bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evolution of tumor cells during AsiDNA treatment results in energy exhaustion, decrease in responsiveness to signal, and higher sensitivity to the drug
Authors: Girard Pierre‐Marie , Berthault Nathalie , Kozlac Maria , Ferreira Sofia , Jdey Wael , Bhaskara Srividya , Alekseev Sergey , Thomas Frederic , Dutreix Marie 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIt is increasingly suggested that ecological and evolutionary sciences could inspire novel therapies against cancer but medical evidence of this remains scarce at the moment. The Achilles heel of conventional and targeted anticancer treatments is intrinsic or acquired resistance following Darwinian selection; that is, treatment toxicity places the surviving cells under intense evolutionary selective pressure to develop resistance. Here, we review a set of data that demonstrate that Darwinian principles derived from the “smoke detector” principle can instead drive the evolution of malignant cells toward a different trajectory. Specifically, long‐term exposure of cancer cells to a strong alarm signal, generated by the DNA repair inhibitor AsiDNA, induces a stable new state characterized by a down‐regulation of the targeted pathways and does not generate resistant clones. This property is due to the original mechanism of action of AsiDNA, which acts by overactivating a “false” signaling of DNA damage through DNA‐PK and PARP enzymes, and is not observed with classical DNA repair inhibitors such as the PARP inhibitors. Long‐term treatment with AsiDNA induces a new “alarm down” state in the tumor cells with decrease in NAD level and reactiveness to it. These results suggest that agonist drugs such as AsiDNA could promote a state‐dependent tumor cell evolution by lowering their ability to respond to high “danger” signal. This analysis provides a compelling argument that evolutionary ecology could help drug design development in overcoming fundamental limitation of novel therapies against cancer due to the modification of the targeted tumor cell population during treatment.
Clinical and ultrasonographic findings of a tear of the gastrocnemius muscle and enthesopathy of the origin of the superficial digital flexor muscle in a reining Quarter Horse mare
Authors: Romero J. M. , Pressanto M. C. , Pepe M. , Di Meo A. , Beccati F. 
Published: March 2020

SummaryProximal gastrocnemius and superficial digital flexor (SDF) muscle injuries are reported in the horse but are uncommon. In adult horses, the definitive diagnosis is more commonly based on clinical signs with or without the use of radiographic examination and/or nuclear scintigraphy. This case report describes the clinical and ultrasonographic findings of a tear of the gastrocnemius muscle in a 6‐year‐old reining mare. At standing physical examination, there was a sickled hock appearance, with the point of the hock of the left hindlimb lower (dropped hock) than that of the right hindlimb. At dynamic examination at walk, the mare had instability of the left hock characterised by medial rotation of the hoof and lateral rotation of the point of the hock (twisting motion); at trot, the horse showed mild/moderate left hindlimb lameness characterised by more downward movement of the pelvis during weightbearing of the lame limb compared with that of the sound limb. Ultrasonographic examination of the left thigh and crus showed a large irregular hypoechogenic area and irregularly shaped, retracted muscle stumps on the lateral aspect of the gastrocnemius muscles; the proximal insertion of the SDF muscle on the supracondylar fossa of the femur was irregular in its outline, hypoechogenic and thickened compared with that of the right side. Characteristic muscle fibre pattern was not identified in the left gastrocnemius muscle. On the radiography, a mild irregularity of the bone margin of the lateral supracondylar tuberosity was detected on the caudo 45° medial‐craniolateral oblique view of the distal femur. Clinical and diagnostic imaging findings were consistent with partial failure of the caudal part of the reciprocal apparatus and injury of the gastrocnemius and SDF muscles/origin. The horse was managed conservatively by corrective shoeing, muscle relaxing drugs, controlled exercise and manual stretching.
