bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Vegetable Fermentation Facility Hosts Distinct Microbiomes Reflecting the Production Environment
Authors: Einson Jonah E. , Rani Asha , You Xiaomeng , Rodriguez Allison A. , Randell Clifton L. , Barnaba Tammy , Mammel Mark K. , Kotewicz Michael L. , Elkins Christopher A. , Sela David A.
Published: September 2018

Fermented vegetables play a major role in global food systems and are widely consumed by various global cultures. In this study, we investigated an industrial facility that produces spontaneous fermented sauerkraut without the aid of starter cultures. This provides a unique system to explore and track the origins of an “in-house” microbiome in an industrial environment. Raw vegetables and the surfaces on which they are handled were identified as the likely source of bacterial communities rather than human contamination. As fermented vegetables increase in popularity on a global scale, understanding their production environment may help maintain quality and safety goals.
NLO critical exponents of O(N) λ ϕ4 scalar field theories in curved spacetime
Authors: Costa H. A. S. , Carvalho P. R. S.
Published: September 2018

In this paper, we investigate analytically the conformal symmetry influence on the next-to-leading order radiative quantum corrections to critical exponents for massless O([Formula: see text]) [Formula: see text] scalar field theories in curved spacetime. We renormalize the theory by applying the Bogoliubov–Parasyuk–Hepp–Zimmermann (BPHZ) method. We find that the critical exponents are the same as that of flat spacetime, at least at the loop order considered. We argue that this result agrees perfectly with the universality hypothesis.
Use of Analyst-Generated Stakeholder Preference Profiles in Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis — Experiences from an Urban Planning Case
Authors: Marttunen Mika , Mustajoki Jyri
Published: September 2018

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a generic term for approaches supporting the systematic evaluation of alternatives in problems involving multiple criteria and stakeholders. One of the most challenging tasks is to gather preference information from stakeholders in a way that both reflects their true opinions and meets the theoretical requirements of the applied MCDA approach. Various techniques have been used in practice, including interviews and decision conferences. In this paper, we present a new cost-efficient approach in which an analyst generates weight profiles for various stakeholder groups. That is, instead of personally asking specific trade-off questions from the stakeholders, weight profiles are developed on the basis of more general preference information collected from the stakeholders. The potential advantages of this approach are: (i) the collection of the preferences using surveys is less laborious than personal interviews or decision conferences and (ii) the risk of cognitive biases in the weight elicitation can be reduced, because the most challenging task of MCDA — assigning weights to the criteria — is left to the analyst, who should be aware of typical biases and how to avoid them. We developed and tested the approach in a contested public decision-making situation related to the development of a new residential area. We utilised the data gathered from the participants of the workshops (21) as well as the data from a web survey including 177 responds via a randomly sampled closed survey, in addition to 484 responds via an open survey. Four preference profiles each having specific weight distributions to criteria were developed, using a multi-stage procedure. Four development alternatives were compared as based on the developed preference profiles. We were able to realise the MCDA process within a very tight time schedule, create plausible preference profiles and summarise each alternative’s pros and cons from different perspectives. However, we also identified several issues which have to be paid more attention in future cases or require further research.
A Hybrid Grey Wolf Optimization for Job Shop Scheduling Problem
Authors: Jiang Tianhua
Published: September 2018

This paper aims to develop a hybrid grey wolf optimization algorithm (HGWO) for solving the job shop scheduling problem (JSP) with the objective of minimizing the makespan. Firstly, to make the GWO suitable for the discrete nature of JSP, an encoding mechanism is proposed to implement the continuous encoding of the discrete scheduling problem, and a ranked-order value (ROV) rule is used to conduct the conversion between individual position and operation permutation. Secondly, a heuristic algorithm and the random rule are combined to implement the population initialization in order to ensure the quality and diversity of initial solutions. Thirdly, a variable neighborhood search algorithm is embedded to improve the local search ability of our algorithm. In addition, to further improve the solution quality, genetic operators (crossover and mutation) are introduced to balance the exploitation and exploration ability. Finally, experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm based on 23 benchmark instances.
Planetary Dependence of Melanoma
Authors: Zioutas Konstantin , Valachovic Edward
Published: September 2018

We present signature for planetary correlations following an analysis of monthly melanoma rates in USA for the period 1973–2011. Apart from seasonal observations, to the best of our knowledge, a planetary relationship in medicine is observed for the first time. The statistical significance is well above 5[Formula: see text], while various crosschecks make systematics highly improbable as the cause. The observed planetary dependence in physics was suggestive for this investigation, which extends the otherwise unexpected planetary connection. Thus, streaming invisible matter from the dark sector, whose flux can be occasionally enhanced towards the Earth via planetary gravitational focusing, and, even much stronger by the Sun, it may be the explanation for 1–10% of melanoma diagnoses. The derived shortest melanoma periodicity of about 87.5 days points in its own right at a short latency period of about few months. Contrariwise, the present findings strengthen the previous physics claim of streams of invisible matter.
Ideal flow of Markov Chain
Authors: Teknomo Kardi
Published: September 2018

