bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urban Civic Network as practice of social change and innovation. A case‐study analysis
Authors: Ricciardelli Alessandra , Raimo Nicola , Manfredi Francesco , Vitolla Filippo
Published: April 2020

Social innovation represents a social practice that aims to meet social needs by involving communities in dialogues through participatory and collaborative approaches. One new and particular solution of social innovation is represented by Urban Civic Networks. However, considering the novelty of this topic, neither the benefits nor the role of public entities in implementing such practice of social innovation, nor the strengths of the implementation process are known, yet. This study aims to fill this gap through the analysis of a single‐case study, based upon theories of social innovation and social change, referring to the City of Bari. Results show that implementation of Urban Civic Networks generates both tangible and intangible benefits and demonstrate that local government plays a pivotal and leading role in the implementation process. Finally, they show that the strengths of this practice are connected to bottom‐up approaches enabling efficient knowledge management and collaboration.
The influence of responsible leadership on environmental innovation and environmental performance: The moderating role of managerial discretion
Authors: Liao Zhongju , Zhang Manting
Published: April 2020

Based on stakeholder and upper‐echelon theories and following the logic of “leadership‐behavior‐performance,” this study constructs a model to investigate the relationships between responsible leadership, managerial discretion, environmental innovation, and firm's environmental performance. This study analyzed a sample of survey responses from 208 manufacturing firms. The results show that the three dimensions of responsible leadership (relationship building, relational governance, and sharing orientation) have a positive effect on incremental environmental innovation; relational governance and sharing orientation have a positive effect on radical environmental innovation; both incremental and radical environmental innovation have a positive effect on a firm's environmental performance; and finally, managerial discretion plays a significant and positive moderating role in the relationships between sharing orientation and incremental and radical environmental innovation, and between relational governance and radical environmental innovation.
A Promising Alternative for Sustainable and Highly Efficient Solar‐Driven Deuterium Evolution at Room Temperature by Photocatalytic D2O Splitting
Authors: Zeng Gongchang , Zeng Heping , Niu Lishan , Chen Jiayi , Song Ting , Zhang Piyong , Wu Yixiao , Xiao Xinyan , Zhang Yongqing , Huang Shaobin
Published: April 2020

Motivated by energy shortages and in view of current efforts to develop clean, renewable energy sources based on fusion, a solar‐driven strategy has been developed for deuterium evolution. Deuterium is a critical resource for many aspects. However, the limited natural abundance of deuterium and the complexity of established technologies, such as quantum sieving (QS) for deuterium production under extreme conditions, pose challenges. The new method has the potential for robust and sustainable deuterium evolution, enabling deuterium production at a high rate of 9.745 mmol g−1 h−1. The activity, thermodynamic, and kinetic characteristics are also investigated and compared between photocatalytic heavy water (D2O) splitting and water (H2O) splitting. This study opens a new avenue to discover promising photocatalytic deuterium generation systems for advanced solar energy utilization and deuterium enrichment.
Calixpyrroles: from Anion Ligands to Potential Anticancer Drugs
Authors: Kohnke Franz H.
Published: April 2020

Since the discovery that calix[4]pyrrole can act as a ligand for anions and other species that can form multiple hydrogen bonds with its pyrrole NH units, this macrocyclic system, its derivatives, and related pyrrole‐containing anion binders, have been a topic of an ever growing interest for their potential applications in diverse fields, including molecular recognition, sensing, catalysis, self‐assembly, and the fabrication of smart materials. This review traces some contributions of the author to these topics, placing them in the context of the work developed by research groups worldwide without attempting to provide a comprehensive account of the field. As anions play a key role in the biological world, anion‐binding receptors and calixpyrroles have emerged as potential drugs due to their ability to transport anions across membranes. Both antibacterial and cytotoxic effects against cancer cell lines have been reported for some chloride transporters. However, in the case of certain calixpyrrole derivatives, we gained evidence of their ability to cause genotoxic effects and hence to exhibit a cytotoxic action that does not appear correlated to anion transport. These observations might pave the way towards new anticancer drugs.
Purification of anionic fluorescent probes through precise fraction collection with a two‐point detection system using multiple‐stacking preparative capillary transient isotachophoresis
Authors: Haraga Tomoko , Tsujimura Hiroto , Miyauchi Saori , Kamimura Takuya , Shibukawa Masami , Saito Shingo
Published: April 2020

A novel combination of CE‐based separation techniques was used for the precise fractionation of ionic compounds from impurities. The combination of on‐capillary concentration and separation using transient isotachophoresis, with multiple injections and a two‐point detection system provided higher efficiency, and accuracy at a microliter‐scale injection volume, than when CE was individually used for purification. In this paper, we present successful applications of the CE fractionation techniques for the purification of fluorescein, fluorescein‐4‐isothiocyanate, two fluorescent metal ion probes, and a fluorescein‐modified DNA aptamer. The purity of the isolated fluorescent probes ranged from 95 to 99%. Such high purity could not be achieved using chromatographic purification techniques. With relatively low dilution factors of 6–9, the purified probe solutions were practical for use as purified stock solutions. In addition, the fluorescein‐modified DNA aptamer purified by our method was successfully used in a thrombin binding assay. The method developed was useful for the purification of anionic fluorescent reagents to be of ultratrace analytical grade for use with CE‐LIF.
Walking speed reduction rates at intersections while wayfinding indoors: An experimental study
Authors: Bae Young‐Hoon , Kim Young‐Chan , Oh Ryun‐Seok , Son Jong‐Yeong , Hong Won‐Hwa , Choi Jun‐Ho
Published: April 2020

