bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Substance Abuse and HIV-Related Neurological Pathologies
Authors: Odegaard Katherine E. , Chand Subhash , Wheeler Sydney , Tiwari Sneham , Flores Adrian , Hernandez Jordan , Savine Mason , Gowen Austin , Pendyala Gurudutt , Yelamanchili Sowmya V.
Published: September 2020

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a broad, heterogeneous class of membranous lipid-bilayer vesicles that facilitate intercellular communication throughout the body. As important carriers of various types of cargo, including proteins, lipids, DNA fragments, and a variety of small noncoding RNAs, including miRNAs, mRNAs, and siRNAs, EVs may play an important role in the development of addiction and other neurological pathologies, particularly those related to HIV. In this review, we summarize the findings of EV studies in the context of methamphetamine (METH), cocaine, nicotine, opioid, and alcohol use disorders, highlighting important EV cargoes that may contribute to addiction. Additionally, as HIV and substance abuse are often comorbid, we discuss the potential role of EVs in the intersection of substance abuse and HIV. Taken together, the studies presented in this comprehensive review shed light on the potential role of EVs in the exacerbation of substance use and HIV. As a subject of growing interest, EVs may continue to provide information about mechanisms and pathogenesis in substance use disorders and CNS pathologies, perhaps allowing for exploration into potential therapeutic options.
Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca Strains Fb7 and 9a5c from Citrus Display Differential Behavior, Secretome, and Plant Virulence
Authors: de Souza Jessica Brito , Almeida-Souza Hebréia Oliveira , Zaini Paulo Adriano , Alves Mônica Neli , de Souza Aline Gomes , Pierry Paulo Marques , da Silva Aline Maria , Goulart Luiz Ricardo , Dandekar Abhaya M. , Nascimento Rafael
Published: September 2020

Xylella fastidiosa colonizes the xylem of various cultivated and native plants worldwide. Citrus production in Brazil has been seriously affected, and major commercial varieties remain susceptible to Citrus Variegated Chlorosis (CVC). Collective cellular behaviors such as biofilm formation influence virulence and insect transmission of X. fastidiosa. The reference strain 9a5c produces a robust biofilm compared to Fb7 that remains mostly planktonic, and both were isolated from symptomatic citrus trees. This work deepens our understanding of these distinct behaviors at the molecular level, by comparing the cellular and secreted proteomes of these two CVC strains. Out of 1017 identified proteins, 128 showed differential abundance between the two strains. Different protein families were represented such as proteases, hemolysin-like proteins, and lipase/esterases, among others. Here we show that the lipase/esterase LesA is among the most abundant secreted proteins of CVC strains as well, and demonstrate its functionality by complementary activity assays. More severe symptoms were observed in Nicotiana tabacum inoculated with strain Fb7 compared to 9a5c. Our results support that systemic symptom development can be accelerated by strains that invest less in biofilm formation and more in plant colonization. This has potential application in modulating the bacterial-plant interaction and reducing disease severity.
On the Way to Understanding the Interplay between the RNA Structure and Functions in Cells: A Genome-Wide Perspective
Authors: Andrzejewska Angelika , Zawadzka Małgorzata , Pachulska-Wieczorek Katarzyna
Published: September 2020

RNAs adopt specific structures in order to perform their biological activities. The structure of RNA is an important layer of gene expression regulation, and can impact a plethora of cellular processes, starting with transcription, RNA processing, and translation, and ending with RNA turnover. The development of high-throughput technologies has enabled a deeper insight into the sophisticated interplay between the structure of the cellular transcriptome and the living cells environment. In this review, we present the current view on the RNA structure in vivo resulting from the most recent transcriptome-wide studies in different organisms, including mammalians, yeast, plants, and bacteria. We focus on the relationship between the mRNA structure and translation, mRNA stability and degradation, protein binding, and RNA posttranscriptional modifications.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Role for S1P/S1P Receptor Signaling in the Nervous System?
Authors: Meacci Elisabetta , Garcia-Gil Mercedes , Pierucci Federica
Published: September 2020

The recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still spreading worldwide. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, binds to its receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and replicates within the cells of the nasal cavity, then spreads along the airway tracts, causing mild clinical manifestations, and, in a majority of patients, a persisting loss of smell. In some individuals, SARS-CoV-2 reaches and infects several organs, including the lung, leading to severe pulmonary disease. SARS-CoV-2 induces neurological symptoms, likely contributing to morbidity and mortality through unknown mechanisms. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid with pleiotropic properties and functions in many tissues, including the nervous system. S1P regulates neurogenesis and inflammation and it is implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS). Notably, Fingolimod (FTY720), a modulator of S1P receptors, has been approved for the treatment of MS and is being tested for COVID-19. Here, we discuss the putative role of S1P on viral infection and in the modulation of inflammation and survival in the stem cell niche of the olfactory epithelium. This could help to design therapeutic strategies based on S1P-mediated signaling to limit or overcome the host–virus interaction, virus propagation and the pathogenesis and complications involving the nervous system.
Review of Kalah Game Research and the Proposition of a Novel Heuristic–Deterministic Algorithm Compared to Tree-Search Solutions and Human Decision-Making
Authors: Pekař Libor , Matušů Radek , Andrla Jiří , Litschmannová Martina
Published: September 2020