Ideal flow network is a strongly connected network with flow, where the flows are in steady state and conserved. The matrix of ideal flow is premagic, where vector, the sum of rows, is equal to the transposed vector containing the sum of columns. The premagic property guarantees the flow conservation in all nodes. The scaling factor as the sum of node probabilities of all nodes is equal to the total flow of an ideal flow network. The same scaling factor can also be applied to create the identical ideal flow network, which has from the same transition probability matrix. Perturbation analysis of the elements of the stationary node probability vector shows an insight that the limiting distribution or the stationary distribution is also the flow-equilibrium distribution. The process is reversible that the Markov probability matrix can be obtained from the invariant state distribution through linear algebra of ideal flow matrix. Finally, we show that recursive transformation [Formula: see text] to represent [Formula: see text]-vertices path-tracing also preserved the properties of ideal flow, which is irreducible and premagic.
Comparing organic-hosted and intergranular pore networks: topography and topology in grains, gaps and bubbles
Authors: Andrew Matthew
Published: September 2018

The relationship between pore structures was examined using a combination of normalized topographical and topological measurements in two qualitatively different pore systems: organic-hosted porosity, common in unconventional shale reservoirs; and intergranular porosity, common in conventional siliciclastic reservoirs. The organic-hosted pore network was found to be less well connected than the intergranular pore network, with volume-weighted coordination numbers of 1.16 and 8.14 for organic-hosted and intergranular pore systems, respectively. This disparity in coordination number was explained by differences in the pore shapes that are caused by variations in the geological processes associated with the generation of the pore network. Measurements of pore shape showed that the pores in the organic-hosted network were both significantly more spherical and had a more positive curvature distribution than the pores present within the intergranular network. The impact of such changes in pore shape on pore-network connectivity was examined by creating a suite of synthetic pore geometries using both erosion/dilation of the existing network and image-guided object-based methods. Coordination number, Euler characteristic and aggregate porosity analyses performed on these synthetic networks showed that organic-type pore networks become connected at much higher aggregate porosities (35–50%) than intergranular-type pore networks (5–10%).
Existence and Nonexistence of Positive Solutions for Mixed Fractional Boundary Value Problem with Parameter and p-Laplacian Operator
Authors: Wang Ying
Published: September 2018

This paper mainly studies a class of mixed fractional boundary value problem with parameter and p-Laplacian operator. Based on the Guo-Krasnosel’skii fixed point theorem, results on the existence and nonexistence of positive solutions for the fractional boundary value problem are established. An example is then presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the results.
Numerical Ranges of Normal Weighted Composition Operators on the Fock Space of CN
Authors: Lang Lili , Zhao Liankuo
Published: September 2018

Numerical ranges of normal weighted composition operators on the Fock space of CN are completely characterized. The main result shows that numerical ranges of such operators are closely related to their composition symbols.
DINOSARC: Color Features Based on Selective Aggregation of Chromatic Image Components for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy
Authors: Vasilakakis Michael D. , Iakovidis Dimitris K. , Spyrou Evaggelos , Koulaouzidis Anastasios
Published: September 2018

Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (WCE) is a noninvasive diagnostic technique enabling the inspection of the whole gastrointestinal (GI) tract by capturing and wirelessly transmitting thousands of color images. Proprietary software “stitches” the images into videos for examination by accredited readers. However, the videos produced are of large length and consequently the reading task becomes harder and more prone to human errors. Automating the WCE reading process could contribute in both the reduction of the examination time and the improvement of its diagnostic accuracy. In this paper, we present a novel feature extraction methodology for automated WCE image analysis. It aims at discriminating various kinds of abnormalities from the normal contents of WCE images, in a machine learning-based classification framework. The extraction of the proposed features involves an unsupervised color-based saliency detection scheme which, unlike current approaches, combines both point and region-level saliency information and the estimation of local and global image color descriptors. The salient point detection process involves estimation of DIstaNces On Selective Aggregation of chRomatic image Components (DINOSARC). The descriptors are extracted from superpixels by coevaluating both point and region-level information. The main conclusions of the experiments performed on a publicly available dataset of WCE images are (a) the proposed salient point detection scheme results in significantly less and more relevant salient points; (b) the proposed descriptors are more discriminative than relevant state-of-the-art descriptors, promising a wider adoption of the proposed approach for computer-aided diagnosis in WCE.
Anomaly Detection in Moving Crowds through Spatiotemporal Autoencoding and Additional Attention
Authors: Yang Biao , Cao Jinmeng , Ni Rongrong , Zou Ling
Published: September 2018

We propose an anomaly detection approach by learning a generative model using deep neural network. A weighted convolutional autoencoder- (AE-) long short-term memory (LSTM) network is proposed to reconstruct raw data and perform anomaly detection based on reconstruction errors to resolve the existing challenges of anomaly detection in complicated definitions and background influence. Convolutional AEs and LSTMs are used to encode spatial and temporal variations of input frames, respectively. A weighted Euclidean loss is proposed to enable the network to concentrate on moving foregrounds, thus restraining background influence. Moving foregrounds are segmented from the input frames using robust principal component analysis decomposition. Comparisons with state-of-the-art approaches indicate the superiority of our approach in anomaly detection. Generalization of anomaly detection is improved by enforcing the network to focus on moving foregrounds.
Fuzi and Banxia Combination, Eighteen Antagonisms in Chinese Medicine, Aggravates Adriamycin‐Induced Cardiomyopathy Associated with PKA/β2AR‐Gs Signaling
Authors: Sun Fengjiao , Huang Yingying , Li Lili , Yang Chao , Zhuang Pengwei , Zhang Yanjun
Published: September 2018

