bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The HORSE Project: The Application of Business Process Management for Flexibility in Smart Manufacturing
Authors: Erasmus Jonnro , Vanderfeesten Irene , Traganos Konstantinos , Keulen Ruud , Grefen Paul
Published: June 2020

Several high-tech manufacturing technologies are emerging to meet the demand for mass customized products. These technologies include configurable robots, augmented reality and the Internet-of-Things. Manufacturing enterprises can leverage these new technologies to pursue increased flexibility, i.e., the ability to perform a larger variety of activities within a shorter time. However, the flexibility offered by these new technologies is not fully exploited, because current operations management techniques are not dynamic enough to support high variability and frequent change. The HORSE Project investigated several of the new technologies to find novel ways to improve flexibility, as part of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The purpose of the project was to develop a system, integrating these new technologies, to support efficient and flexible manufacturing. This article presents the core result of the project: a reference architecture for a manufacturing operations management system. It is based on the application and extension of business process management (BPM) to manage dynamic manufacturing processes. It is argued that BPM can complement current operations management techniques by acting as an orchestrator in manufacturing processes augmented by smart technologies. Building on well-known information systems’ architecting frameworks, design science research is performed to determine how BPM can be applied and adapted in smart manufacturing operations. The resulting reference architecture is realized in a concrete HORSE system and deployed and evaluated in ten practical cases, of which one is discussed in detail. It is shown that the developed system can flexibly orchestrate the manufacturing process through vertical control of all agents, and dynamic allocation of agents in the manufacturing process. Based on that, we conclude that BPM can be applied to overcome some of the obstacles toward increased flexibility and smart manufacturing.
Ozone Deposition on Free-Running Indoor Materials and the Corresponding Volatile Organic Compound Emissions: Implications for Ventilation Requirements
Authors: Ye Wei , Wang Hao , Chen Zean , Zhang Xu
Published: June 2020

Recently, tropospheric ozone has become a public health concern worldwide, along with the continuous battle against ambient fine particulate matter in countries like China. In this study, we investigate the impact of indoor ozone pollution using seven materials categorized as either wood-based panels or synthetic fibers, which were freely-stored in an office/lab environment. Most materials were considered as used and aged more than 1–2 years. An experimental apparatus was used to study ozone deposition and detect volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from the specimens when exposed to ozone at three concentration levels: <10, 100, and 300 ppb. A simplified model is proposed to discuss ventilation requirements based on a standard room. We found that the mean ozone deposition velocities from the seven materials ranged from 0.005 to 0.062 cm·s−1. Both the engineering wood and some of the synthetic fibers were, moreover, prone to ozone deposition. Second, 15 VOCs were found in the sampling air from a 24-VOC target list after ozone exposure. The emission rates of the VOCs from all seven materials were then determined. Third, when the ozone concentration in the outdoor air is not severely high, it is possible to use ventilation to maintain acceptable indoor air quality.
Fatigue Crack Growth from Notches: A Numerical Analysis
Authors: Borges Micael , Caldas Manuel , Antunes Fernando , Branco Ricardo , Prates Pedro
Published: June 2020

A numerical approach based on plastic crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) was followed to study fatigue crack growth (FCG) from notches. The identification of fundamental mechanisms was made considering notched and unnotched models, with and without contact of crack flanks. Different parameters were studied, namely, notch radius, crack length, stress state, and material. The notch increases the plastic CTOD, and therefore fatigue crack growth rate, da/dN, as expected. The reduction of notch radius increases da/dN but reduces the notch affected zone. Ahead of the notch affected zone, da/dN increases linearly with crack growth, with a rate that increases linearly with the plastic CTOD. The crack closure phenomenon has a dramatic effect under plane stress conditions but a limited effect on plane strain conditions. In the former case, the contact of crack flanks reduces substantially the effect of notch radius and the size of the notch affected zone. These trends are associated with the increase of crack closure level with notch radius. The material does not affect the global trends, but the reduction of yield stress increases the level of plastic deformation and therefore da/dN. The effect of material, and also of stress state, is mainly associated with crack closure.
The Balkans of the Balkans: The Meaning of Autobalkanism in Regional Popular Music
Authors: Dumnić Vilotijević Marija
Published: June 2020

In this article, I discuss the use of the term “Balkan” in the regional popular music. In this context, Balkan popular music is contemporary popular folk music produced in the countries of the Balkans and intended for the Balkan markets (specifically, the people in the Western Balkans and diaspora communities). After the global success of “Balkan music” in the world music scene, this term influenced the cultures in the Balkans itself; however, interestingly, in the Balkans themselves “Balkan music” does not only refer to the musical characteristics of this genre—namely, it can also be applied music that derives from the genre of the “newly-composed folk music”, which is well known in the Western Balkans. The most important legacy of “Balkan” world music is the discourse on Balkan stereotypes, hence this article will reveal new aspects of autobalkanism in music. This research starts from several questions: where is “the Balkans” which is mentioned in these songs actually situated; what is the meaning of the term “Balkan” used for the audience from the Balkans; and, what are musical characteristics of the genre called trepfolk? Special focus will be on the post-Yugoslav market in the twenty-first century, with particular examples in Serbian language (as well as Bosnian and Croatian).
Three Mothers (2006) by Dina Zvi-Riklis: The Repressed Israeli Trauma of Immigration
Authors: Munk Yael
Published: June 2020

