bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High-Molecular-Weight Fractions of Spruce and Eucalyptus Lignin as a Perspective Nanoparticle-Based Platform for a Therapy Delivery in Liver Cancer
Authors: Pylypchuk Ievgen V. , Suo Huizhen , Chucheepchuenkamol Chanakarn , Jedicke Nils , Lindén Pär A. , Lindström Mikael E. , Manns Michael P. , Sevastyanova Olena , Yevsa Tetyana 
Published: February 2022

The natural polymer, lignin, possesses unique biodegradable and biocompatible properties, making it highly attractive for the generation of nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated spruce and eucalyptus lignin nanoparticles (designated as S-and E-LNPs, respectively). Both LNP types were generated from high-molecular-weight (Mw) kraft lignin obtained as insoluble residues after a five-step solvent fractionation approach, which included ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, and acetone. The resulting S-and E-LNPs ranged in size from 16 to 60 nm with uniform spherical shape regardless of the type of lignin. The preparation of LNPs from an acetone-insoluble lignin fraction is attractive because of the use of high-Mw lignin that is otherwise not suitable for most polymeric applications, its potential scalability, and the consistent size of the LNPs, which was independent of increased lignin concentrations. Due to the potential of LNPs to serve as delivery platforms in liver cancer treatment, we tested, for the first time, the efficacy of newly generated E-LNPs and S-LNPs in two types of primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), in vitro. Both S-LNPs and E-LNPs inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells in a dose-dependent manner and did not affect CCA cell line growth. The inhibitory effect toward HCC was more pronounced in the E-LNP-treated group and was comparable to the standard therapy, sorafenib. Also, E-LNPs induced late apoptosis and necroptosis while inhibiting the HCC cell line. This study demonstrated that an elevated number of carbohydrates on the surface of the LNPs, as shown by NMR, seem to play an important role in mediating the interaction between LNPs and eukaryotic cells. The latter effect was most pronounced in E-LNPs. The novel S- and E-LNPs generated in this work are promising materials for biomedicine with advantageous properties such as small particle size and tailored surface functionality, making them an attractive and potentially biodegradable delivery tool for combination therapy in liver cancer, which still has to be verified in vivo using HCC and CCA models.
CaFe-Based Layered Double Oxides With Superior Iron Alloy Corrosion Inhibition Behaviors in Aggressive Seawater Environment
Authors: Park Ji Young , Yoo Su Been , Cho Hong-Baek , Lee Han-Seung , Choa Yong-Ho 
Published: February 2022

Reinforced concrete is among the most multifaceted materials used in the construction field. Maintaining the resistance of reinforced concrete to weathering, abrasion, and chemical attack, particularly in aggressive natural conditions such as seawater environments, is challenging. The main factor in the degradation of reinforced-concrete durability is chloride penetration, which accelerates iron alloy corrosion and facilitates structural degradation. In this study, calcium-iron-based layered double hydroxides (CaFe-LDHs) were fabricated at room temperature, followed by structural modulation, and their effectiveness in mitigating iron alloy corrosion due to chloride ions (in 3.5 wt% of NaCl) was investigated. The synthesized CaFe-LDHs with phase transfer notably improved the Cl− removal capacity (Qmax) to 881.83 mg/g, which is more than three times that reported based on previous studies. The novelty of this research lies in the sophisticated structural and phase transformations of the as-synthesized CaFe-LDHs, determination of crucial factors for chloride ion removal, and suggestion of calcium-iron-based layered double oxide (CaFe-LDO)-based chloride ion removal mechanisms considering chemical and ion-exchange reactions. Moreover, when the phase-transformed LDHs, C-700 LDOs, were applied to inhibit iron alloy corrosion, a noticeable inhibition efficiency of 98.87% was obtained, which was an 11-fold improvement compared to the case of iron alloys without LDOs. We believe this work can provide new insights into the design of CaFe-LDOs for the enhancement of the lifespan of reinforced concrete structures.
