bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Benzo fury: A new trend in the drug misuse scene
Authors: Roque Bravo Rita , Carmo Helena , Carvalho Félix , Bastos Maria de Lourdes , Dias da Silva Diana 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBenzofurans, also known by users as benzo fury or benzofury, are synthetic phenethylamines and constitute the third most prominent group of new psychoactive substances (NPS). As the use of these substances has been spread as an alternative to the classic illicit psychostimulants, such as amphetamines, their legal status was reviewed, resulting in an utter prohibition of these NPS in many countries worldwide. Herein, the prevalence of abuse, chemistry, biological effects, metabolism, and the potential harms and risky behaviors associated with the abuse of benzofurans are reviewed. The congeners of this group are mainly consumed recreationally at electronic dance music parties, in polydrug abuse settings. Benzofurans preferentially act by disturbing the functioning of serotonergic circuits, which induces their entactogenic and stimulant effects and is the reason behind the considerable number of recent benzo fury‐related deaths. The slight interaction of these drugs with the dopaminergic system justifies the rewarding effects of these drugs. To date, published evidence on the mechanisms of toxicity of benzo fury is very limited but a body of research is now beginning to emerge revealing an alarming public health threat regarding the abuse of these NPS.
Potential core–shell designed scaffolds with a gelatin‐based shell in achieving controllable release rates of proteins for tissue engineering approaches
Authors: Ghasemkhah Farzaneh , Latifi Masoud , Hadjizadeh Afra , Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe biomaterials design as core–shell structures opens a new door to the release of susceptible biomolecules in a controllable manner and enables to place natural biomaterials as shell layers to impart the effective biofunctional features at surfaces. In this study, core–shell designed scaffolds were prepared using coaxial electrospinning with hybrid of gelatin (GT)/polycaprolactone (PCL) at different weight ratios as their shell and protein solution as their core, followed by cross‐linking to impart controllable release rates, tunable mechanical properties, and enhanced cytocompatibility. SEM, FM, and TEM confirmed the successful production of uniform core–shell nanofibers and homogeneous protein distribution. Results showed that an increase in GT proportion in the shell resulted in a decrease in fiber diameter, an increase of Young's modulus, and an intense burst release of BSA 0.2% which could be controlled through cross‐linking. The mechanical tests revealed that the GT/PCL combining and cross‐linking improved mechanical properties which correlated with an increase in spreading and proliferation of HUVECs. A slight burst release was also detected from BSA 0.05% and EGF encapsulated GT73P‐cross‐linked scaffold which demonstrated their applicability for a controlled release of dilute proteins. We were able to successfully incorporate two types of protein with different concentrations without supporting polymer into the GT shell to provide scaffolds possessing tunable mechanical properties and controllable release rates through blending with PCL at different ratios and/or cross‐linking. These findings are promising to promote delivery systems of angiogenic growth factors that are needed a sustained release with different rates at each angiogenesis stage. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2019.
