bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of the Cognition Test Battery for Spaceflight in a Sample of Highly Educated Adults
Authors: Moore Tyler M. , Basner Mathias , Nasrini Jad , Hermosillo Emanuel , Kabadi Sushila , Roalf David R. , McGuire Sarah , Ecker Adrian J. , Ruparel Kosha , Port Allison M. , Jackson Chad T. , Dinges David F. , Gur Ruben C.
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND: Neuropsychological changes that may occur due to the environmental and psychological stressors of prolonged spaceflight motivated the development of the Cognition Test Battery. The battery was designed to assess multiple domains of neurocognitive functions linked
to specific brain systems. Tests included in Cognition have been validated, but not in high-performing samples comparable to astronauts, which is an essential step toward ensuring their usefulness in long-duration space missions.METHODS: We administered Cognition (on laptop and
iPad) and the WinSCAT, counterbalanced for order and version, in a sample of 96 subjects (50% women; ages 25–56 yr) with at least a Master’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). We assessed the associations of age, sex, and administration device with
neurocognitive performance, and compared the scores on the Cognition battery with those of WinSCAT. Confirmatory factor analysis compared the structure of the iPad and laptop administration methods using Wald tests.RESULTS: Age was associated with longer response times (mean β
= 0.12) and less accurate (mean β = −0.12) performance, women had longer response times on psychomotor (β = 0.62), emotion recognition (β = 0.30), and visuo-spatial (β = 0.48) tasks, men outperformed women on matrix reasoning (β = −0.34), and performance
on an iPad was generally faster (mean β = −0.55). The WinSCAT appeared heavily loaded with tasks requiring executive control, whereas Cognition assessed a larger variety of neurocognitive domains.DISCUSSION: Overall results supported the interpretation of Cognition scores
as measuring their intended constructs in high performing astronaut analog samples.Moore TM, Basner M, Nasrini J, Hermosillo E, Kabadi S, Roalf DR, McGuire S, Ecker AJ, Ruparel K, Port AM, Jackson CT, Dinges DF, Gur RC. Validation of the Cognition Test Battery for spaceflight in a sample of highly educated adults. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(10):937–946.
Orientation Preferences and Motion Sickness Induced in a Virtual Reality Environment
Authors: Chen Wei , Chao Jian-Gang , Zhang Yan , Wang Jin-Kun , Chen Xue-Wen , Tan Cheng
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND: Astronauts’ orientation preferences tend to correlate with their susceptibility to space motion sickness (SMS). Orientation preferences appear universally, since variable sensory cue priorities are used between individuals. However, SMS susceptibility changes
after proper training, while orientation preferences seem to be intrinsic proclivities. The present study was conducted to investigate whether orientation preferences change if susceptibility is reduced after repeated exposure to a virtual reality (VR) stimulus environment that induces SMS.METHODS:
A horizontal supine posture was chosen to create a sensory context similar to weightlessness, and two VR devices were used to produce a highly immersive virtual scene. Subjects were randomly allocated to an experimental group (trained through exposure to a provocative rotating virtual scene)
and a control group (untrained). All subjects’ orientation preferences were measured twice with the same interval, but the experimental group was trained three times during the interval, while the control group was not.RESULTS: Trained subjects were less susceptible to SMS,
with symptom scores reduced by 40%. Compared with untrained subjects, trained subjects’ orientation preferences were significantly different between pre- and posttraining assessments. Trained subjects depended less on visual cues, whereas few subjects demonstrated the opposite tendency.CONCLUSION:
Results suggest that visual information may be inefficient and unreliable for body orientation and stabilization in a rotating visual scene, while reprioritizing preferences for different sensory cues was dynamic and asymmetric between individuals. The present findings should facilitate customization
of efficient and proper training for astronauts with different sensory prioritization preferences and dynamic characteristics.Chen W, Chao J-G, Zhang Y, Wang J-K, Chen X-W, Tan C. Orientation preferences and motion sickness induced in a virtual reality environment. Aerosp Med Hum
Perform. 2017; 88(10):903–910.
In-Flight Ultraviolet Radiation on Commercial Airplanes
Authors: Cadilhac Pascal , Bouton Marie-Christine , Cantegril Monique , Cardines Catherine , Gisquet Alain , Kaufman Noël , Klerlein Michel
Published: September 2017

