bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Integration of Farmers and Nomads: Archaeological Evidence for the Human Subsistence Strategy in Northwestern China during the Han Dynasty
Authors: LI Xin , LU Minxia , CUI Yifu , LIU Ruiliang , MA Minmin 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe integration of farmers and nomads in northwestern China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE ~ 220 CE) provides a crucial opportunity to reconstruct the material exchanges, formation and development of the Silk Road in antiquity. The subsistence strategy is arguably an effective proxy for the integration of various groups of people (e.g. farmers and nomads). In this paper, we have reported new stable isotope data from the Huangwan tombs dated to the Han dynasty in middle Gansu, which was the key juncture between the Han and Xiongnu empire, in order to fill the gap and further understand the substance strategies employed by the local people. According to the results of plant remains and stable isotopic data, millet farming, the typical agricultural activities for the Han Chinese in the Central Plains, was also the primary lifestyle for the Huangwan people in the mid Gansu. More importantly, this shows fundamentally remarkable difference from the agricultural practices in the Bronze Age Gansu Corridor, which were based on a variety of crops, including wheat, barley and millet. This major shift in the subsistence production at Huangwan can be correlated to a wider historical background in which the Han empire showed increasing political and military presence in the Gansu Corridor, indicating that local indigenous nomads followed the lifestyle of Han Chinese (e.g., millet farming), and/or the Han immigrates maintained millet farming.
Hydrological Variations and the Ancient Silk Road in the Northern Tarim Basin between Han and Sui Dynasties
Authors: LÜ Fenglin , ZHANG Hua , HOU Juzhi , CAO Xianyong , LIU Chenglin 
Published: June 2020

AbstractThe fluctuation pattern of China's civilization can be ascribed to climate change and historical geopolitical variations. The ancient Silk Road served as the most prosperous route connecting East Asia and Europe during Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) and Sui‐Tang Dynasties (581–907 AD), but was deserted in Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties (220–580 AD), of which the Tarim Basin was a key area. However, our understanding about the decline of the route during this period remains limited. Here, we present an ~7‐year resolution record based on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age‐depth model (ca. 120 BC–750AD) from Luntai (LT) profile, about 5 km from the modern Tarim River, which fed the ancient oases, to assess the potential causes on the documented decline of the ancient Silk Road between Late Han and Sui dynasties. In this study, five episodes of hydrological change were identified by combining grain size, magnetic susceptibility, geochemistry and TOC/TN contents. Our reconstruction reveals that cold and wet climate dominated at 120BC–50 AD and 550–750AD, respectively, indicated by strong hydrodynamic conditions. Relatively warm and humid climate occurred at 120–550AD, between Eastern Han and Sui‐Tang dynasties, indicating a better and more suitable local environment. A comparison between the studied region and other areas of China demonstrates that the paleoclimatic variations in eastern and western China exhibit rough discrepancies, and the hydrological conditions in arid region is inconsistent with the decline of ancient Silk Road in the northern Tarim Basin. We suggest that political and societal factors are the key issues that caused the interruption of Silk Road during Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern dynasties, such as the co‐occurrence of societal crises, turmoil and division in eastern China, rather than the deteriorating climatic condition in the northern Tarim basin.
Quality control for modern bone collagen stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements
Authors: Guiry Eric J. , Szpak Paul 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

Isotopic analyses of collagen, the main protein preserved in subfossil bone and tooth, has long provided a powerful tool for the reconstruction of ancient diets and environments. Although isotopic studies of contemporary ecosystems have typically focused on more accessible tissues (e.g. muscle, hair), there is growing interest in the potential for analyses of collagen because it is often available in hard tissue archives (e.g. scales, skin, bone, tooth), allowing for enhanced long‐term retrospective studies. The quality of measurements of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of ancient samples is subject to robust and well‐established criteria for detection of contaminants and diagenesis. Among these quality control (QC) criteria, the most widely utilized is the atomic C:N ratio (C:NAtomic), which for ancient samples has an acceptable range between 2.9 and 3.6. While this QC criterion was developed for ancient materials, it has increasingly being applied to collagen from modern tissues.

Here, we use a large survey of published collagen amino acid compositions (n = 436) from 193 vertebrate species as well as recent experimental isotopic evidence from 413 modern collagen extracts to demonstrate that the C:NAtomic range used for ancient samples is not suitable for assessing collagen quality of modern and archived historical samples.

