bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unplanned Out-of-Hospital Birth—Short and Long-Term Consequences for the Offspring
Authors: GUTVIRTZ Gil , WAINSTOCK Tamar , LANDAU Daniella , SHEINER Eyal
Published: January 2020

The unpredictable nature of childbirth infrequently results in unplanned out-of-hospital birth, in a pre-hospital setting. We evaluated the perinatal and long-term outcome of children accidentally born out-of-hospital. This was a population-based analysis of singleton deliveries occurring at a single tertiary hospital. The maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcome of unplanned out-of-hospital births were compared with in-hospital attended deliveries. Long-term cumulative incidence of hospitalizations (up to 18 years) involving respiratory, neurological, endocrine or infectious morbidity were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox regression models were used to control for confounders. In total, 243,682 deliveries were included, and 1.5% (n = 3580) were unplanned out-of-hospital births. Most occurred in multiparous women, and about a quarter of these women had inadequate prenatal care. Perinatal mortality rate was significantly higher for out-of-hospital births as compared with in-hospital births (OR = 2.9; 95% CI 2.2–3.8, p < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier survival curves demonstrated a significantly lower cumulative incidence of hospitalizations of children born out-of-hospital and the Cox models showed that hospitalization rates involving any of the above morbidities were significantly lower in children born out-of-hospital. While perinatal mortality was higher in unplanned out-of-hospital births, offspring born out-of-hospital showed a lower incidence of hospitalizations involving a variety of morbidities, possibly owing to under-utilization of healthcare services in this population.
MEWS++: Enhancing the Prediction of Clinical Deterioration in Admitted Patients through a Machine Learning Model
Authors: Kia Arash , Timsina Prem , Joshi Himanshu N. , Klang Eyal , Gupta Rohit R. , Freeman Robert M. , Reich David L , Tomlinson Max S , Dudley Joel T , Kohli-Seth Roopa , Mazumdar Madhu , Levin Matthew A
Published: January 2020

Early detection of patients at risk for clinical deterioration is crucial for timely intervention. Traditional detection systems rely on a limited set of variables and are unable to predict the time of decline. We describe a machine learning model called MEWS++ that enables the identification of patients at risk of escalation of care or death six hours prior to the event. A retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted from July 2011 to July 2017 of adult (age > 18) inpatients excluding psychiatric, parturient, and hospice patients. Three machine learning models were trained and tested: random forest (RF), linear support vector machine, and logistic regression. We compared the models’ performance to the traditional Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) using sensitivity, specificity, and Area Under the Curve for Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUC-ROC) and Precision-Recall curves (AUC-PR). The primary outcome was escalation of care from a floor bed to an intensive care or step-down unit, or death, within 6 h. A total of 96,645 patients with 157,984 hospital encounters and 244,343 bed movements were included. Overall rate of escalation or death was 3.4%. The RF model had the best performance with sensitivity 81.6%, specificity 75.5%, AUC-ROC of 0.85, and AUC-PR of 0.37. Compared to traditional MEWS, sensitivity increased 37%, specificity increased 11%, and AUC-ROC increased 14%. This study found that using machine learning and readily available clinical data, clinical deterioration or death can be predicted 6 h prior to the event. The model we developed can warn of patient deterioration hours before the event, thus helping make timely clinical decisions.
The Coming Age of Flavonoids in the Treatment of Diabetic Complications
Authors: Caro-Ordieres Teresa , Marín-Royo Gema , Opazo-Ríos Lucas , Jiménez-Castilla Luna , Moreno Juan Antonio , Gómez-Guerrero Carmen , Egido Jesús
Published: January 2020

Diabetes mellitus (DM), and its micro and macrovascular complications, is one of the biggest challenges for world public health. Despite overall improvement in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, its incidence is expected to continue increasing over the next years. Nowadays, finding therapies to prevent or retard the progression of diabetic complications remains an unmet need due to the complexity of mechanisms involved, which include inflammation, oxidative stress and angiogenesis, among others. Flavonoids are natural antioxidant compounds that have been shown to possess anti-diabetic properties. Moreover, increasing scientific evidence has demonstrated their potential anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Consequently, the use of these compounds as anti-diabetic drugs has generated growing interest, as is reflected in the numerous in vitro and in vivo studies related to this field. Therefore, the aim of this review is to assess the recent pre-clinical and clinical research about the potential effect of flavonoids in the amelioration of diabetic complications. In brief, we provide updated information concerning the discrepancy between the numerous experimental studies supporting the efficacy of flavonoids on diabetic complications and the lack of appropriate and well-designed clinical trials. Due to the well-described beneficial effects on different mechanisms involved in diabetic complications, the excellent tolerability and low cost, future randomized controlled studies with compounds that have adequate bioavailability should be evaluated as add-on therapy on well-established anti-diabetic drugs.
The Effects of Augmented Eccentric Loading upon Kinematics and Muscle Activation in Bench Press Performance
Authors: van den Tillaar Roland , Kwan Kedric
Published: January 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an augmented eccentric load upon the kinematics and muscle activation of bench press, and to investigate possible mechanisms behind augmented eccentric loading during the lift. Sixteen resistance-trained males (age 28.5 ± 7.7 years, height 1.78 ± 0.08 m, body mass 80.7 ± 14.3 kg) performed three repetitions at 95/85% of 1RM (augmented eccentric loading), and 85/85% of 1RM (control) in bench press, while barbell kinematics and muscle activation of eight muscles were measured. The main findings were that no kinematic differences between the augmented and control condition were found, only an effect of repetition. Furthermore, augmented loading caused a higher activation of the biceps brachii during the pre-sticking and sticking region, while a lower activation in the sternal part of pectoralis major during the eccentric phase was observed. Based on the present findings, it can be concluded that augmented eccentric loading with 95% of 1RM in bench press did not have any acute positive effect upon the concentric phase of the lift (85% of 1RM) and that the proposed underlying mechanisms like potentiation, increased neural stimulation and preload, and recovery of stored elastic energy does not seem to occur with these loads.
Blood Aspergillus PCR: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Authors: Egger Matthias , Jenks Jeffrey D. , Hoenigl Martin , Prattes Juergen
Published: January 2020

