bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vulvovaginal Candida albicans Clinical Isolates’ Resistance to Phagocytosis In-Vitro
Authors: Faria-Gonçalves Paula , Oliveira Ana , Gaspar Carlos , Rodrigues Lisa , Palmeira-de-Oliveira Rita , Martinez-de-Oliveira José , Gonçalves Teresa , Palmeira-de-Oliveira Ana , Rolo Joana
Published: June 2022

Previous studies have revealed that Candida albicans isolates involved in chronic vulvovaginal candidosis (cVVC) phenotypically express less virulent traits than clinical isolates involved in sporadic infections. In this study, we aimed to further explore this finding by studying the behaviour of those same clinical isolates in in-vitro models of infection. Eighteen clinical Candida albicans isolates were collected from women suffering sporadic (eight isolates) or chronic infections (ten isolates). Adhesion to HeLa cells (human cervical cancer epithelial cell line) and resistance to phagocytosis by RAW 264.7 cells (murine macrophages cell line) were tested in-vitro. In addition, phenotypic expression of virulence factors related with either adhesion or resistance to phagocytosis was tested in-vitro. Results indicated that yeast isolates involved in sporadic infection adhered in a higher proportion of HeLa cells than those of chronic infections, which was related with their ability to produce biofilm (p < 0.05). The ability to evade phagocytosis was related to an elevated production of proteases (p < 0.05) by chronic isolates, while sporadic isolates’ resistance to phagocytosis was related to a higher hydrophobicity of cell walls (p < 0.05). We conclude that the evasion of macrophage-mediated phagocytosis related to the production of proteases might be an important factor involved in the recurrence of vulvovaginal candidosis infection.
Research on Contact and Wear Characteristics of the Planetary Roller Screw Mechanism with Screw Misalignments
Authors: Meng Junjie , Du Xing , Zhao Xin , Zheng Junwei , Wang Dingwei , Wan Long
Published: June 2022

Misalignments are unavoidable in most applications of the planetary roller screw mechanism (PRSM) due to many potential causes. However, the effect of screw misalignments on the contact characteristics for the PRSM have not been thoroughly investigated. In this paper, a comprehensive analytical procedure for the PRSM performance considering screw misalignments is proposed. First, the contact positions and clearances of the PRSM with screw misalignments are calculated. Next, an improved model is presented for evaluation of the load distribution, in which the variation of axial clearances is taken into consideration. The numerical results are validated by finite element analysis. Then, the precision loss model caused by wear is derived considering the variation of contact forces. The results indicate that the contact positions slightly change due to the misalignment angle of the screw, while the axial clearances and load distribution at the screw-roller interface are significantly affected. At the same time, the contact forces over thread vary periodically. In addition, the screw misalignment aggravates the wear of the PRSM, resulting in accuracy degradation. The theoretical investigations lay the foundation for the engineering application of the PRSM.
A Low-Cost Wireless Bite Force Measurement Device
Authors: De Pasquale Paolo , Rubino Erasmo , Borzelli Daniele , Peditto Matteo , Nastro Siniscalchi Enrico , De Ponte Francesco Saverio , Oteri Giacomo , d’Avella Andrea
Published: June 2022

Assessing maximum voluntary bite force is important to characterize the functional state of the masticatory system. Due to several factors affecting the estimation of the maximum bite force, a unique solution combining desirable features such as reliability, accuracy, precision, usability, and comfort is not available. The aim of the present study was to develop a low-cost bite force measurement device allowing for subject-specific customization, comfortable bite force expression, and reliable force estimation over time. The device was realized using an inexpensive load cell, two 3D printed ergonomic forks hosting reusable subject-specific silicone molds, a read-out system based on a low-cost microcontroller, and a wireless link to a personal computer. A simple model was used to estimate bite force taking into account individual morphology and device placement in the mouth. Measurement reliability, accuracy, and precision were assessed on a calibration dataset. A validation procedure on healthy participants was performed to assess the repeatability of the measurements over multiple repetitions and sessions. A 2% precision and 2% accuracy were achieved on measurements of forces in the physiological range of adult bite forces. Multiple recordings on healthy participants demonstrated good repeatability (coefficient of variation 11%) with no significant effect of repetition and session. The novel device provides an affordable and reliable solution for assessing maximum bite force that can be easily used to perform clinical evaluations in single sessions or in longitudinal studies.
Manufacturing of Sustainable Untreated Coal Ash Masonry Units for Structural Applications
Authors: Abbass Wasim , Abbas Safeer , Aslam Fahid , Ahmed Ali , Ahmed Tauqir , Hashir Agha , Mamdouh Amr
Published: June 2022

