bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial Efficacy of Five Probiotic Strains Against Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Saracino Ilaria Maria , Pavoni Matteo , Saccomanno Laura , Fiorini Giulia , Pesci Valeria , Foschi Claudio , Piccirilli Giulia , Bernardini Giulia , Holton John , Figura Natale , Lazzarotto Tiziana , Borghi Claudio , Vaira Berardino
Published: May 2020

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a challenge for clinicians. The large increase in drug-resistant strains makes the formulation of new therapeutic strategies fundamental. The frequent onset of side effects during antibiotic treatment (mainly due to intestinal dysbiosis) should not be underestimated as it may cause the interruption of treatment, failure of H. pylori eradication and clonal selection of resistant bacteria. Probiotic integration during antibiotic treatment can exert a dual function: a direct antagonistic effect on H. pylori and a balancing effect on dysbiosis. Therefore, it fulfills the definition of a new therapeutic strategy to successfully treat H. pylori infection. Data reported in literature give promising but discrepant results. Aim: To assess in vitro bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity of probiotic strains against H. pylori. Materials and methods: L. casei, L. paracasei, L. acidophilus, B. lactis and S. thermophilus strains were used. Agar well diffusion and time-kill curves were carried out to detect bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity, respectively. Results: All probiotic strains showed both bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity vs. H. pylori. Conclusions: Such findings prompted us to plan a protocol of treatment in which probiotics are given to infected patients in association with antibiotic therapy.
The Profile of Selected Antioxidants in Two Courgette Varieties from Organic and Conventional Production
Authors: Kopczyńska Klaudia , Kazimierczak Renata , Średnicka-Tober Dominika , Barański Marcin , Wyszyński Zdzisław , Kucińska Katarzyna , Perzanowska Aneta , Szacki Paweł , Rembiałkowska Ewa , Hallmann Ewelina
Published: May 2020

Courgette is considered as a low-calorie vegetable with health-promoting properties. However, scientific publications focused on the profile and content of bioactive compounds in courgette, as well as the potential fruit quality modulating factors, are rare. Due to the high adaptability of courgette to weather and agronomic conditions, it is produced on a global scale. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of organic versus conventional agronomic practices on the concentration of selected antioxidants in courgette fruits. Fruits of two courgette varieties (Astra Polka and Nimba) produced in an organic and conventional system were tested by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the content of polyphenols (flavonoids and phenolic acids), carotenoids, chlorophylls, and vitamin C. Organic courgette fruits were characterised by their significantly higher content of phenolic acids and flavonoids when compared to the conventionally grown fruit. The organic cultivation might be a good method to increase concentration of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties in courgette fruits. Nevertheless, the identified trends should be further confirmed, with attention paid to other courgette varieties, as well as to the potential interactions between the plant genotype, agronomic system and the location-specific growing conditions.
Isoprostanoids Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid Do Not Reflect Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Peña-Bautista Carmen , Baquero Miguel , López-Nogueroles Marina , Vento Máximo , Hervás David , Cháfer-Pericás Consuelo
Published: May 2020

Previous studies showed a relationship between lipid oxidation biomarkers from plasma samples and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), constituting a promising diagnostic tool. In this work we analyzed whether these plasma biomarkers could reflect specific brain oxidation in AD. In this work lipid peroxidation compounds were determined in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from AD and non-AD (including other neurological pathologies) participants, by means of an analytical method based on liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis evaluated correlations between biological matrices. The results did not show satisfactory correlations between plasma and CSF samples for any of the studied lipid peroxidation biomarkers (isoprostanes, neuroprostanes, prostaglandines, dihomo-isoprostanes). However, some of the analytes showed correlations with specific CSF biomarkers for AD and with neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS)). In conclusion, lipid peroxidation biomarkers in CSF samples do not reflect their levels in plasma samples, and no significant differences were observed between participant groups. However, some of the analytes could be useful as cognitive decline biomarkers.
Defect Detection on Rolling Element Surface Scans Using Neural Image Segmentation
Authors: Prappacher Nico , Bullmann Markus , Bohn Gunther , Deinzer Frank , Linke Andreas
Published: May 2020

The surface inspection of steel parts like rolling elements for roller bearings is an essential component of the quality assurance process in their production. Existing inspection systems require high maintenance cost and allow little flexibility. In this paper, we propose the use of a rapidly retrainable convolutional neural network. Our approach reduces the development and maintenance cost compared to a manually programmed classification system for steel surface defect detection. One of the main disadvantages of neural network approaches is their high demand for labeled training data. To bypass this, we propose the use of simulated defects. In the production of rolling elements, real defects are a rarity. Collecting a balanced dataset thus costs a lot of time and resources. Simulating defects reduces the time required for data collection. It also allows us to automatically label the dataset. This further eases the data collection process compared to existing approaches. Combined, this allows us to train our system faster and cheaper than existing systems. We will show that our system can be retrained in a matter of minutes, minimizing production downtime, while still allowing high accuracy in defect detection.
Power Quality Improvement with a Pulse Width Modulation Control Method in Modular Multilevel Converters under Varying Nonlinear Loads
Authors: Mehrasa Majid , Godina Radu , Pouresmaeil Edris , M. G. Rodrigues Eduardo , Catalão João P. S.
Published: May 2020

