bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of creatine ingestion on urinary creatinine concentration: Does supplementation mask a heavy dilution?
Authors: Franz Simon , Skopp Gisela , Musshoff Frank 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA high volume of fluid can strongly reduce a drug's concentration in urine. Therefore, to detect diluted samples, the concentration of creatinine in urine is determined during testing drugs of abuse. If the concentration is below 20 mg creatinine/dl urine, the urine sample is usually rejected for drug testing. It should be examined whether creatine or creatinine ingestion can mask urine dilution by increasing the creatinine concentration. A total of 18 subjects drank 1.3 L of water and 0.2 L of orange juice on each of the three testing days: (1) without creatine, (2) with 20 g of creatine, and (3) with 20 g of creatine following incubation for 4 days in orange juice at room temperature; an acidic environment should promote conversion of creatine to creatinine. The lowest creatinine concentrations in urine were observed on average 2 h after fluid intake. At that time, ingestion of fluid without creatine, with creatine, and with creatine(ine)‐orange juice mixture resulted in mean values of 11.6, 22.5, and 28.3 mg creatinine/dl urine, respectively. It can be concluded that ingestion of creatine or creatinine can increase the concentration of creatinine in urine and thus mask dilution of a sample. The conversion of creatine in orange juice further increases availability of creatinine as it is obvious from urine creatinine concentration. Therefore, creatine ingestion during drug testing will give rise to negative results due to matrix adulteration. In a case of suspected creatine supplementation, the creatine content of the sample should be determined in addition to creatinine.
Development of novel ECM which has stiffness difference based on hydrogel beads
Authors: Miyata Hiromu , Peng Zugui , Shimba Kenta , Miyamoto Yoshitaka , Yagi Tohru 
Published: September 2021

AbstractFor tissue engineering, it is important to understand the relationship between cells’ behavior and the mechanical properties of extracellular matrix (ECM). We aim to develop a novel ECM taking the advantage of micro‐sized polyacrylamide gel beads. The advantages of our ECM are creation of any elasticity at any position. Elasticity measurement experimental results by atomic force microscope (AFM) show that there is a significant difference in Young modulus between the place where gel beads exist and the place where gel beads do not exist. In addition, C2C12 cell culture experiments show that cell behavior changes with and without gel beads.
Simultaneous mapping of neural activities in auditory and visual cortex of rat
Authors: Mori Kanato , Shiramatsu Tomoyo Isoguchi , Ishizu Kotaro , Takahashi Hirokazu 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn the mammalian cerebral cortex, each sensory cortex plays a central role in the information processing of each sensory modality, yet the cross‐modal interactions between sensory cortices remains to be elucidated. Herein, we designed a surface electrode array with 32 recording sites and established a novel electrophysiological technique to record neural activities simultaneously from the auditory and visual cortices of anesthetized rats. We evaluated our mapping in two ways; first, the middle‐latency potentials in the auditory‐evoked potentials and visual‐evoked potentials were localized in the auditory and visual cortex, respectively. Second, the microelectrode array successfully recorded auditory and visual mismatch negativity (aMMN and vMMN), which is one of the neural activities reported to reflect cross‐modal interactions in previous human studies. In addition, we demonstrated that MMN distributed beyond the border between these sensory cortices, suggesting cross‐modal interactions between these areas. Taken together, the present recording technique will contribute to elucidating cross‐modality information processing in sensory cortices.
Health‐Related Quality of Life and Its Contributors According to a Preference‐Based Generic Instrument in Cirrhosis
Authors: Hui Yangyang , Li Nan , Yu Zihan , Li Chaoqun , Wang Xiaoyu , Li Yifan , Sun Mingyu , Yang Wanting , Guo Gaoyue , Fan Xiaofei , Lin Lin , Cui Binxin , Chen Xin , Wang Bangmao , Zhang Jie , Sun Chao 
Published: September 2021

It is essential to determine contributors around impairment in health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with cirrhosis aiming at improving health care and therapeutic strategy. Studies simultaneously incorporating disease severity based on biochemical parameters and other physical/psychological effects (i.e., sleep disturbance and frailty) are heterogeneous and the subject of the present study. We analyzed and compared HRQoL, using the EuroQol Group 5 Dimension (EQ‐5D) questionnaire and the utility index retrieved, in patients with cirrhosis and across groups stratified by sleep disturbance or frailty phenotype. Sleep disturbance and frailty were determined by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Frailty Index, respectively. Multiple linear regression was implemented to clarify contributors of poor HRQoL. In this cohort of 227 patients with mean age of 61.7 years and 47.2% male, more than half of the study population represented impairment in HRQoL in at least one domain, according to EQ‐5D. Furthermore, sleep disturbance and frailty have proved to be independently associated with poor HRQoL in two separate regression models, whereas conventional scoring systems such as Child‐Pugh classification and Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease are not closely relevant. Intriguingly, not all health domains within EQ‐5D correlated well with PSQI and Frailty Index, with the exception of usual activities. Pain and anxiety/depression were the most frequently affected HRQoL domains even in patients without sleep disturbance or frailty. Conclusion: Impaired HRQoL is prevalent in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Sleep disturbance and frailty are independently associated with poor HRQoL. It is imperative to timely intervene with these symptoms and deliver tailored health care.
