bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of the oil-producing microalga Botryococcus braunii in natural freshwater environments by targeting the hydrocarbon biosynthesis gene SSL-3
Authors: Hirano Kotaro , Hara Takuya , Ardianor  , Nugroho Rudy Agung , Segah Hendrik , Takayama Naru , Sulmin Gumiri , Komai Yukio , Okada Shigeru , Kawamura Koji 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe green microalga Botryococcus braunii produces hydrocarbon oils at 25–75% of its dry weight and is a promising source of biofuel feedstock. Few studies have examined this species’ ecology in natural habitats, and few wild genetic resources have been collected due to difficulties caused by its low abundance in nature. This study aimed to develop a real-time PCR assay for specific detection and quantification of this alga in natural environments and to quantify spatiotemporal variations of wild B. braunii populations in a tropical pond. We designed PCR primers toward the hydrocarbon biosynthesis gene SSL-3 and examined amplification specificity and PCR efficiency with 70 wild strains newly isolated from various environments. The results demonstrated that this PCR assay specifically amplified B. braunii DNA, especially that of B-race strains, and can be widely used to detect wild B. braunii strains in temperate and tropical habitats. Field-testing in a tropical pond suggested a diurnal change in the abundance of B. braunii in surface water and found B. braunii not only in surface water, but also at 1–1.5 m deep and in bottom sediments. This method can contribute to efficient genetic resource exploitations and may also help elucidate the unknown ecology of B. braunii.
Prefrontal and posterior parietal contributions to the perceptual awareness of touch
Authors: Rullmann M. , Preusser S. , Pleger B. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWhich brain regions contribute to the perceptual awareness of touch remains largely unclear. We collected structural magnetic resonance imaging scans and neurological examination reports of 70 patients with brain injuries or stroke in S1 extending into adjacent parietal, temporal or pre-/frontal regions. We applied voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping to identify brain areas that overlap with an impaired touch perception (i.e., hypoesthesia). As expected, patients with hypoesthesia (n = 43) presented lesions in all Brodmann areas in S1 on postcentral gyrus (BA 1, 2, 3a, 3b). At the anterior border to BA 3b, we additionally identified motor area BA 4p in association with hypoesthesia, as well as further ventrally the ventral premotor cortex (BA 6, BA 44), assumed to be involved in whole-body perception. At the posterior border to S1, we found hypoesthesia associated effects in attention-related areas such as the inferior parietal lobe and intraparietal sulcus. Downstream to S1, we replicated previously reported lesion-hypoesthesia associations in the parietal operculum and insular cortex (i.e., ventral pathway of somatosensory processing). The present findings extend this pathway from S1 to the insular cortex by prefrontal and posterior parietal areas involved in multisensory integration and attention processes.
Astaxanthin reduces perfluorooctanoic acid cytotoxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Sudharshan S. J. , Tirupathi Raghavendra , Dyavaiah Madhu 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFA) has been identified as an environmental contaminant of high concern for human health. In this study, we demonstrated that PFA induces a dose (0 to 1.5 mM) dependent cytotoxicity in S. cerevisiae cells which can be rescued by astaxanthin. The percent sensitivity induced by PFA and the cell protection offered by astaxanthin (30 μM) were demonstrated by CFU counts and spots. The increase in intracellular ROS, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione and lipid peroxidation levels in PFA treated cells suggested that increased oxidative stress resulted in yeast cell death. In contrast, decreased ROS level, increased SOD activity, reduced glutathione and decreased lipid peroxidation by astaxanthin supplementation suggest that the cells are protected from the PFA induced oxidative stress mediated cytotoxicity. Reduced chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation in astaxanthin pre-treated cells indicate that astaxanthin rescued the cells from PFA induced apoptosis. Our overall results suggest that PFA induces oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity in yeast cells, which were rescued by astaxanthin treatment.
Astilbin attenuates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway
Authors: Li Jing , Gu Zhaowei , Liu Yue , Wang Yu , Zhao Min 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Ischemic stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide and cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury also leads to serious tissue damage. Astilbin, a natural bioactive flavonoid compound, has been reported to have protective effects on neurological diseases. This study aims to investigate the effects of astilbin on cerebral I/R injury and determine the mechanisms involved. The results demonstrated that, in cerebral I/R rats, astilbin could attenuate I/R injury in the hippocampal region, decreasing the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the rat brain. Astilbin also inhibited the I/R-induced upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators (TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6). Similarly, in hypoxia/reperfusion (H/R) treated human neuroblastoma cells, astilbin could increase the cell viability of SH-SY5Y, decrease the activity of LDH and MDA, and inhibit the H/R-induced upregulation of pro-inflammatory mediators. For the mechanism study, western blot results indicated that astilbin could inhibit the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differential protein 88 (MYD88) and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 in H/R treated SH-SY5Y cells. The research indicated that astilbin ameliorated cerebral I/R injury partly via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. Astilbin may have potential therapeutic effects on cerebral ischemia.
MicroRNA-15a modulates lens epithelial cells apoptosis and proliferation through targeting B-cell lymphoma-2 and E2F transcription factor 3 in age-related cataracts
Authors: Li Qiao , Pan HaiTao , Liu QingHuai 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Age-related cataract remains a serious problem in the aged over the world. MicroRNAs are abnormally expressed in various diseases including age-related cataract. MicroRNA-15a (MicroRNA-15a) has been involved in various diseases and plays crucial roles in many cellular processes. However, the mechanism of microRNA-15a in the genesis of cataract remains barely known. We therefore aimed to investigate the role of microRNA-15a in the cataract. Herein, human lens epithelial B3 cells, HLE-B3 cells were treated with 200 μmol/l H2O2 for 24 h. H2O2 was utilized in our study to induce HLE-B3 cells injury. We observed that cell apoptosis was induced by the treatment of H2O2 and meanwhile, cell proliferation was repressed by 200 μmol/l H2O2. Then, it was found that microRNA-15a was significantly increased with the H2O2 exposure in vitro. Importantly, B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) and E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) exert crucial roles in cell apoptosis and cell proliferation. We found that BCL2 and E2F3 were greatly reduced by 200 μmol/l H2O2 in human lens epithelial cells. In addition, microRNA-15a overexpression induced cell apoptosis and repressed cell proliferation through suppressing BCL2 and E2F3. Subsequently, BCL2 and E2F3 were predicted as a direct target of microRNA-15a. The direct correlation between microRNA-15a and BCL2/E2F3 was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. In conclusion, we demonstrated that microRNA-15a triggered apoptosis and repressed the proliferation of HLE-B3 cells by modulating BCL2 and E2F3.
The Relationship Between Speech Perceptual Discrimination and Speech Production in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Mollaei Fatemeh , Shiller Douglas M. , Baum Shari R. , Gracco Vincent L. 
Published: November 2019

