bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ex post evaluation of energy efficiency programs: Case study of Czech Green Investment Scheme
Authors: Valentová Michaela , Karásek Jiří , Knápek Jaroslav 
Published: August 2018

A significant amount of financing has been available for improvements in energy efficiency in buildings in recent years. However, careful evaluation of the real impacts of the programs is still inadequate. The paper provides an insight into the relationship between the expected outcomes and the actual results of an energy efficiency program. It does so on a case example of one of the most significant energy efficiency and renewable energy sources programs in Central Europe, the Green Savings Programme. In total, 206 measures were inspected in 124 projects of the program. The analysis of the inspections showed that there is a significant difference between the expected, verified CO2 emission reduction and ex post, real attained reduction (25% on average). The reasons are partly methodical, but most can be attributed to the behavioral factors of occupants in the respective buildings. The results therefore clearly show the need to tackle the relationship between the calculated (expected) energy savings (and related CO2 emission reduction) and the real savings which are highly influenced by building users. Ex post evaluations should be done, among other things, to provide a more accurate picture regarding the member states’ energy efficiency improvement obligations. Furthermore, such evaluation also provides an essential input for further optimisation of the future energy efficiency support programs.This article is categorized under:

Energy Efficiency > Economics and Policy
Cover Image, Volume 9, Issue 5
Authors: Swarts Daan C. , Jinek Martin 
Published: August 2018

The cover image, by Daan C. Swarts and Martin Jinek, is based on the Advanced Review Cas9 versus Cas12a/Cpf1: Structure–function comparisons and implications for genome editing, DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1481. Design Credit: Daan C. Swarts.
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Determination of trace elements in normal and malignant breast tissues of different age group using total reflection X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer
Authors: Mirji Santosh , Badiger Nagappa M. , Sanyal Kaushik , Kulkarni Suyamindra.S. , Misra Nand Lal , Gai Pramod B. 
Published: August 2018

The trace elements in normal and malignant breast tissues of different age groups have been determined using total reflection X‐ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry. The low Z elements are detected using a vacuum chamber of low Z–high Z (WOBISTRAX) TXRF spectrometer and medium and high Z elements using Ital structures TX‐2000 TXRF spectrometers. The trace elements such as Al, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Sr, and Y have been detected in normal and malignant breast tissues in the age group 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, and 61–70 years. It is found that the concentration of trace elements such as Al and Ti, Cu and Zn, Ti and Br, and Al and Y are higher in normal breast tissues than in the malignant breast tissues in the samples of age group 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, and 61–70 years, respectively. It is very important to note that the trace element Pb is not observed in the samples of age group 31–40, 41–50, and 51–60, but it has been observed in the samples of age group 61–70 years.

