bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carotid Artery Plaque Identification and Display System (MRI-CAPIDS) Using Opensource Tools
Authors: Vista Felipe P. , Ngo Minh Tri , Cho Seung Bin , Kwak Hyo Sung , Chong Kil To
Published: December 2020

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents one modality in atherosclerosis risk assessment, by permitting the classification of carotid plaques into either high- or low-risk lesions. Although MRI is generally used for observing the impact of atherosclerosis on vessel lumens, it can also show both the size and composition of itself, as well as plaque information, thereby providing information beyond that of simple stenosis. Software systems are a valuable aid in carotid artery stenosis assessment wherein commercial software is readily available but is not accessible to all practitioners because of its often high cost. This study focuses on the development of a software system designed entirely for registration, marking, and 3D visualization of the wall and lumen, using freely available open-source tools and libraries. It was designed to be free from “feature bloat” and avoid “feature-creep.” The image loading and display module of the modified QDCM library was improved by a minimum of 10,000%. A Bezier function was used in order to smoothen the curve of the polygon (referring to the shape formed by the marked points) by interpolating additional points between the marked points. This smoother curve led to a smoother 3D view of the lumen and wall.
A Novel Zero Dead-Time PWM Method to Improve the Current Distortion of a Three-Level NPC Inverter
Authors: Kang Jin-Wook , Hyun Seung-Wook , Kan Yong , Lee Hoon , Lee Jung-Hyo
Published: December 2020

This paper proposes a novel pulse width modulation (PWM) for a three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) voltage source inverter (VSI). When the conventional PWM method is used in three-level NPC VSI, dead time is required to prevent a short circuit caused by the operation of complementary devices on the upper and lower arms. However, current distortion is increased because of the dead time and it can also cause a voltage unbalance in the dc-link. To solve this problem, we propose a zero dead-time width modulation (ZDPWM) which does not require dead time used in complementary operation. The proposed technique applies the offset voltage to the space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) reference voltage for the same modulation index (MI) as the conventional SVPWM, but any complementary switching operation needs dead time. In addition, the proposed method is divided into four operation sections using the reference voltage and phase current to operate switching devices which flow the current depending on the section. This ZDPWM method is simply implemented by carrier and reference voltage that reduce the current distortion, because complementary operation that needs dead time is not implemented. However, the operation section is delayed due to the sampling delay that occurs during the experiment. Therefore, in this paper, we conduct a modeling of sampling delay to improve the delay of operation section. To verify the principle and feasibility of the proposed ZDPWM method, a simulation and experiment are implemented.
BU-Net: Brain Tumor Segmentation Using Modified U-Net Architecture
Authors: Rehman Mobeen Ur , Cho SeungBin , Kim Jee Hong , Chong Kil To
Published: December 2020

The semantic segmentation of a brain tumor is of paramount importance for its treatment and prevention. Recently, researches have proposed various neural network-based architectures to improve the performance of segmentation of brain tumor sub-regions. Brain tumor segmentation, being a challenging area of research, requires improvement in its performance. This paper proposes a 2D image segmentation method, BU-Net, to contribute to brain tumor segmentation research. Residual extended skip (RES) and wide context (WC) are used along with the customized loss function in the baseline U-Net architecture. The modifications contribute by finding more diverse features, by increasing the valid receptive field. The contextual information is extracted with the aggregating features to get better segmentation performance. The proposed BU-Net was evaluated on the high-grade glioma (HGG) datasets of the BraTS2017 Challenge—the test datasets of the BraTS 2017 and 2018 Challenge datasets. Three major labels to segmented were tumor core (TC), whole tumor (WT), and enhancing core (EC). To compare the performance quantitatively, the dice score was utilized. The proposed BU-Net outperformed the existing state-of-the-art techniques. The high performing BU-Net can have a great contribution to researchers from the field of bioinformatics and medicine.
A New Method for Forest Canopy Hemispherical Photography Segmentation Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Li Kexin , Huang Xinwang , Zhang Jingzhe , Sun Zhihu , Huang Jianping , Sun Chunxue , Xie Qiancheng , Song Wenlong
Published: December 2020

Research Highlights: This paper proposes a new method for hemispherical forest canopy image segmentation. The method is based on a deep learning methodology and provides a robust and fully automatic technique for the segmentation of forest canopy hemispherical photography (CHP) and gap fraction (GF) calculation. Background and Objectives: CHP is widely used to estimate structural forest variables. The GF is the most important parameter for calculating the leaf area index (LAI), and its calculation requires the binary segmentation result of the CHP. Materials and Methods: Our method consists of three modules, namely, northing correction, valid region extraction, and hemispherical image segmentation. In these steps, a core procedure is hemispherical canopy image segmentation based on the U-Net convolutional neural network. Our method is compared with traditional threshold methods (e.g., the Otsu and Ridler methods), a fuzzy clustering method (FCM), commercial professional software (WinSCANOPY), and the Habitat-Net network method. Results: The experimental results show that the method presented here achieves a Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 89.20% and an accuracy of 98.73%. Conclusions: The method presented here outperforms the Habitat-Net and WinSCANOPY methods, along with the FCM, and it is significantly better than the Otsu and Ridler threshold methods. The method takes the original canopy hemisphere image first and then automatically executes the three modules in sequence, and finally outputs the binary segmentation map. The method presented here is a pipelined, end-to-end method.
Metabolome and Transcriptome Association Analysis Reveals Regulation of Flavonoid Biosynthesis by Overexpression of LaMIR166a in Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr
Authors: Fan Yanru , Li Zhexin , Zhang Lifeng , Han Suying , Qi Liwang
Published: December 2020

