bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal Trends and Recent Correlates in Sedentary Behaviors among Chinese Adults from 2002 to 2010–2012
Authors: Ding Caicui , Feng Ganyu , Yuan Fan , Gong Weiyan , Yao Yecheng , Ma Yanning , Zhang Yan , Liu Ailing
Published: December 2019

Evidence suggests that more time spent in sedentary behaviors (SB) increases health risk independent of physical activities. Trends in SB among adults have not been fully described in China, and the sociodemographic correlates of SB have not been systematically evaluated either. This study examined the temporal trends of SB among 184,257 adults (2002: n = 52,697, 2010–2012: n = 131,560) using data from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2002 and 2010–2012, and analyzed the recent correlates of SB in Chinese adults. Overall, an increase (+0.29 h/d) was seen in total SB across the survey years, and there was a slight increase (+0.14 h/d) in leisure time SB and a decrease (−0.39 h/d) in occupational SB. From 2002 to 2012, the proportion of Chinese adults whose total SB time over 4 h/d increased from 35.4% to 43.0%, and the proportion of leisure SB time over 3 h/d increased from 42.0% to 48.0%, and the proportion of occupational SB time over 4 h/d decreased from 63.4% to 53.0%. Male, urban areas, employed, unmarried, and with higher educational and family economic level were all positively associated with high sedentary time (HST) in 2010–2012. These trends and correlates are important for health policy in China and other countries that are facing similar challenges.
Heterologous and Homologous Expression of Proteins from Haloarchaea: Denitrification as Case of Study
Authors: Martínez-Espinosa Rosa María
Published: December 2019

Haloarchaea (halophilic microbes belonging to the Archaea domain) are microorganisms requiring mid or even high salt concentrations to be alive. The molecular machinery of these organisms is adapted to such conditions, which are stressful for most life forms. Among their molecular adaptations, halophilic proteins are characterized by their high content of acidic amino acids (Aspartate (Asp) and glumate (Glu)), being only stable in solutions containing high salt concentration (between 1 and 4 M total salt concentration). Recent knowledge about haloarchaeal peptides, proteins, and enzymes have revealed that many haloarchaeal species produce proteins of interest due to their potential applications in biotechnology-based industries. Although proteins of interest are usually overproduced in recombinant prokaryotic or eukaryotic expression systems, these procedures do not accurately work for halophilic proteins, mainly if such proteins contain metallocofactors in their structures. This work summarizes the main challenges of heterologous and homologous expression of enzymes from haloarchaea, paying special attention to the metalloenzymes involved in the pathway of denitrification (anaerobic reduction of nitrate to dinitrogen), a pathway with significant implications in wastewater treatment, climate change, and biosensor design.
A Novel Tissue and Stem Cell Specific TERF1 Splice Variant Is Downregulated in Tumour Cells
Authors: Morcos Yousef Ashraf Tawfik , Najjar Gregoire , Meessen Sabine , Witt Britta , Azoitei Anca , Kumar Mukesh , Wakileh Gamal , Schwarz Klaus , Schrezenmeier Hubert , Zengerling Friedemann , Bolenz Christian , Günes Cagatay
Published: December 2019

In this study, we describe the identification of a novel splice variant of TERF1/PIN2, one of the main components of the telomeric shelterin complex. This new splice variant is identical to TERF1, apart from a 30 amino acid internal insertion near to the C-terminus of TERF1. Based on genome comparison analyses and RNA expression data, we show that this splice variant is conserved among hominidae but absent from all other species. RNA expression and histological analyses show specific expression in human spermatogonial and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), while all other analyzed tissues lack the expression of this TERF1-isoform, hence the name TERF1-tsi (TERF1-tissue-specific-isoform). In addition, we could not detect any expression in primary human cells and established cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemistry results involving two new rabbit polyclonal antibodies, generated against TERF1-tsi specific peptides, indicate nuclear localization of TERF1-tsi in a subset of spermatogonial stem cells. In line with this observation, immunofluorescence analyzes in various cell lines consistently revealed that ectopic TERF1-tsi localizes to the cell nucleus, mainly but not exclusively at telomeres. In a first attempt to evaluate the impact of TERF1-tsi in the testis, we have tested its expression in normal testis samples versus matched tumor samples from the same patients. Both RT-PCR and IHC show a specific downregulation of TERF1-tsi in tumor samples while the expression of TERF1 and PIN2 remains unchanged.
Tuning the Interactions in Multiresponsive Complex Coacervate-Based Underwater Adhesives
Authors: Dompé Marco , Cedano-Serrano Francisco J. , Vahdati Mehdi , Sidoli Ugo , Heckert Olaf , Synytska Alla , Hourdet Dominique , Creton Costantino , van der Gucht Jasper , Kodger Thomas , Kamperman Marleen
Published: December 2019

