bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Application of GREEN scale to understanding US consumer response to green marketing communications
Authors: Bailey Ainsworth A. , Mishra Aditya S. , Tiamiyu Mojisola F. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis paper reports on three studies that were done as part of an application of the GREEN scale (Haws, Winterich, & Naylor, 2014) to understanding US consumer response to green marketing communications. The GREEN scale was developed originally to measure consumers’ tendency to express their environmental concern through their consumption behaviors, that is, their green consumption values. In the current paper, three studies explored the impact of US consumers’ GREEN consumption values on their response to brands’ green public relations and green advertising. The results show that, in addition to helping to explain green consumption behaviors, GREEN can also help to explain consumer response to brands’ marketing communications efforts. Limitations are pointed out and future research directions are proposed.
Antibacterial effects and resistance induction of silver and gold nanoparticles against Staphylococcus aureus‐induced mastitis and the potential toxicity in rats
Authors: Elbehiry Ayman , Al‐Dubaib Musaad , Marzouk Eman , Moussa Ihab 
Published: August 2018

AbstractStaphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the prevalent mastitis‐inducing pathogens worldwide. The resistance of S. aureus to antibiotics is a common issue for dairy farms. Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) have been used for treating antibiotic‐resistant bacteria. We therefore aimed to investigate the antimicrobial effect of silver and gold NPs (AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively) and the resistance developed by S. aureus as well as the toxic effects of both NPs in rats. We used 198 S. aureus strains to determine the antibacterial effects of AgNPs and AuNPs. The microdilution method was used to establish the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of both NPs. To induce resistance, 20 S. aureus strains were passaged 10 times in broth medium with sublethal doses of NPs and an additional 10 times without NPs to examine the stability of resistance. Histopathology was performed after oral administration to the rats with the study doses of 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg of NPs for 30 days. The MICs of 10‐nm AgNPs, 20‐nm AgNPs, 10‐nm AuNPs, and 20‐nm AuNPs against S. aureus were 14.70 ± 1.19 μg/ml, 9.15 ± 0.13 μg/ml, 24.06 ± 2.36 μg/ml, and 18.52 ± 1.26 μg/ml, respectively. Most strains developed strong resistance when treated with 20‐nm or 10‐nm AgNPs, whereas only two strains were resistant to 10‐nm AuNPs and three strains to 20‐nm AuNPs. No cross‐resistance between NPs and various antibiotics was identified in any of the adapted S. aureus strains. Organ histopathology revealed that 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/kg doses of AgNPs and AuNPs were not toxic to rat tissue. In contrast, a higher dose (2 mg/kg) of NPs impaired all organs tested. This study demonstrates the antibacterial effects of NPs. S. aureus strains develop resistance less frequently against AuNPs than AgNPs, and neither AuNPs nor AgNPs was toxic to rats at low doses.
Exome data clouds the pathogenicity of genetic variants in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Abbasi Yeganeh , Jabbari Javad , Jabbari Reza , Glinge Charlotte , Izadyar Seyed Bahador , Spiekerkoetter Edda , Zamanian Roham T. , Carlsen Jørn , Tfelt‐Hansen Jacob 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundWe aimed to provide a set of previously reported PAH‐associated missense and nonsense variants, and evaluate the pathogenicity of those variants.MethodsThe Human Gene Mutation Database, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched for previously reported PAH‐associated genes and variants. Thereafter, both exome sequencing project and exome aggregation consortium as background population searched for previously reported PAH‐associated missense and nonsense variants. The pathogenicity of previously reported PAH‐associated missense variants evaluated by using four in silico prediction tools.ResultsIn total, 14 PAH‐associated genes and 180 missense and nonsense variants were gathered. The BMPR2, the most frequent reported gene, encompasses 135 of 180 missense and nonsense variants. The exome sequencing project comprised 9, and the exome aggregation consortium counted 25 of 180 PAH‐associated missense and nonsense variants. The TOPBP1 and ENG genes are unlikely to be the monogenic cause of PAH pathogenesis based on allele frequency in background population and prediction analysis.ConclusionThis is the first evaluation of previously reported PAH‐associated missense and nonsense variants. The BMPR2 identified as the major gene out of 14 PAH‐associated genes. Based on findings, the ENG and TOPBP1 gene are not likely to be the monogenic cause of PAH.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 and fructose dynamics in humans
Authors: Migdal A. , Comte S. , Rodgers M. , Heineman B. , Flier E. M. , Herman M. , Dushay J. 
