bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometrics and Artificial Neural Network Modeling for Prediction of Emulsion Droplet Diameters
Authors: Grgić Filip , Jurina Tamara , Valinger Davor , Gajdoš Kljusurić Jasenka , Jurinjak Tušek Ana , Benković Maja
Published: November 2022

There is increased interest in the food industry for emulsions as delivery systems to preserve the stability of sensitive biocompounds with the aim of improving their bioavailability, solubility, and stability; maintaining their texture; and controlling their release. Emulsification in continuously operated microscale devices enables the production of emulsions of controllable droplet sizes and reduces the amount of emulsifier and time consumption, while NIR, as a nondestructive, noninvasive, fast, and efficient technique, represents an interesting aspect for emulsion investigation. The aim of this work was to predict the average Feret droplet diameter of oil-in-water and oil-in-aqueous mint extract emulsions prepared in a continuously operated microfluidic device with different emulsifiers (PEG 1500, PEG 6000, and PEG 20,000) based on the combination of near-infrared (NIR) spectra with chemometrics (principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression) and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. PCA score plots for average preprocessed NIR spectra show the specific grouping of the samples into three groups according to the emulsifier used, while the PCA analysis of the emulsion samples with different emulsifiers showed the specific grouping of the samples based on the amount of emulsifier used. The developed PLS models had higher R2 values for oil-in-water emulsions, ranging from 0.6863 to 0.9692 for calibration, 0.5617 to 0.8740 for validation, and 0.4618 to 0.8692 for prediction, than oil-in-aqueous mint extract emulsions, with R2 values that were in range of 0.8109–0.8934 for calibration, 0.5017–0.6620, for validation and 0.5587–0.7234 for prediction. Better results were obtained for the developed nonlinear ANN models, which showed R2 values in the range of 0.9428–0.9917 for training, 0.8515–0.9294 for testing, and 0.7377–0.8533 for the validation of oil-in-water emulsions, while for oil-in-aqueous mint extract emulsions R2 values were higher, in the range of 0.9516–0.9996 for training, 0.9311–0.9994 for testing, and 0.8113–0.9995 for validation.
A Piezoelectric MEMS Microgripper for Arbitrary XY Trajectory
Authors: Botta Fabio
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a piezoelectric microgripper for arbitrary 2D trajectory is proposed. The desired trajectory of the specimen under consideration was obtained by the deformability of a structure consisting of 16 straight beams and 12 C-structures. The mechanical action that deforms the structure was obtained by an electrical voltage supplied to piezoelectric plates. In order to verify the proposed model a FEM software (COMSOL) was used and some of the most commonly used trajectories for medical applications, micropositioning, micro-object manipulation, etc., were examined. The results showed that the proposed microgripper was capable of generating any parametrizable trajectory. Parametric studies were also carried out by examining the most relevant parameters highlighting their influence on specimen trajectories.
Study on the Fatigue Strength of Welding Line in Injection Molding Products under Different Tensile Conditions
Authors: Minh Pham Son , Nguyen Van-Thuc , Nguyen Vinh Tien , Uyen Tran Minh The , Do Thanh Trung , Nguyen Van Thanh Tien
Published: November 2022

The fatigue performance of polypropylene (PP) at various amplitudes and frequencies on fatigue cycles under tensile test conditions is investigated in this study. The results show that increasing the frequency leads to a decrease in fatigue cycles due to increased cycle time. The decline rate can be divided into two stages, between 1 and 5 Hz. The first stage rapidly decreases fatigue performance as the frequency increases from 1 Hz to 2 Hz or 3 Hz. The second stage has a lower reduction rate, which occurs between 2 Hz or 3 Hz and 5 Hz due to the strengthening effect of increasing frequency. Furthermore, increasing the amplitude from 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm reduces the fatigue cycle due to the higher deformation rate. In summary, expanding both amplitude and frequency reduces the fatigue performance of the PP material. Moreover, according to the scanning electron microscope microstructure, increasing the frequency results in more microcracks in the polymer matrix.
Gut Microbiome and Its Cofactors Are Linked to Lipoprotein Distribution Profiles
Authors: Castro-Mejía Josué L. , Khakimov Bekzod , Aru Violetta , Lind Mads V. , Garne Eva , Paulová Petronela , Tavakkoli Elnaz , Hansen Lars H. , Smilde Age K. , Holm Lars , Engelsen Søren B. , Nielsen Dennis S.
Published: November 2022

Increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiome (GM) plays an important role in dyslipidemia. To date, however, no in-depth characterization of the associations between GM with lipoproteins distributions (LPD) among adult individuals with diverse BMI has been conducted. To determine such associations, we studied blood-plasma LPD, fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and GM of 262 Danes aged 19–89 years. Stratification of LPD segregated subjects into three clusters displaying recommended levels of lipoproteins and explained by age and body-mass-index. Higher levels of HDL2a and HDL2b were associated with a higher abundance of Ruminococcaceae and Christensenellaceae. Increasing levels of total cholesterol and LDL-1 and LDL-2 were positively associated with Lachnospiraceae and Coriobacteriaceae, and negatively with Bacteroidaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae. Metagenome-sequencing showed a higher abundance of biosynthesis of multiple B-vitamins and SCFA metabolism genes among healthier LPD profiles. Metagenomic-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated to Eggerthellaceae and Clostridiales were contributors of these genes and their relative abundance correlated positively with larger HDL subfractions. The study demonstrates that differences in composition and metabolic traits of the GM are associated with variations in LPD among the recruited subjects. These findings provide evidence for GM considerations in future research aiming to shed light on mechanisms of the GM–dyslipidemia axis.
Mannheimia haemolytica Negatively Affects Bovine Herpesvirus Type 1.1 Replication Capacity In Vitro
Authors: Cowick Caitlyn A. , Russ Brynnan P. , Bales Anna R. , Nanduri Bindu , Meyer Florencia
Published: November 2022

