bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Encapsulation of Curcumin in a Ternary Nanocomplex Prepared with Carboxymethyl Short Linear Glucan–Sodium–Caseinate–Pectin Via Electrostatic Interactions
Authors: Li Wenhui , Yu Ying , Dai Ziyang , Peng Jielong , Wu Jinhong , Wang Zhengwu 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis work chemically modified short linear glucan (SLG) by introducing a surface carboxymethyl group to obtain carboxymethylated SLG (CMSLG), then prepared CMSLG‐based ternary nanocomplex particles based on electrostatic interactions with sodium‐caseinate (NaCas) and pectin. These nanocomplex particles are homogeneous, generally exhibiting sizes of <200 nm with spherical shape and negative surface charge. In addition, the results showed the increase in both the mass ratio of CMSLG and NaCas and the synthesis temperature can improve the colloidal stability of nanocomplex particles when they are exposed to simulated gastrointestinal fluids containing digestive enzymes. Moreover, nanocomplex particles have an exceptional capability to encapsulate curcumin, and this encapsulation efficiency increased as the mass ratios of CMSLG and NaCas were increased. The study also investigated the antioxidant activity and in vitro release properties of curcumin encapsulated by nanocomplex particles and found that CMSLG/NaCas/pectin had improved higher ABTS radical scavenging capacity and allowed for the controlled, sustained release of curcumin in simulated gastrointestinal fluid within 6 hours. Thus, this study provides new insights into the design of a CMSLG‐based ternary nanocomplex and its use as a potential oral delivery system for lipophilic bioactive compounds.Practical ApplicationCurcumin, as a sort of natural polyphenolic compound, has many physiologic functions such as anti‐oxidation, anticancer, and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. However, the application of the curcumin has been limited by its poor water solubility and unstable physicochemical property. To solve this problem, the nanotechnology has been used to prepare the nano‐delivery carriers for curcumin. This work prepared a ternary nanoparticle based on the carboxymethyl short linear glucan, sodium‐caseinate, and pectin. The ternary nanoparticle can achieve a higher encapsulation efficiency for curcumin. In addition, the ternary nanoparticle can enhance the ABTS radical scavenging capacity and provided control and sustained release of curcumin in the simulated gastrointestinal fluid.
The effect of short‐term intensive insulin therapy on inflammatory cytokines in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes
Authors: He Junyu , Dai Peiji , Liu Liyi , Yang Yanqing , Liu Xibo , Li Yanbing , Liao Zhihong 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundDiabetes mellitus was a chronic low‐grade inflammatory disease and had increased circulating inflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins. We aimed to identify the changes of inflammatory cytokines in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients after short‐term intensive insulin therapy using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII).MethodsThirty‐three newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled between September 2020 to December 2020. Expression of 40 inflammatory cytokines of the patients were tested with RayBiotech antibody array before and after 1 week of intensive insulin therapy of CSII. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis was carried out to explore the signaling pathway involved in the therapy.ResultsFive inflammatory cytokines were downregulated significantly after 1 week of CSII therapy. They were interleukin‐6 receptor (IL‐6R), regulated upon activation normal T‐cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐1 (TIMP‐1), and platelet‐derived growth factor type BB (PDGF‐BB) (p < 0.05 and foldchange <0.83). Among patients with baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) < 10%, three proinflammatory cytokines were decreased significantly after therapy: IL‐6R, RANTES, and ICAM‐1. As for the patients with baseline HbA1c ≥ 10%, eight inflammatory cytokines were inhibited significantly after the treatment, including ICAM‐1, IL‐6R, RANTES, TIMP‐1, TIMP‐2, macrophage inflammatory protein‐1 beta (MIP‐1β), PDGF‐BB, and tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNF RII). No matter which subgroup of baseline HbA1c level was considered, the decreased cytokines after CSII therapy were significantly involved in TNF signaling pathway. Nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling pathway was mainly enriched in patients with baseline HbA1c ≥ 10%.ConclusionsA panel of 40 inflammatory cytokines, measured by protein microarray, were evaluated for 1 week of CSII treatment in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients. After treatment, many proinflammatory cytokines decreased. In the higher baseline HbA1c subgroup, more proinflammatory cytokines improved. No matter which subgroup of HbA1c level was considered, IL‐6R, RANTES, and ICAM‐1, which were involved in TNF signaling pathway, decreased significantly after CSII therapy. This was the first report showing that the cytokines of IL‐6R, TIMP‐2, PDGF‐BB, and TNF RII decreased after the CSII therapy.
Lights, camera, pliman! An R package for plant image analysis
Authors: Olivoto Tiago 
Published: January 2022

Abstract

Manual measurements of quantitative traits are time consuming and error prone. Therefore, high‐throughput phenotyping methods that allow a rapid and accurate assessment are vital to a growing range of researchers such as agronomists, breeders, phytopathologists, geneticists, ecologists and biologists.

