bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic Classification of Major Urban Land Covers Based on Novel Spectral Indices
Authors: Faridatul Mst Ilme , Wu Bo
Published: November 2018

Urban land cover classification and mapping is an important and ongoing research field in monitoring and managing urban sprawl and terrestrial ecosystems. The changes in land cover largely affect the terrestrial ecosystem, thus information on land cover is important for understanding the ecological environment. Quantification of land cover in urban areas is challenging due to their diversified activities and large spatial and temporal variations. To improve urban land cover classification and mapping, this study presents three new spectral indices and an automated approach to classifying four major urban land types: impervious, bare land, vegetation, and water. A modified normalized difference bare-land index (MNDBI) is proposed to enhance the separation of impervious and bare land. A tasseled cap water and vegetation index (TCWVI) is proposed to enhance the detection of vegetation and water areas. A shadow index (ShDI) is proposed to further improve water detection by separating water from shadows. An approach for optimizing the thresholds of the new indices is also developed. Finally, the optimized thresholds are used to classify land covers using a decision tree algorithm. Using Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data from two study sites (Hong Kong and Dhaka City, Bangladesh) with different urban characteristics, the proposed approach is systematically evaluated. Spectral separability analysis of the new indices is performed and compared with other common indices. The urban land cover classifications achieved by the proposed approach are compared with those of the classic support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. The proposed approach achieves an overall classification accuracy of 94–96%, which is superior to the accuracy of the SVM algorithm.
Liver-Derived Exosomes and Their Implications in Liver Pathobiology
Authors: Sung Sumi , Kim Jieun , Jung Youngmi
Published: November 2018

The liver has a wide range of physiological functions in the body, and its health is maintained by complex cross-talk among hepatic cells, including parenchymal hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells. Exosomes, which are one method of cellular communication, are endosomal-derived small vesicles that are released by donor cells and delivered to the target cells at both short and long distances. Because exosomes carry a variety of cargoes, including proteins, mRNAs, microRNAs and other noncoding RNAs originating from donor cells, exosomes convey cellular information that enables them to potentially serve as biomarkers and therapeutics in liver diseases. Hepatocytes release exosomes to neighboring hepatocytes or nonparenchymal cells to regulate liver regeneration and repair. Nonparenchymal cells, including hepatic stellate cells, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and cholangiocytes, also secrete exosomes to regulate liver remodeling upon liver injury. Exosomes that are released from liver cancer cells create a favorable microenvironment for cancer growth and progression. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current findings and understanding of exosome-mediated intercellular communication in the liver, with a particular focus on the function of exosomes in both health and disease. Based on the current findings, we suggest the potential applications of exosomes as biomarkers and therapeutics for liver diseases.
AMP-activated Protein Kinase Controls Immediate Early Genes Expression Following Synaptic Activation Through the PKA/CREB Pathway
Authors: Didier Sébastien , Sauvé Florent , Domise Manon , Buée Luc , Marinangeli Claudia , Vingtdeux Valérie
Published: November 2018

Long-term memory formation depends on the expression of immediate early genes (IEGs). Their expression, which is induced by synaptic activation, is mainly regulated by the 3′,5′-cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase/cAMP response element binding protein (cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)/ cAMP response element binding (CREB)) signaling pathway. Synaptic activation being highly energy demanding, neurons must maintain their energetic homeostasis in order to successfully induce long-term memory formation. In this context, we previously demonstrated that the expression of IEGs required the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to sustain the energetic requirements linked to synaptic transmission. Here, we sought to determine the molecular mechanisms by which AMPK regulates the expression of IEGs. To this end, we assessed the involvement of AMPK in the regulation of pathways involved in the expression of IEGs upon synaptic activation in differentiated primary neurons. Our data demonstrated that AMPK regulated IEGs transcription via the PKA/CREB pathway, which relied on the activity of the soluble adenylyl cyclase. Our data highlight the interplay between AMPK and PKA/CREB signaling pathways that allows synaptic activation to be transduced into the expression of IEGs, thus exemplifying how learning and memory mechanisms are under metabolic control.
miR-542-5p Attenuates Fibroblast Activation by Targeting Integrin α6 in Silica-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis
Authors: Yuan Jiali , Li Ping , Pan Honghong , Li Yan , Xu Qi , Xu Tiantian , Ji Xiaoming , Liu Yi , Yao Wenxi , Han Lei , Ni Chunhui
Published: November 2018

