bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Service Temperature and Thickness on the Tensile Properties of Thin T2 Copper Sheets
Authors: Ge Yebao , Gou Ruibin , Yu Min , Zhang Chunyu , Wang Nian , Xu Hao
Published: March 2022

Thin T2 copper sheets with nine different thicknesses were employed in uniaxial tensile tests to investigate the influence of service temperature and thickness on their tensile properties. A total of 33 groups of tensile samples were separately tested at 20 °C, 100 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C, and 250 °C to obtain their elongation and their tensile and yield strengths. The change laws of the tensile properties of the investigated T2 copper were analyzed using different fitting functions. The main results show that both sheet thickness and temperature have an important influence on the tensile properties of T2 copper. As the sheet thickness increased, the tensile and yield strengths of the tested materials first increased rapidly, then decreased sharply, and finally stabilized. As the temperature increased, the tensile strength increased linearly while the yield strength decreased linearly. The relationships between the elongation and the sheet thickness and temperature were exponential and polynomial functions, respectively. T–t–Rm, T–t–Rel, and T–t–δ empirical formulas were proposed and established to predict the tensile properties of the investigated T2 copper sheet, and the predictive models exhibited solid accuracy.
Production of Belite Based Clinker from Ornamental Stone Processing Sludge and Calcium Carbonate Sludge with Lower CO2 Emissions
Authors: Ribeiro Francisco Roger Carneiro , Modolo Regina Célia Espinosa , Kulakowski Marlova Piva , Brehm Feliciane Andrade , Moraes Carlos Alberto Mendes , Ferreira Victor Miguel , Mesquita Esequiel Fernandes Teixeira , de Azevedo Afonso Rangel Garcez , Monteiro Sergio Neves
Published: March 2022

Environmental concerns have come to the forefront due to the substantial role of the cement industry in the extraction and expenditure of natural resources. Additionally, industrial processes generate a considerable amount of waste, which is frequently disposed of inadequately. The objective of this study was to evaluate the simultaneous use of ornamental rock processing sludge and calcium carbonate sludge generated from the kraft process in the production of belitic clinker. These waste materials would be used in total or partial substitution of natural raw materials, namely, limestone and clay. Several formulations were produced and sintered at 1100 and 1200 °C. The raw materials were characterized physico-chemically and thermogravimetrically, with subsequent evaluation of the resulting dosed raw mixes. Mineral analyses determined that the mixtures with limestone and clay in substitution ratios of 95% and 100%, respectively, and sintered at 1100 °C have the potential to produce belite-rich clinkers. This temperature is considerably lower than those reported in reference studies. Additionally, full limestone and clay substitution could result in a 23.92% reduction in carbon dioxide in clinker production. The results confirmed the potential use of ornamental rock processing sludge and calcium carbonate sludge as viable alternative materials for cement production and, consequently, could contribute to a reduction in the negative environmental impacts of this industry.
Task-Offloading Strategy Based on Performance Prediction in Vehicular Edge Computing
Authors: Zeng Feng , Tang Jiangjunzhe , Liu Chengsheng , Deng Xiaoheng , Li Wenjia
Published: March 2022

In vehicular edge computing, network performance and computing resources dynamically change, and vehicles should find the optimal strategy for offloading their tasks to servers to achieve a rapid computing service. In this paper, we address the multi-layered vehicle edge-computing framework, where each vehicle can choose one of three strategies for task offloading. For the best offloading performance, we propose a prediction-based task-offloading scheme for the vehicles, in which a deep-learning model is designed to predict the task-offloading result (success/failure) and service delay, and then the predicted strategy with successful task offloading and minimum service delay is chosen as the final offloading strategy. In the proposed model, an automatic feature-generation model based on CNN is proposed to capture the intersection of features to generate new features, avoiding the performance instability caused by manually designed features. The simulation results demonstrate that each part of the proposed model has an important impact on the prediction accuracy, and the proposed scheme has the higher Area Under Curve (AUC) than other methods. Compared with SVM- and MLP-based methods, the proposed scheme has the average failure rate decreased by 21.2% and 6.3%, respectively. It can be seen that our prediction-based scheme can effectively deal with dynamic changes in network performance and computing resources.
An Iterative Algorithm for Approximating the Fixed Point of a Contractive Affine Operator
Authors: Berenguer María Isabel , Ruiz Galán Manuel
Published: March 2022

First of all, in this paper we obtain a perturbed version of the geometric series theorem, which allows us to present an iterative numerical method to approximate the fixed point of a contractive affine operator. This result requires some approximations that we obtain using the projections associated with certain Schauder bases. Next, an algorithm is designed to approximate the solution of Fredholm’s linear integral equation, and we illustrate the behavior of the method with some numerical examples.
Estimation of the Generalized Logarithmic Transformation Exponential Distribution under Progressively Type-II Censored Data with Application to the COVID-19 Mortality Rates
Authors: Albalawi Olayan , Kabdwal Naresh Chandra , Azhad Qazi J. , Hora Rashi , Alsaedi Basim S. O.
Published: March 2022

