bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonlocal Integro-Multi-Point (k, ψ)-Hilfer Type Fractional Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Ntouyas Sotiris K. , Ahmad Bashir , Tariboon Jessada , Alhodaly Mohammad S.
Published: July 2022

In this paper we investigate the criteria for the existence of solutions for single-valued as well as multi-valued boundary value problems involving (k,ψ)-Hilfer fractional derivative operator of order in (1,2], equipped with nonlocal integral multi-point boundary conditions. For the single-valued case, we rely on fixed point theorems due to Banach and Krasnosel’skiĭ, and Leray–Schauder alternative to establish the desired results. The existence results for the multi-valued problem are obtained by applying the Leray–Schauder nonlinear alternative for multi-valued maps for convex-valued case, while the nonconvex-valued case is studied with the aid of Covit–Nadler’s fixed point theorem for multi-valued contractions. Numerical examples are presented for the illustration of the obtained results.
An Automated Hyperparameter Tuning Recurrent Neural Network Model for Fruit Classification
Authors: Shankar Kathiresan , Kumar Sachin , Dutta Ashit Kumar , Alkhayyat Ahmed , Jawad Anwar Ja’afar Mohamad , Abbas Ali Hashim , Yousif Yousif K.
Published: July 2022

Automated fruit classification is a stimulating problem in the fruit growing and retail industrial chain as it assists fruit growers and supermarket owners to recognize variety of fruits and the status of the container or stock to increase business profit and production efficacy. As a result, intelligent systems using machine learning and computer vision approaches were explored for ripeness grading, fruit defect categorization, and identification over the last few years. Recently, deep learning (DL) methods for classifying fruits led to promising performance that effectively extracts the feature and carries out an end-to-end image classification. This paper introduces an Automated Fruit Classification using Hyperparameter Optimized Deep Transfer Learning (AFC-HPODTL) model. The presented AFC-HPODTL model employs contrast enhancement as a pre-processing step which helps to enhance the quality of images. For feature extraction, the Adam optimizer with deep transfer learning-based DenseNet169 model is used in which the Adam optimizer fine-tunes the initial values of the DenseNet169 model. Moreover, a recurrent neural network (RNN) model is utilized for the identification and classification of fruits. At last, the Aquila optimization algorithm (AOA) is exploited for optimal hyperparameter tuning of the RNN model in such a way that the classification performance gets improved. The design of Adam optimizer and AOA-based hyperparameter optimizers for DenseNet and RNN models show the novelty of the work. The performance validation of the presented AFC-HPODTL model is carried out utilizing a benchmark dataset and the outcomes report the promising performance over its recent state-of-the-art approaches.
Efficient Algorithms for Data Processing under Type-3 (and Higher) Fuzzy Uncertainty
Authors: Kreinovich Vladik , Kosheleva Olga , Melin Patricia , Castillo Oscar
Published: July 2022

It is known that, to more adequately describe expert knowledge, it is necessary to go from the traditional (type-1) fuzzy techniques to higher-order ones: type-2, probably type-3 and even higher. Until recently, only type-1 and type-2 fuzzy sets were used in practical applications. However, lately, it turned out that type-3 fuzzy sets are also useful in some applications. Because of this practical importance, it is necessary to design efficient algorithms for data processing under such type-3 (and higher-order) fuzzy uncertainty. In this paper, we show how we can combine known efficient algorithms for processing type-1 and type-2 uncertainty to come up with a new algorithm for the type-3 case.
A Novel Learning Algorithm Based on Bayesian Statistics: Modelling Thermostat Adjustments for Heating and Cooling in Buildings
Authors: Ramallo-González Alfonso P. , González-Vidal Aurora , Terroso-Saenz Fernando , Skarmeta-Gómez Antonio F.
Published: July 2022

The temperature of indoor spaces is at the core of highly relevant topics such as comfort, productivity and health. In conditioned spaces, this temperature is determined by thermostat preferences, but there is a lack of understanding of this phenomenon as a time-dependent magnitude. In addition to this, there is scientific evidence that the mental models of how users understand the operation of the billions of air-conditioning machines around the world are incorrect, which causes systems to ‘compensate’ for temperatures outside by adjusting the thermostat, which leads to erratic changes on set-points over the day. This paper presents the first model of set-point temperature as a time-dependent variable. Additionally, a new mathematical algorithm was developed to complement these models and make possible their identification on the go, called the life Bayesian inference of transition matrices. Data from a total of 75 + 35 real thermostats in two buildings for more than a year were used to validate the model. The method was shown to be highly accurate, fast, and computationally trivial in terms of time and memory, representing a change in the paradigm for smart thermostats.
Modelling Bimodal Data Using a Multivariate Triangular-Linked Distribution
Authors: de Waal Daan , Harris Tristan , de Waal Alta , Mazarura Jocelyn
Published: July 2022

Bimodal distributions have rarely been studied although they appear frequently in datasets. We develop a novel bimodal distribution based on the triangular distribution and then expand it to the multivariate case using a Gaussian copula. To determine the goodness of fit of the univariate model, we use the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) and Cramér–von Mises (CVM) tests. The contributions of this work are that a simplistic yet robust distribution was developed to deal with bimodality in data, a multivariate distribution was developed as a generalisation of this univariate distribution using a Gaussian copula, a comparison between parametric and semi-parametric approaches to modelling bimodality is given, and an R package called btld is developed from the workings of this paper.
Functional Data Analysis for the Detection of Outliers and Study of the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Quality: A Case Study in Gijón, Spain
Authors: Rigueira Xurxo , Araújo María , Martínez Javier , García-Nieto Paulino , Ocarranza Iago
Published: July 2022

