bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective adsorption and separation of stevioside and rebaudioside A by a metal-organic framework with boronic acid
Authors: Wang Guanyu , Fu Qiaoge , Guo Ruili , Wei Zhong
Published: July 2020

The boronic acid functionalization metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as unique boronate affinity adsorbents, have desired specific molecular affinity for the separation and enrichment of cis-diol-compounds. Herein, the boronic acid functionalized Zn-based MOF adsorbent (MOF-BA) was synthesized through a simple one-step microwave method and used for the recognition and isolation of steviol glycosides (SGs). This MOF-BA exhibits the same spherical structure and isostructure with the parent framework composed only of the primitive ligand as verified by SEM and XRD characterization. It was confirmed that changing the ratio of ligands could achieve the adjustability of the boron content in the framework. At the same time, the MOF-BA-1.0 showed a suitable pore size (4.69 nm), and the presence of boric acid functional groups showed favorable selectivity for stevioside (STV). The static adsorption results showed that adsorption performances of rebaudioside A (RA) and STV from crude sugar solution (5.0 mg mL−1, pH 8) on MOF-BA-1.0 were investigated at 303 K for 15 h. The adsorption capacities for STV and RA were 42.93 mg g−1 and 22.96 mg g−1, respectively, and the adsorption selectivity (αSTV/RA) reached 4.35. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic data of MOF-BA-1.0 for RA and STV obeyed the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo second order kinetic model, respectively. The study demonstrated that MOF-BA-1.0 adsorbent could be used as a potential adsorbent to purify the active ingredients of stevia and obtain a high concentration of RA products.
Size-resolved analysis of trace elements in the dissolved fraction (<0.45 μm) of soil solutions using a novel lysimeter and asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled to ultraviolet absorbance and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Authors: Du L. , Cuss C.W. , Dyck M.F. , Noernberg T. , Shotyk W.
Published: July 2020

The distributions of dissolved (<0.45 μm) trace elements (TEs) amongst major colloidal forms in soils have implications for their availability, accessibility, and toxicity to plants and animals. The size-resolved distributions of TE species in soil solutions were collected using lysimeters and were measured using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to ultraviolet absorbance (UV) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Using this AF4-UV-ICPMS system, dissolved TEs were separated by size, and concentrations in major forms were quantified: “truly dissolved” primarily ionic and small molecules <ca. 1 kDa, organic-dominated colloids, and primarily inorganic colloids. The soil solutions were collected under vacuum using a novel surgical (316L) stainless steel (SS) lysimeter with a 5 μm pore size. Analyses were performed in the metal-free, ultraclean SWAMP laboratory. The acid-cleaned lysimeters yielded excellent blank values for TEs of environmental interest (i.e., Li, Al, V, Mn, Co, Cu, As, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Pb, Th, and U). Lysimeter sampling offers the major advantage that it can minimize disturbances to the natural TE concentrations and distributions amongst major dissolved colloidal forms in soil solutions and thus provides information that is relevant to plant uptake.
The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3
Authors: Plompen A. J. M. , Cabellos O. , De Saint Jean C. , Fleming M. , Algora A. , Angelone M. , Archier P. , Bauge E. , Bersillon O. , Blokhin A. , Cantargi F. , Chebboubi A. , Diez C. , Duarte H. , Dupont E. , Dyrda J. , Erasmus B. , Fiorito L. , Fischer U. , Flammini D. , Foligno D. , Gilbert M. R. , Granada J. R. , Haeck W. , Hambsch F.-J. , Helgesson P. , Hilaire S. , Hill I. , Hursin M. , Ichou R. , Jacqmin R. , Jansky B. , Jouanne C. , Kellett M. A. , Kim D. H. , Kim H. I. , Kodeli I. , Koning A. J. , Konobeyev A. Yu. , Kopecky S. , Kos B. , Krása A. , Leal L. C. , Leclaire N. , Leconte P. , Lee Y. O. , Leeb H. , Litaize O. , Majerle M. , Márquez Damián J. I , Michel-Sendis F. , Mills R. W. , Morillon B. , Noguère G. , Pecchia M. , Pelloni S. , Pereslavtsev P. , Perry R. J. , Rochman D. , Röhrmoser A. , Romain P. , Romojaro P. , Roubtsov D. , Sauvan P. , Schillebeeckx P. , Schmidt K. H. , Serot O. , Simakov S. , Sirakov I. , Sjöstrand H. , Stankovskiy A. , Sublet J. C. , Tamagno P. , Trkov A. , van der Marck S. , Álvarez-Velarde F. , Villari R. , Ware T. C. , Yokoyama K. , Žerovnik G.
Published: July 2020

The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library 3.3 is described. New evaluations for neutron-induced interactions with the major actinides$$^{235}\hbox {U}$$235U,$$^{238}\hbox {U}$$238Uand$$^{239}\hbox {Pu}$$239Pu, on$$^{241}\hbox {Am}$$241Amand$$^{23}\hbox {Na}$$23Na,$$^{59}\hbox {Ni}$$59Ni, Cr, Cu, Zr, Cd, Hf, W, Au, Pb and Bi are presented. It includes new fission yields, prompt fission neutron spectra and average number of neutrons per fission. In addition, new data for radioactive decay, thermal neutron scattering, gamma-ray emission, neutron activation, delayed neutrons and displacement damage are presented. JEFF-3.3 was complemented by files from the TENDL project. The libraries for photon, proton, deuteron, triton, helion and alpha-particle induced reactions are from TENDL-2017. The demands for uncertainty quantification in modeling led to many new covariance data for the evaluations. A comparison between results from model calculations using the JEFF-3.3 library and those from benchmark experiments for criticality, delayed neutron yields, shielding and decay heat, reveals that JEFF-3.3 performes very well for a wide range of nuclear technology applications, in particular nuclear energy.
High precision half-life measurement of $$^{95}\hbox {Ru}$$, $$^{95}\hbox {Tc}$$ and $$^{95m}\hbox {Tc}$$ with $$\gamma $$-spectroscopy
Authors: Szegedi T. N. , Tóth Á. , Kiss G. G. , Gyürky Gy.
Published: July 2020