Trace elements in normal and malignant tissues measured using TXRF spectrometers.
Tissues of different age group have been selected to ascertain the role of trace elements.
Trace elements P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, and Sr are found to be higher in malignant tissues.
Trace element Pb is found to be higher in malignant tissues in the age group 61–70.
Factors Affecting Wine Price Mark-up in Restaurants
Authors: Livat Florine , Remaud Hervé 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine how restaurants determine the percentage of wine mark-up. Wine sales are a substantial contributor to restaurants’ profitability, therefore a better understanding of the factors affecting mark-up is critical for the industry. Here, the mark-up is expressed as a percentage over the cost and refers to a cost-plus pricing strategy. Sommeliers from around the world, the majority of whom were members of the International Sommelier Association, were approached to complete our Internet-based questionnaire administered between February 2014 and May 2014. Of the 800 who began the survey, 267 fully completed the questionnaire, generating 1,869 observations. We regressed the declared percentage mark-up against restaurant and wine list characteristics, including managerial practices and wine steward characteristics, and showed that if the restaurants apply a simple rule of thumb to set wine prices, focusing on every price segment, it appears that sommeliers do not have much impact on the percentage mark-up. (JEL Classifications: C23, D21)
Perceived quality of life and living arrangements among older rural South Africans: do all households fare the same?
Authors: Ralston Margaret , Schatz Enid , Madhavan Sangeetha , Gómez-Olivé F. Xavier , Collinson Mark A. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis study explores how living arrangements influence perceived quality of life in an elderly population in rural South Africa. We use data from the longitudinal World Health Organization Study of Global Ageing and Adult Health Survey (WHO-SAGE) and from the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). On average, older men and women who reside in single-generation and complex-linked multigenerational households report worse quality of life than those in two-generation and linear-linked multigenerational households. However, after controlling for prior wellbeing status, we find living arrangements to have a significant impact on women's perceived quality of life only, and that it is moderated by age. We conclude that not all multigenerational arrangements are protective of older adults’ wellbeing and highlight the gendered impact of living arrangements on quality of life. These results suggest the necessity to understand how living arrangements influence the social roles of older adults and change with age.
Cell-penetrating artificial mitochondria-targeting peptide-conjugated metallothionein 1A alleviates mitochondrial damage in Parkinson’s disease models
Authors: Kang Young Cheol , Son Minuk , Kang Sora , Im Suyeol , Piao Ying , Lim Kwang Suk , Song Min-Young , Park Kang-Sik , Kim Yong-Hee , Pak Youngmi Kim 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAn excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) relative to the antioxidant capacity causes oxidative stress, which plays a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Because mitochondria are both sites of ROS generation and targets of ROS damage, the delivery of antioxidants to mitochondria might prevent or alleviate PD. To transduce the antioxidant protein human metallothionein 1A (hMT1A) into mitochondria, we computationally designed a cell-penetrating artificial mitochondria-targeting peptide (CAMP). The recombinant CAMP-conjugated hMT1A fusion protein (CAMP-hMT1A) successfully localized to the mitochondria. Treating a cell culture model of PD with CAMP-hMT1A restored tyrosine hydroxylase expression and mitochondrial activity and reduced ROS production. Furthermore, injection of CAMP-hMT1A into the brain of a mouse model of PD rescued movement impairment and dopaminergic neuronal degeneration. CAMP-hMT1A delivery into mitochondria might be therapeutic against PD by alleviating mitochondrial damage, and we predict that CAMP could be used to deliver other cargo proteins to the mitochondria.
Lysine benzoylation is a histone mark regulated by SIRT2
Authors: Huang He , Zhang Di , Wang Yi , Perez-Neut Mathew , Han Zhen , Zheng Y. George , Hao Quan , Zhao Yingming 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMetabolic regulation of histone marks is associated with diverse biological processes through dynamically modulating chromatin structure and functions. Here we report the identification and characterization of a histone mark, lysine benzoylation (Kbz). Our study identifies 22 Kbzsites on histones from HepG2 and RAW cells. This type of histone mark can be stimulated by sodium benzoate (SB), an FDA-approved drug and a widely used chemical food preservative, via generation of benzoyl CoA. By ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis, we demonstrate that histone Kbzmarks are associated with gene expression and have physiological relevance distinct from histone acetylation. In addition, we demonstrate that SIRT2, a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, removes histone Kbzboth in vitro and in vivo. This study therefore reveals a new type of histone marks with potential physiological relevance and identifies possible non-canonical functions of a widely used chemical food preservative.
ESCRT-III mediates budding across the inner nuclear membrane and regulates its integrity
Authors: Arii Jun , Watanabe Mizuki , Maeda Fumio , Tokai-Nishizumi Noriko , Chihara Takahiro , Miura Masayuki , Maruzuru Yuhei , Koyanagi Naoto , Kato Akihisa , Kawaguchi Yasushi 
Published: August 2018

AbstractVesicle-mediated nucleocytoplasmic transport is a nuclear pore-independent mechanism for the nuclear export of macromolecular complexes, but the molecular basis for this transport remains largely unknown. Here we show that endosomal sorting complex required for transport-III (ESCRT-III) is recruited to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) during the nuclear export of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Scission during HSV-1 budding through the INM is prevented by depletion of ESCRT-III proteins. Interestingly, in uninfected human cells, the depletion of ESCRT-III proteins induces aberrant INM proliferation. Our results show that HSV-1 expropriates the ESCRT-III machinery in infected cells for scission of the INM to produce vesicles containing progeny virus nucleocapsids. In uninfected cells, ESCRT-III regulates INM integrity by downregulating excess INM.
Root exudate metabolomes change under drought and show limited capacity for recovery
Authors: Gargallo-Garriga Albert , Preece Catherine , Sardans Jordi , Oravec Michal , Urban Otmar , Peñuelas Josep 
Published: August 2018

