bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cancer Stem Cells, Bone and Tumor Microenvironment: Key Players in Bone Metastases
Authors: Roato Ilaria , Ferracini Riccardo
Published: February 2018

Tumor mass is constituted by a heterogeneous group of cells, among which a key role is played by the cancer stem cells (CSCs), possessing high regenerative properties. CSCs directly metastasize to bone, since bone microenvironment represents a fertile environment that protects CSCs against the immune system, and maintains their properties and plasticity. CSCs can migrate from the primary tumor to the bone marrow (BM), due to their capacity to perform the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Once in BM, they can also perform the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, allowing them to proliferate and initiate bone lesions. Another factor explaining the osteotropism of CSCs is their ability to recognize chemokine gradients toward BM, through the CXCL12–CXCR4 axis, also known to be involved in tumor metastasis to other organs. Moreover, the expression of CXCR4 is associated with the maintenance of CSCs’ stemness, and CXCL12 expression by osteoblasts attracts CSCs to the BM niches. CSCs localize in the pre-metastatic niches, which are anatomically distinct regions within the tumor microenvironment and govern the metastatic progression. According to the stimuli received in the niches, CSCs can remain dormant for long time or outgrow from dormancy and create bone lesions. This review resumes different aspects of the CSCs’ bone metastastic process and discusses available treatments to target CSCs.
The Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model for Understanding RAS Proteins and their Role in Human Tumorigenesis
Authors: Cazzanelli Giulia , Pereira Flávia , Alves Sara , Francisco Rita , Azevedo Luísa , Dias Carvalho Patrícia , Almeida Ana , Côrte-Real Manuela , Oliveira Maria , Lucas Cândida , Sousa Maria , Preto Ana
Published: February 2018

The exploitation of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a biological model for the investigation of complex molecular processes conserved in multicellular organisms, such as humans, has allowed fundamental biological discoveries. When comparing yeast and human proteins, it is clear that both amino acid sequences and protein functions are often very well conserved. One example of the high degree of conservation between human and yeast proteins is highlighted by the members of the RAS family. Indeed, the study of the signaling pathways regulated by RAS in yeast cells led to the discovery of properties that were often found interchangeable with RAS proto-oncogenes in human pathways, and vice versa. In this work, we performed an updated critical literature review on human and yeast RAS pathways, specifically highlighting the similarities and differences between them. Moreover, we emphasized the contribution of studying yeast RAS pathways for the understanding of human RAS and how this model organism can contribute to unveil the roles of RAS oncoproteins in the regulation of mechanisms important in the tumorigenic process, like autophagy.
The Solar Reflectance Index as a Tool to Forecast the Heat Released to the Urban Environment: Potentiality and Assessment Issues
Authors: Muscio Alberto
Published: February 2018

Overheating of buildings and urban areas is a more and more severe issue in view of global warming combined with increasing urbanization. The thermal behavior of urban surfaces in the hot seasons is the result of a complex balance of construction and environmental parameters such as insulation level, thermal mass, shielding, and solar reflective capability on one side, and ambient conditions on the other side. Regulations makers and the construction industry have favored the use of parameters that allow the forecasting of the interaction between different material properties without the need for complex analyses. Among these, the solar reflectance index (SRI) takes into account solar reflectance and thermal emittance to predict the thermal behavior of a surface subjected to solar radiation through a physically rigorous mathematical procedure that considers assigned air and sky temperatures, peak solar irradiance, and wind velocity. The correlation of SRI with the heat released to the urban environment is analyzed in this paper, as well as the sensitivity of its calculation procedure to variation of the input parameters, as possibly induced by the measurement methods used or by the material ageing.
Atomic-Site-Specific Analysis on Out-of-Plane Elasticity of Convexly Curved Graphene and Its Relationship to

s

p
2

to

s

p
3

Re-Hybridization
Authors: Ashino Makoto , Wiesendanger Roland
Published: February 2018

The geometry of two-dimensional crystalline membranes is of interest given its unique synergistic interplay with their mechanical, chemical, and electronic properties. For one-atom-thick graphene, these properties can be substantially modified by bending at the nanometer scale. So far variations of the electronic properties of graphene under compressing and stretching deformations have been exclusively investigated by local-probe techniques. Here we report that the interatomic attractive force introduced by atomic force microscopy triggers “single”-atom displacement and consequently enables us to determine out-of-plane elasticities of convexly curved graphene including its atomic-site-specific variation. We have quantitatively evaluated the relationship between the out-of-plane displacement and elasticity of convexly curved graphene by three-dimensional force field spectroscopy on a side-wall of a hollow tube with a well-defined curvature. The substantially small intrinsic modulus that complies with continuum mechanics has been found to increase significantly at atomically specific locations, where

s

p
2

to

s

p
3

re-hybridization would certainly take place.
A 3D Printing Model Watermarking Algorithm Based on 3D Slicing and Feature Points
Authors: Pham Giao N. , Lee Suk-Hwan , Kwon Oh-Heum , Kwon Ki-Ryong
Published: February 2018

