bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lower Nerve Growth Factor Levels in Major Depression and Suicidal Behaviors: Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Recurrence of Illness
Authors: Maes Michael , Rachayon Muanpetch , Jirakran Ketsupar , Sodsai Pimpayao , Sughondhabirom Atapol
Published: July 2023

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and its severe subtype, major dysmood disorder (MDMD), are distinguished by activation of inflammatory and growth factor subnetworks, which are associated with recurrence of illness (ROI) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a crucial role in facilitating neuro-immune communications and may regulate the inflammatory response. Methods: The present study examined the effects of ACEs and ROI on culture supernatant NGF, stem cell factor (SCF), stem cell GF (SCGF), hepatocyte GF (HGF), and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), in relation to a neurotoxicity (NT) cytokine profile. Results: NGF levels are lower in MDD (p = 0.003), particularly MDMD (p < 0.001), as compared with normal controls. ROI and ACE were significantly and inversely associated with NGF (≤0.003) and the NGF/NT ratio (≤0.001), whereas there are no effects of ACEs and ROI on SCF, SCGF, HGF, or M-CSF. Lowered NGF (p = 0.003) and the NGF/NT ratio (p < 0.001) are highly significantly and inversely associated with the severity of the current depression phenome, conceptualized as a latent vector extracted from the current severity of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviors. We found that one validated and replicable latent vector could be extracted from NGF, ROI, and the depression phenome, which therefore constitutes a novel ROI-NGF-pathway-phenotype. ACEs explained 59.5% of the variance in the latter pathway phenotype (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The imbalance between decreased NGF and increased neurotoxic cytokines during the acute phase of severe depression may contribute to decreased neuroprotection, increased neuro-affective toxicity, and chronic mild inflammation.
Optimization of Radiolabeling of a [90Y]Y-Anti-CD66-Antibody for Radioimmunotherapy before Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Winter Gordon , Hamp-Goldstein Carmen , Fischer Gabriel , Kletting Peter , Glatting Gerhard , Solbach Christoph , Herrmann Hendrik , Sala Elisa , Feuring Michaela , Döhner Hartmut , Beer Ambros J. , Bunjes Donald , Prasad Vikas
Published: July 2023

For patients with acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or acute lymphoblastic leukemia, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative treatment. In addition to standard conditioning regimens for HCT, high-dose radioimmunotherapy (RIT) offers the unique opportunity to selectively deliver a high dose of radiation to the bone marrow while limiting side effects. Modification of a CD66b-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) with a DTPA-based chelating agent should improve the absorbed dose distribution during therapy. The stability and radioimmunoreactive fraction of the radiolabeled mAbs were determined. Before RIT, all patients underwent dosimetry to determine absorbed doses to bone marrow, kidneys, liver, and spleen. Scans were performed twenty-four hours after therapy for quality control. A radiochemical purity of >95% and acceptable radioimmunoreactivity was achieved. Absorbed organ doses for the liver and kidney were consequently improved compared to reported historical data. All patients tolerated RIT well with no treatment-related acute adverse events. Complete remission could be observed in 4/5 of the patients 3 months after RIT. Two patients developed delayed liver failure unrelated to the radioimmunotherapy. The improved conjugation and radiolabeling procedure resulted in excellent stability, radiochemical purity, and CD66-specific radioimmunoreactivity of 90Y-labeled anti-CD66 mAb. RIT followed by conditioning and HCT was well tolerated. Based on these promising initial data, further prospective studies of [90Y]Y-DTPA-Bn-CHX-A″-anti-CD66-mAb-assisted conditioning in HCT are warranted.
Ca2+-Driven Selectivity of the Effect of the Cardiotonic Steroid Marinobufagenin on Rabbit Sinoatrial Node Function
Authors: Segal Sofia , Yaniv Yael
Published: July 2023

The synergy between Na+-K+ pumps, Na+-Ca2+ exchangers, membrane currents and the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) generates the coupled-clock system, which governs the spontaneous electrical activity of heart sinoatrial node cells (SANCs). Ca2+ mediates the degree of clock coupling via local Ca2+ release (LCR) from the SR and activation of cAMP/PKA signaling. Marinobufagenin (MBG) is a natural Na+-K+ pump inhibitor whose effect on SANCs has not been measured before. The following two hypotheses were tested to determine if and how MBG mediates between the Na+-K+ pump and spontaneous SAN activity: (i) MBG has a distinct effect on beat interval (BI) due to variable effects on LCR characteristics, and (ii) Ca2+ is an important mediator between MBG and SANC activity. Ca2+ transients were measured by confocal microscopy during application of increasing concentrations of MBG. To further support the hypothesis that Ca2+ mediates between MBG and SANC activity, Ca2+ was chelated by the addition of BAPTA. Dose response tests found that 100 nM MBG led to no change in BI in 6 SANCs (no BI change group), and to BI prolongation in 10 SANCs (BI change group). At the same concentration, the LCR period was prolonged in both groups, but more significantly in the BI change group. BAPTA-AM prolonged the BI in 12 SANCs. In the presence of BAPTA, 100 nM MBG had no effect on SANC BI or on the LCR period. In conclusion, the MBG effects on SANC function are mediated by the coupled clock system, and Ca2+ is an important regulator of these effects.
Electronic Structure and Mechanical Properties of Solvated Montmorillonite Clay Using Large-Scale DFT Method
Authors: Shafei Layla , Adhikari Puja , San Saro , Ching Wai-Yim
Published: July 2023