In order to reach better results for pulse width modulation (PWM)-based methods, the reference waveforms known as control laws have to be achieved with good accuracy. In this paper, three control laws are created by considering the harmonic components of modular multilevel converter (MMC) state variables to suppress the circulating currents under nonlinear load variation. The first control law consists of only the harmonic components of the MMC’s output currents and voltages. Then, the second-order harmonic of circulating currents is also involved with both upper and lower arm currents in order to attain the second control law. Since circulating current suppression is the main aim of this work, the third control law is formed by measuring all harmonic components of circulating currents which impact on the arm currents as well. By making a comparison between the switching signals generated by the three proposed control laws, it is verified that the second-order harmonic of circulating currents can increase the switching losses. In addition, the existence of all circulating current harmonics causes distributed switching patterns, which is not suitable for the switches’ lifetime. Each upper and lower arm has changeable capacitors, named “equivalent submodule (SM) capacitors” in this paper. To further assess these capacitors, eliminating the harmonic components of circulating currents provides fluctuations with smaller magnitudes, as well as a smaller average value for the equivalent capacitors. Moreover, the second-order harmonic has a dominant role that leads to values higher than 3 F for equivalent capacitors. In comparison with the first and second control laws, the use of the third control-law-based method will result in very small circulating currents, since it is trying to control and eliminate all harmonic components of the circulating currents. This result leads to very small magnitudes for both the upper and lower arm currents, noticeably decreasing the total MMC losses. All simulation results are verified using MATLAB software in the SIMULINK environment.
Special Issue on Musical Instruments: Acoustics and Vibration
Authors: Tronchin Lamberto
Published: May 2020

The sound characteristics of musical instruments have been constantly growing in importance [...]
Segmentation of Intracranial Hemorrhage Using Semi-Supervised Multi-Task Attention-Based U-Net
Authors: Wang Justin L. , Farooq Hassan , Zhuang Hanqi , Ibrahim Ali K.
Published: May 2020

Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) has high rates of mortality, and risk factors associated with it are sometimes nearly impossible to avoid. Previous techniques to detect ICH using machine learning have shown some promise. However, due to a limited number of labeled medical images available, which often causes poor model accuracy in terms of the Dice coefficient, there is much to be improved. In this paper, we propose a modified u-net and curriculum learning strategy using a multi-task semi-supervised attention-based model, initially introduced by Chen et al., to segment ICH sub-groups from CT images. Using a modified inverse-sigmoid-based curriculum learning training strategy, we were able to stabilize Chen’s algorithm experimentally. This semi-supervised model produced higher Dice coefficient values in comparison to a supervised counterpart, regardless of the amount of labeled data used to train the model. Specifically, when training with 80% of the ground truth data, our semi-supervised model produced a Dice coefficient of 0.67, which was higher than 0.61, obtained by a comparable supervised model. This result also surpassed by a greater margin the one obtained by using the out-of-the-box u-net by Hssayeni et al.
Comparative Biomechanical Analysis of the Hurdle Clearance Technique of Colin Jackson and Dayron Robles: Key Studies
Authors: Čoh Milan , Bončina Nejc , Štuhec Stanko , Mackala Krzysztof
Published: May 2020

The purpose of the study was to compare the biomechanical parameters of the hurdle clearance technique of the fifth hurdle in the 110 m hurdle race of Colin Jackson of Great Britain (12.91 s world record was set in 1994) and Dayron Robles of Cuba (12.87 s world record was set in 2008), two world record holders. Despite the athletes having performed at different times, we used comparable biomechanical diagnostic technology for both hurdlers. Biomechanical measurements for both were performed by the Laboratory for Movement Control of the Institute of Sport, Faculty of Sport in Ljubljana. A three-dimensional video analysis of the fifth hurdle clearance technique was used. High standards of biomechanical measurements were taken into account, thus ensuring the high objectivity of the obtained results. The following program was used: the ARIEL kinematic program (Ariel Dynamics Inc., Trabuco Canyon, CA, USA). The results of the comparative analysis found minimal differences between the two athletes, which was expected given their excellence. Dayron Robles’s hurdle clearance was more effective, as it was characterized by a smaller loss of horizontal center of mass (COM) velocity. Robles’s hurdle clearance took 0.50 s: 0.10 s for the take-off, 0.33 s for the flight phase, and 0.07 s for the landing phase. Colin Jackson completed the hurdle clearance slightly slower, as it took him 0.54 s. Jackson’s take-off phase also lasted 0.10 s, his flight phase 0.36 s, and his landing 0.08 s. The two athletes are quite different in their morphological constitution. Dayron Robles is 10 cm taller than Colin Jackson, resulting in a lower flight parabola of CM during hurdle clearance of the Cuban athlete. Dayron Robles has a more effective hurdle clearance technique compared to Jackson’s achievement. It can be considered that their individual techniques of overcoming the hurdle, reached their individual highest efficiency at this time.
The Combination of Plasma-Processed Air (PPA) and Plasma-Treated Water (PTW) Causes Synergistic Inactivation of Candida albicans SC5314
Authors: Schnabel Uta , Yarova Kateryna , Zessin Björn , Stachowiak Jörg , Ehlbeck Jörg
Published: May 2020

