bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Local administration of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) c1 inhibitor to suppress early resorption and inflammation induced by bone morphogenetic protein‐2
Authors: Kim Ri Youn , Seong Yeju , Cho Tae Hyung , Lee Beomseok , Kim In Sook , Hwang Soon Jung 
Published: January 2018

AbstractNuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT)‐c1 is known as a key regulator in osteoclast differentiation and immune response. This study is a follow‐up to our previous study showing the antiresorptive activity of VIVIT, a peptide type NFATc1 inhibitor, using absorbable collagen sponge (ACS). This study aimed to investigate the effective concentration range of local VIVIT that suppresses early excessive osteoclast activation and inflammation induced by high‐dose recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP)‐2 and concomitantly enhances bone healing in a rat critical‐sized calvaria defect model. High‐dose rhBMP‐2 (40 μg/defect) alone significantly increased in vivo osteoclast activation and expression of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐1β and transforming necrosis factor‐α on the scaffold at 7 days after surgery. However, rhBMP‐2 had no direct effect on osteoclast activation in vitro. Osteoclast activation by rhBMP‐2 was significantly suppressed by combined treatment with VIVIT at concentrations of 75 and 150 μM, but not at 15 μM, whereas suppression of inflammation occurred at all doses of VIVIT. Microcomputed tomography at 4 and 8 weeks after implantation revealed that the combination of rhBMP‐2 and VIVIT at 75 μM VIVIT led to a greater bone fraction at the initial defect area, compared with rhBMP‐2 alone. These findings revealed that local administration of VIVIT at certain concentrations has multiple positive effects that weaken early excessive osteoimmunological responses and enhance bone healing after rhBMP‐2 administration. VIVIT has the potential to expand the therapeutic area of high‐dose rhBMP‐2 therapy to inflammatory bone loss. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1299–1310, 2018.
Osteogenic cellular activity around onlaid octacalcium phosphate‐gelatin composite onto rat calvaria
Authors: Iwama Ryosuke , Anada Takahisa , Shiwaku Yukari , Tsuchiya Kaori , Takahashi Tetsu , Suzuki Osamu 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe activity and the distribution of osteogenic cells around octacalcium phosphate (OCP) granules combined with gelatin matrix (OCP/Gel) onlaid on rat calvaria were analyzed histomorphometrically and immunohistochemically during vertical bone augmentation under mechanical or nonmechanical environment until 8 weeks. OCP/Gel disk was placed in subperiosteal pocket on the calvaria with or without polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) support. The latter is a nonmechanical stress model to alleviate the mechanical stress from the subcutaneous tissues. Onlay grafts of gelatin (Gel) sponge disk and OCP granules were also carried out for the comparison purpose. When bone augmentation was evaluated in first area from bone surface (area until 150 μm high from bone surface) and second area above the newly formed bone (area until 150 µm high from the first area), bone formation was enhanced most in first area followed by second area of OCP/Gel with PTFE. The appearance of tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)‐positive osteoclast‐like cells was suppressed more in the newly formed tissue with PTFE than those without PTFE with an emphasis of the presence of gelatin. Although Runx2 positive‐cells were accumulated more in both OCP/Gel with and without PTFE, osteocalcin‐positive cells were abundant in OCP/Gel with PTFE than that without PTFE, suggesting that nonmechanical stress condition is more suitable for osteoblast differentiation. The appearance of receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)‐kappaB ligand (RANKL)‐positive cells was restrained in OCP/Gel and Gel with PTFE while osteoprotegerin‐positive cells were most accumulated in OCP/Gel without PTFE. The results suggest that OCP/Gel composite under the mechanical stress‐alleviated condition can enhance bone augmentation through balanced osteoblastic and osteoclastic cellular activities. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1322–1333, 2018.
