bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mortality in High-Flux Hemodialysis vs. High-Volume Hemodiafiltration in Colombian Clinical Practice: A Propensity Score Matching Study
Authors: Valderrama Luis A. , Barrera Lena , Cantor Erika J. , Muñoz Jesús , Arango Javier , Tobon Carlos , Canaud Bernard
Published: May 2022

Background: The aim was to compare the effects of high-flux hemodialysis (HF-HD) versus high-volume post-dilution hemodiafiltration (HV-HDF) on mortality risk. Methods: Retrospective observational study of prevalent patients on hemodialysis who were followed for two years and treated in 28 kidney centers in Colombia. In this study, we included all adult patients who had been on dialysis for at least 90 days treated with an arteriovenous fistula. They were classified as HF-HD if they underwent this treatment exclusively (100% of time). For HV-HDF, if they received this treatment in more than 90% of the observation period. The primary outcome variable was mortality, and the type of hemodialysis therapy was considered as the exposure variable. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the effect of dialysis modality on the mortality risk. Results: A total of 2933 patients were analyzed, 2361 patients with HF-HD and 572 with HV-HDF. After PSM, 1010 prevalent patients remained; mortality rate was 14.2% (95% Confidence Interval—CI: 11.3–17.6%) and 5.9% (95%CI: 4.0–8.4%) in HF-HD and HV-HDF group, respectively. HV-HDF therapy was associated with a 55% reduction in mortality compared with the HF-HD group (Hazards ratio-HR: 0.45 [95%CI 0.32–0.64] p < 0.001). Cardiovascular mortality rate was not statistically different between groups (HF-HD: 7.1% (36), HV-HDF: 3.4% (17), HR: 0.51 (95%CI: 0.21–1.28), p: 0.152). However, in patients younger than 60 years, a beneficial effect was observed in favor to HV-HDF therapy with a 79% reduction in cardiovascular mortality risk (HR: 0.21, (95%CI: 0.05–0.79), p: 0.021). Conclusion: After adjustment for different confounders, this study suggests that HV-HDF could reduce all-cause mortality compared to HF-HD therapy in prevalent patients on hemodialysis.
Land Preservation Uptakes in the Escarpments of North-Eastern Ethiopia: Drivers, Sustainability, and Constraints
Authors: Tesfaye Bichaye , Lengoiboni Monica , Zevenbergen Jaap , Simane Belay
Published: May 2022

Agricultural land is an indispensable resource for agrarian communities worldwide. There is a growing awareness that the world’s arable land supplies are limited and finite. For the last five decades, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and other development organisations have carried out land preservation uptakes intended to curb the effects of land degradation and improve agricultural productivity through various soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs). The study assessed the sustainability, drivers, and constraints of SWCPs in Dessie Zuria and Kutaber Woredas of South Wollo. We used the exploratory case study approach, involving qualitative and quantitative methods. Catastrophic weather conditions, the presence of the soil and water conservation program, and declining soil fertility were the top drivers influencing the program’s implementation. Based on the identified farm-level indicators and views of the respondents, physical measures were more sustainable than biological and mixed methods. The prominent factors hurdling the intervention were lack of tenure security, risk of rodent infestation, and losing a sense of ownership. Training community members on the importance of land preservation, amending the existing rigid land tenure policy, incorporating indigenous SWCPs, broadening the scale and extent of community participation, and enforcing laws and bylaws are recommended for the upcoming interventions. The finding has implications for land preservation and food security actors working to scale up evidence-based sustainable land management practices to the broader area.
Strategic Directions: Evaluation of Village Development Strategies in the Case of Applicants for the Hungarian Village Renewal Award
Authors: Bérczi Szabolcs , Szabó Zita , Sallay Ágnes
Published: May 2022

Village roles have changed significantly in Central Europe over the last century and a half. In our article, we mainly deal with the conditions in Hungary. Based on the relevant literature, we follow the changing role, problems and presence of Hungarian villages. Our research focuses on evaluating village development strategies; thus, an essential part of the article is the presentation of the European and Hungarian village renewal movement, as the 50 settlements examined are also part of the settlements launched at the Hungarian Village Renewal Award competition. In this research, the 50 settlements were divided into three groups according to their role in the settlement network. The settlement group analysed their development priorities by summarizing the Hungarian Village Renewal Award applications. As a result, it was found that the development directions of the villages belonging to the individual settlement groups can be well separated from each other. The choice of the settlement development strategy is greatly influenced by the distance from the central settlements and the settlement network situation. We compared our results with the analysis of the strategies of some foreign villages (located in the former socialist bloc) and then examined the Hungarian village surveys of the last century and a half, focusing on land use changes and their role in development. As a result of the analysis, it became clear that the importance of land use in the life of villages in the initial period decreased spectacularly over time and was replaced by employment and the role of the settlement network. The main result of our research is that we have proven that the strategic priorities of village development can be grouped based on the position of the villages in the settlement network, and the priorities are mainly determined by the size of the central settlement and the distance from it.
Greek-Canadian Koiné: The Emergence of a Koiné among Greek-Canadian Immigrants
Authors: Pappas Panayiotis A. , Ralli Angela , Tsolakidis Simeon
Published: May 2022

