bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of spacers in dual drug-polymer conjugates toward combination therapeutic efficacy
Authors: Xu Juan , Ma Mengdi , Mukerabigwi Jean Felix , Luo Shiying , Zhang Yuannian , Cao Yu , Ning Lifeng 
Published: November 2021

AbstractRecently, a great effort has been made to perfect the therapeutic effect of solid tumor, from single-agent therapy to combined therapy and many other polymer-drug conjugations with dual or more anticancer agents due to their promising synergistic effect and higher drug level accumulation towards tumor tissues. Different polymer-drug spacers present diverse therapeutic efficacy, therefore, finding an appropriate spacer is desirable. In this study, dual drugs that are doxorubicin (DOX) and mitomycin C (MMC) were conjugated onto a polymer carrier (xyloglucan) via various peptide or amide bonds, and a series of polymers drug conjugates were synthesized with different spacers and their effect on tumor treatment efficacy was studied both in vitro and in vivo. The result shows that the synergistic effect is better when using different linker to conjugate different drugs rather than using the same spacer to conjugate different drugs on the carrier. Particularly, the finding of this works suggested that, using peptide bond for MMC and amide bond for DOX to conjugate dual drugs onto single XG carrier could improve therapeutic effect and synergy effect. Therefore, in polymer-pharmaceutical formulations, the use of different spacers to optimize the design of existing drugs to enhance therapeutic effects is a promising strategy.
Circulating sTweak is associated with visceral adiposity and severity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Authors: Cilekar Sule , Beysel Selvihan , Karatas Savas , Balci Aydin , Akaslan Kursad , Uncu Ali 
Published: November 2021

AbstractHypoxia is linked to an inflammatory imbalance in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Circulating soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (sTWEAK) is a cytokine that regulates inflammation and insulin resistance in adipose tissue. This study first investigated sTWEAK concentrations in patients OSAS and evaluated associations between sTWEAK concentrations and visceral adiposity, metabolic dysfunction, and hypoxia observed in OSAS. Forty age, sex, and body mass index-matched patients with simple habitual snoring (HSS) and 70 patients with OSAS were included. Patients were divided according to OSAS severity: mild-moderate (apnea–hypopnea index, AHI 5–30 events/h) and severe (AHI ≥ 30 events/h). Anthropometric data, glucose metabolism, visceral fat (VF) ratio, and sTWEAK levels were compared. sTWEAK levels were higher in the OSAS group than in the HSS group (931.23 ± 136.48 vs. 735.22 ± 102.84 ng/L, p = 0.001). sTWEAK levels were higher in severe OSAS than in mild-moderate OSAS (1031.83 ± 146.69 vs. 891.01 ± 110.01 ng/L, p = 0.002. When we evaluated the sTWEAK value and AHI, VF ratio, total cholesterol, blood pressure, homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein using multiple regression analysis, a significant correlation was found between sTWEAK levels and AHI (p < 0.001). It was found that sTWEAK levels were not correlated with glucose metabolism and VF ratio. Increased circulating sTWEAK levels were associated with the severity of OSAS. High sTWEAK levels were correlated with increased AHI. sTWEAK concentrations are linked to severe OSAS.
Lightning-induced high temperature and pressure microstructures in surface and subsurface fulgurites
Authors: Kuo Li-Wei , Smith Steven A. F. , Chen Chien-Chih , Ku Ching-Shun , Chiang Ching-Yu , Brown Dennis , Negrini Marianne , Huang Wen-Jeng , Chen Tze-Yuan 
Published: November 2021

AbstractCloud-to-ground lightning causes both high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphism of rocks, forming rock fulgurite. We demonstrate that a range of microstructural features indicative of high temperatures and pressures can form in fulgurites at the surface and in fractures up to several meters below the surface. In comparison to a granite reference sample collected from a borehole at a depth of 138 m, microstructures in both the surface and fracture fulgurite are characterized by: (i) the presence of glass, (ii) a phase transformation in K-feldspar with the presence of exsolution lamellae of plagioclase, and (iii) high residual stresses up to 1.5 GPa. Since this is the first time that fracture-related fulgurite has been described, we also carried out a 1-D numerical model to investigate the processes by which these can form. The model shows that the electric current density in fractures up to 40 m from the landing point can be as high as that on the surface, providing an explanation for the occurrence of fracture-related fulgurites. Our work broadens the near-surface environments in which rock fulgurite has been reported, and provides a detailed description of microstructures that can be compared to those formed during other types of extreme metamorphic events.