Air pollution, especially at the ground level, poses a high risk for human health as it can have serious negative effects on the population of certain areas. The high variability of this type of data, which are affected by weather conditions and human activities, makes it difficult for conventional methods to precisely detect anomalous values or outliers. In this paper, classical analysis, statistical process control, and functional data analysis are compared for this purpose. The results obtained motivate the development of a new outlier detector based on the concept of functional directional outlyingness. The validation of this algorithm is perfomed on real air quality data from the city of Gijón, Spain, aiming to detect the proven reduction in NO2 levels during the COVID-19 lockdown in that city. Three more variables (SO2, PM10, and O3) are studied with this technique. The results demonstrate that functional data analysis outperforms the two other methods, and the proposed outlier detector is well suited for the accurate detection of outliers in data with high variability.
A Complete Review of the General Quartic Equation with Real Coefficients and Multiple Roots
Authors: Chávez-Pichardo Mauricio , Martínez-Cruz Miguel A. , Trejo-Martínez Alfredo , Martínez-Carbajal Daniel , Arenas-Resendiz Tanya
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a general analysis of all the quartic equations with real coefficients and multiple roots; this analysis revealed some unknown formulae to solve each kind of these equations and some precisions about the relation between these ones and the Resolvent Cubic; for example, it is well-known that any quartic equation has multiple roots whenever its Resolvent Cubic also has multiple roots; however, this analysis reveals that any non-biquadratic quartic equation and its Resolvent Cubic always have the same number of multiple roots; additionally, the four roots of any quartic equation with multiple roots are real whenever some specific forms of its Resolvent Cubic have three non-negative real roots. This analysis also proves that any method to solve third-degree equations is unnecessary to solve quartic equations with multiple roots, despite the existence of the Resolvent Cubic; finally, here is developed a generalized variation of the Ferrari Method and the Descartes Method, which help to avoid complex arithmetic operations during the resolution of any quartic equation with real coefficients, even though this equation has non-real roots; and a new, more simplified form of the discriminant of the quartic equations is also featured here.
Towards Explainable Machine Learning for Bank Churn Prediction Using Data Balancing and Ensemble-Based Methods
Authors: Tékouabou Stéphane C. K. , Gherghina Ștefan Cristian , Toulni Hamza , Mata Pedro Neves , Martins José Moleiro
Published: July 2022

The diversity of data collected on both social networks and digital interfaces is extremely increased, raising the problem of heterogeneous variables that are not often favourable to classification algorithms. Despite the significant improvement in machine learning (ML) and predictive analysis efficiency for classification in customer relationship management systems (CRM), their performance remains very limited by heterogeneous data processing, class imbalance, and feature scales. This impact turned out to be more important for simple ML methods which in addition often suffer from over-fitting. This paper proposes a succinct and detailed ML model building process including cross-validation of the combination of SMOTE to balance data and ensemble methods for modelling. From the conducted experiments, the random forest (RF) model yielded the best performance of 0.86 in terms of accuracy and f1-scoreusing balanced data. It confirms the literature summary about this topic which shows that RF was among the most effective algorithms for customer predictive classification issues. The constructed and optimized models were interpreted by Shapley values and feature importance analysis which shows that the “age” feature was the most significant while “HasCrCard” was the less one. This process has proven effective in bridging previously reported research gaps and the resulting model should be used for supporting bank customer loyalty decision-making.
Procyanidin C1 Location, Interaction, and Aggregation in Two Complex Biomembranes
Authors: Villalaín José
Published: July 2022

Procyanidins are known for their many benefits to human health and show a plethora of biological effects. One of the most important procyanidin is the procyanidin trimer C1 (PC1). Due to its relatively high lipid–water partition coefficient, the properties of PC1 could be attributed to its capability to interact with the biomembrane, to modulate its structure and dynamics, and to interact with lipids and proteins, however, its biological mechanism is not known. We have used all-atom molecular dynamics in order to determine the position of PC1 in complex membranes and the presence of its specific interactions with membrane lipids, having simulated a membrane mimicking the plasma membrane and another mimicking the mitochondrial membrane. PC1 has a tendency to be located at the membrane interphase, with part of the molecule exposed to the water solvent and part of it reaching the first carbons of the hydrocarbon chains. It has no preferred orientation, and it completely excludes the CHOL molecule. Remarkably, PC1 has a tendency to spontaneously aggregate, forming high-order oligomers. These data suggest that its bioactive properties could be attributed to its membranotropic effects, which therefore supports the development of these molecules as therapeutic molecules, which would open new opportunities for future medical advances.
Simultaneous Detection of Five Foodborne Pathogens Using a Mini Automatic Nucleic Acid Extractor Combined with Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and Lateral Flow Immunoassay
Authors: Jin Bei , Ma Biao , Li Jiali , Hong Yi , Zhang Mingzhou
Published: July 2022

