bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of almond on cardiometabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Moosavian Seyedeh Parisa , Rahimlou Mehran , Rezaei Kelishadi Mahnaz , Moradi Sajjad , Jalili Cyrus 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAn enhanced risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) still exists even when T2DM patients have tight control on blood sugar. Thus, identification of treatment approaches that address CVD risk factors may be useful for patients beyond the blood sugar management. Although emerging evidence suggests that nuts consumption have beneficial effects on cardiometabolic health, the effects of almond intake in patients with type 2 diabetes are still controversial. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effect of almond on cardiometabolic outcomes in patients with T2DM through a systematic review and meta‐analysis of available randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify relevant RCTs up to March 2021. There was no language and time limitation. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was pooled using a random effects model. Heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were reported using standard methods. Nine RCTs were included in the final analysis. Almond intake resulted in significant reduction in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) (WMD: −5.28 mg/dL; 95% CI, −9.92, −0.64; p = .026) compared with the control group. This lowering effect of LDL‐C was robust in subgroups with almond consumption >50 g/day, and baseline LDL‐C level <130 mg/dL. However, the effect of almond on total cholesterol, triglycerides, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, weight, body fat, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and CRP was not significant compared with the control group. In summary, the current meta‐analysis indicated that almond consumption decreased LDL‐C, and had no favorable effect on other cardiometabolic outcomes in patients with T2DM. However, further high‐quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the almond.
Echocardiographic characteristics of patients with antisynthetase syndrome
Authors: Bryan Jaimie L. , Matar Ralph , Raviprasad Abheek , Kuteyeva Veronica , Milla Eduardo , Betageri Omkar , Patel Divya , Manjarres Diana G. , Kalra Saminder S. , Robinson Jeffrey , Khan Akram , Reddy Raju 
Published: April 2022

AbstractRight ventricular (RV) dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurs in approximately one‐third of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and is associated with reduced 6‐minute walk distance (6MWD), and increased hospitalizations and mortality. Although the impact of RV dysfunction and PH has been well described in several types of ILD, data is scarce on antisynthetase syndrome. Therefore, we sought to examine the presence of RV dysfunction and PH in patients with antisynthetase syndrome and the impact on clinical outcomes. We conducted a retrospective study of patients with antisynthetase syndrome. Seventy‐five subjects were identified. Fifty‐one (68%) subjects had echocardiographic data. Patients were grouped into those with normal fractional area change (FAC) ≥ 35% and reduced FAC < 35%. Clinical, echocardiographic, and right heart catheterization data were compared between the two groups. Subjects with FAC < 35% had lower diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (29% vs. 47%, p = 0.004), fibrotic features on computed tomography of the chest (79% vs. 33%, p = 0.005), larger RV diameter (5.4 vs. 3.9 cm, p < 0.001), higher right atrial pressures (8 vs. 5 mmHg, p = 0.02), and required supplemental oxygen more frequently (100% vs. 44%, p < 0.001) compared to those with FAC ≥ 35%. We found no difference in 6MWD and hospitalizations between the two groups. The presence of RV dysfunction in antisynthetase syndrome may identify patients at risk of poor outcomes.
DNA damage in human sperm: The sperm chromosome assay
Authors: Watanabe Seiji 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBackgroundSperm DNA damage is a major cause of pre‐ and post‐implantation embryonic loss in humans. However, the factors that control how and when such DNA damage occurs in human sperm are poorly understood.MethodsHere, I review information relating to sperm DNA damage that can be obtained from the sperm chromosome assays described in the existing literature.Main findingsThe sperm chromosome assays, which consist of interspecific in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection using murine oocytes and subsequent chromosome analysis, indicate that the proportion of sperm showing DNA damage is initially low and there are larger numbers of sperm with potential membrane and DNA damage that are induced after ejaculation and separation from the seminal plasma. Other assays that directly detect sperm DNA (e.g., TUNEL assays, Comet assays, and acridine orange test) are not able to distinguish and detect the initial and potential DNA damage. Furthermore, the positive values in these direct assays are influenced by the frequency of immotile sperm and amorphous sperm populations.ConclusionThe findings in the sperm chromosome assays show that further improvements in sperm preparation protocols may result in the reduction of sperm DNA damage, followed by more successful outcomes in infertility treatment.
Hepatitis B virus core‐related antigen (HBcrAg) as a prognostic marker for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma: A mini systematic review of the literature
Authors: Afifi Ahmed M. , Elgenidy Anas , Hashim Mahmoud , Awad Ahmed K. , Jalal Prasun K. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractChronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous studies showed that elevated levels of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA and HBsAg are associated with increased HCC risk in patients with chronic HBV infection. Multiple studies showed that high levels of HBV DNA and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) are associated with higher HCC risk in CHB patients. Patients treated with antiviral therapy may have undetectable or low levels of HBV DNA and HBsAg loss. However, HCC may develop in some patients with low‐level HBV DNA and HBsAg seroconversion. In this study, we evaluated the role of HBcrAg in predicting HBV related HCC development. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using keywords (hepatitis B core‐related antigen, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver neoplasm, hepatocellular and hepatic cancer, to identify studies assessing serum level of HBcrAg in patients with CHB and HCC. The search resulted in 184 studies. Seven studies were included: Four of which were retrospective cohort studies, and the rest were prospective cohort, case controls. Six of them reported a higher HBcrAg positivity rate in the HCC group when compared with the HBV DNA assay, yet with similar hazard ratio (HR) in predicting the incidence of HCC. However, four studies found that HBcrAg positivity was an independent risk factor for HCC development with a HR ranging from 3.27 to 7.05. HBV‐related HCC has many proposed biomarkers in its prediction, yet our findings revealed HBcrAg to may have superiority over other biomarkers. High quality studies with bigger sample size research is needed to understand the potential role of HBcrAg in CHB induced HCC.
Back to the future: Exploring riverine macroinvertebrate communities' invasibility
Authors: Guareschi Simone , Wood Paul J. , England Judy , Barrett Jon , Laini Alex 
Published: April 2022