For modern tissues, collagen C:NAtomic falling outside 3.00–3.30 for fish and 3.00–3.28 for mammals and birds can produce systematically skewed isotopic compositions and may lead to significant interpretative errors. These findings are followed by a review of protocols for improving C:NAtomic criteria for modern collagen extracts.

Given the tremendous conservation and environmental policy‐informing potential that retrospective isotopic analyses of collagen from contemporary and archived vertebrate tissues have for addressing pressing questions about long‐term environmental conditions and species behaviours, it is critical that QC criteria tailored to modern tissues are established.
Effect of different general anaesthetics on ventricular repolarisation in robot‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy
Authors: Park Jin Ha , Lee Ki‐Young , Choi Young Deuk , Lee Jongsoo , Shin Hye Jung , Han Dong Woo , Baek Jiwon , Kim So Yeon 
Published: June 2020

BackgroundVentricular repolarisation is affected differently by the types of anaesthetics used. This study aimed to compare the effect of different types of anaesthetics on ventricular repolarisation during robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP).MethodsSixty‐nine patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the Sevoflurane (sevoflurane/remifentanil), Desflurane (desflurane/remifentanil) or total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA [propofol/remifentanil]) groups; however, only 67 patients completed the study. The primary outcome was heart rate‐corrected QT (QTc) interval collected at nine time points during RALP. Bazett’s (QTcB) and Fridericia’s (QTcF) formulae were used for QT interval correction. The secondary outcomes were Tpeak‐Tend (Tp‐e) interval and Tp‐e/QT ratio that were collected at the same time points.ResultsThe QTcB and QTcF intervals were significantly prolonged during surgery in all groups; however, these values showed significant intergroup differences with time. After assuming the Trendelenburg position, the QTcB and QTcF intervals were significantly longer in the Desflurane group than in the other two groups, and this prolongation continued until the end of surgery. Intra‐operatively, the QTcB and QTcF intervals exceeded 450 ms in six and five patients, respectively, in the Desflurane group, but in none in the TIVA group. Moreover, the incidence of intra‐operative QTc interval prolongation >20 ms and >60 ms was significantly higher in the Desflurane group than in the TIVA group. There were no significant differences in Tp‐e intervals and Tp‐e/QT ratio among the three groups during surgery.ConclusionsTo minimise QTc interval prolongation during RALP, TIVA with propofol/remifentanil is recommended for general anaesthesia.
Impact of mechanical circulatory support on pediatric heart transplant candidates with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance
Authors: Thangappan Karthik , Morales David L. S. , Vu Quyen , Lehenbauer David , Villa Chet , Wittekind Samuel , Hirsch Russel , Lorts Angela , Zafar Farhan 
Published: June 2020

AbstractWith the new era of increasing use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in children, seemingly more patients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) are having positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to define the effect of MCS on pediatric patients listed for heart transplant with an elevated PVR. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was used to identify patients aged 0‐18 at the time of listing for heart transplant between 2010 and 2019 who had PVR documented (n = 2081). Patients were divided into MCS (LVAD, RVAD, BiVAD, and TAH) and No MCS groups, then divided by PVR (PVR) at the time of listing: <3, 3‐6, and >6 Wood units (WU). MCS was used in 20% overall (n = 426); 57% of those with PVR <3, 27% with PVR 3‐6, and 16% with PVR >6. MCS, PVR <3 patients had a higher chance of positive waitlist outcome than all No MCS groups (vs. PVR <3, P = .049; vs. PVR 3‐6, P = .004; vs. PVR >6, P < .001). MCS, PVR 3‐6 patients had a higher chance of positive waitlist outcome than all No MCS groups (vs. PVR <3, P = .048; vs. PVR 3‐6, P = .009; vs. PVR >6, P < .001). MCS, PVR >6 patients had a higher chance of positive waitlist outcome than No MCS, PVR >6 patients (P = .012). Within the No MCS group, patients with a PVR >6 had a higher incidence of negative waitlist outcome compared to PVR <3 (17% vs. 10%, P = .002); this was not the case in the MCS group (5% vs. 6%, P = .693). More patients in the MCS group were ventilator dependent (15% vs. 9%, P < .001) at the time of listing and less likely to have a functional status >50% (43% vs. 73%, P < .001). No significant differences in post‐transplant survival were found in pairwise comparisons of MCS and No MCS PVR subgroups. Patients supported with MCS had a significantly higher chance of a positive waitlist outcome than those without such support regardless of PVR status. This was most pronounced with a PVR greater than 6 WU. MCS compared to No MCS patients had better waitlist survival and equivalent post‐transplant survival. MCS patients, despite being more ill, had better overall survival regardless of PVR.
The impact of obesity on outcomes in patients receiving extracorporeal life support
Authors: Christian‐Miller Nathaniel , Hadaya Joseph , Nakhla Morcos , Sanaiha Yas , Madrigal Josef , Emami Sara , Cale Mario , Sareh Sohail , Benharash Peyman 
Published: June 2020

