bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A retrospective review to identify criteria for incorporating the Singapore flap and gracilis muscle flap into obstetric fistula repair
Authors: Pope Rachel , Hollier Pierce C. , Brown Rodger H. , Chalamanda Chisomo , Hollier Larry H. , Wilkinson Jeffrey 
Published: January 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo identify criteria to guide surgeons regarding indications for use of the Singapore and gracilis muscle flaps in obstetric fistula repair.MethodsThis is a retrospective case series. Obstetric fistula surgeons in Lilongwe, Malawi, have been incorporating plastic surgery techniques with the Singapore and gracilis muscle flaps since collaborating with plastic surgeons in 2016. We describe the surgical outcomes of procedures utilizing each flap individually and those using both.ResultsBetween February 2016 and June 2019, 69 patients received a flap at the time of obstetric fistula repair at the Fistula Care Center in Lilongwe, Malawi. A total of 32 (46.4%) received a Singapore flap, 20 (29.0%) received a gracilis flap, and 17 (24.6%) received both types of flap.ConclusionBased on our outcomes, we note the possible advantage of incorporating the gracilis flap even when it is thought that the Singapore flap is sufficient. However, more data are needed.
Porous titanium fiber mesh with tailored elasticity and its effect on stromal cells
Authors: Aerts Evy , Li Jinmeng , Van Steenbergen Mies J. , Degrande Tanika , Jansen John A. , Walboomers X. Frank 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPorous titanium fiber mesh (TFM) is considered a suitable scaffold material for bone reconstruction. Also, TFM can be used to cover the surface of bone‐anchored devices, that is, orthopedic or dental implants. The titanium fiber size has an effect of the stiffness as well as porosity of the titanium mesh, which can influence the behavior of bone forming cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to vary TFM composition, in order to achieve different stiffness, and to assess the effects of such variation on the behavior of bone marrow‐derived stromal cells (BMSCs). With that purpose, nine types of TFM (porosities 60–87%; fiber size 22–50 μm), were examined for their mechanical properties as well as their effect on the proliferation and differentiation of rat bone marrow‐derived stromal cells (rBMSCs) up to 21 days. Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the stiffness of TFM were lower than of solid titanium and decreased with larger fiber sizes. The stiffness could effectively be tailored by altering fiber properties, which altered the pore simultaneously. For the 22 and 35 μm size fiber meshes with the highest porosity, the stiffness closely matched the value found in literature for cortical bone. Finally, all tested TFM types supported the growth and differentiation of rBMSCs. We concluded that TFM material has been proven cytocompatible. Further preclinical studies are needed to assess which TFM type is most suitable as clinical use for bone ingrowth and bone regeneration.
Comprehensive assessment of mechanical behavior of an extremely long stent graft to control hemorrhage in torso
Authors: Elsisy Moataz , Tillman Bryan W. , Go Catherine , Kuhn Jenna , Cho Sung K. , Clark William W. , Park Junkyu , Chun Youngjae 
Published: January 2020

AbstractTraumatic vascular injuries, resulting from either civilian accidents or wounded soldiers, require new endovascular devices (i.e., stent graft) to rapidly control the excessive internal hemorrhage in torso region. Current stent designs are limited by their permanent nature, which is note well suited for emergent placement. A retrievable stent graft could regulate the internal bleeding temporarily, as fast as possible with the most feasible performance, until the patients arrive the hospital to receive the proper treatment. The novel endovascular device of this study is designed according to the anatomy of a porcine model with plans to transition to a human model in the future. The stent graft is manufactured using a substantially long nitinol backbone and covered selectively based on anatomic measurements, with highly stretchable expanded‐polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). In this study, our group comprehensively explored designing and manufacturing methods, and their impact on the stent graft performance. Geometric parameters and heat treatment conditions were investigated to show their effect on the radial force of the metallic backbone. As a retrievable device, the resistance force for retrieval as well as deployment were measured, and analyzed to be manipulated through ePTFE covering configurations. In vitro measurements for bleeding were measured using swine aorta to show the functionality of the stent graft under the simulated pulsatile flow circulation. Finally, the stent graft showed substantial effectiveness for hemorrhage control in vivo, using swine model. The new design and fabrication methods enable rapid hemorrhage control that can be removed at the time of a dedicated surgical repair.
