bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Auxin increased adventitious root development in the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees
Authors: Hossain Md. Sanower , Urbi Zannat , Phang Ing Chia 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAndrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees is an economically high‐demand medicinal plant for its traditional uses and overwhelming pharmacological properties. However, the current agricultural production of A. paniculata is insufficient to meet its pharmacological demand. Developing a rapid and efficient propagation technique is crucial to meet its increasing demand. This study assessed the ability of the auxins indole‐3‐butyric acid (IBA) and indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) to simulate adventitious root development in the young apical shoot (YAS) and old apical shoot (OAS) cuttings of A. paniculata. This investigation found that 3.0 mM IBA was better for achieving rapid growth (6.33 ± 0.42 d) of adventitious root in YAS cuttings, where the number of roots per cutting was 40 ± 1.29, with an average length of 4.11 ± 0.20 cm (mean ± SE; n = 6). Overall, YAS cuttings were comparatively more efficient to induce adventitious roots compared with OAS cuttings. The rapid regeneration of A. paniculata plantlets using IBA within a short time suggests that this plant can be propagated on a mass scale and that IBA can be used to accelerate production. Further study for evaluating soaking duration on the adventitious rooting in A. paniculata would be worthy.
Large‐scale plasma proteomic profiling identifies a high‐performance biomarker panel for Alzheimer's disease screening and staging
Authors: Jiang Yuanbing , Zhou Xiaopu , Ip Fanny C. , Chan Philip , Chen Yu , Lai Nicole C.H. , Cheung Kit , Lo Ronnie M.N. , Tong Estella P.S. , Wong Bonnie W.Y. , Chan Andrew L.T. , Mok Vincent C.T. , Kwok Timothy C.Y. , Mok Kin Y. , Hardy John , Zetterberg Henrik , Fu Amy K.Y. , Ip Nancy Y. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIntroductionBlood proteins are emerging as candidate biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We systematically profiled the plasma proteome to identify novel AD blood biomarkers and develop a high‐performance, blood‐based test for AD.MethodsWe quantified 1160 plasma proteins in a Hong Kong Chinese cohort by high‐throughput proximity extension assay and validated the results in an independent cohort. In subgroup analyses, plasma biomarkers for amyloid, tau, phosphorylated tau, and neurodegeneration were used as endophenotypes of AD.ResultsWe identified 429 proteins that were dysregulated in AD plasma. We selected 19 “hub proteins” representative of the AD plasma protein profile, which formed the basis of a scoring system that accurately classified clinical AD (area under the curve = 0.9690–0.9816) and associated endophenotypes. Moreover, specific hub proteins exhibit disease stage‐dependent dysregulation, which can delineate AD stages.DiscussionThis study comprehensively profiled the AD plasma proteome and serves as a foundation for a high‐performance, blood‐based test for clinical AD screening and staging.
A rechargeable drug delivery system based on pNIPAM hydrogel for the local release of curcumin
Authors: Ayar Zahra , Shafieian Mehdi , Mahmoodi Narges , Sabzevari Omid , Hassannejad Zahra 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThis study was designed to develop a drug delivery system based on poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) hydrogel and a suitable solvent to enhance solubility and local release of curcumin. pNIPAM hydrogel was synthesized by radical polymerization. The chemical, mechanical and physical properties and biocompatibility of pNIPAM hydrogel were investigated as an implantable and rechargeable drug reservoir. Curcumin was loaded within pNIPAM hydrogel during swelling by using two different solvents; methanol, an organic solvent, and low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG200), a polymeric solvent. The results of drug solubility showed that using PEG200 can increase curcumin solubility more than commonly used organic solvents such as methanol. Also, the release profile of drug‐loaded hydrogels demonstrated that PEG200 has a superior effect on the cumulative amount of released curcumin (33.163 ± 0.319 μg/ml) compared to methanol (8.765 ± 0.544 μg/ml) during 1 week. Based on our results, curcumin‐loaded hydrogels did not show any cytotoxicity, and pNIPAM/PEG combination represented an antibacterial effect within 12 hours. Accordingly, it can be concluded that pNIPAM hydrogel in combination with low molecular weight PEG200 could be used as an efficient drug delivery system to preserve and provide sustained release of curcumin as a hydrophobic drug.
