bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between smoking and serum uric acid in Korean population
Authors: Kim Seong-Kyu , Choe Jung-Yoon
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study was to identify any association between serum uric acid and smoking status using data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII-1) 2016 of the Korean population.

This study used a cross-sectional design and analyzed 5609 subjects aged ≥ 19 years among 8150 participants enrolled in the KNHANES VII-1 2016. Smoking status was classified into current smokers, never smokers, and ex-smokers. Hyperuricemia was defined as > 7.0 mg/dL for men and > 6.0 mg/dL of serum uric acid for women. Association between smoking and serum uric acid/hyperuricemia was assessed by Pearson's or Spearman's correlation analyses and multivariate logistic regression analysis showing odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

A significant difference in serum uric acid according to smoking status was identified in female (P < .001) but not in male subjects (P = .069). In female subjects, current smokers and ex-smokers showed higher serum uric acid than never smokers (P < 0.001 of both). Serum uric acid was associated with smoking status in female but not male subjects (r = 0.057, P = .001 and r = 0.025, P = .220, respectively). There was significant difference of smoking status between female subjects with and without hyperuricemia (P < .001). Current smokers had 2.7 times higher likely to have hyperuricemia in female, compared to never smokers (OR 2.674, 95% CI 1.578 – 4.531, P < .001).

This study revealed that smoking was closely associated with serum uric acid in female but not in male subjects in Korean population.
Effectiveness and safety of fire-needle moxibustion on insomnia
Authors: Liu Cuiling , Chen Zhiqiang , Li Ting , Yang Zhihua , Zhang Qingsong , Yin Jianping , Zhou Peng , Fu Wei , Chen BaiShu
Published: February 2019

Background:

Fire-needle moxibustion (FNM) is an ancient method of external therapy that combines acupuncture with moxibustion, and has the property of high temperature resistance. Insomnia is a major public health problem and strongly associated with a high prevalence, impact on daily life, comorbidity with other disorders, and societal costs. The clinical practice demonstrates that FNM has a therapeutic effect on insomnia. Here we will provide a protocol to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of FNM for insomnia.

Methods:

We will search the randomized controlled trial literatures of FNM for insomnia in 7 electronic databases, including 3 English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [Cochrane Library]) and 4 Chinese databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database). Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index will be considered as the primary outcome, and the secondary outcome will include biochemical, indicators total scores on the insomnia severity index, quality of life, adverse events caused by FNM, and changes of TCM syndromes scores. Review Manager 5.2 software will be use for assessment of risk of bias, data synthesis. Begg and Egger tests will be use for assessing symmetries of funnel plot by software Stata 12.0. Methodological quality will be assessed with the risk of bias according to Cochrane Handbook.

Result:

This study will provide a rational synthesis of current evidences for Fire-needle moxibustion on insomnia.

Conclusion:

The conclusion of this study will provide evidence to judge the effectiveness and safety of Fire-needle moxibustion on insomnia.

Registration:

PROS-PERO CRD42019120875.
Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave for low back pain
Authors: Wei Wei , Tang Hua-yu , Li Yu-zhi , Wang Tian-shu
Published: February 2019

Background:

Previous clinical trials have reported that extracorporeal shock wave (EPSW) can be used to treat low back pain (LBP), and have achieved satisfied effect. However, its effectiveness is still inconclusive. Thus, this systematic review will aim to assess the effectiveness and safety of EPSW for patients with LBP.

Methods:

In this systematic review, the electronic databases of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PUBMED, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and Wanfang Data will be searched from inception to January 1, 2019. Randomized controlled trials and case-control studies that assessed the effectiveness and safety of EPSW for LBP will be included. The primary outcome is pain intensity. The secondary outcomes are functional status, quality of life, psychological outcomes, as well as the adverse events. All process of the study selection, data extraction, and methodology evaluation will be carried out by two authors independently. RevMan 5.3 software will be utilized for statistical analysis.

Results:

This study will provide a detailed summary of latest evidence related to the effectiveness and safety of EPSW in pain relief, improvement of functional status, quality of life, and psychological disorders in patients with LBP.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study may provide possible guidance for LBP treated by EPSW.

Dissemination and ethics:

Ethical approval is not required in this study, because it will not collect the original data from individual patient. The results are expected to publish through a peer-reviewed journal.

Systematic review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42019120501.
Effect of extracorporeal shock wave for tennis elbow
Authors: Tang Hua-yu , Yu Tao , Wei Wei , Zhao Yu
Published: February 2019

Background:

Previous clinical studies have reported that extracorporeal shock wave (EPSW) is an effective treatment for patients with tennis elbow (TE). However, no systematic review has assessed its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of TE.

Methods:

In this systematic review, we will search the potential eligible literature from the following electronic databases: Central, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and CNKI from inception to the present. All literatures of randomized controlled trials of EPSW for TE will be considered without language restrictions. Two reviewers will independently select the studies, extract the data, and evaluate the methodology quality. All disagreements between those 2 reviewers will be resolved by a third reviewer involved through discussion. Outcome data will be pooled by RevMan 5.3 software if the heterogeneity is reasonable. Reporting bias will also be conducted if more than 10 included studies can be reached.