The present paper is a contribution to the study of a new Modern Greek variety that is spoken in Canada by first-generation immigrants who arrived in this country between 1945 and 1975. This variety displays features originating from: (a) A Common Modern Greek spoken in Greece around the middle of the 20th century, (b) mutually intelligible characteristics of the immigrants’ native dialectal varieties, mainly from the Peloponnese, (c) contact with English, (d) Standard Modern Greek. We present, discuss, and analyze data collected within the framework of the project “ImmiGrec: Stories of Greek immigration in Canada.” We focus on linguistic elements that could be considered indicative features of a Greek-Canadian Koiné, more particularly by investigating the borrowing and integration of English nouns and the variation in the use of the unstressed syllabic augment /e-/ and two different imperfective past suffixes.
Structural Responses of Nucleic Acids to Mars-Relevant Salts at Deep Subsurface Conditions
Authors: Knop Jim-Marcel , Mukherjee Sanjib K. , Gault Stewart , Cockell Charles S. , Winter Roland
Published: May 2022

High pressure deep subsurface environments of Mars may harbor high concentrations of dissolved salts, such as perchlorates, yet we know little about how these salts influence the conditions for life, particularly in combination with high hydrostatic pressure. We investigated the effects of high magnesium perchlorate concentrations compared to sodium and magnesium chloride salts and high pressure on the conformational dynamics and stability of double-stranded B-DNA and, as a representative of a non-canonical DNA structure, a DNA-hairpin (HP), whose structure is known to be rather pressure-sensitive. To this end, fluorescence spectroscopies including single-molecule FRET methodology were applied. Our results show that the stability both of the B-DNA as well as the DNA-HP is largely preserved at high pressures and high salt concentrations, including the presence of chaotropic perchlorates. The perchlorate anion has a small destabilizing effect compared to chloride, however. These results show that high pressures at the kbar level and perchlorate anions can modify the stability of nucleic acids, but that they do not represent a barrier to the gross stability of such molecules in conditions associated with the deep subsurface of Mars.
Detection of Specific Immune Cell Subpopulation Changes Associated with Systemic Immune Inflammation–Index Level in Germ Cell Tumors
Authors: Kalavska Katarina , Sestakova Zuzana , Mlcakova Andrea , Gronesova Paulina , Miskovska Viera , Rejlekova Katarina , Svetlovska Daniela , Sycova-Mila Zuzana , Obertova Jana , Palacka Patrik , Mardiak Jozef , Chovanec Miroslav , Chovanec Michal , Mego Michal
Published: May 2022

The tumor microenvironment (TME) and the host inflammatory response are closely interconnected. The interplay between systemic inflammation and the local immune response may influence tumor development and progression in various types of cancer. The systemic immune–inflammation index (SII) represents a prognostic marker for germ cell tumors (GCTs). The aim of the present study was to detect specific immune cell subpopulation changes which were associated with the SII level in chemotherapy-naïve GCT patients. In total, 51 GCT patients, prior to cisplatin-based chemotherapy, were included in the present study. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood leukocyte subpopulations was performed using flow cytometry. The SII level was correlated with the percentage of various leukocyte subpopulations. The obtained results demonstrated that SII levels above the cut-off value of SII ≥ 1003 were associated with higher neutrophil percentages. An inverse correlation was found between the SII and the peripheral lymphocyte percentage that logically reflects the calculations of the SII index. Furthermore, the presented data also showed that in the lymphocyte subpopulation, the association with the SII was driven by T-cell subpopulations. In innate immunity–cell subpopulations, we observed a correlation between SII level and neutrophils as well as associations with eosinophil, basophil, natural killer cell and dendritic cell percentages. We suppose that the described interactions represent a manifestation of cancer-induced immune suppression. The results of the present study contribute to the elucidation of the interrelationship between tumor cells and the innate/adaptive immune system of the host.
Deuterium Tracer for Accurate Online Lube-Oil-Consumption Measurement: Stability, Compatibility and Tribological Characteristics
Authors: Vareka Martin , Rossegger Bernhard , Novotny-Farkas Franz , Engelmayer Michael , Wimmer Andreas
Published: May 2022

Because of the impact of lubrication on the efficiency and the lifecycle cost and emissions, the lubricating-oil consumption (LOC) is one of the key indicators in the research and development of internal combustion engines. State-of-the-art methods for LOC measurement are based on the use of a certain tracer to track the oil consumption. However, all of the currently available tracers have their downsides (e.g., the use of a radioactive tracer, corrosive emissions, etc.). Therefore, in the course of this research project, a new tracer substance that is based on a stable nonradioactive isotope of hydrogen—deuterium—was developed and tested thoroughly. The LOC is monitored by a hydrogen/deuterium isotopic ration in the exhaust gas by using an isotopic water analyzer. Tribologically important properties, such as the viscosity, stability, and compatibility of the tracer were investigated by laboratory experiments by using several tools, such as infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography, thermogravimetry, etc. The properties relevant to the applicability of the method, such as the accuracy and the reproducibility, were investigated by engine test-bench experiments. Finally, long-term stability tests of the tracer were conducted with a field test.
Method of Iterative Determination of the Polarized Area of Steel Reinforcement in Concrete Applied in the EIS Measurements
Authors: Jaśniok Mariusz
Published: May 2022

