bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physiological Function during Exercise and Environmental Stress in Humans—An Integrative View of Body Systems and Homeostasis
Authors: Travers Gavin , Kippelen Pascale , Trangmar Steven J. , González-Alonso José
Published: January 2022

Claude Bernard’s milieu intérieur (internal environment) and the associated concept of homeostasis are fundamental to the understanding of the physiological responses to exercise and environmental stress. Maintenance of cellular homeostasis is thought to happen during exercise through the precise matching of cellular energetic demand and supply, and the production and clearance of metabolic by-products. The mind-boggling number of molecular and cellular pathways and the host of tissues and organ systems involved in the processes sustaining locomotion, however, necessitate an integrative examination of the body’s physiological systems. This integrative approach can be used to identify whether function and cellular homeostasis are maintained or compromised during exercise. In this review, we discuss the responses of the human brain, the lungs, the heart, and the skeletal muscles to the varying physiological demands of exercise and environmental stress. Multiple alterations in physiological function and differential homeostatic adjustments occur when people undertake strenuous exercise with and without thermal stress. These adjustments can include: hyperthermia; hyperventilation; cardiovascular strain with restrictions in brain, muscle, skin and visceral organs blood flow; greater reliance on muscle glycogen and cellular metabolism; alterations in neural activity; and, in some conditions, compromised muscle metabolism and aerobic capacity. Oxygen supply to the human brain is also blunted during intense exercise, but global cerebral metabolism and central neural drive are preserved or enhanced. In contrast to the strain seen during severe exercise and environmental stress, a steady state is maintained when humans exercise at intensities and in environmental conditions that require a small fraction of the functional capacity. The impact of exercise and environmental stress upon whole-body functions and homeostasis therefore depends on the functional needs and differs across organ systems.
Roles of Gonadotropin Receptors in Sexual Development of Medaka
Authors: Kitano Takeshi , Takenaka Tomoaki , Takagi Hisanori , Yoshiura Yasutoshi , Kazeto Yukinori , Hirai Toshiaki , Mukai Koki , Nozu Ryo
Published: January 2022

The gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), are secreted from the pituitary and bind to the FSH receptor (FSHR) and LH receptor (LHR) to regulate gonadal development in vertebrates. Previously, using fshr-knockout (KO) medaka (Oryzias latipes), we demonstrated that FSH regulates ovarian development by elevating estrogen levels. However, the lhr-KO phenotype in medaka is poorly characterized. Here, we generated lhr-KO medaka using the transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) technique. We analyzed its phenotype and that of fshr-KO, lhr;fshr double-heterozygotes (double-hetero), and double-KO fish. All genetically male medaka displayed normal testes and were fertile, whereas fshr-KO and double-KO genetically female fish displayed small ovaries containing many early pre-vitellogenic oocytes and were infertile. Although lhr-KO genetically female fish had normal ovaries with full-grown oocytes, ovulation did not occur. Levels of 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, which is required for meiotic maturation of oocytes and sperm maturation in teleost fish, were significantly decreased in all KO female medaka ovaries except for double-heteros. Further, 17β-estradiol levels in fshr-KO and double-KO ovaries were significantly lower than those in double-heteros. These findings indicate that LH is necessary for oocyte maturation and FSH is necessary for follicle development, but that neither are essential for spermatogenesis in medaka.
The Transglutaminase-2 Interactome in the APP23 Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Wilhelmus Micha M. M. , Tonoli Elisa , Coveney Clare , Boocock David J. , Jongenelen Cornelis A. M. , Brevé John J. P. , Verderio Elisabetta A. M. , Drukarch Benjamin
Published: January 2022

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition in the brain is closely linked with the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Unfortunately, therapies specifically targeting Aβ deposition have failed to reach their primary clinical endpoints, emphasizing the need to broaden the search strategy for alternative targets/mechanisms. Transglutaminase-2 (TG2) catalyzes post-translational modifications, is present in AD lesions and interacts with AD-associated proteins. However, an unbiased overview of TG2 interactors is lacking in both control and AD brain. Here we aimed to identify these interactors using a crossbreed of the AD-mimicking APP23 mouse model with wild type and TG2 knock-out (TG2−/−) mice. We found that absence of TG2 had no (statistically) significant effect on Aβ pathology, soluble brain levels of Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42, and mRNA levels of TG family members compared to APP23 mice at 18 months of age. Quantitative proteomics and network analysis revealed a large cluster of TG2 interactors involved in synaptic transmission/assembly and cell adhesion in the APP23 brain typical of AD. Comparative proteomics of wild type and TG2−/− brains revealed a TG2-linked pathological proteome consistent with alterations in both pathways. Our data show that TG2 deletion leads to considerable network alterations consistent with a TG2 role in (dys)regulation of synaptic transmission and cell adhesion in APP23 brains.
HIF-1α Stabilization in Flagellin-Stimulated Human Bronchial Cells Impairs Barrier Function
Authors: Ramirez-Moral Ivan , Ferreira Bianca L. , Butler Joe M. , van Weeghel Michel , Otto Natasja A. , de Vos Alex F. , Yu Xiao , de Jong Menno D. , Houtkooper Riekelt H. , van der Poll Tom
Published: January 2022

