The indications for free tissue transfer have expanded since the advent of microsurgery over the last 50 years.The intimal and medial layers of the arterial wall can become calcified and inelastic with advanced age when loss of elastin and plaque deposition are abetted by hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and renal insufficiency.Interposition vein grafting for calcified vessel anastomoses can optimize the problem of intimal delamination by suturing from tunica externa to the lumen of the vein graft and the lumen to adventitia of the calcified artery. The same process can be undertaken at the other end of the graft, tacking the arterial intima up and preventing delamination.Fragmentation of elastin and calcium deposits in vessel walls can also lead to poor handling quality when mobilizing vessels for anastomosis. Acute and chronic edema can further thicken vessel walls and encase the vascular tree in dense fibrotic tissue. These factors can both limit the available length of vessel that can be safely exposed and decrease the mobility of the vessel that is dissected free.,Anastomosing two calcified vessels directly together can place two noncompliant surfaces in contact, creating a poor seal and subsequent leakage. Commonly used anticoagulants, such as aspirin and heparin, may exacerbate hematoma formation in this patient population.4Interposition vein grafting can add flexibility to the anastomosis that serves to improve the ergonomics and visualization of the intima.Calcified plaque is difficult to puncture with standard microsurgery needles  and dulls the needle tip quickly. Use of cutting needles can lead to micro-tearing and leaks when sewing these delicate vessels. Leaking at suture holes can be difficult to solve, as further suture placement can lead to more leaking. Tapered needles with a cutting tip may help puncture the plaque while avoiding propagation of the puncture into a laceration .a). Both the donor and recipient arteries were significantly calcified, with delaminating intimal plaque and stiff, edematous walls . Initial end-to-end anastomosis between the flap's anterior tibial artery and the recipient right posterior tibial artery was challenging due to poor mobility of the fibrotic recipient artery and intimal delamination. There was also significant leaking from the anastomotic edge and suture holes. To solve these problems, an interposition vein graft was used from the left greater saphenous vein, creating a more favorable anastomosis. This was particularly helpful at the stiff recipient right posterior tibial artery, which was anastomosed first. To secure the plaque to the underlying arterial wall, all sutures were placed from tunica externa to the lumen on the vein and the lumen to adventitia on the recipient posterior tibial artery as well as for the free flap's anterior tibial artery . The final flap position after inset and anastomosis is shown in Figure 4a.A 64-year-old previously ambulatory diabetic man with a history of tobacco use presented with bilateral stage IV pressure ulcers of the heels after an incapacitating illness . The wouFig 3b).Successful wound coverage was achieved at 6 weeks after surgery b.Heel ulcers in patients with chronic vascular disease often herald amputations due to poor reconstructive outcomes.,6,1,Challenges related to the management of advanced peripheral arterial disease have become more prevalent in the Western society as the incidence of dysmetabolic disease rises.1Finally, while venous interposition is a useful and versatile technique in difficult reconstructive situations, it can in itself be associated with increased rates of pedicle thrombosis due to flow passing through two anastomoses for each vessel.Interposition vein grafting can improve the ergonomics of microsurgical anastomosis in calcified vessels. The compliant nature of vein grafts can create an improved seal when anastomosed to the more rigid calcified artery. It is our hope that this simple technique could provide a reconstructable solution for this difficult clinical problem.


Starch-based materials with reinforced properties were considered as one of the most promising materials to replace the petro-based packaging products, and actually, the molecular structures of starch usually determined the structures and properties of end-used starchy products. Here, starch-based nanocomposites were fabricated by starch esters derived from native starches with different amylose contents and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT). The fractured surface under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) exhibited wrinkles formed by macromolecular aggregation owing to the interaction competition between the plasticizer and nanofiller with the starch ester. The more intense interaction within amylopectin-rich films promoted the formation of much randomly exfoliation of OMMT observed by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As the amylose content increased, the interaction between the starch ester and the nanofiller was weakened, leading to the dispersion morphology of an ordered arrangement and partly intercalated structures in the dimension of 12.92 to 19.77 nm. Meanwhile, such interaction also affected both the inner ordered structure integrity of starch ester and the layer structure consistency of nanofiller according to X-ray diffraction results. Further, the stronger interaction between amylopectin and the nanofiller endowed higher thermal stability to the amylopectin-rich starch-based nanocomposites. In short, these results are beneficial for the application of starch-based nanocomposites in the food packaging industry by regulating the interaction between starch and nanofillers. The demand for bioplastics in packaging is expected to rise at an estimated compound annual growth rate of 33% in the coming decades, as these materials are becoming cheap with improvements in their packaging properties . Therefo2, ZnO, MgO) [In addition, the distribution of additive fillers with a high aspect ratio on the nanoscale can substantially lead to the enhancement of mechanical, rheological, gas barrier and optical properties of corresponding nanocomposites ,14,15. SnO, MgO) , starch nO, MgO)  and cellnO, MgO) ,25 have nO, MgO) ,27,28.Starch consists of two polysaccharides: linear amylose and highly multiple-branched amylopectin . StudiesOur previous studies characterized the multilevel structures of propionylated starches with different amylose/amylopectin ratios ,31. In tLow-amylose maize starch (LA) and medium-amylose maize starch (MA) were obtained from Lihua Starch Co., Ltd.  and Huanglong Food Industry Co., Ltd. , respectively. High-amylose maize starch (HA) was supplied by Penford Australia Pty Ltd. . Propionic anhydride and pyridine were prepared from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd. . Triacetin and acetone purchased from Aladdin Chemistry Co. Ltd. . Dellite 72T (OMMT), a montmorillonite organically-modified by dimethyl-dihydrogenated-tallow ammonium, was supplied by Laviosa Chimica Mineraria S.P.A , the particle dimension was 15–20 μm by laser particle analyzer . All chemicals and solvents were used in analytical grade.Mw = 218.20) and acetone were selected as the plasticizer and solvent, respectively.Three species of propionylated starch esters with high degree of substitution (DS) were prepared with the same method as described in the previous study , i.e., Lw/w, dry base) was dispersed in acetone by vigorous stirring. Then propionylated starch ester (1 g) was added and mixed with stirring. According to our previous results [w/w, mass of starch) was added. The resultant solution was cast into a polypropylene plate, and resulting products were obtained for drying overnight in a vacuum oven at 45 °C for 12 h, the thickness of starch-based nanocomposites was measured by micrometer caliper: 110 ± 5.4 μm (LA), 123 ± 10.2 μm (MA) and 131 ± 8.6 μm (HA).Starch-based nanocomposites were prepared using a solvent-casting method referred to in our previous study ,31. In t results , 30 wt %The cryo-fractured surfaces of nanocomposites were used for SEM analysis by an EVO 18 scanning electron microscope . The operating voltage was 20.0 kV. To avoid charging during scanning, the specimens were sputter-coated with gold prior to the experiment, and the samples were observed at a magnification of 1000×.The films were cut into strips (1 mm × 2 mm), and then, they were embedded in a paraffin block and ultramicrotomed under cryogenic conditions (−50 °C) with a thickness of ~100 nm. The selected sections were deposited on a 300 mesh copper grid with a carbon coating. The distribution of OMMT within the film matrix was observed in a bright field imaging mode by JEM-2100F transmission electron microscope . The acceleration voltage was 220 kV, and the magnification was 50,000×.λ = 0.1542 nm). The films were placed in the sample holder along the line shape X-ray beam in the evacuated camera housing. The sample-to-detector distance was 261.2 mm, and the temperature was kept at 26.0 °C. The 2D data were integrated into the one-dimensional scattering function I(q), as a function of the magnitude of the scattering vector q defined as Equation (1):The nanocomposites were cut into strips for SAXS experiment using a SAXSess camera . A PW3830 X-ray generator with a long fine focus sealed glass X-ray tube  was utilized, and the operating voltage and current were 40 kV and 50 mA, respectively. A block collimator provided an intense monochromatic primary beam  data were normalized to have the uniform primary intensity at q = 0 for transmission calibration. Desmearing was necessary because of the line collimation. λ = 0.1542 nm). The voltage was 40 kV and the current was 40 mA. Scattered radiations were selected and parallelized in the range of 2θ = 5–40°, at a step size of 0.033° at room temperature, counting 15 s. The basal spacing (d) of the nanofiller was calculated using the Bragg’s law (nλ = 2dsinθ), where θ is the diffraction angle and λ is the wavelength, and n is an integer.To study the crystallography of the nanocomposites, X-ray diffraction patterns  were used with Cu-Kα radiation  . Samples were heated from 25 to 500 °C at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. Nitrogen was used as the purge gas at a flow rate of 25 mL/min.p < 0.05 was considered to indicate a statistically significant difference.All data were presented as the mean ± standard deviation (S.D.). Differences between groups were estimated by analysis of One-way ANOVA test using the SPSS software , and DSs (2.27 and 2.61) tended to form smooth surfaces [The cryo-fractured surfaces of the starch-based nanocomposites with different amylose contents were characterized by SEM . It was surfaces , whereassurfaces . In the TEM is one of the best techniques for exploring the morphology of clay contained nanocomposites. It is used to observe the dispersion of nanolayers at macroscale and microscale intuitively. Furthermore, the relation between observed distributions of nanofiller and amylose contents of the films was