Results:

This systematic review will evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of EPSW for TE.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study will summarize the current evidence of EPSW on TE outcomes and may provide guidance for both clinical practice and further studies.

Dissemination and ethics:

This systematic review does not need ethical approval, because it does not utilize the individual patient data. Its findings are expected to publish in peer-reviewed journals.

Systematic review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42019119687.
Allogeneic blood transfusion in 163 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (a STROBE-compliant article)
Authors: Wang Dao , Zhou Ge , Mao Shu-ting , Chen Jiao , Liu Yu-feng
Published: February 2019

Little research has been done about the effects of allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) on the recurrence and prognosis in the cases with childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (cALL). In order to provide a basis for clinical safe blood transfusion, the data of 163 cases with cALL were retrospectively analyzed to explore the issue.

The data of 163 cases with cALL between 2006 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the frequency of blood transfusion, the 163 cases were divided into 4 groups including non-transfusion group, 1 to 10-time transfusion group, 11 to 25-time transfusion group, and >25-time transfusion group. Survival rates were compared with Log-Rank test. Cox regression analysis was used in the effects of risk factors on recurrence and death.

ABT was performed in 152 cases with cALL (93.25%). In low-risk and intermediate-and-high risk cALL, the survival rate significantly decreased in all transfusion groups compared with that in non-transfusion group (all P < .01). Cox regression analysis showed that >25-time transfusion was an independent prognosis index of recurrence (odds ratio [OR] = 3.015, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.368–6.646) and death (OR = 3.979, 95% CI: 1.930–8.207) in cALL.

Frequency of ABT appears to affect the recurrence and death in cALL. We should be careful with blood transfusion and avoid unnecessary blood transfusion as far as possible in the cases with cALL.
Nephrocalcinosis in adolescent girl with medullary sponge kidney and mild hemihypertrophy
Authors: Kusz Monika , Bieniaś Beata , Wieczorkiewicz-Płaza Anna , Brodzisz Agnieszka , Wieczorek Paweł , Sikora Przemysław
Published: February 2019

Rationale:

Medullary sponge kidney (MSK) is a rare congenital abnormality characterized by cystic dilatation of the medullary collecting tubules. The disorder is likely to be complicated by nephrocalcinosis, urolithiasis, tubular dysfunctions, and urinary tract infections. In addition, it may be rarely associated with extrarenal anomalies.

Patient concern:

We present a case of 17-year old girl who was referred for metabolic evaluation of bilateral nephrocalcinosis. Physical examination showed signs of mild, left-sided hemihypertrophy involving the lower limb, buttock, trunk, face, and tongue. The imaging studies of kidneys including intravenous urography and contrast computed tomography showed numerous medullary calcification and a typical picture of MSK—“paint brush”/“bouquet of flowers” appearance of the dilated tubules within the renal medulla. Laboratory evaluation revealed sterile pyuria, hypercalciuria, and hypocitraturia.

Intervention:

The patient was subsequently treated with potassium citrate, hydrochlorothiazide, low sodium and low oxalate diet accompanied by high fluid intake. Outcomes: After a 1-year therapy the normalization of calciuria and citraturia occurred and no progression of nephrocalcinosis was observed.

Lessons:

We conclude that MSK should always be considered as a cause of nephrocalcinosis. Since the final diagnosis requires specific imaging techniques, the concomitant extrarenal abnormalities such as hemihypertrophy may facilitate diagnostic decisions.
Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with tramadol and lornoxicam after thoracotomy
Authors: Jin Juying , Min Su , Chen Qibin , Zhang Dong
Published: February 2019

To determine efficacy and safety of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) with tramadol and lornoxicam for postoperative analgesia, and its effects on surgical outcomes in patients following thoracotomy.

The records of patients who underwent thoracotomy for lung resection between January 2014 and December 2014 at our institution were reviewed. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to postoperative pain treatment modalities. Patients of the patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) group (n = 63), received PCEA with 0.2% ropivacaine plus 0.5 μg/mL sufentanil, while patients in the PCIA group (n = 48), received PCIA with 5 mg/mL tramadol and 0.4 mg/mL lornoxicam. Data were collected for the quality of pain control, incidences of analgesia related side effects and pulmonary complications, lengths of thoracic intensive care unit stay and postoperative hospital stay, and in-hospital mortality.

Pain at rest was always controlled well in both groups during the 4-day postoperative period. Patients in the PCIA group reported significantly higher pain scores on coughing and during mobilization in the first 2 postoperative days. The incidences of side effects and pulmonary complications, in-hospital mortality and other outcomes were similar between groups.

PCIA with tramadol and lornoxicam can be considered as a safe and effective alternative with respect to pain control and postoperative outcomes for patients underwent thoracotomy.
Pharmacologic interventions for postoperative nausea and vomiting after thyroidectomy
Authors: Cho Ye Jin , Choi Geun Joo , Kang Hyun
Published: February 2019

Background:

We aimed to perform a network meta-analysis (NMA) to quantify and rank the efficacy and safety of the pharmacologic interventions for prophylactic use for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing thyroidectomies.