This article relates to the complex approach of Dina Zvi-Riklis’ film Three Mothers (2006) to immigration, an issue that is central to both the Jewish religion and Israeli identity. While for both, reaching the land of Israel means arriving in the promised land, they are quite dissimilar, in that one is a religious command, while the other is an ideological imperative. Both instruct the individual to opt for the obliteration of his past. However, this system does not apply to the protagonists of Three Mothers, a film which follows the extraordinary trajectory of triplet sisters, born to a rich Jewish family in Alexandria, who are forced to leave Egypt after King Farouk’s abdication and immigrate to Israel. This article will demonstrate that Three Mothers represents an outstanding achievement, because it dares to deal with its protagonists’ longing for the world left behind and the complexity of integrating the past into the present. Following Nicholas Bourriaud’s radicant theory, designating an organism that grows roots and adds new ones as it advances, this article will argue that, although the protagonists of Three Mothers never avow their longing for Egypt, the film’s narrative succeeds in revealing a subversive démarche, through which the sisters succeed in integrating Egypt into their present.
Projected Future Temporal Trends of Two Different Urban Heat Islands in Athens (Greece) under Three Climate Change Scenarios: A Statistical Approach
Authors: van der Schriek Tim , Varotsos Konstantinos V. , Giannakopoulos Christos , Founda Dimitra
Published: June 2020

This is the first study to look at future temporal urban heath island (UHI) trends of Athens (Greece) under different UHI intensity regimes. Historical changes in the Athens UHI, spanning 1971–2016, were assessed by contrasting two air temperature records from stable meteorological stations in contrasting urban and rural settings. Subsequently, we used a five-member regional climate model (RCM) sub-ensemble from EURO-CORDEX with a horizontal resolution of 0.11° (~12 × 12 km) to simulate air temperature data, spanning the period 1976–2100, for the two station sites. Three future emissions scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) were implanted in the simulations after 2005 covering the period 2006–2100. Two 20-year historical reference periods (1976–1995 and 1996–2015) were selected with contrasting UHI regimes; the second period had a stronger intensity. The daily maximum and minimum air temperature data (Tmax and Tmin) for the two reference periods were perturbed to two future periods, 2046–2065 and 2076–2095, under the three RCPs, by applying the empirical quantile mapping (eqm) bias-adjusting method. This novel approach allows us to assess future temperature developments in Athens under two UHI intensity regimes that are mainly forced by differences in air pollution and heat input. We found that the future frequency of days with Tmax > 37 °C in Athens was only different from rural background values under the intense UHI regime. Thus, the impact of heatwaves on the urban environment of Athens is dependent on UHI intensity. There is a large increase in the future frequency of nights with Tmin > 26 °C in Athens under all UHI regimes and climate scenarios; these events remain comparatively rare at the rural site. This large urban amplification of the frequency of extremely hot nights is likely caused by air pollution. Consequently, local mitigation policies aimed at decreasing urban atmospheric pollution are expected to be highly effective in reducing urban temperatures and extreme heat events in Athens under future climate change scenarios. Such policies directly have multiple benefits, including reduced electricity (energy) needs, improved living quality and strong health advantages (heat- and pollution-related illness/deaths).
Assessment of Household and Outdoor Air Pollution Exposure Link to Urinary Metals Content in Pregnant Women
Authors: Karakis Isabella , Shemesh Nofar , Tirosh Ofir , Landau Daniella , Gat Roni , Yitshak-Sade Maayan , Kloog Itai , Sarov Batia , Novack Lena
Published: June 2020

We aimed to estimate the association of urinary metal content with the exposure to hazardous household factors and ambient air pollution in pregnant women. We analyzed urine samples of 143 women enrolled at delivery and assessed household exposure by questionnaire. Air pollution estimates were based on monitoring stations and satellite-based models. Complaints about noise, rubbish, and sewage in the neighborhood were associated with higher uranium concentrations (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.42, 1.46, and 1.18, respectively). Complaints about noise were more frequent in women with higher cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, cadmium, and vanadium urine concentrations (PRs = 2.42–9.43), and complaints about smell in women with higher cobalt and strontium (PRs = 2.55–6.27). Exposure to nitrogen oxides was associated with higher concentrations of nickel, aluminum, lead, and chromium in urine (PRs = 1.80–5.85). Women exposed to elevated levels of particulate matter were more likely to have higher concentrations of cobalt, nickel, thallium, lead, iron, strontium, barium, silver, and chromium (PRs = 1.97–13.64). Exposure to high levels of sulfur dioxide was positively associated with cobalt and nickel (PR = 1.98 and 1.88, respectively). The current analysis suggests the possibility of a related simultaneous exposure to multiple pollutants. Further studies are warranted to corroborate the findings and reveal the multiple exposure effect on human health.
Potential Respiratory Deposition and Species Composition of Airborne Culturable, Viable, and Non-Viable Fungi during Occupancy in a Pig Farm
Authors: White John , Nielsen Jeppe , Madsen Anne
Published: June 2020

