bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparing specific capacitance in rice husk-derived activated carbon through phosphoric acid and potassium hydroxide activation order variations
Authors: Barakat Nasser A. M. , Mahmoud Mohamed S. , Moustafa Hager M. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis manuscript investigates the influence of the chemical activation step order and process parameters on the specific capacitance of activated carbon derived from rice husk. The chemical activation was performed either before or after the carbonization step, using phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) as activating agents. For activation before carbonization, the carbonization process was conducted at various temperatures (600, 750, 850, and 1050 °C). On the other hand, for activation after carbonization, the effect of the volume of the chemical agent solution was studied, with 0, 6, 18, 21, 24, and 30 mL/g of phosphoric acid and 0, 18, 30, 45, 60, and 90 mL/g of 3.0 M KOH solution. The results revealed that in the case of chemical activation before carbonization, the optimum temperature for maximizing specific capacitance was determined to be 900 °C. Conversely, in the case of chemical activation after carbonization, the optimal volumes of the chemical agent solutions were found to be 30 mL/g for phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and 21 mL/g for potassium hydroxide (KOH). Moreover, it was observed that utilizing phosphoric acid treatment before the carbonization step leads to an 21% increase in specific capacitance, attributed to the retention of inorganic compounds, particularly silica (SiO2). Conversely, when rice husks were treated with KOH after the carbonization step, the specific capacitance was found to be doubled compared to treatment with KOH prior to the carbonization step due to embedding of SiO2 and KHCO3 inorganic constituents. This study provides valuable insights into the optimization of the chemical activation step order and process parameters for enhanced specific capacitance in rice husk-derived activated carbon. These findings contribute to the development of high-performance supercapacitors using rice husk as a sustainable and cost-effective precursor material.
Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on healthcare workers in a Tertiary Healthcare Center in India: a cross sectional study
Authors: Mirza Shahzad , Arvinden V. R. , Rophina Mercy , Bhawalkar Jitendra , Khan Uzair , Chothani Bhavin , Singh Shivankur , Sharma Tanya , Dwivedi Aryan , Pandey Ellora , Garg Shivam , Mukhida Sahjid Sadrudin , Sange Zeeshan Shabbir Ahmed , Bhaumik Shalini , Varughese Jessin , Devkar Vishwamohini Yallappa , Singh Jyoti , V. K. AnjuMol , K. Veena , Mandviwala Husen Shabbir Husen , Scaria Vinod , Gupta Aayush 
Published: January 2024

AbstractNumerous speculations have continually emerged, trying to explore the association between COVID-19 infection and a varied range of demographic and clinical factors. Frontline healthcare workers have been the primary group exposed to this infection, and there have been limited global research that examine this cohort. However, while there are a few large studies conducted on Indian healthcare professionals to investigate their potential risk and predisposing factors to COVID-19 infection, to our knowledge there are no studies evaluating the development of long COVID in this population. This cross-sectional study systematically utilized the demographic and clinical data of 3329 healthcare workers (HCW) from a tertiary hospital in India to gain significant insights into the associations between disease prevalence, severity of SARS-Cov-2 infection and long COVID. Most of the study population was found to be vaccinated (2,615, 78.5%), while 654 (19.65%) HCWs were found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive at least once. Of the infected HCWs, 75.1% (491) did not require hospitalization, whereas the rest were hospitalized for an average duration of 9 days. A total of 206 (6.19%) individuals were found to be suffering from long COVID. Persistent weakness/tiredness was the most experienced long-COVID symptom, while females (1.79, 1.25–2.57), individuals who consumed alcohol (1.85, 1.3–2.64) or had blood group B (1.9, 1.33–2.7) were at a significantly higher risk for developing long COVID.
