bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pluripotent stem cells: Basic biology or else differentiations aimed at translational research and the role of flow cytometry
Authors: Bose Bipasha , Nihad Muhammad , P Sudheer Shenoy 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPluripotent stem cell research has revolutionized the modern era for the past 14 years with the advent of induced pluripotent stem cells. Before this time, scientists had access to human and mouse embryonic stem cells primarily for basic research and an attempt towards lineage‐specific differentiations for cell therapy applications. Regarding pluripotent stem cells, expression of bonafide marker proteins such as Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, Klf4, c‐Myc, and Lin28 have been considered giving a perfect readout for pluripotent stem cells and assessed using an analytical flow cytometer. In addition to the intracellular markers, surface markers such as stage‐specific embryonic antigen‐1 for mouse cells and SSEA‐4 for human cells are needed to sort pure populations of stem cells for further downstream applications for cell therapy. The surface marker SSEA‐4 is the most appropriate for obtaining pure populations of human pluripotent stem cells. When differentiated in a controlled manner using growth factors or small molecules, it is mandatory to assess the downregulation of pluripotency markers (Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, and Klf4) with subsequent up‐regulation of stage‐specific differentiation markers. Such assessments are done using flow cytometry. Pluripotent stem cells have a high teratoma‐forming potential in vivo. Small amounts of undifferentiated PSCs might lead to dangerous teratomas upon transplantation if leftover in the pool of differentiated cells. Hence, flow cytometry is essential for sorting out PSC populations with teratoma‐forming potential. The pure populations of differentiated progenitors need to be flow‐sorted before differentiating them further for cell therapy applications. For example, Glycoprotein 2 is a specific cell‐surface marker for pancreatic progenitors that enables one to sort the pancreatic progenitors differentiated from human PSCs. Taken together, analytical flow cytometry, and cell sorting provide indispensable tools in PSC research and cell therapy.
Experimental study on 3D internal penny‐shaped crack propagation in brittle materials under uniaxial compression
Authors: Xu Jiyun , Li Hanzhang , Wang Haijun , Tang Lei 
Published: March 2023

AbstractFractures are widely present in geomaterials of civil engineering and deep underground engineering. Given that geomaterials are usually brittle, the fractures can significantly affect the evaluation of underground engineering construction safety and the early warning of rock failure. However, the crack initiation and propagation in brittle materials under composite loading remain unknown so far. In this study, a three‐dimensional internal laser‐engraved cracking technique was applied to produce internal cracks without causing damage to the surfaces. The uniaxial compression tests were performed on a brittle material with internal cracks to investigate the propagation of these internal cracks at different dip angles under compression and shear. The test results show that the wing crack propagation mainly occurs in the specimen with an inclined internal crack, which is a mixed‐Mode I–II–III fracture; in contrast, Mode I fracture is present in the specimen with a vertical internal crack. The fractography characteristics of Mode III fracture display a lance‐like pattern. The fracture mechanism in the brittle material under compression is that the internal wing cracks propagate to the ends of the whole sample and cause the final failure. The initial deflection angle of the wing crack is determined by the participation ratio of stress intensity factors KII to KI at the tip of the internal crack.