Published: August 2018

SummaryObjectiveFructose consumption is a risk factor for metabolic disease. We recently demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a metabolic hormone involved in lipid and glucose metabolism, is acutely stimulated in humans by 75 g oral fructose, with peak levels occurring 2 h after consumption. This study reports on the dose dependency and reproducibility of the FGF21 response to fructose.MethodsLean, healthy adults drank either five different doses of fructose dissolved in water, each separated by 2 weeks, or the same dose on three occasions, each separated by 1 week.ResultsFibroblast growth factor 21 levels peaked at 2 h in a dose‐dependent manner. No significant increase in FGF21 was seen after consumption of 10 g fructose, while robust increases were seen after drinking solutions containing 30, 50 and 75 g. At 2 h, the minimal fold change of FGF21 was highest following a 75 g fructose drink, and all subjects demonstrated at least a doubling of FGF21 levels following consumption of this dose.ConclusionsThe increase in FGF21 following an oral fructose challenge is dose dependent, with levels peaking at 2 h independent of dose. The FGF21 response to 75 g fructose is also highly reproducible within individuals.Clinical ImplicationsBy demonstrating that the FGF21 response to fructose is dose dependent and reproducible, this study deepens current understanding of FGF21 fructose dynamics and physiology in humans. This is an important area of clinical interest given associations between fructose intake and a wide variety of metabolic derangements.
Lorcaserin and metabolic disease: weight‐loss dependent and independent effects
Authors: Bays H. , Perdomo C. , Nikonova E. , Knoth R. , Malhotra M. 
Published: August 2018

SummaryObjectiveWeight management pharmacotherapies can improve metabolic diseases through weight‐dependent and weight‐independent effects. Lorcaserin is a selective 5‐hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor agonist. The objective of this analysis is to quantify the relative contribution of weight loss to the treatment effects of lorcaserin 10 mg twice a day on key metabolic parameters.MethodsThis retrospective analysis evaluated 6,897 patients with overweight or obesity (with or without diabetes mellitus) across three randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, 52‐week clinical trials that evaluated lorcaserin 10 mg twice daily (BID; NCT00395135, NCT00603902, and NCT00603291); 509 patients from only one of the studies had type 2 diabetes mellitus. A mediation analysis was applied to help rank the relative contribution of weight loss to metabolic study outcomes.ResultsAccording to this mediation analysis, lorcaserin 10 mg BID improved a spectrum of adiposopathic metabolic abnormalities with varying contributions attributable to weight loss. Improvements in waist circumference and blood pressure were almost exclusively attributable to weight loss. Less than 50% of the improvement in glucose parameters (fasting blood glucose and haemoglobin A1c) were attributable to weight loss.ConclusionsAcross Phase III clinical trials, lorcaserin 10 mg BID improved multiple cardiometabolic parameters through both weight‐loss dependent and independent mechanisms.
