bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Life-Cycle Environmental Impact of Recycling of Restaurant Food Waste in Lanzhou, China
Authors: Zhang Zilong , Han Wenyan , Chen Xingpeng , Yang Na , Lu Chenyu , Wang Yueju
Published: September 2019

The recycling of restaurant food waste can bring environmental benefits and improve food safety for urban residents. We here assessed the entire life cycle of the anaerobic digestion–aerobic composting technique of restaurant food waste recycling using Lanzhou as a case study. We used the CML2001 method provided with the Gabi software and compared the results to those produced using the traditional treatment techniques (landfill and incineration). This work includes a sensitivity analysis of the results. It is here concluded that the anaerobic digestion–aerobic composting technique had the smallest environmental impact of the methods here examined. The life cycle of anaerobic digestion–aerobic composting primarily consumes water, clay, coal, crude oil, and natural gas. The pre-processing phase consumes the most resources, and anaerobic digestion showed the greatest environmental impact. Specific environmental impacts in order from the highest to lowest potential to exacerbate global warming were found to be photochemical ozone production, acidification, eutrophication, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. The main factors associated with different environmental impacts and the environmental impacts themselves were found to differ across different phases. Some environmental impacts were shown to be sensitive to electricity, and the eutrophication potential and photochemical ozone creation potential showed the least sensitivity to all variables. To reduce the environmental impact of the anaerobic digestion–aerobic composting treatment technique, the energy structure and consumption of electricity, water, and diesel need to be optimized.
Safety Effects of Freeway Hard Shoulder Running
Authors: Choi Jaisung , Tay Richard , Kim Sangyoup , Jeong Seungwon , Kim Jeongmin , Heo Tae-Young
Published: September 2019

Hard shoulder running (HSR) has been increasingly used as a sustainable and viable way to increase road capacity. This study investigated the safety effect of HSR on freeways in South Korea using the empirical Bayes method. This study found an increase in the total number of crashes. In terms of crash severity, a higher proportion of crashes (25.3%) on 2(3)-lane sections were found to be serious (involving injuries and/or fatalities) compared to those on 4(5)-lane sections (3.6%). Also, a positive relationship was found between the length of the hard shoulder running and changes in crash frequencies. Thus, hard shoulder running on lengthy 2(3)-lane freeways should be avoided.
Spatial-Temporal Self-Focusing of Partially Coherent Pulsed Beams in Dispersive Medium
Authors: Zhao Zhiguo , Ding Chaoliang , Zhang Yongtao , Pan Liuzhan
Published: September 2019

Partially coherent pulsed beams have many applications in pulse shaping, fiber optics, ghost imaging, etc. In this paper, a novel class of partially coherent pulsed (PCP) sources with circular spatial coherence distribution and sinc temporal coherence distribution is introduced. The analytic formula for the spatial-temporal intensity of pulsed beams generated by this kind of source in dispersive media is derived. The evolution behavior of spatial-temporal intensity of the pulsed beams in water and air is investigated, respectively. It is found that the pulsed beams exhibit spatial-temporal self-focusing behavior upon propagation. Furthermore, a physical interpretation of the spatial-temporal self-focusing phenomenon is given. This is a phenomenon of optical nonlinearity, which may have potential application in laser micromachining and laser filamentation.
Quantitative Characterization of the Aqua-Dispersing Nano-Binder Effects on the Slip Resistance of Borrowed Soil of a Rock Slope
Authors: Zhou Cuiying , Li Dexian , Liu Zhen
Published: September 2019

Soil loss can be reduced by enhancing the slip resistance of soil. Therefore, the slip resistance of borrowed soil of rock slopes is key to ecological restoration. An effective way to enhance the soil slip resistance is to improve the permeability and shear strength of the soil by using polymeric materials. Most current projects have confirmed the amount and effect of additions via repeated tests because of the lack of a quantitative characterization model. This leads to high implementation costs and inhibition of the method’s popularization and application. Therefore, based on different dosages and application processes of aqua-dispersing nano-binder (ADNB), the present study aims to examine the change rules of the particles, permeability, and shear strength after soil improvement through particle analysis, permeability, and direct shear experiments. It was found that ADNB could increase the average particle diameter, permeability coefficient, and shear strength of soil, and significantly enhanced the slip resistance of rock slope soil. On this basis, this paper establishes quantitative characterization models of the slip resistance of rock slopes, reveals the clay improvement mechanism, and proposes the optimal addition range. The study also verified the reliability of the models through an engineering application. It is proved that the appropriate amount of ADNB based on the model can enhance the slip resistance of borrowed soil as well as the ecological restoration effect of rock slopes. The model in question solves the problem of repeated tests during implementation due to the lack of a quantitative characterization model and provides theoretical guidance for the ecological restoration of rock slopes.
Accelerated Metabolite Levels of Aerobic Glycolysis and the Pentose Phosphate Pathway Are Required for Efficient Replication of Infectious Spleen and Kidney Necrosis Virus in Chinese Perch Brain Cells
Authors: Guo Xixi , Wu Shiwei , Li Ningqiu , Lin Qiang , Liu Lihui , Liang Hongru , Niu Yinjie , Huang Zhibin , Fu Xiaozhe
Published: September 2019

