bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NIR Hyperspectral Imaging Technology Combined with Multivariate Methods to Identify Shrimp Freshness
Authors: Ye Rongke , Chen Yingyi , Guo Yuchen , Duan Qingling , Li Daoliang , Liu Chunhong
Published: August 2020

In this study, a hyperspectral imaging system of 866.4–1701.0 nm, combined with a variety of spectral processing methods were adopted to identify shrimp freshness. To gain the optimal model combination, three preprocessing methods (Savitzky-Golay first derivative (SG1), multivariate scatter correction (MSC), and standard normal variate (SNV)), three characteristic wavelength extraction algorithms (random frog algorithm (RFA), uninformative variables elimination (UVE), and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS)), and four discriminant models (partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA), least squares support vector machine (LSSVM), random forest (RF), and extreme learning machine (ELM)) were employed for experimental study. First of all, due to the full wavelength modeling analysis, three preprocessing methods were utilized to preprocess the original spectral data. The analysis showed that the spectral data processed by the SNV method had the best performance among the four discriminant models. Secondly, due to the characteristic wavelength modeling analysis, three characteristic wavelength extraction algorithms were utilized to extract the characteristic wavelength of the SNV-processed spectral data. It was found that the CARS algorithm achieved the best performance among the three characteristic wavelength extraction algorithms, and the combining adoption of the ELM model and different characteristic wavelength extraction algorithms obtained the best results. Therefore, the model based on SNV-CARS-ELM obtained the best performance and was elected as the optimal model. Lastly, for accurately and explicitly displaying the refrigeration days of shrimps, the original hyperspectral images of shrimps were substituted into the SNV-CARS-ELM model, thus obtaining the general classification accuracy of 97.92%, and the object-wise method was used to visualize the classification results. As a result, the method proposed in this study can effectively detect the freshness of shrimps.
Cost Overrun Causative Factors in Road Infrastructure Projects: A Frequency and Importance Analysis
Authors: Herrera Rodrigo F. , Sánchez Omar , Castañeda Karen , Porras Hernán
Published: August 2020

Road infrastructure projects are essential for a country’s economic and social development. Due to the magnitude, the projects are associated with considerable economic investments that in the case of failure can seriously affect regions’ economies. Despite the importance, roads from different countries are affected by cost overruns, hence, it is essential to identify and analyze the causative factors to focus the search for mitigation solutions. There are several studies focused on the cost factors identification, however, studies are lacking that synthesize and analyze the frequency and importance with which the factors have been reported to obtain a phenomenon overview. Therefore, this paper focuses on analyzing the frequency and importance with which cost overrun factors are reported in road projects. The research method consisted of a systematic review compound of five principal stages: (1) question formulation; (2) searching of relevant documents; (3) document selection; (4) evidence collection, analysis and synthesis; and (5) results’ report. Thirty-eight cost overrun factors were identified and classified into 14 categories. According to the Influence Index, the five most important and frequent cost overrun factors were: (1) failures in design, (2) price variation of materials, (3) inadequate project planning, (4) project scope changes, and (5) design changes.
In-Memory Caching for Enhancing Subgraph Accessibility
Authors: Bok Kyoungsoo , Yoo Seunghun , Choi Dojin , Lim Jongtae , Yoo Jaesoo
Published: August 2020

Graphs have been utilized in various fields because of the development of social media and mobile devices. Various studies have also been conducted on caching techniques to reduce input and output costs when processing a large amount of graph data. In this paper, we propose a two-level caching scheme that considers the past usage pattern of subgraphs and graph connectivity, which are features of graph topology. The proposed caching is divided into a used cache and a prefetched cache to manage previously used subgraphs and subgraphs that will be used in the future. When the memory is full, a strategy that replaces a subgraph inside the memory with a new subgraph is needed. Subgraphs in the used cache are managed by a time-to-live (TTL) value, and subgraphs with a low TTL value are targeted for replacement. Subgraphs in the prefetched cache are managed by the queue structure. Thus, first-in subgraphs are targeted for replacement as a priority. When a cache hit occurs in the prefetched cache, the subgraphs are migrated and managed in the used cache. As a result of the performance evaluation, the proposed scheme takes into account subgraph usage patterns and graph connectivity, thus improving cache hit rates and data access speeds compared to conventional techniques. The proposed scheme can quickly process and analyze large graph queries in a computing environment with small memory. The proposed scheme can be used to speed up in-memory-based processing in applications where relationships between objects are complex, such as the Internet of Things and social networks.
Separation Process and Microstructure-Chemical Composition Relationship of Cenospheres from Lignite Fly Ash Produced from Coal-Fired Power Plant in Thailand
Authors: Yoriya Sorachon , Tepsri Phattarathicha
Published: August 2020

