Highly sensitive and selective Love mode surface acoustic wave ammonia sensor based on graphene oxides operated at room temperature

It is crucial to develop highly sensitive and selective sensors for ammonia, one of the most common toxic gases which have been widely used in pharmaceutical, chemical and manufacturing industries. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) film was spin-coated onto surfaces of ST-cut quartz surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices with a resonant frequency of 200 MHz for ammonia sensing. The oxygen-containing functional groups (such as hydroxyl and epoxy ones) on the surface of GO film strongly absorb ammonia molecules and thus increase the film stiffness. This is attributed to the main ammonia sensing mechanism of the Love mode SAW devices, which show not only a positive frequency shift of 620 Hz for 500 ppb ammonia gas, but also an excellent selectivity (as compared to other gases such as H2, H2S, CO and NO2) and a good reproducibility, operated at room temperature of 22 oC

Retargeted adenoviruses for radiation-guided gene delivery

The combination of radiation with radiosensitizing gene delivery or oncolytic viruses promises to provide an advantage that could improve the therapeutic results for glioblastoma. X-rays can induce significant molecular changes in cancer cells. We isolated the GIRLRG peptide that binds to radiation-inducible 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), which is overexpressed on the plasma membranes of irradiated cancer cells and tumor-associated microvascular endothelial cells. The goal of our study was to improve tumor-specific adenovirus-mediated gene delivery by selectively targeting the adenovirus binding to this radiation-inducible protein. We employed an adenoviral fiber replacement approach to conduct a study of the targeting utility of GRP78-binding peptide. We have developed fiber-modified adenoviruses encoding the GRP78-binding peptide inserted into the fiber-fibritin. We have evaluated the reporter gene expression of fiber-modified adenoviruses in vitro using a panel of glioma cells and a human D54MG tumor xenograft model. The obtained results demonstrated that employment of the GRP78-binding peptide resulted in increased gene expression in irradiated tumors following infection with fiber-modified adenoviruses, compared with untreated tumor cells. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of adenoviral retargeting using the GRP78-binding peptide that selectively recognizes tumor cells responding to radiation treatment

Surface acoustic wave ammonia sensor based on SiO2-SnO2 composite film operated at room temperature

Sensitive thin film layers of SnO2, SiO2 and SiO2-SnO2 were deposited on a SAW resonator using sol-gel method and spin coating techniques. Their ammonia-sensing performance operated at room temperature was characterized and their sensing mechanisms were comprehensively studied. When exposed to ammonia, the sensors made of SnO2 and SiO2-SnO2 films exhibit positive frequency shifts, whereas the SiO2 film sensors exhibit a negative frequency shift. The positive frequency shift is related to the dehydration and condensation of hydroxyl groups, which make the films stiffer and lighter. The negative frequency shift is mainly caused by the increase of mass loading due to the adsorption of ammonia. The gas sensor based on SiO2-SnO2 film shows a positive frequency shift of 631 Hz when it is exposed to ammonia with a low concentration of 3 ppm, and it also shows good repeatability and stability, as well as a good selectivity to ammonia compared with gases of C6H14, C2H5OH, C3H6O, CO, H2, NO2, and CH4

Long decay length of magnon-polarons in BiFeO3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures

Long-distance magnon transport is highly desired for magnonics. Here, the authors demonstrate a millimetre-long magnon decay length in multiferroic heterostructures, which is attributed to magnon-polarons induced by the magnetoelastic coupling. Magnons can transfer information in metals and insulators without Joule heating, and therefore are promising for low-power computation. The on-chip magnonics however suffers from high losses due to limited magnon decay length. In metallic thin films, it is typically on the tens of micrometre length scale. Here, we demonstrate an ultra-long magnon decay length of up to one millimetre in multiferroic/ferromagnetic BiFeO3(BFO)/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3(LSMO) heterostructures at room temperature. This decay length is attributed to a magnon-phonon hybridization and is more than two orders of magnitude longer than that of bare metallic LSMO. The long-distance modes have high group velocities of 2.5 km s(-1) as detected by time-resolved Brillouin light scattering. Numerical simulations suggest that magnetoelastic coupling via the BFO/LSMO interface hybridizes phonons in BFO with magnons in LSMO to form magnon-polarons. Our results provide a solution to the long-standing issue on magnon decay lengths in metallic magnets and advance the bourgeoning field of hybrid magnonics