Fungal species composition and site of deposition within the airways affects whether diseases develop and where they may arise. The aim of this study is to obtain knowledge regarding the potential deposition of airborne culturable, viable, and non-viable fungi in the airways of pig farm workers, and how this composition changes over multiple sampling days. Airborne fungi were sampled using impactors and subsequently analyzed using amplicon sequencing and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) fingerprinting. The geometric mean aerodynamic diameter (Dg) of airborne particles with culturable airborne fungi were not affected by sampling days and ranged in size between 3.7 and 4.6 µm. Amplicon sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rRNA gene operon, in combination with DNA interchelating agents, revealed a large presence of non-viable fungi, but several pathogenic and toxic fungal species were detected in the viable portion. The diversity was found to be significantly associated with the sampling day but did not change significantly over multiple sampling rounds during the same day. The non-viable fraction contained genera typically associated with the pig gastrointestinal tract, such as Kazachstania and Vishniacozyma. In conclusion, the Dg of culturable fungi was between 3.7 and 4.6 µm, and the Dg of the viable and total fungi was 1.5 and 2.1 µm, respectively. The species composition changed over the multiple sampling days.
Criteria-Based Identification of Important Fuels for Wildland Fire Emission Research
Authors: Watts Adam C. , Samburova Vera , Moosmüller Hans
Published: June 2020

Studies of the emissions from wildland fires are important for understanding the role of these events in the production, transport, and fate of emitted gases and particulate matter, and, consequently, their impact on atmospheric and ecological processes, and on human health and wellbeing. Wildland fire emission research provides the quantitative information needed for the understanding and management of wildland fire emissions impacts based on human needs. Recent work to characterize emissions from specific fuel types, or those from specific areas, has implicitly been driven by the recognition of the importance of those fuel types in the context of wildland fire science; however, the importance of specific fuels in driving investigations of biomass-burning emissions has not been made explicit thus far. Here, we make a first attempt to discuss the development and application of criteria to answer the question, “What are the most important fuels for biomass-burning emissions investigations to inform wildland fire science and management?” Four criteria for fuel selection are proposed: “(1) total emissions, (2) impacts, (3) availability and uncertainty, and (4) potential for future importance.” Attempting to develop and apply these criteria, we propose a list of several such fuels, based on prior investigations and the body of wildland-fire emission research.
Effect of Renewable Fuels and Intake O2 Concentration on Diesel Engine Emission Characteristics and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Formation
Authors: Gren Louise , Malmborg Vilhelm B. , Jacobsen Nicklas R. , Shukla Pravesh C. , Bendtsen Katja M. , Eriksson Axel C. , Essig Yona J. , Krais Annette M. , Loeschner Katrin , Shamun Sam , Strandberg Bo , Tunér Martin , Vogel Ulla , Pagels Joakim
Published: June 2020

Renewable diesel fuels have the potential to reduce net CO2 emissions, and simultaneously decrease particulate matter (PM) emissions. This study characterized engine-out PM emissions and PM-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation potential. Emissions from a modern heavy-duty diesel engine without external aftertreatment devices, and fueled with petroleum diesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) or rapeseed methyl ester (RME) biodiesel were studied. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) allowed us to probe the effect of air intake O2 concentration, and thereby combustion temperature, on emissions and ROS formation potential. An increasing level of EGR (decreasing O2 concentration) resulted in a general increase of equivalent black carbon (eBC) emissions and decrease of NOx emissions. At a medium level of EGR (13% intake O2), eBC emissions were reduced for HVO and RME by 30 and 54% respectively compared to petroleum diesel. In general, substantially lower emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including nitro and oxy-PAHs, were observed for RME compared to both HVO and diesel. At low-temperature combustion (LTC, O2 < 10%), CO and hydrocarbon gas emissions increased and an increased fraction of refractory organic carbon and PAHs were found in the particle phase. These altered soot properties have implications for the design of aftertreatment systems and diesel PM measurements with optical techniques. The ROS formation potential per mass of particles increased with increasing engine O2 concentration intake. We hypothesize that this is because soot surface properties evolve with the combustion temperature and become more active as the soot matures into refractory BC, and secondly as the soot surface becomes altered by surface oxidation. At 13% intake O2, the ROS-producing ability was high and of similar magnitude per mass for all fuels. When normalizing by energy output, the lowered emissions for the renewable fuels led to a reduced ROS formation potential.
Variation of the Distribution of Atmospheric n-Alkanes Emitted by Different Fuels’ Combustion
Authors: Caumo Sofia , Bruns Roy E. , Vasconcellos Pérola C.
Published: June 2020

