bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A mechanistic Study of the electrochemical reaction between nitrostyrene and benzaldehyde; DFT calculations on all possible routes and intermediates
Authors: Shirvani Donya , Tavakol Hossein , Abedini Mahshid 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

A theoretical investigation of electrochemical reaction between β-nitrostyrene and benzaldehyde was conducted at the DFT M06-2X/def2-TZVP level of theory. The reaction mechanism was dissected into five proposed routes, via 3 pathways, concluding to 4 possible products (P1 to P4). To gain a comprehensive understanding, we explored these routes both in the gas phase and in solution using three solvents: dimethylformamide, methanol, and water. In the gas phase, the overall barriers of these five routes (the energy in parentheses refers to the relative G versus reactants in kcal/mol) are in this order: A2 (-48.22) < A1 (21.29) < C1 (21.59) < B (29.81) < C2 (77.59). The ΔG for the formation of four products (the energy in parentheses refers to the relative G versus reactants in kcal/mol) are in this order: P2 (-233.40) < P4 (-82.13) < P3 (-74.18) < P1 (-46.97). Therefore, in the extra amount of both benzaldehyde and proton, P2 is the major product, in the extra amount of benzaldehyde and minimum amount of proton, P1 is preferred, and in the small amount of benzaldehyde and proton, P4 is preferred (only via C1 route). In the solvents, despite the gas phase data, path B and product P3 are a favorable path and product. Thermodynamically, the average relative G in three solvents for P3 is -112.09 kcal/mol, for P2 is -112.1, for P4 is -118.46, and for P1 is -60.25. Kinetically, the average relative G in three solvents for the transition states of P3 is -8.25 kcal/mol, P2 is -42.84, P4 is 34.16 via route C1 and 29.05 via route C2, and P1 is 95.81. Therefore, in the excess concentration of proton, P2 is the most favorable product by both kinetic and thermodynamic data and the for P low concentration of proton, P3 is the most favorable product.
Astrocytic DLL4-NOTCH1 signaling pathway promotes neuroinflammation via the IL-6-STAT3 axis
Authors: Mora Pierre , Laisné Margaux , Bourguignon Célia , Rouault Paul , Jaspard-Vinassa Béatrice , Maitre Marlène , Gadeau Alain-Pierre , Renault Marie-Ange , Horng Sam , couffinhal Thierry , Chapouly Candice 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Under neuroinflammatory conditions, astrocytes acquire a reactive phenotype that drives acute inflammatory injury as well as chronic neurodegeneration. We hypothesized that astrocytic Delta-like 4 (DLL4) may interact with its receptor NOTCH1 on neighboring astrocytes to regulate astrocyte reactivity via downstream juxtacrine signaling pathways. Here we investigated the role of astrocytic DLL4 on neurovascular unit homeostasis under neuroinflammatory conditions. We probed for downstream effectors of the DLL4-NOTCH1 axis and targeted these for therapy in two models of CNS inflammatory disease. We first demonstrated that astrocytic DLL4 is upregulated during neuroinflammation, both in mice and humans, driving astrocyte reactivity and subsequent blood-brain barrier permeability and inflammatory infiltration. We then showed that the DLL4-mediated NOTCH1 signaling in astrocytes directly drives IL-6 levels, induces STAT3 phosphorylation promoting upregulation of astrocyte reactivity markers, pro-permeability factor secretion and consequent blood-brain barrier destabilization. Finally we revealed that blocking DLL4 with antibodies improves experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis symptoms in mice, identifying a potential novel therapeutic strategy for CNS autoimmune demyelinating disease. As a general conclusion, this study demonstrates that DLL4-NOTCH1 signaling is not only a key pathway in vascular development and angiogenesis, but also in the control of astrocyte reactivity during neuroinflammation.