A versatile, solvent-free methodology for the functionalisation of carbon nanotubes

High temperature activation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) provides a new and highly versatile functionalisation strategy. The reaction allows the attachment of a wide variety of functional species onto the nanotube surface at grafting ratios between 1-8 wt%, whilst maintaining the intrinsic properties of the untreated materials. The underlying, radical-based, reaction mechanism has been established by quenching experiments and EPR studies. The distribution of the functionalised sites has been investigated at. the microscopic scale using tagging reactions. The grafted products have been characterized by electron microscopy, thermal analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and inverse gas chromatography (IGC). The change in the CNT surface properties after grafting has been quantified in terms of dispersive and specific surface energies, and altered dispersibilities in a broad range of solvents. It is possible to carry out the reaction using gas phase reagents, providing a clean, efficient, and scalable methodology, relevant to a diverse range of applications

Assessing and Selecting Sustainable and Resilient Suppliers in Agri-Food Supply Chains Using Artificial Intelligence: A Short Review

[EN] The supplier evaluation and selection process is critical to increase the sustainability and resilience of the agri-food supply chain. Therefore, in this sector, it is necessary to consider sustainability and resilience criteria in the supplier evaluation and selection process. The use of arti¿cial intelligence techniques allows managing of a lot of information and the reduction of uncertainty for decision making. The objective of this article is to analyze articles that address the selection of suppliers in agrifood supply chains that pursue to increase their sustainability and resilience by using arti¿cial intelligence techniques to analyze the techniques and criteria used and draw conclusions.Authors of this publication acknowledge the contribution of the Project 691249, RUC-APS "Enhancing and implementing Knowledge based ICT solutions within high Risk and Uncertain Conditions for Agriculture Production Systems" (www.ruc-aps.eu), funded by the European Union under their funding scheme H2020-MSCA-RISE-2015.Zavala-Alcívar, A.; Verdecho Sáez, MJ.; Alfaro Saiz, JJ. (2020). Assessing and Selecting Sustainable and Resilient Suppliers in Agri-Food Supply Chains Using Artificial Intelligence: A Short Review. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 598:501-510. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62412-5_41S501510598Brandenburg, M., Govindan, K., Sarkis, J., Seuring, S.: Quantitative models for sustainable supply chain management: developments and directions. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 233, 299–312 (2014)Ocampo, L.A., Abad, G.K.M., Cabusas, K.G.L., Padon, M.L.A., Sevilla, N.C.: Recent approaches to supplier selection: a review of literature within 2006–2016. Int. J. Integr. Supply Manage. 12, 22–68 (2018)Valipour, S., Safaei, A.: A resilience approach for supplier selection: using Fuzzy analytic network process and grey VIKOR techniques. J. Clean. Prod. 161, 431–451 (2017)Amindoust, A.: A resilient-sustainable based supplier selection model using a hybrid intelligent method. Comput. Ind. Eng. 126, 122–135 (2018)Zavala-Alcívar, A., Verdecho, M.-J., Alfaro-Saiz, J.-J.: A conceptual framework to manage resilience and increase sustainability in the supply chain. Sustainability 12(16), 6300 (2020)Villalobos, J.R., Soto-Silva, W.E., González-Araya, M.C., González-Ramirez, R.G.: Research directions in technology development to support real-time decisions of fresh produce logistics: A review and research agenda. Comput. Electron. Agric. 167, 105092 (2019)Ristono, A., Santoso, P.B., Tama, I.P.: A literature review of design of criteria for supplier selection. J. Ind. Eng. Manage. 11, 680–696 (2018)Torres-Ruiz, A., Ravindran, A.R.: Multiple criteria framework for the sustainability risk assessment of a supplier portfolio. J. Clean. Prod. 172, 4478–4493 (2018)Setak, M., Sharifi, S., Alimohammadian, A.: Supplier selection and order allocation models in supply chain management: a review. World Appl. Sci. J. 18, 55–72 (2012)Ravindran, A.R., Warsing, D.P.: Supplier selection models and methods. In: Supply Chain Engineering: Models and Applications. Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, Florida (2013)De Boer, L., Labro, E., Morlacchi, P.: A review of methods supporting supplier selection. Eur. J. Purch. Supply Manage. 7, 75–89 (2011)De Felice, F., Deldoost, M.H., Faizollahi, M., Petrillo, A.: Performance measurement model for the supplier selection based on AHP. Int. J. Eng. Bus. Manag. 7, 1–13 (2015)Zimmer, K., Fröhling, M., Schultmann, F.: Sustainable supplier management – a review of models supporting sustainable supplier selection, monitoring and development. Int. J. Prod. Res. 54, 1412–1442 (2016)Christopher, M., Peck, H.: Building the resilient supply chain. Int. J. Logist. Manag. 