bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synergistic Effect of L-Carnosine and Hyaluronic Acid in Their Covalent Conjugates on the Antioxidant Abilities and the Mutual Defense against Enzymatic Degradation
Authors: Lanza Valeria , Greco Valentina , Bocchieri Eleonora , Sciuto Sebastiano , Inturri Rosanna , Messina Luciano , Vaccaro Susanna , Bellia Francesco , Rizzarelli Enrico
Published: March 2022

Hyaluronic acid (Hy) is a natural linear polymer that is widely distributed in different organisms, especially in the articular cartilage and the synovial fluid. During tissue injury due to oxidative stress, Hy plays an important protective role. All the beneficial properties of Hy make the polymer attractive for many biomedical uses; however, the low stability and short biological half-life limit Hy application. To overcome these problems, the addition of small antioxidant molecules to Hy solution has been employed to protect the molecular integrity of Hy or delay its degradation. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine, Car) protects cells from the damage due to the reactive species derived from oxygen (ROS), nitrogen (RNS) or carbonyl groups (RCS). Car inhibits the degradation of hyaluronan induced by free radical processes in vitro but, like Hy, the potential protective action of Car is drastically hampered by the enzymatic hydrolysis in vivo. Recently, we conjugated Hy to Car and the derivatives (HyCar) showed protective effects in experimental models of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in vivo. Here we report the antioxidant activity exerted by HyCar against ROS, RNS and RCS. Moreover, we tested if the covalent conjugation between Hy and Car inhibits the enzymatic hydrolysis of the polymer and the dipeptide backbone. We found that the antioxidant properties and the resistance to the enzymatic hydrolysis of Hy and Car are greatly improved by the conjugation.
The Influence of Chlorpyrifos on the Nonenzymatic Antioxidants Content in Macrophytes Leaves
Authors: Sobiecka Elżbieta , Mroczkowska Milena , Olejnik Tomasz P.
Published: April 2022

Water pollution can be moved or limited by macrophytes in a phytoremediation process. The presence of insecticides in the plant life environment may affect physiological processes and contribute to the formation of secondary oxidative stress in plant tissues. To protect against oxidative stress, macrophytes have developed a system of mechanisms consisting of nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants. The influence of various concentrations of chlorpyrifos on the nonenzymatic system in Canadian waterweed (Elodea canadensis Michx.), needle spikerush (Eleocharis acicularis) and water mint (Mentha aquatica L.) was studied. The differences in the value of the total concentration of polyphenols and flavonoids, as well as analysis of chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, anthocyanin and carotenoid concentrations were determined in leaves. Research indicated a significant increase in the content of polyphenols and flavonoids in a solution with the highest concentration of chlorpyrifos while the opposite tendency was observed after analyses of the main assimilating pigments of plant tissues. It was concluded that aqueous plants exposed to toxic insecticide molecules created a defensive mechanism by nonenzymatic antioxidant systems and the amount of low-molecular weight compounds depended on the pollutant concentration which influenced biosynthesis mechanisms in plant cells.
Fast-Track-Protocol for Optimization of Presurgical Planning in Acute Surgical Treatment of Acetabular Quadrilateral Plate Fractures Using 3D Printing Technology and Pre-Contoured Reconstruction Plates
Authors: Andrzejewski Krzysztof , Elgalal Marcin , Komorowski Piotr , Poszepczyński Jan , Rokita Bożena , Domżalski Marcin
Published: March 2022

Background. Preoperative planning and 3D printing can be used to treat pelvic bone fractures using pre-contoured surgical plates, in particular complex, comminuted fractures involving the acetabulum and quadrilateral plate. The aim of the study was to develop a Fast-Track-Protocol (fast track methodology) for creating 3D anatomical models, that could be used to shape surgical plates, using open-source software and budget 3D printers. Such a ‘low-budget’ approach would allow a hospital-based multidisciplinary team to carry out pre-surgical planning and treat complex pelvic fractures using 3D technology. Methods. The study included 5 patients with comminuted pelvic fractures. For each patient, CT (computed tomography) data were converted into two 3D models of the pelvis-injured side and mirrored model of the contralateral, uninjured hemipelvis. These models were 3D printed and used as templates to shape surgical plates. Results. A Fast-Track-Protocol was established and used to successfully treat 5 patients with complex, comminuted fractures of the pelvis. Conclusion. Using the Fast-Track-Protocol it was possible to prepare 3D printed models and patient-specific pre-contoured plates within 2 days of hospital admittance. Such an approach resulted in better surgical technique and shorter operative times, while incurring relatively low costs.
Development of an Insect-like Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle with Parallel Control Mechanism
Authors: Chen Zihao , Zhang Weiping , Mou Jiawang , Zhao Jiaxin
Published: March 2022