Aconite Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) and Pinelliae Rhizoma (Banxia) are a combination often used to treat cardiovascular diseases in ancient and modern clinical practice. However, eighteen antagonisms based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory often abided against such combination therapy. Therefore, exploring whether coadministration of the two herbs can be used in adriamycin‐ (ADR‐) induced cardiomyopathy and clarifying the potential mechanism could help to guide its clinical application. Echocardiography experiments revealed that either Fuzi, Banxia, or their combination had effect on ADR‐induced heart dysfunction, while high dose Fuzi exerted positive inotropic effect associated with restored PKA levels. Moreover, low dose Fuzi significantly reduced QT/QTc prolongation, inhibited cardiac apoptosis, and upregulated protein expression of PKA. However, combination of Fuzi and Banxia greatly aggravated QT/QTc prolongation and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in ADR rats compared with each drug alone, which was accompanied by a marked decrease in PKA, pSer346 levels. Similarly, Banxia alone treatment promoted cardiac apoptosis and downregulated protein levels of PKA and pSer346. Additionally, high dose Fuzi treatment also produced proapoptotic effect. Taken together, our study has provided the first direct evidence that combination of Fuzi, a positive inotropic agent, with Banxia promoted cardiac apoptosis in an ADR induced rat model of cardiomyopathy, which may be associated with suppression of PKA/β2AR‐Gs signaling. This study also provides scientific language for better understanding of the risks and limitations of combination of Fuzi and Banxia in clinical applications.
A Bioinspired Gait Transition Model for a Hexapod Robot
Authors: Chang Qing , Mei Fanghua
Published: September 2018

Inspired by the analysis of the ant locomotion observed by the high-speed camera, an ant-like gait transition model for the hexapod robot is proposed in this paper. The model which consists of the central neural system (CNS), neural network (NN), and central pattern generators (CPGs) can produce the rhythmic signals for different gaits and can realize the transition of these gait automatically and smoothly according to the change of terrain. The proposed model suggests the neural mechanisms of the ant gait transition and can improve the environmental adaptability of the hexapod robot. The numerical simulation and corresponding physical experiment are implemented in this paper to verify the proposed method.
Synthesis and Characterization of trans-Dichlorotetrakis(imidazole)cobalt(III) Chloride: A New Cobalt(III) Coordination Complex with Potential Prodrug Properties
Authors: Hart Kaila F. , Joe Natalie S. , Miller Rebecca M. , Nash Hannah P. , Blake David J. , Morris Aimee M.
Published: September 2018

Numerous therapies for the treatment of cancer have been explored with increasing evidence that the use of metal-containing compounds could prove advantageous as anticancer therapeutics. Previous works on Ru(III) complexes suggest that structurally similar Co(III) complexes may provide good alternative, low-cost, effective prodrugs. Herein, a new complex, trans-[Co(imidazole)4Cl2]Cl (2), has been synthesized in high yields utilizing ligand exchange under refluxing conditions. The structure of 2 has been characterized by elemental analysis, 1H and 13C·NMR, ESI-MS, CV, and UV-Vis. The ability of 2 to become reduced in the presence of ascorbic acid was probed demonstrating the likely reduction of the Co(III) metal center to Co(II). In addition, preliminary cell line testing on 2 shows a lack of cytotoxicity.
R‐Limonene Enhances Differentiation and 2‐Deoxy‐D‐Glucose Uptake in 3T3‐L1 Preadipocytes by Activating the Akt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Soundharrajan Ilavenil , Kim Da Hye , Srisesharam Srigopalram , Kuppusamy Palaniselvem , Choi Ki Choon
Published: September 2018

Adipocyte is an important place for lipid storage. Defects in lipid storage in adipocytes can lead to lipodystrophy and lipid accumulation in muscle, liver, and other organs. It is the condition of mixed dyslipidemia which may favor the development of insulin resistance via lipotoxic mechanisms. Our objective of the study was to investigate the potential role of R‐limonene (LM) on differentiation, lipid storage, and 2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (2DG) uptake in 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes. Genes and proteins associated with differentiation, lipid accumulation, 2DG uptake and its signaling pathways in the adipocytes were analyzed using qPCR and western blot methods. LM treatment increased differentiation, lipid accumulation, and the expression of adipogenic and lipogenic markers such as C/EBP‐α, C/EBP‐β, PPARγ, SREBP‐1, RXR, FAS, and adiponectin. However, the LM concentration at 10μM decreased (p < 0.05) adipogenesis and lipogenesis via regulating key transcriptional factors. LM treatment increased activation of Akt by increasing its phosphorylation, but p44/42 activation was not altered. MK‐2206, an Akt specific inhibitor, reduced the activation of Akt phosphorylation whereas LM treatment aborted the MK‐2206 mediated inhibition of Akt activation. LM enhanced glucose uptake in differentiated adipocytes. Overall data suggested that LM treatment favored lipid storage and glucose uptake in adipocytes via activation of key transcriptional factors through activation of Akt phosphorylation in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes.
Influence of Light Exposure during Cold Storage of Minimally Processed Vegetables (Valerianasp.)
Authors: Zappia Angela , De Bruno Alessandra , Torino Rosita , Piscopo Amalia , Poiana Marco
Published: September 2018