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a multifactorial condition affecting cattle worldwide resulting in high rates of morbidity and mortality. The disease can be triggered by Bovine Herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) infection, stress, and the subsequent proliferation and lung colonization by commensal bacteria such as Mannheimia haemolytica, ultimately inducing severe pneumonic inflammation. Due to its polymicrobial nature, the study of BRD microbes requires co-infection models. While several past studies have mostly focused on the effects of co-infection on host gene expression, we focused on the relationship between BRD pathogens during co-infection, specifically on M. haemolytica’s effect on BoHV-1 replication. This study shows that M. haemolytica negatively impacts BoHV-1 replication in a dose-dependent manner in different in vitro models. The negative effect was observed at very low bacterial doses while increasing the viral dose counteracted this effect. Viral suppression was also dependent on the time at which each microbe was introduced to the cell culture. While acidification of the culture medium did not grossly affect cell viability, it significantly inhibited viral replication. We conclude that M. haemolytica and BoHV-1 interaction is dose and time-sensitive, wherein M. haemolytica proliferation induces significant viral suppression when the viral replication program is not fully established.
Insight into the Chemical Behaviour of Chromium in CaF2-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO Flux Applied in Aluminium-Assisted Alloying of Carbon Steel in Submerged Arc Welding
Authors: Coetsee Theresa , De Bruin Frederik
Published: November 2022

Chromium alloying of weld metal is usually accomplished via weld wire. This is done because chromium has a high affinity for oxygen and is therefore not easily transferred across the arc. The formation chromium (VI) is one of the main concerns in welding with chromium containing consumables, especially in open arc processes, and less so in SAW (submerged arc welding). This study investigates the chemical behaviour of chromium in the application of unconstrained metal powders of Al, Cr, Cu and Ti in SAW. The application of aluminium in SAW is used to control the oxygen partial pressure in the process to prevent oxidation of elements of high oxygen affinity, such as chromium. The speciation of chromium was investigated in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) post-weld slag samples. In the 2D slag samples, the chromium is contained in low concentrations in the oxy-fluoride matrix phase. The 3D samples showed dome structures in which evidence of vapour formation was identified. Chromium presents as distinct chromium spots throughout the oxy-fluoride dome walls, and it is not observed as solute in the oxy-fluoride phase. Chromium presents as chromium-rich Cr-Mn-Mg-O porous particles of less than 20 µm in size, which may agglomerate into larger masses. The calculated thermochemical predominance diagrams show that the Al(l)-Al2O3(s)-AlF(g) equilibrium can maintain the partial oxygen pressure (PO2) at 10−16.5 atmosphere and the partial fluorine pressure (PF2) at 10−11.4 atmosphere at 2500 °C. Under these gas phase conditions in the arc cavity, chromium is present as metallic chromium and may subsequently vaporise as chromium metal and combine with other vaporised elements.
WWOX Modulates ROS-Dependent Senescence in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Liu Ching-Wen , Chen Po-Hen , Yu Tsan-Jung , Lin Kai-Jen , Chang Li-Ching
Published: November 2022

The tumor-suppressor gene, WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), has been found to be lost in various types of cancers. ROS result as a tightly regulated signaling process for the induction of cell senescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of WWOX in the regulation of ROS and cell senescence, which is intriguing in terms of the possible mechanism of WWOX contributing to bladder cancer. In this study, we used the AY-27 rat bladder tumor cell line and F344 orthotopic bladder tumor models to reveal the pro-senescence effects of WWOX and the corresponding underlying mechanism in bladder cancer. WWOX-overexpressing lentivirus (LV-WWOX) remarkably stimulated cellular senescence, including increased senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) formation, enlarged cellular morphology, and induced SA-β-Gal-positive staining. A further mechanism study revealed that the pro-senescence effect of LV-WWOX was dependent on increased intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which subsequently triggered p21/p27. Moreover, LV-WWOX significantly inhibited the tumor size by 30.49% in the F344/AY-27 rat orthotopic model (p < 0.05) by activating cellular senescence. The expression of p21 was significantly enhanced in the orthotopic bladder tumors under WWOX treatment. The orthotopic bladder tumors in the groups of rats verified the effect in vivo. Our study suggests that WWOX, an ROS-dependent senescence-induced gene, could be further studied for its therapeutic implications in bladder cancer.
Interactions between Mannosylerythritol Lipid-A and Heat-Induced Soy Glycinin Aggregates: Physical and Chemical Characteristics, Functional Properties, and Structural Effects
Authors: Liu Siyu , Wei Tianyu , Lu Hongyun , Liu Xiayu , Shi Ying , Chen Qihe
Published: November 2022