Somatic embryogenesis is an ideal model process for studying early plant development. Embryonic cell lines of Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr overexpressing LaMIR166a were obtained in our previous study. Here, a combination of de novo transcriptomics and extensively targeted metabolomics was used to study the transcriptional profiles and metabolic changes in wild-type and LaMIR166a-overexpressed embryonic cell lines. A total of 459 metabolites were found in the wild-type and transgenic cell lines. Compared to those in the wild-type cell lines, transcripts and metabolites were significantly altered in the LaMIR166a-overexpressed cell lines. Among differentially expressed genes (DEGs), phenylalanine and flavonoid synthesis genes were significantly enriched, and among differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), phenolic acids and flavonoids accumulated in particularly high amounts. Thus, the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway seems to be the most abundant pathway in response to LaMIR166a overexpression. Based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database, the association analysis of metabolome and transcriptome data showed that flavonoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction processes were significantly changed in miR166a-overexpression lines, suggesting that miR166 might be involved in these processes. The present study identified a number of potential metabolites associated with LaMIR166a overexpression, providing a significant foundation for a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying miR166.
Suitability Evaluation and Dominant Function Model for Multifunctional Forest Management
Authors: Min Zhiqiang , Wu Baoguo , Su Xiaohui , Chen Yuling , Tian Yingze
Published: December 2020

Multifunctional forest management is a common topic and hotspot of forestry research in recent years. Evaluating the suitability of forest land for multifunctional management is the first and most important step for realizing sustainable and multifunctional forest management. This research aims to explore the suitability and forest dominant function evaluation model for multifunctional forestry management in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Using the model proposed in the paper, we expect to provide decision-making information for forest multifunctional management. The study incorporated the distance of the ridge lines extracted by the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data into the evaluation index, and established the ecological status index (IE) and the forest productivity index (IF). Moreover, a nonlinear multifunctional site quality evaluation model (MSQEM) was constructed to evaluate the suitability of multifunctional forest management. A multifunctional management dominant function orientation model (MDFOM) was constructed by Principal Component Analysis, and divided each subcompartment into one of the four resource subgroups, such as timber production function, water conservation function, water and soil conservation function, and other functions. The MDFOM model was used for Rongshui County’s forest resource by 11 factors, which were selected because of their easy availability. The factors contain slope, soil thickness, altitude, average age, etc. The results showed that the number of small classes with multifunctional site index larger than 0.5 was 20,841 (56.87%), and the multifunctional suitable area was in clustered distribution, which was consistent with the reality. The result of subcompartment dominant function evaluated by MDFOM was compared with the planning forest species, the overall accuracy was 61%, and the accuracy rate of timber production function was 94.2%. The number of subcompartments with good and above multifunctional management status was 9174 (44.20%), with an area of 48,963.41 hm2 (51.24%). The multifunctional management status of subcompartments in the study area is at the middle and lower level. Thus, it is urgent to further improve the multi-functional management level of each subcompartment in this area and formulate scientific reasonable and multifunctional forestation measures.
Parameter Optimization of the 3PG Model Based on Sensitivity Analysis and a Bayesian Method
Authors: Liu Chenjian , Zheng Xiaoman , Ren Yin
Published: December 2020

Sensitivity analysis and parameter optimization of stand models can improve their efficiency and accuracy, and increase their applicability. In this study, the sensitivity analysis, screening, and optimization of 63 model parameters of the Physiological Principles in Predicting Growth (3PG) model were performed by combining a sensitivity analysis method and the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method of Bayesian posterior estimation theory. Additionally, a nine-year observational dataset of Chinese fir trees felled in the Shunchang Forest Farm, Nanping, was used to analyze, screen, and optimize the 63 model parameters of the 3PG model. The results showed the following: (1) The parameters that are most sensitive to stand stocking and diameter at breast height (DBH) are nWs(power in stem mass vs. diameter relationship), aWs(constant in stem mass vs. diameter relationship), alphaCx(maximum canopy quantum efficiency), k(extinction coefficient for PAR absorption by canopy), pRx(maximum fraction of NPP to roots), pRn(minimum fraction of NPP to roots), and CoeffCond(defines stomatal response to VPD); (2) MCMC can be used to optimize the parameters of the 3PG model, in which the posterior probability distributions of nWs, aWs, alphaCx, pRx, pRn, and CoeffCond conform to approximately normal or skewed distributions, and the peak value is prominent; and (3) compared with the accuracy before sensitivity analysis and a Bayesian method, the biomass simulation accuracy of the stand model was increased by 13.92%, and all indicators show that the accuracy of the improved model is superior. This method can be used to calibrate the parameters and analyze the uncertainty of multi-parameter complex stand growth models, which are important for the improvement of parameter estimation and simulation accuracy.
Effect of Physical Structures of Food Matrices on Heat Resistance of Enterococcus faecium NRRL-2356 in Wheat Kernels, Flour and Dough
Authors: Lin Biying , Zhu Yufei , Zhang Lihui , Xu Ruzhen , Guan Xiangyu , Kou Xiaoxi , Wang Shaojin
Published: December 2020

