bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Strongyloides Recombinant IgG Immunoreactive Antigen in Detecting IgG and IgG4 Subclass Antibodies for Diagnosis of Human Strongyloidiasis Using Rapid Immunochromatographic Tests
Authors: Boonroumkaew Patcharaporn , Sadaow Lakkhana , Sanpool Oranuch , Rodpai Rutchanee , Thanchomnang Tongjit , Phupiewkham Weeraya , Intapan Pewpan M. , Maleewong Wanchai
Published: August 2020

Human strongyloidiasis is an important soil-transmitted helminthiasis that affects millions worldwide and can develop into fatal systemic strongyloidiasis in immunosuppressed patients. We have developed two new rapid and simple-to-use immunochromatographic test (ICT) kits for rapid serodiagnosis that support stool examination for clinical diagnosis. Strongyloides stercoralis recombinant IgG immunoreactive antigen (GenBank: AAB97359.1; rSsIR-based ICT kit) was used for detection of IgG and IgG4 antibodies. The diagnostic efficacy of both kits was evaluated using human serum samples from strongyloidiasis patients, healthy individuals, and those with other parasitosis. At a prevalence of infection of 36.4%, the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the rSsIR-based IgG ICT kit were 91.7%, 83.8%, 76.4%, 94.6%, and 86.7%, respectively, and those of the rSsIR-based IgG4 ICT kit were 78.3%, 84.8%, 74.6%, 87.3%, and 82.4% respectively. The concordance between the two kits was 89.7%. The recombinant antigen can be produced to an unlimited extent and the kits can be used as point-of-care diagnostic tools and in large-scale surveys in endemic areas throughout tropical regions without necessitating additional facilities or ancillary supplies.
Matrix Information Geometry for Spectral-Based SPD Matrix Signal Detection with Dimensionality Reduction
Authors: Feng Sheng , Hua Xiaoqiang , Zhu Xiaoqian
Published: August 2020

In this paper, a novel signal detector based on matrix information geometric dimensionality reduction (DR) is proposed, which is inspired from spectrogram processing. By short time Fourier transform (STFT), the received data are represented as a 2-D high-precision spectrogram, from which we can well judge whether the signal exists. Previous similar studies extracted insufficient information from these spectrograms, resulting in unsatisfactory detection performance especially for complex signal detection task at low signal-noise-ratio (SNR). To this end, we use a global descriptor to extract abundant features, then exploit the advantages of matrix information geometry technique by constructing the high-dimensional features as symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices. In this case, our task for signal detection becomes a binary classification problem lying on an SPD manifold. Promoting the discrimination of heterogeneous samples through information geometric DR technique that is dedicated to SPD manifold, our proposed detector achieves satisfactory signal detection performance in low SNR cases using the K distribution simulation and the real-life sea clutter data, which can be widely used in the field of signal detection.
Solving Equations of Motion by Using Monte Carlo Metropolis: Novel Method Via Random Paths Sampling and the Maximum Caliber Principle
Authors: González Diaz Diego , Davis Sergio , Curilef Sergio
Published: August 2020

A permanent challenge in physics and other disciplines is to solve Euler–Lagrange equations. Thereby, a beneficial investigation is to continue searching for new procedures to perform this task. A novel Monte Carlo Metropolis framework is presented for solving the equations of motion in Lagrangian systems. The implementation lies in sampling the path space with a probability functional obtained by using the maximum caliber principle. Free particle and harmonic oscillator problems are numerically implemented by sampling the path space for a given action by using Monte Carlo simulations. The average path converges to the solution of the equation of motion from classical mechanics, analogously as a canonical system is sampled for a given energy by computing the average state, finding the least energy state. Thus, this procedure can be general enough to solve other differential equations in physics and a useful tool to calculate the time-dependent properties of dynamical systems in order to understand the non-equilibrium behavior of statistical mechanical systems.
On the Efficiency in Electrical Networks with AC and DC Operation Technologies: A Comparative Study at the Distribution Stage
Authors: Montoya Oscar Danilo , Serra Federico Martin , De Angelo Cristian Hernan
Published: August 2020

