bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of cress seed gum hydrogel and investigation of its potential application in the delivery of curcumin
Authors: Shahbazizadeh Saeedeh , Naji‐Tabasi Sara , Shahidi‐Noghabi Mostafa , Pourfarzad Amir 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDBioactive compound delivery systems must provide stability against severe food processing and environmental conditions. Cress seed gum (CSG) with high thermal stability can be a promising polysaccharide for preparing physically cross‐linked hydrogel as a curcumin delivery system. In the present study, CSG (0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 g kg−1) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) (0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.10 g kg−1) solutions were used for hydrogel fabrication.RESULTSPhysicochemical properties of hydrogels were evaluated by entrapment efficiency, loading capacity and swelling degree, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, in vitro release and free radical scavenging capacity assessments. Accordingly, 0.15 g kg−1 CSG‐0.02 g kg−1 CaCl2 hydrogel was revealed to have high entrapment efficiency (93.6 ± 1.59%), loading capacity (0.92 ± 0.00%) and swelling degree (105.96 ± 12.99%), as well as heat stability above 103 °C. CSG hydrogel significantly (P < 0.05) protected the antioxidant activity of curcumin against thermal process. The curcumin release in the acidic stomach medium was negligible, although it increased significantly in the simulated intestinal environment (42.5 ± 0.75%), which followed the Peppas model.CONCLUSIONAs a result, CSG hydrogel can protect curcumin during food thermal processing and digestion time. Therefore, CSG hydrogel can play a valued role in modern‐day food formulations with an increasing consumer preference for plant‐derived materials. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Absolute protein assay for the simultaneous quantification of two epoxide hydrolases in rats by mass spectrometry–based targeted proteomics
Authors: Wu Ting , Xi Xiaoyun , Chen Ying , Jiang Chao , Zhang Qian , Dai Guoliang , Bai Yongtao , Zhang Weidong , Ni Ting , Zou Jiandong , Ju Wenzheng , Xu Meijuan 
Published: May 2021

AbstractEpoxide hydrolases catalyze the hydrolysis of both exogenous and endogenous epoxides to the corresponding vicinal diols by adding water. Microsomal and soluble epoxide hydrolase are two main mammalian enzymes that have been intensely characterized. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and validate a proteomics assay allowing the simultaneous quantification of microsomal and soluble epoxide hydrolase in rats. Protein quantification was realized through targeted proteomics using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of trypsin‐specific surrogate peptides after digestion. Stable isotope‐labeled peptides were used as the internal standards. The chromatography of the surrogate peptides was performed on an Agilent SB C18 column (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 1.8 µm) with gradient elution. Acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution were used as mobile phases. A multiple reaction monitoring method in a positive ionization mode was used for the simultaneous detection of the peptides. The method was validated concerning the specificity, linearity, within‐day and between‐day accuracy and precision, matrix effect, stability, and digestion efficiency. The developed assay was successfully used to quantify the protein levels of microsomal and soluble epoxide hydrolase in rat liver, kidney, and heart S9 samples.
Can Medialization of Acetabular Rim Be a Prognostic Factor in Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of Hip?
Authors: Koşar Pınar Nercis , Ergün Elif , Gökharman Dilek 
Published: May 2021

ObjectivesTo investigate if acetabular rim medialization (ARM) can be used as a new parameter in determining the treatment choice and duration in Graf type III and IV hips.MethodsAmong the 12,300 infants who underwent hip ultrasound (US) according to Graf's method between 2015 and 2019, 26 infants (9 had bilateral pathology hence 35 hips) with type III and IV hips, whose follow‐up data could be obtained were included in the study. Age of the infants at the initial diagnosis, ARM measurement, the duration of harness treatment, and the treatment results were noted. To determine the extent of ARM, distance between a line that is drawn tangential to the iliac wing and acetabular rim was measured.ResultsIn cases with poor prognosis, ARM measurement was 6 to 8.5 mm on the right hip and 4 to 9 mm on the left hip. Bilaterality or unilaterality, left or right pathology, and gender did not have a significant effect on the prognosis (P >.05). Age at the initial diagnosis and ARM had significant effects on treatment success (P = .04, P = .00, respectively). In predicting the prognosis, ARM was found to be more successful than age (AUC = 0.95 versus AUC = 0.68). When these two variables were evaluated together, the success in predicting the prognosis significantly increased (AUC = 0.98).ConclusionsARM measurement may have an important role in determining the treatment method and duration in Graf type III and IV hips. It can be used as a prognostic factor alone or in combination with treatment initiation time. When the two factors are combined, prognostic value significantly increases.
