bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the origin of low-density neutrophils
Authors: Hassani Marwan , Hellebrekers Pien , Chen Na , van Aalst Corneli , Bongers Suus , Hietbrink Falco , Koenderman Leo , Vrisekoop Nienke
Published: March 2020

Here we elaborate on the origin of low(er)-density neutrophils (LDNs) to better understand the variation found in literature. Supplemented with original data, we test the hypothesis that buoyant density of neutrophils is characterized by a spectrum that as a whole shifts to a lower density after activation. Both the 20% highest density (HDNs) and 20% lowest density (LDNs) neutrophils from healthy donors were isolated by Percoll of different densities. Using this method we found that LDNs were significantly better in T-cell suppression and bacterial containment than their 20% highest density counterparts. We found no statistically relevant differences in neutrophil survival or bacterial phagocytosis. Stimulation of healthy donor neutrophils with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine induced LDNs co-segregating with peripheral blood mononuclear cells after Ficoll separation. These in vitro induced LDNs showed increased activation markers compared to HDNs and were comparable to the activation markers found on the LDN fraction seen in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions such as present in cancer patients. This all fits with the hypothesis that the density of neutrophils is distributed in a spectrum partially coupled to maturation. Additionally a shift in this spectrum can be induced by in vitro stimulation or by activation in disease.
Unraveling the connection between eosinophils and obesity
Authors: Calco Gina N , Fryer Allison D , Nie Zhenying
Published: March 2020

Obesity affects more than 650 million adults worldwide and is a major risk factor for a variety of serious comorbidities. The prevalence of obesity has tripled in the past forty years and continues to rise. Eosinophils have recently been implicated in providing a protective role against obesity. Decreasing eosinophils exacerbates weight gain and contributes to glucose intolerance in high fat diet-induced obese animals, while increasing eosinophils prevents high-fat diet-induced adipose tissue and body weight gain. Human studies, however, do not support a protective role for eosinophils in obesity. More recent animal studies have also reported conflicting results. Considering these contradictory findings, the relationship between eosinophils and obesity may not be unidirectional. In this mini-review, we summarize a recent debate regarding the role of adipose tissue eosinophils in metabolic disorders, and discuss local and systemic effects of eosinophils in obesity. Given that adipose eosinophils play a role in tissue homeostasis, more research is needed to understand the primary function of adipose tissue eosinophils in their microenvironment. Therapeutic interventions that target eosinophils in adipose tissue may have the potential to reduce inflammation and body fat, while improving metabolic dysfunction in obese patients.
Keratinocyte: A trigger or an executor of psoriasis?
Authors: Ni Xinhui , Lai Yuping
Published: March 2020

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by abnormal proliferation/differentiation of keratinocytes and excessive immune cell infiltration in the dermis and epidermis. Over the past 2 decades, immune cells have been considered as the main driver of psoriasis because the neutralizing antibodies targeting the IL-23/IL-17 axis that regulates cross-talk between dendritic cells and T cells achieve tremendous success in the treatment of psoriasis. However, whether keratinocyte would be a driver of psoriasis or just an executor in response to immune cells is still under debate. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the identification of keratinocyte as a trigger of psoriasis, summarize on the role of keratinocytes in self-perpetuating loop to maintain inflammation in psoriasis, and then discuss the possible roles of keratinocytes in the relapse of psoriasis.
Radiomics Based on MRI as a Biomarker to Guide Therapy by Predicting Upgrading of Prostate Cancer From Biopsy to Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Zhang Gu‐mu‐yang , Han Yu‐qi , Wei Jing‐wei , Qi Ya‐fei , Gu Dong‐sheng , Lei Jing , Yan Wei‐gang , Xiao Yu , Xue Hua‐dan , Feng Feng , Sun Hao , Jin Zheng‐yu , Tian Jie
Published: March 2020

Background

Biopsy Gleason score (GS) is crucial for prostate cancer (PCa) treatment decision‐making. Upgrading in GS from biopsy to radical prostatectomy (RP) puts a proportion of patients at risk of undertreatment.

Purpose

To develop and validate a radiomics model based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp‐MRI) to predict PCa upgrading.

Study Type

Retrospective, radiomics.

Population

A total of 166 RP‐confirmed PCa patients (training cohort, n = 116; validation cohort, n = 50) were included.

Field Strength/Sequence

3.0T/T2‐weighted (T2W), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) sequences.

Assessment

PI‐RADSv2 score for each tumor was recorded. Radiomic features were extracted from T2W, ADC, and DCE sequences and Mutual Information Maximization criterion was used to identify the optimal features on each sequence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop predictive models and a radiomics nomogram and their performance was evaluated.

Statistical Tests

Student's t or chi‐square were used to assess the differences in clinicopathologic data between the training and validation cohorts. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.