Hospital‐based higher calorie refeeding and mealtime distress in adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa
Authors: Accurso Erin C. , Cheng Jing , Machen Vanessa I. , Buckelew Sara , Kreiter Anna , Adams Sally , Le Grange Daniel , Golden Neville H. , Garber Andrea K. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractObjectiveThe StRONG study demonstrated that higher calorie refeeding (HCR) restored medical stability faster in patients hospitalized with anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN (AAN), with no increased safety events compared with standard‐of‐care lower calorie refeeding (LCR). However, some clinicians have expressed concern about potential unintended consequences of HCR (e.g., greater mealtime distress). The purpose of this study was to examine patient treatment preference and compare mealtime distress, food refusal, and affective states between treatments.MethodParticipants (N = 111) in this multisite randomized clinical trial were ages 12–24 years, with AN or AAN, admitted to hospital with medical instability who received assigned study treatment (HCR or LCR). Treatment preference was assessed prior to randomization in the full sample. In a subset of participants (n = 45), linear mixed effect models were used to analyze momentary ratings of mealtime distress (pre, during, and post‐meals) and daily affective state during the hospitalization.ResultsAbout half (55%) of participants reported a preference for LCR. Treatment assignment was not associated with food refusal, mealtime distress, or affective states in the subsample. Food refusal increased significantly over the course of refeeding (p = .018). Individuals with greater depression experienced more negative affect (p = .033), with worsening negative affect over time for individuals with higher eating disorder psychopathology (p = .023).DiscussionDespite understandable concerns about potential unintended consequences of HCR, we found no evidence that treatment acceptability for HCR differed from LCR for adolescents and young adults with AN and AAN.Public SignificanceThe efficacy and safety of higher calorie refeeding in hospitalized patients with anorexia nervosa has been demonstrated. However, it is not known whether higher calorie refeeding (HCR) increases meal‐time distress. This study demonstrated that HCR was not associated with increased mealtime distress, food refusal, or affective states, as compared with lower calorie refeeding. These data support HCR treatment acceptability for adolescents/young adults with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa.
An Old World leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing ant: A case of convergent evolution
Authors: Dejean A. , Naskrecki P. , Faucher C. , Azémar F. , Tindo M. , Manzi S. , Gryta H. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe African myrmicine ant Crematogaster clariventris is a territorially dominant arboreal species that constructs very hard carton nests. Noting that workers cut off leaves from different plant species while building or repairing their nests, we asked ourselves if there was a correlation. We conducted scanning electron microscopic observations of nest walls that revealed the presence of fungal mycelia. As the presence of filamentous Ascomycota has been shown on arboreal ant nests worldwide, we used a metabarcoding approach and, indeed, noted the presence of Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) Cre_006041 of the Capnodiales known to reinforce large nests of an unidentified African Crematogaster. This OTU was also recorded in the workers' bodies. At a very low level, we also noted OTU Cre_320021 of the Chaetothyriales known for their relationships with the African plant‐ant species C. margaritae. Therefore, by cutting leaves and growing fungus, C. clariventris illustrates a case of convergent evolution with higher New World leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing Attina of the genera Acromyrmex, Amoimyrmex and Atta. However, there are notable differences. Leaf‐cutting Attina cultivate Agaricaceae (Basidiomycota) for food, whereas C. clariventris uses Capnodiales to reinforce their nests (i.e., after the mycelium died, the hyphae's cell walls remained sturdy forming a natural composite material), have a distinct geographical origin (i.e., New World vs. Old World) and belong to a distinct ant tribe in the subfamily Myrmicinae (i.e., Attini vs. Crematogastrini). Furthermore, leaf‐cutting Attina evolved an efficacious means of cutting leaves by using their mandibles asymmetrically, whereas C. clariventris workers, typically, use their mandibles symmetrically.
Red deerCervus elaphusblink more in larger groups
Authors: Rowe Zeke W. , Robins Joseph H. , Rands Sean A. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractMost animals need to spend time being vigilant for predators, at the expense of other activities such as foraging. Group‐living animals can benefit from the shared vigilance effort of other group members, with individuals reducing personal vigilance effort as group size increases. Behaviors like active scanning or head lifting are usually used to quantify vigilance but may not be accurate measures of this. We suggest that measuring an animal's blinking rate gives a meaningful measure of vigilance: increased blinking implies reduced vigilance, as the animal cannot detect predators when its eyes are closed. We describe an observational study of a captive population of red deer, where we measured the blinking rates of individual deer from groups of differing sizes (where mean group size ranged between 1 and 42.7 individuals). We demonstrate that as group size increases in red deer, individuals increase their blink rate, confirming the prediction that vigilance should decrease. Blinking is a simple non‐invasive measure and offers a useful metric for assessing the welfare of animals experiencing an increase in perceived predation risk or other stressors.