shown in Microregion aggregation structure was organized by the arrangement of ordered and amorphous structures in the starch-based film at a large nanometer scale . Figure q = 1.81 nm−1, this peak was corresponding to a d-spacing scale of 3.47 nm calculated by the Bragg’s law. A Previous study has shown that amylose to amylopectin ratio rather than the sources of starch  affected the d-spacing [Thereinto, the SAXS spectrogram of OMMT was shown in the inset, which displayed an obvious peak at -spacing . In the -spacing ,40,41. Tq = 0.50 nm−1 (d = 12.56 nm) in the MA film with the amylose/amylopectin ratio increased. This indicated some ordered structures were newly formed in this film, which was consistent with the layered structures marked in q = 1.70 nm−1 (d = 3.69 nm), which shifted toward the smaller q region than that of OMMT. These increasing d values indicated that the starch ester chains interpenetrated into the adjacent layers of OMMT, and enlarged the basal spacing of clay, which signified a greater degree of intercalated structure in HA film. In conclusion, it could be deduced that highly-branched starch esters presented more conspicuous noncovalent interactions with the nanofiller than linear starch (amylose), which would promote the formation of exfoliated structures.Meanwhile, a small shoulder peak was observed at approximately θ = 6.85° (d = 12.89 Å), 19.84° (d = 4.47 Å), 22.01° (d = 4.06 Å), 24.58° (d = 3.64 Å) and 27.59° (d = 3.62 Å). Comparatively, with OMMT incorporation in LA film, the characteristic peaks of OMMT all disappeared, and the widths of peaks simultaneously were broadened, which was also the same for MA film. As the amylose content increasing, the addition of OMMT did not alter the HA-blank film peak patterns as shown in These changes in XRD pattern could be understood as following steps. Firstly, the platelets of OMMT lost the ordered crystalline structure and became disordered, which could promote a peak with broader and wider distribution . Then, aThe thermal stabilities of starch-based nanocomposites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. The film degradation processing displayed five stages . The firThe peak temperatures of starch degradation with and without OMMT addition were shown in On the other hand, as shown in Since starch-based nanocomposite is one of the most promising novel materials, the molecular structures of the starch macromolecule and the nanofiller should positively affect the structures and properties of the end-used products for different food application. In this work, we prepared starch-based nanocomposites with organically-modified montmorillonite and hydrophobic propionylated starches containing different amylose contents. The different interaction between nanofiller and amylose/amylopectin would determine the hierarchical structures  and thermal property of the films. Due to the branched molecular structure, amylopectin tended to facilitate nanoparticles with more favorable dispersion and destruction of layered structures of nanofiller, which would finally generate the exfoliation structure within the film matrix. Whereas the plasticized linear amylose showed more obvious crystallization, and thus more crystallites and compact structures would not afford sufficient interaction between amylose and nanofiller, which led to the intercalation structures and even some phase separation. In consequence, the LA film with homogenous nanofiller dispersion displayed a greater degree of improvement of thermal stability. Therefore, this work could not only benefit understanding the effect of raw material molecular interaction on the hierarchical structures and thermal property of resultant nanocomposites but also provide a feasible way of design novel starch-based materials in the food packaging industry.


Horsfieldia hainanensis Merr. populations were used to investigate their soil seed bank and seedling regeneration characteristics and their relationship to environmental factors. The results showed that the seed reserves were low in the H. hainanensis soil seed bank (16.93~24.74 seed/m2). The distribution pattern for the seeds and seedlings in the H. hainanensis populations was aggregated, and they were mainly found around 2–3 m from the mother plant. The seeds in the litter layer and the 5–10 cm soil layer showed no vigor, and only 25.7%~33.3% of the total seeds in the 0–5 cm soil layer were viable affected by the high temperature and humidity, the animals’ eating and poisoning. Affected by the height and coverage of the surrounding herbaceous layer and shrub layer, the seedlings of H. hainanensis could not obtain enough light and nutrients in the competition, resulting in the survival competitiveness of 1- to 3-year-old (1–3a) seedlings in the habitat had been in a weak position and a large number of seedlings died. It would take at least four years for seedlings to develop under the current environmental constraints. It can be concluded that the low seed reserve in the soil seed bank and high mortality of seedlings of H. hainanensis lead to slow or even stagnation of population regeneration, which was an important reason for the endangered of H. hainanensis. Therefore, the next research focus is to explore the influence mechanism of environmental factors on seed germination and seedling growth of H. hainanensis.Three well-conserved  The soil seed bank refers to the total number of active seeds in the soil litter layer and mineral soil. It is a key source of population renewal and plays an important role in population regeneration and succession, especially after disturbance events2. Seedling regeneration is the process of seedling formation through propagation, which is a crucial step in plant community succession3. The soil seed bank is the basis of seedling regeneration. Therefore, studying the soil seed bank characteristics and seedling regeneration will reveal the mechanism and trends behind population succession and can guide the management of vegetation. Such studies are important during the restoration and expansion of endangered plant populations4.An important turning-point in the life cycle of a plant population is when the seeds in the seed bank germinate into seedlings and replenish the population. Two main factors affect the quality of this process: one is the characteristics and quality of the seeds in the soil seed bank, such as life span, size, maturity, and dormancy properties; and the other is the effect of population habitat conditions on the survival and growth of the seedlingsHorsfieldia hainanensis Merr. belongs to the Myristacaceae, and is a unique tall evergreen tree that grows in a restricted area of China. The plant is mainly distributed in Guangxi, Yunnan, and Hainan provinces, and is found mostly in shady and wet valleys at an altitude of 400–450 m along the border between China and Myanmar/Vietnam. It is a landmark species for wet tropical rainforest. Therefore, it is important to study the floristic composition, geographical distribution, ecological habits, and conservation biology of these endangered plants in tropical rainforest areas5. The H. hainanensis habitat has recently become significantly fragmented due to its own biological characteristics, as well as to human destruction, and illegal logging, which have all led to slow and declining population regeneration. Therefore, it has been listed as a grade 2 key protected plant and endangered tree species in China6. Population decline and slow regeneration are generally caused by severe seed depletion or obstacles to seedling regeneration in the population7. The field investigation showed that seedlings under the natural forest were few and poorly growing, and young trees were extremely rare in the natural forest of H. hainanensis. We speculate that the reason why it is difficult for seedlings of H. hainanensis to develop into young trees is that the influence of environmental factors such as soil, light and surrounding vegetation, which result in the slow regeneration of the population. Therefore, in order to investigate the decline and slow regeneration of the H. hainanensis population, we explored the soil seed bank, seedling regeneration, and their relationship to the H. hainanensis natural environment so that any reasons underlying the population decline, such as a small soil seed bank and low seedling regeneration, could be identified. The results provide a scientific basis for the protection, restoration, and expansion of the H. hainanensis population.H. hainanensis populations in the different soil layers are shown in Table P < 0.05) with the largest (24.74 seeds/m2) and smallest (16.93 seeds/m2) seed reserves being observed in population of Niandou Village, Daxin County (PND) and population of Sanlian Village, Longzhou County, Guangxi (PSL), respectively. The layer containing most of the seeds was the litter layer in all three populations, and accounted for 70.81%~75.68% of the total seed reserves. This was followed by the 0–5 cm soil layer. However, the 5–10 cm soil layer contained hardly any seeds. The seed vigor analysis indicated that all seeds found in the litter and 5–10 cm layers had lost their vigor. Only 25.7%~33.3% of the seeds in the 0–5 cm layer were still viable.The number of seeds and the proportion of seed viability in seed bank of the three H. hainanensis soil seed banks are shown in Fig. The horizontal distributions of the three H. hainanensis populations are shown in Table C) and agglomeration index (PAI) were greater than 1, the aggregation degree (I) and Cα indicator were greater than 0, the mean crowding was larger than The seed distribution patterns of the three H. hainanensis seedlings usually appear in June, with emergence reaching its peak in July, and ceasing in August. The seedling proportions and transformation rates for H. hainanensis in the three populations are shown in Fig. The H. hainanensis populations is shown in Fig. The seedling distribution of the three The RDA ordination of the seedling distribution and microhabitats Fig.  indicateThe principal component analysis Table  showed tH. hainanensis populations were low (16.93–24.74 seeds/m2), and the seeds are mainly concentrated in the litter layer, accounting for 70.81%–75.68% of the total seed reserves. Only a small amount of seeds is distributed in the 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm soil layers, and only 25.7%–33.3% of the seeds in the 0–5 cm soil layer were vigorous. Studies on the soil seed banks of Artocarpus hypargyreus8 and Amygdalus mongolica9 indicated that the seed reserves in the soil seed bank of both species were low  due to animal feeding, and human and environmental factors. This had led to slow population regeneration and they have also been given endangered status, which is consistent with our results. The seed setting rate for H. hainanensis is low (only 6.64%)10. The fruit of H. hainanensis is large , and it mainly depends on the gravity to propagate10, as a result, it is difficult to pass through the isolation zone formed by the coiled layer of the root system or litter