Gelatin–chitosan–PVA hydrogels and their application in agriculture
Authors: López‐Velázquez Julio César , Rodríguez‐Rodríguez Rogelio , Espinosa‐Andrews Hugo , Qui‐Zapata Joaquín Alejandro , García‐Morales Soledad , Navarro‐López Diego Eloyr , Luna‐Bárcenas Gabriel , Vassallo‐Brigneti Ettore Ciro , García‐Carvajal Zaira Yunuen 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDHydrogels are materials with great potential in agricultural applications. Biodegradable hydrogels are used as preparations, for example to increase the substratum water capacity, and improve soil structure or agrochemical‐controlled release. This work aimed to develop biodegradable hydrogels based on chitosan, gelatin and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for releasing inulin isolated from Dahlia tubers to induce protection in chili plants against Phytophthora capsici. The hydrogels were characterized by water absorption capacity, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and stereomicroscopy microscopy, and degradation capacity using the soil burial test with sterile and inoculated soil.RESULTSThis work demonstrated the ability of a fabrication process in the preparation of gelatin‐chitosan‐PVA hydrogels for potential agricultural applications. The hydrogels showed a dense, tridimensional, interconnected and reticulated structure that was more evident in the hydrogel loaded with inulin. The hydrogels showed a water absorption capacity of ≤12 times its mass. FTIR and light microscopy demonstrated that the hydrogels were biodegradable. The percentage of degradation of hydrogels in inoculated soil was higher than in sterile soil using the soil burial test. Hydrogel loaded with inulin was found to be capable of inducing resistance in chili plants against Phytophthora capsici.CONCLUSIONThe hydrogels prepared for the described methodology have great potential for use in the agricultural sector as a reservoir for agrochemicals and inductors in plant resistance treatments. Furthermore, the hydrogels were proven to be biodegradable, offering a promising tool in crop protection. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Large‐scale student programs increase persistence in STEM fields in a public university setting
Authors: Ikuma Laura H. , Steele Adrienne , Dann Summer , Adio Oluwakemi , Waggenspack Warren N. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundLouisiana State University's (LSU) STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP) was established to increase students' persistence in first‐year, declared engineering majors (a project priority), in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors (an NSF goal), and in all majors at LSU (an institutional goal). Over 8 years, 3,097 (27%) engineering students participated in one or more STEP activities including a residential college, a student mentoring program, an introductory engineering design course, and a summer bridge camp for first‐year students.PurposeThis paper describes the influence of the STEP activities on persistence, while accounting for demographic and academic preparation variables.Design/MethodData collected over 8 years from first‐year engineering students include demographics, academic preparation, participation in STEP activities, and yearly status regarding major and graduation. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple logistic regression determine which factors significantly impact persistence in engineering majors, in STEM majors, and in all majors at LSU.ResultsSTEP participants have higher persistence levels than nonparticipants by at least 11% in engineering, 9% in STEM, and 5% in all majors at LSU. Gender, ACT math scores, and, in some cases, ethnicity significantly impact persistence. Participation in the residential college, introductory course, and mentoring programs significantly increased persistence in engineering majors, in STEM majors, and at the university, while the summer bridge camp did not show as much influence on persistence overall.ConclusionSTEP was successful at increasing persistence in engineering and STEM majors. Specific STEP activities continue to evolve in the College of Engineering and should continue to reap positive results in the persistence of engineering students.
Translational Metabolism: A multidisciplinary approach towards precision diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism in the omics era
Authors: Wanders Ronald J. A. , Vaz Frederic M. , Ferdinandusse Sacha , van Kuilenburg André B. P. , Kemp Stephan , van Karnebeek Clara D. , Waterham Hans R. , Houtkooper Riekelt H. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe laboratory diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism has been revolutionized in recent years, thanks to the amazing developments in the field of DNA sequencing including whole exome and whole genome sequencing (WES and WGS). Interpretation of the results coming from WES and/or WGS analysis is definitely not trivial especially since the biological relevance of many of the variants identified by WES and/or WGS, have not been tested experimentally and prediction programs like POLYPHEN‐2 and SIFT are far from perfect. Correct interpretation of WES and/or WGS results can only be achieved by performing functional studies at multiple levels (different metabolomics platforms, enzymology, in vitro and in vivo flux analysis), often requires studies in model organisms like zebra fish, Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutant mice and others, and also requires the input of many different disciplines to make this Translational Metabolism approach effective.
