bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Completeness of Retention Data and Determinants of Attrition in Birth Cohorts of Very Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review
Authors: Teixeira Raquel , Queiroga Ana Catarina , Freitas Ana Isabel , Lorthe Elsa , Santos Ana Cristina , Moreira Carla , Barros Henrique
Published: February 2021

Background: Birth cohorts provided essential knowledge for clinical and public health decision-making. However, little is known about retention and determinants of attrition in these specific longitudinal studies, although characterizing predictors of attrition sets the path to mitigate its occurrence and to promote valid inferences. We systematically reviewed retention in follow-ups of birth cohorts of very preterm or very low birth weight infants and the determinants of attrition. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017082672.

Methods: Publications were identified through PubMed®, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from inception to December 2017. Studies were included when reporting at least one of the following: retention at follow-ups, reasons for attrition, or characteristics of non-participants. Quality assessment was conducted using the completeness of the report of participation features in the articles. Non-participant's characteristics were presented using descriptive statistics. Local polynomial regression was used to describe overall retention trends over years of follow-up.

Results: We identified 57 eligible publications, reporting on 39 birth cohorts and describing 83 follow-up evaluations. The overall median retention was 87% (p25–p75:75.8–93.6), ranging from 14.6 to 100%. Overall, retention showed a downward trend with increasing child age. Completeness of retention report was considered “enough” in only 36.8% of publications. Considering the 33 (57.9%) publications providing information on participants and non-participants, and although no formal meta-analysis was performed, it was evident that participants lost to follow-up were more often male, had foreign-born, multiparous, and younger mothers, and with a lower socioeconomic status.

Conclusion: This systematic review evidenced a lack of detailed data on retention, which may threaten the potential use of evidence derived from cohort studies of very preterm infants for clinical and public health purpose. It supports the requirement for a standardized presentation of retention features responding to current guidelines.
Can Online Academic Integrity Instruction Affect University Students’ Perceptions of and Engagement in Academic Dishonesty? Results From a Natural Experiment in New Zealand
Authors: Stephens Jason Michael , Watson Penelope Winifred St John , Alansari Mohamed , Lee Grace , Turnbull Steven Martin
Published: February 2021

The problem of academic dishonesty is as old as it is widespread – dating back millennia and perpetrated by the majority of students. Attempts to promote academic integrity, by comparison, are relatively new and rare – stretching back only a few hundred years and implemented by a small fraction of schools and universities. However, the past decade has seen an increase in efforts among universities to promote academic integrity among students, particularly through the use of online courses or tutorials. Previous research has found this type of instruction to be effective in increasing students’ knowledge of academic integrity and reducing their engagement in academic dishonesty. The present study contributes to this literature with a natural experiment on the effects of the Academic Integrity Course (AIC) at The University of Auckland, which became mandatory for all students in 2015. In 2012, a convenience sample of students (n= 780) had been asked to complete a survey on their perceptions of the University’s academic integrity polices and their engagement in several forms of academic dishonesty over the past year. In 2017, the same procedures and survey were used to collect data from second sample of students (n= 608). After establishing measurement invariance across the two samples on all latent factors, analysis of variance revealed mixed support for the studies hypotheses. Unexpectedly, students who completed the AIC (i.e., the 2017 sample) reported: (1) significantly lower (not higher) levels of understanding, support, and effectiveness with respect to the University’s academic integrity policies; (2) statistically equivalent (not higher) levels of peer disapproval of academic misconduct, and; (3) significantly higher (not lower) levels of peer engagement in academic misconduct. However, results related to participants’ personal engagement in academic misconduct offered partial support for hypotheses – those who completed the AIC reported significantly lower rates of engagement on three of the eight behaviors included in the study. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed as well as possible future directions for research.
A Comparative Psycholinguistic Study on the Subjective Feelings of Well-Being Outcomes of Foreign Language Learning in Older Adults From the Czech Republic and Poland
Authors: Klimova Blanka , Pikhart Marcel , Cierniak-Emerych Anna , Dziuba Szymon , Firlej Krzysztof
Published: February 2021

Positive psychology has recently seen unprecedented rise and has reached vast achievements in the area of quality of life (QoL) improvement. The purpose of this study is to show that there are different aspects of well-being that make healthy older people motivated to learn a foreign language at a later age. The research was conducted in the Czech Republic and Poland in two groups of learners aged 55 years and more. The experimental group consisted of 105 Czech respondents who were targeted with an online questionnaire with the aim to determine the level of FLL outcomes connected to QoL in healthy older adults in their L2 acquisition. The second experimental group (n = 100) was established of Polish seniors who attended similar language courses. The findings of the research clearly show that FLL has an irreplaceable role as one of several non-pharmacological strategies utilized to improve the aging process and reduce drawbacks of aging. The results indicate that seniors' overall satisfaction and subjective feelings of well-being are enormously high when attending foreign language classes at older age. FLL, therefore, creates an environment that can enhance QoL of older adults that can be supplemented by other means such as well-balanced diet, other social activities, sport and physical activity, music, or computer games. All these intervention methods can significantly improve QoL of older adults and the parties engaged and/or responsible for taking care of older generation should take it into serious consideration.
Virtually Real, But Not Quite There: Social and Economic Barriers to Meeting Virtual Reality’s True Potential for Mental Health
Authors: Pimentel Daniel , Foxman Maxwell , Davis Donna Z. , Markowitz David M.
Published: February 2021

Strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, namely quarantine and social distancing protocols, have exposed a troubling paradox: mandated isolation meant to preserve well-being has inadvertently contributed to its decline. Prolonged isolation has been associated with widespread loneliness and diminished mental health, with effects compounded by limited face-to-face access to clinical and social support systems. While remote communication technologies (e.g., video chat) can connect individuals with healthcare providers and social networks, remote technologies might have limited effectiveness in clinical and social contexts. In this review, we articulate the promise of Virtual Reality as a conduit to clinical resources and social connection. Furthermore, we outline various social and economic factors limiting the virtual reality industry’s ability to maximize its potential to address mental health issues brought upon by the pandemic. These barriers are delineated across five dimensions: sociocultural, content, affordability, supply chain, and equitable design. After examining potential short- and long-term solutions to these hurdles, we outline potential avenues for applied and theoretical research seeking to validate these solutions. Through this evaluation we seek to (a) emphasize virtual reality’s capacity to improve mental health by connecting communities to clinical and social support systems, (b) identify socioeconomic barriers preventing users from accessing these systems through virtual reality, and (c) discuss solutions that ensure these systems can be equitably accessed via changes to existing and future virtual reality infrastructures.
Dziewczyna o perłowych włosach, dziewczyna z perłowymi włosami – fraza przyimkowa w funkcji przydawki atrybutywnej
Authors: Danielewiczowa magdalena
Published: February 2021

This paper concerns Polish prepositional attributive phrases representing o NP and z NP structures, e.g. dziewczyna o perłowych włosach and dziewczyna z perłowymi włosami (a girl with pearly hair), respectively. The author’s claim is that these structures, although very similar, are not semantically identical. The former refers to an inherent property of a given object, while the latter shows an accidental feature. A number of linguistic arguments are presented in favour of this claim. An attempt is made also to defi ne the meanings of the discussed structures. At the end of the paper, the author discusses some problems of ordering the expressions in question and points to the necessity of further research on this subject matter.
Inny, różny, odrębny, odmienny. Próba wyodrębnienia jednostek języka
Authors: Wołk Mariola
Published: February 2021

The aim of this paper is to identify linguistic units which represent the notions of inność, różność, odrębność and odmienność (otherness, difference, distinctiveness and dissimilarity). The outcome of the examination provides data which are indispensable in further systematic analysis of their meanings. Determining the number of linguistic units corresponding to a given term as well as describing their forms give insight into the syntactic properties of the identifi ed units (which can become premises for strictly semantic conclusions). Detailed descriptions of the lexical exponents of all four terms are based on authentic textual instances of their usage (taken from the National Corpus of Polish). Observations which originated from the undertaken analysis are confronted with the fi ndings presented in dictionaries of contemporary Polish. The solutions proposed in this paper, although they refer to semantics, virtually fail to go beyond the issues related to the problem of identifying linguistic units.
Czy Jan Kochanowski miał kogoś lub coś w nienawiści? Użycia słów z gniazda w tekstach autora Trenów na tle ich znaczeń w XV i XVI wieku.
Authors: Pawelec Radosław
Published: February 2021

This paper presents an analysis of the usages of words from the nest
 (hatred) in the works by Jan Kochanowski against the semantic
development of these words in Polish. Their original etymological meaning is
related to seeing someone unwillingly, disliking someone. In the Old and Middle
Polish periods, they were used fairly often, but the usages were different from the
present ones: many of them had a less negative meaning than they do in Modern
Polish. It was shaped after the 16th century, yet the beginnings of the process are
assumed to go back to the century of the last Jagiellons. The author formulates
a hypothesis that Jan Kochanowski, who noticed the trend in the semantics of
the words from the nest , restricted their usage in his works only to
the translations of the Old Testament psalms, consciously not referring them to
the contemporary interpersonal relationships.
Alternacja lokatywna w wybranych leksykalnych bazach danych
Authors: Pałka Patrycja
Published: February 2021

