bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential of Antithrombin III as a Biomarker of Antidepressive Effect in Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Song Ruize , Shi Yachen , Li Xianrui , Zhu Jianli , Zhang Hongxing , Li Kun , Wang Bi , Zhang Haisan , Yang Yongfeng , Gao Lijuan , Zhao Yang , Zhang Zhijun
Published: October 2021

Background: The evaluation of treatment response to antidepressant therapy commonly depends on neuropsychologic assessments, as there are currently no suitable biomarkers. Previous research has identified a panel of increased proteins in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), including antithrombin III (ATIII), as potential biomarkers of depression.

Methods: A total of 90 MDD patients were recruited. Of these, 74 patients received occipital repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as individualized, standard, or sham treatment for 5 days, and underwent the complete procedure, including clinical assessments, blood collection, and protein measurement.

Results: After treatment, ATIII was significantly decreased in both the individualized and standard groups (both p < 0.001) relative to the sham group. In the individualized group, reduction in ATIII was associated with improvements in several neuropsychological assessments. Furthermore, ATIII at baseline in the standard group and after individualized rTMS showed good performance for evaluating or predicting the response to five-day treatment (AUC = 0.771, 95% CI, 0.571–0.971; AUC = 0.875, 95% CI, 0.714–1.000, respectively) and remission at follow-up (AUC = 0.736, 95% CI, 0.529–0.943; AUC = 0.828, 95% CI, 0.656–1.000, respectively). Lastly, both baseline ATIII and change in ATIII showed good predictive value for the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale at follow-up (p = 0.024 and 0.023, respectively).

Conclusion: Our study revealed a reduction in ATIII after occipital rTMS in MDD patients and a relationship between change in ATIII and therapeutic response. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for the potential of ATIII as a biomarker for the evaluation and prediction of antidepressive effects.
Changes in Social, Romantic, and General Life Satisfaction Over the Course of a Substance Use Disorder
Authors: Christie Nina C. , Vojvodic Vanya , Meda Pranav , Monterosso John R.
Published: October 2021

Background: The pandemic has highlighted the importance of social connection for health and well-being. Satisfaction across domains of life is associated with substance use outcomes, such as risk of relapse and mortality. Previous work has delineated the relationship between substance use and social connections, yet there is a lack of research exploring the relationship between substance use and satisfaction with domains of life over time.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed satisfaction with social life, romantic life, and general life across five phases of substance use among 339 adults, of whom 289 identify as formerly having a problem with substance use, and a comparison group of 50 who report no history of problematic drug use. We compared those whose primary drug of choice was alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, non-prescription opioids, and prescription opioids.

Results: Those who used prescription opioids reported a larger drop in satisfaction in social life, romantic life, and general life during the course of substance use than those who used other drugs. However, we report no significant differences in current satisfaction, social well-being, or quality of life between people in recovery and people with no history of problematic substance use.

Conclusions: These findings—alongside neuropsychological work on the opioid system and sociality—paint a picture that those who formerly used prescription opioids may experience lower satisfaction across life domains during the course of their substance use than those who used other substances. However, people in prolonged recovery—regardless of their drug of choice—all show similar levels of satisfaction compared to people with no history of problematic substance use.
Pressure Injury Surveillance and Prevention in Australia: Monash Partners Capacity Building Framework
Authors: Team Victoria , Jones Angela , Teede Helena , Weller Carolina D.
Published: October 2021

A hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) is a common complication across the globe. The severity of HAPI ranges from skin redness and no skin breakdown to full skin and tissue loss, exposing the tendons and bones. HAPI can significantly impact the quality of life. In addition to the human cost, this injury carries a high economic burden with the cost of treatment far outweighing the preventative measures. The HAPI rates are a key indicator of health services performance. Globally, healthcare services aim to reduce its incidence. In Australia, the federal health minister has prioritised the need for improvement in HAPI surveillance and prevention. Capacity building is vital to optimise pressure injury (PI) surveillance and prevention in acute care services. In this perspective article, we provide a framework for capacity building to optimise HAPI prevention and surveillance in a large cross-sector collaborative partnership in Australia. This framework comprises six key action areas in capacity building to optimise the HAPI outcomes, such as research, organisational development, workforce development, leadership, collaboration, and consumer involvement.
Evaluation of a Sexual Transmitted Infection Prevention Program Among University Students in Beira City Central Mozambique: A Study Protocol
Authors: Zango Arlinda Basílio , Crutzen Rik , de Vries Nanne
Published: October 2021

Background: Unhealthy sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sexual intercourse and lack of using screening services increase cyclical transmission of sexually transmitted infections including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), especially among young adults. Hence health promotion programs can contribute to reduce the consequences, by changing (determinants of) these behaviors. Such interventions need to embrace a comprehensive approach and apply theory-and evidence-based methods. This article describes the protocol for a process and effect evaluation study of a sexually transmitted infection prevention program among university students in Beira city, central Mozambique.

