bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elderly responses to private health insurance incentives: Evidence from Australia
Authors: Liu Judith , Zhang Yuting 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMany governments with dual public and private health systems offer subsidies for private health insurance (PHI) with the aim to ease the burden on the public system. Understanding how elderly individuals respond to these PHI subsidies is important because they typically have greater health care needs but often struggle with the affordability of PHI. However, prior studies provide little guidance on this issue because they have mainly focused on the responses to PHI incentives among the general population. This paper leverages a unique age‐specific policy intervention in Australia that provided higher rebates for individuals over the age of 65. Using administrative tax data, we examine how this policy affected PHI take‐up decisions of elderly individuals under an event study difference‐in‐differences framework. We find that higher rebates led to a modest increase in PHI take‐up. The estimated price elasticities of PHI demand were in the −0.1 to −0.2 range in the first 2 years of the policy. Moreover, the demand responses were more elastic among those with low incomes. Our findings indicate that a more targeted subsidy program, specially tailored to low‐income elders, would yield greater effectiveness in increasing PHI take‐up.
Combatting risk with resilience: How bicultural socialization experiences of Black immigrant‐origin youth relates to well‐being
Authors: Emuka Christine , Karras Juliana E. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIntroductionBlack immigrant‐origin (I‐O) youth's well‐being is at risk as the systemic mistreatment of Black people within the United States can be intensified by migration‐related experiences (e.g., isolationism, xenophobia). These experiences were heightened by the sociopolitical events of 2020 that increased the salience of racism and xenophobia. The current study centered how Black I‐O youth's negotiation of their bicultural socialization experiences impacted the ways in which they processed various social situations/contexts.MethodsGrounded theory was used to conduct secondary analysis of a sub‐sample (n = 26) from qualitative interviews completed between 2020 and 2021 through The 2020 Study. Participants lived in the United States, identified as Black and I‐O as part of the global African Black Diaspora (Mage = 16.73, SD = 1.08), and as 80.77% female, 7.69% gender diverse, and 11.54% male.ResultsThe increased salience of racial injustice throughout 2020 uniquely positioned youth's meaning‐making of their ethnic/racial identity. How youth reflected on their identity and related socialization experiences informed how they focused their attention and perceptions of socialization experiences. This connected to how youth demonstrated positive adaption (e.g., cultural pride) as forms of resilience against hyper‐visible anti‐Blackness throughout 2020. Youth's agentic participation aligned with indicators for positive youth development and well‐being.ConclusionBy critically exploring the relationship between social competence, youth well‐being, and bicultural socialization among Black I‐O youth, the current study addressed a gap in the extant research regarding how affirming youth identity complexities can lead to building resilience to potential instances of risk (e.g., race‐based trauma, acculturative stress).
Experimental study on the effect of scanning path on skin tissue properties of femtosecond laser welding
Authors: Jia Mengshi , Huang Jun , Chen Yuxin , JinchengLi  , Wang Kehong 
Published: August 2023

AbstractTo study the influence pattern of femtosecond laser scanning path on the welding effect of skin tissue, this experiment analyzed the influence of scanning path on the surface morphology, degree of thermal damage, tensile strength, and microstructure of skin samples after skin attachment by designing nine scanning paths to weld skin tissue. The results showed that the skin samples connected by interrupted parallel mattress eversion sewing method with d = 0.2 mm showed no obvious color changes in morphology, the skin samples were connected on both front and back sides, the tensile strength was the highest, reaching 12.80 N/cm2, the thermal damage parameter was low at 1.08 × 10−2, the microstructure had obvious directionality, and the texture was clear and uniformly distributed.
