bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of a Novel Modified Aptamer-Based Array Proteomic Platform in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Han Zhongji , Xiao Zhousheng , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar , Moradi Hamid , Shafi Tariq , Waikar Sushrut S. , Quarles L. Darryl , Yu Zhi , Tin Adrienne , Coresh Josef , Kovesdy Csaba P.
Published: October 2018

End stage renal disease (ESRD) is characterized by complex metabolic abnormalities, yet the clinical relevance of specific biomarkers remains unclear. The development of multiplex diagnostic platforms is creating opportunities to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. SOMAscan is an innovative multiplex proteomic platform which can measure >1300 proteins. In the present study, we performed SOMAscan analysis of plasma samples and validated the measurements by comparison with selected biomarkers. We compared concentrations of SOMAscan-measured prostate specific antigen (PSA) between males and females, and validated SOMAscan concentrations of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1), and FGFR4 using Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The median (25th and 75th percentile) SOMAscan PSA level in males and females was 4304.7 (1815.4 to 7259.5) and 547.8 (521.8 to 993.4) relative fluorescence units (p = 0.002), respectively, suggesting biological plausibility. Pearson correlation between SOMAscan and ELISA was high for FGF23 (R = 0.95, p < 0.001) and FGFR4 (R = 0.69, p < 0.001), indicating significant positive correlation, while a weak correlation was found for FGFR1 (R = 0.13, p = 0.16). In conclusion, there is a good to near-perfect correlation between SOMAscan and standard immunoassays for FGF23 and FGFR4, but not for FGFR1. This technology may be useful to simultaneously measure a large number of plasma proteins in ESRD, and identify clinically important prognostic markers to predict outcomes.
How News May Affect Markets’ Complex Structure: The Case of Cambridge Analytica
Authors: Peruzzi Antonio , Zollo Fabiana , Quattrociocchi Walter , Scala Antonio
Published: October 2018

The claim of Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, that it was possible to influence voting behavior by using data mined from the social platform Facebook created a sudden fear in its users of being manipulated; consequently, even the market price of the social platform was shocked.We propose a case study analyzing the effect of this data scandal not only on Facebook stock price, but also on the whole stock market. To such a scope, we consider 15-minutes prices and returns of the set of the NASDAQ-100 components before and after the Cambridge Analytica case. We analyze correlations and Mutual Information among components finding that assets become more correlated and their Mutual Information grows higher. We also observe that correlation and Mutual Information are mutually increasing and seem to follow a master curve. Hence, the market appears more fragile after the Cambridge Analytica event. In fact, as it is well-known in finance, an increase in the average value of correlations augments the systemic risk (i.e., all the market can collapse as a whole) and decreases the possibility of allocating a safe investment portfolio.
Electroluminescence Test to Investigate the Humidity Effect on Solar Cells Operation
Authors: Fontani Daniela , Sansoni Paola , Francini Franco , Messeri Matteo , Pierucci Giacomo , DeLucia Maurizio , Jafrancesco David
Published: October 2018

The electroluminescence test is an experiment typically used to verify the behavior of the photovoltaic cell and to qualitatively check its integrity. It works by operating the photovoltaic cell as a diode polarized directly: the cells that light up in a module indicate how many of them work. This test provides an estimate of the maximum performance of the entire photovoltaic module. A qualitative inspection was performed by electroluminescence tests on 48 modules of photovoltaic cells. They had already been installed on a small-size concentration solar plant before the test and some modules had reached a lower level of performance than expected. A first electroluminescence test was performed, which showed that only 61.5% of the photocells worked. Since there were visible signs of humidity within the various modules, some of the inoperative modules underwent a dehumidification treatment in a climatic chamber. A second electroluminescence test showed that the percentage of functioning cells had increased to 66.3% after the drying treatment.
Efficient and Provably Secure Key Agreement for Modern Smart Metering Communications
Authors: Braeken An , Kumar Pardeep , Martin Andrew
Published: October 2018

Security in modern smart metering communications and in smart grid networks has been an area of interest recently. In this field, identity-based mutual authentication including credential privacy without active involvement of a trusted third party is an important building block for smart grid technology. Recently, several schemes have been proposed for the smart grid with various security features (e.g., mutual authentication and key agreement). Moreover, these schemes are said to offer session key security under the widely accepted Canetti-Krawczyk (CK) security model. Instead, we argue that all of them are still vulnerable under the CK model. To remedy the problem, we present a new provably secure key agreement model for smart metering communications. The proposed model preserves the security features and provides more resistance against a denial of service attack. Moreover, our scheme is pairing-free, resulting in highly efficient computational and communication efforts.
A Critical Analysis of Bio-Hydrocarbon Production in Bacteria: Current Challenges and Future Directions
Authors: Rahman Ziaur , Nawab Javed , Sung Bong Hyun , Kim Sun Chang
Published: October 2018

