bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Apigenin inhibits isoproterenol‐induced myocardial fibrosis and Smad pathway in mice by regulating oxidative stress and miR‐122‐5p/155‐5p expressions
Authors: Wang Feng , Zhang Jun , Niu Guanghao , Weng Jiayi , Zhang Qian , Xie Meilin , Li Chunjian , Sun Kangyun 
Published: March 2022

AbstractApigenin, a flavonoid isolated from Apium graveolens, is an effective natural active ingredient that inhibits transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1)‐induced cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) differentiation and collagen synthesis. However, its effects on isoproterenol‐induced myocardial fibrosis in mice remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of apigenin in the prevention of myocardial fibrosis. A mouse model of myocardial fibrosis induced by isoproterenol was established, and the mice were given apigenin 75–300 mg/kg orally for 40 days. The results showed that the heart weight coefficient, myocardial hydroxyproline, collagen accumulation, and malondialdehyde levels in the apigenin‐treated groups were significantly reduced. In contrast, the activity of myocardial superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly enhanced. The results of real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot assays showed that apigenin could significantly upregulate the expressions of myocardial microRNA‐122‐5p (miR‐122‐5p), c‐Ski, and Smad7 and downregulate the expressions of myocardial miR‐155‐5p, α‐smooth muscle actin, collagen I/III, NF‐κB, TGF‐β1, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), Smad2/3, and p‐Smad2/3. In vitro, the differentiation and extracellular matrix production, as well as TGF‐β1/Smads axis, were further reduced after treatment of miR‐122‐5p mimic or miR‐155‐5p inhibitor‐transfected and TGF‐β1‐stimulated CFs with apigenin. These results suggested that apigenin increased the expression of miR‐122‐5p and decreased the expression of miR‐155‐5p, which subsequently downregulated and upregulated the target genes HIF‐1α and c‐Ski, respectively. Furthermore, apigenin administration downregulated TGF‐β1‐induced Smad2/3 and upregulated Smad7. In addition, it reduced the NF‐κB/TGF‐β1 signaling pathway axis by increasing antioxidant ability to exert the antifibrotic effects.
Circ‐OPHN1 suppresses the proliferation, migration, and invasion of trophoblast cells through mediating miR‐558/THBS2 axis
Authors: Li Yu , Chen Jinzao , Song Shuqin 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPreeclampsia (PE) is one of the most serious diseases during pregnancy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are strongly related to the occurrence of preeclampsia. Herein, we aimed to explore the potential role and mechanism of circRNA oligophrenin 1 (circ‐OPHN1; hsa_circ_0007445) in PE. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot were utilized to detect gene expression levels. The biological behaviors of trophoblast cells were determined by 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)−2,5‐diphenyl‐2‐H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, transwell, and wound healing methods. The binding relationship between microRNA‐558 (miR‐558) and circ‐OPHN1 or thrombospondin 2 (THBS2) was validated via dual‐luciferase reporter assay. Circ‐OPHN1 and THBS2 levels were enhanced, while miR‐558 level was declined in PE placental tissues. Circ‐OPHN1 or THBS2 overexpression hindered the proliferation, migration, and invasion of trophoblast cells. In addition, circ‐OPHN1 sequestered miR‐558 to regulate THBS2 expression, thereby repressing the growth and mobility of trophoblast cells. Circ‐OPHN1 inhibited trophoblast cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through mediating miR‐558/THBS2 axis, providing a novel pathway for PE pathogenesis.