Long non‐coding RNA‐H19 promotes ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration via the microRNA‐140/Wnt1 axis
Authors: Wang Ye , Gao Wei‐Jiao 
Published: May 2021

AbstractTo explore the effect and underlying molecular mechanism of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA)‐H19 on ovarian cancer (OC) cells, a total of 41 cases of OC and adjacent normal tissues were collected. H19 and microRNA (miR)‐140 expressions in OC tissues and cells were detected using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐RCR). The correlation between H19 expression and prognosis of OC patient was analyzed. siRNA (si)‐H19 and si‐negative control (NC) were transfected into OC cells. Cell proliferation was checked by cell counting kit‐8 assay and colony formation assay, and cell migration and invasion were analyzed via Transwell assay. The targeted binding relationship between H19 and miR‐140 was predicted and verified, miR‐140 downstream gene was predicted and Wnt1 was screened out. The impact of in‐miR‐140 on the si‐H19‐induced decreased OC cell proliferation and migration was evaluated. H19 expression was upregulated in OC tissues and cells, and its overexpression was associated with a poor prognosis of OC. si‐H19 remarkably reduced OC cell proliferation and migration. H19 upregulated Wnt1 expression through targeting miR‐140 in OC cells. Altogether, miR‐140 was notably downregulated in OC, and in‐miR‐140 partially inhibited the si‐H19‐induced decrease of OC cell proliferation and migration. H19 competitively bound to miR‐140 to upregulate Wnt1, thereby promoting OC cell proliferation and migration.
Toward Activatable Collagen Mimics: Combining DEPSI “Switch” Defects and Template‐Guided Self‐Organization to Control Collagen Mimetic Peptides
Authors: Röber Matthias , Scheibel Thomas , Börner Hans G. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCollagen mimetic peptides (CMPs), which imitate various structural or functional features of natural collagen, constitute advanced models illuminating the folding aspects of the collagen triple helix (CTH) motif. In this study, the CMPs of repeating Gly–Pro–Pro (GPP) triplets are tethered to an organic scaffold based on a tris(2‐aminoethyl) amine (TREN) derivative (TREN(sucOH)3). These three templated peptide strands are further expanded via native chemical ligation to increase the number of GPP triplets and lead to a TREN(sucGPPGPPG(Ψ)SPGPPCPP[GPP]4)3 construct. The incorporation of an ester switch segment, G(Ψ)S, as a positional O‐acyl isopeptide (DEPSI) defect into the peptide strands allows the pH‐controlled acceleration of CTH formation. The strand assembly process is monitored by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. The results of pH jump experiments and thermal denaturation studies provide new insights into the contributions of structural DEPSI defects to the template‐guided self‐assembly of the CTH motif. While the organic scaffold drives the CTH formation, the switch defects act as temporary opponents and slow down the folding. CD spectroscopy data confirm that the switch defects contribute to the formation of a more stable CTH motif by enhancing the structural dynamics at the early stage of the folding process.
