bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptional Regulation of INSR, the Insulin Receptor Gene
Authors: Payankaulam Sandhya , Raicu Ana-Maria , Arnosti David N.
Published: November 2019

The insulin receptor gene encodes an evolutionarily conserved signaling protein with a wide spectrum of functions in metazoan development. The insulin signaling pathway plays key roles in processes such as metabolic regulation, growth control, and neuronal function. Misregulation of the pathway features in diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, making it an important target for clinical interventions. While much attention has been focused on differential pathway activation through ligand availability, sensitization of overall signaling may also be mediated by differential expression of the insulin receptor itself. Although first characterized as a “housekeeping” gene with stable expression, comparative studies have shown that expression levels of the human INSR mRNA differ by tissue and in response to environmental signals. Our recent analysis of the transcriptional controls affecting expression of the Drosophila insulin receptor gene indicates that a remarkable amount of DNA is dedicated to encoding sophisticated feedback and feed forward signals. The human INSR gene is likely to contain a similar level of transcriptional complexity; here, we summarize over three decades of molecular biology and genetic research that points to a still incompletely understood regulatory control system. Further elucidation of transcriptional controls of INSR will provide the basis for understanding human genetic variation that underlies population-level physiological differences and disease.
The Relationship Between the Actual Level of Air Pollution and Residents’ Concern about Air Pollution: Evidence from Shanghai, China
Authors: Dong Daxin , Xu Xiaowei , Xu Wen , Xie Junye
Published: November 2019

This study explored the relationship between the actual level of air pollution and residents’ concern about air pollution. The actual air pollution level was measured by the air quality index (AQI) reported by environmental monitoring stations, while residents’ concern about air pollution was reflected by the Baidu index using the Internet search engine keywords “Shanghai air quality”. On the basis of the daily data of 2068 days for the city of Shanghai in China over the period between 2 December 2013 and 31 July 2019, a vector autoregression (VAR) model was built for empirical analysis. Estimation results provided three interesting findings. (1) Local residents perceived the deprivation of air quality and expressed their concern on air pollution quickly, within the day on which the air quality index rose. (2) A decline in air quality in another major city, such as Beijing, also raised the concern of Shanghai residents about local air quality. (3) A rise in Shanghai residents’ concern had a beneficial impact on air quality improvement. This study implied that people really cared much about local air quality, and it was beneficial to inform more residents about the situation of local air quality and the risks associated with air pollution.
Repeated Police Mental Health Act Detentions in England and Wales: Trauma and Recurrent Suicidality
Authors: Warrington Claire
Published: November 2019

Most police Mental Health Act (Section 136) detentions in England and Wales relate to suicide prevention. Despite attempts to reduce detention rates, numbers have risen almost continually. Although Section 136 has been subject to much academic and public policy scrutiny, the topic of individuals being detained on multiple occasions remains under-researched and thus poorly understood. A mixed methods study combined six in-depth interviews with people who had experienced numerous suicidal crises and police intervention, with detailed police and mental health records. A national police survey provided wider context. Consultants with lived experience of complex mental health problems jointly analysed interviews. Repeated detention is a nationally recognised issue. In South East England, it almost exclusively relates to suicide or self-harm and accounts for a third of all detentions. Females are detained with the highest frequencies. The qualitative accounts revealed complex histories of unresolved trauma that had catastrophically damaged interviewee’s relational foundations, rendering them disenfranchised from services and consigned to relying on police intervention in repeated suicidal crises. A model is proposed that offers a way to conceptualise the phenomenon of repeated detention, highlighting that long-term solutions to sustain change are imperative, as reactive-only responses can perpetuate crisis cycles.
Concurrent Types of Intracranial Hemorrhage are Associated with a Higher Mortality Rate in Adult Patients with Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study
Authors: Rau Cheng-Shyuan , Wu Shao-Chun , Hsu Shiun-Yuan , Liu Hang-Tsung , Huang Chun-Ying , Hsieh Ting-Min , Chou Sheng-En , Su Wei-Ti , Liu Yueh-Wei , Hsieh Ching-Hua
Published: November 2019

Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the second most frequent intracranial hemorrhage and a common radiologic finding in computed tomography. This study aimed to estimate the risk of mortality in adult trauma patients with traumatic SAH concurrent with other types of intracranial hemorrhage, such as subdural hematoma (SDH), epidural hematoma (EDH), and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), compared to the risk in patients with isolated traumatic SAH. We searched our hospital’s trauma database from 1 January, 2009 to 31 December, 2018 to identify hospitalized adult patients ≥20 years old who presented with a trauma abbreviated injury scale (AIS) of ≥3 in the head region. Polytrauma patients with an AIS of ≥3 in any other region of the body were excluded. A total of 1856 patients who had SAH were allocated into four exclusive groups: (Group I) isolated traumatic SAH, n = 788; (Group II) SAH and one diagnosis, n = 509; (Group III) SAH and two diagnoses, n = 493; and (Group IV) SAH and three diagnoses, n = 66. One, two, and three diagnoses indicated occurrences of one, two, or three other types of intracranial hemorrhage (SDH, EDH, or ICH). The adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of the level of mortality was calculated with logistic regression, controlling for sex, age, and pre-existing comorbidities. Patients with isolated traumatic SAH had a lower rate of mortality (1.8%) compared to the other three groups (Group II: 7.9%, Group III: 12.4%, and Group IV: 27.3%, all p < 0.001). When controlling for sex, age, and pre-existing comorbidities, we found that Group II, Group III, and Group IV patients had a 4.0 (95% CI 2.4–6.5), 8.9 (95% CI 4.8–16.5), and 21.1 (95% CI 9.4–47.7) times higher adjusted odds ratio for mortality, respectively, than the patients with isolated traumatic SAH. In this study, we demonstrated that compared to patients with isolated traumatic SAH, traumatic SAH patients with concurrent types of intracranial hemorrhage have a higher adjusted odds ratio for mortality.
Vehicular Emission Inventory and Reduction Scenario Analysis in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Authors: Song Xiaowei , Hao Yongpei
Published: November 2019

Vehicular emissions have become an important source of air pollution, and their effective reduction control is essential to protect the environment. The aim of this study was to establish multi-year vehicular emission inventories for ten important air pollutants and to analyze emission control policy scenarios based on these inventories. The inter-annual emission analysis results showed that the ten pollutant emissions had different change trends during the past decade. The emissions of CO, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCS), NOx, PM2.5, PM10, and CH4 tended to increase first and then decrease, but the years in which they began to decrease varied; the emissions of CO2 and NH3 showed the most significant growth trends, increasing by 567% and 4004% in 2015 compared with 1999, while the emissions of N2O and SO2 showed a general increasing trend and decreased obviously in a certain year. Eight scenarios based on emission inventories were designed; compared with the BAU scenario, the ESV scenario was the most effective policy to control NOx, PM2.5, and CH4 emissions; the radical AER scenario could decrease the vehicular emissions of CO, NMVOCs, PM10, CO2, N2O, and NH3; and the RFS scenario could reduce vehicular SO2 emissions significantly by 93.64%.
Weekly Dose-Dense Paclitaxel and Triweekly Low-Dose Cisplatin: A Well-Tolerated and Effective Chemotherapeutic Regimen for First-Line Treatment of Advanced Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer
Authors: Cheng Min , Lee Howard Hao , Chang Wen-Hsun , Lee Na-Rong , Huang Hsin-Yi , Chen Yi-Jen , Horng Huann-Cheng , Lee Wen-Ling , Wang Peng-Hui
Published: November 2019

A combination of cytoreductive surgery, either primary (PCS) or interval (ICS), and chemotherapy with a platinum-paclitaxel regimen is the well-accepted treatment for advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), fallopian tube cancer (FTC), and primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC), but it is still uncertain whether a combination of dose-dense weekly paclitaxel and low-dose triweekly cisplatin is useful in the management of these patients. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of women with advanced-stage EOC, FTC, and PPSC treated with PCS and subsequent dose-dense weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) and low-dose triweekly cisplatin (20 mg/m2). Between January 2011 and December 2017, 32 women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIC–IV EOC, FTC, or PPSC were enrolled. Optimal PCS was achieved in 63.5% of patients. The mean and median progression-free survival was 36.5 and 27.0 months, respectively (95% confidence interval (CI): 26.8–46.2 and 11.3–42.7 months, respectively). The mean overall survival was 56.0 months (95% CI: 43.9–68.1 months), and the median overall survival could not be obtained. The most common all-grade adverse events (AEs) were anemia (96.9%), neutropenia (50%), peripheral neuropathy (28.1%), nausea and vomiting (34.4%), and thrombocytopenia (15.6%). These AEs were predominantly grade 1/2, and only a few patients were complicated by grade 3/4 neutropenia (21.9%) and anemia (6.3%). A multivariate analysis indicated that only suboptimal PCS was significantly correlated with a worse prognosis, resulting in an 11.6-fold increase in the odds of disease progression. In conclusion, our data suggest that dose-dense weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) combined with low-dose triweekly cisplatin (20 mg/m2) is a potentially effective and highly tolerable front-line treatment in advanced EOC, FTC, and PPSC. Randomized trials comparing the outcome of this regimen to other standard therapies for FIGO stage IIIC–IV EOC, FTC, and PPSC are warranted.
Ecological Security Assessment Based on Ecological Footprint Approach in Hulunbeir Grassland, China
Authors: Guo Shanshan , Wang Yinghong
Published: November 2019