Hirudin attenuates puromycin aminonucleoside‐induced glomerular podocyte injury by inhibiting MAPK‐mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Long Chunli , Lin Qiang , Mo Junlin , Xiao Yangping , Xie Yongxiang 
Published: March 2022

AbstractDamage to podocytes is an important determinant of renal pathology. The puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) mice nephropathy model is commonly used in the study of renal disease with podocyte injury. Hirudin has a broad nephroprotective effect and has been shown to treat renal interstitial fibrosis in previous studies. Mice were given PAN by gavage to prepare animal models, and MPC5 cells were incubated with PAN in vitro. Twenty‐four hours urine was collected for analysis of urinary protein levels. Renal pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunofluorescence detection of nephrin in kidney tissues and cells. Apoptosis was analyzed with over TUNEL. Cytoskeleton, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), p38 MAPK signaling, and apoptosis‐related proteins were assessed by western blot analysis. The data suggested that hirudin attenuated reduced renal injury and increased urine protein in PAN mice. Hirudin also attenuated cytoskeletal protein (synaptopodin, nephrin, and podocin) disruption, ERS activation, and apoptosis in PAN mice and PAN‐induced podocytes. In addition, hirudin inhibited the expression of p38 MAPK signaling key proteins upregulated by PAN, thereby suppressing ERS. The p38 MAPK agonist was able to partially antagonize the inhibition of p38 MAPK signaling by hirudin in PAN‐induced podocytes, thereby reactivating the ERS inhibited by hirudin, promoting cytoskeletal protein degradation and increasing the level of apoptosis. In conclusion, hirudin could decrease podocyte injury by inhibiting p38 MAPK signaling‐mediated ERS, resulting in the protection of the kidney from PAN damage. These findings may provide an experimental basis for hirudin treatment of podocyte injury diseases.
Understanding self‐monitoring to inform a mobile intervention for binge eating and weight management: A proof‐of‐concept randomized trial
Authors: Liu Jianyi , Munson Sean A. , Chang Angela , Voss Claire , Graham Andrea K. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractObjectiveThis study explored consumers' perspectives on self‐monitoring, a common feature in behavioral interventions that helps inform consumers' progress and answer their questions, to learn what outcome metrics matter to consumers and whether self‐selection of these metrics leads to greater engagement (i.e., compliance, satisfaction) in self‐monitoring than monitoring only default options.MethodsIn a proof‐of‐concept randomized trial, 48 adult participants were randomly assigned to “clinician‐determined monitoring” or “clinician + self‐determined monitoring” conditions. Before starting monitoring, all participants shared outcomes that would matter to them in a mobile intervention for binge eating and weight management. Then, for 3 weeks, participants in the “clinician‐determined” condition monitored their weight and binge‐eating episodes, and participants in the “clinician + self‐determined” condition monitored these and another metric of their choosing. After, satisfaction and compliance were assessed.ResultsParticipants identified 116 metrics, grouped into 12 themes, that mattered to them. During monitoring, participants in the “clinician + self‐determined” condition monitored 41 metrics. Surprisingly, participants in the “clinician‐determined” condition also monitored metrics besides weight and binge eating. This resulted in a failure of our experimental manipulation, which represents a significant limitation of this research. No significant differences emerged in satisfaction or compliance between conditions.DiscussionAlthough our proof‐of‐concept trial yielded null quantitative results, findings also suggested binge eating and weight management interventions may benefit from including an individually customizable monitoring option in addition to default metrics, warranting testing in future research.Public SignificanceExamining consumers' self‐monitoring preferences for a mobile intervention for binge eating and weight management revealed a variety of metrics that matter to consumers, although binge eating and weight were still most valued. Findings from our proof‐of‐concept trial suggest design implications of encouraging an individually customizable monitoring option, in addition to default metrics, which needs to be tested in future research over a longer period and during actual mobile intervention delivery.
Developmental microbiome of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata
Authors: Nguyen Phuong N. , Rehan Sandra M. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe importance of the holobiont has been studied across many bee species, but less is known about the changes in the microbiome throughout the course of development, particularly in subsocial bees. This study used 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing of pollen provisions and individuals of the small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, across stages of development to characterize the composition and diversity of bacteria and fungi in the microbiome. Pollen provisions and larval stages showed similar beta diversity, but differences in taxa composition. There was no significant decrease in diversity during the transition between larval and pupal stages that was expected post defecation. However, there were unexpected and progressive declines in diversity as development progressed from the early to late pupal stages and again from the callow to adult stages. Bees across all stages lacked members of the Lactobacillus (now Apilactobacillus) genus, which has been shown in other studies to be part of the core bacterial community in C. calcarata and all bees. Three correlations between bacteria and fungi were found, suggesting common beneficial bacteria may protect the bees from prevalent fungal pathogens. Low alpha diversity, particularly in the later stages of development through adulthood, is concerning as the microbiome plays an important role in maintaining wild bee health.