Results

In PI‐RADSv2 assessment, 67 lesions scored 5, 70 lesions scored 4, and 29 lesions scored 3. For each sequence, 4404 features were extracted and the top 20 best features were selected. The radiomics model incorporating signatures from the three sequences achieved better performance than any single sequence (AUC: radiomics model 0.868, T2W 0.700, ADC 0.759, DCE 0.726). The combined mode incorporating radiomics signature, clinical stage, and time from biopsy to RP outperformed the clinical model and radiomics model (AUC: combined model 0.910, clinical model 0.646, radiomics model 0.868). The nomogram showed good performance (AUC 0.910) and calibration (P‐values: training cohort 0.624, validation cohort 0.294).

Data Conclusion

Radiomics based on mp‐MRI has potential to predict upgrading of PCa from biopsy to RP.

Level of Evidence

3

Technical Efficacy

Stage 5 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1239–1248.
Multielemental characterization of honey using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry fused with chemometrics
Authors: Voica Cezara , Iordache Andreea M. , Ionete Roxana E.
Published: March 2020

Honey is considered a desirable ingredient in a range of different foodstuffs because of its nutrient and therapeutic effect. The honey characteristics mainly depend on the type of vegetation visited by the bees and the climatic conditions in which the plants are growing. Therefore, the purity, floral and geographical origin and authenticity are important factors influencing the overall perception of honey and honey‐based products in terms of quality and price. An important parameter in this picture is the elemental composition of honey because it can be linked with the floral type of honey, floral plant density and the botanical origin of nectar and pollens. In this work, the concentration range variation of 18 elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, K, Pb, Sr, Ti, V and Zn) was investigated in four varieties of honey (linden, acacia, rape, and sunflower) originating from Romania, because the elemental profile of honey may give important information to differentiate its geographical and varietal origin for authenticity purpose. All the determinations were carried out by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP‐Q‐MS). The most abundant minerals decreased in the following order: K > Ca > Mg > Na, having the mean values of 248.70, 59.97, 20.54 and 11.92 mg kg−1, respectively. The mineral content marks the differences in honey samples from different botanical origin and can be used as a tool for authentication purposes and also extends its applicability to assess the traceability of honey. Analysis of variance showed the preliminary relationships between the elements and samples. Further, the discrimination between different studied honey samples was achieved by principal component analysis (PCA).

The multivariate analysis of the data allowed us to separate the honey samples into distinct groups according to their macroelement and microelement composition, emphasizing the origin of variation of element concentrations by honey type. Therefore, this approach might be potentially useful for the control of honey quality, origin or authenticity, and even to use the honey as environmental tracer.
Molecular dynamics simulation of the electron ionization mass spectrum of tabun
Authors: Chernicharo Francisco C.S. , Modesto‐Costa Lucas , Borges Itamar
Published: March 2020

Tabun (ethyl N,N‐dimethylphosphoramidocyanidate), or GA, is a chemical warfare nerve agent produced during the World War II. The synthesis of its analogs is rather simple; thus, it is a significant threat. Furthermore, experiments with tabun and other nerve agents are greatly limited by the involved life risks and the severe restrictions imposed by the Chemical Weapons Convention. For these reasons, accurate theoretical assignment of fragmentation pathways can be especially important. In this work, we employ the Quantum Chemistry Electron Ionization Mass Spectra method, which combines molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry methods, and stochastic approaches, to accurately investigate the electron ionization/mass spectrometry (EI/MS) fragmentation spectrum and pathways of the tabun molecule. We found that different rearrangement reactions occur including a McLafferty involving the nitrile group. An essential and characteristic pathway for identification of tabun and analogs, a two‐step fragmentation producing the m/z 70 ion, was confirmed. The present results will be also useful to predict EI/MS spectrum and fragmentation pathways of other members of the tabun family, namely, the O‐alkyl/cycloalkyl N,N‐dialkyl (methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, or propyl) phosphoramidocyanidates.
Coronavirus disease 2019: What we know?
Authors: He Feng , Deng Yu , Li Weina
Published: March 2020

In late December 2019, a cluster of unexplained pneumonia cases has been reported in Wuhan, China. A few days later, the causative agent of this mysterious pneumonia was identified as a novel coronavirus. This causative virus has been temporarily named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the relevant infected disease has been named as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) by the World Health Organization, respectively. The COVID‐19 epidemic is spreading in China and all over the world now. The purpose of this review is primarily to review the pathogen, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID‐19, but also to comment briefly on the epidemiology and pathology based on the current evidence.
Implementation of sparse recovery method with high‐resolution time‐frequency energy distributions for helicopter
Authors: Wang Yanqing , Yang Shuhui , Yin Hongcheng , Huo Chaoying
Published: March 2020

