bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redox Regulation of Microvascular Permeability: IL-1β Potentiation of Bradykinin-Induced Permeability Is Prevented by Simvastatin
Authors: Freitas Felipe , Tibiriçá Eduardo , Singh Mita , Fraser Paul A. , Mann Giovanni E.
Published: December 2020

Antioxidant effects of statins have been implicated in the reduction in microvascular permeability and edema formation in experimental and clinical studies. Bradykinin (Bk)-induced increases in microvascular permeability are potentiated by IL-1β; however, no studies have examined the protection afforded by statins against microvascular hyperpermeability. We investigated the effects of simvastatin pretreatment on albumin–fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate (FITC-albumin) permeability in post-capillary venules in rat cremaster muscle. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase with L-NAME (10µM) increased basal permeability to FITC-albumin, which was abrogated by superoxide dismutase and catalase. Histamine-induced (1 µM) permeability was blocked by L-NAME but unaffected by scavenging reactive oxygen species with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. In contrast, bradykinin-induced (1–100 nM) permeability increases were unaffected by L-NAME but abrogated by SOD and catalase. Acute superfusion of the cremaster muscle with IL-1β (30 pM, 10 min) resulted in a leftward shift of the bradykinin concentration–response curve. Potentiation by IL-1β of bradykinin-induced microvascular permeability was prevented by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH oxidase) inhibitor apocynin (1 µM). Pretreatment of rats with simvastatin (5 mg·kg−1, i.p.) 24 h before permeability measurements prevented the potentiation of bradykinin permeability responses by IL-1β, which was not reversed by inhibition of heme oxygenase-1 with tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPP). This study highlights a novel mechanism by which simvastatin prevents the potentiation of bradykinin-induced permeability by IL-1β, possibly by targeting the assembly of NADPH oxidase subunits. Our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of statins in the prevention and treatment of patients predisposed to inflammatory diseases.
The Biosynthesis of Phenolic Compounds Is an Integrated Defence Mechanism to Prevent Ozone Injury in Salvia officinalis
Authors: Marchica Alessandra , Cotrozzi Lorenzo , Detti Rebecca , Lorenzini Giacomo , Pellegrini Elisa , Petersen Maike , Nali Cristina
Published: December 2020

Specialized metabolites constitute a major antioxidant system involved in plant defence against environmental constraints, such as tropospheric ozone (O3). The objective of this experiment was to give a thorough description of the effects of an O3 pulse (120 ppb, 5 h) on the phenylpropanoid metabolism of sage, at both biochemical and molecular levels. Variable O3-induced changes were observed over time among the detected phenylpropanoid compounds (mostly identified as phenolic acids and flavonoids), likely because of their extraordinary functional diversity. Furthermore, decreases in the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), phenol oxidase (PPO), and rosmarinic acid synthase (RAS) activities were reported during the first hours of treatment, probably due to an O3-induced oxidative damage to proteins. Both PAL and PPO activities were also suppressed at 24 h from the beginning of exposure, whereas enhanced RAS activity occurred at the end of treatment and at the recovery time, suggesting that specific branches of the phenolic pathways were activated. The increased RAS activity was accompanied by the up-regulation of the transcript levels of genes like RAS, tyrosine aminotransferase, and cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase. In conclusion, sage faced the O3 pulse by regulating the activation of the phenolic biosynthetic route as an integrated defence mechanism.
Associations between Coenzyme Q10 Status, Oxidative Stress, and Muscle Strength and Endurance in Patients with Osteoarthritis
Authors: Chang Po-Sheng , Yen Chi-Hua , Huang Yu-Yun , Chiu Ching-Ju , Lin Ping-Ting
Published: December 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes oxidative stress. Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that participates in energy production in the human body. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among coenzyme Q10 status, oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, and muscle function in patients with OA. This case-control study recruited 100 patients with OA and 100 without OA. The coenzyme Q10 status, oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, muscle mass (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), muscle strength (hand-grip and leg-back strength), and muscle endurance (dumbbell curls, gait speed, chair-stand test, and short physical performance battery) were measured. The results showed that both OA and elderly subjects had a low coenzyme Q10 status (<0.5 μM). Oxidative stress was significantly negatively correlated with muscle function (protein carbonyl, p < 0.05). Coenzyme Q10 level was positively associated with antioxidant capacity, muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle endurance in patients with OA (p < 0.05). Since OA is an age-related disease, coenzyme Q10 may be consumed by oxidative stress and thereby affect muscle function. Raising coenzyme Q10 in patients with OA could be suggested, which may benefit their antioxidant capacity and muscle function.
Design and Analysis of Novel Low-Cost Linear Vibration Motor for an Electronic Cigarette
Authors: Jiang Zhi-Xiong , Park Ki-Hong , Hwang Sang-Moon
Published: December 2020

