bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Eucoleus garfiai in Wild Boars Hunted at Different Altitudes in the Campania and Latium Regions (Italy)
Authors: Power Karen , Martano Manuela , Piscopo Nadia , Viola Paolo , Altamura Gennaro , Veneziano Vincenzo , Carvajal Urueña Ana , Esposito Luigi
Published: February 2023

Recent reports of Eucoleus garfiai in wild boars in southern Italy have highlighted the need for collecting epidemiological data on the presence of this parasite and understanding the role of possible interactions between wild boars, E. garfiai, and the environment. This study analyses, using histopathological and biomolecular techniques, the presence of E. garfiai in tongue samples of wild boars hunted in four provinces of the Campania and Latium regions (Italy), in areas located above and below 900 m above sea level (asl). Histopathological examinations revealed the presence of adults and eggs of nematodes, which were subsequently identified as E. garfiai by biomolecular analysis, in the tongue epithelium. The detection of the parasite was more frequent in samples collected from hunting areas located above 900 m asl than in those collected from areas located below 900 m asl (66.67% vs. 38.09%; p < 0.01). Some species of earthworms are intermediate hosts of E. garfiai and it is well known that earthworms are more present in high quality soils. Therefore, we can suggest that the higher prevalence of E. garfiai at higher altitudes is probably linked to a greater presence of earthworms in the soil, due to its higher quality in these areas.
A New Species of the Genus Achalinus (Squamata: Xenodermidae) from the Dabie Mountains, Anhui, China
Authors: Zhang Caiwen , Liu Kai , Huang Ruyi , Hu Tingli , Yu Lei , Sun Ruolei , Zhang Yucai , Wen Jing , Zhang Baowei
Published: February 2023

A new species of Xenodermid snake, Achalinus dabieshanensis sp. nov., was described based on three specimens (two female and one male) collected from the Dabie Mountains of western Anhui Province. It can be distinguished from known congeners by a significant genetic divergence in the mitochondrial gene fragment COI (p-distance ≥ 9.4%) and the following combination of characteristics: (1) length of the suture between the internasals being distinctly shorter than between the prefrontals; (2) a single loreal; (3) dorsal scales strongly keeled, in 23 rows throughout the body; (4) two pairs of prefrontals; (5) six supralabials; (6) five infralabials; (7) temporals 2 + 2 + 3 (or 2 + 2 + 4); (8) 141–155 ventrals; (9) 45–55 subcaudals, unpaired; (10) anal entire; (11) weakly iridescent tinged, uniform, brown to black dorsum with vertebral scales and about three adjacent dorsal scales dark brown forming a longitudinal vertebral line from posterior margin of parietals to tail tip; (12) light brown venter, ventral shields wide, visible on both sides, light brown flanks, giving the appearance of a black subcaudal streak. The recognition of the new species increases the number of described Achalinus species to 22.
Mitochondria-Targeted Curcumin: A Potent Antibacterial Agent against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus with a Possible Intracellular ROS Accumulation as the Mechanism of Action
Authors: Leferman Carmen-Ecaterina , Stoica Laura , Stoica Bogdan Alexandru , Ciubotaru Alin Dumitru , Badescu Aida Corina , Bogdanici Camelia-Margareta , Neagu Tiberiu Paul , Ghiciuc Cristina-Mihaela
Published: February 2023

Mitocurcumin (a triphenylphosphonium curcumin derivative) was previously reported as a selective antitumoral compound on different cellular lines, as well as a potent bactericidal candidate. In this study, the same compound showed strong antimicrobial efficacy against different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The minimum inhibitory concentration was identical for all tested strains (four strains of MRSA and one strain of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus), suggesting a new mechanism of action compared with usual antibacterial agents. All tested strains showed a significant sensitivity in the low micromolar range for the curcumin-triphenylphosphonium derivative. This susceptibility was modulated by the menadione/glutathione addition (the addition of glutathione resulted in a significant increase in minimal inhibitory concentration from 1.95 to 3.9 uM, whereas adding menadione resulted in a decrease of 0.49 uM). The fluorescence microscopy showed a better intrabacterial accumulation for the new curcumin-triphenylphosphonium derivative compared with simple curcumin. The MitoTracker staining showed an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for a S. pombe superoxide dismutase deleted model. All results suggest a new mechanism of action which is not influenced by the acquired resistance of MRSA. The most plausible mechanism is reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction after a massive intracellular accumulation of the curcumin-triphenylphosphonium derivative.
Free Space Optical Communication Networking Technology Based on a Laser Relay Station
Authors: Ding Changchun , Li Chengming , Wang Ziming , Gao Zhen , Liu Zijian , Song Junfeng , Tao Min
Published: February 2023