Although there are numerous studies that explain how pedestrians behave, there remains a lack of experimental data on the various factors that can induce walking speed changes. It is important to continue experiments into this topic because, given that pedestrians receive information and select paths during indoor wayfinding in complicated buildings, their walking speed necessarily decreases. Furthermore, the majority of existing studies do not simultaneously explain changes in indoor wayfinding characteristics and in walking speed. To bridge this gap, we present results from an experimental study to indicate the effect that wayfinding at intersections within a building has on human walking speed. We analyzed changes in walking speed by intersection type and path selection direction (by conducting a maze experiment with 77 participants) to arrive at the following results: (a) Human walking speed decreases at intersections; (b) The change in walking speed depends on the type of the intersection and the path selection direction; (c) A multiple regression analysis can be used to model reduction in walking speed by intersection type and path selection direction. This study suggests that evacuation modeling should consider that wayfinding occurs when pedestrians select paths at intersections, which affects their walking speed.
A framework to perform high‐order deconvolution for finite‐volume method on simplicial meshes
Authors: Bernard Manuel , Lartigue Ghislain , Balarac Guillaume , Moureau Vincent , Puigt Guillaume
Published: April 2020

In this article, a new framework to design high‐order approximations in the context of node‐centered finite volumes on simplicial meshes is proposed. The major novelty of this method is that it relies on very simple and compact differential operators, which is a critical point to achieve good performances in the High‐performance computing context. This method is based on deconvolution between nodal and volume‐average values, which can be conducted to any order. The interest of the new method is illustrated through three different applications: mesh‐to‐mesh interpolation, levelset curvature computation, and numerical scheme for convection. Higher order can also be achieved within the present framework by introducing high‐rank tensors. Although these tensors feature much symmetries, their manipulation can quickly become an overwhelming task. For this reason and without loss of generality, the present articles are limited to third‐order expansion. This method, although tightly connected to thek‐exact schemestheory, does not rely on successive corrections: the high‐order property is obtained in a single operation, which makes them more attractive in terms of performances.
Open Cell Metal Foam as Extended Coolant Surface – Fuel Cell Application
Authors: Vazifeshenas Y. , Sedighi K. , Shakeri M.
Published: April 2020

Consisting of randomly oriented cells with nearly uniform shapes, open cell metal foams are considered to be reliable in heat transfer applications. Numerical tools and experimental tests were applied to assess the thermo‐hydraulic behavior of aluminum metal foam sheet adjacent to the heated wall in role of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell end plate. Convective cooling media passing through the metal foam sheet carries heat being conducted through the plate and metal foam matrix. The plate with constant heat flux is considered to be the heat source in both numerical and experimental approaches. Numerical model was applied for simulation of the metal foam sheet through porous media assumptions. The experimental set up was also assembled to verify the theory. The comparison between the numerical results and experimental data revealed acceptable agreement. The porosity percentage, heat flux, the metal foam sheet height and the coolant media velocity were the investigated variables. Finally, the result showed that the outlet temperature would increase straightly with the porosity percentage decrement. Whilst, on the other hand the pressure drop decreased by porosity enhancement.
Ultra‐low depth sequencing of plasma cell DNA for the detection of copy number aberrations in multiple myeloma
Authors: Buedts Lieselot , Smits Sanne , Ameye Geneviève , Lehnert Stefan , Ding Jia , Delforge Michel , Vermeesch Joris , Boeckx Nancy , Tousseyn Thomas , Michaux Lucienne , Vandenberghe Peter , Dewaele Barbara
Published: April 2020

Cytogenetic abnormalities are powerful prognostic factors in multiple myeloma (MM) and are routinely analyzed by FISH on bone marrow (BM) plasma cells (PC). Although considered the gold standard, FISH experiments can be laborious and expensive. Therefore, array‐CGH (aCGH) has been introduced as an alternative approach for detecting copy number aberrations (CNA), reducing the number of FISH experiments per case and yielding genome‐wide information. Currently, next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies offer new perspectives for the diagnostic workup of malignant disorders. In this study, we examined ultra‐low depth whole genome sequencing (LDS) as a valid alternative for aCGH for the detection of CNA in BM PC in MM. To this end, BM aspirates obtained in a diagnostic setting from 20 MM cases were analyzed. CD138+ cell‐sorted samples were subjected to FISH analysis. DNA was extracted for subsequent aCGH and LDS analysis. CNA were detected by aCGH and LDS in all but one case. Importantly, all CNA identified by parallel first generation aCGH analysis were also detected by LDS, along with six additional CNA in five cases. One of these additional aberrations was in a region of prognostic importance in MM and was confirmed using FISH. However, risk stratification in these particular cases was unaffected. Thus, a perfectly concordant prognostication between array‐CGH and LDS was observed. This validates LDS as a novel and cost‐efficient tool for the detection of CNA in MM.
E2F7 Is a Potent Inhibitor of Liver Tumor Growth in Adult Mice
Authors: Moreno Eva , Toussaint Mathilda J.M. , van Essen Saskia C. , Bongiovanni Laura , van Liere Elsbeth A. , Koster Mirjam H. , Yuan Ruixue , van Deursen Jan M. , Westendorp Bart , de Bruin Alain
Published: April 2020

