bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Insight into Cold Stress Response in Two Contrasting Maize Lines
Authors: Yu Tao , Zhang Jianguo , Cao Jingsheng , Li Xin , Li Sinan , Liu Changhua , Wang Lishan
Published: February 2022

Maize (Zea mays L.) is sensitive to a minor decrease in temperature at early growth stages, resulting in deteriorated growth at later stages. Although there are significant variations in maize germplasm in response to cold stress, the metabolic responses as stress tolerance mechanisms are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed at providing insight into the metabolic responses under cold stress at the early growth stages of maize. Two inbred lines, tolerant (B144) and susceptible (Q319), were subjected to cold stress at the seedling stage, and their corresponding metabolic profiles were explored. The study identified differentially accumulated metabolites in both cultivars in response to induced cold stress with nine core conserved cold-responsive metabolites. Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate was detected as a potential biomarker metabolite to differentiate cold tolerant and sensitive maize genotypes. Furthermore, Quercetin-3-O-(2″′-p-coumaroyl)sophoroside-7-O-glucoside, Phloretin, Phloretin-2′-O-glucoside, Naringenin-7-O-Rutinoside, L-Lysine, L-phenylalanine, L-Glutamine, Sinapyl alcohol, and Feruloyltartaric acid were regulated explicitly in B144 and could be important cold-tolerance metabolites. These results increase our understanding of cold-mediated metabolic responses in maize that can be further utilized to enhance cold tolerance in this significant crop.
Tolerance of Perovskite Solar Cells under Proton and Electron Irradiation
Authors: Li Pei , Dong Hua , Lan Jinghui , Bai Yurong , He Chaohui , Ma Liya , Li Yonghong , Liu Jiaxin
Published: February 2022

In this work, radiation experiments and simulations were carried out on perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The experimental results show that the PSCs in this work were robust to proton irradiation but more sensitive to electron irradiation, which is different from the results of previous studies. Simulations based on the Monte Carlo method show that the energy loss at the interface was much higher than that in the material bulk, and the interface was more sensitive to electron incidents.
Effective Range of FSSW Parameters for High Load-Carrying Capacity of Dissimilar Steel A283M-C/Brass CuZn40 Joints
Authors: Ataya Sabbah , Ahmed Mohamed M. Z. , El-Sayed Seleman Mohamed M. , Hajlaoui Khalil , Latief Fahamsyah H. , Soliman Ahmed M. , Elshaghoul Yousef G. Y. , Habba Mohamed I. A.
Published: February 2022

In the current study, a 2 mm thick low-carbon steel sheet (A283M—Grade C) was joined with a brass sheet (CuZn40) of 1 mm thickness using friction stir spot welding (FSSW). Different welding parameters including rotational speeds of 1000, 1250, and 1500 rpm, and dwell times of 5, 10, 20, and 30 s were applied to explore the effective range of parameters to have FSSW joints with high load-carrying capacity. The joint quality of the friction stir spot-welded (FSSWed) dissimilar materials was evaluated via visual examination, tensile lap shear test, hardness test, and macro- and microstructural investigation using SEM. Moreover, EDS analysis was applied to examine the mixing at the interfaces of the dissimilar materials. Heat input calculation for the FSSW of steel–brass was found to be linearly proportional with the number of revolutions per spot joint, with maximum heat input obtained of 11 kJ at the number of revolutions of 500. The temperature measurement during FSSW showed agreement with the heat input dependence on the number of revolution. However, at the same revolutions of 500, it was found that the higher rotation speed of 1500 rpm resulted in higher temperature of 583 °C compared to 535 °C at rotation speed of 1000 rpm. This implies the significant effect for the rotation speed in the increase of temperature. The macro investigations of the friction stir spot-welded joints transverse sections showed sound joints at the different investigated parameters with significant joint ligament between the steel and brass. FSSW of steel/brass joints with a number of revolutions ranging between 250 to 500 revolutions per spot at appropriate tool speed range (1000–1500 rpm) produces joints with high load-carrying capacity from 4 kN to 7.5 kN. The hardness showed an increase in the carbon steel (lower sheet) with maximum of 248 HV and an increase of brass hardness at mixed interface between brass and steel with significant reduction in the stir zone hardness. Microstructural investigation of the joint zone showed mechanical mixing between steel and brass with the steel extruded from the lower sheet into the upper brass sheet.
Superplastic Deformation of Alumina Composites Reinforced with Carbon Nanofibers and with Graphene Oxide Sintered by SPS—Experimental Testing and Theoretical Interpretation
Authors: Cano-Crespo Rafael , Retamal César , Lagos Miguel , Cumbrera Francisco Luis
Published: February 2022