layer under the forest. Therefore, the seeds in the soil seed bank are mainly concentrated in the litter layer. While the seeds of H. hainanensis transported by animals and rainwater result in a small amount of seeds distributed in 0–5 cm and 5–10 cm soil layers11. According to our field observation, the seeds of H. hainanensis mature in summer, and the time interval from the beginning of seed diffusion to its complete loss of vitality is less than 3 months. The seed bank has a short duration, which belongs to the instantaneous seed bank12, and cannot be stored for a long time under natural conditions. This may be because H. hainanensis is distributed in the shade and wet valley, the region suitable for seed germination is limited, and most of the seeds are distributed in the crown width of the mother tree, which shows a clustered distribution. It increases the competition among seeds, and that affected by the storage environment, such as high temperature, high humidity and so on. The seed cells have strong respiration and produce a lot of H2O, positive feedback regulating the cell respiration, and which consumes a lot of stored nutrients in the seed13. In addition, The seeds of H. hainanensis have a thick seed coat (4 mm)10, and are easy to rot under high temperature and high humidity, which will produce poison to the seeds. The seed aggregate distribution will aggravate the spread of the poison, which result in the loss of the seed vigor and low germination rate. At the same time, the gnawing of insects, ants, birds and animals, the impact of surface runoff, the wind and other factors have greatly reduced the intact seeds in the soil seed bank14. The reason why 25.7–33.3% seeds are active in the 0–5 cm soil layer are may be that the seeds in the 0–5 cm soil layer effectively avoid the impact of insects, ants, birds, animals and other factors such as gnawing, surface runoff and wind. Moreover, the seeds buried by soil, have less contact with the air, the internal respiration of the seeds is weak consequently, which can maintain the internal metabolic balance to a certain extent15. The specific reasons need to be further studied.The seed reserves in the soil seed banks of the three 16. Our study on seedling regeneration and the spatial distribution of three H. hainanensis populations indicated that a majority of the seedlings lived within 2–3 m of the mother plant, and that mortality rates were high during seedling growth, which resulted in limited numbers of older seedlings (the proportion of 4-year-old seedlings is only 0.4%~5.6%) and a low transformation rate (the transformation rate from 1-year-old to 4-year-old seedlings (4a/1a) was 0.4%~9.1%). Swamy17 showed that host-specific natural enemies, such as specific herbivores and pathogens, were easily transmitted from adult plant individuals to nearby offspring, and that the seeds of many different species are usually dispersed around the mother plant, which leads to a high seedling density. However, this facilitates the propagation of specific herbivores and pathogens, which leads to a high seedling mortality rate. Therefore, Swamy believed that the seedling pattern of the population was generally skewed or was located far from the mother tree. However, other researchers have demonstrated that the regeneration of seedlings close to the mother tree is inhibited due to the constraints of the mother tree. Natural plant regeneration has a population supplement curve that varies with the distance from the mother tree, and the plant regeneration survival rate is elevated until stabilized by the increase in distance. This stabilizing distance is defined as the critical escape distance for plant population regeneration, and the seed or seedling regeneration process within the escape distance is limited by the microhabitat factors under the mother tree20. Our results confirm this hypothesis. Studies have shown that the spatial heterogeneity of the understory habitats of a population plays an important role in the growth and distribution patterns of the seedlings23. Topography and elevation are the main sources of habitat heterogeneity and can lead to spatial changes in ecological factors, such as light, temperature, water, and soil nutrients. Variations in these ecological factors directly affect the spatial settlement and survival of the seedlings25. H. hainanensis grows in shaded wet valleys. Therefore, soil depth and illumination are limited. In addition, its fruits are large, which is not favorable for fruit landing where there is a significant slope. However, the seedling growth range is limited on a flat terrain. Air humidity, shrub, and herb restrictions mean that H. hainanensis seedlings are often not able to obtain sufficient light and nutrients. Therefore, the large H. hainanensis seedling mortality rate may be a joint consequence of mother tree distribution and microhabitat.Seedlings are a key part of the population and an important stage in the plant life cycle. The plant population can only be successfully dispersed and maintained through seedling regenerationH. hainanensis soil seed bank and its highly clustered seed distribution pattern not only restricts seed germination, but also confines seedling growth. In addition, the survival competitiveness of the 1–3a seedlings was poor, and was significantly affected by the herb and shrub coverage. The seedlings needed at least four years to meet any environmental microhabitat challenges, which meant that longer term survival was limited and few seedlings developed into saplings. Therefore, the low transformation rate from seed to seedling and the high seedling mortality rate of the H. hainanensis population due to the limited seed reserves and vigor, the highly aggregated seed distribution, and the understory microhabitat, means that population regeneration is slow or even stagnant. This may be one of the most important reasons affecting the survivability of H. hainanensis populations.In summary, the limited seed reserves and seed vigor in the H. hainanensis seeds and seedlings. Therefore, these sites were selected as the experimental sites. The sites were Sanlian Village, Longzhou County, Guangxi (PSL), Nonggang Nature Reserve (PNG), and Niandou Village, Daxin County (PND). General information about these sites is shown in Table A preliminary investigation showed that there were three locations with large numbers of H. hainanensis tree is about 8.0 m × 8.0 m and its seeds are relatively large. The seeds are dispersed by gravity, which means that most of its seeds are scattered in the crown area. According to Bigwood26, in May 2016 (after the end of seed rain), three adult H. hainanensis plants with desired growth potential were selected from PSL, PNG, and PND, respectively. In the present study, The mother plant was at the center of 20 cm × 20 cm plots that were located east, west, south, and north of the mother plant. These plots were 1 m apart. A total of eight subplots were established in each direction, and soil samples from the litter layer, the 0–5 cm layer, and the 5–10 cm layer in each subplot were collected and screened, using a 0.25-cm sieve, to determine the seed number in the soil layers from each subplot .The crown of a typical lot Fig. . The 2,3cle Fig. . The seeH. hainanensis population were calculated using the sample plot seed data, and the vertical and horizontal distributions of the H. hainanensis seeds in the soil seed bank were analyzed. The aggregation index method was used to determine the distribution pattern for H. hainanensis seeds in the population, and the specific indicators were as follows:C): S2 is the population abundance variance;Diffusion coefficient (I): Aggregation degree (M*): Mean crowding (PAI): Agglomeration index , nine vegetation factors , two meteorological factors (light intensity and air humidity), soil moisture, and the distance from the plot center to large trees that were within 5 m of the center.Following Nicotra32.Gradient lengths were obtained by trend correspondence analysis of the species-sample data using Canoco 5.0 software. The gradient length at the first axis was 2.649, which, being less than 3, meant that the linear ranking model could be used. A Monte Carlo test was applied to determine whether there were significant statistical correlations between the explanatory variables and the response variables. This information was used to clarify the variation interpretation of the microhabitat variables to response variables. The ordination was established using redundancy analysis (RDA)Supplementary Dataset 1


The use of zirconia as a framework for prosthetic restorations is increasing due to its favorable mechanical properties. Zirconia also has remarkable aesthetic properties when used as a framework and covered with a layer of cosmetic ceramic. The aim of this study was to compare the fracture toughness of three types of aesthetic ceramics, namely VITA VM®9, ceraMotion® Zr, and IPS e.max® Ceram.Three groups of aesthetic ceramics (n=10) were subjected to three-point bending tests. The force leading to fracture was recorded for each sample to measure the impact of the ceramic type on the solidity of the framework. The type of fracture has not been studied in this work. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to statistically analyze the results.The statistical analysis showed significantly different fracture toughness values among the three groups. IPS e.max® showed the lowest fracture toughness (25.42 MPa) compared to VITA VM®9 and ceraMotion® Zr .Within the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that aesthetic ceramics play an important role in the fracture toughness of all-ceramic restorations. Due to the development of new fabrication techniques and technologies such as computer-aided design/computeraided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), the use of zirconia-based ceramic, as a restorative dental material, is strongly growing because of its superior mechanical properties . Since rOn the other hand, to ensure dental prosthesis sustainability, the veneering ceramic should reach high levels of aesthetic potential and a great reliability . As zircThree groups of A2 shade veneering ceramics were studied including group 1: IPS e.max® Ceram , group 2: VITA VM®9 , and group 3: ceraMotion® Zr . The samples were analyzed by three-point bending tests in order to measure the effect of the veneering ceramic type on the fracture toughness of the framework.To achieve this aim, 30 strips of zirconia  were prepared according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Each sample was trimmed from a block of zirconia in a cutting machine  by a disk (Diamond Cut-off Wheel EOD15). Each specimen consisted of a plate of 0.5±0.1 mm thickness with the lateral dimensions of 25±1 mm × 3±0.1 mm.The sintering process for Zirlux® ST1 started with a heating phase reaching 1530°C in 2 hours, followed by a cooling phase during which the temperature was decreased to 800°C in 1 hour and 5 minutes. The 30 specimens were divided into three groups of 10 samples. The samples