This research deals with the efficiency comparison between AC and DC distribution networks that can provide electricity to rural and urban areas from the point of view of grid energy losses and greenhouse gas emissions impact. Configurations for medium- and low-voltage networks are analyzed via optimal power flow analysis by adding voltage regulation and devices capabilities sources in the mathematical formulation. Renewable energy resources such as wind and photovoltaic are considered using typical daily generation curves. Batteries are formulated with a linear representation taking into account operative bounds suggested by manufacturers. Numerical results in two electrical networks with 0.24 kV and 12.66 kV (with radial and meshed configurations) are performed with constant power loads at all the nodes. These simulations confirm that power distribution with DC technology is more efficient regarding energy losses, voltage profiles and greenhouse emissions than its AC counterpart. All the numerical results are tested in the General Algebraic Modeling System widely known as GAMS.
Output Feedback Control via Linear Extended State Observer for an Uncertain Manipulator with Output Constraints and Input Dead-Zone
Authors: Tran Duc Thien , Dao Hoang Vu , Dinh Truong Quang , Ahn Kyoung Kwan
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes an output feedback controller with a linear extended state observer (LESO) for an n-degree-of-freedom (n-DOF) manipulator under the presence of external disturbance, an input dead-zone, and time-varying output constraints. First, these issues are derived in mathematical equations accompanying an n-DOF manipulator. The proposed control is designed based on the backstepping technique with the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) and a LESO. The LESO is used for estimating both the unmeasured states and the lumped uncertainties including the unknown frictions, external disturbances, and input dead-zone, in order to enhance the accuracy of the robotic manipulator. Additionally, the BLF helps to avoid violation of the output constraints. The stability and the output constraint satisfaction of the controlled manipulator are theoretically analyzed and proven by the Lyapunov theorem with a barrier Lyapunov function. Some comparative simulations are carried out on a 3-DOF planar manipulator. The simulation results prove the significant performance improvement of the proposed control over the previous methods.
NDE Terahertz Wave Techniques for Measurement of Defect Detection on Composite Panels of Honeycomb Sandwiches
Authors: Im Kwang-Hee , Kim Sun-Kyu , Jung Jong-An , Cho Young-Tae , Woo Yong-Deuck , Chiou Chien-Ping
Published: August 2020

Terahertz wave (T-ray) technologies have become a popular topic in scientific research over the last two decades, and can be utilized in nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques. This study suggests an optimal scanning technique method for honeycomb sandwich composite panels, where skins were utilized with two different skins, namely, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) skin and glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) skin, as layers of the panel surfaces. Foreign objects were artificially inserted between the skins and honeycomb cells in the honeycomb sandwich composite panels. For this experiment, optimal T-ray scanning methods were performed to examine defects based on the angle between the one-ply thin fiber skin axis and the angle of the electric field (E-field) according to the amount of conductivity of the honeycomb sandwich composite panels. In order to confirm the fundamental characteristics of the terahertz waves, the refractive index values of the GFRP composites were experimentally obtained and analyzed, with the data agreeing with known solutions. Terahertz waves (T-rays) were shown to have limited penetration in honeycomb sandwich composite panels when utilized with a skin of carbon fibers. Therefore, T-rays were found to interact with the electrical conductivity and electric field direction of honeycomb sandwich composite panels with glass fiber skins. The T-ray images were obtained regardless of the electric field direction and the fiber direction. In the honeycomb sandwich composite panels with carbon fiber skins, the T-ray images with higher signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios depended on the scanning angle between the angle of the carbon fiber and the angle of the electric field. Thus, the angle of optimum detection measurement was confirmed to be 90° between the E-field and the fiber direction, particularly when using a carbon fiber skin.
Sw/Hw Partitioning and Scheduling on Region-Based Dynamic Partial Reconfigurable System-on-Chip
Authors: Tang Qi , Guo Biao , Wang Zhe
Published: August 2020

A heterogeneous system-on-chip (SoC) integrates multiple types of processors on the same chip. It has great advantages in many aspects, such as processing capacity, size, weight, cost, power, and energy consumption, which result in it being widely adopted in many fields. The SoC based on region-based dynamic partial reconfigurable (DPR) FPGA plays an important role in the SoC field. However, delivering its powerful capacity to the consumer depends on the efficient Sw/Hw partitioning and scheduling technology that determines the resource volume of the DPR region, the mapping of the application to the DPR region and other processors, and the schedule of the task and its reconfiguration. This paper first proposes an exact approach based on the mixed integer linear programming (MILP) for the Sw/Hw partitioning and scheduling problem. The proposed MILP is able to solve the problem optimally; however, its scalability is poor, despite that we carefully designed its formulation and tried to make it as concise as possible. Therefore, a multi-step hybrid method that combines graph partitioning and MILP is proposed, which is able to reduce the time complexity significantly with the solution quality being degraded marginally. A set of experiments is carried out using a set of real-life applications, and the result demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
A Computational Analysis of a Methanol Steam Reformer Using Phase Change Heat Transfer
Authors: Song Hyemin , Kim Younghyeon , Yu Dongjin , Kim Byoung Jae , Ji Hyunjin , Yu Sangseok
Published: August 2020

A methanol steam reformer converts methanol and steam into a hydrogen-rich mixture through an endothermic reaction. The methanol reformer is divided into a reaction section and a heat supply section that transfers thermal energy from 200 to 300 °C. This study presents the behavior of the methanol steam reforming reaction using the latent heat of the steam. A numerical analysis was separately conducted for two different regimes assuming constant heat flux conditions. A methanol steam reformer is an annulus structure that has a phase change heat transfer from an outer tube to an inner tube. Different from the steam zone temperature in the tube, the latent heat of steam condensation decreases, and there is a gradual between-wall temperature decrease along the longitudinal direction. Since the latent heat of steam condensation is very sensitive to the requested heat from the reformer, it is necessary to consider a refined design of a methanol reformer to obtain a large enough amount of heat by steam condensation.
Demand Response Programs in Multi-Energy Systems: A Review
Authors: Vahid-Ghavidel Morteza , Javadi Mohammad Sadegh , Gough Matthew , Santos Sérgio F. , Shafie-khah Miadreza , Catalão João P.S.
Published: August 2020