Silicosis is a very serious occupational disease and it features pathological manifestations of inflammatory infiltration, excessive proliferation of fibroblasts and massive depositions of the extracellular matrix in the lungs. Recent studies described the roles of a variety of microRNAs (miRNAs) in fibrotic diseases. Here, we aimed to explore the potential mechanism of miR-542-5p in the activation of lung fibroblasts. To induce a pulmonary fibrosis mouse model, silica suspension and the miR-542-5p agomir were administered to mice by intratracheal instillation and tail vein injection. We found that miR-542-5p was significantly decreased in mouse fibrotic lung tissues and up-regulation of miR-542-5p visually attenuated a series of fibrotic lesions, including alveolar structural damage, alveolar interstitial thickening and silica-induced nodule formation. The down-regulation of miR-542-5p was also observed in mouse fibroblast (NIH-3T3) treated with transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). The proliferation and migration ability of NIH-3T3 cells were also inhibited by the transfection of miR-542-5p mimic. Integrin α6 (Itga6), reported as a cell surface protein associated with fibroblast proliferation, was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-542-5p. The knockdown of Itga6 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of FAK/PI3K/AKT. In conclusion, miR-542-5p has a potential function for reducing the proliferation of fibroblasts and inhibiting silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis, which might be partially realized by directly binding to Itga6. Our data suggested that miR-542-5p might be a new therapeutic target for silicosis or other pulmonary fibrosis.
Temporal Frame of Immune Cell Infiltration during Heart Failure Establishment: Lessons from Animal Models
Authors: Brenes-Castro David , Castillo Elena C. , Vázquez-Garza Eduardo , Torre-Amione Guillermo , García-Rivas Gerardo
Published: November 2018

Heart failure (HF) is a cardiovascular syndrome characterized by maladaptive changes with an underlying inflammatory mediated pathogenesis. Nevertheless, current therapy is aimed at the heart workload and neurohormonal axis; thus, prognosis remains poor. To continue improving treatment, we rely on murine models for a better understanding of HF pathophysiology. Among them, pressure overload HF (PO-HF) animal models are a common strategy. Development of PO-HF is characterized by monocyte infiltration, which orchestrates a cascade of events leading to sustained inflammation and maladaptive changes. Here, we divide the PO-HF model progression into four phases and describe the inflammatory, structural, and gene expression profiles. This division is relevant due to its similarities with clinical hypertensive heart disease progression to HF. Evidence shows improvement in hemodynamic and other local parameters by altering the inflammatory response in a specific immune response at a specific point of time. Thus, it is relevant to focus on the time-dependent immune response interaction in order to provide more effective therapy. This review summarizes the pathogenesis of PO-HF murine models, highlighting the inflammatory events in a time frame view. By this approach, we expect to provide researchers with a better understanding of the intertwining time-dependent events that occur in PO-HF.
PI3K Signaling in Neurons: A Central Node for the Control of Multiple Functions
Authors: Sánchez-Alegría Karina , Flores-León Manuel , Avila-Muñoz Evangelina , Rodríguez-Corona Nelly , Arias Clorinda
Published: November 2018

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling contributes to a variety of processes, mediating many aspects of cellular function, including nutrient uptake, anabolic reactions, cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Less is known regarding its critical role in neuronal physiology, neuronal metabolism, tissue homeostasis, and the control of gene expression in the central nervous system in healthy and diseased states. The aim of the present work is to review cumulative evidence regarding the participation of PI3K pathways in neuronal function, focusing on their role in neuronal metabolism and transcriptional regulation of genes involved in neuronal maintenance and plasticity or on the expression of pathological hallmarks associated with neurodegeneration.
Dual Convolutional Neural Network Based Method for Predicting Disease-Related miRNAs
Authors: Xuan Ping , Dong Yihua , Guo Yahong , Zhang Tiangang , Liu Yong
Published: November 2018

Identification of disease-related microRNAs (disease miRNAs) is helpful for understanding and exploring the etiology and pathogenesis of diseases. Most of recent methods predict disease miRNAs by integrating the similarities and associations of miRNAs and diseases. However, these methods fail to learn the deep features of the miRNA similarities, the disease similarities, and the miRNA–disease associations. We propose a dual convolutional neural network-based method for predicting candidate disease miRNAs and refer to it as CNNDMP. CNNDMP not only exploits the similarities and associations of miRNAs and diseases, but also captures the topology structures of the miRNA and disease networks. An embedding layer is constructed by combining the biological premises about the miRNA–disease associations. A new framework based on the dual convolutional neural network is presented for extracting the deep feature representation of associations. The left part of the framework focuses on integrating the original similarities and associations of miRNAs and diseases. The novel miRNA and disease similarities which contain the topology structures are obtained by random walks on the miRNA and disease networks, and their deep features are learned by the right part of the framework. CNNDMP achieves the superior prediction performance than several state-of-the-art methods during the cross-validation process. Case studies on breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer further demonstrate CNNDMP’s powerful ability of discovering potential disease miRNAs.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis between a Resistant and a Susceptible Wild Tomato Accession in Response to Phytophthora parasitica
Authors: Naveed Zunaira Afzal , Ali Gul Shad
Published: November 2018