in each group were veneered with one of the three mentioned veneering ceramics (A2 shade).The center of each zirconia bar was first covered with a thin layer of a veneering ceramic, and then, was slightly sintered in order to obtain an intermediate layer which promotes the bond strength between the zirconia and veneering ceramic. The sample was then sintered for 15 minutes.Group I (n=10): Zirlux ®SL1 bar + ceraMotion® Zr (Dentin A2) veneering ceramicGroup II (n=10): Zirlux ®SL1 bar + VITA VM®9 (Dentin A2) veneering ceramicGroup III (n=10): Zirlux ®SL1 bar + IPS e.max® (Dentin A2) veneering ceramicA thicker layer of ceramic was then applied to the sample which was then placed on a vibrator to condense the ceramic. Again, the duration of the sintering process was 15 minutes. The process ended with the glazing of the whole sample. Thus, three groups of 10 specimens were obtained:Flexural testing of the zirconia-based core materials was carried out by the Schwickerath test and by following the procedures and recommendations of the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9693-1:2012) [93-1:2012Three-point bending tests were conducted under displacement control in a universal testing machine . The sample holder included two support rollers, separated by a 20-mm distance, and one loading roller. All the specimens were tested at a crosshead speed of 1.5±0.5 mm/minute until the breaking point was reached.The loads at fracture point were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a significance level of 5%. Calculations and statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS version 23 software program .A comparative analysis of the fracture toughness of the three veneering ceramics adhered to zirconia is presented in this section.The fracture toughness values of each group are presented in In the ceraMotion® Zr group, the mean fracture toughness was 48.78 MPa compared to 40.39 MPa in the VITA VM®9 group =1.74 to 10.67, P<0.005) and 25.43 MPa in the IPS e.Max® group .The mean fracture toughness in the VITA VM®9 group was 40.39 MPa compared to 25.43 MPa in the IPS e.max® group .Statistically significant differences were found between the ceraMotion® Zr group and the VITA VM®9 group (P<0.005), between the ceraMotion® Zr group and the IPS e.max® group (P<0.001), and between the VITA VM®9 group and the IPS e.max® group (P<0.001).Many parameters can influence the zirconia core-veneer ceramic interface such as the core roughness and surface energy, the presence of defects (bubbles) at the interface, wettability and viscosity of the veneering ceramic, the stress induced during the cooling phase due to the TEC  mismatch between the veneer and core, and the flexural strength of the ceramic .Three veneering ceramics adhered to zirconia were tested in the present study: a low-fusing glass ceramic (ceraMotion® Zr), a feldspathic high-fusing ceramic (VITA VM®9), and a low-fusing nanofluorapatite glass-ceramic (IPS e.max®) with high-fusing liners. The properties of these ceramics are summarized in To eliminate the influence of surface roughness and surface energy of the framework, the same zirconia was used with each of the veneering ceramics: the zirconia bars were directly layered without sandblasting or grinding after sintering. No long-term cooling was performed in this study. The mechanism of ceramic-ceramic adhesion is not as clear as that of the metal-ceramic adhesion. When veneering ceramics are applied to alloys, the mechanical retention and chemical bond between the ceramic and oxide layer play a predominant role in adhesion ,8. The bWithin the cooling phase, the TEC mismatch between the veneering ceramic and zirconia core leads to the development of residual stresses. The concentration of this stress at the interface can lead to debonding . Due to The compressive stress generated in the veneering ceramic can strengthen the bilayered structure ,5. The dThe wettability and viscoelastic structural relaxation of the ceramic veneer should be taken into account to explain the results of this study. To impede the effects of these variables, the use of a liner for increasing the flexural strength is not recommended for all types of ceramics. For example, IPS e.max® is used with a liner; however, this is not the case for ceraMotion® Zr ceramic.Zirconia-based ceramics are the most promising materials for dental application with good mechanical properties and an excellent biocompatibility ,15, and Although some authors have shown that the coloring process, by using a commercial coloring liquid, has no significant effect on the mechanical strength of zirconia specimens , all theIn our study, significant differences in fracture toughness were observed among the three types of ceramics; however, some authors have not observed such differences .IPS e.max® ceramic showed the lowest mean fracture toughness (25.43±3.05 MPa), whereas ceraMotion® Zr ceramic showed the highest fracture toughness (48.78±10.42 MPa). VITA VM®9 ceramic presented an average fracture toughness of 40.39±3.35 MPa.Fischer et al  showed dA search of the literature shows that the mechanism of bonding between the zirconia and veneering ceramics has remained unknown, and the bond strength between the zirconia and porcelain is still lower than that between metal and porcelain .Our results show that the type of the veneering ceramic plays a significant role in the failure mechanisms of all-ceramic restorations. The adhesion between ceramic and zirconia framework is still an issue influencing the long-term success of prosthetic restorations.The best combinations of core and veneering ceramics should be further studied. Also, clinical studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to investigate the possible influencing factors that may lead to technical failures.Our results indicate that more attention should be paid to the choice of veneering ceramic for dental crowns and bridges since significant differences have been found in the fracture toughness of different veneering ceramics.


Research in science and social sciences play a vital role in education, planning, decisions, social and economic progress along with long-standing sustainable developments.3Pakistan is a home to more than 200 million people, 189 Higher Education Commission (HEC) chartered universities and degree awarding institutes4In Pakistan, there are 371 HEC indexed journals in various academic disciplines of science and social sciences6Impact factor represents the total number of citations to a journal’s articles divided by the number of articles published during the previous two years. It is widely used in the academic world as a yardstick of a journal’s prestige. From Pakistan, out of 371 only 12 (3.24%) academic journals have achieved a place in ISI-Web of Science.Worldwide, 12271 science and social sciences journals are indexed in the ISI-Web of Science, their IF is ranging from 0.001 to 244.58.In our environs, China is leading the region with 203 academic journals achieved a remarkable position in ISI Web of science with IF 0.0045 to 15.393. India has 104 with IF 0.096 to 2.658; Iran 42 IF 0.280 to 2.667; Pakistan 12 IF 0.280 to 1.217; and Bangladesh has 4 with IF 0.214 to 1.532. Only one Journal from Pakistan, “Pakistani Veterinary Journal” exceeds the IF 1.217.6While comparing the quartile factor of the journals, subject category in percentile rank, the top 25% of journals in a particular category are placed in Q1, next in Q2 and so on. 41 Chinese journals achieved a position in first quartile Q1, Q2: 63, Q3:57 and 62 journals in Q4. India has Q1: 0, Q2: 4, Q3: 26 and in Q4:74. Iran has 42 academic journals from them Q1: 1, Q2: 4, Q3: 12 and in Q4:25. However, Bangladesh has 4 ISI-Web of Science indexed journals only one journal placed a position in Q3 and 3 in Q4.6The quartile ranking of Pakistani journals is: 2 journals in both Q2 and Q3 and the remaining 8 journals are in Q4. Only one Journal, Pakistan Veterinary Journal exceeds the IF 1.217 and two journals placed a position in quartile 2.6In medical sciences, Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences achieved an IF 0.719; Journal of Pakistan Medical Association IF 0.718; Journal of College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan- JCPSP IF 0.439.Editing and publishing a quality peer reviewed journal is a full time job and a team work but a vast majority of medical journals published form Pakistan have part time editors. Most medical universities, medical institutions and professional specialty organizations publishing journals have given this additional responsibility to busy clinicians and medical teaching faculty members who are not provided needed facilities. Hence, they cannot be expected to devote enough time. This is one of the reasons for the present dismal state of affairs and why more journals from Pakistan have so far failed to get indexed and earn an Impact Factor through coverage by Web of Sciences.8Despite lot of criticism Impact Factor and Indexation in Medline are considered as an indication of quality of manuscripts and standard of a Journal. However, it is not and should not be the only criteria to judge the standard of a journal.11There are several strategies which, if employed may increase the Impact Factor of a journal. Despite misuse and abuse, the Journal Impact Factor will retain its impact and won’t fade away soon. Journal editors and Publishes anxiously await the publication of Journal Citaiton Report released every year by Thompson Reuters Web of Sciences now renamed as Clarivate Analytics to know their Impact Factor.11As stated earlier, unfortunately there are only three medical journals in Pakistan which enjoy Impact Factor13There are many science metrics, including Impact Factor, C-index, h-index, Matthew value, Eigen factor, Article influence,Undoubtedly, Pakistan has great talent, but the academic and research institutes leaderships’ priorities to grasp the importance of indexing of academic journals are extremely lacking. HEC has to establish policies for the hiring and promotions of the faculty members as well as the head of the academic institutes to publish in ISI Web of science indexed journals to enhance the visibility of science. It is time for change, to understand the worth of scientific research and its impact on economy, development and political stability. Pakistan should promote collaboration with the talent-rich international institutes and share novel research in leading science journals to enhance the scientific visibility of the institutes as well as the nation. Moreover, we need to strengthen the regulatory bodies like HEC and PM&DC who should acquire the services of both national and international professional medical editors to guide and train to frame the terms of reference for evaluation of biomedical journals to help more Pakistani medical journals acquire an Impact Factor. Pakistan must attract the best, bright brains back to the placental place to boost education, research, science, and technology in the region and shift the state towards knowledge based economy.