The respiratory epithelium provides a first line of defense against pathogens. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)1α is a transcription factor which is stabilized in hypoxic conditions through the inhibition of prolyl-hydroxylase (PHD)2, the enzyme that marks HIF1α for degradation. Here, we studied the impact of HIF1α stabilization on the response of primary human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells to the bacterial component, flagellin. The treatment of flagellin-stimulated HBE cells with the PHD2 inhibitor IOX2 resulted in strongly increased HIF1α expression. IOX2 enhanced the flagellin-induced expression of the genes encoding the enzymes involved in glycolysis, which was associated with the intracellular accumulation of pyruvate. An untargeted pathway analysis of RNA sequencing data demonstrated the strong inhibitory effects of IOX2 toward key innate immune pathways related to cytokine and mitogen-activated kinase signaling cascades in flagellin-stimulated HBE cells. Likewise, the cell–cell junction organization pathway was amongst the top pathways downregulated by IOX2 in flagellin-stimulated HBE cells, which included the genes encoding claudins and cadherins. This IOX2 effect was corroborated by an impaired barrier function, as measured by dextran permeability. These results provide a first insight into the effects associated with HIF1α stabilization in the respiratory epithelium, suggesting that HIF1α impacts properties that are key to maintaining homeostasis upon stimulation with a relevant bacterial agonist.
Alterations of Sphingolipid and Phospholipid Pathways and Ornithine Level in the Plasma as Biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Chang Kuo-Hsuan , Cheng Mei-Ling , Tang Hsiang-Yu , Huang Cheng-Yu , Wu Hsiu-Chuan , Chen Chiung-Mei
Published: January 2022

The biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain to be investigated. This work aimed to identify blood biomarkers for PD using targeted metabolomics analysis. We quantified the plasma levels of 255 metabolites in 92 PD patients and 60 healthy controls (HC). PD patients were sub-grouped into early (Hoehn–Yahr stage ≤ 2, n = 72) and advanced (Hoehn–Yahr stage > 2, n = 20) stages. Fifty-nine phospholipids, 3 fatty acids, 3 amino acids, and 7 biogenic amines, demonstrated significant alterations in PD patients. Six of them, dihydro sphingomyelin (SM) 24:0, 22:0, 20:0, phosphatidylethanolamine-plasmalogen (PEp) 38:6, and phosphatidylcholine 38:5 and 36:6, demonstrated lowest levels in PD patients in the advanced stage, followed by those in the early stage and HC. By contrast, the level of ornithine was highest in PD patients at the advanced stage, followed by those at the early stage and HC. These biomarker candidates demonstrated significant correlations with scores of motor disability, cognitive dysfunction, depression, and quality of daily life. The support vector machine algorithm using α-synuclein, dihydro SM 24:0, and PEp 38:6 demonstrated good ability to separate PD from HC (AUC: 0.820). This metabolomic analysis demonstrates new plasma biomarker candidates for PD and supports their role in participating PD pathogenesis and monitoring disease progression.
Macrophage-Specific MCPIP1/Regnase-1 Attenuates Kidney Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Shaping the Local Inflammatory Response and Tissue Regeneration
Authors: Ribeiro Andrea , Dobosz Ewelina , Krill Moritz , Köhler Paulina , Wadowska Marta , Steiger Stefanie , Schmaderer Christoph , Koziel Joanna , Lech Maciej
Published: January 2022

Sterile inflammation either resolves the initial insult or leads to tissue damage. Kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is associated with neutrophilic infiltration, enhanced production of inflammatory mediators, accumulation of necrotic cells and tissue remodeling. Macrophage-dependent microenvironmental changes orchestrate many features of the immune response and tissue regeneration. The activation status of macrophages is influenced by extracellular signals, the duration and intensity of the stimulation, as well as various regulatory molecules. The role of macrophage-derived monocyte chemoattractant protein-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1), also known as Regnase-1, in kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and recovery from sterile inflammation remains unresolved. In this study, we showed that macrophage-specific Mcpip1 deletion significantly affects the kidney phenotype. Macrophage-specific Mcpip1 transgenic mice displayed enhanced inflammation and loss of the tubular compartment upon IRI. We showed that MCPIP1 modulates sterile inflammation by negative regulation of Irf4 expression and accumulation of IRF4+ cells in the tissue and, consequently, suppresses the post-ischemic kidney immune response. Thus, we identified MCPIP1 as an important molecular sentinel of immune homeostasis in experimental acute kidney injury (AKI) and renal fibrosis.
p53 Promotes Cytokine Expression in Melanoma to Regulate Drug Resistance and Migration
Authors: Pandya Pinakin , Kublo Lyubov , Stewart-Ornstein Jacob
Published: January 2022

The transcription factor p53 is frequently lost during tumor development in solid tumors; however, most melanomas retain a wild type p53 protein. The presence of wild type p53 in melanoma has fueled speculation that p53 may play a neutral or pro-tumorigenic role in this disease. Here we show that p53 is functional in human melanoma cell lines, and that loss of p53 results in a general reduction in basal NF-kB regulated cytokine production. The reduced cytokine expression triggered by p53 loss is broad and includes key inflammatory chemokines, such as CXCL1, CXCL8, and the IL6 class cytokine LIF, resulting in a reduced ability to induce chemotactic-dependent migration of tumor cells and immune cells and increased sensitivity to BRAF inhibition. Taken together, this result indicates that wild type p53 regulates cytokine expression and induces cytokine-dependent phenotype on melanoma.
Histone Chaperone Nrp1 Mutation Affects the Acetylation of H3K56 in Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Lian Yinjie , Hao Huijuan , Xu Jing , Bo Tao , Wang Wei
Published: January 2022

