bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional platinum nanoparticle-based bridges for ammonia gas sensing
Authors: Isaac Nishchay A. , Reiprich Johannes , Schlag Leslie , Moreira Pedro H. O. , Baloochi Mostafa , Raheja Vishal A. , Hess Anna-Lena , Centeno Luis F. , Ecke Gernot , Pezoldt Jörg , Jacobs Heiko O. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThis study demonstrates the fabrication of self-aligning three-dimensional (3D) platinum bridges for ammonia gas sensing using gas-phase electrodeposition. This deposition scheme can guide charged nanoparticles to predetermined locations on a surface with sub-micrometer resolution. A shutter-free deposition is possible, preventing the use of additional steps for lift-off and improving material yield. This method uses a spark discharge-based platinum nanoparticle source in combination with sequentially biased surface electrodes and charged photoresist patterns on a glass substrate. In this way, the parallel growth of multiple sensing nodes, in this case 3D self-aligning nanoparticle-based bridges, is accomplished. An array containing 360 locally grown bridges made out of 5 nm platinum nanoparticles is fabricated. The high surface-to-volume ratio of the 3D bridge morphology enables fast response and room temperature operated sensing capabilities. The bridges are preconditioned for ~ 24 h in nitrogen gas before being used for performance testing, ensuring drift-free sensor performance. In this study, platinum bridges are demonstrated to detect ammonia (NH3) with concentrations between 1400 and 100 ppm. The sensing mechanism, response times, cross-sensitivity, selectivity, and sensor stability are discussed. The device showed a sensor response of ~ 4% at 100 ppm NH3 with a 70% response time of 8 min at room temperature.
Protective role of ABCA1 in ischemic preconditioning is mediated by downregulation of miR-33-5p and miR-135-5p
Authors: Sung Hye Youn , Choi Eun Nam , Han Jihye , Chae Yun Ju , Im Sun-Wha , Kim Hee-Sun , Park Eun-Mi , Ahn Jung-Hyuck 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIschemic preconditioning (IPC) significantly reduces ischemia–reperfusion injury in the brain by inducing ischemic tolerance. Although emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to the pathogenesis of brain ischemia and IPC-induced neuroprotection, the role of miRNAs and their underlying mechanisms are still unclear. IPC was induced in male C57BL/6 mice by brief bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. After 24 h, mice underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. Expression levels of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins were examined in the ipsilateral cortex, and mimics and inhibitors of selective miRNAs were transfected into Neuro-2a cells before oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). Post-IPC miRNA expression profiling identified neuroprotection-associated changes in miRNA expression in the ipsilateral cortex after ischemic stroke. Among them, miR-33-5p and miR-135b-5p were significantly downregulated by IPC. Inhibition of miR-33-5p and miR-135b-5p expression protected Neuro-2a cells from OGD-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of these two miRNAs significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1), and a binding assay showed that these two miRNAs showed specificity for Abca1 mRNA. Overexpression of ABCA1 decreased the Bax/Bcl2 mRNA ratio and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, whereas knockdown of ABCA1 expression increased the Bax/Bcl2 mRNA ratio and the percentage of Neuro-2a cells with a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential after OGD-treatment. In conclusion, ABCA1 expression is regulated by miR-33-5p and miR-135b-5p. Increased ABCA1 expression following IPC exerts a protective influence against cerebral ischemia via suppression of a mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway.
Determining the effect of aging, recovery time, and post-stroke memantine treatment on delayed thalamic gliosis after cortical infarct
Authors: Kim Gab Seok , Stephenson Jessica M. , Al Mamun Abdullah , Wu Ting , Goss Monica G. , Min Jia-Wei , Li Jun , Liu Fudong , Marrelli Sean P. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractSecondary injury following cortical stroke includes delayed gliosis and eventual neuronal loss in the thalamus. However, the effects of aging and the potential to ameliorate this gliosis with NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonism are not established. We used the permanent distal middle cerebral artery stroke model (pdMCAO) to examine secondary thalamic injury in young and aged mice. At 3 days post-stroke (PSD3), slight microgliosis (IBA-1) and astrogliosis (GFAP) was evident in thalamus, but no infarct. Gliosis increased dramatically through PSD14, at which point degenerating neurons were detected. Flow cytometry demonstrated a significant increase in CD11b+/CD45int microglia (MG) in the ipsilateral thalamus at PSD14. CCR2-RFP reporter mouse further demonstrated that influx of peripheral monocytes contributed to the MG/Mϕ population. Aged mice demonstrated reduced microgliosis and astrogliosis compared with young mice. Interestingly, astrogliosis demonstrated glial scar-like characteristics at two years post-stroke, but not by 6 weeks. Lastly, treatment with memantine (NMDAR antagonist) at 4 and 24 h after stroke significantly reduced gliosis at PSD14. These findings expand our understanding of gliosis in the thalamus following cortical stroke and demonstrate age-dependency of this secondary injury. Additionally, these findings indicate that delayed treatment with memantine (an FDA approved drug) provides significant reduction in thalamic gliosis.
Capitalizing on transcriptome profiling to optimize and identify targets for promoting early murine folliculogenesis in vitro
Authors: Jones Andrea , Bernabé Beatriz Peñalver , Padmanabhan Vasantha , Li Jun , Shikanov Ariella 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIn vitro ovarian follicle culture is an active area of research towards providing fertility options for survivors of childhood cancer. Late-stage murine follicles (multilayer secondary and onwards) can be cultured successfully to maturity to obtain a meiotically competent oocyte for fertilization, but primordial and primary follicles usually die in culture because many key components of early follicle development are still unknown and difficult to mimic in vitro. To engineer a biomimetic three-dimensional culture system with high efficacy and reproducibility for the clinic, detailed mechanisms of early folliculogenesis must be uncovered. Previous studies have shown that primary murine follicles co-cultured in groups, in contrast to single follicles cultured in isolation, can reach preovulatory size and produce competent oocytes, but the factors accounting for the synergy of follicle co-culture are still unknown. To probe the underlying mechanisms of successful follicle co-culture, we conducted a time-course experiment for murine follicles encapsulated in 0.3% alginate hydrogels and compared between two conditions: groups of 5 (5X) versus groups of 10 (10X). For every 2 days during the course of 12 days, follicles were dissociated and somatic cells were isolated for microarray-based gene expression analysis (n = 380 follicles for 5X and n = 430 follicles for 10X). Gene activities in follicles co-cultured in larger groups (10X) had a distinct transcriptomic profile of key genes and pathways such as prolactin signaling and angiogenesis-related genes when compared to cells from follicles co-cultured in the smaller cohort (5X). To benchmark the results for follicles grown in culture, we compared our microarray data to data from murine follicles freshly isolated from the ovary at comparable stages of development previously published by Bernabé et al. Comparison of these datasets identified similarities and differences between folliculogenesis in the native microenvironment and the engineered in vitro system. A more detailed understanding of follicle growth in vitro will not only allow for better culture methods but also advance the field towards providing improved fertility options for survivors of childhood cancer.
Characteristics and adverse outcomes of Chinese adolescent pregnancies between 2012 and 2019
Authors: Xie Yanxia , Wang Xiaodong , Mu Yi , Liu Zheng , Wang Yanping , Li Xiaohong , Dai Li , Li Qi , Li Mingrong , Chen Peiran , Zhu Jun , Liang Juan 
Published: June 2021