In recent years, foodborne disease outbreaks have caused huge losses to the economy and have had severe impacts on public health. The accuracy and variety of detection techniques is crucial to controlling the outbreak and spread of foodborne diseases. The need for instruments increases the difficulty of field detection, while manually-handled samples are subject to user error and subjective interpretation. Here, we use a mini automatic nucleic acid extractor combined with recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA) and lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for simultaneous quantitative detection of five major foodborne pathogens. The pre-treatment device using the magnetic bead method allows for nucleic acid extraction of the reagent tank without manual operation, which is highly efficient and stable for preventing aerosol contamination. The nuc gene of Staphylococcus aureus, the toxR gene of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, the rfbE gene of Escherichia coli O157:H7, the hlyA gene of Listeria monocytogenes, and the fimY gene of Salmonella enterica were used as target fragments. The labeled antibody concentration is optimized on the LFIA to find the equilibrium point for the binding capacity of the five chemical markers and to efficiently and accurately visualize the bands. The RPA assay shows an optimal performance at 37 °C for 15 min. The optimized RPA-LFIA detection limit can reach 101 CFU/mL. There was no cross-reactivity among forty-eight strains. Furthermore, the average recoveries in spiked food samples were 90.5–104.5%. In summary, the RPA-LFIA established in this study can detect five pathogenic bacteria simultaneously with little dependence on laboratory equipment, and it has promising prospects for screening in low-resource areas.
Intestinal Helminth Infection, Anemia, Undernutrition and Academic Performance among School Children in Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Degarege Abraham , Erko Berhanu , Negash Yohannes , Animut Abebe
Published: July 2022

This study examined the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminth infections and their association with anemia, undernutrition, and academic performance among school children in Maksegnit, northwestern Ethiopia. A total of 1205 school children, who attended Maksegnit Number Two Elementary School between May and July 2021, participated in this study. To determine helminth infection status, two thick Kato–Katz slides were examined for each child. Hemoglobin level was measured using a HemoCue machine. Academic performance was assessed using the mean score of all subjects children have taken for the Spring 2020/2021 academic term. Out of 1205 children examined, 45.4% were infected with at least one helminth species, 7.9% were anemic, and 35.8% were undernourished. The means for hemoglobin level and z-scores of weight for age, height for age, body mass index for age, and academic scores were lower among helminth-infected children than the uninfected. Children infected with intestinal helminths showed higher odds of anemia than those uninfected with helminths. In conclusion, there was a moderate prevalence of intestinal helminth infection and undernutrition among school children in Maksegnit. Intestinal helminth infection could increase the risk of anemia, undernutrition, and poor academic performance.
Comparative Analysis of Catabolic and Anabolic Dehydroshikimate Dehydratases for 3,4-DHBA Production in Escherichia coli
Authors: Shmonova Ekaterina A. , Savrasova Ekaterina A. , Fedorova Elizaveta N. , Doroshenko Vera G.
Published: July 2022

The production of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHBA or protocatechuate) is a relevant task owing to 3,4-DHBA’s pharmaceutical properties and its use as a precursor for subsequent synthesis of high value-added chemicals. The microbial production of 3,4-DHBA using dehydroshikimate dehydratase (DSD) (EC: 4.2.1.118) has been demonstrated previously. DSDs from soil-dwelling organisms (where DSD is involved in quinate/shikimate degradation) and from Bacillus spp. (synthesizing the 3,4-DHBA-containing siderophore) were compared in terms of the kinetic properties and their ability to produce 3,4-DHBA. Catabolic DSDs from Corynebacterium glutamicum (QsuB) and Neurospora crassa (Qa-4) had higher Km (1 and 0.6 mM, respectively) and kcat (61 and 220 s−1, respectively) than biosynthetic AsbF from Bacillus thuringiensis (Km~0.04 mM, kcat~1 s−1). Product inhibition was found to be a crucial factor when choosing DSD for strain development. AsbF was more inhibited by 3,4-DHBA (IC50~0.08 mM), and Escherichia coli MG1655 ΔaroE PlacUV5-asbFattφ80 strain provided only 0.2 g/L 3,4-DHBA in test-tube fermentation. Isogenic strains MG1655 ΔaroE PlacUV5-qsuBattφ80 and MG1655 ΔaroE PlacUV5-qa-4attφ80 expressing QsuB and Qa-4 with IC50 ~0.35 mM and ~0.64 mM, respectively, accumulated 2.7 g/L 3,4-DHBA under the same conditions.
Biochemical and Kinetic Characterization of the Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Helicobacter pylori Strain 29CaP
Authors: Ortiz-Ramírez Paulina , Hernández-Ochoa Beatriz , Ortega-Cuellar Daniel , González-Valdez Abigail , Martínez-Rosas Víctor , Morales-Luna Laura , Arreguin-Espinosa Roberto , Castillo-Rodríguez Rosa Angélica , Canseco-Ávila Luis Miguel , Cárdenas-Rodríguez Noemi , Pérez de la Cruz Verónica , Montiel-González Alba Mónica , Gómez-Chávez Fernando , Gómez-Manzo Saúl
Published: July 2022

