bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Chinese propolis on dental pulp stem cell viability, migration and cytokine expression
Authors: Park Ha Bin , Dinh Yen , Yesares Rubi Pilar , Gibbs Jennifer L. , Michot Benoit 
Published: December 2024

Background
Propolis is a natural substance produced by honeybees that has various biological properties including, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Although previous studies have evaluated the antimicrobial effects of propolis in dentistry, its effects on dental pulp stem cell (DPSC) viability, migration, and differentiation are yet not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Chinese propolis on viability/proliferation, migration, differentiation and cytokine expression in DPSCs.

Methods
Commercially available DPSCs (Lonza) were treated with aqueous extract of propolis (AEP) or ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), and viability/proliferation was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays and quantification of nuclear staining. DPSC differentiation into mineralizing cells was evaluated with Alizarin red staining and cell migration was assessed using Boyden Chamber Transwell inserts. Cytokine expression was measured by RT-qPCR. AEP and EEP at 0.03 and 0.1 mg/mL did not affect DPSC viability/proliferation for up to 7-days treatment.

Results
Higher doses (0.33–33 mg/mL) induced a dose dependent decrease in DPSC viability/proliferation with a more prominent effect with EEP at 7 days. Neither AEP nor EEP induced DPSC differentiation into mineralizing cells, but both AEP and EEP (0.03–0.1 mg/ml) induced a dose dependent increase in DPSC migration. In addition, EEP prevents the upregulation of IL1b and IL6 but not IL8 and CCL2 in response to lipopolysaccharide stimulation. AEP has less potent anti-inflammatory effects and prevents only IL1b upregulation.

Conclusion
This study provides new information about the biologic properties of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of propolis and shows that propolis, at doses that do not affect cell viability, induces DPSC migration and has anti-inflammatory properties. These data highlight the potential use of propolis as an alternative intra-canal medicament for regenerative endodontic procedures.
Exploring the Relationship between Dietary Patterns and Mental Health
Authors: K.P. Sivakumar , S.SriAmirthavarshini  , A.Vijayakumar  , A.Kalaiselvan  , T.Balaji  
Published: December 2024

Dietary patterns play a crucial role in shaping mental health, as they influence the availability of essential nutrients that support brain function and emotional regulation. The high intake of antioxidants and healthy fats supports brain health, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. For example, in patients with depression, markers of systemic inflammation are often significantly greater than in controls, which is indicative of immune system dysregulation. The potential importance of the relationship between dietary patterns or quality and mental health early in the life span. Prospective and intervention studies are now required to improve the level of evidence. Given that the average age of onset for anxiety and mood disorders is 6 years and 13 years, respectively, the potential for early intervention using strategies targeted at improving dietary intake at a population level may be of substantial public health benefit. However, this would require policy action to improve the global food environment. Diets high in processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats are linked to an increased risk of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. Prioritizing a balanced, nutritious diet can therefore play a crucial role in preventing mental health issues and enhancing overall well-being.
Techno-economic assessment for energy transition from diesel-based to hybrid energy system-based off-grids in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Shamma’a Abdullrahman Abdullah , Alturki Fahd A. , Farh Hassan M. H. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractHybrid energy power plants are remarkable option for the electrification of isolated areas, which commonly fulfill their energy demand by means of diesel generators. An energy combination comprising also PV or wind systems would lead to a reduction of costs and is, therefore, being gradually esteemed. In this paper, an optimal sizing approach was established based on a long-term energy analysis, to study the techno-economic feasibility of different hybrid systems proposed to electrify an isolated area located in the north of Saudi Arabia under different fuel cost scenarios. For each fuel cost scenario, the hybrid system has been designed and optimized to get a maximum renewable penetration ratio at a low cost of energy. An optimization model based on genetic algorithm is developed to determine the optimum hybrid systems. Three different systems are studied, with different diesel price, to relatively analyze the different hybrid systems and the result reveals that PV/battery/diesel with zero LPSP is the most cost-effective system for the proposed remote area. Sensitivity analysis reveals that that the hybrid systems is the most economically choice even if the solar radiation decreases to half. It also found that irrespective of the wind speed, PV/battery/diesel system is the optimal choice if the wind speed is less than about 6.75 m/s. At solar radiation and wind speed less than 1500 W/m2, 5.6 m/s, respectively, diesel only system is cost effective. According to the present results, there is a good economic prospective to shift the diesel plants to hybrid systems, with cost reduction opportunities of around 41% of the cost of energy.
Research of mechanical and electrical properties of Cu–Sc and Cu–Zr alloys
Authors: Franczak Krystian , Kwaśniewski Paweł , Kiesiewicz Grzegorz , Zasadzińska Małgorzata , Jurkiewicz Bartosz , Strzępek Paweł , Rdzawski Zbigniew 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe research paper presents the impact of the scandium additive and various conditions of the heat treatment on copper mechanical, electrical and heat resistance properties. The performed research works included manufacturing of CuSc0.15 and CuSc0.3 alloys through metallurgical synthesis with the use of induction furnace and following crystallization in graphite crucibles at ambient temperature. Additionally, a CuZr0.15 alloy was produced as a reference material for previously synthesized Cu–Sc alloys. During research, the selection of heat treatment for the produced materials was conducted in order to obtain the highest mechanical–electrical properties ratio. Materials obtained in such a way were next subjected to thermal resistance tests. Parameters of thermal resistance test included temperatures from the range of 200–700 °C and 1 h of annealing time. The research has shown that CuSc0.15 and CuSc0.3 alloys have higher heat resistance after their precipitation hardening compared to the Cu–Zr alloy. The paper also presents microstructural research of the produced materials, which showed that alloying elements precipitates are mainly localized at the grain boundaries of the material structure.
All-optical control of exciton flow in a colloidal quantum well complex
Authors: Yu Junhong , Sharma Manoj , Sharma Ashma , Delikanli Savas , Volkan Demir Hilmi , Dang Cuong 
Published: February 2020