Home-Based Long-Term Physical Endurance and Inspiratory Muscle Training for Children and Adults With Fontan Circulation—Initial Results From a Prospective Study
Authors: Dirks Stefan , Kramer Peter , Schleiger Anastasia , Speck Hans-Martin , Wolfarth Bernd , Thouet Thomas , Berger Felix , Sallmon Hannes , Ovroutski Stanislav 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundPatients with congenital heart disease (CHD)—including those after Fontan operation—are encouraged to be physically active.AimTo prospectively determine the effects of an individually adapted, home-based cycle ergometer endurance training in combination with inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in pediatric and adult Fontan patients. We, herein, report the results of the initial 10-months follow-up (phase 1).Methods18 patients (median age 16.5 years; range 10-43 years) completed baseline check-ups, and 4 and 10 months follow-up visits, which each included cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), bodyplethysmography (including measurement of respiratory muscle strength), and a quality of life questionnaire (PedsQL™). The training program consisted of a home-based cycle ergometer endurance training on a “Magbike® AM-5i/3i” (DKN Technology®, Clermont-Ferrand, France) and IMT with a handheld “POWERbreathe® Medic plus” device. Patients performed 90 min of endurance training per week in addition to IMT (30 breaths per day, 6-7 times per week). After the first 4 months, patients underwent additional interval training.ResultsAfter 10 months of training, we observed significant increases in maximum relative workload (W/kg, p = 0.003) and in maximum inspiratory (MIP, p = 0.002) and expiratory (MEP, p = 0.008) pressures. Peak VO2 values did not increase significantly as compared to baseline (p = 0.12) in the entire cohort (n = 18), but reached statistical significance in a subgroup analysis of teenage/adult patients (n = 14; p = 0.03). Patients' subjective quality of life did not show any significant changes after 10 months of training.DiscussionIn Fontan patients, an individually adapted home-based training is safe and associated with improvements in some CPET variables. However, these improvements did not translate into an improved QoL after 10 months. With an unclear, but most likely negative, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, improvements in QoL may become evident during further follow-up (phase 2 of the study).
Association Between Serum Galectin-3 Levels and Coronary Stenosis Severity in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Li Mingxing , Guo Kai , Huang Xuansheng , Feng Li , Yuan Yong , Li Jiewen , Lao Yi , Guo Zhigang 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundThe relationship between galectin-3 (Gal-3) and coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been fully elucidated.AimThis study aimed to determine the relationship between the presence and severity of CAD and serum Gal-3 levels.Patients and MethodsThree-hundred thirty-one consecutive CAD patients were enrolled as the study group. An additional 62 patients without CAD were enrolled as the control group. Serum Gal-3 levels were separately compared between the non-CAD and CAD groups, among the stable CAD and Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) groups, and between CAD patients with low and high SYNTAX scores (SSs). The 1-year cumulative rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) was also compared among ACS patients by Gal-3 levels.ResultsSerum Gal-3 was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the non-CAD group 3.89 (0.16–63.67) vs. 2.07 (0.23–9.38) ng/ml, P &lt; 0.001. Furthermore, serum Gal-3 was significantly higher in the non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS) group than that in the stable CAD group, 4.72 (1.0–16.14) vs. 2.23 (0.65–23.8) ng/ml, P = 0.04 and higher in the ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) group than that in the stable CAD group 7.87 (0.59–63.67) vs. 2.23 (0.65–23.8) ng/ml, P &lt; 0.001. Serum Gal-3 level was an independent predictor of ACS compared with stable CAD group (OR = 1.131, 95% CI: 1.051–1.217, P = 0.001) as well as high SS (OR = 1.030, 95% CI: 1.021–1.047, P = 0.038) after adjust other confounding risk factors. Acute coronary syndrome patients with Gal-3 levels above the median (gal-3 = 4.78 ng/ml) showed a higher cumulative MACE rate than those with Gal-3 levels below the median. After adjusting other confounding risk factors, Gal-3 remained an independent risk factor for the cumulative rate of MACEs in ACS patients (6% higher rate of MACEs incidence per 1 ng/ml increment of Gal-3).ConclusionGalectin-3 correlated with the presence of CAD as well as coronary stability and complexity. Galectin-3 may be valuable in predicting mid-term prognosis in ACS patients.