Methods: The on-going program at Universidade Católica de Moçambique is described following the six steps of Intervention Mapping (IM), with a focus on the evaluation plan (i.e., the final step in IM). The details regarding previous steps in the protocol are briefly described as well, as they lay the foundation for the final step. The overall study will apply a hybrid type 1 approach by assessing the effectiveness of the intervention while gettering implementation. The process evaluation will apply qualitative and quantitative methods to gain insight in the context, reach, dose delivered, dose received and recruitment. Interviews with closed and open-ended questions will be conducted with program implementers and users. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design is used to evaluate the effectiveness. A cohort of university students will be followed for 6 months. Self-administrated questionnaires will be used to collect data every 3 months.

Discussion: A combination of process and effect evaluation is proposed. This is a useful and fruitful procedure, since concurrent process evaluation can allow researchers to better interpret findings from the effect evaluation and understand how the intervention might replicate in similar contexts. We decided to follow the IM approach since, it is a theory-and evidence-based, systematic and detailed guide regarding what to do at every steps. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was chosen to fit the context of the study and generate outcomes with high external validity.

Study Registration: 004/CIBS/2020.
Safety During Ureteroscopy: Radiation, Eyes, and Ergonomics
Authors: Miller David T. , Semins Michelle J.
Published: October 2021

It is known that urologic surgeons are at risk of work-place injury due to the physical requirements of operating and exposure to hazards. These hazards include radiation, exposure to body fluids, use of laser energy, and orthopedic injury due to the physical nature of operating. The risks that these hazards present can be mitigated by implementing several evidence-based safety measures. The methods to protect against radiation exposure include keeping radiation usage in the operating room as low as reasonably achievable, donning lead aprons, and wearing protective glasses. Additionally, protective glasses decrease the risk of eye injury from laser injury and exposure to body fluids. Finally, practicing sound surgical ergonomics is essential to minimize the risk of orthopedic injury and promote career longevity. The interventions discussed herein are simple and easy to implement in one's daily practice of urology.
Community Attitudes Reflect Reporting Rates and Prevalence of Animal Mistreatment
Authors: Glanville Carmen , Ford Jennifer , Cook Rebecca , Coleman Grahame J.
Published: October 2021

Community attitudes toward the treatment of animals are important to understand for the development of intervention programs to prevent mistreatment. We aimed to investigate whether previously identified differences between local government areas (LGAs) in the rates of animal mistreatment reporting and prevalence were reflected by differences in community attitudes. In addition, attitudinal differences based on target species (dogs, cats, horses) and participant gender were considered. A representative telephone survey (N= 1,801) was conducted across six LGAs. Attitudinal themes included affection toward animals, valuing of animals, attitudes toward caring for own animals, and concern for the mistreatment of other animals. Factorial ANOVA was used to identify differences between high and low reporting LGAs, region types (regional, interface, metropolitan), and target species (cat, dog, horse). Respondents from high reporting LGAs demonstrated slightly more affection for animalsF(1,1679)= 19.401,p< 0.001,ωp2= 0.011 and stronger subjective normsF(1,999)= 16.31,p< 0.001,ωp2= 0.015 than those from low reporting LGAs, but did not differ on the other variables. Participants in areas of high prevalence (regional areas) did not display lower levels of affection or concern for the mistreatment of animals as a whole, nor did they value animals less. However, regional differences were found for several items regarding caring for one's own animals: two behavioral beliefs and two control beliefs. Additionally various differences were found between the regions regarding the level of concern for mistreatment when broken down into the different species. Gender effects were also common. While the attitudinal results do reflect animal mistreatment prevalence and reporting rates, they also highlight the complexity of community attitudes. As such, interventions to prevent mistreatment must have clear targets including the audience, behavior, and species. Targeting smaller regions and thoroughly investigating their unique perspectives, challenges, and strengths are likely to be more effective than generic campaigns.
SMARCOS: Off-the-Shelf Smart Compliant Actuators for Human–Robot Applications
Authors: Ducastel Vincent , Langlois Kevin , Rossini Marco , Grosu Victor , Vanderborght Bram , Lefeber Dirk , Verstraten Tom , Geeroms Joost
Published: October 2021

With the growing popularity of Human–Robot Interactions, a series of robotic assistive devices have been created over the last decades. However, due to the lack of easily integrable resources, the development of these custom made devices turns out to be long and expensive. Therefore, the SMARCOS, a novel off-the-shelf Smart Variable Stiffness Actuator for human-centered robotic applications is proposed in this paper. This modular actuator combines compliant elements and sensors as well as low-level controller and high-bandwidth communication. The characterisation of the actuator is presented in this manuscript, followed by two use-cases wherein the benefits of such technology can be truly exploited. The actuator provides a lightweight design that can serve as the building blocks to facilitate the development of robotic applications.
How to Promote Medium-Sized Farms to Adopt Environmental Strategy to Achieve Sustainable Production during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Huang Stanley Y. B. , Chen Kuei-Hsien , Lee Yue-Shi
Published: October 2021

