bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Becoming a mother during the COVID‐19 national lockdown in Italy: Issues linked to the wellbeing of pregnant women
Authors: Smorti Martina , Ponti Lucia , Ionio Chiara , Gallese Marta , Andreol Angelica , Bonassi Lucia 
Published: September 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic and consequent lockdown represent risk factors for the mental health of pregnant women. We explored the impact of COVID‐19 restriction policies on psychological health, analysing the predictive role of social support on maternal wellbeing. A total of 212 pregnant women recruited from two public hospitals in Italy were divided into two groups: (a) a pre‐COVID‐19 group composed of 141 expectant women (mean age = 34.6; SD = 4.3) at their third trimester before the national lockdown period; (b) a COVID‐19 group composed of 71 pregnant women (mean age = 33.3; SD = 4.5) at their third trimester during the COVID‐19 national lockdown. Participants completed two self‐report questionnaires: the Profile of Mood States and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Moreover, the COVID‐19 group was asked to respond to an open question concerning worries about their pregnancies and COVID‐19. Results showed that pregnant women during COVID‐19 presented higher anxiety, depression and hostility, and lower vigour, than the pre‐COVID‐19 group. The main concerns were related to the effect of hospital restriction policies on childbirth and fears of contracting COVID‐19. Perceived partner social support represented a protective factor only for the pre‐COVID‐19 women. Limitations, strengths, and theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Autophagy drives plasticity and functional polarization of tumor‐associated macrophages
Authors: Kuo Wan‐Ting , Chang Jia‐Ming , Chen Chien‐Chin , Tsao Nina , Chang Chih‐Peng 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and are key cells in regulating tumor development, metastasis, immune responses, inflammation, and chemoresistance. In response to TME stimulation, circulating monocytes are recruited and differentiated as TAMs. Most TAMs are defined as alternatively activated (M2) phenotype to create immunosuppressive TME and support tumor progression. In contrast, classically activated (M1) TAMs can produce pro‐inflammatory cytokines and enhance immune responses against tumor development. Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process to control cellular homeostasis and biological function. Emerging evidence reveals crucial contribution of autophagy in modulating TAM plasticity and functional polarization in TME. In this review, we introduce the current understanding of autophagy‐regulated TAM function in development of cancer. We focus on how autophagy modulates antigen presentation, LC3‐associated phagocytosis, cytokine secretion, inflammasome regulation, recruitment, differentiation, and polarization of TAMs and suggest strategies for potential therapeutics by targeting autophagy in TAMs. We expect this review can provide a new notion of future cancer immunotherapy.
Mast cells: Therapeutic targets for COVID‐19 and beyond
Authors: Lam Hiu Yan , Tergaonkar Vinay , Kumar Alan Prem , Ahn Kwang Seok 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMast cells (MCs) are innate immune cells that widely distribute throughout all tissues and express a variety of cell surface receptors. Upon activation, MCs can rapidly release a diverse array of preformed mediators residing within their secretory granules and newly synthesize a broad spectrum of inflammatory and immunomodulatory mediators. These unique features of MCs enable them to act as sentinels in response to rapid changes within their microenvironment. There is increasing evidence now that MCs play prominent roles in other pathophysiological processes besides allergic inflammation. In this review, we highlight the recent findings on the emerging roles of MCs in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) and discuss the potential of MCs as novel therapeutic targets for COVID‐19 and other non‐allergic inflammatory diseases.