With the increase of three-dimensional (3D) printing applications in many areas of life, a large amount of 3D printing data is copied, shared, and used several times without any permission from the original providers. Therefore, copyright protection and ownership identification for 3D printing data in communications or commercial transactions are practical issues. This paper presents a novel watermarking algorithm for 3D printing models based on embedding watermark data into the feature points of a 3D printing model. Feature points are determined and computed by the 3D slicing process along the Z axis of a 3D printing model. The watermark data is embedded into a feature point of a 3D printing model by changing the vector length of the feature point in OXY space based on the reference length. The x and y coordinates of the feature point will be then changed according to the changed vector length that has been embedded with a watermark. Experimental results verified that the proposed algorithm is invisible and robust to geometric attacks, such as rotation, scaling, and translation. The proposed algorithm provides a better method than the conventional works, and the accuracy of the proposed algorithm is much higher than previous methods.
A Systematic Controller Design for a Grid-Connected Inverter with LCL Filter Using a Discrete-Time Integral State Feedback Control and State Observer
Authors: Yoon Seung-Jin , Lai Ngoc Bao , Kim Kyeong-Hwa
Published: February 2018

Inductive-capacitive-inductive (LCL)-type filters are currently preferred as a replacement for L-type filters in distributed generation (DG) power systems, due to their superior harmonic attenuation capability. However, the third-order dynamics introduced by LCL filters pose a challenge to design a satisfactory controller for such a system. Conventionally, an LCL-filtered grid-connected inverter can be effectively controlled by using a full-state feedback control. However, this control approach requires the measurement of all system state variables, which brings about more complexity for the inverter system. To address this issue, this paper presents a systematic procedure to design an observer-based integral state feedback control for a LCL-filtered grid-connected inverter in the discrete-time domain. The proposed control scheme consists of an integral state feedback controller and a full-state observer which uses the control input, grid-side currents, and grid voltages to predict all the system state variables. Therefore, only the grid-side current sensors and grid voltage sensors are required to implement the proposed control scheme. Due to the discrete-time integrator incorporated in the state feedback controller, the proposed control scheme ensures both the reference tracking and disturbance rejection performance of the inverter system in a practical and simple way. As a result, superior control performance can be achieved by using the reduced number of sensors, which significantly reduces the cost and complexity of the LCL-filtered grid-connected inverter system in DG applications. To verify the practical usefulness of the proposed control scheme, a 2 kW three-phase prototype grid-connected inverter has been constructed, and the proposed control system has been implemented based on 32-bit floating-point digital signal processor (DSP) TMS320F28335. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated through the comprehensive simulation and experimental results.
Power-Balancing Based Induction Machine Model for Power System Dynamic Analysis in Electromechanical Timescale
Authors: Wang Ding , Yuan Xiaoming , Zhang Meiqing
Published: February 2018

Power balance, including active and reactive power, between the system supply and the demand from induction motor loads is a potentially necessary condition for system stable operation. Motion of system states depends on the balancing of active and reactive powers. Therefore, this paper proposes an induction machine model in electromechanical timescale from a power balancing viewpoint, in which the induction motor load is modeled as a voltage vector driven by power balancing between the system supply and the demand from induction motor load, so as to describe the dynamic characteristics of induction motor loads in a physical way for power system dynamic analysis. Then a voltage magnitude-phase dynamic analysis with the proposed induction machine model is constructed. Based on the voltage magnitude-phase dynamic analysis, the characteristics of grid-connected induction motor loads are explored, and the instability mechanisms of grid-connected induction motor loads induced by a large disturbance are discussed. It is shown that the dynamic behavior of grid-connected induction motor loads can be described as the dynamic process of the terminal voltage vector driven by coupled active and reactive power balancing in different timescales. In this way, the dynamic behavior of induction motor loads in terms of voltage magnitude-phase dynamics and its physical characteristics are clearly illustrated. Time-domain simulation results are presented to validate the above analyses.
Power Loss Minimization for Transformers Connected in Parallel with Taps Based on Power Chargeability Balance
Authors: Jaramillo-Duque Álvaro , Muñoz-Galeano Nicolás , Ortiz-Castrillón José , López-Lezama Jesús , Albarracín-Sánchez Ricardo
Published: February 2018

In this paper, a model and solution approach for minimizing internal power losses in Transformers Connected in Parallel (TCP) with tap-changers is proposed. The model is based on power chargeability balance and seeks to keep the load voltage within an admissible range. For achieving this, tap positions are adjusted in such a way that all TCP are set in similar/same power chargeability. The main contribution of this paper is the inclusion of several construction features (rated voltage, rated power, voltage ratio, short-circuit impedance and tap steps) in the minimization of power losses in TCP that are not included in previous works. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used for solving the proposed model that is a system of nonlinear equations with discrete decision variables. The GA scans different sets for tap positions with the aim of balancing the power supplied by each transformer to the load. For this purpose, a fitness function is used for minimizing two conditions: The first condition consists on the mismatching between power chargeability for each transformer and a desired chargeability; and the second condition is the mismatching between the nominal load voltage and the load voltage obtained by changing the tap positions. The proposed method is generalized for any given number of TCP and was implemented for three TCP, demonstrating that the power losses are minimized and the load voltage remains within an admissible range.
Adaptive Stabilization and Dynamic Performance Preservation of Cascaded DC-DC Systems by Incorporating Low Pass Filters
Authors: Aldhaheri Ahmed , Etemadi Amir
Published: February 2018

