bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Biological Approaches for Controlling Shoot and Fruit Borer (Earias vitella F.) of Okra Grown in Peri-Urban Area in Bangladesh
Authors: Choudhury Md. Abdur Razzak , Mondal Md. Fuad , Khan Ahasan Ullah , Hossain Md. Shahadat , Azad Md Obyedul Kalam , Prodhan Mohammad Dalower Hossain , Uddain Jasim , Rahman Mohammed Saifur , Ahmed Nur , Choi Ki Young , Naznin Most Tahera
Published: January 2021

Irrational applications of insecticides on vegetable crops are very common in Bangladesh, resulting in harmful consequences for the environment and human health. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biological and botanical insecticides on okra shoot and fruit borer grown in open fields. Four insecticides were used in this study, namely Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), Spinosad 45 SC, Abamectin 1.8 EC, and Azadirachtin 1% EC an untreated control. The experiment used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results showed that the rate of shoot infestation was the lowest in the Spinosad-treated plot (3.80%), and the highest was in the control (20.67%). The lowest fruit infestation (3.56%) was recorded in the treated plot of Spinosad. The rate of reduction of fruit infestation over control was 80.69, 60.14, 56.45, and 55.58% in the plots treated with Spinosad, Bt, Azadirachtin, and Abamectin, respectively. Consequently, the Spinosad-treated plot attained the highest yield (8.65 t ha−1), which was followed by the plots treated with Azadirachtin (6.74 t ha−1), Bt (6.28 t ha−1), and Abamectin (6.12 t ha−1). The highest net return and benefit–cost ratio (BCR) were 542.36 US$ and 2.64, obtained respectively from the Spinosad-treated plot. The second highest BCR (1.70) was obtained from the Azadiratin-treated plot, and the lowest BCR (1.18) was recorded in the Abamectin-treated plot. Therefore, the studied insect management practices could be incorporated to attain higher yields and economic benefits for growing okra in Bangladesh.
Rainwater Harvesting Potentials in Commercial Buildings in Dhaka: Reliability and Economic Analysis
Authors: Karim Md. Rezaul , Sakib B. M. Sadman , Sakib Sk. Sadman , Imteaz Monzur Alam
Published: January 2021

Despite numerous studies on residential rainwater tank, studies on commercial rainwater tank are scarce. Corporate authorities pay little heed on this sustainable feature. With the aim of encouraging corporate authorities, this study presents the feasibility and economic benefits of rainwater harvesting (RWH) in commercial buildings in the capital city of Bangladesh, where water authority struggles to maintain town water supply. The analysis was conducted using a daily water balance model under three climate scenarios (wet, dry and normal year) for five commercial buildings having catchment areas varying from 315 to 776 m2 and the storage tank capacity varying from 100 to 600 m3. It was found that for a water demand of 30 L per capita per day (lpcd), about 11% to 19% and 16% to 26.80% of the annual water demand can be supplemented by rainwater harvesting under the normal year and wet year climate conditions, respectively. The payback periods are found to be very short, only 2.25 to 3.75 years and benefit–cost (B/C) ratios are more than 1.0, even for building having the smallest catchment area (i.e., 315 m2) and no significant overflow would occur during monsoon, which leads to both economic and environmental benefits. Though the findings cannot be translated to other cities as those are dependent on factors like water price, interest rate, rainfall amount and pattern, however other cities having significant rainfall amounts should conduct similar studies to expedite implementations of widescale rainwater harvesting.
Facets of Impulsivity in Relation to Diet Quality and Physical Activity in Adolescence
Authors: Smith Kathryn E. , Lavender Jason M. , Leventhal Adam M. , Mason Tyler B.
Published: January 2021

Although the construct of impulsivity has generally been found to be associated with obesity and health behaviors in adults, research among adolescents is more limited and studies have yet to elucidate which facets of impulsivity may be most salient with regard to different eating and physical activity behaviors. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study assessed facets of impulsivity, measured by the UPPS-P questionnaire, in relation to health behaviors among adolescents. A sample of 2797 high school students from Los Angeles, California completed self-report measures during the ninth grade. The UPPS-P subscales (i.e., (lack of) premeditation, sensation seeking, (lack of) perseverance, negative urgency, positive urgency) were examined as predictors of unhealthy diet quality (i.e., frequency of consumption of high-fat foods and sweet food and drinks, measured by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Quick Food Scan) and frequency of vigorous physical activity (measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System). Greater sensation seeking, positive urgency, and negative urgency was associated with greater unhealthy diet quality (ps < 0.001). Greater negative urgency and lack of perseverance was associated with less frequent vigorous physical activity, whereas greater sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, and positive urgency was associated with more frequent vigorous physical activity (ps < 0.05). While negative urgency (i.e., impulsivity in the context of negative emotions) was consistently associated with poor health behaviors, other facets of impulsivity may potentiate vigorous physical activity in youth. Together these findings underscore the importance of considering the multidimensional nature of impulsivity in relation to adolescents’ health behaviors and highlight areas for future longitudinal research.
The Differential Heritability of Social Adjustment by Sex
Authors: Hayashi Chisato , Ogata Soshiro , Tanaka Haruka , Hayakawa Kazuo
Published: January 2021

