bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of pregabalin for the treatment of chronic pruritus of unknown origin, assessed based on electric current perception threshold
Authors: Lee JaeIn , Jang DongHyek , Bae JooYoon , Jung HyeJung , Park MiYoun , Ahn JiYoung 
Published: January 2020

AbstractChronic pruritus of unknown origin (CPUO) is defined as itching lasting more than 6 weeks in the absence of discernible skin lesions. Pregabalin is used to treat patients with CPUO. In this study, we aimed to investigate differences in the perception threshold of itch sensation between patients with CPUO and healthy individuals and to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin for CPUO. At baseline, week 2, and week 4 after treatment initiation, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was measured to assess pruritus severity, and electric current perception threshold (CPT) was measured at 250 and 5 Hz using a NEUROMETER CPT/C stimulator. Twenty healthy individuals and 41 patients with CPUO were enrolled in this study. The patients with CPUO were categorised as those who responded to antihistamines (Antihistamine group), were not improved by antihistamines (Pregabalin group), and were not improved by antihistamines and pregabalin (Refractory group). The baseline CPT values were not significantly different between patients with CPUO and healthy control. Pruritus was improved in 7 of 10 patients in the Pregabalin group after treatment with pregabalin, showing decreased CPT at 5 Hz. The sensitive C-fibres presented a high threshold to detect itch sensation, and this sensitivity decreased in response to treatment with pregabalin.
Rotenone-induced inner retinal degeneration via presynaptic activation of voltage-dependent sodium and L-type calcium channels in rats
Authors: Sasaoka Masaaki , Ota Takashi , Kageyama Masaaki 
Published: January 2020

AbstractRotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, causes retinal degeneration via unknown mechanisms. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of its action, we further characterized a rat model of rotenone-induced retinal degeneration. Intravitreal injection of rotenone (2 nmol/eye) damaged mainly the inner retinal layers, including cell loss in the ganglion cell and inner nuclear layers, which were very similar to those induced by 10 nmol/eye N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). These morphological changes were accompanied by the reduced b-wave amplitude of electroretinogram, and increased immunostaining of 2,4-dinitrophenyl, an oxidative stress marker. Rotenone also downregulated expression of neurofilament light-chain gene (Nfl) as a retinal ganglion cell (RGC) marker. This effect was prevented by simultaneous injection of rotenone with antioxidants or NMDA receptor antagonists. More importantly, voltage-dependent sodium and L-type calcium channel blockers and intracellular calcium signaling modulators remarkably suppressed rotenone-induced Nfl downregulation, whereas none of these agents modified NMDA-induced Nfl downregulation. These results suggest that rotenone-induced inner retinal degeneration stems from indirect postsynaptic NMDA stimulation that is triggered by oxidative stress-mediated presynaptic intracellular calcium signaling via activation of voltage-dependent sodium and L-type calcium channels.
Fluctuation of photon-releasing with ligand coordination in polyacrylonitrile-based electrospun nanofibers
Authors: Yu Zhimin , Shen Lifan , Li Desheng , Pun Edwin Yue Bun , Zhao Xin , Lin Hai 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMultivariate terbium-complexes were incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and electrospun into flexible multifunctional nanofibers with a uniform diameter of ~200 nm. Fluorescence comparison in multi-ligand-binding nanofibers under ultraviolet (UV) radiation verifies that the differentiated β-diketone ligands with dual functions are the primary cause of the spectral fluctuation, adequately illustrating the available methods for the quantification of intermolecular reciprocities between organic ligands and central Tb3+ions. Especially under 308 nm UVB-LED pumping, the total emission spectral power of supramolecular Tb-complexes/PAN nanofibers are identified to be 2.88 µW and the total emission photon number reaches to 7.94 × 1012 cps which are nearly six times higher than those of the binary complex ones in the visible region, respectively. By modifying the sorts of organic ligands, the luminous flux and luminous efficacy of multi-ligand Tb-complexes/PAN nanofibers are up to 1553.42 μlm and 13.72 mlm/W, respectively. Efficient photon-releasing and intense green-emission demonstrate that the polymer-capped multi-component terbium-complexes fibers have potential prospects for making designable flexible optoelectronic devices.