AbstractExcitonics, an alternative to romising for processing information since semiconductor electronics is rapidly approaching the end of Moore’s law. Currently, the development of excitonic devices, where exciton flow is controlled, is mainly focused on electric-field modulation or exciton polaritons in high-Q cavities. Here, we show an all-optical strategy to manipulate the exciton flow in a binary colloidal quantum well complex through mediation of the Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) by stimulated emission. In the spontaneous emission regime, FRET naturally occurs between a donor and an acceptor. In contrast, upon stronger excitation, the ultrafast consumption of excitons by stimulated emission effectively engineers the excitonic flow from the donors to the acceptors. Specifically, the acceptors’ stimulated emission significantly accelerates the exciton flow, while the donors’ stimulated emission almost stops this process. On this basis, a FRET-coupled rate equation model is derived to understand the controllable exciton flow using the density of the excited donors and the unexcited acceptors. The results will provide an effective all-optical route for realizing excitonic devices under room temperature operation.
Graphene-based sensing of oxygen transport through pulmonary membranes
Authors: Kim Mijung , Porras-Gomez Marilyn , Leal Cecilia 
Published: February 2020

AbstractLipid-protein complexes are the basis of pulmonary surfactants covering the respiratory surface and mediating gas exchange in lungs. Cardiolipin is a mitochondrial lipid overexpressed in mammalian lungs infected by bacterial pneumonia. In addition, increased oxygen supply (hyperoxia) is a pathological factor also critical in bacterial pneumonia. In this paper we fabricate a micrometer-size graphene-based sensor to measure oxygen permeation through pulmonary membranes. Combining oxygen sensing, X-ray scattering, and Atomic Force Microscopy, we show that mammalian pulmonary membranes suffer a structural transformation induced by cardiolipin. We observe that cardiolipin promotes the formation of periodic protein–free inter–membrane contacts with rhombohedral symmetry. Membrane contacts, or stalks, promote a significant increase in oxygen gas permeation which may bear significance for alveoli gas exchange imbalance in pneumonia.
Mechanochemical synthesis of pillar[5]quinone derived multi-microporous organic polymers for radioactive organic iodide capture and storage
Authors: Jie Kecheng , Zhou Yujuan , Sun Qi , Li Bo , Zhao Run , Jiang De-en , Guo Wei , Chen Hao , Yang Zhenzhen , Huang Feihe , Dai Sheng 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe incorporation of supramolecular macrocycles into porous organic polymers may endow the material with enhanced uptake of specific guests through host−guest interactions. Here we report a solvent and catalyst-free mechanochemical synthesis of pillar[5]quinone (P5Q) derived multi-microporous organic polymers with hydrophenazine linkages (MHP-P5Q), which show a unique 3-step N2 adsorption isotherm. In comparison with analogous microporous hydrophenazine-linked organic polymers (MHPs) obtained using simple twofold benzoquinones, MHP-P5Q is demonstrated to have a superior performance in radioactive iodomethane (CH3I) capture and storage. Mechanistic studies show that the rigid pillar[5]arene cavity has additional binding sites though host−guest interactions as well as the halogen bond (−I⋯N = C−) and chemical adsorption in the multi-microporous MHP-P5Q mainly account for the rapid and high-capacity adsorption and long-term storage of CH3I.
Spectral cues are necessary to encode azimuthal auditory space in the mouse superior colliculus
Authors: Ito Shinya , Si Yufei , Feldheim David A. , Litke Alan M. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractSound localization plays a critical role in animal survival. Three cues can be used to compute sound direction: interaural timing differences (ITDs), interaural level differences (ILDs) and the direction-dependent spectral filtering by the head and pinnae (spectral cues). Little is known about how spectral cues contribute to the neural encoding of auditory space. Here we report on auditory space encoding in the mouse superior colliculus (SC). We show that the mouse SC contains neurons with spatially-restricted receptive fields (RFs) that form an azimuthal topographic map. We found that frontal RFs require spectral cues and lateral RFs require ILDs. The neurons with frontal RFs have frequency tunings that match the spectral structure of the specific head and pinna filter for sound coming from the front. These results demonstrate that patterned spectral cues in combination with ILDs give rise to the topographic map of azimuthal auditory space.
Garlic alters the expression of putative virulence factor genes SIR2 and ECE1 in vulvovaginal C. albicans isolates
Authors: Said Mohamed M. , Watson Cathy , Grando Danilla 
Published: February 2020

