bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of collagen with polyhexamethylene biguanide: A potential scaffold for infected wounds
Authors: Ramasamy Sripriya , Muthusamy Senthilkumar , Nagarajan Sureshbabu , Nath Asha V. , Savarimuthu Jayaraj Santiyagu , Jayaprakash Jayanthi , Gurunadhan Ragunathan Manikavali 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBacterial infection remains a great challenge in wound healing, especially in chronic wounds. Multidrug‐resistant organisms are increasing in acute and chronic wound infections, which compromise the chance of therapeutics. Resistance to conventional antibiotics has created an urge to study new approach/system that can effectively control wound infection and enhance healing. Wound cover/dressing must exhibit biocompatibility and effectiveness in reducing bioburden at the wound site. Collagen, a natural biopolymer, possesses advantages over synthetic and other natural materials due to its unique biological properties. It can act as an excellent wound dressing and controlled drug delivery system. Currently, antiseptic agents such as silver, iodine, and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)‐incorporated scaffolds have become widely accepted in chronic wound healing. In this study, PHMB‐incorporated collagen scaffold has been prepared and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which showed retention of collagen nativity and integration of PHMB. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed the porous structures of scaffolds. The cytotoxicity analysis showed PHMB is nontoxic at the concentration of 0.01% (wt/wt). The agar diffusion test and bacterial adhesion study demonstrated the effectiveness of PHMB‐incorporated collagen scaffold against both gram positive and negative strains. This study concludes that PHMB‐incorporated collagen scaffold could have the potential for infected wound healing.
Influence of electron beam irradiation on extracellular matrix of the human allogeneic skin grafts
Authors: Łabuś Wojciech , Kitala Diana , Klama‐Baryła Agnieszka , Szapski Michał , Kraut Małgorzata , Smętek Wojciech , Glik Justyna , Kucharzewski Marek , Rojczyk Ewa , Utrata‐Wesołek Alicja , Trzebicka Barbara , Szeluga Urszula , Sobota Michał , Poloczek Ryszard , Kamiński Artur 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe nonviable allogeneic human skin grafts might be considered as the most suitable skin substitutes in the treatment of extensive and deep burns. However, in accordance to biological security such grafts require the final sterilization prior to clinical application. The aim of the study was to verify the influence of electron beam irradiation of three selected doses: 18, 25, and 35 kGy on the extracellular matrix of human skin. Prior to sterilization, the microbiological tests were conducted and revealed contamination in all examined cases. Individual groups were subjected to single electron beam radiation sterilization at proposed doses and then subjected to microbiological tests again. The results of microbiological testing performed for all irradiation doses used were negative. Only in the control group was a growth of microorganisms observed. The FTIR spectrometry tests were conducted followed by the histological evaluation and mechanical tests. In addition, cost analysis of radiation sterilization of individual doses was performed. The results of spectroscopic analysis, mechanical tests, and histological staining showed no significant changes in composition and characteristics of tested tissues after their irradiation, in comparison to control samples. The cost analysis has shown that irradiation with 18 kGy is the most cost‐effective and 35 kGy is the least favorable. However, according to biological risk reduction, the recommended sterilization dose is 35 kGy, despite the higher price compared to the other doses tested.