Nonpathogenic surrogate microorganisms, with a similar or slightly higher thermal resistance of the target pathogens, are usually recommended for validating practical pasteurization processes. The aim of this study was to explore a surrogate microorganism in wheat products by comparing the thermal resistance of three common bacteria in wheat kernels and flour. The most heat-resistant Enterococcus faecium NRRL-2356 rather than Salmonella cocktail and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was determined when heating at different temperature–time combinations at a fixed heating rate of 5 °C/min in a heating block system. The most heat-resistant pathogen was selected to investigate the influences of physical structures of food matrices. The results indicated that the heat resistance of E. faecium was influenced by physical structures of food matrices and reduced at wheat kernel structural conditions. The inactivation of E. faecium was better fitted in the Weibull distribution model for wheat dough structural conditions while in first-order kinetics for wheat kernel and flour structural conditions due to the changes of physical structures during heating. A better pasteurization effect could be achieved in wheat kernel structure in this study, which may provide technical support for thermal inactivation of pathogens in wheat-based food processing.
Gas Chromatography Olfactometry (GC-O) for the (Semi)Quantitative Screening of Wine Aroma
Authors: de-la-Fuente-Blanco Arancha , Ferreira Vicente
Published: December 2020

This review discusses the different approaches developed by researchers in the last 40 years for the qualitative and semi-quantitative screening of odorants, with special emphasis in wine aroma profiling. In the first part, the aims and possibilities of Gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) as odour-screening and aroma profiling technique are discussed. The critical difference between approaches is whether the ranking of odorants is carried out on an extract containing all the odorants present in the product, or on an extract representative of the odorants contained in the vapour phases that cause the odour and flavour. While the second alternative is more direct and can be more efficient, it requires a good understanding of the factors affecting orthonasal olfaction, handling volatiles (purging, trapping, eluting, and separating) and about the sensory assessment of GC effluents. The review also includes an updated list compiling all the odorants detected in wine by GC-O, including retention indexes and odour descriptions with a general guideline for the identification of odorants.
Active Paper Sheets Including Nanoencapsulated Essential Oils: A Green Packaging Technique to Control Ethylene Production and Maintain Quality in Fresh Horticultural Products—A Case Study on Flat Peaches
Authors: López-Gómez Antonio , Navarro-Martínez Alejandra , Martínez-Hernández Ginés Benito
Published: December 2020

Plant essential oils (EOs) have several bioactive properties, highlighting their high antimicrobial and antioxidant capacities. As such, the use of EOs in active packaging has received special attention in the last few years. Nevertheless, the inhibitory effect of EOs on quality-degrading enzymatic systems of plant products during postharvest life has not been deeply studied. The effects of an EO active paper sheet on ethylene biosynthesis and quality (and related quality-degrading enzymes) of flat peach (Prunus persica var. platycarpa) samples were studied during 5 days (continental terrestrial transport) or 26 days (long maritime transport) storage at 2 or 8 °C, both followed by commercialization simulations (4 days at 22 °C). EOs released from active packaging reduced ethylene production by 40–50%, and by up to 70% after commercialization periods. These results were correlated with lower 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid (ACC) content and ACC-oxidase activity. Physicochemical fruit quality (as indicated by soluble solids content, titratable acidity, color, and firmness) was also better preserved by EO active sheets due to enzymatic inhibition (polygalacturonase and polyphenoloxidase). Furthermore, phenolic compounds (mainly catechin and cyanidin-3 glucoside) and total antioxidant capacity were increased (by up to 30 and 70%, respectively) in EO-packaged samples after 8 °C storage and the subsequent commercialization period. Conclusively, EO active paper sheets controlled ethylene production in flat peaches, maintained fruit quality, and even increased health-promoting bioactive compounds.
Analysis of Food Labels to Evaluate the Nutritional Quality of Bread Products and Substitutes Sold in Italy: Results from the Food Labelling of Italian Products (FLIP) Study
Authors: Angelino Donato , Rosi Alice , Ruggiero Emilia , Nucci Daniele , Paolella Gaetana , Pignone Veronica , Pellegrini Nicoletta , Martini Daniela ,   on behalf of the SINU Young Working Group
Published: December 2020