In this paper, classical and Bayesian estimation for the parameters and the reliability function for the generalized logarithmic transformation exponential (GLTE) distribution has been proposed when the life-times are progressively censored. The maximum likelihood estimator of unknown parameters and their corresponding reliability function are obtained under the classical setup. The Bayes estimators are obtained for symmetric (squared error) and asymmetric (LINEX and general entropy) loss functions. This was achieved by considering discrete prior for the scale parameter and conditional gamma prior for the shape parameter. Interval estimation of the unknown parameters and reliability function for classical and Bayesian schemes is also considered. The performances of various derived estimators are recorded using simulation study for different sample sizes and progressive censoring schemes. Finally, the COVID-19 mortality data sets are provided to illustrate the computation of various estimators.
Characterizing One-Sided Formal Concept Analysis by Multi-Adjoint Concept Lattices
Authors: Benítez-Caballero María José , Medina Jesús , Ramírez-Poussa Eloísa
Published: March 2022

Managing and extracting information from databases is one of the main goals in several fields, as in Formal Concept Analysis (FCA). One-sided concept lattices and multi-adjoint concept lattices are two frameworks in FCA that have been developed in parallel. This paper shows that one-sided concept lattices are particular cases of multi-adjoint concept lattices. As a first consequence of this characterization, a new attribute reduction mechanism has been introduced in the one-side framework.
Active Slip Mode Analysis of an Additively Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Alloy via In-Grain Misorientation Axis Distribution
Authors: Li Chen , Sun Jingli , Feng Aihan , Wang Hao , Zhang Xiaoyu , Zhang Chaoqun , Zhao Fu , Cao Guojian , Qu Shoujiang , Chen Daolun
Published: March 2022

Selective laser-melted (SLM) Ti-6Al-4V alloy was quasi-statically compressed in the transverse and longitudinal directions at a strain rate of 1 × 10−3 s−1 at room temperature. The twinning, in-grain misorientation axis (IGMA) distribution and active slip modes of individual grains in the deformed SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy were studied in detail via transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The α’/α phase was textured with the c-axis oriented either at ~45° or perpendicular to the building direction (BD). A combined analysis of the IGMA distribution and Schmid factor revealed that the prismatic  slip or pyramidal slip was easily activated in the soft grains with their c-axes perpendicular to the BD (or the loading direction) in the longitudinal compressed sample, while slip was hardly activated in the transverse compressed sample due to the lack of soft grains. Prismatic  slip with IGMA around <0001> Taylor axis also occurred in {10–11} twins. The observations revealed that the prismatic  slip played a key role in accommodating the external strain and, thus, well explained the anisotropy of mechanical properties in the SLM Ti-6Al-4V alloy.
Selenium Levels and Antioxidant Activity in Critically Ill Patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
Authors: Herrera-Quintana Lourdes , Vázquez-Lorente Héctor , Molina-López Jorge , Gamarra-Morales Yenifer , Planells Elena
Published: March 2022

The Selenium (Se) status could be an important modifiable factor in critically ill patient outcomes due to the important role of this mineral in several functions. Although there are many clinical trials with Se interventions in the literature, the evidence is not sufficient to establish a common criterion regarding the Se status. Background and aims: An analysis was made of the evolution of selenium (Se) and antioxidant status in critically ill patients with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) over 7 days of staying in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Methods: A prospective analytical study was carried out on 65 critically ill patients aged 31–77 years. A healthy control group of 56 volunteers from the same region was recruited to allow comparisons with reference normal values. The selenium levels in both the plasma and erythrocytes were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity and the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) were measured using kinetic colorimetric methods. Results: Low erythrocyte and plasma Se levels were found at ICU admission in comparison with the healthy reference group (p < 0.001), and the levels further decreased after one week (p < 0.001). Smaller changes in the plasma Se levels were associated with greater changes in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (p < 0.05). The GPx activity in the critically ill was lower than in the control group (p < 0.05), with an inverse correlation to the severity scores at the baseline (p < 0.05) and reaching normal values after one week (p < 0.05). SOD activity was directly correlated to TAC (p = 0.03), with both parameters exhibiting a direct correlation to albumin (p < 0.05) after 7 days of ICU stay. Conclusions: A deficient Se status was observed at ICU admission and worsened further over follow-up regardless of the evolution of the patient severity and the antioxidant parameters. Adequate Se support from the start of admission could preserve and contribute to improve the Se-related outcomes and critical patient recovery during longer periods in the ICU.
MetaboListem and TABoLiSTM: Two Deep Learning Algorithms for Metabolite Named Entity Recognition
Authors: Yeung Cheng S. , Beck Tim , Posma Joram M.
Published: March 2022

