bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimates of life history parameters in a high latitude, arid‐country vervet monkey population
Authors: Henzi S. Peter , Blersch Rosemary A. , Bonnell Tyler R. , Clarke Madison , Dostie Marcus J. , Lucas Miranda , Jarrett Jonathan , McFarland Richard , Nord Christina , Takahashi April , Vilette Chloé , Young Chris , Young Mirjam M. , Barrett Louise 
Published: June 2023

AbstractWe present data on life history parameters from a long‐term study of vervet monkeys in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Estimates are presented of age at first conception for females and age at natal dispersal for males, along with the probability of survival to adulthood for infants born during the study, female reproductive life‐span, reproductive output (including lifetime reproductive success for a subset of females), and inter‐birth interval (IBI) duration. We also assess the effect of maternal age and infant survival on length of IBI. We then go on to compare life history parameters for our population with those from two East African populations in Kenya (Amboseli and Laikipia). We find there is broad consensus across the three populations, although mean infant survival was considerably lower for the two East African sites. Such comparisons must be made cautiously, however, as local ecology across the duration of the studies obviously has an impact on the estimates obtained. With this caveat in place, we consider that the concordance between values is sufficient to enable the values reported here to be used in comparative studies of primate life history, although data from habitats with higher rainfall and lower levels of seasonality are needed, and the results presented here should not be seen as canonical.
Zataria multiflora and its constituent, carvacrol, counteract sepsis‐induced aortic and cardiac toxicity in rat: Involvement of nitric oxide and oxidative stress
Authors: Hosseini Mahmoud , Arab Zohreh , Beheshti Farimah , Anaeigoudari Akbar , Shakeri Farzaneh , Rajabian Arezoo 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackgroundZataria multiflora and carvacrol showed various pharmacological properties including anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant effects. However, up to now no studies have explored its potential benefits in ameliorating sepsis‐induced aortic and cardiac injury. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Z. multiflora and carvacrol on nitric oxide (NO) and oxidative stress indicators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced aortic and cardiac injury.MethodsAdult male Wistar rats were assigned to: Control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)), and Z. multiflora hydro‐ethanolic extract (ZME, 50–200 mg/kg, oral)‐ and carvacrol (25–100 mg/kg, oral)‐treated groups. LPS was injected daily for 14 days. Treatment with ZME and carvacrol started 3 days before LPS administration and treatment continued during LPS administration. At the end of the study, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), NO, thiols, and antioxidant enzymes were evaluated.ResultsOur findings showed a significant reduction in the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and thiols in the LPS group, which were restored by ZME and carvacrol. Furthermore, ZME and carvacrol decreased MDA and NO in cardiac and aortic tissues of LPS‐injected rats.ConclusionsThe results suggest protective effects of ZME and carvacrol on LPS‐induced cardiovascular injury via improved redox hemostasis and attenuated NO production. However, additional studies are needed to elucidate the effects of ZME and its constituents on inflammatory responses mediated by LPS.
Analysis of fluid flow behaviour in different proton exchange membrane fuel cell flow field configurations
Authors: Sarjuni C. T. Aisyah , Lim Bee Huah , Majlan Edy Herianto , Rosli Masli Irwan , Wong Wai Yin 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack is largely affected by the bipolar plate design. Uniform gas distribution throughout the active area with effective mass transport is critical to avoiding activation, concentration and ohmic losses that can reduce the overall stack performance. In this study, three inlet/outlet turning angles (90, 135 and 180°) were first simulated with a conventional parallel (CP) flow field. It was found that the 135° inlet/outlet angle showed the most optimised fluid distribution in the flow field. Thus, improving fluid uniformity up to 6% and reducing pressure drop up to 36%. This turning angle was then simulated in three different flow fields (modified serpentine [MS], modified fishbone [MF] and Tesla valve [TV]). MF generated the lowest pressure drop value of 80.11 Pa, but flow channelling was apparent in the fluid channels. The pressure drop in MS was 43% higher than in TV. Furthermore, the continuous fluid flow mechanism of the TV design generated up to two times higher uniformity level than MS. Hence, a TV flow field with a 135° inlet/outlet angle evidently demonstrated uniform fluid distribution, which can significantly enhance the multi‐phase fluid dynamics in a PEMFC.
The impact of expression vector position on transgene transcription allows for rational expression vector design in a targeted integration system
Authors: Beal Kathryn M. , Bandara Kalpanie R. , Ali Syed R. , Sonak Renuka G. , Barnes Michael R. , Scarcelli John J. , Zhang Lin 
Published: June 2023

