bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
QUẢN LÝ NHÀ NƯỚC VỀ DU LỊCH TRÊN ĐỊA BÀN THỪA THIÊN HUẾ
Authors: Ngọc Võ Thị Thu
Published: September 2017

Kinh nghiệm từ nhiều quốc gia trên thế giới đã chỉ ra rằng: bí quyết để phát triển kinh tế du lịch bền vững là nhà nước phải dành ưu tiên trước hết cho công tác quy hoạch phát triển hơn là ưu tiên cho khu vực tư nhân và lấy nó làm động lực cho sự phát triển. Có thể thấy hoạt động kinh tế du lịch rất đa dạng và luôn đòi hỏi cần có sự quản lý của nhà nước để duy trì và phát triển. Việc thành công hay thất bại của ngành du lịch phụ thuộc vào khung khổ pháp lý và những chính sách thích hợp với điều kiện và trình độ phát triển của đất nước. Do vậy, vấn đề quản lý nhà nước đối với kinh tế du lịch theo hướng phát triển bền vững trở nên cấp thiết
VIỄN TẢI LƯỢNG TỬ VỚI TRẠNG THÁI CON MÈO KẾT CẶP ĐIỆN TÍCH
Authors: Định Đặng Hữu
Published: September 2017

: In this paper, we investigated the entanglement properties of the charge-pair cat states based on the linear entropy function. We used these states for the teleportation of a coherent state in two different measurements at the sender by using joint measurements of the quadrature amplitude and joint measurements of the photon number sum and phase difference. The investigated results of the fidelity show that the even charge-pair cat states are more suitable for teleportation in the way of the quadrature amplitude measurements. However, according to the results of the joint measurement of the photon-number sum and phase difference, both the even and odd charge-pair cat states are suitable for the teleportation process in the small amplitude of the coherent state.
Influence of phonon confinement on the optically detected electrophonon resonance linewidth in parabolic quantum wells
Authors: Hien Nguyen Dinh
Published: September 2017

We investigate the influence of optical phonon confinement described by Huang-Zhu (HZ) model on the optically detected electrophonon resonance (ODEPR) effect and ODEPR linewidth (ODEPRLW) in parabolic quantum wells (PQW) by using the operator projection. The obtained numerical result for the GaAs/AlAs parabolic quantum well shows that the ODEPR linewidths depend on the well's confinement frequency. Besides, in the two cases of confined and bulk phonons, the linewidth (LW) increases with the increase of confinement frequency. Furthermore, in the large range of the confinement frequency, the influence of phonon confinement plays an important role and cannot be neglected in considering the ODEPR linewidth.
DEVELOPMENT QUALITY INDEX METHOD (QIM) TO ASSESS THE FRESHNESS AND SHELF LIFE OF BLACK TIGER SHRIMP(PENAEUS MONODON) STORED AT 00C
Authors: Tam Le Nhat , Giao Nguyen Nam , Nhung Tran Thi Ngoc , Duyen Đao Bich , Nhung Le Thi Hong , Thanh Nguyen Ba , Thi Tran Thi Van
Published: September 2017

Black tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) wereharvested andstored at 00Cfor study. The quality index method (QIM) was developed to evaluate the freshness of black tiger shrimp, and was presented in this study. The terms used to describe all the changes related to the texture, color, and odor are carefully chosen. The development of a QIM scheme included three main steps:A preliminary scheme to evaluate all the changes of attributes related to quality – Final QIM scheme and training – Validation of QIM scheme and comparison estimate the remaining shelf life and actual shelf life. The results show that shelf life of black tiger shrimp in the ice storage is 8 days. Quality score involving attributes decreases during the storage timeand have a correlation close to the linear regression equation. The scheme validation quality of black tiger shrimp by QIM method allows the estimation of the remaining shelf life.
TRITERPENE AND STEROL COMPOUNDS ISOLATED FROM ANODENDRON PANICULATUM (ROXB.) A.DC.
Authors: Hoai Nguyen Thi
Published: September 2017

Phytochemical study on the aerial parts of Anodendron paniculatum led to the isolation of three triterpenes, including ursolic acid (1), esculentic acid (2), cycloartenol (3), and one sterol, desmosterol (4). Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds against the growth of human cancer cell lines were evaluated using a sulforhodamin B bioassay. Compounds 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against the LU-1 and MKN-7 cell lines with IC50 values of 44.37 ± 5.40, 30.89 ± 3.60 μg/mL, respectively. Meanwhile, compound 4 possessed moderate cytotoxic effects toward the LU-1, KB, Hep-G2, MKN-7 and SW-480 cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 28.11 ± 1.95 to 41.41 ± 2.31 μg/mL.