Most traditional flapping-wing micro air vehicles (FMAVs) adopt a serial control mechanism, which means that one drive corresponds to one degree of freedom. However, the serial mechanism often struggles to meet FMAV requirements in terms of stiffness, size, and reliability. In order to realize a compact reliable control mechanism, we developed a two-wing insect-like FMAV with a parallel control mechanism. The prototype possesses an optimized string-based flapping wing mechanism, a 2RSS/U parallel control mechanism, and an onboard power supply and controller. The pulley’s profile of the string-based mechanism was refined to reduce the deformation and impact of the string. The parameters of the parallel mechanism were designed to enable the stroke plane to rotate a large angle to produce control torque. The prototype had a flapping frequency of 25 Hz, a full wingspan of 21 cm, and a total weight of 28 g. A PID controller with a decoupler based on the kinetics solution of parallel mechanism was designed to control the FMAV. A force and torque (F/T) experiment was carried out to obtain the lift and control torque of the prototype. The measured data showed that the flapping wing mechanism provided sufficient lift and the control mechanism generated a toque caused by the stroke plane rotation and trailing edge movement and were linear to the control input. A flight test was carried out to verify the flight stability of the prototype. The result shows that the attitude angle only fluctuates within a small range, which proved that the control mechanism and control strategy were successful.
DCS-TransUperNet: Road Segmentation Network Based on CSwin Transformer with Dual Resolution
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Miao Chunle , Liu Chang’an , Tian Qing
Published: March 2022

Recent advances in deep learning have shown remarkable performance in road segmentation from remotely sensed images. However, these methods based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) cannot obtain long-range dependency and global contextual information because of the intrinsic inductive biases. Motivated by the success of Transformer in computer vision (CV), excellent models based on Transformer are emerging endlessly. However, patches with a fixed scale limit the further improvement of the model performance. To address this problem, a dual-resolution road segmentation network (DCS-TransUperNet) with a features fusion module (FFM) was proposed for road segmentation. Firstly, the encoder of DCS-TransUperNet was designed based on CSwin Transformer, which uses dual subnetwork encoders of different scales to obtain the coarse and fine-grained feature representations. Secondly, a new FFM was constructed to build enhanced feature representation with global dependencies, using different scale features from the subnetwork encoders. Thirdly, a mixed loss function was designed to avoid the local optimum caused by the imbalance between road and background pixels. Experiments using the Massachusetts dataset and DeepGlobe dataset showed that the proposed DCS-TransUperNet could effectively solve the discontinuity problem and preserve the integrity of the road segmentation results, achieving a higher IoU (65.36% on Massachusetts dataset and 56.74% on DeepGlobe) of road segmentation compared to other state-of-the-art methods. The considerable performance also proves the powerful generation ability of our method.
FF-PCA-LDA: Intelligent Feature Fusion Based PCA-LDA Classification System for Plant Leaf Diseases
Authors: Ali Safdar , Hassan Mehdi , Kim Jin Young , Farid Muhammad Imran , Sanaullah Muhammad , Mufti Hareem
Published: March 2022

Crop leaf disease management and control pose significant impact on enhancement in yield and quality to fulfill consumer needs. For smart agriculture, an intelligent leaf disease identification system is inevitable for efficient crop health monitoring. In this view, a novel approach is proposed for crop disease identification using feature fusion and PCA-LDA classification (FF-PCA-LDA). Handcrafted hybrid and deep features are extracted from RGB images. TL-ResNet50 is used to extract the deep features. Fused feature vector is obtained by combining handcrafted hybrid and deep features. After fusing the image features, PCA is employed to select most discriminant features for LDA model development. Potato crop leaf disease identification is used as a case study for the validation of the approach. The developed system is experimentally validated on a potato crop leaf benchmark dataset. It offers high accuracy of 98.20% on an unseen dataset which was not used during the model training process. Performance comparison of the proposed technique with other approaches shows its superiority. Owing to the better discrimination and learning ability, the proposed approach overcomes the leaf segmentation step. The developed approach may be used as an automated tool for crop monitoring, management control, and can be extended for other crop types.
Weighted Moving Square-Based Solver for Unsteady Incompressible Laminar Flow Simulations
Authors: Jeong Se-Min , Lee Chang-Yull
Published: March 2022

For computational fluid dynamics simulations, grid systems are generally used in the Eulerian frame for both structured and unstructured grids and solvers designed for the chosen grid systems. In contrast to the grid-based method, in which the connection information with neighboring grids must be maintained, gridless methods do not require an underlying connectivity in the form of control volumes or elements. Hence, gridless methods are feasible and robust for the problems with moving boundary and/or complicated boundary shapes. In this study, a Eulerian gridless solver is proposed, and its application for simulating two-dimensional unsteady viscous flows in low Reynolds number regions is investigated. The solver utilizes the weighted moving square method to obtain the spatial derivatives of the governing equations and solve the pressure Poisson equation iteratively. Simple remedies to satisfy the boundary conditions in the finite difference method are applied. The fractional step method with the second-order Adams–Bashforth method is used for time integration. Some benchmark problems were solved using the developed solver, and the results were compared with those of other experimental and computational methods. Good agreement with the results of other methods confirmed the validity of the proposed solver.
Effect of Rotational Speed and Gap between Rotating Knives of the Grinder on the Yield Stress and Water-Binding Capacity of Fine Ground Chicken Bone
Authors: Bekeshova Gulvira , Ibragimov Nadir , Kakimov Aitbek , Suychinov Anuarbek , Yessimbekov Zhanibek , Kabdylzhar Baktybala , Tokhtarov Zhaiyk , Zhumadilova Gulmira , Abdilova Galiya
Published: March 2022

