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9 pages, 268 KiB  
Article
Addition of Butyric Acid and Lauric Acid Glycerides in Nursery Pig Feed to Replace Conventional Growth Promoters
by Cássio Antônio Ficagna, Gabriela Miotto Galli, Emerson Zatti, Isadora Zago, Marco Aurélio Fritzen Dias do Amaral, Maksuel Gatto de Vitt, Diovani Paiano and Aleksandro Schafer da Silva
Animals 2024, 14(8), 1174; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081174 - 13 Apr 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2246
Abstract
(1) Background: This study determined whether adding butyric acid and lauric acid glycerides in nursing pigs’ feed would improve growth performance, proteinogram, biochemical parameters, and antioxidant status. (2) Methods: Ninety male pigs were divided into five groups with six repetitions per group: NC, [...] Read more.
(1) Background: This study determined whether adding butyric acid and lauric acid glycerides in nursing pigs’ feed would improve growth performance, proteinogram, biochemical parameters, and antioxidant status. (2) Methods: Ninety male pigs were divided into five groups with six repetitions per group: NC, negative control (no additive); TRI-BUT, addition of tributyrin in the basal ration; MDT-BUT, addition of mono-, di-, and triglycerides of butyric acid in the basal feed; MDT-LAU, the addition of mono-, di-, and triglycerides of lauric acid in the basal feed; and PC, positive control (addition of gentamicin in the basal feed). (3) Results: PC, TRI-BUT, and MDT-LAU resulted in a high average daily WG from days 1 to 39 (p < 0.01). MDT-LAU, MDT-BUT, and PC resulted in a greater feed:gain from days 1 to 39 than the NC (p = 0.03). Great concentrations of the gamma globulin fraction in all groups were observed than in the NC (p = 0.01). Ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, and C-reactive protein concentrations were lower in all groups than in the NC (p < 0.05). Higher serum glutathione S-transferase activity was observed in the TRI-BUT and MDT-BUT than in the PC (p = 0.04). (4) Conclusions: The addition of butyric acid and lauric acid glycerides in the diet of pigs in the nursery phase can replace growth promoters since the products improve the growth performance, reduce acute-phase proteins, and increase gamma globulin concentrations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Nutrition)
16 pages, 4044 KiB  
Article
Sulfated Polysaccharide from Caulerpa racemosa Attenuates the Obesity-Induced Cardiometabolic Syndrome via Regulating the PRMT1-DDAH-ADMA with mTOR-SIRT1-AMPK Pathways and Gut Microbiota Modulation
by Nelly Mayulu, William Ben Gunawan, Moon Nyeo Park, Sanghyun Chung, Jin Young Suh, Hangyul Song, Rio Jati Kusuma, Nurpudji Astuti Taslim, Rudy Kurniawan, Felicia Kartawidjajaputra, Fahrul Nurkolis and Bonglee Kim
Antioxidants 2023, 12(8), 1555; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12081555 - 3 Aug 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2992
Abstract
Our investigation intended to analyze the effects of sulfated polysaccharides from Caulerpa racemosa (SPCr) in attenuating obesity-induced cardiometabolic syndrome via regulating the protein arginine N-methyltransferase 1-asymmetric dimethylarginine-dimethylarginine dimethylamino-hydrolase (PRMT1-DDAH-ADMA) with the mammalian target of rapamycin-Sirtuin 1–5′ AMP-activated protein kinase (mTOR-SIRT1-AMPK) pathways and gut [...] Read more.