In this work, we report the systematic investigation of a multiresponsive complex coacervate-based underwater adhesive, obtained by combining polyelectrolyte domains and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) units. This material exhibits a transition from liquid to solid but, differently from most reactive glues, is completely held together by non-covalent interactions, i.e., electrostatic and hydrophobic. Because the solidification results in a kinetically trapped morphology, the final mechanical properties strongly depend on the preparation conditions and on the surrounding environment. A systematic study is performed to assess the effect of ionic strength and of PNIPAM content on the thermal, rheological and adhesive properties. This study enables the optimization of polymer composition and environmental conditions for this underwater adhesive system. The best performance with a work of adhesion of 6.5 J/m2 was found for the complex coacervates prepared at high ionic strength (0.75 M NaCl) and at an optimal PNIPAM content around 30% mol/mol. The high ionic strength enables injectability, while the hydrated PNIPAM domains provide additional dissipation, without softening the material so much that it becomes too weak to resist detaching stress.
Length and Energy Dependence of Low-Energy Electron-Induced Strand Breaks in Poly(A) DNA
Authors: Ebel Kenny , Bald Ilko
Published: December 2019

The DNA in living cells can be effectively damaged by high-energy radiation, which can lead to cell death. Through the ionization of water molecules, highly reactive secondary species such as low-energy electrons (LEEs) with the most probable energy around 10 eV are generated, which are able to induce DNA strand breaks via dissociative electron attachment. Absolute DNA strand break cross sections of specific DNA sequences can be efficiently determined using DNA origami nanostructures as platforms exposing the target sequences towards LEEs. In this paper, we systematically study the effect of the oligonucleotide length on the strand break cross section at various irradiation energies. The present work focuses on poly-adenine sequences (d(A4), d(A8), d(A12), d(A16), and d(A20)) irradiated with 5.0, 7.0, 8.4, and 10 eV electrons. Independent of the DNA length, the strand break cross section shows a maximum around 7.0 eV electron energy for all investigated oligonucleotides confirming that strand breakage occurs through the initial formation of negative ion resonances. When going from d(A4) to d(A16), the strand break cross section increases with oligonucleotide length, but only at 7.0 and 8.4 eV, i.e., close to the maximum of the negative ion resonance, the increase in the strand break cross section with the length is similar to the increase of an estimated geometrical cross section. For d(A20), a markedly lower DNA strand break cross section is observed for all electron energies, which is tentatively ascribed to a conformational change of the dA20 sequence. The results indicate that, although there is a general length dependence of strand break cross sections, individual nucleotides do not contribute independently of the absolute strand break cross section of the whole DNA strand. The absolute quantification of sequence specific strand breaks will help develop a more accurate molecular level understanding of radiation induced DNA damage, which can then be used for optimized risk estimates in cancer radiation therapy.
Amino Acid Transport Defects in Human Inherited Metabolic Disorders
Authors: Yahyaoui Raquel , Pérez-Frías Javier
Published: December 2019

Amino acid transporters play very important roles in nutrient uptake, neurotransmitter recycling, protein synthesis, gene expression, cell redox balance, cell signaling, and regulation of cell volume. With regard to transporters that are closely connected to metabolism, amino acid transporter-associated diseases are linked to metabolic disorders, particularly when they involve different organs, cell types, or cell compartments. To date, 65 different human solute carrier (SLC) families and more than 400 transporter genes have been identified, including 11 that are known to include amino acid transporters. This review intends to summarize and update all the conditions in which a strong association has been found between an amino acid transporter and an inherited metabolic disorder. Many of these inherited disorders have been identified in recent years. In this work, the physiological functions of amino acid transporters will be described by the inherited diseases that arise from transporter impairment. The pathogenesis, clinical phenotype, laboratory findings, diagnosis, genetics, and treatment of these disorders are also briefly described. Appropriate clinical and diagnostic characterization of the underlying molecular defect may give patients the opportunity to avail themselves of appropriate therapeutic options in the future.
The Potential Role of MicroRNA-124 in Cerebral Ischemia Injury
Authors: Liu Xiaolu , Feng Zhitao , Du Lipeng , Huang Yaguang , Ge Jinwen , Deng Yihui , Mei Zhigang
Published: December 2019

Cerebral ischemia injury, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, initiates sequential molecular and cellular pathologies that underlie ischemic encephalopathy (IE), such as ischemic stroke, Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), epilepsy, etc. Targeted therapeutic treatments are urgently needed to tackle the pathological processes implicated in these neurological diseases. Recently, accumulating studies demonstrate that microRNA-124 (miR-124), the most abundant miRNA in brain tissue, is aberrant in peripheral blood and brain vascular endothelial cells following cerebral ischemia. Importantly, miR-124 regulates a variety of pathophysiological processes that are involved in the pathogenesis of age-related IE. However, the role of miR-124 has not been systematically illustrated. Paradoxically, miR-124 exerts beneficial effects in the age-related IE via regulating autophagy, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal excitability, neurodifferentiation, Aβ deposition, and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, while it may play a dual role via regulating apoptosis and exerts detrimental effects on synaptic plasticity and axonal growth. In the present review, we thus focus on the paradoxical roles of miR-124 in age-related IE, as well as the underlying mechanisms. A great understanding of the effects of miR-124 on the hypoxic–ischemic brain will open new avenues for therapeutic approaches to protect against cerebral ischemia injury.
Hypoxia-Induced miR-210 Is Necessary for Vascular Regeneration upon Acute Limb Ischemia
Authors: Zaccagnini Germana , Maimone Biagina , Fuschi Paola , Longo Marialucia , Da Silva Daniel , Carrara Matteo , Voellenkle Christine , Perani Laura , Esposito Antonio , Gaetano Carlo , Martelli Fabio
Published: December 2019

