bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Osteocalcin and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Lessons From Two Population-Based Cohorts and Animal Models
Authors: Xia Mingfeng , Rong Shunxing , Zhu Xiaopeng , Yan Hongmei , Chang Xinxia , Sun Xiaoyang , Zeng Hailuan , Li Xiaoming , Zhang Linshan , Chen Lingyan , Wu Li , Ma Hui , Hu Yu , He Wanyuan , Gao Jian , Pan Baishen , Hu Xiqi , Lin Huandong , Bian Hua , Gao Xin 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT
Osteocalcin regulates energy metabolism in an active undercarboxylated/uncarboxylated form. However, its role on the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still controversial. In the current study, we investigated the causal relationship of circulating osteocalcin with NAFLD in two human cohorts and studied the effect of uncarboxylated osteocalcin on liver lipid metabolism through animal models. We analyzed the correlations of serum total/uncarboxylated osteocalcin with liver steatosis/fibrosis in a liver biopsy cohort of 196 participants, and the causal relationship between serum osteocalcin and the incidence/remission of NAFLD in a prospective community cohort of 2055 subjects from Shanghai Changfeng Study. Serum total osteocalcin was positively correlated with uncarboxylated osteocalcin (r = 0.528, p &lt; .001). Total and uncarboxylated osteocalcin quartiles were inversely associated with liver steatosis, inflammation, ballooning, and fibrosis grades in both male and female participants (all p for trend &lt;.05). After adjustment for confounding glucose, lipid, and bone metabolism parameters, the male and female participants with lowest quartile of osteocalcin still had more severe liver steatosis, with multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 7.25 (1.07–49.30) and 4.44 (1.01–19.41), respectively. In the prospective community cohort, after a median of 4.2-year follow-up, the female but not male participants with lowest quartile of osteocalcin at baseline had higher risk to develop NAFLD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–3.16) and lower chance to achieve NAFLD remission (HR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.31–1.00). In wild-type mice fed a Western diet, osteocalcin treatment alleviated hepatic steatosis and reduced hepatic SREBP-1 and its downstream proteins expression. In mice treated with osteocalcin for a short term, hepatic SREBP-1 expression was decreased without changes of glucose level or insulin sensitivity. When SREBP-1c was stably expressed in a human SREBP-1c transgenic rat model, the reduction of lipogenesis induced by osteocalcin treatment was abolished. In conclusion, circulating osteocalcin was inversely associated with NAFLD. Osteocalcin reduces liver lipogenesis via decreasing SREBP-1c expression. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Overcoming multi‐resistant leishmania treatment by nanoencapsulation of potent antimicrobials
Authors: Oliveira Simone SC , Ferreira Carine S , Branquinha Marta H , Santos André LS , Chaud Marco V , Jain Sona , Cardoso Juliana C , Kovačević Anđelka B , Souto Eliana B , Severino Patrícia 
Published: December 2020

AbstractLeishmaniasis corresponds to a group of neglected tropical diseases caused by flagellated protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus. This widely spread illness is found in over 90 countries in tropical and sub‐tropical regions and also in southern Europe. As parasites exclusively infect highly phagocytic cells (macrophages), this aspect can be exploited for targeted delivery making use of nanoparticles. Drug‐loaded nanoparticles have been proposed for improving the bioavailability of classical drugs commonly in use as standard leishmania therapy, to overcome parasitic resistance and side effects and to improve treatment efficacy. Infected macrophages are expected to recognize drug‐loaded nanoparticles, which undergo phagocytosis releasing the drug inside the macrophages. This approach can further be exploited for the development of nanovaccines. This paper provides an overview of the current disease status worldwide, its classical pharmacological treatments and how these can be improved by the use of featured nanoparticles specifically tailored for such a complex disease. Several types of nanoparticles have been proposed while others have already reached clinical trials. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Controllable biotransformation of naringin to prunin by naringinase immobilized on functionalized silica