Sex differences in social adjustment are frequently observed; however, there has been very little research on adaptability in the individual and social domains. The aim of this study was to investigate the sex difference in social abilities, such as high self-appeal, sociability, school adaptation, and home adaptation between school-age males and females. The sample for this study included both same-sex and opposite-sex twin pairs: a total of 467 twin pairs. We classified them into three groups: a group of those in lower classes of elementary school, a group of those in higher classes of elementary school, and a group of those in junior high school. The heritability of school adaptation was estimated to be 95% in males and 54% in females in the junior high school group. The full sex-limitation model showed a better fit in this group, and this means that a qualitative genetic difference exists. For school adaptation, there was no sex difference in lower elementary school classes; however, a quantitative difference appeared in higher classes of elementary school. Moreover, a qualitative difference appeared in junior high school. From this research, it became clear that sex differences in heritability exist for school adaptation, and there was a marked increase from the elementary school children to the junior high school children.
Impact of the Electric Vehicle Policies on Environment and Health in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region
Authors: Ma Chenen , Madaniyazi Lina , Xie Yang
Published: January 2021

China is implementing intensive policies on electric vehicles to control air pollution in urban regions, especially the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, one of the most polluted areas in China. The development of electric vehicles will lead to an increase in electricity demand. Because electricity is mostly generated by thermal power in China, primary energy consumption will also increase. This study sets two scenarios: with the electric vehicle policies scenario (REN) and without the electric vehicle policies scenario (FOS) to compare electric vehicle policy’s impact. We quantified the health benefits of the electric vehicle policies in the BTH region by using an integrated assessment framework. Compared with scenario FOS, the local PM2.5 emission will reduce by 11.38%, 15.12%, 22.27%, and the concentration will reduce by 18.84%, 20.04%, and 19.57% in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei separately by 2030 in REN. The electric vehicle policies can avoid 23.5 million morbidities and 4.6 thousand mortalities and save CNY 20.65 billion using the value of statistical life and 1.5 million work loss days in 2030 in REN. Our results show that electric vehicle policy can bring a remarkably positive benefit to public health and the economy.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Attenuates Obesity and Adipose Tissue Remodeling in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Seo Seok Hee , Fang Feng , Kang Inhae
Published: January 2021

Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissue, which is an active endocrine organ regulating energy metabolism. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiobesity effects, but the role of ginger in modulating adipocyte metabolism is largely unknown. In this study, we hypothesized that ginger supplementation inhibits high-fat (HF)-diet-mediated obesity. C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned to three diets for 7 weeks: low fat (LF, 16% kcal from fat), HF (HF, 60% kcal from fat), or HF with 5% ginger powder in diet (HF + G). The HF diet increased body weight (BW) and BW gain, as well as fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and hepatic lipid levels, compared to the LF diet-fed group. Ginger supplementation significantly improved HF-diet-induced BW gain, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hepatic steatosis without altering food intake. Next, we investigated whether ginger modulates adipocyte remodeling. HF-mediated adipocyte hypertrophy with increased lipogenic levels was significantly improved by ginger supplementation. Furthermore, the HF+G group showed high levels of the fatty-acid oxidation gene, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1), which was accompanied by a reduction in adipocyte inflammatory gene expression. Taken together, our work demonstrated that ginger supplementation attenuated HF-diet-mediated obesity and adipocyte remodeling in C57BL/6 mice.
Rounding Out the Understanding of ACD Toxicity with the Discovery of Cyclic Forms of Actin Oligomers
Authors: Smith Harper , Pinkerton Nick , Heisler David B. , Kudryashova Elena , Hall Aaron R. , Karch Kelly R. , Norris Andrew , Wysocki Vicki , Sotomayor Marcos , Reisler Emil , Vavylonis Dimitrios , Kudryashov Dmitri S.
Published: January 2021

Actin is an essential element of both innate and adaptive immune systems and can aid in motility and translocation of bacterial pathogens, making it an attractive target for bacterial toxins. Pathogenic Vibrio and Aeromonas genera deliver actin cross-linking domain (ACD) toxin into the cytoplasm of the host cell to poison actin regulation and promptly induce cell rounding. At early stages of toxicity, ACD covalently cross-links actin monomers into oligomers (AOs) that bind through multivalent interactions and potently inhibit several families of actin assembly proteins. At advanced toxicity stages, we found that the terminal protomers of linear AOs can get linked together by ACD to produce cyclic AOs. When tested against formins and Ena/VASP, linear and cyclic AOs exhibit similar inhibitory potential, which for the cyclic AOs is reduced in the presence of profilin. In coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, profilin and WH2-motif binding sites on actin subunits remain exposed in modeled AOs of both geometries. We speculate, therefore, that the reduced toxicity of cyclic AOs is due to their reduced configurational entropy. A characteristic feature of cyclic AOs is that, in contrast to the linear forms, they cannot be straightened to form filaments (e.g., through stabilization by cofilin), which makes them less susceptible to neutralization by the host cell.
The Role of Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides in Modulating Innate Immunity of the Ocular Surface in Dry Eye Diseases
Authors: Eshac Youssof , Redfern Rachel L. , Aakalu Vinay Kumar
Published: January 2021

