bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Shared genetic etiology underlying Alzheimer’s disease and major depressive disorder
Authors: Lutz Michael W. , Sprague Daniel , Barrera Julio , Chiba-Falek Ornit 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPatients with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD) frequently manifest comorbid neuropsychiatric symptoms with depression and anxiety being most frequent, and individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have an increased prevalence of LOAD. This suggests shared etiologies and intersecting pathways between LOAD and MDD. We performed pleiotropy analyses using LOAD and MDD GWAS data sets from the International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP) and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC), respectively. We found a moderate enrichment for SNPs associated with LOAD across increasingly stringent levels of significance with the MDD GWAS association (LOAD|MDD), of maximum four and eightfolds, including and excluding the APOE-region, respectively. Association analysis excluding the APOE-region identified numerous SNPs corresponding to 40 genes, 9 of which are known LOAD-risk loci primarily in chromosome 11 regions that contain the SPI1 gene and MS4A genes cluster, and others were novel pleiotropic risk-loci for LOAD conditional with MDD. The most significant associated SNPs on chromosome 11 overlapped with eQTLs found in whole-blood and monocytes, suggesting functional roles in gene regulation. The reverse conditional association analysis (MDD|LOAD) showed a moderate level, ~sevenfold, of polygenic overlap, however, no SNP showed significant association. Pathway analyses replicated previously reported LOAD biological pathways related to immune response and regulation of endocytosis. In conclusion, we provide insights into the overlapping genetic signatures underpinning the common phenotypic manifestations and inter-relationship between LOAD and MDD. This knowledge is crucial to the development of actionable targets for novel therapies to treat depression preceding dementia, in an effort to delay or ultimately prevent the onset of LOAD.
miR-143 promotes angiogenesis and osteoblast differentiation by targeting HDAC7
Authors: Wang Renkai , Zhang Hao , Ding Wenbin , Fan Zhenyu , Ji Boyao , Ding Chen , Ji Fang , Tang Hao 
Published: March 2020

AbstractThe regulation of bone formation and detailed mechanisms are still largely elusive, and the roles of microRNAs in this process have attracted much attention. Recently, a specific subtype of CD31hiendomucinhi (CD31hiEMCNhi) endothelium has been identified to promote bone formation, together with osteoblast development. However, the role of microRNA143 in the generation of CD31hi EMCNhi endothelium and bone formation remains unknown. In this study, we found that miR-143 was expressed both in osteoblast cells and CD31hiEMCNhi endothelial cells. Serum miR-143 level was negatively correlated with age in humans. Overexpression of miR-143 promoted osteoblast formation and angiogenic effects. Furthermore, CD31hiEmcnhi vessels and osteoblast formation were significantly inhibited in miR-143 knockout mice. Mechanistically, inhibitor HDAC7 was directly targeted by miR-143 and knockdown of HDAC7 was found to rescue the function of miR-143 deficiency. Thus, miR-143 promotes angiogenesis coupling with osteoblast differentiation by targeting HDAC7, which may serve as a potential target in angiogenic and osteogenic diseases.
A national-scale data set for dissolved carbon and its spatial pattern in lakes and reservoirs across China
Authors: Wen Zhidan , Song Kaishan , Lyu Lili , Fang Chong , Shang Yingxin , Liu Ge , Du Jia 
Published: March 2020

AbstractA dissolved carbon (DC) data set, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), from 224 lakes (513 stations) and 141 large reservoirs (337 stations) across China is presented in this study. In addition to DC, the data set also includes results for electrical conductivity (EC), total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll-a and transparency. The impact of trophic status and EC gradient on DC concentration in water bodies are discussed. Results from our investigation indicate that DC in saline (EC > 1000 μS cm−1) water bodies (mean ± S.D, 297.13 ± 356.14 mg L−1, n = 186) are much higher than those in fresh water bodies (79.55 ± 199.34 mg L−1, n = 669). Similarly, eutrophic water bodies (n = 552) exhibited higher DC concentrations than mesotrophic (n = 215) and oligotrophic water bodies (n = 85); DC in lakes (158.445 ± 286.52 mg L−1, n = 513) was significantly higher than DC in reservoirs (37.83 ± 37.53 mg L−1, n = 337). All data used in this investigation is accessible online.