To achieve sustainable production in medium-sized farms, this research proposes a hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to predict environmental strategy (ES), which is a crucial source of sustainable production. Based on the theory of upper echelons, the present research puts forward that the environmental leadership (EL) of the chief executive officer (CEO) at phase one affects the development of environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) adoption, which in turn affects the development of ES adoption over time. The empirical data were obtained through a three-stage sampling method of 90 CEOs and 270 members of senior management teams (SETs) of Taiwanese medium-sized farms, over a period of six months. The research results support that the higher level of CEO EL at phase one results in the development of ECSR adoption, which in turn results in the development of ES adoption. This research opens a new direction for sustainable production by showing how to implement ES through organizational management mechanisms (EL). These findings can fill the gaps in the literature on the sustainable production of farms and can also help these farms to achieve sustainable production by adopting ES.
Deriving Economic Values for Female Reproductive Traits in Lifetime Carcass Production of Japanese Black Cows Using Deterministic Profit Function
Authors: Ogawa Shinichiro , Kitajima Suguru , Saito Hayato , Satoh Masahiro
Published: October 2021

Improving reproductive efficiency is required to strengthen the production base of high-quality Wagyu beef in Japan. We developed a deterministic profit function (P) for lifetime carcass production of Japanese Black cows to calculate economic values (EVs) for representative female reproductive and carcass traits. The total calving number per cow was expressed using the age at first calving (AFC) and calving interval (CI). Revenues and costs were calculated from calf market price (CaP) and carcass unit price (CUP). A cubic regression equation was developed with CaP as the response variable and calf market weight as the explanatory variable. A multiple linear regression equation was developed with CUP as the response variable and five carcass traits as explanatory variables. EVs were calculated using the first-order partial derivatives of P. The first-order partial derivative of CI was a function of CI with the quadratic term of CI in the denominator. Values of EVs for AFC and CI were negative, suggesting that earlier AFC and shorter CI increase the lifetime profit of Japanese Black cows through producing higher numbers of feeder cattle per cow. However, this might bring benefit to only calf-producing farmers. The results would contribute to achieving sustainable high-quality Wagyu beef production.
Lecciana, a New Low-Vigour Olive Cultivar Suitable for Super High Density Orchards and for Nutraceutical EVOO Production
Authors: Camposeo Salvatore , Vivaldi Gaetano Alessandro , Montemurro Cinzia , Fanelli Valentina , Cunill Canal Marisa
Published: October 2021

Cultivar is the key factor for sustainability of the olive super high density planting system (SHD). ‘Lecciana’ is a new olive cultivar for oil production obtained in 1998 by a controlled cross between cv. Arbosana (♀) and cv. Leccino (♂) in a breeding program as part of an international research agreement between Agromillora Iberia S.L.U. and University of Bari. ‘Lecciana’ is the first olive cultivar of Italian descent suitable for SHD, featuring all the vegetative and productive traits required for efficient, sustainable olive growing intensification. Thanks to low vigor, early bearing (3rd year after planting), high yield efficiency (about 0.5 kg of fruits cm−2 of trunk section area) and good fruit size (3.5 g), ‘Lecciana’ could be planted with tree densities over 1,200 trees per hectare for an efficient continuous mechanical harvesting. High frost resistance, very low pistil abortion (3%), high fruit set (3%), oil content (over 19% fw) and, above all, good unsaturated fatty acids profile, polyphenols content (over 450 mg kg−1) and fruitiness median are the main distinctive characters of this new cultivar. The oils of ‘Lecciana’ fall into the category ‘nutraceutical EVOOs’ which can benefit from the specific functional health claim.
Wheat Density Alters but Does Not Repress the Expression of a Fluroxypyr-Resistant Kochia (Bassia scoparia) Phenotype
Authors: Geddes Charles M. , Kimmins Michael T.
Published: October 2021

Dose-response experiments for confirmation of herbicide-resistant weeds are almost always conducted using weed monocultures, thereby ignoring the interaction of interspecific plant interference with herbicide efficacy. Controlled-environment dose-response bioassays were conducted using three kochia [Bassia scoparia (L.) A.J. Scott] populations with four spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) densities (0, 200, 400, and 600 plants m−2) to determine how increasing intensity of interspecific plant interference altered the fluroxypyr dose-response relationship of resistant and susceptible kochia. The resistant population exhibited 10.8-, 15.0-, 7.0-, and 8.1-fold resistance to fluroxypyr in the absence of crop interference based on plant survival, biomass fresh weight, and visible control at two and four weeks after application, respectively. Increased wheat densities suppressed fluroxypyr-resistant kochia the greatest, resulting in a linear reduction in the fluroxypyr rate causing 50% plant mortality (LD50) and visible control (ED50) for the resistant but not the susceptible populations. This reduced the expression of fluroxypyr resistance based on kochia plant survival (from 10.8- to 4.3-fold resistance) and visible control (from 8.1- to 4.6-fold resistance) as wheat density increased from 0 to 600 plants m−2. Therefore, enhanced interspecific plant interference caused by increased wheat densities altered but did not repress the expression of fluroxypyr resistance in kochia.
Nitrogen Release in Soils Amended with Different Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers under Contrasting Moisture Regimes: A Laboratory Incubation Study
Authors: Uddin Shihab , Islam Mohammad Rafiqul , Jahangir Mohammad Mofizur Rahman , Rahman Mohammad Mojibur , Hassan Sabry , Hassan Mohamed M. , Abo-Shosha Ali A. , Ahmed Atef F. , Rahman Mohammad Mahmudur
Published: October 2021