Optical communication modulation technology and networking technology are two important technologies for constructing free-space optical (FSO) communication. In this paper, pulse width modulation (PWM) is used to realize free-space optical communication. The process of signal modulation and demodulation is implemented by means of a field programmable gate array (FPGA). An optical communication relay system is constructed to realize communication networking. The binary data bits in the communication process are converted into pulse signals of different widths, the data demodulation process is realized by sampling with a high-speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the data level is determined by counting the proportion of high and low voltages sampled in a pulse period. The relay system analyzes the routing target after receiving the pulse signal from the transmitter, and then sends the data to the target receiver. The experimental results show that the constructed system can achieve point-to-multipoint free-space optical communication. Additionally, using ADC to demodulate the received signal increases the stability of the free-space optical communication system. This system provides the design prototype system of FSO communication networking technology.
Bilateral Teleoperation System with Integrated Position/Force Impedance Control for Assembly Tasks
Authors: Peng Shigang , Yu Meng , Cheng Xiang , Wang Pengfei
Published: February 2023

This article investigates the realization of achieving safe and flexible assembly under manual teleoperation. A wearable positioning system for teleoperation assembly tasks was designed to provide great flexibility and operability. The 6D coordinate information of the hand was reconstructed with a wireless locator in real-time, and three control methods were conducted. In contrast to the traditional impedance methods, an integrated position/force control method which takes the operator’s posture as the desired position was proposed, thus achieving the combination of the initiative of the operator and the compliance of the impedance control. Additionally, the method possesses the capacity of eliminating collision force caused by hand jitters and misoperation. Finally, the system was evaluated in a representative application of teleoperated peg-in-hole insertion. Additionally, a challenging task was tested to illustrate advantages of the proposed method. The results show that the position trailing is precise enough for a teleoperation system, and the proposed integrated position/force control method approaches outperformed position control and impedance in terms of precision and operability.
Effects of Heat Treatment and Diamond Burnishing on Fatigue Behaviour and Corrosion Resistance of AISI 304 Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Maximov Jordan , Duncheva Galya , Anchev Angel , Dunchev Vladimir , Argirov Yaroslav , Nikolova Maria
Published: February 2023

The surface cold working (SCW) of austenitic stainless steel (SS) causes martensitic transformation in the surface layers, and the percentage fraction of the strain-induced martensite depends on the degree of SCW. Higher content of α′−martensite increases the surface micro-hardness and fatigue strength, but deterioration of the corrosion resistance is possible. Therefore, the desired operational behaviour of austenitic SS can be ensured by the corresponding degree of SCW and heat treatment. This article evaluates the effects of SCW performed by diamond burnishing (DB) and heat treatment on the surface integrity (SI), rotating fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance of AISI 304 austenitic SS for two initial states: as-received hot-rolled bar and initially heat-treated at 1100 °C for one hour followed by quenching in water. Then, DB was implemented as a smoothing and hardening process, both alone and in combination with heat treatment at 350 °C for three hours after DB. The electrochemical performance was examined by open circuit potential measurements, followed by potentiodynamic tests. For both initial states, smoothing DB provided the lowest roughness, whereas an improvement in the maximum surface micro-hardness was obtained after hardening DB and subsequent heat treatment. The maximum fatigue strength was obtained by hardening multi-pass DB without subsequent heat treatment for the as-received initial state. Smoothing DB and subsequent heat treatment maximised the surface corrosion resistance for the two initial states, whereas a minimum corrosion rate was obtained for the initially heat-treated state. For the as-received state, smoothing DB and subsequent heat treatment simultaneously lead to a high fatigue limit (equal to that obtained by hardening single-pass DB) and a low corrosion rate.
Improvement of Mesh Atomizer Performance by Electrolytic Polishing
Authors: Liang Jia-Li , Zhang Fan , Zhang Jian-Hui , Huang Wei-Qing , Wen Yu-Xin , Chen Bo-Chuan
Published: February 2023

Piezoelectric atomization, which breaks liquid into tiny droplets, is widely used in aerospace, medicine, and health. Most research in piezoelectric atomizers has increased the atomization amount by improving mechanical structure and optimizing the vibration characteristics. However, as the core component of the atomizer is to realize atomization using the dynamic conical angle effect, the micro-tapered hole on the atomizing sheet has not been deeply studied. To eliminate the negative influence of the uneven burr caused by the hole machining process on the atomizing sheet, electrolytic polishing processing is proposed in this study to improve the quality of the micro-tapered holes. First, a theoretical model of the atomization amount and the conical angle is established. Second, the hole diameter and burr height are measured using a microscope, and the effectiveness of polishing on the burr removal of holes is verified. Lastly, the relationship between the conical angle and atomization amount is determined through an atomization amount experiment, which guides the revision of the theoretical model. The experimental results show that when the conical angle is 48,267° (the polishing time is 5 min), the atomization amount reaches a maximum of 5.202 mL/min, which is 3.93 times larger than that of the untreated one. This study demonstrates that polishing can effectively remove burr in the process of hole machining, which provides theoretical guidance for improving the quality of atomization sheets, and will further improve the atomization number of atomizers.
Review of Studies on Emotion Recognition and Judgment Based on Physiological Signals
Authors: Lin Wenqian , Li Chao
Published: February 2023