15, 1–14 (2014)Ali, A., Mahfouz, A., Arisha, A.: Analysing supply chain resilience: integrating the constructs in a concept mapping framework via a systematic literature review. Supply Chain Manage. 22, 16–39 (2017)Verdecho, M., Alarcón-Valero, F., Pérez-Perales, D., et al.: A methodology to select suppliers to increase sustainability within supply chains. Cent. Eur. J. Oper. Res. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10100-019-00668-3Rabelo, L., Bhide, S., Gutierrez, E.: Artificial Intelligence: Advances in Research and Applications. Nova Science Publishers, Inc., Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States (2017)Denyer, D., Tranfield, D.: Producing a systematic review. In: The Sage Handbook of Organizational Research Methods. SAGE Publications Ltd., pp. 671–689 (2019)Chen, Y.-J.: Structured methodology for supplier selection and evaluation in a supply chain. Inf. Sci. (Ny) 181, 1651–1670 (2011)Hamdi, F., Ghorbel, A., Masmoudi, F., Dupont, L.: Optimization of a supply portfolio in the context of supply chain risk management: literature review. J. Intell. Manuf. 29(4), 763–788 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10845-015-1128-3Kumar, V., Srinivasan, S., Das, S.: Optimal solution for supplier selection based on SMART fuzzy case base approach. In: 2014 Joint 7th International Conference on Soft Computing and Intelligent Systems. SCIS 2014 and 15th International Symposium on Advanced Intelligent Systems. ISIS 2014, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., Department of Computer Science, IISJ Yokohama, Tokai Chiba, Japan, pp. 386–391 (2014)Jahani, A., Murad, M.A.A., bin Sulaiman, M.N., Selamat, M.H.: An agent-based supplier selection framework: Fuzzy case-based reasoning perspective. Strateg. Outsourcing 8, 180–205 (2015)Wang, Q.: Hybrid knowledge-based flexible supplier selection. In: 8th International Conference on Management of e-Commerce and e-Government. ICMeCG 2014. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., Department of Information Management, Shanghai Finance University, Shanghai, China, pp. 235–239 (2014)Bai, C., Sarkis, J.: Green supplier development: analytical evaluation using rough set theory. J. Clean. Prod. 18, 1200–1210 (2010)Bai, C., Sarkis, J.: Integrating sustainability into supplier selection with grey system and rough set methodologies. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 124, 252–264 (2010)Guo, F., Lu, Q.: Partner selection optimization model of agricultural enterprises in supply chain. Adv. J. Food Sci. Technol. 5, 1285–1291 (2013)Azadnia, A.H., Saman, M.Z.M., Wong, K.Y.: Sustainable supplier selection and order lot-sizing: an integrated multi-objective decision-making process. Int. J. Prod. Res. 53, 383–408 (2015)Miranda-Ackerman, M.A., Azzaro-Pantel, C., Aguilar-Lasserre, A.A.: A green supply chain network design framework for the processed food industry: application to the orange juice agrofood cluster. Comput. Ind. Eng. 109, 369–389 (2017)Hajikhani, A., Khalilzadeh, M., Sadjadi, S.J.: A fuzzy multi-objective multi-product supplier selection and order-allocation problem in supply chain under coverage and price considerations: an urban agricultural case study. Sci. Iran. 25, 431–449 (2018)Zhang, H., Cui, Y.: A model combining a Bayesian network with a modified genetic algorithm for green supplier selection. Simulation 95, 1165–1183 (2019)Yadav, S., Garg, D., Luthra, S.: Selection of third-party logistics services for internet of things-based agriculture supply chain management. Int. J. Logist. Syst. Manage. 35, 204–230 (2020)Yazdani, M., Wang, Z.X., Chan, F.T.S.: A decision support model based on the combined structure of DEMATEL, QFD and fuzzy values. Soft. Comput. 24(16), 12449–12468 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-020-04685-2Zhang, H., Feng, H., Cui, Y., Wang, Y.: A fuzzy Bayesian network model for quality control in O2O e-commerce. Int. J. Comput. Commun. Control 15(1), (2020). article number 1003. https://doi.org/10.15837/ijccc.2020.1.3783Amiri, S.A.H.S., Zahedi, A., Kazemi, M., Soroor, J., Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, M.: Determination of the optimal sales level of perishable goods in a two-echelon supply chain network. Comput. Ind. Eng. 139, 106156 (2020)Roy, S., et al.: A framework for sustainable supplier selection with transportation criteria. Int. J. Sustain. Eng. 13(2), 77–92 (2020)Parkouhi, S.V., Ghadikolaei, A.S., Lajimi, H.F.: Resilient supplier selection and segmentation in grey environment. J. Clean. Prod. 207, 1123–1137 (2019)Camarinha-Matos, L.M., Afsarmanesh, H., Galeano, N., Molina, A.: Collaborative networked organizations – concepts and practice in manufacturing enterprises. Comput. Ind. Eng. 57, 46–60 (2009)Lezoche, M., Panetto, H., Kacprzyk, J., Hernandez, J., Díaz, M.A.: Agri-food 4.0: a survey of the supply chains and technologies for the future agriculture. Comput. Ind. 117, 103187 (2020)Alikhani, R., Torabi, S., Altay, N.: Strategic supplier selection under sustainability and risk criteria. Int. J. Prod. Econ. 208, 69–82 (2019