Microwave-induced plasma was used for the generation of plasma-processed air (PPA) and plasma-treated water (PTW). By this way, the plasma was able to functionalize the compressed air and the used water to antimicrobial effective agents. Their fungicidal effects by single and combined application were investigated on Candida albicans strain SC5314. The monoculture of C. albicans was cultivated on specimens with polymeric surface structures (PE-stripes). The additive as well as the synergistic fungicidal potential of PPA and PTW was investigated by different process windows of plasma exposure time (5–50 s) and sample treatment time with PPA/PTW (1–5 min). For a single PTW or PPA treatment, an increase in the reduction factor with the indicated treatment time was observed (maximum reduction factor of 1.1 and 1.6, respectively). In comparison, the combined application of PTW and then PPA resulted in antagonistic, additive and synergistic effects, depending on the combination. An application of the synergistically acting processes of PTW for cleaning and PPA for drying can be an innovative alternative to the sanitary processes currently used in production plants.
A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Methods for Class Imbalance in a Smoking Cessation Intervention
Authors: Davagdorj Khishigsuren , Lee Jong Seol , Pham Van Huy , Ryu Keun Ho
Published: May 2020

Smoking is one of the major public health issues, which has a significant impact on premature death. In recent years, numerous decision support systems have been developed to deal with smoking cessation based on machine learning methods. However, the inevitable class imbalance is considered a major challenge in deploying such systems. In this paper, we study an empirical comparison of machine learning techniques to deal with the class imbalance problem in the prediction of smoking cessation intervention among the Korean population. For the class imbalance problem, the objective of this paper is to improve the prediction performance based on the utilization of synthetic oversampling techniques, which we called the synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) and an adaptive synthetic (ADASYN). This has been achieved by the experimental design, which comprises three components. First, the selection of the best representative features is performed in two phases: the lasso method and multicollinearity analysis. Second, generate the newly balanced data utilizing SMOTE and ADASYN technique. Third, machine learning classifiers are applied to construct the prediction models among all subjects and each gender. In order to justify the effectiveness of the prediction models, the f-score, type I error, type II error, balanced accuracy and geometric mean indices are used. Comprehensive analysis demonstrates that Gradient Boosting Trees (GBT), Random Forest (RF) and multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP) classifiers achieved the best performances in all subjects and each gender when SMOTE and ADASYN were utilized. The SMOTE with GBT and RF models also provide feature importance scores that enhance the interpretability of the decision-support system. In addition, it is proven that the presented synthetic oversampling techniques with machine learning models outperformed baseline models in smoking cessation prediction.
Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer: Clinical Applications and Future Possibilities
Authors: Banys-Paluchowski Maggie , Reinhardt Florian , Fehm Tanja
Published: May 2020

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have gained importance as an emerging biomarker in solid tumors in the last two decades. Several detection assays have been introduced by various study groups, with EpCAM-based CellSearch system being the most widely used and standardized technique. In breast cancer, detection of CTCs correlates with clinical outcome in early and metastatic settings. CTC persistence beyond first cycle of palliative chemotherapy indicates poor response to treatment in metastatic situation. Beyond prognostication and therapy monitoring, CTC counts can guide treatment decisions in hormone receptor positive HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Furthermore, CTC-based therapy interventions are currently under investigation in clinical trials. In this review, we focus on the current state of knowledge and possible clinical applications of CTC diagnostics in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Impact of Heart Rate Fragmentation on the Assessment of Heart Rate Variability
Authors: Hayano Junichiro , Kisohara Masaya , Ueda Norihiro , Yuda Emi
Published: May 2020

Heart rate fragmentation (HRF) is a type of sinoatrial instability characterized by frequent (often every beat) appearance of inflection in the R-R interval time series, despite the electrocardiograms appearing to be sinus rhythm. Because the assessment of parasympathetic function by heart rate variability (HRV) analysis depends on the assumption that the high-frequency component (HF, 0.15–0.4 Hz) of HRV is mediated solely by the cardiac parasympathetic nerve, HRF that is measured as a part of HF power confounds the parasympathetic functional assessment by HRV. In this study, we analyzed HRF in a 24-h electrocardiogram big data and investigated the changes in HRF with age and sex and its influence on the assessment of HRV. We observed that HRF is often observed during childhoods (0–20 year) and increased after 75 year, but it has a large impact on individual differences in HF power at ages 60–90.
Understanding the Relationship between User’s Subjective Feeling and the Degree of Side Curvature in Smartphone
Authors: Lee Yushin , Kim Wonjoon , Lee Joong Hee , Kim Yong Min , Yun Myung Hwan
Published: May 2020

