bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Renal tubular arginase‐2 participates in the formation of the corticomedullary urea gradient and attenuates kidney damage in ischemia‐reperfusion injury in mice
Authors: Ansermet Camille , Centeno Gabriel , Lagarrigue Sylviane , Nikolaeva Svetlana , Yoshihara Hikari A. , Pradervand Sylvain , Barras Jean‐Luc , Dattner Nicolas , Rotman Samuel , Amati Francesca , Firsov Dmitri 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAimArginase 2 (ARG2) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyses hydrolysis of l‐arginine into urea and l‐ornithine. In the kidney, ARG2 is localized to the S3 segment of the proximal tubule. It has been shown that expression and activity of this enzyme are upregulated in a variety of renal pathologies, including ischemia‐reperfusion (IR) injury. However, the (patho)physiological role of ARG2 in the renal tubule remains largely unknown.MethodsWe addressed this question in mice with conditional knockout of Arg2 in renal tubular cells (Arg2lox/lox/Pax8‐rtTA/LC1 or, cKO mice).ResultsWe demonstrate that cKO mice exhibit impaired urea concentration and osmolality gradients along the corticomedullary axis. In a model of unilateral ischemia‐reperfusion injury (UIRI) with an intact contralateral kidney, ischemia followed by 24 hours of reperfusion resulted in significantly more pronounced histological damage in ischemic kidneys from cKO mice compared to control and sham‐operated mice. In parallel, UIRI‐subjected cKO mice exhibited a broad range of renal functional abnormalities, including albuminuria and aminoaciduria. Fourteen days after UIRI, the cKO mice exhibited complex phenotype characterized by significantly lower body weight, increased plasma levels of early predictive markers of kidney disease progression (asymmetric dimethylarginine and symmetric dimethylarginine), impaired mitochondrial function in the ischemic kidney but no difference in kidney fibrosis as compared to control mice.ConclusionCollectively, these results establish the role of ARG2 in the formation of corticomedullary urea and osmolality gradients and suggest that this enzyme attenuates kidney damage in ischemia‐reperfusion injury.
Phospholipase D as a key modulator of cancer progression
Authors: Yao Yuanfa , Wang Xinyi , Li Hanbing , Fan Jiannan , Qian Xiaohan , Li Hong , Xu Yingke 
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACTThe phospholipase D (PLD) family has a ubiquitous expression in cells. PLD isoforms (PLDs) and their hydrolysate phosphatidic acid (PA) have been demonstrated to engage in multiple stages of cancer progression. Aberrant expression of PLDs, especially PLD1 and PLD2, has been detected in various cancers. Inhibition or elimination of PLDs activity has been shown to reduce tumour growth and metastasis. PLDs and PA also serve as downstream effectors of various cell‐surface receptors, to trigger and regulate propagation of intracellular signals in the process of tumourigenesis and metastasis. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding the functions of PLDs and PA in discrete stages of cancer progression, including cancer cell growth, invasion and migration, and angiogenesis, with special emphasis on the tumour‐associated signalling pathways mediated by PLDs and PA and the functional importance of PLDs and PA in cancer therapy.
CD137, an attractive candidate for the immunotherapy of lung cancer
Authors: Ye Lingyun , Jia Keyi , Wang Lei , Li Wei , Chen Bin , Liu Yu , Wang Hao , Zhao Sha , He Yayi , Zhou Caicun 
Published: February 2020

AbstractImmunotherapy has become a hotspot in cancer therapy in recent years. Several immune checkpoints inhibitors have been used to treat lung cancer. CD137 is a kind of costimulatory molecule that mediates T cell activation, which regulates the activity of immune cells in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Targeting CD137 or its ligand (CD137L) has been studied, aiming to enhance anticancer immune responses. Accumulating studies show that anti‐CD137 mAbs alone or combined with other drugs have bright antitumor prospects. In the following, we reviewed the biology of CD137, the antitumor effects of anti‐CD137 Ab monotherapy and the combined therapy in lung cancer.
MicroRNA‐375‐3p enhances chemosensitivity to 5‐fluorouracil by targeting thymidylate synthase in colorectal cancer
Authors: Xu Fei , Ye Ming‐Liang , Zhang Yu‐Peng , Li Wen‐Jie , Li Meng‐Ting , Wang Hai‐Zhou , Qiu Xiao , Xu Yan , Yin Jin‐Wen , Hu Qian , Wei Wan‐Hui , Chang Ying , Liu Lan , Zhao Qiu 
Published: February 2020