Montmorillonite clay (MMT) has been widely used in engineering and environmental applications as a landfill barrier and toxic waste repository due to its unique property as an expandable clay mineral that can absorb water easily. This absorption process rendered MMT to be highly exothermic due to electrostatic interactions among molecules and hydrogen bonds between surface atoms. A detailed study of a large supercell model of structural clay enables us to predict long-term nuclear waste storage. Herein, a large solvent MMT model with 4071 atoms is studied using ab initio density functional theory. The DFT calculation and analysis clarify the important issues, such as bond strength, solvation effect, elasticity, and seismic wave velocities. These results are compared to our previous study on crystalline MMT (dry). The solvated MMT has reduced shear modulus (G), bulk modulus (K), and Young’s modulus (E). We observe that the conduction band (CB) in the density of states (DOS) of solvated MMT model has a single, conspicuous peak at −8.5 eV. Moreover, the atom-resolved partial density of states (PDOS) summarizes the roles played by each atom in the DOS. These findings illuminate numerous potential sophisticated applications of MMT clay.
Processing and Investigation of Cd0.5Zn0.5Fe2−xCrxO4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) Spinel Nanoparticles
Authors: Alharbi Reem Khalid , Kouki Noura , Mallah Abdulrahman , Beji Lotfi , Tar Haja , Algreiby Azizah , Alnafisah Abrar S. , Hcini Sobhi
Published: July 2023

This study presents the synthesis of Cd0.5Zn0.5Fe2−xCrxO4 nanoparticles via the sol–gel method, along with a comprehensive characterization of their morphological, structural, infrared, and magnetic properties. The X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the formation of the spinel structure, and the cation distribution is estimated using X-ray analysis and confirmed by magnetization measurements. The crystalline size, ranging from 152 to 189 nm, and lattice parameter, varying from 8.51134 Å to 8.42067 Å, decrease with increasing Cr content. The saturation magnetization decreases from 55 emu/g to 10.8 emu/g, while the remanent magnetization increases (3.5 emu/g ≤ Mr ≤ 6.27 emu/g), and the coercivity increases (82 Oe ≤ HC ≤ 422.15 Oe) with the addition of Cr ions. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy reveals two absorption bands at ν1 and ν2, located near 600 and 400 cm−1, respectively, which correspond to the vibrations of the metal–oxygen bonds in the spinel structure.
Multi-Theory Comparisons of Molecular Simulation Approaches to TiO2/H2O Interfacial Systems
Authors: O’Carroll Dáire , English Niall J.
Published: July 2023

Herein, we present molecular dynamics analyses of systems containing TiO2 interfaces with water, simulated using empirical forcefields (FF), Density-Functional Tight-Binding (DFTB), and Density-Functional Theory (DFT) methodologies. The results and observed differences between the methodologies are discussed, with the aim of assessing the suitability of each methodology for performing molecular dynamics simulations of catalytic systems. Generally, well-parameterised forcefield MD outperforms the other methodologies—albeit, at the expense of neglecting certain qualitative behaviours entirely. DFTB represents an attractive compromise method, and has the potential to revolutionise the field of molecular dynamics in the near future due to advances in generating parameters.
Marine Bacterial Communities in the Xisha Islands, South China Sea
Authors: Wang Yihui , Wang Lei , Liu Yongliang , Su Shengqi , Hao Wenjin
Published: July 2023

Oligotrophic marine environments are ecological funnels in marine ecosystems and are essential for maintaining the health and balance of the entire marine ecosystem. Bacterial communities are one of the most important biological populations, which can survive in low-nutrient environments and perform a variety of important ecological functions, such as decomposing and absorbing organic waste in the ocean and converting nitrogen from the atmosphere into a usable nitrogen source, thus maintaining the health of marine ecosystems. The bacterioplankton community composition and potential function were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in oligotrophic coral reef sea areas. The diversity of the bacterial community exhibited significant differences between the four studied regions. Proteobacteria (38.58–62.79%) were the most abundant in all sampling sites, followed by Cyanobacteria (15.41–37.28%), Bacteroidota (2.39–6.67%), and Actinobacteriota (0.45–1.83%). Although bacterioplankton communities presented no difference between surface and bottom water regarding community richness and α-diversity, the bacterial community composition presented significant differences between surface and bottom water regarding β-diversity. Alteromonadales, Rhodospirllales, and Chloroplast were identified as the significantly different communities between the surface and bottom (Q value < 0.01). Bacterial community distribution in different regions was mainly affected by pH, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients. Nitrite ammonification, chitinolysis, predatory or exoparasitic, chloroplasts, chemoheterotrophy, aerobic chemoheterotrophy, phototrophic, compound degradation (mostly nutrients and pollutants), nitrogen cycle, fermentation, and intracellular parasitism were the dominant functions in the four regions.
Substratum Raking Can Restore Interstitial Habitat Quality in Swedish Freshwater Pearl Mussel Streams
Authors: Geist Juergen , Hoess Rebecca , Rytterstam Johan , Söderberg Håkan
Published: July 2023