To develop a flexible display, smartphones with edge screens with curved displays on both sides of the main screen have been used widely. Considering that small differences in the form of smartphones, such as length, width, and thickness, could affect user experience, the effects of the curvature of the edge screen should be identified. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the curvature of edge screens on subjective feelings of smartphone users and to find out the optimal curvature. In the experiment, four nonfunctional samples with different radii of curvature (4R/6R/8R/10R) were used as samples, and participants evaluated the five subjective feelings: grip/control comfort, front/side visibility, and stability of the samples with four usage patterns. Our results revealed that 8R is the optimal curvature for the edge screen based on subjective feelings in smartphone usage. Moreover, the effect of the curvature of the edge screen on grip comfort and control comfort varied according to the usage patterns. The results of this study can be applied to design of the curvature of edge screens in smartphones and it is expected that it will contribute to improvement of users’ satisfaction.
The Role of Water in the Effect of Weak Combined Magnetic Fields on Production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by Neutrophils
Authors: Novikov Vadim V. , Yablokova Elena V. , Fesenko Evgeny E.
Published: May 2020

Various models have been used to demonstrate the pronounced effects of the microwave frequency range electromagnetic fields, as well as weak and very weak combined collinear magnetic fields (CMF) with static and variable components in the order of micro- and nano-tesla. One of such models, previously shown to be sensitive to variations in the parameters of applied magnetic fields, is the neutrophil respiratory burst. Using luminol-enhanced cell chemiluminescence assay, we studied the effects of the CMF exerted directly on neutrophil suspensions and, indirectly, through aqueous solutions. To experimentally create a uniform standard weak CMF with 60 µT static and 100 nT alternating magnetic field components, we engineered a shielded magnetic field induction device. CMF applied directly to neutrophils enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by more than 36%. The pronounced stimulating effect was observed only when using the signals that included the frequency of 12.6 Hz that corresponds to the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) frequency of the hydrated hydronium ion. Similarly, to direct exposure, CMF pre-treatment of a water sample subsequently added to the neutrophil suspension increased ROS production by 66%. The effect of CMF pre-treatment was retained after a series of dilutions and mechanical treatment but disappeared in “magnetic vacuum” or without mechanical influence. Therefore, weak and super weak magnetic fields may indirectly, via water, activate ROS production by neutrophils, provided that modulation of super weak component of collinear field corresponds to the ICR frequency of the hydrated hydronium ion.
Low-Power Laser Graphitization of High Pressure—High Temperature Nanodiamond Films
Authors: Mikheev Konstantin G. , Mogileva Tatyana N. , Fateev Arseniy E. , Nunn Nicholas A. , Shenderova Olga A. , Mikheev Gennady M.
Published: May 2020

Laser-induced graphitization of 100 nm monocrystals of diamond particles synthesized by high-pressure high-temperature (HP-HT) methods is not typically observed. The current study demonstrates the graphitization of 150 nm HP-HT nanodiamond particles in ca. 20-μm-thick thin films formed on a glass substrate when the intensity of a focused 633 nm He-Ne laser exceeds a threshold of ~ 33 kW/cm2. Graphitization is accompanied by green luminescence. The structure and morphology of the samples were investigated before and after laser excitation while using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, atomic force (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These observations are explained by photoionization of [Ni-N]- and [N]-centers, leading to the excitation of electrons to the conduction band of the HP-HT nanodiamond films and an increase of the local temperature of the sample, causing the transformation of sp3 HP-HT nanodiamonds to sp2-carbon.
Implementation of a Blood Cold Chain System Using Blockchain Technology
Authors: Kim Seungeun , Kim Joohyung , Kim Dongsoo
Published: May 2020

As the population structure changes due to lower fertility rates and rapid aging, the blood supply available for blood transfusion decreases and demand increases. In most countries, blood management information systems, led by national institutions, operate centrally. However, existing centralized blood management systems have limitations in that they lack detailed blood information and, moreover, information is not reflected in real time. To solve this problem, this paper presents an innovative blood cold chain system based on blockchain technology. The proposed system aims to increase information visibility by recording the overall information on the blood supply and providing detailed blood information such as blood consumption and disposal to the distributed ledger. In addition, this paper proposes direct blood transactions between medical institutions in cases of emergency. Currently, blockchain technologies are being actively employed in the supply chain management and medical fields in addition to financial systems. Particularly, private blockchain techniques with limited participants are relatively fast and reliable, making them suitable for B2B (Business-to-Business) transactions. Therefore, the proposed system is based on the architecture of Hyperledger Fabric, a private blockchain technology implemented by the Hyperledger Composer tool. Information in the proposed blood cold chain system cannot be forged or tampered with, and information recorded and shared in real time is kept transparent. In addition, allowing for B2B blood transaction in special circumstances will minimize the blood supply time and enable patients to be transfused quickly. Moreover, the surplus blood of medical institutions will be used to increase the usage rate relative to the supply amount.
Utilisation of Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition in Conjunction with Cyclostationary Technique for Wind Turbine Gearbox Fault Detection
Authors: Roshanmanesh Sanaz , Hayati Farzad , Papaelias Mayorkinos
Published: May 2020