Methods:

A systematic and comprehensive search will be performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Google Scholar, beginning from their inceptions to February 2019. Only randomized clinical trials on the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic interventions for prophylactic use in patients undergoing thyroidectomies will be included.

The primary endpoints will be the incidences of postoperative nausea (PON), postoperative vomiting (POV), and PONV in the early, middle, late, and overall phases. The severity of PON, POV, and PONV; the use of rescue antiemetics; the incidence of complete response; and safety issues, such as headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and constipation, will be also assessed.

We will conduct both pairwise meta-analysis and NMA. We will use surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) values and rankograms to present the hierarchy of pharmacologic interventions. A comparison-adjusted funnel plot will be used to assess the presence of small-study effects. The quality of the studies included will be assessed using the risk of bias tool 2.0. All statistical analyses will be performed using Stata SE version 15.0.

Results:

The results of this systematic review and NMA will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusion:

This systematic review and NMA will provide a comprehensive and convincing evidence summary of prophylactic pharmacologic interventions for PONV after a thyroidectomy.

Trial registration number:

CRD42018100002.
Sarcopenia for predicting mortality among elderly nursing home residents
Authors: Yang Ming , Jiang Jiaojiao , Zeng Yanli , Tang Huairong
Published: February 2019

Little is known about the prognostic value of the strength, assistance walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, and falls questionnaire (SARC-F) and SARC-F combined with calf circumference (SARC-CalF) among elderly nursing home residents.

To compare the prognostic value of SARC-F and SARC-CalF for mortality in this population.

We conducted a prospective study in four nursing homes in western China. Sarcopenia was estimated using SARC-F and SARC-CalF, respectively. Nutrition status, activities of daily living, and other covariates were evaluated. The survival status was collected via medical records and telephone interviews at the 12th month after the baseline investigation. We used multivariate Cox proportional-hazard models to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for 1-year all-cause mortality by SARC-F-defined sarcopenia and SARC-CalF-defined sarcopenia, separately.

We included 329 participants (median age: 85 years). The prevalences of SARC-F-defined sarcopenia and SARC-CalF-defined sarcopenia were 39.8% and 46.8%, respectively. During the 1-year follow-up period, 73 participants (22.7%) died. The mortality was 29.0% and 18.3% in the participants with or without SARC-F-defined sarcopenia, respectively (P = .025). The mortality was 26.6% and 19.0% in the participants with or without SARC-CalF-defined sarcopenia, respectively (P = .105). After adjusted for the relevant confounders including malnutrition, SARC-F-defined sarcopenia was independently associated with an increased risk of 1-year mortality (adjusted HR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.27–3.42). However, SARC-CalF-defined sarcopenia was not an independent predictor of 1-year mortality (adjusted HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.95–2.47).

Sarcopenia is highly prevalent in Chinese elderly nursing home residents according to SARC-F or SARC-CalF. SARC-F-defined sarcopenia appears to be better for predicting the 1-year mortality of Chinese nursing home residents than SARC-CalF-defined sarcopenia.
Acupuncture for perimenopausal depressive disorder
Authors: Feng Jialei , Wang Wei , Zhong Yuan , Xing Chonghui , Guo Taipin
Published: February 2019

Background:

Perimenopausal depressive disorder (PDD) is a disease that plagues many perimenopausal women. There is an urgent need for a safe way to treat the disease. With few side effects, acupuncture treatment for PDD has been gradually accepted. However, at present, the evidence is insufficient and relevant studies are not in-depth enough. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PDD.

Methods:

All randomized controlled trials articles on acupuncture treatment of PDD will be searched in databases such as MEDLINE, EBASE, Cochrane Library, Springer, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database and so on. Non-RCT articles will be screened and key information will be extracted. The primary outcome is the Hamilton depression scale. Second outcomes are the Hamilton anxiety scale, Quality of life scale, changes of symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine and hormone levels.

Results:

This systematic review will provide the highest level of evidence and provide an evaluation of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PDD.

Conclusion:

This study provides evidence for evaluating the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of PDD.

PROSPERO registration number:

CRD42018115811.
Effects of traditional Chinese exercise on cognitive and psychological outcomes in older adults with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Zhang Qi , Hu Jianan , Wei Lijiao , Cao Ri , Ma Ruishu , Song Huimin , Jin Yi
Published: February 2019

Background:

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be a stage of pre-dementia. Although the traditional Chinese exercise (TCE) has benefits associated with cognitive functions, the effects of the TCE on cognitive functions of older patients with MCI remain controversial. This study performs a meta-analysis to quantify the efficiency of TCE for older individuals on cognitive and psychological outcomes.

Methods:

A comprehensive database search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science, and four Chinese medical databases. We included trials published up to April 22, 2018, that fulfilled our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The literature was screened, the data were extracted and the methodological quality of the included trials was assessed. Meta-analyses were performed on the included data.

