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Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated COVID-19 disease can lead to critical illness with a risk of developing a multiple organ failure. Subsequently, this may lead to various pathological sequelae, such as secondary sclerosing cholangitis after surviving COVID-19 (SSC-COVID). Objective: The aim is to retrospectively analyze a cohort of hospitalized patients with first-wave (February 2020–June 2020) SARS-CoV-2 infection and persisting unclear cholangiopathy to determine the incidence of SSC-COVID and its risk factors. Results: A total of 249 patients were hospitalized at the university hospital in Tübingen, Germany, with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave of the pandemic. Of these, 35.3% (88/249) required intensive care treatment; 16.5% (41/249) of them died due to the complications of COVID-19; 30.8% (64/208) of surviving patients could be followed up und were retrospectively analyzed at our center. The incidence of confirmed SSC-COVID was 7.8% (5/64). All SSC-COVID patients had an ICU stay >20 days, for invasive ventilation, positioning treatment, vasopressor treatment, but possible risk factors for SSC were not significant due to the small number of patients. Conclusions: SSC-COVID is an emerging disease in post-COVID patients with a high incidence in our single-center cohort. SSC-COVID should be considered as a differential diagnosis, if unclear cholangiopathy or cholestasis persists after SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropathic pain, which is initiated by a malfunction of the somatosensory cortex system, elicits inflammation and simultaneously activates glial cells that initiate neuroinflammation. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to have therapeutic effects for neuropathic pain, although with uncertain mechanisms. We suggest that EA can reliably cure neuropathic disease through anti-inflammation and transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1) signaling pathways from the peripheral to the central nervous system. To explore this, we used EA to treat the mice spared nerve injury (SNI) model and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms through novel chemogenetics techniques. Both mechanical and thermal pain were found in SNI mice at four weeks (mechanical: 3.23 ± 0.29 g; thermal: 4.9 ± 0.14 s). Mechanical hyperalgesia was partially attenuated by 2 Hz EA (mechanical: 4.05 ± 0.19 g), and thermal hyperalgesia was fully reduced (thermal: 6.22 ± 0.26 s) but not with sham EA (mechanical: 3.13 ± 0.23 g; thermal: 4.58 ± 0.37 s), suggesting EA's specificity. In addition, animals with Trpv1 deletion showed partial mechanical hyperalgesia and no significant induction of thermal hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain mice (mechanical: 4.43 ± 0.26 g; thermal: 6.24 ± 0.09 s). Moreover, we found increased levels of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1 beta (IL1-β), IL-3, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interferon gamma after SNI modeling, which decreased in the EA and Trpv1−/− groups rather than the sham group. Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis showed similar tendencies in the dorsal root ganglion, spinal cord dorsal horn, somatosensory cortex (SSC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In addition, a novel chemogenetics method was used to precisely inhibit SSC to ACC activity, which showed an analgesic effect through the TRPV1 pathway. In summary, our findings indicate a novel mechanism underlying neuropathic pain as a beneficial target for neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind farms (OWFs), built extensively in recent years, induce changes in the surrounding water environment. The changes in the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-aC) induced by an OWF in the Yangtze River Estuary were analyzed based on Chinese Gaofen (GF) satellite data. The results show the following: (1) The flow near the wind turbines makes the bottom water surge, driving the sediment to "re-suspend" and be lost, deepening the scour pit around the bottom of the wind turbines, which is known as "self-digging". The interaction between the pillar of a wind turbine and tidal currents makes hydrodynamic factors more complicated. Blocking by wind turbines promoting the scour of the bottom seabed of the OWF results in speeding up the circulation rate of sediment loss and "re-suspension", which contributes to the change in the SSC and Chl-aC. This kind of change in sediment transport in estuarine areas due to human construction affects the balance of the ecological environment. Long-term sediment loss around wind turbines also influences the safety of wind turbines. (2) The SSC and Chl-aC are mainly in the range of 200–600 mg/L and 3–7 μg/L, respectively, in the OWF area, higher than the values obtained in surrounding waters. The SSC and Chl-aC downstream of the OWF are higher than those upstream, with differences of 100–300 mg/L and 0.5–2 μg/L. High SSC and Chl-aC "tails" appear downstream of wind turbines, consistent with the direction of local tidal currents, with lengths in the range of 2–4 km. In addition, the water environment in the vicinity of a wind turbine array, with a roughly 2–5 km scope (within 4 km during flooding and around 2.5 km during ebbing approximately) downstream of the wind turbine array, is impacted by the OWF. (3) In order to solve the problem of "self-digging" induced by OWFs, it is suggested that the distance between two wind turbines should be controlled within 2–3.5 km in the main flow direction, promising that the second row of wind turbines will be placed on the suspended sediment deposition belt induced by the first row. In this way, the problems of ecosystem imbalance and tidal current structure change caused by sediment loss because of local scouring can be reduced. Furthermore, mutual compensation between wind turbines can solve the "self-digging" problem to a certain extent and ensure the safety of OWFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badminton, a dynamic racquet sport demanding agility and power, features the overhead forehand smash as a pivotal offensive shot. Utilizing 3D motion analysis, this research delves into the intricate biomechanical facets underpinning this pivotal shot, with a dual focus on both novice and proficient players. Through a comparative analysis of these two player cohorts, the investigation aims to elucidate the fundamental factors influencing the quality of the forehand smash. Our findings reveal that skilled players exhibit significant improvements in smash quality, including a 60.2% increase in shuttlecock speed, reduced clearance height, and flight angle at release. These enhancements are associated with specific determinants, such as consistent positioning, racket angle at impact, and range of motion (ROM) in various joints. More crucially, full-body tension-arc formation and a four-segment whip-like smash contribute to these improvements. Unique to the whip-like smash is the rapid trunk and shoulder rotations in early whip-like control inducing passive elbow flexion and wrist over-extension, enhancing the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) effect of muscles for a more powerful smash. Emphasizing this uniqueness and the determinants simplify smash learning, potentially boosting training effectiveness. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of badminton's biomechanics and offers practical implications for coaches and players to enhance their forehand smashes, especially among beginners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the high production of apples in Poland, the priority actions include increasing their export volume. The main objective of the presented research was to maintain sufficient firmness in the apple cultivar Gala Schniga® SchniCo Red(s) transported to distant markets immediately after harvest or after long-term storage under ULO conditions (1.2% CO2 and 1.2% O2). In the study conducted during the 2021/2022 storage season on apples from the experimental orchard of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW-WULS; Warsaw-52°14′ N, 21°1′ E), the effect of the pre- and post-harvest application of 1-MCP, harvest date, and simulated transport duration on the quality of apples in target retail trading conditions was evaluated. Apples collected on a given harvest date were divided into four samples: control (without the use of 1-MCP), Harvista™-sprayed, SmartFresh™-treated, and Harvista™-sprayed + SmartFresh™-treated. Immediately after harvest and after 9 months of storage, the apples were packed in boxes and stored at 1 °C for 6 and 8 weeks (simulated transport conditions). Directly after the simulated transport and after an additional 7 and 14 days at 25 °C (handling conditions in hot countries), the following parameters were determined: firmness, SSC, TA, and ethylene production. The study noted a significant effect of the use of 1-MCP, harvest time, and simulated transport period on all tested parameters. Apples from trees sprayed with Harvista™ maintained a firmness of >55 N for 14 days of shelf-life only if they were harvested at the optimal date and transported immediately after harvest, and if their shipping lasted 6 weeks. Such firmness could be preserved after 8 weeks of the transport of SmartFresh™-treated apples harvested at the optimal date, and of Harvista™-sprayed + SmartFresh™-treated apples harvested at a delayed date. In the latter combination, apples also maintained the desired firmness after 9 months of storage + 6 weeks of transport regardless of the harvest date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a very rare disorder that belongs in the rare and clinically multifactorial groups of diseases. The pathogenesis of MCTD is still unclear. The best understood epigenetic alteration is DNA methylation whose role is to regulate gene expression. In the literature, there are ever-increasing assumptions that DNA methylation can be one of the possible reasons for the development of Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases (ACTDs) such as systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to define the global DNA methylation changes between MCTD and other ACTDs patients in whole blood samples. The study included 54 MCTD patients, 43 SSc patients, 45 SLE patients, and 43 healthy donors (HC). The global DNA methylation level was measured by ELISA. Although the global DNA methylation was not significantly different between MCTD and control, we observed that hypomethylation distinguishes the MCTD patients from the SSc and SLE patients. The present analysis revealed a statistically significant difference of global methylation between SLE and MCTD (p < 0.001), SLE and HC (p = 0.008), SSc and MCTD (p ≤ 0.001), and SSc and HC (p < 0.001), but neither between MCTD and HC (p = 0.09) nor SSc and SLE (p = 0.08). The highest % of global methylation (median, IQR) has been observed in the group of patients with SLE [0.73 (0.43, 1.22] and SSc [0,91 (0.59, 1.50)], whereas in the MCTD [0.29 (0.20, 0.54)], patients and healthy subjects [0.51 (0.24, 0.70)] were comparable. In addition, our study provided evidence of different levels of global DNA methylation between the SSc subtypes (p = 0.01). Our study showed that patients with limited SSc had a significantly higher global methylation level when compared to diffuse SSc. Our data has shown that the level of global DNA methylation may not be a good diagnostic marker to distinguish MCTD from other ACTDs. Our research provides the groundwork for a more detailed examination of the significance of global DNA methylation as a distinguishing factor in patients with MCTD compared to other ACTDs patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The turbidity maximum zone (TMZ) plays an important role in the morphology and ecosystems of estuaries. The distributions of TMZ in Hangzhou Bay (HZB) and mechanisms of sediment fluxes in TMZ have been studied by applying a fully calibrated three-dimensional baroclinic model that considers salinity, high turbidity, sediment flocculation, and density coupling between water and sediment. Based on the method of SSC thresholds, the TMZ is mainly distributed from YG (Yanguan, toponymy in HZB) to ZP (Zhapu, toponymy in HZB). S1 and S2 are the cross-sections within the TMZ. Along the estuary, there is an ascending-to-descending trend observed in the monthly averaged bed current shear stress, while the monthly averaged density displays a descending-to-ascending pattern. The orientation of the monthly averaged surface fluxes of suspended sediment within the TMZ shows a clockwise circular pattern. Moreover, the net flux of suspended sediment along the estuary at section S1 is seaward, while at the section S2, it is landward. The high bottom stress and the sediment fluxes facilitate the retention, deposition, and enrichment of sediment within the TMZ. The suspended sediment fluxes at the two cross-sections was primarily influenced by Eulerian transport, Stokes transport, and tidal pumping transport. At cross-section S1, the sediment transport is dominated by tidal pumping. At cross-section S2, advective transport controls the sediment transportation near the deep northern bank; while near the southern bank of cross-section S2, tidal pumping is still the dominant factor. The outcome of this study provides a foundation for TMZ research in similar macro-tidal turbid estuaries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma or SSc, is a condition characterized by significant heterogeneity in clinical presentation, disease progression, and response to treatment. Consequently, the design of clinical trials to successfully identify effective therapeutic interventions poses a major challenge. Recent advancements in skin molecular profiling technologies and stratification techniques have enabled the identification of patient subgroups that may be relevant for personalized treatment approaches. This narrative review aims at providing an overview of the current status of skin gene expression analysis using computational biology approaches and highlights the benefits of stratifying patients upon their skin gene signatures. Such stratification has the potential to lead toward a precision medicine approach in the management of SSc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune inflammatory disorder with multiple organ involvement. Skin changes present the hallmark of SSc and coincide with poor prognosis. Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are the most widely reported complications in SSc patients and the primary cause of death. It has been proposed that the processes of autophagy and apoptosis could play a significant role in the pathogenesis and clinical course of different autoimmune diseases, and accordingly in SSc. In this manuscript, we review the current knowledge of autophagy and apoptosis processes in the skin and lungs of patients with SSc. Profiling of markers involved in these processes in skin cells can be useful to recognize the stage of fibrosis and can be used in the clinical stratification of patients. Furthermore, the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes enables the repurposing of already known drugs and the development of new biological therapeutics that aim to reverse fibrosis by promoting apoptosis and regulate autophagy in personalized treatment approach. In SSc-ILD patients, the molecular signature of the lung tissues of each patient could be a distinctive criterion in order to establish the correct lung pattern, which directly impacts the course and prognosis of the disease. In this case, resolving the role of tissue-specific markers, which could be detected in the circulation using sensitive molecular methods, would be an important step toward development of non-invasive diagnostic procedures that enable early and precise diagnosis and preventing the high mortality of this rare disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plums are primarily marketed for fresh consumption, canning, freezing, jam and jelly. Unfortunately, plum consumption has remained steady or declined. Consumers complain about a lack of flavor quality but are willing to pay for higher quality. Thus, absence of flavor and cold storage disorders are the main barriers to consumption. Plum cultivars are sensitive to gel breakdown, flesh browning and 'off flavors'. Consumer approval and postharvest life are controlled by genotype, quality attributes, harvest date and proper postharvest handling. A consumer quality index (CQI) based on soluble solids concentration (SSC) and minimum firmness is proposed to maximize flavor and postharvest life. In most cases, late harvest increases quality attributes. Our work and industry experience demonstrated that using critical bruising thresholds (CBT) based on minimum firmness measured at harvest acts as a reliable predictor of how late to harvest safely for maximum visual and sensory quality. Plums tolerated late harvest well because of their high tolerance to bruising damage, but suitable postharvest temperature management and selling within the potential postharvest life are required to maintain flavor and avoid the beginning of chilling injury. Thus, to maximize flavor and postharvest life, a CQI based on SSC and minimum firmness measured at consumption is proposed. This article provides guidance on using this CQI, combined with proper postharvest handling techniques, such as correct harvest date determination and temperature management, to maintain quality and increase consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most green plums need to be processed before consumption, and due to personal subjective factors, manual harvesting and sorting are difficult to achieve using standardized processing. Soluble solid content (SSC) of green plum was taken as the research object in this paper. Visible near-infrared (VIS-NIR) and shortwave near-infrared (SW-NIR) full-spectrum spectral information of green plums were collected, and the spectral data were corrected and pre-processed. Random forest algorithm based on induced random selection (IRS-RF) was proposed to screen four sets of characteristic wavebands. Bayesian optimization CatBoost model (BO-CatBoost) was constructed to predict SSC value of green plums. The experimental results showed that the preprocessing method of multiplicative scatter corrections (MSC) was obviously superior to Savitzky–Golay (S–G), the prediction effect of SSC based on VIS-NIR spectral waveband by partial least squares regression model (PLSR) was obviously superior to SW-NIR spectral waveband, MSC + IRS-RF was obviously superior to corresponding combination of correlation coefficient method (CCM), successive projections algorithm (SPA), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), and random forest (RF). With the lowest dimensional selected feature waveband, the lowest VIS-NIR band group was only 53, and the SW-NIR band group was only 100. The model proposed in this paper based on MSC + IRS-RF + BO-CatBoost was superior to PLSR, XGBoost, and CatBoost in predicting SSC, with R2P of 0.957, which was 3.1% higher than the traditional PLSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-nuclear (ANA) are present in approximately 90% of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and are key biomarkers in supporting the diagnosis and determining the prognosis of this disease. In addition to the classification criteria autoantibodies for SSc [i.e., anti-centromere, anti-topoisomerase I (Scl-70), anti-RNA polymerase III], other autoantibodies have been associated with important SSc phenotypes. Among them, anti-U11/U12 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) antibodies, also known as anti-RNPC-3, were first reported in a patient with SSc, but very little is known about their association and clinical utility. The U11/U12 RNP macromolecular complex consists of several proteins involved in alternative mRNA splicing. More recent studies demonstrated associations of anti-anti-U11/U12 antibodies with SSc and severe pulmonary fibrosis as well as with moderate to severe gastrointestinal dysmotility. Lastly, anti-U11/U12 autoantibodies have been strongly associated with malignancy in SSc patients. Here, we aimed to summarize the knowledge of anti-U11/U12/RNPC-3 antibodies in SSc, including their seroclinical associations in a narrative literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP) leading to repetitive ischemia and reperfusion (IR) stress, is the first recognizable sign of systemic sclerosis (SSc) leading to increased oxidative stress. High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear factor released by apoptotic and necrotic cells after oxidative stress. Since HMGB1 can signal through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), we investigated whether an RP attack promotes the release of HMGB1, leading to fibroblast activation and the upregulation of interferon (IFN)-inducible genes. A cold challenge was performed to simulate an RP attack in patients with SSc, primary RP (PRP), and healthy controls. We measured levels of HMGB1 and IFN gamma-induced Protein 10 (IP-10) at different time points in the serum. Digital perfusion was assessed by photoplethysmography. In vitro, HMGB1 or transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) (as control) was used to stimulate healthy human dermal fibroblasts. Inflammatory, profibrotic, and IFN-inducible genes, were measured by RT-qPCR. In an independent cohort, sera were obtained from 20 patients with SSc and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls to determine HMGB1 and IP-10 levels. We found that HMGB1 levels increased significantly 30 min after the cold challenge in SSc compared to healthy controls. In vitro stimulation with HMGB1 resulted in increased mRNA expression of IP-10, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) while TGF-β1 stimulation promoted IL-6 and Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF). In serum, both HMGB1 and IP-10 levels were significantly higher in patients with SSc compared to healthy controls. We show that cold challenge leads to the release of HMGB1 in SSc patients. HMGB1 induces IP-10 expression in dermal fibroblasts partly through the soluble RAGE (sRAGE) axis suggesting a link between RP attacks, the release of HMGB1 and IFN-induced proteins as a putative early pathogenetic mechanism in SSc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by vasculopathy, digital ulcers, Raynaud's phenomenon, renal failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and fibrosis. Regulatory T (Treg) cell subsets have recently been found to play crucial roles in SSc with interstitial lung disease (ILD) pathogenesis. This study investigates the molecular mechanism of Treg-related genes in SSc patients through bioinformatic analyses. Methods: The GSE181228 dataset of SSc was used in this study. CIBERSORT was used for assessing the category and proportions of immune cells in SSc. Random forest and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were used to select the hub Treg-related genes. Results: Through bioinformatic analyses, LIPN and CLEC4D were selected as hub Treg-regulated genes. The diagnostic power of the two genes separately for SSc was 0.824 and 0.826. LIPN was associated with the pathway of aminoacyl−tRNA biosynthesis, Primary immunodeficiency, DNA replication, etc. The expression of CLEC4D was associated with the pathway of Neutrophil extracellular trap formation, PPAR signaling pathway, Staphylococcus aureus infection, Systemic lupus erythematosus, TNF signaling pathway, and Toll−like receptor signaling pathway. Conclusion: Through bioinformatic analyses, we identified two Treg-related hub genes (LIPN, CLEC4D) that are mainly involved in the immune response and metabolism of Tregs in SSc with ILD. Moreover, our findings may provide the potential for studying the molecular mechanism of SSc with ILD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The primary function of spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) in the testis is to produce germ cells (GC) and sperm. This function may be recreated under laboratory conditions using in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems. This technology may be used for the treatment of men infertility and in animals for dissemination of elite genetics and conservation of endangered species; however, SSC are scarce and difficult to culture. Potentially, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from peripheral blood (PB-MSC) may also be candidates for GC production, due to their simplicity for culture and differentiation capacity. The aim of the present study was to compare the potential for production of GC of bull PB-MSC and SSC using an in vitro 3D co-culture system with Sertoli cells (SC). Samples of PB-MSC or SSC co-cultures with SC were collected on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 and analyzed for pluripotency, GC and mesenchymal gene expression. Co-culture of bull PB-MSC or SSC+SC in 3D resulted in differential expression of genes associated to pluripotency and GC differentiation. In conclusion, profiles of expression of pluripotency and GC genes indicate that SSC display a more robust GC differentiation profile compared to PB-MSC, when co-cultured in a 3D system with SC. Although spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) constitute primary candidates for in vitro germ cell (GC) derivation, they are scarce and difficult to maintain in an undifferentiated state. Alternatively, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are also candidates for GC derivation due to their simplicity for culture and multipotential for transdifferentiation. The aim of the present study was to compare the GC differentiation potentials of bull peripheral blood-derived MSC (PB-MSC) and SSC using an in vitro 3D co-culture system with Sertoli cells (SC). Samples of PB-MSC or SSC co-cultures with SC were collected on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 and analyzed for pluripotency, GC and mesenchymal marker expression. Co-culture of PB-MSC+SC resulted in down-regulation of NANOG and up-regulation of OCT4 at day 7. In comparison, co-culture of SSC+SC resulted in consistent expression of NANOG, OCT4 and SOX2 at day 14. During co-culture, SSC+SC increased the expression of DAZL, PIWIL2, FRAGILIS and STELLA and activated the expression of STRA8, whereas co-culture of PB-MSC+SC only increased the expression of DAZL and PIWIL2. Thus, co-culture of bull PB-MSC+SC and SSC+SC in 3D SACS results in differential expression of pluripotency and GC markers, where bull SSC display a more robust GC differentiation profile compared to PB-MSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic disease characterized by skin/internal organ fibrosis, vasculopathy and autoimmunity. Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 4 (CXCL4) is an early SSc biomarker that predicts worse disease outcome. We previously reported that CXCL4 is an autoantigen in SSc, and anti-CXCL4 antibodies correlated with IFN-I and were more abundant in patients with lung fibrosis. However, it is unclear whether antibodies to CXCL4 in SSc are only directed to CXCL4 or recognize complexes formed by CXCL4 and heparin. Here, by analyzing an SSc cohort, we addressed the occurrence of circulating heparin-dependent VS heparin-independent anti-CXCL4 antibodies and their relationship with a few disease parameters. We found that heparin-dependent, like the heparin-independent antibodies, are higher in SSc as compared to healthy donors; they are detectable in 24% and 30% of the SSc patients, respectively, and appear inversely correlated and mutually exclusive. Like the heparin-independent antibodies, heparin-dependent antibodies correlated with digital ulcers. However, in contrast to heparin-independent antibodies, heparin-dependent antibodies did not correlate with IFN-I, but were largely expressed in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. This pilot study indicates that heparin-dependent antibodies are worth studying in larger SSc cohorts to address whether they discriminate SSc sub-groups with different pathological characteristics and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to describe the physicochemical properties, with particular emphasis on nutritional value, of apples 'Chopin' and clone 'JB'. The new cultivars were compared with the cultivars commonly cultivated in Polish orchards, namely 'Gala Brookfield', 'Šampion', 'Ligol' and 'Idared'. The study focuses on the evaluation of physicochemical characteristic (firmness, soluble solids content and titratable acidity) and the content of monosaccharides, sucrose and organic acids based on HPLC with an RI detector. In addition, the nutritional value of apples were described separately for the flesh and peel of the fruit, focusing on the assessment of the antioxidant activity and the content of total polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonols using the HPLC technique. 'Chopin' and 'JB' clone apples are characterized by very high acidity, over 1%, which is related to the high content of malic acid. The red flesh 'JB' clone is characterized by a high content of bioactive compounds in both the peel and flesh of apples. High temperatures and a lack of precipitation contribute to a higher polyphenol content in apples, which proves that apart from the genetic features of the cultivars, the climatic conditions also determine the nutritional value of the fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soluble solids content (SSC) affects the flavor of green plums and is an important parameter during processing. In recent years, the hyperspectral technology has been widely used in the nondestructive testing of fruit ingredients. However, the prediction accuracy of most models can hardly be improved further. The rapid development of deep learning technology has established the foundation for the improvement of building models. A new hyperspectral imaging system aimed at measuring the green plum SSC is developed, and a sparse autoencoder (SAE)–partial least squares regression (PLSR) model is combined to further improve the accuracy of component prediction. The results of the experiment show that the SAE–PLSR model, which has a correlation coefficient of 0.938 and root mean square error of 0.654 for the prediction set, can achieve better performance for the SSC prediction of green plums than the three traditional methods. In this paper, integration approaches have combined three different pretreatment methods with PLSR to predict the SSC in green plums. The SAE–PLSR model has shown good prediction performance, indicating that the proposed SAE–PLSR model can effectively detect the SSC in green plums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world record of the hammer throw has not been broken since 1986. This stagnation is multifactorial. One dominant factor could be the lack of evidence-based scientific/biofeedback training. This study aims to identify key parameters influencing throw quality and structure a new digital method for biofeedback training. Wire-tension measurement and 3D motion capture technology (VICON 12-camera system) were applied in quantifying and comparing throws of a national-level and a college-level athlete. Our results reveal that multi-joint coordination influences heavily on wire-tension generation. Four phases, i.e., initiation, transition, turns, and throw, play various roles in evaluating the quality of a throw. Among them, the transition, the third turn, and the throw display explosive/rapid increases of tension. For improving the effectiveness of the skill, the whip-like control and proper SSC (stretch-shortening cycle) of muscle groups involved should be established through years of training. Furthermore, our study unveils that quick and complex full-body control could be quantified and characterized by four key parameters: wire-tension, hand- and hip-height, and trunk tilt. Hence, a wearable digital device with tension and three Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors would have great potential in realizing real-time biomechanical feedback training in practice for evaluating and improving the efficiency of various training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD38 is a type II glycoprotein highly expressed on plasmablasts, short-lived and long-lived plasma cells, but weakly expressed on other lymphoid cells, myeloid cells and non-hematopoietic cells. This expression pattern makes CD38 an interesting target for a targeted therapy aiming to deplete antibody-producing plasma cells. We present data suggesting that anti-CD38 therapy may be effective for the prevention at the preclinical stage and for the treatment of established autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren’s syndrome and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Given the high unmet need for effcacious disease-modifying treatment in these diseases, studies are warranted to determine if anti-CD38 antibody-based therapies may delay or prevent the disease progression of systemic autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview is presented with regard to applications of visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy, multispectral imaging and hyperspectral imaging techniques for quality attributes measurement and variety discrimination of various fruit species, i.e., apple, orange, kiwifruit, peach, grape, strawberry, grape, jujube, banana, mango and others. Some commonly utilized chemometrics including pretreatment methods, variable selection methods, discriminant methods and calibration methods are briefly introduced. The comprehensive review of applications, which concentrates primarily on Vis/NIR spectroscopy, are arranged according to fruit species. Most of the applications are focused on variety discrimination or the measurement of soluble solids content (SSC), acidity and firmness, but also some measurements involving dry matter, vitamin C, polyphenols and pigments have