Effect of injection system parameters on overall performance of a small diesel engine
Authors: Dond Dipak Kisan , Gulhane Nitin Parashram 
Published: September 2021

AbstractLimited fuel capacity and pollution are major concerns in the automobile industry. The combustion, performance, and emission characteristics are important considering the engine's overall performance. In the present paper, an experimental investigation was carried out on a small diesel engine to analyze the effect of injection system parameters on all measurable characteristics. The conventional diesel engine injection system was retrofitted with a common rail diesel injection (CRDI) system. The injection system parameters such as injection pressure, start of pilot injection timing, the start of main injection timing, and quantity of fuel injection percentage during the pilot and the main injection period were considered in the study. With the use of the CRDI system, it was observed that mean effective pressure and cylinder pressure were increased compared to the conventional diesel engine. There was a decrease in the peak value of the HRR and RoPR curve and simultaneously an increase in the width of the curve. MGT inside the combustion cylinder was also decreased. The retrofitted CRDI system shows higher thermal efficiency with good fuel economy as well as found a considerable reduction in carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke percentage. Overall, the considered injection system parameters deliver a significant improvement to the overall attributes of the small diesel engine.
Prospective study of fertility‐sparing treatment with chlormadinone acetate for endometrial carcinoma and atypical hyperplasia in young women
Authors: Ouasti Samia , Bucau Margot , Larouzee Elise , Clement De Givry Sebastien , Chabbert‐Buffet Nathalie , Koskas Martin 
Published: September 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo confirm that the efficiency of the use of chlormadinone acetate for 6 months to obtain remission of atypical hyperplasia or endometrial carcinoma is comparable to that of the use of other fertility‐sparing treatments.MethodThe present study is based on the PREFERE prospective registry. All the patients received 3 or 6 months of chlormadinone acetate and were evaluated by hysteroscopic resection and pipelle sampling every 3 months.ResultsNinety‐four patients were included. Seventy‐nine patients achieved complete remission at 6 months (84%). No patients stopped treatment because of a lack of tolerance. Twenty‐four per cent of the patients achieved a live birth.ConclusionChlormadinone acetate is an effective and well‐tolerated fertility‐sparing treatment. Its benefits over other progestins are its tolerability, and its absence of contraindications, which make it a good choice for patients with thromboembolism and high vascular risk.
Cervical adenocarcinoma in situ during pregnancy and subsequent fertility‐sparing therapy challenge
Authors: Sánchez‐Cuerda Cristina , Cuadra María , Gámir Susana , Lobo Paloma , Elices Margarita , Cabrera Yasmina 
Published: September 2021

AbstractObjectiveAdenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) of the cervix is a premalignant lesion, and a precursor of invasive disease. It is less frequent than its squamous counterpart. During pregnancy, AIS is a scarcely described scenario, whose diagnosis barely differs from non‐pregnant patients. Its management is challenging with hysterectomy being the definitive treatment. However, its high incidence in young patients makes fertility‐sparing management an approachable option for selected patients. The objective of this study is twofold. Firstly, we describe a case of a patient with AIS during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Secondly, the available literature is reviewed.MethodsRetrospective medical record review of a single case and a medical literature search in Pubmed of AIS cases in pregnant women.ResultsA 31‐year‐old woman with cervical AIS diagnosed during pregnancy underwent serial fertility‐sparing surgeries including a loop electrosurgical excision procedure and endocervical curettage during the second trimester, and a re‐conization and a simple traquelectomy during the postpartum period, until negative margins were achieved. Upon reviewing the literature from 1965 to 2020, 23 other cases were found.ConclusionSurgical management of cervical AIS during pregnancy is a safe procedure. Subsequent conservative surgeries imply a real challenge to preserve fertility.
