bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chimeric nanocomposites for the rapid and simple isolation of urinary extracellular vesicles
Authors: Dao Thuy Nguyen Thi , Kim Myoung Gyu , Koo Bonhan , Liu Huifang , Jang Yoon Ok , Lee Hyo Joo , Kim Yunlim , Park Yun‐Yong , Kim Hyun Soo , Kim Choung‐Soo , Shin Yong 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCancer cell‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. However, the lack of rapid and sensitive isolation techniques to obtain EVs from clinical samples at a sufficiently high yield limits their practicability. Chimeric nanocomposites of lactoferrin conjugated 2,2‐bis(methylol)propionic acid dendrimer‐modified magnetic nanoparticles (LF‐bis‐MPA‐MNPs) are fabricated and used for simple and sensitive EV isolation from various biological samples via a combination of electrostatic interaction, physically absorption, and biorecognition between the surfaces of the EVs and the LF‐bis‐MPA‐MNPs. The speed, efficiency, recovery rate, and purity of EV isolation by the LF‐bis‐MPA‐MNPs are superior to those obtained by using established methods. The relative expressions of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) from isolated EVs in cancerous cell‐derived exosomes are verified as significantly higher than those from noncancerous ones. Finally, the chimeric nanocomposites are used to assess urinary exosomal miRNAs from urine specimens from 20 prostate cancer (PCa), 10 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), patients and 10 healthy controls. Significant up‐regulation of miR‐21 and miR‐346 and down‐regulation of miR‐23a and miR‐122‐5p occurs in both groups compared to healthy controls. LF‐bis‐MPA‐MNPs provide a rapid, simple, and high yield method for human excreta analysis in clinical applications.
Drosophila melanogaster as a low‐cost and valuable model for studying type 2 diabetes
Authors: Meshrif Wesam S. , El Husseiny Iman M. , Elbrense Hanaa 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDrosophila melanogaster has been used as the most successful invertebrate model for studying metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). We induced T2D by feeding Drosophila larvae on a high‐sugar diet (HSD). The glucose and trehalose, glycogen, lipid, triglyceride, and protein levels were determined in HSD‐fed larvae. Moreover, larval food intake, water content, size, and weight in addition to the development until pupation were observed. Levels of Drosophila insulin‐like peptides (DILPs 2, 3, and 5), as well as adipokinetic hormone (AKH), were also determined in HSD‐fed larvae by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that HSD could induce elevated levels of glucose, trehalose, glycogen, and proteins in larvae. The larvae consumed less food intake and were smaller, lighter, and less developed on HSD than those on the control diet. Moreover, the water content of larvae fed HSD was similar to that fed the control diet. HSD induced higher expression of DILP3 and AKH, confirming hyperglycemia with insulin resistance. In sum, Drosophila offers an appropriate model for quick and inexpensive in vivo experimentation on human metabolic diseases.
Lineage‐specific evolution of zona pellucida genes in fish
Authors: Sano Kaori , Shimada Sho , Mibu Hideki , Taguchi Mizuki , Ohsawa Takasumi , Kawaguchi Mari , Yasumasu Shigeki 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe zona pellucida (ZP) protein constitutes the egg envelope, which surrounds the vertebrate embryo. We performed a comprehensive study on the molecular evolution of ZP genes in Teleostei by cloning and analyzing the expression of ZP genes in fish of Anguilliformes in Elopomorpha, Osteoglossiformes in Osteoglossomorpha, and Clupeiformes in Otocephala to cover unsurveyed fish groups in Teleostei. The present results confirmed findings from our previous reports that the principal organ of ZP gene expression changed from ovary to liver in the common ancestors of Clupeocephala. Even fish species that synthesize egg envelopes in the liver carry the ovary‐expressed ZP proteins as minor egg envelope components that were produced by gene duplication during the early stage of Teleostei evolution. The amino acid repeat sequences located at the N‐terminal region of ZP proteins are known to be the substrates of transglutaminase responsible for egg envelope hardening and hatching. A repeat sequence was found in zona pellucida Cs of phylogenetically early diverged fish. After changing the synthesis organ, its role is inherited by the N‐terminal Pro‐Gln‐Xaa repeat sequence in liver‐expressed zona pellucida B genes of Clupeocephala. These results suggest that teleost ZP genes have independently evolved to maintain fish‐specific functions, such as egg envelope hardening and egg envelope digestion, at hatching.
