bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shared Decision Making and Choice for Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Lee Yi-Chih , Wu Wei-Li
Published: December 2019

The number of people undergoing bariatric surgery is increasing every year, and their expectations for surgery often differ greatly. The purpose of this study was to develop a patient-centered decision-making aid to help people define their weight loss goals and assist them in discussing their surgical treatment with surgeons. Before the operation, the patients were asked to read the shared decision-making text and conduct a self-assessment. After the operation, we evaluated the program using survey questionnaires. A total of 103 patients were formally included in this study. The results show that patients were very satisfied with the use of patient decision aids (PDAs), with a score of 4.3 points (±0.6), and the postoperative decision-making satisfaction was also very high, at 4.4 points (±0.5), while the postoperative regret score was low, at 1.6 points (±0.6). Their satisfaction with surgical decision making and decision regret were statistically significantly negatively correlated (r = −0.711, p < 0.001). The experience of using PDAs was statistically significantly negatively correlated with decision regret (r = −0.451, p < 0.001); the experience of PDA use was statistically positively correlated with decision satisfaction (r = 0.522, p < 0.001). Patient decision aids are a means of helping patients make informed choices before they seek to undergo bariatric surgery.
Comparing Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Who Underwent Mastectomy Versus Breast-Conserving Surgery: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ng Elvin T. , Ang Russell Z. , Tran Bach X. , Ho Cyrus S. , Zhang Zhisong , Tan Wanqiu , Bai Yu , Zhang Min , Tam Wilson W. , Ho Roger C.
Published: December 2019

The purpose of our study was to carry out a meta-analysis of current literature to determine whether total mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery induce different outcomes in quality of life, based on the breast-cancer-specific module of the European Organizaation for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-BR23) used postoperatively. A systematic literature search of PubMed and EMBASE was conducted. Observational clinical studies that compared the quality of life in different surgery groups and presented empirical findings were selected. Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Breast-conserving surgery has statistically significant better outcomes than mastectomy in three of the eight outcomes measured in the EORTC QLQ-BR23, namely body image (standard mean difference, SMD = 1.742, 95% CI 0.579–2.905, p = 0.003), future perspective (SMD = 0.606, 95% CI 0.075–1.138, p = 0.025) and systemic therapy side effects (SMD = −0.641, 95% CI 0.101–1.181, p = 0.020). Our study highlighted that breast-conserving surgery was preferred over mastectomy because breast-conserving surgery leads to better outcomes in body image, future perspectives and less systemic side effects.
Slip and Fall Incidents at Work: A Visual Analytics Analysis of the Research Domain
Authors: Li Jie , Goerlandt Floris , Li Kai Way
Published: December 2019

Slip and fall incidents at work remain an important class of injury and fatality causing mechanisms. An extensive body of safety research has accumulated on this topic. This article presents an analysis of this research domain. Two bibliometric visualization tools are applied: VOSviewer and HistCite. Samples of 618 slip and fall related articles are obtained from the Web of Science database. Networks of institutions, authors, terms, and chronological citation relationships are established. Collaboration and research activities of the slip and fall research community show that most contributors are from the United States, with the (now closed) Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety the most influential research organization. The results of a term clustering analysis show that the slip and fall research can be grouped into three sub-domains: epidemiology, gait/biomechanics, and tribology. Of these, early research focused mainly on tribology, whereas research on gait/biomechanics and epidemiological studies are relatively more recent. Psychological aspects of slip and fall incident occurrence represent a relatively under-investigated research topic, in which future contributions may provide new insights and safety improvements. Better linking of this research domain with other principles and methods in safety science, such as safety management and resilience, may also present valuable future development paths.
A Method for Road Extraction from High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images Based on Multi-Kernel Learning
Authors: Xu Rui , Zeng Yanfang
Published: December 2019

Extracting road from high resolution remote sensing (HRRS) images is an economic and effective way to acquire road information, which has become an important research topic and has a wide range of applications. In this paper, we present a novel method for road extraction from HRRS images. Multi-kernel learning is first utilized to integrate the spectral, texture, and linear features of images to classify the images into road and non-road groups. A precise extraction method for road elements is then designed by building road shaped indexes to automatically filter out the interference of non-road noises. A series of morphological operations are also carried out to smooth and repair the structure and shape of the road element. Finally, based on the prior knowledge and topological features of the road, a set of penalty factors and a penalty function are constructed to connect road elements to form a complete road network. Experiments are carried out with different sensors, different resolutions, and different scenes to verify the theoretical analysis. Quantitative results prove that the proposed method can optimize the weights of different features, eliminate non-road noises, effectively group road elements, and greatly improve the accuracy of road recognition.
A Robust Morpheme Sequence and Convolutional Neural Network-Based Uyghur and Kazakh Short Text Classification
Authors: Parhat Sardar , Ablimit Mijit , Hamdulla Askar
Published: December 2019