The cenosphere is one becoming a focus of the power plant in terms of value addition and ash management. This study presents a systematic investigation and characterization of physical properties, morphological structures, and chemical composition of cenospheres separated from fly ash produced from the Mae Moh coal-fired power plant, Thailand. To our knowledge, this is the first report on cenospheres separation from Mae Moh class C fly ash, with high calcium content ~24 wt.%, by adopting the traditional wet separation method (using water as the medium) to separate the lightweight cenospheres. Various effects of process parameters (fly ash-to-water ratio, stirring method, ultrasonication, and size classification) were designed to examine the cenosphere recovery yield in comparison. The result has revealed the limit of physical stirring-settling effect associated with the cenospheres content by nature governing the percent recovery. The bulk cenospheres were subject to size sieving into different sized fractions, with the structure-chemical composition relationship established for more insight. The particle diameter/shell thickness ratio revealed its significant correlation with the aluminosilicate glass composition, with the relating cenosphere shell structures (single-ring and porous) mapped to compare for a better elucidation of their structure-property relationship. The phase composition was also studied.
Efficient Multi-Player Computation Offloading for VR Edge-Cloud Computing Systems
Authors: Alshahrani Abdullah , Elgendy Ibrahim A. , Muthanna Ammar , Alghamdi Ahmed Mohammed , Alshamrani Adel
Published: August 2020

Virtual reality (VR) is considered to be one of the main use cases of the fifth-generation cellular system (5G). In addition, it has been categorized as one of the ultra-low latency applications in which VR applications require an end-to-end latency of 5 ms. However, the limited battery capacity and computing resources of mobile devices restrict the execution of VR applications on these devices. As a result, mobile edge-cloud computing is considered as a new paradigm to mitigate resource limitations of these devices through computation offloading process with low latency. To this end, this paper introduces an efficient multi-player with multi-task computation offloading model with guaranteed performance in network latency and energy consumption for VR applications based on mobile edge-cloud computing. In addition, this model has been formulated as an integer optimization problem whose objective is to minimize the sum cost of the entire system in terms of network latency and energy consumption. Afterwards, a low-complexity algorithm has been designed which provides comprehensive processes for deriving the optimal computation offloading decision in an efficient manner. Furthermore, we provide a prototype and real implementation for the proposed system using OpenAirInterface software. Finally, simulations have been conducted to validate our proposed model and prove that the network latency and energy consumption can be reduced by up to 26.2%, 27.2% and 10.9%, 12.2% in comparison with edge and cloud execution, respectively.
Associating Images with Sentences Using Recurrent Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: Guo Yawen , Yuan Hui , Zhang Kun
Published: August 2020

Associating images with sentences has drawn much attention recently. Existing methods commonly represent an image by indistinctively describing all its contents in an one-time static way, which ignores two facts that (1) the association analysis can only be effective for partial salient contents and the associated sentence, and (2) visual information acquisition is a dynamical rather than static process. To deal with this issue, we propose a recurrent canonical correlation analysis (RCCA) method for associating images with sentences. RCCA includes a contextual attention-based LSTM-RNN which can selectively attend to salient regions of an image at each time step, and then represent all the salient contents within a few steps. Different from existing attention-based models, our model focuses on the modelling of contextual visual attention mechanism for the task of association analysis. RCCA also includes a conventional LSTM-RNN for sentence representation learning. The resulting representations of images and sentences are fed into CCA to maximize linear correlation, where parameters of LSTM-RNNs and CCA are jointly learned. Due to the effective image representation learning, our model can well associate images with sentences with complex contents, and achieve better performance in terms of image annotation and retrieval.
A Critical Study of Using the Peukert Equation and Its Generalizations for Determining the Remaining Capacity of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Galushkin Nikolay E. , Yazvinskaya Nataliya N. , Galushkin Dmitriy N.
Published: August 2020

In many papers for forecasting remaining capacity of lithium-ion batteries, various analytical models are used based on the Peukert equation. In this paper, it is shown that the classic Peukert equation is applicable in two ranges of discharge currents. The first range isis the battery released capacity and ) to currents at which the discharge capacity of battery begins to rapidly decrease. The second range of discharge currents is from the inflection point of experimental curve to the highest currents used in the experiments. In the first range of discharge currents, both the classic Peukert equation and the Liebenow equation can be used. The operating range of the discharge currents for commercial automotive-grade lithium batteries is in the first range. Therefore, in many of the analytical models, the classic Peukert equation (taking into account the temperature) is successfully used to estimate the remaining capacity of these batteries. An analysis and evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of all the most popular generalized Peukert equations is presented. The generalized Peukert equation with allowance for temperature is established, which makes it possible to estimate the released capacity with high accuracy for lithium-ion batteries.
Comparison of Heat Transfer Enhancement Techniques in Latent Heat Storage
Authors: Delgado-Diaz William , Stamatiou Anastasia , Maranda Simon , Waser Remo , Worlitschek Jörg
Published: August 2020