Hulunbeir grassland, as a crucial ecological barrier and energy supply base in northwest China, suffers from a fragile ecological environment. Therefore, it is crucially important for Hulunbeir grassland to achieve the sustainable development of its social economies and ecological environments through the evaluation of its ecological security. This paper introduces the indexes of the ecological pressure index (EPI), ecological footprint diversity index (EFDI), and ecological coordination coefficient (ECC) based on the ecological footprint model. Furthermore, the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model was applied to analyze the main driving factors of the change of the ecological footprint. The results showed that: The ecological footprint (EF) per capita of Hulunbeir grassland has nearly doubled in 11 years to 11.04 ha/cap in 2016, while the ecological capacity (EC) per capita was rather low and increased slowly, leading to a continuous increase of per capita ecological deficit (ED) (from 5.7113 ha/cap to 11.0937 ha/cap). Within this, the footprint of fossil energy land and grassland contributed the most to the total EF, and forestland and cropland played the major role in EC. The EPI increased from 0.82 in 2006 to 1.25 in 2016, leading the level of ecological security to increase from level 3 (moderately safe) to level 4 (moderately risky). The indexes of the EFDI and ECC both reached a minimum in 2014 and then began to rise, indicating that Hulunbeir steppe’s ecological environment, as well as its coordination with economy, was considered to be worse in 2014 but then gradually ameliorated. The STIRPAT model indicated that the main factors driving the EF increase were per capita GDP and the proportion of secondary industry, while the decrease of unit GDP energy consumption played an effective role in curbing the continuous growth of the EF. These findings not only have realistic significance in promoting the coordinated development between economy and natural resource utilization under the constraint of fragile environment, but also provide a scientific reference for similar energy-rich ecologically fragile regions.
Level of Burden and Health-Related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients
Authors: Perpiñá-Galvañ Juana , Orts-Beneito Núria , Fernández-Alcántara Manuel , García-Sanjuán Sofía , García-Caro María Paz , Cabañero-Martínez María José
Published: November 2019

The complexity of palliative care means that the emotional distress and burden that primary family caregivers suffer under can be particularly high. The objective of this study was to determine the level of burden endured by these primary family caregivers and to identify the variables that predict it in the caregiving relatives of people who require home-based palliative care. A descriptive-correlational cross-sectional study was conducted. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from caregivers through a self-administered questionnaire that included questions from the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS). A total of 77 caregivers participated; 66.2% were women, and the mean age was 61.5 years. Most (62.3%) were providing care to cancer patients. From among these data, the presence of anxiety as a clinical problem (48.1%), a high average fatigue score (FAS) of 23.0 (SD = 8.5), and the prevalence of intense overload (41.6%) stood out. We found statistically significant correlations between the variables of burden, fatigue, post-traumatic growth, anxiety, and depression, with the latter two being the main predictive variables of burden. In addition, caregiver burden was associated with a worsening of health. Identifying the factors that influence the appearance of overburden will allow the specific needs of careers to be assessed in order to offer them emotional support within the healthcare environment.
Bad Blood or My Blood: A Qualitative Study into the Dimensions of Interventions for Mothers with Children Born of Sexual Violence
Authors: van Ee Elisa , Blokland Jorin
Published: November 2019

Research has shown that there is a negative relation between the experience of sexual violence of mothers and the well-being of their children. When a child is born out of sexual violence, the origin of the child is connected to the traumatic experience. Despite the difficult maternal task of navigating this relationship, research on interventions for mothers with a child born of sexual violence is absent. The current qualitative study was designed to gather expert knowledge of twelve clinicians on the dimensions of interventions for these mothers and their children as a first step in the development of good clinical practice for interventions. Using thematic analysis, the interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed. Three building blocks for interventions for mothers and their children born of sexual violence were identified: building a secure attachment, reduction of trauma-related symptomatology, and addressing stigmatization. Clinicians describe many factors that need to be taken into account in treatment but emphasize the importance of the therapeutic relationship to be efficacious. The foundation of a strong therapeutic relationship together with the building blocks are the elements for good clinical practice on interventions for mothers with a child born of sexual violence.
A Snapshot of The Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer: The Liquid Biopsy
Authors: Herrera Mercedes , Galindo-Pumariño Cristina , García-Barberán Vanesa , Peña Cristina
Published: November 2019

The molecular profile of liquid biopsies is emerging as an alternative to tissue biopsies in the clinical management of malignant diseases. In colorectal cancer, significant liquid biopsy-based biomarkers have demonstrated an ability to discriminate between asymptomatic cancer patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, this non-invasive approach appears to provide relevant information regarding the stratification of tumors with different prognoses and the monitoring of treatment responses. This review focuses on the tumor microenvironment components which are detected in blood samples of colorectal cancer patients and might represent potential biomarkers. Exosomes released by tumor and stromal cells play a major role in the modulation of cancer progression in the primary tumor microenvironment and in the formation of an inflammatory pre-metastatic niche. Stromal cells-derived exosomes are involved in driving mechanisms that promote tumor growth, migration, metastasis, and drug resistance, therefore representing substantial signaling mediators in the tumor-stroma interaction. Besides, recent findings of specifically packaged exosome cargo in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts of colorectal cancer patients identify novel exosomal biomarkers with potential clinical applicability. Furthermore, additional different signals emitted from the tumor microenvironment and also detectable in the blood, such as soluble factors and non-tumoral circulating cells, arise as novel promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response prediction. The therapeutic potential of these factors is still limited, and studies are in their infancy. However, innovative strategies aiming at the inhibition of tumor progression by systemic exosome depletion, exosome-mediated circulating tumor cell capturing, and exosome-drug delivery systems are currently being studied and may provide considerable advantages in the near future.
Structural Features of Tight-Junction Proteins
Authors: Heinemann Udo , Schuetz Anja
Published: November 2019