In this paper, an algorithm named the sparse Wigner‐Ville distribution (WVD) is applied for the time‐frequency analysis of signals. In this algorithm, the sampling for ambiguity function (AF) is regarded as a sparsity measurement of the WVD, and the Fourier transform matrix is treated as a sparsity redundant dictionary. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by using the liner frequency modulation and sinusoidal frequency modulation signals. Then the algorithm is employed to deal with the time‐frequency analysis of helicopters. The experiment results show that the time‐frequency images of helicopters obtained by utilizing this algorithm exhibit higher resolution without cross‐interference terms compared with that by WVD.
GDF15 promotes simultaneous astrocyte remodeling and tight junction strengthening at the blood–brain barrier
Authors: Malik Victoria A. , Zajicek Franziska , Mittmann Laura A. , Klaus Johannes , Unterseer Sandra , Rajkumar Sandeep , Pütz Benno , Deussing Jan M. , Neumann Inga D. , Rupprecht Rainer , Di Benedetto Barbara
Published: March 2020

Perivascular astrocyte processes (PAP) surround cerebral endothelial cells (ECs) and modulate the strengthening of tight junctions to influence blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Morphologically altered astrocytes may affect barrier properties and trigger the onset of brain pathologies. However, astrocyte‐dependent mediators of these events remain poorly studied. Here, we show a pharmacologically driven elevated expression and release of growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in rat primary astrocytes and cerebral PAP. GDF15 has been shown to possess trophic properties for motor neurons, prompting us to hypothesize similar effects on astrocytes. Indeed, its increased expression and release occurred simultaneously to morphological changes of astrocytes in vitro and PAP, suggesting modulatory effects of GDF15 on these cells, but also neighboring EC. Administration of recombinant GDF15 was sufficient to promote astrocyte remodeling and enhance barrier properties between ECs in vitro, whereas its pharmacogenetic abrogation prevented these effects. We validated our findings in male high anxiety‐related behavior rats, an animal model of depressive‐like behavior, with shrunk PAP associated with reduced expression of the junctional protein claudin‐5, which were both restored by a pharmacologically induced increase in GDF15 expression. Thus, we identified GDF15 as an astrocyte‐derived trigger of astrocyte process remodeling linked to enhanced tight junction strengthening at the BBB.
Determination of content of camel milk in adulterated milk samples by normalized real‐time polymerase chain reaction system based on single‐copy nuclear genes
Authors: Wang Zhiying , Li Tingting , Yu Wenjie , Qiao Lu , Liu Rui , Li Shanshan , Zhao Yan , Yang Shuming , Chen Ailiang
Published: March 2020

BACKGROUND

Compared with the traditional qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which only identifies the category of species, the quantitative PCR method provides a value, which is very important for appropriate penalty enforcement according to the extent of adulteration. However, most of the current quantitative PCR methods are based on mitochondrial genes, expressing different copy numbers in different cells and reducing the accuracy of quantitative results. In this study, single‐copy nuclear housekeeping genes, instead of multicopy mitochondrial genes, were selected as both camel species‐specific and reference genes to develop a novel normalized PCR system.

RESULTS

This system had an excellent linear correlation (R2 = 0.9614) between camel milk content and Ct ratio (specific/reference genes), and allowed quantitative determination of the content of camel milk in adulterated milk samples. The accuracy was effectively validated using simulated adulterated samples with recoveries ranging from 90% to 120% and coefficient of variation less than 10%, exhibiting sufficient parameters of trueness and precision.

CONCLUSIONS

The normalized PCR system based on single‐copy nuclear genes is a simple, rapid and reliable method for the determination of the content of camel milk in adulterated milk samples, and also provides technical support for appropriate penalty enforcement. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluating the provision of ecosystem services to support phytoremediation measures for countering soil contamination. A case‐study of the Guadiamar Green Corridor (SW Spain)
Authors: Blanco‐Velázquez Francisco J. , Pino‐Mejías Rafael , Anaya‐Romero María
Published: March 2020

Frequently, the plants used for the management of contaminated soil are those native to the area of action and provide a range of ecosystem services (ES). However, in many cases the sustainability of the afforestation planning and the provision of ES are not evaluated under scenarios of climate change (CC). In the present research work, we propose a fast‐track methodology for evaluating the potential distribution of forest species and provisioning of carbon sequestration under soil contaminated by trace elements. Furthermore, the effect of CC on the potential distribution was evaluated through the calibration of the Sierra model from MicroLEIS‐DSS. Seven tree species were selected due to their tolerance of soil contaminated by trace elements during the afforestation planning using the vegetation cover maps (1998–2013) of the Guadiamar Green Corridor. Additionally, compilation, standardization, and cluster process of soil database were applied following INSPIRE, EU‐HYDI, and JRC recommendations. Finally, the carbon sequestration rate of vegetation cover has been calculated according to IPCC methodology. The results show the loss of forest aptitude (Eucalyptus, P. pinea, P. alba, Quercus) under scenario of CC and decreasing of the ES provided. The proposed methodology could support the decision making to determine forest species suited for the regulation of contaminated soils and the provision of ES at spatiotemporal scales.
Sharing research with academia and beyond: Insights from early career researchers in Australia and Japan
Authors: Merga Margaret , Mason Shannon
Published: March 2020

