bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Dietary Pattern and Bone Mass in School-Age Children
Authors: Liao Xuemei , Chen Shanshan , Su Mengyang , Zhang Xuanrui , Wei Yuanhuan , Liang Shujun , Wei Qinzhi , Zhang Zheqing
Published: September 2022

Early bone accrual significantly influences adult bone health and osteoporosis incidence. We aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns (DPs), bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) in school-age children in China. Children aged six–nine years (n = 465) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. DPs were identified by principal component factor analysis. Total body (TB) and total body less head (TBLH) BMC and BMD were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Five DPs were identified. After adjustment for covariates, multiple linear regression analysis showed that the “fruit-milk-eggs” dietary pattern was positively associated with TB (β = 10.480; 95% CI: 2.190, 18.770) and TBLH (β = 5.577; 95% CI: 0.214, 10.941) BMC, the “animal organs-refined cereals” pattern was associated with low TB BMC (β = −10.305; 95% CI: −18.433, −2.176), TBLH BMC (β = −6.346; 95% CI: −11.596, −1.096), TB BMD (β = −0.006; 95% CI: −0.011, −0.001) and TBLH BMD (β = −0.004; 95% CI: −0.007, −0.001). In conclusion, our study recommends home or school meals should be rich in fruit, milk, eggs with a moderate amount of vegetables, coarse grains and meat to promote bone development for school-age children.
Nutritional Assessment of Hospital Meals by Food-Recording Applications
Authors: Iizuka Katsumi , Ishihara Takuma , Watanabe Mayuka , Ito Akemi , Sarai Masayoshi , Miyahara Ryoji , Suzuki Atsushi , Saitoh Eiichi , Sasaki Hitomi
Published: September 2022

Mobile food records are currently used to determine the nutrition of healthy subjects. To determine the accuracy of such records, we evaluated the nutritional composition of a test meal (noodles and fruit juice) and a hospital meal (Japanese set meal) using two types of mobile food records. Eighteen healthy subjects (2 males and 16 females) were enrolled. Using these diets and validated nutrient-composition information, we evaluated the accuracy of the dietary assessments made by two dietary-record applications, Asken® and Calomeal®, over 5 days. For the test meal, the values provided by the two applications were close to the actual values. In contrast, for the hospital meal, the values provided by the two applications were approximately 1.5 times higher than the actual values. A linear-mixed-model analysis showed that the total energy, carbohydrate, and salt contents were significantly overestimated in the hospital meal. Protein also tended to be overestimated, while the fat content was not significantly overestimated. Furthermore, the total energy and fat contents increased significantly over time. No association with age was observed. A comparison of the coefficients of variation (CVs) for each nutrient in the hospital meal indicated that the fat levels were significantly higher than those in the test meal. In conclusion, the accuracy of mobile food records depends on the type of meal. Our data will provide lessons for the use of meal-recording applications in special cases, such as hospital food.
Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Improves Intestinal Gut Microbiota Homeostasis and Ameliorates Clostridioides difficile Infection
Authors: Wu Zhengjie , Shen Jian , Xu Qiaomai , Xiang Qiangqiang , Chen Yunbo , Lv Longxian , Zheng Beiwen , Wang Qiangqiang , Wang Shuting , Li Lanjuan
Published: September 2022

Clostridioides difficile infection is closely related to the intestinal flora disorders induced by antibiotics, and changes in the intestinal flora may cause the occurrence and development of Clostridioides difficile infection. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is one of the major bioactive ingredients of green tea and has been suggested to alleviate the growth of C. difficile in vitro. EGCG can ameliorate several diseases, such as obesity, by regulating the gut microbiota. However, whether EGCG can attenuate C. difficile infection by improving the gut microbiota is unknown. After establishing a mouse model of C. difficile infection, mice were administered EGCG (25 or 50 mg/kg/day) or PBS intragastrically for 2 weeks to assess the benefits of EGCG. Colonic pathology, inflammation, the intestinal barrier, gut microbiota composition, metabolomics, and the transcriptome were evaluated in the different groups. Compared with those of the mice in the CDI group, EGCG improved survival rates after infection, improved inflammatory markers, and restored the damage to the intestinal barrier. Furthermore, EGCG could improve the intestinal microbial community caused by C. difficile infection, such as by reducing the relative abundance of Enterococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, EGCG can increase short-chain fatty acids, improve amino acid metabolism, and downregulate pathways related to intestinal inflammation. EGCG alters the microbiota and alleviates C. difficile infection, which provides new insights into potential therapies.
Dietary–Physical Activity Patterns in the Health Context of Older Polish Adults: The ‘ABC of Healthy Eating’ Project
Authors: Jeruszka-Bielak Marta , Hamulka Jadwiga , Czarniecka-Skubina Ewa , Hoffmann Monika , Kostyra Eliza , Stasiewicz Beata , Jeszka Jan , Wadolowska Lidia
Published: September 2022

