bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exendin‐4 enhances osteogenic differentiation of adipose tissue mesenchymal stem cells through the receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappa B and osteoprotegerin signaling pathway
Authors: Habib Sarah A. , Kamal Mohamed M. , El‐Maraghy Shohda A. , Senousy Mahmoud A. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe capability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to repair bone damage and defects has long been investigated. The receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappa B (RANK), its ligand (RANKL) and the decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG) axis is crucial to keep the equilibrium between osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. Exendin‐4 utilization increased bone formation and enhanced bone integrity. This study aimed to investigate the mentioned axis and determine the effect of exendin‐4 upon adipose mesenchymal stem cells (Ad‐MSCs) osteogenic differentiation. Ad‐MSCs were isolated from rat epididymal fat, followed by characterization and then differentiation into osteocytes both in the presence or absence of exendin‐4. Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by alizarin red staining and the expression of osteogenic markers; using reverse transcriptase‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and enzyme‐linked immunoassay. MSCs derived from rat epididymal fat were isolated and characterized, along with their differentiation into osteocytes. The differentiated cells were alizarin red‐stained, showing increased staining intensity upon addition of exendin‐4. Moreover, the addition of exendin‐4 elevated the messenger RNA expression levels of osteogenic markers; runt‐related transcription factor‐2 (RUNX‐2), osteocalcin, and forkhead box protein O‐1 while reducing the expression of the adipogenic marker peroxisome‐proliferator‐activated receptor‐gamma. Exendin‐4 addition elevated OPG levels in the supernatant of osteogenic differentiated cells. Moreover, exendin‐4 elevated the protein levels of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor and RUNX‐2, while decreasing both RANK and RANKL. In conclusion, osteogenic differentiation of Ad‐MSCs is associated with increased osteoblastic rather than osteoclastic activity. The findings of this study suggest that exendin‐4 can enhance Ad‐MSCs osteogenic differentiation partially through the RANK/RANKL/OPG axis.
The clinical value of dual‐energy computed tomography and diffusion‐weighted imaging in the context of liver cancer: A narrative review
Authors: Fan Pei‐Lin , Chu Jun , Wang Qing , Wang Chen 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe dual‐energy computed tomography (DECT) and diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI‐MRI) are used to diagnose liver cancer. The clinical value of these two examination methods needs to be further summarized. We collected and summarized relevant literature published from 2011 to 2021. The diagnostic performance of DECT was assessed between conventional computed tomography and DWI‐MRI. DWI‐MRI had a 69% sensitivity for detecting small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions and a 60% diagnostic specificity for differentiating between types of HCC lesions. DECT had a sensitivity to small liver lesions (<1 cm) of 69%, and the diagnostic specificity for HCC and metastasis was about 60%. DWI was more sensitive (90.3% vs. 74.9%) and accurate (91.9% vs. 76.9%) in diagnosing HCC compared with conventional MRI sequencing. With the aid of contrast media, DWI‐MRI had 90.0% specificity for detecting small HCCs (smaller than 1 cm). Furthermore, DWI‐MRI not only provided physicians with valuable diagnostic information but also delivered histological grading information, with 78% accuracy for all benign lesions and 71% for solid lesions. DECT had relatively high sensitivity and required a lower contrast medium dose. With standardized quantitative parameters, it can be an extremely useful tool for HCC surveillance. DWI‐MRI is the preferred imaging process as it produces high‐contrast images for supporting an early diagnosis (high sensitivity and specificity) and provides histological information using non‐ionizing radiation.
Foreign direct investment, anti‐money laundering regulations and economic growth
Authors: Ofoeda Isaac , Agbloyor Elikplimi Komla , Abor Joshua Yindenaba , Achampong Kofi Osei 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis study seeks to establish the impact of anti‐money laundering (AML) regulations on economic growth as well as how AML regulations influence the foreign direct investment (FDI)–growth nexus for 165 economies across the globe. We employ Prais–Winsten and the Hansen (2000) panel threshold regression estimation techniques to test the hypotheses of the study. We use data ranging from 2012 to 2018. We provide evidence that AML regulations generally stimulate growth; however, AML regulations only stimulate growth below the threshold value. Again, although we report that FDI stimulates growth, the growth‐enhancing impact of FDI is more pronounced at higher levels of AML regulations.