Exposure to noise pollution across North American passerines supports the noise filter hypothesis
Authors: Cardoso Gonçalo C. , Klingbeil Brian T. , La Sorte Frank A. , Lepczyk Christopher A. , Fink Daniel , Flather Curtis H. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe noise filter hypothesis predicts that species using higher sound frequencies should be more tolerant of noise pollution, because anthropogenic noise is more intense at low frequencies. Recent work analysed continental‐scale data on anthropogenic noise across the USA and found that passerine species inhabiting more noise‐polluted areas do not have higher peak song frequency but have more complex songs. However, this metric of song complexity is of ambiguous interpretation, because it can indicate either diverse syllables or a larger frequency bandwidth. In the latter case, the finding would support the noise filter hypothesis, because larger frequency bandwidths mean that more sound energy spreads to frequencies that are less masked by anthropogenic noise. We reanalysed how passerine song predicts exposure to noise using a more thorough dataset of acoustic song measurements, and showed that it is large frequency bandwidths, rather than diverse syllables, that predict the exposure of species to noise pollution. Given that larger bandwidths often encompass higher maximum frequencies, which are less masked by anthropogenic noise, our result suggests that tolerance to noise pollution might depend mostly on having the high‐frequency parts of song little masked by noise, thus preventing acoustic communication from going entirely unnoticed at long distances.
Revisiting the pathobiology of scurvy: a review of the literature in the context of a challenging case
Authors: Deirawan Hany , Fakhoury Joseph W. , Zarka Mohamad , Bluth Martin H. , Moossavi Meena 
Published: March 2020

AbstractScurvy is a nutritional disorder resulting from vitamin C deficiency. Although rare in developing countries, scurvy continues to develop in settings of limited dietary intake such as post‐gastrointestinal surgery and restrictive dietary habits. The disease primarily affects the skin and soft tissue. As the state of deficiency persists, hematological and immunological sequelae may develop. The classic signs of scurvy are not always present and can be altered by the presence of other comorbidities. In this article, we present a challenging case of scurvy in an older male from an urban tertiary healthcare setting. We review the atypical and uncommon clinical and pathological findings of scurvy including those seen in the skin, blood, and bone marrow. We also review contemporary research findings that provide a better understanding of the pathogenicity and clinical manifestations of vitamin C deficiency.
Chinese herbal medicine reduces the risk of urinary incontinence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A population‐based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lin Yu‐Chun , Huang Chao‐Chun , Lin Mei‐Chen , Huang Sheng‐Teng 
Published: March 2020

ObjectivesTo investigate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of urinary incontinence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.MethodsWe carried out a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database. From a cohort of 1 million records between 1996 and 2013, a total of 202 279 patients with newly onset chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were initially recruited. We matched with propensity score 3967 patients who received Chinese herbal medicine by age, sex, year of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosis, urbanization, comorbidities and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medications. All participants received follow‐up visits until the end of 2013 to record the incidence rate of urinary incontinence. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to assess the association between Chinese herbal medicine use and the risk of urinary incontinence among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.ResultsThe incidence rates of urinary incontinence were 57.33 and 108.15 (per 10 000 person‐years) in the Chinese herbal medicine and non‐Chinese herbal medicine cohorts, respectively, showing a significantly lower risk of urinary incontinence in Chinese herbal medicine users (aHR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.45–0.69, P < 0.001). The Chinese herbal medicine prescription pattern analysis showed that Fritillariae thunbergii bulbus (Zhebeimu), Semen armeniacae amarum (Kuxingren), Platycodonis radix (Jiegeng), Xiao Qing Long Tang and Ding Chuan Tang constituted the core of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions applied to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.ConclusionThe use of Chinese herbal medicine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients can reduce their risk of urinary incontinence.