Here, I describe the pliman R package, a collection of functions designed (but not limited) to conduct plant image analysis. The package will help researchers to (a) manipulate, segment and compute image indexes based on Red, Green, Blue, Red‐Edge and Near‐Infrared bands; (b) measure leaf area and shape; (c) quantify plant disease severity; (d) count and extract features (e.g. area, perimeter, radius, circularity and eccentricity) of objects such as grains, leaves, pods, pollen and cells; and (e) compute RGB indexes for each object in an image.

In this paper, I describe the main features implemented in the package, guiding the user along a gentle learning curve with practical and reproducible examples. The results of validation studies implemented to count objects in different scenarios (combination of seed sizes, background colour and image resolution), measure leaf area, and quantify plant disease severity have shown that pliman measurements are highly concordant with existing ‘gold standard’ tools.

The pliman package offers a flexible, intuitive and richly documented working environment for image‐based phenotyping, being an interesting alternative to free and commercial ‘point‐and‐click’ solutions. R users will find the package fairly easy to use and will be surprised at how the setting of a few arguments will allow processing thousands of images while they enjoy a cup of coffee.
Do acquiring firms achieve their mergers and acquisitions objectives? Evidence from Japan
Authors: Amano Yoshiaki 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis study assessed whether acquiring firms achieve the objectives of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) that are presented in their press releases and financial statements. It examined the usefulness of disclosing the M&A objectives to investors by analysing a sample of 232 M&A conducted between Japanese firms. The findings show that disclosed M&A objectives regarding profitability, efficiency, and growth are not usually realised. The results also show that describing M&A objectives in financial statements leads to higher short‐term stock returns while the stock market adjusts the valuation of firms based on their actual performance in the long run.
Functional connectivity in reward‐related networks is associated with individual differences in gambling strategies in male Lister hooded rats
Authors: Tjernström Nikita , Li Tie‐Qiang , Holst Sarah , Roman Erika 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIndividuals with gambling disorder display deficits in decision‐making in the Iowa Gambling Task. The rat Gambling Task (rGT) is a rodent analogue that can be used to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying gambling behaviour. The aim of this explorative study was to examine individual strategies in the rGT and investigate possible behavioural and neural correlates associated with gambling strategies. Thirty‐two adult male Lister hooded rats underwent behavioural testing in the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF) and the novel cage tests, were trained on and performed the rGT and subsequently underwent resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R‐fMRI). In the rGT, stable gambling strategies were found with subgroups of rats that preferred the suboptimal safest choice as well as the disadvantageous choice, that is, the riskiest gambling strategy. R‐fMRI results revealed associations between gambling strategies and brain regions central for reward networks. Moreover, rats with risky gambling strategies differed from those with strategic and intermediate strategies in brain functional connectivity. No differences in behavioural profiles, as assessed with the MCSF and novel cage tests, were observed between the gambling strategy groups. In conclusion, stable individual differences in gambling strategies were found. Intrinsic functional connectivity using R‐fMRI provides novel evidence to support the notion that individual differences in gambling strategies are associated with functional connectivity in brain regions important for reward networks.
The prevalence of non‐allergic rhinitis phenotypes in the general population: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Avdeeva Klementina S. , Fokkens Wytske J. , Segboer Christine L. , Reitsma Sietze 
Published: January 2022