Authors: Li Qian , Zhang Nan , Sun Xitong , Zhan Honglei , Tian Jing , Fei Xu , Liu Xiangli , Chen Gaojun , Wang Ye 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDMesoporous silica materials, with high specific surface area, tailorable pore size and excellent chemical stability, have wide prospects for application in catalyst carriers. In this work, aldehyde‐modified silica materials were first prepared through silanization reaction of N‐[3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine and then Schiff base reaction of glutaraldehyde. Subsequently, the resulting materials were used for immobilization of naringinase.RESULTSThe results demonstrated that the activity of immobilized naringinase was optimized as 352.83 U g−1 support. The optimal immobilization conditions were determined as follows: immobilization temperature of 30 °C, immobilization time of 3 h, pH of 3.5 and initial naringinase activity of 200.75 U mL−1. In addition, at the optimal reaction temperature of 50 °C and pH of 8.0, the percentage of immobilization, naringinase activity recovery and naringinase activity of the immobilized naringinase reached 56.41%, 93.42% and 423.22 U g−1 support, respectively. Besides, comparing with free naringinase, in the process of naringin hydrolysis, the immobilized naringinase exhibited wide pH application range and good thermal stability, and still maintained 71.13% residual naringinase activity after 1 month of storage. Even more important, the immobilized naringinase could controllably transform naringin to prunin as the only hydrolysis product, and no naringenin was detected, which represents a new route for controllable preparation of prunin.CONCLUSIONSThis study provides an ideal carrier material and some basic data for naringinase immobilization technology, which will greatly promote the application of naringinase and the development of the pharmaceutical industry. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
In search of sulfate‐reducing consortia able to degrade acetate under acidic conditions
Authors: Campos‐Quevedo Nohemi G , Sánchez‐Andrea Irene , López‐Lozano Nguyen E , Stams Alfons JM , Celis Lourdes B 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDSulfate‐reducing microorganisms (SRM) can help to remediate acidic effluents containing metals. One drawback of sulfate reduction is that some SRM do not completely oxidize the substrate to CO2 and acetic acid may remain as a byproduct, affecting the process efficiency. Acidic environments are a potential source of sulfate‐reducers able to thrive in acidic conditions. This work aimed to develop cultivable consortia of sulfate‐reducing microorganisms able to consume acetate at acidic pHs and analyze their community composition.RESULTSStarting from sediment enrichments from a natural acidic source, by successive transfers and combinations of electron donors and pHs we obtained seven sulfate‐reducing consortia. All of the consortia consumed the acetate produced from the incomplete oxidation of the substrate (lactate or glycerol) and used 53–75% of the reducing equivalents for sulfate reduction. The sulfide production rate of the consortia was between 0.22 and 0.26 mmol L−1 day–1 in the pH range 3–6, being slightly higher at acidic conditions (pH 4–5). The microbial diversity of the consortia was dominated by 21 operational taxonomic units, including taxa of acetotrophic sulfate reducers (i.e. Desulfotomaculum and Desulfatirhabdium) and fermenting bacteria.CONCLUSIONThe consortia reported here have the potential to serve as inoculum for sulfate‐reducing bioreactors and could help to overcome acetate accumulation at low pHs. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Integrating Genetic Data and Demographic Modeling to Facilitate Conservation of Small, Isolated Mountain Goat Populations
Authors: White Kevin S. , Levi Taal , Breen Jessica , Britt Meghan , Meröndun Justin , Martchenko Daria , Shakeri Yasaman N. , Porter Boyd , Shafer Aaron B. A. 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACTAcquisition of field data and analytical methods needed for conservation and management of wildlife populations represent significant challenges, particularly for species that inhabit landscapes that are difficult to access or species that persist in small, isolated populations. In such instances, integrating diverse and complementary data streams, such as genetic and non‐genetic data, can advance our understanding of population dynamics and associated management implications. We examined how genetic and morphologic data can be used to articulate population structure of a low‐density, peninsular population of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) on the Cleveland Peninsula, Alaska, USA, and surrounding areas, 2005–2018. We then use a population demographic modeling approach to examine how the use of