Background and Aims

Up‐regulation of the E2F‐dependent transcriptional network has been identified in nearly every human malignancy and is an important driver of tumorigenesis. Two members of the E2F family, E2F7 and E2F8, are potent repressors of E2F‐dependent transcription. They are atypical in that they do not bind to dimerization partner proteins and are not controlled by retinoblastoma protein. The physiological relevance of E2F7 and E2F8 remains incompletely understood, largely because tools to manipulate their activity in vivo have been lacking.

Approach and Results

Here, we generated transgenic mice with doxycycline‐controlled transcriptional activation of E2f7 and E2f8 and induced their expression during postnatal development, in adulthood, and in the context of cancer. Systemic induction of E2f7 and, to lesser extent, E2f8 transgenes in juvenile mice impaired cell proliferation, caused replication stress, DNA damage, and apoptosis, and inhibited animal growth. In adult mice, however, E2F7 and E2F8 induction was well tolerated, yet profoundly interfered with DNA replication, DNA integrity, and cell proliferation in diethylnitrosamine‐induced liver tumors.

Conclusion

Collectively, our findings demonstrate that atypical E2Fs can override cell‐cycle entry and progression governed by other E2F family members and suggest that this property can be exploited to inhibit proliferation of neoplastic hepatocytes when growth and development have subsided during adulthood.
Macroeconomic and financial implications of multi‐dimensional interdependencies between OECD countries
Authors: Sevinc Deniz , Mata Flores Edgar
Published: April 2020

This paper uses a complex structure of factors of exposure to international shocks for the analysis of regional and inter‐regional effects of a variety of financial shocks across Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) economies. Those factors (trade, finance, migration and others) are incorporated in a coherent and comparable scheme which, based on observed data, describes pair‐wise, directionally asymmetric exposures to foreign economies in the sample. Through a global vector auto‐regressive setting, a systemic approach characterizes our modelling by the means of which several standardized shocks are simulated varying the region of origin to compare their effects and spillovers. In the depicted map of risks, the shocks are of particular relevance to both wholesale and retail credit markets, stock and commodities markets and also for the management of monetary and fiscal policies in open economies. The diversity of responses between OECD regions is useful to understand the asymmetric impacts and degrees of relative vulnerability towards disturbances in international markets. A subset of Eurozone countries, for example, consistently shows significant sensitivity to foreign shocks. Other Eurozone countries experience a lower degree of imported volatility while Asia‐Pacific appears to be more resilient to shocks in OECD regions. In turn, the significance of the impacts of shocks in the North American Free Trade Agreement region is large enough for them to be close representations of global shocks.
New furochromone derivatives as promising in‐vitro anti‐proliferative agents toward HepG‐2 and MCF‐7 cell lines with molecular docking studies
Authors: Fawzy Nagwa M. , Ahmed Khadiga M. , Abo‐Salem Heba M. , Aly Magdy S.
Published: April 2020

Based on the considerable features of the multicomponent reactions (MCRs) in the field of organic and medicinal chemistry, the present work was designed to synthesize a new series of imidazole, pyridine, and pyrimidine derivatives using MCRs to obtain new anti‐proliferative agent beside exploration of their interaction mechanism by molecular docking technique. MCRs of furochromone carbaldehyde 1, benzoin, and ammonium acetate afforded the corresponding 2,4,5‐trisubstituted imidazole 2. However, MCRs of 1 with benzoin, amine derivatives, and ammonium acetate yielded the corresponding 1,2,4,5‐tetrasubstituted imidazole 3a,b. In addition, pyridine 4a,b‐5a,b and pyrimidine derivatives 6a,d were synthesized via condensation of 1 with different carbonyl compounds and ammonium acetate or benzyl urea, respectively. The in‐vitro anti‐Proliferative activities of the new furochromone derivatives were screened toward MCF‐7 and HepG‐2 cancer cell lines as well as the normal cell line (human normal melanocyte, HFB4) in comparison to the known anticancer drugs: 5‐fluorouracil and doxorubicin using MTT assay. Compounds 5a and 5b revealed effective anti‐proliferative activity against MCF‐7 cell lines with IC
50 18 and 22 μg/mL, respectively, compared to 5‐fluorouracil (IC
50 of 13 μg/mL). However, compounds 6a‐d exhibited potent activity against HepG‐2 cancer cell lines of IC
50 ranging from 18 to 20 μg/mL compared to doxorubicin (IC
50 of 14 μg/mL). Moreover, the binding mode of the most active furochromones 5a,b and 6a‐d inside the active site of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase enzyme (PDB ID: 5CAV) were studied using molecular docking technique. Compounds 6b,c showed excellent docking results compared to the known EGFR inhibitors (4ZQ).
Therapeutic potentials of NOP and MOP receptor coactivation for the treatment of pain and opioid abuse
Authors: Kiguchi Norikazu , Ding Huiping , Ko Mei‐Chuan
Published: April 2020