Phytophthora parasitica is one of the most widespread Phytophthora species, which is known to cause multiple diseases in tomato and is capable of infecting almost all plant parts. Our current understanding of tomato-Phytophthora parasitica interaction is very limited and currently nothing is known at the whole genome or transcriptome level. In this study, we have analyzed and compared the transcriptome of a resistant and a susceptible wild tomato accession in response to P. parasitica infection using the RNA-seq technology. We have identified 2657 and 3079 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in treatment vs control comparison of resistant (Sp-R) and susceptible (Sp-S) samples respectively. Functional annotation of DEGs revealed substantial transcriptional reprogramming of diverse physiological and cellular processes, particularly the biotic stress responses in both Sp-R and Sp-S upon P. parasitica treatment. However, subtle expression differences among some core plant defense related genes were identified and their possible role in resistance development against P. parasitica is discussed. Our results revealed 1173 genes that were differentially expressed only in Sp-R accession upon P. parasitica inoculation. These exclusively found DEGs in Sp-R accession included some core plant defense genes, for example, several protease inhibitors, chitinases, defensin, PR-1, a downy mildew susceptibility factor, and so on, were all highly induced. Whereas, several R genes, WRKY transcriptions factors and a powdery mildew susceptibility gene (Mlo) were highly repressed during the resistance outcome. Analysis reported here lays out a strong foundation for future studies aimed at improving genetic resistance of tomato cultivars against to Phytopphthora species.
Can Social Robots Make Societies More Human?
Authors: Sequeira João Silva
Published: November 2018

A major criticism social robots often face is that their integration in real social, human environments will dehumanize some of the roles currently being played by the human agents. This implicitly overestimates the social skills of the robots, which are constantly being upgraded, but which are still far from being able to overshadow humans. Moreover, it reflects loosely rational fears that robots may overcome humans in the near future. This paper points to a direction opposite to mainstream, and claims that robots can induce humanizing feelings in humans. In fact, current technological limitations can be managed to induce a perception of social fragility that may lead human agents to reason about the social condition of a robot. Though robot and/or technology phobias may bias the way a social robot is perceived, this reasoning process may contribute to an introspection on the meaning of being social and, potentially, to contribute to humanizing social environments.
A Review of Sampling and Monitoring Methods for Beneficial Arthropods in Agroecosystems
Authors: McCravy Kenneth W.
Published: November 2018

Beneficial arthropods provide many important ecosystem services. In agroecosystems, pollination and control of crop pests provide benefits worth billions of dollars annually. Effective sampling and monitoring of these beneficial arthropods is essential for ensuring their short- and long-term viability and effectiveness. There are numerous methods available for sampling beneficial arthropods in a variety of habitats, and these methods can vary in efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper I review active and passive sampling methods for non-Apis bees and arthropod natural enemies of agricultural pests, including methods for sampling flying insects, arthropods on vegetation and in soil and litter environments, and estimation of predation and parasitism rates. Sample sizes, lethal sampling, and the potential usefulness of bycatch are also discussed.
The Myeloid-Epithelial-Reproductive Tyrosine Kinase (MERTK) rs4374383 Polymorphism Predicts Progression of Liver Fibrosis in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Patients: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Jiménez-Sousa María , Gómez-Moreno Ana , Pineda-Tenor Daniel , Brochado-Kith Oscar , Sánchez-Ruano Juan , Artaza-Varasa Tomas , Gómez-Sanz Alicia , Fernández-Rodríguez Amanda , Resino Salvador
Published: November 2018

Background: The myeloid-epithelial-reproductive tyrosine kinase (MERTK) is involved in hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and liver fibrosis. Here we evaluated the association between the MERTK rs4374383 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and liver fibrosis progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective study (repeated measures design) in 208 patients who had liver stiffness measurement (LSM), which was assessed using transient elastography. No patient had cirrhosis at baseline (LSM ≥ 12.5 kPa). Results: At baseline, 53.8% were male, the median age was 47.1 years, 13.5% reported a high intake of alcohol, 10.1% were prior injection drug users, 85.3% were infected with HCV genotype 1, and 22.6% had previously failed antiviral therapy (pegylated-interferon-alpha/ribavirin). During a median follow-up of 46.6 months, 26 patients developed cirrhosis. The rs4374383 G carriers had a higher risk of increasing LSM (adjusted arithmetic mean ratio (aAMR) = 1.14; p = 0.006) and a higher likelihood of having an increase in LSM greater than 5 kPa (ΔLSM ≥ 5 kPa) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.37; p = 0.029), and greater than 7 kPa (ΔLSM ≥ 7 kPa) (aOR = 3.24; p = 0.032), after controlling for confounding. The SNP’s association with cirrhosis progression was close to statistical significance (aOR = 2.18; p = 0.070). Conclusions: MERTK rs4374383 A carriers had a lower risk of liver fibrosis progression than G carriers, supporting the hypothesis that this SNP seems to have a critical role in the pathogenesis of liver disease in HCV-infected patients.
Development of Phosphatized Calcium Carbonate Biominerals as Bioactive Bone Graft Substitute Materials, Part II: Functionalization with Antibacterial Silver Ions
Authors: Sethmann Ingo , Völkel Sabrina , Pfeifer Felicitas , Kleebe Hans-Joachim
Published: November 2018