The Synthesis and Characterization of O-Dianisidine Derived Crosslinked Trimeric and Tetrameric Polyphosphazene Microspheres
Authors: DEMİRCİOĞLU Yasemin SÜZEN , KARAÇIRAY Zafer 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Phosphazenes can react with compounds with various functional groups to form compounds with different properties, and polymers with various usage areas can be obtained under suitable conditions. A class of materials known for its versatility and sophisticated nature, crosslinked polyphosphazenes combine a phosphorus-nitrogen backbone with a variety of organic side groups to form a unique inorganic-organic hybrid structure. The crosslinking process, whether it be chemical, photochemical, or thermal, results in notable improvements in mechanical strength, chemical resistance, thermal stability, and biocompatibility. These properties make crosslinked polyphosphazenes highly suitable for a range of applications including biomedical devices, drug delivery systems, controlled drug release, enzyme activities, tissue engineering scaffolds, surgical materials, hydrophilic-hydrofobic materials, liquid crystals, sensors, thermal resistant materials, ion transfer membranes, catalysis support, dye adsorption for green chemistry environmental remediation technologies, and advanced coatings and adhesives. Their potential utility is further expanded by the capacity to modify the side groups and crosslinking density of these materials to tune their physical and chemical features. Crosslinked polyphosphazenes are being explored and optimized for synthesis and use in several sectors of research, thereby placing them as essential materials for future technological breakthroughs.
In this study, cyclomatrix polyphosphazene microspheres were synthesized from the reactions of o-dianisidine (o- DNSD) as monomer and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (trimer, N₃P₃Cl₆) /octachlorocyclotetraphosphazene (tetramer, N4P4Cl8), as crosslinking agents, according to the precipitation polymerization method. The characterization of the products were elucidated by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) , FT-IR (Fourier- Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) and XRD (X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy) spectral techniques.
Supplementary Fit; A complement to current engineering team selection models
Authors: Hajarolasvadi Hossein , Shahhosseini Vahid 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Teams are the building blocks in project-oriented organizations. Although project teams’ effectiveness directly affects companies’ performance, team selection has long been a challenge. Many models have been developed so far to address this need. However, almost all these models solely focus on the individual competencies of candidates rather than the quality of interpersonal relationships between team members. Ignoring social and psychological criteria in selecting teams is one of the most significant shortcomings of the project team selection process. The difficulty in incorporating qualitative social issues and interpersonal relationships into quantitative models is recognized as the main obstacle. This article addresses this gap by developing a model based on the concepts of person-team fit and sociometry. The model considers social criteria in team selection with a practical approach using sociometric tests. It can be used as a complement to current procedures by providing supplementary fit within team members.
Placental TRPV2 is indispensable for normal fetal development.
Authors: De Clercq Katrien , Perez-Garcia Vicente , Panda Amitesh , López-Tello Jorge , Maksym Katarzyna , David Anna , Broeck Evy Van Den , Luyten Katrien , Segal Andrei , Katanosaka Yuki , vennekens rudi , Pasque Vincent , Sferruzzi-Perri Amanda , Voets Thomas , Vriens Joris 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

TRPV2 is a calcium-permeable ion channel with a broad expression pattern that contributes to neuronal outgrowth, immune response, and cardiac function. Mice lacking Trpv2 are more susceptible to perinatal lethality, a phenotype that cannot be explained by its previously allocated functions. We recently reported functional TRPV2 expression in mouse trophoblast cells and described temporal expression changes during placental development in mice. Here, we provide compelling evidence that TRPV2 plays a vital role in normal placental development, determining fetal size and survival. Specifically, Trpv2 is abundantly present in a subset of murine placental syncytiotrophoblast cells II (SynTII) during early development. Its absence results in region-specific loss of SynTII cells and fetal vascular invasion, severely affecting placental morphology. Consequently, global Trpv2 knockout mice suffer from fetal growth restriction and embryonic lethality, a phenotype found to be allocated to a non-redundant role in the trophoblast, but not in the embryo. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Trpv2 deletion in mouse trophoblast stem cells identified a critical role of Trpv2 in the differentiation process towards SynTII cells, which was confirmed by the growth restriction phenotype in SynTII-specific Trpv2 knockout animals. TRPV2 expression was abundantly detected in human syncytiotrophoblast cells differentiated from trophoblast stem cells, suggesting a conserved role for TRPV2 in human trophoblast differentiation. Finally in the human placenta, TRPV2 expression was lower in early-onset fetal growth restriction compared to appropriately grown pregnancies. Taken together, our findings identify for the first time the indispensable role of TRPV2 during placental development, arbitrating fetal outcomes.