As global fossil reserves are abruptly diminishing, there is a great need for bioenergy. Renewable and sustainable bioenergy products such as biofuels could fulfill the global energy demand, while minimizing global warming. Next-generation biofuels produced by engineered microorganisms are economical and do not rely on edible resources. The ideal biofuels are alcohols and n-alkanes, as they mimic the molecules in fossil fuels and possess high energy densities. Alcohols and n-alkane hydrocarbons (C2 to C18) have been produced using engineered microorganisms. However, it is difficult to optimize the complex metabolic networks in engineered microorganisms to obtain these valuable bio-hydrocarbons in high yields. Metabolic engineering results in drastic and adverse cellular changes that minimize production yield in microbes. Here, we provide an overview of the progress in next-generation biofuel (alcohols and n-alkanes) production in various engineered microorganisms and discuss the latest tools for strain development that improve biofuel production.
Effects of Oxygen Enrichment in Air Oxidants on Biomass Gasification Efficiency and the Reduction of Tar Emissions
Authors: Park Se-Won , Lee Sang-Yeop , Jeong Yean-Ouk , Han Gun-Ho , Seo Yong-Chil
Published: October 2018

This study applied oxygen-enrichment conditions to remove tar (the main problem in biomass gasification) and increase gasification efficiency. Experiments on oxygen-enrichment conditions were conducted at oxygen concentrations of 21%, 25%, 30%, and 35% in oxidants. This was expected to increase the partial oxidation reaction in gasification reactions, thus leading to thermal decomposition of tar in producer gas. The decomposed tar was expected to be converted into syngas or combustible gases in the producer gas. The results were as follows: Tar-reduction efficiency was 72.46% at 30% oxygen enrichment compared to the standard 21% enrichment condition. In addition, the concentrations of syngas and combustible gases in the producer gas tended to increase. Therefore, the 30% oxygen-enrichment condition was optimal, resulting in 78.00% for cold gas efficiency and 80.24% for carbon conversion efficiency. The application of oxygen enrichment into the lab-scale gasification system clearly reduced the concentration of tar and tended to increase some indexes of gasification efficiency, thus suggesting the usefulness of this technique in large-scale biomass gasification operations.
Experimental Investigation of Oil Recovery from Tight Sandstone Oil Reservoirs by Pressure Depletion
Authors: Chen Wenxiang , Zhang Zubo , Liu Qingjie , Chen Xu , Opoku Appau Prince , Wang Fuyong
Published: October 2018

Oil production by natural energy of the reservoir is usually the first choice for oil reservoir development. Conversely, to effectively develop tight oil reservoir is challenging due to its ultra-low formation permeability. A novel platform for experimental investigation of oil recovery from tight sandstone oil reservoirs by pressure depletion has been proposed in this paper. A series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of pressure depletion degree, pressure depletion rate, reservoir temperature, overburden pressure, formation pressure coefficient and crude oil properties on oil recovery by reservoir pressure depletion. In addition, the characteristics of pressure propagation during the reservoir depletion process were monitored and studied. The experimental results showed that oil recovery factor positively correlated with pressure depletion degree when reservoir pressure was above the bubble point pressure. Moreover, equal pressure depletion degree led to the same oil recovery factor regardless of different pressure depletion rate. However, it was noticed that faster pressure drop resulted in a higher oil recovery rate. For oil reservoir without dissolved gas (dead oil), oil recovery was 2–3% due to the limited reservoir natural energy. In contrast, depletion from live oil reservoir resulted in an increased recovery rate ranging from 11% to 18% due to the presence of dissolved gas. This is attributed to the fact that when reservoir pressure drops below the bubble point pressure, the dissolved gas expands and pushes the oil out of the rock pore spaces which significantly improves the oil recovery. From the pressure propagation curve, the reason for improved oil recovery is that when the reservoir pressure is lower than the bubble point pressure, the dissolved gas constantly separates and provides additional pressure gradient to displace oil. The present study will help engineers to have a better understanding of the drive mechanisms and influencing factors that affect development of tight oil reservoirs, especially for predicting oil recovery by reservoir pressure depletion.
A Joint Planning Method for Substations and Lines in Distribution Systems Based on the Parallel Bird Swarm Algorithm
Authors: Wu Kuihua , Li Kun , Liang Rong , Ma Runze , Zhao Yuxuan , Wang Jian , Qi Lujie , Liu Shengyuan , Han Chang , Yang Li , Huang Minxiang
Published: October 2018

Reasonable distribution network planning schemes can not only improve the power quality and power supply capacity of the power system, but also increase the economic benefits and welfare of the whole society. In this work, a bi-level optimization model is proposed for the joint planning of substations and lines in looped urban distribution systems. The upper-level model aims to address the substation locating and sizing problem, whereas the lower-level model the network planning problem. Both the substations directly supplying power to a load and the contralateral substations that act as backup power source to the load are considered in the bi-level model. In order to solve the bi-level planning model which is mathematically mixed integer programing and with plenty of continuous and discrete variables, the bird swarm algorithm is improved and applied based on the idea of parallel computing of big data theory. Simulations on actual planning problems are employed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed bi-level distribution network planning model and the parallel bird swarm algorithm.
Protection Coordination of Properly Sized and Placed Distributed Generations–Methods, Applications and Future Scope
Authors: Katyara Sunny , Staszewski Lukasz , Leonowicz Zbigniew
Published: October 2018