Porous calcium phosphate (CaP) materials as bone graft substitutes can be prepared from Ca carbonate biomineral structures by hydrothermal conversion into pseudomorphic CaP scaffolds. The present study aims at furnishing such phosphatized Ca carbonate biomineral (PCCB) materials with antibacterial Ag ions in order to avoid perisurgical wound infections. Prior to this study, PCCB materials with Mg and/or Sr ions incorporated for stimulating bone formation were prepared from coral skeletons and sea urchin spines as starting materials. The porous PCCB materials were treated with aqueous solutions of Ag nitrate with concentrations of 10 or 100 mmol/L, resulting in the formation of Ag phosphate nanoparticles on the sample surfaces through a replacement reaction. The materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). In contact with Ringer`s solution, the Ag phosphate nanoparticles dissolved and released Ag ions with concentrations up to 0.51 mg/L, as shown by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analyses. In tests against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus on agar plates, antibacterial properties were similar for both types of Ag-modified PCCB materials. Concerning the antibacterial performance, the treatment with AgNO3 solutions with 10 mmol/L was almost as effective as with 100 mmol/L.
An Adaptive Beamforming Time with Round-Robin MAC Algorithm for Reducing Energy Consumption in MANET
Authors: Inzillo Vincenzo , De Rango Floriano , Quintana Alfonso A. , Santamaria Amilcare F.
Published: November 2018

The use of smart antenna systems (SASs) in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) has been promoted as the best choice to improve spatial division multiple access (SDMA) and throughput. Although directional communications are expected to provide great advantages in terms of network performance, directional MAC (medium access control) protocols introduce several issues. One of the most known problems in this context is represented by the fact that, when attempting to solve or at least mitigate the problems introduced by these kinds of antennas especially at MAC layer, a large amount of energy consumption is achieved; for example, due to excessive retransmissions introduced by very frequently issue such as deafness and handoff. The expedients proposed in order to reduce these drawbacks attempting to limit beamforming time of nodes in cooperation with a round-robin scheduling can grant high performance in terms of fairness and throughput. However, the overall energy distribution in the network is not efficient due to static approach. In view of this, we propose adaptive beamforming time with round-robin MAC providing a dynamic assignment of the beamforming time with the aim to limit the waste of energy of nodes. The proposed approach provides benefits in terms of energy consumption distribution among nodes in sectorized antennas environments and, simultaneously, improves MAC packet performance.
Dual-Band Unidirectional Reflectionless Propagation in Metamaterial Based on Two Circular-Hole Resonators
Authors: Han Guofeng , Bai Ruiping , Jin Xingri , Zhang Yingqiao , An Chengshou , Lee Youngpak
Published: November 2018

Dual-band unidirectional reflectionless propagation at two exceptional points is investigated in metamaterial, which is composed of only two gold resonators with circular holes, by simply manipulating the angle of incident wave and distance between two resonators. Furthermore, the dual-band unidirectional reflectionless propagation can be realized in the wide ranges of incident angle from 0 ∘ to 50 ∘ and distance from 255 nm to 355 nm between two resonators. In addition, our scheme is insensitive to polarization of incident wave due to the circular-hole structure of the resonators.
EBSD Investigation of the Microtexture of Weld Metal and Base Metal in Laser Welded Al–Li Alloys
Authors: Cui Li , Peng Zhibo , Yuan Xiaokun , He Dingyong , Chen Li
Published: November 2018

Autogenous laser welding of 5A90 Al–Li alloy sheets in a butt-joint configuration was carried out in this study. The microstructure characteristics of the weld metal and base metal in the horizontal surface and the transverse section of the welded joints were examined quantitatively using electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. The results show that the weld metal in the horizontal surface and the transverse section exhibits similar grain structural features including the grain orientations, grain shapes, and grain sizes, whereas distinct differences in the texture intensity and misorientation distributions are observed. However, the base metal in the horizontal surface and the transverse section of the joints reveals the obvious different texture characteristics in terms of the grain orientation, grain morphology, predominate texture ingredients, distribution intensities of textures, and grain boundary misorientation distribution, resulting in the diversity of the microhardness in the base metal and the softening of the weld metal. However, the degree of the drop in the hardness of the weld metal is highly correlated to the microtexture developed in the base metal.
Preparation Method of Porous Dressing Materials Based on Butyric-Acetic Chitin Co-Polyesters
Authors: Draczynski Zbigniew , Kolesinska Beata , Latanska Ilona , Sujka Witold
Published: November 2018