This article presents the results of the study of the dependence of yield stress (YS) and water-binding capacity (WBC) on mechanical processing of meat and bone raw materials when changing the rotational speed and the gap between the rotary knives of the grinder. It is revealed that the parameters of YS and WBC also increase when the rotational speed increases. Thus, the highest values of YS (943.29 Pa) and WBC (66.98%) are observed when the rotary knives’ rotational speed is 4000 min−1 and the clearance between knives is 0.16 mm, while the lowest values of YS (635.87 Pa) and WBC (63.83%) are observed when the knives’ rotational speed is 1000 min−1 and the clearance is 0.38 mm. The power consumption of the electric motor of the unit increases as the rotation speed of the working bodies increases and the gap between the knives decreases.
A Systematic Revision of the NFIP Claims Hazard Data in Florida for Flood Risk Assessment
Authors: Shin D. W. , Cocke Steven , Kim Baek-Min
Published: March 2022

The hazard components of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data in Florida were systematically analyzed and revised in the current study. The provided fields in NFIP claims data are not always complete or accurate and are often missing. The authors associated each claim to a proper flood hazard event by updating the provided catastrophe number using the National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (best track data). The claims with presumably incorrect cause of loss fields were identified and revised by adding a variety of other available information to claims data. These datasets included tropical cyclone events, rainfall maxima, and distances to the nearest coast. The enhanced information assisted in identifying the cause or likelihood of a hazard event or attributing a particular hazard event to a loss claim. The revised NFIP claims data will be intensively used to validate the outcomes from flood hazard (i.e., surge, wave and inland flooding) models and to develop a flood vulnerability model in the forthcoming Florida Public Flood Loss Model (FPFLM).
A Good Practice for the Proof Testing of Cable-Stayed Bridges
Authors: Innocenzi Raoul Davide , Nicoletti Vanni , Arezzo Davide , Carbonari Sandro , Gara Fabrizio , Dezi Luigino
Published: April 2022

This paper presents the results and interpretations of static and dynamic tests that were executed on a newly built cable-stayed steel-concrete composite bridge during the final proof testing. A brief description of the structure, the testing methodology, and the used instrumentation are presented. Then, the test results are widely discussed and interpreted in order to evaluate the bridge performance during the proof test and also to understand the usefulness of each performed test in a proof test framework. All the collected experimental data are also compared to the numerical ones that were obtained through a refined finite element model, in order to check the behavior of the structure. The outcomes of the present work can offer references for the proof testing and monitoring of cable-stayed bridges.
Asymmetric Encryption of Invisible Structured Light 3D Imaging
Authors: Zhang Jing , Yan Aimin , Zhang Hongbo
Published: April 2022

The research proposes a novel invisible structured light 3D object encryption method. The system projects invisible light on the target plane to achieve three-dimensional object reconstruction. The encryption is conducted using keys from eight stripe patterns and two fingerprint patterns using an elliptic curve encryption algorithm to generate eight corresponding ciphertexts. The three-dimensional object is reconstructed using eight fringe patterns with the elliptic curve decryption algorithm. The proposed method greatly reduces the interference of background light in the system to achieve a better 3D imaging accuracy. The elliptic curve cryptosystem is able to ensure 3D object information transmission security. The simulation results validated the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. The proposed method has practical security-sensitive applications.
Thermal Conductivity and Rheology of Graphene Oxide Nanofluids and a Modified Predication Model
Authors: Mei Xinyu , Sha Xin , Jing Dengwei , Ma Lijing
Published: April 2022

In order to reveal the heat transfer performance of nanofluids in solar collectors, the thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of five kinds of graphene oxide nanofluids, with a mass fraction of 0.002% to 0.01%, were studied in the temperature range of 25–50 °C. To ensure the dispersion and stability of the prepared nanofluids, UV–Vis absorption spectrum, zeta potential and particle size distribution were employed for nanofluid characterization. Agglomeration and sedimentation of the prepared nanofluids after standing for 20 days were observed, showing the good stability of the prepared graphene oxide–water nanofluid. The dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity were measured. They show that with the increase in temperature, the dynamic viscosity of nanofluids decreases and the thermal conductivity increases. With the increase in mass concentration, the viscosity and thermal conductivity are improved. The highest thermal conductivity increase is obtained when the nanofluid concentration is 0.01% and the temperature is 50 °C. Finally, and most importantly, considering the inaccuracy of the existing experimental correlations to the predicted values of thermal conductivity, we propose our new mathematical model of correlation and carry out a series of tests to verify its reliability. The experimental correlations with temperature and concentration as independent variables show good agreement and accuracy with the experimental data.
Synthesis Characterization and X-ray Structure of 2-(2,6-Dichlorophenylamino)-2-imidazoline Tetraphenylborate: Computational Study
Authors: Ghabbour Hazem A. , Bakheit Ahmed H. , Ezzeldin Essam , Mostafa Gamal A. E.
Published: April 2022

