bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Economic Growth, Environmental Pollution, and Energy Consumption on Health Expenditure and R&D Expenditure of ASEAN Countries
Authors: Haseeb Muhammad , Kot Sebastian , Hussain Hafezali , Jermsittiparsert Kittisak
Published: September 2019

The purpose of the current study was to examine the determinants of R&D expenditure and health expenditure of ASEAN countries. The research objectives were developed to analyze the short-term as well as the long-term impact of economic growth, environmental pollution, and energy consumption on health and R&D expenditures. The data was collected for ten years for ASEAN countries using the Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach, which helped the researcher to assess long-run as well as the short-run association of these variables. The findings revealed that environmental pollution, energy consumption, and economic growth had a significant positive impact on health expenditure as well as on R&D expenditure of ASEAN countries in long-run. The findings further revealed that environmental pollution and economic growth had a significant impact on R&D expenditure in short-run; however, there was no significant impact of energy consumption on R&D expenditure in short-run. It was also found that there was no significant impact of any of the independent variables, i.e., energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental pollution, on health expenditure in short-run. The current study and findings have significant implications in theory and practice.
Forecasting Daily Crude Oil Prices Using Improved CEEMDAN and Ridge Regression-Based Predictors
Authors: Li Taiyong , Zhou Yingrui , Li Xinsheng , Wu Jiang , He Ting
Published: September 2019

As one of the leading types of energy, crude oil plays a crucial role in the global economy. Understanding the movement of crude oil prices is very attractive for producers, consumers and even researchers. However, due to its complex features of nonlinearity and nonstationarity, it is a very challenging task to accurately forecasting crude oil prices. Inspired by the well-known framework “decomposition and ensemble” in signal processing and/or time series forecasting, we propose a new approach that integrates the improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN), differential evolution (DE) and several types of ridge regression (RR), namely, ICEEMDAN-DE-RR, for more accurate crude oil price forecasting in this paper. The proposed approach consists of three steps. First, we use the ICEEMDAN to decompose the complex daily crude oil price series into several relatively simple components. Second, ridge regression or kernel ridge regression is employed to forecast each decomposed component. To enhance the accuracy of ridge regression, DE is used to jointly optimize the regularization item, the weights and parameters of each single kernel for each component. Finally, the predicted results of all components are aggregated as the final predicted results. The publicly available West Texas Intermediate (WTI) daily crude oil spot prices are used to validate the performance of the proposed approach. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can achieve better performance than some state-of-the-art approaches in terms of several evaluation criteria, demonstrating that the proposed ICEEMDAN-DE-RR is very promising for daily crude oil price forecasting.
Substrate Preference Determines Macrofungal Biogeography in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region
Authors: Ye Lei , Li Huili , Mortimer Peter E. , Xu Jianchu , Gui Heng , Karunarathna Samantha C. , Kumar Amit , Hyde Kevin D. , Shi Lingling
Published: September 2019

The availability and the quality of substrates are important drivers of macrofungal biogeography, and thus macrofungal species occurrence is potentially dependent on the availability of different substrates. However, few studies have explored the properties of macrofungal substrates and assessed the relationship between macrofungal diversity and substrate diversity at a landscape level. To address this issue, we conducted a landscape-scale survey of basidiocarp substrates in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). A total of 957 macrofungal species distributed across 73 families and 189 genera were collected. Substrates of these macrofungi were categorized into four main groups (namely, litter, soil, root, and rare substrates) and referenced into 14 sub-substrate types (such as branches, leaves, and fruit). The results revealed that 50% of the observed macrofungal species were symbiotrophs living in ectomycorrhizal association with plant hosts, 30% were saprotrophs decomposing plant litter, 15% lived in soil organic matter, and 5% lived in rare substrates. The most abundant root symbiotic fungi were members of Russula, whereas most litter saprotrophic fungi belonged to Marasmius. Macrofungi commonly favored a single substrate. This specificity was not affected by changes in vegetation or climate. Less than 1% of macrofungi (e.g., Marasmius aff. maximus) could live on multiple substrates. Most of these unusual macrofungi were characterized as highly mobile and were generally found in successional areas. In secondary forests, our survey indicated that significant correlations exist between substrate preference and taxonomic diversity, reflected as higher substrate diversity generally accompanied by higher macrofungal diversity. In conclusion, substrate preference is an important factor driving macrofungal composition and distribution in the GMS. Macrofungi that thrive on multiple substrates constitute pioneer groups that have an important role in establishing macrofungal communities in new habitats. These observations have furthered our understanding of how substrate preferences could explain macrofungal biogeography.
Genome Survey Sequencing of Betula platyphylla
Authors: Wang Sui , Chen Su , Liu Caixia , Liu Yi , Zhao Xiyang , Yang Chuanping , Qu Guan-Zheng
Published: September 2019