Tight junctions are complex supramolecular entities composed of integral membrane proteins, membrane-associated and soluble cytoplasmic proteins engaging in an intricate and dynamic system of protein–protein interactions. Three-dimensional structures of several tight-junction proteins or their isolated domains have been determined by X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy. These structures provide direct insight into molecular interactions that contribute to the formation, integrity, or function of tight junctions. In addition, the known experimental structures have allowed the modeling of ligand-binding events involving tight-junction proteins. Here, we review the published structures of tight-junction proteins. We show that these proteins are composed of a limited set of structural motifs and highlight common types of interactions between tight-junction proteins and their ligands involving these motifs.
Analysis of Centranthera grandiflora Benth Transcriptome Explores Genes of Catalpol, Acteoside and Azafrin Biosynthesis
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Li Caixia , Wang Lianchun , Fei Yahong , Qin Wensheng
Published: November 2019

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major cause of health loss in the world. Prevention and treatment of this disease by traditional Chinese medicine is a promising method. Centranthera grandiflora Benth is a high-value medicinal herb in the prevention and treatment of CVDs; its main medicinal components include iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, and azafrin in roots. However, biosynthetic pathways of these components and their regulatory mechanisms are unknown. Furthermore, there are no genomic resources of this herb. In this article, we provide sequence and transcript abundance data for the root, stem, and leaf transcriptome of C. grandiflora Benth obtained by the Illumina Hiseq2000. More than 438 million clean reads were obtained from root, stem, and leaf libraries, which produced 153,198 unigenes. Based on databases annotation, a total of 557, 213, and 161 unigenes were annotated to catalpol, acteoside, and azafrin biosynthetic pathways, respectively. Differentially expressed gene analysis identified 14,875 unigenes differentially enriched between leaf and root with 8,054 upregulated genes and 6,821 downregulated genes. Candidate MYB transcription factors involved in catalpol, acteoside, and azafrin biosynthesis were also predicated. This work is the first transcriptome analysis in C. grandiflora Benth which will aid the deciphering of biosynthesis pathways and regulatory mechanisms of active components.
Case-matched Comparison of Cardiovascular Outcome in Loeys-Dietz Syndrome versus Marfan Syndrome
Authors: Mühlstädt Kristina , De Backer Julie , von Kodolitsch Yskert , Kutsche Kerstin , Muiño Mosquera Laura , Brickwedel Jens , Girdauskas Evaldas , Mir Thomas S. , Mahlmann Adrian , Tsilimparis Nikolaos , Staebler Axel , Schoof Lauritz , Seidel Heide , Berger Jürgen , Bernhardt Alexander M. , Blankenberg Stefan , Kölbel Tilo , Detter Christian , Szöcs Katalin , Kaemmerer Harald
Published: November 2019

Background: Pathogenic variants in TGFBR1, TGFBR2 and SMAD3 genes cause Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and pathogenic variants in FBN1 cause Marfan syndrome. Despite their similar phenotypes, both syndromes may have different cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: Three expert centers performed a case-matched comparison of cardiovascular outcomes. The Loeys-Dietz group comprised 43 men and 40 women with a mean age of 34 ± 18 years. Twenty-six individuals had pathogenic variants in TGFBR1, 40 in TGFBR2, and 17 in SMAD3. For case-matched comparison we used 83 age and sex-frequency matched individuals with Marfan syndrome. Results: In Loeys-Dietz compared to Marfan syndrome, a patent ductus arteriosus (p = 0.014) was more prevalent, the craniofacial score was higher (p < 0.001), the systemic score lower (p < 0.001), and mitral valve prolapse less frequent (p = 0.003). Mean survival for Loeys-Dietz and Marfan syndrome was similar (75 ± 3 versus 73 ± 2 years; p = 0.811). Cardiovascular outcome was comparable between Loeys-Dietz and Marfan syndrome, including mean freedom from proximal aortic surgery (53 ± 4 versus 48 ± 3 years; p = 0.589), distal aortic repair (72 ± 3 versus 67 ± 2 years; p = 0.777), mitral valve surgery (75 ± 4 versus 65 ± 3 years; p = 0.108), and reintervention (20 ± 3 versus 14 ± 2 years; p = 0.112). In Loeys-Dietz syndrome, lower age at initial presentation predicted proximal aortic surgery (HR = 0.748; p < 0.001), where receiver operating characteristic analysis identified ≤33.5 years with increased risk. In addition, increased aortic sinus diameters (HR = 6.502; p = 0.001), and higher systemic score points at least marginally (HR = 1.175; p = 0.065) related to proximal aortic surgery in Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Conclusions: Cardiovascular outcome of Loeys-Dietz syndrome was comparable to Marfan syndrome, but the severity of systemic manifestations was a predictor of proximal aortic surgery.
Vibration Performance of a Flow Energy Converter behind Two Side-By-Side Cylinders
Authors: Rasani Mohammad Rasidi , Moria Hazim , Beer Michael , Ariffin Ahmad Kamal
Published: November 2019