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been proposed as the foremost risk factor for the development of gastric cancer. We found that H. pylori express the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (HpG6PD), which participates in glucose metabolism via the pentose phosphate pathway. Thus, we hypothesized that if the biochemical and physicochemical characteristics of HpG6PD contrast with the host G6PD (human G6PD, HsG6PD), HpG6PD becomes a potential target for novel drugs against H. pylori. In this work, we characterized the biochemical properties of the HpG6PD from the H.pylori strain 29CaP and expressed the active recombinant protein, to analyze its steady-state kinetics, thermostability, and biophysical aspects. In addition, we analyzed the HpG6PD in silico structural properties to compare them with those of the HsG6PD. The optimal pH for enzyme activity was 7.5, with a T1/2 of 46.6 °C, at an optimum stability temperature of 37 °C. The apparent Km values calculated for G6P and NADP+ were 75.0 and 12.8 µM, respectively. G6P does not protect HpG6PD from trypsin digestion, but NADP+ does protect the enzyme from trypsin and guanidine hydrochloride (Gdn-HCl). The biochemical characterization of HpG6PD contributes to knowledge regarding H. pylori metabolism and opens up the possibility of using this enzyme as a potential target for specific and efficient treatment against this pathogen; structural alignment indicates that the three-dimensional (3D) homodimer model of the G6PD protein from H. pylori is different from the 3D G6PD of Homo sapiens.
The Di-Symbiotic Systems in the Aphids Sipha maydis and Periphyllus lyropictus Provide a Contrasting Picture of Recent Co-Obligate Nutritional Endosymbiosis in Aphids
Authors: Renoz François , Ambroise Jérôme , Bearzatto Bertrand , Fakhour Samir , Parisot Nicolas , Ribeiro Lopes Mélanie , Gala Jean-Luc , Calevro Federica , Hance Thierry
Published: July 2022

Dependence on multiple nutritional bacterial symbionts forming a metabolic unit has repeatedly evolved in many insect species that feed on nutritionally unbalanced diets such as plant sap. This is the case for aphids of the subfamilies Lachninae and Chaitophorinae, which have evolved di-symbiotic systems in which the ancient obligate nutritional symbiont Buchnera aphidicola is metabolically complemented by an additional nutritional symbiont acquired more recently. Deciphering how different symbionts integrate both metabolically and anatomically in such systems is crucial to understanding how complex nutritional symbiotic systems function and evolve. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of the symbionts B. aphidicola and Serratia symbiotica associated with the Chaitophorinae aphids Sipha maydis and Periphyllus lyropictus. Our results show that, in these two species, B. aphidicola and S. symbiotica complement each other metabolically (and their hosts) for the biosynthesis of essential amino acids and vitamins, but with distinct metabolic reactions supported by each symbiont depending on the host species. Furthermore, the S. symbiotica symbiont associated with S. maydis appears to be strictly compartmentalized into the specialized host cells housing symbionts in aphids, the bacteriocytes, whereas the S. symbiotica symbiont associated with P. lyropictus exhibits a highly invasive phenotype, presumably because it is capable of expressing a larger set of virulence factors, including a complete flagellum for bacterial motility. Such contrasting levels of metabolic and anatomical integration for two S. symbiotica symbionts that were recently acquired as nutritional co-obligate partners reflect distinct coevolutionary processes specific to each association.
Great Abilities of Shinella zoogloeoides Strain from a Landfarming Soil for Crude Oil Degradation and a Synergy Model for Alginate-Bead-Entrapped Consortium Efficiency
Authors: Goma-Tchimbakala Emerance Jessica Claire D’Assise , Pietrini Ilaria , Dal Bello Federica , Goma-Tchimbakala Joseph , Lo Russo Stefano , Corgnati Stefano Paolo
Published: July 2022

Oil contamination is of great concern worldwide and needs to be properly addressed. The present work aimed to contribute to the development of bacterial consortia for oil recovery. We investigated the community structure of a landfarming-treated soil (LF2) by metagenomics to unravel the presence of hydrocarbon degraders. Moreover, we isolated Shinella zoogloeoides LFG9 and Bacillus swezeyi LFS15 from LF2 and combined them with Pseudomonas guguanensis SGPP2 isolated from an auto mechanic workshop soil to form the mixed consortium COG1. Bacterial isolates were tested for biosurfactant production. Additionally, the bioremediation potential of COG1 was studied as free and entrapped consortia by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in comparison to the single strains. Results revealed the presence of Actinobacteria (66.11%), Proteobacteria (32.21%), Gammaproteobacteria (5.39%), Actinomycetales (65.15%), Burkholderiales (13.92%), and Mycobacterium (32.22%) taxa, indicating the presence of hydrocarbon degraders in soil LF2. All three isolated strains were biosurfactant producers capable of degrading crude oil components within 14 days. However, Shinella zoogloeoides LFG9 performed best and was retained as candidate for further bioremediation investigation. In addition, COG1 performed better when immobilized, with entrapment effectiveness manifested by increased fatty acids and aromatic compound degradation. Attempt to improve crude oil biodegradation by adding surfactants failed as sodium dodecyl sulfate restrained the immobilized consortium performance.
Genome-Based Taxonomy of the Genus Stutzerimonas and Proposal of S. frequens sp. nov. and S. degradans sp. nov. and Emended Descriptions of S. perfectomarina and S. chloritidismutans
Authors: Gomila Margarita , Mulet Magdalena , García-Valdés Elena , Lalucat Jorge
Published: July 2022