A key challenge for future energy systems is how to minimize the effects of employing demand response (DR) programs on the consumer. There exists a diverse range of consumers with a variety of types of loads, such as must-run loads, and this can reduce the impact of consumer participation in DR programs. Multi-energy systems (MES) can solve this issue and have the capability to reduce any discomfort faced by all types of consumers who are willing to participate in the DRPs. In this paper, the most recent implementations of DR frameworks in the MESs are comprehensively reviewed. The DR modelling approach in such energy systems is investigated and the main contributions of each of these works are included. Notably, the amount of research in MES has rapidly increased in recent years. The majority of the reviewed works consider power, heat and gas systems within the MES. Over three-quarters of the papers investigated consider some form of energy storage system, which shows how important having efficient, cost-effective and reliable energy storage systems will be in the future. In addition, a vast majority of the works also considered some form of demand response programs in their model. This points to the need to make participating in the energy market easier for consumers, as well as the importance of good communication between generators, system operators, and consumers. Moreover, the emerging topics within the area of MES are investigated using a bibliometric analysis to provide insight to other researchers in this area.
A Conceptual Framework to Describe Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Interactions
Authors: Satchwell Andrew J. , Cappers Peter A. , Deason Jeff , Forrester Sydney P. , Frick Natalie Mims , Gerke Brian F. , Piette Mary Ann
Published: August 2020

Energy efficiency (EE) and demand response (DR) resources provide important utility systems and ratepayer benefits. At the same time, the rapid change in the amount and type of variable renewable energy, like solar and wind, is reshaping the role and economic value of EE and DR, and will likely affect the time-dependent valuation of EE and DR measures. Utilities are increasingly interested in integrating EE and DR measures as a strategic approach to improve their collective cost-effectiveness and performance. We develop a framework to identify the EE and DR attributes, system conditions, and technological factors that are likely to drive interactions between EE and DR. We apply the framework to example measures with different technology specifics in the context of different utility system conditions. We find that EE and DR interactions are likely driven by changes in discretionary load, the addition of controls or other capabilities to shift loads, and the coincidence of savings with system peak or load building periods. Our analysis suggests increasing complexity in evaluating EE and DR interactions when moving from standalone equipment to integrated systems. The framework can be applied to research on integrated building systems by grouping measures into portfolios with different likely implications for EE and DR interactions.
Energy Management in the Operation of Enterprises in the Light of the Applicable Provisions of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU)
Authors: Grondys Katarzyna , Androniceanu Armenia , Dacko-Pikiewicz Zdzisława
Published: August 2020

One of the ways to sustain development is striving for energy efficiency. This is the purpose of directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, which aims at explaining and promoting energy–saving and ecological solutions that allow increasing the output of consumed energy. Several years after implementation, it is possible to assess the directive’s usefulness and completeness in a few areas of the economy, in particular in the operation of enterprises, which substantially contribute to the global energy consumption. Therefore, the purpose of the study was defined as an assessment of the execution of the concept of energy efficiency in business operations in EU countries, in accordance with the assumptions of directive 2012/27/EU. The collected raw data were derived from surveys gathered in the process of public consultations of the European Commission regard directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. Resulting observations were analysed using the basic methods of descriptive statistics, along with a factor analysis. A logistic regression model was applied to identify the dependencies between the provisions of the directive and the motivation of enterprises to manage energy. As a result of conducted analyses, conclusions were drawn up concerning the assessment of the content of the directive in regard to activities undertaken by EU enterprises to the favour of effective energy management. Obtained results suggest that there is a need to introduce changes in the provisions of the directive, preceded by consultations with the EU business environment. The analysed literature concerning this issue demonstrates that the effectiveness of energy management is taken into consideration from this angle for the first time in our studies.
Mitigating Source Water Risks with Improved Wildfire Containment
Authors: Gannon Benjamin M. , Wei Yu , Thompson Matthew P.
Published: August 2020

In many fire-prone watersheds, wildfire threatens surface drinking water sources with eroded contaminants. We evaluated the potential to mitigate the risk of degraded water quality by limiting fire sizes and contaminant loads with a containment network of manager-developed Potential fire Operational Delineations (PODs) using wildfire risk transmission methods to partition the effects of stochastically simulated wildfires to within and out of POD burning. We assessed water impacts with two metrics—total sediment load and frequency of exceeding turbidity limits for treatment—using a linked fire-erosion-sediment transport model. We found that improved fire containment could reduce wildfire risk to the water source by 13.0 to 55.3% depending on impact measure and post-fire rainfall. Containment based on PODs had greater potential in our study system to reduce total sediment load than it did to avoid degraded water quality. After containment, most turbidity exceedances originated from less than 20% of the PODs, suggesting strategic investments to further compartmentalize these areas could improve the effectiveness of the containment network. Similarly, risk transmission varied across the POD boundaries, indicating that efforts to increase containment probability with fuels reduction would have a disproportionate effect if prioritized along high transmission boundaries.
Soil Liquefaction Assessment Using Soft Computing Approaches Based on Capacity Energy Concept
Authors: Chen Zhixiong , Li Hongrui , Goh Anthony Teck Chee , Wu Chongzhi , Zhang Wengang
Published: August 2020