Understanding nitrogen (N) release patterns and kinetics is a key challenge for improving N use efficiency in any agroecosystem. An incubation experiment was done to study the N release pattern and kinetics of contrasting soils amended with compost (CO), poultry manure (PM), rice husk biochar (RHB), poultry manure biochar (PMB) and cowdung (CD) combined with chemical fertilizer (integrated plant nutrient system, IPNS approach) under two moisture regimes, viz. field capacity (FC) and continuous standing water (CSW) at 25 °C for 120 days. Our results revealed that NH4+-N was the dominant under CSW conditions, whereas NO3−-N was dominant under FC conditions. Net mineral N data fitted well to the first order kinetic model. Both N release potential (N0) and rate constant (k) were greater in acidic soil than those of charland soil. The maximum N release varied between 24.90–76.29% of input depending on soil type and moisture status. N mineralization was strongly correlated with urea N application. PM and PMB mineralized in all soil and moisture conditions whereas N immobilization was observed in the case of RHB. N mineralization was strongly correlated with urea N application. Gaseous N losses were different for the organic amendments exhibiting more gaseous N losses in PM, CD and CO based IPNS whereas the lowest gaseous N loss was observed in PMB based IPNS. Biochar based IPNS increased soil pH in all conditions. Thus, the present study suggests that N release depends on soil type, soil moisture and type of organic amendment. However, CO, PM and CD based IPNS can be recommended for both acidic and charland soils in terms of N release as short duration crops will suffer from N deficiency if biochar based IPNS is used in the field.
HPLC/MS Phytochemical Profiling with Antioxidant Activities of Echium humile Desf. Extracts: ADMET Prediction and Computational Study Targeting Human Peroxiredoxin 5 Receptor
Authors: Aouadi Kaïss , Hajlaoui Hafedh , Arraouadi Soumaya , Ghannay Siwar , Snoussi Mejdi , Kadri Adel
Published: October 2021

Plant-based antioxidants such as polyphenols have gained significance in primary health care needs, due to their potential and therapeutic use in modern medicine. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of solvents on extraction yield, polyphenolics, phytoconstituents and antioxidant properties of various extracts (aqueous, methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, hexane) of Echium humile Desf. (E. humile Desf.) through in vitro and in silico studies. Statistically, among the various solvents, both methanol (443.05 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g extract) and aqueous (440.59 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g extract) extracts displayed equipotent and highest total phenolics content (TPC), while dichloromethane extract had the maximum total flavonoid content (TFC) (151.69 ± 0.60 mg QE/g extract), total flavonol content (TFlC) (97.39 ± 0.19 mg QE/g extract) and total carotenoids content (TCC) (537.85 ± 5.06 mg β-CE/g). Meanwhile, the highest total condensed tannin content (TCTC) was recorded together with hexane (131.50 ± 0.1 mg GAE/g extract) and dichloromethane (125.74 ± 5.72 GAE/g extract) extracts. The results of antioxidant studies revealed that ethyl acetate extract exhibited a potent scavenging effect through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•) (IC50 = 17.25 ± 1.76 µg/mL) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•+) (1433.30 ± 1.78 µg/mL), while dichloromethane extract displayed significant (p < 0.05) ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity (375.00 ± 0.02 µg/mL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (1999.00 ± 2.05 µg AAE/g). In addition, the quantification of the polyphenolics content of the most active E. humile Desf. extract, ethyl acetate has been assessed by HPLC/MS, leading to the identification of p-coumaric, trans-ferulic acids and cirsiliol as major constituents. Additionally, molecular docking analysis showed that among the selected phytocompounds, naringin (−7.0 kcal/mol) followed by 1,3-di-O-caffeoyquinic acid (−6.6 kcal/mol), rosmarinic acid (−6.6 kcal/mol), rutin (−6.5 kcal/mol) and apigenin-7-O-glucoside (−6.5 kcal/mol) showed the lowest binding potential. Furthermore, ADME and toxicity parameters justify that identified compounds from ethyl acetate extract are safer to replace the synthetic drugs with side effects. The obtained results can provide valuable information on the medical and therapeutic potential use of E. humile Desf. as a potent antioxidant agent to improve immunity.
Evaluation of Cotton Cultivar and At-Plant Nematicide Application on Seasonal Populations of Reniform Nematode
Authors: Crow Whitney D. , Catchot Angus L. , Dodds Darrin , Gore Jeffery , Cook Donald R. , Allen Thomas W.
Published: October 2021

The reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis (Linford and Oliveira), remains a common, widespread nematode pest of cotton across the southern United States. Trials were conducted during 2017 at three non-irrigated locations: one location in Hamilton, MS, and two locations in Tchula, MS, in field settings with a history of cotton production and documented economically-damaging reniform nematode populations. Trials were designed to evaluate the response of two cotton cultivars to in-furrow nematicides consisting of aldicarb, 1,3-dichloropropene, and a non-treated control applied for nematode suppression. No significant interactions between cotton cultivar and nematicide were observed. However, treatment with 1,3-dichloropropene produced greater plant biomass, and plant height compared to aldicarb-treated cotton and the nontreated. Nematode densities were suppressed with the use of 1,3-dichloropropene compared to aldicarb and the non-treated control. The use of 1,3-dichloropropene resulted in positive early-season plant growth responses; however, these responses did not translate into greater yield.
Assessment of a PK/PD Target of Continuous Infusion Beta-Lactams Useful for Preventing Microbiological Failure and/or Resistance Development in Critically Ill Patients Affected by Documented Gram-Negative Infections
Authors: Gatti Milo , Cojutti Pier Giorgio , Pascale Renato , Tonetti Tommaso , Laici Cristiana , Dell’Olio Alessio , Siniscalchi Antonio , Giannella Maddalena , Viale Pierluigi , Pea Federico
Published: October 2021

Background: Emerging data suggest that more aggressive beta-lactam PK/PD targets could minimize the occurrence of microbiological failure and/or resistance development. This study aims to assess whether a PK/PD target threshold of continuous infusion (CI) beta-lactams may be useful in preventing microbiological failure and/or resistance development in critically ill patients affected by documented Gram-negative infections. Methods: Patients admitted to intensive care units from December 2020 to July 2021 receiving continuous infusion beta-lactams for documented Gram-negative infections and having at least one therapeutic drug monitoring in the first 72 h of treatment were included. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed using the ratio between steady-state concentration and minimum inhibitory concentration (Css/MIC) ratio as the test variable and occurrence of microbiological failure as the state variable. Area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Independent risk factors for the occurrence of microbiological failure were investigated using logistic regression. Results: Overall, 116 patients were included. Microbiological failure occurred in 26 cases (22.4%). A Css/MIC ratio ≤ 5 was identified as PK/PD target cut-off with sensitivity of 80.8% (CI 60.6–93.4%) and specificity of 90.5% (CI 74.2–94.4%), and with an AUC of 0.868 (95%CI 0.793–0.924; p < 0.001). At multivariate regression, independent predictors of microbiological failure were Css/MIC ratio ≤ 5 (odds ratio [OR] 34.54; 95%CI 7.45–160.11; p < 0.001) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection (OR 4.79; 95%CI 1.11–20.79; p = 0.036). Conclusions: Early targeting of CI beta-lactams at Css/MIC ratio > 5 during the treatment of documented Gram-negative infections may be helpful in preventing microbiological failure and/or resistance development in critically ill patients.
A Comparative Study of Rutin and Rutin Glycoside: Antioxidant Activity, Anti-Inflammatory Effect, Effect on Platelet Aggregation and Blood Coagulation
Authors: Choi Sung-Sook , Park Hye-Ryung , Lee Kyung-Ae
Published: October 2021

The effects of rutin and rutin glycoside with different solubility were compared on antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and the effects on platelet aggregation and blood coagulation in vitro and in vivo. Rutin glycoside (consisting of rutin mono-glucoside and rutin di-glucoside) was prepared via enzymatic transglycosylation from rutin. Rutin glycoside showed a higher effect than rutin on radical scavenging activity in antioxidant assays. Rutin showed a higher toxicity than rutin glycoside in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. They had similar effects on the levels of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E (PGE) 2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6) in the cells. Both rutin and rutin glycosides similarly reduced the rate of platelet aggregation compared to controls in vitro. They also similarly delayed prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in an in vitro blood coagulation test. The effect of repeated administration of rutin and rutin glycoside was evaluated in vivo using SD rats. The platelet aggregation rate of rutin and the rutin glycoside administered group was significantly decreased compared to that of the control group. On the other hand, PT and APTT of rutin and rutin glycoside group were not significantly delayed in vivo blood coagulation test. In conclusion, rutin and rutin glycoside showed differences in antioxidant activities in vitro, while they were similar in the reduction of NO, PGE2, TNF-α and IL-6 in vitro. Rutin and rutin glycoside also showed similar platelet aggregation rates, and blood coagulation both in vitro and in vivo condition. Comparing in vitro and in vivo, rutin and rutin glycoside were effective on platelet aggregation both in vitro and in vivo, but only in vitro on blood coagulation.
Effects of Panthenol and N-Acetylcysteine on Changes in the Redox State of Brain Mitochondria under Oxidative Stress In Vitro
Authors: Semenovich Dmitry S. , Plotnikov Egor Yu. , Titko Oksana V. , Lukiyenko Elena P. , Kanunnikova Nina P.
Published: October 2021