Reviewing the metabolomics literature is becoming increasingly difficult because of the rapid expansion of relevant journal literature. Text-mining technologies are therefore needed to facilitate more efficient literature reviews. Here we contribute a standardised corpus of full-text publications from metabolomics studies and describe the development of two metabolite named entity recognition (NER) methods. These methods are based on Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) networks and each incorporate different transfer learning techniques (for tokenisation and word embedding). Our first model (MetaboListem) follows prior methodology using GloVe word embeddings. Our second model exploits BERT and BioBERT for embedding and is named TABoLiSTM (Transformer-Affixed BiLSTM). The methods are trained on a novel corpus annotated using rule-based methods, and evaluated on manually annotated metabolomics articles. MetaboListem (F1-score 0.890, precision 0.892, recall 0.888) and TABoLiSTM (BioBERT version: F1-score 0.909, precision 0.926, recall 0.893) have achieved state-of-the-art performance on metabolite NER. A training corpus with full-text sentences from >1000 full-text Open Access metabolomics publications with 105,335 annotated metabolites was created, as well as a manually annotated test corpus (19,138 annotations). This work demonstrates that deep learning algorithms are capable of identifying metabolite names accurately and efficiently in text. The proposed corpus and NER algorithms can be used for metabolomics text-mining tasks such as information retrieval, document classification and literature-based discovery and are available from the omicsNLP GitHub repository.
Environmental Difference and Spatial Distance Affect the Fidelity of Variation Source of Microbial Community Structure in Air-Dried Soils
Authors: Guo Zhiying , Bao Yuanyuan , Liu Jie
Published: March 2022

Air-dried soil archives are important for microbial ecology research, although the process of air-drying preservation inevitably destroys the original microbial information in soils. Only upon fully understanding the limitations of air-dried soil can it play a greater role. The value of air-dried soil depends on the fidelity of microbial community structure information in the air-dried soil relative to that in fresh soil. To evaluate this, high-throughput sequencing was applied to investigate the microbial community of fresh soils and 227 days air-dried archives from typical farmland under a large spatial scale, and PERMANOVA was used to analyze the explanation proportion (EP) of the spatial factor on the microbial community structure in any paired-fresh or air-dried soils. The results show that for any paired soils, the value of EP ranged from 42.4% to 97.9% (p < 0.001). Importantly, taking fresh soil as a reference, the value of EP declined in air-dried soils (effect size r = 0.79, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the standardized difference in EP between fresh and air-dried soil (NDEP) was used to characterize the fidelity of variance source of microbial community structure in air-dried soils, and correlation tests showed that NDEP was negatively correlated with spatial distance (r = −0.21, p < 0.01) and with environmental difference (r = −0.37, p < 0.001). Further analyses show that larger NDEP was observed at a spatial distance <25 km or an environmental difference <0.58. Variance partitioning analysis showed that 28.0% of the variation in NDEP could be explained, with environmental difference constituting 14.0% and the interaction between the environmental difference and spatial distance constituting the remaining 14.0%. Soil texture was the most important factor for predicting NDEP, followed by soil pH and annual average temperature. This study not only emphasizes the possible decline in EP when using air-dried soils to reveal microbial community patterns, but also implies that air-dried soil is more suitable for addressing scientific questions under a large spatial scale or environmental differences.
Mycobacterium bovis PknG R242P Mutation Results in Structural Changes with Enhanced Virulence in the Mouse Model of Infection
Authors: Oliveira Fábio Muniz de , Procopio Victor Oliveira , de Lima Menezes Gabriela , Silva Roosevelt Alves da , Kipnis André , Junqueira-Kipnis Ana Paula
Published: March 2022

Mycobacterium bovis is the causative agent of tuberculosis in domestic and wild animal species and sometimes in humans, presenting variable degrees of pathogenicity. It is known that PknG is involved in the first steps of Mycobacterium tuberculosis macrophage infection and immune evasion. We questioned whether M. bovispknG genes were conserved among mycobacteria and if natural genetic modifications would affect its virulence. We discovered a single mutation at a catalytic domain (R242P) of one M. bovis isolate and established the relation between the presence of R242P mutation and enhanced M. bovis virulence. Here, we demonstrated that R242P mutation alters the PknG protein conformation to a more open ATP binding site cleft. It was observed that M. bovis with PknG mutation resulted in increased growth under stress conditions. In addition, infected macrophages by M. bovis (R242P) presented a higher bacterial load compared with M. bovis without the pknG mutation. Furthermore, using the mouse model of infection, animals infected with M. bovis (R242P) had a massive innate immune response migration to the lung that culminated with pneumonia, necrosis, and higher mortality. The PknG protein single point mutation in its catalytic domain did not reduce the bacterial fitness but rather increased its virulence.
Responses of Phyllosphere Microbiome to Ozone Stress: Abundance, Community Compositions and Functions
Authors: Liu Jiayu , Song Manjiao , Wei Xinyuan , Zhang Huanzhen , Bai Zhihui , Zhuang Xuliang
Published: March 2022

