bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Release Kinetics of Potassium, Calcium, and Iron Cations from Carboxymethyl Cellulose Hydrogels at Different pH Values
Authors: Qu Yi , Haverkamp René , Jin Zhaorui , Jakobs‐Schönwandt Désirée , Patel Anant V. , Hellweg Thomas 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn an in‐depth study of the mechanism of cation release from carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogels synthesized through Schiff base reaction, we analyze the differences in the release kinetics of potassium, calcium, and iron cations with Peleg model at pH values of pH 3.5 and pH 8.5 using ICP‐OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) technique.
High‐Content Screening of Synaptic Density Modulators in Primary Neuronal Cultures
Authors: Coulon Audrey , Siedlecki‐Wullich Dolores , Najdek Chloé , Gelle Carla , Ayral Anne‐Marie , Demiautte Florie , Lambert Erwan , Vandeputte Alexandre , Brodin Priscille , Mendes Tiago , Lambert Jean‐Charles , Kilinc Devrim , Dumont Julie , Chapuis Julien 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe synapse, which represents the structural and functional basis of neuronal communication, is one of the first elements affected in several neurodegenerative diseases. To better understand the potential role of gene expression in synapse loss, we developed an original high‐content screening (HCS) model capable of quantitatively assessing the impact of gene silencing on synaptic density. Our approach is based on a model of primary neuronal cultures (PNCs) from the neonatal rat hippocampus, whose mature synapses are visualized by the relative localization of the presynaptic protein Synaptophysin with the postsynaptic protein Homer1. The heterogeneity of PNCs and the small sizes of the synaptic structures pose technical challenges associated with the level of automation necessary for HCS studies. We overcame these technical challenges, automated the processes of image analysis and data analysis, and carried out tests under real‐world conditions to demonstrate the robustness of the model developed. In this article, we describe the screening of a custom library of 198 shRNAs in PNCs in the 384‐well plate format. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Culture of primary hippocampal rat neurons in 384‐well platesBasic Protocol 2: Lentiviral shRNA transduction of primary neuronal culture in 384‐well platesBasic Protocol 3: Immunostaining of the neuronal network and synaptic markers in 384‐well platesBasic Protocol 4: Image acquisition using a high‐throughput readerBasic Protocol 5: Image segmentation and analysisBasic Protocol 6: Synaptic density analysis
Improved Culture Methods for Human Coronaviruses HCoV‐OC43, HCoV‐229E, and HCoV‐NL63
Authors: Fausto Alejandra , Otter Clayton J. , Bracci Nicole , Weiss Susan R. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractHCoV‐OC43, HCoV‐229E, HCoV‐NL63, and HCoV‐HKU1 are four of the seven known human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and, unlike the highly pathogenic SARS‐CoV, MERS‐CoV, and SARS‐CoV‐2, these four so‐called seasonal HCoVs generally cause mild upper‐respiratory‐tract illness. As Biosafety Level 2 (BSL‐2) pathogens, the seasonal HCoVs are more accessible and can be used as surrogates for studying the highly pathogenic HCoVs. However, scientists have for many years found these difficult to study because of the lack of a universal culture system and the inability of typical culture methods to yield high‐titer infectious stocks. We have developed assays to grow and quantify infectious virus and viral RNA for HCoV‐OC43, ‐229E, and ‐NL63. We identified which immortalized cell lines should be used to optimize the replication of HCoV‐OC43, ‐229E, and ‐NL63 in order to generate high titers (Vero E6, Huh‐7, and LLC‐MK2 cells, respectively). Here we present protocols for improved propagation and quantification of each seasonal HCoV. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.Basic Protocol 1: Growth of HCoVsBasic Protocol 2: Quantification of HCoV by plaque assayBasic Protocol 3: Quantification of HCoV RNA products of replicationBasic Protocol 4: Concentrating HCoVs via ultracentrifugationThis article was corrected on 20 March 2024. See the end of the full text for details.
