bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water Extract of Mixed Mushroom Mycelia Grown on a Solid Barley Medium Is Protective against Experimental Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Jeong Ji Heun , Kim Shin Hye , Park Mi Na , Park Jong Yea , Park Hyun Young , Song Chan Eui , Moon Ji Hyun , Choi Ah La , Kim Ki Duck , Lee Nam Seob , Jeong Young Gil , Kim Do Kyung , Lee Bong Ho , Yoo Yung Choon , Han Seung Yun
Published: June 2021

Although the individual consumption of medicinal mushrooms, including Phellinus linteus (PL), Ganoderma lucidum (GL), and Inonotus obliquus (IO), is known to be neuroprotective, the associated mechanisms underlying their therapeutic synergism on focal cerebral ischemia (fCI) have yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of mixed mushroom mycelia (MMM) against experimental fCI. The water-fractions, ethanolic-fractions, and ethyl acetate-fractions of the MMM (PL, GL, and IO) grown in a barley medium using solid-state fermentation techniques were prepared and their protective effects against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity were compared in PC-12 cells. After the identification of the water extracts of MMM (wMMM) as the most suitable form, which possessed the lowest toxicity and highest efficacy, further analyses for evaluating the anti-apoptotic effects of wMMM, including Hoechst 33258-based nuclear staining, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection assays, were performed. Rats were subjected to a 90 min middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion, after which a wMMM treatment resulted in significant dose-dependent improvements across a number of parameters. Furthermore, measurements of intracellular ROS and levels of antioxidant enzymes revealed a wMMM-mediated ROS attenuation and antioxidant enzyme upregulation. We suggest that wMMM is neuroprotective against fCI through its anti-apoptotic and anti-oxidative effects.
Publisher’s Note: Dermato—A New Open Access Journal
Authors: Roth Peter
Published: June 2021

In spring 2020, the open access journal Dermatopahtology [...]
External Root Resorption Management of an Avulsed and Reimplanted Central Incisor: A Case Report
Authors: Di Giorgio Gianni , Salucci Alessandro , Sfasciotti Gian Luca , Iaculli Flavia , Bossù Maurizio
Published: June 2021

Background: Avulsion and reimplantation of permanent teeth represent a major challenge in terms of treatment and long-term prognosis. The present study reported clinical management of external root resorption of an avulsed and reimplanted maxillary central incisor. Case report: A 9-year-old boy reported an uncomplicated crown fracture and avulsion of tooth 11 and complicated crown fracture of tooth 21 due to trauma. Reimplantation of element 11 was obtained within 30 min post-trauma and 3 days after both elements were diagnosed with necrotic pulp. In addition, tooth 11 showed early external root resorption. Both elements underwent endodontic treatment and root closure with apical plug using calcium-silicate-based cement. At 6-month follow-up root resorption appeared to be arrested. Twenty-four months after trauma the clinical results were stable, although signs and symptoms of ankylosis were observed. Conclusions: An immediate endodontic approach and use of calcium-silicate-based cement seemed to contrast the progression of root resorption of an avulsed and reimplanted central incisor after 24 months of follow-up.
A Capacity-Achieving Feedback Scheme of the Gaussian Multiple-Access Channel with Degraded Message Sets
Authors: Yuan Haoheng , Dai Bin
Published: June 2021

The classical Schalkwijk–Kailath (SK) scheme for the point-to-point white Gaussian channel with noiseless feedback plays an important role in information theory due to the fact that it is capacity-achieving and the complexity of its encoding–decoding procedure is extremely low. In recent years, it has been shown that an extended SK feedback scheme also achieves the capacity region of the two-user Gaussian multiple-access channel with noiseless feedback (GMAC-NF), where two independent messages are, respectively, encoded by two intended transmitters. However, for the two-user GMAC-NF with degraded message sets (one common message for both users and one private message for an intended user), the capacity-achieving feedback scheme remains open. In this paper, we propose a novel two-step SK-type feedback scheme for the two-user GMAC-NF with degraded message sets and show that this scheme is capacity-achieving.
Thermodynamic Efficiency of Interactions in Self-Organizing Systems
Authors: Nigmatullin Ramil , Prokopenko Mikhail
Published: June 2021

The emergence of global order in complex systems with locally interacting components is most striking at criticality, where small changes in control parameters result in a sudden global reorganization. We study the thermodynamic efficiency of interactions in self-organizing systems, which quantifies the change in the system’s order per unit of work carried out on (or extracted from) the system. We analytically derive the thermodynamic efficiency of interactions for the case of quasi-static variations of control parameters in the exactly solvable Curie–Weiss (fully connected) Ising model, and demonstrate that this quantity diverges at the critical point of a second-order phase transition. This divergence is shown for quasi-static perturbations in both control parameters—the external field and the coupling strength. Our analysis formalizes an intuitive understanding of thermodynamic efficiency across diverse self-organizing dynamics in physical, biological, and social domains.
A Coupling Framework for Multi-Domain Modelling and Multi-Physics Simulations
Authors: Amirante Dario , Ganine Vlad , Hills Nicholas J. , Adami Paolo
Published: June 2021