Histone modification and nucleosome assembly are mainly regulated by various histone-modifying enzymes and chaperones. The roles of histone-modification enzymes have been well analyzed, but the molecular mechanism of histone chaperones in histone modification and nucleosome assembly is incompletely understood. We previously found that the histone chaperone Nrp1 is localized in the micronucleus (MIC) and the macronucleus (MAC) and involved in the chromatin stability and nuclear division of Tetrahymena thermophila. In the present work, we found that truncated C-terminal mutant HA-Nrp1TrC abnormally localizes in the cytoplasm. The truncated-signal-peptide mutants HA-Nrp1TrNLS1 and HA-Nrp1TrNLS2 are localized in the MIC and MAC. Overexpression of Nrp1TrNLS1 inhibited cellular proliferation and disrupted micronuclear mitosis during the vegetative growth stage. During sexual development, Nrp1TrNLS1 overexpression led to abnormal bouquet structures and meiosis arrest. Furthermore, Histone H3 was not transported into the nucleus; instead, it formed an abnormal speckled cytoplastic distribution in the Nrp1TrNLS1 mutants. The acetylation level of H3K56 in the mutants also decreased, leading to significant changes in the transcription of the genome of the Nrp1TrNLS1 mutants. The histone chaperone Nrp1 regulates the H3 nuclear import and acetylation modification of H3K56 and affects chromatin stability and genome transcription in Tetrahymena.
Adoptive Cellular Therapy for Multiple Myeloma Using CAR- and TCR-Transgenic T Cells: Response and Resistance
Authors: Füchsl Franziska , Krackhardt Angela M.
Published: January 2022

Despite the substantial improvement of therapeutic approaches, multiple myeloma (MM) remains mostly incurable. However, immunotherapeutic and especially T cell-based approaches pioneered the therapeutic landscape for relapsed and refractory disease recently. Targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on myeloma cells has been demonstrated to be highly effective not only by antibody-derived constructs but also by adoptive cellular therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transgenic T cells lead to deep, albeit mostly not durable responses with manageable side-effects in intensively pretreated patients. The spectrum of adoptive T cell-transfer covers synthetic CARs with diverse specificities as well as currently less well-established T cell receptor (TCR)-based personalized strategies. In this review, we want to focus on treatment characteristics including efficacy and safety of CAR- and TCR-transgenic T cells in MM as well as the future potential these novel therapies may have. ACT with transgenic T cells has only entered clinical trials and various engineering strategies for optimization of T cell responses are necessary to overcome therapy resistance mechanisms. We want to outline the current success in engineering CAR- and TCR-T cells, but also discuss challenges including resistance mechanisms of MM for evading T cell therapy and point out possible novel strategies.
Restoring SMN Expression: An Overview of the Therapeutic Developments for the Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Aslesh Tejal , Yokota Toshifumi
Published: January 2022

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder and one of the most common genetic causes of infant death. It is characterized by progressive weakness of the muscles, loss of ambulation, and death from respiratory complications. SMA is caused by the homozygous deletion or mutations in the survival of the motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. Humans, however, have a nearly identical copy of SMN1 known as the SMN2 gene. The severity of the disease correlates inversely with the number of SMN2 copies present. SMN2 cannot completely compensate for the loss of SMN1 in SMA patients because it can produce only a fraction of functional SMN protein. SMN protein is ubiquitously expressed in the body and has a variety of roles ranging from assembling the spliceosomal machinery, autophagy, RNA metabolism, signal transduction, cellular homeostasis, DNA repair, and recombination. Motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord are extremely susceptible to the loss of SMN protein, with the reason still being unclear. Due to the ability of the SMN2 gene to produce small amounts of functional SMN, two FDA-approved treatment strategies, including an antisense oligonucleotide (AON) nusinersen and small-molecule risdiplam, target SMN2 to produce more functional SMN. On the other hand, Onasemnogene abeparvovec (brand name Zolgensma) is an FDA-approved adeno-associated vector 9-mediated gene replacement therapy that can deliver a copy of the human SMN1. In this review, we summarize the SMA etiology, the role of SMN, and discuss the challenges of the therapies that are approved for SMA treatment.
The Enticing Path of miR Therapeutics: Difficult but Not without Prospects
Authors: Vikram Ajit
Published: January 2022

MicroRNAs (miRs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate the translation and stability of mRNAs to fine-tune gene expression [...]
Cardiovascular Biomarker Profiles in Obesity and Relation to Normalization of Subclinical Cardiac Dysfunction after Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Snelder Sanne M. , Pouw Nadine , Aga Yaar , Castro Cabezas Manuel , Biter L. Ulas , Zijlstra Felix , Kardys Isabella , van Dalen Bas M.
Published: January 2022