Glucose is a main carbon and energy source for virus proliferation and is usually involved in the glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) pathways. In this study, we investigated the roles of glucose-related metabolic pathways during the replication of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), which has caused serious economic losses in the cultured Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi) industry. We found that ISKNV infection enhanced the metabolic pathways of the PPP and the TCA cycle at the early stage of the ISKNV infection cycle and enhanced the glycolysis pathway at the late stage of the ISKNV infection cycle though the comprehensive analysis of transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. The advanced results proved that ISKNV replication induced upregulation of aerobic glycolysis at the late stage of ISKNV infection cycle and aerobic glycolysis were required for ISKNV multiplication. In addition, the PPP, providing nucleotide biosynthesis, was also required for ISKNV multiplication. However, the TCA cycle involving glucose was not important and necessary for ISKNV multiplication. The results reported here provide new insights into viral pathogenesis mechanism of metabolic shift, as well as antiviral treatment strategies.
Deficiency in Androgen Receptor Aggravates the Depressive-Like Behaviors in Chronic Mild Stress Model of Depression
Authors: Hung Yi-Yung , Huang Ya-Ling , Chang Chawnshang , Kang Hong-Yo
Published: September 2019

While androgen receptor (AR) and stress may influence the development of the major depressive disorder (MDD), the detailed relationship, however, remains unclear. Here we found loss of AR accelerated development of depressive-like behaviors in mice under chronic mild stress (CMS). Mechanism dissection indicated that AR might function via altering the expression of miR-204-5p to modulate the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression to influence the depressive-like behaviors in the mice under the CMS. Adding the antiandrogen flutamide with the stress hormone corticosterone can additively decrease BDNF mRNA in mouse hippocampus mHippoE-14 cells, which can then be reversed via down-regulating the miR-204-5p expression. Importantly, targeting this newly identified AR-mediated miR-204-5p/BDNF/AKT/MAPK signaling with small molecules including 7,8-DHF and fluoxetine, all led to alter the depressive-like behavior in AR knockout mice under CMS exposure. Together, results from these preclinical studies conclude that decreased AR may accelerate the stress-induced MDD via altering miR-204-5p/BDNF/AKT/MAPK signaling, and targeting this newly identified signaling may help in the development of better therapeutic approaches to reduce the development of MDD.
Shear at Fluid-Fluid Interfaces Affects the Surface Topologies of Alginate Microfibers
Authors: McNamara Marilyn C. , Pretzer Ryan J. , Montazami Reza , Hashemi Nicole N.
Published: September 2019

Hydrogel microfibers have great potential for applications such as tissue engineering or three-dimensional cell culturing. Their favorable attributes can lead to tissue models that can help to reduce or eliminate animal testing, thereby providing an eco-friendly alternative to this unsustainable process. In addition to their highly tunable mechanical properties, this study shows that varying the viscosity and flow rates of the prepolymer core solution and gellator sheath solution within a microfluidic device can affect the surface topology of the resulting microfibers. Higher viscosity core solutions are more resistant to deformation from shear force within the microfluidic device, thereby yielding smoother fibers. Similarly, maintaining a smaller velocity gradient between the fluids within the microfluidic device minimizes shear force and smooths fiber surfaces. This simple modification provides insight into manufacturing microfibers with highly tunable properties.
Dynamic ICSP Graph Optimization Approach for Car-Like Robot Localization in Outdoor Environments
Authors: Wang Zhan , Lambert Alain , Zhang Xun
Published: September 2019

Localization has been regarded as one of the most fundamental problems to enable a mobile robot with autonomous capabilities. Probabilistic techniques such as Kalman or Particle filtering have long been used to solve robotic localization and mapping problem. Despite their good performance in practical applications, they could suffer inconsistency problems. This paper presents an Interval Constraint Satisfaction Problem (ICSP) graph based methodology for consistent car-like robot localization in outdoor environments. The localization problem is cast into a two-stage framework: visual teach and repeat. During a teaching phase, the interval map is built when a robot navigates around the environment with GPS-support. The map is then used for real-time ego-localization as the robot repeats the path autonomously. By dynamically solving the ICSP graph via Interval Constraint Propagation (ICP) techniques, a consistent and improved localization result is obtained. Both numerical simulation results and real data set experiments are presented, showing the soundness of the proposed method in achieving consistent localization.
Low-Temperature Polymorphic Transformation of β-Lactam Antibiotics
Authors: Luo Hongyuan , Liu Jinyun , He Xiao , Li Jinjin
Published: September 2019