The spring structure design and magnetic circuit optimization were considered to design a novel linear vibration motor with advantages of lower cost and similar motor performance compared to a coin-type vibration motor. A vibration motor is inserted in an electronic cigarette to provide haptic feedback to remind the user that the electronic cigarette is ready to operate. For the new generation of electronic cigarettes, new vibration motors require smaller size, lower cost, and acceptable motor performance. A three-dimensional finite element method has been used to find the coil’s magnetic flux density and von Mises stress distribution in the spring. Moreover, the electromagnetic-mechanical coupling method has been employed to find the motor acceleration on a dummy jig. The acceleration of the vibration motor was obtained to verify the analysis results by experiment. The experiment results verified the analysis results of the linear vibration motor. Compared to a coin-type vibration motor, the novel linear vibration motor has 9.09% and 80.77% reductions in total thickness and manufacturing cost, and a 40.0% improvement in acceleration.
Identifying Human Daily Activity Types with Time-Aware Interactions
Authors: Chen Renyao , Yao Hong , Li Runjia , Kang Xiaojun , Li Shengwen , Dong Lijun , Gong Junfang
Published: December 2020

Human activities embedded in crowdsourced data, such as social media trajectory, represent individual daily styles and patterns, which are valuable in many applications. However, the accurate identification of human activity types (HATs) from social media is challenging, possibly because interactions between posts and users at different time are overlooked. To fill this gap, we propose a novel model that introduces the interactions hidden in social media and synthesizes Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) for identifying HAT. The model first characterizes interactions among words, posts, dates, and users, and then derives a Time Gated Human Activity Graph Convolutional Network (TG-HAGCN) to predict the HATs of social media trajectory. To examine the proposed model performance, we built a new dataset including interactions between post content, post time, and users from the open Yelp dataset. Experimental results show that exploiting interactions hidden in social media to recognize HATs achieves state-of-the-art performance with high accuracy. The study indicates that interactions among social media promotes ability of machine learning on social media data mining and intelligent applications, and offers a reference solution for how to fuse multi-type heterogeneous data in social media.
Using BiLSTM Networks for Context-Aware Deep Sensitivity Labelling on Conversational Data
Authors: Pogiatzis Antreas , Samakovitis Georgios
Published: December 2020

Information privacy is a critical design feature for any exchange system, with privacy-preserving applications requiring, most of the time, the identification and labelling of sensitive information. However, privacy and the concept of “sensitive information” are extremely elusive terms, as they are heavily dependent upon the context they are conveyed in. To accommodate such specificity, we first introduce a taxonomy of four context classes to categorise relationships of terms with their textual surroundings by meaning, interaction, precedence, and preference. We then propose a predictive context-aware model based on a Bidirectional Long Short Term Memory network with Conditional Random Fields (BiLSTM + CRF) to identify and label sensitive information in conversational data (multi-class sensitivity labelling). We train our model on a synthetic annotated dataset of real-world conversational data categorised in 13 sensitivity classes that we derive from the P3P standard. We parameterise and run a series of experiments featuring word and character embeddings and introduce a set of auxiliary features to improve model performance. Our results demonstrate that the BiLSTM + CRF model architecture with BERT embeddings and WordShape features is the most effective (F1 score 96.73%). Evaluation of the model is conducted under both temporal and semantic contexts, achieving a 76.33% F1 score on unseen data and outperforms Google’s Data Loss Prevention (DLP) system on sensitivity labelling tasks.
Improved Sound Radiation of Flat Panel Loudspeakers Using the Local Air Spring Effect
Authors: Zenker Benjamin , Schurmann Robert , Merchel Sebastian , Altinsoy M. Ercan
Published: December 2020

The low-frequency performance of exciter-driven flat-panel loudspeakers is technically challenging. The lower modal density results in high deviations in the frequency response, and dips of more than 20 dB are possible. This paper presents an alternative approach for optimizing the modal behavior through the additional air spring effect of an irregular shaped enclosure. The additional mode-dependent air compliance suppresses the panel’s anti-phase components, which minimizes dips in the frequency response and improves the response without adding mass to the system. The approach is analyzed with the measured and simulated results of a prototype. Furthermore, additional enclosure changes were made to visualize the influence of the air spring improved system.
Microwave Method for Measuring Electrical Properties of the Materials
Authors: Gorst Aleksandr , Zavyalova Kseniya , Shipilov Sergey , Yakubov Vladimir , Mironchev Aleksandr
Published: December 2020

The article is about the development of a new non-destructive microwave method for measuring the electrophysical properties of materials, based on the method of transmission and reflection of a plane monochromatic wave through layered materials. The method has been verified by the results of numerical and field experiments. A data processing technique is described for obtaining complex values of dielectric and magnetic permeability based on an original measurement scheme. Based on the results of mathematical calculations, the laboratory model was created using an ultra-wideband antenna and a parabolic mirror. The optimal distance of the antenna from the parabolic mirror for focusing the electromagnetic field has been determined based on the simulation. Testing was carried out in the frequency range 3–13 GHz on two samples of materials (plexiglass and textolite) with known electrophysical properties. The obtained results showed the reliability of the developed method and its applicability. The measurement error was less than 2%.
Spam Classification Based on Signed Network Analysis
Authors: Jeong Sihyun , Lee Kyu-haeng
Published: December 2020

