bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the addition of a chemical mix additive and curing temperature on the setting time and mechanical properties of no‐cement castable
Authors: Cristante Ângelo
Published: January 2022

Tight installation schedules and economic pressures are potential drawbacks for castable installation and performance. Many factors influence the setting behavior and the properties of no‐cement castable refractories, including temperature and chemical composition. In this study, the setting behavior and the mechanical properties of a no‐cement castable were analyzed varying the amount of a chemical additive mix and curing temperature. The chemical additive mix concentration was varied from 0 wt% to 1 wt%. The curing temperature was varied from low (4°C/40°F) to high (40°C/104°F). The mechanical properties were characterized by cold crushing strength (CCS). A variance in the pH level drastically increased the setting time of the castable. Mechanical properties on green samples showed lower strength for castables with a higher concentration of the additive mix. This difference in performance is the result of the lower pH preventing the formation of a chain mechanism in the no‐cement castable bonded with colloidal silica.
High associative neuron numbers could drive cognitive performance in corvid species
Authors: Ströckens Felix , Neves Kleber , Kirchem Sina , Schwab Christine , Herculano‐Houzel Suzana , Güntürkün Onur
Published: January 2022

Corvids possess cognitive skills, matching those of nonhuman primates. However, how these species with their small brains achieve such feats remains elusive. Recent studies suggest that cognitive capabilities could be based on the total numbers of telencephalic neurons. Here we extend this hypothesis further and posit that especially high neuron counts in associative pallial areas drive flexible, complex cognition. If true, avian species like corvids should specifically accumulate neurons in the avian associative areas meso‐ and nidopallium. To test the hypothesis, we analyzed the neuronal composition of telencephalic areas in corvids and noncorvids (chicken, pigeons, and ostriches—the species with the largest bird brain). The overall number of pallial neurons in corvids was much higher than in chicken and pigeons and comparable to those of ostriches. However, neuron numbers in the associative mesopallium and nidopallium were twice as high in corvids and, in correlation with these associative areas, the corvid subpallium also contained high neuron numbers. These findings support our hypothesis that large absolute numbers of associative pallial neurons contribute to cognitive flexibility and complexity and are key to explain why crows are smart. Since meso‐/nidopallial and subpallial areas scale jointly, it is conceivable that associative pallio‐striatal loops play a similar role in executive decision making as described in primates.
Appearance generation for colored spun yarn fabric based on conditional image‐to‐image translation
Authors: Zhang Ning , Xiang Jun , Wang Jingan , Pan Ruru , Gao Weidong
Published: January 2022

The repeated trial‐weaving and proofing process are traditionally conducted to exhibit the ever‐changing appearance of the colored spun yarn fabric knitted by different colored spun yarns. In this paper, a novel method of appearance generation for colored spun yarn fabric was proposed based on conditional image‐to‐image translation. The generated image is required to have the same color and the fabric style simultaneously as the color card and the assigned style. The common pix2pix model was modified by adding the category label to the image channel to involve the style constraint. To improve the generation performance, the U‐Net architecture was replaced by the residual block architecture. Four commonly used style fabrics and different color cards were adopted to build the image pairs for experiments. The visual inspection and category similarity were used as the evaluation metrics. Experimental results reveal that the proposed method can transfer different color cards to the designated style fabrics based on the constraints, being effective and superior for image generation of colored spun yarns. The proposed scheme can provide references for the designer by presenting the image perception, saving labor, and material resources in the proofing process.
Comprehensive phenotyping of human platelets by single‐cell cytometry
Authors: Spurgeon Benjamin E. J. , Frelinger Andrew L.
Published: January 2022

Platelets are small anucleate blood cells that contribute to hemostasis, immunity, and inflammation. Circulating platelets are heterogeneous in size, age, receptor expression, and reactivity. They inherit many features from megakaryocytes and are further modified on exposure to bioactive substances in the bloodstream. Among these substances, prothrombotic agonists, vasodilators, and bloodborne pathogens modulate platelet phenotypes via distinct signaling cascades. The ability of platelets to respond to (patho)physiologic signals is incompletely understood but likely depends on their repertoire of surface receptors, which may partition them into discrete subsets with specialized functions and divergent abilities. The single‐cell resolution of flow and mass cytometry is ideal for immunophenotyping and allows the identification of platelet subsets in remarkable detail. In this report, we describe the surface markers and gating strategies needed for the comprehensive characterization of platelets.
Sub‐micro scale cell segmentation using deep learning
Authors: Tiryaki Volkan Müjdat , Ayres Virginia M. , Ahmed Ijaz , Shreiber David I.
Published: January 2022