Abstract: Polymorphic screening and transformation of molecular crystals are presently popular research areas in pharmaceutical studies. In this study, we developed an ab initio method to examine the structures, spectra, and stabilities of β-lactam (trans-13-azabicyclo[10.2.0]tetradecan-14-one), an important component of antibiotics. Based on the density functional theory (DFT) and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation (MP2) methods, the present work demonstrated that forms I and II have isomorphic structures but can be distinguished by their Gibbs free energies and vibrational spectra. Forms I and II show a low-temperature polymorphic transformation at 308 K, where form I is stable below 308 K and form II is stable above 308 K. The proposed method suggests that the theoretical calculation can be used as a tool to effectively distinguish the isomorphic structures, and temperature-induced polymorphic transformation has far-reaching significance for drug storage and design.
All-Optical Ultra-Fast Graphene-Photonic Crystal Switch
Authors: Jalali Azizpour Mohammad Reza , Soroosh Mohammad , Dalvand Narges , Seifi-Kavian Yousef
Published: September 2019

In this paper, an all-optical photonic crystal-based switch containing a graphene resonant ring has been presented. The structure has been composed of 15 × 15 silicon rods for a fundamental lattice. Then, a resonant ring including 9 thick silicon rods and 24 graphene-SiO2 rods was placed between two waveguides. The thick rods with a radius of 0.41a in the form of a 3 × 3 lattice were placed at the center of the ring. Graphene-SiO2 rods with a radius of 0.2a were assumed around the thick rods. These rods were made of the graphene monolayers which were separated by SiO2 disks. The size of the structure was about 70 µm2 that was more compact than other works. Furthermore, the rise and fall times were obtained by 0.3 ps and 0.4 ps, respectively, which were less than other reports. Besides, the amount of the contrast ratio (the difference between the margin values for logics 1 and 0) for the proposed structure was calculated by about 82%. The correct switching operation, compactness, and ultra-fast response, as well as the high contrast ratio, make the presented switch for optical integrated circuits.
Multi-Point Collaborative Authentication Method Based on User Image Intelligent Collection in the Internet of Things
Authors: Li Yunfa , Tu Yifei , Lu Jiawa
Published: September 2019

With the increasing demand for intelligent services of the Internet of Things (IoT), its security issues have attracted widespread attention recently. Since most of the existing identity authentication policies are based on a single authentication mode, they are highly likely to cause problems such as illegal operation and stealing of sensor information. In order to meet the needs of increasing IoT users for the security management of intelligent services, a multi-point collaborative authentication method based on user image intelligent collection for the security problems faced by IoT in identity authentication is proposed in the paper. This method firstly collects the identity of the legal user through the intelligent collection technology and then realizes the identity authentication of the unidentified user through the collaborative authentication between the local domain management machine, the back-end image management machine, and the cloud server. Compared with the traditional single identity authentication method, our method uses three-party collaborative authentication to avoid the problem of sensor information stealing easily caused by a single authentication method, which makes the user’s identity authentication more secure and effective. The security analysis shows that the method is able to resist multiple attacks and prevent the sensor information from being illegally operated and stolen, protecting the security of the sensor information.
Diatom Deformities and Tolerance to Cadmium Contamination in Four Species
Authors: Kim Tiam Sandra , Lavoie Isabelle , Liu Fengjie , Hamilton Paul B. , Fortin Claude
Published: September 2019

The relative tolerance of four diatoms (Nitzschia palea, Pinnularia mesolepta, Mayamaea atomus, and Gomphonema truncatum) to Cd was evaluated, including their proneness to deformities, and the severity of the abnormalities in relation to Cd concentration. The indirect effect of Cd on photosynthetic capacities was assessed during a short time exposure experiment using a dose-response approach to evaluate the relative tolerance of the four diatom species. The EC25 were 9 (3, 23), 606 (348, 926), 1179 (1015, 1349) and 2394 (1890, 2896) µg/L for P. mesolepta, G. truncatum, N. palea, and M. atomus respectively. P. mesolepta was by far the most Cd sensitive species while M. atomus was the most tolerant. In addition, diatoms were exposed to a single concentration of Cd comparable to a heavily contaminated environment for a longer duration to evaluate the effect of Cd on growth kinetics and the deformities induced. N. palea, P. mesolepta, and M. atomus were able to grow when cultivated with Cd while G. truncatum was not. Cadmium strongly affected the effective quantum yield in G. truncatum (4.8 ± 5.9% of the control) and P. mesolepta cultures (29.2 ± 6.9% of the control). The effects were moderate for N. palea (88.3 ± 0.7% of the control) and no impact was observed for M. atomus. The results from the two approaches were in accordance since they identified N. palea and M. atomus as the two most tolerant species to Cd, while P. mesolepta and G. truncatum were the most sensitive. The microscopy analyses revealed that P. mesolepta was more impacted by Cd than N. palea and M. atomus considering both the quantity of abnormal cells and the severity of the deformities. Overall, this research shows that not all deformities can be considered equal for a water quality bio-assessment. The work highlights a need to take into account metal-tolerance/sensitivity of the species and the severity of the deformities.
Floral Structure and Breeding Systems of Manglietia conifera Dandy (Magnoliaceae)
Authors: Hao Jian , Pan Liqin , Jia Hongyan , Jiang Qingbin , Pan Qilong , Pinyopusarerk Khongsak , Kalinganire Antoine
Published: September 2019

