Irisin is a myokine with potential anti-obesity properties that has been suggested to increase energy expenditure in obese patients. However, there is limited clinical information on the biology of irisin in humans, especially in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. We aimed to assess the association of circulating irisin concentrations with weight loss in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. This was a pilot, single-centre, longitudinal observational study. We recruited 25 morbidly obese subjects who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGBP), and blood samples from 12 patients were taken to measure serum irisin concentrations before, and one and nine months after surgery. Their clinical characteristics were measured for one year. The preoperative serum irisin concentration (mean 1.01 ± 0.23 μg/mL, range 0.73–1.49) changed bidirectionally one month after RYGBP. The mean concentration at nine months was 1.11 ± 0.15 μg/mL (range 0.92–1.35). Eight patients had elevated irisin levels compared with their preoperative values, but four did not. Elevations of irisin levels nine months, but not one month, after surgery, were associated with lower preoperative levels (p = 0.016) and worse weight reduction rates (p = 0.006 for the percentage excess weight loss and p = 0.032 for changes in body mass index). The preoperative serum irisin concentrations were significantly correlated with the percentage of excess weight loss for one year (R² = 0.612; p = 0.04) in our study. Our results suggest that preoperative circulating irisin concentrations may be at least in part associated with a weight loss effect of bariatric surgery in morbidly obese patients. Further large-scale clinical studies are needed to ratify these findings. Full article

Intraocular pressure (IOP) has a tendency to fluctuate throughout the day, reaching its peak in the early morning in healthy subjects or glaucoma patients. Likewise, histamine tone also fluctuates over time, being lower at nighttime. Numerous studies have demonstrated a correlation between short-term IOP fluctuation and glaucoma progression; however, it has not yet been determined whether histamine plays a role in IOP fluctuations. The aim of this research was to establish the distribution of the histamine receptor proteins and respective mRNAs in the eye by western blot, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR in New Zealand rabbits. Furthermore, we used a transient ocular hypertension (OHT) model induced by injection of 50 µL of 5% hypertonic saline into the vitreous and a stable OHT model (100 µL 0.1% carbomer in the anterior chamber) to address the potential IOP-lowering ability of H₃ receptor (H₃R) antagonists (ciproxifan, DL76 and GSK189254). IOPs were performed with a Tono-Pen at baseline and 60, 120 and 240 min post treatment after transient OHT induction and, every day for 12 days in the stable OHT model. All histamine receptor subtypes were localized in the rabbit retina and ciliary body/trabecular meshwork. All the treatments lowered IOP in a dose-dependent fashion between 0.3% and 1%. More specifically, the effects were maximal with ciproxifan at 60 min post-dose (IOP₆₀ change = −18.84 ± 4.85 mmHg, at 1%), remained stable until 120 min (IOP₁₂₀ change = −16.38 ± 3.8 mmHg, at 1%) and decayed thereafter to reach baseline values at 240 min. These effects were highly specific and dependent on histamine release as pre-treatment with imetit (H₃R agonist, 1%) or pyrilamine (H₁R antagonist, 1%) largely blocked ciproxifan-mediated effects. Color Doppler ultrasound examination was performed to evaluate changes in ophtalmic artery resistivity index (RI) before and after repeated dosing with DL 76, GSK189254, ciproxifan and timolol. Chronic treatments with H₃R antagonists and timolol improved the vascular performance of ophthalmic arteries and reduced retinal ganglion cell death. Oxidative stress was also reduced and measured 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) expression, and by dihidroethydium (DHE) staining. These results demonstrated that the histamine system participates in IOP regulation and that H₃R antagonists could represent a future promising therapy for glaucoma. Further studies should be focused on the long-term IOP circadian fluctuations. Full article

The relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and C-reactive protein (CRP), which is an inflammatory biomarker, is limited in studies with the general population. It was hypothesized that changes in CRP levels are genotype-dependent in the general population with HCV infection. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of HCV infection and compare CRP levels with an anti-HCV antibody, HCV-RNA status, and HCV genotypes. A total of 5611 adult participants from the National and Health Nutrition Examination (NHANES), 2009–2010 survey were analyzed. Proc survey frequency, means, and multivariate regression were used due to the complex survey design of NHANES. The prevalence of HCV infection among the study population was 1.6%. There were lower mean CRP levels among people with anti-HCV antibody positive status compared to those with antibody negative status (0.12 ± 0.08 vs. 0.24 ± 0.02, p = 0.08, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI: −1.12 to 0.07). Mean CRP levels were also lower in people with HCV-RNA positive status compared to those with HCV-RNA negative status (0.56 ± 0.03 vs. 0.48 ± 0.05, p = 0.62 and 95% CI: −1.37 to 0.86). However, these differences were non-significant. With respect to HCV genotypes, significantly higher CRP levels were noted among people infected with HCV genotype 2 vs. genotype 1 (0.53 ± 0.06 vs. 0.23 ± 0.05, p < 0.01, 95% CI: −0.58 to −0.02) and those with HCV genotype 2 vs. HCV genotype 3 (0.53 ± 0.06, 0.28 ± 0.04, p < 0.01, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.48). Further studies are needed to confirm this finding. Full article