Ozone is a typical hazardous pollutant in Earth’s lower atmosphere, but the phyllosphere and its microbiome are promising for air pollution remediation. Despite research to explore the efficiency and mechanism of ozone phylloremediation, the response and role of the phyllosphere microbiome remains untouched. In this study, we exposed Euonymus japonicus to different ozone levels and revealed microbial successions and roles of the phyllosphere microbiome during the exposure. The low-level exposure (156 ± 20 ppb) induced limited response compared to other environmental factors. Fungi failed to sustain the community richness and diversity, despite the stable ITS concentration, while bacteria witnessed an abundance loss. We subsequently elevated the exposure level to 5000~10,000 ppb, which considerably deteriorated the bacterial and fungal diversity. Our results identified extremely tolerant species, including bacterial genera (Curtobacterium, Marmoricola, and Microbacterium) and fungal genera (Cladosporium and Alternaria). Compositional differences suggested that most core fungal taxa were related to plant diseases and biocontrol, and ozone exposure might intensify such antagonism, thus possibly influencing plant health and ozone remediation. This assumption was further evidenced in the functional predictions via a pathogen predominance. This study shed light on microbial responses to ozone exposure in the phyllosphere and enlightened the augmentation of ozone phylloremediation through the microbial role.
Is There a Role for Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in IgA Nephropathy?
Authors: Monteiro Renato C. , Rafeh Dina , Gleeson Patrick J.
Published: March 2022

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis and one of the leading causes of renal failure worldwide. The pathophysiology of IgAN involves nephrotoxic IgA1-immune complexes. These complexes are formed by galactose-deficient (Gd) IgA1 with autoantibodies against the hinge region of Gd-IgA1 as well as soluble CD89, an immune complex amplifier with an affinity for mesangial cells. These multiple molecular interactions result in the induction of the mesangial IgA receptor, CD71, injuring the kidney and causing disease. This review features recent immunological and microbiome studies that bring new microbiota-dependent mechanisms developing the disease based on data from IgAN patients and a humanized mouse model of IgAN. Dysbiosis of the microbiota in IgAN patients is also discussed in detail. Highlights of this review underscore that nephrotoxic IgA1 in the humanized mice originates from mucosal surfaces. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments in mice using stools from patients reveal a possible microbiota dysbiosis in IgAN with the capacity to induce progression of the disease whereas FMT from healthy hosts has beneficial effects in mice. The continual growth of knowledge in IgAN patients and models can lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiota to treat this disease.
Enterocin: Promising Biopreservative Produced by Enterococcus sp.
Authors: Kasimin Melisa Elsie , Shamsuddin Suriyani , Molujin Arnold Marshall , Sabullah Mohd Khalizan , Gansau Jualang Azlan , Jawan Roslina
Published: March 2022

Food preservation is a method used to handle and treat food products to slow down food spoilage and subsequently reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Nowadays, the demand for natural preservatives over chemical preservatives in food is increasing due to the awareness of consuming healthy food products without the risk of harmful side effects. Thus, the research and development of preservation techniques, referred to as biopreservation, is growing rapidly. In biopreservation methods, microorganisms that are known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their antimicrobial substances are used to extend shelf life and maintain the nutritional value of foods. Among the most studied LAB are from the genus Enterococcus, which produces a bacteriocin called enterocin. Bacteriocins are ribosomal-synthesized antimicrobial peptides that are capable of inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria that cause spoilage in food. LAB is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for human consumption. The current application of LAB, notably Enterococcus sp. in the biopreservation of meat and meat-based products was highlighted in this review. This report also includes information on the effects of enzymes, temperature, and pH on the stability of bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. An extensive compilation of numerous industry procedures for preserving meat has also been emphasized, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each method.
Automated Microbial Library Generation Using the Bioinformatics Platform IDBac
Authors: Clark Chase M. , Nguyen Linh , Pham Van Cuong , Sanchez Laura M. , Murphy Brian T.
Published: March 2022

Libraries of microorganisms have served as a cornerstone of therapeutic drug discovery, though the continued re-isolation of known natural product chemical entities has remained a significant obstacle to discovery efforts. A major contributing factor to this redundancy is the duplication of bacterial taxa in a library, which can be mitigated through the use of a variety of DNA sequencing strategies and/or mass spectrometry-informed bioinformatics platforms so that the library is created with minimal phylogenetic, and thus minimal natural product overlap. IDBac is a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based bioinformatics platform used to assess overlap within collections of environmental bacterial isolates. It allows environmental isolate redundancy to be reduced while considering both phylogeny and natural product production. However, manually selecting isolates for addition to a library during this process was time intensive and left to the researcher’s discretion. Here, we developed an algorithm that automates the prioritization of hundreds to thousands of environmental microorganisms in IDBac. The algorithm performs iterative reduction of natural product mass feature overlap within groups of isolates that share high homology of protein mass features. Employing this automation serves to minimize human bias and greatly increase efficiency in the microbial strain prioritization process.
The Varietal Influence of Flavour Precursors from Grape Marc on Monoterpene and C13-Norisoprenoid Profiles in Wine as Determined by Membrane-Assisted Solvent Extraction (MASE) GC-MS
Authors: Pisaniello Lisa , Watson Flynn , Siebert Tracey , Francis Leigh , Hixson Josh L.
Published: March 2022