Soil liquefaction is one of the most complicated phenomena to assess in geotechnical earthquake engineering. The conventional procedures developed to determine the liquefaction potential of sandy soil deposits can be categorized into three main groups: Stress-based, strain-based, and energy-based procedures. The main advantage of the energy-based approach over the remaining two methods is the fact that it considers the effects of strain and stress concurrently unlike the stress or strain-based methods. Several liquefaction evaluation procedures and approaches have been developed relating the capacity energy to the initial soil parameters, such as the relative density, initial effective confining pressure, fine contents, and soil textural properties. In this study, based on the capacity energy database by Baziar et al. (2011), analyses have been carried out on a total of 405 previously published tests using soft computing approaches, including Ridge, Lasso & LassoCV, Random Forest, eXtreme Gradient Boost (XGBoost), and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) approaches, to assess the capacity energy required to trigger liquefaction in sand and silty sands. The results clearly prove the capability of the proposed models and the capacity energy concept to assess liquefaction resistance of soils. It is also proposed that these approaches should be used as cross-validation against each other. The result shows that the capacity energy is most sensitive to the relative density.
Rachel Lichtenstein’s Narrative Mosaics
Authors: Lassner Phyllis
Published: August 2020

Rachel Lichtenstein’s books, along with her multimedia art, represent her explorations of her British Jewish identity and her place in British Jewish culture as an imaginative odyssey. Her work represents research, stories, and traces from London’s Jewish past and multicultural present as well as from Poland and Israel, her family’s accounts, and the testimony of recent immigrants and long-time residents. Lichtenstein is a place writer whose artistic projects subject her relationship to the Jewish past and East End to critical interrogation through a metaphorical method composed of fragments that represent varied segments of Jewish history and memory as well as wandering as a narrative of personal exploration.
Analyzing the Influence of Urban Street Greening and Street Buildings on Summertime Air Pollution Based on Street View Image Data
Authors: Wu Dong , Gong Jianhua , Liang Jianming , Sun Jin , Zhang Guoyong
Published: August 2020

Transport emissions and street dust are important sources of summertime air pollution in urban centers. Street greening and buildings have an influence on the diffusion of air pollution from streets. For field measurements, many studies have analyzed the effect of street green space arrangement on the diffusion of air pollution, but these studies have neglected the patterns at the landscape scale. Other studies have analyzed the effects of the large scale of green space on air pollution, but the vertical distribution of street buildings and greening has rarely been considered. In this study, we analyzed the impact of the vertical distribution of urban street green space on summertime air pollution in urban centers on the urban scale for the first time by using a deep-learning method to extract the vertical distribution of street greening and buildings from street view image data. A total of 687,354 street view images were collected. The green index and building index were proposed to quantify the street greening and street buildings. The multilevel regression method was used to analyze the association between the street green index, building index and air pollution indexes. For the cases in this study, including the central urban areas of Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, our multilevel regressions results suggested that, in the central area of the city, the vertical distribution of street greening and buildings within a certain range of the monitoring site is association with the summertime air pollution index of the monitoring site. There was a significant negative association between the street greening and air pollution indexes (radius = 1–2 km, NO2, p = 0.042; radius = 3–4 km, AQI, p = 0.034; PM10, p = 0.028). The street length within a certain range of the monitoring site has a positive association with the air pollution indexes (radius = 1–2 km, AQI, p = 0.072; PM10, p = 0.062). With the increase of the distance between streets and the monitoring sites, the association between streets and air pollution indexes decreases. Our findings on the association between the vertical structure of street greening, street buildings and summertime air pollution in urban centers can support urban street planning.
Adenovirus-Mediated FasL Minigene Transfer Endows Transduced Cells with Killer Potential
Authors: Dumitrescu Madalina , Trusca Violeta Georgeta , Savu Lorand , Stancu Ioana Georgeta , Ratiu Attila Cristian , Simionescu Maya , Gafencu Anca Violeta
Published: August 2020