Evaluation of serum levels of Irisin as a marker of endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Ahmed Thoraya Mohamed , Nassar Mahmoud , Mohamed Hanaa Ahmed Abdallah , Elhadidy Khaled El‐sayed , Farhan Hanan Mohamed , El Basset Ahmed Sayed Abd , Elmessiery Riem M. , Kamel Mahmoud Farid 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIntroductionInsulin resistance and obesity have been associated with irisin, a protein in fat cells. The levels of irisin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were significantly lower than those in non‐diabetics. This study aimed to examine the relationship between serum irisin levels and endothelial dysfunction in patients with T2DM.MethodsThere were 90 participants in this study. We matched 65 patients with T2DM with 25 healthy control participants. A series of tests were performed on the participants, including fasting blood glucose, 2 hours postprandial blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), TG/HDL‐C ratio and albumin/creatinine ratio. In addition to measuring high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP). Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used for estimating irisin concentrations.ResultsFlow‐mediated dilation (FMD) was significantly lower in patients with T2DM; however, there was a non‐statistically significant difference between healthy controls and patients with T2DM regarding serum Irisin level. CRP and LDL levels were inversely correlated with circulating irisin levels. In a stepwise regression analysis, only the hs‐CRP and LDL were statistically significant in predicting irisin level.ConclusionsIn patients with T2DM, serum levels of irisin were inversely correlated with hyperglycaemia, body mass index and per cent body fat; this suggests that detecting irisin levels early can prevent cardiovascular diseases from progressing. According to the study results, serum irisin serves as a predictive marker for early cardiovascular disease, thus preventing the disease from progressing. There is a need for further research in order to understand how irisin contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and the development of diabetic complications.
Approximation of Bayesian Hawkes process with inlabru
Authors: Serafini Francesco , Lindgren Finn , Naylor Mark 
Published: March 2023

AbstractHawkes process are very popular mathematical tools for modeling phenomena exhibiting a self‐exciting or self‐correcting behavior. Typical examples are earthquakes occurrence, wild‐fires, drought, capture‐recapture, crime violence, trade exchange, and social network activity. The widespread use of Hawkes process in different fields calls for fast, reproducible, reliable, easy‐to‐code techniques to implement such models. We offer a technique to perform approximate Bayesian inference of Hawkes process parameters based on the use of the R‐package inlabru . The inlabru R‐package, in turn, relies on the INLA methodology to approximate the posterior of the parameters. Our Hawkes process approximation is based on a decomposition of the log‐likelihood in three parts, which are linearly approximated separately. The linear approximation is performed with respect to the mode of the parameters' posterior distribution, which is determined with an iterative gradient‐based method. The approximation of the posterior parameters is therefore deterministic, ensuring full reproducibility of the results. The proposed technique only requires the user to provide the functions to calculate the different parts of the decomposed likelihood, which are internally linearly approximated by the R‐package inlabru . We provide a comparison with the bayesianETAS  R‐package which is based on an MCMC method. The two techniques provide similar results but our approach requires two to ten times less computational time to converge, depending on the amount of data.