Ruptured cystic artery pseudoaneurysm after self‐expandable metal stent placement for malignant biliary obstruction
Authors: Mie Takafumi , Sasaki Takashi , Matsueda Kiyoshi , Okamoto Takeshi , Hirai Tatsuki , Ishitsuka Takahiro , Yamada Manabu , Nakagawa Hiroki , Furukawa Takaaki , Takeda Tsuyoshi , Kasuga Akiyoshi , Ozaka Masato , Sasahira Naoki 
Published: October 2023

AbstractWe report a case of ruptured cystic artery pseudoaneurysm after self‐expandable metal stent placement for malignant biliary obstruction. A 78‐year‐old woman on palliative care after chemotherapy for unresectable pancreatic head cancer presented with obstructive jaundice. Imaging revealed a dilated common bile duct and an enlarged gallbladder with cystic wall thickening. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed and a fully‐covered self‐expandable metal stent was placed in the bile duct, leading to resolution of jaundice. She presented with hematochezia 7 days later. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography revealed a cystic artery pseudoaneurysm with extravasation of contrast into a blood‐filled gallbladder. Hemostasis was achieved after emergent transcatheter arterial embolization. Rupture of cystic artery pseudoaneurysm should be raised as a differential diagnosis for hemobilia after self‐expandable metal stent placement, particularly in cases accompanied by inflamed gallbladders.
One hundred and six years of change in a Sonoran Desert plant community: Impact of climate anomalies and trends in species sensitivities
Authors: Brown Charlotte , Rodriguez Buritica Susana , Goldberg Deborah E. , Reichenbacher Frank , Venable D. Lawrence , Webb Robert H. , Wilder Benjamin T. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractA major restriction in predicting plant community response to future climate change is a lack of long‐term data needed to properly assess species and community response to climate and identify a baseline to detect climate anomalies. Here, we use a 106‐year dataset on a Sonoran Desert plant community to test the role of extreme temperature and precipitation anomalies on community dynamics at the decadal scale and over time. Additionally, we tested the climate sensitivity of 39 desert plant species and whether sensitivity was associated with growth form, longevity, geographic range, or local dominance. We found that desert plant communities had shifted directionally over the 106 years, but the climate had little influence on this directional change primarily due to nonlinear shifts in precipitation anomalies. Decadal‐scale climate had the largest impact on species richness, species relative density, and total plant cover, explaining up to 26%, 45%, and 55% of the variance in each, respectively. Drought and the interaction between the frequency of freeze events and above‐average summer precipitation were among the most influential climate factors. Increased drought frequency and wetter periods with frequent freeze events led to larger reductions in total plant cover, species richness, and the relative densities of dominant subshrubs Ambrosia deltoidea and Encelia farinosa. More than 80% of the tested species were sensitive to climate, but sensitivity was not associated with a species' local dominance, longevity, geographic range, or growth form. Some species appear to exhibit demographic buffering, where when they have a higher sensitivity to drought, they also tend to have a higher sensitivity to favorable (i.e., wetter and hotter) conditions. Overall, our results suggest that, while decadal‐scale climate variation substantially impacts these desert plant communities, directional change in temperature over the last century has had little impact due to the relative importance of precipitation and drought. With projections of increased drought in this region, we may see reductions in total vegetation cover and species richness due to the loss of species, possibly through a breakdown in their ability to demographically buffer climatic variation, potentially changing community dynamics through a change in facilitative and competitive processes.
The effect of gun buy‐back law reform on homicides and suicides in Australia
Authors: Duenow Patrick , Connelly Luke B. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIn this paper we use the synthetic control method (SCM) to estimate the causal effects of a national legislative reform accompanied by mandatory gun buy‐backs in Australia on both suicide and homicide rates. Using a rich international dataset, we are able to separate not only these two death types, but also to distinguish deaths by firearm and by other means, thereby enabling us to test substitution‐of‐means hypotheses. Specifically, we apply the SCM to determine whether any reductions in firearm‐related death rates where wholly or partly offset by increases in the use of other means (e.g., bladed weapons, poisons) to commit suicides and perpetrate homicides. Our findings show that these gun control policies substantially reduced both homicides and suicides by firearm, but also some evidence of other‐means substitution.