Key words: Anodendron paniculatum, ursolic acid, esculentic acid, cycloartenol, desmosterol, cytotoxicity.
DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF TRIAZOLE AND PYRETROID PESTICDES IN MUSTARD GREENS (Brassicajuncea)
Authors: Châu Nguyễn Đăng Giáng
Published: September 2017

Abstract

            Triazole and pyrethroid are two of the most commonly used pesticides in vegetable cultivation recently. In this study, a multi-residue analytical method employing gas chromatography – mass spectromety (GC-MS) technique was successfully developed for quantification of two triazole fungicides including propiconaozle and difenoconazole and on pyrethroid insecticide cypermethrin (including 04 isomeres) in mustard greens. The GC-MS running program performed good separation, low detection limit and short analysis time (24 minutes). Target compounds in mustard green sample were ultrasonically extracted in 15 minutes by 60 mL acetone, followed by clean-up steps using solid phase extraction of packed activated carbon column with 40 mL acetone:toluene (v:v, 1:1) for elutions, and florisil cartridge with an elution mixture of 15 mL acetone:n-hexane (v:v, 1:5). The method was validated before applying for a preliminary screening of triazole and pyrethroid residue levels in mustard greens collected in Phu Yen Province, Vietnam.

Keywords: triazole, pyrethroid, residues in vegetables, GC-MS
KORELASI KADAR INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR I (IGF-I) SERUM MATERNAL DENGAN ANTROPOMETRI BAYI BARU LAHIR
Authors: Saputri Lita Angelina
Published: September 2017

Pertumbuhan intrauterin yang tidak optimal dapat menyebabkan bayi lahir dengan berat badan, panjang badan dan lingkar kepala kecil. Keadaan ini dipengaruhi oleh berbagai faktor salah satunya Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-I). Insulin-like Growth Factor I maternal berperan penting dalam transpor nutrisi dan ibu ke janin melalui plasenta. Kadar IGF-I maternal diduga berkorelasi positif dengan antropometri bayi baru lahir. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui korelasi kadar IGF-I maternal dengan antropometri bayi baru lahir. Disain penelitian adalah cross sectional,observasional terhadap 56 ibu melahirkan di RSUD Dr. Rasidin, RS Tk III Reksodiwiryo Padang  bulan Juni sampai Agustus 2015 dengan teknik consecutive sampling. Kadar IGF-I diukur dengan menggunakan metode ELISA di Laboratorium Biomedik Universitas Andalas. Uji normalitas data dengan Kolmogorov-Smirnov, uji Spearman untuk korelasi IGF-I dengan berat badan, panjang badan dan lingkar kepala bayi baru lahir dan uji Mann-Whitney untuk menilai perbedaan kadar IGF-I. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan median kadar IGF-I maternal adalah 219,42 (203,46-267,18) ng/ml, berat badan badan 3100 (2100-4300) gram, panjang badan 48 (44-50) cm dan lingkar kepala 34 (31,5-37,5) cm. Terdapat korelasi positif yang lemah dan tidak signifikan antara IGF-I maternal dengan berat badan (r=0,206, p=0,128), dan terdapat korelasi positif yang sangat lemah dan tidak signifikan antara IGF-I maternal dengan panjang badan (r=0,186, p=0,170) dan lingkar kepala (r=0,160, p=0,238). Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah terdapat korelasi positif yang tidak signifikan antara kadar IGF-I serum maternal dengan antropometri bayi baru lahir.
Ethics in Medical Research
Authors: Rahman Md Anisur
Published: September 2017

Abstract not availableJ Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 25, No.2, October, 2016, Page 80-81
Congenital Anomaly in 100 Pregnant Women in a District Hospital of Bangladesh
Authors: Barua Hena Rani , Barua Rita Rani , Dhar Swapna Rani , Barua Sushanta , Barua Ajoy Kishore , Prasad Indrajit , Ansari M Abdul Jalil , Begum Kohinoor
Published: September 2017

Background: Congenital anomalies are a major cause of stillbirths and neonatal mortality. The pattern and prevalence of congenital anomalies may vary over time or with geographical location.Objective: To determine the types of congenital fetal abnormality and to find out the outcome of fetus.Material and methods: One hundred cases of pregnant women with singleton pregnancy having congenital fetal anomaly were studied. The study was performed at the in-patient department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Rangamati Medical College Hospital, Rangamati, Bangladesh from January 2016-December 2016. The newborn were examined for the presence of congenital anomalies and mothers were interviewed for socio-demographic variables.Results: During the study period, it was observed that most of the women (63%) belonged to age group between 21 and 30 years. More common congenital abnormalities were anencephaly (21%), bilateral hydronephrosis (17%), hydrocephalous (11%) and ventriculomegaly (8%). The deliveries were mostly (89%) normal vaginal and the rest were caesarean section. Male fetuses are more prone to develop congenital abnormality. Congenital anomalies were more likely to be associated with still born, IUD, prematurity, multiparity, consanguinity and perinatal death.Conclusion: Public awareness about preventable risk factors is to be created and early prenatal diagnosis and management of common anomalies is strongly recommended.J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 25, No.2, October, 2016, Page 105-109
Point Prevalence Surveys of Antimicrobial Use among Hospitalized Children in Six Hospitals in India in 2016
Authors: Gandra Sumanth , Singh Sanjeev , Jinka Dasaratha , Kanithi Ravishankar , Chikkappa Ashok , Sharma Anita , Dharmapalan Dhanya , Vasudevan Anil , Tunga Onkaraiah , Akula Akhila , Garg Garima , Hsia Yingfen , Murki Srinivas , Alvarez-Uria Gerardo , Sharland Mike , Laxminarayan Ramanan
Published: September 2017