Stutzerimonas is a recently proposed genus within the Pseudomonadaceae comprising strains in the formerly phylogenetic group of Pseudomonas stutzeri. At least sixteen named species have to be included in the genus, together with 22 genomovars of Stutzerimonas stutzeri. To clarify the taxonomy of Stutzerimonas, a core-genome phylogeny of 200 strains in the genus was inferred and monophyletic strains with average nucleotide identities (ANIb) with values equal to or higher than 95 were grouped in the same phylogenomic species. A total of 45 phylogenomic species within the genus Stutzerimonas were detected in the present study. Sixteen phylogenomic species correspond to already named species, although three of them are not yet validated and two are proposed in the present study. A synonymy was detected between P. kunmingensis and S. chloritidismutans, both members of phylogenomic species 3, with a prevalence of the S. chloritidismutans name. The correspondence of the phylogenomic species to the genome taxonomy database classification (GTDB taxonomy) is discussed. Combining phylogenomic and phenotypic data, two novel species are described (Stutzerimonas frequens and Stutzerimonas degradans) and two species descriptions are emended (Stutzerimonas perfectomarina and Stutzerimonas chloritidismutans).
Microbial Natural Products with Antiviral Activities, Including Anti-SARS-CoV-2: A Review
Authors: Frediansyah Andri , Sofyantoro Fajar , Alhumaid Saad , Al Mutair Abbas , Albayat Hawra , Altaweil Hayyan I. , Al-Afghani Hani M. , AlRamadhan Abdullah A. , AlGhazal Mariam R. , Turkistani Safaa A. , Abuzaid Abdulmonem A. , Rabaan Ali A.
Published: July 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the COVID-19 infection, was discovered two and a half years ago. It caused a global pandemic, resulting in millions of deaths and substantial damage to the worldwide economy. Currently, only a few vaccines and antiviral drugs are available to combat SARS-CoV-2. However, there has been an increase in virus-related research, including exploring new drugs and their repurposing. Since discovering penicillin, natural products, particularly those derived from microbes, have been viewed as an abundant source of lead compounds for drug discovery. These compounds treat bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral infections. This review incorporates evidence from the available research publications on isolated and identified natural products derived from microbes with anti-hepatitis, anti-herpes simplex, anti-HIV, anti-influenza, anti-respiratory syncytial virus, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties. About 131 compounds with in vitro antiviral activity and 1 compound with both in vitro and in vivo activity have been isolated from microorganisms, and the mechanism of action for some of these compounds has been described. Recent reports have shown that natural products produced by the microbes, such as aurasperone A, neochinulin A and B, and aspulvinone D, M, and R, have potent in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity, targeting the main protease (Mpro). In the near and distant future, these molecules could be used to develop antiviral drugs for treating infections and preventing the spread of disease.
Conversion of the Native N-Terminal Domain of TDP-43 into a Monomeric Alternative Fold with Lower Aggregation Propensity
Authors: Moretti Matteo , Marzi Isabella , Cantarutti Cristina , Vivoli Vega Mirella , Mandaliti Walter , Mimmi Maria Chiara , Bemporad Francesco , Corazza Alessandra , Chiti Fabrizio
Published: July 2022

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) forms intraneuronal cytoplasmic inclusions associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ubiquitin-positive frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Its N-terminal domain (NTD) can dimerise/oligomerise with the head-to-tail arrangement, which is essential for function but also favours liquid-liquid phase separation and inclusion formation of full-length TDP-43. Using various biophysical approaches, we identified an alternative conformational state of NTD in the presence of Sulfobetaine 3-10 (SB3-10), with higher content of α-helical structure and tryptophan solvent exposure. NMR shows a highly mobile structure, with partially folded regions and β-sheet content decrease, with a concomitant increase of α-helical structure. It is monomeric and reverts to native oligomeric NTD upon SB3-10 dilution. The equilibrium GdnHCl-induced denaturation shows a cooperative folding and a somewhat lower conformational stability. When the aggregation processes were compared with and without pre-incubation with SB3-10, but at the identical final SB3-10 concentration, a slower aggregation was found in the former case, despite the reversible attainment of the native conformation in both cases. This was attributed to protein monomerization and oligomeric seeds disruption by the conditions promoting the alternative conformation. Overall, the results show a high plasticity of TDP-43 NTD and identify strategies to monomerise TDP-43 NTD for methodological and biomedical applications.
Effect of Yakae-Prajamduen-Jamod Traditional Thai Remedy on Cognitive Impairment in an Ovariectomized Mouse Model and Its Mechanism of Action
Authors: Daodee Supawadee , Monthakantirat Orawan , Tantipongpiradet Ariyawan , Maneenet Juthamart , Chotritthirong Yutthana , Boonyarat Chantana , Khamphukdee Charinya , Kwankhao Pakakrong , Pitiporn Supaporn , Awale Suresh , Matsumoto Kinzo , Chulikhit Yaowared
Published: July 2022