Being Born Large for Gestational Age is Associated with Increased Global Placental DNA Methylation
Authors: Dwi Putra S. E. , Reichetzeder C. , Hasan A. A. , Slowinski T. , Chu C. , Krämer B. K. , Kleuser B. , Hocher B. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBeing born small (SGA) or large for gestational age (LGA) is associated with adverse birth outcomes and metabolic diseases in later life of the offspring. It is known that aberrations in growth during gestation are related to altered placental function. Placental function is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. Several studies in recent years have demonstrated associations between altered patterns of DNA methylation and adverse birth outcomes. However, larger studies that reliably investigated global DNA methylation are lacking. The aim of this study was to characterize global placental DNA methylation in relationship to size for gestational age. Global DNA methylation was assessed in 1023 placental samples by LC-MS/MS. LGA offspring displayed significantly higher global placental DNA methylation compared to appropriate for gestational age (AGA; p < 0.001). ANCOVA analyses adjusted for known factors impacting on DNA methylation demonstrated an independent association between placental global DNA methylation and LGA births (p < 0.001). Tertile stratification according to global placental DNA methylation levels revealed a significantly higher frequency of LGA births in the third tertile. Furthermore, a multiple logistic regression analysis corrected for known factors influencing birth weight highlighted an independent positive association between global placental DNA methylation and the frequency of LGA births (p = 0.001).
Quantitative monitoring of leaf area index in wheat of different plant types by integrating NDVI and Beer-Lambert law
Authors: Tan Chang-Wei , Zhang Peng-Peng , Zhou Xin-Xing , Wang Zhi-Xiang , Xu Zi-Qiang , Mao Wei , Li Wen-Xi , Huo Zhong-Yang , Guo Wen-Shan , Yun Fei 
Published: January 2020

AbstractNormalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is one of the most important vegetation indices in crop remote sensing. It features a simple, fast, and non-destructive method and has been widely used in remote monitoring of crop growing status. Beer-Lambert law is widely used in calculating crop leaf area index (LAI), however, it is time-consuming detection and low in output. Our objective was to improve the accuracy of monitoring LAI through remote sensing by integrating NDVI and Beer-Lambert law. In this study, the Beer-Lambert law was firstly modified to construct a monitoring model with NDVI as the independent variable. Secondly, experimental data of wheat from different years and various plant types (erectophile, planophile and middle types) was used to validate the modified model. The results showed that at 130 DAS (days after sowing), the differences in NDVI, leaf area index (LAI) and extinction coefficient (k) of the three plant types with significantly different leaf orientation values (LOVs) reached the maximum. The NDVI of the planophile-type wheat reached saturation earlier than that of the middle and erectophile types. The undetermined parameters of the model (LAI = −ln (a1 × NDVI + b1)/(a2 × NDVI + b2)) were related to the plant type of wheat. For the erectophile-type cultivars (LOV ≥ 60°), the parameters for the modified model were, a1 = 0.306, a2 = −0.534, b1 = −0.065, and b2 = 0.541. For the middle-type cultivars (30° < LOV < 60°), the parameters were, a1 = 0.392, a2 = −0.881, b1 = 0.028, and b2 = 0.845. And for the planophile-type cultivars (LOV ≤ 30°), those parameters were, a1 = 0.596, a2 = −1.306, b1 = 0.014, and b2 = 1.130. Verification proved that the modified model based on integrating NDVI and Beer-Lambert law was better than Beer-Lambert law model only or NDVI-LAI direct model only. It was feasible to quantitatively monitor the LAI of different plant-type wheat by integrating NDVI and Beer-Lambert law, especially for erectophile-type wheat (R2 = 0.905, RMSE = 0.36, RE = 0.10). The monitoring model proposed in this study can accurately reflect the dynamic changes of plant canopy structure parameters, and provides a novel method for determining plant LAI.