gp130 Cytokines Activate Novel Signaling Pathways and Alter Bone Dissemination in ER+ Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Omokehinde Tolu , Jotte Alec , Johnson Rachelle W 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACT
Breast cancer cells frequently home to the bone marrow, where they encounter signals that promote survival and quiescence or stimulate their proliferation. The interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokines signal through the co-receptor glycoprotein130 (gp130) and are abundantly secreted within the bone microenvironment. Breast cancer cell expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor (LIFR)/STAT3 signaling promotes tumor dormancy in the bone, but it is unclear which, if any of the cytokines that signal through LIFR, including LIF, oncostatin M (OSM), and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), promote tumor dormancy and which signaling pathways are induced. We first confirmed that LIF, OSM, and CNTF and their receptor components were expressed across a panel of breast cancer cell lines, although expression was lower in estrogen receptor–negative (ER–) bone metastatic clones compared with parental cell lines. In estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) cells, OSM robustly stimulated phosphorylation of known gp130 signaling targets STAT3, ERK, and AKT, while CNTF activated STAT3 signaling. In ER– breast cancer cells, OSM alone stimulated AKT and ERK signaling. Overexpression of OSM, but not CNTF, reduced dormancy gene expression and increased ER+ breast cancer bone dissemination. Reverse-phase protein array revealed distinct and overlapping pathways stimulated by OSM, LIF, and CNTF with known roles in breast cancer progression and metastasis. In breast cancer patients, downregulation of the cytokines or receptors was associated with reduced relapse-free survival, but OSM was significantly elevated in patients with invasive disease and distant metastasis. Together these data indicate that the gp130 cytokines induce multiple signaling cascades in breast cancer cells, with a potential pro-tumorigenic role for OSM and pro-dormancy role for CNTF. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Myrtenol alleviates oxidative stress and inflammation in diabetic pregnant rats via TLR4/MyD88/NF‐κB signaling pathway
Authors: Xuemei Liu , Qiu Shengjie , Chen Guiying , Liu Mingyuan 
Published: September 2021

AbstractGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a special kind of diabetes that arises only during pregnancy. A woman with GDM has a higher risk of developing type‐2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases. In this exploration, we intended to scrutinize the therapeutic actions of Myrtenol against the streptozotocin (STZ)‐provoked GDM in rats. GDM was provoked in the pregnant rats via injecting the 1% of STZ (25 mg/kg) and then treated with the 50 mg/kg of myrtenol. The glucose level and bodyweight of animals were noted. The lipid profile, that is, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low‐density lipoprotein, and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) was determined by respective kits. The lipid peroxidation and antioxidants status were examined using assay kits. The status of proinflammatory markers was investigated by assay kits. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of TLR4/MyD88/NF‐κB signaling proteins were studied by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. The hepatic and pancreatic tissues were examined microscopically. Myrtenol treatment notably decreased the status of blood glucose and lipid profile and improved the HDL in the GDM rats. The status of lipid peroxidation and inflammatory markers were substantially reduced by the myrtenol and it enhanced the antioxidants status of GDM animals. Myrtenol treatment remarkably downregulated the mRNA expressions of TLR4/MyD88/NF‐κB signaling proteins. The histological findings also proved the therapeutic actions of myrtenol. Altogether, the findings of this investigation unveiled the therapeutic actions of the myrtenol against the STZ‐provoked GDM in rats. Myrtenol could be a promising therapeutic agent to treat GDM in the future.
Extracorporeal photopheresis and multimodality therapy in patients with T‐cell cutaneous lymphomas: Real‐life experience in Argentina
Authors: Baquero Rey Jenny Andrea , Zambrano Franco Evelyn Andrea , Andrade Miranda Andrea , Marciano Sebastián , Mazzuoccolo Luis Daniel , Enz Paula Andrea 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundExtracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) as a part of multimodality therapy, is one of the treatments for Sézary syndrome (SS) and advanced stage mycosis fungoides (MF). This study aims to describe cutaneous and peripheral blood responses of patients with MF and SS who received multimodality therapy.MethodsIn this cross‐sectional retrospective study, patients with MF or SS who received ECP treatment in combination with at least one additional systemic treatment between 2011 and 2018 were included. ECP consisted of a two‐session cycle every 2 to 4 weeks. Cutaneous and blood responses were evaluated with updated criteria.ResultsTwenty‐eight patients (11 (39%) with MF and 17 (51%) with SS) were included. Their median age at diagnosis was 63 (57‐67) years. The median number of treatments before ECP was 2 (1–3). Seven out of 11 patients with MF (63%) underwent an assessment of cutaneous response. Five patients (70%) presented a partial response; 1 (15%), stable disease, and 1 (15%) progressive disease. Thirteen of the 17 patients with SS (76%) underwent evaluation. One patient (8%) presented a complete cutaneous response; 6 (46%), a partial response; 5 (38%), stable disease; and 1 (8%), progressive disease. None of them relapsed during the study period in both groups. No ECP‐related adverse effects occurred during the study.ConclusionMost patients with SS and MF who underwent multimodality therapy with ECP had favorable cutaneous and blood response. It is safe to combine ECP with other treatments. Studies with large numbers of patients are necessary to assess the effects of ECP on patient survival.
