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Open AccessArticle

The Acute Impact of External Compression on Back Squat Performance in Competitive Athletes

by

Adam Zajac and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(13), 4674; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134674 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of external compression with blood flow restriction on power output and bar velocity changes during the back-squat exercise (SQ). The study included 10 judo athletes (age = 28.4 ± 5.8 years; body [...] Read more.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of external compression with blood flow restriction on power output and bar velocity changes during the back-squat exercise (SQ). The study included 10 judo athletes (age = 28.4 ± 5.8 years; body mass = 81.3 ± 13.1 kg; SQ one-repetition maximum (1-RM) 152 ± 34 kg; training experience 10.7 ± 2.3 years). Methods: The experiment was performed following a randomized crossover design, where each participant performed three different exercise protocols: (1) control, without external compression (CONT); (2) intermittent external compression with pressure of 100% arterial occlusion pressure (AOP) (EC-100); and (3) intermittent external compression with pressure of 150% AOP (EC-150). To assess the differences between conditions, the participants performed 3 sets of 3 repetitions of the SQ at 70% 1-RM. The differences in peak power output (PP), mean power output (MP), peak bar velocity (PV), and mean bar velocity (MV) between the three conditions were examined using repeated measures two-way ANOVA. Results: The post hoc analysis for the main effect of conditions showed a significant increase in PP (p = 0.03), PV (p = 0.02), MP (p = 0.04), and MV (p = 0.03), for the EC-150, compared to the CONT. Furthermore, a statistically significant increase in PP (p = 0.04), PV (p = 0.03), MP (p = 0.02), and MV (p = 0.01) were observed for the EC-150 compared to EC-100. There were no significant changes in PP, PV, MP, and MV, between EC-100 and CONT conditions. Conclusion: The results indicate that the use of extremely high-pressure external compression (150% AOP) during high-loaded (70% 1-RM) lower limb resistance exercise elicits an acute increase in power output and bar velocity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prevention, Rehabilitation and Performance of Athletes)

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Open AccessArticle

The Impacts of Chinese FDI and China–Africa Trade on Economic Growth of African Countries: The Role of Institutional Quality

by

Miao Miao ,

Qiaoqi Lang ,

Dinkneh Gebre Borojo ,

Jiang Yushi and

Xiaoyun Zhang

Economies 2020, 8(3), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/economies8030053 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

While there is a consensus on the expanding importance of the China–Africa economic relationship, there is much more debate on how to portray the relationship. Thus, this study is aimed to examine the impacts of the China–Africa trade and Chinese foreign direct investment [...] Read more.

While there is a consensus on the expanding importance of the China–Africa economic relationship, there is much more debate on how to portray the relationship. Thus, this study is aimed to examine the impacts of the China–Africa trade and Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) on the growth of African countries controlling the mediating role of institutional quality. The two-step system Generalized method of moments (GMM) model is applied using robust data for the period of 2003–2017. Drawing on complementary theoretical perspectives, this study took into account the conditional effect of China–Africa trade and Chinese FDI subject to the institutional quality of African countries and the interdependence of China–Africa trade and Chinese FDI to African countries. The benign impacts of the China–Africa trade and Chinese FDI on economic growth to African countries remain contingent upon appropriate policy action to improve the institutional quality of African countries and the synergies between the China–Africa trade and Chinese FDI to African countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and Economic Growth)

Open AccessArticle

Optical-Based Thickness Measurement of MoO₃ Nanosheets

by

Sergio Puebla ,

Antonio Mariscal-Jiménez ,

Rosalía Serna Galán ,

Carmen Munuera and

Andres Castellanos-Gomez

Nanomaterials 2020, 10(7), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10071272 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Considering that two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum trioxide has acquired more attention in the last few years, it is relevant to speed up thickness identification of this material. We provide two fast and non-destructive methods to evaluate the thickness of MoO₃flakes on SiO [...] Read more.