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological studies suggest that pilots and cabin crew have higher incidences and mortality rates of cutaneous malignant melanoma than those of the general population. Exposure to UV radiation is one of the main risk factors for this type of cancer. The aim
of this study was to evaluate the level of UV radiation in an airliner in flight.METHODS: Measurements were taken with a three sensor-integrated electronics UV radiometer (A, B, and C) during 14 flights from July to October 2016. They were performed during daylight hours once the
airliner had reached cruising altitude.RESULTS: We failed to find UVC radiation. The measurements detected neither UV A nor B in any parts of the cabins of the planes tested, nor in the Airbus cockpits. UVA radiation was however found in the cockpit of Boeing 777s. But UVA levels
remained well below the values found at ground level and they were also strongly reduced (more than 10 times) by cockpit sun visors.DISCUSSION: Few studies have assessed the level of UV radiation in an airplane. They suggested that the cockpit windshields reduced this type of radiation
to some degree (according mainly to the wavelength of the radiation and the nature of the windshield). Our study strongly confirms these results and suggests that increased incidence of melanoma and mortality by this type of illness found among pilots and airline cabin crews may not be related
to in-flight UV radiation exposure.Cadilhac P, Bouton M-C, Cantegril M, Cardines C, Gisquet A, Kaufman N, Klerlein M. In-flight ultraviolet radiation on commercial airplanes. Aerosp Med Hum Perform 2017; 88(10):947–951.
Carotid and Femoral Arterial Wall Distensibility During Long-Duration Spaceflight
Authors: Arbeille Philippe , Provost Romain , Zuj Kathryn
Published: September 2017

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess changes in common carotid (CA) and superficial femoral (FA) arterial stiffness during long-duration spaceflight.METHODS: Ultrasound imaging was used to investigate the CA and FA of 10 astronauts preflight (PRE), on flight day
15 (FD15), after 4–5 mo (FD4–5m), and 4 d after return to Earth (R+4). Arterial wall properties were assessed through the calculation of strain, stiffness (β), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), and distensibility (DI). Stiffness indices were assessed for potential correlations
to measurements of intima-media thickness (IMT).RESULTS: Significant effects of spaceflight were found for all CA stiffness indices, indicating an increase in arterial stiffness. CA strain was reduced by 34 ± 31% on FD15 and 50 ± 16% on FD4–5m and remained reduced
by 42 ± 14% on R+4 with respect to PRE values. On FD4–5m, with respect to PRE values, DI was reduced by 46 ± 25% and β and Ep were increased by 124 ± 95% and 118 ± 92%, respectively. FA arterial stiffness indices appeared to show similar changes; however,
a main effect of spaceflight was only found for strain. Correlation analysis showed weak but significant relationships between measurements of CA IMT and arterial stiffness indices, but no relationships were found for FA measurements.DISCUSSION: The observed change in CA and FA
stiffness indices suggest that spaceflight results in an increase in arterial stiffness. That these changes were not strongly related to measurements of IMT suggests the possibility of different mechanisms contributing to the observed results.Arbeille P, Provost R, Zuj K. Carotid and
femoral arterial wall distensibility during long-duration spaceflight. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(10):924–930.
Tech-Savvy Beef Cattle? How Heifers Respond to Moving Virtual Fence Lines
Authors: Campbell Dana , Lea Jim , Farrer William , Haynes Sally , Lee Caroline
Published: September 2017

Global Positioning System (GPS)-based virtual fences offer the potential to improve the management of grazing animals. Prototype collar devices utilising patented virtual fencing algorithms were placed on six Angus heifers in a 6.15 hectare paddock. After a “no fence” period, sequential, shifting virtual fences restricted the animals to 40%, 60%, and 80% of the paddock area widthways and 50% lengthways across 22 days. Audio cues signaled the virtual boundary, and were paired with electrical stimuli if the animals continued forward into the boundary. Within approximately 48 h, the cattle learned the 40% fence and were henceforth restricted to the subsequent inclusion zones a minimum of 96.70% (±standard error 0.01%) of the time. Over time, the animals increasingly stayed within the inclusion zones using audio cues alone, and on average, approached the new fence within 4.25 h. The animals were thus attentive to the audio cue, not the fence location. The time spent standing and lying and the number of steps were similar between inclusion zones (all p ≥ 0.42). More lying bouts occurred at the 80% and lengthways inclusion zones relative to “no fence” (p = 0.04). Further research should test different cattle groups in variable paddock settings and measure physiological welfare responses to the virtual fencing stimuli.
Practical Challenge of Shredded Documents: Clustering of Chinese Homologous Pieces
Authors: Xing Nan , Zhang Jianqi , Cao Furong , Liu Pengfei
Published: September 2017

When recovering a shredded document that has numerous mixed pieces, the difficulty of the recovery process can be reduced by clustering, which is a method of grouping pieces that originally belonged to the same page. Restoring homologous shredded documents (pieces from different pages of the same file) is a frequent problem, and because these pieces have nearly indistinguishable visual characteristics, grouping them is extremely difficult. Clustering research has important practical significance for document recovery because homologous pieces are ubiquitous. Because of the wide usage of Chinese and the huge demand for Chinese shredded document recovery, our research focuses on Chinese homologous pieces. In this paper, we propose a method of completely clustering Chinese homologous pieces in which the distribution features of the characters in the pieces and the document layout are used to correlate adjacent pieces and cluster them in different areas of a document. The experimental results show that the proposed method has a good clustering effect on real pieces. For the dataset containing 10 page documents (a total of 462 pieces), its average accuracy is 97.19%.
Computational Algorithms Underlying the Time-Based Detection of Sudden Cardiac Arrest via Electrocardiographic Markers
Authors: Raka Annmarie , Naik Ganesh , Chai Rifai
Published: September 2017

