Nanomaterials, Vol. 6, Pages 38: Thermal Plasma Synthesis of Crystalline Gallium Nitride Nanopowder from Gallium Nitrate Hydrate and Melamine

Gallium nitride (GaN) nanopowder used as a blue fluorescent material was synthesized by using a direct current (DC) non-transferred arc plasma. Gallium nitrate hydrate (Ga(NO3)3∙xH2O) was used as a raw material and NH3 gas was used as a nitridation source. Additionally, melamine (C3H6N6) powder was injected into the plasma flame to prevent the oxidation of gallium to gallium oxide (Ga2O3). Argon thermal plasma was applied to synthesize GaN nanopowder. The synthesized GaN nanopowder by thermal plasma has low crystallinity and purity. It was improved to relatively high crystallinity and purity by annealing. The crystallinity is enhanced by the thermal treatment and the purity was increased by the elimination of residual C3H6N6. The combined process of thermal plasma and annealing was appropriate for synthesizing crystalline GaN nanopowder. The annealing process after the plasma synthesis of GaN nanopowder eliminated residual contamination and enhanced the crystallinity of GaN nanopowder. As a result, crystalline GaN nanopowder which has an average particle size of 30 nm was synthesized by the combination of thermal plasma treatment and annealing.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 275: The Role of Sialyl-Tn in Cancer

Activation of an aberrant glycosylation pathway in cancer cells can lead to expression of the onco-foetal sialyl-Tn (sTn) antigen. STn is a truncated O-glycan containing a sialic acid α-2,6 linked to GalNAc α-O-Ser/Thr and is linked with an adverse outcome and poor prognosis in cancer patients. The biosynthesis of the sTn antigen has been linked to the expression of the sialytransferase ST6GalNAc1, and also to mutations in and loss of heterozygosity of the COSMC gene. sTn neo- or over-expression occurs in many types of epithelial cancer including gastric, colon, breast, lung, oesophageal, prostate and endometrial cancer. sTn is believed to be carried by a variety of glycoproteins and may influence protein function and be involved in tumour development. This review discusses how the role of sTn in cancer development and tumour cell invasiveness might be organ specific and occur through different mechanisms depending on each cancer type or subtype. As the sTn-antigen is expressed early in carcinogenesis targeting sTn in cancer may enable the targeting of tumours from the earliest stage.

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Catalysts, Vol. 6, Pages 32: Production of Resveratrol by Piceid Deglycosylation Using Cellulase

Resveratrol is a dietary polyphenolic compound widely used in medicine, food, and cosmetic products. The glycoside form of resveratrol, piceid, is also present in several plant materials but is less bioavailable. In this study, enzymatic transformation of piceid into resveratrol using inexpensive cellulase was investigated. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of reaction parameters, including reaction temperature, reaction time, enzyme amount and pH. The optimal conditions for biotransformation of piceid to resveratrol are: a reaction temperature of 50 °C, reaction time of 4.75 h, enzyme amount of 2.5 fungal β-glucanase (FBG) units and pH of 4.3. In addition, the extracts from Polygonum cuspidatum root contained high amounts of piceid were treated with cellulase in order to deglycosylation that increased resveratrol yield. After treatment, the resveratrol yield significantly increased from 2.72 to 9.49 mg/g, while the piceid contents decreased from 8.60 to 0 mg/g. The result provides an efficient method to convert piceid in the extracts of P. cuspidatum root into resveratrol by cellulase.

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Atoms, Vol. 4, Pages 7: Guest Editor’s Notes on the “Atoms” Special Issue on “Perspectives of Atomic Physics with Trapped Highly Charged Ions”

The study of highly charged ions (HCI) was pursued first at Uppsala (Sweden), by Edlén and Tyrén in the 1930s. Their work led to the recognition that the solar corona is populated by such ions, an insight which forced massive paradigm changes in solar physics. Plasmas aiming at controlled fusion in the laboratory, laser-produced plasmas, foil-excited swift ion beams, and electron beam ion traps have all pushed the envelope in the production of HCI. However, while there are competitive aspects in the race for higher ion charge states, the real interest lies in the very many physics topics that can be studied in these ions. Out of this rich field, the Special Issue concentrates on atomic physics studies that investigate highly charged ions produced, maintained, and/or manipulated in ion traps. There have been excellent achievements in the field in the past, and including fairly recent work, they have been described by their authors at conferences and in the appropriate journals. The present article attempts an overview over current lines of development, some of which are expanded upon in this Special Issue.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 284: Towards Reliable and Energy-Efficient Incremental Cooperative Communication for Wireless Body Area Networks