Following the identification of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) peptide (NOP) as an endogenous ligand for the NOP receptor, ample evidence has revealed unique functional profiles of the N/OFQ‐NOP receptor system. NOP receptors are expressed in key neural substrates involved in pain and reward modulation. In nonhuman primates (NHPs), NOP receptor activation effectively exerts antinociception and anti‐hypersensitivity at the spinal and supraspinal levels. Moreover, NOP receptor activation inhibits dopaminergic transmission and synergistically enhances mu‐opioid peptide (MOP) receptor‐mediated analgesia. In this article, we have discussed the functional profiles of ligands with dual NOP and MOP receptor agonist activities and highlight their optimal functional efficacy for pain relief and drug abuse treatment. Through coactivation of NOP and MOP receptors, bifunctional NOP/MOP receptor “partial” agonists (e.g., AT‐121, BU08028, and BU10038) reveal a wider therapeutic window with fewer side effects. These newly developed ligands potently induce antinociception without MOP receptor agonist‐associated side effects such as abuse potential, respiratory depression, itching sensation, and physical dependence. In addition, in both rodent and NHP models, bifunctional NOP/MOP receptor agonists can attenuate reward processing and/or the reinforcing effects of opioids and other abused drugs. While a mixed NOP/opioid receptor “full” agonist cebranopadol is undergoing clinical trials, bifunctional NOP/MOP “partial” agonists exhibit promising therapeutic profiles in translational NHP models for the treatment of pain and opioid abuse. This class of drugs demonstrates the therapeutic advantage of NOP and MOP receptor coactivation, indicating a greater potential for future development.
Identification of ENSO signature in the boreal hydrological cycle through canonical correlation with sea surface temperature anomalies
Authors: Zhang Jinwei , Tourian Mohammad J. , Sneeuw Nico
Published: April 2020

An increasing number of studies suggest that climate change causes variation in the terrestrial water cycle. It is known that the precipitation as the source of water storage change on land and ocean is directly influenced by sea surface temperature (SST). At scales larger than, say, 350 km, such water storage variation can be monitored by the satellite gravimetry mission, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). How the water cycle changes inter‐annually in the boreal region and how the hydrological variables such as precipitation, evaporation, run‐off and terrestrial water storage relate to El Nino Southern Oscillation Index (ENSO) are still unanswered questions. We explore the teleconnection patterns of the boreal hydrological cycle and climate change indicated by ENSO over 2003–2014. We use monthly total water storage changes derived from GRACE, precipitation, run‐off and evaporation on a 1° × 1° grid, land surface temperature anomalies on a 0.5° × 0.5° grid and global SST anomalies with 5° resolution. We apply canonical correlation analysis to link all the hydrological variables to ENSO through SST to identify the implicit relationship between the hydrological cycle on land and ENSO. We identify significant correlations larger than 0.6 between Nino 3.4 and each hydrological variable via SST. The associated spatial patterns indicate a clear ENSO signature in boreal catchments, especially Ob and Yenisei. ENSO correlates to abnormal increase of temperature in Ob, Yenisei and Lena. A notable ENSO‐related increase of precipitation is found over Ob and a decrease over Lena and Yenisei. The negative water balance of Lena and Yenisei reveals a teleconnection between boreal water cycle and ENSO. In addition, the ENSO‐associated modes from terrestrial variables are investigated with aid of cross wavelet coherency. The phase shifts obtained by cross correlation analysis and wavelet coherency maps indicate the response of boreal hydrological cycle with a 1–2 month lag to ENSO.
An improved model‐based analogue forecasting for the prediction of the tropical Indo‐Pacific Sea surface temperature in a coupled climate model
Authors: Wang Yanfeng , Zhang Zhihua , Huang Ping
Published: April 2020

Analogue forecasting is a method with a long history in weather and climate prediction. Recently, model‐based analogue forecasting (MAF) was developed and applied in Indo‐Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) with the long‐term (>1,000 years) run of the coupled general circulation model as the prediction library dataset. Here, we use the MAF method for Indo‐Pacific SST prediction with a 1,600‐year uninitialized control run of ICMv2 as the library datasets to select the analogues. In the improved analogue strategy, subsurface thermal conditions are valid predictors besides the surface conditions. The anomaly of SST, subsurface temperature at 5‐ and 105‐m depth as the best‐performing predictors can better simulate the overall thermal conditions of the ocean. In addition, by increasing the length of the model library dataset, the number of selected analogue cases for the ensemble, using root‐mean‐square and pattern correlation combined analogue metric and subtracting the long‐term trend, the improved MAF can produce a skillful SST prediction in the tropical Indian Ocean, southwest and northwest Pacific Ocean across 1‐ to 9‐month lead times. The ACC of the improved MAF prediction in these regions significantly increases by more than 0.18 relatively to the SST‐initialized hindcast of ICMv2 with considerable savings in terms of computational resource.
Preoperative and Postoperative Resting Energy Expenditure of Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Operations
Authors: Silva Thales Antônio , Maia Fernanda de Carvalho Pazzini , Zocrato Maria Clara Arantes , Mauricio Silvia Fernandes , Correia Maria Isabel Toulson Davisson , Generoso Simone de Vasconcelos
Published: April 2020

