bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tryptanthrin promotes keratinocyte and fibroblast responses in vitro after infection with Trichophyton benhamiae DSM6916
Authors: Hesse-Macabata Jana , Morgner Bianka , Elsner Peter , Hipler Uta-Christina , Wiegand Cornelia 
Published: February 2020

AbstractExceedingly virulent pathogens and growing antimicrobial resistances require new therapeutic approaches. The zoophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton benhamiae causes highly inflammatory, cutaneous fungal infections. Recently, it could be shown that the plant-derived alkaloid tryptanthrin (TRP) exhibits strong anti-microbial activities against yeasts and dermatophytes. The aim of this study was to analyse the bioactivity of TRP under infectious conditions using an in-vitro dermatophytosis model employing fibroblasts and keratinocytes infected with T. benhamiae DSM6916. Analyses comprised determination of cell viability, effects on the innate immune response including expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines as well as expression of various antimicrobial peptides (AMP), toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and proliferation marker MKI67. T. benhamiae caused severe inflammation in the cutaneous cell models. TRP almost fully prevented T. benhamiae-derived damage of dermal fibroblasts and substantially reduced it in epidermal keratinocytes. A distinct down-regulation of the expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed. Further, TRP promoted AMP expression, especially of HBD2 and HBD3, in keratinocytes even without fungal presence. This study provides crucial evidence that TRP is not only a strong antifungal agent but also potentially modulates the innate immune response. This makes it interesting as a natural antimycotic drug for adjuvant treatment and prevention of fungal re-infection.
Comparative pharmacokinetics of osmotic-controlled and immediate-release Eperisone tablet formulation in healthy human subjects using a sensitive plasma LC-ESI-MS/MS method
Authors: Ahmed Kamran , Shoaib Muhammad Harris , Yousuf Rabia Ismail , Siddiqui Fahad , Qazi Faaiza , Iftikhar Javeria , Ahmed Farrukh Rafiq , Nasiri Muhammad Iqbal 
Published: February 2020

AbstractTo evaluate and compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of a newly developed oral osmotically controlled drug delivery system of Eperisone 150 mg tablets with Eperisone immediate release (IR) marketed tablet brand as a reference formulation. It was a single dose, two treatment, two sequence, randomized, crossover study, involving 12 healthy human subjects. A modified, sensitive LC-ESI-MS/MS method was developed and validated as per FDA guidelines for estimation of Eperisone in plasma using a simple extraction and quick protein precipitation method. Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic model was used for PK analysis. Results were statistically compared using logarithmically transformed data, where p > 0.05 was considered as non-significant with 90% CI limit of 0.8–1.25. The bio-analytical method used for estimating drug plasma concentration was found to be simple, selective, linear, accurate and precise with 0.01 ng/ml as limit of detection. The comparative PK analysis revealed an insignificant difference in AUC0-∞, AUC0-t, Vz/F, Cl/F and t1/2λz, whereas a significant difference in Cmax, Tmax and MTTs were found. The relative bioavailability of Eperisone osmotic tablet was 109.7%. The osmotic controlled release drug formulation was found to release Eperisone for an extended period with less inter individual fluctuation in pharmacokinetic variables.
RefDNN: a reference drug based neural network for more accurate prediction of anticancer drug resistance
Authors: Choi Jonghwan , Park Sanghyun , Ahn Jaegyoon 
Published: February 2020

