bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stem cell in neurodegenerative disorders; an emerging strategy
Authors: Ahani‐Nahayati Milad , Shariati Ali , Mahmoodi Mahnaz , Olegovna Zekiy Angelina , Javidi Kamran , Shamlou Somayeh , Mousakhani Akbar , Zamani Majid , Hassanzadeh Ali 
Published: March 2021

AbstractNeurodegenerative disorders are a diversity of disorders, surrounding Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), Huntington's diseases (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) accompanied by some other less common diseases generally characterized by either developed deterioration of central or peripheral nervous system structurally or functionally. Today, with the viewpoint of an increasingly aging society, the number of patients with neurodegenerative diseases and sociomedical burdens will spread intensely. During the last decade, stem cell technology has attracted great attention for treating neurodegenerative diseases worldwide because of its unique attributes. As acknowledged, there are several categories of stem cells being able to proliferate and differentiate into various cellular lineages, highlighting their significance in the context of regenerative medicine. In preclinical models, stem cell therapy using mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and neural progenitor or stem cells (NPCs or NSCs) along with pluripotent stem cells (PSCs)‐derived neuronal cells could elicit desired therapeutic effects, enabling functional deficit rescue partially. Regardless of the noteworthy progress in our scientific awareness and understanding of stem cell biology, there still exist various challenges to defeat. In the present review, we provide a summary of the therapeutic potential of stem cells and discuss the current status and prospect of stem cell strategy in neurodegenerative diseases, in particular, AD, PD, ALS, and HD.
Evaluating stability of a Raman spectrometer for long‐time experiments
Authors: Raj Ankit , Witek Henryk A. , Hamaguchi Hiro‐o 
Published: March 2021

AbstractRaman spectroscopic measurements spanning several hours to days are increasingly common and important. The stability of a Raman spectrometer becomes crucial when comparing spectra recorded at different occasions in such time‐intensive experiments. In this work, series of Raman spectra of benzene and emission spectra of neon were acquired using a standard Raman spectrometer operating in a typical air‐conditioned laboratory, with synchronized measurements of ambient parameters (pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.) subject to continuous unsystematic environmental drifts. The time‐dependent fluctuations of positions and intensities of selected bands in the series of spectra recorded over tens of hours displayed variations of up to ±0.3 cm−1 in the band positions and up to 2% in the associated Raman intensities, with experiments over longer time periods prone to more pronounced fluctuations. After accounting for change in the laser power fluctuations, the intensity variations were reduced to about 1%. Both the variations in the band positions and intensities showed practically no correlation with either of the ambient parameters or the refractive index of air. Tiny drifts in the laser wavenumber (on the order of 0.01 cm−1), attributed to the change in the refractive index of the laser cavity associated with the variations in the ambient pressure, were too small to account for the observed fluctuations in the band positions.
Preclinical models of vertebral osteomyelitis and associated infections: Current models and recommendations for study design
Authors: Joyce Kieran , Sakai Daisuke , Pandit Abhay 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSpine‐related infections, such as vertebral osteomyelitis, discitis, or spondylitis, are rare diseases that mostly affect adults, and are usually of hematogenous origin. The incidence of this condition has gradually risen in recent years because of increases in spine‐related surgery and hospital‐acquired infections, an aging population, and intravenous (IV) drug use. Spine infections are most commonly caused byStaphylococcus aureus, while other systemic infections such as tuberculosis and brucellosis can also cause spondylitis. Various animal models of vertebral osteomyelitis and associated infections have been investigated in mouse, rat, chicken, rabbit, dog, and sheep models by hematogenous and direct inoculation in surgery, each with their strengths and limitations. This review is the first of its kind to concisely analyze the various existing animal models used to reproduce clinically relevant models of infection. Spine‐related infection models must address the unique anatomy of the spine, the avascular nature of its structures and tissues and the consequences of tissue destruction such as spinal cord compression. Further investigation is necessary to elucidate the specific mechanisms of host‐microbe response to inform antimicrobial therapy and administration techniques in a technically demanding body cavity. Small‐animal models are not suitable for large instrumentation, and difficult IV access thwarts antibiotic administration. In contrast, large‐animal models can be implanted with clinically relevant instrumentation and are resilient to repeat procedures to study postoperative infection. A canine model of infection offers a unique opportunity to design and investigate antimicrobial treatments through recruitment a rich population of canine patients, presenting with a natural disease that is suitable for randomized trials.