Minimally processed vegetables are sensitive to leaves discoloration and quality deterioration, and these negative aspects can affect their shelf life. During the manufacturing processing,Valerianaleaves were submitted to different dipping acid solutions and then were stored at cold temperature in dark and in light to study the influence of the light exposure on their quality in terms of total free acidity, dry matter percentage, colour, water activity, total bacterial count, antioxidant components, and total antioxidant activity. The results suggest that dark storage is recommended for a better physicochemical quality ofValerianaleaves. In particular, light influenced significantly the browning index and hue angle with a significance level ofp<0.01andp<0.05, respectively, whereas both exposure conditions affected total bacterial count and pH (p<0.01). Dipping treatments had an effect on pH,aw, and total bacterial count, while the storage time influenced with highly significant differences the most of the studied parameters, except for the antioxidant compounds.
Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva: The Largest Series from a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Meelapkij Panida , Suprasert Prapaporn , Baisai Orthai
Published: September 2018

Objective. To evaluate the outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) of the vulva treated at our tertiary care center. Methods. The medical records of SCCA patients treated between January 2006 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Results. One hundred forty-five patients met the criteria with the median age of 57 years old, and 58.6% had an underlying disease. The distribution of stages was as follows: IA 6.2%, IB 21.4%, II 26.2%, IIIA 14.5%, IIIB 6.2%, IIIC 9.7%, IVA 9.0%, and IVB 6.9%. One hundred and nine patients underwent surgical intervention and radical local excision with bilateral groin node dissection as the most frequent procedure. Approximately half of the patients received combined treatment with surgery followed by radiation with or without chemotherapy. Recurrence developed in 127 patients after the median follow-up time of one year with the common sites in the groin and vulva region. However, no significant difference in survival occurred in patients with and without groin node recurrence (15 vs. 28 months, P=0.109). The five-year overall survival was 50.8%. Conclusions. The survival of patients with SCCA vulvar cancer was modest. The common failure sites were groin and vulva regions with unfavorable outcomes.
Comparison of Preoperative Assessment of Patient’s Metabolic Equivalents (METs) Estimated from History versus Measured by Exercise Cardiac Stress Testing
Authors: Weinstein Adam S. , Sigurdsson Martin I. , Bader Angela M.
Published: September 2018

Background. Preoperative anesthetic evaluations of patients before surgery traditionally involves assessment of a patient’s functional capacity to estimate perioperative risk of cardiovascular complications and need for further workup. This is typically done by inquiring about the patient’s physical activity, with the goal of providing an estimate of the metabolic equivalents (METs) that the patient can perform without signs of myocardial ischemia or cardiac failure. We sought to compare estimates of patients’ METs between preoperative assessment by medical history with quantified assessment of METs via the exercise cardiac stress test. Methods. A single-center retrospective chart review from 12/1/2005 to 5/31/2015 was performed on 492 patients who had preoperative evaluations with a cardiac stress test ordered by a perioperative anesthesiologist. Of those, a total of 170 charts were identified as having a preoperative evaluation note and an exercise cardiac stress test. The METs of the patient estimated by history and the METs quantified by the exercise cardiac stress test were compared using a Bland–Altman plot and Cohen’s kappa. Results. Exercise cardiac stress test quantified METs were on average 3.3 METS higher than the METs estimated by the preoperative evaluation history. Only 9% of patients had lower METs quantified by the cardiac stress test than by history. Conclusions. The METs of a patient estimated by preoperative history often underestimates the METs measured by exercise stress testing. This demonstrates that the preoperative assessments of patients’ METs are often conservative which errs on the side of patient safety as it lowers the threshold for deciding to order further cardiac stress testing for screening for ischemia or cardiac failure.
A Novel Combination Co-Kriging Model Based on Gaussian Random Process
Authors: Xie Huan , Zeng Wei , Song Hong , Sun Wen , Ren Tao
Published: September 2018

Co-Kriging (CK) modeling provides an efficient way to predict responses of complicated engineering problems based on a set of sample data obtained by methods with varying degree of accuracy and computation cost. In this work, the Gaussian random process (GRP) is introduced to construct a novel combination CK model (CK-GRP) to improve the prediction accuracy of the conventional CK model, in which all the sample information provided by different correlation models is well utilized. The features of the new model are demonstrated and evaluated for a numerical case and an engineering application. It is shown that the CK-GRP model proposed in this work is effective and can be used to improve the prediction accuracy and robustness of the CK model.
Nano-TiO2 Doped Chitosan Scaffold for the Bone Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Kumar Pawan
Published: September 2018