Goal programming to evaluate the profile of the most profitable insurers: an application to the Spanish insurance industry
Authors: González‐Fernández Ana Isabel , Rubio‐Misas María , Ruiz Francisco 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis paper applies a multiobjective goal programming (GP) model to define the profile of the most profitable insurers by focusing on 14 firm‐decision variables and considering different scenarios resulting from the exogenous change in interest rate and GDP per capita growth variables. We consider a detailed database of Spanish non‐life insurers over the period 2003–2012 taking into account two dimensions of insurers’ results: underwriting results and investment results. A prior econometric analysis is used to find out relevant relations among the variables. Next, a GP model is formulated on the basis of the relationships obtained. The model is tested in a robust environment, allowing changes in the coefficients of the objective functions, and for several scenarios regarding crisis/noncrisis situations and changes in interest rates. We find that having the stock organizational form, being an unaffiliated single company and maintaining low levels of investment risk, leverage, and regulatory solvency are recommended for result optimization. Growth and reinsurance utilization are not advisable for optimizing the results, whereas size should be positively emphasized even more in instability periods and when interest rates increase. The results also show that the optimal level of the diversification/specialization strategy depends on economic conditions. More specialization is advisable as negative changes in interest rates increase. However, we find that the optimal values of the diversification variable are higher for the crisis scenarios compared to the corresponding noncrisis scenarios, suggesting that diversification creates value in crisis. Further sensitivity analyses show the soundness of the conclusions obtained.
High‐density ZnSnO3 nanowire arrays fabricated using single‐step hydrothermal synthesis
Authors: Chou Chen‐Hui , Lee Siang‐Yun , Chang Kao‐Shuo 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis study examined the fabrication of high‐density rhombohedral ZnSnO3 nanowire arrays on fluorine‐doped SnO2 (FTO) substrates through single‐step hydrothermal synthesis and their synergistic piezo‐related performance. The band gap (approximately 3.7 eV) and valence band (Ev) position (approximately 2.7 eV below the Fermi energy of Au [approximately −4.9 eV]) of the arrays were obtained using ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐Vis) spectrometry and UV photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. An energy band diagram was obtained, revealing the favorable band positions of the samples for photodegradation and water splitting. Reliable and superior piezophotodegradation capability with a degradation rate constant of approximately 17.6 × 10−3 min−1 was also observed. Holes and •OH were predominant for the degradation mechanism, as determined by scavenger studies. Moreover, the samples exhibited favorable piezophotoelectrochemical (PPEC) performance, which was validated by the obtained applied bias photon‐to‐current efficiency. The stress‐induced photocurrent density observed in a PPEC reaction was more than twice that observed in a photoelectrochemical reaction. Both piezophotodegradation and PPEC reactions were attributable to the inhibition of electron‐hole pair recombination because of the excellent alignment of the nanowires, piezopotential buildup, and band bending of the ZnSnO3 nanowires. Our results indicate a positive effect of piezoelectricity on the piezo‐related applications of the sample.
Resilience in the face of adversity in adults with an intellectual disability: A literature review
Authors: Scheffers Femke , van Vugt Eveline , Moonen Xavier 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackgroundPersons with an intellectual disability are at a higher risk of experiencing adversities. The concept of resilience offers promising insights into facilitating personal growth after adversity. The current study aims at providing an overview of the current research on resilience and the way this can contribute to quality of life in people with intellectual disability.MethodA literature review was conducted in the databases PsycINFO and Web of Science. To evaluate the quality of the studies, the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used.ResultsThe themes, autonomy, self‐acceptance and physical health, were identified as internal sources of resilience. External sources of resilience can be found within the social network and daily activities.ConclusionThe current overview shows promising results to address resilience in adults with intellectual disability. More research is needed to identify the full range of resiliency factors.
