bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Laboratory testing of dispersant effectiveness at high pressures
Authors: Antoniou Eleftheria , Kalogerakis Nicolas 
Published: October 2022

AbstractOil spills remain a serious environmental problem, and can have significant economic and ecological consequences. Despite the advantages, accidental deep‐sea oil releases during offshore exploration or production activities are of particular concern as the potential for such incidents increases significantly as we move to deeper waters. Dispersants are important mitigation tools as they have the capability to disperse the oil into a cloud of tiny oil droplets that can be readily degraded by hydrocarbon degraders if suitable environmental conditions prevail. In the case of an offshore incident, the dispersant is injected near the point of crude oil release so that dispersion is more effective. Given that our experience with subsea dispersant use is limited, the effect of pressure on the effectiveness of the dispersant has not been established, and hence, the composition and amount of dispersant to be injected has not been optimized. For typical surface oil spills, dispersant effectiveness is experimentally measured under laboratory conditions by the US‐Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) baffled flask test, which was later adapted as ASTM standard method F3251. Despite its extended use, this test cannot be used for testing dispersants at elevated pressures. In order to see whether pressure affects dispersant effectiveness, we developed a simple laboratory test protocol using a high‐pressure reactor (HPR). In addition, the effectiveness of five commercially available dispersants (COREXIT™ EC9500A, COREXIT™ EC9500B and COREXIT™ EC9527A, Marichem™, and Oiler 60) applied to a dead light crude oil has been determined at various pressures for the first time, and these values have been related to the standard baffled flask test (BFT) at atmospheric pressure. It is shown that pressure increase adversely affects dispersant effectiveness; however, the effect varies from a few percent to nearly a 50% decrease for a pressure increase of 100 bar depending on the particular dispersant used.
Self‐Assembly of Linear, Natural Antimicrobial Peptides: An Evolutionary Perspective
Authors: Baltutis Verity , O'Leary Paul D. , Martin Lisandra L. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractAntimicrobial peptides are an ancient and innate system of host defence against a wide range of microbial assailants. Mechanistically, unstructured peptides undergo a secondary structure transition into amphipathic α‐helices, upon contact with membrane surfaces. This leads to peptide binding and removal of the membrane components in a detergent‐like manner or via self‐organisation into trans‐membrane pores (either barrel‐stave or toroidal pore) thereby destroying the microbe. Self‐assembly of antimicrobial peptides into oligomers and ultimately amyloid has been mostly examined in parallel, however recent findings link diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease as an aberrant activity of a protective neuropeptide with antimicrobial activity. These self‐assembled oligomers can also interact with membranes. Here, we review those antimicrobial peptides reported to self‐assemble into amyloid, where supported by structural evidence. We consider their membrane activities as antimicrobial peptides and present evidence of consistent self‐assembly patterns across major evolutionary groups. Trends are apparent across these groups, supporting the mounting data that self‐assembly of antimicrobial peptides into amyloid should be considered as synergistic to the antimicrobial peptide response.
A logic “OR” gate composed of a blue light‐induced CRISPR/dCas9 system and a Tet‐on system activates cancer suppressor genes to inhibit the growth of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Huang Xinbo , Wang Jieyi , Wu Xia , Jiang Bin , Chen Menghui , Chen Han , Mao Yan , zhou Cheng , Yu Bo 
Published: October 2022

AbstractOptogenetic systems and tetracycline‐induced expression systems have been used in biological research. In gene circuits, light and tetracycline are often used to control the activation or inhibition of gene expression. In our study, we used a blue light induction system and tetracycline induction system to construct an “OR” logic gate, which can specifically induce the expression of p53 protein or E‐cadherin in the case of blue light or tetracycline, thus inhibiting the growth of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is a kind of skin surface tumour. The activation of two tumour suppressor genes has a synergistic inhibitory effect on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, and blue light and tetracycline also provide a flexible means for gene regulation.
Perspectives of vitamin C upregulating regulatory T cells in the era of thrombopoietin receptor agonists for immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Tsao Shiu Ying 
Published: October 2022

