bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Secondary prevention of silicosis and silico‐tuberculosis by periodic screening of silica dust exposed workers using serum club cell protein 16 as a proxy marker
Authors: Sarkar Kamalesh , Dhatrak Sarang , Sarkar Bidisa , Ojha Umesh Chandra , Raghav Pankaja , Pagdhune Avinash 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesSilicosis is a neglected and widely prevalent occupational disease in India and several other countries such as China, South Africa, Brazil, etc. It is an irreversible, incurable, and progressive disease with high morbidity and mortality, which is mostly caused by occupational exposure to silica dusts. Silicosis is usually detected at an advanced stage, when effective intervention is not possible. But early detection appears to be a cost‐effective way to control it. There is a need for some suitable biomarker, which could detect silicosis at an early stage for further necessary intervention. This study aimed to estimate the lung damage in silicotic subjects and its relationship with serum CC16 as a proxy marker. The ultimate objective was to explore whether CC16 could be used as a screening tool for early detection of silicosis.MethodologyRadiographs of 117 workers having radiological evidences of silicosis were evaluated in accordance with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Classification of chest radiographs and were categorized as mild, moderate, and severe lung damage using a lung damage scoring system, made for the purpose of this study. The concentration of CC16 in serum was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.ResultIt was observed that serum CC16 values were significantly decreased in relation to increasing lung damage. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) serum CC16 value in mild lung damage group was 8.4 ± 0.87 ng/mL as compared to 4.0 ± 2.10 ng/mL in moderate and 0.7 ± 0.21 ng/mL in high lung damage groups. On the other hand, CC16 value of control (healthy) population was found to be 16.3 ± 3.8 ng/mL.ConclusionResult of the study concluded that serum CC16 might be used as a periodic screening tool for early detection of silicosis and for it's secondary prevention. It may be viewed as a new approach toward control of silicosis, and an appropriate policy may be adopted.
Electroencephalography based imagined alphabets classification using spatial and time‐domain features
Authors: Agarwal Prabhakar , Kumar Sandeep 
Published: September 2021

AbstractImagined speech is a neuro‐paradigm that can provide an alternative communication channel for patients in a locked‐in syndrome state. We have performed an experiment in which a 32 channel industry‐standard electroencephalography (EEG) device was used to record 26 imagined English alphabets from 13 subjects. We denoised the imagined signals by discrete wavelet transform and extracted the spatial filters by common spatial pattern method, and time‐domain features. Spatial features when classified with linear support vector machine, and time‐domain features classified by random forest gave the best results. Alpha, beta, and theta bands could classify imagined alphabets better than other bands and had average classification accuracies of 88.59%, 87.39%, and 88.97%, respectively by using spatial features and 81.88%, 76.72%, and 79.25%, respectively, by time‐domain features. The grand average accuracies of all the 26 alphabets in six EEG frequency bands was found to be 77.97% in a subject independent binary classification framework.
Uncovering the critical impact of the solid electrolyte interphase structure on the interfacial stability
Authors: Hu Zhenglin , Wang Chen , Wang Chao , Chen Bingbing , Yang Chunpeng , Dong Shanmu , Cui Guanglei 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSolid electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays a critical role in determining the interfacial stability, which in turn impacts the plating/stripping process of the lithium metal anode. Substantial research has been focused on the composition of SEI and its contribution to the interfacial stability. Herein, we illustrate the significance of SEI structure, in a comprehensive comparison of a diluted electrolyte (1 M LiTFSI‐PC) and a super‐concentrated electrolyte (8 M LiTFSI‐PC). Illustrated by in situ optical and atomic force microscope observation, homogeneous plating on lithium anode is achieved in the concentrated electrolyte. However, x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that, contrary to the general understanding, the components of SEI is nearly identical for lithium anode cycled in both two electrolytes. Detailed characterizations demonstrate the structure of SEI is quite different. In concentrated electrolyte, a compact structure of SEI layer can be obtained, mainly due to the reduced solubility and outstanding formation kinetics of the interfacial layer. This work provided a new understanding to the excellent performance of super‐concentrated electrolyte in lithium metal battery.
Species' traits and taxonomic distance can predict the hatching phenology of ostracod (Crustacea) resting eggs from tropical floodplain lakes
Authors: Rosa Jonathan , Petsch Danielle K. , Martens Koen , Higuti Janet 
Published: September 2021

AbstractFreshwater ostracods are commonly found in temporary ponds and lakes, surviving drought periods by producing resting eggs. We investigated the hatching phenology of ostracod resting eggs from the sediments of temporary floodplain lakes, considering both the taxonomic distance between species and their functional traits, such as carapace size (length and height) and shape, valve ornamentation, and reproductive mode. In addition, we tested the hypotheses: (1) that the hatching time is more similar between congeneric ostracod species than between noncongeneric species; (2) that differences in hatching time between congeneric species are often related to differences in functional traits; (3) that both species composition and functional traits composition of hatchlings change over the incubation time, but with a reduction in the variability over time. The experiment was conducted for 98 days in the laboratory, and the microcosms were monitored weekly. The first hatching of an ostracod was recorded during the second week of incubation after hydration of the sediments. A total of 12 ostracod species hatched, belonging to the families Cyprididae and Candonidae. The above three hypotheses were corroborated. The time between inundation and first hatching was mostly similar for congeneric species in the genus Chlamydotheca, but was different between some species of Strandesia, which might be owing to differences in functional traits. The species composition and functional trait composition of the hatched ostracods were significantly different over the 14 weeks of incubation due to the different hatching phenology of different species. Furthermore, our results show that both taxonomic distance and functional traits can influence the hatching time of ostracod resting eggs from temporary floodplain lakes. Thus, future studies addressing the hatching phenology of ostracod resting eggs (and resting stages from other invertebrates) should also emphasize the use of functional traits.
Examining the predictive relevance of security, privacy risk factors, and institutional logics for e‐government service adoption
Authors: Bayaga Anass 
Published: September 2021

AbstractFollowing the increasing debate around the possible influencers on the adoption of electronic‐government (e‐government) services, the current research was aimed at examining the predictive relevance of security and privacy risk factors through the lens of institutional logics for e‐government service adoption. Guided by the research aim, the study adopted the questionnaire method. Based on the review of the relevant literature and the study's aim, the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) was employed to analyze the data by making use of the SmartPLS 3.2.8 software to assess both the outer and structural models. It was evidenced that privacy and security risk factors as well as institutional logics together account for 61.7% of South African citizens' reasons for adopting e‐government services, while the other 38.3% were explained by factors that did not form part of this study. These findings contributed a new view and an extension of the model, providing the insight that privacy and security risk factors as well as institutional logics together are significant predictors of citizens' willingness to adopt e‐government services. By implication, the results establish the interconnectedness of the predictive relevance of institutional logics and the adoption of e‐government services.
Fraxetin suppresses reactive oxygen species‐dependent autophagy by the PI3K/Akt pathway to inhibit isoflurane‐induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal neuronal cells
Authors: Zhang Tongyin , Zhou Botao , Sun Junyi , Song Jiangling , Nie Limin , Zhu Kairun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIsoflurane, a common volatile anesthetic, has been widely used to provide general anesthesia in operations. However, exposure to isoflurane may cause widespread neurotoxicity in the developing animal brain. Fraxetin, a natural coumarin derivative extracted from the bark of Fraxinus rhynchophylla, possesses versatile pharmacological properties including anti‐oxidative, anti‐inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. However, the effect and action mechanism of fraxetin on neurotoxicity induced by isoflurane are unknown. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and apoptosis were estimated by 2′,7′‐dichlorofluorescin‐diacetate (DCFH‐DA) staining, MTT, LDH release, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end‐labeling (TUNEL) staining assays, respectively. The protein levels of light chain 3 (LC3)‐I, LC3‐II, p62, protein kinase B (Akt), and phosphorylated Akt (p‐Akt) were detected by western blot analysis. Isoflurane induced ROS, LDH release, apoptosis, and autophagy, but inhibited the viability in HT22 cells, which were overturned by fraxetin or ROS scavenger N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine. Fraxetin suppressed isoflurane‐induced PI3K/Akt inactivation in HT22 cells. PI3K/Akt inactivation by LY294002 resisted the effects of fraxetin on isoflurane‐induced autophagy and autophagy‐modulated neurotoxicity in HT22 cells. In conclusion, fraxetin suppressed ROS‐dependent autophagy by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway to inhibit isoflurane‐induced neurotoxicity in hippocampal neuronal cells.
FGF23 and Vitamin D Metabolism
Authors: Latic Nejla , Erben Reinhold G. 
Published: September 2021

ABSTRACTApart from its phosphaturic action, the bone‐derived hormone fibroblast growth factor‐23 (FGF23) is also an essential regulator of vitamin D metabolism. The main target organ of FGF23 is the kidney, where FGF23 suppresses transcription of the key enzyme in vitamin D hormone (1,25(OH)2D) activation, 1α‐hydroxylase, and activates transcription of the key enzyme responsible for vitamin D degradation, 24‐hydroxylase, in proximal renal tubules. The circulating concentration of 1,25(OH)2D is a positive regulator of FGF23 secretion in bone, forming a feedback loop between kidney and bone. The importance of FGF23 as regulator of vitamin D metabolism is underscored by the fact that in the absence of FGF23 signaling, the tight control of renal 1α‐hydroxylase fails, resulting in overproduction of 1,25(OH)2D in mice and men. During recent years, big strides have been made toward a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the FGF23‐mediated regulation of vitamin D metabolism, especially at the genomic level. However, there are still major gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled by future research. Importantly, the intracellular signaling cascades downstream of FGF receptors regulating transcription of 1α‐hydroxylase and 24‐hydroxylase in proximal renal tubules still remain unresolved. The purpose of this review is to highlight our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of vitamin D metabolism by FGF23, and to discuss the role of these mechanisms in physiology and pathophysiology. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Production of carbon dots by pulsed laser ablation: Precursors and photo‐oxidase properties
Authors: Chen Zhi‐Wen , Hsieh Tien‐Hao , Liu Ching‐Ping 
Published: September 2021

AbstractLight is indispensable in many biomedical reactions, but there are few nanomaterials capable of light‐activated enzyme‐like activities. In this work, carbon dots (C‐dots) were prepared through one‐step pulsed laser ablation (PLA) treatment of polymers in aqueous solution. The choice of water‐soluble polymers as starting materials could extend the types of carbon sources for PLA reactions. The obtained C‐dots aqueous solution with blue fluorescence could be used directly without any centrifugation and purification. The light‐induced oxidase‐like activity of C‐dots was exploited in sensing Cu2+ ions for the first time. The sensing mechanism was speculated that the decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the photo‐induced electron transfer (PET) process between C‐dots and Cu2+, thereby inhibiting their photo‐oxidase activity. This work provides a new colorimetric method to detect Cu2+ without using the well‐known fluorescence of C‐dots.
Gender diversity and autism spectrum conditions in children and adolescents: A narrative review of the methodologies used by quantitative studies
Authors: Manjra Ilham I. , Masic Una 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAimThis narrative review aimed to analyse the methodologies used by quantitative studies to evaluate their evidence for the association between gender diversity and autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in child and adolescent population samples.MethodA systematic search was conducted for papers published between 2010 and 2020.ResultsFifteen papers met the inclusion criteria; all reported associations between their defined versions of gender diversity and ASC. Gender diversity was characterised as “dysphoria”, “variance”, and/or “diverse”, and was correlated across ASC categories of “symptoms”, “traits”, or “empathising and systemising styles of thinking”. Multiple diagnostic criteria and/or nonspecific, adult administrated measures were used to quantify youth gender experiences and ASCs.ConclusionInterpretations of the findings are discussed in relation to critical appraisal of methodologies used including data collection and deduction, the characteristics of the sample population, the usage of comparison groups, and the overall quality of statistical reporting amongst others.
Kynureninase contributes to the pathogenesis of psoriasis through pro‐inflammatory effect
Authors: Wang Min , Wang Yuqian , Zhang Mengdi , Duan Qiqi , Chen Caifeng , Sun Qiong , Liu Meng , Zheng Yan , Shao Yongping 
Published: September 2021

AbstractKynureninase (KYNU) is a key enzyme in the tryptophan metabolism pathway with elevated expression in psoriatic lesions relative to normal skin. However, whether KYNU contributes to the pathogenesis of psoriasis remains unknown. We sought to investigate the role of KYNU in psoriasis and its possible regulation mechanism. In the results, KYNU is upregulated in psoriatic skin samples from patients or animal models compared with normal skin control which was assayed in psoriatic patient samples, IMQ‐induced psoriasis‐like skin inflammation in BABL/c mice and M5‐stimulated keratinocyte cell lines by immunohistochemistry (IHC). KYNU knockdown had a trivial impact on keratinocyte proliferation, but significantly inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines in HaCaT, HEKα, and HEKn cells by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and western blot analysis. The 3ʹ‐untranslated region of KYNU contains a conserved target site of a skin‐specific microRNA (miRNA), miR‐203a, as predicted by TargetScan software. Furthermore, miR‐203a exhibited an inversed expression kinetics to KYNU during the development of IMQ‐induced psoriasis‐like skin inflammation in BABL/c mice. Overexpression of miR‐203 subsequently leading to the inhibition of KYNU, could significantly reduce the production of M5‐induced, psoriasis‐related inflammatory factors in keratinocytes. Finally, KYNU inhibitors could alleviate the pathological phenotypes in IMQ‐mice. Our study supported the contributive role of KYNU in the development of psoriasis and provided preliminary evidence for KYNU as a potential therapeutic target in psoriasis.
A “Janus” face of the RASSF4 signal in cell fate
Authors: Liu Aimei , Zhou Kaixiang , Martínez María Aránzazu , Lopez‐Torres Bernardo , Martínez Marta , Martínez‐Larrañaga María‐Rosa , Wang Xu , Anadón Arturo , Ares Irma 
Published: September 2021

AbstractRASSF4 (Ras‐association domain family 4) is a protein‐coding gene, regarded as a tumor suppressor regulated by DNA methylation. However, RASSF4 acts as a “Janus” in cell fate: death and survival. This review article focuses on the regulatory mechanisms of RASSF4 on cell death and cell survival and puts forward a comprehensive analysis of the relevant signaling pathways. The participation of RASSF4 in the regulation of intracellular store‐operated Ca2+ entry also affects cell survival. Moreover, the mechanism of inducing abnormal expression of RASSF4 was summarized. We highlight recent advances in our knowledge of RASSF4 function in the development of cancer and other clinical diseases, which may provide insight into the controversial functions of RASSF4 and its potential application in disease therapy.
Convergent synthesis, drug target prediction, and docking studies of new 2,6,9‐trisubstituted purine derivatives
Authors: Villegas Alondra , Satheeshkumar Rajendran , Ballesteros‐Casallas Andrés , Paulino Margot , Castro Alejandro , Espinosa‐Bustos Christian , Salas Cristian O. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA set of new 2,6,9‐trisubstituted purine derivatives were designed and synthesized from 6‐chloro‐2‐fluoro‐9‐alkyl‐9H‐purine as the key starting material. These purines were synthesized via a multistep protocol and finally subjected to SNAr with various aminopiperidinyl salts. The structures of these compounds were established by substantiating them through spectral techniques like FT‐IR, 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and 19F‐NMR. In addition, for two purine derivatives, a reverse screening strategy based on ligand similarity (PharmMapper web server) resulted in a set of predicted protein target candidates. Interestingly, for both purines, the main potential target candidates belonged to key proteins involved within signaling pathways that are related to proliferation or survival of cancer cells. These proteins correspond mainly to enzymes and specifically kinases. To check if our purines could be ligands for two kinases involved in cancer, docking studies were performed. The results indicated that these purines fitted in the same cavity of crystalized inhibitors. Therefore, in this work we are developed new purine derivatives that could be good inhibitors of some kinases.
Reconstruction of upper mediastinal pleura reduces postoperative complications in enhanced recovery surgery system after esophagectomy: A propensity score matching study
Authors: Xu Lei , Chen Xian‐kai , Xie Hou‐nai , Yang Ya‐Fan , Zhang Rui‐xiang , Li Yin 
Published: September 2021

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the effect of suturing upper mediastinum pleura on postoperative complications, surgery‐related mortality, and hospital stay.MethodsFour hundred and thirty‐eight patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy were identified. Patients were divided into two groups: those in the test group who received reconstruction of upper mediastinal pleura, those in the conventional group who did not. The incidence of postoperative complications, surgery‐related mortality, and hospital stay were compared. To reduce the impact of confounding factors, a propensity score matching (PSM) method was performed.ResultsA total of 273 patients were treated with suturing upper mediastinal pleura and 165 were not. After PSM, compared with the conventional group, the incidence of atelectasis (7.2% vs. 1.4%, p = 0.035), anastomotic leakage (5.8% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.036), and delayed gastric emptying (10.8% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.034) were significantly lower in the test group. And suturing the upper mediastinal pleura could reduce the severity of leakage (p = 0.045), consistent with the results before PSM. Moreover, there were no significant differences in the incidence of other complications, postoperative hospital stay, and 30‐day mortality (all p > 0.05).ConclusionsIn this study, suturing the upper mediastinal pleura can reduce the incidence of atelectasis, anastomotic leakage, and delayed gastric emptying, and the severity of leakage, without increasing the incidence of other complications, surgery‐related death, and postoperative hospital stay.
Assessment of a new 150 W single‐antenna microwave ablation system in the treatment of malignant liver tumors: The first worldwide experience
Authors: Berber Eren , Akbulut Serkan 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesData in literature regarding liver microwave ablation pertain to systems delivering 100 W of maximum power. Our aim is to assess a new 150 W microwave system for liver tumor ablation.MethodsThis was an institutional review board‐approved study of patients undergoing ablation of malignant liver tumors using a 150 W microwave system. Feasibility, safety, ablation algorithm, perioperative outcomes, and efficacy were analyzed. Comparison was made to historical patients undergoing ablation using a 100 W microwave system.ResultsThere were 33 patients with 76 malignant liver lesions who underwent ablation with the 150 W system. Using a step‐wise algorithm, ablations without intraoperative complications were performed for tumors ranging in size from 0.3 to 6.7 cm. Ninety‐day morbidity was 5%, with no mortality. Compared to the 100 W system, the 150 W system shortened ablation time and created larger ablation zones with a single stick.ConclusionThis first worldwide experience showed that surgical ablations could be safely created at 150 W using a step‐wise algorithm with complete tumor destruction achieved at short‐term follow‐up. Advantages versus 100 W systems include reduction in ablation time and creation of larger ablation zones with a single stick.