Dairy farming is a subsidiary profession of agriculture in India where dairy cooperatives are an important part of rural development. The current study explores the critical factors in the dairy supply chain, and provides an initial decision framework for its implications. The necessary data were collected from dairy producer members including dairy farmers, executives, and key informants of processing units, to summarize the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) of the milk processing system in India. This includes identifying the objectives of the dairy industry, along with the internal and external critical factors (CFs). SWOT exploration does not offer any investigative basis for evaluating the priorities of CFs, therefore the analytic hierarchy process is applied to define the priorities of identified CFs. The CFs have also been ordered according to relative importance. The findings of this study depict that the SWOT based methodology offers vital sensitivity in assessing the supply chain strategies for the dairy industry. Full article

Background: The relationship between miR-29b-1-5p and c-Met proto-oncogene in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains to be investigated. This study aimed to reveal the role of miR-29b-1-5p in the pathogenesis of OSCC using molecular and biological analyses. Methods: We investigated the expression of miR-29b-1-5p, c-Met, and markers of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the tissues of 49 patients with OSCC and in human OSCC cells with different tumorigenicity. Further, we determined the effects of miR-29b-1-5p on the phenotypes of OSCC cell lines. Results: The expression levels of miR-29b-1-5p in most patients with OSCC were higher than those of the normal oral epithelium. In OSCC, upregulation of miR-29b-1-5p significantly correlated with histological grade, the EMT, and the immunohistochemical grade, indicated by c-Met expression. The prognosis was poor for patients with miR-29b-1-5p expression and coexpression of miR-29b-1-5p and c-Met. In OSCC cells exhibiting the EMT phenotype, knockdown of miR-29b-1-5p suppressed the EMT, which was recovered by enforced expression of c-Met. Further, the mRNA encoding cadherin 1 (CDH1) was a direct target of miR-29b-1-5p. Conclusions: Our results suggest that miR-29b-1-5p acts as an oncogenic miRNA that synergizes with c-Met to induce the EMT of OSCC cells. Full article

Vibrational characteristics of bone are directly dependent on its physical properties. In this study, a vibrational method for bone evaluation is introduced. We propose a new type of quantitative vibro-acoustic method based on the acoustic radiation force of ultrasound for bone characterization in persons with fracture. Using this method, we excited the clavicle or ulna by an ultrasound radiation force pulse which induces vibrations in the bone, resulting in an acoustic wave that is measured by a hydrophone placed on the skin. The acoustic signals were used for wave velocity estimation based on a cross-correlation technique. To further separate different vibration characteristics, we adopted a variational mode decomposition technique to decompose the received signal into an ensemble of band-limited intrinsic mode functions, allowing analysis of the acoustic signals by their constitutive components. This prospective study included 15 patients: 12 with clavicle fractures and three with ulna fractures. Contralateral intact bones were used as controls. Statistical analysis demonstrated that fractured bones can be differentiated from intact ones with a detection probability of 80%. Additionally, we introduce a “healing factor” to quantify the bone healing progress which successfully tracked the progress of healing in 80% of the clavicle fractures in the study. Full article

Corrosion of main steel reinforcement is one of the most significant causes of structural
deterioration and durability reduction. This research proposes a two-level detection strategy to
locate and quantify corrosion damage via a new kind of long-gauge fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor.
Compared with the traditional point strain gauges, this new sensor has been developed for both
local and global structural monitoring by measuring the averaged strain within a long gauge length.
Based on the dynamic macrostrain responses of FBG sensors, the strain flexibility of structures are
identified for corrosion locating (Level 1), and then the corrosion is quantified (Level 2) in terms of
reduction of sectional stiffness of reinforcement through the sensitivity analysis of strain flexibility.
The two-level strategy has the merit of reducing the number of unknown structural parameters
through corrosion damage location (Level 1), which guarantees that the corrosion quantification
(Level 2) can be performed efficiently in a reduced domain. Both numerical and experimental
examples have been studied to reveal the ability of distributed long-gauge FBG sensors for corrosion
localization and quantification. Full article