This study presents the emission profiles of n-alkanes for different vehicular sources in two Brazilian cities. Atmospheric particulate matter was collected in São Paulo (Southeast) and in Salvador (Northeast) to determine n-alkanes. The sites were impacted by bus emissions and heavy and light-duty vehicles. The objective of the present study is to attempt to differentiate the profile of n-alkane emissions for particulate matter (PM) collected at different sites. PM concentrations ranged between 73 and 488 µg m−3, and the highest concentration corresponded to a tunnel for light and heavy duty vehicles. At sites where diesel-fueled vehicles are dominant, the n-alkanes show a unimodal distribution, which is different from the bimodal profile observed in the literature. Carbon preference index values corresponded to anthropogenic sources for most of the sites, as expected, but Cmax varied comparing to literature and a source signature was difficult to observe. The main sources to air pollution were indicated by principal component analysis (PCA). For PCA, a receptor model often used as an exploratory tool to identify the major sources of air pollutant emissions, the principal factors were attributed to mixed sources and to bus emissions. Chromatograms of four specific samples showed distinct profiles of unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), indicating different contributions of contamination from petroleum or fossil fuel residues, which are unable to resolve by gas chromatography. The UCM area seemed higher in samples collected at sites with the abundance of heavy vehicles.
Minimal Systems of Temporal Logic
Authors: Surowik Dariusz
Published: June 2020

The article discusses minimal temporal logic systems built on the basis of classical logic as well as intuitionistic logic. The constructions of these systems are discussed as well as their basic properties. The K t system was discussed as the minimal temporal logic system built based on classical logic, while the IK t system and its modification were discussed as the minimal temporal logic system built based on intuitionistic logic.
#lockdown: Network-Enhanced Emotional Profiling in the Time of COVID-19
Authors: Stella Massimo , Restocchi Valerio , De Deyne Simon
Published: June 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic forced countries all over the world to take unprecedented measures, like nationwide lockdowns. To adequately understand the emotional and social repercussions, a large-scale reconstruction of how people perceived these unexpected events is necessary but currently missing. We address this gap through social media by introducing MERCURIAL (Multi-layer Co-occurrence Networks for Emotional Profiling), a framework which exploits linguistic networks of words and hashtags to reconstruct social discourse describing real-world events. We use MERCURIAL to analyse 101,767 tweets from Italy, the first country to react to the COVID-19 threat with a nationwide lockdown. The data were collected between the 11th and 17th March, immediately after the announcement of the Italian lockdown and the WHO declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. Our analysis provides unique insights into the psychological burden of this crisis, focussing on—(i) the Italian official campaign for self-quarantine (#iorestoacasa), (ii) national lockdown (#italylockdown), and (iii) social denounce (#sciacalli). Our exploration unveils the emergence of complex emotional profiles, where anger and fear (towards political debates and socio-economic repercussions) coexisted with trust, solidarity, and hope (related to the institutions and local communities). We discuss our findings in relation to mental well-being issues and coping mechanisms, like instigation to violence, grieving, and solidarity. We argue that our framework represents an innovative thermometer of emotional status, a powerful tool for policy makers to quickly gauge feelings in massive audiences and devise appropriate responses based on cognitive data.
Monitoring Cider Aroma Development throughout the Fermentation Process by Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) Analysis
Authors: Bingman Matthew T. , Stellick Claire E. , Pelkey Jordanne P. , Scott Jared M. , Cole Callie A.
Published: June 2020

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a crucial role in cider quality. Many variables involved in the fermentation process contribute to cider fragrance, but their relative impact on the finished odor remains ambiguous, because there is little consensus on the most efficient method for cider volatile analysis. Herein, we have optimized and applied a headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME GC-MS) method for the chemical analysis of cider VOCs. We determined that the 30 min exposure of a divinylbenzene/carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane (DVB/CAR/PDMS) solid phase microextraction (SPME) fiber at 40 °C yielded detection of the widest variety of VOCs at an extraction efficiency >49% higher than comparable fibers. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we utilized this method to profile cider aroma development throughout the fermentation process for the first time. The results yielded a very practical outcome for cider makers: a pre-screening method for determining cider quality through the detection of off-flavors early in the fermentation process. The aroma profile was found to be well established 72 h after fermentation commenced, with major esters varying by 18.6% ± 4.1% thereafter and higher alcohols varying by just 12.3% ± 2.6%. Lastly, we analyzed four mature ciders that were identically prepared, save for the yeast strain. Twenty-seven key VOCs were identified, off-flavors (4-ethylphenol and 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol) were detected, and odorants were quantified at desirable concentrations when compared to perception thresholds. VOCs varied considerably following fermentation with four novel strains of S. cerevisiae, evidencing the central importance of yeast strain to the finished cider aroma.
Complex Geometry Cellulose Hydrogels Using a Direct Casting Method
Authors: Najaf Zadeh Hossein , Huber Tim , Nock Volker , Fee Conan , Clucas Don
Published: June 2020