People’s emotions play an important part in our daily life and can not only reflect psychological and physical states, but also play a vital role in people’s communication, cognition and decision-making. Variations in people’s emotions induced by external conditions are accompanied by variations in physiological signals that can be measured and identified. People’s psychological signals are mainly measured with electroencephalograms (EEGs), electrodermal activity (EDA), electrocardiograms (ECGs), electromyography (EMG), pulse waves, etc. EEG signals are a comprehensive embodiment of the operation of numerous neurons in the cerebral cortex and can immediately express brain activity. EDA measures the electrical features of skin through skin conductance response, skin potential, skin conductance level or skin potential response. ECG technology uses an electrocardiograph to record changes in electrical activity in each cardiac cycle of the heart from the body surface. EMG is a technique that uses electronic instruments to evaluate and record the electrical activity of muscles, which is usually referred to as myoelectric activity. EEG, EDA, ECG and EMG have been widely used to recognize and judge people’s emotions in various situations. Different physiological signals have their own characteristics and are suitable for different occasions. Therefore, a review of the research work and application of emotion recognition and judgment based on the four physiological signals mentioned above is offered. The content covers the technologies adopted, the objects of application and the effects achieved. Finally, the application scenarios for different physiological signals are compared, and issues for attention are explored to provide reference and a basis for further investigation.
Hybrid Random Forest-Based Models for Earth Pressure Balance Tunneling-Induced Ground Settlement Prediction
Authors: Yang Peixi , Yong Weixun , Li Chuanqi , Peng Kang , Wei Wei , Qiu Yingui , Zhou Jian
Published: February 2023

Construction-induced ground settlement is a serious hazard in underground tunnel construction. Accurate ground settlement prediction has great significance in ensuring the surface building’s stability and human safety. To that end, 148 sets of data were collected from the Singapore Circle Line rail traffic project containing seven defining parameters to create a database for predicting ground settlement. These parameters are the tunnel depth (H), the tunnel advance rate (AR), the EPB earth pressure (EP), the mean SPTN value from the soil crown to the surface (Sm), the mean water content of the soil layer (MC), the mean modulus of elasticity of the soil layer (E), and the grout pressure used for injecting grout into the tail void (GP). Three hybrid models consisting of random forest (RF) and three types of meta-heuristics, Ant Lion Optimizier (ALO), Multi-Verse Optimizer (MVO), and Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA), were developed to predict ground settlement. Furthermore, the mean absolute error (MAE), the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean square error (RMSE) were used to assess predictive performance of the constructed models for predicting ground settlement. The evaluation results demonstrated that the GOA-RF with a population size of 10 has achieved the most outstanding predictive capability with the indices of MAE (Training set: 2.8224; Test set: 2.3507), MAPE (Training set: 40.5629; Test set: 38.5637), R2 (Training set: 0.9487; Test set: 0.9282), and RMSE (Training set: 4.93; Test set: 3.1576). Finally, the sensitivity analysis results indicated that MC, AR, Sm, and GP have a significant impact on ground settlement prediction based on the GOA-RF model.
MCGAN: Modified Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (MCGAN) for Class Imbalance Problems in Network Intrusion Detection System
Authors: Babu Kunda Suresh , Rao Yamarthi Narasimha
Published: February 2023

With developing technologies, network security is critical, predominantly active, and distributed ad hoc in networks. An intrusion detection system (IDS) plays a vital role in cyber security in detecting malicious activities in network traffic. However, class imbalance has triggered a challenging issue where many instances of some classes are more than others. Therefore, traditional classifiers suffer in classifying malicious activities and result in low robustness to unidentified glitches. This paper introduces a novel technique based on a modified conditional generative adversarial network (MCGAN) to address the class imbalance problem. The proposed MCGAN handles the class imbalance issue by generating oversamples to balance the minority and majority classes. Then, the Bi-LSTM technique is incorporated to classify the multi-class intrusion efficiently. This formulated model is experimented on using the NSL-KDD+ dataset with the aid of accuracy, precision, recall, FPR, and F-score to validate the efficacy of the proposed system. The simulation results of the proposed method are associated with other existing models. It achieved an accuracy of 95.16%, precision of 94.21%, FPR of 2.1%, and F1-score of 96.7% for the NSL-KDD+ dataset with 20 selected features.
Evaluating Deep Learning Techniques for Natural Language Inference
Authors: Eleftheriadis Petros , Perikos Isidoros , Hatzilygeroudis Ioannis
Published: February 2023