Bread is one of the most common staple foods, despite the increasing consumption of the so-called “bread substitutes”. The aim of the present work is to survey the nutritional quality intended as a nutrition declaration of 339 pre-packed bread products and 1020 bread substitutes sold in the major retailers present on the Italian market. Comparisons of energy, macronutrient, and salt content within product types, and between regular and gluten-free (GF) products and products with or without nutrition claim (NC) and health claim (HC) declarations, were performed. A high inter-product variability was detected. The median energy contents were 274 (interquartile range 255–289) and 412 (380–437) kcal/100 for bread products and substitutes, respectively. Irrespective of the category, GF products had lower amounts of energy than their gluten-containing counterpart (p < 0.001), whereas products carrying NC had lower energy, sugar and salt amounts than the products without these declarations on the pack (p < 0.001 for all). A strong positive correlation was observed between energy and carbohydrate in bread (rho = 0.73, p < 0.001), but not in substitutes (rho = 0.033, p = 0.29). The present work highlighted a high variability in the apparent nutritional quality of bread products and substitutes sold on the Italian market, and suggested that bread alternatives should not be considered tout court as substitutes from a nutritional point of view.
Improving the Solubility and Digestibility of Potato Protein with an Online Ultrasound-Assisted PH Shifting Treatment at Medium Temperature
Authors: Mao Chao , Wu Juan , Zhang Xiangzhi , Ma Fengping , Cheng Yu
Published: December 2020

Ultrasonic (US) treatment was combined with pH shifting (pHS) and mild thermal (40 °C) (T40) treatment (US/T40/pHS) to improve the solubility of potato protein. The effects of the ultrasonication frequency, ultrasonication time, and incorporation sequence on the solubility of potato protein were investigated. The results showed that online US/T40/pHS treatment resulted in higher solubility of potato protein and enhanced free amino group release during in vitro digestion. The solubility of potato protein treated with online US/T40/pHS at a mono-frequency of 40 kHz for 15 min increased by 1.73 times compared with the control (p < 0.05). The digestibility rate increased by 16.0% and 30.8% during gastric and intestinal digestion, respectively, compared with the control (p < 0.05). It was demonstrated that online US/T40/pHS treatment significantly changed the secondary and tertiary structures of potato protein according to the results of circular dichroism and internal fluorescence. SDS-PAGE, particle size, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that structural changes led to the formation of large soluble aggregates. The results suggested that the improvement in the solubility and digestibility of potato protein treated with online US/T40/pHS may be due to the formation of large soluble aggregates, which are more hydrophilic and sensitive to digestive enzymes.
You Had Me at “MAGIC”!: Four Barley MAGIC Populations Reveal Novel Resistance QTL for Powdery Mildew
Authors: Novakazi Fluturë , Krusell Lene , Jensen Jens , Orabi Jihad , Jahoor Ahmed , Bengtsson Therése ,   on behalf of the PPP Barley Consortium
Published: December 2020

Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), the causal agent of barley powdery mildew (PM), is one of the most important barley leaf diseases and is prevalent in most barley growing regions. Infection decreases grain quality and yields on average by 30%. Multi-parent advanced generation inter-cross (MAGIC) populations combine the advantages of bi-parental and association panels and offer the opportunity to incorporate exotic alleles into adapted material. Here, four barley MAGIC populations consisting of six to eight founders were tested for PM resistance in field trials in Denmark. Principle component and STRUCTURE analysis showed the populations were unstructured and genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay varied between 14 and 38 Mbp. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 11 regions associated with PM resistance located on chromosomes 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H and 7H, of which three regions are putatively novel resistance quantitative trait locus/loci (QTL). For all regions high-confidence candidate genes were identified that are predicted to be involved in pathogen defense. Haplotype analysis of the significant SNPs revealed new allele combinations not present in the founders and associated with high resistance levels.
The First Case of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome Caused by a Large Homozygous Deletion in the C-Terminal Region of COLQ (Collagen Like Tail Subunit of Asymmetric Acetylcholinesterase) Protein
Authors: Laforgia Nicola , De Cosmo Lucrezia , Palumbo Orazio , Ranieri Carlotta , Sesta Michela , Capodiferro Donatella , Pantaleo Antonino , Iapicca Pierluigi , Lastella Patrizia , Capozza Manuela , Schettini Federico , Bukvic Nenad , Bagnulo Rosanna , Resta Nicoletta
Published: December 2020

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMSs) are caused by mutations in genes that encode proteins involved in the organization, maintenance, function, or modification of the neuromuscular junction. Among these, the collagenic tail of endplate acetylcholinesterase protein (COLQ; MIM 603033) has a crucial role in anchoring the enzyme into the synaptic basal lamina. Here, we report on the first case of a patient with a homozygous deletion affecting the last exons of the COLQ gene in a CMS patient born to consanguineous parents of Pakistani origin. Electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), clinical exome sequencing (CES), and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analyses were performed. The subject was born at term after an uneventful pregnancy and developed significant hypotonia and dystonia, clinical pseudoseizures, and recurring respiratory insufficiency with a need for mechanical ventilation. CES analysis of the patient revealed a homozygous deletion of the COLQ gene located on the 3p25.1 chromosome region. The SNP-array confirmed the presence of deletion that extended from exon 11 to the last exon 17 with a size of 19.5 Kb. Our results add new insights about the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms expanding the spectrum of causative COLQ mutations. It is relevant, considering the therapeutic implications, to apply suitable molecular approaches so that no type of mutation is missed: “each lost mutation means a baby treated improperly”.
The Reproductive Journey in the Genomic Era: From Preconception to Childhood
Authors: Garcia-Herrero Sandra , Simon Blanca , Garcia-Planells Javier
Published: December 2020