Protein-surfactant interactions have a significant influence on food functionality, which has attracted increasing attention. Herein, the effect of glycolipid mannosylerythritol lipid-A (MEL-A) on the heat-induced soy glycinin (11S) aggregates was investigated by measuring the structure, binding properties, interfacial behaviors, and emulsification characteristics of the aggregates. The results showed that MEL-A led to a decrease in the surface tension, viscoelasticity, and foaming ability of the 11S aggregates. In addition, MEL-A with a concentration above critical micelle concentration (CMC) reduced the random aggregation of 11S protein after heat treatment, thus facilitating the formation of self-assembling core-shell particles composed of a core of 11S aggregates covered by MEL-A shells. Infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry also confirmed that the interaction forces between MEL-A and 11S were driven by hydrophobic interactions between the exposed hydrophobic groups of the protein and the fatty acid chains or acetyl groups of MEL-A, as well as the hydrogen bonding between mannosyl-D-erythritol groups of MEL-A and amino acids of 11S. The findings of this study indicated that such molecular interactions are responsible for the change in surface behavior and the enhancement of foaming stability and emulsifying property of 11S aggregates upon heat treatment.
Plasma Metabolites and Liver Composition of Broilers in Response to Dietary Ulva lactuca with Ulvan Lyase or a Commercial Enzyme Mixture
Authors: Alfaia Cristina M. , Costa Mónica M. , Pinto Rui M. A. , Pestana José M. , Mourato Miguel , Carvalho Patrícia , Martins Cátia F. , Lopes Paula A. , Lordelo Madalena M. , Prates José A. M.
Published: November 2022

The effect of a high incorporation level of Ulva lactuca, individually and supplemented with a Carbohydrate-Active enZyme (CAZyme) on broilers’ plasma parameters and liver composition is assessed here. Twenty one-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were randomly assigned to one of four treatments (n = 10): corn/soybean meal based-diet (Control); based-diet with 15% U. lactuca (UL); UL diet with 0.005% of commercial carbohydrase mixture; and UL diet with 0.01% of recombinant ulvan lyase. Supplementing U. lactuca with the recombinant CAZyme slightly compromised broilers’ growth by negatively affecting final body weight and average daily gain. The combination of U. lactuca with ulvan lyase also increased systemic lipemia through an increase in total lipids, triacylglycerols and VLDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001). Moreover, U. lactuca, regardless of the CAZyme supplementation, enhanced hepatic n-3 PUFA (mostly 20:5n-3) with positive decrease in n-6/n-3 ratio. However, broilers fed with U. lactuca with ulvan lyase reduced hepatic α- and γ-tocopherol concentrations relative to the control. Conversely, the high amount of pigments in macroalga diets led to an increase in hepatic β-carotene, chlorophylls and total carotenoids. Furthermore, U. lactuca, alone or combined with CAZymes, enhanced hepatic total microminerals, including iron and manganese. Overall, plasma metabolites and liver composition changed favorably in broilers that were fed 15% of U. lactuca, regardless of enzyme supplementation.
Synthesis of Novel Bromophenol with Diaryl Methanes—Determination of Their Inhibition Effects on Carbonic Anhydrase and Acetylcholinesterase
Authors: Oztaskin Necla , Goksu Suleyman , Demir Yeliz , Maras Ahmet , Gulcin İlhami
Published: November 2022

In this work, nine new bromophenol derivatives were designed and synthesized. The alkylation reactions of (2-bromo-4,5-dimethoxyphenyl)methanol (7) with substituted benzenes 8–12 produced new diaryl methanes 13–17. Targeted bromophenol derivatives 18–21 were synthesized via the O-Me demethylation of diaryl methanes with BBr3. Moreover, the synthesized bromophenol compounds were tested with some metabolic enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carbonic anhydrase I (CA I), and II (CA II) isoenzymes. The novel synthesized bromophenol compounds showed Ki values that ranged from 2.53 ± 0.25 to 25.67 ± 4.58 nM against hCA I, from 1.63 ± 0.11 to 15.05 ± 1.07 nM against hCA II, and from 6.54 ± 1.03 to 24.86 ± 5.30 nM against AChE. The studied compounds in this work exhibited effective hCA isoenzyme and AChE enzyme inhibition effects. The results show that they can be used for the treatment of glaucoma, epilepsy, Parkinson’s as well as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) after some imperative pharmacological studies that would reveal their drug potential.
Sensitive and Facile HCOOH Fluorescence Sensor Based on Highly Active Ir Complexes’ Catalytic Transfer Hydrogen Reaction
Authors: Zhang Caimei , Zhang Wenjuan , Wu Yiran , Peng Bo , Tian Chunyuan , Luan Feng , Sun Wen , Zhuang Xuming , Zhao Lijun
Published: November 2022