Aims: We aimed to gain insight into the underlying pathophysiology of cardiac dysfunction in obesity patients and the improvement of cardiac function after weight loss. Methods: This is a longitudinal study in which 92 cardiovascular biomarkers were measured by multiplex immunoassays in obesity patients without known cardiovascular disease, before and one year after bariatric surgery. Results: Out of 100 eligible patients, 72 patients completed the follow-up. A total of 72 (78%) biomarkers changed significantly. The biomarkers with the highest relative changes represented processes linked mainly to insulin resistance and inflammation. In the patients with persistent subclinical cardiac dysfunction, the baseline values of 10 biomarkers were different from values in patients with normalization of cardiac function. Most of these biomarkers were linked to inflammation or atherosclerosis. Finally, a model was developed to investigate the relationship between changes in the biomarkers and persistent subclinical cardiac dysfunction. Seven biomarkers were retained in this model, mainly linked to inflammation, atherosclerosis, and hypercoagulability. Conclusion: The majority (78%) of cardiovascular biomarkers changed, pointing mainly to modulation of insulin resistance and inflammation. The baseline levels of 10 biomarkers, as well as pre- to post-bariatric surgery changes in seven biomarkers, were related to persistent subclinical cardiac dysfunction after bariatric surgery.
Introducing Graphene–Indium Oxide Electrochemical Sensor for Detecting Ethanol in Aqueous Samples with CCD-RSM Optimization
Authors: Boroujerdi Ramin , Paul Richard
Published: January 2022

There is significant demand for portable sensors that can deliver selective and sensitive measurement of ethanol on-site. Such sensors have application across many industries, including clinical and forensic work as well as agricultural and environmental analysis. Here, we report a new graphene–indium oxide electrochemical sensor for the determination of ethanol in aqueous samples. Graphene layers were functionalised by anchoring In2O3 to its surface and the developed composite was used as a selective electrochemical sensor for sensing ethanol through cyclic voltammetry. The detection limit of the sensor was 0.068 mol/L and it showed a linear response to increasing ethanol in the environment up to 1.2 mol/L. The most significant parameters involved and their interactions in the response of the sensor and optimization procedures were studied using a four-factor central composite design (CCD) combined with response surface modelling (RSM). The sensor was applied in the detection of ethanol in authentic samples.
Prediction of Carbonate Selectivity of PVC-Plasticized Sensor Membranes with Newly Synthesized Ionophores through QSPR Modeling
Authors: Vladimirova Nadezhda , Polukeev Valery , Ashina Julia , Babain Vasily , Legin Andrey , Kirsanov Dmitry
Published: January 2022

Developing a potentiometric sensor with required target properties is a challenging task. This work explores the potential of quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) modeling in the prediction of potentiometric selectivity for plasticized polymeric membrane sensors based on newly synthesized ligands. As a case study, we have addressed sensors with selectivity towards carbonate—an important topic for environmental and biomedical studies. Using the logKsel(HCO3−/Cl−) selectivity data on 40 ionophores available in literature and their substructural molecular fragments as descriptors, we have constructed a QSPR model, which has demonstrated reasonable precision in predicting selectivities for newly synthesized ligands sharing similar molecular fragments with those employed for modeling.
Using Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Image-Based Diagnosis of Nutrient Deficiencies in Plants Grown in Aquaponics
Authors: Taha Mohamed Farag , Abdalla Alwaseela , ElMasry Gamal , Gouda Mostafa , Zhou Lei , Zhao Nan , Liang Ning , Niu Ziang , Hassanein Amro , Al-Rejaie Salim , He Yong , Qiu Zhengjun
Published: January 2022

In the aquaponic system, plant nutrients bioavailable from fish excreta are not sufficient for optimal plant growth. Accurate and timely monitoring of the plant’s nutrient status grown in aquaponics is a challenge in order to maintain the balance and sustainability of the system. This study aimed to integrate color imaging and deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) to diagnose the nutrient status of lettuce grown in aquaponics. Our approach consists of multi-stage procedures, including plant object detection and classification of nutrient deficiency. The robustness and diagnostic capability of proposed approaches were evaluated using a total number of 3000 lettuce images that were classified into four nutritional classes—namely, full nutrition (FN), nitrogen deficiency (N), phosphorous deficiency (P), and potassium deficiency (K). The performance of the DCNNs was compared with traditional machine learning (ML) algorithms (i.e., Simple thresholding, K-means, support vector machine; SVM, k-nearest neighbor; KNN, and decision Tree; DT). The results demonstrated that the deep proposed segmentation model obtained an accuracy of 99.1%. Also, the deep proposed classification model achieved the highest accuracy of 96.5%. These results indicate that deep learning models, combined with color imaging, provide a promising approach to timely monitor nutrient status of the plants grown in aquaponics, which allows for taking preventive measures and mitigating economic and production losses. These approaches can be integrated into embedded devices to control nutrient cycles in aquaponics.
Screening, Diagnosis and Early Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Alonso-Esteban Yurena , Alcantud-Marín Francisco
Published: January 2022

The increment of prevalence is among the most important changes that have taken place in recent years with regard to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); in the 1970s and 1980s of the 20th century, the prevalence of ASD was estimated to be 4/10,000 [...]
Histopathological Records of Oral and Maxillofacial Lesions among Pediatric and Adolescent Patients in Sulaimani Governorate
Authors: Mohammad Dena Nadhim , Ibraheem Ban Falih , Garib Balkees Taha , Hamied Marwa Abdul-Salam
Published: January 2022