AbstractWe aimed to describe the characteristics of adolescent pregnancy, determine its effect on adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes and explore whether that association varies with gestational age with the goal of proposing specific recommendations for adolescent health in China. This study included 2,366,559 women aged 10–24 years who had singleton pregnancies between 2012 and 2019 at 438 hospitals. Adolescent pregnancy was defined as younger than 20 years of age. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the effects. Women aged 20–24 years served as the reference group in all analyses. The proportion of rural girls with adolescent pregnancies rebounded after 2015 even though common-law marriage in rural areas decreased. Higher risks of eclampsia (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57 ~ 2.23), severe anaemia (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.09 ~ 1.28), maternal near miss (MNM; aOR 1.24, 95% CI 1.12 ~ 1.37), and small for gestational age (SGA; aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.28 ~ 1.33) were observed when gestational age was > 37 weeks. Adolescent pregnancy was independently associated with increased risks of other perinatal outcomes. Further implementation of pregnancy prevention strategies and improved health care interventions are needed to reduce adolescent pregnancies and prevent adverse fertility outcomes among adolescent women in China at a time when adolescent fertility rate is rebounding.
Outcomes of 207 totally extraperitoneal hernia repairs using self-fixation mesh
Authors: Girón Felipe , Hernandez Juan David , Linares Juan David , Ricaurte Alberto , García Andres Mauricio , Rueda-Esteban Roberto Javier , Rodríguez Lina , Nassar Ricardo 
Published: June 2021

