bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An in vitro model for osteoarthritis using long‐cultured inflammatory human macrophages repeatedly stimulated with TLR agonists
Authors: Ummarino Aldo , Pensado‐López Alba , Migliore Roberta , Alcaide‐Ruggiero Lourdes , Calà Nicholas , Caputo Michele , Gambaro Francesco M. , Anfray Clément , Ronzoni Flavio L. , Kon Elizaveta , Allavena Paola , Torres Andón Fernando 
Published: September 2023

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by an abundance of inflammatory M1‐like macrophages damaging local tissues. The search for new potential drugs for OA suffers from the lack of appropriate methods of long‐lasting inflammation. Here we developed and characterized an in vitro protocol of long‐lasting culture of primary human monocyte‐derived macrophages differentiated with a combination of M‐CSF+GM‐CSF that optimally supported long‐cultured macrophages (LC‐Mϕs) for up to 15 days, unlike their single use. Macrophages repeatedly stimulated for 15 days with the TLR2 ligand Pam3CSK4 (LCS‐Mϕs), showed sustained levels over time of IL‐6, CCL2, and CXCL8, inflammatory mediators that were also detected in the synovial fluids of OA patients. Furthermore, macrophages isolated from the synovia of two OA patients showed an expression profile of inflammation‐related genes similar to that of LCS‐Mϕs, validating our protocol as a model of chronically activated inflammatory macrophages. Next, to confirm that these LCS‐Mϕs could be modulated by anti‐inflammatory compounds, we employed dexamethasone and/or celecoxib, two drugs widely used in OA treatment, that significantly inhibited the production of inflammatory mediators. This easy‐to‐use in vitro protocol of long‐lasting inflammation with primary human macrophages could be useful for the screening of new compounds to improve the therapy of inflammatory disorders.
Novel method of isolating nuclei of human oligodendrocyte precursor cells reveals substantial developmental changes in gene expression and H3K27ac histone modification
Authors: Kozlenkov Alexey , Vadukapuram Ramu , Zhou Ping , Fam Peter , Wegner Michael , Dracheva Stella 
Published: September 2023

AbstractOligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) generate differentiated mature oligodendrocytes (MOs) during development. In adult brain, OPCs replenish MOs in adaptive plasticity, neurodegenerative disorders, and after trauma. The ability of OPCs to differentiate to MOs decreases with age and is compromised in disease. Here we explored the cell specific and age‐dependent differences in gene expression and H3K27ac histone mark in these two cell types. H3K27ac is indicative of active promoters and enhancers. We developed a novel flow‐cytometry‐based approach to isolate OPC and MO nuclei from human postmortem brain and profiled gene expression and H3K27ac in adult and infant OPCs and MOs genome‐wide. In adult brain, we detected extensive H3K27ac differences between the two cell types with high concordance between gene expression and epigenetic changes. Notably, the expression of genes that distinguish MOs from OPCs appears to be under a strong regulatory control by the H3K27ac modification in MOs but not in OPCs. Comparison of gene expression and H3K27ac between infants and adults uncovered numerous developmental changes in each cell type, which were linked to several biological processes, including cell proliferation and glutamate signaling. A striking example was a subset of histone genes that were highly active in infant samples but fully lost activity in adult brain. Our findings demonstrate a considerable rearrangement of the H3K27ac landscape that occurs during the differentiation of OPCs to MOs and during postnatal development of these cell types, which aligned with changes in gene expression. The uncovered regulatory changes justify further in‐depth epigenetic studies of OPCs and MOs in development and disease.