The precise knowledge of the half-life of the reaction product is of crucial importance for a nuclear reaction cross section measurement carried out with the activation technique. The cross section of the $$^{92}\hbox {Mo}$$

92

Mo

($$\alpha $$
α
,n)$$^{95}\hbox {Ru}$$

95

Ru

reaction was measured recently using this experimental approach. The preliminary results indicated that the literature half-life of $$^{95}\hbox {Ru}$$

95

Ru

, derived about half a century ago, is overestimated. Therefore, the half-lives of $$^{95}\hbox {Ru}$$

95

Ru

and its daughter isotope $$^{95}\hbox {Tc}$$

95

Tc

and $$^{95m}\hbox {Tc}$$

95
m

Tc

have been measured with high precision using $$\gamma $$
γ
-spectroscopy. The results are $$\hbox {t}_{1/2} =1.6033 \pm 0.0044$$

t

1
/
2

=
1.6033
±
0.0044

 h for $$^{95}\hbox {Ru}$$

95

Ru

, $$\hbox {t}_{1/2} =19.258 \pm 0.026$$

t

1
/
2

=
19.258
±
0.026

 h for $$^{95}\hbox {Tc}$$

95

Tc

and $$\hbox {t}_{1/2} =61.96 \pm 0.24$$

t

1
/
2

=
61.96
±
0.24

 d for $$^{95m}\hbox {Tc}$$

95
m

Tc

. The precision of the half-life values has been increased, consequently the recently measured $$^{92}\hbox {Mo}$$

92

Mo

($$\alpha $$
α
,n)$$^{95}\hbox {Ru}$$

95

Ru

activation cross section will become more precise.
ASIA’S EMERGENCE IN GLOBAL BEVERAGE MARKETS: THE RISE OF WINE
Authors: Anderson Kym
Published: July 2020

Asia’s alcohol consumption and its retail expenditure on each of beer, distilled spirits and grape wine have more than doubled so far this century. In the process, the mix of beverages in Asia’s consumption of alcohol has been converging on that of the west as wine’s share rises. Since Asia’s beverage production has not kept up with its expansion in demand, imports net of exports are increasingly filling the gap — especially for wine. This paper analyzes trends in consumption and imports for the region and for key Asian countries, and provides projections to 2025 using a new model of global beverage markets.
CAN BRICS’S CURRENCY BE A HEDGE OR A SAFE HAVEN FOR ENERGY PORTFOLIO? AN EVIDENCE FROM VINE COPULA APPROACH
Authors: HE YIJIN , NAKAJIMA TADAHIRO , HAMORI SHIGEYUKI
Published: July 2020

In this paper, we examine the role of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa’s (BRICS) currency in energy market by using vine copula method. The value-at-risk (VaR) and expected shortfall of two portfolios are calculated. One is a benchmark portfolio which is consisted of only energy prices, the other is a portfolio which adding the BRICS’s exchange rate into the benchmark portfolio. The data period is from 24 August 2010 to 29 November 2019. Our results show the BRICS’s currency can reduce the risk in energy investment.
Application of CFD-DSMC coupling method in micro-scale gas flow and combustion
Authors: Suo Shaoyi , Jiang Linsong , Xie Maozhao
Published: July 2020

The reversible elementary reaction mechanism of six components and seven steps of H2/O2are applied by using a CFD-DSMC coupling iteration method to study the impact of boundary on flow, heat transfer and chemical reaction in a microtube. The microtube consists of a converging section and a straight section, which represents the gap on the contact surface of the pellets in porous media. It shows that after coupling, with the designed conditions in this paper, the influence of wall temperature is more obvious than that of wall slip velocity on the coupling results from the analysis of chemical reaction, yet the velocity field in the boundary layer is more affected by the wall slip velocity. In addition, the velocity in the central region of the flow decreases while the concentration of reaction products increases after coupling, due to the increasing of the velocity in the boundary layer and the influence of wall temperature, respectively. By the coupling of CFD-DSMC methods, more details and influence of the boundary can be considered, and the computational efficiency is higher than that of the single microscopic method.
Predicting missing links in directed complex networks: A linear programming method
Authors: Li Jin-Song , Peng Jian-Hua , Liu Shu-Xin , Li Zhi-Cheng
Published: July 2020

Link prediction in complex networks has always been a hot topic in statistical physics, sociology and information science. Since most works focus on undirected networks, how to predict missing links in directed complex networks remains a valuable and challenging problem. Many existing methods fail to differentiate the information provided by links with different orientations, nor do they consider the unequal contributions of neighbors, leading to deficiency in prediction accuracy. In this paper, we propose a novel link prediction method in directed networks. It calculates the contributions of three types of neighbors by solving a simple linear programming problem. Empirical studies on eight real-world networks show that the proposed method performs better under two evaluation metrics in comparison with nine state-of-art benchmarks.
Dynamics Associated with the Normally Hyperbolic Invariant Manifold that Governs the Ionization of Hydrogen in a Circularly Polarized Electric Field
Authors: Jung Christof , Waalkens Holger
Published: July 2020