AbstractResistance to chemotherapy is a major challenge for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Previous studies have found that microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in drug resistance; however, the role of miRNA‐373‐3p (miR‐375‐3p) in CRC remains unclear. The current study aimed to explore the potential function of miR‐375‐3p in 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) resistance. MicroRNA‐375‐3p was found to be widely downregulated in human CRC cell lines and tissues and to promote the sensitivity of CRC cells to 5‐FU by inducing colon cancer cell apoptosis and cycle arrest and by inhibiting cell growth, migration, and invasion in vitro. Thymidylate synthase (TYMS) was found to be a direct target of miR‐375‐3p, and TYMS knockdown exerted similar effects as miR‐375‐3p overexpression on the CRC cellular response to 5‐FU. Lipid‐coated calcium carbonate nanoparticles (NPs) were designed to cotransport 5‐FU and miR‐375‐3p into cells efficiently and rapidly and to release the drugs in a weakly acidic tumor microenvironment. The therapeutic effect of combined miR‐375 + 5‐FU/NPs was significantly higher than that of the individual treatments in mouse s.c. xenografts derived from HCT116 cells. Our results suggest that restoring miR‐375‐3p levels could be a future novel therapeutic strategy to enhance chemosensitivity to 5‐FU.
The effect of vitamin D treatment on clinical and biochemical outcomes of primary aldosteronism
Authors: Ismail Noor Ashikin , Kamaruddin Nor Azmi , Azhar Shah Shamsul , Sukor Norlela 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIntroductionPrimary aldosteronism (PA) contributed to the cardiovascular disease and metabolic alterations independent of the blood pressure level. Evidence exists that aldosterone excess also affects calcium and mineral homeostasis. PA subjects have been shown to have greater prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. However, the impact of vitamin D treatment in this population has never been assessed.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D treatment on clinical and biochemical outcomes of PA patients.MethodsTwo hundred forty hypertensive subjects were screened, 31 had positive ARR, and 17 patients with newly confirmed PA following positive confirmatory test that has not been subjected for definitive treatment were enrolled. Clinical parameter (blood pressure) and biochemical parameters (renal profile, plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma renin activity, serum calcium, vitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone, 24‐hour urinary calcium) were measured at baseline and 3 months of treatment with Bio‐D3 capsule. Primary outcomes were the changes in the blood pressure and biochemical parameters.ResultsAbout 70% of our PA subjects have low vitamin D levels at baseline. Three months following treatment, there were significant: (a) improvement in 25(OH)D levels; (b) reduction in systolic blood pressure and plasma aldosterone concentration; and (c) improvement in the eGFR. The vitamin D deficient subgroup has the greatest magnitude of the systolic blood pressure reduction following treatment.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated significant proportion of PA patients has vitamin D insufficiency. Vitamin D treatment improves these interrelated parameters possibly suggesting interplay between vitamin D, aldosterone, renal function and the blood pressure.
Does social trust promote behaviour aimed at mitigating climate change?
Authors: Gür Nurullah 
Published: February 2020

AbstractUsing international data from the Life in Transition Survey, I analyse the role of social trust on pro‐environmental behaviours aimed at helping to fight climate change. Social trust might increase pro‐environmental behaviour by reducing the free‐rider problem, restraining opportunistic behaviour, and enhancing cooperation. The results suggest that social trust increases the probability of individuals taking personal actions aimed at helping to fight climate change; the results are robust to using different sets of control variables, and to controlling for country and region fixed effects. The results also indicate that social trust is positively and significantly associated with environmental actions that are time‐consuming, but there is no significant relationship with environmental actions that impose monetary costs on individuals.
Digital assessment of a retentive full crown preparation—An evaluation of prepCheck in an undergraduate pre‐clinical teaching environment
Authors: Schepke Ulf , van Wulfften Palthe Mariëtte E. , Meisberger Eric W. , Kerdijk Wouter , Cune Marco S. , Blok Berend 
Published: February 2020