Revealing Intraosseous Blood Flow in the Human Tibia With Ultrasound
Authors: Salles Sébastien , Shepherd Jami , Vos Hendrik J. , Renaud Guillaume 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTIntraosseous blood circulation is thought to have a critical role in bone growth and remodeling, fracture healing, and bone disorders. However, it is rarely considered in clinical practice because of the absence of a suitable noninvasive in vivo measurement technique. In this work, we assessed blood perfusion in tibial cortical bone simultaneously with blood flow in the superficial femoral artery with ultrasound imaging in five healthy volunteers. After suppression of stationary signal with singular‐value‐decomposition, pulsatile blood flow in cortical bone tissue is revealed, following the heart rate measured in the femoral artery. Using a method combining transverse oscillations and phase‐based motion estimation, 2D vector flow was obtained in the cortex of the tibia. After spatial averaging over the cortex, the peak blood velocity along the long axis of the tibia was measured at four times larger than the peak blood velocity across the bone cortex. This suggests that blood flow in central (Haversian) canals is larger than in perforating (Volkmann's) canals, as expected from the intracortical vascular organization in humans. The peak blood velocity indicates a flow from the endosteum to the periosteum and from the heart to the foot for all subjects. Because aging and the development of bone disorders are thought to modify the direction and velocity of intracortical blood flow, their quantification is crucial. This work reports for the first time an in vivo quantification of the direction and velocity of blood flow in human cortical bone. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Therapeutic plasma exchange for life‐threatening pediatric disorders
Authors: Diana Jean‐Sebastien , Manceau Sandra , Rabeony Tioka , Elie Caroline , Jolaine Valerie , Zamora Sandrine , Aubart Melodie , Salvi Nadege , Bodemer Christine , Bader‐Meunier Brigitte , Barnerias Christine , Iserin Franck , Chardot Christophe , Lacaille Florence , Renolleau Sylvain , Salomon Remi , Joseph Laure , Cavazzana Marina , Lefrere François , Dupic Laurent , Delville Marianne 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIntroductionTherapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is acknowledged to be an effective treatment in life‐threatening pediatric disorders. Apheresis for pediatric diseases has been poorly investigated, and most studies to date featured small numbers of patients and lacked control groups. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the tolerance of TPE in pediatric patients.Materials and MethodsA retrospective cohort study via a web‐based electronic case report form including pediatric patients referred for TPE between January 2005 and December 2014.ResultsA total of 78 patients (median [range] age: 9.8 [0.53‐17.93]) and 731 TPE procedures were analyzed. The indications were antibody‐mediated rejection (n = 33; 42%) and desensitization therapy (n = 5; 6%) after solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, thrombotic microangiopathy (n = 17; 22%), pediatric inflammatory diseases (n = 16; 21%), kidney diseases (n = 6; 8%), and hyperviscosity syndrome (n = 1; 1%). On average, each patient underwent six procedures during the first session [range: 1‐19]. In the 2 weeks following the start of a session, 72 patients (92%) presented a total of 311 adverse events (AEs) potentially related to TPE. The risk of AEs was not related to the indication for TPE, the intensity of care, venous access, plasma substitute use, or body weight. None of the deaths was related to the TPE.ConclusionWe studied one of the largest retrospective pediatric cohorts described to date. Our experience of TPE children's TPE feasibility concerned specific, life‐threatening conditions and otherwise treatment‐refractory diseases.
A simulation model used in teaching denture border adjustment: Randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bukhary Dalea M. , Alshali Ruwaida Z. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractObjectivesThe goal was to propose a new simulation model as a training tool in complete denture (CD) flange adjustment and to evaluate if the model can improve student competencies in different learning domains.MethodsFourth‐year undergraduate dental students (n = 100) were equally divided into control and test groups. Both groups received didactic instructions for CD post‐insertion procedures, but the test group had additional simulation training using modified working casts. Both groups then performed CD flange adjustment on real patients, and their skills were evaluated using a specific checklist. The data were assessed by independent samples t‐test and a chi‐square test at α = 0.05.ResultsThe students in the test group showed significantly better overall performance (57.94%) compared with the control group (30.14%) in clinical post‐insertion CD flange adjustment procedures (p < 0.001). However, the psychomotor skills of the male students in the test group were not significantly influenced (p = 0.268). Considering the competencies for different tasks, more students that were competent were present in the test group compared to those in the control group regarding most of the knowledge (p ≤ 0.012) and all of the cognitive skill tasks (p ≤ 0.021). More students were competent for half of the psychomotor skill tasks (p ≤ 0.027). However, when considering gender, the number of competent male students was significantly greater in the test group only for one of the psychomotor tasks.ConclusionThe simulation model significantly improved the overall clinical skills of the students, allowing them to learn the common CD post‐insertion maintenance procedures before performing the procedure clinically.