The glutathione system in the mitochondria of the brain plays an important role in maintaining the redox balance and thiol–disulfide homeostasis, whose violations are the important component of the biochemical shifts in neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction is known to be accompanied by the activation of free radical processes, changes in energy metabolism, and is involved in the induction of apoptotic signals. The formation of disulfide bonds is a leading factor in the folding and maintenance of the three-dimensional conformation of many specific proteins that selectively accumulate in brain structures during neurodegenerative pathology. In this study, we estimated brain mitochondria redox status and functioning during induction of oxidative damage in vitro. We have shown that the development of oxidative stress in vitro is accompanied by inhibition of energy metabolism in the brain mitochondria, a shift in the redox potential of the glutathione system to the oxidized side, and activation of S-glutathionylation of proteins. Moreover, we studied the effects of pantothenic acid derivatives—precursors of coenzyme A (CoA), primarily D-panthenol, that exhibit high neuroprotective activity in experimental models of neurodegeneration. Panthenol contributes to the significant restoration of the activity of enzymes of mitochondrial energy metabolism, normalization of the redox potential of the glutathione system, and a decrease in the level of S-glutathionylated proteins in brain mitochondria. The addition of succinate and glutathione precursor N-acetylcysteine enhances the protective effects of the drug.
Plicosepalus acacia Extract and Its Major Constituents, Methyl Gallate and Quercetin, Potentiate Therapeutic Angiogenesis in Diabetic Hind Limb Ischemia: HPTLC Quantification and LC-MS/MS Metabolic Profiling
Authors: Abdel-Hamed Asmaa R. , Mehanna Eman T. , Hazem Reem M. , Badr Jihan M. , Abo-Elmatty Dina M. , Abdel-Kader Maged S. , Goda Marwa S.
Published: October 2021

Plicosepalus acacia (Fam. Loranthaceae) has been reported to possess hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis revealed the presence of a high content of polyphenolic compounds that are attributed to the therapeutic effects of the crude extract. In addition, methyl gallate and quercetin were detected as major phytomedicinal agents at concentrations of 1.7% and 0.062 g%, respectively, using high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The present study investigated the effect of the P. acacia extract and its isolated compounds, methyl gallate and quercetin, on hind limb ischemia induced in type 1 diabetic rats. Histopathological examination revealed that treatment with P. acacia extract, methyl gallate, and quercetin decreased degenerative changes and inflammation in the ischemic muscle. Further biochemical assessment of the hind limb tissue showed decreased oxidative stress, increased levels of nitric oxide and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and enhancement of the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the groups treated with methyl gallate and quercetin. Expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), VEGF, fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), and miR-146a were upregulated in the muscle tissue of methyl gallate- and quercetin-treated groups along with downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). In conclusion, P. acacia extract and its isolated compounds, methyl gallate and quercetin, mediated therapeutic angiogenesis in diabetic hind limb ischemia.
New Mutant Amaranth Varieties as a Potential Source of Biologically Active Substances
Authors: Fejér Jozef , Kron Ivan , Eliašová Adriana , Gruľová Daniela , Gajdošová Alena , Lancíková Veronika , Hricová Andrea
Published: October 2021

Amaranth species represent a diverse group of plants. Many of them are a rich source of secondary metabolites with many positive biological effects. Total phenolic, total flavonoid and rutin content, antioxidant activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, FRAP (Ferric-reducing ability of plasma) assay and DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay were determined in ethanol extracts of dried leaves of the new Slovak amaranth varieties ‘Pribina’ and ‘Zobor’. The amount of total phenolic substances (‘Pribina’ GAE 38.3 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ GAE 26.1 mg.g−1 DM), content of total flavonoids (‘Pribina’ QE 26.5 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ QE 20.3 mg.g−1 DM) and rutin (‘Pribina’ 50.8 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ 15.2 mg.g−1 DM) were higher in the variety ‘Pribina’, compared to the variety ‘Zobor’. A statistically higher antioxidant activity against superoxide radical (1.63%·mg−1g−1 DM), hydroxyl radical (3.20%.mg−1g−1 DM), FRAP assay (292.80 µmol.L−1·mg−1.g−1 DM) and DPPH (54.2 ± 1.78 µg.mL−1 DM) were detected in the ‘Pribina’ variety. Antiradical and antioxidant activities of both extracts showed high positive correlations in relation to the content of total phenolic substances, total flavonoids and rutin. Amaranth is an undemanding crop on specific environmental conditions and is resistant to abiotic and biotic stress.
S1P/S1P2 Signaling Axis Regulates Both NLRP3 Upregulation and NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Macrophages Primed with Lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Lee Chi-Ho , Choi Ji Woong
Published: October 2021

The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is a key factor for various inflammatory diseases. Here, we provide experimental evidence supporting the regulatory role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mouse bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), along with the S1P receptor subtype involved and underlying regulatory mechanisms. During the priming stage, S1P induced NLRP3 upregulation in BMDMs only when primed with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this event, S1P2, but not S1P1, was involved based on the attenuated NLRP3 upregulation with JTE013 (S1P2 antagonist) or S1P2 knockdown. During the activation stage, S1P induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-primed BMDMs via caspase-1 activation, interleukin 1β maturation, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) speck formation, and IL-1β secretion. Such NLRP3 inflammasome activation was blocked by either pharmacological inhibition or genetic knockdown of S1P2. NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and ERK1/2 were identified as effector pathways underlying S1P/S1P2 signaling in the regulation of NLRP3 upregulation in LPS-primed BMDMs. Further, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was dependent on the S1P/S1P2 signaling axis in these cells, and the ROS generated regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation, but not NLRP3 priming. Collectively, our findings suggest that S1P promotes NLRP3 upregulation and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-primed BMDMs via S1P2 and subsequent effector pathways.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Cynanchum acutum L. Isolated Flavonoids Using Experimentally Induced Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Biological and In Silico Investigation for NF-κB Pathway/miR-146a Expression Modulation
Authors: Abdelhameed Reda F. A. , Ibrahim Amany K. , Elfaky Mahmoud A. , Habib Eman S. , Mahamed Mayada I. , Mehanna Eman T. , Darwish Khaled M. , Khodeer Dina M. , Ahmed Safwat A. , Elhady Sameh S.
Published: October 2021

