bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENGELOLAAN PANTI ASUHAN SANMA PASANG SURUT: METODE PENDAMPINGAN ANAK
Authors: Soejono Fransiska , Riyanto Agustinus , Yeniyati Prisca , Sunarni Theresia , Mustika Suzzana Winda Artha
Published: October 2018

Tujuan kegiatan abdimas ini adalah pertama, memberikan tambahan pengetahuan dan pengalaman mengenai metode pendampingan yang dapat digunakan untuk anak Panti Asuhan Santa Maria. Tujuan kedua, memberikan tambahan pengetahuan, ketrampilan dan wawasan nilai-nilai kebaikan kepada anak Panti Asuhan St. Maria (SanMa). Kegiatan dilakukan dalam bentuk workshop tim dosen UKMC bagi pendamping anak yang dikemas dalam bentuk pembekalan bagi pendamping anak. Pendampingan bagi anak asuh dikemas dalam bentuk permainan, pengembangan pola pikir melalui film/video yang menginspirasi, serta pendampingan ketrampilan bagi anak asuh yang berusia di bawah 5 tahun melalui aktivitas menggambar dan mewarnai bersama. Pembagian kuisioner dilakukan di akhir kegiatan sebagai umpan balik atas kegiatan yang telah dilakukan. Tanggapan positif peserta terhadap kegiatan yang dilakukan terlihat dari hasil wawancara dan pengisian kuisioner.
The Efficacy of Lerek Fruits (Phrynium maximum)Extract Related Body Weight, Lipid Profile and Leptin in Wistar Rats-Induced High Fat Diet
Authors: Partan Radiyati Umi , Hidayat Rachmat , Agustin Yeni , Saleh Mgs Irsan , Parisa Nita , Lusiana Evi , Tamzil Nia savitri , Rosdah Ayeshah Agusta , Hakimi Abdulwahab
Published: October 2018

Background

Phrynium maximum (local name : lerek ) is a plant native to Sumatera, Malaya and Borneo. This plants have a potential as a local wisdom for therapeutics. In Sumatera, Lerek was used as traditional treatment for fever, diarrhea, diabetics and for wound healing.

 

Aim of Study

Aim of this study to explore the efficacy of lerek fruits extract in body weight, lipid profile and leptin level in Wistar Rats-Induced High Fat Diet

 

Methods

This study was an experimental study , pre-post test with control group design. The sample in this study was  30 male rats, 8 weeks old, weight 150-200 gram. Rats were given high fat diet and lerek fruits extract  at dose of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kgBW/day for 2 weeks. Lerek fruits was extracted by infusion methods. The results of this study were assayed by SPSS 18.

 

Results

Lerek fruit extract 100 mg/kgBW  was more potent to reduce body weight gain, triglyseride level and leptin level than lerek fruit extract 50 mg/kgBW, 200 mg.kgBW, negative control and positive control.

 

Conclusion

Lerek fruit extracts had a potention to reduce body weight, triglyceride and leptin level.

 

Keywords: Lerek fruit extract â€“ body weight- triglyserida - leptin
The Efficacy of Temu Putih Fraction (Curcuma Zedoaria (Berg) Roscoe) Related Quality and Quantity of Spermatozoa in Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Fatrin Tiara , Salni Salni , Nita Sri , Hidayat Rachmat , Triwani Triwani , Marwoto Joko , Maritska Ziske , Saleh Mgs Irsan , Parisa Nita , Tamzil Nia savitri , Lusiana Evi , Rosdah Ayeshah Agusta
Published: October 2018

Background

Male participation in KB is still relatively low when compared to the participationof women. Researchers have to do research to find the contraception drug. Temu putih (Curcuma Zedoaria (Berg) Roscoe) is one of traditional herb that used as antifertility.

 

Aim of Study

Aim of this study to examine change in the amount, motility, morphology, and viability spermatozoa male rats (rattus norvegicus) due to temu putih fraction suplementation.

 

Methods

This study was an experimental study using a completely randomized design (CRD), post test with control group design. The sample in this study was  30 male rats, 10 weeks old, weight 150-200 gram. Rats were given temu putih fraction (n hexan, etylacetate and methanol-water) at dose of 300 mg/kgBB/day for 48 days. Temu putih was extracted by ethanol and did fractionation by liquid-liquid methods. The results of this study were assayed by SPSS 18.

 

Results

The amount, motility, morphology and viability of spermatozoa in the group of metanol fraction of water  decreased  compared with the control group (p= 0,000), motilitas of spermatozoa in the group of metanol water fraction  decreased compared with the control group.

 

Conclusion

Temu putih fraction can reduce the amount, motility, morphology, and viability of spermatozoa in male rats.

 

Keywords:  Fraction, Temu Putih, Amount of spermatozoa, Motility of spermatozoa, Viability Of Spermatozoa
Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolate From Fermentation Food Bekasam
Authors: Melizah Ardesy , Husin Syarif , Alkaf Syifa
Published: October 2018

Bekasam is a local food from South Sumatera Indonesia, which is obtained through fermentation of fish. Previous study has shown that fermented food contained Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) bacteria, such as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus sp, Pediococus sp and Weissella sp. The study was conducted to identify isolate LAB from bekasam. Bekasam contained fish, rice, and salt with a certain ratio. Further isolation of isolated LAB isolate, then performed PCR for bacterial analysis. Isolate 1 showed alleged bacteria Staphylococcus sp, non pathogen, while isolate 2 leads to Lactobacillus sp. The PCR results show the suitability of the bands formed between the Lactobacillus standard and the isolates.