Fas ligand (First apoptosis signal ligand, FasL, also known as CD95L) is the common executioner of apoptosis within the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily. We aimed to induce functional FasL expression in transduced cells using an adenovirus vector, which has the advantage of strong and transient induction of the gene included in the adenoviral genome. Here, we report that the adenovirus carrying a truncated FasL gene, named FasL minigene, encoding the full-length FasL protein (Ad-gFasL) is more efficient than the adenovirus carrying FasL cDNA (Ad-cFasL) in the induction of FasL expression in transduced cells. FasL minigene (2887 bp) lacking the second intron and a part of the 3′-UTR was created to reduce the gene length due to the size limitation of the adenoviral genome. The results show that, in transduced hepatocytes, strong expression of mRNA FasL appeared after 10 h for Ad-gFasL, while for Ad-cFasL, a faint expression appeared after 16 h. For Ad-gFasL, the protein expression was noticed starting with 0.5 transfection units (TU)/cell, while for Ad-cFasL, it could not be revealed. FasL-expressing endothelial cells induced apoptosis of A20 cells in co-culture experiments. FasL-expressing cells may be exploitable in various autoimmune diseases such as graft-versus-host disease, chronic colitis, and type I diabetes.
Targeting the Mitochondrial Metabolic Network: A Promising Strategy in Cancer Treatment
Authors: Frattaruolo Luca , Brindisi Matteo , Curcio Rosita , Marra Federica , Dolce Vincenza , Cappello Anna Rita
Published: August 2020

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, which implements a profound metabolic rewiring in order to support a high proliferation rate and to ensure cell survival in its complex microenvironment. Although initial studies considered glycolysis as a crucial metabolic pathway in tumor metabolism reprogramming (i.e., the Warburg effect), recently, the critical role of mitochondria in oncogenesis, tumor progression, and neoplastic dissemination has emerged. In this report, we examined the main mitochondrial metabolic pathways that are altered in cancer, which play key roles in the different stages of tumor progression. Furthermore, we reviewed the function of important molecules inhibiting the main mitochondrial metabolic processes, which have been proven to be promising anticancer candidates in recent years. In particular, inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), heme flux, the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), glutaminolysis, mitochondrial dynamics, and biogenesis are discussed. The examined mitochondrial metabolic network inhibitors have produced interesting results in both preclinical and clinical studies, advancing cancer research and emphasizing that mitochondrial targeting may represent an effective anticancer strategy.
Integrated Analysis of Small RNA, Transcriptome, and Degradome Sequencing Reveals the Water-Deficit and Heat Stress Response Network in Durum Wheat
Authors: Liu Haipei , Able Amanda J. , Able Jason A.
Published: August 2020

Water-deficit and heat stress negatively impact crop production. Mechanisms underlying the response of durum wheat to such stresses are not well understood. With the new durum wheat genome assembly, we conducted the first multi-omics analysis with next-generation sequencing, providing a comprehensive description of the durum wheat small RNAome (sRNAome), mRNA transcriptome, and degradome. Single and combined water-deficit and heat stress were applied to stress-tolerant and -sensitive Australian genotypes to study their response at multiple time-points during reproduction. Analysis of 120 sRNA libraries identified 523 microRNAs (miRNAs), of which 55 were novel. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified that had significantly altered expression subject to stress type, genotype, and time-point. Transcriptome sequencing identified 49,436 genes, with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) linked to processes associated with hormone homeostasis, photosynthesis, and signaling. With the first durum wheat degradome report, over 100,000 transcript target sites were characterized, and new miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs were discovered. Integrated omics analysis identified key miRNA-mRNA modules (particularly, novel pairs of miRNAs and transcription factors) with antagonistic regulatory patterns subject to different stresses. GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis revealed significant roles in plant growth and stress adaptation. Our research provides novel and fundamental knowledge, at the whole-genome level, for transcriptional and post-transcriptional stress regulation in durum wheat.
Molecular Biomarkers in Multiple Sclerosis and Its Related Disorders: A Critical Review
Authors: Gul Maryam , Azari Jafari Amirhossein , Shah Muffaqam , Mirmoeeni Seyyedmohammadsadeq , Haider Safee Ullah , Moinuddin Sadia , Chaudhry Ammar
Published: August 2020

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS) which can lead to severe disability. Several diseases can mimic the clinical manifestations of MS. This can often lead to a prolonged period that involves numerous tests and investigations before a definitive diagnosis is reached. As well as the possibility of misdiagnosis. Molecular biomarkers can play a unique role in this regard. Molecular biomarkers offer a unique view into the CNS disorders. They help us understand the pathophysiology of disease as well as guiding our diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic approaches in CNS disorders. This review highlights the most prominent molecular biomarkers found in the literature with respect to MS and its related disorders. Based on numerous recent clinical and experimental studies, we demonstrate that several molecular biomarkers could very well aid us in differentiating MS from its related disorders. The implications of this work will hopefully serve clinicians and researchers alike, who regularly deal with MS and its related disorders.
Electronic-Cigarette Vehicles and Flavoring Affect Lung Function and Immune Responses in a Murine Model
Authors: Szafran Brittany N. , Pinkston Rakeysha , Perveen Zakia , Ross Matthew K. , Morgan Timothy , Paulsen Daniel B. , Penn Arthur L. , Kaplan Barbara L. F. , Noël Alexandra
Published: August 2020