Dynamics of Loneliness Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pilot Study of Ecological Momentary Assessment With Network Analysis
Authors: Badal Varsha D. , Lee Ellen E. , Daly Rebecca , Parrish Emma M. , Kim Ho-Cheol , Jeste Dilip V. , Depp Colin A. 
Published: February 2022

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has had potentially severe psychological implications for older adults, including those in retirement communities, due to restricted social interactions, but the day-to-day experience of loneliness has received limited study. We sought to investigate sequential association, if any, between loneliness, activity, and affect.MethodsWe used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) with dynamic network analysis to investigate the affective and behavioral concomitants of loneliness in 22 residents of an independent living sector of a continuing care retirement community (mean age 80.2; range 68–93 years).ResultsParticipants completed mean 83.9% of EMA surveys (SD = 16.1%). EMA ratings of loneliness were moderately correlated with UCLA loneliness scale scores. Network models showed that loneliness was contemporaneously associated with negative affect (worried, anxious, restless, irritable). Negative (but not happy or positive) mood tended to be followed by loneliness and then by exercise or outdoor physical activity. Negative affect had significant and high inertia (stability).ConclusionsThe data suggest that EMA is feasible and acceptable to older adults. EMA-assessed loneliness was moderately associated with scale-assessed loneliness. Network models in these independent living older adults indicated strong links between negative affect and loneliness, but feelings of loneliness were followed by outdoor activity, suggesting adaptive behavior among relatively healthy adults.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Different Targets to Modulate Cortical Activity and Dual-Task Walking in Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease: A Double Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Wong Pei-Ling , Yang Yea-Ru , Huang Shih-Fong , Fuh Jong-Ling , Chiang Han-Lin , Wang Ray-Yau 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation to modulate cortical activity for improving motor function. However, the information of tDCS stimulation on different brain regions for dual-task walking and cortical modulation in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has not yet been compared.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different tDCS targets on dual-task gait performance and cortical activity in patients with PD.MethodsA total of 36 participants were randomly assigned to primary motor cortex (M1) tDCS, dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) tDCS, cerebellum tDCS, or Sham tDCS group. Each group received 20 min of tDCS stimulation, except for the Sham group. Gait performance was measured by the GAITRite system during dual-task walking and single walking. Corticomotor activity of the tibialis anterior (TA) was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The functional mobility was assessed using the timed up and go (TUG) test.ResultsAll participants showed no significant differences in baseline data. Following the one session of tDCS intervention, M1 (p = 0.048), DLPFC (p &lt; 0.001), and cerebellum (p = 0.001) tDCS groups demonstrated significant improvements in dual-task gait speed compared with a pretest. The time × group interaction [F(3, 32) = 5.125, p = 0.005] was detected in dual-task walking speed. The post hoc Tukey’s test showed that the differences in gait speed were between the Sham tDCS group and the DLPFC tDCS group (p = 0.03). Moreover, DLPFC tDCS also increased the silent period (SP) more than M1 tDCS (p = 0.006) and Sham tDCS (p = 0.002).ConclusionThe results indicate that DLPFC tDCS exerted the most beneficial effects on dual-task walking and cortical modulation in participants with PD.Clinical trial registration[http://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20200909005], Thai Clinical Trials Registry [TCTR20200909005].
Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavioural Practises, and Psychological Impact Relating to COVID-19 Among People Living With Spinal Cord Injury During In-Patient Rehabilitation in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Anwar , Hossain K. M. Amran , Sakel Mohamed , Kabir Md. Feroz , Saunders Karen , Faruqui Rafey , Hossain Mohammad Sohrab , Uddin Zakir , Kader Manzur , Walton Lori Maria , Haque Md. Obaidul , Shafin Rubayet , Chakrovorty Sonjit Kumar , Jahid Iqbal Kabir 
Published: February 2022

AimThe aim of this research is to focus on gaining an insight into the knowledge, attitudes, behavioural practises (KAP), and psychological impact relating to COVID-19 among the people living with spinal cord injury receiving in-patient rehabilitation.MethodsA prospective, cross-sectional survey of people with SCI (N = 207), who were in active in-patient rehabilitation from two tertiary SCI Rehabilitation Centres in Bangladesh. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews, after voluntary consent, using a pretested, language validated questionnaire on Knowledge, Attitude and Behavioural practises (KAP) and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Ethical approval and trial registration were obtained prospectively.ResultsA total of 207 people with SCI responded, among which 87% were men and 13% were women, with a mean age of 34.18 ± 12.9 years. Within the sample group, people living with tetraplegia comprised 33.8%, and people living with paraplegia comprised 66.2%. Overall, 63.8% of the participants were diagnosed with an SCI categorised as ASIA-A. Overall, the “knowledge score” was 8.59 ± 2.3 out of 12, “depression” was 11.18 ± 8, “anxiety” was 7.72 ± 5.1, and “stress” was 9.32 ± 6.7 from a total of 21 scores each category. The strong correlation was between knowledge, DASS scores, and age (p &lt; 0.05). In addition, there was a strong correlation between knowledge, gender (p &lt; 0.05) and education (p &lt; 0.01). Binary logistic regression found a stronger association of knowledge and DASS scores with gender, young age, illiteracy (p &lt; 0.01), and rural residence (p &lt; 0.05). A positive relationship was found between depression and anxiety scores (p &lt; 0.01) and a moderate positive relationship was found between depression and stress scores (p &lt; 0.01). A positive attitude was reported by the majority of participants (p &lt; 0.05). In terms of behavioural practises, participants reported both self and caregiver had followed health advice with regard to consulting health professionals (65.7%), implementing isolation (63.8%), taking droplet precaution care (87.4%), and hygiene care (90.3%).ConclusionParticipants in this study reported high levels of knowledge, adoption of positive attitudes, and the practise of positive health advisory behaviours related to COVID-19 prevention procedures. However, high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were also reported. Overall, women and younger participants were more likely to have high KAP, whereas those living in rural areas and with literacy challenges were less likely to report high knowledge scores.
Autoimmune Encephalitis in the Philippines: A Scoping Review on the Treatment Gaps, Challenges, and Current State of Care
Authors: Pagaling Gerald T. , Turalde Christian Wilson R. , Jamora Roland Dominic G. 
Published: February 2022

ObjectivesWe reviewed the current health service delivery for individuals with Autoimmune Encephalitis (AE) in the Philippines and to identify the gaps and challenges in its management.MethodologyWe conducted a scoping review of pertinent literature AE in the Philippines using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We extracted data on epidemiology, legislation, health financing, information systems, pharmacotherapy, and healthcare services related to the management of AE in the local setting.DiscussionThe epidemiology of AE is still unknown. Out-of-pocket expenses contribute to most of the healthcare expenditure despite government-led programs to reduce the financial burden. The access to diagnostic examinations such as magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalogram, and antibody testing is limited by the geographic distribution of the facilities and costs. The acute and long-term management of AE are cost-prohibitive and are not readily available. There are significant treatment gaps in the care of individuals with AE in the Philippines in terms of disease recognition, resource allocation, access to satisfactory diagnostic evaluation, and provision of prognosis-changing therapeutics. We proposed core strategies that can address these treatment gaps such as increasing awareness, improving access to health resources, adequate healthcare financing, and availability of support systems.