Critical limb ischemia is the most serious form of peripheral artery disease, characterized by severe functional consequences, difficult clinical management and reduced life expectancy. The goal of this study was to investigate the miR-210 role in the neo-angiogenic response after acute limb ischemia. Complementary approaches were used in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia: miR-210 loss-of-function was obtained by administration of LNA-oligonucleotides anti-miR-210; for miR-210 gain-of-function, a doxycycline-inducible miR-210 transgenic mouse was used. We tested miR-210 ability to stimulate vascular regeneration following ischemia. We found that miR-210 was necessary and sufficient to stimulate blood perfusion recovery, as well as arteriolar and capillary density increase, in the ischemic muscle. To clarify the molecular events underpinning miR-210 pro-angiogenic action, the transcriptomic changes in ischemic muscles upon miR-210 blocking were analyzed. We found that miR-210 impacted the transcriptome significantly, regulating pathways and functions linked to vascular regeneration. In agreement with a pro-angiogenic role, miR-210 also improved cardiac function and left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. Moreover, miR-210 blocking decreased capillary density in a Matrigel plug assay, indicating that miR-210 is necessary for angiogenesis independently of ischemia. Collectively, these data indicate that miR-210 plays a pivotal role in promoting vascular regeneration.
Hyperoside Induces Breast Cancer Cells Apoptosis via ROS-Mediated NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Qiu Jinxia , Zhang Tao , Zhu Xinying , Yang Chao , Wang Yaxing , Zhou Ning , Ju Bingxin , Zhou Tianhong , Deng Ganzhen , Qiu Changwei
Published: December 2019

Hyperoside (quercetin 3-o-β-d-galactopyranoside) is one of the flavonoid glycosides with anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and anti-cancer effects. But it remains unknown whether it had effects on breast cancer. Here, different concentrations of hyperoside were used to explore its therapeutic potential in both breast cancer cells and subcutaneous homotransplant mouse model. CCK-8 and wound healing assays showed that the viability and migration capability of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and 4T1 cells were inhibited by hyperoside, while the apoptosis of cells were increased. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis were used to detect mRNA and the protein level, respectively, which showed decreased levels of B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), and increased levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. After exploration of the potential mechanism, we found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was reduced by the administration of hyperoside, which subsequently inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Tumor volume was significantly decreased in subcutaneous homotransplant mouse model in hyperoside-treated group, which was consistent with our study in vitro. These results indicated that hyperoside acted as an anticancer drug through ROS-related apoptosis and its mechanism included activation of the Bax–caspase-3 axis and the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Recent Developments of Electrochemical and Optical Biosensors for Antibody Detection
Authors: Xu Wei , Wang Daniel , Li Derek , Liu Chung Chiun
Published: December 2019

Detection of biomarkers has raised much interest recently due to the need for disease diagnosis and personalized medicine in future point-of-care systems. Among various biomarkers, antibodies are an important type of detection target due to their potential for indicating disease progression stage and the efficiency of therapeutic antibody drug treatment. In this review, electrochemical and optical detection of antibodies are discussed. Specifically, creating a non-label and reagent-free sensing platform and construction of an anti-fouling electrochemical surface for electrochemical detection are suggested. For optical transduction, a rapid and programmable platform for antibody detection using a DNA-based beacon is suggested as well as the use of bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) switch for low cost antibody detection. These sensing strategies have demonstrated their potential for resolving current challenges in antibody detection such as high selectivity, low operation cost, simple detection procedures, rapid detection, and low-fouling detection. This review provides a general update for recent developments in antibody detection strategies and potential solutions for future clinical point-of-care systems.
Deciphering the Code between Air Pollution and Disease: The Effect of Particulate Matter on Cancer Hallmarks
Authors: Santibáñez-Andrade Miguel , Chirino Yolanda I. , González-Ramírez Imelda , Sánchez-Pérez Yesennia , García-Cuellar Claudia M.
Published: December 2019

Air pollution has been recognized as a global health problem, causing around 7 million deaths worldwide and representing one of the highest environmental crises that we are now facing. Close to 30% of new lung cancer cases are associated with air pollution, and the impact is more evident in major cities. In this review, we summarize and discuss the evidence regarding the effect of particulate matter (PM) and its impact in carcinogenesis, considering the “hallmarks of cancer” described by Hanahan and Weinberg in 2000 and 2011 as a guide to describing the findings that support the impact of particulate matter during the cancer continuum.
The Possible Role of Non-Structural Carbohydrates in the Regulation of Tree Hydraulics
Authors: Tomasella Martina , Petrussa Elisa , Petruzzellis Francesco , Nardini Andrea , Casolo Valentino
Published: December 2019