Size Selectivity in the Hydroxylation of Esters of Unsaturated Fatty Acids
Authors: Azzena Ugo , Carraro Massimo , Pisano Luisa , Pintus Elisa , Pintus Salvatore , Polese Riccardo , Satta Pierpaolo , Gaspa Silvia , De Luca Lidia , Taras Alessandro , Garroni Sebastiano 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe one‐pot two‐steps hydroxylation of fatty acid esters with H2O2 and acetic acid catalyzed by acidic ion exchange resins is reinvestigated aiming to shed light on the relationship between the structure of different substrates and the efficiency of different resins in promoting the hydrolysis of the intermediate epoxides to the corresponding diols. 1H‐NMR analysis of crude reaction mixtures highlight a correlation between the drying process of the resins, their cross‐linking degree, and their effectiveness in promoting such a hydrolysis. Employing dry Dowex 50WX2 as a catalyst, a close relationship is found between the steric hindrance of the substrates and the recovered diol/epoxide ratio, with less hindered substrates preferentially leading to the formation of high diol/epoxide ratios. Accordingly, this procedure is successfully applied to the valorization of the methyl ester of a waste cooking oil. Conversions and selectivity kinetics increase significantly when the amount of the catalyst is increased leading to successfully apply this one‐pot two‐steps hydroxylation reaction to esters of unsaturated fatty acids sterically bulkier than methyl oleate. Spectroscopic and morphological characterization of Dowex 50WX2 shows that the drying process and the interaction with the reagents affect the morphology of the catalyst and promotes the hydrolysis of the intermediate epoxides.Practical applications: Hydroxylated fatty acids are valuable intermediates in the synthesis of a variety of useful biochemicals, including mono‐ and di‐carboxylic acids, biolubricants, and cosmetics. Their work describes the successful application to a variety of esters of unsaturated fatty acids and to the methyl esters of a vegetable oil and a waste cooking oil, of a straightforward hydroxylation procedure, catalysed by commercially available acidic ion exchange resins and occurring under mild and easy to set‐up conditions. The evidence reported on the different catalytic activities and on the structural characterization of the as‐received and dried acidic ion exchange resins are of practical importance in their employment as acidic catalysts.
Worse health‐related quality of life, impaired functioning and psychiatric comorbidities are associated with excess mortality in patients with severe chronic pain
Authors: Vartiainen Pekka , Roine Risto P. , Kalso Eija , Heiskanen Tarja 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundSevere chronic pain that interferes with daily activities is associated with an increased risk of mortality. We assessed the overall mortality of tertiary chronic pain patients in comparison with the general population, with a special aim to analyse the association of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and its dimensions with the risk of death.MethodsIn this prospective observational follow‐up study, patients with non‐cancer chronic pain attended an outpatient multidisciplinary pain management (MPM) episode in a tertiary pain clinic in 2004–2012 and were followed until May 2019. Mortality between the patients and the general population was compared with standardized mortality ratios (SMR) in different age groups. Causes of death and comorbidities were compared among the deceased. Association of mortality and HRQoL and its dimensions, measured with the 15D instrument, was studied with Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsDuring a mean of 10.4‐year follow‐up of 1498 patients, 296 died. The SMR in the youngest age group (18–49 years) was significantly higher than that of the general population: 2.6 for males and 2.9 for females. Even elderly females (60–69 years) had elevated mortality (SMR 2.3). Low baseline HRQoL at the time of MPM, as well as poor ratings in the psychosocial dimensions of HRQoL, was associated with an increased risk of death.ConclusionsOur results support the role of HRQoL measurement by a validated instrument such as the 15D in capturing both the physical and the psychological symptom burden, and consequently, an elevated risk of death, in patients with chronic pain.SignificanceSevere chronic pain is associated with elevated mortality. In patients in chronic pain under 50 years old, the mortality was 2.5–3 times higher than in the general population. Psychological distress appears to contribute to the increased mortality. Regular follow‐up by health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) measurement could be useful in identifying patients in chronic pain who are in need of intensive symptom management and to prevent early death.