Automated cell segmentation is key for rapid and accurate investigation of cell responses. As instrumentation resolving power increases, clear delineation of newly revealed cellular features at the submicron through nanoscale becomes important. Reliance on the manual investigation of myriad small features retards investigation; however, use of deep learning methods has great potential to reveal cell features both at high accuracy and high speed, which may lead to new discoveries in the near term. In this study, semantic cell segmentation systems were investigated by implementing fully convolutional neural networks called U‐nets for the segmentation of astrocytes cultured on poly‐l‐lysine‐functionalized planar glass. The network hyperparameters were determined by changing the number of network layers, loss functions, and input image modalities. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images were selected for investigation as these are inherently nanoscale and are also dimensional. AFM height, deflection, and friction images were used as inputs separately and together, and the segmentation performances were investigated on five‐fold cross‐validation data. Transfer learning methods, including VGG16, VGG19, and Xception, were used to improve cell segmentation performance. We find that AFM height images inherit more discriminative features than AFM deflection and AFM friction images for cell segmentation. When transfer‐learning methods are applied, statistically significant segmentation performance improvements are observed. Segmentation performance was compared to classical image processing algorithms and other algorithms in use by considering both AFM and electron microscopy segmentation. An accuracy of 0.9849, Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.9218, and Dice's similarity coefficient of 0.9306 were obtained on the AFM test images. Performance evaluations show that the proposed system can be successfully used for AFM cell segmentation with high precision.
Developmental changes of the neural mechanisms underlying level 2 visual perspective‐taking: A functional near‐infrared spectroscopy study
Authors: Hirai Masahiro , Sakurada Takeshi , Ikeda Takahiro , Monden Yukifumi , Shimoizumi Hideo , Yamagata Takanori
Published: January 2022

The ability to understand the way other people see the world differs from one's own viewpoint is referred to as ‘‘visual perspective‐taking’’ (VPT). Previous studies have demonstrated the behavioral performance in level 2 VPT (VPT2), the ability to understand that two different observers can have unique visual experiences of the same scene or object depending on the observers’ physical location, changes during childhood. However, the developmental aspects underlying the neural mechanisms of VPT2 remains unknown. We measured the hemodynamic responses to a VPT2 task using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy, with mental rotation (MR) as a control task in 7‐ to 11‐year‐old and 11‐ to 16‐year‐old groups. In the VPT2 task, participants were required to mentally compute the perspective of a toy on the turntable from that of a doll placed in a different location from the observer. For the MR task, participants reported their perspectives after the toy was rotated. We found significantly higher oxy‐hemoglobin changes during the VPT2 task than the MR task in the 7‐ to 11‐year‐old group but not in the 11‐ to 16‐year‐old group, in the right middle and superior temporal, angular gyrus and frontal regions. These findings highlight the important role of the right temporoparietal region in processing perspective, up to 11 years.
Infant posture and caregiver‐provided cognitive opportunities in typically developing infants and infants with motor delay
Authors: Kretch Kari S. , Koziol Natalie A. , Marcinowski Emily C. , Kane Audrey E. , Inamdar Ketaki , Brown Elena Donoso , Bovaird James A. , Harbourne Regina T. , Hsu Lin‐Ya , Lobo Michele A. , Dusing Stacey C.
Published: January 2022

Infants’ developing motor skills—including mastery of new postures such as sitting and standing—affect opportunities for learning that facilitate cognitive development. But how infant posture affects caregiver behavior is largely unexplored. Moreover, we know little about effects of posture on learning opportunities in infants with motor delay. This study asked how infants with typical development and infants with significant motor delay use various postures during play, and whether posture is related in real time to caregiver‐provided cognitive learning opportunities. Infants were videotaped five times over the course of a year in a free play session with a caregiver, starting when they demonstrated initial sitting skills. Posture and cognitive opportunities were coded moment‐by‐moment to assess duration and temporal overlap. We found that infants with typical development and infants with motor delay displayed similar use of postures initially, but infants with typical development demonstrated more mature postures over time. We also found that for both groups of infants, caregivers were most likely to provide cognitive opportunities when infants were sitting independently, and least likely when infants were supine. Our findings highlight the importance of upright sitting in typical and atypical infant development and suggest potential areas of intervention for infants with motor delay.
Changes in anhedonia over the course of eating disorder treatment
Authors: Dolan Sarah C. , Brown Tiffany A. , Wierenga Christina E. , Kaye Walter H. , Reilly Erin E.
Published: January 2022

Objective

Anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom referring to the loss of ability to experience pleasure, is heightened across eating disorder (ED) diagnoses. This study aimed to assess whether anhedonia changes during ED treatment and explore how changes in anhedonia relate to treatment outcome.

Method

Adults and adolescents in a partial hospitalization program for EDs (N = 499) completed the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) and the anhedonia subscale of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at admission and discharge.

Results

Anhedonia scores significantly decreased from admission to discharge. Anhedonia at admission was also significantly different across ED diagnostic groups. To examine how study variables related to discharge EDE‐Q scores, a hierarchical linear regression was conducted with demographic, diagnostic, and medication variables in the first step, anhedonia and EDE‐Q scores at admission added to the second step, and anhedonia at discharge added to the final step. Greater anhedonia at discharge was related to higher EDE‐Q scores at discharge.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that anhedonia changes significantly over the course of intensive treatment and changes in anhedonia relate to ED symptoms at discharge. Future research is needed to determine whether specifically targeting anhedonia in ED treatment may influence treatment outcomes.