The xylem is a complex system that includes a network of dead conduits ensuring long-distance water transport in plants. Under ongoing climate changes, xylem embolism is a major and recurrent cause of drought-induced tree mortality. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) play key roles in plant responses to drought and frost stress, and several studies putatively suggest their involvement in the regulation of xylem water transport. However, a clear picture on the roles of NSCs in plant hydraulics has not been drawn to date. We summarize the current knowledge on the involvement of NSCs during embolism formation and subsequent hydraulic recovery. Under drought, sugars are generally accumulated in xylem parenchyma and in xylem sap. At drought-relief, xylem functionality is putatively restored in an osmotically driven process involving wood parenchyma, xylem sap and phloem compartments. By analyzing the published data on stem hydraulics and NSC contents under drought/frost stress and subsequent stress relief, we found that embolism build-up positively correlated to stem NSC depletion, and that the magnitude of post-stress hydraulic recovery positively correlated to consumption of soluble sugars. These findings suggest a close relationship between hydraulics and carbohydrate dynamics. We call for more experiments on hydraulic and NSC dynamics in controlled and field conditions.
An Overview of Hazardous Impacts of Soil Salinity in Crops, Tolerance Mechanisms, and Amelioration through Selenium Supplementation
Authors: Kamran Muhammad , Parveen Aasma , Ahmar Sunny , Malik Zaffar , Hussain Sajid , Chattha Muhammad Sohaib , Saleem Muhammad Hamzah , Adil Muhammad , Heidari Parviz , Chen Jen-Tsung
Published: December 2019

Soil salinization is one of the major environmental stressors hampering the growth and yield of crops all over the world. A wide spectrum of physiological and biochemical alterations of plants are induced by salinity, which causes lowered water potential in the soil solution, ionic disequilibrium, specific ion effects, and a higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). For many years, numerous investigations have been made into salinity stresses and attempts to minimize the losses of plant productivity, including the effects of phytohormones, osmoprotectants, antioxidants, polyamines, and trace elements. One of the protectants, selenium (Se), has been found to be effective in improving growth and inducing tolerance against excessive soil salinity. However, the in-depth mechanisms of Se-induced salinity tolerance are still unclear. This review refines the knowledge involved in Se-mediated improvements of plant growth when subjected to salinity and suggests future perspectives as well as several research limitations in this field.
Machine Learning Models for Cultural Heritage Image Classification: Comparison Based on Attribute Selection
Authors: Janković Radmila
Published: December 2019

Image classification is one of the most important tasks in the digital era. In terms of cultural heritage, it is important to develop classification methods that obtain good accuracy, but also are less computationally intensive, as image classification usually uses very large sets of data. This study aims to train and test four classification algorithms: (i) the multilayer perceptron, (ii) averaged one dependence estimators, (iii) forest by penalizing attributes, and (iv) the k-nearest neighbor rough sets and analogy based reasoning, and compares these with the results obtained from the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Three types of features were extracted from the images: (i) the edge histogram, (ii) the color layout, and (iii) the JPEG coefficients. The algorithms were tested before and after applying the attribute selection, and the results indicated that the best classification performance was obtained for the multilayer perceptron in both cases.
Influence of Climate and Local Habitat Characteristics on Carabid Beetle Abundance and Diversity in Northern Chinese Steppes
Authors: Tsafack Noelline , Xie Yingzhong , Wang Xinpu , Fattorini Simone
Published: December 2019

Carabids are an important insect group in grassland ecosystems and are involved in numerous ecosystem services. Steppes are the most widespread ecosystems in China, but they are under increasing degradation. Despite their importance, little is known about the relationships between environmental variables and carabid community structure in Chinese steppes. We studied the effects of fine-scale factors (soil and vegetation) and coarse-scale factors (climate) on carabid community parameters (abundance, richness, diversity, dominance, and evenness) in three types of steppes (desert, typical, and meadow steppes) in northern China. Carabid communities responded to environmental factors in different ways according to the type of steppe. Climate factors were the most important drivers of community structure, whereas the effects of soil and vegetation were less important. Desert steppe showed the lowest carabid abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness, and the highest dominance. This community is relatively simple and strongly dominated by a few species adapted to the severe conditions of this environment. Typical and meadow steppes showed carabid communities with a more complex structure. As expected on the basis of environmental severity, the most severe ecosystem (i.e., the desert) was only influenced by climatic factors, whereas a certain influence of biotic factors emerged in the other ecosystems.
Presence of ROS in Inflammatory Environment of Peri-Implantitis Tissue: In Vitro and In Vivo Human Evidence
Authors: Mijiritsky Eitan , Ferroni Letizia , Gardin Chiara , Peleg Oren , Gultekin Alper , Saglanmak Alper , Delogu Lucia Gemma , Mitrecic Dinko , Piattelli Adriano , Tatullo Marco , Zavan Barbara
Published: December 2019

