bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ursodeoxycholic acid attenuates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in periodontal cells
Authors: Talebian Reza , Panahipour Layla , Gruber Reinhard 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundUrsodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is one of the first‐line therapeutic medications used in treatment of cholestatic liver disease. Considering that periodontitis is epidemiologically linked to liver diseases, the question arises weather UDCA holds anti‐inflammatory properties on periodontal health. Herein, we provide information that support anti‐inflammatory effects of UDCA on three different periodontium‐related cell types.MethodsGingival fibroblasts and the oral human squamous carcinoma cell line HSC‐2 were exposed to interleukin (IL)1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α with and without UDCA. Murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were incubated with sterile‐filtered human saliva also in the presence of UDCA. The expression of inflammatory cytokines was measured by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Immunoassay was applied to detect the production of IL6. Immunostaining was performed for the p65 subunit to further support the anti‐inflammatory role of UDCA.ResultsWe report here that UDCA significantly reduced the IL1β and TNFα‐induced expression of IL1, IL6, and IL8 in gingival fibroblasts and the HSC‐2 cell line. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, UDCA attenuated the expression of IL1α, IL1β, and IL6 that was increased by saliva. Immunoassay confirmed the capacity of UDCA to reduce inflammation‐induced production of IL6 in gingival fibroblasts, HSC‐2 and RAW 264.7 cells. Immunostaining revealed the blocking of nuclear translocation of p65 in gingival fibroblasts.ConclusionsTaken together, UDCA can attenuate the provoked expression of inflammatory cytokines in oral fibroblasts, oral human squamous carcinoma cells and macrophages in vitro. These data support the hypothesis that patients with cholestatic liver disease might benefit from UDCA with respect to periodontal health.
Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy using uncoated gold nanoparticles for bacteria discrimination
Authors: Akanny Elie , Bonhommé Anne , Commun Carine , Doleans‐Jordheim Anne , Farre Carole , Bessueille François , Bourgeois Sandrine , Bordes Claire 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn this work, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method based on uncoated spherical gold nanoparticles as SERS substrate was applied for the detection and discrimination of three different bacterial strains: Gram‐positive Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Gram‐negative Escherichia coli. The exploitation of bacteria SERS spectra by multivariate data analysis (principal component analysis and partial least squares – discriminant analysis) proved the robustness of the developed method and its suitability to discriminate between the three different strains despite their relatively similar Raman signals. The SERS performance of the developed method was compared with that of the classical silver nanoparticles indicating a better bacteria signal enhancement, up to 15 times higher in case of E. coli, likely due to stronger interactions of gold nanoparticles with components such as purine molecules that show dominant bands in the bacterial SERS spectra.
Inhibitory mechanism of lactoferrin on antibacterial activity of oenothein B: isothermal titration calorimetry and computational docking simulation
Authors: Zhao Lichao , Zhou Aidi , Liu Zitao , Xiao Jian , Wang Yu , Cao Yong , Wang Li 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDMany foods contain proteins and polyphenols, but there is a poor understanding of the nature of the inhibitory effect of protein on the biologic activity of polyphenols. The inhibitory mechanism of the food protein lactoferrin on the antibacterial activity of oligomeric ellagitannin oenothein B (OeB) was investigated using fluorescence quenching, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), circular dichroism (CD) measurement and molecular docking.RESULTSThe antibacterial activity of OeB against Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited by lactoferrin, which was retained at about 60%. An interaction study revealed that an interaction occurred between OeB and lactoferrin. Thermodynamic analyses indicate that the binding process was spontaneous, and the main driving forces were based on electrostatic interactions that contributed to a high interaction affinity between OeB and lactoferrin. Furthermore, CD spectra provided insights into conformational changes of lactoferrin. Finally, molecular docking analysis provided a visual representation of a single binding site where OeB interacted with specific amino acid residues located at the active site of lactoferrin. In particular, due to the unique macrocyclic structure and rigid ring structure of OeB, a small number of hydroxyl groups in the rigid structure of OeB interacted with the amino acid of lactoferrin while most of the phenolic hydroxyl groups were not associated with lactoferrin.CONCLUSIONOur study provides a theoretical basis for the use of OeB as an antibacterial substance that can be used in nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Natural biopolymer‐based hydrogels for use in food and agriculture