Dependence of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on cell cycle and dry mass: a single-cell study using a multi-modal radiography platform
Authors: Sung Yongjin , Tetrault Marc-Andre , Takahashi Kazue , Ouyang Jinsong , Pratx Guillem , Fakhri Georges El , Normandin Marc D. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractHigh glucose uptake by cancer compared to normal tissues has long been utilized in fluorodeoxyglucose-based positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) as a contrast mechanism. The FDG uptake rate has been further related to the proliferative potential of cancer, specifically the proliferation index (PI) − the proportion of cells in S, G2 or M phases. The underlying hypothesis was that the cells preparing for cell division would consume more energy and metabolites as building blocks for biosynthesis. Despite the wide clinical use, mixed reports exist in the literature on the relationship between FDG uptake and PI. This may be due to the large variation in cancer types or methods adopted for the measurements. Of note, the existing methods can only measure the average properties of a tumor mass or cell population with highly-heterogeneous constituents. In this study, we have built a multi-modal live-cell radiography system and measured the [18F]FDG uptake by single HeLa cells together with their dry mass and cell cycle phase. The results show that HeLa cells take up twice more [18F]FDG in S, G2 or M phases than in G1 phase, which confirms the association between FDG uptake and PI at a single-cell level. Importantly, we show that [18F]FDG uptake and cell dry mass have a positive correlation in HeLa cells, which suggests that high [18F]FDG uptake in S, G2 or M phases can be largely attributed to increased dry mass, rather than the activities preparing for cell division. This interpretation is consistent with recent observations that the energy required for the preparation of cell division is much smaller than that for maintaining house-keeping proteins.
Using Nanochelating Technology for Biofortification and Yield Increase in Rice
Authors: Fakharzadeh Saideh , Hafizi Maryam , Baghaei Mohammad Ali , Etesami Maral , Khayamzadeh Maryam , Kalanaky Somayeh , Akbari Mohammad Esmaeil , Nazaran Mohammad Hassan 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIron is a vital microelement that plays an important role in plant metabolism. Consuming a large amount of chemical fertilizers increases the risk factors of neoplastic diseases such as heavy metals and harmful components in crops edible parts. Therefore, utilizing novel technologies to increase yields without requiring more chemical fertilizers seems essential. In this regard, nanotechnology holds considerable potentials for creating valuable outputs in agriculture. The effect of nano chelated iron fertilizer, which is synthesized based on novel nanochelating technology, on agronomic traits and yield of rice were evaluated in the present study. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted with 3 replicates. The treatments were: T0 (control), T1 (2.5 g/L foliar application twice at nursery with a one-week interval), T2 (foliar application at tillering + T1), T3 (foliar application at booting + T1), T4 (foliar application at tillering and booting + T1), T5 (8 kg/ha soil application at tillering + T1), T6 (8 kg/ha soil application at booting + T1), T7 (4 kg/ha soil application at tillering + 4 kg/ha soil application at booting + T1). Nano chelated iron fertilizer increased biological yield by 27% and decreased hollow grain number by 254%; in addition, it raised protein content by 13%. This fertilizer also led to increase in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc concentrations in white rice by 46%, 43%, 41%, 25% and 50%, respectively. Nanochelating technology can decrease the need for chemical fertilizers; additionally, this technology has the capability to bio-fortify crops with vital micronutrients.