Manglietia conifera Dandy is a fast-growing tree species that has been introduced to China from Vietnam, which has great potential for commercial planting. However, plantation development is hindered by a lack of seed material, due to low natural seed-set in locally grown trees. Thus, we investigated the morphological characteristics of male and female flower organs, and conducted controlled pollination to understand the breeding systems of the species. The individual flower of M. conifera is bisexual, and the stamen group is polymerized at the base of the receptacle. Pollen is symmetrically distributed on both sides. Controlled pollination suggests that apomixis does not occur in M. conifera. Results from the flower structure, pollen–ovule ratio, outcrossing index, and controlled pollination indicated that the breeding system in M. conifera was outcrossing (partially self-compatible, pollinators required), and self-incompatibility occurred in a later stage of embryonic development. Moreover, the self-incompatibility phenomenon was revealed by the abnormal germination of pollen on the stigma. This paper provides a basis for controlled pollination programs of M. conifera.
Deep Learning-Based Sentimental Analysis for Large-Scale Imbalanced Twitter Data
Authors: Jamal Nasir , Xianqiao Chen , Aldabbas Hamza
Published: September 2019

Emotions detection in social media is very effective to measure the mood of people about a specific topic, news, or product. It has a wide range of applications, including identifying psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression in users. However, it is a challenging task to distinguish useful emotions’ features from a large corpus of text because emotions are subjective, with limited fuzzy boundaries that may be expressed in different terminologies and perceptions. To tackle this issue, this paper presents a hybrid approach of deep learning based on TensorFlow with Keras for emotions detection on a large scale of imbalanced tweets’ data. First, preprocessing steps are used to get useful features from raw tweets without noisy data. Second, the entropy weighting method is used to compute the importance of each feature. Third, class balancer is applied to balance each class. Fourth, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is applied to transform high correlated features into normalized forms. Finally, the TensorFlow based deep learning with Keras algorithm is proposed to predict high-quality features for emotions classification. The proposed methodology is analyzed on a dataset of 1,600,000 tweets collected from the website ‘kaggle’. Comparison is made of the proposed approach with other state of the art techniques on different training ratios. It is proved that the proposed approach outperformed among other techniques.
Bovine Milk Fats and Their Replacers in Baked Goods: A Review
Authors: Huang Zhiguang , Stipkovits Letitia , Zheng Haotian , Serventi Luca , Brennan Charles S.
Published: September 2019

Milk fats and related dairy products are multi-functional ingredients in bakeries. Bakeries are critical local industries in Western countries, and milk fats represent the most important dietary lipids in countries such as New Zealand. Milk fats perform many roles in bakery products, including dough strengthening, textural softeners, filling fats, coating lipids, laminating fats, and flavor improvers. This review reports how milk fats interact with the ingredients of main bakery products. It also elaborates on recent studies on how to modulate the quality and digestibility of baked goods by designing a new type of fat mimetic, in order to make calorie- and saturated fat-reduced bakery products. It provides a quick reference for both retailers and industrial manufacturers of milk fat-based bakery products.
Effects of Moisture, Temperature, and Salt Content on the Dielectric Properties of Pecan Kernels during Microwave and Radio Frequency Drying Processes
Authors: Zhang Jigang , Li Maoye , Cheng Jianghua , Wang Jiao , Ding Zhien , Yuan Xiaolong , Zhou Sumei , Liu Xinmin
Published: September 2019

Dielectric properties of materials influence the interaction of electromagnetic fields with and are therefore important in designing effective dielectric heating processes. We investigated the dielectric properties (DPs) of pecan kernels between 10 and 3000 MHz using a Novocontrol broadband dielectric spectrometer in a temperature range of 5–65 °C and a moisture content range of 10–30% wet basis (wb) at three salt levels. The dielectric constant (ε′) and loss factor (ε″) of the pecan kernels decreased significantly with increasing frequency in the radio frequency (RF) band, but gradually in the measured microwave (MW) band. The moisture content and temperature increase greatly contributed to the increase in the ε′ and ε″ of samples, and ε″ increased sharply with increasing salt strength. Quadratic polynomial models were established to simulate DPs as functions of temperature and moisture content at four frequencies (27, 40, 915, and 2450 MHz), with R2 > 0.94. The average penetration depth of pecan kernels in the RF band was greater than that in the MW band (238.17 ± 21.78 cm vs. 15.23 ± 7.36 cm; p < 0.01). Based on the measured DP data, the simulated and experimental temperature-time histories of pecan kernels at five moisture contents were compared within the 5 min RF heating period.
Twenty-Five Years of Propagation in Suspension Cell Culture Results in Substantial Alterations of the Arabidopsis Thaliana Genome
Authors: Pucker Boas , Rückert Christian , Stracke Ralf , Viehöver Prisca , Kalinowski Jörn , Weisshaar Bernd
Published: September 2019

Arabidopsis thaliana is one of the best studied plant model organisms. Besides cultivation in greenhouses, cells of this plant can also be propagated in suspension cell culture. At7 is one such cell line that was established about 25 years ago. Here, we report the sequencing and the analysis of the At7 genome. Large scale duplications and deletions compared to the Columbia-0 (Col-0) reference sequence were detected. The number of deletions exceeds the number of insertions, thus indicating that a haploid genome size reduction is ongoing. Patterns of small sequence variants differ from the ones observed between A. thaliana accessions, e.g., the number of single nucleotide variants matches the number of insertions/deletions. RNA-Seq analysis reveals that disrupted alleles are less frequent in the transcriptome than the native ones.
Presbyopia and Other Eye Conditions in Teachers in Ghana
Authors: Koduah Charles , Bunce Catey , Gilbert Clare
Published: September 2019