Canine induced pluripotent stem cell maintenance under feeder‐free and chemically‐defined conditions
Authors: Kimura Kazuto , Tsukamoto Masaya , Yoshida Takumi , Tanaka Miyuu , Kuwamura Mitsuru , Ohtaka Manami , Nishimura Ken , Nakanishi Mahito , Sugiura Kikuya , Hatoya Shingo 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCanine induced pluripotent stem cells (ciPSCs) provide a platform for regenerative veterinary medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery. However, in the conventional method, ciPSCs are maintained using chemically‐undefined media containing unknown animal components under on‐murine embryonic fibroblast feeder conditions, which were reported to modify cell surface of iPSCs and increases the risk of immune rejection when the cells are transplanted into patients. Moreover, in the conventional method, ciPSCs are mechanically passaged, which requires much time and effort. Therefore, the large‐scale expansion of ciPSCs is difficult, which should be resolved for using ciPSCs in clinical application and research. Here, it was shown that StemFit® AK02N and iMatrix‐511 could maintain the pluripotency of ciPSCs using conventional culture method. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the feeder‐free and chemically‐defined ciPSC culture systems using StemFit® AK02N and iMatrix‐511 could stably maintain and allow the easy expansion of ciPSCs generated using N2B27 and StemFit® AK02N, without causing karyotype abnormalities. ciPSCs expressed several pluripotency markers and formed teratomas, including cells derived from three germ layers.
Cortical excitability threshold can be increased by the AMPA blocker Perampanel in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Oskarsson Björn , Mauricio Elizabeth A. , Shah Jaimin S. , Li Zhuo , Rogawski Michael A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIntroduction/AimsCortical hyperexcitability is a feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and cortical excitability can be measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Resting motor threshold (MT) is a measure of cortical excitability, largely driven by glutamate. Perampanel, a glutamate α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor blocker, is predicted to increase the cortical excitability threshold. This study aimed to evaluate TMS to functionally assess target engagement in a study of perampanel in ALS.MethodWe studied the MT of ALS patients randomized to a single dose of perampanel or placebo 5:1 hourly for 4 h. Twelve patients participated at 4 mg and 7 returned for dosing and retesting at 8 mg. The study was terminated in April 2020 due to coronavirus disease 2019‐related restrictions, after 7 out of 12 planned patients had received the 8 mg dose. Serum concentrations were also measured.ResultsTen patients received the 4 mg dose (2 received placebo) and 5 received the 8 mg dose (2 received placebo). Motor Threshold increased at 2 h after dosing in the combined treatment group +7% of maximal stimulator output (P < .01). Change could be detected in the larger 4 mg group (P = .02), but not in the smaller 8 mg dose group (P = .1). No side effects were reported after single dose exposure.DiscussionThis study shows that perampanel effects the physiology of upper motor neurons. Studies aiming at gauging the effect of perampanel on ALS disease progression are already ongoing. Motor threshold may serve as a marker of biological target engagement.
Luminescence and sensitivity enhancement of oxygen sensors through tuning the spectral overlap between luminescent dyes and SiO2@Ag nanoparticles
Authors: Yin Wenwen , Chen Jinxing , Sui Jiajie , Dabiri Dana , Cao Guozhong 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe utilized a seeded growth method to synthesize SiO2@Ag NPs with tunable plasmonic resonance peak to investigate the effect of spectral overlap between the SiO2@Ag plasmonic resonance spectrum and the PtTFPP‐based oxygen sensors’ absorbance spectra on luminescence enhancement and performance optimization. An organic silicate was used as the matrix. Oxygen‐sensors were produced by directly casting the mixture of NPs and dyes with silicate gels onto glass slides. Oxygen‐induced spectral response of the PtTFPP was obtained as the analytical signal. Our results show that when the plasmonic resonance spectrum of SiO2@Ag has a maximum wavelength overlap with the absorbance spectra of dyes, the Stern‐Volmer slopes were enhanced by almost an order of magnitude. At 21% O2, the Stern‐Volmer plot achieved a maximum seven‐fold increase over the oxygen sensor without the metal‐enhanced luminescence. Our results also show that 10% wt NPs is the optimal amount for the PtTFPP‐SiO2@Ag based oxygen sensors that can eliminate self‐quenching and the NRET process. These data confirm that the spectral overlap between the dyes and noble metal NPs and how to eliminate self‐quenching and the NRET process are vital to high‐sensitive oxygen sensors. We have also shown that our fabrication process of these oxygen sensors is repeatable.