AbstractBackgroundNon‐allergic rhinitis (NAR) can be subdivided into several phenotypes: rhinorrhea of the elderly, rhinitis medicamentosa, smokers', occupational, hormonal, drug‐induced, gustatory, and idiopathic rhinitis. There are two pathophysiological endotypes of NAR: inflammatory and neurogenic. Phenotypes may serve as an indicator of an underlying endotype and, therefore, help to guide the treatment. The prevalence of each phenotype in the general population is currently unknown.Methodology/PrincipalCross‐sectional questionnaire‐based study in the general population of the Netherlands.ResultsThe prevalence of chronic rhinitis in the general population was 40% (N = 558, of those, 65% had NAR and 28% AR, in 7% allergy status is unknown). Individuals with NAR (N = 363) had significantly more complaints in October–February. Those with AR (N = 159) had significantly more complaints in April–August. The most common NAR phenotypes were idiopathic (39%) and rhinitis medicamentosa (14%), followed by occupational (8%), smokers' (6%), hormonal (4%), gustatory (4%), and rhinorrhea of the elderly (4%). The least prevalent phenotype was drug induced (1%). Nineteen percent of the NAR group could not be classified into any of the phenotypes.ConclusionsThis is the first study to describe the prevalences of NAR phenotypes in the general population. AR and NAR have a distinct seasonality pattern with NAR being more prevalent in autumn/winter and AR in spring/summer. Our data on the prevalence of phenotypes may help clinicians to anticipate the type of patients at their clinic and help guide a tailored treatment approach. The high prevalence of rhinitis medicamentosa is alarming, since this is a potentially preventable phenotype.
Clinical quality registries: urgent reform is required to enable best practice and best care
Authors: Brown Wendy A. , Ahern Susannah , MacCormick Andrew D. , Reilly Jennifer R. , Smith Julian A. , Watters David A. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractClinical quality registries (CQRs) systematically collect data on pre‐agreed markers of quality of care for a given procedure, that can be reliably and reproducibly defined and collected across multiple sites. Data is then risk adjusted, and comparisons may be used to benchmark performance. These data then inform quality improvement initiatives. CQRs require an overarching independent governance structure and surety of funding. CQRs rely upon whole of population enrolment to minimize the risk of selection bias, and often rely on the secondary use of sensitive health information, meaning that the processes for ethical review and consent to participation are different to clinical trials. Despite several local examples of CQR improving practice in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, providing substantial cost–benefit to the community, there remain significant barriers to CQR implementation and functions. These include the difficulty of accurate data capture, lack of a fit for purpose ethical review system, the constraints of existing Qualified Privilege legislations and the need for protected funding. Whilst the Australian Government has released a 10‐year strategy for CQR reform, and the Aotearoa New Zealand Government has included registries in the planned Health New Zealand reforms for the public sector, we believe more urgent implementation of strategies to overcome these barriers is needed if CQRs are to have the impact on quality of care our Communities deserve.
Editorial: testing for Epstein‐Barr virus and treating autoimmune hepatitis—still a long way to go!
Authors: Bolia Rishi , Srivastava Anshu 
Published: January 2022