Latent Heat Energy Storage (LHES) using Phase Change Materials (PCM) is considered a promising Thermal Energy Storage (TES) approach as it can allow for high levels of compactness, and execution of the charging and discharging processes at defined, constant temperature levels. These inherent characteristics make LHES particularly attractive for applications that profit from high energy density or precise temperature control. Many novel, promising heat exchanger designs and concepts have emerged as a way to circumvent heat transfer limitations of LHES. However, the extensive range of experimental conditions used to characterize these technologies in literature make it difficult to directly compare them as solutions for high thermal power applications. A methodology is presented that aims to enable the comparison of LHES designs with respect to their compactness and heat transfer performance even when largely disparate experimental data are available in literature. Thus, a pair of key performance indicators (KPI), ΦPCM representing the compactness degree and NHTPC, the normalized heat transfer performance coefficient, are defined, which are minimally influenced by the utilized experimental conditions. The evaluation procedure is presented and applied on various LHES designs. The most promising designs are identified and discussed. The proposed evaluation method is expected to open new paths in the community of LHES research by allowing the leveled-ground contrast of technologies among different studies, and facilitating the evaluation and selection of the most suitable design for a specific application.
Comprehensive Chemical Characterization of the Pistacia vera Fruits through Original NMR Quantification Methods
Authors: Rotondo Archimede , Rigano Francesca , Mondello Luigi
Published: August 2020

(1) Background: Pistacia vera is a dry fruit spread all over the world, commonly known as pistachio, and is very appreciated as a snack, as a precious ingredient for confectionery industries and also as a blessed touch for gourmet dishes; (2) Methods: The simultaneous NMR profiles concerning the hydrophilic and hydrophobic phases, enabled by a specific throughput over grinded pistachio seeds, led to the comprehensive chemical characterization of these nuts coming from different territories; (3) Results: The customized extraction method is described in detail as well as the employed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The chemical quantification takes advantage from the innovative multi-assignment recovered analysis (MARA-NMR) technique able to provide experimentally robust panels for both hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemicals. Beyond the assessed repeatability and the interesting statistical discrimination, this paper adds information about the quantitative and qualitative composition of pistachio as inferred by NMR data. This updated background can pave the way toward the development of wider and wider chemical panels improving the knowledge about the pistachio’s composition. This approach can be easily extended to other matrices.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Solids Based on Deformation Wave Theory
Authors: Yoshida Sanichiro , McGibboney Conor , Sasaki Tomohiro
Published: August 2020

The application of a recent field theory of deformation and fracture to nondestructive testing (NDT) is discussed. Based on the principle known as the symmetry of physical laws, the present field theory formulates all stages of deformation including the fracturing stage on the same theoretical basis. The formalism derives wave equations that govern the spatiotemporal characteristics of the differential displacement field of solids under deformation. The evolution from the elastic to the plastic stage of deformation is characterized by a transition from longitudinal (compression) wave to decaying longitudinal/transverse wave characteristics. The evolution from the plastic to the fracturing stage is characterized by transition from continuous wave to solitary wave characteristics. Further, the evolution from the pre-fracturing to the final fracturing stage is characterized by transition from the traveling solitary wave to stationary solitary wave characteristics. In accordance with these transitions, the criterion for deformation stage is defined as specific spatiotemporal characteristics of the differential displacement field. The optical interferometric technique, known as Electronic Speckle-Pattern Interferometry (ESPI), is discussed as an experimental tool to visualize those wave characteristics and the associated deformation-stage criteria. The wave equations are numerically solved for the elastoplastic stages, and the resultant spatiotemporal behavior of the differential displacement field is compared with the experimental results obtained by ESPI. Agreement between the experimental and numerical results validates the present methodology at least for the elastoplastic stages. The solitary wave characteristics in the fracturing stages is discussed based on the experimental results and dislocation theory.
Incorporation of Bioactive Glasses Containing Mg, Sr, and Zn in Electrospun PCL Fibers by Using Benign Solvents
Authors: Sergi Rachele , Cannillo Valeria , Boccaccini Aldo R. , Liverani Liliana
Published: August 2020

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and PCL/bioactive glass composite fiber mats were produced by electrospinning technique. To improve cell adhesion and proliferation (i) 45S5, (ii) a bioactive glass containing strontium and magnesium oxides, and (iii) a bioactive glass containing zinc oxide were separately added to the starting PCL solution before electrospinning. A good incorporation of bioactive glass particles in PCL electrospun mats was confirmed by SEM and FTIR analyses. Bioactivity was evaluated by immersion of PCL mats and PCL/bioactive glass electrospun fiber mats in simulated body fluid (SBF). Bone murine stromal cells (ST-2) were employed in WST-8 assay to assess cell viability, cell morphology, and proliferation. The results showed that the presence of bioactive glass particles in the fibers enhances cell adhesion and proliferation compared to neat PCL mats. Furthermore, PCL/bioactive glass electrospun mats showed higher wound-healing rate (measured as cell migration rate) in vitro compared to neat PCL electrospun mats. Therefore, the characteristics of the PCL matrix combined with biological properties of bioactive glasses make PCL/bioactive glass composite ideal candidate for biomedical application.
Human Height Estimation by Color Deep Learning and Depth 3D Conversion
Authors: Lee Dong-seok , Kim Jong-soo , Jeong Seok Chan , Kwon Soon-kak
Published: August 2020