In this study, we analyse incremental cooperative communication for wireless body area networks (WBANs) with different numbers of relays. Energy efficiency (EE) and the packet error rate (PER) are investigated for different schemes. We propose a new cooperative communication scheme with three-stage relaying and compare it to existing schemes. Our proposed scheme provides reliable communication with less PER at the cost of surplus energy consumption. Analytical expressions for the EE of the proposed three-stage cooperative communication scheme are also derived, taking into account the effect of PER. Later on, the proposed three-stage incremental cooperation is implemented in a network layer protocol; enhanced incremental cooperative critical data transmission in emergencies for static WBANs (EInCo-CEStat). Extensive simulations are conducted to validate the proposed scheme. Results of incremental relay-based cooperative communication protocols are compared to two existing cooperative routing protocols: cooperative critical data transmission in emergencies for static WBANs (Co-CEStat) and InCo-CEStat. It is observed from the simulation results that incremental relay-based cooperation is more energy efficient than the existing conventional cooperation protocol, Co-CEStat. The results also reveal that EInCo-CEStat proves to be more reliable with less PER and higher throughput than both of the counterpart protocols. However, InCo-CEStat has less throughput with a greater stability period and network lifetime. Due to the availability of more redundant links, EInCo-CEStat achieves a reduced packet drop rate at the cost of increased energy consumption.

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Humanities, Vol. 5, Pages 16: Enabling Narrative Pedagogy: Listening in Nursing Education

The role of the nurse has become considerably more demanding in the past twenty years through increased complexity of patient care within a rapidly changing health care environment. Research is needed to expand the pedagogical literacy of nurse educators and address the needs of students entering a complex health care system. Narrative Pedagogy was identified as a research-based nursing pedagogy and has been enabled in nursing education for over a decade. The Concernful Practices emerged from Narrative Pedagogy research, which helped identify what teachers, students, and clinicians considered meaningful in teaching. Listening was one of the Concernful Practices and became the focus of this study. This hermeneutic phenomenological study provided new understandings of the experience of listening in nursing education. The research question addressed "How do nurse educators who enable Narrative Pedagogy experience Listening: knowing and connecting?" One of the themes, Listening as Dialogue, emerged from the study and included ways nurse educators can open and interpret a dialogue, shift the way they think about teaching, and make connections with students.

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Sustainability, Vol. 8, Pages 198: An Integrated Plan to Sustainably Enable the City of Riohacha (Colombia) to Cope with Increasing Urban Flooding, while Improving Its Environmental Setting

This paper describes the emblematic situation of a Colombian coastal town seriously threatened by flooding and presents the whole process undertaken to elaborate an integrated action plan to cope with this problem, while improving the natural and built environment. Such a plan is a product of a project, winner of a National Colombian call for climate change initiatives, which included a thorough modeling process based on the MODCEL urban flood model, an articulated participatory process including a specific structured inquiry mainly aiming at providing data suited for model calibration, a creative phase to propose candidate alternative solutions and a quite integrated evaluation exercise which supported the transparent choice of the most sustainable plan alternative. The approach and the experience can be valuable for many other cases in Colombia and around the world, particularly in developing or emerging countries where data are scarce. The added value of this paper lies in showing a whole, integrated process, well articulated, where all pieces are indispensable but simple enough to be replicated in many cases. It merges the fundamental participatory component with an equally fundamental technical-scientific component of characterization, modeling and integrated evaluation. The multiple steps of the process are illustrated with sufficient detail to allow the reader to grasp what was actually done and why, providing a practical guide for other cases.

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BioEssays 3∕2016

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BioEssays 3∕2016

Establishing the placental exchange interface. On pages 254–265 Katharina Walentin, Christian Hinze, and Kai M. Schmidt-Ott discuss recent findings regarding the cellular and molecular events that underlie morphogenesis of the chorioallantoic interface. This interface hosts the basal chorionic trophoblast (BCT) cells that initiate development of the labyrinth zone, the component of the placental villous tree where fetomaternal exchange occurs in rodents. The cover presents an immunofluorescent image from a mouse placenta. The tissue is stained for the cytokeratin (green), the transcription factor Tcfap2c (red) and for nuclei (blue.)