With several major polarity and weak optical properties, the sensitive detection of HCOOH remains a major challenge. Given the special role of HCOOH in assisting in the catalytic hydrogenation process of Ir complexes, HCOOH (as a hydrogen source) could rapidly activate Ir complexes as catalysts and further reduce the substrates. This work developed a facile and sensitive HCOOH fluorescence sensor utilizing an optimal catalytic fluorescence generation system, which consists of the phenyl-pyrazole-type Ir-complex PP-Ir-Cl and the coumarin-type fluorescence probe P-coumarin. The sensor demonstrates excellent sensitivity and specificity for HCOOH and formates; the limits of detection for HCOOH, HCOONa, and HCOOEt3N were tested to be 50.6 ppb, 68.0 ppb, and 146.0 ppb, respectively. Compared to previous methods, the proposed sensor exhibits good detection accuracy and excellent sensitivity. Therefore, the proposed HCOOH sensor could be used as a new detection method for HCOOH and could provide a new design path for other sensors.
Composite Hydrogel Microspheres Encapsulating Hollow Mesoporous Imprinted Nanoparticles for Selective Capture and Separation of 2′-Deoxyadenosine
Authors: Liu Lu , Zhou Mengdie , Pan Jianming
Published: November 2022

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been widely applied as a carrier material in the molecular imprinting process because of their excellent properties, with high specific surface area and well-defined active centers. However, these kinds of materials face the inevitable problem that they have low mass transfer efficiency and cannot be conveniently recycled. In order to solve this problem, this work has developed a composite hydrogel microsphere (MMHSG) encapsulated with hollow mesoporous imprinted nanoparticles for the selective extraction of 2’-deoxyadenosine (dA). Subsequently, the hollow mesoporous imprinted polymers using dA as template molecule and synthesized 5-(2-carbomethoxyvinyl)-2′-deoxyuridine (AcrU) as functional monomer were encapsulated in hydrogel. MMHSG displayed good performance in specifically recognizing and quickly separating dA, whereas no imprinting effect was observed among 2′-deoxyguanosine (dG), deoxycytidine (dC), or 5′-monophosphate disodium salt (AMP). Moreover, the adsorption of dA by MMHSG followed chemisorption and could reach adsorption equilibrium within 60 min; the saturation adsorption capacity was 20.22 μmol·g−1. The introduction of AcrU could improve selectivity through base complementary pairing to greatly increase the imprinting factor to 3.79. Therefore, this was a successful attempt to combine a hydrogel with hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles and molecularly imprinted material.
Correlation Analysis of the Carboxyl and Carbonyl Groups of Natural Organic Matter and the Formation Potential of Trihalomethanes and Chloral Hydrate
Authors: Zhu Xinwei , Li Minghua , Yan Pengwei , Shen Jimin , Kang Jing , Chen Zhonglin
Published: November 2022

Natural organic matter (NOM) has always been considered the main precursor of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during the chlorine disinfection of drinking water. This research focuses on investigating the correlation between the functional group (carboxyl and carbonyl groups) content of NOM and the formation of trichloromethane (TCM) and chloral hydrate (CH). The quantitative determination of carboxyl groups, carbonyl groups, TCM, and CH were conducted during the drinking water treatment processes with different coagulant dosages and with/without pre-oxidation by KMnO4 or NaClO. The most appropriate coagulant for the removal of conventional components was polyaluminum chloride (PAC), and the dosage was 110 mg/L. Up to 43.7% and 14.5% of the carboxyl and carbonyl groups, respectively, were removed through the coagulation and sedimentation processes, which can be enhanced by increasing PAC dosage. The filtration process further increased the removal rates of these two functional groups to 59.8% and 33.5%, respectively. The formation potential of the TCM and CH decreased as the PAC dosage increased. Pre-oxidation by KMnO4 (0.8–1.0 mg/L) effectively controlled the formation of DBPs while increasing the carboxyl and carbonyl group content. Pre-oxidation by NaClO decreased the formation of TCM rather than CH, and a suitable amount (0.5–1.0 mg/L) decreased the carboxyl and carbonyl groups. It was found that there was a good linear correlation between carboxyl groups and TCM and CH. The linear fit R2 values of the carboxyl groups to TCM and CH were 0.6644 and 0.7957, respectively. The linear fit R2 values of the carbonyl groups to TCM and CH were 0.5373 and 0.7595, respectively.
Fabrication of Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide Nanosheet@ Tea Waste Granules Adsorbent for Groundwater Purification
Authors: Al Hawash Misfer , Kumar Rajeev , Barakat Mohamed A.
Published: November 2022