Quality scholarly research outputs, such as peer reviewed journal articles published in reputable journals, are essential for early career researchers' (ECRs) vocational success while also offering benefits for their institutions. Research outputs destined for audiences beyond academia are also increasingly valued by funders, end users, and tertiary institutions. While there is an expectation that ECRs may create diverse research outputs for an array of audiences, the kinds of research output texts produced by ECRs for varied audiences warrants further investigation. In addition, the routes of dissemination that ECRs use to share their academic research outputs to secure impact beyond academia are not well understood. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews of 30 respondents in Australia and Japan, we explore the research‐sharing practices of ECRs, finding that ECRs may potentially create a wide range of research‐informed texts for end users beyond academia, using an array of methods for dissemination. The examples of the output text types and dissemination routes we provide in this paper can be used to inspire ECRs and also more senior academics to share their research more broadly, and perhaps more effectively, and can be used by publishers to improve research impact and support ECRs' research translation.
Multifunctional SEVA shuttle vectors for actinomycetes and Gram‐negative bacteria
Authors: García‐Gutiérrez Coral , Aparicio Tomás , Torres‐Sánchez Lucía , Martínez‐García Esteban , de Lorenzo Víctor , Villar Claudio J. , Lombó Felipe
Published: March 2020

Actinomycetales, such as the genus Streptomyces, are well‐known cell factories employed to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites for industrial use. However, not only is the genetic engineering of Streptomyces more complicated and tedious than other model laboratory species, such as Escherichia coli, there is also a considerable lack of genetic tools, hindering its adoption as a common chassis for synthetic biology. In this work, 23 novel shuttle vectors are presented that follow the canonical SEVA (Standard European Vector Architecture) common architecture with the goal of increasing the genetic toolbox repertoire for Streptomyces and other actinomycetes. The ORI module of these plasmids is composed of the combination of two origins of replication, one for Gram‐negative bacteria and the other for Streptomyces, a Gram‐positive bacteria. Origins of replication have been included in the collection for integrative, low‐copy number, and medium‐to‐high‐copy number vectors for Streptomyces. Also, a new selection marker has been developed that confers resistance to apramycin. The functionality of these plasmids was tested via the heterologous expression of GFP and the heterologous production of the plant flavonoid apigenin in Streptomyces albus J1074, with successful results in both cases, therefore expanding the current repertoire of genetic manipulation tools in Streptomyces species.
Investigation of 3D‐printed PLA–stainless‐steel polymeric composite through fused deposition modelling‐based additive manufacturing process for biomedical applications
Authors: Sakthivel Navin , Bramsch Jon , Voung Phi , Swink Isaac , Averick Saadyah , Vora Hitesh D.
Published: March 2020

Among the several 3D printing technologies, fused deposition modelling (FDM) is gaining popularity because it can fabricate geometrically complex shapes of polymeric bio‐implants at reasonable quality and cost mainly due to lower cost of FDM‐based 3D printers as well as the filament form of feedstock material. Particularly, to cater the need of cost‐effective biomedical applications, both poly(lactic) acid (PLA) and stainless‐steel materials individually displayed the biocompatibility for various biomedical applications. The pure polymeric components are generally lower in mechanical strength, but these limitations can be resolved by developing a polymer–metallic composite; therefore, the recently developed PLA–stainless‐steel composite was selected for the present work. This is new material and the current literature lacks in providing the necessary FDM processing parameters to obtain desired functional properties of PLA–stainless‐steel components with unaltered biocompatibility. Therefore, the objective here is to obtain the optimized processing parameters through the design of experiments that shows the desired functional properties of PLA–stainless‐steel specimens manufactured by FDM and later validate the structural strength through the tensile and impact tests. It was observed that the PLA–stainless‐steel composite has a toughness of 18 kJ/m2 and has an ultimate tensile strength of ~69 MPa at 45° and ~23 MPa at 90° raster orientation of the print. Biocompatibility of the PLA–stainless‐steel polymeric composite was assessed using pre‐osteoblast cells, and materials were found to have biocompatibility unchanged from pure PLA. Overall, it was proved from this work that the low‐cost desktop FDM printer can be numerically optimized using statistical analyses to fabricate the next‐generation biomaterials for biomedical implants with tailored dimensions and surface finish with required mechanical strength and biocompatibility.
New gender‐affirming practice offers co‐space business model
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: March 2020

A newly established therapeutic center in Maine is focusing its services on the LGBTQIA+ population along with developing a new business model that would involve other practitioners in similar practices. In addition to addressing the stigma this population often faces, the new practice is a way of honoring the work mental health and medical health providers have done for decades, its co‐owners say.
Transmutation operators and complete systems of solutions for the radial Schrödinger equation
Authors: Kravchenko Vladislav V. , Vicente‐Benítez Víctor A.
Published: March 2020