Burnt clay bricks are one of the most important building units worldwide, are easy and cheap to make, and are readily available. However, the utilization of fertile clay in the production of burnt clay bricks is also one of the causes of environmental pollution because of the emission of greenhouse gases from industrial kilns during the large-scale burning process. Therefore, there is a need to develop a new class of building units (bricks) incorporating recycled industrial waste, leading toward sustainable construction by a reduction in the environmental overburden. This research aimed to explore the potential of untreated coal ash for the manufacturing of building units (coal ash unburnt bricks). Coal ash unburnt bricks were manufactured at an industrial brick plant by applying a pre-form pressure of 3 MPa and later curing them via water sprinkling in a control shed. Various proportions of coal ash (i.e., 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55%) were employed to investigate the mechanical and durability-related properties of the resulting bricks, then they were compared with conventional burnt clay bricks. Compressive strength, flexural strength, an initial rate of water absorption, efflorescence, microstructural analysis via scanning electron microscopy, and cost analysis were conducted. The results of the compressive strength tests revealed that the compressive strength of coal ash unburnt brick decreased with an increase in the content of coal ash; however, up to a 45% proportion of coal ash, the minimum required compressive strength specified by ASTM C62 and local building codes was satisfied. Furthermore, bricks incorporating up to 45% of coal ash also satisfied the ASTM C62 requirements for water absorption. Coal ash unburnt bricks are lighter in weight owing to their porous developed microstructure. The cost analysis showed that the utilization of untreated, locally available coal ash in brick production leads us on the path toward more economical and sustainable building units.
Perspectives of Microstructure Refinement of Aluminum and Its Alloys by the Reciprocating Extrusion (Cyclic Extrusion Compression—CEC)
Authors: Richert Maria , Hubicki Rafał , Łebkowski Piotr
Published: June 2022

This paper presents a study on the perspectives of structure refinement of aluminum and its alloys by reciprocating extrusion (cyclic extrusion compression—CEC). The study included Al99.5 and Al99.992 aluminum and AlMg5 and AlCu4Zr alloy. Aluminum and alloys were deformed by reciprocating extrusion (CEC) in the strain range ϕ = 0.42 (1 CEC cycle) to ϕ = 59.8 (67 CEC cycles). After deformation, the structure of the specimens was investigated by optical microscopy (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed that the primary mechanism of hardening, over the range of applied strains, was the result of the propagation of shear bands throughout the specimens. The intersection of shear bands was found to divide the volume of the specimens into nano and microvolumes with dimensions limited by the width of the microbands. Due to structure renewal processes such as polygonization and dynamic geometric recrystallization, the formed micro and nano volumes were transformed into nano and micrograins with large misorientation angles. In terms of the occurrence of grain microstructure, a sustained uniform level of hardening was found, which was defined as steady-state flow. The research has shown that the steady state of flow is a result of the competitive interaction between the processes of hardening and structure renewal. The higher the metal purity, the higher the intensity of the structure renewal processes was. The formation of new grains and their growth under dynamic and post-dynamic recrystallization was observed in Al99.992 aluminum, in which high purity of the metal and high strain accumulation caused the growth of new grains at room temperature.
Analysis of Dipolar Sources in the Solution of the Electroencephalographic Inverse Problem
Authors: Morín-Castillo María Monserrat , Arriaga-Hernández Jesús , Cuevas-Otahola Bolivia , Oliveros-Oliveros José Jacobo
Published: June 2022

In this work, we propose a solution to the problem of identification of sources in the brain from measurements of the electrical potential, recorded on the scalp EEG (electroencephalogram), where boundary problems are used to model the skull, brain region, and scalp, solving the inverse problem from the EEG measurements, the so-called Electroencephalographic Inverse Problem (EIP), which is ill-posed in the Hadamard sense since the problem has numerical instability. We focus on the identification of volumetric dipolar sources of the EEG by constructing and modeling a simplification to reduce the multilayer conductive medium (two layers or regions Ω1 and Ω2) to a problem of a single layer of a homogeneous medium with a null Neumann condition on the boundary. For this simplification purpose, we consider the Cauchy problem to be solved at each time. We compare the results we obtained solving the multiple layers problem with those obtained by our simplification proposal. In both cases, we solve the direct and inverse problems for two different sources, as synthetic results for dipolar sources resembling epileptic foci, and a similar case with an external stimulus (intense light, skin stimuli, sleep problems, etc). For the inverse problem, we use the Tikhonov regularization method to handle its numerical instability. Additionally, we build an algorithm to solve both models (multiple layers problem and our simplification) in time, showing optimization of the problem when considering 128 divisions in the time interval [0,1] s, solving the inverse problem at each time (interval division) and comparing the recovered source with the initial one in the algorithm. We observed a significant decrease in the computation times when simplifying the numerical calculations, resulting in a decrease up to 50% in the execution times, between the EIP multilayer model and our simplification proposal, to a single layer homogeneous problem of a homogeneous medium, which translates into a numerical efficiency in this type of problem.
An Active Learning Algorithm Based on the Distribution Principle of Bhattacharyya Distance
Authors: Xu He , Ding Chunyue , Li Peng , Ji Yimu
Published: June 2022

Active learning is a method that can actively select examples with much information from a large number of unlabeled samples to query labeled by experts, so as to obtain a high-precision classifier with a small number of samples. Most of the current research uses the basic principles to optimize the classifier at each iteration, but the batch query with the largest amount of information in each round does not represent the overall distribution of the sample, that is, it may fall into partial optimization and ignore the whole, which will may affect or reduce its accuracy. In order to solve this problem, a special distance measurement method—Bhattacharyya Distance—is used in this paper. By using this distance and designing a new set of query decision logic, we can improve the accuracy of the model. Our method embodies the query of the samples with the most representative distribution and the largest amount of information to realize the classification task based on a small number of samples. We perform theoretical proofs and experimental analysis. Finally, we use different data sets and compare them with other classification algorithms to evaluate the performance and efficiency of our algorithm.
Relational Structure-Aware Knowledge Graph Representation in Complex Space
Authors: Sun Ke , Yu Shuo , Peng Ciyuan , Wang Yueru , Alfarraj Osama , Tolba Amr , Xia Feng
Published: June 2022