Where have all the sawfishes gone? Perspectives on declines of these Critically Endangered species in Sri Lanka
Authors: Tanna Akshay , Fernando Daniel , Gobiraj Ramajeyam , Pathirana Buddhi M. , Thilakaratna Sahan , Jabado Rima W. 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

All five species of sawfishes (family Pristidae) are amongst the most threatened marine fishes in the world, with steep population declines and local extinctions documented across their ranges.
Sawfishes have featured in Sri Lankan species checklists since 1889. However, landing records are extremely rare and little information is available on their status, diversity, and recent occurrences.
Interviews were conducted with 300 fishers and 10 fish traders. Only 39% of fishers (n = 118) could identify sawfishes, 37% had seen sawfishes (although half not since 1992), and only 10.7% had ever caught one. No respondents under 30 years could identify sawfishes. Older respondents (>50 years) were more likely to have caught sawfishes and reported seeing them frequently until 30 years ago, while younger respondents had only seen them at landing sites and, at most, once or twice in their life. Only 10 respondents had seen a sawfish in the last decade, suggesting that sawfishes were relatively abundant in the past but that populations have drastically declined.
Of the 32 respondents who had caught sawfishes, 30 reported declining numbers and attributed it to fishing pressure. These steep declines coincide with the time of increased fishing effort, the development of the aquaculture industry, and resulting degradation of coastal habitats in the 1980–1990s.
Overall, sawfishes had little cultural significance although fishers had specific names for the different species occurring here and rostra were sometimes donated to Catholic churches for ‘good luck’. Landed sawfishes were primarily sold for meat and traders appeared unaware of the high value of fins.
It is likely that sawfishes are now functionally extinct as a component of coastal ecosystems in Sri Lanka. Immediate action including species‐specific legislation and critical habitat protection is urgently needed to provide remaining sawfishes and other sharks and rays with a fighting chance.
Virtual cultural landscapes: Geospatial visualizations of past environments
Authors: Monteleone Kelly , Thompson Amy E. , Prufer Keith M. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRecent advances in spatial and remote sensing technology have led to new methods in archaeological site identification and reconstruction, allowing archaeologists to investigate landscapes and sites on multiple scales. These remotely conducted surveys create virtual cultural landscapes and seascapes that archaeologists and the public interact with and experience, often better than traditional maps. Our study examines landscape reconstruction and archaeological site classifications from a phenomenological and human behavioural ecology (HBE) perspective. HBE aims to reconstruct how humans interacted with these places as part of their active and passive decision making. Through temporal reconstructions, archaeologists and others can experience and interpret past landscapes and subtle changes in cultural land‐ and seascapes. Here, we evaluate the use of remotely sensed data (lidar, satellite imagery, sonar, radar, etc.) for developing virtual cultural landscapes while also incorporating Indigenous perspectives. Our study compares two vastly different landscapes and perspectives: a seascape in coastal Alaska, USA, and a neotropical jungle in Belize, Central America. By incorporating ethnographic accounts, oral histories, Indigenous traditional knowledge and community engagement, archaeologists can develop new tools to understand decisions made in the past, especially pertaining to settlement selection and resource procurement. These virtual reconstructions become cognitive images of a possible place that the observer experiences. Virtual cultural landscapes allow archaeologists to reproduce landscapes that may otherwise be invisible and present them to different publics. These processes elucidate how landscapes changed over time based on human behaviours while simultaneously allowing archaeologists to engage with Indigenous communities and the public in the protection of prehistoric and historic sites and sacred spaces through cultural heritage management.