Considering that two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum trioxide has acquired more attention in the last few years, it is relevant to speed up thickness identification of this material. We provide two fast and non-destructive methods to evaluate the thickness of MoO₃flakes on SiO₂/Si substrates. First, by means of quantitative analysis of the apparent color of the flakes in optical microscopy images, one can make a first approximation of the thickness with an uncertainty of ±3 nm. The second method is based on the fit of optical contrast spectra, acquired with micro-reflectance measurements, to a Fresnel law-based model that provides an accurate measurement of the flake thickness with ±2 nm of uncertainty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 2D Materials and Heterostructures with Application in Optoelectronics)

Open AccessArticle

Directly Printed Low-Cost Nanoparticle Sensor for Vibration Measurement during Milling Process

by

Soo-Hong Min ,

Tae Hun Lee ,

Gil-Yong Lee ,

Daniel Zontar ,

Christian Brecher and

Sung-Hoon Ahn

Materials 2020, 13(13), 2920; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13132920 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

A real-time, accurate, and reliable process monitoring is a basic and crucial enabler of intelligent manufacturing operation and digital twin applications. In this study, we represent a novel vibration measurement method for workpiece during the milling process using a low-cost nanoparticle vibration sensor. [...] Read more.

A real-time, accurate, and reliable process monitoring is a basic and crucial enabler of intelligent manufacturing operation and digital twin applications. In this study, we represent a novel vibration measurement method for workpiece during the milling process using a low-cost nanoparticle vibration sensor. We directly printed the vibration sensor based on silver nanoparticles positioned onto a polyimide substrate using an aerodynamically-focused nanomaterials printing system, which is a direct printing technique for inorganic nanomaterials positioned onto a flexible substrate. Since it does not require any post-process such as chemical etching and heat treatment, a highly sensitive vibration sensor composed of a microscale porous structure was fabricated at a cost of several cents each. Furthermore, accurate and reliable vibration data was obtained by simple and direct attachment to a workpiece. In this study, we discussed the performance of vibration measurement of a fabricated sensor in comparison to a commercial vibration sensor. Using frequency and power spectrum analysis of obtained data, we directly measured the vibration of workpiece during the milling process, according to a process parameter. Lastly, we applied a fabricated sensor for the digital twins of turbine blade manufacturing in which vibration greatly affects the quality of the product to predict the process defects in real-time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Additive Manufacturing Technologies and Its Applications Using Advanced Materials)

Open AccessArticle

Neural Networks and Betting Strategies for Tennis

by

Vincenzo Candila and

Lucio Palazzo

Risks 2020, 8(3), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks8030068 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Recently, the interest of the academic literature on sports statistics has increased enormously. In such a framework, two of the most significant challenges are developing a model able to beat the existing approaches and, within a betting market framework, guarantee superior returns than [...] Read more.

Recently, the interest of the academic literature on sports statistics has increased enormously. In such a framework, two of the most significant challenges are developing a model able to beat the existing approaches and, within a betting market framework, guarantee superior returns than the set of competing specifications considered. This contribution attempts to achieve both these results, in the context of male tennis. In tennis, several approaches to predict the winner are available, among which the regression-based, point-based and paired comparison of the competitors’ abilities play a significant role. Contrary to the existing approaches, this contribution employs artificial neural networks (ANNs) to forecast the probability of winning in tennis matches, starting from all the variables used in a large selection of the previous methods. From an out-of-sample perspective, the implemented ANN model outperforms four out of five competing models, independently of the considered period. For what concerns the betting perspective, we propose four different strategies. The resulting returns on investment obtained from the ANN appear to be more broad and robust than those obtained from the best competing model, irrespective of the betting strategy adopted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risks in Gambling)

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Two-Population Extension of the Exponential Smoothing State Space Model with a Smoothing Penalisation Scheme

by

Yanlin Shi ,

Sixian Tang and

Jackie Li

Risks 2020, 8(3), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/risks8030067 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

The joint modelling of mortality rates for multiple populations has gained increasing popularity in areas such as government planning and insurance pricing. Sub-groups of a population often preserve similar mortality features with short-term deviations from the common trend. Recent studies indicate that the [...] Read more.

The joint modelling of mortality rates for multiple populations has gained increasing popularity in areas such as government planning and insurance pricing. Sub-groups of a population often preserve similar mortality features with short-term deviations from the common trend. Recent studies indicate that the exponential smoothing state space (ETS) model can produce outstanding prediction performance, while it fails to guarantee the consistency across neighbouring ages. Apart from that, single-population models such as the famous Lee-Carter (LC) may produce divergent forecasts between different populations in the long run and thus lack the property of the so-called coherence. This study extends the original ETS model to a two-population version (2-ETS) and imposes a smoothing penalisation scheme to reduce inconsistency of forecasts across adjacent ages. The exponential smoothing parameters in the 2-ETS model are fitted by a Fourier functional form to reduce dimensionality and thus improve estimation efficiency. We evaluate the performance of the proposed model via an empirical study using Australian female and male population data. Our results demonstrate the superiority of the 2-ETS model over the LC and ETS as well as two multi-population methods - the augmented common factor model (LL) and coherent functional data model (CFDM) regarding forecast accuracy and coherence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mortality Forecasting and Applications)

