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[Display omitted] • Reported European recovery rates of CDW were scrutinized. • Detailed analysis of national quality reports on CDW reporting was carried out. • Misallocation of waste and treatment codes is one main cause of misinterpretation. • Different definitions of backfilling activities clearly impact recovery rates. • Methodological changes in data reporting impacted the recovery rates. Due to its intense use of resources, the construction sector was identified as a priority sector in the European Green Deal. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the largest waste streams of the European Union. As it shows a high potential for recycling, the European Commission set a recovery target of 70% under the Waste Framework Directive. To control the performance and achievements of the member states, annual national reports to the EU are required. However, there exist different ways to specify and report these rates. Recovery rates published by EUROSTAT are calculated on the basis of waste treatment data of non-hazardous mineral CDW, generated according to the EU Waste Statistics Regulation. Limiting factors like non-unified methods of data collection, different waste coding systems and misinterpretations of the term 'backfilling' impede a cross-country comparison of the published EU recovery rates. In this study, factors that may have a misleading impact on reporting EUROSTAT CDW recovery rates were compiled and a detailed analysis using national quality reports of twelve selected EU countries as a data base were performed. The development of the reported recycling rates over five years was examined and the influence of the various factors was determined. The findings may enhance a more purposeful (scientific) discussion of CDW data and for evidence-based reporting of national recovery rates, and may assist the development towards an improved, uniform EU-wide data set. Finally, this will provide support to decision makers for future policy and governmental requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this issue of Cancer Cell , Bell et al. identify the commensal bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri and its major metabolite reuterin as an important gatekeeper and promising target in colorectal cancerogenesis. They decipher a metabolic interplay in which L. reuteri is suppressed by metabolites from dysplastic intestinal epithelial cells which in turn are highly sensitive to the oxidative effects of the electrophile reuterin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), also known as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), is released by various cell types and is an attractive biomarker of inflammation, ischemia, infection, and kidney damage. Both intestinal and metabolic inflammation, as observed in obesity and related disorders, are associated with increased LCN2 synthesis. While LCN2 in the intestinal tract regulates the composition of the gut microbiota and shows anti-inflammatory activities, it also exhibits proinflammatory activities in other experimental settings. In animal models of metabolic inflammation, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), increased LCN2 expression favors inflammation via the recruitment of inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils, and the induction of proinflammatory cytokines. A better understanding of this crucial marker of innate immunity might pave the way for targeting this pathway in future therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the prediction of the median peak floor acceleration (PFA) demand of elastic structures subjected to seismic excitation by means of an adapted response spectrum method. Modal combination is based on a complete quadratic combination (CQC) rule. In contrast to previous studies, in the present contribution closed form solutions for the correlation coefficients and peak factors entering the CQC rule are derived using concepts of normal stationary random vibration theory. A ground motion set, which matches the design response spectrum for a specific site and a target dispersion, is used to define the stochastic base excitation. The response spectrum method is tested for various planar and spatial generic high-rise structures subjected to this particular ground motion set. A comparison of the outcomes with the results of computationally more expensive response history analyses shows the applicability and accuracy of the proposed simplified method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing evidence that ingested diet-borne components are involved in the pathogenesis of disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. Nutrients can have short- and long-term effects in shaping the composition of the microbiota. Western diets (enriched in fat, phosphatidylcholine, and L-carnitine) promote inflammation and atherosclerosis through specific fatty acids and degradation products such as trimethylamine N-oxide. Other dietary factors such as carbazoles or tryptophan-enriched proteins have anti-inflammatory properties—partly via activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptors. The microbiota and its metabolic machinery produce a myriad of metabolites that serve as important messengers between the diet, microbiota, and host. Short-chain fatty acids affect immune responses and epithelial integrity via G-protein–coupled receptors and epigenetic mechanisms. By increasing our understanding of interactions between diet, immunity, and the microbiota, we might develop food-based approaches to prevent or treat many diseases. There now is scientific evidence to support the adage “we are what we eat,” and this process begins in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Cholesterol metabolism is closely interrelated with cardiovascular disease in humans. Dietary supplementation with omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids including arachidonic acid (AA) was shown to favorably affect plasma LDL-C and HDL-C. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. By combining data from a GWAS screening in >100,000 individuals of European ancestry, mediator lipidomics, and functional validation studies in mice, we identify the AA metabolome as an important regulator of cholesterol homeostasis. Pharmacological modulation of AA metabolism by aspirin induced hepatic generation of leukotrienes (LTs) and lipoxins (LXs), thereby increasing hepatic expression of the bile salt export pump Abcb11. Induction of Abcb11 translated in enhanced reverse cholesterol transport, one key function of HDL. Further characterization of the bioactive AA-derivatives identified LX mimetics to lower plasma LDL-C. Our results define the AA metabolome as conserved regulator of cholesterol metabolism, and identify AA derivatives as promising therapeutics to treat cardiovascular disease in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] NAFLD is characterized by dysbiosis. [•] The intestinal microbiota contributes to NAFLD development. [•] Innate immunity plays a major role in NAFLD. [•] Proinflammatory cytokines are the driving forces for NASH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the major cause of abnormal liver function in the western world, is often associated with obesity and diabetes. In obese individuals, fat accumulation in the abdominal region affects both lipid and glucose metabolism, and a liver loaded with fat is insulin resistant. Insulin resistance (IR) is often associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, and numerous mediators released from immune cells and adipocytes contribute to development of IR. Recent results showing an important role for these mediators in NAFLD are providing us with a better understanding of this highly prevalent disease with implications for novel therapy development. This review highlights new aspects in development of liver steatosis and the relevance of various cytokines and adipocytokines in NAFLD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The type I interferons interferon alpha (IFNα) and IFNβ are the first line of defense potently induced upon viral infection, and at the same time are immunomodulatory cytokines bridging innate and adaptive immunity. T cells secreting interleukin-17 (IL-17) have recently been identified to regulate neutrophil-mediated inflammation, and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of experimental colitis and human inflammatory bowel disease, and are considered to regulate the inflammatory response in these models. We therefore hypothesized that type I IFNs as sentinels of viral infection might counteract the development of Th17 cells. We studied the effects of IFNα on IL-17 mRNA and protein expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and during differentiation of human and murine naïve T cells into Th17 cells. In patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) treated systemically with IFNα, we studied colonic expression of IL-17 before and 4 weeks after therapy. IFNα potently suppressed IL-17 production in PBMC both at the mRNA and protein level. Th17 differentiation of human and murine naïve T cells was markedly suppressed in the presence of IFNα. UC patients exhibited increased IL-17 expression in colonic tissue biopsies compared to healthy controls, which was down-regulated during IFNα therapy. IL-17 expression in colonic tissue correlated with clinical remission in these patients. Our data suggest that IFNα down-regulates IL-17 expression and Th17 differentiation in vitro and in vivo. As a corollary, these effects might play a role in the mode of action of type I IFNs in the treatment of various diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Portal fibrosis and linkage is a key feature of progressive disease in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but not simple steatosis. It is underappreciated and poorly understood. Fatty liver has impaired regeneration that induces a secondary replicative pathway using bipotential, periportal, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs). We propose that activation of this pathway, with increased cell injury in NASH, also induces a periportal ductular reaction (DR) that could produce a profibrogenic stimulus. Methods: Biopsy specimens from 107 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and 11 controls were immunostained with cytokeratin-7 to quantify the DR and HPCs, and with p21 to assess hepatocyte replicative arrest. These results were correlated with clinicopathologic variables. Results: Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease had expansion of HPCs, with a strong association between HPCs and the DR (rs = 0.582, P < .0001). In those with NASH (n = 69) there was an increased DR compared with simple steatosis, which correlated with the stage of fibrosis (rs = 0.510, P < .0001). The DR increased with the grade of NASH activity (rs = 0.478, P < .0001), grade of portal inflammation (rs = 0.445, P < .0001), and extent of hepatocyte replicative arrest (rs = 0.446, P < .0001). Replicative arrest was in turn associated with insulin resistance (rs = 0.450, P < .0001) and NASH activity (rs = 0.452, P < .0001). By multivariate analysis, the extent of DR (odds ratio [OR] = 17.9, P = .016), hepatocyte ballooning (OR = 8.1, P < .0001), and portal inflammation (OR = 3.3, P = .005) were associated independently with fibrosis. Conclusions: These findings suggest that an altered replication pathway in active NASH promotes a periportal DR, which in turn may provoke progressive periportal fibrogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The essential oils of Salvia officinalis and Salvia triloba cultivated in South Brazil were analyzed by GC–MS. The major constituents of the oil of S. officinalis were α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, camphor, borneol and β-pinene, whereas those of S. triloba were α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, camphor, and β-caryophyllene. The essential oils of both species exhibited remarkable bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megatherium, Bacillus subtilis, Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas sobria, and Klebsiella oxytoca. Moreover, the essential oil of S. triloba efficiently inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus and A. hydrophila growth were drastically reduced even in the presence of 0.05mg/ml of the essential oil of S. triloba. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have investigated the transfer of oxygen isotope signals of diatomaceous silica (δ 18Odiatom) from the epilimnion (0–7m) through the hypolimnion to the lake bottom (∼20m) in freshwater Lake Holzmaar, Germany. Sediment-traps were deployed in 2001 at depths of 7 and 16m to harvest fresh diatoms every 28 days. The 7m trap collected diatoms from the epilimnion being the main zone of primary production, while the 16m trap collected material already settled through the hypolimnion. Also a bottom sediment sample was taken containing diatom frustules from approximately the last 25 years. The δ 18Odiatom values of the 7m trap varied from 29.4‰ in spring/autumn to 26.2‰ in summer according to the temperature dependence of oxygen isotope fractionation and represent the initial isotope signal in this study. Remarkably, despite the short settling distance δ 18Odiatom values of the 7 and the 16m trap were identical only during spring and autumn seasons while from April to September δ 18Odiatom values of the 16m trap were roughly ∼1.5‰ enriched in 18O compared to those of the 7m trap. Isotopic exchange with the isotopically lighter water of the hypolimnion would shift the δ 18Odiatom value to lower values during settling from 7 to 16m excluding this process as a cause for the deviation. Dissolution of opal during settling with intact organic coatings of the diatom cells and near neutral pH of the water should only cause a minor enrichment of the 16m values. Nevertheless, opal from the bottom sediment was found to be 2.5‰ enriched in 18O compared to the weighted average of the opal from the 7m trap. Thus, resuspension of bottom material must have contributed to the intermediate δ 18Odiatom signal of the 16m trap during summer. Dissolution experiments allowed further investigation of the cause for the remarkably enriched δ 18Odiatom value of the bottom sediment. Experiments with different fresh diatomaceous materials show an increase of opaline 18O at high pH values which is remarkably reduced when organic coatings of the cells still exist or at near neutral pH. In contrast, high pH conditions do not affect the δ 18Odiatom values of sub-fossil and even fossil opal. IR analyses show that the 18O enrichment of the sedimentary silica is associated with a decrease in Si–OH groups and the formation of Si–O–Si linkages. This indicates a silica dehydroxylation process as cause for the isotopic enrichment of the bottom sediment. Silica dissolution and dehydroxylation clearly induce a maturation process of the diatom oxygen isotope signal presumably following an exponential behaviour with a rapid initial phase of signal alteration. The dynamics of this process is of particular importance for the quantitative interpretation of sedimentary δ 18Odiatom values in terms of palaeothermometry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The supremum metric D between fuzzy subsets of a metric space is the supremum of the Hausdorff distances of the corresponding level sets. In this paper some new criteria of compactness with respect to the distance D are given; they concern arbitrary fuzzy sets (see ), fuzzy sets having no proper local maximum points (see ) and, finally, fuzzy sets with convex sendograph (see ). In order to compare results with a previous characterization of compactness of Diamond–Kloeden, the criteria will be expressed by equi-(left/right)-continuity. In the proofs a first author''s purely topological criterion of D-compactness and a variational convergence (called -convergence) which was introduced by De Giorgi and Franzoni, are fundamental. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new technique has been developed for the determination of the oxygen isotope composition from biogenic silica. The iHTR method (inductive high temperature carbon reduction) is based on the reduction of silica by carbon with temperatures of up to 1830°C (maximum T 2200°C) to produce carbon monoxide for isotope analysis. Basically, samples of silica are mixed with graphite and filled into a sample holder made of a glassy carbon rod. The rod is introduced into a glassy carbon cylinder liner closed at the top which itself is enclosed by a double-walled glass vessel. The glassy carbon rod is inductively heated under vacuum to the temperature needed for quantitative conversion of the particular silica material to CO. The most critical process of dehydration (in the case of opal) and reduction to CO is routinely achieved in the iHTR device. Weakly bound oxygen and oxygen-containing contaminants, like hydroxyl groups, as well as remaining minor organic constituents are volatilized stepwise under high vacuum at temperatures of 850°C and 1050°C without isotopic exchange before the reduction of the silica. After completion of dehydration, the temperature is raised to the value needed for silica reduction. For both biogenic silica and quartz a temperature of 1550°C was found to be adequate. The technical design with a standard preparation routine and various test experiments is presented proving the reliability and capability of the new iHTR method, especially with respect to fresh diatom materials and diatom opal. The amount of sample material necessary at present is ∼1.5 mg of silica and the reproducibility achieved for natural samples is better than ±0.15‰. Replicate analysis of the quartz standard NBS28 resulted in a δ18O value of 9.62‰ ± 0.11‰ (n = 17). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ground motion record selection methodologies are commonly developed to ensure that the input excitation used in response history analyses embodies essential conditions such as spectral compatibility, hazard and intensity measure consistency, seismological and site-specific criteria, always performing in a computationally efficient manner. A methodology utilizing genetic algorithms is revisited here, expanded to select multi-component ground motions and satisfying the typically required selection objectives of earthquake engineering applications, while ensuring increased efficiency. Multi-objective optimization is performed, claimed to be superior in delivering robust results that account for spectral compatibility in first and second order statistics (mean and standard deviation) in a wide range of spectral values, as well as satisfying seismological and site-specific criteria. A unique contribution is the ability to include probability distribution targets in specific ordinates of the spectrum, on top of the mean and standard deviation, allowing for more refined ground motion sets that can be used to reduce the number of records required in response history analyses. Additionally, a novel benchmarking process to assess the efficiency of ground motion record methodologies is introduced here, in terms of providing sets that are globally-optimal solutions to the optimization problem. Through this benchmarking algorithm, the proposed methodology appears to be impeccable in extracting the best possible ground motion sets. • A ground motion record selection methodology is proposed to select and scale records in up to three-components. • Ground motion sets are selected having first and second order statistics of response spectra compatible with any targets. • Probability distribution targets of spectral accelerations at specific spectral ordinates can be used as objectives. • Robust spectral compatibility is achieved through multi-objective selection, utilizing genetic algorithms. • A benchmarking process to assess efficiency in ground motion selection is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]