The effects of seasonal climate variability on dengue annual incidence in Hong Kong: A modelling study
Authors: Yuan Hsiang-Yu , Liang Jingbo , Lin Pei-Sheng , Sucipto Kathleen , Tsegaye Mesfin Mengesha , Wen Tzai-Hung , Pfeiffer Susanne , Pfeiffer Dirk 
Published: March 2020

AbstractIn recent years, dengue has been rapidly spreading and growing in the tropics and subtropics. Located in southern China, Hong Kong’s subtropical monsoon climate may favour dengue vector populations and increase the chance of disease transmissions during the rainy summer season. An increase in local dengue incidence has been observed in Hong Kong ever since the first case in 2002, with an outbreak reaching historically high case numbers in 2018. However, the effects of seasonal climate variability on recent outbreaks are unknown. As the local cases were found to be spatially clustered, we developed a Poisson generalized linear mixed model using pre-summer monthly total rainfall and mean temperature to predict annual dengue incidence (the majority of local cases occur during or after the summer months), over the period 2002-2018 in three pre-defined areas of Hong Kong. Using leave-one-out cross-validation, 5 out of 6 observations of area-specific outbreaks during the major outbreak years 2002 and 2018 were able to be predicted. 42 out of a total of 51 observations (82.4%) were within the 95% confidence interval of the annual incidence predicted by our model. Our study found that the rainfall before and during the East Asian monsoon (pre-summer) rainy season is negatively correlated with the annual incidence in Hong Kong while the temperature is positively correlated. Hence, as mosquito control measures in Hong Kong are intensified mainly when heavy rainfalls occur during or close to summer, our study suggests that a lower-than-average intensity of pre-summer rainfall should also be taken into account as an indicator of increased dengue risk.
The association between fear extinction, the ability to accomplish exposure and exposure therapy outcome in specific phobia
Authors: Raeder Friederike , Merz Christian J. , Margraf Jürgen , Zlomuzica Armin 
Published: March 2020

AbstractGreat interest exists in maximizing exposure therapy efficacy in anxiety disorders. At the same time, reduced frequency and shortened duration of exposure sessions are required to meet the specific regularities in routine care settings. Extinction has emerged as the key mechanism of exposure treatment in anxiety disorders. Examining exposure treatment processes from the perspective of extinction learning might provide novel insights into variability in exposure treatment duration and outcome. The present study sought to examine the functional link between fear extinction, the ability to accomplish exposure in a predetermined time and exposure therapy outcome in specific phobia. Treatment-seeking individuals (N = 53) with spider phobia underwent a context-dependent fear conditioning paradigm prior to a standardized exposure. Spider-phobic participants who were able to complete exposure within the pre-determined time (i.e., completers) showed a more pronounced short- and long-term exposure therapy benefit. In the fear conditioning task, a more pronounced decline in CS-US contingency ratings during extinction (retrieval) was found in completers relative to non-completers. The failure to further extinguish US expectancy to the CSs in non-completers might offer a potential mechanistic explanation why non-completers have difficulties to accomplish all exposure steps in a fixed time and show less pronounced treatment gains. Our findings bear specific implications for the implementation of exposure treatment to routine care settings.
Spatiotemporal dynamics and quantitative analysis of phytoplasmas in insect vectors
Authors: Koinuma Hiroaki , Maejima Kensaku , Tokuda Ryosuke , Kitazawa Yugo , Nijo Takamichi , Wei Wei , Kumita Kohei , Miyazaki Akio , Namba Shigetou , Yamaji Yasuyuki 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPhytoplasmas are transmitted by insect vectors in a persistent propagative manner; however, detailed movements and multiplication patterns of phytoplasmas within vectors remain elusive. In this study, spatiotemporal dynamics of onion yellows (OY) phytoplasma in its vectorMacrosteles striifronswere investigated by immunohistochemistry-based 3D imaging, whole-mount fluorescence staining, and real-time quantitative PCR. The results indicated that OY phytoplasmas entered the anterior midgut epithelium by seven days after acquisition start (daas), then moved to visceral muscles surrounding the midgut and to the hemocoel at 14–21 daas; finally, OY phytoplasmas entered into type III cells of salivary glands at 21–28 daas. The anterior midgut of the alimentary canal and type III cells of salivary glands were identified as the major sites of OY phytoplasma infection. Fluorescence staining further revealed that OY phytoplasmas spread along the actin-based muscle fibers of visceral muscles and accumulated on the surfaces of salivary gland cells. This accumulation would be important for phytoplasma invasion into salivary glands, and thus for successful insect transmission. This study demonstrates the spatiotemporal dynamics of phytoplasmas in insect vectors. The findings from this study will aid in understanding of the underlying mechanism of insect-borne plant pathogen transmission.