Cu‐Fe/activated carbon catalyst for low‐temperature CO‐selective catalytic: Modification and denitration mechanism
Authors: Huang Bang‐fu , Wang De‐fu , Li Jian‐li , Shi Zhe 
Published: March 2022

AbstractTo study the Cu‐Fe modification and CO denitration mechanism of carbon‐based sorbent, coconut‐husk activated carbon (AC), which was activated via air thermo‐oxidation and modified using Cu(NO3)2 and Fe(NO3)2 was examined. In addition, the denitration activity was evaluated. The effects of air thermo‐oxidative activation, as well as Cu(NO3)2 and Fe(NO3)2 immersion on the pore texture and surface characteristics of the carbon materials, were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The reduction performance and CO adsorptive property of xCu‐yFe/AC catalyst was measured using hydrogen temperature‐programmed reduction (H2‐TPR) and carbon monoxide temperature‐programmed desorption (CO‐TPD). The xCu‐yFe/AC's denitration activity showed that physical adsorption is a priority, then chemical adsorption recovers the denitration activity after physical adsorption saturation. The modification mechanism showed that higher loading of Cu and Fe resulted in enhanced dispersivity and more active sites but decreased specific surface area and pore volume. Then, the capability of physical adsorption decreased. Moreover, higher Fe loading was conducive to improved dispersivity of copper oxide species. The effects of Cu and Fe modification on the majority of functional groups were insignificant. The reduction peak at approximately 150°C indicated that the xCu‐yFe/AC catalyst has strong reduction characteristics. The number of CO active adsorption sites increased by high loading quantity at high‐temperature. The CO‐selective catalytic reduction (SCR) denitration conforms to Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism. The reciprocal transformation between Fe2+ and Fe3+, Cu+ and Cu2+, which is conducive to the rapid progress of the CO‐SCR reaction.
The use of continuous sediment‐transport measurements to improve sand‐load estimates in a large sand‐bedded river: The lower Chippewa River, Wisconsin
Authors: Dean David J. , Topping David J. , Buscombe Daniel D. , Groten Joel T. , Ziegeweid Jeffrey , Fitzpatrick Faith A. , Lund John W. , Coenen Erin N. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAccurately determining sediment loads is necessary for managing river environments but is difficult because multiple processes can lead to large discharge‐independent changes in sediment transport. Thus, estimations of sediment load using discharge–sediment rating curves fit to sparse or historical sediment‐transport measurements can be inaccurate, necessitating alternative approaches to reduce uncertainty. Continuous sediment‐transport measurements reduce uncertainty because they can be used to detect discharge‐independent changes in transport and are therefore unaffected by hysteresis.We used largely continuous approaches to measure sand transport in the lower Chippewa River, a large sand‐supplying tributary to the Mississippi River. We used side‐looking acoustic‐Doppler profilers to continuously measure suspended‐sand concentration, and bedform‐tracking techniques to episodically measure bedload transport. Bedload transport was then continuously estimated using a discharge‐dependent ratio of bedload to suspended‐sand transport. This approach allowed determination of sand loads that were not estimated based only on water discharge. Our continuous suspended‐sand measurements show that hysteresis between discharge and suspended‐sand concentration occurs during most floods. Quasi‐continuous bed‐elevation measurements using a scour monitor show that lags between discharge and dune geometric adjustment is also common, causing hysteresis between discharge and bedload transport during floods. Furthermore, comparisons of our measurements with historical sediment‐transport measurements indicate large discharge‐independent declines in both suspended‐sand and bedload transport since the 1980s. These findings indicate that sand transport is a non‐stationary function of water discharge over timescales ranging from within individual floods to decades. Consequently, although our continuous‐measurement approach yields only a ~20–30% improvement over rating‐curve estimates of sand load over multi‐year periods, our approach yields up to a factor‐of‐five improvement in sand‐load estimates over the shorter, within a flood timescales, over which the largest discharge‐independent changes in sand transport occur.