The study aimed to analyze the dietary–physical activity patterns (D-PAPs) in the health context of Polish people aged 60+ years. A total of 418 respondents across Poland were recruited; however, the final analysis included 361 women and men aged 60–89 years old. D-PAPs were derived using a principal component analysis (PCA); input variables were the frequency of consumption of 10 food groups and physical activity. Finally, three D-PAPs were identified: ‘Pro-healthy eating and more-active’, ‘Sweets, fried foods and sweetened beverages’, and ‘Juices, fish and sweetened beverages’. We developed the Functional Limitations Score (FLS) using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®). A logistic regression was applied to verify the association between the D-PAPs and health-condition outcomes. Older adults were more likely to adhere to the upper tertile of the ‘Pro-healthy eating and more-active’ pattern, with good/better self-reported health status in comparison with their peers (OR = 1.86) or with good/very good self-assessed appetite (OR = 2.56), while this was less likely for older adults with malnutrition risk (OR = 0.37) or with a decrease in food intake (OR = 0.46). Subjects with a decrease in food intake (OR = 0.43), who declared a recent weight loss (OR = 0.49), or older adults in the upper tertile of the FLS (OR = 0.34) were less likely to adhere to the upper tertile of the ‘Sweets, fried foods and sweetened beverages’ pattern. The decrease in food intake due to a loss of appetite or chewing or swallowing difficulties was inversely associated with the ‘Pro-healthy eating and more-active’ pattern characterized by a relatively high frequency of consumption of vegetables, fruit, water, dairy, and grains and a high physical activity. In the interest of the good nutritional status and health of older adults, special attention should be paid to removing limitations in meal consumption, including improved appetite.
Functional Alternatives to Alcohol
Authors: Nutt David J. , Tyacke Robin J. , Spriggs Meg , Jacoby Vanessa , Borthwick Alan D. , Belelli Delia
Published: September 2022

The consumption of alcohol is associated with well-known health harms and many governments worldwide are actively engaged in devising approaches to reduce them. To this end, a common proposed strategy aims at reducing alcohol consumption. This approach has led to the development of non-alcoholic drinks, which have been especially welcome by younger, wealthier, health-conscious consumers, who have been turning away from alcohol to look toward alternatives. However, a drawback of non-alcoholic drinks is that they do not facilitate social interaction in the way alcohol does, which is the main reason behind social drinking. Therefore, an alternative approach is to develop functional drinks that do not use alcohol yet mimic the positive, pro-social effects of alcohol without the associated harms. This article will discuss (1) current knowledge of how alcohol mediates its effects in the brain, both the desirable, e.g., antistress to facilitate social interactions, and the harmful ones, with a specific focus on the pivotal role played by the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system and (2) how this knowledge can be exploited to develop functional safe alternatives to alcohol using either molecules already existing in nature or synthetic ones. This discussion will be complemented by an analysis of the regulatory challenges associated with the novel endeavour of bringing safe, functional alternatives to alcohol from the bench to bars.
Enhanced Immunogenicity of Adjuvanted Microparticulate HPV16 Vaccines Administered via the Transdermal Route
Authors: Vo Trinh Phuong , Panicker Gitika , Braz-Gomes Kimberly , Parenky Ashwin C. , Rajbhandari Ira , Rajeevan Mangalathu S. , Unger Elizabeth R. , D’Souza Martin J. , Uddin Mohammad N.
Published: September 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical cancer among women and is associated with other anogenital cancers in men and women. Prophylactic particulate vaccines that are affordable, self-administered and efficacious could improve uptake of HPV vaccines world-wide. The goal of this research is to develop a microparticulate HPV16 vaccine for transdermal administration using AdminPatch® and assess its immunogenicity in a pre-clinical mouse model. HPV16 microparticles were prepared using a biocompatible polymer and characterized in terms of size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency and microparticle yield. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were conducted to confirm particle image and to visualize the conformation of HPV16 vaccine particles released from microparticle formulation. In vivo studies performed to evaluate the potential of the microparticulate vaccine initiated a robust and sustained immune response. HPV16 IgG antibodies were significantly elevated in the microparticle group compared to antigen solutions administered by the transdermal route. Results show significant expansion of CD4+, CD45R, CD27 and CD62L cell populations in the vaccinated mice group, indicating the high efficacy of the microparticulate vaccine when administered via transdermal route. The findings of this study call attention to the use of minimally invasive, pain-free routes to deliver vaccine.
Optimization of the Pharmacokinetic Profile of [99mTc]Tc-N4-Bombesin Derivatives by Modification of the Pharmacophoric Gln-Trp Sequence
Authors: Günther Thomas , Konrad Matthias , Stopper León , Kunert Jan-Philip , Fischer Sebastian , Beck Roswitha , Casini Angela , Wester Hans-Jürgen
Published: September 2022

