bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing National and Local Pathways to Carbon-Neutrality from Technology, Emissions, and Resilience Perspectives—Case of Finland
Authors: Pilpola Sannamari , Arabzadeh Vahid , Mikkola Jani , Lund Peter D.
Published: March 2019

The Paris Climate Accord calls for urgent CO2 reductions. Here we investigate low and zero carbon pathways based on clean electricity and sector coupling. Effects from different spatialities are considered through city and national cases (Helsinki and Finland). The methodology employs techno-economic energy system optimization, including resilience aspects. In the Finnish case, wind, nuclear, and biomass coupled to power-to-heat and other flexibility measures could provide a cost-effective carbon-neutral pathway (annual costs −18%), but nuclear and wind are, to some extent, exclusionary. A (near) carbon-neutral energy system seems possible even without nuclear (−94% CO2). Zero-carbon energy production benefits from a stronger link to the broader electricity market albeit flexibility measures. On the city level, wind would not easily replace local combined heat and power (CHP), but may increase electricity export. In the Helsinki case, a business-as-usual approach could halve emissions and annual costs, while in a comprehensive zero-emission approach, the operating costs (OPEX) could decrease by 87%. Generally, electrification of heat production could be effective to reduce CO2. Low or zero carbon solutions have a positive impact on resilience, but in the heating sector this is more problematic, e.g., power outage and adequacy of supply during peak demand will require more attention when planning future carbon-free energy systems.
Optimal Sizing of Cascade Hydropower and Distributed Photovoltaic Included Virtual Power Plant Considering Investments and Complementary Benefits in Electricity Markets
Authors: Liu Jichun , Li Jianhua , Xiang Yue , Zhang Xin , Jiang Wanxiao
Published: March 2019

Due to an imminent fossil energy crisis and environmental pollution, renewable energy, such as photovoltaics, has been vigorously developing. However, the output of photovoltaic energy has strong volatility and intermittency. Thus, the photovoltaic generation system cannot constantly meet the load demand. To address this problem, a virtual power plant with hydro-photovoltaic-thermal generation is proposed in this paper. This virtual power plant utilizes the complementary characteristics of the output of the power sources to ensure a smooth and stable total output curve, and the power supply quality of the virtual power plant is improved. Further, the nonlinear operating cost model of the virtual power plant, with output changing over time, is established on the weighted output of hydro, photovoltaic, and thermal power; then, the corresponding marginal cost model of the virtual power plant is obtained. In the electricity market, three typical mid- to long-term electricity decomposition methods based on average, tracking load and spot price are constructed, and the spot price is predicted by the auto regressive moving average model (ARIMA) model, while the relationship between the spot price and the marginal cost of the virtual power plant is obtained; the marginal cost could also be adjusted based on the ARIMA model. Based on above factors, the sizing model of the virtual power plant is established, considering investment and complementary benefits. Finally, a case study is undertaken, where the sizing scheme for the increasing local load in the typical scenarios of the planning year and the corresponding annual rate of return are obtained. Sensitivity analysis of the influence for the above factors on the sizing of the virtual power plant is carried out. The optimal ratio of mid- to long-term electricity and its decomposition methods, as well as the capacity of the virtual power plant and the sizing ratio of hydropower, photovoltaic, and thermal power are obtained.
Building Variable Productivity Ratios for Improving Large Scale Spatially Explicit Pruning Biomass Assessments
Authors: García-Galindo Daniel , Dyjakon Arkadiusz , Cay Villa-Ceballos Fernando
Published: March 2019

Biomass assessments of agro–residues performed at large geographical scales generally base calculations on single constant pruning productivity ratios (RSRs). Reliability of biomass assessments shall be improved if RSRs respond to prevailing regional crop growing conditions. The present paper describes the methodology applied to create geographically varying pruning RSR ratios–tons of dry matter per hectare—for five crop groups: vineyard, olive, fruit species, citrus and dry fruits. A newly created database containing 230 records–from seven EU28 countries—is submitted to statistical analysis. Results reveal that agro-climatic conditions are able to explain a not negligible share of the pruning productivity as dependent variable. Subsequent regression analysis provides two equations—for vineyard and citrus—achieving a reasonable good fitting (R2 0.18 and 0.42 respectively) between RSR and the agroclimatic variables. Analysis of olive, fruit species and dry fruits scatter and whisker plots were useful for zoning and inducing ramp functions. A Geographical Information System (GIS) was utilised to apply the functions to the agroclimatic raster coverages in order to obtain RSR raster grids. Zonal statistic procedures applied by European regional units (NUTs0, NUTs2, NUTs3) provide a specific crop RSR ratio per administrative unit as a principal output of the present work.
A Transformer Fault Diagnosis Model Based on Chemical Reaction Optimization and Twin Support Vector Machine
Authors: Yuan Fang , Guo Jiang , Xiao Zhihuai , Zeng Bing , Zhu Wenqiang , Huang Sixu
Published: March 2019

The condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of power transformers plays a significant role in the safe, stable and reliable operation of the whole power system. Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) methods are widely used for fault diagnosis, however, their accuracy is limited by the selection of DGA features and the performance of fault diagnosis models, for example, the classical support vector machine (SVM), is easily affected by unbalanced training samples. This paper presents a transformer fault diagnosis model based on chemical reaction optimization and a twin support vector machine. Twin support vector machines (TWSVMs) are used as classifiers for solving problems involving unbalanced and insufficient samples. Restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs) are used for data preprocessing to ensure the effective identification of feature parameters and improve the efficiency and accuracy of fault diagnosis. The chemical reaction optimization (CRO) algorithm is used to optimize TWSVM parameters to select the optimal training parameters. The cross-validation (CV) method is used to ensure the reliability and generalization ability of the diagnostic model. Finally, the validity of the model is verified using real fault samples and random testing.
Robust Speed Controller Design Using H_infinity Theory for High-Performance Sensorless Induction Motor Drives
Authors: Diab Ahmed A. Zaki , El-Sayed Abou-Hashema M. , Abbas Hossam Hefnawy , Sattar Montaser Abd El
Published: March 2019

In this paper, a robust speed control scheme for high dynamic performance sensorless induction motor drives based on the H_infinity (H∞) theory has been presented and analyzed. The proposed controller is robust against system parameter variations and achieves good dynamic performance. In addition, it rejects disturbances well and can minimize system noise. The H∞ controller design has a standard form that emphasizes the selection of the weighting functions that achieve the robustness and performance goals of motor drives in a wide range of operating conditions. Moreover, for eliminating the speed encoder—which increases the cost and decreases the overall system reliability—a motor speed estimation using a Model Reference Adaptive System (MRAS) is included. The estimated speed of the motor is used as a control signal in a sensor-free field-oriented control mechanism for induction motor drives. To explore the effectiveness of the suggested robust control scheme, the performance of the control scheme with the proposed controllers at different operating conditions such as a sudden change of the speed command/load torque disturbance is compared with that when using a classical controller. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate that the presented control scheme with the H∞ controller and MRAS speed estimator has a reasonable estimated motor speed accuracy and a good dynamic performance.
Evidence-based Birth Attendance in Spain: Private versus Public Centers
Authors: Hernández-Martínez Antonio , Martínez-Galiano Juan Miguel , Rodríguez-Almagro Julián , Delgado-Rodríguez Miguel , Gómez-Salgado Juan
Published: March 2019

The type of hospital (public or private) has been associated with the type of clinical practice carried out. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the type of hospital (public or private) and delivery attendance with practices based on the recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). A cross-sectional study with puerperal women (n = 2906) was conducted in Spain during 2017. The crude Odds Ratios (OR), adjusted (aOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated through binary logistic regression. For multiparous women in private centers, a higher rate of induced labor was observed (aOR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.11–2.00), fewer natural methods were used to relieve pain (aOR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.35–0.73), and increased odds of cesarean section (aOR: 2.50; 95% CI: 1.81–3.46) were found as compared to public hospitals. For primiparous women in private centers, a greater use of the epidural was observed (aOR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.03–1.40), as well as an increased likelihood of instrumental birth (aOR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.09–2.15) and of cesarean section (aOR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.33–2.37) than in public hospitals. No differences were found in hospitalization times among women giving birth in public and private centers (p > 0.05). The World Health Organization birth attendance recommendations are more strictly followed in public hospitals than in private settings.
Proteome and Phosphoproteome Analysis in TNF Long Term-Exposed Primary Human Monocytes
Authors: Welz Bastian , Bikker Rolf , Junemann Johannes , Christmann Martin , Neumann Konstantin , Weber Mareike , Hoffmeister Leonie , Preuß Katharina , Pich Andreas , Huber René , Brand Korbinian
Published: March 2019

To better understand the inflammation-associated mechanisms modulating and terminating tumor necrosis factor (TNF-)induced signal transduction and the development of TNF tolerance, we analyzed both the proteome and the phosphoproteome in TNF long term-incubated (i.e., 48 h) primary human monocytes using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our analyses revealed the presence of a defined set of proteins characterized by reproducible changes in expression and phosphorylation patterns in long term TNF-treated samples. In total, 148 proteins and 569 phosphopeptides were significantly regulated (103 proteins increased, 45 proteins decreased; 377 peptides with increased and 192 peptides with decreased phosphorylation). A variety of these proteins are associated with the non-canonical nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway (nuclear factor κB (NFKB) 2, v-rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog (REL) B, indolamin-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), kynureninase (KYNU)) or involved in the negative regulation of the canonical NF-κB system. Within the phosphopeptides, binding motifs for specific kinases were identified. Glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3 proved to be a promising candidate, since it targets NF-κB inhibiting factors, such as CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) β. Our experiments demonstrate that both proteome and phosphoproteome analysis can be effectively applied to study protein/phosphorylation patterns of primary monocytes. These results provide new regulatory candidates and evidence for a complex network of specific but synergistically acting/cooperating mechanisms enabling the affected cells to resist sustained TNF exposure and resulting in the resolution of inflammation.
Sirtuins in Alzheimer’s Disease: SIRT2-Related GenoPhenotypes and Implications for PharmacoEpiGenetics
Authors: Cacabelos Ramón , Carril Juan C. , Cacabelos Natalia , Kazantsev Aleksey G. , Vostrov Alex V. , Corzo Lola , Cacabelos Pablo , Goldgaber Dmitry
Published: March 2019