The winemaking by-product grape marc (syn. pomace) contains significant quantities of latent flavour in the form of flavour precursors which can be extracted and used to modulate the volatile composition of wine via chemical hydrolysis. Varietal differences in grapes are widely known with respect to their monoterpene content, and this work aimed to extend this knowledge into differences due to cultivar in volatiles derived from marc precursors following wine-like storage conditions. Marc extracts were produced from floral and non-floral grape lots on a laboratory-scale and from Muscat Gordo Blanco marc on a winery -scale, added to a base white wine for storage over five to six months, before being assessed using a newly developed membrane-assisted solvent extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The geraniol glucoside content of the marc extracts was higher than that of juices produced from each grape lot. In all wines with added marc extract from a floral variety, geraniol glucoside concentration increased by around 150–200%, with increases also observed for non-floral varieties. The relative volatile profile from extracts of the floral varieties was similar but had varied absolute concentrations. In summary, while varietally pure extracts would provide the greatest control over flavour outcomes when used in winemaking, aggregated marc parcels from floral cultivars may provide a mechanism to simplify the production logistics of latent flavour extracts for use in the wine sector.
Novel 1,2,3-Triazole-Coumarin Hybrid Glycosides and Their Tetrazolyl Analogues: Design, Anticancer Evaluation and Molecular Docking Targeting EGFR, VEGFR-2 and CDK-2
Authors: El-Sayed Wael A. , Alminderej Fahad M. , Mounier Marwa M. , Nossier Eman S. , Saleh Sayed M. , Kassem Asmaa F.
Published: March 2022

This study represents the design and synthesis of a new set of triazole-coumarin-glycosyl hybrids and their tetrazole hybrid analogues possessing various sugar moieties and modified analogues. All the newly synthesized derivatives were screened for their cytotoxic activities against a panel of human cancer cell lines. The coumarin derivatives 10, 13 and 15 derivatives revealed potent cytotoxic activities against Paca-2, Mel-501, PC-3 and A-375 cancer cell lines. These promising analogues were further examined for their inhibitory assessment against EGFR, VEGFR-2 and CDK-2/cyclin A2 kinases. The coumarin-tetrazole 10 displayed broad superior inhibitory activity against all screened enzymes compared with the reference drugs, erlotinib, sorafenib and roscovitine, respectively. The impact of coumarin-tetrazole 10 upon cell cycle and apoptosis induction was determined to detect its mechanism of action. Additionally, it upregulated the levels of casp-3, casp-7 and cytochrome-c proteins and downregulated the PD-1 level. Finally, molecular docking study was simulated to afford better rationalization and gain insight into the binding affinity between the promising derivatives and their targeted enzymes, which could be used as an optimum lead for further modification in the anticancer field.
Amino Alcohols as Potential Antibiotic and Antifungal Leads
Authors: Baker Jennifer R. , Cossar Peter J. , Blaskovich Mark A. T. , Elliott Alysha G. , Zuegg Johannes , Cooper Matthew A. , Lewis Peter J. , McCluskey Adam
Published: March 2022

Five focused compound libraries (forty-nine compounds), based on prior studies in our laboratory were synthesized and screened for antibiotic and anti-fungal activity against S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, C. albicans and C. neoformans. Low levels of activity, at the initial screening concentration of 32 μg/mL, were noted with analogues of (Z)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-phenylacrylonitriles which made up the first two focused libraries produced. The most promising analogues possessing additional substituents on the terminal aromatic ring of the synthesised acrylonitriles. Modifications of the terminal aromatic moiety were explored through epoxide installation flowed by flow chemistry mediated ring opening aminolysis with discreet sets of amines to the corresponding amino alcohols. Three new focused libraries were developed from substituted anilines, cyclic amines, and phenyl linked heterocyclic amines. The aniline-based compounds were inactive against the bacterial and fungal lines screened. The introduction of a cyclic, such as piperidine, piperazine, or morpholine, showed >50% inhibition when evaluated at 32 μg/mL compound concentration against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Examination of the terminal aromatic substituent via oxirane aminolysis allowed for the synthesis of three new focused libraries of afforded amino alcohols. Aromatic substituted piperidine or piperazine switched library activity from antibacterial to anti-fungal activity with ((Z)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)acrylonitrile), ((Z)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propoxy)-phenyl)acrylonitrile) and ((Z)-3-(4-(3-(4-cyclohexylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-hydroxypropoxy)-phenyl)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-acrylonitrile) showing >95% inhibition of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii H99 growth at 32 μg/mL. While (Z)-3-(4-(3-(cyclohexylamino)-2-hydroxypropoxy)phenyl)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-acrylonitrile, (S,Z)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-(2-hydroxy-3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)acrylonitrile, (R,Z)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-(2-hydroxy-3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)acrylonitrile, (Z)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3-(4-(2-hydroxy-3-(D-11-piperidin-1-yl)propoxy)phenyl)-acrylonitrile, and (Z)-3-(4-(3-(4-cyclohexylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-hydroxypropoxy)-phenyl)-2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-acrylonitrile 32 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus.
Effects of Peppermint Essential Oil on Learning and Memory Ability in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice
Authors: Lv Xiaofan , Feng Yueyang , Ma Rui , Tang Yin , Li Ye , Cui Donghong , Wu Yani
Published: March 2022

