bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nitrate and Ammonium Affect the Overall Maize Response to Nitrogen Availability by Triggering Specific and Common Transcriptional Signatures in Roots
Authors: Ravazzolo Laura , Trevisan Sara , Forestan Cristian , Varotto Serena , Sut Stefania , Dall’Acqua Stefano , Malagoli Mario , Quaggiotti Silvia
Published: January 2020

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient for crops. Plants have developed several responses to N fluctuations, thus optimizing the root architecture in response to N availability. Nitrate and ammonium are the main inorganic N forms taken up by plants, and act as both nutrients and signals, affecting gene expression and plant development. In this study, RNA-sequencing was applied to gain comprehensive information on the pathways underlying the response of maize root, pre-treated in an N-deprived solution, to the provision of nitrate or ammonium. The analysis of the transcriptome shows that nitrate and ammonium regulate overlapping and distinct pathways, thus leading to different responses. Ammonium activates the response to stress, while nitrate acts as a negative regulator of transmembrane transport. Both the N-source repress genes related to the cytoskeleton and reactive oxygen species detoxification. Moreover, the presence of ammonium induces the accumulation of anthocyanins, while also reducing biomass and chlorophyll and flavonoids accumulation. Furthermore, the later physiological effects of these nutrients were evaluated through the assessment of shoot and root growth, leaf pigment content and the amino acid concentrations in root and shoot, confirming the existence of common and distinct features in response to the two nitrogen forms.
Use of 3D Organoids as a Model to Study Idiopathic Form of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Chlebanowska Paula , Tejchman Anna , Sułkowski Maciej , Skrzypek Klaudia , Majka Marcin
Published: January 2020

Organoids are becoming particularly popular in modeling diseases that are difficult to reproduce in animals, due to anatomical differences in the structure of a given organ. Thus, they are a bridge between the in vitro and in vivo models. Human midbrain is one of the structures that is currently being intensively reproduced in organoids for modeling Parkinson’s disease (PD). Thanks to three-dimensional (3D) architecture and the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiation into organoids, it has been possible to recapitulate a complicated network of dopaminergic neurons. In this work, we present the first organoid model for an idiopathic form of PD. iPSCs were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy volunteers and patients with the idiopathic form of PD by transduction with Sendai viral vector. iPSCs were differentiated into a large multicellular organoid-like structure. The mature organoids displayed expression of neuronal early and late markers. Interestingly, we observed statistical differences in the expression levels of LIM homeobox transcription factor alpha (early) and tyrosine hydroxylase (late) markers between organoids from PD patient and healthy volunteer. The obtained results show immense potential for the application of 3D human organoids in studying the neurodegenerative disease and modeling cellular interactions within the human brain.
The Emerging Role of Mechanosensitive Piezo Channels in Migraine Pain
Authors: Della Pietra Adriana , Mikhailov Nikita , Giniatullin Rashid
Published: January 2020

Recently discovered mechanosensitive Piezo channels emerged as the main molecular detectors of mechanical forces. The functions of Piezo channels range from detection of touch and pain, to control of the plastic changes in different organs. Recent studies suggested the role of Piezo channels in migraine pain, which is supposed to originate from the trigeminovascular nociceptive system in meninges. Interestingly, migraine pain is associated with such phenomenon as mechanical hypersensitivity, suggesting enhanced mechanotransduction. In the current review, we present the data that propose the implication of Piezo channels in migraine pain, which has a distinctive pulsatile character. These data include: (i) distribution of Piezo channels in the key elements of the trigeminovascular nociceptive system; (ii) the prolonged functional activity of Piezo channels in meningeal afferents providing a mechanistical basis for mechanotransduction in nociceptive nerve terminals; (iii) potential activation of Piezo channels by shear stress and pulsating blood flow; and (iv) modulation of these channels by emerging chemical agonists and modulators, including pro-nociceptive compounds. Achievements in this quickly expanding field should open a new road for efficient control of Piezo-related diseases including migraine and chronic pain.
Current Status of AMOEBA–IL: A Multipolar/Polarizable Force Field for Ionic Liquids
Authors: Vázquez-Montelongo Erik Antonio , Vázquez-Cervantes José Enrique , Cisneros G. Andrés
Published: January 2020

Computational simulations of ionic liquid solutions have become a useful tool to investigate various physical, chemical and catalytic properties of systems involving these solvents. Classical molecular dynamics and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations of IL systems have provided significant insights at the atomic level. Here, we present a review of the development and application of the multipolar and polarizable force field AMOEBA for ionic liquid systems, termed AMOEBA–IL. The parametrization approach for AMOEBA–IL relies on the reproduction of total quantum mechanical (QM) intermolecular interaction energies and QM energy decomposition analysis. This approach has been used to develop parameters for imidazolium– and pyrrolidinium–based ILs coupled with various inorganic anions. AMOEBA–IL has been used to investigate and predict the properties of a variety of systems including neat ILs and IL mixtures, water exchange reactions on lanthanide ions in IL mixtures, IL–based liquid–liquid extraction, and effects of ILs on an aniline protection reaction.
Review—Current Concepts in Inflammatory Skin Diseases Evolved by Transcriptome Analysis: In-Depth Analysis of Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis
Authors: Schwingen Julius , Kaplan Mustafa , Kurschus Florian C.
Published: January 2020

