bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wound Repair and Extremely Low Frequency-Electromagnetic Field: Insight from In Vitro Study and Potential Clinical Application
Authors: Gualdi Giulio , Costantini Erica , Reale Marcella , Amerio Paolo
Published: May 2021

Wound healing is a complex, staged process. It involves extensive communication between the different cellular constituents of various compartments of the skin and its extracellular matrix (ECM). Different signaling pathways are determined by a mutual influence on each other, resulting in a dynamic and complex crosstalk. It consists of various dynamic processes including a series of overlapping phases: hemostasis, inflammation response, new tissue formation, and tissue remodeling. Interruption or deregulation of one or more of these phases may lead to non-healing (chronic) wounds. The most important factor among local and systemic exogenous factors leading to a chronic wound is infection with a biofilm presence. In the last few years, an increasing number of reports have evaluated the effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on tissue repair. Each experimental result comes from a single element of this complex process. An interaction between ELF-EMFs and healing has shown to effectively modulate inflammation, protease matrix rearrangement, neo-angiogenesis, senescence, stem-cell proliferation, and epithelialization. These effects are strictly related to the time of exposure, waveform, frequency, and amplitude. In this review, we focus on the effect of ELF-EMFs on different wound healing phases.
In Vitro Liver Toxicity Testing of Chemicals: A Pragmatic Approach
Authors: Tabernilla Andrés , dos Santos Rodrigues Bruna , Pieters Alanah , Caufriez Anne , Leroy Kaat , Van Campenhout Raf , Cooreman Axelle , Gomes Ana Rita , Arnesdotter Emma , Gijbels Eva , Vinken Mathieu
Published: May 2021

The liver is among the most frequently targeted organs by noxious chemicals of diverse nature. Liver toxicity testing using laboratory animals not only raises serious ethical questions, but is also rather poorly predictive of human safety towards chemicals. Increasing attention is, therefore, being paid to the development of non-animal and human-based testing schemes, which rely to a great extent on in vitro methodology. The present paper proposes a rationalized tiered in vitro testing strategy to detect liver toxicity triggered by chemicals, in which the first tier is focused on assessing general cytotoxicity, while the second tier is aimed at identifying liver-specific toxicity as such. A state-of-the-art overview is provided of the most commonly used in vitro assays that can be used in both tiers. Advantages and disadvantages of each assay as well as overall practical considerations are discussed.
Oral Administration of Armillaria mellea Mycelia Promotes Non-Rapid Eye Movement and Rapid Eye Movement Sleep in Rats
Authors: Li I-Chen , Lin Ting-Wei , Lee Tung-Yen , Lo Yun , Jiang Yih-Min , Kuo Yu-Hsuan , Chen Chin-Chu , Chang Fang-Chia
Published: May 2021

The present study aimed to explore whether water and ethanol extracts of Armillaria mellea mycelia produce sedative and hypnotic effects in rats. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were surgically implanted with two electroencephalogram electrodes on the skull and an electromyogram electrode on neck muscle to evaluate the alterations in rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep after oral administration of the water and ethanol extracts. Following post-surgical recovery, thirty-six rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups and two control groups. They were treated orally with vehicle, 75 and 150 mg/kg doses of water and ethanolic extracts 15 min prior to the onset of dark (active) period. Electroencephalography results showed that the low dose of A. mellea mycelia water extract increased REM sleep time while the high dose enhanced both REM and NREM sleep times during the subsequent light (rest) period. On the other hand, although the low dose of A. mellea mycelia ethanolic extract did not alter both NREM sleep and REM sleep during the dark and light periods, the high dose increased both REM and NREM sleep during the light periods in naive rats. The HPLC-DAD analyses of both extracts allowed the identification of GABA and seven sesquiterpenoids. Based on these findings, the present study showed for the first time that water and ethanolic extracts of A. mellea mycelia, containing a source of biologically active compounds, could increase both NREM sleep and REM sleep during the rest period and may be useful for the treatment of insomnia.
Current Landscape in Organic Nanosized Materials Advances for Improved Management of Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Ginghină Octav , Hudiță Ariana , Zaharia Cătălin , Tsatsakis Aristidis , Mezhuev Yaroslav , Costache Marieta , Gălățeanu Bianca
Published: May 2021

Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as one of the most prevalent types of cancers at the moment, being the second cause of cancer-related deaths. The CRC chemotherapy backbone is represented by 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and their combinations, but their administration presents several serious disadvantages, such as poor bioavailability, lack of tumor specificity, and susceptibility to multidrug resistance. To address these limitations, nanomedicine has arisen as a powerful tool to improve current chemotherapy since nanosized carriers hold great promise in improving the stability and solubility of the drug payload and enhancing the active concentration of the drug that reaches the tumor tissue, increasing, therefore, the safety and efficacy of the treatment. In this context, the present review offers an overview of the most recent advances in the development of nanosized drug-delivery systems as smart therapeutic tools in CRC management and highlights the emerging need for improving the existing in vitro cancer models to reduce animal testing and increase the success of nanomedicine in clinical trials.
The Importance of Structural Factors for the Electrochemical Performance of Graphene/Carbon Nanotube/Melamine Powders towards the Catalytic Activity of Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Kamedulski Piotr , Lukaszewicz Jerzy P. , Witczak Lukasz , Szroeder Pawel , Ziolkowski Przemyslaw
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we show the carbonization of binary composites consisting of graphene nanoplatelets and melamine (GNP/MM), multi-walled carbon nanotubes and melamine (CNT/MM) and trinary composites containing GNP, CNT, and MM. Additionally, the manuscript presents results on the influence of structural factors for the electrochemical performance of carbon composites on their catalytic activity. This study contributes to the wide search and design of novel hybrid carbon composites for electrochemical applications. We demonstrate that intensive nitrogen atom insertion is not the governing factor since hybrid system modifications and porous structure sometimes play a more crucial role in the tailoring of electrochemical properties of the carbon hybrids seen as a noble metal-free alternative to traditional electrode materials. Additionally, HRTEM and Raman spectra study allowed for the evaluation of the quality of the obtained hybrid materials.
New Insight into the Fluorescence Quenching of Nitrogen-Containing Carbonaceous Quantum Dots—From Surface Chemistry to Biomedical Applications
Authors: Wiśniewski Marek , Czarnecka Joanna , Bolibok Paulina , Świdziński Michał , Roszek Katarzyna
Published: May 2021

Carbon-based quantum dots are widely suggested as fluorescent carriers of drugs, genes or other bioactive molecules. In this work, we thoroughly examine the easy-to-obtain, biocompatible, nitrogen-containing carbonaceous quantum dots (N-CQDs) with stable fluorescent properties that are resistant to wide-range pH changes. Moreover, we explain the mechanism of fluorescence quenching at extreme pH conditions. Our in vitro results indicate that N-CQDs penetrate the cell membrane; however, fluorescence intensity measured inside the cells was lower than expected from carbonaceous dots extracellular concentration decrease. We studied the mechanism of quenching and identified reduced form of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) as one of the intracellular quenchers. We proved it experimentally that the elucidated redox process triggers the efficient reduction of amide functionalities to non-fluorescent amines on carbonaceous dots surface. We determined the 5 nm–wide reactive redox zone around the N-CQD surface. The better understanding of fluorescence quenching will help to accurately quantify and dose the internalized carbonaceous quantum dots for biomedical applications.
Gas Metal Arc Welding Modes in Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Panchenko Oleg , Kurushkin Dmitry , Isupov Fedor , Naumov Anton , Kladov Ivan , Surenkova Margarita
Published: May 2021

In wire arc additive manufacturing of Ti-alloy parts (Ti-WAAM) gas metal arc welding (GMAW) can be applied for complex parts printing. However, due to the specific properties of Ti, GMAW of Ti-alloys is complicated. In this work, three different types of metal transfer modes during Ti-WAAM were investigated: Cold Metal Transfer, controlled short circuiting metal transfer, and self-regulated metal transfer at a direct current with a negative electrode. Metal transfer modes were studied using captured waveform and high-speed video analysis. Using these modes, three walls were manufactured; the geometry preservation stability was estimated and compared using effective wall width calculation, the microstructure was analyzed using optical microscopy. Transfer process data showed that arc wandering depends not only on cathode spot instabilities, but also on anode processing properties. Microstructure analysis showed that each produced wall consists of phases and structures inherent for Ti-WAAM. α-basketweave in the center of and α-colony on the grain boundary of epitaxially grown β-grains were found with heat affected zone bands along the height of the walls, so that the microstructure did not depend on metal transfer dramatically. However, the geometry preservation stability was higher in the wall, produced with controlled short circuiting metal transfer.
Production, Purification, and Study of the Amino Acid Composition of Microalgae Proteins
Authors: Andreeva Anna , Budenkova Ekaterina , Babich Olga , Sukhikh Stanislav , Ulrikh Elena , Ivanova Svetlana , Prosekov Alexander , Dolganyuk Vyacheslav
Published: May 2021

Microalgae are known to be rich in protein. In this study, we aim to investigate methods of producing and purifying proteins of 98 microalgae including Chlorella vulgaris, Arthrospira platensis, Nostoc sp., Dunaliella salina, and Pleurochrysis carterae (Baltic Sea). Therefore, we studied their amino acid composition and developed a two-stage protein concentrate purification method from the microalgae biomass. After an additional stage of purification, the mass fraction of protein substances with a molecular weight greater than 50 kDa in the protein concentrate isolated from the biomass of the microalga Dunaliella salina increased by 2.58 times as compared with the mass fraction before filtration. In the protein concentrate isolated from the biomass of the microalga Pleurochrysis cartera, the relative content of the fraction with a molecular weight greater than 50.0 kDa reached 82.4%, which was 2.43 times higher than the relative content of the same fractions in the protein concentrate isolated from this culture before the two-stage purification. The possibilities of large-scale industrial production of microalgae biomass and an expanded range of uses determine the need to search for highly productive protein strains of microalgae and to optimize the conditions for isolating amino acids from them.
Influence of Polymer Solvents on the Properties of Halloysite-Modified Polyethersulfone Membranes Prepared by Wet Phase Inversion
Authors: Grylewicz Amanda , Szymański Kacper , Darowna Dominika , Mozia Sylwia
Published: May 2021