Associations between pain catastrophizing and resting‐state functional brain connectivity: Ethnic/race group differences in persons with chronic knee pain
Authors: Terry Ellen L. , Tanner Jared J. , Cardoso Josue S. , Sibille Kimberly T. , Lai Song , Deshpande Hrishikesh , Deutsch Georg , Price Catherine C. , Staud Roland , Goodin Burel R. , Redden David T. , Fillingim Roger B. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractChronic pain is a significant public health problem, and the prevalence and societal impact continues to worsen annually. Multiple cognitive and emotional factors are known to modulate pain, including pain catastrophizing, which contributes to pain facilitation and is associated with altered resting‐state functional connectivity in pain‐related cortical and subcortical circuitry. Pain and catastrophizing levels are reported to be higher in non‐Hispanic black (NHB) compared with non‐Hispanic White (NHW) individuals. The current study, a substudy of a larger ongoing observational cohort investigation, investigated the pathways by which ethnicity/race influences the relationship between pain catastrophizing, clinical pain, and resting‐state functional connectivity between anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), insula, and primary somatosensory cortex (S1). Participants included 136 (66 NHBs and 70 NHWs) community‐dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis. Participants completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire‐Revised Pain Catastrophizing subscale and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained, and resting‐state functional connectivity was analyzed. Relative to NHW, the NHB participants were younger, reported lower income, were less likely to be married, and self‐reported greater clinical pain and pain catastrophizing (ps < 0.05). Ethnicity/race moderated the mediation effects of catastrophizing on the relationship between clinical pain and resting‐state functional connectivity between the ACC, dlPFC, insula, and S1. These results indicate the NHB and NHW groups demonstrated different relationships between pain, catastrophizing, and functional connectivity. These results provide evidence for a potentially important role of ethnicity/race in the interrelationships among pain, catastrophizing, and resting‐state functional connectivity.
Improving control of high‐grade glioma by ultra‐hyper‐fractionated radiotherapy
Authors: Frosina Guido 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIonizing radiation is a mainstay of high‐grade glioma therapy. The current standard radiotherapeutic schedule involves a total 60 Gy split in 2.0 Gy fractions delivered on weekdays for six weeks. Thereafter, almost invariably the tumor relapses and progresses. In vitro studies have demonstrated that the therapeutic effectiveness of ionizing radiation towards high‐grade glioma cells is greatly increased by splitting the total dose in fractions ten times smaller [0.1–0.5 Gy instead of standard 2.0 Gy—ultra‐hyper‐fractionated radiotherapy (ultra‐hyper‐FRT)]. Recently, it became possible to consistently translate this therapeutic effect to the animal setting, by using glioma‐initiating cell‐driven faithful animal modeling. A re‐analysis of the literature reporting radiotherapeutic clinical trials also suggests that the lower the average fraction size, the higher is the achievable overall survival of patients. However, average fraction sizes ≤ 0.5 Gy have never been thoroughly investigated in the clinics. We propose to study in the clinical setting the therapeutic effect of an ultra‐hyper‐FRT schedule promptly extending the conventional radiation component of the current guidelines (“Stupp”) therapeutic protocol.
Mixture frequency analysis for tropical cyclone and non‐tropical cyclone extreme precipitation in the coastal areas: A case of Fujian in China
Authors: Huang Jie , Chen Xingwei , Yao Huaxia 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe precipitation is classified into tropical cyclone (TC)‐induced precipitation and others, that is, non‐TC precipitation in the Asian continent and the western North Pacific. Traditional frequency analysis for the precipitation, which is a mixture series of annual maximum precipitation generated by TC and non‐TC, does not consider the difference in the generation mechanism with the assumption of independently and identically distributed. To reveal the effect of different generation mechanisms on the frequency analysis of the extreme precipitation, a multiplicative mixture frequency analysis (MMFA) model is adopted to study the interaction of non‐TC maximum precipitation (NTCMP) and TC maximum precipitation (TCMP) to the total precipitation frequency. Applying the NTCMP and TCMP data in Fujian Province located in southeast China, the results indicated that (a) the inconsistencies between NTCMP and TCMP are common, and different inconsistent patterns existed in space; (b) Different characteristics of inconsistency between the two types of precipitation had distinct effect on the estimation results of MMFA model, especially for the high return levels; and (c) The estimation results of MMFA model were demonstrated to be more secure and reliable. Therefore, the MMFA model is a suitable approach to solve the problem of mixture precipitation frequency caused by two generation mechanisms of non‐TC and TC.