Public Significance

The findings from this study suggest that anhedonia may decrease during eating disorder (ED) treatment, and greater anhedonia may relate to elevated ED symptoms. These results provide support for the continued study of anhedonia in ED samples and indicate that anhedonia should be explored as a potential target for novel ED treatments.
Systematic reviews do not (yet) represent the ‘gold standard’ of evidence: A position paper
Authors: Moore Robert Andrew , Fisher Emma , Eccleston Christopher
Published: January 2022

The low quality of included trials, insufficient rigour in review methodology, ignorance of key pain issues, small size, and over‐optimistic judgements about the direction and magnitude of treatment effects all devalue systematic reviews, supposedly the ‘gold standard’ of evidence. Available evidence indicates that almost all systematic reviews in the published literature contain fatal flaws likely to make their conclusions incorrect and misleading. Only 3 in every 100 systematic reviews are deemed to have adequate methods and be clinically useful. Examples of research waste and questionable ethical standards abound: most trials have little hope of providing useful results, and systematic review of hopeless trials inspires no confidence. We argue that results of most systematic reviews should be dismissed. Forensically critical systematic reviews are essential tools to improve the quality of trials and should be encouraged and protected.
Vascular implants – new aspects for in situ tissue engineering
Authors: Blume Cornelia , Kraus Xenia , Heene Sebastian , Loewner Sebastian , Stanislawski Nils , Cholewa Fabian , Blume Holger
Published: January 2022

Conventional synthetic vascular grafts require ongoing anticoagulation, and autologous venous grafts are often not available in elderly patients. This review highlights the development of bioartificial vessels replacing brain‐dead donor‐ or animal‐deriving vessels with ongoing immune reactivity. The vision for such bio‐hybrids exists in a combination of biodegradable scaffolds and seeding with immune‐neutral cells, and here different cells sources such as autologous progenitor cells or stem cells are relevant. This kind of in situ tissue engineering depends on a suitable bioreactor system with elaborate monitoring systems, three‐dimensional (3D) visualization and a potential of cell conditioning into the direction of the targeted vascular cell phenotype. Necessary bioreactor tools for dynamic and pulsatile cultivation are described. In addition, a concept for design of vasa vasorum is outlined, that is needed for sustainable nutrition of the wall structure in large caliber vessels. For scaffold design and cell adhesion additives, different materials and technologies are discussed. 3D printing is introduced as a relatively new field with promising prospects, for example, to create complex geometries or micro‐structured surfaces for optimal cell adhesion and ingrowth in a standardized and custom designed procedure. Summarizing, a bio‐hybrid vascular prosthesis from a controlled biotechnological process is thus coming more and more into view. It has the potential to withstand strict approval requirements applied for advanced therapy medicinal products.
Nano Carbon/Vertical Graphene/MnO2 Nanosheets Composite Particles for High‐Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Li Shiwen , Lin Junsheng , Zhao Lei , Ren Zhonghua , Yu Jie
Published: January 2022

Compounding carbon substrate materials with pseudocapacitive materials is an important strategy for making high‐performance supercapacitor materials. Nano carbon black (CB) is widely used as the conductive additive in energy storage devices owing to its low cost, high conductivity, good spreadability, and excellent ability of adsorbing electrolyte, reducing the binder consumption, adjusting the pore size and fraction of the electrode, and high‐voltage operation. However, very little attention has been paid to applying CB as the substrate materials for producing composite active materials. Herein, a surface‐modified CB is developed by growing vertical graphene nanosheets on the surface of CB by chemical vapor deposition. After growing MnO2 nanosheets on the modified CB, the obtained nanocomposites deliver high specific capacitance, rate performance, and cycling stability. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor obtains a high energy density of 54 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 181 W kg−1. Systematic experimental research reveals the superior performance benefits from the surface modification of CB by vertical graphene nanosheets, which improves the electrical conductivity, thermal stability, and pore structure of the whole electrodes. This method is of great promise for the development of new materials for high‐performance supercapacitors.
The potential of Bambara groundnut: An analysis for the People’s Republic of China
Authors: Jahanshiri Ebrahim , Goh Ee Von , Wimalasiri Eranga M. , Azam‐Ali Sayed , Mayes Sean , Tengku Mohd Suhairi Tengku Adhwa Syaherah , Mohd Nizar Nur Marahaini , Mohd Sinin Siti Sarah
Published: January 2022