Results:

A total of 803 patients from 5 trials were included in our meta-analysis. Overall, there were no significant differences in global cognitive functions (P = .06), memory (P = .11), executive function (P = .74), Verbal fluency (P = .45) and depression (P = .89) between the TCE and the control groups. However, the TCE significantly improved the visuospatial function (SMD = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.54; P < .001) for individuals with MCI.

Conclusions:

The findings of this study suggested that the TCE was associated with significant improvement in visuospatial function but did not affect the global cognitive functions, depression and other specific cognitive domains. There is a lack of clear evidence for effects of TCE; further large, rigorously designed studies are needed.
Pediatric Subcutaneous Panniculitis–like T-Cell Lymphoma With Hemophagocytosis Showing Complete Resolution With the BFM90 Protocol: Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Singh Suvir , Philip Chepsy C. , John Manthanathu J.
Published: February 2019

Subcutaneous panniculitis–like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a distinct subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma associated with aggressive clinical behavior. Since its original description, it has continued to be a rare disease, and <200 cases have been reported in literature. We report an 11-year-old boy who presented with SPTCL and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and responded to high-dose multiagent chemotherapy. He presented with steroid refractory erythematous, raised plaques over his face, trunk, and limbs over a period of 15 months treated elsewhere. Repeat evaluation in our center was consistent with SPTCL with features of HLH. He was initiated on therapy with the BFM90 protocol, which led to complete morphologic and biochemical remission. No single-best treatment regimen has been described for SPTCL with HLH in literature, and high-dose chemotherapy has shown good long-term remissions in the literature. The presence of SPTCL with HLH and systemic symptoms should prompt treatment with high-dose multiagent chemotherapy rather than Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Adriamycin, Prednisolone-like therapy. BFM90 is one such regimen that is well tolerated, and it can induce significant clinical and biochemical responses.
Malaysian Nurses' Attitudes Toward Suicide and Suicidal Patients
Authors: Siau Ching Sin , Wee Lei-Hum , Adnan Tassha Hilda , Yeoh Seen Heng , Perialathan Komathi , Wahab Suzaily
Published: February 2019

The aim of this study was to examine Malaysian nurses' attitudes toward suicide. Nurses from five hospitals participated in this study. Studying the attitudes of nurses toward suicidal patients and its application to nursing professional development practitioners is an important topic. Most nurses were agreeable to assuming responsibility and to be trained in suicide prevention. Suicide-related training should focus on improving the attitudes of nonpsychiatric nurses, those with no experience in caring for suicidal patients, and those with less nursing experience, all of whom reported more negative attitudes toward suicidal patients.
Self-Care Strategies for Professional Development
Authors: Bonamer Jennifer (Rheingans) , Aquino-Russell Catherine
Published: February 2019

The Transcendental Meditation technique was provided to 27 nurses across levels and areas of the organization. Quantitative tools measured the effect on nurses' compassion fatigue and resilience. Paired-sample t test analyses revealed significant improvements in the phenomena studied. Further, resilience showed a large significant, inverse relationship with burnout. This study contributes new knowledge for an innovative self-care strategy to improve resilience and reduce compassion fatigue and burnout among nurses.
Neurobiology of Photophobia
Authors: Burstein Rami , Noseda Rodrigo , Fulton Anne B.
Published: February 2019

Background:

Photophobia is commonly associated with migraine, meningitis, concussion, and a variety of ocular diseases. Advances in our ability to trace multiple brain pathways through which light information is processed have paved the way to a better understanding of the neurobiology of photophobia and the complexity of the symptoms triggered by light.

Purpose:

The purpose of this review is to summarize recent anatomical and physiological studies on the neurobiology of photophobia with emphasis on migraine.

Recent Findings:

Observations made in blind and seeing migraine patients, and in a variety of animal models, have led to the discovery of a novel retino-thalamo-cortical pathway that carries photic signal from melanopsinergic and nonmelanopsinergic retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to thalamic neurons. Activity of these neurons is driven by migraine and their axonal projections convey signals about headache and light to multiple cortical areas involved in the generation of common migraine symptoms. Novel projections of RGCs into previously unidentified hypothalamic neurons that regulate parasympathetic and sympathetic functions have also been discovered. Finally, recent work has led to a novel understanding of color preference in migraine-type photophobia and of the roles played by the retina, thalamus, and cortex.