Argininosuccinic aciduria: Recent pathophysiological insights and therapeutic prospects
Authors: Baruteau Julien , Diez‐Fernandez Carmen , Lerner Shaul , Ranucci Giusy , Gissen Paul , Dionisi‐Vici Carlo , Nagamani Sandesh , Erez Ayelet , Häberle Johannes 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe first patients affected by argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) were reported 60 years ago. The clinical presentation was initially described as similar to other urea cycle defects, but increasing evidence has shown overtime an atypical systemic phenotype with a paradoxical observation, that is, a higher rate of neurological complications contrasting with a lower rate of hyperammonaemic episodes. The disappointing long‐term clinical outcomes of many of the patients have challenged the current standard of care and therapeutic strategy, which aims to normalize plasma ammonia and arginine levels. Interrogations have raised about the benefit of newborn screening or liver transplantation on the neurological phenotype. Over the last decade, novel discoveries enabled by the generation of new transgenic argininosuccinate lyase (ASL)‐deficient mouse models have been achieved, such as, a better understanding of ASL and its close interaction with nitric oxide metabolism, ASL physiological role outside the liver, and the pathophysiological role of oxidative/nitrosative stress or excessive arginine treatment. Here, we present a collaborative review, which highlights these recent discoveries and novel emerging concepts about ASL role in human physiology, ASA clinical phenotype and geographic prevalence, limits of current standard of care and newborn screening, pathophysiology of the disease, and emerging novel therapies. We propose recommendations for monitoring of ASA patients. Ongoing research aims to better understand the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of the systemic disease to design novel therapies.
Elucidating space, climate, edaphic, and biodiversity effects on aboveground biomass in tropical forests
Authors: Ali Arshad , Lin Si‐Liang , He Jie‐Kun , Kong Fan‐Mao , Yu Jie‐Hua , Jiang Hai‐Sheng 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAim and hypothesisThis study aims to disentangle the direct and indirect roles of space, climate, edaphic, and biodiversity effects on aboveground biomass in natural tropical forests, thereby evaluating the relative effects and contribution of abiotic and biotic factors on aboveground biomass. We hypothesized that the space effect drives the longitudinal, latitudinal, and elevational patterns in climatic and edaphic factors, thereby directly and indirectly determining the relationships between biodiversity and aboveground biomass in natural tropical forests.MethodsWe used structural equation modelling for linking spatial, climatic, edaphic, and biotic factors of aboveground biomass, using data from 247,691 trees across 907 tropical forest plots (total sampling area of 145.23 ha) of Hainan Island in Southern China.ResultsAboveground biomass increased directly with functional dominance, individual tree size inequality, and climatic water availability but decreased directly with space and edaphic effects. However, space effect increased aboveground biomass indirectly via simultaneously differential direct changes (positive, negative, and non‐significant) in climatic, edaphic, and biotic factors. As such, indirect effects of mean annual temperature and climatic water availability decreased aboveground biomass through differential direct changes in biotic factors, but opposite was true for soil fertility.ConclusionsWe argue that, despite the high relative contribution of biodiversity to aboveground biomass, the direct and indirect roles of space, climatic, and edaphic effects are also important for explaining biotic factors and aboveground biomass under the predictions of several abiotic‐based hypotheses. Hence, conserving biodiversity across space is important for forest management and land development under climate change.
Accelerated degradation of Lake Inle (Myanmar): A baseline study for environmentalists and developers
Authors: Michalon Martin , Gunnell Yanni , Lejot Jérôme , Mialhe François , Aung Toe 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study takes stock of the confusion that exists around the environmental state of Lake Inle, a flagship destination for tourism in Myanmar. Reports on the dynamics of its iconic floating gardens and on the evolution of the Lake's dimensions in response to land‐use change in the watershed are inconsistent and provide a poor basis for policymaking. Here, we (a) present a critical overview of the literature concerning land degradation around Lake Inle; (b) provide an independent and quantitative reexamination of the Lake's size; (c) carry out a methodic assessment of the history of floating gardens based on written sources, interviews, and high‐resolution imagery from 1967, 1983, 2002, and 2014; and (d) produce the first comprehensive and biseasonal bathymetric survey of the Lake, thereby providing a baseline water volume estimate fit for future monitoring purposes. Results challenge previous reports and show that floating agriculture boomed in the 1970s (11 km2 in 1967 and 29 km2 in 1983), peaked in 2002 (35 km2), then declined slightly (33 km2 in 2014). Our bathymetric survey reveals that the Lake volume at the peak of the 2015 rainy season was 122.6 × 106 m3, with maximum water depths having diminished substantially from 6 m (as reported in 1918) to just 3 m today as a combined result of sediment aggradation and waterlevel decline (−1 m in 25 years). Those dynamics have critical implications for the sustainability of floating agriculture, fishing, and the local tourist economy.