Early detection of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is critical to prevent serious repercussion such as irreversible neurological damage and death. Currently, the most effective method involves analyzing electrocardiogram (ECG) features obtained during ventricular fibrillation. In this study, data from 10 normal patients and 10 SCA patients obtained from Physiobank were used to statistically compare features, such as heart rate, R-R interval duration, and heart rate variability (HRV) features from which the HRV features were then selected for classification via linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and linear and fine Gaussian support vector machines (SVM) in order to determine the ideal time-frame in which SCA can be accurately detected. The best accuracy was obtained at 2 and 8 min prior to SCA onset across all three classifiers. However, accuracy rates of 75–80% were also obtained at time-frames as early as 50 and 40 min prior to SCA onset. These results are clinically important in the field of SCA, as early detection improves overall patient survival.
Vertical Sampling Scales for Atmospheric Boundary Layer Measurements from Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)
Authors: Hemingway Benjamin , Frazier Amy , Elbing Brian , Jacob Jamey
Published: September 2017

The lowest portion of the Earth’s atmosphere, known as the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), plays an important role in the formation of weather events. Simple meteorological measurements collected from within the ABL, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind velocity, are key to understanding the exchange of energy within this region, but conventional surveillance techniques such as towers, radar, weather balloons, and satellites do not provide adequate spatial and/or temporal coverage for monitoring weather events. Small unmanned aircraft, or aerial, systems (sUAS) provide a versatile, dynamic platform for atmospheric sensing that can provide higher spatio-temporal sampling frequencies than available through most satellite sensing methods. They are also able to sense portions of the atmosphere that cannot be measured from ground-based radar, weather stations, or weather balloons and have the potential to fill gaps in atmospheric sampling. However, research on the vertical sampling scales for collecting atmospheric measurements from sUAS and the variabilities of these scales across atmospheric phenomena (e.g., temperature and humidity) is needed. The objective of this study is to use variogram analysis, a common geostatistical technique, to determine optimal spatial sampling scales for two atmospheric variables (temperature and relative humidity) captured from sUAS. Results show that vertical sampling scales of approximately 3 m for temperature and 1.5–2 m for relative humidity were sufficient to capture the spatial structure of these phenomena under the conditions tested. Future work is needed to model these scales across the entire ABL as well as under variable conditions.
Multi-Year (2013–2016) PM2.5 Wildfire Pollution Exposure over North America as Determined from Operational Air Quality Forecasts
Authors: Munoz-Alpizar Rodrigo , Pavlovic Radenko , Moran Michael , Chen Jack , Gravel Sylvie , Henderson Sarah , Ménard Sylvain , Racine Jacinthe , Duhamel Annie , Gilbert Samuel , Beaulieu Paul-André , Landry Hugo , Davignon Didier , Cousineau Sophie , Bouchet Véronique
Published: September 2017

FireWork is an on-line, one-way coupled meteorology–chemistry model based on near-real-time wildfire emissions. It was developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada to deliver operational real-time forecasts of biomass-burning pollutants, in particular fine particulate matter (PM2.5), over North America. Such forecasts provide guidance for early air quality alerts that could reduce air pollution exposure and protect human health. A multi-year (2013–2016) analysis of FireWork forecasts over a five-month period (May to September) was conducted. This work used an archive of FireWork outputs to quantify wildfire contributions to total PM2.5 surface concentrations across North America. Different concentration thresholds (0.2 to 28 µg/m3) and averaging periods (24 h to five months) were considered. Analysis suggested that, on average over the fire season, 76% of Canadians and 69% of Americans were affected by seasonal wildfire-related PM2.5 concentrations above 0.2 µg/m3. These effects were particularly pronounced in July and August. Futhermore, the analysis showed that fire emissions contributed more than 1 µg/m3 of daily average PM2.5 concentrations on more than 30% of days in the western USA and northwestern Canada during the fire season.
The Impact of DNA Repair Pathways in Cancer Biology and Therapy
Authors: Nikolaev Anatoly , Yang Eddy
Published: September 2017

Genomic instability is one of the key hallmarks of cancer progression [1].[...]
A New Homo-Hexamer Mn-Containing Catalase from Geobacillus sp. WCH70
Authors: Li Hai-Chao , Yu Qing , Wang Hui , Cao Xin-Yu , Ma Li , Li Zheng-Qiang
Published: September 2017

Catalase is an effective biocatalyst to degrade hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen that can serve in textile effluent treatment to remove residual H2O2. Thermostable catalases are needed to withstand both the high temperature and pH of textile wastewater. We have cloned the Mn-containing catalase gene ACS24898.1 from Geobacillus sp. WCH70, which originated from thermophilic organisms, and expressed it in Escherichia coli in activated form. The recombinant protein has been purified to homogeneity and identified to be a new homo-hexamer Mn-containing catalase. The native molecular mass of the catalase has been measured to be 138 kDa by size-exclusion chromatography. The new enzyme has optimum catalyzed activity at pH 9.0 and a temperature of 75 °C. It is thermostable up to 70 °C for 8 h incubation and maintains 80% and 50% activity, respectively, at 80 °C after 5 h and 90 °C after 1 h. At 75 °C and pH 9.0, the Km is 67.26 mM for substrate H2O2 and the rate of reaction at H2O2 saturation, Vmax, is 75,300 U/mg. The thermophilic and alkaline preferred properties of this new Mn-catalase are valuable features in textile wastewater treatment.
S- and N-Doped Graphene Nanomaterials for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Rivera Luis , Fajardo Sergio , Arévalo María , García Gonzalo , Pastor Elena
Published: September 2017