Yeast Infections after Esophagectomy: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Heuker Marjolein , Koser Usma , Ott Alewijn , Karrenbeld Arend , van Dijl Jan Maarten , van Dam Gooitzen M. , de Smet Anne Marie G. A. , van Oosten Marleen 
Published: March 2020

AbstractEsophageal malignancy is a disease with poor prognosis. Curative therapy incorporates surgery and is burdensome with high rates of infection morbidity and mortality. The role of yeast as causative organisms of post-esophagectomy infections is poorly defined. Consequently, the benefits of specific antifungal prophylactic therapy in improving patient outcome are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the incidence of yeast infections at the University Medical Center Groningen among 565 post-esophagectomy patients between 1991 and 2017. The results show that 7.3% of the patients developed a yeast infection after esophageal resection with significantly increased incidence among patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. For patients with yeast infections, higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, more frequent intensive care unit readmissions, prolonged hospital stays and higher mortality rates were observed. One-year survival was significantly lower for patients with a yeast infection, as well as diabetes mellitus and yeast-positive pleural effusion. We conclude that the incidence of yeast infections following esophagectomy is considerable, and that patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk. Furthermore, yeast infections are associated with higher complication rates and mortality. These observations encourage further prospective investigations on the possible benefits of antifungal prophylactic therapy for esophagectomy patients.
More than half of hypoxemia cases occurred during the recovery period after completion of esophagogastroduodenoscopy with planned moderate sedation
Authors: Shirota Yukihiro , Hirase Yoshimi , Suda Tsuyoshi , Miyazawa Masaki , Hodo Yuji , Wakabayashi Tokio 
Published: March 2020

AbstractGuidelines advise precautionary measures for possible adverse events that may occur due to sedation during endoscopic procedures. To avoid complications, intraprocedural and postprocedural monitoring during recovery is considered important. However, since not many studies have reported on hypoxemia during the recovery period, findings for specific monitoring methods are insufficient. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence of hypoxemia during the recovery period using continuous central-monitoring by pulse oximetry and to characterize the hypoxemia cases. Among the 4065 consecutive esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedures under planned moderate sedation, 84 (2.1%) procedures developed unexpected hypoxemia (SpO2 ≤ 90%). Hypoxemia was observed during the procedure, at the end of the procedure, and during the recovery period in 21, 17, and 46 (1.1%) procedures, respectively. More than half of the hypoxemia cases occurred during the recovery period. Many hypoxemia cases were characterized by neither serious co-morbid illness nor low body mass index which have been reported as risk factors of hypoxemia. The lack of risk factors is no guarantee that hypoxemia will not occur. Therefore, continuous monitoring by pulse oximetry is more important during the recovery period and is recommended in all EGD procedures under planned moderate sedation.
Automated prediction of mastitis infection patterns in dairy herds using machine learning
Authors: Hyde Robert M. , Down Peter M. , Bradley Andrew J. , Breen James E. , Hudson Chris , Leach Katharine A. , Green Martin J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMastitis in dairy cattle is extremely costly both in economic and welfare terms and is one of the most significant drivers of antimicrobial usage in dairy cattle. A critical step in the prevention of mastitis is the diagnosis of the predominant route of transmission of pathogens into either contagious (CONT) or environmental (ENV), with environmental being further subdivided as transmission during either the nonlactating “dry” period (EDP) or lactating period (EL). Using data from 1000 farms, random forest algorithms were able to replicate the complex herd level diagnoses made by specialist veterinary clinicians with a high degree of accuracy. An accuracy of 98%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 86% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 99% was achieved for the diagnosis of CONT vs ENV (with CONT as a “positive” diagnosis), and an accuracy of 78%, PPV of 76% and NPV of 81% for the diagnosis of EDP vs EL (with EDP as a “positive” diagnosis). An accurate, automated mastitis diagnosis tool has great potential to aid non-specialist veterinary clinicians to make a rapid herd level diagnosis and promptly implement appropriate control measures for an extremely damaging disease in terms of animal health, productivity, welfare and antimicrobial use.