Bibliotherapy for improving caregiving appraisal of informal caregivers of people with dementia: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Cheung Daphne Sze Ki , Leung Angela Yee Man , Davidson Patricia M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractCaregiving appraisal is a key driver to moderating caregiving outcomes. The caregiving appraisal of informal caregivers of people with dementia requires increased attention. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of an evidence‐based bibliotherapy protocol, and test the efficacy on improving caregiving appraisal. A two‐arm pilot randomized controlled trial was adopted. Sixty informal caregivers were randomized to either the intervention group, receiving eight weekly professional‐guided bibliotherapy sessions in addition to usual care; or the usual care group. The professional‐guided bibliotherapy sessions were weekly sessions in which caregivers self‐read the designated chapter and then received telephone coaching. Caregiving appraisal, coping, psychological well‐being, positive aspects of caregiving, knowledge of dementia, and attitude toward dementia were assessed both at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Assessors were blinded to group allocation. Individual interviews among 10 participants from the intervention group were conducted to explorecaregivers' acceptance of the intervention. Descriptive statistics,χ2test, Mann–WhitneyUtest, independentttest, generalized estimating equation, and content analysis were used for data analysis. This study pioneered the use of bibliotherapy among informal caregivers of people with dementia. The participant recruitment rate was 69.8%. The attrition rate of the intervention group was 20%. Bibliotherapy had a significant time‐by‐group interaction effect on caregiving appraisal (p < 0.001), coping (p = 0.003), positive aspects of caregiving (p = 0.001), knowledge of dementia (p = 0.017), and attitude toward dementia (p < 0.001). The effect on psychological well‐being, however, was only significant on the personal growth subscale (p = 0.025). The acceptability was also confirmed. No adverse event was documented.
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on initial weight loss in a digital weight management program: A natural experiment
Authors: Bullard Tiffany , Medcalf Adam , Rethorst Chad , Foster Gary D. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic on initial weight loss during a digital weight management program.MethodsParticipants (n= 866,192; BMI 33.6 [SD 7.4] kg/m2) who joined a digital weight management program (WW) in the first 30 weeks of 2020 (COVID‐19 cohort) were compared with participants (n= 624,043; BMI 33.1 [SD 7.2] kg/m2) who joined the same program during the same time period in 2019 (control cohort). Weight change (percentage) and self‐monitoring over the first 4 weeks of enrollment were compared between the cohorts. Significance was defined as meeting the criteria for a small effect (d≥ 0.2).ResultsOver the 30‐week enrollment period, the COVID‐19 cohort experienced significantly less weight loss than the control cohort but only for 7 weeks of enrollments. The COVID‐19 cohort also had fewer days of food tracking but only for 3 weeks of enrollments. There were no differences in the self‐monitoring of weight and activity at any time between the two cohorts.ConclusionsOver a 30‐week enrollment period, COVID‐19 had negative effects on both weight loss and food self‐monitoring, but the effects were short‐lived. Those participating in evidence‐based weight management programs can expect similar levels of initial weight loss as those experienced before the pandemic.
Economic impact of using maternal plasma cell‐free DNA testing to guide further workup in recurrent pregnancy loss
Authors: Peng Siyang , Bhatt Sucheta , Borrell Antoni , Yaron Yuval 
Published: May 2021

AbstractObjectiveWe have previously demonstrated that maternal‐plasma cell‐free DNA (cfDNA)‐testing can detect chromosomal anomalies in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) with 81.8% sensitivity and 90.3% specificity. Here we assess whether this is cost effective in guiding further workup in RPLs.MethodA decision‐analytic model was developed to compare the cost of various RPL management pathways: (1) current American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) RPL workup; (2) microarray or karyotyping analysis of products of conception (POCs) and RPL workup only for euploid cases; and (3) cfDNA testing and RPL workup only for euploid cases. Sample accessibility, failure rates, and sensitivity were specified for each test. Costs of sample collection, genetic tests, and RPL workup were considered. Analysis outcomes included detection rate of chromosomal anomaly and cost per patient tested.ResultsIn comparison to existing cytogenetic testing on POCs, cfDNA testing pathway allowed for better sample accessibility with a lower cost per patient. In addition, using cfDNA to guide further workup significantly increases the number of causative fetal chromosome anomalies detected, reducing the number of patients undergoing unnecessary workup resulting in an overall cost savings.ConclusionOur study showed that inclusion of cfDNA testing is a cost‐effective approach to guide RPL workup.