AbstractVulvovaginal candidiasis causes sufferers much discomfort. Phytotherapy with garlic has been reported to be a possible alternative form of treatment; however, it is unknown why patients report varying success with this strategy. Fresh garlic extract has been shown to down-regulate the putative virulence gene, SIR2 in C. albicans. Our study aimed to see if previous observations were reproducible for the gene responsible for Candidalysin (ECE1). Two clinical strains from patients with reported variable efficacy of using garlic for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis were compared through biofilm assays and antimicrobial susceptibility. Real-time PCR was used to assess changes in gene expression when exposed to garlic. Treatment with fresh garlic extract and pure allicin (an active compound produced in cut garlic) resulted in a decrease in SIR2 expression in all strains. In contrast, ECE1 expression was up-regulated in a reference strain and an isolate from a patient unresponsive to garlic therapy, while in an isolate from a patient responsive to garlic therapy, down-regulation of ECE1 occurred. Future studies that investigate the effectiveness of phytotherapies should take into account possible varying responses of individual strains and that gene expression may be amplified in the presence of serum.
Breakdown of the electric dipole approximation at Cooper minima in direct two-photon ionisation
Authors: Hofbrucker J. , Volotka A. V. , Fritzsche S. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWe predict breakdown of the electric dipole approximation at nonlinear Cooper minimum in direct two-photon K–shell atomic ionisation by circularly polarised light. According to predictions based on the electric dipole approximation, we expect that tuning the incident photon energy to the Cooper minimum in two-photon ionisation results in pure depletion of one spin projection of the initially bound 1s electrons, and hence, leaves the ionised atom in a fully oriented state. We show that by inclusion of electric quadrupole interaction, dramatic drop of orientation purity is obtained. The low degree of the remaining ion orientation provides a direct access to contributions of the electron-photon interaction beyond the electric dipole approximation in the two-photon ionisation of atoms and molecules. The orientation of the photoions can be experimentally detected either directly by a Stern-Gerlach analyzer, or by means of subsequent Kα fluorescence emission, which has the information about the ion orientation imprinted in the polarisation of the emitted photons.
Neuroestrogen synthesis modifies neural representations of learned song without altering vocal imitation in developing songbirds
Authors: Vahaba Daniel M. , Hecsh Amelia , Remage-Healey Luke 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBirdsong learning, like human speech, depends on the early memorization of auditory models, yet how initial auditory experiences are formed and consolidated is unclear. In songbirds, a putative cortical locus is the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM), and one mechanism to facilitate auditory consolidation is 17β-estradiol (E2), which is associated with human speech-language development, and is abundant in both NCM and human temporal cortex. Circulating and NCM E2 levels are dynamic during learning, suggesting E2’s involvement in encoding recent auditory experiences. Therefore, we tested this hypothesis in juvenile male songbirds using a comprehensive assessment of neuroanatomy, behavior, and neurophysiology. First, we found that brain aromatase expression, and thus the capacity to synthesize neuroestrogens, remains high in the auditory cortex throughout development. Further, while systemic estrogen synthesis blockade suppressed juvenile song production, neither systemic nor unilateral E2 synthesis inhibition in NCM disrupted eventual song imitation. Surprisingly, early life neuroestrogen synthesis blockade in NCM enhanced the neural representations of both the birds’ own song and the tutor song in NCM and a downstream sensorimotor region, HVC, respectively. Taken together, these findings indicate that E2 plays a multifaceted role during development, and that, contrary to prediction, tutor song memorization is unimpaired by unilateral estrogen synthesis blockade in the auditory cortex.
Uncovering pathophysiological changes in frontotemporal dementia using serum lipids
Authors: Phan Katherine , He Ying , Pickford Russell , Bhatia Surabhi , Katzeff Jared S. , Hodges John R. , Piguet Olivier , Halliday Glenda M. , Kim Woojin Scott 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBlood serum is enriched in lipids and has provided a platform to understand the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases with improved diagnosis and development of biomarkers. Understanding lipid changes in neurodegenerative diseases is particularly important because of the fact that lipids make up >50% of brain tissues. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a common cause of early onset dementia, characterized by brain atrophy in the frontal and temporal regions, concomitant loss of lipids and dyslipidemia. However, little is known about the link between dyslipidemia and FTD pathophysiology. Here, we utilized an innovative approach – lipidomics based on mass spectrometry – to investigate three key aspects of FTD pathophysiology – mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress. We analyzed the lipids that are intrinsically linked to neurodegeneration in serum collected from FTD patients and controls. We found that cardiolipin, acylcarnitine, lysophosphatidylcholine, platelet-activating factor, o-acyl-ω-hydroxy fatty acid and acrolein were specifically altered in FTD with strong correlation between the lipids, signifying pathophysiological changes in FTD. The lipid changes were verified by measurement of the common disease markers (e.g. ATP, cytokine, calcium) using conventional assays. When put together, these results support the use of lipidomics technology to detect pathophysiological changes in FTD.
Habitat patches for newts in the face of climate change: local scale assessment combining niche modelling and graph theory
Authors: Préau Clémentine , Grandjean Frédéric , Sellier Yann , Gailledrat Miguel , Bertrand Romain , Isselin-Nondedeu Francis 
Published: February 2020