Functional and oxygenated stream beds provide crucial habitat for multiple endangered stream taxa, including endangered freshwater mussels, fishes, and insect larvae. Stream bed restoration measures such as substrate raking are often applied to mitigate excess fine sediment introductions and stream bed colmation, yet such measures are controversial. In this study, we conducted a systematic experiment in which sites with stream bed raking and removal of macrophytes were monitored over two years and compared with before-treatment conditions and untreated reference sites in the Swedish Brånsån stream, which still contains a population of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera. The stream bed restoration resulted in improved habitat quality, as evident from decreased substrate compaction, increased redox potential, and oxygen supply into the stream bed. In contrast to previous studies in Central European catchments with more intensive agricultural catchment uses, the effects of the restoration measure were much longer, extending over two years. Consequently, stream bed raking and macrophyte removal can be considered a useful and more long-lasting restoration measure than currently assumed, especially in streams where excess input of fine sediment has already been mitigated, where catchment land use is rather extensive, and where near-natural flow regimes still prevail.
Seasonal Variation of Emission Fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Different Larch Forests in the Daxing’An Mountains of China
Authors: Li Jinbo , Wu Yining , Wang Jianbo , Liang Jiawen , Dong Haipeng , Chen Qing , Zhong Haixiu
Published: July 2023

Using a static chamber-gas chromatography method, we investigate the characteristics of soil CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes and their relationships with environmental factors during the growing season in four typical Larix gmelinii forests (moss–Larix gmelinii forest, Ledum palustre–Larix gmelinii forest, herbage–Larix gmelinii forest, and Rhododendron dauricum–Larix gmelinii forest) in the Greater Khingan Mountains. Our results show that all four forest types are sources of CO2 emissions, with similar average emission fluxes (146.71 mg·m−2 h−1–211.81 mg·m−2 h−1) and no significant differences. The soil in the moss–Larix gmelinii forest emitted CH4 (43.78 μg·m−2 h−1), while all other forest types acted as CH4 sinks (−56.02 μg·m−2 h−1–−28.07 μg·m−2 h−1). Although all forest types showed N2O uptake at the beginning of the growing season, the N2O fluxes (4.03 μg·m−2 h−1–5.74 μg·m−2 h−1) did not differ significantly among the four forest types for the entire growing season, and all acted as sources of N2O emissions. The fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O were significantly correlated with soil temperature and soil pH for all four forest types. Multiple regression analysis shows that considering the interactive effects of soil temperature and moisture could better explain the changes in greenhouse gas emissions among different forest types. The average Q10 value (8.81) of the moss–Larix gmelinii forest is significantly higher than that of the other three forest types (3.16–3.54) (p < 0.05), indicating that the soil respiration in this forest type is more sensitive to temperature changes.
Prediction of Peatlands Forest Fires in Malaysia Using Machine Learning
Authors: Li Lu , Sali Aduwati , Noordin Nor Kamariah , Ismail Alyani , Hashim Fazirulhisyam
Published: July 2023

The occurrence of fires in tropical peatlands poses significant threats to their ecosystems. An Internet of Things (IoT) system was developed to measure and collect fire risk factors in the Raja Musa Forest Reserve (RMFR) in Selangor, Malaysia, to address this issue. In this paper, neural networks with different layers were employed to predict peatland forests’ Fire Weather Index (FWI). The neural network models used two sets of input parameters, consisting of four and nine fire factors. The predicted FWI values were compared with actual values obtained from the Malaysian meteorological department. The findings revealed that the five-layer neural network outperformed others in both the four-input and nine-input models. Specifically, the nine-input neural network achieved a mean square error (MSE) of 1.116 and a correlation of 0.890, surpassing the performance of the four-input neural network with the MSE of 1.537 and the correlation of 0.852. These results hold significant research and practical implications for precise peatland fire prevention, control, and the formulation of preventive measures.
Soil Phosphorus Availability Controls Deterministic and Stochastic Processes of Soil Microbial Community along an Elevational Gradient in Subtropical Forests
Authors: Chen Rongzhi , Zhu Jing , Jiang Lan , Liu Lan , Gao Cheng , Chen Bo , Xu Daowei , Liu Jinfu , He Zhongsheng
Published: July 2023