Relations in knowledge graphs have rich relational structures and various binary relational patterns. Various relation modelling strategies are proposed for embedding knowledge graphs, but they fail to fully capture both features of relations, rich relational structures and various binary relational patterns. To address the problem of insufficient embedding due to the complexity of the relations, we propose a novel knowledge graph representation model in complex space, namely MARS, to exploit complex relations to embed knowledge graphs. MARS takes the mechanisms of complex numbers and message-passing and then embeds triplets into relation-specific complex hyperplanes. Thus, MARS can well preserve various relation patterns, as well as structural information in knowledge graphs. In addition, we find that the scores generated from the score function approximate a Gaussian distribution. The scores in the tail cannot effectively represent triplets. To address this particular issue and improve the precision of embeddings, we use the standard deviation to limit the dispersion of the score distribution, resulting in more accurate embeddings of triplets. Comprehensive experiments on multiple benchmarks demonstrate that our model significantly outperforms existing state-of-the-art models for link prediction and triple classification.
Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Harboring Aphrocallistes vastus Lectin Inhibits the Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Jiang Riqing , Qiu Yufeng , Zhang Xiaomei , Zhou Ningning , Jia Xiaoyuan , Chen Kan , Zhou Yanrong , Ye Ting , Li Gongchu
Published: June 2022

Oncolytic vaccinia virus has been developed as a novel cancer therapeutic drug in recent years. Our previous studies demonstrated that the antitumor effect of oncolytic vaccina virus harboring Aphrocallistes vastus lectin (oncoVV-AVL) was significantly enhanced in several cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of AVL that affect virus replication and promote the antitumor efficacy of oncolytic virus in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our results showed that oncoVV-AVL markedly exhibited antitumor effects in both hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and a xenograft mouse model. Further investigation illustrated that oncoVV-AVL could activate tumor immunity by upregulating the expression of type I interferons and enhance virus replication by inhibiting ISRE mediated viral defense response. In addition, we inferred that AVL promoted the ability of virus replication by regulating the PI3K/Akt, MAPK/ERK, and Hippo/MST pathways through cross-talk Raf-1, as well as metabolism-related pathways. These findings provide a novel perspective for the exploitation of marine lectins in oncolytic therapy.
Progress on Crowding Effect in Cell-like Structures
Authors: Li Chao , Zhang Xiangxiang , Dong Mingdong , Han Xiaojun
Published: June 2022

Several biological macromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides, occupy about 30% of the space in cells, resulting in a crowded macromolecule environment. The crowding effect within cells exerts an impact on the functions of biological components, the assembly behavior of biomacromolecules, and the thermodynamics and kinetics of metabolic reactions. Cell-like structures provide confined and independent compartments for studying the working mechanisms of cells, which can be used to study the physiological functions arising from the crowding effect of macromolecules in cells. This article mainly summarizes the progress of research on the macromolecular crowding effects in cell-like structures. It includes the effects of this crowding on actin assembly behavior, tubulin aggregation behavior, and gene expression. The challenges and future trends in this field are presented at the end of the paper.
Fabrication and Characterization of Orodispersible Composite Film from Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose-Crosslinked Carboxymethyl Rice Starch
Authors: Kittipongpatana Ornanong S. , Trisopon Karnkamol , Wattanaarsakit Phanphen , Kittipongpatana Nisit
Published: June 2022

Crosslinked carboxymethyl rice starch (CLCMRS), prepared via dual modifications of native rice starch (NRS) with chloroacetic acid and sodium trimetaphosphate, was employed to facilitate the disintegration of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) orodispersible films (ODFs), with or without the addition of glycerol. Fabricated by using the solvent casting method, the composite films, with the HPMC--LCMRS ratios of 9:1, 7:1, 5:1 and 4:1, were then subjected to physicochemical and mechanical evaluations, including weight, thickness, moisture content and moisture absorption, swelling index, transparency, folding endurance, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus, as well as the determination of disintegration time by using the Petri dish method (PDM) and slide frame and bead method (SFM). The results showed that HPMC-CLCMRS composite films exhibited good film integrity, uniformity, and transparency with up to 20% CLCMRS incorporation (4:1 ratio). Non-plasticized composite films showed no significant changes in the average weight, thickness, density, folding endurance (96–122), tensile strength (2.01–2.13 MPa) and Young’s modulus (10.28–11.59 MPa) compared to HPMC film (135, 2.24 MPa, 10.67 MPa, respectively). On the other hand, the moisture content and moisture absorption were slightly higher, whereas the elongation at break (EAB; 4.31–5.09%) and the transparency (4.73–6.18) were slightly lowered from that of the HPMC film (6.03% and 7.03%, respectively). With the addition of glycerol as a plasticizer, the average weight and film thickness increased, and the density decreased. The folding endurance was improved (to >300), while the transparency remained in the acceptable range. Although the tensile strength of most composite films decreased (0.66–1.75 MPa), they all exhibited improved flexibility (EAB 7.27–11.07%) while retaining structural integrity. The disintegration times of most composite films (PDM 109–331, SFM 70–214 s) were lower than those of HPMC film (PDM 345, SFM 229 s). In conclusion, the incorporation of CLCMRS significantly improved the disintegration time of the composite films whereas it did not affect or only slightly affected the physicochemical and mechanical characteristics of the films. The 5:1 and 4:1 HPMC:CLCMRS composite films, in particular, showed promising potential application as a film base for the manufacturing of orodispersible film dosage forms.
Carbothermic Reduction of Ilmenite Concentrate with Sodium Carbonate Additive to Produce Iron Granules and High Titania Containing Slag
Authors: Zulhan Zulfiadi , Dinillah Rifda , Yulianton Toto , Santoso Imam , Hidayat Taufiq
Published: June 2022