Synergistic effects of bee venom, hesperidin, and piperine with tamoxifen on apoptotic and angiogenesis biomarker molecules against xerographic MCF-7 injected rats
Authors: Khamis Abeer A. , Ali Ehab M. M. , Salim Elsayed I. , El-Moneim Mohamed A. Abd 
Published: January 2024

AbstractBreast cancer ranks as the second leading most significant of mortality for women. Studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of natural compounds in cancer treatment and prevention, either in isolation or in conjunction with chemotherapy. In order to improve Tamoxifen's therapeutic efficacy in in-vivo studies, our research sought to determine the effects of hesperidin, piperine, and bee venom as natural compounds, as well as their combination effect with or without Tamoxifen. First, 132 female albino rats were equally divided into six groups and five subgroups, and breast cancer was induced in the selected groups by xenografting of MCF7 cells. Second, the effect of single and best ratio combinations treatment from previous in vitro studies were selected. Next, tumorous mammary glands were collected for apoptotic and antiapoptotic biomarkers and cell cycle analysis. Single or combined natural products with or without Tamoxifen revealed a significant up-regulation in apoptotic genes Bax and Casp3 and a downregulation of antiapoptotic and angiogenesis genes Bcl-2 and VEGF genes. We found that cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase was exclusively caused by Tamoxifen and/ or hesperidin. However, the cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase is a result of the combination of piperine and bee venom, with or without Tamoxifen by using the flow cytometric technique. Our research concludes that bee venom, hesperidin, and piperine can synergistically enhance to increase Tamoxifen's efficiency in the management of breast cancer.
Bioconversion of waste glycerol into viscosinamide by Pseudomonas fluorescens DR54 and its activity evaluation
Authors: Jama Dominika , Łaba Wojciech , Kruszelnicki Mateusz , Polowczyk Izabela , Lazar Zbigniew , Janek Tomasz 
Published: January 2024

AbstractLipopeptides, derived from microorganisms, are promising surface-active compounds known as biosurfactants. However, the high production costs of biosurfactants, associated with expensive culture media and purification processes, limit widespread industrial application. To enhance the sustainability of biosurfactant production, researchers have explored cost-effective substrates. In this study, crude glycerol was evaluated as a promising and economical carbon source in viscosinamide production by Pseudomonas fluorescens DR54. Optimization studies using the Box − Behnken design and response surface methodology were performed. Optimal conditions for viscosinamide production including glycerol 70.8 g/L, leucine 2.7 g/L, phosphate 3.7 g/L, and urea 9.3 g/L were identified. Yield of viscosinamide production, performed under optimal conditions, reached 7.18 ± 0.17 g/L. Preliminary characterization of viscosinamide involved the measurement of surface tension. The critical micelle concentration of lipopeptide was determined to be 5 mg/L. Furthermore, the interactions between the viscosinamide and lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL) were investigated by evaluating the impact of viscosinamide on lipase activity and measuring circular dichroism. It was observed that the α-helicity of CRL increases with increasing viscosinamide concentration, while the random coil structure decreases.
Screening and validation of optimal miRNA reference genes in different developing stages and tissues of Lilium henryi Baker
Authors: Jin Ge , Zhang Xiuhai , Yu Shiyin , Du Yunpeng , Wang Meixian , Zhao Chunli , Zhang Mingfang 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDynamic miRNA detection using the qRT-PCR technique requires appropriate reference genes to ensure data reliability. Previous studies have screened internal reference genes in plants during embryonic development and various stress treatment, involving relatively few tissues and organs. There is no relevant miRNA study in Lilium henryi Baker and limited research on the optimal miRNA reference genes in lilies, such as 5S, 18S, U6 and Actin. Twelve genes were selected as candidate reference genes whose expression stability was analyzed in petals at different developmental stages and other tissues using various algorithms, such as geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and Delta CT. The results revealed that the optimal combination of reference genes for Lilium henryi Baker petals at different developmental stages was osa-miR166m and osa-miR166a-3p, while that for different tissues of Lilium henryi Baker was osa-miR166g-3p and osa-miR166a-3p.Four important genes related to growth and development regulation, namely, osa-miR156a, osa-miR395b, osa-miR396a-3p, and osa-miR396a-5p, were selected for validation. The findings of the present study could contribute to future investigations onmiRNA expression and the related functions in Lilium henryi Baker while providing important references for the normalization of the miRNA expression in other varieties of lily.