During the last decades, high-throughput assessment of gene expression in patient tissues using microarray technology or RNA-Seq took center stage in clinical research. Insights into the diversity and frequency of transcripts in healthy and diseased conditions provide valuable information on the cellular status in the respective tissues. Growing with the technique, the bioinformatic analysis toolkit reveals biologically relevant pathways which assist in understanding basic pathophysiological mechanisms. Conventional classification systems of inflammatory skin diseases rely on descriptive assessments by pathologists. In contrast to this, molecular profiling may uncover previously unknown disease classifying features. Thereby, treatments and prognostics of patients may be improved. Furthermore, disease models in basic research in comparison to the human disease can be directly validated. The aim of this article is not only to provide the reader with information on the opportunities of these techniques, but to outline potential pitfalls and technical limitations as well. Major published findings are briefly discussed to provide a broad overview on the current findings in transcriptomics in inflammatory skin diseases.
The Effect of Transcription Factor MYB14 on Defense Mechanisms in Vitis quinquangularis-Pingyi
Authors: Luo Yangyang , Wang Qingyang , Bai Ru , Li Ruixiang , Chen Lu , Xu Yifan , Zhang Ming , Duan Dong
Published: January 2020

In the current study, we identified a transcription factor, MYB14, from Chinese wild grape, Vitis quinquangularis-Pingyi (V. quinquangularis-PY), which could enhance the main stilbene contents and expression of stilbene biosynthesis genes (StSy/RS) by overexpression of VqMYB14. The promoter of VqMYB14 (pVqMYB14) was shown to be induced as part of both basal immunity (also called pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity, PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI), triggered by the elicitors flg22 and harpin, respectively. This was demonstrated by expression of pVqMYB14 in Nicotiana benthamiana and Vitis. We identified sequence differences, notably an 11 bp segment in pVqMYB14 that is important for the PTI/ETI, and particularly for the harpin-induced ETI response. In addition, we showed that activation of the MYB14 promoter correlates with differences in the expression of MYB14 and stilbene pattern induced by flg22 and harpin. An experimental model of upstream signaling in V. quinquangularis-PY is presented, where early defense responses triggered by flg22 and harpin partially overlap, but where the timing and levels differ. This translates into a qualitative difference with respect to patterns of stilbene accumulation.
Newborn Screening for Pompe Disease in Illinois: Experience with 684,290 Infants
Authors: Burton Barbara K. , Charrow Joel , Hoganson George E. , Fleischer Julie , Grange Dorothy K. , Braddock Stephen R. , Hitchins Lauren , Hickey Rachel , Christensen Katherine M. , Groepper Daniel , Shryock Heather , Smith Pamela , Shao Rong , Basheeruddin Khaja
Published: January 2020

Statewide newborn screening for Pompe disease began in Illinois in 2015. As of 30 September 2019, a total of 684,290 infants had been screened and 395 infants (0.06%) were screen positive. A total of 29 cases of Pompe disease were identified (3 infantile, 26 late-onset). While many of the remainder were found to have normal alpha-glucosidase activity on the follow-up testing (234 of 395), other findings included 62 carriers, 39 infants with pseudodeficiency, and eight infants who could not be given a definitive diagnosis due to inconclusive follow-up testing.
Mixed-Field Source Localization Based on the Non-Hermitian Matrix
Authors: Mo Minggang , Sun Zhaowei
Published: January 2020

In this paper, an efficient high-order multiple signal classification (MUSIC)-like method is proposed for mixed-field source localization. Firstly, a non-Hermitian matrix is designed based on a high-order cumulant. One of the steering matrices, that is related only with the directions of arrival (DOA), is proved to be orthogonal with the eigenvectors corresponding to the zero eigenvalues. The other steering matrix that contains the information of both the DOA and range is proved to span the same column subspace with the eigenvectors corresponding to the non-zero eigenvalues. By applying the Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization, the range estimation can be achieved one by one after substituting each estimated DOA. The analysis shows that the computational complexity of the proposed method is lower than other methods, and the effectiveness of the proposed method is shown with some simulation results.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Infrastructures in 2019
Authors: Infrastructures Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not
Regulation of BDNF-TrkB Signaling and Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Jin Wook
Published: January 2020

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tropomyosin-related kinase receptor type B (TrkB) are widely distributed in multiple regions of the human brain. Specifically, BDNF/TrkB is highly expressed and activated in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra and plays a critical role in neurophysiological processes, including neuro-protection and maturation and maintenance of neurons. The activation as well as dysfunction of the BDNF-TrkB pathway are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The expression of BDNF/TrkB in the substantia nigra is significantly reduced in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients. This review summarizes recent progress in the understanding of the cellular and molecular roles of BNDF/TrkB signaling and its isoform, TrkB.T1, in Parkinson’s disease. We have also discussed the effects of current therapies on BDNF/TrkB signaling in Parkinson’s disease patients and the mechanisms underlying the mutation-mediated acquisition of resistance to therapies for Parkinson’s disease.
Pain Catastrophising Predicts Alcohol Hangover Severity and Symptoms
Authors: Royle Sam , Owen Lauren , Roberts David , Marrow Lynne
Published: January 2020

