bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Predicting Practices in Prevention of COVID-19 and Impacts among Population in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Authors: Kasatpibal Nongyao , Oberdorfer Peninnah , Katip Wasan , Mektrirat Raktham , Wattananandkul Usanee , Thummathai Kwaunpanomporn
Published: April 2022

Background and objectives: The pandemic of COVID-19 is a global concern requiring urgent and effective action. However, the data on prevention practices and the impact of COVID-19 among the Thai population have not been clearly described. This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, perception, practices, and factors predicting practices in the prevention of COVID-19 and to study the impact of COVID-19 on people’s livelihoods. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed between April and November 2020. A questionnaire eliciting demographic data and information on knowledge, attitudes, perception, prevention practices, and impact of COVID-19 was given to 500 people who lived in Chiang Mai, and 480 usable questionnaires were returned, for a response rate of 96.0%. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression. Results: Less than half of the participants had a high level of knowledge (45.4%) about COVID-19. Most of them had a high level of attitudes (95.6%), perception (72.1%), and prevention practices (90.4%). Female (β = 0.11, p = 0.006), patient status (β = 0.17, p < 0.001), knowledge (β = −0.10, p = 0.020), attitudes (β = 0.37, p < 0.001), and perception (β = 0.21, p < 0.001) about COVID-19 prevention were the predicting factors for overall prevention practices (R2 = 0.288). Most participants perceived the overall impact of COVID-19 at moderate and high levels (47.1 and 37.8%, respectively). The highest impact was an economic burden, followed by psychological, social, and physical impacts. Conclusions: Policymakers should enhance attitudes and perception about COVID-19 prevention to improve the COVID-19 prevention practices. This may help to reduce the new cases of COVID-19 and may result in reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people’s livelihoods.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion of K418 Superalloy: Process, Microstructure, Texture Feature, and Mechanical Property
Authors: Chen Zhen , Wei Pei , Chen Hanfeng , Chen Xinggang , Ruan Yi , Zhou Wenzheng , Lu Sujun
Published: April 2022

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is one of the most promising additive manufacturing (AM) technologies using metal powders. It has been increasingly applied in variety of industrial and engineering fields, including but not limited to aviation, aerospace, nuclear energy, automobiles, medical, molding, shipping, and so on. In this work, the influence of laser process parameters on the microstructure, textural features, and their resulting effect on the macroscopic mechanical properties of LPBF-manufactured K418 samples was investigated experimentally. OM, SEM, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the microstructure evolution, and EBSD was used to identify the crystal texture of the as-built K418 samples. The effect relationship between process, microstructure, and properties was investigated using mechanical property testing. Furthermore, the volumetric energy density VED was considered as a comprehensive evaluation index to reflect the effects of the main laser process parameters on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of LPBF-manufactured K418 samples, including scanning speed v, laser power P, layer thickness t, and hatch space H. The results show that as the volumetric energy density VED increases, the microstructure morphology of the LPBF-manufactured K418 sample evolves: clustered columnar grains → coarsened columnar grains → ultrafine columnar grains, and the mechanical properties of the LPBF-manufactured K418 sample improve, owing to the ultrafine elongated columnar grains and a strong {001} <100> cubic texture.
Anomaly Format of Atmospheric Governing Equations with Climate as a Reference Atmosphere
Authors: Qian Weihong , Du Jun
Published: April 2022

To reduce numerical instability and increase forecast accuracy of a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model, one approach is to subtract a reference atmosphere from atmospheric governing equations. In the past, scientists have proposed one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional static (in time) reference atmospheres with respect to temperature and pressure. These three reference atmospheres were first reviewed, and their corresponding perturbation equations were derived. Then, a new four-dimensional (space and time) all-variable (temperature, pressure, wind, moisture, etc.) reference atmosphere was defined using observed climatic states. Unlike the previous three approaches, the perturbations derived from this new method are actual anomalies relative to climate and directly a part of individual weather systems in both structure and strength. By subtracting climatic states, anomaly equations were derived and analyzed. Finally, the benefits and challenges of the anomaly-equation-based NWP model were discussed. Theoretically, an anomaly model should reduce model systematic errors (bias) and should avoid model climate drift to significantly enhance a model’s performance. An example of tropical cyclone track forecasts using the Beta advection model (vorticity) was demonstrated. The separation of model physics into climatic and anomalous physics is a significant challenge if a pure anomaly-equation-based NWP model is desired. Fortunately, a model including both anomaly and climatic equations should work with current full physics. In an anomaly climate mixed model, the anomaly part needs to be predicted and the climate parts are precalculated constants. It is hoped that this study will inspire model developers to explore the approach, which could be a possible new direction in developing next-generation NWP models. A high-resolution reanalysis is also key to the success of this new approach.
The Genome of Bacillus velezensis SC60 Provides Evidence for Its Plant Probiotic Effects
Authors: Dong Xiaoyan , Tu Chen , Xie Zhihong , Luo Yongming , Zhang Lei , Li Zhaoyi
Published: April 2022