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in India is among the highest in the world. Antimicrobial use in inpatient settings is an important driver of resistance, but is poorly characterized, particularly in hospitalized children. In this study, conducted as part of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance, Prescribing, and Efficacy in Neonates and Children (GARPEC) project, we examined the prevalence of and indications of antimicrobial use, as well as antimicrobial agents used among hospitalized children by conducting four point prevalence surveys in six hospitals between February 2016 and February 2017. A total of 681 children were hospitalized in six hospitals across all survey days, and 419 (61.5%) were prescribed one or more antimicrobials (antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals). Antibacterial agents accounted for 90.8% (547/602) of the total antimicrobial prescriptions, of which third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) accounted for 38.9% (213/547) and penicillin plus enzyme inhibitor combinations accounted for 14.4% (79/547). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) was the most common indication for prescribing antimicrobials (149 prescriptions; 24.8%). Although national guidelines recommend the use of penicillin and combinations as first-line agents for LRTI, 3GCs were the most commonly prescribed antibacterial agents (55/149 LRTI prescriptions; 36.9%). In conclusion, 61.5% of hospitalized children were on at least one antimicrobial agent, with excessive use of 3GCs. Hence there is an opportunity to limit their inappropriate use.
Open Source 3-D Printed Nutating Mixer
Authors: Trivedi Dhwani , Pearce Joshua
Published: September 2017

As the open source development of additive manufacturing has led to low-cost desktop three-dimensional (3-D) printing, a number of scientists throughout the world have begun to share digital designs of free and open source scientific hardware. Open source scientific hardware enables custom experimentation, laboratory control, rapid upgrading, transparent maintenance, and lower costs in general. To aid in this trend, this study describes the development, design, assembly, and operation of a 3-D printable open source desktop nutating mixer, which provides a fixed 20° platform tilt angle for a gentle three-dimensional (gyrating) agitation of chemical or biological samples (e.g., DNA or blood samples) without foam formation. The custom components for the nutating mixer are designed using open source FreeCAD software to enable customization. All of the non-readily available components can be fabricated with a low-cost RepRap 3-D printer using an open source software tool chain from common thermoplastics. All of the designs are open sourced and can be configured to add more functionality to the equipment in the future. It is relatively easy to assemble and is accessible to both the science education of younger students as well as state-of-the-art research laboratories. Overall, the open source nutating mixer can be fabricated with US$37 in parts, which is 1/10th of the cost of proprietary nutating mixers with similar capabilities. The open source nature of the device allow it to be easily repaired or upgraded with digital files, as well as to accommodate custom sample sizes and mixing velocities with minimal additional costs.
Microdevice Platform for In Vitro Nervous System and Its Disease Model
Authors: Choi Jin-Ha , Cho Hyeon-Yeol , Choi Jeong-Woo
Published: September 2017

The development of precise microdevices can be applied to the reconstruction of in vitro human microenvironmental systems with biomimetic physiological conditions that have highly tunable spatial and temporal features. Organ-on-a-chip can emulate human physiological functions, particularly at the organ level, as well as its specific roles in the body. Due to the complexity of the structure of the central nervous system and its intercellular interaction, there remains an urgent need for the development of human brain or nervous system models. Thus, various microdevice models have been proposed to mimic actual human brain physiology, which can be categorized as nervous system-on-a-chip. Nervous system-on-a-chip platforms can prove to be promising technologies, through the application of their biomimetic features to the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases. This article reviews the microdevices for nervous system-on-a-chip platform incorporated with neurobiology and microtechnology, including microfluidic designs that are biomimetic to the entire nervous system. The emulation of both neurodegenerative disorders and neural stem cell behavior patterns in micro-platforms is also provided, which can be used as a basis to construct nervous system-on-a-chip.
MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Masuda Takaaki , Hayashi Naoki , Kuroda Yosuke , Ito Shuhei , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Mimori Koshi
Published: September 2017

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small RNAs that repress mRNA translation, resulting in the degradation of mRNAs and regulation of the expression levels of various genes. Recent studies have shown that aberrant miR expression has a functional role in the initiation and progression of various malignancies, including colorectal cancer (CRC), which is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. miRs have also been shown to have applications as diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers because of their high tissue specificity, stability, and altered expression in tumor development. In this report, we examined the role of miRs as biomarkers in CRC through a review of meta-analyses and large-scale analyses having strong statistical confidence in the study outcomes. We also discuss current issues in the clinical application of these miRs.
In Vitro Assessment of Sericin-Silver Functionalized Silk Fabrics for Enhanced UV Protection and Antibacterial Properties Using Experimental Design
Authors: Chitichotpanya Pisutsaran , Chitichotpanya Chayanisa
Published: September 2017