Composite porous scaffold of PEG/PLA support improved bone matrix deposition in vitro compared to PLA‐only scaffolds
Authors: Bhaskar Birru , Owen Robert , Bahmaee Hossein , Wally Zena , Sreenivasa Rao Parcha , Reilly Gwendolen C. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractControllable pore size and architecture are essential properties for tissue‐engineering scaffolds to support cell ingrowth colonization. To investigate the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) addition on porosity and bone‐cell behavior, porous polylactic acid (PLA)–PEG scaffolds were developed with varied weight ratios of PLA–PEG (100/0, 90/10, 75/25) using solvent casting and porogen leaching. Sugar 200–300 µm in size was used as a porogen. To assess scaffold suitability for bone tissue engineering, MLO‐A5 murine osteoblast cells were cultured and cell metabolic activity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and bone‐matrix production determined using (alizarin red S staining for calcium and direct red 80 staining for collagen). It was found that metabolic activity was significantly higher over time on scaffolds containing PEG, ALP activity and mineralized matrix production were also significantly higher on scaffolds containing 25% PEG. Porous architecture and cell distribution and penetration into the scaffold were analyzed using SEM and confocal microscopy, revealing that inclusion of PEG increased pore interconnectivity and therefore cell ingrowth in comparison to pure PLA scaffolds. The results of this study confirmed that PLA–PEG porous scaffolds support mineralizing osteoblasts better than pure PLA scaffolds, indicating they have a high potential for use in bone tissue engineering applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1334–1340, 2018.
Aesthetics and the psychotherapist's office
Authors: Jackson Devlin 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe physical spaces in which we conduct psychotherapy are an important yet underacknowledged aspect of psychotherapeutic work. Although a few contemporary publications have provided suggestions for the creation of welcoming, comfortable, and efficient practice spaces, considerations of what it means to transform a room into a therapeutic space have remained largely absent from recent literature. This paper reviews the existing literature on this subject and describes the ways in which the therapist's office is intimately tied to several processes of the therapy itself, by way of creating an adaptive environment that is able to meet the needs of both therapist and client over the course of their work together.
Introduction: The transformative powers of aesthetic experiences in psychotherapy
Authors: Geller Jesse D. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThis issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session contains seven essays that give expression to three basic convictions. The first is that therapists who are consistently able to help their patients make constructive changes in their lives practice psychotherapy creatively, whether or not they conceive of therapy as an applied science or as an art form. The second is that cultivating an aesthetic perspective on the communicative exchanges that take place in therapy can enhance a therapist's capacity to serve creatively as an agent of change. The third is that therapists can make better choices on behalf of their patients if they take inspiration from what artists have to teach us about the aesthetic domain of existence.
Purification and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from a Bacillus megaterium strain using various dehydration techniques
Authors: Akdoğan Murat , Çelik Eda 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDPolyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural biodegradable polymers synthesized by several microorganisms. Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is the most well‐characterized biopolymer produced abundantly by Bacillus species. In order to get a better PHA recovery, efficient pretreatment steps, especially dehydration, have a large impact on PHA purification from microbial PHA‐rich biomass. In this study, we have described the effects of lyophilization (‐L), microwave‐assisted drying (‐M) and ethanol/heat‐treatment (‐E) dehydration techniques on PHA production by B. megaterium NRRL B‐14308 strain.RESULTSAfter 66 h of batch cultivation, cells reached the maximum PHA accumulation (PHA‐L: 1.36 g L–1, PHA‐E: 1.55 g L–1, PHA‐M: 2.08 g L–1). The highest overall volumetric productivity for PHA was obtained as 0.226 g L–1 h‐1 for PHA‐M, which was 1.5‐fold higher than PHA‐L. Structural and thermal properties of PHA were characterized by GC–MS, FT‐IR, 1H‐NMR, TGA and DSC analyses. Analyses of the accumulated PHA by GC–MS, FT‐IR and 1H‐NMR revealed that the biopolymer was made up of 3‐hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3‐hydroxyvalerate(3 HV) monomers, irrespective of the dehydration technique.CONCLUSIONThe present study offers an alternative biomass drying technique (microwave‐assisted drying) to conventional drying techniques that is favorable in terms of energy efficiency and processing times, and should help to enhance biopolymer production processes. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of packing material configuration and liquid recirculation rate on the performance of a biotrickling filter treating VOCs