Root colonization and plant probiotic function are important traits of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Bacillus velezensis SC60, a plant endophytic strain screened from Sesbania cannabina, has a strong colonization ability on various plant roots, which indicates that SC60 has a preferable adaptability to plants. However, the probiotic function of the strain SC60 is not well-understood. Promoting plant growth and suppressing soil-borne pathogens are key to the plant probiotic functions. In this study, the genetic mechanism of plant growth-promoting and antibacterial activity of the strain SC60 was analyzed by biological and bioinformatics methods. The complete genome size of strain SC60 was 3,962,671 bp, with 4079 predicted genes and an average GC content of 46.46%. SC60 was designated as Bacillus velezensis according to the comparative analysis, including average nucleotide polymorphism (ANI), digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH), and phylogenetic analysis. Genomic secondary metabolite analyses indicated two clusters encoding potential new antimicrobials. The antagonism experiments revealed that strain SC60 had the ability to inhibit the growth of a variety of plant pathogens and its closely related strains of Bacillus spp., which was crucial to the rhizospheric competitiveness and growth-promoting effect of the strain. The present results further suggest that B. velezensis SC60 could be used as a PGPR strain to develop new biocontrol agents or microbial fertilizers.
Hyperbolic Representation of Lateral Force–Displacement Relationship for Underground Installed Pipe
Authors: Yovichin Richard D. , Jung Jai K. , Lee Wei-Ju
Published: April 2022

Extreme natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, and liquefaction create permanent ground deformation (PGD). With the recognition that PGD often causes the most serious local damage in underground structures such as buried pipelines and mining facilities, research and engineering practices for underground structures have focused on soil–structure interaction under PGD. In this study, an underground pipeline was investigated due to its simple geometry. Geotechnical data collection and analysis were used as a study method. Of key importance is the soil–pipe interaction with respect to PGD below the subsurface. This response is typically highlighted by a force vs. displacement relationship and is primarily a function of soil unit weight, depth from surface to the pipe centerline, and the pipe diameter. The non-linear force vs. displacement relationship for transverse horizontal force on a pipe subjected to lateral ground movement, can be represented by a hyperbola. The nonlinear hyperbola can then be turned into a linear line by transforming the axis. This paper investigates a wide range of soil characteristics and summarizes representative hyperbolic parameters for dry medium, dense, and very dense sand for lateral ground movement. The approach is convenient for modeling the soil–pipe interaction and is critical for addressing the complexities of soil and pipe performance, consistent with real-world soil–pipe behavior. The ideas and data analysis techniques presented in this study may be fine-tuned and applied to more complex problems including mining and could ultimately contribute to the management of geotechnical risks.
Activated Carbon/Pectin Composite Enterosorbent for Human Protection from Intoxication with Xenobiotics Pb(II) and Sodium Diclofenac
Authors: Jandosov Jakpar , Alavijeh Mo , Sultakhan Shynggyskhan , Baimenov Alzhan , Bernardo Maria , Sakipova Zuriyadda , Azat Seytkhan , Lyubchyk Svitlana , Zhylybayeva Nurzhamal , Naurzbayeva Gulmira , Mansurov Zulkhair , Mikhalovsky Sergey , Berillo Dmitriy
Published: April 2022

The use of enterosorbents—materials which can be administered orally and eliminate toxic substances from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) by sorption—offers an attractive complementary protection of humans against acute and chronic poisoning. In this study, we report the results of developing a microgranulated binary biomedical preparation for oral use. It was designed with a core-shell structure based on pectin with low degree of esterification as the core, and nanoporous activated carbon produced from rice husk, AC-RH, as the shell, designated as AC-RH@pectin. The adsorption properties of the synthesized materials were studied in aqueous solutions for the removal of lead (II) nitrate as a representative of toxic polyvalent metals and sodium diclofenac as an example of a medicinal drug. The composite enterosorbent demonstrated high adsorption capacity for both adsorbates studied. Adsorption kinetics of lead and diclofenac adsorption by AC-RH, pectin, and AC-RH@pectin, fitted well a pseudo-second-order model. According to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model, the best fitted isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity, qmax, of AC-RH@pectin for diclofenac and for lead (II) was 130.9 mg/g and 227.8 mg/g, respectively. Although qmax of AC-RH for diclofenac, 537.6 mg/g, and qmax of pectin for lead (II), 245.7 mg/g, were higher, the maximum adsorption capacity of AC-RH for lead (II), 52.7 mg/g, was much lower than that of the composite AC-RH@pectin and the adsorption capacity of pectin for diclofenac was negligible. Therefore, the composite material AC-RH@pectin demonstrated substantial efficiency of removing both species which potentially defines it as a more universal enterosorbent suitable for treating poisoning caused by substances of different chemical nature.
Kinetics of the Gas-Phase Reaction of Hydroxyl Radicals with Dimethyl Methylphosphonate (DMMP) over an Extended Temperature Range (273–837 K)
Authors: Zhang Xiaokai , Barkova Daria A. , Koshlyakov Pavel V. , Gerasimov Ilya E. , Chesnokov Evgeni N. , Krasnoperov Lev N.
Published: April 2022