Our investigation intended to analyze the effects of sulfated polysaccharides from Caulerpa racemosa (SPCr) in attenuating obesity-induced cardiometabolic syndrome via regulating the protein arginine N-methyltransferase 1-asymmetric dimethylarginine-dimethylarginine dimethylamino-hydrolase (PRMT1-DDAH-ADMA) with the mammalian target of rapamycin-Sirtuin 1–5′ AMP-activated protein kinase (mTOR-SIRT1-AMPK) pathways and gut microbiota modulation. This is a follow-up study that used SPs from previous in vitro studies, consisting of 2,3-di-O-methyl-1,4,5-tri-O-acetylarabinitol, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-mannopyranose, and type B ulvanobiuronicacid 3-sulfate. A total of forty rats were randomly divided into four treatment groups: Group A received a standard diet; Group B was provided with a diet enriched in cholesterol and fat (CFED); and Groups C and D were given the CFED along with ad libitum water, and daily oral supplementation of 65 or 130 mg/kg of body weight (BW) of SPCr, respectively. Group D showed the lowest low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and blood glucose levels, and the highest HDL level compared to the other groups in this study. These results in the group fed high-dose SPCr demonstrated a significant effect compared to the group fed low-dose SPCr (p < 0.0001), as well as in total cholesterol and blood glucose (p < 0.05). Supplementation with SPCr was also observed to have an upregulation effect on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC)-1alpha, interleukin 10, Sirtuin 1, DDAH-II, superoxide dismutase (SOD) cardio, and AMPK, which was also followed by a downregulation of PRMT-1, TNF-α, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, and mTOR. Interestingly, gut microbiota modulation was also observed; feeding the rats with a cholesterol-enriched diet shifted the gut microbiota composition toward the Firmicutes level, lowered the Bacteroidetes level, and increased the Firmicutes level. A dose of 130 mg/kg BW of SPCr is the recommended dose, and investigation still needs to be continued in clinical trials with humans to see its efficacy at an advanced level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidants in Algae: Extraction, Components, and Applications)
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20 pages, 2723 KiB  
Article
New Closed Form Estimators for the Beta Distribution
by Victor Mooto Nawa and Saralees Nadarajah
Mathematics 2023, 11(13), 2799; https://doi.org/10.3390/math11132799 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1584
Abstract
In this paper, we detail closed form estimators for beta distribution that are simpler than those proposed by Tamae, Irie and Kubokawa. The proposed estimators are shown to have smaller asymptotic variances and smaller asymptotic covariances compared to Tamae estimators and maximum likelihood [...] Read more.
In this paper, we detail closed form estimators for beta distribution that are simpler than those proposed by Tamae, Irie and Kubokawa. The proposed estimators are shown to have smaller asymptotic variances and smaller asymptotic covariances compared to Tamae estimators and maximum likelihood estimators. The proposed estimators are also shown to perform better in real data applications. Full article
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15 pages, 2447 KiB  
Article
Multimodal Image Fusion for X-ray Grating Interferometry
by Haoran Liu, Mingzhe Liu, Xin Jiang, Jinglei Luo, Yuming Song, Xingyue Chu and Guibin Zan
Sensors 2023, 23(6), 3115; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23063115 - 14 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2531
Abstract
X-ray grating interferometry (XGI) can provide multiple image modalities. It does so by utilizing three different contrast mechanisms—attenuation, refraction (differential phase-shift), and scattering (dark-field)—in a single dataset. Combining all three imaging modalities could create new opportunities for the characterization of material structure features [...] Read more.
X-ray grating interferometry (XGI) can provide multiple image modalities. It does so by utilizing three different contrast mechanisms—attenuation, refraction (differential phase-shift), and scattering (dark-field)—in a single dataset. Combining all three imaging modalities could create new opportunities for the characterization of material structure features that conventional attenuation-based methods are unable probe. In this study, we proposed an image fusion scheme based on the non-subsampled contourlet transform and spiking cortical model (NSCT-SCM) to combine the tri-contrast images retrieved from XGI. It incorporated three main steps: (i) image denoising based on Wiener filtering, (ii) the NSCT-SCM tri-contrast fusion algorithm, and (iii) image enhancement using contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization, adaptive sharpening, and gamma correction. The tri-contrast images of the frog toes were used to validate the proposed approach. Moreover, the proposed method was compared with three other image fusion methods by several figures of merit. The experimental evaluation results highlighted the efficiency and robustness of the proposed scheme, with less noise, higher contrast, more information, and better details. Full article
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26 pages, 5921 KiB  
Review
The Impact of GRBs on Exoplanetary Habitability
by Riccardo Spinelli and Giancarlo Ghirlanda
Universe 2023, 9(2), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe9020060 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2932
Abstract
Can high-energy transient events affect life on a planet? We provide a review of the works that have tried to answer this question. It is argued that that gamma ray bursts, specifically those of the long class, are among the most dangerous astrophysical [...] Read more.