The radial distribution networks are designed for unidirectional power flows and are passive in nature. However, with the penetration of Distributed Generation (DG), the power flow becomes bidirectional and the network becomes active. The integration of DGs into distribution network creates many issues with: system stability, protection coordination, power quality, islanding, proper placement and sizing etc. Among these issues, the two most significant are optimal sizing and placement of DGs and their protection coordination in utility network. The proper coordination of relays with high penetration of DGs placed at optimal location increases the availability and reliability of the network during abnormal operating conditions. This research addresses most of the available methods for efficient sizing and placement of DGs in distribution system (numerical, analytical and heuristic) as well as the developed protection coordination techniques for utility networks in the presence of DGs (Artificial Intelligence (AI), adaptive and non-adaptive, multi-agent, hybrid). This paper indicates the possible research gaps and highlights the applications possibilities and methods’ limitations in the area of DGs.
Frequency-Adaptive Current Controller Design Based on LQR State Feedback Control for a Grid-Connected Inverter under Distorted Grid
Authors: Bimarta Rizka , Tran Thuy Vi , Kim Kyeong-Hwa
Published: October 2018

This paper proposes a frequency-adaptive current control design for a grid-connected inverter with an inductive–capacitive–inductive (LCL) filter to overcome the issues relating to both the harmonic distortion and frequency variation in the grid voltage. The current control scheme consists of full-state feedback control to stabilize the system and integral control terms to track the reference in the presence of disturbance and uncertainty. In addition, the current controller is augmented with resonant control terms to mitigate the harmonic component. The control scheme is implemented in the synchronous reference frame (SRF) to effectively compensate two harmonic orders at the same time by using only one resonant term. Moreover, to tackle the frequency variation issue in grid voltage, the frequency information which is extracted from the phase-locked loop (PLL) block is processed by a moving average filter (MAF) for the purpose of eliminating the frequency fluctuation caused by the harmonically distorted grid voltage. The filtered frequency information is employed to synthesize the resonant controller, even in the environment of frequency variation. To implement full-state feedback control for a grid-connected inverter with an LCL filter, all the state variables should be available. However, the increase in number of sensing devices leads to the rise of cost and complexity for hardware implementation. To overcome this challenge, a discrete-time full-state current observer is introduced to estimate all the system states. When the grid frequency is subject to variation, the discrete-time implementation of the observer in the SRF requires an online discretization process because the system matrix in the SRF includes frequency information. This results in a heavy computational burden for the controller. To resolve such a difficulty, a discrete-time observer in the stationary reference frame is employed in the proposed scheme. In the stationary frame, the discretization of the system model can be accomplished with a simple offline method even in the presence of frequency variation since the system matrix does not include the frequency. To select desirable gains for the full-state feedback controller and full-state observer, an optimal linear quadratic control approach is applied. To validate the practical effectiveness of the proposed frequency-adaptive control, simulation and experimental results are presented.
A Hybrid Ant Colony and Cuckoo Search Algorithm for Route Optimization of Heating Engineering
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zhao Huihui , Cao Yuming , Liu Qinhuo , Shen Zhanfeng , Wang Jian , Hu Minggang
Published: October 2018

The development of remote sensing and intelligent algorithms create an opportunity to include ad hoc technology in the heating route design area. In this paper, classification maps and heating route planning regulations are introduced to create the fitness function. Modifications of ant colony optimization and the cuckoo search algorithm, as well as a hybridization of the two algorithms, are proposed to solve the specific Zhuozhou–Fangshan heating route design. Compared to the fitness function value of the manual route (234.300), the best route selected by modified ant colony optimization (ACO) was 232.343, and the elapsed time for one solution was approximately 1.93 ms. Meanwhile, the best route selected by modified Cuckoo Search (CS) was 244.247, and the elapsed time for one solution was approximately 0.794 ms. The modified ant colony optimization algorithm can find the route with smaller fitness function value, while the modified cuckoo search algorithm can find the route overlapped to the manual selected route better. The modified cuckoo search algorithm runs more quickly but easily sticks into the premature convergence. Additionally, the best route selected by the hybrid ant colony and cuckoo search algorithm is the same as the modified ant colony optimization algorithm (232.343), but with higher efficiency and better stability.
Rapid Estimation of Stomatal Density and Stomatal Area of Plant Leaves Based on Object-Oriented Classification and Its Ecological Trade-Off Strategy Analysis
Authors: Zhu Jiyou , Yu Qiang , Xu Chengyang , Li Jinhang , Qin Guoming
Published: October 2018