Latitudinal limit not a cold limit: Cold temperatures do not constrain an endangered tree species at its northern edge
Authors: Clason Alana J. , McIntire Eliot J. B. , Burton Philip J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAimA strong influence of climate on species’ range is often assumed, and forms the basis for projecting many future range shifts with changing climate. Particularly at poleward latitudinal or elevational edges, abiotic conditions are thought to play a major role in limiting distributions. We estimated the roles of climate and landscape features in shaping habitat at the northern distributional edge of a critically threatened mountain tree species.LocationBritish Columbia and Alberta, Canada.TaxonPinus albicaulis (Engelm.)MethodsWe used a hierarchical Bayesian model (HBM) to combine multiple scales, sources, qualities and types of species data. We jointly examined the climate influence on occupancy across scales, and on juvenile and adult abundance to quantify habitat quality at two life history stages.ResultsWe found that cold temperature was the strongest predictor of whitebark pine occurrence at regional scales, with colder areas being better (i.e. the sign was negative). Occupancy at local scales was best predicted by low growing degree‐days and declining precipitation as snow. These relationships with occupancy across scales indicate that suitable climatic and topographic habitats currently exist beyond the northern edge of whitebark pine's current range. We found high adult abundance was predicted in sunny, cool habitats with little climatic drought, whereas high juvenile densities were associated with higher precipitation as snow and more climatic drought.Main conclusionsThe negative relationship to temperature and the ample suitable habitats predicted to exist poleward of the current species’ range limit indicates whitebark pine is not limited by cold temperatures. We suggest that not all species’ ranges are cold limited at high latitudes or elevations. For whitebark pine this means warming temperatures may not directly result in a northern range expansion as a result of warming habitat.
Mitochondrial and mitochondrial‐independent pathways of myocardial cell death during ischaemia and reperfusion injury
Authors: Davidson Sean M. , Adameová Adriana , Barile Lucio , Cabrera‐Fuentes Hector Alejandro , Lazou Antigone , Pagliaro Pasquale , Stensløkken Kåre‐Olav , Garcia‐Dorado David ,   the EU‐CARDIOPROTECTION COST Action (CA16225)
Published: March 2020

AbstractAcute myocardial infarction causes lethal injury to cardiomyocytes during both ischaemia and reperfusion (IR). It is important to define the precise mechanisms by which they die in order to develop strategies to protect the heart from IR injury. Necrosis is known to play a major role in myocardial IR injury. There is also evidence for significant myocardial death by other pathways such as apoptosis, although this has been challenged. Mitochondria play a central role in both of these pathways of cell death, as either a causal mechanism is the case of mitochondrial permeability transition leading to necrosis, or as part of the signalling pathway in mitochondrial cytochrome c release and apoptosis. Autophagy may impact this process by removing dysfunctional proteins or even entire mitochondria through a process called mitophagy. More recently, roles for other programmed mechanisms of cell death such as necroptosis and pyroptosis have been described, and inhibitors of these pathways have been shown to be cardioprotective. In this review, we discuss both mitochondrial and mitochondrial‐independent pathways of the major modes of cell death, their role in IR injury and their potential to be targeted as part of a cardioprotective strategy. This article is part of a special Issue entitled ‘Mitochondria as targets of acute cardioprotection’ and emerged as part of the discussions of the European Union (EU)‐CARDIOPROTECTION Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, CA16225.
Measuring maximum oxygen uptake with an incremental swimming test and by chasing rainbow trout to exhaustion inside a respirometry chamber yields the same results
Authors: Zhang Yangfan , Gilbert Matthew J. H. , Farrell Anthony P. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThis study hypothesized that oxygen uptake (ṀO2) measured with a novel protocol of chasing rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to exhaustion inside a static respirometer while simultaneously monitoring ṀO2 (ṀO2chase) would generate the same and repeatable peak value as when peak active ṀO2 (ṀO2active) is measured in a critical swimming speed protocol. To reliably determine peak ṀO2chase, and compare to the peak during recovery of ṀO2 after a conventional chase protocol outside the respirometer (ṀO2rec), this study applied an iterative algorithm and a minimum sampling window duration (i.e., 1 min based on an analysis of the variance in background and exercise ṀO2) to account for ṀO2 dynamics. In support of this hypothesis, peak ṀO2active (707 ± 33 mg O2 h−1 kg−1) and peak ṀO2chase (663 ± 43 mg O2 h−1 kg−1) were similar (P = 0.49) and repeatable (Pearson's and Spearman's correlation test; r ≥ 0.77; P < 0.05) when measured in the same fish. Therefore, estimates of ṀO2max can be independent of whether a fish is exhaustively chased inside a respirometer or swum to fatigue in a swim tunnel, provided ṀO2 is analysed with an iterative algorithm and a minimum but reliable sampling window. The importance of using this analytical approach was illustrated by peak ṀO2chase being 23% higher (P < 0.05) when compared with a conventional sequential interval regression analysis, whereas using the conventional chase protocol (1‐min window) outside the respirometer increased this difference to 31% (P < 0.01). Moreover, because peak ṀO2chase was 18% higher (P < 0.05) than peak ṀO2rec, chasing a fish inside a static respirometer may be a better protocol for obtaining maximum ṀO2.