Natural language inference (NLI) is one of the most important natural language understanding (NLU) tasks. NLI expresses the ability to infer information during spoken or written communication. The NLI task concerns the determination of the entailment relation of a pair of sentences, called the premise and hypothesis. If the premise entails the hypothesis, the pair is labeled as an “entailment”. If the hypothesis contradicts the premise, the pair is labeled a “contradiction”, and if there is not enough information to infer a relationship, the pair is labeled as “neutral”. In this paper, we present experimentation results of using modern deep learning (DL) models, such as the pre-trained transformer BERT, as well as additional models that relay on LSTM networks, for the NLI task. We compare five DL models (and variations of them) on eight widely used NLI datasets. We trained and fine-tuned the hyperparameters for each model to achieve the best performance for each dataset, where we achieved some state-of-the-art results. Next, we examined the inference ability of the models on the BreakingNLI dataset, which evaluates the model’s ability to recognize lexical inferences. Finally, we tested the generalization power of our models across all the NLI datasets. The results of the study are quite interesting. In the first part of our experimentation, the results indicate the performance advantage of the pre-trained transformers BERT, RoBERTa, and ALBERT over other deep learning models. This became more evident when they were tested on the BreakingNLI dataset. We also see a pattern of improved performance when the larger models are used. However, ALBERT, given that it has 18 times fewer parameters, achieved quite remarkable performance.
Modern MultiPort Converter Technologies: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gevorkov Levon , Domínguez-García José Luis , Romero Lluis Trilla , Martínez Àlber Filbà
Published: February 2023

The integration of renewable energy sources (RES) as distributed generation units to the power grid has been accelerated by the rising demand for energy and the growing concern over the environmental effects of conventional sources. At the same time, modern electric vehicles (EV) are demonstrating a promising ability to decrease the consumption of fossil fuels. The issues related to a combination of various renewable energy sources to fulfil the load requirements can be solved by the application of multi-input–output architecture that is properly designed. In order to increase the driving range of EVs, several energy sources, including ultracapacitors and fuel cells, should be connected and operate in combination with a battery storage system. To manage these energy sources with various voltage-current characteristics, the same concept can be applied. The current trends in the field of multiport DC-DC converters are identified and examined in this research. This paper proposes a review and analysis of the most significant aspects of multiport converters, such as types based on various characteristics, their topologies, the benefits and drawbacks, and areas of application. A thorough investigation of multiport converters’ design guidelines and selection process for specific applications is presented. Based on their properties, multiport converters are categorized in this review. In comparison with other available review publications, this paper is more concise and mainly focused on the most general and important aspects of multiport technologies. Based on the provided information, the reader can discern modern trends and directions of the multiport converter development.
Modification and Optimization of Cycloidal Gear Tooth Profile Based on Machining Error Compensation
Authors: Wang Junzheng , Lv Hongzhan
Published: February 2023

The rotary vector reducer presents high precision and load capacity characteristics. The shape of the cycloidal gear tooth profile in the rotary vector reducer significantly affects its performance. Meanwhile, the effect of the machining error on the error between the designed and theoretical tooth profiles cannot be ignored. Thus, this paper analyzes the machining error items that affect the shape of the cycloidal gear profile from the machining process perspective. Due to the random characteristics and different distribution rules inherent in various machining errors, this paper proposes a cycloidal gear machining error compensation and modification model based on the Monte Carlo simulation method, providing a new theoretical method for compensating cycloidal gear machining errors. While compensating for machining errors, considering the impact of cycloidal gear modification on the carrying capacity, the NSGA-Ⅱoptimization algorithm is utilized to optimize the cycloidal gear modification parameter and finally, to solve the modification parameters with a more comprehensive performance.
Strength and Microstructure of a Clayey Soil Stabilized with Natural Stone Industry Waste and Lime or Cement
Authors: Pastor José Luis , Chai Jinchun , Sánchez Isidro
Published: February 2023

Industrial waste generated by the natural stone industry when working with limestone and dolostone is mainly composed of calcium carbonate and calcium magnesium carbonate. This mineral composition makes soil stabilization a potential use of the natural stone industry waste. However, much research must be carried out to fully understand the aptitude of this waste for soil improvement. In this work, the strength and microstructure of a clayey soil stabilized using limestone powder waste and lime or cement were studied employing the following techniques: unconfined compressive strength tests, mercury intrusion porosimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the effects of an aggressive environment were simulated using a sodium sulfate solution. Its effects were investigated from 7 days to 6 months. The results obtained show an increase in the unconfined compressive strength and a more compact structure for the samples with the industrial waste. Therefore, limestone powder waste from the natural stone industry can be used as a ternary element with lime and cement in soil stabilization.
Analysis of the Ventilation Performance of a Solar Chimney Coupled to an Outdoor Wind and Indoor Heat Source
Authors: Yue Shuaikun , Ge Zhong , Xu Jian , Xie Jianbin , Xie Zhiyong , Zhang Songyuan , Li Jian
Published: February 2023