The superplastic behavior of alumina-based nanostructured ceramics (Al2O3) is an important issue in the world of materials. The main body of this paper is an analysis of the creep behavior of polycrystals, with grain boundary sliding as the main deformation mechanism at high temperatures. Concomitant accommodation of grain shapes to preserve spatial continuity has a comparatively small effect on the strain rate. The constitutive equations for small deformations, relating strain and strain rate, derived from two models for grain sliding, are compared with the experimental data with their respective uncertainties. The data follow from experiments on the plastic deformation of alumina composites reinforced, on the one hand by graphene oxide, and on the other hand by carbon nanofibers sintered by SPS. The results show good agreement between experiment and theory for these advanced ceramics, particularly for one of the assumed models. The values obtained of ξ2 for model A were in the interval 0.0002–0.1189, and for model B were in the interval 0.000001–0.0561. The values obtained of R2 for model A were in the interval 0.9122–0.9994, and for model B were in the interval 0.9586–0.9999. The threshold stress was between (3.05 · 10−15–25.68) MPa.
Performance Comparison of CdTe:Na, CdTe:As, and CdTe:P Single Crystals for Solar Cell Applications
Authors: Kim Sangsu , Kim Deok , Hong Jinki , Elmughrabi Abdallah , Melis Alima , Yeom Jung-Yeol , Park Chansun , Cho Shinhaeng
Published: February 2022

We compared thermal stability, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and fill factor values of single-crystal Cadmium telluride (CdTe) grown using the vertical Bridgman (VB) technique and doped with group V elements (phosphorus and arsenic), and group Ⅰ element (sodium), followed by an annealing process. The sodium-doped CdTe maintained a hole density of 1016 cm−3 or higher; after annealing for a long time, this decreased to 1015 cm−3 or less. The arsenic-doped CdTe maintained a hole density of approximately 1016 cm−3 even after the annealing process; however its bulk minority carrier lifetime decreased by approximately 10%. The phosphorus-doped CdTe maintained its properties after the annealing process, ultimately achieving a hole density of ~1016 cm−3 and a minority carrier lifetime of ~40 ns. The characteristics of a single-crystal solar cell were evaluated using a solar cell device that contained single-crystal CdTe with various dopants. The sodium-doped sample exhibited poor interfacial properties, and its performance decreased rapidly during annealing. The samples doped with group V elements exhibited stable characteristics even during long-term annealing. We concluded, therefore, that group V elements dopants are more suitable for CdTe single-crystal-based solar cell applications involving thermal stress conditions, such as space missions or extreme fabrication temperature environments.
Evolution and Regulation of Radial Structure of PAN Pre-Oxidized Fiber Based on the Fine Denier Model
Authors: Wang Bin , Wang Yunfeng , Li Chenggao , Gao Aijun
Published: February 2022

Affected by ambient oxygen and thermal diffusion mechanism, the radial structural distribution of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber during the pre-oxidation process will be inherited to the carbon fiber, which had a remarkable effect on the mechanical properties of carbon fiber. It is important to understand the evolution mechanism of radial structure evolution of PAN fiber during the pre-oxidation process to manufacture the high-performance carbon fiber. In this paper, a series of fine denier model fibers were prepared by adjusting the oxygen concentration to describe the structural characteristics at different radial regions of pre-oxidized fibers. The evolution mechanism of the radial structure of pre-oxidized fiber, with the increase of heat treatment temperature, was studied by the methods of optical microscope, C13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR), and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results showed that along the radial direction of pre-oxidized fiber from skin to core layer, the degree of cyclization changed little while the dehydrogenation and oxygen-containing structure gradually decreased. Specifically, the oxygen-containing functional groups in the core decreased to the lowest level or even disappeared. A moderate increase of temperature in the initial and middle pre-oxidation processes could effectively promote the formation of cyclized structure and stabilize cross-linked ladder structure in the skin region of the fiber. With it, the thermal stability of obtained pre-oxidation fiber was improved.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) as Biomaterials in Tissue Engineering: Production, Isolation, Characterization
Authors: Miu Dana-Maria , Eremia Mihaela Carmen , Moscovici Misu
Published: February 2022

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymers. These biomaterials have grown in importance in the fields of tissue engineering and tissue reconstruction for structural applications where tissue morphology is critical, such as bone, cartilage, blood vessels, and skin, among others. Furthermore, they can be used to accelerate the regeneration in combination with drugs, as drug delivery systems, thus reducing microbial infections. When cells are cultured under stress conditions, a wide variety of microorganisms produce them as a store of intracellular energy in the form of homo- and copolymers of [R]—hydroxyalkanoic acids, depending on the carbon source used for microorganism growth. This paper gives an overview of PHAs, their biosynthetic pathways, producing microorganisms, cultivation bioprocess, isolation, purification and characterization to obtain biomaterials with medical applications such as tissue engineering.
Influence of Pressing Schedule and Adhesive Content on the Rheological Behavior of Wood Fiber-Furnish Mats
Authors: Shalbafan Ali , Thoemen Heiko
Published: February 2022

In this study, for a better understanding of the hot-pressing process, the influence of adhesive content (AC) on various features of a typical pressing schedule for medium-density fiberboard (MDF) production, including fiber mat compressibility, heat transfer during hot-pressing, density profile and board properties, were evaluated. It was found that increasing the AC (urea formaldehyde) leads to faster heat transfer towards the mat’s central plane, mainly due to higher heat release from the adhesive polycondensation reaction. Moreover, the results indicate that the time needed to reach the critical mark of 100 °C in the central plane of the mat depends on the duration of the first densification level (FD). Importantly, the pressure peaks (pmax and p2nd) needed for mat densification are significantly reduced when increasing the AC, which might be attributed to the slippery effect created by the adhesive on the fiber surfaces. The duration of the FD also showed obvious effects on the intermediate density maxima (ρinter) and the core layer density (ρcore). In general, the physical and mechanical properties of MDF panels are significantly impacted by the pressing schedule and AC. All in all, the results of this study are valuable information for refining existing rheological models to improve their accuracy and their ability to simulate the vertical density profile during industrial production.
Thermal Conductivity of Composite Materials Copper-Fullerene Soot
Authors: Koltsova Tatiana , Bobrynina Elizaveta , Vozniakovskii Aleksei , Larionova Tatiana , Klimova-Korsmik Olga
Published: February 2022

