bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic uniformity, geographical spread and anthropogenic habitat modifications of lymnaeid vectors found in a One Health initiative in the highest human fascioliasis hyperendemic of the Bolivian Altiplano
Authors: Bargues M. Dolores , Artigas Patricio , Angles Rene , Osca David , Duran Pamela , Buchon Paola , Gonzales-Pomar R. Karina , Pinto-Mendieta Julio , Mas-Coma Santiago 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBackgroundFascioliasis is a snail-borne zoonotic trematodiasis emerging due to climate changes, anthropogenic environment modifications, and livestock movements. Many areas whereFasciola hepaticais endemic in humans have been described in Latin America altitude areas. Highest prevalences and intensities were reported from four provinces of the northern Bolivian Altiplano, where preventive chemotherapy is ongoing. New strategies are now incorporated to decrease infection/re-infection risk, assessment of human infection sources to enable efficient prevention measures, and additionally a One Health initiative in a selected zone. Subsequent extension of these pilot interventions to the remaining Altiplano is key.MethodsTo verify reproducibility throughout, 133 specimens from 25 lymnaeid populations representative of the whole Altiplano, and 11 used for population dynamics studies, were analyzed by rDNA ITS2 and ITS1 and mtDNAcox1 and16Ssequencing to assess their classification, variability and geographical spread.ResultsLymnaeid populations proved to belong to a monomorphic group,Galba truncatula. Only a singlecox1 mutation was found in a local population. Twocox1 haplotypes were new. Comparisons of transmission foci data from the 1990’s with those of 2018 demonstrated an endemic area expansion. Altitudinal, northward and southward expansions suggest movements of livestock transportingG. truncatulasnails, with increasing temperatures transforming previously unsuitable habitats into suitable transmission areas. Transmission foci appear to be stable when compared to past field observations, except for those modified by human activities, including construction of new roads or control measures undertaken in relation to fascioliasis.ConclusionsFor a One Health initiative, the control of only oneFasciolaspecies and snail vector species simplifies efforts because of the lower transmission complexity. Vector monomorphism suggests uniformity of vector population responses after control measure implementation. Hyperendemic area outer boundary instability suggests a climate change impact. All populations outside previously known boundaries were close to villages, human dwellings and/or schools, and should therefore be considered during disease control planning. The remarkable southward expansion implies that a fifth province, Aroma, should now be included within preventive chemotherapy programmes. This study highlights the need for lymnaeid molecular identification, transmission foci stability monitoring, and potential vector spread assessment.
Leu124Serfs*26, a novel AGPAT2 mutation in congenital generalized lipodystrophy with early cardiovascular complications
Authors: Montenegro Junior Renan Magalhães , Lima Grayce Ellen da Cruz Paiva , Fernandes Virgínia Oliveira , Montenegro Ana Paula Dias Rangel , Ponte Clarisse Mourão Melo , Martins Lívia Vasconcelos , Pinheiro Daniel Pascoalino , de Moraes Maria Elisabete Amaral , de Moraes Filho Manoel Odorico , d’Alva Catarina Brasil 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the near-total loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue soon after birth, resulting in ectopic fat deposition and severe metabolic disturbances. Most cases are caused by AGPAT2 or BSCL2 gene mutations. We aimed to report two unrelated CGL patients with a novel frameshift mutation in AGPAT2 (p.Leu124Serfs*26).

Methods
Clinical features and laboratory were obtained by medical interview and medical records review. DNA was extracted, amplified and sequenced. Mutation Taster was used to estimate the potential biological impact of the AGPAT2 mutations on the protein function.

Results
Patient 1: a 30-year-old woman with lipodystrophy phenotype at birth and diagnosis of diabetes at age 13 presented with severe hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis at age 17, hypertension and albuminuria at age 18, proliferative diabetic retinopathy with visual loss at age 25, and an acute myocardial infarction due to multivessel coronary disease during a hospitalization for forefoot amputation at age 29. At this time, she required hemodialysis due to end-stage renal disease. Patient 2: a 12-year-old girl with lipodystrophy phenotype and hypertriglyceridemia detected in the first year of life and abnormalities in the global longitudinal strain, evaluated by speckle-tracking echocardiography last year. Molecular analysis identified a c.369_372delGCTC (p.Leu124Serfs*26) AGPAT2 mutation in both unrelated patients, a compound heterozygous mutation in Patient 1, and homozygous mutation in Patient 2.