The effects of different solar radiation intensities, heat flow density of indoor heat sources, outdoor wind speed, and the relative location of indoor heat sources on the natural ventilation performance of solar chimneys are investigated through three-dimensional numerical simulations. The mechanism of the mutual coupling of the solar chimney effect with the outdoor wind and indoor heat source heat plume is explored. The results of the study show that when the structural parameters of the solar chimney are the same, the heat flow density on the surface of the indoor heat source, the outdoor wind speed and the solar radiation intensity all have a gaining effect on the ventilation performance of the solar chimney and the effects of the three on the ventilation of the solar chimney promote each other, when the solar radiation intensity is 200 W/m2, the outdoor wind speed is 1.0 m/s, and the indoor heat source heat flow density increases from 0 to 1 500 W/m2, the solar chimney ventilation volume increases from 0.393 m3/s to 0.519 m3/s, the maximum value of the increase is 32.1%. In the other two cases, the maximum increase in solar chimney ventilation is 176.7% and 33.1%, respectively. Under the same conditions, solar chimney ventilation is optimal when the heat source is in the middle of the room. The presence of outdoor wind, however, affects the optimum design parameters of the solar chimney. Compared to the case where no outdoor wind is taken into account, the optimum inlet width of 0.2–0.3 m for the solar chimney no longer applies with outdoor wind, with the optimum value rising to 0.5 m.
Somatotropin Penetration Testing from Formulations Applied Topically to the Skin
Authors: Siemiradzka Wioletta , Franczyk Agata , Bułaś Lucyna , Dolińska Barbara
Published: February 2023

Growth hormone (somatotropin—STH) deficiency therapy requires daily injections of recombinant human growth hormone. The FDA approved treatment with STH with one dose per week for the first time in 2021. However, injectable drug application is accompanied by numerous inconveniences. Therefore, an attempt was made to formulate a less invasive STH formulation for topical application to the skin. A substrate was prepared based on a polymer, methylcellulose (MC), into which STH was introduced at a concentration of 1 mg/g. Simultaneously, formulations were made with STH, to which albumin (ALB) was added at different concentrations: 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.5%. A test of the degree of STH permeation was carried out, as well as the effect of ALB on STH permeation parameters. Selected rheological properties of the formulations obtained were investigated. A test of STH permeation in simulated in vivo conditions through porcine skin indicated a relatively good bioavailability of over 80% and confirmed the effectiveness of MC as a carrier for growth hormone. ALB prolonged the STH penetration rate and increased the penetration degree of STH to 93%. The hydrogels obtained were found to be typical shear-thinning, thixotropic fluids.
The Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium and the Chlorophyll Breakdown Product Pheophorbide a for Photodynamic Therapy Applications
Authors: Saide Assunta , Riccio Gennaro , Ianora Adrianna , Lauritano Chiara
Published: February 2023

Microalgae, eukaryotic unicellular plants that are distributed worldwide, have been shown to exert anti-proliferative and anticancer activities on various human cancer cell lines. An example of a microalgal bioactive compound is a chlorophyll breakdown product named Pheophorbide a (Ppa), which has been reported to have anti-proliferative properties against various cell lines. This compound has also been tested with light exposure in photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment. In this paper, we screened eleven marine microalgae against a panel of cancer cells, and evaluated the synergistic anti-proliferative effect with Pheophorbide a, with and without photo-activation. The results showed significant anti-proliferative activity against melanoma cells when Ppa was combined with fraction E of the diatom Cylindrotheca closterium plus 1 h photo-activation. Its activity was also analyzed using gene expression and Western blot experiments. Altogether, these data give new insights into the possible application of microalgae for photodynamic therapy.
TCNformer Model for Photovoltaic Power Prediction
Authors: Liu Shipeng , Ning Dejun , Ma Jue
Published: February 2023

Despite the growing capabilities of the short-term prediction of photovoltaic power, we still face two challenges to longer time-range predictions: error accumulation and long-term time series feature extraction. In order to improve the longer time range prediction accuracy of photovoltaic power, this paper proposes a seq2seq prediction model TCNformer, which outperforms other state-of-the-art (SOTA) algorithms by introducing variable selection (VS), long- and short-term time series feature extraction (LSTFE), and one-step temporal convolutional network (TCN) decoding. A VS module employs correlation analysis and periodic analysis to separate the time series correlation information, LSTFE extracts multiple time series features from time series data, and one-step TCN decoding realizes generative predictions. We demonstrate here that TCNformer has the lowest mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) in contrast to the other algorithms in the field of the short-term prediction of photovoltaic power, and furthermore, the effectiveness of each module has been verified through ablation experiments.
Analysis of the Antioxidant Activity, Lipid Profile, and Minerals of the Skin and Seed of Hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.), Pistachios (Pistacia vera) and Almonds (Prunus dulcis)—A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Mohammed Duha , Freije Afnan , Abdulhussain Hawra , Khonji Aysha , Hasan Mariam , Ferraris Cinzia , Gasparri Clara , Aziz Aljar Mona A. , Ali Redha Ali , Giacosa Attilio , Rondanelli Mariangela , Perna Simone
Published: February 2023