The object of interest in this paper is verbs describing situations where
substances or objects are being removed from a surface. Such verbs are
characterised by being subject to locative alternation, which could be exemplifi ed
by constructions such as: Dozorca zamiata śmieci z ulicy. → Dozorca zamiata
ulicę (ze śmieci) (The caretaker is sweeping litter from the street. → The caretaker
is sweeping the street (to remove litter)). The phenomenon of alternation consists
in regular variantivity in the syntactic manifestation of verb arguments, whereas
locative alternation, according to Beth Levin, concerns at least two manners of
expressing arguments assuming the following properties: 1. ‘an object changing
its location’ (locatum argument), and 2. ‘a location’ (location argument) in a sentence
(Levin 1993: 50). The principal objective of the paper is to discuss whether and
how locative alternation is taken into account and described in selected Polish-,
English-, and Russian-language specialist lexicographic publications, such as:
the Valence Dictionary (Walenty), FrameNet, and Leksykograf (Lexicographer),
a base of Russian verbs. The analysis is also aimed to answer the question if
the alternating syntactic structures reveal any change in the communicated
content and, more specifi cally, in the manner of illustrating a given situation.
Zaburzenia sprawności językowych i komunikacyjnych u chorych po udarze prawej półkuli mózgu. Opisy przypadków.
Authors: Syta Aneta
Published: February 2021

Right hemisphere brain damage manifests itself in the language at the
level of not only expression but also reception. Utterances of people with right
hemisphere dysfunctions are often disorderly and illogical. As recipients, patients
with right hemisphere brain damage, for instance, interrupt their interlocutor’s
utterance, cannot understand jokes, mockeries, or ambiguous messages.
The paper describes language and communication defi cits arising from right
hemisphere brain damage and cases of patients suffering from right hemisphere
disorder. The data obtained in the course of examining people with right
hemisphere damage show that the most disturbed aspects of language include:
lexical and semantic processing, processing complex language information,
discourse, and prosody.
MIKROKORPUS GRONOWY POLSZCZYZNY 1830–1918
Authors: Derwojedowa Magdalena
Published: February 2021

This paper is dedicated to the construction of a small cluster corpus of Polish
texts from the period 1830–1918. The assumptions of the corpus, its micro- and
macro-structure, as well as stylistic, regional and author diversity, and method
of making it available are presented. Its application capabilities are illustrated
on the example of orthographic, infl ectional, and syntactic studies.
Keywords: corpus – diachrony – infl ection – syntax – orthography – stylometry
EWA DOMAŃSKA Nekros. Wprowadzenie do ontologii martwego ciała
Authors: Mrowiński Paweł Marek
Published: February 2021

Reviewed monography Necros. Introduction to death body’s ontology by prof. Ewa Domańska (AMU) is a fragmentary reflection on ontological status of dead body and corps (treated subjectively). Review’s author presenting the methodological assumptions of the work, its main goals and concepts of consideration for political scientists. Author also indicates how the term (historical) “necropolitics” could be used by political science and sets a potential field for its scientific exploration.
JACEK ZALEŚNY (ED.) Constitutional Courts in Post-Soviet States. Between the Model of a State of Law and Its Local Application
Authors: Sadounichy Albert
Published: February 2021

The monography provides a comparative analysis of the constitutional review bodies’ activities, their status and efficiency in different Post-Soviet States. It deals with the complex description of the constitutional provisions’ compliance, the problems of legal mechanisms and stability, evolution of the local legislation. In this book the authors provide a detailed report of the constitutional review institutions’ problems in the process of ensuring its legislative position. In this context we find in the research a description of the legal, political risks of the constitutional control in Post-Soviet States, its social perception and the predictability of its legal systems’ development. This work integrates the unique structure of presentation and research materials. By the reflection of this type the authors lay the base for continuing further researches of constitutional review development dynamics in the countries of the region.
Monokracja policentryczna w III Rzeszy – glosa do Franciszka Ryszki rozważań o „państwie stanu wyjątkowego”
Authors: Jakubowski Wojciech
Published: February 2021

The aim of this paper are to present the essence of the Nazi system of government and to create its system characteristics. The analysis, based on normative sources and key literature, allowed to conclude that the effect of the process of transformation of the described phenomenon led to the emergence of ideologically-orientated polycentric monocracy. The article is based on the Franciszek Ryszka’s conceptualization of the “martial law State”. In the following chapters of the paper a synthetic characteristics of the Nazi empire in occupied Europe was drafted up, including the legal and administrative peculiarities of particular territories. The article is accompanied by the tabular index of hierarchy of official ranks in Third Reich.
Socjotechniczne strategie monopolizacji władzy
Authors: Ziółkowski Jacek
Published: February 2021

The main purpose of the article is to present social engineering as a strategy of social management aimed at monopolizing political power. Social engineering strategies are based on the broad ambitions of steering systems and the long horizon of social changes planning. Social engineering here, is closer to culture engineering, socialization, indoctrination aimed not only at modifying the behavior of controlled systems, but above all at causing permanent changes in the structure of values, emotions, myths, archetypes, and stereotypes. The author presents the main levels, directions of social engineering strategies resulting in a monopoly of political power in areas of: communication, culture, socialization, influence and decision making.
The World Vegetable Center Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Core Collection as a Source for Flooding Stress Tolerance Traits for Breeding
Authors: Schafleitner Roland , Lin Chen-Yu , Lin Ya-Ping , Wu Tien-Hor , Hung Cian-Huei , Phooi Chooi-Lin , Chu Shu-Hui , Jhong Yu-Cen , Hsiao Yun-Yin
Published: February 2021