In this paper, based on the multilingual morphological analyzer, we researched the similar low-resource languages, Uyghur and Kazakh, short text classification. Generally, the online linguistic resources of these languages are noisy. So a preprocessing is necessary and can significantly improve the accuracy. Uyghur and Kazakh are the languages with derivational morphology, in which words are coined by stems concatenated with suffixes. Usually, terms are used as the representation of text content while excluding functional parts as stop words in these languages. By extracting stems we can collect necessary terms and exclude stop words. Morpheme segmentation tool can split text into morphemes with 95% high reliability. After preparing both word- and morpheme-based training text corpora, we apply convolutional neural network (CNN) as a feature selection and text classification algorithm to perform text classification tasks. Experimental results show that the morpheme-based approach outperformed the word-based approach. Word embedding technique is frequently used in text representation both in the framework of neural networks and as a value expression, and can map language units into a sequential vector space based on context, and it is a natural way to extract and predict out-of-vocabulary (OOV) from context information. Multilingual morphological analysis has provided a convenient way for processing tasks of low resource languages like Uyghur and Kazakh.
Effects of a Cloth Panel Containing a Specific Ore Powder on Patients with Japanese Cedar Pollen Allergy During the Pollen Dispersal Season
Authors: Lee Suni , Yamamoto Shoko , Hamana Maiko , Okamoto Hiroshi , Hatayama Tamayo , Danbara Fukusou , Fujii Yoshio , Murakami Youichi , Otsuki Takemi
Published: December 2019

Pollen allergy remains a big problem in contemporary societies. We have shown in previous studies that a cloth containing a special natural ore powder (CCSNOP) is effective in relieving symptoms in patients with pollen allergies. However, in that study, subjects were exposed to CCSNOP for only one hour. In the present study, CCSNOP or control (non-woven cloth; NWC) panels were placed in the bedrooms of pollen allergy patients for two weeks during the pollen dispersal season in 2018, and the effects were investigated. Twenty-one subjects were exposed to CCSNOP panels and 10 subjects were exposed to NWC panels. Our investigations showed that use of CCSNOP resulted in relief of symptoms and reduced use of therapeutics. Moreover, the ratio of eosinophil count decrease during exposure was higher in the CCSNOP group. Furthermore, a formula for measuring various cytokines and other parameters was established and clearly showed a distinction between the CCSNOP and NWC groups. In this formula, Granulocyte Macrophage colony-stimulating Factor (GM-SCF), Interleukin (IL)-12p40, Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 and eosinophil count were extracted. These results indicated that CCNSNOP has a beneficial effect on pollen allergy patients. Future studies shall engage in long-term monitoring of pollen allergy patients who will utilize this mineral powder for at least one year.
Probabilistic Modeling of Chloride Penetration with Respect to Concrete Heterogeneity and Epoxy-Coating on the Reinforcement
Authors: Le Tuan Duc , Lehner Petr , Konečný Petr
Published: December 2019

The presented article demonstrates the probabilistic method based modeling of the 2D chloride ingress into reinforced concrete structures with respect to concrete heterogeneity and epoxy-coated steel reinforcement. Spatial change of concrete diffusion is assessed through the investigation of random variation of the ability of concrete to resist chloride ingress. Time-dependent chloride concentration at the reinforcement level in both homogeneous and heterogeneous models is comparatively considered taking into account of the influence of reinforcement protection as well as the defects and holidays of the coating. Expansion optimal linear estimation method is exploited to generate a random field for the structure at the mesoscale and correlation length is employed to simplify the modeling process. Preliminary analyses of the built model are conducted in both deterministic and probabilistic solutions under the scheme of the finite element method. Thus, possibility of such analyses is exploited.
Manufacturing and Structural Features with Respect to the Modal Behavior of a Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Drum Shell
Authors: Ibáñez-Arnal Manuel , Doménech-Ballester Luis , Sánchez-López Fernando
Published: December 2019

This work evaluates the use of structural aspects in the manufacture of drum shells based on their modal behavior. The drum shells are made of composite carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy (CFRE) due to the structural variables commonly used in the industry for the manufacture of these musical instruments. Musicians consider the shell of a membranophone to be responsible for the differences in timbre between different instruments. Normally, this variation focuses attention on the mechanical characteristics of the material and on the overall thickness of the cylinder that forms the shell. Some manufacturers, especially those that use metals and composites, resort to low thicknesses, below 2 mm, which forces them to use structural reinforcements at the edges of the cylindrical shell to avoid deformations due to the tension generated by the membranes. As shown in this research work, these structural elements have great relevance within the acoustic behavior of the drum shell. Comparisons are made among the frequencies obtained for the different vibrational modes by using finite element simulations, establishing the length of the structural solution previously mentioned and the number of plies of composite laminate as design variables, starting from the characteristics of a real case constructed with CFRE and concluding with experimental validation. The range of study is limited to the values of the frequencies generated by the membranes. The results demonstrate that the use of different manufacturing variables can lead to savings in production costs without compromising the modal behavior of the shell.
Numerical Reconstruction Model and Simulation Study of Concrete Based on Damaged Partition Theory and CT Number
Authors: Fang Jianyin , Pan You , Dang Faning , Zhang Xiyuan , Ren Jie , Li Na
Published: December 2019