Inter‐Relationships Between Artistic Creativity and Mental and Physical Illness in Eminent Female Visual Artists: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors: Ginis Katrina , Stewart Sandra E. , Kronborg Leonie 
Published: February 2022

AbstractArtistic creativity has long been associated with physical and psychological suffering. This phenomenon has also been the subject of empirical research. The anguished “artistic genius” stereotype is ubiquitous, and there is evidence to suggest that artists may have heightened susceptibility to psychopathology. The present qualitative study utilized in‐depth semi‐structured interviews, in accordance with the methodology of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis to explore inter‐relationships between artistic creativity, and physical and mental health among 10 eminent Australian female visual artists. Results revealed complex, reciprocal interactions whereby physical and mental health impacted creativity and vice versa. Physical and psychological illnesses were found to either diminish or stimulate creativity due to the interplay of biological predispositions, personal vulnerabilities, and environmental factors. It was also revealed that immersive creative engagement could have therapeutic, cathartic effects and facilitate post‐traumatic growth. The stressors and demands of professional creative practice could, however, also have a detrimental impact upon artists physically and psychologically. These findings contribute to existing understandings regarding the intricacy of the relationship between creativity, physical and psychological health. They highlight the need to challenge romantic societal mythologies regarding the impact of suffering on creativity in the visual arts and explore these issues in a nuanced manner to best support those in creative industries.
Evaluating the efficacy and safety of calcium channel blockers as adjunctive analgesics to opioid therapy: a literature review
Authors: Reinert Justin P. , Tiemann Allison R. , Barlow Molly L. , Veronin Michael A. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCalcium channel blockers have been postulated as opioid adjuncts, due to their complementary mechanism of action, which may reduce pain signal transduction. The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review regarding the safety and efficacy of calcium channel blockers alongside opioids in pain management. From August 2020 to January 2021, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest were searched using the following terminology: calcium channel blocker OR verapamil OR diltiazem OR amlodipine OR nicardipine OR nimodipine OR nifedipine AND analgesia. Studies included were those with adult human subjects that had reported efficacy and safety outcomes for calcium channel blocker use as opioid adjuncts. Exclusion criteria for the analysis were articles including pregnant patients, those not readily translatable to English and those detailing the use of calcium channel blockers for an alternative diagnosis or indication. Ten studies were included in this review. Five were randomised controlled trials, one involving verapamil, one addressing diltiazem, one including nifedipine and three examining nimodipine. A sixth clinical trial involving verapamil, diltiazem and nimodipine was reviewed. The seventh and final clinical trial included nimodipine or nifedipine use during aorto‐coronary bypass surgery. One conclusive study addressed nimodipine’s use in cancer patients treated with morphine and the other nifedipine’s morphine adjunct potential postoperatively. Currently, there is insufficient data to support the use of calcium channel blockers as adjuncts to opioid therapy in pain management. When compared, the studies came to varying conclusions and demonstrated conflicting data indicating the need for more research regarding this topic.
Epigenetic modification in alcohol‐related liver diseases
Authors: Ajoolabady Amir , Aslkhodapasandhokmabad Hamid , Zhou Yuan , Ren Jun 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAlcohol‐related liver disease (ARLD) refers to a spectrum of hepatic damage triggered by excessive alcohol intake, resulting in inflamed and swollen livers, ultimately, liver cirrhosis. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a similar term denoting liver disorders encompassing steatosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recent evidence has suggested a vital role for epigenetic factors, which modulate gene expression in the absence of changes in DNA sequence, in the onset and progression of liver disorders, to foster hepatic fibrogenesis and cirrhosis. Mounting findings have delineated that alcohol consumption extensively modulates liver epigenetics, thus, prompting the etiology of ARLD and ALD. Alcohol‐induced epigenetic modifications (AIEM) in the liver encompass histone modification, microRNA‐induced genetic modulation, DNA methylation, and alcohol‐evoked cell signaling that alters gene expression. Herein, we aim at summarizing key findings to decipher AIEM and its role in the onset and development of ARLD and ALD from the perspectives of both cellular and animal models of alcohol exposure. Furthermore, we will share our viewpoints on epigenetics‐based therapeutic options in the management of ARLD and ALD.
Novel approach to apply existing constitutive soil models to the modelling of interfaces
Authors: Staubach Patrick , Machaček Jan , Wichtmann Torsten 
Published: February 2022

AbstractA novel scheme to apply constitutive (continuum) soil models to the mechanical modelling of soil‐structure interfaces is presented. Opposite to existing approaches, all normal stress components of the interface depend directly on the normal stress components of the adjacent continuum. This allows to satisfy boundary conditions not only for the continuum but also for the interface. Interface models based on Hypoplasticity with intergranular strain extension and on Sanisand (version of 2004) are formulated. They are implemented in the framework of a mortar contact discretisation technique in a finite element code, which is available for download. A numerical differentiation scheme is used to secure consistent derivatives of contact forces with respect to displacement. The performance of the proposed interface models is evaluated by comparison with data from (cyclic) simple interface shear tests and an existing (hypoplastic) interface model proposed by Stutz et al. (2016). Subsequently, a large‐scale cyclic interface shear test with complex geometry is simulated using the different interface models. It is concluded that only the novel interface formulation allows to appropriately consider the boundary conditions of the large‐scale interface shear test in the interface.