It is estimated that around 10–15% of the population have problems achieving a pregnancy. Assisted reproduction techniques implemented and enforced by personalized genomic medicine have paved the way for millions of infertile patients to become parents. Nevertheless, having a baby is just the first challenge to overcome in the reproductive journey, the most important is to obtain a healthy baby free of any genetic condition that can be prevented. Prevention of congenital anomalies throughout the lifespan of the patient must be a global health priority. Congenital disorders can be defined as structural or functional anomalies that occur during intrauterine life and can be identified prenatally, at birth, or sometimes may only be detected later during childhood. It is considered a frequent group of disorders, affecting 3–6% of the population, and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Congenital anomalies can represent up to 30–50% of infant mortality in developed countries. Genetics plays a substantial role in the pathogenesis of congenital anomalies. This becomes especially important in some ethnic communities or populations where the incidence and levels of consanguinity are higher. The impact of genetic disorders during childhood is high, representing 20–30% of all infant deaths and 11.1% of pediatric hospital admissions. With these data, obtaining a precise genetic diagnosis is one of the main aspects of a preventive medicine approach in developed countries. The field of reproductive health has changed dramatically from traditional non-molecular visual microscope-based techniques (i.e., fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or G-banding karyotype), to the latest molecular high-throughput techniques such as next-generation sequencing (NGS). Genome-wide technologies are applied along the different stages of the reproductive health lifecycle from preconception carrier screening and pre-implantation genetic testing, to prenatal and postnatal testing. The aim of this paper is to assess the new horizon opened by technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), in new strategies, as a genomic precision diagnostic tool to understand the mechanisms underlying genetic conditions during the “reproductive journey”.
OSmfs: An Online Interactive Tool to Evaluate Prognostic Markers for Myxofibrosarcoma
Authors: Li Huimin , Xie Longxiang , Wang Qiang , Dang Yifang , Sun Xiaoxiao , Zhang Lu , Han Yali , Yan Zhongyi , Dong Huan , Zheng Hong , Li Yongqiang , Zhu Wan , Guo Xiangqian
Published: December 2020

Myxofibrosarcoma is a complex genetic disease with poor prognosis. However, more effective biomarkers that forebode poor prognosis in Myxofibrosarcoma remain to be determined. Herein, utilizing gene expression profiling data and clinical follow-up data of Myxofibrosarcoma cases in three independent cohorts with a total of 128 Myxofibrosarcoma samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, we constructed an easy-to-use web tool, named Online consensus Survival analysis for Myxofibrosarcoma (OSmfs) to analyze the prognostic value of certain genes. Through retrieving the database, users generate a Kaplan–Meier plot with log-rank test and hazard ratio (HR) to assess prognostic-related genes or discover novel Myxofibrosarcoma prognostic biomarkers. The effectiveness and availability of OSmfs were validated using genes in ever reports predicting the prognosis of Myxofibrosarcoma patients. Furthermore, utilizing the cox analysis data and transcriptome data establishing OSmfs, seven genes were selected and considered as more potentially prognostic biomarkers through overlapping and ROC analysis. In conclusion, OSmfs is a promising web tool to evaluate the prognostic potency and reliability of genes in Myxofibrosarcoma, which may significantly contribute to the enrichment of novelly potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Myxofibrosarcoma.
Nutritional Intake and Meal Composition of Patients Consuming Texture Modified Diets and Thickened Fluids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wu Xiaojing Sharon , Miles Anna , Braakhuis Andrea
Published: December 2020

Texture-modified diets (TMDs) play an important role in ensuring safety for those with dysphagia but come with risks to nutrition and quality of life. The use of TMDs has been addressed with the increasing prevalence of dysphagia in previous decades. However, there is limited literature that investigates the nutrition perspectives of TMD consumers. This review summarises the nutrition outcomes of adults consuming TMDs and thickened fluids (TFs) and identifies the limitations of TMD and TF productions. A systematic database search following PICO criteria was conducted using Cochrane Central (via Ovid), MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. Nutrition intake, meal consumption, adequacy, and meal composition were identified as relevant outcomes. 35 studies were included for analysis. Consumption of TMDs demonstrated a poorer intake compared to regular diets, in particular significant in energy and calcium. Meta-analysis of mean differences showed favourable effects of shaped TMDs on both energy (−273.8 kJ/d; 95%CI: −419.1 to −128.6, p = 0.0002) and protein (−12.4 g/d; 95%CI: −17.9 to −6.8, p < 0.0001) intake compared to traditional cook-fresh TMDs. Nutrition intake was compromised in TMD consumers. Optimisation of nutrition intake was achievable through enrichment and adjusting meal texture and consistency. However, the heterogeneity of studies and the missing verification of the consistencies lead to difficulty in drawing conclusions regarding particular texture or intervention.
Epidemiologic Analysis of Taiwanese Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Yang Sheau-Ning , Perng Diahn-Warng , Ko Hsin-Kuo , Chang Yuh-Lih , Hsu Chia-Chen , Huang Hsin-Yi , Chung Mei-Ing
Published: December 2020