Natural history of arginase 1 deficiency and the unmet needs of patients: A systematic review of case reports
Authors: Bin Sawad Aseel , Pothukuchy Arti , Badeaux Mark , Hodson Victoria , Bubb Gillian , Lindsley Kristina , Uyei Jennifer , Diaz George A. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundArginase 1 deficiency (ARG1‐D) is a rare, progressive and debilitating urea cycle disorder characterized by clinical manifestations including spasticity, seizures, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and summarize the natural history of ARG1‐D and the unmet needs of patients.MethodsA comprehensive search of published case reports was undertaken to identify patients with ARG1‐D regardless of interventions, comparisons, or outcomes. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and other evidence‐based medicine literature databases were searched on 20 April 2020. Quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist. (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020212142.)ResultsOne hundred and fifty seven ARG1‐D patients were included from 111 publications (good overall quality based on JBI's Checklist); 84 (53.5%) were males. Motor deficits (including spasticity), intellectual disability, and seizures were reported in >50% of the cases. Mean age (SD) at diagnosis was 6.4 years and the laboratory findings most commonly reported to support diagnosis included elevated plasma arginine (81.5%), mutation inARG1gene through genetic testing (60%), and absence/reduction of red blood cell arginase activity (51%). Reported management approaches mainly included dietary protein restriction (68%), nitrogen scavengers (45%), and essential amino acid supplements (21%). Author‐reported clinical improvement was documented for 26% of patients, 15% deteriorated, and 19% had limited or no change; notably, no indication of clinical outcome was reported for 40% cases.ConclusionThis review illustrates a significant burden of disease and highlights a considerable unmet need for clinically effective treatment options for patients with ARG1‐D.
Development and validation of the Clinical Aspects of Historical Trauma Questionnaire in Rwandan genocide survivors
Authors: Mutuyimana Celestin , Maercker Andreas 
Published: March 2022

AbstractHistorical trauma is a relatively new concept in the literature, and investigations are needed to clarify its clinical aspects and develop instruments to measure its sequelae. The purpose of this study was to develop the Clinical Aspects of Historical Trauma Questionnaire (CAHTQ), which is meant to capture trauma sequelae in different contexts, and provide initial psychometric information. Participants were survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (N = 261) aged 32–87 years (M = 46.30 years, SD = 11.95) who completed a preliminary version of the CAHTQ, constructed based on theoretical and content‐related consideration, as well as the International Trauma Questionnaire, Fatalism Scale, Public Health Depression Questionnaire, Brief Coping Inventory, Forgiveness Questionnaire, and Sentiment of Reconciliation Questionnaire to test the discriminant and convergent validity of the CAHTQ. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to reduce the number of items and extract factors; confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to confirm the measure's dimensionality. The final questionnaire includes 20 items and five subscales. The items demonstrated good internal consistency, Cronbach's α = .91, and the CFA demonstrated a very good fit of the model to the data, χ2(60, N = 261) = 271, CFI = .963 = , TLI = .956, SMRR = .052, RMSEA = .052. The CAHTQ was developed to capture the clinical aspects of historical trauma sequelae. Unlike comparable previously developed instruments, this questionnaire can be used for various historical traumas globally, and its suitability for this purpose will be the focus of future studies.