Silk sericin (SS) was used as both a 3-dimensional matrix and reductant for the in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) finished on silk fabrics. We demonstrated enhanced UV protection and antibacterial properties using this synthesis which was an environmental friendly approach. Development and optimization was achieved using a central composite design (CCD) in conjunction with the response surface methodology (RSM). The goal was to identify the concentrations of SS and AgNO3 that produced the optimal balance between UV protection and antibacterial activity, when tested against E. coli and S. aureus. The SS-AgNP bio-nanocomposites were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Statistical analyses indicated an empirical second-order polynomial could accurately model the experimental values. To confirm that the optimal levels from RSM worked in practice, performance evaluations were conducted, including tests of cytotoxicity, of the durability and stability of UV protection, as well as of the antibacterial activity of the functionalized fabrics after repeated standard washing. The results suggest that these bio-nanocomposites have great potential for multi-functionalization on silk fabrics. Our method has been shown to convert the waste material (SS) to a fabric with high added value.
Performance Comparison of Feed-Forward Neural Networks Trained with Different Learning Algorithms for Recommender Systems
Authors: Hassan Mohammed , Hamada Mohamed
Published: September 2017

Accuracy improvement is among the primary key research focuses in the area of recommender systems. Traditionally, recommender systems work on two sets of entities, Users and Items, to estimate a single rating that represents a user’s acceptance of an item. This technique was later extended to multi-criteria recommender systems that use an overall rating from multi-criteria ratings to estimate the degree of acceptance by users for items. The primary concern that is still open to the recommender systems community is to find suitable optimization algorithms that can explore the relationships between multiple ratings to compute an overall rating. One of the approaches for doing this is to assume that the overall rating as an aggregation of multiple criteria ratings. Given this assumption, this paper proposed using feed-forward neural networks to predict the overall rating. Five powerful training algorithms have been tested, and the results of their performance are analyzed and presented in this paper.
Born-Kothari Condensation for Fermions
Authors: Ghosh Arnab
Published: September 2017

In the spirit of Bose–Einstein condensation, we present a detailed account of the statistical description of the condensation phenomena for a Fermi–Dirac gas following the works of Born and Kothari. For bosons, while the condensed phase below a certain critical temperature, permits macroscopic occupation at the lowest energy single particle state, for fermions, due to Pauli exclusion principle, the condensed phase occurs only in the form of a single occupancy dense modes at the highest energy state. In spite of these rudimentary differences, our recent findings [Ghosh and Ray, 2017] identify the foregoing phenomenon as condensation-like coherence among fermions in an analogous way to Bose–Einstein condensate which is collectively described by a coherent matter wave. To reach the above conclusion, we employ the close relationship between the statistical methods of bosonic and fermionic fields pioneered by Cahill and Glauber. In addition to our previous results, we described in this mini-review that the highest momentum (energy) for individual fermions, prerequisite for the condensation process, can be specified in terms of the natural length and energy scales of the problem. The existence of such condensed phases, which are of obvious significance in the context of elementary particles, have also been scrutinized.
A New Tree-Type Fracturing Method for Stimulating Coal Seam Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Li Qian , Lu Yiyu , Ge Zhaolong , Zhou Zhe , Zheng Jingwei , Xiao Songqiang
Published: September 2017

Hydraulic fracturing is used widely to stimulate coalbed methane production in coal mines. However, some factors associated with conventional hydraulic fracturing, such as the simple morphology of the fractures it generates and inhomogeneous stress relief, limit its scope of application in coal mines. These problems mean that gas extraction efficiency is low. Conventional fracturing may leave hidden pockets of gas, which will be safety hazards for subsequent coal mining operations. Based on a new drilling technique applicable to drilling boreholes in coal seams, this paper proposes a tree-type fracturing technique for stimulating reservoir volumes. Tree-type fracturing simulation experiments using a large-scale triaxial testing apparatus were conducted in the laboratory. In contrast to the single hole drilled for conventional hydraulic fracturing, the tree-type sub-boreholes induce radial and tangential fractures that form complex fracture networks. These fracture networks can eliminate the “blank area” that may host dangerous gas pockets. Gas seepage in tree-type fractures was analyzed, and gas seepage tests after tree-type fracturing showed that permeability was greatly enhanced. The equipment developed for tree-type fracturing was tested in the Fengchun underground coal mine in China. After implementing tree-type fracturing, the gas extraction rate was around 2.3 times greater than that for traditional fracturing, and the extraction rate remained high for a long time during a 30-day test. This shortened the gas drainage time and improved gas extraction efficiency.
Selecting the Best Band Ratio to Estimate Chlorophyll-a Concentration in a Tropical Freshwater Lake Using Sentinel 2A Images from a Case Study of Lake Ba Be (Northern Vietnam)
Authors: Ha Nguyen Thi Thu , Thao Nguyen Thien Phuong , Koike Katsuaki , Nhuan Mai Trong
Published: September 2017

This study aims to develop a method to estimate chlorophyll-a concentration (Chla) in tropical freshwater lake waters using in situ data of Chla, water reflectance, and concurrent Sentinel 2A MSI imagery (S2A) over Lake Ba Be, a Ramsar site and the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam. Data from 30 surveyed sampling sites over the lake water in June 2016 and May 2017 demonstrated the appropriateness of S2A green-red band ratio (band 3 versus band 4) for estimating Chla. This was shown through a strong correlation of corresponded field measured reflectance ratio with Chla by an exponential curve (r2 = 0.68; the mean standard error of the estimates corresponding to 5% of the mean value of in situ Chla). The small error between in situ Chla, and estimated Chla from S2A acquired concurrently, confirmed the S2A green-red band ratio as the most suitable option for monitoring Chla in Lake Ba Be water. Resultant Chla distribution maps over time described a partially-seasonal pattern and also displayed the spatial dynamic of Chla in the lake. This allows a better understanding of the lake’s limnological processes to be developed and provides an insight into the factors that affect lake water quality. The results also confirmed the potential of S2A to be used as a free tool for lake monitoring and research due to high spatial resolution data (10 m pixel size).
Critical Roles of Dual-Specificity Phosphatases in Neuronal Proteostasis and Neurological Diseases
Authors: Bhore Noopur , Wang Bo-Jeng , Chen Yun-Wen , Liao Yung-Feng
Published: September 2017