Revealing the assembly mechanisms of the soil microbial community, which is crucial to comprehend microbial biodiversity, is a central focus in ecology. The distribution patterns of microbial elevational diversity have been extensively studied, but their assembly processes and drivers remain unclear. Therefore, it is essential to unravel the relationship between the deterministic and stochastic processes of the microbial community assembly and elevational gradients. Here, our study built upon previous physicochemical analyses of soil samples collected along an elevational gradient (900–1500 m) in Daiyun mountain, a subtropical forest located in southeastern China. Using the phylogenetic-bin-based null model analysis (icamp) and multiple regression on matrices approach, we explored the major drivers that influence the assembly processes of soil bacterial and fungal community across elevations. The results showed that: (1) bacterial rare taxa exhibited a broad habitat niche breadth along the elevational gradient; (2) homogeneous selection and homogenizing dispersal proved to be the most important assembly processes for the bacterial and fungal community; (3) soil phosphorus availability mediated the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in the soil microbial community. Notably, the relative abundance of dominant microbial taxa controlled by homogeneous selection and homogenizing dispersal increased with increasing soil phosphorus availability. Collectively, the assembly processes of microbial elevational communities of the subtropical mountains in China can be explained to some extent by variations in the soil phosphorus availability. This conclusion provides valuable insights into the prediction of soil microbial diversity and phosphorus nutrient cycling in subtropical montane forests.
Identification of Redundant Patches in Early Urbanized Areas Based on mRMR + SVM
Authors: Zhang Xiaolei , Li Bo , Xiao Hongyan , Du Chunlan , He Meng
Published: July 2023

Rapid global urbanization has inevitably led to habitat fragmentation, and much research has focused on responding by building ecological networks and improving connectivity. The construction of such post-event ecological networks is sometimes not effective, and the identification and protection of important patches in the early urbanization period is more significant. Based on the redundancy theory, this paper explores the method of identifying potential critical habitat patches after future urban development. The paper takes the Longxing area of Chongqing city as an example and uses the cumulative current value results of circuit theory model simulations and patch characteristic attribute information as sample data, introduces a combination of the minimal-redundancy-maximal-relevance criterion and a support vector machine (mRMR + SVM) to discriminate the redundancy of patches in ecological networks, and ranks the importance of source patches. The results show that the mRMR criterion can exhibit a more realistic ranking of patch importance, allowing patches with better quality to achieve a higher ranking. Compared to the patch importance determined based on the magnitude of the cumulative current value, 66.34% of the patch importance order changed in the mRMR criterion ranking results. The mRMR + SVM method was effective in identifying individuals with redundancy from the set of source-site patches. The test found that ecological corridors still passed through or occurred near these redundant patches after their removal, demonstrating the substitutability of patches identified as redundant. The results of the study can help improve the knowledge of ecological networks and provide quantitative methodological support and decision-making reference for urban development and ecological conservation.
Exploring Metabolomic Patterns in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Response to Glucose-Lowering Medications—Review
Authors: Shahisavandi Mina , Wang Kan , Ghanbari Mohsen , Ahmadizar Fariba
Published: July 2023

The spectrum of information related to precision medicine in diabetes generally includes clinical data, genetics, and omics-based biomarkers that can guide personalized decisions on diabetes care. Given the remarkable progress in patient risk characterization, there is particular interest in using molecular biomarkers to guide diabetes management. Metabolomics is an emerging molecular approach that helps better understand the etiology and promises the identification of novel biomarkers for complex diseases. Both targeted or untargeted metabolites extracted from cells, biofluids, or tissues can be investigated by established high-throughput platforms, like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) techniques. Metabolomics is proposed as a valuable tool in precision diabetes medicine to discover biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and management of the progress of diabetes through personalized phenotyping and individualized drug-response monitoring. This review offers an overview of metabolomics knowledge as potential biomarkers in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) diagnosis and the response to glucose-lowering medications.
Inhibition Roles of Calcium in Cadmium Uptake and Translocation in Rice: A Review
Authors: Liu Junli , Feng Xiaoyu , Qiu Gaoyang , Li Hua , Wang Yuan , Chen Xiaodong , Fu Qinglin , Guo Bin
Published: July 2023

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in rice grains is posing a significant threat to global food security. To restrict the transport of Cd in the soil-rice system, an efficient way is to use the ionomics strategy. Since calcium (Ca) and Cd have similar ionic radii, their uptake and translocation may be linked in multiple aspects in rice. However, the underlying antagonistic mechanisms are still not fully understood. Therefore, we first summarized the current knowledge on the physiological and molecular footprints of Cd translocation in plants and then explored the potential antagonistic points between Ca and Cd in rice, including exchange adsorption on roots, plant cell-wall composition, co-transporter gene expression, and transpiration inhibition. This review provides suggestions for Ca/Cd interaction studies on rice and introduces ionomics research as a means of better controlling the accumulation of Cd in plants.
Metabolomics of Escherichia coli for Disclosing Novel Metabolic Engineering Strategies for Enhancing Hydrogen and Ethanol Production
Authors: Valle Antonio , de la Calle Maria Elena , Muhamadali Howbeer , Hollywood Katherine A. , Xu Yun , Lloyd Jonathan R. , Goodacre Royston , Cantero Domingo , Bolivar Jorge
Published: July 2023