Can high-energy transient events affect life on a planet? We provide a review of the works that have tried to answer this question. It is argued that that gamma ray bursts, specifically those of the long class, are among the most dangerous astrophysical sources for biotic life and may exert evolutionary pressure on possible life forms in the universe. Their radiation can be directly lethal for biota or induce extinction by removing most of the protective atmospheric ozone layer on terrestrial planets. Since the rate of long gamma ray bursts is proportional to the birth rate of stars but is reduced in metal rich regions, the evolution of the “safest place” to live in our galaxy depended on the past 12 billion years of evolution of the star formation rate and relative metal pollution of the interstellar medium. Until 6 billion years ago, the outskirts of the galaxy were the safest places to live, despite the relatively low density of terrestrial planets. In the last 5 billion years, regions between 2 and 8 kiloparsecs from the center, featuring a higher density of terrestrial planets, gradually became the best places for safe biotic life growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue GRBs Phenomenology, Models and Applications: A Beginner Guide)
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8 pages, 238 KiB  
Article
An Approximation Formula for Nielsen’s Beta Function Involving the Trigamma Function
by Mansour Mahmoud and Hanan Almuashi
Mathematics 2022, 10(24), 4729; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10244729 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1832
Abstract
We prove that the function σ(s) defined by [...] Read more.
We prove that the function σ(s) defined by β(s)=6s2+12s+53s2(2s+3)ψ(s)2σ(s)2s5,s>0, is strictly increasing with the sharp bounds 0<σ(s)<49120, where β(s) is Nielsen’s beta function and ψ(s) is the trigamma function. Furthermore, we prove that the two functions s(1)1+μβ(s)6s2+12s+53s2(2s+3)+ψ(s)2+49μ240s5, μ=0,1 are completely monotonic for s>0. As an application, double inequality for β(s) involving ψ(s) is obtained, which improve some recent results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Special Functions and Applications)
13 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Hermite-Hadamard-Type Integral Inequalities for Convex Functions and Their Applications
by Hari M. Srivastava, Sana Mehrez and Sergei M. Sitnik
Mathematics 2022, 10(17), 3127; https://doi.org/10.3390/math10173127 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 1998
Abstract
In this paper, we establish new generalizations of the Hermite-Hadamard-type inequalities. These inequalities are formulated in terms of modules of certain powers of proper functions. Generalizations for convex functions are also considered. As applications, some new inequalities for the digamma function in terms [...] Read more.
In this paper, we establish new generalizations of the Hermite-Hadamard-type inequalities. These inequalities are formulated in terms of modules of certain powers of proper functions. Generalizations for convex functions are also considered. As applications, some new inequalities for the digamma function in terms of the trigamma function and some inequalities involving special means of real numbers are given. The results also include estimates via arithmetic, geometric and logarithmic means. The examples are derived in order to demonstrate that some of our results in this paper are more exact than the existing ones and some improve several known results available in the literature. The constants in the derived inequalities are calculated; some of these constants are sharp. As a visual example, graphs of some technically important functions are included in the text. Full article
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11 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Bounds and Completely Monotonicity of Some Functions Involving the Functions ψ′(l) and ψ″(l)
by Omelsaad Ahfaf, Ahmed Talat and Mansour Mahmoud
Symmetry 2022, 14(7), 1420; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym14071420 - 11 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1624
Abstract
Symmetrical patterns exist in the nature of inequalities, which play a basic role in theoretical and applied mathematics. In several studies, inequalities present accurate approximations of functions based on their symmetry properties. In the paper, we prove the completely monotonic (CM) property of [...] Read more.
Symmetrical patterns exist in the nature of inequalities, which play a basic role in theoretical and applied mathematics. In several studies, inequalities present accurate approximations of functions based on their symmetry properties. In the paper, we prove the completely monotonic (CM) property of some functions involving the function Δ(l)=ψ(l)+ψ(l)2 and hence we deduce a new double inequality for it. Additionally, we study the CM degree of some functions involving the function ψ(l). Our new bounds takes priority over some of the recently published results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mathematical Inequalities, Special Functions and Symmetry)
15 pages, 3135 KiB  
Article
Infrared Spectroscopy Studies of Aluminum Oxide and Metallic Aluminum Powders, Part I: Thermal Dehydration and Decomposition
by Bellamarie Ludwig and Taryn T. Burke
Powders 2022, 1(1), 47-61; https://doi.org/10.3390/powders1010005 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7439
Abstract
In this work, we study three aluminum oxides (alpha, gamma, boehmite) and various oxidized metallic aluminum powders to observe their dehydration and decomposition behavior using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We find that a [...] Read more.