Engineering play with blocks as an informal learning context for executive function and planning
Authors: Gold Zachary S. , Elicker James , Evich Carly D. , Mishra Aura A. , Howe Nina , Weil Abigail E. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundEngineering play is an emerging framework for understanding young children's constructive block play as an engineering design process. Few studies have evaluated engineering thinking, language, or behavior in preschool‐age children, especially quantitative evaluations that systematically document specific early engineering behavior. More research is needed to support diverse children's engineering education in ecologically valid classroom contexts and understand relations with the key cognitive domains that predict school readiness.Purpose/HypothesisThe present study investigated the associations of executive functioning and planning skills with preschoolers' engineering play behaviors with wooden unit blocks, tested the moderating role of disability status in these associations, and provided additional reliability and validity data on the Preschool Engineering Play Behaviors (P‐EPB) measure.Design/MethodParticipants were 110 preschoolers (44% female; 25% children with disabilities) observed and coded during 15‐min block play sessions with a peer partner. Children completed separate formal assessments of executive function and planning.ResultsA one‐factor engineering play variable including six behavior categories (i.e., communicating goals, problem‐solving, explaining how things are built/work, following patterns and prototypes, logical and mathematical words, and technical vocabulary) was significantly and positively associated with executive function and planning for children with disabilities.ConclusionsResults provide new knowledge about early engineering measurement and implications for teaching and learning engineering across multiple academic disciplines and with children from diverse developmental backgrounds.
Newcomers as unwitting victims? Examining department leaders' denial of information support and team leaders' resentment during organizational socialization
Authors: Nifadkar Sushil S. , Wu Wen 
Published: September 2021

SummaryNewcomers depend on organizational insiders to successfully adjust to their organization, with their direct team leaders playing an important role in facilitating their assimilation during organizational socialization. However, in certain circumstances, team leaders may refrain from supporting newcomers, based on their experiences from before newcomers joined the organization. The purpose of this study is to examine team leaders' preexisting perception of deprivation and resentment toward their department leaders as factors that may influence the extent to which they provide support to newcomers. Drawing on relative deprivation theory, we propose that the denial of task‐related information to team leaders by their department leaders before newcomers join the organization triggers resentment in team leaders. We further propose that team leaders' preexisting resentment toward their department leaders influences their level of support to newcomers. We tested our hypotheses through data collected from team leaders before newcomers joined their organization and matched data collected from team leaders and newcomers after the latter joined the company. The results indicate that team leaders' preexisting experience of resentment toward their department leaders influences the support they provide to newcomers, an uninvolved target.
Can feeding strategies alter immune signaling and gut sepsis in critical illness?
Authors: McClave Stephen A. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe insult necessitating admission to the intensive care unit propels the patient along a course involving increasing oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, and adverse outcomes. As the largest immune organ with the greatest microbial burden, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract may change the speed and direction the patient follows along this pathway. The gut's influence is mediated by a complex process of cross‐talk immune signaling between the intestinal epithelium, the liver, and the microbiome. Agents that invoke this response vary from mitochondrial DNA, inflammatory cytokines, and bacterial organisms to short‐chain fatty acids and bile salts. The site of action of these agents again varies widely from pattern‐recognition receptors, G protein receptors, and farnesoid X receptors in the gut and liver to transcriptional factors in epithelial cells, hepatocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils. Whereas the initial focus of response may be local within the GI tract and liver, the process extends in a systemic manner to affect immune tissue and various organs at distant sites. The gut can modulate this cross‐talk signaling through numerous strategies in the design of nutrition therapy. The physiologic response to luminal nutrients and short‐chain fatty acids, and more novel approaches like using phosphorylated polyethylene glycol, bovine serum–derived immunoglobulin, and specialized proresolving molecules, may help slow disease progression and even reverse the patient's course toward one of health and recovery. The optimal benefit to be derived from nutrition therapy may have more to do with the degree to which immune cross‐talk signaling can be modified by such innovative strategies.