The title compound tetraphenylborate salt of clonidine (Catapres®), 2-(2,6-dichlorophenylamino)-2-imidazoline tetraphenylborate (3), was prepared in 76 % yield by the reaction of 2-(2,6-dichlorophenylamino)-2-imidazoline hydrochloride (clonidine hydrochloride) (1) with sodium tetraphenylborate (2) in deionized water through anion exchange reaction at ambient temperature. The structure of the title borate salt was characterized by UV, thermal analysis, mass and NMR analyses. White crystals of (3) suitable for an X-ray structural analysis were obtained by slow growing from acetonitrile. The molecular structure of the titled compound (3) was crystallized in the acetonitrile, P21/c, a = 9.151 (3) Å, b = 12.522 (3) Å, c = 25.493 (6) Å, β = 105.161 (13)° V = 2819.5 (13) Å3, Z = 4. A DFT quantum chemistry calculation method was employed to investigate the interaction mechanism of clonidine with tetraphenylborate. The stable configurations of the complexes of clonidine with tetraphenylborate with electrostatic interactions were obtained. Finally, the interaction strength and type of the complexes were studied through the reduced density gradient (RDG) function. This study provides new theoretical insight into the interaction mechanism and a guide for screening and designing the optimal clonidine and tetraphenylborate reacting to form the complex.
Characteristics of TiN Thin Films Deposited by Substrate Temperature Variables Using Scanning Acoustic Microscopy
Authors: Kang Dongchan , Kim Young Sung , Kim Jeong Nyeon , Park Ik Keun
Published: April 2022

In this study, TiN thin films fabricated based on the substrate temperature process parameters of a DC magnetron sputtering device and their characteristics are analyzed. TiN thin films are deposited on Si wafer (100) substrates by setting the substrate temperatures to ambient temperature, 100, 200, and 300 °C. The residual stress measurement using the XRD method, adhesion characteristic analysis performed using a nanoscratch test to measure the critical load of the nanoindentation device, and leaky surface acoustic wave (LSAW) measurement were conducted using the V(z) technique of the ultrasonic microscope; the correlations between each measurement were analyzed. The residual stress of the TiN thin film was relieved by up to approximately 48% and adhesion properties enhanced by approximately 10% with an increase in the substrate temperature. In addition, the velocity of the LSAW presented a tendency to increase by up to approximately 5%. The residual stress and velocity of the LSAW were found to be inversely proportional, while the critical load and velocity of the LSAW were directly proportional.
C-Ring Oxidized Estrone Acetate Derivatives: Assessment of Antiproliferative Activities and Docking Studies
Authors: Canário Catarina , Matias Mariana , Brito Vanessa , Pires Patrícia , Santos Adriana O. , Falcão Amílcar , Silvestre Samuel , Alves Gilberto
Published: April 2022

C-Ring oxidized estrone acetate derivatives as antiproliferative agents were prepared and tested against five cancer cell lines by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Flow cytometry assays to evaluate cell viability and modifications in cell cycle phases and molecular docking research against estrogen receptor α, steroid sulfatase, and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 were performed. 9α-Hydroxy,11β-nitrooxyestrone acetate was the most cytotoxic molecule against hormone-dependent cancer cells. Furthermore, flow cytometry experiments revealed that this 9α-hydroxy,11β-nitrooxy derivative markedly reduced HepaRG cells viability (~92%) after 24 h of treatment. However, 9α-hydroxyestrone acetate led to selective inhibition of HepaRG cells growth, inducing a G0/G1 cycle arrest, and did not originate a proliferation effect on T47-D cancer cells. Docking studies estimated a generally lower affinity of these compounds to estrogen receptor α than predicted for estrone and 17β-estradiol. Therefore, this structural modification can be of interest to develop new anticancer estrane derivatives devoid of estrogenic action.
Asymmetrical Multilevel Inverter-Based PV System with Voltage Feedback Control: An Experimental Validation
Authors: Hamidi Muhammad Najwan , Marzuki Arjuna , Ishak Dahaman , Salem Mohamed , Marzaki Mohd Hezri , Ukaegbu Ikechi Augustine
Published: April 2022

This paper presents an experimental evaluation and validation of a standalone photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy system using a perturb and observe MPPT-based voltage controller (POVC) for application on the reduced component multilevel inverter (MLI). The objective is to verify the effectiveness of POVC and asymmetrical MLI for real PV interconnection applications, which has never been reported before. An asymmetrical 17-level MLI topology is selected in this research. It requires four isolated DC sources to operate. A boost converter is deployed as one of the inputs while isolated DC power supplies power to the others. POVC is implemented at the boost converter to control the DC voltage from the PV panel. From the experimental results, the capability of the POVC to produce constant voltage levels under varying conditions is proven. It is also capable of delivering maximum power under maximum load. The full system is tested using different load types, including nonlinear loads. The MLI produces expected outputs under all operating conditions with efficiencies above 97%. The viability of the proposed PV system is firstly analysed through MATLAB/Simulink simulations. The results are then evaluated experimentally.
Efficacy of PostivaTM for Management of Bacterial Diseases of Ornamental Crops
Authors: Krasnow Charles , Norman David
Published: April 2022

Pathogen management commonly includes environmental regulation and sanitization. There are limited numbers of effective registered bactericides. In 3 years of greenhouse trials, PostivaTM, a premix of pydiflumetofen (6.9%) and difenoconazole (11.5%), was tested for activity against xanthomonas leafspot of geranium, zinnia, ficus and bacterial wilt of geranium caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. PostivaTM applied at 0.73–1.5 L/ha significantly reduced disease incidence and/or severity on each crop tested. PostivaTM applications were similar (p = 0.05) to commercially available standards on geranium, zinnia and ficus. PostivaTM (0.73 L/ha) reduced incidence and severity of bacterial wilt similar to that observed with applications of Cease® (9.35 L/ha). PostivaTM may be beneficial in an integrated disease management program to control bacterial diseases. PostivaTM is highly promising as a rotation option to reduce the buildup of bacterial populations resistant to copper compounds and antibiotics that are frequently used in the industry.
Characterization of VOCs during Nonheating and Heating Periods in the Typical Suburban Area of Beijing, China: Sources and Health Assessment
Authors: Zhou Bi’an , Zhao Tianyi , Ma Jian , Zhang Yuanxun , Zhang Lijia , Huo Peng , Zhang Yang
Published: March 2022