Current radiolabeled gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) ligands usually suffer from high accumulation in GRPR-positive organs (pancreas, stomach), limiting tumor-to-background contrast in the abdomen. In novel N4-bombesin derivatives this was addressed by substitutions at the Gln7-Trp8 site within the MJ9 peptide (H-Pip5-phe6-Gln7-Trp8-Ala9-Val10-Gly11-His12-Sta13-Leu14-NH2) either by homoserine (Hse7), β-(3-benzothienyl) alanine (Bta8) or α-methyl tryptophan (α-Me-Trp8), with the aim of optimizing pharmacokinetics. We prepared and characterized the peptide conjugates 6-carboxy-1,4,8,11-tetraazaundecane (N4)-asp-MJ9, N4-asp-[Bta8]MJ9, N4-[Hse7]MJ9 and N4-[α-Me-Trp8]MJ9, and evaluated these compounds in vitro (GRPR affinity via IC50,inverse; internalization; lipophilicity via logD7.4) and in vivo (biodistribution and μSPECT/CT studies at 1 h post injection (p.i.) in PC-3 tumor-bearing CB17-SCID mice). 99mTc-labeling resulted in radiochemical yields (RCYs) > 95%. All 99mTc-labeled MJ9 analogues showed comparable or higher GRPR affinity than the external reference [99mTc]Tc-Demobesin 4. Receptor-bound fractions were noticeably higher than that of the reference. Despite a slightly enhanced lipophilicity, all novel MJ9 derivatives revealed improved in vivo pharmacokinetics compared to the reference. The Bta8-modified ligand revealed the most favorable tumor-to-abdomen contrast at 1 h p.i. Substitutions at the Gln7-Trp8 site within GRPR ligands hold great potential to modify pharmacokinetics for improved imaging.
New Sulfamethoxazole Derivatives as Selective Carbonic Anhydrase IX and XII Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, Cytotoxic Activity and Molecular Modeling
Authors: Abdelgawad Mohamed A. , Bukhari Syed N. A. , Musa Arafa , Elmowafy Mohammed , Elkomy Mohammed H. , Nayl AbdElAziz. A. , El-Ghorab Ahmed H. , Alsohaimi Ibrahim Hotan , Abdel-Bakky Mohamed Sadek , Althobaiti Ibrahim O. , Altaleb Hamud A. , Omar Hany A. , Abdelazeem Ahmed H. , Zaki Mohamed A. , Shaker Mohamed E. , Elshemy Heba A. H.
Published: September 2022

In this study new sulphamethoxazole derivatives (S1–S4, S6–S12, and S14–S22) were designed and synthesized and their structures were fully characterized and validated using NMR, mass, and IR spectroscopy, as well as elemental analyses. All new derivatives (S1–S22) were assayed against human carbonic anhydrase (hCAs IX and XII) for their inhibitory activities. hCAs IX and XII were chosen due to the fact that CAIX expression is recognized as a hypoxia marker with a poor prognosis in breast cancer. When compared to Dorzolamide HCl as a standard reference, derivatives S2, S3, S8, S9, and S15 had the most effective inhibition with low IC50 values. The active compounds were further evaluated against hCAs I and II inhibitory activity and compounds S8, S9 and S15 showed the least inhibitory effect compared to the reference standard, acetazolamide, indicating that their effect in normal cells is the lowest. Cell viability tests for the selected compounds were carried out on MCF7 (normoxia and hypoxia) and on the normal breast cell line (MCF10a) with Staurosporine as a standard. The results showed that compound S15 had a highly potent cytotoxic effect. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis results showed that compound S15 triggered cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in G1/S of MCF7 cancer cells. Finally, molecular docking was performed to point out the possible explanation for the vital structural features and key-interactions exerted by our ligands with hCAs IX and XII that might share additional designs and highlight possible leads for a hopeful anticancer agent. Consequently, sulphamethoxazole Derivative S15 could be the potential lead for emerging selective cytotoxic compounds directing h CAs IX and XII.
Molecular Insight into Mycobacterium tuberculosis Resistance to Nitrofuranyl Amides Gained through Metagenomics-like Analysis of Spontaneous Mutants
Authors: Mokrousov Igor , Slavchev Ivaylo , Solovieva Natalia , Dogonadze Marine , Vyazovaya Anna , Valcheva Violeta , Masharsky Aleksey , Belopolskaya Olesya , Dimitrov Simeon , Zhuravlev Viacheslav , Portugal Isabel , Perdigão João , Dobrikov Georgi
Published: September 2022

We performed synthesis of new nitrofuranyl amides and investigated their anti-TB activity and primary genetic response of mycobacteria through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of spontaneous resistant mutants. The in vitro activity was assessed on reference strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The most active compound 11 was used for in vitro selection of spontaneous resistant mutants. The same mutations in six genes were detected in bacterial cultures grown under increased concentrations of 11 (2×, 4×, 8× MIC). The mutant positions were presented as mixed wild type and mutant alleles while increasing the concentration of the compound led to the semi-proportional and significant increase in mutant alleles. The identified genes belong to different categories and pathways. Some of them were previously reported as mediating drug resistance or drug tolerance, and counteracting oxidative and nitrosative stress, in particular: Rv0224c, fbiC, iniA, and Rv1592c. Gene-set interaction analysis revealed a certain weak interaction for gene pairs Rv1592–Rv1639c and Rv1592–Rv0224c. To conclude, this study experimentally demonstrated a multifaceted primary genetic response of M. tuberculosis to the action of nitrofurans. All three 11-treated subcultures independently presented the same six SNPs, which suggests their non-random occurrence and likely causative relationship between compound action and possible resistance mechanism.
Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Graphene Oxide @AlFu MOF Based Saponin Natural Product on OSCC Line
Authors: Mousavi Seyyed Mojtaba , Hashemi Seyyed Alireza , Ghahramani Yasmin , Azhdari Rouhollah , Yousefi Khadijeh , Gholami Ahmad , Fallahi Nezhad Fatemeh , Vijayakameswara Rao Neralla , Omidifar Navid , Chiang Wei-Hung
Published: September 2022