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BioEssays – Next Issue

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Nanomaterials, Vol. 6, Pages 37: Supramolecular Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles on Carbon Nanotubes: Application to the Catalytic Oxidation of Hydroxylamines

A supramolecular heterogeneous catalyst was developed by assembly and stabilization of gold nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nanotubes. A layer-by-layer assembly strategy was used and the resulting nanohybrid was involved in the catalytic oxidation of hydroxylamines under mild conditions. The nanohybrid demonstrated high efficiency and selectivity on hydroxylamine substrates.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 276: Integrative Analyses of miRNA-mRNA Interactions Reveal let-7b, miR-128 and MAPK Pathway Involvement in Muscle Mass Loss in Sex-Linked Dwarf Chickens

The sex-linked dwarf (SLD) chicken is an ideal model system for understanding growth hormone (GH)-action and growth hormone receptor (GHR) function because of its recessive mutation in the GHR gene. Skeletal muscle mass is reduced in the SLD chicken with a smaller muscle fiber diameter. Our previous study has presented the mRNA and miRNA expression profiles of the SLD chicken and normal chicken between embryo day 14 and seven weeks of age. However, the molecular mechanism of GHR-deficient induced muscle mass loss is still unclear, and the key molecules and pathways underlying the GHR-deficient induced muscle mass loss also remain to be illustrated. Here, by functional network analysis of the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs between the SLD and normal chickens, we revealed that let-7b, miR-128 and the MAPK pathway might play key roles in the GHR-deficient induced muscle mass loss, and that the reduced cell division and growth are potential cellular processes during the SLD chicken skeletal muscle development. Additionally, we also found some genes and miRNAs involved in chicken skeletal muscle development, through the MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Wnt and Insulin signaling pathways. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying muscle mass loss in the SLD chickens, and some regulatory networks that are crucial for chicken skeletal muscle development.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 278: Critical Overview of the Risk Scoring Systems to Predict Non-Responsiveness to Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Kawasaki Syndrome

Kawasaki syndrome (KS) is the most relevant cause of heart disease in children living in developed countries. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has a preventive function in the formation of coronary artery abnormalities and a poor strictly-curative action in established coronary damage. More than two decades ago, the Harada score was set to assess which children with KS should be subject to administration of IVIG, evaluating retrospectively a large cohort of patients with regard to age, sex and laboratory data. Nowadays, high dose IVIG is administered to all children with a confirmed diagnosis of KS, but a tool for predicting non-responsiveness to the initial infusion of IVIG has not been found. The prediction of IVIG resistance is a crucial issue, as recognising these high-risk patients should consent the administration of an intensified initial treatment in combination with IVIG in order to prevent coronary injuries. Few reports have focused on factors, referring to both clinical parameters and laboratory data at the onset of KS, in order to predict which patients might be IVIG non-responsive. We have analysed three different risk scores which were formulated to predict IVIG resistance in Japanese children with typical KS, but their application in non-Japanese patients or in those with incomplete and atypical patterns of the disease has been studied in a fragmentary way. Overall, our analysis showed that early and definite ascertainment of likely IVIG non-responders who require additional therapies reducing the development of coronary artery involvement in children with KS is still a challenge.

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Pharmaceutics, Vol. 8, Pages 5: Venetoclax (ABT-199) Might Act as a Perpetrator in Pharmacokinetic Drug–Drug Interactions

Venetoclax (ABT-199) represents a specific B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) inhibitor that is currently under development for the treatment of lymphoid malignancies. So far, there is no published information on its interaction potential with important drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters, or its efficacy in multidrug resistant (MDR) cells. We therefore scrutinized its drug–drug interaction potential in vitro. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) was quantified by commercial kits. Inhibition of drug transporters (P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), and organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs)) was evaluated by the use of fluorescent probe substrates. Induction of drug transporters and drug metabolizing enzymes was quantified by real-time RT-PCR. The efficacy of venetoclax in MDR cells lines was evaluated with proliferation assays. Venetoclax moderately inhibited P-gp, BCRP, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, CYP3A4, and CYP2C19, whereas CYP2B6 activity was increased. Venetoclax induced the mRNA expression of CYP1A1, CYP1A2, UGT1A3, and UGT1A9. In contrast, expression of ABCB1 was suppressed, which might revert tumor resistance towards antineoplastic P-gp substrates. P-gp over-expression led to reduced antiproliferative effects of venetoclax. Effective concentrations for inhibition and induction lay in the range of maximum plasma concentrations of venetoclax, indicating that it might act as a perpetrator drug in pharmacokinetic drug–drug interactions.