Ultrafiltration polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were prepared by wet phase inversion. Commercial halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) in the quantities of 0.5 wt% vs. PES (15 wt%) were introduced into the casting solution containing the polymer and different solvents: N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), or 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP). The type of solvent influenced the membranes’ morphology and topography, as well as permeability, separation characteristics, and antifouling and antibacterial properties. The membranes prepared using DMA exhibited the loosest cross-section structure with the thinnest skin and the roughest surface, while the densest and smoothest were the DMF-based membranes. The advanced contact angles were visibly lower in the case of the membranes prepared using DMF compared to the other solvents. The highest water permeability was observed for the DMA-based membranes, however, the most significant effect of the modification with HNTs was found for the NMP-based series. Regardless of the solvent, the introduction of HNTs resulted in an improvement of the separation properties of membranes. A noticeable enhancement of antifouling performance upon application of HNTs was found only in the case of DMF-based membranes. The study of the antibacterial properties showed that the increase in surface roughness had a positive effect on the inhibition of E. coli growth.
Pinosylvin Shifts Macrophage Polarization to Support Resolution of Inflammation
Authors: Kivimäki Konsta , Leppänen Tiina , Hämäläinen Mari , Vuolteenaho Katriina , Moilanen Eeva
Published: May 2021

Pinosylvin is a natural stilbenoid found particularly in Scots pine. Stilbenoids are a group of phenolic compounds identified as protective agents against pathogens for many plants. Stilbenoids also possess health-promoting properties in humans; for instance, they are anti-inflammatory through their suppressing action on proinflammatory M1-type macrophage activation. Macrophages respond to environmental changes by polarizing towards proinflammatory M1 phenotype in infection and inflammatory diseases, or towards anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, mediating resolution of inflammation and repair. In the present study, we investigated the effects of pinosylvin on M2-type macrophage activation, aiming to test the hypothesis that pinosylvin could polarize macrophages from M1 to M2 phenotype to support resolution of inflammation. We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce M1 phenotype and interleukin-4 (IL-4) to induce M2 phenotype in J774 murine and U937 human macrophages, and we measured expression of M1 and M2-markers. Interestingly, along with inhibiting the expression of M1-type markers, pinosylvin had an enhancing effect on the M2-type activation, shown as an increased expression of arginase-1 (Arg-1) and mannose receptor C type 1 (MRC1) in murine macrophages, and C-C motif chemokine ligands 17 and 26 (CCL17 and CCL26) in human macrophages. In IL-4-treated macrophages, pinosylvin enhanced PPAR-γ expression but had no effect on STAT6 phosphorylation. The results show, for the first time, that pinosylvin shifts macrophage polarization from the pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype towards M2 phenotype, supporting resolution of inflammation and repair.
Insights into the Behavior of Triple-Negative MDA-MB-231 Breast Carcinoma Cells Following the Treatment with 17β-Ethinylestradiol and Levonorgestrel
Authors: Simu Sebastian , Marcovici Iasmina , Dobrescu Amadeus , Malita Daniel , Dehelean Cristina Adriana , Coricovac Dorina , Olaru Flavius , Draghici George Andrei , Navolan Dan
Published: May 2021

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are widely used due to their efficiency in preventing unplanned pregnancies and treating several human illnesses. Despite their medical value, the toxicity of OCs remains a public concern. Previous studies indicate the carcinogenic potential of synthetic sex hormones and their link to the development and progression of hormone-dependent malignancies such as breast cancer. However, little is known about their influence on the evolution of triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC), a malignancy defined by the absence of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. This study reveals that the active ingredients of modern OCs, 17β-Ethinylestradiol, Levonorgestrel, and their combination induce differential effects in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. The most relevant behavioral changes occurred after the 24 h treatment with 17β-Ethinylestradiol, summarized as follows: (i) decreased cell viability (64.32% at 10 µM); (ii) cell roundness and loss of confluence; (iii) apoptotic aspect of cell nuclei (fragmentation, membrane blebbing); and (iv) inhibited cell migration, suggesting a potential anticancer effect. Conversely, Levonorgestrel was generally associated with a proliferative activity. The association of the two OCs exerted similar effects as 17β-Ethinylestradiol but was less effective. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the hormones’ cytotoxic mechanism of action on TNBC cells.
6,6′-Dihydroxythiobinupharidine (DTBN) Purified from Nuphar lutea Leaves Is an Inhibitor of Protein Kinase C Catalytic Activity
Authors: Waidha Kamran , Anto Nikhil Ponnoor , Jayaram Divya Ram , Golan-Goldhirsh Avi , Rajendran Saravanakumar , Livneh Etta , Gopas Jacob
Published: May 2021