This paper proposes a method to stabilize and enhance the dynamic performance of a cascaded DC-DC system by adaptively reshaping the source output impedance. The method aims to reduce the ratio of the source output impedance to the load input impedance, referred to as the minor loop gain, to eliminate the interaction between the load and the source systems. This interaction can deteriorate the dynamic performance or might lead to instability. Thus, the bus current is used to improve the dynamic performance by reducing the magnitude of the source’s output impedance adaptively according to the loading condition such that the dynamic performance is consistently improved. Utilizing the bus current facilitates the compatibility between the proposed controller and most widely used DC-DC converters controlled in voltage mode, including non-minimum phase converters. In addition to the flexibility the bus current provides to embed the proposed solution with conventional control schemes. Experimental results have validated the effectiveness of the proposed controller along with time-based simulation and theoretical analysis, for minimum and non-minimum phase converters.
The Share Price and Investment: Current Footprints for Future Oil and Gas Industry Performance
Authors: Jianu Ionel , Jianu Iulia
Published: February 2018

The share price has become a very important indicator for shareholders, banks, and financial institutions evaluating the performance of companies. The oil and gas industry seems to be in a difficult era of development, due to the market prices for its products. Moreover, climate change and renewable energies are barriers for fossil energy. This state of affairs, and the fact that oil and gas shares are considered one of the most solid and reliable shares on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), have drawn our attention. International institutions encourage the investment in the oil and gas economic sector. This study investigates how investments of oil and gas companies in long-term assets influence the share price. Using the Ohlson share price model for a sample of 51 listed companies on the LSE proves that investments in long-term assets influence the share price in the case of companies which record losses. Investments in long-term assets are responsible for the attractiveness of the oil and gas company shares.
A Comprehensive Energy Analysis and Related Carbon Footprint of Dairy Farms, Part 1: Direct Energy Requirements
Authors: Todde Giuseppe , Murgia Lelia , Caria Maria , Pazzona Antonio
Published: February 2018

Dairy cattle farms are continuously developing more intensive systems of management which require higher utilization of durable and not-durable inputs. These inputs are responsible of significant direct and indirect fossil energy requirements which are related to remarkable emissions of CO2. This study aims to analyze direct energy requirements and the related carbon footprint of a large population of conventional dairy farms located in the south of Italy. A detailed survey of electricity, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumptions has been carried out among on-farm activities. The results of the analyses showed an annual average fuel consumption of 40 kg per tonne of milk, while electricity accounted for 73 kWh per tonne of milk produced. Expressing the direct energy inputs as primary energy, diesel fuel results the main resource used in on-farm activities, accounting for 72% of the total fossil primary energy requirement, while electricity represents only 27%. Moreover, larger farms were able to use more efficiently the direct energy inputs and reduce the related emissions of carbon dioxide per unit of milk produced, since the milk yield increases with the herd size. The global average farm emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent, due to all direct energy usages, accounted for 156 kg CO2-eq per tonne of Fat and Protein Corrected Milk (FPCM), while farms that raise more than 200 heads emitted 36% less than the average value. In this two-part series, the total energy demand (Part 1 + Part 2) per farm is mainly due to agricultural inputs and fuel consumption, which have the largest quota of the annual requirements for each milk yield class. These results also showed that large size farms held lower CO2-eq emissions when referred to the mass of milk produced.
Charcoal Increases Microbial Activity in Eastern Sierra Nevada Forest Soils
Authors: Carter Zachary , Sullivan Benjamin , Qualls Robert , Blank Robert , Schmidt Casey , Verburg Paul
Published: February 2018

Fire is an important component of forests in the western United States. Not only are forests subjected to wildfires, but fire is also an important management tool to reduce fuels loads. Charcoal, a product of fire, can have major impacts on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in forest soils, but it is unclear how these effects vary by dominant vegetation. In this study, soils collected from Jeffrey pine (JP) or lodgepole pine (LP) dominated areas and amended with charcoal derived from JP or LP were incubated to assess the importance of charcoal on microbial respiration and potential nitrification. In addition, polyphenol sorption was measured in unamended and charcoal-amended soils. In general, microbial respiration was highest at the 1% and 2.5% charcoal additions, but charcoal amendment had limited effects on potential nitrification rates throughout the incubation. Microbial respiration rates decreased but potential nitrification rates increased over time across most treatments. Increased microbial respiration may have been caused by priming of native organic matter rather than the decomposition of charcoal itself. Charcoal had a larger stimulatory effect on microbial respiration in LP soils than JP soils. Charcoal type had little effect on microbial processes, but polyphenol sorption was higher on LP-derived than JP-derived charcoal at higher amendment levels despite surface area being similar for both charcoal types. The results from our study suggest that the presence of charcoal can increase microbial activity in soils, but the exact mechanisms are still unclear.
Restrained Shrinkage Cracking of Fiber-Reinforced High-Strength Concrete
Authors: Saradar Ashkan , Tahmouresi Behzad , Mohseni Ehsan , Shadmani Ali
Published: February 2018