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IJMS, Vol. 17, Pages 271: Using Copy Number Alterations to Identify New Therapeutic Targets for Bladder Carcinoma

Bladder cancer represents the ninth most widespread malignancy throughout the world. It is characterized by the presence of two different clinical and prognostic subtypes: non-muscle-invasive bladder cancers (NMIBCs) and muscle-invasive bladder cancers (MIBCs). MIBCs have a poor outcome with a common progression to metastasis. Despite improvements in knowledge, treatment has not advanced significantly in recent years, with the absence of new therapeutic targets. Because of the limitations of current therapeutic options, the greater challenge will be to identify biomarkers for clinical application. For this reason, we compared our array comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) results with those reported in literature for invasive bladder tumors and, in particular, we focused on the evaluation of copy number alterations (CNAs) present in biopsies and retained in the corresponding cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations that should be the main target of therapy. According to our data, CCNE1, MYC, MDM2 and PPARG genes could be interesting therapeutic targets for bladder CSC subpopulations. Surprisingly, HER2 copy number gains are not retained in bladder CSCs, making the gene-targeted therapy less interesting than the others. These results provide precious advice for further study on bladder therapy; however, the clinical importance of these results should be explored.

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Polymers, Vol. 8, Pages 35: The Effect of Introducing B and N on Pyrolysis Process of High Ortho Novolac Resin

In this contribution, high ortho novolac resins modified with phenylboronic acid were synthesized. The thermal stability of novolac resins cured with hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and chemical states of B and N via a pyrolysis process were studied. For the cured o-novolac modified with phenylboronic acid, the temperature with maximum decomposition rate increased by 43.5 °C, and the char yield increased by 5.3% at 800 °C compared with cured o-novolac. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show the existence of hydrogen bonding between N of HMTA and H of phenol in modified resin. Thus, N could still be found at high temperature and C=N structure could be formed via a pyrolysis process. B2O3 was obtained at 400 °C by the cleavage of B–O–C and B–C bonds and it reduces the oxygen loss which may take part in the formation of carbon oxides in the system. The melting B2O3 on the surface of the resin will prevent small molecules and carbon oxides from releasing. Moreover, introducing B into the system helps to decrease the interlayer distance and improve graphite structures via a pyrolysis process.

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Water, Vol. 8, Pages 69: Support Vector Regression for Rainfall-Runoff Modeling in Urban Drainage: A Comparison with the EPA’s Storm Water Management Model

Rainfall-runoff models can be classified into three types: physically based models, conceptual models, and empirical models. In this latter class of models, the catchment is considered as a black box, without any reference to the internal processes that control the transformation of rainfall to runoff. In recent years, some models derived from studies on artificial intelligence have found increasing use. Among these, particular attention should be paid to Support Vector Machines (SVMs). This paper shows a comparative study of rainfall-runoff modeling between a SVM-based approach and the EPA's Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The SVM is applied in the variant called Support Vector regression (SVR). Two different experimental basins located in the north of Italy have been considered as case studies. Two criteria have been chosen to assess the consistency between the recorded and predicted flow rates: the root-mean square error (RMSE) and the coefficient of determination. The two models showed comparable performance. In particular, both models can properly model the hydrograph shape, the time to peak and the total runoff. The SVR algorithm tends to underestimate the peak discharge, while SWMM tends to overestimate it. SVR shows great potential for applications in the field of urban hydrology, but currently it also has significant limitations regarding the model calibration.

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Applied Sciences, Vol. 6, Pages 63: Novel Graphical Representation and Numerical Characterization of DNA Sequences

Modern sequencing technique has provided a wealth of data on DNA sequences, which has made the analysis and comparison of sequences a very important but difficult task. In this paper, by regarding the dinucleotide as a 2-combination of the multiset { ∞ · A , ∞ · G , ∞ · C , ∞ · T } , a novel 3-D graphical representation of a DNA sequence is proposed, and its projections on planes (x,y), (y,z) and (x,z) are also discussed. In addition, based on the idea of "piecewise function", a cell-based descriptor vector is constructed to numerically characterize the DNA sequence. The utility of our approach is illustrated by the examination of phylogenetic analysis on four datasets.