AbstractRoot exudates comprise a large variety of compounds released by plants into the rhizosphere, including low-molecular-weight primary metabolites (particularly saccharides, amino acids and organic acids) and secondary metabolites (phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids). Changes in exudate composition could have impacts on the plant itself, on other plants, on soil properties (e.g. amount of soil organic matter), and on soil organisms. The effects of drought on the composition of root exudates, however, have been rarely studied. We used an ecometabolomics approach to identify the compounds in the exudates of Quercus ilex (holm oak) under an experimental drought gradient and subsequent recovery. Increasing drought stress strongly affected the composition of the exudate metabolome. Plant exudates under drought consisted mainly of secondary metabolites (71% of total metabolites) associated with plant responses to drought stress, whereas the metabolite composition under recovery shifted towards a dominance of primary metabolites (81% of total metabolites). These results strongly suggested that roots exude the most abundant root metabolites. The exudates were changed irreversibly by the lack of water under extreme drought conditions, and the plants could not recover.
H2S events in the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone facilitate enhanced dissolved Fe concentrations
Authors: Schlosser Christian , Streu Peter , Frank Martin , Lavik Gaute , Croot Peter L. , Dengler Marcus , Achterberg Eric P. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractDissolved iron (DFe) concentrations in oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems are enhanced as a result of high supply rates from anoxic sediments. However, pronounced variations in DFe concentrations in anoxic coastal waters of the Peruvian OMZ indicate that there are factors in addition to dissolved oxygen concentrations (O2) that control Fe cycling. Our study demonstrates that sediment-derived reduced Fe (Fe(II)) forms the main DFe fraction in the anoxic/euxinic water column off Peru, which is responsible for DFe accumulations of up to 200 nmol L−1. Lowest DFe values were observed in anoxic shelf waters in the presence of nitrate and nitrite. This reflects oxidation of sediment-sourced Fe(II) associated with nitrate/nitrite reduction and subsequent removal as particulate Fe(III) oxyhydroxides. Unexpectedly, the highest DFe levels were observed in waters with elevated concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (up to 4 µmol L−1) and correspondingly depleted nitrate/nitrite concentrations (<0.18 µmol L−1). Under these conditions, Fe removal was reduced through stabilization of Fe(II) as aqueous iron sulfide (FeSaqu) which comprises complexes (e.g., FeSH+) and clusters (e.g., Fe2S2|4H2O). Sulfidic events on the Peruvian shelf consequently enhance Fe availability, and may increase in frequency in future due to projected expansion and intensification of OMZs.
Predictability and persistence of prebiotic dietary supplementation in a healthy human cohort
Authors: Gurry Thomas ,   HST Microbiome Consortium*, Dannenberg Paul H. , Finlayson Samuel G. , Hughes Travis K. , Macias-Trevino Claudio , Owusu-Boaitey Kwadwo , Shomorony Andre , Tuang Suan Lian , Valenstein Max L. , Wang Kathy K. , Wu Michael Pei-hong , Zack Travis I. , Gibbons Sean M. , Nguyen Le Thanh Tu , Kearney Sean M. , Ananthakrishnan Ashwin , Jiang Xiaofang , Duvallet Claire , Kassam Zain , Alm Eric J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractDietary interventions to manipulate the human gut microbiome for improved health have received increasing attention. However, their design has been limited by a lack of understanding of the quantitative impact of diet on a host’s microbiota. We present a highly controlled diet perturbation experiment in a healthy, human cohort in which individual micronutrients