bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determination of lipid content and stability in lipid nanoparticles using ultra high‐performance liquid chromatography in combination with a Corona Charged Aerosol Detector
Authors: Kinsey Caleb , Lu Tian , Deiss Alyssa , Vuolo Kim , Klein Lee , Rustandi Richard R. , Loughney John W. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFor many years, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been used as delivery vehicles for various payloads (especially various oligonucleotides and mRNA), finding numerous applications in drug and vaccine development. LNP stability and bilayer fluidity are determined by the identities and the amounts of the various lipids employed in the formulation and LNP efficacy is determined in large part by the lipid composition which usually contains a cationic lipid, a PEG‐lipid conjugate, cholesterol, and a zwitterionic helper phospholipid. Analytical methods developed for LNP characterization must be able to determine not only the identity and content of each individual lipid component (i.e., the parent lipids), but also the associated impurities and degradants. In this work, we describe an efficient and sensitive reversed‐phase chromatographic method with charged aerosol detection (CAD) suitable for this purpose. Sample preparation diluent and mobile phase pH conditions are critical and have been optimized for the lipids of interest. This method was validated for its linearity, accuracy, precision, and specificity for lipid analysis to support process and formulation development for new drugs and vaccines.
Curding of milk in incubator utilizing latent heat of lauric acid in winter
Authors: Vennapusa Jagadeeswara Reddy , Singh Jitendra , Chattopadhyay Sujay 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe maintenance of incubation temperature (30°C‐50°C) for growth of culture is essential during fermentation of milk to curd. This report discusses the issue of maintaining constant temperature of milk for formation of curd using lauric acid (m.p. 45.02°C and f.p. 40.21°C) as phase change material (PCM). Lauric acid possesses phase transition enthalpy, 189.43 kJ kg−1 and was thermally stable till 140°C. A known dimension of a temperature controlling packaging (TCP) box was made by taking 240 g of PCM uniformly distributed inside six polyethylene packets (40 g each) of dimensions identical with that of inner walls of the corrugated box and the packets were placed along inner walls of TCP box. The TCP box containing packets with molten PCM could maintain the temperature of 150 g milk (placed inside box) in between 50°C and 30°C for 160 minutes and helped in curd formation, while the whole assembly was exposed to 1°C of ambient temperature.
Banana seed genetic resources for food security: Status, constraints, and future priorities
Authors: Kallow Simon , Mertens Arne , Janssens Steven B. , Vandelook Filip , Dickie John , Swennen Rony , Panis Bart 
Published: November 2021

AbstractStoring seed collections of crop wild relatives, wild plant taxa genetically related to crops, is an essential component in global food security. Seed banking protects genetic resources from degradation and extinction and provides material for use by breeders. Despite being among the most important crops in the world, banana and plantain crop wild relatives are largely under‐represented in genebanks. Nevertheless, banana crop wild relative seed collections are in fact held in different countries, but these have not previously been part of reporting or analysis. To fill this gap, we firstly collated banana seed accession data from 13 institutions in 10 countries. These included 537 accessions containing an estimated 430,000 seeds of 56 species. We reviewed their taxonomic coverage and seed storage conditions including viability estimates. We found that seed accessions have low viability (25% mean) representing problems in seed storage and processing. Secondly, we surveyed 22 institutions involved in banana genetic resource conservation regarding the key constraints and knowledge gaps that institutions face related to banana seed conservation. Major constraints were identified including finding suitable material and populations to collect seeds from, lack of knowledge regarding optimal storage conditions and germination conditions. Thirdly, we carried out a conservation prioritization and gap analysis of Musaceae taxa, using established methods, to index representativeness. Overall, our conservation assessment showed that despite this extended data set banana crop wild relatives are inadequately conserved, with 51% of taxa not represented in seed collections at all; the average conservation assessment showing high priority for conservation according to the index. Finally, we provide recommendations for future collecting, research, and management, to conserve banana and plantain crop wild relatives in seed banks for future generations.
