bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Carotenoids in Haloarchaea Species from Atacama Saline Lakes by High Resolution UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-Mass Spectrometry: Antioxidant Potential and Biological Effect on Cell Viability
Authors: Lizama Catherine , Romero-Parra Javier , Andrade Daniel , Riveros Felipe , Bórquez Jorge , Ahmed Shakeel , Venegas-Salas Luis , Cabalín Carolina , Simirgiotis Mario J.
Published: July 2021

Haloarchaea are extreme halophilic microorganisms belonging to the domain Archaea, phylum Euryarchaeota, and are producers of interesting antioxidant carotenoid compounds. In this study, four new strains of Haloarcula sp., isolated from saline lakes of the Atacama Desert, are reported and studied by high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS) for the first time. In addition, determination of the carotenoid pigment profile from the new strains of Haloarcula sp., plus two strains of Halorubrum tebenquichense, and their antioxidant activity by means of several methods is reported. The effect of biomass on cellular viability in skin cell lines was also evaluated by MTT assay. The cholinesterase inhibition capacity of six haloarchaea (Haloarcula sp. ALT-23; Haloarcula sp. TeSe-41; Haloarcula sp. TeSe-51; Haloarcula sp. Te Se-89 and Halorubrum tebenquichense strains TeSe-85 and Te Se-86) is also reported for the first time. AChE inhibition IC50 was 2.96 ± 0.08 μg/mL and BuChE inhibition IC50 was 2.39 ± 0.09 μg/mL for the most active strain, Halorubrum tebenquichense Te Se-85, respectively, which is more active in BuCHe than that of the standard galantamine. Docking calculation showed that carotenoids can exert their inhibitory activity fitting into the enzyme pocket by their halves, in the presence of cholinesterase dimers.
Pterostilbene Changes Epigenetic Marks at Enhancer Regions of Oncogenes in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Harandi-Zadeh Sadaf , Boycott Cayla , Beetch Megan , Yang Tony , Martin Benjamin J. E. , Ren Kevin , Kwasniak Anna , Dupuis John H. , Lubecka Katarzyna , Yada Rickey Y. , Howe LeAnn J. , Stefanska Barbara
Published: July 2021

Epigenetic aberrations are linked to sporadic breast cancer. Interestingly, certain dietary polyphenols with anti-cancer effects, such as pterostilbene (PTS), have been shown to regulate gene expression by altering epigenetic patterns. Our group has proposed the involvement of DNA methylation and DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) as vital players in PTS-mediated suppression of candidate oncogenes and suggested a role of enhancers as target regions. In the present study, we assess a genome-wide impact of PTS on epigenetic marks at enhancers in highly invasive MCF10CA1a breast cancer cells. Following chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing in MCF10CA1a cells treated with 7 μM PTS for 9 days, we discovered that PTS leads to increased binding of DNMT3B at enhancers of 77 genes, and 17 of those genes display an overlapping decrease in the occupancy of trimethylation at lysine 36 of histone 3 (H3K36me3), a mark of active enhancers. We selected two genes, PITPNC1 and LINC00910, and found that their enhancers are hypermethylated in response to PTS. These changes coincided with the downregulation of gene expression. Of importance, we showed that 6 out of 17 target enhancers, including PITPNC1 and LINC00910, are bound by an oncogenic transcription factor OCT1 in MCF10CA1a cells. Indeed, the six enhancers corresponded to genes with established or putative cancer-driving functions. PTS led to a decrease in OCT1 binding at those enhancers, and OCT1 depletion resulted in PITPNC1 and LINC00910 downregulation, further demonstrating a role for OCT1 in transcriptional regulation. Our findings provide novel evidence for the epigenetic regulation of enhancer regions by dietary polyphenols in breast cancer cells.
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Early-Stage Metabolic Dysfunction Independently of Adipose Tissue Deregulation
Authors: Martins Fátima O. , Sacramento Joana F. , Olea Elena , Melo Bernardete F. , Prieto-Lloret Jesus , Obeso Ana , Rocher Asuncion , Matafome Paulo , Monteiro Emilia C. , Conde Silvia V.
Published: July 2021

Several studies demonstrated a link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the development of insulin resistance. However, the main event triggering insulin resistance in OSA remains to be clarified. Herein, we investigated the effect of mild and severe chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) on whole-body metabolic deregulation and visceral adipose tissue dysfunction. Moreover, we studied the contribution of obesity to CIH-induced dysmetabolic states. Experiments were performed in male Wistar rats submitted to a control and high-fat (HF) diet. Two CIH protocols were tested: A mild CIH paradigm (5/6 hypoxic (5% O2) cycles/h, 10.5 h/day) during 35 days and a severe CIH paradigm (30 hypoxic (5% O2) cycles, 8 h/day) during 15 days. Fasting glycemia, insulinemia, insulin sensitivity, weight, and fat mass were assessed. Adipose tissue hypoxia, inflammation, angiogenesis, oxidative stress, and metabolism were investigated. Mild and severe CIH increased insulin levels and induced whole-body insulin resistance in control animals, effects not associated with weight gain. In control animals, CIH did not modify adipocytes perimeter as well as adipose tissue hypoxia, angiogenesis, inflammation or oxidative stress. In HF animals, severe CIH attenuated the increase in adipocytes perimeter, adipose tissue hypoxia, angiogenesis, and dysmetabolism. In conclusion, adipose tissue dysfunction is not the main trigger for initial dysmetabolism in CIH. CIH in an early stage might have a protective role against the deleterious effects of HF diet on adipose tissue metabolism.
Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in the Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and Air Pollution
Authors: Gorini Francesca , Sabatino Laura , Gaggini Melania , Chatzianagnostou Kyriazoula , Vassalle Cristina
Published: July 2021

The incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes have increased in the last decades and are expected to further grow in the coming years. Chronic hyperglycemia triggers free radical generation and causes increased oxidative stress, affecting a number of molecular mechanisms and cellular pathways, including the generation of advanced glycation end products, proinflammatory and procoagulant effects, induction of apoptosis, vascular smooth-muscle cell proliferation, endothelial and mitochondrial dysfunction, reduction of nitric oxide release, and activation of protein kinase C. Among type 2 diabetes determinants, many data have documented the adverse effects of environmental factors (e.g., air pollutants) through multiple exposure-induced mechanisms (e.g., systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, hypercoagulability, and endothelial and immune responses). Therefore, here we discuss the role of air pollution in oxidative stress-related damage to glycemic metabolism homeostasis, with a particular focus on its impact on health. In this context, the improvement of new advanced tools (e.g., omic techniques and the study of epigenetic changes) may provide a substantial contribution, helping in the evaluation of the individual in his biological totality, and offer a comprehensive assessment of the molecular, clinical, environmental, and epidemiological aspects.
Named Entity Correction in Neural Machine Translation Using the Attention Alignment Map
Authors: Lee Jangwon , Lee  Jungi , Lee  Minho , Jang Gil-Jin
Published: July 2021

Neural machine translation (NMT) methods based on various artificial neural network models have shown remarkable performance in diverse tasks and have become mainstream for machine translation currently. Despite the recent successes of NMT applications, a predefined vocabulary is still required, meaning that it cannot cope with out-of-vocabulary (OOV) or rarely occurring words. In this paper, we propose a postprocessing method for correcting machine translation outputs using a named entity recognition (NER) model to overcome the problem of OOV words in NMT tasks. We use attention alignment mapping (AAM) between the named entities of input and output sentences, and mistranslated named entities are corrected using word look-up tables. The proposed method corrects named entities only, so it does not require retraining of existing NMT models. We carried out translation experiments on a Chinese-to-Korean translation task for Korean historical documents, and the evaluation results demonstrated that the proposed method improved the bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU) score by 3.70 from the baseline.
On the Deployment of Out-of-the-Box Embedded Devices for Self-Powered River Surface Flow Velocity Monitoring at the Edge
Authors: Livoroi Arsal-Hanif , Conti Andrea , Foianesi Luca , Tosi Fabio , Aleotti Filippo , Poggi Matteo , Tauro Flavia , Toth Elena , Grimaldi Salvatore , Mattoccia Stefano
Published: July 2021

As reported in the recent image velocimetry literature, tracking the motion of sparse feature points floating on the river surface as done by the Optical Tracking Velocimetry (OTV) algorithm is a promising strategy to address surface flow monitoring. Moreover, the lightweight nature of OTV coupled with computational optimizations makes it suited even for its deployment in situ to perform measurements at the edge with cheap embedded devices without the need to perform offload processing. Despite these notable achievements, the actual practical deployment of OTV in remote environments would require cheap and self-powered systems enabling continuous measurements without the need for cumbersome and expensive infrastructures rarely found in situ. Purposely, in this paper, we propose an additional simplification to the OTV algorithm to reduce even further its computational requirements, and we analyze self-powered off-the-shelf setups for in situ deployment. We assess the performance of such set-ups from different perspectives to determine the optimal solution to design a cost-effective self-powered measurement node.
Physical-Mechanical Properties of Cupola Slag Cement Paste
Authors: Thomas Carlos , Sainz-Aja José , Sosa Israel , Setién Jesús , Polanco Juan A. , Cimentada Ana
Published: July 2021

The high consumption of natural resources in the industrial sector makes it necessary to implement measures that enable the reuse of the waste generated, seeking to achieve circular economy. This work assesses the viability of an alternative to the use of CEM III B 32.5 R cement in mortars for the internal coating of centrifugally spun cast iron pipes for water piping. The proposal is to reuse the slag generated in the casting process after being finely ground, as an addition mixed with CEM I 52.5 R cement, which is basically Portland clinker. In order to analyse this possibility, an extensive experimental campaign was carried out, including the analysis of the cupola slag (micro-structural and chemical composition, leachates, setting time, vitrification, puzzolanicity and resistance to sulphate) and regarding the mortars (workability and mechanical properties). The experimental programme has shown that the optimum substitution is achieved with a replacement percentage of 20% of the cement, with which similar workability, superior mechanical properties and guaranteed resistance to sulphate attack are obtained. In addition, both economic and environmental savings are achieved by not having to transport or landfill the waste. In addition, the new cement is cheaper than the cement currently used.
SPARQL2Flink: Evaluation of SPARQL Queries on Apache Flink
Authors: Ceballos Oscar , Ramírez Restrepo Carlos Alberto , Pabón María Constanza , Castillo Andres M. , Corcho Oscar
Published: July 2021