Authors: Klein Miri , Poverenov Elena 
Published: January 2020

AbstractHydrogels are important materials that are of high scientific interest and with numerous applications. Natural polymer‐based hydrogels are preferred to synthetic ones due to their safety, biocompatibility, and ecofriendly properties. They have been studied extensively and implemented in various fields, such as medicine, cosmetics, personal‐care products, water purification, and more. This review focuses on the applications of nature‐sourced polymer‐based hydrogels in food and agriculture. Different types of biopolymers and crosslinking agents, and various methods for hydrogel formation are described. The physicomechanical properties and applied activities of the resulting materials are also comprehensively discussed. Biodegradable synthetic polymers are outside the scope of this review. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of the type of wood used for ageing on the volatile composition of Pedro Ximénez sweet wine
Authors: Herrera Pablo , Durán‐Guerrero Enrique , Sánchez‐Guillén Manuel M , García‐Moreno M Valme , Guillén Dominico A , Barroso Carmelo G , Castro Remedios 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe present study investigated the volatile composition of a Pedro Ximénez sweet wine that had been aged in barrels made of different types of wood (Spanish oak, French oak, American oak and chestnut) and subjected to different degrees of toasting (medium toasting and intense toasting). The analyses were carried out using stir bar sorptive extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry after validation of the matrix in this case.RESULTSGood values of linearity, precision, limits of detection and limits of quantification were obtained for the 36 compounds studied, six of which were identified for the first time in Pedro Ximénez (propyl acetate, cis‐3‐hexenyl acetate, benzyl acetate, guaiacol, trans‐whiskeylactone and 4‐ethylguaiacol). The volatile composition of the samples varied as the ageing process progressed, and higher volatile concentrations were obtained in samples aged in barrels that had been intensely toasted compared to in those with medium toasting. A multivariate statistical study allowed the samples to be correctly classified according to ageing time, wood toasting and the type of wood used for ageing.CONCLUSIONThe organoleptic analysis performed on the Pedro Ximénez sweet wine samples resulted in differences between the wines aged in the different types of wood during the early weeks of ageing, and scarce differences towards the end of the study period. At the end of the process, all of the wines were better valued and wines aged in medium toasted barrels were the best rated by the panel of judges for all four woods under investigation. This fact could indicate the suitability of alternative woods for the ageing of Pedro Ximénez sweet wines. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Portable capillary liquid chromatography for pharmaceutical and illicit drug analysis
Authors: Foster Samuel W. , Xie Xiaofeng , Pham Michelle , Peaden Paul A. , Patil Leena M. , Tolley Luke T. , Farnsworth Paul B. , Tolley H. Dennis , Lee Milton L. , Grinias James P. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA newly developed portable capillary liquid chromatograph was investigated for the separation of various pharmaceutical and illicit drug compounds. The system consists of two high‐pressure syringe pumps capable of delivering capillary‐scale flow rates at pressures up to 10 000 psi. Capillary liquid chromatography columns packed with sub‐2 μm particles are housed in cartridges that can be inserted into the system and easily connected through high‐pressure fluidic contact points by simply applying a specific, predetermined torque rather than using standard fittings and less precise sealing protocols. Several over‐the‐counter analgesic drug separations are demonstrated, along with a simple online measurement of tablet dissolution. Twenty illicit drug compounds were also separated across six targeted drug panels. The results described in this study demonstrate the capability of this compact liquid chromatography instrument to address several important drug‐related applications while simplifying system operation, and greatly reducing solvent usage and waste generation essential for onsite analysis.