Analyses of composition, distribution of cellular and extracellular matrix components, and molecular analysis of mitochondria related genes of bone loss in the presence of inflammatory environment in humans was the aim of the present project. As a human model we chose peri-implantitis. Morphological analyses were performed by means classical histological, immunohistochemical, and SEM (scanning electron miscroscopy) test. Gene expression analysis was performed to evaluate epithelium maturation, collagen fiber production, and genes related to mitochondrial activity. It was found that a well-defined keratinocyte epithelium was present on the top of all specimens; a distinct basal lamina was present, as well as desmosomes and autophagic processes related to the maturation of keratinocytes. Under this epithelium, a full inflammatory cell infiltrate was present for about 60% of the represented by plasma cells. Collagen type I fibers were present mainly in the form of fragmented cord tissue without cells. A different distribution of blood vessels was also present from the apical to the most coronal portion of the specimens. High levels of genes related to oxidative stress were present, as well as the activation of genes related to the loss of ability of osteogenic commitment of Mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts. Our study suggests that peri-implantitis lesions exhibit a well defined biological organization not only in terms of inflammatory cells but also on vessel and extracellular matrix components even if no difference in the epithelium is evident, and that the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) related to the inflammatory environment influences the correct commitment of Mesenchymal stem cells.
Untargeted Metabolomics to Go beyond the Canonical Effect of Acetylsalicylic Acid
Authors: Di Minno Alessandro , Porro Benedetta , Turnu Linda , Manega Chiara Maria , Eligini Sonia , Barbieri Simone , Chiesa Mattia , Poggio Paolo , Squellerio Isabella , Anesi Andrea , Fiorelli Susanna , Caruso Donatella , Veglia Fabrizio , Cavalca Viviana , Tremoli Elena
Published: December 2019

Given to its ability to irreversibly acetylate the platelet cyclooxygenase-1 enzyme, acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is successfully employed for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Recently, an antitumoral effect of ASA in colorectal cancer has been increasingly documented. However, the molecular and metabolic mechanisms by which ASA exerts such effect is largely unknown. Using a new, untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry approach, we have analyzed urine samples from seven healthy participants that each ingested 100 mg of ASA once daily for 1 week. Of the 2007 features detected, 25 metabolites differing after ASA ingestion (nominal p < 0.05 and variable importance in projection (VIP) score > 1) were identified, and pathway analysis revealed low levels of glutamine and of metabolites involved in histidine and purine metabolisms. Likewise, consistent with an altered fatty acid β-oxidation process, a decrease in several short- and medium-chain acyl-carnitines was observed. An abnormal β-oxidation and a lower than normal glutamine availability suggests reduced synthesis of acetyl-Co-A, as they are events linked to one another and experimentally related to ASA antiproliferative effects. While giving an example of how untargeted metabolomics allows us to explore new clinical applications of drugs, the present data provide a direction to be pursued to test the therapeutic effects of ASA—e.g., the antitumoral effect—beyond cardiovascular protection.
Influence of Central Platform on Hydrodynamic Performance of Semi-Submerged Multi-Buoy Wave Energy Converter
Authors: Hu Yuan , Yang Shaohui , He Hongzhou , Chen Hu
Published: December 2019

The influence of the central platform on hydrodynamic performance of a wave energy converter (WEC) has remained elusive. To approach this dearth of relevant theoretical research, this paper presents a semi-submerged multi-buoy WEC and the results of the numerical analysis at different dimension parameters of the central platform of the WEC. The WEC consists of three oscillating buoys hinged with a central platform through multiple actuating arms. Numerical analysis revealed that there exists a relationship between the hydrodynamic performance of device and the geometry of the central platform. At the given wave condition, different central platform size would obviously affect the hydrodynamic performance and wave energy capture width ratio of the semi-submerged multi-buoy WEC. Additionally, appropriately increasing central platform draft would help to improve the wave energy capture capability of the oscillating buoys.
2-Hydroxy-N′-(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzohydrazide
Authors: Santosa Harry , Yuniarta Tegar Achsendo , Kesuma Dini , Putra Galih Satrio
Published: December 2019

2-Hydroxy-N′-(4-fluorobenzoyl)benzohydrazide was synthesized in two steps using methyl salicylate as the starting material. The reaction took place via microwave-aided hydrazinolysis, followed by acylation using 4-fluorobenzoyl chloride at low temperature to yield the target compound.
Phase Formation Behavior and Thermoelectric Transport Properties of P-Type YbxFe3CoSb12 Prepared by Melt Spinning and Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Lee Kyu Hyoung , Bae Sang Hyun , Choi Soon-Mok
Published: December 2019