Phosphorus (P) use efficiency in rice is linked to tissue-specific biomass and P allocation patterns
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Aziz Tariq , Maqsood Muhammad Aamer , Bilal Hafiz Muhammad , Siddique Kadambot H. M. , Xu Minggang 
Published: March 2020

AbstractPhosphorus (P) is a non-renewable resource which may be depleted within next few decades; hence high P use efficiency is need of time. Plants have evolved an array of adaptive mechanisms to enhance external P acquisition and reprioritize internal utilization under P deficiency. Tissue specific biomass and P allocation patterns may affect the P use efficiency in plants. six rice cultivars were grown in solution culture for 20 days and then were divided into two groups to receive either adequate P or no P that were harvested at 30, 40 and 50 days. Plants were dissected into various tissues/organs. Two rice cultivars viz Super Basmati (P-inefficient) and PS-2 (P-efficient) were grown in soil with no or 50 mg P kg−1 soil till maturity. Rice cultivars PS-2 and Basmati-2000 had higher P uptake, utilization efficiency and internal remobilization than other tested cultivars after P omission. Young leaves and roots were the major sinks while stems and mature leaves were the sources of P during P omission. In conclusion, biomass allocation and P accumulation among various tissues and P remobilization were major factors responsible for P efficiency.
A Comparative Analysis of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells derived from Different Sources, with a Focus on Neuroregenerative Potential
Authors: Petrenko Yuriy , Vackova Irena , Kekulova Kristyna , Chudickova Milada , Koci Zuzana , Turnovcova Karolina , Kupcova Skalnikova Helena , Vodicka Petr , Kubinova Sarka 
Published: March 2020

AbstractMultipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can be considered an accessible therapeutic tool for regenerative medicine. Here, we compared the growth kinetics, immunophenotypic and immunomodulatory properties, gene expression and secretome profile of MSCs derived from human adult bone marrow (BM-MSCs), adipose tissue (AT-MSCs) and Wharton’s jelly (WJ-MSCs) cultured in clinically-relevant conditions, with the focus on the neuroregenerative potential. All the cell types were positive for CD10/CD29/CD44/CD73/CD90/CD105/HLA-ABC and negative for CD14/CD45/CD235a/CD271/HLA-DR/VEGFR2 markers, but they differed in the expression of CD34/CD133/CD146/SSEA-4/MSCA-1/CD271/HLA-DR markers. BM-MSCs displayed the highest immunomodulatory activity compared to AT- and WJ-MSCs. On the other hand, BM-MSCs secreted the lower content and had the lower gene expression of neurotrophic growth factors compared to other cell lines, which may be caused by the higher sensitivity of BM-MSCs to nutrient limitations. Despite the differences in growth factor secretion, the MSC secretome derived from all cell sources had a pronounced neurotrophic potential to stimulate the neurite outgrowth of DRG-neurons and reduce the cell death of neural stem/progenitor cells after H2O2 treatment. Overall, our study provides important information for the transfer of basic MSC research towards clinical-grade manufacturing and therapeutic applications.
Resilience of Octocoral Forests to Catastrophic Storms
Authors: Lasker H. R. , Martínez-Quintana Á. , Bramanti L. , Edmunds P. J. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAfter centuries of human-mediated disturbances, Caribbean reef communities are vastly different from those described in the 1950s. Many are functionally dominated by macroalgae, but this community state represents only one of several possibilities into which present-day coral reefs can transition. Octocorals have always been abundant on Caribbean reefs, but increases in their abundance over the last few decades suggest that arborescent octocorals have the potential to expand their populations on reefs that hitherto had been dominated by scleractinians. Here we show that octocoral-dominated communities at three sites on the fringing reefs of St. John, US Virgin Islands, were resilient to the effects of two Category 5 hurricanes in 2017. We describe the dynamics of octocoral communities over five years at three sites on shallow reefs (~9-m depth), and test for the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The hurricanes depressed the densities of juvenile and adult octocoral colonies as much as 47%. However, there were only weak effects on species richness and the relative abundances of the octocoral species. The hurricanes did not alter patterns of spatial variability in octocoral community structure that existed among sites prior to the storms. The density of octocoral recruits (individuals ≤ 5 cm high) was reduced in the year following the hurricanes, mainly due to a decline in abundance of recruits <0.5 cm, but returned to pre-storm densities in 2019. Persistently high octocoral recruitment provides a mechanism supporting ecological resilience of these communities. Continuing environmental degradation is a threat to all tropical marine communities, but the reefs of St. John illustrate how “octocoral forests” can persist as the structurally dominant community on Caribbean reefs.