Leaf stomata are important structures used for exchanging matter between plants and the environment, and they are very sensitive to environmental changes. The method of efficiently extracting stomata, as well as measuring stomatal density and area, still lacks established techniques. This study focused on the leaves of Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, and Sophora japonica (L.) Schott grown on different underlying surfaces and carried out an analysis of stomatal information using multiscale segmentation and classification recognition as well as microscopy images of leaf stomata via eCognition Developer 64 software (Munich, Germany). Using this method, we further analyzed the ecological significance of stomata. The results were as follows: (1) The best parameters of stomatal division and automatic extraction rules were scale parameter 120–125 + shape parameter 0.7 + compactness parameter 0.9 + brightness value 160–220 + red light band >95 + shape–density index 1.5–2.2; the accuracy of stomatal density and stomatal area using this method were 98.2% and 95.4%, respectively. (2) There was a very significant correlation among stomatal density, stomatal area, and stomatal shape index under different growing environments. When the stomatal density increased, the stomatal area lowered remarkably and the stomatal shape tended to be flat, suggesting that the plants had adopted some regulatory behavior at the stomatal level that might be an ecological trade-off strategy for plants to adapt to a particular growing environment. These findings provide a new approach and applicable parameters for stomata extraction, which can further calculate the stomatal density and stomatal area and deepen our understanding of the relationship between stomata and the environment. The study provides useful information for urban planners on the breeding and introduction of high-temperature-resistant urban plants.
Comparison of Perceived and Observed Hand Hygiene Compliance in Healthcare Workers in MERS-CoV Endemic Regions
Authors: Alshammari Modhi , Reynolds Kelly , Verhougstraete Marc , O’Rourke Mary
Published: October 2018

This study investigated healthcare workers’ perceptions of hand hygiene practices by comparing personal reports, as assessed by questionnaires, to direct observations of the workers’ hand hygiene practices. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Observations were made using a 16-item checklist, based on three sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Boyce and Pittet’s guidelines of hand hygiene. The checklist was used for both direct-observation and self-reported data collection purposes. Pearson correlation and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) were utilized to statistically determine the relationship between healthcare workers’ reports of hand hygiene practices and observed hand hygiene behaviors. The study was conducted in the outpatient examination rooms and emergency departments of three types of hospitals in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia where Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is endemic and is observed in routine cases and outbreaks. The total sample size included 87 physicians and nurses recruited while on duty during the scheduled observation periods, with each healthcare worker being observed during individual medical examinations with at least three patients. No statistically significant correlations between the healthcare workers’ perceptions of hand hygiene practices and healthcare workers’ actual behaviors were evident. Based on the self-report questionnaires, significant differences were found between physicians’ and nurses’ hand hygiene practices reports. Healthcare workers clearly understand the importance of careful hand hygiene practices, but based on researchers’ observations, the medical personnel failed to properly implement protocol-driven hand hygiene applications. However, the significant differences between physicians’ and nurses’ self-reports suggest further inquiry is needed to fully explore these discrepancies.
Green Procurement Relationships Development under Carbon Emissions Regulations: A Bi-Level Programming Approach
Authors: Bao Xiao-Ying , Zhang Lei
Published: October 2018

A multi-period Stackelberg game is adopted to study a green procurement relationship between manufacturers and suppliers in a supply chain. The manufacturers are considered as leaders, while the suppliers are modelled as followers in this Stackelberg game. Accordingly, a mixed binary linear bi-level programming model is developed to elaborate the game in consideration of carbon tax scheme. The upper level (the leader) aims at selecting a proper number of suitable suppliers to provide heterogeneous raw materials at the lowest operational cost. The objective of the lower level (the follower) is to find optimal purchasing quantities of raw materials. In addition, two lemmas are introduced to transform the mixed linear bi-level programming model into a single level linear programming model. The numerical example illustrates that: (1) the manufacturer prefers to adopt the multiple sourcing strategy due to the flexibility; (2) keeping stable supplies and large order volumes could effectively reduce carbon emissions for the suppliers and make the supply chain greener.
Effect of Straw Checkerboards on Wind Proofing, Sand Fixation, and Ecological Restoration in Shifting Sandy Land
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Ding Guo-dong , Yu Ming-han , Gao Guang-lei , Zhao Yuan-yuan , Wu Guo-hong , Wang Long
Published: October 2018

Due to their simple layout and adaptability to various environments, straw checkerboards are widely used to control windblown sand in China. To fully understand the wind proofing and sand-fixing benefits of different board specifications, and to determine the restorative effects of straw checkerboard, we tested different sizes of checkerboard, determined their performance as a windbreak and in trapping shifting sand, and constructed models based on wind tunnel tests, enabling the wind speed flow field to be analysed. We also sampled the soil in areas where straw checkerboards had been established for several years and analysed the trends in soil physical and chemical properties over time. We found that all sizes of straw checkerboard effectively reduced the wind speed near the surface and formed a protected area, with the best protective effect achieved for a one-meter board. All sizes of straw checkerboard effectively intercepted windblown sand to form surface accumulation, with the one-meter board again showing the best performance. The use of a straw checkerboard also effectively improved the physical and chemical properties of soil and promoted ecological restoration. These results indicate that straw checkerboards are a low-cost engineering measure that could play an important role in desertification control and the ecological restoration of sandy land ecosystems.
Determinants of Breeding Farmers’ Safe Use of Veterinary Drugs: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Yang Chenchen , Diao Hanyu
Published: October 2018

