bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Type-mineralogy of Rwanda with particular reference to the Buranga pegmatite
Authors: DALTRY Vaughan D.C. , von KNORRING Oleg
Published: April 2020

The type-mineralogy of Rwanda is reviewed. Six type-mineral names are presented, comprising four approved valid species and two non-valid phases. An unnamed mineral is also given. The four approved species are described from two type localities: Buranga and Lutsiro. One of these minerals remains unique to the type occurrence. All but one of the described type-phases occur in the Buranga pegmatite, which is host to over hundred other valid species. More than half the recorded minerals from Buranga are phosphates of which two compositional groups are recognised: Al-dominant and Fe-Mn-dominant phases.
La filière avicole française à l’horizon 2025. Une prospective INRA-ITAVI
Authors: JEZ C. , BEAUMONT C. , MAGDELAINE P.
Published: April 2020

Depuis une dizaine d’années, la filière avicole française doit faire face à la concurrence de nouveaux pays producteurs plus compétitifs ; elle doit également répondre à de nouvelles exigences de la société vis-à-vis des modes de production en termes de bien-être animal, de sécurité sanitaire et de protection de l’environnement. Ainsi, si depuis 10 ans, la production mondiale a bénéficié d’une croissance de près de 4% par an, la production française a baissé au rythme de 2,3% par an. Les acteurs économiques du secteur et les acteurs publics s’interrogent sur cette évolution et, surtout, sur les perspectives d’avenir de l’aviculture. Pour éclairer leurs choix stratégiques, un institut technique (ITAVI) et un institut de recherche (INRA) se sont mobilisés autour d’un exercice de prospective. Fondé sur les réflexions d’un groupe de travail composé d’experts des filières avicoles et sur des auditions d’acteurs, l’exercice a permis de construire quatre scénarios à partir des évolutions du contexte politique et réglementaire, des comportements de consommation et des stratégies des acteurs de la filière. L’exploration de différents futurs possibles à l’horizon 2025 a permis d’identifier des leviers d’action relevant des stratégies d’acteurs, des politiques publiques et des orientations de la recherche. Si aucun scénario n’envisage un fort développement de la production à l’horizon 2025, tous, cependant, montrent l’intérêt d’une recherche multidisciplinaire pour caractériser la durabilité et la qualité de la production, et les rendre conciliables avec une meilleure compétitivité.
Quelles recherches pour l’aviculture en France ?
Authors: BLESBOIS E.
Published: April 2020

La synthèse proposée ci-dessus provient d’un exercice visant à produire librement un point de vue collégial sur les recherches avicoles à venir. Elle a été élaborée à partir du travail d’un groupe pluridisciplinaire de chercheurs et de représentants des interprofessions et syndicats avicoles français. Elle est issue de deux réunions de la Commission Spécialisée Avicole de l’INRA (8/06/10 et 1/10/10) auxquelles ont participé : E. Blesbois (INRA PHASE), J. Champagne (ITAVI, CIP, SNAA), B. Coudurier (INRA, APA), J.B. Coulon (INRA PHASE), M. Duclos (INRA PHASE), N. Eterradossi (ANSES), X. Fernandez (INRA PHASE), C. Guérin-Dubiard (UMR Agrocampus-INRA CEPIA), H. Juin (INRA PHASE), E. Le Bihan (INRA GA), A.C. Lalmanach (INRA SA), F. Le Hazif (COOP de France), S. Letue (SYNALAF), P. Magdelaine (ITAVI), G. Martel (INRA SAD), G. Le Pottier (CIDEF), F. Pitel (INRA GA), P. Rault (SYSAAF), J.F. Vautherot (INRA SA), L. Zenner (ENV lyon), E. Zundel (INRA, SA). Des experts extérieurs à la commission ont également été sollicités : B. Dedieu (INRA SAD), A. Torre (INRA SAD).
HIV-1: Tackling the Obstacles that Limit the Effectiveness of CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing of the T Cell Co-receptor CCR5
Authors: Hillman Tatiana
Published: April 2020

HIV-1 is a complicated and perplexing virus. It infects T cells, reverse transcribes its RNA into DNA, utilizes its host DNA machinery to replicate its HIV-DNA, translates the HIV-DNA into proteins, assembles itself for a budding escape from the T cell, and rapidly mutates its conformation. Partially, due to its complexity, there remains no cure for HIV or AIDs. However, recently with the discovery of TALENs, the use of zinc fingers, and most of all the applications of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, has given researchers new hope in finding alternative gene therapies and treatments for diseases. With more focus on CRISPR-Cas9, this new and novel technology uses a guiding RNA, sgRNA, to lead a Cas9 nuclease to its target for deletion or to change that DNA site. CRISPR-Cas9 can delete point mutations and multiple DNA sites. Because CRISPR can alter DNA sequences, several scientists have conducted research into CRISPR, possibly treating more diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and even HIV. HIV-1 drew the focus of a researcher named Dr. Ebina in 2013 when he was the first to design and apply CRISPR-Cas9 to genes found in the binding sites of HIV-1, inhibiting HIV-1 gene expression. Since 2013, several other researchers have blocked HIV replication and infection through CRISPR-Cas9 targeting the receptors of T cells called the CC chemokine receptor 5 or CCR5. HIV-1 binds to the CD4 receptor of T cells, which consists of co-receptors CCR5 and CXCR4. If CCR5 expression can be removed, the HIV virus cannot bind to T-cells, blocking the initial attachment stage, and discontinuing the infection. However, there remain obstacles and issues for the CRISPR deletion of CCR5 for treating HIV-1. The issues include: 1) finding new and safe methods of CRISPR-Cas9 delivery, 2) clearing the latent HIV reservoirs, 3) improving the sgRNA design to avoid off-target mutations or deletions, and 4) effectively analyze the viral escape of HIV from CRISPR-Cas9 modifications. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss possible techniques for removing the obstacles that can lessen the potential of CRISPR to delete CCR5, repressing HIV-1 into long-term remission or a functional cure.
Acute and Sub-acute Toxicity Profile of Methanol Leaf Extract of Geophila obvallata on Renal and Hepatic Indices in Wistar Rats
Authors: Iserhienrhien Lucky , Okolie Ngozi Paulinus
Published: April 2020