Cognitive impairment is a neurological symptom caused by reduced estrogen levels in menopausal women. The Thai traditional medicine, Yakae-Prajamduen-Jamod (YPJ), is a formula consisting of 23 medicinal herbs and has long been used to treat menopausal symptoms in Thailand. In the present study, we investigated the effects of YPJ on cognitive deficits and its underlying mechanisms of action in ovariectomized (OVX) mice, an animal model of menopause. OVX mice showed cognitive deficits in the Y-maze, the novel object recognition test, and the Morris water maze. The serum corticosterone (CORT) level was significantly increased in OVX mice. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were reduced, while the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α inflammatory cytokines were up-regulated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of OVX mice. These alterations were attenuated by daily treatment with either YPJ or 17β-estradiol. HPLC analysis revealed that YPJ contained antioxidant and phytoestrogen constituents including gallic acid, myricetin, quercetin, luteolin, genistein, and coumestrol. These results suggest that YPJ exerts its ameliorative effects on OVX-induced cognitive deficits in part by mitigating HPA axis overactivation, neuroinflammation, and oxidative brain damage. Therefore, YPJ may be a novel alternative therapeutic medicine suitable for the treatment of cognitive deficits during the menopausal transition.
Highly Effective Removal of Ofloxacin from Water with Copper-Doped ZIF-8
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Zhao Yingjie , Sun Yiqi , Liu Dahuan
Published: July 2022

Residual antibiotics in wastewater have gained widespread attention because of their toxicity to humans and the environment. In this work, Cu-doped ZIF-8s (Cu-ZIF-8s) were successfully synthesized by the impregnation of Cu2+ in ZIF-8 and applied in the removal of ofloxacin (OFX) from water. Remarkably, excellent adsorption performance was obtained in Cu-ZIF-8s, especially for Cu-ZIF-8-1, in which the adsorption capacity (599.96 mg·g−1) was 4.2 times higher than that of ZIF-8 and superior to various adsorbents reported previously. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm follow the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model, respectively. Furthermore, the removal efficiencies of OFX in Cu-ZIF-8-1 reached over 90% at low concentrations. It was revealed that electrostatic interaction and complexation play important roles in the adsorption process. In addition, the material can be regenerated by simple methods. Therefore, the obtained Cu-doped MOFs may have a promising application in the treatment of antibiotic-containing wastewater.
Nutritional Values of Minikiwi Fruit (Actinidia arguta) after Storage: Comparison between DCA New Technology and ULO and CA
Authors: Krupa Tomasz , Klimek Kamila , Zaraś-Januszkiewicz Ewa
Published: July 2022

The dietary properties of minikiwi make them, along with other fruits and vegetables, suitable as the basis for many slimming and pro-health diets. Prolonging the availability of minikiwi can be provided by different storage technologies. This experiment focused on evaluating the effect of various O2 and CO2 concentrations, i.e., low-oxygen atmosphere (DCA, 0.4% CO2:0.4% O2; ULO, 1.5% CO2:1.5% O2) or high-CO2 (CA, 5% CO2:1.5% O2) storage, in order to provide the consumer with fruits with comparable high nutritional values. Evaluation gave the basic characteristics of the fruits that characterize their health-promoting properties, i.e., total polyphenols (TPC), phenolic acids and flavonols, antioxidant activity (AA), monosaccharides, and acid content. The atmosphere with a higher CO2 content of 5% (CA) effectively influenced the high value of ascorbic acid even after 12 weeks of storage. DCA technology contributed to a significant inhibition of phenol loss but not as effectively as CA technology. In contrast, glucose and fructose contents were found to be significantly higher after storage in ULO or DCA, while sucrose content was more stable in fruit stored in CA or DCA. CA technology conditions stabilized the citric acid content of minikiwi, while DCA technology was less effective in inhibiting acid loss. The nutritional value of the fruit after storage in CA or DCA was not significantly reduced, which will allow the supply of fresh minikiwi fruit to be extended and provide a valuable component of the human diet.
Effect of Soil Type and Application of Ecological Fertilizer Composed of Ash from Biomass Combustion on Selected Physicochemical, Thermal, and Rheological Properties of Potato Starch
Authors: Pycia Karolina , Szupnar-Krok Ewa , Szostek Małgorzata , Pawlak Renata , Juszczak Lesław
Published: July 2022

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of soil type and the application of fertilizer composed of ashes from biomass combustion to potatoes on selected physicochemical, rheological, and thermal properties of potato starches isolated by using the laboratory method. Potatoes were grown in Haplic Luvisol (HL) and Gleyic Chernozem (GC) soil and fertilized with different doses of biomass combustion ash (D1–D6) with different mineral contents. The thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinization and retrogradation were identified by DSC. The analyses of rheological properties included the determination of the gelatinization characteristics by using the RVA method, flow curves, and assessment of the viscoelastic properties of starch gels. It was found that the starches tested contained from 24.7 to 29.7 g/100 g d.m. amylose, and the clarity of 1% starch pastes ranged from 59% to 68%. The gelatinization characteristics that were determined showed statistically significant differences between the starches analyzed in terms of the tested factors. The value of maximum viscosity and final viscosity varied, respectively, in the range of 2017–2404 mPa·s and 2811–3112 mPa·s, respectively. The samples of the potato starches studied showed a non-Newtonian flow, shear thinning, and the phenomenon of thixotropy. After cooling, the starch gels showed different viscoelastic properties, all of which were weak gels (tan δ = G″/G′ > 0.1).
Photothermal-Driven Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Materials, Alignment and Applications
Authors: Zhang Wei , Nan Yifei , Wu Zongxuan , Shen Yajing , Luo Dan
Published: July 2022