Oral and maxillofacial lesions (OMFLs) in pediatrics differ markedly from their adult counterparts in terms of clinical conduct, pathological behavior, and management. This study aims to determine the frequency of OMFLs among pediatric and adolescent patients and to correlate the demographics information to the site, and histopathological findings. Pathological records of pediatric and adolescent patients were retrieved from three major pathological centers in Sulaimani city of Iraq. Demographic information, surgical procedure, anatomical sites, and histopathological diagnosis were recorded. Furthermore, The World Health Organization (WHO) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) was used for coding. A Chi-square test was used to find the relation between different variables, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. This study archived 309 (13.3%) out of 2319 pediatric and adolescent patients, with a mean age of 11.04 ± 4.62. Females were more commonly detected (52.8%). The most frequently diagnosed lesions were salivary gland diseases (20.7%), followed by reactive hyperplastic connective tissue (18.4%). A significant relation was found between age groups and diagnostic categories (p = 0.001). The lips were the most commonly detected sites (20.7%). Mucocele was the most frequently seen non-neoplastic lesions (19.4%), followed by pyogenic granuloma (8.7%). Neoplastic lesions revealed predominant hemangioma (3.2%), followed by peripheral ossifying fibroma (1.9%). Traumatic and or reactive lesions were the most commonly reported lesions. Malignant neoplasms can be identified. The current study enabled systematic data recording of pediatric and adolescent patients, encouraging the importance of the oral healthcare system in identifying and managing the problem early in this critical age in this region.
Role of Sleep Restriction in Daily Rhythms of Expression of Hypothalamic Core Clock Genes in Mice
Authors: Li Weitian , Wang Zixu , Cao Jing , Dong Yulan , Chen Yaoxing
Published: January 2022

Lack of sleep time is a menace to modern people, and it leads to chronic diseases and mental illnesses. Circadian processes control sleep, but little is known about how sleep affects the circadian system. Therefore, we performed a 28-day sleep restriction (SR) treatment in mice. Sleep restriction disrupted the clock genes’ circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythms of the Cry1 and Per1/2/3 genes disappeared. The acrophase of the clock genes (Bmal1, Clock, Rev-erbα, and Rorβ) that still had a circadian rhythm was advanced, while the acrophase of negative clock gene Cry2 was delayed. Clock genes’ upstream signals ERK and EIFs also had circadian rhythm disorders. Accompanied by changes in the central oscillator, the plasma output signal (melatonin, corticosterone, IL-6, and TNF-α) had an advanced acrophase. While the melatonin mesor was decreased, the corticosterone, IL-6, and TNF-α mesor was increased. Our results indicated that chronic sleep loss could disrupt the circadian rhythm of the central clock through ERK and EIFs and affect the output signal downstream of the core biological clock.
Anti-Adhesive Properties of Calcium Alginate from Sargassum fusiforme against Particulate Matter-Induced Inflammation
Authors: Fu Yun-Hua , Tao Xing-Yu , Yang Di , Li Xue , Zhou Dong-Yue , Dai Yu-Lin , Jeon You-Jin
Published: January 2022

Fine dust generated by particulate matter (PM) pollution is a serious ecological issue in industrialized countries and causes disorders of the respiratory system and skin in humans. In the previous study, Sargassum fusiforme was treated with citric acid to remove heavy metals. In this study, the transfer of PM-mediated inflammatory responses through the skin to macrophages was evaluated. Moreover, the anti-adhesive effects of calcium alginate isolated from S. fusiforme (SFCA) against PM-induced inflammation were investigated. The structures of processing and unprocessing SFCA were then analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), revealing minimal change after acid-processing. SFCA had protective effects both in PM-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages. In cellular environments, it was found that SFCA attenuated signal protein expressions such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, macrophages were added to the culture medium of PM-stimulated keratinocytes to induce inflammation. SFCA was observed to significantly inhibit inflammatory responses; additionally, SFCA showed an in vivo anti-adhesive effect in zebrafish embryos.
Magnetron Sputtering of Au-Based Alloys on NiTi Elements: Surface Investigation for New Products in SMA-Based Fashion and Luxury Accessories and Watchmaking
Authors: Villa Francesca , Bassani Enrico , Passaretti Francesca , de Ceglia Giuseppe , Viscuso Stefano , Zin Valentina , Miorin Enrico , Deambrosis Silvia Maria , Villa Elena
Published: January 2022

A novel approach for the deposition of Au-based coatings on NiTi components was proposed to give rise to innovative SMA-based products for the fashion, luxury, and watchmaking fields. Different Au-Cu and Au-Ag-Cu alloys (with confidential compositions within the color designations 2N, 4N, and 5N) were deposited by magnetron sputtering on superelastic and shape-memory NiTi ribbons. After preliminary morphological and microstructural characterizations, the influence of the film deposition on the functional, mechanical, and tribological behavior was deeply investigated. The macroscopic mechanical properties, including the damping, superelastic, and shape recovery characteristics, were not affected since the behavior upon both small and severe deformations was unchanged and the coatings were not damaged. Indeed, both the film adhesion and the precious aspect were maintained. Furthermore, a more detailed surface characterization, through nanoindentation, tribocorrosion, and scratch and wear tests, was performed. This experimental investigation evidenced the ductile behavior of the Au-based films and their good adhesion on NiTi substrates. Moreover, the coatings exhibited a good wear resistance, both in dry conditions and simulated body fluids, which proved to be suitable for fashion and watchmaking fields. Despite slight differences being observed within the films’ responses, all of them could be considered suitable and interesting for the design of smart luxury accessories, proving that the chosen deposition process is sound and reliable for these applications.
Facile Preparation of Hydrophobic PET Surfaces by Solvent Induced Crystallization
Authors: Afonso Elisabet , Martínez-Gómez Aránzazu , Huerta Andrea , Tiemblo Pilar , García Nuria
Published: January 2022