Authors: Caicedo Francisco , Estrada José M , Silva Juan P , Muñoz Raúl , Lebrero Raquel 
Published: January 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDGas–liquid mass transfer still constitutes an important constraint for hydrophobic volatile organic compound (VOC) removal in biotrickling filters (BTFs), packing material and liquid recirculation rate being two key parameters governing this mass transfer. The combined impact of both parameters on the abatement of VOCs has not been yet assessed. This work evaluated the influence of the trickling liquid velocity on process performance under two packed bed configurations (random vs. structured) in a BTF treating toluene and ethylbenzene.RESULTSSimilar removal efficiencies >90% for both toluene and ethylbenzene (corresponding to elimination capacities of ∼50 and 32 g m–3 h–1, respectively) were achieved regardless of the configuration. However, less intensive operating conditions were applied in the structured BTF compared to those implemented in the random packed‐bed BTF (optimal trickling liquid velocities of 10 and 20 m h–1 and liquid renewal rates of 400 and 800 mL d–1, respectively).CONCLUSIONThe superior performance of the structured monolith packing at milder operating conditions was attributed to an improved liquid distribution and the reduction of dead volumes and preferential gas flow channels. Proper selection of the packing material would result in an important reduction in both energy and fresh water consumption. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Tissue distribution of some immune cells in bovine reproductive tract during follicular and luteal phase
Authors: Akbalik Mehmet Erdem , Liman Narin , Sagsoz Hakan , Guney Saruhan Berna 
Published: January 2018

AbstractMore recent studies indicate that immune cells which secrete their secretory products or cytokines play an important role in reproductive system. In our study, immune cell populations (CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages, plasma cells, siderophages, eosinophils) and expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II were examined in female reproductive tract during follicular (n = 13) and luteal phase (n = 10). Plasma cells and eosinophil granulocytes are present in few numbers in luminal epithelium, but abundant in longitudinal muscle layer of uterus, whereas siderophages are the dominant cell type in stroma. Moreover, MHC‐I and ‐II+ cells are expressed by individual cells in organ layers, while CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages are dominant in epithelium and muscle layer, respectively. In conclusion, we did not found significant changes in immune cells according to follicular and luteal phases, but localization and numbers in each organ have changed according to both organ and layers. These results indicate that these factors may play a crucial role not only to generate an immune response but also to have a role in regulation of physiological functions in female reproductive organs.
Hybrid feature extraction techniques for microscopic hepatic fibrosis classification
Authors: Ashour Dalia S. , Abou Rayia Dina M. , Maher Ata Mohamed , Ashour Amira S. , Abd Elnaby Mustafa M. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractChronic liver diseases' hallmark is the fibrosis that results in liver function failure in advanced stages. One of the serious parasitic diseases affecting the liver tissues is schistosomiasis. Immunologic reactions to Schistosoma eggs leads to accumulation of collagen in the hepatic parenchyma causing fibrosis. Thus, monitoring and reporting the staging of the histopathological information related to liver fibrosis are essential for accurate diagnosis and therapy of the chronic liver diseases. Automated assessment of the microscopic liver tissue images is an essential process. For accurate and timeless assessment, an automated image analysis and classification of different stages of fibrosis can be employed as an efficient procedure. In this work, granuloma stages, namely cellular, fibrocellular, and fibrotic granulomas along with normal liver samples were classified after features extraction. In this work, a new hybrid combination of statistical features with empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is proposed. These combined features are further classified using the back‐propagation neural network (BPNN). A comparative study of the used classifier with the support vector machine is also conducted. The comparative results established that the BPNN achieved superior accuracy of 98.3% compared to the linear SVM, quadratic SVM, and cubic SVM that provided 85%, 84%, and 80%; respectively. In conclusion, this work is of special value that provides promising results for early prediction of the liver fibrosis in schistosomiais and other fibrotic liver diseases in no time with expected better prognosis after treatment.