The increasing rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the undesirable side effects of anticancer agents have enhanced the demand for the development of efficient, detectable, and targeted anticancer systems. Saponins are a diverse family of natural glycosides that have recently been evaluated as an effective compound for the targeted therapy of squamous cell carcinoma. Due to their porous nature and stable structure, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a well-known substance form for various biological applications, such as drug delivery. In this study, we fabricated a novel hybrid, highly porous and low-toxic saponin-loaded nanostructure by modifying graphene oxide (GO)/reduced GO (rGO) with aluminum fumarate (AlFu) as MOF core–shell nanocomposite. The characterization of the nanostructures was investigated by FTIR, TEM, EDX, FESEM, and BET. MTT assay was used to investigate the anticancer activity of these compounds on OSCC and PDL normal dental cells. The effect of the nanocomposites on OSCC was then investigated by studying apoptosis and necrosis using flow cytometry. The GO/rGO was decorated with a saponin–AlFu mixture to further investigate cytotoxicity. The results of the MTT assay showed that PDL cells treated with AlFu–GO–saponin at a concentration of 250 μg/mL had a viability of 74.46 ± 16.02%, while OSCC cells treated with this sample at a similar concentration had a viability of only 38.35 ± 19.9%. The anticancer effect of this nanostructure on OSCC was clearly demonstrated. Moreover, the number of apoptotic cells in the AlFu–GO–saponin and AlFu–rGO–saponin groups was 10.98 ± 2.36%–26.90 ± 3.24% and 15.9 ± 4.08%–29.88 ± 0.41%, respectively, compared with 2.52 ± 0.78%–1.31 ± 0.62% in the untreated group. This significant increase in apoptotic effect observed with AlFu–rGO–saponin was also reflected in the significant anticancer effect of saponin-loaded nanostructures. Therefore, this study suggests that an effective saponin delivery system protocol for the precise design and fabrication of anticancer nanostructures for OSCC therapy should be performed prior to in vivo evaluations.
Thermodynamic Reversibility in Polarimetry
Authors: Gil José J.
Published: September 2022

The action of linear media on incident polarized electromagnetic waves can produce two kinds of thermodynamic irreversible effects, namely, loss of intensity, in general anisotropic, and reduction of the degree of polarization. Even though both phenomena can be described through specific properties, the overall degree of reversibility of polarimetric interactions can be characterized by means of a single parameter whose minimum and maximum values are achieved by fully irreversible and reversible polarimetric transformations, respectively. Furthermore, the sources of irreversibility associated to the entire family of Mueller matrices proportional to a given one are identified, leading to the definition of the specific reversibility as the square average of the degree of polarimetric purity and the polarimetric dimension index. The feasible values of the degree of reversibility with respect to the mean intensity coefficient and the degree of polarimetric purity are analyzed graphically, and the iso-reversibility branches are identified and analyzed. Furthermore, the behavior of the specific reversibility with respect to the achievable values of the polarimetric dimension index and the degree of polarizance is described by means of the purity figure, and it is compared to the iso-purity elliptical branches in such figure.
Bio and Synthetic Based Polymer Composite Materials
Authors: Ilyas R. A. , Sapuan S. M. , Bayraktar Emin
Published: September 2022

Bio and Synthetic Based Polymer Composite Materials is a newly opened Special Issue of Polymers, which aims to publish original and review papers on new scientific and applied research and make contributions to the findings and understanding of the reinforcing effects of various bio and synthetic-based polymers on the performance of polymer composites [...]
Model for Aqueous Polymer Solutions with Damping Term: Solvability and Vanishing Relaxation Limit
Authors: Baranovskii Evgenii S. , Artemov Mikhail A.
Published: September 2022

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the solvability of the steady-state flow model for low-concentrated aqueous polymer solutions with a damping term in a bounded domain under the no-slip boundary condition. Mathematically, the model under consideration is a boundary value problem for the system of strongly nonlinear partial differential equations of third order with the zero Dirichlet boundary condition. We propose the concept of a full weak solution (velocity–pressure pair) in the distributions sense. Using the method of introduction of auxiliary viscosity, the acute angle theorem for generalized monotone nonlinear operators, and the Krasnoselskii theorem on the continuity of the superposition operator in Lebesgue spaces, we obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of a full weak solution satisfying some energy inequality. Moreover, it is shown that the obtained solutions of the original problem converge to a solution of the steady-state damped Navier–Stokes system as the relaxation viscosity tends to zero.
Fabrication of Conductive Tissue Engineering Nanocomposite Films Based on Chitosan and Surfactant-Stabilized Graphene Dispersions
Authors: Buinov Aleksandr S. , Gafarova Elvira R. , Grebenik Ekaterina A. , Bardakova Kseniia N. , Kholkhoev Bato Ch. , Veryasova Nadezhda N. , Nikitin Pavel V. , Kosheleva Nastasia V. , Shavkuta Boris S. , Kuryanova Anastasia S. , Burdukovskii Vitalii F. , Timashev Peter S.
Published: September 2022