Outcomes After Listing for Liver Transplant in Patients With Acute‐on‐Chronic Liver Failure: The Multicenter North American Consortium for the Study of End‐Stage Liver Disease Experience
Authors: O’Leary Jacqueline G. , Bajaj Jasmohan S. , Tandon Puneeta , Biggins Scott W. , Wong Florence , Kamath Patrick S. , Garcia‐Tsao Guadalupe , Maliakkal Benedict , Lai Jennifer , Fallon Michael , Vargas Hugo E. , Thuluvath Paul , Subramanian Ram , Thacker Leroy R. , Reddy K. Rajender 
Published: February 2019

Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) characterized with ≥2 extrahepatic organ failures in cirrhosis carries a high mortality. Outcomes of patients listed for liver transplantation (LT) after ACLF and after LT are largely unknown. The North American Consortium for the Study of End‐Stage Liver Disease prospectively enrolled 2793 nonelectively hospitalized patients with cirrhosis; 768 were listed for LT. Within 3 months, 265 (35%) received a LT, 395 remained alive without LT, and 108 died/delisted. Compared with nonlisted patients, those listed were younger and more often had ACLF, acute kidney injury, and a higher admission Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. ACLF was most common in patients who died/delisted, followed by those alive with and without LT respectively, (30%, 22%, and 7%, respectively; P < 0.001). At LT, median MELD was 27.9% and 70% were inpatients; median time from hospitalization to LT was 26 days. Post‐LT survival at 6 months was unchanged between those with and without ACLF (93% each at 6 months). There was no difference in 3‐ and 6‐month mean post‐LT creatinine in those with and without ACLF, despite those with ACLF having a higher mean pre‐LT creatinine and a higher rate of perioperative dialysis (61%). In conclusion, patients with and without ACLF had similar survival after transplant with excellent renal recovery in both groups.
Widespread microglial activation in multiple system atrophy
Authors: Kübler Dorothee , Wächter Tobias , Cabanel Nicole , Su Zhangjie , Turkheimer Federico E. , Dodel Richard , Brooks David J. , Oertel Wolfgang H. , Gerhard Alexander 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe pattern and role of microglial activation in multiple system atrophy is largely unclear. The objective of this study was to use [11C](R)‐PK11195 PET to determine the extent and correlation of activated microglia with clinical parameters in MSA patients.MethodsFourteen patients with the parkinsonian phenotype of MSA (MSA‐P) with a mean disease duration of 2.9 years (range 2‐5 years) were examined with [11C](R)‐PK11195 PET and compared with 10 healthy controls.ResultsPatients with the parkinsonian phenotype of MSA showed a significant (P ≤ 0.01) mean increase in binding potentials compared with healthy controls in the caudate nucleus, putamen, pallidum, precentral gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, presubgenual anterior cingulate cortex, and the superior parietal gyrus. No correlations between binding potentials and clinical parameters were found.ConclusionsIn early clinical stages of the parkinsonian phenotype of MSA, there is widespread microglial activation as a marker of neuroinflammatory changes without correlation to clinical parameters in our patient population. © 2019 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Predictive Computational Tools for Assessment of Ecotoxicological Activity of Organic Micropollutants in Various Water Sources in Brazil
Authors: de Morais e Silva Luana , Lorenzo Vitor Prates , Lopes Wilton Silva , Scotti Luciana , Scotti Marcus Tullius 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe increase of chemical pollutants detected in different aquatic environments over the past few years has been in the focus of several studies related to their occurrence, transport, fate, and hazards, or risks to human and environmental health. In Brazil, recent studies have been conducted on the occurrence of a series of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in aquatic environments. Nevertheless, the toxicological information and environmental behavior for most of these pollutants are still difficult to evaluate. We obtained consensus models using a combination of VolSurf and Dragon descriptors and Random Forest approach to predict the toxicity against Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas for compounds identified in different sources of water in Brazil. The models showed satisfactory performance when compared with other approaches, such as Toxicity Estimation Software Tool (T.E.S.T.), etc. Both models can be used as complementary tools to aid in the prediction of organic compounds against both organisms.