Existing SPARQL query engines and triple stores are continuously improved to handle more massive datasets. Several approaches have been developed in this context proposing the storage and querying of RDF data in a distributed fashion, mainly using the MapReduce Programming Model and Hadoop-based ecosystems. New trends in Big Data technologies have also emerged (e.g., Apache Spark, Apache Flink); they use distributed in-memory processing and promise to deliver higher data processing performance. In this paper, we present a formal interpretation of some PACT transformations implemented in the Apache Flink DataSet API. We use this formalization to provide a mapping to translate a SPARQL query to a Flink program. The mapping was implemented in a prototype used to determine the correctness and performance of the solution. The source code of the project is available in Github under the MIT license.
Oxidative Stability of Long-Chain Fatty Acids with Different Unsaturation Degrees into Layered Double Hydroxides
Authors: Blasi Francesca , Chiesi Claudia , Spogli Roberto , Cossignani Lina , Nocchetti Morena
Published: July 2021

Nowadays, there is increasing evidence that the intake of essential fatty acids (FAs) and oleic acid has high nutritional importance. However, the vulnerability of these FAs to oxidation deserves special attention. FA oxidation may be avoided or delayed by intercalation of its anionic form in inorganic matrices as layered double hydroxides (LDH). Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the protective effects of MgAl LDH towards oleate (O), linoleate (L) and α-linolenate (Ln) degradation. The incorporation and the loading of different FAs in anionic form in LDH was determined by X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. In order to study the selectivity of LDH towards the FA, the inorganic solid was equilibrated with a mixture of O, L and Ln (1:1:1). TGA and gas chromatography showed that Ln was preferentially intercalated. Free FA (FFA) and intercalated FA (IFA) were heated at 40 °C in the dark and then analyzed weekly for a maximum of 42 days. Their oxidative stability was evaluated by monitoring the primary and secondary oxidative compounds. The volatile compounds were determined by solid-phase microextraction, coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Peroxide values were higher in FFA samples than in IFA samples, such as hexanal and trans,trans-2,4-heptadienal % contents. The results showed the potential of LDH intercalation for FA preservation from oxidative modification.
A Latent-Factor System Model for Real-Time Electricity Prices in Texas
Authors: Cao Kang Hua , Damien Paul , Zarnikau Jay
Published: July 2021

A novel methodology to model electricity prices and latent causes as endogenous, multivariate time-series is developed and is applied to the Texas energy market. In addition to exogenous factors like the type of renewable energy and system load, observed prices are also influenced by some combination of latent causes. For instance, prices may be affected by power outages, erroneous short-term weather forecasts, unanticipated transmission bottlenecks, etc. Before disappearing, these hidden, unobserved factors are usually present for a contiguous period of time, thereby affecting prices. Using our system-wide latent factor model, we find that: (a) latent causes have a highly significant impact on prices in Texas; (b) the estimated latent factor series strongly and positively correlates to system-wide prices during peak and off-peak hours; (c) the merit-order effect of wind significantly dampens prices, regardless of region and time of day; and (d) the nuclear baseload generation also significantly lowers prices during a 24-h period in the entire system.
Analysis of Acoustic Emission (AE) Signals for Quality Monitoring of Laser Lap Microwelding
Authors: Lu Ming-Chyuan , Chiou Shean-Juinn , Kuo Bo-Si , Chen Ming-Zong
Published: July 2021

In this study, the correlation between welding quality and features of acoustic emission (AE) signals collected during laser microwelding of stainless-steel sheets was analyzed. The performance of selected AE features for detecting low joint bonding strength was tested using a developed monitoring system. To obtain the AE signal for analysis and develop the monitoring system, lap welding experiments were conducted on a laser microwelding platform with an attached AE sensor. A gap between the two layers of stainless-steel sheets was simulated using clamp force, a pressing bar, and a thin piece of paper. After the collection of raw signals from the AE sensor, the correlations of welding quality with the time and frequency domain features of the AE signals were analyzed by segmenting the signals into ten 1 ms intervals. After selection of appropriate AE signal features based on a scatter index, a hidden Markov model (HMM) classifier was employed to evaluate the performance of the selected features. Three AE signal features, namely the root mean square (RMS) of the AE signal, gradient of the first 1 ms of AE signals, and 300 kHz frequency feature, were closely related to the quality variation caused by the gap between the two layers of stainless-steel sheets. Classification accuracy of 100% was obtained using the HMM classifier with the gradient of the signal from the first 1 ms interval and with the combination of the 300 kHz frequency domain signal and the RMS of the signal from the first 1 ms interval.
Prognostic Validity of Statistical Prediction Methods Used for Talent Identification in Youth Tennis Players Based on Motor Abilities
Authors: Siener Maximilian , Faber Irene , Hohmann Andreas
Published: July 2021