Concrete shrinkage and volume reduction happens due to the loss of moisture, which eventually results in cracks and more concrete deformation. In this study, the effect of polypropylene (PP), steel, glass, basalt, and polyolefin fibers on compressive and flexural strength, drying shrinkage, and cracking potential, using the ring test at early ages of high-strength concrete mixtures, was investigated. The restrained shrinkage test was performed on concrete ring specimens according to the ASTM C1581 standard. The crack width and age of restrained shrinkage cracking were the main parameters studied in this research. The results indicated that the addition of fiber increases the compressive strength by 16%, 20%, and 3% at the age of 3, 7, and 28 days, respectively, and increases the flexural toughness index up to 7.7 times. Steel and glass fibers had a better performance in flexural strength, but relatively poor action in the velocity reduction and cracking time of the restrained shrinkage. Additionally, cracks in all concrete ring specimens except for the polypropylene-containing mixture, was developed to a full depth crack. The mixture with polypropylene fiber indicated a reduction in crack width up to 62% and an increasing age cracking up to 84%.
Characterization and Determination of Interesterification Markers (Triacylglycerol Regioisomers) in Confectionery Oils by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Santoro Valentina , Dal Bello Federica , Aigotti Riccardo , Gastaldi Daniela , Romaniello Francesco , Forte Emanuele , Magni Martina , Baiocchi Claudio , Medana Claudio
Published: February 2018

Interesterification is an industrial transformation process aiming to change the physico-chemical properties of vegetable oils by redistributing fatty acid position within the original constituent of the triglycerides. In the confectionery industry, controlling formation degree of positional isomers is important in order to obtain fats with the desired properties. Silver ion HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) is the analytical technique usually adopted to separate triglycerides (TAGs) having different unsaturation degrees. However, separation of TAG positional isomers is a challenge when the number of double bonds is the same and the only difference is in their position within the triglyceride molecule. The TAG positional isomers involved in the present work have a structural specificity that require a separation method tailored to the needs of confectionery industry. The aim of this work was to obtain a chromatographic resolution that might allow reliable qualitative and quantitative evaluation of TAG positional isomers within reasonably rapid retention times and robust in respect of repeatability and reproducibility. The resulting analytical procedure was applied both to confectionery raw materials and final products.
Serve Size and Estimated Energy and Protein Contents of Meals Prepared by ‘Meals on Wheels’ South Australia Inc.: Findings from a Meal Audit Study
Authors: Arjuna Tony , Miller Michelle , Soenen Stijn , Chapman Ian , Visvanathan Renuka , Luscombe-Marsh Natalie
Published: February 2018

An audit of ‘standard’ (STD) and ‘energy and protein fortified’ (HEHP) meals from Meals on Wheels (MOW) South Australia’s summer menu was conducted to evaluate the consistency, and serve size and nutrient contents, of their menu items. Twenty soups, 20 mains and 20 desserts from each of the STD and HEHP menus were prepared at the MOW South Australia’s kitchen and delivered to three ‘sham(dummy)-clients’ over a 5-week period. Each meal component was weighed in triplicate, to the nearest gram, the variation within the serve weight was calculated, and the overall energy and protein content of each meal was determined using FoodWorks (Xyris Software, Highgate Hill, Queensland, Australia). On average, the variability for soups and mains was ≤6% and for desserts was ≤10% and although the measured serve sizes of the MOW meals were consistently smaller than prescribed serve size, the differences were minor. As a percentage of recommended daily intakes (RDIs) for adults aged over 60 years, we calculated that the STD meals contained 21–39% for energy and 42–63% for protein while the HEHP meals contained 29–55% for energy and 46–69% for protein. These findings demonstrate that MOW meals currently meet the voluntary meal guidelines for energy and protein.
Modulation of VEGF-A Alternative Splicing as a Novel Treatment in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Stevens Megan , Oltean Sebastian
Published: February 2018

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a prominent pro-angiogenic and pro-permeability factor in the kidney. Alternative splicing of the terminal exon of VEGF-A through the use of an alternative 3′ splice site gives rise to a functionally different family of isoforms, termed VEGF-Axxxb, known to have anti-angiogenic and anti-permeability properties. Dysregulation of the VEGF-Axxx/VEGF-Axxxb isoform balance has recently been reported in several kidney pathologies, including diabetic nephropathy (DN) and Denys–Drash syndrome. Using mouse models of kidney disease where the VEGF-A isoform balance is disrupted, several reports have shown that VEGF-A165b treatment/over-expression in the kidney is therapeutically beneficial. Furthermore, inhibition of certain splice factor kinases involved in the regulation of VEGF-A terminal exon splicing has provided some mechanistic insight into how VEGF-A splicing could be regulated in the kidney. This review highlights the importance of further investigation into the novel area of VEGF-A splicing in chronic kidney disease pathogenesis and how future studies may allow for the development of splicing-modifying therapeutic drugs.
Miocene Slănic Tuff, Eastern Carpathians, Romania, in the Context of Badenian Salinity Crisis
Authors: Bojar Ana-Voica , Barbu Victor , Wojtowicz Artur , Bojar Hans-Peter , Hałas Stanisław , Duliu Octavian G.
Published: February 2018