In this work, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most widely consumed polymers, has been used as starting material for the development of non-stick surfaces through a fast, simple and scalable method based on solvent-induced crystallization to generate roughness, followed by a fluorination step. Several solvents were tested, among which dichloromethane was chosen because it gives rise to the formation of a particulate layer with rough topography. This particulate layer was covered by a polymer thin and smooth skin that must be removed to leave the rough layer as surface. The skin has been successfully removed by two strategies based on mechanical and chemical removal, each strategy producing different surface properties. A final treatment with a diluted solution of a fluorinated silane showed that it is possible to obtain PET surfaces with a water contact angle higher than 150° and low water adhesion. The reason behind this behavior is the development of a hierarchical rough profile during the induced polymer crystallization process. These surfaces were characterized by XRD, FTIR and DSC to monitor solvent induced crystallization. Topography was studied by SEM and optical profilometry. Wetting behavior was studied by measuring the contact angles and hysteresis.
Forecast the Microhardness of Ni-TiN Nanoplatings via an Artificial Neural Network Model
Authors: Liu Yan , Han Xingguo , Kang Li , Wang Binwu , Xiang Hongxia
Published: January 2022

This study used a backward propagation (BP) model to estimate the microhardness of Ni-TiN nanoplatings prepared using pulse electrodeposition. The influence of electroplating parameters on the microhardness of Ni-TiN nanoplatings was discussed. These parameters included the concentration of the TiN particle, pulse frequency, duty cycle, and current density. The surface morphology, microstructure, and microhardness of Ni-TiN nanoplatings were examined using white-light interfering profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, Rockwell hardness testing, and high-resolution transmission emission microscopy. The Ni-TiN thin film prepared by pulse electrodeposition had a surface roughness of about 0.122 µm, and the average size of the Ni and TiN grains on this film was 61.8 and 31.3 nm, respectively. The optimal process parameters were determined based on the maximum microhardness of the deposited Ni-TiN nanoplatings, which included an 8 g/L TiN particle concentration, a 5 A/dm2 current density, an 80 Hz pulse frequency, and a 0.7 duty cycle. It could be concluded that the BP model would accurately forecast the microhardness of Ni-TiN nanoplatings, with a maximal error of about 1.04%.
The Photocatalytic Performance of Ag-Decorated SiO2 Nanoparticles (NPs) and Binding Ability between Ag NPs and Modifiers
Authors: Chen Wei-Sheng , Chen Hong-Ren , Lee Cheng-Han
Published: January 2022

This study demonstrates a method for synthesizing Ag-decorated SiO2 NPs, which combined surface modification and electroless plating. The binding ability between the Ag NPs and modifiers was also investigated for the first time. The resulting products were characterized by electron microscopy and a UV–Visible spectrophotometer, which confirmed that OH− modified composite has the most uniform coating of Ag NPs and the largest Ag elemental composition. The efficiency of degrading methylene blue (MB) under visible light for 60 min was above 99%. The normalized reaction constant also confirmed the experimental results. In brief, this study verifies an optimal surface modifier of the binding ability with Ag NPs and the feasibility of this structure to effectively absorb the solar spectrum and further apply it to the photodegradation reaction.
Development and Characterization of Films for Food Application Incorporating Porphyran Extracted from Porphyra dioica
Authors: Teles Marco , Adão Pedro , Afonso Clélia , Bernardino Raul , Guedes Mafalda , Baptista Ricardo , Bernardino Susana
Published: January 2022

Non-biodegradable plastic is one of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime and, considering the present societal needs, it will get worse. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable and renewable alternatives to plastic, such as plastic-like materials obtained from biodegradable polymers, namely sulfated polysaccharides, considered one of the most viable alternatives. There is also a need to obtain these materials in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. The hereby developed process of obtaining film-forming solutions from semi-refined porphyran (PorphSR) uses a green solvent (hot water) with a high extraction yield of semi-refined porphyran (26.66 ± 0.27%) in a reproducible way and with low levels of contaminants. The obtained semi-refined porphyran showed good antioxidant potential in all tests performed: HPSA (Δ0.066 ± 0.002), DPPH (2.23 ± 0.78%), FRAP (0.420 ± 0.014 eq. ascorbic acid µg mg−1 of extract) and ABTS (20.46 ± 0.90%). After being cast into films, the most notable antioxidant properties were those of the semi-refined porphyran in the DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays and of the pectin, (PorphSR_PcT and PorphSR_PcT_Gly) in the HPSA assay. Morphologically, the films showed relatively homogeneous and low roughness surfaces. It is concluded that the described method to obtain semi-refined porphyran is feasible and reproducible, and that the developed films, mainly PorfP2_PcT_Gly, proved to be a potential candidate for non-biodegradable plastic substitutes.
Chemical Reactive and Viscous Dissipative Flow of Magneto Nanofluid via Natural Convection by Employing Galerkin Finite Element Technique
Authors: Bejawada Shankar Goud , Jamshed Wasim , Safdar Rabia , Reddy Yanala Dharmendar , M. Alanazi Meznah , Zahran Heba Y. , Eid Mohamed R.
Published: January 2022