The findings provide a neural substrate for understanding the complexity of aversion to light in patients with migraine and neuro-ophthalmologic other disorders.
Influenza virus entry via the GM3 ganglioside-mediated platelet-derived growth factor receptor β signalling pathway
Authors: Vrijens Pieter , Noppen Sam , Boogaerts Talitha , Vanstreels Els , Ronca Roberto , Chiodelli Paola , Laporte Manon , Vanderlinden Evelien , Liekens Sandra , Stevaert Annelies , Naesens Lieve
Published: February 2019

The possible resistance of influenza virus against existing antiviral drugs calls for new therapeutic concepts. One appealing strategy is to inhibit virus entry, in particular at the stage of internalization. This requires a better understanding of virus–host interactions during the entry process, including the role of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). To search for cellular targets, we evaluated a panel of 276 protein kinase inhibitors in a multicycle antiviral assay in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The RTK inhibitor Ki8751 displayed robust anti-influenza A and B virus activity and was selected for mechanistic investigations. Ki8751 efficiently disrupted the endocytic process of influenza virus in different cell lines carrying platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ), an RTK that is known to act at GM3 ganglioside-positive lipid rafts. The more efficient virus entry in CHO-K1 cells compared to the wild-type ancestor (CHO-wt) cells indicated a positive effect of GM3, which is abundant in CHO-K1 but not in CHO-wt cells. Entering virus localized to GM3-positive lipid rafts and the PDGFRβ-containing endosomal compartment. PDGFRβ/GM3-dependent virus internalization involved PDGFRβ phosphorylation, which was potently inhibited by Ki8751, and desialylation of activated PDGFRβ by the viral neuraminidase. Virus uptake coincided with strong activation of the Raf/MEK/Erk cascade, but not of PI3K/Akt or phospholipase C-γ. We conclude that influenza virus efficiently hijacks the GM3-enhanced PDGFRβ signalling pathway for cell penetration, providing an opportunity for host cell-targeting antiviral intervention.
Effects of cold storage temperature treatments on fruit quality attributes in 'Hongro' apples
Authors: Yoo Jingi , Lee Seung-Yeol , Win Nay Myo , Kwon Soon-Il , Jung Hee-Young , Cho Young-Je , Kang In-Kyu
Published: February 2019

This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of different storage temperatures on fruit quality attributes and storage disorders in cold-stored 'Hongro' apples. 'Hongro' apples were harvested from two different regions-Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbukdo, and Geochang, Gyeongsangnamdo, -and then stored for 4 months at 0℃ and/or 4℃, respectively. Fruit firmness and titratable acidity of ‘Hongro’ apples were decreased during cold storage but there were no significant differences between storage temperatures. Moreover, storage at different temperatures did not influence the soluble solids content of ‘Hongro’ apples from the two regions during cold storage. However, the internal ethylene concentration of ‘Hongro’ apple was increased at 4℃ relative to that at 0℃, regardless of the harvested regions. In addition, the greasiness (wax) index of fruit in both regions increased at 4℃, compared with at 0℃. The incidence of fruit peel disorder was higher at 0℃ (8.1-9.4%), than at 4℃ (1.3-4.7%) after 4 months of storage. Moreover, the four pathogens isolated from the symptomatic fruit peel were identified as Penicillium sp., Alternaria sp., Phoma sp., and Botryosphaeria dothidea. Therefore, to more effectively suppress fruit peel disorder, it is more effective to store ‘Hongro’ apple at 4℃ rather than at 0℃.
Antibacterial and antioxidative activities of licorice extracts fermented with Nuruk molds
Authors: Kim Chan-Woo , Bae Eun-Jeong , Kang Ji-Eun , Choi Han-Seok , Jeong Seok-Tae
Published: February 2019

In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and antioxidative activities of fermented licorice extracts. Aspergillus luchuensis and Aspergillus oryzae were used for licorice, fermentation. The fermentation process was carried out at 35℃, for 7 days. β-Glucosidase activity of koji made by A. luchuensis was 96.74 U/g, which was higher than that of A. oryzae (14.36 U/g). Liquiritin content in licorice fermented with A. luchuensis and A. oryzae respectively decreased to 90.42 mg/L and 43.93 mg/L, while that of liquiritigenin increased to 1,403.49 mg/L and 1,033.63 mg/L. Antibacterial activity of liquiritigenin extract was higher than that of liquiritin. Licorice fermented with A. luchuensis showed stronger antibacterial activities (11.5-14.5 mm) than that fermented with A. oryzae (10.0-11.5 mm). DPPH radical-scavenging activity of a licorice fermented with A. luchuensis, in A. oryzae, and control was 65.35, 43.13, and 25.21%, respectively. The highest ascorbic acid (AA) equivalent antioxidant capacity (AEAC) value (92.22 mg AA eq/g) was obtained for licorice fermented with A. luchuensis (control=2.88 mg AA eq/g). The results showed that fermented licorice extracts contain antibacterial and antioxidant components. Thus, fermented licorice extracts are useful for fermented foods that are difficult to preserve because of lactic acid bacteria.
Physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of hot water extracts of Quercus salicina Blume, Ligustrum japonicum, and Clerodendron trichotomum leaves extracted under different extraction conditions
Authors: Hong Seong Jin , Eu Ji-Hyun , Eun Jong-Bang
Published: February 2019

The physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of hot water extracts of Quercus salicina Blume (QS), Ligustrum japonicum (LJ), and Clerodendron trichotomum (CT) leaves were investigated. Hot water extracts of QS, LJ, and CT leaves were prepared at different temperatures (70, 80, and 90℃) and times (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h). The lightness (L*), redness (a*) value, pH and soluble solid contents of QS extract were lower than those of other extracts. Compared with the LJ and CT extracts, QS extract showed increased total phenolic (533.11 to 692.67 µg GAE/g) and flavonoid (42.13 to 58.40 µg CE/g) contents and higher 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, 30.21 to 43.02%), and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS, 26.08 to 28.28%) radical scavenging activities. CT extract showed low total phenolic (212.22 to 361.11 µg GAE/g) and flavonoid (8.93 to 22.60 µg CE/g) contents, as well as DPPH (5.37 to 11.23%), and ABTS (12.17 to 21.47%) radical scavenging activities at all extraction conditions. For QS, LJ, and CT extracts, the extraction conditions that provided optimal physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities were 80℃ for 3 h, 90℃ for 4 h, and 90℃ 5 h, respectively.
Quality characteristics of glutinous rice-Makgeolli fermented with Korean yeast (SC Y204 and Y283) isolated from Nuruk
Authors: Kim Sun Hee , Mun Ji-Young , Kim So Young , Yeo Soo-Hwan
Published: February 2019

To investigate the effects of three different yeast starters (Fermivin, Y204, and Y283) in Nuruk prepared with Aspergillus luchuensis 74-5 on the quality of glutinous rice­Makgeolli (GRM), physicochemical properties and volatile flavor patterns were evaluated. GRM prepared under different fermentation conditions was analyzed for pH, total acidity, amino acidity, sugar, alcohol content, organic acids, and flavor patterns. Overall, the pH was very low, ranging from 3.11 to 3.82. The acidity of GRM prepared with Y283 increased by 0.96% at 15℃ and, by 1.02-1.07% at 20℃ and showed the greatest increase of 1.11% at 25℃, relative to the GRM prepared with control Fermivin and Y204. Moreover, Y283 resulted in a significantly increased alcohol content of 16% at 15℃ and 17.8% at 20℃, which corresponded to a sharp decrease in sugar content (p<0.05). Additionally, organic acid analysis revealed that the content of citric acid (540.98 mg/100 mL) and malic acid (105.92 mg/100 mL) in GRM prepared with Y283 was higher at 15℃. The 92.71% contribution ratio of the first principal component identified by an electronic nose corresponded to different flavor patterns according to the fermentation temperature. Thus, different yeasts and temperatures affect the physiochemical and flavor characteristics of GRM, and Y283 may improve the quality of GRM.
Optogenetic control reveals differential promoter interpretation of transcription factor nuclear translocation dynamics
Authors: Chen Susan Y. , Osimiri Lindsey C. , Chevalier Michael , Bugaj Lukasz J. , Ng Andrew H. , Stewart-Ornstein Jacob , Neves Lauren T. , El-Samad Hana
Published: February 2019

The dynamic translocation of transcription factors (TFs) in and out of the nucleus is thought to encode information, such as the identity of a stimulus. A corollary is the idea that gene promoters can decode different dynamic TF translocation patterns. Testing this TF encoding/promoter decoding hypothesis requires tools that allow direct control of TF dynamics without the pleiotropic effects associated with general perturbations. In this work, we present CLASP (Controllable Light Activated Shuttling and Plasma membrane sequestration), a tool that enables precise, modular, and reversible control of TF localization using a combination of two optimized LOV2 optogenetic constructs. The first sequesters the cargo in the dark at the plasma membrane and releases it upon exposure to blue light, while light exposure of the second reveals a nuclear localization sequence that shuttles the released cargo to the nucleus. CLASP achieves minute-level resolution, reversible translocation of many TF cargos, large dynamic range, and tunable target gene expression. Using CLASP, we investigate the relationship between Crz1, a naturally pulsatile TF, and its cognate promoters. We establish that some Crz1 target genes respond more efficiently to pulsatile TF inputs than to continuous inputs, while others exhibit the opposite behavior. We show using computational modeling that efficient gene expression in response to short pulsing requires fast promoter activation and slow inactivation and that the opposite phenotype can ensue from a multi-stage promoter activation, where a transition in the first stage is thresholded. These data directly demonstrate differential interpretation of TF pulsing dynamics by different genes, and provide plausible models that can achieve these phenotypes.
Exosome-mediated MIR211 modulates tumor microenvironment via the DUSP6-ERK5 axis and contributes to BRAFV600E inhibitor resistance in melanoma
Authors: Lee Bongyong , Sahoo Anupama , Sawada Junko , Marchica John , Sahoo Sanjay , Layng Fabiana I. A. L. , Finlay Darren , Mazar Joseph , Joshi Piyush , Komatsu Masanobu , Vuori Kristiina , Powis Garth , de Jong Petrus R. , Ray Animesh , Perera Ranjan J.
Published: February 2019