AbstractExtracorporeal life support (ECLS) has been increasingly utilized to manage cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction. The impact of obesity on outcomes of ECLS is poorly defined. The purpose of the study was to compare in‐hospital mortality, resource use, complications, and readmissions in obese versus non‐obese patients receiving ECLS. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all adult ECLS patients with and without an obesity diagnosis using the 2010–2016 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). Mortality, length of stay (LOS), hospital charges, complications, and readmissions were evaluated using multivariable logistic and linear regression. Of 23 876, patients who received ECLS, 1924 (8.1%) were obese. Obese patients received ECLS more frequently for respiratory failure (29.5% vs. 23.7%, P = .001). After adjustment for patient and hospital factors, obesity was not associated with increased odds of mortality (AOR = 1.06, P = .44) and was associated with decreased LOS (13.7 vs. 21.2 days, P < .001), hospital charges ($171 866 vs. $211 445, P < .001), and 30‐day readmission (AOR = 0.71, P = .03). Obesity was also associated with reduced odds of hemorrhage (AOR = 0.43, P < .001), neurologic complications (AOR = 0.55, P = .004), and acute kidney injury (AOR=0.83, P = .04). After stratification by ECLS indication, obesity remained predictive of shorter LOS (AOR range: 0.53‐0.78, all P < .05 ) and did not impact mortality (all P > .05). Respiratory support remains the most common indication for ECLS among obese patients. Among all patients, as well as by individual ECLS indication, obesity was not associated with increased odds of mortality. These findings suggest that obesity should not be considered a high‐risk contraindication to ECLS.
Scotland's 2009–2015 methadone‐prescription cohort: Quintiles for daily dose of prescribed methadone and risk of methadone‐specific death
Authors: Gao Lu , Robertson J. Roy , Bird Sheila M. 
Published: June 2020

AimsAs methadone clients age, their drug‐related death (DRD) risks increase, more than doubling at 45+ years for methadone‐specific DRDs.MethodsUsing Community Health Index (CHI) numbers, mortality to 31 December 2015 was ascertained for 36 347 methadone‐prescription clients in Scotland during 2009–2015. Cohort entry, quantity of prescribed methadone and daily dose (actual or recovered by effective, simple rules) were defined by clients' first CHI‐identified methadone prescription after 30 June 2009 and used in proportional hazards analysis. As custodian of death records, National Records of Scotland identified non‐DRDs from DRDs. Methadone‐specific DRD means methadone was implicated but neither heroin nor buprenorphine.ResultsThe cohort's 192 928 person‐years included 1857 non‐DRDs and 1323 DRDs (42%), 546 of which were methadone specific. Actual/recovered daily dose was available for 26 533 (73%) clients who experienced 420 methadone‐specific DRDs. Top quintile for daily dose at first CHI‐identified methadone prescription was >90 mg. Age 45+ years at cohort‐entry (hazard ratio vs 25–34 years: 3.1, 95% confidence interval: 2.4–4.2), top quintile for baseline daily dose of prescribed methadone (vs 50–70 mg: 1.9, 1.1–3.1) and being female (1.3, 1.0–1.6) significantly increased clients' risk of methadone‐specific DRD.ConclusionExtra care is needed when methadone daily dose exceeds 90 mg. Females' higher risk for methadone‐specific DRD is new and needs validation. Further analyses of prescribed daily dose linked to mortality for large cohorts of methadone clients are needed internationally, together with greater pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic understanding of methadone by age and sex. Balancing age‐related risks is challenging for prescribers who manage chronic opiate dependency against additional uncertainty about the nature, strength and pharmacological characteristics of drugs from illegal markets.
C1 esterase inhibitor and the contact system in COVID‐19
Authors: Thomson Timothy M. , Toscano‐Guerra Emily , Casis Ernesto , Paciucci Rosanna 
Published: June 2020

SummaryCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is frequently associated with severe systemic consequences, including vasculitis, a hyperinflammatory state and hypercoagulation. The mechanisms leading to these life‐threatening abnormalities are multifactorial. Based on the analysis of publicly available interactomes, we propose that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 infection directly causes a deficiency in C1 esterase inhibitor, a pathogen‐specific mechanism that may help explain significant systemic abnormalities in patients with COVID‐19.
Tumor‐associated macrophage‐derived inflammatory cytokine enhances malignant potential of malignant pleural mesothelioma
Authors: Horio Daisuke , Minami Toshiyuki , Kitai Hidemi , Ishigaki Hirotoshi , Higashiguchi Yoko , Kondo Nobuyuki , Hirota Seiichi , Kitajima Kazuhiro , Nakajima Yasuhiro , Koda Yuichi , Fujimoto Eriko , Negi Yoshiki , Niki Maiko , Kanemura Shingo , Shibata Eisuke , Mikami Koji , Takahashi Ryo , Yokoi Takashi , Kuribayashi Kozo , Kijima Takashi 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMalignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an asbestos‐related aggressive malignant neoplasm. Due to the difficulty of achieving curative surgical resection in most patients with MPM, a combination chemotherapy of cisplatin and pemetrexed has been the only approved regimen proven to improve the prognosis of MPM. However, the median overall survival time is at most 12 mo even with this regimen. There has been therefore a pressing need to develop a novel chemotherapeutic strategy to bring about a better outcome for MPM. We found that expression of interleukin‐1 receptor (IL‐1R) was upregulated in MPM cells compared with normal mesothelial cells. We also investigated the biological significance of the interaction between pro‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐1β and the IL‐1R in MPM cells. Stimulation by IL‐1β promoted MPM cells to form spheroids along with upregulating a cancer stem cell marker CD26. We also identified tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) as the major source of IL‐1β in the MPM microenvironment. Both high mobility group box 1 derived from MPM cells and the asbestos‐activated inflammasome in TAMs induced the production of IL‐1β, which resulted in enhancement of the malignant potential of MPM. We further performed immunohistochemical analysis using clinical MPM samples obtained from patients who were treated with the combination of platinum plus pemetrexed, and found that the overexpression of IL‐1R tended to correlate with poor overall survival. In conclusion, the interaction between MPM cells and TAMs through a IL‐1β/IL‐1R signal could be a promising candidate as the target for novel treatment of MPM (Hyogo College of Medicine clinical trial registration number: 2973).
Hypertonic saline mediates the NLRP3/IL‐1β signaling axis in microglia to alleviate ischemic blood‐brain barrier permeability by downregulating astrocyte‐derived VEGF in rats
Authors: Wang Qiao‐sheng , Ding Hong‐guang , Chen Sheng‐long , Liu Xin‐qiang , Deng Yi‐yu , Jiang Wen‐qiang , Li Ya , Huang Lin‐qiang , Han Yong‐li , Wen Miao‐yun , Wang Mei‐qiu , Zeng Hong‐ke 
Published: June 2020