A numerical study of chemically reactive effects on Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) free convective unsteady flowing over an inclined plate in a porousness material in the existence of viscous dissipation was studied. The nondimensional principal equations are time dependent coupled and non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs) are solved by the efficacy finite element method (FEM). As well, the computational relationships of speed, energy, and concentricity in the form of Galerkin finite element were obtained. Calculations are achieved with a wide range of key flow parameters, namely, the angle of inclination (α), permeability parameter k, magnetic parameter (M), buoyancy ratio parameter (N), Schmidt number (Sc), Eckert number (Ec), Prandtl number (Pr), chemical factor (Kr) on speed, and concentricity and temperature fields are examined in detail with the assistance of diagrams.
Effect of Organic Viscosity-Reducing Warm-Mix Agent on the Performance of Rubber Asphalt
Authors: Shi Jingtao , Li Jun , Li Chun , Wang Tihong , Liu Jintong , Cao Anrong
Published: January 2022

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and other evaluation methods were used to investigate the effect of WS-1, an organic viscosity-reducing temperature mixing agent, on the rheological and conventional properties of warm-mix rubber asphalt (WMRA). The results demonstrated that the WS-1 warm-mix agent exhibited an excellent viscosity-reducing effect and that, with the increasing of WS-1 content, the high-temperature viscosity of the WMRA decreased significantly. The viscosity and softening point of the WMRA increased at 60 °C simultaneously, with the softening point increasing by about 15 °C. The penetration and ductility decreased by about 1 mm and 6 cm, respectively, and the activation energy (Eη) and temperature sensitivity increased. These results indicated that WS-1 could improve the high-temperature performance of WMRA but had an adverse effect on its low-temperature performance. Upon using temperature scanning for the WMRA, the addition of WS-1 significantly increased the rutting factor (G*/sin δ) of the WMRA and greatly improved its rutting resistance within the temperature range examined. The addition of WS-1 changed the viscosity of WMRA, thus affecting the hot-storage stability of WMRA at high temperatures.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Computation in 2021
Authors:   Computation Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Adaptive Contextual Risk-Based Model to Tackle Confidentiality-Based Attacks in Fog-IoT Paradigm
Authors: Selvan Satiaseelan , Mahinderjit Singh Manmeet
Published: January 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) allows billions of physical objects to be connected to gather and exchange information to offer numerous applications. It has unsupported features such as low latency, location awareness, and geographic distribution that are important for a few IoT applications. Fog computing is integrated into IoT to aid these features to increase computing, storage, and networking resources to the network edge. Unfortunately, it is faced with numerous security and privacy risks, raising severe concerns among users. Therefore, this research proposes a contextual risk-based access control model for Fog-IoT technology that considers real-time data information requests for IoT devices and gives dynamic feedback. The proposed model uses Fog-IoT environment features to estimate the security risk associated with each access request using device context, resource sensitivity, action severity, and risk history as inputs for the fuzzy risk model to compute the risk factor. Then, the proposed model uses a security agent in a fog node to provide adaptive features in which the device’s behaviour is monitored to detect any abnormal actions from authorised devices. The proposed model is then evaluated against the existing model to benchmark the results. The fuzzy-based risk assessment model with enhanced MQTT authentication protocol and adaptive security agent showed an accurate risk score for seven random scenarios tested compared to the simple risk score calculations.
Acknowledgment to Reviewers of Condensed Matter in 2021
Authors:   Condensed Matter Editorial Office
Published: January 2022

Rigorous peer-reviews are the basis of high-quality academic publishing [...]
Polaron-Depleton Transition in the Yrast Excitations of a One-Dimensional Bose Gas with a Mobile Impurity
Authors: Yang Mingrui , Čufar Matija , Pahl Elke , Brand Joachim
Published: January 2022

We present exact numerical data for the lowest-energy momentum eigenstates (yrast states) of a repulsive spin impurity in a one-dimensional Bose gas using full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo (FCIQMC). As a stochastic extension of exact diagonalization, it is well suited for the study of yrast states of a lattice-renormalized model for a quantum gas. Yrast states carry valuable information about the dynamic properties of slow-moving mobile impurities immersed in a many-body system. Based on the energies and the first and second-order correlation functions of yrast states, we identify different dynamical regimes and the transitions between them: The polaron regime, where the impurity’s motion is affected by the Bose gas through a renormalized effective mass; a regime of a gray soliton that is weakly correlated with a stationary impurity, and the depleton regime, where the impurity occupies a dark or gray soliton. Extracting the depleton effective mass reveals a super heavy regime where the magnitude of the (negative) depleton mass exceeds the mass of the finite Bose gas.
A New Study of the Lower Levels of the Los Frailes Caldera (Spain) for the Location and Characterisation of Pozzolans as Construction Materials
Authors: Martín Domingo A. , Costafreda Jorge L. , Presa Leticia , Zambrano José , Costafreda Jorge L.
Published: January 2022