Bacterial cellulose coated ST-cut quartz surface acoustic wave humidity sensor with high sensitivity, fast response and recovery

A Love mode surface acoustic wave (SAW) humidity sensor based on bacterial cellulose (BC) coated ST-cut quartz was developed in this study. The BC film is composed of ultrafine interwoven fibers to form a highly porous network, and its surface contains a large amount of hydroxyl groups, which significantly improve the adsorption capability of SAW sensing layer for water molecules. This results in significant mass loading effects and enhanced responsivity of the SAW sensor. The resonant frequency of the sensor changes linearly with RH at lower relative humidity (RH) values (e.g., RH30%), but when RH80%, an exponential increase in frequency shift as a function of RH is obtained due to the enhanced mass loading effect. A frequency shift of 89.8 kHz was measured using a sensor with a BC film with a thickness of 148 nm thick when the RH was increased from 30% to 93%. The frequency of the sensor can be fully shifted back to the original reading when the RH was returned back to 30%, with the response and recovery times of 12 s and 5 s, respectively. The SAW sensor also exhibits good short-term repeatability and long-term stability for humidity sensing

Olive oil's bitter principle reverses acquired autoresistance to trastuzumab (Herceptin™) in HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells

[Background] A low incidence of breast cancer in the Mediterranean basin suggests that a high consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) might confer this benefit. While the anti-HER2 oncogene effects of the main ω-9 fatty acid present in EVOO triacylglycerols (i.e., oleic acid) have been recently described, the anti-breast cancer activities of EVOO non-glyceridic constituents -which consist of at least 30 phenolic compounds-, remained to be evaluated. [Methods] Semi-preparative HPLC was used to isolate EVOO polyphenols (i.e., tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein). Both the anti-proliferative and the pro-apoptotic effects of EVOO phenolics were evaluated by using MTT-based quantification of metabolically viable cells and ELISA-based detection of histone-associated DNA fragments, respectively. The nature of the interaction between oleuropein aglycone and the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin™) was mathematically evaluated by the dose-oriented isobologram technique. HER2-specific ELISAs were employed to quantitatively assess both the basal cleavage of the HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) and the expression level of total HER2. The activation status of HER2 was evaluated by immunoblotting procedures using a monoclonal antibody specifically recognizing the tyrosine phosphorylated (Phosphor-Tyr1248) form of HER2. [Results] Among EVOO polyphenols tested, oleuropein aglycone was the most potent EVOO phenolic in decreasing breast cancer cell viability. HER2 gene-amplified SKBR3 cells were ~5-times more sensitive to oleuropein aglycone than HER2-negative MCF-7 cells. Retroviral infection of the HER2 oncogene in MCF-7 cells resulted in a "SKBR3-assimilated" phenotype of hypersensitivity to oleuropein aglycone. An up to 50-fold increase in the efficacy of trastuzumab occurred in the presence of oleuropein aglycone. A preclinical model of acquired autoresistance to trastuzumab (SKBR3/Tzb100 cells) completely recovered trastuzumab sensitivity (> 1,000-fold sensitization) when co-cultured in the presence of oleuropein aglycone. Indeed, the nature of the interaction between oleuropein aglycone and trastuzumab was found to be strongly synergistic in Tzb-resistant SKBR3/Tzb100 cells. Mechanistically, oleuropein aglycone treatment significantly reduced HER2 ECD cleavage and subsequent HER2 auto-phosphorylation, while it dramatically enhanced Tzb-induced down-regulation of HER2 expression. [Conclusion] Olive oil's bitter principle (i.e., oleuropein aglycone) is among the first examples of how selected nutrients from an EVOO-rich "Mediterranean diet" directly regulate HER2-driven breast cancer disease.JAM is the recipient of a Basic, Clinical and Translational Research Award (BCTR0600894) from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Texas, USA). This work was also supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria -FIS-, Spain, Grants CP05-00090 and PI06-0778 to JAM, and Grant RD06-0020-0028 to JAM, RC and JB)