Water lily (Nuphar) bioactive extracts have been widely used in traditional medicine owing to their multiple applications against human ailments. Phyto-active Nuphar extracts and their purified and synthetic derivatives have attracted the attention of ethnobotanists and biochemists. Here, we report that 6,6′-dihydroxythiobinupharidine (DTBN), purified from extracts of Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. leaves, is an effective inhibitor of the kinase activity of members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family using in vitro and in silico approaches. We demonstrate that members of the conventional subfamily of PKCs, PKCα and PKCγ, were more sensitive to DTBN inhibition as compared to novel or atypical PKCs. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated the interaction of DTBN, with the kinase domain of PKCs depicting the best affinity towards conventional PKCs, in accordance with our in vitro kinase activity data. The current study reveals novel targets for DTBN activity, functioning as an inhibitor for PKCs kinase activity. Thus, this and other data indicate that DTBN modulates key cellular signal transduction pathways relevant to disease biology, including cancer.
Effective Microorganisms (EM) Improve Internal Organ Morphology, Intestinal Morphometry and Serum Biochemical Activity in Japanese Quails under Clostridium perfringens Challenge
Authors: Michalska Korina , Gesek Michał , Sokół Rajmund , Murawska Daria , Mikiewicz Mateusz , Chłodowska Agnieszka
Published: May 2021

The effect of effective microorganisms (EM) on internal organ morphology, intestinal morphometry, and serum biochemical activity in Japanese quails under Clostridium perfringens challenge was determined. After 30 days of EM addition, one group of quails was orally inoculated with Clostridium perfringens. The second group did not receive EM and was inoculated with C. perfringens. In the gut, EM supplementation reduced the number of lesions, enhanced gut health, and protected the mucosa from pathogenic bacteria. EM showed an anti-inflammatory effect and fewer necrotic lesions in villi. In the internal organs, EM showed a protective effect against a typical lesion of C. perfringens infection. Necrosis and degeneration of the hepatocytes, necrosis of bile ducts, and bile duct proliferation were more severe in the infected group without EM. Morphometric evaluation showed significantly higher villi in the jejunum after EM addition. A greater crypt depth was observed in the C. perfringens group. Biochemical analysis of the blood indicated lower cholesterol on the 12th day of the experiment and between-group differences in total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and albumin levels in the EM group. Further studies are needed to improve EM activity against pathologic bacteria as a potential alternative to antibiotics and to develop future natural production systems.
Graphene Oxide-Based Stimuli-Responsive Platforms for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Patil Tejal V. , Patel Dinesh K. , Dutta Sayan Deb , Ganguly Keya , Lim Ki-Taek
Published: May 2021

Graphene is a two-dimensional sp2 hybridized carbon material that has attracted tremendous attention for its stimuli-responsive applications, owing to its high surface area and excellent electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. The physicochemical properties of graphene can be tuned by surface functionalization. The biomedical field pays special attention to stimuli-responsive materials due to their responsive abilities under different conditions. Stimuli-responsive materials exhibit great potential in changing their behavior upon exposure to external or internal factors, such as pH, light, electric field, magnetic field, and temperature. Graphene-based materials, particularly graphene oxide (GO), have been widely used in stimuli-responsive applications due to their superior biocompatibility compared to other forms of graphene. GO has been commonly utilized in tissue engineering, bioimaging, biosensing, cancer therapy, and drug delivery. GO-based stimuli-responsive platforms for wound healing applications have not yet been fully explored. This review describes the effects of different stimuli-responsive factors, such as pH, light, temperature, and magnetic and electric fields on GO-based materials and their applications. The wound healing applications of GO-based materials is extensively discussed with cancer therapy and drug delivery.
Calcium Phosphate Particles Coated with Humic Substances: A Potential Plant Biostimulant from Circular Economy
Authors: Adamiano Alessio , Fellet Guido , Vuerich Marco , Scarpin Dora , Carella Francesca , Piccirillo Clara , Jeon Jong-Rok , Pizzutti Alessia , Marchiol Luca , Iafisco Michele
Published: May 2021

Nowadays, the use of biostimulants to reduce agrochemical input is a major trend in agriculture. In this work, we report on calcium phosphate particles (CaP) recovered from the circular economy, combined with natural humic substances (HSs), to produce a plant biostimulant. CaPs were obtained by the thermal treatment of Salmo salar bones and were subsequently functionalized with HSs by soaking in a HS water solution. The obtained materials were characterized, showing that the functionalization with HS did not sort any effect on the bulk physicochemical properties of CaP, with the exception of the surface charge that was found to get more negative. Finally, the effect of the materials on nutrient uptake and translocation in the early stages of development (up to 20 days) of two model species of interest for horticulture, Valerianella locusta and Diplotaxis tenuifolia, was assessed. Both species exhibited a similar tendency to accumulate Ca and P in hypogeal tissues, but showed different reactions to the treatments in terms of translocation to the leaves. CaP and CaP–HS treatments lead to an increase of P accumulation in the leaves of D. tenuifolia, while the treatment with HS was found to increase only the concentration of Ca in V. locusta leaves. A low biostimulating effect on both plants’ growth was observed, and was mainly scribed to the low concentration of HS in the tested materials. In the end, the obtained material showed promising results in virtue of its potential to elicit phosphorous uptake and foliar translocation by plants.
α-Trifluoromethyl Chalcones as Potent Anticancer Agents for Androgen Receptor-Independent Prostate Cancer
Authors: Saito Yohei , Mizokami Atsushi , Izumi Kouji , Naito Renato , Goto Masuo , Nakagawa-Goto Kyoko
Published: May 2021