The influences of heating pattern and sodium carbonate addition on the carbothermic reduction of ilmenite concentrate have been experimentally studied. The experiments were carried out using isothermal–gradient temperature technique between 1000 °C and 1500 °C with different temperature profiles for a total reduction time between 110 and 160 min. The sodium carbonate was varied between 0 to 60 wt%. It was found that the temperature profile and sodium carbonate addition play an important role on the separation between metallic iron granule and titania rich slag. The optimum condition was achieved at initial and final reduction temperatures of 1300 °C and 1500 °C, respectively, with sodium carbonate addition of 30 wt%. At the optimum condition, the iron recovery was 97.1% and the solidified slag contained titanium pentoxide (Ti3O5), anatase (TiO2), and sodium titanium dioxide.
Quantitative Comparison of Statistical Methods for Analyzing Human Metabolomics Data
Authors: Henglin Mir , Claggett Brian L. , Antonelli Joseph , Alotaibi Mona , Magalang Gino Alberto , Watrous Jeramie D. , Lagerborg Kim A. , Ovsak Gavin , Musso Gabriel , Demler Olga V. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Larson Martin G. , Jain Mohit , Cheng Susan
Published: June 2022

Emerging technologies now allow for mass spectrometry-based profiling of thousands of small molecule metabolites (‘metabolomics’) in an increasing number of biosamples. While offering great promise for insight into the pathogenesis of human disease, standard approaches have not yet been established for statistically analyzing increasingly complex, high-dimensional human metabolomics data in relation to clinical phenotypes, including disease outcomes. To determine optimal approaches for analysis, we formally compare traditional and newer statistical learning methods across a range of metabolomics dataset types. In simulated and experimental metabolomics data derived from large population-based human cohorts, we observe that with an increasing number of study subjects, univariate compared to multivariate methods result in an apparently higher false discovery rate as represented by substantial correlation between metabolites directly associated with the outcome and metabolites not associated with the outcome. Although the higher frequency of such associations would not be considered false in the strict statistical sense, it may be considered biologically less informative. In scenarios wherein the number of assayed metabolites increases, as in measures of nontargeted versus targeted metabolomics, multivariate methods performed especially favorably across a range of statistical operating characteristics. In nontargeted metabolomics datasets that included thousands of metabolite measures, sparse multivariate models demonstrated greater selectivity and lower potential for spurious relationships. When the number of metabolites was similar to or exceeded the number of study subjects, as is common with nontargeted metabolomics analysis of relatively small cohorts, sparse multivariate models exhibited the most-robust statistical power with more consistent results. These findings have important implications for metabolomics analysis in human disease.
Genome Features and AntiSMASH Analysis of an Endophytic Strain Fusarium sp. R1
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Xu Meijie , Tang Yuqi , Shao Yilan , Wang Hong , Zhang Huawei
Published: June 2022

Endophytic fungi are one of the most prolific sources of functional biomolecules with therapeutic potential. Besides playing an important role in serious plant diseases, Fusarium strains possess the powerful capability to produce a diverse array of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs). In order to in-depth mine gene clusters for SM biosynthesis of the genus Fusarium, an endophytic strain Fusarium sp. R1 isolated from Rumex madaio Makino was extensively investigated by whole-genome sequencing and in-depth bioinformatic analysis, as well as antiSMASH annotation. The results displayed that strain R1 harbors a total of 51.8 Mb genome, which consists of 542 contigs with an N50 scaffold length of 3.21 Mb and 50.4% GC content. Meanwhile, 19,333 functional protein-coding genes, 338 tRNA and 111 rRNA were comprehensively predicted and highly annotated using various BLAST databases including non-redundant (Nr) protein sequence, nucleotide (Nt) sequence, Swiss-Prot, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), as well as Pathogen Host Interactions (PHI) and Carbohydrate-Active enzymes (CAZy) databases. Antibiotics and Secondary Metabolites Analysis Shell (AntiSMASH) results showed that strain R1 has 37 SM biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), including 17 nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), 13 polyketide synthetases (PKSs), 3 terpene synthases (Ts), 3 hybrid NRPS + PKS and 1 hybrid indole + NRPS. These findings improve our knowledge of the molecular biology of the genus Fusarium and would promote the discovery of new bioactive SMs from strain R1 using gene mining strategies including gene knockout and heteroexpression.
Editorial for the Special Issue on MEMS and Microfluidic Devices for Analytical Chemistry and Biosensing
Authors: Zampolli Stefano
Published: June 2022