In the current work, heteroatom-doped graphene materials containing different atomic ratios of nitrogen and sulphur were employed as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic and alkaline media. To this end, the hydrothermal route and different chemical reducing agents were employed to synthesize the catalytic materials. The physicochemical characterization of the catalysts was performed by several techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and elemental analysis; meanwhile, the electrochemical performance of the materials toward the ORR was analyzed by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), rotating disk electrode (RDE) and rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) techniques. The main results indicate that the ORR using heteroatom-doped graphene is a direct four-electron pathway, for which the catalytic activity is higher in alkaline than in acidic media. Indeed, a change of the reaction mechanism was observed with the insertion of N into the graphenic network, by the rate determining step changes from the first electrochemical step (formation of adsorbed OOH) on glassy carbon to the removal of adsorbed O (Oad) from the N-graphene surface. Moreover, the addition of sulphur atoms into the N-graphene structure increases the catalytic activity toward the ORR, as the desorption of Oad is accelerated.
Subsynchronous Torsional Interaction of Wind Farms with FSIG Wind Turbines Connected to LCC-HVDC Lines
Authors: Gao Benfeng , Zhang Ruixue , Li Ren , Yu Hongyang , Zhao Guoliang
Published: September 2017

High-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines with line-commutated converter (LCC) are being increasingly employed to transmit bulk wind power over long distance. However, this may cause the sub-synchronous torsional interaction (SSTI) between the wind farms and the LCC-HVDC system. The SSTI characteristics of wind farms with fixed-speed induction generator (FSIG) wind turbines connected to LCC-HVDC are investigated in this paper. To simplify the calculations, a modular modeling method is proposed for building the small-signal mathematical model of the investigated system. Small-signal analysis, participation factor analysis, and impact of dominant factors analysis are then applied to investigate the SSTI characteristics under different operating conditions. Three oscillation modes associated with the SSTI are identified in the entire system through small-signal and participation factor analysis, comprising two torsional modes and an electromechanical mode. Impact of dominant factors analysis shows that the system becomes less stable as the wind farm capacity grows and the distance between FSIG wind farm and the rectifier station increases. Moreover, the above analysis suggests that wind farms with FSIG connected to LCC-HVDC lines may not cause unstable SSTI. The electromagnetic transient simulations based on PSCAD/EMTDC (Power Systems Computer-Aided Design/Electromagnetic Transients including DC) verify these results.
Techno-Economic Assessment of Wind Energy Potential at Three Locations in South Korea Using Long-Term Measured Wind Data
Authors: Ali Sajid , Lee Sang-Moon , Jang Choon-Man
Published: September 2017

The present study deals with wind energy analysis and the selection of an optimum type of wind turbine in terms of the feasibility of installing wind power system at three locations in South Korea: Deokjeok-do, Baengnyeong-do and Seo-San. The wind data measurements were conducted during 2005–2015 at Deokjeok-do, 2001–2016 at Baengnyeong-do and 1997–2016 at Seo-San. In the first part of this paper wind conditions, like mean wind speed, wind rose diagrams and Weibull shape and scale parameters are presented, so that the wind potential of all the locations could be assessed. It was found that the prevailing wind directions at all locations was either southeast or southwest in which the latter one being more dominant. After analyzing the wind conditions, 50-year and 1-year extreme wind speeds (EWS) were estimated using the graphical method of Gumbel distribution. Finally, according to the wind conditions at each site and international electro-technical commission (IEC) guidelines, a set of five different wind turbines best suited for each location were shortlisted. Each wind turbine was evaluated on the basis of technical parameters like monthly energy production, annual energy production (AEP) and capacity factors (CF). Similarly, economical parameters including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period (PBP) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) were considered. The analysis shows that a Doosan model WinDS134/3000 wind turbine is the most suitable for Deokjeok-do and Baengnyeong-do, whereas a Hanjin model HJWT 87/2000 is the most suitable wind turbine for Seo-San. Economic sensitivity analysis is also included and discussed in detail to analyze the impact on economics of wind power by varying turbine’s hub height.
How Reliable Are Heat Pulse Velocity Methods for Estimating Tree Transpiration?
Authors: Forster Michael
Published: September 2017