AbstractBackgroundImmune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a rare disorder involving excessive peripheral destruction of platelets and inadequate bone marrow platelet production due to autoimmune reactions against megakaryocytes. Diagnosis is usually by the exclusion of primary causes; its rarity would only permit trial and error therapy experience.Historically, for ITP, oral ascorbic acid (AA) gave inconsistent results. However, unlike other nutrients, AA is found to have an exceptionally tight intestinal absorption restriction mandating intravenous delivery for any therapeutic purposes. Recently, as there is more pre‐clinical evidence of AA restoring regulatory T cells (Tregs) by robust demethylation, the historical oral route was likely to be the “bottle neck” restricting effective blood levels. During this era of thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO‐RAs), planned tapering is often required upon discontinuation but unplanned discontinuations, for example, due to side effects, are more problematic. Moreover, combinations with TPO‐RAs are currently being tried using steroids and rituximab except rituximab is inappropriate during pandemics. Notably, with the indirect (but prognostically relevant) action of TPO‐RAs on Tregs, boosting Treg functions by adding other Treg active agents, for example, steroids or AA, seems appropriate, especially if without added toxicity upon combining.ConclusionsWith updated pharmacokinetic concepts, it is timely to repeat AA clinical trials for ITP but using intravenous administration. Initially, this may be on compassionate grounds for its probable role as an adjunct to TPO‐RAs for unsuccessful tapering and, especially, for all unplanned discontinuations of TPO‐RAs. Such off‐label usage of AA is justified because of AA's robust pre‐clinical evidence on demethylation and initial clinical experience (despite the inappropriate administrative route). Moreover, moderate intravenous AA dosages have one of the best safety profiles, let alone its eminent affordability. Admittedly, after the initial clinical experience, more systematic trials on AA are required, especially for the most appropriate dosage range and its efficacy as monotherapy.
Symplectic model reduction methods for the Vlasov equation
Authors: Tyranowski Tomasz M. , Kraus Michael 
Published: October 2022

AbstractParticle‐based simulations of the Vlasov equation typically require a large number of particles, which leads to a high‐dimensional system of ordinary differential equations. Solving such systems is computationally very expensive, especially when simulations for many different values of input parameters are desired. In this work, we compare several model reduction techniques and demonstrate their applicability to numerical simulations of the Vlasov equation. The necessity of symplectic model reduction algorithms is illustrated with a simple numerical experiment.
Diagnostic tools for hyperpigmentation disorders in skin of color: An updated review
Authors: Pagan Angel D. , Mitchell Krystal , Yousif Jenna , Henry Michelle 
Published: October 2022

AbstractHyperpigmentation disorders are highly prevalent and disproportionately affect patients with skin of color. Studies suggest that over 65% of Black or African American patients haveexperienced at least one episode of hyperpigmentation due to skin damage or irritation. Notably, melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation are the two most common forms of dyschromia in patients with skin of color. Additionally, otherconditionssuch as lichen planus and erythema dyschromicum perstans can have a more severe presentation and significant morbidity in this patient population. Thus, hyperpigmentation disorders can benefit greatly from prompt and accurate diagnosis that results in more precise management. In this review, we present the most updated information regarding dermoscopy, reflectance confocal, and conventional light microscopy in the diagnosis of hyperpigmentation disorders in skin of color. In addition, we summarize the benefits and pitfalls of some of these techniques, with a special emphasis on their accuracy and potential to assess favorable treatment outcomes. We also describe recent studies that have compared these diagnostic techniques across many disorders of hyperpigmentation and the practical findings that can be applied to everyday practice. We recognize that the cost of equipment, clinician training, and device availability are all critical factors when choosing the ideal diagnostic tool and provide varied approaches to improve accuracy. Today, diagnosing and treating hyperpigmentation skin conditions has become easier through technological advances. More reliable, noninvasive techniques such as dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy show promise as adjuncts to guide laser and light therapies and monitor treatment response in dermatology clinics and clinical trials.
Can age‐related changes in parental care modulate inbreeding depression? A test using the burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis
Authors: Schrader Matthew , Hughes Parker , Jenkins Samuel , Kusher Ian , Lopez Jonathan , Oglesby Harriet , McGhee Katie E. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractParental care has been shown to reduce the magnitude of inbreeding depression in some species with facultative care. However, parents often vary in the quality or amount of care they provide to their offspring, and it is less clear whether this variation also impacts the magnitude of inbreeding depression. Here, we tested whether age‐related changes in parental care modulate the expression of inbreeding depression in the burying beetle, Nicrophorus orbicollis. Consistent with previous studies, we found that older parents produced larger broods of offspring than younger parents without sacrificing mean larval mass. Inbreeding depression was evident in several fitness‐related traits: brood size at dispersal, the proportion of the brood that survived to eclosion, and mean age at death were all reduced in inbred broods compared with outbred broods. Surprisingly, inbred offspring were heavier at dispersal than outbred offspring. This was likely due to reduced sibling competition in inbred broods. Despite evidence for age‐related changes in parental investment and the existence of inbreeding depression, there was no evidence that an interaction between the two influenced any of the traits we measured. Our results suggest that age‐related changes in parental care may be too slight to influence the expression of inbreeding depression.
A comparison of density estimation methods for monitoring marked and unmarked animal populations
Authors: Twining Joshua P. , McFarlane Claire , O'Meara Denise , O'Reilly Catherine , Reyne Marina , Montgomery W. Ian , Helyar Sarah , Tosh David G. , Augustine Ben C. 
Published: October 2022