The ionization of hydrogen in a circularly polarized electric field consists of the electron escaping over a rotating Stark saddle. The escape is mediated by the stable and unstable manifolds of a normally hyperbolic invariant manifold associated with the saddle. General principles guarantee the existence of this normally hyperbolic invariant manifold which is referred to as a transition state for energies close to the saddle. We use a numerical procedure to continue the transition state to high energies and study the dynamics restricted to the transition state. We find that for the strength of the electric field under consideration, the transition state persists to very high energies and the restricted dynamics remains amazingly regular. Our analysis moreover includes a study of homoclinic orbits connecting the transition state to itself.
Bifurcations in a Pre-Stressed, Harmonically Excited, Vibro-Impact Oscillator at Subharmonic Resonances
Authors: Rounak Aasifa , Gupta Sayan
Published: July 2020

This study investigates the behavior of a damped, inelastic, sinusoidally forced impact oscillator which has its barrier placed such that the oscillator always vibrates under compression about its subharmonic resonant frequencies. The Poincaré sections at near subharmonic resonance conditions exhibit finger-shaped chaotic attractors, similar to the strange attractor mapping of Hénon and the ones found by Holmes in his study of chaotic resonances of a buckled beam. The number of such fingers are observed to increase as the barrier distance from the equilibrium is decreased. These chaotic states are interspersed with regimes of periodic behavior, with the periodicity being in accordance with well defined period adding laws. This study also focuses on the ordered behavior of the one-impact period-[Formula: see text] orbits around the higher subharmonics of the oscillator.
Modeling and Analysis of the Multiannual Cholera Outbreaks with Host-Pathogen Encounters
Authors: Zhang Wenjing
Published: July 2020

Re-emergence of cholera threatens people’s health globally. However, its periodic re-emerging outbreaks are still poorly understood. In this paper, we develop a simple ordinary differential equation (ODE) model to study the cholera outbreak cycles. Our model involves both direct (i.e. human-to-human) and indirect (i.e. environment-to-human) transmission routes, due to the multiple interactions between the human host, the pathogen, and the environment. In particular, we model the pathogen searching distance as a Poisson point process, and then formulate the host-pathogen encounter (HPE) rate. A thorough mathematical analysis is performed to investigate local and global dynamics of the model. Necessary and sufficient condition under which the backward bifurcation occurs is derived. Fold, Hopf, and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcations are studied with original model parameter values to reveal their relations with model behaviors. One- and two-dimensional bifurcation diagrams are provided to categorize model dynamics with respect to its parameter values. Analytical and numerical analyses show that our simple model is sufficient to exhibit complex epidemic patterns of cholera dynamics including bistability and annual and multiannual periodic outbreaks. Our result regarding the backward bifurcation and complex dynamics of cholera epidemics highlight the challenges in the prevention and control of the disease.
Slow–Fast Dynamics in a Chaotic System with Strongly Asymmetric Memristive Element
Authors: Birkoben Tom , Drangmeister Moritz , Zahari Finn , Yanchuk Serhiy , Hövel Philipp , Kohlstedt Hermann
Published: July 2020

We investigate the effect of a memristive element on the dynamics of a chaotic system. For this purpose, the chaotic Chua’s oscillator is extended by a memory element in the form of a double-barrier memristive device. The device consists of [Formula: see text]/Al2O3/Al/Nb layers and exhibits strong analog-type resistive changes depending on the history of the charge flow. In the obtained system we observe strong changes in the dynamics of chaotic oscillations. The otherwise fluctuating amplitudes of Chua’s system are disrupted by transient silent states. Numerical simulations and analysis of the extended model reveal that the underlying dynamics possesses slow–fast properties due to different timescales between the memory element and the base system. Furthermore, the stabilizing and destabilizing dynamic bifurcations are identified that are traversed by the system during its chaotic behavior.
Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in the Solar Corona
Authors: Nakariakov Valery M. , Kolotkov Dmitrii Y.
Published: July 2020

The corona of the Sun is a unique environment in which magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, one of the fundamental processes of plasma astrophysics, are open to a direct study. There is striking progress in both observational and theoretical research of MHD wave processes in the corona, with the main recent achievements summarized as follows: ▪  Both periods and wavelengths of the principal MHD modes of coronal plasma structures, such as kink, slow and sausage modes, are confidently resolved. ▪  Scalings of various parameters of detected waves and waveguiding plasma structures allow for the validation of theoretical models. In particular, kink oscillation period scales linearly with the length of the oscillating coronal loop, clearly indicating that they are eigenmodes of the loop. Damping of decaying kink and standing slow oscillations depends on the oscillation amplitudes, demonstrating the importance of nonlinear damping. ▪  The dominant excitation mechanism for decaying kink oscillations is associated with magnetized plasma eruptions. Propagating slow waves are caused by the leakage of chromospheric oscillations. Fast wave trains could be formed by waveguide dispersion. ▪  The knowledge gained in the study of coronal MHD waves provides ground for seismological probing of coronal plasma parameters, such as the Alfvén speed, the magnetic field and its topology, stratification, temperature, fine structuring, polytropic index, and transport coefficients.
RAD51 Gene Family Structure and Function
Authors: Bonilla Braulio , Hengel Sarah R. , Grundy McKenzie K. , Bernstein Kara A.
Published: July 2020