The kinetics of the reaction of hydroxyl radical (OH) with dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP, (CH3O)2CH3PO) (reaction 1) OH + DMMP → products (1) was studied at the bath gas (He) pressure of 1 bar over the 295–837 K temperature range. Hydroxyl radicals were produced in the fast reaction of electronically excited oxygen atoms O(1D) with H2O. The time-resolved kinetic profiles of hydroxyl radicals were recorded via UV absorption at around 308 nm using a DC discharge H2O/Ar lamp. The reaction rate constant exhibits a pronounced V-shaped temperature dependence, negative in the low temperature range, 295–530 K (the rate constant decreases with temperature), and positive in the elevated temperature range, 530–837 K (the rate constant increases with temperature), with a turning point at 530 ± 10 K. The rate constant could not be adequately fitted with a standard 3-parameter modified Arrhenius expression. The data were fitted with a 5-parameter expression as: k1 = 2.19 × 10−14(T/298)2.43exp(15.02 kJ mol−1/RT) + 1.71 × 10−10exp(−26.51 kJ mol−1/RT) cm3molecule−1s−1 (295–837 K). In addition, a theoretically predicted pressure dependence for such reactions was experimentally observed for the first time.
An Efficient Deacidification Process for Safflower Seed Oil with High Nutritional Property through Optimized Ultrasonic-Assisted Technology
Authors: Xin Leyu , Guo Limin , Edirs Salamet , Zhang Zepeng , Cai Chenyang , Yang Yongxing , Lian Yali , Yang Haiyan
Published: April 2022

Safflower seed oil (SSO) is considered to be an excellent edible oil since it contains abundant essential unsaturated fatty acids and lipid concomitants. However, the traditional alkali-refined deacidification process of SSO results in a serious loss of bioactive components of the oil and also yields massive amounts of wastewater. In this study, SSO was first extracted by ultrasonic-assisted ethanol extraction (UAEE), and the extraction process was optimized using random centroid optimization. By exploring the effects of ethanol concentration, solid–liquid ratio, ultrasonic time, and the number of deacidification times, the optimum conditions for the deacidification of safflower seed oil were obtained as follows: ethanol concentration 100%, solid–liquid ratio 1:4, ultrasonic time 29 min, and number of deacidification cycles (×2). The deacidification rate was 97.13% ± 0.70%, better than alkali-refining (72.16% ± 0.13%). The values of acid, peroxide, anisidine and total oxidation of UAEE-deacidified SSO were significantly lower than those of alkali-deacidified SSO (p < 0.05). The contents of the main lipid concomitants such as tocopherols, polyphenols, and phytosterols in UAEE-decidified SSO were significantly higher than those of the latter (p < 0.05). For instance, the DPPH radical scavenging capacity of UAEE-processed SSO was significantly higher than that of alkali refining (p < 0.05). The Pearson bivariate correlation analysis before and after the deacidification process demonstrated that the three main lipid concomitants in SSO were negatively correlated with the index of peroxide, anisidine, and total oxidation values. The purpose of this study was to provide an alternative method for the deacidification of SSO that can effectively remove free fatty acids while maintaining the nutritional characteristics, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant capacity of SSO.
Hydrophobic AEROSIL®R972 Fumed Silica Nanoparticles Incorporated Monolithic Nano-Columns for Small Molecule and Protein Separation by Nano-Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Aydoğan Cemil , Erdoğan İbrahim Y. , El-Rassi Ziad
Published: April 2022

A new feature of hydrophobic fumed silica nanoparticles (HFSNPs) when they apply to the preparation of monolithic nano-columns using narrow monolithic fused silica capillary columns (e.g., 50-µm inner diameter) was presented. The monolithic nano-columns were synthesized by an in-situ polymerization using butyl methacrylate (BMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) at various concentrations of AEROSIL®R972, called HFSNPs. Dimethyl formamide (DMF) and water were used as the porogenic solvents. These columns (referred to as HFSNP monoliths) were successfully characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and reversed-phase nano-LC using alkylbenzenes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons as solute probes. The reproducibility values based on run-to-run, column-to-column and batch-to-batch were found as 2.3%, 2.48% and 2.99% (n = 3), respectively. The optimized column also indicated promising hydrophobic interactions under reversed-phase conditions, while the feasibility of the column allowed high efficiency and high throughput nano-LC separations. The potential of the final HFSNP monolith in relation to intact protein separation was successfully demonstrated using six intact proteins, including ribonuclease A, cytochrome C, carbonic anhydrase isozyme II, lysozyme, myoglobin, and α-chymotrypsinogen A in nano-LC. The results showed that HFSNP-based monolithic nanocolumns are promising materials and are powerful tools for sensitive separations.
Novel Magnetic Properties in Curved Geometries
Authors: Bran Cristina
Published: April 2022

The expanding of planar magnetic structures into three dimensions (3D) creates the possibility of tuning the conventional magnetic textures or producing novel effects and functionalities by tailoring their curvature [...]
Enhanced Stability and Mechanical Properties of a Graphene–Protein Nanocomposite Film by a Facile Non-Covalent Self-Assembly Approach
Authors: Du Chunbao , Du Ting , Zhou Joey Tianyi , Zhu Yanan , Jia Xingang , Cheng Yuan
Published: April 2022