A new method is proposed for determining the test surface of steel rebar in concrete during polarization measurements of corrosion rate of reinforcement using the method of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The methodology was based on the original 3D model of the steel-concrete system, in which traditional equivalent electrical systems were coupled with factors that accounted for the complex geometry of the test reinforced concrete element. The developed method worked with a rectangular counter electrode without a guard ring assist, during an individual impedance measurement. The impact of the counter electrode size on the impedance spectra was verified in the first stage by tests conducted with ten types of counter electrodes. The obtained results in the form of empirical spectra were represented by theoretical spectra using the 3D model and the matching degrees were within a range of 0.96–1.73 at the expected level of 1.00. The obtained results in the form of spectra distribution were accurately represented by simulations with the 3D model. In the second stage, the iterative procedure for determining the polarization area of reinforcement in concrete was positively verified for additional test elements. Electrochemical parameters of the steel-concrete system were determined on the basis of the 3D model with a simultaneous adjustment of the polarization area on the rebar. In this case, the expected matching degree of 1.00 was obtained for each tested system after more than ten iterations starting from matching the model spectra to the empirical spectra at the level of 0.31–0.93.
Fixation Performance of Bioabsorbable Zn-6Ag Pins for Osteosynthesis
Authors: Hagelstein Salome , Seidenstuecker Michael , Kovacs Adalbert , Barkhoff Roland , Zankovic Sergej
Published: May 2022

Bioabsorbable implants have become the focus of the latest research for new bone implant materials. With favorable characteristics such as compatible mechanical characteristics, no long-term side effects, and even osteogenesis enhancing properties they seem to be the future of osteosynthesis. Besides these characteristics, they must perform on the same level as traditional implant materials regarding their mechanical support for bone healing. A particular focus in the research for bioabsorbable implants has been on metal alloys, as these have particularly good mechanical properties such as excellent maximum force and high stability. This study focused on the shear strength of new bioabsorbable zinc and magnesium pins in comparison to traditional implants such as K-wires and cancellous bone screws in bone-implant connections. During quasi-static and fatigue loading experiments, magnesium pins (MAGNEZIX, Syntellix AG, Hannover, Germany) and new zinc silver pins (Zn-6Ag) by Limedion (Limedion GmbH., Mannheim, Germany) were compared with conventional osteosynthetic materials. The pins made of the new bioabsorbable alloys withstood the cyclic loads to the same extent as the conventional osteosynthesis materials. In the quasi-static loading, it was shown that the novel Zn-6Ag from Limedion has the same shear strength as the magnesium pin from Syntellix, which is already in clinical use. In addition, the zinc pin showed significantly better shear strength compared to osteosynthesis with K-wires (p < 0.05).
Graph Network Techniques to Model and Analyze Emergency Department Patient Flow
Authors: Reychav Iris , McHaney Roger , Babbar Sunil , Weragalaarachchi Krishanthi , Azaizah Nadeem , Nevet Alon
Published: May 2022

This article moves beyond analysis methods related to a traditional relational database or network analysis and offers a novel graph network technique to yield insights from a hospital’s emergency department work model. The modeled data were saved in a Neo4j graphing database as a time-varying graph (TVG), and related metrics, including degree centrality and shortest paths, were calculated and used to obtain time-related insights from the overall system. This study demonstrated the value of using a TVG method to model patient flows during emergency department stays. It illustrated dynamic relationships among hospital and consulting units that could not be shown with traditional analyses. The TVG approach augments traditional network analysis with temporal-related outcomes including time-related patient flows, temporal congestion points details, and periodic resource constraints. The TVG approach is crucial in health analytics to understand both general factors and unique influences that define relationships between time-influenced events. The resulting insights are useful to administrators for making decisions related to resource allocation and offer promise for understanding impacts of physicians and nurses engaged in specific patient emergency department experiences. We also analyzed customer ratings and reviews to better understand overall patient satisfaction during their journey through the emergency department.
Multi-Parameter Reaction–Diffusion Systems with Quadratic Nonlinearity and Delays: New Exact Solutions in Elementary Functions
Authors: Polyanin Andrei D. , Zhurov Alexei I.
Published: May 2022

The study considers a nonlinear multi-parameter reaction–diffusion system of two Lotka–Volterra-type equations with several delays. It treats both cases of different diffusion coefficients and identical diffusion coefficients. The study describes a few different techniques to solve the system of interest, including (i) reduction to a single second-order linear ODE without delay, (ii) reduction to a system of three second-order ODEs without delay, (iii) reduction to a system of three first-order ODEs with delay, (iv) reduction to a system of two second-order ODEs without delay and a linear Schrödinger-type PDE, and (v) reduction to a system of two first-order ODEs with delay and a linear heat-type PDE. The study presents many new exact solutions to a Lotka–Volterra-type reaction–diffusion system with several arbitrary delay times, including over 50 solutions in terms of elementary functions. All of these are generalized or incomplete separable solutions that involve several free parameters (constants of integration). A special case is studied where a solution contains infinitely many free parameters. Along with that, some new exact solutions are obtained for a simpler nonlinear reaction–diffusion system of PDEs without delays that represents a special case of the original multi-parameter delay system. Several generalizations to systems with variable coefficients, systems with more complex nonlinearities, and hyperbolic type systems with delay are discussed. The solutions obtained can be used to model delay processes in biology, ecology, biochemistry and medicine and test approximate analytical and numerical methods for reaction–diffusion and other nonlinear PDEs with delays.
Derivative-Free Iterative Schemes for Multiple Roots of Nonlinear Functions
Authors: Arora Himani , Cordero Alicia , Torregrosa Juan R. , Behl Ramandeep , Alharbi Sattam
Published: May 2022

