bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Degenerated Virulence and Irregular Development of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum Induced by Successive Subculture
Authors: Chang Tao-Ho , Lin Ying-Hong , Wan Yu-Ling , Chen Kan-Shu , Huang Jenn-Wen , Chang Pi-Fang Linda
Published: December 2020

Successive cultivation of fungi on artificial media has been reported to cause the sectorization, which leads to degeneration of developmental phenotype, and virulence. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon), the causal agent of watermelon Fusarium wilt, forms degenerated sectors after successive cultivation. In the present research, we demonstrated that subculture with aged mycelia increased the incidence of degenerations. To further investigate the differences between the Fon wild type (sporodochial type, ST) and variants (MT: mycelial type and PT: pionnotal type), developmental phenotypes and pathogenicity to watermelon were examined. Results in variants (PT2, PT3, PT11, and MT6) were different from ST with mycelia growth, conidia production and chlamydospore formation. Virulence of degenerated variants on susceptible watermelon Grand Baby (GB) cultivar was determined after inoculation with Fon variants and Fon ST. In root dipping methods, Fon variants showed no significant differences in disease progress compared with ST. Fon variants showed a significant decrease in disease progression compared with ST through infested soil inoculation. The contrasting results of two inoculation methods suggest that the degenerative changes due to repeated successive cultivation may lead to the loss of pathogen virulence-related factors of the early stage of Fon infection process. Therefore, cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs; cellulase, pectinase, and xylanase) activities of different variants were analyzed. All Fon degenerated variants demonstrated significant decreases of CWDEs activities compared with ST. Additionally, transcript levels of 9 virulence-related genes (fmk1, fgb1, pacC, xlnR, pl1, rho1, gas1, wc1, and fow1) were assessed in normal state. The degenerated variants demonstrated a significantly low level of tested virulence-related gene transcripts except for fmk1, xlnR, and fow1. In summary, the degeneration of Fon is triggered with successive subculture through aged mycelia. The degeneration showed significant impacts on virulence to watermelon, which was correlated with the reduction of CWDEs activities and declining expression of a set of virulence-related genes.
Significance of Environmental Input Data in Risk Assessment Analyses
Authors: Gruszecka-Kosowska Agnieszka
Published: December 2020

The environment is becoming more and more polluted [...]
From Proteomics to Personalized Medicine: The Importance of Isoflavone Dose and Estrogen Receptor Status in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Ilieș Maria , Uifălean Alina , Pașca Sergiu , Dhople Vishnu Mukund , Lalk Michael , Iuga Cristina Adela , Hammer Elke
Published: December 2020

Continuing efforts are directed towards finding alternative breast cancer chemotherapeutics, with improved safety and efficacy profiles. Soy isoflavones represent promising agents but, despite extensive research, limited information exists regarding their impact on the breast cancer cell proteome. The purpose of this study was to compare the proteomic profiles of MCF-7 (estrogen responsive) and MDA-MB-231 (estrogen non-responsive) breast cancer cells exposed to different concentrations of genistein, daidzein, and a soy seed extract, using a high throughput LC–UDMSE protein profiling approach. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay confirmed the dual activity of soy isoflavones on MCF-7 cells and the inhibitory effect on MDA-MB-231 cells. Proteome profiling of paramagnetic beads prepared peptides by nano-LC UDMSE and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that isoflavones affected distinct molecular pathways in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, such as tyrosine kinases signaling pathway, cytoskeleton organization, lipid and phospholipid catabolism, extracellular matrix degradation and mRNA splicing. Also, in MCF-7 cells, low and high isoflavone doses induced different changes of the proteome, including cell cycle alterations. Therefore, the expression of estrogen receptors and the isoflavone dose are determinant factors for the molecular impact of isoflavones and must be taken into account when considering adjuvant breast cancer therapy towards personalized medicine.
Practical Barriers and Facilitators Experienced by Patients, Pharmacists and Physicians to the Implementation of Pharmacogenomic Screening in Dutch Outpatient Hospital Care—An Explorative Pilot Study
Authors: Lanting Pauline , Drenth Evelien , Boven Ludolf , van Hoek Amanda , Hijlkema Annemiek , Poot Ellen , van der Vries Gerben , Schoevers Robert , Horwitz Ernst , Gans Reinold , Kosterink Jos , Plantinga Mirjam , van Langen Irene , Ranchor Adelita , Wijmenga Cisca , Franke Lude , Wilffert Bob , Sijmons Rolf
Published: December 2020

