bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENGARUH MODAL INTELEKTUAL, BIAYA PROMOSI, DAN PERPUTARAN PERSEDIAAN DALAM MEMPENGARUHI PROFIT SERTA IMPLIKASINYA TERHADAP NILAI PERUSAHAAN
Authors: Widhiastuti Susanti , Nugraha Rama Satrya
Published: January 2019

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh modal intelektual (IC), biaya promosi, dan perputaran persediaan (ITO) terhadap profit (ROA) serta implikasinya terhadap nilai perusahaan (PER). Populasi pada penelitian ini adalah perusahaan pada Sektor Industri Manufaktur Barang Konsumsi yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia periode tahun 2012 sampai dengan tahun 2016 dengan jumlah 42 perusahaan. Pemilihan sampel dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode purposive sampling dan  sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini berjumlah 18 perusahaan. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah explanatory research tipe kausal yang berupaya menguji pengaruh antar variabel dalam sebuah model struktural.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa modal intelektual berpengaruh terhadap profit perusahaan tetapi tidak berpengaruh terhadap nilai perusahaan. Biaya promosi tidak berpengaruh terhadap profit dan nilai perusahaan. Perputaran persediaan tidak berpengaruh terhadap profit tetapi berpengaruh terhadap nilai perusahaan. Kata Kunci: Modal Intelektual, Biaya Promosi, Perputaran Persediaan, Profit, Nilai Perusahaan
ANALISIS PENGARUH KUALITAS PELAYANAN DAN STRATEGI PRODUK TERHADAP LOYALITAS KONSUMEN PADA RESTORAN SARI ROSO
Authors: Maidarti Titin TM , Meryati Meryati
Published: January 2019

Pada konsep marketing, loyalitas erat kaitannya dengan konsumen atau loyalitas konsumen yang tidak lain merupakan bentuk kesetiaan konsumen terhadap produk tertentu dan bagi perusahaan dengan memiliki konsumen yang loyal tentu akan memberi keuntungan, di antaranya tidak mudah konsumen tersebut dipengaruhi agar berpindah ke produk pesaing, bahkan konsumen yang loyal akan besar kemungkinan untuk selalu memberi rekomendasi kepada konsumen lain untuk memanfaatkan produk tersebut.Adapun dalam penelitian ini yang menjadi fokus penelitian adalah pelaksanaan bauran pemasaran melalui strategi promosi dan strategi produk yang dikaitkan pada tingkat loyalitas konsumen. Jadi tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana dampak pengaruh dan seberapa besar kontribusi pengaruh antara strategi promosi dan strategi produk terhadap peningkatan kualitas loyalitas konsumen. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisa bagaimana dan sejauhmana pengaruh kualitas pelayanan dan strategi produk dalam meningkatkan loyalitas konsumen pada Restoran Sari Roso.Peneliti menentukan banyaknya populasi penelitian yang diambil secara acak adalah berjumlah 100 orang konsumen dan kemudian digunakan teknik penarikan sampel dengan menggunakan model rumus Slovin sehingga diperoleh 50 responden penelitian. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan observasi, wawancara, dan angket/kuesioner. Kategori jawaban responden penelitian terhadap angket terdiri atas lima skala berdasarkan skala Likert. Dalam pengolahan data dibantu dengan menggunakan program SPSS. Pengujian statistik yang digunakan adalah dengan perhitungan uji validitas, uji reliabilitas, koefisien korelasi, koefisien determinasi, uji hipotesa, dan analisa regresi.Kualitas pelayanan dan strategi produk berpengaruh positif terhadap loyalitas konsumen Restoran Sari Roso, dengan persamaan regresi berganda yaitu sebagai berikut: Y = 4,731 + 0,934 X1 + 1,281 X2. Kata Kunci: Kualitas Pelayanan, Strategi Produk, Loyalitas Konsumen
A theoretical investigation of TNT in different phases by using DFT
Authors: GÖKALP Faik
Published: January 2019

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluen
(TNT)  is an important aromatic organic
based explosives. The computational analysis on the effect of phases (ethanol, methanol
and water) is the essential to determine the sensivity of it. In our study; We
investigate the stability, reactivity of TNT in different phases by using density
functional theory (DFT). The results suggest optimization approaches for TNT
based on DFT methods B3LYP functional  for
these explosives by selecting the sensitive phase of explosive analyte.
GELENEKSEL SAFRANBOLU EVİ’NİN İŞLEVSEL DÖNÜŞÜMÜNDE ERGONOMİK TASARIM FAKTÖRLERİNİN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ: CURTLAR EVİ ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: TEMEL Selda Cansu , CANBAY TÜRKYILMAZ Çiğdem
Published: January 2019