The construction of derivative-free iterative methods for approximating multiple roots of a nonlinear equation is a relatively new line of research. This paper presents a novel family of one-parameter second-order techniques. Our schemes are free from derivatives and have been designed to find multiple roots (m≥2). The new techniques involve the weight function approach. The convergence analysis for the new family is presented in the main theorem. In addition, some special cases of the new class are discussed. We also illustrate the applicability of our methods on van der Waals, Planck’s radiation, root clustering, and eigenvalue problems. We also contrast them with the known methods. Finally, the dynamical study of iterative schemes also provides a good overview of their stability.
Fixed-Time Synchronization for Fuzzy-Based Impulsive Complex Networks
Authors: Pang Lu , Hu Cheng , Yu Juan , Jiang Haijun
Published: May 2022

This paper mainly deals with the issue of fixed-time synchronization of fuzzy-based impulsive complex networks. By developing fixed-time stability of impulsive systems and proposing a T-S fuzzy control strategy with pure power-law form, some simple criteria are acquired to achieve fixed-time synchronization of fuzzy-based impulsive complex networks and the estimation of the synchronized time is given. Ultimately, the presented control scheme and synchronization criteria are verified by numerical simulation.
Grüss-Type Inequalities for Vector-Valued Functions
Authors: Alomari Mohammad W. , Chesneau Christophe , Leiva Víctor
Published: May 2022

Grüss-type inequalities have been widely studied and applied in different contexts. In this work, we provide and prove vectorial versions of Grüss-type inequalities involving vector-valued functions defined on Rn for inner- and cross-products.
Segmenting Retinal Vessels Using a Shallow Segmentation Network to Aid Ophthalmic Analysis
Authors: Arsalan Muhammad , Haider Adnan , Koo Ja Hyung , Park Kang Ryoung
Published: May 2022

Retinal blood vessels possess a complex structure in the retina and are considered an important biomarker for several retinal diseases. Ophthalmic diseases result in specific changes in the retinal vasculature; for example, diabetic retinopathy causes the retinal vessels to swell, and depending upon disease severity, fluid or blood can leak. Similarly, hypertensive retinopathy causes a change in the retinal vasculature due to the thinning of these vessels. Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is a phenomenon in which the main vein causes drainage of the blood from the retina and this main vein can close completely or partially with symptoms of blurred vision and similar eye problems. Considering the importance of the retinal vasculature as an ophthalmic disease biomarker, ophthalmologists manually analyze retinal vascular changes. Manual analysis is a tedious task that requires constant observation to detect changes. The deep learning-based methods can ease the problem by learning from the annotations provided by an expert ophthalmologist. However, current deep learning-based methods are relatively inaccurate, computationally expensive, complex, and require image preprocessing for final detection. Moreover, existing methods are unable to provide a better true positive rate (sensitivity), which shows that the model can predict most of the vessel pixels. Therefore, this study presents the so-called vessel segmentation ultra-lite network (VSUL-Net) to accurately extract the retinal vasculature from the background. The proposed VSUL-Net comprises only 0.37 million trainable parameters and uses an original image as input without preprocessing. The VSUL-Net uses a retention block that specifically maintains the larger feature map size and low-level spatial information transfer. This retention block results in better sensitivity of the proposed VSUL-Net without using expensive preprocessing schemes. The proposed method was tested on three publicly available datasets: digital retinal images for vessel extraction (DRIVE), structured analysis of retina (STARE), and children’s heart health study in England database (CHASE-DB1) for retinal vasculature segmentation. The experimental results demonstrated that VSUL-Net provides robust segmentation of retinal vasculature with sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), accuracy (Acc), and area under the curve (AUC) values of 83.80%, 98.21%, 96.95%, and 98.54%, respectively, for DRIVE, 81.73%, 98.35%, 97.17%, and 98.69%, respectively, for CHASE-DB1, and 86.64%, 98.13%, 97.27%, and 99.01%, respectively, for STARE datasets. The proposed method provides an accurate segmentation mask for deep ophthalmic analysis.
A Trust Region Reduced Basis Pascoletti-Serafini Algorithm for Multi-Objective PDE-Constrained Parameter Optimization
Authors: Banholzer Stefan , Mechelli Luca , Volkwein Stefan
Published: May 2022