Presence of Liver Inflammation in Asian Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B With Normal ALT and Detectable HBV DNA in Absence of Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Liu Jiacheng , Wang Jian , Yan Xiaomin , Xue Ruifei , Zhan Jie , Jiang Suling , Geng Yu , Liu Yilin , Mao Minxin , Xia Juan , Yin Shengxia , Tong Xin , Chen Yuxin , Ding Weimao , Huang Rui , Wu Chao 
Published: November 2021

Liver biopsies are recommended to exclude significant liver inflammation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with elevated HBV DNA but without other indications for antiviral treatment. We aimed to investigate the proportions and determinants of significant inflammation in Asian patients with CHB with detectable HBV DNA. We conducted a cross‐sectional study that retrospectively included 581 patients with CHB with detectable HBV DNA who had undergone liver biopsy. Liver inflammation and fibrosis were staged by Scheuer’s classification. Significant inflammation and significant fibrosis were defined as G ≥ 2 and S ≥ 2, respectively. There were 179 (30.8%) patients with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 1 × upper limit of normal (ULN), 205 (35.3%) patients with ALT 1‐2 × ULN, and 197 (33.9%) patients with ALT > 2 × ULN. A total of 397 (68.3%) patients had significant inflammation, and 340 (58.5%) patients had significant fibrosis. Significant inflammation was found in 85% of patients with significant fibrosis and in 44.8% of patients without significant fibrosis. Furthermore, 28.7% of patients with CHB with detectable HBV DNA and normal ALT in the absence of significant fibrosis had significant inflammation. Moderate HBV DNA (5‐7 log10 IU/mL) was a risk factor for significant inflammation (odds ratio [OR] 6.929, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.830‐16.966, P < 0.001) in patients with CHB with detectable HBV DNA, especially for patients with detectable HBV DNA and normal ALT in the absence of significant fibrosis (adjusted OR 13.161, 95% CI 1.026‐168.889, P = 0.048). Conclusion: A high proportion of CHB patients with detectable HBV DNA and normal ALT in the absence of significant fibrosis have significant liver inflammation. Liver biopsies are recommended to evaluate liver inflammation in such patients, especially for those with moderate HBV DNA.
Ginsenoside RG1 augments doxorubicin‐induced apoptotic cell death in MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cell lines
Authors: Liu Shengcui , Huang Junhua , Gao Fucun , Yin Zhiping , Zhang Ruikui 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis study determined the chemosensitizing potential of ginsenoside Rg1 in triple‐negative MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cell lines. Ginsenoside Rg1 (10 µM) treated breast cancer cells were exposed to 8 nM of doxorubicin, and the chemosensitizing potential was measured by cell‐based assays. Ginsenoside Rg1 (10 µM) treatment lowered the doxorubicin IC50value to 0.01 nM. Furthermore, the ginsenoside pretreatment augments doxorubicin‐mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and subsequent alterations of mitochondrial membrane potential in MDA‐MB‐231 cell lines. The alkaline comet assay results illustrated an increased % tail DNA during ginsenoside Rg1 plus doxorubicin treatment than doxorubicin alone treatment. In addition, the number of apoptotic cells was also increased in ginsenoside Rg1 plus doxorubicin‐treated cells. Furthermore, the polymerase chain reaction array results illustrate activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) gene expression (AKT, ERK, and MAPK) during doxorubicin alone treatment and it has been attenuated by ginsenoside Rg1 pretreatment. Moreover, ginsenoside Rg1 treatment before doxorubicin activates the DNA damage response elements (ATM, H2AX, RAD51, and XRCC1) and subsequent apoptosis‐related gene expression (p21, TP53. APAF1, Bax, CASP3, and CASP9) patterns in MDA‐MB‐231 cell lines. The ginsenoside Rg1 plus doxorubicin combination shows less cytotoxicity and ROS generation in MDA10A normal breast cancer cell lines. Therefore, the present results support the chemosensitizing property of ginsenoside Rg1 in triple‐negative breast cancer cell lines.