Isothermal modelling of protein adsorption to thermo‐responsive polymer grafted Sepharose Fast Flow sorbents
Authors: Tan Sinuo , Saito Kei , Hearn Milton T. W. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this study, five adsorption isotherm models, that is, the Langmuir, Freundlich, Langmuir–Freundlich, Temkin and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller isotherms, were utilized for the analysis of the experimental adsorption data for six classes of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐based thermo‐responsive copolymer‐grafted Sepharose Fast Flow sorbents of different copolymer compositions with two structurally related proteins, namely bovine holo‐lactoferrin and bovine holo‐transferrin at 20 and 50°C. The experimental data for bovine holo‐lactoferrin could be mathematically fitted to the Freundlich and Temkin isotherms when the protein feed concentrations were in the range of 1–40 mg/mL at both 20 and 50°C. Similar analysis of the binding of the homologous protein, bovine holo‐transferrin, to the same thermo‐responsive copolymer‐grafted sorbents revealed that the experimental data could be fitted to the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms with coefficients of determination value over 0.90.
hnRNP L is essential for myogenic differentiation and modulates myotonic dystrophy pathologies
Authors: Alexander Matthew S. , Hightower Rylie M. , Reid Andrea L. , Bennett Alexis H. , Iyer Lakshmanan , Slonim Donna K. , Saha Madhurima , Kawahara Genri , Kunkel Louis M. , Kopin Alan S. , Gupta Vandana A. , Kang Peter B. , Draper Isabelle 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIntroductionRNA‐binding proteins (RBPs) play an important role in skeletal muscle development and disease by regulating RNA splicing. In myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the RBP MBNL1 (muscleblind‐like) is sequestered by toxic CUG repeats, leading to missplicing of MBNL1 targets. Mounting evidence from the literature has implicated other factors in the pathogenesis of DM1. Herein we sought to evaluate the functional role of the splicing factor hnRNP L in normal and DM1 muscle cells.MethodsCo‐immunoprecipitation assays using hnRNPL and MBNL1 expression constructs and splicing profiling in normal and DM1 muscle cell lines were performed. Zebrafish morpholinos targeting hnrpl and hnrnpl2 were injected into one‐cell zebrafish for developmental and muscle analysis. In human myoblasts downregulation of hnRNP L was achieved with shRNAi. Ascochlorin administration to DM1 myoblasts was performed and expression of the CUG repeats, DM1 splicing biomarkers, and hnRNP L expression levels were evaluated.ResultsUsing DM1 patient myoblast cell lines we observed the formation of abnormal hnRNP L nuclear foci within and outside the expanded CUG repeats, suggesting a role for this factor in DM1 pathology. We showed that the antiviral and antitumorigenic isoprenoid compound ascochlorin increased MBNL1 and hnRNP L expression levels. Drug treatment of DM1 muscle cells with ascochlorin partially rescued missplicing of established early biomarkers of DM1 and improved the defective myotube formation displayed by DM1 muscle cells.DiscussionTogether, these studies revealed that hnRNP L can modulate DM1 pathologies and is a potential therapeutic target.
