bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preparation, characterization and antioxidant activity of microspheres made of cellulose triacetate (CTA) to control the release of vitamin C
Authors: Khaldia Sediri , Lamia Bennabi , Yasmina Khane , Lahcene Belarbi 
Published: February 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDBiodegradable polymers of natural origin have shown great interest in release of active substances such as antioxidants as a quercetin or ascorbic acid (AA) given its interest in human health, the aim of this study is to make sure of the dissolution of this active ingredient in two reconstituted pH 1.2 (stomach) and pH 7.4, for this it is very important to choose the right matrix and the right method to prepare the good formulations, cellulose acetate is a very important polymer given its easy of obtaining by simple extraction of cotton with good yield using acetic acid and acetic anhydride.RESULTSIn this work, we encapsulate AA with a mixture of polymers of cellulose triacetate (CTA) and ethylcellulose (EC) as a semi‐crystalline structure by solvent evaporation method. The shape and size of the resulting microspheres were carried out by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interactions between the active ingredient and the polymers have been studied by Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) and carbon‐13 (13C)‐NMR. The results have been shown that the CTA gives a good rapid release of AA at levels relatively higher than 20% which is better in pH 7.4, this is due to the amorphous structure of the matrix used revealed by XRD. When changing the composition of the formulation (EC–CTA), the release rate of the AA is increased and has considerably modified the polydispersity and the shape of the microspheres prepared.CONCLUSIONWe found that the release of AA is more easily achieved in pH 7.4 medium than in the acid medium and this may suggest that this medium promotes the release of AA. The study of antioxidant activity can conclude that the encapsulation by solvent evaporation is a method which preserves the antioxidant character of the active agent using CTA as a matrix. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Thyroid carcinoma metastasizing to the submandibular gland: Sonographic findings
Authors: Golant Brandon T. , Velez‐Perez Anneliese , Krishnamurthy Savitri , Guo Ming , Mousavi Shima , Hu Mimi I. , Varghese Jeena M. , Zafereo Mark E. , Debnam James M. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractMetastases to the submandibular gland are extremely rare; a literature search retuned only three previously reported cases from a thyroid gland primary site. Herein, we report two cases of metastatic thyroid carcinoma to the submandibular gland in a 64‐year‐old woman with PTC and a 70‐year‐old‐woman with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The metastases were identified on CT and PET/CT in one case and on CT in the other case, but both were diagnosed with ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration. Our cases highlight that while rare, both PTC and MTC can metastasize to the submandibular gland.
OPN is a promising serological biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis
Authors: Zhu Mingyu , Zheng Jie , Wu Fei , Kang Bin , Liang Ji , Heskia Fabienne , Zhang Xinxin , Shan Yunfeng 
Published: February 2020

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 90% of cases of liver cancer and is one of the most common and lethal malignancies among all cancers. Current screening practices in high‐risk populations using ultrasound and serological α‐fetoprotein (AFP) have significantly reduced HCC mortality. However, considering the highly operative‐dependent nature of ultrasound and dissatisfactory diagnostic performance of AFP, there is an unfulfilled need for a biomarker that can be used in HCC‐related at‐risk population screening. Here, sera from 322 patients, including 105 cases of chronic hepatitis (CH), 116 of liver cirrhosis (LC), and 101 of HCC, were collected. Two biomarkers, osteopontin (OPN) and dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK1), were evaluated and compared with AFP alone and in combination. In our data, the serum OPN level increased significantly in HCC even in tumors of less than 2 cm. The area under the curve (AUC) reached 0.851, much higher than AFP and DKK1, with 79.21% sensitivity and 79.64% specificity at optimal cutoff in all of the samples. In AFP‐negative samples, serum OPN also performed well with an AUC of 0.838. The combination of AFP and OPN improved diagnosis performance significantly when compared with AFP alone. However, the DKK1 level showed an increase in HCC only compared with the LC group. The AUC does not improve significantly when added into the binary logistic model. We conclude that OPN, but not DKK1, is a promising biomarker for HCC diagnosis.
Vacuolar targeting of aldehyde dehydrogenase 6 tagging with signal peptide of proteinase A
Authors: Park Dong J. , Choi Wooil , Bang Seung H. , Kim Sang Y. , Wee Ji‐Hyang , Kim Yang‐Hoon , Min Jiho 
Published: February 2020