In the present paper non-convex multi-objective parameter optimization problems are considered which are governed by elliptic parametrized partial differential equations (PDEs). To solve these problems numerically the Pascoletti-Serafini scalarization is applied and the obtained scalar optimization problems are solved by an augmented Lagrangian method. However, due to the PDE constraints, the numerical solution is very expensive so that a model reduction is utilized by using the reduced basis (RB) method. The quality of the RB approximation is ensured by a trust-region strategy which does not require any offline procedure, in which the RB functions are computed in a greedy algorithm. Moreover, convergence of the proposed method is guaranteed and different techniques to prevent the excessive growth of the number of basis functions are explored. Numerical examples illustrate the efficiency of the proposed solution technique.
Successful Conversion from Conventional Potassium Binder to Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate in a Patient with Refractory Constipation
Authors: Imamura Teruhiko , Kinugawa Koichiro
Published: May 2022

Potassium binders are essential tools to treat hyperkalemia, particularly in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease. One of the drug-related complications is constipation, which further worsens heart failure by increasing afterload and decreases patients’ quality of life. We encountered an 82-year-old man with heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and hyperkalemia. A conventional potassium binder, calcium polystyrene sulfonate, ameliorated his hyperkalemia, whereas he became aware of refractory constipation. A conversion to a newly-introduced specific potassium binder, sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, improved persistent constipation, maintaining serum potassium levels within a normal range. Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate might be a preferable potassium binder to treat hyperkalemia, particularly in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease and those suffering from constipation.
Renin–Angiotensin System in Liver Metabolism: Gender Differences and Role of Incretins
Authors: Mastoor Zainab , Diz-Chaves Yolanda , González-Matías Lucas C. , Mallo Federico
Published: May 2022

The impaired hepatic lipids and carbohydrates metabolism result in various metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and metabolic syndrome. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) has been identified in the liver and it is now recognized as an important modulator of body metabolic processes. This review is intended to provide an update of the impact of the renin–angiotensin system on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, regarding gender difference and prenatal undernutrition, specifically focused on the role of the liver. The discovery of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has renewed interest in the potential therapeutic role of RAS modulation. RAS is over activated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has been shown to modulate RAS. The GLP-I analogue liraglutide antagonizes hepatocellular steatosis and exhibits liver protection. Liraglutide has a negative effect on the ACE/AngII/AT1R axis and a positive impact on the ACE2/Ang(1-7)/Mas axis. Activation of the ACE2/Ang(1-7)/Mas counter-regulatory axis is able to prevent liver injuries. Angiotensin(1-7) and ACE2 shows more favorable effects on lipid homeostasis in males but there is a need to do more investigation in female models. Prenatal undernutrition exerts long-term effects in the liver of offspring and is associated with a number of metabolic and endocrine alterations. These findings provide a novel therapeutic regimen to prevent and treat many chronic diseases by accelerating the effect of the ACE2/Ang1-7/Mas axis and inhibiting the ACE/AngII/AT1R axis.
Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth Can Form an Indigenous Proinflammatory Environment in the Duodenum: A Prospective Study
Authors: Rizos Evripidis , Pyleris Emmanouel , Pimentel Mark , Triantafyllou Konstantinos , Giamarellos-Bourboulis Evangelos J.
Published: May 2022

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) contributes to the formation of an inflammatory environment in various intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Cytokines that participate in these mechanisms are yet to be examined. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with duodenal aspiration was performed in 224 patients. Quantitative cultures of aerobic species were performed, concentrations of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured, and loads of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methanobevibacter smithii, and Aeromonas spp. were detected via real-time PCR in the duodenal fluid. Analysis showed that the odds ratio (OR) for elevated IL-1β levels was 2.61 (1.06–6.43, p = 0.037) among patients with SIBO compared to patients without SIBO, while there was no significant difference at elevated IL-6 and TNF-α levels between patients with and without SIBO, using ≥10³ cfu/mL as a cut-off. The presence of all three elevated cytokine levels has OR 3.47 (1.06–11.34, p = 0.030) among patients with SIBO. Klebsiella pneumoniae detection was positively related with IL-6 and TNF-α levels, when Methanobevibacter smithii was positively related with IL-1β levels. The presence of SIBO is associated with elevated IL-1β levels in the duodenal fluid. There is a high prevalence of all three proinflammatory cytokine levels elevated (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in the duodenal fluid among patients with SIBO.
Phytoplankton Surveys in the Arctic Fram Strait Demonstrate the Tiny Eukaryotic Alga Micromonas and Other Picoprasinophytes Contribute to Deep Sea Export
Authors: Bachy Charles , Sudek Lisa , Choi Chang , Eckmann Charlotte , Nöthig Eva-Maria , Metfies Katja , Worden Alexandra
Published: May 2022