Cynanchum acutum L. is a climbing vine that belongs to the family Apocynaceae. Using different chromatographic techniques, seven compounds were isolated from the methanolic extract of the plant. The isolated compounds include six flavonoid compounds identified as rutin (1), quercetin-3-O-neohesperidoside (2), quercetin-3-O-β-galactoside (3), isoquercitrin (4), quercetin (5), and kaempferol 3-O-β-glucoside (6), in addition to a coumarin, scopoletin (7). The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on 1D NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS), and by comparison with data reported in the literature. The first five compounds were selected for in vivo investigation of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. All tested compounds significantly reduced oxidative stress and increased erythrocyte lysate levels of antioxidant enzymes, along with the amelioration of the serum levels of inflammatory markers. Upregulation of miR-146a expression and downregulation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) expression were detected in the liver and adipose tissue of rats treated with the isolated flavonoids. Results from the biological investigation and those from the validated molecular modeling approach on two biological targets of the NF-κB pathway managed to highlight the superior anti-inflammatory activity of quercetin-3-O-galactoside (3) and quercetin (5), as compared to other bioactive metabolites.
Impact of Germination Time on Resveratrol, Phenolic Acids, and Antioxidant Capacities of Different Varieties of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) from China
Authors: Zhou Ziying , Fan Zhili , Meenu Maninder , Xu Baojun
Published: October 2021

In China, peanut sprouts are popular among consumers as functional vegetables. This study reports the change in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), monomeric anthocyanin content (MAC), vitamin C, trans-resveratrol content, antioxidant capacities, and phenolic profile of three different varieties of peanut during 8 days of germination. The TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity of peanut samples were reduced and then increased with an increase in germination time. TFC values were highly correlated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values. MAC values of peanuts were first increased and then decreased during 8 days of germination. The TFC, DPPH, and FRAP values of germinated peanuts were lower compared to the non-germinated peanut. Germination of peanut samples enhanced the total phenolic acids and trans-resveratrol content, but the vitamin C content of peanut sprouts was lower than ungerminated peanuts.
Polarimetric Dehazing Method Based on Image Fusion and Adaptive Adjustment Algorithm
Authors: Lei Yu , Lei Bing , Cai Yubo , Gao Chao , Wang Fujie
Published: October 2021

To improve the robustness of current polarimetric dehazing scheme in the condition of low degree of polarization, we report a polarimetric dehazing method based on the image fusion technique and adaptive adjustment algorithm which can operate well in many different conditions. A splitting focus plane linear polarization camera was employed to grab the images of four different polarization directions, and the haze was separated from the hazy images by low-pass filtering roughly. Then the image fusion technique was used to optimize the method of estimating the transmittance map. To improve the quality of the dehazed images, an adaptive adjustment algorithm was introduced to adjust the illumination distribution of the dehazed images. The outdoor experiments have been implemented and the results indicated that the presented method could restore the target information obviously, and both the visual effect and quantitative evaluation have been enhanced.
A Contrast Calibration Protocol for X-ray Speckle Visibility Spectroscopy
Authors: Sun Yanwen , Esposito Vincent , Hart Philip Adam , Hansson Conny , Li Haoyuan , Nakahara Kazutaka , MacArthur James Paton , Nelson Silke , Sato Takahiro , Song Sanghoon , Sun Peihao , Fuoss Paul , Sutton Mark , Zhu Diling
Published: October 2021

X-ray free electron lasers, with their ultrashort highly coherent pulses, opened up the opportunity of probing ultrafast nano- and atomic-scale dynamics in amorphous and disordered material systems via speckle visibility spectroscopy. However, the anticipated count rate in a typical experiment is usually low. Therefore, visibility needs to be extracted via photon statistics analysis, i.e., by estimating the probabilities of multiple photons per pixel events using pixelated detectors. Considering the realistic X-ray detector responses including charge cloud sharing between pixels, pixel readout noise, and gain non-uniformity, speckle visibility extraction relying on photon assignment algorithms are often computationally demanding and suffer from systematic errors. In this paper, we present a systematic study of the commonly-used algorithms by applying them to an experimental data set containing small-angle coherent scattering with visibility levels ranging from below 1% to ∼60%. We also propose a contrast calibration protocol and show that a computationally lightweight algorithm can be implemented for high-speed correlation evaluation.
Investigation of Ancient Wall Painting Fragments Discovered in the Roman Baths from Alburnus Maior by Complementary Non-Destructive Techniques
Authors: Cortea Ioana Maria , Ratoiu Lucian , Ghervase Luminița , Țentea Ovidiu , Dinu Mihaela
Published: October 2021