The ocular surface has the challenging responsibility of maintaining a clear moist refractive surface while protecting the eye from exogenous pathogens and the environment. Homeostasis of the ocular surface, including its innate immune components, is altered in ocular surface disease states. In this review, we focus on antimicrobial peptides and the role they play in the immune response of the ocular surface during healthy states and dry eye diseases. Antimicrobial peptides are of special interest to the study of the ocular surface because of their various roles that include microbial threat neutralization, wound healing, and immune modulation. This review explores current literature on antimicrobial peptides in ocular surface diseases and discusses their therapeutic potential in ocular surface diseases and dry eye.
Possible Roles of Interleukin-4 and -13 and Their Receptors in Gastric and Colon Cancer
Authors: Song Xujun , Traub Benno , Shi Jingwei , Kornmann Marko
Published: January 2021

Interleukin (IL)-4 and -13 are structurally and functionally related cytokines sharing common receptor subunits. They regulate immune responses and, moreover, are involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of human neoplasms. Three different receptors have been described for IL-4, but only IL-4 receptor type II (IL-4Rα/IL-13Rα1) is expressed in solid tumors. While IL-13 can also bind to three different receptors, IL-13 receptor type I (IL-4Rα/IL-13Rα1/IL-13Rα2) and type II (IL-4Rα/IL-13Rα1) are expressed in solid tumors. After receptor binding, IL-4 and IL-13 can mediate tumor cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis in gastric or colon cancer. This review summarizes the results about the role of IL-4/IL-13 and their receptors in gastric and colon cancer.
Polyamidoamine Dendrimers Decorated Multifunctional Polydopamine Nanoparticles for Targeted Chemo- and Photothermal Therapy of Liver Cancer Model
Authors: Grześkowiak Bartosz F. , Maziukiewicz Damian , Kozłowska Agata , Kertmen Ahmet , Coy Emerson , Mrówczyński Radosław
Published: January 2021

The development of multifunctional drug delivery systems combining two or more nanoparticle-mediated therapies for efficient cancer treatment is highly desired. To face this challenge, a photothermally active polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticle-based platform was designed for the loading of chemotherapeutic drug and targeting of cancer cells. PDA spheres were first functionalized with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers followed by the conjugation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties and folic acid (FA) targeting ligand. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was then absorbed on the particle surface. We performed the physico-chemical characterization of this versatile material and we assessed further its possible application in chemo- and photothermal therapy using liver cancer cell model. These nanoparticles exhibited high near-infrared photothermal conversion efficacy and allowed for loading of the drug, which upon release in specifically targeted cancer cells suppressed their growth. Using cell proliferation, membrane damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress assays we demonstrated high performance of this nanosystem in cancer cell death induction, providing a novel promising approach for cancer therapy.
Arsenite Inhibits Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Synthesis through NRF2 Activation in Cultured Human Vascular Endothelial EA.hy926 Cells
Authors: Nakano Tsuyoshi , Takahashi Tsutomu , Yamamoto Chika , Yoshida Eiko , Kaji Toshiyuki , Fujiwara Yasuyuki
Published: January 2021

Chronic arsenic exposure is known to be related to the progression of atherosclerosis. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of arsenic-induced atherosclerosis have not been fully elucidated. Because disruption of the blood coagulation/fibrinolytic system is involved in the development of arteriosclerosis, we investigated the effect of arsenite on fibrinolytic activity in human vascular endothelial EA.hy926 cells in the present study. Fibrinolysis depends on the balance between tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) secreted from vascular endothelial cells. We found that arsenite reduced fibrinolytic t-PA activity by inhibiting its synthesis without affecting PAI-1 production. The inhibitory effect of arsenite on t-PA expression was partially recovered by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger Trolox. The nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway is known to be activated by arsenite via ROS production. We confirmed that arsenite activated the NRF2 pathway, and arsenite-induced inhibition of fibrinolytic t-PA activity was abrogated in NRF2-knockdown EA.hy926 cells. These results suggest that arsenite inhibits the fibrinolytic activity of t-PA by selectively suppressing its synthesis via activation of the NRF2 pathway in vascular endothelial cells.
The Interplay between Angiopoietin-Like Proteins and Adipose Tissue: Another Piece of the Relationship between Adiposopathy and Cardiometabolic Diseases?
Authors: Bini Simone , D’Erasmo Laura , Di Costanzo Alessia , Minicocci Ilenia , Pecce Valeria , Arca Marcello
Published: January 2021

Angiopoietin-like proteins, namely ANGPTL3-4-8, are known as regulators of lipid metabolism. However, recent evidence points towards their involvement in the regulation of adipose tissue function. Alteration of adipose tissue functions (also called adiposopathy) is considered the main inducer of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its related complications. In this review, we intended to analyze available evidence derived from experimental and human investigations highlighting the contribution of ANGPTLs in the regulation of adipocyte metabolism, as well as their potential role in common cardiometabolic alterations associated with adiposopathy. We finally propose a model of ANGPTLs-based adipose tissue dysfunction, possibly linking abnormalities in the angiopoietins to the induction of adiposopathy and its related disorders.
Identification of Important N-Linked Glycosylation Sites in the Hemagglutinin Protein and Their Functional Impact on DC-SIGN Mediated Avian Influenza H5N1 Infection
Authors: Yang Zih-Syuan , Huang Szu-Wei , Wang Wen-Hung , Lin Chih-Yen , Wang Chu-Feng , Urbina Aspiro Nayim , Thitithanyanont Arunee , Tseng Sung-Pin , Lu Po-Liang , Chen Yen-Hsu , Wang Sheng-Fan
Published: January 2021

DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin mainly expressed in dendritic cells (DCs), has been reported to mediate several viral infections. We previously reported that DC-SIGN mediated H5N1 influenza A virus (AIVs) infection, however, the important DC-SIGN interaction with N-glycosylation sites remain unknown. This study aims to identify the optimal DC-SIGN interacting N-glycosylation sites in HA proteins of H5N1-AIVs. Results from NetNGlyc program analyzed the H5 hemagglutinin sequences of isolates during 2004–2020, revealing that seven and two conserved N-glycosylation sites were detected in HA1 and HA2 domain, respectively. A lentivirus pseudotyped A/Vietnam/1203/04 H5N1 envelope (H5N1-PVs) was generated which displayed an abundance of HA5 proteins on the virions via immuno-electron microscope observation. Further, H5N1-PVs or reverse-genetics (H5N1-RG) strains carrying a serial N-glycosylated mutation was generated by site-directed mutagenesis assay. Human recombinant DC-SIGN (rDC-SIGN) coated ELISA showed that H5N1-PVs bound to DC-SIGN, however, mutation on the N27Q, N39Q, and N181Q significantly reduced this binding (p < 0.05). Infectivity and capture assay demonstrated that N27Q and N39Q mutations significantly ameliorated DC-SIGN mediated H5N1 infection. Furthermore, combined mutations (N27Q&N39Q) significantly waned the interaction on either H5N1-PVs or -RG infection in cis and in trans (p < 0.01). This study concludes that N27 and N39 are two essential N-glycosylation contributing to DC-SIGN mediating H5N1 infection.
Field Cancerization in NSCLC: A New Perspective on MicroRNAs in Macrophage Polarization
Authors: Pirlog Radu , Cismaru Andrei , Nutu Andreea , Berindan-Neagoe Ioana
Published: January 2021

Lung cancer is currently the first cause of cancer-related death. The major lung cancer subtype is non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), which accounts for approximatively 85% of cases. The major carcinogenic associated with lung cancer is tobacco smoke, which produces long-lasting and progressive damage to the respiratory tract. The progressive and diffuse alterations that occur in the respiratory tract of patients with cancer and premalignant lesions have been described as field cancerization. At the level of tumor cells, adjacent tumor microenvironment (TME) and cancerized field are taking place dynamic interactions through direct cell-to-cell communication or through extracellular vesicles. These molecular messages exchanged between tumor and nontumor cells are represented by proteins, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). In this paper, we analyze the miRNA roles in the macrophage polarization at the level of TME and cancerized field in NSCLC. Identifying molecular players that can influence the phenotypic states at the level of malignant cells, tumor microenvironment and cancerized field can provide us new insights into tumor regulatory mechanisms that can be further modulated to restore the immunogenic capacity of the TME. This approach could revert alterations in the cancerized field and could enhance currently available therapy approaches.
PhenQE8, a Novel Ligand of the Human Telomeric Quadruplex
Authors: Gratal Patricia B. , Quero Julia G. , Pérez-Redondo Adrián , Gándara Zoila , Gude Lourdes
Published: January 2021

A novel quadruplex ligand based on 1,10-phenanthroline and incorporating two guanyl hydrazone functionalities, PhenQE8, is reported herein. Synthetic access was gained in a two-step procedure with an overall yield of 61%. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that PhenQE8 can adopt an extended conformation that may be optimal to favor recognition of quadruplex DNA. DNA interactions with polymorphic G-quadruplex telomeric structures were studied by different techniques, such as Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) DNA melting assays, circular dichroism and equilibrium dialysis. Our results reveal that the novel ligand PhenQE8 can efficiently recognize the hybrid quadruplex structures of the human telomeric DNA, with high binding affinity and quadruplex/duplex selectivity. Moreover, the compound shows significant cytotoxic activity against a selected panel of cultured tumor cells (PC-3, HeLa and MCF-7), whereas its cytotoxicity is considerably lower in healthy human cells (HFF-1 and RPWE-1).
Homozygous HESX1 and COL1A1 Gene Variants in a Boy with Growth Hormone Deficiency and Early Onset Osteoporosis
Authors: Alesi Viola , Dentici Maria Lisa , Genovese Silvia , Loddo Sara , Bellacchio Emanuele , Orlando Valeria , Di Tommaso Silvia , Catino Giorgia , Calacci Chiara , Calvieri Giusy , Pompili Daniele , Ubertini Graziamaria , Dallapiccola Bruno , Capolino Rossella , Novelli Antonio
Published: January 2021