Dectin-1 ligands produce distinct training phenotypes in human monocytes through differential activation of signaling networks
Authors: Cheng Quen J. , Farrell Kylie , Fenn Jeffrey , Ma Zuchao , Makanani Sara K. , Siemsen Jonathan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractCells of the innate immune system retain memory of prior exposures through a process known as innate immune training. β-glucan, a Dectin-1 ligand purified from the Candida albicans cell wall, has been one of the most widely utilized ligands for inducing innate immune training. However, many Dectin-1 ligands exist, and it is not known whether these all produce the same phenotype. Using a well-established in vitro model of innate immune training, we compared two commercially available Dectin-1 agonists, zymosan and depleted zymosan, with the gold standard β-glucan in the literature. We found that depleted zymosan, a β-glucan purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall through alkali treatment, produced near identical effects as C. albicans β-glucan. However, untreated zymosan produced a distinct training effect from β-glucans at both the transcript and cytokine level. Training with zymosan diminished, rather than potentiated, induction of cytokines such as TNF and IL-6. Zymosan activated NFκB and AP-1 transcription factors more strongly than β-glucans. The addition of the toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand Pam3CSK4 was sufficient to convert the training effect of β-glucans to a phenotype resembling zymosan. We conclude that differential activation of TLR signaling pathways determines the phenotype of innate immune training induced by Dectin-1 ligands.
An all-ultrasound cranial imaging method to establish the relationship between cranial FUS incidence angle and transcranial attenuation in non-human primates in 3D
Authors: Singh Aparna , Jiménez-Gambín Sergio , Konofagou Elisa E. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractFocused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive and non-ionizing technique which deploys ultrasound waves to induce bio-effects. When paired with acoustically active particles such as microbubbles (MBs), it can open the blood brain barrier (BBB) to facilitate drug delivery otherwise inhibited due to the presence of BBB. One of the parameters that affects the FUS beam propagation is the beam incidence angle on the skull. Prior work by our group has shown that, as incidence angles deviate from 90°, FUS focal pressures attenuate and result in a smaller BBB opening volume. The incidence angles calculated in our prior studies were in 2D and used skull information from CT. The study presented herein develops methods to calculate incidence angle in 3D in non-human primate (NHP) skull fragments using harmonic ultrasound imaging without using ionizing radiation. Our results show that ultrasound harmonic imaging is capable of accurately depicting features such as sutures and eye-sockets of the skull. Furthermore, we were able to reproduce previously reported relationships between the incidence angle and FUS beam attenuation. We also show feasibility of performing ultrasound harmonic imaging in in-vivo non-human primates. The all-ultrasound method presented herein combined with our neuronavigation system stands to increase more widespread adoption of FUS and render it accessible by eliminating the need for CT cranial mapping.
Neuronal knockdown of Cullin3 as a Drosophila model of autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Tener Samantha J. , Lin Zhi , Park Scarlet J. , Oraedu Kairaluchi , Ulgherait Matthew , Van Beek Emily , Martínez-Muñiz Andrés , Pantalia Meghan , Gatto Jared A. , Volpi Julia , Stavropoulos Nicholas , Ja William W. , Canman Julie C. , Shirasu-Hiza Mimi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractMutations in Cullin-3 (Cul3), a conserved gene encoding a ubiquitin ligase, are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we characterize ASD-related pathologies caused by neuron-specific Cul3 knockdown in Drosophila. We confirmed that neuronal Cul3 knockdown causes short sleep, paralleling sleep disturbances in ASD. Because sleep defects and ASD are linked to metabolic dysregulation, we tested the starvation response of neuronal Cul3 knockdown flies; they starved faster and had lower triacylglyceride levels than controls, suggesting defects in metabolic homeostasis. ASD is also characterized by increased biomarkers of oxidative stress; we found that neuronal Cul3 knockdown increased sensitivity to hyperoxia, an exogenous oxidative stress. Additional hallmarks of ASD are deficits in social interactions and learning. Using a courtship suppression assay that measures social interactions and memory of prior courtship, we found that neuronal Cul3 knockdown reduced courtship and learning compared to controls. Finally, we found that neuronal Cul3 depletion alters the anatomy of the mushroom body, a brain region required for memory and sleep. Taken together, the ASD-related phenotypes of neuronal Cul3 knockdown flies establish these flies as a genetic model to study molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying ASD pathology, including metabolic and oxidative stress dysregulation and neurodevelopment.