The Kalah game represents the most popular version of probably the oldest board game ever—the Mancala game. From this viewpoint, the art of playing Kalah can contribute to cultural heritage. This paper primarily focuses on a review of Kalah history and on a survey of research made so far for solving and analyzing the Kalah game (and some other related Mancala games). This review concludes that even if strong in-depth tree-search solutions for some types of the game were already published, it is still reasonable to develop less time-consumptive and computationally-demanding playing algorithms and their strategies Therefore, the paper also presents an original heuristic algorithm based on particular deterministic strategies arising from the analysis of the game rules. Standard and modified mini–max tree-search algorithms are introduced as well. A simple C++ application with Qt framework is developed to perform the algorithm verification and comparative experiments. Two sets of benchmark tests are made; namely, a tournament where a mid–experienced amateur human player competes with the three algorithms is introduced first. Then, a round-robin tournament of all the algorithms is presented. It can be deduced that the proposed heuristic algorithm has comparable success to the human player and to low-depth tree-search solutions. Moreover, multiple-case experiments proved that the opening move has a decisive impact on winning or losing. Namely, if the computer plays first, the human opponent cannot beat it. Contrariwise, if it starts to play second, using the heuristic algorithm, it nearly always loses.
Retinal Pigment Epithelial and Outer Retinal Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Correlation with Macular Function
Authors: Savastano Maria C. , Falsini Benedetto , Cozzupoli Grazia M. , Savastano Alfonso , Gambini Gloria , De Vico Umberto , Minnella Angelo M. , Placidi Giorgio , Piccardi Marco , Rizzo Stanislao
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retina changes, expressed in terms of sub-RPE illumination (SRI) on optical-coherence tomography (OCT), and central retinal function, measured by visual acuity and focal electroretinogram (fERG), in patients with non-exudative age-related macular degeneration (neAMD). In this retrospective study, 29 eyes of 29 patients affected by early (24.14%), intermediate (41.38%), and advanced (34.48%) neAMD were evaluated. All enrolled eyes were studied with OCT to measure the total area of SRI, by using an automated standardized algorithm. Visual acuity and fERG were assessed. The area of SRI was negatively correlated with fERG amplitude (r ≤ −0.4, p ≤ 0.02) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (r ≤ 0.4, p ≤ 0.04). Our results indicate that the severity of retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina atrophy (RORA), indirectly quantified through the detection of SRI areas by commercial OCT algorithms, is correlated with central retinal dysfunction, as determined by visual acuity and fERG, supporting the combined use of structural exams and functional tests as valid tools to detect the extent of RPE and photoreceptors’ disruption.
Integrating Clinical and Translational Research Networks—Building Team Medicine
Authors: Salgia Ravi , Kulkarni Prakash
Published: September 2020

n/a
Both HCV Infection and Elevated Liver Stiffness Significantly Impacts on Several Parameters of T-Cells Homeostasis in HIV-Infected Patients
Authors: Restrepo Clara , Álvarez Beatriz , Valencia José L , García Marcial , Navarrete-Muñoz María A , Ligos José M , Cabello Alfonso , Prieto Laura , Nistal Sara , Montoya María , Górgolas Miguel , Rallón Norma , Benito José M
Published: September 2020

(1) Background: The role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection on the T-cell homeostasis disturbances in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients as well as its reversion after HCV eradication with direct acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy has not been yet clarified. We extensively analyzed the effect of HCV co-infection on immune parameters of HIV pathogenesis and its evolution after HCV eradication with DAAs. (2) Methods: Seventy individuals were included in the study—25 HIV-monoinfected patients, 25 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients and 20 HIV and HCV seronegative subjects. All patients were on antiretroviral therapy and undetectable HIV-viremia. Immune parameters, such as maturation, activation, apoptosis, senescence and exhaustion of T-cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Cross-sectional and longitudinal (comparing pre- and post-DAAs data in HIV/HCV coinfected patients) analyses were performed. Univariate and multivariate (general linear model and canonical discriminant analysis -CDA-) analyses were used to assess differences between groups. (3) Results—The CDA was able to clearly separate HIV/HCV coinfected from HIV-monoinfected patients, showing a more disturbed T-cells homeostasis in HIV/HCV patients, especially activation and exhaustion of T-cells. Interestingly, those perturbations were more marked in HIV/HCV patients with increased liver stiffness. Eradication of HCV with DAAs restored some but not all the T-cells homeostasis disturbances, with activation and exhaustion of effector CD8 T-cells remaining significantly increased three months after HCV eradication. (4) Conclusions—HCV co-infection significantly impacts on several immune markers of HIV pathogenesis, especially in patients with increased liver stiffness. Eradication of HCV with DAAs ameliorates but does not completely normalize these alterations. It is of utmost relevance to explore other mechanisms underlying the immune damage observed in HIV/HCV coinfected patients with control of both HIV and HCV replication.
Balloon-Assisted Colonoscopy after Incomplete Conventional Colonoscopy—Experience from Two European Centres with A Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Authors: Alexander R Robertson , Anastasios Koulaouzidis , Diana E Yung , Christopher Fraser , Artur Nemeth , Kenneth Trimble , Ervin Toth , John N Plevris , Gabriele Wurm Johansson
Published: September 2020

