bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma Patients With Poor Survival Often Show Brown Adipose Tissue Activation
Authors: Abdul Sater Zahraa , Jha Abhishek , Hamimi Ahmed , Mandl Adel , Hartley Iris R , Gubbi Sriram , Patel Mayank , Gonzales Melissa , Taïeb David , Civelek Ali Cahid , Gharib Ahmed M , Auh Sungyoung , O’Mara Alana E , Pacak Karel , Cypess Aaron M 
Published: January 2020

Abstract

Context
Pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas (PPGLs) are neuroendocrine tumors that can secrete norepinephrine (NE). Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation is mediated through the action of NE on β-adrenoceptors (β-ARs). In some malignancies, BAT activation is associated with higher cancer activity.

Objective
To study the relationship between BAT activation and PPGL clinical outcomes.

Design
A retrospective case-control study that included 342 patients with PPGLs who underwent 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) imaging at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We excluded all patients with parasympathetic tumors and those who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT after PPGL resection. Scans of 205 patients were reviewed by 2 blinded nuclear medicine physicians; 16 patients had BAT activation on 18F-FDG PET/CT [7.80%; age 27.50 (15.00–45.50) years; 10 female/6 male; body mass index [BMI] 24.90 [19.60–25.35] kg/m2). From the remaining 189 patients, we selected 36 matched controls (age 34.4 [25.4–45.5] years; 21 female/15 male; BMI 25.0 [22.0–26.0] kg/m2).

Primary Outcome Measure
Overall survival.

Results
The presence of active BAT on 18F-FDG PET/CT was associated with decreased overall survival when compared with the control group (HRz 5.80; 95% CI, 1.05–32.05; P = 0.02). This association remained significant after adjusting for the SDHB mutation. Median plasma NE in the BAT group was higher than the control group [4.65 vs 0.55 times above the upper limit of normal; P &lt; 0.01]. There was a significant association between higher plasma NE levels and mortality in PPGLs in both groups.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the detection of BAT activity in PPGL patients is associated with higher mortality. We suggest that BAT activation could either be reflecting or contributing to a state of increased host stress that may predict poor outcome in metastatic PPGL.
Let-7e-5p Regulates GLP-1 Content and Basal Release From Enteroendocrine L Cells From DIO Male Mice
Authors: Handgraaf Sandra , Dusaulcy Rodolphe , Visentin Florian , Philippe Jacques , Gosmain Yvan 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Characterization of enteroendocrine L cells in diabetes is critical for better understanding of the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in physiology and diabetes. We studied L-cell transcriptome changes including microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation in obesity and diabetes. We evaluated the regulation of miRNAs through microarray analyses on sorted enteroendocrine L cells from control and obese glucose-intolerant (I-HFD) and hyperglycemic (H-HFD) mice after 16 weeks of respectively low-fat diet (LFD) or high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. The identified altered miRNAs were studied in vitro using the mouse GLUTag cell line to investigate their regulation and potential biological functions. We identified that let-7e-5p, miR-126a-3p, and miR-125a-5p were differentially regulated in L cells of obese HFD mice compared with control LFD mice. While downregulation of let-7e-5p expression was observed in both I-HFD and H-HFD mice, levels of miR-126a-3p increased and of miR-125a-5p decreased significantly only in I-HFD mice compared with controls. Using miRNA inhibitors and mimics we observed that modulation of let-7e-5p expression affected specifically GLP-1 cellular content and basal release, whereas Gcg gene expression and acute GLP-1 secretion and cell proliferation were not affected. In addition, palmitate treatment resulted in a decrease of let-7e-5p expression along with an increase in GLP-1 content and release, suggesting that palmitate acts on GLP-1 through let-7e-5p. By contrast, modulation of miR-125a-5p and miR-126a-3p in the same conditions did not affect content or secretion of GLP-1. We conclude that decrease of let-7e-5p expression in response to palmitate may constitute a compensatory mechanism contributing to maintaining constant glycemia in obese mice.
Strengthened thalamoparietal functional connectivity in patients with hemifacial spasm: a cross-sectional resting-state fMRI study
Authors: Niu Xuan , Xu Hui , Guo Chenguang , Yang Tong , Kress Dustin , Gao Lin , Ma Shaohui , Zhang Ming , Wang Yuan 
Published: January 2020

Objective:
In spite of the well-known importance of thalamus in hemifacial spasm (HFS), the thalamic resting-state networks in HFS is still rarely mentioned. This study aimed to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the thalamus in HFS patients and examine its association with clinical measures.