Research Highlights: A rigorous genome survey helped us to estimate the genomic characteristics, remove the DNA contamination, and determine the sequencing scheme of Betula platyphylla. Background and Objectives: B. platyphylla is a common tree species in northern China that has high economic and medicinal value. However, there is a lack of complete genomic information for this species, which severely constrains the progress of relevant research. The objective of this study was to survey the genome of B. platyphylla and determine the large-scale sequencing scheme of this species. Materials and Methods: Next-generation sequencing was used to survey the genome. The genome size, heterozygosity rate, and repetitive sequences were estimated by k-mer analysis. After preliminary genome assembly, sequence contamination was identified and filtered by sequence alignment. Finally, we obtained sterilized plantlets of B. platyphylla by plant tissue culture, which can be used for third-generation sequencing. Results: We estimated the genome size to be 432.9 Mb and the heterozygosity rate to be 1.22%, with repetitive sequences accounting for 62.2%. Bacterial contamination was observed in the leaves taken from the field, and most of the contaminants may be from the genus Mycobacterium. A total of 249,784 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were also identified in the B. platyphylla genome. Among the SSRs, only 11,326 can be used as candidates to distinguish the three Betula species. Conclusions: The B. platyphylla genome is complex and highly heterozygous and repetitive. Higher-depth third-generation sequencing may yield better assembly results. Sterilized plantlets can be used for sequencing to avoid contamination.
The Effect of Recreation in a Snow-Covered Forest Environment on the Psychological Wellbeing of Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Bielinis Ernest , Łukowski Adrian , Omelan Aneta , Boiko Sergii , Takayama Norimasa , Grebner Donald L.
Published: September 2019

Forest recreation can be successfully conducted for the purpose of psychological relaxation, as has been proven in previous scientific studies. During the winter in many countries, when snow cover occurs frequently, forest recreation (walking, relaxation, photography, etc.) is common. Nevertheless, whether forest therapy conducted in a forest environment with a snow cover will also have a positive effect on psychological indicators remains unknown. Furthermore, male subjects frequently participate in forest therapy experiments, whereas females are rarely involved. Thus, in this study, the effectuality of forest recreation during winter and with snow cover was tested on 32 young females. For these reasons, the experiment involved 15 min periods of relaxation in a forest environment or in an urban street environment, in addition to a pre-test under indoor conditions (randomized controlled study). Four psychological questionnaires Profile of Mood States (POMS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Restorative Outcome Scale (ROS), Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS)) were administered to participants before and after interventions. Results showed that participants’ levels of negative mood, as measured by different aspects of the POMS questionnaire (tension/anxiety, anger/hostility, depression/dejection, confusion, and fatigue), decreased after exposure to the forest environment. In contrast, both tension/anxiety and anger/hostility increased in the urban street environment. The indicator of negative affect from the PANAS questionnaire also increased after exposure to the urban street environment, whereas the indicator of positive affect based on PANAS was higher in the forest environment than in the urban street environment. Restorativeness and subjective vitality exhibited higher values after exposure to the forest environment in comparison to those from the control and pre-test. The changes in these indicators demonstrate that forest recreation in the snow during winter can significantly increase psychological relaxation in females, as well as show that recreation can be successfully conducted under these winter conditions.
A Novel Air Quality Early-Warning System Based on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Mo Xinyue , Zhang Lei , Li Huan , Qu Zongxi
Published: September 2019

The problem of air pollution is a persistent issue for mankind and becoming increasingly serious in recent years, which has drawn worldwide attention. Establishing a scientific and effective air quality early-warning system is really significant and important. Regretfully, previous research didn’t thoroughly explore not only air pollutant prediction but also air quality evaluation, and relevant research work is still scarce, especially in China. Therefore, a novel air quality early-warning system composed of prediction and evaluation was developed in this study. Firstly, the advanced data preprocessing technology Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (ICEEMDAN) combined with the powerful swarm intelligence algorithm Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and the efficient artificial neural network Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) formed the prediction model. Then the predictive results were further analyzed by the method of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation, which offered intuitive air quality information and corresponding measures. The proposed system was tested in the Jing-Jin-Ji region of China, a representative research area in the world, and the daily concentration data of six main air pollutants in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang for two years were used to validate the accuracy and efficiency. The results show that the prediction model is superior to other benchmark models in pollutant concentration prediction and the evaluation model is satisfactory in air quality level reporting compared with the actual status. Therefore, the proposed system is believed to play an important role in air pollution control and smart city construction all over the world in the future.
Factors Associated with Single-Use and Co-Use of Tobacco and Alcohol: A Multinomial Modeling Approach
Authors: Noh Jin-Won , Kim Kyoung-Beom , Cheon Jooyoung , Lee Yejin , Yoo Ki-Bong
Published: September 2019

Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption are among the most important public health concerns not only in South Korea but also globally. This study identified the factors associated with single-use and co-use of tobacco and alcohol in Korean adults and provided more accurate estimates using a multinomial modeling approach. This study used the Korea Community Health Survey Data 2017, of which 205,336 respondents were selected as the sample for a multinomial logistic regression analysis. For the group that identified as only drinking monthly compared to the reference group, we found that the direction of the following factors was opposite to that of the results of the only currently smoking group: Age, marital status, educational level, monthly household income, occupation, obesity, self-rated health, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. For the currently smoking and drinking monthly group relative to the reference group, the overall direction was a mix of the results of only currently smoking and only drinking monthly. These findings support the development of policies that consider the risk of smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol simultaneously.
Confidence in Health-Services Availability during Disasters and Emergency Situations—Does it Matter?—Lessons Learned from an Israeli Population Survey
Authors: Cohen Odeya , Shapira Stav , Aharonson-Daniel Limor , Shamian Judith
Published: September 2019

The association between health and community resilience is well established in the literature. However, maintaining continuity of healthcare services during emergencies, and their contribution in the context of community resiliency have not been sufficiently studied. This study aims to explore the relationship between the public’s confidence in the availability of healthcare services during and following emergencies, and community resilience. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3478 Israeli adults, using the Conjoint Community Resilience Assessment Measurement (CCRAM) tool. Associations between confidence in health services availability during emergencies, socio-demographic variables, and community resilience as measured by the CCRAM score were analyzed. The results revealed that confidence in the availability of health services positively correlated with community resilience score (r(3377) = 0.580, p < 0.001), and that it contributed significantly to increasing resilience (OR = 2.67, 95% CI (2.4–2.9), p < 0.001). Maintaining continuity of healthcare services during emergencies has effects beyond the provision of medical treatment. For instance, the confidence of the population in the availability of these services contributes to community resilience. In turn, this finding can be translated into practical resilience building actions and to facilitate community health.
Increased Risks of Suicide Attempt and Suicidal Drug Overdose Following Admission for Head Injury in Patients with Depression
Authors: Harnod Dorji , Harnod Tomor , Lin Cheng-Li , Shen Wei-Chih , Kao Chia-Hung
Published: September 2019

Aims: To determine the risks of suicide attempt (SA) and suicidal drug overdose (SDO) following the admission for head injury of patients with depression. Design: We analyzed the NHIRD data of patients aged ≥20 years who had received depression diagnoses between 2000 and 2010. They were divided into cohorts of those with admission for head injury (DHI) and those without it (DWI) during the follow-up period and compared against a sex-, age-, comorbidity-, and index-date-matched cohort from the general population. Setting: The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Participants/Cases: We analyzed the NHIRD data of patients (≥20 years) who had received depression diagnoses between 2000 and 2010. Intervention(s): Regular interventions. Measurements: We calculated the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of SA and SDO in these cohorts after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities. Findings: Up to the end of 2011, our results revealed extremely high incidences of SA and SDO with 63.3 and 88.6 per 10,000 person-years, respectively, in the DHI cohort. The DHI cohort had a 37.4-times higher risk for SA and a 17.1-times higher risk for SDO compared with the comparison group and had aHRs of 14.4 and 16.3, respectively, for poisoning by medicinal substances and poisoning by tranquilizers compared with patients in the DWI cohort. Patients with DHI aged <50 years, of female sex, with high incomes, living in more urbanized areas, and without other comorbidities had extraordinarily higher risks for SA. Conclusions: The risks of SA and SDO were proportionally increased by head injury in patients with depression in Taiwan. Our findings provide crucial information to implement efficient suicide prevention strategies in the future.
Hospitalization Costs and Financial Burden on Families with Children with Depression: A Cross-Section Study in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Guo Yawei , Sun Jingjie , Hu Simeng , Nicholas Stephen , Wang Jian
Published: September 2019

Background: Depression, one of the most frequent mental disorders, affects more than 350 million people of all ages worldwide, with China facing an increased prevalence of depression. Childhood depression is on the rise; globally, and in China. This study estimates the hospitalization costs and the financial burden on families with children suffering from depression and recommends strategies both to improve the health care of children with depression and to reduce their families’ financial burden. Methods: The data were obtained from the hospitalization information system of 297 general hospitals in six regions of Shandong Province, China. We identified 488 children with depression. The information on demographics, comorbidities, medical insurance, hospitalization costs and insurance reimbursements were extracted from the hospital’s information systems. Descriptive statistics were presented, and regression analyses were conducted to explore the factors associated with hospitalization costs. STATA14 software was used for analysis. Results: The mean age of children with depression was 13.46 ± 0.13 years old. The availability of medical insurance directly affected the hospitalization costs of children with depression. The children with medical insurance had average total hospitalization expenses of RMB14528.05RMB (US$2111.91) and length of stay in hospital of 38.87 days compared with the children without medical insurance of hospital with expenses of RMB10825.55 (US$1573.69) and hospital stays of 26.54 days. Insured children’s mean out-of-pocket expenses (6517.38RMB) was lower than the those of uninsured children (RMB10825.55 or US$1573.69), significant at 0.01 level. Insured children incurred higher treatment costs, drug costs, bed fees, check-up fees, test costs and nursing fees than uninsured patients (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Children suffering from depression with medical insurance had higher hospitalization costs and longer hospitalization stays than children without medical insurance. While uninsured inpatients experienced larger out-of-pocket costs than insured patients, out-of-pocket hospital expenses strained all family budgets, pushing many, especially low-income, families into poverty—insured or uninsured. The different hospital cost structures for drugs, treatment, bed fees, nursing and other costs, between insured and uninsured children with depression, suggest the need for further investigations of treatment regimes, including over-demand by parents for treatment of their children, over-supply of treatment by medical staff and under-treatment of uninsured patients. We recommend more careful attention paid to diagnosing depression in girls and further reform to China’s health insurance schemes—especially to allow migrant families to gain basic medical insurance.
The Cooperative Induction of CCL4 in Human Monocytic Cells by TNF-α and Palmitate Requires MyD88 and Involves MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathways
Authors: Sindhu Sardar , Kochumon Shihab , Shenouda Steve , Wilson Ajit , Al-Mulla Fahd , Ahmad Rasheed
Published: September 2019