I have the pleasure to announce that Greg Seymour, Emeritus Professor, The University of Queensland, Australia, and John Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Immunology, School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, UK are new Associate Editors in the Journal of Oral Microbiology. Their major field will be immunology.I am also happy to tell that Professors Ann Progulske-Fox, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, and Bruce J Paster, Forsyth Institute/Harvard School of Dental Medicine will still be involved as Associate Editors in the journal in the field of microbiology.Professor Philip Marsh has retired from his post at Public Health England and has therefore decided to step down from his role as Associate Editor in Journal of Oral Microbiology. I will miss him deeply as co-worker and thank him for his generous work for the journal over the years.Oslo, June 1, 2018Ingar OlsenEditor-in-Chief


FE) of fraction-a for corn and potato granules was 98.4 and 99.4%, respectively. The FFD-SF fractions were analyzed using optical microscopy (OM) and gravitational field-flow fractionation (GrFFF). The respective size distribution results were in close agreement for the corn starch fractions, while they were slightly different for the potato starch fractions. The thermal properties of FFD-SF fractions were analyzed, and the results for the potato starch showed that the peak temperature of gelatinization (Tp) slightly decreases as the size of the granules increases. Additionally, the enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔH) increases when the granule size increases and shows negative correlation with the gelatinization range (ΔT).Starch is one of the main carbohydrates in food; it is formed by two polysaccharides: amylose and amylopectin. The granule size of starch varies with different botanical origins and ranges from less than 1 μm to more than 100 μm. Some physicochemical and functional properties vary with the size of the granule, which makes it of great interest to find an efficient and accurate size-based separation method. In this study, the full-feed depletion mode of split-flow thin cell fractionation (FFD-SF) was employed for a size-based fractionation of two types of starch granules (corn and potato) on a large scale. The fractionation efficiency (The online version of this article (10.1007/s00216-019-01852-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. It is a mixture of two polysaccharides: amylose and amylopectin, which have different sizes and molar masses. Commonly, the amylose content is 15–35% and the amylopectin 65–85% of the total starch granule. Amylose consists mainly of linear chains of α -Starch is synthesized in a granular form in special organelles. The biosynthesis of the granule is initiated at the hilum, and the starch granule grows by apposition. The size of the starch granules varies according to their botanical origin, and ranges from less than 1 μm to more than 100 μm in diameter , 3. For Tp) and conclusion (Tc) temperatures of gelatinization increase slightly while the granule size decreases [H) decreases when the granule size decreases in the starches [It is known that the granule size distribution affects the physicochemical and functional properties of starches , 7. Usuaecreases . Furtherstarches .At present, a simple method to separate the starch into different-size fractions is to pass the starch through sieves with different meshes. However, care needs to be taken as the sieving may induce mechanical damage in the starch granules. Another method to fractionate starch is sedimentation , but thiSplit-flow thin cell fractionation (SF) is an interesting technique that has been shown to be a useful tool for large-scale fractionation of particulate samples with broad size distributions into two subpopulations based on the size or density of the samples , 12. SF TP) [There are two operation modes in SF: conventional SF mode and the full-feed depletion SF (FFD-SF) mode. The conventional SF mode has two inlets  and two outlets separated by the flow stream-splitters. In contrast, the FFD-SF mode has only one inlet for sample feeding (inlet-a′) and two outlets . In addition, an FFD-SF channel could be built in much larger dimensions than a conventional SF channel because it is possible to construct without splitters, allowing substantially higher sample throughput (TP) , 12.Another interesting technique is gravitational field-flow fractionation (GrFFF), one of the sub-techniques in the family of field-flow fractionation (FFF) methods, which employs the Earth’s gravity as the external field. GrFFF is relatively simple in principle and easy to operate. GrFFF provides size-based separation of particles with larger ones eluting earlier than smaller ones , 17. GrFIn this study, a large-scale FFD-SF was used to separate the corn and potato starch granules into fractions of different sizes. Additionally, GrFFF and optical microscopy (OM) were used to determine the size distributions of the fractions collected from the FFD-SF and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to evaluate the thermal properties of the FFD-SF fractions of the starch granules.dc). In the FFD mode of SF (FFD-SF), dc is given by [SF fractionation is based on the size and the density of the samples, which are combined in the definition of cutoff diameter  and V(b) are the volumetric flow rates entering inlet-a′ and exiting outlet-b, respectively. In FFD-SF operations, the dc and the sample-feeding flow rate V(a′) are chosen first, and then V(b) is determined using Eq. V(b) is determined, the flow rate exiting outlet-a, V(a), becomes V(a′) − V(b). A higher V(a′) allows higher sample throughput (TP), which is defined as the mass of the sample that can be processed in a unit time period (g/min or g/h) by [ g/h) by FE) was defined as the number-percentage of the particles in the FFD-SF fractions having the diameters predicted by theory. FE for the FFD-SF fractions-a and -b (F-a and F-b) were determined by Eqs. In this study, fractionation efficiency (R) is defined as the ratio of the sample migration velocity to the average velocity of the carrier liquid, and can be measured experimentally by the ratio of the void time (t0) or the void volume (V0) to the retention time (tr) or the retention volume (Vr) as shown in the following equation [In GrFFF, the retention ratio , either without added chemicals for FFD-SF or with addition of 0.1% (w/v) FL-70  and 0.02% (w/v) NaN3  for GrFFF.Potato starch  and corn starch PS, S4126) having granular sizes ranging 2–100 μm and 2–30 μm determined by OM, respectively, were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich . The densities of the corn and potato starch granules were determined to be 1.34 and 1.22 g/mL, respectively. The determination of density was performed from the experimental results of FFD-SD using Eq. 26 havingρ = 1.05 g/mL, Palo Alto, CA, USA) with nominal diameters of 6, 8, 12, 20, and 50 μm were used to create the calibration curve (logtrvs. log d) for size determination of the starch granules by GrFFF. The calibration curve had good linearity with R2 = 0.998  Fig. Polyurethane (PU) latex bead  was used to test the FFF-SF system before applying it to starch samples. Polystyrene (PS) latex beads . For each starch sample, 10 L of dispersion was prepared in total.Potato starch has a wide granular size distribution ranging from 2 to about 100 μm, and some of the larger granules sediment quickly on the bottom of the FFD-SF channel. Potato starch granules larger than 50 μm were removed using static sedimentation before FFD-SF separation. The sedimentation time was determined using Eq. 9η is the dynamic viscosity of the carrier liquid in which the sample is dispersed; ∆x is the difference between the initial and final distance where the sedimentation takes place, i.e., the sedimentation height; Δρ is the difference between the density of the sample and the carrier liquid; dc is the cutoff diameter (the size limit between fractions); and g is the gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s2). After the defined sedimentation time, the suspension was collected. Milli-Q water was added to the remaining sediment and dispersed again. This sedimentation process was repeated five times, and the sediment potato starch granules (> 50 μm) were dried at room temperature until the weight was constant. The dried sediment was weighed to determine the final concentration of the potato starch granule dispersion (granules < 50 μm). The final concentration of the potato starch dispersion was 2.76 g/L.V(a) and V(b)) were adjusted by connecting tubing of various diameters and lengths to the outlets.A large-scale FFD-SF channel was assembled without splitters for this study, as shown in Fig. FE of fraction-b. This process was repeated three times for each sample. After FFD-SF fractionation, GrFFF and OM were used to determine the size distribution for the analysis of each collected fraction. For the DSC measurement, each FFD-SF fraction was dried at room temperature until the weight was constant before the measurements.The FFD-SF fraction collected from outlet-b (fraction-b) was fed again through inlet-a′ to improve the The GrFFF channel was cut in a 200-μm-thick Mylar spacer, which was placed between two glass plates and clamped between two acryl blocks. The breadth and length of the GrFFF channel were 2 and 50 cm, respectively. The carrier liquid was pumped by an HPLC pump  at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The elution of the sample was monitored by a UV detector , set at a wavelength of 254 nm. The samples were injected directly into the channel using a 100-μL syringe  through a rubber septum at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. After the injection, the sample was allowed to settle across the channel thickness by stopping the channel flow for relaxation of the sample. The sample was eluted on resumption of the flow. All GrFFF analyses were performed in triplicate to ensure reproducibility.The OM  was used