Analysis of variants in GATA4 and FOG2/ZFPM2 demonstrates benign contribution to 46,XY disorders of sex development
Authors: van den Bergen Jocelyn A. , Robevska Gorjana , Eggers Stefanie , Riedl Stefan , Grover Sonia R. , Bergman Philip B. , Kimber Chris , Jiwane Ashish , Khan Sophy , Krausz Csilla , Raza Jamal , Atta Irum , Davis Susan R. , Ono Makato , Harley Vincent , Faradz Sultana M. H. , Sinclair Andrew H. , Ayers Katie L. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundGATA‐binding protein 4 (GATA4) and Friend of GATA 2 protein (FOG2, also known as ZFPM2) form a heterodimer complex that has been shown to influence transcription of genes in a number of developmental systems. Recent evidence has also shown these genes play a role in gonadal sexual differentiation in humans. Previously we identified four variants in GATA4 and an unexpectedly large number of variants in ZFPM2 in a cohort of individuals with 46,XY Differences/Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) (Eggers et al, Genome Biology, 2016; 17: 243).MethodHere, we review variant curation and test the functional activity of GATA4 and ZFPM2 variants. We assess variant transcriptional activity on gonadal specific promoters (Sox9 and AMH) and variant protein–protein interactions.ResultsOur findings support that the majority of GATA4 and ZFPM2 variants we identified are benign in their contribution to 46,XY DSD. Indeed, only one variant, in the conserved N‐terminal zinc finger of GATA4, was considered pathogenic, with functional analysis confirming differences in its ability to regulate Sox9 and AMH and in protein interaction with ZFPM2.ConclusionsOur study helps define the genetic factors contributing to 46,XY DSD and suggests that the majority of variants we identified in GATA4 and ZFPM2/FOG2 are not causative.
Copy number variation in DRC1 is the major cause of primary ciliary dyskinesia in the Japanese population
Authors: Takeuchi Kazuhiko , Xu Yifei , Kitano Masako , Chiyonobu Kazuki , Abo Miki , Ikegami Koji , Ogawa Satoru , Ikejiri Makoto , Kondo Mitsuko , Gotoh Shimpei , Nagao Mizuho , Fujisawa Takao , Nakatani Kaname 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundPrimary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder caused by functional impairment of cilia throughout the body. The involvement of copy number variation (CNV) in the development of PCD is largely unknown.MethodsWe examined 93 Japanese patients with clinically suspected PCD from 84 unrelated families. CNV was examined either by exome sequencing of a PCD gene panel or by whole‐exome sequencing (WES). The identified alterations were validated by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Nasal ciliary ultrastructure was examined by electron microscopy.ResultsAnalysis of CNV by the panel or WES revealed a biallelic deletion in the dynein regulatory complex subunit 1 (DRC1) gene in 21 patients, which accounted for 49% of the PCD patients in whom a disease‐causing gene was found. Sanger sequencing of the PCR product revealed a 27,748‐bp biallelic deletion including exons 1–4 of DRC1 with identical breakpoints in all 21 patients. The ciliary ultrastructure of the patients with this CNV showed axonemal disorganization and the loss or gain of central microtubules.ConclusionThe deletion of DRC1 is the major cause of PCD in Japan and this alteration can cause various ciliary ultrastructural abnormalities.
Incomplete Hydrolysis of Curcumin Conjugates by β‐Glucuronidase: Detection of Complex Conjugates in Plasma
Authors: Luis Paula B. , Kunihiro Andrew G. , Funk Janet L. , Schneider Claus 
Published: January 2020

ScopeThe diphenol curcumin from turmeric is rapidly metabolized into phase II conjugates following oral administration, resulting in negligible plasma concentration of the free compound, which is considered the bioactive form. Total plasma concentration of curcumin is often quantified after treatment with β‐glucuronidase to hydrolyze curcumin‐glucuronide, the most abundant conjugate in vivo. The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis has not been tested.Methods and resultsUsing liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analyses the efficiency of β‐glucuronidase and sulfatase from Helix pomatia is compared to hydrolyze curcumin conjugates in human and mouse plasma after oral administration of turmeric. Both β‐glucuronidase and sulfatase completely hydrolyze curcumin‐glucuronide. Unexpectedly, β‐glucuronidase hydrolysis is incomplete, affording a large amount of curcumin‐sulfate, whereas sulfatase hydrolyzed both glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. With sulfatase, the concentration of free curcumin is doubled in human and increased in mouse plasma compared to β‐glucuronidase treatment. Incomplete hydrolysis by β‐glucuronidase suggests the presence of mixed glucuronide‐sulfate conjugates. LC–MS based searches detect diglucuronide, disulfate, and mixed sulfate‐glucuronide and sulfate‐diglucuronide conjugates in plasma that likely contribute to the increase of free curcumin upon sulfatase treatment.Conclusionβ‐Glucuronidase incompletely hydrolyzes complex sulfate‐containing conjugates that appear to be major metabolites, resulting in an underestimation of the total plasma concentration of curcumin.