Chronic low-grade inflammation, also known as metabolic inflammation, is a hallmark of obesity and parallels with the presence of elevated circulatory levels of free fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. CCL4/MIP-1β chemokine plays a key role in the adipose tissue monocyte recruitment. Increased circulatory levels of TNF-α, palmitate and CCL4 are co-expressed in obesity. We asked if the TNF-α/palmitate could interact cooperatively to augment the CCL4 production in human monocytic cells and macrophages. THP-1 cells/primary macrophages were co-treated with TNF-α/palmitate and CCL4 mRNA/protein expression was assessed using qRT-PCR/ELISA. TLR4 siRNA, a TLR4 receptor-blocking antibody, XBlue™-defMyD cells and pathway inhibitors were used to decipher the signaling mechanisms. We found that TNF-α/palmitate co-stimulation augmented the CCL4 expression in monocytic cells and macrophages compared to controls (p < 0.05). TLR4 suppression or neutralization abrogated the CCL4 expression in monocytic cells. Notably, CCL4 cooperative induction in monocytic cells was: (1) Markedly less in MyD88-deficient cells, (2) IRF3 independent, (3) clathrin dependent and (4) associated with the signaling mechanism involving ERK1/2, c-Jun, JNK and NF-κB. In conclusion, TNF-α/palmitate co-stimulation promotes the CCL4 expression in human monocytic cells through the mechanism involving a TLR4-MyD88 axis and MAPK/NF-κB pathways. These findings unravel a novel mechanism of the cooperative induction of CCL4 by TNF-α and palmitate which could be relevant to metabolic inflammation.
Royal Jelly and Its Components Promote Healthy Aging and Longevity: From Animal Models to Humans
Authors: Kunugi Hiroshi , Mohammed Ali Amira
Published: September 2019

Aging is a natural phenomenon that occurs in all living organisms. In humans, aging is associated with lowered overall functioning and increased mortality out of the risk for various age-related diseases. Hence, researchers are pushed to find effective natural interventions that can promote healthy aging and extend lifespan. Royal jelly (RJ) is a natural product that is fed to bee queens throughout their entire life. Thanks to RJ, bee queens enjoy an excellent reproductive function and lengthened lifespan compared with bee workers, despite the fact that they have the same genome. This review aimed to investigate the effect of RJ and/or its components on lifespan/healthspan in various species by evaluating the most relevant studies. Moreover, we briefly discussed the positive effects of RJ on health maintenance and age-related disorders in humans. Whenever possible, we explored the metabolic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms through which RJ can modulate age-related mechanisms to extend lifespan. RJ and its ingredients—proteins and their derivatives e.g., royalactin; lipids e.g., 10-hydroxydecenoic acid; and vitamins e.g., pantothenic acid—improved healthspan and extended lifespan in worker honeybees Apis mellifera, Drosophila Melanogaster flies, Gryllus bimaculatus crickets, silkworms, Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes, and mice. The longevity effect was attained via various mechanisms: downregulation of insulin-like growth factors and targeting of rapamycin, upregulation of the epidermal growth factor signaling, dietary restriction, and enhancement of antioxidative capacity. RJ and its protein and lipid ingredients have the potential to extend lifespan in various creatures and prevent senescence of human tissues in cell cultures. These findings pave the way to inventing specific RJ anti-aging drugs. However, much work is needed to understand the effect of RJ interactions with microbiome, diet, activity level, gender, and other genetic variation factors that affect healthspan and longevity.
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor and Ionizing Radiation in High Grade Glioma Cell Lines
Authors: Alexandru Oana , Sevastre Ani-Simona , Castro Juan , Artene Stefan-Alexandru , Tache Daniela Elise , Purcaru Oana Stefana , Sfredel Veronica , Tataranu Ligia Gabriela , Dricu Anica
Published: September 2019