In this paper the application of cyclostationary signal processing in conjunction with Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) technique, on the fault diagnostics of wind turbine gearboxes is investigated and has been highlighted. It is shown that the EEMD technique together with cyclostationary analysis can be used to detect the damage in complex and non-linear systems such as wind turbine gearbox, where the vibration signals are modulated with carrier frequencies and are superimposed. In these situations when multiple faults alongside noisy environment are present together, the faults are not easily detectable by conventional signal processing techniques such as FFT and RMS.
Non-REM Sleep Marker for Wearable Monitoring: Power Concentration of Respiratory Heart Rate Fluctuation
Authors: Hayano Junichiro , Ueda Norihiro , Kisohara Masaya , Yoshida Yutaka , Tanaka Haruhito , Yuda Emi
Published: May 2020

A variety of heart rate variability (HRV) indices have been reported to estimate sleep stages, but the associations are modest and lacking solid physiological basis. Non-REM (NREM) sleep is associated with increased regularity of respiratory frequency, which results in the concentration of high frequency (HF) HRV power into a narrow frequency range. Using this physiological feature, we developed a new HRV sleep index named Hsi to quantify the degree of HF power concentration. We analyzed 11,636 consecutive 5-min segments of electrocardiographic (ECG) signal of polysomnographic data in 141 subjects and calculated Hsi and conventional HRV indices for each segment. Hsi was greater during NREM (mean [SD], 75.1 [8.3]%) than wake (61.0 [10.3]%) and REM (62.0 [8.4]%) stages. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that Hsi discriminated NREM from wake and REM segments with an area under the curve of 0.86, which was greater than those of heart rate (0.642), peak HF power (0.75), low-to-high frequency ratio (0.77), and scaling exponent α (0.77). With a cutoff >70%, Hsi detected NREM segments with 77% sensitivity, 80% specificity, and a Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.57. Hsi may provide an accurate NREM sleep maker for ECG and pulse wave signals obtained from wearable sensors.
Chlorine Removal from U.S. Solid Waste Blends through Torrefaction
Authors: Xu Zhuo , Albrecht Josh W. , Kolapkar Shreyas S. , Zinchik Stas , Bar-Ziv Ezra
Published: May 2020

The amount of solid waste generated annually is increasing around the world. Although the waste has a high calorific value, one major obstacle that may prevent it from becoming a feedstock for power applications is the existence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which causes corrosion and emission issues after combustion due to its high chlorine content. Torrefaction is known to release hydrochloric acid; thus, it has been applied in this study for the reduction of chlorine from potential waste feedstocks. Fiber-plastic (60–40%) waste blends, with different chlorine content levels, as well as PVC were used in the current study. Torrefaction was conducted at 400 °C. Chlorine and heat content were measured. Experimental results showed that organically bonded chlorine was reduced during torrefaction as a function of mass loss. The chlorine removal efficiency was only dependent on temperature and residence time, not chlorine level. The heat content of the sample increased with mass loss up to a maximum of ~34 MJ/kg at ~45% mass loss. It was also observed that at ~30% mass loss, the organic chlorine content per unit heat content reduced by ~90%, while the heat content was ~32 MJ/kg, and ~90% energy was retained.
Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells from Glioblastoma Patients by Direct Immunomagnetic Targeting
Authors: Lynch David , Powter Branka , Po Joseph William , Cooper Adam , Garrett Celine , Koh Eng-Siew , Sheridan Mark , van Gelder James , Darwish Balsam , Mckechnie Simon , Bazina Renata , Jaeger Matthias , Roberts Tara Laurine , de Souza Paul , Becker Therese Maria
Published: May 2020

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of primary brain cancer in adults and tissue biopsies for diagnostic purposes are often inaccessible. The postulated idea that brain cancer cells cannot pass the blood–brain barrier to form circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has recently been overthrown and CTCs have been detected in the blood of GBM patients albeit in low numbers. Given the potential of CTCs to be analyzed for GBM biomarkers that may guide therapy decisions it is important to define methods to better isolate these cells. Here, we determined markers for immunomagnetic targeting and isolation of GBM-CTCs and confirmed their utility for CTC isolation from GBM patient blood samples. Further, we identified a new marker to distinguish isolated GBM-CTCs from residual lymphocytes.
Fine and Coarse Carbonaceous Aerosol in Houston, TX, during DISCOVER-AQ
Authors: Yoon Subin , Usenko Sascha , Sheesley Rebecca J.
Published: May 2020