While China has transformed its economy over recent decades, challenges such as climate change and land degradation have continued to impact its agriculture. These effects along with changes in diets and growing food imports will force China to look for alternative cropping options. Despite the broad potential of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc) as a resilient and nutritious underutilized crop, less is known about its potential in Asia. Here, we explore the potential of Bambara groundnut to become a mainstream crop in mainland China. A suitability analysis is presented for Bambara groundnut to examine the degree of seasonal adaptability of this crop against its climate and soil requirements across China. Results showed that the crop has yield potential in areas that can be too marginal for production of other mainstream crops such as soybean (Glycine max). If realized, the potential of Bambara groundnut could contribute to China's agriculture and reduce its reliance on vegetable protein imports. Using an average seasonal potential yield of 0.85 t/ha over a potential available area of between 55 and 112 million ha (based on 4 land availability scenarios) and modest price of 143 USD/t, yearly income between USD 6 and 13 billion can potentially be contributed by widespread cultivation of this crop. As well as food security, this drought‐resistant nitrogen‐fixing legume could also contribute to land rehabilitation, particularly in the areas where shift in planting dates and land degradation is noticeable. This study demonstrates the need for more investment and research into adoption of Bambara groundnut and other underutilized crops that have the potential to transform agriculture in populous Asian countries.
New associations of serum β‐carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin concentrations with NR1H3, APOB, RDH12, AND CYP genes
Authors: Domarkienė Ingrida , Mažeikienė Asta , Petrauskaitė Guostė , Kučinskienė Zita Aušrelė , Kučinskas Vaidutis
Published: January 2022

Variation in carotenoid bioavailability at individual and population levels might depend on host‐related factors where genetic variation has a part to play. It manifests itself through the proteins involved in carotenoid intestinal absorption and metabolism, blood lipoprotein transport, or tissue uptake. This study aims to identify novel SNPs which could be associated with carotenoid serum concentrations. A total of 265 self‐reported healthy individuals of Lithuanian origin were genotyped (Illumina HumanOmniExpress‐12v1.0 or v1.1 and Infinium OmniExpress‐24v1.2 arrays) and fasting blood serum concentrations of β‐ and α‐carotene, β‐cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin were measured (Shimadzu Prominence HPLC system). According to the individual carotenoid concentrations, the cohort was subdivided into quartiles. Q1 and Q4 were used for the following association analysis. The set of 2883 SNPs in 109 potential candidate genes (assumed for a direct or indirect role in carotenoid bioavailability) was analyzed. Liver X receptor alpha (NR1H3) “transport” polymorphisms rs2279238 (p = 2.129 × 10−5) and rs11039155 (p = 2.984 × 10−5), and apolipoprotein B (APOB) “transport” polymorphism rs550619 (p = 4.844 × 10−5) were associated with higher zeaxanthin concentration. Retinol dehydrogenase 12 (RDH12) “functional partner” polymorphism rs756473 (p = 7.422 × 10−5) was associated with higher lycopene concentration. Twenty‐one cytochrome P450 (CYP2C9, CYP2C18, and CYP2C19) “metabolism” polymorphisms in locus 10q23.33 were significantly associated with higher β‐carotene concentration. To conclude, four novel genomic loci were found to be associated with carotenoid serum levels. Zeaxanthin, lycopene, and β‐carotene serum concentrations might depend on genetic variation in NR1H3, APOB, RDH12 and CYP2C9, CYP2C18, and CYP2C19 genes.
Fusion‐positive non‐small cell lung carcinoma: Biological principles, clinical practice, and diagnostic implications
Authors: Kazdal Daniel , Hofman Véronique , Christopoulos Petros , Ilié Marius , Stenzinger Albrecht , Hofman Paul
Published: January 2022

Based on superior efficacy and tolerability, targeted therapy is currently preferred over chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy for actionable gene fusions that occur in late‐stage non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Consequently, current clinical practice guidelines mandate testing for ALK, ROS1, NTRK, and RET gene fusions in all patients with newly diagnosed advanced non‐squamous NSCLC (NS‐NSCLC). Gene fusions can be detected using different approaches, but today RNA next‐generation sequencing (NGS) or combined DNA/RNA NGS is the method of choice. The discovery of other gene fusions (involving, eg, NRG1, NUT, FGFR1, FGFR2, MET, BRAF, EGFR, SMARC fusions) and their partners has increased progressively in recent years, leading to the development of new and promising therapies and mandating the development and implementation of comprehensive detection methods. The purpose of this review is to focus on recent data concerning the main gene fusions identified in NSCLC, followed by the discussion of major challenges in this domain.
NOD‐like receptor protein 3 activation causes spontaneous inflammation and fibrosis that mimics human NASH
Authors: Calcagno David M. , Chu Angela , Gaul Susanne , Taghdiri Nika , Toomu Avinash , Leszczynska Aleksandra , Kaufmann Benedikt , Papouchado Bettina , Wree Alexander , Geisler Lukas , Hoffman Hal M. , Feldstein Ariel E. , King Kevin R.
Published: January 2022

Background and Aims

The NOD‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a central contributor to human acute and chronic liver disease, yet the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which its activation precipitates injury remain incompletely understood. Here, we present single cell transcriptomic profiling of livers from a global transgenic tamoxifen‐inducible constitutively activated Nlrp3
A350V mutant mouse, and we investigate the changes in parenchymal and nonparenchymal liver cell gene expression that accompany inflammation and fibrosis.