Treatment of high grade gliomas (HGGs) has remained elusive due to their high heterogeneity and aggressiveness. Surgery followed by radiotherapy represents the mainstay of treatment for HGG. However, the unfavorable location of the tumor that usually limits total resection and the resistance to radiation therapy are the major therapeutic problems. Chemotherapy with DNA alkylating agent temozolomide is also used to treat HGG, despite modest effects on survival. Disregulation of several growth factor receptors (GFRs) were detected in HGG and receptor amplification in glioblastoma has been suggested to be responsible for heterogeneity propagation through clonal evolution. Molecularly targeted agents inhibiting these membrane proteins have demonstrated significant cytotoxicity in several types of cancer cells when tested in preclinical models. Platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs) and associated signaling were found to be implicated in gliomagenesis, moreover, HGG commonly display a Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) autocrine pathway that is not present in normal brain tissues. We have previously shown that both the susceptibility towards PDGFR and the impact of the PDGFR inactivation on the radiation response were different in different HGG cell lines. Therefore, we decided to extend our investigation, using two other HGG cell lines that express PDGFR at the cell surface. Here, we investigated the effect of PDGFR inhibition alone or in combination with gamma radiation in 11 and 15 HGG cell lines. Our results showed that while targeting the PDGFR represents a good means of treatment in HGG, the combination of receptor inhibition with gamma radiation did not result in any discernable difference compared to the single treatment. The PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways are the major signaling pathways emerging from the GFRs, including PDGFR. Decreased sensitivity to radiation-induced cell death are often associated with redundancy in these pro-survival signaling pathways. Here we found that Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), Extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), or c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2) inactivation induced radiosensitivity in HGG cells.
A New Approach for the Fabrication of Cytocompatible PLLA-Magnetite Nanoparticle Composite Scaffolds
Authors: Díaz Esperanza , Valle María Blanca , Ribeiro Sylvie , Lanceros‑Mendez Senentxu , Barandiarán José Manuel
Published: September 2019

Magnetic biomimetic scaffolds of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and nanoparticles of magnetite (nFe3O4) are prepared in a wide ratio of compositions by lyophilization for bone regeneration. The magnetic properties, cytotoxicity, and the in vitro degradation of these porous materials are closely studied. The addition of magnetite at 50 °C was found to produce an interaction reaction between the ester groups of the PLLA and the metallic cations of the magnetite, causing the formation of complexes. This fact was confirmed by the analysis of the infrared spectroscopy and the gel permeation chromatography test results. They, respectively, showed a displacement of the absorption bands of the carbonyl group (C=O) of the PLLA and a scission of the polymer chains. The iron from the magnetite acted as a catalyser of the macromolecular scission reaction, which determines the final biomedical applications of the scaffolds—it does so because the reaction shortens the degradation process without appearing to influence its toxicity. None of the samples studied in the tests presented cytotoxicity, even at 70% magnetite concentrations.
Increased ROS Scavenging and Antioxidant Efficiency of Chlorogenic Acid Compound Delivered via a Chitosan Nanoparticulate System for Efficient In Vitro Visualization and Accumulation in Human Renal Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Kavi Rajan Revathi , Hussein Mohd Zobir , Fakurazi Sharida , Yusoff Khatijah , Masarudin Mas Jaffri
Published: September 2019

Naturally existing Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is an antioxidant-rich compound reported to act a chemopreventive agent by scavenging free radicals and suppressing cancer-causing mechanisms. Conversely, the compound’s poor thermal and pH (neutral and basic) stability, poor solubility, and low cellular permeability have been a huge hindrance for it to exhibit its efficacy as a nutraceutical compound. Supposedly, encapsulation of CGA in chitosan nanoparticles (CNP), nano-sized colloidal delivery vector, could possibly assist in enhancing its antioxidant properties, in vitro cellular accumulation, and increase chemopreventive efficacy at a lower concentration. Hence, in this study, a stable, monodispersed, non-toxic CNP synthesized via ionic gelation method at an optimum parameter (600 µL of 0.5 mg/mL of chitosan and 200 µL of 0.7 mg/mL of tripolyphosphate), denoted as CNP°, was used to encapsulate CGA. Sequence of physicochemical analyses and morphological studies were performed to discern the successful formation of the CNP°-CGA hybrid. Antioxidant property (studied via DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay), in vitro antiproliferative activity of CNP°-CGA, and in vitro accumulation of fluorescently labeled (FITC) CNP°-CGA in cancer cells were evaluated. Findings revealed that successful formation of CNP°-CGA hybrid was reveled through an increase in particle size 134.44 ± 18.29 nm (polydispersity index (PDI) 0.29 ± 0.03) as compared to empty CNP°, 80.89 ± 5.16 nm (PDI 0.26 ± 0.01) with a maximal of 12.04 μM CGA loaded per unit weight of CNP° using 20 µM of CGA. This result correlated with Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis, transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and field emission scanning (FESEM) electron microscopy, and ImageJ evaluation. The scavenging activity of CNP°-CGA (IC50 5.2 ± 0.10 µM) were conserved and slightly higher than CNP° (IC50 6.4±0.78 µM). An enhanced cellular accumulation of fluorescently labeled CNP°-CGA in the human renal cancer cells (786-O) as early as 30 min and increased time-dependently were observed through fluorescent microscopic visualization and flow cytometric assessment. A significant concentration-dependent antiproliferation activity of encapsulated CGA was achieved at IC50 of 16.20 µM as compared to CGA itself (unable to determine from the cell proliferative assay), implying that the competent delivery vector, chitosan nanoparticle, is able to enhance the intracellular accumulation, antiproliferative activity, and antioxidant properties of CGA at lower concentration as compared to CGA alone.
Postbiotics and Their Potential Applications in Early Life Nutrition and Beyond
Authors: Wegh Carrie A. M. , Geerlings Sharon Y. , Knol Jan , Roeselers Guus , Belzer Clara
Published: September 2019