Invasive Aspergillosis (IA) is one of the most common invasive fungal diseases and is accompanied by high morbidity and mortality. In order to maximize patient outcomes and survival, early and rapid diagnosis has been shown to be pivotal. Hence, diagnostic tools aiding and improving the diagnostic process are ambitiously searched for. In this context, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may represent a potential candidate. Its additional value and benefits in diagnosis have been demonstrated and are scientifically established. Nevertheless, standardized and widespread usage is sparse because several factors influence diagnostic quality and need to be considered in order to optimize diagnostic performance and outcome. In the following review, the current role of PCR in the diagnosis of IA is explored, with special focus on the strengths and limitations of PCR in different settings.
Structure–Property Correlation and Constitutive Description of Structural Steels during Hot Working and Strain Rate Deformation
Authors: Prusty B. Gangadhara , Banerjee Amborish
Published: January 2020

The behaviour of plain carbon as well as structural steels is qualitatively different at different regimes of strain rates and temperature when they are subjected to hot-working and impact-loading conditions. Ambient temperature and carbon content are the leading factors governing the deformation behaviour and substructural evolution of these steels. This review aims at investigating the mechanical behaviour of structural (or constructional) steels during their strain rate (ranging from very low to very high) as well as hot-working conditions and subsequently establishing the structure–property correlation. Rate-dependent constitutive equations play a significant role in predicting the material response, particularly where the experiments are difficult to perform. In this article, an extensive review is carried out on the merits and limitations of constitutive models which are commonly used to model the deformation behaviour of plain carbon steels.
Experimental Study on Temperature Effects on NiTi Shape Memory Alloys under Fatigue Loading
Authors: Lin Caikui , Wang Zeqiang , Yang Xin , Zhou Haijun
Published: January 2020

NiTi Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) has been widely studied in the field of structural vibration control, and the results show that the fatigue life of the SMA is a key factor of the vibration control system. In this paper, the fatigue test is carried out in Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA + 1000) to analyze how the changes of temperature and strain amplitude affecting the main fatigue parameters. The test results show that when the test temperature is higher than Austenite finish temperature (Af), the fatigue properties of SMAs are significantly affected by temperature. With the increase of temperature, the fatigue life becomes shorter and the energy consumption decreases, while the area of hysteresis curve, the stress amplitude, and effective modulus increase.
Phytosynthesized Metallic Nanoparticles—between Nanomedicine and Toxicology. A Brief Review of 2019′s Findings
Authors: Fierascu Irina , Fierascu Ioana Catalina , Brazdis Roxana Ioana , Baroi Anda Maria , Fistos Toma , Fierascu Radu Claudiu
Published: January 2020

Phytosynthesized nanoparticles represent a continuously increasing field of research, with numerous studies published each year. However, with the emerging interest in this area, the quality of the published works is also continuously increasing, switching from routine antioxidant or antimicrobial studies on trivial microbial lines to antibiotic-resistant strains or antitumoral studies. However, this increasing interest has not been not reflected in the studies regarding the toxicological effects of nanoparticles (NPs); this should be a subject of greatest interest, as the increasing administration of NPs in general (and phytosynthesized NPs in particular) could lead to their accumulation in the environment (soil, water and living organisms). The present review aims to present the most recent findings in the application of phytosynthesized NPs as antimicrobial and antitumoral agents, as well as the results regarding their toxicological potential.
Influence of Plastic Strain Accumulation in Continuous Ingots during ECAP on Structure and Recrystallization Temperature of AlCu4MgSi Alloy
Authors: Nuckowski Paweł M. , Snopiński Przemysław , Wróbel Tomasz
Published: January 2020

This work attempts to process AlCu4MgSi (AW 2017A) alloy continuous ingots by means of the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) method. The equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) technique has been widely investigated in recent years as the most promising severe plastic deformation (SPD) method. The presented research was focused on the precise determination of the phase composition of the precipitates formed in the AlCu4MgSi alloy and its influence on intensive plastic deformation. In the second stage, the research was focused on explaining the recrystallization process. With the use of the high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) technique, the changes in the dislocation substructure at various recrystallization annealing temperatures were analyzed.
Surface Properties and Denitrification Performance of Impurity-Removed Rare Earth Concentrate
Authors: Zhang Kai , Bai Yuze , Gong Zhijun , Zhao Zengwu , Li Baowei , Wu Wenfei
Published: January 2020