Electrical stimulation alters DNA methylation and promotes neurite outgrowth
Authors: Ashok Ajay , Tai Wai Lydia , Lennikov Anton , Chang Karen , Chen Julie , Li Boyuan , Cho Kin‐Sang , Utheim Tor Paaske , Chen Dong Feng 
Published: August 2023

AbstractElectrical stimulation (ES) influences neural regeneration and functionality. We here investigate whether ES regulates DNA demethylation, a critical epigenetic event known to influence nerve regeneration. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) have long served as a standard model for central nervous system neurons, whose growth and disease development are reportedly affected by DNA methylation. The current study focuses on the ability of ES to rescue RGCs and preserve vision by modulating DNA demethylation. To evaluate DNA demethylation pattern during development, RGCs from mice at different stages of development, were analyzed using qPCR for ten‐eleven translocation (TETs) and immunostained for 5 hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmc) and 5 methylcytosine (5mc). To understand the effect of ES on neurite outgrowth and DNA demethylation, cells were subjected to ES at 75 µAmp biphasic ramp for 20 min and cultured for 5 days. ES increased TETs mediated neurite outgrowth, DNA demethylation, TET1 and growth associated protein 43 levels significantly. Immunostaining of PC12 cells following ES for histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation showed cells attained an antiheterochromatin configuration. Cultured mouse and human retinal explants stained with β‐III tubulin exhibited increased neurite growth following ES. Finally, mice subjected to optic nerve crush injury followed by ES exhibited improved RGCs function and phenotype as validated using electroretinogram and immunohistochemistry. Our results point to a possible therapeutic regulation of DNA demethylation by ES in neurons.
Insights of mitochondrial involvement in alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Subramaiyam Nithyananthan 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAlcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a global concern affecting most of the population and leading to the development of end‐stage liver disease. Metabolic alterations due to increased alcohol consumption surge the hepatic accumulation of lipids and develop into a severe form of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), depending on age and the consumption rate. The mitochondria in the hepatocyte actively regulate metabolic homeostasis and are disrupted in ALD pathogenesis. The increased NADH upon ethanol metabolism inhibits the mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids, alters oxidative phosphorylation, and favors de novo lipogenesis. The higher mitochondrial respiration in early ALD increases free radical generation, whereas mitochondrial respiration is uncoupled in chronic ALD, affecting the cellular energy status. The defective glutathione importer due to excessive cholesterol loading and low adenosine triphosphate accounts for additional oxidative stress leading to hepatocyte apoptosis. The defective mitochondrial transcription machinery and sirtuins function in ALD affect mitochondrial function and biogenesis. The metabolites of ethanol metabolism epigenetically alter the gene expression profile of hepatic cell populations by modulating the promoters and sirtuins, aiding hepatic fibrosis and inflammation. The defect in mitophagy increases the accumulation of megamitochondria in hepatocytes and attracts immune cells by releasing mitochondrial damage‐associated molecular patterns to initiate hepatic inflammation and ASH progression. Thus, maintaining mitochondrial lipid homeostasis and antioxidant capacity pharmacologically could provide a better outcome for ALD management.
Functional specialization of two UDP‐glycosyltransferases MpUGT735A2 and MpUGT743A1 in the liverworts Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Zhu Ting‐Ting , Ta He , Ni Rong , Hao Yue , Du Ni‐Hong , Cheng Ai‐Xia , Lou Hong‐Xiang 
Published: August 2023

AbstractFamily 1 UDP‐glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are known to glycosylate multiple secondary plant metabolites and have been extensively studied. The increased availability of plant genome resources allows the identification of wide gene families, both functional and organizational. In this investigation, two MpUGT isoforms were cloned and functionally characterized from liverworts marchantia polymorpha and had high glycosylation activity against several flavonoids. MpUGT735A2 protein, in particular, tolerates a wide spectrum of substrates (flavonols, flavanones, flavones, stilbenes, bibenzyls, dihydrochalcone, phenylpropanoids, xanthones, and isoflavones). Overexpression of MpUGT735A2 and MpUGT743A1 in Arabidopsis thaliana enhances the accumulation of 3‐O‐glycosylated flavonol (kaempferol 3‐O‐glucoside‐7‐O‐rhamnose), consistent with its in vitro enzymatic activity. Docking and mutagenesis techniques were applied to identify the structural and functional properties of MpUGT735A2 with promiscuous substrates. Mutation of Pro87 to Ser, or Gln88 to Val, substantially altered the regioselectivity for luteolin glycosylation, predominantly from the 3′‐O‐ to the 7‐O‐position. The results were elucidated by focusing on the novel biocatalysts designed for producing therapeutic flavonoids. This investigation provides an approach to modulate MpUGT735A2 as a candidate gene for diverse glycosylation catalysis and a tool to design GTs with new substrate specificities for biomedical applications.