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are programmable deformable materials that can respond to physical fields such as light, heat, and electricity. Photothermal-driven LCE has the advantages of accuracy and remote control and avoids the requirement of high photon energy for photochemistry. In this review, we discuss recent advances in photothermal LCE materials and investigate methods for mechanical alignment, external field alignment, and surface-induced alignment. Advances in the synthesis and orientation of LCEs have enabled liquid crystal elastomers to meet applications in optics, robotics, and more. The review concludes with a discussion of current challenges and research opportunities.
Physicochemical Characteristics of Bambara Groundnut Speciality Malts and Extract
Authors: Adetokunboh Adeola Helen , Obilana Anthony O. , Jideani Victoria A.
Published: July 2022

Speciality malts and their extracts have physicochemical characteristics such as colour, flavour, and aroma sorted for in food production. Speciality malts used in food production are mostly produced from cereal grains. Hence, this study aimed to produce speciality malts from Bambara groundnut (BGN) seeds and analyse their physicochemical characteristics and metabolites. The base, toasted, caramel, and roasted malt were produced by drying at different temperatures and times. Syrups were produced isothermally from the speciality malts. The speciality malts and syrups were assessed for colour, pH, protein, α and β-amylases, total polyphenols, antioxidants, and metabolite profiling. The BGN speciality malts were assayed for fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), hydrocarbons, sugar alcohols, sugars, acids, amino acids, and volatile components using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID). The colours of the speciality malts and syrups were significantly (p = 0.000) different. The protein content of the BGN speciality malts was significantly different (p = 0.000), while the protein content of the syrups was not significantly different. The amylase activities of the BGN speciality malt decreased with the change in kilning temperatures and time. The α- and β-amylase activities for the specialty malts were 1.01, 0.21, 0.29, 0.15 CU/g and 0.11, 0.10, 0.10, 0.06 BU/g. The total polyphenols and antioxidant activities differed for all BGN speciality malts. There were twenty-nine volatiles detected in the BGN speciality malts. Fifteen amino acids consisted of seven essential amino acids, and eight non-essential amino acids were detected in the speciality malts. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) identified were palmitoleic, oleic, linolelaidic, linoleic, and arachidic acid. The sugars, organic acids, and sugar alcohols consisted of lactic acid, fructose, sucrose, and myo-inositol. The BGN speciality malts exhibited good physicochemical characteristics and metabolites that can make them useful as household and industrial ingredients for food production, which could be beneficial to consumers.
Rare Earth Elements and Bioavailability in Northern and Southern Central Red Sea Mangroves, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aljahdali Mohammed Othman , Alhassan Abdullahi Bala
Published: July 2022

Different hypotheses have been tested about the fractionation and bioavailability of rare earth elements (REE) in mangrove ecosystems. Rare earth elements and bioavailability in the mangrove ecosystem have been of significant concern and are recognized globally as emerging pollutants. Bioavailability and fractionation of rare earth elements were assessed in Jazan and AlWajah mangrove ecosystems. Comparisons between rare earth elements, multi-elemental ratios, geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and bio-concentration factor (BCF) for the two mangroves and the influence of sediment grain size types on concentrations of rare earth elements were carried out. A substantial difference in mean concentrations (mg/kg) of REE (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) was established, except for mean concentrations of Eu, Gd, Tb, Tm, and Lu. In addition, concentrations of REEs were higher in the Jazan mangrove ecosystem. However, REE composition in the two mangroves was dominated by the lighter REE (LREE and MREE), and formed the major contribution to the total sum of REE at 10.2–78.4%, which was greater than the HREE contribution of 11.3–12.9%. The Post Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) normalized values revealed that lighter REE (LREE and MREE) were steadily enriched above heavy REE. More so, low and negative values of R(H/M) were recorded in the Al Wajah mangrove, indicating higher HREE depletion there. The values of BCF for REEs were less than 1 for all the REEs determined; the recorded BCF for Lu (0.33) and Tm (0.32) were the highest, while the lowest BCF recorded was for Nd (0.09). There is a need for periodic monitoring of REE concentrations in the mangroves to keep track of the sources of this metal contamination and develop conservation and control strategies for these important ecosystems.
A Novel ERK2 Degrader Z734 Induces Apoptosis of MCF–7 Cells via the HERC3/p53 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xu Shiyao , Xiong Yan , Yao Rui , Tian Rong , Meng Zhuqing , Zaky Mohamed Y. , Fu Beibei , Guo Dong , Wang Lulu , Lin Feng , Lin Xiaoyuan , Wu Haibo
Published: July 2022

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and synthetic chemicals targeting specific proteins or various molecular pathways for tumor suppression, such as ERK inhibitors and degraders, have been intensively investigated. The targets of ERK participate in the regulation of critical cellular mechanisms and underpin the progression of anticancer therapy. In this study, we identified a novel small molecule, which we named Z734, as a new mitogen–activated protein kinase 1 (ERK2) degrader and demonstrated that Z734 inhibits cell growth by inducing p53–mediated apoptotic pathways in human breast cancer cells. Treatment with Z734 resulted in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and migration invasion, as well as cancer cell death via apoptosis. In addition, the Co–IP and GST pulldown assays indicated that the HECT and RLD domains containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 3 (HERC3) could directly interact with ERK2 through the HECT domain, promoting ERK2 ubiquitination. We also observed a strong link between HERC3 and p53 for the modulation of apoptosis. HERC3 can increase the protein and phosphorylation levels of p53, which further promotes apoptotic activity. In a xenograft mouse model, the effect was obtained in a treatment group that combined Z734 with lapatinib compared with that of the single–treatment groups. In summary, our results indicated that Z734 actively controls the development of breast cancer through apoptosis, and HERC3 may mediate ERK2 and p53 signaling, which offers new potential targets for clinical therapy.
Non-Biological Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment with Membrane Processes—An Opportunity for Water Recycling
Authors: Philipp Maximilian , Reich Jascha , Geißen Sven-Uwe
Published: July 2022