To facilitate functional hydrogel part production using the indirect wax mould method, it is necessary to understand the relationships between materials, process and mould removal. This research investigated the thermophysical properties, wettability and surface roughness of wax template moulds in the production of cellulose hydrogel objects. Cellulose gel was thermally formed and shaped in three different wax moulds—high melting point paraffin, sacrificial investment casting wax and Solidscape® wax—by physical cross-linking of polymer networks of cellulose solution in NaOH/urea aqueous solvent. All three wax moulds were capable of casting cellulose hydrogel objects. Cellulose gelling time was reduced by increasing the temperature. Thus, the mould melting temperature had a direct effect on the gelling time. It was found that mould removal time varied based on the contact angle (CA) of the cellulose solution and the mould, and based on the melting point of the mould. A higher CA of cellulose solution on the wax moulds resulted in faster mould removal. When melting the wax in 90 °C water, high melting point paraffin, sacrificial investment casting and Solidscape® wax took about 3, 2 and 1.5 h, respectively, to remove the moulds from the cellulose gel.
COVID-19 Infection Fatality Rate Associated with Incidence—A Population-Level Analysis of 19 Spanish Autonomous Communities
Authors: Kenyon Chris
Published: June 2020

Previous studies have found large variations in the COVID-19 infection fatality rate (IFR). This study hypothesized that IFR would be influenced by COVID-19 epidemic intensity. We tested the association between epidemic intensity and IFR using serological results from a recent large SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey (N = 60,983) in 19 Spanish regions. The infection fatality rate for Spain as a whole was 1.15% and varied between 0.13% and 3.25% in the regions (median 1.07%, IQR 0.69–1.32%). The IFR by region was positively associated with SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence (rho = 0.54; p = 0.0162), cases/100,000 (rho = 0.75; p = 0.002), hospitalizations/100,000 (rho = 0.78; p = 0.0001), mortality/100,000 (rho = 0.77; p = 0.0001) and case fatality rate (rho = 0.49; p = 0.0327). These results suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 IFR is not fixed. The Spanish regions with more rapid and extensive spread of SARS-CoV-2 had higher IFRs. These findings are compatible with the theory that slowing the spread of COVID-19 down reduces the IFR and case fatality rate via preventing hospitals from being overrun, and thus allowing better and lifesaving care.
Evolution of Allorecognition in the Tunicata
Authors: Nydam Marie L.
Published: June 2020

Allorecognition, the ability to distinguish self or kin from unrelated conspecifics, plays several important biological roles in invertebrate animals. Two of these roles include negotiating limited benthic space for colonial invertebrates, and inbreeding avoidance through self-incompatibility systems. Subphylum Tunicata (Phylum Chordata), the sister group to the vertebrates, is a promising group in which to study allorecognition. Coloniality has evolved many times independently in the tunicates, and the best known invertebrate self-incompatibility systems are in tunicates. Recent phylogenomic studies have coalesced around a phylogeny of the Tunicata as well as the Order Stolidobranchia within the Tunicata, providing a path forward for the study of allorecognition in this group.
Norpa Signalling and the Seasonal Circadian Locomotor Phenotype in Drosophila
Authors: Breda Carlo , Rosato Ezio , Kyriacou Charalambos P.
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we review the role of the norpA-encoded phospholipase C in light and thermal entrainment of the circadian clock in Drosophila melanogaster. We extend our discussion to the role of norpA in the thermo-sensitive splicing of the per 3′ UTR, which has significant implications for seasonal adaptations of circadian behaviour. We use the norpA mutant-generated enhancement of per splicing and the corresponding advance that it produces in the morning (M) and evening (E) locomotor component to dissect out the neurons that are contributing to this norpA phenotype using GAL4/UAS. We initially confirmed, by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridisation in adult brains, that norpA expression is mostly concentrated in the eyes, but we were unable to unequivocally reveal norpA expression in the canonical clock cells using these methods. In larval brains, we did see some evidence for co-expression of NORPA with PDF in clock neurons. Nevertheless, downregulation of norpA in clock neurons did generate behavioural advances in adults, with the eyes playing a significant role in the norpA seasonal phenotype at high temperatures, whereas the more dorsally located CRYPTOCHROME-positive clock neurons are the likely candidates for generating the norpA behavioural effects in the cold. We further show that knockdown of the related plc21C encoded phospholipase in clock neurons does not alter per splicing nor generate any of the behavioural advances seen with norpA. Our results with downregulating norpA and plc21C implicate the rhodopsins Rh2/Rh3/Rh4 in the eyes as mediating per 3′ UTR splicing at higher temperatures and indicate that the CRY-positive LNds, also known as ‘evening’ cells are likely mediating the low-temperature seasonal effects on behaviour via altering per 3′UTR splicing.
Oral Microbiota and Immune System Crosstalk: A Translational Research
Authors: Ballini Andrea , Dipalma Gianna , Isacco Ciro Gargiulo , Boccellino Mariarosaria , Di Domenico Marina , Santacroce Luigi , Nguyễn Kieu C.D. , Scacco Salvatore , Calvani Maura , Boddi Anna , Corcioli Fabiana , Quagliuolo Lucio , Cantore Stefania , Martelli Francesco Saverio , Inchingolo Francesco
Published: June 2020