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) can provide optimized treatment to individual patients while potentially reducing healthcare costs. However, widespread implementation remains absent. We performed a pilot study of PGx screening in Dutch outpatient hospital care to identify the barriers and facilitators to implementation experienced by patients (n = 165), pharmacists (n = 58) and physicians (n = 21). Our results indeed suggest that the current practical experience of healthcare practitioners with PGx is limited, that proper education is necessary, that patients want to know the exact implications of the results, that healthcare practitioners heavily rely on their computer systems, that healthcare practitioners encounter practical problems in the systems used, and a new barrier was identified, namely that there is an unclear allocation of responsibilities between healthcare practitioners about who should discuss PGx with patients and apply PGx results in healthcare. We observed a positive attitude toward PGx among all the stakeholders in our study, and among patients, this was independent of the occurrence of drug-gene interactions during their treatment. Facilitators included the availability of and adherence to Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group guidelines. While clinical decision support (CDS) is available and valued in our medical center, the lack of availability of CDS may be an important barrier within Dutch healthcare in general.
The Effect and Impact of Signals on Investing Decisions in Reward-Based Crowdfunding: A Comparative Study of China and the United Kingdom
Authors: Usman Sardar Muhammad , Bukhari Farasat Ali Shah , You Huiwei , Badulescu Daniel , Gavrilut Darie
Published: December 2020

When traditional financial institutions faced difficulties in the task of assisting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with capital allocations, crowdfunding can upsurge as an innovative and vibrant vehicle that can support and assist the activity of such MSME’s, by financing their activity and instrumenting the process of risk-sharing. Simultaneously with its enormous growth and popularity, crowdfunding is faced by several key challenges, one of biggest such challenges referring to the problem of information asymmetry that can exist between fundraisers and potential backers. Based on the signaling theory, a research taxonomy has been developed for a comparative analysis between China and the UK. This has been accomplished by retrieving secondary data from the following crowdfunding platforms: Dreamore (Chinese platform) and Crowdfunder (UK platform). The objective of the study is to investigate both the effect and the impact that signals (goal setting, project comments and updates) have upon mitigating the problem of information asymmetry, in order to make the project successful. We have thus deployed an Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression and validated the models through a robustness check. The findings reveal that signals actively mitigate the problem of information asymmetry in both countries, but this varies in the sense that higher goal setting has a more positive/impactful relationship with project success in the UK than it does in China. Project comments are more positively associated with project success in China as compared to the UK, whereas project updates are more negatively related to project success in China as compared to the UK. These findings demonstrate the importance that signals have upon successful crowdfunding activities/campaigns, highlighting the theoretical and practical influence and relevance for potential fundraisers in the two aforementioned economies.
Correction: Deuchar, Margaret. 2020. Code-Switching in Linguistics: A Position Paper. Languages 5: 22
Authors: Deuchar Margaret
Published: December 2020

The author wishes to make the following correction to the paper by [...]
The Role of Connexin 43 in Lung Disease
Authors: Swartzendruber Julie A. , Nicholson Bruce J. , Murthy Ashlesh K.
Published: December 2020

The term lung disease describes a broad category of disorders that impair lung function. More than 35 million Americans have a preventable chronic lung disease with high mortality rates due to limited treatment efficacy. The recent increase in patients with lung disease highlights the need to increase our understanding of mechanisms driving lung inflammation. Connexins, gap junction proteins, and more specifically connexin 43 (Cx43), are abundantly expressed in the lung and are known to play a role in lung diseases. This review focuses on the role of Cx43 in pathology associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Additionally, we discuss the role of Cx43 in preventing disease through the transfer of mitochondria between cells. We aim to highlight the need to better understand what cell types are expressing Cx43 and how this expression influences lung disease.
Association between Systemic Antioxidant Capacity and Retinal Vessel Diameters in Patients with Primary-Open Angle Glaucoma
Authors: Takayanagi Yuji , Takai Yasuyuki , Kaidzu Sachiko , Tanito Masaki
Published: December 2020

The retinal vessel narrowing may be implicated in the pathogenesis of glaucoma; however, the association between systemic oxidative stress and retinal vessel diameter remains largely unknown. We examined the relationship between serum oxidative stress markers and retinal vessel diameters in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and cataract, using central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE) and central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE). We included 66 eyes of 66 patients with POAG (37 men, 29 women; 65.4 ± 11.7 years) and 20 eyes of 20 patients with cataract (7 men, 13 women; 69.4 ± 9.0 years) as the controls. The CRAE (p < 0.0001), CRVE (p < 0.0001), and serum biological antioxidant potential (BAP) (p = 0.0419) were significantly lower in the POAG group compared to the controls. The BAP showed significant correlation both with CRAE (ρ = 0.2148, p = 0.0471) and systolic blood pressure (ρ = −0.2431, p = 0.0241), while neither Diacron reactive oxygen metabolites nor sulfhydryl test correlated with them. The multivariate analyses indicated that age, best corrected visual acuity, and BAP were independent factors for CRAE or CRVE. The present study suggested that lower systemic antioxidant capacity was significantly associated with the intraocular pressure-independent vascular narrowing in POAG patients. This study provided a novel insight into the pathophysiology of glaucoma and highlighted the clinical impact on systemic antioxidant treatment for patients with glaucoma.
Ecological Cutting Fluids
Authors: Sułek Marian Włodzimierz , Bąk-Sowińska Anna , Przepiórka Jacek
Published: December 2020