In this work, we study three aluminum oxides (alpha, gamma, boehmite) and various oxidized metallic aluminum powders to observe their dehydration and decomposition behavior using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We find that a temperature increase to the aluminum oxides (aluminas) reduces physically adsorbed water molecules to reveal the presence of hydroxyl groups. All three aluminas contained bridged hydroxyls located at 3670 cm−1; we found additional surface hydroxyls, which varied based on the oxidation state of the aluminum atom. Oxidized metallic aluminum powders that were aged resulted in similar behavior; however, the results differed depending on the method of aging. We find that naturally aged aluminum (NA-Al) powders with heavy oxidation in the form of the tri-hydroxide decomposed and did not reveal any detectable surface hydroxyl peaks. When aged using artificial methods (AA-Al), we find both surface hydroxyls, including bridged hydroxyls at 3670, 3700, and 3730 cm−1, and a remaining boehmite-like surface. These results show that metallic aluminum powders can be tailored for specific applications, regardless of age. It also elucidates different ways to pre-process the powders to control the surface oxide layer, corroborated by comparison with the models oxides studied herein. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Powders)
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16 pages, 2263 KiB  
Article
Optimizing the Minimum Detectable Difference of Gamma Camera SPECT Images via the Taguchi Analysis: A Feasibility Study with a V-Shaped Slit Gauge
by Ching-Hsiu Ke, Wan-Ju Liu, Bing-Ru Peng, Lung-Fa Pan and Lung-Kwang Pan
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 2708; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052708 - 5 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2116
Abstract
This study tried to propose an innovated idea of solidifying the resolution of gamma camera in routine quality control and recommended a quantified index as minimum detectable difference (MDD) of gamma camera SPECT images using the Taguchi analysis and an indigenous V-shaped slit [...] Read more.
This study tried to propose an innovated idea of solidifying the resolution of gamma camera in routine quality control and recommended a quantified index as minimum detectable difference (MDD) of gamma camera SPECT images using the Taguchi analysis and an indigenous V-shaped slit gauge. The gauge was customized to fulfill the quantitative requirement of the Taguchi analysis. The MDD among slit gauge of derived SPECT image was calculated from two overlapped peak profiles collected from a tangent slice of the V-shaped slit gauge with two nearby peaks. In particular, MDD was evaluated as minimum distance between two peak centers through the Student’s t-test with a constant, 1.96, which indicates that two peak centers separated distant enough to create a 95% confidence level of separation. Eighteen combinations of six gamma camera scanned factors were organized according to Taguchi analysis. Accordingly, (A) collimator, (B) detector to targe distance, (C) total counts, (D) acquired energy width, (E) Matrix size, and (F) zoom of collected ROI with each of two or three levels were organized into 18 groups to collect the slit gauge images according to Taguchi L18 orthogonal array. Then, three well-trained radiologists were ranked the scanned gauge images to derive the fish-bone-plot of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N, dB) and correlated ANOVA. Furthermore, the quantified MDD was proposed to verify the optimal suggestion of gamma camera scanned protocol, and obtained the MDD as 8.4, 7.9, and 7.1 mm for the second group of original L18 preset, conventional, and the optimal preset, respectively. Thus, the optimal preset of gamma camera was achieved in this study. The MDD proved to be a successful index in quantifying the imaging resolution of a gamma camera. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Biomedical Photonics)
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15 pages, 2058 KiB  
Article
Structure and Performance Attributes Optimization and Ranking of Gamma Irradiated Polymer Hybrids for Industrial Application
by Suhail H. Serbaya, Emad H. Abualsauod, Mohammed Salem Basingab, Hatim Bukhari, Ali Rizwan and Malik Sajjad Mehmood
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14010047 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2715
Abstract
The selection of suitable composite material for high-strength industrial applications, from the list of available alternatives, is a tedious task as it requires an optimized structural performance-based solution. This study aimed to optimize the concentration of fillers, i.e., vinyl tri-ethoxy silane and absorbed [...] Read more.