Uptake and Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium corollarium
Authors: Annenkov Vadim V. , Pal'shin Viktor A. , Annenkova Nataliia V. , Zelinskiy Stanislav N. , Danilovtseva Elena N. 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Plastic nanoparticles (NPs) are the final state of plastic degradation in the environment before they disintegrate into low-molecular-weight organic compounds. Unicellular organisms are highly sensitive to the toxic effects of nanoplastics, because they are often capable of phagotrophy but are unable to consume a foreign material such as synthetic plastic. We studied the effect of polystyrene, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(methyl acrylate), and poly(methyl methacrylate) NPs on the photosynthetic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium corollarium Sundström, Kremp et Daugbjerg. Fluorescent tagged particles were used to visualize plastic capture by dinoflagellate cells. We found that these dinoflagellates are capable of phagotrophic nutrition and thus should be regarded as mixotrophic species. This causes their susceptibility to the toxic effects of plastic NPs. Living cells ingest plastic NPs and accumulate in the cytoplasm as micrometer-level aggregates, probably in food vacuoles. The action of nanoplastics leads to a dose-dependent increase in the level of reactive oxygen species in dinoflagellate cells, indicating plastic degradation in the cells. The introduction of a methyl group into the main chain in the α-position in the case of poly(methyl methacrylate) causes a drastic reduction in toxicity. We expect that such NPs can be a tool for testing unicellular organisms in terms of heterotrophic feeding ability. We suggest a dual role of dinoflagellates in the ecological fate of plastic waste: the involvement of nanoplastics in the food chain and its biochemical destruction. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1124–1133. © 2023 SETAC
Astrocytic circadian clock control of energy expenditure by transcriptional stress responses in the ventromedial hypothalamus
Authors: Mendoza‐Viveros Lucia , Marmolejo‐Gutierrez Clarisa , Cid‐Castro Carolina , Escalante‐Covarrubias Quetzalcóatl , Montellier Emilie , Carreño‐Vázquez Erick , Noriega Lilia G. , Velázquez‐Villegas Laura A. , Tovar Armando R. , Sassone‐Corsi Paolo , Aguilar‐Arnal Lorena , Orozco‐Solis Ricardo 
Published: March 2023

AbstractHypothalamic circuits compute systemic information to control metabolism. Astrocytes residing within the hypothalamus directly sense nutrients and hormones, integrating metabolic information, and modulating neuronal responses. Nevertheless, the role of the astrocytic circadian clock on the control of energy balance remains unclear. We used mice with a targeted ablation of the core‐clock gene Bmal1 within Gfap‐expressing astrocytes to gain insight on the role played by this transcription factor in astrocytes. While this mutation does not substantially affect the phenotype in mice fed normo‐caloric diet, under high‐fat diet we unmasked a thermogenic phenotype consisting of increased energy expenditure, and catabolism in brown adipose and overall metabolic improvement consisting of better glycemia control, and body composition. Transcriptomic analysis in the ventromedial hypothalamus revealed an enhanced response to moderate cellular stress, including ER‐stress response, unfolded protein response and autophagy. We identified Xbp1 and Atf1 as two key transcription factors enhancing cellular stress responses. Therefore, we unveiled a previously unknown role of the astrocytic circadian clock modulating energy balance through the regulation of cellular stress responses within the VMH.
Proxalutamide in metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer: Primary analysis of a multicenter, randomized, open‐label, phase 2 trial
Authors: Zhou Tie , Qin Shengfei , Xu Weidong , Tang Shouyan , Chen Guanghua , Li Song , Hou Jianguo , Gao Xu , Shi Guowei , Sun Zhongquan , Jin Jie , Chen Lijun , Sun Weibing , Liu Ben , Wang Jingen , Meng Qinggui , Wang Dongwen , Hu Zhiquan , He Dalin , Yang Yong , Song Xishuang , Fu Cheng , Wang Yinhuai , Ye Dingwei , Zhang Wei 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe aim to assess the safety and efficacy of proxalutamide, a novel androgen receptor antagonist, for men with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in a multicenter, randomized, open‐label, phase 2 trial. In our study, the enrolled mCRPC patients were randomized to 100, 200 and 300 mg dose groups at 1:1:1. The primary efficacy endpoint was prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response rate. The secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and time to PSA and radiographic progression. Safety and pharmacokinetics were also assessed. Finally, there were 108 patients from 17 centers being enrolled. By week 16, there were 13 (35.1%), 12 (36.4%) and 15 (42.9%) patients with confirmed 50% or greater PSA decline in 100 mg (n = 37), 200 mg (n = 33) and 300 mg (n = 35) groups, respectively. Among the 19 patients with target lesions at study entry, three (15.8%) had a partial response and 12 (63.2%) had stable disease. The ORRs of 20.0%, 22.2%, 0% and DCRs of 80.0%, 88.9%, 60.0% were, respectively, achieved in 100, 200 and 300 mg groups. By the maximum follow‐up time of 24 weeks, there were 42.6% and 10.2% of cases experiencing PSA progression and radiographic progression, respectively. Overall, adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 94.4% of patients, most of which were mild or moderate. There were 28 patients experiencing ≥grade 3 AEs. The most common AEs were fatigue (17.6%), anemia (14.8%), elevated AST (14.8%) and ALT (13.0%), decreased appetite (13.0%). These findings preliminarily showed the promising antitumor activity of proxalutamide in patients with mCRPC with a manageable safety profile. The proxalutamide dose of 200 mg daily is recommended for future phase 3 trial (Clinical trial registration no. CTR20170177).