Several databases of epidemiologic studies in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have been analyzed in the Western community. However, few studies have been reported in Asia. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of IPF in Taiwan. We collected and analyzed patients with IPF from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2001 to 2011. We estimated the annual incidence and cumulative prevalence of IPF and mean survival time of patients and determined the causes of death. The annual incidence rates of IPF remained stable after 2005, ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 cases per 100,000 people per year, whereas the cumulative prevalence rates increased steadily from 3.1 to 6.4 cases per 100,000 people per year during 2006–2011 based on a narrow case definition. Men older than 75 years had higher incidence compared with other age groups. The mean survival after diagnosis was 6.9 years. Old age, male sex, and respiratory hospitalization were associated with shorter survival time after diagnosis. Both the incidence and prevalence rates of IPF were lower in Taiwanese patients than Western ones. Moreover, the survival time was higher in the Asian population compared with the Western population. These results may suggest the heterogeneity of the IPF definition in different study populations and geographic locations.
Role of the Sulphur Source in the Solvothermal Synthesis of Ag-CdS Photocatalysts: Effects on the Structure and Photoactivity for Hydrogen Production
Authors: Soto Morillo Erika , Mota Toledo Noelia , García Fierro Jose Luisa , Navarro Yerga Rufino M.
Published: December 2020

The aim of this work is to study the influence of the sulphur source (elemental sulphur, thiourea and L-cysteine) in the solvothermal synthesis of Ag-CdS over its growth, structuration and state of Ag and how these changes influence on its photoactivity. The differences in the generation rate of the S2− from the sulphur sources during the solvothermal synthesis determine the nucleation and growth pathways of CdS affecting to the silver state and its incorporation into the CdS lattice. The hydrogen production on Ag-CdS photocatalysts decreases according the sequence: thiourea > elemental sulphur >> L-cysteine. The changes in the photoactivity of Ag-CdS samples are analysed in terms of the differences in the insertion of Ag+ into the CdS lattice, the formation of composites between CdS and Ag2S and the formation of CdS crystalline domains with strong confinement effect derived from the different sulphur source used in the solvothermal synthesis.
New Multilevel Partnerships and Policy Perspectives on Active Ageing in Italy: A National Plan of Action
Authors: Barbabella Francesco , Cela Eralba , Di Matteo Claudia , Socci Marco , Lamura Giovanni , Checcucci Pietro , Principi Andrea
Published: December 2020

Active ageing (AA) policies aim to improve quality of life of older people by enabling better social participation and inclusion. Despite many international initiatives to promote AA undertaken in recent years, Italy did not systematically address this policy challenge until very recently. This paper presents the first national Plan-of-Action (PoA) (2019–2022) adopted by this country for supporting policy design and recommendation in this field. The PoA aims to create a multilevel, co-managed coordination of AA policies, by involving a network of national and regional policy makers, experts, researchers and stakeholders in civil society. The ad-hoc consultation process established for this purpose helps the recognition of different interests and expectations on AA, fostering new solutions by involvement, consultation and joint discussion of policy options. The PoA is designed to cover the traditional policy cycle, including the stages of agenda setting, policy formulation, decision-making, implementation and monitoring. At the end of the period covered by the PoA, an Italian AA Strategy will be launched to achieve systematic impact in this field, thus ensuring a long-term, sustainable impact on national and regional policy makers, civil society and research community.
Deep Learning for Detecting and Classifying Ocean Objects: Application of YoloV3 for Iceberg–Ship Discrimination
Authors: Hass Frederik Seerup , Jokar Arsanjani Jamal
Published: December 2020