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Garlic Landraces from Foggia Province (Puglia Region; Italy)

by

Giuseppe Gambacorta and

Antonio Elia

Foods 2020, 9(7), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070850 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Interest in local landraces has unfortunately decreased over, the last decades, in which they have been continuously subjected to a high genetic erosion in favour of new modern varieties. Within the Puglia region (S-E Italy), Foggia province was found to be the richest [...] Read more.

Interest in local landraces has unfortunately decreased over, the last decades, in which they have been continuously subjected to a high genetic erosion in favour of new modern varieties. Within the Puglia region (S-E Italy), Foggia province was found to be the richest in vegetable landraces. In the present study, six garlic landraces collected from this area have been assessed for their chemical composition (minerals, organic acids, free sugars, volatile, and phenolic compounds) along with their main morpho-biometrical traits. A commercial genotype was also considered as a reference standard. The landraces show a large variability, but in general high morphological standards, high levels of cations and phenols, and low levels of volatile-(S)-compounds in comparison with the commercial genotype and the literature values. ‘Aglio di Peschici’ and ‘Aglio Rosso di Monteleone di Puglia’ are very rich in minerals and phenols (mainly ferulic acid and iso-rhamnetin). This increase in knowledge on the chemical properties of these garlic landraces could represent a tool for encouraging the consumption of a food product. At the same time, the consumption of these landraces would stimulate their cultivation and could highly contribute to protection against the risk of erosion of agro-biodiversity by their in situ/on-farm conservation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Screening, Identification, and Quantification of Nutritional Components and Phytochemicals in Foodstuffs)

Open AccessArticle

Three-Dimensional Time-Harmonic Electromagnetic Scattering Problems from Bianisotropic Materials and Metamaterials: Reference Solutions Provided by Converging Finite Element Approximations

by

Praveen Kalarickel Ramakrishnan and

Mirco Raffetto

Electronics 2020, 9(7), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9071065 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

A recently developed theory is applied to deduce the well posedness and the finite element approximability of time-harmonic electromagnetic scattering problems involving bianisotropic media in free-space or inside waveguides. In particular, three example problems are considered of which one deals with scattering from [...] Read more.

A recently developed theory is applied to deduce the well posedness and the finite element approximability of time-harmonic electromagnetic scattering problems involving bianisotropic media in free-space or inside waveguides. In particular, three example problems are considered of which one deals with scattering from plasmonic gratings that exhibit bianisotropy while the other two deal with bianisotropic obstacles inside waveguides. The hypotheses that guarantee the reliability of the numerical results are verified, and the ranges of the constitutive parameters of the media involved for which the finite element solutions are guaranteed to be reliable are deduced. It is shown that, within these ranges, there can be significant bianisotropic effects for the practical media considered as examples. The ensured reliability of the obtained results can make them useful as benchmarks for other numerical approaches. To the best of our knowledge, no other tool can guarantee reliable solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electromagnetic Scattering and Its Applications: From Low Frequencies to Photonics)

Open AccessReview

Applications of Virtual Reality in Engineering and Product Design: Why, What, How, When and Where

by

Aurora Berni and

Yuri Borgianni

Electronics 2020, 9(7), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9071064 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

The research on the use of virtual reality (VR) in the design domain has been conducted in a fragmentary way so far, and some misalignments have emerged among scholars. In particular, the actual support of VR in early design phases and the diffusion [...] Read more.