The applicability of mesoscopic models plays an important role in studying the mesoscopic mechanical properties of concrete. In this study, the computerized tomography (CT) test of concrete under uniaxial compression conditions is conducted using a portable dynamic loading equipment developed by Xi’an University of Technology and a medical Marconi M8000 spiral CT scanner. On the basis of damage partition theory, a probabilistic statistical method for determining threshold values is proposed, and a CT test images is obtained and divided into aggregate, hardened cement and hole-crack areas. A ‘structural random numerical concrete model’ is also established on the basis of the coordinates of each pixel unit in CT images. Uniaxial static compression and tensile numerical simulation tests are conducted. Results show that the structural random numerical concrete model can not only reflect the microscopic composition of concrete but also the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregate and mortar. The ITZ thickness is approximately 0.04 mm, which is close to the real concrete sample ITZ thickness (approximately 10–50 μm). In the two tests, the specimen damage starts from the initial defects, and the damage crack expands through the weaker ITZ around the aggregate. No matter under the action of static tension or compression load, the damage cracks of the sample almost never pass through the aggregate. Most of the many cracks in uniaxial compression are shear cracks. However, many cracks form at the beginning of uniaxial tension, and only one main crack, which is roughly perpendicular to the loading direction, exists in the end.
Co-Evaporated CuO-Doped In2O3 1D-Nanostructure for Reversible CH4 Detection at Low Temperatures: Structural Phase Change and Properties
Authors: Shaalan N.M. , Hamad D. , Saber Osama
Published: December 2019

In order to improve the sensitivity and to reduce the working temperature of the CH4 gas sensor, a novel 1D nanostructure of CuO-doped In2O3 was synthesized by the co-evaporation of Cu and In granules. The samples were prepared with changing the weight ratio between Cu and In. Morphology, structure, and gas sensing properties of the prepared films were characterized. The planned operating temperatures for the fabricated sensors are 50–200 °C, where the ability to detect CH4 at low temperatures is rarely reported. For low Cu content, the fabricated sensors based on CuO-doped In2O3 showed very good sensing performance at low operating temperatures. The detection of CH4 at these low temperatures exhibits the potential of the present sensors compared to the reported in the literature. The fabricated sensors showed also good reversibility toward the CH4 gas. However, the sensor fabricated of CuO-mixed In2O3 with a ratio of 1:1 did not show any response toward CH4. In other words, the mixed-phase of p- and n-type of CuO and In2O3 materials with a ratio of 1:1 is not recommended for fabricating sensors for reducing gas, such as CH4. The gas sensing mechanism was described in terms of the incorporation of Cu in the In2O3 matrix and the formation of CuO and In2O3 phases.
Influence of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Properties of NiTi46 Alloy Consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Salvetr Pavel , Dlouhý Jaromír , Školáková Andrea , Průša Filip , Novák Pavel , Karlík Miroslav , Haušild Petr
Published: December 2019

Ni-Ti alloys are considered to be very important shape memory alloys with a wide application area including, e.g., biomaterials, actuators, couplings, and components in automotive, aerospace, and robotics industries. In this study, the NiTi46 (wt.%) alloy was prepared by a combination of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, milling, and spark plasma sintering consolidation at three various temperatures. The compacted samples were subsequently heat-treated at temperatures between 400 °C and 900 °C with the following quenching in water or slow cooling in a closed furnace. The influence of the consolidation temperature and regime of heat treatment on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and temperatures of phase transformation was evaluated. The results demonstrate the brittle behaviour of the samples directly after spark plasma sintering at all temperatures by the compressive test and no transformation temperatures at differential scanning calorimetry curves. The biggest improvement of mechanical properties, which was mainly a ductility enhancement, was achieved by heat treatment at 700 °C. Slow cooling has to be recommended in order to obtain the shape memory properties.
Structure and Optical Properties of Co-Sputtered Amorphous Silicon Tin Alloy Films for NIR-II Region Sensor
Authors: Jiang Xiang-Dong , Li Ming-Cheng , Guo Rui-Kang , Wang Ji-Min
Published: December 2019

Near-infrared brain imaging technology has great potential as a non-invasive, real-time inspection technique. Silicon-tin (SiSn) alloy films could be a promising material for near-infrared brain detectors. This study mainly reports on the structure of amorphous silicon tin alloy thin films by Raman spectroscopy to investigate the influence of doped-Sn on an a-Si network. The variations in TO peak caused by the increase in Sn concentration indicate a decrease in the short-range order of the a-Si network. A model has been proposed to successfully explain the non-linear variation in Raman parameters of ITA/ITO and ILA+LO/ITO. The variations of Raman parameters of the films with a higher deposition temperature indicate the presence of SiSn nanocrystals, though the SiSn nanocrystals present no Raman peaks in Raman spectra. XRD and TEM analysis further illustrate the existence of nanocrystals. The ratio of photo/dark conductivity and optical bandgap results demonstrate that the films can be selected as a sensitive layer material for NIR-II region sensors.
Prediction of Tensile Strength in Friction Welding Joins Made of SA213 Tube to SA387 Tube Plate through Optimization Techniques
Authors: S Senthil Kumaran , Srinivasan Kathiravan , Narayanan Srinivasan , Joseph Raj Alex Noel
Published: December 2019