LINKED CONTENTThis article is linked to Nayagam et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16708 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16759
Can TikTok promote a healthier ageing paradigm? A case study of older digital celebrities from China
Authors: Yu Yi , Zhao Bo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractTikTok, as an emerging digital geography, has transformed remote communication to a live, instant, and uncannily realistic interaction. To explore the implications of TikTok on older adults, this paper examines the accounts of older Chinese TikTok celebrities – their participation in TikTok as well as the major discourses of ageing mediated by TikTok. An empirical study was conducted by quantitatively analysing web‐scraped comments on older TikTok celebrities and by interpreting the themes present in these popular TikTok accounts. The empirical results unveil that TikTok facilitates the social interactions of older digital celebrities by creating a caring environment. However, the healthy ageing paradigm promoted by the Chinese government is also promoted by TikTok's recommendation algorithm and platform capitalism. The healthy ageing paradigm prioritises older adults who are healthy and independent, and as a result marginalises those who have a disease or disability or are dependent on others in some way. As a result, the healthy ageing paradigm promoted by TikTok constitutes another form of ageism. Responding to the call to go beyond “the digital”, our research contributes to digital geography by examining the geographies of ageing mediated by TikTok.
Reflections on the afterlives of a PhD thesis
Authors: Hulme Mike 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMost readers of this paper will likely have written a PhD thesis, will be in the throes of writing one, or perhaps will be aspiring to write one. There is a huge literature on the practice and experience of PhD research – on designing a thesis, on writing and research, on the student–supervisor relationship, on the doctoral student experience, and so on. In this paper, however, I reflect on a specific question less often asked: in what ways does a PhD thesis live on beyond the time when it can only be thought of as “work in progress”? I develop an answer to this question along four dimensions – the material, instrumental, epistemic, and personal afterlives of a PhD thesis. For this reflection I use my own PhD thesis, awarded in 1985, as the case study. While the paper is therefore autobiographic, it is intended to provoke more general considerations about the longevity of PhD theses and their formative role for their authors and their authors' subsequent careers. While a PhD thesis can be understood as having a variety of afterlives, those that matter the most are perhaps also those that are less easily recognised.
Disputes in the South China Sea: Does the Arctic Council offer a viable regional governance model?
Authors: Yilmaz Serafettin , Liu Fu‐kuo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractTerritorial disputes in the South China Sea (SCS) over sovereignty, jurisdictional boundaries, and entitlements continue to demand attention from policymakers and analysts. Under the pressure of the intensifying China‐US strategic rivalry, the region has also become a primary theater for military and political muscle‐flexing. Maintaining regional peace and development has therefore become a greater urgency. In this article, we argue that a regional actors‐led institutional mechanism consisting of a core and integrated periphery may provide the required formalized space to govern the SCS through clearly defined rules and legally binding regulations drawn both from the regimes that exist in the region and from the international conventions. We analyze the conditions behind and implications for the formal institutionalization in the SCS modeled after the Arctic Council. This article claims that a new thinking on regional maritime governance in the SCS is now a strategic imperative.
SmartPAN: In vitro and in vivo proof‐of‐safety assessments for an intra‐operative predictive indicator of postoperative pancreatic fistula
Authors: Pausch Thomas M. , Bartel Marc , Cui Jiaqu , Aubert Ophelia , Mitzscherling Clara , Liu Xinchun , Gesslein Bodil , Schuisky Peter , Kommoss Felix K. F. , Bruckner Thomas , Golriz Mohammad , Mehrabi Arianeb , Hackert Thilo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPancreatic surgery is complicated by untreated fluid leakage, but no tenable techniques exist to detect and close leakage sites during surgery. A novel hydrogel called SmartPAN has been developed to meet this need and is here assessed for safety before trials on human patients. First, resazurin assays were used to test the cytotoxic effects of SmartPAN's active bromothymol blue (BTB) indicator and its solution of phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) on normal (HPDE: human pancreatic duct epithelial) or carcinomic (FAMPAC) human pancreatic cells. Cells incubated with BTB showed no significant reduction in cell viability below threshold safety levels. However, PBS had a mild cytotoxic effect on FAMPAC cells. Second, SmartPAN's pathological effects were evaluated in vivo by applying 4‐ml SmartPAN to a porcine (Sus scrofa domesticus) model of pancreatic resection. There were no significant differences in macroscopic and microscopic pathologies between pigs treated with SmartPAN or saline. Third, measurements using HPLC‐MS/MS demonstrate that BTB does not cross into the bloodstream and was eliminated from the body within 2 days of surgery. Overall, SmartPAN appears safe in the short term and ready for first‐in‐human trials because its components are either biocompatible or quickly neutralized by dilution and drainage.
Towards equitable genomics governance in Africa: Guiding principles from theories of global health governance and the African moral theory of Ubuntu
Authors: Munung Nchangwi Syntia , de Vries Jantina , Pratt Bridget 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThe post‐genomics era promises a revolution characterized by precision medicine and the integration of genomics into almost every area of biomedical research. At the same time, there are concerns that if care is not taken, the genomics revolution may widen global inequities in science and health. In Africa, these concerns are primarily linked to the underrepresentation of African populations in genomics research, limited genomics research capacity in Africa and associated macro‐level justice issues such as benefit sharing, inequitable international research collaborations, and the contribution of genomics to the health and research priorities of Africa. Addressing these concerns requires an in‐depth reflection on how the ideals of global justice and equity may be advanced in genomics research. To contribute to the limited but growing scholarship on global genomics equity, especially in the African context, we performed a conceptual analysis of three accounts of justice and governance namely, Ubuntu, shared health governance and global governance of health, with the aim of identifying principles that could inform genomics governance in Africa. We used a convergence approach in the conceptual analysis, resulting in the identification of nine principles namely: solidarity, furthering the ideals of health justice, reciprocity, shared decision‐making, shared resources, shared responsibility, mutual trust, transparency, and mutual collective accountability. Examples of how the principles may be applied are provided. We recommend that these principles should form the foundation of any mechanism that seeks to systematically advance justice, fairness and equity in genomics research in Africa and more broadly, global health and science equity.
Assisted suicide for prisoners: An ethical and legal analysis from the Swiss context
Authors: Della Croce Yoann 
Published: January 2022

AbstractShould prisoners be allowed to access assisted suicide? Whereas the ethical and legal issues regarding assisted suicide have now been extensively discussed in the literature, surprisingly scarce attention has been given to the pressing issue of inmates requesting assistance in dying. Through an analysis supported by the Swiss legal framework, I first argue that the principle of equivalence in prison medicine, which states that prisoners ought to receive the same level of health care as the general population does not prove a solid basis in arguing for prisoners’ right to assisted suicide. Over the course of the paper, I defend the view that the right to access assisted suicide is to be understood as a liberty that cannot be removed from incarcerated individuals. I argue that removing such a liberty cannot be consistently held within a legal framework where the death penalty does not exist, for doing so necessarily forgoes the State's ability to decide on when and how prisoners' lives end, in turn necessarily leaving them the liberty to end theirs when they decide so. I finally argue against the position that the capacity for autonomous choice is lacking in inmates by disentangling the particular features of the prison‐setting and show that the context of incarceration is not so substantially different from regular cases of suicide assistance that it warrants a difference in treatment. The position I propose proves important in order to both respect prisoners' rights and ensure they retain a minimum level of control over their existences.