Nuts are dry, single-seeded fruits with a combination of beneficial compounds that aid in disease prevention and treatment. The aims of this research are to evaluate the total antioxidant activity (AI) by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, fatty acids by acid-catalyzed esterification method, and minerals by inductively coupled plasma optical emission (ICP-OE) spectrometer in hazelnuts, pistachios, and almond seeds and skins. Considering total AI, the results demonstrated that the highest activity was found in hazelnut and pistachio skin. The results considering minerals demonstrated that manganese, zinc, and iron levels are high in almond and hazelnut skins, copper is dominant in pistachio skin and hazelnut seed, and selenium is high in pistachio and almond skins and seed. Finally, the results showed palmitic acid is present in almond skin and pistachio seed, palmitoleic acid is high in almond and pistachio skins, and stearic acid is present in almond and hazelnut skins. Oleic acid was found in hazelnut seeds and their skin, linoleic acid in almond skin and pistachio seeds, and α-linolenic acid in almond and pistachio skins. In conclusion, hazelnut, pistachio, and almond skins are a great source of antioxidants, minerals, and healthy fatty acids, making them useful for nutraceutical development.
Seasonal and Diurnal Variability of Monoterpenes in the Eastern Mediterranean Atmosphere
Authors: Tzitzikalaki Evangelia , Kalivitis Nikos , Kouvarakis Giorgos , Mihalopoulos Nikos , Kanakidou Maria
Published: February 2023

Monoterpenes significantly affect air quality and climate as they participate in tropospheric ozone formation, new particle formation (NPF), and growth through their oxidation products. Vegetation is responsible for most biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions released into the atmosphere, yet the contribution of shrub and regional transport to the ambient monoterpene mixing ratios is not sufficiently documented. In this study, we present one-year systematic observations of monoterpenes in the Eastern Mediterranean at a remote coastal site, affected mainly by the typical phrygana vegetation found on the Island of Crete in Greece. A total of 345 air samples were collected in absorption tubes and analyzed by a GC-FID system during three intensive campaigns (in spring 2014, summer 2014, and spring 2015) in addition to the systematic collection of one diurnal cycle per week from October 2014 to April 2015. Limonene, α-pinene and 1,8-cineol have been detected. The mixing ratios of α-pinene during spring and summer show a cycle that is typical for biogenic compounds, with high levels during the night and early morning, followed by an abrupt decrease around midday, which results from the strong photochemical depletion of this compound. Limonene was the most abundant monoterpene, with average mixing ratios of 36.3 ± 66 ppt. The highest mixing ratios were observed during autumn and spring, with a maximum mixing ratio in the early afternoon. The spring and autumn maxima could be attributed to the seasonal behavior of vegetation growth at Finokalia. The green period starts in late autumn when phrygana vegetation grows because of the rainfall; the temperature is still high at this time, as Finokalia is located in the southeast part of Europe. Statistical analyses of the observations showed that limonene and α-pinene have different sources, and none of the studied monoterpenes is correlated with the anthropogenic sources. Finally, the seasonality of the new particle formation (NPF) events and monoterpene mixing ratios show similarities, with a maximum occurring in spring, indicating that monoterpenes may contribute to the production of new particles.
Ingestion of Soybean Sprouts Containing a HASPIN Inhibitor Improves Condition in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Tanaka Hiromitsu , Matsushita Hiroaki , Tokuhiro Keizo , Fukunari Atsushi , Ando Yukio
Published: February 2023

The MATP/tau protein is hyperphosphorylated in Alzheimer’s patients. Therefore, research into the regulation of tau protein phosphorylation is important for understanding Alzheimer’s disease. HASPIN is a serine/threonine kinase that is expressed in various cells. To examine whether HASPIN is involved in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease through tau protein phosphorylation, we investigated the effects of a diet including soybean sprouts rich in the HASPIN inhibitor coumestrol in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (5xFAD). The results showed that HASPIN was expressed in the hippocampus and phosphorylated tau protein, while the ingestion of soybean sprouts containing coumestrol suppressed the development of spatial cognitive dysfunction in 5xFAD. These results indicate that HASPIN may be one of the target molecules for the repression of tau phosphorylation in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Single-Cell Labeling Strategies to Dissect Neuronal Structures and Local Functions
Authors: Kohara Keigo , Okada Masayoshi
Published: February 2023

The brain network consists of ten billion neurons and is the most complex structure in the universe. Understanding the structure of complex brain networks and neuronal functions is one of the main goals of modern neuroscience. Since the seminal invention of Golgi staining, single-cell labeling methods have been among the most potent approaches for dissecting neuronal structures and neural circuits. Furthermore, the development of sparse single-cell transgenic methods has enabled single-cell gene knockout studies to examine the local functions of various genes in neural circuits and synapses. Here, we review non-transgenic single-cell labeling methods and recent advances in transgenic strategies for sparse single neuronal labeling. These methods and strategies will fundamentally contribute to the understanding of brain structure and function.
Genomic Signature in Evolutionary Biology: A Review
Authors: de la Fuente Rebeca , Díaz-Villanueva Wladimiro , Arnau Vicente , Moya Andrés
Published: February 2023