Background: Conventional colonoscopy (CC) allows access for colonic investigation and intervention; in the small group in whom CC is unsuccessful alternative imaging is often sufficient. There remains a subset, however, requiring full colonic visualisation or intervention. Balloon-assisted colonoscopy (BAC) gives a further option when access is difficult. Aims: This study aims to present the experience with BAC of two European tertiary referral centres. Methods: Procedures were carried out under local protocol over 15-years (2006–2020). Markers of procedural quality such as caecal intubation, complications and comfort were retrospectively compiled and analysed. Published evidence was summarised for comparison. Results: 122 procedures were undertaken, with polyps the most frequent indication and 90.2% having at least one previously incomplete CC. Features associated with difficult colonoscopy were common, including intraabdominal surgery (32.0%). 92.6% reached the caecum; completion was higher (96.3%) in those failing CC due to discomfort and lower in those failing due to anatomical difficulties (90.7%) or previous surgery (84.6%). Mean time to the caecum was 20.9 minutes and mean midazolam and fentanyl doses were 2.6 mg and 49.9 µg with low discomfort scores. Conclusion(s): Balloon-assisted colonoscopy is successful in >90% of patients, is well-tolerated, and is safe.
Orthodontic Aligner Incorporating Eucommia ulmoides Exerts Low Continuous Force: In Vitro Study
Authors: Inoue Sayuri , Yamaguchi Satoshi , Uyama Hiroshi , Yamashiro Takashi , Imazato Satoshi
Published: September 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the orthodontic force exerted by thermoplastic orthodontic appliances incorporating Eucommiaulmoides in terms of usefulness as the aligner-type orthodontic device. Erkodur, Essix C+®, Eucommia elastomer, and edgewise brackets were used (n = 3, each; thickness = 1.0 mm, each). The orthodontic force on the upper right incisor was measured every 24 h for two weeks using a custom-made measuring device. The force of the Eucommia elastomer (4.25 ± 0.274 N) and multi bracket system (5.32 ± 0.338 N) did not change from the beginning to the end (p > 0.01). The orthodontic force exerted by the Eucommia elastomer was lower than that of the multi-bracket orthodontic appliance from the beginning to the end. The force of Erkodur significantly decreased from the beginning to 24 h (6.47 ± 1.40 N) and 48 h (3.30 ± 0.536 N) (p < 0.01). The force of Essix C+® significantly decreased from the beginning (13.2 ± 0.845 N) to 24 h (8.77 ± 0.231 N) (p < 0.01). The thermoplastic orthodontic appliance made of Eucommia elastomer continuously exerted a constant orthodontic force for two weeks under water immersion conditions. The orthodontic force of Eucommia elastomer was found to be similar to the orthodontic force exerted by the multi-bracket orthodontic appliance with 0.019 × 0.025 in nickel–titanium wire. These results suggest that the Eucommia elastomer has possibly become one of the more useful materials to form thermoplastic orthodontic appliance exerting low continues orthodontic force.
Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of a New Process for Forming Flanges on Hollow Parts
Authors: Winiarski Grzegorz , Gontarz Andrzej , Samołyk Grzegorz
Published: September 2020

The paper presented a new method for forming flanges on hollow parts by incremental radial extrusion. In the classic process of radial extrusion, additional rings were used to limit the free flow of material in the radial direction. The flange was formed progressively, using rings of increasing diameters. The proposed method was verified by numerical analysis and experimental tests. The numerical calculations were performed by the finite element method using the Deform-3D software package. Tubes made of aluminum alloy EN AW 6060 were used as billets. Laboratory tests were carried out using the Instron 1000 HDX testing machine. The objective of the study was to determine the validity of the proposed flange extrusion method. Results demonstrated that the new method made it possible to produce flanges with a relatively large diameter and uniform thickness, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed forming technique.
Experimental Studies on 3D Printing of Automatically Designed Customized Wrist-Hand Orthoses
Authors: Górski Filip , Wichniarek Radosław , Kuczko Wiesław , Żukowska Magdalena , Lulkiewicz Monika , Zawadzki Przemysław
Published: September 2020

