bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NF-κB/Rel Transcription Factors in Pancreatic Cancer: Focusing on RelA, c-Rel, and RelB
Authors: Kabacaoglu Derya , Ruess Dietrich A. , Ai Jiaoyu , Algül Hana
Published: July 2019

Regulation of Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB)/Rel transcription factors (TFs) is extremely cell-type-specific owing to their ability to act disparately in the context of cellular homeostasis driven by cellular fate and the microenvironment. This is also valid for tumor cells in which every single component shows heterogenic effects. Whereas many studies highlighted a per se oncogenic function for NF-κB/Rel TFs across cancers, recent advances in the field revealed their additional tumor-suppressive nature. Specifically, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), as one of the deadliest malignant diseases, shows aberrant canonical-noncanonical NF-κB signaling activity. Although decades of work suggest a prominent oncogenic activity of NF-κB signaling in PDAC, emerging evidence points to the opposite including anti-tumor effects. Considering the dual nature of NF-κB signaling and how it is closely linked to many other cancer related signaling pathways, it is essential to dissect the roles of individual Rel TFs in pancreatic carcinogenesis and tumor persistency and progression. Here, we discuss recent knowledge highlighting the role of Rel TFs RelA, RelB, and c-Rel in PDAC development and maintenance. Next to providing rationales for therapeutically harnessing Rel TF function in PDAC, we compile strategies currently in (pre-)clinical evaluation.
The Unsolved Puzzle of c-Rel in B Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Kober-Hasslacher Maike , Schmidt-Supprian Marc
Published: July 2019

Aberrant constitutive activation of Rel/NF-κB transcription factors is a hallmark of numerous cancers. Of the five Rel family members, c-Rel has the strongest direct links to tumorigenesis. c-Rel is the only member that can malignantly transform lymphoid cells in vitro. Furthermore, c-Rel is implicated in human B cell lymphoma through the frequent occurrence of REL gene locus gains and amplifications. In normal physiology, high c-Rel expression predominates in the hematopoietic lineage and a diverse range of stimuli can trigger enhanced expression and activation of c-Rel. Both expression and activation of c-Rel are tightly regulated on multiple levels, indicating the necessity to keep its functions under control. In this review we meta-analyze and integrate studies reporting gene locus aberrations to provide an overview on the frequency of REL gains in human B cell lymphoma subtypes, namely follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma. We also summarize current knowledge on c-Rel expression and protein localization in these human B cell lymphomas and discuss the co-amplification of BCL11A with REL. In addition, we highlight and illustrate key pathways of c-Rel activation and regulation with a specific focus on B cell biology.
European Regulatory Framework and Particulate Matter Emissions of Gasoline Light-Duty Vehicles: A Review
Authors: Giechaskiel Barouch , Joshi Ameya , Ntziachristos Leonidas , Dilara Panagiota
Published: July 2019

The particulate matter (PM) emissions of gasoline vehicles were much lower than those of diesel vehicles until the introduction of diesel particulate filters (DPFs) in the early 2000s. At the same time, gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines started to become popular in the market due to their improved efficiency over port fuel injection (PFI) ones. However, the PM mass and number emissions of GDI vehicles were higher than their PFI counterparts and diesel ones equipped with DPFs. Stringent PM mass levels and the introduction of particle number limits for GDI vehicles in the European Union (EU) resulted in significant PM reductions. The EU requirement to fulfill the proposed limits on the road resulted to the introduction of gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) in EU GDI models. This review summarizes the evolution of PM mass emissions from gasoline vehicles placed in the market from early 1990s until 2019 in different parts of the world. The analysis then extends to total and nonvolatile particle number emissions. Care is given to reveal the impact of ambient temperature on emission levels. The discussion tries to provide scientific input to the following policy-relevant questions. Whether particle number limits should be extended to gasoline PFI vehicles, whether the lower limit of 23 nm for particle number measurements should be decreased to 10 nm, and whether low ambient temperature tests for PM should be included.
Metal Oxides Applied to Thermochemical Water-Splitting for Hydrogen Production Using Concentrated Solar Energy
Authors: Abanades Stéphane
Published: July 2019

Solar thermochemical processes have the potential to efficiently convert high-temperature solar heat into storable and transportable chemical fuels such as hydrogen. In such processes, the thermal energy required for the endothermic reaction is supplied by concentrated solar energy and the hydrogen production routes differ as a function of the feedstock resource. While hydrogen production should still rely on carbonaceous feedstocks in a transition period, thermochemical water-splitting using metal oxide redox reactions is considered to date as one of the most attractive methods in the long-term to produce renewable H2 for direct use in fuel cells or further conversion to synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuels. The two-step redox cycles generally consist of the endothermic solar thermal reduction of a metal oxide releasing oxygen with concentrated solar energy used as the high-temperature heat source for providing reaction enthalpy; and the exothermic oxidation of the reduced oxide with H2O to generate H2. This approach requires the development of redox-active and thermally-stable oxide materials able to split water with both high fuel productivities and chemical conversion rates. The main relevant two-step metal oxide systems are commonly based on volatile (ZnO/Zn, SnO2/SnO) and non-volatile redox pairs (Fe3O4/FeO, ferrites, CeO2/CeO2−δ, perovskites). These promising hydrogen production cycles are described by providing an overview of the best performing redox systems, with special focus on their capabilities to produce solar hydrogen with high yields, rapid reaction rates, and thermochemical performance stability, and on the solar reactor technologies developed to operate the solid–gas reaction systems.
An Unusual Cold February 2019 in Saskatchewan—A Case Study Using NCEP Reanalysis Datasets
Authors: Basu Soumik , Sauchyn David
Published: July 2019