Traces of EEG-fMRI coupling reveals neurovascular dynamics on sleep inertia
Authors: Wang Zhitong John , Lee Hsin-Chien , Chuang Chun-Hsiang , Hsiao Fan-Chi , Lee Shwu-Hua , Hsu Ai-Ling , Wu Changwei W. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractUpon emergence from sleep, individuals experience temporary hypo-vigilance and grogginess known as sleep inertia. During the transient period of vigilance recovery from prior nocturnal sleep, the neurovascular coupling (NVC) may not be static and constant as assumed by previous neuroimaging studies. Stemming from this viewpoint of sleep inertia, this study aims to probe the NVC changes as awakening time prolongs using simultaneous EEG-fMRI. The time-lagged coupling between EEG features of vigilance and BOLD-fMRI signals, in selected regions of interest, was calculated with one pre-sleep and three consecutive post-awakening resting-state measures. We found marginal changes in EEG theta/beta ratio and spectral slope across post-awakening sessions, demonstrating alterations of vigilance during sleep inertia. Time-varying EEG-fMRI coupling as awakening prolonged was evidenced by the changing time lags of the peak correlation between EEG alpha-vigilance and fMRI-thalamus, as well as EEG spectral slope and fMRI-anterior cingulate cortex. This study provides the first evidence of potential dynamicity of NVC occurred in sleep inertia and opens new avenues for non-invasive neuroimaging investigations into the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying brain state transitions.
Synthesis, toxicological and in silico evaluation of novel spiro pyrimidines against Culex pipiens L. referring to chitinase enzyme
Authors: Abbass Eslam M. , Ali Ali Khalil , El-Farargy Ahmed F. , Abdel-Haleem Doaa R. , Shaban Safaa S. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe exponential development of resistance to conventional chemical insecticides adds another important motive for the creation of novel insecticidal active agents. One of the keys to meeting this challenge is the exploration of novel classes of insecticidal molecules with different modes of action. Herein, a novel series of spiro pyrimidine derivatives was prepared using some green synthetic methodologies such as microwave irradiation, and sonication under ultrasound waves. Spiro pyrimidine aminonitrile 1 is a key starting material for the synthesis of targets 2–9 by reaction with different carbon electrophiles and nitrogen nucleophiles. The structures of all the newly synthesized compounds were approved using spectral data. The toxicological efficiency and biological impacts of the synthesized spiro pyrimidine derivatives were assessed against Culex pipiens L. larvae. The toxicity of synthesized compounds showed remarkable variations against the C. pipiens larvae. Where, 3, 4 and 2 were the most efficient compounds with LC50 values of 12.43, 16.29 and 21.73 µg/mL, respectively. While 1 was the least potent compound with an LC50 value of 95.18 µg/mL. As well, other compounds were arranged according to LC50 values as follows 5 > 7 > 6 > 9 > 8. In addition, 3 and 4 exhibited significant prolongation of the developmental duration and greatly inhibited adult emergence. Moreover, many morphological deformities were observed in all developmental stages. Furthermore, cytotoxicity of the most effective compounds was assessed against the normal human cells (WI-38) as non-target organisms, where compounds 2, 4 and 3 showed weak to non-toxic effects. The study of binding affinity and correlation between chemical structure and reactivity was carried out using molecular docking study and DFT calculations to investigate their mode of action. This study shed light on promising compounds with larvicidal activity and biological impacts on the C. pipiens life cycle.