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a heat tolerant vegetable crop with high economic and nutritional importance in parts of Asia, Africa, and America. The okra biodiversity held in gene bank collections could be mined for traits for breeding more stress tolerant and nutritional cultivars. An okra core collection of 166 accessions comprising A. esculentus, A. moschatus, A. caillei, and A. manihot has been assembled from the World Vegetable Center germplasm collection (840 accessions) based on diversity analysis with 20 microsatellite markers. A selection of A. esculentus accessions of the core collection (75 accessions) and 20 breeder-selected genotypes have been screened for variation of their response to flooding stress under field conditions using a high throughput phenotyping system. Growth increment per day and changes of physiological indices were measured before, during, and after application of 9 days of flooding stress. Several accessions showed only a small reduction in daily growth increment during flooding. Across the germplasm panel, maintained growth was correlated with maintained normalized differential vegetation index and was negatively correlated with plant senescence index. Accessions with maintained growth and health under flooding were selected for future further analysis and use in breeding.
Metagenomic Insight into the Community Structure and Functional Genes in the Sunflower Rhizosphere Microbiome
Authors: Alawiye Temitayo , Babalola Olubukola
Published: February 2021

The rhizosphere’s microbial communities consist of a diverse set of microorganisms that can be beneficial to plants. These beneficial microorganisms are key determinants of plant productivity and health. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomics to explore and characterize the microbiome of the sunflower rhizosphere and bulk soil. The rhizosphere shared features with the bulk soil with dominant phyla such as Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia. There was no significant difference in the alpha diversity of the sunflower rhizosphere and bulk soils, though diversity was lower in the rhizosphere, suggesting a selection of microorganisms by sunflower rhizosphere to the bulk soil community. The genes present in the rhizosphere with their corresponding proteins as observed in our study conferred potential plant-beneficial properties such as siderophore production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilizing, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase. Furthermore, other genes such as exopolysaccharides-producing, high-temperature stress response, and heat and cold shock response genes, which help withstand environmental stresses were also identified more in the rhizosphere. Of note from our study is the gene phenazine biosynthesis protein, which confers biocontrol. With the current indiscriminate use of pesticides that are considered harmful to the ecosystem, these potential functional genes can be further exploited and used as a biotechnological application for sustainable agriculture.
Marginal Trade-Offs for Improved Agro-Ecological Efficiency Using Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Ji Tong Guang , Raza Ali , Akbar Usman , Ahmed Masood , Popp József , Oláh Judit
Published: February 2021

Today’s agricultural management decisions impact food security and sustainable ecosystems, even when operating with back-to-basic operations. In such endeavors, policymakers usually need a quantitative tool, such as trade-offs margins, to effectively adjust resource consumption or production. This paper applies the weighted slack-based measurement (SBM-DEA) program to 136 developing countries’ agricultural performance. First, it finds the current agricultural efficiency and then makes marginal trade-offs on desirable-output variables (such as crop yield and forest area) to see the effective changes in undesirable-output (such as methane and nitrous oxide emissions). The results show that choosing effective marginal trade-offs does not deteriorate the relative efficiency of the decision-making units (DMUs) below the efficient frontier line. Thus, such a method enables the decision-makers to determine the best marginal trade-off points to reach the optimal efficiencies and decide which output factor needs special brainstorming to design effective policy.
Multidrug-Resistant Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Isolated from Bloodstream in the uMgungundlovu District of KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa: Emerging Pathogens
Authors: Asante Jonathan , Hetsa Bakoena A. , Amoako Daniel G. , Abia Akebe Luther King , Bester Linda A. , Essack Sabiha Y.
Published: February 2021

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are increasingly associated with nosocomial infections, especially among the immunocompromised and those with invasive medical devices, posing a significant concern. We report on clinical multidrug-resistant CoNS from the uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, as emerging pathogens. One hundred and thirty presumptive CoNS were obtained from blood cultures. Culture, biochemical tests, and the Staphaurex™ Latex Agglutination Test were used for the initial identification of CoNS isolates; confirmation and speciation were undertaken by the VITEK 2 system. Susceptibilities of isolates against a panel of 20 antibiotics were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, and the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) indices of the isolates were determined. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the mecA gene to confirm methicillin resistance. Overall, 89/130 presumptive CoNS isolates were confirmed as CoNS by the VITEK 2 system. Of these, 68 (76.4%) isolates were putatively methicillin-resistant by the phenotypic cefoxitin screen test and 63 (92.6%) were mecA positive. Staphylococcus epidermidis (19.1%), S. hominis ssp. hominis (15.7%), and S. haemolyticus (16.9%) were the most common CoNS species. Isolates showed high percentage resistance against penicillin (100.0%), erythromycin (74.2%), and azithromycin (74.2%) while displaying high susceptibilities to linezolid (95.5%), gentamicin (95.5%), and tigecycline (94.4%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was observed in 76.4% of isolates. MAR index calculation revealed 71.9% of isolates with MAR index >0.2 and 20.2% >0.5. Isolates with the highest MAR indices (0.7 and 0.8) were recovered from the neonatal intensive care unit. Fifty-one MDR antibiograms were observed. The high prevalence of methicillin resistance and multidrug resistance in several species of CoNS necessitates surveillance of this emerging pathogen, currently considered a contaminant of microbial cultures.
Pharmacodynamics of Ceftibuten: An Assessment of an Oral Cephalosporin against Enterobacterales in a Neutropenic Murine Thigh Model
Authors: Lasko Maxwell J. , Asempa Tomefa E. , Nicolau David P.
Published: February 2021