In February 2019, central Canada, and especially the province of Saskatchewan, experienced extreme cold weather. It was the coldest February in 82 years and the second coldest in 115 years. In this study, we examine National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Reanalysis 1 data to understand the atmospheric processes leading to this cold snap. A detailed investigation of surface air temperature, sea level pressure, surface fluxes, and winds revealed a linkage between the North Pacific storm track and the February cold snap. A shift in the jet stream pattern triggered by the storm activity over the North Pacific caused a high-pressure blocking pattern, which resulted in unusual cold temperatures in Saskatchewan in February. This study demonstrates the potential for extreme cold in a warming climate; weather records in Saskatchewan show an increase in minimum winter temperature by 4–5 °C.
Compositionally Graded Hydrophobic UV-Cured Coatings for the Prevention of Glass Stress Corrosion
Authors: Dalle Vacche Sara , Mariggiò Gregorio , Vitale Alessandra , Bongiovanni Roberta , Corrado Mauro
Published: July 2019

The use of glass in architecture is growing and is moving towards structural applications. However, the tensile strength of glass cannot be fully exploited because of stress corrosion. This is a corrosion triggered by stress applied to the material and dependent on environmental factors such as humidity and temperature. To protect glass from stress corrosion, we developed a UV-cured coating, characterized by hydrophobicity, barrier to water vapor properties, and good adhesion to glass, thanks to a compositional profile. The coating was obtained by combining a cycloaliphatic diacrylate resin with a very low amount of a perfluoropolyether methacrylate co-monomer, which migrated to the free surface, creating a compositionally graded coating. The adhesion to glass was improved, using as a primer an acrylated silane able to co-react with the resins. With a mechanical load test using the coaxial double ring set-up, we proved that the coating is effective in the inhibition of stress corrosion of glass plates, with an increase of 76% of tensile strength.
Rapid Removal and Efficient Recovery of Tetracycline Antibiotics in Aqueous Solution Using Layered Double Hydroxide Components in an In Situ-Adsorption Process
Authors: Panplado Kwanjira , Subsadsana Maliwan , Srijaranai Supalax , Sansuk Sira
Published: July 2019

This work demonstrates a simple approach for the efficient removal of tetracycline (TC) antibiotic from an aqueous solution. The in situ-adsorption removal method involved instant precipitation formation of mixed metal hydroxides (MMHs), which could immediately act as a sorbent for capturing TC from an aqueous solution, by employing layered double hydroxide (LDH) components including magnesium and aluminum ions in alkaline conditions. By using this approach, 100% removal of TC can be accomplished within 4 min under optimized conditions. The fast removal possibly resulted from an instantaneous adsorption of TC molecules onto the charged surface of MMHs via hydrogen bonding and electrostatically induced attraction. The results revealed that our removal technique was superior to the use of LDH as a sorbent in terms of both removal kinetics and efficiency. Moreover, the recovery of captured TC was tested under the influence of various common anions. It was found that 98% recovery could be simply achieved by using phosphate, possibly due to its highly charged density. Furthermore, this method was successful for efficient removal of TC in real environmental water samples.
Growing Media Skills and Know-How In Situ: Technology-Enhanced Practices and Collaborative Support in Mobile News-Reporting
Authors: Sidiropoulos Efstathios , Vryzas Nikolaos , Vrysis Lazaros , Avraam Evangelia , Dimoulas Charalampos
Published: July 2019

Over the past decade, mobile news production has had a growing prevalence and has been established as a new type by modern journalism industry. Journalists understand content capturing and sharing as parts of their role in newsrooms. Mobile journalism (mojo) is an evolving form of reporting in which where people use only a smartphone to create and file stories, and it has been gaining ground during the last decade. This paper aims to examine the difficulties, issues, and challenges in real-world mojo scenarios, analyzing the efficacy of prototype machine-assisted reporting services (MoJo-MATE). A usability evaluation is conducted in quantitative and qualitative terms, paying attention to the media literacy support provided through implemented tools and the proposed collaborations. Students of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, along with postgraduate-level researchers and professional journalists, form the sample for this investigation, which has a two-folded target: To guide the rapid prototyping process for system development and to validate specific hypotheses by answering the corresponding research questions. The results indicate the impact of mobile/on-demand support and training on journalistic practices and the attitudes of future journalists towards specialized technology in the era of constantly evolving digital journalism.
Dynamic Noise Mapping in the Suburban Area of Rome (Italy)
Authors: Benocci Roberto , Bellucci Patrizia , Peruzzi Laura , Bisceglie Alessandro , Angelini Fabio , Confalonieri Chiara , Zambon Giovanni
Published: July 2019