The microRNA MIR211 is an important regulator of melanoma tumor cell behavior. Previous studies suggested that in certain tumors, MIR211 acted as a tumor suppressor while in others it behaved as an oncogenic regulator. When MIR211 is expressed in BRAFV600E-mutant A375 melanoma cells in mouse xenografts, it promotes aggressive tumor growth accompanied by increased cellular proliferation and angiogenesis. We demonstrate that MIR211 is transferred to adjacent cells in the tumor micro-environment via exosomes. Cross-species genome-wide transcriptomic analysis showed that human tumor-derived MIR211 interacts with the mouse transcriptome in the tumor microenvironment, and activates ERK5 signaling in human tumor cells via the modulation of a feedback loop. Human miR211 directly inhibits human DUSP6 protein phosphatase at the post-transcriptional level. We provide support for the hypothesis that DUSP6 inhibition conferred resistance of the human tumor cells to the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib and to the MEK inhibitor cobimetinib, with associated increases in ERK5 phosphorylation. These findings are consistent with a model in which MIR211 regulates melanoma tumor proliferation and BRAF inhibitor resistance by inducing ERK5 signaling within the complex tumor microenvironment. We propose that the MIR211-ERK5 axis represents an important and sensitive regulatory arm in melanoma with potential theranostic applications.
Critical Nodes of Virus–Host Interaction Revealed Through an Integrated Network Analysis
Authors: Bösl Korbinian , Ianevski Aleksandr , Than Thoa T. , Andersen Petter I. , Kuivanen Suvi , Teppor Mona , Zusinaite Eva , Dumpis Uga , Vitkauskiene Astra , Cox Rebecca J. , Kallio-Kokko Hannimari , Bergqvist Anders , Tenson Tanel , Oksenych Valentyn , Bjørås Magnar , Anthonsen Marit W. , Shum David , Kaarbø Mari , Vapalahti Olli , Windisch Marc P. , Superti-Furga Giulio , Snijder Berend , Kainov Denis , Kandasamy Richard K.
Published: February 2019

Viruses are one of the major causes of various acute and chronic infectious diseases and thus a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Several studies have shown how viruses have evolved to hijack basic cellular pathways and evade innate immune response by modulating key host factors and signalling pathways. A collective view of these multiple studies could advance our understanding of viral evasion mechanisms and provide new therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of viral diseases. Here, we performed an integrative meta-analysis to elucidate the 17 different host-virus interactomes. Network and bioinformatics analyses showed how viruses with small genomes efficiently achieve the maximal effect by targeting multifunctional and highly connected host proteins with a high occurrence of disordered regions. We also identified the core cellular process subnetworks that are targeted by all the viruses. Integration with functional RNA interference (RNAi) datasets showed that a large proportion of the targets are required for viral replication. Furthermore, we performed an interactome-informed drug re-purposing screen and identified novel activities for broad-spectrum antiviral agents against hepatitis C virus and human metapneumovirus. Altogether, these orthogonal datasets could serve as a platform for hypothesis generation and follow-up studies to broaden our understanding of the viral evasion landscape.
Expression changes confirm genomic variants predicted to result in allele-specific, alternative mRNA splicing
Authors: Mucaki Eliseos J. , Shirley Ben C. , Rogan Peter K.
Published: February 2019

Splice isoform structure and abundance can be affected by either non-coding or masquerading coding variants that alter the structure or abundance of transcripts. When these variants are common in the population, these non-constitutive transcripts are sufficiently frequent so as to resemble naturally occurring, alternative mRNA splicing. Prediction of the effects of such variants has been shown to be accurate using information theory-based methods. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predicted to significantly alter natural and/or cryptic splice site strength were shown to affect gene expression. Splicing changes for known SNP genotypes were confirmed in HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines with gene expression microarrays and custom designed q-RT-PCR or TaqMan assays. The majority of these SNPs (15 of 22) as well as an independent set of 24 variants were then subjected to RNAseq analysis using the ValidSpliceMut web beacon (http://validsplicemut.cytognomix.com), which is based on data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and International Cancer Genome Consortium. SNPs from different genes analyzed with gene expression microarray and q-RT-PCR exhibited significant changes in affected splice site use. Thirteen SNPs directly affected exon inclusion and 10 altered cryptic site use. Homozygous SNP genotypes resulting in stronger splice sites exhibited higher levels of processed mRNA than alleles associated with weaker sites. Four SNPs exhibited variable expression among individuals with the same genotypes, masking statistically significant expression differences between alleles. Genome-wide information theory and expression analyses (RNAseq) in tumour exomes and genomes confirmed splicing effects for 7 of the HapMap SNP and 14 SNPs identified from tumour genomes. q-RT-PCR resolved rare splice isoforms with read abundance too low for statistical significance in ValidSpliceMut. Nevertheless, the web-beacon provides evidence of unanticipated splicing outcomes, for example, intron retention due to compromised recognition of constitutive splice sites. Thus, ValidSpliceMut and q-RT-PCR represent complementary resources for identification of allele-specific, alternative splicing.
Corticostriatal synaptic weight evolution in a two-alternative forced choice task
Authors: Vich C. , Dunovan K. , Verstynen T. , Rubin J.
Published: February 2019

