bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antimicrobial activity of mesenchymal stem cells against Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Yagi Haruyo , Chen Antonia F. , Hirsch David , Rothenberg Adam C. , Tan Jian , Alexander Peter G. , Tuan Rocky S. 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Introduction
There have been limited advances in the treatment of bone and joint infections, which currently involves a combination of surgery and antibiotic administration. There is a timely need in orthopedics to develop more effective and less invasive forms of antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment. The antibacterial effect of adult tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has recently been investigated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The main mechanism of action is postulated to be via MSC production of the cationic antimicrobial peptide, LL-37.

Methods
This study examines the antimicrobial activity of adipose-derived human MSCs (ASCs) on S. aureus, specifically examining the role of LL-37 and regulation of its expression. Bacteria colony-forming unit (CFU) assay was used to assess antimicrobial activity.

Results
Our results showed that the ASC-conditioned medium significantly inhibited the growth of S. aureus under standard culture conditions with or without the continued presence of ASCs. Also, the treatment of ASCs with 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 elevated LL-37 expression and enhanced their antimicrobial activity. In support, treatment with the vitamin D receptor inhibitor, GW0742, blocked the antimicrobial activity of ASCs.

Conclusion
Our findings clearly demonstrate the antimicrobial activity of adult ASCs against S. aureus and implicate a key regulatory role for vitamin D. Further testing in in vivo models is being pursued to assess the potential application of ASCs as a biocompatible, adjunct treatment for musculoskeletal infections.
Cardiac repair in a murine model of myocardial infarction with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes
Authors: Jiang Xin , Yang Ziyi , Dong Ming 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
Cellular replacement strategies using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their cardiac derivatives are emerging as novel treatments for post-myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure (HF); however, the mechanism of recovery of heart function is not very clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency of using highly purified human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs) for myocardial repair in a mouse model of MI and to clarify the mechanism of recovery of heart function.

Methods
Animals modelling MI were randomly assigned to receive direct intramyocardial injection of culture medium (MI group) or 4 × 105 iPS-CMs (cell group) at the infarct border zone. Left ventricle (LV) performance was assessed with serial cardiac electrophysiology and was measured 1, 2 and 4 weeks post-MI. Invasive LV pressure measurement was measured at 4 weeks and was followed by sacrifice for histological examination.

Results
Compared to the MI group, the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular internal diameter in end-diastole (LVIDd) and end-systole (LVIDs) and maximal positive and negative pressure derivative (±dP/dt) were significantly improved in the iPS-CM group at 4 weeks post-MI. Histological examination revealed a very limited number of iPS-CMs 4 weeks after transplantation. Nonetheless, there was a significant enhancement of angiogenesis and a reduction in apoptosis of native cardiomyocyte after iPS-CM transplantation.

Conclusions
Our results demonstrate that transplantation of human iPS-CMs can improve heart function via paracrine action in a mouse model of myocardial infarction.
Human umbilical cord multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells alleviate acute ischemia-reperfusion injury of spermatogenic cells via reducing inflammatory response and oxidative stress
Authors: Zhong Liang , Yang Mengbo , Zou Xiangyu , Du Tao , Xu Huiming , Sun Jie 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
This study was designed to determine the effect of human umbilical cord multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSC) on acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of spermatogenic cells.

Method
The testicular I/R rat model was established through 720° torsion for 1 h. hUC-MSC were intravenously injected 10 min before detorsion. Injury severity of spermatogenic cells was estimated by Johnsen’s score. The proliferating of recipient spermatogonia was measured by the immunostaining of antibodies against Ki67, and all germ cells were detected with DDX4 antibody. And recipient spermatogenesis was assessed by staining spermatozoa with lectin PNA. The levels of inflammatory factors were measured by real-time PCR. And the Selectin-E expression, neutrophil infiltration in the testes was detected by immunostaining. Germ cells apoptosis was tested by TUNEL assay and western blot. Furthermore, the oxidative stress was tested by reactive oxidative species (ROS) levels. In vitro, the condition medium (CM) of hUC-MSC was used to culture human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), so as to assess the paracrine effect of hUC-MSC on HUVECs. The protein chip was used to measure the relative concentration of the secretory proteins in the CM of hUC-MSC.

Result
hUC-MSC greatly alleviated the testicular injury induced by testis I/R. The levels of proinflammatory factors were downregulated by hUC-MSC in vivo and in vitro. Neutrophil infiltration, ROS, and germ cell apoptosis in testicular tissues were greatly reduced in the group of hUC-MSC. Paracrine factors secreted by hUC-MSC including growth factors, cytokines, and anti-inflammatory cytokine were rich.