The research on the use of virtual reality (VR) in the design domain has been conducted in a fragmentary way so far, and some misalignments have emerged among scholars. In particular, the actual support of VR in early design phases and the diffusion of practices involving VR in creative design stages are argued. In the present paper, we reviewed VR applications in design and categorized each of the collected 86 sources into multiple classes. These range from supported design functions to employed VR technologies and the use of systems complementing VR. The identified design functions include not only design activities traditionally supported by VR, such as 3D modelling, virtual prototyping, and product evaluation, but also co-design and design education beyond the early design phases. The possibility to support early design phases by means of VR is mirrored by the attention on products that involve an emotional dimension beyond functional aspects, which are particularly focused on in virtual assemblies and prototypes. Relevant matches between VR technologies and specific design functions have been individuated, although a clear separation between VR devices and supported design tasks cannot be claimed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality)

Open AccessArticle

Expert Refined Topic Models to Edit Topic Clusters in Image Analysis Applied to Welding Engineering

by

Theodore T. Allen ,

Hui Xiong and

Shih-Hsien Tseng

Informatics 2020, 7(3), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics7030021 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

This paper proposes a new method to generate edited topics or clusters to analyze images for prioritizing quality issues. The approach is associated with a new way for subject matter experts to edit the cluster definitions by “zapping” or “boosting” pixels. We refer [...] Read more.

This paper proposes a new method to generate edited topics or clusters to analyze images for prioritizing quality issues. The approach is associated with a new way for subject matter experts to edit the cluster definitions by “zapping” or “boosting” pixels. We refer to the information entered by users or experts as “high-level” data and we are apparently the first to allow in our model for the possibility of errors coming from the experts. The collapsed Gibbs sampler is proposed that permits efficient processing for datasets involving tens of thousands of records. Numerical examples illustrate the benefits of the high-level data related to improving accuracy measured by Kullback–Leibler (KL) distance. The numerical examples include a Tungsten inert gas example from the literature. In addition, a novel laser aluminum alloy image application illustrates the assignment of welds to groups that correspond to part conformance standards. Full article

Open AccessArticle

Novel South African Rare Actinomycete Kribbella speibonae Strain SK5: A Prolific Producer of Hydroxamate Siderophores Including New Dehydroxylated Congeners

by

Suthananda N. Sunassee ,

Fleurdeliz Maglangit ,

Hai Deng ,

Marcel Jaspars and

David W. Gammon

Molecules 2020, 25(13), 2979; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25132979 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

In this paper, we report on the chemistry of the rare South African Actinomycete Kribbella speibonae strain SK5, a prolific producer of hydroxamate siderophores and their congeners. Two new analogues, dehydroxylated desferrioxamines, speibonoxamine 1 and desoxy-desferrioxamine D₁2, have been isolated, [...] Read more.

In this paper, we report on the chemistry of the rare South African Actinomycete Kribbella speibonae strain SK5, a prolific producer of hydroxamate siderophores and their congeners. Two new analogues, dehydroxylated desferrioxamines, speibonoxamine 1 and desoxy-desferrioxamine D₁2, have been isolated, together with four known hydroxamates, desferrioxamine D₁ 3, desferrioxamine B 4, desoxy-nocardamine 5 and nocardamine 6, and a diketopiperazine (DKP) 7. The structures of 1–7 were characterized by the analysis of HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR data, as well as by comparison with the relevant literature. Three new dehydroxy desferrioxamine derivatives 8–10 were tentatively identified in the molecular network of K. speibonae strain SK5 extracts, and structures were proposed based on their MS/MS fragmentation patterns. A plausible spb biosynthetic pathway was proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of desferrioxamines from the actinobacterial genus Kribbella. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Natural Products Chemistry)

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Open AccessArticle

A Serological Survey of Selected Papua New Guinea Blood Donors for Hepatitis B and Related Co-Infections

by

Francisca Varpit and

Bruce Gummow

Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2020, 5(3), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed5030108 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious problem and earlier studies in Papua New Guinea have reported a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection. These studies were undertaken using insensitive tests and before an expanded immunization program. The current HBV status [...] Read more.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious problem and earlier studies in Papua New Guinea have reported a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection. These studies were undertaken using insensitive tests and before an expanded immunization program. The current HBV status is therefore uncertain. A retrospective study to investigate the HBV status was carried out using blood donor data at Nonga General Hospital, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, from January 2003 to December 2018. Additional data for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, syphilis and hepatitis C virus were also collected. Data were analysed using NCSS statistical software. The mean hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) sero-prevalence was 21% for the period of study and showed a downward trend over the period of the study, which may reflect the effect of the extended immunization program. HBsAg prevalence in male donors (23%) was significantly higher than females (16%). Donors living in Pomio district had a significantly lower proportion of sero-positive HBsAg donors (7%) than Gazelle (22%), Kokopo (22%) and Rabaul (20%), which was attributed to this district’s geographical isolation. Ethnically, Pomios donors (8%) had significantly lower HBsAg prevalence than the Taulils, (29%), Bainings (21%) and Tolais (21%). Fifteen to nineteen year olds (23%) were the predominant age group affected, and vertical or perinatal transmission was probably the primary transmission route. Our findings call for greater awareness on the part of public policy makers and should be considered when planning future public health campaigns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue HIV and Co-Infections: Old and New Challenges)