To investigate major sources and trends of particulate pollution in Houston, total suspended particulate (TSP) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were collected and analyzed. Characterization of organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon combined with realtime black carbon (BC) concentration provided insight into the temporal trends of PM2.5 and coarse PM (subtraction of PM2.5 from TSP) during the Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) Campaign in Houston in 2013. Ambient OC, EC, and BC concentrations were highest in the morning, likely due to motor vehicle exhaust emissions associated with the morning rush hour. The morning periods also had the lowest OC to EC ratios, indicative of primary combustion sources. Houston also had significant coarse EC at the downtown site, with an average (±standard deviation) PM2.5 to TSP ratio of 0.52 ± 0.18 and an average coarse EC concentration of 0.44 ± 0.24 µg·C·m−3. The coarse EC concentrations were likely associated with less efficient industrial combustion processes from industry near downtown Houston. During the last week (20–28 September, 2013), increases in OC and EC concentrations were predominantly in the fine fraction. Both PM2.5 and TSP samples from the last week were further analyzed using radiocarbon analysis. Houston’s carbonaceous aerosol was determined to be largely from contemporary sources for both size fractions; however, PM2.5 had less impact from fossil sources. There was an increasing trend in fossil carbon during a period with the highest carbonaceous aerosol concentrations (September 24 night and 25 day) that was observed in both the PM2.5 and TSP. Overall, this study provided insight into the sources and trends of both fine and coarse PM in a large urban U.S. city impacted by a combination of urban, industrial, and biogenic emissions sources.
Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Agriculture: Adaptation Measures For Six Crops in Cyprus
Authors: Markou Marinos , Moraiti Cleopatra A. , Stylianou Andreas , Papadavid George
Published: May 2020

The agricultural sector of Cyprus is seriously affected by climate change impacts. In the framework of the ADAPT2CLIMA project, the available techniques and methods implemented worldwide for the adaptation of six crops (wheat, barley, potatoes, tomatoes, grapes, and olives) to climate change impacts were thoroughly assessed. The identified adaptation options were categorized according to the climate change impact they address as follows: measures against drought stress, heat stress, decreasing plant health, extreme weather events and reduced crop productivity. Another category that refers to measures that address more than one category of climate change was also added. The evaluation of the identified adaptation options was based on a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. The identified adaptation measures were graded according to the following criteria: efficiency of the measure, urgency of implementing the measure, usefulness of implementation irrespective of climate change, technical difficulty, contribution to climate change adaptation, economic viability and social acceptance. Fifty-six respondents (experts and stakeholders) filled the questionnaire, suggesting twelve recommended adaptation measures (with high score ≥ 60%), which mainly refer to irrigation adaptation measures, cultural practices, and methods for upgrading external services to farmers. The recommended adaptation measures for Cyprus are thoroughly presented and discussed.
A Study of the Effect of Brake Pad Scorching on Tribology and Airborne Particle Emissions
Authors: Wahlström Jens , Leonardi Mara , Tu Minghui , Lyu Yezhe , Perricone Guido , Gialanella Stefano , Olofsson Ulf
Published: May 2020

Non-exhaust wear emissions from disc brakes affect the air quality in cities throughout the world. These emissions come from the wear of the contact surfaces of both the pads and disc. The tribological and emissions performance of disc brakes strongly depend on the contact surface characteristics of the pads and discs. The surfaces of conventional pads are scorched by heating it to several hundred degrees to make the resin carbonize down to a few millimetres deep into the pad. This is done to have a shorter run-in period for new pads. It is not known how scorching will affect the amount of airborne particle emissions. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate how pad scorching influence the airborne particle emissions. This is done by comparing the pin-on-disc tribometer and inertia dyno bench emission results from a Cu-free friction material run against a grey cast iron disc. Three types of modified friction material surfaces have been tested: scorched, extra-scorched and rectified. The results show that the level of scorching strongly affects the airborne particle emissions in the initial phase of the tests. Even if the scorched layer is removed (rectified) before testing, it seems like it still has a measurable influence on the airborne particle emissions. The results from the tribometer tests are qualitatively in line with the inertia dyno bench test for about the first forty brake events; thereafter, the airborne particle emissions are higher for the scorched pads. It can be concluded that it seems that the level of scorching has an adverse influence on both the tribological performance and level of particle emissions.
Direct Measurement of Adhesion Force of Individual Aerosol Particles by Atomic Force Microscopy
Authors: Ono Kohei , Mizushima Yuki , Furuya Masaki , Kunihisa Ryota , Tsuchiya Nozomu , Fukuma Takeshi , Iwata Ayumi , Matsuki Atsushi
Published: May 2020