Alcohol hangover is a cause of considerable social and economic burden. Identification of predictors of alcohol hangover severity have the potential to contribute to reductions in costs associated with both absenteeism/presenteeism and health care. Pain catastrophising (PC) is the tendency to ruminate and describe a pain experience in more exaggerated terms. The current study examines the possibility that this cognitive coping strategy may influence experience of alcohol hangover. The aims of the current study were to (1) examine the relationship between hangover severity and PC, (2) explore and identify discreet factors within the Acute Hangover Scale (AHS) and (3) explore whether independent factors/dimensions of acute hangover are differentially predicted by PC. A retrospective survey (n = 86) was conducted in which participants completed the Acute Hangover Scale (AHS); the Pain Catastrophising Scale (PCS); a questionnaire pertaining to the amount of alcohol consumed; and a demographic information questionnaire. Regression analyses showed a significant relationship between PC and hangover severity scores and demonstrated that PC was, in fact, a stronger predictor of perceived hangover severity than estimated peak blood alcohol concentrations (eBACs). Factor analysis of the AHS scale, resulted in the identification of two distinct symptom dimensions; ‘Headache and thirst’, and ‘Gastric and cardiovascular’ symptoms. Regression analyses showed that both eBAC and PCS score were significantly associated with ‘Headache and thirst’. However, only PCS score was associated with ‘Gastric and cardiovascular’ symptoms. These novel findings implicate a role for cognitive coping strategies in self-reports of alcohol hangover severity, and may have implications for understanding behavioural response to hangover, as well as suggesting that hangover and PC may be important factors mediating the motivation to drink and/or abuse alcohol, with potential implications in addiction research. Furthermore, these findings suggest that distinct alcohol hangover symptoms may be associated with different mechanisms underlying the experience of alcohol hangover.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of JCM in 2019
Authors: JCM Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of JMMP in 2019
Authors:   JMMP Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Journal of Fungi in 2019
Authors: Journal of Fungi Editorial Office
Published: January 2020

The editorial team greatly appreciates the reviewers who have dedicated their considerable time and expertise to the journal’s rigorous editorial process over the past 12 months, regardless of whether the papers are finally published or not [...]
The Equity Curve and Its Relation to Future Stock Returns
Authors: Stotz Olaf
Published: January 2020

Using option prices, a new method for estimating the term structure of expected stock returns (equity curve) is proposed. We analyse how the equity curve relates to future stock returns and obtain three main results. First, a higher level of the equity curve is associated with higher future stock returns. Second, a positive slope is followed by future realized returns which are lower in the short term (1 month) than in the long term (1 quarter or 1 year). Third, a steeper slope (either positive or negative) is associated with a larger absolute difference between short-term and long-term returns. Therefore, the equity curve is consistent with theoretical predictions. We also analyse an investment strategy that uses the slope of the equity curve to determine the allocation to stocks. This strategy earns an outperformance of up to 200 basis points per annum.
Microstructure and Texture Evolution with Relation to Mechanical Properties of Compared Symmetrically and Asymmetrically Cold Rolled Aluminum Alloy
Authors: Kraner Jakob , Fajfar Peter , Palkowski Heinz , Kugler Goran , Godec Matjaž , Paulin Irena
Published: January 2020

The impact of asymmetric cold rolling was quantitatively assessed for an industrial aluminum alloy AA 5454. The asymmetric rolling resulted in lower rolling forces and higher strains compared to conventional symmetric rolling. In order to demonstrate the positive effect on the mechanical properties with asymmetric rolling, tensile tests, plastic-strain-ratio tests and hardness measurements were conducted. The improvements to the microstructure and the texture were observed with a light and scanning electron microscope; the latter making use of electron-backscatter diffraction. The result of the asymmetric rolling was a much lower planar anisotropy and a more homogeneous metal sheet with finer grains after annealing to the soft condition. The increased isotropy of the deformed and annealed aluminum sheet is a product of the texture heterogeneity and reduced volume fractions of separate texture components.
Direct Ultrasonic Soldering of AlN Ceramics with Copper Substrate Using Zn–Al–Mg Solder
Authors: Kolenak Roman , Kostolny Igor , Drapala Jaromir , Zackova Paulina , Kuruc Marcel
Published: January 2020

This research aims to develop the direct soldering of aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramics with a copper substrate using Zn–Al–Mg solder. The solder type, Zn5Al3Mg, has a close-to eutectic composition with a melting point of 359 °C. The microstructure of Zn–Al–Mg solder is composed of solid solution (Al), solid solution (Zn), an Mg2Zn11 phase and a minority MgZn2 phase. The tensile strength is from 82 to 169 MPa and depends on the magnesium content. The bond with AlN ceramics is formed due to the interaction of active Zn, Al and Mg metals with the substrate surface without forming a new transition phase. Zn and Al elements exert a substantial effect on bond formation with the Cu substrate. Magnesium does not contribute to bond formation with the Cu substrate. Two new phases, CuZn4-ε and Cu33Al17/Cu9Al4/Cu5Zn8- γ, were observed, and form the transition zone of the joint. The maximum shear strength of the AlN/Cu joint fabricated using Zn5Al3Mg solder is 47 MPa. The maximum shear strength of the Cu/Cu joint fabricated using the same solder is 93 MPa.
Fatigue Property and Improvement of a Rounded Welding Region between the Diaphragm Plate and Closed Rib of an Orthotropic Steel Bridge Deck
Authors: Li Datao , Zhang Chunguo , Lu Pengmin
Published: January 2020