Sirtuins (SIRT1-7) are NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases/ADP ribosyltransferases with important roles in chromatin silencing, cell cycle regulation, cellular differentiation, cellular stress response, metabolism and aging. Sirtuins are components of the epigenetic machinery, which is disturbed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), contributing to AD pathogenesis. There is an association between the SIRT2-C/T genotype (rs10410544) (50.92%) and AD susceptibility in the APOEε4-negative population (SIRT2-C/C, 34.72%; SIRT2-T/T 14.36%). The integration of SIRT2 and APOE variants in bigenic clusters yields 18 haplotypes. The 5 most frequent bigenic genotypes in AD are 33CT (27.81%), 33CC (21.36%), 34CT (15.29%), 34CC (9.76%) and 33TT (7.18%). There is an accumulation of APOE-3/4 and APOE-4/4 carriers in SIRT2-T/T > SIRT2-C/T > SIRT2-C/C carriers, and also of SIRT2-T/T and SIRT2-C/T carriers in patients who harbor the APOE-4/4 genotype. SIRT2 variants influence biochemical, hematological, metabolic and cardiovascular phenotypes, and modestly affect the pharmacoepigenetic outcome in AD. SIRT2-C/T carriers are the best responders, SIRT2-T/T carriers show an intermediate pattern, and SIRT2-C/C carriers are the worst responders to a multifactorial treatment. In APOE-SIRT2 bigenic clusters, 33CC carriers respond better than 33TT and 34CT carriers, whereas 24CC and 44CC carriers behave as the worst responders. CYP2D6 extensive metabolizers (EM) are the best responders, poor metabolizers (PM) are the worst responders, and ultra-rapid metabolizers (UM) tend to be better responders that intermediate metabolizers (IM). In association with CYP2D6 genophenotypes, SIRT2-C/T-EMs are the best responders. Some Sirtuin modulators might be potential candidates for AD treatment.
Protein Interaction with Charged Macromolecules: From Model Polymers to Unfolded Proteins and Post-Translational Modifications
Authors: Semenyuk Pavel , Muronetz Vladimir
Published: March 2019

Interaction of proteins with charged macromolecules is involved in many processes in cells. Firstly, there are many naturally occurred charged polymers such as DNA and RNA, polyphosphates, sulfated glycosaminoglycans, etc., as well as pronouncedly charged proteins such as histones or actin. Electrostatic interactions are also important for “generic” proteins, which are not generally considered as polyanions or polycations. Finally, protein behavior can be altered due to post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation, sulfation, and glycation, which change a local charge of the protein region. Herein we review molecular modeling for the investigation of such interactions, from model polyanions and polycations to unfolded proteins. We will show that electrostatic interactions are ubiquitous, and molecular dynamics simulations provide an outstanding opportunity to look inside binding and reveal the contribution of electrostatic interactions. Since a molecular dynamics simulation is only a model, we will comprehensively consider its relationship with the experimental data.
Resilience-Based Recovery Assessments of Networked Infrastructure Systems under Localized Attacks
Authors: Afrin Tanzina , Yodo Nita
Published: March 2019

To reduce unforeseen disaster risks, infrastructure systems are expected to be resilient. The impact of many natural disasters on networked infrastructures is often observed to follow a localized attack pattern. The localized attack can be demonstrated by the failures of a group of links concentrated in a particular geographical domain which result in adjacent isolated nodes. In this paper, a resilience-based recovery assessment framework is proposed. The framework aims to find the most effective recovery strategy when subjected to localized attacks. The proposed framework was implemented in a lattice network structure inspired by a water distribution network case study. Three different recovery strategies were studied with cost and time constraints incorporated: preferential recovery based on nodal weight (PRNW), periphery recovery (PR), and localized recovery (LR). The case study results indicated that LR could be selected as the most resilient and cost-effective recovery strategy. This paper hopes to aid in the decision-making process by providing a strategic baseline for finding an optimized recovery strategy for localized attack scenarios.
Effect of Teriflunomide and Dimethyl Fumarate on Cortical Atrophy and Leptomeningeal Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective, Observational, Case-Control Pilot Study
Authors: Zivadinov Robert , Bergsland Niels , Carl Ellen , Ramasamy Deepa P. , Hagemeier Jesper , Dwyer Michael G. , Lizarraga Alexis A. , Kolb Channa , Hojnacki David , Weinstock-Guttman Bianca
Published: March 2019