(1) Background: The search for talented young athletes is an important element of top-class sport. While performance profiles and suitable test tasks for talent identification have already been extensively investigated, there are few studies on statistical prediction methods for talent identification. Therefore, this long-term study examined the prognostic validity of four talent prediction methods. (2) Methods: Tennis players (N = 174; n♀ = 62 and n♂ = 112) at the age of eight years (U9) were examined using five physical fitness tests and four motor competence tests. Based on the test results, four predictions regarding the individual future performance were made for each participant using a linear recommendation score, a logistic regression, a discriminant analysis, and a neural network. These forecasts were then compared with the athletes’ achieved performance success at least four years later (U13‒U18). (3) Results: All four prediction methods showed a medium-to-high prognostic validity with respect to their forecasts. Their values of relative improvement over chance ranged from 0.447 (logistic regression) to 0.654 (tennis recommendation score). (4) Conclusions: However, the best results are only obtained by combining the non-linear method (neural network) with one of the linear methods. Nevertheless, 18.75% of later high-performance tennis players could not be predicted using any of the methods.
The Role of HNO2 in the Generation of Plasma-Activated Water by Air Transient Spark Discharge
Authors: Janda Mário , Hensel Karol , Tóth Peter , Hassan Mostafa E. , Machala Zdenko
Published: July 2021

Transient spark (TS), a DC-driven self-pulsing discharge generating a highly reactive atmospheric pressure air plasma, was employed as a rich source of NOx. In dry air, TS generates high concentrations of NO and NO2, increasing approximately linearly with increasing input energy density (Ed), reaching 1200 and 180 ppm of NO and NO2, at Ed = 400 J/L, respectively. In humid air, the concentration of NO2 decreased down to 120 ppm in favor of HNO2 that reached approximately 100 ppm at Ed = 400 J/L. The advantage of TS is its capability of simultaneous generation of the plasma and the formation of microdroplets by the electrospray (ES) of water directly inside the discharge zone. The TS discharge can thus efficiently generate plasma-activated water (PAW) with high concentration of H2O2−(aq), NO2−(aq) and NO3−(aq), because water microdroplets significantly increase the plasma-liquid interaction interface. This enables a fast transfer of species such as NO, NO2, HNO2 from the gas into water. In this study, we compare TS with water ES in a one stage system and TS operated in dry or humid air followed by water ES in a two-stage system, and show that gaseous HNO2, rather than NO or NO2, plays a major role in the formation of NO2−(aq) in PAW that reached the concentration up to 2.7 mM.
AC Microgrids Protection: A Digital Coordinated Adaptive Scheme
Authors: Hussain Noor , Khayat Yousef , Golestan Saeed , Nasir Mashood , Vasquez Juan C. , Guerrero Josep M. , Kauhaniemi Kimmo
Published: July 2021

A significant challenge for designing a coordinated and effective protection architecture of a microgrid (MG) is the aim of an efficient, reliable, and fast protection scheme for both the grid-connected and islanded modes of operation. To this end, bidirectional power flow, varying short-circuit power, low voltage ride-through (LVRT) capability, and the plug-and-play characteristics of distributed generation units (DGUs), which are key issues in a MG system must be considered; otherwise, a mal-operation of protection devices (PDs) may occur. In this sense, a conventional protection system with a single threshold/setting may not be able to fully protect an MG system. To tackle this challenge, this work presents a comprehensive coordinated adaptive protection scheme for AC MGs that can tune their protection setting according to the system states and the operation mode, and is able to switch the PDs’ setting. In the first step of the proposed adaptive algorithm, an offline setting will be adopted for selective and sensitive fault detection, isolation, and coordination among proposed protective modules. As any change in the system is detected by the proposed algorithm in the online step, a new set of setting for proposed modules will be performed to adapt the settings accordingly. In this way, a new set of settings are adapted to maintain a fast and reliable operation, which covers selective, sensitive, and adaptive requirements. The pickup current (Ip) and time multiple settings (TMS) of directional over-current relays (DOCR), as well as coordinated time delays for the proposed protection scheme for both of the grid-connected and islanded modes of operation, are calculated offline. Then, an online adaptive protection scheme is proposed to detect different fault types in different locations. The simulation results show that the proposed method provides a coordinated reliable solution, which can detect and isolate fault conditions in a fast, selective and coordinated adaptive pattern.
Biomass-Based Chemical Looping Gasification: Overview and Recent Developments
Authors: Nguyen Nhut Minh , Alobaid Falah , Dieringer Paul , Epple Bernd
Published: July 2021

Biomass has emerged as one of the most promising renewable energy sources that can replace fossil fuels. Many researchers have carried out intensive research work on biomass gasification to evaluate its performance and feasibility to produce high-quality syngas. However, the process remains the problem of tar formation and low efficiency. Recently, novel approaches were developed for biomass utilization. Chemical looping gasification is considered a suitable pathway to produce valuable products from biomass among biomass conversion processes. This review paper provides a significant body of knowledge on the recent developments of the biomass-based chemical looping gasification process. The effects of process parameters have been discussed to provide important insights into the development of novel technology based on chemical looping. The state-of-the-art experimental and simulation/modeling studies and their fundamental assumptions are described in detail. In conclusion, the review paper highlights current research trends, identifying research gaps and opportunities for future applications of biomass-based chemical looping gasification process. The study aims to assist in understanding biomass-based chemical looping gasification and its development through recent research.
Study of Influence of Width to Thickness Ratio in Sheet Metals on Bendability under Ambient and Superimposed Hydrostatic Pressure
Authors: Shahzamanian Mohammadmehdi , Lloyd David , Partovi Amir , Wu Peidong
Published: July 2021