Impact of sample size and regression of tissue‐specific signals on effective connectivity within the core default mode network
Authors: Silchenko Alexander N. , Hoffstaedter Felix , Eickhoff Simon B. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractInteractions within brain networks are inherently directional, which are inaccessible to classical functional connectivity estimates from resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) but can be detected using spectral dynamic causal modeling (DCM). The sample size and unavoidable presence of nuisance signals during fMRI measurement are the two important factors influencing the stability of group estimates of connectivity parameters. However, most recent studies exploring effective connectivity (EC) have been conducted with small sample sizes and minimally pre‐processed datasets. We explore the impact of these two factors by analyzing clean resting‐state fMRI data from 330 unrelated subjects from the Human Connectome Project database. We demonstrate that both the stability of the model selection procedures and the inference of connectivity parameters are highly dependent on the sample size. The minimum sample size required for stable DCM is approximately 50, which may explain the variability of the DCM results reported so far. We reveal a stable pattern of EC within the core default mode network computed for large sample sizes and demonstrate that the use of subject‐specific thresholded whole‐brain masks for tissue‐specific signals regression enhances the detection of weak connections.
Thymocyte selection‐associated high mobility box protein regulates T lymphocytes exhaustion in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway
Authors: Niu Haiyue , Zhang Mengying , Liu Mengyuan , Yang Liyan , Yang Liping , Ren Jie , Yu Yating , Liu Yumei , Xing Limin , Shao Zonghong , Wang Huaquan 
Published: September 2023

AbstractMyelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients often experience CD8+T lymphocytes exhaustion, which plays a crucial role in the development of MDS. However, the specific role of thymocyte selection‐associated high mobility box protein (TOX) in the CD8+T lymphocytes exhaustion in MDS patients remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of TOX in CD8+T lymphocytes exhaustion in patients with MDS. The expression of TOX, inhibitory receptors (IRs), and functional molecules in peripheral blood T lymphocytes of MDS patients and normal controls were detected using flow cytometry. Lentiviral transduction was used to create stable TOX‐knockdown CD8+T lymphocytes, and small interfering RNA (si‐RNA) was used to knock down TOX in Jurkat cells. The expression of TOX was found to be significantly higher in CD8+T lymphocytes of MDS patients compared to normal controls. This was associated with upregulated IRs and reduced expression of functional molecules such as Granzyme and Perforin. Myelodysplastic syndromes patients with higher TOX expression had poor clinical indicators and shorter survival. Knockdown of TOX using sh‐RNA partially reverses the exhausted phenotype and enhances the lethality of CD8+T lymphocytes. Moreover, the knockdown of TOX using si‐RNA in Jurkat cells improved cell proliferation activity, down‐regulated IRs and activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. TOX promotes the exhaustion of CD8+T lymphocytes by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and targeted inhibition of TOX could partially restore the effector functions and activity of CD8+T lymphocytes.
Efficacy and acceptability of adjunctive n‐acetylcysteine for psychotic disorders: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhang Qun , Liu Ziping , Wang Ting , Yu Min , Li Xiaoqian 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIntroductionN‐acetylcysteine (NAC) augmentation of antipsychotic medication has been studied in psychotic disorders but the results are inconsistent. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of NAC as an augmentation strategy for psychotic disorders.MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched until the date of November 28, 2022. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing NAC and placebo in patients with psychotic disorders. The outcomes were the psychotic symptoms measured by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and drop‐out rates.ResultsA total of 594 patients from eight trials were included. The results showed that no difference was found in score changes of PANSS total, positive, negative, or general psychopathology scale scores between the NAC group and placebo group in both time points (≤24 weeks and >24 weeks). There was also no statistical difference in drop‐out rates between the two groups.ConclusionFor the moment, it is not appropriate to recommend NAC as an augmentation of antipsychotic medication to treat psychotic disorders in routine clinical practice.
SAtUNet: Series atrous convolution enhanced U‐Net for lung nodule segmentation
Authors: Selvadass Salomi , Bruntha P. Malin , Sagayam K. Martin , Günerhan Hatıra 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPrecise and unambiguous segmentation of pulmonary nodules from the CT images is imperative for a CAD framework implementation delineated for the prognosis of lung cancer. Lung nodule segmentation is an appealing research discipline for accurate dismemberment of lung cancer but the irregularity in shades, contours, and compositions, and the affinity between the tumors and the neighboring regions makes it an arduous task. This paper proffers a series atrous convolution enhanced U‐Net which uses a series of concatenated dilated convolution blocks after every stage in the encoder and decoder path. Our approach helps in obtaining the quintessential components from the feature maps, in addition to the absolute convergence of the model. It is largely assessed on the publicly accessible LIDC‐IDRI dataset. The average Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) obtained is 81.10% with an Intersection over Union (IoU/ Jaccard Index) of 72.24%. Exploratory outcomes prove that our architecture achieves ameliorate performance.
Application of a Low Cost Ceramic Filter to a Membrane Bioreactor for Greywater Treatment
Authors: Hasan Md. Mahmudul , Shafiquzzaman Md , Nakajima Jun , Ahmed Abdel Kader T. , Azam Mohammad Shafiul 
Published: September 2023

ABSTRACT: The performance of a low cost and simple ceramic filter to a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process was evaluated for greywater treatment. The ceramic filter was submerged in an acrylic cylindrical column bioreactor. Synthetic greywater (prepared by shampoo, dish cleaner and laundry detergent) was fed continuously into the reactor. The filter effluent was obtained by gravitational pressure. The average flux performance was observed to be 11.5 LMH with an average hydraulic retention time of 1.7 days. Complete biodegradation of surfactant (methylene blue active substance removal: 99–100%) as well as high organic removal performance (biochemical oxygen demand: 97–100% and total organic carbon: >88%) was obtained. The consistency of flux (11.5 LMH) indicated that the filter can be operated for a long time without fouling. The application of this simple ceramic filter would make MBR technology cost‐effective in developing countries for greywater reclamation and reuse.
Bioactivity of selenium‐containing pyridinium salts: Prospecting future pharmaceutical constituents to treat liver diseases involving oxidative stress
Authors: Castro Ediandra T. , Alves Amália G. , de Bittencourt Maia Daniela , Magalhães Larissa S. , Paim Mariana P. , Penteado Filipe , Gomes Caroline S. , Lenardão Eder J. , Brüning César A. , Bortolatto Cristiani F. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractRedox imbalance leads to oxidative stress that causes irreversible cellular damage. The incorporation of the antioxidant element selenium (Se) in the structure of pyridinium salts has been used as a strategy in chemical synthesis and can be useful in drug development. We investigated the antioxidant activity of Se‐containing pyridinium salts (named Compounds 3A, 3B, and 3C) through in vitro tests. We focused our study on liver protein carbonylation, liver lipoperoxidation, free radical scavenging activity (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazil [DPPH]; 2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid [ABTS]), and enzyme‐mimetic activity assays (glutathione S‐transferase [GST]‐like; superoxide dismutase [SOD]‐like). In addition, 2‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐2‐oxoethyl)‐2‐((phenylselanyl)methyl)pyridin‐1‐ium bromide (3C) was selected to evaluate the acute oral toxicity in mice due to the best antioxidant profile. The three compounds were effective in reducing the levels of protein carbonylation and lipoperoxidation in the liver in a µM concentration range. All compounds demonstrated scavenger activity of DPPH and ABTS radicals, and GST‐like action. No significant effects were detected in the SOD‐like assay. Experimental data also showed that the acute oral treatment of mice with Compound 3C (50 and 300 mg/kg) did not cause mortality or change markers of liver and kidney functions. In summary, our findings reveal the antioxidant potential of Se‐containing pyridinium salts in liver tissue, which could be related to their radical scavenging ability and mimetic action on the GST enzyme. They also demonstrate a low toxicity potential for Compound 3C. Together, the promising results open space for future studies on the therapeutic application of these molecules.