A transmutation operator
transmuting harmonic functions into solutions of the radial Schrödinger equation
is studied. The potential
is assumed to be continuously differentiable, and the Schrödinger equation is considered in a star‐shaped domain
(with
). Several new properties of the transmutation operator are established including the operator relation

valid on
functions and its boundedness on the Bergman space. A Fourier‐Jacobi series expansion of the integral transmutation kernel is derived, and with its aid, an infinite system of solutions of the radial Schrödinger equation is obtained, which is shown to be complete with respect to the uniform norm. Explicit construction of the system is derived. In the case of
being an open ball centered in the origin, the system of solutions represents an orthogonal basis of the corresponding Bergman space.
Slice regular functions of several octonionic variables
Authors: Ren Guangbin , Yang Ting
Published: March 2020

A slice theory of several octonionic variables is introduced in the article as a generalization of the holomorphic theory of several complex variables. Our new trick is to focus our attentions on some subset of
with the same complex structures. In our setting, the Bochner‐Martinelli formula and the Hartogs extension theorems are established for slice functions of several octonionic variables.
Exploring the Diversity of Sugar Compounds in Healthy, Prediabetic, and Diabetic Volunteers
Authors: Mack Carina I. , Ferrario Paola G. , Weinert Christoph H. , Egert Björn , Hoefle Anja S. , Lee Yu‐Mi , Skurk Thomas , Kulling Sabine E. , Daniel Hannelore
Published: March 2020

Scope

Diabetes is thought to primarily represent a disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism; however, population studies employing metabolomics have mainly identified plasma amino acids and lipids, or their products, as biomarkers. In this pilot study, the aim is to analyze a wide spectrum of sugar compounds in the fasting state and during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in healthy, prediabetic, and type 2 diabetic volunteers.

Methods and results

The three volunteer groups underwent a standard OGTT. Plasma samples obtained in the fasting state, 30 and 90 min after the OGTT, are subjected to a semitargeted GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) sugar profiling. Overall, 40 sugars are detected in plasma, of which some are yet unknown to change during an OGTT. Several sugars (e.g., trehalose) reveal significant differences between the volunteer groups both in fasting plasma and in distinct time courses after the OGTT. This suggests an endogenous production from orally absorbed glucose and/or an insulin‐dependent production/removal from plasma.

Conclusion

It is demonstrated that more sugars than expected can be found in human plasma. Since some of these show characteristic differences depending on health status, it may be worthwhile to assess their usability as biomarkers for diagnosing early‐stage insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Hybrid adversarial‐discriminative network for leukocyte classification in leukemia
Authors: Zhang Chuanhao , Wu Shangshang , Lu Zhiming , Shen Yajuan , Wang Jing , Huang Pu , Lou Jingjiao , Liu Cong , Xing Lei , Zhang Jian , Xue Jie , Li Dengwang
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Leukemia is a lethal disease that is harmful to bone marrow and overall blood health. The classification of white blood cell images is crucial for leukemia diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to classify white blood cells by extracting discriminative information from cell segmentation and combining it with the fine‐grained features. We propose a hybrid adversarial residual network with support vector machine (SVM), which utilizes the extracted features to improve the classification accuracy for human peripheral white cells.

Methods

Firstly, we segment the cell and nucleus by utilizing an adversarial residual network, which contains a segmentation network and a discriminator network. To extract features that can handle the inter‐class consistency problem effectively, we introduce the adversarial residual network. Then, we utilize convolutional neural network (CNN) features and histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) features, which can extract discriminative features from images of segmented cell nuclei. To utilize the representative features fully, a discriminative network is introduced to deal with neighboring information at different scales. Finally, we combine the vectors of HOG features with those of CNN features and feed them into a linear SVM to classify white blood cells into six types.

Results

We used three methods to evaluate the effect of leukocyte classification based on 5000 leukocyte images acquired from a local hospital. The first approach is to use the CNN features as the input of SVM to classify leukocytes, which achieved 94.23% specificity, 95.10% sensitivity, and 94.41% accuracy. The use of the HOG features for SVM achieved 83.50% specificity, 87.50% sensitivity, and 85.00% accuracy. The use of combined CNN and HOG features achieved 94.57% specificity, 96.11% sensitivity, and 95.93% accuracy.

Conclusions

We propose a novel hybrid adversarial‐discriminative network for the classification of microscopic leukocyte images. It improves the accuracy of cell classification, reduces the difficulty and time pressure of doctors’ work, and economizes the valuable time of doctors in daily clinical diagnosis.
NMR relaxometry of oil paint binders
Authors: Busse Franziska , Rehorn Christian , Küppers Markus , Ruiz Naira , Stege Heike , Blümich Bernhard
Published: March 2020