The effect of the width to thickness ratio on the bendability of sheet metal is investigated using the finite element method (FEM) employing the Gurson–Tvergaard–Needleman (GTN) model. Strain path changes in the sheet with change in the width/thickness ratio. It is shown that bendability and fracture strain increase significantly by decrease in the width/thickness ratio. The stress state is almost uniaxial when the stress ratio (α) is close to zero for narrow sheets. Stress ratio is nothing but the major stress to minor stress ratio. This delays the growth and coalescence of micro-voids as the volumetric strain and stress triaxiality (pressure/effective stress) decrease. On the other hand, ductility decreases with increase in α for wider sheets. Fracture bending strain is calculated and, as expected, it increases with decrease in the width/thickness ratio. Furthermore, a brief study is performed to understand the effect of superimposed hydrostatic pressure on fracture strain for various sheet metals with different width/thickness ratios. It is found that the superimposed hydrostatic pressure increases the ductility, and that the effect of the width/thickness ratio in metals on ductility is as significant as the effect of superimposed hydrostatic pressure. Numerical results are found to be in good agreement with experimental observations.
Use of Phage Cocktail for Improving the Overall Microbiological Quality of Sprouts—Two Methods of Application
Authors: Gientka Iwona , Wójcicki Michał , Żuwalski Aleksander W. , Błażejak Stanisław
Published: July 2021

Background: the aim of this study was to improve the overall microbiological quality of five different sprouts (alfalfa, kale, lentil, sunflower, radish) using newly isolated bacteriophages. Method: in this study we had isolated from sewage 18 bacteriophages targeting bacteria dominant in sprouts. Five selected bacteriophage strains were photographed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM), and we analyzed the rate of attachment, resistance to chloroform, the burst size, and the latency period. Two methods of application of the phage cocktail were investigated: spraying, and an absorption pad. Results: the spraying method was significantly more efficient, and the maximum reduction effect after 48 h of incubation was 1.5 log CFU/g. Using pads soaked with phage lysate reduced the total number of bacteria to only about 0.27–0.79 log CFU/g. Conclusion: the reduction of bacteria levels in sprouts depended on the method of phage application. The blind strategy for searching phage targeting bacteria dominant in sprouts can be useful and economically beneficial as a starting point for further investigation in phage cocktail application for improving the overall microbiological quality of food. The main result of our research is to improve the overall quality of kale and radish sprouts by spraying them with a phage cocktail.
Understanding and Exploiting Post-Translational Modifications for Plant Disease Resistance
Authors: Gough Catherine , Sadanandom Ari
Published: July 2021

Plants are constantly threatened by pathogens, so have evolved complex defence signalling networks to overcome pathogen attacks. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are fundamental to plant immunity, allowing rapid and dynamic responses at the appropriate time. PTM regulation is essential; pathogen effectors often disrupt PTMs in an attempt to evade immune responses. Here, we cover the mechanisms of disease resistance to pathogens, and how growth is balanced with defence, with a focus on the essential roles of PTMs. Alteration of defence-related PTMs has the potential to fine-tune molecular interactions to produce disease-resistant crops, without trade-offs in growth and fitness.
Pancreatic Progenitor Commitment Is Marked by an Increase in Ink4a/Arf Expression
Authors: Montano Elena , Pollice Alessandra , Lucci Valeria , Falco Geppino , Affinito Ornella , La Mantia Girolama , Vivo Maria , Angrisano Tiziana
Published: July 2021

The identification of the molecular mechanisms controlling early cell fate decisions in mammals is of paramount importance as the ability to determine specific lineage differentiation represents a significant opportunity for new therapies. Pancreatic Progenitor Cells (PPCs) constitute a regenerative reserve essential for the maintenance and regeneration of the pancreas. Besides, PPCs represent an excellent model for understanding pathological pancreatic cellular remodeling. Given the lack of valid markers of early endoderm, the identification of new ones is of fundamental importance. Both products of the Ink4a/Arf locus, in addition to being critical cell-cycle regulators, appear to be involved in several disease pathologies. Moreover, the locus’ expression is epigenetically regulated in ES reprogramming processes, thus constituting the ideal candidates to modulate PPCs homeostasis. In this study, starting from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), we analyzed the early stages of pancreatic commitment. By inducing mESCs commitment to the pancreatic lineage, we observed that both products of the Cdkn2a locus, Ink4a and Arf, mark a naïve pancreatic cellular state that resembled PPC-like specification. Treatment with epi-drugs suggests a role for chromatin remodeling in the CDKN2a (Cycline Dependent Kinase Inhibitor 2A) locus regulation in line with previous observations in other cellular systems. Our data considerably improve the comprehension of pancreatic cellular ontogeny, which could be critical for implementing pluripotent stem cells programming and reprogramming toward pancreatic lineage commitment.
High Throughput miRNA Screening Identifies miR-574-3p Hyperproductive Effect in CHO Cells
Authors: Švab Živa , Braga Luca , Guarnaccia Corrado , Labik Ivan , Herzog Jeremias , Baralle Marco , Giacca Mauro , Skoko Nataša
Published: July 2021