Critical questions exist regarding the abundance and, especially, the export of picophytoplankton (≤2 µm diameter) in the Arctic. These organisms can dominate chlorophyll concentrations in Arctic regions, which are subject to rapid change. The picoeukaryotic prasinophyte Micromonas grows in polar environments and appears to constitute a large, but variable, proportion of the phytoplankton in these waters. Here, we analyze 81 samples from the upper 100 m of the water column from the Fram Strait collected over multiple years (2009–2015). We also analyze sediment trap samples to examine picophytoplankton contributions to export, using both 18S rRNA gene qPCR and V1-V2 16S rRNA Illumina amplicon sequencing to assess the Micromonas abundance within the broader diversity of photosynthetic eukaryotes based on the phylogenetic placement of plastid-derived 16S amplicons. The material sequenced from the sediment traps in July and September 2010 showed that 11.2 ± 12.4% of plastid-derived amplicons are from picoplanktonic prasinophyte algae and other green lineage (Viridiplantae) members. In the traps, Micromonas dominated (83.6 ± 21.3%) in terms of the overall relative abundance of Viridiplantae amplicons, specifically the species Micromonas polaris. Temporal variations in Micromonas abundances quantified by qPCR were also observed, with higher abundances in the late-July traps and deeper traps. In the photic zone samples, four prasinophyte classes were detected in the amplicon data, with Micromonas again being the dominant prasinophyte, based on the relative abundance (89.4 ± 8.0%), but with two species (M. polaris and M. commoda-like) present. The quantitative PCR assessments showed that the photic zone samples with higher Micromonas abundances (>1000 gene copies per mL) had significantly lower standing stocks of phosphate and nitrate, and a shallower average depth (20 m) than those with fewer Micromonas. This study shows that despite their size, prasinophyte picophytoplankton are exported to the deep sea, and that Micromonas is particularly important within this size fraction in Arctic marine ecosystems.
Fermentation in Pineapple Juice Significantly Enhances Ornithine and Citrulline Production in Lactococcus lactis MSC-3G Isolated from Sugarcane
Authors: Inoue Yusuke , Danshiitsoodol Narandalai , Noda Masafumi , Hagihara Katsushi , Sugiyama Masanori
Published: May 2022

Lactic acid bacterial (LAB) fermentation of functional amino acids using fruit juices as a cultivation medium is not well-documented. In the present study, we successfully isolated a high ornithine- and citrulline-producing Lactococcus lactis strain, designated MSC-3G, from sugarcane and investigated the ornithine and citrulline production profile using various fruit juices as a cultivation medium. Among fruit juices, pineapple juice exhibited the highest potentiality to initiate ornithine production (56 mM), while the highest citrulline yield was obtained during lime juice cultivation (34.5 mM). Under the optimal cultivation condition, the highest yield of ornithine and citrulline in pineapple juice reached 98.9 ± 2.2 mM and 211.1 ± 35.7 mM, respectively, both of which were significantly higher than that in the well-known industrial strain of Corynebacterium (C.) glutamicum. Additionally, citrulline production was dependent on oxygen supplementation and increased twofold when grown aerobically. Whole genome sequencing showed that the MSC-3G genome possesses the arginine deiminase (ADI) gene cluster arcABD1C1C2TD2. The results of the ADI pathway enzyme activities of MSC-3G showed a significant increase in arginine deiminase activity, while ornithine carbamoyl transferase activity was decreased, which in turn indicates the high citrulline-accumulation ability of MSC-3G when cultivated in pineapple juice.
Biochemical Evaluation of Agaricus and Pleurotus Strains in Batch Cultures for Production Optimization of Valuable Metabolites
Authors: Argyropoulos Dimitrios , Psallida Charoula , Sitareniou Paraskevi , Flemetakis Emmanouil , Diamantopoulou Panagiota
Published: May 2022

The production of various biochemical compounds such as proteins, glucans and glucanases, from the mycelium of four strains of Basidiomycetes species, Agaricus bisporus, Agaricus subrufescens, Pleurotus eryngii and Pleurotus ostreatus, during batch culture in shaking flasks, was studied. Fungi were cultured for 26 days in defined media with glucose as carbon source and were primarily evaluated for their ability to consume glucose and produce mycelial mass and intracellular polysaccharides (IPS). Results showed that on the 26th day of cultivation, P. ostreatus produced the maximum biomass (16.75 g/L), whereas P. eryngii showed the maximum IPS concentration (3.82 g/L). All strains presented a similar pattern in total protein production, with A. bisporus having the highest percentage of total proteins (36%, w/w). The calculated correlation coefficients among ribonucleic acid (RNA) vs. biomass (0.97) and RNA vs. protein (0.97) indicated a very strong relation between RNA and biomass/protein synthesis. The studied strains exhibited an increase in total glucan and glucanase (β-1,6) production during cultivation, with A. bisporus reaching the highest glucan percentage (8%, w/w) and glucanase activity (12.7 units/g biomass). Subsequently, processed analytical data were used in contour-graph analysis for data extrapolation to optimize future continuous culture.
Antiplanktonic and Antibiofilm Activity of Rheum palmatum Against Streptococcus oralis and Porphyromonas gingivalis
Authors: Kommerein Nadine , Vierengel Nina , Groß Jonathan , Opatz Till , Al-Nawas Bilal , Müller-Heupt Lena
Published: May 2022