The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has made the general public aware of the breakthrough technologies which were developed in recent years for state-of-the-art biosensing, and terms such as clinical specificity and sensitivity are now widely understood [...]
Comparative Evaluation of Antimicrobial, Antiamoebic, and Antiviral Efficacy of Ophthalmic Formulations
Authors: Caruso Ciro , Eletto Daniela , Tosco Alessandra , Pannetta Martina , Scarinci Fabio , Troisi Mario , Porta Amalia
Published: June 2022

The extensive use of ophthalmic antibiotics is contributing to the appearance of resistant bacterial strains, which require prolonged and massive treatments with consequent detrimental outcomes and adverse effects. In addition to these issues, antibiotics are not effective against parasites and viruses. In this context, antiseptics could be valuable alternatives. They have nonselective mechanisms of action preventing bacterial resistance and a broad spectrum of action and are also effective against parasites and viruses. Here, we compare the in vitro antibacterial, antiameobic, and antiviral activities of six ophthalmic formulations containing antiseptics such as povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, and thymol against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, and two respiratory viruses, HAdV-2 and HCoV-OC43. The results suggest that, among all the tested formulations, Dropsept, consisting of Vitamin E TPGS-based (tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate) in combination with the antiseptic chlorhexidine, is the one with the highest range of activities, as it works efficiently against bacteria, amoeba, and viruses. On the other hand, the solution containing PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and thymol showed a promising inhibitory effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes severe keratitis. Given its high efficiency, Dropsept might represent a valuable alternative to the widely used antibiotics for the treatment of ocular infections. In addition to this commercial eye drop solution, thymol-based solutions might be enrolled for their natural antimicrobial and antiamoebic effect.
Imaging Leishmania major Antigens in Experimentally Infected Macrophages and Dermal Scrapings from Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Lesions in Tunisia
Authors: Saïdi Nasreddine , Galaï Yousr , Ben-Abid Meriem , Boussoffara Thouraya , Ben-Sghaier Ines , Aoun Karim , Bouratbine Aïda
Published: June 2022

Leishmania major cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions are characterized by an intense process of parasite destruction and antigen processing that could limit microscopic amastigote detection. The aim of our study was to develop a direct immunofluorescence (DIF) assay for in situ visualization of L. major antigens and access its reliability in the routine diagnosis of CL. The developed DIF assay used IgG polyclonal antibodies produced in rabbits by intravenous injections of live L. major metacyclic promastigotes chemically coupled to fluorescein isothiocyanate. Applied to L. major infected RAW macrophages, corresponding macrophage-derived amastigotes and dermal scrapings from CL lesions, the immunofluorescence assay stained specifically Leishmania amastigotes and showed a diffuse Leishmania antigen deposit into cytoplasm of phagocytic cells. Reliability of DIF in CL diagnosis was assessed on 101 methanol-fixed dermal smears from 59 positive and 42 negative CL lesions diagnosed by direct microscopy and/or kDNA real-time PCR. Sensitivity and specificity of DIF was 98.3% and 100%, respectively, being more sensitive than microscopy (p < 0.001) and as sensitive as ITS1-PCR. ITS1-PCR-RFLP allowed Leishmania species identification in 56 out of the 58 DIF-positive smears, identifying 52 L. major, two L. infantum and two L. tropica cases, which indicates antigenic cross-reactivity between Leishmania species.
Ductile vs. Brittle Strain Localization Induced by the Olivine–Ringwoodite Transformation
Authors: Gasc Julien , Gardonio Blandine , Deldicque Damien , Daigre Clémence , Moarefvand Arefeh , Petit Léo , Burnley Pamela , Schubnel Alexandre
Published: June 2022

As it descends into the Earth’s mantle, the olivine that constitutes the lithosphere of subducting slabs transforms to its high-pressure polymorphs, wadsleyite and ringwoodite, in the so-called transition zone. These transformations have important rheological consequences, since they may induce weakening, strain localization, and, in some cases, earthquakes. In this study, germanium olivine (Ge-olivine) was used as an analogue material to investigate the rheology of samples undergoing the olivine–ringwoodite transformation. Ge-olivine adopts a ringwoodite structure at pressures ~14 GPa lower than its silicate counterpart does, making the transformation accessible with a Griggs rig. Deformation experiments were carried out in a new-generation Griggs apparatus, where micro-seismicity was recorded in the form of acoustic emissions. A careful analysis of the obtained acoustic signal, combined with an extensive microstructure analysis of the recovered samples, provided major insights into the interplay between transformation and deformation mechanisms. The results show that significant reaction rates cause a weakening via the implementation of ductile shear zones that can be preceded by small brittle precursors. When kinetics are more sluggish, mechanical instabilities lead to transformational faulting, which stems from the unstable propagation of shear bands localizing both strain and transformation. The growth of these shear bands is self-sustained thanks to the negative volume change and the exothermic nature of the reaction, and leads to dynamic rupture, as attested by the acoustic emissions recorded. These micro-earthquakes share striking similarities with deep focus earthquakes, which may explain several seismological observations such as magnitude frequency relations and the occurrence of deep repeating earthquakes and foreshocks.
Major and Trace-Element Chemistry of Cr-Spinel in Upper Mantle Xenoliths from East Antarctica
Authors: Andronikov Alexandre , Andronikova Irina , Pour Ondrej
Published: June 2022

