bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alterations of monocyte NF-κB p65/RelA signaling in a cohort of older medical patients, age-matched controls, and healthy young adults
Authors: Tavenier Juliette , Rasmussen Line Jee Hartmann , Houlind Morten Baltzer , Andersen Aino Leegaard , Panum Inge , Andersen Ove , Petersen Janne , Langkilde Anne , Nehlin Jan O. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundAltered monocyte NF-κB signaling is a possible cause of inflammaging and driver of aging, however, evidence from human aging studies is sparse. We assessed monocyte NF-κB signaling across different aging trajectories by comparing healthy older adults to older adults with a recent emergency department (ED) admission and to young adults.MethodsWe used data from: 52 older (≥65 years) Patients collected upon ED admission and at follow-up 30-days after discharge; 52 age- and sex-matched Older Controls without recent hospitalization; and 60 healthy Young Controls (20–35 years). Using flow cytometry, we assessed basal NF-κB phosphorylation (pNF-κB p65/RelA; Ser529) and induction of pNF-κB following stimulation with LPS or TNF-α in monocytes. We assessed frailty (FI-OutRef), physical and cognitive function, and plasma levels of IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor.ResultsPatients at follow-up were frailer, had higher levels of inflammatory markers and decreased physical and cognitive function than Older Controls. Patients at follow-up had higher basal pNF-κB levels than Older Controls (median fluorescence intensity (MFI): 125, IQR: 105–153 vs. MFI: 80, IQR: 71–90,p < 0.0001), and reduced pNF-κB induction in response to LPS (mean pNF-κB MFI fold change calculated as the log10 ratio of LPS-stimulation to the PBS-control: 0.10, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.12 vs. 0.13, 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.15,p = 0.05) and TNF-α stimulation (0.02, 95% CI: − 0.00 to 0.05 vs. 0.10, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.12,p < 0.0001). Older Controls had higher levels of inflammatory markers than Young Controls, but basal pNF-κB MFI did not differ between Older and Young Controls (MFI: 81, IQR: 70–86;p = 0.72). Older Controls had reduced pNF-κB induction in response to LPS and TNF-α compared to Young Controls (LPS: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.44,p < 0.0001; and TNF-α: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.40,p < 0.0001). In Older Controls, basal pNF-κB MFI was associated with FI-OutRef (p = 0.02).ConclusionsIncreased basal pNF-κB activity in monocytes could be involved in the processes of frailty and accelerated aging. Furthermore, we show that monocyte NF-κB activation upon stimulation was impaired in frail older adults, which could result in reduced immune responses and vaccine effectiveness.
Prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder in the Lebanese population, and its association with depression, anxiety, and stress
Authors: Kmeid Elio , Nacouzi Mansour , Hallit Souheil , Rohayem Ziad 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The objectives of this study were to study the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) and its association with anxiety, depression, and stress among the general Lebanese population as well as in a sample of patients recruited from an otolaryngologist clinic.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2018 and December 2019, which enrolled 459 participants from all districts of Lebanon (sample 1) and 37 patients from the otolaryngologist clinic at the Eye and Ear Hospital (sample 2). The temporomandibular disorder screening checklist was used to screen for temporomandibular joint disorder. The Fonseca’s anamnestic index was used to assess for temporomandibular joint disorder related signs and symptoms, as well as for symptoms severity.

Results
The results showed that 19.7% of the general Lebanese population had TMD, from which 55.9% were female. In contrast, 59.5% of patients in the sample recruited from the clinic were found to have TMD. Higher stress, anxiety, and depression scores were associated with higher temporomandibular disorder severity score (B = 0.23; B = 0.10 and B = 0.10 respectively). Patients in the sample recruited from the clinic had higher mean stress (20.75 vs 11.43), anxiety (12.46 vs 5.78), depression (13.24 vs 6.52), and temporomandibular disorder severity scores (59.5% vs 19.7%) than the general population.