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of peppermint essential oil on learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Methods: Morris water maze test and shuttle box test were used to explore the changes in learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 transgenic mice after sniffing essential oil. The cellular status of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region of the right hemisphere, Aβ deposition, oxidative stress level, and serum metabonomics were detected to explore its mechanism. Results: Sniffing peppermint essential oil can improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Compared with the model group, the state of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region of the peppermint essential oil group returned to normal, and the deposition of Aβ decreased. The MDA of brain tissue decreased significantly, and the activity of SOD and GSH-PX increased significantly to the normal level. According to the results of metabonomics, it is speculated that peppermint essential oil may improve cognitive function in AD by regulating arginine and proline metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism.
Green Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Taverniera couneifolia Elicits Effective Anti-Diabetic Effect in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats
Authors: Ul Haq Muhammad Nisar , Shah Ghulam Mujtaba , Menaa Farid , Khan Rahmat Ali , Althobaiti Norah A. , Albalawi Aishah E. , Alkreathy Huda Mohammed
Published: March 2022

Background: Using a variety of chemical compounds and biomolecules, researchers have been working on new antidiabetic drugs for many years. Anti-diabetic research is increasingly using nanomaterials because of their unique qualities, such as their tiny size, biocompatibility, and ability to penetrate cell membranes for drug delivery. Using extract of T. couneifolia coated with silver nanoparticles as a model for diabetes mellitus research was one of the goals of this work. Methods: Uv-Vis spectroscopy was used to measure the TAgNPs surface plasmon resonance. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the attached functional groups, XRD analysis confirmed the size and crystallinity, scanning electron microscopy revealed that the majority of the particles were spherical, and EDX performed the elemental analysis. For 21 days, alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats (N = 25, n = 5/group) were administered 10 mg/kg body weight of photosynthesized AgNPs as a standard animal model, while those in the untreated normal control group C, received distilled water as a control, diabetics who were treated with 0.5 mg/kg of body weight of glibenclamide, 10 mg/kg of methanolic T. couneifolia extract, and diabetics who were given 10 mg/kg of body weight of synthetic AgNPs derived from T. couneifolia in the DAgNPs group. At the conclusion of the treatment, lipid, liver and kidney profiles were re-examined to determine whether or not the treatment had been effective (day 21). Oral glucose doses of 2 g/kg of body weight were administered to each group, and blood glucose levels were measured at various intervals (day 21). Fasting glucose levels were measured using a glucometer. Each animal’s urine was tested for leukocytes, nitrites, and bilirubin using lab-made prepared assay kits. One-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The surface plasmon resonance effect was examined with UV-vis, it showed a sharp peak at 412 nm. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the produced nanoparticles were between 15 to 31.44 nm in size. Alloxan-induced diabetic rats were fed AgNPs derived from phytosynthesized AgNPs, compared to diabetic control rats, diabetic rats treated with AgNPs showed a considerable improvement in their dyslipidemia status. Over the course of the days, it also lowered blood glucose levels. A reduction in blood glucose levels, a rise in body weight, and significant improvements in the lipid, liver, and renal profiles were also seen. Conclusions: The present findings revealed that plant mediated silver nanoparticles significantly improved the alloxan induced diabetic changes in various treated rats and might be used for the treatment of diabetes.
Synthesis, Development and Characterization of Magnetic Nanomaterials
Authors: Tzitzios Vasileios
Published: March 2022

Magnetic nanomaterials in both thin films and in the form of nanoparticles, with various structures and morphologies, are among the most extensively studied categories of materials [...]
Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha Variant and Murine Noroviruses on Copper-Silver Nanocomposite Surfaces
Authors: Mosselhy Dina A. , Kareinen Lauri , Kivistö Ilkka , Virtanen Jenni , Loikkanen Emil , Ge Yanling , Maunula Leena , Sironen Tarja
Published: March 2022

With the continued scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is still seeking out-of-the-box solutions to break its transmission cycle and contain the pandemic. There are different transmission routes for viruses, including indirect transmission via surfaces. To this end, we used two relevant viruses in our study. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing the pandemic and human norovirus (HuNV), both known to be transmitted via surfaces. Several nanoformulations have shown attempts to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. However, a rigorous, similar inactivation scheme to inactivate the cords of two tedious viruses (SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant and HuNV) is lacking. The present study demonstrates the inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant and the decrease in the murine norovirus (MNV, a surrogate to HuNV) load after only one minute of contact to surfaces including copper–silver (Cu–Ag) nanocomposites. We thoroughly examined the physicochemical characteristics of such plated surfaces using diverse microscopy tools and found that Cu was the dominanting element in the tested three different surfaces (~56, ~59, and ~48 wt%, respectively), hence likely playing the major role of Alpha and MNV inactivation followed by the Ag content (~28, ~13, and ~11 wt%, respectively). These findings suggest that the administration of such surfaces within highly congested places (e.g., schools, public transportations, public toilets, and hospital and live-stock reservoirs) could break the SARS-CoV-2 and HuNV transmission. We suggest such an administration after an in-depth examination of the in vitro (especially on skin cells) and in vivo toxicity of the nanocomposite formulations and surfaces while also standardizing the physicochemical parameters, testing protocols, and animal models.
Oxidation of Supported Nickel Nanoparticles at Low Exposure to O2: Charging Effects and Selective Surface Activity
Authors: Gatin Andrey K. , Sarvadii Sergey Y. , Dokhlikova Nadezhda V. , Kharitonov Vasiliy A. , Ozerin Sergey A. , Shub Boris R. , Grishin Maxim V.
Published: March 2022