α-Trifluoromethyl chalcones were prepared and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities against androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines as well as five additional types of human tumor cell lines. The most potent chalcone 5 showed superior antitumor activity in vivo with both oral and intraperitoneal administration at 3 mg/kg. Cell-based mechanism of action studies demonstrated that 5 induced cell accumulation at sub-G1 and G2/M phases without interfering with microtubule polymerization. Furthermore, several cancer cell growth-related proteins were identified by using chalcone 5 as a bait for the affinity purification of binding proteins.
Fabrication of Microfluidic Devices for Emulsion Formation by Microstereolithography
Authors: Männel Max J. , Baysak Elif , Thiele Julian
Published: May 2021

Droplet microfluidics—the art and science of forming droplets—has been revolutionary for high-throughput screening, directed evolution, single-cell sequencing, and material design. However, traditional fabrication techniques for microfluidic devices suffer from several disadvantages, including multistep processing, expensive facilities, and limited three-dimensional (3D) design flexibility. High-resolution additive manufacturing—and in particular, projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL)—provides a promising path for overcoming these drawbacks. Similar to polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidics 20 years ago, 3D printing methods, such as PµSL, have provided a path toward a new era of microfluidic device design. PµSL greatly simplifies the device fabrication process, especially the access to truly 3D geometries, is cost-effective, and it enables multimaterial processing. In this review, we discuss both the basics and recent innovations in PµSL; the material basis with emphasis on custom-made photopolymer formulations; multimaterial 3D printing; and, 3D-printed microfluidic devices for emulsion formation as our focus application. Our goal is to support researchers in setting up their own PµSL system to fabricate tailor-made microfluidics.
Phytochemicals Targeting JAK–STAT Pathways in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Insights from Animal Models
Authors: Moon Sun Young , Kim Kwang Dong , Yoo Jiyun , Lee Jeong-Hyung , Hwangbo Cheol
Published: May 2021

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that consists of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Cytokines are thought to be key mediators of inflammation-mediated pathological processes of IBD. These cytokines play a crucial role through the Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathways. Several small molecules inhibiting JAK have been used in clinical trials, and one of them has been approved for IBD treatment. Many anti-inflammatory phytochemicals have been shown to have potential as new drugs for IBD treatment. This review describes the significance of the JAK–STAT pathway as a current therapeutic target for IBD and discusses the recent findings that phytochemicals can ameliorate disease symptoms by affecting the JAK–STAT pathway in vivo in IBD disease models. Thus, we suggest that phytochemicals modulating JAK–STAT pathways are potential candidates for developing new therapeutic drugs, alternative medicines, and nutraceutical agents for the treatment of IBD.
Effects of Gestational Diabetes in Cognitive Behavior, Oxidative Stress and Metabolism on the Second-Generation Off-Spring of Rats
Authors: Huerta-Cervantes Maribel , Peña-Montes Donovan J. , López-Vázquez Miguel Ángel , Montoya-Pérez Rocío , Cortés-Rojo Christian , Olvera-Cortés María Esther , Saavedra-Molina Alfredo
Published: May 2021

Gestational diabetes (GD) has a negative impact on neurodevelopment, resulting in cognitive and neurological deficiencies. Oxidative stress (OS) has been reported in the brain of the first-generation offspring of GD rats. OS has been strongly associated with neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we determined the effect of GD on the cognitive behavior, oxidative stress and metabolism of second-generation offspring. GD was induced with streptozotocin (STZ) in pregnant rats to obtain first-generation offspring (F1), next female F1 rats were mated with control males to obtain second-generation offspring (F2). Two and six-month-old F2 males and females were employed. Anxious-type behavior, spatial learning and spatial working memory were evaluated. In cerebral cortex and hippocampus, the oxidative stress and serum biochemical parameters were measured. Male F2 GD offspring presented the highest level of anxiety-type behavior, whilst females had the lowest level of anxiety-type behavior at juvenile age. In short-term memory, adult females presented deficiencies. The offspring F2 GD females presented modifications in oxidative stress biomarkers in the cerebral cortex as lipid-peroxidation, oxidized glutathione and catalase activity. We also observed metabolic disturbances, particularly in the lipid and insulin levels of male and female F2 GD offspring. Our results suggest a transgenerational effect of GD on metabolism, anxiety-like behavior, and spatial working memory.
Optimizing Inpatient Nutrition Care of Adult Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the 21st Century
Authors: Chiu Elaine , Oleynick Chris , Raman Maitreyi , Bielawska Barbara
Published: May 2021