population structure information influences sustainable harvest quotas, as compared to a panmictic, null model. Specifically, we conducted extensive field sampling of genetic (n = 446) and morphologic (i.e., horn length, n = 371) data to characterize population structure. We conducted demographic analyses and examined harvest modeling scenarios using a sex‐ and age‐specific matrix population modeling approach. Genetic and morphologic data analyses suggested peninsular subpopulations were demographically isolated, relative to surrounding mainland populations. Specifically, genetic structuring was evident and followed an isolation‐by‐distance, stepping‐stone pattern indicating limited interchange, low effective population sizes, and reduced genetic diversity along a peninsular extremity to mainland gradient. Harvest modeling indicated that overharvest would likely occur if the panmictic, null model was used to guide harvest because the smallest genetically defined population at the peninsular extremity was too small to permit any level of sustainable harvest. Our analyses illustrate the importance of using genetic and morphologic data, in combination with demographic modeling, to quantitatively delineate population boundaries and dynamics for ensuring viability of small, isolated populations. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Subelliptic Gevrey spaces
Authors: Fischer Véronique , Ruzhansky Michael , Taranto Chiara Alba 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIn this paper, we define and study Gevrey spaces associated with a Hörmander family of (globally defined) vector fields and its corresponding sub‐Laplacian. We show some natural relations between the various Gevrey spaces in this setting on general manifolds, and more particular properties on Lie groups with polynomial growth of the volume. In the case of the Heisenberg group and of , we show that all our descriptions coincide.
Polymer‐Based Mechanochromic Composite Material Using Encapsulated Systems
Authors: Calvino Céline 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe development of mechanochromic or self‐reporting polymers that can indicate damage or fatigue of materials with an optical signal has become of paramount interest to ensure the reliability of the materials and prevent catastrophic failure. This technology can potentially find usefulness for various applications, including in situ monitoring of mechanical events and structural health monitoring systems. An emerging and versatile approach to achieve mechanochromic properties relies on the encapsulation of dye solutions that can be released and activated (chemically or physically) when the walls of the capsules are mechanically damaged. While the mechanochromic effect can be achieved with different types of dyes and operating principles, this framework can also be designed with encapsulating‐containers of different shapes and shell materials, such as microcapsules, hollow glass fibers, vascular networks, and micelles, making this concept applicable to a broad range of polymer matrices. An overview of the different encapsulation approaches that have been employed to prepare mechanochromic polymers is given, with a focus on the containers used for this purpose. A brief description of the containers’ preparation is provided, and their associated chromic operating principles and progress in their designs are reviewed.
Reactions of Zirconium (IV) n‐Propoxide with SiH‐Functional Polysiloxanes as a Route to Siloxane–Zirconium Hybrid Materials with Enhanced Refractive Index
Authors: Rubinsztajn Slawomir , Chojnowski Julian , Mizerska Urszula , Basko Malgorzata , Uznanski Pawel , Walkiewicz‐Pietrzykowska Agnieszka , Cypryk Marek 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe reaction of poly(hydromethylsiloxane‐co‐methylphenylsiloxane) with zirconium (IV) n‐propoxide in dry toluene leads to extensive scission of the siloxane chain and conversion of Si‐H groups. These processes produce oligomeric siloxanes and organosilanes containing moisture sensitive propoxy and siloxy‐zirconate groups. The obtained post‐reaction solution of zirconium containing heterosiloxane oligomers is stable under anhydrous conditions for several weeks. However, its exposure to moisture initiates the hydrolytic condensation of the reactive groups leading to cross‐linking and the formation of a siloxane–zirconium composite. Spin coating of the siloxane–zirconium prepolymer followed by exposure to moisture produces thin films with excellent light transparency and increased refractive index. The final coatings are characterized by ellipsometry, UV–Vis, IR, and 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopies.