AbstractCancer is one of the most difficult diseases to treat owing to the drug resistance of tumour cells. Recent studies have revealed that drug responses are closely associated with genomic alterations in cancer cells. Numerous state-of-the-art machine learning models have been developed for prediction of drug responses using various genomic data and diverse drug molecular information, but those methods are ineffective to predict drug response to untrained drugs and gene expression patterns, which is known as the cold-start problem. In this study, we present a novel deep neural network model, termed RefDNN, for improved prediction of drug resistance and identification of biomarkers related to drug response. RefDNN exploits a collection of drugs, called reference drugs, to learn representations for a high-dimensional gene expression vector and a molecular structure vector of a drug and predicts drug response labels using the reference drug-based representations. These calculations come from the observation that similar chemicals have similar effects. The proposed model not only outperformed existing computational prediction models in most comparative experiments, but also showed more robust prediction for untrained drugs and cancer types than traditional machine learning models. RefDNN exploits the ElasticNet regularization to deal with high-dimensional gene expression data, which allows identification of gene markers associated with drug resistance. Lastly, we described an application of RefDNN in exploring a new candidate drug for liver cancer. As the proposed model can guarantee good prediction of drug responses to untrained drugs for given gene expression patterns, it may be of potential benefit in drug repositioning and personalized medicine.
Pan-cancer analyses of human nuclear receptors reveal transcriptome diversity and prognostic value across cancer types
Authors: Parris Toshima Z. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe human nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily comprises 48 ligand-dependent transcription factors that play regulatory roles in physiology and pathophysiology. In cancer, NRs have long served as predictors of disease stratification, treatment response, and clinical outcome. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pan-Cancer project provides a wealth of genetic data for a large number of human cancer types. Here, we examined NR transcriptional activity in 8,526 patient samples from 33 TCGA ‘Pan-Cancer’ diseases and 11 ‘Pan-Cancer’ organ systems using RNA sequencing data. The web-based Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter tool was then used to evaluate the prognostic potential of NR gene expression in 21/33 cancer types. Although, most NRs were significantly underexpressed in cancer, NR expression (moderate to high expression levels) was predominantly restricted (46%) to specific tissues, particularly cancers representing gynecologic, urologic, and gastrointestinal ‘Pan-Cancer’ organ systems. Intriguingly, a relationship emerged between recurrent positive pairwise correlation of Class IV NRs in most cancers. NR expression was also revealed to play a profound effect on patient overall survival rates, with ≥5 prognostic NRs identified per cancer type. Taken together, these findings highlighted the complexity of NR transcriptional networks in cancer and identified novel therapeutic targets for specific cancer types.
Predation of young tortoises by ravens: the effect of habitat structure on tortoise detectability and abundance
Authors: Segura Amalia , Jimenez José , Acevedo Pelayo 
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe predation of young tortoise is considered a major cause of mortality for many tortoise species. The predation by common ravens has been identified as being responsible for significant decreases in tortoise populations. Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise hatchlings and juveniles in Maamora forest (Morocco) were studied in order to describe the size/age class predation of common ravens on young tortoises and infer the drivers of predation risk and population abundance. The results showed a high level of predation on young tortoises (<75 mm carapace length) attributed to ravens in areas with low vegetation cover, representing 100% of the cases of mortality (n = 147), but it was moderate in covered areas (n = 19), representing 12–27%. The population structure of living juveniles differed significantly between covered and uncovered areas, thus suggesting that raven predation might modify juvenile population structure. Finally, N-mixture models showed a positive relationship between (i) bare cover and tortoise detectability that is only evidenced when the plot is far from a perch and (ii) population abundance and shrub species-richness, being higher in uncovered areas. Our results improve the knowledge on predation and survival on this critical stage in life, which is crucial for the conservation of the Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise.
Cellular uptake of magnetic nanoparticles imaged and quantified by magnetic particle imaging
Authors: Paysen Hendrik , Loewa Norbert , Stach Anke , Wells James , Kosch Olaf , Twamley Shailey , Makowski Marcus R. , Schaeffter Tobias , Ludwig Antje , Wiekhorst Frank 
Published: February 2020

AbstractMagnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a non-invasive, non-ionizing imaging technique for the visualization and quantification of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The technique is especially suitable for cell imaging as it offers zero background contribution from the surrounding tissue, high sensitivity, and good spatial and temporal resolutions. Previous studies have demonstrated that the dynamic magnetic behaviour of MNPs changes during cellular binding and internalization. In this study, we demonstrate how this information is encoded in the MPI imaging signal. Through MPI imaging we are able to discriminate between free and cell-bound MNPs in reconstructed images. This technique was used to image and quantify the changes that occur in-vitro when free MNPs come into contact with cells and undergo cellular-uptake over time. The quantitative MPI results were verified by colorimetric measurements of the iron content. The results showed a mean relative difference between the MPI results and the reference method of 23.8% for the quantification of cell-bound MNPs. With this technique, the uptake of MNPs in cells can be imaged and quantified directly from the first MNP cell contact, providing information on the dynamics of cellular uptake.
Wetting Properties of Graphene Aerogels
Authors: De Nicola Francesco , Viola Ilenia , Tenuzzo Lorenzo Donato , Rasch Florian , Lohe Martin R. , Nia Ali Shaygan , Schütt Fabian , Feng Xinliang , Adelung Rainer , Lupi Stefano 
Published: February 2020