The oxidation of Ni nanoparticles supported on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite was investigated under conditions of low exposure to oxygen by methods of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. It was found that charge transfer effects at the Ni-C interface influenced the surface activity of the nanoparticles. The O2 dissociation and the Ni oxidation were shown to occur only at the top of the nanoparticle, while the border of the Ni-C interface was the less preferable area for these processes. The O2 dissociation was inhibited, and atomic oxygen diffusion was suppressed in the given nanosystem, due to the decrease in holes concentration.
Tailoring Vibrational Signature and Functionality of 2D-Ordered Linear-Chain Carbon-Based Nanocarriers for Predictive Performance Enhancement of High-End Energetic Materials
Authors: Lukin Alexander , Gülseren Oğuz
Published: March 2022

A recently proposed, game-changing transformative energetics concept based on predictive synthesis and preprocessing at the nanoscale is considered as a pathway towards the development of the next generation of high-end nanoenergetic materials for future multimode solid propulsion systems and deep-space-capable small satellites. As a new door for the further performance enhancement of transformative energetic materials, we propose the predictive ion-assisted pulse-plasma-driven assembling of the various carbon-based allotropes, used as catalytic nanoadditives, by the 2D-ordered linear-chained carbon-based multicavity nanomatrices serving as functionalizing nanocarriers of multiple heteroatom clusters. The vacant functional nanocavities of the nanomatrices available for heteroatom doping, including various catalytic nanoagents, promote heat transfer enhancement within the reaction zones. We propose the innovative concept of fine-tuning the vibrational signatures, functionalities and nanoarchitectures of the mentioned nanocarriers by using the surface acoustic waves-assisted micro/nanomanipulation by the pulse-plasma growth zone combined with the data-driven carbon nanomaterials genome approach, which is a deep materials informatics-based toolkit belonging to the fourth scientific paradigm. For the predictive manipulation by the micro- and mesoscale, and the spatial distribution of the induction and energy release domains in the reaction zones, we propose the activation of the functionalizing nanocarriers, assembled by the heteroatom clusters, through the earlier proposed plasma-acoustic coupling-based technique, as well as by the Teslaphoresis force field, thus inducing the directed self-assembly of the mentioned nanocarbon-based additives and nanocarriers.
Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx over Perovskite-Based Catalysts Using CxHy(Oz), H2 and CO as Reducing Agents—A Review of the Latest Developments
Authors: Yentekakis Ioannis V. , Georgiadis Amvrosios G. , Drosou Catherine , Charisiou Nikolaos D. , Goula Maria A.
Published: March 2022

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is probably the most widespread process for limiting NOx emissions under lean conditions (O2 excess) and, in addition to the currently used NH3 or urea as a reducing agent, many other alternative reductants could be more promising, such as CxHy/CxHyOz, H2 and CO. Different catalysts have been used thus far for NOx abatement from mobile (automotive) and stationary (fossil fuel combustion plants) sources, however, perovskites demand considerable attention, partly due to their versatility to combine and incorporate various chemical elements in their lattice that favor deNOx catalysis. In this work, the CxHy/CxHyOz−, H2−, and CO-SCR of NOx on perovskite-based catalysts is reviewed, with particular emphasis on the role of the reducing agent nature and perovskite composition. An effort has also been made to further discuss the correlation between the physicochemical properties of the perovskite-based catalysts and their deNOx activity. Proposed kinetic models are presented as well, that delve deeper into deNOx mechanisms over perovskite-based catalysts and potentially pave the way for further improving their deNOx efficiency.
Structure, Morphology and Electrical/Magnetic Properties of Ni-Mg Nano-Ferrites from a New Perspective
Authors: Mostafa Maha , Saleh Oday , Henaish Ahmed Maher , Abd El-Kaream Samir Ali , Ghazy Ryad , Hemeda Osama M. , Dorgham Ali M. , Al-Ghamdi Hanan , Almuqrin Aljawhara H. , Sayyed M. I. , Trukhanov Sergei V. , Trukhanova Ekaterina L. , Trukhanov Alex V. , Zhou Di , Darwish Moustafa A.
Published: March 2022