Postbiotics are functional bioactive compounds, generated in a matrix during fermentation, which may be used to promote health. The term postbiotics can be regarded as an umbrella term for all synonyms and related terms of these microbial fermentation components. Therefore, postbiotics can include many different constituents including metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), microbial cell fractions, functional proteins, extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), cell lysates, teichoic acid, peptidoglycan-derived muropeptides and pili-type structures. Postbiotics is also a rather new term in the ‘-biotics’ field. Where consensus exists for the definitions of pre- and probiotics, this is not yet the case for postbiotics. Here we propose a working definition and review currently known postbiotic compounds, their proposed mechanisms, clinical evidence and potential applications. Research to date indicates that postbiotics can have direct immunomodulatory and clinically relevant effects and evidence can be found for the use of postbiotics in healthy individuals to improve overall health and to relief symptoms in a range of diseases such as infant colic and in adults atopic dermatitis and different causes of diarrhea.
VGF Peptides in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Authors: van Steenoven Inger , Noli Barbara , Cocco Cristina , Ferri Gian-Luca , Oeckl Patrick , Otto Markus , Koel-Simmelink Marleen J. A. , Bridel Claire , van der Flier Wiesje M. , Lemstra Afina W. , Teunissen Charlotte E.
Published: September 2019

In a previous proteomic study, we identified the neurosecretory protein VGF (VGF) as a potential biomarker for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Here, we extended the study of VGF by comparing levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 44 DLB patients, 20 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, and 22 cognitively normal controls selected from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort. CSF was analyzed using two orthogonal analytical methods: (1) In-house-developed quantitative ELISA and (2) selected reaction monitoring (SRM). We further addressed associations of VGF with other CSF biomarkers and cognition. VGF levels were lower in CSF from patients with DLB compared to either AD patients or controls. VGF was positively correlated with CSF tau and α-synuclein (0.55 < r < 0.75), but not with Aβ1-42. In DLB patients, low VGF levels were related to a more advanced cognitive decline at time of first presentation, whereas high levels of VGF were associated with steeper subsequent longitudinal cognitive decline. Hence, CSF VGF levels were lower in DLB compared to both AD and controls across different analytical methods. The strong associations with cognitive decline further points out VGF as a possible disease stage or prognostic marker for DLB.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Ameliorates Hearing Loss and Auditory Cortex Injury in Noise Exposed Mice by Repressing Local Ceramide Accumulation
Authors: Su Yu-Ting , Guo Yi-Bin , Cheng Yao-Ping , Zhang Xi , Xie Xiao-Ping , Chang Yao-Ming , Bao Jun-Xiang
Published: September 2019

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) relates closely to auditory cortex (AC) injury, so countermeasures aiming at the AC recovery would be of benefit. In this work, the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on NIHL was elucidated, which was imposed on mice before (HBOP), during (HBOD) or after (HBOA) noise exposure. Morphology of neurons was assayed by hematoxylin-eosin or Nissl staining. Ceramide (Cer) level was measured through immunohistochemistry analysis. Apoptotic neurons were counted using transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. We demonstrated that the intense, broad band noise raised the threshold of auditory brainstem response, evoked neuronal degeneration or apoptosis and triggered the Cer accumulation in AC, all of which were restored significantly by HBOP, but not HBOD or HBOA. Cer over-generation reversed the advantages of HBOP significantly, while its curtailment recapitulated the effect. Next, noise exposure raised the superoxide or malondialdehyde (MDA) production which was blocked by HBOP or Cer repression. Oxidative control not only attenuated the hearing loss or neurodegeneration but, in turn, reduced the Cer formation significantly. In summary, mutual regulation between Cer and oxidative stress underlies the HBOP’s curative effect on hearing loss and neuronal damage in noise-exposed mice.
Characterization of Bonding between Asphalt Concrete Layer under Water and Salt Erosion
Authors: Ran Wuping , Zhang Yu , Li Ling , Shen Xizhong , Zhu Hailin , Zhang Yongbo
Published: September 2019