Evolutionary history of DNA methylation related genes in chordates: new insights from multiple whole genome duplications
Authors: Liu Jingwei , Hu Huihua , Panserat Stéphane , Marandel Lucie 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism involved in many biological processes, i.e. gametogenesis and embryonic development. However, increased copy numbers of DNA methylation related genes (dnmt, tet and tdg) have been found during chordate evolution due to successive whole genome duplication (WGD) events. Their evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships remain unclear. The present study is the first to clarify the evolutionary history of DNA methylation genes in chordates. In particular, our results highlight the fixation of several dnmt3-related genes following successive WGD throughout evolution. The rainbow trout genome offered a unique opportunity to study the early evolutionary fates of duplicated genes due to a recent round of WGD at the radiation of salmonids. Differences highlighted in transcriptional patterns of these genes during gametogenesis and ontogenesis in trout indicated that they might be subjected to sub- or neo-functionalisation after WDG. The fixation of multiple dnmt3 genes in genomes after WGD could contribute to the diversification and plastic adaptation of the teleost.
Enhancing biosensing sensitivity of metal nanostructures through site-selective binding
Authors: Jo Na rae , Shin Yong-Beom 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) at the surface of metal nanostructures can induce a highly intense electromagnetic (EM) field, which is confined to the edges with big curvature or at narrow gaps between nanostructures. Therefore, the localisation of target molecules at these sites is crucial to achieve high sensitivity in LSPR-based biosensors. To this end, we fabricated a 40 nm high gold nano-truncated cone (GNTC) array using thermal nanoimprint lithography. As the EM field is most intense at the side surface and relatively weak at the top surface of GNTC, we improved the detection sensitivity by blocking the top surface with oxides to limit adsorption of antibodies and antigens to the top surface. We observed the difference in sensitivity by detecting α-fetoprotein (AFP) on the oxide-capped and uncapped GNTC arrays through sandwich immunoassay and enzymatic precipitation. The capped GNTC array exhibited higher detection sensitivity than the uncapped one. Particularly, six-fold enhancement of sensitivity was achieved in the serum sample. We used atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy to validate that the deposition of the oxides on the top surface of GNTC effectively blocked the adsorption of the biomolecules and the target molecules were preferentially adsorbed on the side surfaces.
Eye-related Emergency Department Visits with Ophthalmology Consultation in Taiwan: Visual Acuity as an Indicator of Ocular Emergency
Authors: Kang Eugene Yu-Chuan , Tai Wei-Chen , Lin Jui-Yen , Huang Chi-Jen , Yeh Po-Han , Wu Wei-Chi , Wang Feng-lin , Liu Laura , Lai Chi-Chun , Chen Kuan-Jen 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTo investigate the epidemiology of eye-related emergency department (ED) visits and to determine if visual acuity (VA) could be an indicator for determining the timing for managing ocular emergencies, we have conducted the retrospective study which included patients visited the ED for eye-related reasons and had received ophthalmology consultations at a referral center in Taiwan in 2015. Among 46,514 consultations, 5,493 were ophthalmology consultations (11.8%). After exclusion, 5,422 were eligible for analysis. Among them, 1,165 (21.5%) had not likely emergent diagnoses, 4,048 (74.7%) had likely emergent diagnoses, and 209 patients (3.9%) could not be determined. The logMAR VA was 0.31 ± 0.48, 0.66 ± 0.78, and 1.00 ± 0.94 in groups with not likely emergent, likely emergent, and undetermined diagnoses, respectively. Among all eye-related ED visits, 10.3% of patients received ophthalmologic intervention or were admitted to the ophthalmology ward. A LogMAR VA score of 0.45 (decimal equivalent of 0.4) had the highest discrimination power for identifying whether a patient needed ophthalmology intervention or admission to ophthalmology ward (area under the curve: 0.802, sensitivity: 0.800, specificity: 0.672). In our study, we found VA could be an indicator for determining the priority and time of ocular emergencies requiring ophthalmic intervention in patients visiting the ED for eye-related reasons.