The pressure-driven membrane separation processes ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) enable the effective purification of wastewater, in particular in combination, allowing organic and inorganic contaminants to be separated from the wastewater. Consequently, this work investigates the suitability of this technology for slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW) recycling. This was investigated by means of laboratory and bench-scale plant membrane experiments, whereby slaughterhouse wastewater (SWW) pre-treated by flotation was first treated with UF and then further purified with RO. Through the process combination UF + RO in the bench scale experiment, a reduction of the parameters total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD) of more than 98% and 97% for the parameter total nitrogen (TN) could be achieved. This means that wastewater reuse without product contact can be guaranteed. For direct process water reuse, only the concentration limit for ammonium could not be reached. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses of the RO membrane were carried out before and after the experiment, which did not indicate any scaling effects.
Phytochemical Components and Human Health Effects of Old versus Modern Italian Wheat Varieties: The Case of Durum Wheat Senatore Cappelli
Authors: Giacosa Attilio , Peroni Gabriella , Rondanelli Mariangela
Published: July 2022

The Mediterranean diet has significant beneficial health effects and wheat is a major component of the Mediterranean diet, mainly in the form of bread and pasta. Modern wheat generally refers to varieties that were developed after the introduction of dwarfing genes in the 1950s, while old varieties are considered those developed before that time. Research findings on Italian wheat varieties showed that the total polyphenol content in both old and modern durum and soft wheat varieties are similar; but the old varieties have a higher number of polyphenols and of isomer forms. In particular, the durum wheat Senatore Cappelli genotype shows a very high variety of polyphenolic components. Recent studies have demonstrated healthy cardiovascular effects (favorable changes of atherosclerosis markers such as lipid parameters and hemorheological variables) as well as a marked reduction in gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms in non-celiac gluten sensitivity subjects with the consumption of pasta obtained by old durum wheat Senatore Cappelli variety, even though this type of wheat contains high amounts of gluten. In conclusion, old wheat Italian varieties, and in particular the Senatore Cappelli genotype, are characterized by multiple nutraceutical specificities that could suggest their use for health-promoting purposes. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings, focusing attention also on the effect of different environments and years.
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydophila abortus Infection in Domestic Small Ruminants in Cameroon
Authors: Nankam Roland Chimi , Kouamo Justin , Kouengoua Armelle Prudence Kouengoua , Tchinze Grace Jedida Toukem , Dzousse Müller Fotsac , Gapgueu Sandra Vanessa , Guefack Noumedem Ranyl Nguena , Ngoula Ferdinand
Published: July 2022

Toxoplasmosis and chlamydiosis remain among the primary causes of abortion and fetal loss in small ruminants. Consequently, they are a source of considerable economic losses for farmers. The objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence and highlight the risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii and Chlamydophila abortus infection in small ruminants in Cameroon. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 200 small ruminant farms during a period from April to October 2021. A total of 1061 small ruminants were sampled, and the sera obtained were analyzed using the indirect ruminant multi-species ELISA test for specific IgG antibody detection for T. gondii and C. abortus at the National Veterinary Laboratory. A questionnaire was constructed to collect information about flock management and risk factors possibly associated with T. gondii and C. abortus infection in goats and sheep. Overall, 329 small ruminants tested positive for T. gondii-specific IgG antibodies and 45 for C. abortus-specific IgG antibodies with a seroprevalence of 31.1% (95% CI: 28.2–33.8) for T. gondii and 4.2% (95% CI: 3.0–5.5) for C. abortus, respectively. However, a significant co-infection of 1.8% (95% CI: 0.37–3.3) was obtained between T. gondii and C. abortus (p = 0.02). Linear regression model analysis revealed that, the seroprevalence of T. gondii at the flock level was significantly correlated with the region (0.22 CI: 0.17; 0.26) the breeding objectives (0.36 CI: 0.17; 0.56) the level of hygiene (0.11 CI: 0.01; 0.21) and presence abortions (0.55 CI: 0.46; 0.64) on the farms and that of C. abortus was significantly correlated with the regions (0.01 CI: 0.00–0.02) and degree of abortion on the farms (−0.26 CI: −039; −0.14). At the individual level, a significant correlation was observed between the seroprevalence of T. gondii and region (−0.09 CI: −0.14; −0.04), species (0.07 CI: 0.01–0.14), sex (−0.11 CI: −0.18; −0.03), age (0.08 CI: 0.04–0.12) and physiological status (0.21 CI: 0.18; 0.24). For C. abortus seroprevalence, a significant correlation was observed with the regions (0.02 CI: 0.00; 0.03) and breed (0.01 CI: 0.01; 0.02) of small ruminants reared in the northern regions of Cameroon. These results could be used to implement efficient management measures to prevent and control T. gondii and C. abortus infection in goats and sheep in Cameroon.