Seismic refraction and electrical resistivity tomographies for geotechnical site characterization of two water reservoirs (El Hierro, Spain)
Authors: Fernández‐Baniela Fabiola , Arias Daniel , Rubio‐Ordóñez Álvaro 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACTOn El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain), the company Gorona del Viento El Hierro S.A. carried out the construction of a Wind‐Pumped Hydro Power Station in order to achieve the energy autonomy on the island through 100% renewable energy. The station consists of two man‐made water reservoirs, whose design was adapted to the island topography and emplaced in a valley and an inactive crater. In order to study the subsurface of both reservoirs, the characteristic heterogeneity of volcanic materials was taken into account. Therefore, a research campaign combining different methods was proposed; mechanical investigations traditionally applied in engineering (rotary boreholes, dynamic probing super heavy tests and pits) and geophysical methods (seismic refraction tomography and electrical resistivity tomography) were both utilized. The aims were to determine the geological structure of each site, detect possible anomalies or structures (i.e., faults, volcanic cavities, etc.), identify the different lithologies, determine the soil thickness and depth to bedrock, predict the excavatability of the materials, and obtain data about the physical properties and mechanical behaviour of the ground in an effort to carry out a geotechnical site characterization of both sites. At the site of the upper reservoir, electrical resistivity tomography recorded a high thickness of low resistivity soils, which were subsequently investigated by deep boreholes in order to sample and test them properly, since they could generate high settlements during the construction of the reservoir. At the site of the lower reservoir, the existing palaeorelief in the basaltic bedrock was detected by seismic refraction tomography, which allowed for the selection of the appropriate excavation machinery for the planned earthworks. The geological interpretation of the P‐wave velocity models and electrical resistivity models are shown in this paper, as well as a correlation between geotechnical parameters and geophysical properties of volcanic materials and recent deposits, which will be useful for other civil projects which may be carried out in the future at sites with similar geological conditions.
Self‐management interventions in systemic sclerosis: A systematic review
Authors: Wojeck Robyn K. , Bailey Donald E. , Somers Tamara J. , Knisely Mitchell R. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSystemic sclerosis is a rare and incurable autoimmune disease in which patients are challenged with self‐managing their disease. Systematic evaluation of the essential self‐management intervention components and self‐management outcomes is necessary to assess the state of the science of self‐management for patients with systemic sclerosis. As such, the purpose of this systematic review was to identify and describe self‐management interventions and their impact on self‐management outcomes in adults with systemic sclerosis. Studies were included if they contained a self‐management intervention, incorporated at least one self‐management outcome identified as a common data element by the National Institute of Nursing Research (i.e., patient activation, self‐efficacy, self‐regulation, global health), and were conducted in adults with systemic sclerosis. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis guidelines, PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Embase were searched from the inception of each database to March 2020, yielding a total of 215 studies. Of these reports, 16 met the inclusion criteria for this review. There was notable variability in the types of self‐management interventions and their effects on key self‐management outcomes. Self‐management interventions focused on improving physical function through rehabilitation programs were the most common interventions (n = 7). The poor methodological quality of the studies included in this systematic review, however, limited the synthesis of and recommendations for self‐management interventions in adults with systemic sclerosis. Future research in systemic sclerosis should include key self‐management outcomes in larger, more rigorously designed studies to allow for comparisons across studies and to advance the science of self‐management.
Three machine learning algorithms and their utility in exploring risk factors associated with primary cesarean section in low‐risk women: A methods paper
Authors: Clark Rebecca R. S. , Hou Jintong 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMachine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is increasingly used in health research, including nursing and maternal outcomes research. Machine learning algorithms are complex and involve statistics and terminology that are not common in health research. The purpose of this methods paper is to describe three machine learning algorithms in detail and provide an example of their use in maternal outcomes research. The three algorithms, classification and regression trees, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and random forest, may be used to understand risk groups, select variables for a model, and rank variables' contribution to an outcome, respectively. While machine learning has plenty to contribute to health research, it also has some drawbacks, and these are discussed as well. To provide an example of the different algorithms' function, they were used on a completed cross‐sectional study examining the association of oxytocin total dose exposure with primary cesarean section. The results of the algorithms are compared to what was done or found using more traditional methods.