This paper describes a coupling framework for parallel execution of different solvers for multi-physics and multi-domain simulations with an arbitrary number of adjacent zones connected by different physical or overlapping interfaces. The coupling architecture is based on the execution of several instances of the same coupling code and relies on the use of smart edges (i.e., separate processes) dedicated to managing the exchange of information between two adjacent regions. The collection of solvers and coupling sessions forms a flexible and modular system, where the data exchange is handled by independent servers that are dedicated to a single interface connecting two solvers’ sessions. Accuracy and performance of the strategy is considered for turbomachinery applications involving Conjugate Heat Transfer (CHT) analysis and Sliding Plane (SP) interfaces.
Digital Health in Pharmacy Education: Preparedness and Responsiveness of Pharmacy Programmes
Authors: Mantel-Teeuwisse Aukje K. , Meilianti Sherly , Khatri Bidhata , Yi Whitley , Azzopardi Lilian M. , Acosta Gómez Jaime , Gülpınar Gizem , Bennara Karima , Uzman Nilhan
Published: June 2021

To ensure the sustainability of pharmacy practice and provide health for all, pharmacy as a profession must embrace the digital transformation that has been changing healthcare at a rapid pace. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has conducted a global study on digital health in pharmacy education to describe the readiness, adaptability, and responsiveness of pharmacy education programmes to train the current and future pharmaceutical workforce on digital health and to identify the knowledge and skill gaps of the existing pharmaceutical workforce with regard to digital health. An online survey was distributed to collect feedback from academics, pharmacy schools, pharmacists, and pharmacy students. The findings showed that a large proportion of pharmacy schools do not offer any digital health education, and the skillsets and knowledge of how to apply digital health technologies to solve existing clinical problems and improve care have been identified as a gap. The future of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences is digital and exciting. A digitally enabled and agile pharmaceutical workforce will capitalise on the benefits of digital health to serve the higher purpose of providing good health and wellbeing for all, leaving no one behind. Therefore, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education should act now.
Student Surveys: Measuring the Relationship between Satisfaction and Engagement
Authors: Kandiko Howson Camille , Matos Frederico
Published: June 2021

This study explores the relationship between satisfaction and engagement survey items through an institutionally based survey, drawing on the two largest higher education student experience surveys in the world. The UK-based National Student Survey (NSS) was designed to inform student choice and drive competition and the US-based National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was developed to provide actionable data for institutional enhancement. Comparing these surveys leads to a critical review of how such data can be used for policy decisions and institutional enhancement. The Institutional Experience Survey thus draws on findings from a survey of 1480 non-final year undergraduate students in a research-intensive UK university. Those who reported higher levels of engagement, measured across 17 engagement benchmarks, also reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction. Results are used to discuss the application of engagement-based surveys in the UK, compared to satisfaction-based surveys, and the benefits and challenges of both approaches. Conclusions are made about the usefulness of nationally standardised experience surveys, the different outcome goals of engagement and satisfaction, such as responsibility for learning and change, audience and results and lessons for other countries looking to measure the student experience. The paper highlights the need for a shift in perspective in relation to the role of student surveys in determining national and institutional policy from a student-as-customer approach to one that sees students and institutions as co-responsible for learning and engagement.
A Novel Bottom-Up/Top-Down Hybrid Strategy-Based Fast Sequential Fault Diagnosis Method
Authors: Wang Jingyuan , Liu Zhen , Chen Xiaowu , Long Bing , Yang Chenglin , Zhou Xiuyun
Published: June 2021

Sequential fault diagnosis is a kind of important fault diagnosis method for large scale complex systems, and generating an excellent fault diagnosis strategy is critical to ensuring the performance of sequential diagnosis. However, with the system complexity increasing, the complexity of fault diagnosis tree increases sharply, which makes it extremely difficult to generate an optimal diagnosis strategy. Especially, because the existing methods need massive redundancy iteration and repeated calculation for the state parameters of nodes, the resulting diagnosis strategy is often inefficient. To address this issue, a novel fast sequential fault diagnosis method is proposed. In this method, we present a new bottom-up search idea based on Karnaugh map, SVM and simulated annealing algorithm. It combines failure sources to generate states and a Karnaugh map is used to judge the logic of every state. Eigenvalues of SVM are obtained quickly through the simulated annealing algorithm, then SVM is used to eliminate the less useful state. At the same time, the bottom-up method and cost heuristic algorithms are combined to generate the optimal decision tree. The experiments show that the calculation time of the method is shorter than the time of previous algorithms, and a smaller test cost can be obtained when the number of samples is sufficient.
Community Energy Groups: Can They Shield Consumers from the Risks of Using Blockchain for Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading?
Authors: Schneiders Alexandra , Shipworth David
Published: June 2021