 

Keywords: bacteria, lactobacillus, acid
The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factorin Thrombocytosis in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Subandrate Subandrate , Setyorini Dwi Indira , Mediarty Mediarty , Saleh Irsan
Published: October 2018

Backgorund: Colorectal cancer was included in a group of cancer with various complications. One complication that was often a cause of morbidity and mortality was thrombocytosis. In colorectal cancer, the incidence of thrombocytosis associated with the formation of blood vessels around the tumor or angiogenesis. Factors that played an important role in angiogenesis was vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Methods: This study was an observational analytic research in colorectal cancer patients to determine the correlation levels of platelets and serum VEGF levels. A total of 33 patients with colorectal cancer at the Palembang Mohammad Hoesin Hospital be research subjects to examine the levels of platelets and levels of VEGF. The level of serum VEGF was performed using ELISA technique from SIGMAÂ®.

Results: The average level of the patient's platelets was281,090.9Â±105,860.8/mm3.  In this study, two patients (6.06%) have thrombocytosis.The average serum levels of VEGF research subjects were 221.2 Â± 152.8 pg/mL.Correlation test of levels of serum VEGF and platelets levels showed the value of p=0.040 (p> 0.05) and r = 0468.

Conclusions: Thus, it can be concluded that in this research serum VEGF levels are almost always causes an increase in platelet levels in patients with colorectal cancer.
Risk Factors for Stunting Children Aged 6-59 Months In Pulau Panggung District, South Sumatera, Indonesia
Authors: Anjela Prihatina , Hidayat Rachmat , Harahap Debby Handayanti
Published: October 2018

Background :. Stunting among children is one of the major health problems in developing countries. Globally, 45% of deaths among children are caused by malnutrition, meanwhile stunting, as one of the factors, plays an important role. Children who experience stunting can not achieve optimal growth and cognitive potential. Hence, that will have an impact on future productivity. Muara Enim district is included in one district with stunting prevalence, which is above 20%, i.e. 26.9%. This study was to identify the risk factors of stunting children in Pulau Panggung district, Muara Enim, South Sumatera.

Methods: This study applied observational analytic research using cross sectional design. It was conducted on August to October 2017 at public health center in Pulau Panggung district, Muara Enim. There were 83 children who fullfilled the inclusion criteria. The relationship between risk factors and stunting was analyzed using  Chi square test and Logistic Regression test was applied to identify the risk factor that play the most role to stunting.

Results: 49,4% out of 83 children suffer from stunting, with a mean age of 29,37±13,69 months where the number of children stunting with male gender is 53.7% while female gender is 46.3%. Chi square analysis showed that there was a significant relationship among birth weight, birth length, mother's occupation, history of infection, exclussive breastfeeding and stunting  (p< 0.05) but no significant relationship was found among sex, mother's education, maternal height and income with stunting (p> 0.05). Multivariate Logistic Regression test showed that mother's occupation and history of infection are the risk factors that contibute the most to stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Pulau Panggung district. The risk of stunting among working mothers is higher 5 times than unworking  mothers and children with infection history have risk of stunting 3 times compared to children without infection history.

Conclusion: Mother's occupation and infection history are risk factors that contribute the most to stunting among children at Pulau Panggung district, Muara Enim, South Sumatera.
Donepezil for α‐synuclein Constipation: An 18 Month Follow-Up
Authors: Lepkowsky Charles M.
Published: October 2018

In a series of case studies, four patients diagnosed with the α‐synuclein or “Lewy body” disorders Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Neurocognitive Disorder with Lewy Bodies (NCDLB) at different stages of disease progression were treated for the symptoms of constipation, obstipation, and impaction with the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) Donepezil. Initial findings indicated that the use of Donepezil was associated with significant symptom reduction. The symptom status of each of the four patients was reviewed at six and twelve month intervals, with no apparent reduction in bowel motility, nor the emergence of any new symptoms. After eighteen months, the symptom status of each of the four patients was again assessed. Evaluation of the results suggests that the AChEI Donepezil may have long-term benefit for relieving the symptoms of constipation, obstipation and impaction in patients with α‐synuclein disorders.

Keywords: Neurocognitive Disorder with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson’s disease, constipation, Donepezil, acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) and M Value in Daily Profile of Glucose
Authors: Ebe Koji , Bando Hiroshi , Muneta Tetsuo , Bando Masahiro , Yonei Yoshikazu
Published: October 2018

Background: Low Carbohydrate Diet (LCD) and Calorie Restriction (CR) have been on discussion for years. Authors have continued diabetic research about LCD, CR, Morbus (M) value and insulin secretion. In this study, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was investigated.

Subjects and Methods: Subjects enrolled were 52 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (average 62.3 years). Methods included the measurement of fasting glucose and immunoreactive insulin (IRI), daily profile of blood glucose and M value.