A “real-time” noise mapping project, named DYNAMAP, has been developed in the framework of a Life+ 2013 program and cofunded by the European Commission. The project aims at giving a real picture of the noise generated by vehicular traffic. To this purpose, a dedicated platform has been developed to elaborate the information from distributed noise monitoring stations. The methodology has been implemented along the ring road encircling the city of Rome (Italy). A detailed description of the system is given together with a report on the testing campaign that allowed evaluation of the accuracy and reliability of the system. From the monitoring campaign satisfactory results have been achieved, showing an average overall prediction error of ~1.5 dB.
Automatic Addition of Fault-Tolerance in Presence of Unchangeable Environment Actions †
Authors: Roohitavaf Mohammad , Kulkarni Sandeep
Published: July 2019

We focus on the problem of adding fault-tolerance to an existing concurrent protocol in the presence of unchangeable environment actions. Such unchangeable actions occur in cases where a subset of components/processes cannot be modified since they represent third-party components or are constrained by physical laws. These actions differ from faults in that they are (1) simultaneously collaborative and disruptive, (2) essential for satisfying the specification and (3) possibly non-terminating. Hence, if these actions are modeled as faults while adding fault-tolerance, it causes existing model repair algorithms to declare failure to add fault-tolerance. We present a set of algorithms for adding stabilization and fault-tolerance for programs that run in the presence of environment actions. We prove the soundness, completeness and the complexity of our algorithms. We have implemented all of our algorithms using symbolic techniques in Java. The experimental results of our algorithms for various examples are also provided.
Life Cycle Assessment of Mortars with Incorporation of Industrial Wastes
Authors: Farinha Catarina Brazão , Silvestre José Dinis , de Brito Jorge , Veiga Maria do Rosário
Published: July 2019

The production of waste is increasing yearly and, without a viable recycle or reutilization solution, waste is sent to landfills, where it can take thousand to years to degrade. Simultaneously, for the production of new materials, some industries continue to ignore the potential of wastes and keep on using natural resources for production. The incorporation of waste materials in mortars is a possible solution to avoid landfilling, through their recycling or reutilization. However, no evaluation of their “sustainability” in terms of environmental performance is available in the literature. In this sense, in this research a life cycle assessment was performed on mortars, namely renders, with incorporation of industrials wastes replacing sand and/or cement. For that purpose, eight environmental impact categories (abiotic depletion potential, global warming potential, ozone depletion potential, photochemical ozone creation potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, use of non-renewable primary energy resources, and use of renewable primary energy resources) within a “cradle to gate” boundary were analyzed for 19 mortars with incorporation of several industrial wastes: sanitary ware, glass fiber reinforced polymer, forest biomass ashes, and textile fibers. Sixteen out of the 19 mortars under analysis presented, in all environmental impact categories, an equal or better environment performance than a common mortar (used as a reference). The benefits in some environmental impacts were over 20%.
Association of lncRNA H19 Gene Polymorphisms with the Occurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Edie-Rosmin , Chou Ying-Erh , Liu Yu-Fan , Hsueh Kuan-Chun , Lee Hsiang-Lin , Yang Shun-Fa , Su Shih-Chi
Published: July 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, whose diversified occurrence worldwide indicates a connection between genetic variations among individuals and the predisposition to such neoplasms. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 can have both promotive and inhibitory effects on cancer development, revealing a dual role in tumorigenesis. In this study, the link of H19 gene polymorphisms to hepatocarcinogenesis was assessed between 359 HCC patients and 1190 cancer-free subjects. We found that heterozygotes for the minor allele of H19 rs2839698 (T) and rs3741219 (G) were more inclined to develop HCC (OR, 1.291; 95% CI, 1.003–1.661; p = 0.047, and OR, 1.361; 95% CI, 1.054–1.758; p = 0.018, respectively), whereas homozygotes for the polymorphic allele of rs2107425 (TT) were correlated with a decreased risk of HCC (OR, 0.606; 95% CI, 0.410–0.895; p = 0.012). Moreover, patients who bear at least one variant allele (heterozygote or homozygote) of rs3024270 were less prone to develop late-stage tumors (for stage III/IV; OR, 0.566; 95% CI, 0.342–0.937; p = 0.027). In addition, carriers of a particular haplotype of three H19 SNPs tested were more susceptible to HCC. In conclusion, our results indicate an association between H19 gene polymorphisms and the incidence and progression of liver cancer.
Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of the Larval and Adult Stages of Taenia pisiformis
Authors: Zhang Shaohua
Published: July 2019