Transpiration is a significant component of the hydrologic cycle and its accurate quantification is critical for modelling, industry, and policy decisions. Sap flow sensors provide a low cost and practical method to measure transpiration. Various methods to measure sap flow are available and a popular family of methods is known as heat pulse velocity (HPV). Theory on thermal conductance and convection, that underpins HPV methods, suggests transpiration can be directly estimated from sensor measurements without the need for laborious calibrations. To test this accuracy, transpiration estimated from HPV sensors is compared with an independent measure of plant water use such as a weighing lysimeter. A meta-analysis of the literature that explicitly tested the accuracy of a HPV sensors against an independent measure of transpiration was conducted. Data from linear regression analysis was collated where an R2 of 1 indicates perfect precision and a slope of 1 of the linear regression curve indicates perfect accuracy. The average R2 and slope from all studies was 0.822 and 0.860, respectively. However, the overall error, or deviation from real transpiration values, was 34.706%. The results indicate that HPV sensors are precise in correlating heat velocity with rates of transpiration, but poor in quantifying transpiration. Various sources of error in converting heat velocity into sap velocity and sap flow are discussed including probe misalignment, wound corrections, thermal diffusivity, stem water content, placement of sensors in sapwood, and scaling of point measurements to whole plants. Where whole plant water use or transpiration is required in a study, it is recommended that all sap flow sensors are calibrated against an independent measure of transpiration.
Design for Children’s Playful Learning with Robots
Authors: Lupetti Maria , Yao Yuan , Mi Haipeng , Germak Claudio
Published: September 2017

This article presents an investigation of the implications of designing for children’s playful learning with robots. This study was carried out by adopting a Research through Design approach that resulted in the development of a novel low-anthropomorphic robot called Shybo. The article reports the main phases of the project: the preliminary and exploratory research that was carried out to define a list of design requirements; the design of the robot and its supplementary materials for carrying out playful learning experiences; and the evaluation of the project that involved both parents and children. The robot, in fact, was finally tested as part of a two-hour experience that engaged children in activities related to the associations between sounds and colours. The article presents and discusses the results of this evaluation to point out positive aspects of the experience, emerging issues and hints for future works. These are documented to share lessons learned that might be supportive of the general development of children’s playful learning and cognitive experiences with robots.
Predicting Variation of DNA Shape Preferences in Protein-DNA Interaction in Cancer Cells with a New Biophysical Model
Authors: Batmanov Kirill , Wang Junbai
Published: September 2017

DNA shape readout is an important mechanism of transcription factor target site recognition, in addition to the sequence readout. Several machine learning-based models of transcription factor–DNA interactions, considering DNA shape features, have been developed in recent years. Here, we present a new biophysical model of protein–DNA interactions by integrating the DNA shape properties. It is based on the neighbor dinucleotide dependency model BayesPI2, where new parameters are restricted to a subspace spanned by the dinucleotide form of DNA shape features. This allows a biophysical interpretation of the new parameters as a position-dependent preference towards specific DNA shape features. Using the new model, we explore the variation of DNA shape preferences in several transcription factors across various cancer cell lines and cellular conditions. The results reveal that there are DNA shape variations at FOXA1 (Forkhead Box Protein A1) binding sites in steroid-treated MCF7 cells. The new biophysical model is useful for elucidating the finer details of transcription factor–DNA interaction, as well as for predicting cancer mutation effects in the future.
Circulating microRNAs and Bioinformatics Tools to Discover Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers of Pediatric Diseases
Authors: Baldassarre Antonella , Felli Cristina , Prantera Giorgio , Masotti Andrea
Published: September 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Current studies have shown that miRNAs are also present in extracellular spaces, packaged into various membrane-bound vesicles, or associated with RNA-binding proteins. Circulating miRNAs are highly stable and can act as intercellular messengers to affect many physiological processes. MicroRNAs circulating in body fluids have generated strong interest in their potential use as clinical biomarkers. In fact, their remarkable stability and the relative ease of detection make circulating miRNAs ideal tools for rapid and non-invasive diagnosis. This review summarizes recent insights about the origin, functions and diagnostic potential of extracellular miRNAs by especially focusing on pediatric diseases in order to explore the feasibility of alternative sampling sources for the development of non-invasive pediatric diagnostics. We will also discuss specific bioinformatics tools and databases for circulating miRNAs focused on the identification and discovery of novel diagnostic biomarkers of pediatric diseases.
Linguistic Multi-Attribute Group Decision Making with Risk Preferences and Its Use in Low-Carbon Tourism Destination Selection
Authors: Lin Hui , Wang Zhou-Jing
Published: September 2017

Low-carbon tourism plays an important role in carbon emission reduction and environmental protection. Low-carbon tourism destination selection often involves multiple conflicting and incommensurate attributes or criteria and can be modelled as a multi-attribute decision-making problem. This paper develops a framework to solve multi-attribute group decision-making problems, where attribute evaluation values are provided as linguistic terms and the attribute weight information is incomplete. In order to obtain a group risk preference captured by a linguistic term set with triangular fuzzy semantic information, a nonlinear programming model is established on the basis of individual risk preferences. We first convert individual linguistic-term-based decision matrices to their respective triangular fuzzy decision matrices, which are then aggregated into a group triangular fuzzy decision matrix. Based on this group decision matrix and the incomplete attribute weight information, a linear program is developed to find an optimal attribute weight vector. A detailed procedure is devised for tackling linguistic multi-attribute group decision making problems. A low-carbon tourism destination selection case study is offered to illustrate how to use the developed group decision-making model in practice.
Zebrafish as a Model for the Study of Microvascular Complications of Diabetes and Their Mechanisms
Authors: Heckler Karl , Kroll Jens
Published: September 2017