Results: The obtained data were as follows: average HbA1c 8.0%, average glucose of daily profile 222 mg/dL. Median data were M value 151, HOMA-R 1.07, HOMA-β 11.1. Divided into 4 groups due to M value, the levels of HOMA-R and HOMA-β in each group were 0.68, 1.08, 1.64, 1.38 and 16.9, 16.3, 10.2, 5.3, respectively. Significant correlation were observed between M value and HOMA-R (p<0.01), and between M value and HOMA-β (p<0.01).

Discussion and Conclusion: As M value increases, HOMA-R increases and HOMA-β decreases. These findings suggested that diabetic patients would have insulin resistance and decreased β cell function correlated to the severity of diabetes, and that obtained results would become the basal data in this field, expecting the further development in the future research.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), Morbus value (M value), Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-R), Homeostasis model assessment of β cell function (HOMA-β), Daily profile of blood glucose, Immunoreactive insulin (IRI)
‘Damn these printers … By heaven, I'll cut Hoey's throat’: The History of Mr. Charles Fitzgerald and Miss Sarah Stapleton (1770), a Catholic Novel in Eighteenth-Century Ireland
Authors: Campbell Ross Ian
Published: October 2018

The History of Mr Charles Fitzgerald and Miss Sarah Stapleton (Dublin, 1770) is a satirical marriage-plot novel, published by the Roman Catholic bookseller James Hoey Junior. The essay argues that the anonymous author was himself a Roman Catholic, whose work mischievously interrogates the place of English-language prose fiction in Ireland during the third-quarter of the eighteenth century. By so doing, the fiction illuminates the issue, so far neglected by Irish book historians, of how the growing middle-class Roman Catholic readership might have read the increasingly popular ‘new species of writing’, as produced by novelists in Great Britain and Ireland. The essay concludes by reviewing the question of the authorship of The History and offering a new attribution to the Catholic physician and poet, Dr Dominick Kelly, of Ballyglass, Co. Roscommon.
Magic As Art in Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter
Authors: Hardy Augusta
Published: October 2018

In The King of Elfland's Daughter, Lord Dunsany crafts a fairy-story in which magic serves as an allegory for art. Elfland is a place of art, its timeless beauty created and sustained through magic; and its influence extends to the real world in the form of artistic inspiration. Indeed, elfin magic functions as art does: it preserves the past, renews one's vision, and imbues the material world with meaning. Dunsany's portrayal of art as magic in the novel is a poetic representation of his understanding of art as discussed in his non-fiction works. The novel concludes with a moment that symbolizes the creation of art: Earthly fields enchanted by elfin magic represent the familiar beauties of nature ‘enchanted’ into flights of fancy by the poet's words.
Co-stimulation With TLR7 Agonist Imiquimod and Inactivated Influenza Virus Particles Promotes Mouse B Cell Activation, Differentiation, and Accelerated Antigen Specific Antibody Production
Authors: Li Can , To Kelvin K. W. , Zhang Anna J. X. , Lee Andrew C. Y. , Zhu Houshun , Mak Winger W. N. , Hung Ivan F. N. , Yuen Kwok-Yung
Published: October 2018

Current influenza vaccines have relatively low effectiveness, especially against antigenically drifted strains, the effectiveness is even lower in the elderly and immunosuppressed individuals. We have previously shown in a randomized clinical trial that the topical application of a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, imiquimod, just before intradermal influenza vaccine could expedite and augment antibody response, including to antigenically-drifted strains. However, the mechanism of this vaccine and imiquimod combination approach is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that imiquimod alone directly activated purified mouse peritoneal B cells. When combined with inactivated H1N1/415742Md influenza virus particle (VP) as vaccine, co-stimulation of mouse peritoneal B cells in vitro induced stronger activation, proliferation, and production of virus-antigen specific IgM and IgG. Intraperitoneal injection of a combination of VP and imiquimod (VCI) was associated with an increased number of activated B cells with enhanced expression of CD86 in the mesenteric draining lymph nodes (mesLN) and the spleen at 18 h after injection. Three days after immunization with VCI, mouse spleen showed significantly more IgM and IgG secreting cells upon in vitro re-stimulation with inactivated virus, mouse sera were detected with viral neutralizing antibody. Transfer of these spleen B cells to naïve mice improved survival after lethal dose of H1N1/415742Md challenge. More importantly, the functional response of VCI-induced B cell activation was demonstrated by early challenge with a lethal dose of H1N1/415742Md influenza virus at 3 days after immunization. The spleen and mediastinal lymph nodes (mdLN) in mice immunized with VCI had germinal center formation, and significantly higher number of plasmablasts, plasma cells, and virus-antigen specific IgM and IgG secreting cells at only 3–4 days post virus challenge, compared with those of mice that have received imiquimod, inactivated virus alone or PBS. Serum virus-specific IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG1 and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) virus-specific IgA at 3 or 4 days post challenge were significantly higher in mice immunized with VCI, which had significantly reduced lung viral load and 100% survival. These findings suggested that imiquimod accelerates the vaccine-induced antibody production via inducing rapid differentiation of naïve B cells into antigen-specific antibody producing cells.
Two Hesitant Multiplicative Decision-Making Algorithms and Their Application to Fog-Haze Factor Assessment Problem
Authors: Pei Lidan , Jin Feifei
Published: October 2018