New geochronological investigations for the Slănic Formation, correlated with previous bio- and lithostratigaphical information, allow for a better succession of events for the Middle Miocene, including the absolute age of the Badenian salinity crisis in the bend sector of the Eastern Carpathians. Within the green Slănic Tuff, white tuff layers were in evidence. The main element distribution of the white and green tuffs indicates a dacitic composition, with higher SiO2 content for the white tuff. The white tuff has a distinct mineralogical composition with quartz, plagioclase, biotite and clinoptilolite. From such a tuff layer a biotite concentrate gives a 40Ar/39Ar age of 13.7 ± 0.2 Ma. As above these tuff layers discrete levels of gypsum occur, the age documents the beginning of the restrictive circulation and formation of evaporites in this sector of Carpathians during Badenian times.
The Challenge of American Folklore to the Humanities
Authors: Bronner Simon J.
Published: February 2018

American Folklore consists of traditional knowledge and cultural practices engaged by inhabitants of the United States below Canada and above Mexico. American folklorists were influenced by nineteenth-century European humanistic scholarship that identified in traditional stories, songs, and speech among lower class peasants an artistic quality and claim to cultural nationalism. The United States, however, appeared to lack a peasant class and shared racial and ethnic stock associated in European perceptions with the production of folklore. The United States was a relatively young nation, compared to the ancient legacies of European kingdoms, and geographically the country’s boundaries had moved since its inception to include an assortment of landscapes and peoples. Popularly, folklore in the United States is rhetorically used to refer to the veracity, and significance, of cultural knowledge in an uncertain, rapidly changing, individualistic society. It frequently refers to the expressions of this knowledge in story, song, speech, custom, and craft as meaningful for what it conveys and enacts about tradition in a future-oriented country. The essay provides the argument that folklore studies in the United States challenge Euro-centered humanistic legacies by emphasizing patterns associated with the American experience that are (1) democratic, (2) vernacular, and (3) incipient.
Effects of Vacation Rental Websites on the Concentration of Tourists—Potential Environmental Impacts. An Application to the Balearic Islands in Spain
Authors: Martín Martín José María , Rodriguez Martín José Antonio , Zermeño Mejía Karla Aída , Salinas Fernández José Antonio
Published: February 2018

The concentration of tourists at certain times of the year can damage sensitive environments. The use of peer-to-peer vacation rental websites has increased greatly during the last decade. This system could either reduce seasonality in touristic destinations where the tourist activity takes place throughout the year at a lower price or on the contrary, it could increase the number of visitors at certain times of the year even more. This paper intends to analyze the effect that these platforms have on tourism seasonality in order to calculate if they help reduce or increase the pressure on the destinations. To do so, the Gini Index has been applied to one of the main touristic spots in Europe, the Balearic Islands in Spain. The conclusion is that this type of accommodation has aggravated the problem, generating a greater concentration of tourists and a higher pressure on the resources of the islands.
Socioeconomic Inequality in One-Year Mortality of Elderly People with Hip Fracture in Taiwan
Authors: Hsu I-Lin , Chang Chia-Ming , Yang Deng-Chi , Chang Ya-Hui , Li Chia-Chun , Hu Susan C. , Li Chung-Yi
Published: February 2018

Hip fracture commonly results in considerable consequences in terms of disability, mortality, long-term institutional care and cost. Taiwan launched its universal health insurance coverage in 1995, which largely removes financial barriers to health care. This study aims to investigate whether socioeconomic inequality in one-year mortality exists among Taiwanese elderly people. This population-based cohort study included 193,158 elderly patients (≥65 years) admitted for hip fracture between 2000 and 2012. With over a one-year follow-up, 10.52% of the participants died from all causes. The mortality rate was low in the northern part of Taiwan and in urban and high-family-income areas. Multiple Poisson regression models further suggested that the level of >Q1–Q3 and >Q3–Max showed significantly reduced odds ratio of one-year mortality at 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87–0.93) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.74–0.81), respectively, compared with that of the lowest family income level (i.e., Min.–Q1). Despite a monotonic decline in overall one-year mortality during the study period, socioeconomic inequality in one-year mortality rate remained evident. The annual percentage change in one-year mortality was higher (−2.86) in elderly people from families with high income (>Q3–Max.) than that for elderly patients from family with low income (Min.–Q1, −1.94). Accessibility, rather than affordability, to health care for hip fracture is probably responsible for the observed socioeconomic inequality.
Improving Behavioral Support for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy: What Are the Barriers to Stopping and Which Behavior Change Techniques Can Influence Them? Application of Theoretical Domains Framework
Authors: Campbell Katarzyna A , Fergie Libby , Coleman-Haynes Tom , Cooper Sue , Lorencatto Fabiana , Ussher Michael , Dyas Jane , Coleman Tim
Published: February 2018