Pathogenic characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease in Shaanxi Province, China, 2010–2016
Authors: Xu Yi , Zheng Yuan , Shi Wei , Guan Luyuan , Yu Pengbo , Xu Jing , Zhang Lei , Ma Ping , Xu Jiru 
Published: January 2020

AbstractHand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood illness caused by enteroviruses. We analyzed the pathogenic characteristics of HFMD in Shaanxi province, China, during 2010–2016. Clinical samples were collected from HFMD cases. Real-time PCR and RT-PCR were used to identify the enterovirus(EVs) serotypes. Viral RNA sequences were amplified using RT-PCR and compared by phylogenetic analysis. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze. A total of 16,832 HFMD positive cases were confirmed in the laboratory. EV-A71 and CV-A16 were the main pathogens in 2010. EV-A71 was the dominant pathogen in the periods of 2011 to 2012 and 2014, 2016. In 2013 and 2015, other EVs increased greatly, in which CV-A6 was the predominant pathogen. EV-A71 was more frequently detected in deaths and severe cases. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that EV-A71 belonged to the C4a evolution branch of C4 sub-genotype and CV-A16 belonged to the B1a or B1b evolution branch of B1 sub-genotype, whereas CV-A6 strains were assigned to D2 or D3 sub-genotype. The pathogen spectrum of HFMD has changed in 7 years, and the major serotypes EV-A71, CV- A16 and CV- A6 alternated or co-circulated. Long-term surveillance and research of EVs should be strengthened for the prevention and control of HFMD.
Prey and predator overlap at the edge of a mesoscale eddy: fine-scale, in-situ distributions to inform our understanding of oceanographic processes
Authors: Schmid Moritz S. , Cowen Robert K. , Robinson Kelly , Luo Jessica Y. , Briseño-Avena Christian , Sponaugle Su 
Published: January 2020

AbstractEddies can enhance primary as well as secondary production, creating a diverse meso- and sub-mesoscale seascape at the eddy front which can affect the aggregation of plankton and particles. Due to the coarse resolution provided by sampling with plankton nets, our knowledge of plankton distributions at these edges is limited. We used a towed, undulating underwater imaging system to investigate the physical and biological drivers of zoo- and ichthyoplankton aggregations at the edge of a decaying mesoscale eddy (ME) in the Straits of Florida. Using a sparse Convolutional Neural Network we identified 132 million images of plankton. Larval fish andOithonaspp. copepod concentrations were significantly higher in the eddy water mass, compared to the Florida Current water mass, only four days before the ME's dissipation. Larval fish andOithonadistributions were tightly coupled, indicating potential predator-prey interactions. Larval fishes are known predators ofOithona, however, Random Forests models showed thatOithonaspp. and larval fish concentrations were primarily driven by variables signifying the physical footprint of the ME, such as current speed and direction. These results suggest that eddy-related advection leads to largely passive overlap between predator and prey, a positive, energy-efficient outcome for predators at the expense of prey.
Synaptic weighting in single flux quantum neuromorphic computing
Authors: Schneider M. L. , Donnelly C. A. , Haygood I. W. , Wynn A. , Russek S. E. , Castellanos-Beltran M. A. , Dresselhaus P. D. , Hopkins P. F. , Pufall M. R. , Rippard W. H. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractJosephson junctions act as a natural spiking neuron-like device for neuromorphic computing. By leveraging the advances recently demonstrated in digital single flux quantum (SFQ) circuits and using recently demonstrated magnetic Josephson junction (MJJ) synaptic circuits, there is potential to make rapid progress in SFQ-based neuromorphic computing. Here we demonstrate the basic functionality of a synaptic circuit design that takes advantage of the adjustable critical current demonstrated in MJJs and implement a synaptic weighting element. The devices were fabricated with a restively shunted Nb/AlOx-Al/Nb process that did not include MJJs. Instead, the MJJ functionality was tested by making multiple circuits and varying the critical current, but not the external shunt resistance, of the oxide Josephson junction that represents the MJJ. Experimental measurements and simulations of the fabricated circuits are in good agreement.
Reproductive phase-dependent variation, sexually dimorphic expression and sex steroids-mediated transcriptional regulation of lep and lepr in lymphoid organs of Channa punctata
Authors: Bakshi Amrita , Rai Umesh 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe reproductive phase-dependent and sex-related differential expression of leptin (lep) and its receptor (lepr) in primary and secondary lymphoid organs of a highly nutritive economically important Channa punctata preempts the involvement of sex steroids in modulating intra-immuno-leptin system. This hypothesis was strengthened when plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels in male and female fish of reproductively active spawning and quiescent phases were correlated with lep and lepr expression in their immune organs. Splenic lep and lepr showed a negative correlation with T in both male and female, while with E2 there was a positive correlation in male and negative in female C. punctata. In head kidney, a contrasting correlation was observed as compared to spleen. To validate the implication of sex steroids in regulating leptin system in immune organs, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed with DHT and E2. Upon administration, lep and lepr expression in tissues of either sex was downregulated. In addition, in vitro results with either of the sex steroids exemplified their direct involvement. Overall, this study, for the first time, reports correlation between sex steroids and transcript expression of leptin system in immune organs of a seasonally breeding vertebrate.