Efforts to develop and pair novel oral β-lactamase inhibitors with existing β-lactam agents to treat extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales are gaining ground. Ceftibuten is an oral third-generation cephalosporin capable of achieving high urine concentrations; however, there are no robust data describing its pharmacodynamic profile. This study characterizes ceftibuten pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in a neutropenic murine thigh infection model. Enterobacterales isolates expressing no known clinically-relevant enzymatic resistance (n = 7) or harboring an ESBL (n = 2) were evaluated. The ceftibuten minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were 0.03–4 mg/L. Nine ceftibuten regimens, including a human-simulated regimen (HSR) equivalent to clinical ceftibuten doses of 300 mg taken orally every 8 h, were utilized to achieve various fT > MICs. A sigmoidal Emax model was fitted to fT > MIC vs. change in log10 CFU/thigh to determine the requirements for net stasis and 1-log10 CFU/thigh bacterial burden reduction. The growth of the 0 h and 24 h control groups was 5.97 ± 0.37 and 8.51 ± 0.84 log10 CFU/thigh, respectively. Ceftibuten HSR resulted in a -0.49 to -1.43 log10 CFU/thigh bacterial burden reduction at 24 h across the isolates. Stasis and 1-log10 CFU/thigh reduction were achieved with a fT > MIC of 39% and 67%, respectively. The fT > MIC targets identified can be used to guide ceftibuten dosage selection to optimize the likelihood of clinical efficacy.
Searching for Small Molecules as Antibacterials: Non-Cytotoxic Diarylureas Analogues of Triclocarban
Authors: Catalano Alessia , Iacopetta Domenico , Rosato Antonio , Salvagno Lara , Ceramella Jessica , Longo Francesca , Sinicropi Maria Stefania , Franchini Carlo
Published: February 2021

Triclocarban (TCC), a broad-spectrum lipophilic antimicrobial agent, is a diarylurea derivative that has been used for more than 60 years as a major ingredient of toys, clothing, food packaging materials, food industry floors, medical supplies and especially of personal care products, such as soaps, toothpaste and shampoo. In September 2016, the U.S. FDA banned nineteen antimicrobial ingredients, including TCC, in over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products, due to their toxicity. Withdrawal of TCC has prompted efforts to search for new antimicrobial compounds. In this paper, we present the synthesis and biological evaluation, as antibiotic and non-cytotoxic agents, of a series of diarylureas, analogues of TCC. These compounds are characterized by an intriguingly simple chemistry and can be easily synthesized. Among the synthesized compounds, 1ab and 1bc emerge as the most interesting compounds as they show the same activity of TCC (MIC = 16 µg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus, and a higher activity than TCC against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 32 µg/mL versus MIC = 64 µg/mL). Moreover, 1ab and 1bc show no cytotoxicity towards the human mammary epithelial cells MCF-10A and embryonic kidney epithelial cells Hek-293, in opposition to TCC, which exhibits a marked cytotoxicity on the same cell lines and shows a good antitumor activity on a panel of cell lines tested.
Natural Agents against Bovine Mastitis Pathogens
Authors: Kovačević Zorana , Radinović Miodrag , Čabarkapa Ivana , Kladar Nebojša , Božin Biljana
Published: February 2021

Bovine mastitis is the most widespread and economically important disease worldwide. The present study aimed to determine bioactive compounds in two essential oils (EOs) from wild (Thymus serpyllum) and common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and to assess the antioxidant potential as well as antibacterial efficacy of the EOs against mastitis-associated bacteria. The study also included antibiotic susceptibility tests. The strains were previously isolated from lactating animals with clinical and subclinical mastitis. The antioxidant potential of the commercial EOs of wild and common thyme was evaluated by five in vitro assays. The antibacterial activity was performed using the microdilution technique, while antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. The dominant compound in wild thyme was thymol (45.22%), followed by p-cymene (23.83%) and γ-terpinene (3.12%), while in common thyme, it was thymol (54.17%), followed by γ-terpinene (22.18%) and p-cymene (16.66%). Among the fourteen mastitis-associated bacteria, strain IX Streptococcus spp. (β-hemolytic) was the most sensitive to the tested EOs (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)/minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 0.78/1.56 and 0.39/0.78 mg/mL for T. serpyllum (TS) and T. vulgaris (TV), respectively). Regarding Streptococcus spp. β heamoliticus, MICs for TS ranged from 0.78 to 1.56 mg/mL, while for the same oil, MBCs ranged from 1.56 to 12.5 mg/mL. In the case of T. vulgaris, MICs ranged from 0.39 to 3.125 mg/ mL, while MBCs ranged from 3.125 to 6.25 mg/mL. TV is more active against E. coli, E. sakazakii, and Streptococcus spp., while it is less effective against Staphylococcus spp. than TS. The study revealed that the tested EOs possess remarkable antioxidative and antibacterial activities and could be used in the development of pharmaceutical formulation as an alternative to conventional mastitis therapy.
Methionine Sulfoxide Reductase B Regulates the Activity of Ascorbate Peroxidase of Banana Fruit
Authors: Xiao Lu , Jiang Guoxiang , Yan Huiling , Lai Hongmei , Su Xinguo , Jiang Yueming , Duan Xuewu
Published: February 2021