AbstractIntroductionAcquiring practical skills is essential for dental students. These practical skills are assessed throughout their training, both formatively and summatively. However, by means of visual inspection alone, assessment cannot always be performed objectively. A computerised evaluation system may serve as an objective tool to assist the assessor.AimThe aim of the study was to evaluate prepCheck as a tool to assess students’ practical skills and as a means to provide feedback in dental education.MethodsAs part of a previously scheduled practical examination, students made a preparation for a retentive crown on the maxillary right central incisor—tooth 11. Assessments were made four times by two independent assessors in two different ways: (a) conventionally and (b) assisted by prepCheck. By means of Cohen's kappa coefficient, agreements between conventional and digitally assisted assessments were compared. Questionnaires were used to assess how students experienced working with prepCheck.ResultsWithout the use of prepCheck, ratings given by teachers differed considerably (mean κ = 0.19), whereas the differences with prepCheck assistance were very small (mean κ = 0.96). Students found prepCheck a helpful tool for teachers to assess practical skills. Extra feedback given by prepCheck was considered useful and effective. However, some students complained about too few scanners and too little time for practice, and some believed that prepCheck is too strict.ConclusionprepCheck can be used to assist assessors in order to obtain a more objective outcome. Results showed that practicing with feedback from both prepCheck and the teacher contributes to an effective learning process. Most students appreciated prepCheck for learning practical skills, but introducing prepCheck requires enough equipment and preparation time.
Accidental deaths in young people with epilepsy and psychiatric comorbidity—A Danish nationwide cohort study
Authors: Aagaard Sissel K. , Dreier Julie W. , Sun Yuelian , Laursen Thomas M. , Christensen Jakob 
Published: February 2020

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the accident‐related mortality among people younger than 55 years of age with epilepsy compared with the general population and to study how psychiatric comorbidity influences this risk.MethodsThis is a population‐based cohort study of individuals born in Denmark between 1960 and 2015 (n = 3, 665 616). Persons diagnosed with epilepsy and psychiatric disorders were identified in the Danish National Patient Register and the Danish Central Psychiatric Central Register. We estimated the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of accidental death in people with epilepsy compared with persons without epilepsy.ResultsWe identified 61 330 persons (1.7%) diagnosed with epilepsy. Median age at end of follow‐up was 27.8 years. In people with epilepsy, 5253 died during follow‐up, 480 (9%) of whom died from accidents. Among people without epilepsy, 52 588 died during follow‐up, of whom 1280 (2.4%) died from accidents. People with epilepsy had a 3.7‐fold (95% CI 3.4‐4.1) increased risk of accidental death compared with persons without epilepsy. When we adjusted for psychiatric disorders, the risk remained significantly elevated in people with epilepsy compared to people without epilepsy (adjusted HR [aHR] 2.44, 95% CI 2.22‐2.69). When stratifying the analyses on epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, people with epilepsy and psychiatric disorders had an aHR of 4.95 (95% CI 3.82‐6.41) when compared with persons without epilepsy and psychiatric disorders.SignificanceThe risk of accidental death was increased in people with epilepsy and was particularly high among people with epilepsy with psychiatric comorbidity. The findings highlight the need for awareness and prevention strategies in people with epilepsy, especially in people with comorbid psychiatric disorders.
Lasting through the ice age: The role of the proglacial refugia in the maintenance of genetic diversity, population growth, and high dispersal rate in a widespread freshwater crustacean
Authors: Sworobowicz Lidia , Mamos Tomasz , Grabowski Michał , Wysocka Anna 
Published: February 2020

Abstract

The severe climatic changes during the Pleistocene ice ages have shaped the genetic structure and distribution of biota in Europe. We aimed to reveal in detail the genetic diversity, geographical population structure, historical and present demography, migration patterns, and the presence of possible glacial refugia within the nominative subspecies Asellus aquaticus aquaticus.