A survey on utilization and barriers of digital removable prostheses in the US dental education
Authors: Elkassaby Heba , Touloumi Foteini , Clark Wendy Auclair , Jiang Shuying , Mahrous Ahmed , Mainelli Julia , Moghadam Marjan , Zemnick Candice , Sadid‐Zadeh Ramtin 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPurposeGaining knowledge on the extent of digital technology implementation in dental education and the barriers to it will help inform future directions to promote the use of such technology and will enhance dental education. This study aimed to investigate the utilization of digitally fabricated removable prostheses and the potential obstacles to implementing such technology in US dental schools.MethodsA survey was developed and distributed to the restorative dentistry department chairs and postdoctoral prosthodontic program directors. The survey delivery protocol included follow‐up emails 1 week, 3 weeks, and 4 weeks after the initial email. The collected data were analyzed descriptively.ResultsThe response rate was 85% and 45% for predoctoral and postdoctoral prosthodontic programs, respectively. The results showed that 88.06% of the predoctoral programs and 95.65% of the postdoctoral prosthodontic programs implement digital complete dentures in the curriculum; however, the digital removable partial dentures implementation rate was recorded at 70.77% in predoctoral programs and 61.9% in postdoctoral prosthodontic programs.ConclusionsDental schools are challenged by cost, design software limitations, IT and laboratory support, and faculty training. Multifaceted support is instrumental in further implementing digital removable prosthodontics into dental education.
Photovoice: Visualizing the engineering identity experiences of sophomore students
Authors: Henderson Jerrod A. , McGowan Brian L. , Wawire Joan , Benjamin Le Shorn S. , Schaefer Kristin L. , Alarcón Jeannette D. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBackgroundResearchers have shown that students leave undergraduate engineering programs during the first 2 years. Justifiably, many studies have tried to tackle engineering student persistence and attrition, especially during the first year, and then developed interventions to address the challenges. Although those interventions have improved freshmen retention in some institutions, less has been published on the impacts of these interventions on the sophomore student experience.PurposeTo contribute to the knowledge base about all engineering students, we examined the experiences of sophomore engineering students and explored how these experiences might be related to their identities as engineers.Design/MethodWe conducted this study using photovoice, a methodology in which participants submit photographs to describe their experiences and give recommendations on improving their experiences and resolving their concerns. Participants submitted three sets of pictures (at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester) and participated in focus groups to aid in illuminating their experiences. We analyzed data using thematic analysis.ResultsWe inductively determined three themes: on the frame, out of focus, and prefigures. These themes illustrate the experiences of sophomore engineering students, enabling us to see what interest, competence, and recognition as engineers looked like from their perspectives.ConclusionsParticipants grappled with the tension between their personal, social, and engineering identities. Photovoice empowered them to author and illustrate that they could exist beyond the murky middle.
A challenging case of cutaneous leishmaniasis with thrombophlebitic complication
Authors: Willemart Antoine , Mengeot Laura , Yombi Jean‐Cyr , Secco Léo Paul , Baeck Marie 
Published: September 2023

AbstractWe report a case of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania guyanensis with sporotrichoid lymphocutaneous dissemination of the parasite and thrombophlebitic complication in a 32‐year‐old man who had recently travelled to French Guiana. After initial failure of empirical treatment with amphotericin B, the patient evolved favourably on high doses of intramuscular injections of meglumine antimoniate for 2 months. This case illustrates the existence of lymphocutaneous forms and possible thrombophlebitic complications of leishmaniasis. It also highlights the challenges in the management of leishmaniasis, despite the existence of guidelines and a wide therapeutic arsenal.