By means of finite element modeling (FEM) and fatigue experiments, we study the fatigue performance of the rounded welding region between the diaphragm plate and closed rib of orthotropic steel bridge deck in this work. A local sub-model of the rounded welding region from the orthotropic steel bridge deck was developed to analyze the stress distributions. Based on the analysis results we designed the fatigue specimen for the fatigue test of this detailed structure. The fatigue experimental results revealed that the crack initiates from the weld toe of the rounded welding region and the stress concentration at the rounded welding region is the main mechanism of fatigue crack initiation. In addition, we propose three improvements to reduce the stress concentration of the rounded welding region, and the local structure optimization scheme of the diaphragm–rib weld can effectively improve the fatigue resistance of the detailed weld structure.
Rapid Fabrication of Continuous Surface Fresnel Microlens Array by Femtosecond Laser Focal Field Engineering
Authors: Yan Linyu , Yang Dong , Gong Qihuang , Li Yan
Published: January 2020

Femtosecond laser direct writing through two-photon polymerization has been widely used in precision fabrication of three-dimensional microstructures but is usually time consuming. In this article, we report the rapid fabrication of continuous surface Fresnel lens array through femtosecond laser three-dimensional focal field engineering. Each Fresnel lens is formed by continuous two-photon polymerization of the two-dimensional slices of the whole structure with one-dimensional scan of the corresponding two-dimensional engineered intensity distribution. Moreover, we anneal the lens array to improve its focusing and imaging performance.
Fully-Differential TPoS Resonators Based on Dual Interdigital Electrodes for Feedthrough Suppression
Authors: Zhang Yi , Bao Jing-Fu , Li Xin-Yi , Zhou Xin , Wu Zhao-Hui , Zhang Xiao-Sheng
Published: January 2020

As one of the core components of MEMS (i.e., micro-electro-mechanical systems), thin-film piezoelectric-on-silicon (TPoS) resonators experienced a blooming development in the past decades due to unique features such as a remarkable capability of integration for attractive applications of system-on-chip integrated timing references. However, the parasitic capacitive feedthrough poses a great challenge to electrical detection of resonance in a microscale silicon-based mechanical resonator. Herein, a fully-differential configuration of a TPoS MEMS resonator based on a novel structural design of dual interdigital electrodes is proposed to eliminate the negative effect of feedthrough. The fundamental principle of feedthrough suppression was comprehensively investigated by using FEA (i.e., finite-element analysis) modeling and electrical measurements of fabricated devices. It was shown that with the help of fully-differential configuration, the key parameter of SBR (i.e., signal-to-background ratio) was significantly enhanced by greatly suppressing the in-phase signal. The S-parameter measurement results further verified the effectiveness of this novel feedthrough suppression strategy, and the insertion loss and SBR of proposed TPoS resonators were improved to 4.27 dB and 42.47 dB, respectively.
Design and Control of a Piezoelectric-Driven Microgripper Perceiving Displacement and Gripping Force
Authors: Zhao Yanru , Huang Xiaojie , Liu Yong , Wang Geng , Hong Kunpeng
Published: January 2020

A piezoelectric-driven microgripper with three-stage amplification was designed, which is able to perceive the tip displacement and gripping force. The key structure parameters of the microgripper were determined by finite element optimization and its theoretical amplification ratio was derived. The tracking experiments of the tip displacement and gripping force were conducted with a PID controller. It is shown that the standard deviation of tracking error of the tip displacement is less than 0.2 μm and the gripping force is 0.35 mN under a closed-loop control. It would provide some references for realizing high-precision microassembly tasks with the designed microgripper which can control the displacement and gripping force accurately.
First mecC and mecA Positive Livestock-Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (mecC MRSA/LA-MRSA) from Dairy Cattle in Malaysia
Authors: Aklilu Erkihun , Chia Hui Ying
Published: January 2020

Livestock associated Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (LA-MRSA) was reported to be zoonotic and may transmit to farmers and veterinarians. The objectives of this study were to investigate the occurrence of LA-MRSA from dairy cattle and to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates. A total of 63 milk and 32 nasal swab samples were randomly collected from dairy cattle. The samples were processed to isolate S. aureus, MRSA and LA-MRSA using both phenotypic and molecular methods using PCR. The confirmed S. aureus isolates were cultured on oxacillin resistant screening agar base (ORSAB) to detect MRSA and the isolates were further confirmed by PCR targeting the mecA gene. Detection of the novel mecA gene, mecC gene was conducted by PCR amplification. The antimicrobial susceptibility tests were conducted using disc diffusion method. Results revealed 17/95 (17.89%) and 15/95 (15.79%) were positive for mecA and mecC genes respectively. Out of the 15 mecC positive isolates, 12 were positive for both mecA and mecC. The MRSA isolates showed multidrug resistance. The findings showed high prevalence of mecC-positive LA-MRSA in Malaysia and highlight the public health risks to people that may come in contact with the carrier animals or those who may consume unpasteurized milk products from these animals.
Metasomatic Reactions between Archean Dunite and Trondhjemite at the Seqi Olivine Mine in Greenland
Authors: Whyatt Laura , Peters Stefan , Pack Andreas , Kirkland Christopher L. , Balic-Zunic Tonci , Szilas Kristoffer
Published: January 2020