Conclusion
This study demonstrated that intravenously injected hUC-MSC could protect the spermatogenic cells against I/R injury by reducing the inflammatory response, apoptosis, and acute oxidative injury. Paracrine mechanism of hUC-MSC may contribute to the protection of spermatogenic cells against I/R injury. Therefore, the present study provides a method for clinical treatment of attenuate I/R injury of spermatogenic cells.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Osteocyte-derived exosomes induced by mechanical strain promote human periodontal ligament stem cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation via the miR-181b-5p/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Lv Pei-ying , Gao Peng-fei , Tian Guang-jie , Yang Yan-yan , Mo Fei-fei , Wang Zi-hui , Sun Lu , Kuang Ming-jie , Wang Yong-lan 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
The oral cavity is a complex environment in which periodontal tissue is constantly stimulated by external microorganisms and mechanical forces. Proper mechanical force helps maintain periodontal tissue homeostasis, and improper inflammatory response can break the balance. Periodontal ligament (PDL) cells play crucial roles in responding to these challenges and maintaining the homeostasis of periodontal tissue. However, the mechanisms underlying PDL cell property changes induced by inflammatory and mechanical force microenvironments are still unclear. Recent studies have shown that exosomes function as a means of cell-cell and cell-matrix communication in biological processes.

Methods
Human periodontal ligament stem cells (HPDLSCs) were tested by the CCK8 assay, EdU, alizarin red, and ALP staining to evaluate the functions of exosomes induced by a mechanical strain. MicroRNA sequencing was used to find the discrepancy miRNA in exosomes. In addition, real-time PCR, FISH, luciferase reporter assay, and western blotting assay were used to investigate the mechanism of miR-181b-5p regulating proliferation and osteogenic differentiation through the PTEN/AKT pathway.

Results
In this study, the exosomes secreted by MLO-Y4 cells exposed to mechanical strain (Exosome-MS) contributed to HPDLSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. High-throughput miRNA sequencing showed that miR181b-5p was upregulated in Exosome-MS compared to the exosomes derived from MLO-Y4 cells lacking mechanical strain. The luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-181b-5p may target phosphatase tension homolog deletion (PTEN). In addition, PTEN was negatively regulated by overexpressing miR-181b-5p. Real-time PCR and western blotting assay verified that miR-181b-5p enhanced the protein kinase B (PKB, also known as AKT) activity and improved downstream factor transcription. Furthermore, miR-181b-5p effectively ameliorated the inhibition of HPDLSC proliferation and promoted HPDLSC induced by inflammation.

Conclusions
This study concluded that exosomes induced by mechanical strain promote HPDLSC proliferation via the miR-181b-5p/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway and promote HPDLSC osteogenic differentiation by BMP2/Runx2, suggesting a potential mechanism for maintaining periodontal homeostasis.
A new sex-specific underlying mechanism for female schizophrenia: accelerated skewed X chromosome inactivation
Authors: Zhang Xinzhu , Li Yuhong , Ma Lei , Zhang Guofu , Liu Min , Wang Chuanyue , Zheng Yi , Li Rena 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the mechanism by which the X-linked gene dosage is adjusted between the sexes. Evidence shows that many sex-specific diseases have their basis in X chromosome biology. While female schizophrenia patients often have a delayed age of disease onset and clinical phenotypes that are different from those of males, it is unknown whether the sex differences in schizophrenia are associated with X-linked gene dosage and the choice of X chromosome silencing in female cells. Previous studies demonstrated that sex chromosome aneuploidies may be related to the pathogeneses of some psychiatric diseases. Here, we examined the changes in skewed XCI in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods
A total of 109 female schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and 80 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (CNTLs) were included in this study. We evaluated clinical features including disease onset age, disease duration, clinical symptoms by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and antipsychotic treatment dosages. The XCI skewing patterns were analyzed by the methylation profile of the HUMARA gene found in DNA isolated from SCZ patient and CNTL leukocytes in the three age groups.

Results
First, we found that the frequency of skewed XCI in SCZ patients was 4 times more than that in the age- and sex-matched CNTLs (p < 0.01). Second, we found an earlier onset of severe XCI skewing in the SCZ patients than in CNTLs. Third, we demonstrated a close relationship between the severity of skewed XCI and schizophrenic symptoms (PANSS score ≥ 90) as well as the age of disease onset. Fourth, we demonstrated that the skewed XCI in SCZ patients was not transmitted from the patients’ mothers.

Limitations
The XCI skewing pattern might differ depending on tissues or organs. Although this is the first study to explore skewed XCI in SCZ, in the future, samples from different tissues or cells in SCZ patients might be important for understanding the impact of skewed XCI in this disease.