Cr-spinels in the upper mantle peridotite xenoliths from two Late Mesozoic intrusions of alkaline-ultramafic rocks in Jetty Peninsula (East Antarctica) were studied in situ for their major and trace-element compositions by SEM and LA-ICP-MS. The upper mantle xenoliths were collected from the magmatic bodies “sampled” from different upper mantle domains. One domain was represented by mostly lherzolites (Cpx-poor Spl, Cpx-rich Spl and Spl-Grt) and another one by Spl harzburgites and dunites. Spinels occur as grains of different shapes, sizes and origins. Three main textural types of spinel were identified: primary spinel represented by clean homogeneous grains, a rim of recrystallization/resorption surrounding primary spinel grains and irregular interstitial resorbed grains. Primary spinels are characterized by the concentrations of Al2O3 21–51 wt%, MgO 15–20 wt%, FeO 10–24 wt% and Cr2O3 14–37 wt% with the Cr# of 0.16–0.54. Most trace elements are present in spinels in very low amounts. Only Ti, V, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn and Ga display concentrations in the range of tens to hundreds (up to thousands) ppm. Concentrations of other trace elements vary from below the detection limit to <10 ppm. Spinel major oxide and trace element features allowed the suggestion that the studied upper mantle peridotites represent both simple melt residues and residues strongly influenced by the MORB-like and the SSZ-related melts. The MORB-like melts may be related to the beginning of the Lambert–Amery rift system development, whereas SSZ-like melts could be related to reactivation of SSZ material buried during much earlier amalgamation of East Antarctica.
Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology
Authors: Gagné-Turcotte Roselyne , Reynier Nicolas , Larivière Dominic , Zagrtdenov Nail R. , Goulet Richard , Huntsman Philippa
Published: June 2022

Increasing variability in precipitation patterns is expected to result from climate change in Canada. This effect has the potential to affect the performances of saturated covers in inhibiting acid rock drainage (ARD) and metal leaching (ML) processes. Because ARD and ML may cause the release of deleterious chemical species into the environment, such climate-change-driven impact was investigated using trickle leach columns. The physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics of the tailings as well as chemical composition of the leachate were measured before and after the column study. Results from the experiment showed that higher variability in precipitation regimes could enhance leaching of uranium. Leaching ranged from 67.1 to 90.1% of the total amount of U, with greater values associated with higher variability in precipitation patterns. Lower water levels and prolonged drought periods led to higher oxygen fluxes to the U tailings and dissolution of carbonate-bearing minerals. The release of carbonates could have enhanced uranium leaching through the formation of stable uranium-carbonate complexes in solution. Overall, this study shows that water level variation caused by varying precipitation patterns can significantly affect the drainage chemistry of saturated cover systems for which the level fluctuates freely near the tailings–cover interface.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Phytochemical Components of Clinacanthus nutans
Authors: Ong Wei-Yi , Herr Deron R. , Sun Grace Y. , Lin Teng-Nan
Published: June 2022

Recent studies on the ethnomedicinal use of Clinacanthus nutans suggest promising anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, and antiviral properties for this plant. Extraction of the leaves with polar and nonpolar solvents has yielded many C-glycosyl flavones, including schaftoside, isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, and vitexin. Aside from studies with different extracts, there is increasing interest to understand the properties of these components, especially regarding their ability to exert anti-inflammatory effects on cells and tissues. A major focus for this review is to obtain information on the effects of C. nutans extracts and its phytochemical components on inflammatory signaling pathways in the peripheral and central nervous system. Particular emphasis is placed on their role to target the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-NF-kB pathway and pro-inflammatory cytokines, the antioxidant defense pathway involving nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1); and the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) pathway linking to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and production of eicosanoids. The ability to provide a better understanding of the molecular targets and mechanism of action of C. nutans extracts and their phytochemical components should encourage future studies to develop new therapeutic strategies for better use of this herb to combat inflammatory diseases.
Analytical Techniques Applied to the Study of Industrial Archaeology Heritage: The Case of Plaiko Zubixe Footbridge
Authors: Costantini Ilaria , Castro Kepa , Madariaga Juan Manuel , Arana Gorka
Published: June 2022