Purpose
We recently demonstrated that individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) respond differentially to specific altered auditory feedback parameters during speech production. Participants with PD respond more robustly to pitch and less robustly to formant manipulations compared to control participants. In this study, we investigated whether differences in perceptual processing may in part underlie these compensatory differences in speech production.

Methods
Pitch and formant feedback manipulations were presented under 2 conditions: production and listening. In the production condition, 15 participants with PD and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy control participants judged whether their own speech output was manipulated in real time. During the listening task, participants judged whether paired tokens of their previously recorded speech samples were the same or different.

Results
Under listening, 1st formant manipulation discrimination was significantly reduced for the PD group compared to the control group. There was a trend toward better discrimination of pitch in the PD group, but the group difference was not significant. Under the production condition, the ability of participants with PD to identify pitch manipulations was greater than that of the controls.

Conclusion
The findings suggest perceptual processing differences associated with acoustic parameters of fundamental frequency and 1st formant perturbations in PD. These findings extend our previous results, indicating that different patterns of compensation to pitch and 1st formant shifts may reflect a combination of sensory and motor mechanisms that are differentially influenced by basal ganglia dysfunction.
New predictions for radiation-driven, steady-state mass-loss and wind-momentum from hot, massive stars
Authors: Sundqvist J. O. , Björklund R. , Puls J. , Najarro F. 
Published: November 2019