Background: Pathologic changes in cortical gray matter (GM) and leptomeninges contribute to disability worsening in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but there is little evidence whether disease-modifying treatments can slow down cortical pathology in MS. Objectives: To investigate the effect of teriflunomide (TFM) and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in reducing cortical pathology, as determined by percentage cortical volume change (PCVC) and leptomeningeal contrast enhancement (LMCE) on MRI. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, observational study that selected 60 TFM- and 60 DMF-treated MS patients over 24 months. Results: TFM had a lower rate of PCVC compared to DMF over 24 months (−0.2% vs. −2.94%, p = 0.004). Similar results were observed for percentage GM volume change over 0–12 (p = 0.044) and 0–24 (−0.44% vs. −3.12%, p = 0.015) months. No significant differences were found between the TFM and DMF groups in the frequency and number of LMCE foci over the follow-up. TFM showed a numerically lower rate of whole brain atrophy over 24 months (p = 0.077), compared to DMF. No significant clinical or MRI lesion differences between TFM and DMF were detected over follow-up. Conclusions: These findings suggest that TFM has a superior effect on the preservation of cortical GM volume, compared to DMF.
Deregulation of SET is Associated with Tumor Progression and Predicts Adverse Outcome in Patients with Early-Stage Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Cristóbal Ion , Torrejón Blanca , Rubio Jaime , Santos Andrea , Pedregal Manuel , Caramés Cristina , Zazo Sandra , Luque Melani , Sanz-Alvarez Marta , Madoz-Gúrpide Juan , Rojo Federico , García-Foncillas Jesús
Published: March 2019

SET nuclear proto-oncogene (SET) deregulation is a novel molecular target in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its role in CRC progression and its potential clinical impact in early-stage CRC patients remain unknown. Here, we studied the biological effects of SET on migration using wound-healing and transwell assays, and anchorage-independent cell growth using soft agar colony formation assays after ectopic SET modulation. SET was analyzed by immuno-staining in 231 early-stage CRC patients, and miR-199b expression was quantified by real-time PCR in a set of CRC patients. Interestingly, SET enhances cell migration, markedly affects the colony-forming ability, promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and induces the expression of the MYC proto-oncogene (c-MYC) in CRC cells. SET overexpression was detected in 15.4% of cases and was associated with worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status (p = 0.021) and relapse in stage-II CRC patients (p = 0.008). Moreover, SET overexpression predicted shorter overall survival (p < 0.001) and time to metastasis (p < 0.001), and its prognostic value was particularly evident in elderly patients. MiR-199b downregulation was identified as a molecular mechanism to deregulate SET in patients with localized disease. In conclusion, SET overexpression is a common alteration in early-stage CRC, playing an oncogenic role associated with progression and aggressiveness, and portends a poor outcome. Thus, SET emerges as a novel potential molecular target with clinical impact in early-stage in CRC.
A Nonlinear Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting System for Self-Powered Wireless Sensor Nodes
Authors: Li Kankan , He Xuefeng , Wang Xingchang , Jiang Senlin
Published: March 2019

The Internet of things requires long-life wireless sensor nodes powered by the harvested energy from environments. This paper proposes a nonlinear electromagnetic energy harvesting system which may be used to construct fully self-powered wireless sensor nodes. Based on a nonlinear electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH) with high output voltage, the model of a nonlinear interface circuit is derived and a power management circuit (PMC) is designed. The proposed PMC uses a buck–boost direct current-direct current (DC–DC) converter to match the load resistance of the nonlinear interface circuit. It includes two open-loop branches, which is beneficial to the optimization of the impedance matching. The circuit is able to work even if the stored energy is completely drained. The energy harvesting system successfully powered a wireless sensor node. Experimental results show that, under base excitations of 0.3 g and 0.4 g (where 1 g = 9.8 m·s−2) at 8 Hz, the charging efficiencies of the proposed circuit are 172% and 28.5% higher than that of the classic standard energy-harvesting (SEH) circuit. The experimental efficiency of the PMC is 41.7% under an excitation of 0.3 g at 8 Hz.
English Adverbial and Determiner Negation: A Problematic Area for Arabic Translators
Authors: Farghal Mohammed
Published: March 2019

Negation hardly comes up as an issue in English–Arabic translation studies. The general assumption is that the translation of English negation into Arabic poses no serious problems to the translator. While this is generally true when it comes to rendering negation marked by generic negative particles/affixes (John is not happy and John is unhappy, respectively) and even lexical and rhetorical implicit negation (John denied having cheated on the test and Can a person like John make such a mistake?), the present paper aims to show that the appropriate textualization into Arabic of English adverbial and determiner negation (e.g., by the adverbials too and hardly, and the determiners little and few) can be a problematic area for Arabic translators. The textual data (270 examples) is extracted from several published translations (belonging to literary, popular science/journalistic, and economic discourse), in an attempt to show what strategies translators follow when encountering such negation and how successful they are. While the findings provide solid evidence for the serious mishaps (about 42% of the renderings involve one kind of problem or another) that Arabic translators experience in this area, the critical discussion unravels several textual strategies that can capture the subtleties inherent in adverbial/determiner negation. It is hoped that the investigation of this subtle, neglected area in English–Arabic translation studies offers significant insights for both student and professional translators.
Synthesis and Characterization of Flower-like Carbon-encapsulated Fe-C Nanoparticles for Application as Adsorbing Material
Authors: Zhao Lixin , Dai Xibin , Li Baoe , Wang Hongshui , Li Haipeng , Liang Chunyong
Published: March 2019