Care pathways for critically ill children aged 0-5 years arriving at district hospitals in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger (2022): a cross-sectional study.
Authors: GRES Emelyne , Louart Sarah , Méda Bertrand , Peters-Bokol Lucie , G Désiré Kargougou , Hedible Gildas Boris , Sawadogo Abdoul Guaniyi , Zair Zineb , Kolié Jacques Séraphin , Bonnet Emmanuel , Ridde Valéry , Leroy Valériane 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background.
Under-five mortality remains high in West Africa, where sick children are expected to first attend the primary health care before being referred to a hospital if necessary. However, little is known about how families navigate between home and higher levels of care to meet their children’s health needs, despite multiple known barriers (including social, financial, and geographical accessibility). We analysed the care pathways of children aged 0-5 years before they presented to the district hospital with a serious illness and the determinants of these care pathways in four West African countries.
Methods.
From May to August 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional study over a one-month data collection in seven district hospitals participating in the AIRE project aimed to introduce pulse oximetry at primary health care level in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Niger. All children aged 0-5 years, classified as severe or priority cases by clinicians at referral district hospitals were included after parental consent. Data about care pathways since the onset of their disease were collected from caregivers, and the Levesque framework was used to analyse the accessibility issues.
Results.
A total of 861 severely ill children were included, with 33% being neonates: 20.3% in Burkina Faso, 9.2% in Guinea, 9.5% in Mali, and 61% in Niger. In Burkina Faso and Niger, most children followed the recommended care pathway and first visited a primary health centre before arriving at the hospital, with 81.1% and 73.3% of children, respectively. However, they were only 51.2% in Mali and 13.9% in Guinea. Using alternative pathways was common, particularly in Guinea, where 30.4% of children first consulted a pharmacist, and Mali, where 25.6% consulted a traditional medicine practitioner. Overall, primary care was perceived to be more geographically accessible and less expensive, but parents were much less convinced that it could improve their child's health compared to hospital care.
Conclusion.
The recommended pathway is largely adhered to, yet parallel pathways require attention, notably in Guinea and Mali. A better understanding of healthcare-seeking behaviours can help remove barriers to care, improving the likelihood that a sick child will receive optimal care.
Additive and partially dominant effects contribute to crop heterosis
Authors: Dan Zhiwu , Chen Yunping , Zhow Wei , Xu Yanghong , Huang Junran , Chen Yi , Meng Jizhou , Yao Guoxin , Huang Wenchao 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

The molecular mechanisms of heterosis remain debated due to discrepancies in factors such as species, phenotypes, hybrid populations, developmental stages or growth environments. Here, heterosis-associated genes and metabolites were screened from differential molecules in parents, and the main inheritance patterns of these molecules were additive and partially dominant effects, namely, at the middle parent levels and between the parental and middle parent levels. The additive and partially dominant effects contributed to heterosis of 17 rice agronomic traits, including grain yield and plant height across developmental stages, and to heterosis of F1 hybrids from different populations or environments in both rice and maize. Furthermore, the two inheritance patterns were associated with parental genomic variants, particularly unique single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertions/deletions (InDels), which were correlated with heterosis of agronomic traits. Our study systematically integrates parental genetic variation and highlights the predominant genetic effects of additive and partially dominant in crop heterosis.