Ergonomi bilimi fizyolojik, anatomik, psikolojik,
sosyolojik ve teknik verilerden yararlanarak yaşanabilir ve konfor
standartları yüksek çevreler oluşturmak için çeşitli çalışmalar
gerçekleştirmektedir. İnsan-çevre arasındaki uyumun sağlanması kullanıcı memnuniyeti
açısından büyük önem taşımaktadır. Tasarımda ergonomiye ise, mekansal
konforun sağlanması yolu ile kullanım kolaylığı oluşturma noktasında
erişilmektedir. Mekansal konfor, insan ihtiyaçlarının hangi ölçüde
karşılanabildiği, mekanın hangi eylemlere olanak tanıdığı, kullanıcı
davranışlarını nasıl etkilediği ile doğrudan ilişki içerisindedir. Bu
bağlamda insan antropometrisine uygun, görsel, işitsel ve ısıl konfor
koşullarının sağlandığı mekanların tasarlanması, ergonomi konusunun mimarlık
alanındaki sorumluluğu olmaktadır.
Günümüz hayat koşullarının getirisi ile yaşam şekli,
kamusal alanların daha sık kullanıldığı bir biçeme dönüşmüştür. Modern
insanın yaşam döngüsünde, yemek yeme alışkanlığı da değişmiş; şekli, süresi,
ekonomik koşullar çerçevesinde daha çok çeşitlenmiştir. İhtiyaçlar
beraberinde her geçen gün daha çok restoran açılmakta ve daha fazla insan
yemek yeme ihtiyaçlarını sosyal hayatlarının bir parçası olarak açılan bu
kamusal mekanlarda gidermektedir.
Bu çalışmada; işlev değişikliği ile restoran olarak
hizmet vermeye başlayan, geleneksel Safranbolu evinin tasarımını etkileyen ergonomik ölçütlerin incelenmesi ve değerlendirilmesi
hedeflenmiştir. Restoran çalışanları ve kullanıcıların görüşlerine yapılan
anket çalışması ile ulaşılmış, yerinde gözlem ve ölçüm yöntemleri
kullanılarak ergonomik faktörler değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma
sonucunda; yapının mekansal, görsel, işitsel ve ısısal konfor koşullarını
nasıl karşıladığı değerlendirilmiş ve elde edilen bulgular üzerinden çeşitli
yorumlar geliştirilmiştir.
Gerçekleştirilen tüm
çalışmalar sonucunda, tarihi dokuda yer alan yapının çeşitli sebepler ile
köklü işlevsel dönüşümünün zorlaştığı ve bu durumun sahip olabileceği
potansiyelin altında bir performans sergilemesine yol açtığı gözlenmiştir.
Ensemble and Deep Learning for Language-Independent Automatic Selection of Parallel Data
Authors: Mouratidis Despoina , Kermanidis Katia Lida
Published: January 2019

Machine translation is used in many applications in everyday life. Due to the increase of translated documents that need to be organized as useful or not (for building a translation model), the automated categorization of texts (classification), is a popular research field of machine learning. This kind of information can be quite helpful for machine translation. Our parallel corpora (English-Greek and English-Italian) are based on educational data, which are quite difficult to translate. We apply two state of the art architectures, Random Forest (RF) and Deeplearnig4j (DL4J), to our data (which constitute three translation outputs). To our knowledge, this is the first time that deep learning architectures are applied to the automatic selection of parallel data. We also propose new string-based features that seem to be effective for the classifier, and we investigate whether an attribute selection method could be used for better classification accuracy. Experimental results indicate an increase of up to 4% (compared to our previous work) using RF and rather satisfactory results using DL4J.
KRIT1 Loss-Of-Function Associated with Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Disease Leads to Enhanced S-Glutathionylation of Distinct Structural and Regulatory Proteins
Authors: Cianfruglia Laura , Perrelli Andrea , Fornelli Claudia , Magini Alessandro , Gorbi Stefania , Salzano Anna Maria , Antognelli Cinzia , Retta Francesca , Benedetti Valerio , Cassoni Paola , Emiliani Carla , Principato Giovanni , Scaloni Andrea , Armeni Tatiana , Retta Saverio Francesco
Published: January 2019

Loss-of-function mutations in the KRIT1 gene are associated with the pathogenesis of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs), a major cerebrovascular disease still awaiting therapies. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that KRIT1 plays an important role in major redox-sensitive mechanisms, including transcriptional pathways and autophagy, which play major roles in cellular homeostasis and defense against oxidative stress, raising the possibility that KRIT1 loss has pleiotropic effects on multiple redox-sensitive systems. Using previously established cellular models, we found that KRIT1 loss-of-function affects the glutathione (GSH) redox system, causing a significant decrease in total GSH levels and increase in oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG), with a consequent deficit in the GSH/GSSG redox ratio and GSH-mediated antioxidant capacity. Redox proteomic analyses showed that these effects are associated with increased S-glutathionylation of distinct proteins involved in adaptive responses to oxidative stress, including redox-sensitive chaperonins, metabolic enzymes, and cytoskeletal proteins, suggesting a novel molecular signature of KRIT1 loss-of-function. Besides providing further insights into the emerging pleiotropic functions of KRIT1, these findings point definitively to KRIT1 as a major player in redox biology, shedding new light on the mechanistic relationship between KRIT1 loss-of-function and enhanced cell sensitivity to oxidative stress, which may eventually lead to cellular dysfunctions and CCM disease pathogenesis.
Oxidative Stress and Nutraceuticals in the Modulation of the Immune Function: Current Knowledge in Animals of Veterinary Interest
Authors: Colitti Monica , Stefanon Bruno , Gabai Gianfranco , Gelain Maria Elena , Bonsembiante Federico
Published: January 2019

In the veterinary sector, many papers deal with the relationships between inflammation and oxidative stress. However, few studies investigate the mechanisms of action of oxidised molecules in the regulation of immune cells. Thus, authors often assume that these events, sometime leading to oxidative stress, are conserved among species. The aim of this review is to draw the state-of-the-art of the current knowledge about the role of oxidised molecules and dietary antioxidant compounds in the regulation of the immune cell functions and suggest some perspectives for future investigations in animals of veterinary interest.
Optical Hyperspectral Image Cryptosystem Based on Affine Transform and Fractional Fourier Transform
Authors: Chen Hang , Liu Zhengjun , Tanougast Camel , Ding Jie
Published: January 2019