In this work, micro-Raman spectroscopy and micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (µ-EDXRF) were applied on microsamples taken from the Plaiko Zubixe footbridge (1927) located in Ondarroa (Basque Country, Spain) in order to investigate the original paint coating and make an evaluation of the conservation state before its restoration. Elemental and molecular images were acquired for the study of the compounds distribution. Some modern pigments such as phthalocyanine blue and green pigments, minium, calcium carbonate, Prussian blue, and hematite were identified. Barium sulfate and titanium dioxide were recognized as opacifier agents. Thanks to the study of the stratigraphies, it has been possible to determine the original paint layer, which includes lead white, ultramarine blue, carbon black, and barium sulfate. In addition, colorimetric analyses made it possible to know the CIELab values of the original layer in order to reproduce the original colour during the planned restoration work. The massive presence of chlorine detected by µ-EDXRF and the corrosion products of the rust layer, in particular akaganeite and hematite, highlighted the atmospheric impact in the conservation of the bridge because they were due to the effect of both marine aerosol and to the presence of acidic components in the environment coming from anthropogenic activity. This work demonstrated the usefulness of a scientific approach for the study of industrial archaeology heritage with the aim to contribute to its conservation and restoration.
Carboxymethyl Chitosan Modified Oxymatrine Liposomes for the Alleviation of Emphysema in Mice via Pulmonary Administration
Authors: Peng Jianqing , Cai Zimin , Wang Qin , Zhou Jia , Xu Jinzhuan , Pan Di , Chen Tingting , Zhang Guangqiong , Tao Ling , Chen Yi , Shen Xiangchun
Published: June 2022

Pulmonary emphysema is a fatal lung disease caused by the progressive thinning, enlargement and destruction of alveoli that is closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Oxymatrine (OMT), as a bioactive constituent of traditional Chinese herbal Sophora flavescens, has great potential to alleviate pulmonary emphysema via its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Pulmonary administration is the most preferable way for the treatment of lung diseases. To improve the in vivo stability and pulmonary retention of OMT, OMT-loaded liposome with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) modification was developed. The CMCS was modified on the surface of OMT liposomes via electrostatic attraction and covalent conjugation to obtain Lipo/OMT@CMCS and CMCS-Lipo/OMT, respectively. A porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-induced emphysema mice model was established to evaluate the alleviation effects of OMT on alveolar expansion and destruction. CMCS-modified liposomal OMT exhibited superior ameliorative effects on emphysema regardless of the preparation methods, and higher sedimentation and longer retention in the lung were observed in the CMCS-Lipo group. The mechanisms of OMT on emphysema were related to the downregulation of inflammatory cytokines and the rebalancing of antioxidant/oxidation via the Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB/IκB-α signaling pathways, leading to reduced cell apoptosis. Moreover, the OMT liposomal preparations further enhanced its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. In conclusion, pulmonary administration of OMT is a potential strategy for the treatment of emphysema and the therapeutic effects can be further improved by CMCS-modified liposomes.
Subcritical Water Enhanced with Deep Eutectic Solvent for Extracting Polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes and Their Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Zhang Jixian , Ye Zhiqiang , Liu Guoyan , Liang Li , Wen Chaoting , Liu Xiaofang , Li Youdong , Ji Tao , Liu Dongming , Ren Jiaoyan , Xu Xin
Published: June 2022

In the present study, subcritical water extraction (SWE) assisted with deep eutectic solvent (DES) is used to extract Lentinus edodes polysaccharides (LEP). In addition, the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide samples was also investigated. Based on a single factor test and response surface test, the optimal extraction factors were a liquid–solid solvent of 40:1 mL/g, extraction temperature of 147.23 °C, water content of 39.76% and extraction time of 17.58 min. Under these extraction conditions, the yield of LEP was 6.26 ± 0.08%. Compared with the SWE and hot water extraction (HWE), it improved by 19.24% and 17.01%, respectively. In addition, the results of monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, FT-IR, UV and SEM confirmed that the extracts had the features of polysaccharides. Interestingly, the polysaccharides obtained with the SWE assisted with the DES procedure showed a higher DPPH scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, which indicated that the polysaccharides with this method had a stronger antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrated that the SWE-assisted DES is a strong method to obtain polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes for food, biopharmaceutical and other industrial production.
Characterization of CM-398, a Novel Selective Sigma-2 Receptor Ligand, as a Potential Therapeutic for Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Wilson Lisa L. , Alleyne Amy R. , Eans Shainnel O. , Cirino Thomas J. , Stacy Heather M. , Mottinelli Marco , Intagliata Sebastiano , McCurdy Christopher R. , McLaughlin Jay P.
Published: June 2022

Sigma receptors modulate nociception, offering a potential therapeutic target to treat pain, but relatively little is known regarding the role of sigma-2 receptors (S2R) in nociception. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo analgesic and anti-allodynic activity and liabilities of a novel S2R selective ligand, 1-[4-(6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-2-yl)butyl]-3-methyl-1,3-dihydro-1,3-benzimidazol-2-one (CM-398). The inhibition of thermal, induced chemical, or inflammatory pain as well as the allodynia resulting from chronic nerve constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain were assessed in male mice. CM-398 dose-dependently (10–45 mg/kg i.p.) reduced mechanical allodynia in the CCI neuropathic pain model, equivalent at the higher dose to the effect of the control analgesic gabapentin (50 mg/kg i.p.). Likewise, pretreatment (i.p.) with CM-398 dose-dependently produced antinociception in the acetic acid writhing test (ED50 (and 95% C.I.) = 14.7 (10.6–20) mg/kg, i.p.) and the formalin assay (ED50 (and 95% C.I.) = 0.86 (0.44–1.81) mg/kg, i.p.) but was without effect in the 55 °C warm-water tail-withdrawal assay. A high dose of CM-398 (45 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited modest locomotor impairment in a rotarod assay and conditioned place aversion, potentially complicating the interpretation of nociceptive testing. However, in an operant pain model resistant to these confounds, mice experiencing CCI and treated with CM-398 demonstrated robust conditioned place preference. Overall, these results demonstrate the S2R selective antagonist CM-398 produces antinociception and anti-allodynia with fewer liabilities than established therapeutics, adding to emerging data suggesting possible mediation of nociception by S2R, and the development of S2R ligands as potential treatments for chronic pain.
Effect of Wearing Surgical Face Masks on Gas Detection from Respiration Using Photoacoustic Spectroscopy
Authors: Popa Cristina , Petrus Mioara , Bratu Ana Maria
Published: June 2022