CHO is the cell line of choice for the manufacturing of many complex biotherapeutics. The constant upgrading of cell productivity is needed to meet the growing demand for these life-saving drugs. Manipulation of small non-coding RNAs—miRNAs—is a good alternative to a single gene knockdown approach due to their post-transcriptional regulation of entire cellular pathways without posing translational burden to the production cell. In this study, we performed a high-throughput screening of 2042-human miRNAs and identified several candidates able to increase cell-specific and overall production of Erythropoietin and Etanercept in CHO cells. Some of these human miRNAs have not been found in Chinese hamster cells and yet were still effective in them. We identified miR-574-3p as being able, when overexpressed in CHO cells, to improve overall productivity of Erythropoietin and Etanercept titers from 1.3 to up to 2-fold. In addition, we validated several targets of miR-574-3p and identified p300 as a main target of miR-574-3p in CHO cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that stable CHO cell overexpressing miRNAs from endogenous CHO pri-miRNA sequences outperform the cells with human pri-miRNA sequences. Our findings highlight the importance of flanking genomic sequences, and their secondary structure features, on pri-miRNA processing offering a novel, cost-effective and fast strategy as a valuable tool for efficient miRNAs engineering in CHO cells.
Synthesis of Mesoporous CuO Hollow Sphere Nanozyme for Paper-Based Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor
Authors: Cheng Dong , Qin Jing , Feng Youyou , Wei Jing
Published: July 2021

Point-of-care monitoring of hydrogen peroxide is important due to its wide usage in biomedicine, the household and industry. Herein, a paper sensor is developed for sensitive, visual and selective detection of H2O2 using a mesoporous metal oxide hollow sphere as a nanozyme. The mesoporous CuO hollow sphere is synthesized by direct decomposition of copper–polyphenol colloidal spheres. The obtained mesoporous CuO hollow sphere shows a large specific surface area (58.77 m2/g), pore volume (0.56 cm3/g), accessible mesopores (5.8 nm), a hollow structure and a uniform diameter (~100 nm). Furthermore, they are proven to show excellent peroxidase-like activities with Km and Vmax values of 120 mM and 1.396 × 10−5 M·s−1, respectively. Such mesoporous CuO hollow spheres are then loaded on the low-cost and disposable filter paper test strip. The obtained paper sensor can be effectively used for detection of H2O2 in the range of 2.4–150 μM. This work provides a new kind of paper sensor fabricated from a mesoporous metal oxide hollow sphere nanozyme. These sensors could be potentially used in bioanalysis, food security and environmental protection.
Effect of Lacosamide and Ethosuximide Chronic Treatment on Neural Precursor Cells and Cognitive Functions after Pilocarpine Induced Status Epilepticus in Mice
Authors: Szewczyk Aleksandra , Zagaja Mirosław , Szala-Rycaj Joanna , Maj Maciej , Andres-Mach Marta
Published: July 2021

Seizures in about 40% of patients with epilepsy fail to respond to anti-seizure medication (ASM) and may lead to uncontrolled and prolonged seizures often inducing status epilepticus (SE). The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a long-term treatment with two different generation ASMs: ethosuximide (ETS, a classic ASM) and lacosamide (LCM, a 3rd generation ASM) on neural stem cells’ (NSCs’) proliferation and learning and memory functions after pilocarpine (PILO)-induced SE in mice. The following drugs were used: LCM (10 mg/kg), ETS (20 mg/kg), and PILO (300 mg/kg). Cell counting was done using confocal microscope and ImageJ software. Cognitive functions were evaluated with the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The level of several selected neurometabolites was measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Obtained results indicated no significant impact of ETS treatment on the neurogenesis process in PILO mice. Interestingly, LCM significantly decreased the total amount of newborn neurons. The MWM test indicated no significant changes in the time and distance traveled by the ETS and LCM groups compared to PILO control mice, although all measured parameters were more favorable for the PILO mice treated with ASM. Conclusions: The presented results show that long term treatment with LCM and ETS seems to be safe for the cognitive functions and the proper course of neurogenesis in the mouse PILO-induced SE model, although one should remember that LCM administered chronically may act to reduce new neurons’ formation.
A Method to Qualify the Impacts of Certifications for Prefabricated Constructions
Authors: Blanquet du Chayla Clement , Blanchet Pierre , Lehoux Nadia
Published: July 2021

In the province of Quebec, Canada, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in manufactured timber construction seeking to expand their market must necessarily go beyond the local trade. By exporting their products and manufactured building sections to another country, Quebec manufacturers must deal with significant regulations and certification constraints. The aim of this study is therefore to propose a method to qualify the impacts of these constraints on the export of manufactured buildings to New England in order to create a decision support tool. Since construction regulations vary depending on the location of the project, those relating to Massachusetts were analyzed, as this is currently the main destination for manufactured building sections. Considering the federal and local regulations in effect, a content analysis of the Quality Assurance Manual (QAM) set up by an industry partner and a third-party certifier enabling exports to Massachusetts was performed. In particular, the six-step method proposed by L’Écuyer was exploited for extracting and examining relevant information from regulatory texts. Through this analysis, the importance of quality control was confirmed as a keystone for certification. It also led to a better understanding of the relationships between quality control, the construction process and installation, the design and engineering choices, and the strategy to choose the project.
Facilitating Building Projects’ Short-Term and Long-Term Value Creation
Authors: Boge Knut , Haddadi Amin , Klakegg Ole Jonny , Salaj Alenka Temeljotov
Published: July 2021