Taenia pisiformis is a tapeworm causing economic losses in the rabbit breeding industry worldwide. Due to the absence of genomic data, our knowledge on the developmental process of T. pisiformis is still inadequate. In this study, to better characterize differential and specific genes and pathways associated with the parasite developments, a comparative transcriptomic analysis of the larval stage (TpM) and the adult stage (TpA) of T. pisiformis was performed by Illumina RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology and de novo analysis. In total, 68,588 unigenes were assembled with an average length of 789 nucleotides (nt) and N50 of 1485 nt. Further, we identified 4093 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in TpA versus TpM, of which 3186 DEGs were upregulated and 907 were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) analyses revealed that most DEGs involved in metabolic processes and Wnt signaling pathway were much more active in the TpA stage. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) validated that the expression levels of the selected 10 DEGs were consistent with those in RNA-seq, indicating that the transcriptomic data are reliable. The present study provides comparative transcriptomic data concerning two developmental stages of T. pisiformis, which will be of great value for future functional studies on the regulatory mechanisms behind adult worm pathogenesis and for developing drugs and vaccines against this important parasite.
Determining of the Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) of Rock Discontinuities Based on the Theory of Random Fields
Authors: Gravanis Elias , Pantelidis Lysandros
Published: July 2019

This work intends to embed the estimation of the joint roughness coefficient (JRC) in the framework of random fields. The random field method is a probabilistic approach which involves modeling of the spatial variability of the pertinent physical quantities as a fundamental part of the (assumed) underlying probabilistic structure. Although this method is one of higher complexity in regard of the presumed background knowledge, it encodes naturally subtler information about the rock surface roughness. It is noted that, the proposed random field approach considers automatically the scale of the problem (no correction factor is needed), whilst the JRC estimates appear to be more stable (compared to those derived from Z2 or SF) in the sense that images of the same profile but of different quality give similar results for its roughness. The present work could also be useful in advanced probabilistic rock slope stability analysis based on random fields. In such a case, the required spatial correlation length θ can be obtained by the proposed θ = 145.5 σ/JRC relationship (σ = variance of the profile). The JRC can be obtained through tilt tests, push or pull tests, or matching roughness profiles, whilst σ can be obtained from inspection of the digitized profile.
Linking Transformational Leadership with Nurse-Assessed Adverse Patient Outcomes and the Quality of Care: Assessing the Role of Job Satisfaction and Structural Empowerment
Authors: Asif Muhammad , Jameel Arif , Hussain Abid , Hwang Jinsoo , Sahito Noman
Published: July 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between transformational leadership (TL), structural empowerment (SE), job satisfaction (JS), nurse-assessed adverse patient outcomes (APO), and the quality of care (QOC). The study further investigates the mediating effects of SE and JS on TL-APO and TL-QOC relationships. A total of 600 nurses working at 17 government hospitals in Pakistan completed the survey. The hypothesized model was tested using a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. We found a positive relationship between TL, SE, JS, and QOC but negative relationships between TL and APO, SE and APO, and JS and APO. Our study further suggests that SE and JS strongly mediate both TL-APO and TL-QOC relationships.
SerThr-PhosphoProteome of Brain from Aged PINK1-KO+A53T-SNCA Mice Reveals pT1928-MAP1B and pS3781-ANK2 Deficits, as Hub between Autophagy and Synapse Changes
Authors: Auburger Georg , Gispert Suzana , Torres-Odio Sylvia , Jendrach Marina , Brehm Nadine , Canet-Pons Júlia , Key Jana , Sen Nesli-Ece
Published: July 2019

Hereditary Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be triggered by an autosomal dominant overdose of alpha-Synuclein (SNCA) as stressor or the autosomal recessive deficiency of PINK1 Serine/Threonine-phosphorylation activity as stress-response. We demonstrated the combination of PINK1-knockout with overexpression of SNCAA53T in double mutant (DM) mice to exacerbate locomotor deficits and to reduce lifespan. To survey posttranslational modifications of proteins underlying the pathology, brain hemispheres of old DM mice underwent quantitative label-free global proteomic mass spectrometry, focused on Ser/Thr-phosphorylations. As an exceptionally strong effect, we detected >300-fold reductions of phosphoThr1928 in MAP1B, a microtubule-associated protein, and a similar reduction of phosphoSer3781 in ANK2, an interactor of microtubules. MAP1B depletion is known to trigger perturbations of microtubular mitochondria trafficking, neurite extension, and synaptic function, so it was noteworthy that relevantly decreased phosphorylation was also detected for other microtubule and microfilament factors, namely MAP2S1801, MARK1S394, MAP1AT1794, KIF1AS1537, 4.1NS541, 4.1GS86, and ADD2S528. While the MAP1B heavy chain supports regeneration and growth cones, its light chain assists DAPK1-mediated autophagy. Interestingly, relevant phosphorylation decreases of DAPK2S299, VPS13DS2429, and VPS13CS2480 in the DM brain affected regulators of autophagy, which are implicated in PD. Overall, significant downregulations were enriched for PFAM C2 domains, other kinases, and synaptic transmission factors upon automated bioinformatics, while upregulations were not enriched for selective motifs or pathways. Validation experiments confirmed the change of LC3 processing as reflection of excessive autophagy in DM brain, and dependence of ANK2/MAP1B expression on PINK1 levels. Our new data provide independent confirmation in a mouse model with combined PARK1/PARK4/PARK6 pathology that MAP1B/ANK2 phosphorylation events are implicated in Parkinsonian neurodegeneration. These findings expand on previous observations in Drosophila melanogaster that the MAP1B ortholog futsch in the presynapse is a primary target of the PARK8 protein LRRK2, and on a report that MAP1B is a component of the pathological Lewy body aggregates in PD patient brains. Similarly, ANK2 gene locus variants are associated with the risk of PD, ANK2 interacts with PINK1/Parkin-target proteins such as MIRO1 or ATP1A2, and ANK2-derived peptides are potent inhibitors of autophagy.
Editorial for the Special Issue on “Modern Recommender Systems: Approaches, Challenges and Applications”
Authors: Vassilakis Costas , Margaris Dionisis
Published: July 2019