Common gene polymorphism in ATP‐binding cassette transporter A1 and coronary artery disease: A genetic association study and a structural analysis
Authors: Karimian Mohammad , Momeni Ali , Farmohammadi Amir , Behjati Mohaddeseh , Jafari Marjan , Raygan Fariba 
Published: January 2020

AbstractATP‐binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) has a crucial role in removing intracellular cholesterol and plays a protective role against atherosclerosis. Therefore, genetic polymorphisms in this gene may alter the susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD). This study was aimed to examine the association of rs2230806 (c.1051 G > A; p.R219K) variation in the ABCA1 gene with CAD in a case‐control design which was followed by a meta‐analysis and in silico approach. In the case‐control study, 300 subjects including 150 individuals with CAD and 150 healthy controls were recruited. The c.1051 G > A genotyping was done by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism method. In the meta‐analysis, eligible studies were collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases and pooled odds ratio, heterogeneity, publication bias, and sensitivity analyses were carried. Finally, some bioinformatics tools were employed to assess the impacts of p.R219K variation on ABCA1 protein structure. Our case‐control examination showed a statistically significant association between c.1051 G > A genetic polymorphism and CAD risk. In addition, the meta‐analysis showed reliable significant associations between c.1051 G > A transition and risk of CAD in the Caucasian population. In silico analysis showed that the p.R219K substitution could alter the secondary structure, hydrophobicity pattern, and Ramachandran plot of ABCA1. These findings elucidate that the c.1051 G > A variation could be a genetic risk factor for CAD and it could be considered as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for susceptible individuals.
lncRNA MIAT promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by regulating miR‐1301‐3p/INCENP axis and interacting with SOX2
Authors: Zhang Chunyan , Xie Linsen , Fu Yin , Yang Juanjuan , Cui Yuanbo 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLong noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to participate in the development of multiple cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A growing number of studies have demonstrated that lncRNA myocardial infarction‐associated transcript (MIAT) played an oncogenic role in several human malignancies, but its expression and function in ESCC remain unknown. In this study, we found that MIAT was significantly increased in ESCC tissues, as well as cell lines. Downregulation of MIAT suppressed ESCC cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and invasion. Mechanical studies revealed that MIAT promoted ESCC cell proliferation and cell cycle by acting as a competitively endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to upregulate the inner centromere protein (INCENP) expression through sponging miR‐1301‐3p. Furthermore, we uncovered that MIAT‐SOX2 formed a positive feedback loop to facilitate cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of ESCC. Our findings indicated that MIAT promoted ESCC progression via targeting INCENP/miR‐1301‐3p axis and interacting with SOX2, suggesting novel potential therapeutic targets for ESCC.
Profiling and integrated analysis of differentially expressed circRNAs as novel biomarkers for breast cancer
Authors: Li Zehuan , Chen Zhanghan , Hu Guohua , Zhang Yong , Feng Yanling , Jiang Ying , Wang Jin 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBreast cancer (BC) is a globally common cancer with the highest and increasing morbidity and mortality among females. Novel biomarkers are warranted to be discovered for the early detection, treatment, and prognosis of BC. In this study, we investigated the profiles of differentially expressed (DE) circular RNAs (circRNAs) by competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) microarray to construct a genome‐wide circRNA profile. Then, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway analysis of the host genes (HGs) of circRNAs. A total of 4,370 DE circRNAs were detected and GO and KEGG analysis showed that they were significantly associated with cell cycle, DNA replication, BC, and familial BC. We validated the differential circRNAs and relevant HGs through quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and constructed a putative circRNA–microRNA–messenger RNA regulatory network. Eight circRNAs, including hsa_circ_0069094, hsa_circ_0062558, hsa_circ_0074026, hsa_circ_0079876, hsa_circ_0017536, hsa_circ_0023302, hsa_circ_0017650, and hsa_circ_0017545, were validated significantly DE in BC tissue and associated with TNM staging, lymph node infiltration, and Ki67. Hsa_circ_0069094, hsa_circ_0079876, hsa_circ_0017650, and hsa_circ_0017526 were upregulated in plasma. This study revealed the general expression characteristics of specific DE circRNAs in BC and hsa_circ_0069094, hsa_circ_0079876, hsa_circ_0017650, and hsa_circ_0017526 might be promising candidate targets.