In modern times, the Industry X.0 has emerged as the paradigm that has become the core of digital technology-driven business organizations. Further, this paper establishes a tube to tube plate friction welding technology with the help of deploying an external tool, also known referred to as the FWTPET scheme. Besides, the SA213 tube and SA387 tube plate were combined by employing a unique interference fit technique. Also, the strength of this combined portion was assessed with and without the aid of a holding block. Subsequently, the analytic optimization approaches like genetic algorithm, analysis of variance, and Taguchi L9 orthogonal array design were deployed in the prediction of the optimum joining strength. Moreover, the input parameters include the projection of the tube (mm), the rotational speed of the tool (rpm), and depth of cut (mm); besides, the tensile strength is considered as the output parameter. Also, the grain size distribution around the weld zone and the presence of base metal were measured through an optical microscope as per ASTM linear intercept method. Further, it is evident that grain refinement had occurred in the weld zone, which in turn increases the tensile strength. The exceptional weld strength (tensile strength) was obtained when joining of SA213 tube and SA387 tube plate through interference fit using a holding block without a hole in the tube. Experimentally, it was found that the achieved tensile strengths were 836.8 MPa (without a hole) and 789.35 MPa (with hole) using the holding block, respectively. Additionally, it was found that in the absence of a holding block, the achieved tensile strength is 762.2 MPa (without a hole), and 700.8 MPa (with a hole), correspondingly. The deviation of tensile strength between the predicted (genetic algorithm) and experimental was found minimal. Therefore, for achieving this strength, the suitable operating parameters set include the rotational speed of the tool (1300 rpm), projection of the tube (1 mm), and depth of cut (0.5 mm) with backing block configuration.
Influence of Pd Doping on Electrical and Thermal Properties of n-Type Cu0.008Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 Alloys
Authors: Kim Se Yun , Kim Hyun-Sik , Lee Kyu Hyoung , Cho Hyun-jun , Choo Sung-sil , Hong Seok-won , Oh Yeseong , Yang Yerim , Lee Kimoon , Lim Jae-Hong , Choi Soon-Mok , Park Hee Jung , Shin Weon Ho , Kim Sang-il
Published: December 2019

Doping is known as an effective way to modify both electrical and thermal transport properties of thermoelectric alloys to enhance their energy conversion efficiency. In this project, we report the effect of Pd doping on the electrical and thermal properties of n-type Cu0.008Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 alloys. Pd doping was found to increase the electrical conductivity along with the electron carrier concentration. As a result, the effective mass and power factors also increased upon the Pd doping. While the bipolar thermal conductivity was reduced with the Pd doping due to the increased carrier concentration, the contribution of Pd to point defect phonon scattering on the lattice thermal conductivity was found to be very small. Consequently, Pd doping resulted in an enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit, zT, at a high temperature, due to the enhanced power factor and the reduced bipolar thermal conductivity.
Effect of Data Representation for Time Series Classification—A Comparative Study and a New Proposal
Authors: Nakano Kotaro , Chakraborty Basabi
Published: December 2019

Time series classification (TSC) is becoming very important in the area of pattern recognition with the increased availability of time series data in various natural and real life phenomena. TSC is a challenging problem because, due to the attributes being ordered, traditional machine learning algorithms for static data are not quite suitable for processing temporal data. Due to the gradual increase of computing power, a large number of TSC algorithms have been developed recently. In addition to traditional feature-based, model-based or distance-based algorithms, ensemble and deep networks have recently become popular for time series classification. Time series are essentially huge, and classifying raw data is computationally expensive in terms of both processing and storage. Representation techniques for data reduction and ease of visualization are needed for accurate classification. In this work a recurrence plot-based data representation is proposed and time series classification in conjunction with a deep neural network-based classifier has been studied. A simulation experiment with 85 benchmark data sets from UCR repository has been undertaken with several state of the art algorithms for time series classification in addition to our proposed scheme of classification for comparative study. It was found that, among non-ensemble algorithms, the proposed algorithm produces the highest classification accuracy for most of the data sets.
Editorial for the Special Issue on Carbon Based Electronic Devices
Authors: Tagliaferro Alberto , Charitidis Costas
Published: December 2019

For more than 50 years, silicon has dominated the electronics industry [...]
Testing Luminescence Dating Methods for Small Samples from Very Young Fluvial Deposits
Authors: Spencer Joel Q. G. , Huot Sébastien , Archer Allen W. , Caldas Marcellus M.
Published: December 2019