Formation of multiple phases is considered an effective approach for enhancing the performance of thermoelectric materials since it can reduce the thermal conductivity and improve the power factor. Herein, we report the in-situ generation of a submicron-scale (~500 nm) heterograin structure in p-type Yb-filled (Fe,Co)4Sb12 skutterudites during the melt spinning process. Mixed grains of YbxFe3−yCo1+ySb12 and YbzFe3+yCo1−ySb12 were formed in melt spun ribbons due to uneven distribution of cations. By the formation of interfaces between two different grains, the power factor was enhanced due to the formation of an energy barrier for carrier transport, and simultaneously the lattice thermal conductivity was reduced due to the intensified boundary phonon scattering. A high thermoelectric figure of merit zT of 0.66 was obtained at 700 K.
Preparation of a Series of Pd@UIO-66 by a Double-Solvent Method and Its Catalytic Performance for Toluene Oxidation
Authors: Wei Chuanying , Hou Haili , Wang Ermo , Lu Min
Published: December 2019

This paper reports on the preparation, characterization, and catalytic properties of the Pd@UIO-66 for toluene oxidation. The samples are prepared by the double-solvent method to form catalysts with large specific surface area, highly dispersed Pd0 (Elemental palladium) and abundant adsorbed oxygen, which are characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The results show that as the Pd content increases, the adsorbed oxygen content further increases, but at the same time Pd0 will agglomerate and lose some active sites, which will affect its catalytic performance. While 0.2%Pd@UIO-66 has the highest concentration of Pd0, the result shows it has the best catalytic activity and the T90 temperature is 210 °C.
Surface Morphology of the Interface Junction of CVD Mosaic Single-Crystal Diamond
Authors: Wang Xiwei , Duan Peng , Cao Zhenzhong , Liu Changjiang , Wang Dufu , Peng Yan , Xu Xiangang , Hu Xiaobo
Published: December 2019

The diamond mosaic grown on the single-crystal diamond substrates by the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) method has been studied. The average growth rate was about 16–17 μm/h during 48 hours’ growth. The surface morphologies of the as-grown diamond layer were observed. It was found that the step flow was able to move across the substrates and cover the junction interface. Raman spectroscopic mapping in the central area of the junction revealed the high stress region movement across the junction interface from one substrate to the other for about 200–400 μm. High-resolution X-ray diffractometry (HRXRD) results proved that the surface step flow movement direction had nothing to do with the off-axis directions of the original substrates. It was found that the surface height difference of substrate was the main driving force for the step flow movement, junction combination and surface morphology changing. The mechanism of the mosaic interface junction combination and step flow transformation on the mosaic surface was proposed.
Graphene Quantum Dot-Based Electrochemical Immunosensors for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Mansuriya Bhargav D. , Altintas Zeynep
Published: December 2019

In the area of biomedicine, research for designing electrochemical sensors has evolved over the past decade, since it is crucial to selectively quantify biomarkers or pathogens in clinical samples for the efficacious diagnosis and/or treatment of various diseases. To fulfil the demand of rapid, specific, economic, and easy detection of such biomolecules in ultralow amounts, numerous nanomaterials have been explored to effectively enhance the sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility of immunosensors. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have garnered tremendous attention in immunosensor development, owing to their special attributes such as large surface area, excellent biocompatibility, quantum confinement, edge effects, and abundant sites for chemical modification. Besides these distinct features, GQDs acquire peroxidase (POD)-mimicking electro-catalytic activity, and hence, they can replace horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based systems to conduct facile, quick, and inexpensive label-free immunoassays. The chief motive of this review article is to summarize and focus on the recent advances in GQD-based electrochemical immunosensors for the early and rapid detection of cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and pathogenic diseases. Moreover, the underlying principles of electrochemical immunosensing techniques are also highlighted. These GQD immunosensors are ubiquitous in biomedical diagnosis and conducive for miniaturization, encouraging low-cost disease diagnostics in developing nations using point-of-care testing (POCT) and similar allusive techniques.
Relationship of Stiffness-Based Indentation Properties Using Continuous-Stiffness-Measurement Method
Authors: Huen Wai Yeong , Lee Hyuk , Vimonsatit Vanissorn , Mendis Priyan
Published: December 2019

The determination of elastic modulus (E) and hardness (H) relies on the accuracy of the contact area under the indenter tip, but this parameter cannot be explicitly measured during the nanoindentation process. This work presents a new approach that can derive the elastic modulus (E) and contact depth (hc) based on measured experiment stiffness using the continuous-stiffness-measurement (CSM) method. To achieve this, an inverse algorithm is proposed by incorporating a set of stiffness-based relationship functions that are derived from combining the dimensional analysis approach and computational simulation. This proposed solution considers both the sink-in and pile-up contact profiles; therefore, it provides a more accurate solution when compared to a conventional method that only considers the sink-in contact profile. While the proposed solution is sensitive to Poisson’s ratio (ν) and the equivalent indentation conical angle (θ), it is not affected by material plasticity, including yield strength (σy) and work hardening (n) for the investigated range of 0.001 < σy/E < 0.5. The proposed stiffness-based approach can be used to consistently derive elastic modulus and hardness by using stiffness and the load-and-unload curve measured by the continuous-stiffness-measurement (CSM) method.
Unlocking Deformation Path in Asymmetric Rolling by Texture Simulation
Authors: Dhinwal Satyaveer Singh , Toth Laszlo S
Published: December 2019