AbstractSite‐specific integration (SSI) technology has emerged as an effective approach by the pharmaceutical industry for the development of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. While SSI systems have been demonstrated to be effective for the development of CHO cell lines, they can be limiting in terms of both transgene expression and in the case of multi‐specifics, the ability to generate the correct product of interest. To maximize the performance of Pfizer's dual SSI expression system for expressing monoclonal and multi‐specific antibodies, we used a novel approach to investigate the positional effect of transgenes within expression vectors by engineering nucleotide polymorphisms (NP)s to use as biomarkers to track the level of transcript output from each expression vector position. We observed differences in transcript level for two different transgenes across all four expression vector positions interrogated. We then applied these learnings to rationally design expression vectors for six different mAbs and a multi‐specific antibody. We showed enhanced productivity and optimal product quality when compared to a conventional expression vector topology. The learnings gained here can potentially aid in the determination of optimal vector topologies for several IgG‐like multi‐specific formats.
In silico induced effect of N‐ε‐lysine acetylation on microtubule stability and subsequent interaction of microtubule‐associated proteins
Authors: Rayevsky Alexey , Bulgakov Elijah , Sharifi Mohsen , Samofalova Dariya , Ozheredov Daniil , Karpov Pavel , Pantano Sergio , Blume Yaroslav 
Published: June 2023

AbstractPlant systems have been considered valuable models for addressing fundamental questions of microtubule (MT) organization due to their considerable practical utility. Protein acetylation is a very common protein modification, and therate of acetylation can be modulated in cells in different biological states, and these changes can be detected at a molecular level. Here, we focused on K40, K112, and K394 residues as putative acetylation sites, which were shown to exist in both plants and mammals. Such residual effect of acetylation causes critical but unclear effect on MT stability. In turn, it was shown that acetylation indirectly affects the probability of interaction with different MAPs (Microtubule‐associated proteins). In a multiscale study using an all‐atom force field to reproduce several lattice‐forming elements found on the surface the microtubule, we assembled a fragment of a plant microtubule composed of nine tubulins and used it as a model object along with the existing human complex. Triplets of tubulins assembled in a lattice cell were then simulated for both human and plant protein complexes, using a coarse‐grained force field. We then analyzed the trajectories and identified some critical deformations of the MAP interaction surface. The initial coordinates were used to investigate the structural scenario in which autophagy‐related protein 8 (ATG8) was able to interact with the MT fragment.
Matrix metalloproteinase‐2 delivery to extracellular vesicles produced by HPV‐positive cervical cancer cells enhances metastasis via the Akt pathway
Authors: Sun Jianan , Mou Junjun , Zhang Yunmei , Yuan Kang , Yang Ying , Tang Qing 
Published: June 2023