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is still a new high-precision surface detection technique. However, the adsorption quality detected by the QCM currently contains a solvent-coupling quality and cannot separate the actual biomolecular mass. Local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) can detect the mass of biomolecules, but requires a certain contrast between the solvent of the surrounding medium and the refractive index of the adsorbed layer. The sensor chip, combining two compatible technologies, can realize the simultaneous detection of biomolecules and improve the refractive index sensitivity. The structure of our chip is to prepare the ring-shaped gold electrode on the upper surface of the quartz crystal, the circular gold electrode on the bottom surface, and the spherical gold nanoparticles arrays in the center region of the ring electrode to form a QCM/LSPR dual-technology chip. Through simulation, we finally get the size of the best energy trap by the two electrodes on the upper surface and the lower surface: the ring-top electrode with a thickness of 100 nm, an inner diameter of 4 mm, and an outer diameter of 8 mm; and the bottom electrode with a thickness of 100 nm and a radius of 6 mm. By comparing the refractive index sensitivity, we chose a spherical gold nanoparticle with a radius of 30 nm and a refractive sensitivity of 61.34 nm/RIU to design the LSPR sensor chip. Full article

Entrepreneurs bring an enormous contribution to a country’s economic growth. Developing individual’s interest into new venture creation represents an important asset, especially for less developed countries where entrepreneurial activities are fundamental in enhancing economic growth. The recent economic crisis turned the attention of European policymakers towards entrepreneurship as a driving force for the creation of new job opportunities, regional/national competitiveness and growth. The aim of this article is to verify what relations are between locus of control, need for achievement and entrepreneurial intention of youth, following a cognitive approach and how much entrepreneurial education consolidates entrepreneurial skills and informs the young that entrepreneurship is a career option. To analyse entrepreneurial intentions, locus of control, need for achievement and entrepreneurial education in the context of Romania, this research used a quantitative design based on the answers to the questionnaire conducted during March 2017 to October 2017 on a sample of 270 students from two important Romanian universities. From the methodological point of view, several hypotheses have been developed and tested using multivariate logistic regression estimates, frequency analysis, internal consistency reliability of the constructs and moderating effects. The results illustrate that locus of control, need for achievement and entrepreneurial education proved to be important determinants for venture creation among young students, both independently and under the action of control variables. Also, respondents’ gender had a significant influence on one’s intention of opening a business in the future, with males being more inclined to become entrepreneurs than females. Full article

To better understand the relationship between flow, mixing and reactions in the process of preparing PP/TiO₂, a 3D numerical simulation in a co-rotating twin screw extruder (TSE) was firstly employed using commercial CFD code, ANSYS Polyflow. The effects of rotating speed of screws, stagger angle of knead blocks, inlet flow rate and initial temperature of barrel on the mixing and reaction process in the TSE were investigated. The results reveal that the studied operational and geometric parameters, which determine mixing efficiency, residence time distribution, and temperature of the flows in the TSE, affect the local species concentration, reaction time and reaction rate, and hence have great influences on the conversion rate. The results show that increasing the rotating speed and inlet flow rate can decrease the time for sufficient mixing, which is not conducive to intensive reaction, and increasing the stagger angle has the opposite effect. Moreover, the conversion rate greatly affected by the initial temperature of barrel. Full article

The establishment and alteration of any coastal feature is largely dependent upon complex hydrological and geomorphologic processes. Therefore, understanding hazard factors and threat risk level is crucial for mitigating risk in coastal zones. This study examines coastal vulnerability factors and their influence along the Coastal Andhra Pradesh (CAP) region in India. CAP has been exposed to frequent hydrological and meteorological hazards due to variations in the geographical, geological, and bathymetric characteristics. Despite substantial vulnerabilities, the risk to the coastline of Andhra Pradesh has not been rigorously evaluated. The current research systematically reviews the drivers and effects of hazards and vulnerabilities in CAP. Findings indicate that urban cities have a considerably higher risk of cyclones and floods due to their locations on the Bay of Bengal tectonic plate, the topology of this coastal region, and higher population density. The study revealed that the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) data along CAP is mostly gathered using low-resolution satellite data and/or field observation surveys. The study further revealed that there are very few existing mitigation strategies developed or discussed within the obtained results. However, more accurate data gathering techniques for coastal vulnerability factors are available such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): Air-borne and LiDAR sensors, which provide very high resolution data and low-cost accessibility to physically inaccessible places, making them suitable for vulnerability data collection in coastal locations. These findings are useful for stakeholders seeking to reduce or ameliorate the impact of coastal disasters and their impacts on the CAP economy, environment, and population. The study further helps to reduce the existing shortcomings in the assessment techniques used previously. Full article

Electrochemical corrosion caused by stray currents reduces the lifespan of buried gas pipelines and the safety of light rail systems. Determining the scope of stray current corrosion will help prevent the corrosion of existing buried pipelines and provide an effective reference for new pipeline siting. In response to this problem, in this paper the surface potential gradient was used to evaluate the scope of stray current corrosion. First, an analytical model for the scope of the stray current corrosion combined with distributed parameters and the electric field generated by a point current source was put forward. Second, exemplary calculations were conducted based on the proposed model. Sensitivity of the potential gradient was analyzed with an example of the transition resistance, and the dynamic distribution of surface potential gradient under different locomotive operation modes was also analyzed in time-domain. Finally, the scope was evaluated at four different intervals with the parameters from the field test to judge whether the protective measures need to be taken in areas with buried pipelines and light rail systems nearby or not. Full article