A new method, namely, force–distance curve mapping, was developed to directly measure the adhesion force of individual aerosol particles by atomic force microscopy. The proposed method collects adhesion force from multiple points on a single particle. It also takes into account the spatial distribution of the adhesion force affected by topography (e.g., the variation in the tip angle relative to the surface, as well as the force imposed upon contact), thereby enabling the direct and quantitative measurement of the adhesion force representing each particle. The topographic effect was first evaluated by measuring Polystyrene latex (PSL) standard particles, and the optimized method was then applied on atmospherically relevant model dust particles (quartz, ATD, and CJ-1) and inorganic particles (ammonium sulfate and artificial sea salt) to inter-compare the adhesion forces among different aerosol types. The method was further applied on the actual ambient aerosol particles collected on the western coast of Japan, when the region was under the influence of Asian dust plume. The ambient particles were classified into sea salt (SS), silicate dust, and Ca-rich dust particles based on individual particle analysis (micro-Raman or Scanning Electron Microscope/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX)). Comparable adhesion forces were obtained from the model and ambient particles for both SS and silicate dust. Although dust particles tended to show smaller adhesion forces, the adhesion force of Ca-rich dust particles was larger than the majority of silicate dust particles and was comparable with the inorganic salt particles. These results highlight that the original chemical composition, as well as the aging process in the atmosphere, can create significant variation in the adhesion force among individual particles. This study demonstrates that force–distance curve mapping can be used as a new tool to quantitatively characterize the physical properties of aerosol particles on an individual basis.
Analysis of Lambic Beer Volatiles during Aging Using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and Gas Chromatography–Olfactometry (GCO)
Authors: Witrick Katherine , Pitts Eric R. , O’Keefe Sean F.
Published: May 2020

Lambic beer is produced using spontaneous fermentation. Gueuze is a style of lambic beer that blends “young” (1 year old) and “aged” (2+ years old) beers. Little is known about the development of volatile aroma compounds in lambic beer during aging. Solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry were used to analyze volatile compounds from 3, 6, 9, 12, and 28-month-old commercial samples of lambic beer. Compounds were identified using standardized retention time and mass spectra of standards. Gas chromatography–olfactometry was used to characterize the aroma profiles of the samples. A total of 41 compounds were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Ethyl lactate, ethyl acetate, 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol were identified in the 9, 12, and 28-month old samples. These four compounds have been linked to the microorganism Brettanomyces. Twenty-one aroma active compounds were identified using Gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O). As the age of the gueuze samples increased, a larger number of aroma compounds were identified by the panelists; the compounds identified increased from seven for the 3-month-old samples to nine for the 6-month-old samples, and eleven for both the nine and twelve-month-old samples, and seventeen for the twenty-eight-month-old samples.
Machine Learning Technology Reveals the Concealed Interactions of Phytohormones on Medicinal Plant In Vitro Organogenesis
Authors: García-Pérez Pascual , Lozano-Milo Eva , Landín Mariana , Gallego Pedro Pablo
Published: May 2020

Organogenesis constitutes the biological feature driving plant in vitro regeneration, in which the role of plant hormones is crucial. The use of machine learning (ML) technology stands out as a novel approach to characterize the combined role of two phytohormones, the auxin indoleacetic acid (IAA) and the cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), on the in vitro organogenesis of unexploited medicinal plants from the Bryophyllum subgenus. The predictive model generated by neurofuzzy logic, a combination of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and fuzzy logic algorithms, was able to reveal the critical factors affecting such multifactorial process over the experimental dataset collected. The rules obtained along with the model allowed to decipher that BAP had a pleiotropic effect on the Bryophyllum spp., as it caused different organogenetic responses depending on its concentration and the genotype, including direct and indirect shoot organogenesis and callus formation. On the contrary, IAA showed an inhibiting role, restricted to indirect shoot regeneration. In this work, neurofuzzy logic emerged as a cutting-edge method to characterize the mechanism of action of two phytohormones, leading to the optimization of plant tissue culture protocols with high large-scale biotechnological applicability.
Cellular Localization of gdnf in Adult Zebrafish Brain
Authors: Wong Chee Ern David , Hua Khang , Monis Simon , Norazit Anwar , Noor Suzita Mohd , Ekker Marc
Published: May 2020

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was initially described as important for dopaminergic neuronal survival and is involved in many other essential functions in the central nervous system. Characterization of GDNF phenotype in mammals is well described; however, studies in non-mammalian vertebrate models are scarce. Here, we characterized the anatomical distribution of gdnf-expressing cells in adult zebrafish brain by means of combined in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed that gdnf was widely dispersed in the brain. gdnf transcripts were co-localized with radial glial cells along the ventricular area of the telencephalon and in the hypothalamus. Interestingly, Sox2 positive cells expressed gdnf in the neuronal layer but not in the ventricular zone of the telencephalon. A subset of GABAergic precursor cells labeled with dlx6a-1.4kbdlx5a/6a: green fluorescence protein (GFP) in the pallium, parvocellular preoptic nucleus, and the anterior and dorsal zones of the periventricular hypothalamus also showed expression with gdnf mRNA. In addition, gdnf signals were detected in subsets of dopaminergic neurons, including those in the ventral diencephalon, similar to what is seen in mammalian brain. Our work extends our knowledge of gdnf action sites and suggests a potential role for gdnf in adult brain neurogenesis and regeneration.
Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer Modeling for Power Electronics Control: A Short Review
Authors: Yodwong Burin , Guilbert Damien , Phattanasak Matheepot , Kaewmanee Wattana , Hinaje Melika , Vitale Gianpaolo
Published: May 2020