Removing ring artifacts in cone‐beam CT via TV‐Stokes and unidirectional total variation model
Authors: Wu Huantang , Li Jianwu , Wang Hong 
Published: February 2019

PurposeIt often happens that cone‐beam corrupted tomography (CBCT) images have some ring artifacts due to the inconsistent response of detector pixels. Removing ring artifacts in CBCT images without impairing the image quality is critical. The purpose of this study is to implement a whole new method of removing ring artifacts in CBCT images based on TV‐Stokes denoising equation and unidirectional total variation (UTV).MethodsThis method is based on the polar coordinates, where the ring artifacts are shown as horizontal parallel stripes. To begin with, we design a UTV model with the constraint of zero divergence condition to only smooth vertical tangent vectors, and keep horizontal tangent vectors unchanged. In turn, the corresponding smooth normal vectors can be obtained. Next, in order to reconstruct the clean image that fits the obtained normal vectors, the UTV model about the potential clean image is added to the original TV‐Stokes denoising equation.ResultsOur method was applied to simulated data and real corrupted data to verify its performance. High‐quality corrected images without ring artifacts were obtained. In the simulated experiments, our method is not only able to obtain the most complete corrected images, but also capable of acquiring the best quantitative assessments among several different methods. In the experiments of real data, the proposed method was effective in removing ring artifacts and in preserving the original details. Comparative results on several experiments illustrated that our algorithm corrects ring artifacts effectively and outperforms the two compared methods on objective indices and subjective image quality.ConclusionsBenefiting from the TV‐Stokes equation and the UTV model, the proposed scheme can be effectively applied to remove ring artifacts in CBCT images, simultaneously preserving the original image details and structure well. Furthermore, this new algorithm can be applied directly on reconstructed images, thus eliminating the requirement for additional imaging data.
Metabolic Syndrome is Associated with Ceramide Accumulation in Visceral Adipose Tissue of Women with Morbid Obesity
Authors: Choromańska Barbara , Myśliwiec Piotr , Razak Hady Hady , Dadan Jacek , Myśliwiec Hanna , Chabowski Adrian , Mikłosz Agnieszka 
Published: February 2019

ObjectiveAccelerated transmembrane transport of long‐chain fatty acids dependent on fatty acid transporters is responsible for lipid accumulation and, eventually, the development of metabolic syndrome. This study determined the content of lipids (ceramide [CER], diacylglycerol [DAG], triacylglycerol, and free fatty acid [FFA]) and the expression of fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) and plasma membrane fatty acid‐binding protein in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue of women with morbid obesity without metabolic syndrome (MetSx−) or with metabolic syndrome (MetSx+) and compared the results with those of lean controls without metabolic syndrome.MethodsLipid content and fatty acid composition in each lipid subclass were estimated by gas liquid chromatography. For total, plasma membrane, and mitochondrial expression of fatty acid transporters, subfractionation with subsequent Western blot technique was used.ResultsA greater content of triacylglycerol in VAT of participants with obesity (MetSx−) was found. However, only the MetSx+ subjects had increased content of CER in VAT in relation to subcutaneous adipose tissue in MetSx+ and lean individuals. This was accompanied by increased total and membrane expression of FAT/CD36 in VAT in MetSx+ subjects. Accordingly, mitochondrial expression of FAT/CD36 and plasma membrane fatty acid‐binding protein was decreased in both groups of subjects with obesity.ConclusionsMetabolic syndrome is associated with the accumulation of CER in VAT, possibly related to increased FAT/CD36 protein expression.