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is emerging as a new mechanism for settling the exchange of energy between renewable energy generators and consumers. P2P provides a mechanism for local balancing when it is facilitated through distributed ledgers (‘blockchains’). Energy communities across Europe have uncovered the potential of this technology and are currently running pilots to test its applicability in P2P energy trading. The aim of this paper is to assess, using legal literature and legislation, whether the legal forms available to energy communities in the United Kingdom (UK) can help resolve some of the uncertainties around the individual use of blockchain for P2P energy trading. This includes the legal recognition of ‘prosumers’, the protection of their personal data, as well as the validity of ‘smart contracts’ programmed to trade energy on the blockchain network. The analysis has shown that legal entities, such as Limited Liability Partnerships and Co-operative Societies, can play a crucial role in providing the necessary framework to protect consumers engaging in these transactions. This is particularly the case for co-operatives, given that they can hold members liable for not respecting the rules set out in their (compulsory) governing document. These findings are relevant to other European countries, where the energy co-operative model is also used.
Availability-Based Selection of Electricity Delivery Network in Marine Conversion Systems Using Bayesian Network
Authors: Yang Yi , Nielsen Jannie Sønderkær
Published: June 2021

Availability is an economically important metric used to assess the design of marine energy farms. Nowadays, three typical concepts of energy delivery network topologies have been proposed for marine energy conversion systems. Few research works assessing the availability of marine energy conversion systems have been published. Their methodology is only based upon time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations and only covers one maintenance strategy. The objective of this study is to consider different maintenance strategies and quantitatively assess the time-dependent availability of these typical energy delivery network topologies by investigating the working philosophy of these topologies and modelling the logic dependencies of them in a Bayesian network (BN). The working philosophy of each topology is investigated to obtain the logic dependencies of the units in the energy delivery network, by means of qualitative system analysis. A table-like data structure, called hierarchy, is introduced to store the information on the logic dependencies and serves as a basis for establishing the corresponding BN models. A logic gate in the hierarchy can be represented by a conditional probability table in the BN model. The availability of these topologies, as a function of time, can be estimated through the BN models. The optimal topology can be selected, based upon the time-dependent availability.
A Study on the Energy Reduction Measures of Data Centers through Chilled Water Temperature Control and Water-Side Economizer
Authors: Kim Yu-Jin , Ha Ju-Wan , Park Kyung-Soon , Song Young-Hak
Published: June 2021

The degree of integration of IT devices and consumption of cooling energy are consistently increasing owing to developments in the data center industry. Hence, to ensure the smooth operation and fault prevention of IT devices, the energy consumption of cooling systems has increased, leading to active research on improvements in cooling system performance for reducing energy consumption. This study examines the reduction in cooling energy consumption using a simulation by applying chilled water control and a water-side economizer (WSE) system to enhance the cooling system efficiency. The simulation results showed that the energy consumption was reduced by 1.8% when the chilled water temperature was set to 11 °C in a conventional system and by up to 19.6% when WSE was also applied. Furthermore, when the changes in chilled water temperature were applied for efficient operation of WSE, the energy consumption was reduced by up to 30.1% compared to that in conventional energy systems.
Experimental Studies of Dust Suction Irregularity from Multi-Cyclone Dust Collector of Two-Stage Air Filter
Authors: Dziubak Tadeusz
Published: June 2021

The necessity of two-stage (multi-cyclone-baffle) inlet air filters used for motor vehicle engines operating under dusty conditions was demonstrated. The advantages of a set of several dozen cyclones (multi-cyclone) used for filtering inlet air in the engines were shown. The problem of dust accumulation separated by the cyclones in the multi-cyclone dust collector and the necessity of its removal on a current basis were analyzed. Methods of removing dust from the dust collector by means of the QS suction flow were described. It was demonstrated that the most rational method of forcing the suction flow is the use of the suction flow released from the engine. The study results are presented in this paper and show that the removal (by suction) of the accumulated dust from the dust collector additionally causes a noticeable increase in cyclone filtration efficiency. It was shown that the effective suction flow must not exceed 10–15% of the outlet flow value from the cyclone. It was evidenced that the suction of dust from the dust collector of the multi-cyclone, whose range covers several dozen cyclones, causes a differentiation in the value of the suction flows from the individual cyclones, which decreases the effect of suction and interferers with the proper operation of the cyclone. The use of a proprietary methodology, an experimental study of the irregularity of the suction from the cyclones of two multi-cyclones differing in construction, was performed. Suction flows from the cyclones, which were located at a significant distance from the main suction duct, showed 50% lower values. Possibilities of reducing the irregularity of the suction flows from the several dozen cyclones forming the multi-cyclone are presented.
Electrosynthesis and Characterization of Novel CNx-HMMT Supported Pd Nanocomposite Material for Methanol Electro-Oxidation
Authors: Altaf Faizah , Gill Rohama , Bocchetta Patrizia , Batool Rida , Hameed Muhammad Usman , Abbas Ghazanfar , Jacob Karl
Published: June 2021