Behavioral support interventions are used to help pregnant smokers stop; however, of those tested, few are proven effective. Systematic research developing effective pregnancy-specific behavior change techniques (BCTs) is ongoing. This paper reports contributory work identifying potentially-effective BCTs relative to known important barriers and facilitators (B&Fs) to smoking cessation in pregnancy; to detect priority areas for BCTs development. A Nominal Group Technique with cessation experts (n = 12) elicited an expert consensus on B&Fs most influencing women’s smoking cessation and those most modifiable through behavioral support. Effective cessation interventions in randomized trials from a recent Cochrane review were coded into component BCTs using existing taxonomies. B&Fs were categorized using Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) domains. Matrices, mapping BCT taxonomies against TDF domains, were consulted to investigate the extent to which BCTs in existing interventions target key B&Fs. Experts ranked ‘smoking a social norm’ and ‘quitting not a priority’ as most important barriers and ‘desire to protect baby’ an important facilitator to quitting. From 14 trials, 23 potentially-effective BCTs were identified (e.g., ‘information about consequences). Most B&Fs fell into ‘Social Influences’, ‘Knowledge’, ‘Emotions’ and ‘Intentions’ TDF domains; few potentially-effective BCTs mapped onto every TDF domain. B&Fs identified by experts as important to cessation, are not sufficiently targeted by BCT’s currently within interventions for smoking cessation in pregnancy.
Disaster Reintegration Model: A Qualitative Analysis on Developing Korean Disaster Mental Health Support Model
Authors: Choi Yun-Jung , Choi Hwa-Bok , O’Donnell Meaghan
Published: February 2018

This study sought to describe the mental health problems experienced by Korean disaster survivors, using a qualitative research method to provide empirical resources for effective disaster mental health support in Korea. Participants were 16 adults or elderly adults who experienced one or more disasters at least 12 months ago recruited via theoretical sampling. Participants underwent in-depth individual interviews on their disaster experiences, which were recorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis, which followed Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) Grounded theory. After open coding, participants’ experiences were categorized into 130 codes, 43 sub-categories and 17 categories. The categories were further analyzed in a paradigm model, conditional model and the Disaster Reintegration Model, which proposed potentially effective mental health recovery strategies for disaster survivors, health providers and administrators. To provide effective assistance for mental health recovery of disaster survivors, both personal and public resilience should be promoted while considering both cultural and spiritual elements.
Hypoxia Activates Src and Promotes Endocytosis Which Decreases MMP-2 Activity and Aggravates Renal Interstitial Fibrosis
Authors: Cheng Zhengyuan , Liu Lei , Wang Zhi , Cai Yingying , Xu Qing , Chen Pingsheng
Published: February 2018

The aggravation of renal interstitial fibrosis in the advanced-stage of chronic kidney disease is related to decreased matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, which is induced by hypoxia in the kidney; however, the specific mechanism remains unclear. We previously demonstrated that inhibition of Caveolin-1, a key gene involved in endocytosis, increased MMP-2 activity in hypoxic HK-2 cells. It has been reported that activated Src (phospho-Src Tyr416) is a key molecule in multiple fibrotic pathways. However, whether Src functions on the regulation of Caveolin-1 and MMP-2 activity in hypoxic HK-2 cells remains poorly understood. To explore the underlying mechanism, a rat model of renal interstitial fibrosis was established, then we observed obvious hypoxia in fibrotic kidney tissue and the protein levels of phospho-Src and Caveolin-1 increased, while MMP-2 activity decreased. Next, we treated HK-2 cells with the phospho-Src inhibitor PP1. Compared with normal cells grown in hypoxia, in cells treated with PP1, the protein levels of phospho-Src and Caveolin-1 decreased, as did the protein levels of the MMP-2-activity-regulated molecules RECK (reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs) and TIMP-2 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2), while the protein level of MT1-MMP (membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase) increased and MMP-2 activity was enhanced. Therefore, hypoxia promotes the phosphorylation of Src and phospho-Src can enhance the endocytosis of HK-2 cells, which leads to decreased MMP-2 activity and aggravates renal interstitial fibrosis.
Nanoluciferase Reporter Gene System Directed by Tandemly Repeated Pseudo-Palindromic NFAT-Response Elements Facilitates Analysis of Biological Endpoint Effects of Cellular Ca2+ Mobilization
Authors: Zhang Wei , Takahara Terunao , Achiha Takuya , Shibata Hideki , Maki Masatoshi
Published: February 2018