Conclusion
Our study, for the first time, investigated skewed XCI in female SCZ patients and presented a potential mechanism for the sex differences in SCZ. Our data also suggested that XCI might be a potential target for the development of female-specific interventions for SCZ.
Sex differences in the association of abdominal adipose tissue and anthropometric data with untreated hypertension in a Chinese population
Authors: Chen Youzhou , Zhang Zhuoli , Wang Jihong , Sun Huayi , Zhao Xingshan , Cheng Xiaoguang , Zhao Qiong 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
There are inconsistent interpretations of the interrelationship of adiposity, anthropometric indices, and blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients. Additionally, whether these relationships differ between sexes is unknown. We aimed to elucidate the associations of adiposity indices measured using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) with BP and hypertension and to determine the effect of sex on the interrelationship of these parameters in a Chinese population.

Methods
Abdominal adipose fat, including the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) area, was measured by QCT in 1488 patients (514 men, 974 women). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were measured. Pearson correlation coefficients, multivariate analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the relationship and potential of adiposity indices to BP and risk of hypertension within sex groups.

Results
Men had significantly greater VAT area but less SAT area than women in hypertensive group. VAT, SAT, and WC were more highly correlated with SBP in men than in women. After controlling for body weight, height, and age, VAT area and WC were positively associated with SBP (VAT: β = 0.309, p < 0.001; WC: β = 0.148, p = 0.001) and DBP (VAT: β = 0.099, p = 0.034; WC: β = 0.198, p = 0.001) in women. VAT area was positively associated with SBP (β = 0.444, p < 0.001) and DBP (β = 0.146, p = 0.021) in men. WC had a significant correlation with an increased risk of hypertension in women but a borderline association in men (p = 0.059) when adjusted for VAT area and SAT area.

Conclusions
The association of abdominal adiposity with hypertension differs qualitatively by sex. WC may be an important determinant of hypertension and may be used for risk stratification for hypertension among Chinese individuals.
Metronidazole conjugated magnetic nanoparticles loaded with amphotericin B exhibited potent effects against pathogenic Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype
Authors: Abdelnasir Sumayah , Anwar Ayaz , Kawish Muhammad , Anwar Areeba , Shah Muhammad Raza , Siddiqui Ruqaiyyah , Khan Naveed Ahmed 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAcanthamoeba castellanii can cause granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and Acanthamoeba keratitis. Currently, no single drug has been developed to effectively treat infections caused by Acanthamoeba. Recent studies have shown that drugs conjugated with nanoparticles exhibit potent in vitro antiamoebic activity against pathogenic free-living amoebae. In this study, we have developed a nano drug delivery system based on iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with metronidazole which were further loaded with amphotericin B to produce enhanced antiamoebic effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii. The results showed that metronidazole-nanoparticles-amphotericin B (Met-MNPs-Amp) significantly inhibited the viability of these amoebae as compared to the respective controls including drugs and nanoparticles alone. Met-MNPs-Amp exhibited IC50 at 50 μg/mL against both A. castellanii trophozoites and cysts. Furthermore, these nanoparticles did not affect the viability of rat and human cells and showed safe hemolytic activity. Hence, the results obtained in this study have potential utility in drug development against infections caused by Acanthamoeba castellanii. A combination of drugs can lead to successful prognosis against these largely neglected infections. Future studies will determine the value of conjugating molecules with diagnostic and therapeutic potential to provide theranostic approaches against these serious infections.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Contemporary Changes in the Agro-pastoral System of Upper Spiti Landscape, Indian Trans-Himalayas
Authors: Singh Rashmi , Sharma Rishi Kumar , Babu Suresh , Bhatnagar Yash Veer 
Published: July 2020