Carbon-encapsulated Fe-C (Fe-C@C) nanoparticles with a divergently flower-like morphology were successfully synthesized for application as an adsorbing material by using freeze-drying and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. The Fe metallic source was first loaded onto a sodium chloride (NaCl) supporter via freeze-drying to obtain the Fe/NaCl composite powder. Then, Fe-C@C nanoparticles were synthesized in the temperature range of 300–450 °C via CVD of acetylene in the Fe/NaCl composite powder using Fe nanoparticles as catalysts and NaCl as supporters. Because the NaCl supporter is water-soluble, the synthesized Fe-C@C nanoparticles were easy to purify, and a high purity was obtained by simple washing and centrifugation. The optimal Fe-C@C nanoparticles, synthesized at 400 °C, possessed a unique divergently flower-like structure and a high specific surface area of 169.4 m2/g that can provide more adsorption sites for contaminants. Adsorption experiments showed that the flower-like Fe-C@C adsorbent exhibited high adsorption capacity (90.14 mg/g) and fast removal of methylene blue (MB). Moreover, the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles, with saturation magnetization of 36.544 emu/g, facilitated their magnetic separation from wastewater. Therefore, the novel flower-like Fe-C@C nanoparticles with integrated adsorptive and magnetic properties have the potential to be an effective adsorbent in dye wastewater treatment.
Experimental Study on Shear Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Corroded Longitudinal Reinforcement
Authors: Han Sun-Jin , Joo Hyo-Eun , Choi Seung-Ho , Heo Inwook , Kim Kang Su , Seo Soo-Yeon
Published: March 2019

In this study, shear tests were conducted to investigate the effects of longitudinal reinforcement corrosion on the shear capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) members with transverse reinforcement. To this end, a total of eight test specimens were fabricated, and the corrosion rates and anchorage details of rebars were set as test variables. In addition, an accelerated corrosion technique was used to introduce corrosion into the longitudinal reinforcement without corroding shear reinforcement. The test results indicated that the capacities of the specimens in which tension reinforcement was not properly anchored at the ends of the members decreased rapidly at high corrosion rates, whereas the capacities of the specimens in which tension reinforcement was properly anchored by hooks were similar to or higher than those of the non-corroded specimens, despite bond loss caused by corrosion.
Coplanar Donor-π-Acceptor Dyes Featuring a Furylethynyl Spacer for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Serrano Luis A. , Park Kwang-Won , Ahn Sungwoo , Wiles Alan A. , Hong Jongin , Cooke Graeme
Published: March 2019

Coplanar metal-free organic dyes featuring a furylethynyl spacer with different donor residues (MeO-, MeS-, and Me2N-) have been synthesized. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations predicted that the Me2N- residue would facilitate more effective charge transfer from donor to acceptor than the MeO- and MeS- residues. In agreement with DFT calculations, the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with the Me2N- functionalized dye exhibited the best power conversion efficiency (η), 2.88%. Furthermore, the effect of the furan spacer on the photophysical properties and DSSC parameters are discussed in comparison to a previously reported thiophene counterpart.
Pleiotropic Pharmacological Actions of Capsazepine, a Synthetic Analogue of Capsaicin, against Various Cancers and Inflammatory Diseases
Authors: Yang Min Hee , Jung Sang Hoon , Sethi Gautam , Ahn Kwang Seok
Published: March 2019

Capsazepine is a synthetic analogue of capsaicin that can function as an antagonist of TRPV1. Capsazepine can exhibit diverse effects on cancer (prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, oral cancer, and osteosarcoma) growth and survival, and can be therapeutically used against other major disorders such as colitis, pancreatitis, malaria, and epilepsy. Capsazepine has been reported to exhibit pleiotropic anti-cancer effects against numerous tumor cell lines. Capsazepine can modulate Janus activated kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of the transcription (STAT) pathway, intracellular Ca2+ concentration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-JNK-CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) pathways. It can inhibit cell proliferation, metastasis, and induce apoptosis. Moreover, capsazepine can exert anti-inflammatory effects through the downregulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB), as well as the blockage of activation of both transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily A, and member 1 (TRPA1). This review briefly summarizes the diverse pharmacological actions of capsazepine against various cancers and inflammatory conditions.
RNA Sequencing Analysis to Capture the Transcriptome Landscape during Tenderization in Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus
Authors: Dong Xiufang , Qi Hang , He Baoyu , Jiang Di , Zhu Beiwei
Published: March 2019

Sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) is an economically significant species in China having great commercial value. It is challenging to maintain the textural properties during thermal processing due to the distinctive physiochemical structure of the A. japonicus body wall (AJBW). In this study, the gene expression profiles associated with tenderization in AJBW were determined at 0 h (CON), 1 h (T_1h), and 3 h (T_3h) after treatment at 37 °C using Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform. Seven-hundred-and-twenty-one and 806 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in comparisons of T_1h vs. CON and T_3h vs. CON, respectively. Among these DEGs, we found that two endogenous proteases—72 kDa type IV collagenase and matrix metalloproteinase 16 precursor—were significantly upregulated that could directly affect the tenderness of AJBW. In addition, 92 genes controlled four types of physiological and biochemical processes such as oxidative stress response (3), immune system process (55), apoptosis (4), and reorganization of the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (30). Further, the RT-qPCR results confirmed the accuracy of RNA-sequencing analysis. Our results showed the dynamic changes in global gene expression during tenderization and provided a series of candidate genes that contributed to tenderization in AJBW. This can help further studies on the genetics/molecular mechanisms associated with tenderization.
Using Sensory Wearable Devices to Navigate the City: Effectiveness and User Experience in Older Pedestrians
Authors: Montuwy Angélique , Cahour Béatrice , Dommes Aurélie
Published: March 2019

Preserving older pedestrians’ navigation skills in urban environments is a challenge for maintaining their quality of life. However, the maps that are usually used by older pedestrians might be unsuitable to their specificities and the existing digital aids do not consider older people’s perceptual and cognitive declines or user experience. This study presents a rich description of the navigation experience of older pedestrians either with a visual (augmented reality glasses), auditory (bone conduction headphones), or a visual and haptic (smartwatch) wearable device adapted to age-related declines. These wearable devices are compared to the navigation aid older people usually use when navigating the city (their own digital or paper map). The study, with 18 participants, measured the navigation performance and captured detailed descriptions of the users’ experience using interviews. We highlight three main phenomena which impact the quality of the user experience with the four aids: (1) the shifts in attention over time, (2) the understanding of the situation over time, and (3) the emergence of affective and aesthetic feelings over time. These findings add a new understanding of the specificities of navigation experience by older people and are discussed in terms of design recommendations for navigation devices.
Enhancement of InN Luminescence by Introduction of Graphene Interlayer
Authors: Dobrovolskas Darius , Arakawa Shingo , Mouri Shinichiro , Araki Tsutomu , Nanishi Yasushi , Mickevičius Jūras , Tamulaitis Gintautas
Published: March 2019

Indium nitride (InN) luminescence is substantially enhanced by the introduction of a multilayer graphene interlayer, mitigating the lattice mismatch between the InN epilayer and the Gallium nitride (GaN) template on a sapphire substrate via weak van der Waals interaction between graphene and nitride layers. The InN epilayers are deposited by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and are characterized by spatially-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy using confocal microscopy. A small blue shift of the emission band from the band gap evidences a low density of equilibrium carriers, and a high quality of InN on multilayer graphene. A deposition temperature of ~375 °C is determined as optimal. The granularity, which is observed for the InN epilayers deposited on multilayer graphene, is shown to be eliminated, and the emission intensity is further enhanced by the introduction of an aluminum nitride (AlN) buffer layer between graphene and InN.
Thermal Properties and Fracture Toughness of Epoxy Nanocomposites Loaded with Hyperbranched-Polymers-Based Core/Shell Nanoparticles
Authors: Zotti Aldobenedetto , Zuppolini Simona , Borriello Anna , Zarrelli Mauro
Published: March 2019

Synthesized silicon oxide (silica) nanoparticles were functionalized with a hyperbranched polymer (HBP) achieving a core/shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) morphology. CSNPs were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). A core diameter of about 250 nm with a 15 nm thick shell was revealed using TEM images. An aeronautical epoxy resin was loaded with the synthesized CSNPs at different percentages and thermal properties, such as thermal stability and dynamic mechanical properties, were investigated with the use of different techniques. Although the incorporation of 2.5 wt% of CSNPs induces a ~4 °C reduction of the hosting matrix glass transition temperature, a slight increase of the storage modulus of about ~10% was also measured. The Kissinger Method was employed in order to study the thermal stability of the nanocomposites; the degradation activation energies that resulted were higher for the sample loaded with low filler content with a maximum increase of both degradation step energies of about ~77% and ~20%, respectively. Finally, fracture toughness analysis revealed that both the critical stress intensity factor (KIC) and critical strain energy release rate (GIC) increased with the CSNPs content, reporting an increase of about 32% and 74%, respectively, for the higher filler loading.
Glycomacropeptide Bioactivity and Health: A Review Highlighting Action Mechanisms and Signaling Pathways
Authors: Córdova-Dávalos Laura Elena , Jiménez Mariela , Salinas Eva
Published: March 2019

Food-derived bioactive peptides are reported as beneficial and safe for human health. Glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a milk-protein-derived peptide that, in addition to its nutritional value, retains many biological properties and has therapeutic effects in several inflammatory disorders. GMP was shown under in vitro and in vivo conditions to exert a number of activities that regulate the physiology of important body systems, namely the gastrointestinal, endocrine, and immune systems. This review represents a comprehensive compilation summarizing the current knowledge and updated information on the major biological properties associated with GMP. GMP bioactivity is addressed with special attention on mechanisms of action, signaling pathways involved, and structural characteristics implicated. In addition, the results of various studies dealing with the effects of GMP on models of inflammatory diseases are reviewed and discussed.
Glycyrrhetinic Acid Improves Insulin-Response Pathway by Regulating the Balance between the Ras/MAPK and PI3K/Akt Pathways
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Yang Shengnan , Zhang Man , Wang Zhihua , He Xin , Hou Yuanyuan , Bai Gang
Published: March 2019