been reported. The feasibility of different spectral modes, i.e., reflectance, interactance and transmittance, are discussed. Optimal variable selection methods and calibration methods for measuring different attributes of different fruit species are addressed. Special attention is paid to sample preparation and the influence of the environment. Areas where further investigation is needed and problems concerning model robustness and model transfer are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red wine grapes require a constant follow-up through analytical chemistry to assure the greatest wine quality. Wet chemical procedures are time-consuming and produce residues that are hard to eliminate. NIR (near infrared radiation) spectroscopy has been referred as an accurate, rapid, and cost-efficient technique to evaluate quality in many fruit species, both in field and in industry. The main objective of this study was to develop predictive models using NIR spectroscopy to quantify important quality attributes in wine grapes. Soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), total phenolic content, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, and total tannins were quantified in four red wine grape varieties, 'Aragonês', 'Trincadeira', 'Touriga Nacional', and 'Syrah'. Samples were collected during 2017 and 2018 along véraison. Prediction models were developed using a near-infrared portable device (Brimrose, Luminar 5030), and spectra were collected from entire grapes under near field conditions. Models were built using a partial least square regression (PLSR) algorithm and SSC, TA, total anthocyanins, and total tannins exhibited a determination coefficient of 0.89, 0.90, 0.87, and 0.88, respectively. The Residual Prediction Deviation (RPD) values of these models were higher than 2.3. The prediction models for SSC, TA, total anthocyanins, and total tannins have considerable potential to quantify these attributes in wine grapes. Total flavonoids and total phenolic content were predicted with a slightly lower capacity, with R2 = 0.72 and 0.71, respectively, and both with a RPD of 1.6, indicating a very low to borderline potential for quantitative predictions in flavonoids and phenols models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian skin is the largest organ of the body and its outermost layer, the epidermis, undergoes dynamic lifetime renewal through the activity of somatic stem cell populations. The EGFR-Ras-Raf pathway has a well-described role in skin development and tumor formation. While research mainly focuses on its role in cutaneous tumor initiation and maintenance, much less is known about Ras signaling in the epidermal stem cells, which are the main targets of skin carcinogenesis. In this review, we briefly discuss the properties of the epidermal stem cells and review the role of EGFR-Ras-Raf signaling in keratinocyte stem cells during homeostatic and pathological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Battery management systems (BMS) are a key element in electric vehicle energy storage systems. The BMS performs several functions concerning to the battery system, its key task being balancing the battery cells. Battery cell unbalancing hampers electric vehicles' performance, with differing individual cell voltages decreasing the battery pack capacity and cell lifetime, leading to the eventual failure of the total battery system. Quite a lot of cell balancing topologies have been proposed, such as shunt resistor, shuttling capacitor, inductor/transformer based and DC energy converters. The shuttling capacitor balancing systems in particular have not been subject to much research efforts however, due to their perceived low balancing speed and high cost. This paper tries to fill this gap by briefly discussing the shuttling capacitor cell balancing topologies, focusing on the single switched capacitor (SSC) cell balancing and proposing a novel procedure to improve the SSC balancing system performance. This leads to a new control strategy for the SSC system that can decrease the balancing system size, cost, balancing time and that can improve the SSC balancing system efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyzed the influence of coastal zone engineering on suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the Yangtze River mouth based on HY-1C and Chinese GaoFen (GF) satellite data. The results show that: (1) SSC in the Yangtze River mouth is mainly in the range of 200–1300 mg/L, which changes due to natural factors as well as coastal zone engineering; (2) The sand blocking engineering effectively protects the channel from siltation, and SSC in the central line of the channel is 100–300 mg/L lower than that near the dikes in the north and south; (3) Qingcaosha Reservoir plays a stabilizing role in the hydrodynamic force, promoting the deposition of suspended matter, so that the water in the reservoir is clear. SSC inside the Qingcaosha Reservoir, located in the center of the estuary, is 100–500 mg/L lower than the high SSC water outside the reservoir; (4) The bridges interact with the current, facilitating the transport of local sediment, resulting in the increase in SSC downstream of these bridges, and obvious vortexes appear with the length up to nearly 2400 m; and (5) Corresponding protection and development suggestions were put forward as follows. A linear array of wind power plants can be built near and parallel to dikes and leading jetties; to increase the depth of the southeast end of the reservoir; and the location of the bridge should be selected in the place of river where siltation is easy. This study aimed to study the SSC distribution under the complex impact of coastal zone engineering with satellite and to provide possible improvement suggestions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In systemic sclerosis (SSc), the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) plays a central role in the patient's quality of life. The microbiome populates the GIT, where a relationship between the Lactobacillus and gastrointestinal motility has been suggested. In this study, the analysis of oral Lactobacillus species in SSc patients and healthy subjects using culture-independent molecular techniques, together with a review of the literature on microbiota and lactobacilli in SSc, has been carried out. Twenty-nine SSc female patients (mean age 62) and twenty-three female healthy subjects (HS, mean age 57.6) were enrolled and underwent tongue and gum swab sampling. Quantitative PCR was conducted in triplicate using Lactobacillus specific primers rpoB1, rpoB1o and rpoB2 for the RNA-polymerase β subunit gene. Our data show significantly (p = 0.0211) lower LactobacillusspprpoB sequences on the tongue of patients with SSc compared to HS. The mean value of the amount of Lactobacillus