In this study, an estimation method for human height is proposed using color and depth information. Color images are used for deep learning by mask R-CNN to detect a human body and a human head separately. If color images are not available for extracting the human body region due to low light environment, then the human body region is extracted by comparing between current frame in depth video and a pre-stored background depth image. The topmost point of the human head region is extracted as the top of the head and the bottommost point of the human body region as the bottom of the foot. The depth value of the head top-point is corrected to a pixel value that has high similarity to a neighboring pixel. The position of the body bottom-point is corrected by calculating a depth gradient between vertically adjacent pixels. Two head-top and foot-bottom points are converted into 3D real-world coordinates using depth information. Two real-world coordinates estimate human height by measuring a Euclidean distance. Estimation errors for human height are corrected as the average of accumulated heights. In experiment results, we achieve that the estimated errors of human height with a standing state are 0.7% and 2.2% when the human body region is extracted by mask R-CNN and the background depth image, respectively.
Clinicopathological Characteristics of Incidental Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma in an Endemic Goiter Area
Authors: Danila Radu , Livadariu Roxana Maria , Timofte Daniel Vasile , Trifescu Irina , Bibire Tudor , Ghiga Gabriela , Ciobanu Delia , Ionescu Lidia
Published: August 2020

Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is a common malignant disease of the endocrine system, which has rapidly increased in incidence and prevalence in recent decades. The aim of our paper was to identify correlations between pathological and clinical features of cases of PTMC. A total of 612 patients of both genders, who were operated on for benign thyroid diseases in the 3rd Surgical Unit of St. Spiridon University Hospital of Iasi, were monitored for a period of 2 years. According to pathological reports, PTMC was diagnosed in 144 cases. Of those cases, 81.2% were female and 18.8% were male, with an overall mean age of 54.77 ± 11.9 years. The mean diameter of tumors was 3.04 ± 2.2 mm (75.7% were under 5 mm), and 35.4% were multifocal tumors. Of all tumors studied, 76.4% were the follicular variant, 13.2% were conventional, and 10.4% of cases included tall cell, hobnail, or columnar variants. The underlying diseases were multinodular goiters (73.6%), adenomas (25%), Hashimoto thyroiditis (17.4%), Basedow’s disease, and other types of hyperthyroidism (4.9%), primarily hyperparathyroidism (7.6%), with a small percentage presenting a combination thereof. Extracapsular invasion was present in 14.6% while 5.6% presented perineural invasion and 0.7% of cases had vascular invasion. Lymphatic emboli were found in 9% of cases and lymph node metastasis in 5.6% of cases. PTMC is not as innocent as believed, and further studies, performed on larger batches, would be necessary in order to identify high oncological risk cases and to determine when a more aggressive surgical approach is indicated.
Lancastrians, Tudors, and World War II: British and German Historical Films as Propaganda, 1933–1945
Authors: Robison William B.
Published: August 2020

In World War II the Allies and Axis deployed propaganda in myriad forms, among which cinema was especially important in arousing patriotism and boosting morale. Britain and Germany made propaganda films from Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 to the war’s end in 1945, most commonly documentaries, historical films, and after 1939, fictional films about the ongoing conflict. Curiously, the historical films included several about fifteenth and sixteenth century England. In The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), director Alexander Korda—an admirer of Winston Churchill and opponent of appeasement—emphasizes the need for a strong navy to defend Tudor England against the ‘German’ Charles V. The same theme appears with Philip II of Spain as an analog for Hitler in Arthur B. Wood’s Drake of England (1935), William Howard’s Fire Over England (1937), parts of which reappear in the propaganda film The Lion Has Wings (1939), and the pro-British American film The Sea Hawk (1940). Meanwhile, two German films little known to present-day English language viewers turned the tables with English villains. In Gustav Ucicky’s Das Mädchen Johanna (Joan of Arc, 1935), Joan is the female embodiment of Hitler and wages heroic warfare against the English. In Carl Froelich’s Das Herz der Königin (The Heart of a Queen, 1940), Elizabeth I is an analog for an imperialistic Churchill and Mary, Queen of Scots an avatar of German virtues. Finally, to boost British morale on D-Day at Churchill’s behest, Laurence Olivier directed a masterly film version of William Shakespeare’s Henry V (1944), edited to emphasize the king’s virtues and courage, as in the St. Crispin’s Day speech with its “We few, we proud, we band of brothers”. This essay examines the aesthetic appeal, the historical accuracy, and the presentist propaganda in such films.
Light Scattering in a Turbulent Cloud: Simulations to Explore Cloud-Chamber Experiments
Authors: Packard Corey D. , Larsen Michael L. , Thomas Subin , Cantrell Will H. , Shaw Raymond A.
Published: August 2020