Malnutrition is highly prevalent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and disproportionately affects those admitted to hospital. Malnutrition is a risk factor for many complications in IBD, including prolonged hospitalization, infection, greater need for surgery, development of venous thromboembolism, post-operative complications, and mortality. Early screening for malnutrition and prompt nutrition intervention if indicated has been shown to prevent or mitigate many of these outlined risk factors. There are many causes of malnutrition in IBD including reduced oral food intake, medications, active inflammation, and prior surgical resections. Hospitalization can further compound pre-existing malnutrition through inappropriate diet restrictions, nil per os (NPO) for endoscopy and imaging, or partial bowel obstruction, resulting in “post-hospital syndrome” after discharge and readmission. The aim of this article is to inform clinicians of the prevalence and consequences of malnutrition in IBD, as well as available screening and assessment tools for diagnosis, and to offer an organized approach to the nutritional care of hospitalized adult IBD patients.
What Are the Maternal Factors that Potentially Intervenes in the Nutritional Composition of Human Milk?
Authors: Amaral Yasmin , Silva Leila , Soares Fernanda , Marano Daniele , Nehab Sylvia , Abranches Andrea , Costa Ana Carolina , Moreira Maria Elisabeth
Published: May 2021

Background: To evaluate the potential factors associated with the nutritional composition of human milk of puerperal women. Methods: cross-sectional study, conducted between March 2016 and August 2017, with 107 women, selected in a Tertiary Health Care Tertiary Health Facility of the Unified Health System (SUS) in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Data were collected two months after delivery. The dependent variable of the study was the nutritional composition of human milk. We divided the independent variables into hierarchical levels: distal (age, schooling, parity and pregestational nutritional status), intermediate (number of prenatal visits and gestational weight gain) and proximal (alcohol consumption, smoking, diabetes mellitus and hypertension). For data analysis, we applied the multiple linear regression, centered on the hierarchical model. Only the variables associated with the nutritional composition of breast milk remained in the final model at a 5% level of significance. Results: The nutritional composition of human milk yielded by women with pregestational overweight, smokers and hypertensive had higher amounts of lipids and energy. Conversely, women with gestational weight gain below the recommended had lower amounts of these components. Conclusion: The evaluation of factors associated with the nutritional composition of human milk is extremely important to assist post-partum care practices. In this study, we observed that lipid and energy contents were associated to pregestational nutritional status, gestational weight gain, smoking and hypertension.
Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Regimen Affects Survival in Patients Receiving Nivolumab for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Geum Min Jung , Kim Chungsoo , Kang Ji Eun , Choi Jae Hee , Kim Jae Song , Son Eun Sun , Lim Sun Min , Rhie Sandy Jeong
Published: May 2021

Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis may affect the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We investigated the impact of antibiotics on the clinical outcomes of nivolumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients who received nivolumab for NSCLC between July 2015 and June 2018 and who were followed up until June 2020 were included in a retrospective cohort analysis. Of 140 eligible patients, 70 were on antibiotics. Overall survival (OS) was shorter in patients on antibiotics (ABX) compared to those not on antibiotics (NoABX) (p = 0.014). OS was negatively associated with piperacillin/tazobactam (PTZ) (HR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.77–6.18), days of therapy (DOT) ≥ 2 weeks (HR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.30–5.22) and DOT of PTZ. The defined daily dose (DDD) in PTZ (r = 0.27) and glycopeptides (r = 0.21) showed weak correlations with mortality. There was no difference in progression-free survival (PFS) between ABX and NoABX; however, PFS was negatively associated with the antibiotic class PTZ and DOT of PTZ. Therefore, the use of a broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as PTZ, the long-term use of antibiotics more than 2 weeks in total and the large amount of defined daily dose of specific antibiotics were associated with decreased survival in patients receiving nivolumab for NSCLC.
Resveratrol-Loaded Lipid-Core Nanocapsules Modulate Acute Lung Inflammation and Oxidative Imbalance Induced by LPS in Mice
Authors: de Oliveira Maria Talita Pacheco , Coutinho Diego de Sá , Guterres Sílvia Stanisçuaski , Pohlmann Adriana Raffin , Silva Patrícia Machado Rodrigues e , Martins Marco Aurélio , Bernardi Andressa
Published: May 2021

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are inflammatory and oxidative imbalance lung conditions with no successful pharmacological therapy and a high mortality rate. Resveratrol (RSV) is a plant-derived stilbene that presents anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, its therapeutic application remains limited due to its poor bioavailability, which can be solved by the use of nanocarriers. Previously, we demonstrated that nanoencapsulated RSV (RSV-LNC) pre-treatment, performed 4 h before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in mice, increased its anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and lung distribution of RSV-LNCs administered therapeutically (6 h post LPS exposure) in a lung injury mouse model. The results showed that RSV-LNCs posttreatment improved lung function and diminished pulmonary inflammation. Moreover, RSV-LNC treatment enhanced the antioxidant catalase level together with a decrease in the oxidative biomarker in mouse lungs, which was accompanied by an increase in pulmonary Nrf2 antioxidant expression. Finally, the presence of RSV in lung tissue was significantly detected when mice received RSV-LNCs but not when they received RSV in its free form. Together, our results confirm that RSV nanoencapsulation promotes an increase in RSV bioavailability, enhancing its therapeutic effects in an LPS-induced lung injury model.
Quality by Design Approach for the Development of Liposome Carrying Ghrelin for Intranasal Administration
Authors: Barros Cecília de , Aranha Norberto , Severino Patrícia , Souto Eliana B. , Zielińska Aleksandra , Lopes André , Rios Alessandra , Batain Fernando , Crescencio Kessi , Chaud Marco , Alves Thais
Published: May 2021