Chitosan (CS)/graphene nanocomposite films with tunable biomechanics, electroconductivity and biocompatibility using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and Pluronic F108 (Plu) as emulsion stabilizers for the purpose of conductive tissue engineering were successfully obtained. In order to obtain a composite solution, aqueous dispersions of multilayered graphene stabilized with Plu/PVP were supplied with CS at a ratio of CS to stabilizers of 2:1, respectively. Electroconductive films were obtained by the solution casting method. The electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility of the resulting films were assessed in relation to the graphene concentration and stabilizer type and they were close to that of smooth muscle tissue. According to the results of the in vitro cytotoxicity analysis, the films did not release soluble cytotoxic components into the cell culture medium. The high adhesion of murine fibroblasts to the films indicated the absence of contact cytotoxicity. In subcutaneous implantation in Wistar rats, we found that stabilizers reduced the brittleness of the chitosan films and the inflammatory response.
The Shape Memory Properties and Actuation Performances of 4D Printing Poly (Ether-Ether-Ketone)
Authors: Zhou Yuting , Ren Luquan , Zang Jianfeng , Zhang Zhihui
Published: September 2022

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) have gradually emerged in the mechanism and biomedical fields and facilitate the upgrading of industrial mechanisms and the breakthrough of technical bottlenecks. However, most of the SMPs are infeasible in harsh environments, such as aerospace, due to the low glass transition temperature. There are still some works that remain in creating truly portable or non-contacting actuators that can match the performances and functions of traditional metal structures. Polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) with a high glass transition temperature of 143 °C is endowed with outstanding high-temperature resistance and radiation-resistant properties and shape memory behavior. Thus, we explore the shape-memory properties and actuation performances of high-temperature PEEK in bending behaviors. The shape-recovery ratio, actuation speed and force under different programming conditions and structure parameters are summarized to complete the actuation capacities. Meanwhile, a metallic ball transported by shape-memory PEEK and deployed drag sail with thermo-responsive composite joints were shown to verify the potential in aerospace.
Effects of Radiation on Cross-Linking Reaction, Microstructure, and Microbiological Properties of Whey Protein-Based Tissue Adhesive Development
Authors: Liu Ning , Wang Guorong , Guo Mingruo
Published: September 2022

Whey proteins are mainly a group of small globular proteins. Their structures can be modified by physical, chemical, and other means to improve their functionality. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of radiation on protein–protein interaction, microstructure, and microbiological properties of whey protein–water solutions for a novel biomaterial tissue adhesive. Whey protein isolate solutions (10%, 27%, 30%, 33%, and 36% protein) were treated by different intensities (10–35 kGy) of gamma radiation. The protein solutions were analyzed for viscosity, turbidity, soluble nitrogen, total plate count, and yeast and mold counts. The interactions between whey proteins were also analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and scanning electron microscopy. The viscosity of protein solution (27%, w/w) was increased by the treatment of gamma radiation and by the storage at 23 °C. The 35 kGy intensity irradiated soluble nitrogen (10%, w/w) was reduced to about half of the sample treated by 0 kGy gamma radiation. The effects of gamma radiation and storage time can significantly increase the viscosity of whey protein solutions (p < 0.05). Radiation treatment had significant impact on soluble nitrogen of whey protein solutions (p < 0.05). SDS-PAGE results show that the extent of oligomerization of whey protein isolate solutions are increased by the enhancement in gamma radiation intensity. Photographs of SEM also indicate that protein–protein interactions are induced by gamma radiation in the model system. Consistent with above results, the bonding strength increases by the addition of extent of gamma radiation and the concentration of glutaraldehyde. Our results revealed that the combination of gamma-irradiated whey protein isolate solutions and glutaraldehyde can be used as a novel biomaterial tissue adhesive.
Breast Tissue Restoration after the Partial Mastectomy Using Polycaprolactone Scaffold
Authors: Jwa Seung-Jun , Won Jong-Min , Kim Do-Hyun , Kim Ki-Bum , Lee Jung-Bok , Heo Min , Shim Kyu-Sik , Jo Han-Saem , Lee Won-Jai , Roh Tai-Suk , Baek Woo-Yeol
Published: September 2022

As breast conserving surgery increases in the surgical treatment of breast cancer, partial mastectomy is also increasing. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a polymer that is used as an artifact in various parts of the human body based on the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of PCL. Here, we hypothesized that a PCL scaffold can be utilized for the restoration of breast tissue after a partial mastectomy. To demonstrate the hypothesis, a PCL scaffold was fabricated by 3D printing and three types of spherical PCL scaffold including PCL scaffold, PCL scaffold with collagen, and the PCL scaffold with breast tissue fragment were implanted in the rat breast defect model. After 6 months of implantation, the restoration of breast tissue was observed in the PCL scaffold and the expression of collagen in the PCL scaffold with collagen was seen. The expression of TNF-α was significantly increased in the PCL scaffold, but the expression of IL-6 showed no significant difference in all groups. Through this, it showed the possibility of using it as a method to conveniently repair tissue defects after partial mastectomy of the human body.
Using Natural Raw Materials and CEM Approach for the Design of Andean Volcanic Self-Compacting Concretes
Authors: Naranjo-Herrera L. F. , Páez-Flor N. M. , Rubio-Hernández F. J.
Published: September 2022