Approach and Results

Our results demonstrate that NLRP3 activation causes chronic extramedullary myelopoiesis marked by myeloid progenitors that differentiate into proinflammatory neutrophils, monocytes, and monocyte‐derived macrophages. We observed prominent neutrophil infiltrates with increased Ly6gHI and Ly6gINT cells exhibiting transcriptomic signatures of granulopoiesis typically found in the bone marrow. This was accompanied by a marked increase in Ly6cHI monocytes differentiating into monocyte‐derived macrophages that express transcriptional programs similar to macrophages of NASH models. NLRP3 activation also down‐regulated metabolic pathways in hepatocytes and shifted hepatic stellate cells toward an activated profibrotic state based on expression of collagen and extracellular matrix regulatory genes.

Conclusions

These results define the single cell transcriptomes underlying hepatic inflammation and fibrosis precipitated by NLRP3 activation. Clinically, our data support the notion that NLRP3‐induced mechanisms should be explored as therapeutic target in NASH‐like inflammation.
The association between number of repeat cesarean deliveries and adverse outcomes among low‐risk pregnancies
Authors: Backley Sami , Chen Han‐Yang , Sibai Baha M. , Chauhan Suneet P. , Fishel Bartal Michal
Published: January 2022

Objective

To investigate maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes among low‐risk pregnancies delivered at 37 weeks or more by repeat cesarean deliveries (CD).

Methods

A population‐based, retrospective study using the US vital statistics data sets (2014–2018) evaluating low‐risk pregnancies with a non‐anomalous singleton non‐laboring repeat CD from 37 to 41 weeks of pregnancy. Women with hypertensive disorders or diabetes were excluded. Primary outcome was composite maternal adverse outcome (CMAO). Secondary outcome was composite neonatal adverse outcome (CNAO). Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between number of repeat CD and outcomes (using adjusted relative risks [aRR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]).

Results

Of the 19 623 195 live births, 1 747 610 (8.9%) met the inclusion criteria and among them, 1 144 186 (65.5%) were to women who had one prior CD, 454 817 (26.0%) had two prior CD, 119 087 (6.8%) had three prior CD, and 29 520 (1.7%) had four or more prior CD. Compared with individuals with one prior CD, the risk of CMAO was higher in individuals with two (aRR 1.41, 95% CI 1.34–1.48), three (aRR 1.96, 95% CI 1.83–2.10), and four or more (aRR 2.98, 95% CI 2.69–3.29) prior CD. An increased risk of CNAO was also found with an increasing number of repeat CD.

Conclusion

Among women with low‐risk pregnancies undergoing repeat CD, increasing number of prior CD was associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes.
A 10‐year audit of pregnancies affected by diabetic ketoacidosis at the Pretoria Academic Complex
Authors: Maseko Ncamsile F. , van Zyl Danie , Adam Sumaiya
Published: January 2022

Background

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) during pregnancy is associated with increased rates of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. DKA management guidelines are designed to ensure optimal management and minimize adverse outcomes.

Objective

To determine the level of adherence to DKA management guidelines at a tertiary center in Pretoria, South Africa and report on maternal and perinatal outcomes of the pregnancies complicated by DKA.

Methods

This was a retrospective clinical record audit using the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa guidelines against documented management. Adherence to three cornerstones of therapy was measured: intravenous fluids, insulin therapy, and management of electrolytes.

Results

Fifty‐six records of pregnancies that were complicated with DKA over a 10‐year period were reviewed. Mean age was 29.6 years (range 20–43 years). Thirty‐six (64.3%) women had type 1 diabetes mellitus. DKA was categorized into mild (n = 26, 46.4%), moderate (n = 22, 39.3%), and severe (n = 8, 14.3%). The study demonstrated lack of adherence to the three cornerstones of therapy. Of the 49 (85.7%) women with recorded perinatal outcomes, 30.6% had stillbirths. Severe maternal DKA (pH <7.0) demonstrated adverse perinatal outcomes (P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Despite the availability of guidelines, DKA is sub‐optimally managed in pregnancy, which may contribute to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.
Large wood in river restoration: A case study on the effects on hydromorphology, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning
Authors: Anlanger Christine , Attermeyer Katrin , Hille Sandra , Kamjunke Norbert , Koll Katinka , König Manuela , Schnauder Ingo , Nogueira Tavares Claudia , Weitere Markus , Brauns Mario
Published: January 2022

Large wood (LW) is an integral part of natural river ecosystems and determines their ecological integrity by modulating hydromorphology and providing habitats. Hence, LW installations are a common restoration measure in large rivers, even if effects on biodiversity are ambiguous or unknown for ecosystem functioning. Here we quantified the hydromorphological, biological, and functional effects of LW 8 months after installation in a large gravel‐bed river. Both morphological and flow diversity increased strongly by 821% and 127%, respectively. Similarly, fish abundance increased nearly 10‐fold, and macroinvertebrate diversity increased by 35%. Ecosystem functions benefited from LW installation and increased significantly (e.g., by up to 390% for bacterial production) at sites influenced by LW compared to those without LW. Our results highlight the role of the bark habitat of LW that increased the direct effects of LW via the provision of new habitat and stimulated ecosystem‐wide processes. Our integrative approach evaluating the success of LW installations in a large river revealed cascading effects from the provisioning of new habitats, the increase of species diversity to higher ecosystem functioning. It also demonstrated that hydromorphological parameters or community composition alone are insufficient to quantify the complex effects of LW installation, which underlines the necessity to evaluate restoration success with different measures.
Controlled and localized antibiotics delivery using magnetic‐responsive beads for synergistic treatment of orthopedic infection
Authors: Shademani Ali , Jackson John K. , Thompson Charles J. , Chiao Mu
Published: January 2022