Conclusion
Temporomandibular joint disorder appears to be associated significantly with depression, anxiety, and stress and remains largely underdiagnosed in the general population.
Changes in serum markers failed to predict persistent infection after two-stage exchange arthroplasty
Authors: Jiang Qiao , Fu Jun , Chai Wei , Hao Li-bo , Zhou Yong-Gang , Xu Chi , Chen Ji-Ying 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
The proper timing of reimplantation is importation to treatment success in the two-stage exchange revision. The 2018 International Consensus Meeting suggested that a variation trend toward normalization in serum markers was useful for determining the proper timing of reimplantation. However, the opposite results were found by previous studies, and the normalization of serum markers was reported to fail to predict infection control. We investigated whether value changes and percent changes in four common serum markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and fibrinogen) can predict persistent infection.

Methods
A retrospective review of 141 patients treated with the two-stage revision from 2014 to 2018 was conducted. The variation trend in serum indicators was evaluated by the percent changes (using values of serum markers pre-reimplantation divided by values pre-resection) and value changes (using values of serum markers pre-resection minus values pre-reimplantation). Treatment success was defined according to the Delphi-based consensus criteria with a minimum follow-up of 1 year, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) was used to examine the usefulness of changes in serum markers.

Results
Twenty-two patients (15.60%) were persistently infected. No significant difference was found in either the value change or percent change in serum markers between reinfection and non-reinfection patients. When predicting persistent infection, the area under the curves (AUC) demonstrated that both percent changes and value changes in serum markers were poor indicators. The AUC of value changes was 0.533 for the CRP, 0.504 for the IL-6, 0.508 for the ESR, and 0.586 for fibrinogen when predicted persistent PJI. In addition, the AUC indicated that percent changes in the CRP (0.464), the IL-6 (0.534), the ESR (0.527), and fibrinogen (0.586) were all poor markers.

Conclusions
We have shown that both value changes and percent changes in serum markers were not sufficiently rigorous to aid in persistent infection diagnosis. The proper timing of reimplantation must, therefore, take into account various clinical tests rather than the downward trend of serum markers only.
The potential of a constellation of low earth orbit satellite imagers to monitor worldwide fossil fuel CO2 emissions from large cities and point sources
Authors: Lespinas Franck , Wang Yilong , Broquet Grégoire , Bréon François-Marie , Buchwitz Michael , Reuter Maximilian , Meijer Yasjka , Loescher Armin , Janssens-Maenhout Greet , Zheng Bo , Ciais Philippe 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Satellite imagery will offer unparalleled global spatial coverage at high-resolution for long term cost-effective monitoring of CO2 concentration plumes generated by emission hotspots. CO2 emissions can then be estimated from the magnitude of these plumes. In this paper, we assimilate pseudo-observations in a global atmospheric inversion system to assess the performance of a constellation of one to four sun-synchronous low-Earth orbit (LEO) imagers to monitor anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The constellation of imagers follows the specifications from the European Spatial Agency (ESA) for the Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) concept for a future operational mission dedicated to the monitoring of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This study assesses the uncertainties in the inversion estimates of emissions (“posterior uncertainties”).

Results
The posterior uncertainties of emissions for individual cities and power plants are estimated for the 3 h before satellite overpasses, and extrapolated at annual scale assuming temporal auto-correlations in the uncertainties in the emission products that are used as a prior knowledge on the emissions by the Bayesian framework of the inversion. The results indicate that (i) the number of satellites has a proportional impact on the number of 3 h time windows for which emissions are constrained to better than 20%, but it has a small impact on the posterior uncertainties in annual emissions; (ii) having one satellite with wide swath would provide full images of the XCO2 plumes, and is more beneficial than having two satellites with half the width of reference swath; and (iii) an increase in the precision of XCO2 retrievals from 0.7 ppm to 0.35 ppm has a marginal impact on the emission monitoring performance.