Psychometric evaluation of the perceived nursing student's Incivility questionnaire
Authors: Abedini Zahra , Khoramirad Ashraf , Ahmari Tehran Hoda , Saeedi Maryam 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAimStudent's uncivil behaviour is one of the most common problems in the educational setting, including nursing schools. It is essential to develop tools for measuring the uncivil behaviour of nursing students to solve this problem. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate psychometric properties of perceived nursing student's incivility questionnaire among the Iranian community.DesignIn this methodological study, perceived nursing student's incivility questionnaire was completed by 360 nursing students and 121 nursing faculty members.MethodsSampling was done from October 2019–November 2019. Content and construct validity of the questionnaire were evaluated. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients and composite reliability. The construct validity of nursing student's perceived incivility was investigated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.ResultsContent validity index 0.88 for the whole instrument. The three factors of violent behaviours, irresponsible behaviours and unsound behaviours explained more than 51.485% of the variance. Factor structure extracted using model fit indices (PCFI = 0.763, PNFI = 0.732, CMIN/DF = 2.501, RMSEA = 0.056, GFI = 0.941, AGFI = 0.918, CFI = 0.935) and convergent validity were also confirmed. Internal consistency and composite reliability were estimated to be more than 0.7. The results showed that Iranian perceived nursing student's incivility questionnaire is a three‐dimensional construct with good validity and reliability.
Black Americans’ willingness to participate in pediatric sickle cell clinical trials: A retrospective, systematic review
Authors: Zanfardino Sara , Mazziotto Volha , Bodas Prasad 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBlack individuals are underrepresented in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Willingness to participate is a frequently cited explanation. However, the few studies that have investigated willingness to participate demonstrated no difference between Black individuals and other groups. We sought to measure willingness to participate by focusing on sickle cell disease (SCD), in which approximately 90% of affected individuals are Black. We conducted an analysis of 17 RCTs. A level of clarity was defined and correlated with each article's transparency in reporting patient enrollment data. Calculated measures of acceptance ranged from 32% to 93.5%. Calculated completion rates ranged from 58.8% to 100%. Weighted measures of acceptance and completion were 59.1% and 83.8%, respectively. Our study is limited by focusing solely on studies pertinent to SCD and only a minority of publications reviewed provided sufficient patient enrollment data. Yet, our results suggest that decreased willingness to participate does not account for underrepresentation of Black individuals.
Identifying dominant recombination locations in double‐graded Cu(In1‐xGax)(Se1‐ySy)2 solar cells and their impact on the performance at different light intensities
Authors: Ahmed Hamsa , Elshabasi Mohamed , Gonzalez Marco A. , Richter Michael , Stölzel Marko , Weber Alfons , Heise Stephan J. , Dalibor Thomas , Schäfer Sascha , Parisi Jürgen 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn this work, the impact of different Cu(In1‐xGax)(Se1‐ySy)2 solar cell structures on the shift of the dominant recombination region at varying light intensities was investigated. A new parameter was proposed to account for the dominant recombination region relative to the minimum band gap location in a graded absorber. Additionally, the influence of shunt resistances on the dominant recombination location for different CIGSSe solar cell structures was modeled. Within the investigated illumination range, correlations between the dominant recombination location and solar cell parameters as well as their temperature dependence were discussed.
Preparation of TiO2 nanoparticles via cathode glow discharge electrolysis and its photocatalytic performance in the degradation of methylene blue
Authors: Lu Quanfang , Li Juanlong , Wang Bo , Yu Jie , Ma Xiaojuan , Cui Lijuan , Feng Yan 
Published: February 2022

AbstractTiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by cathode glow discharge electrolysis in sodium fluoride solution, in which cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) acted as a stabilizer, and a Ti foil and a Pt needlepoint served as the anode and the cathode, respectively. The structure, component, and morphology of TiO2 NPs were characterized. A possible preparation mechanism was proposed. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 NPs was assessed through the degradation of methylene blue (MB). The results showed that TiO2 NPs with 12.7 nm particle size could be prepared at 500 V discharge voltage. CTAB, as a stabilizer, can diminish the agglomeration. The photocatalytic property of TiO2 NPs for the degradation of MB with 0.15% CTAB is markedly superior to that of TiO2 NPs without adding CTAB and commercial TiO2 NPs (P25).