AbstractTriturus cristatusandTriturus marmoratusare two protected and declining newts occurring in the administrative department of Vienne, in France. They have limited dispersal abilities and rely on the connectivity between habitats and their suitability. In a warming climate, the locations of suitable habitats are expected to change, as is the connectivity. Here, we wondered how climate change might affect shifts in habitat suitability and connectivity of habitat patches, as connectivity is a key element enabling species to realize a potential range shift. We used ecological niche modelling (ENM), combining large-scale climate suitability with local scale, high-resolution habitat features, to identify suitable areas for the two species, under low and high warming scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5). We associated it with connectivity assessment through graph theory. The variable ‘small ponds’ contributed most to land cover-only ENMs for both species. Projections with climate change scenarios revealed a potential impact of warming on suitable habitat patches for newts, especially forT. cristatus. We observed a decrease in connectivity following a decrease in patch suitability. Our results highlight the important areas for newt habitat connectivity within the study area, and define those potentially threatened by climate warming. We provide information for prioritizing sites for acquisition, protection or restoration, and to advise landscape policies. Our framework is a useful and easily reproducible way to combine global climate requirements of the species with detailed information on species habitats and occurrence when available.
Identification of risk factors for morbidity and mortality after Hartmann’s reversal surgery – a retrospective study from two French centers
Authors: Christou Niki , Rivaille Thibaud , Maulat Charlotte , Taibi Abdelkader , Fredon Fabien , Bouvier Stephane , Fabre Anne , Derbal Sophiane , Durand-Fontanier Sylvaine , Valleix Denis , Robert-Yap Joan , Muscari Fabrice , Mathonnet Muriel 
Published: February 2020

AbstractHartmann’s reversal procedures are often fraught with complications or failure to recover. This being a fact, it is often difficult to select patients with the optimal indications for a reversal. The post-recovery morbidity and mortality rates in the literature are heterogeneous between 0.8 and 44%. The identification of predictive risk factors of failure of such interventions would therefore be very useful to help the practitioner in his approach. Given these elements, it was important to us to analyze the practice of two French university hospitals in order to highlight such risk factors and to allow surgeons to select the best therapeutic strategy. We performed a bicentric observational retrospective study between 2010 and 2015 that studied the characteristics of patients who had undergone Hartmann surgery and were subsequently reestablished. The aim of the study was to identify factors influencing morbidity and postoperative mortality of Hartmann’s reversal. Primary outcome was complications within the first 90 postoperative days. 240 patients were studied of which 60.4% were men. The mean age was 69.48 years. The median time to reversal was 8 months. 79.17% of patients were operated as emergency cases where the indication was a diverticular complication (39.17%). Seventy patients (29.2%) underwent a reversal and approximately 43% of these had complications within the first 90 postoperative days. The mean age of these seventy patients was 61.3 years old and 65.7% were males. None of them benefited from a reversal in the first three months. We identified some risk factors for morbidity such as pre-operative low albuminemia (p = 0.005) and moderate renal impairment (p = 0.019). However, chronic corticosteroid use (p = 0.004), moderate renal insufficiency (p = 0.014) and coronary artery disease (p = 0.014) seem to favour the development of anastomotic fistula, which is itself, a risk factor for mortality (p = 0.007). Our study highlights an important rate of complications including significant anastomotic fistula after Hartmann’s reversal. Precarious nutritional status and cardiovascular comorbidities should clearly lead us to reconsider the surgical indication for continuity restoration.