Periodontitis and peri-implantitis are inflammatory conditions with a high global prevalence. Oral pathogens such as Porphyromonas gingivalis play a crucial role in the development of dysbiotic biofilms associated with both diseases. The aim of our study was to identify plant-derived substances which mainly inhibit the growth of “disease promoting bacteria”, by comparing the effect of Rheum palmatum root extract against P. gingivalis and the commensal species Streptococcus oralis. Antiplanktonic activity was determined by measuring optical density and metabolic activity. Antibiofilm activity was quantified using metabolic activity assays and live/dead fluorescence staining combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy. At concentrations of 3.9 mg/L, R. palmatum root extract selectively inhibited planktonic growth of the oral pathogen P. gingivalis, while not inhibiting growth of S. oralis. Selective effects also occurred in mature biofilms, as P. gingivalis was significantly more stressed and inhibited than S. oralis. Our studies show that low concentrations of R. palmatum root extract specifically inhibit P. gingivalis growth, and offer a promising approach for the development of a potential topical agent to prevent alterations in the microbiome due to overgrowth of pathogenic P. gingivalis.
Retusone A, a Guaiane-Type Sesquiterpene Dimer from Wikstroemia retusa and Its Inhibitory Effects on Histone Acetyltransferase HBO1 Expression
Authors: Yun Young Sook , Nakano Tomomi , Fukaya Haruhiko , Hitotsuyanagi Yukio , Nakamura Miho , Umetsu Megumi , Matsushita Nobuko , Miyake Katsunori , Fuchino Hiroyuki , Kawahara Nobuo , Moriya Fuki , Ito Akihiro , Takahashi Yuji , Inoue Hideshi
Published: May 2022

Retusone A (1), a new sesquiterpene dimer consisting of two guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids, and oleodaphnal (2) were isolated from heartwood of Wikstroemia retusa (Thymelaeaceae). The planar structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic data, and the relative stereochemistry was established by X-ray diffraction analysis. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by electronic circular dichroism. Compound 1 suppressed luciferase reporter gene expression driven by the HBO1 (histone acetyltransferase binding to ORC1) gene promoter in human breast cancer MCF7 cells. Compound 1 also decreased the expression of endogenous HBO1 mRNA and protein, and inhibited proliferation of the cells. These results suggest that retusone A (1), which has a unique dimeric sesquiterpenoid structure with inhibitory activity against HBO1 expression, may contribute to the development of a novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of breast cancer.
Chemometric Investigation and Antimicrobial Activity of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn Essential Oils
Authors: Annemer Saoussan , Farah Abdellah , Stambouli Hamide , Assouguem Amine , Almutairi Mikhlid H. , Sayed Amany A. , Peluso Ilaria , Bouayoun Taoufik , Talaat Nouh Nehal Ahmed , El Ouali Lalami Abdelhakim , Ez zoubi Yassine
Published: May 2022

To ensure the better production and sustainable management of natural resources, a chemometric investigation was conducted to examine the effect of cooperative and harvesting periods on the crop yields and chemical compositions of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn essential oils in the Oriental region of Morocco. The samples were collected from three cooperatives over nine time periods from January 2018 to April 2019. The chemical composition of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn essential oils was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The data from this study were processed by multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The disc diffusion technique and a determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration were performed to study the antibacterial properties of the oils. Statistical analysis showed that the cooperative and harvest period have a significant effect on yields. The highest yield of essential oil was recorded in April 2019 at cooperative C1. The PCA and the HCA results were divided into two groups: Group A for the summer season and group B for the winter season. The samples collected during summer were characterized by a high amount of 1,8-cineole component and a high yield of essential oil, whereas the samples collected during winter were qualified by a high amount of α-pinene component and a low yield of essential oil. The antibacterial activity of Salvia rosmarinus Spenn essential oils showed that Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC23857 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 23857 are the most susceptible strains, stopping growth at 1/500 (v/v). The least susceptible strain is Escherichia coli ATCC25922, with an MIC value corresponding to 1/250 (v/v). The findings of this study could have a positive economic impact on the exploitation of rosemary in the Oriental region, especially during the best harvest periods, as they indicate how to obtain the best yields of oils richest in 1,8-cineole and α-pinene chemotypes.
β-Cyclodextrin as the Key Issue in Production of Acceptable Low-Cholesterol Dairy Products
Authors: Kolarič Lukáš , Kántorová Petra , Šimko Peter
Published: May 2022

The application of cyclodextrins in food technology is extensive due to their unique ability to form complexes with many bioactive substances. Consumption of dairy products is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) due to its high content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, so the production of low-cholesterol content products would be one of the critical steps in CVD prevention with regards to lowered total daily cholesterol intake. To maintain consumer acceptance, organoleptic profiles of such products should be, in the optimal case, the same with comparison to original ones. So, this study deals with the development of set low cholesterol foods (milk, cream, butter, soft cheese, cottage cheese) by β-cyclodextrin treatment and the characterization of their organoleptic profiles such as color and textural characteristics. During the experiments, high effectivity of cholesterol removal was reached as follows: milk–97.3%, cream–95.6%, butter–95.6%, cottage cheese–97.9%, soft cheese–97.7%, while color differences varied from 0.25 to 1.13 and textural characteristics were not influenced by cholesterol removal as well. So, it can be concluded that the proposed procedure is enabled to be substantial for the production of a new assortment of low-cholesterol dairy products with considerable health benefits toward the incidence of CVD.
When Digital Doesn’t Work: Experiences of Co-Designing an Indigenous Community Museum
Authors: Kelly Meghan , Taffe Simone
Published: May 2022

