation and the emergence of the pastoral system to suggest that the branch of Quakerism from which the author originates often plays a critical role in how they narrate history. The article suggests that objectivity is not an achievable or desirable aim for Quaker Studies or Quaker history, but that engagement with the broader currents of scholarship and clarifying theological presumptions for non-Quaker audiences are important to maintaining an academically legitimate discipline.
GPS Time Series Analysis from Aboa the Finnish Antarctic Research Station
Authors: Andrei Constantin-Octavian , Lahtinen Sonja , Nordman Maaria , Näränen Jyri , Koivula Hannu , Poutanen Markku , Hyyppä Juha
Published: December 2018

Continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) observations have been logged at the Finnish Antarctic research station (Aboa) since February 2003. The station is located in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Almost 5000 daily observation files have been archived based on yearly scientific expeditions. These files have not been fully analysed until now. This study reports for the first time on the consistent and homogeneous data processing and analysis of the 15-year long time series. Daily coordinates are obtained using Precise Point Positioning (PPP) processing based on two approaches. The first approach is based on the Kalman filter and uses the RTKLIB open source library to produce daily solutions by unconventionally running the filter in the forward and backward direction. The second approach uses APPS web service and is based on GIPSY scientific processing engine. The two approaches show an excellent agreement with less than 3 mm rms error horizontally and 6 mm rms error vertically. The derived position time series is analysed in terms of trend, periodicity and noise characteristics. The noise of the time series was found to be power-law noise model with spectral index closer to flicker noise. In addition, several periodic signals were found at 5, 14, 183 and 362 days. Furthermore, most of the horizontal movement was found to be in the North direction at a rate of 11.23 ± 0.09 mm/y, whereas the rate in the East direction was estimated to be 1.46 ± 0.05 mm/y. Lastly, the 15-year long time series revealed a movement upwards at a rate of 0.79 ± 0.35 mm/y. Despite being an unattended station, Aboa provides one of the most continuous and longest GPS time series in Antarctica. Therefore, we believe that this research increases the awareness of local geophysical phenomena in a less reported area of the Antarctic continent.
Resonator-Inspired Metamaterial Sensor: Design and Experimental Validation for Measuring Thickness of Multi-Layered Structures
Authors: Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Rahman Md. Naimur , Samsuzzaman Md. , Mansor Mohd Fais , Misran Norbahiah
Published: December 2018

A digit 8-shaped resonator inspired metamaterial is proposed herein for sensor applications. The resonator is surrounded by a ground frame and excited by a microstrip feedline. The measurement of the sensor can be performed using common laboratory facilities in lieu of using the waveguide, as the resonator, ground frame, and feedline are all on the same microstrip. To achieve metamaterial properties, more than one unit cell is usually utilized, whereas, in this work, a single cell was used to achieve the metamaterial characteristics. The properties of the metamaterial were investigated to find the relationship between the simulation and measurements. The proposed metamaterial sensor shows considerable sensitivity in sensor application. For the sensor application, FR4 and Rogers RO4350 materials were used as the over-layer. The sensor can measure dielectric thickness with a sensitivity of 625 MHz/mm, 468 MHz/mm, and 354 MHz/mm for the single over-layer, double over-layers, and multiple over-layers, respectively. The proposed prototype can be utilized in several applications where metamaterial characteristics are required.
Demodulation of Chaos Phase Modulation Spread Spectrum Signals Using Machine Learning Methods and Its Evaluation for Underwater Acoustic Communication
Authors: Li Chao , Marzani Franck , Yang Fan
Published: December 2018

The chaos phase modulation sequences consist of complex sequences with a constant envelope, which has recently been used for direct-sequence spread spectrum underwater acoustic communication. It is considered an ideal spreading code for its benefits in terms of large code resource quantity, nice correlation characteristics and high security. However, demodulating this underwater communication signal is a challenging job due to complex underwater environments. This paper addresses this problem as a target classification task and conceives a machine learning-based demodulation scheme. The proposed solution is implemented and optimized on a multi-core center processing unit (CPU) platform, then evaluated with replay simulation datasets. In the experiments, time variation, multi-path effect, propagation loss and random noise were considered as distortions. According to the results, compared to the reference algorithms, our method has greater reliability with better temporal efficiency performance.
Design Methodology of Microservices to Support Predictive Analytics for IoT Applications
Authors: Ali Sajjad , Jarwar Muhammad Aslam , Chong Ilyoung
Published: December 2018