SARS‐CoV‐2 spike evolutionary behaviors; simulation of N501Y mutation outcomes in terms of immunogenicity and structural characteristic
Authors: Rostami Neda , Choupani Edris , Hernandez Yaeren , Arab Seyed S. , Jazayeri Seyed M. , Gomari Mohammad M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractSince the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), a large number of mutations in its genome have been reported. Some of the mutations occur in noncoding regions without affecting the pathobiology of the virus, while mutations in coding regions are significant. One of the regions where a mutation can occur, affecting the function of the virus is at the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. RBD interacts with angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and facilitates the entry of the virus into the host cells. There is a lot of focus on RBD mutations, especially the displacement of N501Y which is observed in the UK/Kent, South Africa, and Brazilian lineages of SARS‐CoV‐2. Our group utilizes computational biology approaches such as immunoinformatics, protein–protein interaction analysis, molecular dynamics, free energy computation, and tertiary structure analysis to disclose the consequences of N501Y mutation at the molecular level. Surprisingly, we discovered that this mutation reduces the immunogenicity of the spike protein; also, displacement of Asn with Tyr reduces protein compactness and significantly increases the stability of the spike protein and its affinity to ACE2. Moreover, following the N501Y mutation secondary structure and folding of the spike protein changed dramatically.
Hematological changes associated with COVID‐19 infection
Authors: Al‐Saadi Enass Abdul Kareem Dagher , Abdulnabi Marwa Ali 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe unresolved COVID‐19 pandemic considerably impacts the health services in Iraq and worldwide. Consecutive waves of mutated virus increased virus spread and further constrained health systems. Although molecular identification of the virus by polymerase chain reaction is the only recommended method in diagnosing COVID‐19 infection, radiological, biochemical, and hematological studies are substantially important in risk stratification, patient follow‐up, and outcome prediction.AimThis narrative review summarized the hematological changes including the blood indices, coagulative indicators, and other associated biochemical laboratory markers in different stages of COVID‐19 infection, highlighting the diagnostic and prognostic significance.MethodsLiterature search was conducted for multiple combinations of different hematological tests and manifestations with novel COVID‐19 using the following key words: “hematological,” “complete blood count,” “lymphopenia,” “blood indices,” “markers” "platelet" OR "thrombocytopenia" AND "COVID‐19," "coronavirus2019," "2019‐nCoV," OR "SARS‐CoV‐2." Articles written in the English language and conducted on human samples between December 2019 and January 2021 were included.ResultsHematological changes are not reported in asymptomatic or presymptomatic COVID‐19 patients. In nonsevere cases, hematological changes are subtle, included mainly lymphocytopenia (80.4%). In severe, critically ill patients and those with cytokine storm, neutrophilia, lymphocytopenia, elevated D‐dimer, prolonged PT, and reduced fibrinogen are predictors of disease progression and adverse outcome.ConclusionMonitoring hematological changes in patients with COVID‐19 can predict patients needing additional care and stratify the risk for severe course of the disease. More studies are required in Iraq to reflect the hematological changes in COVID‐19 as compared to global data.
A high value of fibrinogen in immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients is associated with a worse renal tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis score
Authors: Tu Mengyun , Hu Sipin , Lou Zhengqing 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPurposeThe purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship between serum fibrinogen value and renal tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients with eGFR ≥90 ml/min/1.73 m2.Patients and MethodsOf 359 patients diagnosed with immunoglobulin A nephropathy after renal biopsy were enrolled in this retrospective study. Demographic, histopathological features, and clinical data were collected. The relationships among these factors were analyzed by using Student's t test, Mann‐Whitney U test, Kruskal‐Wallis test, Chi‐square test, or Fisher's exact test, where appropriate. The logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the independent risk factors.ResultsOf 176 immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients with eGFR ≥90 ml/min/1.73 m2 were included in this study, and patients were classified into low fibrinogen (fibrinogen <304.6 mg/dl) and high fibrinogen (fibrinogen ≥304.6 mg/dl) groups, respectively. High fibrinogen groups had advanced age, a higher classification of renal tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis, and higher levels of systolic pressure, D‐dimer, 24 h urine protein quantitation, nag enzyme. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that fibrinogen (OR = 1.018) was significantly associated with tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis.ConclusionAmong patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, the higher levels of fibrinogen and uric acid may mean a higher score of tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis, which suggests the renal biopsy should be performed for these patients as early as possible to defined pathological classification, even though there is no obvious abnormal change in the test of renal function.
