bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prostaglandin E2 Negatively Regulates the Production of Inflammatory Cytokines/Chemokines and IL-17 in Visceral Leishmaniasis
Authors: Saha Amrita , Biswas Arunima , Srivastav Supriya , Mukherjee Madhuchhanda , Das Pijush K. , Ukil Anindita 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
Persistence of intracellular infection depends on the exploitation of factors that negatively regulate the host immune response. In this study, we elucidated the role of macrophage PGE2, an immunoregulatory lipid, in successful survival of Leishmania donovani, causative agent of the fatal visceral leishmaniasis. PGE2 production was induced during infection and resulted in increased cAMP level in peritoneal macrophages through G protein–coupled E-series prostanoid (EP) receptors. Among four different EPs (EP1–4), infection upregulated the expression of only EP2, and individual administration of either EP2-specific agonist, butaprost, or 8-Br–cAMP, a cell-permeable cAMP analog, promoted parasite survival. Inhibition of cAMP also induced generation of reactive oxygen species, an antileishmanial effector molecule. Negative modulation of PGE2 signaling reduced infection-induced anti-inflammatory cytokine polarization and enhanced inflammatory chemokines, CCL3 and CCL5. Effect of PGE2 on cytokine and chemokine production was found to be differentially modulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC). PGE2-induced decreases in TNF-α and CCL5 were mediated specifically by PKA, whereas administration of brefeldin A, an EPAC inhibitor, could reverse decreased production of CCL3. Apart from modulating inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance, PGE2 inhibited antileishmanial IL-17 cytokine production in splenocyte culture. Augmented PGE2 production was also found in splenocytes of infected mice, and administration of EP2 antagonist in mice resulted in reduced liver and spleen parasite burden along with host-favorable T cell response. These results suggest that Leishmania facilitates an immunosuppressive environment in macrophages by PGE2-driven, EP2-mediated cAMP signaling that is differentially regulated by PKA and EPAC.
PTX3 Binds MD-2 and Promotes TRIF-Dependent Immune Protection in Aspergillosis
Authors: Bozza Silvia , Campo Silvia , Arseni Brunilde , Inforzato Antonio , Ragnar Lindstedt , Bottazzi Barbara , Mantovani Alberto , Moretti Silvia , Oikonomous Vasileios , De Santis Rita , Carvalho Agostinho , Salvatori Giovanni , Romani Luigina 
Published: July 2014

Abstract
The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) modulates different effector pathways involved in innate resistance to Aspergillus fumigatus, including complement activation or promotion of phagocytosis by interacting with FcγRs. However, whether and how TLRs modulate PTX3 mediates antifungal resistance is not known. In this study, we demonstrate that PTX3 binds myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD-2) in vitro and exerts its protective antifungal activity in vivo through TLR4/MD-2–mediated signaling. Similar to Tlr4−/− mice, Md2−/− mice displayed high susceptibility to pulmonary aspergillosis, a phenotype associated with a proinflammatory cytokine profile and impaired antifungal activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Treating Md2−/− mice with PTX3 failed to confer immune protection against the fungus, whereas adoptive transfer of MD-2–competent polymorphonuclear neutrophils restored it. Mechanistically, engagement of MD-2 by PTX3-opsonized Aspergillus conidia activated the TLR4/Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-β–dependent signaling pathway converging on IL-10. Thus, we have identified a novel receptor mechanism, involving the TLR4/MD-2/Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-β–mediated signaling, whereby PTX3 elicits antifungal resistance with limited immunopathology in A. fumigatus infection.
Barriers to, Facilitators of, and Interventions to Support Treat‐to‐Target Implementation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gossec Laure , Bessette Louis , Xavier Ricardo M. , Favalli Ennio G. , Östör Andrew , Buch Maya H. 
Published: August 2024