AbstractHere, we aimed to analyze the effects of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) delivery to extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by human papillomavirus (HPV)‐associated cervical cancer cells on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) angiogenesis. First, MMP‐2 expression was compared among SiHa (HPV16), HeLa (HPV18), and C‐33A (negative) cells. Then, EVs were isolated from these cells, and MMP‐2 expression in the EVs was compared. SiHa and HeLa cells were transfected with MMP‐2 or control siRNA. HUVECs were treated with EVs isolating from transfected cells. Migration and angiogenesis of HUVECs were measured, and p‐Akt protein expression in HUVECs was detected. An Akt inhibitor or activator was used to analyze the effect of MMP‐2 delivery to EVs on the migration of HUVECs. The SiHa‐induced xenograft tumors were treated with 2 µg of EVs every 3 d for a total of 27 d. Tumor growth, and the expression levels of p‐Akt, MMP‐2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were observed in the tumors. The results showed that MMP‐2 expression was higher in SiHa‐ and HeLa‐derived EVs than that in the C‐33A‐derived EVs. Interference with MMP‐2 suppressed the invasion of SiHa and HeLa cells. The migration and angiogenesis of HUVECs were enhanced by MMP‐2 delivery to EVs secreted by SiHa and HeLa cells through regulation of the Akt pathway. The growth of xenograft tumors was accelerated by EVs secreted by SiHa cell with differential MMP‐2 expression. Our results indicate the delivered MMP‐2 in EVs acts as a messenger between HPV‐associated cancer cells and HUVECs.
Process characterization and pretreatment of container and drum cleaning industry wastewater using a heat‐activated persulfate oxidation process
Authors: Güneş Elçin , Çifçi Deniz İzlen , Çelik Suna Özden 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe aim of this study was to treat wastewater from washing, cutting or crushing of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), steel drums and plastic drums, using the sulfate radical‐based oxidation method. In this study, it was planned to make the wastewater suitable for activated sludge treatment by applying neutralization after a sulfate radical‐based oxidation process. Samples were taken from the industry three times to study these treatment processes. To determine the optimum conditions in the study, chemical oxygen demand (COD), removal efficiency was calculated, and optimum temperature, optimum time, and optimum persulfate dose were determined. Since the washing is done with hot water in the industry, the thermal activation method was used for the activation of persulfate. In the results of the study, COD removal efficiency, and total organic carbon (TOC), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and potentially toxic metal(s) removal efficiency was measured in three wastewater samples. According to the results of the study, the temperature at which the best COD removal efficiency was observed was 70°C, the COD/S2O82− ratio was 1:2, and the contact time was 5 h. As a result of the study, it has been revealed that such wastewater can be given to the activated sludge after sulfate radical‐based oxidation and neutralization in the same existing reactor instead of the existing FeCl3 process.
Metabolism of (R)‐Praziquantel versus the Activation of a Parasite Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin Ion Channel
Authors: Friedrich Lukas , Park Sang‐Kyu , Ballard Peter , Ho Baeurle Tobias Hyun , Maillard David , Bödding Matthias , Keiser Jennifer , Marchant Jonathan S. , Spangenberg Thomas 
Published: June 2023

AbstractPraziquantel (PZQ) is an essential anthelmintic drug recently established to be an activator of a Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin (TRPMPZQ) ion channel in trematode worms. Bioinformatic, mutagenesis and drug metabolism work indicate that the cyclohexyl ring of PZQ is a key pharmacophore for activation of trematode TRPMPZQ, as well as serving as the primary site of oxidative metabolism which results in PZQ being a short‐lived drug. Based on our recent findings, the hydrophobic cleft in schistosome TRPMPZQ defined by three hydrophobic residues surrounding the cyclohexyl ring has little tolerance for polarity. Here we evaluate the in vitro and in vivo activities of PZQ analogues with improved metabolic stability relative to the challenge of maintaining activity on the channel. Finally, an estimation of the respective contribution to the overall activity of both the parent and the main metabolite of PZQ in humans is reported.
Identification of novel oncogenes in oral cancer among elderly nonsmokers
Authors: Inoue Hitoshi , Hirasaki Masataka , Kogashiwa Yasunao , Nakachi Yutaka , Kuba Kiyomi , Ebihara Yasuhiro , Nakahira Mitsuhiko , Yasuda Masanori , Okuda Akihiko , Sugasawa Masashi 
Published: June 2023