Background

Nutrition therapy plays a major role in the perioperative management of surgical patients. Understanding energy metabolism and correctly establishing the adequate energy needs is a crucial step to provide optimal nutrition care. The aim of this study was to assess the resting energy expenditure (REE) after major abdominal procedures and its associated factors.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study conducted at a single center. REEs of patients admitted for gastrointestinal surgical procedures were measured by indirect calorimetry 24 hours prior to the procedure and reassessed at least once within the fifth postoperative day. Substrate oxidation was calculated according to the Frayn equation. Nutrition status was evaluated using subjective global assessment.

Results

There were no significant changes in the REEs throughout the study period; however, there was a decrease in the respiratory quotient during the postoperative period, as well as a decrease in carbohydrate oxidation and an increase in lipid oxidation. Only 33.3% of the patients presented a postoperative increase in REE > 10%. Those patients presented higher blood‐monocyte levels.

Conclusion

Postoperative REE is not increased in most of the patients. In patients who had increased REE, associated factors included higher levels of monocytes.
Effect of lipid on surimi gelation properties of the three major Chinese carp
Authors: Lin Wan‐ling , Han Ying‐xue , Liu Fang‐fang , Huang Hui , Li Lai‐hao , Yang Shao‐ling , Yang Xian‐qing , Wu Yan‐yan
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

Gel properties are important in determining the quality of surimi. In addition to myofibrillar proteins, lipids play an important role in the formation of surimi gel. Phospholipids (PL) are amphoteric lipids that cannot be removed through rinsing. Paradoxically, the addition of PL increases or decreases gel strength. This research aimed to investigate the effects of specific lipids on the gelation properties of surimi from three different carp.

RESULTS

The hardness, chewiness, and gel strength of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis: BC) surimi were higher, and the total lipid content was lower when compared with grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus: GC) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix: SC) surimi. Bighead carp surimi had lower levels of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositols (PI), and phosphatidylcholine (PC), and higher phosphatidylserine (PS) and sphingomyelin (SM) content. The gelation properties of surimi increased with increasing concentrations of SM and PS. Furthermore, increased levels of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) increased gelation properties. Finally, higher hydrophobic interactions and more disulfide bonds were shown to increase gel network structure stability, resulting in improving gel strength in BC surimi.

CONCLUSION

The textural characteristics and gel strength of surimi were dependent on the PL content, including total lipid levels and the types of fatty acids. This may account for previous conflicting reports on PL effects on gel strength. This study provides insight into how the texture of surimi can be improved and provides a starting point for further research. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Honey fromTiúbastingless bees (Melipona fasciculata) produced in different ecosystems: physical and sensory studies
Authors: Fernandes Rachel Torquato , Rosa Ivone Garros , Conti‐Silva Ana Carolina
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

Honey fromTiúbastingless bees (Melipona fasciculata) produced in three different ecosystems in Brazil (Cerrado, Litoral and Baixada), as well as a sample of honey fromApis melliferabees from the Baixada region for comparison, were evaluated regarding viscosity, color, sensory profile and sensory acceptance.

RESULTS

The honey fromTiúbawas less viscous, with a darker color and lower purity of the color (chroma) in relation to honey fromApis mellifera. The sensory profile firmly differentiates the honeys. TheApishoney was mainly described as opaque, viscous and adhesive.Tiúbahoney from the Cerrado region stood out as semi‐bright, acid taste, alcoholic, propolis, bitter taste and spicy.Tiúbahoney from the Litoral region was characterized by its yellow color, woody odor and medicine flavor. TheTiúbahoney from the Baixada region was described as gold colored, fluid and citric. TheTiúbahoney from the Cerrado region had similar sensory acceptance to theApishoney, probably because it was specifically characterized through attributes of odor and flavor. On the contrary, theTiúbahoney from the Litoral and from the Baixada regions was less well accepted.

CONCLUSION

The honeys are different regarding their physical and sensory properties, differences that result from the bee species and from the geographical origin of the honey. This study could contribute to the creation of a standard identity and specific quality forMelipona fasciculatahoney, also contributing to its production and commercialization not only in Brazil, but also internationally. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Volatile compounds, physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Colatura di Alici, a traditional Italian fish sauce
Authors: Russo Giovanni L , Langellotti Antonio L , Genovese Alessandro , Martello Anna , Sacchi Raffaele
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

The present study reports for the first time the physical, chemical and sensory characterization of a traditional fish sauce from Italy, called ‘Colatura di Alici’, which is considered to be the direct descendant of the ancient roman sauce ‘Garum’.