ObjectiveTreat‐to‐target is recommended in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but its implementation is suboptimal. We aimed to identify interventional strategies targeted at improving treat‐to‐target implementation in RA by systematically reviewing published evidence on barriers to, facilitators of, and interventions to support treat‐to‐target implementation.MethodsSystematic and scoping literature searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, BIOSIS Previews, Derwent Drug File, Embase, EMCare, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and SciSearch were conducted to identify barriers/facilitators and interventions relating to treat‐to‐target implementation in RA. The quality of included studies was assessed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists. Data related to barriers/facilitators and interventions were extracted, grouped, and summarized descriptively, and a narrative synthesis was generated.ResultsIn total, 146 articles were analyzed, of which 123 (84%) included ≥50% of the items assessed by CASP checklists. Of the 146 studies, 76 evaluated treat‐to‐target barriers and facilitators, from which 329 relevant statements were identified and regrouped into 18 target areas, including health care professional (HCP) or patient knowledge or perceptions; patient‐HCP communication or alignment; and time or resources. Overall, 56 interventions were identified from 70 studies across the 18 target areas; 54% addressed disease activity or patient‐reported outcome assessments. Of the 56 interventions identified, 36 improved treat‐to‐target implementation and/or patient outcomes in RA.ConclusionDespite long‐established treat‐to‐target recommendations, there remain many barriers to its implementation. Interventions to improve treat‐to‐target should be developed further and assessed, with a particular focus on tailoring them to individual countries, regions, and health care settings.
Nano‐Enabled Intracellular Bursting of Calcium and Retinoic Acid Regulates Dopaminergic Neuronal Differentiation of NSCs for Parkinson's Disease Therapy
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Liu Qi , Zhou Wenjuan , Zhao Tiantian , Shi Jiapei , Ren Na , Wang Jingang , Shan Fengjuan , Wang Hongli , Wang Jie , Sun Chunhui , Wang Zenan , Hao Aijun , Liu Hong , Wang Shuping 
Published: August 2024

AbstractParkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Neural stem cell (NSC) therapy offers promise for replacing these neurons and restoring neural function. However, directing NSCs to become dopaminergic neurons is challenging. Retinoic acid (RA) is a potential regulator, but its insolubility in water limits its use in PD therapy. Herein, nanonizing RA with calcium acetate to create calcium‐retinoic acid nanoparticles (Ca‐RA NPs) is proposed. These nanoparticles can be internalized by NSCs and then dissociated in the acidic environment of lysosomes to lead to a burst of Ca2+ and RA. In vitro results showed that the intracellular bursting of Ca2+ and RA accelerated neuronal differentiation and maturation by 5–10 days compared to spontaneous NSC differentiation. Importantly, Ca‐RA NPs uniquely directed NSCs to dopaminergic neurons, involving the interaction between the calcium ion‐mediated MAPK signaling pathway and the RA‐mediated RA signaling pathway. Animal experiments further validated the efficacy of Ca‐RA‐coated NSCs in restoring motor and cognitive functions in PD mice by rapidly forming dopaminergic neural circuits. Given that both RA and calcium acetate are approved by the FDA, this strategy has the potential for translation into a clinical treatment approach for stem cell therapy of PD.
Self‐Assembly of Biocompatible Core‐Shell Nanocapsules with Tunable Surface Functionality by Microfluidics for Enhanced Drug Delivery
Authors: Yang Ze , Xie Yuting , Song Jinyuan , Liu Rongrong , Chen Jingyi , Weitz David A , Sheng Jianpeng , Liang Tingbo , Chen Dong 
Published: August 2024

AbstractNanocarriers are essential for targeted and enhanced drug delivery. However, the use of toxic solvent and the complex of chemical functionalization have seriously limited their clinical translation. Here, a one‐step strategy is developed to direct the self‐assembly of biocompatible core‐shell nanocapsules with tunable surface functionality by microfluidics. Upon rapid mixing and solvent exchange of ethanol with water in a microfluidic device, drug, oil, polymer, and polymer‐PEG‐function co‐precipitate and self‐assemble into core‐shell nanocapsules with desired surface functionality as driven by energy minimization. The prepared PCL‐PEG‐FA core‐shell nanocapsules demonstrate a high encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity and exhibit excellent tumor‐targeting drug delivery performances both in vitro and in vivo via the binding of functional group on the nanocapsule surface with corresponding receptor on the tumor cell membrane. The immune activation in the tumor microenvironment is investigated in detail by flow cytometry and multiplex immunohistochemistry staining to reveal the underlying mechanism for enhanced anti‐tumor performances. The developed strategy is green, facile, versatile, scalable and offers a promising platform for the design of advanced nanocarriers with hierarchical structure and desired function for enhanced drug delivery.
Atomic Interface Engineering‐Mediated Metallene Nanozyme Boosts Efficient Photothermal Catalytic Tumor‐Specific Therapy
Authors: Wu Jiandong , Jiao Dongxu , Liu Qihui , Tian Bin , Liu Tao , Wu Qiong , Nan Yu , Chang Xin , Jiang Shan , Yang Qi , Cui Xiaoqiang , Chen Fangfang 
Published: August 2024