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a bioactive component in the human diet, has been reported to improve hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and obesity in rats with metabolic syndrome. However, GA-specific target proteins and the mechanisms involved in the downstream signaling and cross-talk to improve insulin sensitivity have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the potential targets of GA were identified by chemical proteomics strategies using serial GA probes for target fishing and cell molecular imaging. Intracellular enzyme activity evaluation and insulin resistance models were used for validating the function of the target proteins on the downstream insulin signaling pathways. Collectively, our data demonstrate that GA improved the insulin-responsive pathway and glucose consumption levels via multiple diabetogenic factors that activated the insulin signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. GA improved Glucose transporter 4(GLUT4) expression by targeting the Ras protein to regulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. GA exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on IRS1ser307 phosphorylation in cells treated with the Protein kinase C (PKC) activator Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA.) Consistently, IRS1ser307 phosphorylation was also inhibited by GA in Free fatty acid (FFA)-treated HepG2 cells. GA also inhibited the PMA-induced phosphorylation of IκB kinase α/β (IKKα/β), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 proteins (P38), suggesting that IKKα/β, JNK and P38 activation is dependent on PKC activity.
Sustained Release from Injectable Composite Gels Loaded with Silver Nanowires Designed to Combat Bacterial Resistance in Bone Regeneration Applications
Authors: De Mori Arianna , Hafidh Meena , Mele Natalia , Yusuf Rahmi , Cerri Guido , Gavini Elisabetta , Tozzi Gianluca , Barbu Eugen , Conconi Mariateresa , Draheim Roger R. , Roldo Marta
Published: March 2019

One-dimensional nanostructures, such as silver nanowires (AgNWs), have attracted considerable attention owing to their outstanding electrical, thermal and antimicrobial properties. However, their application in the prevention of infections linked to bone tissue regeneration intervention has not yet been explored. Here we report on the development of an innovative scaffold prepared from chitosan, composite hydroxyapatite and AgNWs (CS-HACS-AgNWs) having both bioactive and antibacterial properties. In vitro results highlighted the antibacterial potential of AgNWs against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The CS-HACS-AgNWs composite scaffold demonstrated suitable Ca/P deposition, improved gel strength, reduced gelation time, and sustained Ag+ release within therapeutic concentrations. Antibacterial studies showed that the composite formulation was capable of inhibiting bacterial growth in suspension, and able to completely prevent biofilm formation on the scaffold in the presence of resistant strains. The hydrogels were also shown to be biocompatible, allowing cell proliferation. In summary, the developed CS-HACS-AgNWs composite hydrogels demonstrated significant potential as a scaffold material to be employed in bone regenerative medicine, as they present enhanced mechanical strength combined with the ability to allow calcium salts deposition, while efficiently decreasing the risk of infections. The results presented justify further investigations into the potential clinical applications of these materials.
Effects of Silicon Compounds on Biomineralization, Osteogenesis, and Hard Tissue Formation
Authors: Götz Werner , Tobiasch Edda , Witzleben Steffen , Schulze Margit
Published: March 2019

Bioinspired stem cell-based hard tissue engineering includes numerous aspects: The synthesis and fabrication of appropriate scaffold materials, their analytical characterization, and guided osteogenesis using the sustained release of osteoinducing and/or osteoconducting drugs for mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, growth, and proliferation. Here, the effect of silicon- and silicate-containing materials on osteogenesis at the molecular level has been a particular focus within the last decade. This review summarizes recently published scientific results, including material developments and analysis, with a special focus on silicon hybrid bone composites. First, the sources, bioavailability, and functions of silicon on various tissues are discussed. The second focus is on the effects of calcium-silicate biomineralization and corresponding analytical methods in investigating osteogenesis and bone formation. Finally, recent developments in the manufacturing of Si-containing scaffolds are discussed, including in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as recently filed patents that focus on the influence of silicon on hard tissue formation.
Meta-Analysis of Salt Stress Transcriptome Responses in Different Rice Genotypes at the Seedling Stage
Authors: Kong Weilong , Zhong Hua , Gong Ziyun , Fang Xinyi , Sun Tong , Deng Xiaoxiao , Li Yangsheng
Published: March 2019