Context. Radiation-driven mass loss plays a key role in the life cycles of massive stars. However, basic predictions of such mass loss still suffer from significant quantitative uncertainties.
Aims. We develop new radiation-driven, steady-state wind models for massive stars with hot surfaces, suitable for quantitative predictions of global parameters like mass-loss and wind-momentum rates.
Methods. The simulations presented here are based on a self-consistent, iterative grid solution to the spherically symmetric, steady-state equation of motion, using full non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer solutions in the co-moving frame to derive the radiative acceleration. We do not rely on any distribution functions or parametrization for computation of the line force responsible for the wind driving. The models start deep in the subsonic and optically thick atmosphere and extend up to a large radius at which the terminal wind speed has been reached.
Results. In this first paper, we present models representing two prototypical O-stars in the Galaxy, one with a higher stellar mass M*∕M⊙ = 59 and luminosity log10L*∕L⊙ = 5.87 (spectroscopically an early O supergiant) and one with a lower M*∕M⊙ = 27 and log10L*∕L⊙ = 5.1 (a late O dwarf). For these simulations, basic predictions for global mass-loss rates, velocity laws, and wind momentum are given, and the influence from additional parameters like wind clumping and microturbulent speeds is discussed. A key result is that although our mass-loss rates agree rather well with alternative models using co-moving frame radiative transfer, they are significantly lower than those predicted by the mass-loss recipes normally included in models of massive-star evolution.
Conclusions. Our results support previous suggestions that Galactic O-star mass-loss rates may be overestimated in present-day stellar evolution models, and that new rates might therefore be needed. Indeed, future papers in this series will incorporate our new models into such simulations of stellar evolution, extending the very first simulations presented here toward larger grids covering a range of metallicities, B supergiants across the bistability jump, and possibly also Wolf-Rayet stars.
Sialolithiasis: aktuelle Diagnostik und Therapie
Authors: Wolf Gregor , Langer Christine , Wittekindt Claus 
Published: November 2019

ZusammenfassungDie Sialolithiasis als eine der häufigsten Speicheldrüsenerkrankungen betrifft die Glandula submandibularis im Vergleich zur Glandula parotis deutlich häufiger. Im Verlauf der Erkrankung kommt es in vielen Fällen zu rezidivierenden Sialadenitiden. Durch verbesserte Diagnostik besteht neben der Submandibulektomie auch die Möglichkeit einer drüsenerhaltenden Therapie, z. B. mittels Miniaturendoskopie (Sialendoskopie).
Tonsillektomie bei Erwachsenen medizinisch und ökonomisch sinnvoll
Authors: Sesterhenn Andreas 
Published: November 2019

Tzelnick S et al. Long-Term Outcomes of Tonsillectomy for Recurrent Tonsillitis in Adults. Laryngoscope 2019; 9999: 1–4. doi:10.1002/lary.27928
Ein Cochrane Review von 2014 beantwortete die Frage nach der Effektivität von Tonsillektomien bei Erwachsenen nicht abschließend, sprach aber für einen positiven Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität. Die retrospektive Studie aus Israel belegt nun eine deutliche Reduktion der Tonsillitis-Episoden und der Gesundheitskosten.
Empfehlungen zur Früherkennung, Risikoreduktion, Überwachung und Therapie bei Patienten mit Lynch-Syndrom
Authors: Hüneburg Robert , Aretz Stefan , Büttner Reinhard , Daum Severin , Engel Christoph , Fechner Guido , Habermann Jens K. , Heling Dominik , Hoffmann Katrin , Holinski-Feder Elke , Kloor Matthias , von Knebel-Döberitz Magnus , Loeffler Markus , Möslein Gabriela , Perne Claudia , Redler Silke , Rieß Olaf , Schmiegel Wolff , Seufferlein Thomas , Siebers-Renelt Ulrike , Steinke-Lange Verena , Tecklenburg Johanna , Vangala Deepak , Vilz Tim , Weitz Jürgen , Wiedenmann Bertram , Strassburg Christian P , Nattermann Jacob 
Published: November 2019