Organisms are unique physical entities in which information is stored and continuously processed. The digital nature of DNA sequences enables the construction of a dynamic information reservoir. However, the distinction between the hardware and software components in the information flow is crucial to identify the mechanisms generating specific genomic signatures. In this work, we perform a bibliometric analysis to identify the different purposes of looking for particular patterns in DNA sequences associated with a given phenotype. This study has enabled us to make a conceptual breakdown of the genomic signature and differentiate the leading applications. On the one hand, it refers to gene expression profiling associated with a biological function, which may be shared across taxa. This signature is the focus of study in precision medicine. On the other hand, it also refers to characteristic patterns in species-specific DNA sequences. This interpretation plays a key role in comparative genomics, identifying evolutionary relationships. Looking at the relevant studies in our bibliographic database, we highlight the main factors causing heterogeneities in genome composition and how they can be quantified. All these findings lead us to reformulate some questions relevant to evolutionary biology.
Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Studies Reveal That Toll-like Receptor 2 Has a Role in Glucose-Related Metabolism in Unchallenged Zebrafish Larvae (Danio rerio)
Authors: Hu Wanbin , Liu Li , Forn-Cuní Gabriel , Ding Yi , Alia Alia , Spaink Herman
Published: February 2023

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been implicated in the regulation of various metabolism pathways, in addition to their function in innate immunity. Here, we investigate the metabolic function of TLR2 in a larval zebrafish system. We studied larvae from a tlr2 mutant and the wild type sibling controls in an unchallenged normal developmental condition using transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses methods. RNAseq was used to evaluate transcriptomic differences between the tlr2 mutant and wild-type control zebrafish larvae and found a signature set of 149 genes to be significantly altered in gene expression. The expression level of several genes was confirmed by qPCR analyses. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed differential enrichment of genes between the two genotypes related to valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. Using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics, we found that glucose and various metabolites related with glucose metabolism were present at higher levels in the tlr2 mutant. Furthermore, we confirmed that the glucose level is higher in tlr2 mutants by using a fluorometric assay. Therefore, we have shown that TLR2, in addition to its function in immunity, has a function in controlling metabolism during vertebrate development. The functions are associated with transcriptional regulation of various enzymes involved in glucose metabolism that could explain the different levels of glucose, lactate, succinate, and malate in larvae of a tlr2 mutant.
Carbon Sequestration in Resin-Tapped Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) Subtropical Plantations
Authors: Rodrigues-Honda Kelly Cristine da Silva , Junkes Camila Fernanda de Oliveira , Lima Júlio César de , Waldow Vinicius de Abreu , Rocha Fernando Souza , Sausen Tanise Luisa , Bayer Cimélio , Talamini Edson , Fett-Neto Arthur Germano
Published: February 2023

Every year more than 150,000 tons of resin used in a myriad of industrial applications are produced by Brazilian plantations of Pinus elliottii Engelm. (slash pine), which are also used for timber. A pine tree can be tapped for resin over a period of several years. Resin is a complex mixture of terpenes, which are carbon-rich molecules, presumably influencing pine plantation carbon budgets. A total of 270 trees (overall mean DBH of 22.93 ± 0.11 cm) of 14-, 24-, and 26-year-old stands had their C content measured. Three different treatments (intact, wounded panels, and wounded + chemically stimulated panels, 30 trees each) were applied per site. Above- and belowground biomass, as well as resin yield, were quantified for two consecutive years. Data were statistically evaluated using normality distribution tests, analyses of variance, and mean comparison tests (p ≤ 0.05). The highest resin production per tree was recorded in the chemically stimulated 14-year-old stand. Tree dry wood biomass, a major stock of carbon retained in cell wall polysaccharides, ranged from 245.69 ± 11.73 to 349.99 ± 16.73 kg among the plantations. Variations in carbon concentration ranged from 43% to 50% with the lowest percentages in underground biomass. There was no significant difference in lignin concentrations. Soils were acidic (pH 4.3 ± 0.10–5.83 ± 0.06) with low C (from 0.05% to 1.4%). Significantly higher C stock values were recorded in pine biomass compared to those reported for temperate zones. Resin-tapping biomass yielded considerable annual increments in C stocks and should be included as a relevant component in C sequestration assessments of planted pine forests.
Effect of Zbed6 Single-Allele Knockout on the Growth and Development of Skeletal Muscle in Mice
Authors: Liu Ling , Wang Shengnan , Tian Wenjie , Xu Cheng , Wei Chengjie , Cui Kai , Jiang Lin , Wang Dandan
Published: February 2023