A metasomatic zone formed between the contact of a 2940 ± 5 Ma intrusive trondhjemite sheet in the Archean dunite of the Seqi Ultramafic Complex, SW Greenland, consists of three distinct mineral zones dominated by (1) talc, (2) anthophyllite, and (3) phlogopite. These zones supposedly resulted from a process of dissolution of olivine by silica rich fluid residual from the trondhjemite magma, with crystallization of secondary minerals along a compositional gradient in the fluid phase. A zircon crystal inclusion in a large (4 cm) olivine porphyroblast was dated in situ via LA-ICP-MS U–Pb isotope analysis, yielding a weighted mean 207Pb/206Pb age of 2963 ± 1 Ma, which coincides with granulite facies metamorphism and potential dehydration. Considering phase relations appropriate for the dunite composition, we deduced the talc forming conditions to be at temperatures of 600–650 °C and at a pressure below 1 GPa. This is supported by oxygen isotope data for talc, anthophyllite and phlogopite in the metasomatic zone, which suggests formation in the temperature range of 600–700 °C from fluids that had a δ18O of ~8‰ and a Δ’17O0.528 of about −40 ppm, i.e., from fluids that could have been derived from the late stage trondhjemite sheet.
Modern Minerals Formation Genesis in Kavalerovsky Tin–Ore District Technogenic System (Primorsky Krai)
Authors: Zvereva Valentina , Lysenko Anastasiya , Frolov Konstantin
Published: January 2020

Parameters and conditions of crystallization for the majority of hypergenic and technogenic minerals have not yet been studied, as their determination is often difficult due to their imperfect crystalline structure (X-ray amorphous) and formation in polymineral compounds. The article discusses the formation conditions of 20 hypergenic and technogenic minerals from technogenic waters in the mining industrial system of the Kavalerovsky district tin–sulfide deposits (Primorsky krai) in Russia. For various ratios of hypogenic minerals–host rocks in ore and in tailings in a wide temperature range (from −25 to 45 °C), the Eh-pH parameters and the minerals paragenesis were established. All hypergenic and technogenic minerals formed during modeling were found and diagnosed in the Kavalerovsky tin–ore district mining industrial technogenic system.
Plasticised Regenerated Silk/Gold Nanorods Hybrids as Sealant and Bio-Piezoelectric Materials
Authors: Bittolo Bon Silvia , Rapi Michele , Coletta Riccardo , Morabito Antonino , Valentini Luca
Published: January 2020

Manual and mechanical suturing are currently the gold standard for bowel anastomosis. If tissue approximation fails, anastomotic leaks occur. Anastomotic leaks may have catastrophic consequences. The development of a fully absorbable, biocompatible sealant material based on a bio-ink silk fibroin can reduce the chance of anastomotic leaks. We have produced a Ca-modified plasticised regenerated silk (RS) with gold nanorods sealant. This sealant was applied to anastomosed porcine intestine. Water absorption from wet tissue substrate applied compressive strains on hybrid RS films. This compression results in a sealant effect on anastomosis. The increased toughness of the hybrid plasticised RS resulted in the designing of a bio-film with superior elongation at break (i.e., ≈200%) and bursting pressure. We have also reported structure-dependent piezoelectricity of the RS film that shows a piezoelectric effect out of the plane. We hope that in the future, bowel anastomosis can be simplified by providing a multifunctional bio-film that makes feasible the mechanical tissue joint without the need for specific tools and could be used in piezoelectric sealant heads.
Enhanced Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in Toilet Wastewater by Photo-Fenton Reactive Membrane Filtration
Authors: Sun Shaobin , Yao Hong , Li Xinyang , Deng Shihai , Zhao Shenlong , Zhang Wen
Published: January 2020

Pharmaceutical residuals are increasingly detected in natural waters, which made great threat to the health of the public. This study evaluated the utility of the photo-Fenton ceramic membrane filtration toward the removal and degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as a model recalcitrant micropollutant. The photo-Fenton catalyst Goethite (α-FeOOH) was coated on planar ceramic membranes as we reported previously. The removal of SMX in both simulated and real toilet wastewater were assessed by filtering the feed solutions with/without H2O2 and UV irradiation. The SMX degradation rate reached 87% and 92% respectively in the presence of UV/H2O2 for the original toilet wastewater (0.8 ± 0.05 ppb) and toilet wastewater with a spiked SMX concentration of 100 ppb. The mineralization and degradation by-products were both assessed under different degradation conditions to achieve deeper insight into the degradation mechanisms during this photo-Fenton reactive membrane filtration. Results showed that a negligible removal rate (e.g., 3%) of SMX was obtained when only filtering the feed solution through uncoated or catalyst-coated membranes. However, the removal rates of SMX were significantly increased to 67% (no H2O2) and 90% (with H2O2) under UV irradiation, respectively, confirming that photo-Fenton reactions played the key role in the degradation/mineralization process. The highest apparent quantum yield (AQY) reached up to approximately 27% when the H2O2 was 10 mmol·L−1 and UV254 intensity was 100 μW·cm−2. This study lays the groundwork for reactive membrane filtration to tackle the issues from micropollution.
Honey and Its Phenolic Compounds as an Effective Natural Medicine for Cardiovascular Diseases in Humans?
Authors: Olas Beata
Published: January 2020