Accurate DNA repair and replication are critical for genomic stability and cancer prevention. RAD51 and its gene family are key regulators of DNA fidelity through diverse roles in double-strand break repair, replication stress, and meiosis. RAD51 is an ATPase that forms a nucleoprotein filament on single-stranded DNA. RAD51 has the function of finding and invading homologous DNA sequences to enable accurate and timely DNA repair. Its paralogs, which arose from ancient gene duplications of RAD51, have evolved to regulate and promote RAD51 function. Underscoring its importance, misregulation of RAD51, and its paralogs, is associated with diseases such as cancer and Fanconi anemia. In this review, we focus on the mammalian RAD51 structure and function and highlight the use of model systems to enable mechanistic understanding of RAD51 cellular roles. We also discuss how misregulation of the RAD51 gene family members contributes to disease and consider new approaches to pharmacologically inhibit RAD51.
Structure and Function of the Mycobacterial Type VII Secretion Systems
Authors: Bunduc Catalin M. , Bitter W. , Houben E.N.G.
Published: July 2020

Bacteria have evolved intricate secretion machineries for the successful delivery of large molecules across their cell envelopes. Such specialized secretion systems allow a variety of bacteria to thrive in specific host environments. In mycobacteria, type VII secretion systems (T7SSs) are dedicated protein transport machineries that fulfill diverse and crucial roles, ranging from metabolite uptake to immune evasion and subversion to conjugation. Since the discovery of mycobacterial T7SSs about 15 y ago, genetic, structural, and functional studies have provided insight into the roles and functioning of these secretion machineries. Here, we focus on recent advances in the elucidation of the structure and mechanism of mycobacterial T7SSs in protein secretion. As many of these systems are essential for mycobacterial growth or virulence, they provide opportunities for the development of novel therapies to combat a number of relevant mycobacterial diseases.
The Bacterial Ro60 Protein and Its Noncoding Y RNA Regulators
Authors: Sim Soyeong , Hughes Kevin , Chen Xinguo , Wolin Sandra L.
Published: July 2020

Ro60 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs), composed of the ring-shaped Ro 60-kDa (Ro60) protein and noncoding RNAs called Y RNAs, are present in all three domains of life. Ro60 was first described as an autoantigen in patients with rheumatic disease, and Ro60 orthologs have been identified in 3% to 5% of bacterial genomes, spanning the majority of phyla. Their functions have been characterized primarily in Deinococcus radiodurans, the first sequenced bacterium with a recognizable ortholog. In D. radiodurans, the Ro60 ortholog enhances the ability of 3′-to-5′ exoribonucleases to degrade structured RNA during several forms of environmental stress. Y RNAs are regulators that inhibit or allow the interactions of Ro60 with other proteins and RNAs. Studies of Ro60 RNPs in other bacteria hint at additional functions, since the most conserved Y RNA contains a domain that is a close tRNA mimic and Ro60 RNPs are often encoded adjacent to components of RNA repair systems.
Toward a Fully Resolved Fungal Tree of Life
Authors: James Timothy Y. , Stajich Jason E. , Hittinger Chris Todd , Rokas Antonis
Published: July 2020

In this review, we discuss the current status and future challenges for fully elucidating the fungal tree of life. In the last 15 years, advances in genomic technologies have revolutionized fungal systematics, ushering the field into the phylogenomic era. This has made the unthinkable possible, namely access to the entire genetic record of all known extant taxa. We first review the current status of the fungal tree and highlight areas where additional effort will be required. We then review the analytical challenges imposed by the volume of data and discuss methods to recover the most accurate species tree given the sea of gene trees. Highly resolved and deeply sampled trees are being leveraged in novel ways to study fungal radiations, species delimitation, and metabolic evolution. Finally, we discuss the critical issue of incorporating the unnamed and uncultured dark matter taxa that represent the vast majority of fungal diversity.
Microbes as Biosensors
Authors: Inda Maria Eugenia , Lu Timothy K.
Published: July 2020

The ability to detect disease early and deliver precision therapy would be transformative for the treatment of human illnesses. To achieve these goals, biosensors that can pinpoint when and where diseases emerge are needed. Rapid advances in synthetic biology are enabling us to exploit the information-processing abilities of living cells to diagnose disease and then treat it in a controlled fashion. For example, living sensors could be designed to precisely sense disease biomarkers, such as by-products of inflammation, and to respond by delivering targeted therapeutics in situ. Here, we provide an overview of ongoing efforts in microbial biosensor design, highlight translational opportunities, and discuss challenges for enabling sense-and-respond precision medicines.
Tracking Triggers for the HL-LHC
Authors: Ryd Anders , Skinnari Louise
Published: July 2020

Hardware-based track reconstruction in the CMS and ATLAS trigger systems for the high-luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC) will provide unique capabilities. In this review, we present an overview of earlier track trigger systems at hadron colliders, in particular those at the Tevatron CDF and DØ experiments. We discuss the plans of the CMS and ATLAS experiments to implement hardware-based track reconstruction for the HL-LHC. Particular focus is placed on the track trigger capability of the upgraded CMS experiment. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of this novel capability, review the alternatives that were considered for its implementation, and discuss its expected performance. The planned track trigger systems for CMS and ATLAS have different goals, and we compare and contrast the two approaches.
Climate Change and the Financial System
Authors: Monasterolo Irene
Published: July 2020