The aim of this paper is to assess the eye health needs of school teachers in the Asutifi districts of Ghana. Presenting distance visual acuity was measured in each eye. Those with visual acuity of <6/12 in one or both eyes had subjective refraction. All underwent basic eye examination and near functional vision was assessed for teachers aged ≥35 years using the Near Activity Visual Questionnaire (NVAQ). Teachers with uncorrected presbyopia were given a near correction and NVAQ was assessed again at two weeks. Three hundred teachers were examined with mean (SD) age of 36.5 (9.7) years, 54.3% were male and 6.3% (95% CI: 3.8 to 9.8%) had a presenting acuity of <6/12 in one or both eyes. The estimated prevalence of moderate visual impairment was 0.7% (95% CI: 0.08 to 2.4%). Lens opacities (50%) and refractive error (18%) were the main causes of visual loss. Seventy-five out of 136 (55.1%, 95% CI: 46.6 to 63.4%) of teachers aged ≥35 years were presbyopic, 45.3% (95% CI: 36.9 to 53.7%) of whom had presbyopic correction. Lack of awareness was the major barrier to presbyopic correction. Median Rasch score for teachers given presbyopic correction (n = 39) decreased by 60.6% from 46.0 (IQR: 10.7 to 72.8) to 18.1 (IQR: 0 to 58.9) and overall satisfaction with near vision improved at follow up. Prevalence of presbyopia was high, and spectacles improved satisfaction with near vision.
A Transcriptomics Approach Reveals Putative Interaction of Candidatus Liberibacter Solanacearum with the Endoplasmic Reticulum of Its Psyllid Vector
Authors: Ghosh Saptarshi , Jassar Ola , Kontsedalov Svetlana , Lebedev Galina , Wang Chunxia , Turner Donielle , Levy Amit , Ghanim Murad
Published: September 2019

Candidatus Liberibacter solanacerum (CLso), transmitted by Bactericera trigonica in a persistent and propagative mode causes carrot yellows disease, inflicting hefty economic losses. Understanding the process of transmission of CLso by psyllids is fundamental to devise sustainable management strategies. Persistent transmission involves critical steps of adhesion, cell invasion, and replication before passage through the midgut barrier. This study uses a transcriptomic approach for the identification of differentially expressed genes with CLso infection in the midguts, adults, and nymphs of B. trigonica and their putative involvement in CLso transmission. Several genes related to focal adhesion and cellular invasion were upregulated after CLso infection. Interestingly, genes involved with proper functionality of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) were upregulated in CLso infected samples. Notably, genes from the endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation (ERAD) and the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway were overexpressed after CLso infection. Marker genes of the ERAD and UPR pathways were also upregulated in Diaphorina citri when infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Upregulation of the ERAD and UPR pathways indicate induction of ER stress by CLso/CLas in their psyllid vector. The role of ER in bacteria–host interactions is well-documented; however, the ER role following pathogenesis of CLso/CLas is unknown and requires further functional validation.
Production of a Recombinant Non-Hydroxylated Gelatin Mimetic in Pichia pastoris for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Gellermann Pia , Schneider-Barthold Caroline , Bolten Svenja Nicolin , Overfelt Ethan , Scheper Thomas , Pepelanova Iliyana
Published: September 2019

Proteins derived from the natural extracellular matrix like collagen or gelatin are common in clinical research, where they are prized for their biocompatibility and bioactivity. Cells are able to adhere, grow and remodel scaffolds based on these materials. Usually, collagen and gelatin are sourced from animal material, risking pathogenic transmission and inconsistent batch-to-batch product quality. A recombinant production in yeast circumvents these disadvantages by ensuring production with a reproducible quality in animal-component-free media. A gelatin mimetic protein, based on the alpha chain of human collagen I, was cloned in Pichia pastoris under the control of the methanol-inducible alcohol oxidase (AOX1) promoter. A producing clone was selected and cultivated at the 30 L scale. The protein was secreted into the cultivation medium and the final yield was 3.4 g·L−1. Purification of the target was performed directly from the cell-free medium by size exclusion chromatography. The gelatin mimetic protein was tested in cell culture for biocompatibility and for promoting cell adhesion. It supported cell growth and its performance was indistinguishable from animal-derived gelatin. The gelatin-mimetic protein represents a swift strategy to produce recombinant and human-based extracellular matrix proteins for various biomedical applications.
Modelling Transitions in Regimes of Lubrication for Rough Surface Contact
Authors: Chong William Woei Fong , Hamdan Siti Hartini , Wong King Jye , Yusup Suzana
Published: September 2019