Flow-induced vibrations of a flexible cantilever plate, placed in various positions behind two side-by-side cylinders, were computationally investigated to determine optimal location for wake-excited energy harvesters. In the present study, the cylinders of equal diameter D were fixed at center-to-center gap ratio of T / D = 1.7 and immersed in sub-critical flow of Reynold number R e D = 10 , 000 . A three-dimensional Navier–Stokes flow solver in an Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) description was closely coupled to a non-linear finite element structural solver that was used to model the dynamics of a composite piezoelectric plate. The cantilever plate was fixed at several positions between 0.5 < x / D < 1.5 and − 0.85 < y / D < 0.85 measured from the center gap between cylinders, and their flow-induced oscillations were compiled and analyzed. The results indicate that flexible plates located at the centerline between the cylinder pairs experience the lowest mean amplitude of oscillation. Maximum overall amplitude in oscillation is predicted when flexible plates are located in the intermediate off-center region downstream of both cylinders. Present findings indicate potential to further maximize wake-induced energy harvesting plates by exploiting their favorable positioning in the wake region behind two side-by-side cylinders.
Potential Impacts of Anthropogenic Forcing on the Frequency of Tropical Depressions in the North Indian Ocean in 2018
Authors: Zhang Wei , Hari Vittal , Villarini Gabriele
Published: November 2019

Fourteen tropical depressions formed in the North Indian Ocean during 2018—the most active season since 1986 and the second most active season since 1980. Among the 14 tropical depressions during 2018, seven developed into cyclonic storms, with five intensifying into severe cyclonic storms—three of which became very severe cyclonic storms. The sea surface temperature anomaly associated with El Niño appears to have played a minor role in shaping this extreme event (i.e., the 14 tropical depressions in the North Indian Ocean). Using large ensemble experiments performed by the Community Earth System Model developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, we detected an important role potentially played by anthropogenic forcing in increasing the risk of the 14 tropical depressions in the North Indian Ocean that were observed in the active 2018 season. Moreover, the projection experiments suggest a rising frequency of tropical depressions in the second half of the 21st century.
Molecular Diagnostics of Mucormycosis in Hematological Patients: A Literature Review
Authors: Shadrivova Olga V. , Burygina Ekaterina V. , Klimko Nikolai N.
Published: November 2019

Objectives: to analyze the results of molecular methods applying for the diagnosis of mucormycosis in hematologic patients based on a literature review. Data sources: A systematic search in databases PubMed, Google Scholar for August 2019. Review eligibility criteria: original articles published in English, studies of molecular methods for the diagnosis of mucormycosis in hematologic patients. Results. We analyzed the research data from 116 hematological patients with mucormycosis, including children (6%). Patients with localized forms of mucormycosis prevailed (72%), and lung involvement was diagnosed in 58% of these cases. For molecular verification of the causative agent of mucormycosis, blood serum was most often used, less commonly postoperative and autopsy material, biopsy specimens, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples and bronchoalveolar lavage, pleural fluid and sputum. The sensitivity of molecular diagnostics of mucormycosis in a cohort of hematological patients was 88.2%. Conclusion. The use of molecular techniques along with standard mycological methods will improve the diagnostics of mucormycosis in hematologic patients. However, prospective studies of the effectiveness of molecular methods for the diagnosis of mucormycosis of various etiologies in hematological patients, including children, using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are needed.
Investigation of Sheet Metal Forming Using a Rapid Compression Machine
Authors: Patil Sandeep P. , Fenard Yann , Bailkeri Shridhar , Heufer Karl Alexander , Markert Bernd
Published: November 2019

The primary goal of this work is to understand the deformation behavior of an aluminum alloy (Al) workpiece by using a rapid compression machine (RCM). The primary novelty in this work is that this is the first study on sheet metal forming using RCM. Numerical simulation and experimental results are in excellent agreement, e.g., the dome-shape, the maximum height, the final outer diameter, and the thickness distribution of the deformed workpiece. We demonstrate that the maximum deformation height grows linearly with the peak pressure with an intercept tending to zero. The proposed linear relationship can be effectively used for designing new components for a specific application. Moreover, the proposed numerical model was competent in reproducing the experimental results of damage initiation and evolution in case of high peak pressure as well as the initial misalignment of the workpiece. The results of this investigation revealed that a rapid compression machine can be utilized efficiently for the controlled forming of complex shapes of metal sheets.
Glassy Magnetic Behavior and Correlation Length in Nanogranular Fe-Oxide and Au/Fe-Oxide Samples
Authors: Del Bianco L. , Spizzo F. , Barucca G. , Marangoni G. , Sgarbossa P.
Published: November 2019