The present focus is on the synthesis of highly effective, porous, biocompatible, and inert scaffold by using ceramic nanoparticles and natural polymer for the application in tissue engineering. Freeze-drying method was used to fabricate nano-TiO2 doped chitosan sample scaffold. Nano-TiO2/chitosan scaffold can considered as an effective solution for damaged tissue regeneration. The interaction between chitosan (polysaccharide) and nano-TiO2 makes it highly porous and brittle that could be an effective substitute for bone tissue engineering. The TiO2 nanoparticles have a great surface area and inert properties while chitosan is highly biocompatible and antibacterial. The physiochemical properties of TiO2 nanoparticles and scaffold are evaluated by XRD and FTIR. The nanoparticles doped scaffold has given improved density (1.2870g/cm3) that is comparatively relevant to the dry bone (0.8 - 1.2 gm/cm3). The open and closed porosity of sample scaffold were measured by using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analyzer (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical properties are examined by stable microsystem (Texture Analyzer). The in vitro degradation of scaffold is calculated in PBS containing lysozyme at pH 7.4. Electron and fluorescence microscopy are used to study morphological characteristics of the scaffolds and TiO2 nanoparticles. The growth factor and drug-loaded composites can improve osteogenesis and vascularization.
Thyroid Function in Korean Adolescents with Obesity: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015)
Authors: Cho Won Kyoung , Nam Hyo-Kyoung , Kim Jae Hyun , Rhie Young-Jun , Chung Sochung , Lee Kee-Hyoung , Suh Byung-Kyu
Published: September 2018

Purpose. In this study, we investigated the status of thyroid function and its association with metabolic risk factors in Korean adolescents. Methods. Among 2679 subjects aged 10–19 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013–2015), 1067 adolescents (M=559, F=508) with available data on free T4 (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were included. Study participants were classified into normal weight [body mass index (BMI) below 85th percentile, 80.7%], overweight (85th ≤ BMI< 95th percentile, 8.7%), and obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile, 10.6%). Results. With increasing levels of BMI category, the means of TSH increased (2.73 ± 0.06, 2.77 ± 0.02, and 3.24 ± 0.22 mIU/L, P=0.031) and FT4 decreased (1.30 ± 0.01, 1.26 ± 0.02, and 1.25 ± 0.02 ng/mL, P=0.001). Positive linear associations were observed between TSH and BMI z-score (P=0.031), waist circumference (P=0.013), waist-height ratio (P=0.002), systolic blood pressure (P=0.001), total cholesterol (P=0.008), and triglyceride (P=0.002) after adjusting for age and sex. With per-unit increase in TSH, the odds ratios of having abdominal obesity (OR = 1.18, 95% CI, 1.01–1.38) and triglyceride ≥ 150 mg/dL (OR = 1.18, 95% CI, 1.04–1.34) were significantly increased after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI. Conclusions. In adolescents with obesity, TSH was higher and FT4 was lower than in adolescents with normal weight. Hyperthyrotropinemia was associated with abnormal metabolic risk factors including abdominal obesity and elevated triglyceride.
Bacterial Exopolysaccharides as Reducing and/or Stabilizing Agents during Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles with Biomedical Applications
Authors: Escárcega-González Carlos Enrique , Garza-Cervantes Javier A. , Vázquez-Rodríguez Augusto , Morones-Ramírez José Rubén
Published: September 2018

Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are biomolecules secreted in the extracellular space and have diverse biological functionalities, such as environmental protection, surface adherence, and cellular interactions. EPSs have been found to be biocompatible and eco-friendly, therefore making them suitable for applications in many areas of study and various industrial products. Recently, synthesis and stabilization of metal nanoparticles have been of interest because their usefulness for many biomedical applications, such as antimicrobials, anticancer drugs, antioxidants, drug delivery systems, chemical sensors, contrast agents, and as catalysts. In this context, bacterial EPSs have been explored as agents to aid in a greener production of a myriad of metal nanoparticles, since they have the ability to reduce metal ions to form nanoparticles and stabilize them acting as capping agents. In addition, by incorporating EPS to the metal nanoparticles, the EPS confers them biocompatibility. Thus, the present review describes the main bacterial EPS utilized in the synthesis and stabilization of metal nanoparticles, the mechanisms involved in this process, and the different applications of these nanoparticles, emphasizing in their biomedical applications.
Skeletal Status, Body Composition, and Glycaemic Control in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Wierzbicka Elzbieta , Swiercz Anna , Pludowski Pawel , Jaworski Maciej , Szalecki Mieczyslaw
Published: September 2018