The paper presents results of research conducted on a batch of additively manufactured individualized openwork wrist–hand orthoses made of thermoplastics and designed automatically based on 3D-scanned geometry of a given patient. The aim of the work was to establish an automated design process and find a reliable set of parameters for rapid and affordable manufacturing of usable orthoses on popular 3D printers, with little or no supervision of the process. The paper presents motivations, methodology of automated design, plan of manufacturing and testing, the obtained results in terms of process stability, fit and assessment by patient and strength of the obtained orthoses. Almost 100 manufacturing processes of ready-to-use orthosis parts were carried out in a controlled environment and their results were analyzed thoroughly. The results are promising, as most of the obtained products fulfil the strength criteria, although not all of them meet the economic criteria. As a result, a recommended set of process parameters was determined. These parameters were included in a prototype of the automated design and in a production system developed by the authors.
Water Interactions in Hybrid Polyacrylate-Silicate Hydrogel Systems
Authors: Mastalska-Popławska Joanna , Stempkowska Agata , Habina-Skrzyniarz Iwona , Krzyżak Artur T. , Rutkowski Paweł , Izak Piotr , Rudny Jakub , Gawenda Tomasz
Published: September 2020

Hybrid polyacrylate-silicate hydrogels were obtained in the presence of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (NNMBA) as the cross-linking monomer and sodium thiosulphate/potassium persulphate (NTS/KPS) as the redox initiators. The results of the tests allowed us to conclude that a hybrid structure with a polyacrylate scaffolding and a silicate matrix had been obtained. The results of the rheological analysis revealed that the hydrogel sample with a 1:7 mass ratio of sodium water glass to the sodium polyacrylate is characterized by the highest complex viscosity. Thermal analysis (Thermogravimetry/Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TG/DSC)) showed that water begins to evaporate at higher temperatures, from 120 °C to even 180 °C. These results were confirmed by mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analysis. Differences in the intensity of the peaks derived from water in the MIR spectra indicate that most of the water is bounded. In turn, NMR results showed that the mobility of water molecules decreases as the amount of sodium water glass in the mixture increases.
Cryogenic Drilling of AZ31 Magnesium Syntactic Foams
Authors: Kannan Sathish , Pervaiz Salman , Jahan Muhammad Pervej , Venkatraghaven DoraiSwamy
Published: September 2020

Machined surface quality and integrity affect the corrosion performance of AZ31 magnesium composites. These novel materials are preferred for temporary orthopedic and vascular implants. In this paper, the drilling performance of AZ31-magnesium reinforced with hollow alumina microsphere syntactic foam under LN2 cryogenic, dry, and Almag® Oil is presented. Cutting tests were conducted using TiAlN physical vapor deposition (PVD) coated multilayer carbide and K10 uncoated carbide twist drills. AZ31 magnesium matrices were reinforced with hollow alumina ceramic microspheres with varying volume fractions (5%, 10%, 15%) and average bubble sizes. Experimental results showed that the drilling thrust forces increased by 250% with increasing feed rate (0.05 to 0.6 mm/tooth) and 46% with the increasing volume fraction of alumina microspheres (5% to 15%). Cryogenic machining generated 45% higher thrust forces compared to dry and wet machining. The higher the volume fraction and the finer the average size of hollow microspheres, the higher were the thrust forces. Cryogenic machining (0.42 µm) produced a 75% improvement in surface roughness (Ra) values compared to wet machining (1.84 µm) with minimal subsurface machining-induced defects. Surface quality deteriorated by 129% with an increasing volume fraction of alumina microspheres (0.61 µm to 1.4 µm). Burr height reduction of 53% was achieved with cryogenic machining (60 µm) compared to dry machining (130 µm). Overall, compared to dry and wet machining methods, cryogenic drilling can be employed for the machining of AZ31 magnesium syntactic foams to achieve good surface quality and integrity.
Gallium Nitride Inverter Design with Compatible Snubber Circuits for Implementing Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicle Batteries
Authors: Rahmani Fatemeh , Niknejad Payam , Agarwal Tanushree , Barzegaran Mohammadreza
Published: September 2020

High-frequency wireless power transfer (WPT) technology provides superior compatibility in the alignment with various WPT standards. However, high-efficiency and compact single-phase power switching systems with ideal snubber circuits are required for maximum power transfer capability. This research aims to develop an inverter using Gallium Nitride (GaN) power transistors, optimized RCD (resistor/capacitor/diode) snubber circuits, and gate drivers, each benefitting WPT technology by reducing the switching and conduction loss in charging electric vehicle batteries. A full-bridge GaN inverter was simulated and instituted as part of the wireless charging circuit design. The RCD circuits were adjusted by transferring maximum power from the power supply to the transmitter inductor. For verification of the simulated output, lab-scale experiments were implemented for two half-bridges controlled by gate drivers with corresponding snubber circuits. After authenticating the output results, the GaN inverter was tested with an input range of 30 V to deduce the success of charging electric vehicle batteries within an efficient time frame. The developed inverter, at 80 kHz frequency, was applied in place of a ready-to-use evaluation board, fully reducing less harmonic distortion and greatly increasing WPT system efficiency (~93%). In turn, the designed GaN inverter boasts considerable energy savings, resulting in a more cost-effective solution for manufacturers.
Enhanced Absorptance of 45# Steel by Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS)
Authors: Wang Tianyu , Bian Jintian , Li Xin , Kong Hui , Wang Lei , Wang Xi , Sun Xiaoquan
Published: September 2020