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) plays a remarkable role in ocean surveillance, with capabilities of detecting oil spills, icebergs, and marine traffic both at daytime and at night, regardless of clouds and extreme weather conditions. The detection of ocean objects using SAR relies on well-established methods, mostly adaptive thresholding algorithms. In most waters, the dominant ocean objects are ships, whereas in arctic waters the vast majority of objects are icebergs drifting in the ocean and can be mistaken for ships in terms of navigation and ocean surveillance. Since these objects can look very much alike in SAR images, the determination of what objects actually are still relies on manual detection and human interpretation. With the increasing interest in the arctic regions for marine transportation, it is crucial to develop novel approaches for automatic monitoring of the traffic in these waters with satellite data. Hence, this study aims at proposing a deep learning model based on YoloV3 for discriminating icebergs and ships, which could be used for mapping ocean objects ahead of a journey. Using dual-polarization Sentinel-1 data, we pilot-tested our approach on a case study in Greenland. Our findings reveal that our approach is capable of training a deep learning model with reliable detection accuracy. Our methodical approach along with the choice of data and classifiers can be of great importance to climate change researchers, shipping industries and biodiversity analysts. The main difficulties were faced in the creation of training data in the Arctic waters and we concluded that future work must focus on issues regarding training data.
Ginsenoside M1 Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits the Migration of Human Oral Cancer Cells
Authors: Lee Yu-Chieh , Wong Wei-Ting , Li Lan-Hui , Chu Lichieh Julie , Menon Mridula P. , Ho Chen-Lung , Chernikov Oleg V. , Lee Sheau-Long , Hua Kuo-Feng
Published: December 2020

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 5.8% of all malignancies in Taiwan, and the incidence of OSCC is on the rise. OSCC is also a common malignancy worldwide, and the five-year survival rate remains poor. Therefore, new and effective treatments are needed to control OSCC. In the present study, we prepared ginsenoside M1 (20-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol), a major deglycosylated metabolite of ginsenoside, through the biotransformation of Panax notoginseng leaves by the fungus SP-LSL-002. We investigated the anti-OSCC activity and associated mechanisms of ginsenoside M1 in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that ginsenoside M1 dose-dependently inhibited the viability of human OSCC SAS and OEC-M1 cells. To gain further insight into the mode of action of ginsenoside M1, we demonstrated that ginsenoside M1 increased the expression levels of Bak, Bad, and p53 and induced apoptotic DNA breaks, G1 phase arrest, PI/Annexin V double-positive staining, and caspase-3/9 activation. In addition, we demonstrated that ginsenoside M1 dose-dependently inhibited the colony formation and migration ability of SAS and OEC-M1 cells and reduced the expression of metastasis-related protein vimentin. Furthermore, oral administration or subcutaneous injection of ginsenoside M1 significantly reduced tumor growth in SAS xenograft mice. These results indicate that ginsenoside M1 can be translated into a potential therapeutic against OSCC.
BRCA Methylation Testing Identifies a Subset of Ovarian Carcinomas without Germline Variants That Can Benefit from PARP Inhibitor
Authors: Sahnane Nora , Carnevali Ileana , Formenti Giorgio , Casarin Jvan , Facchi Sofia , Bombelli Raffaella , Di Lauro Eleonora , Memoli Domenico , Salvati Annamaria , Rizzo Francesca , Sessa Fausto , Tibiletti Maria Grazia
Published: December 2020

Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) is a frequent feature of high-grade epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC), associated with sensitivity to PARP-inhibitors (PARPi). The best characterized causes of HRD in EOCs are germline or somatic mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Although promoter methylation is a well-known mechanism of gene transcriptional repression, few data have been published about BRCA gene methylation in EOCs. In this retrospective study, we quantitatively analyzed by pyrosequencing a selected series of 90 formalin-fixed (FFPE) primary EOCs without BRCA germline mutations. We identified 20/88 (22.7%) EOCs showing BRCA promoter methylation, including 17/88 (19.3%) in BRCA1 and 4/86 (4.6%) in BRCA2 promoters, one of which showing concomitant BRCA1 methylation. Mean methylation levels were 49.6% and 45.8% for BRCA1 and BRCA2, respectively, with methylation levels ≥50% in 10/20 methylated EOCs. Constitutive BRCA methylation was excluded by testing blood-derived DNA. In conclusion, pyrosequencing methylation analysis of BRCA genes is a robust, quantitative and sensitive assay applicable to FFPE samples. Remarkably, a considerable subset of germline BRCA-negative EOCs showed somatic methylation and, likely, HRD. A subpopulation of women with BRCA methylation, even without BRCA mutations, could potentially benefit from PARP-inhibitors; further clinical studies are needed to clarify the predictive role of somatic BRCA methylation of PARP-therapy response.
Isolation and Self-Association Studies of Beta-Lactoglobulin
Authors: Gołębiowski Adrian , Pomastowski Paweł , Rodzik Agnieszka , Król-Górniak Anna , Kowalkowski Tomasz , Górecki Marcin , Buszewski Bogusław
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate isolated β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) from the whey protein isolate (WPI) solution using the column chromatography with SP Sephadex. The physicochemical characterization (self-association, the pH stability in various salt solutions, the identification of oligomeric forms) of the protein obtained have been carried out. The electrophoretically pure β-LG fraction was obtained at pH 4.8. The fraction was characterized by the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) technique. The use of the HCCA matrix indicated the presence of oligomeric β-LG forms, while the SA and DHB matrices enabled the differentiation of A and B isoforms in the sample. The impact of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium sulfate, and sodium citrate in dispersion medium on β-LG electrophoretic stability in solution was also studied. Type of the dispersion medium led to the changes in the isoelectric point of protein. Sodium citrate stabilizes protein in comparison to ammonium sulfate. Additionally, the potential of capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV detection using bare fused capillary to monitor β-LG oligomerization was discussed. Obtained CE data were further compared by the asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled with the multi-angle light scattering detector (AF4-MALS). It was shown that the β-LG is a monomer at pH 3.0, dimer at pH 7.0. At pH 5.0 (near the isoelectric point), oligomers with structures from dimeric to octameric are formed. However, the appearance of the oligomers equilibrium is dependent on the concentration of protein. The higher quantity of protein leads to the formation of the octamer. The far UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra carried out at pH 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0 confirmed that β-sheet conformation is dominant at pH 3.0, 5.0, while at pH 7.0, this conformation is approximately in the same quantity as α-helix and random structures.
Biological Activity of c-Peptide in Microvascular Complications of Type 1 Diabetes—Time for Translational Studies or Back to the Basics?
Authors: Ryk Aleksandra , Łosiewicz Aleksandra , Michalak Arkadiusz , Fendler Wojciech
Published: December 2020