AbstractEffective monitoring of wildlife populations forms the foundation of modern‐day conservation biology. Without reliable estimates of population size, it is not possible to determine population trends, a key requirement in determining species status under international legislation. Carnivores are one of the more difficult taxonomic groups to monitor due to low population densities and elusive behavior. Here, we compare conventional live trapping and two more modern, noninvasive field methods of population estimation: genetic fingerprinting from hair tube sampling and camera trapping for the pine marten (Martes martes). We apply marked spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models to the genetic and live‐trapping data where individuals were identifiable, and unmarked SCR (uSCR), camera‐trap distance sampling (CT‐DS), and random encounter models (REMs) to the camera‐trap data where individual ID was not possible. All five approaches produced plausible and relatively consistent point estimates (0.49–1.20 individuals/km2) despite differences in precision, cost, and effort being apparent. Genetic fingerprinting produced the most precise estimate out of the two approaches for marked animal populations and had the key benefit of being noninvasive but was the most expensive of all the methods. Live trapping produced the highest point estimate while being cheapest, but the most labor intensive and least precise. The camera‐trapping methods for unmarked animal populations were the most time efficient and precise except uSCR with a moderately informative prior (uSCRm), which produced the second least precise density estimate of all the methods compared. The CT‐DS produced the most precise estimate of all the methods, followed by REM and then uSCR with a strongly informative prior (uSCRs). While choice of method of density estimation depends on objectives and funding constraints, as well as the species of interest, we demonstrate the importance of usinga prioriknowledge of target species and consideration of planned statistical analysis to produce appropriate experimental designs with critical consideration required regarding trap spacing and spatial extent. Such considerations broaden the comparability and applicability of these methods and will serve to provide key reference estimates for researchers, wildlife managers, and non‐governmental organizations involved in monitoring wildlife populations.
Secure transmission in smart grid dynamic wide area network by exploiting full‐duplex jamming scheme
Authors: Odeyemi Kehinde Oluwasesan , Owolawi Pius Adewale , Olakanmi Oladayo Olufemi 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis article studies a smart grid dynamic wide area network where a friendly jammer is proposed to enhance the secrecy of the network. In the network, the smart meter (SM) in each household communicates with the full‐duplex meter data control unit (FD‐MDCU) via a decode‐and‐forward data aggregation unit in the presence of an eavesdropper. To improve the security of the network, the FD‐MDCU transmits jammer signal which interfere with the eavesdropper. It is assumed that all the household are not sending data at the same time, thus Markov chain is employed to model the number of active SM. Thus, to evaluate the performance of the proposed network, the closed‐form expressions of connection outage probability (COP), security outage probability, and secrecy throughput metrics are obtained. Moreover, more insight about the network performance is provide by obtaining the COP asymptotic expression at high signal‐to‐noise ratio. Also, the accuracy of the derived expressions is justified by Monte‐Carlo simulations. Our findings demonstrate the impact of network and channel parameters on the network security performance.
Effects of organic and chemical nitrogen fertilization and postharvest treatments on the visual and nutritional quality of fresh‐cut celery (Apium graveolens L.) during storage
Authors: Babalar Mesbah , Daneshvar Hadiseh , Díaz‐Pérez Juan Carlos , Nambeesan Savithri , Tabrizi Leila , Delshad Mojtaba 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThe shelf life of horticultural commodities depends on pre‐ and postharvest factors, such as soil fertilization and postharvest handling. The current study aimed to evaluate fresh‐cut celery's postharvest quality as affected by the rate and type (organic and chemical) of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and postharvest treatments. Celery (‘Tall Utah’) crop was grown in a field in Karaj, Iran. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications and seven preharvest (fertilizer), and five postharvest treatments. Organic fertilizers were vermicompost (VER) and bio‐organic fertilizer [farmyard and livestock manure plus Trichoderma harzianum (COM)]. Chemical fertilizers were urea (46% N) at high rate [322 kg·ha1 N (UREA_HIGH)], optimal rate [196 kg·ha−1 N (UREA_OPT)], and low rate [138 kg·ha−1 N (UREA_LOW)]; ammonium nitrate [35% N (AN)] at 196 kg·ha−1 N; and treatment without fertilization was used as a control. Postharvest treatments included plastic packaging (PP), hydrocooling (HC), blanching (B), and edible coating of psyllium seed mucilage (EC). After postharvest treatments, celery petioles were stored (0–2°C, 85%–90% RH) for 4 weeks and evaluated weekly for quality attributes. Organic fertilizers and UREA_LOW were the most effective treatments in reducing the changes in color, weight loss, titratable acidity (TA), pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) of fresh‐cut celery. Organic fertilizers enhanced the vitamin C content, total phenols, and antioxidant activity in celeries. As postharvest treatments, hydrocooling, plastic packaging, and blanching maintained chroma and hue values. Blanching had the greatest effect on the L* value. Hydrocooling increased celery's TA, TSS, and vitamin C content and reduced weight loss and pH during storage. Thus, celery quality was improved when grown under low or adequate N fertilization. Hydrocooling was an effective postharvest treatment for preserving fresh‐cut celery quality during storage.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of water lily extracts and their effects on the quality of frozen Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets
Authors: Dulal Md. Apon , Jahan Israt , Rasul Md. Golam , Islam Md. Rabiul , Khan Murshida , Shah A. K. M. Azad 
Published: October 2022