A validation study of the Swedish version of the Glasgow hearing aid benefit profile evaluated in otosclerosis subjects
Authors: Dahlin Redfors Ylva , Jönsson Radoslava , Finizia Caterina 
Published: March 2022

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to translate the Glasgow Benefit Hearing Aid Profile (GHABP) to Swedish, and to analyze its validity and reliability in patients undergoing rehabilitation with surgery or hearing aids.MethodsThe GHABP was translated to Swedish following published guidelines. One version of the questionnaire was adapted to fit the surgical intervention. A modification was made to the questionnaire by removing the answer option “not applicable” (N/A) since it was found confusing by the subjects. A prospective multicenter cohort study was performed to validate the questionnaire. One hundred and twenty‐three individuals diagnosed with otosclerosis were included in the study prior to the intervention. The individuals were divided into three groups based on the intervention and previous hearing aid experience. Pure tone audiometry was performed 1 month prior and 1 year after the intervention. The Swedish version of the GHABP was completed by the individuals prior to the intervention, as well as 6 and 12 months after the intervention. Validity and reliability were assessed.ResultsThe Swedish versions of the GHABP were well accepted by the included individuals. The questionnaires showed good psychometric properties, with comparable results for the two different interventions and three separate intervention groups. Initial disability was more pronounced in more challenging listening situations. Disability was reduced after the intervention. The “Use,” “Benefit,” and “Satisfaction” domains demonstrated beneficial results; however, a ceiling effect was noted in the same domains. The reliability was overall very high.ConclusionThe Swedish version of the GHABP had good psychometric properties, with high validity and reliability. The same outcomes were found for the hearing aid and surgery groups. A ceiling effect was observed that can affect the questionnaire's ability to distinguish between subjects and measures over time.Level of evidence2c
Predator cues target signaling pathways in toxic algal metabolome
Authors: Brown Emily R. , Moore Sam G. , Gaul David A. , Kubanek Julia 
Published: March 2022

AbstractEarly detection of predators is critical to the survival of all living organisms. For phytoplankton, recognition and response to chemical cues from predators, as evidence of predation risk, are particularly crucial. The phytoplankton Alexandrium minutum upregulates its toxicity when exposed to copepodamides, a suite of compounds released by copepod predators. However, how A. minutum perceives these predatory cues and what metabolic pathways are involved in initiating toxin induction remains unknown. In this study, liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry and NMR‐based metabolomics uncovered subtle physiological responses of A. minutum to copepodamides, including altered regulation of branched‐chain amino acid biosynthesis and potential enhancement of butanoate metabolism and arginine biosynthesis. While we have yet to identify a chemoreceptor directly activated by copepod cues, based on the results of inhibition experiments, detection of copepodamides appears to disrupt the activity of serine/threonine phosphatases leading to increased jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling, which leads to amplified gonyautoxin biosynthesis in A. minutum. This study is an important step toward a better understanding of chemosensory ecology of predator–prey interactions in phytoplankton.
Light‐Driven Awn‐Footed Soft Robots
Authors: Song Xiaodong , Qiu Xiaxin , Huang Xiaowen , Xu Mengda , Zhang Lidong 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAnisotropic friction, widely existing on biological surface, is vital for motion or transporting cargoes in nature; however, the challenge remains to introduce anisotropic friction into soft robotic systems. Herein, an assembling method is reported to introduce elastic awns of Setaria viridis to a soft robot, in which the elastic awn with anisotropic surface structures is capable of giving rise to the anisotropic friction. The body of soft robot is composed of three functional layers: polydimethylsiloxane@carbon nanotubes layer that generates photothermal effect, poly(vinylidene difluoride) layer, able to direct the motion of robot, and waxy rice amylopectin@polyvinyl alcohol layer for humidity response. The humidity‐responsive layer improves the shape recoverability of the soft robot during the response to light irradiation, and thus extending its motion lifetime. The elastic‐awn legs support the body of robot and push the robot forward by the positive friction. Based on the anisotropic friction, the controllable motion of various soft robots is successfully achieved in response to external stimuli.