The reuse and separation of nanomaterials from an aquatic solution is always challenging and may cause nanotoxicity if not separated completely. Nanomaterial immobilization on the surface of a macro-size material could be an effective approach to developing an efficient composite for groundwater purification. Herein, polyaniline and graphene oxide nanosheet immobilized granular tea waste (PANI/GO@GTW) has been synthesized to remove the anionic and cationic contaminants from groundwater. The synthesized materials were characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS, and FTIR spectroscopies. The optimization of experimental conditions was tested for bromide (Br−) removal from synthetic water. The results revealed that Br− adsorption behavior onto the synthesized materials was as follows: PANI/GO < PANI/GTW < PANI < PANI/GO@GTW. The optimum removal of Br− ions was observed at pH 3 with 90 min of saturation time. Br− adsorption onto PANI/GO@GTW followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model, and electrostatic interaction was involved in the adsorption process. The optimum adsorption of Br− onto PANI/GO@GTW was found to be 26.80 m/g. The application of PANI/GO@GTW on real groundwater treatment demonstrated the effective removal of anion pollutants such as F−, Cl−, Br−, NO3−, and PO43−. This study revealed that PANI/GO@GTW successfully reduced Br− concentrations in synthetic and real groundwater and can be used for large-scale applications.
Recent Progress in Contact Engineering of Field-Effect Transistor Based on Two-Dimensional Materials
Authors: Miao Jialei , Zhang Xiaowei , Tian Ye , Zhao Yuda
Published: November 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have been considered as promising candidates to fabricate ultimately scaled field-effect transistors (FETs), due to the atomically thin thickness and high carrier mobility. However, the performance of FETs based on 2D semiconductors has been limited by extrinsic factors, including high contact resistance, strong interfacial scattering, and unintentional doping. Among these challenges, contact resistance is a dominant issue, and important progress has been made in recent years. In this review, the Schottky–Mott model is introduced to show the ideal Schottky barrier, and we further discuss the contribution of the Fermi-level pinning effect to the high contact resistance in 2D semiconductor devices. In 2D FETs, Fermi-level pinning is attributed to the high-energy metal deposition process, which would damage the lattice of atomically thin 2D semiconductors and induce the pinning of the metal Fermi level. Then, two contact structures and the strategies to fabricate low-contact-resistance short-channel 2D FETs are introduced. Finally, our review provides practical guidelines for the realization of high-performance 2D-semiconductors-based FETs with low contact resistance and discusses the outlook of this field.
Recent Advances in the Development of Lipid-, Metal-, Carbon-, and Polymer-Based Nanomaterials for Antibacterial Applications
Authors: Ren Ruohua , Lim Chiaxin , Li Shiqi , Wang Yajun , Song Jiangning , Lin Tsung-Wu , Muir Benjamin W. , Hsu Hsien-Yi , Shen Hsin-Hui
Published: November 2022

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are becoming a serious threat to public health worldwide. With an ever-reducing pipeline of last-resort drugs further complicating the current dire situation arising due to antibiotic resistance, there has never been a greater urgency to attempt to discover potential new antibiotics. The use of nanotechnology, encompassing a broad range of organic and inorganic nanomaterials, offers promising solutions. Organic nanomaterials, including lipid-, polymer-, and carbon-based nanomaterials, have inherent antibacterial activity or can act as nanocarriers in delivering antibacterial agents. Nanocarriers, owing to the protection and enhanced bioavailability of the encapsulated drugs, have the ability to enable an increased concentration of a drug to be delivered to an infected site and reduce the associated toxicity elsewhere. On the other hand, inorganic metal-based nanomaterials exhibit multivalent antibacterial mechanisms that combat MDR bacteria effectively and reduce the occurrence of bacterial resistance. These nanomaterials have great potential for the prevention and treatment of MDR bacterial infection. Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology are enabling researchers to utilize nanomaterial building blocks in intriguing ways to create multi-functional nanocomposite materials. These nanocomposite materials, formed by lipid-, polymer-, carbon-, and metal-based nanomaterial building blocks, have opened a new avenue for researchers due to the unprecedented physiochemical properties and enhanced antibacterial activities being observed when compared to their mono-constituent parts. This review covers the latest advances of nanotechnologies used in the design and development of nano- and nanocomposite materials to fight MDR bacteria with different purposes. Our aim is to discuss and summarize these recently established nanomaterials and the respective nanocomposites, their current application, and challenges for use in applications treating MDR bacteria. In addition, we discuss the prospects for antimicrobial nanomaterials and look forward to further develop these materials, emphasizing their potential for clinical translation.
Laminin Adsorption and Adhesion of Neurons and Glial Cells on Carbon Implanted Titania Nanotube Scaffolds for Neural Implant Applications
Authors: Frenzel Jan , Kupferer Astrid , Zink Mareike , Mayr Stefan G.
Published: November 2022

Interfacing neurons persistently to conductive matter constitutes one of the key challenges when designing brain-machine interfaces such as neuroelectrodes or retinal implants. Novel materials approaches that prevent occurrence of loss of long-term adhesion, rejection reactions, and glial scarring are highly desirable. Ion doped titania nanotube scaffolds are a promising material to fulfill all these requirements while revealing sufficient electrical conductivity, and are scrutinized in the present study regarding their neuron–material interface. Adsorption of laminin, an essential extracellular matrix protein of the brain, is comprehensively analyzed. The implantation-dependent decline in laminin adsorption is revealed by employing surface characteristics such as nanotube diameter, ζ-potential, and surface free energy. Moreover, the viability of U87-MG glial cells and SH-SY5Y neurons after one and four days are investigated, as well as the material’s cytotoxicity. The higher conductivity related to carbon implantation does not affect the viability of neurons, although it impedes glial cell proliferation. This gives rise to novel titania nanotube based implant materials with long-term stability, and could reduce undesirable glial scarring.
Effect of Bioactive and Antimicrobial Nanoparticles on Properties and Applicability of Dental Adhesives
Authors: Kreutz Marietta , Kreutz Christian , Kanzow Philipp , Tauböck Tobias T. , Burrer Phoebe , Noll Christine , Bader Oliver , Rohland Bianca , Wiegand Annette , Rizk Marta
Published: November 2022