AbstractRiverine communities have been subject to numerous biological invasion events, with crustaceans among the most successful group of invasive animals worldwide. Understanding what makes a river system prone to invasion is of considerable interest to environmental regulators, resource managers, scientists and wider society globally. The Ponto‐Caspian amphipod, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes (Crustacea: Gammaridae), is a hyper‐successful invasive species that was first recorded in the UK in 2012. The use of contemporary distribution data for D. haemobaphes (2009–2020) from England provided a unique opportunity to study faunal community patterns and differences between sites that experienced invasion compared to those that have not. Macroinvertebrate community taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic features, as well as the presence of co‐occurrent invaders and abiotic features of the river systems, were examined from sites before the invasion and compared to control sites that were not invaded during the study period. Sites that would later experience invasion by D. haemobaphes were characterized by higher abundances of other invaders (e.g., especially Ponto Caspian taxa), lower abundances of crustaceans and typically had greater channel width and water depth. These basic characteristics may help identify sites at risk of future invasion by D. haemobaphes. Most biomonitoring tools examined displayed no difference between control and pre‐invaded samples, while both taxonomic and functional richness displayed higher values at sites that were subsequently invaded, questioning classic biological invasion hypotheses. Recognizing specific community characteristics that may be a precondition for subsequent invasion is essential for understanding and better predicting their future trajectories of change.
A configurational analysis of firms' environmental innovation: Evidence from China's key pollutant‐discharge listed companies
Authors: Liao Zhongju , Zhu Xiang 
Published: April 2022