Antibiotic‐loaded bone cement beads have been a reliable passive delivery system for the localized treatment of osteomyelitis; however, low, and unregulated drug release rates limit the ability of this system to maintain therapeutic concentrations. This problem is further amplified by drug‐resistant pathogens that might invade or evolve under these conditions. Furthermore, currently available bone cements are incompatible with some antibiotics. The proposed device resembles conventional bone cement beads but contains an on‐demand drug delivery magnetic sponge that provides actively controlled release of antibiotics. The slightly porous structure facilitates some drug diffusion while further drug release may be controlled remotely via magnetic actuation. Additionally, a combination of silver nitrate and gentamicin are used in the device as these agents are shown to display a synergistic antibacterial activity in vitro using checkerboard and time‐kill assays. The device releases gentamicin and silver in both actuation and diffusion modes over 7 days. The in vitro bacterial studies demonstrate the efficacy of the released agents alone, and synergistically in combination, against Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The proposed device offers a facile fabrication process which allows control of the release profile by engineering hole configurations or manipulating magnetic field strength to provide the most effective therapy.
4-PBA Treatment Improves Bone Phenotypes in the Aga2 Mouse Model of Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Duran Ivan , Zieba Jennifer , Csukasi Fabiana , Martin Jorge H. , Wachtell Davis , Barad Maya , Dawson Brian , Fafilek Bohumil , Jacobsen Christina M. , Ambrose Catherine G. , Cohn Daniel H. , Krejci Pavel , Lee Brendan H. , Krakow Deborah
Published: January 2022

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetically heterogenous disorder most often due to heterozygosity for mutations in the type I procollagen genes, COL1A1 or COL1A2. The disorder is characterized by bone fragility leading to increased fracture incidence and long-bone deformities. Although multiple mechanisms underlie OI, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress as a cellular response to defective collagen trafficking is emerging as a contributor to OI pathogenesis. Herein, we used 4-phenylbutiric acid (4-PBA), an established chemical chaperone, to determine if treatment of Aga2+/− mice, a model for moderately severe OI due to a Col1a1 structural mutation, could attenuate the phenotype. In vitro, Aga2+/− osteoblasts show increased protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) activation protein levels, which improved upon treatment with 4-PBA. The in vivo data demonstrate that a postweaning 5-week 4-PBA treatment increased total body length and weight, decreased fracture incidence, increased femoral bone volume fraction (BV/TV), and increased cortical thickness. These findings were associated with in vivo evidence of decreased bone-derived protein levels of the ER stress markers binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), CCAAT/−enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), and activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) as well as increased levels of the autophagosome marker light chain 3A/B (LC3A/B). Genetic ablation of CHOP in Aga2+/− mice resulted in increased severity of the Aga2+/− phenotype, suggesting that the reduction in CHOP observed in vitro after treatment is a consequence rather than a cause of reduced ER stress. These findings suggest the potential use of chemical chaperones as an adjunct treatment for forms of OI associated with ER stress. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Potential role of MALT1 as a candidate biomarker of disease surveillance and treatment response prediction in inflammatory bowel disease patients
Authors: Wu Zhigang , Bi Yingyan
Published: January 2022

Background

Mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) regulates adaptive and innate immune responses in several inflammatory disease. However, clinical involvement of MALT1 in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients remains unclear. Hence, this study was intended to investigate the correlation of blood MALT1 with disease activity, inflammation indexes as well as treatment response of IBD patients.

Methods

Blood MALT1 expression in 100 IBD patients [including 25 active (A)‐Crohn's disease (CD) patients, 25 remission (R)‐CD patients, 25 A‐ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and 25 R‐UC patients] and 25 health controls (HCs) was detected by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction; besides, serum tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) in IBD patients were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

MALT1 was increased in A‐UC patients than in R‐UC patients (p = 0.038) and in HCs (p < 0.001), and also elevated in A‐CD patients than in R‐CD patients (p = 0.048) and in HCs (p < 0.001). MALT1 was positively related to C‐reactive protein (CRP, p = 0.011), TNF‐α (p = 0.036), IL‐17A (p = 0.023), and Mayo score (p = 0.005) in A‐UC patients, CRP (p = 0.017), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.033), TNF‐α (p = 0.004), and Crohn's disease activity index score (p = 0.028) in A‐CD patients. But MALT1 was not correlated with either inflammation indexes or disease activity score in R‐UC and R‐CD patients. MALT1 gradually declined from baseline to W12 in A‐UC and A‐CD patients (both p < 0.001). Moreover, MALT1 at W4 (p = 0.031) and W12 (p = 0.003) in A‐UC patients as well as MALT1 at W12 (p = 0.008) in A‐CD patients associated with clinical response.