Protein homeostasis or proteostasis is a fundamental cellular property that encompasses the dynamic balancing of processes in the proteostasis network (PN). Such processes include protein synthesis, folding, and degradation in both non-stressed and stressful conditions. The role of the PN in neurodegenerative disease is well-documented, where it is known to respond to changes in protein folding states or toxic gain-of-function protein aggregation. Dual-specificity phosphatases have recently emerged as important participants in maintaining balance within the PN, acting through modulation of cellular signaling pathways that are involved in neurodegeneration. In this review, we will summarize recent findings describing the roles of dual-specificity phosphatases in neurodegeneration and offer perspectives on future therapeutic directions.
Systematic Review of Cysteine-Sparing NOTCH3 Missense Mutations in Patients with Clinical Suspicion of CADASIL
Authors: Muiño Elena , Gallego-Fabrega Cristina , Cullell Natalia , Carrera Caty , Torres Nuria , Krupinski Jurek , Roquer Jaume , Montaner Joan , Fernández-Cadenas Israel
Published: September 2017

CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy) is caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene, affecting the number of cysteines in the extracellular domain of the receptor, causing protein misfolding and receptor aggregation. The pathogenic role of cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 missense mutations in patients with typical clinical CADASIL syndrome is unknown. The aim of this article is to describe these mutations to clarify if any could be potentially pathogenic. Articles on cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 missense mutations in patients with clinical suspicion of CADASIL were reviewed. Mutations were considered potentially pathogenic if patients had: (a) typical clinical CADASIL syndrome; (b) diffuse white matter hyperintensities; (c) the 33 NOTCH3 exons analyzed; (d) mutations that were not polymorphisms; and (e) Granular osmiophilic material (GOM) deposits in the skin biopsy. Twenty-five different mutations were listed. Four fulfill the above criteria: p.R61W; p.R75P; p.D80G; and p.R213K. Patients carrying these mutations had typical clinical CADASIL syndrome and diffuse white matter hyperintensities, mostly without anterior temporal pole involvement. Cysteine-sparing NOTCH3 missense mutations are associated with typical clinical CADASIL syndrome and typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, although with less involvement of the anterior temporal lobe. Hence, these mutations should be further studied to confirm their pathological role in CADASIL.
Dual Strands of Pre-miR-149 Inhibit Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion through Targeting FOXM1 in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Okato Atsushi , Arai Takayuki , Yamada Yasutaka , Sugawara Sho , Koshizuka Keiichi , Fujimura Lisa , Kurozumi Akira , Kato Mayuko , Kojima Satoko , Naya Yukio , Ichikawa Tomohiko , Seki Naohiko
Published: September 2017

Our recent studies revealed that dual strands of certain pre-microRNAs, e.g., pre-miR-144, pre-miR-145, and pre-miR-150, act as antitumor microRNAs (miRNAs) in several cancers. The involvement of passenger strands of miRNAs in cancer pathogenesis is a novel concept in miRNA research. The analysis of a miRNA expression signature in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has revealed that the guide strand of pre-miR-149 is significantly downregulated in cancer tissues. The aims of this study were to investigate the functional significance of miR-149’s guide strand (miR-149-5p) and passenger strand (miR-149-3p), and to identify the oncogenic genes regulated by these miRNAs in ccRCC cells. The ectopic expression of these miRNAs significantly inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion in ccRCC cells. Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) was directly regulated by miR-149-5p and miR-149-3p in ccRCC cells. Knockdown studies using si-FOXM1 showed that the expression of FOXM1 enhanced RCC cell aggressiveness. Interestingly, the analysis of a large number of patients in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (n = 260) demonstrated that patients with high FOXM1 expression had significantly shorter survival than did those with low FOXM1 expression (p = 1.5 × 10-6). Taken together, dual strands of pre-miR-149 (miR-149-5p and miR-149-3p) acted as antitumor miRNAs through the targeting of FOXM1 in ccRCC cells.
Bacterial Biofilm Control by Perturbation of Bacterial Signaling Processes
Authors: Jakobsen Tim , Tolker-Nielsen Tim , Givskov Michael
Published: September 2017