The biological production of hydrogen is an appealing approach to mitigating the environmental problems caused by the diminishing supply of fossil fuels and the need for greener energy. Escherichia coli is one of the best-characterized microorganisms capable of consuming glycerol—a waste product of the biodiesel industry—and producing H2 and ethanol. However, the natural capacity of E. coli to generate these compounds is insufficient for commercial or industrial purposes. Metabolic engineering allows for the rewiring of the carbon source towards H2 production, although the strategies for achieving this aim are difficult to foresee. In this work, we use metabolomics platforms through GC-MS and FT-IR techniques to detect metabolic bottlenecks in the engineered ΔldhΔgndΔfrdBC::kan (M4) and ΔldhΔgndΔfrdBCΔtdcE::kan (M5) E. coli strains, previously reported as improved H2 and ethanol producers. In the M5 strain, increased intracellular citrate and malate were detected by GC-MS. These metabolites can be redirected towards acetyl-CoA and formate by the overexpression of the citrate lyase (CIT) enzyme and by co-overexpressing the anaplerotic human phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (hPEPCK) or malic (MaeA) enzymes using inducible promoter vectors. These strategies enhanced specific H2 production by up to 1.25- and 1.49-fold, respectively, compared to the reference strains. Other parameters, such as ethanol and H2 yields, were also enhanced. However, these vectors may provoke metabolic burden in anaerobic conditions. Therefore, alternative strategies for a tighter control of protein expression should be addressed in order to avoid undesirable effects in the metabolic network.
Emerging Horizons in Plant Genetics and Breeding
Authors: Biswas Manosh Kumar
Published: July 2023

Plant genetics and breeding have made significant progress in recent years, especially with the emergence of genomics [...]
Multi-Class Skin Cancer Classification Using Vision Transformer Networks and Convolutional Neural Network-Based Pre-Trained Models
Authors: Arshed Muhammad Asad , Mumtaz Shahzad , Ibrahim Muhammad , Ahmed Saeed , Tahir Muhammad , Shafi Muhammad
Published: July 2023

Skin cancer, particularly melanoma, has been recognized as one of the most lethal forms of cancer. Detecting and diagnosing skin lesions accurately can be challenging due to the striking similarities between the various types of skin lesions, such as melanoma and nevi, especially when examining the color images of the skin. However, early diagnosis plays a crucial role in saving lives and reducing the burden on medical resources. Consequently, the development of a robust autonomous system for skin cancer classification becomes imperative. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been widely employed over the past decade to automate cancer diagnosis. Nonetheless, the emergence of the Vision Transformer (ViT) has recently gained a considerable level of popularity in the field and has emerged as a competitive alternative to CNNs. In light of this, the present study proposed an alternative method based on the off-the-shelf ViT for identifying various skin cancer diseases. To evaluate its performance, the proposed method was compared with 11 CNN-based transfer learning methods that have been known to outperform other deep learning techniques that are currently in use. Furthermore, this study addresses the issue of class imbalance within the dataset, a common challenge in skin cancer classification. In addressing this concern, the proposed study leverages the vision transformer and the CNN-based transfer learning models to classify seven distinct types of skin cancers. Through our investigation, we have found that the employment of pre-trained vision transformers achieved an impressive accuracy of 92.14%, surpassing CNN-based transfer learning models across several evaluation metrics for skin cancer diagnosis.
Biological Activity and Thrombogenic Properties of Oxide Nanotubes on the Ti-13Nb-13Zr Biomedical Alloy
Authors: Stróż Agnieszka , Gawlikowski Maciej , Balin Katarzyna , Osak Patrycja , Kubisztal Julian , Zubko Maciej , Maszybrocka Joanna , Dudek Karolina , Łosiewicz Bożena
Published: July 2023

The success of implant treatment is dependent on the osseointegration of the implant. The main goal of this work was to improve the biofunctionality of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr implant alloy by the production of oxide nanotubes (ONTs) layers for better anchoring in the bone and use as an intelligent carrier in drug delivery systems. Anodization of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy was carried out in 0.5% HF, 1 M (NH4)2SO4 + 2% NH4F, and 1 M ethylene glycol + 4 wt.% NH4F electrolytes. Physicochemical characteristics of ONTs were performed by high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning Kelvin probe (SKP). Water contact angle studies were conducted using the sitting airdrop method. In vitro biological properties and release kinetics of ibuprofen were investigated. The results of TEM and XPS studies confirmed the formation of the single-walled ONTs of three generations on the bi-phase (α + β) Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy. The ONTs were composed of oxides of the alloying elements. The proposed surface modification method ensured good hemolytic properties, no cytotoxity for L-929 mouse cells, good adhesion, increased surface wettability, and improved athrombogenic properties of the Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy. Nanotubular surfaces allowed ibuprofen to be released from the polymer matrix according to the Gallagher–Corrigan model.
A Magnetic Millirobot Walks on Slippery Biological Surfaces for Targeted Cargo Delivery
Authors: Jeong Moonkwang , Tan Xiangzhou , Fischer Felix , Qiu Tian
Published: July 2023

Small-scale robots hold great potential for targeted cargo delivery in minimally invasive medicine. However, current robots often face challenges in locomoting efficiently on slippery biological tissue surfaces, especially when loaded with heavy cargo. Here, we report a magnetic millirobot that can walk on rough and slippery biological tissues by anchoring itself on the soft tissue surface alternatingly with two feet and reciprocally rotating the body to move forward. We experimentally studied the locomotion, validated it with numerical simulations, and optimized the actuation parameters to fit various terrains and loading conditions. Furthermore, we developed a permanent magnet set-up to enable wireless actuation within a human-scale volume that allows precise control of the millirobot to follow complex trajectories, climb vertical walls, and carry cargo up to four times its own weight. Upon reaching the target location, it performs a deployment sequence to release the liquid drug into tissues. The robust gait of our millirobot on rough biological terrains, combined with its heavy load capacity, makes it a versatile and effective miniaturized vehicle for targeted cargo delivery.
Recent Advances in Electrochemical Sensors for Sulfur-Containing Antioxidants
Authors: Ziyatdinova Guzel , Gimadutdinova Liliya
Published: July 2023