The absorptance of metals is often low within the visible and near-infrared band at room temperature. Increasing the absorption of metals plays a vital role in reducing energy consumption and production cost. After irradiation by 10 ns linearly polarized pulses with fluence close to the zero-probability damage threshold, the surface of 45# steel samples exhibited four kinds of surface structures in the spot area. The samples’ absorptance is improved by 38% when a high-quality laser-induced surface structure (LIPSS) appears at the spot centre. With the increase of the number of pulses, LIPSS begin to melt down, which will decrease the surface absorptance due to the appearance of damage stripes. The relative absorptance of samples was measured by an integrating sphere system. The paper reports detailed experiments to show that LIPSS can improve samples’ absorptance significantly.
Vitamin D Metabolism and Profiling in Veterinary Species
Authors: Hurst Emma A. , Homer Natalie Z. , Mellanby Richard J.
Published: September 2020

The demand for vitamin D analysis in veterinary species is increasing with the growing knowledge of the extra-skeletal role vitamin D plays in health and disease. The circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) metabolite is used to assess vitamin D status, and the benefits of analysing other metabolites in the complex vitamin D pathway are being discovered in humans. Profiling of the vitamin D pathway by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) facilitates simultaneous analysis of multiple metabolites in a single sample and over wide dynamic ranges, and this method is now considered the gold-standard for quantifying vitamin D metabolites. However, very few studies report using LC-MS/MS for the analysis of vitamin D metabolites in veterinary species. Given the complexity of the vitamin D pathway and the similarities in the roles of vitamin D in health and disease between humans and companion animals, there is a clear need to establish a comprehensive, reliable method for veterinary analysis that is comparable to that used in human clinical practice. In this review, we highlight the differences in vitamin D metabolism between veterinary species and the benefits of measuring vitamin D metabolites beyond 25(OH)D. Finally, we discuss the analytical challenges in profiling vitamin D in veterinary species with a focus on LC-MS/MS methods.
Type 1 Diabetes: Interferons and the Aftermath of Pancreatic Beta-Cell Enteroviral Infection
Authors: Akhbari Pouria , Richardson Sarah J , Morgan Noel G
Published: September 2020

Enteroviruses (EVs) have long been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D), and accumulating evidence has associated virus-induced autoimmunity with the loss of pancreatic beta cells in T1D. Inflammatory cytokines including interferons (IFN) form a primary line of defence against viral infections, and their chronic elevation is a hallmark feature of many autoimmune diseases. IFNs play a key role in activating and regulating innate and adaptive immune responses, and to do so they modulate the expression of networks of genes and transcription factors known generically as IFN stimulated genes (ISGs). ISGs in turn modulate critical cellular processes ranging from cellular metabolism and growth regulation to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis. More recent studies have revealed that IFNs also modulate gene expression at an epigenetic as well as post-transcriptional and post-translational levels. As such, IFNs form a key link connecting the various genetic, environmental and immunological factors involved in the initiation and progression of T1D. Therefore, gaining an improved understanding of the mechanisms by which IFNs modulate beta cell function and survival is crucial in explaining the pathogenesis of virally-induced T1D. This should provide the means to prevent, decelerate or even reverse beta cell impairment.
Geochemistry of Recent Brahmaputra River Sediments: Provenance, Tectonics, Source Area Weathering and Depositional Environment
Authors: Rahman Md Aminur , Das Sudeb Chandra , Pownceby Mark I. , Tardio James , Alam Md Sha , Zaman Mohammad Nazim
Published: September 2020

Sediments from stable sand bars along a 40 km section of the Brahmaputra River in northern Bangladesh were analyzed for their major, trace and rare earth element contents to determine their provenance, compositional maturity, source area weathering and tectonic setting. Geochemically, the sediments were classified as litharenites and the Index of Compositional Variability (ICV) varied between 1.4 and 2.0, indicating low compositional and mineralogical maturity. A high mean SiO2 concentration (72.9 wt.%) and low Al2O3 (11.1 wt.%) were consistent with a low abundance of shale and clay components. The depletion of the oxide components Na2O, CaO and K2O relative to average upper crustal compositions (UCC) reflected loss of feldspar during chemical weathering in the source region. Average TiO2 values for most samples were higher than average crustal levels, consistent with the northern section of the Brahmaputra River being a potential resource for valuable Fe-Ti oxide heavy minerals. Major and trace element ratios indicated the sediments represented erosional products from typical felsic upper continental crustal materials with contamination (30%–40%) from more intermediate/mafic compositions. The rare earth element patterns showed negative Eu anomalies (0.57–0.71), indicating they were derived mainly from fractionated felsic rocks. Resemblance of the sediment compositions to mean compositions from Higher Himalaya crystalline rocks pointed to these being potential source rocks but with components from a mafic source also present. Major element chemistries and low to intermediate weathering indices for all sediments indicated a lack of substantial chemical weathering. Evidence from tectonic discrimination diagrams suggested the Brahmaputra River sediments were derived from rock types that formed in a transitional tectonic setting ranging from an ancient passive margin to an active continental margin. Deposition occurred under cool to semi-arid climatic conditions in an oxic environment.
Micromixer Synthesis Platform for a Tuneable Production of Magnetic Single-Core Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Baki Abdulkader , Löwa Norbert , Remmo Amani , Wiekhorst Frank , Bleul Regina
Published: September 2020