Graphene-based nanocomposite films (NCFs) are in high demand due to their superior photoelectric and thermal properties, but their stability and mechanical properties form a bottleneck. Herein, a facile approach was used to prepare nacre-mimetic NCFs through the non-covalent self-assembly of graphene oxide (GO) and biocompatible proteins. Various characterization techniques were employed to characterize the as-prepared NCFs and to track the interactions between GO and proteins. The conformational changes of various proteins induced by GO determined the film-forming ability of NCFs, and the binding of bull serum albumin (BSA)/hemoglobin (HB) on GO’s surface was beneficial for improving the stability of as-prepared NCFs. Compared with the GO film without any additive, the indentation hardness and equivalent elastic modulus could be improved by 50.0% and 68.6% for GO–BSA NCF; and 100% and 87.5% for GO–HB NCF. Our strategy should be facile and effective for fabricating well-designed bio-nanocomposites for universal functional applications.
Enhanced Performance of Silicon Negative Electrodes Composited with Titanium Carbide Based MXenes for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Jiang Tingting , Yang Hao , Chen George
Published: April 2022

Silicon is considered as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation negative electrode (negatrode) materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical specific capacity, appropriate lithiation potential range, and fairly abundant resources. However, the practical application of silicon negatrodes is hampered by the poor cycling and rate performances resulting mainly from the huge volume change during Li+ insertion/extraction. Various composite structures have been investigated to maintain the structural integrity and improve the stability and electric conductivity of silicon-based negatrodes. Of these, 2D transition-metal carbides, also known as MXenes (e.g., Ti3C2Tx), have become increasingly attractive for energy storage applications because of their excellent electric, electrochemical and mechanical properties and potential uses as the matrix for construction of 3D networks with larger buffering spaces and more effective charge carrier conduction in silicon-based negatrodes. This article reviews specifically composite negatrodes of silicon with titanium-carbide-based MXenes for LIBs from the materials perspective. The structures design, preparation method, interface control, and their effects on electrochemical performances are comprehensively elaborated on. It is shown that the recent development of Si/MXene-based negatrodes presents great potential for future applications.
Privacy-Aware Access Protocols for MEC Applications in 5G
Authors: Akman Gizem , Ginzboorg Philip , Niemi Valtteri
Published: April 2022

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) is one of the emerging key technologies in fifth generation (5G) mobile networks, providing reduced end-to-end latency for applications and reduced load in the transport network. This paper proposes mechanisms to enhance user privacy in MEC within 5G. We consider a basic MEC usage scenario, where the user accesses an application hosted in the MEC platform via the radio access network of the mobile network operator (MNO). First, we create a system model based on this scenario. Second, we define the adversary model and give the list of privacy requirements for this system model. We also analyze the impact on user privacy when some of the parties in our model share information that is not strictly needed for providing the service. Third, we introduce a privacy-aware access protocol for the system model and analyze this protocol against the privacy requirements.
Meals That Differ in Nutrient Composition and Inflammatory Potential Do Not Differentially Impact Postprandial Circulating Cytokines in Older Adults above a Healthy Weight
Authors: Cowan Stephanie , Gibson Simone , Sinclair Andrew J. , Truby Helen , Dordevic Aimee L.
Published: April 2022

In this exploratory study, mixed meals specifically formulated to differ in inflammatory potential were tested to determine whether they could differentially impact circulating levels of inflammatory markers in adults above a healthy weight. Complete data were analyzed from 11 adults (6 males and 5 females) aged 54–63 years with median BMI of 30.0 (27.1–31.6) kg/m². In a crossover study design, each participant consumed an isocaloric (2.2 MJ) meal with either a low (Anti-meal), moderate (Neutr-meal), or high (Pro-meal) inflammatory potential. Fasting and postprandial blood samples were analyzed for plasma levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, and metabolic makers. Postprandial plasma IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) were not different between the three meals (p > 0.05). There was a trend of an increase in IL-6 with time in all three meals, but no changes were obvious for the other measured cytokines. The Pro-meal induced an increased postprandial iAUC for triglycerides compared to the Anti-meal and Neutr-meal (p = 0.004 and p = 0.012, respectively). Single meals, regardless of their theoretical inflammatory potential, did not substantially shift circulating inflammatory markers, suggesting that longer-term dietary patterns are important rather than single dietary exposures in the pathology of metabolic conditions.
Enhanced Walking-Induced Fat Oxidation by New Zealand Blackcurrant Extract Is Body Composition-Dependent in Recreationally Active Adult Females
Authors: Willems Mark E. T. , Banic Milena , Cadden Roseanna , Barnett Lara
Published: April 2022