AbstractObjectivesIn recent years, an increase in oral cancer among elderly nonsmokers has been noted. The aim of this study was to identify novel oncogenes in oral cancer in older nonsmokers.Material and MethodsWhole‐exome sequencing (WES) data from 324 oral cancer patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions/deletions (INDELs) were extracted from the WES data of older patients. Fisher's exact test was performed to determine the specificity of variants in these genes. Finally, SNVs and INDELs were identified by target enrichment sequencing.ResultsGene ontology analysis of 112 genes with significant SNVs or INDELs in nonsmokers revealed that nonsynonymous SNVs in HECTD4 were significantly more frequent in nonsmokers than in smokers by target enrichment sequencing (p = .02).ConclusionsFurther investigation of the function of HECTD4 variants as oncogenes in older nonsmokers is warranted.
A Salt‐Resistant and Antibacterial Cu2ZnSnS4‐Based Hydrogel for High Efficient Photothermal Distillation in Seawater Desalination and Sewage Purification
Authors: Liu Pan , Xu Lei , Wang Zhen‐Yu , Huo Yang , Hu Yi‐bo , Fu Ming‐Lai , Yuan Baoling 
Published: June 2023

AbstractSolar steam generation technology (SSGT) using unlimited solar energy is regarded as one of the most promising sustainable technologies to produce clean water. However, most of studies on SSGT simply focus on how to improve salt resistance as well as exclude inorganic and organic pollutants in targeted water, and only very limited studies pay attention to the micro‐organisms in the collected water. Herein, one porous Cu2ZnSnS4‐based photothermal hydrogel (CZTS‐PH) with antibacterial properties as well as good salt resistance was successfully prepared. The CZTS‐PH was measured with the water evaporation rate as high as 3.249 kg m−2 h−1 and photothermal conversion efficiency of 96.3 % under one sun irradiation. Impressively, owing to the amino groups in the skeleton, CZTS‐PH can significantly deteriorate the cell membrane and lead to the death of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which ensures its long‐term stability photothermal conversion and the safety of clean water. Overall, the admired photothermal conversion efficiency, and the excellent salt resistance and antibacterial performance suggest that CZTS‐PH could be a promising full‐scale device applied in seawater desalination and water purification.
Implicit affectivity as the predictor of the relationship between paternal postpartum depression and self‐stigma in fathers: A structural equation modeling analysis
Authors: Tarsuslu Bedia , Sahin Ayse , Durat Gulgun 
Published: June 2023

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the moderating role of the implicit affect in the relationship between postpartum depression and self‐stigma.MethodsIn this cross‐sectional study, data were collected from 233 fathers using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Self‐Stigma of Depression Scale (SSDS), and Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test (IPANAT) between July and August 2021. The structural equation model was used in data analysis.ResultsFathers received the following mean scores from the EPDS, SSDS, Implicit Positive Affect (IPA), and Implicit Negative Affect (INA) tests: 7.36 ± 5.55; 41.44 ± 10.04; 1.84 ± 0.62, and 2.50 ± 0.83, respectively. From the EPDS, 29.2% of the fathers received 10–30. It was found that postpartum depression negatively affects IPA (ß = −0.248, P < 0.001), whereas it positively affects SSDS (ß = 0.333, P < 0.001) and INA (ß = 0.344, P < 0.001). It was concluded that postpartum depression has a significant effect on the SSDS with the partial moderating role based on the IPA (ß = −0.298, P < 0.001).ConclusionPostpartum depression is an important health problem in fathers. Implicit positive affect partially affects self‐stigma in fathers with depressive symptoms. These results will guide the understanding of the stigmatization of fathers who experience depression during the transition to fatherhood.
Clinicopathological characteristics of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma and screening of prognostic markers
Authors: Lei Jinghao , Qu Tengfei , Cha Lichao , Tian Lantian , Qiu Fabo , Guo Weidong , Cao Jingyu , Sun Chuandong , Zhou Bin 
Published: June 2023