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is a key antioxidant enzyme that is involved in diverse developmental and physiological process and stress responses by scavenging H2O2 in plants. APX itself is also subjected to multiple posttranslational modifications (PTMs). However, redox-mediated PTM of APX in plants remains poorly understood. Here, we identified and confirmed that MaAPX1 interacts with methionine sulfoxide reductase B2 (MsrB2) in bananas. Ectopic overexpression of MaAPX1 delays the detached leaf senescence induced by darkness in Arabidopsis. Sulfoxidation of MaAPX1, i.e., methionine oxidation, leads to loss of the activity, which is repaired partially by MaMsrB2. Moreover, mimicking sulfoxidation by mutating Met36 to Gln also decreases its activity in vitro and in vivo, whereas substitution of Met36 with Val36 to mimic the blocking of sulfoxidation has little effect on APX activity. Spectral analysis showed that mimicking sulfoxidation of Met36 hinders the formation of compound I, the first intermediate between APX and H2O2. Our findings demonstrate that the redox state of methionine in MaAPX1 is critical to its activity, and MaMsrB2 can regulate the redox state and activity of MaAPX1. Our results revealed a novel post-translational redox modification of APX.
New Insights into the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Italian Salvia officinalis Leaf and Flower Extracts in Lipopolysaccharide and Tumor-Mediated Inflammation Models
Authors: Brindisi Matteo , Bouzidi Chouaha , Frattaruolo Luca , Loizzo Monica R. , Cappello Maria Stella , Dugay Annabelle , Deguin Brigitte , Lauria Graziantonio , Cappello Anna Rita , Tundis Rosa
Published: February 2021

This work aimed to investigate and compare the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Salvia officinalis L. (sage) from Italy, with the aim of raising its current knowledge in this field. Leaves and flowers (S1–S8), harvested in two areas of Southern Italy, were extracted with methanol as a solvent by maceration or ultrasound-assisted extraction. Sage extracts, analysed by high pressure liquid chromatography-diode-array detection-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-mass spectroscopy (HPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-MS), exerted a promising antioxidant activity investigated using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and β-carotene bleaching tests, and elicited a significant decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. The anti-inflammatory activity was analysed in the same in vitro model. All the extracts did not affect cell viability although they showed anti-inflammatory activity, as they induced a decrease in nitrite levels that was greater than 50%, when employed at 50 µg/mL. Furthermore, they elicited a decrease in nitrite levels, as well as a decline in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. The NF-κB transcription factor proved to be involved in the mechanisms that underlie such effects. Interestingly, sage extracts were able to interfere with the inflammatory activity induced by breast cancer cell-conditioned media (nitrite levels were significantly decreased, p < 0.05; p < 0.01), highlighting for the first time the important role of S. officinalis in controlling inflammation processes related to neoplastic progression.
Net-Shape NiTi Shape Memory Alloy by Spark Plasma Sintering Method
Authors: Samal Sneha , Molnárová Orsolya , Průša Filip , Kopeček Jaromír , Heller Luděk , Šittner Petr , Škodová Marcela , Abate Lorenzo , Blanco Ignazio
Published: February 2021

An analysis of the shape memory effect of a NiTi alloy by using the spark plasma sintering approach has been carried out. Spark plasma sintering of Ti50Ni50 powder (20–63 µm) at a temperature of 900 °C produced specimens showing good shape memory effects. However, the sample showed 2.5% porosity due to a load of 48 MPa. Furthermore, an apparent shape memory effect was recorded and the specimens were characterized by uniformity in chemical composition and shape memory alloys of NiTi showed significant austenite phases with a bending strain recovery of >2.5%.
Advances in Multi-Process Hybrid Production Cells for Rapid Individualised Laser-Based Production
Authors: Pereira Juan Carlos , Moreno Ramón , Tenbrock Christian , Herget Arnold , Wittich Thomas , Hamilton Kelvin
Published: February 2021