Investigation into the immuno-therapeutic potential of melanocortin peptides on activated chondrocytes

Melanocortin peptides are endogenously produced peptides originating from the posttranslational processing of the pro-opiomelanocortin hormone (POMC), exerting their effect by binding to class A G-protein-coupled 7 transmembrane domain receptors, positively coupled to adenylate cyclase. To date five melanocortin receptors have been identified and termed MC1 to MC5. MC1 and MC3 have previously been proposed to exert anti-inflammatory effects by modulating the host inflammatory response. The expression and the functional activity of both receptors was identified and confirmed in the C-20/A4 chondrocyte cell-line, isolated primary bovine and in situ bovine articular chondrocytes. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, produced by activated articular chondrocytes significantly up-regulate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) gene expression, and inhibit the chondrocyte’s compensatory synthesis pathways required to restore the integrity of the degraded extracellular matrix (ECM). Human C-20/A4 and primary bovine articular chondrocytes were found to produce CC and CXC chemokines, which induced the release of matrix degrading enzymes and activated cell apoptotic pathways. TNF-α significantly up-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 and MMP1 and 13 from C-20/A4 cell line and freshly isolated primary bovine articular chondrocytes. An effect attenuated in the presence of α-MSH and D[TRP]8-γ-MSH. The MC3/4 antagonist SHU9119 blocked the effects of D[TRP]8-γ-MSH but not α-MSH. TNF-α (60.0 pg/ml) stimulation caused ~30% cell death and was partially, but significantly inhibited by treatment of the cells with the melanocortin peptides. The antiinflammatory and chondroprotective effect of melanocortin peptides were then tested on in situ bovine articular chondrocytes, injured by a single blunt impact delivered by a drop tower. The mechanical injury caused significant cell death and up-regulation of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, which were significantly reduced on pre-treatment of cartilage explants with melanocortin peptides. Modulation of pro-inflammatory pathways and inflammation-modulated cartilage destruction with subsequent chondrocyte apoptosis appears to be logical development in the potential medical therapy of OA. The small molecular weight of melanocortin peptides should facilitate the absorption from the GI tract and the movement to the cartilage matrix, which together with creative drug delivery methods might potentially prove to be potent therapeutic agents in the future

Arsenic and Antimony Transporters in Eukaryotes

Arsenic and antimony are toxic metalloids, naturally present in the environment and all organisms have developed pathways for their detoxification. The most effective metalloid tolerance systems in eukaryotes include downregulation of metalloid uptake, efflux out of the cell, and complexation with phytochelatin or glutathione followed by sequestration into the vacuole. Understanding of arsenic and antimony transport system is of high importance due to the increasing usage of arsenic-based drugs in the treatment of certain types of cancer and diseases caused by protozoan parasites as well as for the development of bio- and phytoremediation strategies for metalloid polluted areas. However, in contrast to prokaryotes, the knowledge about specific transporters of arsenic and antimony and the mechanisms of metalloid transport in eukaryotes has been very limited for a long time. Here, we review the recent advances in understanding of arsenic and antimony transport pathways in eukaryotes, including a dual role of aquaglyceroporins in uptake and efflux of metalloids, elucidation of arsenic transport mechanism by the yeast Acr3 transporter and its role in arsenic hyperaccumulation in ferns, identification of vacuolar transporters of arsenic-phytochelatin complexes in plants and forms of arsenic substrates recognized by mammalian ABC transporters