We report on a patient born to consanguineous parents, presenting with Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) and osteoporosis. SNP-array analysis and exome sequencing disclosed long contiguous stretches of homozygosity and two distinct homozygous variants in HESX1 (Q6H) and COL1A1 (E1361K) genes. The HESX1 variant was described as causative in a few subjects with an incompletely penetrant dominant form of combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). The COL1A1 variant is rare, and so far it has never been found in a homozygous form. Segregation analysis showed that both variants were inherited from heterozygous unaffected parents. Present results further elucidate the inheritance pattern of HESX1 variants and recommend assessing the clinical impact of variants located in C-terminal propeptide of COL1A1 gene for their potential association with rare recessive and early onset forms of osteoporosis.
Comprehensive Analysis of Cardiac Xeno-Graft Unveils Rejection Mechanisms
Authors: Park Min Young , Krishna Vasamsetti Bala Murali , Kim Wan Seop , Kang Hee Jung , Kim Do-Young , Lim Byeonghwi , Cho Kahee , Kim Jun Seok , Chee Hyun Keun , Park Jung Hwan , Yang Hyun Suk , Rallabandi Harikrishna Reddy , Ock Sun A. , Park Mi-Ryung , Lee Heasun , Hwang In-Sul , Kim Jun-Mo , Oh Keon Bong , Yun Ik Jin
Published: January 2021

Porcine heart xenotransplantation is a potential treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. To understand molecular mechanisms of graft rejection after heart transplantation, we transplanted a 31-day-old alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (GTKO) porcine heart to a five-year-old cynomolgus monkey. Histological and transcriptome analyses were conducted on xenografted cardiac tissue at rejection (nine days after transplantation). The recipient monkey’s blood parameters were analyzed on days −7, −3, 1, 4, and 7. Validation was conducted by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) with selected genes. A non-transplanted GTKO porcine heart from an age-matched litter was used as a control. The recipient monkey showed systemic inflammatory responses, and the rejected cardiac graft indicated myocardial infarction and cardiac fibrosis. The transplanted heart exhibited a total of 3748 differentially expressed genes compared to the non-transplanted heart transcriptome, with 2443 upregulated and 1305 downregulated genes. Key biological pathways involved at the terminal stage of graft rejection were cardiomyopathies, extracellular interactions, and ion channel activities. The results of qPCR evaluation were in agreement with the transcriptome data. Transcriptome analysis of porcine cardiac tissue at graft rejection reveals dysregulation of the key molecules and signaling pathways, which play relevant roles on structural and functional integrities of the heart.
The Interplay between HGF/c-met Axis and Nox4 in BRAF Mutated Melanoma
Authors: Beretti Francesca , Farnetani Francesca , Reggiani Bonetti Luca , Fabbiani Luca , Zavatti Manuela , Maiorana Antonino , Pellacani Giovanni , Maraldi Tullia
Published: January 2021

Background: Melanoma is the leading cause of death due to cutaneous malignancy and its incidence is on the rise. Several signaling pathways, including receptor tyrosine kinases, have a role in the development and progression of melanocytic lesions and malignant melanoma. Among those, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-met axis is emerging as a critical player because it can play a role in drug resistance. Indeed, 50% of melanoma patients present BRAF mutations, however, all responders develop resistance to the inhibitors typically within one year of treatment. Interestingly, BRAF inhibitors induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in melanoma cells, therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate a possible interplay between HGF/c-met and ROS sources, such as NADPH oxidases (Nox). Methods: The expression of c-met and Nox were quantified in 60 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma. In vitro experiments on melanoma primary cells and the cell line were performed to dissect the underpinned molecular mechanism. Results: The outcome of interest was the correlation between the high positivity for both Nox4 and c-met and metastasis occurring at least 1 year later than melanoma diagnosis in BRAF mutated patients, in contrast to nonmutated. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the axis HGF/c-met/Nox4/ROS triggers the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Conclusions: The observed correlation suggests an interplay between c-met and Nox4 in promoting the onset of metastasis. This study suggests that Nox4 inhibitors could be associated to the current therapy used to treat melanoma patients with BRAF mutations.
Radioactivity Monitoring at North Aegean Sea Integrating In-Situ Sensor in an Ocean Observing Platform
Authors: Tsabaris Christos , Androulakaki Effrossyni G. , Ballas Dionysios , Alexakis Stylianos , Perivoliotis Leonidas , Iona Athanasia
Published: January 2021

The integration of the radioactivity spectrometer KATERINA II in a fixed station (buoy) of the POSEIDON network at the North Aegean Sea within the framework of MARRE Project is presented. The acquisition period lasted from 20 November 2019 till 22 February 2020. An intense increment of the activity concentration of radon progenies (up to an order of magnitude) was recorded during rainfall. More specifically, the 214Bi activity concentration varied from 0.09 to 0.53 Bq L−1 without rainfall and the 214Pb activity concentration varied from 0.14 to 0.81 Bq L−1. The 214Bi activity concentration during rainfall ranged from 0.4 to 5.4 Bq L−1 and of 214Pb from 0.3 to 5.3 Bq L−1. The minimum detectable activity of the KATERINA II detection system for measuring low level activities of 137Cs is optimized applying background subtraction and the full spectrum analysis technique.
Taxonomy, Diversity and Cultivation of the Oudemansielloid/Xeruloid Taxa Hymenopellis, Mucidula, Oudemansiella, and Xerula with Respect to Their Bioactivities: A Review
Authors: Niego Allen Grace , Raspé Olivier , Thongklang Naritsada , Charoensup Rawiwan , Lumyong Saisamorn , Stadler Marc , Hyde Kevin D.
Published: January 2021