The study evaluates the toxic effects of acute and sub-acute oral administration of methanol extracts of Geophila obvallata in rats. During acute study, a dose of 1600, 2900 and 5000 mg/kg bw of extract was orally administered to rats. Rats were observed for signs of toxicity for two weeks. During sub-acute study (28 days), the extract, at doses of 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw were administered orally to rats while control rats were given only tap water. At the end of the study, samples were collected for analyses. In acute toxicity studies, the extract did not induce death after single dose administration. Hence, the LD50 was estimated above 5000mg/kg. The results of sub-acute toxicity study show that no significant changes were observed in the body weights, organ weights, kidney function and organ histology. There were significant changes in hematology and biochemical indices investigated at elevated doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw compared to the control. GOE may be considered non-toxic at a dose of 100 mg/kg with promising applications in drug therapy.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY OF THE SPINY EEL MACROGNATHUS PANCALUS HAMILTON, 1822 FROM UPPER ASSAM, INDIA
Authors: Abujam S.K. , Biswas S.P.
Published: April 2020

Reproductive biology of spiny eel Macrognathus pancalus Hamilton, 1822 was studied from the waterbodies of upper Assam, India. Sexual dimorphism was easily distinguished based on their body shape and colouration. Among the 467 fish samples examined, 312 males and 155 females were identified and the Male:Female (M:F) ratio ranged from 1:0.08 in November to 1:2.17 in June with overall sex ratio of 1:0.5. Five maturity stages were identified in a year and percentage distribution of each stage was calculated. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) ranged from 0.42 to 8.08 for females and from 0.33 to 1.25 for males. The length at 50% of the fishes attained maturity (Lm50) was 9-12 cm in males and at 12-15 cm in females, indicating males matures at moderately smaller size than their female counterparts. Ova diameter ranged from 0.3 to 1.3 mm; absolute fecundity ranged from 765.48 to 1691.96 and relative fecundity from 57.9 to 152.17. M. pancalus spawned once in a year with peak spawning between June and August.
GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF SPAT, JUVENILES AND ADULT AKOYA PEARL OYSTER PINCTADA IMBRICATA FUCATA (GOULD, 1850) IN DIFFERENT REARING CONDITIONS AND STOCKING DENSITIES
Authors: Mary Rinju R. , Anil M.K. , Sherly Williams E.
Published: April 2020

Growth trials were conducted using hatchery produced spat of Pinctada imbricata fucata (Gould, 1850) having average dorso-ventral measurement (DVM) of 3.99 mm, hinge length (HL) 3.94 mm, thickness (THK) 1.25 mm and weight (WGT) 0.008 g. The first experiment was a comparative growth assessment of spat grown in one ton FRP tanks in the hatchery and with that of spat reared in micron meshed cages under open sea conditions for a period of three months. During the third month, spats grown in micron meshed cages showed growth increments of 7.83 mm (DVM), 4.86 mm (HL), 1.61 mm (THK) and 0.192 g (WGT) whereas those grown in FRP tanks grew only by 0.95 mm (DVM), 0.5 mm (HL), 0.46 mm (THK) and 0.004 g (WGT) indicating faster growth in open sea conditions. Second experiment was conducted to elucidate the effect of stocking density on the growth and survival of juveniles reared in plastic baskets at different stocking densities viz., 200 (0.03 nos. cm-3) 300 (0.049 nos. cm-3), 400 (0.065 nos. cm-3), 500 (0.08 nos. cm-3), 600 (0.098 nos. cm-3), 700 (0.11 nos. cm-3), 800 (0.13 nos. cm-3), 900 (0.14 nos. cm-3) and 1000 (0.16 nos. cm-3) numbers per basket. Results indicated that P. imbricata fucata juveniles can be grown at stocking densities of up to 400 per basket for a period of five months with 90% survival without much reduction in growth. Third experiment was conducted on the growth of P. imbricata fucata subadults in box cages at different stocking densities viz., 200 (0.006 nos. cm-3), 300 (0.01 nos. cm-3), 400 (0.013 nos. cm-3), 500 (0.016 nos. cm-3), 600 (0.02 nos. cm-3), 700 (0.023 nos. cm-3), 800 (0.026 nos. cm-3), 900 (0.03 nos. cm-3) and 1000 (nos. cm-3) numbers per cage. Survival rates ranged from 98.5 to 98.6% at stocking densities up to 400 per cage during the fifth month without any significant variation in the DVM, HL and THK of oysters.
HOOKING PATTERN, INJURY TYPE AND POST-RELEASE SURVIVAL OF GENETICALLY IMPROVED FARMED TILAPIA (GIFT) CAUGHT BY CIRCLE AND ‘J’HOOKS IN RECREATIONAL FISHING
Authors: Jha Paras Nath , Thomas Saly N. , Madhu V.R.
Published: April 2020