Real estate and buildings are some of facility managers’ most costly resources. Thus, knowledge about how to get the most out of building or renovation projects both in the short term and in the long term are of great importance for facility managers. This paper investigates which factors are most important for building and renovation projects’ output or short-term value creation, and outcome or long-term value creation, i.e., the completed building’s effect for owners and users. Thus, the focus is not primarily financial and the buildings’ asset value. The study is based on a national questionnaire survey in Norway (550 respondents). Multivariate statistics (Principal Component Analysis and Linear Multiple Regressions validated with bootstrapping) were used to test the hypotheses. Short-term project management priorities, such as early involvement of technical contractors and FM providers, contract strategy and involvement of owners and users largely decide the qualities of the building, and thus the potential for long-term value creation. The most important factors for long-term value creation, i.e., buildings that facilitate the demand organisation’s value creation are the qualities of the completed building, project governance and involvement of owners and users during early phase planning.
Ab Initio Study of Porous Graphene–CNT Silicon Composite for Li-Ion and Na-Ion Batteries
Authors: Kolosov Dmitry A. , Glukhova Olga E.
Published: July 2021

In this work, we investigated composite materials based on graphene and carbon nanotubes with a silicon cluster from the standpoint of using them as Li-ion battery (LIB) and Na-ion battery (NIB) anodes. For our study, we used the density functional theory method, taking into account the van der Waals interaction. The cavities of the composite were filled with lithium and sodium, and the energy characteristics of the structure were calculated through SIESTA molecular dynamics. The calculations showed the negative energy of adsorption for lithium and sodium and the negative value of the heat of formation of the composites. The introduction of a silicon cluster led to an increase in the specific capacity by 22.2% for the sodium and 37% for the lithium in comparison with the pure composite. The calculation of the transmission function showed a decrease in the resistance of the composite when a silicon cluster was added to the composite. We predict that the application of the considered composite will increase the efficiency of existing lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
The Growth Behavior of Amorphous Hydrogenated Carbon a-C:H Layers on Industrial Polycarbonates—A Weak Interlayer and a Distinct Dehydrogenation Zone
Authors: Schlebrowski Torben , Fritz Melanie , Beucher Lucas , Wang Yongxin , Wehner Stefan , Fischer Christian B.
Published: July 2021

Polycarbonate (PC) is a material that is used in many areas: automotive, aerospace engineering and data storage industries. Its hardness is of particular importance, but some applications are affected by its low wettability or scratch susceptibility. This can be changed either by blending with other polymers, or by surface modifications, such as the application of an amorphous hydrogenated carbon layer (a-C:H). In this study, individual a-C:H layers of different thicknesses (10–2000 nm) were deposited on PC by RF PECVD. Both the layer morphology with AFM and SEM and the bonding states of the carbon on the surface with synchrotron-assisted XPS and NEXAFS were studied. The aim was to investigate the coatability of PC and the stability of the a-C:H. Special attention was paid to the interlayer region from 0 to 100 nm, since this is responsible for the layer to base material bonding, and to the zone of dehydrogenation (from about 1000 nm), since this changes the surface composition considerably. For PC, the interlayer was relatively small with a thickness of only 20 nm. Additionally, a correlation was found between the evolving grain structure and the development of the C‒H peak according to NEXAFS C K-edge measurements.
Future Screening Prospects for Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Žilovič Diana , Čiurlienė Rūta , Sabaliauskaitė Rasa , Jarmalaitė Sonata
Published: July 2021

Current diagnostic tools used in clinical practice such as transvaginal ultrasound, CA 125, and HE4 are not sensitive and specific enough to diagnose OC in the early stages. A lack of early symptoms and an effective asymptomatic population screening strategy leads to a poor prognosis in OC. New diagnostic and screening methods are urgently needed for early OC diagnosis. Liquid biopsies have been considered as a new noninvasive and promising method, using plasma/serum, uterine lavage, and urine samples for early cancer detection. We analyzed recent studies on molecular biomarkers with specific emphasis on liquid biopsy methods and diagnostic efficacy for OC through the detection of circulating tumor cells, circulating cell-free DNA, small noncoding RNAs, and tumor-educated platelets.
Photocatalytic and Sonocatalytic Degradation of EDTA and Rhodamine B over Ti0 and Ti@TiO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: El Hakim Sara , Chave Tony , Nikitenko Sergey I.
Published: July 2021