AbstractA firm's environmental innovation behavior results from the interdependence and interaction of multiple factors, and the antecedent conditions are multiple and concurrent. From the perspective of configuration, this study integrates institution theory, stakeholder theory, and strategic management theory, and uses a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the combinations of paths that drive firms' environmental innovation. The results revealed that the basic resource capacity of a firm was the basis for environmental innovation, and the role of institution‐ and market‐level factors in driving a firm's environmental innovation requires the support of the firm's resources. The different factors at these three levels—firm, market, and institution—do not contribute equally to a firm's environmental innovation under all conditions; based on a firm's individual resources, the models that drive a firm's environmental innovation can be categorized as market‐driven, institution‐driven, and dual‐stressed.
Sustainable Fabrication of Copper Nanoparticles: A Potent and Affordable Candidate for Water Treatment, Water Disinfection, Antioxidant Activity and Theranostic Agent
Authors: Sinha Tanur , Adhikari Partha Pradip , Bhandari Vinay M 
Published: April 2022

AbstractThis study reports a simple, green, and large–scale biosynthetic fabrication of spherical copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs), approximate 28 nm, using the aqueous extracts of Diaplazium esulentum (Retz.) Sw. fern. Characterization was carried out for morphology, size, elemental analysis, crystallinity and for identification of functionalities responsible for reduction and stabilization. Extraordinary remediation efficiency was obtained for the developed Cu NPs for the elimination of two industrially important pollutants; Methyl Violet 6B and Methylene Blue (greater than 92 % within 150 mins). A mechanism was postulated for the process using the data on the identification of NPs and also spent NPs apart from degraded products.Furthermore, the Cu NPs revealed excellent antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia and Bacillus subtilis, as well as gram negative bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and potential action against fungal strains; Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans.Additionally, the assay depicted that Cu NPs has fairly decent radical scavenging activity with IC50 value 2.11 mM.Moreover, the Cu NPs were found to exhibit profound anticancerous activity against two human cancer line cells.The present research work has implications for exploitation of DE fern extract for the development of Cu NPs and their numerous applications ranging from pollutants removal to antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anticancerous agents.
Comparative Investigation on the Crystal Structures, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis, Antitubercular Assays, and Molecular Docking of Regioisomeric 1,2,3‐Triazoles
Authors: Anand Ashish , Sindogi Kishorkumar , Dixit Sheshagiri R. , Shetty Richa P. , Pujar Gurubasavaraj V. , Kulkarni Manohar V. , Guru Row Tayur N. 
Published: April 2022

Abstract1,2,3‐triazole system is readily obtained by the click reaction in a facile and regioselective way. Regioselectivity is introduced under Copper(CuAAC), and Ruthenium(RuAAC) catalysed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition reaction furnishing 1,4 and 1,5‐disubstituted triazoles, respectively. These two regioisomeric systems offer discrete physicochemical and medicinal properties based on crucial binding interactions and biocompatibility with the biological targets. In this regard, a comparative investigation on the coumarin‐linked regioisomeric 1,2,3‐triazoles via its crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and antitubercular assays and molecular docking are reported. It sheds light on the variation of in vitro antitubercular efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv followed by molecular docking studies that justify the prominent interactions at the binding site. Further, solid‐state and Hirshfeld surface analysis provided significant crystallographic insights on the critical intermolecular interactions that dictate the crystal packing in these systems. Thus structure‐property correlation for these regioisomeric systems can open new avenues in drug design and discovery.
Benzocyclobutene‐containing Carbosilane Monomers as a Route to Low‐κ Dielectric and Low Dielectric Loss Materials
Authors: Shi Qingyu , Peng Qiuxia , Wu Song , Long Quan , Deng Yueting , Huang Yawen , Ma Jiajun , Yang Junxiao 
Published: April 2022