The polysaccharide chitosan facilitates the isolation of small extracellular vesicles from multiple biofluids
Authors: Kumar Awanit , Dhadi Surendar Reddy , Mai Ngoc‐Nu , Taylor Catherine , Roy Jeremy W. , Barnett David A. , Lewis Stephen M. , Ghosh Anirban , Ouellette Rodney J. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSeveral studies have demonstrated the potential uses of extracellular vesicles (EVs) for liquid biopsy‐based diagnostic tests and therapeutic applications; however, clinical use of EVs presents a challenge as many currently‐available EV isolation methods have limitations related to efficiency, purity, and complexity of the methods. Moreover, many EV isolation methods do not perform efficiently in all biofluids due to their differential physicochemical properties. Thus, there continues to be a need for novel EV isolation methods that are simple, robust, non‐toxic, and/or clinically‐amenable. Here we demonstrate a rapid and efficient method for small extracellular vesicle (sEV) isolation that uses chitosan, a linear cationic polyelectrolyte polysaccharide that exhibits biocompatibility, non‐immunogenicity, biodegradability, and low toxicity. Chitosan‐precipitated material was characterized using Western blotting, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and relevant proteomic‐based gene ontology analyses. We find that chitosan facilitates the isolation of sEVs from multiple biofluids, including cell culture‐conditioned media, human urine, plasma and saliva. Overall, our data support the potential for chitosan to isolate a population of sEVs from a variety of biofluids and may have the potential to be a clinically amenable sEV isolation method.
Short‐term intraperitoneal catheters: An ambulatory care intervention for refractory ascites secondary to cirrhosis during COVID‐19
Authors: Ngu Natalie LY , Anderson Patricia , Hunter Jo , Figredo Anita , Papaluca Timothy , Pianko Stephen , Dev Anouk , Bell Sally , Le Suong 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackground and AimPatients with refractory ascites have frequent hospital admissions, which pose exposure risks in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a novel 12‐week, multidisciplinary ambulatory care program allowing frequent low‐volume ascitic drainage through a tunneled, intraperitoneal catheter (IPC).MethodsAdult patients with cirrhosis complicated by refractory ascites were recruited through a liver clinic in a tertiary health service in Melbourne, Australia from April to December 2020. All patients were enrolled in a 12‐week multidisciplinary program including medical, nursing, dietetics, and pharmacy support. A Rocket Medical IPC was inserted on day 1 with 1–2 L of ascitic fluid drained over 1–3 sessions per week either at the patients' homes or at the hospital day ward. Patients' demographics, death, complications, and self‐reported outcomes were recorded.ResultsTwelve patients were enrolled with a median of 65‐day (interquartile range [IQR]: 16.5–93) IPC duration between April and December 2020 across two periods of COVID‐related lockdown in Melbourne, Australia. There were no IPC‐related deaths. Early removal was necessitated in three patients due to leakage, nonadherence, and bacteremia. On day 30, the median self‐reported health score increased from 50 (IQR: 50–70) to 78 (IQR: 50–85), attributable to a reduction in symptom burden.ConclusionA multidisciplinary IPC program including the use of short‐term IPC was safe and associated with a self‐reported improvement in perceptions of health. In the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the program aimed to reduce patient and clinician exposure, which is maintaining engagement and management of decompensated cirrhosis.
Matchings in 1‐planar graphs with large minimum degree
Authors: Biedl Therese , Wittnebel John 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn 1979, Nishizeki and Baybars showed that every planar graph with minimum degree 3 has a matching of size (where the constant depends on the connectivity), and even better bounds hold for planar graphs with minimum degree 4 and 5. In this paper, we investigate similar matching‐bounds for 1‐planar graphs, that is, graphs that can be drawn such that every edge has at most one crossing. We show that every 1‐planar graph with minimum degree 3 has a matching of size at least , and this is tight for some graphs. We provide similar bounds for 1‐planar graphs with minimum degree 4 and 5, while the case of minimum degree 6 and 7 remains open.