In recent years, the “coal to electricity” project (CTEP) using clean energy instead of coal for heating has been implemented by Beijing government to cope with air pollution. However, VOC pollution after CTEP was rarely studied in suburbs of Beijing. To fill this exigency, 116 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were observed during nonheating (P1) and heating (P2) periods in suburban Beijing. The results showed that the total of VOCs (TVOCs) was positively correlated with PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, and SO2 but negatively correlated with O3 and wind speed. The average TVOCs concentration was 19.43 ± 12.41 ppbv in P1 and 16.25 ± 8.01 ppbv in P2. Aromatics and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) were the main contributors to ozone formation potential (OFP). Seven sources of VOCs identified by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model were industrial source, coal combustion, fuel evaporation, gasoline vehicle exhaust, diesel vehicle exhaust, background and biogenic sources, and solvent usage. The contribution of coal combustion to VOCs increased significantly during P2, whereas industrial sources, fuel evaporation, and solvent usage exhibited opposite trends. The potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) were used to analyze the source distributions. The results showed that VOC pollution was caused mainly by air mass from southern Hebei during P1 but by local emissions during P2. Therefore, although the contribution of coal combustion after heating increased, TVOCs concentration during P2 was lower than that during P1. Chronic noncarcinogenic risks of all selected VOC species were below the safe level, while the carcinogenic risks of most selected VOC species were above the acceptable risk level, especially for tetrachloromethane and 1,2-dichloroethane. The cancer risks posed by gasoline vehicle emissions, industrial enterprises, and coal combustion should be paid more attention.
Evapotranspiration Variations of the Minjiang River Basin in Southeastern China from 2000 to 2019
Authors: Lu Yijin , Wang Yuanyuan , Liu Qun , Chen Xingwei , Zhang Yuqing , Gao Lu , Chen Ying , Liu Meibing , Deng Haijun
Published: March 2022

Evapotranspiration is one of the critical processes in the terrestrial hydrological cycle, and the assessment of evapotranspiration is essential for understanding the regional hydrological cycle. In this study, the Minjiang River Basin, a typical watershed in the humid subtropical climate zone, is selected as the study region. The Penman-Monteith equation and the dual crop coefficient method are used to calculate the actual evapotranspiration (ETa) at seven meteorological stations within the study basin. Meanwhile, the applicability of the Global Land Data Assimilation System-Noah (GLDAS-Noah) ETa data in the Minjiang River Basin is evaluated based on stations P-M equation results, then to analyze the changes of the ETa in the Minjiang River Basin from 2000 to 2019. The results show that the GLDAS-Noah ETa data are well applicable in the Minjiang River Basin (R2 > 0.9 and NSE > 0.8). The ETa in the basin shows an increasing trend since 2000, and the increasing rate is 3.60 mm·yr−1 (p < 0.01). The seasonal variation results show that ETa tends to increase in winter and spring, with increasing rates of 1.10 mm·yr−1 (p < 0.01) and 2.60 mm·yr−1 (p < 0.01), respectively, while the ETa did not change significantly in summer and autumn. Annual air temperature has the largest effect on annual ETa (59.6%), followed by precipitation at 33.9%. ETa increased in spring was mainly influenced by increasing temperatures (89.4%) in the Minjiang River Basin from 2000 to 2019. The research results are of great benefit to further improve the understanding of ETa variations in the basin under global warming.
Clinical Profile, Arrhythmias, and Adverse Cardiac Outcomes in Emery–Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophies: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Valenti Anna Chiara , Albini Alessandro , Imberti Jacopo Francesco , Vitolo Marco , Bonini Niccolò , Lattanzi Giovanna , Schnabel Renate B. , Boriani Giuseppe
Published: March 2022

Cardiolaminopathies are a heterogeneous group of disorders which are due to mutations in the genes encoding for nuclear lamins or their binding proteins. The whole spectrum of cardiac manifestations encompasses atrial arrhythmias, conduction disturbances, progressive systolic dysfunction, and malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Despite the prognostic significance of cardiac involvement in this setting, the current recommendations lack strong evidence. The aim of our work was to systematically review the current data on the main cardiovascular outcomes in cardiolaminopathies. We searched PubMed/Embase for studies focusing on cardiovascular outcomes in LMNA mutation carriers (atrial arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, conduction disturbances, thromboembolic events, systolic dysfunction, heart transplantation, and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality). In total, 11 studies were included (1070 patients, mean age between 26–45 years, with follow-up periods ranging from 2.5 years up to 45 ± 12). When available, data on the EMD-mutated population were separately reported (40 patients). The incidence rates (IR) were individually assessed for the outcomes of interest. The IR for atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia ranged between 6.1 and 13.9 events/100 pts–year. The IR of atrial standstill ranged between 0 and 2 events/100 pts-year. The IR for malignant ventricular arrhythmias reached 10.2 events/100 pts–year and 15.6 events/100 pts–year for appropriate implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD) interventions. The IR for advanced conduction disturbances ranged between 3.2 and 7.7 events/100 pts–year. The IR of thromboembolic events reached up to 8.9 events/100 pts–year. Our results strengthen the need for periodic cardiological evaluation focusing on the early recognition of atrial arrhythmias, and possibly for the choice of preventive strategies for thromboembolic events. The frequent need for cardiac pacing due to advanced conduction disturbances should be counterbalanced with the high risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias that would justify ICD over pacemaker implantation.
Adult Skeletal Age-at-Death Estimation through Deep Random Neural Networks: A New Method and Its Computational Analysis
Authors: Navega David , Costa Ernesto , Cunha Eugénia
Published: March 2022

