bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A combined 3D printing/CNC micro-milling method to fabricate a large-scale microfluidic device with the small size 3D architectures: an application for tumor spheroid production
Authors: Behroodi Ebrahim , Latifi Hamid , Bagheri Zeinab , Ermis Esra , Roshani Shabnam , Salehi Moghaddam Mohammadreza 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe fabrication of a large-scale microfluidic mold with 3D microstructures for manufacturing of the conical microwell chip using a combined projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL) 3D printing/CNC micro-milling method for tumor spheroid formation is presented. The PµSL technique is known as the most promising method of manufacturing microfluidic chips due to the possibility of creating complex three-dimensional microstructures with high resolution in the range of several micrometers. The purpose of applying the proposed method is to investigate the influence of microwell depths on the formation of tumor spheroids. In the conventional methods, the construction of three-dimensional microstructures and multi-height chips is difficult, time-consuming, and is performed using a multi-step lithography process. Microwell depth is an essential parameter for microwell design since it directly affects the shear stress of the fluid flow and the diffusion of nutrients, respiratory gases, and growth factors. In this study, a chip was made with microwells of different depth varying from 100 to 500 µm. The mold of the microwell section is printed by the lab-made PµSL printer with 6 and 1 µm lateral and vertical resolutions. Other parts of the mold, such as the main chamber and micro-channels, were manufactured using the CNC micro-milling method. Finally, different parts of the master mold were assembled and used for PDMS casting. The proposed technique drastically simplifies the fabrication and rapid prototyping of large-scale microfluidic devices with high-resolution microstructures by combining 3D printing with the CNC micro-milling method.
Quantifying the functional disparity in pigment spot-background egg colour ICP-OES-based eggshell ionome at two extremes of avian embryonic development
Authors: Orłowski Grzegorz , Niedzielski Przemysław , Merta Dorota , Pokorny Przemysław , Proch Jędrzej 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIt is known that a developing avian embryo resorbs micronutrients (calcium and other chemical elements) from the inner layer of the eggshell, inducing thinning and overall changes in the shell’s chemical composition. However, an aspect yet to be explored relates to the local changes in the multi-elemental composition (ionome) of the pigment spot and adjacent background colour regions of eggshells resulting from avian embryogenesis (with respect to two extremes of embryonic growth: the maternal level at the moment of egg laying, and after the completion of embryonic growth). To address this problem, we used inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to establish the elemental profiles of microsamples from the cryptic eggs of CapercaillieTetrao urogallusand Black GrouseTetrao tetrix, representing the background colour and pigment spot regions of the shell. We then related these to the developmental stage of the eggs (non-embryonated eggs vs. post-hatched eggshells) and their origin (wild vs. captive hens). Our results show an apparent local disparity between the pigment spot and background colour regions in the distribution of chemical elements: most elements tended to be at higher levels in the speckled regions of the shell, these differences becoming less pronounced in post-hatched eggshells. The trends of changes following embryonic eggshell etching between the pigment spot and background colour shell regions were conflicting and varied between the two species. We hypothesized that one potential working explanation for these interspecific differences could be based on the variable composition of elements (mostly of Ca and Mg), which are the result of the varying thickness of the individual shell layers, especially as the relative difference in shell thickness in the pigment spots and background colour regions was less in Black Grouse eggs. Overall, this investigation strongly suggests that egg maculation plays a functional role in the physiological deactivation of trace elements by incorporating them into the less calcified external shell layer but without participating in micronutrient resorption. Our major critical conclusion is that all research involving the chemical analysis of eggshells requires standardized eggshell sampling procedures in order to unify their colouration and embryonic status.
Metal ion removal using waste byssus from aquaculture
Authors: Montroni Devis , Giusti Giorgia , Simoni Andrea , Cau Genny , Ciavatta Claudio , Marzadori Claudio , Falini Giuseppe 
Published: December 2020

AbstractByssus is a thread-like seafood waste that has a natural high efficiency in anchoring many metal ions thanks to its richness of diverse functional groups. It also has structural stability in extreme chemical, physical and mechanical conditions. The combination of these properties, absent in other waste materials, has novelty suggested its use as matrix for water remediation. Thus, pristine byssus, upon de-metalation, was studied to remove metal ions from ideal solutions at pH 4 and 7, as model chemical systems of industrial and environmental polluted waters, respectively. The byssus matrix’s uptake of metal ions was determined by ICP-OES and its surface microstructure investigated by SEM. The results showed that the byssus matrix excellently uptakes metal ions slightly reorganizing its surface micro-structure. As example of its efficiency: 50 mg of byssus absorbed 21.7 mg·g−1 of Cd2+ from a 10 mM solution at pH 7. The adsorption isotherm models of Freundlich and Langmuir were mainly used to describe the system at pH 7 and pH 4, respectively. In conclusion, we showed that the byssus, a waste material that is an environmental issue, has the potential to purify polluted industrial and environmental waters from metal ions.