AbstractGraphene hydrophobic coatings paved the way towards a new generation of optoelectronic and fluidic devices. Nevertheless, such hydrophobic thin films rely only on graphene non-polar surface, rather than taking advantage of its surface roughness. Furthermore, graphene is typically not self-standing. Differently, carbon aerogels have high porosity, large effective surface area due to their surface roughness, and very low mass density, which make them a promising candidate as a super-hydrophobic material for novel technological applications. However, despite a few works reporting the general super-hydrophobic and lipophilic behavior of the carbon aerogels, a detailed characterization of their wetting properties is still missing, to date. Here, the wetting properties of graphene aerogels are demonstrated in detail. Without any chemical functionalization or patterning of their surface, the samples exhibit a super-lipophilic state and a stationary super-hydrophobic state with a contact angle up to 150 ± 15° and low contact angle hysteresis ≈ 15°, owing to the fakir effect. In addition, the adhesion force of the graphene aerogels in contact with the water droplets and their surface tension are evaluated. For instance, the unique wettability and enhanced liquid absorption of the graphene aerogels can be exploited for reducing contamination from oil spills and chemical leakage accidents.
The ventral peptidergic system of the adult ascidian Ciona robusta (Ciona intestinalis Type A) insights from a transgenic animal model
Authors: Osugi Tomohiro , Sasakura Yasunori , Satake Honoo 
Published: February 2020

AbstractAscidians are the sister group of vertebrates and occupy a critical position in explorations of the evolution of the endocrine and nervous systems of chordates. Here, we describe the complete ventral peptidergic system in adult transgenic Ciona robusta (Ciona intestinalis Type A) which expresses the Kaede reporter gene driven by the prohormone convertase 2 (PC2) gene promoter. Numerous PC2 promoter-driven fluorescent (Kaede-positive) non-neural cells were distributed in the blood sinus located at the anterior end of the pharynx, suggesting the acquisition of a peptidergic circulatory system in Ciona. Kaede-positive ciliated columnar cells, rounded cells, and tall ciliated cells were observed in the alimentary organs, including the endostyle, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and intestine, suggesting that digestive functions are regulated by multiple peptidergic systems. In the heart, Kaede-positive neurons were located in the ring-shaped plexus at both ends of the myocardium. Nerve fiber–like tracts ran along the raphe and appeared to be connected with the plexuses. Such unique structures suggest a role for the peptidergic system in cardiac function. Collectively, the present anatomic analysis revealed the major framework of the ventral peptidergic system of adult Ciona, which could facilitate investigations of peptidergic regulation of the pharynx, endostyle, alimentary tissues, and heart.
Evaluation of pulse wave transit time analysis for non-invasive cardiac output quantification in pregnant patients
Authors: Schneck Emmanuel , Drubel Pascal , Schürg Rainer , Markmann Melanie , Kohl Thomas , Henrich Michael , Sander Michael , Koch Christian 
Published: February 2020

AbstractPregnant patients undergoing minimally-invasive foetoscopic surgery for foetal spina bifida have a need to be subjected to advanced haemodynamic monitoring. This observational study compares cardiac output as measured by transpulmonary thermodilution monitoring with the results of non-invasive estimated continuous cardiac output monitoring. Transpulmonary thermodilution-based pulse contour analysis was performed for usual anaesthetic care, while non-invasive estimated continuous cardiac output monitoring data were additionally recorded. Thirty-five patients were enrolled, resulting in 199 measurement time points. Cardiac output measurements of the non-invasive estimated continuous cardiac output monitoring showed a weak correlation with the corresponding thermodilution measurements (correlation coefficient: 0.44, R2: 0.19; non-invasive estimated continuous cardiac output: 7.4 [6.2–8.1]; thermodilution cardiac output: 8.9 [7.8–9.8]; p ≤ 0.001), while cardiac index experienced no such correlation. Furthermore, neither stroke volume nor stroke volume index correlated with the corresponding thermodilution-based data. Even though non-invasive estimated continuous cardiac output monitoring consistently underestimated the corresponding thermodilution parameters, no trend analysis was achievable. Summarizing, we cannot suggest the use of non-invasive estimated continuous cardiac output monitoring as an alternative to transpulmonary thermodilution for cardiac output monitoring in pregnant patients undergoing minimally-invasive foetoscopic surgery for spina bifida.
Impact of refractive index increment on the determination of molecular weight of hyaluronic acid by muti-angle laser light-scattering technique
Authors: Han Ying , Li Dejie , Li Deqiang , Chen Wenwen , Mu Shu’e , Chen Yuqin , Chai Jinling 
Published: February 2020

AbstractHyaluronic acid (HA) is applied in a number of medical applications and HA of different molecular weight (Mw) are used in different pharmaceutical preparations. In determination of Mw by muti-angle laser light-scattering (MALS), refractive index increment (dn/dc) is an important parameter for accuracy. Herein, the influence of dn/dc on the Mw of HA in stroke-physiological saline solution is investigated by MALS in this work. Additionally, the Mw variation of HA in the manufacturing process of preparations is measured. It is shown that each HA sample corresponds to a specific value of dn/dc, which is varied from 1.38 to 1.74 L/g with the Mw increasing from 13.5 to 2840 kDa in solution. It is indicated by the results from both MALS approach and viscometry that appropriate dn/dc should be selected for Mw determination. In steam sterilization process of preparations at 121 °C, the Mw and conformation of HA can be accurately and rapidly determined by MALS. This work provides a precise method to determine the Mw of HA in the medical applications and preparation industries.
Biologically Aggressive Phenotype and Anti-cancer Immunity Counterbalance in Breast Cancer with High Mutation Rate
Authors: Takahashi Hideo , Asaoka Mariko , Yan Li , Rashid Omar M. , Oshi Masanori , Ishikawa Takashi , Nagahashi Masayuki , Takabe Kazuaki 
Published: February 2020

AbstractWhile cancer cells gain aggressiveness by mutations, abundant mutations release neoantigens, attracting anti-cancer immune cells. We hypothesized that in breast cancer (BC), where mutation is less common, tumors with high mutation rates demonstrate aggressive phenotypes and attract immune cells simultaneously. High mutation rates were defined as the top 10% of the mutation rate, utilizing TCGA and METABRIC transcriptomic data. Mutation rate did not impact survival although high mutation BCs were associated with aggressive clinical features, such as more frequent in ER-negative tumors (p < 0.01), in triple-negative subtype (p = 0.03), and increased MKI-67 mRNA expression (p < 0.01) in both cohorts. Tumors with high mutation rates were associated with APOBEC3B and homologous recombination deficiency, increasing neoantigen loads (all p < 0.01). Cell proliferation and immune activity pathways were enriched in BCs with high mutation rates. Furthermore, there were higher lymphocytes and M1 macrophage infiltration in high mutation BCs. Additionally, T-cell receptor diversity, cytolytic activity score (CYT), and T-cell exhaustion marker expression were significantly elevated in BCs with high mutation rates (all p < 0.01), indicating strong immunogenicity. In conclusion, enhanced immunity due to neoantigens can be one of possible forces to counterbalance aggressiveness of a high mutation rate, resulting in similar survival rates to low mutation BCs.
Poor maternal nutritional status before and during pregnancy is associated with suspected child developmental delay in 2-year old Brazilian children
Authors: Neves Paulo A. R. , Gatica-Domínguez Giovanna , Santos Iná S. , Bertoldi Andréa D. , Domingues Marlos , Murray Joseph , Silveira Mariângela F. 
Published: February 2020

AbstractInadequate pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) have been associated with sub-optimal child development. We used data from the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. Maternal anthropometry was extracted from antenatal/hospital records. BMI (kg/m2) and GWG (kg) adequacy were classified according to WHO and IOM, respectively. Development was evaluated using the INTER-NDA assessment tool for 3,776 children aged 24 months. Suspected developmental delay (SDD) was defined as <10th percentile. Associations between maternal exposures and child development were tested using linear and logistic regressions. Mediation for the association between BMI and child development through GWG was tested using G-formula. Sex differences were observed for all child development domains, except motor. Maternal pre-pregnancy underweight increased the odds of SDD in language (OR: 2.75; 95%CI: 1.30–5.80), motor (OR: 2.28; 95%CI: 1.20–4.33), and global (OR: 2.14; 95% CI: 1.05–4.33) domains for girls; among boys, excessive GWG was associated with SDD in language (OR: 1.59; 95%CI: 1.13–2.24) and cognition (OR: 1.59; 95%CI: 1.15–2.22). Total GWG suppressed the association of pre-pregnancy BMI with percentiles of global development in the entire sample. Maternal underweight and excessive GWG were negatively associated with development of girls and boys, respectively. The association of pre-pregnancy BMI with global child development was not mediated by GWG, irrespective of child’s sex.
Fracture Ultrasound of the Extremities
Authors: Ackermann Ole , Simanowski Jörg , Eckert Kolja 
Published: February 2020

AbstractFracture ultrasound has increasingly come into the focus of international research. A growing number of original articles and a meta-analysis show that wrist fractures can be diagnosed without X-ray in children up to 12 years. Further original publications state that elbow fractures can be ruled out by exclusion of intraarticular effusion and in proximal humerus fractures the number of X-rays is reduced by about 50 %, while the quality of diagnosis is improved. Screening for occult fractures is another good indication. Clavicle fractures, and ac-joint sprains can be diagnosed better with US than with X-rays. A number of research groups have contributed valuable research about the different indications. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the basics and actual fields of application for fracture ultrasound of the extremities.
Urgent endoscopy in patients with “true foreign bodies” in the upper gastrointestinal tract – a retrospective study of the period 1994–2018
Authors: Skok Pavel , Skok Kristijan 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Aim The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of patients with “true foreign bodies” in the upper gastrointestinal tract and to evaluate the success of urgent endoscopic procedures in removing these objects.
Materials and methods The retrospective study includes patients in which urgent endoscopic investigations of the upper digestive tract were performed in a 23-year period, from 1st January 1994 to 1st January 2018.
Results Altogether 13 196 patients were investigated: 5147 (39 %) females and 8049 (61 %) males, mean age 62.8 years, SD ± 18.5 years, range 1–106 years. In only 172 patients – 1.3 % of all subjects – true foreign bodies were detected (in range from 1–8) in the esophagus or stomach. In these patients, a total of 242 endoscopic procedures were performed. In 95.9 % the foreign bodies were removed endoscopically (165/172 patients); in 7 cases (4.1 %) the endoscopic procedures were not successful. Among the foreign bodies removed were various metal or plastic objects: hooks, batteries, coins, keys, screws, razor blades, lighters, buttons, toys, 3 toothbrushes as well as impacted safety pins. In patients with successful endoscopic removal, no significant complications were noted. In 12 patients (12/165, 7.2 %), hemorrhages from the region of the esophagogastric junction or stomach were observed; endoscopic hemostasis was performed in 10/12 patients.
Conclusions Urgent endoscopy has proved successful in removing true foreign bodies from the upper gastrointestinal tract in the analyzed period. Different factors affect the success of urgent intervention, the most important being adequate experience, skills, and patience of the endoscopic team.
Sisymbrium officinale, the Plant of Singers: A Review of Its Properties and Uses
Authors: Zorzan Maira , Zucca Paolo , Collazuol Daniela , Peddio Stefania , Rescigno Antonio , Pezzani Raffaele 
Published: February 2020

Abstract
Sisymbrium officinale (hedge mustard and formerly called Erysimum officinale) is a common plant in wild lands of Europe and Africa. It is also cultivated for its seeds and leaves to be used in salad or mustard. Sisymbrium officinale is useful not only in culinary preparations, but it also seems to possess interesting therapeutic properties, especially for throat diseases such as aphonia and hoarseness. For this reason, it is commonly called “herb of singers” (in Italian, “Erba dei cantanti”). Indeed a cup of Sisymbrium officinale infusion is frequently consumed by singers before artistic performance, even if its beneficial ability still needs to be scientifically demonstrated. Some preliminary data can be analyzed, but new efforts and resources should be devoted to study and investigate a plant with valuable therapeutic potential. This review summarizes the data available for Sisymbrium officinale.