Fostering Multimodal Analyses of Video Games: Reflective Writing in the Middle School
Authors: Stufft Carolyn J. , von Gillern Sam 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis article explores the written reflections and multimodal analyses of 31 middle school students who engaged with video games as texts. For four consecutive days, students spent 30 minutes playing video games and then 30 minutes writing reflections on their experiences and perceptions, resulting in 124 total reflections. Students focused on how they interpreted multimodal symbols within video games to comprehend, learn, and make decisions during gameplay. Students’ analyses were informed by the Gamer Response and Decision (GRAD) Framework. Results demonstrate that students identified various ways that multimodal symbols, such as dynamic visuals, written language, oral language, and sounds, impacted their interpretations and decision making within the game. This study demonstrates how students can engage in valuable reflective writing and multimodal analysis activities using video games as texts, such as through exploring communicative modes in video games and reflecting on associated learning and decision‐making processes.
Elucidation of ER stress and UPR pathway in sialic acid‐deficient cells: Pathological relevance to GNEM
Authors: Chaudhary Priyanka , Sharma Shweta , Singh Reema , Arya Ranjana 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAccumulation of misfolded proteins in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) generates a stress condition in the cell. The cell combats ER stress by activating unfolded protein response (UPR) and ERAD (ER stress‐associated degradation) pathway. Failure to restore favorable folding environment results in cell dysfunction and apoptosis. Various neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the accumulation of misfolded protein, protein aggregates, and ER stress. GNE myopathy (GNEM) is a neuromuscular disorder pathologically characterized by rimmed vacuole formation due to the accumulation of protein aggregates. More than 200 mutations in key sialic acid biosynthetic enzyme UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine 2‐epimerase/N‐acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE) have been identified worldwide in the muscle biopsies of GNE myopathy patients. However, the cellular and molecular pathomechanism leading to the disease ar poorly understood. In the present study, the phenomenon of ER stress has been elucidated in GNE mutant cells overexpressing GNE mutations of Indian origin. The effect of GNE mutations on activation of UPR signaling via inositol‐requiring transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease 1 (IRE‐1), protein kinase RNA‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor‐6 (ATF6) were deciphered to understand the effect of GNE mutations on these proteins. GRP78 was upregulated with increased X‐box‐binding protein‐1 (XBP‐1) splicing and CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP) upregulation leading to increased apoptosis of GNE mutant cells. Insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) ligand rescued the cells from apoptotic phenotype by supporting cell survival mechanism. Our study indicates a balance of cell death and survival that decides cell fate and offers potential therapeutic targets to combat ER stress in diseases associated with dysfunctional UPR pathway.
Differentiation of aldohexoses and ketohexoses through collision‐induced dissociation
Authors: Tsai Shang‐Ting , Ni Chi‐Kung 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMass spectrometry has high sensitivity and is widely used for carbohydrate structural determination. However, conventional mass spectrometry is not able to identify anomericity and stereoisomer. In this work, we demonstrate that aldohexose and ketohexose can be distinguished through the collision‐induced dissociation of sodium adducts in an ion trap mass spectrometer. The criterion for the differentiation is the intensity ratio of fragment ion m/z 143 to fragment ion m/z 113. Aldohexoses have an intensity ratio larger than 1.8 and ketohexoses have an intensity ratio less than 0.7. These ratios can be explained using a cross‐ring dissociation mechanism. Although the dissociation mechanism of lithium adducts is similar to that of sodium adducts, differentiation using lithium adducts is not as good as that of sodium adducts because of the large lithiation energies. In addition, a dehydration propensity rule to differentiate anomeric configuration is extended from glucose, galactose, and mannose to allose, altrose, gulose, talose, fructose, and tagatose in this work. Application of this method for the identification of aldohexoses and ketohexoses produced from the collision‐induced dissociation of oligosaccharides in tandem mass spectrometer is demonstrated.
CSRP3, p.Arg122*, is responsible for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a Chinese family
Authors: Huang Hao , Chen Yaqin , Jin Jieyuan , Du Ran , Tang Ke , Fan Liangliang , Xiang Rong 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a hereditary disease manifested by a thickened ventricular wall. Cysteine and glycine‐rich protein 3 (CSRP3), the gene encoding muscle LIM protein, is important for initiating hypertrophic gene expression. The mutation of CSRP3 causes dilated cardiomyopathy or HCM.MethodsIn the present study, we enrolled a Chinese family with HCM across three generations. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) was performed in the proband to detect the candidate genes of the family. Sanger sequencing was performed for mutational analysis and confirmation of cosegregation.ResultsThrough histopathological and imaging examinations, an obvious left ventricular hypertrophy was found in the proband. After WES data filtering, bioinformatic prediction and co‐segregation analysis, a nonsense mutation (NM_003476.5:c.364C>T; NP_003467.1:p.Arg122*) of CSRP3 was identified in this family. This variant was predicted to be disease‐causing and resulted in a truncated protein.ConclusionsThis is the first HCM family case of CSRP3 (p.Arg122*) variation in Asia. The finding here not only contributes to the genetic diagnosis and counseling of the family, but also provides a new case with detailed phenotypes that may be caused by the CSRP3 variant.