In this paper, the approach and main advances made in multi-process hybrid production cells (HyProCell) for rapid individualised laser-based production are compiled and discussed, including highlights and achievements. HyProCell constructs automated manufacturing platforms that integrate highly flexible laser-based additive build processes with more conventional yet precise subtractive machining processes and include novel solutions like automatic powder removal system/machines and robot arms in integrated multi-process production cells. The HyProCell approach can either build parts additively from scratch and finish them in a coherent production single line/cell or prepare parts by machining and add laser-based additive features, achieving otherwise impossible shapes. In addition to producing new parts, existing parts can be repaired or improved by adding new details with the HyProCell hybrid concept. The research work includes the design of pilot cell facilities, the development of the, and a new modular architecture including a middleware and integration layer to ensure automation with improved pallet handling systems. Finally, the MES and data management methodologies for future improvements and pilot facility implementation were made.
Hypersensitivity in Molar Incisor Hypomineralization: Superficial Infiltration Treatment
Authors: Murri Dello Diago Alberto , Cadenaro Milena , Ricchiuto Rossana , Banchelli Federico , Spinas Enrico , Checchi Vittorio , Giannetti Luca
Published: February 2021

To date, there are no standardized protocols available in the literature for hypersensitivity treatment in molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of erosion–infiltration treatments with resin in children with a strong hypersensitivity and also to develop a minimally invasive diagnostic–therapeutic pathway for young MIH patients. Patients with clinical signs of MIH were enrolled according to international guidelines. A total of 42 patients (8–14 years old) with sensitivity of at least one molar and patients with post eruptive enamel fractures, but without dentin involvement or cavitated carious lesions were selected. A single superficial infiltration treatment with ICON (DMG, Germany) was performed with a modified etching technique. Sensitivity was tested with the Schiff Scale and Wong Baker Face Scale and was repeated at 12 months follow-up. All patients reported lower sensitivity values at the end of the treatment. Significant differences of sensitivity according to the Schiff scale were reported between T0 and all subsequent follow-ups, p < 0.05. The treatment of erosion infiltration with ICON resin is a minimally invasive preventive treatment that significantly improves the problem of hypersensitivity in permanent molars with MIH.
OtoPair: Combining Right and Left Eardrum Otoscopy Images to Improve the Accuracy of Automated Image Analysis
Authors: Camalan Seda , Moberly Aaron C. , Teknos Theodoros , Essig Garth , Elmaraghy Charles , Taj-Schaal Nazhat , Gurcan Metin N.
Published: February 2021

The accurate diagnosis of otitis media (OM) and other middle ear and eardrum abnormalities is difficult, even for experienced otologists. In our earlier studies, we developed computer-aided diagnosis systems to improve the diagnostic accuracy. In this study, we investigate a novel approach, called OtoPair, which uses paired eardrum images together rather than using a single eardrum image to classify them as ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’. This also mimics the way that otologists evaluate ears, because they diagnose eardrum abnormalities by examining both ears. Our approach creates a new feature vector, which is formed with extracted features from a pair of high-resolution otoscope images or images that are captured by digital video-otoscopes. The feature vector has two parts. The first part consists of lookup table-based values created by using deep learning techniques reported in our previous OtoMatch content-based image retrieval system. The second part consists of handcrafted features that are created by recording registration errors between paired eardrums, color-based features, such as histogram of a* and b* component of the L*a*b* color space, and statistical measurements of these color channels. The extracted features are concatenated to form a single feature vector, which is then classified by a tree bagger classifier. A total of 150-pair (300-single) of eardrum images, which are either the same category (normal-normal and abnormal-abnormal) or different category (normal-abnormal and abnormal-normal) pairs, are used to perform several experiments. The proposed approach increases the accuracy from 78.7% (±0.1%) to 85.8% (±0.2%) on a three-fold cross-validation method. These are promising results with a limited number of eardrum pairs to demonstrate the feasibility of using a pair of eardrum images instead of single eardrum images to improve the diagnostic accuracy.
Organ Fibrosis and Autoimmunity: The Role of Inflammation in TGFβ-Dependent EMT
Authors: Sisto Margherita , Ribatti Domenico , Lisi Sabrina
Published: February 2021

Recent advances in our understanding of the molecular pathways that control the link of inflammation with organ fibrosis and autoimmune diseases point to the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) as the common association in the progression of these diseases characterized by an intense inflammatory response. EMT, a process in which epithelial cells are gradually transformed to mesenchymal cells, is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of fibrosis. Importantly, the chronic inflammatory microenvironment has emerged as a decisive factor in the induction of pathological EMT. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a multifunctional cytokine, plays a crucial role in the induction of fibrosis, often associated with chronic phases of inflammatory diseases, contributing to marked fibrotic changes that severely impair normal tissue architecture and function. The understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying EMT-dependent fibrosis has both a basic and a translational relevance, since it may be useful to design therapies aimed at counteracting organ deterioration and failure. To this end, we reviewed the recent literature to better elucidate the molecular response to inflammatory/fibrogenic signals in autoimmune diseases in order to further the specific regulation of EMT-dependent fibrosis in more targeted therapies.
Molecular Targets and Strategies for Inhibition of the Bacterial Type III Secretion System (T3SS); Inhibitors Directly Binding to T3SS Components
Authors: Hotinger Julia A. , Pendergrass Heather A. , May Aaron E.
Published: February 2021