Reference values for skeletal muscle mass and fat mass measured by bioelectrical impedance in 390 565 UK adults
Authors: Lee Mei‐Man , Jebb Susan A. , Oke Jason , Piernas Carmen 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundLoss of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) increases the risk of frailty and, together with excess fat mass (FM), is a risk factor for cardio‐metabolic disease. However, use of body composition measurements in nutritional surveillance and routine clinical practice is limited by the lack of reference data. Our aim was to produce age‐specific and sex‐specific reference values for SMM and FM in the White ethnic adult population in the UK. Secondary objectives were to examine the tracking over time using a subsample of the population with repeated measures of body composition and to assess the validity of these reference values in different ethnic subgroups.MethodsWe used data from segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in 390 565 participants, aged 40–69 years, in the UK Biobank, and data from dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry from n = 905 participants to validate the BIA measurements. SMM was calculated as the sum of the predicted muscle mass from the limbs. The LMS method was used to produce percentile curves for the SMM index (SMMI = SMM/height2) and the FM index (FMI = FM/height2). We investigated the validity of the White ethnic reference values by plotting z‐scores (99.7% confidence interval) from Black and Asian groups to check if their confidence interval included zero. Longitudinal trajectories were predicted based on the baseline z‐scores and the correlation between repeated measurements at follow‐up.ResultsThe percentile curves show that SMMI declines in men from the age of 40, whereas in women, SMMI is more stable and decreases only slightly among women in the higher percentiles. FMI increases with age in both men and women. Women have higher FMI and lower SMMI than men in all age groups. The validity of the White‐based reference values for non‐White ethnic groups is poor. Longitudinal trajectories in body composition in the subsample of participants with a follow‐up assessment show regression towards the mean in both men and women, with some evidence of declining SMMI only among men. The predicted 90% limits for the expected 5 year trajectories of SMMI and FMI can be used to identify people with unusual trajectories and in clinical practice to identify and track individuals at risk of excessive loss of SMM.ConclusionsThese body composition reference values developed from BIA in a middle/older‐aged healthy White ethnic population in the UK could be used as a simple assessment tool for nutritional surveillance and to identify individuals with low SMMI or high FMI who may be at increased risk of disease and/or frailty.
Abnormal retrobulbar blood flow variables in central serous chorioretinopathy
Authors: Kilic Deniz , Karahan Mine , Vural Esra , Dursun Mehmet E. , Demirtaş Atılım A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate if the retrobulbar blood flow variables were deteriorated in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) patients.MethodsWe included 25 CSC patients and 25 healthy subjects. We used color Doppler ultrasonography to assess the ophthalmic artery (OA), the central retinal artery (CRA), and the posterior ciliary arteries (PCA) for peak systolic velocity (PSV), end‐diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistance index (RI).ResultsMean ages of the patients and controls were 42.3 ± 8.5 and 41.3 ± 9.4 years, respectively (P = .853). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to the values of PSV, EDV, and RI of CRA (P = .406, P = .627, P = .227) and PCA (P = .785, P = .403, P = .935, respectively). The PSV and EDV of OA were lower in the CSC patients (P = .005, P = .024, respectively). Whereas the RI of OA was not significantly different (P = .729). Submacular choroidal thickness (SCT) was greater in CSC patients (P < .001). There was a negative correlation between SCT and PSV of PCA (P = .022, r = −0.457) and between SCT and EDV of PCA (P = .004, r = −0.560) in CSC patients.ConclusionHemodynamic changes in OA and a negative correlation between PCA values and SCT suggest ocular circulatory dysfunction in patients with CSC.