Recreational fishing by angling is practised worldwide which is gaining importance in India as well. Circle hooks are getting more popular as it shows less injury with enhanced post-release survival, which promote catch and release as well as conservation. In the present study, circle and ‘J’ hooks were compared for hooking pattern, extent of injury and post-release survival in Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) in recreational fishing. Results depicted that overall hooking rate was lower for circle hooks (29%) than ‘J’ hooks (31%). Occurrence of lip hooking was more with circle hooks (73.6%) than ‘J’ hooks (58.8%), whereas jaw hooking was comparatively low in case of circle hooks than ‘J’ hooks. Circle hooks showed no throat hooking whereas ‘J’ hooks recorded 5.88% for the same. Foul hooking was not observed in case of both hook types. In the present study, with ‘J’ hooks, 52.9% of fishes showed no bleeding, slight and moderate bleeding was found in 17.6% fishes, whereas 11.7% had severe bleeding. For circle hooks, the corresponding values were 73.6, 21.05, 5.26 and 0%. There was 100% survival for the fishes upto 72 h post-release in both cases.
Foam and Nitrified Fluid Treatments—Stimulation Techniques and More
Authors: King George E.
Published: April 2020

The addition of compressed gas to a stimulation fluid may be one of the biggest advances in well treating technology in the past two decades. When carefully designed and applied, foams and treatments using gas can result in better stimulations through improved proppant placement, more rapid cleanup, and in some cases, less damage from the treating fluid.

Alas, foam treatments are neither magic nor can they be used as universal stimulations. Obtaining the maximum benefit from a foam or nitrified fluid requires thoughtful design and careful application. This paper provides information on how to get it done.
The significance of resilience in mental health promotion of marriage immigrant women: A qualitative study of factors and processes
Authors: Jo Yeonjae
Published: April 2020

Background: This study explores a series of processes in which marriage immigrant women achieve positive mental health status after experiencing various marriage- and migrant-related difficulties through the framework of resilience theory. As marriage immigrant women face greater barriers to public health services than non-immigrant women, it is necessary to understand the related factors, process, and context to address these barriers and strengthen available assets. Methods: A qualitative case study design was used with the phenomenological approach. Eleven mental health promotion program managers and twelve marriage immigrant women from who experienced resilience were recruited from four public-funded multicultural community centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, between December 2015 and March 2016. Using data from in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews, the author applied theme analysis informed by the resilience theory in order to identify factors that affect resilience and its development process.Results: Findings indicated that the process of resilience follows enduring difficulties, collapse of stability, access to professional help, professional and social support, and experience of growth. A combination of the staged process of growth, absence of partner support, children as a driving force for change, the need for economic activity, factors affecting difference in growth: satisfaction levels of women’s need for recognition, respect, and reward, and level of spousal support were identified as factors affecting marriage immigrant women’s resilience.Conclusions: Spouses, children, and economic activity play key roles in resilience in positive and negative ways. The existing information barrier should be addressed at a structural level to improve the mental health of marriage immigrant women, and the optimum time for intervention is suggested within two years post-migration. Efforts to build supportive relationships with Korean spouses and meet the women’s needs for recognition, respect, and reward may also help promote these women’s resilience.
Rno-microRNA-30c-5p promotes myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury in rats through activating NF-κB pathway and targeting SIRT1
Authors: Chen Jianfeng , Zhang Mingming , Zhang Shouyan , Wu Junlong , Xue Shufeng
Published: April 2020

Background: This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of rno-microRNA-30c-5p (rno-miR-30c-5p) on myocardial ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury in rats and the underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods: A rat model of myocardial IR injury was established. The infarct size was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The pathologic changes of myocardial tissues were detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The apoptosis of myocardial cells was measured by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of rno-miR-30c-5p and Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, p-IκBα, IκBα, p-NF-κB p65, NF-κB p65 and SIRT1 was detected by Western blot. The interaction between rno-miR-30c-5p and SIRT1 was predicted by TargetScan, and further identified by dual luciferase reporter gene and RNA immunoprecipitation assay.Results: The myocardial IR injury model was successfully established in rats. IR induced the myocardial injury in rats and increased the expression of rno-miR-30c-5p. Overexpression of rno-miR-30c-5p enhanced the inflammation, promoted the apoptosis, and activated NF-κB pathway in IR myocardial cells. SIRT1 was the target gene of rno-miR-30c-5p. Silencing of SIRT1 reversed the effects of rno-miR-30c-5p inhibitor on the apoptosis and NF-κB pathway in IR myocardial cells.Conclusions: Rno-miR-30c-5p promoted the myocardial IR injury in rats through activating NF-κB pathway and down-regulating SIRT1.
A coarse-graining, ultrametric approach to resolve the phylogeny of prokaryotic strains with frequent homologous recombination
Authors: Pang Tin Yau
Published: April 2020