The selection of suitable composite material for high-strength industrial applications, from the list of available alternatives, is a tedious task as it requires an optimized structural performance-based solution. This study aimed to optimize the concentration of fillers, i.e., vinyl tri-ethoxy silane and absorbed gamma-dose, to enhance the properties of an industrial scale polymer, i.e., ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The UHMWPE hybrids, in addition to silane, were treated with (30, 65, and 100 kGy) gamma dose and then tested for ten application-specific structural and performance attributes. The relative importance of attributes based on an 11-point fuzzy conversation was used for establishing the material assessment graph and corresponding adjacency matrix. Afterwards, the normalized values of attributes were used to establish the decision matrix for each alternative. The normalization was performed after the identification of high obligatory valued (HOV) and low obligatory valued (LOV) attributes. After this, suitability index values (SIVs) were calculated for ranking the hybrids that revealed hybrids 65 kGy irradiated the hybrid as the best choice and ranked as first among the existing alternatives. The major responsible factors were higher oxidation strength, a dense cross-linking network, and elongation at break. The values of the aforementioned factors for 65 kGy irradiated hybrids were 0.24, 91, and 360 MPa, respectively, as opposed to 0.54, 75, and 324 MPa for 100 kGy irradiated hybrids, thus placing the latter in second place regarding higher values of Yield Strength and Young Modulus. Finally, it is believed that the reported results and proposed model in this study will improve preoperative planning as far as considering these hybrids for high-strength industrial applications including total joint arthroplasty, textile-machinery pickers, dump trucks lining ships, and harbors bumpers and sliding, etc. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymer Composites: Design, Preparation and Applications)
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10 pages, 1805 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of an Electrochemical Aptasensor Composed of Multifunctional DNA Three-Way Junction on Au Microgap Electrode for Interferon Gamma Detection in Human Serum
by Seungwoo Noh, Jinmyeong Kim, Chulhwan Park, Junhong Min and Taek Lee
Biomedicines 2021, 9(6), 692; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9060692 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5241
Abstract
Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is an important cytokine with antiviral, antibacterial, and immunosuppressive properties. It has been used as a biomarker for the early detection of several diseases, including cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and paratuberculosis. In this study, we developed an electrochemical [...] Read more.
Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is an important cytokine with antiviral, antibacterial, and immunosuppressive properties. It has been used as a biomarker for the early detection of several diseases, including cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, and paratuberculosis. In this study, we developed an electrochemical biosensor composed of multifunctional DNA 3WJ to detect IFN-γ level with high sensitivity. Each multifunctional triple-stranded aptamer (MF-3WJ) was designed to have an IFN-γ aptamer sequence, anchoring region (thiol group), and 4C–C (cytosine–cytosine) mismatch sequence (signal generation), which could introduce silver ions. To generate the electrochemical signal, four Ag+ ions were intercalated (3wj b-3wj c) in the 4C–C mismatch sequence. MF-3WJ was assembled through the annealing step, and the assembly of MF-3WJ was confirmed by 8% tris–boric–EDTA native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The Au microgap electrode was manufactured to load sample volumes of 5 µL. The reliability of electrochemical biosensor measurement was established by enabling the measurement of seven samples from one Au microgap electrode. MF-3WJ was immobilized on the Au microgap electrode. Then, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed to confirm the electrochemical properties of MF-3WJ. To test the electrochemical biosensor’s ability to detect IFN-γ, the limit of detection (LOD) and selectivity tests were performed by square wave voltammetry. A linear region was observed in the concentration range of 1 pg/mL–10 ng/mL of IFN-γ. The LOD of the fabricated electrochemical biosensor was 0.67 pg/mL. In addition, for the clinical test, the LOD test was carried out for IFN-γ diluted in 10% human serum samples in the concentration range of 1 pg/mL–10 ng/mL, and the LOD was obtained at 0.42 pg/mL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biosensors at the Aid of Medicine)
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18 pages, 4553 KiB  
Article
IL-17A and TNF Modulate Normal Human Spinal Entheseal Bone and Soft Tissue Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteogenesis, Adipogenesis, and Stromal Function
by Tobias Russell, Abdulla Watad, Charlie Bridgewood, Hannah Rowe, Almas Khan, Abhay Rao, Peter Loughenbury, Peter Millner, Robert Dunsmuir, Richard Cuthbert, Ala Altaie, Elena Jones and Dennis McGonagle
Cells 2021, 10(2), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10020341 - 6 Feb 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4098
Abstract
Objective: The spondylarthritides (SpA) are intimately linked to new bone formation and IL-17A and TNF pathways. We investigated spinal soft tissue and bone mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) responses to IL-17A and TNF, including their osteogenesis, adipogenesis, and stromal supportive function and ability to [...] Read more.