The impetus behind this study is to understand the sedimentological dynamics of very young fluvial systems in the Amazon River catchment and relate these to land use change and modern analogue studies of tidal rhythmites in the geologic record. Initial quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating feasibility studies have concentrated on spit and bar deposits in the Rio Tapajós. Many of these features have an appearance of freshly deposited pristine sand, and these observations and information from anecdotal evidence and LandSat imagery suggest an apparent decadal stability. The characteristics of OSL from small (~5 cm) sub-samples from ~65 cm by ~2 cm diameter vertical cores are quite remarkable. Signals from medium-sized aliquots (5 mm diameter) exhibit very high specific luminescence sensitivity, have excellent dose recovery and recycling, essentially independent of preheat, and show minimal heat transfer even at the highest preheats. These characteristics enable measurement of very small signals with reasonable precision and, using modified single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) approaches, equivalent doses as low as ~4 mGy can be obtained. Significant recuperation is observed for samples from two of the study sites and, in these instances, either the acceptance threshold was increased or growth curves were forced through the origin; recuperation is considered most likely to be a measurement artefact given the very small size of natural signals. Dose rates calculated from combined inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry/inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-MS/ICP-OES) and high-resolution gamma spectrometry range from ~0.3 to 0.5 mGya−1, and OSL ages for features so far investigated range from 13 to 34 years to several 100 years. Sampled sands are rich in quartz and yields of 212–250 μm or 250–310 μm grains indicate high-resolution sampling at 1–2 cm intervals is possible. Despite the use of medium-sized aliquots to ensure the recovery of very dim natural OSL signals, these results demonstrate the potential of OSL for studying very young active fluvial processes in these settings.
Eating Jet Lag: A Marker of the Variability in Meal Timing and Its Association with Body Mass Index
Authors: Zerón-Rugerio María , Hernáez Álvaro , Porras-Loaiza Armida , Cambras Trinitat , Izquierdo-Pulido Maria
Published: December 2019

The timing of food intake has been associated with obesity and adverse metabolic outcomes, independently of the amount or content of food intake and activity level. However, the impact of the variability in the timing of food intake between weekends and weekdays on BMI (body mass index) remains unexplored. To address that, we propose to study a marker of the variability of meal timing on weekends versus weekdays (denominated as ‘eating jet lag’) that could be associated with increments in BMI. This cross-sectional study included 1106 subjects (aged 18–25 years). Linear regression models were used to examine the associations of eating jet lag with BMI and circadian related variables (including chronotype, eating duration, sleep duration, and social jet lag). Subsequently, a hierarchical multivariate regression analysis was conducted to determine whether the association of eating jet lag with BMI was independent of potentially confounding variables (e.g., chronotype and social jet lag). Moreover, restricted cubic splines were calculated to study the shape of the association between eating jet lag and BMI. Our results revealed a positive association between eating jet lag and BMI (p = 0.008), which was independent of the chronotype and social jet lag. Further analysis revealed the threshold of eating jet lag was of 3.5 h or more, from which the BMI could significantly increase. These results provided evidence of the suitability of the eating jet lag, as a marker of the variability in meal timing between weekends and weekdays, for the study of the influence of meal timing on obesity. In a long run, the reduction of the variability between meal timing on weekends versus weekdays could be included as part of food timing guidelines for the prevention of obesity among general population.
Bioactivity Evaluation of a Novel Formulated Curcumin
Authors: Liao Se-Chun , Hsu Wei-Hsiang , Huang Zi-Yi , Chuang Kun-Lin , Lin Kuan-Ting , Tseng Chia-Ling , Tsai Tung-Hu , Dao Anh-Hoang , Su Chun-Li , Huang Chi-Ying F.
Published: December 2019

