bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stronger Environmental Adaption of Abundant than Rare Microbes in Wetland Soils from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Wan Wenjie , Gadd Geoffrey Michael , Yang Yuyi , Yuan Wenke , Gu Jidong , Liu Wenzhi 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: Disentangling the biogeographic patterns of rare and abundant microbial sub-communities is essential in order to understand the generation and maintenance of microbial diversity with respect to the functions they provide. However, little is known about ecological assembly processes and environmental adaptation of rare and abundant microbial sub-communities across large spatial-scale wetlands. Using Illumina sequencing, we investigated the taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity of rare and abundant bacterial and fungal sub-communities in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau wetland soils. Additionally, we determined environmental breadths and phylogenetic signals of ecological preferences of rare and abundant microbial sub-communities, and investigated community assembly processes of microbial taxa. Results: We found that both taxonomic and phylogenetic similarities of rare and abundant microbial sub-communities attenuated with geographical distance. Based on threshold indicator taxa analysis and Blomberg’s K statistic, abundant microbial taxa exhibited broader environmental thresholds and stronger phylogenetic signals for ecological traits than rare microbial taxa. The strong correlations between community compositional dissimilarity and phylogenetic distance of rare microbial sub-communities also revealed that rare taxa may be more sensitive to environmental changes. In addition, the rare microbial sub-communities exhibited closer phylogenetic clustering compared with abundant microbial sub-communities. The null model analysis revealed that dispersal limitation belonging to stochastic process dominated ecological assembly of abundant bacterial sub-community, and rare and abundant fungal sub-communities; variable selection belonging to deterministic process governed community assembly of rare bacterial taxa. Neutral model analysis and variation partitioning analysis further confirmed that abundant microbial sub-communities were less environmentally constrained. Soil ammonia nitrogen was the crucial factor in mediating the balance between stochasticity and determinism of both rare and abundant microbial sub-communities, as reflected by distinct differences in stochastic process with higher ammonia nitrogen content.Conclusions: Abundant microbial sub-communities may have better environmental adaptation potential and are less dispersed by environmental changes compared with rare microbial sub-communities. Our findings extend knowledge of the adaptation of rare and abundant microbial taxa to ongoing environmental change and could facilitate prediction of biodiversity loss caused by global climate change and increasing human activity in wetlands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Clinical Course and Features of Critical Patients with COVID-19: A Single- Center, Retrospective Study from Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital
Authors: He Huisi , Jin Zhichao , Ren Yibin , Wang Junxue , Chen Shuzhen , Wen Wen , Miao Yushan , Qi Xuewei , Shang Taiyu , Zhang Chenxu , Wang Hongyang , Li Weiqin , Zhang Xijing , Tang Hao 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: Nationally, the indicators tracking the coronavirus pandemic has remained stable. However, it’s still a public health concern and it’s worth providing more front-line data on critical illness. We aim to investigate the clinical course and features of critical patients with Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: The data on 124 consecutive critical patients from 8th February through April 16th 2020, including demographic and clinical information, were obtained from the intensive care unit (ICU) of Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital. A cross-sectional survey and comparisons of key biomarkers between survivors and nonsurvivors were performed.Results: Over the study period, 57 nonsurvivors and 67 survivors were included. The overall case-fatality rate for critical patients with COVID-19 was approximately 46%. The overall average age was 69.89±11.03 years, and the majority had underlying health problems such as hypertension (63[51%]) and diabetes (27[22%]). Compared with survivors, nonsurvivors were more likely to develop sepsis (57[100%] vs. 34[51%]), acute respiratory distress syndrome (52[91%] vs. 21[38%]) and organ dysfunction. Besides, the dynamic changes in some biomarkers (i.e. WBC, TLC, CRP, PLT) were significantly different between the two groups. The trajectories of temperature revealed that the group with a high temperature on admission that steadily declined had the highest percentage of deaths (84.21%).Conclusions: The elderly with many concomitant diseases were at the highest risk. Lymphocyte, platelet, C-reactive protein and temperature were revealed to have potential as prognostic factors, whereas some other biomarkers, such as hepatic enzymes, may not offer additional information. Moreover, patients with high temperatures on admission should receive extra care.