This paper proposes two bio-inspired heuristic algorithms, the Moth-Flame Optimization (MFO) algorithm and Genetic Algorithm (GA), for an Energy Management System (EMS) in smart homes and buildings. Their performance in terms of energy cost reduction, minimization of the Peak to Average power Ratio (PAR) and end-user discomfort minimization are analysed and discussed. Then, a hybrid version of GA and MFO, named TG-MFO (Time-constrained Genetic-Moth Flame Optimization), is proposed for achieving the aforementioned objectives. TG-MFO not only hybridizes GA and MFO, but also incorporates time constraints for each appliance to achieve maximum end-user comfort. Different algorithms have been proposed in the literature for energy optimization. However, they have increased end-user frustration in terms of increased waiting time for home appliances to be switched ON. The proposed TG-MFO algorithm is specially designed for nearly-zero end-user discomfort due to scheduling of appliances, keeping in view the timespan of individual appliances. Renewable energy sources and battery storage units are also integrated for achieving maximum end-user benefits. For comparison, five bio-inspired heuristic algorithms, i.e., Genetic Algorithm (GA), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA), Firefly Algorithm (FA) and Moth-Flame Optimization (MFO), are used to achieve the aforementioned objectives in the residential sector in comparison with TG-MFO. The simulations through MATLAB show that our proposed algorithm has reduced the energy cost up to 32.25% for a single user and 49.96% for thirty users in a residential sector compared to unscheduled load. Full article

The mammalian brain is made up of billions of neurons and supporting cells (glial cells), intricately connected. Molecular perturbations often lead to neurodegeneration by progressive loss of structure and malfunction of neurons, including their death. On the other side, a combination of genetic and cellular factors in glial cells, and less frequently in neurons, drive oncogenic transformation. In both situations, microenvironmental niches influence the progression of diseases and therapeutic responses. Dynamic changes that occur in cellular transcriptomes during the progression of developmental lineages and pathogenesis are controlled through a variety of regulatory networks. These include epigenetic modifications, signaling pathways, and transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. One prominent component of the latter is small non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs, that control the vast majority of these networks including genes regulating neural stemness, differentiation, apoptosis, projection fates, migration and many others. These cellular processes are also profoundly dependent on the microenvironment, stemness niche, hypoxic microenvironment, and interactions with associated cells including endothelial and immune cells. Significantly, the brain of all other mammalian organs expresses the highest number of microRNAs, with an additional gain in expression in the early stage of neurodegeneration and loss in expression in oncogenesis. However, a mechanistic explanation of the concept of an apparent inverse correlation between the odds of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases is only weakly developed. In this review, we thus will discuss widespread de-regulation of microRNAome observed in these two major groups of brain pathologies. The deciphering of these intricacies is of importance, as therapeutic restoration of pre-pathological microRNA landscape in neurodegeneration must not lead to oncogenesis and vice versa. We thus focus on microRNAs engaged in cellular processes that are inversely regulated in these diseases. We also aim to define the difference in microRNA networks between pro-survival and pro-apoptotic signaling in the brain. Full article

Metallothioneins have been viewed as modulators in a number of biological regulations regarding cancerous development; however, the function of metallothionein 3 (MT3) in bladder cancer is unexplored. We determined the regulatory mechanisms and potential function of MT3 in bladder carcinoma cells. Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assays revealed that TSGH-8301 cells expressed more MT3 levels than RT-4, HT1376, and T24 cells. Immunoblot and RT-qPCR assays showed that arsenic (AS₂O₃) treatments enhanced the gene expression of MT3. Hypoxia induced HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and MT3 expression; furthermore, HIF-2α-knockdown attenuated hypoxic activation on MT3 expression. Ectopic overexpression of MT3 increased cell proliferation, invasion, and tumorigenesis significantly in T24 and HT1376 cells in vitro and in vivo; however, MT3-knockdown in TSGH-8301 cells had the reverse effect. Moreover, knockdown of MT3 enhanced arsenic-induced apoptosis determined by the Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay. MT3-overexpression downregulated the gene expressions of N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), and the mammary serine protease inhibitor (MASPIN) in HT1376 and T24 cells, whereas MT3-knockdown in TSGH-8301 cells had the opposite effect. The experiments indicated that MT3 is an arsenic- and hypoxia-upregulated oncogene that promotes cell growth and invasion of bladder carcinoma cells via downregulation of NDRG1, NDRG2, and MASPIN expressions. Full article