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Cells, Vol. 5, Pages 8: Matefin/SUN-1 Phosphorylation on Serine 43 Is Mediated by CDK-1 and Required for Its Localization to Centrosomes and Normal Mitosis in C. elegans Embryos

Matefin/SUN-1 is an evolutionary conserved C. elegans inner nuclear membrane SUN-domain protein. By creating a bridge with the KASH-domain protein ZYG-12, it connects the nucleus to cytoplasmic filaments and organelles. Matefin/SUN-1 is expressed in the germline where it undergoes specific phosphorylation at its N-terminal domain, which is required for germline development and homologous chromosome pairing. The maternally deposited matefin/SUN-1 is then essential for embryonic development. Here, we show that in embryos, serine 43 of matefin/SUN-1 (S43) is phosphorylated in a CDK-1 dependent manner and is localized throughout the cell cycle mostly to centrosomes. By generating animals expressing phosphodead S43A and phosphomimetic S43E mutations, we show that phosphorylation of S43 is required to maintain centrosome integrity and function, as well as for the localization of ZYG-12 and lamin. Expression of S43E in early embryos also leads to an increase in chromatin structural changes, decreased progeny and to almost complete embryonic lethality. Down regulation of emerin further increases the occurrence of chromatin organization abnormalities, indicating possible collaborative roles for these proteins that is regulated by S43 phosphorylation. Taken together, these results support a role for phosphorylation of serine 43 in matefin/SUN-1 in mitosis.

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Magnetochemistry, Vol. 2, Pages 10: Rational Control of Spin-Crossover Particle Sizes: From Nano- to Micro-Rods of [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](BF4)

The spin-crossover (SCO) materials based on iron (II) and triazole ligands can change their spin state under an external perturbation such as temperature, pressure or light irradiation, exhibiting notably large hysteresis in their physical properties' transitions. If these aspects are investigated for decades, it is only in the recent years that the design of SCO particles has attracted the attention of the scientific community with increasing interest focusing on the possibility of getting wide ranges of sizes and shapes of nanoparticles. In this context, we rationalized the reverse-micellar synthesis, thanks to the scrutiny of the experimental parameters, to produce SCO particles with controlled size and shape. This approach has been performed for the reference one-dimensional (1D) polymeric spin-crossover compound of formula [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](BF4). A synergetic effect of both time and temperature is revealed as being of paramount importance to control the final particle size. Consequently, under well-defined experimental conditions, we can now offer rod-shaped SCO particles with lengths ranging from 75 to 1000 nm.

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Energies, Vol. 9, Pages 125: Public Engagement in Energy Research

Public Engagement in Research is a key element in "Responsible Research and Innovation"; a cross-cutting issue in current European research funding. Public engagement can advance energy R&D, by delivering results that are more in-line with society's views and demands; and collaboration also unlocks societal skills and knowledge. This paper structures the ways to look at engagement, and gives some pointers on how to implement it in energy R&D, with various levels of intensity. The publics to engage with can be citizens, future users, affected persons, but also organisations that represent them. We have selected methods and tools that showcase a broad range of types of engagement that have been applied in The Netherlands or the UK. The cases are grouped based on the role of the researcher in the engagement process. These roles relate to discussing with, consulting, involving, collaborating with and supporting the various publics. This study shows that there is a diversity of tools and methods already available—open to variation, combinations and further development- that facilitate the participation of society in energy research. Not only for democratic reasons, but also for instrumental benefits in creating innovations to help solve the Grand Societal Challenge of the energy transition.

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JMSE, Vol. 4, Pages 17: Comparison of Human and Camera Visual Acuity—Setting the Benchmark for Shallow Water Autonomous Imaging Platforms

A comparison was made between the underwater visual acuity of human observers and a high-end stills camera as applied to visual surveys of shallow water coral reefs. The human observers had almost double the visual acuity of the camera, recording a Snellen eye test score of 20/8 at 4.3 m depth against 20/15 for the camera. The human observers had a field of view of 7.8 m (horizontal) by 5.8 m at 4.3 m depth while the camera had a field of view of 4.46 m by 2.98 m, or only one-third of the area observed by the snorkelers. The human observers were therefore able to see a three-times-larger field of view at twice the resolution of the camera. This result comes from the observers actively scanning the scene to put the area of interest in the part of the retina with the greatest resolving power (the fovea), increasing the apparent resolving power of their eyes, against the camera which resolved equally across the image. As a result, in actively identifying targets, humans exceeded the camera, but for more passive observation work they may be closer to the performance of the camera. The implications for autonomous platforms are that to match the human observers for target recognition, platforms will need to operate lower (to increase resolution) and longer (to sample the same area) and so issues such as collision avoidance and navigation will be critical to operationalizing autonomous systems.