Depletion of Fractalkine Ameliorates Renal Injury and Treg Cell Apoptosis Via the p38MAPK Pathway in Lupus-prone Mice
Authors: Ma Jingxue , Gong Qiming , Guo Pengwei , Pan Xiuhong , He Linlin , You Yanwu 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: Fractalkine is a chemokine with several roles, including chemotaxis, adhesion, and immune damage. It participates in cell inflammation and apoptosis and responds to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. On the other hand, Treg cells are involved in autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of Fractalkine in renal injury and Treg apoptosis via the p38MAPK signalling pathway in lupus-prone mice. Methods: Lupus was induced in BALB/c female mice by injection of pristane. Then, CD4+ CD5+ Treg cells were isolated from the spleen of lupus mice. To deplete Fractalkine, first, mice received an injection of anti-Fractalkine antibody. Later, the transfection of Treg cells with Fractalkine siRNA was conducted. Lupus mice and Treg cells were treated with the p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 and/or activator U-46619, respectively. The levels of urine protein, serum urea nitrogen, creatinine, and autoantibodies were measured from mouse samples, and renal histopathological features were analysed. The expression of Fractalkine, p-p38, Foxp3, IL-6, and IL-17 in the mouse kidney and Treg cells was detected. The levels of apoptosis and key apoptotic factors: Bax, Bcl-2, and Cyt-c in Treg cells were analysed. Results: The expression of Fractalkine, p-p38, IL-6, and IL-17 increased; meanwhile, that of Foxp3 decreased in the kidneys of mice with lupus. The depletion of Fractalkine and p38MAPK levels ameliorated proteinuria and renal functions and significantly reduced serum autoantibodies, renal Fractalkine, p-p38, IL-6, and IL-17 levels, while increasing renal Foxp3 concentration in lupus mice. The effects of Fractalkine knockdown (KD) and p38MAPK inhibitor on Treg cells, derived from lupus mice, were consistent with those observed in the kidneys. In addition, Fractalkine KD reduced cell apoptosis and suppressed the activation of p38MAPK signalling in Treg cells, derived from lupus mice. Meanwhile, the p38MAPK activator U-46619 had the opposite effect. Conclusion: Together, our data indicated that Fractalkine promoted the nephritis progression in lupus mice, most likely through the regulation of Treg cell apoptosis and activation of the p38MAPK signalling pathway. It suggested that targeting Fractalkine is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating LN.
IPO7 Promotes Odontoblastic Differentiation of Mouse Dental Papilla Cells by Selectively Importing Odontogenic Transcription Factors
Authors: Zhang Yue , Zhang Hao , Yuan Guohua , Yang Guobin 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: An important biological process for dentin formation and mineralization is odontoblast differentiation, which is precisely governed by a series of transcription factors (TFs). Importin 7 (IPO7) is a member of the Karyopherin β-superfamily mediating nucleocytoplasmic transport of proteins. In this study, we aimed to study the mechanisms by which IPO7 participates in odontoblastic differentiation. Methods: The expression patterns of IPO7 was investigated by immunofluorescence staining. Besides, mouse dental papilla cells (mDPCs) were extracted and cultured. After silencing Ipo7 in mDPCs, odontoblastic differentiation and the effect on odontogenic TFs were evaluated. Using nuclear and cytoplasmic extraction and co-immunoprecipitation assay, we aimed to confirm that IPO7 imports some odontogenic transcriptions factors to promote odontoblastic differentiation.Results: We found that IPO7 was increasingly expressed from the pre-odontoblasts to mature odontoblasts from PN2 to PN9. IPO7 enhanced odontoblast differentiation in mDPCs and imported essential TFs for odontoblastic differentiation, such as Distal-less homeobox 3 (DLX3), Osterix (OSX), Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) and P-SMAD1/5 except for RUNX2. Besides, only RUNX2 showed no obvious interaction with IPO7.Conclusion: In conclusion, our data demonstrated that IPO7 enhances odontoblast differentiation in mDPCs by selectively importing odontogenic TFs.