Acid leaching and alkali roasting were used to remove impurities such as Ca and Si in Baiyun Obo rare earth concentrate. The effects of acid–base treatment on the physical and chemical properties of the samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller characterization, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, H2-temperature-programmed reduction, NH3-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and NO-TPD. Results showed that the content of Ce7O12 in the rare earth concentrates increased and the dispersion was uniform. The grains became smaller, the specific surface area of rare earth concentrates increased, and the active sites were more exposed. Ce coexisted in the form of Ce3+ and Ce4+, whereas Fe coexisted in the form of Fe3+ and Fe2+. The content of Fe3+ was increased. The acid–base-treated rare earth concentrates had a denitration efficiency of 87.4% at a reaction temperature of 400 °C.
Seasonal Variation of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids in Three Subantarctic Red Seaweeds
Authors: Jofre Jocelyn , Celis-Plá Paula S. M. , Figueroa Félix L. , Navarro Nelso P.
Published: January 2020

UV-absorbing compounds, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), are a group of secondary metabolites present in many marine species, including red seaweeds. In these organisms, the content and proportion of the composition of MAAs vary, depending on the species and several environmental factors. Its high cosmetic interest calls for research on the content and composition of MAAs, as well as the dynamics of MAAs accumulation in seaweeds from different latitudes. Therefore, this study aimed to survey the content of UV-absorbing MAAs in three Subantarctic red seaweeds during a seasonal cycle. Using spectrophotometric and HPLC techniques, the content and composition of MAAs of intertidal Iridaea tuberculosa, Nothogenia fastigiate, and Corallina officinalis were assessed. Some samples were also analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with HPLC-ESI-MS in order to identify more precisely the MAA composition. I. tuberculosa exhibited the highest MAA values (above 1 mg g−1 of dried mass weight), while C. officinalis showed values not exceeding 0.4 mg g−1. Porphyra-334 was the main component in N. fastigiata, whereas I. tuberculosa and C. officinalis exhibited a high content of palythine. Both content and composition of MAAs varied seasonally, with high concentration recorded in different seasons, depending on the species, i.e., winter (I. tuberculosa), spring (N. fastigiata), and summer (C. officinalis). HPLC-ESI-MS allowed us to identify seven different MAAs. Two were recorded for the first time in seaweeds from Subantarctic areas (mycosporine-glutamic acid and palythine-serine), and we also recorded an eighth UV-absorbing compound which remains unidentified.
Purification and Evaluation of N-benzyl Cinnamamide from Red Seaweed Gracilaria fisheri as an Inhibitor of Vibrio harveyi AI-2 Quorum Sensing
Authors: Karnjana Kulwadee , Nobsathian Saksit , Soowannayan Chumporn , Zhao Wei , Tang Ya-Jie , Wongprasert Kanokpan
Published: January 2020

Previously, we reported that the ethanol extract from red seaweed Gracilaria fisheri effectively decreased biofilm formation of Vibrio harveyi. In this study, the anti-biofilm active compounds in the ethanol extract were isolated and their structures identified. The anti-biofilm fractionation assay for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) produced two fractions which possessed maximal inhibitory activities toward the biofilm formation of V. harveyi strains 1114 and BAA 1116. Following chromatographic separation of the bioactive fractions, two pure compounds were isolated, and their structures were elucidated using FTIR, NMR, and HR-TOF-MS. The compounds were N-benzyl cinnamamide and α-resorcylic acid. The in vitro activity assay demonstrated that both compounds inhibited the biofilm formation of V. harveyi and possessed the anti-quorum sensing activity by interfering with the bioluminescence of the bacteria. However, the N-benzyl cinnamamide was more potent than α-resorcylic acid with a 10-fold lesser MIC. The present study reveals the beneficial property of the N-benzyl cinnamamide from the ethanol extract as a lead anti-microbial drug against V. harveyi.
The Relationship between the Model of the Laser Biomimetic Strengthening of Gray Cast Iron and Matching between Different Brake Pads
Authors: Yang Haiyang , Wang Qingnian , Zhou Ti , Zhou Hong
Published: January 2020

When the surface of gray cast iron is subjected to laser irradiation and melted and then re-solidified, a material can be obtained that has a superior structure and properties to the base metal. On the surface of gray iron brake drums, the surface of the raw material can be processed into a bionic coupling surface with different shapes, structures, and soft and hard tissues similar to the surface of an organism. The wear resistance and fatigue resistance of brake drum surfaces can be greatly improved. However, the relative wear characteristics of the friction pairs in brake systems show that performance improvements in brake systems are the result of appropriately matching the brake drum and brake pad. This paper studies the wear relationship between three kinds of commonly-used brake pads (semi-metallic, organic asbestos-free, and ceramic) and different biomimetic models of brake drum samples. The interaction mechanism and failure mode between three kinds of brake pads and bionic samples were determined. According to the wear test results, the matching relationship between the brake pads and the brake drum was analyzed and determined, which provides a basis for the application of bionic brake drums.
Influence of Finite Mobilities of Triple Junctions on the Grain Morphology and Kinetics of Grain Growth
Authors: Gamsjäger Ernst , Gschöpf Boris , Svoboda Jiří
Published: January 2020