This study deals with metalworking fluids (MWFs). According to DIN 51385, depending on their base, the fluids are divided into oil and water fluids. The oil bases include, among others, mineral, synthetic, vegetable and paraffin oils. This division does not comprise surfactant solutions which can be successfully used in metalworking. Due to the fact that this type of fluid was not qualified, a new type of lubricant based on the aqueous solutions of surfactants has been proposed. Two new notions have been introduced: surfactant working fluids (SWFs) for working fluids and surfactant lubricants (SLs) for all kinds of lubricants as a broader term. The effect of the physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (SLS), also known as sodium N-dodecanoyl-N-methyl glycinate, on tribological properties determined using a four-ball machine (Tester T-02) (Łukasiewicz Research Network—The Institute for Sustainable Technologies, Radom, Poland) was analyzed. On the basis of aqueous SLS solutions a composition of working fluids was developed and their functional properties were verified by means of tribological and stand tests as well as during operation. The test results obtained clearly indicate that functional properties of 2% solutions of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate with a foam inhibitor (0.05%) and a biocide (0.1%) are comparable to those of a quality commercial hydraulic fluid.
Evaluation of the In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of Caffeic Acid Derivatives and Liposomal Formulation against Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Zaremba-Czogalla Magdalena , Jaromin Anna , Sidoryk Katarzyna , Zagórska Agnieszka , Cybulski Marcin , Gubernator Jerzy
Published: December 2020

Pancreatic cancer belongs to the most aggressive group of cancers, with very poor prognosis. Therefore, there is an important need to find more potent drugs that could deliver an improved therapeutic approach. In the current study we searched for selective and effective caffeic acid derivatives. For this purpose, we analyzed twelve compounds and evaluated their in vitro cytotoxic activity against two human pancreatic cancer cell lines, along with a control, normal fibroblast cell line, by the classic MTT assay. Six out of twelve tested caffeic acid derivatives showed a desirable effect. To improve the therapeutic efficacy of such active compounds, we developed a formulation where caffeic acid derivative (7) was encapsulated into liposomes composed of soybean phosphatidylcholine and DSPE-PEG2000. Subsequently, we analyzed the properties of this formulation in terms of basic physical parameters (such as size, zeta potential, stability at 4 °C and morphology), hemolytic and cytotoxic activity and cellular uptake. Overall, the liposomal formulation was found to be stable, non-hemolytic and had activity against pancreatic cancer cells (IC50 19.44 µM and 24.3 µM, towards AsPC1 and BxPC3 cells, respectively) with less toxicity against normal fibroblasts. This could represent a promising alternative to currently available treatment options.
The Influence of HEMC on Cement and Cement-Lime Composites Setting Processes
Authors: Spychał Edyta , Czapik Przemysław
Published: December 2020

In this article, the effect of hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC), which is a polymeric viscosity modifying admixture on the mineral based composites setting processes, was studied. Previous studies available in the literature included the evaluation of the influence of this admixture on the hydration processes of cement or lime pastes. In this paper, the analysis of this issue was extended to include cement-lime composites. The composition of the pastes and mortars differed in the type of binder (the tests were carried out on cement-based and cement-lime-based materials, in which the cement was replaced in 50% with hydrated lime), as well as the amount and viscosity of the admixture. The study of mortars setting processes and hardening processes using the ultrasonic method was supplemented in the work with calorimetric measurements and phases analysis by the X-ray diffraction method. Finally, it was found that the HEMC reduces the rate of a hydration reaction in cement and cement-lime pastes. The amount of admixture used has a greater influence on the changes taking place during the setting process than the admixture viscosity or the type of binder.
The Surface Condition of Ni-Cr after SiC Abrasive Blasting for Applications in Ceramic Restorations
Authors: Czepułkowska-Pawlak Weronika , Wołowiec-Korecka Emilia , Klimek Leszek
Published: December 2020

Abrasive blasting is a process widely used in dentistry. One of the uses is the development of metal surfaces for connections with ceramics in fixed prosthetic restorations. The purpose of this paper was to check how the rough surface profile (width, height, and depth on unevenness) impacts the surface’s condition, like its wettability and percentage of stuck abrasives. The Ni-Cr alloy surface was abrasive blasted by silicon carbide with the various pressure parameters (0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 MPa) and abrasive particle sizes (50, 110, and 250 µm). Cleaned surfaces were examined for roughness, wettability, and percentage of stuck abrasive particles on the surface. The surface after abrasive blasting using 110 µm of abrasive size and 0.4 MPa pressure has the best wettability results. The width of unevenness may cause it. When the unevenness has too small or too large width and depth, the fluids may not cover the entire cavities because of locking the air. The surface condition of dental alloys directly affects metal–ceramic connection strength. The knowledge about the impact of the abrasive blasting parameters on the bond strength will allow one to create durable dental restorations.
Improving the Teaching of Hypothesis Testing Using a Divide-and-Conquer Strategy and Content Exposure Control in a Gamified Environment
Authors: Delgado-Gómez David , González-Landero Franks , Montes-Botella Carlos , Sujar Aaron , Bayona Sofia , Martino Luca
Published: December 2020