In the current research work, palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were electrochemically deposited on a nitrogen doped montmorillonite (CNx-MMT) support using the underpotential deposition (UPD) method. The prepared Pd based composite electrode was studied as an electrocatalyst for methanol fuel oxidation. The catalysts and the supporting materials montmorillonite, acid activated montmorillonite, and nitrogen doped montmorillonite (MMT, HMMT and CNx-HMMT) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results indicated that Pd supported on CNx-HMMT possesses enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability compared to commercial Pd/C, which was attributed to its higher electrochemical surface area (ECSA) (23.00 m2 g−1). The results demonstrated the potential application of novel Pd/CNx-HMMT composite nanomaterial as electrocatalysts for methanol electrooxidation in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).
Performance Improvement of a Double-Layer Microchannel Heat Sink via Novel Fin Geometry—A Numerical Study
Authors: Zhang Yong-Dong , Chen Miao-Ru , Wu Jung-Hsien , Hung Kuo-Shu , Wang Chi-Chuan
Published: June 2021

This study proposes a novel design having dense fins with lesser thickness at the upper layer and comparatively spare fins with greater thickness in the lower layer to further improve the overall thermal performance of a double-layer microchannel heat sink. The design can effectively direct more low temperature fluid flow toward the lower layer to improve heat transfer while the sparse fin structure at low layer can ease pressure drop penalty. At the same time, the thicker fins at the lower layer ensure higher fin efficiency to facilitate high heat transfer. Parametric and detailed analysis is conducted for the proposed double-layer microchannel heat sink in comparison with the traditional one. After optimization, the thermal resistance of the proposed double-layer microchannel heat sink at the same pumping power is found to be reduced by 9.42% when compared to the traditional double-layer microchannel heat sink. Yet at the same Reynolds number, the Nusselt number of the proposed design exceeds the traditional value by 13%.
MIL-160 as an Adsorbent for Atmospheric Water Harvesting
Authors: Solovyeva Marina , Krivosheeva Irina , Gordeeva Larisa , Aristov Yuri
Published: June 2021

Nowadays, the rapidly growing population, climate change, and environment pollution put heavy pressure on fresh water resources. The atmosphere is the immense worldwide and available water source. The Adsorptive Water Harvesting from the Atmosphere (AWHA) method is considered a promising alternative to desalination technologies for remote arid regions. The development of novel adsorbents with advanced water-adsorption properties is a prerequisite for practical realization of this method. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a novel class of porous crystalline solids that bring a great potential for AWHA due to their extremely high specific surface area, porosity, and tailored adsorption properties. This work addresses MIL-160 as a water adsorbent for AWHA. The water-adsorption equilibrium of MIL-160 was studied by volumetric method, the isosteric heat of adsorption was calculated, and finally, the potential of MIL-160 for AWHA was evaluated for climatic conditions of the deserts of Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, the Sahara, Atacama, and Mojave as reference arid regions. MIL-160 was shown to ensure a maximum specific water productivity of 0.31–0.33 gH2O/gads per cycle. High fractions of water extracted (0.90–0.98) and collected (0.48–0.97) could be achieved at a regeneration temperature of 80 °C with natural cooling of the condenser by ambient air. The specific energy consumption for water production varied from 3.5 to 6.8 kJ/g, which is acceptable if solar heat is used to drive the desorption. The AWHA method employing MIL-160 is a promising way to achieve a fresh water supply in remote arid areas.
Effect of Various Types of Sugar Binder on the Physical Properties of Gum Powders Prepared via Fluidized-Bed Agglomeration
Authors: Lee Donghyeon , Min Gyeongeon , Roh Wooseok , Yoo Byoungseung
Published: June 2021

Particle agglomeration of fine gum powders to improve their physical and morphological characteristics is of crucial importance. Changes in the physical properties of guar gum, locust bean gum, and carboxymethyl cellulose powders subjected to fluidized-bed agglomeration with various sugar types as the binder were examined. The agglomerates with sugar binders had much larger particles (D50) and higher porosity (ε) than the corresponding fine gum powders, as confirmed by particle-size-distribution analysis and scanning electron microscopy. In particular, the carboxymethyl cellulose agglomerate exhibited much higher D50 and ε values than the original fine gum powder, with sorbitol as the binder resulting in the highest D50 and ε values. Except for guar gum with sorbitol as the binder, the guar gum and locust bean gum agglomerates with the other sugar binders showed lower Carr index and Hausner ratio values (thus exhibiting better flowability and lower cohesiveness) than the original powders, whereas those of the carboxymethyl cellulose agglomerates were higher. These findings indicate that the physical and structural properties of gum powders can be greatly improved according to the type of gum and sugar solution used in the agglomeration process.
Inhibition Mechanism of L-Cysteine on Maillard Reaction by Trapping 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural
Authors: Yang Shiqiang , Zhang Zhongfei , Li Jiaoyong , Niu Yuge , Yu Liangli Lucy
Published: June 2021