Sulfur-containing antioxidants are an important part of the antioxidant defense systems in living organisms under the frame of a thiol–disulfide equilibrium. Among them, l-cysteine, l-homocysteine, l-methionine, glutathione, and α-lipoic acid are the most typical representatives. Their actions in living systems are briefly discussed. Being electroactive, sulfur-containing antioxidants are interesting analytes to be determined using various types of electrochemical sensors. Attention is paid to the chemically modified electrodes with various nanostructured coverages. The analytical capabilities of electrochemical sensors for sulfur-containing antioxidant quantification are summarized and discussed. The data are summarized and presented on the basis of the electrode surface modifier applied, i.e., carbon nanomaterials, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures, organic mediators, polymeric coverage, and mixed modifiers. The combination of various types of nanomaterials provides a wider linear dynamic range, lower limits of detection, and higher selectivity in comparison to bare electrodes and sensors based on the one type of surface modifier. The perspective of the combination of chromatography with electrochemical detection providing the possibility for simultaneous determination of sulfur-containing antioxidants in a complex matrix has also been discussed.
β-Cyclodextrin-Encapsulated Rhodamine Derivatives Core–Shell Microspheres—Based Fluorescent Sensor for Au3+ and Template for Generating Microplates of Gold
Authors: Munisamy Maniyazagan , Rathinam Balamurugan , Shanmugasundaram Esakkimuthu , Ganesan Vigneshkumar , Narayanan Vimalasruthi , Balakrishnan Suganya Bharathi , Kaliyamoorthy Selvam , Thambusamy Stalin
Published: July 2023

We have developed β-cyclodextrin-encapsulated rhodamine derivative core-shell microspheres (β-CD@RH) to improve their aqueous solubility and biocompatibility. The β-CD@RH core-shell microspheres exhibited bright and stable fluorescence with Au3+ ion in aqueous media. The development of triangular and hexagonal gold microplates within an aqueous solution by a simple, one-step, and green chemistry strategy is followed and prepared. Fluorescent imaging of Au3+ in living cells is also successfully demonstrated.
Inverse Association between Cheese Consumption and Lower Cognitive Function in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults Based on a Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kim Hunkyung , Osuka Yosuke , Kojima Narumi , Sasai Hiroyuki , Nakamura Kentaro , Oba Chisato , Sasaki Mayuki , Suzuki Takao
Published: July 2023

Diet modification may contribute to the prevention of age-related cognitive decline. The association between dairy product consumption and cognitive function in older people remains unknown. We investigated whether cheese intake is associated with lower cognitive function (LCF) in community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional study included 1503 adults aged over 65 years. The analyzed data were obtained through face-to-face interviews and functional ability measurement. Cognitive function was assessed using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and a score ≤23 was defined as LCF. The prevalence of LCF was 4.6%, and this group had smaller calf circumference, slower usual walking speed, and a more frequent history of anemia than subjects with MMSE scores >23. After adjusting for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis revealed cheese intake (odds ratio (OR) = 0.404, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.198–0.824), age (OR = 1.170, 95% CI = 1.089–1.256), usual walking speed (OR = 0.171, 95% CI = 0.062–0.472) and calf circumference (OR = 0.823, 95% CI = 0.747–0.908) to be significant factors associated with LCF. Although the present study was an analysis of cross-sectional data of Japanese community-dwelling older adults, the results suggest that cheese intake is inversely associated with LCF.
Integration of USDA Food Classification System and Food Composition Database for Image-Based Dietary Assessment among Individuals Using Insulin
Authors: Lin Luotao , He Jiangpeng , Zhu Fengqing , Delp Edward J. , Eicher-Miller Heather A.
Published: July 2023

New imaging technologies to identify food can reduce the reporting burden of participants but heavily rely on the quality of the food image databases to which they are linked to accurately identify food images. The objective of this study was to develop methods to create a food image database based on the most commonly consumed U.S. foods and those contributing the most to energy. The objective included using a systematic classification structure for foods based on the standardized United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) What We Eat in America (WWEIA) food classification system that can ultimately be used to link food images to a nutrition composition database, the USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS). The food image database was built using images mined from the web that were fitted with bounding boxes, identified, annotated, and then organized according to classifications aligning with USDA WWEIA. The images were classified by food category and subcategory and then assigned a corresponding USDA food code within the USDA’s FNDDS in order to systematically organize the food images and facilitate a linkage to nutrient composition. The resulting food image database can be used in food identification and dietary assessment.
The Effects of 12 Weeks Colostrum Milk Supplementation on the Expression Levels of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators and Metabolic Changes among Older Adults: Findings from the Biomarkers and Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis
Authors: Ooi Theng Choon , Ahmad Azizan , Rajab Nor Fadilah , Sharif Razinah
Published: July 2023