are spiked in against a standardized background. We identify strong and predictable responses of specific microbes across participants consuming prebiotic spike-ins, at the level of both strains and functional genes, suggesting fine-scale resource partitioning in the human gut. No predictable responses to non-prebiotic micronutrients were found. Surprisingly, we did not observe decreases in day-to-day variability of the microbiota compared to a complex, varying diet, and instead found evidence of diet-induced stress and an associated loss of biodiversity. Our data offer insights into the effect of a low complexity diet on the gut microbiome, and suggest that effective personalized dietary interventions will rely on functional, strain-level characterization of a patient’s microbiota.
Towards Functional Droplet Architectures: a Belousov-Zhabotinsky Medium for Networks
Authors: Chang Kai Ming , de Planque Maurits R. R. , Zauner Klaus-Peter 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe confluence of droplet-compartmentalised chemical systems and architectures composed of interacting droplets points towards a novel technology mimicking core features of the cellular architecture that dominates biology. A key challenge to achieve such a droplet technology is long-term stability in conjunction with interdroplet communication. Here, we probed the parameter space of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) medium, an extensively studied model for non-equilibrium chemical reactions, pipetted as 2.5 mm droplets in hexadecane oil. The presence of asolectin lipids enabled the formation of arrays of contacted BZ droplets, of which the wave patterns were characterised over time. We utilised laser-cut acrylic templates with over 40 linear oil-filled slots in which arrays are formed by pipetting droplets of the desired BZ composition, enabling parallel experiments and automated image analysis. Using variations of conventional malonic acid BZ medium, wave propagation over droplet-droplet interfaces was not observed. However, a BZ medium containing both malonic acid and 1,4-cyclohexanedione was found to enable inter-droplet wave propagation. We anticipate that the chemical excitation properties of this mixed-substrate BZ medium, in combination with the droplet stability of the networks demonstrated here for nearly 400 droplets in a template-defined topology, will facilitate the development of scalable functional droplet networks.
Spectra, intermittency, and extremes of weather, macroweather and climate
Authors: Lovejoy S. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractIt was recently found that the accepted picture of atmospheric variability was in error by a large factor. Rather than being dominated by a series of narrow scale-range quasi-oscillatory processes with an unimportant white noise “background”, it turned out that the variance was instead dominated by a few wide range scaling processes albeit occasionally interspersed with superposed quasi-oscillations. Although the classical model implied that successive million year global temperature averages would differ by mere micro Kelvins, the implausibility had not been noticed. In contrast, the new picture inverts the roles of background and foreground and involves four (possibly five) wide range scaling processes. As with any new paradigm, there are consequences; in this paper we focus on the implications for the spectra, intermittency and the extremes. Intermittency is an expression of the spatio-temporal sparseness of strong events whereas the extremes refer to the tails of their probability distributions and both affect the spectra. Although we give some results for the macro and mega climate regimes, we focus on weather, macroweather and climate: from dissipation to Milankovitch scales.
Topological motifs populate complex networks through grouped attachment
Authors: Choi Jaejoon , Lee Doheon 
Published: August 2018