Hesitant multiplicative preference relation (HMPR) is a useful tool to cope with the problems in which the experts utilize Saaty’s 1–9 scale to express their preference information over paired comparisons of alternatives. It is known that the lack of acceptable consistency easily leads to inconsistent conclusions, therefore consistency improvement processes and deriving the reliable priority weight vector for alternatives are two significant and challenging issues for hesitant multiplicative information decision-making problems. In this paper, some new concepts are first introduced, including HMPR, consistent HMPR and the consistency index of HMPR. Then, based on the logarithmic least squares model and linear optimization model, two novel automatic iterative algorithms are proposed to enhance the consistency of HMPR and generate the priority weights of HMPR, which are proved to be convergent. In the end, the proposed algorithms are applied to the factors affecting selection of fog-haze weather. The comparative analysis shows that the decision-making process in our algorithms would be more straight-forward and efficient.
On the Effect of Filling Rate on Positive Macrosegregation Patterns in Large Size Cast Steel Ingots
Authors: Zhang Chunping , Loucif Abdelhalim , Jahazi Mohammad , Tremblay Rami , Lapierre Louis-Philippe
Published: October 2018

The effect of filling velocity on positive macrosegregation in large size steel ingots was studied. Macrosegregation and macro/microstructures were characterized on the hot-tops and a portion of the upper section of two ingots. The measurements revealed that segregation features in the two ingots varied as a function of the alloying elements, and that the severity of positive macrosegregation in the casting body was reduced when the filling rate was increased. It was also found that at the higher filling rate, grain morphologies in the first solidified zones of the ingot changed from columnar to equiaxe, and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) became slightly smaller in the intermediate and final solidified zones. The experimental findings were analyzed in the framework of diffusion and convection-controlled solidification, as well as liquid metal flow theories. The solute dependence of segregation features was related to the difference in the solid-liquid partition coefficient and diffusion capability of each element in the liquid iron. Calculation of Reynolds numbers (Re) during the filling process, for both ingots, showed that higher filling velocity caused more instable movement of the liquid metal in the initial solidification stage, resulting in the modification of grain morphology, as well as accelerated solidification rate.
Methods for Grating Lobe Suppression in Ultrasound Plane Wave Imaging
Authors: Bae Sua , Song Tai-Kyong
Published: October 2018

Plane wave imaging has been proven to provide transmit beams with a narrow and uniform beam width throughout the imaging depth. The transmit beam pattern, however, exhibits strong grating lobes that have to be suppressed by a tightly focused receive beam pattern. In this paper, we present the conditions of grating lobe occurrence by analyzing the synthetic transmit beam pattern. Based on the analysis, the threshold of the angle interval is presented to completely eliminate grating lobe problems when using uniformly distributed plane wave angles. However, this threshold requires a very small angle interval (or, equivalently, too many angles). We propose the use of non-uniform plane wave angles to disperse the grating lobes in the spatial domain. In this paper, we present an approach using two uniform angle sets with different intervals to generate a non-uniform angle set. The proposed methods were verified by continuous-wave transmit beam patterns and broad-band 2D point spread functions obtained by computer simulations.
Experimental Study on Anti-Icing Performance of NS-DBD Plasma Actuator
Authors: Chen Jie , Liang Hua , Wu Yun , Wei Biao , Zhao Guangyin , Tian Miao , Xie Like
Published: October 2018

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the anti-icing performance of NS-DBD plasma actuator under the conditions of airflow speed U = 65 m/s, ambient temperature T = −10 °C, liquid water content LWC = 0.5 g/m3, mean-volume diameter MVD = 25 μm, mainly to clarify the effect of pulse frequency and voltage amplitude of actuation on anti-icing performance. A NACA0012 airfoil model with a chord length of c = 280 mm was used in the tests. The NS-DBD plasma actuator was mounted at the front part of the airfoil. A FLIR infrared (IR) imager and CCD camera were used to record the anti-icing process of the NS-DBD plasma actuator. Two typical discharge conditions were selected for the anti-icing experiments. The first was HV-LF discharge, corresponding to discharge under higher voltage amplitude with lower pulse frequency; the second was LV-HF discharge, corresponding to discharge under lower voltage amplitude with higher pulse frequency. Results reveal that NS-DBD is a very promising method for anti-icing. With the same power consumption, the LV-HF discharge shows a better anti-icing performance compared to HV-LF discharge under the same icing conditions. In view of pulse duration and duty circle, combined with heat dissipation, it is suggested that there is a threshold frequency, corresponding to the voltage amplitude of electric actuation signal and the incoming flow condition, to achieve effective anti-icing performance.
A Survey on Robust Video Watermarking Algorithms for Copyright Protection
Authors: Yu Xiaoyan , Wang Chengyou , Zhou Xiao
Published: October 2018