Radiative transfer through clouds can be impacted by variations in particle number size distribution, but also in particle spatial distribution. Due to turbulent mixing and inertial effects, spatial correlations often exist, even on scales reaching the cloud droplet separation distance. The resulting clusters and voids within the droplet field can lead to deviations from exponential extinction. Prior work has numerically investigated these departures from exponential attenuation in absorptive and scattering media; this work takes a step towards determining the feasibility of detecting departures from exponential behavior due to spatial correlation in turbulent clouds generated in a laboratory setting. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used to mimic turbulent mixing clouds generated in a laboratory convection cloud chamber. Light propagation through the resulting polydisperse and spatially correlated particle fields is explored via Monte Carlo ray tracing simulations. The key finding is that both mean radiative flux and standard deviation about the mean differ when correlations exist, suggesting that an experiment using a laboratory convection cloud chamber could be designed to investigate non-exponential behavior. Total forward flux is largely unchanged (due to scattering being highly forward-dominant for the size parameters considered), allowing it to be used for conditional sampling based on optical thickness. Direct and diffuse forward flux means are modified by approximately one standard deviation. Standard deviations of diffuse forward and backward fluxes are strongly enhanced, suggesting that fluctuations in the scattered light are a more sensitive metric to consider. The results also suggest the possibility that measurements of radiative transfer could be used to infer the strength and scales of correlations in a turbulent cloud, indicating entrainment and mixing effects.
Influence of the Autumn SST in the Southern Pacific Ocean on Winter Precipitation in the North American Monsoon Region
Authors: Liu Ting , Li Jianping , Wang Qiuyun , Zhao Sen
Published: August 2020

Previous investigations have reported that the impacts of the preceding climate signal in the Southern Hemisphere can extend to Northern Hemisphere middle latitudes during the following season. This study suggests that the positive (negative) boreal autumn south Pacific Ocean dipole (SPOD) sea surface temperature anomalies are usually followed by reduced (increased) precipitation in the following winter over the North American monsoon (NAM) region. The positive autumn SPOD has the potential to regulate the southward fluctuation of the eddy-driven westerly jet in the southern Pacific Ocean, and exert the Rossby wave train stretching across the Pacific Ocean to transport the related energy into the NAM region. This finally results in anomalous high pressure in the troposphere over the NAM region. The related sinking motion and the water vapor conditions further affect the precipitation variability in these regions. This entire process can be referred to as a “coupled oceanic–atmospheric bridge”, in which the “oceanic bridge” is the SPOD and the “atmospheric bridge” is the response of atmospheric circulation in the Pacific Ocean.
Estimation of Greenhouse Gas Emission from Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle) Manure Management Systems
Authors: Won Seunggun , Yoon Youngbin , Hamid Muhammad Mahboob Ali , Reza Arif , Shim Soomin , Kim Seungsoo , Ra Changsix , Novianty Eliza , Park Kyu-Hyun
Published: August 2020

The agricultural sector is considered one of the major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. The livestock industry as a significant contributor, is accounting for about 18% of GHG emissions measured in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent from agricultural practices. Depending on farming practices and climatic conditions, GHGs such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from livestock agriculture can vary significantly. Country-specific emission factors are, therefore, needed for a precise estimation of GHG emissions and to avoid uncertainties. This study was aimed at estimating the CH4 and N2O emission fluxes from Hanwoo (the most famous and popular Korean native cattle) manure management systems. CH4 and N2O emission fluxes from litter in the Hanwoo cattle barn and composting lot were monitored and calculated for 52 weeks using the dynamic chamber method. The calculated monthly average fluxes of CH4 and N2O from litter in the cattle barn ranged from 0.0 to 30.0 ± 13.7 and 0.896 ± 0.557 to 2.925 ± 2.853 μg/m2 s, respectively during the whole measurement period. While during the composting period, the monthly average of CH4 and N2O emission fluxes were varied from 1.449 ± 0.783 to 86.930 ± 19.092 and 0.511 ± 0.410 to 2.629 ± 1.105 μg/m2 s, respectively. The calculated emission fluxes of CH4 and N2O from manure management systems in this study were almost 5.4 and 2.1 times, respectively higher than the values reported for the Asian, South and North American countries in the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Overall, this study initiates the process along with signifies the importance of developing country-specific GHG inventories for the effective reduction of GHG emissions from the livestock sector in Korea.
Progress in Delivery of siRNA-Based Therapeutics Employing Nano-Vehicles for Treatment of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Ashrafizadeh Milad , Hushmandi Kiavash , Rahmani Moghadam Ebrahim , Zarrin Vahideh , Hosseinzadeh Kashani Sharareh , Bokaie Saied , Najafi Masoud , Tavakol Shima , Mohammadinejad Reza , Nabavi Noushin , Hsieh Chia-Ling , Zarepour Atefeh , Zare Ehsan Nazarzadeh , Zarrabi Ali , Makvandi Pooyan
Published: August 2020

Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for a high number of deaths in males with no available curative treatments. Patients with PCa are commonly diagnosed in advanced stages due to the lack of symptoms in the early stages. Recently, the research focus was directed toward gene editing in cancer therapy. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) intervention is considered as a powerful tool for gene silencing (knockdown), enabling the suppression of oncogene factors in cancer. This strategy is applied to the treatment of various cancers including PCa. The siRNA can inhibit proliferation and invasion of PCa cells and is able to promote the anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the off-target effects of siRNA therapy remarkably reduce its efficacy in PCa therapy. To date, various carriers were designed to improve the delivery of siRNA and, among them, nanoparticles are of importance. Nanoparticles enable the targeted delivery of siRNAs and enhance their potential in the downregulation of target genes of interest. Additionally, nanoparticles can provide a platform for the co-delivery of siRNAs and anti-tumor drugs, resulting in decreased growth and migration of PCa cells. The efficacy, specificity, and delivery of siRNAs are comprehensively discussed in this review to direct further studies toward using siRNAs and their nanoscale-delivery systems in PCa therapy and perhaps other cancer types.
From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to 3D Cardiac Microtissues: Progress, Applications and Challenges
Authors: Branco Mariana A. , Cabral Joaquim M.S. , Diogo Maria Margarida
Published: August 2020

The knowledge acquired throughout the years concerning the in vivo regulation of cardiac development has promoted the establishment of directed differentiation protocols to obtain cardiomyocytes (CMs) and other cardiac cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which play a crucial role in the function and homeostasis of the heart. Among other developments in the field, the transition from homogeneous cultures of CMs to more complex multicellular cardiac microtissues (MTs) has increased the potential of these models for studying cardiac disorders in vitro and for clinically relevant applications such as drug screening and cardiotoxicity tests. This review addresses the state of the art of the generation of different cardiac cells from hPSCs and the impact of transitioning CM differentiation from 2D culture to a 3D environment. Additionally, current methods that may be employed to generate 3D cardiac MTs are reviewed and, finally, the adoption of these models for in vitro applications and their adaptation to medium- to high-throughput screening settings are also highlighted.
Expression Profile of SARS-CoV-2 Host Receptors in Human Pancreatic Islets Revealed Upregulation of ACE2 in Diabetic Donors
Authors: Taneera Jalal , El-Huneidi Waseem , Hamad Mawieh , Mohammed Abdul Khader , Elaraby Esraa , Hachim Mahmood Yaseen
Published: August 2020

Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 is thought to occur through the binding of viral spike S1 protein to ACE2. The entry process involves priming of the S protein by TMPRSS2 and ADAM17, which collectively mediate the binding and promote ACE2 shedding. In this study, microarray and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) expression data were utilized to profile the expression pattern of ACE2, ADAM17, and TMPRSS2 in type 2 diabetic (T2D) and non-diabetic human pancreatic islets. Our data show that pancreatic islets express all three receptors irrespective of diabetes status. The expression of ACE2 was significantly increased in diabetic/hyperglycemic islets compared to non-diabetic/normoglycemic. Islets from female donors showed higher ACE2 expression compared to males; the expression of ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 was not affected by gender. The expression of the three receptors was statistically similar in young (≤40 years old) versus old (≥60 years old) donors. Obese (BMI > 30) donors have significantly higher expression levels of ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 relative to those from non-obese donors (BMI < 25). TMPRSS2 expression correlated positively with HbA1c and negatively with age, while ADAM17 and TMPRSS2 correlated positively with BMI. The expression of the three receptors was statistically similar in muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissues obtained from diabetic and nondiabetic donors. Lastly, ACE2 expression was higher in sorted pancreatic β-cell relative to other endocrine cells. In conclusion, ACE2 expression is increased in diabetic human islets. More studies are required to investigate whether variations of ACE2 expression could explain the severity of COVID-19 infection-related symptoms between diabetics and non-diabetic patients.
Structural Features Mediating Zinc Binding and Transfer in the AztABCD Zinc Transporter System
Authors: Meni Anusha , Yukl Erik T.
Published: August 2020

Many bacteria require ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters for the import of the essential metal zinc from limited environments. These systems rely on a periplasmic or cell-surface solute binding protein (SBP) to bind zinc with high affinity and specificity. AztABCD is one such zinc transport system recently identified in a large group of diverse bacterial species. In addition to a classical SBP (AztC), the operon also includes a periplasmic metallochaperone (AztD) shown to transfer zinc directly to AztC. Crystal structures of both proteins from Paracoccus denitrificans have been solved and suggest several structural features on each that may be important for zinc binding and transfer. Here we determine zinc binding affinity, dissociation kinetics, and transfer kinetics for several deletion mutants as well as a crystal structure for one of them. The results indicate specific roles for loop structures on AztC and an N-terminal motif on AztD in zinc binding and transfer. These data are consistent with a structural transfer model proposed previously and provide further mechanistic insight into the processes of zinc binding and transfer.
Triple Negative Breast Cancer and Breast Epithelial Cells Differentially Reprogram Glucose and Lipid Metabolism upon Treatment with Triterpenic Acids
Authors: Guerra Ângela R. , Paulino Ana F. , Castro Maria M. , Oliveira Helena , Duarte Maria F. , Duarte Iola F.
Published: August 2020

Plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenic acids (TAs) have gained increasing attention due to their multiple biological activities. Betulinic acid (BA) and ursolic acid (UA) modulate diverse pathways in carcinogenesis, offering increased changes of success in refractory cancers, such as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The present work aimed to assess the metabolic effects of BA and UA in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (TNBC model), as well as in MCF-10A non-cancer breast epithelial cells, with a view to unveiling the involvement of metabolic reprogramming in cellular responses to these TAs. Cell viability and cell cycle analyses were followed by assessment of changes in the cells exo- and endometabolome through 1H NMR analysis of cell culture medium supernatants, aqueous and organic cell extracts. In MDA-MB-231 cells, BA was suggested to induce a transient upregulation of glucose consumption and glycolytic conversion, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intensification, and hydrolysis of neutral lipids, while UA effects were much less pronounced. In MCF-10A cells, boosting of glucose metabolism by the two TAs was accompanied by diversion of glycolytic intermediates to the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and the synthesis of neutral lipids, possibly stored in detoxifying lipid droplets. Additionally, breast epithelial cells intensified pyruvate consumption and TCA cycle activity, possibly to compensate for oxidative impairment of pyruvate glycolytic production. This study provided novel insights into the metabolic effects of BA and UA in cancer and non-cancer breast cells, thus improving current understanding of the action of these compounds at the molecular level.
Fibrinogen Fucosylation as a Prognostic Marker of End-Stage Renal Disease in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Baralić Marko , Gligorijević Nikola , Brković Voin , Katrlík Jaroslav , Pažitná Lucia , Šunderić Miloš , Miljuš Goran , Penezić Ana , Dobrijević Zorana , Laušević Mirjana , Nedić Olgica , Robajac Dragana
Published: August 2020

Glycosylation may strongly affect protein structure and functions. A high risk of cardiovascular complications seen in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is, at least partly associated with delayed clot formation, increased clot strength, and delayed cloth lysis. Taking into consideration that fibrinogen mediates these processes, we isolated fibrinogen from the plasma from patients with ESRD on peritoneal dialysis (ESRD-PD), and examined glycosylation of native fibrinogen and its subunits by lectin-based microarray and lectin blotting. Compared to healthy controls, fibrinogen from patients had increased levels of A2BG2 and decreased levels of FA2 glycan. The distribution of glycans on individual chains was also affected, with the γ chain, responsible for physiological functions of fibrinogen (such as coagulation and platelet aggregation), being most prone to these alterations. Increased levels of multi-antennary N-glycans in ESRD-PD patients were also associated with the type of dialysis solutions, whereas an increase in the fucosylation levels was strongly related to the peritoneal membrane damage. Consequently, investigation of fibrinogen glycans can offer better insight into fibrinogen-related complications observed in ESRD-PD patients and, additionally, contribute to prognosis, choice of personalised therapy, determination of peritoneal membrane damage, and the length of utilization of peritoneum for dialysis.
Targeting TLR4 with ApTOLL Improves Heart Function in Response to Coronary Ischemia Reperfusion in Pigs Undergoing Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Ramirez-Carracedo Rafael , Tesoro Laura , Hernandez Ignacio , Diez-Mata Javier , Piñeiro David , Hernandez-Jimenez Macarena , Zamorano Jose Luis , Zaragoza Carlos
Published: August 2020

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) contributes to the pathogenesis of coronary ischemia/reperfusion (IR). To test whether the new TLR4 antagonist, ApTOLL, may prevent coronary IR damage, we administered 0.078 mg/kg ApTOLL or Placebo in pigs subjected to IR, analyzing the levels of cardiac troponins, matrix metalloproteinases, pro-, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, heart function, and tissue integrity over a period of 7 days after IR. Our results show that ApTOLL reduced cardiac troponin-1 24 h after administration, improving heart function, as detected by a significant recovery of the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and the shortening fraction (FS) cardiac parameters. The extension of necrotic and fibrotic areas was also reduced, as detected by Evans blue/2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, Hematoxylin/Eosine, and Masson Trichrome staining of heart sections, together with a significant reduction in the expression of the extracellular matrix-degrading, matrix metalloproteinase 9. Finally, the expression of the following cytokines, CCL1, CCL2, MIP1-A-B, CCL5, CD40L, C5/C5A, CXCL1, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL12, G-CSF, GM-CSF, ICAM-1, INF-g, IL1-a, ILI-b, IL-1Ra, IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL12, IL13, IL16, IL17-A, IL17- E, IL18, IL21, IL27, IL32, MIF, SERPIN-E1, TNF-a, and TREM-1, were also assayed, detecting a pronounced decrease of pro-inflammatory cytokines after 7 days of treatment with ApTOLL. Altogether, our results show that ApTOLL is a promising new tool for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Releasing the Lockdown: An Emerging Role for the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in the Breakdown of Transient Protein Inclusions
Authors: Reiss Yuval , Gur Elisheva , Ravid Tommer
Published: August 2020