AbstractVacuoles are useful materials with antimicrobial and anticancerous properties. Vacuolar proteins can discompose macromolecules from the outside of yeast cells. The objective of this study was to determine the function of a protein transported into a vacuole. Specifically, cytosolic protein aldehyde dehydrogenase 6 (ALD6) was used for the delivery to the vacuole. To transport cytosolic protein to the vacuole in this study, a transfer vector including a signal peptide sequence isolated from vacuolar protein proteinase A was designed. A signal peptide is an amino acid sequence in front of the transported protein. Signal peptides have various delivery pathways according to the kind of signal sequence they contain. They play important roles in transporting proteins to organelles, in cellular mechanisms, and the transfer of protein outside and inside eukaryotes. Thus, we focused on the design of a transfer vector containing a signal peptide sequence isolated from the DNA sequence of proteinase A (PEP4). In addition, this study evaluated the expression level of cytosolic ALD6 after being transported into the yeast vacuole. Our results showed that the developed transfer vector was useful for delivering proteins to vacuole by using signal peptide sequence. Therefore, this transfer vector might be used as a tool to deliver target proteins to organelles of interest in eukaryotes.
A Quantitative Multi‐Criteria Solvent Selection Method for Extraction Processes: Case Study—Downstream Purification of Sucrose‐Based Surfactants
Authors: Chavarrio Javier E. , Gutiérrez María F. , Orjuela Álvaro 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThis work developed a novel method for the identification and selection of green solvents for extraction processes. The methodology was experimentally validated in the downstream separation of sucrose‐based surfactants obtained from a solvent‐free transesterification of sucrose and methyl palmitate (MP). First, a preliminary solvent screening was carried out taking into account environmental consciousness, extraction effectiveness, and predicted operating costs, combining both theoretical and empirical inputs. Potential solvents were first selected from a green solvents list used at the pharmaceutical industry, and the affinity with reactants was assessed based on the Hansen solubility parameters. Solvent suitability was ranked according to a novel objective function that incorporated the heat of vaporization, normal boiling point, cost, and availability. In the case of study, ethyl acetate was identified as the most promising solvent for MP extraction. This and other solvents were experimentally evaluated to validate the selection method and to assess their extraction performance. According to different effectiveness criteria, ethyl acetate was confirmed as the preferable extraction solvent. Finally, MP extraction from reaction media was optimized, varying temperature, number of stages, and solvent loading. Purified sucrose esters were subjected to bleaching obtaining a product under market specifications.
Hair Transplantation in Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Lichen Planopilaris: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lee Joshua A. , Levy Dylan A. , Patel Krishna G. , Brennan Emily , Oyer Samuel L. 
Published: February 2020

Objective: Evolving hair transplantation (HT) techniques have offered new possibilities for hair restoration. However, the role of HT in patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) and lichen planopilaris (LPP) remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes and temporal relationship of HT in this population.Methods: A literature search of three databases was conducted. We reviewed 1) literature reporting outcomes of patients with LPP or FFA who received HT, and 2) studies reporting the development of LPP or FFA resulting from HT.Results: Thirteen articles included 42 patients that provided data for evaluation. Fifteen patients had previously been diagnosed with FFA or LPP, and the remaining 27 patients developed disease after undergoing HT. Seven patients with FFA and eight patients with LPP received HT, with a mean sustained disease remission of 2.69 years prior to HT. In total, two of seven (29%) patients with FFA and five of eight (75%) patients with LPP experienced positive HT results over a follow‐up period of 8–72 months. Interestingly, 27 patients without evidence of previous disease developed FFA or LPP following HT after a median duration of 16 months.Conclusions: HT for LPP and FFA is feasible but results may be less favorable compared to HT for other causes. Outcomes may be more favorable for LPP than FFA but this was not statistically significant and evidence is very limited. FFA and LPP can also develop following HT in patients without previous evidence of disease.Level of Evidence: NA Laryngoscope, 131:59–66, 2021
Is underground coal mining causing land degradation and significantly damaging ecosystems in semi‐arid areas? A study from an Ecological Capital perspective
Authors: Xiao Wu , Zhang Wenkai , Ye Yanmei , Lv Xuejiao , Yang Wenfu 
Published: February 2020

AbstractCoal mining often brings negative impacts to land and eco‐environments. How to quantitatively evaluate this impact at a regional scale, and assess its related influences in mining and nonmining areas from an ecological viewpoint is important and a challenge. The Shendong Mining Area (SMA) at the junction region of Shaanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous region in northern China is a typical semi‐arid region. Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to construct an ecosystem service measurement and evaluation index system in a typical high‐intensity coal mining area. Ecological Capital was estimated using remote sensing and statistical data from 2005, 2010 and 2015. The results show that (a) EC distribution has gradually increased from southeast to northwest (with an average annual growth rate of 2.32%); (b) water and soil conservation are the largest among ecosystem service functions, and the EC per unit area for the shrub ecosystem is the highest; and (c) the EC within the SMA grew steadily with an average annual growth rate of 3.09%. We can conclude that under high‐intensity mining, EC has not decreased, and the EC growth rate in some mining areas were even greater than nonmining areas, indicating that underground mining impacts were under tolerable threshold in this region. Through the remote sensing quantitative evaluation model, this article reveals the impact of regional ecological assets under different mining intensity, and provides an important basis for evaluating regional sustainable development and ecological environment management.
Tumor Resection Induces Alterations on Serum Phospholipidome of Liver Cancer Patients
Authors: Martín‐Sierra Carmen , Colombo Simone , Martins Ricardo , Laranjeira Paula , Melo Tânia , Abrantes Ana Margarida , Oliveira Rui Caetano , Tralhão José Guilherme , Botelho Maria Filomena , Furtado Emanuel , Domingues Pedro , Domingues M. Rosario , Paiva Artur 
Published: February 2020