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Nanomaterials, Vol. 6, Pages 36: Nano-Welding of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Silicon and Silica Surface by Laser Irradiation

In this study, a continuous fiber laser (1064 nm wavelength, 30 W/cm2) is used to irradiate multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on different substrate surfaces. Effects of substrates on nano-welding of MWCNTs are investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). For MWCNTs on silica, after 3 s irradiation, nanoscale welding with good quality can be achieved due to breaking C–C bonds and formation of new graphene layers. While welding junctions can be formed until 10 s for the MWCNTs on silicon, the difference of irradiation time to achieve welding is attributed to the difference of thermal conductivity for silica and silicon. As the irradiation time is prolonged up to 12.5 s, most of the MWCNTs are welded to a silicon substrate, which leads to their frameworks of tube walls on the silicon surface. This is because the accumulation of absorbed energy makes the temperature rise. Then chemical reactions among silicon, carbon and nitrogen occur. New chemical bonds of Si–N and Si–C achieve the welding between the MWCNTs and silicon. Vibration modes of Si3N4 appear at peaks of 363 cm−1 and 663 cm−1. There are vibration modes of SiC at peaks of 618 cm−1, 779 cm−1 and 973 cm−1. The experimental observation proves chemical reactions and the formation of Si3N4 and SiC by laser irradiation.

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Sustainability, Vol. 8, Pages 199: Private–Public Partnership as a Tool to Promote Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development: WWP Torrearte Experience

There is growing interest in the ability of both private–public partnerships and entrepreneurship to promote sustainable rural development. This research outlines the historical chronology and the importance of the PPP (Private Public Partnership) for rural entrepreneurship; the complexity of PPP management dimensions is also analyzed. In addition, this research is based on an empiric study of a PPP for entrepreneurship in sustainable development in the North Highland of Madrid's community, with more than 20 years of experience. This PPP is managed according to the Working With People (WWP) model, which is for the management of complex projects in the sustainable rural development field, and aims to promote the development of competences amongst the parties involved. The results show the positive effects in terms of entrepreneurship's competences for sustainable rural development and the parties involved who create the PPP management model for entrepreneurship and the Torrearte Project.

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Toxins, Vol. 8, Pages 54: Polyphasic Approach Including MALDI-TOF MS/MS Analysis for Identification and Characterisation of Fusarium verticillioides in Brazilian Corn Kernels

Fusarium verticillioides is considered one of the most important global sources of fumonisins contamination in food and feed. Corn is one of the main commodities produced in the Northeastern Region of Brazil. The present study investigated potential mycotoxigenic fungal strains belonging to the F. verticillioides species isolated from corn kernels in 3 different Regions of the Brazilian State of Pernambuco. A polyphasic approach including classical taxonomy, molecular biology, MALDI-TOF MS and MALDI-TOF MS/MS for the identification and characterisation of the F. verticillioides strains was used. Sixty F. verticillioides strains were isolated and successfully identified by classical morphology, proteomic profiles of MALDI-TOF MS, and by molecular biology using the species-specific primers VERT-1 and VERT-2. FUM1 gene was further detected for all the 60 F. verticillioides by using the primers VERTF-1 and VERTF-2 and through the amplification profiles of the ISSR regions using the primers (GTG)5 and (GACA)4. Results obtained from molecular analysis shown a low genetic variability among these isolates from the different geographical regions. All of the 60 F. verticillioides isolates assessed by MALDI-TOF MS/MS presented ion peaks with the molecular mass of the fumonisin B1 (721.83 g/mol) and B2 (705.83 g/mol).

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Geosciences, Vol. 6, Pages 11: Utilizing HyspIRI Prototype Data for Geological Exploration Applications: A Southern California Case Study

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the value of the proposed Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) instrument for geological mapping applications. HyspIRI-like data were collected as part of the HyspIRI airborne campaign that covered large regions of California, USA, over multiple seasons. This work focused on a Southern California area, which encompasses Imperial Valley, the Salton Sea, the Orocopia Mountains, the Chocolate Mountains, and a variety of interesting geological phenomena including fumarole fields and sand dunes. We have mapped hydrothermal alteration, lithology and thermal anomalies, demonstrating the value of this type of data for future geologic exploration activities. We believe HyspIRI will be an important instrument for exploration geologists as data may be quickly manipulated and used for remote mapping of hydrothermal alteration minerals, lithology and temperature anomalies.