Background A frequent event in the evolution of prokaryotic genomes is homologous recombination, where a foreign DNA stretch replaces a genomic region similar in sequence. Recombination can affect the relative position of two genomes in a phylogenetic reconstruction in two different ways: (i) one genome can recombine with a DNA stretch that is similar to the other genome, thereby reducing their pairwise sequence divergence; (ii) one genome can recombine with a DNA stretch from an outgroup genome, increasing the pairwise divergence. While several recombination-aware phylogenetic algorithms exist, many of these cannot account for both types of recombination; some algorithms can, but do so inefficiently. Moreover, many of them reconstruct the ancestral recombination graph (ARG) to help infer the genome tree, and require that a substantial portion of each genome has not been affected by recombination, a sometimes unrealistic assumption. Methods Here, we propose a coarse-graining approach for phylogenetic reconstruction (CGP), which is recombination-aware but forgoes ARG reconstruction. It accounts for the tendency of a higher effective recombination rate between genomes with a lower phylogenetic distance. It is applicable even if all genomic regions have experienced substantial amounts of recombination, and can be used on both nucleotide and amino acid sequences. CGP considers the local density of substitutions along pairwise genome alignments, fitting a model to the empirical distribution of substitution density to infer the pairwise coalescent time. Given all pairwise coalescent times, CGP reconstructs an ultrametric tree representing vertical inheritance. Results Based on simulations, we show that the proposed approach can reconstruct ultrametric trees with accurate topology, branch lengths, and root positioning. Applied to a set of E. coli strains, the reconstructed trees are most consistent with gene distributions when inferred from amino acid sequences, a data type that cannot be utilized by many alternative approaches.Conclusions The CGP algorithm is more accurate than alternative recombination-aware methods for ultrametric phylogenetic reconstructions.
Anti-tumor efficacy of CKD-516 in combination with radiation in xenograft mouse model of lung squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Kim Min-Young , Shin Jung-Young , Kim Jeong-Oh , Son Kyoung-Hwa , Kim Yeon Sil , Jung Chan Kwon , Kang Jin-Hyoung
Published: April 2020

Background: To evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of CKD-516 in combined with irradiation (IR) and examine tumor necrosis, delayed tumor growth, and expression of molecules involved in hypoxia and angiogenesis. Methods : A xenograft mouse model of lung cancer was established. The tumor was exposed to irradiation (IR) for 5 days per week. CKD-516 was administered with ​​two treatment schedules (day 1 or days 1 and 5) at one hour after IR. After the administration, tumor tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and pimonidazole. HIF1 , Glut-1, VEGF, CD31 and Ki-67 expression were evaluated by Immunohistochemical staining. Results: With short-term administration, IR and CKD-516+IR (d1) significantly reduced tumor size ( p = 0.0062 and p = 0.0051, respectively). CKD-516+IR groups were remarkably reduced blood vessels ( p < 0.005). In particular, CKD-516+IR (d1) resulted in the most extensive tumor necrosis, which was significantly increased with large hypoxic area ( p = 0.02) and decreased HIF1 , Glut-1, VEGF, and Ki-67 expressions. Long-term administration of CKD-516+IR reduced tumor size and delayed tumor growth. This combination also greatly reduced the number of blood vessels ( p = 0.0006) and significantly enhanced tumor necrosis ( p = 0.004). CKD-516+IR notably increased HIF1 expression ( p = 0.0047), but significantly diminished VEGF expression ( p = 0.0046). Conclusions : Taken together, our results demonstrate that CKD-516 in combination with IR can significantly enhance the anti-tumor efficacy compared to CKD-516 or IR alone in lung cancer xenograft mice.
Lipidome analysis of milk composition in humans, monkeys, bovids, and pigs.
Authors: Mitina Aleksandra , Mazin Pavel , Vanyushkina Anna , Anikanov Nikolay , Mair Waltraud , Guo Song , khaitovich philipp
Published: April 2020

Background Lipids contained in milk are an essential source of energy and structural materials for a growing infant. Furthermore, lipids’ long-chain unsaturated fatty acid residues can directly participate in infant tissue formation. Here, we used untargeted mass spectrometric measurements to assess milk lipid composition in seven mammalian species: humans, two macaque species, cows, goats, yaks, and pigs.Results Analysis of the main milk lipid class, triacylglycerides, revealed species-specific quantitative differences in the composition of fatty acid residues for each of seven species. Overall, differences in milk lipid composition reflect evolutionary distances among species, with each species group demonstrating specific lipidome features. Among them, human milk contained more medium and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids compared to other species, while pig milk was the most distinct, featuring the highest proportion of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Conclusions We show that milk lipidome composition is dynamic across mammalian species, changed extensively in pigs, and contains features particular to humans.
Scleral Concave Pool Trabeculectomy Combined Phacoemulsification in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma with Cataract.
Authors: Ye Xiangxiang , Qi Yongjun , Deng Jianhua , Yang Yang , Mo Ting , Xu Mao , Liu Wanjun
Published: April 2020