The financial system could help achieve the global climate targets by aligning investments to sustainability. However, investors are largely exposed to carbon-intensive assets that could become stranded, thus delaying the low-carbon transition and bringing new sources of risk for financial stability, i.e., climate-related financial risks. Here, we discuss climate-related financial risks, the challenges they pose to traditional economic and financial risk assessment, and the implications for the implementation and feasibility of climate policies. We then present science-based approaches that introduce forward-looking climate risks and their deep uncertainty in financial risk management (e.g., via the climate value at risk, climate spread, climate stress-test). Finally, we present results of applications aimed at pricing climate risks in investors’ portfolios and calculating the largest losses that could lead to systemic risk, in collaboration with leading financial institutions.
Ovariectomy modifies lipid metabolism of retroperitoneal white fat in rats: a proteomic approach
Authors: Boldarine Valter T. , Pedroso Amanda P. , Brandão-Teles Caroline , LoTurco Edson G. , Nascimento Cláudia M. O. , Oyama Lila M. , Bueno Allain A. , Martins-de-Souza Daniel , Ribeiro Eliane B.
Published: July 2020

Menopause is often accompanied by visceral obesity. With the aim of exploring the consequences of ovarian failure on visceral fat, we evaluated the effects of ovariectomy and estrogen replacement on the proteome/phosphoproteome and on the fatty acid profile of the retroperitoneal adipose depot (RAT) of rats. Eighteen 3-mo-old female Wistar rats were either ovariectomized or sham operated and fed with standard chow for 3 mo. A subgroup of ovariectomized rats received estradiol replacement. RAT samples were analyzed with data-independent acquisitions LC-MS/MS, and pathway analysis was performed with the differentially expressed/phosphorylated proteins. RAT lipid profile was analyzed by gas chromatography. Ovariectomy induced high adiposity and insulin resistance and promoted alterations in protein expression and phosphorylation. Pathway analysis showed that five pathways were significantly affected by ovariectomy, namely, metabolism of lipids (including fatty acid metabolism and mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation), fatty acyl-CoA biosynthesis, innate immune system (including neutrophil degranulation), metabolism of vitamins and cofactors, and integration of energy metabolism (including ChREBP activates metabolic gene expression). Lipid profile analysis showed increased palmitic and palmitoleic acid content. The analysis of the data indicated that ovariectomy favored lipogenesis whereas it impaired fatty acid oxidation and induced a proinflammatory state in the visceral adipose tissue. These effects are consistent with the findings of high adiposity, hyperleptinemia, and impaired insulin sensitivity. The observed alterations were partially attenuated by estradiol replacement. The data point to a role of disrupted lipid metabolism in adipose tissue in the genesis of obesity after menopause.
Nutritional and metabolic regulation of the metabolite dimethylguanidino valeric acid: an early marker of cardiometabolic disease
Authors: Wali Jibran A. , Koay Yen Chin , Chami Jason , Wood Courtney , Corcilius Leo , Payne Richard J. , Rodionov Roman N. , Birkenfeld Andreas L. , Samocha-Bonet Dorit , Simpson Stephen J. , O’Sullivan John F.
Published: July 2020

Dimethylguanidino valeric acid (DMGV) is a marker of fatty liver disease, incident coronary artery disease, cardiovascular mortality, and incident diabetes. Recently, it was reported that circulating DMGV levels correlated positively with consumption of sugary beverages and negatively with intake of fruits and vegetables in three Swedish community-based cohorts. Here, we validate these results in the Framingham Heart Study Third Generation Cohort. Furthermore, in mice, diets rich in sucrose or fat significantly increased plasma DMGV concentrations. DMGV is the product of metabolism of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) by the hepatic enzyme AGXT2. ADMA can also be metabolized to citrulline by the cytoplasmic enzyme DDAH1. We report that a high-sucrose diet induced conversion of ADMA exclusively into DMGV (supporting the relationship with sugary beverage intake in humans), while a high-fat diet promoted conversion of ADMA to both DMGV and citrulline. On the contrary, replacing dietary native starch with high-fiber-resistant starch increased ADMA concentrations and induced its conversion to citrulline, without altering DMGV concentrations. In a cohort of obese nondiabetic adults, circulating DMGV concentrations increased and ADMA levels decreased in those with either liver or muscle insulin resistance. This was similar to changes in DMGV and ADMA concentrations found in mice fed a high-sucrose diet. Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose. Compared with glucose, incubation of hepatocytes with fructose significantly increased DMGV production. Overall, we provide a comprehensive picture of the dietary determinants of DMGV levels and association with insulin resistance.
Expression of Membrane Progesterone Receptors in Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrium of Women with Endometriosis
Authors: Vázquez-Martínez Edgar Ricardo , Bello-Alvarez Claudia , Hermenegildo-Molina Ana Lorena , Solís-Paredes Mario , Parra-Hernández Sandra , Cruz-Orozco Oliver , Silvestri-Tomassoni J. Roberto , Escobar-Ponce Luis F. , Hernández-López Luis A. , Reyes-Mayoral Christian , Olguín-Ortega Andrea , Sánchez-Ramírez Brenda , Osorio-Caballero Mauricio , García-Gómez Elizabeth , Estrada-Gutierrez Guadalupe , Cerbón Marco , Camacho-Arroyo Ignacio
Published: July 2020