An encryption algorithm for hyperspectral data in fractional Fourier domain is designed. Firstly, the original hyperspectral image is separated into single bands and then each pair of bands are regarded as the real and imaginary part of a complex function by using an affine transform. Subsequently, the complex functions are encoded and transformed in fractional Fourier domain (FrFT). The parameters in affine transform and FrFT serve as the key of the encryption system. The proposed encryption scheme can not only protect the image information in spatial domains but also the spectrum information in spectral domains. Various experiments are given to demonstrate the validity and capability of the proposed encryption scheme.
Optimal Wavelength Selection for Hyperspectral Imaging Evaluation on Vegetable Soybean Moisture Content during Drying
Authors: Yu Peng , Huang Min , Zhang Min , Yang Bao
Published: January 2019

Hyperspectral imaging technology is a promising technique for nondestructive quality evaluation of dried products. In order to realize real-time, online inspection of quality of dried products, it is necessary to determine a few important wavelengths from hyperspectral images for developing a multispectral imaging system. This study presents a binary firework algorithm (BFWA) for selecting the optimal wavelengths from hyperspectral images for moisture evaluation of dried soybean. Hyperspectral images over the spectral region 400–1000 nm, were acquired for 270 dried soybean samples, and mean reflectance was calculated from hyperspectral images for each wavelength. After selecting 12 important wavelengths using BFWA, a moisture prediction model was developed using partial least squares regression (PLSR). The PLSR model with BFWA achieved a prediction accuracy of R p = 0.966 and R M S E P = 5.105 % , which is better than those of successive projections algorithm ( R p = 0.932 and R M S E P = 7.329 % ), and the uninformative viable elimination algorithm ( R p = 0.928 and R M S E P = 7.416 % ). The results obtained by BFWA were more stable, with a smaller standard deviation of R p and R M S E P than those of the genetic algorithm. The BFWA method provides an effective mean for optimal wavelength selection to predict the quality of soybeans during drying.
Asynchronous Flipped Grant-Free SCMA for Satellite-Based Internet of Things Communication Networks
Authors: Li Pengxu , Cui Gaofeng , Wang Weidong
Published: January 2019

Sparse code multiple access (SCMA) is a promising code domain non-orthogonal multiple-access scheme which is able to support massive connectivity and grant-free transmission in future satellite-based Internet of Things (IoT) communication networks. Traditional grant-free SCMA is based on time synchronization, which is no longer favorable in such satellite communication networks since the amount of signaling generated to keep all transmitters’ time synchronized is impractical for large networks. Moreover, without centralized codebook assignment, grant-free SCMA suffers from codebook collisions which mean more than one terminal selecting the same codebook being interfered. Motivated by these issues, a novel uplink grant-free asynchronous flipped SCMA scheme named AF-SCMA is proposed in this paper. With the concept of flipped diversity, a specific SCMA-encoded packet is transmitted with its flipped replica together. Successive interference cancellation technique combined with a sliding window is adopted to resolve the packet collisions including codebook collisions at the gateway station. The performance of AF-SCMA is investigated via both mathematical analysis and simulations. Simulation results show that the proposed AF-SCMA provides remarkable performance in terms of throughput and packet loss ratio (PLR), and can benefit from the received signal power unbalance.
Impact of the Operation of a Tri-Band Hydraulic Compactor on the Technical Condition of a Residential Building
Authors: Czech Krzysztof R. , Gosk Wojciech
Published: January 2019

The study investigates the surface vibrations generated by a new generation, tri-band hydraulic compactor type V8 from Maschinentechnik Schrode AG (MTS), and a reversible plate compactor type DPU 6055 from Wacker Neuson in close proximity to a low-rise residential building. Compaction works were carried out in three stages, at distances: 15 m, 10 m, and 5 m from the building, and at three depths: 0.4 m, 1.2 m, and 1.8–2.0 m. The research was conducted at one measurement point, located on the outer foundation wall of the building, and at three measurement points located on the ground at distances of 1.25–7.5 m from the building. The study analyses the distribution of peak component particle accelerations at the ground, and peak component particle velocities at the foundation wall of the building as a function of the distance of compactors from the building and the depth of compaction works, as well as the mode of work of hydraulic compactor type V8 from MTS. The study contains the comparison of the permissible vibration levels that are recommended by selected European standards (DIN, BS, VSS, and PL) and an approximate assessment of the impact of vibrations on the technical condition of the residential building.
A Two-Stage Method for Parameter Identification of a Nonlinear System in a Microbial Batch Process
Authors: Xu Gongxian , Lv Dongxue , Tan Wenxin
Published: January 2019

This paper deals with the parameter identification of a microbial batch process of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD). We first present a parameter identification model for the excess kinetics of a microbial batch process of glycerol to 1,3-PD. This model is a nonlinear dynamic optimization problem that minimizes the sum of the least-square and slope errors of biomass, glycerol, 1,3-PD, acetic acid, and ethanol. Then, a two-stage method is proposed to efficiently solve the presented dynamic optimization problem. In this method, two nonlinear programming problems are required to be solved by a genetic algorithm. To calculate the slope of the experimental concentration data, an integral equation of the first kind is solved by using the Tikhonov regularization. The proposed two-stage method could not only optimally identify the model parameters of the biological process, but could also yield a smaller error between the measured and computed concentrations than the single-stage method could, with a decrease of about 52.79%. A comparative study showed that the proposed two-stage method could obtain better identification results than the single-stage method could.
Synergistic Mechanism of Rare-Earth Modification TiO2 and Photodegradation on Benzohydroxamic Acid
Authors: Wang Chunying , Zeng Ting , Zhu Sipin , Gu Chuantao
Published: January 2019