A method for obtaining highly porous materials in the form of film, based on the butyric-acetic chitin co-polyesters, containing 90% of butyryl and 10% of acetyl groups, was developed. The highly porous films, with thickness up to 0.11 mm, were obtained by two methods: (a) pouring 5% BAC 90/10 solution in ethanol on the layer of solid salts (porophor agent) which after solidification was eluted with water; (b) application of the suspension of porophor agent in BAC 90/10 solution in the solvent mixture with density similar to bulk porophor agent. In the final stage, the materials were obtained with porosity up to 95–99% and tensile strength 5 cN, which can be used as an active layer of medical dressings. The optimised procedure was used in the production of porous medical dressings (Medisorb) on an industrial scale. In the industrial method, NaCl was used as a porophor agent in the solid form and as a 3% solution in polymer. The final materials were characterised by porosity and other functional parameters at the level recommended for medical dressings. Medisorb series materials do not show in vitro cytotoxic activity.
Structure and Properties of ZrO2–20%Al2O3 Ceramic Composites Obtained Using Additive Technologies
Authors: Promakhov Vladimir , Zhukov Alexander , Dubkova Yana , Zhukov Ilya , Kovalchuk Sergey , Zhukova Tatyana , Olisov Andrey , Klimenko Viktor , Savkina Nadezhda
Published: November 2018

This investigation focused on obtaining samples from ceramic composite materials, based on the ZrO2–20%Al2O3 system, using the additive layer-by-layer fusion technology for thermoplastic systems. The structure and phase composition of the initial powders were studied, experimental samples were produced, and the structure and properties of the experimental samples that were obtained using additive technologies were analysed. The measured static bending strength of the samples was 450 ± 70 MPa, microhardness was 14 GPa, and the elasticity modulus was 280 ± 25 GPa. The strength of these samples are slightly inferior to that of similar materials, obtained using Ceramic Injection Molding technology because our samples were characterised by the residual porosity of about 15%.
Effects of Wet Oxidation Process on Biochar Surface in Acid and Alkaline Soil Environments
Authors: Fan Qinya , Cui Liqiang , Quan Guixiang , Wang Sanfei , Sun Jianxiong , Han Xiangyun , Wang Jia , Yan Jinlong
Published: November 2018

Biochar has been studied for remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils by many researchers. When in external conditions, biochar in soils ages, which can transform its structural properties and adsorption capacity. This study was conducted with two oxidation processes, HNO3/H2SO4 and NaOH/H2O2, to simulate the effects of biochar in acid and alkaline soil conditions. The results show that the oxygen-containing functional groups increased in aged biochar, which led to improve the ratio of oxygen and carbon (O/C). Nitro functional groups were found in the acid-oxidation treated biochar. Destroyed ditches and scars were observed on the surface of aged biochar and resulted in growth in their specific surface area and porosity. Specific surface area increased by 21.1%, 164.9%, and 63.0% for reed-derived biochar treated with water washing, acid oxidation, and basic oxidation, respectively. Greater peaks in the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) results were found in C–O and O–H on the surface of field-aged biochar. Meanwhile, mappings of energy-dispersive spectroscopy showed that biochar aged in soil was abundant in minerals such as silicon, iron, aluminum, and magnesium. In summary, biochar subjected to wet oxidation aging had an increased capacity to immobilize Cd compared to unaged biochar, and the adsorption capacity of oxidized biochar increased by 28.4% and 13.15% compared to unaged biochar due to improvements in porosity and an increase in functional groups.
Computation of Propagating and Non-Propagating Lamb-Like Wave in a Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Spherical Curved Plate by an Orthogonal Function Technique
Authors: Zhang Xiaoming , Liang Shunli , Han Xiaoming , Li Zhi
Published: November 2018

Non-propagating waves have great potential for crack evaluation, but it is difficult to obtain the complex solutions of the transcendental dispersion equation corresponding to the non-propagating wave. This paper presents an analytical approach based on the orthogonal function technique to investigate non-propagating Lamb-like waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric spherical curved plate. The presented approach can transform the set of partial differential equations for the acoustic waves into an eigenvalue problem that can give the generally complex wave numbers and the field profiles. A comparison of the obtained results with the well-known ones in plates is provided. The obtained solutions of the dispersion equation are shown graphically in three dimensional frequency-complex wave number space, which aids in understanding the properties of non-propagating waves better. The properties of the guided wave, including real, purely imaginary, and complex branches in various functionally graded piezoelectric spherical curved plates, are studied. The effects of material piezoelectricity, graded fields, and mechanical and electrical boundary conditions on the dispersion characteristics, are illustrated. The amplitude distributions of displacement and electric potential are also discussed, to analyze the specificities of non-propagating waves.
Extending the Usage of Newton’s Method with Applications to the Solution of Bratu’s Equation
Authors: Argyros Ioannis K. , González Daniel
Published: November 2018

We use Newton’s method to solve previously unsolved problems, expanding the applicability of the method. To achieve this, we used the idea of restricted domains which allows for tighter Lipschitz constants than previously seen, this in turn led to a tighter convergence analysis. The new developments were obtained using special cases of functions which had been used in earlier works. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the superiority of the new results.
Geospallins A–C: New Thiodiketopiperazines with Inhibitory Activity against Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme from a Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Geosmithia pallida FS140
Authors: Sun Zhang-Hua , Gu Jiangyong , Ye Wei , Wen Liang-Xi , Lin Qi-Bin , Li Sai-Ni , Chen Yu-Chan , Li Hao-Hua , Zhang Wei-Min
Published: November 2018