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a crucial metabolic disease that leads to severe disorders. These include macrovascular complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral artery disease and microvascular complications including diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Diabetes mellitus, along with its associated organ pathologies, is one of the key problems in today’s medicine. Zebrafish is an upcoming disease model organism in diabetes research. Its glucose metabolism and the pathways of reactive metabolite formation are very similar to those of humans. Moreover, several physiological and pathophysiological pathways that also exist in humans and other mammals have been identified in this species or are currently under intense investigation. Zebrafish offer sophisticated imaging techniques and allow simple and fast genetic and pharmacological approaches with a high throughput. In this review, we highlight achievements and mechanisms concerning microvascular complications discovered in zebrafish, and we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of zebrafish as a model for studying diabetic complications.
Influence of Freeze-Drying and Oven-Drying Post Blanching on the Nutrient Composition of the Edible Insect Ruspolia differens
Authors: Fombong Forkwa , Van Der Borght Mik , Vanden Broeck Jozef
Published: September 2017

The longhorn grasshopper, Ruspolia differens (Serville), plays an important role as a food source across Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is consumed as a delicacy in both rural and urban areas. The effect of two drying methods (freeze-drying and oven-drying), employed after blanching, on the proximate, fatty acid and mineral composition of the two most common morphs was determined. Ruspolia differens grasshoppers were harvested in Uganda and Kenya from wild swarms during the rainy periods of November–December 2016. Based on cuticular coloration, we identified three morphs, green, brown and purple, which occurred at a ratio of 65:33:2, respectively. Results indicated that these insects have a high lipid content of 36%, as well as significant protein levels ranging between 33% and 46% dry matter. Oleic acid (44%) and palmitic acid (28%) were the two most abundant fatty acids; while the presence of arachidonic acid (0.6%) and docosahexaenoic acid (0.21%) suggests that Ruspolia differens is also a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The observed amino acid profile showed similar trends in all morphs, and all essential amino acids were present. Calcium (896–1035 mg/100 g), potassium (779–816 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (652–685 mg/100 g) were quite high among the minerals. The presence of the trace elements iron (217–220 mg/100 g), zinc (14.2–14.6 mg/100 g), manganese (7.4–8.3 mg/100 g) and copper (1.66 mg/100 g) suggests that inclusion of these grasshoppers in human diets may aid in combatting micronutrient deficiencies. Oven-drying Ruspolia differens delivered the same nutritional quality as freeze-drying. Hence, both drying approaches can be adequately used to formulate insect-based food products without noticeable nutritional changes.
The α-Tubulin gene TUBA1A in Brain Development: A Key Ingredient in the Neuronal Isotype Blend
Authors: Aiken Jayne , Buscaglia Georgia , Bates Emily A. , Moore Jeffrey K.
Published: September 2017

Microtubules are dynamic cytoskeletal polymers that mediate numerous, essential functions such as axon and dendrite growth and neuron migration throughout brain development. In recent years, sequencing has revealed dominant mutations that disrupt the tubulin protein building blocks of microtubules. These tubulin mutations lead to a spectrum of devastating brain malformations, complex neurological and physical phenotypes, and even fatality. The most common tubulin gene mutated is the α-tubulin gene TUBA1A, which is the most prevalent α-tubulin gene expressed in post-mitotic neurons. The normal role of TUBA1A during neuronal maturation, and how mutations alter its function to produce the phenotypes observed in patients, remains unclear. This review synthesizes current knowledge of TUBA1A function and expression during brain development, and the brain malformations caused by mutations in TUBA1A.
Pulling Exercises for Strength Training and Rehabilitation: Movements and Loading Conditions
Authors: Lorenzetti Silvio , Dayer Romain , Plüss Michael , List Renate
Published: September 2017

The back is an extremely common site of injury among both athletes and sedentary people. Furthermore, low back pain has become prevalent in our society. Maintaining strong back muscles can help prevent future pain or injuries. Here, the aim is therefore to assess the kinetic and kinematic movements of four pulling exercises with different external loading directions. Fifteen healthy subjects were analyzed using a 3D motion capture system. The pulley machine was equipped with a load cell for force data acquisition. The exercises consisted of 8 repetitions each of the lat pulldown (25% and 50% body weight (BW) extra load), the lat pulldown with 45° incline (10% and 25% BW), the seated cable row (25% and 50% BW) and the upright row (standing, 10% and 25% BW). The minimum and maximum curvature angle in the thoracic as well as the lumbar spine was larger during the upright row than during the other exercises. Furthermore, during the upright row, the sagittal moment in the shoulder joint is opposed to the other exercises in the direction of retroversion. Due to the higher lumbar curvature observed in low back patients, to avoid overload, it is not advisable for patients with back pain to perform upright rows.
Carrier Multiplication Mechanisms and Competing Processes in Colloidal Semiconductor Nanostructures
Authors: Kershaw Stephen , Rogach Andrey
Published: September 2017

