bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A new era for sterilization based on supercritical CO2 technology
Authors: Ribeiro Nilza , Soares Gonçalo C. , Santos‐Rosales Víctor , Concheiro Angel , Alvarez‐Lorenzo Carmen , García‐González Carlos A. , Oliveira Ana L. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe increasing complexity in morphology and composition of modern biomedical materials (e.g., soft and hard biological tissues, synthetic and natural‐based scaffolds, technical textiles) and the high sensitivity to the processing environment requires the development of innovative but benign technologies for processing and treatment. This scenario is particularly applicable where current conventional techniques (steam/dry heat, ethylene oxide, and gamma irradiation) may not be able to preserve the functionality and integrity of the treated material. Sterilization using supercritical carbon dioxide emerges as a green and sustainable technology able to reach the sterility levels required by regulation without altering the original properties of even highly sensitive materials. In this review article, an updated survey of experimental protocols based on supercritical sterilization and of the efficacy results sorted by microbial strains and treated materials was carried out. The application of the supercritical sterilization process in materials used for biomedical, pharmaceutical, and food applications is assessed. The opportunity of supercritical sterilization of not only replace the above mentioned conventional techniques, but also of reach unmet needs for sterilization in highly sensitive materials (e.g., single‐use medical devices, the next‐generation biomaterials, and medical devices and graft tissues) is herein unveiled.
Conducting psychotherapy in the Trump era: Therapists’ perspectives on political self‐disclosure, the therapeutic alliance, and politics in the therapy room
Authors: Solomonov Nili , Barber Jacques P. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo examine therapists’ perspectives on political self‐disclosure, perceived shared values with patients, and the therapeutic alliance.MethodTherapists from all US states completed a structured survey (N = 268; 62% Democrats; 7% Republicans; 23% independents; 8% others).ResultsMost therapists (87%) reported they discussed politics in‐session; 63% reported political self‐disclosure (21% explicit; 42% implicit). Therapists who perceived political similarity with most patients were more likely to report political discussions and self‐disclosure. Therapists who reported shared political views with a higher percentage of patients, and those who explicitly disclosed, also reported stronger alliances. Clinton supporters reported significant observed preelection–postelection increases in political discussions, increases in patients’ expression of negative emotions, and decreases in positive emotions. Trump supporters reported the opposite phenomenon.ConclusionsPolitics play an important role in therapeutic processes as in‐session political discussions are common and perceived political similarity may affect decisions to self‐disclose and alliance quality.
Prospect of circular RNA in osteogenesis: A novel orchestrator of signaling pathways
Authors: Huang Xinqi , Cen Xiao , Zhang Bo , Liao Yuwei , Zhu Guanyin , Liu Jun , Zhao Zhihe 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) were initially regarded as by‐products of aberrant splicing. But now, there are substantial evidence on their various roles in the regulation of genes during the development of organs and diseases. Consistent with these breakthroughs, it is experiencing rapid growth that circRNAs function as the important checkpoints during the osteogenesis. Therefore, characterizing the roles of circRNAs is useful and critical to better understanding the process of osteogenic differentiation, which could provide new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of bone diseases, such as bone defects and osteoporosis. In this review, we presented a map of the interaction between circRNAs and the molecules of signaling pathways associated with osteogenesis, summarized the current knowledge of the biological functions of circRNAs during the osteogenic differentiation, figured out the limits of existing research works, and provided a novel look on the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of bone diseases based on circRNAs.