Copper-based composites strengthened with fullerene soot nanoparticles of 20–30 nm size in concentration up to 23 vol.% were prepared via two methods: mechanical mixing and molecular level mixing. The dependence of thermal conductivity on the carbon concentration was studied. Maxwell’s model describes well the change in the thermal conductivity of the composite obtained by molecular level mixing. However, thermal conductivity of the composite produced by mechanical mixing is significantly lower than the calculated values, due to structural inhomogeneity and residual stresses. Comparison of the thermal conductivity of Cu-fullerene soot composites with that of Cu-based composites described in the literature showed that the prepared materials are not inferior in thermal conductivity to composites containing carbon nanotubes, despite the fact that fullerene soot has a much lower thermal conductivity.
Two Types of Wear Mechanisms Governing Transition between Mild and Severe Wear in Ti-6Al-4V Alloy during Dry Sliding at Temperatures of 20–250 °C
Authors: Du Danhu , Zhang Wenbin , An Jian
Published: February 2022

Dry wear characteristics and wear mechanisms governing mild-severe wear transition of Ti-6Al-4V alloy were studied during sliding against medium carbon chromium steel (50Cr) in an experimental temperature range of 20–250 °C. At each experimental temperature, wear rate was plotted against applied load, and its variation was broken into two stages according to the difference of slope. Morphologies and contents of worn surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, from which the two stages were identified to correspond to mild and severe wear, respectively. Two types of wear mechanisms that dominated mild-severe wear transition were found, i.e., breakdown of mechanically mixed layer at temperatures of 20 and 50 °C, and severe plastic deformation at temperatures of 100–250 °C. Microstructures and hardness were examined in the subsurfaces, from which severe plastic deformation-dominated mild-severe wear transition was identified to be caused by the softening arising from friction heating-induced dynamic recrystallization. A linear relation between mild-severe wear transition load and experimental temperature was discovered. The intercept of experimental temperature axis 450 °C was obtained by linearly fitting, and it was considered as a critical dynamic recrystallzation temperature for mild-severe wear transition within the temperature range of 100–250 °C.
TB-BCG: Topic-Based BART Counterfeit Generator for Fake News Detection
Authors: Karnyoto Andrea Stevens , Sun Chengjie , Liu Bingquan , Wang Xiaolong
Published: February 2022

Fake news has been spreading intentionally and misleading society to believe unconfirmed information; this phenomenon makes it challenging to identify fake news based on shared content. Fake news circulation is not only a current issue, but it has been disseminated for centuries. Dealing with fake news is a challenging task because it spreads massively. Therefore, automatic fake news detection is urgently needed. We introduced TB-BCG, Topic-Based BART Counterfeit Generator, to increase detection accuracy using deep learning. This approach plays an essential role in selecting impacted data rows and adding more training data. Our research implemented Latent Dirichlet Allocation (Topic-based), Bidirectional and Auto-Regressive Transformers (BART), and Cosine Document Similarity as the main tools involved in Constraint @ AAAI2021-COVID19 Fake News Detection dataset shared task. This paper sets forth this simple yet powerful idea by selecting a dataset based on topic and sorting based on distinctive data, generating counterfeit training data using BART, and comparing counterfeit-generated text toward source text using cosine similarity. If the comparison value between counterfeit-generated text and source text is more than 95%, then add that counterfeit-generated text into the dataset. In order to prove the resistance of precision and the robustness in various numbers of data training, we used 30%, 50%, 80%, and 100% from the total dataset and trained it using simple Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Compared to baseline, our method improved the testing performance for both LSTM and CNN, and yields are only slightly different.
Augmented Simplicial Combinatorics through Category Theory: Cones, Suspensions and Joins
Authors: García-Calcines José Manuel , Hernández-Paricio Luis Javier , Rivas-Rodríguez María Teresa
Published: February 2022

In this work, we analyze the combinatorial properties of the category of augmented semi-simplicial sets. We consider various monoidal structures induced by the co-product, the product, and the join operator in this category. In addition, we also consider monoidal structures on augmented sequences of integers induced by the sum and product of integers and by the join of augmented sequences. The cardinal functor that associates to each finite set X its cardinal |X| induces the sequential cardinal that associates to each augmented semi-simplicial finite set X an augmented sequence |X|n of non-negative integers. We prove that the sequential cardinal functor is monoidal for the corresponding monoidal structures. This allows us to easily calculate the number of simplices of cones and suspensions of an augmented semi-simplicial set as well as other augmented semi-simplicial sets which are built by joins. In this way, the monoidal structures of the augmented sequences of numbers may be thought of as an algebraization of the augmented semi-simplicial sets that allows us to do a simpler study of the combinatorics of the augmented semi-simplicial finite sets.
Dielectric Properties of Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions Confined in Silica Nanopore: Molecular Simulation vs. Continuum-Based Models
Authors: Zhu Haochen , Hu Bo
Published: February 2022