As food safety has attracted the widespread attention of society, the quality safety of agricultural products has become an important part of food safety and also confronts multiple challenges. In fact, the safe use of veterinary drugs in the production process has become one of important guarantees for the quality safety of agricultural products. It’s of great significance to regulate the breeding farmers’ safe use of veterinary drugs and to create a safe and healthy production environment for agricultural products. A field survey of individual and large-scale swine breeding farmers in four typical provinces including Henan, Shandong, Jiangxi and Guizhou generated 397 questionnaires. This field survey conducted the internal and external classification of breeding farmers’ safe use of veterinary drugs and defined the breeding farmers’ safe use of veterinary drugs in the light of dosage, type and standardized operation of veterinary drugs. Based on Lewin’s behavior theory, the survey used the structural equation modeling method to systematically examine the generation path of breeding farmers’ safe use of veterinary drugs. The comprehensive analysis reveals that breeding farmers’ knowledge about veterinary drugs, the attitudes toward the government supervision and the market environment of breeding activities all exert some effects on breeding farmers’ use of veterinary drugs. Some suggestions and countermeasures for breeding farmers’ safe use of veterinary drugs are provided as follows: First, more efforts should be pumped into publicity and instruction so that breeding farmers can have a better understanding of veterinary drugs. Second, preferential policies should be formulated to encourage the breeding farmers’ participation in the industrial organizations of swine breeding farmers, and advocate the industrial organizations’ active provision of different technical trainings. Third, the communication and cooperation platform should be created among breeding farmers, slaughter and processing plants and supermarkets, the poultry insurance market should be regulated, and the insurance purchase process should be improved. Fourth, when more subsidies for harm-free and environment-friendly veterinary drugs are provided, more serious punishments should be imposed on the unsafe use of veterinary drugs to offer policy support for the breeding farmers’ standardized use of veterinary drugs.
Do Individuals in Old Age Prepare for the Risk of Long-Term Care? Results of A Population-Based Survey in Germany
Authors: Hajek André , Lehnert Thomas , Wegener Annemarie , Riedel-Heller Steffi G. , König Hans-Helmut
Published: October 2018

The aim of the present study was to identify specific actions and financial precautions undertaken by individuals in preparation for their long-term care needs, as well as to determine the correlates of these actions. A population-based survey of the German population aged 65 years and above (n = 1006) was used. Individuals were asked whether they have undertaken financial preparations for their long-term care needs (no; yes). With respect to specific actions, individuals were asked whether they (no; yes): (i) Had obtained information (e.g., from doctor, internet, care support center, care facility), (ii) had modified their home (e.g., installed a stair lift), and (iii) had moved (e.g., old-age housing, care in relatives’ homes). In total, 30.4% had undertaken financial preparations for their long-term care needs. With respect to the specific actions undertaken, 6.5% had obtained information, 4.8% modified their home, and 7.3% had moved. The outcome measure, ‘had modified home’, was positively associated with lower age, West Germany, and lower self-rated health. The outcome measure, ‘had moved’, was positively associated with being female, and higher education. The outcome measure, ‘financial preparations for long-term care needs‘, was positively associated with lower age, West Germany, higher education, being born in Germany, and private health insurance. It is alarming that only around one in three individuals aged 65 and older had undertaken financial preparations for long-term care needs, and that far fewer individuals had undertaken other actions to prepare for their long-term care needs. The provision of timely information regarding the risk of long-term care, as well as its associated costs, may assist in sustaining the satisfaction of long-term care recipients. It may also help to reduce the risk of long-term care for individuals in old age.
Silicon-Mediated Enhancement of Heavy Metal Tolerance in Rice at Different Growth Stages
Authors: Huang Fei , Wen Xiao-Hui , Cai Yi-Xia , Cai Kun-Zheng
Published: October 2018

Silicon (Si) plays important roles in alleviating heavy metal stress in rice plants. Here we investigated the physiological response of rice at different growth stages under the silicon-induced mitigation of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) toxicity. Si treatment increased the dry weight of shoots and roots and reduced the Cd and Zn concentrations in roots, stems, leaves and grains. Under the stress of exposure to Cd and Zn, photosynthetic parameters including the chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence decreased, while the membrane permeability and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased. Catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities increased under heavy metals stress, but superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities decreased. The magnitude of these Cd- and Zn-induced changes was mitigated by Si-addition at different growth stages. The available Cd concentration increased in the soil but significantly decreased in the shoots, which suggested that Si treatment prevents Cd accumulation through internal mechanisms by limiting Cd2+ uptake by the roots. Overall, the phenomena of Si-mediated alleviation of Cd and excess Zn toxicity in two rice cultivars could be due to the limitation of metal uptake and transport, resulting in an improvement in cell membrane integrity, photosynthetic performance and anti-oxidative enzyme activities after Si treatment.
Using Satellite-Borne Remote Sensing Data in Generating Local Warming Maps with Enhanced Resolution
Authors: Rahaman Khan Rubayet , Ahmed M. Razu , Hassan Quazi K.
Published: October 2018