Closed‐form approximated pricing of multivariate derivatives under switching regime models
Authors: Alvarez Alexander , Assadi Atousa , Liu Kai 
Published: May 2021

AbstractMarkov switching regime models have played an increasingly important role in finance and economics, especially for business cycles and long swings in currencies. Regime‐switching models provide a simple way to capture stochastic volatility and thus overcomes the drawback of the classical lognormality assumption characterized by constant volatility. This paper considers multivariate Black and Scholes type models with a Markov regime‐switching mechanism. We show that the pricing of some multivariate derivatives under models where the Markov chain has two or three states, can be approximated accurately in closed‐form, based on linear and quadratic Taylor polynomials. Closed form approximation methods are computationally advantageous as they perform in constant time, compared with alternative methods such as Monte‐Carlo, where the accuracy of the estimation is directly linked to the number of executed simulations.
A randomized controlled trial of structured palliative care versus standard supportive care for patients enrolled in phase 1 clinical trials
Authors: Treasure Michelle , Daly Barbara , Cao Shufen , Fu Pingfu , Hong Augustine , Weinstein Elizabeth , Surdam Jessica , Meropol Neal J. , Dowlati Afshin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPurposePatients enrolled in Phase 1 clinical trials have typically exhausted standard therapies and often are choosing between a clinical trial and hospice care. Significant symptom burden can result in early trial discontinuation and confound trial outcomes. This study aimed to examine differences in study duration, symptom burden, adverse events (AE), and quality of life (QOL) between those receiving structured palliative care versus usual supportive care.Patients and methodsSixty‐eight patients enrolled in phase 1 clinical trials and 39 of their CGs were randomly assigned to receive structured palliative care or usual supportive care. Patient QOL was measured monthly using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy and Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. The Quality of Life in Life‐Threatening Illness–Family Care Version and Caregiver Reaction Assessment were used for CGs. AEs and use of palliative care resources were compared between arms.ResultsMean duration of the phase 1 study was 142 days in the palliative care arm versus 116 days in the usual care arm (p = 0.55). Although not statistically significant, patients in the palliative care arm experienced fewer AEs and better QOL, as did their CGs, compared to those receiving usual care.ConclusionsPhase 1 patients and their CGs have physical and psychosocial needs warranting palliative care services. Results suggest that structured palliative care is associated with the increased duration of the study and improved patient and CG QOL.
Retrospective accounts of emotional experiences during personal development groups in qualified counsellors and psychotherapists
Authors: Smith Carole , Burr Viv 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPersonal development (PD) groups are routinely used in the training of counsellors and psychotherapists. Experiences during such group processes are thought to contribute to the development of self‐awareness, a quality seen as crucial for good practice in many therapeutic approaches. However, evidence from trainees suggests that the PD group experience may not be a positive or facilitative one for many. We also do not know how trainees, once qualified, process their PD group experiences over time. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study in which 12 experienced therapists were invited to reflect back upon their PD group experiences during their training. Their experiences of PD groups were invited through semi‐structured interviews and the data analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The findings show that most participants found their PD group experiences to be challenging, and that for some participants this was a welcome and facilitative experience. However, a significant number of participants had negative experiences in their PD groups, which at the time they felt to be damaging and which remained so in their view at the time of interview. Such experiences included feeling re‐traumatised by recalling and sharing old traumas, feeling afraid of the volatility and punitiveness in their group and feeling overlooked or abandoned by the group facilitator. Nevertheless, all participants had made persistent efforts to process these experiences and had drawn from them what they regarded as valuable learning. Recommendations for counselling and psychotherapy training are put forward in the light of these findings.
Single‐view procedural braided hair modeling through braid unit identification
Authors: Sun Chao , Ramachandran Srinivasan , Paquette Eric , Lee Won‐Sook 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWe propose the first approach that can generate procedural three‐dimensional (3D) hair involving braids modeled from a single‐view photograph. Existing single‐view image‐based hair modeling methods fail to handle braided hairstyles. Our approach combines image processing, deep neural networks, as well as two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D geometric algorithms. In order to train our neural network, we create a braid unit data set. Our recognition and segmentation system can successfully segment hair regions, braid and non‐braid regions, using convolutional neural networks. We further process the images to obtain the locations, sizes, and orientations of the braid units. Given these braid units, we perform braid structure analysis to obtain the braid strand curves. The procedural modeling of the 3D braids is represented using 3D helical curves where the parameters are extracted from the 2D image analysis. Furthermore, we extract 2D hair strands from the non‐braid region using the Gabor filter and orientation maps. Then, a 3D hair volume is generated with the hair region silhouette information. We project the 2D hair strands and braids on the 3D hair volume to obtain the 3D hair strands and 3D braids. The strands for the braid and non‐braid regions are used as guides to generate dense hair strands. Dense strands are emitted from the hair root triangle mesh and follow the guide strands. With a sparse set of landmarks, the hair region of the photograph is texture mapped to the 3D hair root mesh and used to color the strands. We successfully tested our approach on photographs showing variations of braid styles and hair color.
Synthesis and Antioxidant Capacity of Some Derivatives of Sesamol at the C‐6 Position
Authors: Buravlev Evgeny V. , Shevchenko Oksana G. , Suponitsky Kyrill Yu. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSeveral synthetic approaches (aminomethylation, alkylation, condensation, etc.) have been used to synthesize derivatives based on the sesamol (1), natural phenol. The set of methods, including the study of antioxidant activity (AOA) by the ability to inhibit the initiated oxidation of animal lipids, radical scavenging activity, Fe2+‐chelation ability, as well as a comparative assessment of membrane‐protective activity under the conditions of H2O2‐induced hemolysis of mice red blood cells (RBCs), was used to analyze the antioxidant potential of the synthesized compounds. The synthesized derivatives have demonstrated different activity in the listed test systems, and we have identified compounds which appear to be most promising for a detailed study of their pharmacological properties.
Prevalence of Diterpenes in Essential Oil of Euphorbia mauritanica L.: Detailed Chemical Profile, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic and Phytotoxic Activities
Authors: Essa Ahmed F. , El‐Hawary Seham S. , Abd‐El Gawad Ahmed M. , Kubacy Tahia M. , A. M. El‐Khrisy Ezz El‐Din , Elshamy Abdelsamed I. , Younis Inas Y. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractPlants belonging to Euphorbia L. genus are considered very interesting from a medicinal point of view due to their diverse metabolites and bioactivities. The essential oil (EO) of Euphorbia mauritanica L. is not studied up to date. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the chemical profile of this EO and evaluate its antioxidant, cytotoxic, and allelopathic potentialities. The EO was extracted from the whole plant via hydrodistillation and then, analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The correlation of E. mauritanica with the other Euphorbia plants was established using chemometric analysis. The antioxidant activity was determined based on scavenging of the free radical, 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS). The anti‐proliferation of the EO on the Hep G2 and MCF‐7 cells was evaluated. Finally the allelopathic activity of the EO was assessed against the two noxious weeds, Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Urospermum picroides. Forty‐one compounds were identified using GC/MS analysis, with an abundance of terpenoids (91.54 %) that were categorized into mono‐ (30.75 %), sesqui‐ (15.23 %), and diterpenes (45.56 %). Interestingly, the results revealed the preponderance of diterpenoid constituents although they are rarely found in the EOs of the plant kingdom. The major compounds were (3E)‐cembrene A (18.66 %), verticiol (17.05 %), limonene (7.91 %), eucalyptol (7.26 %), α‐pinene (5.61 %), neo‐cembrene A (3.52 %), kaur‐16‐ene (3.24 %), and cembrene (3.09 %). The EO showed moderate antioxidant activity where it attained IC50 values of 83.34 and 64.21 μg mL−1 for DPPH and ABTS compared to 23.01 and 19.23 μg mL−1 for ascorbic acid as standard, respectively. The EO exhibited very weak cytotoxic effect on MCF‐7 and Hep G2 cells. The EO showed significant allelopathic activities against the weeds D. aegyptium and U. picroides in a concentration‐dependent manner. EO was found more effective against U. picroides than D. aegyptium with IC50 values of 0.79, 0.45, and 0.67 mg mL−1 and 1.17, 0.55, and 1.08 mg mL−1 for germination, root, and shoot growth, respectively. Due to the high content of diterpenes in E. mauritanica, further study is recommended for more characterization of pure forms of the identified diterpenes as well as evaluating their bioactivity either solely or synergistically.
Acute liver failure precipitated by acute Budd‐Chiari syndrome and complete portal vein thrombosis
Authors: Suzuki Yuji , Suzuki Akiko , Kakisaka Keisuke , Takikawa Yasuhiro 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAcute Budd‐Chiari syndrome and complete portal vein thrombosis are important features of myeloproliferative neoplasm that may occur simultaneously, resulting in acute liver failure. Liver transplantation could be effective even in such a catastrophic condition without post‐transplant complications.
Extreme Rate Capability Cycling of Porous Silicon Composite Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Dhanabalan Abirami , Song Botao Farren , Biswal Sibani Lisa 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSilicon‐based anodes have the potential to increase the capacity of lithium‐ion batteries but suffer from irreversible damage due to their volume expansion. Capacity‐controlled cycling has emerged as a promising method for silicon‐based anodes; however, few studies have evaluated how high C‐rates affect cycle life under capacity‐controlled cycling. Here, we examine how a repetitive cycling at high C‐rates and long cycle numbers affects the electrochemical performance. This extreme rate capability test (cycling between C/5 and 8C for 560 cycles) illustrates the robustness of the silicon‐composite anodes and indicates that the anode continues to perform well at C/5 for another 120 cycles after the 560‐cycle‐testing at 8C. When the C‐rate increases, there is a drop in capacity, which can be attributed to an increase in the polarization resistance of the anode, which increases as the cell ages. The superior rate capability of silicon‐composite anodes is promising for applications requiring fast charge‐discharge rates.
Estimating the reliability of predictions in locally weighted partial least‐squares modeling
Authors: Kaneko Hiromasa 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIt is important to predict the reliability of the estimation results given by adaptive soft sensors. In this study, a locally weighted partial least‐squares (LWPLS) method, which is a just‐in‐time‐based adaptive soft sensor, is analyzed, and the reliability of LWPLS modeling is predicted as the standard deviation of the estimated values of an objective variable y. The relationship between the minimum of Euclidean distance (MinED) and the standard deviation of y errors (SDYE) is constructed using training samples, giving the proposed y‐error model. For the test samples, the MinED from a query to the training samples is input into the y‐error model, allowing the SDYE for the query to be predicted. The proposed LWPLS model can estimate the y values with associated error bars, which indicate the reliability of the estimated y values. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through two case studies using datasets from industrial plants.
Device infections related to cardiac resynchronization therapy in clinical practice–An analysis of its prevalence, risk factors and routine surveillance at a single center university hospital
Authors: Ostrowska Bozena , Gkiouzepas Spyridon , Kurland Siri , Blomström‐Lundqvist Carina 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe implantation rates of cardiac implantable electronic devices have steadily increased, accompanied by a steeper rise of device related infections (DRI).HypothesisThe prevalence of DRI for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is higher in clinical practice than reported previously, even at a university hospital, and likely higher than reported to the national device registry.MethodsElectronic medical records of consecutive patients undergoing a CRT procedure between January 2016 and December 2017 were analyzed. Clinical history, procedure related variables and complications were reviewed by specialists in cardiology and infectious diseases.ResultsA total of 171 patients, mean aged 74 years, 138 males (80.7%) were included. Twelve DRI occurred in 10 patients during mean 2.5 years follow‐up, giving a prevalence of 7% (incidence of 29/1000 person‐years). Reoperation, pocket haematoma, ≥3 procedures, previous device infection and indwelling central venous line were the strongest predictive factors according to univariate analysis. Out of 63/171 (36.8%) major complications, 31(49.2%) were lead‐related. There were 49/171 (28.7%) reoperations and 15/171 (8.8%) minor complications. The number major complications and DRI reported to the national device registry were 7/171 (4.1%) and 2/171 (0.6%), respectively, reflecting a 5‐fold underreporting.ConclusionsThe high rate of CRT device infections is in sharp contrast to those reported by others and to the national device registry. Although a center specific explanation cannot be excluded, the high rates highlight a major issue with registries, reinforcing the need for better surveillance and automatic reporting of device related complications.