Background. Disturbed bone turnover, osteoporosis, and increased fracture risk are late complications of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Little is known about how far and to what extent can glycaemic control of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) prevent disturbances of bone health and body composition during the growth and maturation period. Objective. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the skeletal status outcomes and body composition between patients stratified by glycaemic control (1-year HbA1c levels) into well- and poorly-controlled subgroups in a population of T1DM adolescents, that is, <8% and ≥8%, respectively. Subjects and Methods. Skeletal status and body composition were evaluated in 60 adolescents with T1DM (53.3% female; mean aged: 15.1 ± 1.9 years; disease duration: 5.1 ± 3.9 years) using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (GE Prodigy). The results were compared to age- and sex-adjusted reference values for healthy controls. The calculated Z-scores of different metabolic control subgroups were compared. Clinical data was also assessed. Results. As evidenced by Z-scores, patients with T1DM revealed a significantly lower TBBMD (total body bone mineral density), TBBMC (total body bone mineral content), S24BMD (bone mineral density of lumbar spine L2–L4), and TBBMC/LBM ratio (total body bone mineral content/lean body mass), but higher FM (fat mass) and FM/LBM ratio (fat mass/lean body mass) values compared to an age- and sex-adjusted general population. The subset (43.3% patients) with poor metabolic control (HbA1c ≥ 8%) had lower TBBMD, TBBMC, and LBM compared to respective values noted in the HbA1c < 8% group, after adjusting for confounders (mean Z-scores: −0.74 vs. −0.10, p=0.037; −0.67 vs. +0.01, p=0.026; and −0.45 vs. +0.20, p=0.043, respectively). Additionally, we found a significant difference in the TBBMC/LBM ratio (relative bone strength index) between the metabolic groups (−0.58 vs. −0.07; p=0.021). A statistically significant negative correlation between 1-year HbA1c levels and Z-scores of TBBMD, TBBMC, and LBM was also observed. In patients with longer disease duration, a significant negative correlation was established only for TBBMD, after adjusting for confounders. The relationships between densitometric values and age at onset of T1DM and sex were not significant and showed no relation to any of the analysed parameters of the disease course. Conclusion. Findings from this study of adolescents with T1DM indicate that the lower Z-scores of TBBMD, TBBMC, and LBM as well as the TBBMC/LBM ratio are associated with increased HbA1c levels. Their recognition can be crucial in directing strategies to optimise metabolic control and improve diabetes management for bone development and maintenance in adolescents with T1DM.
Template‐Free Synthesis of Star‐Like ZrO2 Nanostructures and Their Application in Photocatalysis
Authors: Tao Xue-Yu , Ma Jie , Hou Rui-Lin , Song Xiang-Zhu , Guo Lin , Zhou Shi-Xiang , Guo Li-Tong , Liu Zhang-Sheng , Fan He-Liang , Zhu Ya-Bo
Published: September 2018

Star‐like nano‐ZrO2 has been synthesized using Zr(NO3)4·5H2O as zirconium source by a hydrothermal process without any template and surfactant. The structure of the as‐prepared ZrO2 powder was investigated by multiple advanced analytical methods. The results showed that CH3COO− and NO3− had great effects on the formation of star‐like ZrO2 nanostructures. The as‐prepared ZrO2 had a superior catalytic activity, and the reason for it was analyzed by UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The effect of raw material ratios on the photocatalytic property of ZrO2 was studied. The synthesized ZrO2 showed a narrow bandgap (3.50–3.85 eV) and an excellent photocatalytic activity, and the degradation of RhB was up to nearly 100% in 30 min with this photocatalyst.
Assessment of Charged AuNPs: From Synthesis to Innate Immune Recognition
Authors: Rahme K. , Minassian G. , Sarkis M. , Nakhl M. , El Hage R. , Souaid E. , Holmes J. D. , Ghanem E.
Published: September 2018

Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) physicochemical characteristics, mainly size and charge, modulate their biodistribution, cytotoxicity, and immunorecognition as reported fromin vitroandin vivostudies. While data fromin vitrostudies could be biased by several factors including activation of cells upon isolation and lack of sera proteins in the microenvironment of primary generated cell lines,in vivostudies are costly and time-consuming and require ethics consideration. In this study, we developed a simple and novelin vivo-like method to test for NP immunorecognition from freshly withdrawn human blood samples. AuNPs with a size range of 30 ± 5 nm coated with cationic poly(L-lysine) (PLL) dendrigraft and slightly negative poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were synthesized in water. PLL-capped AuNPs were further coated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to obtain nearly neutrally charged PEG-AuNPs. Physicochemical properties were determined using zeta potential measurements, UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Gel electrophoretic separation, zeta potential, and DLS were also used to characterize our NPs after human blood plasma treatment. PLL-AuNPs showed similar variation in charge and binding affinity to plasma proteins in comparison with PVA-AuNPs. However, PLL-AuNPs.protein complexes revealed a drastic change in size compared to the other tested particles. Results obtained from the neutrophil function test and pyridine formazan extraction revealed the highest activation level of neutrophils (~70%) by 50 μg/mL of PLL-AuNPs compared to a null induction by PEG- and PVA-AuNPs. This observation was further verified by flow cytometry analysis of polymorphonuclear cell size variation in the presence of coated AuNPs. Overall, ourin vivo-like method, to test for NP immunorecognition, proved to be reliable and effective. Finally, our data supports the use of PEG-AuNPs as promising vehicles for drug delivery, as they exhibit minimal protein adsorption affinity and insignificant charge and size variation once introduced in whole blood.
Structural, Optical, and Photocatalytic Activities of Ag-Doped and Mn-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles
Authors: Ashebir Mengstu Etay , Tesfamariam Gebrekidan Mebrahtu , Nigussie Gebretinsae Yeabyo , Gebreab Tesfakiros Woldu
Published: September 2018