Recommender systems are nowadays an indispensable part of most personalized systems implementing information access and content delivery, supporting a great variety of user activities [...]
Insecticide Control of Drosophila suzukii in Commercial Sweet Cherry Crops under Cladding
Authors: Shaw Bethan , Hemer Sebastian , Cannon Madeleine F. L. , Rogai Francesco , Fountain Michelle T.
Published: July 2019

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura is a damaging invasive pest of sweet cherry. Using a series of laboratory leaf contact assays, semi-field, and orchard spray programs we aimed to determine the impact of insecticide programs on D. suzukii adult mortality and oviposition in cladding-protected sweet cherry crops. Tests included assessing adult D. suzukii mortality after contact with leaves sprayed either one or two weeks previously and emergence of adults from fruits. Spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin, acetamiprid, lime, pyrethrin, deltamethrin, and cyantraniliprole all reduced fruit damage up to day 7 after application. Of these active ingredients, only spinosad, lambda-cyhalothrin, and cyantraniliprole gave satisfactory control up to 14 days. There was no significant difference in D. suzukii mortality when exposed to leaves treated either one or two weeks previously with an application of either spinosad, cyantraniliprole, or lambda-cyhalothrin; however, mortality was significantly higher than D. suzukii in contact with untreated leaves. In eight commercial orchards, fortnightly spray applications including spinosad, cyantraniliprole, and lambda-cyhalothrin gave effective control of D. suzukii until harvest with very few damaged fruits. These experiments demonstrate that currently approved plant protection products, applied to sweet cherry under protection, give at least two weeks protection from D. suzukii.
The Effect of Cycling Through a Projection-Based Virtual Environment System on Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Wang Tsai-Chiao , Tsai Chia-Liang , Tang Ta-Wei , Wang Wei-Li , Lee Kuan-Ting
Published: July 2019

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to help clinical medicine manage generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). However, patients with GAD who use traditional head-mounted VR to cycle may cause them to feel motion sickness and fatigue. To solve this problem, a projection-based virtual environment (VE) system was built to provide GAD patients with a sense of immersion while they are cycling. This projection-based VE system allows patients with GAD to interact with the virtual environment and produce experiences similar to cycling in the outdoors. Sixty GAD patients met several screening criteria and were selected as participants. All participants were randomly assigned to one of the two 20-min conditions: (1) Observing watercolor paintings projected by the projector while engaged in cycling with a stationary bicycle; or (2) observing the scenes (i.e., forest or park) projected by the VE system and engaging in cycling with a stationary bicycle. Finally, this study confirmed that patients with GAD in the projection-based VE group exhibited higher alpha values and lower galvanic skin responses (GSR) after cycling than those cycling in the control group. These results showed that cycling in the projection-based VE group allowed the patient with GAD to achieve higher exercise intensity and lower perceived emotional stress.
Management of Malnutrition in Older Patients—Current Approaches, Evidence and Open Questions
Authors: Volkert Dorothee , Beck Anne Marie , Cederholm Tommy , Cereda Emanuele , Cruz-Jentoft Alfonso , Goisser Sabine , de Groot Lisette , Großhauser Franz , Kiesswetter Eva , Norman Kristina , Pourhassan Maryam , Reinders Ilse , Roberts Helen C. , Rolland Yves , Schneider Stéphane M. , Sieber Cornel C. , Thiem Ulrich , Visser Marjolein , Wijnhoven Hanneke A.H. , Wirth Rainer
Published: July 2019