We analysed DNA sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene and nuclear noncoding internal transcribed spacer II region, from populations inhabiting post‐glacial Europe (from the British Isles and Scandinavia to the northern Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts).

The origin of the taxon, including establishment in the Dinaric Western Balkans, dates to the Middle/Late Pliocene, but most of its genetic diversity emerged during the Middle/Late Pleistocene before the Last Glacial Maximum.

Despite the general absence of spatial genetic structure with population growth, we discovered two different phylogeographic stories across 11 clusters revealed by a coalescent approach. Firstly, the periglacial cluster group—spatially restricted mainly to the northern Balkans, Pannonian Basin, and Pontic Region—is older and more divergent. It apparently retained a relatively stable population size during the glacial‐interglacial cycles. Conversely, the proglacial cluster group—widely distributed in areas close to the glacier margins (north of the Alps, Sudetes, Carpathians) and in the Pannonian Basin—is younger and composed of closely related individuals. It originated in Pleistocene and lasted continuously through the Last Glacial Maximum in numerous high latitude refugia. This was probably due to the vast network of proglacial lakes and rivers, which played a crucial role in the maintenance of genetic diversity, population growth, and high dispersal rate.

The evolutionary history of A. a. aquaticus reveals unexpected patterns and is an important lesson when making predictions for other aquatic taxa. Our results suggest that we should stop perceiving the proglacial habitats as lifeless ice desert.
Clinical effectiveness of an intermediate care inpatient model based on integrated care pathways
Authors: Santaeugènia Sebastià J , Mas Miquel A , Tarazona‐Santabalbina Francisco J , García‐Lázaro Manuela , Alventosa Ana Maria , Gutiérrez‐Benito Alícia , Monterde Albert , Cunill Joan 
Published: February 2020

AimThe aim of this study was to compare the clinical impact of two intermediate care pathways.MethodsA prospective, uncontrolled before–after study was carried out to compare two non‐synchronic intermediate care frameworks in Spain. Participants in the control group were transferred to the intermediate care center by hospital request, whereas those in the intervention group (Badalona Integrated Care Model [BICM]) were transferred based on a territory approach considering the assessment of an intermediate care team. The clinical characteristics of study participants were assessed at admission and discharge.ResultsCompared with participants in the control group, those in the BICM group were significantly older (mean age 81.6 years [SD 10.3] vs 78.3 years [10.1], P < 0.001) and had a lower Barthel score (mean score 32.8 [SD 25.9] vs 39.9 [28.4]; P < 0.001), and a higher proportion of participants with total dependence (38.4% vs 32.2%; P = 0.001). The length of stay in intermediate care was similar in both groups; however, stay in acute care was significantly shorter in the BICM group than in the control group (mean 21 days [SD 19.5] vs 25 days [SD 23]; P < 0.001). No significant differences were found regarding the Barthel Index at discharge, although participants in the BICM group had significantly higher functional gain.ConclusionsThe implementation of a territory‐based integrated care pathway in an intermediate care center shifted the profile of admitted patients toward higher complexity. Despite this, patients managed under the integrated care model reduced their dependency and the referral rate to an acute unit during their stay in the intermediate care center. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 366–372.
Proposal of a liver histology‐based scoring system for bile salt export pump deficiency
Authors: Zen Yoh , Kondou Hiroki , Nakazawa Atsuko , Tanikawa Ken , Hasegawa Yasuhiro , Bessho Kazuhiko , Imagawa Kazuo , Ishige Takashi , Inui Ayano , Suzuki Mitsuyoshi , Kasahara Mureo , Yamamoto Kouji , Yoshioka Takako , Kage Masayoshi , Hayashi Hisamitsu 
Published: February 2020