to measure the number-based size distributions of the starch granules. For each sample, about 500 starch granules were observed and measured using the Image Inside™ software . For OM analysis of the starch granules of irregular shapes, the longest dimensions of the granules were taken as diameters.w/v) [To), peak (Tp), and conclusion (Tc) temperatures and enthalpy of gelatinization on starch dry weight basis (ΔH) were determined. The measurements were performed in triplicate.The gelatinization properties were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) using differential scanning calorimeter 6200  over the temperature range 10 to 150 °C with a scanning rate of 10 °C/min. The samples were prepared in the same way as described elsewhere in excess water (1:3 w/v) . Thermo-dc set for FFD-SF separation of the corn and the potato starch granules were 15 and 30 μm, respectively, and the outlet flow rates V(a) and V(b) were 45 and 55 mL/min for the corn starch and 120 and 180 mL/min for the potato starch, respectively . There was an additional fraction of the potato starch that was obtained from pre-fractionation by sedimentation (fraction-c). The cutoff diameters Figure FEs calculated by Eq. dc value (15 and 30 μm) were excellently achieved. The FEs calculated by Eq. FE values for the fraction-b’s were significantly lower than those for the fraction-a’s. This was somewhat expected by the absence of inlet-b′ in the FFD mode [The FFD mode , 33, 34.FE in fraction-b, the collected fraction-b was fed again through inlet-a′, yielding “fraction-ba” and “fraction-bb.” This was repeated three times in total, yielding “fraction-bba,” “fraction-bbb,” “fraction-bbba,” and “fraction-bbbb.” At the end, fractions-a, -ba, -bba, and -bbba were mixed together to make “total fraction-a.” Table FE and the average size (davg) measured for each fraction. The number-based size distributions obtained by OM for all FFD-SF fractions of the corn and potato starch granules are shown in the ESM  of the original, total fraction-a, and fraction-bbbb were determined by Eq. davg values from OM and GrFFF are in reasonable agreement  were determined to be 7 to 40 (12.3) μm and 23 to 100 (39.8) μm, respectively  and fraction-c are so large that they are eluted without retention with the void peak see Fig. , for whiely Fig. .davg determined from GrFFF is about 10 μm smaller than that from OM. This may be because, for OM analysis of a starch granule of irregular shape, the longest dimension of the granules was taken as the diameter. In GrFFF, as shown by Eq. For fraction-bbbb of the potato starch, The thermal properties of the original and total fraction-a, fraction-bbbb, and fraction-c of corn and potato starch, respectively, are shown in Table To of the original sample  (60.7 °C) was significantly different from those of the fractions, and there were no significant differences among the fractions. Tukey’s test also showed that the Tp values of the original potato starch and its fractions were significantly different from each other. In addition, Tp decreased slightly (from 66.7 to 65.6 °C) with increasing granule size (from < 30 to > 50 μm), which is in agreement with two previous studies [To determine if original potato starch and its fractions were different from a statistical point of view, Tukey’s test based on triplicate analysis was applied, which showed  studies , 10.Tp = 62.2–64.4 °C. The second fraction with granule size 74–30 μm had Tp = 61.8–63.7 °C, and the third fraction with granule size ≥ 75 μm had Tp = 60.3–62.1 °C, showing a slight decrease in Tp with increasing granule size [Singh et al. fractionated potato starch granules from four different cultivars. The starch suspension in pure water was passed sequentially through 200-mesh and 500-mesh sieves , obtaining three fractions. The first fraction with granule size < 30 μm had ule size .Tp values of 63.5, 63.0, 62.9, 62.6, and 62.2 °C, respectively, were found. [Tp with increasing granule size. Additionally, fractions S and M were not significantly different from each other and similarly for L and VL. VS was significantly different from the rest of the fractions, determined by analysis of variance (p ≤ 0.05).Dhital et al. fractionated potato starch granules by sedimentation, and the fractions were obtained by decanting the suspension that remained after a specific time. The method is described in detail elsewhere . Five fre found. . The resTc of total fraction-a (72.5 °C) was significantly different from those of the other fractions. Tc decreased as the size of the granule increased (70.4 °C for fraction-bbbb), and was similar for granules larger than 30 μm (70.8 °C for fraction-c). As there was no significant difference in To, fraction-bbbb and fraction-c had a similar gelatinization temperature range (ΔT = Tc–To). ΔH increased from 13.0 to 17.1 mJ/mg when the granule size increased, which means that there was a negative correlation between gelatinization temperature ranges and ΔH. These results are in agreement with the results reported by Dhital et al. [H is in the range of 14.9 to 16.7 mJ/mg and increases when the granule size increases and ΔH has negative correlation with ΔT that is in the range of 14.0 to 10.4 °C.In the current study, the action-a 2.5 °C waIt has been reported that thermal properties of starch vary with the granule size which in turn could be influenced by several factors such as botanical source ; mineraldc lower than about 50 μm. The FEs of fraction-a were excellent (higher than about 98%) for both samples. In order to improve the FE of fraction-b, the fraction collected from outlet-a was re-fed through inlet-a′ three times. In addition, OM and GrFFF are shown to be suitable methods for the determination of the size distribution of the granules. The results from OM and GrFFF for the corn starch granules were in close agreement, while those for the potato starch granules were slightly different due to the non-spherical  shapes of the granules. It was also shown that the peak temperature of gelatinization, Tp, decreases slightly as the size of the starch granules increases. Additionally, the enthalpy of gelatinization (ΔH) increases when the granule size increases and ΔH has a negative correlation with gelatinization range ΔT = Tc–To, showing that the thermal properties vary with the granule size, which could be related to the amylose content.In this study, a large-scale FFD-SF was employed for size-based fractionation of the corn and potato starch granules. Prior to FFD-SF, granules larger than 50 μm were removed from the potato starch sample using static sedimentation. The results show that a large-scale FFD-SF is useful for separation of starch granules with ESM 1(PDF 1074 kb)


Journal of Intelligence would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2016.The editors of https://publons.com) to receive recognition. Of course, in these initiatives we are careful not to compromise reviewer confidentiality. Many reviewers see their work as a voluntary and often unseen part of their role as researchers. We are grateful to the time reviewers donate to our journals and the contribution they make.We greatly appreciate the contribution of expert reviewers, which is crucial to the journal’s editorial process. We aim to recognize reviewer contributions through several mechanisms, of which the annual publication of reviewer names is one. Reviewers receive a voucher entitling them to a discount on their next MDPI publication and can download a certificate of recognition directly from our submission system. Additionally, reviewers can sign up to the service Publons (Journal of Intelligence, see the link at the bottom of the webpage http://www.mdpi.com/reviewers.If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for Journal of Intelligence in 2016:Abele, StephanFunke, JoachimRast, PhilippeBayen, Ute J.Ganzach, YoavRedifer, JenniBecker, NicolasGignac, GillesRitchie, StuartBeckmann, Jens F.Goldhammer, FrankSchmidt, FrankBenson, Nicholas F.Greiff, SamuelSchmiedek, FlorianBrewer, GeneGrigorenko, ElenaSchneider, W. JoelBriley, Daniel A.Hagemann, DirkSchoppek, WolfgangBurns, NickHorn, SebastianSchweizer, KarlCampbell, Frances A.Kan, Kees-JanStadler, MatthiasChicherio, ChristianKaufman, JamesStevenson, Claire E.Colom, RobertoKretzschmar, AndreTe Nijenhuis, JanConway, Andrew R. A.Kroehne, UlfTroche, Stefan J.De Boeck, PaulLee, James J.Unsworth, NashDickens, William T.Luciano, MichelleVerhaeghen, PaulDoebler, PhilippMolenaar, DylanVoss, AndreasElliott, Julian G.Nettelbeck, TedWeiss, Lawrence G.Fernandez, SébastienNisbett, RichardWiernik, Brenton M.Fischer, AndreasPlomin, RobertWoodley, MichaelFlynn, JamesRanger, JochenZu, JiyunThe following reviewed for


Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry would like to express concern with the article titled “Monitoring of the Physical and Chemical Properties of a Gasoline Engine Oil during Its Usage” published in Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry in March 2012 [The journal received a claim that the data in this article were falsified or fabricated. We asked the corresponding author, Dr. Semnani, to provide documentation of the output for the data and spectra, but he said that the original documents have been discarded though the data is correct. A member of the journal's editorial board confirmed that there were concerns about the article and the author's response, and we therefore asked the author's institution, the University of Shahrekord, to investigate. We have been in contact with the Investigating Committee for Ethics and Research, but the investigation has not yet concluded. Due to the delay, the journal's editors would like to inform readers of concerns about the integrity of the data in this article.Update, June 2020:The journal has received correspondence from the author's institution that the investigation has concluded and no misconduct was identified. Full details of the investigation were not provided to the journal for verification and the editorial board are not satisfied that the concerns have been resolved.