Performance analysis of power‐domain non‐orthogonal multiple access for full‐duplex two‐way relaying
Authors: Ozduran Volkan , Huda Mahmood Nurul , Nomikos Nikolaos 
Published: March 2022

AbstractNon‐orthogonal multiple has the potential to improve the connectivity of wireless networks by simultaneously allowing users and devices to access the wireless medium. Meanwhile, full‐duplex communication can increase the spectral efficiency of the network as transmission and reception are concurrently performed. This article investigates full‐duplex two‐way relay communication relying on non‐orthogonal multiple access in the power‐domain. More specifically, users exchange superimposed signals and perform reception by utilizing echo‐cancellation and successive interference cancellation. For this setup, an extensive theoretical analysis is conducted, in terms of outage probability, error probability, ergodic rate, and throughput. Furthermore, by using the Lagrangian multiplier, optimal transmit power, and power allocation coefficients are determined and the relay's position is optimized to improve network performance. Our theoretical findings are verified through Monte‐Carlo simulations while significant performance gains in the optimized network case are observed.
A comparative study of combining tree‐based feature selection methods and classifiers in personal loan default prediction
Authors: Guo Weidong , Zhou Zach Zhizhong 
Published: March 2022

AbstractPersonal credit data usually contain a large number of features, some of which do not significantly contribute to the performance of default prediction models. Screening features through appropriate methods is essential to improve the efficiency of prediction models. However, little attention has been paid to feature selection methods in the area of personal loan default prediction. In this study, we employ random forest (RF), XGBoost, Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), Categorical Boosting (CatBoost), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) as base algorithms of wrapper and embedded methods to select features and use these algorithms as classifiers to predict personal loan default. We find that when classical filter methods are used to select features, the number of selected features needs to be large enough to enable tree‐based classifiers to get their best performance. However, when the tree‐based algorithm is used to select features, it only needs to select a small number of features to deliver a satisfactory classification performance. AdaBoost, Chi2, and ‐score are found to be ideal feature selection methods in the area of personal credit default prediction. Moreover, we find that it is better to use different algorithms in feature selection and classification; AdaBoost and CatBoost perform the best among all classifiers.
Data of satellite observation for environmental assessment before and during COVID‐19 pandemic in part of Indonesia using the cloud‐computing platform
Authors: Ramdani Fatwa , Setiani Putri 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe global pandemic of COVID‐19 has been insisted by many countries in the world to implement social distancing, including Indonesia. This research measured the environmental impact before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Indonesia. Variables, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) of Sentinel‐5P Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (Tropomi), nighttime light condition of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (DNB) and land surface temperature (LST) of Thermal InfraRed Sensor (TIRS) of Landsat‐8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), were monitored using the cloud‐based computing platform of Google Earth Engine (GEE). This study found that all monitored variables decreased during the period of the COVID‐19 pandemic compared to the period before the pandemic. However, the pattern of reduction of NO2 concentration and nighttime light was not observed to be coherent with large‐scale social distancing regulation enforced by the government. This study found that the reduction has begun 2 months earlier than the official regulation enforced by the government. The lower LST shown in both the time‐series map and the graph demonstrated changes before and during the pandemic. The hypothesis was tested using the t‐test method, and the statistical results show the significant difference between two groups of observed variables (e.g. before and during the pandemic) with the lower p‐values and higher Cohen's d. Results of this study indicate that it should be feasible to monitor the environmental impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic using the combination of NO2 concentration, nighttime light and LST information as a proxy.