Using the auto combustion flash method, Ni1−x+2Mgx+2Fe2+3O4 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.6, 0.8 and 1) nano-ferrites were synthesized. All samples were thermally treated at 973 K for 3 h. The structural analysis for the synthesized samples was performed using XRD, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and FTIR. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was undertaken to explore the surface morphology of all the samples. The thermal stability of these samples was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). XRD data show the presence of a single spinel phase for all the prepared samples. The intensity of the principal peak of the spinel phase decreases as Mg content increases, showing that Mg delays crystallinity. The Mg content raised the average grain size (D) from 0.084 μm to 0.1365 μm. TGA shows two stages of weight loss variation. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurement shows that magnetic parameters, such as initial permeability (μi) and saturation magnetization (Ms), decay with rising Mg content. The permeability and magnetic anisotropy at different frequencies and temperatures were studied to show the samples’ magnetic behavior and determine the Curie temperature (TC), which depends on the internal structure. The electrical resistivity behavior shows the semi-conductivity trend of the samples. Finally, the dielectric constant increases sharply at high temperatures, explained by the increased mobility of charge carriers, and decreases with increasing frequency.
The Possible Application of Ketamine in the Treatment of Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Mohammad Shehata Islam , Masood Waniyah , Nemr Nouran , Anderson Alexandra , Bhusal Kamal , Edinoff Amber N. , Cornett Elyse M. , Kaye Adam M. , Kaye Alan D.
Published: March 2022

Depression is a leading cause of disability globally, with a prevalence of 3.8% among the whole population, 5% of the adult population, and 5.7% of the elderly population over 60 years of age. There is evidence that depression is linked to certain neurodegenerative diseases, one being Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The efficacy of conventional antidepressants to treat depression in AD is conflicting, especially regarding selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A recent systemic review and meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials including fourteen antidepressant medications showed no high efficacy in treating AD patients’ symptoms. However, ketamine, a nonselective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, can mediate a wide range of pharmacological effects, including neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, multimodal analgesia, and treatment of depression, suicidal attempts, and status epilepticus. Esketamine, which is ketamine formulated as a nasal spray, was approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2019 as an adjuvant drug to treat treatment-resistant depression. NMDA receptor antagonists treat AD through offsetting AD-related pathological stimulation of subtypes of glutamate receptors in the central nervous system. Recent clinical findings suggest that ketamine may provide neuroprotection and reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with AD. In the present investigation, we evaluate the potential role of ketamine and its postulated mechanism in AD management.
Targeted Lipidomics for Characterization of PUFAs and Eicosanoids in Extracellular Vesicles
Authors: Reinicke Madlen , Shamkeeva Saikal , Hell Max , Isermann Berend , Ceglarek Uta , Heinemann Mitja L.
Published: March 2022

Lipids are increasingly recognized as bioactive mediators of extracellular vesicle (EV) functions. However, while EV proteins and nucleic acids are well described, EV lipids are insufficiently understood due to lack of adequate quantitative methods. We adapted an established targeted and quantitative mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method originally developed for analysis of 94 eicosanoids and seven polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in human plasma. Additionally, the influence of freeze–thaw (FT) cycles, injection volume, and extraction solvent were investigated. The modified protocol was applied to lipidomic analysis of differently polarized macrophage-derived EVs. We successfully quantified three PUFAs and eight eicosanoids within EVs. Lipid extraction showed reproducible PUFA and eicosanoid patterns. We found a particularly high impact of FT cycles on EV lipid profiles, with significant reductions of up to 70%. Thus, repeated FT will markedly influence analytical results and may alter EV functions, emphasizing the importance of a standardized sample pretreatment protocol for the analysis of bioactive lipids in EVs. EV lipid profiles differed largely depending on the polarization of the originating macrophages. Particularly, we observed major changes in the arachidonic acid pathway. We emphasize the importance of a standardized sample pretreatment protocol for the analysis of bioactive lipids in EVs.
Is Secretory Activation Delayed in Women with Type Two Diabetes? A Pilot Study
Authors: Britten Fiona L. , Lai Ching T. , Geddes Donna T. , Callaway Leonie K. , Duncan Emma L.
Published: March 2022

(1) Background: Breastfeeding duration may be reduced in women with type 2 diabetes. Delayed secretory activation (SA) is associated with poorer breastfeeding outcomes; however, no prior studies have examined SA in women with type 2 diabetes. This pilot study aimed to assess SA in women with type 2 diabetes by assessing breastmilk constituents. Secondary aims were to assess breastfeeding rates postpartum, and contributory factors. (2) Methods: A prospective cohort of pregnant women with type 2 diabetes (n = 18) and two control groups with age- and parity-matched nondiabetic pregnant women (body mass index (BMI)) matched (n = 18) or normal-range BMI (n = 18)) were recruited. Breastmilk constituents (citrate, lactose, protein, and fat) were measured twice daily for 5 days postpartum and compared between groups. Associations between peripartum variables, breastmilk constituents, and breastfeeding at 4 months postpartum were explored. (3) Results: Women with type 2 diabetes had a slower increase in breastmilk citrate concentration postpartum, indicative of delayed SA, compared to both control groups. Higher predelivery insulin doses in women with type 2 diabetes were associated with increasing time to SA. Both women with type 2 diabetes and BMI-matched controls were less likely to fully breastfeed at 4 months, compared with normal-BMI controls. (4) Conclusion: SA is delayed in women with type 2 diabetes when compared to BMI-matched and normal-BMI women. Women with type 2 diabetes are less likely to fully breastfeed, at hospital discharge and by 4 months postpartum, compared to women with normal-BMI.