Pigmented macrophages and related aggregates in the spleen of european sea bass dosed with heavy metals: Ultrastructure and explorative morphometric analysis
Authors: Manera Maurizio , Sayyaf Dezfuli Bahram , DePasquale Joseph A. , Giari Luisa 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe ultrastructure and morphometrics of pigmented macrophages (PMs) were assessed in the spleen of European sea bass experimentally dosed with Cd and Hg. PMs occurred either as solitary cells or as variably structured aggregations, defined as macrophage aggregates (MAs). Light microscopy revealed a high degree of morphological heterogeneity amongst MAs of all experimental groups. At the ultrastructural level, MAs showed a heterogeneous pigment content that was not influenced by the treatment. Cytoplasm rarefaction/vacuolation and euchromatic nuclei, were observed in PMs of dosed fish. Undosed and Cd‐dosed samples differ significantly with regard to the following morphometric features: the Minor axis of the best fitting ellipse, Aspect Ratio, and Roundness. In Cd‐dosed fish, MAs showed reduced size and complexity. Lacunarity showed significant differences between undosed and both Cd and Hg‐dosed samples. These results suggest that heavy metals, and especially Cd, may influence the dynamics of PM aggregation/disaggregation. Variability in splenic MAs was observed both by light and electron microscopy. However, only the morphometric techniques adequately and objectively described the phenomenon, allowing a quantitative/statistical comparison of morphology among experimental groups. These morphometric analyses could be usefully applied in toxicological and ecotoxicological, as well as morpho‐functional studies.
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Derivatives of 7‐aryl‐10‐thioxo‐7, 10, 11, 12 – tertahydro‐9H‐benzo[H] pyrimido [4,5‐b] quinoline‐8‐one
Authors: Kumbhar Digambar , Chandam Dattatray , Patil Reshma , Jadhav Sunetra , Patil Dayanand , Patravale Ajinkya , Deshmukh Madhukar 
Published: January 2018

A highly competent synthesis of novel 7‐aryl‐10‐thioxo‐7, 10, 11, 12‐tertahydro‐9H‐benzo [H] pyrimido [4, 5‐b] quinoline‐8‐one derivatives has been reported through a Knoevenagel condensation followed by Michael addition and subsequent cyclization using ethanol:acetic acid (8:2 v/v). The mentioned protocol has advantages like high yields, cleaner reactions, operational simplicity, and environment friendliness. Moreover, these compounds were further screened against the plant pathogenic fungi like Colletotrichum truncatum, Ustilago maydis, Trichosporon, Trichothecium sp., Aspergillus oryze, Aspergillus terreus, and Aspergillus niger by agar well method bioassay. The results were elaborated for minimum inhibitory concentration determination using agar dilution method against fungal strains C. truncatum and U. maydis as well as broth dilution method for bacteria species Gram‐positive Bacillus megaterium and Gram‐negative Proteus vulgaris. Most of the tested compounds showed promising results towards the antimicrobial activity.
Solving the puzzle: The effects of contextual information and feedback on the interpretation of a crime scene
Authors: van den Eeden Claire A.J. , Ost James , de Poot Christianne J. , van Koppen Peter J. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractIn this study, we examined how the provision of contextual information and the ability to ask questions and obtain feedback affected mock investigators' interpretation of a crime scene. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in a 2 × 2 design and assessed two photographs of the same crime scene. Participants were instructed to write a narrative about what they thought had happened at the scene. Results showed that the provision of contextual information and the ability to ask questions had no effect on the lengths of the narratives participants produced. However, participants who received contextual information wrote a more factual narrative containing more descriptions of actions before, during, and after the crime. Across all conditions, most of the questions were asked about persons who could in some way be involved in the crime. Results of this study indicate that the provision of contextual information helped participants to focus on the more factual, rather than speculative elements, of the crime.