Dielectric behavior of electrolyte aqueous solutions with various concentrations in a cylindrical nanopore of MCM 41 silica has been investigated. The effect of confinement is investigated by using isothermal-isosurface-isobaric statistical ensemble, which has proved to be an effective alternative to the Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation method. Several single-salt solutions have been considered (e.g., NaCl, NaI, BaCl2, MgCl2) in order to investigate the effect of ion polarizability, ion size, and ion charge. The effect of salt concentration has also been addressed by considering NaCl solutions at different concentrations (i.e., 0.1 mol/L, 0.5 mol/L, and 1 mol/L). The motivation in performing this integrated set of simulations is to provide deep insight into the dielectric exclusion in NF theory that plays a significant role in separation processes. It was shown that the dielectric constant increased when ions were added to water inside the nanopore (with respect to the dielectric constant of confined pure water) unlike what was obtained in the bulk phase and this phenomenon was even more pronounced for electrolytes with divalent ions (MgCl2 and BaCl2). Therefore, our simulations indicate opposite effects of ions on the dielectric constant of free (bulk) and nanoconfined aqueous solutions.
Special Issue “Biomembranes and Biomimetic Membranes—From Model Analysis to ‘In Vivo’ Study”
Authors: Smułek Wojciech , Rojewska Monika
Published: February 2022

Membrane processes are one of the key factors influencing the function of living cells [...]
Artificial Intelligence of Manufacturing Robotics Health Monitoring System by Semantic Modeling
Authors: Sun Han , Yang Yuan , Yu Jiachuan , Zhang Zhisheng , Xia Zhijie , Zhu Jianxiong , Zhang Hui
Published: February 2022

Robotics is widely used in nearly all sorts of manufacturing. Steady performance and accurate movement of robotics are vital in quality control. Along with the coming of the Industry 4.0 era, oceans of sensor data from robotics are available, within which the health condition and faults are enclosed. Considering the growing complexity of the manufacturing system, an automatic and intelligent health-monitoring system is required to detect abnormalities of robotics in real-time to promote quality and reduce safety risks. Therefore, in this study, we designed a novel semantic-based modeling method for multistage robotic systems. Experiments show that sole modeling is not sufficient for multiple stages. We propose a descriptor to conclude the stages of robotic systems by learning from operational data. The descriptors are akin to a vocabulary of the systems; hence, semantic checking can be carried out to monitor the correctness of operations. Furthermore, the stage classification and its semantics were used to apply various regression models to each stage to monitor the quality of each operation. The proposed method was applied to a photovoltaic manufacturing system. Benchmarks on production datasets from actual factories show the effectiveness of the proposed method to realize an AI-enabled real-time health-monitoring system of robotics.
Carrageenan of Red Algae Eucheuma gelatinae: Extraction, Antioxidant Activity, Rheology Characteristics, and Physicochemistry Characterization
Authors: Ha Hoang Thai , Cuong Dang Xuan , Thuy Le Huong , Thuan Pham Thanh , Tuyen Dang Thi Thanh , Mo Vu Thi , Dong Dinh Huu
Published: February 2022

Carrageenan is an anionic sulfated polysaccharide that accounts for a high content of red seaweed Eucheuma gelatinae. This paper focused on the extraction, optimization, and evaluation of antioxidant activity, rheology characteristics, and physic-chemistry characterization of β-carrageenan from Eucheuma gelatinae. The extraction and the optimization of β-carrageenan were by the maceration-stirred method and the experimental model of Box-Behken. Antioxidant activity was evaluated to be the total antioxidant activity and reducing power activity. The rheology characteristics of carrageenan were measured to be gel strength and viscosity. Physic-chemistry characterization was determined, including the molecular weight, sugar composition, function groups, and crystal structure, through GCP, GC-FID, FTIR, and XRD. The results showed that carrageenan possessed antioxidant activity, had intrinsic viscosity and gel strength, corresponding to 263.02 cps and 487.5 g/cm2, respectively. Antioxidant carrageenan is composed of rhamnose, mannose, glucose, fucose, and xylose, with two molecular weight fractions of 2.635 × 106 and 2.58 × 106 g/mol, respectively. Antioxidant carrageenan did not exist in the crystal. The optimization condition of antioxidant carrageenan extraction was done at 82.35 °C for 115.35 min with a solvent-to-algae ratio of 36.42 (v/w). At the optimization condition, the extraction efficiency of carrageenan was predicted to be 87.56 ± 5.61 (%), the total antioxidant activity and reducing power activity were predicted to 71.95 ± 5.32 (mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g DW) and 89.84 ± 5.84 (mg FeSO4 equivalent/g DW), respectively. Purity carrageenan content got the highest value at 42.68 ± 2.37 (%, DW). Antioxidant carrageenan from Eucheuma gelatinae is of potential use in food and pharmaceuticals.
Bioconversion of Glycosidic Precursors from Sour Guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Nied.) Fruit by the Oral Microbiota into Odor-Active Volatile Compounds
Authors: Cuadrado-Silva Carmen Tatiana , Muñoz-González Carolina , Giraldo Ramón , Del Pozo-Bayón María Ángeles , Osorio Coralia
Published: February 2022