Background: To investigate the safety and efficacy of scleral concave pool trabeculectomy (SCPT) combined phacoemulsification for eyes with coexisting cataract and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).Methods: This was a retrospective, controlled, interventional case series. Thirty patients (30 eyes) were diagnosed with coexisting cataract and POAG between May 2015 and April 2018. Fourteen eyes underwent SCPT combined phacoemulsification were set as the study group, and 16 eyes received conventional phacotrabeculectomy were set as the control group. All patients were followed up for at least 6 months. The preoperative to postoperative changes in IOP, glaucoma medication requirements, BCVA, blebs functions, and adverse events were recorded. Results: The groups were matched for baseline age, BCVA, IOP and types of IOP-lowering medications (all P>0.05). At 6-month visit, there were no significant difference between control and study group in the improvement of BCVA (0.22±0.24 versus 0.18±0.26, P=0.718), reduction of IOP (-11.21±8.61mmHg versus -9.19±9.18mmHg, P=0.540) and the number of eyes that needed IOP-lowering medications (2 versus 3, P=0.743). At the last visit, the rate of forming functioning blebs was significantly different between the study and control groups, (92.9% versus 68.7% respectively, P=0.007). In the study group, 5 eyes developed hypotony，and 1 eye showed limited choroidal detachment, whereas in the control group 1 eye developed malignant glaucoma. All adverse events were successfully managed. Conclusion: The SCPT combined phacoemulsification is a safe and effective alternative to conventional phacotrabeculectomy for patients with POAG and visually significant cataract.
Lactic acid level as an outcome predictor in pediatric patients with intussusception in the emergency department
Authors: Lee Jeong-Yong , Byun Young-Hoon , Park Jun-Sung , Lee Jong Seung , Ryu Jeong-Min , Choi Seung Jun
Published: April 2020

Background: Intussusception decreases blood flow to the bowel, and tissue hypoperfusion results in increased lactic acid levels. We aimed to determine whether lactic acid levels are associated with pediatric intussusception outcomes.Methods: The electronic medical records of our emergency department pediatric patients diagnosed with intussusception, between January 2015 and October 2018, were reviewed. An outcome was considered poor when intussusception recurred within 48 hours of reduction or when surgical reduction was required due to air enema failure.Results: A total of 249 patients were included in the study, including 39 who experienced intussusception recurrence and 11 who required surgical reductions; hence, 50 patients were included in the poor outcome group. The poor and good outcome groups showed significant differences in their respective blood gas analyses for pH (7.39 vs. 7.41, P = .001), lactic acid (1.70 vs. 1.30 mmol/L, P < .001), and bicarbonate (20.70 vs. 21.80 mmol/L, P = .036). Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that pH and lactic acid levels were the two factors significantly associated with poor outcomes. When the lactic acid level cutoff values were ≥1.5, ≥2.0, ≥2.5, and ≥3.0 mmol/L, the positive predictive values for poor outcomes were 30.0%, 34.6%, 50.0%, and 88.9%, respectively.Conclusion: Lactic acid levels affect outcomes in pediatric patients with intussusception; higher lactic acid levels are associated with higher positive predictive values for poor outcomes.
NDRG2 gene expression pattern in ovarian cancer and its specific roles in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and suppressing cancer cell apoptosis
Authors: Kang Fenhong , Wang Yanlong , Luo Yaping , Zhang Yongjun
Published: April 2020

Background: The cancer cell metastasis and the acquisition of chemotherapy resistance remain huge challenge for ovarian cancer treatment. Previously, N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) serves as a tumor suppressor for many cancers. Here, we attempted to investigate the specific roles of NDRG2 in ovarian cancer. Methods: The expression levels of NDRG2 were detected by qRT-PCR or Immunoblotting. CCK-8 assay was employed to examine the cell viability of ovarian cancer cells. The colony formation ability was determined by colony formation assay. Flow cytometry analyses were performed to detect the cell apoptosis and cell cycle. Xenograft tumor assay was performed to detect the in vivo function of NDRG2. Results: We revealed that NDRG2 mRNA expression and protein levels were downregulated within both ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. The overexpression of NDRG2 dramatically inhibited the cell viability and colony formation and tumor growth, whereas promoted the cell apoptosis, cell cycle arrest in G1 phase within ovarian cancer cells. More importantly, NDRG2 overexpression significantly enhanced the suppressive roles of cisplatin (DDP) in ovarian cancer cell viability. On the contrary, NDRG2 silence exerted opposing effects on ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions: In summary, we provide a solid experimental basis demonstrating the tumor-suppressive effects of NDRG2 in inhibiting the cell proliferation, enhancing the cell apoptosis, eliciting the cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, and promoting the suppressive effects of DDP on the viability of ovarian cancer cells. NDRG2 administration presents a potent adjuvant treatment for ovarian cancer therapy.
The effect of transversus abdominis plane block on the chronic pain after colorectal surgery: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Pan Zi-Ye , Hu Zhong-Hua , Zhang Fan , Xie Wen-Xiu , Tang Yong-Zhong , Liao Qin
Published: April 2020