AbstractIntroductionThe aim of this study was to explore whether the antibrain edema of hypertonic saline (HS) is associated with alleviating ischemic blood‐brain barrier (BBB) permeability by downregulating astrocyte‐derived vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is mediated by microglia‐derived NOD‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome.MethodsThe infarct volume and BBB permeability were detected. The protein expression level of VEGF in astrocytes in a transient focal brain ischemia model of rats was evaluated after 10% HS treatment. Changes in the NLRP3 inflammasome, IL‐1β protein expression, and the interleukin‐1 receptor (IL1R1)/pNF‐кBp65/VEGF signaling pathway were determined in astrocytes.ResultsHS alleviated the BBB permeability, reduced the infarct volume, and downregulated the expression of VEGF in astrocytes. HS downregulates IL‐1β expression by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia and then downregulates VEGF expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF‐кBp65 mediated by IL‐1β in astrocytes.ConclusionsHS alleviated the BBB permeability, reduced the infarct volume, and downregulated the expression of VEGF in astrocytes. HS downregulated IL‐1β expression via inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia and then downregulated VEGF expression through inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF‐кBp65 mediated by IL‐1β in astrocytes.
FDG PET/CT of the non‐malignant liver in an increasingly obese world population
Authors: Keramida Georgia , Peters A. Michael 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBecause of obesity, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming increasingly important. 10% of NAFLD patients develop non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which may progress to cirrhosis and is now the leading indication for liver transplantation in the Western world. Prefibrotic NASH can only be reliably diagnosed by biopsy. However, given its success in other inflammatory diseases, PET/CT with 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), although non‐specific, may offer a promising approach to diagnosing not only NASH but also other inflammatory liver conditions. In addition, FDG PET has generated pathophysiological information on hepatic glucose metabolism and, diagnostically, used liver for quantification of tumour FDG accumulation (e.g. Deauville scoring). A review of hepatic FDG PET is therefore timely. There are two general approaches to the quantification of hepatic FDG accumulation: firstly, standard uptake value (SUV) and secondly dynamic PET. SUV is a poor index of hepatic metabolic function because most hepatic FDG (~75%) is un‐phosphorylated 60‐min postinjection. Hepatic fat is increased in NAFLD but accumulates negligible FDG. Because fat distribution is heterogeneous, maximum pixel SUV is therefore preferred to mean pixel SUV. Computer modelling of dynamic PET dissects the transport constants governing hepatic FDG kinetics but is challenged by the liver's dual blood supply. Graphical analysis is less informative but more robust and will be the preferred clinical approach to measurement of hepatic FDG phosphorylation. Previous dynamic PET studies have ignored hepatic fat and therefore potentially underestimated glucose accumulation in patients with hepatic steatosis. Future work should use graphical analysis of dynamic PET and correction for hepatic fat.
A review on methods for diagnosis of breast cancer cells and tissues
Authors: He Ziyu , Chen Zhu , Tan Miduo , Elingarami Sauli , Liu Yuan , Li Taotao , Deng Yan , He Nongyue , Li Song , Fu Juan , Li Wen 
Published: June 2020

AbstractBreast cancer has seriously been threatening physical and mental health of women in the world, and its morbidity and mortality also show clearly upward trend in China over time. Through inquiry, we find that survival rate of patients with early‐stage breast cancer is significantly higher than those with middle‐ and late‐stage breast cancer, hence, it is essential to conduct research to quickly diagnose breast cancer. Until now, many methods for diagnosing breast cancer have been developed, mainly based on imaging and molecular biotechnology examination. These methods have great contributions in screening and confirmation of breast cancer. In this review article, we introduce and elaborate the advances of these methods, and then conclude some gold standard diagnostic methods for certain breast cancer patients. We lastly discuss how to choose the most suitable diagnostic methods for breast cancer patients. In general, this article not only summarizes application and development of these diagnostic methods, but also provides the guidance for researchers who work on diagnosis of breast cancer.
Emerging role of targeting macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis: Focus on polarization, metabolism and apoptosis
Authors: Yang Xuezhi , Chang Yan , Wei Wei 
Published: June 2020

AbstractMacrophages maintain a dynamic balance in physiology. Various known or unknown microenvironmental signals influence the polarization, activation and death of macrophages, which creates an imbalance that leads to disease. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by the massive infiltration of a variety of chronic inflammatory cells in synovia. Abundant activated macrophages found in RA synovia are an early hallmark of RA, and the number of these macrophages can be decreased after effective treatment. In RA, the proportion of M1 (pro‐inflammatory macrophages) is higher than that of M2 (anti‐inflammatory macrophages). The increased pro‐inflammatory ability of macrophages is related to their excessive activation and proliferation as well as an enhanced anti‐apoptosis ability. At present, there are no clinical therapies specific to macrophages in RA. Understanding the mechanisms and functional consequences of the heterogeneity of macrophages will aid in confirming their potential role in inflammation development. This review will outline RA‐related macrophage properties (focus on polarization, metabolism and apoptosis) as well as the origin of macrophages. The molecular mechanisms that drive macrophage properties also be elucidated to identify novel therapeutic targets for RA and other autoimmune disease.