The ability of the human oral microbiota to hydrolyze the glycosidic aroma precursor extract isolated from sour guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum Nied.) fruits was studied herein. The glycosidic extract (GP) was incubated with a mixture of the oral microbiota isolated from three individuals’ saliva to evaluate the hydrolytic capacity of oral bacteria in the generation of odor-active compounds. The oral microbiota was able to release 1-hexanol from GP, under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Additionally, the aroma precursor extracts showed a decrease in the growth of harmful oral bacteria (Streptococcus and Actinomyces). This effect can be considered beneficial to human health because these bacteria have been related to different diseases of the bucco-respiratory tract.
The Utilization of Algae and Seaweed Biomass for Bioremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Wastewater
Authors: Znad Hussein , Awual Md. Rabiul , Martini Sri
Published: February 2022

The presence of heavy metals in water bodies is linked to the increasing number of industries and populations. This has serious consequences for the quality of human health and the environment. In accordance with this issue, water and wastewater treatment technologies including ion exchange, chemical extraction, and hydrolysis should be conducted as a first water purification stage. However, the sequestration of these toxic substances tends to be expensive, especially for large scale treatment methods that require tedious control and have limited efficiency. Therefore, adsorption methods using adsorbents derived from biomass represent a promising alternative due to their great efficiency and abundance. Algal and seaweed biomass has appeared as a sustainable solution for environmentally friendly adsorbent production. This review further discusses recent developments in the use of algal and seaweed biomass as potential sorbent for heavy metal bioremediation. In addition, relevant aspects like metal toxicity, adsorption mechanism, and parameters affecting the completion of adsorption process are also highlighted. Overall, the critical conclusion drawn is that algae and seaweed biomass can be used to sustainably eliminate heavy metals from wastewater.
Natural Enantiomers: Occurrence, Biogenesis and Biological Properties
Authors: Yu Jin-Hai , Yu Zhi-Pu , Capon Robert J. , Zhang Hua
Published: February 2022

The knowledge that natural products (NPs) are potent and selective modulators of important biomacromolecules (e.g., DNA and proteins) has inspired some of the world’s most successful pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Notwithstanding these successes and despite a growing number of reports on naturally occurring pairs of enantiomers, this area of NP science still remains largely unexplored, consistent with the adage “If you don’t seek, you don’t find”. Statistically, a rapidly growing number of enantiomeric NPs have been reported in the last several years. The current review provides a comprehensive overview of recent records on natural enantiomers, with the aim of advancing awareness and providing a better understanding of the chemical diversity and biogenetic context, as well as the biological properties and therapeutic (drug discovery) potential, of enantiomeric NPs.
Tetrahydrocurcumin Lipid Nanoparticle Based Gel Promotes Penetration into Deeper Skin Layers and Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis in 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) Mouse Model
Authors: Saini Komal , Modgill Nancy , Singh Kamalinder , Kakkar Vandita
Published: February 2022

Treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is challenging due to its complex pathophysiology. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) a polyphenolic, colorless compound that is more polar than curcumin. It possesses superior anti-inflammatory properties and has a clinical advantage over curcumin. The present study investigated the therapeutic effectiveness of THC solid lipid nanoparticle (THC-SLN)-based gels in AD. THC-SLNs prepared using microemulsification resulted in a particle size of 109.2 nm as determined by nanoparticle tracking, and FTIR confirmed the entrapment of drug within the lipid matrix. THC-SLNs greatly enhanced skin hydration when tested both ex vivo and in vivo in Lacca mice. Deeper skin penetration was clearly established using dermatokinetics and CLSM. The in vivo pharmacodynamics of THC-SLNs gel in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mice showed enhanced bioactivity; reduced levels of TNF-α and IL-6; and complete healing, as evident from histopathological studies. Thus, the novel topical THC-SLN gel has potential to emerge as a safe alternative to conventional corticosteroids for AD and other skin disorders with overbearing inflammation.
Analysis of Nanofluid Particles in a Duct with Thermal Radiation by Using an Efficient Metaheuristic-Driven Approach
Authors: Khan Naveed Ahmad , Sulaiman Muhammad , Tavera Romero Carlos Andrés , Alshammari Fahad Sameer
Published: February 2022