Endometriosis is one of the most frequent gynecological diseases in reproductive age women, but its etiology is not completely understood. Endometriosis is characterized by progesterone resistance, which has been explained in part by a decrease in the expression of the intracellular progesterone receptor in the ectopic endometrium. Progesterone action is also mediated by nongenomic mechanisms via membrane progesterone receptors (mPRs) that belong to the class II members of the progesterone and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression at mRNA and protein levels of mPR members in the eutopic and ectopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. Total RNA and total protein were isolated from control endometrium (17 samples), eutopic endometrium (17 samples), and ectopic endometrium (9 samples). The expression of PAQR7 (mPRα), PAQR8 (mPRβ), and PAQR6 (mPRδ) at mRNA and protein levels was evaluated by RT‐qPCR and Western blot, whereas PAQR5 (mPRγ) gene expression was evaluated by RT‐qPCR. Statistical analysis between comparable groups was performed using one‐way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test with a confidence interval of 95 %. The analysis of gene expression showed that PAQR7 and PAQR5 expression was lower in both eutopic and ectopic endometrium as compared to the endometrium of women without endometriosis, whereas the expression of PAQR8 and PAQR6 was only reduced in eutopic endometrium. Furthermore, mPRα and mPRβ protein content was decreased in the ectopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. Our results demonstrate a decrease in the expression and protein content of mPRs in eutopic and ectopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis, which could contribute to the progesterone resistance observed in patients with this disease.
DetReco: Object-Text Detection and Recognition Based on Deep Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Fan , Luan Jiaxing , Xu Zhichao , Chen Wei
Published: July 2020

Deep learning-based object detection method has been applied in various fields, such as ITS (intelligent transportation systems) and ADS (autonomous driving systems). Meanwhile, text detection and recognition in different scenes have also attracted much attention and research effort. In this article, we propose a new object-text detection and recognition method termed “DetReco” to detect objects and texts and recognize the text contents. The proposed method is composed of object-text detection network and text recognition network. YOLOv3 is used as the algorithm for the object-text detection task and CRNN is employed to deal with the text recognition task. We combine the datasets of general objects and texts together to train the networks. At test time, the detection network detects various objects in an image. Then, the text images are passed to the text recognition network to derive the text contents. The experiments show that the proposed method achieves 78.3 mAP (mean Average Precision) for general objects and 72.8 AP (Average Precision) for texts in regard to detection performance. Furthermore, the proposed method is able to detect and recognize affine transformed or occluded texts with robustness. In addition, for the texts detected around general objects, the text contents can be used as the identifier to distinguish the object.
Diabetes‐Mediated Toxicity Resulted in the Expression of CD80 and CD86 on Neutrophils after Delayed Wound Healing in Male Rats
Authors: Ebaid Hossam , Abdel-Salam Bahaa , Hassan Iftekhar , Al-Tamimi Jameel , Metwalli Alli , Rady Ahmed , Alhazza Ibrahim M.
Published: July 2020

Background. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) play an essential role in the innate immune response, and their number increases after prolonged inflammatory diabetic wounds and prolonged wounds in older rats. The expression of CD80 and CD86 on PMNs confirms their participation in acquired immunity, wherein these molecules are involved in antigen presentation. Materials and Methods. We investigated CD80 and CD86 expression on PMNs by flow cytometry and analyzed the mRNA expression of neutrophil chemoattractants macrophage inflammatory protein‐2 (MIP-2) and MIP-1α by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in diabetic wound, which was healed by a camel milk peptide (CMP). The animals were allocated to the following wounded groups: control, diabetic (DM), and diabetic treated with CMP (DM‐CMP). Results. Alkaline phosphatase, gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase, and lactate dehydrogenase levels were elevated in DM rats but decreased in peptide‐treated rats. The expression of CD80 and CD86 was significantly higher in DM rats with prolonged wounds than in control rats. The expression of both markers was restored to normal levels in diabetic rats treated with CMP. RT‐PCR analysis revealed the upregulation in MIP-2 mRNA expression in DM rats. However, neutrophil number at wounded sites of DM rats declined at day 1 after wounding as compared to that in control rats. MIP-2 mRNA expression and neutrophil number were restored in CMP‐treated diabetic rats. Conclusion. Prolonged wound stress induced toxicity in DM rats and significantly increased the expression of CD80 and CD86 on PMNs. CMP peptide ameliorated the levels of toxicity markers, CD80 and CD86, and chemoattractant molecules in diabetic rats.
Evolutionary Robot Calibration and Nonlinear Compensation Methodology Based on GA-DNN and an Extra Compliance Error Model
Authors: Chen Xiaoyan , Zhang Qiuju , Sun Yilin
Published: July 2020

This study addresses the problem of nonlinear error predictive compensation to achieve high positioning accuracy for advanced industrial applications. An improved calibration method based on the generalisation performance evaluation is proposed to enhance the stability and accuracy of robot calibration. With the development of technology, a deep neural network (DNN) optimised by a genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to predict the nonlinear error of the calibrated robot. To address the change of external payload, an extra compliance error model is established with a linear piecewise method. A global compensation method combining the GA-DNN nonlinear regression prediction model and the compliance error model is then proposed to achieve the robot’s high-precision positioning performance under any external payload. Experimental results obtained on a Staubli RX160L robot with a FARO laser tracker are introduced to demonstrate the effectiveness and benefits of our proposed methodology. The enhanced positioning accuracy can reach 0.22 mm with 98% probability (i.e., the maximum positioning error in all test data).
Bending Properties of Short‐Cut Basalt Fiber Shotcrete in Deep Soft Rock Roadway
Authors: Yan Shaoyang , Jiao Huazhe , Yang Xiaolin , Wang Jinxing , Chen Fengbin
Published: July 2020