The therapeutic use of peptides has increasingly recognized in the development of new therapies. However, the susceptible enzymatic cleavage is a barrier that needs to overcome. Nose-to-brain delivery associated with liposomes can protect peptides against biodegradation and improve the accessibility to brain targets. The aim was to develop a liposomal formulation as ghrelin carrier. The quality by design (QbD) approach was used as a strategy for method development. The initial risk assessments were carried out using a fishbone diagram. A screening design study was performed for the critical material attributes/critical process parameters (CMAs/CPPs) on critical quality attributes (CQAs). Liposomes were obtained by hydrating phospholipid films, followed by extrusion or homogenization, and coated with chitosan. The optimized liposome formulation was produced by high-pressure homogenization coated with chitosan, and the resulted were liposomes size 72.25 ± 1.46 nm, PDI of 0.300 ± 0.027, the zeta potential of 50.3 ± 1.46 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 53.2%. Moreover, chitosan coating improved performance in ex vivo permeation and mucoadhesion analyzes when compared to the uncoated liposome. In this context, chitosan coating is essential for the performance of the formulations in the ex vivo permeation and mucoadhesion analyzes. The intranasal administration of ghrelin liposomes coated with chitosan offers an innovative opportunity to treat cachexia.
Embracing Additive Manufacturing Technology through Fused Filament Fabrication for Antimicrobial with Enhanced Formulated Materials
Authors: Ahmed Waleed , Siraj Sidra , Al-Marzouqi Ali H.
Published: May 2021

Antimicrobial materials produced by 3D Printing technology are very beneficial, especially for biomedical applications. Antimicrobial surfaces specifically with enhanced antibacterial property have been prepared using several quaternary salt-based agents, such as quaternary ammonium salts and metallic nanoparticles (NPs), such as copper and zinc, which are incorporated into a polymeric matrix mainly through copolymerization grafting and ionic exchange. This review compared different materials for their effectiveness in providing antimicrobial properties on surfaces. This study will help researchers choose the most suitable method of developing antimicrobial surfaces with the highest efficiency, which can be applied to develop products compatible with 3D Printing Technology.
Molecular Dynamics of Janus Nanodimers Dispersed in Lamellar Phases of a Block Copolymer
Authors: Burgos-Mármol J. Javier , Patti Alessandro
Published: May 2021

We investigate structural and dynamical properties of Janus nanodimers (NDs) dispersed in lamellar phases of a diblock copolymer. By performing molecular dynamics simulations, we show that an accurate tuning of the interactions between NDs and copolymer blocks can lead to a close control of NDs’ space distribution and orientation. In particular, NDs are preferentially found within the lamellae if enthalpy-driven forces offset their entropic counterpart. By contrast, when enthalpy-driven forces are not significant, the distribution of NDs, preferentially observed within the inter-lamellar spacing, is mostly driven by excluded-volume effects. Not only does the degree of affinity between host and guest species drive the NDs’ distribution in the polymer matrix, but it also determines their space orientation. In turn, these key structural properties influence the long-time dynamics and the ability of NDs to diffuse through the polymer matrix.
Coupling of Dual Channel Waveform ALS and Sonar for Investigation of Lake Bottoms and Shore Zones
Authors: Chormański Jarosław , Nowicka Barbara , Wieckowski Aleksander , Ciupak Maurycy , Jóźwiak Jacek , Figura Tadeusz
Published: May 2021

In this work, we proposed to include remote sensing techniques as a part of the methodology for natural lake bottom mapping, with a focus on the littoral zone. Due to the inaccessibility of this zone caused by dense vegetation, measurements of the lake bottom and the coastline are also difficult to perform using traditional methods. The authors of this paper present, discuss and verify the applicability of remote sensing active sensors as a tool for measurements in the shore zone of a lake. The single-beam Lowrance HDS-7 ComboGPS echosounder with an 83/200 kHz transducer and a two-beam LiDAR RIEGL VQ-1560i-DW scanner have been used for reservoir bottom measurements of two neighboring lakes, which differ in terms of water transparency. The research has found a strong correlation between both sonar and LiDAR for mapping the bottom depth in a range up to 1.6 m, and allowed LiDAR mapping of approximately 20% of the highly transparent lake, but it has not been found to be useful in water with low transparency. In the light of the conducted research, both devices, sonar and LiDAR, have potential for complementary use by fusing both methods: the sonar for mapping of the sublittoral and the pelagic zone, and the LiDAR for mapping of the littoral zone, overcoming limitation related to vegetation in the lake shore zone.
Assessing the Accuracy of ALOS/PALSAR-2 and Sentinel-1 Radar Images in Estimating the Land Subsidence of Coastal Areas: A Case Study in Alexandria City, Egypt
Authors: Darwish Noura , Kaiser Mona , Koch Magaly , Gaber Ahmed
Published: May 2021