Comparison of modified two‐point dixon and chemical shift encoded MRI water‐fat separation methods for fetal fat quantification
Authors: Giza Stephanie A. , Miller Michael R. , Parthasarathy Prasiddha , de Vrijer Barbra , McKenzie Charles A. 
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUNDFetal fat is indicative of the energy balance within the fetus, which may be disrupted in pregnancy complications such as fetal growth restriction, macrosomia, and gestational diabetes. Water‐fat separated MRI is a technique sensitive to tissue lipid content, measured as fat fraction (FF), and can be used to accurately measure fat volumes. Modified two‐point Dixon and chemical shift encoded MRI (CSE‐MRI) are water‐fat separated MRI techniques that could be applied to imaging of fetal fat. Modified two‐point Dixon has biases present that are corrected in CSE‐MRI which may contribute to differences in the fat measurements.PURPOSETo compare the measurement of fetal fat volume and FF by modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI.STUDY TYPECross‐sectional study for comparison of two MRI pulse sequences.POPULATIONTwenty‐one pregnant women with singleton pregnancies.FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE1.5T, modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI.ASSESSMENTManual segmentation of total fetal fat volume and mean FF from modified 2‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI FF images.STATISTICAL TESTSReliability was assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement was assessed using a one‐sample t‐test on the fat measurements difference values (modified two‐point Dixon ‐ CSE‐MRI). The difference scores were tested against a value of 0, which would indicate that the measurements were identical.RESULTSThe fat volume and FF measured by modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI had excellent reliability, demonstrated by ICCs of 0.93 (P < 0.001) and 0.90 (P < 0.001), respectively. They were not in agreement, with CSE‐MRI giving mean fat volumes 180 mL greater and mean FF 3.0% smaller than modified two‐point Dixon.DATA CONCLUSIONThe reliability between modified two‐point Dixon and CSE‐MRI indicates that either technique can be used to compare fetal fat measurements in different participants, but they are not in agreement possibly due to uncorrected biases in modified two‐point Dixon.Level of Evidence: 4Technical Efficacy: Stage 1J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018.
TSPO regulation in reactive gliotic diseases
Authors: McNeela Adam M. , Bernick Charles , Hines Rochelle M. , Hines Dustin J. 
Published: January 2018

AbstractThe brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body. This high metabolic demand is apparent in that 60% of the brain is comprised of mitochondria‐enriched cells. A disruption of the brain's ability to meet this immense metabolic demand is central to the pathogenesis of a multitude of neurological disorders, which range from depression to Alzheimer's disease. Central to these pathologies are glial signaling and energy metabolism cascades regulating apoptosis and inflammation. Thus, diseases causing inflammation and disruption of metabolism can be correlated with glial reactivity. Acutely, reactive gliosis provides a mechanism for limiting the progression of a disease. Following chronic activation, the ability of reactive gliosis to limit disease progression decreases and, in some cases, transitions into a harmful state. The necessity for a noninvasive biomarker of disease in the brain has linked reactive gliosis with an upregulation of translocator protein (TSPO). TSPO is an 18kDa protein that is both a therapeutic target for multiple acute and chronic neuroinflammatory diseases and the leading biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Although a central function of TSPO is not well known, the protein was named for its ability to translocate cholesterol. Increased TSPO expression is an indicator of disrupted metabolic activity and increased reactive oxygen production. The changes in TSPO expression levels both temporally and spatially relate to the pathogenesis of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, and depression. Therefore, research into the basic function and potential therapeutics targeting TSPO will have broad implications for many diseases of the brain.