AbstractBackgroundMalignant pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PCPG) is lethal and difficult to diagnose before metastasis. This study is aiming to characterize the PCPG and explore novel prognostic markers.MethodsClinical data of patients with pathologically confirmed invasive and noninvasive PCPG were collected and analyzed. Then, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and HUB genes were identified by R package “limma” in GSE67066‐GPL570. Afterward, the prognostic markers were screened out using R packages of “survival” and “survminer” based on the TCGA data.ResultsThe 34 invasive PCPGs were characterized by irregular contour and unclear boundary on CT and capsule/extracapsule tissue invasion on pathology compared with the 42 noninvasive PCPGs. Then, 29 upregulated and 30 downregulated DEGs were identified in malignant PCPG compared with benign, which were mainly enriched in the terms of calcium ion binding, neuron cell–cell adhesion, axon, regulation of hormone levels, and regulation of secretion by cell. Of which, nine DEGs were furtherly selected as the HUB genes. Finally, CNTN4 and SH3GL2 were found to be highly expressed in malignant PCPGs and negatively correlated with progression‐free interval.ConclusionsMalignant PCPGs tend to be aggressive in imaging and pathology. The high expression of CNTN4 and SH3GL2 in PCPGs may indicate a poor prognosis.
Controlled Synthesis of Statistical Polycarbonates Based on Epoxides and CO2
Authors: Denk Alina , Fulajtar Emilia , Troll Carsten , Rieger Bernhard 
Published: June 2023

AbstractThe controlled synthesis of terpolymer structures is often limited by the intrinsic reactivities of the monomers. For the synthesis of a statistical terpolymer from cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and propylene oxide (PO) with CO2, an instrumental solution is demanded. Implementing a setup where one monomer can be added to the reaction mixture over the whole course of the reaction, the random distribution of the epoxides over the whole chain is realized. The successful terpolymerization can be determined with diffusion‐ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography measurements while the statistical microstructure of the generated polymers is indicated in NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Furthermore, the concept is transferred to the terpolymerization of limonene oxide with PO and CO2 underlining the versatility of the setup.
Mathematical modeling of COVID‐19 and Omicron outbreak spread: Optimal control approach for intervention strategies
Authors: Amouch Mohamed , Karim Noureddine 
Published: June 2023

AbstractIn Morocco, 966,777 confirmed cases and 14,851 confirmed deaths because of COVID‐19 were recorded as of January 1, 2022. Recently, a new strain of COVID‐19, the so‐called Omicron variant, was reported in Morocco, which is considered to be more dangerous than the existing COVID‐19 virus. To end this ongoing global COVID‐19 pandemic and Omicron variant, there is an urgent need to implement multiple population‐wide policies like vaccination, testing more people, and contact tracing. To forecast the pandemic's progress and put together a strategy to effectively contain it, we propose a new hybrid mathematical model that predicts the dynamics of COVID‐19 in Morocco, considering the difference between COVID‐19 and the Omicron variant, and investigate the impact of some control strategies on their spread. The proposed model monitors the dynamics of eight compartments, namely susceptible , exposed , infected with COVID‐19 , infected with Omicron , hospitalized , people in intensive care units , quarantined , and recovered , collectively expressed as . We calculate the basic reproduction number , studying the local and global infection‐free equilibrium stability, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to determine the robustness of model predictions to parameter values, and the sensitive parameters are estimated from the real data on the COVID‐19 pandemic in Morocco. We incorporate two control variables that represent vaccination and diagnosis of infected individuals and we propose an optimal strategy for an awareness program that will help to decrease the rate of the virus' spread. Pontryagin's maximum principle is used to characterize the optimal controls, and the optimality system is solved by an iterative method. Finally, extensive numerical simulations are employed with and without controls to illustrate our results using MATLAB software. Our results reveal that achieving a reduction in the contact rate between uninfected and infected individuals by vaccinating and diagnosing the susceptible individuals, can effectively reduce the basic reproduction number and tends to decrease the intensity of epidemic peaks, spreading the maximal impact of an epidemic over an extended period of time. The model simulations demonstrate that the elimination of the ongoing SARS‐COV‐2 pandemic and its variant Omicron in Morocco is possible by implementing, at the start of the pandemic, a strategy that combines the two variables of control mentioned above. Our predictions are based on real data with reasonable assumptions.