Triphase contrast-enhanced CT to evaluate indications for autologous liver transplantation in patients with end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis
Authors: Chen Jing , Wei Li , Chen Tian-Wu , Li Rui , Zhang Xiao-Ming , Deng Chun-Mei , Zhang Yi , Xiong Jing , Li Xian-Zhong , Li Zhi-Hong 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAutologous liver transplantation (ALT) to cure end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) requires that hepatobiliary surgeons understand the invasion of intrahepatic structure and adjacent tissues or organs. Triphase contrast-enhanced CT of the liver has been widely used for diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of HAE. Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction allows for accurate measurement of remnant liver volume (RLV). The objective of the study was to evaluate value of triphase contrast-enhanced CT together with 3D reconstruction in preoperative evaluation of indications for ALT in patients with end-stage HAE. This cohort include twenty-one consecutive patients with end-stage HAE, who preoperatively underwent triphase enhanced CT together with 3D reconstruction for ALT. To depict the indications, the 2D image data were reviewed statistically focusing on porta hepatis invasion, retrohepatic vena cava (RHVC) involvement and degrees of intrahepatic vessel invasion, and the 3D reconstruction was performed to obtain ratio of RLV to standard liver volume (SLV). The results showed that 95.24% patients (20/21) had porta hepatis invasion. When lesions located in right liver lobe, porta hepatis invasion occurred most commonly in the second and third porta hepatis (7/10), whereas the first, second and third porta hepatis were most commonly invaded by lesions in the right and caudate / left medial liver lobes (7/11) (P < 0.05). The mean value of longitudinal invasion of RHVC was 8.0 cm, and 95.2% (20/21) of patients had RHVC invasion with ≥ 180° circumferential invasion. As for the important vascular events, moderate and severe invasion occurred most commonly in the right hepatic vein, right branch of portal vein and RHVC each in 95.2% (20/21) patients (P < 0.05). We also found that preoperative CT had a good agreement with intraoperative findings in assessing intrahepatic vascular involvement by HAE (kappa index = 0.77). The estimated average ratio of RLV to SLV was 0.95 (range, 0.43–1.62). In conclusion, the 2D contrast-enhanced CT could well depict anatomic location and size of HAE, and invasion of porta hepatis and vascular by this disease, and involvement of other adjacent organs and tissues. Above all, 3D reconstruction could accurately measure RLV in patients with end-stage HAE for ALT.
Modeling Eastern Russian High Arctic Geese (Anser fabalis, A. albifrons) during moult and brood rearing in the ‘New Digital Arctic’
Authors: Solovyeva Diana , Bysykatova-Harmey Inga , Vartanyan Sergey L. , Kondratyev Alexander , Huettmann Falk 
Published: November 2021

AbstractMany polar species and habitats are now affected by man-made global climate change and underlying infrastructure. These anthropogenic forces have resulted in clear implications and many significant changes in the arctic, leading to the emergence of new climate, habitats and other issues including digital online infrastructure representing a ‘New Artic’. Arctic grazers, like Eastern Russian migratory populations of Tundra Bean Goose Anser fabalis and Greater White-fronted Goose A. albifrons, are representative examples and they are affected along the entire flyway in East Asia, namely China, Japan and Korea. Here we present the best publicly-available long-term (24 years) digitized geographic information system (GIS) data for the breeding study area (East Yakutia and Chukotka) and its habitats with ISO-compliant metadata. Further, we used seven publicly available compiled Open Access GIS predictor layers to predict the distribution for these two species within the tundra habitats. Using BIG DATA we are able to improve on the ecological niche prediction inference for both species by focusing for the first time specifically on biological relevant population cohorts: post-breeding moulting non-breeders, as well as post-breeding parent birds with broods. To assure inference with certainty, we assessed it with 4 lines of evidence including alternative best-available open access field data from GBIF.org as well as occurrence data compiled from the literature. Despite incomplete data, we found a good model accuracy in support of our evidence for a robust inference of the species distributions. Our predictions indicate a strong publicly best-available relative index of occurrence (RIO). These results are based on the quantified ecological niche showing more realistic gradual occurrence patterns but which are not fully in agreement with the current strictly applied parsimonious flyway and species delineations. While our predictions are to be improved further, e.g. when synergetic data are made freely available, here we offer within data caveats the first open access model platform for fine-tuning and future predictions for this otherwise poorly represented region in times of a rapid changing industrialized ‘New Arctic’ with global repercussions.