Age-at-death assessment is a crucial step in the identification process of skeletal human remains. Nonetheless, in adult individuals this task is particularly difficult to achieve with reasonable accuracy due to high variability in the senescence processes. To improve the accuracy of age-at-estimation, in this work we propose a new method based on a multifactorial macroscopic analysis and deep random neural network models. A sample of 500 identified skeletons was used to establish a reference dataset (age-at-death: 19–101 years old, 250 males and 250 females). A total of 64 skeletal traits are covered in the proposed macroscopic technique. Age-at-death estimation is tackled from a function approximation perspective and a regression approach is used to infer both point and prediction interval estimates. Based on cross-validation and computational experiments, our results demonstrate that age estimation from skeletal remains can be accurately (~6 years mean absolute error) inferred across the entire adult age span and informative estimates and prediction intervals can be obtained for the elderly population. A novel software tool, DRNNAGE, was made available to the community.
Initial Muscle Quality Affects Individual Responsiveness of Interleukin-6 and Creatine Kinase following Acute Eccentric Exercise in Sedentary Obese Older Women
Authors: de Sousa Neto Ivo Vieira , da Cunha Nascimento Dahan , Prestes Jonato , da Fonseca Eduardo Fernandes , Celes Rodrigo Souza , Rolnick Nicholas , de Sousa Barbalho Yuri Gustavo , Silva Alessandro de Oliveira , Stival Marina Morato , de Lima Luciano Ramos , Funghetto Silvana Schwerz
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the time course and responsiveness of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) and creatine kinase (CK) levels following acute eccentric resistance exercise in sedentary obese older women with a different muscle quality index (MQI). Eighty-eight participants (69.4 ± 6.06 years) completed an acute eccentric resistance exercise (7 sets of 10 repetitions at 110% of 10-repetition maximum with 3 min rest interval). Participants were divided into two groups: high or low MQI according to 50th percentile cut-off. The responsiveness was based on minimal clinical important difference. There were no differences between groups and time on IL-6 and CK levels (p > 0.05). However, the high MQI group displayed a lower proportion of low responders (1 for laboratory and 2 for field-based vs. 5 and 4) and a higher proportion of high responders for IL-6 (7 for laboratory and 6 for field-based vs. 4 and 5) compared to low MQI group. In addition, the high MQI group showed a higher proportion of high responders for CK (11 for laboratory and 9 for field-based vs. 6 and 6) compared to low MQI. A prior MQI screening can provide feedback to understand the magnitude response. Individual responsiveness should be taken into consideration for maximizing eccentric exercise prescription.
Molecular Mechanism of Cinnamomum cassia against Gastric Damage and Identification of Active Compounds
Authors: Lee Myong Jin , Seo Hye Jin , Hwang Gwi Seo , Choi Sungyoul , Park Shin Jung , Hwang Sung-Joo , Kang Ki Sung
Published: March 2022

Cinnamomum cassia is a natural product found in plants that has been used as a folk remedy for inflammation. In this study, we investigated the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of C. cassia extract (ECC) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine RAW 264.7 cells, in comparison with 4-hydroxycinnamaldehyde, a C. cassia extract component. ECC and 4-hydroxycinnamaldehyde inhibited the production of nitrite oxide in a dose-dependent manner and did not show any change in cellular toxicity when treated with the same dose as that used in the nitrite assay. Moreover, they attenuated ROS accumulation after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. ECC and 4-hydroxycinnamaldehyde decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of inflammatory mediators (iNOS and COX-2) and cytokines such as TNF and IL-6. We also found that ECC and 4-hydroxycinnamaldehyde mitigated the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and transcription factors, such as NF-κB and STAT3, suppressing NF-κB nuclear translocation in LPS-activated macrophages. In addition, administration of ECC in a Sprague Dawley rat model of acute gastric injury caused by indomethacin significantly increased the gastric mucus volume. Analysis of serum and tissue levels of inflammatory mediators revealed a significant decrease in serum PGE2 and myeloperoxidase levels and a reduction in gastric iNOS, COX-2, and p65 protein levels. Collectively, these results suggest that ECC has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and is a potential candidate for curing gastritis.
High Lipid Content of Prey Fish and n−3 PUFA Peroxidation Impair the Thiamine Status of Feeding-Migrating Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) and Is Reflected in Hepatic Biochemical Indices
Authors: Keinänen Marja , Nikonen Soili , Käkelä Reijo , Ritvanen Tiina , Rokka Mervi , Myllylä Timo , Pönni Jukka , Vuorinen Pekka J.
Published: March 2022