With the development and popularization of the Internet and the rise of various live broadcast platforms, digital videos have penetrated into all aspects of people’s life. At the same time, all kinds of pirated videos are also flooding the Internet, which seriously infringe the rights and interests of video copyright owners and hinder the healthy development of the video industry. Therefore, robust video watermarking algorithms for copyright protection have emerged as these times require. In this paper, we review robust video watermarking algorithms for copyright protection based on original videos and compressed videos. Basic models and properties of video watermarking algorithms are described, and the evaluation indexes corresponding to each property are also introduced. To help researchers understand various existing robust watermarking algorithms quickly, some basic information and the quantitative estimation of several performances are analyzed and compared. Finally, we discuss the challenges in the research of robust video watermarking algorithms, and give possible development directions for the future.
A Robotic Drilling End-Effector and Its Sliding Mode Control for the Normal Adjustment
Authors: Zhang Laixi , Dhupia Jaspreet Singh , Wu Mingliang , Huang Hua
Published: October 2018

A robotic drilling end-effector is designed and modeled, and a sliding mode variable structure control architecture based on the reaching law is proposed for its normal adjustment dynamic control. By using a third-order nonlinear integration chain differentiator for obtaining the unmeasurable speed and acceleration signals from the position signals, this sliding mode control scheme is developed with good dynamic quality. The new control law ensures global stability of the entire system and achieves both stabilization and tracking within a desired accuracy. A real-time control experiment platform is established in xPC target environment based on MATLAB Real-Time Workshop (RTW) to verify the proposed control scheme and simulation results. Simulations and experiments performed on the designed robotic end-effector illustrate and clarify that the proposed control scheme is effective.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Large-Scale Circular Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns with Various Constructural Measures under High Axial Load Ratios
Authors: Zhao Lidong , Cao Wanlin , Guo Huazhen , Zhao Yang , Song Yu , Yang Zhaoyuan
Published: October 2018

To investigate the effect of constructional measures (including horizontal and vertical stiffeners, rebar cages, embedded steel tubes, and cavity welded steel plates) under high axial load ratios on the seismic performance of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns, quasi-static tests for six large-scale CFST columns with various constructional measures are performed. All specimens are subjected to identical axial forces. The failure mode, hysteresis characteristics, bearing capacity, stiffness degradation, ductility, and energy dissipation of specimens are analyzed. The study shows that the horizontal stiffener delays the occurrence and severity of column base buckling, the vertical stiffener improves the bending resistance capacity and initial stiffness of the member, the rebar cage improves the ductility, and the embedded circular steel tube significantly improves the member’s bearing capacity, ductility, and energy dissipation. When an internal circular steel tube and cavity welded steel plate are applied in tandem, the section steel ratio increases by 4.42% and the bearing capacity improves by 42.72%. A finite element model is created to verify test results, and simulation results match the test results well.
Photonic Crystal Characterization of the Cuticles of Chrysina chrysargyrea and Chrysina optima Jewel Scarab Beetles
Authors: Vargas William E. , Avendano Esteban , Hernández-Jiménez Marcela , Azofeifa Daniel E. , Libby Eduardo , Solís Ángel , Barboza-Aguilar Cynthia
Published: October 2018

A unified description involving structural morphology and composition, dispersion of optical constants, modeled and measured reflection spectra and photonic crystal characterization is devised. Light reflection spectra by the cuticles of scarab beetles (Chrysina chrysargyrea and Chrysina optima), measured in the wavelength range 300–1000 nm, show spectrally structured broad bands. Scanning electron microscopy analysis shows that the pitches of the twisted structures responsible for the left-handed circularly polarized reflected light change monotonically with depth through the cuticles, making it possible to obtain the explicit depth-dependence for each cuticle arrangement considered. This variation is a key aspect, and it will be introduced in the context of Berreman’s formalism, which allows us to evaluate reflection spectra whose main features coincide in those displayed in measurements. Through the dispersion relation obtained from the Helmholtz’s equation satisfied by the circular components of the propagating fields, the presence of a photonic band gap is established for each case considered. These band gaps depend on depth through the cuticle, and their spectral positions change with depth. This explains the presence of broad bands in the reflection spectra, and their spectral features correlate with details in the variation of the pitch with depth. The twisted structures consist of chitin nanofibrils whose optical anisotropy is not large enough so as to be approached from modeling the measured reflection spectra. The presence of a high birefringence substance embedded in the chitin matrix is required. In this sense, the presence of uric acid crystallites through the cuticle is strongly suggested by frustrated attenuated total reflection and Raman spectroscopy analysis. The complete optical modeling is performed incorporating the wavelength-dependent optical constants of chitin and uric acid.
Rapid Nanofabrication of Nanostructured Interdigitated Electrodes (nIDEs) for Long-Term In Vitro Analysis of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiated Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Hart Cacie , Kundu Avra , Kumar Kowsik , Varma Sreekanth J. , Thomas Jayan , Rajaraman Swaminathan
Published: October 2018