Volcanic activity is characteristic of seismic zones. Consequently, volcanic material form part of the landscape in places where earthquakes are common natural phenomena. As volcanic wastes (VW) show pozzolanic activity, the substitution of manufactured Portland cement (PC) with VW is clearly a desirable option not only from an economical point of view but also to reduce the CO2 fingerprint. Therefore, designing concretes with volcanic Portland cements (VPC) clearly contributes to cleaner cement production. Construction and building activities in seismic zones need to use a specific kind of concrete—self-compacting concrete (SCC). The challenge we focused on was the design of SCC using VPC. The flow behavior of SCC is characterized by low yield stress, high plastic viscosity, and shear-thickening behavior at high shear. However, obtaining these striking properties of the concrete is not easy with traditional concrete flow tests (Abrams cone, etc.). Moreover, these methods are very costly in terms of time and material. An alternative that allows us to use absolute rheometry and which has been little explored consists in the substitution of concrete by an equivalent mortar. The so-named concrete equivalent mortar (CEM) approach was used in this study to obtain SCC formulations with VPC. Mini cone tests confirmed the absence of blend in some selected CEM formulations based upon the accomplishment of the criteria for SCC. Three concrete proposals were inferred from the respective CEM formulations. They adapted to the SCC European standard according to the Abrams cone spread test.
Experimental Determination on the Deactivation Kinetics of Residue Hydroprocessing in a Two-Stage Fixed Bed Loaded with HDM and HDS Catalysts
Authors: Chen Kaixuan , Cao Yankai , Zhu Huihong , Ge Hailong , Yang Tao , Zhou Zhiming , Cheng Zhenmin
Published: September 2022

Residue catalytic hydrogenation was carried out in a two-stage downflow fixed-bed reactor system, with a HDM catalyst in the first stage and HDS catalyst in the second one, to mimic the industrial operation. The experiments were run at five sets of temperatures (395 °C (first reactor)/405 °C (second reactor), 400 °C/410 °C, 405 °C/415 °C, 410 °C/420 °C, and 420 °C/430 °C). It was found that the initial stage deactivation was mainly caused by the rapid deposition of coke. Gradually, the deposition of metal sulfides leads to a slow deactivation in the middle stage of operation. A deactivation model that considers the catalyst activity as a function of TOS was proposed and applied to the hydrotreating reaction. The deactivation parameters of HDCCR, HDS, HDNi, and HDV in the two reactors were obtained by fitting the experimental data at the outlet of the two reactors. According to the deactivation curves of catalysts, it is proposed that the deactivation of HDM catalyst is faster than that of HDS catalyst, and multi-bed hydrogenation can effectively increase the catalyst life.
Design and Development of Explosion-Proof Cavity of Hydraulic System Power Unit Applied in Explosion-Proof Area
Authors: Chen Hanzhe , Zhao Dingxuan , Zhang Zhuxin , Jia Tuo , Zhao Ruoyu , Qu Zhengkun
Published: September 2022

The construction machinery and vehicles, especially the explosion-proof and explosion-isolation ability of the vehicles are playing an increasingly important role in the complex and unpredictable emergency rescue field. In this paper, the explosion-proof housing of hydraulic system power unit applied in engineering machinery is investigated, wherein the power unit includes motor, power supply and control element. Motor-driven hydraulic pump provides the necessary power for the hydraulic system. The gas explosion process, basic parameters, flame acceleration mechanism and the theory model of gas explosion in finite space are analyzed. Relevant mathematical models of the experimental gas explosion for explosion-proof cavity are established. Furthermore, the models are analyzed by numerical method. We simulate the dynamic process of explosion by software. The analysis, examination and simulation of structural strength are conducted on the explosion-proof cavity according to the maximum explosion pressure obtained from the simulation results. The reasonable design parameters satisfying the explosion-proof requirements are obtained. The explosion-proof cavity which is processed according to the design parameters is tested. The explosion-proof performance is verified by analyzing the experimental results. According to the test standard, the impact test, thermal test, pressure test, overpressure test and propagation test under internal ignition for the cavity are conducted. The results show that the pressure test coincides with the simulation results. The remaining test results also satisfy the experimental purpose. The reasonableness of the design of the explosion-proof cavity is verified, which can meet the actual requirements of the equipment.
Isolation and Molecular Identification of Xylanase-Producing Bacteria from Ulva flexuosa of the Persian Gulf
Authors: Pasalari Adnan , Homaei Ahmad
Published: September 2022

The marine ecosystem is one of the richest sources of biologically active compounds, such as enzymes, among which seaweed is one of the most diverse marine species and has a rich diversity of bacteria that produce different enzymes. Among these, the bacteria-derived xylanase enzyme has many applications in the fruit juice, paper, and baking industries; so, to consider the economic value of the xylanase enzyme and the isolation and identification of xylanase-producing bacteria is of particular importance. In this study, specimens of the alga Ulva flexuosa species were collected from the coasts of Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. The bacteria coexisting with the algae were isolated using a nutrient agar medium. The bacteria producing the xylanase enzyme were then screened by a specific solid culture medium containing xylan, and the activity of the xylanase enzyme isolated from the bacteria was measured using a xylan substrate. The bacteria with the highest enzymatic activity were selected and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, and the culture medium conditions for the enzyme production by the selected bacterial strains were optimized. Among the bacterial community, two strains with the highest xylanase activity, which belonged to the genera Bacillus and Shewanella, were identified as Bacillus subtilis strain HR05 and Shewanella algae strain HR06, respectively. The two selected bacteria were registered in the NCBI gene database. The results demonstrated that the two selected strains had different optimal growing conditions in terms of pH and temperature, as well as the sources of carbon and nitrogen for enzyme production. It seems that the xylanase enzyme isolated from the bacterial strains HR05 and HR06, which coexist with alga Ulva flexousa, could be potential candidates for biotechnology and various industries, such as pulp production, paper, and food manufacture, due to their high activity and optimal alkaline pH.
Scheduling Disjoint Setups in a Single-Server Permutation Flow Shop Manufacturing Process
Authors: Gnatowski Andrzej , Rudy Jarosław , Idzikowski Radosław
Published: September 2022