Senescence is a normal biological process that is accompanied with a series of deteriorations in physiological function. This study aimed to investigate the effects of bovine colostrum milk supplementation on metabolic changes and the expression of various biomarkers on inflammation, antioxidant and oxidative damage, nutrient metabolism, and genomic stability among older adults. Older adults (50–69 years old) who participated in the 12-week randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial were instructed to consume the IgCo bovine colostrum-enriched skim milk or regular skim milk (placebo) twice daily. Following 12 weeks of intervention, participants in the intervention group had lower expression levels in pro-inflammatory mediators (CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α), with significant (p < 0.05) interaction effects of the group and time observed. However, no significant interaction effect was observed in the vitamin D, telomerase, 8-OHdG, MDA, and SOD activities. UPLC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed that 22 metabolites were upregulated and 11 were downregulated in the intervention group compared to the placebo group. Glycerophospholipid metabolism, along with cysteine and methionine metabolism were identified as the potential metabolic pathways that are associated with bovine colostrum milk consumption. In conclusion, consuming bovine colostrum milk may induce metabolic changes and reduce the expression of various pro-inflammatory mediators, thus improving the immune function in older adults.
Increased In Vivo Exposure of N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl) Retinamide (4-HPR) to Achieve Plasma Concentrations Effective against Dengue Virus
Authors: Martin Alexander J. , Shackleford David M. , Charman Susan A. , Wagstaff Kylie M. , Porter Christopher J. H. , Jans David A.
Published: July 2023

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide (4-HPR, or fenretinide) has promising in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity against a range of flaviviruses and an established safety record, but there are challenges to its clinical use. This study evaluated the in vivo exposure profile of a 4-HPR dosage regime previously shown to be effective in a mouse model of severe dengue virus (DENV) infection, comparing it to an existing formulation for human clinical use for other indications and developed/characterised self-emulsifying lipid-based formulations of 4-HPR to enhance 4-HPR in vivo exposure. Pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis comprising single-dose oral and IV plasma concentration-time profiles was performed in mice; equilibrium solubility testing of 4-HPR in a range of lipids, surfactants and cosolvents was used to inform formulation approaches, with lead formulation candidates digested in vitro to analyse solubilisation/precipitation prior to in vivo testing. PK analysis suggested that effective plasma concentrations could be achieved with the clinical formulation, while novel lipid-based formulations achieved > 3-fold improvement. Additionally, 4-HPR exposure was found to be limited by both solubility and first-pass intestinal elimination but could be improved through inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolism. Simulated exposure profiles suggest that a b.i.d dosage regime is likely to maintain 4-HPR above the minimum effective plasma concentration for anti-DENV activity using the clinical formulation, with new formulations/CYP inhibition viable options to increase exposure in the future.
Feasibility Study of Using Hydrophobic Geopolymer-Based as Aggregate Substitution in Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Ago Cadnel , Li Guowei , Wu Jiantao , Md Yusoff Nur Izzi
Published: July 2023

Hydrophobic aggregates have the great ability to prevent asphalt pavement roads from stripping-off of the asphalt in presence of water. In addition, they give the option to consume less asphalt and save cost. On the other hand, natural aggregates have been found to be non-renewable and rare. Geopolymer based artificial aggregates are great materials as they demonstrated to have exceptional features, such as high strength, superior durability, and greater resistance to fire exposure. In this study, a new hydrophobic geopolymer based aggregate has been produced with rice ash (RA) and fly ash as precursors as well as, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) as activators. The mechanical properties combined with the softening coefficient, surface properties of samples, contact angle and adhesion were characterized as well as microstructure X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. The results indicate that the activators Na2SiO3/NaOH at a mix ratio of 1 have a suitable effect on the pores and the compressive strength of the new artificial aggregate most particularly sodium hydroxide. Nonetheless, it has been found that coating the artificial aggregate with asphalt showed a great improvement of the hydrophobic nature of the produced artificial aggregate based geopolymer. Hence, indicates the possibility of using it as recycle aggregate pavement. From a microstructure point, the hydrophobic nature of the new alkali-activated artificial aggregate can be improved by increasing the quantity of mullite in the mix proportion design.
Purpose, Spirituality and Moderate Secularism: The Contribution of Religious Institutions to Purpose Development
Authors: Espinosa Zárate Zaida
Published: July 2023

Building on moderate secularism, this article proposes a contribution that religious institutions could make to the common good of pluralistic societies, making more salient their relevance in the public sphere. In particular, based on the latest academic research on the many personal and social benefits of having a clear sense of purpose, it is explored whether religious institutions could contribute to identifying and developing the person’s purpose as a central aspect of spiritual growth, and how to take on this task with the specific means religious institutions have available. Purpose is understood as a superordinate/second-order aim that organises short-term or low-level goals in a way that they are interconnected and can be read teleologically, and which necessarily includes a self-transcendence or other-regarding dimension. Even though this transcendence has, for many nowadays, a purely secular/horizontal meaning, it is argued that religious institutions should get involved in deliberately fostering purpose in a well-informed way, since purpose is a component of spiritual development. In addition, this could help to widen participation and reconnect with those who have moved away from institutional religion but still have a clear concern for spiritual development: the spiritual ‘seekers’, regaining their interest. This poses the challenge of bridging the gap between horizontal and vertical self-transcendence.
Relationship between Lidar-Derived Canopy Densities and the Scattering Phase Center of High-Resolution TanDEM-X Data
Authors: Ziemer Jonas , Dubois Clémence , Thiel Christian , Bueso-Bello Jose-Luis , Rizzoli Paola , Schmullius Christiane
Published: July 2023