Honey is a sweet, viscous syrup produced by the honey bee (Apis mellifera). It is probably the first natural sweetener ever discovered, and is currently used as a nutritious food supplement and medicinal agent. The aim of the present mini-review is to summarize and update the current knowledge regarding the role of honey in CVDs based on various experimental models. It also describes the role of its phenolic compounds in treating CVDs. Many such phenolic and flavonoid compounds, including quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, and caffeic acid, have antioxidant and anti-platelet potential, and hence may ameliorate cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) through various mechanisms, such as by decreasing oxidative stress and inhibiting blood platelet activation. However, as the phenolic content of a particular type of honey is not always known, it can be difficult to determine whether any observed effects on the human cardiovascular system may be associated with the consumption of honey or its constituents. Therefore, further experiments in this area are needed.
Potential Risk of Higenamine Misuse in Sports: Evaluation of Lotus Plumule Extract Products and a Human Study
Authors: Yen Ching-Chi , Tung Chun-Wei , Chang Chih-Wei , Tsai Chin-Chuan , Hsu Mei-Chich , Wu Yu-Tse
Published: January 2020

Since 2017, higenamine has been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list as a β2-agonist prohibited at all times for sportspersons. According to WADA’s report, positive cases of higenamine misuse have been increasing yearly. However, higenamine occurs naturally in the Chinese herb lotus plumule—the green embryo of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) seeds—commercially available as concentrated powder on the Asian market. This study evaluated the major phytochemical components of lotus plumule products using an appropriate extraction method, followed by a human study in which the products were orally administered in multiple doses to investigate the risk of doping violations. Comparing various extraction methods revealed that optimized microwave-assisted extraction exhibited the highest extraction efficiency (extraction time, 26 min; power, 1046 W; and temperature, 120 °C). Subsequently, the alkaloids in lotus plumule products were quantitatively confirmed and compared. Human study participants (n = 6) consumed 0.8 g of lotus plumule (equivalent to 679.6 μg of higenamine) three times daily for three consecutive days. All participants’ urinary higenamine concentrations exceeded the WADA reporting cut-off of 10.0 ng/mL. Accordingly, lotus plumule consumption may engender adverse analytical findings regarding higenamine. Athletes should avoid consuming lotus plumule-containing products during in- and out-of-competition periods.
Influence of Acetylated Annealed Starch on the Release of β-Escin from the Anionic and Non-Ionic Hydrophilic Gels
Authors: Kobryń Justyna , Zięba Tomasz , Sowa Sandra Karolina , Musiał Witold
Published: January 2020

Naturally sourced products introduced to human nutrition and rediscovered for therapy include polysaccharides from potatoes. The starch may obtain unique properties via acetylation with acetic anhydride at 13 cm3/100 g of starch as the basic dose of reagent used in industrial conditions. The hydrogel formulation was applied as a carrier for escin included in the dry extract of Aesculus hippocastanum. Six hydrogels were evaluated (methylcellulose, polyacrylic acid-Carbopol 980 NF and polyacrylate crosspolymer 11—Aristoflex Velvet) with various concentrations of the modified starch. The kinetic studies of in vitro β-escin release were carried out in purified water at 37 ± 0.5 °C using a paddle apparatus at 50 rpm and a time period of 7 h. The criterion for the most suitable model was based on a high correlation coefficient of evaluated release profiles. The addition of modified annealed acetylated potato starch resulted in prolongation of β-escin release.
Multiple Analysis and Characterization of Novel and Environmentally Friendly Feather Protein-Based Wood Preservatives
Authors: Xia Yan , Ma Chengye , Wang Hanmin , Sun Shaoni , Wen Jialong , Sun Runcang
Published: January 2020

In this study, feather was used as the source of protein and combined with copper and boron salts to prepare wood preservatives with nano-hydroxyapatite or nano-graphene oxide as nano-carriers. The treatability of preservative formulations, the changes of chemical structure, micromorphology, crystallinity, thermal properties and chemical composition of wood cell walls during the impregnation and decay experiment were investigated by retention rate of the preservative, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electronic microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermoanalysis (TG), and confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) techniques. Results revealed that the preservatives (particularly with nano-carrier) successfully penetrated wood blocks, verifying the enhanced effectiveness of protein-based preservative with nano-carrier formulations. Decay experiment demonstrated that the protein-based wood preservative can remarkably improve the decay resistance of the treated wood samples, and it is an effective, environmentally friendly wood preservative. Further analysis of these three preservative groups confirmed the excellent function of nano-hydroxyapatite as a nano-carrier, which can promote the chelation of preservatives with higher content of effective preservatives.
Bacteriostatic Effect of Piezoelectric Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate and Polyvinylidene Fluoride Polymer Films under Ultrasound Treatment
Authors: Vatlin Ivan S. , Chernozem Roman V. , Timin Alexander S. , Chernova Anna P. , Plotnikov Evgeny V. , Mukhortova Yulia R. , Surmeneva Maria A. , Surmenev Roman A.
Published: January 2020