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma are the most common primary malignant liver tumors. Since the liver plays a key role in lipid metabolism, the study of serum phospholipid (PL) profiles may provide a better understanding of alterations in hepatic lipid metabolism. In this study, we used a high‐resolution HILIC‐LC–MS lipidomic approach to establish the serum phospholipidome profile of patients with liver cancer before (T0) and after tumor resection (T1) and a control group (CT) of healthy individuals. After the analysis of PL profiles, we observed that the phospholipidome of patients with liver cancer was significantly modified after the tumor resection procedure. We observed an upregulation of some phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) species, namely, PtdCho(36:6), PtdCho(42:6), PtdCho(38:5), PtdCho(36:5), PtdCho(38:6) and choline plasmalogens (PlsCho), and/or 1‐O‐alkyl‐2‐acyl‐glycerophosphocholine (PakCho) in patients with liver cancer at T0 compared to the CT group, and a downregulation after tumor resection (T1) when compared to T0. These results show that LC–MS can detect different serum PL profiles in patients with liver cancer, before and after tumor resection, by defining a specific PL fingerprint that was used to determine the effect of tumor and tumor resection on lipid metabolism.
Bacterial community dynamics in spontaneous sourdoughs made from wheat, spelt, and rye wholemeal flour
Authors: Boreczek Jakub , Litwinek Dorota , Żylińska‐Urban Joanna , Izak Dariusz , Buksa Krzysztof , Gawor Jan , Gromadka Robert , Bardowski Jacek Karol , Kowalczyk Magdalena 
Published: February 2020

AbstractSourdough fermentation is a traditional process that is used to improve bread quality. A spontaneous sourdough ecosystem consists of a mixture of flour and water that is fermented by endogenous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts. The aim of this study was to identify bacterial diversity during backslopping of spontaneous sourdoughs prepared from wheat, spelt, or rye wholemeal flour. Culture‐dependent analyses showed that the number of LAB (109 CFU/ml) was higher by three orders of magnitude than the number of yeasts (106 CFU/ml), irrespective of the flour type. These results were complemented by next‐generation sequencing of the 16S rDNA V3 and V4 variable regions. The dominant phylum in all sourdough samples was Firmicutes, which was represented exclusively by the Lactobacillales order. The two remaining and less abundant phyla were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The culture‐independent approach allowed us to detect changes in microbial ecology during the 72‐hr fermentation period. Weissella sp. was the most abundant genus after 24 hr of fermentation of the rye sourdough, but as the process progressed, its abundance decreased in favor of the Lactobacillus genus similarly as in wheat and spelt sourdoughs. The Lactobacillus genus was dominant in all sourdoughs after 72 hr, which was consistent with our results obtained using culture‐dependent analyses. This work was carried out to determine the microbial biodiversity of sourdoughs that are made from wheat, spelt, and rye wholemeal flour and can be used as a source of strains for specific starter cultures to produce functional bread.
How autophagy can restore proteostasis defects in multiple diseases?
Authors: Joshi Vibhuti , Upadhyay Arun , Prajapati Vijay K. , Mishra Amit 
Published: February 2020

AbstractCellular evolution develops several conserved mechanisms by which cells can tolerate various difficult conditions and overall maintain homeostasis. Autophagy is a well‐developed and evolutionarily conserved mechanism of catabolism, which endorses the degradation of foreign and endogenous materials via autolysosome. To decrease the burden of the ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS), autophagy also promotes the selective degradation of proteins in a tightly regulated way to improve the physiological balance of cellular proteostasis that may get perturbed due to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. However, the diverse as well as selective clearance of unwanted materials and regulations of several cellular mechanisms via autophagy is still a critical mystery. Also, the failure of autophagy causes an increase in the accumulation of harmful protein aggregates that may lead to neurodegeneration. Therefore, it is necessary to address this multifactorial threat for in‐depth research and develop more effective therapeutic strategies against lethal autophagy alterations. In this paper, we discuss the most relevant and recent reports on autophagy modulations and their impact on neurodegeneration and other complex disorders. We have summarized various pharmacological findings linked with the induction and suppression of autophagy mechanism and their promising preclinical and clinical applications to provide therapeutic solutions against neurodegeneration. The conclusion, key questions, and future prospectives sections summarize fundamental challenges and their possible feasible solutions linked with autophagy mechanism to potentially design an impactful therapeutic niche to treat neurodegenerative diseases and imperfect aging.
Lactose, Maltose, and Sucrose in Health and Disease
Authors: Qi Xin , Tester Richard F 
Published: February 2020