Rare earth elements are plentiful in Gannan area, China, and there is a large amount of wastewater from all kinds of mines. In this paper, rare-earth modification TiO2 composites (RE/TiO2, RE = La, Ce, Gd, Yb) was studied by theory computation and experimental performance. The prepared RE/TiO2 was investigated for the degradation of benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) as a typical residual reagent in wastewater from beneficiation. The crystallinity, morphology, specific surface area, light absorption, and composition of compound were investigated by various techniques. As a result of computation and experimentation, four different electron configurations of rare earth all retained the anatase phase of TiO2 and reduced the band gap of TiO2 to some degree compared with pure TiO2. Different rare-earth elements and calcination temperatures resulted in different removal effects on BHA. The optimum doping contents were 0.75% (500 °C), 0.20% (500 °C), 0.70% (500 °C) and 0.50% (450 °C) for La, Ce, Gd, Yb respectively. All the RE/TiO2 composites studied in this research still possessed good photoactivity after four runs, which supports the theoretical and practical basement for the photocatalytic treatment of mining and metallurgy wastewater.
An Empirical Approach to Colour in Glass
Authors: Brachlow Heike
Published: January 2019

This paper focuses on the characteristics and use of transparent homogenous coloured glass for cast glass sculpture. It provides an overview of glass colouring agents and their characteristics, and establishes factors that influence the appearance of colour in glass. Methods to visually evaluate appropriate colour density for a given form are discussed, as well as essential characteristics that a form must possess to achieve results within a density threshold area, where coloured glass changes in value and/or hue between thick and thin sections.
Relations between Shadowing and Inverse Shadowing in Dynamical Systems
Authors: Petrov Alexey A.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we study relations between shadowing and inverse shadowing for homeomorphisms of a compact space. We present an example of a smooth diffeomorphism of a compact three-dimensional manifold that has the shadowing property and does not have the inverse shadowing property. For some classes of inverse shadowing, we construct examples of homeomorphisms that have the inverse shadowing property but do not have the shadowing property.
Histone Acetylation Promotes Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation
Authors: Hamam Hussein , Khan Meraj , Palaniyar Nades
Published: January 2019

Neutrophils undergo a unique form of cell death to generate neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). It is well established that citrullination of histones (e.g., CitH3) facilitates chromatin decondensation during NET formation (NETosis), particularly during calcium-induced NETosis that is independent of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase (NOX) activation. However, the importance of other forms of histone modifications in NETosis has not been established. We considered that acetylation of histones would also facilitate NETosis. To test this hypothesis, we induced NOX-dependent NETosis in human neutrophils with phorbol myristate acetate or lipopolysaccharide (from Escherichia coli 0128), and NOX-independent NETosis with calcium ionophores A23187 or ionomycin (from Streptomyces conglobatus) in the presence or absence of two pan histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis), belinostat and panobinostat (within their half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) range). The presence of these inhibitors increased histone acetylation (e.g., AcH4) in neutrophils. Histone acetylation was sufficient to cause a significant increase (~20%) in NETosis in resting neutrophils above baseline values. When acetylation was promoted during NOX-dependent or -independent NETosis, the degree of NETosis additively increased (~15–30%). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is essential for baseline NETosis (mediated either by NOX or mitochondria); however, HDACis did not promote ROS production. The chromatin decondensation step requires promoter melting and transcriptional firing in both types of NETosis; consistent with this point, suppression of transcription prevented the NETosis induced by the acetylation of histones. Collectively, this study establishes that histone acetylation (e.g., AcH4) promotes NETosis at baseline, and when induced by both NOX-dependent or -independent pathway agonists, in human neutrophils. Therefore, we propose that acetylation of histone is a key component of NETosis.
The Effect of Chloride Anions on Charge Transfer in Dye-Sensitized Photoanodes for Water Splitting
Authors: Grądzka Iwona , Gierszewski Mateusz , Ziółek Marcin
Published: January 2019

The photoelectrochemical behavior of dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells based on a TiO2 layer sensitized with ruthenium components, including an absorber, ruthenium(II)bis(2,2′-bipyridine)([2,2′-bipyridine]-4,4′-diylbis(phosphonic acid)) dibromide (RuP), and a catalyst, ruthenium(II) tris(4-methylpyridine)(4-(4-(2,6-bis((l1-oxidanyl)carbonyl)pyridin-4-yl)phenyl) pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid) (RuOEC), was investigated in the following water-based electrolyte configurations: KCl (pH ≈ 5), HCl (pH ≈ 3), ethylphoshonic acid (pH ≈ 3) with a different KCl concentration, and a standard phosphate buffer (pH ≈ 7). The rate of charge transfer on the photoanode’s surface was found to increase in line with the increase in the concentration of chloride anions (Cl−) in the low pH electrolyte. This effect is discussed in the context of pH influence, ionic strength, and specific interaction, studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in dark conditions and upon illumination of the photoanodes. The correlations between photocurrent decay traces and CV studies were also observed.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Biomimetics in 2018
Authors:   Biomimetics Editorial Office
Published: January 2019

Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Perceived Acoustic Quality and Effect on Occupants’ Satisfaction in Green and Conventional Residential Buildings
Authors: Zalejska-Jonsson Agnieszka
Published: January 2019