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), also known as electronic-cigarettes (e-cigs), has raised serious public health concerns, especially in light of the 2019 outbreak of e-cig or vaping product use-associated acute lung injury (EVALI). While these cases have mostly been linked to ENDS that contain vitamin E acetate, there is limited research that has focused on the chronic pulmonary effects of the delivery vehicles (i.e., without nicotine and flavoring). Thus, we investigated lung function and immune responses in a mouse model following exposure to the nearly ubiquitous e-cig delivery vehicles, vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), used with a specific 70%/30% ratio, with or without vanilla flavoring. We hypothesized that mice exposed sub-acutely to these e-cig aerosols would exhibit lung inflammation and altered lung function. Adult female C57BL/6 mice (n = 11–12 per group) were exposed to filtered air, 70%/30% VG/PG, or 70%/30% VG/PG with a French vanilla flavoring for 2 h a day for 6 weeks. Prior to sacrifice, lung function was assessed. At sacrifice, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue were collected for lipid mediator analysis, flow cytometry, histopathology, and gene expression analyses. Exposures to VG/PG + vanilla e-cig aerosol increased lung tidal and minute volumes and tissue damping. Immunophenotyping of lung immune cells revealed an increased number of dendritic cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells in the VG/PG-exposed group compared to air, irrespective of the presence of vanilla flavoring. Quantification of bioactive lung lipids demonstrated a >3-fold increase of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an anti-inflammatory mediator, and a 2-fold increase of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), another inflammatory mediator, following VG/PG exposure, with or without vanilla flavoring. This suggests that e-cig aerosol vehicles may affect immunoregulatory molecules. We also found that the two e-cig aerosols dysregulated the expression of lung genes. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed that the gene networks that are dysregulated by the VG/PG e-cig aerosol are associated with metabolism of cellular proteins and lipids. Overall, our findings demonstrate that VG and PG, the main constituents of e-liquid formulations, when aerosolized through an e-cig device, are not harmless to the lungs, since they disrupt immune homeostasis.
Family Attitudes regarding Newborn Screening for Krabbe Disease: Results from a Survey of Leukodystrophy Registries
Authors: Blackwell Karlita , Gelb Michael H. , Grantham Anna , Spencer Natasha , Webb Christin , West Tara
Published: August 2020

Newborn screening (NBS) for Krabbe disease (KD) is currently underway in eight states in the USA, and there is continued discussion of whether to implement KD NBS in additional states. Workgroup members sought to survey a large number of families affected by KD. Families in KD and leukodystrophy family registries were contacted to seek their participation in The Krabbe Newborn Screening—Family Perspective Survey. The 170 respondents are comprised of the following: 138 family members with a KD individual diagnosed after development of symptoms, 20 notified about KD via NBS, and 12 with a KD individual diagnosed through family history of KD. The key results are that all NBS families with an early-infantile KD family member elected to pursue hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy. Of the 170 responders, 165 supported the implementation of KD NBS in all states in the USA.
Snail-1 Overexpression Correlates with Metastatic Phenotype in BRAFV600E Positive Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Wieczorek-Szukala Katarzyna , Kopczynski Janusz , Kowalska Aldona , Lewinski Andrzej
Published: August 2020

The ability of cancer to metastasize is regulated by various signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), also implicated in the upregulation of Snail-1 transcription factor in malignant neoplasms. B-type Raf kinase gene (BRAF)V600E, the most common driving mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in thyroid cancer cells through changes in the Snail-1 level, increasing cell migration and invasion. However, little is known about the mechanism of Snail-1 and BRAFV600E relations in humans. Our study included 61 PTC patients with evaluated BRAFV600E mutation status. A total of 18 of those patients had lymph node metastases—of whom 10 were BRAFV600E positive, and 8 negative. Our findings indicate that the expression of Snail-1, but not TGFβ1, correlates with the metastatic phenotype in PTC. This is the first piece of evidence that the upregulation of Snail-1 corresponds with the presence of BRAFV600E mutation and increased expression of Snail-1 in metastatic PTC samples is dependent on BRAFV600E mutation status.
Epidemiology and Comorbidities of Excoriation Disorder: A Retrospective Case-Control Study
Authors: Kwon Christina , Sutaria Nishadh , Khanna Raveena , Almazan Erik , Williams Kyle , Kim Noori , Elmariah Sarina , Kwatra Shawn G.
Published: August 2020