In nanoscale magnetic systems, the possible coexistence of structural disorder and competing magnetic interactions may determine the appearance of a glassy magnetic behavior, implying the onset of a low-temperature disordered collective state of frozen magnetic moments. This phenomenology is the object of an intense research activity, stimulated by a fundamental scientific interest and by the need to clarify how disordered magnetism effects may affect the performance of magnetic devices (e.g., sensors and data storage media). We report the results of a magnetic study that aims to broaden the basic knowledge of glassy magnetic systems and concerns the comparison between two samples, prepared by a polyol method. The first can be described as a nanogranular spinel Fe-oxide phase composed of ultrafine nanocrystallites (size of the order of 1 nm); in the second, the Fe-oxide phase incorporated non-magnetic Au nanoparticles (10–20 nm in size). In both samples, the Fe-oxide phase exhibits a glassy magnetic behavior and the nanocrystallite moments undergo a very similar freezing process. However, in the frozen regime, the Au/Fe-oxide composite sample is magnetically softer. This effect is explained by considering that the Au nanoparticles constitute physical constraints that limit the length of magnetic correlation between the frozen Fe-oxide moments.
A Sensitivity Analysis-Based Parameter Optimization Framework for 3D Printing of Continuous Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites
Authors: Xiao Hong , Han Wei , Ming Yueke , Ding Zhongqiu , Duan Yugang
Published: November 2019

Three-dimensional printing of continuous carbon fiber/epoxy composites (CCF/EPCs) is an emerging additive manufacturing technology for fiber-reinforced polymer composites and has wide application prospects. However, the 3D printing parameters and their relationship with the mechanical properties of the final printed samples have not been fully investigated in a computational and quantifiable way. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis (SA)-based parameter optimization framework for the 3D printing of CCF/EPCs. A surrogate model for a process parameter–mechanical property relationship was established by support vector regression (SVR) analysis of the experimental data on flexural strength and flexural modulus under different process parameters. An SA was then performed on the SVR surrogate model to calculate the importance of each individual 3D printing parameter on the mechanical properties of the printed samples. Based on the SA results, the optimal 3D printing parameters and the corresponding flexural strength and flexural modulus of the printed samples were predicted and verified by experiments. The results showed that the proposed framework can serve as a high-accuracy tool to optimize the 3D printing parameters for the additive manufacturing of CCF/EPCs.
Effect of Physiological Fluids Contamination on Selected Mechanical Properties of Acrylate Bone Cement
Authors: Karpiński Robert , Szabelski Jakub , Maksymiuk Jacek
Published: November 2019

This study analyses the degradation rate of selected mechanical properties of bone cement contaminated with human blood and saline solution. During the polymerisation stage, the PMMA cement specimens were supplemented with the selected physiological fluids in a range of concentrations from 0% to 10%. The samples were then subjected to the standardised compression tests, as per ISO 5833: 2002, and hardness tests. The obtained results were analysed statistically to display the difference in the degradation of the material relative to the degree of contamination. Subsequently, numerical modelling was employed to determine the mathematical relationship between the degree of contamination and the material strength degradation rate. The introduction of various concentrations of contaminants into the cement mass resulted in a statistically significant change in their compressive strength. It was shown that the addition of more than 4% of saline and more than 6% of blood (by weight) causes that the specimens exhibit lower strength than the minimum critical value of 70 MPa, specified in the abovementioned International Standard. It was further revealed that the cement hardness characteristics degraded accordingly. The mathematical models showed a very good fit with the results from the experiments: The coefficient of determination R2 was 0.987 in the case of the linear hardness model for blood and 0.983 for salt solution; secondly, the values of R2 for the third-degree polynomial model of compressive strength were 0.88 for blood and 0.92 for salt. From the results, it can be seen that there is a quantitative/qualitative relationship between the contamination rate and the drop in the tested mechanical characteristics. Therefore, great effort must be taken to minimise the contact of the bone cement with physiological fluids, which naturally occur in the operative field, particularly when the material cures, in order to prevent the cement material strength declining below the minimum threshold specified in the ISO standard.
Surface Roughening of Electrolyte Membrane for Pt- and Ru-Sputtered Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
Authors: Jeong Wonyeop , Cho Gu Young , Cha Suk Won , Park Taehyun
Published: November 2019

Platinum (Pt) and ruthenium (Ru) were sputtered on an electrolyte membrane and it was used as a membrane-electrode assembly for passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) operating with high concentration methanol solution (4 M). Thick (Pt of 300 nm and Ru of 150 nm) and thin (Pt of 150 nm and Ru of 75 nm) sputtered catalysts were prepared and their performance was first evaluated to find out the best sputtering conditions showing higher performance. Subsequently, four electrolyte membranes with different surface roughness were prepared to investigate its influence on the performance. As a result, the performance of the passive DMFC showed increasing tendency as the roughness is low, while the performance was decreased as the roughness was high, indicating there exists an optimal roughness of the electrolyte membrane. It was further investigated through morphological study through electron microscopy that such performance variation is attributed to the surface of sputtered Pt–Ru catalyst on the rough electrolyte membrane that adequate roughness induces the increase of reactive area while a too rough surface bears the poor contact of it with gas-diffusion layer.
The Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides Derived from Marine Organisms: An Overview
Authors: Zhong Qiwu , Wei Bin , Wang Sijia , Ke Songze , Chen Jianwei , Zhang Huawei , Wang Hong
Published: November 2019