Comparison of the Biological and Functional Characteristics of Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Intrahepatic and Identical Bone Marrow
Authors: Zhang Hongyu , Lai Jiejuan , Jiang Shifang , Shuai Ling , Zhang Yujun , Xia Renpei , Chen Quanyu , Bai Lianhua 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: We previously isolated a novel mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like neuroglial antigen 2-expressing stem cell population (MLpvNG2) from an uninjured liver by using a “Porcoll-Plate-Wait” method and determined that MLpvNG2 possesses hepatic stem/progenitor cell characteristics.Methods: In this study, we compared the biological and functional characteristics of the intrahepatic (MSC)-like MLpvNG2 with identical bone marrow-derived MSCs (niBM-MSCs), which are a well-accepted stem cell population in the field. We performed an in vitro study using conditioned medium and in vivo study using our well-set diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver fibrotic/cirrhotic murine model as well. Results: We found that in a fibrotic liver environment, MLpvNG2 survived better than niBM-MSCs obtained through different mechanisms of action. MLpvNG2 mainly differentiates into albumin (ALB(+)) hepatocytes, while niBM-MSCs mainly differentiate into CK/KRT19(+) cholangiocytes. Of note, we identified for the first time that C/EBPα/β is expressed on the cell surface of donor and host hepatic cells. As such, we used anti-C/EBPs neutralizing antibodies to determine the functional characteristics both in vitro (conditioned medium) and in the DEN-induced animal model.Conclusions: Based on our findings, it can be concluded that native-source (liver) stem cells (MLpvNG2) are more efficient than nonnative-sourced stem cells (niBM-MSCs) in the treatment of native (liver)-sourced diseases such as end-stage liver disease.
Utilizing Network Pharmacology to Explore the Possible Mechanism of CoptidisRhizoma in Kawasaki Disease
Authors: Fan Xue , Guo Xin , Xu Mingguo 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) isan acute self-limiting systemic vasculitis.In this study, a randomized controlled trial regarding berberine (main component of CoptidisRhizoma) function in treating KD was carried out and possible pharmacological mechanisms of CoptidisRhizoma (CR) on Kawasaki disease therapy were investigated using an integrated network pharmacology approach.Results: The BBR group was able to reduce the values of CRP, NLR and PLR significantly. Also, the effect of BBR improved the resistance rate of intravenous injection of gamma globulin significantly. In total, 9 compounds and 369 relative drug targets were collected from TCMSP, SWISS, SEA and STITCH database and 624 KD target genes were collected in DisGeNET, DrugBank and GeneCards database. The network analysis revealed that 41 targets might be the therapeutic targets of CR on KD, among which ATK1, RELA, SRC, CASP3 and MTOR ranked in top 5. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the reaction to bacteria-derived molecules and to lipopolysaccharide and the apoptosis process were the key biological procedures for CR treating KD. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis pointed out that the four signaling pathways closely related to CR treating KD including age-rage signaling pathway, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, TNF signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in diabetic complications.Conclusion: We concluded that the introduction of routine treatment combined with BBR in treating KD has advantages than routine treatment and can be considered as a preferred approach in KD. Network pharmacology showed that CR exerted the effect of prevention KD by regulating multi-targets and multi-components.
Identification of CDH11 as an ASD Risk Gene by Matched-gene Co-expression Analysis and Mouse Behavioral Studies
Authors: Wu Nan , Wang Yue , Jia Jing-Yan , Pan Yi-Hsuan , Yuan Xiao-Bing 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: Gene co-expression analysis (GCA) has emerged as an important tool to identify convergent molecular pathways of ASD risk genes. The aim of this study is to identify ASD-relevant genes at the whole-genome level using GCA with consideration of the effect of confounding factors on GCA, including the size, expression level, and guanine-cytosine content of genes. Methods: Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to indicate the co-expression of a gene pair based on the BrainSpan human brain transcriptome dataset. Whether a gene is significantly co-expressed with a group of high-confidence ASD risk genes (hcASDs) was determined by statistically comparing the co-expression of this gene with the hcASD gene set to that of this gene with permuted gene sets of matched gene features. This method is referred to as "matched-gene co-expression analysis" (MGCA). Gene ontology (GO) analysis and construction of integrated GO enrichment networks were performed to reveal convergent pathways of co-expressed genes. Behavioral tests were carried out in gene knockout mice. Results: Gene size, mRNA length, mRNA abundance, and guanine-cytosine content were found to affect co-expression profiles of ASD genes. Using the MGCA method, we confirmed the convergence in the developmental expression profiles of hcASDs. MGCA also effectively revealed convergent molecular pathways of ASD risk genes and determined that CDH11, but not CDH9, is associated with ASD. Mouse behavioral studies showed that Cdh11-null mice, but not Cdh9-null mice, have multiple autistic-like behavioral alterations.Limitations: The use of tissue-derived transcriptomes instead of single-cell transcriptomes may have detected coincident expression of some functionally irrelevant genes in different cell types. Some ASD risk genes may have been missed due to the highly stringent statistical standard of MGCA. Another limitation is the relatively small number of animals analyzed in behavioral tests. Conclusions: Results of this study revealed the importance of considering matched gene features in GCA. CDH11 was confirmed to be an important ASD risk gene and Cdh11-null mice were found to be a very useful animal model for investigation of ASD.
Anticancer Effects of Beetroot Hydro-Alcoholic Extract and Betanin on Human Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Saber Amir , Abedimanesh Nasim , Somi Mohammad-Hossein , Khosroushahi Ahmad Yari 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Background: Betanin makes up 75-95% of the total betacyanins, possessed a wide range of favorable biological effects such as chemopreventive, anticarcinogenic, anti-tumorogenic, antiangiogenic, and proapoptotic effects. Methods: Hydro-alcoholic extract of red beetroot and betanin were used to treat Caco-2 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cells, as well as KDR-293 normal epithelial cells. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was determined by prescreening MTT tests in the range of 20 to 140 µg/ml at 24 and 48 h. The cytotoxicity and apoptosis-inducing evaluations were performed via MTT assay, DAPI staining, and FACS-flow cytometry tests using determined time and doses. Results: The IC50 doses for HT-29 and Caco-2 cell lines were determined to be about 92 μg/mL, 107 μg/mL for beetroot hydro-alcoholic extract and 64 μg/mL, 90 μg/mL for betanin at 48 h, respectively. Our findings showed that beetroot hydro-alcoholic extract and betanin significantly inhibit the growth of HT-29 and Caco-2 cell lines, time, and dose-dependently, without considerable adverse effects on KDR/293 normal cells. Moreover, DAPI staining and flow cytometry results revealed significant apoptosis symptoms in treated cancerous cell lines. Conclusion: Betanin effectively inhibited cell growth in both colorectal cancer cell lines with no significant cytotoxic effects on the KDR/293 normal cells. The mechanism of the anticancer effects of red beetroot hydro-alcoholic extract and betanin needs to be further studied.
Propofol Regulates ADAM8 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Targeting SP1
Authors: Gao Yutong , Zhou Yu , Wang Chunlin , Sample Klarke M. , Yu Xiangdi , Ben-David Yaacov 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
BackgroundPropofol is a commonly used anesthetic with controversial effects on cancer cells. A growing number of studies have demonstrated that low concentrations of propofol are associated with tumor suppression, but deeper insights into its underlying mechanism are needed. The study detailed herein focuses uponthe effect of propofol on pancreatic cells and the mechanism by which propofol down-regulated ADAM8 expression.MethodsTreatment pancreatic cell line Panc-1was performed with different concentrations of propofol. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to assess cell proliferation and the cell cycle. A wound healing assay was used to evaluate the migration capacity of Panc-1 cells. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were used to analyze specificity protein 1 (SP1) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 8 (ADAM8) expression. Luciferase assay was performed to determine the transcriptional activity of SP1.RNA interference (RNAi) was used to explore whether propofol regulated ADAM8 in Panc-1 cells by targeting SP1. ResultsPropofol significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells and decreased the percentage of cells in S-phase. Furthermore, propofol failed to regulate ADAM8 expression in Panc-1 cells with SP1 knockdown. Luciferase assays demonstrated that propofol repressed the transcriptional activity of SP1, while ADAM8 was a direct target of SP1. ConclusionsThese results suggest that propofol affect biological behavior of pancreatic cancer cells through ADAM8 by targeting SP1.
Rheological Properties of Pullulan and Aloe Vera Nanofiber Solutions
Authors: El-sadi Haifa , Sally Shady , Bossart Alex , Kalyon Dilhan 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Nanofibers have been used with increasing success for drug delivery and various biomedical engineering applications. The mixture of 13% pullulan-aloe vera can be pumped with a minor effects on the flow behavior. The fiber is then characterized by SEM, shear viscosity, storage and loss moduli. The oscillatory shear data is employed. The mixture has a complex rheological properties that includes extreme shear-thinning as well as viscoelastic properties and yield stress. The rheology of the pullulan-aloe vera nanofber was characterized, the measurement method may influence the results, it is unclear how the behavior near walls influence the measurement method, Parallel-plate rheometer is used to measure rheological properties. The data and rheological parameters should facilitate a better understanding of the process-ability characteristics of the mixture. The cross model provides a simple way of quantifying the viscosity/shear rate profile for a shear thinning mixture. SEM images are carried out.
Reach-averaged flow resistance in gravel-bed streams
Authors: Zhang Liguo , Luo Wenguang 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
Previous studies about flow resistance in gravel-bed streams mostly use the log-law form and establish the relationship between the friction factor and the relative flow depth based on field data. However, most established relations do not perform very well when applied to shallow water zones with relatively large roughness. In order to clarify the hydraulic variables defined in the single cross-section, and find the reasons that reflect the instability of flow and uneven boundaries of the river, the concepts of hydraulic variables, such as hydraulic radius, are re-defined in the river reach in the paper. The form drag in the river reach is solved based on a reach-averaged flow resistance model which is developed by force balance analyzing of the water body in the given river reach. The reach-averaged form drag relation is then formulated by incorporating the Einstein flow parameter and a newly derived roughness parameter defined in the river reach. A large number of field data (12 datasets, 780 field measurements) is applied to calibrate and validate the form drag relation. The relation is found to give better agreement with the field data in predicting flow velocity in comparison with existing flow resistance equations. A unique feature of the reach-averaged resistance relation is that it can apply to both deep and shallow water zones, which can be treated as a bridge to link the flow hydraulics in plain rivers and mountain streams.
A comprehensive review of saline effluent disposal and treatment: conventional practices, emerging technologies, and future potential
Authors: Sahu Parul 
Published: October 2020

Abstract
An ever-increasing volume of saline effluents from industries, oil–gas fields, and desalination plants has resulted in an enormous amount of pollutants with undesirable effects on the environment and human health. Adequate disposal and treatment of these effluents remains a persistent problem and poses significant technical as well as economic challenges. Saline effluents can have considerable environmental impacts, depending upon the sensitivity of the surrounding ecosystems. Conventional disposal techniques mostly suffer from direct or indirect contamination of water/soil and are no longer preferred. As a result, several advanced treatment methods are being considered for sustainable saline effluent management in recent times. In this context, a comprehensive and updated review of conventional methods, along with emerging technologies for disposal and treatment of saline effluent, is presented. Existing treatment approaches, including membrane operation, thermal processes, chemical techniques, and biological methods, are discussed. The application of innovative hybrid processes (combining two or more treatment methods) aiming at lower energy demand and higher treatment efficiency has also been evaluated. Subsequently, emerging sustainable strategies like waste minimization and water recovery, zero liquid discharge, and resource recovery for saline effluents have been examined. The prospect of integrating the renewable energy sources with energy-intensive saline treatment methods towards energy–water–environment nexus is also explored.