Malnutrition is widespread in older people and represents a major geriatric syndrome with multifactorial etiology and severe consequences for health outcomes and quality of life. The aim of the present paper is to describe current approaches and evidence regarding malnutrition treatment and to highlight relevant knowledge gaps that need to be addressed. Recently published guidelines of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) provide a summary of the available evidence and highlight the wide range of different measures that can be taken—from the identification and elimination of potential causes to enteral and parenteral nutrition—depending on the patient’s abilities and needs. However, more than half of the recommendations therein are based on expert consensus because of a lack of evidence, and only three are concern patient-centred outcomes. Future research should further clarify the etiology of malnutrition and identify the most relevant causes in order to prevent malnutrition. Based on limited and partly conflicting evidence and the limitations of existing studies, it remains unclear which interventions are most effective in which patient groups, and if specific situations, diseases or etiologies of malnutrition require specific approaches. Patient-relevant outcomes such as functionality and quality of life need more attention, and research methodology should be harmonised to allow for the comparability of studies.
Blockade of STAT3 Causes Severe In Vitro and In Vivo Maturation Defects in Intestinal Organoids Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Jung Kwang , Kwon Ohman , Lee Mi-Ok , Lee Hana , Son Ye , Habib Omer , Oh Jung-Hwa , Cho Hyun-Soo , Jung Cho-Rok , Kim Janghwan , Son Mi-Young
Published: July 2019

Human intestinal organoids (hIOs), which resemble the human intestine structurally and physiologically, have emerged as a new modality for the study of the molecular and cellular biology of the intestine in vitro. We recently developed an in vitro maturation technique for generating functional hIOs from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Here, we investigated the function of STAT3 for inducing in vitro maturation of hIOs. This was accompanied by the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3, whereas treatment with pharmacological inhibitors of STAT3 suppressed the phosphorylation of STAT3 and the expression of intestinal maturation markers. We generated and characterized STAT3 knockout (KO) human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. We found that STAT3 KO does not affect the differentiation of hESCs into hIOs but rather affects the in vitro maturation of hIOs. STAT3 KO hIOs displayed immature morphologies with decreased size and reduced budding in hIOs even after in vitro maturation. STAT3 KO hIOs showed markedly different profiles from hIOs matured in vitro and human small intestine. Additionally, STAT3 KO hIOs failed to maintain upon in vivo transplantation. This study reveals a core signaling pathway consisting of STAT3 controlling the in vitro maturation of hIOs derived from hPSCs.
Analysis and Evaluation of Fiber Orientation Reconstruction Methods
Authors: Breuer Kevin , Stommel Markus , Korte Wolfgang
Published: July 2019

The calculation of the fiber orientation of short fiber-reinforced plastics with the Fokker–Planck equation requires a considerable numerical effort, which is practically not feasible for injection molding simulations. Therefore, only the fiber orientation tensors are determined, i.e., by the Folgar–Tucker equation, which requires much less computational effort. However, spatial fiber orientation must be reconstructed from the fiber orientation tensors in advance for structural simulations. In this contribution, two reconstruction methods were investigated and evaluated using generated test scenarios and experimentally measured fiber orientation. The reconstruction methods include spherical harmonics up to the 8th order and the method of maximum entropy, with which a Bingham distribution is reconstructed. It is shown that the quality of the reconstruction depends massively on the original fiber orientation to be reconstructed. If the original distribution can be regarded as a Bingham distribution in good approximation, the method of maximum entropy is superior to spherical harmonics. If there is no Bingham distribution, spherical harmonics is more suitable due to its greater flexibility, but only if sufficiently high orders of the fiber orientation tensor can be determined exactly.
Necrotizing Mucormycosis of Wounds Following Combat Injuries, Natural Disasters, Burns, and Other Trauma
Authors: Walsh Thomas J. , Hospenthal Duane R. , Petraitis Vidmantas , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P.
Published: July 2019

Necrotizing mucormycosis is a devastating complication of wounds incurred in the setting of military (combat) injuries, natural disasters, burns, or other civilian trauma. Apophysomyces species, Saksenaea species and Lichtheimia (formerly Absidia) species, although uncommon as causes of sinopulmonary mucormycosis, are relatively frequent agents of trauma-related mucormycosis. The pathogenesis of these infections likely involves a complex interaction among organism, impaired innate host defenses, and biofilms related to traumatically implanted foreign materials. Effective management depends upon timely diagnosis, thorough surgical debridement, and early initiation of antifungal therapy.
Formation of Abasic Oligomers in Nonenzymatic Polymerization of Canonical Nucleotides
Authors: Mungi Chaitanya V. , Bapat Niraja V. , Hongo Yayoi , Rajamani Sudha
Published: July 2019

Polymerization of nucleotides under prebiotically plausible conditions has been a focus of several origins of life studies. Non-activated nucleotides have been shown to undergo polymerization under geothermal conditions when subjected to dry-wet cycles. They do so by a mechanism similar to acid-catalyzed ester-bond formation. However, one study showed that the low pH of these reactions resulted in predominantly depurination, thereby resulting in the formation of abasic sites in the oligomers. In this study, we aimed to systematically characterize the nature of the oligomers that resulted in reactions that involved one or more of the canonical ribonucleotides. All the reactions analyzed showed the presence of abasic oligomers, with purine nucleotides being affected the most due to deglycosylation. Even in the reactions that contained nucleotide mixtures, the presence of abasic oligomers was detected, which suggested that information transfer would be severely hampered due to losing the capacity to base pair via H-bonds. Importantly, the stability of the N-glycosidic linkage, under conditions used for dry-wet cycling, was also determined. Results from this study further strengthen the hypothesis that chemical evolution in a pre-RNA World would have been vital for the evolution of informational molecules of an RNA World. This is evident in the high degree of instability displayed by N-glycosidic bonds of canonical purine ribonucleotides under the same geothermal conditions that otherwise readily favors polymerization. Significantly, the resultant product characterization in the reactions concerned underscores the difficulty associated with analyzing complex prebiotically relevant reactions due to inherent limitation of current analytical methods.
Non-Destructive Testing of a Sport Tribune under Synchronized Crowd-Induced Excitation Using Vibration Analysis
Authors: Grębowski Karol , Rucka Magdalena , Wilde Krzysztof
Published: July 2019