Micromixer technology is a novel approach to manufacture magnetic single-core iron oxide nanoparticles that offer huge potential for biomedical applications. This platform allows a continuous, scalable, and highly controllable synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with biocompatible educts via aqueous synthesis route. Since each biomedical application requires specific physical and chemical properties, a comprehensive understanding of the synthesis mechanisms is not only mandatory to control the size and shape of desired nanoparticle systems but, above all, to obtain the envisaged magnetic particle characteristics. The accurate process control of the micromixer technology can be maintained by adjusting two parameters: the synthesis temperature and the residence time. To this end, we performed a systematic variation of these two control parameters synthesizing magnetic nanoparticle systems, which were analyzed afterward by structural (transmission electron microscopy and differential sedimentation centrifugation) and, especially, magnetic characterization methods (magnetic particle spectroscopy and AC susceptibility). Furthermore, we investigated the reproducibility of the microtechnological nanoparticle manufacturing process compared to batch preparation. Our characterization demonstrated the high magnetic quality of single-core iron oxide nanoparticles with core diameters in the range of 20 nm to 40 nm synthesized by micromixer technology. Moreover, we demonstrated the high capability of a newly developed benchtop magnetic particle spectroscopy device that directly monitored the magnetic properties of the magnetic nanoparticles with the highest sensitivity and millisecond temporal resolution during continuous micromixer synthesis.
Esophageal, Gastric, and Duodenal Histologic Findings in Patients with Feeding Difficulties
Authors: Edwards Jensen , Friesen Craig , Issa Amy , Edwards Sarah
Published: September 2020

Currently, there are inconsistencies in the recommendations of when to obtain an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in children with feeding difficulties. The aim of our study was to identify EGD findings in patients presenting to a large, outpatient feeding program. Additionally, we investigated the presence of any relationship between abnormal pathology seen on biopsies (inflammation) and symptoms of feeding intolerance such as vomiting, gagging, retching, or abdominal pain. Retrospective analysis of electronic medical records (EMRs) was conducted for all new patients aged 0–17 years presenting to the Multidisciplinary Feeding Clinic. Three hundred and thirty patients (50.2%) had an EGD with complete biopsies. Of these 330 patients, biopsies revealed esophagitis in 40%, gastritis in 33.6%, and duodenitis in 15.2%. Overall, 61.21% had an abnormal pathology in at least one site. We found that children with feeding disorders commonly have esophagitis, gastritis, and/or duodenitis and that symptoms are poor predictors of pathology. This study underscores the importance of gastrointestinal evaluation as part of a multidisciplinary evaluation in patients with feeding difficulties.
Development of a Repertoire and a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Estimating Dietary Fiber Intake Considering Prebiotics: Input from the FiberTAG Project
Authors: Neyrinck Audrey M. , Nazare Julie-Anne , Rodriguez Julie , Jottard Romain , Dib Sarah , Sothier Monique , Berghe Laurie Van Den , Alligier Maud , Alexiou Hélène , Maquet Véronique , Vinoy Sophie , Bischoff Stephan C. , Walter Jens , Laville Martine , Delzenne Nathalie M.
Published: September 2020

Most official food composition tables and food questionnaires do not provide enough data to assess fermentable dietary fibers (DF) that can exert a health effect through their interaction with the gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to develop a database and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) allowing detailed DF intake estimation including prebiotic (oligo)saccharides. A repertoire of DF detailing total, soluble DF, insoluble DF and prebiotic (oligo)saccharides (inulin-type fructans, fructo-oligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides) in food products consumed in Europe has been established. A 12 month FFQ was developed and submitted to 15 healthy volunteers from the FiberTAG study. Our data report a total DF intake of 38 g/day in the tested population. Fructan and fructo-oligosaccharides intake, linked notably to condiments (garlic and onions) ingestion, reached 5 and 2 g/day, respectively, galacto-oligosaccharides intake level being lower (1 g/day). We conclude that the FiberTAG repertoire and FFQ are major tools for the evaluation of the total amount of DF including prebiotics. Their use can be helpful in intervention or observational studies devoted to analyze microbiota–nutrient interactions in different pathological contexts, as well as to revisit DF intake recommendations as part of healthy lifestyles considering specific DF.
Current Insights on Antifungal Therapy: Novel Nanotechnology Approaches for Drug Delivery Systems and New Drugs from Natural Sources
Authors: Sousa Filipa , Ferreira Domingos , Reis Salette , Costa Paulo
Published: September 2020