Use of Molecular Assays and Circulating Tumor DNA in Early-Stage Colorectal Cancer: A Roundtable Discussion of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Therapy Expert Group
Authors: Loaiza-Bonilla Arturo , Benson Al B. , Grothey Axel , Karimi Misagh , Klempner Samuel J. , Lin Daniel , Mahtani Reshma , Soares Heloisa P. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

The use of genomic testing is rapidly emerging as an important clinical tool both for cancer diagnosis and for guiding treatment decisions in a wide range of malignancies, including gastrointestinal (GI) cancers such as colorectal cancer (CRC). Advances in technologies such as polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing methods have made it possible to noninvasively screen for CRC through, for example, the use of blood- or stool-based testing, with high specificity. Tests are also available that can provide prognostic information beyond traditional clinicopathologic factors such as tumor size, grade, and nodal status, which can enable clinicians to more accurately risk stratify patients for recurrence. Lastly, in the setting of resected CRC, tests are now available that can detect circulating tumor DNA as a means for noninvasive minimal/molecular residual disease monitoring, thereby potentially guiding the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and/or escalating or de-escalating therapy. The Gastrointestinal Cancer Therapy Expert Group (GICTEG) recently convened a virtual meeting to discuss current issues related to genomic testing in GI cancer, with the goal of providing guidance on the use of these tests for the practicing community oncologist, for whom GI cancer may be only one of many tumor types encountered. This article provides a summary of the discussion and highlights the key opinions of the GICTEG on this topic.

Implications for Practice
The Gastrointestinal Cancer Therapy Expert Group seeks to provide practical guidance and opinion on the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies, including colorectal cancer (CRC), for the practicing community oncologist in situations for which guidelines from established bodies, such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, may be less clear. In the present report, clinical guidance on the use of molecular assays for a range of clinical indications in CRC is presented, including the use of circulating tumor DNA to detect minimal/molecular residual disease in patients with successfully resected early-stage CRC.
Drug hapten‐specific T‐cell activation: Current status and unanswered questions
Authors: Adair Kareena , Meng Xiaoli , Naisbitt Dean J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDrug haptens are formed from the irreversible, covalent binding of drugs to nucleophilic moieties on proteins, which can warrant adverse reactions in the body including severe delayed‐type, T‐cell mediated, drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs). While three main pathways exist for the activation of T‐cells in DHRs, namely the hapten model, the pharmacological interaction model and the altered peptide repertoire model, the exact antigenic determinants responsible have not yet been defined. In recent years, progress has been made using advanced mass spectrometry‐based proteomic methods to identify protein carriers and characterise the structure of drug‐haptenated proteins. Since genome‐wide association studies discovered a link between human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and an individual's susceptibility to DHRs, much effort has been made to define the drug‐associated HLA ligands driving T‐cell activation, including the elution of natural HLA peptides from HLA molecules and the generation of HLA‐binding peptides. In this review, we discuss our current methodology used to design and synthesise drug‐modified HLA ligands to investigate their immunogenicity using T‐cell models, and thus their implication in drug hypersensitivity.
Oxidant‐Accelerated Polydopamine Modification Process for the Fast Fabrication of PDA on HMX with Improved Mechanical Stability
Authors: Duan Shuyi , Wang Dehai , Jiang Quanping , Xiao Chun , Liu Huihui , Guo Ya , Li Shangbin , Zhu Qing 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPolydopamine surface coating shows the capability to improve the adhesive properties as well as mechanical stabilities of energetic materials, which is highly desired for the development of insensitive munitions. However, the slow polymerization process of dopamine makes the coating process time‐consuming and uneconomic. Herein, an oxidant‐accelerated strategy was demonstrated to obtain fast polymerization kinetics of dopamine for the surface modification of HMX crystals. Upon the addition of oxidant, PDA was able to form surface layer of HMX particles within 5 min without changing the shape and polymorph of HMX crystals. The PDA coating showed the ability to improve the wettability of HMX, contributing to its abundant active groups. Moreover, the mechanical stability of PDA on HMX (HMX@PDA) samples was improved accompany with the increasing coating time, and the friction explosion probability and drop height of 300 s treated sample were 40 % and 64 cm, respectively. The detonation velocity was also measured, which showed that the effect of PDA coating on the detonation velocity of HMX was not significant. More importantly, our protocol showed the capability to fabricate HMX@PDA with different particle sizes on a large scale, satisfying the application demands of insensitive high explosives.