Recently, the Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique is widely used for quantifying the land surface deformation, which is very important to assess the potential impact on social and economic activities. Radar satellites operate in different wavelengths and each provides different levels of vertical displacement accuracy. In this study, the accuracies of Sentinel-1 (C-band) and ALOS/PALSAR-2 (L-band) were investigated in terms of estimating the land subsidence rate along the study area of Alexandria City, Egypt. A total of nine Sentinel-1 and 11 ALOS/PALSAR-2 scenes were used for such assessment. The small baseline subset (SBAS) processing scheme, which detects the land deformation with a high spatial and temporal coverage, was performed. The results show that the threshold coherence values of the generated interferograms from ALOS-2 data are highly concentrated between 0.2 and 0.3, while a higher threshold value of 0.4 shows no coherent pixels for about 80% of Alexandria’s urban area. However, the coherence values of Sentinel-1 interferograms ranged between 0.3 and 1, with most of the urban area in Alexandria showing coherent pixels at a 0.4 value. In addition, both data types produced different residual topography values of almost 0 m with a standard deviation of 13.5 m for Sentinel-1 and −20.5 m with a standard deviation of 33.24 m for ALOS-2 using the same digital elevation model (DEM) and wavelet number. Consequently, the final deformation was estimated using high coherent pixels with a threshold of 0.4 for Sentinel-1, which is comparable to a threshold of about 0.8 when using ALOS-2 data. The cumulative vertical displacement along the study area from 2017 to 2020 reached −60 mm with an average of −12.5 mm and mean displacement rate of −1.73 mm/year. Accordingly, the Alexandrian coastal plain and city center are found to be relatively stable, with land subsidence rates ranging from 0 to −5 mm/year. The maximum subsidence rate reached −20 mm/year and was found along the boundary of Mariout Lakes and former Abu Qir Lagoon. Finally, the affected buildings recorded during the field survey were plotted on the final land subsidence maps and show high consistency with the DInSAR results. For future developmental urban plans in Alexandria City, it is recommended to expand towards the western desert fringes instead of the south where the present-day ground lies on top of the former wetland areas.
Analyzing the Performance of GPS Data for Earthquake Prediction
Authors: Gitis Valeri , Derendyaev Alexander , Petrov Konstantin
Published: May 2021

The results of earthquake prediction largely depend on the quality of data and the methods of their joint processing. At present, for a number of regions, it is possible, in addition to data from earthquake catalogs, to use space geodesy data obtained with the help of GPS. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the efficiency of using the time series of displacements of the Earth’s surface according to GPS data for the systematic prediction of earthquakes. The criterion of efficiency is the probability of successful prediction of an earthquake with a limited size of the alarm zone. We use a machine learning method, namely the method of the minimum area of alarm, to predict earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 6.0 and a hypocenter depth of up to 60 km, which occurred from 2016 to 2020 in Japan, and earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5.5. and a hypocenter depth of up to 60 km, which happened from 2013 to 2020 in California. For each region, we compare the following results: random forecast of earthquakes, forecast obtained with the field of spatial density of earthquake epicenters, forecast obtained with spatio-temporal fields based on GPS data, based on seismological data, and based on combined GPS data and seismological data. The results confirm the effectiveness of using GPS data for the systematic prediction of earthquakes.
Monitoring Terrestrial Water Storage Changes with the Tongji-Grace2018 Model in the Nine Major River Basins of the Chinese Mainland
Authors: Chen Zhiwei , Zhang Xingfu , Chen Jianhua
Published: May 2021

Data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission can be used to monitor changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS). In this study, we exploit the TWS observations from a new temporal gravity field model, Tongji-Grace2018, which was developed using an optimized short-arc approach at Tongji University. We analyzed the changes in the TWS and groundwater storage (GWS) in each of the nine major river basins of the Chinese mainland from April 2002 to August 2016, using Tongji-Grace2018, the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) hydrological model, in situ observations, and additional auxiliary data (such as precipitation and temperature). Our results indicate that the TWS of the Songliao, Yangtze, Pearl, and Southeastern River Basins are all increasing, with the most drastic TWS growth occurring in the Southeastern River Basin. The TWS of the Yellow, Haihe, Huaihe, and Southwestern River Basins are all decreasing, with the most drastic TWS loss occurring in the Haihe River Basin. The Continental River Basin TWS has remained largely unchanged over time. With the exception of the Songliao and Pearl River Basins, the GWS results produced by the Tongji-Grace2018 model are consistent with the in situ observations of these basins. The correlation coefficients for the Tongji-Grace2018 model results and the in situ observations for the Yellow, Huaihe, Yangtze, Southwestern, and Continental River Basins are higher than 0.710. Overall, the GWS results for the Songliao, Yellow, Haihe, Huaihe, Southwestern, and Continental River Basins all exhibit a downward trend, with the most severe groundwater loss occurring in the Haihe and Huaihe River Basins. However, the Yangtze and Southeastern River Basins both have upward-trending modeled and measured GWS values. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Tongji-Grace2018 model for the reliable estimation of TWS and GWS changes on the Chinese mainland, and may contribute to the management of available water resources.