The Maillard reaction (MR) can affect the color, flavor, organoleptic properties, and nutritional value of food. Sometimes, MR is undesirable due to lowering the nutrient utilization, producing harmful neo-formed compounds, etc. In this case, it is necessary to control MR. Some chemical substances, such as phenolic acid, vitamins, aminoguanidine, and thiols extracted from garlic or onion, can effectively prevent MR. In this study, L-cysteine (L-cys) was found to inhibit MR after screening 10 sulfhydryl compounds by comparing their ability to mitigate browning. The inhibition mechanism was speculated to be related to the removal of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a key mid-product of MR. The reaction product of HMF and L-cys was identified and named as 1-dicysteinethioacetal–5-hydroxymethylfurfural (DCH) according to the mass spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the main product. Furthermore, DCH was detected in the glutamic–fructose mixture after L-cys was added. In addition, the production of DCH also increased with the addition of L-cys. It also was worth noting that DCH showed no cell toxicity to RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, the in vitro assays indicated that DCH had anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. In conclusion, L-cys inhibits MR by converting HMF into another adduct DCH with higher safety and health benefits. L-cys has the potential to be applied as an inhibitor to prevent MR during food processing and storage.
Effect of Sorghum on Rheology and Final Quality of Western Style Breads: A Literature Review
Authors: Rumler Rubina , Schönlechner Regine
Published: June 2021

Due to the extreme weather conditions, caused by the climate change, the usual wheat harvest yield and quality in the Western countries were difficult to maintain in the past few years. The altered wheat quality was primarily characterized by a rising protein content. The application of high protein wheat flours in baking products leads to baking difficulties due to its elastic dough behavior. As these issues will further face the Western cereal cultivation, heat resistant cereals, like sorghum, are attracting increasing interest. A partial substitution of wheat with sorghum might offer one possible solution to address the current challenging situation. To introduce sorghum in the Western cereal and baking industry, the grain and its unique chemical and rheological properties need to be more widely promoted. Until now, several authors have conducted studies in order to emphasize the high potential of sorghum. The aim of the present review is to broaden the current knowledge of the chemical, rheological and baking properties of sorghum in comparison to wheat. The review further demonstrates promising approaches, which might be from interest in order to achieve higher wheat-sorghum bakery end product qualities.
“Sfogliatella Riccia Napoletana”: Realization of a Lard-Free and Palm Oil-Free Pastry
Authors: Romano Raffaele , Aiello Alessandra , De Luca Lucia , Acunzo Alessandro , Montefusco Immacolata , Pizzolongo Fabiana
Published: June 2021

“Sfogliatella riccia napoletana” is a typical pastry from Naples (Italy), traditionally produced using lard. In the bakery industry, palm oil is widely used to replace lard in order to obtain products without cholesterol, but it is currently under discussion, which is mostly related to the sustainability of its cultivation. Therefore, in this work, lard was replaced with palm oil-free vegetable blends composed of sunflower oil, shea butter, and coconut oil in different percentages. Traditional pastries produced with lard and pastries produced with palm oil were used as controls. Moisture, aw, free acidity, peroxide value, fatty acids, total polar compounds, and global acceptability were determined in the obtained pastries. The results indicated that the use of a vegetable oil blend composed of 40% sunflower oil, 40% shea butter, and 20% coconut oil minimized the formation of oxidized compounds (peroxides and total polar compounds) during cooking and produced a product with a moisture content very similar to that of the traditional pastry that was appreciated by consumers.
Optimization and Encapsulation of Phenolic Compounds Extracted from Maize Waste by Freeze-Drying, Spray-Drying, and Microwave-Drying Using Maltodextrin
Authors: Pashazadeh Hojjat , Zannou Oscar , Ghellam Mohamed , Koca Ilkay , Galanakis Charis M. , Aldawoud Turki M. S.
Published: June 2021

Cornsilk is maize waste containing phenolic compounds. In this study, freeze-drying, spray-drying, and microwave-drying techniques were evaluated for the encapsulation of cornsilk’s phenolic compounds using maltodextrin as wall material. The results of antioxidant properties showed that freeze-drying was more efficient than microwave-drying and spray-drying techniques. The highest recovery of phenolic compounds was obtained with freeze-drying. The microstructure, DSC, and FTIR data showed that the encapsulation process was effective, and freeze-drying was the best drying technique. The physical properties of the microparticles greatly changed with the drying techniques. This study revealed that the phenolic compounds of the cornsilk extract can be successfully encapsulated and valorized.
Swelling and Mechanical Properties of Polyacrylamide-Derivative Dual-Crosslink Hydrogels Having Metal–Ligand Coordination Bonds as Transient Crosslinks
Authors: Debertrand Louis , Zhao Jingwen , Creton Costantino , Narita Tetsuharu
Published: June 2021

Hydrogels that have both permanent chemical crosslinks and transient physical crosslinks are good model systems to represent tough gels. Such “dual-crosslink” hydrogels can be prepared either by simultaneous polymerization and dual crosslinking (one-pot synthesis) or by diffusion/complexation of the physical crosslinks to the chemical network (diffusion method). To study the effects of the preparation methods and of the crosslinking ratio on the mechanical properties, the equilibrium swelling of the dual-crosslink gels need to be examined. Since most of these gels are polyelectrolytes, their swelling properties are complex, so no systematic study has been reported. In this work, we synthesized model dual-crosslink gels with metal–ligand coordination bonds as physical crosslinks by both methods, and we proposed a simple way of adding salt to control the swelling ratio prepared by ion diffusion. Tensile and linear rheological tests of the gels at the same swelling ratio showed that during the one-pot synthesis, free radical polymerization was affected by the transition metal ions used as physical crosslinkers, while the presence of electrostatic interactions did not affect the role of the metal complexes on the mechanical properties.
The Relationship between Differentiation of Self and Psychological Adjustment to Separation
Authors: Moral Manuel Alfredo , Chimpén-López Carlos Alexis , Lyon T. Richelle , Adsuar José Carmelo
Published: June 2021