The estimation of forestry parameters is essential to understanding the three-dimensional structure of forests. In this respect, the potential of X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been recognized for years. Many studies have been conducted on deriving tree heights with SAR data, but few have paid attention to the effects of the canopy structure. Canopy density plays an important role since it provides information about the vertical distribution of dominant scatterers in the forest. In this study, the position of the scattering phase center (SPC) of interferometric X-band SAR data is investigated with regard to the densest vegetation layer in a deciduous and coniferous forest in Germany by applying a canopy density index from high-resolution airborne laser scanning data. Two different methods defining the densest layer are introduced and compared with the position of the TanDEM-X SPC. The results indicate that the position of the SPC often coincides with the densest layer, with mean differences ranging from −1.6 m to +0.7 m in the deciduous forest and +1.9 m in the coniferous forest. Regarding relative tree heights, the SAR signal on average penetrates up to 15% (3.4 m) of the average tree height in the coniferous forest. In the deciduous forest, the difference increases to 18% (6.2 m) during summer and 24% (8.2 m) during winter. These findings highlight the importance of considering not only tree height but also canopy density when delineating SAR-based forest heights. The vertical structure of the canopy influences the position of the SPC, and incorporating canopy density can improve the accuracy of SAR-derived forest height estimations.
The Fusion of ERA5 and MERRA-2 Atmospheric Temperature Profiles with Enhanced Spatial Resolution and Accuracy
Authors: Qiao Yale , Ji Dabin , Shang Huazhe , Xu Jian , Xu Ri , Shi Chong
Published: July 2023

Accurate high-resolution atmospheric temperature profiles are essential for precisely characterizing the evolution of the atmosphere and developing numerical forecasts. Atmospheric datasets, such as ERA5 (the fifth-generation ECMWF Reanalysis) and MERRA-2 (the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2), provide global and continuous temperature profiles, with fine vertical distribution and horizontal resolution. RAOB (Radiosonde Observation) sounding data have high confidence and representativeness and are usually used for data accuracy verification. Due to the difficulty of updating existing products, and the scarcity of research on mesospheric temperature profiles, this work maximizes the high observation accuracy of RAOB data, combines the benefits of ERA5’s horizontal resolution and MERRA-2’s vertical distribution, and employs the optimal interpolation method to combine the data, in order to produce a fused result with high spatial resolution. After converting all of the data to the same spatial distribution, the optimal interpolation method was used to combine the two datasets from separate places and different pressure layers in order to produce the fused results, which had a vertical distribution of 45 layers and a spatial resolution of 0.25°. The fused data’s RMSE and MAE were 6.0 K and 5.0 K lower than those of the MERRA-2 temperature profile data, respectively, and 0.3 K and 0.4 K lower than those of the ERA5 temperature profile data, respectively. The validation, using data from 2019, showed that the fused data exhibits better correlation and data accuracy than the other two datasets, which demonstrated that the fused algorithm can potentially be used to generate reliable datasets for future meteorological research.
Novel Proton Exchange Membranes Based on Sulfonated Poly(acrylonitrile-co-glycidyl methacrylate)/Poly(vinyl chloride) Composite
Authors: El Desouky Eman A. , Soliman Emad A. , Al-Rasheed Hessa H. , El-Faham Ayman , Abu-Saied M. A.
Published: July 2023

In this study, novel proton exchange membranes (PEMs) based on a composite of sulfonated polyacrylonitrile (SPAN), sulfonated polyglycidyl methacrylate (SPGMA), or sulfonated poly(acrylonitrile-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (SP(AN-co-GMA))/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were developed to be used for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). After polymerization and sulfonation of the prepared polymers, the polyelectrolyte membranes were prepared by the casting and solvent evaporation technique for sulfonated homo- or co-polymers with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites. The resulting membranes were characterized by Fourier infrared and Raman spectral analyses, X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The findings of this study reveal that both the thermal stability and ion exchange capacity of the composite membranes based on sulfonated copolymers were higher than that of their corresponding composites based on sulfonated homopolymers. In this context, the weight loss percentage of the prepared composite polyelectrolyte membranes did not exceed 12% of their initial weights. The IEC of all the composite membranes ranged from 0.18 to 0.48 meq/g. Thus, the IEC value increased with the increasing proportion of the glycidyl methacrylate comonomer. Moreover, the prepared PEMs based on SP(AN-co-GMA)/PVC composites showed lower methanol permeability (8.7 × 10−7 cm2/s) than that of the Nafion membranes (3.39 × 10−6 cm2/s). Therefore, these prepared PEMs are a good candidate for DMFCs applications.