Conclusion
We describe two unrelated patients with type 1 CGL due to Leu124Serfs*26, a novel AGPAT2 frameshift mutation, presenting as early cardiovascular disease. These findings suggest an association between Leu124Serfs*26 and a more aggressive phenotype.
Optimal control strategy for the effects of hard water consumption on kidney-related diseases
Authors: Ndii Meksianis Z. , Berkanis Fransiska R. , Tambaru David , Lobo Maria , Ariyanto  , Djahi Bertha S. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Objectives
We study the optimal control strategy for the effects of hard water consumption on kidney-related diseases. The mathematical model has been formulated and studied to gain insights on the optimal control strategy on the effects of hard-water consumption on kidney-related diseases. The positivity and boundedness of the solutions are determined. A global sensitivity analysis has been performed and the numerical solutions have been carried out.

Results
A global sensitivity analysis shows that the control on water is an important parameter. This can reduce the proportion of individuals with kidney-dysfunction and hence reduces the proportion of individuals with kidney-related diseases. Furthermore, the numerical solutions show that with the optimal control, the proportion of individuals with kidney-related diseases can be minimised.
Mesoscopic population equations for spiking neural networks with synaptic short-term plasticity
Authors: Schmutz Valentin , Gerstner Wulfram , Schwalger Tilo 
Published: April 2020

AbstractCoarse-graining microscopic models of biological neural networks to obtain mesoscopic models of neural activities is an essential step towards multi-scale models of the brain. Here, we extend a recent theory for mesoscopic population dynamics with static synapses to the case of dynamic synapses exhibiting short-term plasticity (STP). The extended theory offers an approximate mean-field dynamics for the synaptic input currents arising from populations of spiking neurons and synapses undergoing Tsodyks–Markram STP. The approximate mean-field dynamics accounts for both finite number of synapses and correlation between the two synaptic variables of the model (utilization and available resources) and its numerical implementation is simple. Comparisons with Monte Carlo simulations of the microscopic model show that in both feedforward and recurrent networks, the mesoscopic mean-field model accurately reproduces the first- and second-order statistics of the total synaptic input into a postsynaptic neuron and accounts for stochastic switches between Up and Down states and for population spikes. The extended mesoscopic population theory of spiking neural networks with STP may be useful for a systematic reduction of detailed biophysical models of cortical microcircuits to numerically efficient and mathematically tractable mean-field models.
Transgenic plant generated by RNAi-mediated knocking down of soybean Vma12 and soybean mosaic virus resistance evaluation
Authors: Luan Hexiang , Liao Wenlin , Song Yingpei , Niu Haopeng , Hu Ting , Zhi Haijian 
Published: April 2020

AbstractSoybean mosaic virus (SMV) is one of the most destructive viral diseases in soybean and causes severe reduction of soybean yield and destroys the seed quality. However, the production of SMV resistant plants by transgenic is the most effective and economical means. Based on our previous yeast two-hybrid assay, the GmVma12 was selected as a strong candidate gene for further function characterization. Here we transformed soybean plants with a construct containing inverted repeat of-GmVma12 sequence to analyze the role of GmVma12 during SMV invasion. Totals of 33 T0 and 160 T1 plants were confirmed as positive transgenic plants through herbicide application, PCR detection and LibertyLink® strip screening. Based on the segregation ratio and Southern Blot data, T1 lines No. 3 and No. 7 were selected to generate T2 plants. After SMV-SC15 inoculation, 41 T1 and 38 T2 plants were identified as highly resistant, and their quantification disease levels were much lower than non-transformed plants. The transcript level of GmVma12 in T2 plants decreased to 70% of non-transformed plants. The expression level of SMV-CP transcript in T2 transgenic plants was lower than that in non-transformed plants and SMV CP protein in T2 plants could not be detected by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent assay, which indicated that SMV production would be inhibited in transgenic plants. Moreover, coat mottles of T2 seeds were obliterated significantly. In conclusion, inverted repeat of the hairpin structure of GmVma12 interfered with the transcription of GmVma12, which can induce resistance to SMV in soybean. This research lays the foundation for the mechanism of SMV pathogenesis, and provides new ideas for SMV prevention and control.
On Hardy-type integral inequalities in the whole plane related to the extended Hurwitz-zeta function
Authors: Rassias Michael Th. , Yang Bicheng , Raigorodskii Andrei 
Published: April 2020

AbstractUsing weight functions, we establish a few equivalent statements of two kinds of Hardy-type integral inequalities with nonhomogeneous kernel in the whole plane. The constant factors related to the extended Hurwitz-zeta function are proved to be the best possible. In the form of applications, we deduce some special cases involving homogeneous kernel. We additionally consider some particular inequalities and operator expressions.
Dynamic analysis of a complex system under preemptive repeat repair discipline
Authors: Kasim Ehmet , Gupur Geni 
Published: April 2020