ZBED6, a key transcription factor, plays an important role in skeletal muscle and organ growth. ZBED6 knockout (ZBED6−/−) leads to the upregulation of IGF2 in pig and mice muscle, thereby increasing muscle mass. However, the effects and mechanism of Zbed6 single-allele knockout (Zbed6+/−) on mice muscle remain unknown. Here, we reported that Zbed6+/− promotes muscle growth by a new potential target gene rather than Igf2 in mice muscle. Zbed6+/− mice showed markedly higher muscle mass (25%) and a markedly higher muscle weight ratio (18%) than wild-type (WT) mice, coinciding with a larger muscle fiber area (28%). Despite a significant increase in muscle growth, Zbed6+/− mice showed similar Igf2 expression with WT mice, indicating that a ZBED6–Igf2-independent regulatory pathway exists in Zbed6+/− mice muscle. RNA-seq of muscle between the Zbed6+/− and WT mice revealed two terms related to muscle growth. Overlapping the DEGs and C2C12 Chip-seq data of ZBED6 screened out a potential ZBED6 target gene Barx2, which may regulate muscle growth in Zbed6+/− mice. These results may open new research directions leading to a better understanding of the integral functions of ZBED6 and provide evidence of Zbed6+/− promoting muscle growth by regulating Barx2 in mice.
Opposing Roles of FACT for Euchromatin and Heterochromatin in Yeast
Authors: Takahata Shinya , Murakami Yota
Published: February 2023

DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell in a folded state; however, only the necessary genetic information is extracted from the required group of genes. The key to extracting genetic information is chromatin ambivalence. Depending on the chromosomal region, chromatin is characterized into low-density “euchromatin” and high-density “heterochromatin”, with various factors being involved in its regulation. Here, we focus on chromatin regulation and gene expression by the yeast FACT complex, which functions in both euchromatin and heterochromatin. FACT is known as a histone H2A/H2B chaperone and was initially reported as an elongation factor associated with RNA polymerase II. In budding yeast, FACT activates promoter chromatin by interacting with the transcriptional activators SBF/MBF via the regulation of G1/S cell cycle genes. In fission yeast, FACT plays an important role in the formation of higher-order chromatin structures and transcriptional repression by binding to Swi6, an HP1 family protein, at heterochromatin. This FACT property, which refers to the alternate chromatin-regulation depending on the binding partner, is an interesting phenomenon. Further analysis of nucleosome regulation within heterochromatin is expected in future studies.
Using Microphysiological System for the Development of Treatments for Joint Inflammation and Associated Cartilage Loss—A Pilot Study
Authors: Makarczyk Meagan J. , Hines Sophie , Yagi Haruyo , Li Zhong Alan , Aguglia Alyssa M. , Zbikowski Justin , Padget Anne-Marie , Gao Qi , Bunnell Bruce A. , Goodman Stuart B. , Lin Hang
Published: February 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful and disabling joint disease affecting millions worldwide. The lack of clinically relevant models limits our ability to predict therapeutic outcomes prior to clinical trials, where most drugs fail. Therefore, there is a need for a model that accurately recapitulates the whole-joint disease nature of OA in humans. Emerging microphysiological systems provide a new opportunity. We recently established a miniature knee joint system, known as the miniJoint, in which human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were used to create an osteochondral complex, synovial-like fibrous tissue, and adipose tissue analogs. In this study, we explored the potential of the miniJoint in developing novel treatments for OA by testing the hypothesis that co-treatment with anti-inflammation and chondroinducing agents can suppress joint inflammation and associated cartilage degradation. Specifically, we created a “synovitis”-relevant OA model in the miniJoint by treating synovial-like tissues with interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and then a combined treatment of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) suppressing the nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) genetic pathway and bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP-7) was introduced. The combined treatment with BMP-7 and ODNs reduced inflammation in the synovial-like fibrous tissue and showed an increase in glycosaminoglycan formation in the cartilage portion of the osteochondral complex. For the first time, this study demonstrated the potential of the miniJoint in developing disease-modifying OA drugs. The therapeutic efficacy of co-treatment with NF-κB ODNs and BMP-7 can be further validated in future clinical studies.
Improved Assessment of Globularity of Protein Structures and the Ellipsoid Profile of the Biological Assemblies from the PDB
Authors: Banach Mateusz
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we present an update to the ellipsoid profile algorithm (EP), a simple technique for the measurement of the globularity of protein structures without the calculation of molecular surfaces. The globularity property is understood in this context as the ability of the molecule to fill a minimum volume enclosing ellipsoid (MVEE) that approximates its assumed globular shape. The more of the interior of this ellipsoid is occupied by the atoms of the protein, the better are its globularity metrics. These metrics are derived from the comparison of the volume of the voxelized representation of the atoms and the volume of all voxels that can fit inside that ellipsoid (a uniform unit Å cube lattice). The so-called ellipsoid profile shows how the globularity changes with the distance from the center. Two of its values, the so-called ellipsoid indexes, are used to classify the structure as globular, semi-globular or non-globular. Here, we enhance the workflow of the EP algorithm via an improved outlier detection subroutine based on principal component analysis. It is capable of robust distinguishing between the dense parts of the molecules and, for example, disordered chain fragments fully exposed to the solvent. The PCA-based method replaces the current approach based on kernel density estimation. The improved EP algorithm was tested on 2124 representatives of domain superfamilies from SCOP 2.08. The second part of this work is dedicated to the survey of globularity of 3594 representatives of biological assemblies from molecules currently deposited in the PDB and analyzed by the 3DComplex database (monomers and complexes up to 60 chains).