Weakly nonlinear analysis on synchronization and oscillation quenching of coupled mechanical oscillators
Authors: Kato Yusuke , Kori Hiroshi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractVarious oscillatory phenomena occur in the world. Because some are associated with abnormal states (e.g. epilepsy), it is important to establish ways to terminate oscillations by external stimuli. However, despite the prior development of techniques for stabilizing unstable oscillations, relatively few studies address the transition from oscillatory to resting state in nonlinear dynamics. This study mainly analyzes the oscillation-quenching of metronomes on a platform as an example of such transitions. To facilitate the analysis, we describe the impulsive force (escapement mechanism) of a metronome by a fifth-order polynomial. By performing both averaging approximation and numerical simulation, we obtain a phase diagram for synchronization and oscillation quenching. We find that quenching occurs when the feedback to the oscillator increases, which will help explore the general principle regarding the state transition from oscillatory to resting state. We also numerically investigate the bifurcation of out-of-phase synchronization and beat-like solution. Despite the simplicity, our model successfully reproduces essential phenomena in interacting mechanical clocks, such as the bistability of in-phase and anti-phase synchrony and oscillation quenching occurring for a large mass ratio between the oscillator and the platform. We believe that our simple model will contribute to future analyses of other dynamics of mechanical clocks.
The exploration of optimal gestational weight gain after oral glucose tolerance test for Chinese women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zheng QingXiang , Zhu Yu , Jiang XiuMin , Huang Ling , Li JiaNing , Liu RuLin 
Published: January 2024

AbstractNow, no recommendations of gestational weight gain (GWG) after gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis for Chinese women was made. This study aimed to explore the optimal GWG after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for Chinese women with GDM. The GWG status of 11,570 women was retrospectively analyzed. Binary regression model and restricted cubic spline were used to estimate the association between GWG after OGTT and the predicted probability of adverse outcomes. Based on above, the optimal GWG was defined as the range that not exceed 1% increase in the predicted probability from the lowest point. Results shown that every increased one unit GWG after OGTT was associated with higher risks of macrosomia, cesarean section and LGA, and lower risk of preterm birth. According to the WHO and Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) recommended pre-pregnancy BMI category, the optimal GWG were proposed: 3.66 to 6.66 kg/3.66 to 6.66 kg in underweight group, 3.07 to 6.50 kg/3.02 to 6.40 kg in normal weight group, 1.06 to 2.73 kg/0 to 1.99 kg in overweight group, and not applicable/− 0.22 to 2.53 kg in obese group, respectively. Therefore, it is necessary to classified Chinese population based on the WGOC recommended pre-pregnancy BMI category, that influenced the contribution of pre-pregnancy BMI groups and the optimal GWG recommendation for GDM women with overweight or obesity.
Immunomodulatory response to neoadjuvant nivolumab in non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Singla Nirmish , Nirschl Thomas R. , Obradovic Aleksandar Z. , Shenderov Eugene , Lombardo Kara , Liu Xiaopu , Pons Alice , Zarif Jelani C. , Rowe Steven P. , Trock Bruce J. , Hammers Hans J. , Bivalacqua Trinity J. , Pierorazio Phillip M. , Deutsch Julie S. , Lotan Tamara L. , Taube Janis M. , Ged Yasser M. A. , Gorin Michael A. , Allaf Mohamad E. , Drake Charles G. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractNovel perioperative strategies are needed to reduce recurrence rates in patients undergoing nephrectomy for high-risk, non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We conducted a prospective, phase I trial of neoadjuvant nivolumab prior to nephrectomy in 15 evaluable patients with non-metastatic ccRCC. We leveraged tissue from that cohort to elucidate the effects of PD-1 inhibition on immune cell populations in ccRCC and correlate the evolving immune milieu with anti-PD-1 response. We found that nivolumab durably induces a pro-inflammatory state within the primary tumor, and baseline immune infiltration within the primary tumor correlates with nivolumab responsiveness. Nivolumab increases CTLA-4 expression in the primary tumor, and subsequent nephrectomy increases circulating concentrations of sPD-L1, sPD-L3 (sB7-H3), and s4-1BB. These findings form the basis to consider neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) for high-risk ccRCC while the tumor remains in situ and provide the rationale for perioperative strategies of novel ICI combinations.