The oudemansielloid/xeruloid taxa Hymenopellis, Mucidula, Oudemansiella, and Xerula are genera of Basidiomycota that constitute an important resource of bioactive compounds. Numerous studies have shown antimicrobial, anti-oxidative, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and other bioactivities of their extracts. The bioactive principles can be divided into two major groups: (a) hydrophilic polysaccharides with relatively high molecular weights and (b) low molecular medium polar secondary metabolites, such as the antifungal strobilurins. In this review, we summarize the state of the art on biodiversity, cultivation of the fungi and bioactivities of their secondary metabolites and discuss future applications. Although the strobilurins are well-documented, with commercial applications as agrochemical fungicides, there are also other known compounds from this group that have not yet been well-studied. Polysaccharides, dihydro-citrinone phenol A acid, scalusamides, and acetylenic lactones such as xerulin, also have potential applications in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and medicinal market and should be further explored. Further studies are recommended to isolate high quality bioactive compounds and fully understand their modes of action. Given that only few species of oudemansielloid/xeruloid mushrooms have been explored for their production of secondary metabolites, these taxa represent unexplored sources of potentially useful and novel bioactive metabolites.
In Vitro and In Vivo Effect of Peptides Derived from 14-3-3 Paracoccidioides spp. Protein
Authors: Scorzoni Liliana , Alves de Paula e Silva Ana Carolina , de Oliveira Haroldo Cesar , Tavares dos Santos Claudia , de Lacorte Singulani Junya , Akemi Assato Patricia , Maria Marcos Caroline , Teodoro Oliveira Lariane , Ferreira Fregonezi Nathália , Rossi Diego Conrado Pereira , Buffoni Roque da Silva Leandro , Pelleschi Taborda Carlos , Fusco-Almeida Ana Marisa , Soares Mendes-Giannini Maria José
Published: January 2021

Background: Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a chronic disease that causes sequelae and requires prolonged treatment; therefore, new therapeutic approaches are necessary. In view of this, three peptides from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis 14-3-3 protein were selected based on its immunogenicity and therapeutic potential. Methods: The in vitro antifungal activity and cytotoxicity of the 14-3-3 peptides were evaluated. The influence of the peptides in immunological and survival aspects was evaluated in vivo, using Galleria mellonella and the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes in Caenorhabditis elegans. Results: None of the peptides were toxic to HaCaT (skin keratinocyte), MRC-5 (lung fibroblast), and A549 (pneumocyte) cell lines, and only P1 exhibited antifungal activity against Paracoccidioides spp. The peptides could induce an immune response in G. mellonella. Moreover, the peptides caused a delay in the death of Paracoccidioides spp. infected larvae. Regarding C. elegans, the three peptides were able to increase the expression of the antimicrobial peptides. These peptides had essential effects on different aspects of Paracoccidioides spp. infection showing potential for a therapeutic vaccine. Future studies using mammalian methods are necessary to validate our findings.
CEO Duality: Newspapers and Stock Market Reactions
Authors: Caiffa Marco , Farina Vincenzo , Fattobene Lucrezia
Published: January 2021

This study aims to investigate the unsettled issue of the relationship between CEO duality and a firm’s value through the perspective of investors’ reaction to news which mention apical directors with a single role and Board Chair CEOs. With a unique and hand-collected database of 60,805 newspaper articles, text-analysis, event-study and regression analysis methodologies were applied to capture news sentiment and study the direction and the magnitude of the stock market reaction. Results reveal that news mentioning Board Chair CEOs are negatively processed by investors, revealing a negative perception by investors about CEO duality. The study provides empirical support for the agency theory, in contrast to the stewardship theory, in the interpretation of CEO duality. It also proposes the methodology of systematically quantifying language to explore corporate governance issues and their link with financial markets.
Evaluation of a Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems Spectral Sensor for Soil Properties Estimation
Authors: Karyotis Konstantinos , Angelopoulou Theodora , Tziolas Nikolaos , Palaiologou Evgenia , Samarinas Nikiforos , Zalidis George
Published: January 2021

Soil properties estimation with the use of reflectance spectroscopy has met major advances over the last decades. Their non-destructive nature and their high accuracy capacity enabled a breakthrough in the efficiency of performing soil analysis against conventional laboratory techniques. As the need for rapid, low cost, and accurate soil properties’ estimations increases, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) have been introduced and are becoming applicable for informed decision making in various domains. This work presents the assessment of a MEMS sensor (1750–2150 nm) in estimating clay and soil organic carbon (SOC) contents. The sensor was first tested under various experimental setups (different working distances and light intensities) through its similarity assessment (Spectral Angle Mapper) to the measurements of a spectroradiometer of the full 350–2500 nm range that was used as reference. MEMS performance was evaluated over spectra measured from 102 samples in laboratory conditions. Models’ calibrations were performed using random forest (RF) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). The results provide insights that MEMS could be employed for soil properties estimation, since the RF model demonstrated solid performance over both clay (R2 = 0.85) and SOC (R2 = 0.80). These findings pave the way for supporting daily agriculture applications and land related policies through the exploration of a wider set of soil properties.
The Evolving Structure of Rural Construction Land in Urbanizing China: Case Study of Tai’an Prefecture
Authors: Huang Daquan , Lang Yue , Liu Tao
Published: January 2021