Signs of impaired thiamine (vitamin B1) status in feeding-migrating Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were studied in three Baltic Sea areas, which differ in the proportion and nutritional composition of prey fish sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and herring (Clupea harengus). The concentration of n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n−3 PUFAs) increased in salmon with dietary lipids and n−3 PUFAs, and the hepatic peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration increased exponentially with increasing n−3 PUFA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n−3) concentration, whereas hepatic total thiamine concentration, a sensitive indicator of thiamine status, decreased with the increase in both body lipid and n−3 PUFA or DHA concentration. The hepatic glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was suppressed by high dietary lipids. In salmon muscle and in prey fish, the proportion of thiamine pyrophosphate increased, and that of free thiamine decreased, with increasing body lipid content or PUFAs, or merely DHA. The thiamine status of salmon was impaired mainly due to the peroxidation of n−3 PUFAs, whereas lipids as a source of metabolic energy had less effect. Organochlorines or general oxidative stress did not affect the thiamine status. The amount of lipids, and, specifically, their long-chain n−3 PUFAs, are thus responsible for generating thiamine deficiency, and not a prey fish species per se.
TORC1 Signaling Controls the Stability and Function of α-Arrestins Aly1 and Aly2
Authors: Bowman Ray W. , Jordahl Eric M. , Davis Sydnie , Hedayati Stefanie , Barsouk Hannah , Ozbaki-Yagan Nejla , Chiang Annette , Li Yang , O’Donnell Allyson F.
Published: April 2022

Nutrient supply dictates cell signaling changes, which in turn regulate membrane protein trafficking. To better exploit nutrients, cells relocalize membrane transporters via selective protein trafficking. Key in this reshuffling are the α-arrestins, selective protein trafficking adaptors conserved from yeast to man. α-Arrestins bind membrane proteins, controlling the ubiquitination and endocytosis of many transporters. To prevent the spurious removal of membrane proteins, α-arrestin-mediated endocytosis is kept in check through phospho-inhibition. This phospho-regulation is complex, with up to 87 phospho-sites on a single α-arrestin and many kinases/phosphatases targeting α-arrestins. To better define the signaling pathways controlling paralogous α-arrestins, Aly1 and Aly2, we screened the kinase and phosphatase deletion (KinDel) library, which is an array of all non-essential kinase and phosphatase yeast deletion strains, for modifiers of Aly-mediated phenotypes. We identified many Aly regulators, but focused our studies on the TORC1 kinase, a master regulator of nutrient signaling across eukaryotes. We found that TORC1 and its signaling effectors, the Sit4 protein phosphatase and Npr1 kinase, regulate the phosphorylation and stability of Alys. When Sit4 is lost, Alys are hyperphosphorylated and destabilized in an Npr1-dependent manner. These findings add new dimensions to our understanding of TORC1 regulation of α-arrestins and have important ramifications for cellular metabolism.
MafA Regulation in β-Cells: From Transcriptional to Post-Translational Mechanisms
Authors: Liang Jiani , Chirikjian Margot , Pajvani Utpal B. , Bartolomé Alberto
Published: April 2022

β-cells are insulin-producing cells in the pancreas that maintain euglycemic conditions. Pancreatic β-cell maturity and function are regulated by a variety of transcription factors that enable the adequate expression of the cellular machinery involved in nutrient sensing and commensurate insulin secretion. One of the key factors in this regulation is MAF bZIP transcription factor A (MafA). MafA expression is decreased in type 2 diabetes, contributing to β-cell dysfunction and disease progression. The molecular biology underlying MafA is complex, with numerous transcriptional and post-translational regulatory nodes. Understanding these complexities may uncover potential therapeutic targets to ameliorate β-cell dysfunction. This article will summarize the role of MafA in normal β-cell function and disease, with a special focus on known transcriptional and post-translational regulators of MafA expression
Defective Proinsulin Handling Modulates the MHC I Bound Peptidome and Activates the Inflammasome in β-Cells
Authors: Khilji Muhammad Saad , Faridi Pouya , Pinheiro-Machado Erika , Hoefner Carolin , Dahlby Tina , Aranha Ritchlynn , Buus Søren , Nielsen Morten , Klusek Justyna , Mandrup-Poulsen Thomas , Pandey Kirti , Purcell Anthony W. , Marzec Michal T.
Published: March 2022