Shear wave elastography combined with two‐dimensional ultrasonography for detecting optic nerve sheath: An effective tool for assessing preeclampsia
Authors: Su Shanshan , Zhong Huohu , Wang Xiaohua , Huang Yanyan , Su Qichen 
Published: August 2023

AbstractPurpose/ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate two‐dimensional ultrasound and shear‐wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating optic neuropathy in preeclampsia.MethodsNinety‐one singleton pregnant women (51 with preeclampsia [observation group]; 40 without complications [control group]) admitted between January 2022 and April 2022 participated in this study.Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and optic nerve stiffness measurement (ONSM) were measured using two‐dimensional ultrasound and SWE, respectively, and compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic curves were employed to evaluate the performance of ONSD, ONSM, and combination (ONSD + ONSM) for diagnosing preeclampsia.ResultsThe observation (preeclampsia) group ONSD and ONSM were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Optimal diagnostic values for ONSD and ONSM were 4.10 mm and 11.20 kPa, respectively. Areas under the curve for diagnosing preeclampsia were 0.958 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.926–0.990) for ONSD, 0.939 (95% CI, 0.894–0.985) for ONSM, and 0.982 (95% CI, 0.962–1.000) for ONSD + ONSM. There was no significant difference between ONSD and ONSM in diagnosing preeclampsia (p = 0.436). However, ONSD + ONSM was significantly advantageous over ONSD or ONSM alone in diagnosing preeclampsia (p = 0.033; p = 0.014).ConclusionsUltrasonic evaluation of the optic nerve can quantitatively assess optic nerve changes in pregnant women with preeclampsia.
Teasing out elevational trends in infraspecific Prunus taxa: A vein analysis approach
Authors: Mollman Rachel , Çiftçi Almıla , Kaleli Bilge S. , Erol Osman 
Published: August 2023

AbstractUsing 33 specimens collected from across their range in Turkey, we demonstrate that the subspecies of Prunus microcarpa C.A.Mey react very differently to altitude. We first outline a simplified, flexible protocol for sectioning and removing the epidermis of small, difficult‐to‐image leaves for leaf vein studies. We then used venation analysis software to evaluate the two subspecies of this wild cherry in relation to altitude. We also found key differences in venation features between short‐shoot and long‐shoot leaves for each taxon. Differences include statistically significant negative correlation between vein density, and positive correlation between areole area and altitude in long‐shoot leaves of Prunus microcarpa subsp. microcarpa, while its short‐shoot leaves had a positive relationship between maximum areole area, and negative relationship between vein density, numbers of veins and endpoints. Meanwhile, P. microcarpa subsp. tortuosa (Boiss. & Hausskn.) Browicz recorded trends that were largely opposite of this, but beside vein thickness and areole area, were not statistically significant. This difference may be part of each taxon's overarching syndrome of anatomical and morphological adaptations to its external environment.Research Highlights
Features of vein density and thickness fell, while areole area and vein length rose with altitude in P. microcarpa.
P. microcarpa subsp. tortuosa showed opposite trends, but reacted less strongly to altitude.
Short‐shoot and long‐shoot have significantly different venation parameters.
Using sections proportionate to leaf size is useful to compare venation of leaves that vary due to dimorphism.
We discuss protocol strategies for imaging of difficult leaves for venation analyses.