Morphological studies on the gills of the European hake (Merluccius merluccius, Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Hanafy Basma G. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe current work gives concern to study the morphology of the Merluccius merluccius gills by using gross morphology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and light microscopy. The findings of the present study revealed that the gill system consisted of four pairs of gill arches which carry the gill filaments on the convex border and gill rakers on the concave border of them. SEM results revealed that the rakers and the spines distribution on the first gill arch differed from that of the other three gill arches on the lateral and medial surfaces. On the surface the gill filaments, there were longitudinal ridges that carried pores of chloride cells and mucous cells. The histological examination revealed that, the gill arch composed of hyaline cartilage that presented in the form of cups. Each cup consisted of central cartilagenous core and peripheral cartilagenous matrix. The gill filaments composed of cartilaginous bar of peripheral cartilaginous matrix and central cartilaginous core extended from the gill arches and covered by an epithelial layers with a few mucous cells permeate it, and chloride cells were straggly in the interlamellar epithelium. Each gill filament carried several leaves like secondary lamellae on both sides of it. The epithelium, which lined the secondary lamellae, composed of epithelial pavement cells, some mucous cells, and pillar cells.
Snowpack determines relative importance of climate factors driving summer lake warming
Authors: Smits Adrianne P. , MacIntyre Sally , Sadro Steven 
Published: January 2020

AbstractMountain lakes experience extreme interannual climate variation as well as rapidly warming air temperatures, making them ideal systems to understand lake‐climate responses. Snowpack and water temperature are highly correlated in mountain lakes, but we lack a complete understanding of underlying mechanisms. Motivated by predicted declines in snowfall with future temperature increases, we investigated how surface heat fluxes and lake warming responded to variation in snowpack, ice‐off, and summer weather patterns in a high elevation lake in the Sierra Nevada, California. Ice‐off timing determined the phenology of lake exposure to solar radiation, and was the dominant mechanism linking snowpack to lake temperature. The relative importance of heat loss fluxes (longwave radiation, latent and sensible heat exchange) varied among wet and dry years. Declines in snowpack and ice cover in mountain systems will reduce variability in lake thermal responses and increase the responsiveness of lake warming to atmospheric forcing.
Wound Healing Process After Thermomechanical Skin Ablation
Authors: Kokolakis Georgios , von Grawert Leonie , Ulrich Martina , Lademann Juergen , Zuberbier Torsten , Hofmann Maja A. 