Antibiotic resistance of bacteria stimulates the development of new treatment approaches. Piezoelectric-catalysis has attracted much attention due to the possibility to effectively provide antibacterial effect via generation of reactive oxygen species. However, the influence of the surface charge or potential of a piezopolymer on bacteria has not been sufficiently studied so far. This study reports the fabrication and characterization of thin films of piezoelectric polyhydroxybutyrate, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene as well as non-piezoelectric polycaprolactone polymers fabricated using solution casting approach. The piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and surface electric peak-to-peak potential generated by the cyclic mechanical stress applied to the films were measured. Neither any toxic effect of the polymer films nor ultrasound influence on Escherichia coli bacteria behavior is observed. However, significant inhibition of the growth of bacteria is revealed during mechanical stimulation of piezoelectric samples via ultrasound treatment. Thus, this study demonstrates clear bacteriostatic effect of piezoelectric polymers for different tissue engineering applications.
Chemical Characterization and Enzymatic Control of Stickies in Kraft Paper Production
Authors: Ballinas-Casarrubias Lourdes , González-Sánchez Guillermo , Eguiarte-Franco Salvador , Siqueiros-Cendón Tania , Flores-Gallardo Sergio , Duarte Villa Eduardo , de Dios Hernandez Miguel , Rocha-Gutiérrez Beatriz , Rascón-Cruz Quintín
Published: January 2020

Paper recycling has increased in recent years. A principal consequence of this process is the problem of addressing some polymeric components known as stickies. A deep characterization of stickies sampled over one year in a recycled paper industry in México was performed. Based on their chemical structure, an enzymatic assay was performed using lipases. Compounds found in stickies by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry were poly (butyl-acrylate), dioctyl phthalate, poly (vinyl-acetate), and poly (vinyl-acrylate). Pulp with 4% (w/w) consistency and pH = 6.2 was sampled directly from the mill once macrostickies were removed. Stickies were quantified by counting the tacky macrostructures in the liquid fraction of the pulp using a Neubauer chamber before the paper was made, and they were analyzed with rhodamine dye and a UV lamp. Of the two commercial enzymes evaluated, the best treatment condition used Lipase 30 G (Specialty Enzymes & Biotechnologies Co®, Chino, CA, USA) at a concentration of 0.44 g/L, which decreased 35.59% of stickies. SebOil DG (Specialty Enzymes & Biotechnologies®) showed a stickies reduction of 21.5% when used at a concentration of 0.33 g/L. Stickies in kraft paper processes were actively controlled by the action of lipases, and future research should focus on how this enzyme recognizes its substrate and should apply synthetic biology to improve lipase specificity.
Preparation, Characterization and Application of a Low Water-Sensitive Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. Gum Intelligent Film Incorporated with Anionic Cellulose Nanofiber as a Reinforcing Component
Authors: Liang Tieqiang , Wang Lijuan
Published: January 2020

A low-water-sensitive Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. gum (ASKG) based intelligent film was developed. Red cabbage extracts (RCE) was selected as a natural pH-sensitive indicator, and anionic cellulose nanofiber (ACNF) was added as a hydrophobic and locking host. The zeta potential, rheology, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and release results indicated that the RCE was locked by the ACNF via electrostatic interactions, moreover, broke the original complicated network and ordered arrangement of polymer molecules in the developed intelligent films. RCE addition decreased the tensile strength, oxygen, and water vapor barrier properties and light transmission of the developed intelligent films, while increasing the elongation at break. The films could respond to buffer solutions and NH3 through different color changes. The developed intelligent film was hydrophobic, which could precisely detect the freshwater shrimp freshness in real time via color changes, which indicated that the films have potential in intelligent packaging and gas-sensing label fields.
Tibåt Mårqe: A New Edition with English Translation
Authors: Tal Abraham
Published: January 2020

This contribution presents a short introduction to the new edition of Tibåt Mårqe. The oldest manuscript of Tibåt Mårqe dates from the 14th century but only fragments of it are preserved. Previous editors of Tibåt Mårqe included those fragments in their editions which, by necessity, were based on a later, less reliable version of this collection of Samaritan midrashim. The recent discovery of large portions of the 14th century manuscript of Tibåt Mårqe in the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg made it possible for me to fill most of the gaps. The new edition presented here is therefore based on an improved instrument of research in the domain of Samaritan culture.
Magnetic-Measuring Square in the Measurement of the Circular Curve of Rail Transport Tracks
Authors: Kampczyk Arkadiusz
Published: January 2020