The Effect of High Carbohydrate-to-fat Intake Ratios on Hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia Risk and HDL-cholesterol Levels over a 12-year Follow-up
Authors: Lee Hye Ah , An Hyoin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractConsidering the strong correlation between carbohydrate and fat intake, we defined and assessed the association of the carbohydrate-to-fat ratio with the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) level using 12-year follow-up data from the community-based cohort of the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study. We evaluated the long-term changes in HDL-c levels according to quartiles of carbohydrate-to-fat ratio using a mixed model. We also assessed the effect of the carbohydrate-to-fat ratio on the prevalence and incidence of hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia. Of 6,627 subjects, the prevalence of undiagnosed hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia at baseline was 35.3% (n = 2,339). Among the disease-free subjects, 56.8% developed hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (incidence = 92/1,000 person-years). The prevalence and incidence of hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia were higher in females than in males. The highest carbohydrate-to-fat ratio quartile, which was characterized by high and low intake of carbohydrate and fat, was consistently associated with a lower HDL-c level during the 12-year follow up. Moreover, those in the highest quartile had a 1.14-fold greater risk of incident hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia than those in the lowest quartile, with a significant dose-response relationship. We found that high and low intake of carbohydrate and fat, respectively, was consistently associated with a low HDL-c level over a prolonged period. More research is needed to promote appropriate intake of macronutrients.
Mechanisms of blueshifts in organic polariton condensates
Authors: Yagafarov Timur , Sannikov Denis , Zasedatelev Anton , Georgiou Kyriacos , Baranikov Anton , Kyriienko Oleksandr , Shelykh Ivan , Gai Lizhi , Shen Zhen , Lidzey David , Lagoudakis Pavlos 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBose-Einstein condensates of exciton-polaritons in inorganic semiconductor microcavities are known to possess strong interparticle interactions attributed to their excitonic component. The interactions play a crucial role in the nonlinear dynamics of such systems and can be witnessed as the energy blueshifts of polariton states. However, the localised nature of Frenkel excitons in strongly coupled organic microcavities precludes interparticle Coulomb exchange-interactions that change mechanisms of the nonlinearity and blueshifts accordingly. In this report, we unravel the origins of blueshifts in organic polariton condensates. We examine the possible contributions: intracavity optical Kerr-effect, gain-induced frequency-pulling, polariton interactions and effects related to saturation of optical transitions for weakly- and strongly-coupled molecules. We conclude that blueshifts in organic polariton condensates arise from the interplay of the saturation effects and intermolecular energy migration. Our model predicts the commonly observed step-like increase of both the emission energy and degree of linear polarization at the polariton condensation threshold.
Reflection-less width-modulated magnonic crystal
Authors: Frey Pascal , Nikitin Aleksei A. , Bozhko Dmytro A. , Bunyaev Sergey A. , Kakazei Gleb N. , Ustinov Alexey B. , Kalinikos Boris A. , Ciubotaru Florin , Chumak Andrii V. , Wang Qi , Tiberkevich Vasyl S. , Hillebrands Burkard , Serga Alexander A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe interest in artificial magnetic media such as magnonic crystals increased substantially in recent years due to their potential applications in information processing at microwave frequencies. The main features of these crystals are the presence of band gaps in the spin-wave spectra, usually formed due to Bragg reflections of spin-waves on the artificially created periodic structures. Here, we study spin-wave propagation in longitudinally magnetized width- and thickness-modulated yttrium iron garnet waveguides by means of Brillouin light scattering and microwave spectroscopy techniques. It is found that the width modulated crystal does not manifest noticeable Bragg reflections, but still demonstrates a pronounced band gap in its transmission characteristic. The phenomenon can be explained by the destructive interference between different frequency-degenerated spin-wave modes excited by the crystal. Such a reflection-less crystal is promising for future design of multi-element magnonic devices.