Zusammenfassung
Einleitung Das Lynch-Syndrom (LS) ist die häufigste Form des erblichen Darmkrebses und verursacht ca. 3 % aller kolorektalen Karzinome (KRK). Ursächlich ist eine pathogene Sequenzvariante in einem Mismatch-Reparaturgen (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, EPCAM). Nach aktueller Schätzung ist ca. eine von 300 Personen Anlageträger für LS (ca. 300 000 Mutationsträger/Deutschland). Anlageträger haben ein erhöhtes Lebenszeitrisiko für ein KRK mit einer kumulativen Inzidenz von 15 bis 46 % bis zum 75. Lebensjahr. Weiterhin ist auch das Risiko für extrakolonische Tumoren wie Endometrium-, Dünndarm-, Magen-, Urothel- und andere Karzinome erhöht.
Methoden Das Deutsche Konsortium Familiärer Darmkrebs besteht aus 14 universitären Zentren in Deutschland. Das Ziel des Konsortiums ist es, geeignete Vorsorgeprogramme zu entwickeln und zu evaluieren, damit diese später in die allgemeine Patientenversorgung übernommen werden können. Wir haben aktuell die Empfehlung zur klinischen Betreuung von LS-Patienten überarbeitet.
Ergebnis Eine Koloskopie sollte ab dem 25. Lebensjahr alle 12–24 Monate erfolgen. Bei Diagnose eines KRK ist eine onkologische Resektion notwendig, eine Kolektomie mit ileorektaler Anastomose sollte individuell mit dem Patienten besprochen werden. Das Lebenszeitrisiko für ein Magenkarzinom liegt bei 0,2–13 %. Im Rahmen der endoskopischen Überwachung können signifikant mehr Magenkarzinome in früheren Tumorstadien entdeckt werden im Vergleich zur symptomgetriggerten Endoskopie. Das Lebenszeitrisiko für ein Dünndarmkarzinom liegt bei 4–8 %. Dünndarmkarzinome treten zur Hälfte im Duodenum auf, in 10 % der Fälle vor dem 35. Lebensjahr. Eine ÖGD sollte deshalb ab dem 25. Lebensjahr alle 12–36 Monate erfolgen.
Schlussfolgerung Die Früherkennung, Vorsorge und Behandlung von kolonischen und extrakolonischen Karzinomen bei Patienten mit LS reduziert die Mortalität und Morbidität, ist aber komplex und in verschiedenen Aspekten noch nicht umfassend evaluiert. Weitere gen- und geschlechtsspezifische Vorsorgeempfehlungen sind wünschenswert und sollen in prospektiven Studien evaluiert werden.
Akzeptanz des therapeutischen fäkalen Mikrobiomtransfers bei Patienten mit chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen: Ergebnisse einer fragebogenbasierten Erhebung an einer universitären Spezialambulanz
Authors: Schulte Lucas-Alexander , Schäfer Annika , Steding Katja , Rauschek Lena , Klaus Jochen 
Published: November 2019