AbstractInguinal hernia (IH) repair is one of the most common procedures in general surgery around the world. Minimizing postoperative acute and chronic pain without increasing recurrence has been a critical point, giving place to different strategies like self-fixation mesh. The current study aimed to describe a group of patients who underwent IH repair by Totally Extraperitoneal (TEP) technique with self-gripping mesh at a fourth level hospital between 2012 and 2019. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database including patients who underwent laparoscopic TEP approach with self-fixation mesh for IH repair. Follow up data was obtained at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months post surgical intervention. 207 hernia repairs were performed in 142 patients, with a total of 66 patients with bilateral IH. 10.6% required hospitalization due to either concomitant procedure performed or cardiovascular comorbidities, with a mean hospital stay of 1.6 days. Median and late follow up was up to 5 years. 88.9% of patients complete a year, 86% two years, and 36.7% with a 5 year follow-up. IH repair using the TEP technique and self-fixation mesh showed to be an excellent approach, demonstrating satisfactory results in follow up and complications.
Evaluation of the anti-biofilm effect of poloxamer-based thermoreversible gel of silver nanoparticles as a potential medication for root canal therapy
Authors: Liu Ting , Aman Aerdake , Ainiwaer Muniremu , Ding Liang , Zhang Fei , Hu Qingang , Song Yuxian , Ni Yanhong , Tang Xuna 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to design silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) poloxamer thermoreversible gel (AgNPs-PL) and investigate whether this gel could provide sustained antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in the root canal. The gels fabricated were characterized in terms of gelatin temperature, particle size, in-vitro Ag+ release, and elemental content. Cytotoxicity of AgNPs-PL on primary human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLFs) was examined by CCK-8 assay. Characterization of AgNPs-PL gel revealed that it contained particles existing as large clumps/fused aggregates of different shapes, with a mean diameter of 21.624 ± 14.689 nm, exhibited sustained release of Ag+ for 9 days, and non-toxic to HPDLFs at a low dose (4–32 μg/mL) through 24, 48, and 72 h exposures. The antibacterial effect of 16 and 32 μg/mL concentrations of AgNPs-PL was compared with blank poloxamer gel (PL) and calcium hydroxide (CH) using three methods: (I) agar counting plate, (II) scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations, and (III) confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) analysis. AgNPs-PL at the two doses above was more effective than PL and CH in removing E. faecalis biofilm at 1, 3, 9 days. Thus, AgNPs-PL exhibits strong activity against E. faecalis and is easy to produce, with a continuous release profile of Ag+. AgNPs-PL gel may be a candidate for a new root canal disinfection.
Bioinformatic profiling identifies prognosis-related genes in the immune microenvironment of endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Cheng Pu , Ma Jiong , Zheng Xia , Zhou Chunxia , Chen Xuejun 
Published: June 2021

AbstractEndometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common malignancy of female genital system which exhibits a unique immune profile. It is a promising strategy to quantify immune patterns of EC for predicting prognosis and therapeutic efficiency. Here, we attempted to identify the possible immune microenvironment-related prognostic markers of EC. We obtained the RNA sequencing and corresponding clinical data of EC from TCGA database. Then, 3 immune scores based on the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm were computed. Correlation between above ESTIMATE scores and other immune-related scores, molecular subtypes, prognosis, and gene mutation status (including BRCA and TP53) were further analyzed. Afterwards, gene modules associated with the ESTIMATE scores were screened out through hierarchical clustering analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Differentially expressed analysis was performed and genes shared by the most relevant modules were found out. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the biological functions of those genes. Survival analysis was carried out to identify prognostic immune-related genes and GSE17025 database was further used to confirm the correlation between immune-related genes and the ImmuneScore. The immune-related scores based on ESTIMATE algorithm was closely related to the immune microenvironment of EC. 3 gene modules that had the closest correlations with 3 ESTIMATE scores were obtained. 109 immune-related genes were preliminarily found out and 29 pathways were significantly enriched, most of which were associated with immune response. Univariate survival analysis revealed that there were 14 genes positively associated with both OS and PFS. Among which, 11 genes showed marked correlations with ImmuneScore values in GSE17025 database. Our current study profiled the immune status and identified 14 novel immune-related prognostic biomarkers for EC. Our findings may help to investigate the complicated tumor microenvironment and develop novel individualized therapeutic targets for EC.
Syntheses of mono-acylated luteolin derivatives, evaluation of their antiproliferative and radical scavenging activities and implications on their oral bioavailability
Authors: Lo Stephen , Leung Euphemia , Fedrizzi Bruno , Barker David 
Published: June 2021