The quality evaluation method of tilapia fillets stored at 3 and −2°C based on fractal dimension changes
Authors: Chen Zheng , Feng Aiguo 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIn this work, a correlation model of tilapia fillets quality evaluation was established by principal component analysis (PCA) based on fractal dimension change. The tilapia fillets were stored at 3 and −2°C, respectively, and the pH, color, electrical conductivity (EC), total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N), texture, and fractal dimension were periodically measured. A major component was extracted and it explained 82.726% of the total variance. Then the comprehensive quality score was calculated during the storage of the fillets. Three function correlation models including linear function, logarithmic function, and quadratic function were obtained by establishing the relationship between the comprehensive quality score of fillets and the fractal dimension. The determination coefficient R2 of quadratic function correlation model reached 0.841 and 0.962 under 3 and −2°C, respectively. This result indicated that the quality evaluation was accurate under low‐temperature storage conditions by quadratic function correlation model based on the change of fractal dimension.Practical applicationsThe conventional quality evaluation methods of tilapia fillets are time‐consuming and cumbersome. This work used PCA to integrate many tilapia fillets quality indicators into a comprehensive quality indicator. Then a correlation function model was established between comprehensive quality indicator and fractal dimension. The quality of tilapia fillets would be evaluated by the change of fractal dimension in profile. The result showed that this method was simple and fast, and laid a foundation for the application of fractal dimension in tilapia processing and transportation.
Effect of weight loss induced by laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on liver histology and serum adipokine levels
Authors: Salman Ahmed Abdallah , Sultan Ahmed Abd El Aal , Abdallah Ahmed , Abdelsalam Ahmed , Mikhail Hani Maurice Sabri , Tourky Mohamed , Omar Mahmoud Gouda , Youssef Ahmed , Ahmed Reham Abdelghany , Elkassar Hesham , Seif El Nasr Sayed M , Shaaban Hossam El‐Din , Atallah Mohamed , GabAllah Ghada M K , Salman Mohamed Abdalla 
Published: March 2020

AbstractBackground & AimBariatric surgery is a valid treatment option for persons with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. This study prospectively examined the impact of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on liver histopathology, and blood levels of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, and pre‐B cell enhancing factor/Nampt/visfatin.Patients & MethodsIn 81 patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease who underwent LSG, paired liver biopsies and blood specimens were obtained before and 18 months after LSG. Differences between preoperative and 18 months postoperative data were tested by paired Student's t‐test or Wilcoxon rank test as appropriate.ResultsAt follow up, there was a significant improvement in biochemical markers for glucose homeostasis, including fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin levels, and homeostatic model assessment index. Postoperative liver function tests, namely serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase level, showed a significant improvement compared to before weight loss. The number of patients who had definite, borderline, or no non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis was 43 (53%), 27 (33%), and 11 (14%), respectively, at baseline, and 9 (11%), 32 (40%), and 40 (49%) at 18‐month post‐surgery follow up. A significant reduction in steatosis, liver fibrosis, lobular inflammation, and hepatocyte ballooning was observed in the postoperative biopsies (P < 0.001 each). In addition, at the follow‐up assessment, there was a significant increase in serum adiponectin levels and significant decline in serum levels of leptin, resisitin, and pre‐B cell enhancing factor/Nampt/visfatin.ConclusionWeight loss after sleeve gastrectomy was associated with a significant improvement in several metabolic parameters, liver enzyme levels, liver histopathology, and changes in serum adipokine levels towards antidiabetic and anti‐inflammatory profiles.