Background: Oral pathogens may exert the ability to trigger differently the activation of local macrophage immune responses, for instance Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans induce predominantly pro-inflammatory (M1-like phenotypes) responses, while oral commensal microbiota primarily elicits macrophage functions consistent with the anti-inflammatory (M2-like phenotypes). Methods: In healthy individuals vs. periodontal disease patients’ blood samples, the differentiation process from monocyte to M1 and M2 was conducted using two typical growth factors, the granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and the macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). Results: In contrast with the current literature our outcomes showed a noticeable increase of macrophage polarization from healthy individuals vs. periodontal patients. The biological and clinical significance of these data was discussed. Conclusions: Our translational findings showed a significant variance between control versus periodontal disease groups in M1 and M2 marker expression within the second group significantly lower skews differentiation of M2-like macrophages towards an M1-like phenotype. Macrophage polarization in periodontal tissue may be responsible for the development and progression of inflammation-induced periodontal tissue damage, including alveolar bone loss, and modulating macrophage function may be a potential strategy for periodontal disease management.
Unreported Cases for Age Dependent COVID-19 Outbreak in Japan
Authors: Griette Quentin , Magal Pierre , Seydi Ousmane
Published: June 2020

We investigate the age structured data for the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan. We consider a mathematical model for the epidemic with unreported infectious patient with and without age structure. In particular, we build a new mathematical model and a new computational method to fit the data by using age classes dependent exponential growth at the early stage of the epidemic. This allows to take into account differences in the response of patients to the disease according to their age. This model also allows for a heterogeneous response of the population to the social distancing measures taken by the local government. We fit this model to the observed data and obtain a snapshot of the effective transmissions occurring inside the population at different times, which indicates where and among whom the disease propagates after the start of public mitigation measures.
Computer-Aided Discovery of New Solubility-Enhancing Drug Delivery System
Authors: Mizera Mikołaj , Muratov Eugene N. , Alves Vinicius M. , Tropsha Alexander , Cielecka-Piontek Judyta
Published: June 2020

The poor aqueous solubility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) places a limit on their therapeutic potential. Cyclodextrins (CDs) have been shown to improve the solubility of APIs, but the magnitude of the improvement depends on the structure of both the CDs and APIs. We have developed quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models that predict the stability of the complexes formed by a popular poorly soluble antibiotic, cefuroxime axetil (CA) and different CDs. We applied this model to five CA–CD systems not included in the modeling set. Two out of three systems predicted to have poor stability and poor CA solubility, and both CA–CD systems predicted to have high stability and high CA solubility were confirmed experimentally. One of the CDs that significantly improved CA solubility, methyl-βCD, is described here for the first time, and we propose this CD as a novel promising excipient. Computational approaches and models developed and validated in this study could help accelerate the development of multifunctional CDs-based formulations.
Chemical Composition and Immunomodulatory Activity of Hypericum perforatum Essential Oils
Authors: Schepetkin Igor , Özek Gulmira , Özek Temel , Kirpotina Liliya , Khlebnikov Andrei , Quinn Mark
Published: June 2020

Hypericum L. (Hypericaceae) extracts have been used for their therapeutic effects; however, not much is known about the immunomodulatory activity of essential oils extracted from this plant. We isolated essential oils from the flowers and leaves of H. perforatum and analyzed their chemical composition and innate immunomodulatory activity. Analysis of flower (HEOFl) versus leaf (HEOLv) essential oils using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed that HEOFl was comprised mainly of monoterpenes (52.8%), with an abundance of oxygenated monoterpenes, including cis-p-menth-3-en-1,2-diol (9.1%), α-terpineol (6.1%), terpinen-4-ol (7.4%), and limonen-4-ol (3.2%), whereas the sesquiterpenes were found in trace amounts. In contrast, HEOLv was primarily composed of sesquiterpenes (63.2%), including germacrene D (25.7%) and β-caryophyllene (9.5%). HEOLv also contained oxygenated monoterpenes, including terpinen-4-ol (2.6%), while monoterpene hydrocarbons were found in trace amounts. Both HEOFl and HEOLv inhibited neutrophil Ca2+ mobilization, chemotaxis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, with HEOLv being much more active than HEOFl. Furthermore, the pure sesquiterpenes germacrene D, β-caryophyllene, and α-humulene also inhibited these neutrophil responses, suggesting that these compounds represented the active components of HEOLv. Although reverse pharmacophore mapping suggested that potential protein targets of germacrene D, β-caryophyllene, bicyclogermacrene, and α-humulene could be PIM1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activated protein kinase 2 (MAPKAK2), a kinase binding affinity assay did not support this finding, implying that other biological targets are involved. Our results provide a cellular and molecular basis to explain at least part of the beneficial immunotherapeutic properties of the H. perforatum essential oils.
The Effect of Vibro-Activation Time on the Properties of Highly Active Calcium Hydroxide
Authors: Yakymechko Yaroslav , Lutsyuk Iryna , Jaskulski Roman , Dulnik Judyta , Kropyvnytska Tetyana
Published: June 2020