Hypothesis testing has been pointed out as one of the statistical topics in which students present more misconceptions. In this article, an approach based on the divide-and-conquer methodology is proposed to facilitate its learning. The proposed strategy is designed to sequentially explain and evaluate the different concepts involved in hypothesis testing, ensuring that a new concept is not presented until the previous one has been fully assimilated. The proposed approach, which contains several gamification elements (i.e., points or a leader-board), is implemented into an application via a modern game engine. The usefulness of the proposed approach was assessed in an experiment in which 89 first-year students enrolled in the Statistics course within the Industrial Engineering degree participated. Based on the results of a test aimed at evaluating the acquired knowledge, it was observed that students who used the developed application based on the proposed approach obtained statistically significant higher scores than those that attended a traditional class (p-value < 0.001), regardless of whether they used the learning tool before or after the traditional class. In addition, the responses provided by the students who participated in the study to a test of satisfaction showed their high satisfaction with the application and their interest in the promotion of these tools. However, despite the good results, they also considered that these learning tools should be considered as a complement to the master class rather than a replacement.
Asymptotics of Solutions of Linear Differential Equations with Holomorphic Coefficients in the Neighborhood of an Infinitely Distant Point
Authors: Korovina Maria
Published: December 2020

This study is devoted to the description of the asymptotic expansions of solutions of linear ordinary differential equations with holomorphic coefficients in the neighborhood of an infinitely distant singular point. This is a classical problem of analytical theory of differential equations and an important particular case of the general Poincare problem on constructing the asymptotics of solutions of linear ordinary differential equations with holomorphic coefficients in the neighborhoods of irregular singular points. In this study we consider such equations for which the principal symbol of the differential operator has multiple roots. The asymptotics of a solution for the case of equations with simple roots of the principal symbol were constructed earlier.
The Riemann-Lebesgue Integral of Interval-Valued Multifunctions
Authors: Costarelli Danilo , Croitoru Anca , Gavriluţ Alina , Iosif Alina , Sambucini Anna Rita
Published: December 2020

We study Riemann-Lebesgue integrability for interval-valued multifunctions relative to an interval-valued set multifunction. Some classic properties of the RL integral, such as monotonicity, order continuity, bounded variation, convergence are obtained. An application of interval-valued multifunctions to image processing is given for the purpose of illustration; an example is given in case of fractal image coding for image compression, and for edge detection algorithm. In these contexts, the image modelization as an interval valued multifunction is crucial since allows to take into account the presence of quantization errors (such as the so-called round-off error) in the discretization process of a real world analogue visual signal into a digital discrete one.
Filtering-Based Parameter Identification Methods for Multivariable Stochastic Systems
Authors: Xia Huafeng , Chen Feiyan
Published: December 2020

This paper presents an adaptive filtering-based maximum likelihood multi-innovation extended stochastic gradient algorithm to identify multivariable equation-error systems with colored noises. The data filtering and model decomposition techniques are used to simplify the structure of the considered system, in which a predefined filter is utilized to filter the observed data, and the multivariable system is turned into several subsystems whose parameters appear in the vectors. By introducing the multi-innovation identification theory to the stochastic gradient method, this study produces improved performances. The simulation numerical results indicate that the proposed algorithm can generate more accurate parameter estimates than the filtering-based maximum likelihood recursive extended stochastic gradient algorithm.
Auto-Colorization of Historical Images Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Joshi Madhab Raj , Nkenyereye Lewis , Joshi Gyanendra Prasad , Islam S. M. Riazul , Abdullah-Al-Wadud Mohammad , Shrestha Surendra
Published: December 2020

Enhancement of Cultural Heritage such as historical images is very crucial to safeguard the diversity of cultures. Automated colorization of black and white images has been subject to extensive research through computer vision and machine learning techniques. Our research addresses the problem of generating a plausible colored photograph of ancient, historically black, and white images of Nepal using deep learning techniques without direct human intervention. Motivated by the recent success of deep learning techniques in image processing, a feed-forward, deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in combination with Inception- ResnetV2 is being trained by sets of sample images using back-propagation to recognize the pattern in RGB and grayscale values. The trained neural network is then used to predict two a* and b* chroma channels given grayscale, L channel of test images. CNN vividly colorizes images with the help of the fusion layer accounting for local features as well as global features. Two objective functions, namely, Mean Squared Error (MSE) and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), are employed for objective quality assessment between the estimated color image and its ground truth. The model is trained on the dataset created by ourselves with 1.2 K historical images comprised of old and ancient photographs of Nepal, each having 256 × 256 resolution. The loss i.e., MSE, PSNR, and accuracy of the model are found to be 6.08%, 34.65 dB, and 75.23%, respectively. Other than presenting the training results, the public acceptance or subjective validation of the generated images is assessed by means of a user study where the model shows 41.71% of naturalness while evaluating colorization results.
Bioactive Compounds from Marine Heterobranchs
Authors: Avila Conxita , Angulo-Preckler Carlos
Published: December 2020