Many individuals suffer negative mental health consequences such as anxiety and depression following separation from a romantic partner and/or co-parenting conflict due to divorce. Consequently, treating the psychological aftermath of divorce and partner separation remains a predominant concern for mental health practitioners. According to family systems theory, high interdependence and low differentiation of self are associated with a lessened capacity for managing anxiety or adapting to stressful events since intense emotions may inhibit the ability to cope. To assess the relationship between differentiation of self and psychological adjustment to separation, 84 divorced adults completed an online survey. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that a model based on fusion with others, I-position, and emotional cutoff was a statistically significant predictor of lonely/negativity. Bivariate correlation analyses confirmed significant linear relationships between fusion with others, lonely/negativity, and co-parenting conflict. No differences between genders were found. There is a continuing need to develop interventions to address the negative consequences of divorce, help reduce emotional suffering, and encourage healthy co-parenting. Individuals struggling with psychological adjustment post-divorce, or those seeking education for managing the psychological effects of divorce and co-parenting, may benefit from counseling strategies that incorporate an assessment of differentiation of self and psychological adjustment to separation.
Digital Management Systems in Academic Health Sciences Laboratories: A Scoping Review
Authors: Timóteo Margareth , Lourenço Emanuelle , Brochado Ana Carolina , Domenico Luciana , da Silva Joice , Oliveira Bruna , Barbosa Renata , Montemezzi Pietro , Mourão Carlos Fernando de Almeida Barros , Olej Beni , Alves Gutemberg
Published: June 2021

Good laboratory practices (GLP) increase the quality and traceability of results in health sciences research. However, factors such as high staff turnover, insufficient resources, and a lack of training for managers may limit their implementation in research and academic laboratories. This Scoping Review aimed to identify digital tools for managing academic health sciences and experimental medicine laboratories and their relationship with good practices. Following the PRISMA-ScR 2018 criteria, a search strategy was conducted until April 2021 in the databases PUBMED, Web of Sciences, and Health Virtual Library. A critical appraisal of the selected references was conducted, followed by data charting. The search identified twenty-one eligible articles, mainly originated from high-income countries, describing the development and/or implementation of thirty-two electronic management systems. Most studies described software functionalities, while nine evaluated and discussed impacts on management, reporting both improvements in the workflow and system limitations during implementation. In general, the studies point to a contribution to different management issues related to GLP principles. In conclusion, this review identified evolving evidence that digital laboratory management systems may represent important tools in compliance with the principles of good practices in experimental medicine and health sciences research.
Welcome to the New Journal—Hygiene
Authors: Kampf Günter
Published: June 2021

It is an honor for me to accept the invitation of the role of Editor-in-Chief of Hygiene [...]
Comment on Nascimento et al. Citations Network Analysis of Vision and Sport. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7574
Authors: Laby Daniel M. , Appelbaum Lawrence G.
Published: June 2021

In October 2020, the paper [...]
The Use of Land Cover Indices for Rapid Surface Urban Heat Island Detection from Multi-Temporal Landsat Imageries
Authors: Aslan Nagihan , Koc-San Dilek
Published: June 2021

The aims of this study were to determine surface urban heat island (SUHI) effects and to analyze the land use/land cover (LULC) and land surface temperature (LST) changes for 11 time periods from the years 2002 to 2020 using Landsat time series images. Bursa, which is the fourth largest metropolitan city in Turkey, was selected as the study area, and Landsat multi-temporal images of the summer season were used. Firstly, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) and index-based built-up index (IBI) were created using the bands of Landsat images, and LULC classes were determined by applying automatic thresholding. The LST values were calculated using thermal images and SUHI effects were determined. The results show that NDVI, SAVI, MNDWI and IBI indices can be used effectively for the determination of the urban, vegetation and water LULC classes for SUHI studies, with overall classification accuracies between 89.60% and 95.90% for the used images. According to the obtained results, generally the LST values increased for almost all land cover areas between the years 2002 and 2020. The SUHI magnitudes were computed by using two methods, and it was found that there was an important increase in the 18-year time period.
Rurality and Origin–Destination Trajectories of Medical School Application and Matriculation in the United States
Authors: Mu Lan , Liu Yusi , Zhang Donglan , Gao Yong , Nuss Michelle , Rajbhandari-Thapa Janani , Chen Zhuo , Pagán José A. , Li Yan , Li Gang , Son Heejung
Published: June 2021