Quantum confined semiconductor nanoparticles, such as colloidal quantum dots, nanorods and nanoplatelets have broad extended absorption spectra at energies above their bandgaps. This means that they can absorb light at high photon energies leading to the formation of hot excitons with finite excited state lifetimes. During their existence, the hot electron and hole that comprise the exciton may start to cool as they relax to the band edge by phonon mediated or Auger cooling processes or a combination of these. Alongside these cooling processes, there is the possibility that the hot exciton may split into two or more lower energy excitons in what is termed carrier multiplication (CM). The fission of the hot exciton to form lower energy multiexcitons is in direct competition with the cooling processes, with the timescales for multiplication and cooling often overlapping strongly in many materials. Once CM has been achieved, the next challenge is to preserve the multiexcitons long enough to make use of the bonus carriers in the face of another competing process, non-radiative Auger recombination. However, it has been found that Auger recombination and the several possible cooling processes can be manipulated and usefully suppressed or retarded by engineering the nanoparticle shape, size or composition and by the use of heterostructures, along with different choices of surface treatments. This review surveys some of the work that has led to an understanding of the rich carrier dynamics in semiconductor nanoparticles, and that has started to guide materials researchers to nanostructures that can tilt the balance in favour of efficient CM with sustained multiexciton lifetimes.
Towards an Ultrasonic Guided Wave Procedure for Health Monitoring of Composite Vessels: Application to Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft
Authors: Yaacoubi Slah , McKeon Peter , Ke Weina , Declercq Nico , Dahmene Fethi
Published: September 2017

This paper presents an overview and description of the approach to be used to investigate the behavior and the defect sensitivity of various ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) modes propagating specifically in composite cylindrical vessels in the framework of the safety of hydrogen energy transportation such as hydrogen-powered aircrafts. These structures which consist of thick and multi-layer composites are envisioned for housing hydrogen gas at high pressures. Due to safety concerns associated with a weakened structure, structural health monitoring techniques are needed. A procedure for optimizing damage detection in these structural types is presented. It is shown that a finite element method can help identify useful experimental parameters including frequency range, excitation type, and receiver placement.
Critical Behavior of La0.8Ca0.2Mn1−xCoxO3 Perovskite (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.3)
Authors: Turki Dorra , Ghouri Zafar , Al-Meer Saeed , Elsaid Khaled , Ahmad M. , Easa Ahmed , Remenyi Gyorgy , Mahmood Sami , Hlil El , Ellouze Mohamed , Elhalouani Foued
Published: September 2017

The critical properties of La0.8Ca0.2Mn1−xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) compounds were investigated by analysis of the magnetic measurements in the vicinity of their critical temperature. Arrott plots revealed that the paramagnetic PM-ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition for the sample with x = 0 is a first order transition, while it is a second order transition for all doped compounds. The critical exponents β, γ and δ were evaluated using modified Arrott plots (MAP) and the Kouvel-Fisher method (KF). The reliability of the evaluated critical exponents was confirmed by the Widom scaling relation and the universal scaling hypothesis. The values of the critical exponents for the doped compounds were consistent with the 3D-Heisenberg model for magnetic interactions. For x = 0.1, the estimated critical components are found inconsistent with any known universality class. In addition, the local exponent n was determined from the magnetic entropy change and found to be sensitive to the magnetic field in the entire studied temperature range.
Molecular Characterization of Peripheral Extracellular Vesicles in Clinically Isolated Syndrome: Preliminary Suggestions from a Pilot Study
Authors: Nuzziello Nicoletta , Blonda Maria , Licciulli Flavio , Liuni Sabino , Amoruso Antonella , Valletti Alessio , Consiglio Arianna , Avolio Carlo , Liguori Maria
Published: September 2017

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanoparticles originated from different cell types, seem to be implicated in several cellular activities. In the Central Nervous System (CNS), glia and neurons secrete EVs and recent studies have demonstrated that the intercellular communication mediated by EVs has versatile functional impact in the cerebral homeostasis. This essential role may be due to their proteins and RNAs cargo that possibly modify the phenotypes of the targeted cells. Despite the increasing importance of EVs, little is known about their fluctuations in physiological as well as in pathological conditions. Furthermore, only few studies have investigated the contents of contemporary EVs subgroups (microvesicles, MVs and exosomes, EXOs) with the purpose of discriminating between their features and functional roles. In order to possibly shed light on these issues, we performed a pilot study in which MVs and EXOs extracted from serum samples of a little cohort of subjects (patients with the first clinical evidence of CNS demyelination, also known as Clinically Isolated Syndrome and Healthy Controls) were submitted to deep small-RNA sequencing. Data were analysed by an in-home bioinformatics platform. In line with previous reports, distinct classes of non-coding RNAs have been detected in both the EVs subsets, offering interesting suggestions on their origins and functions. We also verified the feasibility of this extensive molecular approach, thus supporting its valuable use for the analysis of circulating biomarkers (e.g., microRNAs) in order to investigate and monitor specific diseases.
Progress in Research of Flexible MEMS Microelectrodes for Neural Interface
Authors: Tang Long-Jun , Wang Ming-Hao , Tian Hong-Chang , Kang Xiao-Yang , Hong Wen , Liu Jing-Quan
Published: September 2017