The high incidence of fungal infections has become a worrisome public health issue, having been aggravated by an increase in host predisposition factors. Despite all the drugs available on the market to treat these diseases, their efficiency is questionable, and their side effects cannot be neglected. Bearing that in mind, it is of upmost importance to synthetize new and innovative carriers for these medicines not only to fight emerging fungal infections but also to avert the increase in drug-resistant strains. Although it has revealed to be a difficult job, new nano-based drug delivery systems and even new cellular targets and compounds with antifungal potential are now being investigated. This article will provide a summary of the state-of-the-art strategies that have been studied in order to improve antifungal therapy and reduce adverse effects of conventional drugs. The bidirectional relationship between Mycology and Nanotechnology will be also explained. Furthermore, the article will focus on new compounds from the marine environment which have a proven antifungal potential and may act as platforms to discover drug-like characteristics, highlighting the challenges of the translation of these natural compounds into the clinical pipeline.
Determination of the Ecotoxicity of Herbicides Roundup® Classic Pro and Garlon New in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environments
Authors: Tajnaiová Lucia , Vurm Radek , Kholomyeva Marina , Kobera Miroslav , Kočí Vladimír
Published: September 2020

Herbicides help increase agricultural yields significantly, but they may negatively impact the life of non-target organisms. Modifying the life cycle of primary producers can affect other organisms in the food chain, and consequently in the whole ecosystem. We investigated the effect of common herbicides Roundup® Classic Pro (active substance glyphosate) and Garlon New (triclopyr and fluroxypyr) on aquatic organisms duckweed Lemna minor and green algae Desmodesmus subspicatus, and on the enzymatic activity of soil. We also compared the effects of Roundup® Classic Pro to that of a metabolite of its active substance, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). The results of an algal growth test showed that AMPA has a 1.5× weaker inhibitory effect on the growth of D. subspicatus than the Roundup formula, and the strongest growth inhibition was caused by Garlon New (IC50Roundup = 267.3 µg/L, IC50Garlon = 21.0 µg/L, IC50AMPA = 117.8 mg/L). The results of the duckweed growth inhibition test revealed that Roundup and Garlon New caused 100% growth inhibition of L. minor even at significantly lower concentrations than the ready-to-use concentration. The total chlorophyll content in the fronds was lowest when Garlon New was used. The highest dehydrogenase activity was observed in soil treated with Garlon New, and the lowest in soil treated with Roundup® Classic Pro. The results of this study showed that all three tested substances were ecotoxic to the tested organisms.
AC Electrokinetics of Salt-Free Multilayered Polymer-Grafted Particles
Authors: Ahualli Silvia , Bermúdez Sara , Carrique Félix , Jiménez María L. , Delgado Ángel V.
Published: September 2020

Interest in the electrical properties of the interface between soft (or polymer-grafted) nanoparticles and solutions is considerable. Of particular significance is the case of polyelectrolyte-coated particles, mainly taking into account that the layer-by-layer procedure allows the control of the thickness and permeability of the layer, and the overall charge of the coated particle. Like in simpler systems, electrokinetic determinations in AC fields (including dielectric dispersion in the 1 kHz–1 MHz frequency range and dynamic electrophoresis by electroacoustic methods in the 1–18 MHz range) provide a large amount of information about the physics of the interface. Different models have dealt with the electrokinetics of particles coated by a single polymer layer, but studies regarding multi-layered particles are far scarcer. This is even more significant in the case of so-called salt-free systems; ideally, the only charges existing in this case consist of the charge in the layer(s) and the core particle itself, and their corresponding countercharges, with no other ions added. The aims of this paper are as follows: (i) the elaboration of a model for the evaluation of the electrokinetics of multi-grafted polymer particles in the presence of alternating electric fields, in dispersion media where no salts are added; (ii) to carry out an experimental evaluation of the frequency dependence of the dynamic (or AC) electrophoretic mobility and the dielectric permittivity of suspensions of polystyrene latex spherical particles coated with successive layers of cationic, anionic, and neutral polymers; and (iii) finally, to perform a comparison between predictions and experimental results, so that it can be demonstrated that the electrokinetic analysis is a useful tool for the in situ characterization of multilayered particles.
Characterization on Polyester Fibrous Panels and Their Homogeneity Assessment
Authors: Yang Tao , Saati Ferina , Groby Jean-Philippe , Xiong Xiaoman , Petrů Michal , Mishra Rajesh , Militký Jiří , Marburg Steffen
Published: September 2020