Physician shortages are more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. The geography of medical school application and matriculation could provide insights into geographic differences in physician availability. Using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), we conducted geospatial analyses, and developed origin–destination (O–D) trajectories and conceptual graphs to understand the root cause of rural physician shortages. Geographic disparities exist at a significant level in medical school applications in the US. The total number of medical school applications increased by 38% from 2001 to 2015, but the number had decreased by 2% in completely rural counties. Most counties with no medical school applicants were in rural areas (88%). Rurality had a significant negative association with the application rate and explained 15.3% of the variation at the county level. The number of medical school applications in a county was disproportional to the population by rurality. Applicants from completely rural counties (2% of the US population) represented less than 1% of the total medical school applications. Our results can inform recruitment strategies for new medical school students, elucidate location decisions of new medical schools, provide recommendations to close the rural–urban gap in medical school applications, and reduce physician shortages in rural areas.
Mechanisms by Which Kinesin-5 Motors Perform Their Multiple Intracellular Functions
Authors: Pandey Himanshu , Popov Mary , Goldstein-Levitin Alina , Gheber Larisa
Published: June 2021

Bipolar kinesin-5 motor proteins perform multiple intracellular functions, mainly during mitotic cell division. Their specialized structural characteristics enable these motors to perform their essential functions by crosslinking and sliding apart antiparallel microtubules (MTs). In this review, we discuss the specialized structural features of kinesin-5 motors, and the mechanisms by which these features relate to kinesin-5 functions and motile properties. In addition, we discuss the multiple roles of the kinesin-5 motors in dividing as well as in non-dividing cells, and examine their roles in pathogenetic conditions. We describe the recently discovered bidirectional motility in fungi kinesin-5 motors, and discuss its possible physiological relevance. Finally, we also focus on the multiple mechanisms of regulation of these unique motor proteins.
Conserved Opposite Functions in Plant Resistance to Biotrophic and Necrotrophic Pathogens of the Immune Regulator SRFR1
Authors: Son Geon Hui , Moon Jiyun , Shelake Rahul Mahadev , Vuong Uyen Thi , Ingle Robert A. , Gassmann Walter , Kim Jae-Yean , Kim Sang Hee
Published: June 2021

Plant immunity is mediated in large part by specific interactions between a host resistance protein and a pathogen effector protein, named effector-triggered immunity (ETI). ETI needs to be tightly controlled both positively and negatively to enable normal plant growth because constitutively activated defense responses are detrimental to the host. In previous work, we reported that mutations in SUPPRESSOR OF rps4-RLD1 (SRFR1), identified in a suppressor screen, reactivated EDS1-dependent ETI to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000. Besides, mutations in SRFR1 boosted defense responses to the generalist chewing insect Spodoptera exigua and the sugar beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Here, we show that mutations in SRFR1 enhance susceptibility to the fungal necrotrophs Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) and Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis. To translate knowledge obtained in AtSRFR1 research to crops, we generated SlSRFR1 alleles in tomato using a CRISPR/Cas9 system. Interestingly, slsrfr1 mutants increased expression of SA-pathway defense genes and enhanced resistance to Pto DC3000. In contrast, slsrfr1 mutants elevated susceptibility to FOL. Together, these data suggest that SRFR1 is functionally conserved in both Arabidopsis and tomato and functions antagonistically as a negative regulator to (hemi-) biotrophic pathogens and a positive regulator to necrotrophic pathogens.
Null cyp1b1 Activity in Zebrafish Leads to Variable Craniofacial Defects Associated with Altered Expression of Extracellular Matrix and Lipid Metabolism Genes
Authors: Alexandre-Moreno Susana , Bonet-Fernández Juan-Manuel , Atienzar-Aroca Raquel , Aroca-Aguilar José-Daniel , Escribano Julio
Published: June 2021

CYP1B1 loss of function (LoF) is the main known genetic alteration present in recessive primary congenital glaucoma (PCG), an infrequent disease characterized by delayed embryonic development of the ocular iridocorneal angle; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. To model CYP1B1 LoF underlying PCG, we developed a cyp1b1 knockout (KO) zebrafish line using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. This line carries the c.535_667del frameshift mutation that results in the 72% mRNA reduction with the residual mRNA predicted to produce an inactive truncated protein (p.(His179Glyfs*6)). Microphthalmia and jaw maldevelopment were observed in 23% of F0 somatic mosaic mutant larvae (144 hpf). These early phenotypes were not detected in cyp1b1-KO F3 larvae (144 hpf), but 27% of adult (four months) zebrafish exhibited uni- or bilateral craniofacial alterations, indicating the existence of incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. These phenotypes increased to 86% in the adult offspring of inbred progenitors with craniofacial defects. No glaucoma-related phenotypes were observed in cyp1b1 mutants. Transcriptomic analyses of the offspring (seven dpf) of cyp1b1-KO progenitors with adult-onset craniofacial defects revealed functionally enriched differentially expressed genes related to extracellular matrix and cell adhesion, cell growth and proliferation, lipid metabolism (retinoids, steroids and fatty acids and oxidation–reduction processes that include several cytochrome P450 genes) and inflammation. In summary, this study shows the complexity of the phenotypes and molecular pathways associated with cyp1b1 LoF, with species dependency, and provides evidence for the dysregulation of extracellular matrix gene expression as one of the mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity associated with cyp1b1 disruption.
Poly(A)+ Sensing of Hybridization-Sensitive Fluorescent Oligonucleotide Probe Characterized by Fluorescence Correlation Methods
Authors: Paulson Bjorn , Shin Yeonhee , Okamoto Akimitsu , Oh Yeon-Mok , Kim Jun Ki , Pack Chan-Gi
Published: June 2021