Methods:
25 HFS patients and 28 matched healthy controls underwent functional MRI at rest. Using the left and right thalamus as seed regions respectively, we compared the thalamic resting-state networks between patient and control groups using two independent sample t-test.

Results:
Compared with controls, HFS patients exhibited strengthened bilateral thalamus-seeded FC with the parietal cortex. Enhanced FC between right thalamus and left somatosensory association cortex was linked to worse motor disturbance, and the increased right thalamus-right supramarginal gyrus connection were correlated with improvement of affective symptoms.

Conclusion:
Our findings indicate that the right thalamus–left somatosensory association cortex hyperconnectivity may represent the underlying neuroplasticity related to sensorimotor dysfunction. In addition, the upregulated FC between the right thalamus and right supramarginal gyrus in HFS, is part of the thalamo-default mode network pathway involved in emotional adaptation.

Advances in knowledge:
This study provides new insights on the integrative role of thalamo-parietal connectivity, which participates in differential neural circuitry as a mechanism underlying motor and emotional functions in HFS patients.
Next-generation sequencing of microbial cell-free DNA for rapid noninvasive diagnosis of infectious diseases in immunocompromised hosts
Authors: Camargo Jose F. , Ahmed Asim A. , Lindner Martin S. , Morris Michele I. , Anjan Shweta , Anderson Anthony D. , Prado Clara E. , Dalai Sudeb C. , Martinez Octavio V. , Komanduri Krishna V. 
Published: January 2020

Background: Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing has emerged as an effective laboratory method for rapid and noninvasive diagnosis in prenatal screening testing, organ transplant rejection screening, and oncology liquid biopsies but clinical experience for use of this technology in diagnostic evaluation of infections in immunocompromised hosts is limited. Methods: We conducted an exploratory study using next-generation sequencing (NGS) for detection of microbial cfDNA in a cohort of ten immunocompromised patients with febrile neutropenia, pneumonia or intra-abdominal infection. Results: Pathogen identification by cfDNA NGS demonstrated positive agreement with conventional diagnostic laboratory methods in 7 (70%) cases, including patients with proven/probable invasive aspergillosis, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremia, Cytomegalovirus and Adenovirus viremia. NGS results were discordant in 3 (30%) cases including two patients with culture negative sepsis who had undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplant in whom cfDNA testing identified the potential etiological agent of sepsis; and one kidney transplant recipient with invasive aspergillosis who had received >6 months of antifungal therapy prior to NGS testing. Conclusion: These observations support the clinical utility of measurement of microbial cfDNA sequencing from peripheral blood for rapid noninvasive diagnosis of infections in immunocompromised hosts. Larger studies are needed.
A phase 2 open-label study of carboplatin in combination with gemcitabine as a dose-dense schedule in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer that are resistant to anthracyclines and taxanes
Authors: Mansbridge Christopher , Simmonds Peter , Murray Nicholas , Davies Andrew , Stanton Louise , Chinnery Fay , Archer Caroline , Barrett-Lee Peter , Hickish Tamas , Crabb Simon 
Published: January 2020

Background: Anthracycline- and taxane-based regimens form the mainstay of chemotherapy treatment in metastatic breast cancer. In patients who develop resistance to these agents, management options are limited and there is no standard of care. Thus, investigation into other chemotherapeutic agents is warranted. Methods: In this non-randomised prospective trial, patients with human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER-2)-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer that were anthracycline- and taxane-resistant were treated with carboplatin at a dose equivalent to an area under the concentration–time curve of 4.5 mg/ml.min on day 1 and gemcitabine 1500 mg/m2 on day 2 of every 2-week cycle. The primary end point was overall response rate. Results: A total of five patients were enrolled prior to early termination due to difficulty in recruitment. The principal reason for recruitment difficulty was mandating anthracycline and taxane pre-treatment and HER-2 negativity. One patient had a complete response, one had a partial response, one had stable disease and two had progressive disease. Grade 4 neutropenia occurred in two patients. Conclusions: In this patient population, inclusion criteria that are too stringent may result in difficulties reaching recruitment targets. Carboplatin in combination with gemcitabine appears to be a safe option for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Due to the small sample size, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions regarding efficacy from this trial. Registration: EU Clinical Trials Register ID 2005-005164-83, registered on 10 April 2006.
Theory of the quasi-steady-state self-focusing of partially coherent light pulses in nonlinear media
Authors: Wang Huan , Ji Xiao-Ling , Deng Yu , Li Xiao-Qing , Yu Hong 
Published: January 2020