RESULTS

Among the volatile compounds, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, sulphuric compounds and pyrazines were identified. The most abundant compounds identified were 3‐methyl‐butanoic acid, nonanal and 3‐methyl‐butanal. The sample A had the highest amount of volatile fatty acids (>250 μg kg−1) and sample B had the highest concentration of aldehydes (>80 μg kg−1). These volatile compounds arise from the long fermentation activity and oxidation of fatty acids of the fish flesh and are responsible for the strong cheesy and fishy aroma. The protein content ranged from 90 to 130 g kg−1, and the soluble solids ranged from 30 to 38 °Brix, as a result of the high amount of NaCl used during processing. The sensory analysis showed a great intensity for the cheesy, fishy and umami attributes, and a medium intensity for the roasted and meaty attributes.

CONCLUSION

For the first time, the volatile compounds and sensory characteristics of this traditional fish sauce are reported. The samples differ in terms of sensory and aromatic profiles. These differences are probably linked to the poorly standardized methods used in the production process. Overall, the results of the present study could be used by local fish sauce producers to monitor the quality of the product and to improve the production process. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Lipid profile of fish species by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and a novel linear retention index database
Authors: Rigano Francesca , Oteri Marianna , Micalizzi Giuseppe , Mangraviti Domenica , Dugo Paola , Mondello Luigi
Published: April 2020

In a previous article, Rigano et al. established a new linear retention index system for the identification of triacylglycerols by liquid chromatography methods only on the basis of the retention behavior and independently from many experimental parameters. In that work, a database of 209 compounds was built, but only 54 of them, typical of vegetable oils, were confirmed by mass spectrometry. The aim of the present research is to extend the applicability of the novel approach to more complex samples, such as fish lipid extracts, and assess the complementarity between mass spectromtery and retention information to achieve univocal identification. With this purpose, a new software was implemented to make the identification process easy and automatic as in gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry where the retention index filter is added in the spectral search to discriminate between compounds with similar mass spectrometry spectra. A total of 69 species were identified and, thanks to their baseline separation obtained by an ultra high performance liquid chromatography method, a semiquantification was also performed. The species under investigation were Dicentrarchus labrax, coming from aquaculture and the wild. Some differences in their native lipid composition were observed, probably related to a different diet. A major number of samples would be necessary to confirm such a preliminary finding.
Inhibition of Cathepsin D (CTSD) enhances radiosensitivity of glioblastoma cells by attenuating autophagy
Authors: Zheng Wang , Chen Qianping , Wang Chen , Yao Dan , Zhu Lin , Pan Yan , Zhang Jianghong , Bai Yang , Shao Chunlin
Published: April 2020

Postoperative radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy is a commonly used treatment for glioblastoma (GBM) but radiotherapy often fails to achieve the expected results mainly due to tumor radioresistance. In this study, we established a radioresistant subline from human glioma cell line U251 and found that Cathepsin D (CTSD), a gene closely related to the clinical malignancy and prognosis in glioma, had higher expression level in radioresistant clones than that in parental cells, and knocking down CTSD by small interfering RNA (siRNA) or its inhibitor Pepstatin‐A increased the radiosensitivity. The level of autophagy was enhanced in the radioresistant GBM cells compared with its parent cells, and silencing autophagy by light chain 3 (LC3) siRNA significantly sensitized GBM cells to ionizing radiation (IR). Moreover, the protein expression level of CTSD was positively correlated with the autophagy marker LC3 II/I and negatively correlated with P62 after IR in radioresistant cells. As expected, through the combination of Western blot and immunofluorescence assays, inhibition of CTSD increased the formation of autophagosomes, while decreased the formation of autolysosomes, which indicating an attenuated autophagy level, leading to radiosensitization ultimately. Our results revealed for the first time that CTSD regulated the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma by affecting the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. In significance, CTSD might be a potential molecular biomarker and a new therapeutic target in glioblastoma.
Industrial upgrading efficiency and free markets in emerging economies: A two‐stage meta‐frontier approach
Authors: Wang Shi‐Xiao , Lu Wen‐Min , Hung Shiu‐Wan
Published: April 2020

This paper establishes an industrial upgrading model by dividing the industrial upgrading process into two: the foundation–construction and industrial upgrading stages. Eighty‐one sample countries, from 2006 to 2012, were divided into two groups according to their degree of market freedom. The meta‐frontier method was employed to explore technology gaps in the groups caused by the different markets. It was found that emerging economies with a free market have a better upgrading performance than those with a restricted market, and the efficiency gap between the two groups was seen to be continually increasing.
Chimeric thoracodorsal lymph node flap with a perforator‐based fasciocutaneous skin island for treatment of lower extremity lymphedema: A case report
Authors: Gazyakan Emre , Bigdeli Amir Khosrow , Kneser Ulrich , Hirche Christoph
Published: April 2020