AbstractTumor microenvironment (TME)‐responsive nanozymes‐based catalytic therapy shows great potential in combating malignant tumor. However, their biological application still suffers from deficient catalytic activity. Herein, the MoOx‐Rh metallene nanozyme demonstrates highly efficient multiple enzymatic catalytic activities, where MoOx species atomically dispersed on Rh metallene surface. The resulting structures enable MoOx‐Rh metallene with maximally exposed active oxide‐metallene interface and more atoms sites around interface can be well finely regulated. Results of experiment and density functional theory (DFT) simulations support the notion that atomic interface structure facilitates multiple enzyme‐like reactions. As a TME‐responsive nanozyme, MoOx‐Rh metallene exhibits remarkable therapeutic effect of tumor due to intrinsic near‐infrared photothermal effect and laser‐enhanced multiple enzymatic catalytic activities. This study illustrates the great promise of atomic interface engineering strategy in tumor catalytic therapy.
The Guardian of Vision: Intelligent Bacteriophage‐Based Eyedrops for Clinical Multidrug‐Resistant Ocular Surface Infections
Authors: Chen Luojia , Wu Ming‐Yu , Chen Si‐Ling , Hu Rui , Wang Yifei , Zeng Weijuan , Feng Shun , Ke Min , Wang Lianrong , Chen Shi , Gu Meijia 
Published: August 2024

AbstractClinical multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR‐PA) is the leading cause of refractory bacterial keratitis (BK). However, the reported BK treatment methods lack biosecurity and bioavailability, which usually causes irreversible visual impairment and even blindness. Herein, for BK caused by clinically isolated MDR‐PA infection, armed phages are modularized with the type I photosensitizer (PS) ACR‐DMT, and an intelligent phage eyedrop is developed for combined phagotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). These eyedrops maximize the advantages of bacteriophages and ACR‐DMT, enabling more robust and specific targeting killing of MDR‐PA under low oxygen‐dependence, penetrating and disrupting biofilms, and efficiently preventing biofilm reformation. Altering the biofilm and immune microenvironments alleviates inflammation noninvasively, promotes corneal healing without scar formation, protects ocular tissues, restores visual function, and prevents long‐term discomfort and pain. This strategy exhibits strong scalability, enables at‐home treatment of ocular surface infections with great patient compliance and a favorable prognosis, and has significant potential for clinical application.
Stabilizing Interlayer Repulsion in Layered Sodium‐Ion Oxide Cathodes via Hierarchical Layer Modification
Authors: Liu Xiangsi , Yuan Chen , Zheng Xingyu , Cheng Gangya , Qian Hui , Zheng Bizhu , Lu Xingyu , Yang Yao , Zhu Yizhou , Xiang Yuxuan 
Published: August 2024

AbstractLayered sodium‐ion oxides hold considerable promise in achieving high‐performance sodium‐ion batteries. However, the notorious phase transformation during charging, attributed to increased O2−─O2− repulsion, results in substantial performance decay. Here, a hierarchical layer modification strategy is proposed to stabilize interlayer repulsion. During desodiation, migrated Li+ from the transition metal layer and anchored Ca2+ in sodium sites maintain the cationic content within the sodium layer. Meanwhile, partial oxygen substitution by fluorine and the involvement of oxygen in redox reactions increase the average valence of the oxygen layer. This sustained cation presence and elevated anion valence collectively mitigate increasing O2−─O2− repulsion during sodium extraction, enabling the Na0.61Ca0.05[Li0.1Ni0.23Mn0.67]O1.95F0.05 (NCLNMOF) cathode to retain a pure P2‐type structure across a wide voltage range. Unexpected insights reveal the interplay between different doping elements: the robust Li─F bonds and Ca2+ steric effects suppressing Li+ loss. The NCLNMOF electrode exhibits 82.5% capacity retention after 1000 cycles and a high‐rate capability of 94 mAh g−1 at 1600 mA g−1, demonstrating the efficacy of hierarchical layer modification for high‐performance layered oxide cathodes.
Unveiling the Stability of Proper Polyethyleneimine‐Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Composites‐Derived Chemiresistive CO2 Sensors
Authors: Liu Tianyi , Lang Kening , Patel Rishi J. , Robledo Christopher J. , Boeser Nickolas , Eldredge Rebecca L. , Padilla Daniel J. , Nelson Marriana , Landorf Christopher W. , Kayastha Vijaya , Zhu Jiadeng 
Published: August 2024