With a rapid surge in urbanization, rural functions and the structure of rural construction land are undergoing profound change. Using the village-level units of Tai’an Prefecture in the North China Plain as the research object, this study employs the land use survey data in 2019, selecting the diversity index, concentration index, land use type, and location index to analyze the spatial pattern of rural construction land structure. Thereafter, a multiple linear regression model is developed to identify the driving factors of spatial differentiation in rural construction land structure. The results show that (1) there are remarkable spatial differences in all indices representing the structure of construction land in Tai’an and the landscape varies across the indices, and (2) the most important factors affecting the spatial differentiation of construction land use structure are the location, socioeconomic development, and policy, while the effects of natural conditions are limited. The worse the location conditions and the more regressed the economic and social development level, the lower the diversity of construction land and the more unitary the structure. The results of this case study demonstrate the crucial role of the changing urban–rural relation under rapid urbanization in shaping the geography of rural land use, which is expected to have reference significance for researchers and policy makers dealing with rural transformation in developing countries.
Keeping a Critical Eye on Majority Language Influence: The Case of Uptalk in Heritage Spanish
Authors: Kim Ji Young , Repiso-Puigdelliura Gemma
Published: January 2021

The goal of this study is to highlight the importance of taking into account variations in monolingual grammars before discussing majority language influence as a possible source of heritage speakers’ divergent grammars. In this study, we examine the production of uptalk in Spanish by heritage speakers of Mexican Spanish in Southern California. Uptalk (i.e., rising intonation contour at the end of a non-question utterance) is frequently associated with California English. Thus, heritage speakers’ use of uptalk is often considered to be influenced from English intonation (i.e., the majority language). Although uptalk in Spanish is not well understood, it has been observed in Mexican Spanish, which calls attention to the importance of investigating uptalk in monolingual Spanish. Using a dyadic interaction task, we obtained spontaneous speech data of 16 heritage speakers and 16 monolingual speakers of Mexican Spanish and compared the phonological and phonetic properties of uptalks produced by the two groups. Our results demonstrated that the heritage speakers and the monolingual speakers produced uptalks with similar frequencies and mainly used L+H* HH% and L* HH% contours. However, the two groups had more differences than similarities. Specifically, heritage speakers’ uptalks presented less dynamic contours and were produced with flatter rises than monolinguals’ uptalks. Heritage speakers’ divergent patterns showed close resemblance with patterns in English, suggesting majority language influence as a valid source of divergence. We discuss possible avenues for future research for a better understanding of the role of majority language influence on heritage Spanish uptalk.
Structure and Photoluminescence Properties of Thermally Synthesized V2O5 and Al-Doped V2O5 Nanostructures
Authors: Wang Chih-Chiang , Lu Chia-Lun , Shieu Fuh-Sheng , Shih Han C.
Published: January 2021

Al-free and Al-doped V2O5 nanostructures were synthesized by a thermal-chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process on Si(100) at 850 °C under 1.2 × 10−1 Torr via a vapor-solid (V-S) mechanism. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) confirmed a typical orthorhombic V2O5 with the growth direction along [110]-direction of both nanostructures. Metallic Al, rather than Al3+-ion, was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), affected the V2O5 crystallinity. The photoluminescence intensity of V2O5 nanostructure at 1.77 and 1.94 eV decreased with the increasing Al-dopant by about 61.6% and 59.9%, attributing to the metallic Al intercalated between the V2O5-layers and/or filled in the oxygen vacancies, which behaved as electron sinks. Thus the Al-doped V2O5 nanostructure shows the potential applications in smart windows and the electrodic material in a Li-ion battery.
Effects of Co Addition on the Properties and Microstructure of Cu-Ni-Si-P-Mg Alloys
Authors: Cheng Jianyi , Yu Fangxin , Huang Fu
Published: January 2021

Cu-Ni-Si alloys are widely used in electrical and electronic industry owing to excellent electrical conductivity and strength. A suitable addition of Co in the Cu-Ni-Si alloys can improve its strength and deteriorate its electrical conductivity. In this work, Cu-Ni-Co-Si-P-Mg alloys with different Co content are employed to investigate the effects of Co on the properties and microstructure. The results showed that Co addition lead to the formation of (Ni, Co)2Si precipitates. (Ni, Co)2Si precipitate is harder to coarsen than δ-Ni2Si during aging. The larger the Co content in the alloys is, the smaller the precipitates formed is. There exists a threshold content of Co to divide the studied alloys into two groups. One group of theses alloys with <1 wt.% Co or Co/Ni ratio <0.56 has the same aging behavior as the Cu-Ni-Si-P-Mg alloy. On the contrary, the time to reach the peak hardness of aging for another group can be obviously delayed and its electrical conductivity decreases slightly with the increase of Co content. It can be attributed to the lower diffusion rate of Co than that of Ni in the Cu matrix. Meanwhile, the Co addition can inhibit the formation of P-enriched Ni-P phase in Co-containing alloys during aging. The as-quenched Cu-1.6Ni-1.2Co-0.65Si-0.1P-0.05Mg alloy can reach 257 HV and 38.7%IACS after aging at 500 °C for 3 h, respectively.
Functional Design of a Hybrid Leg-Wheel-Track Ground Mobile Robot
Authors: Bruzzone Luca , Baggetta Mario , Nodehi Shahab E. , Bilancia Pietro , Fanghella Pietro
Published: January 2021