A variant in sperm‐specific glycolytic enzyme enolase 4 (ENO4) causes human male infertility
Authors: Nawaz Shoaib , Hussain Shabir , Bilal Muhammad , Syed Najeeb , Liaqat Khurram , Ullah Imran , Akil Ammira Al‐Shabeeb , Fakhro Khalid A. , Ahmad Wasim 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundAlthough defects in sperm morphology and physiology lead to male infertility, in many instances, the exact disruption of molecular pathways in a given patient is often unknown. The glycolytic pathway is an essential process to supply energy in sperm cell motility. Enolase 4 (ENO4) is crucial for the glycolytic process, which provides the energy for sperm cells in motility. ENO4 is located in the sperm principal piece and is essential for the motility and organization of the sperm flagellum. In the present study, we characterized a family with asthenozoospermia and abnormal sperm morphology as a result of a variant in the enolase 4 (ENO4) gene.MethodsComputer‐assisted semen analysis, papanicolaou smear staining and scanning electron microscopy were used to examine sperm motility and morphology for semen analysis in patients. For genetic analysis, whole‐exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing was performed.ResultsTwo brothers in a consanguineous family were being clinically investigated for sperm motility and morphology issues. Genetic analysis by whole‐exome sequencing revealed a homozygous variant [c.293A>G, p.(Lys98Arg)] in the ENO4 gene that segregated with infertility in the family, shared by affected but not controls.ConclusionsIn view of the association of asthenozoospermia and abnormal sperm morphology in Eno4 knockout mice, we consider this to be the first report describing the involvement of ENO4 gene in human male infertility. We also explore the possible involvement of another variant in explaining other phenotypic features in this family.
Photoinitiating Ability of Pyrene–Chalcone‐Based Oxime Esters with Different Substituents
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxiang , Liu Zheng , Zhu Di , Peng Xiaotong , Gigmes Didier , Schmitt Michael , Xiao Pu , Dumur Frédéric , Lalevée Jacques 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWith the rapid development of new irradiation setups as well as the ongoing interest in 3D printing, photopolymerization is extensively studied during the last decades. In photopolymerization, a photoinitiator and/or photosensitizer play(s) a crucial role in the photoinitiation step as this component absorbs light, thus creating the initiating species. In this study, a series of 17 chalcone‐based oxime esters (OXEs) featuring the pyrene chromophore are designed, synthesized, and studied for their photoinitiation properties upon irradiation with visible light. Precisely, their photoinitiation abilities are examined during the free radical photopolymerization of acrylates under the irradiation of light‐emitting diode (LED) at 405 nm. In the series of oxime esters, five of them demonstrate excellent photoinitiation abilities. Their thermal initiation abilities are also examined. To improve their photoinitiation abilities, these type I photoinitiators are also tested as type II photoinitiators in two‐component photoinitiating systems using bis‐(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)iodonium or ethyl 4‐(dimethylamino)benzoate as additives. In this process, the OXE‐B/iodonium system shows the best photopolymerization. To develop the use of these chalcone‐based oxime esters, the best OXE is used as a monocomponent photoinitiating system in 2D laser writing at 405 nm. The design of composites using glass fibers or carbon fiber as fillers is also examined.
Downregulation of cellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 fosters epithelial–mesenchymal transition in thyroid cancer
Authors: Hsu Yi‐Chiung , Huang Wen‐Chien , Kuo Chi‐Yu , Li Ying‐Syuan , Cheng Shih‐Ping 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCellular retinoic acid binding protein 1 (CRABP1) participates in the regulation of retinoid signaling. Previous studies showed conflicting results regarding the role of CRABP1 in tumor biology, including protumorigenic and tumor‐suppressive effects in different types of cancer. Our bioinformatics analyses suggested that CRABP1 expression was downregulated in thyroid cancer. Ectopic expression of CRABP1 in thyroid cancer cells suppressed migratory and invasive activity without affecting cell growth or cell cycle distribution. In transformed normal thyroid follicular epithelial cells, silencing of CRABP1 expression increased invasiveness. Additionally, CRABP1 overexpression was associated with downregulation of the mesenchymal phenotype. Kinase phosphorylation profiling indicated that CRABP1 overexpression was accompanied by a decrease in phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and downstream phosphorylation of Akt, STAT3, and FAK, which were reversed by exogenous EGF treatment. Immunohistochemical analysis of our tissue microarrays revealed an inverse association between CRABP1 expression and disease stage of differentiated thyroid cancer. Taken together, our results suggest that CRABP1 expression is aberrantly lost in thyroid cancer, and this downregulation promotes the epithelial–mesenchymal transition at least partly through modulating EGF receptor signaling.