Background: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is common and would reduce the quality of life of patients. Transversus abdominal plane (TAP) block has been widely used in lower abdominal surgery and many researches demonstrated that it could improve acute postsurgical pain. We aim to determine whether TAP block could improve chronic postoperative pain at 3 months and 6 months after colorectal surgery.Methods: A total of 307 patients received selective colorectal surgery under general anesthesia between January, 2015 and January, 2019 in a single university hospital were included: 128 patients received TAP block combined with patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) for postsurgical analgesia (group TP) and 179 only administrated with PCIA (group P). Main outcome was the NRS score of pain at 24 hours, 48 hours, 3 months and 6 months after colorectal surgery. The data was analyzed by two-way repeated measures anova and the chi-square test.Results: The NRS score at rest and during movement was decreased significantly at 24 hours after surgery (rest NRS 1.07±1.34 vs 1.65±1.67, movement NRS 3.00±1.45 vs 3.65±1.89; all P=0.003) in group TP than those of group P. There was no significant difference of NRS score at 48 hours after surgery (P>0.05). At 3 months after surgery, the NRS score during movement was also lower in group TP than that in group P (0.59±1.23 vs 0.92±1.65, P=0.045). There was no significant difference of NRS score at 6 months after surgery (P>0.05). The prevalence of CPSP was 19.5% (25/128) in group TP and 20.7% (37/179) in group P at 3 months after surgery. 13.2% (17/128) of patients suffered from CPSP in group TP and 13.9% (25/179) in group P at 6 months after surgery. Both at 3 months and 6 months after surgery, there was no statistical difference of the prevalence of CPSP between the two groups (all P >0.05) .Conclusions: TAP block reduced NRS during movement at 3 months after surgery but did not reduce the incidence of CPSP at 3 months and 6 months after selective colorectal surgery.
Protection of L1 nerve roots by pre-relieve tension in parallel endplate osteotomy for severe rigid thoracolumbar spine deformity
Authors: Liao Hang , Miao Houguang , Xie Peng , Wang Yueyue , Li Ningdao , Zheng Guizhou , Li Xuedong , Du Shixin
Published: April 2020

Background: This is a retrospective study of the use of parallel endplate osteotomy (PEO) for correction of severe rigid thoracolumbar spine deformity.Methods: From July 2016 to January 2019, 12 patients with severe rigid thoracolumbar spine deformity underwent PEO on T12 or L1 vertebrae were studied.Results: Following PEO at T12 or L1, the mean kyphosis and scoliosis correction rates reached 77.0 ± 8.9% and 75.5 ± 8.0%, respectively and the intraoperative estimated blood loss was 1950 ± 1050 mL, and the mean operative time was 6.98 ± 4.02 h. The SF-36 scores of physical function, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social function, role-emotional and mental health changed from 63 ± 28, 50 ± 25, 50 ± 30, 34 ± 19, 53 ± 28, 45 ± 30, 30 ± 36 and 54 ± 18 at baseline to 83 ± 18, 69 ± 19, 72 ± 12, 66 ± 21, 75 ± 15, 72 ± 22, 66 ± 34 and 76 ± 12 at one year postoperatively , 83 ± 8, 68 ± 32, 83 ± 17, 73 ± 17, 82 ± 18, 76 ± 26, 70 ± 37 and 88 ± 12 at 18 months postoperatively, 86 ± 6, 83 ± 33, 90 ± 16, 81 ± 16, 89 ± 14, 88 ± 25, 83 ± 17 and 94 ± 10 at 24 months postoperatively, respectively (P < 0.01). Three patients had symptoms of L1 nerve root injury, as reflected by lower limb weakness and inner thigh numbness on knee extension and hip flexion, which was further confirmed by electromyography.Conclusions: PEO is easier to operate, and the spinal cord and nerve root are under direct vision and can effectively and safely correct severe rigid thoracolumbar spine deformity with satisfactory clinical results. However, it is important to identify, separate and protect L1 nerve roots during surgery in cases where patients have symptoms of back pain, muscle weakness and leg numbness on the convex side after surgery.
Multiplex and On-site PCR detection of swine diseases based on the microfluidic chip system
Authors: Jiang Yan , Jiang Shan , Wu Yue , Zhou Bin , Wang Kaiming , Jiang Luyan , Long Yunfeng , Chen Gan , Zeng Dexin
Published: April 2020

Background： At present, the process of inspection and quarantine starts with sampling at the customs port, continues with transporting the samples to the central laboratory for inspection experiments, and ends with the inspected results being fed back to the port. This process had the risks of degradation of biological samples and generation of pathogenic microorganisms and did not meet the rapid on-site detection demand because it took a rather long time. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop a rapid and high-throughput detection assay of pathogenic microorganisms at the customs port. The aim of this study was to develop a microfluidic chip to rapidly detect swine pathogenic microorganisms with high-throughput and higher accuracy. Moreover, this chip will decrease the risk of spreading infection during transportation.Results: A series of experiments were performed to establish a microfluidic chip. The resulting data showed that the positive nucleic acid of four swine viruses were detected by using a portable and rapid microfluidic PCR system, which could achieve a on-site real-time quantitative PCR detection. Furthermore, the detection results of eight clinical samples were obtained within an hour. The detection limit of this microfluidic PCR detection system was as low as 1 copies/μL. The results showed that the high sensitivity and specificity of this chip system in disease detection played an important role in customs inspection and quarantine during customs clearance.Conclusion: The microfluidic PCR detection system established in this study could meet the requirement for rapid detection of samples at the customs port. This chip could avoid the risky process of transporting the samples from the sampling site to the testing lab, and drastically reduce the inspection cycle. Moreover, it would enable parallel inspections on one chip, which greatly raised the efficiency of inspection.
Spaceflight Induces Novel Regulatory Responses in Arabidopsis Seedling as Revealed by Combined Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses
Authors: Kruse Colin Peter Singer , Meyers Alexander D , Basu Proma , Hutchinson Sarahann , Luesse Darron R , Wyatt Sarah E.
Published: April 2020