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Sensors, Vol. 16, Pages 278: Analysis of Forensic Casework Utilizing Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging

A search of the current scientific literature yields a limited number of studies that describe the use of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic imaging for the analysis of forensic casework, which is likely due to the fact that these instruments are fairly new commodities to the field of analytical chemistry and are therefore not yet commonplace in forensic laboratories. This report describes recent forensic case studies that have used the technique for determining the composition of a wide variety of multi-component sample types, including animal tissue sections for toxic inclusions, drugs/dietary supplements, an antibiotic with an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) present as several different salt forms, an adulterated bulk API, unknown trace powders for illicit drugs and an ophthalmic solution suspected of being adulterated with bleach.

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Minerals, Vol. 6, Pages 17: Uncertainty Representation Method for Open Pit Optimization Results Due to Variation in Mineral Prices

This study proposes a new method to quantitatively represent the uncertainty existing in open pit optimization results due to variations in mineral prices. After generating multiple mineral prices using Monte Carlo simulation with data on past mineral prices, a probability model that represents the uncertainty was developed by integrating multiple open pit optimization results derived from the mineral prices. The results of applying the proposed method to the copper-zinc deposits showed that significant uncertainty exists in open pit optimization results due to the variation in copper prices. It was also found that the method has a potential as a tool for classifying the estimation results of ore reserve based on confidence level.

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Materials, Vol. 9, Pages 125: Acid Neutralizing Ability and Shear Bond Strength Using Orthodontic Adhesives Containing Three Different Types of Bioactive Glass

The objective of the study was to compare the acid neutralizing ability and shear bond strength (SBS) of three different types of orthodontic adhesives containing bioactive glasses (BAGs). 45S5, 45S5F and S53P4 BAGs were prepared using the melting technique and ground to fine particles. Orthodontic adhesives containing three types of BAGs were prepared as follows: 52.5% 45S5 BAG + 17.5% glass (45S5_A); 61.25% 45S5 BAG + 8.75% glass (45S5_B); 52.5% 45S5F BAG + 17.5% glass (45S5F_A); 61.25% 45S5F BAG + 8.75% glass (45S5F_B); 52.5% S53P4 BAG + 17.5% glass (S53P4_A); 61.25% S53P4 BAG + 8.75% glass (S53P4_B); and 70.0% glass (BAG_0). To evaluate the acid neutralizing properties, specimens were immersed in lactic acid solution, and pH changes were measured. SBS was measured with a universal testing machine. For all of the BAG-containing adhesives, the one with 61.25% of BAG showed a significantly greater increase of pH than the one with 52.5% of BAG (p < 0.05). Groups with 61.25% of BAG showed lower SBS than samples with 52.5% of BAG. 45S5F_A showed no significant difference of SBS compared to BAG_0 (p > 0.05). The adhesive containing 61.25% of 45S5F BAG exhibited clinically acceptable SBS and acid neutralizing properties. Therefore, this composition is a suitable candidate to prevent white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment.

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IJERPH, Vol. 13, Pages 254: Degradation of Tetracyclines in Pig Manure by Composting with Rice Straw

A holistic approach was followed for utilizing tetracyclines (TCs)-contaminated pig manure, by composting this with rice straw in a greenhouse for CO2 fertilization and composted residue application. After composting, the composted residues can be applied to cropland as a supplemental source of synthetic fertilizers. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of pig manure-rice straw composting on the degradation of TCs in pig manure. The results showed that greenhouse composting significantly accelerated the degradation of TCs. Contents (150 mg·kg−1) of oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) in the composting feedstock could be completely removed within 42 days for OTC and TC, and 14 days for CTC. However, in the control samples incubated at 25 °C in the dark, concentrations of OTC, TC and CTC only decreased 64.7%, 66.7% and 73.3%, respectively, after 49 days. The degradation rates of TCs in the composting feedstock were in the order of CTC > TC > OTC. During the composting process, CTC dissipated rapidly with the time required for 50% degradation (DT50) and 90% degradation (DT90) of 2.4 and 7.9 days, but OTC was more persistent with DT50 and DT90 values of 5.5 and 18.4 days. On the basis of the results obtained in this study, it could be concluded that pig manure-rice straw composting in a greenhouse can help to accelerate the degradation of TCs in pig manure and make composted residues safer for field application. This technology could be an acceptable practice for greenhouse farmers to utilize TCs-contaminated pig manure.