Marine-derived antioxidant polysaccharides have aroused extensive attention because of their potential nutritional and therapeutic benefits. However, the comprehensive comparison of identified marine-derived antioxidant polysaccharides is still inaccessible, which would facilitate the discovery of more efficient antioxidants from marine organisms. Thus, this review summarizes the sources, chemical composition, structural characteristics, and antioxidant capacity of marine antioxidant polysaccharides, as well as their protective in vivo effects mediated by antioxidative stress reported in the last few years (2013–2019), and especially highlights the dominant role of marine algae as antioxidant polysaccharide source. In addition, the relationships between the chemical composition and structural characteristics of marine antioxidant polysaccharides with their antioxidant capacity were also discussed. The antioxidant activity was found to be determined by multiple factors, including molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, sulfate position and its degree.
Long Term Results of Modified Intersphincteric Resections for Low Rectal Cancer: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Butiurca Vlad-Olimpiu , Molnar Călin , Constantin Copotoiu , Botoncea Marian , Bud Teodor Ioan , Kovacs Zsolt , Satala Cătălin , Gurzu Simona
Published: November 2019

Background and Objectives: The objective of this article is to evaluate the long-term oncological and functional outcomes following modified intersphincteric resections (ISR) for low rectal cancer. The modified technique consisted of the abandonment of colonic J-pouches, transverse coloplasty, or defunctioning temporary stoma in favor of a direct handsewn coloanal anastomosis (CAA). Material and Methods: Sixty consecutive patients with type II and III (juxta-anal or intra-anal) low rectal tumors underwent modified ISR by the same surgical team and were followed for a period of five years. Functional outcomes using the Wexner Score, postoperative complications, recurrence rates, morbidity, and mortality rates were assessed. Results: The five-year survival rate was 93.3% with a disease-free interval at three years of 98%. Morbidity was 15% (n = 9) consisting of intestinal wall necrosis (n = 6), stenosis (n = 2), and sacral metastasis (n = 1). The Wexner score values were, at 1 year, 8.5 (range, 4–13); at three years 7.2 (range, 2–11); and at 5 years 6.7 (range, 2–12). A second surgery was needed in only one case that showed postoperative transmural necrosis of the colonic wall. Conclusions: In highly selected patients with type II or III low rectal tumors and proper preoperative imaging staging, ISR might be a viable alternative to other techniques such as abdominoperineal resection and low anterior resection, both from a functional and an oncological perspective.
Indexes of Angiogenic Activation in Myocardial Samples of Patients with Advanced Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Komici Klara , Gnemmi Isabella , Sangiorgi Claudia , Ricciardolo Fabio Luigi Massimo , Rinaldi Mauro , Di Stefano Antonino , Eleuteri Ermanno
Published: November 2019

Background and objectives: Ischemic and idiopathic heart failure are characterized by reactive cardiac fibrosis and impaired vasculogenesis involving pro-angiogenic factors such as angiogenin, angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), as demonstrated in experimental models of heart failure. However, differences in the molecular pathways between these cardiomyopathies are still unclear. In this short communication, we evaluate and compare the expression of pro-angiogenic molecules in the heart tissue of patients with advanced chronic heart failure (CHF) of ischemic vs. nonischemic etiology. Materials and Methods: We obtained heart tissue at transplantation from left ventricular walls of 16 explanted native hearts affected by either ischemic (ICM) or nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). Tissue samples were examined using immunohistochemistry for angiogenic molecules. Results: We found immunopositivity (I-pos) for angiopoietin-1 mainly in the cardiomyocytes, while we observed I-pos for Ang-2 and Tie-2 receptor mainly in endothelial cells. Expression of Procollagen-I (PICP), angiogenin, Ang-1, and Tie-2 receptor was similar in ICM and NIDCM. In contrast, endothelial immunopositivity for Ang-2 was higher in ICM samples than NIDCM (p = 0.03). Conclusions: In our series of CHF heart samples, distribution of Ang-1 and angiogenin was higher in cardiomyocytes while that of Ang-2 was higher in endothelial cells; moreover, Ang-2 expression was higher in ICS than NIDCM. Despite the small series examined, these findings suggest different patterns of angiogenic stimulation in ICM and NIDCM, or at least a more altered endothelial integrity in ICD. Our data may contribute to a better understanding of the angiogenesis signaling pathways in CHF. Further studies should investigate differences in the biochemical processes leading to heart failure.
Tangential Flow Filtration for the Concentration of Oncolytic Measles Virus: The Influence of Filter Properties and the Cell Culture Medium
Authors: Loewe Daniel , Grein Tanja A. , Dieken Hauke , Weidner Tobias , Salzig Denise , Czermak Peter
Published: November 2019