Background: Understanding of gravity sensing and response is critical to long-term human habitation in space and can provide new advantages for terrestrial agriculture. To this end, the altered gene expression profile induced by microgravity has been repeatedly queried by microarray and RNA-seq experiments to understand gravitropism. However, the quantification of altered protein abundance in space has been minimally investigated. Results: Proteomic (iTRAQ-labelled LC-MS/MS) and transcriptomic (RNA-seq) analyses simultaneously quantified protein and transcript differential expression of three-day old, etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown aboard the International Space Station along with their ground control counterparts. Protein extracts were fractionated to isolate soluble and membrane proteins and analyzed to detect differentially phosphorylated peptides. In total, 968 RNAs, 107 soluble proteins, and 103 membrane proteins were identified as differentially expressed. In addition, the proteomic analyses identified 16 differential phosphorylation events. Proteomic data delivered novel insights and simultaneously provided new context to previously made observations of gene expression in microgravity. There is a sweeping shift in post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation including RNA-decapping protein DCP5, the splicing factors GRP7 and GRP8, and AGO4,. These data also indicate AHA2 and FERONIA as well as CESA1 and SHOU4 as central to the cell wall adaptations seen in spaceflight. Patterns of tubulin-a 1, 3,4 and 6 phosphorylation further reveal an interaction of microtubule and redox homeostasis that mirrors osmotic response signaling elements. The absence of gravity also results in a seemingly wasteful dysregulation of plastid gene transcription. Conclusions: The datasets gathered from Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to microgravity revealed marked impacts on post-transcriptional regulation, cell wall synthesis, redox/microtubule dynamics, and plastid gene transcription. The impact of post-transcriptional regulatory alterations represents an unstudied element of the plant microgravity response with the potential to significantly impact plant growth efficiency and beyond. What’s more, addressing the effects of microgravity on AHA2, CESA1, and alpha tubulins has the potential to enhance cytoskeletal organization and cell wall composition, thereby enhancing biomass production and growth in microgravity. Finally, understanding and manipulating the dysregulation of plastid gene transcription has further potential to address the goal of enhancing plant growth in the stressful conditions of microgravity.
Dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin, a novel nuclear factor-κB inhibitor, prevents the development of cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity in a rat model
Authors: Morita Shinya , Shinoda Kazunobu , Yoshida Tadashi , Shimoda Masayuki , Kanno Yoshihiko , Mizuno Ryuichi , Kono Hidaka , Asanuma Hiroshi , Nakagawa Ken , Umezawa Kazuo , Oya Mototsugu
Published: April 2020

Background Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an essential immunosuppressant in organ transplantation. However, its chronic nephrotoxicity is an obstacle to long allograft survival that has not been overcome. Nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) is activated in the renal tissue in CsA nephropathy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of the specific NF-kB activation inhibitor, dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ) in a rat model of CsA nephrotoxicity. Methods We administered CsA (15 mg/kg) daily for 28 days to Sprague-Dawley rats that underwent 5/6 nephrectomy under a low-salt diet. We administered DHMEQ (8 mg/kg) simultaneously with CsA to the treatment group, daily for 28 days and evaluated its effect on CsA nephrotoxicity. Results DHMEQ significantly inhibited NF-kB activation and nuclear translocation due to CsA treatment. Elevated serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels due to repeated CsA administration were significantly decreased by DHMEQ treatment (serum urea nitrogen in CsA + DHMEQ vs CsA vs control, 69 ± 6.4 vs 113.5 ± 8.8 mg/dL vs 43.1 ± 1.1, respectively, p < 0.0001; serum creatinine in CsA + DHMEQ vs CsA vs control, 0.75 ± 0.02 vs 0.91 ± 0.02 vs 0.49 ± 0.02 mg/dL, respectively, p < 0.0001), and creatinine clearance was restored in the treatment group (CsA + DHMEQ vs CsA vs control, 2.57 ± 0.09 vs 1.94 ± 0.12 vs 4.61 ± 0.18 ml/min/kg, respectively, p < 0.0001). However, DHMEQ treatment did not alter the inhibitory effect of CsA on urinary protein secretion. The development of renal fibrosis due to chronic CsA nephrotoxicity was significantly inhibited by DHMEQ treatment (CsA + DHMEQ vs CsA vs control, 13.4 ± 7.1 vs 35.6 ±18.4 vs 9.4 ± 5.4%, respectively, p < 0.0001), and these results reflected the results of renal functional assessment. DHMEQ treatment also had an inhibitory effect on the increased expression of chemokines, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 5 due to repeated CsA administration, which inhibited the infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into the renal tissue. Conclusions These findings suggest that DHMEQ treatment in combination therapy with CsA-based immunosuppression is beneficial to prevent the development of CsA-induced nephrotoxicity.
Autologous NK-cell-enrichment: preclinical setting phase, Shiraz experience
Authors: Rezaeifard Somayeh , Heike yuji , Masuyama Junichi , rezvani Alireza , vojdani Reza , Erfani Nasrollah
Published: April 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Behavioral Profile, Lifestyle and Social Skills in Portuguese Adolescents
Authors: Magalhães Clarisse , Ribeiro Maria de Fátima , Esteves Maria Raquel , Aires Luísa , Lima Sara , Silva Gustavo , Nogueira Assunção , Herdeiro Maria Teresa , Pedras Susana
Published: April 2020