Warming, i.e., increments of temperature, is evident at the global, regional, and local level. However, understanding the dynamics of local warming at high spatial resolution remains challenging. In fact, it is very common to see extremely variable land cover/land use within built-up environments that create micro-climatic conditions. To address this issue, our overall goal was to generate a local warming map for the period 1961–2010 at 15 m spatial resolution over the southern part of the Canadian province of Alberta. Our proposed methods consisted of three distinct steps. These were the: (i) construction of high spatial resolution enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) maps; (ii) conversion of air temperature (Ta) normal (i.e., 30 years average) at higher spatial resolution using vegetation indices (VI); and (iii) generation of a local warming map at 15m spatial resolution. In order to execute this study, we employed MODIS-driven air temperature data, EVI and NDVI data, and Landsat-driven vegetation indices. The study uncovered that around 58% (up to positive 1 °C) of areas in the considered study region were experiencing increased temperature; whereas only about 4% of areas underwent a cooling trend (more than negative 0.25 °C). The remaining 38% did not exhibit significant change in temperature. We concluded that remote sensing technology could be useful to enhance the spatial resolution of local warming maps, which would be useful for decision-makers considering efficient decisions in the face of increments in local temperature.
Analyzing OpenStreetMap Road Data and Characterizing the Behavior of Contributors in Ankara, Turkey
Authors: Hacar Müslüm , Kılıç Batuhan , Şahbaz Kadir
Published: October 2018

The usage of OpenStreetMap (OSM), one of the resources offered by Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), has rapidly increased since it was first established in 2004. In line with this increased usage, a number of studies have been conducted to analyze the accuracy and quality of OSM data, but many of them have constraints on evaluating the profiles of contributors. In this paper, OSM road data have been analyzed with the aim of characterizing the behavior of OSM contributors. The study area, Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, was evaluated with several network analysis methods, such as completeness, degree of centrality, betweenness, closeness, PageRank, and a proposed method measuring the activation of contributors in a bounded area from 2007–2017. An evaluation of the results was also discussed in this paper by taking into account the following indicators for each year: number of nodes, ways, contributors, mean lengths, and sinuosity values of roads. The results show that the experience levels of the contributors determine the contribution type. Essentially, more experience makes for more detailed contributions.
Maize WRKY Transcription Factor ZmWRKY106 Confers Drought and Heat Tolerance in Transgenic Plants
Authors: Wang Chang-Tao , Ru Jing-Na , Liu Yong-Wei , Li Meng , Zhao Dan , Yang Jun-Feng , Fu Jin-Dong , Xu Zhao-Shi
Published: October 2018

WRKY transcription factors constitute one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, and play crucial roles in plant growth and development, defense regulation and stress responses. However, knowledge about this family in maize is limited. In the present study, we identified a drought-induced WRKY gene, ZmWRKY106, based on the maize drought de novo transcriptome sequencing data. ZmWRKY106 was identified as part of the WRKYII group, and a phylogenetic tree analysis showed that ZmWRKY106 was closer to OsWRKY13. The subcellular localization of ZmWRKY106 was only observed in the nucleus. The promoter region of ZmWRKY106 included the C-repeat/dehydration responsive element (DRE), low-temperature responsive element (LTR), MBS, and TCA-elements, which possibly participate in drought, cold, and salicylic acid (SA) stress responses. The expression of ZmWRKY106 was induced significantly by drought, high temperature, and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA), but was weakly induced by salt. Overexpression of ZmWRKY106 improved the tolerance to drought and heat in transgenic Arabidopsis by regulating stress-related genes through the ABA-signaling pathway, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in transgenic lines was reduced by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxide dismutase (POD), and catalase (CAT) under drought stress. This suggested that ZmWRKY106 was involved in multiple abiotic stress response pathways and acted as a positive factor under drought and heat stress.
Movement of the RecG Motor Domain upon DNA Binding Is Required for Efficient Fork Reversal
Authors: Warren Garrett M. , Stein Richard A. , Mchaourab Hassane S. , Eichman Brandt F.
Published: October 2018

RecG catalyzes reversal of stalled replication forks in response to replication stress in bacteria. The protein contains a fork recognition (“wedge”) domain that binds branched DNA and a superfamily II (SF2) ATPase motor that drives translocation on double-stranded (ds)DNA. The mechanism by which the wedge and motor domains collaborate to catalyze fork reversal in RecG and analogous eukaryotic fork remodelers is unknown. Here, we used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to probe conformational changes between the wedge and ATPase domains in response to fork DNA binding by Thermotoga maritima RecG. Upon binding DNA, the ATPase-C lobe moves away from both the wedge and ATPase-N domains. This conformational change is consistent with a model of RecG fully engaged with a DNA fork substrate constructed from a crystal structure of RecG bound to a DNA junction together with recent cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structures of chromatin remodelers in complex with dsDNA. We show by mutational analysis that a conserved loop within the translocation in RecG (TRG) motif that was unstructured in the RecG crystal structure is essential for fork reversal and DNA-dependent conformational changes. Together, this work helps provide a more coherent model of fork binding and remodeling by RecG and related eukaryotic enzymes.
Design of Antibacterial Agents: Alkyl Dihydroxybenzoates against Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri
Authors: Nazaré Ana Carolina , Polaquini Carlos Roberto , Cavalca Lúcia Bonci , Anselmo Daiane Bertholin , Saiki Marilia de Freitas Calmon , Monteiro Diego Alves , Zielinska Aleksandra , Rahal Paula , Gomes Eleni , Scheffers Dirk-Jan , Ferreira Henrique , Regasini Luis Octavio
Published: October 2018