AbstractLuteolin is a flavonoid found in a wide range of plant materials, including commonly eaten fruits and vegetables. It displays a wide range of biological activities but is known to have poor bioavailability. In this study, ten different mono-acyl (nine 5-O-acyl and one 7-O-acyl) derivatives of luteolin were synthesised for the purpose of improving bioactivity and bioavailability, and therefore enhance their therapeutic potential. The antiproliferative activity of these derivatives was assessed against the HCT116 colon cancer and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using a 3[H] thymidine incorporation assay. The radical scavenging activity of these derivatives against 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical using Trolox as a standard, was also assessed. Some of these derivatives were found to have improved antiproliferative activity with comparable radical scavenging activity compared to luteolin. Increased lipophilicity has been shown to increase the bioavailability of flavonoids implying these analogues will also have increased bioavailability.
Potential hypoglycemic metabolites in dark tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum based on UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combining global metabolomic and spectrum–effect relationship analyses
Authors: Xiang Xingliang , Su Chao , Shi Qingxin , Wu Jiani , Zeng ZhaoXiang , Zhang Lijun , Jin Shuna , Huang Rongzeng , Gao Tiexiang , Song Chengwu 
Published: June 2021

Potential hypoglycemic metabolites of dark tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum were screened and demonstrated using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combining global metabolomic and spectrum–effect relationship analyses.
Characteristics of Effective Auditory Training: Implications From Two Training Programs That Successfully Trained Nonnative Cantonese Tone Identification in Monolingual Mandarin and Bilingual Mandarin–Taiwanese Tone Speakers
Authors: Wong Puisan , Lam Ka Yu 
Published: June 2021

PurposeAuditory training is important in pedagogical and clinical settings. In search of a more effective perceptual program for training new suprasegmental categories, this study examined the effect of two auditory programs that incorporated five elements that have previously been identified to be effective for training nonnative segmental and suprasegmental speech sounds on the identification of a complex foreign lexical tone system (Cantonese) that contrasts both pitch shapes and pitch heights. To investigate the training outcomes in learners with different tonal systems, monolingual Mandarin-speaking learners who have a smaller native tonal system that contrasts pitch shapes only and bilingual Mandarin-Taiwanese–speaking learners who have a larger native tonal system that contrasts both pitch shapes and pitch heights were recruited for training.MethodThirty Mandarin-speaking monolinguals and 33 Mandarin-Taiwanese–speaking bilinguals in Taiwan were randomly assigned to two training programs, one with different tones and the other with the same tone preceding the target words in the same training block, and received six 90-min training sessions within 2 weeks. They took a Cantonese Tone Identification Test before training and after each training session. Twenty Cantonese native speakers in Hong Kong served as the reference group and took the same Cantonese Tone Identification Test.ResultsThe two training programs were equally effective. Before training, the monolinguals performed poorer than the bilinguals. After training, the monolinguals and bilinguals in both training programs identified the six Cantonese tones in new words, new utterances, and novel speakers with comparable results, and their overall accuracy did not differ from that of the Cantonese native speakers.ConclusionsThough learners with a larger and more complex native tonal system have initial advantage in learning nonnative tones, the intensive high-variability full-set training programs that provide explicit phonetic instruction and contrastive feedback of nonnative tones effectively promote nonnative tone acquisition in learners of different tone languages. The findings revealed factors affecting nonnative tone acquisition in tone speakers. The design of the two programs can be adopted in future programs for effective auditory training of segmental and suprasegmental speech sounds.
Low‐rank nonnegative sparse representation and local preservation‐based matrix regression for supervised image feature selection
Authors: Zhu Xingyu , Chen Xiuhong 
Published: June 2021

AbstractMatrix regression has attracted much attention due to directly select some meaningful features from matrix data. However, most existing matrix regressions do not consider the global and local structure of the matrix data simultaneously. To this end, we propose a low‐rank nonnegative sparse representation and local preserving matrix regression (LNSRLP‐MR) model for image feature selection. Here, the loss function is defined by the left and right regression matrices. To capture the global structure and discriminative information of the training images and reduce the effect of heterogeneous data and noises, we impose the low‐rank constraint on the self‐representation error matrix and the nonnegative sparse constraint on the coefficient vector. The graph matrix can be learned adaptively through representation coefficients, so that accurate local structure information in samples can be revealed. Feature selection is performed by obtained row sparse transformation matrix. An optimization procedure and its performance are also present. Experimental results on several image datasets show that compared with the‐state‐of‐the‐art method, the average classification accuracy of the proposed method is improved by at least 1.2% and up to 3.3%. For images with noise or occlusion, the accuracy is improved significantly, up to 4%, which indicates that this method has strong robustness.