AbstractBranched polyethyleneimine (PEI), consisting of numerous imine groups, is employed for CO2 gas detection, attributed to the interaction between imine groups and CO2. Incorporating functionalized carbon nanotubes (f‐CNTs) into PEI developed in recent years has remarkably enhanced sensor performance. However, the active characteristic of imine groups makes the sensor susceptible to aging. In this research, the aging of PEIs with different molecular weights is systematically studied and compared along with their thermal stability and structure migration under various conditions, explored using thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, an ink composed of high‐molecular‐weight PEI and f‐CNTs is successfully developed, which shows outstanding printability according to its rheology results. The stability of the ink is assessed by a Turbiscan analyzer and compared with the ink composed of low‐molecular‐weight PEI. The ink with high‐molecular‐weight PEI is utilized to prepare CO2 sensors via screen printing, which are then tested by in‐house‐built electronics. The sensors achieve a detection range of 300–2000 ppm CO2, which could indicate robust sensing performance even after 40 continuous testing cycles. It should be noted that the resultant sensors have realized a wider measurement range and superior stability than other reported PEI/CNT‐based CO2 sensors, further facilitating their practical applications.
Canopy closure, yield, and quality under heterogeneous plant spacing in sunflower
Authors: Olson Neil A. , Trostle Calvin , Meyer Ronald , Hulke Brent S. 
Published: August 2024

AbstractDeviation from uniform target plant population density in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) production may negatively affect canopy closure, yield, and grain quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of plant density heterogeneity on yield, quality, and canopy closure in confectionery and oilseed sunflowers. Field experiments consisted of fixed differences in the number of skips/doubles per plot while maintaining equal total number of plants, and stand gaps with proportional decreasing plant counts. These were conducted in Minnesota, Texas, and Colorado, USA. Experiments revealed that yield was occasionally influenced by heterogeneity, with more uniform stand density yielding higher; however, substantial changes in uniformity of plant density often resulted in no differences in yield. Confectionery sunflowers compensated for yield losses in thinner stands mainly by producing larger seeds (observed range of 0.1%–46.2% of seeds over a 9.53 mm sieve), while oilseed sunflowers increased seed production per head (as shown by invariable test weight across treatments within environments). Plants that were unharvestable for any cause (most often due to head rot disease or lodging) were more prevalent in less uniform stands, and faster canopy closure was achieved in uniformly spaced plants. Although sunflower is very resilient to stand uniformity issues, these findings underscore the importance of uniform sunflower plant spacing for effective weed suppression and crop performance and highlight the need for further research into sunflower yield compensation mechanisms.
Can outsourcing pest and disease control help reduce pesticide expenditure? Evidence from rice farmers
Authors: Wang Pengcheng , Ma Wanglin , Diao Mengling 
Published: August 2024

AbstractOutsourcing pest and disease control (PDC) has grown rapidly worldwide, especially in developing countries. Although numerous studies have investigated various advantages of outsourcing PDC, little is known about its impact on pesticide expenditure. This study addresses the gap by estimating the impact of outsourcing PDC on pesticide expenditure using data collected from 448 rice farmers in China. We employ an endogenous treatment regression (ETR) model and an instrumental variable quantile regression (IVQR) model to investigate the homogenous and heterogeneous impacts of outsourcing PDC, respectively. The results estimated by the ETR model show that outsourcing PDC decreases total pesticide expenditure. The reduction in herbicide expenditure due to outsourcing PDC is greater than the reduction in insecticide expenditure. The results estimated by the IVQR model reveal that the pesticide expenditure reduction effect of outsourcing PDC is larger among farmers with higher pesticide expenditure. Our findings generally suggest that it is necessary to take outsourcing PDC into consideration when designing policies to promote pesticide expenditure reduction and protect the ecological environment and human health.
Bimetallic synergistic effect of Co and Fe for the highly efficient catalytic decomposition of ozone
Authors: Liu Wenyan , Zhu Yu‐quan , Wang Binxia , Lin Wenwen , Li Kaitao , Liu Wendi , Lin Yanjun 
Published: August 2024