Background: Seventy percent of premature deaths in adults are due to behaviors initiated during adolescence. Therefore, it is essential to promote individual and social behaviors that educate adolescents in the ability to make healthy choices. Thus, the goals of this study were to characterize the lifestyle and social skills as well as to identify homogeneous subgroups in a sample of Portuguese adolescents. Methods : We conduct a cross-sectional study including 1008 adolescents attending 7 th to 9 th grade of five middle schools from Tâmega and Sousa region, of Portugal. My Lifestyle Questionnaire and the Social Skills Inventory were used. To establish a profile of the participants, a Cluster Analysis (K-means) was performed and the Jaccard coefficient was used to assess the stability of the solution found. Results: From the total sample, 556 adolescents with a mean age of 13.43 years (SD=1.1) were included in the analysis. The majority of the sample presented a good lifestyle (72.26% indicating good LS) and 50.7% of the adolescents had a highly elaborated repertoire of social skills. Moreover, three clusters were found. Cluster 1 (n=92) showed a less elaborate SS repertoire and was named the “Adjusted”. Cluster 2 (n=115) comprised adolescents with a good SS repertoire and was named the “Sociable”. Cluster 3 (n=258) was composed by adolescents with a highly elaborate SS repertoire and the best LS indicators, and was named the “Healthy”. Conclusions : The group of adolescents in cluster called “Sociable” needs to be included in health education and social skills programs. NUT and MS behaviors have low values and, therefore, present a greater need for awareness, sensitization and intervention in the school context. Promoting a healthy lifestyle should be part of the academic curriculum and be transversal to all academic disciplines.
Intermittent peripheral exposure to lipopolysaccharide induces exploratory behavior in mice and regulates brain glial activity in obese mice
Authors: Huang Hui-Ting , Chen Po-See , Kuo Yu-Min , Tzeng Shun-Fen
Published: April 2020

Background: Consecutive peripheral immune challenges can modulate the responses of brain resident microglia to stimuli. High-fat diet (HFD) intake has been reported to stimulate the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus in obese rodents and humans. However, it is unknown whether intermittent exposure to additional peripheral immune challenge can modify HFD-induced hypothalamic glial activation in obese individuals. Methods: In this study, we administered 1 mg/kg LPS (or saline) by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection to 8-week-old male mice after 1, 2, or 8 weeks of a regular diet (show) or HFD. The level of interleukin-1b (IL-1b) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) expression in the plasma and hypothalamic tissue was analyzed 24 h after each LPS injection. The behaviors of the animals in the four groups (the chow-saline, chow-LPS, HFD-saline, and HFD-LPS groups) were examined 5 months after exposure to chow or a HFD. Morphological examination of microglia in related brain regions was also conducted. Results: The plasma levels and hypothalamic mRNA levels of IL-1b and TNF-a were significantly upregulated 24 h after the first injection of LPS but not after the second or third injection of LPS. Chow-LPS mice displayed increased exploratory behavior 5 months after feeding. However, this LPS-induced abnormal exploratory behavior was inhibited in HFD-fed mice. Chronic HFD feeding for 5 months induced apparent increases in the number and cell body size of microglia, mainly in the ARC, and also increased the size of microglia in the NAc and insula. Moreover, microglial activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, and basolateral amygdala (BLA) was observed in chow-LPS mice. However, microglial activation in the analyzed brain regions was suppressed in HFD-LPS mice.Conclusions: Altogether, the results indicate that intermittent peripheral challenge with LPS might prime microglia in the ARC and NAc to modify their response to chronic HFD feeding. Alternatively, chronic HFD feeding might mediate microglia in LPS-affected brain regions and subsequently suppress LPS-induced atypical exploratory behavior. Our findings suggest that the interaction of intermittent acute peripheral immune challenges with chronic HFD intake can drive microglia to amend the microenvironment and further modify animal behaviors in the later life.
Brain morphologic abnormalities in migraine patients: an observational study
Authors: Bonanno Lilla , Buono Viviana Lo , De Salvo Simona , Ruvolo Claudio , Torre Viviana , Bramanti Placido , Marino Silvia , Corallo Francesco
Published: April 2020

Background: Migraine is a common neurological disorder characterized by a complex physiopathology. We assessed brain morphologic differences in migraine and the possible pathogenetic mechanism underlying this disease.Methods: We analyzed brain morphologic images of migraine patients, 14 with aura (MwA) [the mean (SD) age was 42.36 (2.95) years (range, 37-47)] and 14 without aura (MwoA) [the mean (SD) age was 43.5 (3.25) years (range, 39-50)] during episodic attack compared with health subjects balanced (HS) [the mean (SD) age was 42.5 (5.17) years (range, 34-51)]. All subjects underwent a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination with a scanner operating at 3.0 T and voxel based morphometry (VBM) approach was used to examine the gray matter volume (GMV). The statistical analysis to compare clinicl characteristics was performed using unpaired t-test an one-way Anova. Results: Total cerebral GMV showed a significant difference between MwA and HS (p=0.02), and between MwoA and HS (p=0.003). In addition, not significative differences were found between MwA and MwoA groups (p=0.17). We found three clusters of regions which showed significant GMV reduction in MwA compared with MwoA. MwA subjects showed a less of GMV in 4 clusters if compared with HS, and MwoA subjects showed a less of GMV in 3 clusters if compared with HS. We observed that MwA and MwoA patients had a significant reduction of GMV in the frontal and temporal lobe and the cerebellum, if compared to HS. The bilateral fusiform gyrus and the cingulate gyrus were increase in MwoA patients compared with HS.Conclusion: Our findings could provide a approach to understand possible differences in the pathogenesis of two type of migraine.