To study the effect of short‐cut basalt fiber (BF) on the bending and toughening properties of shotcrete, bending toughness tests of short‐cut BF shotcrete slabs with different volume fractions were carried out. A transparent soil model and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to observe the distribution of BF with different volume fractions and analyze the toughness enhancement mechanism of basalt fiber shotcrete. The supporting effect of basalt fiber shotcrete with different volume fractions was verified by an underground engineering test. The test results show the following: (1) when the fiber content is within 3∼4.5 kg/m3, the distribution of BF in transparent soil is uniform, and it does not easily agglomerate, which is beneficial to improving the bending toughness of shotcrete. (2) The shotcrete slab with 4.5 kg/m3 fiber content had the best reinforcing effect. Compared with the control group, the peak load and absorption capacity increased by 56.67% and 636.96%, respectively, and the maximum crack width decreased by 32.10%. (3) The SEM analysis indicated that the basalt fibers distributed randomly and evenly in the concrete, which can form a three‐dimensional spatial skeleton with a stable structure. Excessive fiber incorporation can increase fiber agglomeration during stirring and spraying. (4) The support results of an underground engineering test show that, in 35 days, short‐cut basalt fiber shotcrete with 4.5 kg/m3 fiber content is better at restraining the surrounding rock than shotcrete with other fiber contents. BF has the properties of crack resistance, bridging, and toughening for shotcrete and can significantly improve the ability of shotcrete to restrain surrounding rock deformation. As a new type of fiber, BF has great significance in deep soft rock underground engineering.
Maspin, Syndecan-1, and Ki-67 in the Odontogenic Keratocyst: An Immunohistochemical Analysis
Authors: Hammad Huda M. , Nagrash Omar M. , Safadi Rima A.
Published: July 2020

The odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a controversial lesion that was reclassified as a tumor with the name “keratocystic odontogenic tumor” in 2005. The reclassification was revoked recently in 2017, with a conclusion on the need for further studies on the subject. In this study, the expressions of an important regulatory protein (maspin), an important integral membrane proteoglycan (syndecan-1), and a universal proliferation marker (Ki-67) in the epithelium of the OKC were investigated in comparison with the dentigerous cyst (DC) and ameloblastoma (AB). Twenty-six OKCs, eleven DCs, and ten conventional ABs were immunohistochemically stained for maspin, syndecan-1, and Ki-67. ImageJ was used to analyze the positivity of maspin and syndecan-1. The Ki-67 score was calculated as the percentage of positive nuclei in 5 high power fields. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and Studentt-test were used as appropriate. Lower expressions of maspin were noted in OKC and DC compared to those in AB, and lower expressions of syndecan-1 were noted in OKC and AB compared to those in DC. The differences, however, did not reach statistical significance (ANOVA andt-test:P>0.05). The Ki-67 score was significantly higher in OKC than in DC (t-test:P<0.05), and not significantly different from AB (t-test:P>0.05). In conclusion, expressions of maspin and syndecan-1 are not strongly representative of differences in behavior between OKC, AB, and DC. However, the expression of Ki-67 indicates comparable proliferative activities of OKC and AB, which are higher than that of DC. Further investigation on the biologic behavior of OKC is still recommended to arrive at more specific conclusions regarding its classification.
Basic Studies on the Oxidative Stress Markers in Two Types of Horse Breed: Semi‐isolated Population of Huculs Is Different from Commercially Used Arabian Horses
Authors: Bażanów Barbara A. , Chełmecka Elżbieta , Romuk Ewa , Stygar Dominika M.
Published: July 2020

Hucul and Arabian horses differ in the physiological constitution and exposition to environmental conditions. Oxidative stress plays a pathogenic role in many diseases and enables further injuries. The objective of this study was to compare the levels of enzymatic and nonenzymatic oxidative stress markers in Hucul horses living in seminatural conditions and in commercially handled Arabian horses. We tested the serum samples for total superoxide dismutase (total SOD), Cu‐Zn‐superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), and Mn‐dependent superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity; for lipofuscin (LPS), ceruloplasmin (CER) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration; and for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS). Total SOD (p < 0.001), MnSOD (p < 0.001), and CuZnSOD (p < 0.001) activities were significantly higher whereas LPS (p < 0.05), TAC (p < 0.001), TOS (p < 0.001), and MDA (p < 0.001) concentrations were significantly lower in the serum samples collected from Huculs vs. Arabian horses, regardless of the gender. Gender, regardless of the breed, had no significant impact on the antioxidants’ activity and concentration. Total SOD and MnSOD activities were significantly higher in Hucul’s mares when compared to Hucul’s stallions. Concentrations of TAC and TOS were significantly lower in Arabian stallions than in Arabian mares. Commercially handled horses expressed a higher level of oxidative stress markers in comparison to breeds living in seminatural conditions. We conclude that antioxidants are important biomarkers of animal health, whether they are under maintenance care or performing physical exercise.
Advanced Glycation End Products Induce Proliferation and Migration of Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells through PI3K/AKT Pathway
Authors: Yuan Gang , Si Guangyan , Hou Qingchun , Li Zhaonan , Xu Kaiqiang , Wang Yuping , Wang Weiming , Xu Xiongfei , Zhang Lei , Sun Xiaolei , He Huqiang , Zeng Hong , Liu Yong
Published: July 2020