This paper presents the concept of repairing the stand of a motorbike speedway stadium. The synchronized dancing of fans cheering during a meeting brought the stand into excessive resonance. The main goal of this research was to propose a method for the structural tuning of stadium stands. Non-destructive testing by vibration methods was conducted on a selected stand segment, the structure of which recurred on the remaining stadium segments. Through experiments, we determined the vibration forms throughout the stand, taking into account the dynamic impact of fans. Numerical analyses were performed on the 3-D finite element method (FEM) stadium model to identify the dynamic jump load function. The results obtained on the basis of sensitivity tests using the finite element method allowed the tuning of the stadium structure to successfully meet the requirements of the serviceability limit state.
The Effect of Material Fresh Properties and Process Parameters on Buildability and Interlayer Adhesion of 3D Printed Concrete
Authors: Panda Biranchi , Noor Mohamed Nisar Ahamed , Paul Suvash Chandra , Bhagath Singh GVP , Tan Ming Jen , Šavija Branko
Published: July 2019

The advent of digital concrete fabrication calls for advancing our understanding of the interaction of 3D printing with material rheology and print parameters, in addition to developing new measurement and control techniques. Thixotropy is the main challenge associated with printable material, which offers high yield strength and low viscosity. The higher the thixotropy, the better the shape stability and the higher buildability. However, exceeding a minimum value of thixotropy can cause high extrusion pressure and poor interface bond strength if the printing parameters are not optimized to the part design. This paper aims to investigate the effects of both material and process parameters on the buildability and inter-layer adhesion properties of 3D printed cementitious materials, produced with different thixotropy and print head standoff distances. Nano particles are used to increase the thixotropy and, in this context, a lower standoff distance is found to be useful for improving the bond strength. The low viscosity “control” sample is unaffected by the variation in standoff distances, which is attributed to its flowability and low yield stress characteristics that lead to strong interfacial bonding. This is supported by our microscopic observations.
Reactive Melt Mixing of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)/Rice Husk Flour Composites with Purified Biosustainably Produced Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyvalerate)
Authors: Melendez-Rodriguez Beatriz , Torres-Giner Sergio , Aldureid Abdulaziz , Cabedo Luis , Lagaron Jose M.
Published: July 2019

Novel green composites based on commercial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) filled with 10 wt % rice husk flour (RHF) were melt-compounded in a mini-mixer unit using triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) as compatibilizer and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as initiator. Purified poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) produced by mixed bacterial cultures derived from fruit pulp waste was then incorporated into the green composite in contents in the 5–50 wt % range. Films for testing were obtained thereafter by thermo-compression and characterized. Results showed that the incorporation of up to 20 wt % of biowaste derived PHBV yielded green composite films with a high contact transparency, relatively low crystallinity, high thermal stability, improved mechanical ductility, and medium barrier performance to water vapor and aroma. This study puts forth the potential use of purified biosustainably produced PHBV as a cost-effective additive to develop more affordable and waste valorized food packaging articles.
Human Resource Scheduling Model and Algorithm with Time Windows and Multi-Skill Constraints
Authors: Zuo Zhiping , Li Yanhui , Fu Jing , Wu Jianlin
Published: July 2019

In situations where an organization has limited human resources and a lack of multi-skilled employees, organizations pay more and more attention to cost control and personnel arrangements. Based on the consideration of the service personnel scheduling as well as the routing arrangement, service personnel of different skills were divided into different types according to their multiple skills. A mathematical programming model was developed to reduce the actual cost of organization. Then, a hybrid meta heuristic that combines a tabu search algorithm with a simulated annealing was designed to solve the problem. This meta heuristic employs several neighborhood search operators and integrates the advantages of both the tabu search algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm. Finally, the stability and validity of the algorithm were validated by the tests of several kinds of examples.
Role of Cation Structure in CO2 Separation by Ionic Liquid/Sulfonated Polyimide Composite Membrane
Authors: Hayashi Eri , Hashimoto Kei , L. Thomas Morgan , Tsuzuki Seiji , Watanabe Masayoshi
Published: July 2019