The monocot banana fruit is one of the most important crops worldwide. As a typical climacteric fruit, the harvest of commercial bananas usually occurs when the fruit is physiologically mature but unripe. The universal treatment of green bananas with ethylene or ethylene-releasing compounds in order to accelerate and standardize the ripening of a bunch of bananas mimics natural maturation after increasing the exogenous production of ethylene. The trigger of autocatalytic ethylene production regulated by a dual positive feedback loop circuit derived from a NAC gene and three MADS genes results in metabolic processes that induce changes in the primary metabolism of bananas. These changes include pulp softening and sweetening which are sensorial attributes that determine banana postharvest quality. During fruit development, bananas accumulate large amounts of starch . Pulp softening and sweetening during banana ripening are attributed not only to changes in the activities of cell wall hydrolases but also to starch-to-sugar metabolism. Therefore, starch granule erosion and disassembling are key events that lead bananas to reach their optimal postharvest quality. The knowledge of the mechanisms that regulate sugar primary metabolism during banana ripening is fundamental to reduce postharvest losses and improve final product quality, though. Recent studies have shown that ethylene-mediated regulation of starch-degrading enzymes at transcriptional and translational levels is crucial for sugar metabolism in banana ripening. Furthermore, the crosstalk between ethylene and other hormones including indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid also influences primary sugar metabolism. In this review, we will describe the state-of-the-art sugar primary metabolism in bananas and discuss the recent findings that shed light on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of this metabolism during fruit ripening. Musa acuminata) fruit accumulates a large reserve of carbon in the form of starch. At the 3/4 diameter stage, which is considered to be the optimum point for commercial harvesting of bananas, the fruits have 12–35% starch, while the starch content at late ripening usually ranges from 15% to less than 1% , the cooking varieties classified as plantains (M. × paradisiaca) accumulate more starch (up to 35%) and have larger amounts of undegraded starch when ripe, which means they are not as sweet as Cavendish bananas. As an example, the fully ripe plantain Brazilian cultivars (cv.), Terra (genotype group AAB) and Figo (genotype group ABB), have 8–16% and 6–9% residual amounts of starch and sucrose, respectively -glucose units, whereas amylopectin consists of several short chains of α-D--glucose units interconnected by α-D-(1-6)-glucose units making up to 6% of the bonds in the molecule . These tThe morphology of the starch granules differs according to the botanical origin, the cultivar of fruits, and the ripening stage . Starch The investigation of starch granule surface during banana ripening, using microscopic and physical techniques, revealed that the inner part of the granule consists of a material with different viscoelastic properties . In ripeThe organization of the starch granule depends on the packing of amylopectin double helices; those from cereals, mango, and tapioca usually have the A-type pattern, which is associated with a monoclinic lattice with densely packed crystallites. In contrast, the granules from tubers and high amylose content starches have the B-type pattern composed of hexagonal crystalline unit cells that contain much more water . Banana During banana ripening, the crystallinity index of starch granules decreases, although the total amylose content remained almost constant. Since the short chains of amylopectin are reduced, and the degree of crystallinity is dependent on the proportion of amylopectin, the amount of short A-type chains plays a role in the polymorphic forms of starch crystals. In fact, the amylopectin from cv. Nanicão has a large amount of short A- and B1-type chains and a reduced amount of long B-type chains. The ratios of the fraction fa/fb1 + fb2 + fb3 decreased during ripening. These fractions of amylopectin correspond to A-chains , B1 , B2 , and long B3 chains , and the ratio indicates the length and the degree of ramification of amylopectin chains . Large pThe amylose content in starch granule also plays an important role in accessibility to degrading enzymes, as the double helices formed by amylose acquire resistance to amylase hydrolysis. In general, the amylose content is greater in plantain than in Cavendish or dessert varieties and significantly decreases during ripening . In thisData from AFM analysis also support the idea that the first layer covering the granule surface is composed of a hard or well-organized material. The removal of this first layer exposes new layers with alternate hard and soft regions repeated at regular intervals until a hard and well-organized semi-crystalline growth ring is attained. Results obtained by During banana development, a large amount of starch accumulates in the amyloplasts of cells from fruit pulp . HoweverArabidopsis leaves (transitory starch) and the endosperm of germinating cereal seeds (storage starch). Both metabolism and energy supply in photosynthetic tissues clearly differ from the equivalent processes in heterotrophic tissues.Starch-to-sucrose metabolism has been extensively studied in model systems in the context of energy sources for plant growth and development, including The starch breakdown in fleshy fruits such as bananas is less understood.Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae). However, although highly heterogeneous, the starch breakdown during banana ripening appears to be more akin to the process in Arabidopsis leaves  and, therefore, is more closely related to cereal grasses than s leaves  than thas leaves . In phots leaves . In the s leaves .Arabidopsis leaves. Studies have shown the presence and activity of several common starch-degrading enzymes , phosphorylates the C6 position of the glucosyl residues in starch  and the limit dextrinase family  hydrolyze side chains at the C6 position , thereby exposing amylopectin-rich regions . Then, the phosphorylation of residues at C3 and mainly C6 by PWD and GWD, respectively, favors the action of BMY. However, even if the correlation between BMY expression and starch breakdown is well established , other hArabidopsis leaves. Then, sucrose is synthesized mainly by SPS, which increases in activity during ripening, mainly by transcriptional activation  were induced after 24 h of acetylene treatment. MaBAM family after in silico analysis of Musa genome, and 10 MaBAM transcripts were observed at various stages of development and ripening in bananas of cv. BaXi Jiao and cv. Fen Jiao. The genes encoding isoforms MaBAM9a, MaBAM9b, and MaBAM3c showed high levels of relative expression after climacteric in both cultivars.In recent years, the increasing availability of transcript profiling tools and MaMEX1 and MaMEX2), and five pGlct. Among these, 17 presented high transcript accumulation in ethylene-treated fruits . The same pattern was also observed at the climacteric of naturally ripening bananas and in fruits treated with 1-MCP. However, the fruits treated with 1-MCP were long delayed in relation to those allowed to ripen naturally, as ripening took place only after the increase of endogenous ethylene synthesis.Recently, an extensive study  has founUsing a quantitative proteomic approach, in the same work, the authors have identified 18 proteins related to starch degradation in protein extracts isolated from starch granules of unripe and ripe bananas. Among them, MaGWD1, MaPWD1, MaSEX4, MaLSF1, MaBAM4, MaBAM7, MaAMY2B, MaAMY2C, MaAMY3, and MaISA3 had higher levels in the extracts isolated from ripe than those from unripe fruits. A similar trend was observed in their transcript levels, as confirmed for the MaGWD1 protein by Western blotting using an anti-GWD1 antibody. Moreover, MaGWD1 accumulation was accelerated in ethylene-treated bananas and delayed after 1-MCP treatment.The ethylene dependence of the gene expression of enzymes related to starch degradation was also observed in cold stored cv. Nanicão bananas, as the activity of BMY was reduced in fruits of that cultivar that had low levels of ethylene . Thus, tMusa genome. MaBAM genes. Interestingly, only MaBAM3c, which was highly expressed in the fruit after the climacteric peak, showed a single element of ethylene response (ERE) in the promoter region. This gene also had elements of response to auxin, abscisic acid, and methyl jasmonate in the promoter region, suggesting a multi-hormonal regulation of expression.Although the evidence points to a significant role for ethylene in the regulation of starch mobilization in bananas, there is a lack of systematic analysis of ethylene response elements in the promoter regions of genes associated with starch metabolism in the Musa genome  from 1 to 5. All of them were differentially expressed during ripening with MaEIL2 being the exclusive gene induced after ethylene treatment  were identified in the a genome , indicata genome . Mbeguiereatment . These Treatment .ERF genes in ethylene- and 1-MCP-treated fruits found that MaERF9 was upregulated, and MaERF11 was downregulated in peel and pulp during ripening or after ethylene treatment . The MaMADS1 and MaMADS2 genes, which were overexpressed during ripening of cv. Grand Nain , shared 49 and 54% homology to the LeRIN-MADS (RIPENING INHIBITOR), a MADS gene from the tomato, respectively , Arabidopsis transcription activation factor 1/2 (ATAF), and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC) (NAC) TF and the three MADS transcription factors described above .Another class of TF involved in starch metabolism in bananas is the MADS-box sequences (ectively . Elitzur MaMADS2 . Accordied genes . RecentlThe effects of hormones and TF on the starch-to-sugar metabolism in bananas continue to be a field for further research. Further studies may add more layers of complexity to the understanding of the regulation of this pivotal metabolism in the physiology of the fruit, in addition to enabling the enhancement of its commercial quality.All datasets generated for this study are included in the manuscript.All authors equally collected literature data, wrote the manuscript and revised the article.