Online social networking services have become the most important information-sharing medium of modern society due to several merits, such as creating opportunities to broaden social relations, easy and instant communication, and fast data propagation. These advantages, however, are being abused by malicious users to disseminate unsolicited spam messages, causing great harm to both users and service providers. To address this problem, numerous spam detection methods utilizing various spam characteristics have been proposed, but most of them suffer from several limitations. Using individual behaviors and the content of messages for spam classification has been revealed to have bounded performance, since attackers can easily fake them. Instead, exploitation of social-network-related features has been highlighted as an alternative solution, but recent spam attacks can adroitly avoid these methods by controlling their ranking through various forms of attack. In this paper, we delineate a signed-network-analysis-based spam classification method. Our key hypothesis is that the edge signs are highly likely to be determined by considering users’ social relationships, so there will be a substantial difference between the edge sign patterns of spammers and that of non-spammers. To identify our hypothesis, we employ two social psychological theories for signed networks—structural balance theory and social status theory—and the concept of surprise is adopted to quantitatively analyze the given network according to these theories. These surprise measurements are then used as the main features for spam classification. In addition, we develop a graph-converting method for applying our scheme to unsigned networks. Extensive experimental results with Twitter and Epinions datasets show that the proposed scheme obtains significant classification performance improvement compared to conventional schemes.
Poetic Storytelling in Contemporary Photography. Relation to Nature and the Poesis of Everyday Life in Works of Selected Artist in Iceland and Other Nordic Countries
Authors: Sigurðardóttir Sigrún Alba
Published: December 2020

The past 20 years have seen a shift in Icelandic photography from postmodern aesthetics towards a more phenomenological perspective that explores the relationship between subjective and affective truth on the one hand, and the outside world on the other hand. Rather than telling a story about the world as it is or as the photographer wants it to appear, the focus is on communicating with the world, and with the viewer. The photograph is seen as a creative medium that can be used to reflect how we experience and make sense of the world, or how we are and dwell in the world. In this paper, I introduce the theme of poetic storytelling in the context of contemporary photography in Iceland and other Nordic Countries. Poetic storytelling is a term I have been developing to describe a certain lyrical way to use a photograph as a narrative medium in reaction to the climate crisis and to a general lack of relation to oneself and to the world in times of increased acceleration in the society. In my article I analyze works by a few leading Icelandic photographers (Katrín Elvarsdóttir, Heiða Helgadóttir and Hallgerður Hallgrímsdóttir) and put them in context with works by artists from Denmark (Joakim Eskildsen, Christina Capetillo and Astrid Kruse Jensen), Sweden (Helene Schmitz) and Finland (Hertta Kiiski) artists within the frame of poetic storytelling. Poetic storytelling is about a way to use a photograph as a narrative medium in an attempt to grasp a reality which is neither fully objective nor subjective, but rather a bit of both.
The Lagged Effect of Anthropogenic Aerosol on East Asian Precipitation during the Summer Monsoon Season
Authors: Lee Su-Jung , Jeong Yong-Cheol , Yeh Sang-Wook
Published: December 2020

The authors investigated the lagged effect of anthropogenic aerosols (AAs) during the premonsoon season (April–May–June) on the East Asian precipitation during the postmonsoon season (July–August) using the aerosol optical depth (AOD) from a satellite dataset and reanalysis datasets. When the AOD is high in Eastern China during the premonsoon season, the amount of precipitation increases in the western North Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula and Japan, during the postmonsoon season. The amount of cloud in the western-to-central North Pacific in the premonsoon season increases during the high-AOD period. Subsequently, it cools the sea surface temperature until the postmonsoon season, which strengthens the North Pacific High. The strengthened North Pacific High in the postmonsoon season expands to the western North Pacific, which leads to the enhancement of the moisture flows from the ocean. This results in the increase in precipitation in the western North Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula and Japan, during the postmonsoon season.
The Cytoplasmic LIM Domain Protein Espinas Contributes to Photoreceptor Layer Selection in the Visual System
Authors: Fernández-Pineda Alejandra , Monge-Asensio Martí , Rios Martín , Morey Marta
Published: December 2020

During circuit assembly it is essential that neurons connect with their specific synaptic partners. To facilitate this process, a common strategy in many organisms is the organization of brain regions, including the fly visual system, in layers and columns. The atypical-cadherin Flamingo (Fmi) and the receptor Golden Goal (Gogo) were proposed to regulate both the temporary and final layer selection of the R8 photoreceptor, through the cytoplasmic domain of Gogo. Our data suggests that Fmi intracellular signaling is also relevant for R8 final layer selection. The LIM-domain cytoplasmic molecule Espinas (Esn) binds Fmi, and they cooperatively control dendritic self-avoidance in sensory neurons. We observed defects in R8 layer selection in esn mutants with axons overshooting the final target layer, and we demonstrated that the LIM domain is necessary for layer selection. fmi knockdown in photoreceptors results in most R8 axons stalling at the temporary layer, however, we also detected R8 axons projecting past the final-target layer, and showed that fmi and esn genetically interact. Based on the previously described physical and genetic interactions between Fmi/Esn and the findings presented here, we propose that Esn signals downstream of Fmi to stabilize R8 axons in their final target layer.
Structural Insight into the Contributions of the N-Terminus and Key Active-Site Residues to the Catalytic Efficiency of Glutamine Synthetase 2
Authors: Chen Wen-Ting , Yang Hsin-Yu , Lin Chih-Yu , Lee Yi-Zong , Ma Szu-Chin , Chen Wei-Cheng , Yin Hsien-Sheng
Published: December 2020

Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the condensation of ammonia and glutamate, along with ATP, to form glutamine. Despite extensive studies on GSs from eukaryotes and prokaryotes, the roles of the N-terminus and other structural features in catalysis remain unclear. Here we report the decameric structure of Drosophila melanogaster GS 2 (DmGS2). The N-terminal short helices, α1 and α2, constitute a meander region, and form hydrogen bonds with residues 3–5 in the N-terminal loop, which are not present in the GSs of other species. Deletion of α1 or α1-α2 inactivates DmGS2. Notably, the Arg4 in each monomer of one pentamer forms hydrogen bonds with Glu7, and Asp8 in the adjacent monomer of the other pentamer. Replacement of Arg4 with Asp (R4D) abolishes activity. Analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that Arg4 is crucial for oligomerization. Circular dichroism spectra revealed that R4D may alter the secondary structure. We mutated key residues to identify the substrate-binding site. As Glu140 binds glutamate and Glu311 binds ammonia, mutants E140A and E311A have little activity. Conversely, mutant P214A (P contributes to ATP binding) has higher activity than wild-type DmGS2. These findings expand the understanding of the structural and functional features of the N-terminal meander region of DmGS2 and the residues important for catalytic efficiency.
Biomarkers to Personalize the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: Focus on Autoantibodies and Pharmacogenetics
Authors: Conti Valeria , Corbi Graziamaria , Costantino Maria , De Bellis Emanuela , Manzo Valentina , Sellitto Carmine , Stefanelli Berenice , Colucci Francesca , Filippelli Amelia
Published: December 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is very complex and heterogeneous. If not adequately treated, RA patients are likely to manifest excess of morbidity and disability with an important impact on the quality of life. Pharmacological treatment is based on the administration of the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), subdivided into conventional synthetic (csDMARDs), targeted synthetic (tsDMARDs), and biological (bDMARDs). bDMARDs are now frequently administered in patients, both as alternative treatment and together with csDMARDs. Unfortunately, there is a therapeutic response variability both to old and new drugs. Therefore, to identify pre-therapeutic and on-treatment predictors of response is a priority. This review aims to summarize recent advances in understanding the causes of the variability in treatment response in RA, with particular attention to predictive potential of autoantibodies and DMARD pharmacogenetics. In recent years, several biomarkers have been proposed to personalize the therapy. Unfortunately, a magic bullet does not exist, as many factors concur to disease susceptibility and treatment outcomes, acting around the patient’s congenital background. Models integrating demographic, clinical, biochemical, and genetic data are needed to enhance the predictive capacity of specific factors singularly considered to optimize RA treatment in light of multidisciplinary patient management.
Genetic and Acquired Heterotopic Ossification: A Translational Tale of Mice and Men
Authors: Cappato Serena , Gamberale Riccardo , Bocciardi Renata , Brunelli Silvia
Published: December 2020

Heterotopic ossification is defined as an aberrant formation of bone in extraskeletal soft tissue, for which both genetic and acquired conditions are known. This pathologic process may occur in many different sites such as the skin, subcutaneous tissue, skeletal muscle and fibrous tissue adjacent to joints, ligaments, walls of blood vessels, mesentery and other. The clinical spectrum of this disorder is wide: lesions may range from small foci of ossification to massive deposits of bone throughout the body, typical of the progressive genetically determined conditions such as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, to mention one of the most severe and disabling forms. The ectopic bone formation may be regarded as a failed tissue repair process in response to a variety of triggers and evolving towards bone formation through a multistage differentiation program, with several steps common to different clinical presentations and distinctive features. In this review, we aim at providing a comprehensive view of the genetic and acquired heterotopic ossification disorders by detailing the clinical and molecular features underlying the different human conditions in comparison with the corresponding, currently available mouse models.
Recent Progress in Wearable Biosensors: From Healthcare Monitoring to Sports Analytics
Authors: Ye Shun , Feng Shilun , Huang Liang , Bian Shengtai
Published: December 2020