In rail transport, measuring the actual condition of a circular curve of a railway track is a key element of track position monitoring not only during operation but also during final works. Predicting changes in its position in the horizontal plane is one of the most important related scientific issues. This paper presents the results of measurements performed with an innovative measuring device called the Magnetic-Measuring Square (MMS). The aim of the research was to demonstrate the acceptability of using the MMS. Horizontal versines of a rail track curve were measured as three neighboring points on a curve (using the method of lacing/stringlining, also called the three-point or the Hallade method), and the perpendicularity of rail joints and shortenings were measured. The MMS device presented in this article was used to measure versines and differences in rails lengths (rail shortenings in the curve) in the operating mode involving a laser distance meter with a laser beam (laser power P < 1 mW, laser wavelength λ = 635 nm) with a target cross, a camera, and a surveying measuring disk. The measurement results confirmed that it is possible to employ the MMS to monitor the geometry of railway track fragments such as track transition curves and railway track curves in rail transport.
Tightly Coupled GNSS/INS Integration with Robust Sequential Kalman Filter for Accurate Vehicular Navigation
Authors: Dong Yi , Wang Dingjie , Zhang Liang , Li Qingsong , Wu Jie
Published: January 2020

With the development of multi-constellation multi-frequency Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), more and more observations are available for tightly coupled GNSS/Inertial Navigation System (INS) integration. Concerning the accuracy, robustness, and computational burden issues in the integration, we proposed a robust and computationally efficient implementation. The new tight integration model uses pseudorange, Doppler and carrier phase simultaneously, to achieve the maximum possible navigation accuracy for a single receiver. The resultant high-dimensional observation vector is then processed by a sequential Kalman Filter (KF) to improve the computational efficiency in the measurement update step. Based on the innovation of the sequential KF, a robust estimation method with Gaussian test is further devised to detect and adapt the faults in individual GNSS channels. Two field vehicular tests are conducted to evaluate the performance improvements of the proposed method, compared with loose coupling and conventional tight coupling. Test results in favorable environments indicate that the proposed method can significantly improve the velocity and attitude accuracy by 69.42% and 47.16% over loose coupling and by 64.75% and 30.88% over conventional tight coupling, respectively. Moreover, the computational efficiency is also improved by about 53.09% for the proposed method, compared with batch KF processing. In GNSS challenging environments, the proposed method also shows superiority in terms of velocity and attitude accuracy, and better bridging capability during the GNSS partial or complete outages. These results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to provide a more robust and accurate solution in real-time vehicular navigation.
Crowd of Oz: A Crowd-Powered Social Robotics System for Stress Management
Authors: Abbas Tahir , Khan Vassilis-Javed , Gadiraju Ujwal , Barakova Emilia , Markopoulos Panos
Published: January 2020

Coping with stress is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. In the past, a great deal of research has been conducted to use socially assistive robots as a therapy to alleviate stress and anxiety related problems. However, building a fully autonomous social robot which can deliver psycho-therapeutic solutions is a very challenging endeavor due to limitations in artificial intelligence (AI). To overcome AI’s limitations, researchers have previously introduced crowdsourcing-based teleoperation methods, which summon the crowd’s input to control a robot’s functions. However, in the context of robotics, such methods have only been used to support the object manipulation, navigational, and training tasks. It is not yet known how to leverage real-time crowdsourcing (RTC) to process complex therapeutic conversational tasks for social robotics. To fill this gap, we developed Crowd of Oz (CoZ), an open-source system that allows Softbank’s Pepper robot to support such conversational tasks. To demonstrate the potential implications of this crowd-powered approach, we investigated how effectively, crowd workers recruited in real-time can teleoperate the robot’s speech, in situations when the robot needs to act as a life coach. We systematically varied the number of workers who simultaneously handle the speech of the robot (N = 1, 2, 4, 8) and investigated the concomitant effects for enabling RTC for social robotics. Additionally, we present Pavilion, a novel and open-source algorithm for managing the workers’ queue so that a required number of workers are engaged or waiting. Based on our findings, we discuss salient parameters that such crowd-powered systems must adhere to, so as to enhance their performance in response latency and dialogue quality.
A Recognition Method for Rice Plant Diseases and Pests Video Detection Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Li Dengshan , Wang Rujing , Xie Chengjun , Liu Liu , Zhang Jie , Li Rui , Wang Fangyuan , Zhou Man , Liu Wancai
Published: January 2020

Increasing grain production is essential to those areas where food is scarce. Increasing grain production by controlling crop diseases and pests in time should be effective. To construct video detection system for plant diseases and pests, and to build a real-time crop diseases and pests video detection system in the future, a deep learning-based video detection architecture with a custom backbone was proposed for detecting plant diseases and pests in videos. We first transformed the video into still frame, then sent the frame to the still-image detector for detection, and finally synthesized the frames into video. In the still-image detector, we used faster-RCNN as the framework. We used image-training models to detect relatively blurry videos. Additionally, a set of video-based evaluation metrics based on a machine learning classifier was proposed, which reflected the quality of video detection effectively in the experiments. Experiments showed that our system with the custom backbone was more suitable for detection of the untrained rice videos than VGG16, ResNet-50, ResNet-101 backbone system and YOLOv3 with our experimental environment.