Procrastination, perceived maternal psychological control, and structure in math class: The intervening role of academic self‐concept
Authors: Selçuk Şule , Koçak Aylin , Mouratidis Athanasios , Michou Aikaterini , Sayıl Melike 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDo students procrastinate less when their parents psychologically press them to study? Or do they show procrastination when classroom environment lacks structure? In this study, we aimed to investigate to what extent perceived maternal psychological control and perceived classroom structure in math class relate to adolescents' academic procrastination in math via adolescents’ academic self‐concept in math. Three hundred fifty‐three adolescents (M
age = 16.86 years, SD = 1.35) rated maternal psychological control, structure provided by their math teachers, their own academic self‐concept in math, and academic procrastination in math. Results from structural equation model indicated that procrastination in math was positively predicted by achievement‐oriented psychological control and negatively by perceived provision of structure by means of academic self‐concept in math. Based on the current findings, we provided some suggestions for school counselors and other specialists.
ORS‐Pred: An optimized reduced scheme‐based identifier for antioxidant proteins
Authors: Feng Changli , Wei Haiyan , Yang Deyun , Feng Bin , Ma Zhaogui , Han Shuguang , Zou Quan , Shi Hua 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAntioxidant proteins can terminate a chain of reactions caused by free radicals and protect cells from damage. To identify antioxidant proteins rapidly, a computational model was proposed based on the optimized recoding scheme, sequence information and machine learning methods. First, over 600 recoding schemes were collected to build a scheme set. Then, the original sequence was recoded as a reduced expression whose g‐gap dipeptides (g = 0, 1, 2) were used as the features of proteins. Furthermore, a random forest method was used to evaluate the classification ability of the obtained dipeptide features. After going through all schemes, the best predictive performance scheme was chosen as the optimized reduction scheme. Finally, for the RF method, a grid search strategy was used to select a better parameter combination to identify antioxidant proteins. In the experiment, the present method correctly recognized 90.13–99.87% of the antioxidant samples. Other experimental results also proved that the present method was efficient to identify antioxidant proteins. Finally, we also developed a web server that was freely accessible to researchers.
Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis of Polymer Nanoparticles in Blood Plasma
Authors: Bannon Mark S. , López Ruiz Aida , Corrotea Reyes Karen , Marquez Miriam , Wallizadeh Zahra , Savarmand Mohammad , LaPres Connor A. , Lahann Joerg , McEnnis Kathleen 
Published: May 2021

AbstractA successful drug delivery system must overcome complex biological barriers. For particles injected into the blood, one of the first and most critical barriers pertains to blood stability to circulate through the human body. To effectively design drug delivery vehicles, interactions between the particles and blood, as well as the aggregation behavior, must be understood. This work presents a method to analyze particle size and aggregation in blood plasma using a commercially available nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) system. As a model system, fluorescently labeled polystyrene nanoparticles are incubated in goat blood plasma and analyzed using NTA. The particles incubated in plasma are found to have a protein corona that is larger than what has been observed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) in diluted plasma. Particles that are decorated with a PEG layer are also found to have large protein coronas in undiluted plasma. Because NTA is based on a unique visualization method, large multicomponent aggregates could be observed and quantified in a manner not feasible with other techniques. PEGylation of the particles is found to decrease the multicomponent aggregation from 1000 ± 200 particles for unmodified to 200 ± 30 particles for 1K PEGylated per 1 × 105 total particles.