Recent advances in lab-on-a-chip technology establish solid foundations for wearable biosensors. These newly emerging wearable biosensors are capable of non-invasive, continuous monitoring by miniaturization of electronics and integration with microfluidics. The advent of flexible electronics, biochemical sensors, soft microfluidics, and pain-free microneedles have created new generations of wearable biosensors that explore brand-new avenues to interface with the human epidermis for monitoring physiological status. However, these devices are relatively underexplored for sports monitoring and analytics, which may be largely facilitated by the recent emergence of wearable biosensors characterized by real-time, non-invasive, and non-irritating sensing capacities. Here, we present a systematic review of wearable biosensing technologies with a focus on materials and fabrication strategies, sampling modalities, sensing modalities, as well as key analytes and wearable biosensing platforms for healthcare and sports monitoring with an emphasis on sweat and interstitial fluid biosensing. This review concludes with a summary of unresolved challenges and opportunities for future researchers interested in these technologies. With an in-depth understanding of the state-of-the-art wearable biosensing technologies, wearable biosensors for sports analytics would have a significant impact on the rapidly growing field—microfluidics for biosensing.
A New Modular Structural System for Tall Buildings Based on Tetrahedral Configuration
Authors: Angelucci Giulia , Mollaioli Fabrizio , Tardocchi Roberto
Published: December 2020

Inspired by the high mechanical performance of diagrid structures, the minimization of material consumption on braced tubes and the expressive potency of tensegrity modular structures, this work proposes an innovative three-dimensional system for tall buildings. A new modular structural system generated from the assembly of tetrahedral units is investigated. The paper integrates insights on the architectural implications and mechanical performance of the reticular system arranged in repetitive triangular-based modules. The impact of different geometric configurations of the structural members on the economic design is also discussed and recommendations for the optimal topology are made. Guidelines for the design and analytical formula for accessing preliminary member sizes are proposed on the basis of stiffness requirements.
Application of Immobilized Cholest-4-en-3-one Δ1-Dehydrogenase from Sterolibacterium Denitrificans for Dehydrogenation of Steroids
Authors: Tataruch Mateusz , Wójcik Patrycja , Wojtkiewicz Agnieszka M. , Zaczyk Katarzyna , Szymańska Katarzyna , Szaleniec Maciej
Published: December 2020

Cholest-4-en-3-one Δ1-dehydrogenase (AcmB) from Sterolibacterium denitrificans was successfully immobilized on 3-aminopropyltrimethoysilane functionalized mesoporous cellular foam (MCF) and Santa Barbara Amorphous (SBA-15) silica supports using adsorption or covalently with glutaraldehyde or divinyl sulfone linkers. The best catalyst, AcmB on MCF linked covalently with glutaraldehyde, retained the specific activity of the homogenous enzyme while exhibiting a substantial increase of the operational stability. The immobilized enzyme was used continuously in the fed-batch reactor for 27 days, catalyzing 1,2-dehydrogenation of androst-4-en-3-one to androst-1,4-dien-3-one with a final yield of 29.9 mM (8.56 g/L) and 99% conversion. The possibility of reuse of the immobilized catalyst was also demonstrated and resulted in a doubling of the product amount compared to that in the reference homogenous reactor. Finally, it was shown that molecular oxygen from the air can efficiently be used as an electron acceptor either reoxidizing directly the enzyme or the reduced 2,4-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIPH2).
The Microtubule Cytoskeleton during the Early Drosophila Spermiogenesis
Authors: Riparbelli Maria Giovanna , Persico Veronica , Callaini Giuliano
Published: December 2020

Sperm elongation and nuclear shaping in Drosophila largely depends on the microtubule cytoskeleton that in early spermatids has centrosomal and non-centrosomal origins. We report here an additional γ-tubulin focus localized on the anterior pole of the nucleus in correspondence of the apical end of the perinuclear microtubules that run within the dense complex. The perinuclear microtubules are nucleated by the pericentriolar material, or centriole adjunct, that surrounds the basal body and are retained to play a major role in nuclear shaping. However, we found that both the perinuclear microtubules and the dense complex are present in spermatids lacking centrioles. Therefore, the basal body or the centriole adjunct seem to be dispensable for the organization and assembly of these structures. These observations shed light on a novel localization of γ-tubulin and open a new scenario on the distribution of the microtubules and the organization of the dense complex during early Drosophila spermiogenesis.
The Role of Adenine Nucleotide Translocase in the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition
Authors: Brustovetsky Nickolay
Published: December 2020

The mitochondrial permeability transition, a Ca2+-induced significant increase in permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane, plays an important role in various pathologies. The mitochondrial permeability transition is caused by induction of the permeability transition pore (PTP). Despite significant effort, the molecular composition of the PTP is not completely clear and remains an area of hot debate. The Ca2+-modified adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) and F0F1 ATP synthase are the major contenders for the role of pore in the PTP. This paper briefly overviews experimental results focusing on the role of ANT in the mitochondrial permeability transition and proposes that multiple molecular entities might be responsible for the conductance pathway of the PTP. Consequently, the term PTP cannot be applied to a single specific protein such as ANT or a protein complex such as F0F1 ATP synthase, but rather should comprise a variety of potential contributors to increased permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane.
Current Status on Therapeutic Molecules Targeting Siglec Receptors
Authors: Lenza María Pia , Atxabal Unai , Oyenarte Iker , Jiménez-Barbero Jesús , Ereño-Orbea June
Published: December 2020

The sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type of lectins (Siglecs) are receptors that recognize sialic acid-containing glycans. In the majority of the cases, Siglecs are expressed on immune cells and play a critical role in regulating immune cell signaling. Over the years, it has been shown that the sialic acid-Siglec axis participates in immunological homeostasis, and that any imbalance can trigger different pathologies, such as autoimmune diseases or cancer. For all this, different therapeutics have been developed that bind to Siglecs, either based on antibodies or being smaller molecules. In this review, we briefly introduce the Siglec family and we compile a description of glycan-based molecules and antibody-based therapies (including CAR-T and bispecific antibodies) that have been designed to therapeutically targeting Siglecs.
Interventions for Child Drowning Reduction in the Indian Sundarbans: Perspectives from the Ground
Authors: Gupta Medhavi , Roy Sujoy , Panda Ranjan , Konwar Pompy , Jagnoor Jagnoor
Published: December 2020

Drowning is a leading cause of child death in the coastal Sundarbans region of India due to the presence of open water, lack of supervision and poor infrastructure, but no prevention programs are currently implemented. The World Health Organization has identified interventions that may prevent child drowning in rural low-and middle-income country contexts, including the provision of home-based barriers, supervised childcare, swim and rescue training and first responder training. Child health programs should consider the local context and identify barriers for implementation. To ensure the sustainability of any drowning prevention programs implemented, we conducted a qualitative study to identify the considerations for the implementation of these interventions, and to understand how existing government programs could be leveraged. We also identified key stakeholders for involvement. We found that contextual factors such as geography, cultural beliefs around drowning, as well as skillsets of local people, would influence program delivery. Government programs such as accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and self-help groups could be leveraged for program implementation, while Anganwadi centres would require additional support due to poor resourcing. Gaining government permissions to change Anganwadi processes to provide childcare services may be challenging. The results showed that adapting drowning programs to the Sundarbans context presents unique challenges and program customisation.
Wear Behavior of Medium-Carbon Steel with Different Laser-Textured Densities under Starved Lubrication
Authors: Zeng Fanming , Liu Yuting , Shao Feixian , Li Xiujuan , Yu Zhenglei , Guo Yunting , Wan Zhenping , Lu Longsheng , Zhang Zhihui
Published: December 2020

Five densities of laser-ablated micro-pits were fabricated onto medium-carbon steel surfaces based on the coupling effect of the biological surface. The effects of the surface textures on the wear behavior were investigated by sliding wear tests under starved lubrication. The results show that compared with the smooth sample, the biomimetic samples could effectively reduce friction and wear, and the tribological performance of the textured surfaces is closely related to the density of the bionic units. The equivalent stress distribution of the specimens was simulated by the finite element method. A uniform stress distribution is beneficial for effectively reducing the generation of wear cracks.
Endoscopic Ultrasonography Diagnosis of Early Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Kurihara Keisuke , Hanada Keiji , Shimizu Akinori
Published: December 2020

Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) can improve patients’ prognosis. We aimed to investigate the utility of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for the early diagnosis of PC. This study included 64 patients with PC at an early stage treated at Onomichi General Hospital between January 2007 and January 2020. Diagnostic procedures included contrast computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, EUS fine-needle aspiration, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for pancreatic juice cytology. The mean age was 71.3 years. In all, 32 patients were stage 0, and 32 were stage I. As for image findings, the main pancreatic duct (MPD) stenosis was detected in several cases, although CT and MRCP seldom detected tumors. EUS had a high detection rate for stage 0 tumor lesions. The median observation period was 3.9 years. In cases with stage 0, the 1 year and 5 year survival rates were 100% and 78.9%, respectively. In cases with stage I, the 1 year and 5 year survival rates were 96.4% and 66.7%, respectively. EUS has the highest sensitivity among all imaging modalities for detecting small pancreatic tumors. Cases with MPD dilation or stenosis, especially with tumors that cannot be identified on CT and MRI, should have EUS performed. In some cases, EUS was not able to detect any tumor lesions, and ERCP-based pancreatic juice cytology should be useful for pathological diagnosis.
Next Generation Sequencing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Pitfalls and Opportunities
Authors: Lazzari Chiara , Bulotta Alessandra , Cangi Maria Giulia , Bucci Gabriele , Pecciarini Lorenza , Bonfiglio Silvia , Lorusso Vincenza , Ippati Stefania , Arrigoni Gianluigi , Grassini Greta , Doglioni Claudio , Gregorc Vanesa
Published: December 2020

Lung cancer remains the first cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Thanks to the improvement in the knowledge of the biology of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), patients’ survival has significantly improved. A growing number of targetable molecular alterations have been identified. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has become one of the methodologies entered in clinical practice and was recently recommended by the European society for medical oncology (ESMO) to perform a comprehensive molecular characterization in patients with cancer. The current review provides an overview of the clinical trials that have explored the impact of NGS in patients with cancer, its limits, and advantages.
Extending the Color Retention of an Electrochromic Device by Immobilizing Color Switching and Ion-Storage Complementary Layers
Authors: Wałęsa-Chorab Monika , Skene William G.
Published: December 2020