Six‐dimensional quantitative DCE MR Multitasking of the entire abdomen: Method and application to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Nan , Gaddam Srinivas , Wang Lixia , Xie Yibin , Fan Zhaoyang , Yang Wensha , Tuli Richard , Lo Simon , Hendifar Andrew , Pandol Stephen , Christodoulou Anthony G. , Li Debiao 
Published: January 2020

PurposeTo develop a quantitative DCE MRI technique enabling entire‐abdomen coverage, free‐breathing acquisition, 1‐second temporal resolution, and T1‐based quantification of contrast agent concentration and kinetic modeling for the characterization of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).MethodsSegmented FLASH readouts following saturation‐recovery preparation with randomized 3D Cartesian undersampling was used for incoherent data acquisition. MR Multitasking was used to reconstruct 6‐dimensional images with 3 spatial dimensions, 1 T1 recovery dimension for dynamic T1 quantification, 1 respiratory dimension to resolve respiratory motion, and 1 DCE time dimension to capture the contrast kinetics. Sixteen healthy subjects and 14 patients with pathologically confirmed PDAC were recruited for the in vivo studies, and kinetic parameters vp, Ktrans, ve, and Kep were evaluated for each subject. Intersession repeatability of Multitasking DCE was assessed in 8 repeat healthy subjects. One‐way unbalanced analysis of variance was performed between control and patient groups.ResultsIn vivo studies demonstrated that vp, Ktrans, and Kep of PDAC were significantly lower compared with nontumoral regions in the patient group (P = .002, .003, .004, respectively) and normal pancreas in the control group (P = .011, <.001, <.001, respectively), while ve was significantly higher than nontumoral regions (P < .001) and healthy pancreas (P < .001). The kinetic parameters showed good in vivo repeatability (interclass correlation coefficient: vp, 0.95; Ktrans, 0.98; ve, 0.96; Kep, 0.99).ConclusionThe proposed Multitasking DCE is promising for the quantification of vascular properties of PDAC. Quantitative DCE parameters were repeatable in vivo and showed significant differences between normal pancreas and both tumor and nontumoral regions in patients with PDAC.
Echo‐planar imaging of the human head with 100 mT/m gradients and high‐order modeling of eddy current fields
Authors: Hennel Franciszek , Wilm Bertram , Roesler Manuela B. , Weiger Markus , Dietrich Benjamin , Pruessmann Klaas P. 
Published: January 2020

PurposeTo demonstrate the utility of a high‐performance gradient insert for ultrafast MRI of the human head.MethodsEPI was used for the first time with a readout gradient amplitude of 100 mT/m, 1200 T/m/s slew rate, and nearly 1 MHz signal bandwidth for human head scanning. To avoid artefacts due to eddy currents, the magnetic field was dynamically monitored with NMR probes at multiple points, modeled by solid harmonics up to fifth order, and included in the image reconstruction. An approximation of a negligible intra‐echo effect of the eddy currents was made to accelerate the high‐order reconstruction. The field monitoring‐based approach was compared with a recently proposed phase error estimation from separate reconstructions of even and odd echoes.ResultsImages obtained with the gradient insert have significantly lower distortions than it is the case with the whole body 30 mT/m, 200 T/m/s gradients of the same system. However, eddy currents of high spatial order must be properly characterized and corrected for in order to avoid a persistent 2D Nyquist ghost. Multi‐position monitoring proves to be a robust method to measure the eddy currents and allows higher undersampling rates than the image‐based approach. The proposed approximation of the eddy currents effect allows a significant acceleration of the high‐order reconstruction by a separate processing of each spatial dimension.ConclusionStrong gradients with adequate switching rates are highly beneficial for the quality of EPI provided that robust measures are taken to include the contribution of eddy currents to the image encoding.