New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract enhanced cycling-induced fat oxidation in female endurance athletes. We examined in recreationally active females the effects of NZBC extract on physiological and metabolic responses by moderate-intensity walking and the relationship of fat oxidation changes with focus on body composition parameters. Twelve females (age: 21 ± 2 y, BMI: 23.6 ± 3.1 kg·m−2) volunteered. Bioelectrical bioimpedance analysis was used for body composition measurements. Resting metabolic equivalent (1-MET) was 3.31 ± 0.66 mL·kg−1·min−1. Participants completed an incremental walking test with oxygen uptake measurements to individualize the treadmill walking speed at 5-MET. In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design, the 30 min morning walks were in the same phase of each participant’s menstrual cycle. No changes by NZBC extract were observed for walking-induced heart rate, minute ventilation, oxygen uptake, and carbon dioxide production. NZBC extract enhanced fat oxidation (10 responders, range: 10–66%). There was a significant correlation for changes in fat oxidation with body mass index; body fat% in legs, arms, and trunk; and a trend with fat oxidation at rest but not with body mass and habitual anthocyanin intake. The NZBC extract responsiveness of walking-induced fat oxidation is body composition-dependent and higher in young-adult females with higher body fat% in legs, arms, and trunk.
The Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Bovine Bone-Gelatin-Derived Peptides in LPS-Induced RAW264.7 Macrophages Cells and Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Xing Lujuan , Fu Lijuan , Cao Songmin , Yin Yantao , Wei Lanlan , Zhang Wangang
Published: April 2022

The bioactive peptides hydrolyzed from bone collagen have been found to possess health-promoting effects by regulating chronic diseases such as arthritis and hypertension. In the current study, the anti-inflammatory effect of bovine bone gelatin peptides (GP) was evaluated in 264.7 macrophages cells and followed by animal trials to investigate their interference on inflammatory cytokines and gut microbiota compositions in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced C57BL/6 mice. The GP was demonstrated to alleviate the extra secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. In DSS-induced colitis mice, the gavage of GP was demonstrated to ameliorate the IBD symptoms of weight loss, hematochezia and inflammatory infiltration in intestinal tissues. In serum, the proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α,IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1β) were suppressed along with the decreasing effect on toll-like receptor 4 and cyclooxygenase-2 by GP treatment. In the analysis of gut microbiota, the GP was checked to modulate the abundance of Akkermansia, Parasutterella, Peptococcus, Bifidobacterium and Saccharibacteria. The above results imply that GP could attenuate DSS-induced colitis by suppressing the inflammatory cytokines and regulating the gut microbiota.
The Role of Palmitoleic Acid in Regulating Hepatic Gluconeogenesis through SIRT3 in Obese Mice
Authors: Guo Xin , Jiang Xiaofan , Chen Keyun , Liang Qijian , Zhang Shixiu , Zheng Juan , Ma Xiaomin , Jiang Hongmei , Wu Hao , Tong Qiang
Published: April 2022

Hepatic gluconeogenesis is a crucial process to maintain glucose level during starvation. However, unabated glucose production in diabetic patients is a major contributor to hyperglycemia. Palmitoleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid (16:1n7) that is available from dietary sources. Palmitoleic acid exhibits health beneficial effects on diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome. However, the mechanism by which palmitoleate reduces blood glucose is still unclear. SIRT3 is a key metabolism-regulating NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase. It is known that fasting elevates the expression of SIRT3 in the liver and it regulates many aspects of liver’s response to nutrient deprivation, such as fatty acid oxidation and ketone body formation. However, it is unknown whether SIRT3 also regulates gluconeogenesis. Our study revealed that palmitoleic acid reduced hepatic gluconeogenesis and the expression of SIRT3 under high-fat diet conditions. Overexpression of SIRT3 in the liver and hepatocytes enhanced gluconeogenesis. Further study revealed that SIRT3 played a role in enhancing the activities of gluconeogenic enzymes, such as PEPCK, PC, and MDH2. Therefore, our study indicated that under a high-fat diet, palmitoleic acid decreased gluconeogenesis by reducing enzymatic activities of PEPCK, PC, and MDH2 by down-regulating the expression of SIRT3.
Relationship between Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity and Diet-Induced Weight Loss
Authors: Syed-Abdul Majid Mufaqam
Published: April 2022

The global epidemic of obesity has increased over the past two decades, which has been attributed to a lack of physical activity and increased energy intake. Given the fact that obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, nutritional approaches to prevent cardiovascular diseases often target weight loss. Although many strategies are used to induce weight loss, the most common ones involve either total energy restriction, carbohydrate restriction, or dietary fat restriction. This report addresses the impact of each diet on improving carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a technique that is used to measure arterial stiffness—a surrogate marker of cardiovascular disease risk. Fourteen studies were included in the analysis and revealed that diet-induced weight-loss plateaus with increasing duration of the intervention (p = 0.174, r = 0.455). Weight loss was significantly associated with a reduction in cf-PWV (p = 0.012, r = 0.591). Further, when macronutrient composition was considered, weight loss was achieved through a low-carbohydrate diet (p = 0.097, r = 0.626), not total energy restriction (p = 0.660, r = 0.204) or low-fat diet (p = 0.142, r = 0.975), tended to reduce cf-PWV. These data suggest that weight loss achieved through a low-carbohydrate diet may have a greater impact on PWV over total energy restriction. More studies are needed to test the effect of weight loss achieved through a low-fat diet on cf-PWV.
Electrically Tunable and Reconfigurable Topological Edge State Laser
Authors: Li Hang , Yao Ruizhe , Zheng Bowen , An Sensong , Haerinia Mohammad , Ding Jun , Lee Chi-Sen , Zhang Hualiang , Guo Wei
Published: April 2022