The development of effective strategies to combat biofilm infections by means of either mechanical or chemical approaches could dramatically change today’s treatment procedures for the benefit of thousands of patients. Remarkably, considering the increased focus on biofilms in general, there has still not been invented and/or developed any simple, efficient and reliable methods with which to “chemically” eradicate biofilm infections. This underlines the resilience of infective agents present as biofilms and it further emphasizes the insufficiency of today’s approaches used to combat chronic infections. A potential method for biofilm dismantling is chemical interception of regulatory processes that are specifically involved in the biofilm mode of life. In particular, bacterial cell to cell signaling called “Quorum Sensing” together with intracellular signaling by bis-(3′-5′)-cyclic-dimeric guanosine monophosphate (cyclic-di-GMP) have gained a lot of attention over the last two decades. More recently, regulatory processes governed by two component regulatory systems and small non-coding RNAs have been increasingly investigated. Here, we review novel findings and potentials of using small molecules to target and modulate these regulatory processes in the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa to decrease its pathogenic potential.
An Eco-Friendly Neutralization Process by Carbon Mineralization for Ca-Rich Alkaline Wastewater Generated from Concrete Sludge
Authors: Yoo Jongchan , Shin Heeyoung , Ji Sangwoo
Published: September 2017

Waste-concrete recycling processes using wet-based crushing methods inevitably generate a large amount of alkaline concrete sludge, as well as wastewater, which contains abundant Ca ions. The Ca-rich alkaline wastewater must then be neutralized for reuse in the waste-concrete recycling process. In this study, the feasibility of a carbon mineralization process for the neutralization of alkaline wastewater was considered from both environmental and economic perspectives. The optimal reaction time, efficiency of Ca removal and CO2 sequestration as a function of the CO2 gas flow rate were assessed. The carbon mineralization process resulted in sequestering CO2 (85–100% efficiency) and removing Ca from the solution (84–99%) by precipitating pure CaCO3. Increasing the gas flow rate reduced the reaction time (65.0 down to 3.4 min for 2.5 L of solution), but decreased CO2 sequestration (from 463.3 down to 7.3 mg CO2 for 2.5 L of solution). Optimization of the gas flow rate is essential for efficient CO2 sequestration, Ca removal, CaCO3 production and, therefore, successful wastewater neutralization following the wet-based crushing process. The method presented here is an eco-friendly and economically viable substitute for dealing with alkaline wastewater. It may also provide a practical guide for the design of carbon mineralization processes for the neutralization of alkaline solutions containing large amounts of Ca.
Exogenous Melatonin Alleviates Alkaline Stress in Malus hupehensis Rehd. by Regulating the Biosynthesis of Polyamines
Authors: Gong Xiaoqing , Shi Shuting , Dou Fangfang , Song Yi , Ma Fengwang
Published: September 2017

Since melatonin was identified in plants decades ago, much attention has been devoted to discovering its role in plant science. There is still a great deal to learn about the functional importance of melatonin, as well as its functional mode. In this paper, we examine the role of melatonin treatment in the response of Malus hupehensis Rehd. to alkaline conditions. Stressed seedlings showed chlorosis and suppressed growth. However, this phenotype was ameliorated when 5 µM melatonin was added to the irrigation solution. This supplementation was also associated with a reduction in cell membrane damage and maintenance of a normal root system architecture. Fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS) were accumulated due to the enhanced scavenging activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase. In addition, alkaline-stressed seedlings that received the melatonin supplement accumulated more polyamines compared with untreated seedlings. Transcript levels of six genes involved in polyamine synthesis, including SAMDC1, -3, and -4, and SPDS1, -3, and -5, -6, were upregulated in response to melatonin application. All of these results demonstrate that melatonin has a positive function in plant tolerance to alkaline stress because it regulates enzyme activity and the biosynthesis of polyamines.
Vision-Based Real-Time Traversable Region Detection for Mobile Robot in the Outdoors
Authors: Deng Fucheng , Zhu Xiaorui , He Chao
Published: September 2017

Environment perception is essential for autonomous mobile robots in human-robot coexisting outdoor environments. One of the important tasks for such intelligent robots is to autonomously detect the traversable region in an unstructured 3D real world. The main drawback of most existing methods is that of high computational complexity. Hence, this paper proposes a binocular vision-based, real-time solution for detecting traversable region in the outdoors. In the proposed method, an appearance model based on multivariate Gaussian is quickly constructed from a sample region in the left image adaptively determined by the vanishing point and dominant borders. Then, a fast, self-supervised segmentation scheme is proposed to classify the traversable and non-traversable regions. The proposed method is evaluated on public datasets as well as a real mobile robot. Implementation on the mobile robot has shown its ability in the real-time navigation applications.
The Impacts of Heating Strategy on Soil Moisture Estimation Using Actively Heated Fiber Optics
Authors: Dong Jianzhi , Agliata Rosa , Steele-Dunne Susan , Hoes Olivier , Bogaard Thom , Greco Roberto , Van de Giesen Nick
Published: September 2017