Free vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) is applied more and more in the treatment of lymphedema. A random‐pattern skin island with VLNT is of use but can have its limitations in flap inset. We describe an option for free VLNT in the treatment of lower extremity lymphedema. We present the case of a chimeric thoracodorsal lymph node flap (TAP‐VLNT) with a thoracodorsal artery perforator (TAP) flap (5 × 9 cm) to the lower leg in a 22‐year old female patient with stage 2 lower leg lymphedema caused by severe traumatic skin decollement and postoperative scarring after a car accident. TAP flap enabled tailored and tension‐free wound closure at the recipient site after scar release and lymph node flap inset. The anastomosis was performed to the anterior tibial artery. The postoperative course was uneventful with no complications or secondary donor‐site lymphedema. Follow‐up at 6 months showed reasonable cosmetic and functional outcomes. The circumference reduction rate was up to 11% and the patient reported improved quality of life. The purpose of this report is to describe a case of a more flexible lymph node flap inset and tension‐free wound closure by harvesting a thin thoracodorsal artery perforator (TAP) skin island together with a thoracodorsal VLNT as a chimeric flap (TAP‐VLNT) for treatment of lower extremity lymphedema. Larger series with longer follow‐up data are needed to justify its widespread use and demonstrate long‐term results.
Fangzhu (方诸): An ancient Chinese nanotechnology for water collection from air: History, mathematical insight, promises, and challenges
Authors: He Chun‐Hui , He Ji‐Huan , Sedighi Hamid M.
Published: April 2020

Fangzhu, which has been lost for thousands of years, is an ancient device for water collection from air; its mechanism is unknown yet. Here we elucidate its possible surface‐geometric and related physical properties by the oldest the Yin‐Yang contradiction. In view of modern nanotechnology, we reveal that Fangzhu's water‐harvesting ability is obtained through a hydrophilic‐hydrophobic hierarchy of the surface, mimicking spider web's water collection, lotus, or desert beetle's water intake. The convex‐concave hierarchy of Fangzhu's textured surface enables it to have low wettability (high geometric potential) to attract water molecules from air through the nanoscale convex surface and transfer the attracted water along the concave surface to the collector. A mathematical model is established to reveal three main factors affecting its effectiveness, i.e., the air velocity, the surface temperature, and surface structure. The lost technology can play an extremely important role in modern architecture, ocean engineering, transportation, and others to catch water from air for everyday use.
Hypothalamic and brain stem neurochemical profile in anorectic rats after peripheral administration of kisspeptin‐10 using 1H‐nmr spectroscopy in vivo
Authors: Skowron Kamil , Jasiński Krzysztof , Kurnik‐Łucka Magdalena , Stach Paulina , Kalita Katarzyna , Węglarz Władysław P. , Gil Krzysztof
Published: April 2020

Purpose

Although anorexia nervosa is classified as a psychiatric disorder associated with socio‐environmental and psychological factors, a deeper insight into the dominant neurobiological basis is needed to develop a more effective approach of treatment. Given the high contribution of genetic predisposition and the underlying pathophysiology of neurohormonal circuits, it seems that pharmacological targeting of these mechanisms may provide us with better therapeutic outcomes.

Methods

1H‐NMR spectroscopy was used to measure concentrations of the hypothalamus and brain stem metabolites in an activity‐based rodent model (ABA) after subcutaneous administration of kisspeptin‐10. Because anorexia mainly affects young women and often leads to hypogonadotropic‐hypogonadism, we investigated the influence of this neuropeptide, which is involved in reproductive function by regulating the hypothalamic–pituitary‐gonadal axis, on the ABA model development.

Results

Kisspeptin reinforced food consumption in an activity‐based rodent model of anorexia changing a pattern of weight loss. 1H‐NMR spectroscopy of the hypothalamus and brain stem of ABA rats revealed a statistically significant change in the concentration of creatine (Cr; decreased, P = 0.030), phosphocreatine (PCr; increased, P = 0.030), γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA; decreased, P = 0.011), glutathione (GSH; increased, P = 0.011) and inositol (INS; increased, P = 0.047) compared to the control group. Subcutaneous administration of kisspeptin reversed the decrease in GABA (P = 0.018) and Cr (P = 0.030) levels in the hypothalamus as well as restored glutamate (GLU; P = 0.040) level in the brain stem.

Conclusions

We suspect that kisspeptin through modulation of hypothalamic GABAergic signaling increases food intake, and thus positively alters brain metabolism.
Study on intelligent deformation characteristics of temperature‐driven hydrogel actuators prepared via molding and 3D printing
Authors: Chang Yanjiao , Zhou Qiang , Ning Luping , Liang Yunhong , Ren Lei , Ren Luquan
Published: April 2020

The poly‐N‐isopropylacrylamide intelligent hydrogel actuators with high mechanical strength and efficient temperature responses were successfully prepared via molding and three‐dimensional (3D) printing. Addition of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) effectively improved the crosslinking density and viscosity of hydrogels, enhancing the mechanical strength and 3D printable property. Based on sufficient polymerization on interface, bilayer hydrogel actuator prepared via molding exhibited efficient bending/unbending deformations. Bending degree in poikilothermy temperature ranging from 25°C to 55°C was higher than that in constant temperature of 55°C. Inspired by the rheology regulation of NFC, 3D printing intelligent hydrogel actuators with NFC content of 10 mg/mL were polymerized efficiently by ultraviolet irradiation. Self‐driven deformation characteristics of 3D printed intelligent hydrogels actuators were regulated via printing parameters including angle, width and length ratio and filling rate of the layered network structure model. The prepared hydrogel material system with molding and 3D printing ability provided material candidates for design and preparation of intelligent soft actuator and robot.
Arm‐first star‐polymer synthesis in one‐pot via alkylborane‐initiated RAFT
Authors: Timmins Renee L. , Wilson Olivia R. , Magenau Andrew J. D.
Published: April 2020