The quasi-steady-state (QSS) self-focusing of partially coherent light pulses (PCLPs) in nonlinear media is studied. The analytical formulas of the QSS self-focusing of PCLPs in nonlinear media (e.g., the beam width, spatial coherence width, and focal length) are presented. The effect of spatial coherence on the focal length and focus moving is investigated in detail. In particular, it is found that a PCLP has more advantages to avoid the optical damage of materials than a fully coherent light pulse.
Dual-side view optical coherence tomography for thickness measurement on opaque materials
Authors: Wu Qian , Wang Xiwen , Liu Linbo , Mo Jianhua 
Published: January 2020

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), as an optical interferometric imaging technique, has found wide applications in various fields. In principle, OCT is well suited for imaging layered structures, and thus, one of the typical applications is thickness measurement. However, due to the limited imaging depth resulting from light attenuation, thickness measurement by OCT is limited to non-opaque materials. In this study, we developed a novel (to the best of our knowledge) dual-side view OCT (DSV-OCT) system for thickness measurement on opaque materials. The dual-side view was achieved on a conventional swept source OCT platform by creating two symmetrical sampling arms. This allows us to image both sides of the material simultaneously and produce the surface contours of the two sides in a single C scan. Finally, the thickness of the opaque material can be calculated from the two surface contours above. We demonstrated that our DSV-OCT technique can measure the thickness of opaque material with an accuracy of about 3 µm.
17.9  W continuous-wave self-frequency-doubled Nd:GdCOB laser
Authors: Du Jinheng , Wang Jiyang , Yu Haohai , Zhang Huaijin 
Published: January 2020

We demonstrated the output power scaling of a self-frequency-doubled (SFD) laser with

N
d

:

G
d
C
a

4

O

(

B
O

3

)
3

(Nd:GdCOB) crystal by employing a partially end-pumped slab structure and optimized laser-diode (LD) pump wavelength. Associated with the theoretical calculation about the thermal distribution in the SFD Nd:GdCOB crystal, the maximum SFD output power was achieved to be 17.91 W at the wavelength of 545.5 nm, which represents the highest output power in SFD lasers, and the optical conversion efficiency from the LD to SFD laser power reached up to 20%. Since the wavelength at 545.5 nm is located at the eye-sensitive spectral region and the SFD lasers have the advantages in the compact structure, the demonstrated SFD laser should have promising applications in some regimes such as laser display, medical, military, and scientific research.
Broadband supercontinuum generation in nitrogen-rich silicon nitride waveguides using a 300  mm industrial platform
Authors: Lafforgue Christian , Guerber Sylvain , Ramirez Joan Manel , Marcaud Guillaume , Alonso-Ramos Carlos , Le Roux Xavier , Marris-Morini Delphine , Cassan Eric , Baudot Charles , Boeuf Frédéric , Cremer Sébastien , Monfray Stéphane , Vivien Laurent 
Published: January 2020

We report supercontinuum generation in nitrogen-rich (N-rich) silicon nitride waveguides fabricated through back-end complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible processes on a 300 mm platform. By pumping in the anomalous dispersion regime at a wavelength of 1200 nm, two-octave spanning spectra covering the visible and near-infrared ranges, including the O band, were obtained. Numerical calculations showed that the nonlinear index of N-rich silicon nitride is within the same order of magnitude as that of stoichiometric silicon nitride, despite the lower silicon content. N-rich silicon nitride then appears to be a promising candidate for nonlinear devices compatible with back-end CMOS processes.
Passively Q-switched and femtosecond mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser based on a 2D palladium disulfide (PdS2) saturable absorber
Authors: Cheng Ping Kwong , Tang Chun Yin , Wang Xin Yu , Zeng Long-Hui , Tsang Yuen Hong 
Published: January 2020

Stable

Q

-switched and mode-locked erbium-doped fiber lasers (EDFLs) are first demonstrated by using the novel layered palladium disulfide (

PdS
2

), a new member of group 10 transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs)-based saturable absorbers (SAs). Self-started

Q

-switched operation at 1567 nm was achieved with a threshold pump power of 50.6 mW. The modulation ranges of pulse duration and repetition rate were characterized as 12.6–4.5 μs and 17.2–26.0 kHz, respectively. Meanwhile, a mode-locked EDFL was also obtained with a pump power threshold of 106.4 mW. The achieved pulse duration is 803 fs, corresponding to a center wavelength of 1565.8 nm and 4.48 nm 3 dB bandwidth. To the best of our knowledge, the achieved pulse duration of the mode-locked EDFL in this work is the narrowest compared with all other group 10 TMD SA-based lasers.
Úvodník 2019/XIV/2 – Úvahy v roce nula
Authors: Dlouhá Jana 
Published: January 2020

Milí čtenáři, vítáme vás v roce, v jehož letopočtu jsou nuly hned dvě. Možná je to symbolické číslo, a tak nám dovolte několik úvah hned v jeho začátku.
V posledních třiceti letech jsme dosáhli všeho, o co jsme usilovali – nebo téměř všeho. Naše demokracie dospěla, nám všem ale pořád něco schází.
Co je to, co nám takto zásadně chybí?
Více v pdf verzi úvodníku...
Development of the Narva-Jõesuu beach, mineral composition of beach deposits and destruction of the pier, southeastern coast of the Gulf of Finland
Authors: Järvelill Johanna-Iisebel 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Narva-Jõesuu lies at the eastern southeastern coast of the Gulf of Finland, at the Estonian and Russian border. The beach is influenced by heavy winds, waves and drift ice attacks, which are seriously changing the beach. It is the longest sandy beach in Estonia and longshore drift on this beach has induced favorable conditions for the separation of heavy minerals. The aims of the study were to describe the development of the coast, discuss the influence of the destructed pier, and to identify the mineral composition of beach sands. The dynamics of the coast were mainly through comparison with older topographic maps (from the beginning of the 20th century). For mineral analysis the immersion method was applied. The heavy mineral content was found to increase from east to west. The pier was built in Narva-Jõesuu in 1987/88 for protecting the coast, but it is now broken. Consequently, storms are crashing against the coast and erosion of the sandy shore has started. Therefore, the pier should be restored to avoid further beach destruction.
A comprehensive scheme for lithological mapping using Sentinel-2A and ASTER GDEM in weathered and vegetated coastal zone, Southern China
Authors: Lin Jingyu , Wang Ran , Zhao Bo , Cheng Sanyou 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Lithological mapping in weathered and vegetated coastal zone is always a crucial but challenging issue for geological remote sensing. This study tested the applicability of Sentinel-2A and ASTER GDEM data for lithological mapping in the coastal zone of Shanwei district, southern China. Here, a comprehensive scheme for tuff and granite outcrops extraction and lithological classification was employed to process the remote sensing data: 1) Using the matched filtering with image-derived spectra as references, the weathered but representative outcrop-related patches were preliminarily extracted based on the fractal “DN-A” (digital number-area) algorithm; 2) The image masks of NDXI (NDVI, NDSI and MNDWI) in conjunction with spatial intersection, were conducted to minimize the influence of vegetation coverage; 3) Considering terrain features caused by differential weathering, slope analysis have allowed us to discriminate from tuff to granite outcrops; 4) A set of empirical verification criteria were established to assess the classification accuracy, which are exactly 82.4~83.2% of tuff and 91.3~92.3% of granite. The peak values of tuff and granite patch areas are 0–0.1 km2 (51%) and 0–0.5 km2 (60%), and 90% of patches are < 0.6 km2 of tuff and < 3.5 km2 of granite, respectively. The protolith of extracted weathered outcrops were further identified by several excavated trenches. This research has contributed a useful case study for remote-sensing lithological mapping in weathered and vegetated coastal zone, and the proposed approach should have a great possibility to be extrapolated for other similar cases.
Decadal variations of total organic carbon production in the inner-shelf of the South China Sea and East China Sea
Authors: Abate Rediat , Chen Changping , Liang Junrong , Sun Lin , Li Xuesong , Huang Bangqin , Gao Yahui 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
Organic carbon content is one of the major proxies of aquatic primary production and implication of environmental changes. However, there is a scarcity of information regarding the decadal variation of organic carbon production in inner-shelf of South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS). To bridge this gap of information two sediment cores were collected from the inner shelf of SCS (Leizhou Peninsula) and ECS. Then, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC) and Total Nitrogen (TN) content were examined. The TOC content in the Leizhou Peninsula averaged 0.56% and varied from 0.35% to 0.81%. At decadal time scale, the TOC content of Leizhou Peninsula erratically increased in the last century, and it distinctly peaked after 1990’s. This is related to increased primary production due to the increased input of anthropogenic nutrients and rainfall level. The TOC content of the inner shelf of ECS averaged 0.5% and varied narrowly from 0.46% to 0.53%. The TOC:TN ratio of ECS averaged 5.65 and varied from 4.42 to 7.85, indicating there is high degree of organic matter degradations. The TN:TP ratios were below 10 for the periods before late-1990’s, indicating that there had been a potential nitrogen limitation in the inner shelf of ECS. Generally, this study showed that the TOC and TIC of ECS and SCS inner-shelf had undergone substantial changes in the last century.
Hydrogeothermal potentials of Rogozna mountain and possibility of their valorization
Authors: Ivanović D. R. , Valjarević Dj. A , Srećković-Batoćanin R. D. , Martić-Bursać N. M. , Vukoičić D. Ž. , Ivanović R. M. 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
The subjects of this study are hydrogeothermal potentials of Rogozna mountain (Serbia) and possibility of their use. Thermo-mineral springs at the mountain’s foothill are the leftovers from an intensive volcanic activity during the Tertiary. The most famous and the most valuable ones are the springs in Novopazarska Spa, Banjska and in the village of Vuca, with a number of springs yet to be examined. The hydrogeothermal potential of these springs is significant, with the total thermal power of 4.6 MWt and the thermal energy of 145.4 TJ/year, but these could be greatly enlarged through the additional investigation in the interior of Rogozna. It is believed that the primary reservoir lies at the approximate depth of 2 km and that the water temperature is about 120∘C. In the area of Rogozna mountain there are a lot of thermomineral springs (TM) with outlet temperature between 30 and 54∘C. The main goal of this study is to determine the thermo-mineral capacity and energy potential in the area of three spas. This study allows the hypothesis that thermo-mineral springs in the area of Rogozna mountain have large potential. The researched area of Rogozna mountain is insufficiently investigated geo-space, which is rich in thermo-mineral springs. Thermal sources in Rogozna mountain produce heat power of 4.6MWt or 1.4% of heat power given by all the sources in Serbia. The waters of these springs are solely used for balneological and recreational purposes. Yet they could successfully be used in warming and cooling the space, for greenhouses in fruit, vegetable and flower production. In the end, all geospatial data with the help of GIS advanced techniques were digitized and visualized.
Superficial Bound of the Depth Limit of Two-Photon Imaging in Mouse Brain
Authors: Takasaki Kevin , Abbasi-Asl Reza , Waters Jack 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTwo-photon fluorescence microscopy has been used extensively to probe the structure and functions of cells in living biological tissue. Two-photon excitation generates fluorescence from the focal plane, but also from outside the focal plane, with out-of-focus fluorescence increasing as the focus is pushed deeper into tissue. It has been postulated that the two-photon depth limit, beyond which results become inaccurate, is where in-focus and out-of-focus fluorescence are equal, which we term the balance depth. Calculations suggest that the balance depth should be at ∼600 µm in mouse cortex. Neither the two-photon depth limit nor the balance depth have been measured in brain tissue. We found the depth limit and balance depth of two-photon excitation in mice with GCaMP6 indicator expression in all layers of visual cortex, by comparing near-simultaneous two-photon and three-photon excitation. Two-photon and three-photon results from superficial locations were almost identical. two-photon results were inaccurate beyond the balance depth, consistent with the depth limit matching the balance depth for two-photon excitation. However, the two-photon depth limit and balance depth were at 450 µm, shallower than predicted by calculations. Our results were from tissue with a largely homogenous distribution of fluorophores. The expected balance depth is deeper in tissue with fewer fluorophores outside the focal plane and our results therefore establish a superficial bound on the two-photon depth limit in mouse visual cortex.