Adverse cardiac events are a major cause of late-stage drug development withdrawals. Improved in vitro systems for predicting cardiotoxicity are of great interest to prevent these events and to reduce the expenses involved in the introduction of cardiac drugs into the marketplace. Interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) affixed with a culture well provide a simple, suitable solution for in vitro analysis of cells because of their high sensitivity, ease of fabrication, and label-free, nondestructive analysis. Culturing human pluripotent stem cell differentiated cardiomyocytes onto these IDEs allows for the use of the IDE–cell combination in predictive toxicity assays. IDEs with smaller interdigitated distances allow for greater sensitivity, but typically require cleanroom fabrication. In this communication, we report the definition of a simple IDE geometry on a printed nanostructured substrate, demonstrate a Cellular Index (CI) increase from 0 to 7.7 for human cardiomyocytes, and a decrease in CI from 2.3 to 1 with increased concentration of the model drug, norepinephrine. The nanostructuring results in an increased sensitivity of our 1 mm pitch IDEs when compared to traditionally fabricated IDEs with a pitch of 10 μm (100 times larger electrode gap). The entire nanostructured IDE (nIDE) is fabricated and assembled in a rapid nanofabrication environment, thus allowing for iterative design changes and robust fabrication of devices.
Involving the microRNA Targetome in Esophageal-Cancer Development and Behavior
Authors: Dias Francisca , Morais Mariana , Teixeira Ana Luísa , Medeiros Rui
Published: October 2018

Esophageal cancer (EC) is the eighth most common and sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Despite breakthroughs in EC diagnosis and treatment, patients with complete pathologic response after being submitted to chemoradiotherapy are still submitted to surgery, despite its high morbidity. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA, miRNA-binding sites, and in its biogenesis pathway genes can alter miRNA expression patterns, thereby influencing cancer risk and prognosis. In this review, we systematized the information available regarding the impact of these miR-SNPs in EC development and prognosis. We found 34 miR-SNPs that were associated with EC risk. Despite the promising applicability of these miR-SNPs as disease biomarkers, they still lack validation in non-Asian populations. Moreover, there should be more pathway-based approaches to evaluate the cumulative effect of multiple unfavorable genotypes and, consequently, identify miR-SNPs signatures capable of predicting EC therapy response and prognosis.
Targeting MicroRNA-143 Leads to Inhibition of Glioblastoma Tumor Progression
Authors: Lozada-Delgado Eunice L. , Grafals-Ruiz Nilmary , Miranda-Román Miguel A. , Santana-Rivera Yasmarie , Valiyeva Fatma , Rivera-Díaz Mónica , Marcos-Martínez María J. , Vivas-Mejía Pablo E.
Published: October 2018

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive of all brain tumors, with a median survival of only 14 months after initial diagnosis. Novel therapeutic approaches are an unmet need for GBM treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Several dysregulated miRNAs have been identified in all cancer types including GBM. In this study, we aimed to uncover the role of miR-143 in GBM cell lines, patient samples, and mouse models. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR of RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples showed that the relative expression of miR-143 was higher in GBM patients compared to control individuals. Transient transfection of GBM cells with a miR-143 oligonucleotide inhibitor (miR-143-inh) resulted in reduced cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest. SLC30A8, a glucose metabolism-related protein, was identified as a direct target of miR-143 in GBM cells. Moreover, multiple injections of GBM tumor-bearing mice with a miR-143-inh-liposomal formulation significantly reduced tumor growth compared to control mice. The reduced in vitro cell growth and in vivo tumor growth following miRNA-143 inhibition suggests that miR-143 is a potential therapeutic target for GBM therapy.
Hippo Pathway in Cancer, towards the Realization of Hippo-Targeted Therapy
Authors: Hata Yutaka
Published: October 2018

n/a
Theoretical Study on the Quantum Capacitance Origin of Graphene Cathodes in Lithium Ion Capacitors
Authors: Su Fangyuan , Huo Li , Kong Qingqiang , Xie Lijing , Chen Chengmeng
Published: October 2018

Quantum capacitance (QC) is a very important character of the graphene cathode in lithium ion capacitors (LIC), which is a novel kind of electrochemical energy conversion and storage device. However, the QC electronic origin of the graphene cathode, which will affect the electrochemical reaction at the electrode/electrolyte interface, is still unclear. In this article, the QC of various kinds of graphene cathode is investigated systematically by DFT calculation. It was found that the value and origin of QC strongly depend on the defects and alien atoms of graphene. Graphene with pentagon defects possesses a higher QC than pristine graphene due to the contribution from the electronic states localized at the carbon pentagon. The introduction of graphitic B can contribute to QC, while graphitic N and P does not work in the voltage range of the LIC cathode. Single vacant defect graphene and pyrrolic N-doped graphene demonstrate very high QC due to the presence of states associated with the σ orbital of unbonded carbon atoms. However, pyridinic graphene shows an even higher QC because of the states from the N atom. For the residual O in graphene, its QC mainly originated from the pz states of carbon atoms and the effect of O, especially the O in bridged oxygen functional group (–COC–), is very limited. These results provide new insight into further study of the catalytic behavior and the design of a high performance graphene cathode for LIC.
Kinetic and Mechanistic Study on Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide on Carbon-Nanodots/Graphitic Carbon Nitride Composite
Authors: Liu Zhongda , Shen Qiumiao , Zhou Chunsun , Fang Lijuan , Yang Miao , Xia Tao
Published: October 2018