This paper presents the conceptual and functional design of a novel hybrid leg-wheel-track ground mobile robot for surveillance and inspection, named WheTLHLoc (Wheel-Track-Leg Hybrid Locomotion). The aim of the work is the development of a general-purpose platform capable of combining tracked locomotion on irregular and yielding terrains, wheeled locomotion with high energy efficiency on flat and compact grounds, and stair climbing/descent ability. The architecture of the hybrid locomotion system is firstly outlined, then the validation of its stair climbing maneuver capabilities by means of multibody simulation is presented. The embodiment design and the internal mechanical layout are then discussed.
Data-Driven Intelligent 3D Surface Measurement in Smart Manufacturing: Review and Outlook
Authors: Yang Yuhang , Dong Zhiqiao , Meng Yuquan , Shao Chenhui
Published: January 2021

High-fidelity characterization and effective monitoring of spatial and spatiotemporal processes are crucial for high-performance quality control of many manufacturing processes and systems in the era of smart manufacturing. Although the recent development in measurement technologies has made it possible to acquire high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) surface measurement data, it is generally expensive and time-consuming to use such technologies in real-world production settings. Data-driven approaches that stem from statistics and machine learning can potentially enable intelligent, cost-effective surface measurement and thus allow manufacturers to use high-resolution surface data for better decision-making without introducing substantial production cost induced by data acquisition. Among these methods, spatial and spatiotemporal interpolation techniques can draw inferences about unmeasured locations on a surface using the measurement of other locations, thus decreasing the measurement cost and time. However, interpolation methods are very sensitive to the availability of measurement data, and their performances largely depend on the measurement scheme or the sampling design, i.e., how to allocate measurement efforts. As such, sampling design is considered to be another important field that enables intelligent surface measurement. This paper reviews and summarizes the state-of-the-art research in interpolation and sampling design for surface measurement in varied manufacturing applications. Research gaps and future research directions are also identified and can serve as a fundamental guideline to industrial practitioners and researchers for future studies in these areas.
Including Jumps in the Stochastic Valuation of Freight Derivatives
Authors: Gómez-Valle Lourdes , Martínez-Rodríguez Julia
Published: January 2021

The spot freight rate processes considered in the literature for pricing forward freight agreements (FFA) and freight options usually have a particular dynamics in order to obtain the prices. In those cases, the FFA prices are explicitly obtained. However, for jump-diffusion models, an exact solution is not known for the freight options (Asian-type), in part due to the absence of a suitable valuation framework. In this paper, we consider a general jump-diffusion process to describe the spot freight dynamics and we obtain exact solutions of FFA prices for two parametric models. Moreover, we develop a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE), for pricing freight options for a general unifactorial jump-diffusion model. When we consider that the spot freight follows a geometric process with jumps, we obtain a solution of the freight option price in a part of its domain. Finally, we show the effect of the jumps in the FFA prices by means of numerical simulations.
Cost-Sensitive Variable Selection for Multi-Class Imbalanced Datasets Using Bayesian Networks
Authors: Ramos-López Darío , Maldonado Ana D.
Published: January 2021

Multi-class classification in imbalanced datasets is a challenging problem. In these cases, common validation metrics (such as accuracy or recall) are often not suitable. In many of these problems, often real-world problems related to health, some classification errors may be tolerated, whereas others are to be avoided completely. Therefore, a cost-sensitive variable selection procedure for building a Bayesian network classifier is proposed. In it, a flexible validation metric (cost/loss function) encoding the impact of the different classification errors is employed. Thus, the model is learned to optimize the a priori specified cost function. The proposed approach was applied to forecasting an air quality index using current levels of air pollutants and climatic variables from a highly imbalanced dataset. For this problem, the method yielded better results than other standard validation metrics in the less frequent class states. The possibility of fine-tuning the objective validation function can improve the prediction quality in imbalanced data or when asymmetric misclassification costs have to be considered.
Condensing Effect of Cholesterol on hBest1/POPC and hBest1/SM Langmuir Monolayers
Authors: Videv Pavel , Mladenov Nikola , Andreeva Tonya , Mladenova Kirilka , Moskova-Doumanova Veselina , Nikolaev Georgi , Petrova Svetla , Doumanov Jordan
Published: January 2021

Human bestrophin-1 protein (hBest1) is a transmembrane channel associated with the calcium-dependent transport of chloride ions in the retinal pigment epithelium as well as with the transport of glutamate and GABA in nerve cells. Interactions between hBest1, sphingomyelins, phosphatidylcholines and cholesterol are crucial for hBest1 association with cell membrane domains and its biological functions. As cholesterol plays a key role in the formation of lipid rafts, motional ordering of lipids and modeling/remodeling of the lateral membrane structure, we examined the effect of different cholesterol concentrations on the surface tension of hBest1/POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and hBest1/SM Langmuir monolayers in the presence/absence of Ca2+ ions using surface pressure measurements and Brewster angle microscopy studies. Here, we report that cholesterol: (1) has negligible condensing effect on pure hBest1 monolayers detected mainly in the presence of Ca2+ ions, and; (2) induces a condensing effect on composite hBest1/POPC and hBest1/SM monolayers. These results offer evidence for the significance of intermolecular protein–lipid interactions for the conformational dynamics of hBest1 and its biological functions as multimeric ion channel.