The study presented in this paper focuses on the subjective opinions of occupants of multistory residential buildings by examining the relationship between occupants’ satisfaction and indoor environment quality, and analysing the effect the problems experienced with noise level may have on general satisfaction and the perceived acoustic quality. The analysis is based on data collected through surveys addressed to adults living in green and conventional buildings. The results show that occupants are very satisfied with their apartments, and subjectively rated acoustic quality received very high scores. The responses indicate that noise from neighbours has been experienced relatively seldom by occupants; however, the analysis shows that it is the factor that has the strongest effect on satisfaction with acoustic quality. We have found that the environmental profile of a building has a significant effect on general satisfaction expressed by occupants; however, this effect has not been confirmed for acoustic quality.
Thrombin Generation and Cancer: Contributors and Consequences
Authors: Reddel Caroline J. , Tan Chuen Wen , Chen Vivien M.
Published: January 2019

The high occurrence of cancer-associated thrombosis is associated with elevated thrombin generation. Tumour cells increase the potential for thrombin generation both directly, through the expression and release of procoagulant factors, and indirectly, through signals that activate other cell types (including platelets, leukocytes and erythrocytes). Furthermore, cancer treatments can worsen these effects. Coagulation factors, including tissue factor, and inhibitors of coagulation are altered and extracellular vesicles (EVs), which can promote and support thrombin generation, are released by tumour and other cells. Some phosphatidylserine-expressing platelet subsets and platelet-derived EVs provide the surface required for the assembly of coagulation factors essential for thrombin generation in vivo. This review will explore the causes of increased thrombin production in cancer, and the availability and utility of tests and biomarkers. Increased thrombin production not only increases blood coagulation, but also promotes tumour growth and metastasis and as a consequence, thrombin and its contributors present opportunities for treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis and cancer itself.
Increased Mortality in SDHB but Not in SDHD Pathogenic Variant Carriers
Authors: Rijken Johannes A. , van Hulsteijn Leonie T. , Dekkers Olaf M. , Niemeijer Nicolasine D. , Leemans C. René , Eijkelenkamp Karin , van der Horst-Schrivers Anouk N.A. , Kerstens Michiel N. , van Berkel Anouk , Timmers Henri J.L.M. , Kunst Henricus P.M. , Bisschop Peter H.L.T. , Dreijerink Koen M.A. , van Dooren Marieke F. , Hes Frederik J. , Jansen Jeroen C. , Corssmit Eleonora P.M. , Hensen Erik F.
Published: January 2019

Germline mutations in succinate dehydrogenase subunit B and D (SDHB and SDHD) are predisposed to hereditary paraganglioma (PGL) and pheochromocytoma (PHEO). The phenotype of pathogenic variants varies according to the causative gene. In this retrospective study, we estimate the mortality of a nationwide cohort of SDHB variant carriers and that of a large cohort of SDHD variant carriers and compare it to the mortality of a matched cohort of the general Dutch population. A total of 192 SDHB variant carriers and 232 SDHD variant carriers were included in this study. The Standard Mortality Ratio (SMR) for SDHB mutation carriers was 1.89, increasing to 2.88 in carriers affected by PGL. For SDHD variant carriers the SMR was 0.93 and 1.06 in affected carriers. Compared to the general population, mortality seems to be increased in SDHB variant carriers, especially in those affected by PGL. In SDHD variant carriers, the mortality is comparable to that of the general Dutch population, even if they are affected by PGL. This insight emphasizes the significance of DNA-testing in all PGL and PHEO patients, since different clinical risks may warrant gene-specific management strategies.
FOSB–PCDHB13 Axis Disrupts the Microtubule Network in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Ting Chen-Hung , Lee Kang-Yun , Wu Sheng-Ming , Feng Po-Hao , Chan Yao-Fei , Chen Yi-Chun , Chen Jyh-Yih
Published: January 2019

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is among the leading causes of human mortality. One reason for high rates of NSCLC mortality is that drug resistance is a major problem for both conventional chemotherapies and less-toxic targeted therapies. Thus, novel mechanistic insights into disease pathogenesis may benefit the development of urgently needed therapies. Here we show that FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (FOSB) was induced by an antimicrobial peptide, tilapia piscidin-4 (TP4), through the dysregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis in NSCLC cells. Transcriptomic, chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative PCR, and immunocytochemical studies reveal that protocadherin-β13 (PCDHB13) as a target of FOSB that was functionally associated with microtubule. Overexpression of either PCDHB13 or FOSB attenuated NSCLC growth and survival in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, downregulation of both FOSB and PCDHB13 was observed in NSCLC patients and was negatively correlated with pathological grade. These findings introduce the FOSB–PCDHB13 axis as a novel tumor suppressive pathway in NSCLC.
Cancer Immunotherapy: Silencing Intracellular Negative Immune Regulators of Dendritic Cells
Authors: Liu Yao-Hua , Yeh I-Jeng , Lai Ming-Derg , Liu Kuan-Ting , Kuo Po-Lin , Yen Meng-Chi
Published: January 2019

Dendritic cells (DCs) are capable of activating adaptive immune responses, or inducing immune suppression or tolerance. In the tumor microenvironment, the function of DCs is polarized into immune suppression that attenuates the effect of T cells, promoting differentiation of regulatory T cells and supporting tumor progression. Therefore, blocking negative immune regulators in DCs is considered a strategy of cancer immunotherapy. Antibodies can target molecules on the cell surface, but not intracellular molecules of DCs. The delivery of short-hairpin RNAs (shRNA) and small-interfering RNAs (siRNA) should be a strategy to silence specific intracellular targets in DCs. This review provides an overview of the known negative immune regulators of DCs. Moreover, a combination of shRNA/siRNA and DC vaccines, DNA vaccines in animal models, and clinical trials are also discussed.
Hypoxic Radioresistance: Can ROS Be the Key to Overcome It?
Authors: Wang Hui , Jiang Heng , Van De Gucht Melissa , De Ridder Mark
Published: January 2019