Grain boundary networks composed of equal microstructural elements were investigated in a recent paper. In this work a more complicated artificial grain topology consisting of one four-sided, two six-sided and one eight-sided grain is designed to further investigate the influence of grain boundary and triple junction mobilities on the kinetics of the system in more detail. Depending on the value of the equal mobility of all triple junctions, the initially square-shaped four-sided grain changes its shape to become more or less rectangular. This indicates that the grain morphology is influenced by the value of the mobility of the triple junctions. It is also demonstrated that a grain arrangement with low mobility triple junctions controlling the kinetics of grain growth enhances growth of the large eight-sided grains. In addition, grain growth is investigated for different values of mobilities of triple junctions and grain boundaries. A strong elongation of several grains is predicted by the modeling results for reduced mobilities of the microstructural grain boundary elements. The two-dimensional modeling results are compared to micrographs of a heat-treated titanium niobium microalloyed steel. This feature, namely the evolution of elongated grains, is observed in the micrograph due to the pinning effect of (Ti, Nb)C precipitates at elevated soaking temperatures of around 1100 °C. Furthermore, the experiments show that a broader distribution of the grain sizes occur at 1100 °C compared to soaking temperatures, where pinning due to precipitates plays a less prominent role. A widening of the distribution of the grain sizes for small triple junction mobilities is also predicted by the unit cell model.
Nanosensors-Assisted Quantitative Analysis of Biochemical Processes in Droplets
Authors: Belyaev Dmitry , Schütt Julian , Ibarlucea Bergoi , Rim Taiuk , Baraban Larysa , Cuniberti Gianaurelio
Published: January 2020

Here, we present a miniaturized lab-on-a-chip detecting system for an all-electric and label-free analysis of the emulsion droplets incorporating the nanoscopic silicon nanowires-based field-effect transistors (FETs). We specifically focus on the analysis of β-galactosidase e.g., activity, which is an important enzyme of the glycolysis metabolic pathway. Furthermore, the efficiency of the synthesis and action of β-galactosidase can be one of the markers for several diseases, e.g., cancer, hyper/hypoglycemia, cell senescence, or other disruptions in cell functioning. We measure the reaction and reaction kinetics-associated shift of the source-to-drain current Isd in the system, which is caused by the change of the ionic strength of the microenvironment. With these results, we demonstrate that the ion-sensitive FETs are able to sense the interior of the aqueous reactors; thus, the conjunction of miniature nanosensors and droplet-based microfluidic systems conceptually opens a new route toward a sensitive, optics-less analysis of biochemical processes.
Thermal Poling of Optical Fibers: A Numerical History
Authors: De Lucia Francesco , Sazio Pier J. A.
Published: January 2020

This review gives a perspective of the thermal poling technique throughout its chronological evolution, starting in the early 1990s when the first observation of the permanent creation of a second order non-linearity inside a bulk piece of glass was reported. We then discuss a number of significant developments in this field, focusing particular attention on working principles, numerical analysis and theoretical advances in thermal poling of optical fibers, and conclude with the most recent studies and publications by the authors. Our latest works show how in principle, optical fibers of any geometry (conventional step-index, solid core microstructured, etc) and of any length can be poled, thus creating an advanced technological platform for the realization of all-fiber quadratic non-linear photonics.
Effect of a Profound Feedstock Change on the Structure and Performance of Biogas Microbiomes
Authors: Klang Johanna , Szewzyk Ulrich , Bock Daniel , Theuerl Susanne
Published: January 2020

In this study the response of biogas-producing microbiomes to a profound feedstock change was investigated. The microbiomes were adapted to the digestion of either 100% sugar beet, maize silage, or of the silages with elevated amounts of total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) by adding ammonium carbonate or animal manure. The feedstock exchange resulted in a short-range decrease or increase in the biogas yields according to the level of chemical feedstock complexity. Fifteen taxa were found in all reactors and can be considered as generalists. Thirteen taxa were detected in the reactors operated with low TAN and six in the reactors with high TAN concentration. Taxa assigned to the phylum Bacteroidetes and to the order Spirochaetales increased with the exchange to sugar beet silage, indicating an affinity to easily degradable compounds. The recorded TAN-sensitive taxa (phylum Cloacimonetes) showed no specific affinity to maize or sugar beet silage. The archaeal community remained unchanged. The reported findings showed a smooth adaptation of the microbial communities, without a profound negative impact on the overall biogas production indicating that the two feedstocks, sugar beet and maize silage, potentially do not contain chemical compounds that are difficult to handle during anaerobic digestion.
Revealing the Variation and Stability of Bacterial Communities in Tomato Rhizosphere Microbiota
Authors: Cheng Zhiqiang , Lei Shaonan , Li Ye , Huang Wei , Ma Rongqin , Xiong Juan , Zhang Ting , Jin Lingyue , Haq Hafeez ul , Xu Xiaohong , Tian Baoyu
Published: January 2020