Several recent studies have highlighted the potential of Actively Heated Fiber Optics (AHFO) for high resolution soil moisture mapping. In AHFO, the soil moisture can be calculated from the cumulative temperature ( T cum ), the maximum temperature ( T max ), or the soil thermal conductivity determined from the cooling phase after heating ( λ ). This study investigates the performance of the T cum , T max and λ methods for different heating strategies, i.e., differences in the duration and input power of the applied heat pulse. The aim is to compare the three approaches and to determine which is best suited to field applications where the power supply is limited. Results show that increasing the input power of the heat pulses makes it easier to differentiate between dry and wet soil conditions, which leads to an improved accuracy. Results suggest that if the power supply is limited, the heating strength is insufficient for the λ method to yield accurate estimates. Generally, the T cum and T max methods have similar accuracy. If the input power is limited, increasing the heat pulse duration can improve the accuracy of the AHFO method for both of these techniques. In particular, extending the heating duration can significantly increase the sensitivity of T cum to soil moisture. Hence, the T cum method is recommended when the input power is limited. Finally, results also show that up to 50% of the cable temperature change during the heat pulse can be attributed to soil background temperature, i.e., soil temperature changed by the net solar radiation. A method is proposed to correct this background temperature change. Without correction, soil moisture information can be completely masked by the background temperature error.
Leak Detection and Location of Water Pipes Using Vibration Sensors and Modified ML Prefilter
Authors: Choi Jihoon , Shin Joonho , Song Choonggeun , Han Suyong , Park Doo
Published: September 2017

This paper proposes a new leak detection and location method based on vibration sensors and generalised cross-correlation techniques. Considering the estimation errors of the power spectral densities (PSDs) and the cross-spectral density (CSD), the proposed method employs a modified maximum-likelihood (ML) prefilter with a regularisation factor. We derive a theoretical variance of the time difference estimation error through summation in the discrete-frequency domain, and find the optimal regularisation factor that minimises the theoretical variance in practical water pipe channels. The proposed method is compared with conventional correlation-based techniques via numerical simulations using a water pipe channel model, and it is shown through field measurement that the proposed modified ML prefilter outperforms conventional prefilters for the generalised cross-correlation. In addition, we provide a formula to calculate the leak location using the time difference estimate when different types of pipes are connected.
Rural Destination Development Based on Olive Oil Tourism: The Impact of Residents’ Community Attachment and Quality of Life on Their Support for Tourism Development
Authors: Campón-Cerro Ana , Folgado-Fernández José , Hernández-Mogollón José
Published: September 2017

Residents are an essential part of tourism destinations, which makes gaining a deeper understanding of residents’ attitudes towards tourism development necessary because their favourable attitudes can contribute to destinations’ success. This study sought to understand to what extent rural residents’ perceptions of tourism development in their region affect their intention to support further tourism development. The present research also focused on the influence of the variables of community attachment and perceived quality of life on the relationship between residents’ perceptions of and intentions to support this development. This study concentrated on the case of olive oil tourism development in the Sierra de Gata and Las Hurdes districts in Spain. To test the proposed model, the data were collected from a sample of 245 residents in this region. Partial least squares was used to assess the model’s accuracy. The results highlight the importance of residents’ perceptions and their community attachment and perceived quality of life to destination managers who plan and develop tourism projects.
Aesthetic and Spiritual Ecosystem Services Provided by Urban Sacred Sites
Authors: De Lacy Peter , Shackleton Charlie
Published: September 2017

The range and use of ecosystem services provided by urban sacred sites has hardly been considered in studies of urban ecology, sustainability and human wellbeing. This paper examines the perceived ecosystem services supplied by green spaces or gardens associated with places of religious worship and appreciated by worshippers in a mid-sized town in South Africa. A questionnaire with open, closed and Likert scale questions was administered at 30 places of worship (25 with gardens and five without). Respondents identified a wide diversity of ecosystem services provided by gardens, with social ones being more recognized than ecological, and economic services the least. Approximately two-thirds of respondents visited a sacred site garden weekly or more often. The majority of respondents (96%) felt that a garden was necessary because it added to their feelings of connection with God, or helped them relax and so be better able to concentrate, and 54% stated that a garden enhanced their overall spiritual experience. Regression analysis revealed that aesthetic appreciation of a garden was significantly related to woody plant species richness, number and basal area in the garden. On the other hand, spiritual experience was positively related to woody plant basal area, but not species richness nor tree number. Neither size of the garden, nor number of years the respondents had been vising a particular sacred site had any influence on the rated spiritual or aesthetic experiences. These results reveal the widely appreciated ecosystem services provided by urban sacred spaces and their centrality in enhancing spiritual satisfaction for some.
Perceptions of Future Employees toward CSR Environmental Practices in Tourism
Authors: Gligor-Cimpoieru Diana , Munteanu Valentin , Nițu-Antonie Renata , Schneider Andreia , Preda Gheorghe
Published: September 2017