Three new thiodiketopiperazines, geospallins A–C (1–3), together with nine known analogues (4–12), were isolated from the culture of the deep-sea sediment-derived fungus Geosmithia pallida FS140. Among them, geospallins A and B (1 and 2) represent rare examples of thiodiketopiperazines featuring an S-methyl group at C-10 and a tertiary hydroxyl group at C-11. Their structures were determined by high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), spectroscopic analyses, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Their angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was reported, and geospallins A–C (1–3) showed inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 29–35 µM.
Elicited ROS Scavenging Activity, Photoprotective, and Wound-Healing Properties of Collagen-Derived Peptides from the Marine Sponge Chondrosia reniformis
Authors: Pozzolini Marina , Millo Enrico , Oliveri Caterina , Mirata Serena , Salis Annalisa , Damonte Gianluca , Arkel Maria , Scarfì Sonia
Published: November 2018

Recently, the bioactive properties of marine collagen and marine collagen hydrolysates have been demonstrated. Although there is some literature assessing the general chemical features and biocompatibility of collagen extracts from marine sponges, no data are available on the biological effects of sponge collagen hydrolysates for biomedical and/or cosmetic purposes. Here, we studied the in vitro toxicity, antioxidant, wound-healing, and photoprotective properties of four HPLC-purified fractions of trypsin-digested collagen extracts—marine collagen hydrolysates (MCHs)—from the marine sponge C. reniformis. The results showed that the four MCHs have no degree of toxicity on the cell lines analyzed; conversely, they were able to stimulate cell growth. They showed a significant antioxidant activity both in cell-free assays as well as in H2O2 or quartz-stimulated macrophages, going from 23% to 60% of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity for the four MCHs. Finally, an in vitro wound-healing test was performed with fibroblasts and keratinocytes, and the survival of both cells was evaluated after UV radiation. In both experiments, MCHs showed significant results, increasing the proliferation speed and protecting from UV-induced cell death. Overall, these data open the way to the use of C. reniformis MCHs in drug and cosmetic formulations for damaged or photoaged skin repair.
Reconstruction of nasal defect with the composite expanded forehead flap
Authors: Vikšraitis Saulius , Maslauskas Kęstutis , Bagdonas Rokas
Published: November 2018

Nasal tip and septal perforations may lead to significant upper airway problems as well as disturbing esthetic changes in the external contour of the nose. Nasal defects impede normal social contact and create great self-identity problems for the patients. We report the case of a 37-year-old woman, taking drugs for 10 years, who had sepsis and nasal abscess with necrosis of the nasal tip and septum. Using a composite expanded forehead flap for reconstruction of the nose, good esthetic and functional results were achieved.
Decrease in Lipid Droplets in Adrenal Cortex of Male Wistar Rats after Chronic Exposure to Energy Drinks
Authors: Zarobkiewicz Michał K. , Woźniakowski Mateusz M. , Wawryk-Gawda Ewelina , Sławiński Mirosław A. , Halczuk Paweł , Korolczuk Agnieszka , Jodłowska-Jędrych Barbara
Published: November 2018

Background and objectives: Energy drinks are popular non-alcoholic beverages. They are consumed in large amounts, mainly by active, young people. Although they are easily accessible and marketed as safe, numerous cases of adverse effects have been published, including cardiac arrest, arrythmias, acute hepatitis, and renal failure. The aim of the current study is the assessment of energy drink influence on the histological structure of adrenal cortex in rats. Material and Methods: 15 male young Wistar rats were equally divided into three groups: control (C), experimental (E) and reversibility control (RC). C group received water and standard rodent food ad libitum while both E and RC groups had additionally unlimited access to energy drinks. C and E groups were decapitated after 8 weeks and RC was given another 8 weeks without energy drinks. Adrenal glands were embedded in paraffin blocks and 5 μm slides were prepared and stained according to standard H&E and Masson’s trichrome protocols. Additionally, immunohistochemical stainings against Ki-67, p53, CTGF and caspase-3 were prepared. Results: Decreased vacuolization and numerous pyknotic nuclei were noted in E and RC groups. Overexpression of caspase-3 was noted both subcapsular in zona glomerulosa and along sinusoids in zona fasciculata. Increased collagen deposition in zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata of E and RC was observed. Insular and irregular overexpression of CTGF was noted. The overall picture of CTGF expression matched the Masson’s trichrome. No significant difference was observed in Ki-67 expression. Conclusions: The results of the current study suggest that the stimulation is so intense that it causes significant damage to adrenal cortical cells, resulting in their apoptosis. It seems, however, that the observed effects are at least partially reversible.
Association between Sleep Quality and Body Composition in Sedentary Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Jurado-Fasoli Lucas , Amaro-Gahete Francisco J. , De-la-O Alejandro , Dote-Montero Manuel , Gutiérrez Ángel , Castillo Manuel J.
Published: November 2018