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Background: To evaluate the effectiveness/side-effects of osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) performed on the 7th post-natal day, on cerebro–splanchnic oximetry, tissue activation and hemodynamic redistribution in late preterm (LP) infants by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Methods: Observational pretest-test study consisting in a cohort of 18 LPs who received OMT on the 7th post-natal day. NIRS monitoring was performed at three different time-points: 30 min before (T0), (30 min during (T1) and 30 min after OMT (T2). We evaluated the effects of OMT on the following NIRS parameters: cerebral (c), splanchnic (s) regional oximetry (rSO2), cerebro–splanchnic fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) and hemodynamic redistribution (CSOR). Results: crSO2 and cFTOE significantly (P < 0.001) improved at T0-T2; srSO2 significantly (P < 0.001) decreased and sFTOE increased at T0-T1. Furthermore, srSO2 and sFTOE significantly improved at T1-T2. Finally, CSOR significantly (P < 0.05) increased at T0-T2. Conclusions: The present data show that OMT enhances cerebro–splanchnic oximetry, tissue activation and hemodynamic redistribution in the absence of any adverse clinical or laboratory pattern. The results indicate the usefulness of further randomized studies in wider populations comparing the effectiveness of OMT with standard rehabilitation programs. Despite recent advances in perinatal therapeutic strategies, prematurity still constitutes one of the major causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity . PretermIn the last decade there has been increasing interest in late preterm infants (LP), who account for about 70% of total preterm births. Epidemiological data show that the risks for LP of adverse neonatal outcome are seven times more than those for term infants .The post-critical neurological management of LP infants focuses on complementary and alternative treatments and on an early rehabilitation program . OsteopaOP is widely practiced in adults, especially in connection with muscular–skeletal problems and, more recently, osteopathic clinical trials have been conducted to investigate the role and impact of OP treatment in the care of preterm infants, showing a decrease in the length of hospital stays and in social costs . The useThe purpose of the present study was to investigate whether OMT could improve or affect brain–splanchnic oximetry and function in LP infants, using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring before, during and after the OMT procedure.Perinatal characteristics, main neonatal outcomes and standard monitoring parameters of the procedures applied to the 18 recruited infants are reported in At birth all LP had an Apgar score >7 and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) requiring surfactant administration and mechanical ventilation occurred in five out 18 LP. No LP required drug treatment for patent ductus arteriosus persistence (PDA); none of them developed intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), early onset sepsis (EOS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), whilst two out of 18 LP needed antibiotic treatment for late onset sepsis (LOS).2) at monitoring time-points were within reference values and no significant differences  were found at T0-T2.At T0 (before OMT), laboratory parameters such as venous blood pH, bilirubinemia, hemoglobin levels and hematocrit rate were within reference values. Standard monitoring parameters  values started to increase from T0 to T2 . Significant (P <0.001) differences in crSO2 values were found between T1 and T2  . Significant (P <0.001) differences in crSO2 values were found between T1 and T2 .Identically, after normalizing all NIRS results with T0 values set to 0, crSOP <0.001, for all). Significant (P <0.001) differences in cFTOE values were found between T1 and T2  values started to decrease from T0 to T1, reaching their lowest point at T2  values showed a significant (P <0.001) decrease in splanchnic oximetry from T0, reaching their lowest point at the end of the OMT procedure (T1).From T1 to T2, srSO2 values started to increase, being significantly (P <0.001) higher than T1 and superimposable (P >0.05) at T0  at T0 .P <0.001, for all). Significant (P <0.001) differences in srSO2 values were found between T1 and T2 .Identically, after normalizing all NIRS results with T0 values set to 0, srSO2 values started to decrease from T0 to T1  (P <0.001) increase in sFTOE from T0 reaching their peak at the end of T1. From T1 to T2 sFTOE values started to decrease being significantly (P <0.001) lower than T1. No differences (P >0.05) in sFTOE values were found between T0 and T2  values showed a significant  than those recorded at T1 and T2. Lower (P <0.05) CSOR values were found between T1 and T2  values at TO were significantly lower  tissue consumption [The findings of improved cerebral oximetry and tissue activation levels in LP warrant further consideration. In particular, crSOsumption ,18,19,20sumption ,22,23,24sumption ,26,27. A2 decreased and sFTOE increased during the course of the treatment, and this was followed by a significant increase in srSO2 and a decrease in sFTOE from the end of treatment to the recovery period.In the present study, we also found that splanchnic NIRS parameters changed during and after OMT. Briefly, srSOThese findings merit further consideration. In particular, i) the significant changes in NIRS parameters during OMT seem to suggest a reduction in splanchnic oximetry with a significant change (increase in sFTOE) in the balance between delivery and splanchnic tissue consumption in favor of the former. The explanation may lie in the hemodynamic redistribution from the splanchnic to the brain area following OMT, ii) the strong recovery of NIRS parameters characterized by an increase in splanchnic oximetry and tissue activation levels (decrease in sFTOE) in the post-OMT period are suggestive, as shown by the stable improvement in NIRS parameters in the CNS, of later positive effects of OMT. This finding is also corroborated by increased CSOR ratio values (>1), as expression of a hemodynamic redistribution from the splanchnic to the brain region. Another explanation may lie in the delivery of extra blood volume by the liver, as occurs in other intrauterine conditions such as growth retardation ,28. AltoWe recognize that the present study has several limitations. In particular: i) the small sample size, although we were able to record a considerable number of NIRS values , thereby reducing the possibility of potential bias, ii) external light interference, which can result in photon scattering, and (iii) movement artifacts as a consequence of problems associated with the fixing of sensors ,32.Lastly, it should be noted that OMT and NIRS recordings were performed at least 1 h before or after feeding in order to avoid potential bias effects due to feeding regimens . Yet, thIn conclusion, the present results on improved CNS and splanchnic oximetry and function in late preterm infants given OMT offer additional support for the need for new individually tailored rehabilitation programs. These findings pave the way to further studies in wider populations aimed at investigating the effectiveness of OMT and standard individualized rehabilitation programs on short/long term neurological outcome.All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the local Ethics Committee .From December 2017 to December 2018 we conducted an observational pretest–test design involving 18 LP consecutively admitted to our third-level referral centers for NICU, where they acted as their own controls. GA was determined by clinical data and by longitudinal ultrasound scan monitoring according to the nomograms of Campbell and Thoms  and by pThe exclusion criteria were: congenital heart diseases, congenital malformations, gastrointestinal anomalies and cutaneous diseases impeding the placement of probes.The perinatal data, neonatal characteristics and main outcomes are reported in 2 and srSO2 and SaO2 were calculated by the in-built software. Fractional tissue oxygen extraction values in the cerebral and splanchnic districts were assessed according to the following formula: (SaO2 − c(s)rSO2)/SaO2 [Hemodynamic and oxygenation changes in the cerebral district/region were monitored using the Sen Smart X-100 NIRS device . Self-adhesive transducers that contain the light-emitted diodes and two distant Equanox Advance sensors  were fixed on the central region of the neonatal skull. crSOO2)/SaO2 ,18.2/srSO2. This ratio has been found to be a valuable index of hemodynamic redistribution in chronic hypoxic infants [We also calculated the CSOR, which is the ratio of cerebral versus splanchnic district oximetry , accordi infants .P >0.05).All OMT infants were monitored on the 7th day of age at three time-points: 30 min before, 30 min during and 30 min after completion of the OMT. No differences were observed in the duration of OMT procedures  at 12” intervals  using a transducer frequency emission of 3.5 MHz. Cerebral ultrasound patterns were evaluated at 24 h from birth, at 7 days and before discharge from hospital.Neurological examination was performed daily according to the method of Prechtl . Each inOsteopathic procedures were performed by osteopaths with experience in the neonatology field. The procedures included a structural evaluation followed by treatment. The structural evaluation was performed with the infant lying down in the open crib or incubator and was addressed to diagnose somatic dysfunctions . It incl2 change as the main parameter. As no basic data are available for the studied population, we assumed a decrease of 0.5 SD in crSO2 to be clinically significant. Indeed, considering an α = 0.05 and using a two-sided test, we estimated a power of 0.80 recruiting 16 preterm infants. We therefore added 2 cases to allow for any dropout.For the calculation of sample size, we used crSOP <0.05 was considered statistically significant.The sample size was calculated using nQuery Advisor , version 5.0. Main outcome measures are summarized by mean ± SD. NIRS parameters were summarized by median and interquartile ranges. Comparisons among different groups were analyzed for statistically significant differences by one way ANOVA followed by Dunn’s test. Categorical data were analyzed by means of Fisher’s test. A value of The present data offer additional support to the need of an additional and individualized rehabilitation program in the neurological care of high risk infants. Further randomized controlled trials comparing OMT with rehabilitation procedures that are considered as standard of care are, therefore, suggested.


BioPsychoSocial Medicine (BPSM) has been accepted by Clarivate Analyticsfor tacking in the Social Science Citation Index. In the recently- released 2018 Journal Citation Report, BPSM has received its first official Impact Factor of “1.0”.We are pleased to announce that It may be too early to tell what this first score would mean to this journal, or whether it fits or otherwise. We think more important thing is to keep the number growing from now onward, as the journal develops further.BPSM.Launched in 2007, the journal has grown significantly, with the number of published articles increased to more than 30 in 2017, or to the 10 years’ total of 256 articles. Seized its first impct factor as the journal’s new milestone, we are committed to strive to ensure further growth and development of BioPsyhcoSocial Medicine is the official journal of the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine. It plays an important role in providing the latest research in the field of psychosomatic medicine, especially focusing on mind-body relationships. It covers all aspects of the behavioral sciences, social sciences, neuroscience, stress physiology and epidemiology, psycho-neuro-endocrinology/ immunology, and psycho-oncology, all of which are associated with mind-body interactions [ractions .The editorial board is comprised of a number of internationally well -respected experts representing a broad range of specialties and opinions Fig.  2]. The. The2]. BioPsychoSocial Medicine receives submissions from a diverse range of authors, the largest subset of whom are from Asia- Pacific, due to the strong influence of the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine in that region. The journal also continues to attract submissions from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. We seek to cover all aspects of the bio-psycho-social approach to illness and health and are proud to present a wide variety of research, particularly from the authors who may not ordinarily publish in English.As an international journal with a wide audience, BPSM’s second stage of development, we earnestly welcome research articles from any countries throughout the world that discuss the cultural diversity of psychosomatic medicine and that integrate the approaches of oriental and western medicine, which will allow us to better understand the mind-body relationship and how best to support individuals with psychosomatic diseases.Moving into Finally, we would like to thank our distinguished members of international Editorial Board for their efforts on behalf of the journal and our publisher, BioMed Central, for their in-house contribution to the speed and efficiency with which manuscripts are processed. Most importantly, we thank our authors and our hard-pressed reviewers.Gen KomakiBioPsychoSocial Medicine.Editor-in-Chief,