We report the photocatalytic activities of ZnO, Ag-doped ZnO, and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs). Ag-doped and Mn-doped ZnO samples were synthesized using a coprecipitation method and calcined at 600°C. XRD, SEM, EDX, and UV-vis spectroscopy techniques were employed for characterization of the synthesized samples. The photocatalytic activities of the samples were evaluated by measuring the photocatalytic decolorization of methyl violet with sunlight being the source of energy. XRD patterns of the samples confirmed the wurtzite structure without change which was indicative of the absence of Mn- and Ag-related secondary phases for the doped ZnO. The UV-vis spectra indicated the band gap energy of ZnO, Ag-doped ZnO, and Mn-doped ZnO to be 2.98, 2.80, and 2.64 eV, respectively. Photocatalytic decolorization of methyl violet for the synthesized samples was found to be favorable at a pH of 9.0, catalyst dose of 1 g/L, and initial dye concentration of 4.5 × 10−4 g/L. Mn-doped ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO photocatalytic decolorization efficiency was significantly higher than undoped ZnO. Incorporation of Mn and Ag enhanced the visible-light photocatalytic activity of ZnO; this could be due to the ability of these metals to increase the surface defects of ZnO which in turn shift their optical absorption towards the visible region.
Identification of an Autosomal Dominant Mutation in the COL2A1 Gene Leading to Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita in a Greek Family
Authors: Dikaiakou Eirini , Vlachopapadopoulou Elpis A. , Manolakos Emanouil , Samelis Panagiotis , Margariti Rodanthi , Zampakides Christos , Michalacos Stefanos
Published: September 2018

A boy and his father with severe short stature, progressively evolving body asymmetry, and skeletal abnormalities are presented. A next-generation sequencing exome study was performed, and the patient was found heterozygous for the c.1609G>A (p.Gly537Ser) mutation in the COL2A1 gene. This mutation is considered a pathogenic variant and has been previously registered in the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) in association with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (accession: CM052184). It has been described in a patient as a sporadic case and resulted in a severe phenotype. Segregation studies, in order to determine the inheritance pattern, identified the same mutation in our patient's father. The variant was transmitted in an autosomal dominant pattern. In conclusion, we describe a patient with hereditary spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, caused by a c.1609G_A (p.Gly537Ser) mutation in the COL2A1 gene, which resulted in a milder phenotype.
Risk Factors for Post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis in the Indomethacin Era – A Prospective Study
Authors: Perdigoto David N. , Gomes Dário , Almeida Nuno , Mendes Sofia , Alves Ana Rita , Camacho Ernestina , Tomé Luís
Published: September 2018

Background and Aims: Although endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an essential procedure used to treat conditions affecting the biliopancreatic system, it can lead to several complications. Post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) is the most frequent one, with an incidence ranging from 3 to 14%. Our aim was to assess the potential risk factors associated with PEP occurrence in patients undergoing ERCP with indomethacin prophylaxis. Methods: Prospective, single-center, real-world observational study (January to December 2015) with inclusion of patients submitted to ERCP, where relevant patient-related and procedure-related data had been collected. Patients had to have been admitted for a minimum of 24 h in order to establish the presence of early complications. All patients were submitted to PEP prophylaxis with 1 or 2 methods: rectal indomethacin and pancreatic duct (PD) stenting. Results: A total of 188 patients who had undergone ERCP were included (52.7% women; mean age 69.2 ± 16.0 years) and PEP was diagnosed in 13 (6.9%). PEP prophylaxis consisted of indomethacin in all cases (100%) and PD stenting in 7.4%. The pancreatitis was mild in 11 patients (84.6%) and severe in the other 2. One of them died (0.5%). None of the patient-related risk factors were associated with changes in PEP probability. Of all patients, 33.0% had 2 or more procedure-related risk factors. A higher number of synchronous procedure-related risk factors showed a statistically significant correlation with PEP occurrence, p = 0.040. Conclusions: The 6.9% PEP rate is considered acceptable since 33.0% patients had a medium-high risk for PEP due to challenging biliary cannulation. The total number of procedure-related risk factors seems to play a critical role in the development of PEP despite indomethacin prophylaxis.
Intradialytic Activities and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Warsame Fatima , Ying Hao , Haugen Christine E. , Thomas Alvin G. , Crews Deidra C. , Shafi Tariq , Jaar Bernard , Chu Nadia M. , Segev Dorry L. , McAdams-DeMarco Mara A.
Published: September 2018