AbstractA benzocyclobutene (BCB) monomer containing carbosilane (CS‐BCB) was successfully synthesized from 4‐vinyl benzocyclobutene (4‐VBCB) and 3,6‐bis(dimethylsilyl)benzocyclobutene (3,6‐D(DMHS)BCB) by hydrosilylation in the presence of Karstedt's catalyst. As an improvement to the conventional synthesis method, the carbosilane is obtained in only two steps. In addition, this method avoids the use of halogens and Grignard reagents, which are expensive and environmentally damaging. After ring‐opening polymerization, the resultant cured CS‐BCB resin shows excellent thermal and dielectric properties; specifically, the 5 % weight loss temperature (T5%) is 435 °C, the dielectric constant (Dk) is 2.36, and the dielectric loss (Df) is less than 10−3 at 10 MHz. Thus, this polymer has enormous potential as a high‐performance electronic interlayer material.
A Continuous Flow Injection/Indirect Photometric Method for the Detection of Fosetyl Aluminum in Commercial Pesticide Formulations
Authors: Sadiq Hawraa Ali , Hammood Mohammad K. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractBecause of their Physico‐chemical characteristics and its composition, the development of new specific analytical methodologies to determine some highly polar pesticides are required. The reported methods demand long analysis time, expensive instruments and prior extraction of pesticide for detection. The current work presents a new flow injection analysis method combined with indirect photometric detection for the determination of Fosetyl‐Aluminum (Fosetyl‐Al) in commercial formulations, with rapid and highly accurate determination involving only construction of manifold system combined with photometric detector without need some of the pre‐treatments to the sample before the analysis such as extraction or separation. The proposed method is based on the reaction between the Fosetyl‐Al with the colorimetric reagent (Aluminon dye) in an aqueous medium of sodium nitrite resulting in the formation of a red complex and its absorbance is measured using the photometric detector. The proposed method included optimization of several parameters such as sodium nitrite concentration, flow rate, sample volume, Aluminon dye concentration, mixing coil and light intensity. The linear range of the detector response was in the range of 0.005–1.8 mmol/L for the sample with r (coefficient of determination) 0.9909, R2 (correlation coefficient) 0.9954 at 95 % and 0.0041 mmol/L as a limit of detection. The relative standard deviation was less than 1.5 % for 0.005 mmol/L of the analyte (n=11). The proposed method was validated and applied successfully for the determination of Fosetyl‐Al in commercial formulations and can be used as an alternative method for quality control assessment.
Design, Synthesis, and Development of 4‐[(7‐Chloroquinoline‐4‐yl)amino]phenol as a Potential SARS‐CoV‐2 Mpro Inhibitor
Authors: Guevara‐Pulido James , Jiménez Ronald A , Morantes Sandra J. , Jaramillo Deissy N. , Acosta‐Guzmán Paola 
Published: April 2022

AbstractA series of chloroquine analogs were designed to search for a less toxic chloroquine derivative as a potential SARS‐CoV‐2 Mpro inhibitor. Herein, an ANN‐based QSAR model was built to predict the IC50 values of each analog using the experimental values of other 4‐aminoquinolines as the training set. Subsequently, molecular docking was used to evaluate each analog's binding affinity to Mpro. The analog that showed the greatest affinity and lowest IC50 values was synthesized and characterized for its posterior incorporation into a polycaprolactone‐based nanoparticulate system. After characterizing the loaded nanoparticles, an in vitro drug release assay was carried out, and the cytotoxicity of the analog and loaded nanoparticles was evaluated using murine fibroblast (L929) and human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cell lines. Results show that the synthesized analog is much less toxic than chloroquine and that the nanoparticulate system allowed for the prolonged release of the analog without evidence of adverse effects on the cell lines used; therefore, suggesting that the analog could be a potential therapeutic option for COVID‐19.
Multidefect N‐Nb2O5‐x@CNTs Incorporated into Capillary Transport Framework for Li+/Na+ Storage
Authors: Lian Yue , Zheng Yujing , Wang Zhifeng , Hu Yongfeng , Zhao Jing , Zhang Huaihao 
Published: April 2022