Not Only in Sensorimotor Network: Local and Distant Cerebral Inherent Activity of Chronic Ankle Instability—A Resting-State fMRI Study
Authors: Shen Yiyuan , Wang Weiwei , Wang Yin , Yang Liqin , Yuan Chengjie , Yang Yang , Wu Fei , Wang Junlong , Deng Yan , Wang Xu , Liu Hanqiu 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundIncreasing evidence has proved that chronic ankle instability (CAI) is highly related to the central nervous system (CNS). However, it is still unclear about the inherent cerebral activity among the CAI patients.PurposeTo investigate the differences of intrinsic functional cerebral activity between the CAI patients and healthy controls (HCs) and further explore its correlation with clinical measurement in CAI patients.Materials and MethodsA total of 25 CAI patients and 39 HCs were enrolled in this study. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to detect spontaneous cerebral activity. The metrics of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the two groups were compared by two-sample t-test. The brain regions that demonstrated altered functional metrics were selected as the regions of interest (ROIs). The functional connectivity (FC) was analyzed based on the ROIs. The Spearman correlation was calculated between rs-fMRI metrics and clinical scale scores.ResultsCompared with HCs, CAI patients showed higher ALFF and ReHo values in the right postcentral gyrus, the right precentral gyrus, and the right middle frontal gyrus, while lower fALFF values in the orbital-frontal cortex (OFC, p &lt; 0.01 after correction). Increasing FC between the right precentral gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus while decreasing FC between the right precentral gyrus and the anterior cingulum cortex (ACC), the right middle frontal gyrus and the left middle temporal gyrus, and the OFC and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was observed. In addition, in the CAI group, the ReHo value negatively correlated with the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool score in the right middle frontal gyrus (r = −0.52, p = 0.007).ConclusionThe CAI patients exhibited enhanced and more coherent regional inherent neuronal activity within the sensorimotor network while lower regional inherent activity in pain/emotion modulation related region. In addition, the information exchanges were stronger within the sensorimotor network while weaker between distant interhemispheric regions. Besides, the increased inherent activity in the right middle frontal gyrus was related to clinical severity. These findings may provide insights into the pathophysiological alteration in CNS among CAI patients.
Association Between Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Nouri-Majd Saeedeh , Salari-Moghaddam Asma , Aminianfar Azadeh , Larijani Bagher , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad 
Published: February 2022

BackgroundDebate on the potential carcinogenic effects of meat intake is open and the relationship between meat consumption and risk of prostate cancer remains uncertain. This meta-analysis was conducted to summarize earlier prospective studies on the association of meat consumption with risk of prostate cancer.MethodsRelevant studies were identified by exploring PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases up to December 2020. Fixed-effects and random-effects meta-analyses were used for pooling the relative risks (RRs). Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated using the Q-statistic and I-square (I2). A funnel plot and Egger's test was used to detect publication bias. Linear and non-linear dose-response analyses were performed to estimate the dose-response relations between meat intake and risk of prostate cancer.ResultsTwenty-five prospective studies were included in this meta-analysis. Totally, 1,900,910 participants with 35,326 incident cases of prostate cancer were investigated. Pooling the eligible effect sizes, we observed that high consumption of processed meat might be associated with an increased risk of “total prostate cancer” (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.10; I2 = 1.5%, P = 0.43) and “advanced prostate cancer” (1.17; 1.09, 1.26; I2 = 58.8%, P = 0.01). However, the association between processed meat and “advanced prostate cancer” was not significant in the random-effects model: 1.12 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.29). A linear dose-response analysis indicated that an increment of 50 grams per day of processed meat intake might be related to a 4% greater risk of “total prostate cancer” (1.04; 1.00, 1.08; I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.51). “Total meat intake” was marginally associated with all outcomes of prostate cancer risk (1.04; 1.01, 1.07; I2 = 58.4%, P &lt; 0.001).ConclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies indicated that increased consumption of “total meat” and “processed meat” might be associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=230824, identifier: CRD42021230824.
Coexistence of Multiple Attractors in a Novel Simple Jerk Chaotic Circuit With CFOAs Implementation
Authors: Wang Qiao , Tian Zean , Wu Xianming , Tan Weijie 
Published: February 2022

A novel, simple Jerk chaotic circuit with three current feedback operational amplifiers included (CFOA-JCC) is proposed, which has a simpler circuit structure, fewer components, but higher frequency characteristics. The dynamic behaviors of CFOA-JCC are analyzed, including equilibrium, stability, Lyapunov exponent, bifurcation diagram, offset boosting, and phase diagram. Furthermore, the frequency spectrum characteristic of the ordinary op-amps Jerk chaotic circuit was compared with CFOA-JCC under the same circuit parameters, and the chaotic attractor frequency of CFOA-JCC can reach about 650 kHz, much better than that of ordinary op-amps (12 kHz). Numerical simulation shows that CFOA-JCC has coexisting attractors, verified by hardware circuit experiments.