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) causes citrus canker, affecting sweet orange-producing areas around the world. The current chemical treatment available for this disease is based on cupric compounds. For this reason, the objective of this study was to design antibacterial agents. In order to do this, we analyzed the anti-Xcc activity of 36 alkyl dihydroxybenzoates and we found 14 active compounds. Among them, three esters with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration values were selected; compounds 4 (52 μM), 16 (80 μM) and 28 (88 μM). Our study demonstrated that alkyl dihydroxybenzoates cause a delay in the exponential phase. The permeability capacity of alkyl dihydroxybenzoates in a quarter of MIC was compared to nisin (positive control). Compound 28 was the most effective (93.8), compared to compound 16 (41.3) and compound 4 (13.9) by percentage values. Finally, all three compounds showed inhibition of FtsZ GTPase activity, and promoted changes in protofilaments, leading to depolymerization, which prevents bacterial cell division. In conclusion, heptyl dihydroxybenzoates (compounds 4, 16 and 28) are promising anti-Xcc agents which may serve as an alternative for the control of citrus canker.
Decision-Tree Based Meta-Strategy Improved Accuracy of Disorder Prediction and Identified Novel Disordered Residues Inside Binding Motifs
Authors: Zhao Bi , Xue Bin
Published: October 2018

Using computational techniques to identify intrinsically disordered residues is practical and effective in biological studies. Therefore, designing novel high-accuracy strategies is always preferable when existing strategies have a lot of room for improvement. Among many possibilities, a meta-strategy that integrates the results of multiple individual predictors has been broadly used to improve the overall performance of predictors. Nonetheless, a simple and direct integration of individual predictors may not effectively improve the performance. In this project, dual-threshold two-step significance voting and neural networks were used to integrate the predictive results of four individual predictors, including: DisEMBL, IUPred, VSL2, and ESpritz. The new meta-strategy has improved the prediction performance of intrinsically disordered residues significantly, compared to all four individual predictors and another four recently-designed predictors. The improvement was validated using five-fold cross-validation and in independent test datasets.
AWRK6, a Novel GLP-1 Receptor Agonist, Attenuates Diabetes by Stimulating Insulin Secretion
Authors: Wang Qiuyu , Zhao Chunlin , Jin Lili , Zhang Hanyu , Miao Qifan , Liu Hongsheng , Zhang Dianbao
Published: October 2018

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder leading to many complications. The treatment of diabetes mainly depends on hypoglycemic drugs, often with side effects, which drive us to develop novel agents. AWRK6 was a peptide developed from the antimicrobial peptide Dybowskin-2CDYa in our previous study, and the availability of AWRK6 on diabetes intervention was unknown. Here, in vivo and in vitro experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of AWRK6 against diabetes. In diabetic mice, induced by high-fat diet followed by streptozocin (STZ) administration, the daily administration of AWRK6 presented acute and sustained hypoglycemic effects. The plasma insulin was significantly elevated by AWRK6 during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The relative β cell mass in diabetic mice was increased by AWRK6 treatment. The body weight and food intake were remarkably reduced by AWRK6 administration. In the mouse pancreatic β cell line Min6 cells, the intracellular calcium concentration was found to be enhanced under the treatment with AWRK6, and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H-89 and Epac2 inhibitor HJC0350 represented inhibitory effects of the insulinotropic function of AWRK6. By FITC-AWRK6 incubation and GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) knockdown, AWRK6 proved to be a novel GLP-1R agonist. In addition, AWRK6 showed no toxicity in cell viability and membrane integrity in Min6 cells, and no hypoglycemia risk and no lethal toxicity in mice. In summary, AWRK6 was found as a novel agonist of GLP-1R, which could stimulate insulin secretion to regulate blood glucose and energy metabolism, via cAMP-calcium signaling pathway, without significant toxicity. The peptide AWRK6 might become a novel candidate for diabetes treatment.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in the Management of Brain Metastases
Authors: Lehrer Eric J. , McGee Heather M. , Peterson Jennifer L. , Vallow Laura , Ruiz-Garcia Henry , Zaorsky Nicholas G. , Sharma Sonam , Trifiletti Daniel M.
Published: October 2018