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important staple food crops worldwide, while its growth and productivity are threatened by various abiotic stresses, especially salt stress. Unraveling how rice adapts to salt stress at the transcription level is vital. It can provide valuable information on enhancing the salt stress tolerance performance of rice via genetic engineering technologies. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of different rice genotypes at the seedling stage based on 96 public microarray datasets, aiming to identify the key salt-responsive genes and understand the molecular response mechanism of rice under salt stress. In total, 5559 genes were identified to be differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under salt stress, and 3210 DEGs were identified during the recovery process. The Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment results revealed that the salt-response mechanisms of shoots and roots were different. A close-knit signaling network, consisting of the Ca2+ signal transduction pathway, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, multiple hormone signals, transcription factors (TFs), transcriptional regulators (TRs), protein kinases (PKs), and other crucial functional proteins, plays an essential role in rice salt stress response. In this study, many unreported salt-responsive genes were found. Besides this, MapMan results suggested that TNG67 can shift to the fermentation pathway to produce energy under salt stress and may enhance the Calvin cycle to repair a damaged photosystem during the recovery stage. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into the salt stress molecular response and introduce numerous candidate genes for rice salt stress tolerance breeding.
Organic Acids of the Microbiological Post-Culture Medium as Substrates to be Used for Starch Modification
Authors: Zdybel Ewa , Zięba Tomasz , Rymowicz Waldemar , Tomaszewska-Ciosk Ewa
Published: March 2019

This study aimed to identify the feasibility of producing highly-substituted starch esters via thermal modification of starch using a post-culture medium of Yarrowia lipolitica yeast. This manuscript describes a successful attempt at potato starch modification with a post-culture medium of Yarrowia lipolitica yeast with different concentrations of organic acids. Starch preparations produced by roasting (130 °C) and these produced by starch reaction with a synthetic acid mixture were compared in terms of the types and number of acid residues esterified with starch. The effectiveness of starch esterification was found to depend on medium composition and to be higher upon the use of a synthetic acid mixture. In addition, a higher reactivity with starch was demonstrated for citric acid than for α-ketoglutaric acid. The highly-substituted starch esters formed as a result of potato starch modification with post-culture medium were characterized by decreased values of thermal parameters of pasting characteristics, determined with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and by compromised resistance to amylolysis. The intensity of these changes increased along with an increasing total percentage of starch ester substitution.
Isothermal Crystallization Kinetics Study of Fully Aliphatic PA6 Copolyamides: Effect of Novel Long-Chain Polyamide Salt as a Comonomer
Authors: Rwei Syang-Peng , Ranganathan Palraj , Lee Yi-Huan
Published: March 2019

N1, N6-bis (4-aminobutyl) adipamide (BABA) diamine and sebacic acid (SA), also called BABA/SA polyamide salt, were used in a typical melt polymerization processes of polyamide 6 (PA6) to form a series of PA6-BABA/SA copolyamides. The effects of BABA/SA on the isothermal crystallization kinetics of PA6-BABA/SA were studied for the first time. An isothermal crystallization analysis demonstrates that the PA6-BABA/SA matrix provided a higher crystallization rate and shorter half-crystallization time than virgin PA6 did. The degree of crystallization of the PA6-BABA/SA30 matrix was also the lowest among all of the samples considered herein. This result is attributed to the high nucleation efficacy of a small amount of BABA/SA in the crystallization of PA6. Values of the Avrami exponent (n) from 1.84 to 3.91 were observed for all of the polyamide samples, suggesting that the crystallization was involved via a two- to three-dimensional growth mechanism. These findings deepen our understanding of the structure–property relationship of PA6-BABA/SA copolyamides, favoring their practical application.
Individual Molecular Dynamics of an Entangled Polyethylene Melt Undergoing Steady Shear Flow: Steady-State and Transient Dynamics
Authors: Nafar Sefiddashti Mohammad Hadi , Edwards Brian J. , Khomami Bamin
Published: March 2019

The startup and steady shear flow properties of an entangled, monodisperse polyethylene liquid (C1000H2002) were investigated via virtual experimentation using nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. The simulations revealed a multifaceted dynamical response of the liquid to the imposed flow field in which entanglement loss leading to individual molecular rotation plays a dominant role in dictating the bulk rheological response at intermediate and high shear rates. Under steady shear conditions, four regimes of flow behavior were evident. In the linear viscoelastic regime ( γ ˙ < τ d − 1 ), orientation of the reptation tube network dictates the rheological response. Within the second regime ( τ d − 1 < γ ˙ < τ R − 1 ), the tube segments begin to stretch mildly and the molecular entanglement network begins to relax as flow strength increases; however, the dominant relaxation mechanism in this region remains the orientation of the tube segments. In the third regime ( τ R − 1 < γ ˙ < τ e − 1 ), molecular disentangling accelerates and tube stretching dominates the response. Additionally, the rotation of molecules become a significant source of the overall dynamic response. In the fourth regime ( γ ˙ > τ e − 1 ), the entanglement network deteriorates such that some molecules become almost completely unraveled, and molecular tumbling becomes the dominant relaxation mechanism. The comparison of transient shear viscosity, η + , with the dynamic responses of key variables of the tube model, including the tube segmental orientation, S , and tube stretch, λ , revealed that the stress overshoot and undershoot in steady shear flow of entangled liquids are essentially originated and dynamically controlled by the S x y component of the tube orientation tensor, rather than the tube stretch, over a wide range of flow strengths.