Radiotherapy is a mainstay treatment for many types of cancer and kills cancer cells via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Incorporating radiation with pharmacological ROS inducers, therefore, has been widely investigated as an approach to enhance aerobic radiosensitization. However, this strategy was overlooked in hypoxic counterpart, one of the most important causes of radiotherapy failure, due to the notion that hypoxic cells are immune to ROS insults because of the shortage of ROS substrate oxygen. Paradoxically, evidence reveals that ROS are produced more in hypoxic than normoxic cells and serve as signaling molecules that render cells adaptive to hypoxia. As a result, hypoxic tumor cells heavily rely on antioxidant systems to sustain the ROS homeostasis. Thereby, they become sensitive to insults that impair the ROS detoxification network, which has been verified in diverse models with or without radiation. Of note, hypoxic radioresistance has been overviewed in different contexts. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first to systemically summarize the interplay among radiation, hypoxia, and ROS, and to discuss whether perturbation of ROS homeostasis could provide a new avenue to tackle hypoxic radioresistance.
One-Pot Catalytic Conversion of Cellobiose to Sorbitol over Nickel Phosphides Supported on MCM-41 and Al-MCM-41
Authors: Anutrasakda Wipark , Eiamsantipaisarn Kanyanok , Jiraroj Duangkamon , Phasuk Apakorn , Tuntulani Thawatchai , Liu Haichao , Tungasmita Duangamol Nuntasri
Published: January 2019

MCM-41- and Al-MCM-41-supported nickel phosphide nanomaterials were synthesized at two different initial molar ratios of Ni/P: 10:2 and 10:3 and were tested as heterogeneous catalysts for the one-pot conversion of cellobiose to sorbitol. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), 27Al-magnetic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (27Al MAS-NMR), temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3-TPD), temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES). The characterization indicated that nickel phosphide nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into both supports without destroying their hexagonal framework structures, that the catalysts contained some or all of the following Ni-containing phases: Ni0, Ni3P, and Ni12P5, and that the types and relative amounts of Ni-containing phases present in each catalyst were largely determined by the initial molar ratio of Ni/P as well as the type of support used. For cellobiose conversion at 150 °C for 3 h under 4 MPa of H2, all catalysts showed similarly high conversion of cellobiose (89.5–95.0%). Nevertheless, sorbitol yield was highly correlated to the relative amount of phases with higher content of phosphorus present in the catalysts, giving the following order of catalytic performance of the Ni-containing phases: Ni12P5 > Ni3P > Ni. Increasing the reaction temperature from 150 °C to 180 °C also led to an improvement in sorbitol yield (from 43.5% to 87.8%).
Efficient Catalytic Dehydration of High-Concentration 1-Butanol with Zn-Mn-Co Modified γ-Al2O3 in Jet Fuel Production
Authors: Wu Jing , Liu Hong-Juan , Yan Xiang , Zhou Yu-Jie , Lin Zhang-Nan , Mi Shuo , Cheng Ke-Ke , Zhang Jian-An
Published: January 2019

It is important to develop full-performance bio-jet fuel based on alternative feedstocks. The compound 1-butanol can be transformed into jet fuel through dehydration, oligomerization, and hydrogenation. In this study, a new catalyst consisting of Zn-Mn-Co modified γ-Al2O3 was used for the dehydration of high-concentration 1-butanol to butenes. The interactive effects of reaction temperature and butanol weight-hourly space velocity (WHSV) on butene yield were investigated with response surface methodology (RSM). Butene yield was enhanced when the temperature increased from 350 °C to 450 °C but it was reduced as WHSV increased from 1 h−1 to 4 h−1. Under the optimized conditions of 1.67 h−1 WHSV and 375 °C reaction temperature, the selectivity of butenes achieved 90%, and the conversion rate of 1-butanol reached 100%, which were 10% and 6% higher, respectively, than when using unmodified γ-Al2O3. The Zn-Mn-Co modified γ-Al2O3 exhibited high stability and a long lifetime of 180 h, while the unmodified γ-Al2O3 began to deactivate after 60 h. Characterization with X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, pyridine temperature-programmed desorption (Py-TPD), pyridine adsorption IR spectra, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), showed that the crystallinity and acid content of γ-Al2O3 were obviously enhanced by the modification with Zn-Mn-Co, and the loading amounts of zinc, manganese, and cobalt were 0.54%, 0.44%, and 0.23%, respectively. This study provides a new catalyst, and the results will be helpful for the further optimization of bio-jet fuel production with a high concentration of 1-butanol.
Operando Dual Beam FTIR Study of Hydroxyl Groups and Zn Species over Defective HZSM-5 Zeolite Supported Zinc Catalysts
Authors: Lin Long , Zhang Xiaotong , He Ning , Liu Jiaxu , Xin Qin , Guo Hongchen
Published: January 2019