AbstractAs an ion‐embedded material with small strain and low transport energy barrier, the limited ion transport rate and conductivity of niobium pentaoxide (Nb2O5) are the main factors limiting its application in lithium/sodium storage systems. In this work, the microsphere composites (N‐Nb2O5‐x@CNTs) are prepared by combining Nb2O5, rich in nitrogen doping and vacancy defects, with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) penetrating the bulk phase. With the capillary effect, CNTs can enable the rapid electrolyte infiltration into the microspheres, thus shorting the Li+/Na+ transport path. In addition, CNTs also hinder the direct contact between the electrolyte and Nb2O5, and inhibit the irreversible reaction. Meanwhile, nitrogen doping and oxygen vacancy defects reduce the energy barrier of Li+/Na+ transport, and improve their transport rate, proved by density functional theory. Highly conductive CNTs and unpaired electrons from defects also ameliorate the insulation property of Nb2O5. Therefore, N‐Nb2O5‐x@CNTs display good electrochemical performance in both Li/Na half‐cell and Li/Na hybrid capacitors. Interestingly, kilogram‐scale microsphere composites can be produced in laboratory conditions by using industrial grade raw materials, implying its potential for practical application.
Integrating genome‐wide association mapping of additive and dominance genetic effects to improve genomic prediction accuracy in Eucalyptus
Authors: Tan Biyue , Ingvarsson Pär K. 
Published: April 2022

AbstractGenome‐wide association studies (GWAS) is a powerful and widely used approach to decipher the genetic control of complex traits. Still, a significant challenge for dissecting quantitative traits in forest trees is statistical power. This study uses a population consisting of 1,123 samples derived from two successive generations of crosses between Eucalyptus grandis (W. Hill) and E. urophylla (S.T. Blake). All samples have been phenotyped for growth and wood property traits and genotyped using the EuChip60K chip, yielding 37,832 informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We use multi‐locus GWAS models to assess additive and dominance effects to identify markers associated with growth and wood property traits in the eucalypt hybrids. Additive and dominance association models identified 78 and 82 significant SNPs across all traits, respectively, which captured between 39 and 86% of the genomic‐based heritability. We also used SNPs identified from the GWAS and SNPs using less stringent significance thresholds to evaluate predictive abilities in a genomic selection framework. Genomic selection models based on the top 1% SNPs captured a substantially greater proportion of the genetic variance of traits compared with when we used all SNPs for model training. The prediction ability of estimated breeding values improved significantly for all traits when using either the top 1% SNPs or SNPs identified using a relaxed p value threshold (p < 10–3). This study also highlights the added value of incorporating dominance effects for identifying genomic regions controlling growth traits in trees. Moreover, integrating GWAS results into genomic selection method provides enhanced power relative to discrete associations for identifying genomic variation potentially valuable for forest tree breeding.
Effect of blowing agent concentration of ultra‐low density NBR/PVC composite foams on compressive behavior and energy‐absorption characteristics
Authors: Lu Tianyun , Li Jianxing , Han Xiaokun , Liu Ruiyin , Cai Chencan , Wang He 
Published: April 2022

AbstractUltra‐low density nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composite foams that exhibit satisfactory compressive behavior and energy absorption characteristics were prepared by one‐step compression molding. The properties of the NBR/PVC foams, including the density, hardness, cell morphology, compressive behavior, energy absorption characteristics, and shock absorption characteristics, were studied with various concentrations of azodicarbonamide (AC). Further that, the ideality factor and the energy absorption efficiency of the NBR/PVC foams at a low stress for application in compression and energy absorption were determined. The results revealed that the densities of polymeric foams were crucial in determining the uniformity of cell size and energy absorption characteristics of the composite foams. With increasing AC content, the density of the NBR/PVC foams decreased linearly, whereas the uniformity of cell size and the foaming ratio increased; furthermore, the hardness and compression modulus gradually decreased, and the linear elastic region in the compressive stress–strain curves became narrow. When the applied stress was less than 100 kPa, the foams with a high AC content exhibited higher energy absorption compared to foams with a low AC content capacity because of the deformed cell wall and lower elastic modulus; however, the relation between AC contents and energy absorption was complicated above 100 kPa. The optimum springrate ratio was found at the concentration of 25 phr of the AC blowing agent.