Conclusions
For all constellation configurations, only the cities and power plants with an annual emission higher than 0.5 MtC per year can have at least one 8:30–11:30 time window during one year when the emissions can be constrained to better than 20%. The potential of satellite imagers to constrain annual emissions not only depend on the design of the imagers, but also strongly depend on the temporal error structure in the prior uncertainties, which is needed to be objectively assessed in the bottom-up emission maps.
Bone mineral density and bone microarchitecture in a cohort of patients with Erdheim-Chester Disease
Authors: He Tianhua , Cui Lijia , Niu Na , Wang Fengdan , Miao Huilei , Zhao Hao , Gao Xuemin , Liu Chang , Yu Fan , Jiang Yan , Wang Ou , Li Mei , Xing Xiaoping , Zhou Daobin , Li Jian , Cao Xinxin , Xia Weibo 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Erdheim-Chester Disease (ECD) is a rare type of non-Langerhans histiocytosis. Skeletal structures are affected in over 95% ECD patients. Due to the lack of proper imaging assessment tools, the alteration of bone microarchitecture in ECD has not been well studied. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) is a newly developed assessment of bone mineral density and bone microarchitecture.

Methods
We performed a cross-sectional study with 13 patients diagnosed with ECD in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between October 2018 and June 2019. The diagnosis of ECD was based on typical pathological findings in the context of appropriate clinical and radiological manifestations. Bone geometry, volumetric bone mineral density and bone microarchitecture of those ECD patients were assessed using HR-pQCT at the non-dominant distal radius and distal tibia. Those HR-pQCT parameters were then compared to an ongoing population-based database of HR-pQCT for Mainland Chinese.

Results
As a result, remarkable heterogeneity of osteosclerosis in the HR-pQCT images was found in ECD patients, ranging from apparent normal structure, scattered thickening of trabecula, to homogenous consolidation. In terms of quantitative measurements, total volumetric BMD (383.50 mg/cm3, 1.352 times of normal mean, p = 0.023) of the tibia differed significantly in ECD patients, due to the increased trabecular volumetric BMD (291 mg/cm3, 2.058 times of normal mean, p = 0.003). The increased trabecular volumetric BMD of tibia was associated with remarkably increased number of trabecula (1.7/mm, 1.455 times of normal mean, p = 0.002) and increased thickness of trabecula (0.37 mm, 1.466 times of normal mean, p = 0.003). These differences could be due to the existence of dense bone interposed in the trabecula.

Conclusion
This study is the first to assess the volumetric bone mineral density and bone microstructure with HR-pQCT in a cohort of ECD patients and indicated that the application of HR-pQCT may help to reveal the nature of bone lesions in the disease.
SARS-CoV-2 binds platelet ACE2 to enhance thrombosis in COVID-19
Authors: Zhang Si , Liu Yangyang , Wang Xiaofang , Yang Li , Li Haishan , Wang Yuyan , Liu Mengduan , Zhao Xiaoyan , Xie Youhua , Yang Yan , Zhang Shenghui , Fan Zhichao , Dong Jianzeng , Yuan Zhenghong , Ding Zhongren , Zhang Yi , Hu Liang 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Critically ill patients diagnosed with COVID-19 may develop a pro-thrombotic state that places them at a dramatically increased lethal risk. Although platelet activation is critical for thrombosis and is responsible for the thrombotic events and cardiovascular complications, the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains unclear.

Methods
Using platelets from healthy volunteers, non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 patients, as well as wild-type and hACE2 transgenic mice, we evaluated the changes in platelet and coagulation parameters in COVID-19 patients. We investigated ACE2 expression and direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 virus on platelets by RT-PCR, flow cytometry, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and platelet functional studies in vitro, FeCl3-induced thrombus formation in vivo, and thrombus formation under flow conditions ex vivo.

Results
We demonstrated that COVID-19 patients present with increased mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet hyperactivity, which correlated with a decrease in overall platelet count. Detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the blood stream was associated with platelet hyperactivity in critically ill patients. Platelets expressed ACE2, a host cell receptor for SARS-CoV-2, and TMPRSS2, a serine protease for Spike protein priming. SARS-CoV-2 and its Spike protein directly enhanced platelet activation such as platelet aggregation, PAC-1 binding, CD62P expression, α granule secretion, dense granule release, platelet spreading, and clot retraction in vitro, and thereby Spike protein enhanced thrombosis formation in wild-type mice transfused with hACE2 transgenic platelets, but this was not observed in animals transfused with wild-type platelets in vivo. Further, we provided evidence suggesting that the MAPK pathway, downstream of ACE2, mediates the potentiating role of SARS-CoV-2 on platelet activation, and that platelet ACE2 expression decreases following SARS-COV-2 stimulation. SARS-CoV-2 and its Spike protein directly stimulated platelets to facilitate the release of coagulation factors, the secretion of inflammatory factors, and the formation of leukocyte–platelet aggregates. Recombinant human ACE2 protein and anti-Spike monoclonal antibody could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein-induced platelet activation.