Curcumin has been used as a traditional medicine and/or functional food in several cultures because of its health benefits including anticancer properties. However, poor oral bioavailability of curcumin has limited its oral usage as a food supplement and medical food. Here we formulated curcumin pellets using a solid dispersion technique. The pellets had the advantages of reduced particle size, improved water solubility, and particle porosity. This pellet form led to an improvement in curcumin’s oral bioavailability. Additionally, we used the C-Map and Library of Integrated Network-Based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) Unified Environment (CLUE) gene expression database to determine the potential biological functions of formulated curcumin. The results indicated that, similar to conventional curcumin, the formulated curcumin acted as an NF-κB pathway inhibitor. Moreover, ConsensusPathDB database analysis was used to predict possible targets and it revealed that both forms of curcumin exhibit similar biological functions, including apoptosis. Biochemical characterization revealed that both the forms indeed induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. We concluded that the formulated curcumin increases the oral bioavailability in animals, and, as expected, retains characteristics similar to conventional curcumin at the cellular level. Our screening platform using big data not only confirms that both the forms of curcumin have similar mechanisms but also predicts the novel mechanism of the formulated curcumin.
SWATH Differential Abundance Proteomics and Cellular Assays Show In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Arachidonic Acid- and Docosahexaenoic Acid-Based Monoacylglycerols in HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: González-Fernández María José , Fabrikov Dmitri , Ramos-Bueno Rebeca P. , Guil-Guerrero José Luis , Ortea Ignacio
Published: December 2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and mortal types of cancer. There is increasing evidence that some polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exercise specific inhibitory actions on cancer cells through different mechanisms, as a previous study on CRC cells demonstrated for two very long-chain PUFA. These were docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n6) in the free fatty acid (FFA) form. In this work, similar design and technology have been used to investigate the actions of both DHA and ARA as monoacylglycerol (MAG) molecules, and results have been compared with those obtained using the corresponding FFA. Cell assays revealed that ARA- and DHA-MAG exercised dose- and time-dependent antiproliferative actions, with DHA-MAG acting on cancer cells more efficiently than ARA-MAG. Sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH)—mass spectrometry massive quantitative proteomics, validated by parallel reaction monitoring and followed by pathway analysis, revealed that DHA-MAG had a massive effect in the proteasome complex, while the ARA-MAG main effect was related to DNA replication. Prostaglandin synthesis also resulted as inhibited by DHA-MAG. Results clearly demonstrated the ability of both ARA- and DHA-MAG to induce cell death in colon cancer cells, which suggests a direct relationship between chemical structure and antitumoral actions.
The Influence of Dietary Fatty Acids on Immune Responses
Authors: Radzikowska Urszula , Rinaldi Arturo O. , Çelebi Sözener Zeynep , Karaguzel Dilara , Wojcik Marzena , Cypryk Katarzyna , Akdis Mübeccel , Akdis Cezmi A. , Sokolowska Milena
Published: December 2019

Diet-derived fatty acids (FAs) are essential sources of energy and fundamental structural components of cells. They also play important roles in the modulation of immune responses in health and disease. Saturated and unsaturated FAs influence the effector and regulatory functions of innate and adaptive immune cells by changing membrane composition and fluidity and by acting through specific receptors. Impaired balance of saturated/unsaturated FAs, as well as n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated FAs has significant consequences on immune system homeostasis, contributing to the development of many allergic, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases. In this paper, we discuss up-to-date knowledge and the clinical relevance of the influence of dietary FAs on the biology, homeostasis, and functions of epithelial cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, innate lymphoid cells, T cells and B cells. Additionally, we review the effects of dietary FAs on the pathogenesis of many diseases, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis as well as type 1 and 2 diabetes.
The Association between Coffee Consumption Pattern and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults
Authors: Kim Seong-Ah , Shin Sangah
Published: December 2019

The inconsistent results of epidemiologic studies suggest that the health effects of coffee vary depending on coffee consumption pattern, such as the type and amount of coffee intake. This study investigated the association between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. In total, coffee consumption patterns in 14,132 participants were assessed based on two-day, 24-h recall data. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between the type and daily servings of coffee and the prevalence of MetS. In women, the prevalence of MetS (odds ratio (OR) 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70, 0.96), elevated triglycerides (0.85; 0.75, 0.97), and reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (HDL-C; 0.74; 0.66, 0.83) in 3-in-1 coffee consumers, as well as the prevalence of increased waist circumference (0.81; 0.68, 0.98) and reduced HDL-C (0.68; 0.59, 0.80) in black coffee consumers, were significantly lower compared to non-coffee consumers. Also, the inverse associations between total coffee intake, black coffee intake, and 3-in-1 coffee intake with MetS or components of MetS were more significant in individuals who consumed >1 versus ≤1 serving/day. In conclusion, coffee consumption (regardless of type) was associated with a reduced prevalence of MetS and its components in Korean women.
27th Annual GP2A Medicinal Chemistry Conference
Authors: Mistry Shailesh N. , Marchand Pascal , Kellam Barrie
Published: December 2019

The 27th annual GP2A (Groupement des Pharmacochimistes de l′Arc Atlantique/Group of Medicinal Chemists in the Atlantic Arc) conference took place from 21 to 23 August 2019, at the East Midlands Conference Centre (University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom) and was hosted by the Division of Biomolecular Science and Medicinal Chemistry (BSMC), within the School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham. The event brought together an international delegation of researchers with interests in medicinal chemistry and interfacing disciplines. In addition, a pre-conference workshop provided an opportunity for younger researchers to develop their theoretical knowledge in quantitative pharmacology. Abstracts of presentations by the 14 invited speakers and 6 young researchers, in addition to 41 posters, are included in this report.
Paradoxical Effect of Grape Pomace Extract on Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Rats
Authors: Neag Maria Adriana , Mitre Calin Iosif , Mitre Andrei Otto , Morhan Vlad , Catinean Adrian , Botan Emil Claudiu , Melincovici Carmen Stanca , Muntean Dana Maria , Buzoianu Anca Dana
Published: December 2019