Green extraction optimization of triterpenoid glycoside-enriched extract from Centella asiatica (L.) Urban using response surface methodology (RSM)
Authors: Thong-on Wachiraporn , Pathomwichaiwat Thanika , Boonsith Suthida , Koo-amornpattana Wanida , Prathanturarug Sompop 
Published: November 2021

AbstractCentella asiatica (L.) Urban extracts are widely used as food, drugs and cosmetics, and the main active compounds are glycosides (madecassoside and asiaticoside) and aglycones (madecassic acid and asiatic acid). Green extraction is an interesting concept that can produce safe and high-quality extracts that use less solvent, time and energy with the environmental friendly. This study investigated the optimum conditions for extracting a triterpenoid glycoside-enriched C. asiatica extract using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used for the experimental design and data analysis. Four-month-old C. asiatica tetraploid plants were selected as the elite raw material containing high amount of triterpenoid glycosides for the extraction experiments, and the triterpenoid content was determined by a validated HPLC method. The results demonstrated that the RSM models and equations were reliable and could predict the optimal conditions to enhance C. asiatica extract yield, glycoside and aglycone amounts. The percent of ethanol was the major factor that had a significant effect on C. asiatica yield and glycoside and aglycone content during MAE and UAE. The maximum triterpenoids content in extract; 7.332 ± 0.386% w/w madecassoside and 4.560 ± 0.153% w/w asiaticoside 0.357 ± 0.013% w/w madecassic acid and 0.209 ± 0.025% w/w asiatic acid were obtained by MAE with 80% ethanol at 100 watts for 7.5 min, whereas the optimal conditions for highest total triterpenoids extraction from dry plant was UAE with 80% ethanol, temperature 48 °C, 50 min enhanced 2.262 ± 0.046% w/w madecassoside, 1.325 ± 0.062% w/w asiaticoside, 0.082 ± 0.009% w/w madecassic acid and 0.052 ± 0.007% w/w asiatic acid as secondary outcome. Moreover, it was found that MAE and UAE consumed energy 59 and 54%, respectively, lower than that of the conventional method, maceration, in term of kilowatt-hour per gram of total triterpenoids. These optimized green conditions could be recommended for C. asiatica extraction for triterpenoid glycoside-enriched extracts production for the pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical industries and triterpenoids quantitative analysis in raw materials.
Changes in white matter microstructure and MRI-derived cerebral blood flow after 1-week of exercise training
Authors: Steventon J. J. , Chandler H. L. , Foster C. , Dingsdale H. , Germuska M. , Massey T. , Parker G. , Wise R. G. , Murphy K. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractExercise is beneficial for brain health, inducing neuroplasticity and vascular plasticity in the hippocampus, which is possibly mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Here we investigated the short-term effects of exercise, to determine if a 1-week intervention is sufficient to induce brain changes. Fifteen healthy young males completed five supervised exercise training sessions over seven days. This was preceded and followed by a multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan (diffusion-weighted MRI, perfusion-weighted MRI, dual-calibrated functional MRI) acquired 1 week apart, and blood sampling for BDNF. A diffusion tractography analysis showed, after exercise, a significant reduction relative to baseline in restricted fraction—an axon-specific metric—in the corpus callosum, uncinate fasciculus, and parahippocampal cingulum. A voxel-based approach found an increase in fractional anisotropy and reduction in radial diffusivity symmetrically, in voxels predominantly localised in the corpus callosum. A selective increase in hippocampal blood flow was found following exercise, with no change in vascular reactivity. BDNF levels were not altered. Thus, we demonstrate that 1 week of exercise is sufficient to induce microstructural and vascular brain changes on a group level, independent of BDNF, providing new insight into the temporal dynamics of plasticity, necessary to exploit the therapeutic potential of exercise.