Conclusion

MALT1 serves as a potential biomarker for disease surveillance and treatment response prediction of IBD patients.
Relation of circulating lncRNA GAS5 and miR‐21 with biochemical indexes, stenosis severity, and inflammatory cytokines in coronary heart disease patients
Authors: Jiang Yan , Du Tian
Published: January 2022

Background

Long noncoding RNA GAS5 (lnc‐GAS5) and its target microRNA‐21 (miR‐21) regulate blood lipid, macrophages, Th cells, vascular smooth muscle cells to participate in atherosclerosis, and related coronary heart disease (CHD). The study aimed to further explore the linkage of their circulating expressions with common biochemical indexes, stenosis severity and inflammatory cytokines in CHD patients.

Methods

Ninety‐eight CHD patients and 100 controls confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled. Plasma samples were collected for lnc‐GAS5 and miR‐21 detection by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction and inflammatory cytokines determination by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Lnc‐GAS5 was increased in CHD patients compared with controls (2.270 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.676–3.389) vs. 0.999 ([IQR: 0.602–1.409], p < 0.001), whereas miR‐21 showed opposite tread (0.442 [IQR: 0.318–0.698] vs. 0.997 [IQR: 0.774–1.368], p < 0.001). In aspect of their intercorrelation, lnc‐GAS5 negatively linked with miR‐21 in CHD patients (p < 0.001) instead of controls (p = 0.211). Interestingly, among the common biochemical indexes, lnc‐GAS5 related to decreased high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.008) and increased C‐reactive protein (CRP) (p < 0.001), while miR‐21 correlated with lower total cholesterol (p = 0.024) and CRP (p < 0.001) in CHD patients. As stenosis degree, lnc‐GAS5 positively correlated with Gensini score (p < 0.001), but miR‐21 exhibited negative association (p = 0.003) in CHD patients. In terms of inflammatory cytokines, lnc‐GAS5 positively related to tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and interleukin (IL)‐17A, while miR‐21 negatively linked with TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and IL‐17 in CHD patients (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Circulating lnc‐GAS5 and its target miR‐21 exhibit potency to serve as biomarkers for CHD management.
The evaluation of the overexpression of theERG‐11,MDR‐1,CDR‐1, andCDR‐2genes in fluconazole‐resistantCandida albicansisolated from Ahvazian cancer patients with oral candidiasis
Authors: Maheronnaghsh Mehrnoush , Teimoori Ali , Dehghan Parvin , Fatahinia Mahnaz
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Resistance to azole drugs has been observed in candidiasis due to their long‐term use and poor response to treatment. Resistance to azole drugs inCandida albicansisolates is controlled by several genes includingERG11,CDR1,CDR2, andMDR1. In this study, the expression of the mentioned genes was evaluated inC. albicansisolates susceptible and resistant to fluconazole.

Methods

After identifying theCandida isolatesusing morphological and molecular methods, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and drug susceptibility were determined using the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) method. RNA was then extracted and cDNA was synthesized from 24C. albicansisolates from patients with cancer. Then, the mean expressions of these genes were compared in two groups using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).

Results

A total of 74Candidaisolates were obtained from the oral cavity of 61 cancer patients with oral candidiasis. After 24 h, 21.6% of the isolates were fluconazole‐resistant, 10.8% were identified as dose‐dependent, and the rest of the isolates (67.6%) were fluconazole‐sensitive. The mean expressions of theCDR1andMDR1 genes were significantly higher in the resistant isolates than in the sensitive ones. However, theERG11andCDR2 genes were not significantly increased in the resistant isolates.

Conclusion

The increased mean expressions of theCDR1andMDR1 genes had a greater effect on fluconazole resistance among the drug‐resistant strains ofC. albicansin chemotherapy patients. It seemed that the accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs in this organism stimulated some regulatory factors and increased the expression of these two genes and ultimately helped to further increase their expression and resistance to fluconazole.
One‐step and sequential SARSCOV‐2 polymerase chain reaction tests would not work every time
Authors: Hatami Firouze , Rabiei Mohammad Mahdi , Javandoust Gharehbagh Farid , Pourhoseingholi Mohamad Amin , Sabeti Shahram , Kheyrian Mahnaz , Alavi Darazam Ilad
Published: January 2022

Introduction

RT‐PCR is widely used as a diagnostic test for the detection of SARS‐CoV‐2. In this study, we aim to describe the clinical utility of serial PCR testing in the final detection of COVID‐19.

Method

We collected multiple nasopharyngeal swab samples from patients who had negative RT‐PCR test on the first day after hospitalization. RT‐PCR tests were performed on the second day for all patients with initial negative result. For the patients with secondary negative results on day 2, tertiary RT‐PCR tests were performed on day 3 after hospitalization.

Result

Among 68 patients with initial negative test results, at the end of follow‐up, the mortality number was 20 (29.4%). About 33.8% of patients had subsequent positive PCR test results for the second time and 17.4% of the patients who performed third PCR test had positive result.