AbstractGround‐level ozone pollution is a major concern for human health, ecosystems, and material degradation. This article presents a Co‐ and Fe‐based bimetallic layered double hydroxide (CoFe‐LDH) catalyst for ozone decomposition. The CoFe‐LDH catalyst exhibited 100% ozone decomposition efficiency over 24 h at a reaction rate of 35.3 μmol g−1 min−1. The synergetic effects between Co and Fe regulated the valence state, increased the number of Co vacancies, and increased the specific surface area and density of the hydroxyl groups on the surface. Moreover, the two metals facilitated different dissociation steps and the desorption step became exothermic after ozone enrichment on the surface, rendering every step concurrently spontaneous, which has not been observed in previously reported ozone decomposition catalysts. This study demonstrates the potential of LDHs for ozone pollution control and offers new insights into the design of synergistic bimetallic catalysts.
Solar‐Driven Methanogenesis through Microbial Ecosystem Engineering on Carbon Nitride
Authors: Kalathil Shafeer , Rahaman Motiar , Lam Erwin , Augustin Teresa L. , Greer Heather F. , Reisner Erwin 
Published: August 2024

AbstractSemi‐biological photosynthesis combines synthetic photosensitizers with microbial catalysts to produce sustainable fuels and chemicals from CO2. However, the inefficient transfer of photoexcited electrons to microbes leads to limited CO2 utilization, restricting the catalytic performance of such biohybrid assemblies. Here, we introduce a biological engineering solution to address the inherently sluggish electron uptake mechanism of a methanogen, Methanosarcina barkeri (M. barkeri), by coculturing it with an electron transport specialist, Geobacter sulfurreducens KN400 (KN400), an adapted strain rich with multiheme c‐type cytochromes (c‐Cyts) and electrically conductive protein filaments (e‐PFs) made of polymerized c‐Cyts with enhanced capacity for extracellular electron transfer (EET). Integration of this M. barkeri‐KN400 co‐culture with a synthetic photosensitizer, carbon nitride, demonstrates that c‐Cyts and e‐PFs, emanating from live KN400, transport photoexcited electrons efficiently from the carbon nitride to M. barkeri for methanogenesis with remarkable long‐term stability and selectivity. The demonstrated cooperative interaction between two microbes via direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) and the photosensitizer to assemble a semi‐biological photocatalyst introduces an ecosystem engineering strategy in solar chemistry to drive sustainable chemical reactions.
Micro/Meso‐Porous Double‐Shell Hollow Carbon Spheres through Spatially Confined Pyrolysis for Supercapacitors and Zinc‐Ion Capacitor
Authors: Du Juan , Han Qinghui , Chen Yuanyuan , Peng Mengke , Xie Lei , Chen Aibing 
Published: August 2024

AbstractEnergy storage in supercapacitors and hybrid zinc ion capacitors (ZIC) using porous carbon materials offers a promising alternative method for clean energy solutions. The unique combination of hierarchical porous structure and nitrogen doping in these materials has demonstrated significant capacity for energy storage. Nevertheless, the full potential of these materials, particularly the relationship between pore structure configuration and performance, remains underexplored. Herein, a confined pyrolysis strategy based on the polymerization characteristics of polydopamine (PDA) was developed to construction of hollow carbon spheres with microporous/mesoporous dual shell structure. The depth of micropores and cavity can be controlled by adjusting the duration of heat treatment and hydrothermal treatment, in accordance with the decomposition and polymerization characteristics of PDA. Due to the elasticity of this structure, the relationship between the micro/mesoporous depth of the prepared carbon spheres and the energy storage performance in supercapacitors and ZIC is established. Through optimizing the ion transport capacity of carbon spheres and considering the influence of its internal cavity structure on energy storage, the resulting carbon spheres exhibit high specific capacitance of 389 F g−1 in supercapacitor and specific capacitance of 260 F g−1 and excellent stability with 99.3 % retention after 30000 chare/discharge cycles in ZIC.