Factors that influence the quality of metabolomics data in in vitro cell toxicity studies: a systematic survey
Authors: Moreno-Torres Marta , García-Llorens Guillem , Moro Erika , Méndez Rebeca , Quintás Guillermo , Castell José Vicente 
Published: November 2021

AbstractREACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is a global strategy and regulation policy of the EU that aims to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. It entered into force on 1st June 2007 (EC 1907/2006). REACH and EU policies plead for the use of robust high-throughput "omic" techniques for the in vitro investigation of the toxicity of chemicals that can provide an estimation of their hazards as well as information regarding the underlying mechanisms of toxicity. In agreement with the 3R’s principles, cultured cells are nowadays widely used for this purpose, where metabolomics can provide a real-time picture of the metabolic effects caused by exposure of cells to xenobiotics, enabling the estimations about their toxicological hazards. High quality and robust metabolomics data sets are essential for precise and accurate hazard predictions. Currently, the acquisition of consistent and representative metabolomic data is hampered by experimental drawbacks that hinder reproducibility and difficult robust hazard interpretation. Using the differentiated human liver HepG2 cells as model system, and incubating with hepatotoxic (acetaminophen and valproic acid) and non-hepatotoxic compounds (citric acid), we evaluated in-depth the impact of several key experimental factors (namely, cell passage, processing day and storage time, and compound treatment) and instrumental factors (batch effect) on the outcome of an UPLC-MS metabolomic analysis data set. Results showed that processing day and storage time had a significant impact on the retrieved cell's metabolome, while the effect of cell passage was minor. Meta-analysis of results from pathway analysis showed that batch effect corrections and quality control (QC) measures are critical to enable consistent and meaningful estimations of the effects caused by compounds on cells. The quantitative analysis of the changes in metabolic pathways upon bioactive compound treatment remained consistent despite the concurrent causes of metabolomic data variation. Thus, upon appropriate data retrieval and correction and by an innovative metabolic pathway analysis, the metabolic alteration predictions remained conclusive despite the acknowledged sources of variability.
Southern Ocean contribution to both steps in deglacial atmospheric CO2 rise
Authors: Ronge Thomas A. , Frische Matthias , Fietzke Jan , Stephens Alyssa L. , Bostock Helen , Tiedemann Ralf 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe transfer of vast amounts of carbon from a deep oceanic reservoir to the atmosphere is considered to be a dominant driver of the deglacial rise in atmospheric CO2. Paleoceanographic reconstructions reveal evidence for the existence of CO2-rich waters in the mid to deep Southern Ocean. These water masses ventilate to the atmosphere south of the Polar Front, releasing CO2 prior to the formation and subduction of intermediate-waters. Changes in the amount of CO2 in the sea water directly affect the oceanic carbon chemistry system. Here we present B/Ca ratios, a proxy for delta carbonate ion concentrations Δ[CO32−], and stable isotopes (δ13C) from benthic foraminifera from a sediment core bathed in Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), offshore New Zealand in the Southwest Pacific. We find two transient intervals of rising [CO32−] and δ13C that that are consistent with the release of CO2 via the Southern Ocean. These intervals coincide with the two pulses in rising atmospheric CO2 at ~ 17.5–14.3 ka and 12.9–11.1 ka. Our results lend support for the release of sequestered CO2 from the deep ocean to surface and atmospheric reservoirs during the last deglaciation, although further work is required to pin down the detailed carbon transfer pathways.