Mobile nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a flexible technique for nondestructive characterization of water in plants, the physical properties of polymers, moisture in porous walls, or the binder in paintings by relaxation measurements. NMR relaxation data report material properties and therefore can also help to characterize the state of tangible cultural heritage. In this work, we discuss the relaxation behavior in two series of naturally aged paint mock‐up samples. First, paints with different pigment concentrations were prepared and investigated in terms of the longitudinal and transverse relaxation‐time distributions. We document the evolution of both relaxation‐time distributions during the initial drying stage and demonstrate the heightened importance of transverse over longitudinal relaxation measurements. Second, we observe nonlinear dependences of the relaxation times on the pigment concentration in a typical oil binder. Third, in a study of naturally aged paint samples prepared in the years between 1914 and 1951 and subsequently aged under controlled conditions, we explore the possibility of determining the age of paintings using partial least square regression (PLS) by fitting T1–T2 data with the sample age. Our results suggest some correlation, albeit with significant scatter. Estimating the age of a painting stored under unknown conditions from NMR relaxation data is therefore not feasible, as the cumulative effects of light irradiation, humidity, and biological degradation further obfuscate the chemical and physical impact of aging on the relaxation times in addition to the impact of pigment concentration.
Magnetic resonance imaging of enhanced nerve repair with mesenchymal stem cells combined with microenvironment immunomodulation in neurotmesis
Authors: Yang Zehong , Zheng Chushan , Zhang Fang , Lin Binglin , Cao Minghui , Tian Xuwei , Zhang Jingzhong , Zhang Xiao , Shen Jun
Published: March 2020

Introduction

The immuno‐microenvironment of injured nerves adversely affects mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for neurotmesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used noninvasively to monitor nerve degeneration and regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate nerve repair after MSC transplantation combined with microenvironment immunomodulation in neurotmesis by using multiparametric MRI.

Methods

Rats with sciatic nerve transection and surgical coaptation were treated with MSCs combined with immunomodulation or MSCs alone. Serial multiparametric MRI examinations were performed over an 8‐week period after surgery.

Results

Nerves treated with MSCs combined with immunomodulation showed better functional recovery, rapid recovery of nerve T2, fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity values, and more rapid restoration of the fiber tracks than nerves treated with MSCs alone.

Discussion

Transplantation of MSCs in combination with immunomodulation can exert a synergistic repair effect on neurotmesis, which can be monitored by multiparametric MRI.
Shear wave elastography of the median nerve: A mechanical study
Authors: Schrier Verena J.M.M. , Lin Jason , Gregory Adriana , Thoreson Andrew R. , Alizad Azra , Amadio Peter C. , Fatemi Mostafa
Published: March 2020

Background

Shear wave elastography (SWE) shows promise in peripheral neuropathy evaluation but has potential limitations due to tissue size and heterogeneity. We tested SWE sensitivity to elasticity change and the effect of probe position in a median nerve cadaver model.

Methods

Ten specimens were used to measure median nerve elasticity under increasing loads using SWE and indentation. Measurements were compared using repeated‐measures analysis of variance.

Results

Indentation and SWE‐based longitudinal nerve elasticity increased with tensile loading (P< .01), showing a similar relationship. Acquisition in a transverse plane showed lower values compared with longitudinal measurements, mostly under higher loads (P= .03), as did postdissection elasticity (P= .02). Elasticity did not change when measured proximal to the carpal tunnel.

Conclusions

Longitudinal SWE is sensitive to changes in median nerve elasticity. Measuring elasticity of peripheral nerves noninvasively could elucidate intra‐neural pathology related to compression neuropathies, and proof to be of added value as a diagnostic or prognostic tool.
Predicting the development of overweight and obesity in children between 2.5 and 8 years of age: The prospective ABIS study
Authors: Duchen Karel , Jones Mike , Faresjö Åshild Olsen , Faresjö Tomas , Ludvigsson Johnny
Published: March 2020

Background

A relationship between overweight and obesity early in life and adolescence has been reported. The aim of this study was to track changes in overweight/obesity in children and to assess risk factors related to the persistence of overweight/obesity between 2.5 and 8 years.

Study design

Children who participated in all three follow‐ups at 2.5, 5 and 8 years in the prospective cohort All Children in Southeast Sweden (ABIS) (N = 2245, 52.1% boys and 47.9% girls) were classified as underweight, normal, overweight or with obesity, and changes within categories with age were related to risk factors for development of obesity in a multivariate analysis.

Results

The prevalence of overweight and obesity between 2.5 and 8 years was 11%–12% and 2%–3%, respectively. Children with normal weight remained in the same category over the years, 86% between 2.5 to 5 years and 87% between 5 and 8 years. Overweight and obesity at 5 and 8 years were positively related to each other (p < 0.0001 for both). High level of TV watching at 8 years and high maternal body mass index (BMI) when the child was 5 years were related to lower probability to a normalized ISO‐BMI between 5 and 8 years of age (p < 0.05 for both).