Helminth infections and cardiovascular diseases: A role for the microbiota and Mϕs?
Authors: Lin Jian-Da , Loke P'ng 
Published: September 2021

AbstractCardiovascular diseases are rising in developing countries with increasing urbanization and lifestyle changes and remains a major cause of death in the developed world. In this mini review, we discuss the possibility that the effect of helminth infections on the immune system and the microbiota may affect risk factors in cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, as part of the hygiene hypothesis. The effects of Type 2 immune responses induced by helminths and helminth derived molecules on regulating metabolism and Mϕ function could be a mechanistic link for further investigation. We emphasize the complexity and difficulties in determining indirect or direct and causal relationships between helminth infection status and cardiovascular diseases. New experimental models, such as rewilding laboratory mice, whereby different aspects of the environment and host genetics can be carefully dissected may provide further mechanistic insights and therapeutic strategies for treating cardiovascular diseases.
Extraction and optimization of Penicillium sclerotiorum strain AK‐1 pigment for fabric dyeing
Authors: Kallingal Anoop , Ayyolath Aravind , Thachan Kundil Varun , Joseph Tomy M. , Chandra D. Naveen , Haponiuk Józef T. , Thomas Sabu , Variyar E Jayadevi 
Published: September 2021

AbstractRecently, the demand for fungal pigments has increased due to their several benefits over synthetic dyes. Many species of fungi are known to produce pigments and a large number of fungal strains for pigment production are yet to be extensively investigated. The natural pigment from sustainable natural sources has good economic and industrial value. Many synthetic colorants used in textile and various industries have many harmful effects on the human population and environment. Pigments and coloring agents may be extracted from a wide range of fungal species. These compounds are among the natural compounds having the most significant promise for medicinal, culinary, cosmetics, and textile applications. This study attempts to isolate and optimize the fermentation conditions of Penicillium sclerotiorum strain AK‐1 for pigment production. A dark yellow‐colored pigment was isolated from the strain with significant extractive value and antioxidant capacity. This study also identifies that the pigment does not have any cytotoxic effect and is multicomponent. The pigment production was optimized for the parameters such as pH, temperature, carbon and nitrogen source. Fabric dyeing experiments showed significant dyeing capacity of the pigment on cotton fabrics. Accordingly, the natural dye isolated from P. sclerotiorum strain AK‐1 has a high potential for industrial‐scale dyeing of cotton materials.
Enrichment and separation of high‐polar compounds from Saussurea obvallata using solid‐phase extraction combining with offline two‐dimensional liquid chromatography
Authors: Wang Weidong , Zhu Yunhe , Jiang Lei , Mei Lijuan , Tao Yanduo , Liu Zenggen 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe high‐polar compounds from natural products are often used as medicines due to their good bioactivities. However, owing to the complexity and diversity of their structure, the separation of high‐polar compounds is still a challenging work. For this, an efficient method for enrichment and separation of the high‐polar compounds from Saussurea obvallata was developed. First, the target compounds were enriched from the total extract using a solid‐phase extraction method. An offline two‐dimensional liquid chromatography method was used for the separation of pure compounds from the enriched sample. After optimization of chromatographic conditions, high separation selectivity of target compounds was obtained on a polar‐modified C18 column and a HILIC XAmide column. Hence, a two‐dimensional reversed‐phase × hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography system was constructed and enlarged from the analytical level to the preparative level. In the first dimension, four fractions were obtained on the XCharge C18 column with a recovery rate of 71.2%. In the second‐dimension preparation on the XAmide column, eight high‐polar compounds with more than 96% purity were isolated. All compounds were isolated from Saussurea obvallata for the first time. The results demonstrated that this developed strategy is effective for preparative‐scale isolation of high‐polar compounds from natural products.