Nowadays, fibrous polyester materials are becoming one of the most important alternatives for controlling reverberation time by absorbing unwanted sound energy in the automobile and construction fields. Thus, it is worthy and meaningful to characterize their acoustic behavior. To do so, non-acoustic parameters, such as tortuosity, viscous and thermal characteristic lengths and thermal permeability, must be determined. Representative panels of polyester fibrous material manufactured by perpendicular laying technology are thus tested via the Bayesian reconstruction procedure. The estimated porosity and airflow resistivity are found in good agreement with those tested via direct measurements. In addition, the homogeneity of polyester fibrous panels was characterized by investigating the mean relative differences of inferred non-acoustic parameters from the direct and reverse orientation measurements. Some parameters, such as tortuosity, porosity and airflow resistivity, exhibit very low relative differences. It is found that most of the panels can be assumed homogeneous along with the panel thickness, the slight inhomogeneity mostly affecting the thermal characteristic length.
Condensation Heat Transfer of R-407C in Helical Coiled Tube Heat Exchanger
Authors: AlHajeri Hamad Mohammad , Almutairi Abdulrahman , Al-Hajeri Mohamad Hamad , Alenezi Abdulrahman , ALajmi Rashed , Koluib Aboelyazeid Mohamed
Published: September 2020

The results of an experimental study to evaluate the characteristics of R-407C thermofluid during condensation in a helically coiled copper tube heat exchanger are presented. The effects of saturation temperature (Tsat), and mass and heat fluxes of refrigerant R-407C on thermal performance and pressure drop were determined. The relationship between the refrigerant wall subcooling and heat transfer coefficients was also investigated. This paper reports the effect of the temperature of the water used as cooling medium on the heat transfer rate of condensing R-407C. The study was conducted with mass flux of R-407C in the range of 100–450 kg/m2s, mass flux of the coolant water in the range of 500–5000 kg/m2s and Tsat of 31 °C, 35 °C, and 39 °C. Compared with a straight smooth tube, the use of the helical coiled (helicoidal) tube increased the condensation rate with a corresponding pressure drop that depended on the value of Tsat of the refrigerant and temperature of the coolant.
Open Access Perceptions, Strategies, and Digital Literacies: A Case Study of a Scholarly-Led Journal
Authors: Edelmann Noella , Schoßböck Judith
Published: September 2020

Open access (OA) publications play an important role for academia, policy-makers, and practitioners. Universities and research institutions set up OA policies and provide authors different types of support for engaging in OA activities. This paper presents a case study on OA publishing in a scholarly community, drawing on qualitative and quantitative data gained from workshops and a survey. As the authors are the managing editors of the OA eJournal for eDemocracy and Open Government (JeDEM), the aim was to collect data and insights on the publication choices of authors interested in OA publishing and other crucial factors such as personal attitudes to publishing, institutional context, and digital literacy in order to improve the journal. In the first phase, two workshops with different stakeholders were held at the Conference for e-Democracy and Open Government (CeDEM) held in Austria and in South Korea in 2016. In the second phase, an online survey was sent to all the users of the e-journal JeDEM in October 2019. From the workshops, key differences regarding OA perception and strategies between the stakeholder groups were derived. Participants strongly perceived OA publishing as a highly individualist matter embedded within a publishing culture emphasizing reputation and rankings. The survey results, however, showed that institutional support differs considerably for authors. Factors such as visibility, reputation, and impact play the biggest role for the motivation to publish OA. The results from both inquiries provide a better understanding of OA publishing attitudes and the relevant digital literacies but also suggest the need to investigate further the enablers or difficulties of scholarship, particularly in a digital context. They clearly point to the potential of regularly addressing the users of the journal as well as communicating with them the more nuanced aspects of OA publishing, non-traditional metrics, or respective digital literacies, in order to reduce misconceptions about OA and to support critical stances.
Thermography as a Tool to Assess Inter-Cultivar Variability in Garlic Performance along Variations of Soil Water Availability
Authors: Sánchez-Virosta Álvaro , Sánchez-Gómez David
Published: September 2020

Climate change entails increasingly frequent, longer, and more severe droughts, especially in some regions, such as the Mediterranean region. Under these water scarcity conditions, agricultural yields of important crops, such as garlic, are threatened. Finding better adapted cultivars to low water availability environments could help mitigate the negative agricultural and economic impacts of climate change. For this purpose, plant phenotyping protocols based on remote-sensing technologies, such as thermal imaging, can be particularly valuable since they facilitate screening and selection of germplasm in a cost-effective manner, covering a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. In this study, the use of a thermal index known as the crop water stress index (CWSI) was tested as a predictor of bulb biomass and for the assessment of inter-cultivar variability of five garlic cultivars in response to a gradient of soil volumetric water contents (VWCs). Three experimental assays, one in the 2018 season and two in 2019, covering a wide range of water availability levels were carried out. Different linear models were developed, with CWSI and VWCs as continuous predictors of bulb biomass, and the factor cultivar as a categorical predictor. The results support the existence of inter-cultivar variation in terms of sensitivity to water availability. The most productive cultivars under favorable conditions were also the most sensitive to water availability. In contrast, the cultivars with lower bulb production potential displayed lower sensitivity to water availability and higher stability across experimental assays. The results also support that CWSI, which was sensitive to inter-cultivar variability, is a good predictor of garlic bulb biomass. Therefore, CWSI can be a valuable tool for garlic phenotyping and cultivar screening.