Sequential use of second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors following imatinib therapy in pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia: A report from the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group
Authors: Kurosawa Hidemitsu , Tanizawa Akihiko , Muramatsu Hideki , Tono Chikako , Watanabe Akihiro , Shima Haruko , Ito Masaki , Yuza Yuki , Hamamoto Kazuko , Hotta Noriko , Okada Masahiko , Saito Akiko Moriya , Manabe Atsushi , Mizutani Shuki , Adachi Souichi , Horibe Keizo , Ishii Eiichi , Shimada Hiroyuki 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe details of the sequential use of imatinib for first‐line treatment followed by second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (2G‐TKIs) for pediatric chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are still unknown. This study analyzed clinical responses and adverse effects of the use of 2G‐TKIs following imatinib in pediatric chronic phase (CP)‐CML.ProceduresThe Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group conducted a retrospective study of patients with newly diagnosed CML from 1996 to 2011. A total of 152 cases that received imatinib as first‐line therapy were analyzed.ResultsExcluding 46 cases treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation before nilotinib and dasatinib became available, 31 of 106 patients changed to 2G‐TKIs. The primary reason for changing from imatinib was poor response, followed by intolerance, with the main reason for the latter being musculoskeletal events. Switches from imatinib to 2G‐TKIs with intolerance occurred significantly earlier than switches with poor response. Sixteen and 15 patients were treated with nilotinib and dasatinib, respectively, following imatinib therapy. After switching to 2G‐TKIs, the response status improved in 63% of evaluable patients. The adverse effect profiles of nilotinib and dasatinib tended to be different, with hyperbilirubinemia observed in 33% of nilotinib‐treated patients, but in none of the cases with dasatinib.ConclusionThis retrospective study represents the first series of children and adolescents in whom sequential use of imatinib followed by 2G‐TKIs was reported. These data provide useful insights into the selection of 2G‐TKIs as first‐line treatment for children and adolescents with CP‐CML.
Surgical treatment strategy for advanced hepatoblastoma: Resection versus transplantation
Authors: Uchida Hajime , Sakamoto Seisuke , Sasaki Kengo , Takeda Masahiro , Hirata Yoshihiro , Fukuda Akinari , Hishiki Tomoro , Irie Rie , Nakazawa Atsuko , Miyazaki Osamu , Nosaka Shunsuke , Kasahara Mureo 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundExcellent outcomes of the extreme procedure of liver resection (LR) for advanced hepatoblastoma (HB) have been achieved in recent reports. However, liver transplantation (LT) remains the only surgical treatment for patients with unresectable HB. The aim of this study was to evaluate our retrospective data for cases of advanced HB necessitating surgical intervention and analyze the prognostic factors of recurrence by comparing patients with tumors resected by LR and LT.Patients and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 24 children with PRETEXT II/III/IV tumors that required consideration for LT between August 2011 and September 2016.ResultThe staging at the time of the diagnosis was PRETEXT II/III/IV in 1/13/10 patients, respectively, while the preoperative staging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was POSTTEXT II/III/IV in 5/17/2 patients. Among those 24 patients, complete resection of the primary tumor was achieved with LT in 12 patients and LR in 12 patients. A high serum level of alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) at the time of surgery, no significant decrease in the rate of change of AFP, and low tumor shrinkage rate were related to the risk of tumor recurrence, and patients with tumors resected by LR with those risks had a higher recurrence rate than those without them. The overall survival was higher in patients with tumors resected by LT (100%) than in patients with tumors resected by LR.ConclusionPatients with advanced HB with a poor response to chemotherapy should definitively be prioritized for primary LT, given the possibility of vascular invasion and microscopic residual tumor.
Enhanced Interfacial Adhesion and Properties of Polypropylene/Carbon Fiber Composites by Fiber Surface Oxidation in Presence of a Compatibilizer
Authors: Tian Huafeng , Yao Yuanyuan , Liu Di , Li Yichao , Jv Rui , Xiang Ge , Xiang Aimin 
Published: August 2018