The aim of the study was to examine the applicability of bioactive and antibacterial nanoparticles to an experimental adhesive. The adhesive (60 wt% BisGMA, 15 wt% TEGDMA, 25 wt% HEMA) was mixed with combinations of 5 wt% methacryl-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (MA-POSS) and one kind of bioactive/antibacterial nanoparticles: 1 wt% core-shell silica-silver nanoparticle (SiO2@Ag), 1 wt% bioactive glass with bismuth (BAG-Bi) or 1 wt% calcium phosphate (CAP). Pure adhesive served as control. The physicochemical (degree of conversion (DC), linear shrinkage (LS), shear and complex viscosity, water sorption (WS), sol fraction (SF)), biological (antimicrobial effect) and bioactive (mineral precipitation) properties were investigated. DC and LS remained unchanged. The combination of BAG-Bi/MA-POSS resulted in a significantly increased WS and SF compared to control. In addition, the combination of CAP/MA-POSS slightly increased the shear viscosity of the adhesive. The addition of the nanoparticles did not influence the antimicrobial effects compared to the pure adhesive. Improved mineral inducing capacity could be detected in all nanoparticle combinations. The combination of bioactive and/or antibacterial nanoparticles showed improved mineral inducing capacity, but no antibacterial properties. The material properties were not or only slightly affected.
Continuously Interconnected N-Doped Porous Carbon for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Capacitors
Authors: Wang Qing , Jiang Xin , Tong Qijun , Li Haijian , Li Jie , Yang Weiqing
Published: November 2022

Lithium-ion hybrid capacitors (LICs) possess the fascinating characteristics of both high power density and high energy density simultaneously. However, to design highly compatible cathode materials with a high capacity and anode materials with a high rate performance is still a major challenge because of the mismatch of dynamic mechanisms, greatly limiting the development of LICs. Herein, we report an N−doped porous carbon (N−PC) with a continuously interconnected network as the cathode, matching the dynamic mechanism of the uniquely pseudocapacitive T−Nb2O5 anode without diffusion-controlled behavior. This heteroatom-grafting strategy of the cathode can effectively control the dynamic process to adjust the ion transport efficiency, shortening the gap of kinetics and capacity with the anode. For the energy storage application, the as-prepared N−PC cathode demonstrates an appreciable capacity of 62.06 mAh g−1 under a high voltage window of 3 V to 4.2 V, which can exceed the capacity of 25.57 mAh g−1 for porous carbon without heteroatom doping at the current density of 0.1 A g−1. Furthermore, the as-developed lithium-ion capacitor possesses an outstanding electrochemical performance (80.57 Wh kg−1 at 135 W kg−1 and 36.77 Wh kg−1 at 2.7 kW kg−1). This work can provide a new avenue to design cathode materials with a highly appreciable capacity and highly compatible kinetic mechanism, further developing high-performance lithium-ion capacitors.
High-Calorie Food-Cues Impair Conflict Control: EEG Evidence from a Food-Related Stroop Task
Authors: Liu Yong , Zhao Jia , Zhou Yizhou , Yang Ruiyu , Han Beichen , Zhao Yufei , Pang Yazhi , Yuan Hong , Chen Hong
Published: November 2022

Long-term excessive intake of high-calorie foods might lead to cognitive impairments and overweight or obesity. The current study aimed to examine the effects of high-calorie foods on the behavioral and neurological correlates of food-related conflict control ability. A food-related Stroop task, which asked the participants to respond to the food images and ignore the calorie information, were employed. A total of 61 individuals were recruited and who completed the food-related Stroop task with event-related potentials (ERPs). Participants exhibited a slower reaction time and lower accuracy in high-calorie food stimuli than that in low-calorie food stimuli. The ERP results exhibited a reduction in N2 amplitudes when responding to high-calorie food stimuli compared to when responding to low-calorie food stimuli. In addition, time-frequency analysis revealed that theta power induced by low-calorie food stimuli was significantly greater than that of high-calorie food stimuli. The findings indicated that high-calorie foods impair food-related conflict control. The present study expands on the previous studies of the neural correlates of food cues and provides new insights into the processing and resolving of conflicting information for eating behavior and weight control.
The Ferroptosis Inhibitor Liproxstatin-1 Ameliorates LPS-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Mice
Authors: Li Yang , Sun Miao , Cao Fuyang , Chen Yu , Zhang Linlin , Li Hao , Cao Jiangbei , Song Jie , Ma Yulong , Mi Weidong , Zhang Xiaoying
Published: November 2022

CNS inflammation is known to be an important pathogenetic mechanism of perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND), and iron overload was reported to participate in this process accompanied by oxidative stress. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of cell death, and occurs in multiple neurodegenerative diseases with cognitive disorder. However, the effect of ferroptosis in inflammation-related PND is unknown. In this study, we found that the ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1 ameliorated memory deficits in the mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive impairment. Moreover, liproxstatin-1 decreased the activation of microglia and the release of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF)-α, attenuated oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, and further weakened mitochondrial injury and neuronal damage after LPS exposure. Additionally, the protective effect of liproxstatin-1 was related to the alleviation of iron deposition and the regulation of the ferroptosis-related protein family TF, xCT, Fth, Gpx4, and FtMt. These findings enhance our understanding of inflammation-involved cognitive dysfunction and shed light on future preclinical studies.
Proinflammatory Polyphosphate Increases in Plasma of Obese Children with Insulin Resistance and Adults with Severe Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Montilla Marcela , Liberato Andrea , Ruiz-Ocaña Pablo , Sáez-Benito Ana , Aguilar-Diosdado Manuel , Lechuga-Sancho Alfonso Maria , Ruiz Felix A.
Published: November 2022