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Genes, Vol. 7, Pages 10: Pseudo-Reference-Based Assembly of Vertebrate Transcriptomes

High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) provides a comprehensive picture of the transcriptome, including the identity, structure, quantity, and variability of expressed transcripts in cells, through the assembly of sequenced short RNA-seq reads. Although the reference-based approach guarantees the high quality of the resulting transcriptome, this approach is only applicable when the relevant reference genome is present. Here, we developed a pseudo-reference-based assembly (PRA) that reconstructs a transcriptome based on a linear regression function of the optimized mapping parameters and genetic distances of the closest species. Using the linear model, we reconstructed transcriptomes of four different aves, the white leg horn, turkey, duck, and zebra finch, with the Gallus gallus genome as a pseudo-reference, and of three primates, the chimpanzee, gorilla, and macaque, with the human genome as a pseudo-reference. The resulting transcriptomes show that the PRAs outperformed the de novo approach for species with within about 10% mutation rate among orthologous transcriptomes, enough to cover distantly related species as far as chicken and duck. Taken together, we suggest that the PRA method can be used as a tool for reconstructing transcriptome maps of vertebrates whose genomes have not yet been sequenced.

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The Protective Effects of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic Acid on Helicobacter pylori-Infected Gastric Mucosa in Mongolian Gerbils

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (GRA), a major component of Glycyrrhiza glabra, is widely used therapeutically in clinic. In this study, the effect of GRA on Helicobacter pylori- (H. pylori-) infected gastritis was investigated in Mongolian gerbils in vivo. The gerbils were randomly divided into groups: uninfected; H. pylori-infected; H. pylori + antibiotics (clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and esomeprazole); and H. pylori + GRA. The gastric intraluminal pH value, histopathological changes, and the expression levels of inflammation-related cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, COX-2, and iNOS) were investigated. The results showed that, in the H. pylori + GRA group, the intraluminal gastric pH value was lower ( versus , ), erosion and hyperplasia were alleviated, the infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells was attenuated (), and the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and iNOS were decreased () compared with the H. pylori-infected group. There was no significant difference in results between the H. pylori + GRA group and the H. pylori + antibiotics group. This study indicated that GRA significantly attenuated H. pylori-infected gastritis in gerbils and has the potential to be developed as a new therapeutic drug.

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Intestine-specific homeobox (ISX) induces intestinal metaplasia and cell proliferation to contribute to gastric carcinogenesis

Journal of Gastroenterology

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HCV kinetic and modeling analyses indicate similar time to cure among sofosbuvir combination regimens with daclatasvir, simeprevir or ledipasvir

Journal of Hepatology

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Validation of preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise testing-derived variables to predict in-hospital morbidity after major colorectal surgery

British Journal of Surgery

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Randomised clinical trial: alginate (Gaviscon Advance) vs. placebo as add-on therapy in reflux patients with inadequate response to a once daily proton pump inhibitor

Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

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Irrigation versus suction alone during laparoscopic appendectomy; a randomized controlled equivalence trial

International Journal of Surgery

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Retrospective analysis of the influence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D on disease progression and survival in pancreatic cancer

Nutrition Journal

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Hepatitis B virus X protein reduces the stability of Nrdp1 to up-regulate ErbB3 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Tumor Biology

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Matched population-based study examining the risk of type 2 diabetes in people with and without diagnosed hepatitis C virus infection

Journal of Viral Hepatitis

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Association of patient age at gastric bypass surgery with long-term all-cause and cause-specific mortality

JAMA Surgery

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Palliative treatment of anal fistulas in Crohn's disease

ANZ Journal of Surgery

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Kaempferol inhibits cell proliferation and glycolysis in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma via targeting EGFR signaling pathway

Tumor Biology

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Development of the Northwestern Esophageal Quality of Life scale: A hybrid measure for use across esophageal conditions

The American Journal of Gastroenterology

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Effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab induction therapy for patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology

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Evaluation of the CDC recommendations for HCV testing in an urban emergency department

Clinical Infectious Diseases

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Significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and prognostic nutrition index as preoperative predictors of early mortality after liver resection for huge (≥10 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma

Journal of Surgical Oncology

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Years of life that could be saved from prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma

Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

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Liver fat in adults with GH deficiency: comparison to matched controls and the effect of GH replacement

Clinical Endocrinology

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Clinical significance of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 expression in patients with residual rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy: relationship with KRAS or BRAF mutations and MSI status

Tumor Biology

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