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is a virulence apparatus used by many Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria to cause infections. Pathogens utilizing a T3SS are responsible for millions of infections yearly. Since many T3SS knockout strains are incapable of causing systemic infection, the T3SS has emerged as an attractive anti-virulence target for therapeutic design. The T3SS is a multiprotein molecular syringe that enables pathogens to inject effector proteins into host cells. These effectors modify host cell mechanisms in a variety of ways beneficial to the pathogen. Due to the T3SS’s complex nature, there are numerous ways in which it can be targeted. This review will be focused on the direct targeting of components of the T3SS, including the needle, translocon, basal body, sorting platform, and effector proteins. Inhibitors will be considered a direct inhibitor if they have a binding partner that is a T3SS component, regardless of the inhibitory effect being structural or functional.
Fed-Batch Cultivation and Adding Supplements to Increase Yield of β-1,3-1,4-Glucanase by Genetically Engineered Escherichia coli
Authors: Zhong Lijuan , Liu Zheng , Lu Yinghua
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study was to analyze the major influence factors of culture medium on the expression level of β-1,3-1,4-glucanase, and to further develop an optimized process for the extracellular production of β-glucanase at a bioreactor scale (7 L) with a genetically engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) JM109-pLF3. In this study, batch cultivation and fed-batch cultivation including the constant rate feeding strategy and the DO-stat (DO: Dissolved Oxygen) feeding strategy were conducted. At a 7 L bioreactor scale for batch cultivation, biomass reached 3.14 g/L and the maximum β-glucanase activity was 506.94 U/mL. Compared with batch cultivation, the addition of glycerol, complex nitrogen and complete medium during fed-batch cultivation increased the production of biomass and β-1,3-1,4-glucanase. The maximum biomass and β-glucanase activity, which were 7.67 g/L and 1680 U/mL, respectively, that is, 2.45 and 3.31 times higher than those obtained with batch cultivation, were obtained by feeding a complex nitrogen source at a constant rate of 1.11 mL/min. Therefore, these nutritional supplements and strategies can be used as a reference to enhance the production of other bioproducts from E. coli.
A Novel Synthesizing Strategy of 3D Cose2 Porous Hollow Flowers for High Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Xu Wei , Wu Qikai , Che Zhongmei , Fan Bin , Zhao Dengke , Wang Shuai , Han Aixia , Li Ligui
Published: February 2021

Redox kinetics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) conversion and poor electrical conductivity of sulfur during the charge-discharge process greatly inhibit the commercialization of high-performance lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Herein, we synthesized CoSe2 porous hollow flowers (CoSe2-PHF) by etching and further selenizing layered double hydroxide, which combined the high catalytic activity of transition metal compound and high electrical conductivity of selenium. The obtained CoSe2-PHF can efficiently accelerate the catalytic conversion of LiPSs, expedite the electron transport, and improve utilization of active sulfur during the charge-discharge process. As a result, with CoSe2-PHF/S-based cathodes, the Li–S batteries exhibited a reversible specific capacity of 955.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and 766.0 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C, along with a relatively small capacity decay rate of 0.070% per cycle within 400 cycles at 1 C. Even at the high rate of 3 C, the specific capacity of 542.9 mAh g−1can be maintained. This work enriches the way to prepare porous composites with high catalytic activity and electrical conductivity as sulfur hosts for high-rate, long-cycle rechargeable Li–S batteries.
Biogas Reforming over Al-Co Catalyst Prepared by Solution Combustion Synthesis Method
Authors: Zhumabek Manapkhan , Xanthopoulou Galina , Tungatarova Svetlana A. , Baizhumanova Tolkyn S. , Vekinis George , Murzin Dmitry Yu.
Published: February 2021

The results of carbon dioxide reforming of CH4 (model biogas) on catalysts prepared by solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and impregnation of moisture capacity methods are presented. Investigation of the activity of catalysts synthesized from initial mixtures of Co(NO3)2-Al(NO3)3-urea of different compositions was carried out for the production of synthesis-gas, and SCS and traditional incipient wetness impregnation catalyst preparation methods were compared. The methane conversion reached 100%, and the conversion of CO2 increased to 86.2%, while the yield of H2 and CO was 99.2% and 85.4%, respectively, at 900 °C. It was found that CoAl2O4 spinel formation was due to substitution of Al3+ with Co2+ cations. Consequently, CoAl2O4 lattice parameters increased, since the ionic radius of Al3+ (0.51 Å) less than Cο2+ (0.72 Å). Advantages of SCS catalysts in comparison with catalysts prepared by the traditional incipient wetness impregnation method in dry reforming of methane were shown. The aim of this work is to develop a new catalyst for the conversion of model biogas into synthesis gas, which will contribute to the organization of a new environmentally friendly, energy-saving production in the future.