Untangling the effects of management measures, climate and land use cover change on grassland dynamics in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Ren Hanyu , Zheng Cheng , Zhou Ronglei , Hu Tianming , Yang Peizhi , Zhang Wei , Wang Zhenqian , Li Yan , Zhang Zhaoying , Wen Zhongming 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMultiple large‐scale ecological conservation programmes have been launched by the Chinese Government to combat grassland degradation across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) since 1999. However, the mechanisms by which these ecological initiatives might affect grassland changes remains unknown. Here, we examined the land use cover change (LUCC) and net primary productivity (NPP) of the grassland in the QTP in 2001–2016. The effects of LUCC, management measures, and climate variation on grassland NPP were quantitatively evaluated. The grassland area had a net increase of 96,397 km2, which could be attributed to the conversion of desert and forests. The total NPP of grassland increased by 154,073.7 GgC·yr−1 in 2001–2016, of which the contribution of climate and human factors occupied 35.58% and 64.42%, respectively. Specifically, climate variation caused an overall increase of 54,823.24 GgC·yr−1in grassland total NPP. The climate‐dominated NPP decrease was widely found in the eastern and southern QTP. The contribution of LUCC and management measures to the increase of grassland NPP was 62.78% and 37.22%, respectively. This increase was mostly found in the mid‐east region of the QTP, which could sufficiently counteract the negative effect of climate variation on NPP. Overall, these findings seem to demonstrate that these ecological restoration programs have substantially promote the increase of grassland NPP and contribute to understanding the degree to which the grassland ecosystem may respond to the LUCC and management measures under the ecological restoration projects, which are essential to developing more effective ecological measures for future grassland restoration in the QTP.
Micromeritic, thermal, dielectric, and microstructural properties of legume ingredients: A review
Authors: Ahmed Jasim , Mulla Mehrajfatema Z. , Siddiq Muhammad , Dolan Kirk D. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe legume‐based food market has grown consistently in recent years because of the high global demands for plant‐based proteins. Since isolation of proteins produces the same volume of starch and large quantities of fiber‐rich fractions, these ingredients require property measurements for their industrial applications. Size‐reduction operations separate the ingredients from the legume grains by creating a large surface area with a definite size. Knowledge of micromeritic properties of legume‐based flour ingredients is indispensable in the design of process equipment and logistic operations. This review covers the particle‐size distributions of legume flours with a desired particle size that fits the food industry and fulfills the nutritional requirements of consumers. It focuses on the strict particle‐size requirement in the legume industry to obtain consistent ingredients for diverse food applications. Furthermore, engineering properties of legume ingredients, including micromeritic, dielectric, structural (e.g., Fourier transform infrared [FTIR], X‐ray diffraction [XRD], and scanning electron microscopy [SEM]), and thermal (e.g., thermal conductivity, diffusivity, heat capacity, glass transition, and melting temperature) properties and their interrelationships, have been discussed.
Controlling Polymer Morphologies by Intramolecular and Intermolecular Dynamic Covalent Iron(III)/Catechol Complexation—From Polypeptide Single Chain Nanoparticles to Hydrogels
Authors: Hebel Marco , Gačanin Jasmina , Lückerath Thorsten , Ng David Y. W. , Weil Tanja 
Published: September 2021

AbstractResponsive biomaterials, tunable from the molecular to the macroscopic scale, are attractive for various applications in nanotechnology. Herein, a long polypeptide chain derived from the abundant serum protein human serum albumin is cross‐linked by dynamic‐coordinative iron(III)/catechol bonds. By tuning the binding stoichiometry and the pH, reversible intramolecular folding into polypeptide nanoparticles with controllable sizes is achieved. Moreover, upon varying the stoichiometry, intermolecular cross‐links become predominant yielding smart and tunable macroscopic protein hydrogels. By adjusting the intra‐ and intermolecular interactions, biocompatible and biodegradable materials are formed with varying morphologies and dimensions covering several lengths scales featuring rapid gelation without toxic reagents, fast and autonomous self‐healing, tunable mechanical properties, and high adaptability to local environmental conditions. Such material characteristics can be particularly attractive for tissue engineering approaches to recreate soft tissues matrices with highly customizable features in a fast and simple fashion.