Osteogenic potential of hexane and dichloromethane fraction of Cissus quadrangularis on murine preosteoblast cell line MC3T3‐E1 (subclone 4)
Authors: Toor Rabail H. , Malik Shabana , Qamar Haleema , Batool Faiza , Tariq Maira , Nasir Zainab , Tassaduq Raazia , Lian Jane B. , Stein Janet L. , Stein Gary S. , Shakoori Abdul R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn continuation of the investigation of osteogenic potential of solvent fractions of ethanolic extract of Cissus quadrangularis (CQ), an ancient medicinal plant, most notably known for its bone‐healing properties, to isolate and identify antiosteoporotic compounds. In the current study, we report the effect of hexane fraction (CQ‐H) and dichloromethane fraction (CQ‐D) of CQ on the differentiation and mineralization of mouse preosteoblast cell line MC3T3‐E1 (subclone 4). Growth, viability, and proliferation assays revealed that low concentrations (0.1, 1, and 100 ng/ml) of both solvent fractions were nontoxic, whereas higher concentrations were toxic to the cells. Differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3‐E1 with nontoxic concentrations of CQ‐D and CQ‐H revealed that CQ‐D delayed the mineralization of MC3T3‐E1 cells. However, early and enhanced mineralization was observed in cultures treated with nontoxic concentrations of CQ‐H, as indicated by Von Kossa staining and expression profile of osteoblast marker genes such as osterix, Runx2, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen (Col1a1), integrin‐related bone sialoprotein (IBSP), osteopontin (OPN), and osteocalcin (OCN). These findings suggest CQ‐H as the most efficacious solvent fraction for further investigation to isolate and identify the active compounds in CQ‐H.
Supervised risk predictor of central gland lesions in prostate cancer using 1H MR spectroscopic imaging with gradient offset‐independent adiabaticity pulses
Authors: Gholizadeh Neda , Greer Peter B. , Simpson John , Fu Caixia , Al‐iedani Oun , Lau Peter , Heerschap Arend , Ramadan Saadallah 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundDue to the histological heterogeneity of the central gland, accurate detection of central gland prostate cancer remains a challenge.PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of in vivo 3D 1H MR spectroscopic imaging (3D 1H MRSI) with a semi‐localized adiabatic selective refocusing (sLASER) sequence and gradient‐modulated offset‐independent adiabatic (GOIA) pulses for detection of central gland prostate cancer. Additionally four risk models were developed to differentiate 1) normal vs. cancer, 2) low‐ vs. high‐risk cancer, 3) low‐ vs. intermediate‐risk cancer, and 4) intermediate‐ vs. high‐risk cancer voxels.Study TypeProspective.SubjectsThirty‐six patients with biopsy‐proven central gland prostate cancer.Field Strength/Sequence3T MRI / 3D 1H MRSI using GOIA‐sLASER.AssessmentCancer and normal regions of interest (ROIs) were selected by an experienced radiologist and 1H MRSI voxels were placed within the ROIs to calculate seven metabolite signal ratios. Voxels were split into two subsets, 80% for model training and 20% for testing.Statistical TestsFour support vector machine (SVM) models were built using the training dataset. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for each model were calculated for the testing dataset.ResultsHigh‐quality MR spectra were obtained for the whole central gland of the prostate. The normal vs. cancer diagnostic model achieved the highest predictive performance with an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 96.2%, 95.8%, and 93.1%, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the low‐ vs. high‐risk cancer and low‐ vs. intermediate‐risk cancer models were 82.5%, 89.2%, 70.2%, and 73.0%, 84.7%, 60.8%, respectively. The intermediate‐ vs. high‐risk cancer model yielded an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity lower than 55%.Data ConclusionThe GOIA‐sLASER sequence with an external phased‐array coil allows for fast assessment of central gland prostate cancer. The classification offers a promising diagnostic tool for discriminating normal vs. cancer, low‐ vs. high‐risk cancer, and low‐ vs. intermediate‐risk cancer.Level of Evidence: 2Technical Efficacy: Stage 2J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1926–1936.
Nucleus–cytoplasm cross‐talk in the aging brain
Authors: Benvegnù Stefano 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAging is a primary risk factor for fatal neurodegenerative disorders, yet the mechanisms underlying physiological healthy aging and pathological aging, and how these mechanisms can divert one scenario to the other, are not completely understood. In recent years, reports indicate that alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport may be a hallmark of both healthy and pathological aging. In this review, I summarize recent evidence supporting this information, specifically focusing on the association between the nucleocytoplasmic transport and aging of the brain, indicating both common and case‐specific mechanisms and their interplay, and pointing out alterations of these mechanisms as regulatory “switches” for the fate of the aging brain. Importantly, some of these alterations are intervenable druggable targets, paving the way to a future pharmacotherapeutic intervention.