NFAT is a cytoplasm-localized hyper-phosphorylated transcription factor that is activated through dephosphorylation by calcineurin, a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase. A non-palindromic NFAT-response element (RE) found in the IL2 promoter region has been commonly used for a Ca2+-response reporter gene system, but requirement of concomitant activation of AP-1 (Fos/Jun) often complicates the interpretation of obtained results. A new nanoluciferase (NanoLuc) reporter gene containing nine-tandem repeats of a pseudo-palindromic NFAT-RE located upstream of the IL8 promoter was designed to monitor Ca2+-induced transactivation activity of NFAT in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells by measuring luciferase activities of NanoLuc and co-expressed firefly luciferase for normalization. Ionomycin treatment enhanced the relative luciferase activity (RLA), which was suppressed by calcineurin inhibitors. HEK293 cells that stably express human STIM1 and Orai1, components of the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) machinery, gave a much higher RLA by stimulation with thapsigargin, an inhibitor of sarcoplasmic/endoplamic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). HEK293 cells deficient in a penta-EF-hand Ca2+-binding protein ALG-2 showed a higher RLA value than the parental cells by stimulation with an acetylcholine receptor agonist carbachol. The novel reporter gene system is found to be useful for applications to cell signaling research to monitor biological endpoint effects of cellular Ca2+ mobilization.
Telomere Length Maintenance in Cancer: At the Crossroad between Telomerase and Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT)
Authors: De Vitis Marco , Berardinelli Francesco , Sgura Antonella
Published: February 2018

Eukaryotic cells undergo continuous telomere shortening as a consequence of multiple rounds of replications. During tumorigenesis, cells have to acquire telomere DNA maintenance mechanisms (TMMs) in order to counteract telomere shortening, to preserve telomeres from DNA damage repair systems and to avoid telomere-mediated senescence and/or apoptosis. For this reason, telomere maintenance is an essential step in cancer progression. Most human tumors maintain their telomeres expressing telomerase, whereas a lower but significant proportion activates the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. However, evidence about the coexistence of ALT and telomerase has been found both in vivo in the same cancer populations and in vitro in engineered cellular models, making the distinction between telomerase- and ALT-positive tumors elusive. Indeed, after the development of drugs able to target telomerase, the capability for some cancer cells to escape death, switching from telomerase to ALT, was highlighted. Unfortunately, to date, the mechanism underlying the possible switching or the coexistence of telomerase and ALT within the same cell or populations is not completely understood and different factors could be involved. In recent years, different studies have tried to shed light on the complex regulation network that controls the transition between the two TMMs, suggesting a role for embryonic cancer origin, epigenetic modifications, and specific genes activation—both in vivo and in vitro. In this review, we examine recent findings about the cancer-associated differential activation of the two known TMMs and the possible factors implicated in this process. Furthermore, some studies on cancers are also described that did not display any TMM.
The Antioxidant Content and Protective Effect of Argan Oil and Syzygium aromaticum Essential Oil in Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Biochemical and Histological Changes
Authors: BAKOUR Meryem , SOULO Najoua , HAMMAS Nawal , FATEMI Hinde , ABOULGHAZI Abderrazak , TAROQ Amal , ABDELLAOUI Abdelfattah , AL-WAILI Noori , LYOUSSI Badiaa
Published: February 2018

Oxidative stress is an important etiology of chronic diseases and many studies have shown that natural products might alleviate oxidative stress-induced pathogenesis. The study aims to evaluate the effect of Argan oil and Syzygium aromaticum essential oil on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced liver, brain and kidney tissue toxicity as well as biochemical changes in wistar rats. The antioxidant content of Argan oil and Syzygium aromaticum essential oil was studied with the use of gas chromatography. The animals received daily by gavage, for 21 days, either distilled water, Syzygium aromaticum essential oil, Argan oil, H2O2 alone, H2O2 and Syzygium aromaticum essential oil, or H2O2 and Argan oil. Blood samples were withdrawn on day 21 for the biochemical blood tests, and the kidney, liver and brain tissue samples were prepared for histopathology examination. The results showed that the content of antioxidant compounds in Syzygium aromaticum essential oil is higher than that found in Argan oil. H2O2 increased level of blood urea, liver enzymes, total cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL-C), Triglycerides (TG) and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), and decreased the total protein, albumin and High Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). There was no significant effect on blood electrolyte or serum creatinine. The histopathology examination demonstrated that H2O2 induces dilatation in the central vein, inflammation and binucleation in the liver, congestion and hemorrhage in the brain, and congestion in the kidney. The H2O2-induced histopathological and biochemical changes have been significantly alleviated by Syzygium aromaticum essential oil or Argan oil. It is concluded that the Argan oil and especially the mixture of Argan oil with Syzygium aromaticum essential oil can reduce the oxidative damage caused by H2O2, and this will pave the way to investigate the protective effects of these natural substances in the diseases attributed to the high oxidative stress.
Probing the Effect of Six-Membered N-Heterocyclic Carbene—6-Mes—on the Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity of Me2MOR(NHC) (M = Ga, In) Complexes
Authors: Cybularczyk-Cecotka Martyna , Dąbrowska Anna Maria , Guńka Piotr A. , Horeglad Paweł
Published: February 2018