Herein, we report a comparative study of photocatalytic (Xe-lamp) and sonocatalytic (345 kHz power ultrasound) degradation of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and Rhodamine B (RhB) in the presence of Ti0 and Ti@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles (NPs). Ti@TiO2 NPs have been obtained by sonohydrothermal treatment (20 kHz, 200 °C) of commercially available Ti0 NPs in pure water. The obtained material is composed of quasi-spherical Ti0 particles (30–150 nm) coated by 5–15 nm crystals of anatase. In contrast to pristine TiO2, the Ti@TiO2 NPs exhibit the extend photo response from UV to NIR light region due to the light absorption by nonplasmonic Ti core. EDTA can be oxidized effectively by photocatalysis in the presence of Ti@TiO2 NPs. By contrast, air passivated Ti0 nanoparticles was found to be inactive in the photocatalytic process for both EDTA and RhB. Photocatalytic degradation of EDTA over Ti@TiO2 NPs exhibits strong photothermal effect, which has been attributed to the higher yield of oxidizing radicals produced by light at higher bulk temperature. The efficiency of RhB photocatalytic degradation depends strongly on RhB concentration. At [RhB] ≥ 1 × 10−3 M, its photocatalytic degradation is not feasible due to a strong self-absorption. At lower concentrations, RhB photocatalytic degradation is observed, but at lower efficiency compared to EDTA. We found that the efficient sonochemical degradation of RhB does not require the presence of any catalysts. For both processes, EDTA and RhB, sonochemical and photocatalytic processes are more effective in the presence of Ar/O2 gas mixture compared to pure Ar. The obtained results suggest that the choice of the optimal technology for organic pollutants degradation can be determined by their optical and complexing properties.
Simulation of Denitrification of Vehicle Exhaust over Cu-CHA Bazite Catalyst for a Monolith Reactor
Authors: Li Yanxia , Zhu Yuwen , Zhang Ning , Liu Zhongliang
Published: July 2021

A CFD model with chemical reaction kinetic and heat and mass transfer for a monolith reactor is established by COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate the influence of different operating conditions and water on denitrification efficiency for Cu-CHA. At the low temperature range, water has little effect on the denitrification efficiency over the Cu-CHA catalyst while NO conversion is increased by about 30% at the medium temperature. The concentration of O2 (CO2) has no significant effect on the performance of Cu-CHA catalyst. The best ratio of NO2 to NOx in feed gases may be 1/2, which improves the denitrification efficiency and the yield of N2 but it produces relatively little N2O. The optimal ammonia-nitrogen ratio is 1.1, where Cu-CHA catalyst has fairly great denitrification efficiency and low NH3 leakage. Increasing inlet flow velocity and cross area of channels have negative effect on NO conversion, while longer channels and thicker substrate have the opposite effect.
A Superficial Intramolecular Alignment of Carbon Nitride through Conjugated Monomer for Optimized Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Hayat Asif , Sohail Muhammad , Taha T.A. , Alenad Asma , Uddin Ikram , Hayat Ashiq , Ali Tariq , Shah Rahim , Irfan Ahmad , Khan Wasim , Palamanit Arkom , Al-Hadeethi Yas , Syed Jawad , Amin Mohammed , Khan Javid , Baburao Mane Sunil
Published: July 2021

One of the most frequent ways to widen the adsorption range of carbon nitride (CN) is to add a well-known photosensitizer into its basic structure. So far, such attachments have been accomplished by using weak van der Waals forces. However, using strong covalent bonding to attach such photosensitizer with CN is yet to be determined. Here, for the first time, we covalently bonded porphyrin (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-(2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazinyl) phenyl)-Porphyrin (TDP)), a renowned photosensitizer, effectively with CN by thermally balanced molecular strategy. A photoreaction system was set up for the deoxygenated conversion of CO2 to CO under visible light, where cobalt acted as a redox controller to speed up the charge transportation, while CN-TDP worked as a CO2 activating photocatalyst. The subsequent photocatalyst has a broader absorbance range, a greater specific surface area, and intramolecular organic connections that help to decrease the electron-hole pairs’ recombination rate. Furthermore, the average weight ratio between urea and TDP was well-tuned, resulting in a fantastic CO2 photoconversion for CN-TDP7.0 compared to the blank sample. This substantial increase in photocatalytic activity predicts a significant shift in CN’s specific surface area, band gap, chemical composition, and structure, as well as the efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers from the ground state (HOMO) to the excited state (LUMO), making it a top candidate for CO2 photoreduction. At the same time, this approach paves the path for the bottom-up fabrication of carbon nitride nanosheets.
ZC3HC1 Is a Novel Inherent Component of the Nuclear Basket, Resident in a State of Reciprocal Dependence with TPR
Authors: Gunkel Philip , Iino Haruki , Krull Sandra , Cordes Volker C.
Published: July 2021

The nuclear basket (NB) scaffold, a fibrillar structure anchored to the nuclear pore complex (NPC), is regarded as constructed of polypeptides of the coiled-coil dominated protein TPR to which other proteins can bind without contributing to the NB’s structural integrity. Here we report vertebrate protein ZC3HC1 as a novel inherent constituent of the NB, common at the nuclear envelopes (NE) of proliferating and non-dividing, terminally differentiated cells of different morphogenetic origin. Formerly described as a protein of other functions, we instead present the NB component ZC3HC1 as a protein required for enabling distinct amounts of TPR to occur NB-appended, with such ZC3HC1-dependency applying to about half the total amount of TPR at the NEs of different somatic cell types. Furthermore, pointing to an NB structure more complex than previously anticipated, we discuss how ZC3HC1 and the ZC3HC1-dependent TPR polypeptides could enlarge the NB’s functional repertoire.