Spatio‐temporal analysis for extreme temperature indices over the Levant region
Authors: Salameh Ala A. M. , Gámiz‐Fortis Sonia R. , Castro‐Díez Yolanda , Abu Hammad Ahmad , Esteban‐Parra María Jesús 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe temporal and spatial trends of 16 climate extreme indices based on daily maximum and minimum temperatures during the period 1987–2016 at 28 stations distributed across Israel and Palestine territories in the Levant region were annually and seasonally analysed. The nonparametric Man‐Kendall test and the Sen's slope estimator were employed for the trend analysis. Results showed that the region has significantly experienced a dominant warming trend for the last three decades, with more intense changes for minimum temperatures than for maximum. At annual scale, maximum values of minimum temperatures exhibited significant increasing trends up to 0.68°C/decade. For percentile‐based extreme temperature indices, changes detected were more pronounced than those for the absolute extreme temperature indices, with 93 and 89% of stations significantly showed increasing trends in TX90p and TN90p, respectively. The duration and fixed threshold extreme indices confirmed the trend toward a warming, with the 86% of the stations exhibited significant increasing trends in the annual occurrence of summer days (SU25) and tropical nights (TR20). Moreover, 57% of stations showed significant increasing trends in their very summer days (SU30) index. At seasonal scale, the analysis of trends for extreme temperature indices showed intense and broad significant increasing trends in all absolute extreme temperature indices. In summer, more than 75% of total stations exhibited significant increasing trends for warm days and warm nights (TX90p and TN90p). In winter and spring, 71% of the total stations also showed significant increasing trends in SU25 index, whereas the percentage of stations reached 82% in summer and 64% in autumn for significant increasing trends in TR20 index. Finally, the influence of large‐scale circulation patterns on temperature extremes was examined. The results highlighted the presence of significant correlations between most of the selected extreme temperature indices and the North Sea‐Caspian pattern at annual and seasonal scales.
Separation of high‐purity eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid from fish oil by pH‐zone‐refining countercurrent chromatography
Authors: Li Haoze , Yang Zhen , Cao Xueli , Han Tian , Pei Hairun 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe evidence for unique effects of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid is growing. Further understanding and exploration of their independent effects in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry is calling for the more efficient separation techniques to overcome the equivalent chain length rule of fatty acids. In this study, free eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid were successfully separated by pH‐zone‐refining countercurrent chromatography for the first time. The different solvent systems and the influence of retainer and eluter concentration on the separation efficiency were investigated. A two‐phase solvent system composed of n‐heptane/methanol/water (100:55:45, v/v) was selected with 50 mM of trifluoroacetic acid as retainer in the organic phase and 40 mM of ammonium hydroxide as an eluter in the aqueous phase for the separation of 500 mg of free fatty acids from a refined fish oil sample. 79.6 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 328.3 mg docosahexaenoic acid were obtained with the purities of 95.5 and 96.9% respectively determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry after methyl esterification. The scale‐up separation of 1 g of samples from both refined and crude fish oil after urea complexation were also achieved successfully with a markedly increased concentration 150 mM of retainer, producing satisfactory yields and purities of targets.