Background: Ageing is associated with sleep pattern changes and body composition changes, which are related to several diseases. Purpose: This study aimed to analyse the association between sleep quality and an extensive set of body composition parameters (waist-hip ratio, body mass index, bone mineral content, bone mineral density, lean mass, lean mass index, fat mass, fat mass percentage, fat mass index, visceral adipose tissue) and sleep quality in sedentary middle-aged adults. We also aimed to evaluate whether the possible associations accord between subjective and objective measurements of sleep quality. Methods: 74 (39 women) middle-aged sedentary adults (40–65 years old) participated in the present study. The sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scale and accelerometers. A PSQI global score more than 5 indicates poor sleep quality. Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured, and body mass index and waist-hip ratio were also calculated. Body composition was assessed with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. Results: The PSQI global score was negatively associated with bone mineral content, bone mineral density, lean mass, lean mass index and positively associated with fat mass percentage. No association was found between accelerometer parameters and body composition variables. Conclusion: We showed that a subjective poor sleep quality was negatively associated with bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), lean mass and lean mass index (LMI) whereas was positively associated with fat mass percentage in middle-aged adults. We also observed that these associations did not accord with objective sleep quality measurements.
Amphiphilic Nanocarrier Systems for Curcumin Delivery in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Authors: Rakotoarisoa Miora , Angelova Angelina
Published: November 2018

Neurodegenerative diseases have become a major challenge for public health because of their incurable status. Soft nanotechnology provides potential for slowing down the progression of neurodegenerative disorders by using innovative formulations of neuroprotective antioxidants like curcumin, resveratrol, vitamin E, rosmarinic acid, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, coenzyme Q10, and fish oil. Curcumin is a natural, liposoluble compound, which is of considerable interest for nanomedicine development in combination therapies. The neuroprotective effects of combination treatments can involve restorative mechanisms against oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and protein aggregation. Despite the anti-amyloid and anti-tau potential of curcumin and its neurogenesis-stimulating properties, the utilization of this antioxidant as a drug in neuroregenerative therapies has huge limitations due to its poor water solubility, physico-chemical instability, and low oral bioavailability. We highlight the developments of soft lipid- and polymer-based delivery carriers of curcumin, which help improve the drug solubility and stability. We specifically focus on amphiphilic liquid crystalline nanocarriers (cubosome, hexosome, spongosome, and liposome particles) for the encapsulation of curcumin with the purpose of halting the progressive neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Fouling Mitigation and Wastewater Treatment Enhancement through the Application of an Electro Moving Bed Membrane Bioreactor (eMB-MBR)
Authors: Millanar-Marfa Jessa Marie J. , Borea Laura , De Luna Mark Daniel G. , Ballesteros Florencio C. , Belgiorno Vincenzo , Naddeo Vincenzo
Published: November 2018

High operational cost due to membrane fouling propensity remains a major drawback for the widespread application of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. As a result, studies on membrane fouling mitigation through the application of integrated processes have been widely explored. In this work, the combined application of electrochemical processes and moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) technology within an MBR at laboratory scale was performed by applying an intermittent voltage of 3 V/cm to a reactor filled with 30% carriers. The treatment efficiency of the electro moving bed membrane bioreactor (eMB-MBR) technology in terms of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and orthophosphate (PO4-P) removal significantly improved from 49.8% and 76.7% in the moving bed membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) control system to 55% and 98.7% in the eMB-MBR, respectively. Additionally, concentrations of known fouling precursors and membrane fouling rate were noticeably lower in the eMB-MBR system as compared to the control system. Hence, this study successfully demonstrated an innovative and effective technology (i.e., eMB-MBR) to improve MBR performance in terms of both conventional contaminant removal and fouling mitigation.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Cost Saving and Emission Reduction in Blast Furnace Ironmaking Process
Authors: Yao Shun , Wu Shengli , Song Bo , Kou Mingyin , Zhou Heng , Gu Kai
Published: November 2018

Due to the increasing environmental pressures, one of the most direct and effective way to achieve emission reduction is to reduce the CO2 emissions of the blast furnace process in the iron and steel industry. Based on the substance conservation and energy conservation of ironmaking process and the engineering method, the carbon loss model was firstly established to calculate the amount of solution loss. Based on this model, the blast furnace emission reduction optimization mathematical model with the cost and CO2 emissions as objective functions was then established using the multiple-objective optimization method. The optimized results were obtained by using the GRG (Generalized Reduced Gradient) nonlinear solving method. The optimization model was applied to the B# blast furnace of BayiSteel in China. The optimization model was verified by comparing the optimized results with the actual production data. The optimization model was then applied to analyze the effects of coke ratio, coal rate, blast temperature and other factors on the cost, CO2 emission and solution loss, and some measures to save cost, reduce emissions and reduce solution loss have been proposed.
Microstructure and High Temperature Tensile Properties of Mg–10Gd–5Y–0.5Zr Alloy after Thermo-Mechanical Processing
Authors: Wu Guohua , Jafari Nodooshan H. R. , Zeng Xiaoqin , Liu Wencai , Li Dejiang , Ding Wenjiang
Published: November 2018