Age‐related differences in hippocampal subfield volumes across the human lifespan: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Homayouni Roya , Canada Kelsey L. , Saifullah Samaah , Foster Da' Jonae , Thill Charlotte , Raz Naftali , Daugherty Ana M. , Ofen Noa 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe human hippocampus (Hc) is critical for memory function across the lifespan. It is comprised of cytoarchitectonically distinct subfields: dentate gyrus (DG), cornu ammonis sectors (CA) 1‐4, and subiculum, each of which may be differentially susceptible to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative mechanisms. Identifying age‐related differences in Hc subfield volumes can provide insights into neural mechanisms of memory function across the lifespan. Limited evidence suggests that DG and CA3 volumes differ across development while other regions remain relatively stable, and studies of adulthood implicate a downward trend in all subfield volumes with prominent age effects on CA1. Due to differences in methods and limited sampling for any single study, the magnitude of age effects on Hc subfield volumes and their probable lifespan trajectories remain unclear. Here, we conducted a meta‐analysis on cross‐sectional studies (n = 48,278 participants, ages = 4–94 years) to examine the association between age and Hc subfield volumes in development (n = 11 studies), adulthood (n = 30 studies), and a combined lifespan sample (n = 41 studies) while adjusting estimates for sample sizes. In development, age was positively associated with DG and CA3‐4 volumes, whereas in adulthood a negative association was observed with all subfield volumes. Notably, the observed age effects were not different across subfield volumes within each age group. All subfield volumes showed a nonlinear age pattern across the lifespan with DG and CA3‐4 volumes showing a more distinct age trajectory as compared to the other subfields. Lastly, among all the study‐level variables, only female percentage of the study sample moderated the age effect on CA1 volume: a higher female‐to‐male ratio in the study sample was linked to the greater negative association between age and CA1 volume. These results document that Hc subfield volumes differ as a function of age offering broader implications for constructing theoretical models of lifespan memory development.
Hypochlorous acid in a double formulation (liquid plus gel) is a key prognostic factor for healing and absence of infection in chronic ulcers. A nonrandomized concurrent treatment study
Authors: Herruzo Rafael , Fondo Alvarez Erika , Herruzo Irene , Garrido‐Estepa Macarena , Santiso Casanova Emma , Cerame Perez Silvia 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackground and AimsDiverse protocols prevent infection and/or improve ulcer epithelialization. The existing protocols tend to antagonize the risk factors that promote the chronicity of this type of wound. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is used to treat ulcers and wounds because of its antiseptic and noncytotoxic properties. Its liquid form is effective but has little residual effect, while in gel it has more residual power.MethodsAn experimental nonrandomized study has been carried out treating 346 chronic ulcers of various etiologies in 220 patients. Ulcer outcomes were originally classified as: “complete healing,” “incomplete healing without infection,” and “incomplete healing with infection.” Various antiseptic solutions were used as ulcers cleaning solutions: liquid HOCl, gel HOCl, polymeric biguanide, or chlorhexidine. Only one was applied to the lesion as monotherapy. But, in other cases, we used a combined HOCl (liquid then gel: bitherapy). Bivariate (Chi‐square and variance tests) and multivariate studies (logistic regression) evaluated associations of ulcer characteristics and mono or bitherapy outcomes.ResultsFour factors reduce the probability of complete ulcer healing: patient age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97); weeks of ulcer evolution (OR: 0.99); poor granulation on admission (OR: 0.35); and need for antibiotic therapy (OR: 0.41). One factor favored healing: combined HOCl therapy with liquid plus gel (OR: 4.8). Infections were associated with longer times of evolution (OR: 1.002) and bad odor of the ulcer on admission (OR: 14), but bitreatment with HOCl reduced the risk of infection (OR: 0.3).ConclusionA double HOCl formulation (liquid plus gel) reduces the probability of poor healing and infection, in chronic ulcers of various etiologies.