AbstractWith the aim of improving the mechanical strength of polypropylene (PP) materials, carbon fibers (CFs) were incorporated into it to prepare composites with PP‐graft‐maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH) as the compatibilizer. In order to improve the interfacial bonding between filler and matrix, the CFs were oxidized with concentrated nitric acid for different times. The results showed that with the increase of oxidation time, the surface roughness and specific areas of CF increased. Nitric acid oxidation can effectively introduce polar groups on the surface of CFs, leading to the increased wetting ability. The tensile and impact strength of PP/CF composites were highly improved with the increase of oxidation time. Both the increased surface areas and roughness were beneficial for mechanical interlocking. In addition, the chemical bonding between activated CF and PP‐g‐MAH contributed to the enhanced mechanical properties of the resulting composites. The ‐OH groups on CF produced by surface oxidation could react with anhydride groups, while the PP chains of PP‐g‐MAH diffused into the PP matrix, resulting in good adhesion or entanglement. These PP/CF composites with high performance can find wide applications as light weight structural materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E654–E662, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Poly(3,4‐Propylenedioxythiophene) Capsulated Yolk–Shell Carbon Spheres for High‐Performance Electrochemical Capacitors
Authors: Xiang Ling , Ali Ahmat , Jamal Ruxangul , Ding Shuai , Zhong Ziping , Abdiryim Tursun 
Published: August 2018

In this article, the yolk–shell structure of resin‐based carbon spheres (YRFC) and the solid structure of resin‐based carbon spheres (SRFC) were prepared by condensation polymerization, and then novel spherical composites of poly(3,4‐propylenedioxythiophene)/YRFC (PProDOT/YRFC) and PProDOT/SRFC were obtained by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization. The prepared composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible absorption spectra (UV–vis), Raman, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical behavior of the composites were investigated with reference to their suitability as electrode materials in electrochemical capacitors (ECs), which were accomplished by a combination of cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles. The resultant PProDOT/YRFC composite showed ideal charge storage capacity with a specific capacitance of 327.5 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1, which is much higher than that of the materials of PProDOT/SRFC (298.1 F g−1) and PProDOT (180.9 F g−1). Furthermore, long cycle life was achieved with the optimized PProDOT/YRFC and the capacitance retention is 87.3% after 10,000 charge/discharge processes, which was attributed to its uniformly dispersible fluffy structure. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1989–1999, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Risks of Major Long‐Term Side Effects Associated with Androgen‐Deprivation Therapy in Men with Prostate Cancer
Authors: Nguyen Chi , Lairson David R. , Swartz Michael D. , Du Xianglin L. 
Published: August 2018

Study ObjectiveTo examine the risks and compare the occurrences of major long‐term side effects (sexual dysfunction, bone fractures, diabetes, cardiovascular morbidity, acute myocardial infarction [MI], and dementia) in patients with prostate cancer who received androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT) with those who did not.DesignPropensity score–matched retrospective cohort study using Medicare claims data.Data SourceNational Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program–Medicare linked database.PatientsA total of 201,797 patients 66 years or older who were diagnosed with any stage of prostate cancer between 1992 and 2009; of these, 94,528 patients received ADT; 107,269 patients did not.Measurements and Main ResultsWe identified receipt of ADT and number of claims for ADT, and ascertained the long‐term treatment‐related side effects that occurred during 19 years of follow‐up, from 1992–2010, from Medicare claims data. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) of newly developed side effects. Among all potential long‐term side effects, the risk of bone fractures was highest (HR 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–1.43), followed by diabetes (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.18–1.24), dementia (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.13–1.20), coronary heart disease (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.09–1.14), and acute MI (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.08–1.15) in those who received ADT compared with those who did not. The HRs for bone fractures and diabetes increased steadily as the number of ADT doses increased, indicating a linear trend in the dose‐response relationship. Compared with patients who received active surveillance, ADT was associated with a 12% increased risk of sexual dysfunction (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.20). The HR for sexual dysfunction increased to 1.68 (95% CI 1.59–1.77) when ADT was combined with radiation therapy and to 3.54 (95% CI 3.26–3.85) when ADT was combined with radiation and surgery.ConclusionThe results of this study demonstrated that in men with prostate cancer, receipt of ADT was associated with higher risks of bone fractures, diabetes, dementia, coronary heart disease, acute MI, and sexual dysfunction than in those who did not receive ADT.