Conclusion

Based on this study, serial RT‐PCR testing is unlikely to yield additional information.
Theorizing the notion of well‐being in Islam: An update of Ryff's theory of eudaimonic psychological well‐being
Authors: Koburtay Tamer , Syed Jawad , Salhi Nidal Al
Published: January 2022

Prior studies suggest that knowledge about workers' psychological well‐being is overly focused on materialism or biologically‐based understanding, not taking into account the role of spirituality in one's well‐being. Drawing on Ryff's (1989) psychological well‐being framework and using an interdisciplinary approach, this paper offers a model of 'well‐being in Islam' through theorizing this concept from an Islamic lens and contextually studying the implications of Islamic practices and spiritual facilities for employees' psychological well‐being in workplaces. Drawing on qualitative data collected from 22 employees, our model (findings) shows that worshipping Allah, contemplative practices, and patience are key elements of one's well‐being. This paper also points towards the important role of specific spiritual provisions (e.g., designated rooms for prayer, prayer time and ablution facilities) and contemplative practices (e.g., ritualistic‐cyclic, creative process, generative, movement practices, stillness, activist, relational) for Ryff's six dimensions of employees' eudaimonic well‐being. This study is unique as it integrates the notion of well‐being in Islam into management and organization studies and offers a novel and contextual extension of Ryff's theory by integrating a spiritual notion of well‐being. In the end, theoretical and practical implications are offered.
Does the Internal Carotid Artery Attenuate Blood‐Flow Pulsatility in Small Vessel Disease? A 7 T 4D‐Flow MRI Study
Authors: van Tuijl Rick J. , Ruigrok Ynte M. , Geurts Lennart J. , van der Schaaf Irene C. , Biessels Geert Jan , Rinkel Gabriël J. E. , Velthuis Birgitta K. , Zwanenburg Jaco J. M.
Published: January 2022

Background

Increased cerebral blood‐flow pulsatility is associated with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD). Reduced pulsatility attenuation over the internal carotid artery (ICA) could be a contributing factor to the development of cSVD and could be associated with intracranial ICA calcification (iICAC).

Purpose

To compare pulsatility, pulsatility attenuation, and distensibility along the ICA between patients with cSVD and controls and to assess the association between iICAC and pulsatility and distensibility.

Study Type

Retrospective, explorative cross‐sectional study.

Subjects

A total of 17 patients with cSVD, manifested as lacunar infarcts or deep intracerebral hemorrhage, and 17 age‐ and sex‐matched controls.

Field Strength/Sequence

Three‐dimensional (3D) T1‐weighted gradient echo imaging and 4D phase‐contrast (PC) MRI with a 3D time‐resolved velocity encoded gradient echo sequence at 7 T.

Assessment

Blood‐flow velocity pulsatility index (vPI) and arterial distensibility were calculated for seven ICA segments (C1–C7). iICAC presence and volume were determined from available brain CT scans (acquired as part of standard clinical care) in patients with cSVD.

Statistical Tests

Independent t‐tests and linear mixed models. The threshold for statistically significance was P < 0.05 (two tailed).

Results

The cSVD group showed significantly higher ICA vPI and significantly lower distensibility compared to controls. Controls showed significant attenuation of vPI over the carotid siphon (−4.9% ± 3.6%). In contrast, patients with cSVD showed no attenuation, but a significant increase of vPI (+6.5% ± 3.1%). iICAC presence and volume correlated positively with vPI (r = 0.578) in patients with cSVD and negatively with distensibility (r = −0.386).

Conclusion

Decreased distensibility and reduced pulsatility attenuation are associated with increased iICAC and may contribute to cSVD. Confirmation in a larger prospective study is required.

Evidence Level

2

Technical Efficacy

Stage 2
LncRNA LINC00924 upregulates NDRG2 to inhibit epithelial‐mesenchymal transition via sponging miR‐6755‐5p in hepatitis B virus‐related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yu Kai , Mei Yunhua , Wang Zhongyi , Liu Bo , Deng Ming
Published: January 2022

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a life‐threatening cancer. Long noncoding RNAs participate in HBV‐related HCC progression. Based on the bioinformatics analysis, LINC00924 downregulation is positively related to unfavorable outcomes in patients with HBV‐related HCC. Herein, we detected the biological functions and regulatory system of LINC00924 in HCC. The LINC00924 downregulation in HBV‐related HCC tissues and cells was revealed by reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Functionally, as Transwell assays and western blotting indicated, LINC00924 elevation inhibited HCC cell invasion and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). The binding site between LINC00924 and miR‐6755‐5p was determined by luciferase reporter assays. miR‐6755‐5p was confirmed to target NDRG2. miR‐6755‐5p upregulation decreased NDRG2 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels. The mRNA and protein levels of NDRG2 were downregulated in tissues and cells. NDRG2 knockdown attenuated the inhibition induced by LINC00924 overexpression on invasion and EMT of HCC cells. In summary, LINC00924 increases NDRG2 expression to inhibit EMT by targeting miR‐6755‐5p in HBV‐related HCC.