This study investigated the steady two-phase flow of a nanofluid in a permeable duct with thermal radiation, a magnetic field, and external forces. The basic continuity and momentum equations were considered along with the Buongiorno model to formulate the governing mathematical model of the problem. Furthermore, the intelligent computational strength of artificial neural networks (ANNs) was utilized to construct the approximate solution for the problem. The unsupervised objective functions of the governing equations in terms of mean square error were optimized by hybridizing the global search ability of an arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA) with the local search capability of an interior point algorithm (IPA). The proposed ANN-AOA-IPA technique was implemented to study the effect of variations in the thermophoretic parameter (Nt), Hartmann number (Ha), Brownian (Nb) and radiation (Rd) motion parameters, Eckert number (Ec), Reynolds number (Re) and Schmidt number (Sc) on the velocity profile, thermal profile, Nusselt number and skin friction coefficient of the nanofluid. The results obtained by the designed metaheuristic algorithm were compared with the numerical solutions obtained by the Runge–Kutta method of order 4 (RK-4) and machine learning algorithms based on a nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous inputs (NARX) and backpropagated Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The mean percentage errors in approximate solutions obtained by ANN-AOA-IPA are around 10−6 to 10−7. The graphical analysis illustrates that the velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles of the nanofluid increase with an increase in the suction parameter, Eckert number and Schmidt number, respectively. Solutions and the results of performance indicators such as mean absolute deviation, Theil’s inequality coefficient and error in Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency further validate the proposed algorithm’s utility and efficiency.
Gadolinium and Polythiophene Functionalized Polyurea Polymer Dots as Fluoro-Magnetic Nanoprobes
Authors: Karabacak Soner , Palaniappan Alagappan , Tony Tsang Siu Hon , Edwin Teo Hang Tong , Gulyás Balázs , Padmanabhan Parasuraman , Yildiz Ümit Hakan
Published: February 2022

A rapid and one-pot synthesis of poly 3-thiopheneacetic acid (PTAA) functionalized polyurea polymer dots (Pdots) using polyethyleneimine and isophorone diisocyanate is reported. The one-pot mini-emulsion polymerization technique yielded Pdots with an average diameter of ~20 nm. The size, shape, and concentration of the surface functional groups could be controlled by altering the synthesis parameters such as ultrasonication time, concentration of the surfactant, and crosslinking agent, and the types of isocyanates utilized for the synthesis. Colloidal properties of Pdots were characterized using dynamic light scattering and zeta potential measurements. The spherical geometry of Pdots was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The Pdots were post-functionalized by 1,4,7,10 tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid for chelating gadolinium nanoparticles (Gd3+) that provide magnetic properties to the Pdots. Thus, the synthesized Pdots possess fluorescent and magnetic properties, imparted by PTAA and Gd3+, respectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy revealed that the synthesized dual-functional Gd3+-Pdots exhibited detectable fluorescent signals even at lower concentrations. Magnetic levitation experiments indicated that the Gd3+-Pdots could be easily manipulated via an external magnetic field. These findings illustrate that the dua- functional Gd3+-Pdots could be potentially utilized as fluorescent reporters that can be magnetically manipulated for bioimaging applications.
The Relative Validity and Reproducibility of Food Frequency Questionnaires in the China Kadoorie Biobank Study
Authors: Qin Chenxi , Guo Yu , Pei Pei , Du Huaidong , Yang Ling , Chen Yiping , Shen Xi , Shi Zumin , Qi Lu , Chen Junshi , Chen Zhengming , Yu Canqing , Lv Jun , Li Liming
Published: February 2022

Background: Short versions of qualitative and quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are widely used to assess usual food intake. However, fewer studies evaluated their relative validity and reproducibility in the Chinese population. Methods: This study compared 12-day 24-h dietary recalls with qualitative and quantitative FFQs designed by the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study to assess the relative validity. Two FFQs were administered in the second and third seasons and compared to evaluate the reproducibility. Statistical tests included Spearman correlation coefficients, weighted kappa, and cross-classification. Results: A total of 432 participants were eligible after stratifying by age, sex, and four regions. In the validation of qualitative FFQ, adjusted Spearman coefficients were between 0.23 and 0.59, and weighted kappa coefficients ranged from 0.61 to 0.88, except for fresh vegetables. The percentage of correct classification was highest in fresh vegetables and lowest in fresh fruit, but the percentages of extreme classification were below 3.0%. Corresponding Spearman and kappa coefficients for the reproducibility were 0.17–0.56 and 0.62–0.90. Furthermore, the correct classification constituted between 35.6 and 93.3% of all participants. Regarding the relative validity of the quantitative FFQ, Spearman coefficients ranged from 0.14 to 0.69 in addition to dried vegetables and carbonated soft drinks. For items with more than two-thirds of total participants consumed, weighted kappa coefficients were from 0.57 to 0.79; correct classification percentages were between 34.6% and 67.5%. Spearman and kappa coefficients for the reproducibility of the quantitative FFQ were 0.15–0.71 and 0.60–0.86, respectively; correct classification percentages varied from 47.8% to 71.6%. Conclusion: Most food items from the qualitative FFQ showed acceptable or even good relative validity and reproducibility in the CKB study. Likewise, major food items in the quantitative FFQ were valid and reproducible, but poor performances of dried vegetables and carbonated soft drinks indicated the need for modification and validation in future research.
Association between Adipose Tissue Depots and Dyslipidemia: The KORA-MRI Population-Based Study
Authors: von Krüchten Ricarda , Lorbeer Roberto , Müller-Peltzer Katharina , Rospleszcz Susanne , Storz Corinna , Askani Esther , Kulka Charlotte , Schuppert Christopher , Rathmann Wolfgang , Peters Annette , Bamberg Fabian , Schlett Christopher L. , Mujaj Blerim
Published: February 2022

Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), however, whether adipose tissue relates to dyslipidemia, and consequently to cardiovascular events remains unknown. Thus, we investigated the association of adipose tissue with circulating lipoproteins and triglycerides (TG) in subjects without CVD. 384 participants from the KORA-MRI study (mean age 56.2 ± 9.2 years; 41.9% female) underwent whole-body 3T-MRI. Visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) derived from T1-DIXON-sequence using a semi-automatic algorithm. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and TG were measured. Linear regression was applied to examine the relationships between adipose tissue, circulating lipoproteins, and TG, adjusting for risk factors. VAT was associated with total cholesterol (per SD increase) (ß = 0.39, p < 0.001). Total adipose tissue (TAT) and VAT were inversely associated with HDL (ß = −0.09, p = 0.009; ß = −0.14, p < 0.001), and positively associated with LDL (ß = 0.32, p < 0.001; ß = 0.37, p < 0.001). All adipose tissues were associated with TG (ß = 0.20, p < 0.001; ß = 0.27, p < 0.001; ß = 0.11, p = 0.004). Stratified analysis by sex and body mass index (BMI) was confirmatory in women and in individuals with BMI < 30. Our results suggest that adipose tissue plays an important role in increasing CVD risk independent of BMI, whereas gender imbalance may be explained by accurate characterization and quantification of adipose tissue.
Impact of Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and Modified Creatinine Index Combination on Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Fujioka Hayato , Koike Tsutomu , Imamura Teruhiko , Tomoda Fumihiro , Kakeshita Kota , Yamazaki Hidenori , Kinugawa Koichiro
Published: February 2022

The prognostic impact of the combination of a geriatric nutritional risk index (GRNI) and modified creatinine index, both of which assess nutritious status in hemodialysis patients, has not yet been well investigated thus far. Patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis in our institutes between February 2011 and January 2017 were retrospectively included. The baseline GRNI and modified Creatinine index were calculated and the impact of their combination on 5-year all-cause mortality following the index hemodialysis was investigated. A total of 183 patients (68.3 ± 12.4 years, 98 men, hemodialysis duration 97 ± 89 months) were followed from the index hemodialysis for 5.5 years. Mean GNRI was 91.2 and mean modified Creatinine index was 22.2 in men and 19.6 in women. The 5-year survival was significantly stratified by the median values of GNRI and modified Creatinine index (p < 0.05 for both). Patients with low GNRI and a low modified Creatinine index had lower 5-year survival than those with the other three combination patterns (p < 0.05). A combination of GNRI and modified Creatinine index may be a promising tool to risk stratify mortality in dialysis patients.
Oral Supplementation with L-Carnosine Attenuates Social Recognition Deficits in CD157KO Mice via Oxytocin Release
Authors: Tsuji Takahiro , Furuhara Kazumi , Gerasimenko Maria , Shabalova Anna , Cherepanov Stanislav M , Minami Kana , Higashida Haruhiro , Tsuji Chiharu
Published: February 2022

The outcomes of supplementation with L-carnosine have been investigated in clinical trials in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, reports on the effects of L-carnosine in humans have been inconsistent, and the efficacy of L-carnosine supplementation for improving ASD symptoms has yet to be investigated in animal studies. Here, we examined the effects of oral supplementation with L-carnosine on social deficits in CD157KO mice, a murine model of ASD. Social deficits in CD157KO mice were assessed using a three-chamber social approach test. Oral supplementation with L-carnosine attenuated social behavioral deficits. The number of c-Fos-positive oxytocin neurons in the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus was increased with L-carnosine supplementation in CD157KO mice after the three-chamber social approach test. We observed an increase in the number of c-Fos-positive neurons in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region involved in social behavior. Although the expression of oxytocin and oxytocin receptors in the hypothalamus was not altered by L-carnosine supplementation, the concentration of oxytocin in cerebrospinal fluid was increased in CD157KO mice by L-carnosine supplementation. These results suggest that L-carnosine supplementation restores social recognition impairments by augmenting the level of released oxytocin. Thus, we could imply the possibility of a safe nutritional intervention for at least some types of ASD in the human population.
Breastfeeding Practices in the United Arab Emirates: Prenatal Intentions and Postnatal Outcomes
Authors: Taha Zainab , Garemo Malin , El Ktaibi Farid , Nanda Joy
Published: February 2022