Incidence of endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent with or without topical antibiotics
Authors: Morioka Masakazu , Takamura Yoshihiro , Nagai Kazuki , Yoshida Shigeo , Mori Junya , Takeuchi Masaru , Sawada Tomoko , Sone Kumiko , Fukuyama Hisashi , Kusuhara Sentaro , Yasukawa Tsutomu , Murakami Tomoya , Tabuchi Hitoshi , Nagasato Daisuke , Hirano Takao , Ueda Tetsuo , Jujo Tatsuya , Sasajima Hirofumi , Mitamura Yoshinori , Ishikawa Kunihiro , Inatani Masaru 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIntravitreal injection (IVI) of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the standard treatment modality in various types of retinal diseases. However, endophthalmitis remains the most serious complication. Despite the lack of evidence that antibiotics prevent endophthalmitis, topical antibiotics are still used routinely in Japan. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study by analyzing records from patients who underwent IVI of anti-VEGF agents with or without antibiotic treatment. In the analysis of a total of 147,440 eyes, the incidence of endophthalmitis was 0.007%: 0.005% with no use of antibiotics, 0.009% with antibiotic pretreatment, 0.012% with posttreatment, and 0.005% with pre- and posttreatment. There was no statistically significant difference among the four groups (chi-square test, p = 0.57). Most facilities used masks, sterilized gloves, and drapes. Nine of the 10 eyes that developed endophthalmitis received topical antibiotics, and all infected eyes underwent IVI with aflibercept, not the prefilled syringe delivery system. In four patients who received multiple IVI, the detection of causative bacteria revealed resistance to used antibiotics. Data from this large population, treated with or without antibiotics, suggests that antibiotic prophylaxis does not reduce the rate of endophthalmitis after IVI.
Comparison of the effects of sibling and parental history of type 2 diabetes on metabolic syndrome
Authors: Chiu Hsuan , Lee Mei-Yueh , Wu Pei-Yu , Huang Jiun-Chi , Chen Szu-Chia , Chang Jer-Ming 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the associations between sibling history, parental history and simultaneous sibling and parental history of diabetes, and the presence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components. Our study comprised 5000 participants from Taiwan Biobank until April, 2014. The participants were stratified into four groups according to sibling and/or parental family history (FH) of DM. MetS was defined as having 3 of the following 5 abnormalities based on the standard of the NCEP ATP III and modified criteria for Asians. The prevalence of MetS and its traits was estimated and compared among the four familial risk strata. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed participants with sibling FH of DM [vs. no FH of DM; odds ratio (OR) 1.815; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.293 to 2.548; p = 0.001], participants with parental FH of DM (vs. no FH of DM; OR 1.771; 95% CI 1.468 to 2.135; p < 0.001), and participants with simultaneous sibling and parental FH of DM (vs. no FH of DM; OR 2.961; 95% CI 2.108 to 4.161; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with MetS. A synergistic effect of sibling FH of DM and parental FH of DM on the association of MetS was also observed. In a nationally representative sample of Taiwan adults, a simultaneous sibling and parental history of diabetes shows a significant, independent association with MetS and its components, except for abdominal obesity. The association highlights the importance of obtaining stratified FH information in clinical practice and may help to identify individuals who should be targeted for screening and early prevention of MetS.
Molecular origin of sliding friction and flash heating in rock and heterogeneous materials
Authors: Piroozan Nariman , Sahimi Muhammad 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIt is generally believed that earthquakes occur when faults weaken with increasing slip rates. An important factor contributing to this phenomenon is the faults’ dynamic friction, which may be reduced during earthquakes with high slip rates, a process known as slip-rate weakening. It has been hypothesized that the weakening phenomenon during fault slip may be activated by thermal pressurization of pores’ fluid and flash heating, a microscopic phenomenon in which heat is generated at asperity contacts due to high shear slip rates. Due to low thermal conductivity of rock, the heat generated at the contact points or surfaces cannot diffuse fast enough, thus concentrating at the contacts, increasing the local contact temperature, and reducing its frictional shear strength. We report the results of what we believe to be the first molecular scale study of the decay of the interfacial friction force in rock, observed in experiemntal studies and attributed to flash heating. The magnitude of the reduction in the shear stress and the local friction coefficients have been computed over a wide range of shear velocities V. The molecular simulations indicate that as the interfacial temperature increases, bonds between the atoms begin to break, giving rise to molecular-scale fracture that eventually produces the flash heating effect. The frequency of flash heating events increases with increasing sliding velocity, leaving increasingly shorter times for the material to relax, hence contributing to the increased interfacial temperature. If the material is thin, the heat quickly diffuses away from the interface, resulting in sharp decrease in the temperature immediately after flash heating. The rate of heat transfer is reduced significantly with increasing thickness, keeping most of the heat close to the interface and producing weakened material. The weakening behavior is demonstrated by computing the stress–strain diagram. For small strain rates there the frictional stress is essentially independent of the materials’ thickness. As the strain rate increases, however, the dependence becomes stronger. Specifically, the stress–strain diagrams at lower velocities V manifest a pronounced strength decrease over small distances, whereas they exhibit progressive increase in the shear stress at higher V, which is reminiscent of a transition from ductile behavior at high velocities to brittle response at low velocities.
microRNA-27b inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in bladder cancer by targeting engrailed-2
Authors: Li Yunfei , Duan Qilin , Gan Lu , Li Wei , Yang Jianggen , Huang Guixiao 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Background: Bladder cancer is considered a malignant tumour characterised by great heterogeneity. Engrailed-2 may be a gene implicated in bladder cancer. Bioinformatics analysis found base pair complementation between microRNA-27b and engrailed-2. The present study aimed to investigate the reciprocal association between microRNA-27b and engrailed-2 in bladder cancer.
Methods: The microRNA-27b and the protein of engrailed-2 in the tissues and cells of the bladder were detected. The processes of apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, and migration of tumour cells were evaluated. The co-action between microRNA-27b and engrailed-2 was detected by a luciferase reporter system. Finally, the interaction between microRNA-27b and engrailed-2 was further verified in vivo.
Results: The study found that the expression level of microRNA-27b is lower in bladder cancer tissues and cells than that in neighbouring ordinary tissues, whereas the opposite outcome was observed regarding the expression level of engrailed-2. Furthermore, microRNA-27b expression level is not significantly linked to the age of patients with bladder cancer; however, it is significantly associated with the clinicopathological grade of bladder cancer. Notably, engrailed-2 is negatively regulated by microRNA-27b. Transfection with microRNA-27b was associated with a significant reduction in the activity of bladder cancer cells and promoted apoptosis, while engrailed-2 restoration effectively reversed the above effects of microRNA-27b on bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusions: In conclusion, engrailed-2 is engaged in the development and process of bladder cancer through the negative mediation of microRNA-27b; additionally, microRNA-27b/engrailed-2 could form a signalling pathway with a significant effect on the process of bladder cancer.
Comprehensive analysis reveals a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker CD3D in the breast carcinoma microenvironment
Authors: Zhu Zhipeng , Ye Weipeng , Wu Xiaofang , Lin Sihao , Xu Jiuhua , Li Lulu , Li Jiayi , Wang Haibin , Huang Zhengjie 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
Breast carcinoma (BRCA) is the most common carcinoma among women worldwide. Despite the great progress achieved in early detection and treatment, morbidity and mortality rates remain high. In the present study, we make a systematic analysis of BRCA using TCGA database by applying CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE computational methods, uncovered CD3D as a prognostic biomarker by intersection analysis of univariate COX and protein–protein interaction (PPI). It revealed that high CD3D expression was strongly associated with poor survival of BRCA, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and online websites. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed that the high CD3D expression group was mainly enriched for the immune-related pathways and the low CD3D expression group was mainly enriched for metabolic-related activities. Based on CIBERSORT analysis, the difference test and correlation test suggested that CD3D had a strong correlation with T cells, particularly CD8 + T cells, which indicated that CD3D up-regulation may increase T cell immune infiltration in the TME and induce antitumor immunity by activating T lymphocytes. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that CD3D expression had a strongly positive correlation with immune checkpoints, which indicating that the underlying mechanism involves CD3D mediated regulation of T cell functions in BRCA, and single cell RNA-seq analysis revealed that CD3D correlate with CD8 + T cells and it is itself highly expressed in CD8 + T cells. In summary, we identified a prognostic biomarker CD3D in BRCA, which was associated with lymphocyte infiltration, immune checkpoints and could be developed for innovative therapeutics of BRCA.
Identification of an autophagy-related gene signature predicting overall survival for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Xu Wenfang , Guo Wenke , Lu Ping , Ma Duan , Liu Lei , Yu Fudong 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) calls for the development of accurate prognostic models. The growing number of studies indicating a correlation between autophagy activity and HCC indicates there is a commitment to finding solutions for the prognosis of HCC from the perspective of autophagy. We used a cohort in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to evaluate the expression of autophagy-related genes in 371 HCC samples using univariate Cox and lasso Cox regression analysis, and the prognostic features were identified. A prognostic model was established by combining the expression of selected genes with the multivariate Cox regression coefficient of each gene. Eight autophagy-related genes were selected as prognostic features of HCC. We established the HCC prognostic risk model in TCGA dataset using these identified prognostic genes. The model’s stability was confirmed in two independent verification sets (GSE14520 and GSE36376). The model had a good predictive power for the overall survival (OS) of HCC (hazard ratio = 2.32, 95% confidence interval = 1.76–3.05, P&lt;0.001). Moreover, the risk score computed by the model did not depend on other clinical parameters. Finally, the applicability of the model was demonstrated through a nomogram (C-index = 0.701). In the present study, we established an autophagy-related risk model having a high prediction accuracy for OS in HCC. Our findings will contribute to the definition of prognosis and establishment of personalized therapy for HCC patients.
The model structure of the hammerhead ribozyme formed by RNAs of reciprocal chirality
Authors: Wyszko Eliza , Popenda Mariusz , Gudanis Dorota , Sarzyńska Joanna , Belter Agnieszka , Perrigue Patrick , Skowronek Paweł , Rolle Katarzyna , Barciszewski Jan 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
RNA-based tools are frequently used to modulate gene expression in living cells. However, the stability and effectiveness of such RNA-based tools is limited by cellular nuclease activity. One way to increase RNA’s resistance to nucleases is to replace its D-ribose backbone with L-ribose isomers. This modification changes chirality of an entire RNA molecule to L-form giving it more chance of survival when introduced into cells. Recently, we have described the activity of left-handed hammerhead ribozyme (L-Rz, L-HH) that can specifically hydrolyse RNA with the opposite chirality at a predetermined location. To understand the structural background of the RNA specific cleavage in a heterochiral complex, we used circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as well as performed molecular modelling and dynamics simulations of homo- and heterochiral RNA complexes. The active ribozyme-target heterochiral complex showed a mixed chirality as well as low field imino proton NMR signals. We modelled the 3D structures of the oligoribonucleotides with their ribozyme counterparts of reciprocal chirality. L- or D-ribozyme formed a stable, homochiral helix 2, and two short double heterochiral helixes 1 and 3 of D- or L-RNA strand thorough irregular Watson–Crick base pairs. The formation of the heterochiral complexes is supported by the result of simulation molecular dynamics. These new observations suggest that L-catalytic nucleic acids can be used as tools in translational biology and diagnostics.
Post-Contrast Acute Kidney Injury and Intravenous Prophylactic Hydration: An Update
Authors: Nijssen Estelle Claire , Rennenberg Roger , Nelemans Patty , van Ommen Vincent , Wildberger Joachim E. 
Published: December 2020

Background Despite tremendous improvement in molecular properties over the last century, intravascular injection of iodinated contrast material may still have systemic and hemodynamic consequences. Patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency may be at risk for acute kidney injury, which may be associated with an increased risk of the need for dialysis and mortality in the long term. Many questions as to the physiological pathways, optimal definition, and incidence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury remain open. These uncertainties are reflected in the changing landscape of this field in terms of nomenclature, research, and clinical practice.
Methods Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of post-contrast acute kidney injury all recommend giving prophylaxis in the form of intravenous hydration to high-risk patients. Solid evidence for this strategy is lacking. This article gives an overview of the changing landscape of post-contrast acute kidney injury and prophylactic intravenous hydration, with the aim of supporting informed decision-making in clinical practice.
Results Recent data have caused a shift in guideline recommendations: 90 % of patients formerly considered high-risk for contrast-induced acute kidney injury no longer qualify for prophylaxis. The remaining high-risk patients, with severe chronic kidney disease, represent a vulnerable population for whom intravenous hydration may provide some benefits but also carries risk.
Conclusion Intravenous hydration may benefit ‘new’ high-risk patients. However, it also confers risk. A dual approach to screening patients will help avoid this risk in clinical practice.
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