Perimatrix of middle ear cholesteatoma: A granulation tissue with a specific transcriptomic signature
Authors: Jovanovic Ivan , Zivkovic Maja , Djuric Tamara , Stojkovic Ljiljana , Jesic Snezana , Stankovic Aleksandra 
Published: May 2019

Objectives/HypothesisTo establish comprehensive transcriptomic profiles of cholesteatoma perimatrix tissue and granulation tissue from chronic otitis media (COM) that did not develop cholesteatoma, which can indicate molecular pathways involved in the cholesteatoma perimatrix pathology and invasiveness.Study DesignRetrospective Case Series.MethodsTranscriptome data were obtained from cholesteatoma perimatrix tissue and COM granulation tissue by an Illumina iScan microarray. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were subsequently analyzed using both bioinformatical functional annotation and network analysis. Expression of candidate genes (MMP9 and LCN2) was validated by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) on a larger group of samples.ResultsAnalysis of the transcriptome led to the identification of 169 differentially expressed genes between investigated tissues. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that most significant biological processes involving DEGs were previously described in cholesteatoma pathology. Network analysis identified ERBB2, TFAP2A, and TP63 as major hubs of the DEGs molecular network. Furthermore, it was observed that the cellular component most significantly enriched in DEGs was extracellular space containing 47 DEGs. Using qRT‐PCR, it was confirmed that mRNA levels of the major extracellular hub (MMP9) are increased, whereas its interacting molecule (LCN2) mRNA levels were decreased in cholesteatoma perimatrix tissue compared to COM granulation tissue.ConclusionsThe current study approach offers an overall look at molecular mechanisms that describe the cholesteatoma entity by focusing exclusively on the perimatrix processes in comparison to COM granulation tissue. The observed differences in gene expression between cholesteatoma perimatrix and COM granulation tissue could suggest novel markers potentially influenced by the perimatrix–matrix molecular interplay, which is not present in COM without cholesteatoma.Level of EvidenceNALaryngoscope, 130:E220–E227, 2020
Imaging findings in pediatric single‐sided deafness and asymmetric hearing loss
Authors: Lipschitz Noga , Kohlberg Gavriel D. , Scott Michael , Greinwald John H. 
Published: May 2019

ObjectiveTo examine the imaging findings on computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pediatric single‐sided deafness (SSD) and asymmetric hearing loss (ASH).MethodsThe medical records of 189 pediatric patients with SSD and ASH were retrospectively reviewed, and imaging findings were compared. SSD was defined as unilateral profound hearing loss and contralateral normal hearing ear. In the ASH group, ASHw was defined as the worse hearing ear with profound hearing loss, while ASHb was defined as the better hearing ear with mild‐moderate hearing loss.ResultsThere were 170 patients with SSD and 19 patients with ASH. In the SSD group, 83 patients (48.8%) had imaging findings associated with hearing loss. In the ASH group, such imaging findings were found in six (31.6%) of the ASHw and in five (26.3%) of the ASHb ears. The most common finding in the SSD group was cochlear nerve deficiency (50.6%), followed by cochlear dysplasia (39.8%) and enlarged vestibular aqueduct (26.5%). In the ASH groups, cochlear dysplasia was seen in three (50%) of ASHw ears and in two (40%) of the ASHb ears, and enlarged vestibular aqueduct was seen in three (50%) of ASHw ears and in two (40%) of the ASHb ears.ConclusionImaging studies identified the etiology in half of the cases of SSD and in one‐third of ASH patients. Our findings strongly support the use of imaging studies in the evaluation of pediatric SSD and ASH.Level of Evidence4Laryngoscope, 130:1007–1010, 2020
N‐Acylisoindigo Derivatives as Polymer Acceptors for “All‐Polymer” Bulk‐Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Cruciani Federico , Babics Maxime , Liu Shengjian , Carja Daniela , Mantione Daniele , Beaujuge Pierre M. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPolymer acceptors are a class of “non‐fullerene” electron‐transporting materials that can replace [6,6]‐phenyl C61/71 butyric acid (PC61/71BM) in bulk‐heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. In this contribution is reported the use of N‐acyl‐substituted isoindigo (IID) motifs (IID(CO)) as electron‐deficient units in the design of polymer acceptors for “all‐polymer” BHJ solar cells. While IID motifs are commonly used in the design of polymer donors for efficient BHJ solar cells with the fullerene PC61/71BM acceptors, here it is shown that IID(CO) building units used in conjunction with suitable co‐monomers represent a practical avenue for polymer acceptors with electron affinity values comparable to that of PC61/71BM (i.e., 4.2 eV).