Racial Influences on Pediatric Tracheostomy Outcomes
Authors: Johnson Romaine F. , Brown Clarice M. , Beams Dylan R. , Wang Cynthia S. , Shah Gopi B. , Mitchell Ron B. , Chorney Stephen R. 
Published: September 2021

Objectives/HypothesisTo determine the impact of race on outcomes after pediatric tracheostomy.Study DesignRetrospective case series.MethodsA case series of tracheostomies at an urban, tertiary care children's hospital between 2014 and 2019 was conducted. Children were grouped by race to compare neurocognition, mortality, and decannulation rate.ResultsA total of 445 children with a median age at tracheostomy of 0.46 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.97) years were studied. The cohort was 32% Hispanic, 31% White, 30% Black, 2.9% Asian, and 4.3% other race. Black compared to White children had a lower median birth weight (2,022 vs. 2,449 g, P = .005), were more often extremely premature (≤28 weeks gestation: 62% vs. 57%, P = .007), and more frequently had bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (35% vs. 17%, P = .002). Hispanic compared to Black children had higher median birth weight (2,529 g, P < .001), less extreme prematurity (44%, P < .001), and less BPD (21%, P = .04). The proportion of Black children was higher (30% vs. 19%, P < .001), while the proportion of Hispanic children with a tracheostomy was lower (32% vs. 42%, P = .003) compared to the racial distribution of all pediatric admissions. Racial differences were not seen for rates of severe neurocognitive disability (P = .51), decannulation (P = .17), or death (P = .92) after controlling for age, sex, prematurity, and ventilator dependence.ConclusionBlack children disproportionately underwent tracheostomy and had a higher comorbidity burden than White or Hispanic children. Hispanic children had proportionally fewer tracheostomies. Neurocognitive ability, decannulation, and mortality were similar for all races implying that health disparities by race may not change long‐term outcomes after pediatric tracheostomy. Laryngoscope, 132:1118–1124, 2022
An Isolated Dose of Extra‐Virgin Olive Oil Produces a Better Postprandial Gut Hormone Response, Lipidic, and Anti‐Inflammatory Profile that Sunflower Oil: Effect of Morbid Obesity
Authors: Garcia‐Serrano Sara , Ho‐Plagaro Ailec , Santiago‐Fernandez Concepción , Rodríguez‐Díaz Cristina , Martín‐Reyes Flores , Valdes Sergio , Moreno‐Ruiz Francisco J. , Lopez‐Gómez Carlos , García‐Fuentes Eduardo , Rodríguez‐Pacheco Francisca 
Published: September 2021

IntroductionThis study evaluates the effects of 25 mL of three types of oils [extra‐virgin olive oil (EVOO), olive oil (OO), and sunflower oil (SO)] on postprandial (3 h) satiety markers and variables related to metabolic status and inflammation in non‐obese patients (n= 6) and in those with morbid obesity (n= 6), before and 1 year after Roux‐en‐Y gastric by‐pass (RYGB).Methods and ResultsAfter EVOO intake, serum acylated ghrelin decreases and GLP1 increases more than with OO and SO. EVOO causes a higher increase of insulin and lower postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and free fatty acid levels than with OO and SO. EVOO decreases TNFα and IL6 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, with OO inducing intermediate effects and SO inducing an increase of these proinflammatory markers. These results are observed in non‐obese patients and in those with morbid obesity after RYGB. However, patients with morbid obesity before RYGB show a profound alteration of this response.ConclusionEVOO produces more beneficial effects than OO, which has lower amounts of minor components, and SO, which has PUFA as its main component. RYGB produces an improvement in the metabolic response to all three types of oils in patients with morbid obesity.