Objective: The spondylarthritides (SpA) are intimately linked to new bone formation and IL-17A and TNF pathways. We investigated spinal soft tissue and bone mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) responses to IL-17A and TNF, including their osteogenesis, adipogenesis, and stromal supportive function and ability to support lymphocyte recruitment. Methods: Normal spinal peri-entheseal bone (PEB) and entheseal soft tissue (EST) were characterized for MSCs by immunophenotypic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation criteria. Functional and gene transcriptomic analysis was carried out on undifferentiated, adipo- differentiated, and osteo-differentiated MSCs. The enthesis C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 20-C-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 6 (CCL20-CCR6) axis was investigated at transcript and protein levels to ascertain whether entheseal MSCs influence local immune cell populations. Results: Cultured MSCs from both PEB and EST displayed a tri-lineage differentiation ability. EST MSCs exhibited 4.9-fold greater adipogenesis (p < 0.001) and a 3-fold lower osteogenic capacity (p < 0.05). IL-17A induced greater osteogenesis in PEB MSCs compared to EST MSCs. IL-17A suppressed adipogenic differentiation, with a significant decrease in fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), Cell Death Inducing DFFA Like Effector C (CIDEC), and Perilipin-1 (PLIN1). IL-17A significantly increased the CCL20 transcript (p < 0.01) and protein expression (p < 0.001) in MSCs supporting a role in type 17 lymphocyte recruitment. Conclusions: Normal spinal enthesis harbors resident MSCs with different in vitro functionalities in bone and soft tissue, especially in response to IL-17A, which enhanced osteogenesis and CCL20 production and reduced adipogenesis compared to unstimulated MSCs. This MSC-stromal-enthesis immune system may be a hitherto unappreciated mechanism of “fine tuning” tissue repair responses at the enthesis in health and could be relevant for SpA understanding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Stem Cells)
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14 pages, 3148 KiB  
Article
Image Segmentation of Brain MRI Based on LTriDP and Superpixels of Improved SLIC
by Yu Wang, Qi Qi and Xuanjing Shen
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(2), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10020116 - 20 Feb 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4734
Abstract
Non-uniform gray distribution and blurred edges often result in bias during the superpixel segmentation of medical images of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To this end, we propose a novel superpixel segmentation algorithm by integrating texture features and improved simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC). [...] Read more.
Non-uniform gray distribution and blurred edges often result in bias during the superpixel segmentation of medical images of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To this end, we propose a novel superpixel segmentation algorithm by integrating texture features and improved simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC). First, a 3D histogram reconstruction model is used to reconstruct the input image, which is further enhanced by gamma transformation. Next, the local tri-directional pattern descriptor is used to extract texture features of the image; this is followed by an improved SLIC superpixel segmentation. Finally, a novel clustering-center updating rule is proposed, using pixels with gray difference with original clustering centers smaller than a predefined threshold. The experiments on the Whole Brain Atlas (WBA) image database showed that, compared to existing state-of-the-art methods, our superpixel segmentation algorithm generated significantly more uniform superpixels, and demonstrated the performance accuracy of the superpixel segmentation in both fuzzy boundaries and fuzzy regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Brain Dynamics: Latest Advances and Prospects)
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14 pages, 284 KiB  
Article
A Solution to Qi’s Conjecture on a Double Inequality for a Function Involving the Tri- and Tetra-Gamma Functions
by Ladislav Matejíčka
Mathematics 2019, 7(11), 1098; https://doi.org/10.3390/math7111098 - 13 Nov 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1958
Abstract
In the paper, the author gives a solution to a conjecture on a double inequality for a function involving the tri- and tetra-gamma functions, which was first posed in Remark 6 of the paper “Complete monotonicity of a function involving the tri- and [...] Read more.
In the paper, the author gives a solution to a conjecture on a double inequality for a function involving the tri- and tetra-gamma functions, which was first posed in Remark 6 of the paper “Complete monotonicity of a function involving the tri- and tetragamma functions” (2015) and repeated in the seventh open problem of the paper “On complete monotonicity for several classes of functions related to ratios of gamma functions” (2019). Full article
(This article belongs to the Section E1: Mathematics and Computer Science)
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