Conclusions
Our findings uncovered a novel function of SARS-CoV-2 on platelet activation via binding of Spike to ACE2. SARS-CoV-2-induced platelet activation may participate in thrombus formation and inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients.
Hydrocortisone treatment is associated with a longer duration of MODS in pediatric patients with severe sepsis and immunoparalysis
Authors: Bline Katherine E. , Moore-Clingenpeel Melissa , Hensley Josey , Steele Lisa , Greathouse Kristin , Anglim Larissa , Hanson-Huber Lisa , Nateri Jyotsna , Muszynski Jennifer A. , Ramilo Octavio , Hall Mark W. 
Published: September 2020

AbstractBackgroundSevere critical illness-induced immune suppression, termed immunoparalysis, is associated with longer duration of organ dysfunction in septic children. mRNA studies have suggested differential benefit of hydrocortisone in septic children based on their immune phenotype, but this has not been shown using a functional readout of the immune response. This study represents a secondary analysis of a prospectively conducted immunophenotyping study of pediatric severe sepsis to test the hypothesis that hydrocortisone will be differentially associated with clinical outcomes in children with or without immunoparalysis.MethodsChildren with severe sepsis/septic shock underwent blood sampling within 48 h of sepsis onset. Immune function was measured by quantifying whole blood ex vivo LPS-induced TNFα production capacity, with a TNFα response < 200 pg/ml being diagnostic of immunoparalysis. The primary outcome measure was number of days in 14 with MODS. Univariate and multivariable negative binomial regression models were used to examine associations between hydrocortisone use, immune function, and duration of MODS.ResultsOne hundred two children were enrolled (age 75 [6–160] months, 60% male). Thirty-one subjects received hydrocortisone and were more likely to be older (106 [52–184] vs 38 [3–153] months,p = 0.04), to have baseline immunocompromise (32 vs 8%,p = 0.006), to have higher PRISM III (13 [8–18] vs 7 [5–13],p = 0.0003) and vasoactive inotrope scores (20 [10–35] vs 10 [3–15],p = 0.0002) scores, and to have more MODS days (3 [1–9] vs 1 [0–3],p = 0.002). Thirty-three subjects had immunoparalysis (TNFα response 78 [52–141] vs 641 [418–1047] pg/ml,p < 0.0001). Hydrocortisone use was associated with longer duration of MODS in children with immunoparalysis after adjusting for covariables (aRR 3.7 [1.8–7.9],p = 0.0006) whereas no association with MODS duration was seen in children without immunoparalysis (aRR 1.2 [0.6–2.3],p = 0.67).ConclusionHydrocortisone use was independently associated with longer duration of MODS in septic children with immunoparalysis but not in those with more robust immune function. Prospective clinical trials using a priori immunophenotyping are needed to understand optimal hydrocortisone strategies in this population.
Consistency of bootstrap approximation to the null distributions of local spatial statistics with application to house price analysis
Authors: Mei Chang-Lin , Xu Shou-Fang , Chen Feng 
Published: September 2020

AbstractWith the increasing availability of spatially extensive geo-referenced data, much attention has been paid to the use of local statistics to identify local patterns of spatial association, in which the null distributions of local statistics play an essential role in the related statistical inference. As a powerful tool to approximate the distribution of a statistic, the bootstrap method is used in this paper to derive null distributions of the commonly used local spatial statistics including local Getis and Ord’s$G_{i}$Gi, Moran’s$I_{i}$Iiand Geary’s$c_{i}$ci. Strong consistency of the bootstrap approximation to the null distributions of the statistics is proved under some mild conditions, and the Boston housing price data are analyzed to demonstrate the application of the theoretical results.
Modeling seasonal variation for mosquito-borne disease in the tropical monsoon environment
Authors: Zheng Ting-Ting , Nie Lin-Fei , Teng Zhidong , Luo Yantao 
Published: September 2020