Obesity increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes through increased inflammation at cellular and tissue levels. Therefore, study of the molecular elements involved in obesity-related inflammation may contribute to preventing and controlling it. Inorganic polyphosphate is a natural phosphate polymer that has recently been attracting more attention for its role in inflammation and hemostasis processes. Polyphosphates are one of the main constituents of human platelets, which are secreted after platelet activation. Among other roles, they interact with multiple proteins of the coagulation cascade, trigger bradykinin release, and inhibit the complement system. Despite its importance, determinations of polyphosphate levels in blood plasma had been elusive until recently, when we developed a method to detect these levels precisely. Here, we perform cross sectional studies to evaluate plasma polyphosphate in: 25 children, most of them with obesity and overweight, and 20 adults, half of them with severe type 2 diabetes. Our results show that polyphosphate increases, in a significant manner, in children with insulin resistance and in type 2 diabetes patients. As we demonstrated before that polyphosphate decreases in healthy overweight individuals, these results suggest that this polymer could be an inflammation biomarker in the metabolic disease onset before diabetes.
Physiological Benefits and Performance of Sea Water Ingestion for Athletes in Endurance Events: A Systematic Review
Authors: Aragón-Vela Jerónimo , González-Acevedo Olivia , Plaza-Diaz Julio , Casuso Rafael A. , Huertas Jesús R.
Published: November 2022

In different endurance events, athletes have limited access to fluid intake, such as ultra-endurance running. For this reason, it is necessary to establish an adequate hydration strategy for this type of long-duration sporting event. Indeed, it seems that the intake of seawater is a suitable hydration alternative to improve post-exercise recovery in this type of endurance event. This seawater is characterized by being a deep natural mineral water of moderate mineralization, which is usually extracted from a depth of about 700 m. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy of seawater consumption in both performance and post-exercise recovery in long-duration sport events. A systematic and comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in September 2022. Initially, 8 out of 558 articles met the inclusion criteria. Among these eight studies, six were randomized clinical trials, and two were observational studies (one cross-sectional and one prospective study in well-conditioned student athletes). The results showed that deep sea water consumption accelerated the recovery of aerobic capacity and leg muscle capacity on running performance. In addition, the lactate production after the running exercise in seawater was significantly lower than in pure water. In conclusion, the present review demonstrates that seawater consumption could significantly improve the capacity of recovery after exercise.
Advances of Cobalt Nanomaterials as Anti-Infection Agents, Drug Carriers, and Immunomodulators for Potential Infectious Disease Treatment
Authors: Ma Yuhe , Lin Wensen , Ruan Yongdui , Lu Hongmei , Fan Shuhao , Chen Dongsheng , Huang Yuhe , Zhang Tangxin , Pi Jiang , Xu Jun-Fa
Published: November 2022

Infectious diseases remain the most serious public health issue, which requires the development of more effective strategies for infectious control. As a kind of ultra-trace element, cobalt is essential to the metabolism of different organisms. In recent decades, nanotechnology has attracted increasing attention worldwide due to its wide application in different areas, including medicine. Based on the important biological roles of cobalt, cobalt nanomaterials have recently been widely developed for their attractive biomedical applications. With advantages such as low costs in preparation, hypotoxicity, photothermal conversion abilities, and high drug loading ability, cobalt nanomaterials have been proven to show promising potential in anticancer and anti-infection treatment. In this review, we summarize the characters of cobalt nanomaterials, followed by the advances in their biological functions and mechanisms. More importantly, we emphatically discuss the potential of cobalt nanomaterials as anti-infectious agents, drug carriers, and immunomodulators for anti-infection treatments, which might be helpful to facilitate progress in future research of anti-infection therapy.
Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids: New Road in Colorectal Cancer Therapy
Authors: Gomes Sara , Baltazar Fátima , Silva Elisabete , Preto Ana
Published: November 2022

The colon microbiota is an important player in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, which is responsible for most of the cancer-related deaths worldwide. During carcinogenesis, the colon microbiota composition changes from a normobiosis profile to dysbiosis, interfering with the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Each SCFA is known to play a role in several biological processes but, despite their reported individual effects, colon cells are exposed to these compounds simultaneously and the combined effect of SCFAs in colon cells is still unknown. Our aim was to explore the effects of SCFAs, alone or in combination, unveiling their biological impact on CRC cell phenotypes. We used a mathematical model for the prediction of the expected SCFA mixture effects and found that, when in mixture, SCFAs exhibit a concentration addition behavior. All SCFAs, alone or combined at the physiological proportions founded in the human colon, revealed to have a selective and anticancer effect by inhibiting colony formation and cell proliferation, increasing apoptosis, disturbing the energetic metabolism, inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization, and decreasing cytosolic pH. We showed for the first time that SCFAs are specific towards colon cancer cells, showing promising therapeutic effects. These findings open a new road for the development of alternatives for CRC therapy based on the increase in SCFA levels through the modulation of the colon microbiota composition.
Analysis of Wear Phenomena Produced by Erosion with Abrasive Particles against Fluoropolymeric Coatings
Authors: Guerrero-Vaca Guillermo , Rodríguez-Alabanda Oscar
Published: November 2022