End Group Dye‐Labeled Polycarbonate Block Copolymers for Micellar (Immuno‐)Drug Delivery
Authors: Czysch Christian , Medina‐Montano Carolina , Dal Nils‐Jørgen Knudsen , Dinh Thi , Fröder Yannick , Winterwerber Pia , Maxeiner Konrad , Räder Hans‐Joachim , Schuppan Detlef , Schild Hansjörg , Bros Matthias , Biersack Bernhard , Fenaroli Federico , Grabbe Stephan , Nuhn Lutz 
Published: March 2022

AbstractDefined conjugation of functional molecules to block copolymer end groups is a powerful strategy to enhance the scope of micellar carriers for drug delivery. In this study, an approach to access well‐defined polycarbonate‐based block copolymers by labeling their end groups with single fluorescent dye molecules is established. Following controlled polymerization conditions, the block copolymers’ primary hydroxy end group can be converted into activated pentafluorophenyl ester carbonates and subsequently aminolyzed with fluorescent dyes that are equipped with primary amines. During a solvent‐evaporation process, the resulting end group dye‐labeled block copolymers self‐assemble into narrowly dispersed ∼25 nm‐sized micelles and simultaneously encapsulate hydrophobic (immuno‐)drugs. The covalently attached fluorescent tracer can be used to monitor both uptake into cells and stability under biologically relevant conditions, including incubation with blood plasma or during blood circulation in zebrafish embryos. By encapsulation of the toll‐like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist CL075, immune stimulatory polymeric micelles are generated that get internalized by various antigen‐presenting dendritic cells and promote their maturation. Generally, such end group dye‐labeled polycarbonate block copolymers display ideal features to permit targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs to key immune cells for vaccination and cancer immunotherapy.
Low Light Amplification Threshold and Reduced Efficiency Roll‐Off in Thick Emissive Layer OLEDs from a Diketopyrrolopyrrole Derivative
Authors: Shukla Atul , Entoma Volter , McGregor Sarah K. M. , Hasan Monirul , Mamada Masashi , Moore Evan G. , Adachi Chihaya , Lo Shih‐Chun , Namdas Ebinazar B. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractExternal quantum efficiency (EQE) roll‐off under high current injection has been one of the major limiting factors toward the development of organic semiconductor laser diodes (OSLDs). While significant progress in this regard has been made on organic semiconductors (OSCs) emitting in the blue–green region of the visible spectrum, OSCs with longer wavelength emission (>600 nm) have fallen behind in both material development and the advancement in device architectures suitable for the realization of OSLDs. Therefore, to make simultaneous incremental advancements, a host–guest system comprising of a high performing poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) polymer and an efficient small molecule laser dye, dithiophenyl diketopyrrolopyrrole (DT‐DPP), is used. This combination provides an extremely low amplified spontaneous emission threshold of 4.2 µJ cm−2 at an emission wavelength of 620 nm. The solution‐processed organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated using this system exhibit a high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 2.6% with low efficiency roll‐off and high current injection up to 90 A cm−2 to yield ultrahigh luminance of over 1.5 million cd m−2.
Super‐Moisturizing Materials from Morphological Deformation of Suprapolysaccharides
Authors: Budpud Kulisara , Okeyoshi Kosuke , Kobayashi Shoko , Okajima Maiko K. , Kaneko Tatsuo 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe evaporative interface on polysaccharides has evolved to form hierarchical structures with moisture sensitivity to enable organisms to live in drying environments. Here, the discovery of the morphological instability of polysaccharides, especially the reversible self‐assembly/disassembly between micron‐fibers and microparticles in response to changes in aquatic environments, is reported. This is similar but different to the dynamic instability observed in cytoskeletal proteins, in terms of an accompanying the polymeric deformation. The formation of the polymeric fibers containing crystalline structures can be flexibly controlled by controlling the polymer concentration and salt concentration in aqueous mixtures. Moreover, the microparticles having crosslinking points in the interior acquire the ability to retain a larger number of water molecules in drying environments and behave as super‐moisturizing materials.