Increasing the value and efficiency of herbicide resistance surveys
Authors: Squires Caleb C , Coleman Guy RY , Broster John C , Preston Christopher , Boutsalis Peter , Owen Mechelle J , Jalaludin Adam , Walsh Michael J 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe scale of herbicide resistance within a cropping region can be estimated and monitored using surveys of weed populations. The current approach to herbicide resistance surveys is time‐consuming, logistically challenging and costly. Here we review past and current approaches used in herbicide resistance surveys with the aims of (i) defining effective survey methodologies, (ii) highlighting opportunities for improving efficiencies through the use of new technologies and (iii) identifying the value of repeated region‐wide herbicide resistance surveys. One of the most extensively surveyed areas of the world's cropping regions is the Australian grain production region, with >2900 fields randomly surveyed in each of three surveys conducted over the past 15 years. Consequently, recommended methodologies are based on what has been learned from the Australian experience. Traditional seedling‐based herbicide screening assays remain the most reliable and widely applicable method for characterizing resistance in weed populations. The use of satellite or aerial imagery to plan collections and image analysis to rapidly quantify screening results could complement traditional resistance assays by increasing survey efficiency and sampling accuracy. Global management of herbicide‐resistant weeds would benefit from repeated and standardized surveys that track herbicide resistance evolution within and across cropping regions. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics: Principles and applications
Authors: Wang Jinan , Arantes Pablo R. , Bhattarai Apurba , Hsu Rohaine V. , Pawnikar Shristi , Huang Yu‐ming M. , Palermo Giulia , Miao Yinglong 
Published: March 2021

AbstractGaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) is a robust computational method for simultaneous unconstrained enhanced sampling and free energy calculations of biomolecules. It works by adding a harmonic boost potential to smooth biomolecular potential energy surface and reduce energy barriers. GaMD greatly accelerates biomolecular simulations by orders of magnitude. Without the need to set predefined reaction coordinates or collective variables, GaMD provides unconstrained enhanced sampling and is advantageous for simulating complex biological processes. The GaMD boost potential exhibits a Gaussian distribution, thereby allowing for energetic reweighting via cumulant expansion to the second order (i.e., “Gaussian approximation”). This leads to accurate reconstruction of free energy landscapes of biomolecules. Hybrid schemes with other enhanced sampling methods, such as the replica‐exchange GaMD (rex‐GaMD) and replica‐exchange umbrella sampling GaMD (GaREUS), have also been introduced, further improving sampling and free energy calculations. Recently, new “selective GaMD” algorithms including the Ligand GaMD (LiGaMD) and Peptide GaMD (Pep‐GaMD) enabled microsecond simulations to capture repetitive dissociation and binding of small‐molecule ligands and highly flexible peptides. The simulations then allowed highly efficient quantitative characterization of the ligand/peptide binding thermodynamics and kinetics. Taken together, GaMD and its innovative variants are applicable to simulate a wide variety of biomolecular dynamics, including protein folding, conformational changes and allostery, ligand binding, peptide binding, protein–protein/nucleic acid/carbohydrate interactions, and carbohydrate/nucleic acid interactions. In this review, we present principles of the GaMD algorithms and recent applications in biomolecular simulations and drug design.This article is categorized under:
Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics
Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Dynamics and Monte‐Carlo Methods
Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Free Energy Methods