Microorganisms that colonize the plant rhizosphere can contribute to plant health, growth and productivity. Although the importance of the rhizosphere microbiome is known, we know little about the underlying mechanisms that drive microbiome assembly and composition. In this study, the variation, assembly and composition of rhizobacterial communities in 11 tomato cultivars, combined with one cultivar in seven different sources of soil and growing substrate, were systematically investigated. The tomato rhizosphere microbiota was dominated by bacteria from the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Acidobacteria, mainly comprising Rhizobiales, Xanthomonadales, Burkholderiales, Nitrosomonadales, Myxococcales, Sphingobacteriales, Cytophagales and Acidobacteria subgroups. The bacterial community in the rhizosphere microbiota of the samples in the cultivar experiment mostly overlapped with that of tomato cultivar MG, which was grown in five natural field soils, DM, JX, HQ, QS and XC. The results supported the hypothesis that tomato harbors largely conserved communities and compositions of rhizosphere microbiota that remains consistent in different cultivars of tomato and even in tomato cultivar grown in five natural field soils. However, significant differences in OTU richness (p < 0.0001) and bacterial diversity (p = 0.0014 < 0.01) were observed among the 7 different sources of soil and growing substrate. Two artificial commercial nutrient soils, HF and CF, resulted in a distinct tomato rhizosphere microbiota in terms of assembly and core community compared with that observed in natural field soils. PERMANOVA of beta diversity based on the combined data from the cultivar and soil experiments demonstrated that soil (growing substrate) and plant genotype (cultivar) had significant impacts on the rhizosphere microbial communities of tomato plants (soil, F = 22.29, R2 = 0.7399, p < 0.001; cultivar, F = 2.04, R2 = 0.3223, p = 0.008). Of these two factors, soil explained a larger proportion of the compositional variance in the tomato rhizosphere microbiota. The results demonstrated that the assembly process of rhizosphere bacterial communities was collectively influenced by soil, including the available bacterial sources and biochemical properties of the rhizosphere soils, and plant genotype.
Peritoneal Microbiome in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients and the Impact of Peritoneal Dialysis Therapy
Authors: Simões-Silva Liliana , Araujo Ricardo , Pestana Manuel , Soares-Silva Isabel , Sampaio-Maia Benedita
Published: January 2020

Factors influencing the occurrence of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related infections are still far from fully understood. Recent studies described the existence of specific microbiomes in body sites previously considered microbiome-free, unravelling new microbial pathways in the human body. In the present study, we analyzed the peritoneum of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients to determine if they harbored a specific microbiome and if it is altered in patients on PD therapy. We conducted a cross-sectional study where the peritoneal microbiomes from ESKD patients with intact peritoneal cavities (ESKD non-PD, n = 11) and ESKD patients undergoing PD therapy (ESKD PD, n = 9) were analyzed with a 16S rRNA approach. Peritoneal tissue of ESKD patients contained characteristically low-abundance microbiomes dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Patients undergoing PD therapy presented lower species richness, with dominance by the Pseudomonadaceae and Prevotelaceae families. This study provides the first characterization of the peritoneal microbiome in ESKD patients, bringing new insight to the human microbiome. Additionally, PD therapy may induce changes in this unique microbiome. The clinical relevance of these observations should be further explored to uncover the role of the peritoneal microbiome as a key element in the onset or aggravation of infection in ESKD patients, especially those undergoing PD.
Adaptive and Innate Immune Cells in Fetal Human Cytomegalovirus-Infected Brains
Authors: Sellier Yann , Marliot Florence , Bessières Bettina , Stirnemann Julien , Encha-Razavi Ferechte , Guilleminot Tiffany , Haicheur Nacilla , Pages Franck , Ville Yves , Leruez-Ville Marianne
Published: January 2020

Background: The understanding of the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-induced fetal brain lesions is limited. We aimed to quantify adaptive and innate immune cells and CMV-infected cells in fetal brains with various degrees of brain damage. Methods: In total, 26 archived embedded fetal brains were studied, of which 21 were CMV-infected and classified in severely affected (n = 13) and moderately affected (n = 8), and 5 were uninfected controls. The respective magnitude of infected cells, immune cells (CD8+, B cells, plasma cells, NK cells, and macrophages), and expression of immune checkpoint receptors (PD-1/PD-L1 and LAG-3) were measured by immunochemistry and quantified by quantitative imaging analysis. Results: Quantities of CD8+, plasma cells, NK cells, macrophages, and HCMV+ cells and expression of PD-1/PD-L1 and LAG-3 were significantly higher in severely affected than in moderately affected brains (all p values < 0.05). A strong link between higher number of stained cells for HCMV/CD8 and PD-1 and severity of brain lesions was found by component analysis. Conclusions: The higher expression of CD8, PD-1, and LAG-3 in severely affected brains could reflect immune exhaustion of cerebral T cells. These exhausted T cells could be ineffective in controlling viral multiplication itself, leading to more severe brain lesions. The study of the functionality of brain leucocytes ex vivo is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Fossil Resins–Constraints from Portable and Laboratory Near-infrared Raman Spectrometers
Authors: Naglik Beata , Mroczkowska-Szerszeń Maja , Dumańska-Słowik Magdalena , Natkaniec-Nowak Lucyna , Drzewicz Przemysław , Stach Paweł , Żukowska Grażyna
Published: January 2020