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been widely regarded as an important inducing factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic arteriosclerosis, and the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are also involved in this process. However, it is not clear whether AGEs promote atherosclerosis by inducing the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. To figure out this question, this study investigated the effects of AGEs on the proliferation and migration of human aorta vascular smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and the underlying mechanisms. This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations of AGEs on cell proliferation and migration. CCK8, transwell, and western blotting assays demonstrated that AGEs significantly increased cell proliferation and migration in a concentration‐dependent manner and that the optimal proproliferative and promigratory concentrations of AGEs were 10 mg/L and 20 mg/L, respectively. AGE‐induced cell proliferation, migration, and expression of filament actin (F‐actin) were markedly attenuated by a PI3K inhibitor (LY2940002). Additionally, the phosphorylation of AKT was reduced when the receptor of advanced glycation end product (RAGE) gene was silenced by lentivirus transfection, which led to a concomitant reduction of the expression of proliferation and migration‐related proteins. These data indicate that AGEs may activate the PI3K/AKT pathway through RAGE and thus facilitate the proliferation and migration of HASMCs.
Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for qPCR Gene Expression Analysis of HepG2 and L02 in Four Different Liver Cell Injured Models
Authors: Chen Jiyu , Bao Zhenzhen , Huang Yanli , Wang Zhenglong , Zhao Yucheng
Published: July 2020

Quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) has become a widely used approach to analyze the expression level of selected genes. However, owing to variations in cell types and drug treatments, a suitable reference gene should be selected according to special experimental design. In this study, we investigated the expression level of ten candidate reference genes in hepatoma carcinoma cell (HepG2) and human hepatocyte cell line (L02) treated with ethanol (EtOH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), acetaminophen (APAP), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), respectively. To analyze raw cycle threshold values (Cp values) from qPCR run, three reference gene validation programs, including Bestkeeper, geNorm, and NormFinder, were used to evaluate the stability of ten candidate reference genes. The results showed that TATA‐box binding protein (TBP) and tubulin beta 2a (TUBB2a) presented the highest stability for normalization under different treatments and were regarded as the most suitable reference genes of HepG2 and L02. In addition, this study not only identified the most stable reference genes of each treatment, but also suggested that β‐actin (ACTB), glyceraldehade‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), tyrosine 3‐monooxygenase/tryptophan 5‐monooxygenase activation protein zeta (YWHAZ), and beta‐2 microglobulin (B2M) were the least stable reference genes in HepG2 and L02. This work was the first report to systematically explore the stability of reference genes in injured models of HepG2 and L02.
Quantitative Bone Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography for Evaluating Response to Bisphosphonate Treatment in Patients with Paget’s Disease of Bone
Authors: Kitajima Kazuhiro , Futani Hiroyuki , Tsuchitani Tatsuya , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Yamakado Koichiro
Published: July 2020

We here report on 2 cases of monostotic Paget’s disease of bone, one in the ilium and the other in the skull, including quantitative values obtained with bone single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT), which were useful to evaluate the response to bisphosphonate treatment. The quantitative parameters determined with those findings were decreased, with the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV), peak SUV, mean SUV, metabolic bone volume, and total bone uptake in case 1 and case 2 reduced by 48.8 and 60.3%, 46.6 and 58.8%, 24.3 and 60.5%, 87.0 and 11.8%, and 90.2 and 55.8%, respectively, while TRACP-5B and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also reduced by 39.5 and 88.6% and by 53.7 and 78.1%, respectively. Quantitative SPECT/CT parameter decreases were correlated with TRACP-5B and ALP, indicating the usefulness of this modality to examine treatment response.
Factors Accounting for Obesity and Its Perception among the Adult Spanish Population: Data from 1,000 Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews
Authors: Lecube Albert , Sánchez Enric , Monereo Susana , Medina-Gómez Gema , Bellido Diego , García-Almeida José Manuel , Martínez de Icaya Purificación , Malagón Maria Mar , Goday Albert , Tinahones Francisco José ,   on behalf of the Spanish Society of Obesity
Published: July 2020

Objective: Our aim was to go deeper in the self-perception of weight and health status among the Spanish population, together with the connections of familiar relationships, physical activity practice, nutritional habits, and sleep patterns with the presence of obesity. Methods: A total of 1,000 subjects were enrolled in April 2017 in a representative adult Spanish population sample. Computer-assisted telephone interviewing was used and self-reported anthropometric data was obtained. Results: The population was composed of 51.3% women, with a mean age of 48 (36–63) years and a BMI of 23.2 (20.3–26.6). Although only 17.7% of subjects with self-reported obesity exhibited the self-perception to suffer from obesity, they referred a bad (16%) or regular (47%) self-perceived health status. Subjects who considered themselves as people with overweight and obesity displayed a BMI of 30.5 (28.7–32.2) and 37.1 (34.8–41.5), respectively. The obesity group displayed the highest percentage (71.9%) of participants with some first-degree relative with overweight or obesity (p < 0.001) in comparison with the other groups. The main reason put forward of preventing healthy eating among subjects with obesity was that they dislike healthy food. The multivariable logistic regression model for presence of obesity showed that there was a significant association with older age, presence of a first-degree relative with weight excess, a positive snacking habit, and daily alcohol consumption (p ≤ 0.019). Conclusion: The Spanish population has a low self-perception of obesity. Our data also reinforces the strong association between obesity and age, family interactions, usual snacking, and daily consumption of wine or beer.