To date, PTFE, PFA, and FEP-based fluoropolymer coatings have proven unbeatable in many services due to their excellent chemical inertness, very low wettability, thermal resistance, high non-stick properties, and good applicability. In use, these coatings usually suffer service cycles with consequent deterioration, and it is of great interest to determine the intensity and type of wear caused in addition to the deterioration that occurs in their properties. In this work, the response of three polymeric coatings of interest applied to aluminum substrates, after being subjected to the action of abrasive particles of aluminum corundum, glass, and plastic projected under pressure, has been studied. During the application of a given wear cycle, the hardness, surface roughness, surface texture, and thickness of the coating have been measured, in addition to the slip angle and surface transmittance to analyze the evolution of each type of coating. The results allowed a concise evaluation of the performance of three fluoropolymeric coatings of great interest, differentiating the induced erosive wear phenomena and contributing complete information to facilitate the correct selection for users with practical application purposes and as a basis for future research work focused on advancements in this field.
High Molecular Weight AB-Polybenzimidazole and Its Solutions in a Complex Organic Solvent: Dissolution Kinetics and Rheology
Authors: Skvortsov Ivan , Varfolomeeva Lydia , Ponomarev Igor , Skupov Kirill , Maklakova Aleksandra , Kulichikhin Valery
Published: November 2022

AB-polybenzimidazole (ABPBI) dissolution kinetics in an eco-friendly complex acid-free solvent based on dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methanol and KOH, and the rheological behavior of their solutions are investigated. The optimal component ratio of solvent providing the complete ABPBI dissolution is determined. Methanol containing dissolved KOH contributes to the creation of a single-phase superbasic medium, which accelerates and improves the polymer solubility in a mixture with DMSO, significantly reducing the viscoelasticity of the resulting solution. The optimum methanol content is up to 60 wt.% related to DMSO. The polymer dissolution rate increases by 5 times in this composition. It found the polymer concentration of 9% is close to the dissolution limit due to the strong solution structuring, which is probably associated with an increase in the amount of water released during the KOH-methanol-DMSO interactions. As a result, the conditions for obtaining high concentrated solutions in a complex, mainly organic solvent for fiber spinning are developed. The viscoelastic properties of solutions are measured in the concentration range of 1–9% at temperatures of 20–50 °C. The flow activation energy for 7 and 9% solutions decreases by 1.5 and 2.3 times, respectively, as the content of methanol in the complex solvent increases from 10 to 60%.
Lactide and Ethylene Brassylate-Based Thermoplastic Elastomers and Their Nanocomposites with Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Mechanical Properties and Interaction with Astrocytes
Authors: Bello-Álvarez Carlos , Etxeberria Agustin , Polo Yurena , Sarasua Jose-Ramon , Zuza Ester , Larrañaga Aitor
Published: November 2022

Polylactide (PLA) is among the most commonly used polymers for biomedical applications thanks to its biodegradability and cytocompatibility. However, its inherent stiffness and brittleness are clearly inappropriate for the regeneration of soft tissues (e.g., neural tissue), which demands biomaterials with soft and elastomeric behavior capable of resembling the mechanical properties of the native tissue. In this work, both L- and D,L-lactide were copolymerized with ethylene brassylate, a macrolactone that represents a promising alternative to previously studied comonomers (e.g., caprolactone) due to its natural origin. The resulting copolymers showed an elastomeric behavior characterized by relatively low Young’s modulus, high elongation at break and high strain recovery capacity. The thermoplastic nature of the resulting copolymers allows the incorporation of nanofillers (i.e., carbon nanotubes) that further enable the modulation of their mechanical properties. Additionally, nanostructured scaffolds were easily fabricated through a thermo-pressing process with the aid of a commercially available silicon stamp, providing geometrical cues for the adhesion and elongation of cells representative of the nervous system (i.e., astrocytes). Accordingly, the lactide and ethylene brassylate-based copolymers synthesized herein represent an interesting formulation for the development of polymeric scaffolds intended to be used in the regeneration of soft tissues, thanks to their adjustable mechanical properties, thermoplastic nature and observed cytocompatibility.
New Insights into the Mechanical Behavior of Thin-Film Composite Polymeric Membranes
Authors: Alabtah Fatima Ghassan , Alkhouzaam Abedalkader , Khraisheh Marwan
Published: November 2022

Limited predictions of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes’ behavior and functional life exist due to the lack of accurate data on their mechanical behavior under different operational conditions. A comprehensive investigation of the mechanical behavior of TFC membranes addressing deformation and failure, temperature and strain rate sensitivity, and anisotropy is presented. Tensile tests were conducted on commercial membranes as well as on individual membrane layers prepared in our laboratories. The results reveal the overall mechanical strength of the membrane is provided by the polyester layer (bottom layer), while the rupture stress for the middle and top layers is at least 10 times smaller than that of the polyester layer. High anisotropic behavior was observed and is attributed to the nonwoven structure of the polyester layer. Rupture stress in the transverse (90°) direction was one-third of the rupture stress in the casting direction. Limited temperature and strain rate dependence was observed in the temperature range that exists during operation. Scanning electron microscopy images of the fractured surfaces were also analyzed and correlated with the mechanical behavior. The presented results provide new insights into the mechanical behavior of thin-film composite membranes and can be used to inform novel membrane designs and fabrication techniques.