The microstructure, high-temperature tensile properties and fracture behavior of the Mg-10Gd-5Y-0.5Zr alloy after thermo-mechanical processing (pre-tension between solution and aging treatment) were investigated. The pre-deformed alloy shows the accelerated aging kinetics compared to the un-deformed alloy. Microstructure of pre-deformed samples showed not only the homogeneous nucleation of the precipitate but also heterogeneous nucleation of precipitates on the dislocation and twin boundaries. Tensile results show that the pre-deformation enhanced the strength of the alloy, while it deteriorates the ductility of the alloy. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the T6 treated un-deformed and pre-deformed alloy at room temperature are 331 MPa and 366 MPa, respectively. Tensile strength of the T6 treated alloy in both un-deformed and deformed conditions was enhanced by raising the test temperature and then reduced by further raising the test temperature. The higher strength of the pre-deformed alloy could be related to the higher density of the precipitates, which grow on the twin boundaries and can hinder the dislocation movement and strengthen the alloy. The results shows that thermo-mechanical processing can significantly improve the room- and high-temperature mechanical properties and enhance the formation of precipitates in Mg-10Gd-5Y-0.5Zr alloy, which can lead to wider application of the alloy in industries such as aerospace or powertrains that need better room- and high-temperature mechanical properties.
Study of the Effect of Carbon on the Contraction of Hypo-Peritectic Steels during Initial Solidification by Surface Roughness
Authors: Pu Dazhi , Wen Guanghua , Fu Dachao , Tang Ping , Guo Junli
Published: November 2018

In the continuous casting process, the shrinkage of the peritectic phase transition during the initial solidification process has an important influence on the surface quality of peritectic steel. The initial solidification process of 0.10C%, 0.14C%, and 0.16C% peritectic steels was observed in situ by a high temperature laser confocal microscope, and the contraction degree during initial solidification was characterized by surface roughness. The results showed that under the cooling rate of 20 °C/s, the surface roughness value Ra(δ/γ) of 0.10C% peritectic steel was 32 μm, the Ra(δ/γ) value of 0.14C% peritectic steel was 25 μm, and the Ra(δ/γ) value of 0.16C% peritectic steel was 17 μm. With increasing carbon content, the contraction degree of the δ→γ transformation decreased, and the value of the surface roughness Ra(δ/γ) declined. Therefore, surface roughness can characterize the contraction degree of the δ→γ transformation in the initial solidification process of peritectic steel under the condition of a large cooling rate.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery Induces Distinct but Frequently Transient Effects on Acylcarnitine, Bile Acid and Phospholipid Levels
Authors: Fiamoncini Jarlei , Fernandes Barbosa Carina , Arnoni Junior José , Araújo Junior José , Taglieri Cinthia , Szego Tiago , Gelhaus Barbara , Possolo de Souza Heraldo , Daniel Hannelore , Martins de Lima Thais
Published: November 2018

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective method to achieve sustained weight loss, but the mechanisms responsible for RYGB effects have not yet been fully characterized. In this study, we profiled the concentrations of 143 lipid metabolites in dry blood spots (DBS) of RYGB patients. DBS from obese patients (BMI range 35–44 kg/m2) were collected 7 days before, 15 and 90 days after the surgery. LC-MS/MS was used to quantify acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins and bile acids. RYGB caused a rapid increase in acylcarnitine levels that proved to be only transient, contrasting with the sustained decrease in phosphatidylcholines and increase of sphingomyelins and bile acids. A PLS-DA analysis revealed a 3-component model (R2 = 0.9, Q2 = 0.74) with key metabolites responsible for the overall metabolite differences. These included the BCAA-derived acylcarnitines and sphingomyelins with 16 and 18 carbons. We found important correlations between the levels of BCAA-derived acylcarnitines and specific sphingomyelins with plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations. Along with the marked weight loss and clinical improvements, RYGB induced specific alterations in plasma acylcarnitines, bile acid and phospholipid levels. This calls for more studies on RYGB effects aiming to elucidate the metabolic adaptations that follow this procedure.
A Diffusion-Based pH Regulator in Laminar Flows with Smartphone-Based Colorimetric Analysis
Authors: Wang Wei , Zeng Zhi , Xu Wei , Wu Wenming , Liang Wenfeng , Zhou Jia
Published: November 2018

A strategy for an on-chip pH regulator is demonstrated computationally and experimentally, based on the diffusion characteristics of aqueous ionic solutions. Micro-flows with specific pH values are formed based on the diffusion behaviors of hydrogen and hydroxide ions in laminar flows. The final achieved pH value and its gradient in the channel can be regulated by the amount of ions transported between laminar flows, and the experimental results can be further generalized based on the normalized Nernst-Planck equation. A smartphone was applied as an image capture and analysis instrument to quantify pH values of liquids in a colorimetric detection process, with monotonic response range of ~1–13.