The results of studying the effect of the vibration processing time on the size of calcium hydroxide particles are given. The physicochemical processes affecting the size and morphology of calcium hydroxide particles have been studied. A stage-by-stage mechanism of the process of the carbonation of lime, depending on its specific surface, is established. The results show that the optimal period for the vibration treatment of lime to obtain the most active material is 20 min. A longer period of vibration results in the merging of particles into larger agglomerates.
High Stabilization of Enzymes Immobilized on Rigid Hydrophobic Glyoxyl-Supports: Generation of Hydrophilic Environments on Support Surfaces
Authors: H. Orrego Alejandro , Romero-Fernández María , Millán-Linares María del Carmen , Pedroche Justo , Guisán José M. , Rocha-Martin Javier
Published: June 2020

Very rigid supports are useful for enzyme immobilization to design continuous flow reactors and/or to work in non-conventional media. Among them, epoxy-methacrylic supports are easily functionalized with glyoxyl groups, which makes them ideal candidates for enzyme stabilization via multipoint covalent immobilization. However, these supports present highly hydrophobic surfaces, which might promote very undesirable effects on enzyme activity and/or stability. The hydrophilization of the support surface after multipoint enzyme immobilization is proposed here as an alternative to reduce these undesirable effects. The remaining aldehyde groups on the support are modified with aminated hydrophilic small molecules (glycine, lysine or aspartic acid) in the presence of 2-picoline borane. The penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli (PGA) and alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermus thermophilus HB27 (ADH2) were immobilized on glyoxyl-functionalized agarose, Relizyme and Relisorb. Despite the similar density of aldehyde groups displayed by functionalized supports, their stabilization effects on immobilized enzymes were quite different: up to 300-fold lower by hydrophobic supports than by highly hydrophilic glyoxyl-agarose. A dramatic increase in the protein stabilities was shown when a hydrophilization treatment of the hydrophobic support surface was done. The PGA immobilized on the glyoxyl-Relisorb hydrophilized with aspartic acid becomes 280-fold more stable than without any treatment, and it is even more stable than the PGA immobilized on the glyoxyl agarose.
Laccase Did It again: A Scalable and Clean Regeneration System for NAD+ and Its Application in the Synthesis of 12-oxo-Hydroxysteroids
Authors: Tonin Fabio , Martì Elisabet , Arends Isabel W. C. E. , Hanefeld Ulf
Published: June 2020

The specific oxidation of 12α-OH group of hydroxysteroids is required for the preparation of cheno- and ursodeoxycholic acid (CDCA and UDCA, respectively). The C12 oxidation of hydroxysteroids into their 12-oxo derivatives can selectively be performed by employing 12α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases. These enzymes use NAD(P)+ as an electron acceptor, which has to be re-oxidized in a so-called “regeneration system”. Recently, the enzyme NAD(P)H oxidase (NOX) was applied for the regeneration of NAD+ in the enzymatic preparation of 12-oxo-CDCA from cholic acid (CA), which allows air to be used as an oxidant. However, the NOX system suffers from low activity and low stability. Moreover, the substrate loading is limited to 10 mM. In this study, the laccase/mediator system was investigated as a possible alternative to NOX, employing air as an oxidant. The laccase/mediator system shows higher productivity and scalability than the NOX system. This was proven with a preparative biotransformation of 20 g of CA into 12-oxo-CDCA (92% isolated yield) by employing a substrate loading of 120 mM (corresponding to 50 g/L). Additionally, the performance of the laccase/mediator system was compared with a classical ADH/acetone regeneration system and with other regeneration systems reported in literature.
The GABARAP Co-Secretome Identified by APEX2-GABARAP Proximity Labelling of Extracellular Vesicles
Authors: Sanwald Julia L. , Poschmann Gereon , Stühler Kai , Behrends Christian , Hoffmann Silke , Willbold Dieter
Published: June 2020