ScopeThis review represents a focus on the structure and properties of the common nutritional disaccharides (lactose, maltose, and sucrose) in health and disease. The aim is to provide a comprehensive reference source related to the role of disaccharides in human nutrition.Methods and resultsKey reference sources are searched, including Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Wiley Online, and key reference works are selected to support the factual basis of the text where interpretations and relevance of the works are discussed in the review. There are key nutritional health benefits of receiving dietary energy in the form of sugars, but equally life‐threatening issues exist associated with constant/excess consumption. These issues are discussed together with genetic disorders, which impact upon health associated with consumption of the disaccharides (e.g., specific disaccharide intolerance due to deficiency of relevant digestive enzymes).ConclusionsAs the three common dietary disaccharides (lactose, maltose, and sucrose) are consumed on a very regular basis in the human diet, it is critical to understand insofar as possible their role in health and disease. This review provides an insight into the structure and properties of these molecules in health and disease.
The capability of detecting small vessels beyond the conventional MRI sensitivity using iron‐based contrast agent enhanced susceptibility weighted imaging
Authors: Wang Haoyu , Jiang Quan , Shen Yimin , Zhang Li , Haacke E. Mark , Ge Yulin , Qi Shouliang , Hu Jiani 
Published: February 2020

Imaging brain microvasculature is important in cerebrovascular diseases. However, there is still a lack of non‐invasive, non‐radiation, and whole‐body imaging techniques to investigate them. The aim of this study is to develop an ultra‐small superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) enhanced susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) method for imaging micro‐vasculature in both animal (~10 μm in rat) and human brain. We hypothesized that the USPIO‐SWI technique could improve the detection sensitivity of the diameter of small subpixel vessels 10‐fold compared with conventional MRI methods.Computer simulations were first performed with a double‐cylinder digital model to investigate the theoretical basis for this hypothesis. The theoretical results were verified using in vitro phantom studies and in vivo rat MRI studies (n = 6) with corresponding ex vivo histological examinations. Additionally, in vivo human studies (n = 3) were carried out to demonstrate the translational power of the USPIO‐SWI method.By directly comparing the small vessel diameters of an in vivo rat using USPIO‐SWI with the small vessel diameters of the corresponding histological slide using laser scanning confocal microscopy, 13.3‐fold and 19.9‐fold increases in SWI apparent diameter were obtained with 5.6 mg Fe/kg and 16.8 mg Fe/kg ferumoxytol, respectively. The USPIO‐SWI method exhibited its excellent ability to detect small vessels down to about 10 μm diameter in rat brain. The in vivo human study unveiled hidden arterioles and venules and demonstrated its potential in clinical practice. Theoretical modeling simulations and in vitro phantom studies also confirmed a more than 10‐fold increase in the USPIO‐SWI apparent diameter compared with the actual small vessel diameter size.It is feasible to use SWI blooming effects induced by USPIO to detect small vessels (down to 10 μm in diameter for rat brain), well beyond the spatial resolution limit of conventional MRI methods. The USPIO‐SWI method demonstrates higher potential in cerebrovascular disease investigations.
An approach to the optimization of mechanical properties of polypropylene/nitrile butadiene rubber/halloysite nanotube/polypropylene‐g‐maleic anhydride nanocomposites using response surface methodology
Authors: Bakhtiari Amir , Ashenai Ghasemi Faramarz , Naderi Ghasem , Nakhaei Mohammad Reza 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIn this article, response surface methodology (RSM) has been applied to simultaneously optimize the tensile and impact strength of polypropylene (PP)/nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/halloysite nanotubes (HNTs)/maleic anhydride (MA)‐grafted‐PP nanocomposites. Three levels of material parameters, including NBR (10, 20, and 30 wt%), HNTs (1, 3, and 5 wt%), and PP‐g‐MA (3, 9, and 15 wt%) as compatibilizers were used to design the experiments according to Box‐Behnken design. In order to investigate the morphology of nanocomposite samples, a scanning electron microscope was used. The model predicted that both the tensile strength and impact strength of nanocomposite were peaked between middle and high levels of HNTs content. There was also a peak for NBR loading in the main effect plot of impact strength. Two‐way interactions of all parameters were significantly affecting both responses. Based on RSM models using the desirability function, the optimum values of input parameters leading to optimized tensile strength and impact strength were predicted to be 17.87, 4.35, and 15 wt% for NBR, HNT, and PP‐g‐MA, respectively. Confirmation experiments were in good agreement with the predicted values.