AimBile salt export pump (BSEP) deficiency manifests a form of progressive intrahepatic cholestasis. This study aimed to establish a scoring system of liver histology for the uncommon genetic condition.MethodsAfter a roundtable discussion and histology review, a scoring system for BSEP deficiency was established. Eleven tissue samples were independently evaluated by three pathologists based on the proposed standard for an interobserver agreement analysis. In four cases with serial tissue samples available, correlation between changes in histology scores and clinical outcome was examined.ResultsOf 14 initially listed histopathological findings, 12 were selected for scoring and grouped into the following four categories: cholestasis, parenchymal changes, portal tract changes and fibrosis. Each category consisted of two to four microscopic findings that were further divided into three to six scores; therefore, each category had a maximum score of 8–11. Interobserver agreement was highest for pericellular fibrosis (κ = 0.849) and lowest for hepatocellular cholestasis (κ = 0.241) with the mean and median κ values of the 12 parameters being 0.561 and 0.602, respectively. For two patients whose clinical features worsened, score changes between two time points were interpreted as deteriorated. In two patients, who showed a good clinical response to preprandial treatment with sodium 4‐phenylbutyrate, histological changes were evaluated as improved or unchanged.ConclusionsThe proposed histology‐based scoring system for BSEP deficiency with moderate interobserver agreement may be useful not only for monitoring microscopic changes in clinical practice but also for a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials.
History of technology in nineteenth and twentieth century Latin America
Authors: Castro J. Justin 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThis essay focuses on recent trends in the history of technology in nineteenth and twentieth century Latin America. It emphasizes the English‐language historiography, especially economic, social, cultural, and political approaches. The essay argues that historians, using sociocultural and political discourses that often stress local and national innovations, inequities, and political wrangling, need to work in greater dialog with economic historians and science and technology scholars in order to create much needed synthesis works for the field.
Artificial Intelligence and Predicting Illegal Immigration to the USA
Authors: Azizi SeyedSoroosh , Yektansani Kiana 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe number of Mexican immigrants in the USA tripled between 1990 and 2015. In 2015, about 12 million undocumented immigrants lived in the USA, including 6.6 million undocumented Mexican immigrants. More than half of the undocumented immigrants in the USA enter the USA legally and overstay their visas. Therefore, it is essential to predict whether visa applicants overstay their visas or not. We use a set of pre‐immigration variables for more than 6,281 individuals from Mexico to predict their legal status in the USA. By using eight machine learning techniques, we conclude that we can predict correctly the legal status of 80 per cent of Mexicans who migrate to the USA.
BHLHE41 suppresses MCF‐7 cell invasion via MAPK/JNK pathway
Authors: Zhang Di , Zheng Qin , Wang Chen , Zhao Na , Liu Yang , Wang Enhua 
Published: February 2020

AbstractDeregulation of the basic helix‐loop‐helix family member e41 (BHLHE41) has been characterized as a marker of progression of several cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanism by which BHLHE41 regulates the invasion of breast cancer cells. BHLHE41 suppresses, whereas the silencing of BHLHE41 promotes tumour invasion of both MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Meanwhile, BHLHE41 down‐regulated the transcription and translation of SNAI1, SNAI2, VIM and CDH2, and up‐regulated those of CLDN1, CLDN4 and CDH1. Reporter assay indicated that silencing of BHLHE41 dramatically activated the MAPK/JNK signalling pathway in MCF‐7 cell line and the hypoxia signalling pathway in MDA‐MB‐231 cell line. Furthermore, silencing of BHLHE41 activated the MAPK/JNK signalling pathway by up‐regulating phosphorylated JNK and failed to affect the expression of HIF‐1 alpha in MCF‐7 cells. After blocking the MAPK/JNK signalling pathway by specific inhibitor SP600125, silencing of BHLHE41 failed to promote tumour cell invasion. These results suggest that BHLHE41 facilitates MCF‐7 cell invasion mainly via the activation of MAPK/JNK signalling pathway. In conclusion, although BHLHE41 suppresses tumour invasion in MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cell lines, the specific regulatory mechanisms may be different.