Controlled Radical Polymerization Initiated by Solvated Electrons
Authors: Li Xun , Pan Zhaoyan , Xia Yichen , Rui Jiayu , Zhu Meng , Ren He , Huang Jian 
Published: September 2023

AbstractSolvated electron (esol−) is highly reducing species and apt to initiate monomers via one‐electron transfer reaction. Herein, utilizing the esol− solution of Na/hexamethylphosphoramide, radical and anionic initiations are observed respectively, which heavily depend on Na concentrations. Interestingly, this initiation system, in states of lower Na concentrations, higher molar conductivities and less paired esol−, give rise to a controlled radical polymerization (CRP) to yield polymers with predictable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (the lowest Ð = 1.25). This CRP presents unique behaviors, like solvent effect, electric field effect, and unusual copolymerization phenomenon. A semi‐conjugated radical carrying a negative charge is proposed to be responsible for the CRP. This system gives a distinct way to regulate CRP from current CRPs, and offers new insights into the monomer initiation by esol−.
Study on dislocation density, microstructure, and mechanical properties of P92 steel for different heat treatment conditions
Authors: Sharma G. , Dwivedi D. K. , Sharma P. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe impact of various heat treatment procedures on microstructure, dislocation density, hardness, tensile characteristics, and impact toughness of P92 steel was examined in the current experiment. The martensitic microstructure and average microhardness of 463 HV 0.2±8 HV 0.2 of the normalized steel were prevalent. A tempering procedure was carried out at 760 °C for a range of 2 hours to 6 hours. Additionally, an X‐ray diffraction examination was carried out, and the results were used to determine the dislocation density. The normalized sample was characterized by a high dislocation density. The dislocation density was decreased by tempering of normalized samples. With an increase in tempering time, the effect of the treatment coarsened the grains, precipitates, and decreased the area fraction of precipitates. After tempering, MX, M23C6, and M7C3 types precipitates were found to have precipitated, according to energy dispersive spectroscopy and x‐ray diffraction research. The ideal tempering period was determined to be 4 hours at a tempering temperature of 760 °C based on the microstructure and mechanical characteristics. Steel that was tempered at 760 °C for 4 hours had a yield strength of 472 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 668.02 MPa, and an elongation of 26.05 %, respectively.
The influence of coefficient of friction in thermal prediction of refill friction stir spot welding process of AA7075‐T6
Authors: Janga V. S. R. , Awang M. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractNumerical modelling of refill friction stir spot welding helps in the deep investigation of physics involved in the joining process. The current study investigates four variants of contact models and their influence on thermal prediction in the process. The contact models with constant shear and coulomb friction coefficients and temperature‐dependent shear and coulomb friction coefficients were used in the numerical models to investigate the influence of friction coefficients in the prediction of thermal cycles in refill friction stir spot welding. The results from the numerical model are compared and validated with the experimental results from a previous study. The contact model with temperature‐dependent coulomb friction coefficient was concluded to be more reliable when compared to the other three contact models. The temperature for this contact model at the centre of the weld is 505 °C, which differs from the temperature recorded in the experiment by 2 %. The peak temperatures of numerical models with constant coulomb and shear friction coefficients differ from the experimental temperature at the weld centre by 5.17 % and 16.8 % respectively.
Simultaneous anodization and silanization for adhesive joining of AA 3031 using an epoxy adhesive
Authors: Tiwari M. M. , Noormohammed S. , Chen X.‐G , Sarkar D. K. 
Published: September 2023

AbstractOne step process, simultaneous anodization and silanization, to improve structural adhesive bonding of american aluminium 3031 alloy for wide ranges of applications was investigated. In this study, an optimized aqueous solution of zinc nitrate salt and a glycidoxy propyl‐trimethoxy silane was used as the electrolyte at a controlled temperature of ~5 °C with different current densities. The morphology of the deposited anodic layers revealed the presence of randomly clustered microstructures on the surface. The anodic layers formed with 120 m A cm−2 for 300 sec exhibited the most promising profile with optimum surface roughness among others, showing potentials for excellent mechanical anchoring of the adhesive within its rough structure. The infrared spectra and the energy‐dispersive x‐ray analysis also showed that these surfaces were chemically rich, indicating benefits of both mechanical and chemical bonds at the adhesive‐surface interface.