Wearing surgical face masks is among the measures taken to mitigate coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission and deaths. Lately, concern was expressed about the possibility that gases from respiration could build up in the mask over time, causing medical issues related to the respiratory system. In this research study, the carbon dioxide concentration and ethylene in the breathing zone were measured before and immediately after wearing surgical face masks using the photoacoustic spectroscopy method. From the determinations of this study, the C2H4 was established to be increased by 1.5% after one hour of wearing the surgical face mask, while CO2 was established to be at a higher concentration of 1.2% after one hour of wearing the surgical face mask, when the values were correlated with the baseline (control).
Sonochemical-Assisted Biogenic Synthesis of Theophrasite β-Ni(OH)2 Nanocluster Using Chia Seeds Extract: Characterization and Anticancer Activity
Authors: Hassanin Hanaa A. , Taha Amel
Published: June 2022

Theophrasite β-Ni(OH)2 nanocluster were fabricated via the sonochemical-assisted biogenic method using chia seeds extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The optical and morphological feature of the synthesized nanocluster was characterized using UV-Vis, FTIR, FE-SEM-EDS, HR-TEM, DLS, XPS, and XRD analysis. According to FE-SEM and HR-TEM images of the synthesized materials, β-Ni(OH)2 nanocluster illustrates the hexagonal particle shape with an average size of 5.8 nm, while the EDS results confirm the high purity of the synthesized nanocluster. Moreover, the XRD pattern of the synthesized materials shows typical peaks that match the reference pattern of the Theophrasite form of β-Ni(OH)2 with a hexagonal crystal system. The XPS analysis illustrates that the prepared samples exhibit both Ni2+ and Ni3+ with the predominance of Ni2+ species. Additionally the in-vitro cytotoxic activity of β-Ni(OH)2 nanocluster is tested against the MCF7 cell lines (breast cancer cells). The MTT assay results proved that the synthesized β-Ni(OH)2 nanocluster has potent cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines (IC50: 62.7 μg/mL).
Reactive Oxygen Species Formed by Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Physiological Media—A Review of Reactions of Importance to Nanotoxicity and Proposal for Categorization
Authors: Kessler Amanda , Hedberg Jonas , Blomberg Eva , Odnevall Inger
Published: June 2022

Diffusely dispersed metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) can adversely affect living organisms through various mechanisms and exposure routes. One mechanism behind their toxic potency is their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) directly or indirectly to an extent that depends on the dose, metal speciation, and exposure route. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms of ROS formation associated with metal and metal oxide NPs and proposes a possible way forward for their future categorization. Metal and metal oxide NPs can form ROS via processes related to corrosion, photochemistry, and surface defects, as well as via Fenton, Fenton-like, and Haber–Weiss reactions. Regular ligands such as biomolecules can interact with metallic NP surfaces and influence their properties and thus their capabilities of generating ROS by changing characteristics such as surface charge, surface composition, dissolution behavior, and colloidal stability. Interactions between metallic NPs and cells and their organelles can indirectly induce ROS formation via different biological responses. H2O2 can also be generated by a cell due to inflammation, induced by interactions with metallic NPs or released metal species that can initiate Fenton(-like) and Haber–Weiss reactions forming various radicals. This review discusses these different pathways and, in addition, nano-specific aspects such as shifts in the band gaps of metal oxides and how these shifts at biologically relevant energies (similar to activation energies of biological reactions) can be linked to ROS production and indicate which radical species forms. The influences of kinetic aspects, interactions with biomolecules, solution chemistry (e.g., Cl− and pH), and NP characteristics (e.g., size and surface defects) on ROS mechanisms and formation are discussed. Categorization via four tiers is suggested as a way forward to group metal and metal oxide NPs based on the ROS reaction pathways that they may undergo, an approach that does not include kinetics or environmental variations. The criteria for the four tiers are based on the ability of the metallic NPs to induce Fenton(-like) and Haber–Weiss reactions, corrode, and interact with biomolecules and their surface catalytic properties. The importance of considering kinetic data to improve the proposed categorization is highlighted.
Special Issue “Nanomaterials for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications”
Authors: Ferraro Angelo
Published: June 2022

In the last few decades, biomedical and biotechnological researchers have turned their interest to nanocomposite materials [...]