Cisplatin is one of the most used drugs in the therapy of different types of cancer. However, its use is limited by nephrotoxicity. This study investigated the effects of a commercially available grape pomace extract (GE) from Vitis vinifera on cisplatin-induced kidney toxicity in rats. Sixty-four male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into eight groups. Groups 1–3 were controls, receiving 0.9% saline and doses 1 and 2 of GE respectively. Cisplatin was given to groups 4–8. Two groups received pretreatment with GE, while another two groups received pre- and post-treatment with GE. Blood samples were collected and all animals sacrificed. Kidneys were harvested for histopathological analysis. GE significantly increased blood creatinine and urea levels, the severity of kidney histopathological damage, and mortality in all cisplatin groups, except for group 7 which received pre- and post-treatment with a low dose of GE. Renal toxicity was determined by mortality and severe histopathological renal lesions. Additionally, the serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was not significantly modified in the treated groups compared to the control. These results indicate that the GE did not have a protective effect on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity; on the contrary, GE accentuated the toxic effect of cisplatin.
Application of Photopolymer Materials in Holographic Technologies
Authors: Vorzobova Nadezhda , Sokolov Pavel
Published: December 2019

The possibility of the application of acrylate compositions and Bayfol HX photopolymers in holographic technologies is considered. The holographic characteristics of materials, their advantages, and limitations in relation to the tasks of obtaining holographic elements based on periodic structures are given. The conditions for obtaining controlled two and multichannel diffraction beam splitters are determined with advantages in terms of the simplicity of the fabrication process. The diffraction and selective properties of volume and hybrid periodic structures by radiation incidence in a wide range of angles in three-dimensional space are investigated, and new properties are identified that are of interest for the development of elements of holographic solar concentrators with advantages in the material used and the range of incidence angles. A new application of polymer materials in a new method of holographic 3D printing for polymer objects with arbitrary shape fabrication based on the projection of a holographic image of the object into the volume of photopolymerizable material is proposed, the advantage of which, relative to additive 3D printing technologies, is the elimination of the sequential synthesis of a three-dimensional object. The factors determining the requirements for the material, fabrication conditions, and properties of three-dimensional objects are identified and investigated.
Role of Aliphatic Chain Characteristics on the Anti-Cracking Properties of Polymer-Modified Asphalt at Low Temperatures
Authors: Wang Peng , Shi Fu-quan , Liu Xi-yin , Ren Rui-bo , Zhu Ying , Sun Hui , Zheng Guang-shun , Dong Ze-jiao , Wang Li-zhi
Published: December 2019

The anti-cracking properties of polymer-modified asphalt depend largely on the molecular structure of the polymer modifier. However, the mysterious structure-performance relationship is still elusive. In this paper, three kinds of polymers with different chain structures were selected to address this issue. The indices of styrene, trans-butadiene, aliphatic branched-chain, and aliphatic long-chain from the infrared spectrum were used to quantify the functional group compositions of polymer modifiers. Viscoelastic parameters, including relaxation time, dissipation energy ratios, and stiffness were assessed to illustrate the anti-cracking properties of polymer-modified asphalt. Results showed that relaxation time and dissipation energy ratios were mainly determined by the polymer network strength, molecular size, aliphatic chain feature, and the orientations speed of aliphatic chains. The short relaxation time and high dissipation ratio lead to the low stiffness and favorable low-temperature performance of asphalt. The improvement of these performances requires a polymer with high indices of an aliphatic long-chain, styrene, aliphatic branched-chain, and trans-butadiene, respectively. An aliphatic-long chain, aliphatic branched-chain, and trans-butadiene were soft segments in asphalt while styrene was the rigid segment. The soft segments affect the intramolecular friction, orientation, and thermal motion at low temperatures, whereas the rigid segment enhances the strength of polymer networks. Thus, the anti-cracking property of polymer-modified asphalt can be improved by adjusting the ratio of soft and rigid segments in the polymer modifier.
Trehalose-Rich, Degradable Hydrogels Designed for Trehalose Release under Physiologically Relevant Conditions
Authors: Burek Małgorzata , Wandzik Ilona
Published: December 2019

Trehalose, a natural disaccharide, is primarily known for its ability to protect proteins from inactivation and denaturation caused by a variety of stress conditions. Furthermore, over the past few years, it has emerged as a promising therapeutic candidate for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we examine the attachment of trehalose to polymers for release under selected physiologically relevant conditions. The proposed strategies are evaluated specifically using hydrogels undergoing simultaneous degradation during trehalose release. These materials are fabricated via copolymerization of the appropriate acrylamide-type monomers with polymerizable trehalose esters or benzylidene acetals. This provides trehalose release in a slightly alkaline (i.e., pH 7.4) or mildly acidic (i.e., pH 5.0) environment, respectively. Using this method materials containing up to 51.7 wt% of trehalose are obtained. The presented results provide a solid basis for future studies on polymeric materials intended for trehalose release in biological systems.
Synthesis and Properties of Cyclopentyl Cardo-Type Polyimides Based on Dicyclopentadiene
Authors: Yeh Shih-Chieh , Lee Jen-Yu , Hsieh Chung-Ta , Huang Ya-Chin , Wang Kuan-Syun , Wu Chien-Hsin , Hu Chien-Chieh , Chiang Shu-Chen , Jeng Ru-Jong
Published: December 2019