Automated segmentation of biventricular contours in tissue phase mapping using deep learning
Authors: Shen Daming , Pathrose Ashitha , Sarnari Roberto , Blake Allison , Berhane Haben , Baraboo Justin J. , Carr James C. , Markl Michael , Kim Daniel 
Published: September 2021

Tissue phase mapping (TPM) is an MRI technique for quantification of regional biventricular myocardial velocities. Despite its potential, clinical use is limited due to the requisite labor‐intensive manual segmentation of cardiac contours for all time frames. The purpose of this study was to develop a deep learning (DL) network for automated segmentation of TPM images, without significant loss in segmentation and myocardial velocity quantification accuracy compared with manual segmentation. We implemented a multi‐channel 3D (three dimensional; 2D + time) dense U‐Net that trained on magnitude and phase images and combined cross‐entropy, Dice, and Hausdorff distance loss terms to improve the segmentation accuracy and suppress unnatural boundaries. The dense U‐Net was trained and tested with 150 multi‐slice, multi‐phase TPM scans (114 scans for training, 36 for testing) from 99 heart transplant patients (44 females, 1‐4 scans/patient), where the magnitude and velocity‐encoded (Vx, Vy, Vz) images were used as input and the corresponding manual segmentation masks were used as reference. The accuracy of DL segmentation was evaluated using quantitative metrics (Dice scores, Hausdorff distance) and linear regression and Bland‐Altman analyses on the resulting peak radial and longitudinal velocities (Vr and Vz). The mean segmentation time was about 2 h per patient for manual and 1.9 ± 0.3 s for DL. Our network produced good accuracy (median Dice = 0.85 for left ventricle (LV), 0.64 for right ventricle (RV), Hausdorff distance = 3.17 pixels) compared with manual segmentation. Peak Vr and Vz measured from manual and DL segmentations were strongly correlated (R ≥ 0.88) and in good agreement with manual analysis (mean difference and limits of agreement for Vz and Vr were −0.05 ± 0.98 cm/s and −0.06 ± 1.18 cm/s for LV, and −0.21 ± 2.33 cm/s and 0.46 ± 4.00 cm/s for RV, respectively). The proposed multi‐channel 3D dense U‐Net was capable of reducing the segmentation time by 3,600‐fold, without significant loss in accuracy in tissue velocity measurements.
Simulating permissionless blockchains: Distribution fitting, tool support, and a case study
Authors: Alharby Maher , van Moorsel Aad 
Published: September 2021

SummaryDiscrete‐event simulation is an important tool for the analysis of permissionless blockchain systems. Simulation allows one to evaluate blockchains for scenarios that cannot be mimicked easily on the life system. To simulate blockchain systems as close to reality as possible a realistic characterization of the probability distributions of various variables is required. In this paper, we obtain frequency distributions for Ethereum smart contract transactions with respect to gas limit, used gas, gas price, and CPU time. The distribution fitting utilizes Gaussian mixture models, correlation analysis, and ensemble regression techniques, and we demonstrate the appropriateness of each of these methods. We use publicly available Ethereum smart contract data, supplemented with experimental data for over 300,000 smart contracts obtained on a test bed. In addition, we extend the BlockSim simulation tool to support the required distributions and use the simulator for a case study in optimizing miner returns through transaction selection strategies in Ethereum under future scenarios. The outcomes not only demonstrate the impact of selection strategies on miner return but also demonstrate the sensitivity of the outcomes to chosen distributions and therefore illustrate the importance of using realistic distributions.
Hierarchical‐matrix method for a class of diffusion‐dominated partial integro‐differential equations
Authors: Gathungu Duncan , Bebendorf Mario , Borzì Alfio 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA hierarchical matrix approach for solving diffusion‐dominated partial integro‐differential problems is presented. The corresponding diffusion‐dominated differential operator is discretized by a second‐order accurate finite‐volume scheme, while the Fredholm integral term is approximated by the trapezoidal rule. The hierarchical matrix approach is used to approximate the resulting algebraic problem and includes the implementation of an efficient preconditioned generalized minimum residue (GMRes) solver. This approach extends previous work on integral forms of boundary element methods by taking into account inherent characteristics of the diffusion‐dominated differential operator in the resultant algebraic problem. Numerical analysis estimates of the accuracy and stability of the finite‐volume and the trapezoidal rule approximation are presented and combined with estimates of the hierarchical‐matrix approximation and with the accuracy of the GMRes iterates. Results of numerical experiments are reported that successfully validate the theoretical accuracy and convergence estimates, and demonstrate the almost optimal computational complexity of the proposed solution procedure.