AbstractNetwork motifs are topological subgraph patterns that recur with statistical significance in a network. Network motifs have been widely utilized to represent important topological features for analyzing the functional properties of complex networks. While recent studies have shown the importance of network motifs, existing network models are not capable of reproducing real-world topological properties of network motifs, such as the frequency of network motifs and relative graphlet frequency distances. Here, we propose a new network measure and a new network model to reconstruct real-world network topologies, by incorporating our Grouped Attachment algorithm to generate networks in which closely related nodes have similar edge connections. We applied the proposed model to real-world complex networks, and the resulting constructed networks more closely reflected real-world network motif properties than did the existing models that we tested: the Erdös–Rényi, small-world, scale-free, popularity-similarity-optimization, and nonuniform popularity-similarity-optimization models. Furthermore, we adapted the preferential attachment algorithm to our model to gain scale-free properties while preserving motif properties. Our findings show that grouped attachment is one possible mechanism to reproduce network motif recurrence in real-world complex networks.
Magneto-Optical properties of noble-metal nanostructures: functional nanomaterials for bio sensing
Authors: Manera Maria Grazia , Colombelli Adriano , Taurino Antonietta , Martin Antonio Garcia , Rella Roberto 
Published: August 2018

AbstractMetallic nanostructures supporting Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances (LSPR) are characterized by their unique ability to control and manipulate light at the nanoscale. Noble metal nanostructures, such as gold nanostructures, are demonstrating to exhibit magneto-optic activity in the presence of modulated magnetic field of low intensity in transversal configuration (T-MOKE). Validation of experimental findings was achieved by numerical simulations based on Finite Element Method (FEM) techniques. The developed numerical models allowed studying the combination of the T-MOKE effect with the localized surface plasmon resonance of metal nanoparticles. Numerical optical and magneto-optical spectra provided a deep insight on the physical aspects behind the magneto-optical activity of metal nanostructures strictly related to direction of oscillations electrical dipoles generated in resonance conditions. Additionally the MO signal was characterized as a transducing signal for refractive index sensing in liquid conditions. The outcome is an increase in the limit of detection of magneto optical transducer with respect to traditional plasmonic sensors. A new strategy for magneto-plasmonic sensing based on the use of glass supported -Au nanostructures based on their MO properties has put forward.
Toll-like Receptor 4 Pathway Polymorphisms Interact with Pollution to Influence Asthma Diagnosis and Severity
Authors: Schurman Shepherd H. , Bravo Mercedes A. , Innes Cynthia L. , Jackson W. Braxton , McGrath John A. , Miranda Marie Lynn , Garantziotis Stavros 
Published: August 2018

AbstractAsthma is a common chronic lung disease, the incidence and severity of which may be influenced by gene-environment interactions. Our objective was to examine associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and combinations of SNPs in the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, residential distance to roadway as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution exposure, and asthma diagnosis and exacerbations. We obtained individual-level data on genotype, residential address, and asthma diagnosis and exacerbations from the Environmental Polymorphisms Registry. Subjects (n = 2,704) were divided into three groups (hyper-responders, hypo-responders, and neither) based on SNP combinations in genes along the TLR4 pathway. We geocoded subjects and calculated distance, classified as <250 m or ≥250 m, between residence and nearest major road. Relationships between genotype, distance to road, and odds of asthma diagnosis and exacerbations were examined using logistic regression. Odds of an asthma diagnosis among hyper-responders <250 m from a major road was 2.37(0.97, 6.01) compared to the reference group (p < 0.10). Hypo-responders ≥250 m from the nearest road had lower odds of activity limitations (0.46 [0.21, 0.95]) and sleeplessness (0.36 [0.12, 0.91]) compared to neither-responders (p < 0.05). Specific genotype combinations when combined with an individual’s proximity to roadways, possibly due to traffic-related air pollution exposure, may affect the likelihood of asthma diagnosis and exacerbations.
The effect of Ganoderma lucidum extract on immunological function and identify its anti-tumor immunostimulatory activity based on the biological network
Authors: Zhao Ruolin , Chen Qilong , He Yu-min 
Published: August 2018

AbstractGanoderma lucidum extract (GLE) has shown positive effects for tumor treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of GLE treatment is unknown. In this study, a Hepa1-6-bearing C57 BL/6 mouse model was established to explore the anti-tumor and immunostimulatory activity of GLE treatment. The results showed that GLE effectively inhibited tumor growth without hepatic/renal toxicity and bone marrow suppression, and might enhancing immunological function. Based on the mRNA profiles of GLE treated and untreated mice, 302 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs were identified and 6 kernel mRNAs were identified from the established protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Quantitative RT-PCR and western-blot analysis indicated that 6 mRNAs have had statistically significant differences between the GLE treated and untreated mice. Furthermore, four kernel pathways were isolated from the KEGG-Target network, including the Jak-STAT signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Western-blot and cytokine detection results demonstrated that GLE suppressed growth and proliferation of tumors by the Jak-STAT signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, but also regulated the expression levels of serum immune cytokines and improved the anti-tumor immunostimulatory activity.