Comparative studies of fossil resins of various ages, botanical sources, geological environments, and provenience were provided via a handheld portable Near-Infrared (NIR)-Raman spectrometer and benchtop instrument both working with laser line 1064 nm. The recorded Raman spectra of individual fossil resins were found to be sufficiently similar irrespective to the device type applied, i.e., handheld or benchtop. Thus, the portable equipment was found to be a sufficient tool for the preliminary identification of resins based on botanical and geographical origin criteria. The observed height ratio of 1640/1440 cm−1 Raman bands did not correlate well with the ages of fossil resins. Hence, it may be assumed that geological conditions such as volcanic activity and/or hydrothermal heating are plausible factors accelerating the maturation of resins and cross-linking processes.
Towards Blue AIE/AIEE: Synthesis and Applications in OLEDs of Tetra-/Triphenylethenyl Substituted 9,9-Dimethylacridine Derivatives
Authors: Cekaviciute Monika , Petrauskaite Aina , Nasiri Sohrab , Simokaitiene Jurate , Volyniuk Dmytro , Sych Galyna , Budreckiene Ruta , Grazulevicius Juozas Vidas
Published: January 2020

Aiming to design blue fluorescent emitters with high photoluminescence quantum yields in solid-state, nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic 9,9-dimethylacridine was refined by tetraphenylethene and triphenylethene. Six tetra-/triphenylethene-substituted 9,9-dimethylacridines were synthesized by the Buchwald-Hartwig method with relatively high yields. Showing effects of substitution patterns, all emitters demonstrated high fluorescence quantum yields of 26–53% in non-doped films and 52–88% in doped films due to the aggregation induced/enhanced emission (AIE/AIEE) phenomena. In solid-state, the emitters emitted blue (451–481 nm) without doping and deep-blue (438–445 nm) with doping while greenish-yellow emission was detected for two compounds with additionally attached cyano-groups. The ionization potentials of the derivatives were found to be in the relatively wide range of 5.43–5.81 eV since cyano-groups were used in their design. Possible applications of the emitters were demonstrated in non-doped and doped organic light-emitting diodes with up to 2.3 % external quantum efficiencies for simple fluorescent devices. In the best case, deep-blue electroluminescence with chromaticity coordinates of (0.16, 0.10) was close to blue color standard (0.14, 0.08) of the National Television System Committee.
Proteomic Analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Response to Oxidative Stress Mediated by Cocoa Polyphenols Extract
Authors: Peláez-Soto Ana , Roig Patricia , Martínez-Culebras Pedro Vicente , Fernández-Espinar María Teresa , Gil José Vicente
Published: January 2020

The present study addressed the protective effects against oxidative stress (OS) of a cocoa powder extract (CPEX) on the protein expression profile of S. cerevisiae. A proteomic analysis was performed after culture preincubation with CPEX either without stress (−OS) or under stress conditions (+OS) (5 mM of H2O2). LC-MS/MS identified 33 differentially expressed proteins (–OS: 14, +OS: 19) that were included By Gene Ontology analysis in biological processes: biosynthesis of amino acids, carbohydrate metabolism and reactive oxygen species metabolic process. In a gene-knockout strains study, eight proteins were identified as putative candidates for being involved in the protective mechanism of cocoa polyphenols against OS induced by H2O2. CPEX was able to exert its antioxidant activity in yeast mainly through the regulation of: (a) amino acids metabolism proteins by modulating the production of molecules with known antioxidant roles; (b) stress-responsive protein Yhb1, but we were unable to fully understand its down-regulation; (c) protein Prb1, which can act by clipping Histone H3 N-terminal tails that are related to cellular resistance to DNA damaging agents.
Comparison of the Effects of Different Food-Grade Emulsifiers on the Properties and Stability of a Casein-Maltodextrin-Soybean Oil Compound Emulsion
Authors: Liu Yuan , Wei Zhen-Cheng , Deng Yuan-Yuan , Dong Hao , Zhang Yan , Tang Xiao-Jun , Li Ping , Liu Guang , Zhang Ming-Wei
Published: January 2020

The improvement of food-grade emulsifiers in the properties and stability of complex emulsion has attracted much interest. In this study, the effects of six food-grade emulsifiers with a hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) range of 3.4–8.0 on a casein-maltodextrin-soybean oil compound emulsion were investigated by centrifugal precipitation rate (CPR), emulsifying activity index (EAI), microrheological properties, zeta potential, average particle size, and Turbiscan stability index (TSI). The optimal amounts of added succinylated monoglyceride (SMG) and polyglycerol fatty acid ester were 0.0025% and 0.1% (w/w), respectively, while that of the other four emulsifiers was 0.2% (w/w), according to the CPR. Thereinto, the SMG-stabilized emulsion exhibited the highest emulsifying activity and the lowest viscosity value and possessed the highest stability over 14 days of storage, which was indicated by the lowest TSI value and the smallest change in delta backscattering signal, relative to those of the other groups. Moreover, the emulsion stabilized by SMG displayed better emulsion stability than the control under a range of pH (6.0–8.0) and calcium ion concentrations (0–10 mM), which was attributed to the increased zeta potential value and the decreased average particle size of droplets with the addition of SMG. The present study provides a basic understanding for SMG improving the properties and stability of the complex emulsion.
Grapevine Green Pruning Residues as a Promising and Sustainable Source of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Acquadro Stefano , Appleton Silvia , Marengo Arianna , Bicchi Carlo , Sgorbini Barbara , Mandrone Manuela , Gai Francesco , Peiretti Pier Giorgio , Cagliero Cecilia , Rubiolo Patrizia
Published: January 2020