The metal-free CDots/g-C3N4 composite, normally used as the photocatalyst in H2 generation and organic degradation, can also be applied as an environmental catalyst by in-situ production of strong oxidant hydroxyl radical (HO·) via catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) without light irradiation. In this work, CDots/g-C3N4 composite was synthesized via an electrochemical method preparing CDots followed by the thermal polymerization of urea. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm and pore width distribution were carried out for characterization. The intrinsic catalytic performance, including kinetics and thermodynamic, was studied in terms of catalytic decomposition of H2O2 without light irradiation. The second-order rate constant of the reaction was calculated to be (1.42 ± 0.07) × 10−9 m·s−1 and the activation energy was calculated to be (29.05 ± 0.80) kJ·mol−1. Tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris) was selected to probe the produced HO· during the decomposing of H2O2 as well as to buffer the pH of the solution. The composite was shown to be base-catalyzed and the optimal performance was achieved at pH 8.0. A detailed mechanism involving the adsorb-catalyze double reaction site was proposed. Overall, CDots/g-C3N4 composite can be further applied in advanced oxidation technology in the presence of H2O2 and the instinct dynamics and the mechanism can be referred to further applications in related fields.
Ag-Based Catalysts in Heterogeneous Selective Oxidation of Alcohols: A Review
Authors: Torbina Viktoriia V. , Vodyankin Andrei A. , Ten Sergey , Mamontov Grigory V. , Salaev Mikhail A. , Sobolev Vladimir I. , Vodyankina Olga V.
Published: October 2018

Alcohols (bioalcohols) is a class of chemicals that are used as a feedstock for the manufacturing of a large number of valuable intermediates in industrially important processes. Currently, sustainable technologies for selective conversion of alcohols utilize “green” oxidants, mainly, ambient air or oxygen. Due to the high affinity of oxygen towards silver, the latter serves as an active component of supported heterogeneous catalysts. In this review, we consider Ag-based catalysts that participate in gas- or liquid-phase oxidation of alcohols. Oxidation of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, benzyl and allyl alcohols is mostly considered. A particular attention is paid to selective photooxidation of alcohols over Ag-based catalysts. We discuss the catalyst composition in terms of (1) the state of the active component, (2) the nature of the substrate, (3) support nature, and (4) the strength of the metal–support interactions.
Temperature–Power Simultaneous Effect on Physical Properties of BaxSr1−x TiO3 Thin Films Deposited by RF–Magnetron Cosputtering for 0 ≤ x ≤1
Authors: Reséndiz-Muñoz Juan , Estrada-Martínez Jorge , Meléndez-Lira Miguel , Zelaya-Ángel Orlando , Medel-Juárez José , Caballero-Briones Felipe , Fernández-Muñoz José
Published: October 2018

The combined effect on the variation of the in-situ deposition temperature and the variation of the applied power on the deposition rate (DR), gap energy (Eg), and resistivity (ρ) in barium strontium titanate thin films, deposited into RF (radio frequency)–magnetron cosputtering equipment, are presented in this research. The simultaneous action of two magnetrons (BaTiO3 and SrTiO3) is explained using the first and second derivative of Boltzmann’s sigmoidal equation. This found that a deposition gradient is a very novel analysis. Using the color-code lines built through MATLAB® and analyzing the trend information, taking into account the influence of the calculated “x” parameter, by means of the Boltzmann’s sigmoidal equation fit, we propose a method to set up an RF–magnetron cosputtering system to predict the DR(x,T), Eg(x,T), and ρ(x,T) values of BaxSr1−xTiO3 solid solutions with 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 for amorphous and crystalline phases. This method can be a versatile tool to optimize the deposition process with, or without, in situ deposition temperature.
Run-Time Mitigation of Power Budget Variations and Hardware Faults by Structural Adaptation of FPGA-Based Multi-Modal SoPC
Authors: Sharma Dimple , Kirischian Lev , Kirischian Valeri
Published: October 2018

Systems for application domains like robotics, aerospace, defense, autonomous vehicles, etc. are usually developed on System-on-Programmable Chip (SoPC) platforms, capable of supporting several multi-modal computation-intensive tasks on their FPGAs. Since such systems are mostly autonomous and mobile, they have rechargeable power sources and therefore, varying power budgets. They may also develop hardware faults due to radiation, thermal cycling, aging, etc. Systems must be able to sustain the performance requirements of their multi-task multi-modal workload in the presence of variations in available power or occurrence of hardware faults. This paper presents an approach for mitigating power budget variations and hardware faults (transient and permanent) by run-time structural adaptation of the SoPC. The proposed method is based on dynamically allocating, relocating and re-integrating task-specific processing circuits inside the partially reconfigurable FPGA to accommodate the available power budget, satisfy tasks’ performances and hardware resource constraints, and/or to restore task functionality affected by hardware faults. The proposed method has been experimentally implemented on the ARM Cortex-A9 processor of Xilinx Zynq XC7Z020 FPGA. Results have shown that structural adaptation can be done in units of milliseconds since the worst-case decision-making process does not exceed the reconfiguration time of a partial bit-stream.
The Neutron Macromolecular Crystallography Instruments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities
Authors: Meilleur Flora , Coates Leighton , Cuneo Matthew J. , Kovalevsky Andrey , Myles Dean A. A.
Published: October 2018