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) plays an important role in many cellular processes. Thus, visualizing and quantifying the molecular dynamics of RNA directly in living cells is essential to uncovering their role in RNA metabolism. Among the wide variety of fluorescent probes available for RNA visualization, exciton-controlled hybridization-sensitive fluorescent oligonucleotide (ECHO) probes are useful because of their low fluorescence background. In this study, we apply fluorescence correlation methods to ECHO probes targeting the poly(A) tail of mRNA. In this way, we demonstrate not only the visualization but also the quantification of the interaction between the probe and the target, as well as of the change in the fluorescence brightness and the diffusion coefficient caused by the binding. In particular, the uptake of ECHO probes to detect mRNA is demonstrated in HeLa cells. These results are expected to provide new insights that help us better understand the metabolism of intracellular mRNA.
Granulin: An Invasive and Survival-Determining Marker in Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Klupp Fee , Kahlert Christoph , Franz Clemens , Halama Niels , Schleussner Nikolai , Wirsik Naita M. , Warth Arne , Schmidt Thomas , Ulrich Alexis B.
Published: June 2021

Background: Granulin is a secreted, glycosylated peptide—originated by cleavage from a precursor protein—which is involved in cell growth, tumor invasion and angiogenesis. However, the specific prognostic impact of granulin in human colorectal cancer has only been studied to a limited extent. Thus, we wanted to assess the expression of granulin in colorectal cancer patients to evaluate its potential as a prognostic biomarker. Methods: Expressional differences of granulin in colorectal carcinoma tissue (n = 94) and corresponding healthy colon mucosa were assessed using qRT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry was performed in colorectal cancer specimens (n = 97), corresponding healthy mucosa (n = 47) and colorectal adenomas (n = 19). Subsequently, the results were correlated with histopathological and clinical patients’ data. HCT-116 cells were transfected with siRNA for invasion and migration assays. Results: Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR revealed tumoral over expression of granulin in colorectal cancer specimens compared to corresponding healthy colon mucosa and adenomas. Tumoral overexpression of granulin was associated with a significantly impaired overall survival. Moreover, downregulation of granulin by siRNA significantly diminished the invasive capacities of HCT-116 cells in vitro. Conclusion: Expression of granulin differs in colorectal cancer tissue, adenomas and healthy colon mucosa. Furthermore, granulin features invasive and migrative capabilities and overexpression of granulin correlates with a dismal prognosis. This reveals its potential as a prognostic biomarker and granulin could be a worthwhile molecular target for individualized anticancer therapy.
Synergistic Effect of PVDF-Coated PCL-TCP Scaffolds and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Osteogenesis
Authors: Dong Yibing , Suryani Luvita , Zhou Xinran , Muthukumaran Padmalosini , Rakshit Moumita , Yang Fengrui , Wen Feng , Hassanbhai Ammar Mansoor , Parida Kaushik , Simon Daniel T. , Iandolo Donata , Lee Pooi See , Ng Kee Woei , Teoh Swee Hin
Published: June 2021

Bone exhibits piezoelectric properties. Thus, electrical stimulations such as pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and stimuli-responsive piezoelectric properties of scaffolds have been investigated separately to evaluate their efficacy in supporting osteogenesis. However, current understanding of cells responding under the combined influence of PEMF and piezoelectric properties in scaffolds is still lacking. Therefore, in this study, we fabricated piezoelectric scaffolds by functionalization of polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate (PCL-TCP) films with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating that is self-polarized by a modified breath-figure technique. The osteoinductive properties of these PVDF-coated PCL-TCP films on MC3T3-E1 cells were studied under the stimulation of PEMF. Piezoelectric and ferroelectric characterization demonstrated that scaffolds with piezoelectric coefficient d33 = −1.2 pC/N were obtained at a powder dissolution temperature of 100 °C and coating relative humidity (RH) of 56%. DNA quantification showed that cell proliferation was significantly enhanced by PEMF as low as 0.6 mT and 50 Hz. Hydroxyapatite staining showed that cell mineralization was significantly enhanced by incorporation of PVDF coating. Gene expression study showed that the combination of PEMF and PVDF coating promoted late osteogenic gene expression marker most significantly. Collectively, our results suggest that the synergistic effects of PEMF and piezoelectric scaffolds on osteogenesis provide a promising alternative strategy for electrically augmented osteoinduction. The piezoelectric response of PVDF by PEMF, which could provide mechanical strain, is particularly interesting as it could deliver local mechanical stimulation to osteogenic cells using PEMF.