The challenges to implement digital technologies in community-based projects are exposed in a case study co-designing an indigenous Community Museum, situated in the Kelabit Highlands of Borneo, Malaysia. Over a five-year period, this co-design project consisted of field trips, community engagements, and creating a documentary film and an inaugural exhibition in the newly constructed Kelabit Museum. This article highlights the limitations of digital technologies in museum contexts. Co-designing with stakeholders resulted in the decision to take a non-digital approach to the museum development to encourage greater community agency and prevent disengagement, as it incorporated heritage values in local community developments and cultural tourism plans. The findings demonstrate that community self-determination conflicted with preconceived outcomes, resulting in a need to re-evaluate the goals of the project. Instead, the ambition of cultural heritage preservation that maintained community participation emerged as the central goal. Removing the focus on a digital solution expanded community participation, which is a finding that should be used to frame other community cultural developments.
Accurate Atomic-Scale Imaging of Two-Dimensional Lattices Using Atomic Force Microscopy in Ambient Conditions
Authors: Kim Sunghyun , Moon Donghyeon , Jeon Bo Ram , Yeon Jegyeong , Li Xiaoqin , Kim Suenne
Published: May 2022

To facilitate the rapid development of van der Waals materials and heterostructures, scanning probe methods capable of nondestructively visualizing atomic lattices and moiré superlattices are highly desirable. Lateral force microscopy (LFM), which measures nanoscale friction based on the commonly available atomic force microscopy (AFM), can be used for imaging a wide range of two-dimensional (2D) materials, but imaging atomic lattices using this technique is difficult. Here, we examined a number of the common challenges encountered in LFM experiments and presented a universal protocol for obtaining reliable atomic-scale images of 2D materials under ambient environment. By studying a series of LFM images of graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), we have found that the accuracy and the contrast of atomic-scale images critically depended on several scanning parameters including the scan size and the scan rate. We applied this protocol to investigate the atomic structure of the ripped and self-folded edges of graphene and have found that these edges were mostly in the armchair direction. This finding is consistent with the results of several simulations results. Our study will guide the extensive effort on assembly and characterization of new 2D materials and heterostructures.
Nutritional Value of Canteen Menus and Dietary Habits and Intakes of University Students in Indonesia
Authors: Sakai Yui , Rahayu Yen Yen Sally , Araki Tetsuya
Published: May 2022

A comprehensive assessment of the dietary status of university students in Indonesia is lacking. Hence, this study aims to assess students’ dietary habits, status, and the nutritive value of meals offered at university canteens. This was a cross-sectional study based on the dietary habits of 333 students, 26 of whom were interviewed for the dietary survey. The nutritional value of canteen menus used by nearly half of the students (44%) was also examined. Most menus lacked macro and micronutrients (i.e., calcium, 15.5%) and were high in salt (181.5%). BMIs showed malnutrition among students (38.5%). The protein, fat, carbohydrate (PFC) ratio showed a high proportion of fat (32.4%) in the diets of female students. The level of salt intake (96.2%) was above the Indonesian recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Most students had unhealthy dietary patterns, including a high consumption of sweet beverages and instant noodles and a low intake of fruits, vegetables, animal protein, and milk. The lack of nutrients in canteen menus might lead to a nutrient deficiency among the students, which underlines the important role of canteens in the students’ dietary intake. Optimizing the nutritional profile of menus, labeling based on nutrient profiling, and promoting nutrition education should be addressed to improve students’ diets.
Interferon Signaling-Dependent Contribution of Glycolysis to Rubella Virus Infection
Authors: Schilling Erik , Wald Maria Elisabeth , Schulz Juliane , Werner Lina Emilia , Claus Claudia
Published: May 2022

Interferons (IFNs) are an essential part of innate immunity and contribute to adaptive immune responses. Here, we employed a loss-of-function analysis with human A549 respiratory epithelial cells with a knockout (KO) of the type I IFN receptor (IFNAR KO), either solely or together with the receptor of type III IFN (IFNAR/IFNLR1 KO). The course of rubella virus (RuV) infection on the IFNAR KO A549 cells was comparable to the control A549. However, on the IFNAR/IFNLR1 KO A549 cells, both genome replication and the synthesis of viral proteins were significantly enhanced. The generation of IFN β during RuV infection was influenced by type III IFN signaling. In contrast to IFNAR KO A549, extracellular IFN β was not detected on IFNAR/IFNLR1 KO A549. The bioenergetic profile of RuV-infected IFNAR/IFNLR1 KO A549 cells generated by extracellular flux analysis revealed a significant increase in glycolysis, whereas mitochondrial respiration was comparable between all three cell types. Moreover, the application of the glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) significantly increased viral protein synthesis in control A549 cells, while no effect was noted on IFNAR/IFNLR KO A549. In conclusion, we identified a positive signaling circuit of type III IFN signaling on the generation of IFN β during RuV infection and an IFN signaling-dependent contribution of glycolysis to RuV infection. This study on epithelial A549 cells emphasizes the interaction between glycolysis and antiviral IFN signaling and notably, the antiviral activity of type III IFNs against RuV infection, especially in the absence of both type I and III IFN signaling, the RuV replication cycle was enhanced.