The development of suitable separation technologies for the separation of carbon dioxide is a pressing technological requirement. The application of ion gel membranes for this purpose continues to stimulate a great deal of research, and in this study we focus on the chemical structure of the ionic liquid component in the ion gel, and its interactions with the sulfonated polyimide polymer. Whilst such membranes are known to give promising carbon dioxide separation properties together with mechanical strength and thin-film-processability, we further elaborate on how changing the cation of the ionic liquid from a typical imidazolium cation to a protic variant effects the physicochemical, thermal, and structural properties of the membranes, and how these changes further influence the carbon dioxide separation properties. We compare and contrast our findings with our earlier study on protic and aprotic ammonium-based ionic liquids, and highlight that for CO2 absorption behavior in the imidazolium systems, the importance of directionality of interactions (ion pairs exhibit a large energy stabilization only for a specific geometrical arrangement of cation and anion, e.g., hydrogen bonding rather than Coulombic interaction) between cation and anion applies not only to the protic system, but also to the nominally aprotic cation. Finally, we demonstrate that the phase separation behavior in the ion gels is an important factor in determining the carbon dioxide separation behavior.
Detecting and Monitoring Cracks in Aerospace Materials Using Post-Processing of TSA and AE Data
Authors: Middleton Ceri A. , McCrory John P. , Greene Richard J. , Holford Karen , Patterson Eann A.
Published: July 2019

Thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) is a non-contact technique for measuring the distribution of stress in the surface of a component subject to cyclic loading by using a sensitive infrared camera. The stress concentrations indicative of a crack can be located and tracked using an optical flow method, allowing the position of the crack-tip to be identified at a given time. Acoustic emission (AE) has been used to validate the TSA algorithm. AE events from cracking, located using the Delta-T Mapping method, were detected several seconds before the TSA algorithm first detected cracking; however, TSA provided significantly more accurate location information.
Controlling Variability in Mechanical Properties of Plates by Reducing Centerline Segregation to Meet Strain-Based Design of Pipeline Steel
Authors: Guo Fujian , Liu Wenle , Wang Xuelin , Misra R.D.K. , Shang Chengjia
Published: July 2019

Low variability in mechanical properties is required for pipeline project designs to meet a strain-based design, which is used in regions of large ground movements. The objective of this study is to elucidate the influence of centerline segregation in continuously cast slab on variability in the mechanical property of pipeline steel, and controlling centerline segregation can meet the requirements of a strain-based design. Mannesmann rating method was used to evaluate the degree of segregation of two slabs and its effect on variability in mechanical properties of corresponding plates. Microstructural characterization indicated that bainite/martensite was formed in a segregated area where the content of C and Mn enriched. The mechanical property results indicated that controlling the degree of centerline segregation can reduce tensile strength variability and improve ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT).
Nucleation and Growth of Iron Whiskers during Gaseous Reduction of Hematite Iron Ore Fines
Authors: Guo Lei , Zhong Shengping , Bao Qipeng , Gao Jintao , Guo Zhancheng
Published: July 2019

A high-temperature confocal scanning laser microscope and an online reduction–water quenching experiment system were used to systematically study the generation of iron whiskers during the reduction of hematite ore particles with CO/CO2 gas. The "blooming" phenomenon of the surface during the reduction of iron ore particles was found in this experiment. The orientation of the grain on the longitudinal section of an iron whisker was measured to be uniform by applying the electron back-scattered diffraction technique, which proved that the iron whiskers are most likely to exist in single crystal form. According to the in-situ online experimental video, the average diffusion flux of iron atoms when the layered iron completely covers the surface of the ore particle is about 0.0072 mol/(m2·s). While the iron atom diffusion flux at the root of the iron whisker during the pre-growth process is much larger than the flux when the layered iron is produced, which are defined to be 0.081 mol/(m2·s), 0.045 mol/(m2·s), 0.013 mol/(m2· s), and 0.0046 mol/(m2·s), respectively during the four stages of the growth of an iron whisker. The quantitative relationship between the chemical driving force and the whisker growth is established as Δ G θ + R T ln p CO 2 p CO + 2 n 0.056 r ρ E s T = 0 .
Effects of Nano TiC Particles on Recrystallization and Mechanical Properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy
Authors: Yao Xiaohong , Zhou Dongshuai , Lu Yalin , Li Xingcheng , Wang Jian , Bai Zhihao , Huang Yong
Published: July 2019

The recrystallization and mechanical properties of 7085 alloy and TiC/7085 composites with different nano TiC content (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 wt%) were investigated in this work. Results showed that as the TiC content increased from 0.1 to 1 wt%, dynamic recrystallization was promoted in which the composites proceeded by hot deformation; after T6 treatment, static recrystallization was hindered. In addition, the ultimate strength of composites first increased and then decreased with the increase of nano TiC particle content from 0.1 to 1 wt%. When the content of nano TiC particles reached 0.5 wt%, the tensile strength of the nanocomposites was improved to 608 MPa, 12% higher than that of 7085 alloy, via the reinforcing particle strengthening mechanism. Due to the grain coarsening and the TiC particle cluster, the ultimate tensile strength of 1 wt% TiC/7085 composite decreased to 585 MPa.