The texture evolution is wearing the signature of the deformation path in plastic deformation. In asymmetric rolling, plain strain compression and shear are the main components of the imposed strain. In this work, viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) simulations of the texture evolution were used to determine the combination and sequence of the two deformation components. It has been found that the deformation path is composed of two parts in asymmetric rolling: it is first essentially rolling, followed by the simple shear process. Simultaneous rolling and shear process cannot produce the observed textures, while the decomposed simulation can reproduce it faithfully.
Rational Approximation for Solving an Implicitly Given Colebrook Flow Friction Equation
Authors: Praks Pavel , Brkić Dejan
Published: December 2019

The empirical logarithmic Colebrook equation for hydraulic resistance in pipes implicitly considers the unknown flow friction factor. Its explicit approximations, used to avoid iterative computations, should be accurate but also computationally efficient. We present a rational approximate procedure that completely avoids the use of transcendental functions, such as logarithm or non-integer power, which require execution of the additional number of floating-point operations in computer processor units. Instead of these, we use only rational expressions that are executed directly in the processor unit. The rational approximation was found using a combination of a Padé approximant and artificial intelligence (symbolic regression). Numerical experiments in Matlab using 2 million quasi-Monte Carlo samples indicate that the relative error of this new rational approximation does not exceed 0.866%. Moreover, these numerical experiments show that the novel rational approximation is approximately two times faster than the exact solution given by the Wright omega function.
Bijective, Non-Bijective and Semi-Bijective Translations on the Triangular Plane
Authors: Abuhmaidan Khaled , Nagy Benedek
Published: December 2019

The triangular plane is the plane which is tiled by the regular triangular tessellation. The underlying discrete structure, the triangular grid, is not a point lattice. There are two types of triangle pixels. Their midpoints are assigned to them. By having a real-valued translation of the plane, the midpoints of the triangles may not be mapped to midpoints. This is the same also on the traditional square grid. However, the redigitized result on the square grid always gives a bijection (gridpoints of the square grid are mapped to gridpoints in a bijective way). This property does not necessarily hold on to the triangular plane, i.e., the redigitized translated points may not be mapped to the original points by a bijection. In this paper, we characterize the translation vectors that cause non bijective translations. Moreover, even if a translation by a vector results in a bijection after redigitization, the neighbor pixels of the original pixels may not be mapped to the neighbors of the resulting pixel, i.e., a bijective translation may not be digitally ‘continuous’. We call that type of translation semi-bijective. They are actually bijective but do not keep the neighborhood structure, and therefore, they seemingly destroy the original shape. We call translations strongly bijective if they are bijective and also the neighborhood structure is kept. Characterizations of semi- and strongly bijective translations are also given.
Insights into the Stability of Mixed Convective Darcy–Forchheimer Flows of Cross Liquids from a Vertical Plate with Consideration of the Significant Impact of Velocity and Thermal Slip Conditions
Authors: Khan Umair , Zaib Aurang , Khan Ilyas , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: December 2019

This paper reflects the effects of velocity and thermal slip conditions on the stagnation-point mixed convective flow of Cross liquid moving over a vertical plate entrenched in a Darcy–Forchheimer porous medium. A Cross liquid is a type of non-Newtonian liquid whose viscosity depends on the shear rate. The leading partial differential equations (PDEs) are altered to nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) via feasible similarity transformations. These transmuted equations are computed numerically through the bvp4c solver. The authority of sundry parameters on the temperature and velocity distributions is examined graphically. In addition, the characteristics of heat transfer are analyzed in the presence of the impact of drag forces. The outcomes reveal that the permeability parameter decelerates the drag forces and declines the rate of heat transfer in both forms of solutions. Moreover, it is found that the drag forces decline with the growing value of the Weissenberg parameter in the upper branch solutions, while a reverse trend is revealed in the lower branch solutions. However, the rate of heat transfer shows a diminishing behavior with an increasing value of the Weissenberg parameter.
Antitumor Potential of Marine and Freshwater Lectins
Authors: Catanzaro Elena , Calcabrini Cinzia , Bishayee Anupam , Fimognari Carmela
Published: December 2019