The variability of dual‐task walking parameters using in‐shoe inertial sensors in nonconcussed individuals: A randomized within‐subject repeated measures design
Authors: Mitchell Courtney , Cronin John 
Published: October 2023

AbstractBackground and AimsThere is a need for high utility and portability, and cost‐effective technologies that are suitable for assessing dual‐task gait after experiencing a concussion. Current technologies utilized such as 3D motion capture and force plates are too complex and expensive for most practitioners. The aim of this study was to quantify the variability of dual‐task walking gait parameters using in‐shoe inertial sensors in nonconcussed individuals.MethodsThis was a randomized within‐subject repeated measures design conducted within a sports laboratory. Twenty healthy, uninjured, nonconcussed participants were recruited for this study. Gait variables of interest were measured across three 2‐min continuous walking protocols (12 m, 30 m, 1 min out and back) while performing a cognitive task of counting backward in sevens from a randomly generated number between 300 and 500. Testing was completed over three occasions separated by 7 days, for a total of nine walking trials. Participants completed the testing protocols in a randomized, individual order. The primary outcome was to determine the variability of dual‐task walking gait parameters using in‐shoe inertial sensors in nonconcussed individuals across three protocols.ResultsThree to four participants were allocated to each randomized protocol order. Regarding the absolute consistency (coefficient of variation [CV]) between testing occasions, no gait measure was found to have variability above 6.5%. Relative consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]) was acceptable (>0.70) in 95% of the variables of interest, with only three variables < 0.70. Similar variability was found across the three testing protocols.ConclusionIn‐shoe inertial sensors provide a viable option for monitoring gait parameters. This technology is also reliable across different testing distances, thus offering various testing options for practitioners. Further research needs to be conducted to examine the variability with concussed subjects.
cyto‐Knet: An instance segmentation approach for multiple myeloma plasma cells using conditional kernels
Authors: Salvi Massimo , Michielli Nicola , Meiburger Kristen M. , Cattelino Cristina , Cotrufo Bruna , Giacosa Matteo , Giovanzana Chiara , Molinari Filippo 
Published: October 2023

AbstractMultiple myeloma disrupts normal blood cell production, requiring early detection due to the increased risk of bone metastases. Although various artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been developed to assist pathologists, they often lack comprehensive metrics to measure both detection and segmentation errors. This study presents a hybrid framework that combines deep learning and heuristic techniques to achieve accurate instance segmentation of individual plasma cells in Giemsa‐stained cytology images. Our proposed network, called cyto‐Knet, incorporates an innovative color‐balancing method as a preprocessing step to standardize the appearance of cytological images. Our network leverages a 4‐class segmentation strategy with conditional kernels to enhance segmentation performance and accuracy. Additionally, a marker‐based watershed algorithm is employed in the postprocessing step to address the challenge of merged objects. Extensive validation at both pixel and object‐based levels demonstrates superior performance compared with state‐of‐the‐art techniques. Our method achieves pixel‐based metrics (precision, recall, and F1‐score) of approximately 0.90. The object‐based evaluation reveals an average Dice coefficient of 0.9130 and an aggregated Jaccard index of 0.8237. Importantly, our solution is designed for integration into an end‐to‐end system for diagnosis support and can be easily extended to other applications.
SRP&PASMLP‐Net: Lightweight skin lesion segmentation network based on structural re‐parameterization and parallel axial shift multilayer perceptron
Authors: Wei Shuning , Chen Haijun , Zhao Junqi , Zhou Ying , Yang Yimei 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAccurate skin lesion segmentation (SLS) plays an essential role in the computer‐aided diagnosis of skin diseases, for example, melanomas. However, the automated SLS is challenging due to variations in the nature of skin diseases, particularly the ambiguities of boundaries of skin lesion areas (SLAs) and occlusions by hairs. Though many deep learning models, represented by UNet, have been successfully applied to the SLS over the past years, most suffer from inaccurate SLA segmentation with heavy model parameters and slow inferencing speed, hindering their practical applications. To address these challenges, a lightweight SLS network based on structural re‐parameterization and parallel axial shift multilayer perceptron (MLP), called SRP&PASMLP‐Net, is proposed to achieve powerful segmentation performance with fast inference ability. Specifically, a kind of diverse convolution module, the Re‐parameterization Diversity Convolution (RDC) block, is proposed in the shallow stage of the segmentation network to enrich the feature space. The inference is performed by structural re‐parameterization techniques to decouple the structure at the training and inference stages, thus improving the performance of the model without any inference time cost. In addition, a parallel axial shift MLP (PASMLP) module is proposed, which captures local dependencies by axially shifting the channels of the feature map to capture the information flow from different axes and reduce the network parameters and computational complexity effectively. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed SRP&PASMLP‐Net can provide a 4‐fold improvement in the inference speed and a 17‐fold reduction in model parameters compared with the benchmark network, UNet. It outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art methods on two public datasets, that is, ISIC2018 and PH2, for the SLS.