AbstractThis paper considers a two-unit complex system, in which one of the components has priority with preemptive repeat repair disciplines, described by partial differential equations with integral boundary conditions. First, we prove that the system has a unique nonnegative time-dependent solution by using the strong continuous semigroup theory of linear operators. Then, we obtain the exponential convergence of the time-dependent solution to its steady-state solution by means of the spectral properties of the corresponding operator. We also provide the asymptotic behavior of some time-dependent reliability indices, a numerical illustration showing the effects of various parameters on the system, and the validity of the theoretical analysis.
Impact of phages on soil bacterial communities and nitrogen availability under different assembly scenarios
Authors: Braga Lucas P. P. , Spor Aymé , Kot Witold , Breuil Marie-Christine , Hansen Lars H. , Setubal João C. , Philippot Laurent 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Bacteriophages, the viruses infecting bacteria, are biological entities that can control their host populations. The ecological relevance of phages for microbial systems has been widely explored in aquatic environments, but the current understanding of the role of phages in terrestrial ecosystems remains limited. Here, our objective was to quantify the extent to which phages drive the assembly and functioning of soil bacterial communities. We performed a reciprocal transplant experiment using natural and sterilized soil incubated with different combinations of two soil microbial communities, challenged against native and non-native phage suspensions as well as against a cocktail of phage isolates. We tested three different community assembly scenarios by adding phages: (a) during soil colonization, (b) after colonization, and (c) in natural soil communities. One month after inoculation with phage suspensions, bacterial communities were assessed by 16S rRNA amplicon gene sequencing.

Results
By comparing the treatments inoculated with active versus autoclaved phages, our results show that changes in phage pressure have the potential to impact soil bacterial community composition and diversity. We also found a positive effect of active phages on the soil ammonium concentration in a few treatments, which indicates that increased phage pressure may also be important for soil functions.

Conclusions
Overall, the present work contributes to expand the current knowledge about soil phages and provide some empirical evidence supporting their relevance for soil bacterial community assembly and functioning.
Xylaria insolita and X. subescharoidea: two newly described species collected from a termite nesting site in Hua-lien, Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh Huei-Mei , Chou Jyh-Ching , Ju Yu-Ming 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
A number of Xylaria species are exclusively associated with nests of macrotermitine termites. A nesting site of Odontotermes formosanus in eastern Taiwan, which is the only macrotermitine termite known on the island, had been inundated during the raining season of 2010, and hundreds of Xylaria stromata emerged from it thereafter. A thorough examination of these stromata showed that they represent a mixture of different species.

Results
Five Xylaria species were identified from the stromata collected from the nesting site, including two undescribed species, which are newly described as X. insolita and X. subescharoidea herein, and three known species X. brunneovinosa, X. escharoidea, and X. furcata.

Conclusion
Totally, there are 28 Xylaria species growing on termite nests or ground in the world. Although O. formosanus is the only macrotermitine species known in Taiwan, the Xylaria diversity associated with its nests is fairly high; the species number has reached 12 with X. furcata, X. insolita, and X. subescharoidea added to the Taiwan mycobiota.
An UHPLC-TOF-MS method for quantifying novel brominated anticancer compound bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid and its application to in vivo pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Li Xiuxue , Wang Lijun , Jia Xiaoling , Guo Chuanlong , Li Chao , Zhang Jiajia , Shi Dayong 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid was a novel synthetic brominated anticancer compound with two bromine atoms. Bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid showed considerable selective inhibitory activity against PARP1 (IC50 = 29.5 nmol/L). UHPLC-TOF-MS was used to establish a new method to quantify bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid bio-samples for indispensable quantitation analysis in further extensive pre-clinical studies.

Methods
Chromatographic and mass spectrometry parameters were optimized for quantitative method establishment. Improved protein-precipitated method was applied to the extraction of bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid in rat plasma samples. Furthermore, this proposed method was applied to an intravenous bolus dose to male rats.

Results
Mobile phase was consisted of water for A and acetonitrile for B with 25 mmol/L formic acid in both A and B. The flow rate was 0.30 mL/min, and the run time of bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid was 4.0 min. A Thermo Fisher Accucore 2.6 μm C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm i.d.; San Jose, USA) was used for chromatographic separation. High resolution mass spectrometry was used to quantify samples by exact mass number of compound which was operated on negative ionization mode. Linear dynamic range of the established method was widely with 13.7–10000 nmol/L. Pharmacokinetics properties of bromophenol-thiosemicarbazone hybrid were shown in the results.

Conclusion
This method was reliable and reproducible from sample preparation to analysis and storage stability under the investigated conditions. It may be useful for analysis of halogenated compounds and brominated compounds in ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of primary cervical cancer in the detection of sub-centimetre metastatic lymph nodes
Authors: Perucho Jose Angelo Udal , Chiu Keith Wan Hang , Wong Esther Man Fung , Tse Ka Yu , Chu Mandy Man Yee , Chan Lawrence Wing Chi , Pang Herbert , Khong Pek-Lan , Lee Elaine Yuen Phin 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has limited accuracy in detecting pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastasis. This study aimed to examine the use of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) in classifying pelvic lymph node (PLN) involvement in cervical cancer patients.