The IMAGINE and MaNDi instruments, located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory High Flux Isotope Reactor and Spallation Neutron Source, respectively, are powerful tools for determining the positions of hydrogen atoms in biological macromolecules and their ligands, orienting water molecules, and for differentiating chemical states in macromolecular structures. The possibility to model hydrogen and deuterium atoms in neutron structures arises from the strong interaction of neutrons with the nuclei of these isotopes. Positions can be unambiguously assigned from diffraction studies at the 1.5–2.5 Å resolutions, which are typical for protein crystals. Neutrons have the additional benefit for structural biology of not inducing radiation damage to protein crystals, which can be critical in the study of metalloproteins. Here we review the specifications of the IMAGINE and MaNDi beamlines and illustrate their complementarity. IMAGINE is suitable for crystals with unit cell edges up to 150 Å using a quasi-Laue technique, whereas MaNDi provides neutron crystallography resources for large unit cell samples with unit cell edges up to 300 Å using the time of flight (TOF) Laue technique. The microbial culture and crystal growth facilities which support the IMAGINE and MaNDi user programs are also described.
A Phosphonic Acid Anchoring Analogue of the Sensitizer P1 for p-Type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Klein Y. Maximilian , Marinakis Nathalie , Constable Edwin C. , Housecroft Catherine E.
Published: October 2018

We report the synthesis and characterization of the first example of an organic dye, PP1, for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) bearing a phosphonic acid anchoring group. PP1 is structurally related to the benchmarking dye, P1, which possesses a carboxylic acid anchor. The solution absorption spectra of PP1 and P1 are similar (PP1 has λmax = 478 nm and εmax = 62,800 dm3 mol−1 cm−1), as are the solid-state absorption spectra of the dyes adsorbed on FTO/NiO electrodes. p-Type DSCs with NiO as semiconductor and sensitized with P1 or PP1 perform comparably. For PP1, short-circuit current densities (JSC) and open-circuit voltages (VOC) for five DSCs lie between 1.11 and 1.45 mA cm−2, and 119 and 143 mV, respectively, compared to ranges of 1.55–1.80 mA cm−2 and 117–130 mV for P1. Photoconversion efficiencies with PP1 are in the range 0.054–0.069%, compared to 0.065–0.079% for P1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, open-circuit photovoltage decay and intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy have been used to compare DSCs with P1 and PP1 in detail.
From Physics to Bioengineering: Microbial Cultivation Process Design and Feeding Rate Control Based on Relative Entropy Using Nuisance Time
Authors: Urniezius Renaldas , Galvanauskas Vytautas , Survyla Arnas , Simutis Rimvydas , Levisauskas Donatas
Published: October 2018

For historic reasons, industrial knowledge of reproducibility and restrictions imposed by regulations, open-loop feeding control approaches dominate in industrial fed-batch cultivation processes. In this study, a generic gray box biomass modeling procedure uses relative entropy as a key to approach the posterior similarly to how prior distribution approaches the posterior distribution by the multivariate path of Lagrange multipliers, for which a description of a nuisance time is introduced. The ultimate purpose of this study was to develop a numerical semi-global convex optimization procedure that is dedicated to the calculation of feeding rate time profiles during the fed-batch cultivation processes. The proposed numerical semi-global convex optimization of relative entropy is neither restricted to the gray box model nor to the bioengineering application. From the bioengineering application perspective, the proposed bioprocess design technique has benefits for both the regular feed-forward control and the advanced adaptive control systems, in which the model for biomass growth prediction is compulsory. After identification of the gray box model parameters, the options and alternatives in controllable industrial biotechnological processes are described. The main aim of this work is to achieve high reproducibility, controllability, and desired process performance. Glucose concentration measurements, which were used for the development of the model, become unnecessary for the development of the desired microbial cultivation process.
From Nash Equilibria to Chain Recurrent Sets: An Algorithmic Solution Concept for Game Theory
Authors: Papadimitriou Christos , Piliouras Georgios
Published: October 2018

In 1950, Nash proposed a natural equilibrium solution concept for games hence called Nash equilibrium, and proved that all finite games have at least one. The proof is through a simple yet ingenious application of Brouwer’s (or, in another version Kakutani’s) fixed point theorem, the most sophisticated result in his era’s topology—in fact, recent algorithmic work has established that Nash equilibria are computationally equivalent to fixed points. In this paper, we propose a new class of universal non-equilibrium solution concepts arising from an important theorem in the topology of dynamical systems that was unavailable to Nash. This approach starts with both a game and a learning dynamics, defined over mixed strategies. The Nash equilibria are fixpoints of the dynamics, but the system behavior is captured by an object far more general than the Nash equilibrium that is known in dynamical systems theory as chain recurrent set. Informally, once we focus on this solution concept—this notion of “the outcome of the game”—every game behaves like a potential game with the dynamics converging to these states. In other words, unlike Nash equilibria, this solution concept is algorithmic in the sense that it has a constructive proof of existence. We characterize this solution for simple benchmark games under replicator dynamics, arguably the best known evolutionary dynamics in game theory. For (weighted) potential games, the new concept coincides with the fixpoints/equilibria of the dynamics. However, in (variants of) zero-sum games with fully mixed (i.e., interior) Nash equilibria, it covers the whole state space, as the dynamics satisfy specific information theoretic constants of motion. We discuss numerous novel computational, as well as structural, combinatorial questions raised by this chain recurrence conception of games.