Well‐defined non‐linear polyethylene‐based macromolecular architectures
Authors: Alshumrani Reem A. , Hadjichristidis Nikos 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTPolyethylene (PE)‐based 3‐ and 4‐miktoarm star [PE(PCL)2, PE(PCL)3] and H‐type [(PCL)2PE(PCL)2] block copolymers [polycaprolactone (PCL)] were synthesized by a combination of polyhomologation, chlorosilane chemistry, and ring opening polymerization (ROP). The following steps were used for the synthesis of the miktoarm stars: (a) reaction of a hydroxy‐terminated polyethylene (PE‐OH), prepared by polyhomologation of dimethylsulfoxonium methylide with a monofunctional boron initiator followed by oxidation/hydrolysis, with chloromethyl(methyl)dimethoxysilane or chloromethyltrimethoxysilane; (b) hydrolysis of the produced ω‐di(tri)methoxysilyl‐polyethylenes to afford ω‐dihydroxy‐polyethylene (difunctional initiator) and ω‐trihydroxy‐polyethylene (trifunctional initiator); and (c) ROP of ɛ‐caprolactone with the difunctional (3‐miktoarm star) or trifunctional macroinitiator (4‐miktoarm star), in the presence of 1‐tert‐butyl‐2,2,4,4,4‐pentakis(dimethylamino)‐2λ5,4λ5‐catenadi(phosphazene) (t‐BuP2). The H‐type block copolymers were synthesized using the same strategy, but with a difunctional polyhomologation initiator. All intermediates and final products were characterized by HT‐GPC, 1H NMR and FTIR analyses. Thermal properties of the PE precursors and all final products were investigated by DSC and TGA. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 2129–2136
Carbon Dots‐Cluster‐DOX Nanocomposites Fabricated by a Co‐Self‐Assembly Strategy for Tumor‐Targeted Bioimaging and Therapy
Authors: Deng Tao , Zhang Rong , Wang Jie , Song Xiaoxiao , Bao Fangjian , Gu Yueqing , Deng Dawei 
Published: August 2018

AbstractCarbon‐based nanomaterials could afford versatile potential applications in biomedical optical imaging and as nanoparticle drug carriers, owing to their promising optical and biocompatible capabilities. In this paper, it is first found that amphipathic cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)‐stabilized oil‐soluble carbon dots (CDs) could self‐assemble into hydrophilic CDs clusters with hydrophobic core under ultrasound, in which CPC acts as carbon source, stabilizer, and phase transfer agent. Next, the size‐control (for size‐dependent passive tumor targeting) and doxorubicin (DOX) uploading of aqueous CDs clusters, and subsequent surface charge modification via overcoating with cRGD‐ and octylamine‐modified polyacrylic acid (cRGD‐PAA‐OA) (reversing their surface charges into negative and introducing active tumor‐targeting ability) are explored systematically. Based on this sequential administration mode, CDs‐cluster‐DOX/cRGD‐PAA‐OA nanocomposites exhibit selective human malignant glioma cell line (U87MG) tumor targeting. In in vitro drug release experiments, the nanocomposites could release DOX timely. Owning to the dual tumor targeting effects and seasonable drug release, CDs‐cluster‐DOX/cRGD‐PAA‐OA show remarkably tumor targetability and enhanced antitumor efficacy (and reduced adverse reaction), comparing to free DOX in animal models. These results indicate that fabricating nanocomposite via co‐self‐assembly strategy is efficient toward drug delivery system for tumor‐targeting theranostic.
Biology and manipulation technologies of male germline stem cells in mammals
Authors: Takashima Seiji 
Published: August 2018

AbstractBackgroundSpermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are the origin of sperm and defined by their functions of “colonization in the testis” and “spermatogenesis”. In vitro manipulation techniques of SSCs contribute to a wide variety of fields including reproductive medicine and molecular breeding. This review presents the recent progress of the biology and manipulation technologies of SSCs.MethodsResearch articles regarding SSC biology and technologies were collected and summarized.Main findingsDr. Ralph Brinster developed the spermatogonial transplantation technique that enables SSC detection by functional markers. Using this technique, cultured SSCs, termed germline stem (GS) cells, were established from the mouse. GS cells provide the opportunity to produce genome‐edited animals without using zygotes. In vitro spermatogenesis allows production of haploid germ cells from GS cells without spermatogonial transplantation. The recent advancement of pluripotent stem cell culture techniques has also achieved production of functional GS‐like cells in addition to male/female germ cells.ConclusionAlthough in vitro manipulation techniques of GS cells have been developed for the mouse, it appears to be difficult to apply these techniques to other species. Understanding and control of interspecies barriers are required to extend this technology to nonrodent mammals.