The thermal polymerization of a bis(triphenylamine)-bis(styrene) monomer on ITO coated glass gave an electroactive film that underwent two stepwise oxidations. The perceived color change of the film upon stepwise oxidation was colorless-to-yellow followed by yellow-to-blue. The anodic cyclic voltammogram of the monomer was consistent over multiple cycles. The immobilized film could be reversibly switched between its colorless and blue states with applied potential in both a half- and full-electrochromic functioning device. The devices could also reversibly switch their colors upwards of 6 h. The retention of the electrochemically induced blue color was contingent on the device architecture. Upwards of 80% of the color was maintained 30 min after the potential was turned off with the double-layer electrochromic device structure. This device was prepared from two electroactive layers: a bis(triphenylamine) and viologen-based polymers that were immobilized on the electrodes. In contrast, 50% of the color of the active electrochromic device that was prepared from a single electroactive layer bleached 7 min once the potential was no longer applied.
Low Voltage Time-Based Matrix Multiplier-and-Accumulator for Neural Computing System
Authors: Hong Sungjin , Kang Heechai , Kim Jusung , Cho Kunhee
Published: December 2020

A time-based matrix multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operation for a neural computing system is described. A simple and compact time-based matrix MAC structure is proposed that can perform multiplication and accumulation simultaneously in a single multiplier structure, and the hardware complexity is not affected by the matrix input size. To enhance the linearity of the weight factor, an offset-free pulse-width modulator is introduced. The proposed MAC architecture operates at a low supply voltage of 0.5 V while it consumes MAC energy of 0.38 pJ with a 32 nm low-power (LP) predictive technology model (PTM) CMOS process. In addition, the near-subthreshold operation can remove the level shifter to interface between the MAC operator and digital circuits such as static random-access-memory (SRAM) because both can utilize the same level of the supply voltage. The proposed MAC is based on a digital intensive pulse-width modulation, and thus it can further improve its performance and area with more advanced technologies.
Hybrid Development of a Compact Antenna Based on a Novel Skin-Matched Ceramic Composite for Body Fat Measurement
Authors: Sarjoghian Siamak , Rahimian Ardavan , Alfadhl Yasir , Saunders Theo G. , Liu Jiamin , Parini Clive G.
Published: December 2020

This work presents the thorough hybrid (numerical and experimental) development of a miniaturized microwave antenna, to be better matched to the permittivity of the human skin. This would allow the abdominal fat to be measured more accurately, based on the employed reflection methods with minimal mismatches. This objective was achieved by designing the pyramidal horn antenna that was modeled based on the proposed and manufactured ceramic composite material. Moreover, by using the developed composite of barium titanate and titanium oxide, the ratio of the two could be precisely adjusted, so that the permittivity was a reasonable match to that of the skin. This step was validated by the open-ended probe method. This framework can be instrumental in a range of microwave biomedical applications, which aim to realize the body-centric systems.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Condensation Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop of Refrigerant R22 in Minichannels of a Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger
Authors: Li Shilin , Zhao Zhongchao , Zhang Yanrui , Xu Haijia , Zeng Weiqin
Published: December 2020

A Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger (PCHE) is a type of highly complete and efficient heat exchanger that consists of numerous mini/micro-channels and has been successfully applied to the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) regasification project. During the research presented in this paper, the condensation flow and heat transfer performance of the R22 in PCHE hot side minichannels are analyzed via experiments and numerical simulations, respectively. A liquid nitrogen–R22 experimental loop is established to examine the pressure difference and heat transfer coefficient of R22 in the minichannels of the PCHE hot side. The inlet pressures of the R22 range from 0.5 MPa to 0.65 MPa, the mass flux values are changed from 10.52 kg m−2s−1 to 109.42 kg m−2s−1, and the inlet temperatures vary from 273 K to 289 K. The differences between experiments and simulations are analyzed by comparing the experimental values of the Nusselt number (Nu) and the friction pressure gradient with the numerical ones. Furthermore, the influences of pressure and mass flux on the Nu, as well as the friction pressure gradient, are analyzed in depth through condensation flow regimes to explore the underlying mechanism giving the results.
Anode Modification as an Alternative Approach to Improve Electricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells
Authors: Nosek Dawid , Jachimowicz Piotr , Cydzik-Kwiatkowska Agnieszka
Published: December 2020