The main purpose of this article is to provide a short review of proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL) modeling used for power electronics control. So far, three types of PEMEL modeling have been adopted in the literature: resistive load, static load (including an equivalent resistance series-connected with a DC voltage generator representing the reversible voltage), and dynamic load (taking into consideration the dynamics both at the anode and the cathode). The modeling of the load is crucial for control purposes since it may have an impact on the performance of the system. This article aims at providing essential information and comparing the different load modeling.
New Trends in Enantioselective Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling
Authors: Faisca Phillips Ana Maria , C. Guedes da Silva Maria de Fátima , Pombeiro Armando J. L.
Published: May 2020

The development of cross-dehydrogenative coupling in recent years has simplified the synthesis of many materials, as a result of facile C–H activation, which, together with its greater atom economy and environmental friendliness, has made an impact on modern organic chemistry. Indeed, many C–C and C–X (X = N, O, P, S, B, or Si) coupling reactions can now be performed directly between two C–H bonds or a C–H and an X–H bond, simply by adding catalytic amounts of a metal salt to a mixture of the two and an oxidant to accept the two hydrogen atoms released. Chiral organocatalysts or chiral ligands have been joined to promote enantioselective processes, resulting in the development of efficient reaction cascades that provide products in high yields and high levels of asymmetric induction through cooperative catalysis. In recent years, photochemical oxidation and electrochemistry have widened even more the scope of cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC). In this review, we summarized the recent literature in this subject, hoping that it will inspire many new synthetic strategies.
Photocatalytic Activities of PET Filaments Deposited with N-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles Sensitized with Disperse Blue Dyes
Authors: Zhang Hui , Han Ye , Yang Limeng , Guo Xiaoling , Wu Hailiang , Mao Ningtao
Published: May 2020

In this study, the enhanced photocatalytic activities of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filaments deposited with N-doped Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles sensitized with water insoluble disperse blue SE–2R dye were investigated. The PET filaments were loaded with two types of N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles, one with and the other without being sensitized with disperse blue SE–2R dye, in one-pot hydrothermal process respectively. The differences in photocatalytic activities between the N-doped TiO2 and the dye-sensitized N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles when exposed to both UV rays and visible lights were analyzed and compared by using their photodegradations of methylene blue (MB) dye. It was demonstrated that the disperse blue dye facilitated the electron–hole separation in N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles faster under UV irradiation than that under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the PET filaments loaded with dye-sensitized N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles exposure to UV irradiation, in comparison with that under visible light irradiation, was attributed to both improved light absorption capacity and high separation efficiency of photo-generated electron–hole pairs. Furthermore, the conduction band and band gap of the PET filaments deposited with N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles sensitized with disperse blue SE–2R dye were influenced by the wavelength of light sources, while its valence band was not affected. The PET filaments deposited with dye-sensitized N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles have a potential application to degrade organic pollutants.
The Expression of microRNA in Adult Rat Heart with Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Gan Mailin , Zhang Shunhua , Fan Yuan , Tan Ya , Guo Zhixian , Chen Lei , Bai Lin , Jiang Dongmei , Hao Xiaoxia , Li Xuewei , Shen Linyuan , Zhu Li
Published: May 2020

Cardiac hypertrophy is a common pathological condition and an independent risk factor that triggers cardiovascular morbidity. As an important epigenetic regulator, miRNA is widely involved in many biological processes. In this study, miRNAs expressed in rat hearts that underwent isoprenaline-induced cardiac hypertrophy were identified using high-throughput sequencing, and functional verification of typical miRNAs was performed using rat primary cardiomyocytes. A total of 623 miRNAs were identified, of which 33 were specifically expressed in cardiac hypertrophy rats. The enriched pathways of target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs included the FoxO signaling pathway, dopaminergic synapse, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway, and Hippo signaling pathway. Subsequently, miR-144 was the most differentially expressed miRNA and was subsequently selected for in vitro validation. Inhibition of miR-144 expression in primary myocardial cells caused up-regulation of cardiac hypertrophy markers atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). The dual luciferase reporter system showed that ANP may be a target gene of miR-144. Long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction associated transcript (LncMIAT) is closely related to heart disease, and here, we were the first to discover that LncMIAT may act as an miR-144 sponge in isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Taken together, these results enriched the understanding of miRNA in regulating cardiac hypertrophy and provided a reference for preventing and treating cardiac hypertrophy.