The natural products of heterobranch molluscs display a huge variability both in structure and in their bioactivity. Despite the considerable lack of information, it can be observed from the recent literature that this group of animals possesses an astonishing arsenal of molecules from different origins that provide the molluscs with potent chemicals that are ecologically and pharmacologically relevant. In this review, we analyze the bioactivity of more than 450 compounds from ca. 400 species of heterobranch molluscs that are useful for the snails to protect themselves in different ways and/or that may be useful to us because of their pharmacological activities. Their ecological activities include predator avoidance, toxicity, antimicrobials, antifouling, trail-following and alarm pheromones, sunscreens and UV protection, tissue regeneration, and others. The most studied ecological activity is predation avoidance, followed by toxicity. Their pharmacological activities consist of cytotoxicity and antitumoral activity; antibiotic, antiparasitic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory activity; and activity against neurodegenerative diseases and others. The most studied pharmacological activities are cytotoxicity and anticancer activities, followed by antibiotic activity. Overall, it can be observed that heterobranch molluscs are extremely interesting in regard to the study of marine natural products in terms of both chemical ecology and biotechnology studies, providing many leads for further detailed research in these fields in the near future.
Physical Properties, Chemical Analysis, and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Response of New Polylactide/Alginate/Copper Composite Materials
Authors: Kudzin Marcin H. , Boguń Maciej , Mrozińska Zdzisława , Kaczmarek Anna
Published: December 2020

In recent years, due to an expansion of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, there has been growing interest in biodegradable and antibacterial polymers that can be used in selected biomedical applications. The present work describes the synthesis of antimicrobial polylactide-copper alginate (PLA–ALG–Cu2+) composite fibers and their characterization. The composites were prepared by immersing PLA fibers in aqueous solution of sodium alginate, followed by ionic cross-linking of alginate chains within the polylactide fibers with Cu(II) ions to yield PLA–ALG–Cu2+ composite fibers. The composites, so prepared, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV/VIS transmittance and attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy ATR-FTIR, and by determination of their specific surface area (SSA), total/average pore volumes (through application of the 5-point Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method (BET)), and ability to block UV radiation (determination of the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of samples). The composites were also subjected to in vitro antimicrobial activity evaluation tests against colonies of Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria and antifungal susceptibility tests against Aspergillus niger and Chaetomium globosum fungal mold species. All the results obtained in this work showed that the obtained composites were promising materials to be used as an antimicrobial wound dressing.
Barocrinology: The Endocrinology of Obesity from Bench to Bedside
Authors: Kalra Sanjay , Kapoor Nitin , Bhattacharya Saptarshi , Aydin Hassan , Coetzee Ankia
Published: December 2020

Obesity has reached pandemic proportions. Hormonal and metabolic imbalances are the key factors that lead to obesity. South Asian populations have a unique phenotype, peculiar dietary practices, and a high prevalence of consanguinity. Moreover, many lower middle-income countries lack appropriate resources, super-specialists, and affordability to manage this complex disorder. Of late, there has been a substantial increase in both obesity and diabesity in India. Thus, many more patients are being managed by different types of bariatric procedures today than ever before. These patients have many types of endocrine and metabolic disturbances before and after bariatric surgery. Therefore, these patients should be managed by experts who have knowledge of both bariatric surgery and endocrinology. The authors propose “Barocrinology”, a novel terminology in medical literature, to comprehensively describe the field of obesity medicine highlighting the role of knowing endocrine physiology for understating its evolution, insights into its complications and appreciating the changes in the hormonal milieu following weight loss therapies including bariatric surgery. Barocrinology, coined as a portmanteau of “baro” (weight) and endocrinology, focuses upon the endocrine and metabolic domains of weight physiology and pathology. This review summarizes the key pointers of bariatric management from an endocrine perspective.
Oxygen Transport Membranes for Efficient Glass Melting
Authors: Mastropasqua Luca , Drago Francesca , Chiesa Paolo , Giuffrida Antonio
Published: December 2020

Glass manufacturing is an energy-intensive process in which oxy-fuel combustion can offer advantages over the traditional air-blown approach. Examples include the reduction of NOx and particulate emissions, improved furnace operations and enhanced heat transfer. This paper presents a one-dimensional mathematical model solving mass, momentum and energy balances for a planar oxygen transport membrane module. The main modelling parameters describing the surface oxygen kinetics and the microstructure morphology of the support are calibrated on experimental data obtained for a 30 μm thick dense La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) membrane layer, supported on a 0.7 mm porous LSCF structure. The model is then used to design and evaluate the performance of an oxygen transport membrane module integrated in a glass melting furnace. Three different oxy-fuel glass furnaces based on oxygen transport membrane and vacuum swing adsorption systems are compared to a reference air-blown unit. The analysis shows that the most efficient membrane-based oxyfuel furnace cuts the energy demand by ~22% as compared to the benchmark air-blown case. A preliminary economic assessment shows that membranes can reduce the overall glass production costs compared to oxyfuel plants based on vacuum swing adsorption technology.
Modification of Alumina Inclusions in SWRS82B Steel by Adding Rare Earth Cerium
Authors: Wang Yi , Li Changrong , Wang Linzhu , Xiong Xingqiang , Chen Lu , Zhuang Changling
Published: December 2020