An alkylborane initiated reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (AI‐RAFT) process was developed for the synthesis of star‐polymers using a one‐pot approach at room‐temperature in the presence of oxygen. Linear poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) arms were first polymerized using a latent trialkylborane‐amine initiator, which generated trialkylborane, in situ, and subsequently radicals after reaction with oxygen. Polymerizations were optimized to maximize monomer conversion (~70–80%) and minimize arm‐dispersity (~1.10) through the oxygen concentration, initiator concentration, and polymerization time. The oxygen concentration was a critical AI‐RAFT parameter, providing maximum conversion at a ~0.5:1 molar ratio of oxygen‐to‐initiator. After arm‐polymerization, multifunctional acrylates were injected into the reactor to commence crosslinking without intermediate purification. The impact of the crosslinking time and the crosslinker's functionality, concentration, and injection time were investigated to enhance arm incorporation and diminish star‐polymer dispersity, quantified by deconvolution of size‐exclusion chromatography data. Crosslinker concentration had the largest influence on arm conversion with optimal concentrations at a 20‐25‐fold excess to chain transfer agent. Under optimal conditions, arm conversions were maximized to ~75–85% and star‐dispersity minimized to ~1.35–1.50. Herein an initial effort is made toward the synthesis of star‐polymers with well‐defined structures and high‐arm conversions, while also striving for oxygen tolerance, minimal purification, low‐temperatures, and metal‐free conditions.
Frozen‐density embedding‐based many‐body expansions
Authors: Schmitt‐Monreal Daniel , Jacob Christoph R.
Published: April 2020

Fragmentation methods allow for the accurate quantum chemical (QC) treatment of large molecular clusters and materials. Here we explore the combination of two complementary approaches to the development of such fragmentation methods: the many‐body expansion (MBE) on the one hand, and subsystem density‐functional theory (DFT) or frozen‐density embedding (FDE) theory on the other hand. First, we assess potential benefits of using FDE to account for the environment in the subsystem calculations performed within the MBE. Second, we use subsystem DFT to derive a density‐based MBE, in which a many‐body expansion of the electron density is used to calculate the system's total energy. This provides a correction to the energies calculated with a conventional energy‐based MBE that depends only on the subsystem's electron densities. For the test case of clusters of water and of aspirin, we show that such a density‐based MBE converges faster than the conventional energy‐based MBE. For our test cases, truncation errors in the interaction energies are below chemical accuracy already with a two‐body expansion. The density‐based MBE thus provides a promising avenue for accurate QC calculation of molecular clusters and materials.
A phase I‐II design based on periodic and continuous monitoring of disease status and the times to toxicity and death
Authors: Lee Juhee , F. Thall Peter , Msaouel Pavlos
Published: April 2020

A Bayesian phase I‐II dose‐finding design is presented for a clinical trial with four coprimary outcomes that reflect the actual clinical observation process. During a prespecified fixed follow‐up period, the times to disease progression, toxicity, and death are monitored continuously, and an ordinal disease status variable, including progressive disease (PD) as one level, is evaluated repeatedly by scheduled imaging. We assume a proportional hazards model with piecewise constant baseline hazard for each continuous variable and a longitudinal multinomial probit model for the ordinal disease status process and include multivariate patient frailties to induce association among the outcomes. A finite partition of the nonfatal outcome combinations during the follow‐up period is constructed, and the utility of each set in the partition is elicited. Posterior mean utility is used to optimize each patient's dose, subject to a safety rule excluding doses with an unacceptably high rate of PD, severe toxicity, or death. A simulation study shows that, compared with the proposed design, a simpler design based on commonly used efficacy and toxicity outcomes obtained by combining the four variables described above performs poorly and has substantially smaller probabilities of correctly choosing truly optimal doses and excluding truly unsafe doses.
Assessment of analytical stress and strain at peak and at ultimate conditions for fiber‐reinforcement polymer‐confined reinforced concrete columns of rectangular sections under axial cyclic loading
Authors: Fanaradelli Theodora , Rousakis Theodoros
Published: April 2020

Confinement with fiber‐reinforcement polymer (FRP) materials is a technique, which can increase adequately the axial strain ductility of concrete. Plain and reinforced concrete columns, with circular, square and rectangular cross sections, confined with FRP materials, subjected to monotonic or cyclic compressive load, have been extensively studied over the last 35 years. Also, a lot of predictive expressions for peak and ultimate axial strength and strain, suitable for the available concrete sections, have been proposed. However, it is proven that it is difficult to accurately model and predict the behavior of the noncircular confined concrete columns, especially in the presence of internal longitudinal and transverse steel reinforcement, which is the real case for the majority of existing reinforced concrete structures. The presented study gathers all the available test results on square and rectangular reinforced or plain concrete columns confined with FRP materials and other novel techniques, subjected only to cyclic axial loading. It also assesses the performance of four significant expressions published in literature for the prediction of column load and deformation, proposed for the peak and ultimate conditions.