ZusammenfasungGestützt von einer wachsenden Fülle an klinischen Daten, gerät der fäkale Mikrobiomtransfer (FMT) zunehmend in den therapeutischen Fokus bei chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen. Die Bewertung dieses therapeutischen Ansatzes ist in vielerlei Hinsicht ambivalent, da die klinische Evidenz teils widersprüchlich ist und Wirkung sowie Nebenwirkung dieser bisher nicht völlig zu standardisierenden Therapie unsicher sind. Hinzu kommt die fragliche Akzeptanz des Verfahrens bei den Patienten. Wir führten eine fragebogenbasierte Umfrage an 302 Patienten mit Colitis ulcerosa oder Morbus Crohn an unserer spezialisierten Hochschulambulanz für chronisch entzündliche Darmerkrankungen durch, um abzuschätzen, wie hoch die Akzeptanz des fäkalen Mikrobiomtransfers bei diesen Patienten ist und welche Faktoren für eine eventuell ablehnende Haltung relevant sind. Unsere Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass die Akzeptanz der FMT mit dem Informationsgrad des Patienten zusammenhängen könnte (68 % Befürworter bei Vorkenntnis des Verfahrens vs. 30 % bei Unkenntnis, p < 0,001), was einen Ansatzpunkt für eine ärztliche Intervention böte. Die als am wichtigsten eingestuften Bedenken gegen eine FMT waren Sorgen vor einer Infektionsübertragung (Rang 1: 98 Stimmen). Die Methode, die die höchste Akzeptanz bei den Befragten erreichte, war die Gabe als orale Kapsel (44 % der Befragten).
Frequency and clinical presentation of alveolar and cystic echinococcosis in a tertiary medical center in Germany 2004–2018: lessons from a low-prevalence area
Authors: Karlas Thomas , Reinhardt Fabian , Blank Valentin , Lippmann Norman , Seehofer Daniel , Lübbert Christoph 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Introduction The prevalence of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE) in Germany is increasing. The number of cases in northern and eastern regions is low, so there is little experience with regard to diagnosis and therapy.
Objectives The objective of this paper was to evaluate the management of suspected and/or diagnosed echinococcosis at a university center in a low-prevalence region.
Methods All the patients at the Leipzig University Hospital between 2004 and 2018 who had been serologically examined for echinococci were included in a retrospective cohort study. Clinical course, imaging, histology, therapeutic characteristics, relevant comorbidities and risk factors for AE and CE were evaluated. A time-staggered prevalence estimation, as well as sensitivity and specificity calculations for the serological tests, were performed.
Results A total of 382 patients were enrolled, with 11 AE and 7 CE cases identified. The mean prevalence rate of AE in this cohort was 2.9 % and that of CE was 1.8 %. Among the patients, 56 % had known risk factors for AE and CE. The serological tests showed a sensitivity of 86 % and a specificity of 91 %. Two patients with false-negative serology were diagnosed by biopsy. All CE and 5 AE patients (45 %) were operated on. Six AE patients received long-term treatment with albendazole.
Conclusions AE and CE are rare diseases in the greater Leipzig region; however, case numbers are on the rise. Due to favorable factors such as the escalation of migration, a further increase is expected. Diagnosis and therapy are challenging and should be supported by specialists (experienced infectiologists, imaging experts and skilled hepatobiliary surgeons) who should be integrated in a German network.
Novel Neonatal Umbilical Catheter Protection and Stabilization Device in In vitro Model of Catheterized Human Umbilical Cords: Effect of Material and Venting on Bacterial Colonization
Authors: Wood Lauren S. Y. , Fuerch Janene H. , Dambkowski Carl L. , Chehab Eric F. , Torres Shivani , Shih Joseph D. , Venook Ross , Wall James K. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractObjective Umbilical central lines deliver life-saving medications and nutrition for neonates; however, complications associated with umbilical catheters (UCs) occur more frequently than in adults with central lines (i.e., line migration, systemic infection). We have developed a device for neonatal UC protection and stabilization to reduce catheter exposure to bacteria compared with the standard of care: “goal post” tape configuration. This study analyzes the effect of device venting and material on bacterial load of human umbilical cords in vitro.Study Design Catheters were inserted into human umbilical cord segments in vitro, secured with plastic or silicone vented prototype versus tape, and levels of bacterial colonization were compared between groups after 7 days of incubation.Results Nonvented plastic prototype showed increased bacterial load compared with goal post (p = 0.04). Colonization was comparable between the goal post and all vented plastic prototypes (p ≥ 0.30) and when compared with the vented silicone device (p = 1).Conclusion A novel silicone device does not increase external bacterial colonization compared with the current standard of care for line securement, and may provide a safe, convenient alternative to standard adhesive tape for UC stabilization. Future studies are anticipated to establish safety in vivo, alongside benefits such as migration and infection reduction.
G6PD Deficiency Prevalence as a Cause of Neonatal Jaundice in a Neonatal Ward in Dohuk, Iraq
Authors: Eissa Adil Abozaid , Haji Bijar Ali , Al-Doski Adnan Anwar 
Published: November 2019

AbstractObjective The current study initiated to address the effect of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency on the pathogenesis and the severity of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB).Study Design A total of 100 newborns with moderate to severe indirect hyperbilirubinemia and 50 normal neonates without hyperbilirubinemia had been enrolled in the current case–control study. All enrolled neonates had been tested for ABO and Rh(D) blood grouping, Total serum bilirubin measurement, complete blood count, morphology, reticulocyte counts, direct Coombs' test, and G6PD enzyme assay.Results From all enrolled hyperbilirubinemic neonates, 16% were G6PD deficient and this displays a statistically significant difference in comparison to controls (only 6% were G6PD deficient). Also, significant difference was found in the level of serum indirect bilirubin among G6PD-deficient neonate in comparison to G6PD nondeficient neonates which had contributed significantly to the difference in the duration of phototherapy and hospitalization among deficient neonate. Despite this, no significant difference found in the onset of presentation, reticulocytes count, and age of neonates between the two groups (G6PD-deficient and G6PD nondeficient neonates).Conclusion The current study augments the etiological role of G6PD in the causation and severity of NHB in the region; however, in the absence of significant difference in the reticulocytes and the hemoglobin level, the underlying mechanism cannot be backed to the excess hemolysis alone.