Small molecule inhibitors of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition for the treatment of cancer and fibrosis
Authors: Feng Ya‐Long , Chen Dan‐Qian , Vaziri Nosratola D. , Guo Yan , Zhao Ying‐Yong 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTissue fibrosis and cancer both lead to high morbidity and mortality worldwide; thus, effective therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Because drug resistance has been widely reported in fibrotic tissue and cancer, developing a strategy to discover novel targets for targeted drug intervention is necessary for the effective treatment of fibrosis and cancer. Although many factors lead to fibrosis and cancer, pathophysiological analysis has demonstrated that tissue fibrosis and cancer share a common process of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is associated with many mediators, including transcription factors (Snail, zinc‐finger E‐box‐binding protein and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3), signaling pathways (transforming growth factor‐β1, RAC‐α serine/threonine‐protein kinase, Wnt, nuclear factor‐kappa B, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor, Notch, and RAS), RNA‐binding proteins (ESRP1 and ESRP2) and microRNAs. Therefore, drugs targeting EMT may be a promising therapy against both fibrosis and tumors. A large number of compounds that are synthesized or derived from natural products and their derivatives suppress the EMT by targeting these mediators in fibrosis and cancer. By targeting EMT, these compounds exhibited anticancer effects in multiple cancer types, and some of them also showed antifibrotic effects. Therefore, drugs targeting EMT not only have both antifibrotic and anticancer effects but also exert effective therapeutic effects on multiorgan fibrosis and cancer, which provides effective therapy against fibrosis and cancer. Taken together, the results highlighted in this review provide new concepts for discovering new antifibrotic and antitumor drugs.
Amplicon targeted resequencing for SLC2A9 and SLC22A12 identified novel mutations in hypouricemia subjects
Authors: Zhou Zhaowei , Wang Ke , Zhou Juan , Wang Can , Li Xinde , Cui Lingling , Han Lin , Liu Zhen , Ren Wei , Wang Xuefeng , Zhang Keke , Li Zhiqiang , Pan Dun , Li Changgui , Shi Yongyong 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundTo identify potential causative mutations in SLC2A9 and SLC22A12 that lead to hypouricemia or hyperuricemia (HUA).MethodsTargeted resequencing of whole exon regions of SLC2A9 and SLC22A12 was performed in three cohorts of 31 hypouricemia, 288 HUA and 280 normal controls.ResultsA total of 84 high‐quality variants were identified in these three cohorts. Eighteen variants were nonsynonymous or in splicing region, and then included in the following association analysis. For common variants, no significant effects on hypouricemia or HUA were identified. For rare variants, six single nucleotide variations (SNVs) p.T21I and p.G13D in SLC2A9, p.W50fs, p.Q382L, p.V547L and p.E458K in SLC22A12, occurred in totally six hypouricemia subjects and were absent in HUA and normal controls. Allelic and genotypic frequency distributions of the six SNVs differed significantly between the hypouricemia and normal controls even after multiple testing correction, and p.G13D in SLC2A9 and p.V547L in SLC22A12 were newly reported. All these mutations had no significant effects on HUA susceptibility, while the gene‐based analyses substantiated the significant results on hypouricemia.ConclusionOur study first presents a comprehensive mutation spectrum of hypouricemia in a large Chinese cohort.
Characterization of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants in a cohort of Bahraini breast cancer patients using next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Al Hannan Fatima , Keogh Michael B. , Taha Safa , Al Buainain Latifa 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundBreast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide. About 5%–10% are due to hereditary predisposition. The contribution of BRCA1/2 mutations to familial breast cancer in Bahrain has not been explored. The objective of this study was to investigate the spectrum of BRCA1/2 genetic variants and estimate their frequencies in familial breast cancer. We also aim to test the efficiency of the next‐generation sequencing (NGS) as a powerful tool for detecting genetic variation within BRCA1/2 genes.MethodsTwenty‐five unrelated female patients diagnosed with familial breast cancer were screened for BRCA1/2 variants. All targeted coding exons and exon–intron boundaries of BRCA1/2 genes were amplified with 167 pairs of primers by NGS.ResultsWe have identified two deleterious BRCA1/2 variants in two patients, one in BRCA1 gene (c.4850C>A) and other in BRCA2 gene (c.67+2T>C). In addition to the deleterious variants, we identified 24 distinct missense variants of uncertain significance, 10 of them are seen to confer minor but cumulatively significant risk of breast cancer.ConclusionOur data suggest that BRCA1/2 variants may contribute to the pathogenesis of familial breast cancer in Bahrain. It also shows that NGS is useful tool for screening BRCA1/2 genetic variants of probands and unaffected relatives.