AbstractThis study was investigated to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of water lily extracts and their effects on the quality of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets during frozen storage (−18 ± 1°C). Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of water lily extracts, and chemical, microbiological, and sensory qualities of fish fillets were assessed. Results showed that the highest total phenolic content (34.07 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (32.67 mg QE/g extract) were found in the ethanolic extract and the lowest in water extract of water lily. The ethanolic extracts of water lily also exhibited the highest antioxidant capacities and antimicrobial activities than other hydroethanolic and water extracts. The water lily extracts‐treated fish fillets showed the highest potentiality in lowering the pH, total volatile basic nitrogen, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances than the untreated fillets throughout the storage period. Moreover, ethanolic extracts of water lily exhibited comparatively higher efficacy in inhibiting bacterial growth in fish fillets than other extracts‐treated fillets. The ethanolic extracts‐treated fillets also showed better sensory attributes than hydroethanolic and control fillets. Therefore, ethanolic extract of water lily can be used as a natural preservative in enhancing the quality and prolonging the shelf life of Nile tilapia fillets during frozen storage.
The impact of price promotions on sales of unhealthy food and drink products in British retail stores
Authors: Watt Toby , Beckert Walter , Smith Richard , Cornelsen Laura 
Published: October 2022

AbstractWe study the health impact of food and beverage price promotion strategies—multi‐buy offers and price discounts, typically biased toward unhealthy product categories—in British consumer retail. We are the first to employ econometric models from the marketing literature to analyze the impact of price promotions with a focus on population health. Our dynamic, reduced form demand model incorporates endogenous inventory (stock piling), consumption rates imputed from repeat purchases and allows for unobserved household heterogeneity. We find that removing price discounts is more effective for reducing purchase volume compared to removing multi‐buy offers for 10 out of 12 food and drink groups, particularly those products for which price reduction is more common than multibuy. We find that price promotions induce consumption—and waste –through behavioral effects, associated with increased household inventory (stockpiling).
Deletion of adipocyte prohibitin 1 exacerbates high‐fat diet‐induced steatosis but not liver inflammation and fibrosis
Authors: Wang Xiaolin , Kim Seung‐Jin , Guan Yukun , Parker Richard , Rodrigues Robim M. , Feng Dechun , Lu Shelly C. , Gao Bin 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Adipose tissue dysfunction is closely associated with the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recent studies have implied an important role of prohibitin‐1 (PHB1) in adipose tissue function. In the current study, we aimed to explore the function of adipocyte PHB1 in the development and progression of NAFLD. The PHB1 protein levels in adipose tissues were markedly decreased in mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) compared to those fed a chow diet. To explore the function of adipocyte PHB1 in the progression of NAFLD, mice with adipocyte‐specific (adipo) deletion of Phb1 (Phb1
adipo−/− mice) were generated. Notably, Phb1
adipo−/− mice did not develop obesity but displayed severe liver steatosis under HFD feeding. Compared to HFD‐fed wild‐type (WT) mice, HFD‐fed Phb1
adipo−/− mice displayed dramatically lower fat mass with significantly decreased levels of total adipose tissue inflammation, including macrophage and neutrophil number as well as the expression of inflammatory mediators. To our surprise, although liver steatosis in Phb1
adipo−/− mice was much more severe, liver inflammation and fibrosis were similar to WT mice after HFD feeding. RNA sequencing analyses revealed that the interferon pathway was markedly suppressed while the bone morphogenetic protein 2 pathway was significantly up‐regulated in the liver of HFD‐fed Phb1
adipo−/− mice compared with HFD‐fed WT mice. Conclusion: HFD‐fed Phb1
adipo−/− mice display a subtype of the lean NAFLD phenotype with severe hepatic steatosis despite low adipose mass. This subtype of the lean NAFLD phenotype has similar inflammation and fibrosis as obese NAFLD in HFD‐fed WT mice; this is partially due to reduced total adipose tissue inflammation and the hepatic interferon pathway.