In natural environments, mammals can efficiently select actions based on noisy sensory signals and quickly adapt to unexpected outcomes to better exploit opportunities that arise in the future. Such feedback-based changes in behavior rely on long term plasticity within cortico-basal-ganglia-thalamic networks, driven by dopaminergic modulation of cortical inputs to the direct and indirect pathway neurons of the striatum. While the firing rates of corticostriatal neurons have been shown to adapt across a range of feedback conditions, it remains difficult to directly assess the corticostriatal synaptic weight changes that contribute to these adaptive firing rates. In this work, we simulate a computational model for the evolution of corticostriatal synaptic weights based on a spike timing-dependent plasticity rule driven by dopamine signaling that is induced by outcomes of actions in the context of a two-alternative forced choice task. Results show that plasticity predominantly impacts direct pathway weights, which evolve to drive action selection toward a more-rewarded action in settings with deterministic reward outcomes. After the model is tuned based on such fixed reward scenarios, its performance agrees with the results of behavioral experiments carried out with probabilistic reward paradigms.
Activated thiol Sepharose-based proteomic approach to globally quantify protein oxidation
Authors: Xu Yang , Neel Benjamin G
Published: February 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) can act as second messengers for various signaling pathways, and abnormal oxidation contributes to multiple diseases, including cancer. Detecting and quantifying protein oxidation is crucial for a detailed understanding of redox signaling. We developed an Activated Thiol Sepharose (ATS)-based proteomic approach (ATSP) to globally quantify protein oxidation. ATSP can enrich for H2O2-sensitive thiol peptides, which are more likely to contain reactive cysteines involved in redox signaling. We applied our approach to analyze hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC), a type of kidney cancer that harborsfumarate hydratase(FH)-inactivating mutations and has elevated ROS levels. Multiple proteins were oxidized in FH-deficient cells, including many metabolic proteins, such as the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2). Treatment of HLRCC cells with dimethyl fumarate (DMF) or PKM2 activators alter PKM2 oxidation levels. This newly developed redox proteomics method can globally detect oxidation of reactive cysteines and can be employed to analyze multiple physiological and pathological conditions.
Key aspects of neurovascular control mediated by specific populations of inhibitory cortical interneurons
Authors: Lee L , Boorman L , Glendenning E , Christmas C , Sharp P , Redgrave P , Shabir O , Bracci E , Berwick J , Howarth C
Published: February 2019

Inhibitory interneurons can evoke vasodilation and vasoconstriction, making them potential cellular drivers of neurovascular coupling. However, the specific regulatory roles played by particular interneuron subpopulations remain unclear. Our purpose was therefore to adopt a cell-specific optogenetic approach to investigate how somatostatin (SST) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1)-expressing interneurons might influence neurovascular relationships. In mice, specific activation of SST- or NOS1-interneurons was sufficient to evoke haemodynamic changes similar to those evoked by physiological whisker stimulation. In the case of NOS1-interneurons, robust haemodynamic changes occurred with minimal changes in neural activity. Conversely, activation of SST-interneurons produced robust changes in evoked neural activity with shallow cortical excitation and pronounced deep layer cortical inhibition. This often resulted in a central increase in blood volume with corresponding surround decrease, analogous to the negative BOLD signal. These results demonstrate the role of specific populations of cortical interneurons in the active control of neurovascular function.
Altered brain function in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A hierarchical series of task-based fMRI meta-analyses
Authors: Liu Bangshan , Liu Jin , Ju Yumeng , Wang Mi , Liu Tiebang , Zhang Yan , Li Lingjiang , Potenza Marc N. , Barron Daniel S.
Published: February 2019

Background

Many structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have reported differences in brain functional anatomy associated with eating disorders (EDs). We aimed to quantitatively synthesize the current literature of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) with a goal of deriving a consensus across these studies.

Methods

We performed a hierarchical series of 49 activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses of 101 experiments from 63 studies at the disorder (AN+BN), diagnosis (AN or BN), and task (food-, body-, emotion- or cognitive function-related tasks) levels. We further performed sub-analyses at the diagnosis level to assess the influence of disease stage (current or recovered AN), subtype (restrictive AN, rAN), psychiatric comorbidity, medication, and data processing.

Results

We did not observe consistent differences in brain activity across all hierarchies. Rather, we observed differences in brain activity in the right fusiform, left inferior parietal lobule and left precuneus that were primarily related to food (representing 19 experiments) and emotion (25 experiments) tasks performed by current AN patients (56 experiments).

Conclusions

The task-based functional MRI literature in AN and BN represents a heterogenous set of tasks and patients. Given this heterogeneity, we found very limited convergence across a rather large literature. Such limited convergence suggests individual task-based studies of EDs should be interpreted cautiously. We recommend that future studies of EDs carefully characterize patients based on nutritional status and that, beyond clinical diagnosis, studies utilize a trait- or cognitive-domain-based approach to define their populations of interest.

Meta-ananlysis Registration

“Meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of eating disorders”, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero (Registration Number: CRD42018086497).