A multimode metamaterial for a compact and robust dualband wireless power transfer system
Authors: Jiang Xin , Pokharel Ramesh K. , Barakat Adel , Yoshitomi Kuniaki 
Published: November 2021

AbstractTo release more flexibility for users to charge their portable devices, researchers have increasingly developed compact wireless power transfer (WPT) systems in recent years. Also, a dual-band WPT system is proposed to transfer power and signal simultaneously, enriching the system’s functionality. Moreover, a stacked metasurface has recently been proposed for a single band near-field WPT system. In this study, a novel multimode self-resonance-enhanced wideband metasurface is proposed for a robust dual-band WPT system, which significantly improves the performance of both bands. The size of the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx) are both 15 mm × 15 mm only. The proposed metasurface can improve efficiency from 0.04 up to 39% in the best case. The measured figure of merit (FoM) is 2.09 at 390 MHz and 2.16 at 770 MHz, respectively, in the balanced mode. Especially, the FoM can reach up to 4.34 in the lower mode. Compared to the previous state-of-the-art for similar applications, the WPT performance has significantly been improved.
Cuticle deposition duration in the uterus is correlated with eggshell cuticle quality in White Leghorn laying hens
Authors: Chen Xia , He Zhaoxiang , Li Xingzheng , Song Jianlou , Huang Mingyi , Shi Xuefeng , Li Xianyu , Li Junying , Xu Guiyun , Zheng Jiangxia 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe cuticle formed in the uterus is the outermost layer as the first defense line of eggshell against microbial invasions in most avian species, and analyzing its genetic regulation and influencing factors are of great importance to egg biosecurity in poultry production worldwide. The current study compared the uterine transcriptome and proteome of laying hens producing eggs with good and poor cuticle quality (GC and PC, the top and tail of the cuticle quality distribution), and identified several genes involved with eggshell cuticle quality (ESCQ). Overall, transcriptomic analysis identified 53 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PC versus GC group hens, among which 25 were up-regulated and 28 were down-regulated. No differences were found in the uterine proteome. Several DEGs, including PTGDS, PLCG2, ADM and PRLR related to uterine functions and reproductive hormones, were validated by qPCR analysis. Egg quality measurements between GC and PC hens showed GC hens had longer laying interval between two consecutive ovipositions (25.64 ± 1.23 vs 24.94 ± 1.12 h) and thicker eggshell thickness (352.01 ± 23.04 vs 316.20 ± 30.58 μm) (P < 0.05). Apart from eggshell traits, other egg quality traits didn’t differ. The result demonstrated eggshell and cuticle deposition duration in the uterus is one of the major factors affecting ESCQ in laying hens. PTGDS, PLCG2, ADM and PRLR genes were discovered and might play crucial roles in cuticle deposition by regulating the uterine muscular activities and secretion function. The findings in the present study provide new insights into the genetic regulation of cuticle deposition in laying hens and establish a foundation for further investigations.
Metabolomic credentialing of murine carcinogen-induced urothelial cancer
Authors: Afify Hesham , Ghoneum Alia , Almousa Sameh , Abdulfattah Ammar Yasser , Warren Bailey , Langsten Kendall , Gonzalez Daniela , Casals Randy , Bharadwaj Manish , Kridel Steven , Said Neveen 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBladder cancer (BCa) is the most common malignancy of the urinary system with increasing incidence, mortality, and limited treatment options. Therefore, it is imperative to validate preclinical models that faithfully represent BCa cellular, molecular, and metabolic heterogeneity to develop new therapeutics. We performed metabolomic profiling of premalignant and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) that ensued in the chemical carcinogenesis N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine (BBN) mouse model. We identified the enriched metabolic signatures that associate with premalignant and NMIBC. We found that enrichment of lipid metabolism is the forerunner of carcinogen-induced premalignant and NMIBC lesions. Cross-species analysis revealed the prognostic value of the enzymes associated with carcinogen-induced enriched metabolic in human disease. To date, this is the first study describing the global metabolomic profiles associated with early premalignant and NMIBC and provide evidence that these metabolomic signatures can be used for prognostication of human disease.