Cortical Disinhibition Drives Freezing of Gait in Parkinson's Disease and an Exploratory Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study
Authors: Sun Huimin , Gan Caiting , Wang Lina , Ji Min , Cao Xingyue , Yuan Yongsheng , Zhang Heng , Shan Aidi , Gao Mengxi , Zhang Kezhong 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundDysfunction of the primary motor cortex, participating in regulation of posture and gait, is implicated in freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease (PD).ObjectiveThe aim was to reveal the mechanisms of “OFF‐period” FOG (OFF‐FOG) and “levodopa‐unresponsive” FOG (ONOFF‐FOG) in PD.MethodsWe measured the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) indicators and gait parameters in 21 healthy controls (HCs), 15 PD patients with ONOFF‐FOG, 15 PD patients with OFF‐FOG, and 15 PD patients without FOG (Non‐FOG) in “ON” and “OFF” medication conditions. Difference of TMS indicators in the four groups and two conditions and its correlations with gait parameters were explored. Additionally, we explored the effect of 10 Hz repetitive TMS on gait and TMS indicators in ONOFF‐FOG patients.ResultsIn “OFF” condition, short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) exhibited remarkable attenuation in FOG patients (both ONOFF‐FOG and OFF‐FOG) compared to Non‐FOG patients and HCs. The weakening of SICI correlated with impaired gait characteristics in FOG. However, in “ON” condition, SICI in ONOFF‐FOG patients reduced compared to OFF‐FOG patients. Pharmacological treatment significantly improved SICI and gait in OFF‐FOG patients, and high‐frequency repetitive TMS distinctly improved gait in ONOFF‐FOG patients, accompanied by enhanced SICI.ConclusionsMotor cortex disinhibition, represented by decreased SICI, is related to FOG in PD. Refractory freezing in ONOFF‐FOG patients correlated with the their reduced SICI insensitive to dopaminergic medication. SICI can serve as an indicator of the severity of impaired gait characteristics in FOG and reflect treatments efficacy for FOG in PD patients. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
A mechanistic computational framework to investigate the hemodynamic fingerprint of the blood oxygenation level‐dependent signal
Authors: Báez‐Yáñez Mario Gilberto , Siero Jeroen C. W. , Petridou Natalia 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBlood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is one of the most used imaging techniques to map brain activity or to obtain clinical information about human cortical vasculature, in both healthy and disease conditions. Nevertheless, BOLD fMRI is an indirect measurement of brain functioning triggered by neurovascular coupling. The origin of the BOLD signal is quite complex, and the signal formation thus depends, among other factors, on the topology of the cortical vasculature and the associated hemodynamic changes. To understand the hemodynamic evolution of the BOLD signal response in humans, it is beneficial to have a computational framework available that virtually resembles the human cortical vasculature, and simulates hemodynamic changes and corresponding MRI signal changes via interactions of intrinsic biophysical and magnetic properties of the tissues. To this end, we have developed a mechanistic computational framework that simulates the hemodynamic fingerprint of the BOLD signal based on a statistically defined, three‐dimensional, vascular model that approaches the human cortical vascular architecture. The microvasculature is approximated through a Voronoi tessellation method and the macrovasculature is adapted from two‐photon microscopy mice data. Using this computational framework, we simulated hemodynamic changes—cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, and blood oxygen saturation—induced by virtual arterial dilation. Then we computed local magnetic field disturbances generated by the vascular topology and the corresponding blood oxygen saturation changes. This mechanistic computational framework also considers the intrinsic biophysical and magnetic properties of nearby tissue, such as water diffusion and relaxation properties, resulting in a dynamic BOLD signal response. The proposed mechanistic computational framework provides an integrated biophysical model that can offer better insights regarding the spatial and temporal properties of the BOLD signal changes.