Improving access to digital ulcer care through nurse‐led clinic: a service evaluation
Authors: Ngcozana Tanaka , Ong Voon H. , Denton Christopher P. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractObjectiveDigital ulcers (DU) remain one of the most burdensome co‐morbidities in systemic sclerosis. The objectives of the study were to describe patient‐level stratification and to evaluate a nurse‐led DU clinic service development.MethodsA nurse‐led digital ulcer clinic was established to identify patients with DU and manage them. Patients were recruited through scleroderma clinics, GP referrals, and self‐referrals. The clinic involved patients being treated with appropriate treatment. Patients were stratified according to their DU risk level based on number and severity of ulcers. Among these, 22 patients were asked to complete a patient satisfaction survey. Data were analyzed descriptively.ResultsSeventy‐five patients were seen in the clinic, 46 (61%) were 56 years of age and above. Patients were identified as high (23%), medium (51%) or low risk (26%) for development of DU. The duration of DU history was from 7 months to 40 years. Prior to attending the nurse‐led DU clinic, 90% of patients had received up to six courses of antibiotics for their DU, 76% had attended A&amp;E, and 90% had unscheduled appointments. 90% had been seen by the GP due to DU and subsequently required hospital admissions. During the nurse‐led clinic follow‐up, only two patients had emergency admission. All patients reported that their needs in personal care of DU were met.ConclusionThere are a significant number of people with SSc who have DUs affecting their quality of life as well as needing more healthcare services. A dedicated specialist nurse‐led DU clinic may improve overall care of patients.
A sequential sparse polynomial chaos expansion using Bayesian regression for geotechnical reliability estimations
Authors: Pan Qiujing , Qu Xingru , Liu Leilei , Dias Daniel 
Published: January 2020

SummaryPolynomial chaos expansions (PCEs) have been widely employed to estimate failure probabilities in geotechnical engineering. However, PCEs suffer from two deficiencies: (a) PCE coefficients are solved by the least‐square minimization method which easily causes overfitting issues; (b) building a high order PCE is often computationally expensive. In order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, the Bayesian regression technique is employed to evaluate PCE coefficients, which not only provides a sparse solution but also avoids overfitting. With the aid of the predictive means and variances given by Bayesian analysis, a learning function is proposed to sequentially select the most informative samples that are critical to build a PCE. This sequential learning scheme can highly enhance the computational efficiency of PCEs. Besides, importance sampling (IS) is incorporated into the sequential learning (SL)‐PCEs to deal with geotechnical problems with small failure probabilities. The proposed method of SL‐PCE‐IS is applied to three illustrative examples, which shows that the improved PCE method is more effective and efficient than the common PCEs method, leading to accurate estimations of small failure probabilities using fewer training samples.
Registration of four upland cotton germplasm lines with elevated levels of seed oil oleic acid
Authors: Dowd Michael K. , McCarty Jack C. , Shockey Jay , Jenkins Johnie N. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractFour upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) germplasm lines, HOa1 (Reg. no. GP‐1072, PI 691652), HOa2 (Reg. no. GP‐1073, PI 691653), HOa3 (Reg. no. GP‐1074, PI 691654), and HOa4 (Reg. no. GP‐1075, PI 691655), with elevated levels of seed oil oleic acid were developed and released by the USDA‐ARS. High seed oil levels of oleic acid have been reported for a small number of G. barbadense L. accessions. Included among these accessions is GB713, which is also known as a source of reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford and Oliveira) resistance and has been used to breed this trait into an upland cotton background. Root‐knot nematode resistance was bred into the GB713‐based reniform‐resistant lines to yield germplasm with resistance to both nematodes. Testing the nematode‐resistant lines for seed oil fatty acid composition revealed elevated levels of oleic acid in some seeds. Selection and propagation of individual plants with the highest oleate levels indicated that the trait was stable for three successive generations with approximately double the level of oleic acid found in normal cottonseed oil. Oils with high levels of oleic acid are considered to be healthier and have improved oxidative stability at elevated temperature, making them preferred for some cooking and frying applications.