Accurately predicting frictional performance of lubrication systems requires mathematical predictive tools with reliable lubricant shear-related input parameters, which might not be easily accessible. Therefore, the study proposes a semi-empirical framework to predict accurately the friction performance of lubricant systems operating across a wide range of lubricant regimes. The semi-analytical framework integrates laboratory-scale experimental measurements from a pin-on-disk tribometer with a unified numerical iterative scheme. The numerical scheme couples the effect of hydrodynamic pressure generated from the lubricant and interacting asperity pressure, essential along the mixed lubrication regime. The lubricant viscosity-pressure coefficient is determined using a free-volume approach, requiring only the lubricant viscosity-temperature relation as the input. The simulated rough surface contact shows transition in lubricant regimes, from the boundary to the elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime with increasing sliding velocity. Through correlation with pin-on-disk frictional measurements, the slope of the limiting shear stress-pressure relation γ and the pressure coefficient of boundary shear strength m for the studied engine lubricants are determined. Thus, the proposed approach presents an effective and robust semi-empirical framework to determine shear properties of fully-formulated engine lubricants. These parameters are essential for application in mathematical tools to predict more accurately the frictional performance of lubrication systems operating across a wide range of lubrication regimes.
Effect of Primary and Secondary Beads of Carbon Enterosorbent on Haematological Parameters and Oxidative Stress Development Caused by Melphalan in Rats
Authors: Shevchuk Oksana , Snezhkova Elisaveta , Sarnatskaya Veronika , Mikhailenko Victor , Glavin Alexei , Makovetska Lyudmyla , Bardakhivska Kvitoslava , Birchenko Inna , Kozynchenko Oleksandr , Nikolaev Volodymyr
Published: September 2019

Background and Objectives: Side effects of anti-cancer drugs are usually accompanied by oxidative stress, including myelotoxicity. We evaluated the potential of oral highly activated micro-/macroporous carbon adsorbents (bulk density of 0.16 g/cm3, surface area calculation by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller model (SBET) > 2200 m2/g, derived from proprietary phenolic resin beads) to alleviate oxidative stress and myelotoxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: A single injection of cytostatic melphalan (L-PAM) at a dose of 4 mg/kg was used for modelling. Two forms of activated carbon were used: AC1—primary beads with the particle size range of 125–250 µm, and AC2—micronized AC1 with a mean particle size of ~1 µm. We measured haematological parameters white blood cells, red blood cells, platelet count, and haemoglobin level. Oxidative stress intensity was evaluated using the following markers: total levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in blood plasma; catalase activity (CAT) and pro-oxidant/antioxidant ratio in blood haemolysate samples; level of reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver tissues; oxidative modification of proteins, OPM (APHD, aldehyde–dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives and KPHD, ketone dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives) and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) in blood plasma and liver samples. Results: AC2 administration promoted significant myeloprotective effect: 1.5-fold increase in leukocytes, 2-fold in neutrophils, 1.5-fold in lymphocytes, and 1.23-fold in platelet count compared to the experimental Melphalan Group. At the same time, AC1 administration resulted in a slight increase in haematological parameters. Both ACs positively corrected important, but diverse, components of oxidative stress. They significantly reduced oxidative modification of blood and liver proteins (especially the AC1 form), normalized the level of reduced glutathione, pro-oxidant/antioxidant ratio and other markers. For some markers, such as ROS production in blood plasma, the use of enterosorbents resulted in non-significant a shift towards normal parameters. Conclusions: Oral activated carbon adsorbents reduce oxidative stress intensity and myelotoxicity; they can be promising means to combat the adverse effects of chemotherapy in clinical practice.
Alterations in the Ocular Surface Fungal Microbiome in Fungal Keratitis Patients
Authors: Sai Prashanthi Gumpili , Jayasudha Rajagopalaboopathi , Chakravarthy Sama Kalyana , Padakandla Shalem Raj , SaiAbhilash Chinthala Reddy , Sharma Savitri , Bagga Bhupesh , Murthy Somasheila I. , Garg Prashant , Shivaji Sisinthy
Published: September 2019

Keratitis, an inflammatory disease of the eye, when neglected could lead to sight-threatening complications and ultimately blindness. Globally, over a million people are affected by keratitis annually. Keratitis has a microbial etiology and is caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc. The present study compared the ocular surface fungal microbiome of healthy individuals and individuals with fungal keratitis. Fungal microbiomes from the conjunctival swabs of healthy individuals and from conjunctival swabs and corneal scrapings of individuals with fungal keratitis were generated using ITS2 region amplicons. Microbiomes were sequenced using Illumina MiSeq 2 × 250 base pair chemistry with a paired-end protocol. Based on Alpha diversity indices, phylum and genera level diversity, abundance differences, and heat map analysis, the fungal microbiomes of conjunctival swabs and corneal scrapings of individuals with fungal keratitis exhibited dysbiosis (alterations in the diversity and abundance) compared to the ocular surface microbiome of the healthy control individuals. This is the first report indicating dysbiosis in the fungal microbiome of conjunctival swabs and corneal scrapings in individuals with fungal keratitis. A total of 11 genera present in the majority of the eyes constituted the variable core ocular microbiome.
Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Alnustone in Rats after Intravenous Administration by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Song Yang , Zhou Yu , Yan Xiao-Ting , Bi Jing-Bo , Qiu Xin , Bian Yu , Wang Ke-Fei , Zhang Yuan , Feng Xue-Song
Published: September 2019