The association of MOV10 polymorphism and expression levels with preeclampsia in the Chinese Han population
Authors: Tang Qian , Wang Ling , Cai Renmei , Zhang Lu , Zhang Xiaoxiao , Liu Xuemei , Liu Shiguo 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundTo assess the relationship between MOV10 rs2932538 polymorphism and susceptibility to preeclampsia (PE) in the Chinese Han population and to investigate whether the placental expression of MOV10 have association with PE.MethodsWe enrolled 1021 pregnant women with PE and 1594 normotensive pregnant women to analyze genotyping of MOV10 rs2932538. Clinical data and related test results of all subjects were collected and analyzed. For volunteers providing placentas, real‐time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were applied to assess the expression level of MOV10.ResultsThere was significant statistical difference between preeclamptic patients and healthy subjects in genotype distributions and alleles. The frequencies of genotypes TT+CT were significantly associated with the increased risk of preeclampsia. Besides, T alleles were found to be related to a higher risk of PE. Significant statistical difference was also observed on distributions of genotype in PE without/with severe features group compared or early onset/late onset versus controls. The placental expression of MOV10 was lower in preeclamptic women, however, no relationship was found between MOV10 expression level and MOV10 rs2932538 genotypes.ConclusionThis study suggests that MOV10 rs2932538 polymorphism may be associated with PE susceptibility in the Chinese Han population. The placental expression of MOV10 decrease in PE but have no relationship with rs2932538 polymorphism.
Fast evaluation of lightning electromagnetic fields based on matrix pencil method in time domain
Authors: Zhang Yin , Liao Cheng , Shang Yuping 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe time domain expression of the lightning electromagnetic fields (LEMF) contains multiple integration processes, and the direct solution tends to take up a lot of calculation time. In this paper, the structure of the time domain expression of the LEMF is analyzed, the idea that using the matrix pencil method to realize the fast evaluation of the LEMF is proposed, and the feasibility of this method for calculating the LEMF is discussed. Besides, several numerical examples are given to prove the efficiency and correctness of the proposed method when the parameters of the observation point and ground are varied.
Leptin and Adiponectin Concentrations Independently Predict Future Accumulation of Visceral Fat in Nondiabetic Japanese Americans
Authors: Song Sun Ok , Han Seung Jin , Kahn Steven E. , Leonetti Donna L. , Fujimoto Wilfred Y. , Boyko Edward J. 
Published: December 2020

ObjectiveWhether leptin and adiponectin are independently associated with regional body fat distribution was investigated in a prospective study of Japanese Americans.MethodsNondiabetic participants 39 to 79 years of age were followed for 5 years to assess change in body composition. Leptin and adiponectin concentrations were evaluated at baseline and by single‐slice computed tomography measurements of intra‐abdominal fat (IAF), abdominal subcutaneous fat (SCF), and thigh SCF cross‐sectional areas at baseline and at 5 years.ResultsNinety‐six men and ninety‐five women without diabetes had the following baseline mean (SD) values: age 45.7 (3.5) years and 46.4 (3.9) years, IAF 78.7 (38.6) cm2 and 62.1 (39.0) cm2, leptin concentration 4.5 (2.3) μg/L and 10.2 (5.2) μg/L, and adiponectin concentration 7.4 (3.2) μg/mL and 10.8 (4.7) μg/mL, respectively. Baseline leptin (β = 1.7722, P = 0.014) and adiponectin concentrations (β = −0.4162, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with IAF change over 5 years in multivariable models adjusting for age, sex, diabetes family history, weight change over 5 years, and baseline measurements of BMI, IAF, abdominal SCF, waist circumference, thigh fat, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance.ConclusionsIn nondiabetic Japanese Americans, a higher concentration of leptin was associated with greater accumulation of IAF and a higher concentration of adiponectin with lesser accumulation of IAF over 5 years.
Nanocrystalline‐silicon hole contact layers enabling efficiency improvement of silicon heterojunction solar cells: Impact of nanostructure evolution on solar cell performance
Authors: Umishio Hiroshi , Sai Hitoshi , Koida Takashi , Matsui Takuya 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHydrogenated amorphous silicon (a‐Si:H) is a key enabler in high‐efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells known as the silicon heterojunction technology. Although efforts have been devoted to replacing doped a‐Si:H contact layer by hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc‐Si:H) to take advantage of its superior optoelectrical properties, it is still unclear whether the nc‐Si:H outperforms the a‐Si:H at the high efficiency level. Here, we show that boron‐doped (p)nc‐Si:H prepared by plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) acts as an efficient hole contact layer, providing not only a mitigation of the parasitic absorption loss but also improvements in passivation and electrical contact properties. This results in an efficiency increase by 0.3%–0.6% absolute compared to the reference cell with the (p)a‐Si:H, and a best cell efficiency of 23.54%. We find that the critical thickness of the (p)nc‐Si:H layers required for gaining high efficiency (tc ~ 15–30 nm) is a factor of 3–6 greater than that of the (p)a‐Si:H. UV Raman spectroscopy and electrical conductivity measurements reveal that the tc of the (p)nc‐Si:H is associated with the layer growth needing for the surface coalescence of nanocrystals, determining the hole selectivity and the contact resistivity at the electrode/(p)nc‐Si:H interface. Our results suggest that such nanostructure evolution can be hastened by using a very‐high‐frequency PECVD process.