How immune tolerance is lost to pancreatic β-cell peptides triggering autoimmune type 1 diabetes is enigmatic. We have shown that loss of the proinsulin chaperone glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 94 from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leads to mishandling of proinsulin, ER stress, and activation of the immunoproteasome. We hypothesize that inadequate ER proinsulin folding capacity relative to biosynthetic need may lead to an altered β-cell major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class-I bound peptidome and inflammasome activation, sensitizing β-cells to immune attack. We used INS-1E cells with or without GRP94 knockout (KO), or in the presence or absence of GRP94 inhibitor PU-WS13 (GRP94i, 20 µM), or exposed to proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β or interferon gamma (IFNγ) (15 pg/mL and 10 ng/mL, respectively) for 24 h. RT1.A (rat MHC I) expression was evaluated using flow cytometry. The total RT1.A-bound peptidome analysis was performed on cell lysates fractionated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing protein (NLRP1), nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor alpha (IκBα), and (pro) IL-1β expression and secretion were investigated by Western blotting. GRP94 KO increased RT1.A expression in β-cells, as did cytokine exposure compared to relevant controls. Immunopeptidome analysis showed increased RT1.A-bound peptide repertoire in GRP94 KO/i cells as well as in the cells exposed to cytokines. The GRP94 KO/cytokine exposure groups showed partial overlap in their peptide repertoire. Notably, proinsulin-derived peptide diversity increased among the total RT1.A peptidome in GRP94 KO/i along with cytokines exposure. NLRP1 expression was upregulated in GRP94 deficient cells along with decreased IκBα content while proIL-1β cellular levels declined, coupled with increased secretion of mature IL-1β. Our results suggest that limiting β-cell proinsulin chaperoning enhances RT1.A expression alters the MHC-I peptidome including proinsulin peptides and activates inflammatory pathways, suggesting that stress associated with impeding proinsulin handling may sensitize β-cells to immune-attack.
Restricted Activation of the NF-κB Pathway in Individuals with Latent Tuberculosis Infection after HIF-1α Blockade
Authors: de Oliveira Rezende Aline , Sabóia Rafaella Santos , da Costa Adeliane Castro , da Silva Monteiro Diana Messala Pinheiro , Zagmignan Adrielle , Santiago Luis Ângelo Macedo , Carvalho Rafael Cardoso , Pereira Paulo Vitor Soeiro , Junqueira-Kipnis Ana Paula , de Sousa Eduardo Martins
Published: April 2022

Tuberculous granuloma formation is mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), and is essential for establishing latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and its progression to active tuberculosis (TB). Here, we investigated whether HIF-1α expression and adjacent mechanisms were associated with latent or active TB infection. Patients with active TB, individuals with LTBI, and healthy controls were recruited, and the expression of cytokine genes IL15, IL18, TNFA, IL6, HIF1A, and A20 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum vitamin D (25(OH)D3) levels were evaluated. Additionally, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels were analyzed in PBMC lysates and culture supernatants, respectively, after HIF-1α blockade with 2-methoxyestradiol. We observed that IL-15 expression was higher in individuals with LTBI than in patients with active TB, while IL-18 and TNF-α expression was similar between LTBI and TB groups. Additionally, serum 25(OH)D3 levels and expression of IL-6, HIF1A, and A20 were higher in patients with active TB than in individuals with LTBI. Moreover, PBMCs from individuals with LTBI showed decreased NF-κB phosphorylation and increased TNF-α production after HIF-1α blockade. Together, these results suggest that under hypoxic conditions, TNF-α production and NF-κB pathway downregulation are associated with the LTBI phenotype.
A Flexible Dual-Analyte Electrochemical Biosensor for Salivary Glucose and Lactate Detection
Authors: Liu Mingyang , Yang Muqun , Wang Muxue , Wang Han , Cheng Jing
Published: April 2022

Electrochemical biosensors have been widely applied in the development of metabolite detection systems for disease management. However, conventional intravenous and fingertip blood tests are invasive and cannot track dynamic trends of multiple metabolites. Among various body fluids, saliva can be easily accessed and is regarded as a promising candidate for non-invasive metabolite detection. Recent works on the development of electrochemical biosensors for monitoring salivary metabolites have demonstrated high sensitivity and wide linear range. However, most of this research has been focused on salivary detection of a single metabolite. Here, we present a dual-channel electrochemical biosensor for simultaneous detection of lactate and glucose in saliva based on a flexible screen-printed electrode with two working electrodes. The sensitivities of glucose and lactate channels were 18.7 μA/(mM·cm2) and 21.8 μA/(mM·cm2), respectively. The dual-channel biosensor exhibited wide linear ranges of 0–1500 μM for the glucose channel and 0–2000 μM for the lactate channel and the cross-talk between the two detection channels was negligible, which made it adequately suitable for sensing low-level salivary metabolites. Such attractive characteristics demonstrate the potential of this dual-analyte biosensor in the development of wearable devices for monitoring disease progression and fitness.
Vibration-Based and Near Real-Time Seismic Damage Assessment Adaptive to Building Knowledge Level
Authors: Ozer Ekin , Özcebe Ali Güney , Negulescu Caterina , Kharazian Alireza , Borzi Barbara , Bozzoni Francesca , Molina Sergio , Peloso Simone , Tubaldi Enrico
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a multi-level methodology for near real-time seismic damage assessment of multi-story buildings, tailored to the available level of knowledge and information from sensors. The proposed methodology relates changes in the vibratory characteristics of a building—evaluated via alternative dynamic identification techniques—to the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98) damage grades. Three distinct levels of knowledge are considered for the building, with damage classification made through (i) empirical formulation based on quantitative ranges reported in the literature, (ii) analytical formulation exploiting the effective stiffness concept, and (iii) numerical modelling including a simplified equivalent single-degree-of-freedom model or a detailed finite element model of the building. The scope of the study is twofold: to construct a framework for integrating structural health monitoring into seismic damage assessment and to evaluate consistencies/discrepancies among different identification techniques and model-based and model-free approaches. The experimental data from a multi-story building subject to sequential shaking are used to demonstrate the proposed methodology and compare the effectiveness of the different approaches to damage assessment. The results show that accurate damage estimates can be achieved not only using model-driven approaches with enhanced information but also model-free alternatives with scarce information.