Conflict‐free chromatic number versus conflict‐free chromatic index
Authors: Dębski Michał , Przybyło Jakub 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA vertex coloring of a given graph is conflict‐free if the closed neighborhood of every vertex contains a unique color (i.e., a color appearing only once in the neighborhood). The minimum number of colors in such a coloring is the conflict‐free chromatic number of , denoted . What is the maximum possible conflict‐free chromatic number of a graph with a given maximum degree ? Trivially, , but it is far from optimal—due to results of Glebov, Szabó, and Tardos, and of Bhyravarapu, Kalyanasundaram, and Mathew, the answer is known to be . We show that the answer to the same question in the class of line graphs is —it follows that the extremal value of the conflict‐free chromatic index among graphs with maximum degree is much smaller than the one for conflict‐free chromatic number. The same result for is also provided in the class of near regular graphs, that is, graphs with minimum degree .
A solvent‐free manganese(II) ‐catalyzed Clauson‐Kaas protocol for the synthesis of N‐aryl pyrroles under microwave irradiation
Authors: Rohit Kizhakkekuttu Radhakrishnan , Meera Gopinadh , Anilkumar Gopinathan 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe first manganese‐catalyzed modified Clauson‐Kaas reaction for N‐substituted pyrrole synthesis using 2,5‐dimethoxytetrahydrofuran with variously substituted aromatic amines has been developed (up to 89% yield). This interesting neat strategy is free from additives including co‐catalysts, ligands, and acids. Relatively low cost, environmentally benign, and handy Mn(NO3)2·4H2O is employed as the catalyst under microwave conditions with a very short reaction time (20 min). The above qualities attest to the green nature of this reaction.
Long‐term drench of exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides XG5 protects against type 1 diabetes of NOD mice via stimulating GLP‐1 secretion
Authors: Pan Lei , Xu Min , Wang Qi , Zou Xuan , Han Ye , Zhou Zhijiang 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDType 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that results in the specific destruction of insulin‐producing beta cells in the pancreas. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides XG5 (XG5 EPS) against type 1 diabetes.RESULTSLong‐term drench of XG5 EPS delayed the onset of autoimmune diabetes and had fewer islets with high‐grade infiltration (an insulitis score of 3 or 4) than untreated NOD mice. Oral administration of 50 mg kg−1 d−1 XG5 EPS increased the insulin and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) levels of serum, stimulated GLP‐1 secretion and upregulated gcg mRNA expression of colon in NOD mice. Moreover, oral administration of 50 mg kg−1 d−1 XG5 EPS significantly increased total short‐chain fatty acids levels in the colon contents, especially those of acetic acid and butyric acid. In NCI‐H716 cells, 500 and 1000 μmol L−1 sodium butyrate promoted the secretion of GLP‐1 and upregulated the mRNA expression of gcg and PC3, while XG5 EPS and sodium acetate did not stimulate the GLP‐1 secretion. Therefore, long‐term drench of XG5 EPS delayed the onset of autoimmune diabetes, which may be directly correlated with the increase of butyrate in the colon of NOD mice.CONCLUSIONLong‐term drench of 50 mg kg−1 d−1 XG5 EPS promoted the expression and secretion of GLP‐1 by increasing the production of butyric acid, thereby delaying T1D onset in NOD mice. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Epidemiology and incidence of HPV‐related cancers of the head and neck
Authors: Roman Benjamin R. , Aragones Abraham 
Published: September 2021

AbstractGlobally, 4.5% of cancers are due to the human papillomavirus (HPV). In the United States, 80 million people are infected with HPV, and the incidence of HPV oropharyngeal cancer has surpassed HPV cervical cancer. The highest burden of oropharyngeal cancer is seen in middle‐aged and increasingly older White men. HPV vaccination promises to change the epidemiology of this disease, but HPV vaccination rates remain too low today to reduce disease transmission.
Tourism and waste management: An analysis of municipal solid waste
Authors: Comerio Niccolò , Nagai Hayato , Pacicco Fausto , Serati Massimiliano 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTourism has the potential to protect natural and cultural assets upon which it depends; however, the growing number of travelers may pose burdens. Among the potential environmental externalities, solid waste production is an often overlooked factor, although the literature highlights it as one of tourism's most visible impacts on the environment. This paper aims to address the complex interdependence of tourism and waste generation using spatial models. The results showed a positive response of solid waste disposal at an increase in tourism flows. Due to the complexity of the topic, the research note calls for future research.