Comparison of Quantitative Methods to Assess Hepatic Function: Pugh's Classification, Indocyanine Green, Antipyrine, and Dextromethorphan
Authors: Figg William D. , Dukes George E. , Lesesne Henry R. , Carson Stanley W. , Songer Stephen S. , Pritchard J. Fred , Hermann David J. , Powell J. Robert , Hak Lawrence J. 
Published: October 2023

Study Objectives. To compare three quantitative metabolic markers used to assess hepatic function, indocyanine green (ICG), a high‐extraction marker; antipyrine, a low‐extraction marker; and dextromethorphan, a P‐450IID6 marker, with the clinically used Pugh's classification.Design. Comparison of 12 healthy controls with 12 age‐ and sex‐matched patients with different degrees of liver disease.Setting. Research center in a university‐affiliated teaching hospital.Patients. The 12 patients had different degrees of liver disease: 4 mild (Pugh's score 6 or 7); 4 moderate (Pugh's score 8 or 9); and 4 severe (Pugh's score ≥ 10). Each level had an equal number of men and women subjects.Measurements and Main Results. Clearance of ICG detected mild alterations in hepatic function as efficiently as it did for moderate and severe impairment, but it lacked the specificity to distinguish among the classification groups. In contrast, antipyrine was effective in identifying moderate and severe hepatic impairment; however, its clearance was not reduced in mild liver disease. Pugh's classification appears to be a clinically useful method of assessing the global degree of hepatic impairment in patients with chronic disease, and there was a significant correlation between it and antipyrine clearance (r=0.67, p=0.0003) and ICG clearance (r=0.86, p=0.0001). Four of eight patients with a Pugh's score greater than 8 had a dextromethorphan metabolic ratio expression reflective of a poor metabolizer phenotype based on 0‐ to 4‐hour urine collection, but only two of those eight patients were classified as poor metabolizers based on 4‐ to 12‐hour urine collection. These percentages of poor metabolizers are substantially higher than for historical controls (8.5–10.4%) and most likely reflect a decrease in the P‐450IID6 functional ability with progression of liver disease. However, due to small sample size and lack of knowledge of the patients' genotypes, these data are only suggestive.Conclusion. Pugh's classification appears to be a reliable indicator of the degree of chronic liver disease and could be employed as a drug development research classification tool; however, it does not replace quantitative metabolic markers, especially isozyme‐specific markers.
Androgen UDP‐Glucuronyl Transferase Activity Is Found Primarily in Liver in the Rat
Authors: PIROG EDYTA C. , CLARK RICHARD V. , COLLINS DELWOOD C. 
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: UDP‐glucuronyl transferase (UDPGT) activity was determined for androgens in tissue minces and microsomal fractions from the liver and extrahepatic tissues (kidney, skin, prostate, and preputial glands) of the male rat. Liver microsomes showed the highest UDPGT activity with each of the androgens tested (Vmax = 7, 3, and 10 nmol/minute/mg protein for testosterone, androsterone, and androstanediol, respectively). UDPGT activity (Vmax) for androstanediol in the liver was 102‐fold higher than in the kidney and 103‐fold higher than in the skin and prostate. UDPGT activity for androgens was not detected in microsomes from preputial glands. Furthermore, no body site distribution was found for androgen UDPGT activity in skin microsomes. The Michaelis‐Menten constant (Km) for UDPGT in liver microsomes was 20.4, 12.2, and 2.2 μ, respectively, for testosterone, androstanediol, and androsterone. Kidney microsomes showed a Km of 19.4 and 26.9 μ, respectively, for androstanediol and androsterone. The Km for testosterone was very high in the kidney (138 μ), suggesting that it was a poor substrate. In microsomes from the skin and prostate, the Km was very high (range 43–162 μ) for all three androgen substrates, suggesting that these androgens were not the preferred substrates for UDPGT in these tissues.These results indicate that the liver was the main site of androgen UDPGT activity and the skin and prostate formed little, if any, androgen glucuronides. These results suggest that androstanediol glucuronide was formed primarily in the liver and may not be a reliable marker of peripheral androgen metabolism.