ssprpoB gene on the gumsofSSc patients was minor compared to HS. A significant difference between tongue and gums (p = 0.0421) was found in HS but not in SSc patients. In conclusion, our results show a lower presence of Lactobacillus in the oral cavity of SSc patients. This strengthens the hypothesis that Lactobacillus may have both a protective and therapeutic role in SSc patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental longwave system operating in the broadcasting spectrum with horizontal magnetic loop transmitting antennas is presented as an element of simulated lunar astronaut mission of the IGLUNA program of Swiss Space Center (ESA_Lab demonstrator) in June 2019 on the Klein Matterhorn glacier in Switzerland. The parameters of the antennas, the environment, the transmitter design, and propagation tests are presented. The best-suited propagation model is developed. As the system, using low powers, provided coverage of maximal distance of 2077.06 km, a single radio station of this type would cover about 36% of the Moon's surface and allow in situ ground-penetrating research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral imaging has many applications. However, the high device costs and low hyperspectral image resolution are major obstacles limiting its wider application in agriculture and other fields. Hyperspectral image reconstruction from a single RGB image fully addresses these two problems. The robust HSCNN-R model with mean relative absolute error loss function and evaluated by the Mean Relative Absolute Error metric was selected through permutation tests from models with combinations of loss functions and evaluation metrics, using tomato as a case study. Hyperspectral images were subsequently reconstructed from single tomato RGB images taken by a smartphone camera. The reconstructed images were used to predict tomato quality properties such as the ratio of soluble solid content to total titratable acidity and normalized anthocyanin index. Both predicted parameters showed very good agreement with corresponding "ground truth" values and high significance in an F test. This study showed the suitability of hyperspectral image reconstruction from single RGB images for fruit quality control purposes, underpinning the potential of the technology—recovering hyperspectral properties in high resolution—for real-world, real time monitoring applications in agriculture any beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the influence of a cross-sea bridge on the sea surface temperature (SST) and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of Hangzhou Bay based on landsat8_TIRS data and HY-1C data using an improved single window algorithm to retrieve the SST and an empirical formula to retrieve the SSC. In total, 375 paired sampling points and 70 transects were taken to compare the SST upstream and downstream of the bridge, and nine transects were taken to compare the SSC. The results show the following. (i) In summer, when the current flows through the bridge pier, the downstream SST of the bridge decreases significantly, with a range of 3.5%; in winter, generally, the downstream SST decreases but does not change as obviously as in summer. The downstream SSC increases obviously. (ii) The range of influence of the bridge pier on the downstream SST is about 0.3–4.0 km in width from the bridge and that on the downstream SSC is approximately 0.3–6.0 km. (iii) When the current flows around the pier, a portion of the flow is dispersed in upward and downward directions; the downward flow generates local scour. When the scouring at the front end of the pier stops, the upward flow behind the pier brings the sediment and the bottom cold water downstream, causing the downstream SST to decrease and the SSC to increase. (iv) The other portion passes around the pier, which generates a wake vortex. Once a wake vortex is released, a low-pressure center appears, sucking the sediment and the bottom cold water to the downstream sea surface, reducing the downstream SST and raising the SSC. (v) The range of reduction of the SST downstream of the bridge is shorter than the range of increase in the SSC. This is because the wake vortices have an effect in the 0.3–4.0 km downstream but not in the 4.0–6.0 km. Therefore, the SST and SSC are affected within the range of 0.3–4.0 km by wake vortices, while in the 4.0–6.0 km region, the SSC is still high due to the transport of sediment by currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since there are many different factors which affect peach orchard profitability, it is necessary to conduct long-term studies to find the best scion/rootstock combination within the constraints imposed by local climate and economic conditions. The influence of six peach-almond hybrids ("Adafuel", "Adarcias", Garnem", "GF 677", "PADAC 9902-01" and "Rootpac 70"); one P. persica × P. davidiana hybrid: "Cadaman"; five hexaploid plums ("Adesoto 101", "PM 44 AD", "PM 105 AD", "PM 150 AD", and "Penta"); three plum × peach-almond hybrids ("PADAC 04-01", "PADAC 04-03" and "PADAC 99-05"), and one plum x almond hybrid ("Rootpac R") on agronomic, basic fruit quality parameters, and flower and leaf mineral nutrients of the "Big Top" nectarine was tested. The highest vigor was induced by "Adafuel", while the lowest vigor was exhibited by "PM 105 AD", although the latter did not differ from the rest of the rootstocks. Yield efficiency was higher for "Adesoto 101" and lower for "Adafuel". Regarding the soluble solids content (SSC), "PADAC 04-01" rootstock induced the highest average content, although it did not differ from "Adarcias", "Adesoto 101", "PADAC 99-05", "PM 105 AD", and "Rootpac R". In addition, significant effect of rootstock was found on the flower and leaf mineral analysis traits evaluated. The medium ("Adarcias", "Adesoto 101", "PM 105 AD") to high vigorous plum based hybrid rootstocks ("PADAC 04-01", "PADAC 99-05" and "Rootpac R") showed the tendency to induce a better fruit quality, based on higher concentration of SSC, and other yield attributes, demonstrating their commercial interest as new rootstocks for peaches. Considering its overall performance, "PADAC 04-01" appears as a new promising rootstock alternative to peach-almond hybrids on heavy and calcareous textured soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble solid content (SSC), pH, and vitamin C (VC) are considered as key parameters for strawberry quality. Spectral, color, and textural features from hyperspectral reflectance imaging of 400–1000 nm was to develop the non-destructive detection approaches for SSC, pH, and VC of strawberries by integrating various multivariate methods as partial least-squares regression (PLSR), support vector regression, and locally weighted regression (LWR). SSC, pH, and VC of 120 strawberries were statistically analyzed to facilitate the partitioning of data sets, which helped optimize the model. PLSR, with spectral and color features, obtained the optimal prediction of SSC with determination coefficient of prediction (Rp2) of 0.9370 and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.1145. Through spectral features, the best prediction for pH was obtained by LWR with Rp2 = 0.8493 and RMSEP = 0.0501. Combination of spectral and textural features with PLSR provided the best results of VC with Rp2 = 0.8769 and RMSEP = 0.0279. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling and uninformative variable elimination (UVE) were used to select important variables from the above features. Based on the important variables, the accuracy of SSC, pH, and VC prediction both gain the promotion. Finally, the distribution maps of SSC, pH, and VC over time were generated, and the change trend of three quality parameters was observed. Thus, the proposed method can nondestructively and accurately determine SSC, pH, and VC of strawberries and is expected to design and construct the simple sensors for the above quality parameters of strawberries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD38 is a type II glycoprotein highly expressed on plasmablasts, short-lived and long-lived plasma cells, but weakly expressed on other lymphoid cells, myeloid cells and non-hematopoietic cells. This expression pattern makes CD38 an interesting target for a targeted therapy aiming to deplete antibody-producing plasma cells. We present data suggesting that anti-CD38 therapy may be effective for the prevention at the preclinical stage and for the treatment of established autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren's syndrome and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Given the high unmet need for efficacious disease-modifying treatment in these diseases, studies are warranted to determine if anti-CD38 antibody-based therapies may delay or prevent the disease progression of systemic autoimmune diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease of autoimmune origin characterized by vascular dysfunction and extensive fibrosis of the skin and visceral organs. Vascular dysfunction is caused by endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis, defective angiogenesis, defective vasculogenesis, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), and coagulation abnormalities, and exacerbates the disease. Fibrinolytic regulators, such as plasminogen (Plg), plasmin, α2-antiplasmin (α2AP), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and angiostatin, are considered to play an important role in the maintenance of endothelial homeostasis, and are associated with the endothelial dysfunction of SSc. This review considers the roles of fibrinolytic factors in vascular dysfunction of SSc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postharvest kiwifruit continues to ripen for a period until it reaches the optimal "eating ripe" stage. Without damaging the fruit, it is very difficult to identify the ripeness of postharvest kiwifruit by conventional means. In this study, an electronic nose (E-nose) with 10 metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors was used to predict the ripeness of postharvest kiwifruit. Three different feature extraction methods (the max/min values, the difference values and the 70th s values) were employed to discriminate kiwifruit at different ripening times by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and results showed that the 70th s values method had the best performance in discriminating kiwifruit at different ripening stages, obtaining a 100% original accuracy rate and a 99.4% cross-validation accuracy rate. Partial least squares regression (PLSR), support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) were employed to build prediction models for overall ripeness, soluble solids content (SSC) and firmness. The regression results showed that the RF algorithm had the best performance in predicting the ripeness indexes of postharvest kiwifruit compared with PLSR and SVM, which illustrated that the E-nose data had high correlations with overall ripeness (training: R2 = 0.9928; testing: R2 = 0.9928), SSC (training: R2 = 0.9749; testing: R2 = 0.9143) and firmness (training: R2 = 0.9814; testing: R2 = 0.9290). This study demonstrated that E-nose could be a comprehensive approach to predict the ripeness of postharvest kiwifruit through aroma volatiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ductility is the important indicator of transverse surface cracking susceptibility of slabs of microalloyed steels during continuous casting. Welding structure steel HG785 is selected to study the effect of different thermal schedule on ductility of microalloyed steel slabs during continuous casting in this paper. Surface Structure Control (SSC) cooling process parameters of HG785 microalloyed steel were confirmed by the aid of thermomechanical simulation experiment of Gleeble 3500. Results of tensile tests show that the ductilities of slabs under traditional thermal schedule and temperature fluctuation thermal schedule are very low in the III brittleness zone, and the reductions of area reach 29.7% and 26.0% at 800 °C, respectively. The ductility of slabs under SSC thermal schedule is obviously improved, since the pro-eutectoid ferrite film and aggregation of precipitates along the austenite grain boundary has not been discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview is presented with regard to applications of visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy, multispectral imaging and hyperspectral imaging techniques for quality attributes measurement and variety discrimination of various fruit species, i.e., apple, orange, kiwifruit, peach, grape, strawberry, grape, jujube, banana, mango and others. Some commonly utilized chemometrics including pretreatment methods, variable selection methods, discriminant methods and calibration methods are briefly introduced. The comprehensive review of applications, which concentrates primarily on Vis/NIR spectroscopy, are arranged according to fruit species. Most of the applications are focused on variety discrimination or the measurement of soluble solids content (SSC), acidity and firmness, but also some measurements involving dry matter, vitamin C, polyphenols and pigments have been reported. The feasibility of different spectral modes, i.e., reflectance, interactance and transmittance, are discussed. Optimal variable selection methods and calibration methods for measuring different attributes of different fruit species are addressed. Special attention is paid to sample preparation and the influence of the environment. Areas where further investigation is needed and problems concerning model robustness and model transfer are identified.