The therapeutic use of oncolytic measles virus (MV) for cancer treatment requires >108 infectious MV particles per dose in a highly pure form. The concentration/purification of viruses is typically achieved by tangential flow filtration (TFF) but the efficiency of this process for the preparation of MV has not been tested in detail. We therefore investigated the influence of membrane material, feed composition, and pore size or molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) on the recovery of MV by TFF in concentration mode. We achieved the recovery of infectious MV particles using membranes with a MWCO ≤ 300 kDa regardless of the membrane material and whether or not serum was present in the feed. However, serum proteins in the medium affected membrane flux and promoted fouling. The severity of fouling was dependent on the membrane material, with the cellulose-based membrane showing the lowest susceptibility. We found that impurities such as proteins and host cell DNA were best depleted using membranes with a MWCO ≥ 300 kDa. We conclude that TFF in concentration mode is a robust unit operation to concentrate infectious MV particles while depleting impurities such as non-infectious MV particles, proteins, and host cell DNA.
Reference Electrodes with Polymer-Based Membranes—Comprehensive Performance Characteristics
Authors: Lingenfelter Peter , Bartoszewicz Bartosz , Migdalski Jan , Sokalski Tomasz , Bućko Mirosław M. , Filipek Robert , Lewenstam Andrzej
Published: November 2019

Several types of liquid membrane and solid-state reference electrodes based on different plastics were fabricated. In the membranes studied, equitransferent organic (QB) and inorganic salts (KCl) are dispersed in polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), urea-formaldehyde resin (UF), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), as well as remelted KCl in order to show the matrix impact on the reference membranes’ behavior. The comparison of potentiometic performance was made using specially designed standardized testing protocols. A problem in the reference electrode research and literature has been a lack of standardized testing, which leads to difficulties in comparing different types, qualities, and properties of reference electrodes. Herein, several protocols were developed to test the electrodes’ performance with respect to stability over time, pH sensitivity, ionic strength, and various ionic species. All of the prepared reference electrodes performed well in at least some respect and would be suitable for certain applications as described in the text. Most of the reference types, however, demonstrated some weakness that had not been previously highlighted in the literature, due in large part to the lack of exhaustive and/or consistent testing protocols.
Manufacturing of Al Alloy Microrods by Micro Cutting in a Micromachining Center
Authors: Rahman M. Azizur , Rahman Mustafizur , Mia Mozammel , Asad A.B.M.A. , Fardin Ahmed
Published: November 2019

This paper presents the micromanufacturing of aluminum (Al) alloy microrods using micro turning as a competing process to other nontraditional micromachining methods. In that regard, the challenges in such manufacturing have been identified and overcome. The strategies of step-by-step cutting have also been delineated. In addition, the influence of step size and step length on the cutting and thrust forces were investigated. The chip morphology for micromachining was examined using scanning electron microscopic imagery. The safe dimension of the microrod was calculated and, subsequently, used to fabricate microrod, conical tip rod, and grooved rod from 3 mm long and 1.5 mm diameter rod using an appropriately coded computer numerical control (CNC) micromachining center. Our results showed that the thrust force was responsible for part deflection, emphasizing the necessity for computing safe dimensions. At shallow step sizes, the thrust force was more dominant, causing plastic deformation associated with rubbing and burnishing. The chips produced were irregular and sliced in nature. Conversely, at high step sizes, the cutting force superseded the thrust force, resulting in chips that were spread more along the width as opposed to the depth. The chips also had a smoother interacting surface. Finally, micro turning was successfully implemented to manufacture milli-scale structures (i.e., 3 mm long) with micro features (150 to 230 μm diameter) on aluminum alloy materials.
Quantification and Multidrug Resistance Profiles of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Isolated from Two Wastewater Treatment Plants in the Same Municipality
Authors: Sanderson Haley , Ortega-Polo Rodrigo , McDermott Kevin , Hall Geoffrey , Zaheer Rahat , Brown R. Stephen , Majury Anna , McAllister Tim A. , Liss Steven N.
Published: November 2019

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are points of control for the environmental dissemination of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were used as indicators of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in two WWTPs (biologically aerated filter (BAF) and conventional activated sludge (CAS)) in the same municipality. The removal and abundance of enterococci and VRE as well as the species and antimicrobial resistance profiles of VRE were assessed. Enterococci and VRE from the primary and final effluents were enumerated. Results were assessed from an ecological context. VRE was not selected for by either WWTP but the BAF system outperformed the CAS system for the removal of enterococci/VRE. Enterococcus faecalis (n = 151), E. faecium (n = 94) and E. casseliflavus/E. gallinarum (n = 59) were the dominant VRE species isolated. A decrease in levofloxacin resistance in enterococci was observed in the BAF WWTP. An increase in nitrofurantoin resistant (p < 0.001) and a decrease in quinupristin/dalfopristin (p = 0.003) and streptomycin (p = 0.022) resistant enterococci were observed in the CAS WWTP, corresponding to a shift of VRE from E. faecalis to E. faecium. Wastewater treatment processes can be managed to limit the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance determinants into the surrounding environment.