Methods
Fifty cervical cancer patients with pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were examined for PLN involvement by one subspecialist and one non-subspecialist radiologist. PLN status was confirmed by positron emission tomography or histology. The tumours were then segmented by both radiologists. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test for differences between diffusion tumour volume (DTV), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure diffusion coefficient (D), and perfusion fraction (f) in patients with no malignant PLN involvement, those with sub-centimetre and size-significant PLN metastases. These parameters were then considered as classifiers for PLN involvement, and were compared with the accuracies of radiologists.

Results
Twenty-one patients had PLN involvement of which 10 had sub-centimetre metastatic PLNs. DTV increased (p = 0.013) while ADC (p = 0.015), and f (p = 0.006) decreased as the nodal status progressed from no malignant involvement to sub-centimetre and then size-significant PLN metastases. In determining PLN involvement, a classification model (DTV + f) had similar accuracies (80%) as the non-subspecialist (76%; p = 0.73) and subspecialist (90%; p = 0.31). However, in identifying patients with sub-centimetre PLN metastasis, the model had higher accuracy (90%) than the non-subspecialist (30%; p = 0.01) but had similar accuracy with the subspecialist (90%, p = 1.00). Interobserver variability in tumour delineation did not significantly affect the performance of the classification model.

Conclusion
IVIM is useful in determining PLN involvement but the added value decreases with reader experience.
Role of diffusion-weighted imaging in differentiation between posterior fossa brain tumors
Authors: Mustafa W. F. , Abbas M. , Elsorougy L. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is an imaging modality using multi-section single-shot spin echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence which is extremely sensitive for detection of water motion within intra, extra, and transcellular regions. This character is important to differentiate between brain tumors either low (benign) or highly (malignant) cellular tumors.

Objective
To evaluate the role of DWI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in evaluation and differentiation between different brain posterior fossa tumors in children and adults.

Patients and methods
The study included 34 patients with different brain posterior fossa tumors for evaluation by conventional MRI (using 1.5 T MRI PHILIPS Achieva 2.1 Best Netherland) and DWI.

Results
Our study showed that mean ADC values were significantly different between the four groups of posterior fossa tumors in children: juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (JPA), medulloblastoma, ependymoma, and brain stem glioma while mean ADC values were not significantly different between posterior fossa tumors in the adult group. Regions of interest were manually positioned, and all values were automatically calculated and expressed in 10−3 mm2/s.

Conclusion
DWI is an ideal additional imaging technique, which is a rapid, easy, non-invasive imaging modality, with no contrast injection needed. It has been widely applied in the differentiation between posterior fossa brain tumors and in the diagnosis of various intracranial diseases.
Isolation and characterization of betulinic acid from the stem bark of Feretia canthioides Hiern and its antimalarial potential
Authors: Egbubine Chiedozie O. , Adeyemi Modupe M. , Habila James D. 
Published: April 2020

Abstract
Background
Malaria is a parasitic disease that constitutes a major global health concern and the increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum strains to the commonly used antimalarial drugs has resulted in an increase in treatment failures (Zofou et al.,Malar Res Treat: 561342, 2011). Natural products isolated from plants used in traditional medicine have shown promising antimalarial actions in vitro, and these plants can serve as potential sources for new antimalarial drugs (Wright et al.,Phytother Res 8:149–152, 1994); hence, research into the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of malaria would provide viable options in the effective control of the disease by screening plant extracts for antimalarial activities and also isolating bioactive components from these extracts using TLC and column chromatographic techniques.
This research was focused on investigating the antimalarial potentials of the stem bark of Feretia canthioides Hiern used in the traditional treatment of malaria in Nigeria.

Results
In vitro antimalarial tests carried out on the plant extracts and isolated compound in this research revealed that the methanol extract displayed promising antimalarial activities with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 7.76 μg/ml, the n-hexane extract showed low activity with an IC50 value of 63.10 μg/ml, while the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane extracts were found to be inactive with IC50 values above 100 μg/ml. The isolated compound (betulinic acid) showed good antimalarial activity with an IC50 value of 12.60 μg/ml when compared with chloroquine phosphate which served as the positive control.
Detailed phytochemical screening of the plant extracts obtained after extraction of the plant material indicated that the methanolic extract of the stem bark of Feretia canthioides Hiern contained major plant secondary metabolites which include tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, saponins and glycosides. Chromatographic techniques carried out on the methanolic extract of this plant led to the isolation of a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound identified to be betulinic acid which is been reported for the first time from the methanolic extract of the stem bark of this plant.

Conclusion
The inhibitory concentration values (IC50) of the methanolic extract and isolated compound in this research prove that this plant can serve as an effective agent for the treatment of malaria. This research concluded that the stem bark of Feretia canthioides Hiern can be further investigated as a prospective antimalarial agent.