Alnustone, a nonphenolic diarylheptanoid, first isolated from Alnus pendula (Betulaceae), has recently received a great deal of attention due to its various beneficial pharmacological effects. However, its pharmacokinetic profile in vivo remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to establish a fast and sensitive quantification method of alnustone using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and evaluate the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution profiles of alnustone in rats. The sample was precipitated with acetonitrile with 0.5% formic acid and separated on BEH C18 Column. The mobile phase was composed of 0.1% formic acid in water and methanol at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Alnustone and the internal standard (caffeine) were quantitatively monitored with precursor-to-product ion transitions of m/z 262.9→105.2 and m/z 195.2→138.0, respectively. The calibration curve for alnustone was linear from 1 to 2000 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day assay precision (RSD) ranged from 1.1–9.0 % to 3.3–8.6%, respectively and the intra- and inter-day assay accuracy (RE) was between −8.2–9.7% and −10.3–9.9%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of alnustone in rats. After single-dose intravenous administration of alnustone (5 mg/kg), the mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) value was 7066.36 ± 820.62 ng/mL, and the mean area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0–t) value was 6009.79 ± 567.30 ng/mL∙h. Our results demonstrated that the residence time of alnustone in vivo was not long and it eliminated quickly from the rat plasma. Meanwhile, the drug is mainly distributed in tissues with large blood flow, and the lung and liver might be the target organs for alnustone efficacy. The study will provide information for further application of alnustone.
Recent Advances in Enantioselective Photochemical Reactions of Stabilized Diazo Compounds
Authors: Hua Ting-Bi , Yang Qing-Qing , Zou You-Quan
Published: September 2019

Diazo compounds have proven to be a useful class of carbenes or metal carbenoids sources under thermal, photochemical, or metal-catalyzed conditions, which can subsequently undergo a wide range of synthetically important transformations. Recently, asymmetric photocatalysis has provoked increasing research interests, and great advances have been made in this discipline towards the synthesis of optically enriched compounds. In this context, the past two decades have been the most productive period in the developments of enantioselective photochemical reactions of diazo compounds due to a better understanding of the reactivities of diazo compounds and the emergence of new catalytic modes, as well as easier access to and treatment of stabilized diazo compounds. This review highlights these impressive achievements according to the reaction type, and the general mechanisms and stereochemical inductions are briefly discussed as well.
Probiotics in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Up-to-Date Systematic Review
Authors: Dale Hanna Fjeldheim , Rasmussen Stella Hellgren , Asiller Özgün Ömer , Lied Gülen Arslan
Published: September 2019

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder, and alterations in the gut microbiota composition contributes to symptom generation. The exact mechanisms of probiotics in the human body are not fully understood, but probiotic supplements are thought to improve IBS symptoms through manipulation of the gut microbiota. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the latest randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of probiotic supplementation on symptoms in IBS patients. A literature search was conducted in Medline (PubMed) until March 2019. RCTs published within the last five years evaluating effects of probiotic supplements on IBS symptoms were eligible. The search identified in total 35 studies, of which 11 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Seven studies (63.6%) reported that supplementation with probiotics in IBS patients significantly improved symptoms compared to placebo, whereas the remaining four studies (36.4%) did not report any significant improvement in symptoms after probiotic supplementation. Of note, three studies evaluated the effect of a mono-strain supplement, whereas the remaining eight trials used a multi-strain probiotic. Overall, the beneficial effects were more distinct in the trials using multi-strain supplements with an intervention of 8 weeks or more, suggesting that multi-strain probiotics supplemented over a period of time have the potential to improve IBS symptoms.
Taste Perception of Nutrients Found in Nutritional Supplements: A Review
Authors: Delompré Thomas , Guichard Elisabeth , Briand Loïc , Salles Christian
Published: September 2019

Nutritional supplements are prescribed when one’s nutritional status is not conducive to good health. These foodstuffs constitute concentrated sources of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids. For nutritional supplements to be effective, patients must consume the amount that has been prescribed for the recommended period of time. Therefore, special attention must be given to the sensory attributes of these products. Indeed, the presence of active compounds can cause an off-taste or aftertaste. These negative sensations can lead to a reduction in the consumption of nutritional supplements and reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. In this manuscript, we provide an overview of the sensory characteristics and the sensing receptor mechanism of the main compounds present in oral nutritional supplements, such as amino acids, minerals, fatty acids, and vitamins. Part of this article is devoted to the development of new masking strategies and the corresponding potential influence at the industrial level.
Computational Drug Repurposing Algorithm Targeting TRPA1 Calcium Channel as a Potential Therapeutic Solution for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Mihai Dragos Paul , Nitulescu George Mihai , Ion George Nicolae Daniel , Ciotu Cosmin Ionut , Chirita Cornel , Negres Simona
Published: September 2019