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reflects a patient’s perceived disease burden, treatment effectiveness, and health status. Given the time burden and physiologic effects of hemodialysis, patients who spend dialysis time (9–15 h/week) physically or intellectually engaged may have better HRQOL. We characterized the intradialytic activities and explored their association with HRQOL. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 431 hemodialysis patients, we ascertained kidney-disease-specific quality of life, measured frailty, and surveyed participants about their usual active intradialytic activities (reading, playing games, doing puzzles, chatting, or other) and passive intradialytic activities (watching TV or sleeping). We used adjusted ordered logistic regression to identify correlates of the activity index (the sum of active intradialytic activities) and adjusted linear regression to quantify the association between the activity index and physical-, mental-, and kidney-disease-specific HRQOL. Results: The 2 most common intradialytic activities were passive activities (watching TV = 87.9%; sleeping = 72.4%). Participants who were female (aOR 1.85, 95% CI 1.28–2.66; p = 0.001), nonfrail (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.06–2.70; p = 0.03), and nonsmokers (aOR 2.61, 95% CI 1.39–4.90; p = 0.003) had a higher intradialytic activity index after adjustment. Higher intradialytic activity index was associated with better mental- (0.83 points, 95% CI 0.04–1.62; p = 0.04) and kidney-disease-specific HRQOL (1.70 points, 95% CI 0.47–2.93; p = 0.007), but not physical HRQOL. Conclusions: Hemodialysis patients with more active intradialytic activities report better mental and kidney-disease-specific HRQOL. These results should be confirmed in a prospective study with a broader cohort of hemodialysis patients. Dialysis providers may consider offering patients with low levels of activity additional support and opportunities to engage in beneficial intradialytic activities.
Development of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy following Chalazion Removal with Intralesional Triamcinolone Injection: A Case Report
Authors: Rosignoli Luca , Potter Stephen Myles , Gonzalez Andres , Amin Sarina , Khurshid Syed G.
Published: September 2018

We report a case of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) that developed 1 month after an intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide that was administered during removal of a chalazion. The subretinal fluid and ipsilateral visual acuity (VA) worsened with initial observation. The edema resolved with verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) 1 month after diagnosis, but VA did not improve during short-term follow-up. We conclude that CSC can occur as a complication of low-dose intrapalpebral corticosteroid administration and provide another example of the therapeutic role of PDT in the management of this disease.
Impact of Brief Exposure to Drugs with Antifungal Properties on the Susceptibility of Oral Candida dubliniensis Isolates to Lysozyme and Lactoferrin
Authors: Ellepola Arjuna Nishantha B. , Dassanayake Ranil Samantha , Khan Ziauddin
Published: September 2018

Objective: Lysozyme and lactoferrin have anti-candidal activity. Candida dubliniensis is associated with oral candidiasis. Candida infections are managed with nystatin, amphotericin B, caspofungin, ketoconazole, fluconazole, and chlorhexidine. Candida species undergo a brief exposure to therapeutic agents in the mouth. There is no data on the influence of limited exposure to antimycotics on the sensitivity of C. dubliniensis to lactoferrin and lysozyme. Hence, this study observed the changes in the sensitivity of C. dubliniensis to anti-candidal action of lactoferrin and lysozyme after transitory exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of antifungals. Materials and Methods: After determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), 20 C. dubliniensis isolates were exposed to twice the concentration of MIC of nystatin, amphotericin B, caspofungin, ketoconazole, fluconazole, and chlorhexidine for 1 h. Drugs were removed by dilution and thereafter the susceptibility of these isolates to lysozyme and lactoferrin was determined by colony-forming unit quantification assay. Results: Exposure of C. dubliniensis to nystatin, amphotericin B, caspofungin, ketoconazole, fluconazole, and chlorhexidine resulted in an increase in susceptibility to lysozyme by 9.45, 30.82, 30.04, 50.64, 55.60, and 50.18%, respectively (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Exposure of C. dubliniensis to nystatin, amphotericin B, caspofungin, ketoconazole, fluconazole, and chlorhexidine resulted in an increase in susceptibility to lactoferrin by 13.54, 16.43, 17.58, 19.60, 21.32, and 18.73, respectively (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Conclusion: Brief exposure to nystatin, amphotericin B, caspofungin, ketoconazole, fluconazole, and chlorhexidine enhances the antifungal effect of lysozyme and lactoferrin on C. dubliniensis isolates in vitro.
Rapid and Accurate Identification of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis by Real-Time PCR and Melting Curve Analysis
Authors: Asadzadeh Mohammad , Ahmad Suhail , Al-Sweih Noura , Khan Ziauddin
Published: September 2018

Objective: Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are germ tube-positive pathogenic yeast species. Accurate identification of these two species is warranted since C. albicans is a highly pathogenic species while C. dubliniensis exhibits increased adherence to buccal epithelial cells, reduced susceptibility to azoles and resistance to flucytosine. We have developed a duplex real-time PCR assay for rapid detection and differentiation between clinical C. albicans and C. dubliniensis isolates. Materials and Methods: A duplex real-time PCR assay was developed by using two species-specific primer pairs and SYBR Green dye to differentiate C. albicans and C. dubliniensis isolates via melting curve analysis of real-time PCR amplicons. Amplification products were also analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis to confirm real-time PCR results. Results: Melting temperatures (Tm) for reference strains of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis were 86.55 and 82.75°C, respectively. No amplicon was obtained with DNA from reference strains of 8 other common Candida spp. When real-time PCR was applied on 226 clinical isolates previously identified by the Vitek 2 system and/or PCR sequencing of rDNA, Tm values for C. albicans (n = 113) and C. dubliniensis (n = 98) were 86.68 ± 0.529 and 82.616 ± 0.535°C, respectively. The results were confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. No amplicon was obtained from 15 isolates belonging to 9 other Candida spp. Conclusions: The real-time PCR assay described here does not require prior identification of clinical yeast isolates as C. albicans/C. dubliniensis by germ tube formation and accurately reports results within 2 h. Detection of amplicons by agarose gel electrophoresis is also suitable for resource-poor settings devoid of real-time PCR facilities.