People with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of developing microvascular complications, which have a negative impact on the quality of life and reduce life expectancy. Numerous studies in animals with experimental diabetes show that c-peptide supplementation exerts beneficial effects on diabetes-induced damage in peripheral nerves and kidneys. There is substantial evidence that c-peptide counteracts the detrimental changes caused by hyperglycemia at the cellular level, such as decreased activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and sodium potassium ATPase, and increase in formation of pro-inflammatory molecules mediated by nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells: cytokines, chemokines, cell adhesion molecules, vascular endothelial growth factor, and transforming growth factor beta. However, despite positive results from cell and animal studies, no successful c-peptide replacement therapies have been developed so far. Therefore, it is important to improve our understanding of the impact of c-peptide on the pathophysiology of microvascular complications to develop novel c-peptide-based treatments. This article aims to review current knowledge on the impact of c-peptide on diabetic neuro- and nephropathy and to evaluate its potential therapeutic role.
Biological Characteristics and Osteogenic Differentiation of Ovine Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stimulated with FGF-2 and BMP-2
Authors: Gromolak Sandra , Krawczenko Agnieszka , Antończyk Agnieszka , Buczak Krzysztof , Kiełbowicz Zdzisław , Klimczak Aleksandra
Published: December 2020

Cell-based therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising tool in bone tissue engineering. Bone regeneration with MSCs involves a series of molecular processes leading to the activation of the osteoinductive cascade supported by bioactive factors, including fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). In this study, we examined the biological characteristics and osteogenic differentiation potential of sheep bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs) treated with 20 ng/mL of FGF-2 and 100 ng/mL BMP-2 in vitro. The biological properties of osteogenic-induced BM-MSCs were investigated by assessing their morphology, proliferation, phenotype, and cytokine secretory profile. The osteogenic differentiation was characterized by Alizarin Red S staining, immunofluorescent staining of osteocalcin and collagen type I, and expression levels of genetic markers of osteogenesis. The results demonstrated that BM-MSCs treated with FGF-2 and BMP-2 maintained their primary MSC properties and improved their osteogenic differentiation capacity, as confirmed by increased expression of osteocalcin and collagen type I and upregulation of osteogenic-related gene markers BMP-2, Runx2, osterix, collagen type I, osteocalcin, and osteopontin. Furthermore, sheep BM-MSCs produced a variety of bioactive factors involved in osteogenesis, and supplementation of the culture medium with FGF-2 and BMP-2 affected the secretome profile of the cells. The results suggest that sheep osteogenic-induced BM-MSCs may be used as a cellular therapy to study bone repair in the preclinical large animal model.
Ionic Environment Affects Biomolecular Interactions of Amyloid-β: SPR Biosensor Study
Authors: Hemmerová Erika , Špringer Tomáš , Krištofiková Zdeňka , Homola Jiří
Published: December 2020

In early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulates in the mitochondrial matrix and interacts with mitochondrial proteins, such as cyclophilin D (cypD) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 10 (17β-HSD10). Multiple processes associated with AD such as increased production or oligomerization of Aβ affect these interactions and disbalance the equilibrium between the biomolecules, which contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we investigate the effect of the ionic environment on the interactions of Aβ (Aβ1–40, Aβ1–42) with cypD and 17β-HSD10 using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. We show that changes in concentrations of K+ and Mg2+ significantly affect the interactions and may increase the binding efficiency between the biomolecules by up to 35% and 65% for the interactions with Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, respectively, in comparison with the physiological state. We also demonstrate that while the binding of Aβ1–40 to cypD and 17β-HSD10 takes place preferentially around the physiological concentrations of ions, decreased concentrations of K+ and increased concentrations of Mg2+ promote the interaction of both mitochondrial proteins with Aβ1–42. These results suggest that the ionic environment represents an important factor that should be considered in the investigation of biomolecular interactions taking place in the mitochondrial matrix under physiological as well as AD-associated conditions.