Breastfeeding provides the ideal nutrition in infancy, and its benefits extend to the health of mothers. Psychosocial factors such as the intention to breastfeed, self-efficacy, or maternal confidence to breastfeed have been shown to impact breastfeeding outcomes in other communities. The aim of this study was to assess the potential associations between mothers’ prenatal intention to breastfeed and post-delivery breastfeeding practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to September 2017. Emirati and non-Emirati mothers with children below the age of 2 were recruited from maternal and child health centers in various geographical areas in Abu Dhabi Capital district, United Arab Emirates. The variables (mothers’ intention to breastfeed, breastfeeding knowledge, support from family and health care professionals, and initiation and duration of breastfeeding) were collected by research assistants during an in-person interview, using a structured questionnaire. A total of 1799 mothers participated in this study. Mothers’ prenatal intention to breastfeed was significantly associated with breastfeeding initiation (p < 0.001) and length of exclusive breastfeeding (p = 0.006). Furthermore, intention to breastfeed during early pregnancy showed a strong association (p < 0.001) with mothers who had exclusively breast fed for more than three months. In addition, knowledge on the benefits of breastfeeding and getting support from relatives and non-relatives demonstrated significant relationship with a longer period of exclusive breastfeeding (p < 0.01) In total, mothers in the study reported receiving almost four thousand advice about breastfeeding, of which 3869 (97%) were encouraging to our others in the study. Our findings on prenatal intentions, knowledge and network support on exclusive breastfeeding indicates the importance of including breastfeeding knowledge and support as critical topics during prenatal education, not only to the mothers but also to close network members who seek a healthy pregnancy outcome.
Influence of Semiquantitative [18F]FDG PET and Hematological Parameters on Survival in HNSCC Patients Using Neural Network Analysis
Authors: Cegla Paulina , Currie Geoffrey , Wróblewska Joanna P. , Cholewiński Witold , Kaźmierska Joanna , Marszałek Andrzej , Kubiak Anna , Golusinski Pawel , Golusiński Wojciech , Majchrzak Ewa
Published: February 2022

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of semiquantitative PET-derived parameters as well as hematological parameters in overall survival in HNSCC patients using neural network analysis. Retrospective analysis was performed on 106 previously untreated HNSCC patients. Several PET-derived parameters (SUVmax, SUVmean, TotalSUV, MTV, TLG, TLRmax, TLRmean, TLRTLG, and HI) for primary tumor and lymph node with highest activity were assessed. Additionally, hematological parameters (LEU, LEU%, NEU, NEU%, MON, MON%, PLT, PLT%, NRL, and LMR) were also assessed. Patients were divided according to the diagnosis into the good and bad group. The data were evaluated using an artificial neural network (Neural Analyzer version 2.9.5) and conventional statistic. Statistically significant differences in PET-derived parameters in 5-year survival rate between group of patients with worse prognosis and good prognosis were shown in primary tumor SUVmax (10.0 vs. 7.7; p = 0.040), SUVmean (5.4 vs. 4.4; p = 0.047), MTV (23.2 vs. 14.5; p = 0.010), and TLG (155.0 vs. 87.5; p = 0.05), and mean liver TLG (27.8 vs. 30.4; p = 0.031), TLRmax (3.8 vs. 2.6; p = 0.019), TLRmean (2.8 vs. 1.9; p = 0.018), and in TLRTLG (5.6 vs. 2.3; p = 0.042). From hematological parameters, only LMR showed significant differences (2.5 vs. 3.2; p = 0.009). Final neural network showed that for ages above 60, primary tumors SUVmax, TotalSUV, MTV, TLG, TLRmax, and TLRmean over (9.7, 2255, 20.6, 145, 3.6, 2.6, respectively) are associated with worse survival. Our study shows that the neural network could serve as a supplement to PET-derived parameters and is helpful in finding prognostic parameters for overall survival in HNSCC.
Physicochemical Characterizations and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Pentazocine Solid Lipid Nanoparticles against Inflammatory Pain Model
Authors: Khan Zaheer Ullah , Razzaq Anam , Khan Ahsan , Rehman Naeem Ur , Khan Hira , Khan Taous , Khan Ashraf Ullah , Althobaiti Norah A. , Menaa Farid , Iqbal Haroon , Khan Naveed Ullah
Published: February 2022

Pentazocine (PTZ), a narcotic-antagonist analgesic, has been extensively used in the treatment of initial carcinogenic or postoperative pain. Hepatic first-pass metabolism results in low oral bioavailability and high dose wastage. Herein, 10 mg (-)-Pentazocine (HPLC-grade) was incorporated to solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) using a double water-oil-water (w/o/w) emulsion by solvent emulsification–evaporation technique, followed by high shear homogenization to augment its oral bioavailability, considering the lymphatic uptake. The resulting SLNs were characterized for zeta potential (ZP), particle size (PS), and polydispersity index (PDI) using a zetasizer. The entrapment efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC) were calculated. Chemical interactions, through the identification of active functional groups, were assessed by Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The nature (crystallinity) of the SLNs was determined by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The surface morphology was depicted by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In vitro (in Caco-2 cells) and in vivo (in male Wistar rats) investigations were carried out to evaluate the PTZ release behavior and stability, as well as the cellular permeation, cytotoxicity, systemic pharmacokinetics, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative activities of PTZ-loaded SLNs, mainly compared to free PTZ (marketed conventional dosage form). The optimized PTZ-loaded SLN2 showed significantly higher in vitro cellular permeation and negligible cytotoxicity. The in vivo bioavailability and pharmacokinetics parameters (t1/2, Cmax) of the PTZ-loaded SLNs were also significantly improved, and the nociception and inflammation, following carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain, were markedly reduced. Concordantly, PTZ-loaded SLNs showed drastic reduction in the oxidative stress (e.g., malonaldehyde (MDA)) and proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., Interleukin (IL)-1β, -6, and TNF-α). The histological features of the paw tissue following, carrageenan-induced inflammation, were significantly improved. Taken together, the results demonstrated that PTZ-loaded SLNs can improve the bioavailability of PTZ by bypassing the hepatic metabolism via the lymphatic uptake, for controlled and sustained drug delivery.