Effect of hole perpendicularity error and squeeze force on the mechanical behaviors of riveted joints
Authors: Li Ming , Tian Wei , Hu Junshan , Wang Changrui , Liao Wenhe 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn the automatic drilling and riveting process, the perpendicular error of the hole is inevitable, which has a great influence on the assembly quality. In the current research, the shear and pull‐out behaviors of riveted joints under different perpendicularity errors and squeeze forces were investigated and compared by the quasi‐static tests. The fracture of the failed samples was characterized by a scanning electron microscope and the formation process of fracture was discussed. The failure mechanisms of riveted joints were analyzed in detail to guide engineering applications. The test results demonstrated that the shear load and pull‐out load of riveted joints increased slightly with the increase of the tilt angle from 0° to 4°. The perpendicularity error did not affect the shear and pull‐out failure modes of the riveted joints. However, the squeeze force had a significant effect on the failure modes of the pull‐out samples. Fracture analysis showed that the failure of all shear samples occurred at the rivet shaft. Besides, when the squeeze force increased from 15 kN to 23 kN, the failure modes of the pull‐out samples changed from the sheet to the rivet itself.
Multifractal analysis of Mg‐doped ZnO thin films deposited by sol–gel spin coating method
Authors: Ţălu Ştefan , Boudour Samah , Bouchama Idris , Astinchap Bandar , Ghanbaripour Hamta , Akhtar Muhammad Saeed , Zahra Sarwat 
Published: November 2021

AbstractA multifractal analysis has been performed on the 3D (three‐dimensional) surface microtexture of magnesium‐doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Mg) thin films with doping concentration of 0, 2, 4, and 5%. Thin films were deposited onto the glass substrates via the sol–gel spin coating method. The effect of magnesium doping, on the crystal structure, morphology, and band gap for ZnO:Mg thin films has been analyzed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. It has been observed that the surface of ZnO thin films is multifractal in nature. However, multifractality and complexity observed to decrease with increasing content of Mg in ZnO thin films due to formation of islands on the surface in accordance with Volmer–Weber growth mechanism. The investigations revealed that crystallinity, microtexture, morphology, and optical properties of the thin films can be tuned by controlling the Mg content within the ZnO lattice. In particular, their optical band gap energies were 3.27, 3.31, 3.34, and 3.33 eV at 0, 2, 4, and 5%, respectively. The prepared thin films of ZnO:Mg with tuned characteristics would have promising applications in optoelectronic devices.
Behavioral patterns in the early‐stage antipredator response change after tail autotomy in adult wall lizards
Authors: Fernández‐Rodríguez Irene , Braña Florentino 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAutotomy is a drastic antipredator defense consisting of the voluntary shedding of a body part to escape from the predators. The loss of a body part may impair locomotion, feeding or mating, so animals may face a higher predation risk shortly after autotomy. Thus, until regeneration is completed, prey may adjust their behavior to reduce predation risk, and this could involve secondary costs. We assessed the effect of tail loss on the antipredator behavior of wall lizards (Podarcis muralis), comparing the behavior of tailed and tailless individuals exposed to a predatory snake (Coronella austriaca) scent, under controlled experimental conditions. Tailless lizards spent significantly more time performing behaviors with antipredatory significance (e.g., moving slowly), whereas tailed individuals performed exploratory walking for significantly more time. Moreover, tailless lizards spent more time basking, which probably increases the effectiveness of their cryptic design and decreases detection by predators. Lizards intensified the tongue flick rates when exposed to a pungent control or snake scents, as compared to their response to a neutral control. Besides, both tailed and tailless lizards intensified some aspects of their antipredator behavior (walking slowly and avoiding refuge use) when exposed to snake scent, which indicates discrimination of the smell of predatory snakes. Lizards decreased refuge use when exposed to predator scents, probably because the refuges are evaluated as unsafe due to a high concentration of snake scents. To conclude, our experiments showed that, after losing their tails, wall lizards modify their behavior in a way that likely minimizes predation risk.