The aluminum oxide inclusions in SWRS82B steel seriously affect the drawing performance of the steel strand. In this study, the influence of different additions of cerium (within the range of 0–0.034%) on the composition, morphology, size, number, and distribution of alumina inclusions was studied by scanning electron microscope and energy spectrum analyzer. The evolution of the composition of inclusions with different cerium additions was calculated based on classical thermodynamics and Factsage software calculation. The thermodynamic calculated results were consistent with the experimental results. It indicates that the modification route of Al2O3 inclusions in SWRS82B steel by increased cerium additions is as follows: Al2O3 → Ce2S3 + CeAlO3 + Ce2O2S + Al2O3 → Ce2S3 + CeAlO3 + Ce2O2S/Ce2S3 + Ce2O2S → Ce2S3 + Ce2O2S. Besides, when the amount of cerium is in the range of 0.023% to 0.030%, CeAlO3 inclusions gradually disappear. The best characteristics of inclusions in this study were obtained in experimental samples with cerium addition of 0.023%, in which the minimum size of inclusions is in the range of 3.52–4.84 μm and mostly uniform distribution. Finally, the mechanism on the modification by cerium was discussed based on the composition evolution of inclusion during solidification with Factsage calculation and experimental results. The compositions of inclusions were also analyzed based on the inclusion evolution model.
Control of Density and Grain Structure of a Laser Powder Bed-Fused Superelastic Ti-18Zr-14Nb Alloy: Simulation-Driven Process Mapping
Authors: Brailovski Vladimir , Kalinicheva Victoria , Letenneur Morgan , Lukashevich Konstantin , Sheremetyev Vadim , Prokoshkin Sergey
Published: December 2020

This study focuses on the control of density and grain structure of a superelastic Ti-18Zr-14Nb (at. %) alloy subjected to laser powder bed fusion. It starts with the production and characterization of a Ti-18Zr-14Nb powder feedstock and printing of a series of calibration specimens. These specimens are next subjected to chemical, structural, phase and texture analyses in order to collect experimental data needed to build simulation-driven processing maps in the laser energy density–material build rate coordinates. The results of this study prove that, once calibrated, the simulation-driven processing maps can be used to relate the main LPBF parameters (laser power, scanning speed, hatching distance and layer thickness) to the density and grain structure of the printed material, and the process productivity (build rate). Even though this demonstration is made for a specific material–system combination (TiNbZr & TruPrint 1000), such a process mapping is feasible for any material–system combination and can, therefore, be exploited for the process optimization purposes and for manufacturing of functionally graded materials or parts with intentionally seeded porosity.
Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling of Mouse Islets Following Short-Term Obesogenic Dietary Intervention
Authors: Piñeros Annie R. , Gao Hongyu , Wu Wenting , Liu Yunlong , Tersey Sarah A. , Mirmira Raghavendra G.
Published: December 2020

Obesity is closely associated with adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Dysglycemia and type 2 diabetes results when islet β cells fail to maintain appropriate insulin secretion in the face of insulin resistance. To clarify the early transcriptional events leading to β-cell failure in the setting of obesity, we fed male C57BL/6J mice an obesogenic, high-fat diet (60% kcal from fat) or a control diet (10% kcal from fat) for one week, and islets from these mice (from four high-fat- and three control-fed mice) were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNAseq) analysis. Islet endocrine cell types (α cells, β cells, δ cells, PP cells) and other resident cell types (macrophages, T cells) were annotated by transcript profiles and visualized using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection for Dimension Reduction (UMAP) plots. UMAP analysis revealed distinct cell clusters (11 for β cells, 5 for α cells, 3 for δ cells, PP cells, ductal cells, endothelial cells), emphasizing the heterogeneity of cell populations in the islet. Collectively, the clusters containing the majority of β cells showed the fewest gene expression changes, whereas clusters harboring the minority of β cells showed the most changes. We identified that distinct β-cell clusters downregulate genes associated with the endoplasmic reticulum stress response and upregulate genes associated with insulin secretion, whereas others upregulate genes that impair insulin secretion, cell proliferation, and cell survival. Moreover, all β-cell clusters negatively regulate genes associated with immune response activation. Glucagon-producing α cells exhibited patterns similar to β cells but, again, in clusters containing the minority of α cells. Our data indicate that an early transcriptional response in islets to an obesogenic diet reflects an attempt by distinct populations of β cells to augment or impair cellular function and/or reduce inflammatory responses as possible harbingers of ensuing insulin resistance.
Data-Independent Acquisition for the Quantification and Identification of Metabolites in Plasma
Authors: van der Laan Tom , Boom Isabelle , Maliepaard Joshua , Dubbelman Anne-Charlotte , Harms Amy C. , Hankemeier Thomas
Published: December 2020

A popular fragmentation technique for non-targeted analysis is called data-independent acquisition (DIA), because it provides fragmentation data for all analytes in a specific mass range. In this work, we demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of DIA. Two types of chromatography (fractionation/3 min and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC)/18 min) and three DIA protocols (variable sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH), fixed SWATH and MSALL) were used to evaluate the performance of DIA. Our results show that fast chromatography and MSALL often results in product ion overlap and complex MS/MS spectra, which reduces the quantitative and qualitative power of these DIA protocols. The combination of SWATH and HILIC allowed for the correct identification of 20 metabolites using the NIST library. After SWATH window customization (i.e., variable SWATH), we were able to quantify ten structural isomers with a mean accuracy of 103% (91–113%). The robustness of the variable SWATH and HILIC method was demonstrated by the accurate quantification of these structural isomers in 10 highly diverse blood samples. Since the combination of variable SWATH and HILIC results in good quantitative and qualitative fragmentation data, it is promising for both targeted and untargeted platforms. This should decrease the number of platforms needed in metabolomics and increase the value of a single analysis.
Evaluation of Saliva Stability for NMR Metabolomics: Collection and Handling Protocols
Authors: Duarte Daniela , Castro Beatriz , Pereira Joana Leonor , Marques Joana Faria , Costa Ana Luísa , Gil Ana M.
Published: December 2020

Maintaining a salivary metabolic profile upon sample collection and preparation is determinant in metabolomics. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to identify metabolite changes during short-term storage, at room temperature (RT)/4 °C/−20 °C, and after sample preparation, at RT/4 °C (mimicking typical clinical/laboratory settings). Interestingly, significant metabolic inter-individual and inter-day variability were noted, probably determining sample stability to some extent. After collection, no changes were noted at −20 °C (at least for 4 weeks). RT storage induced decreases in methylated macromolecules (6 h); lactate (8 h); alanine (12 h); galactose, hypoxanthine, pyruvate (24 h); sarcosine, betaine, choline, N-acetyl-glycoproteins (48 h), while acetate increased (48 h). Less, but different, changes were observed at 4 °C, suggesting different oral and microbial status at different temperatures (with a possible contribution from inter-individual and inter-day variability), and identifying galactose, hypoxanthine, and possibly, choline esters, as potential general stability indicators. After preparation, addition of NaN3 did not impact significantly on saliva stabilization, neither at RT nor at 4 °C, although its absence was accompanied by slight increases in fucose (6.5 h) and proline (8 h) at RT, and in xylose (24 h) at 4 °C. The putative metabolic origins of the above variations are discussed, with basis on the salivary microbiome. In summary, after collection, saliva can be stored at RT/4 °C for up to 6 h and at −20 °C for at least 4 weeks. Upon preparation for NMR analysis, samples are highly stable at 25 °C up to 8 h and at 4 °C up to 48 h, with NaN3 addition preventing possible early changes in fucose, proline (6–8 h), and xylose (24 h) levels.
Exploratory Analysis of Commercial Olive-Based Dietary Supplements Using Untargeted and Targeted Metabolomics
Authors: Garcia-Aloy Mar , Groff Nelli , Masuero Domenico , Nisi Mauro , Franco Antonio , Battelini Furio , Vrhovsek Urska , Mattivi Fulvio
Published: December 2020

The market of olive-based dietary supplements (OBDS) is composed of a broad range of natural extracts claiming different health effects and often sold without a clear statement on their chemical composition. The aim of this survey was to characterize the chemical profiles of 14 commercially available OBDS. As many as 378 compounds were tentatively annotated in the analyzed samples. Although for most of metabolites the annotation at level I was prevented due to the lack of the analytical standard, the spectra obtained from high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) measurements were very informative, allowing annotation of dozens of metabolites at level II or III. A targeted method allowed the quantification of 26 selected compounds. A large qualitative and quantitative variability was observed. The products obtained from buds by glyceric maceration were those with the lowest concentrations of all the quantified elements. The dose of 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol, corresponding to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claim, was only reached by four products, all of them originating from the olive fruit or the leaves. If we also take into consideration oleuropein, two additional products provide this daily amount. This work demonstrates the high complexity and diversity in the composition of OBDS.
Using Community Science to Reveal the Global Chemogeography of River Metabolomes
Authors: Garayburu-Caruso Vanessa A. , Danczak Robert E. , Stegen James C. , Renteria Lupita , Mccall Marcy , Goldman Amy E. , Chu Rosalie K. , Toyoda Jason , Resch Charles T. , Torgeson Joshua M. , Wells Jacqueline , Fansler Sarah , Kumar Swatantar , Graham Emily B.
Published: December 2020