The autophagy-related ATG8 protein GABARAP has not only been shown to be involved in the cellular self-degradation process called autophagy but also fulfils functions in intracellular trafficking processes such as receptor transport to the plasma membrane. Notably, available mass spectrometry data suggest that GABARAP is also secreted into extracellular vesicles (EVs). Here, we confirm this finding by the immunoblotting of EVs isolated from cell culture supernatants and human blood serum using specific anti-GABARAP antibodies. To investigate the mechanism by which GABARAP is secreted, we applied proximity labelling, a method for studying the direct environment of a protein of interest in a confined cellular compartment. By expressing an engineered peroxidase (APEX2)-tagged variant of GABARAP—which, like endogenous GABARAP, was present in EVs prepared from HEK293 cells—we demonstrate the applicability of APEX2-based proximity labelling to EVs. The biotinylated protein pool which contains the APEX2-GABARAP co-secretome contained not only known GABARAP interaction partners but also proteins that were found in APEX2-GABARAP’s proximity inside of autophagosomes in an independent study. All in all, we not only introduce a versatile tool for co-secretome analysis in general but also uncover the first details about autophagy-based pathways as possible biogenesis mechanisms of GABARAP-containing EVs.
Effect of Cellulose Microfiber Silylation Procedures on the Properties and Antibacterial Activity of Polydimethylsiloxane
Authors: Jankauskaitė Virginija , Balčiūnaitienė Aistė , Alexandrova Radostina , Buškuvienė Nijolė , Žukienė Kristina
Published: June 2020

In this study, the liquid phase and vapor phase procedures for silylating cellulose microfibers by hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) were compared in terms of efficiency. The influence of functionalization degree on the morphology of microfibers and their interaction with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix has been investigated. The antibacterial properties of silylated cellulose microfibers hybridized with Ag nanoparticles, obtained by in situ chemical reduction, were also studied. Sample morphology investigations were carried out using spectroscopy and microscopy techniques (FTIR, XPS, TEM, SEM, EDS, XPS). Trimethylsilyl moieties appear on the surface of the cellulose microfibers after modification and improve the dispersibility of the microfibers, allowing strong interaction with the PDMS matrix and favoring its crosslinking density. Microfibers functionalized by the vapor phase of HMDS show smoother surfaces with higher concentrations of Si-containing groups, resulting in a more hydrophobic wetting behavior and a greater influence on the mechanical properties of the polymer. The silylated cellulose microfiber–Ag nanohybrid shows stronger antimicrobial activity towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains compared to that of the untreated hybrid. A PDMS composite loaded with this hybrid exhibits the ability to inhibit bacterial growth.
Degrees-Of-Freedom in Multi-Cloud Based Sectored Cellular Networks
Authors: Gelincik Samet , Rekaya-Ben Othman Ghaya
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the achievable per-user degrees-of-freedom (DoF) in multi-cloud based sectored hexagonal cellular networks (M-CRAN) at uplink. The network consists of N base stations (BS) and K ≤ N base band unit pools (BBUP), which function as independent cloud centers. The communication between BSs and BBUPs occurs by means of finite-capacity fronthaul links of capacities C F = μ F · 1 2 log ( 1 + P ) with P denoting transmit power. In the system model, BBUPs have limited processing capacity C BBU = μ BBU · 1 2 log ( 1 + P ) . We propose two different achievability schemes based on dividing the network into non-interfering parallelogram and hexagonal clusters, respectively. The minimum number of users in a cluster is determined by the ratio of BBUPs to BSs, r = K / N . Both of the parallelogram and hexagonal schemes are based on practically implementable beamforming and adapt the way of forming clusters to the sectorization of the cells. Proposed coding schemes improve the sum-rate over naive approaches that ignore cell sectorization, both at finite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and in the high-SNR limit. We derive a lower bound on per-user DoF which is a function of μ BBU , μ F , and r. We show that cut-set bound are attained for several cases, the achievability gap between lower and cut-set bounds decreases with the inverse of BBUP-BS ratio 1 r for μ F ≤ 2 M irrespective of μ BBU , and that per-user DoF achieved through hexagonal clustering can not exceed the per-user DoF of parallelogram clustering for any value of μ BBU and r as long as μ F ≤ 2 M . Since the achievability gap decreases with inverse of the BBUP-BS ratio for small and moderate fronthaul capacities, the cut-set bound is almost achieved even for small cluster sizes for this range of fronthaul capacities. For higher fronthaul capacities, the achievability gap is not always tight but decreases with processing capacity. However, the cut-set bound, e.g., at 5 M 6 , can be achieved with a moderate clustering size.
Research on Property Income Inequality Effect of Fiscal Finance
Authors: Peng Xiaozhun , Lu Hongyou
Published: June 2020

“Creating conditions for more people to have property income” has become a national policy after the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Based on the micro survey data from Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and the macro panel data at the provincial level, a logarithmic linear equation was built to estimate the impact of micro and macro factors on property income. Furthermore, the contribution of fiscal expenditure and financial development on property income equality can be recognized using the regression-based inequality decomposition method. This research revealed that fiscal expenditure improves residents’ property income and slightly reduces the inequality of property income distribution. With respect to financial development, it improves residents’ property income but aggravates the inequality of property income distribution. However, there is a significant difference between the different regions. In eastern and central regions, inequality of property income distribution greatly benefits from fiscal expenditure, while in northwest regions, fiscal expenditure makes property income inequality even worse. Therefore, the focus of financial sustainable development is to reduce property income inequality through the establishment of an effective government and the improvement of the rule of laws.