Excoriation disorder is a psychocutaneous disorder characterized by repetitive skin-picking and associated with significant morbidity. Currently, epidemiological data in patients with excoriation disorder are lacking so we sought to characterize common patient demographics and comorbidities. We conducted a retrospective case-control study comparing 250 patients with excoriation disorder with 250 age-, race- and sex-matched controls identified between 2007 and 2019 at a single tertiary care center. We found that the majority of excoriation disorder patients were female (76%), Caucasian (82%) and unmarried (62%), with a mean age of 49 years. Compared to the matched controls, patients with excoriation disorder had increased odds of several psychiatric illnesses, including obsessive compulsive disorder (odds ratio (OR) 28.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.68, 481.75), substance use disorder (OR 24.33, 95% CI: 5.81, 101.77), post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 8.23, 95% CI: 2.24, 129.40), depression (OR 8.19, 95% CI: 4.86, 13.80), bipolar disorder (OR 7.55, 95% CI: 2.22, 25.65), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (OR 5.63, 95% CI: 1.62, 19.57), and anxiety (OR 5.01, 95% CI: 2.92, 8.62). Only a minority (42%) of patients were given psychiatry referrals and of those referred, a majority (64%) did not follow-up with psychiatry. The outcomes were also generally unfavorable as only 21% of patients experienced a resolution or improvement in their symptoms. This highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to manage patients with excoriation disorder, involving both dermatologists and psychiatrists.
Additional Mosapride to Proton Pump Inhibitor for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nishizawa Toshihiro , Mori Kiyoto , Yoshida Shuntaro , Ebinuma Hirotoshi , Toyoshima Osamu , Suzuki Hidekazu
Published: August 2020

Background and Aim: In gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the additive effect of mosapride to a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is still controversial. This meta-analysis integrated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which mosapride combined with a PPI was compared with a PPI alone in GERD treatment. Methods: RCTs were systematically searched with the PubMed, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and the Igaku-Chuo-Zasshi database. We combined the data from the RCTs with a random effects model, calculated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and pooled the risk difference (RD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We included nine RCTs in the present meta-analysis. In the mosapride combined with PPI group, the improvement of the symptom score was significantly greater than that in the PPI alone group without significant heterogeneity (SMD: −0.28, 95% CI: −0.45 to −0.12, p = 0.0007). In the mosapride combined with PPI group, the symptom score after treatment was significantly lower than that in the PPI alone group (SMD: −0.24, 95% CI: −0.42 to −0.06, p = 0.007). Conclusions: Mosapride combined with a PPI significantly improved the reflux symptom score compared with that of PPI alone.
Active Smoking Before Liver Transplantation in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: Risk Factors and Outcomes
Authors: López-Lazcano Ana Isabel , Gual Antoni , Colmenero Jordi , Caballería Elsa , Lligoña Anna , Navasa Miquel , Crespo Gonzalo , López Eva , López-Pelayo Hugo
Published: August 2020

Tobacco use is more prevalent among alcohol liver disease (ALD) transplant patients and exerts harmful effects to the patient and to the graft. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of smoking status (nonsmoker, ex-smoker, active smoker) on patient survival and clinical outcomes, and to assess risk factors for active smoking before and after liver transplant (LT). An observational retrospective cohort study with 314 ALD patients undergoing LT from January 2004 to April 2016. Recipients were followed until April 2017 or death. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to assess risk of mortality according to smoking status before LT. Smokers had a 79% higher risk of dying than those who had never smoked or quit smoking before LT. Ex-smokers had a greater survival probability (96.2%, 93.8%, 86.9%, and 83.1% at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after LT) than active smokers until LT (96.0%, 85.6%, 80.0%, and 70.4%). Active smokers before LT with poor toxicity awareness had more than a twofold higher risk of mortality (Cox HR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.05–4.58, p = 0.04) than ex-smokers. Younger age (OR = 94), higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) (OR = 1.06), and comorbid substance use disorder (OR = 2.35) were predictors of smoking until LT. Six months or less of alcohol abstinence (OR = 3.23), and comorbid substance use disorder (OR = 4.87) were predictors of active smoking after LT. Quitting smoking before transplantation improved survival. Evidence based smoking cessation interventions should be offered before and after LT.
The Effect of Sodium Alginate-Calcium Chloride Coating on the Quality Parameters and Shelf Life of Strawberry Cut Fruits
Authors: Alharaty Ghaidaa , Ramaswamy Hosahalli S.
Published: August 2020

Strawberry fruits have a short shelf life after harvesting due the physiological factors that enhances ripening such as respiration and transpiration. Sensory properties including color, texture, odor, and flavor are the main factors that makes fresh produce appealing to consumers, and they change very rapidly upon harvest. For this reason, quality preservation is essential during post-harvest handling and storage of strawberry fruits. Quality deterioration rates are higher in strawberry fruit cuts due to the mechanical damage and the loss of their natural protective barriers, resulting in an increase in moisture loss, respiration rates, and the deterioration of their sensory properties. The effect of a sodium alginate-calcium chloride edible coating on quality preservation and shelf life extension of strawberry cut fruits stored at 4 °C was studied. Control samples had mold growth initiated after one week of storage at 4 °C, while the coated fruit samples had a mold free shelf life extension for up to 15 days. The sodium alginate-calcium chloride edible coating was effective in reducing respiration and transpiration rates and delayed the increase of the pH and soluble solid content. Furthermore, the coating delayed surface mold growth for up to 15 days and preserved the sensory properties of the cut fruits such as color and texture.
Histone Deacetylase 1 and Sirtuin 1 Expression in Psoriatic Skin: A Comparison between Guttate and Plaque Psoriasis
Authors: Hwang Young-Ji , Na Jung-Im , Byun Sang-Young , Kwon Soon-Hyo , Yang Seung-Hye , Lee Hyun-Sun , Choi Hye-Ryung , Cho Soyun , Youn Sang Woong , Park Kyoung-Chan
Published: August 2020