With the rapid development of Micro-electro-mechanical Systems (MEMS) fabrication technologies, many microelectrodes with various structures and functions have been designed and fabricated for applications in biomedical research, diagnosis and treatment through electrical stimulation and electrophysiological signal recording. The flexible MEMS microelectrodes exhibit excellent characteristics in many aspects beyond stiff microelectrodes based on silicon or metal, including: lighter weight, smaller volume, better conforming to neural tissue and lower fabrication cost. In this paper, we reviewed the key technologies in flexible MEMS microelectrodes for neural interface in recent years, including: design and fabrication technology, flexible MEMS microelectrodes with fluidic channels and electrode–tissue interface modification technology for performance improvement. Furthermore, the future directions of flexible MEMS microelectrodes for neural interface were described, including transparent and stretchable microelectrodes integrated with multi-functional aspects and next-generation electrode–tissue interface modifications, which facilitated electrode efficacy and safety during implantation. Finally, we predict that the relationships between micro fabrication techniques, and biomedical engineering and nanotechnology represented by flexible MEMS microelectrodes for neural interface, will open a new gate to better understanding the neural system and brain diseases.
Cardiovascular Activity of the Chemical Constituents of Essential Oils
Authors: De Andrade Tadeu , Brasil Girlandia , Endringer Denise , Da Nóbrega Flávio , De Sousa Damião
Published: September 2017

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death in developed and developing countries and decrease the quality of life, which has enormous social and economic consequences for the population. Recent studies on essential oils have attracted attention and encouraged continued research of this group of natural products because of their effects on the cardiovascular system. The pharmacological data indicate a therapeutic potential for essential oils for use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this review reports the current studies of essential oils chemical constituents with cardiovascular activity, including a description of their mechanisms of action.
Identification of Novel Bisbenzimidazole Derivatives as Anticancer Vacuolar (H+)-ATPase Inhibitors
Authors: Patil Renukadevi , Kulshrestha Arpita , Tikoo Anjali , Fleetwood Sara , Katara Gajendra , Kolli Bala , Seibel William , Gilman-Sachs Alice , Patil Shivaputra , Beaman Kenneth
Published: September 2017

The vacuolar (H+)-ATPases (V-ATPases) are a family of ATP-driven proton pumps and they have been associated with cancer invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Despite the clear involvement of V-ATPases in cancer, the therapeutic use of V-ATPase-targeting small molecules has not reached human clinical trials to date. Thus, V-ATPases are emerging as important targets for the identification of potential novel therapeutic agents. We identified a bisbenzimidazole derivative (V) as an initial hit from a similarity search using four known V-ATPase inhibitors (I–IV). Based on the initial hit (V), we designed and synthesized a focused set of novel bisbenzimidazole analogs (2a–e). All newly prepared compounds have been screened for selected human breast cancer (MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-231, and MCF7) and ovarian cancer (A2780, Cis-A2780, and PA-1) cell lines, along with the normal breast epithelial cell line, MCF10A. The bisbenzimidazole derivative (2e) is active against all cell lines tested. Remarkably, it demonstrated high cytotoxicity against the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line, MDA-MB-468 (IC50 = 0.04 ± 0.02 μM). Additionally, it has been shown to inhibit the V-ATPase pump that is mainly responsible for acidification. To the best of our knowledge the bisbenzimidazole pharmacophore has been identified as the first V-ATPase inhibitor in its class. These results strongly suggest that the compound 2e could be further developed as a potential anticancer V-ATPase inhibitor for breast cancer treatment.
Indexing Natural Products for Their Potential Anti-Diabetic Activity: Filtering and Mapping Discriminative Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Zeidan Mouhammad , Rayan Mahmoud , Zeidan Nuha , Falah Mizied , Rayan Anwar
Published: September 2017

Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a major health problem, for which there is an unmet need to develop novel drugs. The application of in silico techniques and optimization algorithms is instrumental to achieving this goal. A set of 97 approved anti-diabetic drugs, representing the active domain, and a set of 2892 natural products, representing the inactive domain, were used to construct predictive models and to index anti-diabetic bioactivity. Our recently-developed approach of ‘iterative stochastic elimination’ was utilized. This article describes a highly discriminative and robust model, with an area under the curve above 0.96. Using the indexing model and a mix ratio of 1:1000 (active/inactive), 65% of the anti-diabetic drugs in the sample were captured in the top 1% of the screened compounds, compared to 1% in the random model. Some of the natural products that scored highly as potential anti-diabetic drug candidates are disclosed. One of those natural products is caffeine, which is noted in the scientific literature as having the capability to decrease blood glucose levels. The other nine phytochemicals await evaluation in a wet lab for their anti-diabetic activity. The indexing model proposed herein is useful for the virtual screening of large chemical databases and for the construction of anti-diabetes focused libraries.