AbstractPastoral systems are known to be prone to social, political and ecological uncertainties. Traditional ecological knowledge that the pastoral communities hold around their bio-physical environment has been a key to cope with stressors and adapt to the rapid socio-economic changes. We examined traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) on livestock and resource management, factors influencing livestock production and concurrent changes in an agro-pastoral system. We used mixed methods by conducting 44 semi-structured interviews, 10 key informants’ interviews and resource mapping in five villages of Upper Spiti Landscape, western Himalaya. Our specific objectives were to (i) document TEK on livestock diet and management and (ii) understand the drivers and consequences of the change in the agro-pastoral society and associated traditional knowledge system. The herders of the study area possessed extensive knowledge of livestock diet and fodder species preference. They used this knowledge to optimize livestock grazing in pastures during summers and to fulfil the nutrient requirements of livestock species during stall feeding in winters. Seasonally, the aspect, altitude and accessibility of the pasture influenced the rotational use of pastures. In contrast, the quality of forage and water availability, distance of the pasture from village and threats from predators influenced the selection of grazing areas daily. There are evident changes in the livestock production system and signs that TEK is eroding in the region. Primary contributing factors to loss of TEK include changing aspirations of local people. These aspirations were related to employment in lucrative alternative options like cash crops and tourism, out-migration of the young generation for higher education and the arrival of immigrant labourers as new actors in livestock management. Livestock numbers in the study site remained dynamic between the year 2003-2016 owing to the substantive social and ecological changes. Our results suggest that while the traditional knowledge persists, the signs of erosion in traditional knowledge and associated changes in current herding practices are evident. We argue that recent changes in the pastoral social-ecological system, especially loss of TEK and non-traditional rearing practices, due to increasing dependence on immigrant labourers, may have negative implications for livestock production, rangeland health and wildlife conservation goals in the long run. Long term site-specific studies on livestock production and associated knowledge would be critical for adaptive rangeland management and policies.
Facial image super-resolution guided by adaptive geometric features
Authors: Fan Zhenfeng , Hu Xiyuan , Chen Chen , Wang Xiaolian , Peng Silong 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThis paper addresses the traditional issue of restoring a high-resolution (HR) facial image from a low-resolution (LR) counterpart. Current state-of-the-art super-resolution (SR) methods commonly adopt the convolutional neural networks to learn a non-linear complex mapping between paired LR and HR images. They discriminate local patterns expressed by the neighboring pixels along the planar directions but ignore the intrinsic 3D proximity including the depth map. As a special case of general images, the face has limited geometric variations, which we believe that the relevant depth map can be learned and used to guide the face SR task. Motivated by it, we design a network including two branches: one for auxiliary depth map estimation and the other for the main SR task. Adaptive geometric features are further learned from the depth map and used to modulate the mid-level features of the SR branch. The whole network is implemented in an end-to-end trainable manner under the extra supervision of depth map. The supervisory depth map is either a paired one from RGB-D scans or a reconstructed one by a 3D prior model of faces. The experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method and achieve improved performance over the state of the arts.
Dunkl generalization of Phillips operators and approximation in weighted spaces
Authors: Mursaleen M. , Nasiruzzaman Md. , Kılıçman A. , Sapar S. H. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to introduce a modification of Phillips operators on the interval $[ \frac{1}{2},\infty ) $
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Limit cycle bifurcations in a planar piecewise quadratic system with multiple parameters
Authors: Gong Shuhua , Han Maoan 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the number of limit cycles bifurcating from a period annulus for some planar piecewise smooth non-Hamiltonian systems. We construct a planar piecewise quadratic system with multiple parameters, obtain its lower bound for the maximum number of limit cycles by using Melnikov function method, and find more limit cycles than (Li and Liu in J. Math. Anal. Appl. 428:1354–1367, 2015).
Incidence, risk factors and consequences of preterm birth – findings from a multi-centric observational study for 14 months in Nepal
Authors: Gurung Abhishek , Wrammert Johan , Sunny Avinash K. , Gurung Rejina , Rana Netra , Basaula Yuba Nidhi , Paudel Prajwal , Pokhrel Amrit , KC Ashish 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Background
Preterm birth is a worldwide epidemic and a leading cause of neonatal mortality. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors and consequences of preterm birth in Nepal.

Methods
This was an observational study conducted in 12 public hospitals of Nepal. All the babies born during the study period were included in the study. Babies born < 37 weeks of gestation were classified as preterm births. For the association and outcomes for preterm birth, univariate followed by multiple regression analysis was conducted.

Results
The incidence of preterm was found to be 93 per 1000 live births. Mothers aged less than 20 years (aOR 1.26;1.15–1.39) had a high risk for preterm birth. Similarly, education of the mother was a significant predictor for preterm birth: illiterate mothers (aOR 1.41; 1.22–1.64), literate mothers (aOR 1.21; 1.08–1.35) and mothers having basic level of education (aOR 1.17; 1.07–1.27). Socio-demographic factors such as smoking (aOR 1.13; 1.01–1.26), use of polluted fuel (aOR 1.26; 1.17–1.35) and sex of baby (aOR 1.18; 1.11–1.26); obstetric factors such as nulliparity (aOR 1.33; 1.20–1.48), multiple delivery (aOR 6.63; 5.16–8.52), severe anemia during pregnancy (aOR 3.27; 2.21–4.84), antenatal visit during second trimester (aOR 1.13; 1.05–1.22) and third trimester (aOR 1.24; 1.12–1.38), < 4 antenatal visits during pregnancy (aOR 1.49; 1.38–1.61) were found to be significant risk factors of preterm birth. Preterm has a risk for pre-discharge mortality (10.60; 9.28–12.10).

Conclusion
In this study, we found high incidence of preterm birth. Various socio-demographic, obstetric and neonatal risk factors were associated with preterm birth. Risk factor modifications and timely interventions will help in the reduction of preterm births and associated mortalities.

Trial registration
ISRCTN30829654.