Damage assessment of truss structures via finite element model update using a combined TLBO-SAP2000 OAPI approach
Authors: Özgan Korhan , Kahya Volkan , Şimşek Sebahat 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

While numerous methodologies for identifying structural damages through finite element (FE) model updating and optimization algorithms have been developed and validated for accuracy, certain unresolved issues necessitate further investigation. The establishment of a numerical model is imperative for damage assessment through model updating, particularly for complex engineering structures with numerous elements, such as trusses, which demand substantial effort. Utilizing commercial software can offer significant convenience in this context. To cope with this challenge, we propose a FE model update strategy employing the SAP2000 Open Application Programming Interface (OAPI) and Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO) for evaluating damages in complex truss structures. The FE model of the monitored structure is, first, constituted via SAP2000 software. Subsequently, the damage assessment of the structure is formulated as an unconstrained optimization problem. An objective function is defined as a weighted linear combination of three modal parameters: frequency, Coordinate Modal Assurance Criterion (COMAC), and flexibility. For the identification and quantification of stiffness degradation induced by damage, the optimization problem is addressed through TLBO. The iterative optimization process is automated by establishing a linkage between MATLAB and SAP2000 through the OAPI feature of SAP2000. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated through two numerical test examples, accounting for measurement noise and sparse measured data.
Emergence of strong trends in humid heat intensity and duration in recent decades over South Asia
Authors: Singh Jitendra , Singh Deepti , Sippel Sebastian , Fischer Erich 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

South Asia’s climate features the hottest temperatures in the pre-monsoon season followed by intense humid heat after the onset of the summer monsoons. Here, we examine trends and drivers of humid heat extremes during the monsoon and pre-monsoon season Since the early 2000s, humid heat extremes in the monsoon season have warmed two times faster than the rate observed since the 1950s. In addition, the average duration of monsoon season humid heat extremes has increased from ~2 days in the 1950s to several weeks in the recent decades across South Asia, a region with high population density. The intensification of humid heat extremes is driven in part by peak humidity in the monsoon season occurring nearly two weeks earlier since 2000 compared to the mid-20th century baseline. and coinciding with higher temperatures. Humid heat extremes during the pre-monsoon season are also increasing across most of the region. The exception is Western South Asia, the hottest and driest region, that experienced remarkably strong cooling trends during the pre-monsoon since the 2000s. We find that rising precipitation-induced humidity levels explain the intensifying trends in humid heat extremes in the monsoon season, while declining humidity levels drive the decreasing trends in the pre-monsoon season. Our findings emphasize the need for policies and adaptations and mitigation measures to align with the substantial escalation in humid heat intensity and duration that threatens public health, labor productivity, and the economy.
Mevalonate metabolites boost aged oocyte quality through small GTPases prenylation
Authors: Ding Lijun , Liu Chuanming , Zhang Huidan , Mao Jialian , Zhang Sainan , Tian Xiao , Zhu Yibing , Wang Changjiang , Fang Junshun , Pan Huijie , Kang Nannan , Zhang Yang , Zhou Jidong , Zhen Xin , Yan Guijun , Li Chaojun , Hu Yali , Ye Cunqi , Xie Ran , So Chun , Sun Haixiang 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Declined oocyte quality is the major contributor to female subfertility in aged mammals. Currently, there are no effective interventions to ameliorate aged oocyte quality. We found that oocytes from aged mice exhibited lower levels of mevalonate (MVA) pathway metabolites, including farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) and reduced cortical F-actin. We further demonstrated that MVA supplementation improved the FPP level, the cortical F-actin and the quality of aged oocytes. Mechanistically, we found that MVA supplementation induced granulosa cells to synthesize FPP, which was subsequently transferred to aged oocytes. Transported FPP increased small GTPases prenylation, including CDC42 and RAC1, and promoted membrane localization of CDC42-N-WASP-Arp2/3 and RAC1-WAVE2-Arp2/3 complexes, promoting cortical F-actin re-assembly and reducing aneuploidy of aged oocytes. We also identified an oral drug 8-isopentenyl flavone, as an isoprenoid donor from Epimedium brevicornu Maxim, which could increase CDC42 and RAC1 prenylation, improving the cortical F-actin and the competence of aged oocytes, ameliorating reproductive outcomes in aged female mice. Collectively, increasing small GTPases prenylation via MVA metabolites or 8-IPF provide a therapeutic approach for boosting fertility in women of advanced maternal age.