Incorporating active components in photonic structures with a topological configuration has been shown to achieve lasing at topological edge states. Here, we report an electrically tunable topological edge-state laser in a one-dimensional complex Su–Schrieffer–Heeger chain. The proposed design is realized in an electrically injected Fabry–Perot (FP) laser chain. The lasing in topologically induced edge states is experimentally observed and a selective enhancement is realized by introducing a topological defect in the center. This work presents a versatile platform to investigate novel concepts such as the topological mode for mainstream photonic applications.
Clinical and Molecular Basis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Hepatitis C Virus Eradication
Authors: Oe Natsumi , Takeda Haruhiko , Eso Yuji , Takai Atsushi , Marusawa Hiroyuki
Published: April 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arises in the background of chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis and liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It is well known that HCV eradication using antiviral drugs can efficiently inhibit hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent advances in and development of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs has revolutionized the treatment of HCV infection, and the vast majority of HCV patients can achieve HCV eradication using DAAs. However, mounting evidence clearly indicates that HCC inevitably occurs in a subset of patients after successful viral eradication using DAA therapy. Cancer is a genetic disease, and the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic aberrations may cause hepatocarcinogenesis in chronically damaged liver, even after virus elimination. In this review, we highlight HCC development after HCV eradication and discuss the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis after virus elimination, focusing on the genetic and epigenetic background of chronically damaged liver tissues.
Theoretical and Experimental Research on the Mode Modulation Regulation for the Mode-Tunable Vortex Laser Based on Mode Conversion and Intra-Cavity Modulation
Authors: Lin Shibing , Wang Deen , Kang Shaonan , Zheng Yamin , Huang Lei
Published: April 2022

The vortex laser beam has been widely applied in many fields for its unique properties. However, researchers have to conduct extensive and recurring experiments to find the modulation abilities of the vortex beam modes for a given resonant cavity. In this paper, a mode modulation regulation acquisition (MORA) method, investigating the relationship between the modes of the vortex beam and modulation parameters, is proposed and verified. A typical mode-tunable vortex laser, consisting of a classic plano-concave straight cavity, a vortex beam generation beamline, and a reference beam acquisition beamline, is used as the analysis and experiment object. The principle and working process of the MORA method is analyzed in the simulation, and its validity is verified in the experiment. Based on the obtained theoretical relationship between the modes of the vortex beam and modulation parameters, the MORA method could be used to help researchers in designing the practical vortex laser with target vortex beams output by optimizing the structure of the vortex laser, selecting the suitable intra-cavity modulation elements (IMEs), and pre-positioning the location of the IMEs.
Sapphire Photonic Crystal Waveguides with Integrated Bragg Grating Structure
Authors: Kefer Stefan , Roth Gian-Luca , Zettl Julian , Schmauss Bernhard , Hellmann Ralf
Published: April 2022

This contribution demonstrates photonic crystal waveguides generated within bulk planar sapphire substrates. A femtosecond laser is used to modify the refractive index in a hexagonal pattern around the pristine waveguide core. Near-field measurements reveal single-mode behavior at a wavelength of 1550 nm and the possibility to adapt the mode-field diameter. Based on far-field examinations, the effective refractive index contrast between the pristine waveguide core and depressed cladding is estimated to 3·10−4. Additionally, Bragg gratings are generated within the waveguide core. Due to the inherent birefringence of Al2O3, the gratings exhibit two distinct wavelengths of main reflection. Each reflection peak exhibits a narrow spectral full width at a half maximum of 130 pm and can be selectively addressed by exciting the birefringent waveguide with appropriately polarized light. Furthermore, a waveguide attenuation of 1 dB cm−1 is determined.
Higher Phytohormone Contents and Weaker Phytohormone Signal Transduction Were Observed in Cold-Tolerant Cucumber
Authors: Salah Radwa , Zhang Rui-Jin , Xia Shi-Wei , Song Shan-Shan , Hao Qian , Hashem Mustafa H. , Li Huan-Xiu , Li Yu , Li Xi-Xiang , Lai Yun-Song
Published: April 2022

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) originated from the South Asian subcontinent, and most of them are fragile to cold stress. In this study, we evaluated the cold tolerance of 115 cucumber accessions and screened out 10 accessions showing high resistance to cold stress. We measured and compared plant hormone contents between cold-tolerant cucumber CT90R and cold-sensitive cucumber CT57S in cold treatment. Most of the detected plant hormones showed significantly higher content in CT90R. To elucidate the role of plant hormones, we compared the leaf- and root-transcriptomes of CT90R with those of CT57S in cold stress treatment. In leaves, there were 1209 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CT90R and CT57S, while there were 703 in roots. These DEGs were not evenly distributed across the chromosomes and there were significant enrichments at particular positions, including qLTT6.2, a known QTL controlling cucumber cold tolerance. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the pathway of plant hormone transductions between CT90R and CT57S in leaves. In short, genes involved in plant hormone transductions showed lower transcription levels in CT90R. In roots, the most significantly different pathway was phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. CT90R seemed to actively accumulate more monolignols by upregulating cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) genes. These results above suggest a new perspective on the regulation mechanism of cold tolerance in cucumbers.
Biochemistry and Molecular Basis of Intracellular Flavonoid Transport in Plants
Authors: Pucker Boas , Selmar Dirk
Published: April 2022