In this paper, a manufacturing process for a single-server permutation Flow Shop Scheduling Problem with sequence dependant, disjoint setups and makespan minimization is considered. The full problem is divided into two levels, and the lower level, aimed at finding an optimal order of setups for a given fixed order of jobs, is tackled. The mathematical model of the problem is presented along with a solution representation. Several problem properties pertaining to the problem solution space are formulated. The connection between the number of feasible solutions and the Catalan numbers is demonstrated and a Dynamic Programming-based algorithm for counting feasible solution is proposed. An elimination property is proved, which allows one to disregard up 99.99% of the solution space for instances with 10 jobs and 4 machines. A refinement procedure allowing us to improve the solution in the time required to evaluate it is shown. To illustrate how the properties can be used, two solving methods were proposed: a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming formulation and Tabu Search metaheuristic. The proposed methods were then tested in a computer experiment using a set instance based on Taillard’s benchmark; the results demonstrated their effectiveness even under a short time limit, proving that they could be used to build algorithms for the full problem.
Latin American Megachurches in a Changing Culture: An Integrative Review and an Exploration of Future Research Directions
Authors: Mora-Ciangherotti Fernando Adolfo
Published: September 2022

Several review articles about megachurch studies have been published recently concentrating their work on USA, Europe, and other parts of the world, with just a few references about Latin American megachurches. For that reason, this article aims to identify some of the characteristics of Latin American Evangelical megachurches by looking at relevant literature, especially that produced in the region, in Spanish and Portuguese, which is usually overlooked by researchers in the Global North. Since this research field is still limited in Latin America, areas where further work is necessary are identified. Three general catalysts for the emergence of megachurches in the region, church growth methodologies, Pentecostalization, and theologies of growth, serve as guides to organize the review process. The discussion shows that several potential areas of research in a variety of fields such as theology, ecclesiology, organizational theory, leadership, gender studies, and ethics, are proposed from the review.
Validation of Remote-Sensing Algorithms for Diffuse Attenuation of Downward Irradiance Using BGC-Argo Floats
Authors: Begouen Demeaux Charlotte , Boss Emmanuel
Published: September 2022

Estimates of the diffuse attenuation coefficient (Kd) at two different wavelengths and band-integrated (PAR) were obtained using different published algorithms developed for open ocean waters spanning in type from explicit-empirical, semi-analytical and implicit-empirical and applied to data from spectral radiometers on board six different satellites (MODIS-Aqua, MODIS-Terra, VIIRS–SNPP, VIIRS-JPSS, OLCI-Sentinel 3A and OLCI-Sentinel 3B). The resultant Kds were compared to those inferred from measurements of radiometry from sensors on board autonomous profiling floats (BGC-Argo). Advantages of BGC-Argo measurements compared to ship-based ones include: 1. uniform sampling in time throughout the year, 2. large spatial coverage, and 3. lack of shading by platform. Over 5000 quality-controlled matchups between Kds derived from float and from satellite sensors were found with values ranging from 0.01 to 0.67 m−1. Our results show that although all three algorithm types provided similarly ranging values of Kd to those of the floats, for most sensors, a given algorithm produced statistically different Kd distributions from the two others. Algorithm results diverged the most for low Kd (clearest waters). Algorithm biases were traced to the limitations of the datasets the algorithms were developed and trained with, as well as the neglect of sun angle in some algorithms. This study highlights: 1. the importance of using comprehensive field-based datasets (such as BGC-Argo) for algorithm development, 2. the limitation of using radiative-transfer model simulations only for algorithm development, and 3. the potential for improvement if sun angle is taken into account explicitly to improve empirical Kd algorithms. Recent augmentation of profiling floats with hyper-spectral radiometers should be encouraged as they will provide additional constraints to develop algorithms for upcoming missions such as NASA’s PACE and SBG and ESA’s CHIME, all of which will include a hyper-spectral radiometer.
Deep Learning-Based Water Quality Retrieval in an Impounded Lake Using Landsat 8 Imagery: An Application in Dongping Lake
Authors: Zhang Hanwen , Xue Baolin , Wang Guoqiang , Zhang Xiaojing , Zhang Qingzhu
Published: September 2022