Over the last two decades, there was been intensive study of pozzolans on the surface of the Los Frailes Caldera (Spain) for possible use as construction materials; however, research into the deepest underlying horizons has not yet been done. The main object of this paper is to present the results of the research carried out at different levels of depth, down to 30 m, to locate and demonstrate the presence of pozzolans in the depths of the Los Frailes Caldera. To achieve this, a series of analyses were carried out to classify the samples extracted from the various levels of depth, starting at the surface and continuing down to 30 m, which consisted of XRD, XRF, and SEM. Other technological tests were also performed such as chemical analysis of pozzolanic quality (CAQP) and pozzolanicity (PT) tests, at 8 and 15 days. Lastly, a geophysical study using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was developed to define the thickness and physical properties of the horizons of pozzolanic materials at depth, as well as to establish the depth of the deposit. The results obtained by XRD, XRF, and SEM confirmed the presence of pozzolans consisting of strongly zeolitized and bentonitised tuffs (ZBVT) in the lower levels of the Los Frailes Caldera, indicating that these horizons continue uninterruptedly beyond 30 m deep. The results of the CAQP and PT established that the ZBVTs that lie in the depths have pozzolanic qualities. On the other hand, the ERT study showed that ZBVT levels continue into the depths, thus proving that the lower limit of the deposit is even deeper. The results obtained in this work could have a positive impact on an increase in the reserves of pozzolanic raw materials in the researched area and could be used in the manufacture of light aggregates for mortars, concretes, and pozzolanic cements, consistent with the environment and effective in reducing CO2 emissions during the production process.
High Reflectivity AlN/Al1−xInxN Distributed Bragg Reflectors across the UV Regions by Sputtering
Authors: Frimpong-Manso Ellen Serwaa , Wang Liancheng
Published: January 2022

To improve the performance of III-nitride compound semiconductor-based optoelectronic devices, highly reflective distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are a requirement. In this report, AlN and Al1−xInxN layers were first sputtered and characterized concerning their optical, structural and morphological properties. Ellipsometry measurements were used to determine the optical constants (refractive index, n and coefficient of extinction, k, in dependence of the wavelengths of the layers. The indium content of the Al1−xInxN film was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Subsequently, AlN/Al1−xInxN DBRs with high reflectivity spectra operating in the UV A, B and C were designed and fabricated on Si (111) and SiO2 substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The DBRs consist of an eight-pair AlN/Al0.84In0.16N at 235 nm, 290 nm and 365 nm with reflectances of 86.5%, 97.7% and 97.5% with FWHM of 45 nm, 70 nm and 96 nm, respectively. Atomic force microscopy analysis yielded a Root Mean Square (RMS) of 2.95 nm, implying that the DBR samples can achieve reasonable smoothness over a wide area. Furthermore, the impact of an annealing phase, which is frequently required during device growth, was investigated. Our findings indicate that AlN and Al1−xInxN are suitable materials for the fabrication of deep UV DBRs.
Dielectric Properties of Liquid Crystal Polymer Substrates in the Region from 90 to 140 GHz
Authors: Mao Rongxin , Zhang Guozhen , Xu Lu , Gao Haoyu , Yang Jun , Yin Zhiping , Deng Guangsheng , Lu Hongbo
Published: January 2022

In this article, we present a study of the equivalent dielectric constant of two nematic liquid crystals (LCs) with different thicknesses, in the region from 90 to 140 GHz. The equivalent dielectric constant of the LCs was measured using a frequency selective surface (FSS). The LC-based tunable FSS with 22 × 25 unit cells was printed on a quartz substrate with an area of 4 × 4 cm2 and a thickness of 480 µm; the LC layer with thicknesses ranging from 30 to 100 µm acted as a substrate. The FSS featured a maximum frequency-shifting range of 8.15 GHz and 30 µm-thick LC layers with mutually orthogonal rubbing directions were deposited on it. The results show that the initial equivalent dielectric constant of the LC layer increased with the LC layer thickness, while the saturation-equivalent dielectric constant remained almost constant. This work provides LC parameters that can be useful for the design of LC-based devices in the millimeter and terahertz ranges.
Effect of Arc Length on Oxygen Content and Mechanical Properties of Weld Metal during Pulsed GMAW
Authors: Xu Jiachen , Zhou Xiaoxiao , Zhu Dawei
Published: January 2022

Pulsed gas metal arc weld (GMAW) was widely used for the advantages of controllable heat input, all-position welding, and no spatter. In order to obtain an ideal welding process, the stability of the arc length was studied in many researches, but the influence of arc length on the properties of weld metal was ignored. In this paper, the effect of arc length on oxygen content and mechanical properties of weld metal during pulsed GMAW was studied. Q690 high strength steel was selected as the base metal, and ER69-G solid wire, with a diameter of 1.2 mm, was used as the electrode wire. Additionally, the shielding gas and the wire feed rate were 82% Ar + 18% CO2 and 4 m/min, respectively. The results showed that as the arc length raised from 2.9 mm to 9.2 mm, the oxidation reacted more completely in the droplet transfer zone, and the oxygen content of the weld metal increased significantly. The tensile strength of the weld metal reduced but the −40 °C impact energy heightened. Due to the longer arc, the proportion of acicular ferrite (AF) in the microstructure decreased, but the proportion of lath bainite (LB) and granular bainite (GB) decreased. The higher oxygen content of weld metal was useful for the formation of inclusions, which promoted the nucleation of acicular ferrite and dimples, contributing to the growth of plasticity and toughness of weld metal.