The contact state between layers of asphalt pavement not only has a significant effect on the mechanical response of road structure but is also the bottleneck of research on the mechanical behavior of pavement structure at present. In this paper, the effects and laws of different water–salt entry modes, salt solution concentrations, and temperatures coupling on the contact state between base and surface layers are studied by a 45° inclined shear test. The simulation and verification of each working condition are carried out by ABAQUS (Dassault, Paris, France) the friction coefficient between layers is reversed, and the actual contact state between layers is characterized in order to realize comprehensive evaluation and reasonable expression. The results show that different modes have different effects on contact characteristics. At the same temperature and concentration of the salt solution, bonding of water and salt erosion is the best, followed by direct erosion, with the worst being from bottom to top, and the interlayer bonding condition is weakened with increase in temperature. The relative accuracy of the software simulation and test analysis was as high as 92% and the friction coefficient of the water-free salt erosion test piece was found to be about 0.85 at 25 °C, while after the bottom-up erosion of the 14% salt solution the friction coefficient was found to be about 0.43, which indicates that the corrosion of the water–salt will have a great effect on the bonding condition between the structural layers of the road.
Pathogenic APC Variants in Latvian Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Patients
Authors: Daneberga Zanda , Berzina Dace , Borosenko Viktors , Krumina Zita , Kokaine-Sapovalova Linda , Gardovskis Andris , Berga-Svitina Egija , Gardovskis Janis , Miklasevics Edvins
Published: September 2019

Background and objectives: Familial adenomatous polyposis is one of the APC-associated polyposis conditions described as genetically predetermined colorectal polyposis syndrome with a variety of symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine sequence variants of the APC gene in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) phenotype and positive or negative family history. Materials and Methods: Eight families with defined criteria of adenomatous polyposis underwent molecular genetic testing. Coding regions and flanking intron regions of the APC gene were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. Results: Eight allelic variants of the APC gene coding sequence were detected. All allelic variants of the APC gene were predicted to be pathogenic based on criteria according to the “Joint Consensus Recommendation of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology” (2015), four of them c.1586_1587insAT, c.2336delT, c.3066_3067insGA, and c.4303_4304insC, were considered novel. Conclusions: The timely molecular genetic analysis of APC germline variants and standardized interpretation of the pathogenicity of novel allelic variants has a high impact on choice for treatment, cancer prevention, and family genetic counseling.
Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Psychometric Properties of the Polish Version of the Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS)
Authors: Glinkowski Wojciech , Żukowska Agnieszka , Dymitrowicz Małgorzata , Wołyniec Emilia , Glinkowska Bożena , Kozioł-Kaczorek Dorota
Published: September 2019

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to translate the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) into the Polish language, to determine its validity and reliability, and to assess its main psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: A total of 332 hip osteoarthritis (OA) subjects were recruited to the study group and 90 healthy subjects to the control group. The study consisted of the HOOS translation and the assessment of the discriminative power, internal consistency, and the potential floor and ceiling effects followed by the determination of the construct validity and test-retest reliability. The analysis was performed using Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and SF-36 questionnaires. Results: The translation process consisted of forward translation, reconciliation, backward translation, review, harmonization, and proofreading. The hip OA patients reported a reduced HOOS score when compared to the control subjects. The discriminant validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.97 was found, indicating a high internal consistency. The HOOS showed a significant correlation with the SF-36 and WOMAC, which ranged from r = −0.93, p-value < 0.05 for WOMAC total score to r = 0.92, and p-value < 0.05 for WOMAC daily living. No floor or ceiling effects were found. A very high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was found (0.93–0.97) for the total score and the individual domains of the HOOS. Conclusions: The Polish HOOS is valid and reliable for evaluating the outcomes of hip OA patients in Poland. This questionnaire may be used with confidence for clinical and research purposes.
Vaginal Health in Menopausal Women
Authors: Alvisi Stefania , Gava Giulia , Orsili Isabella , Giacomelli Giulia , Baldassarre Maurizio , Seracchioli Renato , Meriggiola Maria Cristina
Published: September 2019

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of genitourinary health in peri- and postmenopause, particularly of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), which is part of genitourinary syndrome (GSM). This condition has a high prevalence among post-menopausal women and negatively affects a woman’s quality of life. Epidemiology, signs, symptoms, diagnostic criteria of VVA and target treatments for restoring vaginal health are discussed in light of the most recent literature. Issues related to this condition in menopausal women are under-diagnosed, lack objective diagnostic criteria, and consequently under-treated. Over the years, many treatments have been developed but their long-term effectiveness and safety have yet to be clearly defined. Patients are often dissatisfied and stop treatment, suggesting the need for a more personalized and tailored approach to achieve better compliance and thereby effectiveness. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the most recent literature on VVA in order to help the gynecologist in the management of this condition.
Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke. A Review on the Use of Vitamin K Antagonists and Novel Oral Anticoagulants
Authors: Caturano Alfredo , Galiero Raffaele , Pafundi Pia Clara
Published: September 2019