In this study, several wall painting fragments discovered in the Roman baths from the archeological site Alburnus Maior (Roşia Montană, Romania) were analyzed with the aim to investigate the material composition of both plasters and pictorial layers. Dated from the beginning of the second century AD, these rare findings stand among the oldest examples of preserved decorative polychrome paintings on plaster excavated thus far in the former territory of the Roman province of Dacia. A non-destructive multi-analytical approach based on complementary techniques was considered: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV fluorescence, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI). The obtained results highlight a common Roman color palette mainly based on naturally occurring earth pigments. Red ochre, yellow ochre, manganese-rich ochres/wads, carbon black, and calcite were identified. A traditional two-layer sequence of plasters was found—arriccio (based on lime and siliceous sands), and intonaco (pure lime). The presence of an organic protein binder, identified via FTIR analysis, and sustained by combined imaging documentation, indicates that the pigments were applied a secco. The obtained results are discussed in relation to previous published data, and they can be considered as valuable archeological indicators that contribute to the understanding of the painting techniques and the materials used in the Roman provinces.
Using Neural Networks for Bicycle Route Planning
Authors: Đerek Jurica , Sikora Marjan , Kraljević Luka , Russo Mladen
Published: October 2021

This paper presents the usage of artificial neural networks (NNs) in bicycle route planning. This research aimed to check the possibility of NNs to transfer human expertise in bicycle route design by training the NN on an already established set of bicycle routes and then using the trained NN to design the routes on the novel area. We created two NNs capable of choosing the best route among the given road network by training them on two different areas. The bicycle routes produced by NNs were the same at best and had 75% overlap at the worst compared to those produced by human experts. Furthermore, the mean square error for all of our NN models varied from 0.015 and 0.081. We compared this new approach to the traditional multicriteria GIS (geographic information system) analysis (MA) that requires the human expert to define the bicycle route selection criteria. The benefit of using NN over the MA was that the NN directly transfers the human expertise to a model. In contrast, the MA needs the expert to select multiple criteria and adjust their weights carefully.
Bi-Objective Optimization for Industrial Robotics Workflow Resource Allocation in an Edge–Cloud Environment
Authors: Xie Xingju , Wu Xiaojun , Hu Qiao
Published: October 2021

The application scenarios and market shares of industrial robots have been increasing in recent years, and with them comes a huge market and technical demand for industrial robot-monitoring system (IRMS). With the development of IoT and cloud computing technologies, industrial robot monitoring has entered the cloud computing era. However, the data of industrial robot-monitoring tasks have characteristics of large data volume and high information redundancy, and need to occupy a large amount of communication bandwidth in cloud computing architecture, so cloud-based IRMS has gradually become unable to meet its performance and cost requirements. Therefore, this work constructs edge–cloud architecture for the IRMS. The industrial robot-monitoring task will be executed in the form of workflow and the local monitor will allocate computing resources for the subtasks of the workflow by analyzing the current situation of the edge–cloud network. In this work, the allocation problem of industrial robot-monitoring workflow is modeled as a latency and cost bi-objective optimization problem, and its solution is based on the evolutionary algorithm of the heuristic improvement NSGA-II. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can find non-dominated solutions faster and be closer to the Pareto frontier of the problem. The monitor can select an effective solution in the Pareto frontier to meet the needs of the monitoring task.
An Experimental Study on Cold-Bending Stress and Its Reverse-Coupling Effect with the Uniform Load on Cold-Bent SGP Laminated Glass
Authors: Zhang Xide , Zou Chengyi , Yin Xiaoqi
Published: October 2021

SentryGlas® Plus (SGP) laminated glass is a novel type of safety glass with high strength and stiffness. On the other hand, cold bending is a novel technique to build curved glass curtain walls, and is advantageous in terms of its greater energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness as well as its simple construction processes. The cold bending of SGP laminated glass could result in broad applications for the material and provide huge economic benefits in the field of glass curtain wall construction. To study cold-bending stress and its reverse-coupling effect with the uniform load in SGP laminated glass panels, single-corner cold-bending tests, uniform load tests, and ultimate capacity tests were conducted on eight pieces of such panels with different cold-bending curvatures and interlayer thicknesses. The results revealed that cold-bending stress in the glass panels under single-corner cold bending demonstrated a saddle-shaped distribution, with the maximum and second-largest cold-bending stresses located near the corner of the short side and the long side adjacent to the cold-bending corner, respectively. The cold-bending stress and coupling stress increased nonlinearly as the cold-bending curvature rose and the interlayer thickness became greater. Moreover, cold-bending curvature was a factor that affected the cold-bending stress and coupling stress more significantly than the interlayer thickness. The ultimate capacity and ultimate deflection of the glass panels decreased as the cold-bending curvature and interlayer thickness grew.