The morphology of the suboccipital region in snakes, and the anatomical and functional diversity of the myodural bridge
Authors: Grondel Bryson , Cramberg Michael , Greer Skye , Young Bruce A. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe myodural bridge, that is, skeletal muscle fibers attaching to the cervical dura mater, has been described from a variety of mammals and other amniotes. To test an earlier assumption about the presence of the myodural bridge in snakes, a comparative study was designed using a group of Colubrine snakes. Serial histological sections revealed no evidence of the myodural bridge in any of the snakes examined. Further analyses, including histology, computed tomography (CT), and micro‐CT imaging of other distantly related snakes, also turned up no evidence of a myodural bridge. The close apposition of adjacent neural arches in snakes may preclude muscle tendons from passing through the intervertebral joint to reach the spinal dura. It is hypothesized that the myodural bridge functions in the clearance of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by creating episodic CSF pressure pulsations, and that snakes are capable of creating equivalent CSF pressure pulsations through vertebral displacement.
Post‐COVID syndrome symptoms, functional disability, and clinical severity phenotypes in hospitalized and nonhospitalized individuals: A cross‐sectional evaluation from a community COVID rehabilitation service
Authors: Sivan Manoj , Parkin Amy , Makower Sophie , Greenwood Darren C. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThere is currently limited information on clinical severity phenotypes of symptoms and functional disability in post‐coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) Syndrome (PCS). A purposive sample of 370 PCS patients from a dedicated community COVID‐19 rehabilitation service was assessed using the COVID‐19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale where each symptom or functional difficulty was scored on a 0–10 Likert scale and also compared with before infection. Phenotypes based on symptom severity were extracted to identify any noticeable patterns. The correlation between symptom severity, functional disability, and overall health was explored. The mean age was 47 years, with 237 (64%) females. The median duration of symptoms was 211 days (interquartile range 143–353). Symptoms and functional difficulties increased substantially when compared to before infection. Three distinct severity phenotypes of mild (n = 90), moderate (n = 186), and severe (n = 94) were identified where the severity of individual symptoms was of similar severity within each phenotype. Symptom scores were strongly positively correlated with functional difficulty scores (0.7, 0.6–0.7) and moderately negatively correlated with overall health (−0.4, −0.3, to −0.5). This is the first study reporting on severity phenotypes in a largely nonhospitalized PCS cohort. Severity phenotypes might help stratify patients for targeted interventions and planning of care pathways.
Postvaccination SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chandan Saurabh , Khan Shahab R. , Deliwala Smit , Mohan Babu P. , Ramai Daryl , Chandan Ojasvini C. , Facciorusso Antonio 
Published: November 2021

AbstractHealthcare workers (HCWs) remain on the front line of the battle against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection and are among the highest groups at risk of infection during this raging pandemic. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the incidence of postvaccination SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among vaccinated HCWs. We searched multiple databases from inception through August 2021 to identify studies that reported on the incidence of postvaccination SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among HCWs. Meta‐analysis was performed to determine pooled proportions of COVID‐19 infection in partially/fully vaccinated as well as unvaccinated individuals. Eighteen studies with 228 873 HCWs were included in the final analysis. The total number of partially vaccinated, fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated HCWs were 132 922, 155 673, and 17 505, respectively. Overall pooled proportion of COVID‐19 infections among partially/fully vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–3.5). Among partially vaccinated, fully vaccinated and unvaccinated HCWs, pooled proportion of COVID‐19 infections was 2.3% (CI 1.2–4.4), 1.3% (95% CI 0.6–2.9), and 10.1% (95% CI 4.5–19.5), respectively. Our analysis shows the risk of COVID‐19 infection in both partially and fully vaccinated HCWs remains exceedingly low when compared to unvaccinated individuals. There remains an urgent need for all frontline HCWs to be vaccinated against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection.