bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development, implementation and outcomes of a quality assurance system for the provision of continuous renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit
Authors: Ruiz Eloy F. , Ortiz-Soriano Victor M. , Talbott Monica , Klein Bryan A. , Thompson Bastin Melissa L. , Mayer Kirby P. , Price Emily B. , Dorfman Robert , Adams Brandi N. , Fryman Lisa , Neyra Javier A. ,   The University of Kentucky CRRT Quality Assurance Group, Elias Madona , Taylor Mark , McHatton Josh , Aycinena Juan Carlos , Diaz Angel M. , Mason Stacy A. , Perkins Megan A. , Sawaya B. Peter , Fedder Kelly R. , Hornsby Amanda , Noell Natalie , Tribble Thomas A. , Kouns Jillian M. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractCritically ill patients with requirement of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) represent a growing intensive care unit (ICU) population. Optimal CRRT delivery demands continuous communication between stakeholders, iterative adjustment of therapy, and quality assurance systems. This Quality Improvement (QI) study reports the development, implementation and outcomes of a quality assurance system to support the provision of CRRT in the ICU. This study was carried out at the University of Kentucky Medical Center between September 2016 and June 2019. We implemented a quality assurance system using a step-wise approach based on the (a) assembly of a multidisciplinary team, (b) standardization of the CRRT protocol, (c) creation of electronic CRRT flowsheets, (d) selection, monitoring and reporting of quality metrics of CRRT deliverables, and (e) enhancement of education. We examined 34-month data comprising 1185 adult patients on CRRT (~ 7420 patient-days of CRRT) and tracked selected QI outcomes/metrics of CRRT delivery. As a result of the QI interventions, we increased the number of multidisciplinary experts in the CRRT team and ensured a continuum of education to health care professionals. We maximized to 100% the use of continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration and doubled the percentage of patients using regional citrate anticoagulation. The delivered CRRT effluent dose (~ 30 ml/kg/h) and the delivered/prescribed effluent dose ratio (~ 0.89) remained stable within the study period. The average filter life increased from 26 to 31 h (p = 0.020), reducing the mean utilization of filters per patient from 3.56 to 2.67 (p = 0.054) despite similar CRRT duration and mortality rates. The number of CRRT access alarms per treatment day was reduced by 43%. The improvement in filter utilization translated into ~ 20,000 USD gross savings in filter cost per 100-patient receiving CRRT. We satisfactorily developed and implemented a quality assurance system for the provision of CRRT in the ICU that enabled sustainable tracking of CRRT deliverables and reduced filter resource utilization at our institution.
Impairment of motor coordination and interneuron migration in perinatal exposure to glufosinate-ammonium
Authors: Kim Kyung-Tai , Kwak Ye-Jung , Han Su-Cheol , Hwang Jeong Ho 
Published: November 2020

AbstractGlufosinate-ammonium (GLA) is a broad-spectrum herbicide for agricultural weed control and crop desiccation. Due to many GLA-resistant crops being developed to effectively control weeds and increase harvest yields, herbicide usage and the residual GLA in food has increased significantly. Though perinatal exposure by the residual GLA in food might affect brain development, the developmental neurotoxicity of GLA is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of perinatal exposure to GLA on cortical development. The analysis revealed that perinatal GLA exposure altered behavioral changes in offspring, especially motor functional behavior. Moreover, perinatal GLA exposure affected cortical development, particularly by disrupting interneuron migration. These results provide new evidence that early life exposure to GLA alters cortical development.
Effects of obesity on NK cells in a mouse model of postmenopausal breast cancer
Authors: Spielmann Julia , Mattheis Laura , Jung Juliane-Susanne , Rauße Henrik , Glaß Markus , Bähr Ina , Quandt Dagmar , Oswald Jana , Kielstein Heike 
Published: November 2020

AbstractObesity is a widely spread disease and a crucial risk factor for malign disorders, including breast cancer of women in the postmenopause. Studies demonstrated that in case of obesity crucial natural killer (NK) cell functions like combating tumor cells are affected. This study aims to analyze NK cells and NK cell receptor expression of obese mice in a model for postmenopausal breast cancer. Therefore, female BALB/c mice were fed either a high fat or a standard diet. Thereafter, ovaries were ectomized and a syngeneic and orthotopical injection of 4T1-luc2 mouse mammary tumor cells into the mammary adipose tissue pad was performed. Obese mice showed increased body weights and visceral fat mass as well as increased levels of leptin and IL-6 in plasma. Moreover, compared to the lean littermates, tumor growth was increased and the NKp46-expression on circulating NK cells was decreased. Furthermore, the activating NK cell receptor NKG2D ligand (MULT1) expression was enhanced in adipose tissue of obese tumor bearing mice. The present study gives novel insights into gene expression of NK cell receptors in obesity and aims to promote possible links of the obesity-impaired NK cell physiology and the elevated breast cancer risk in obese women.
Phenotypic expression and clinical outcomes in a South Asian PRKAG2 cardiomyopathy cohort
Authors: Ahamed Hisham , Balegadde Aniketh Vijay , Menon Shilpa , Menon Ramesh , Ramachandran Aishwarya , Mathew Navin , Natarajan K. U. , Nair Indu Ramachandran , Kannan Rajesh , Shankar Meghna , Mathew Oommen K. , Nguyen Thong T. , Gupta Ravi , Stawiski Eric W. , Ramprasad V. L. , Seshagiri Somasekar , Phalke Sameer 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe PRKAG2 syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant phenocopy of sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), characterized by ventricular pre-excitation, progressive conduction system disease and left ventricular hypertrophy. This study describes the phenotype, genotype and clinical outcomes of a South-Asian PRKAG2 cardiomyopathy cohort over a 7-year period. Clinical, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and cardiac MRI data from 22 individuals with PRKAG2 variants (68% men; mean age 39.5 ± 18.1 years), identified at our HCM centre were studied prospectively. At initial evaluation, all of the patients were in NYHA functional class I or II. The maximum left ventricular wall thickness was 22.9 ± 8.7 mm and left ventricular ejection fraction was 53.4 ± 6.6%. Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 19 individuals (86%) at baseline. 17 patients had an WPW pattern (77%). After a mean follow-up period of 7 years, 2 patients had undergone accessory pathway ablation, 8 patients (36%) underwent permanent pacemaker implantation (atrio-ventricular blocks—5; sinus node disease—2), 3 patients developed atrial fibrillation, 11 patients (50%) developed progressive worsening in NYHA functional class, and 6 patients (27%) experienced sudden cardiac death or equivalent. PRKAG2 cardiomyopathy must be considered in patients with HCM and progressive conduction system disease.
Identification and motif analyses of candidate nonreceptor olfactory genes of Dendroctonus adjunctus Blandford (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from the head transcriptome
Authors: Torres-Huerta Brenda , Segura-León Obdulia L. , Aragón-Magadan Marco A. , González-Hernández Héctor 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe round-headed pine beetle Dendroctonus adjunctus, whose dispersion and colonization behaviors are linked to a communication system mediated by semiochemicals, is one of the five most critical primary pests in forest ecosystems in Mexico. This study provides the first head transcriptome analysis of D. adjunctus and the identification of the nonreceptor olfactory genes involved in the perception of odors. De novo assembly yielded 44,420 unigenes, and GO annotations were similar to those of antennal transcriptomes of other beetle species, which reflect metabolic processes related to smell and signal transduction. A total of 36 new transcripts of nonreceptor olfactory genes were identified, of which 27 encode OBPs, 7 encode CSPs, and 2 encode SNMP candidates, which were subsequently compared to homologous proteins from other bark beetles and Coleoptera species by searching for sequence motifs and performing phylogenetic analyses. Our study provides information on genes encoding nonreceptor proteins in D. adjunctus and broadens the knowledge of olfactory genes in Coleoptera and bark beetle species, and will help to understand colonization and aggregation behaviors for the development of tools that complement management strategies.
3D bioprinting of bicellular liver lobule-mimetic structures via microextrusion of cellulose nanocrystal-incorporated shear-thinning bioink
Authors: Wu Yun , Wenger Andrew , Golzar Hossein , Tang Xiaowu 
Published: November 2020

Abstract3D bioprinting of living cellular constructs with heterogeneity in cell types and extra cellular matrices (ECMs) matching those of biological tissues remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate that, through bioink material design, microextrusion-based (ME) bioprinting techniques have the potential to address this challenge. A new bioink employing alginate (1%), cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) (3%), and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) (5%) (namely 135ACG hybrid ink) was formulated for the direct printing of cell-laden and acellular architectures. The 135ACG ink displayed excellent shear-thinning behavior and solid-like properties, leading to high printability without cell damage. After crosslinking, the ACG gel can also provide a stiff ECM ideal for stromal cell growth. By controlling the degree of substitution and polymer concentration, a GelMA (4%) bioink was designed to encapsulate hepatoma cells (hepG2), as GelMA gel possesses the desired low mechanical stiffness matching that of human liver tissue. Four different versions of to-scale liver lobule-mimetic constructs were fabricated via ME bioprinting, with precise positioning of two different cell types (NIH/3T3 and hepG2) embedded in matching ECMs (135ACG and GelMA, respectively). The four versions allowed us to exam effects of mechanical cues and intercellular interactions on cell behaviors. Fibroblasts thrived in stiff 135ACG matrix and aligned at the 135ACG/GelMA boundary due to durotaxis, while hepG2 formed spheroids exclusively in the soft GelMA matrix. Elevated albumin production was observed in the bicellular 3D co-culture of hepG2 and NIH/3T3, both with and without direct intercellular contact, indicating that improved hepatic cell function can be attributed to soluble chemical factors. Overall, our results showed that complex constructs with multiple cell types and varying ECMs can be bioprinted and potentially useful for both fundamental biomedical research and translational tissue engineering.
Genetic origins and diversity of bushpigs from Madagascar (Potamochoerus larvatus, family Suidae)
Authors: Lee Carol , Day Jenna , Goodman Steven M. , Pedrono Miguel , Besnard Guillaume , Frantz Laurent , Taylor Peter J. , Herrera Michael J. , Gongora Jaime 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThe island of Madagascar, situated off the southeast coast of Africa, shows the first evidence of human presence ~ 10,000 years ago; however, other archaeological data indicates a settlement of the modern peoples of the island distinctly more recent, perhaps > 1500 years ago. Bushpigs of the genusPotamochoerus(family Suidae), are today widely distributed in Madagascar and presumed to have been introduced from Africa at some stage by human immigrants to the island. However, disparities about their origins in Madagascar have been presented in the literature, including the possibility of endemic subspecies, and few empirical data are available. Furthermore, the separation of bushpigs in Madagascar from their mainland relatives may have favoured the evolution of a different repertoire of immune genes first due to a founder effect and then as a response to distinct pathogens compared to their ancestors. Molecular analysis confirmed the species status of the bushpig in Madagascar asP. larvatus, likely introduced from the central region of southern Africa, with no genetic evidence for the recognition of eastern and western subspecies as suggested from previous cranial morphology examination. Investigation of the immunologically importantSLA-DQB1peptide-binding region showed a different immune repertoire of bushpigs in Madagascar compared to those on the African mainland, with seventeen exon-2 haplotypes unique to bushpigs in Madagascar (2/28 haplotypes shared). This suggests that the MHC diversity of the Madagascar populations may have enabled Malagasy bushpigs to adapt to new environments.
Evaluation of the upper airway microbiome and immune response with nasal epithelial lining fluid absorption and nasal washes
Authors: Shilts Meghan H. , Rosas-Salazar Christian , Lynch Christian E. , Tovchigrechko Andrey , Boone Helen H. , Russell Patty B. , Connolly Alexandra S. , Costello Kaitlin M. , McCollum Megan D. , Mai Annie , Wiggins Derek A. , Rajagopala Seesandra V. , Yooseph Shibu , Peebles R. Stokes , Hartert Tina V. , Das Suman R. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractDespite being commonly used to collect upper airway epithelial lining fluid, nasal washes are poorly reproducible, not suitable for serial sampling, and limited by a dilution effect. In contrast, nasal filters lack these limitations and are an attractive alternative. To examine whether nasal filters are superior to nasal washes as a sampling method for the characterization of the upper airway microbiome and immune response, we collected paired nasal filters and washes from a group of 40 healthy children and adults. To characterize the upper airway microbiome, we used 16S ribosomal RNA and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. To characterize the immune response, we measured total protein using a BCA assay and 53 immune mediators using multiplex magnetic bead-based assays. We conducted statistical analyses to compare common microbial ecology indices and immune-mediator median fluorescence intensities (MFIs) between sample types. In general, nasal filters were more likely to pass quality control in both children and adults. There were no significant differences in microbiome community richness, α-diversity, or structure between pediatric samples types; however, these were all highly dissimilar between adult sample types. In addition, there were significant differences in the abundance of amplicon sequence variants between sample types in children and adults. In adults, total proteins were significantly higher in nasal filters than nasal washes; consequently, the immune-mediator MFIs were not well detected in nasal washes. Based on better quality control sequencing metrics and higher immunoassay sensitivity, our results suggest that nasal filters are a superior sampling method to characterize the upper airway microbiome and immune response in both children and adults.
Sustained spatial attention accounts for the direction bias of human microsaccades
Authors: Xue Cheng , Calapai Antonino , Krumbiegel Julius , Treue Stefan 
Published: November 2020

AbstractSmall ballistic eye movements, so called microsaccades, occur even while foveating an object. Previous studies using covert attention tasks have shown that shortly after a symbolic spatial cue, specifying a behaviorally relevant location, microsaccades tend to be directed toward the cued location. This suggests that microsaccades can serve as an index for the covert orientation of spatial attention. However, this hypothesis faces two major challenges: First, effects associated with visual spatial attention are hard to distinguish from those that associated with the contemplation of foveating a peripheral stimulus. Second, it is less clear whether endogenously sustained attention alone can bias microsaccade directions without a spatial cue on each trial. To address the first issue, we investigated the direction of microsaccades in human subjects while they attended to a behaviorally relevant location and prepared a response eye movement either toward or away from this location. We find that directions of microsaccades are biased toward the attended location rather than towards the saccade target. To tackle the second issue, we verbally indicated the location to attend before the start of each block of trials, to exclude potential visual cue-specific effects on microsaccades. Our results indicate that sustained spatial attention alone reliably produces the microsaccade direction effect. Overall, our findings demonstrate that sustained spatial attention alone, even in the absence of saccade planning or a spatial cue, is sufficient to explain the direction bias observed in microsaccades.
Trends in global dependency on the Indonesian palm oil and resultant environmental impacts
Authors: Shigetomi Yosuke , Ishimura Yuichi , Yamamoto Yuki 
Published: November 2020

AbstractRapid growth in the international demand for palm oil has triggered considerable global concern because oil palm plantations deteriorate the environment where they are developed, resulting in complex environmental impacts in the producer nations. Here, we illustrate the historical trends in the structure of Indonesian palm oil supply chains and how these have been affected by the final demand of other nations since 2000 by using the most recent dataset of global material flows of palm oil and a global input–output database. In addition, the combination of spatial land-use change with palm oil consumption along the supply chains illustrates the linkages between ultimate consumption and land-use changes due to the palm oil plantations. As a result, the major contributors to palm oil production in Indonesia were mostly stable, being India, China, Western Europe, the United States, and Japan. However, the contribution of Indonesia declined by 6% during 2000–2013, illustrating a possible shift towards palm oil being used for non-food demands, such as apparel and medicines. Building on consumption-based accounting schemes as demonstrated by this study are considered necessary to protect local ecosystems and society.
Combining HR-TEM and XPS to elucidate the core–shell structure of ultrabright CdSe/CdS semiconductor quantum dots
Authors: Weigert Florian , Müller Anja , Häusler Ines , Geißler Daniel , Skroblin Dieter , Krumrey Michael , Unger Wolfgang , Radnik Jörg , Resch-Genger Ute 
Published: November 2020

AbstractControlling thickness and tightness of surface passivation shells is crucial for many applications of core–shell nanoparticles (NP). Usually, to determine shell thickness, core and core/shell particle are measured individually requiring the availability of both nanoobjects. This is often not fulfilled for functional nanomaterials such as many photoluminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QD) used for bioimaging, solid state lighting, and display technologies as the core does not show the application-relevant functionality like a high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield, calling for a whole nanoobject approach. By combining high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), a novel whole nanoobject approach is developed representatively for an ultrabright oleic acid-stabilized, thick shell CdSe/CdS QD with a PL quantum yield close to unity. The size of this spectroscopically assessed QD, is in the range of the information depth of usual laboratory XPS. Information on particle size and monodispersity were validated with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and compared to data derived from optical measurements. In addition to demonstrating the potential of this novel whole nanoobject approach for determining architectures of small nanoparticles, the presented results also highlight challenges faced by different sizing and structural analysis methods and method-inherent uncertainties.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of effects of menopausal hormone therapy on cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Kim Ji-Eun , Chang Jae-Hyuck , Jeong Min-Ji , Choi Jaesung , Park JooYong , Baek Chaewon , Shin Aesun , Park Sang Min , Kang Daehee , Choi Ji-Yeob 
Published: November 2020

AbstractA systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies was conducted to assess the association between menopausal hormone therapy and cardiovascular disease. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published from 2000 to 2019, using review methods based on a previous Cochrane review. Quality assessment of RCTs and observational studies was conducted using the Jadad scale and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, respectively. A total of 26 RCTs and 47 observational studies were identified. The study populations in the RCTs were older and had more underlying diseases than those in the observational studies. Increased risks of venous thromboembolism [summary estimate (SE), 95% confidence interval (CI): RCTs, 1.70, 1.33–2.16; observational studies, 1.32, 1.13–1.54] were consistently identified in both study types, whereas an increased risk of stroke in RCTs (SE: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04–1.25) and a decreased risk of myocardial infarction in observational studies (SE: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.75–0.84) were observed. Differential clinical effects depending on timing of initiation, underlying disease, regimen type, and route of administration were identified through subgroup analyses. These findings suggest that underlying disease and timing of initiation should be carefully considered before starting therapy in postmenopausal women.
Redesigned reporter gene for improved proton exchange-based molecular MRI contrast
Authors: Perlman Or , Ito Hirotaka , Gilad Assaf A. , McMahon Michael T. , Chiocca E. Antonio , Nakashima Hiroshi , Farrar Christian T. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractReporter gene imaging allows for non-invasive monitoring of molecular processes in living cells, providing insights on the mechanisms underlying pathology and therapy. A lysine-rich protein (LRP) chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI reporter gene has previously been developed and used to image tumor cells, cardiac viral gene transfer, and oncolytic virotherapy. However, the highly repetitive nature of the LRP reporter gene sequence leads to DNA recombination events and the expression of a range of truncated LRP protein fragments, thereby greatly limiting the CEST sensitivity. Here we report the use of a redesigned LRP reporter (rdLRP), aimed to provide excellent stability and CEST sensitivity. The rdLRP contains no DNA repeats or GC rich regions and 30% less positively charged amino-acids. RT-PCR of cell lysates transfected with rdLRP demonstrated a stable reporter gene with a single distinct band corresponding to full-length DNA. A distinct increase in CEST-MRI contrast was obtained in cell lysates of rdLRP transfected cells and in in vivo LRP expressing mouse brain tumors ($$p=0.0275$$

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, n = 10).