AbstractMosquitoes play an important role in the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Considering the sensitivity of mosquitoes’ aquatic stage to the seasonal shift, in this paper, we present a seasonally forced mosquito-borne epidemic model by incorporating mosquitoes’ aquatic stage (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and seasonal shift factor, which is a periodic discontinuous differential system. Firstly, some sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of a disease-free solution are obtained. Further, we define the basic reproduction number $\mathcal{R}_{0}$

R
0

, and obtain the stability of the disease-free solution when $\mathcal{R}_{0}$

R
0

is less than one. And, if $\mathcal{R}_{0}$

R
0

is greater than one, the mosquito-borne disease is uniformly persistent and the model admits a positive periodic solution. Finally, some numerical simulations are given to illustrate the main theoretical results. In addition, simulation results also imply that ignoring the effects of seasonal succession can overestimate or underestimate mosquito-borne disease trends.
Modeling plant virus propagation with Filippov control
Authors: Yang Youping , Zhang Tiantian 
Published: September 2020

AbstractPlants play a vital role in the everyday life of all organisms on earth. This paper proposes a Filippov vector-borne plant disease model incorporating roguing of infected plants and spaying pesticides to relieve the economical devastation for growers and damage to humans, natural enemies and the environment. No control strategy is taken if the number of infected plants is less than an infected plant threshold level $I_{c}$

I
c

; further, infected plants are removed once the number of infected plants exceeds $I_{c}$

I
c

; meanwhile, pesticides are spayed if the number of infected vectors exceeds the infected vector threshold level $Y_{c}$

Y
c

. The global dynamics for the proposed system is investigated. Model solutions ultimately stabilize at the positive equilibrium that lies in the region above $I_{c}$

I
c

, or on $I=I_{c}$
I
=

I
c

, or below $I_{c}$

I
c

, depending on the threshold values $I_{c}$

I
c

and $Y_{c}$

Y
c

. The findings indicate that proper combinations of the infected plant and vector threshold values based on the threshold policy can maintain the number of infected plants either at a previously given level or below a certain threshold level.
Bridelia ferruginea Benth leaves attenuates diabetes nephropathy in STZ-induced rats via targeting NGAL/KIM-1/cystatin c gene
Authors: Omoboyowa Damilola Alex , Karigidi Kayode Olayele , Aribigbola Temitope Cosmas 
Published: September 2020

Abstract
Background
Renal failure is among the main complications of diabetes disorders and free radical from hyperglycemia is the major cause of this nephrotic complication. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of Bridelia ferruginea Benth on nephrotic damage in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced by injection of 50 mg/kg b. w. of STZ (intraperitoneal) in rats fasted overnight. Effect on nephropathy was assessed using biochemical, histological indices and gene expression of kidney tissue.

Results
The total flavonoids and phenolic content of petroleum ether fraction of B. ferruginea (PEFBF) was observed to be higher compared to diethyl ether fraction of B. ferruginea (DEFBF). The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl scavenging activity of the fractions were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced across the concentrations compared to the standard (gallic acid). The STZ-induced diabetic animals treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w. of PEFBF and DEFBF showed significant (P < 0.05) reduction in blood glucose level on days 7, 11 and 14 compared to untreated diabetic rats. STZ-induced diabetic rats significantly (P < 0.05) exhibited increase plasma urea, creatinine, protein and albumin level while treatment with both fractions of B. ferruginea reduced the level of these parameters in treated diabetic rats. B. ferruginea also caused down-regulation of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule-1 and cystatin c genes.

Conclusion
These results revealed that, the plant has hypoglycemic activity therefore provides a pharmacological basis for its folkloric use in the management of hyperglycemia and its associated renal dysfunction.