The investigation of the reactivity of six membered N-heterocyclic carbene 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-1-ylidene (6-Mes) towards dialkylgallium and dialkylindium alkoxides/aryloxides has shown that both steric hindrances and donor properties of 6-Mes significantly influence the strength of M–C6-Mes bond, as well as the formation, structure and reactivity of Me2MOR(6-Mes) (M = Ga, In) complexes. While the reactions of simple dimethylgallium alkoxides with 6-Mes lead to the formation of stable monomeric Me2Ga(OCH2CH2OMe)(6-Mes) (1) and Me2GaOMe(6-Mes) complexes, the analogous Me2InOR(6-Mes) are unstable and disproportionate to methylindium alkoxides and Me3In(6-Mes) (2). The use of bulky alkoxide ligand—OCPh2Me or aryloxide ligand—OC6H4OMe allowed for the synthesis of stable Me2M(OCPh2Me)(6-Mes) (M = Ga (3) and In (4)) as well as Me2M(OC6H4OMe)(6-Mes) (M = Ga (5) and In (6)). The structures of 1–6 have been determined using both spectroscopic methods in solution and X-ray diffraction studies, which confirmed the effect of both steric hindrances and donor properties of 6-Mes on their structure and catalytic properties in the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-lactide.
Construction of a Static Model for Power Generation of OTEC Plant Using Uehara Cycle Based on Experimental Data
Authors: Matsuda Yoshitaka , Yoshitake Takuma , Sugi Takenao , Goto Satoru , Morisaki Takafumi , Yasunaga Takeshi , Ikegami Yasuyuki
Published: February 2018

This paper considers the construction of a static model for the power generation of an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant using Uehara cycle. The model is constructed based on experimental data obtained from an actual experimental OTEC plant. In this paper, two kinds of static models are proposed. In both models, the relations among significant quantities are represented by polynomials. The polynomials are determined via least squares for experimental data, and the orders of polynomial which minimize the integral of absolute error between experimental data and simulation results of power generation are adopted. The usefulness and limitations of the proposed models are evaluated by simulation results.
Differences in Sirtuin Regulation in Response to Calorie Restriction in Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Bouklas Tejas , Masone Lindsey , Fries Bettina C.
Published: February 2018

Cryptococcus neoformans successfully replicates in low glucose in infected patients. In the serotype A strain, H99, growth in this condition prolongs lifespan regulated by SIR2, and can be modulated with SIR2-specific drugs. Previous studies show that lifespan modulation of a cryptococcal population affects its sensitivity to antifungals, and survival in an infection model. Sirtuins and their role in longevity are conserved among fungi; however, the effect of glucose starvation is not confirmed even in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Lifespan analysis of C. neoformans strains in low glucose showed that 37.5% exhibited pro-longevity, and lifespan of a serotype D strain, RC2, was shortened. Transcriptome comparison of H99 and RC2 under calorie restriction demonstrated differences, confirmed by real-time PCR showing that SIR2, TOR1, SCH9, and PKA1 expression correlated with lifespan response to calorie restriction. As expected, RC2-sir2Δ cells exhibited a shortened lifespan, which was reconstituted. However, shortened lifespan from calorie restriction was independent of SIR2. In contrast to H99 but consistent with altered SIR2 regulation, SIR2-specific drugs did not affect outcome of RC2 infection. These data suggest that SIR2 regulation and response to calorie restriction varies in C. neoformans, which should be considered when Sirtuins are investigated as potential therapy targets for fungal infections.
Numerical and Experimental Characterization of a Railroad Switch Machine
Authors: Croccolo Dario , De Agostinis Massimiliano , Fini Stefano , Olmi Giorgio , Robusto Francesco
Published: February 2018

This contribution deals with the numerical and experimental characterization of the structural behavior of a railroad switch machine. Railroad switch machines must meet a number of safety-related conditions such as, for instance, exhibiting the appropriate resistance against any undesired movements of the points due to the extreme forces exerted by a passing train. This occurrence can produce very high stress on the components, which has to be predicted by designers. In order to assist them in the development of new machines and in defining what the critical components are, FEA models have been built and stresses have been calculated on the internal components of the switch machine. The results have been validated by means of an ad-hoc designed experimental apparatus, now installed at the facilities of the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Bologna. This apparatus is particularly novel and original, as no Standards are available that provide recommendations for its design, and no previous studies have dealt with the development of similar rigs. Moreover, it has wide potential applications for lab tests aimed at assessing the safety of railroad switch machines and the fulfilment of the specifications by many railway companies.
Hypergraphs in m-Polar Fuzzy Environment
Authors: Akram Muhammad , Shahzadi Gulfam
Published: February 2018

Fuzzy graph theory is a conceptual framework to study and analyze the units that are intensely or frequently connected in a network. It is used to study the mathematical structures of pairwise relations among objects. An m-polar fuzzy (mF, for short) set is a useful notion in practice, which is used by researchers or modelings on real world problems that sometimes involve multi-agents, multi-attributes, multi-objects, multi-indexes and multi-polar information. In this paper, we apply the concept of mF sets to hypergraphs, and present the notions of regular mF hypergraphs and totally regular mF hypergraphs. We describe the certain properties of regular mF hypergraphs and totally regular mF hypergraphs. We discuss the novel applications of mF hypergraphs in decision-making problems. We also develop efficient algorithms to solve decision-making problems.