Intracellular protein inclusions are diverse cellular entities with distinct biological properties. They vary in their protein content, sequestration sites, physiological function, conditions for their generation, and turnover rates. Major distinctions have been recognized between stationary amyloids and dynamic, misfolded protein deposits. The former being a dead end for irreversibly misfolded proteins, hence, cleared predominantly by autophagy, while the latter consists of a protein-quality control mechanism, important for cell endurance, where proteins are sequestered during proteotoxic stress and resolved upon its relief. Accordingly, the disaggregation of transient inclusions is a regulated process consisting of protein solubilization, followed by a triage step to either refolding or to ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Recent studies have demonstrated an indispensable role in disaggregation for components of the chaperone and the ubiquitin–proteasome systems. These include heat-shock chaperones of the 40/70/100 kDa families, the proteasome, proteasome substrate shuttling factors, and deubiquitylating enzymes. Thus, a functional link has been established between the chaperone machinery that extracts proteins from transient deposits and 26S proteasome-dependent disaggregation, indicative of a coordinated process. In this review, we discuss data emanating from these important studies and subsequently consolidate the information in the form of a working model for the disaggregation mechanism.
How Long Does a Neutrophil Live?—The Effect of 24 h Whole Blood Storage on Neutrophil Functions in Pigs
Authors: Bonilla Marta C. , Fingerhut Leonie , Alfonso-Castro Adriana , Mergani AhmedElmontaser , Schwennen Cornelia , von Köckritz-Blickwede Maren , de Buhr Nicole
Published: August 2020

Neutrophils are important effector cells of the innate immune system, traditionally regarded to have a short life span. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of the whole blood storage on neutrophil functions, e.g., viability, antimicrobial effect, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and phagocytosis. Therefore, fresh porcine whole blood was compared to whole blood stored for 24 h in the dark at room temperature. Different cell parameters in whole blood and in isolated neutrophils were analyzed. The following parameters were analyzed: cell count, band and segmented neutrophil count, viability, cholesterol content, release of free DNA as a marker for cell death, phagocytic activity in whole blood and in isolated neutrophils, the transmigration rate of neutrophils to IL8 stimulus, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the formation of NETs. It was observed that the number of isolated neutrophils decreased over time, indicating cell death occurs during 24 h of blood storage. However, the surviving neutrophils isolated from stored blood reacted comparably or even showed enhanced antimicrobial activity in the case of phagocytosis of Streptococcus (S.) suis, ROS production, and transmigration. The slightly altered cholesterol level of the harvested neutrophils in stored blood when compared to fresh blood partially explains some of the detected differences.
Ternary Fingerprints with Reference Odor for Fluctuation-Enhanced Sensing
Authors: Yu Xiaoyu , Kish Laszlo B. , Seguin Jean-Luc , King Maria D.
Published: August 2020

An improved method for fluctuation-enhanced sensing (FES) is introduced. We enhanced the old binary fingerprinting method, where the fingerprint bit values were ±1, by introducing ternary fingerprint bits utilizing a reference odor. In the ternary method, the fingerprint bit values are −1, 0, and +1, where the 0 value stands for the situation where the slope of the spectrum is identical to that of the reference odor. The application of the reference odor spectrum makes the fingerprint relative to the reference. The ternary nature and the reference feature increase the information entropy of the fingerprints. The method is briefly illustrated by sensing bacterial odor in cow manure isolates.
Urinalysis Using a Diaper-Based Testing Device
Authors: Sung Wei-Hsuan , Liu Ching-Yi , Yang Chung-Yao , Chen Cheng-Han , Tsao Yu-Ting , Shen Ching-Fen , Cheng Chao-Min
Published: August 2020

Urinary tract infections (UTI), one of the most common bacterial infections, annually affect 150 million people worldwide. Infants and the elderly are likely to have missed or delayed diagnosis of UTI due to difficulty clearly describing their symptoms. A rapid screening method for UTI is a critical and urgent need for these populations. The aim of our study is to develop a diaper-based testing device to assay urine biomarkers including pH, leukocyte, and nitrite level. This all-in-one device assists in urine collection and testing using a colorimetric approach to provide easily read visual results on the outside surface of a test strip-integrated diaper. In this study, we tested samples from 46 patients using testing strips and examined the results from 7 patients recruited to validate the strip-integrated diaper. In conclusion, this new diaper-based testing device is easy to use, rapid, and inexpensive, all of which imbue it with tremendous potential for development into a commercially viable UTI screening system.