Published: January 2020

Background and ObjectivesEnergy‐based devices have been widely applied for skin ablation. A novel ablation technique based on thermomechanical principles (Tixel©) has been recently developed. The aim of this study was to examine the wound‐healing process and clinical aspects after thermomechanical skin ablation.Study Design/Materials and MethodsSix female participants were treated with Tixel© on healthy skin of the dorsal side of the right forearm in a single session with a 600 µm protrusion and 12 milliseconds pulse. The treated area was examined with confocal laser scanning microscopy on day 1, 2, 7, and 14 after treatment. Clinical symptoms were evaluated at the same time‐points.ResultsAll patients developed erythema and mild edema on the treated areas, which completely disappeared within 14 days. No post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation or scarring was observed. Thermomechanical skin ablation resulted in the formation of homogeneous micro‐ablation zones. Two weeks after ablation, the honeycomb patterns of the epidermis in all examined layers was thoroughly restored. Thus, wound‐healing was completed.ConclusionsWound healing after thermomechanical skin ablation is much faster compared with other fractionated ablation methods. Treatment intervals of 2–4 weeks could be recommended. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 The Authors. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genome‐wide identification and analysis of nuclear receptors genes for lethal screening against Bemisia tabaci Q
Authors: He Chao , Liu Shaonan , Liang Jinjin , Zeng Yang , Wang Shaoli , Wu Qingjun , Xie Wen , Zhang Youjun 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDNuclear receptors (NRs) play an essential role in diverse biological processes, such as insect metamorphosis. Here, transcriptome analysis and functional studies were used to determine whether NRs are involved in metamorphosis of whitefly Bemisia tabaci Q, a serious pest to crops, and to find some potential insecticide targets.RESULTSTwenty NRs were identified in the Bemisia tabaci Q genome and categorized into the NR0‐NR6 subfamilies. The phylogenetic tree of NRs from Bemisia tabaci Q and other representative species was constructed, which provided evolutionary insight into their genetic distances. The results of spatiotemporal gene expression indicated that the majority of NR gene expression was higher in the head than the abdomen and higher in eggs than adults. Further functional analysis using RNA interference (RNAi) showed that NR genes play an important role in Bemisia tabaci Q pupation and eclosion. With respect to high mortality and effects on growth, this was reflected in the unable to become pupa when the third‐stage nymph treated with double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) and the developmental time delay (4–7 days) when pupae were treated with dsRNA for the 12 NR genes during molting compared with the development time in the control.CONCLUSIONThis study provides insight into NR functions during the metamorphosis stages of Bemisia tabaci Q. Several candidate genes could be potential insecticide targets for whitefly pest control due to their important roles in insect development. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Separation principle for quasi‐one‐sided Lipschitz nonlinear systems with time delay
Authors: Hu Guang‐Da , Dong Wenqiang , Cong Yuhao 
Published: January 2020

SummaryIn this article, we address the problem of output stabilization for a class of nonlinear time‐delay systems. First, an observer is designed for estimating the state of nonlinear time‐delay systems by means of quasi‐one‐sided Lipschitz condition, which is less conservative than the one‐sided Lipschitz condition. Then, a state feedback controller is designed to stabilize the nonlinear systems in terms of weak quasi‐one‐sided Lipschitz condition. Furthermore, it is shown that the separation principle holds for stabilization of the systems based on the observer‐based controller. Under the quasi‐one‐sided Lipschitz condition, state observer and feedback controller can be designed separately even though the parameter (A,C) of nonlinear time‐delay systems is not detectable and parameter (A,B) is not stabilizable. Finally, a numerical example is provided to verify the efficiency of the main results.
Spectrally derived values of community leaf dry matter content link shifts in grassland composition with change in biomass production
Authors: Wayne Polley H. , Yang Chenghai , Wilsey Brian J. , Fay Philip A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractLeaf traits link environmental effects on plant species abundances to changes in ecosystem processes but are a challenge to measure regularly and over large areas. We used measurements of canopy reflectance from grassland communities to derive a regression model for one leaf trait, leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis was used to model community‐weighted (species abundance‐weighted) values of LDMC as a function of canopy reflectance in visible and near‐infrared (NIR) wavebands. The PLSR model then was applied to airborne measurements of canopy reflectance to determine how community LDMC interacts with inter‐annual variation in precipitation to influence the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), a surrogate of aboveground biomass production, of restored grassland during spring over 4 years. LDMC was well‐described by a PLSR model that included reflectance measurements located primarily in red edge and NIR portions of the spectrum. Community LDMC decreased as annual forb species became more abundant and was negatively correlated with maximum values of NDVI. Decreased precipitation reduced NDVI (biomass production) both by increasing community LDMC (LDMC response) and reducing the slope of the NDVI‐LDMC relationship (LDMC effect on NDVI). We find that grassland LDMC is well‐described by a regression model using canopy reflectance in red edge and NIR wavebands. Our results demonstrate the utility of spectral estimates of LDMC for discerning shifts in grassland composition and predicting consequences for production‐related ecosystem functions.