Improving sensitivity and connectivity of retinal vessel segmentation via error discrimination network
Authors: Lin Guoye , Bai Hanhua , Zhao Jie , Yun Zhaoqiang , Chen Yangfan , Pang Shumao , Feng Qianjin 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPurposeAutomated retinal vessel segmentation is crucial to the early diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmological diseases. Many deep‐learning‐based methods have shown exceptional success in this task. However, current approaches are still inadequate in challenging vessels (e.g., thin vessels) and rarely focus on the connectivity of vessel segmentation.MethodsWe propose using an error discrimination network (D) to distinguish whether the vessel pixel predictions of the segmentation network (S) are correct, and S is trained to obtain fewer error predictions of D. Our method is similar to, but not the same as, the generative adversarial network. Three types of vessel samples and corresponding error masks are used to train D, as follows: (1) vessel ground truth; (2) vessel segmented by S; (3) artificial thin vessel error samples that further improve the sensitivity of D to wrong small vessels. As an auxiliary loss function of S, D strengthens the supervision of difficult vessels. Optionally, we can use the errors predicted by D to correct the segmentation result of S.ResultsCompared with state‐of‐the‐art methods, our method achieves the highest scores in sensitivity (86.19%, 86.26%, and 86.53%) and G‐Mean (91.94%, 91.30%, and 92.76%) on three public datasets, namely, STARE, DRIVE, and HRF. Our method also maintains a competitive level in other metrics. On the STARE dataset, the F1‐score and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of our method rank second and first, respectively, reaching 84.51% and 98.97%. The top scores of the three topology‐relevant metrics (Conn, Inf, and Cor) demonstrate that the vessels extracted by our method have excellent connectivity. We also validate the effectiveness of error discrimination supervision and artificial error sample training through ablation experiments.ConclusionsThe proposed method provides an accurate and robust solution for difficult vessel segmentation.
MRI lung lobe segmentation in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients using a recurrent neural network trained with publicly accessible CT datasets
Authors: Pusterla Orso , Heule Rahel , Santini Francesco , Weikert Thomas , Willers Corin , Andermatt Simon , Sandkühler Robin , Nyilas Sylvia , Latzin Philipp , Bieri Oliver , Bauman Grzegorz 
Published: March 2022

PurposeTo introduce a widely applicable workflow for pulmonary lobe segmentation of MR images using a recurrent neural network (RNN) trained with chest CT datasets. The feasibility is demonstrated for 2D coronal ultrafast balanced SSFP (ufSSFP) MRI.MethodsLung lobes of 250 publicly accessible CT datasets of adults were segmented with an open‐source CT‐specific algorithm. To match 2D ufSSFP MRI data of pediatric patients, both CT data and segmentations were translated into pseudo‐MR images that were masked to suppress anatomy outside the lung. Network‐1 was trained with pseudo‐MR images and lobe segmentations and then applied to 1000 masked ufSSFP images to predict lobe segmentations. These outputs were directly used as targets to train Network‐2 and Network‐3 with non‐masked ufSSFP data as inputs, as well as an additional whole‐lung mask as input for Network‐2. Network predictions were compared to reference manual lobe segmentations of ufSSFP data in 20 pediatric cystic fibrosis patients. Manual lobe segmentations were performed by splitting available whole‐lung segmentations into lobes.ResultsNetwork‐1 was able to segment the lobes of ufSSFP images, and Network‐2 and Network‐3 further increased segmentation accuracy and robustness. The average all‐lobe Dice similarity coefficients were 95.0 ± 2.8 (mean ± pooled SD [%]) and 96.4 ± 2.5, 93.0 ± 2.0; and the average median Hausdorff distances were 6.1 ± 0.9 (mean ± SD [mm]), 5.3 ± 1.1, 7.1 ± 1.3 for Network‐1, Network‐2, and Network‐3, respectively.ConclusionRecurrent neural network lung lobe segmentation of 2D ufSSFP imaging is feasible, in good agreement with manual segmentations. The proposed workflow might provide access to automated lobe segmentations for various lung MRI examinations and quantitative analyses.