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS) through neurodegeneration and demyelination, leading to physical/cognitive disability and neurological defects. A viable target for treating MS appears to be the Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) calcium channel, whose inhibition has been shown to have beneficial effects on neuroglial cells and protect against demyelination. Using computational drug discovery and data mining methods, we performed an in silico screening study combining chemical graph mining, quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling, and molecular docking techniques in a global prediction model in order to identify repurposable drugs as potent TRPA1 antagonists that may serve as potential treatments for MS patients. After screening the DrugBank database with the combined generated algorithm, 903 repurposable structures were selected, with 97 displaying satisfactory inhibition probabilities and pharmacokinetics. Among the top 10 most probable inhibitors of TRPA1 with good blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability, desvenlafaxine, paliperidone, and febuxostat emerged as the most promising repurposable agents for treating MS. Molecular docking studies indicated that desvenlafaxine, paliperidone, and febuxostat are likely to induce allosteric TRPA1 channel inhibition. Future in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to confirm the biological activity of the selected hit molecules.
Proteome Profiling of the Mutagen-Induced Morphological and Yield Macro-Mutant Lines of Nigella sativa L.
Authors: Asif Ambreen , K. Ansari Mohammad Yunus , Hashem Abeer , Tabassum Baby , Abd_Allah Elsayed Fathi , Ahmad Altaf
Published: September 2019

In the present investigation, the leaf proteome profile of the macro-mutant lines of Nigella sativa L. was analyzed to identify the key proteins involved in the expression of traits associated with the morphology, seed yield, and content of thymoquinone. In our earlier study, the macro-mutants were generated with contrasting morphological traits and seed yields through induced mutagenesis, using ethyl methyl sulfonate, gamma rays, and combinations of both. Analysis of the leaf proteome of the control and macro-mutant lines of N. sativa showed that twenty-three proteins were differentially expressed. These differentially expressed proteins were sequenced through mass spectrometry and identified using the MASCOT software. On the basis of their function, these proteins were categorized into several groups. Most proteins were found in the categories of signal transduction (18%) and carbon metabolism (18%). A total of 13% of proteins belonged to the categories of energy and metabolism. Proteins in the categories of secondary plant metabolism, stress defense, cytoskeleton, and protein synthesis were also found. The polycomb group protein (FIE1), transcription factor (PRE1), and geranyl diphosphate synthase were notable proteins, in addition to some proteins of signal transduction and carbon metabolism. Expression patterns of the differentially expressed proteins were also studied at the transcript level by using qRT-PCR. Transcriptomics analysis was consistent with the proteomics data. This study shows the changes that take place at the proteomic level through induced mutagenesis, as well as the involvement of some proteins in the expression traits associated with plant height, seed yield, and the thymoquinone content of N. sativa. The identified proteins might help elucidate the metabolic pathways involved in the expression of traits, including seed yield, and the active compounds of medicinal plants.
Fabrication of Convex PDMS–Parylene Microstructures for Conformal Contact of Planar Micro-Electrode Array
Authors: Lee Woo Ram , Im Changkyun , Park Hae-Yong , Seo Jong-Mo , Kim Jun-Min
Published: September 2019

Polymer-based micro-electrode arrays (MEAs) are gaining attention as an essential technology to understand brain connectivity and function in the field of neuroscience. However, polymer based MEAs may have several challenges such as difficulty in performing the etching process, difficulty of micro-pattern generation through the photolithography process, weak metal adhesion due to low surface energy, and air pocket entrapment over the electrode site. In order to compensate for the challenges, this paper proposes a novel MEA fabrication process that is performed sequentially with (1) silicon mold preparation; (2) PDMS replica molding, and (3) metal patterning and parylene insulation. The MEA fabricated through this process possesses four arms with electrode sites on the convex microstructures protruding about 20 μm from the outermost layer surface. The validity of the convex microstructure implementation is demonstrated through theoretical background. The electrochemical impedance magnitude is 204.4 ± 68.1 kΩ at 1 kHz. The feasibility of the MEA with convex microstructures was confirmed by identifying the oscillation in the beta frequency band (13–30 Hz) in the electrocorticography signal of a rat olfactory bulb during respiration. These results suggest that the MEA with convex microstructures is promising for applying to various neural recording and stimulation studies.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Mandible: A Case of Spontaneous Acceleration of the Growth
Authors: Choudhry Mansoor , Danial Muhammad , Bolduc James , Rizvi Syed A. A. , Rabionet Pedro , Westine John
Published: September 2019

A 78 year old Caucasian woman, was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of a mass to the anterior surface of the left mandibular angle and left submandibular area present for the past year with rapid acceleration of growth over three weeks prior to admission. An incisional biopsy was performed and initial diagnosis of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (small cell carcinoma) was made. Dermatological evaluation revealed lesion was suspicious for Merkel cell carcinoma and the pathology specimen was re-analyzed and differential diagnoses was made for Merkel cell carcinoma. Patient was educated and discharged to a nursing home with plan for irradiation, chemotherapy, and outpatient follow up. This case study serves to raise awareness of a rare condition and describe how Merkel cell carcinoma may be mistaken for similarly presenting neuroendocrine tumors.