Abnormal histone modification by histone deacetylases (HDACs), including HDAC1 and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis by altering cell proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. However, findings on the expression level of HDACs in psoriatic skin lack consistency. We assessed the expression of HDAC1, SIRT1, p63, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in skin tissues from 23 patients with psoriasis (15 with plaque psoriasis and eight with guttate psoriasis) and five healthy individuals using immunohistochemistry, and analyzed their associations with clinical phenotypes of the disease. The expression of HDAC1 and keratinocyte proliferative markers, such as p63 and PCNA significantly increased, whereas that of SIRT1 decreased in the basal layer (p < 0.05) of the patients with psoriasis compared to those in healthy controls. Among the patients with psoriasis, expression of HDAC1, p63, and PCNA was significantly higher in plaque psoriasis than in guttate psoriasis. There was no significant differences in the level of SIRT1 between the two clinical phenotypes. The findings of this study suggest that histone modifications are involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and may contribute to the formation of clinical phenotypes.
Thin Diamond Film on Silicon Substrates for Pressure Sensor Fabrication
Authors: Salvatori Stefano , Pettinato Sara , Piccardi Armando , Sedov Vadim , Voronin Alexey , Ralchenko Victor
Published: August 2020

Thin polycrystalline diamond films chemically vapor deposited on thinned silicon substrates were used as membranes for pressure sensor fabrication by means of selective chemical etching of silicon. The sensing element is based on a simple low-finesse Fabry–Pérot (FP) interferometer. The FP cavity is defined by the end-face of a single mode fiber and the diamond diaphragm surface. Hence, pressure is evaluated by measuring the cavity length by an optoelectronic system coupled to the single mode fiber. Exploiting the excellent properties of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond, in terms of high hardness, low thermal expansion, and ultra-high thermal conductivity, the realized sensors have been characterized up to 16.5 MPa at room temperature. Preliminary characterizations demonstrate the feasibility of such diamond-on-Si membrane structure for pressure transduction. The proposed sensing system represents a valid alternative to conventional solutions, overcoming the drawback related to electromagnetic interference on the acquired weak signals generated by standard piezoelectric sensors.
Transition Metal Complexes with Flufenamic Acid for Pharmaceutical Applications—A Novel Three-Centered Coordination Polymer of Mn(II) Flufenamate
Authors: Gacki Michał , Kafarska Karolina , Pietrzak Anna , Szczesio Małgorzata , Korona-Głowniak Izabela , Wolf Wojciech M.
Published: August 2020

Five complexes of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, flufenamic acid were synthesized: (1) [Mn3(fluf)6EtOH)(H2O)]·3EtOH; (2) [Co(fluf)2(EtOH)(H2O)]·H2O; (3) [Ni(fluf)2(EtOH)(H2O)]·H2O; (4) [Cu(fluf)2·H2O]; (5) [Zn(fluf)2·H2O]. All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis (EA), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The crystal structure of 1 was determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1¯ with three independent Mn(II) cations, six coordinated flufenamato ligands augmented with water and ethanol molecules in the inner coordination sphere. In this crystal, manganese atoms are multiplied by symmetry and form infinite, polymeric chains which extend along the [001] dimension. The Hirshfeld Surface analysis revealed changes in interaction assemblies around all metal centers. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were established for all complexes and free ligand for comparison. All compounds exhibit good or moderate bioactivity against Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts.
A Comparative Study on the Tribological Properties of a Cobalt-Free Superaustenitic Stainless Steel at Elevated Temperature
Authors: van gen Hassend Frederic , Weber Sebastian
Published: August 2020

The properties of a cobalt-free cast superaustenitic stainless steel (SASS) is investigated comparatively to the commercial high-cobalt alloyed GX15CrNiCo21-20-20 (1.4957, N-155) steel regarding its global hardness and wear resistance at elevated temperature by means of in situ hot hardness tests and cyclic abrasive sliding wear tests against an Al2O3 (corundum) counter-body at 600 °C. In the aged condition, results show that the 1.4957 steel suffers a higher material loss due to brittle failure initiated by coarse eutectic Cr-rich carbides which are incorporated into a mechanically mixed layer during abrasive loading. In contrast, within the Co-free steel eutectic M6(C,N) carbonitrides are distributed more homogeneously showing less tendency to form network structures. Due to the combination of primary Nb-rich globular-blocky MX-type carbonitrides and eutectic M6(C,N) carbonitrides dispersed within an Laves phase strengthened austenitic matrix, this steel provides comparable hardness and significantly improved wear resistance at elevated temperature. Thus, it may be an adequate alternative material to commercial SASS and offers the possibility to save cobalt for future applications.