Flavonoids are a biochemically diverse group of specialized metabolites in plants that are derived from phenylalanine. While the biosynthesis of the flavonoid aglycone is highly conserved across species and well characterized, numerous species-specific decoration steps and their relevance remained largely unexplored. The flavonoid biosynthesis takes place at the cytosolic side of the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER), but accumulation of various flavonoids was observed in the central vacuole. A universal explanation for the subcellular transport of flavonoids has eluded researchers for decades. Current knowledge suggests that a glutathione S-transferase-like protein (ligandin) protects anthocyanins and potentially proanthocyanidin precursors during the transport to the central vacuole. ABCC transporters and to a lower extend MATE transporters sequester anthocyanins into the vacuole. Glycosides of specific proanthocyanidin precursors are sequestered through MATE transporters. A P-ATPase in the tonoplast and potentially other proteins generate the proton gradient that is required for the MATE-mediated antiport. Vesicle-mediated transport of flavonoids from the ER to the vacuole is considered as an alternative or additional route.
Combining Ability and Performance of Extra-Early Maturing Provitamin A Maize Inbreds and Derived Hybrids in Multiple Environments
Authors: Oluwaseun Olatise , Badu-Apraku Baffour , Adebayo Moses , Abubakar Adamu Masari
Published: April 2022

Availability of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids with elevated provitamin A (PVA) levels and tolerance to contrasting stresses would improve food self-sufficiency and combat malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study was conducted to (i) analyze selected PVA inbreds of extra-early maturity for carotenoid content, (ii) estimate the combining abilities of the inbred lines for grain yield and other agronomic traits, (iii) assign inbred lines to distinct heterotic groups (HGs), (iv) identify testers among the inbred lines, and (v) determine grain yield and stability of the PVA hybrids across contrasting environments. Thirty-three extra-early maturing inbred lines selected for high carotenoid content were crossed with four inbred testers to obtain 132 testcrosses. The testcrosses, six tester × tester crosses and two hybrid checks, were evaluated across three Striga-infested, four drought and five optimal growing environments in Nigeria, 2014–2016. Results of the chemical analysis revealed that inbred lines TZEEIOR 109, TZEEIOR 30, TZEEIOR 41, TZEEIOR 97, TZEEIOR 42, and TZEEIOR 140 had intermediate PVA levels. Both additive and nonadditive gene actions were important in the inheritance of grain yield and other measured traits under stress and optimal environments. However, additive gene action was preponderant over the nonadditive gene action. The inbred lines were classified into three HGs across environments. Inbreds TZEEIOR 249 and TZEEIOR 30 were identified as testers for HGs I and II, respectively. The hybrid TZEEI 79 × TZEEIOR 30 was the most outstanding in terms of grain yield and was stable across environments. This hybrid should be tested extensively in on-farm trials for consistency in performance and commercialized to combat malnutrition and food insecurity in SSA.
Effect of Sucrose on Growth and Stress Status of Castanea sativa x C. crenata Shoots Cultured in Liquid Medium
Authors: Gago Diego , Bernal María Ángeles , Sánchez Conchi , Aldrey Anxela , Cuenca Beatriz , Christie Colin Bruce , Vidal Nieves
Published: April 2022

Current breeding programs aim to increase the number of ink-tolerant chestnut trees using vegetative propagation of selected genotypes. However, the commercial vegetative propagation of chestnut species is still a bottleneck for the forest industry, mainly due to problems in the rooting and acclimation of propagules. This study aimed to explore the potential benefits of decreasing sucrose supplementation during chestnut micropropagation. Explants were cultured with high light intensity and CO2-enriched air in temporary or continuous immersion bioreactors and with different sucrose supplementation to evaluate the impact of these treatments on growth, rooting and physiological status (monosaccharide content, soluble phenolics and antioxidant activity). The proliferation and rooting performance of shoots cultured by continuous immersion decreased sharply with sucrose concentrations lower than 1%, whereas shoots cultured by temporary immersion grew and rooted successfully with 0.5% sucrose. These results suggest this system is appropriate to culture chestnut with low sucrose concentration and to explore photoautotrophic propagation of this species.
Impact of Starch Coating Embedded with Silver Nanoparticles on Strawberry Storage Time
Authors: Taha Ibrahim M. , Zaghlool Ayman , Nasr Ali , Nagib Ashraf , El Azab Islam H. , Mersal Gaber A. M. , Ibrahim Mohamed M. , Fahmy Alaa
Published: April 2022