A series of defective ZSM-5 zeolites (~300 nm, SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 55, 100, 480 and 950) were systematically studied by XRD, SEM, 29Si MAS NMR, argon physisorption, NH3-TPD and FT-IR technologies. The nature, the amount and the accessibility of the acid sites of defective ZSM-5 zeolites are greatly different from reported ZSM-5 zeolites with a perfect crystal structure. The Brønsted acid sites (Si(OH)Al) with strong acid strength and the Brønsted acid sites (hydroxyl nests) with weak acid strength co-existed over defective ZSM-5 zeolites, which leads to a unique catalytic function. Zn(C2H5)2 was grafted onto defective ZSM-5 zeolites through the chemical liquid deposition (CLD) method. Interestingly, FT-IR spectroscopic studies found that Zn(C2H5)2 was preferentially grafted on the hydroxyl nests with weak acid strength rather than the Si(OH)Al groups with strong acid strength over different defective ZSM-5 zeolites. In particular, home-built operando dual beam FTIR-MS was applied to study the catalytic performance of Zn species located in different sites of defective ZSM-5 zeolites under real n-hexane transformation conditions. Results show that Zn species grafted over hydroxyl nests obtain better dehydrogenative aromatization performance than Zn species over Si(OH)Al groups. This study provides guidance for the rational design of highly efficient alkane dehydrogenative aromatization catalysts.
Computational Design of SCS Nickel Pincer Complexes for the Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of 1-Acetonaphthone
Authors: Qiu Bing , Wang Wan , Yang Xinzheng
Published: January 2019

Inspired by the active site structures of lactate racemase and recently reported sulphur–carbon–sulphur (SCS) nickel pincer complexes, a series of scorpion-like SCS nickel pincer complexes with an imidazole tail and asymmetric claws was proposed and examined computationally as potential catalysts for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of 1-acetonaphthone. Density functional theory calculations reveal a proton-coupled hydride transfer mechanism for the dehydrogenation of (R)-(+)-1-phenyl-ethanol and the hydrogenation of 1-acetonaphthone to produce (R)-(+)-1-(2-naphthyl)ethanol and (S)-(−)-1-(2-naphthyl)ethanol. Among all proposed Ni complexes, 1Ph is the most active one with a rather low free energy barrier of 24 kcal/mol and high enantioselectivity of near 99% enantiomeric excess (ee) for the hydrogenation of prochiral ketones to chiral alcohols.
Are Proteinopathy and Oxidative Stress Two Sides of the Same Coin?
Authors: Mehta Nihar J. , Marwah Praneet Kaur , Njus David
Published: January 2019

Parkinson’s disease, like other neurodegenerative diseases, exhibits two common features: Proteinopathy and oxidative stress, leading to protein aggregation and mitochondrial damage respectively. Because both protein aggregates and dysfunctional mitochondria are eliminated by autophagy, we suggest that inadequate clearance may couple the two phenomena. If a neuron’s autophagy machinery is overwhelmed, whether by excessive oxidative stress or by excessive protein aggregation, protein aggregates and dysfunctional mitochondria will both accumulate. Parkinson’s disease may provide a unique window into this because there is evidence that both sides contribute. Mutations amplifying the aggregation of α-synuclein are associated with Parkinson’s disease. Likewise, mutations in Parkin and PINK1, proteins involved in mitophagy, suggest that impaired mitochondrial clearance is also a contributing factor. Many have suggested that dopamine oxidation products lead to oxidative stress accounting for the dopaminergic selectivity of the disease. We have presented evidence for the specific involvement of hypochlorite-oxidized cysteinyl-dopamine (HOCD), a redox-cycling benzothiazine derivative. While toxins like 6-hydroxydopamine and 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium (MPP+) have been used to study mitochondrial involvement in Parkinson’s disease, HOCD may provide a more physiologically relevant approach. Understanding the role of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in Parkinson’s disease and their relation to α-synuclein proteinopathy is important to gain a full picture of the cause, especially for the great majority of cases which are idiopathic.
Flash Sintering Samaria-Doped Ceria–Carbon Nanotube Composites
Authors: Muccillo Reginaldo , S. Ferlauto André , N.S. Muccillo Eliana
Published: January 2019

Composite ceramic green pellets were prepared by attrition milling a mixture of (CeO2)0.8(Sm2O3)0.2 (samaria-doped ceria, SDC) ceramic powder and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), followed by uniaxial and isostatic pressing. The pellets were sintered inside a dilatometer by applying AC electric fields at 850 °C and limiting the electric current to 1 A, achieving 20.2% final shrinkage. The SDC samples reached 13.3% shrinkage under the same conditions. Higher average grain sizes were measured in specimens flash sintered with CNTs. Impedance spectroscopy analyses show that the specimens flash sintered with addition of CNTs have higher electrical conductivity. Higher delivered Joule heating at the interfaces due to the presence of the electronic conductors (CNTs) are proposed as the main reason for that improvement of the electrical behavior.
A Multivariate Statistical Analyses of Membrane Performance in the Clarification of Citrus Press Liquor
Authors: Ruby-Figueroa René , Nardi Monica , Sindona Giovanni , Conidi Carmela , Cassano Alfredo
Published: January 2019

The orange press liquor is a by-product of the orange juice production containing bioactive compounds recognized for their beneficial implications in human health. The recovery of these compounds offers new opportunities for the formulation of products of interest in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. The clarification of orange press liquor by microfiltration (MF) and/or ultrafiltration (UF) processes is a valid approach to remove macromolecules, colloidal particles, and suspended solids from sugars and bioactive compounds. In this work the clarification of orange press liquor was studied by using three flat-sheet polymeric membranes: a MF membrane with a pore size of 0.2 μm and two UF membranes with nominal molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) of 150 and 200 kDa, respectively. The membrane performance, in terms of permeate flux and membrane rejection towards hesperidin and sugars, was studied according to a multivariate analyses approach. In particular, characteristics influencing the performance of the investigated membranes, such as molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), contact angle, membrane thickness, pore size distribution, as well as operating conditions, including temperature, and operating time, were analysed through the partial least square regression (PLSR). The multivariate method revealed crucial information on variables which are relevant to maximize the permeate flux and to minimize the rejection of hesperidin and sugars in the clarification of orange press liquor.
Neuroblastoma: Tumor Biology and Its Implications for Staging and Treatment
Authors: Van Arendonk Kyle , Chung Dai
Published: January 2019

Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, has widely variable outcomes dependent on the specific biology of the tumor. In this review, current biologic principles that are used to stratify risk and guide treatment algorithms are discussed. The role for surgical resection in neuroblastoma is also reviewed, including the indications and timing of surgery within the greater treatment plan.
Comparative Investigation on the Emission Properties of RAl3(BO3)4 (R = Pr, Eu, Tb, Dy, Tm, Yb) Crystals with the Huntite Structure
Authors: Cavalli Enrico , Leonyuk Nikolay I.
Published: January 2019

The luminescence properties of RAl3(BO3)4 (RAB, with R = Pr, Eu, Tb, Dy, Tm, Yb) huntite crystals grown from K2Mo3O10 flux were systematically characterized in order to investigate their excitation dynamics, with particular reference to the concentration quenching that in these systems is incomplete. To this purpose, selected excitation, emission, and decay profile measurements on diluted R:YAB crystals were carried out and compared with those of the concentrated compounds. The effects of the energy transfer processes and of the lattice defects, as well as the ion-lattice interactions, have been taken into consideration in order to account for the experimental results.
Electroencephalograms during Mental Arithmetic Task Performance
Authors: Zyma Igor , Tukaev Sergii , Seleznov Ivan , Kiyono Ken , Popov Anton , Chernykh Mariia , Shpenkov Oleksii
Published: January 2019

This work has been carried out to support the investigation of the electroencephalogram (EEG) Fourier power spectral, coherence, and detrended fluctuation characteristics during performance of mental tasks. To this aim, the presented dataset contains International 10/20 system EEG recordings from subjects under mental cognitive workload (performing mental serial subtraction) and the corresponding reference background EEGs. Based on the subtraction task performance (number of subtractions and accuracy of the result), the subjects were divided into good counters and bad counters (for whom the mental task required excessive efforts). The data was recorded from 36 healthy volunteers of matched age, all of whom are students of Educational and Scientific Centre “Institute of Biology and Medicine”, National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv (Ukraine); the recordings are available through Physiobank platform. The dataset can be used by the neuroscience research community studying brain dynamics during cognitive workload.
Data Governance and Sovereignty in Urban Data Spaces Based on Standardized ICT Reference Architectures
Authors: Cuno Silke , Bruns Lina , Tcholtchev Nikolay , Lämmel Philipp , Schieferdecker Ina
Published: January 2019

European cities and communities (and beyond) require a structured overview and a set of tools as to achieve a sustainable transformation towards smarter cities/municipalities, thereby leveraging on the enormous potential of the emerging data driven economy. This paper presents the results of a recent study that was conducted with a number of German municipalities/cities. Based on the obtained and briefly presented recommendations emerging from the study, the authors propose the concept of an Urban Data Space (UDS), which facilitates an eco-system for data exchange and added value creation thereby utilizing the various types of data within a smart city/municipality. Looking at an Urban Data Space from within a German context and considering the current situation and developments in German municipalities, this paper proposes a reasonable classification of urban data that allows the relation of various data types to legal aspects, and to conduct solid considerations regarding technical implementation designs and decisions. Furthermore, the Urban Data Space is described/analyzed in detail, and relevant stakeholders are identified, as well as corresponding technical artifacts are introduced. The authors propose to setup Urban Data Spaces based on emerging standards from the area of ICT reference architectures for Smart Cities, such as DIN SPEC 91357 “Open Urban Platform” and EIP SCC. In the course of this, the paper walks the reader through the construction of a UDS based on the above-mentioned architectures and outlines all the goals, recommendations and potentials, which an Urban Data Space can reveal to a municipality/city. Finally, we aim at deriving the proposed concepts in a way that they have the potential to be part of the required set of tools towards the sustainable transformation of German and European cities in the direction of smarter urban environments, based on utilizing the hidden potential of digitalization and efficient interoperable data exchange.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Entropy Generation Minimization in Thermally Dissipating Flow Over a Thin Needle Moving in a Parallel Free Stream of Two Newtonian Fluids
Authors: Khan Ilyas , Khan Waqar A. , Qasim Muhammad , Afridi Idrees , Alharbi Sayer O.
Published: January 2019

This article is devoted to study sustainability of entropy generation in an incompressible thermal flow of Newtonian fluids over a thin needle that is moving in a parallel stream. Two types of Newtonian fluids (water and air) are considered in this work. The energy dissipation term is included in the energy equation. Here, it is presumed that u∞ (the free stream velocity) is in the positive axial direction (x-axis) and the motion of the thin needle is in the opposite or similar direction as the free stream velocity. The reduced self-similar governing equations are solved numerically with the aid of the shooting technique with the fourth-order-Runge-Kutta method. Using similarity transformations, it is possible to obtain the expression for dimensionless form of the volumetric entropy generation rate and the Bejan number. The effects of Prandtl number, Eckert number and dimensionless temperature parameter are discussed graphically in details for water and air taken as Newtonian fluids.