Conclusion

Children with ISO‐BMI 18.5 to 24.9 remain in that range during the first 8 years of life. Children with overweight early in life gain weight and develop obesity, and children with obesity tend to remain with obesity up to 8 years of age. TV watching and high maternal BMI were related to lower probability to weight normalization between 5 and 8 years of age. A multidisciplinary approach to promote dietary and physical activity changes in the entire family should be used for the treatment and prevention of overweight and obesity in early childhood.
Fabrication of highly filled wood plastic composite pallets with extrusion‐compression molding technique
Authors: Jiang Taijun , Zeng Guangsheng , Hu Can
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study was to fabricate highly filled wood plastic composite pallets with extrusion‐compression molding technique and investigate the effects of processing parameters on mechanical performance and production stability. The composites were blended in twin‐screw extruder and subsequently measured by weight with an electronic scale. Before compression, it was divided into pieces and rearranged in the cavities of compression mould according to the mass distribution. The effects of compression pressure and mould temperature on flexure strength, density, water absorption, and dimensional deviation were investigated. The results show that both the flexure strength and density of the pallets increased with compression pressure and remained higher than that of extruded deck when compression pressure exceeded 6.5 MPa. Water absorption and dimensional deviation decreased with compression pressure and remained lower than that of extruded deck after the compression pressure exceeded 6.0 MPa. Compression pressure could increase the final passed yield by improving the composite melt filling state and lowering the buckling deformation, but further increase above 6.7 MPa would result in a decline in final passed yield. Increase in mould temperature contributed to the production stability but an excessive value would extend the molding cycle. The insights gained from this study may be of assistance in optimizing extrusion‐compression processing parameters and expanding the application of highly filled wood plastic composites in complicated and irregular products.
A glimpse into the molecular mechanism of integral membrane proteins through hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry
Authors: Martens Chloe , Politis Argyris
Published: March 2020

Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) control countless fundamental biological processes and constitute the majority of drug targets. For this reason, uncovering their molecular mechanism of action has long been an intense field of research. They are, however, notoriously difficult to work with, mainly due to their localization within the heterogeneous of environment of the biological membrane and the instability once extracted from the lipid bilayer. High‐resolution structures have unveiled many mechanistic aspects of IMPs but also revealed that the elucidation of static pictures has limitations. Hydrogen–deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry (HDX‐MS) has recently emerged as a powerful biophysical tool for interrogating the conformational dynamics of proteins and their interactions with ligands. Its versatility has proven particularly useful to reveal mechanistic aspects of challenging classes of proteins such as IMPs. This review recapitulates the accomplishments of HDX‐MS as it has matured into an essential tool for membrane protein structural biologists.
Template‐based modeling and ab‐initio docking using CoDock in CAPRI
Authors: Kong Ren , Liu Ran‐Ran , Xu Xi‐Ming , Zhang Da‐Wei , Xu Xiao‐Shuang , Shi Hang , Chang Shan
Published: March 2020

Integration of template‐based modeling, global sampling and precise scoring is crucial for the development of molecular docking programs with improved accuracy. We combined template‐based modeling and ab‐initio docking protocol as hybrid docking strategy called CoDock for the docking and scoring experiments of the seventh CAPRI edition. For CAPRI rounds 38‐45, we obtained acceptable or better models in the top 10 submissions for eight out of the 16 evaluated targets as predictors, nine out of the 16 targets as scorers. Especially, we submitted acceptable models for all of the evaluated protein‐oligosaccharide targets. For the CASP13‐CAPRI experiment (round 46), we obtained acceptable or better models in the top 5 submissions for 10 out of the 20 evaluated targets as predictors, 11 out of the 20 targets as scorers. The failed cases for our group were mainly the difficult targets and the protein‐peptide systems in CAPRI and CASP13‐CAPRI experiments. In summary, this CAPRI edition showed that our hybrid docking strategy can be efficiently adapted to the increasing variety of challenges in the field of molecular interactions.
Effects of the Starch Types and the Grafting Conditions on the In Vitro Mucoadhesiveness of the Starch‐graft‐Poly(Methacrylic Acid) Hydrogels
Authors: Güler Mehmet Ali , Gök Mehmet Koray , Özgümüş Saadet
Published: March 2020

In the present study, grafting of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) onto various types of starches (maize; rice; wheat; potato) is realized in the aqueous media for the first time using methacrylic acid as monomer and ammonium cerium‐IV‐nitrate as initiator system. The effects of the gelatinization pretreatment and the use of a crosslinker in the grafting reactions are investigated. The formation of the starch‐graft‐poly(methacrylic acid) (S‐g‐PMAA) is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. The grafting amounts (GA%) of the S‐g‐PMAAs are determined. The swelling and the erosion characteristics of the S‐g‐PMAAs are examined in deionized water and pH = 5 lactate buffer solution as an in vitro vaginal medium. Mechanical and in vitro mucoadhesiveness of the S‐g‐PMAAs are also investigated using ewe vaginal mucosa. The results demonstrate that the gelatinization pretreatment and crosslinking significantly affect the GA% values, swelling, erosion, mechanical, and mucoadhesive characteristics of the S‐g‐PMAAs depending on the types of starches. S‐g‐PMAAs with different mechanical and reasonable mucoadhesiveness can be obtained by manipulating the grafting conditions and using various types of starches. It is concluded that S‐g‐PMAAs could be appropriate candidates for applications as vaginal drug delivery systems.
A Semi‐Empirical Model for Mass Transfer in Carbohydrate Polymers: A Case of Native Cassava Starch Hydration Kinetic in Hot Water Media
Authors: Matias Gustavo de Souza , Lermen Fernando Henrique , Gonçalves Karoline Yoshiko , Jorge Luiz Mario de Matos , Ribeiro José Luis Duarte , Coelho Tânia Maria
Published: March 2020