Green pruning residues (GPRs) and leaves from 16 red and white Vitis vinifera L. cultivars from Piedmont (Italy) were studied. The investigated samples were extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction optimized by an experimental design, and quali- and quantitatively analyzed by HPLC-PDA-MS/MS. GPRs and leaves show a similar polyphenolic pattern, with quercetin 3-O-glucuronide, caftaric acid, and quercetin 3-O-glucoside as the main components, although in variable proportions. The HPLC results were related to the antioxidant activity, measured as total phenolic content and through DPPH and ABTS assays with similar results. Colorimetric in vitro assays, offline combined with HPLC-PDA analysis, determine which compounds contribute to the antioxidant activity in terms of radical scavenging abilities. Valorization of GPRs is a potential source of natural compounds that could be of interest in the health field, increasing their economic value together with a positive effect on the environment.
Effects of Lycium barbarum L. Polysaccharides on Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Markers in a Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure Rat Model
Authors: Pop Cristina , Berce Cristian , Ghibu Steliana , Scurtu Iuliu , Sorițău Olga , Login Cezar , Kiss Béla , Ștefan Maria Georgia , Fizeșan Ionel , Silaghi Horațiu , Mocan Andrei , Crișan Gianina , Loghin Felicia , Mogoșan Cristina
Published: January 2020

Despite recent advances in disease management and prevention, heart failure (HF) prevalence is still high. Hypertension, inflammation and oxidative stress are being investigated as important causative processes in HF. L. barbarum L. polysaccharides (LBPs) are widely used for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of LBPs on inflammation and oxidative stress markers in a pressure overload-induced HF rat model, surgically induced by abdominal aorta banding in Wistar rats (AAB) (n = 28). Also, control rats (n = 10) were subjected to a sham operation. After echocardiographic confirmation of HF (week 24), AAB rats were divided into three groups: rats treated with LBPs for 12 weeks: 100 mg/kg body weight /day (AAB_100, n = 9), 200 mg/kg body weight /day (AAB_200, n = 7) and no-treatment group (control AAB, n = 12). After 12 weeks of treatment with LBPs, the decline of cardiac function was prevented compared to the control AAB rats. Treatment with 200 mg/kg body weight /day LBPs significantly reduced the inflammation as seen by cytokine levels (IL-6 and TNF-α) and the plasma lipid peroxidation, as seen by malondialdehyde levels. These results suggest that LBPs present anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects with utility in a HF animal model and encourage further investigation of the cardioprotective effects of these polysaccharides.
Preclinical Activities of Epigallocatechin Gallate in Signaling Pathways in Cancer
Authors: Sharifi-Rad Mehdi , Pezzani Raffaele , Redaelli Marco , Zorzan Maira , Imran Muhammad , Ahmed Khalil Anees , Salehi Bahare , Sharopov Farukh , Cho William C. , Sharifi-Rad Javad
Published: January 2020

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the main bioactive component of catechins predominantly present in various types of tea. EGCG is well known for a wide spectrum of biological activities as an anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor agent. The effect of EGCG on cell death mechanisms via the induction of apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy has been documented. Moreover, its anti-proliferative action has been demonstrated in many cancer cell lines. It was also involved in the modulation of cyclooxygenase-2, oxidative stress and inflammation of different cellular processes. EGCG has been reported as a promising agent target for plasma membrane proteins, such as epidermal growth factor receptor. In addition, it has been demonstrated a mechanism of action relying on the inhibition of ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, NF-κB, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Furthermore, EGCG and its derivatives were used in proteasome inhibition and they were involved in epigenetic mechanisms. In summary, EGCG is the most predominant and bioactive constituent of tea and may play a role in cancer prevention.
Local Electronic Structure in AlN Studied by Single-Crystal 27Al and 14N NMR and DFT Calculations
Authors: Zeman Otto E. O. , Moudrakovski Igor L. , Hartmann Carsten , Indris Sylvio , Bräuniger Thomas
Published: January 2020

Both the chemical shift and quadrupole coupling tensors for 14 N and 27 Al in the wurtzite structure of aluminum nitride have been determined to high precision by single-crystal NMR spectroscopy. A homoepitaxially grown AlN single crystal with known morphology was used, which allowed for optical alignment of the crystal on the goniometer axis. From the analysis of the rotation patterns of 14 N ( I = 1 ) and 27 Al ( I = 5 / 2 ), the quadrupolar coupling constants were determined to χ ( 14 N ) = ( 8.19 ± 0.02 ) kHz, and χ ( 27 Al ) = ( 1.914 ± 0.001 ) MHz. The chemical shift parameters obtained from the data fit were δ i s o = − ( 292.6 ± 0.6 ) ppm and δ Δ = − ( 1.9 ± 1.1 ) ppm for 14 N, and (after correcting for the second-order quadrupolar shift) δ i s o = ( 113.6 ± 0.3 ) ppm and δ Δ = ( 12.7 ± 0.6 ) ppm for 27 Al. DFT calculations of the NMR parameters for non-optimized crystal geometries of AlN generally did not match the experimental values, whereas optimized geometries came close for 27 Al with χ ¯ calc = ( 1.791 ± 0.003 ) MHz, but not for 14 N with χ ¯ calc = − ( 19.5 ± 3.3 ) kHz.
Impact of Botrytis cinerea Contamination on the Characteristics and Foamability of Yeast Macromolecules Released during the Alcoholic Fermentation of a Model Grape Juice
Authors: Marchal Richard , Salmon Thomas , Gonzalez Ramon , Kemp Belinda , Vrigneau Céline , Williams Pascale , Doco Thierry
Published: January 2020