Often, even the most effective antineoplastic drugs currently used in clinic do not efficiently allow complete healing due to the related toxicity. The reason for the toxicity lies in the lack of selectivity for cancer cells of the vast majority of anticancer agents. Thus, the need for new potent anticancer compounds characterized by a better toxicological profile is compelling. Lectins belong to a particular class of non-immunogenic glycoproteins and have the characteristics to selectively bind specific sugar sequences on the surface of cells. This property is exploited to exclusively bind cancer cells and exert antitumor activity through the induction of different forms of regulated cell death and the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Thanks to the extraordinary biodiversity, marine environments represent a unique source of active natural compounds with anticancer potential. Several marine and freshwater organisms, ranging from the simplest alga to the most complex vertebrate, are amazingly enriched in these proteins. Remarkably, all studies gathered in this review show the impressive anticancer effect of each studied marine lectin combined with irrelevant toxicity in vitro and in vivo and pave the way to design clinical trials to assess the real antineoplastic potential of these promising proteins. It provides a concise and precise description of the experimental results, their interpretation as well as the experimental conclusions that can be drawn.
Effect of Composition on the Mechanical Properties and Wear Resistance of Low and Medium Carbon Steels with a Biomimetic Non-Smooth Surface Processed by Laser Remelting
Authors: Chang Geng , Zhou Ti , Zhou Hong , Zhang Peng , Ma Siyuan , Zhi Benfeng , Wang Siyang
Published: December 2019

To study the effect of laser biomimetic treatment on different material compositions, five kinds of steels with different carbon element contents were studied by laser remelting. The characteristics (depth, width), microstructure, hardness, tensile properties, and wear resistance of the samples were compared. The results show that when the laser processing parameters are fixed, the characteristics of the unit increase with an increase of carbon element content. Moreover, the hardness of the unit also increases. Compared with the untreated samples, when the carbon content is 0.15–0.45%, the tensile strength of the laser biomimetic samples is higher than that of the untreated samples. For the biomimetic samples with different carbon content, with an increase of carbon content, the tensile strength increases first and then decreases, while the plasticity of the biomimetic samples decreases continuously. The bionic samples have better wear resistance than that of the untreated samples. For bionic specimens with different carbon elements, wear resistance increases with an increase of carbon element content.
3D Printed Multi-Functional Hydrogel Microneedles Based on High-Precision Digital Light Processing
Authors: Yao Wei , Li Didi , Zhao Yuliang , Zhan Zhikun , Jin Guoqing , Liang Haiyi , Yang Runhuai
Published: December 2019

Traditional injection and extraction devices often appear painful and cumbersome for patients. In recent years, polymer microneedles (MNs) have become a novel tool in the field of clinical medicine and health. However, the cost of building MNs into any shapes still remains a challenge. In this paper, we proposed hydrogel microneedles fabricated by high-precision digital light processing (H-P DLP) 3D printing system. Benefits from the sharp protuberance and micro-porous of the hydrogel microneedle, the microneedle performed multifunctional tasks such as drug delivery and detection with minimally invasion. Critical parameters for the fabrication process were analyzed, and the mechanical properties of MNs were measured to find a balance between precision and stiffness. Results shows that the stiffness and precision were significantly influenced by exposure time of each layer, and optimized printing parameters provided a balance between precision and stiffness. Bio-compatible MNs based on our H-P DLP system was able to execute drug injection and drug detection in our experiments. This work provided a low-cost and fast method to build MNs with 3D building, qualified the mechanical performance, drug injection, drug detection ability of MNs, and may be helpful for the potential clinical application.
Impact of Nanocapsules on Red Blood Cells Interplay Jointly Assessed by Optical Tweezers and Microscopy
Authors: Avsievich Tatiana , Tarakanchikova Yana , Zhu Ruixue , Popov Alexey , Bykov Alexander , Skovorodkin Ilya , Vainio Seppo , Meglinski Igor
Published: December 2019

In the framework of novel medical paradigm the red blood cells (RBCs) have a great potential to be used as drug delivery carriers. This approach requires an ultimate understanding of the peculiarities of mutual interaction of RBC influenced by nano-materials composed the drugs. Optical tweezers (OT) is widely used to explore mechanisms of cells’ interaction with the ability to trap non-invasively, manipulate and displace living cells with a notably high accuracy. In the current study, the mutual interaction of RBC with polymeric nano-capsules (NCs) is investigated utilizing a two-channel OT system. The obtained results suggest that, in the presence of NCs, the RBC aggregation in plasma satisfies the ‘cross-bridges’ model. Complementarily, the allocation of NCs on the RBC membrane was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while for assessment of NCs-induced morphological changes the tests with the human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) was performed. The combined application of OT and advanced microscopy approaches brings new insights into the conception of direct observation of cells interaction influenced by NCs for the estimation of possible cytotoxic effects.
In Vitro Blood–Brain Barrier-Integrated Neurological Disorder Models Using a Microfluidic Device
Authors: Choi Jin-Ha , Santhosh Mallesh , Choi Jeong-Woo
Published: December 2019

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) plays critical role in the human physiological system such as protection of the central nervous system (CNS) from external materials in the blood vessel, including toxicants and drugs for several neurological disorders, a critical type of human disease. Therefore, suitable in vitro BBB models with fluidic flow to mimic the shear stress and supply of nutrients have been developed. Neurological disorder has also been investigated for developing realistic models that allow advance fundamental and translational research and effective therapeutic strategy design. Here, we discuss introduction of the blood–brain barrier in neurological disorder models by leveraging a recently developed microfluidic system and human organ-on-a-chip system. Such models could provide an effective drug screening platform and facilitate personalized therapy of several neurological diseases.