Exploring the influence mechanism of water grinding on the gel properties of corn starch based on changes in its structure and properties
Authors: Dong Ying , Dai Yangyong , Xing Fu , Hou Hanxue , Wang Wentao , Ding Xiuzhen , Zhang Hui , Li Cheng 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBACKGROUNDAt present, most studies have focused on the preparation of modified starches by dry grinding. As an excellent starch plasticizer, water might enhance the action of grinding on the structure of starch granules, and water grinding might improve the gel properties of starch. Therefore, this article explored the influence mechanism of water grinding on the gel properties of corn starch based on the changes in its structure and properties.RESULTSThe results showed that water grinding could make water enter the starch granules and hydrate the starch molecules, and the starch gelatinized after water grinding for 20 min. Thus, water enhanced the action of grinding on the structure of the starch granules. Under the plasticization and grinding action of water grinding, the mechanochemical effect of the starch granules occurred. When the starch was in the aggregation stage (7.5–10 min), the crystallinity of the starch increased, and the starch molecules rearranged into a more stable structure, which increased apparent viscosity (η), elastic modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G″) of the starch gels.CONCLUSIONTherefore, appropriate water grinding (10 min) contributed to increasing the viscoelasticity of starch gels. This study provided a theoretical foundation for research on improving the properties of starch by mechanical modification in future. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Role of Inferior Vena Cava Collapsibility Index in the Prediction of Hypotension Associated With Central Neuraxial Block
Authors: Sethi Divya , Jadhav Vinayak Laxman , Garg Garima 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThere are only a few studies on perioperative use of inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVCCI) to predict hypotension after anesthesia. The study aimed to evaluate IVCCI as predictor of hypotension in patients receiving central neuraxial block (CNB) for elective surgery.MethodOne hundred patients of ASA grade I/II, aged 18–60 years undergoing elective surgery under CNB were enrolled. Ultrasound IVC examination was performed preoperatively and the patients were allocated to Group C (Collapsing group: IVCCI ≥50%) or Group NC (Non‐Collapsing group: IVCCI <50%). Thereafter, in the operation theatre, the patient was given CNB and observed for development of hypotension. The hypotension was treated with additional fluid bolus (5 mL kg−1 over 10 minutes) and/or vasopressor (mephentramine 6 mg IV). The primary objective was to compare the incidence of hypotension; the secondary objective was to compare the fluid and vasopressor requirement in the Groups C and NC.ResultSix patients were excluded from study due to poor visualization of IVC. The mean IVCCI for Group C (n = 53) was 56.06 ± 4.62% and Group NC (n = 41) was 34.01 ± 8.94%. The incidence of hypotension was 56.60% (20/53) in Group C and 4.87% (2/41) in Group NC (P < .001). The vasopressor and fluid requirement was also statistically significantly higher in Group C compared with Group NC (P < .001).ConclusionPreoperative ultrasound assessment of IVCCI is useful in predicting hypotension after CNB in patients receiving CNB for elective surgery.