Botrytis cinerea is a fungal pathogen responsible for the decrease in foamability of sparkling wines. The proteolysis of must proteins originating from botrytized grapes is well known, but far less information is available concerning the effect of grape juice contamination by Botrytis. The impact from Botrytis on the biochemical and physico-chemical characteristics of proteins released from Saccharomyces during alcoholic fermentation remains elusive. To address this lack of knowledge, a model grape juice was inoculated with three enological yeasts with or without the Botrytis culture supernatant. Size exclusion chromatography coupled to multi-angle light scattering (SEC-MALLS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) techniques (AgNO3 and periodic acid Schiff staining) was used in the study. When Botrytis enzymes were present, a significant degradation of the higher and medium MW molecules released by Saccharomyces was observed during alcoholic fermentation whilst the lower MW fraction increased. For the three yeast strains studied, the results clearly showed a strong decrease in the wine foamability when synthetic musts were inoculated with 5% (v/v) of Botrytis culture due to fungus proteases.
Novel Approaches Utilizing Metal-Organic Framework Composites for the Extraction of Organic Compounds and Metal Traces from Fish and Seafood
Authors: Vardali Sofia C. , Manousi Natalia , Barczak Mariusz , Giannakoudakis Dimitrios A.
Published: January 2020

The determination of organic and inorganic pollutants in fish samples is a complex and demanding process, due to their high protein and fat content. Various novel sorbents including graphene, graphene oxide, molecular imprinted polymers, carbon nanotubes and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been reported for the extraction and preconcentration of a wide range of contaminants from fish tissue. MOFs are crystalline porous materials that are composed of metal ions or clusters coordinated with organic linkers. Those materials exhibit extraordinary properties including high surface area, tunable pore size as well as good thermal and chemical stability. Therefore, metal-organic frameworks have been recently used in many fields of analytical chemistry including sample pretreatment, fabrication of stationary phases and chiral separations. Various MOFs, and especially their composites or hybrids, have been successfully utilized for the sample preparation of fish samples for the determination of organic (i.e., antibiotics, antimicrobial compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.) and inorganic pollutants (i.e., mercury, palladium, cadmium, lead, etc.) as such or after functionalization with organic compounds.
Bioassay-Guided Different Extraction Techniques of Carica papaya (Linn.) Leaves on In Vitro Wound-Healing Activities
Authors: Soib Husnul Hanani , Ismail Hassan Fahmi , Husin Fitrien , Abu Bakar Mohamad Hafizi , Yaakob Harisun , Sarmidi Mohamad Roji
Published: January 2020

Herbal plants are traditionally utilized to treat various illnesses. They contain phytochemicals that can be extracted using conventional methods such as maceration, soxhlet, and boiling, as well as non-conventional methods including ultrasonic, microwave, and others. Carica papaya leaves have been used for the treatment of dengue, fungal, and bacterial infections as well as an ingredient in anti-aging products. Phytochemicals analysis detected the presence of kaempferol, myricetin, carpaine, pseudocarpaine, dehydrocarpaine I and II, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, β-carotene, lycopene, and anthraquinones glycoside. Conventional preparation by boiling and simple maceration is practical, simple, and safe; however, only polar phytochemicals are extracted. The present study aims to investigate the effects of three different non-conventional extraction techniques (ultrasonic-assisted extraction, reflux, and agitation) on C. papaya phytochemical constituents, the antioxidant capacity, and wound-healing activities. Among the three techniques, the reflux technique produced the highest extraction yield (17.86%) with the presence of saponins, flavonoids, coumarins, alkaloids, and phenolic metabolites. The reflux technique also produced the highest 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging with an IC50 value of 0.236 mg/mL followed by ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) (IC50: 0.377 mg/mL) and agitation (IC50: 0.404 mg/mL). At tested concentrations (3.125 µg/mL to 500 µg/mL), all extracts do not exhibit a cytotoxicity effect on the human skin fibroblast, HSF1184. Interestingly, reflux and UAE were active fibroblast proliferators that support 85% (12.5 µg/mL) and 41% (6.25 µg/mL) better cell growth, respectively. Additionally, during the early 24 h of the scratch assay, the migration rate at 12.5 µg/mL was faster for all extracts with 51.8% (reflux), 49.3% (agitation), and 42.5% (UAE) as compared to control (21.87%). At 48 h, proliferated cells covered 78.7% of the scratch area for reflux extract, 63.1% for UAE, 61% for agitation, and 42.6% for control. Additionally, the collagen synthesis was enhanced for 31.6% and 65% after 24 and 48 h of treatment for reflux. An HPLC-MS/MS-QTOF (quadruple time-of-flight) analysis of reflux identified nine phytochemicals, including carpaine, kaempferol 3-(2G-glucosylrutinoside), kaempferol 3-(2″-rhamnosylgalactoside), 7-rhamnoside, kaempferol 3-rhamnosyl-(1->2)-galactoside-7-rhamnoside, luteolin 7-galactosyl-(1->6)-galactoside, orientin 7-O-rhamnoside, 11-hydroperoxy-12,13-epoxy-9-octadecenoic acid, palmitic amide, and 2-hexaprenyl-6-methoxyphenol. The results suggested that reflux was the best technique as compared to ultrasonic and agitation.