River corridor metabolomes reflect organic matter (OM) processing that drives aquatic biogeochemical cycles. Recent work highlights the power of ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry for understanding metabolome composition and river corridor metabolism. However, there have been no studies on the global chemogeography of surface water and sediment metabolomes using ultrahigh-resolution techniques. Here, we describe a community science effort from the Worldwide Hydrobiogeochemistry Observation Network for Dynamic River Systems (WHONDRS) consortium to characterize global metabolomes in surface water and sediment that span multiple stream orders and biomes. We describe the distribution of key aspects of metabolomes including elemental groups, chemical classes, indices, and inferred biochemical transformations. We show that metabolomes significantly differ across surface water and sediment and that surface water metabolomes are more rich and variable. We also use inferred biochemical transformations to identify core metabolic processes shared among surface water and sediment. Finally, we observe significant spatial variation in sediment metabolites between rivers in the eastern and western portions of the contiguous United States. Our work not only provides a basis for understanding global patterns in river corridor biogeochemical cycles but also demonstrates that community science endeavors can enable global research projects that are unfeasible with traditional research models.
Q-Factor Enhancement of Thin-Film Piezoelectric-on-Silicon MEMS Resonator by Phononic Crystal-Reflector Composite Structure
Authors: Liu Jiacheng , Workie Temesgen Bailie , Wu Ting , Wu Zhaohui , Gong Keyuan , Bao Jingfu , Hashimoto Ken-ya
Published: December 2020

Thin-film piezoelectric-on-silicon (TPoS) microelectromechanical (MEMS) resonators are required to have high Q-factor to offer satisfactory results in their application areas, such as oscillator, filter, and sensors. This paper proposed a phononic crystal (PnC)-reflector composite structure to improve the Q factor of TPoS resonators. A one-dimensional phononic crystal is designed and deployed on the tether aiming to suppress the acoustic leakage loss as the acoustic wave with frequency in the range of the PnC is not able to propagate through it, and a reflector is fixed on the anchoring boundaries to reflect the acoustic wave that lefts from the effect of the PnC. Several 10 MHz TPoS resonators are fabricated and tested from which the Q-factor of the proposed 10 MHz TPoS resonator which has PnC-reflector composite structure on the tether and anchoring boundaries achieved offers a loaded Q-factor of 4682 which is about a threefold improvement compared to that of the conventional resonator which is about 1570.
Dysregulated Immune Responses by ASK1 Deficiency Alter Epithelial Progenitor Cell Fate and Accelerate Metaplasia Development during H. pylori Infection
Authors: Hayakawa Yoku , Hirata Yoshihiro , Hata Masahiro , Tsuboi Mayo , Oya Yukiko , Kurokawa Ken , Abe Sohei , Arai Junya , Suzuki Nobumi , Nakagawa Hayato , Fujiwara Hiroaki , Tateishi Keisuke , Maeda Shin , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: December 2020

The mechanism of H. pylori-induced atrophy and metaplasia has not been fully understood. Here, we demonstrate the novel role of Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and downstream MAPKs as a regulator of host immune responses and epithelial maintenance against H. pylori infection. ASK1 gene deficiency resulted in enhanced inflammation with numerous inflammatory cells including Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) recruited into the infected stomach. Increase of IL-1β release from apoptotic macrophages and enhancement of TH1-polarized immune responses caused STAT1 and NF-κB activation in epithelial cells in ASK1 knockout mice. Dysregulated immune and epithelial activation in ASK1 knockout mice led to dramatic expansion of gastric progenitor cells and massive metaplasia development. Bone marrow transplantation experiments revealed that ASK1 in inflammatory cells is critical for inducing immune disorder and metaplastic changes in epithelium, while ASK1 in epithelial cells regulates cell proliferation in stem/progenitor zone without changes in inflammation and differentiation. These results suggest that H. pylori-induced immune cells may regulate epithelial homeostasis and cell fate as an inflammatory niche via ASK1 signaling.
Effects of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Heavy Metals (Pb, Zn, and Cd) on Growth and Mineral Nutrition of Pinus halepensis Seedlings in North Africa
Authors: Hachani Chadlia , Lamhamedi Mohammed S. , Cameselle Claudio , Gouveia Susana , Zine El Abidine Abdenbi , Khasa Damase P. , Béjaoui Zoubeir
Published: December 2020

The pollution of soils by heavy metals resulting from mining activities is one of the major environmental problems in North Africa. Mycorrhizoremediation using mycorrhizal fungi and adapted plant species is emerging as one of the most innovative methods to remediate heavy metal pollution. This study aims to assess the growth and the nutritional status of ectomycorrhizal Pinus halepensis seedlings subjected to high concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cd for possible integration in the restoration of heavy metals contaminated sites. Ectomycorrhizal and non-ectomycorrhizal P. halepensis seedlings were grown in uncontaminated (control) and contaminated soils for 12 months. Growth, mineral nutrition, and heavy metal content were assessed. Results showed that ectomycorrhizae significantly improved shoot and roots dry masses of P. halepensis seedlings, as well as nitrogen shoot content. The absorption of Pb, Zn, and Cd was much higher in the roots than in the shoots, and significantly more pronounced in ectomycorrhizal seedlings—especially for Zn and Cd. The presence of ectomycorrhizae significantly reduced the translocation factor of Zn and Cd and bioaccumulation factor of Pb and Cd, which enhanced the phytostabilizing potential of P. halepensis seedlings. These results support the use of ectomycorrhizal P. halepensis in the remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites.