bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhancing thermal and dynamic‐mechanical properties of epoxy reinforced by amino‐functionalized microcrystalline cellulose
Authors: Motta Neves Roberta , Zattera Ademir José , Campos Amico Sandro 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn this study, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was chemically modified with 3‐(aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and added to epoxy to improve chemical, thermal and dynamic‐mechanical characteristics of the composites. The composites were manufactured aided by sonication with 1.0%, 2.5%, or 5.0% wt/wt of untreated MCC or amino‐functionalized MCC (MCC‐Si). The epoxy/MCC‐Si composites showed a decrease in the ─OH band by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction analysis indicated better dispersion. The incorporation of MCC‐Si in epoxy resin decreased the heat of reaction, increased activation energy values (Ea) and pre‐exponential factor (A), and did not affect thermal degradation. All conversion degree (α) versus temperature curves for the composites showed a sigmoidal shape. MCC‐Si composites showed better dynamic‐mechanical properties than the MCC counterparts, and the functionalization effect was evidenced in storage modulus (E') and loss modulus (E"). At 2.5% wt/wt of MCC‐Si content an increase of 119% in E' at the glassy region, 127% in E' at the rubbery region and 173% in E" was observed compared to the neat resin, whereas the Tg barely changed among samples. Good adhesion between the amino‐functionalized MCC and the epoxy matrix was observed at the fracture surface, evidencing that surface modification of MCC improves their chemical interaction.
Maternal antibodies to gliadin and autism spectrum disorders in offspring—A population‐based case–control study in Sweden
Authors: Gardner Renee M. , Samuelsson Ida , Severance Emily G. , Sjöqvist Hugo , Yolken Robert H. , Dalman Christina , Karlsson Håkan 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWhile individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have higher levels of antibodies directed towards gliadin, a component of wheat gluten, no study has examined anti‐gliadin antibodies (AGA) in etiologically relevant periods before diagnosis. The objective of this study was to investigate if maternal levels of AGA, during pregnancy and at the time of birth, are associated with ASD in offspring. We analyzed AGA in archived neonatal dried blood spots (NDBS) for 921 ASD cases and 1090 controls, and in paired maternal sera collected earlier in pregnancy for a subset of 547 cases and 428 controls. We examined associations with ASD diagnoses as a group and considering common comorbidities (intellectual disability [ID] and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder). We compared 206 cases to their unaffected siblings to examine the potential for confounding by shared familial factors. Odds of ASD tended to be lower among those with the highest levels (≥90th percentile) of AGA compared to those with low levels (<80th percentile; OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.56–1.09, measured in NDBS). This pattern was more apparent for ASD with comorbid ID when measured in NDBS (0.51, 0.30–0.87), with a similar trend in maternal sera (0.55, 0.24–1.29). High levels of AGA were similarly associated with lower odds of ASD in the sibling comparison. In summary, we found little association between maternal antibodies raised against components of gluten and risk of ASD in general. Exposure to high levels of AGA in the pre‐ and perinatal periods may be protective in terms of risk for ASD with ID.Lay SummaryThere is a debate among both scientists and community members as to whether an immune reaction to gluten exposure could be considered a cause of autism. We examined antibodies that are directed against gliadin, a part of gluten, in samples collected from pregnant mothers and their newborn babies. We did not see any major differences in the antibody level among those children diagnosed with ASD or their mothers compared to children who were not diagnosed with ASD. High levels of the antibodies were in fact associated with a somewhat lower risk of ASD with co‐occurring intellectual disabilities, though we cannot tell from this study why that might be the case.
Drug‐drug interaction between diclofenac and gamma‐hydroxybutyric acid
Authors: Rodriguez‐Cruz Vivian , Ren Tianjing , Morris Marilyn E. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractGamma hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) has been approved clinically to treat excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy, alcohol and opioid withdrawal, and as an anesthetic. The use of GHB clinically is limited due to its high abuse potential. The absorption, clearance and tissue uptake of GHB is mediated by proton‐dependent and sodium‐coupled monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs and SMCTs) and inhibition of these transporters may result in a change in GHB pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Previous studies have reported that non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may inhibit these monocarboxylate transporters. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to analyze the interaction between GHB (at a dose of 600 mg/kg i. v.) and the NSAID, diclofenac, by examining the effects of this drug on the in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in rat studies. The pharmacodynamic effect evaluated was respiratory depression, a measure of toxicity observed by GHB at this dose. There was an improvement in the respiratory rate with diclofenac administration suggesting an effect of diclofenac on GHB toxicity. In vitro studies with rat blood brain endothelial cells (RBE4) that express MCT1 indicated that diclofenac can inhibit GHB transport with an IC50 of 10.6 μM at pH 7.4. In vivo studies found a decrease in brain GHB concentrations and a decrease in the brain‐to‐plasma concentration ratio following diclofenac treatment. With this study we can conclude that diclofenac and potentially other NSAIDs can inhibit the transport of GHB into the brain, therefore decreasing GHB's pharmacodynamic effects and toxicity.
Probing the Effects of Acid Electrolyte Anions on Electrocatalyst Activity and Selectivity for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Zamora Zeledón José A. , Kamat Gaurav Ashish , Gunasooriya G. T. Kasun Kalhara , Nørskov Jens K. , Stevens Michaela Burke , Jaramillo Thomas F. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe local microenvironment at the electrode‐electrolyte interface plays an important role in electrocatalytic performance. Herein, we investigate the effect of acid electrolyte anion identity on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and selectivity of smooth Ag and Pd catalyst thin films. Cyclic voltammetry in perchloric, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, hydrochloric, and hydrobromic acid, at pH 1, reveals that Ag ORR activity trends as follows: HClO4>HNO3>H2SO4>H3PO4>HCl≫HBr, while Pd ORR activity trends as: HClO4>H2SO4>HNO3>H3PO4>HCl≫HBr. Moreover, rotating‐ring‐disk‐electrode selectivity measurements demonstrate enhanced 4e− selectivity on both Ag and Pd, by up to 35 %H2O2 and 10 %H2O2 respectively, in HNO3 compared to in HClO4. Relating physics‐based modeling and experimental results, we postulate that ORR performance depends greatly on anion‐related phenomena in the double layer, for instance competitive adsorption and non‐covalent interactions.
Comparing the Performance of Organic Solvent Nanofiltration Membranes in Non‐Polar Solvents
Authors: Merlet Renaud , Winnubst Louis , Nijmeijer Arian , Amirilargani Mohammad , Sudhölter Ernst J. R. , de Smet Louis C. P. M. , Salvador Cob Sara , Vandezande Pieter , Dorbec Matthieu , Sluijter Soraya , van Veen Henk , VanDelft Yvonne , Wienk Ingrid , Cuperus Petrus , Behera Subhalaxmi , Hartanto Yusak , Vankelecom Ivo F. J. , de Wit Patrick 
Published: July 2021

AbstractOrganic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is gradually expanding from academic research to industrial implementation. The need for membranes with low and sharp molecular weight cutoffs that are able to operate under aggressive OSN conditions is increasing. However, the lack of comparable and uniform performance data frustrates the screening and membrane selection for processes. Here, a collaboration is presented between several academic and industrial partners analyzing the separation performance of 10 different membranes using three model process mixtures. Membrane materials range from classic polymeric and thin film composites (TFCs) to hybrid ceramic types. The model solutions were chosen to mimic cases relevant to today's industrial use: relatively low molar mass solutes (330–550 Da) in n‐heptane, toluene, and anisole.
Language mapping functions: Improving softmax estimation and word embedding quality
Authors: Rangriz Emad , Pourahmadi Vahid 
Published: July 2021

SummaryOne of the best methods for estimating the softmax layer in neural network language models is the noise‐contrastive estimation (NCE) method. However, this method is not proper for word embedding applications compared with some other robust methods such as the negative sampling (NEG) method. The NEG method implements the pointwise mutual information (PMI) relation between the word‐context space in the neural network, and the NCE method implements conditional probability. Both the NCE and NEG methods use dot‐product‐based mapping to map words and contexts vector to the probabilities. This article presents the parametric objective function, which uses the mapping function as the parameter. Also, we obtained a parametric relation between word‐context space according to the mapping parameter. Using the parametric objective function, we identify conditions for a mapping that make it a proper selection for both softmax estimation and word embedding. The article also presents two specific mapping functions with the required conditions, and we compared their performance with that of the dot‐product mapping function. The performance of the new mapping functions is also reported over common word embedding and language models' benchmarks.
Interleukin‐1 pathway in active large vessel vasculitis patients with a poor prognosis: a longitudinal transcriptome analysis
Authors: Matsumoto Kotaro , Suzuki Katsuya , Yoshimoto Keiko , Ishigaki Sho , Yoshida Hiroto , Magi Mayu , Matsumoto Yoshihiro , Kaneko Yuko , Takeuchi Tsutomu 
Published: July 2021

AbstractObjectivesLarge vessel vasculitis (LVV) is characterised by a high relapse rate. Because accurate assessment of the LVV disease status can be difficult, an accurate prognostic marker for initial risk stratification is required. We conducted a comprehensive longitudinal investigation of next‐generation RNA‐sequencing data for patients with LVV to explore useful biomarkers associated with clinical characteristics.MethodsKey molecular pathways relevant to LVV pathogenesis were identified by examining the whole blood RNA from patients with LVV and healthy controls (HCs). The data were examined by pathway analysis and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify functional gene sets that were differentially expressed between LVV patients and HCs, and associated with clinical features. We then compared the expression of the selected genes during week 0, week 6, remission and relapse.ResultsThe whole‐transcriptome gene expression data for 108 samples obtained from LVV patients (n = 27) and HCs (n = 12) were compared. The pathway analysis and WGCNA revealed that molecular pathway related to interleukin (IL)‐1 was significantly upregulated in LVV patients compared with HCs, which correlated with the positron emission tomography vascular activity score, a disease‐extent score based on the distribution of affected arteries. Further analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes in the IL‐1 signalling pathway remained high after conventional treatment and were associated with disease relapse.ConclusionUpregulation of the IL‐1 signalling pathway was a characteristic of LVV patients and was associated with the extent of disease and a poor prognosis.
ALK‐negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma, null type with aberrant expression of PAX5 and CD138: A diagnostic pitfall
Authors: Salyana Muhammad Atif , Khan Shahbaz , Zhang Xinmin 
Published: July 2021

AbstractA 72‐year‐old man was found to have generalized lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase. Fine‐needle aspiration and core needle biopsy of a cervical lymph node revealed a large lymphoid cell proliferation with features suggestive of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). However, immunophenotypically, the neoplastic cells expressed PAX5 and CD138 in addition to CD30, CD45, MUM‐1 and were negative for T‐cell markers, B‐cell markers, CD15, ALK‐1, HHV‐8, EBER, kappa, lambda, and pancytokeratin. The ambiguous phenotype triggered further workup. Subsequent molecular studies demonstrated T‐cell receptor gene rearrangement and lack of immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of ALK‐negative ALCL, null type with aberrant expression of PAX5 and CD138, was rendered. The patient received palliative care due to his poor condition and died of the disease. This case presents a diagnostic pitfall and highlights the importance of cytological evaluation and complete workup in the diagnosis of unconventional lymphomas.
Sodium Danshensu inhibits the progression of lung cancer by regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Miao , Tang Weihua , Gong Nianjin , Liu Peijun 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSodium Danshensu, extracted from the root of the Salvia miltiorrhiza, has pleiotropic effects including anti‐oxidation, anti‐inflammation and anti‐tumor. However, whether Sodium Danshensu has an anti‐cancer effect in lung cancer remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to illustrate the effects of Sodium Danshensu on lung cancer cells and the potential molecular mechanisms. BEAS‐2B, A549, and NCI‐H1299 cells were stimulated with 25, 50, and 100 μM Sodium Danshensu for 24, 48, and 72 h, and then cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion were determined using 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry and Transwell assays, respectively. Moreover, the levels of Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (Bcl‐2) associated X (Bax), Bcl‐2, phosphorylated (p)‐phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K), and p‐Protein kinase B (AKT) in lung cancer cells were evaluated using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and/or Western blot assays. We observed that Sodium Danshensu suppressed cells viability, migration, and invasion, as well as promoted cells apoptosis in A549 and NCI‐H1299 cells in a dose‐dependent manner, while Sodium Danshensu had no cytotoxic effect on the proliferation activity of BEAS‐2B cells. Moreover, the expression of PCNA, MMP9, Bcl‐2 were decreased, but Bax was up‐regulated in Sodium Danshensu‐treated A549 and NCI‐H1299 cells. Our findings also revealed that Sodium Danshensu inhibited PI3K/AKT pathway in A549 and NCI‐H1299 cells. In conclusion, our study provided the first evidence that Sodium Danshensu suppressed the malignant biological behaviors of lung cancer cells, indicating that Sodium Danshensu might be a latent candidate for lung cancer therapy.
Enrolling Children in Clinical Trials for Genetic Neurodevelopmental Conditions: Ethics, Parental Decisions, and Children's Identities
Authors: Turbitt Erin , Newson Ainsley J. , Biesecker Barbara B. , Wilfond Benjamin S. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractKnowledge of genetic mechanisms contributing to neurodevelopmental conditions is advancing. This is informing development of new drugs to treat or ameliorate these conditions, through targeting underlying genetic pathways. Drugs are tested in clinical trials, necessitating parents to engage with decisions about whether to enroll their child. In this article, we consider important ethical issues to anticipate as clinical research opportunities in genetic neurodevelopmental conditions arise. For example, genetic pathways targeted by the drugs may interact with valued character and personality traits. It is essential that recruitment and consent processes are optimized for families who will grapple with whether these novel drug treatments interact with their child's personality and authentic identity. We call for focused social science research and further normative analysis so that parents are better supported to make informed choices. Additionally, clinical research regulators should have a sound understanding of the contextual experiences regarding how this population of parents engages with decisions.
The toughest animals of the Earth versus global warming: Effects of long‐term experimental warming on tardigrade community structure of a temperate deciduous forest
Authors: Vecchi Matteo , Kossi Adakpo Laurent , Dunn Robert R. , Nichols Lauren M. , Penick Clint A. , Sanders Nathan J. , Rebecchi Lorena , Guidetti Roberto 
Published: July 2021

AbstractUnderstanding how different taxa respond to global warming is essential for predicting future changes and elaborating strategies to buffer them. Tardigrades are well known for their ability to survive environmental stressors, such as drying and freezing, by undergoing cryptobiosis and rapidly recovering their metabolic function after stressors cease. Determining the extent to which animals that undergo cryptobiosis are affected by environmental warming will help to understand the real magnitude climate change will have on these organisms. Here, we report on the responses of tardigrades within a five‐year‐long, field‐based artificial warming experiment, which consisted of 12 open‐top chambers heated to simulate the projected effects of global warming (ranging from 0 to 5.5°C above ambient temperature) in a temperate deciduous forest of North Carolina (USA). To elucidate the effects of warming on the tardigrade community inhabiting the soil litter, three community diversity indices (abundance, species richness, and Shannon diversity) and the abundance of the three most abundant species (Diphascon pingue, Adropion scoticum, and Mesobiotus sp.) were determined. Their relationships with air temperature, soil moisture, and the interaction between air temperature and soil moisture were tested using Bayesian generalized linear mixed models. Despite observed negative effects of warming on other ground invertebrates in previous studies at this site, long‐term warming did not affect the abundance, richness, or diversity of tardigrades in this experiment. These results are in line with previous experimental studies, indicating that tardigrades may not be directly affected by ongoing global warming, possibly due to their thermotolerance and cryptobiotic abilities to avoid negative effects of stressful temperatures, and the buffering effect on temperature of the soil litter substrate.
Metabarcoding gillnets to assess unaccounted catch depredation or escape
Authors: de Bruyn Mark , Barbato Matteo , Broadhurst Matt K. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractGillnets are the world's most common net‐based fishing gear, comprising walls of light mesh designed to entangle fish. Gillnets are often retrieved with holes in the netting, which means some animals escape or are depredated unseen, but with some mortality. To effectively manage fisheries around the world, information is required on not only the harvested and discarded mortalities, but also problematic interactions and mortalities caused by the fishing gear and especially those involving protected species. This study sought to assess a novel method for determining such interactions by sampling five adjacent pieces of netting around each of ten holes in two bather‐protection polyethylene gillnets for environmental DNA or “eDNA”. Here we show that eDNA correctly identified all previously entangled‐and‐landed species. Also, eDNA from three uncaptured taxa were recorded: bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, white shark, Carcharodon carcharias and dolphins (Delphindae), illustrating the potential to reveal previously cryptic gillnet interactions. We propose that as scientific methods evolve and autonomous real‐time DNA surveillance becomes routine, eDNA testing of fishing gears and vessels could provide a novel, complementary fishery‐monitoring tool.
Spinal cord stimulation in severe cases of complex regional pain syndrome: A retrospective cohort study with long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Eriksen Linda Elise , Terkelsen Astrid Juhl , Blichfeldt‐Eckhardt Morten Rune , Sørensen Jens Christian H. , Meier Kaare 
Published: July 2021

AbstractBackgroundComplex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain condition often resistant to standard treatment modalities. In these cases, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can be an option, but the effect on CRPS remains disputed. We aimed to assess the long‐term effect of SCS on CRPS.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed 51 CRPS patients implanted with an SCS system at the University Hospitals in Aarhus or Odense, Denmark, with a median follow‐up time of 4.4 years. Primary outcomes were pain intensity on a numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction, work status, consumption of pain medication, the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and quality of life (QoL) measured using the Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36). For each outcome measure, baseline data were compared to the latest collected data point.ResultsA significant pain relief was found with a mean reduction in NRS score of 2.4 (95% CI: 1.7–3.0, p < 0.0001). 68.8% reported ‘much improved’ or ‘very much improved’ on the PGIC scale. 87.5% would choose SCS again for the same outcome. A significant beneficial impact was found on MDI score, PCS, SF‐36 summary scores and consumption of tricyclic antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs and opioids. No statistical effect was found on work status.ConclusionPain intensity, depression, pain catastrophizing, pain medication use and QoL were significantly improved after SCS implantation, with high patient satisfaction rates in CRPS patients. This study supports the continued use of SCS in the treatment of severe CRPS.SignificanceThis study presents detailed data from a large, well‐characterized cohort of Danish CRPS patients treated with SCS, analyzing several outcome measures. The results serve to document SCS as an effective treatment for severe CRPS and expands the cumulative level of evidence in favor of its use. Additionally, analysis of preoperative patient characteristics suggests that SCS treatment should not be withheld in patients with a high degree of psychological distress or high consumption of analgesics.
Are you one of us: Investigating cultural differences in determining group membership
Authors: Nam Yeseul , Chen Jacqueline M. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractSocial Identity Theory (SIT) proposes that people divide the world into ingroups and outgroups to maximize similarities among ingroup members. Because US Americans view self‐attributes as stable and relationships as variable, we reasoned that they would exhibit a collective social identity that emphasizes similarities between ingroup members. Because South Koreans view self‐attributes as variable and relationships as stable, we reasoned that they would exhibit a relational social identity that emphasizes one's connections and relationships with other ingroup members. Two preregistered studies (Study 1: n = 255, Study 2: n = 819) conducted in the USA and South Korea found that, when participants perceived shared relationships with an ambiguous target, they were more likely to include the target into their ingroup. Only South Koreans exhibited ingroup favoritism, liking targets more if they were ingroup members. We also did not replicate the ingroup overexclusion effect (i.e., that highly identified individuals are less likely to categorize targets as ingroup) in either culture.