Sustainable production of electricity from renewable sources by microorganisms is considered an attractive alternative to energy production from fossil fuels. In recent years, research on microbial fuel cells (MFCs) technology for electricity production has increased. However, there are problems with up-scaling MFCs due to the fairly low power output and high operational costs. One of the approaches to improving energy generation in MFCs is by modifying the existing anode materials to provide more electrochemically active sites and improve the adhesion of microorganisms. The aim of this review is to present the effect of anode modification with carbon compounds, metallic nanomaterials, and polymers and the effect that these modifications have on the structure of the microbiological community inhabiting the anode surface. This review summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of individual materials as well as possibilities for using them for environmentally friendly production of electricity in MFCs.
Impact of Leading Edge Roughness in Cavitation Simulations around a Twisted Foil
Authors: Asnaghi Abolfazl , Bensow Rickard E.
Published: December 2020

The simulation of fully turbulent, three-dimensional, cavitating flow over Delft twisted foil is conducted by an implicit large eddy simulation (LES) approach in both smooth and tripped conditions, the latter by including leading-edge roughness. The analysis investigates the importance of representing the roughness elements on the flow structures in the cavitation prediction. The results include detailed comparisons of cavitation pattern, vorticity distribution, and force predictions with the experimental measurements. It is noted that the presence of roughness generates very small cavitating vortical structures which interact with the main sheet cavity developing over the foil to later form a cloud cavity. Very similar to the experimental observation, these interactions create a streaky sheet cavity interface which cannot be captured in the smooth condition, influencing both the richness of structures in the detached cloudy cavitation as well as the extent and transport of vapour. It is further found to have a direct impact on the pressure distribution, especially in the mid-chord region where the shed cloud cavity collapses.
The Effect of Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge Actuators in Reducing Drag on an Ahmed Body
Authors: Karimi Saber , Zargar Arash , Mani Mahmoud , Hemmati Arman
Published: December 2020

The feasibility of a single dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) actuator in controlling flow over an Ahmed body, representing a simplified car model, has been numerically and experimentally investigated at Reynolds numbers of 7.68×105 and 2.25×105. The Ahmed body had slant angles of 25∘ and 35∘. The results showed that SDBD actuators could significantly enhance the aerodynamic performance of the Ahmed body. Several arrangements of the actuators on the slant surface and the rear face of the model were examined to identify the most effective arrangement for drag reduction. This arrangement resulted in an approximately 6.1% drag reduction. This improvement in aerodynamic performance is attributed to the alteration of three-dimensional wake structures due to the presence of SDBD, which coincides with surface pressure variations on the slant and rear faces of the Ahmed body.
Use of Turkey Meat Affected by White Striping Myopathy for the Development of Low-Fat Cooked Sausage Enriched with Chitosan
Authors: Carvalho Larissa Tátero , Lorenzo José M. , de Carvalho Francisco Allan L. , Bellucci Elisa Rafaela Bonadio , Trindade Marco Antonio , Domínguez Rubén
Published: December 2020

The main objective of this research was the development of a healthy meat product from turkey meat with white striping myopathy. The effect of adding different proportions of chitosan on the qualitative characteristics, sensory acceptance, and stability of cooked sausages during storage was studied. Three treatments were elaborated (control, 1.5% chitosan, and 3% chitosan), stored for 56 days, and characterized in terms of chemical composition, texture profile analysis, drip and pressure loss analysis, and sensory analysis (after processing; day 0). In the different storage periods (0 and 56 days), the pH value, color, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and volatile compounds were evaluated. The results showed that the moisture content, lipids, proteins, and weight loss decreased (p < 0.05) and the ash content increased (p < 0.05) with the addition of chitosan. Similarly, the values of texture parameters (hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness) were higher in the sausages reformulated with chitosan than in control samples. The addition of chitosan increased the pH and yellowness (b*) values and reduced (p < 0.05) redness (a*) and lightness (L*) values. The b* values (only in reformulated sausages) and pH increased during storage, while a* showed a significant reduction after 56 storage days. Lipid oxidation (TBARS) was kept below the limits of quantification in all samples and both after processing and 56 storage days. However, when quantifying the lipid-derived volatiles, a clear antioxidant activity of chitosan was observed, which limits the release of these compounds, mainly aldehydes (hexanal and nonanal). Finally, the sensory analysis indicated that, although chitosan treatments received the lowest scores for all attributes, the reformulated samples did not differ from control sausages. Therefore, sausage containing chitosan may represent an interesting alternative for adding value to turkey meats affected by white striping myopathy and, at the same time, develop into a healthy and functional meat product increasing the proportion of fibers in one’s diet.
An ADI Method for the Numerical Solution of 3D Fractional Reaction-Diffusion Equations
Authors: Concezzi Moreno , Spigler Renato
Published: December 2020

A numerical method for solving fractional partial differential equations (fPDEs) of the diffusion and reaction–diffusion type, subject to Dirichlet boundary data, in three dimensions is developed. Such fPDEs may describe fluid flows through porous media better than classical diffusion equations. This is a new, fractional version of the Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) method, where the source term is balanced, in that its effect is split in the three space directions, and it may be relevant, especially in the case of anisotropy. The method is unconditionally stable, second-order in space, and third-order in time. A strategy is devised in order to improve its speed of convergence by means of an extrapolation method that is coupled to the PageRank algorithm. Some numerical examples are given.