In the era of digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging with improved data collection methods, advanced data processing mechanisms, enhanced analytic techniques, and modern service platforms. However, one of the major challenges is to provide an integrated design that can provide analytic capability for heterogeneous types of data and support the IoT applications with modular and robust services in an environment where the requirements keep changing. An enhanced analytic functionality not only provides insights from IoT data, but also fosters productivity of processes. Developing an efficient and easily maintainable IoT analytic system is a challenging endeavor due to many reasons such as heterogeneous data sources, growing data volumes, and monolithic service development approaches. In this view, the article proposes a design methodology that presents analytic capabilities embedded in modular microservices to realize efficient and scalable services in order to support adaptive IoT applications. Algorithms for analytic procedures are developed to underpin the model. We implement the Web Objects to virtualize IoT resources. The semantic data modeling is used to promote interoperability across the heterogeneous systems. We demonstrate the use case scenario and validate the proposed design with a prototype implementation.
SDN Based End-to-End Inter-Domain Routing Mechanism for Mobility Management and Its Evaluation
Authors: Hata Misumi , Soylu Mustafa , Izumi Satoru , Abe Toru , Suganuma Takuo
Published: December 2018

Nowadays, due to the widespread usage of mobile devices and wireless network technologies, we can use various ICT services almost anytime, anywhere even if we are changing our location at that moment. Therefore, mobility management technology have been attracting attention. This technology is to keep communication alive even when a mobile node (MN), which is communicating with the server or some nodes, moves to another network domain. Software Defined Networking (SDN) is used for mobility management to realize effective intra-domain routing that optimizes routes when an MN moves inside an SDN domain. However, many of the approaches mainly focus on intra-domain routing and it is difficult to optimize inter-domain route. In this paper, we focus on this routing optimization problem and propose an SDN based end-to-end routing mechanism specified for mobility management. The proposed routing mechanism can optimize an end-to-end route based on various parameters such as bandwidth, number of domains, and flow operations for mobility after an MN has moved across SDN domains. We carried out some simulational experimentations to evaluate the effect of proposal. It is shown that the proposed routing mechanism can reduce communication delay and enhance network performance. Thus, the proposed routing mechanism can realize effective ICT services.
Development of a Micro/Nano Probing System Using Double Elastic Mechanisms
Authors: Li Rui-Jun , Xu Peng , Wang Peng-Yu , Fan Kuang-Chao , Cheng Rong-Jun , Huang Qiang-Xian
Published: December 2018

To meet the requirement of high precision measurement of coordinate measurement machine system, a compact microprobe has been designed for 3D measurement in this paper. Aiming to reduce the influences of signal coupling during the probing process, the probe has been designed by adopting two elastic mechanisms, in which the horizontal and vertical motions of the probe tip can be separated by differential signals of quadrant photodetectors in each elastic mechanism. A connecting rod has been designed to transfer the displacement of the probe tip in vertical direction from lower to upper elastic mechanisms. The sensitivity models in horizontal and vertical directions have been established, and the sensor sensitivity has been verified through experiments. Furthermore, the signal coupling of three axes has been analyzed, and mathematical models have been proposed for decoupling. The probing performance has been verified experimentally.
Behaviour of Hybrid Steel and FRP-Reinforced Concrete—ECC Composite Columns under Reversed Cyclic Loading
Authors: Yuan Fang , Chen Liping , Chen Mengcheng , Xu Kaicheng
Published: December 2018

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) is used widely in concrete structures owing to its noncorrosive, light-weight, nonmagnetic, and high tensile-strength properties. However, the FRP-reinforced concrete flexural member exhibits low ductility owing to the linear–elastic property of FRP reinforcement. Hybrid steel—FRP-reinforced concrete members exhibit good strength and ductility under flexure owing to the inelastic deformation of steel reinforcement. The existing investigations have focused on the mechanical behaviours of the hybrid steel—FRP-reinforced flexural members. Only few studies have been reported on the members under combined flexural and compression loads, such as columns, owing to the poor compressive behaviour of FRP bars. We herein propose a new type of hybrid steel—FRP-reinforced concrete—engineered cementitious composite (ECC) composite column with ECC applied to the plastic hinge region and tested it under reversed cyclic loading. The hybrid steel—FRP-reinforced concrete column was also tested for comparison. The influence of matrix type in the plastic hinge region on the failure mode, crack pattern, ultimate strength, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity, of the columns were evaluated systematically. We found that the substitution of concrete with ECC in the plastic hinge zone can prevent the local buckling of FRP bars efficiently, and subsequently improve the strength and ductility of the column substantially.