Attempts have been made to incorporate remote sensing techniques and in situ observations for enhanced water quality assessments. Estimations of nonoptical indicators sensitive to water environment changes, however, have not been fully studied, mainly due to complex nonlinear relationships between the observed values and surface reflectance. In this study, we applied a novel deep learning approach driven by a range of spectral properties to retrieve 6-year changes in water quality variables, i.e., Chl-a, BOD, TN, CODMn, NH3-N, and TP, on a monthly basis between 2013 and 2018 at Dongping Lake, an impounded lake located in the Yellow River in China. Band arithmetic was used to compute 26 predictors from Landsat 8 OLI imagery for model inputs. The results showed generally strong agreement between in situ and ConvLSTM-derived lake variables, generating R2 of 0.92, 0.88, 0.84, 0.80, 0.83, and 0.77 for TN, NH3-N, CODMn, Chl-a, TP, and BOD, which suggest good performance of the developed model. We then used statistical analysis to identify the spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The framework established in this study has applications in effective water quality monitoring and serves as an alarming tool for water-environment management in the complex inland lake waters.
Characterizing Residual Current Circulation and Its Response Mechanism to Wind at a Seasonal Scale Based on High-Frequency Radar Data
Authors: Ren Lei , Yang Lingna , Pan Guangwei , Zheng Gang , Zhu Qin , Wang Yaqi , Zhu Zhenchang , Hartnett Michael
Published: September 2022

Residual current characteristics are indicators for the net transports of sediments, nutrients, and pollutants, and for the dilution and diffusion of soluble substances in coastal areas, yet their driving mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the characteristics of surface residual currents along the west coast of the island of Ireland, as well as the response mechanisms to wind at a seasonal scale based on the continuous observation data of high-frequency radar (HFR) for one year. Our analyses indicate that wind has a significant effect on generating surface residual currents, with correlation coefficients of 0.6–0.8 between wind speeds and residual current speeds at both annual and seasonal scales. However, the correlation between the directions of residual currents and the wind was not as significant as speed, likely because the directions of residual currents were not only affected by sea surface wind, but also by land boundary conditions in the research area. Moreover, the residual currents had a significant eastward flow trend identical to the wind direction at the maximum wind speed time, during which the effect of the tide on residual currents was relatively weak. Additionally, when compared with wind fields, HFR surface flow fields and surface residual current fields show that wind is the dominant driver of the variations of surface and residual flow fields. These findings shed light on coastal ecological and environmental management and can assist in the prevention and mitigation of marine disasters, by providing helpful information for improving the ability and accuracy of forecasting coastal currents.
MKANet: An Efficient Network with Sobel Boundary Loss for Land-Cover Classification of Satellite Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Zhang Zhiqi , Lu Wen , Cao Jinshan , Xie Guangqi
Published: September 2022

Land cover classification is a multiclass segmentation task to classify each pixel into a certain natural or human-made category of the earth’s surface, such as water, soil, natural vegetation, crops, and human infrastructure. Limited by hardware computational resources and memory capacity, most existing studies preprocessed original remote sensing images by downsampling or cropping them into small patches less than 512 × 512 pixels before sending them to a deep neural network. However, downsampling incurs a spatial detail loss, renders small segments hard to discriminate, and reverses the spatial resolution progress obtained by decades of efforts. Cropping images into small patches causes a loss of long-range context information, and restoring the predicted results to their original size brings extra latency. In response to the above weaknesses, we present an efficient lightweight semantic segmentation network termed MKANet. Aimed at the characteristics of top view high-resolution remote sensing imagery, MKANet utilizes sharing kernels to simultaneously and equally handle ground segments of inconsistent scales, and also employs a parallel and shallow architecture to boost inference speed and friendly support image patches more than 10× larger. To enhance boundary and small segment discrimination, we also propose a method that captures category impurity areas, exploits boundary information, and exerts an extra penalty on boundaries and small segment misjudgments. Both visual interpretations and quantitative metrics of extensive experiments demonstrate that MKANet obtains a state-of-the-art accuracy on two land-cover classification datasets and infers 2× faster than other competitive lightweight networks. All these merits highlight the potential of MKANet in practical applications.
Using Multi-Source Real Landform Data to Predict and Analyze Intercity Remote Interference of 5G Communication with Ducting and Troposcatter Effects
Authors: Yang Kai , Guo Xing , Wu Zhensen , Wu Jiaji , Wu Tao , Zhao Kun , Qu Tan , Linghu Longxiang
Published: September 2022

At present, 5G base stations are densely distributed in major cities based on improving user concentrations and the large demand for services in urban hotspot areas. Moreover, 5G communication requires more accurate communication propagation loss (PL) monitoring. Low-build areas, such as suburbs and rural areas, are prone to forming relatively stable tropospheric ducts, which can bend the signal to the surface in the duct-trapping layer for multiple reflections. Due to the random flow of the atmospheric air mass, each reflection of the communication signal is re-scattered in the troposphere through the top of the duct layer, thereby expanding the propagation range of the signal and changing the expected effect of radio wave propagation. If ducting and troposcatter effects happen in the 5G base station antenna layer, co-channel interference (CCI) could occur, affecting the quality of electromagnetic propagation. Urban links in the plain area have no major terrain obstacles, but ground fluctuations and land cover scattering have a greater impact on the signal scattering at the bottom of the duct. On the basis of the forward-propagation theory, this paper adds factors, such as ducting the forecast value using real weather parameters, terrain, and land cover-type distributions to evaluate the CCIs of over-the-horizon communications on the intercity link. Based on 1300 sets of randomly generated terrains and landforms, two deep learning (DL) models were used to predict the PL of over-the-horizon communications between cities in a land-based ducting environment. The accuracy of LSTM prediction could reach 98.4%. The verification of PL prediction using DL in this paper allows for quick and efficient prediction of PL in the land-based ducting of intercity links using land cover characteristics.