Effect of temperature and incident ion energy on nanostructure formation on silicon exposed to helium plasma
Authors: Thompson Matt , Shi Quan , Kajita Shin , Ohno Noriyasu , Corr Cormac 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHelium plasma can be used to deliver low‐energy (<100 eV) helium ions to stimulate the growth of nanostructures on silicon surfaces. This can produce a wide range of surface features including nanoscale roughening, nanowires and porous structures. In this study, nanostructure sizes varied from ∼10 to over 100 nm in diameter. The effect of these structures on surface reflectivity for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications is also investigated. Broadband suppression of photoreflectivity is achieved across the 300–1,200 nm wavelength range studied for silicon exposed to helium plasma at 600°C, with an average reflectivity of 3.2% and 2.9% for incident helium ion energies of 42 and 62 eV, respectively.
Short and long‐term outcomes of chronic pulmonary hypertension in preterm infants managed using a standardized algorithm
Authors: Baczynski Michelle , Kelly Edmond , McNamara Patrick J. , Shah Prakesh S. , Jain Amish 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundThere is limited data on management strategies for chronic pulmonary hypertension (cPH) in chronic lung disease (CLD) of prematurity. Our objective was to evaluate clinical outcomes following a standardized policy, wherein only cPH with right‐ventricular (RV) dilatation was treated and diuretics were employed as first‐line therapy; cPH without RV‐dilatation was managed expectantly.MethodIn this retrospective cohort study, all infants with CLD were categorized as “CLD‐only” or “CLD–cPH,” using echocardiography at ≥36 weeks postmenstrual age. Intergroup comparison was performed. Regression analysis examined the association between cPH and primary outcome of death or disability at 18–24 months.ResultsOf 128 CLD infants, 48 (38%) had cPH, of which 29 (60%) received diuretics. Symptomatic improvement within 1‐week was recorded in 90%. Although CLD–cPH had worse in‐hospital respiratory course than CLD‐only, all post‐discharge respiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes were similar. cPH was not associated with death or disability (adjusted odds ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.32–3.27). Disease progression treated with sildenafil occurred in 2 (4%) cases. There was no death from respiratory or RV failure.ConclusionPrimary treatment of CLD–cPH with diuretics using RV‐dilatation as therapeutic threshold, may result in symptomatic improvement, disease stabilization and post‐discharge outcomes comparable to infants without cPH.
Mepolizumab use in cystic fibrosis‐associated allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Boyle Maeve , Mulrennan Siobhain , Morey Sue , Vekaria Sona , Popowicz Natalia , Tai Anna 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAllergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is common in cystic fibrosis (CF). Treatment is challenging and the relapse rate is high. Standard therapy is oral steroids and antifungals. However, long‐term systemic steroid often results in adverse effects and drug interactions between azoles and CFTR modulators are a potential concern. Mepolizumab, an anti‐interleukin (IL)‐5 monoclonal antibody, can benefit patients with severe eosinophilic asthma and there are reports of mepolizumab use in ABPA but not in ABPA complicating CF. We present the case of an adult with CF who had recurrent ABPA and intolerable treatment side effects with steroid, azole, and omalizumab. Mepolizumab was well tolerated and led to significantly improved clinical stability and symptomatic improvement. To our knowledge, this is the first report of successful mepolizumab treatment for ABPA in CF. Mepolizumab may be an important adjunctive treatment for difficult to control ABPA in CF.