Despite several works in the literature that approach modifications of starch to obtain hydrophobic characteristics, few studies have the objective of understanding and modeling the mechanisms of water absorption in starch. This paper aims to determine the parameters of a model based on mass balance to represent the process of native cassava starch hydration. For that purpose, experimental data on the hydration of natural starch subject to different temperatures are collected. Next, a semi‐empirical model obtained by the differential balance of the amount of hot water in the sample is adjusted for each temperature, and model parameters are studied. Results reveal that the mass transfer constant of the model does not suffer from a significant influence of temperature on hydration. However, the equilibrium moisture content is affected by this temperature. Through this study, it is concluded that: i) the hydration of natural starch profile has a logarithmic behavior over time, and ii) the correlation that best describes the behavior of equilibrium moisture content is linear. Results allow the construction of a generalized model for the range of studied temperatures. Finally, it is suggested the replication of the methodology applied in this paper to analyze other starch modifications.
Evaluation of PMSG‐based drivetrain technologies for 10‐MW floating offshore wind turbines: Pros and cons in a life cycle perspective
Authors: Moghadam Farid K. , Nejad Amir R.
Published: March 2020

This paper presents an in depth evaluation and comparison of three different drivetrain choices based on permanent‐magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) technology for 10‐MW offshore wind turbines. The life cycle approach is suggested to evaluate the performance of the different under consideration drivetrain topologies. Furthermore, the design of the drivetrain is studied through optimized designs for the generator and gearbox. The proposed drivetrain analytical optimization approach supported by numerical simulations shows that application of gearbox in 10‐MW offshore wind turbines can help to reduce weight, raw material cost, and size and simultaneously improve the efficiency. The possibility of resonance with the first torsional natural frequency of drivetrain for the different designed drivetrain systems, the influence of gear ratio, and the feasibility of the application for a spar floating platform are also discussed. This study gives evidence on how gearbox can mitigate the torque oscillation consequences on the other components and how the latter can influence the reliability of drivetrain.
How Shenzhen, China pioneered the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in a major city: Implications for global implementation
Authors: Li Mengnan , Ye Haiyi , Liao Xiawei , Ji Junping , Ma Xiaoming
Published: March 2020

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is an important way to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The city of Shenzhen, in southern China, has focused on developing policies to encourage EV implementation over the past decade and now has the most EVs of any city in the world, including the largest e‐bus and e‐taxi fleets. This paper reviews Shenzhen's innovative incentive policies and business models with respect to the potential for other cities and regions to learn from the city's experiences. Subsidies for the purchase and use of EVs, the construction of charging facilities, and the provision of services followed an inverse U‐shaped trend that initially rose to encourage early adoption before decreasing as the market matured. Additional incentives included preferential vehicle licensing, parking privileges, and road access. Furthermore, the city adopted a business model that incentivized cooperation between third‐party financial institutions, EV manufacturers, and charging facility operators to reduce the initial financial burden and risk of EV adoption by pooling purchasing power through leasing and vehicle sharing while disassociating vehicle and battery maintenance. Although Shenzhen's experience has unique aspects that cannot easily be replicated, such as a strong financial position of the government, it offers two important lessons for other cities around the globe: (a) incentivize the whole EV value chain in order to avoid bottlenecks and (b) use innovative business models that mobilize both public and private resources by distributing both risks and rewards.

This article is categorized under:

Energy and Transport > Economics and Policy

Energy and Transport > Economics and Policy

Energy Research and Innovation > Climate and Environment
Addendum to: Continuum limit Tonks-Girardeau matrix elements. Part I. The ground state and the uniform density state
Authors: Evslin Jarah , Mohammed Hosam , Liu Hui , Zhou Yao
Published: March 2020

The author Hosam Mohammed is affiliated to Physics Department, Beni Suef University, Beni Suef, 62514 Egypt
Renormalization group effects in dark matter interactions
Authors: Bishara Fady , Brod Joachim , Grinstein Benjamin , Zupan Jure
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We present a renormalization-group (RG) analysis of dark matter interactions with the standard model, where dark matter is allowed to be a component of an electroweak multiplet, and has a mass at or below the electroweak scale. We consider, in addition to the gauge interactions, the complete set of effective operators for dark matter interactions with the standard model above the weak scale, up to and including mass dimension six. We calculate the RG evolution of these operators from the high scale Λ down to the weak scale, and perform the matching to the tower of effective theories below the weak scale. We also summarize the RG evolution below the weak scale and the matching to the nonrelativistic nuclear interactions. We present several numerical examples and show that in certain cases the dark matter — nucleus scattering rate can change by orders of magnitude when the electroweak running is included.