The strawberry has a very short postharvest life due to its fast softening and decomposition. The goal of this research is to see how well a starch-silver nanoparticle (St-AgNPs) coating affects the physical, chemical, and microbiological qualities of strawberries during postharvest life. Additionally, the effect of washing with running water on silver concentration in coated strawberry fruit was studied by an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Furthermore, the shelf-life period was calculated in relation to the temperature of storage. Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), UV-Visible, and Transmission Electron Microscopic (TEM) were used to investigate the structure of starch-silver materials, the size and shape of AgNPs, respectively. The AgNPs were spherical, with an average size range of 12.7 nm. The coated samples had the lowest weight loss, decay, and microbial counts as compared to the uncoated sample. They had higher total acidity and anthocyanin contents as well. The washing process led to the almost complete removal of silver particles by rates ranging from 98.86 to 99.10%. Finally, the coating maintained strawberry qualities and lengthened their shelf-life from 2 to 6 days at room storage and from 8 to 16 days in cold storage.
Enhanced Low-Velocity Impact Resistance of Helicoidal Composites by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
Authors: Lu Xiaochun , Zhang Xiameng , Li Yangbo , Shen Yan , Ma Yinqiu , Meng Yongdong
Published: April 2022

Bioinspired composites, capable of tailoring mechanical properties by the strategy of making full use of their advantages and bypassing their drawbacks, are vital for numerous engineering applications such as lightweight ultrahigh-strength, enhanced toughness, improved low-/high- velocity impact resistance, wave filtering, and energy harvesting. Helicoidal composites are examples of them. However, how to optimize the geometric structure to maximize the low-velocity impact resistance of helicoidal composites has been ignored, which is vital to the lightweight and high strength for aerospace, defense, ship, bridge, dam, vessel, and textile industries. Here, we combined experiments and numerical simulations to report the dynamic response of helicoidal composites subjected under low-velocity impact (0–10 m/s). Our helicoidal structures, inspired by the Stomatopod Dactyl club, are fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) by FFF in a single-phase way. The helicoidal strategy aims to exploit, to a maximum extent, the axial tensile strength of filaments and simultaneously make up the shortage of inter-filament contact strength. We demonstrate experimentally that the low-velocity impact resistance has been enhanced efficiently as the helicoidal angle varies, and that the 15° helicoidal plate is better than others, which has also been confirmed by the numerical simulations. The findings reported here provide a new routine to design composites systems with enhanced impact resistance, offering a method to improve impact performance and expand the application of 3D printing.
Infrared Spectroscopy Studies of Aluminum Oxide and Metallic Aluminum Powders, Part II: Adsorption Reactions of Organofunctional Silanes
Authors: Ludwig Bellamarie
Published: April 2022

A gas phase, probe molecule doser was fabricated and connected to a diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) reaction chamber to study the reactions and stability of two organosilanes with the surfaces of metallic aluminum and boehmite powders in situ. Two metallic aluminum powder surfaces were studied, including an as-received, native oxide layer surface, and a laboratory prepared, boehmite-like surface. Neat boehmite powder was also used for reference and comparison to the laboratory prepared surface. We found that the metalloxane bond (Al-O-Si) was observed in the 1100–950 cm−1 region for all surfaces, which indicates chemisorption between the adsorbate and available surface hydroxyls. We were also able to draw correlations between the loss of surface –OH and the subsequent growth of –CH for additional confirmation of adsorbate retention. Hydrothermal stability was probed through intentional exposure to water after chlorotrimethyl silane dosing, which showed adsorbate loss through fractional decreases in intensity of the –CH stretches. These results provide clear evidence of metalloxane bonds formed on aluminum powder and insight into their stability, supporting the identification of these bonds on bulk scale silane treated powders.
UPLC-HRMS Polyphenolic Characterization, Contents and Antioxidant Activity of Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizomes from Costa Rica
Authors: Navarro-Hoyos Mirtha , Acuña-Quirós Mónica , Quirós-Fallas María Isabel , Vargas-Huertas Felipe , Wilhelm-Romero Krissia , Vásquez-Castro Felipe , Alvarado-Corella Diego , Sánchez-Kopper Andrés
Published: April 2022

Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizomes have been associated with multiple health benefits, such as blocking blood clotting, digestive and antinausea effects and aid in respiratory conditions. These effects have been linked with their polyphenolic main metabolites, gingerols and shogaols. Herewith, we report a detailed study on the polyphenolic profile and in the contents of main gingerols and shogaol as well as the antioxidant activity of extracts from Z. officinale rhizomes (n = 17) produced in Costa Rica. Using UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS, a total of 34 polyphenols were identified, grouped in 12 types of structures. In addition, our findings on the main metabolites using UPLC-DAD show all rhizomes complying with total gingerols (TG) content established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). At an individual level, samples SR-1 and NR-4 show the higher contents and also exhibit the highest Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) reducing capacity results as well as the best DPPH antioxidant values. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis results showed positive correlation (p < 0.05) between TG and 6-gingerol with FC results and negative correlation (p < 0.05) between 6-gingerol, TG and FC with DPPH results. In turn, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated variability in the composition associated with their region of origin and confirmed that NR-3, NR-4, and especially SR-1 stand out significatively, showing the highest PC1 because of its particularly high TG, 6-gingerol and antioxidant activities. Finally, results from controlled experimental plots of Z. officinale rhizomes (n = 6) indicated influence on metabolites content with higher values for a shorter harvest time and high tunnel cultivation. Therefore, our findings indicate the value of Z. officinale in the elaboration of products with potential benefits for health, delivering extracts with higher levels of gingerols than previous reports and exhibiting high antioxidant activity.