The Ecological Burdens of Globalisation and Their Effects on the Quality of Life in African Economies
Authors: Aladejare Samson Adeniyi 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

A globalisation-induced environmental consequence can either improve or degenerate the quality of life (QoL), depending on its interference in the balance between the demand and supply of ecological resources, and food security. Hence, this study examined the ecological burdens of globalisation on the QoL for 38 African countries between 1990 and 2020. Empirical inferences for the study were robustly deduced through advanced estimation methodologies. They include Driscoll-Kraay (D-K), augmented mean group (AMG) and the panel dynamic ordinary least squares (PDOLS) techniques. The study further applied the method of moments quantile regression (MMQREG) approach, since the economic progressions in each selected African country are heterogeneous despite their classification as developing nations. Notable findings from these methodologies revealed the ecological demand burden of globalisation to be diminishing the QoL. In contrast, the supply and food security effects of liberalisation are QoL enhancing. Specifically, the MMQREG procedure revealed that the adverse acceleration in the demand side of the consequence grows larger in magnitude when compared to the positive effects in the supply and food security sides as the quantile advances. The implication is that depending on the level of QoL, the ecological burden of liberalisation tends to worsen through the overexploitation and retardation of the regenerative process of natural resources, and the exacerbation of food insecurity in African countries. Applicable policy measures were proposed by the study.
The paired immunoglobulin-like type 2 receptor alpha (PILRA) gene polymorphism rs1859788 reduces risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in men homozygous for the ApoE ε4 allele
Authors: Lehrer Steven , Rheinstein Peter 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
The APOE gene has long been associated with Alzheimer Disease (AD) risk. Emerging research indicates that other genetic loci, including the paired immunoglobulin-like type 2 receptor alpha (PILRA) gene, may play a crucial role. In the current study we used UK Biobank data to assess the relationship between PILRA and AD.
Methods
We examined the PILRA polymorphism rs1859788, a single nucleotide missense variant, G > A, minor allele frequency 0.3. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data for rs429358 and rs7412 determined APOE isoform. We used PheWeb to perform a phenome wide association study (phewas) of rs1859788 and identify other conditions that might be related to both AD and rs1859788.
Results
In male subjects homozygous for ApoE isoform ε4/ε4, of the men without AD, 9.7% had AA genotype; of the men with AD, 1.8% had AA genotype. This difference was significant (p = 0.006, two tail Fisher exact test). In female subjects homozygous for ApoE isoform ε4/ε4, of the women without AD, 10.4% had AA genotype; of the women with AD 7.9% had AA genotype. This difference was not significant (p = 0.481). In subjects not homozygous for ApoE isoform ε4/ε4, the effect of PILRA genotype was not significant. A phewas of rs1859788 found an association with megaloblastic anemia.
Conclusion
We have confirmed the previously noted PILRA snp rs1859788 risk reduction of AD, as well as a PILRA link to the ApoE ε4 isoform that has been previously described. We are uncertain why the significant association is only with men who are homozygous for the ε4/ε4 isoform. A phewas indicated that PILRA SNP rs1859788 is associated with megaloblastic anemia, which may explain an observed association between AD and anemia. The identification of PILRA as a potential risk gene for Alzheimer's disease underscores the complexity of the genetic landscape contributing to AD. Alongside APOE, PILRA may play a significant role in modulating key pathological processes such as neuroinflammation and amyloid-beta accumulation.