A crucial polymer intermediate, 4-[1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclopentyl]-phenol (bisphenol CP), was developed from dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), a key byproduct of the C5 fraction in petrochemicals. On the basis of bisphenol CP, a diamine, 4,4′-((cyclopentane-1,1-diylbis(4,1-phenylene))bis(oxy))-dianiline (cyclopentyl diamine; CPDA) was subsequently obtained through a nucleophilic substitution of bisphenol CP, followed by the hydrogenation process. By using the CPDA diamine, a series of polyimides with cyclopentyl (cardo) units on the backbone were prepared along with a reference polyimide (API-6F) based on 4,4′-(4,4′-(propane-2,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene))bis(oxy)dianiline (BPAA), and 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)-diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) for the exploration of structure-properties relationship. Thanks to the presence of cyclopentyl units, this type of cardo polyimides exhibited comparable tensile properties, especially a large elongation (25.4%). It is also worth noting that CPI-6F exhibited better solubility in organic solvents, such as NMP, DMAc, THF, and chloroform, than the other PIs. Gas separation properties were also evaluated for these cardo-type polyimides.
Extracting Taklimakan Dust Parameters from AIRS with Artificial Neural Network Method
Authors: Yao Zhigang , Li Jun , Zhao Zengliang , Zhu Lin , Qi Jin , Che Huizheng
Published: December 2019

Two back-propagation artificial neural network retrieval models have been developed for obtaining the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) and dust-top height (DTH), respectively, from Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) brightness temperature (BT) measurements over Taklimakan Desert area. China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET) measurements at Tazhong station were used for dust AOD validation. Results show that the correlation coefficient of dust AODs between AIRS and CARSNET reaches 0.88 with a deviation of −0.21, which is the same correlation coefficient as the AIRS dust AOD and the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) product. In the AIRS DTH retrieval model, there is an option to include the collocated MODIS deep blue (DB) AOD as additional input for daytime retrieval; the independent dust heights from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) are used for AIRS DTH validation, and results show that the DTHs derived from the combined AIRS BT measurements and MODIS DB AOD product have better accuracy than those from AIRS BT measurements alone. The correlation coefficient of DTHs between AIRS and independent CALIOP dust heights is 0.79 with a standard deviation of 0.41 km when MODIS DB AOD product is included in the retrieval model. A series of case studies from different seasons were examined to demonstrate the feasibility of retrieving dust parameters from AIRS and potential applications. The method and approaches can be applied to process measurements from advanced infrared (IR) sounder and high-resolution imager onboard the same platform.
An Efficient Compressive Hyperspectral Imaging Algorithm Based on Sequential Computations of Alternating Least Squares
Authors: Lee Geunseop
Published: December 2019

Hyperspectral imaging is widely used to many applications as it includes both spatial and spectral distributions of a target scene. However, a compression, or a low multilinear rank approximation of hyperspectral imaging data, is required owing to the difficult manipulation of the massive amount of data. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm for higher order singular value decomposition that enables the decomposition of a tensor into a compressed tensor multiplied by orthogonal factor matrices. Specifically, we sequentially compute low rank factor matrices from the Tucker-1 model optimization problems via an alternating least squares approach. Experiments with real world hyperspectral imaging revealed that the proposed algorithm could compute the compressed tensor with a higher computational speed, but with no significant difference in accuracy of compression compared to the other tensor decomposition-based compression algorithms.
Obituary for Prof. Dr. Gottfried Heinisch
Authors: Viernstein Helmut
Published: December 2019

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Emotional Intelligence, Sense of Coherence, Engagement and Coping: A Cross-Sectional Study of University Students’ Health
Authors: Fernández-Martínez Elena , López-Alonso Ana I. , Marqués-Sánchez Pilar , Martínez-Fernández María Cristina , Sánchez-Valdeón Leticia , Liébana-Presa Cristina
Published: December 2019

It is important to consider university settings as sustainable environments that promote student well-being. Our aim in this study was to determine how the variables of engagement, emotional intelligence, sense of coherence, and coping influence the health of students at a Spanish university. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The instruments of measures administered were: The General Health Questionnaire, Trait Meta-Mood Scale, Uterch Work Engagement Scale, sense of coherence and brief coping scale to 463 students. The results showed that better-perceived health was associated with higher scores for dedication, vigor, clarity, repair, sense of coherence, active coping, positive reframing, and humor. Conversely, poorer perceived health was associated with higher scores for attention, instrumental support, self-distraction, venting, religion, denial, self-blaming, emotional support, and behavioral disengagement. In addition, the variables analyzed presented differences by sex. Our proposed predictive model of health and the associations between variables indicate the need to cultivate emotional skills, such as mood repair, a sense of coherence, and coping strategies, in order to promote student health. Facilitating students’ acquisition of knowledge and resources by analyzing these and other variables can contribute to individual well-being and help university students to cope with present and future academic challenges.