Brain metastases traditionally carried a poor prognosis with an overall survival of weeks to months in the absence of treatment. Radiation therapy modalities include whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). WBRT delivers a relatively low dose of radiation, has neurocognitive sequelae, and has not been investigated for its immunostimulatory effects. Furthermore, WBRT exposes the entire intracranial tumor immune microenvironment to radiation. SRS delivers a high dose of conformal radiation with image guidance to minimize dose to surrounding normal brain tissue, and appears to promote anti-tumor immunity. In parallel with many of these discoveries, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated a survival advantage in multiple malignancies commonly associated with brain metastases (e.g., melanoma). Combination SRS and ICI are theorized to be synergistic in anti-tumor immunity directed to brain metastases. The purpose of this review is to explore the synergy of SRS and ICIs, including pre-clinical data, existing clinical data, and ongoing prospective trials.
Cost-Effective Biochar Produced from Agricultural Residues and Its Application for Preparation of High Performance Form-Stable Phase Change Material via Simple Method
Authors: Chen Yan , Cui Zhixing , Ding Han , Wan Yechao , Tang Zhibo , Gao Junkai
Published: October 2018

A new form-stable composite phase change material (PEG/ASB) composed of almond shell biochar (ASB) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was produced via a simple and easy vacuum impregnation method. The supporting material ASB, which was cost effective, environmentally friendly, renewable and rich in appropriate pore structures, was produced from agricultural residues of almond shells by a simple pyrolysis method, and it was firstly used as the matrix of PEG. Different analysis techniques were applied to investigate the characteristics of PEG/ASB, including structural and thermal properties, and the interaction mechanism between ASB and PEG was studied. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermal cycle tests demonstrated that PEG/ASB possessed favorable thermal stability. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves demonstrated that the capacities for latent heat storage of PEG/ASB were enhanced with increasing PEG weight percentage. Additionally, PEG/ASB had an excellent thermal conductivity of 0.402 W/mK, which was approximately 1.6 times higher than that of the pure PEG due to the addition of ASB. All the study results indicated that PEG/ASB had favorable phase change properties, which could be used for thermal energy storage.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Thalidomide Derivatives as Potential Anti-Psoriasis Agents
Authors: Tang Kai-Wei , Lin Zih-Chan , Chen Yeh-Long , Tzeng Cherng-Chyi , Fang Jia-You , Tseng Chih-Hua
Published: October 2018

Several thalidomide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity. Introduction of the benzyl group to the parent thalidomide is unfavorable in which 2-(1-benzyl-2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl)isoindoline-1,3-dione (4a) was inactivated. However, the inhibitory activities on TNF-α and IL-6 expression in HaCaT cells were improved by the substitution of a chloro- or methoxy- group at the phenyl position of 4a. The IL-6 inhibitory activity decreased in an order of 5c (69.44%) > 4c (48.73%) > 6c (3.19%) indicating the 3-substituted derivative is more active than the 4-substituted counterpart, which in turn is more active than the 2-substituted counterpart. Among them, 2-[1-(3-chlorobenzyl)-2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl]isoindoline-1,3-dione (5c) was found to inhibit TNF-α and IL-6 expression in HaCaT cells with a higher potency than thalidomide and no significant cell cytotoxicity was detected at 10 μM. In psoriasis, Compound 5c reduced IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and IL-24 in imiquimod-stimulated models. Our results indicated that compound 5c is a potential lead of novel anti-psoriasis agents. Structural optimization of compound 5c and its in vivo assay are ongoing.
Mapping and QTL Analysis of Early-Maturity Traits in Tetraploid Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Authors: Li Xingcui , Xu Jianfei , Duan Shaoguang , Zhang Jiaojiao , Bian Chunsong , Hu Jun , Li Guangcun , Jin Liping
Published: October 2018

Early maturity is one of the most important agronomical traits in potato breeding. To identify the DNA segment that codes for early maturity, a tetraploid potato segregation population of “Zhongshu 19” × “Zhongshu 3” was genetically analyzed, using a combination of high throughput simplified genome sequencing (2b-RAD) and bulked segregant analysis (BSA). The DNA segment related to the early-maturity trait was identified at the 3.7~4.2 Mb locus on the short arm of chromosome 5. Eight molecular markers were developed, of which five were closely linked to the early-maturity trait loci. Additionally, 42 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were constructed based on the reference sequence of Solanum tuberosum group Phureja DM1-3 516 R44 (DM). Using the TetraploidMap software, the linkage map of chromosome 5 was constructed with 50 markers. The total map length was 172 centiMorgan (cM), with an average genetic distance of 3.44 cM. Correlating molecular and phenotypic data of the segregating population, the mapped Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) on the short arm of chromosome 5 contributed to 33.55% of the early-maturity phenotype. The early-maturity QTL was located at 84 cM, flanked by the SSR5-85-1 and SCAR5-8 markers. The QTL was fine-mapped to 471 kb. Using DNA sequence annotation, 34 genes were identified in this region, 12 of them with unknown function. Among the other 22 annotated genes, E3 ubiquitin ligase gene PUB14 could be related to maturity and regulation of tuber formation. The constructed QTL map is a useful basic tool for the cloning of early-maturity related genes in tetraploid potatoes.