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in tourism, with its central evironmental dimension, represents an important component for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry. The related CSR education could prove a major factor for future professional performance in this field of activity. Thus, this article is aimed at identifying the perceptions of current business students about CSR (students from study programs dedicated to business administration in tourism) and the importance they attribute to CSR environmental practices, mainly from their perspective as future employees in the tourism industry. We elaborated a research methodology based on the Ecolabelling principles, designed by the European Union in 2009. Our findings revealed that business tourism students assign more importance to several specific CSR environmental practices and that the importance of these CSR practices is statistically significant (we determined this significance by using the Friedman, Paired-Samples t-, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Bartlett sphericity statistical tests). The elaborated research methodology proved to be statistically highly reliable. Results also show the differences regarding the CSR practices preferred by various categories of students according to their study levels and gender. Our results pointed out that our third-year bachelor students showed a higher interest in CSR practices related to their professional training, while students from the master level degree attached more importance to CSR practices related to the environment. We also confirmed conclusions of previous studies that female respondents attach more importance to environmental issues than male respondents. Thus, we can state that a higher level of education is a key factor that supports CSR development in practice. Also, a significant conclusion of our research is related to the academic curricula for business faculties which must incorporate solid CSR and business ethics-dedicated courses and offer the needed support for the development of thematic projects about CSR Environmental practices in hotels。
Quantitative and Qualitative Features of Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Provide Prognostic Indicators for Visual Acuity in Patients With Choroideremia
Authors: Abbouda Alessandro , Lim Wei Sing , Sprogyte Lina , Webster Andrew R. , Moosajee Mariya
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To identify qualitative and quantitative features of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) as prognostic indicators of visual acuity (VA) loss in patients with choroideremia (CHM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Retrospective study of 57 male patients with CHM. Central foveal thickness (CFT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), fundus autofluorescence area, and evidence of outer retinal and choroidal degeneration were analyzed by SD-OCT.

RESULTS:

Best-corrected VA logMAR at baseline was associated with CFT at baseline (r = −0.47;
P
< .01), CFT at most recent follow-up (r = −0.27;
P
< .01), and SCT at baseline (r = −0.31;
P
< .01). Ellipsoid zone (EZ) rupture was associated with a higher CFT loss (r = 0.33;
P
< .01) and macular cystic spaces (MCS) with a reduction in VA over time (hazard risk = 0.48;
P
= .05).

CONCLUSION:

Reduced CFT at baseline, EZ rupture, and MCS are poor prognostic indicators for VA outcome.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2017;48:711–716.]
Confluent Endpoint Subthreshold Argon Laser for Serous Macular Detachment in Tilted Disc Syndrome Refractory to Anti-VEGF
Authors: Abalem Maria Fernanda , Carricondo Pedro Carlos , Santos Helen Nazareth Veloso dos , Garcia Rafael , Qian Cynthia X. , Helal John , de Souza Eduardo Cunha , Takahashi Walter Yukihiko
Published: September 2017

A 70-year-old woman presented with 20/200 visual acuity in the right eye. Multimodal imaging revealed tilted disc syndrome (TDS) with macular serous detachment (MSD) and pigmentary changes at the temporal margin of the optic disc. Subretinal fluid persisted after three monthly intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, South San Francisco, CA) injections and threshold focal laser photocoagulation. Subsequently, confluent subthreshold argon laser was applied over the entire area of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) abnormalities, resulting in the resolution of subretinal fluid without recurrence through 3 years of follow-up. Subthreshold argon laser treatment may serve as a therapeutic option for MSD in TDS. Targeting leakage sites and stimulating RPE cells might help absorb subretinal fluid.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2017;48:760–763.]
Venous Loop Reveals an Occult Retinoblastoma Tumor
Authors: Liu Katy C. , Walter Scott D. , Finn Avni P. , Materin Miguel A.
Published: September 2017

A 14-day-old girl presented with bilateral hereditary retinoblastoma. At 3 months, a slight bend in the superotemporal arcade was observed to have developed into a venous loop. With concern for an occult lesion along the arcade, handheld optical coherence tomography (hhOCT) confirmed a small tumor and helped to guide prompt laser treatment while sparing the venous arcade. A venous loop is a previously unrecognized clinical finding that preceded the clinical detection and hhOCT confirmation of the tumor. The authors hypothesize that the venous loop was induced by pro-angiogenic factors secreted by the tumor. Portable hhOCT is a valuable adjunct imaging modality in the diagnosis and management of small retinoblastoma tumors.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2017;48:768–770.]
Experiencing Democracy and Diversity
Authors: Schwarze Sharon
Published: September 2017

The course “Democracy and Diversity” used oral history gathering as a service-learning project. The obvious goal of the oral history project was to preserve valuable stories from the residents of Mt. Pleasant, a small community on Philadelphia's Main Line, mostly African American. The second goal was to ease the problems caused by student renters in the neighborhood. The students primarily used the neighborhood for partying off campus and showed little respect for the longtime residents. The process of creating the oral histories created a bridge between town and gown and raised the consciousness of the students. The course used a variety of materials and practices to prepare students. One of the residents of Mt. Pleasant, Barbara Byrd, co-facilitated the course and provided a strong link and a welcoming role model for the class.
Managing Bias in Teacher Preparation in Higher Education
Authors: Mugweni Rose
Published: September 2017

Studies on teacher preparation for managing bias has established and created a domain within the global educational research enterprise. What is implicit is how researches on managing bias may be used to improve teacher development. Research on managing bias in teacher preparation has recognized a place for itself within the international educational research initiative. What is not so clear is how studies of teacher thinking may be used in improving the quality of teacher development programmes. ‘The notion of managing bias implies employing strategies that foster inclusivity and multicultural education. This chapter focuses on five areas of the importance on managing bias in teacher preparation. I endeavour to explore the following: the concept bias, bias in teacher preparation, creating an anti-bias learning environment, preparing teachers for multicultural classes, and citizenship education and anti-bias in teacher preparation.