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Sulfated SnO₂-ZrO₂ Catalysts and Their Catalytic Performance on the Tert-Butylation of Phenol

by

Justin Marlowe ,

Shreyas Acharya ,

Adam Zuber and

George Tsilomelekis

Catalysts 2020, 10(7), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10070726 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Understanding the catalytic behavior of sulfated metal oxides has been the topic of several research studies in the past few decades. Their apparent super-acidic behavior has been correlated with the molecular structure of the surface sulfate species. Herein, we couple FTIR and Raman [...] Read more.

Understanding the catalytic behavior of sulfated metal oxides has been the topic of several research studies in the past few decades. Their apparent super-acidic behavior has been correlated with the molecular structure of the surface sulfate species. Herein, we couple FTIR and Raman spectroscopies to study the molecular structural evolution of surface sulfate species on mixed metal hydroxides as well as calcined oxides. We show that on the surface of hydroxides, monodentate and possibly bidentate species are dominant, while for SnO₂-rich samples, clusters of polymeric sulfate species may also be present. After calcination, sulfate species bind strongly on the surface of mixed oxides, and different configurations can be seen with a range of S=O functionalities of varying strength. Through comparison of the catalytic performance of all sulfate oxides in the tert-butylation of phenol, it was found that SnO₂-rich samples show high TBA conversion, with monoalkylated phenols as the primary product. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure and Function of Ceria-Based Mixed Metal Oxides and Supported Transition Metal Oxide Catalysts)

Open AccessArticle

Low-Loss and Broadband Silicon Photonic 3-dB Power Splitter with Enhanced Coupling of Shallow-Etched Rib Waveguides

by

Vinh Huu Nguyen ,

In Ki Kim and

Tae Joon Seok

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(13), 4507; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10134507 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

A silicon photonic 3-dB power splitter is one of the essential components to demonstrate large-scale silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and can be utilized to implement modulators, 1 × 2 switches, and 1 × N power splitters for various PIC applications. In this [...] Read more.

A silicon photonic 3-dB power splitter is one of the essential components to demonstrate large-scale silicon photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and can be utilized to implement modulators, 1 × 2 switches, and 1 × N power splitters for various PIC applications. In this paper, we reported the design and experimental demonstration of low-loss and broadband silicon photonic 3-dB power splitters. The power splitter was realized by adiabatically tapered rib waveguides with 60-nm shallow etches. The shallow-etched rib waveguides offered strong coupling and relaxed critical dimensions (a taper tip width of 200 nm and gap spacing of 300 nm). The fabricated device exhibited an excess loss as low as 0.06 dB at a 1550-nm wavelength and a broad operating wavelength range from 1470 nm to 1570 nm. The relaxed critical dimensions (200 nm) make the power splitter compatible with standard fabrication processes of existing silicon photonics foundries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Optical Networks)

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Changes in Biopolymer Composition on Moisture in Acetylated Wood

by

Tiantian Yang ,

Emil Engelund Thybring ,

Maria Fredriksson ,

Erni Ma ,

Jinzhen Cao ,

Ramūnas Digaitis and

Lisbeth Garbrecht Thygesen

Forests 2020, 11(7), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11070719 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

To investigate the effects of changes in biopolymer composition on moisture in acetylated poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.), the acetylation of control wood was compared to the acetylation of wood with reduced hemicellulose or lignin content (about 9% reduction of total specimen [...] Read more.

To investigate the effects of changes in biopolymer composition on moisture in acetylated poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.), the acetylation of control wood was compared to the acetylation of wood with reduced hemicellulose or lignin content (about 9% reduction of total specimen dry weight in both cases). Time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry of water-saturated wood gave spin–spin relaxation times (T₂) of water populations, while deuteration in a sorption balance was used to characterize the hydroxyl accessibility of the wood cell walls. As expected, the acetylation of pyridine-swelled wood reduced hydroxyl accessibility and made the cell wall less accessible to water, resulting in a reduction of cell wall moisture content by about 24% compared with control wood. Hemicellulose loss per se increased the spin–spin relaxation time of cell wall water, while delignification had the opposite effect. The combined effect of hemicellulose removal and acetylation caused more than a 30% decrease of cell wall moisture content when compared with control wood. The acetylated and partially delignified wood cell walls contained higher cell wall moisture content than acetylated wood. An approximate theoretical calculation of hydroxyl accessibility for acetylated wood was in the low range, but it agreed rather well with the measured accessibility, while acetylated and partially hemicellulose-depleted and partially delignified wood for unknown reasons resulted in substantially lower hydroxyl accessibilities than the theoretical estimate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Contributions from WSE2019—The 15th Annual Meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering)

Open AccessArticle

Soy Isoflavone Genistein Impedes Cancer Stemness and Mesenchymal Transition in Head and Neck Cancer through Activating miR-34a/RTCB Axis

by

Pei-Ling Hsieh ,

Yi-Wen Liao ,

Chang-Wei Hsieh ,

Pei-Ni Chen and

Cheng-Chia Yu

Nutrients 2020, 12(7), 1924; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071924 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Genistein, a soy-derived phytoestrogen, has been shown to exhibit anti-neoplastic activities in various cancers. Nevertheless, its effects on the elimination of tumor-initiating cells of head and neck cancer (HNC-TICs) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effect of genistein on HNC-TICs and potential [...] Read more.

Genistein, a soy-derived phytoestrogen, has been shown to exhibit anti-neoplastic activities in various cancers. Nevertheless, its effects on the elimination of tumor-initiating cells of head and neck cancer (HNC-TICs) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effect of genistein on HNC-TICs and potential mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that genistein lowered the proliferation of HNC-TICs by examining the percentage of ALDH1+ or CD44+ cells. Aside from the downregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNC-TICs, genistein restricted their tumor propagating capacities in a dose-dependent fashion. Moreover, genistein potentiated cell death caused by three commonly used chemotherapeutic agents (doxorubicin, cisplatin, and 5-FU). Our findings proved that genistein induced ROS production through upregulation of miR-34a, leading to apoptosis in HNC-TICs. The genistein-elicited miR-34a reduced self-renewal, migration, invasion capacities and ALDH1 activity, which may be partly owing to the repression of EMT. Furthermore, we showed that RTCB was a novel target that was negatively regulated by miR-34a and involved in the tumor repressive effect of genistein. Besides, the in vivo study validated that genistein retarded tumor growth through the elevation of miR-34a and suppression of RTCB. These results suggested that genistein-induced miR-34a contributed to the ROS-associated apoptosis and diminished stemness properties via repression of RTCB in HNC-TICs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Phytochemicals and Human Health)

Open AccessArticle

Correlation of Body Composition and Nutritional Status with Functional Recovery in Stroke Rehabilitation Patients

by

Hiroshi Irisawa and

Takashi Mizushima

Nutrients 2020, 12(7), 1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12071923 (registering DOI) - 29 Jun 2020

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that the nutritional status after stroke is independently associated with long-term outcomes and that sarcopenia delays poststroke rehabilitation and worsens the prognosis. However, many stroke patients have a deteriorated nutritional status and a decreased muscle mass in the acute [...] Read more.

Previous studies have suggested that the nutritional status after stroke is independently associated with long-term outcomes and that sarcopenia delays poststroke rehabilitation and worsens the prognosis. However, many stroke patients have a deteriorated nutritional status and a decreased muscle mass in the acute phase. This prospective study included 179 patients who were admitted to the stroke rehabilitation unit. We performed bioelectrical impedance analysis and determined the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) to assess muscle mass and the nutritional status on admission. Furthermore, we analyzed the activities of daily living using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at the time of admission and four weeks later. Furthermore, we evaluated the change in motor FIM items and examined the relationship with the data. Multiple regression analysis revealed that a high muscle rate (skeletal muscle mass/body weight) (odds ratio OR = 2.43), high phase angle (OR = 3.32), and high GNRI (OR = 2.57) were significantly associated with motor FIM items at four weeks in male and female patients. Muscle mass maintenance through nutritional management and early rehabilitation in the acute period of stroke is essential for functional recovery in stroke patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Clinical Nutrition)

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