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, ranging from 0.1% in patients <55 years to >9% in octogenarian patients. One important issue is represented by the 5-fold increased ischemic stroke risk in AF patients. Hence, the role of anticoagulation is central. Until a few years ago, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and low molecular weight heparin represented the only option to prevent thromboembolisms, though with risks. Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) have radically changed the management of AF patients, improving both life expectancy and life quality. This review aims to summarize the most recent literature on the use of VKAs and NOACs in AF, in light of the new findings.
Choosing an Optimal Sample Preparation in Caulobacter crescentus for Untargeted Metabolomics Approaches
Authors: Pezzatti Julian , Bergé Matthieu , Boccard Julien , Codesido Santiago , Gagnebin Yoric , H. Viollier Patrick , González-Ruiz Víctor , Rudaz Serge
Published: September 2019

Untargeted metabolomics aims to provide a global picture of the metabolites present in the system under study. To this end, making a careful choice of sample preparation is mandatory to obtain reliable and reproducible biological information. In this study, eight different sample preparation techniques were evaluated using Caulobacter crescentus as a model for Gram-negative bacteria. Two cell retrieval systems, two quenching and extraction solvents, and two cell disruption procedures were combined in a full factorial experimental design. To fully exploit the multivariate structure of the generated data, the ANOVA multiblock orthogonal partial least squares (AMOPLS) algorithm was employed to decompose the contribution of each factor studied and their potential interactions for a set of annotated metabolites. All main effects of the factors studied were found to have a significant contribution on the total observed variability. Cell retrieval, quenching and extraction solvent, and cell disrupting mechanism accounted respectively for 27.6%, 8.4%, and 7.0% of the total variability. The reproducibility and metabolome coverage of the sample preparation procedures were then compared and evaluated in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) on the area for the detected metabolites. The protocol showing the best performance in terms of recovery, versatility, and variability was centrifugation for cell retrieval, using MeOH:H2O (8:2) as quenching and extraction solvent, and freeze-thaw cycles as the cell disrupting mechanism.
A Polymer Asymmetric Mach–Zehnder Interferometer Sensor Model Based on Electrode Thermal Writing Waveguide Technology
Authors: Lin Baizhu , Yi Yunji , Cao Yue , Lv Jiawen , Yang Yue , Wang Fei , Sun Xiaoqiang , Zhang Daming
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a novel electrode thermal writing waveguide based on a heating-induced refractive index change mechanism. The mode condition and the electrode thermal writing parameters were optimized, and the output patterns of the optical field were obtained in a series of simulations. Moreover, the effect of various adjustments on the sensing range of the nanoimprint M–Z temperature sensor was analyzed theoretically. A refractive index asymmetry Mach–Zehnder (M–Z) waveguide sensor with a tunable refractive index for a waveguide core layer was simulated with a length difference of 946.1 µm. The optimal width and height of the invert ridge waveguide were 2 μm and 2.8 μm, respectively, while the slab thickness was 1.2 μm. The sensing accuracy was calculated to range from 2.0896 × 104 to 5.1252 × 104 in the 1.51–1.54 region. The sensing fade issue can be resolved by changing the waveguide core refractive index to 0.001 via an electrode thermal writing method. Thermal writing a single M–Z waveguide arm changes its refractive index by 0.03. The sensor’s accuracy can be improved 1.5 times by the proposed method. The sensor described in this paper shows great prospects in organism temperature detection, molecular analysis, and biotechnology applications.
Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Naturally Present Microbe Counts on Lettuce using an Acid Mixture of Acetic and Lactic Acid
Authors: Wang Jiayi , Sun Yeting , Tao Dongbing , Wang Shan , Li Chen , Zheng Fenge , Wu Zhaoxia
Published: September 2019

Lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) are independently used to disinfect fresh leaf vegetables. LA has a higher efficacy but costs more than AA. Herein, we compared the disinfection efficacy of LA, AA, and their mixture on lettuce to determine whether the cheaper acid mixture shows similar or more efficacy than LA. Quality analysis indicated that the acid mixture and individual acids did not cause additional loss of instrument color and polyphenolic content compared with that of the control; however, visible defects were observed at AA concentrations exceeding 0.8%. Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and naturally present microbes (aerobic mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria, coliforms, molds, and yeasts) showed that the acid mixture led to the highest reduction in microbial count during storage. 16S rRNA sequencing was further employed to understand the effects of the acid mixture and individual acids on lettuce microbial ecology. During storage, the acid mixture and individual acids significantly decreased the abundance of Massilia spp. and Alkanindiges spp. but there was a marked increase in Escherichia-Shigella abundance (LA: 0.003–58.82%; AA: 0.01–55.34%; acid mixture: undetected to 50.71%; control: 0.007–33.09%), indicating that acid disinfection altered the microbial ecology to stimulate Escherichia-Shigella growth. These results enhance our understanding of the relationship between lettuce disinfection and ecological changes.