bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Giant Mesozoic coelacanths (Osteichthyes, Actinistia) reveal high body size disparity decoupled from taxic diversity
Authors: Cavin Lionel , Piuz André , Ferrante Christophe , Guinot Guillaume 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe positive correlation between speciation rates and morphological evolution expressed by body size is a macroevolutionary trait of vertebrates. Although taxic diversification and morphological evolution are slow in coelacanths, their fossil record indicates that large and small species coexisted, which calls into question the link between morphological and body size disparities. Here, we describe and reassess fossils of giant coelacanths. Two genera reached up to 5 m long, placing them among the ten largest bony fish that ever lived. The disparity in body size adjusted to taxic diversity is much greater in coelacanths than in ray-finned fishes. Previous studies have shown that rates of speciation and rates of morphological evolution are overall low in this group, and our results indicate that these parameters are decoupled from the disparity in body size in coelacanths. Genomic and physiological characteristics of the extant Latimeria may reflect how the extinct relatives grew to such a large size. These characteristics highlight new evolutionary traits specific to these “living fossils”.
Prediction of Yangtze River streamflow based on deep learning neural network with El Niño–Southern Oscillation
Authors: Ha Si , Liu Darong , Mu Lin 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAccurate long-term streamflow and flood forecasting have always been an important research direction in hydrology research. Nowadays, climate change, floods, and other anomalies occurring more and more frequently and bringing great losses to society. The prediction of streamflow, especially flood prediction, is important for disaster prevention. Current hydrological models based on physical mechanisms can give accurate predictions of streamflow, but the effective prediction period is only about 1 month in advance, which is too short for decision making. The artificial neural network (ANN) has great potential for predicting runoff and is not only good at handling non-linear data but can also make long-period forecasts. However, most of ANN models are unstable in their predictions when faced with raw flow data, and have excessive errors in predicting extreme flows. Previous studies have shown a link between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the streamflow of the Yangtze River. In this paper, we use ENSO and the monthly streamflow data of the Yangtze River from 1952 to 2018 to predict the monthly streamflow of the Yangtze River in two extreme flood years and a small flood year by using deep neural networks. In this paper, three deep neural network frameworks are used: stacked long short-term memory, Conv long short-term memory encoder–decoder long short-term memory and Conv long short-term memory encoder–decoder gate recurrent unit. The results show that the use of ConvLSTM improves the stability of the model and increases the accuracy of the flood prediction. Besides, the introduction of ENSO to the experimental data resulted in a more accurate prediction of the time of the occurrence of flood peaks and flood flows. Furthermore, the best results were obtained on the convolutional long short-term memory + encoder–decoder gate recurrent unit model.
Purification of antibody fragments via interaction with detergent micellar aggregates
Authors: Dhandapani Gunasekaran , Wachtel Ellen , Das Ishita , Sheves Mordechai , Patchornik Guy 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe research described in this report seeks to present proof-of-concept for a novel and robust platform for purification of antibody fragments and to define and optimize the controlling parameters. Purification of antigen-binding F(ab′)2fragments is achieved in the absence of chromatographic media or specific ligands, rather by using clusters of non-ionic detergent (e.g. Tween-60, Brij-O20) micelles chelated via Fe2+ions and the hydrophobic chelator, bathophenanthroline (batho). These aggregates, quantitatively capture the F(ab′)2fragment in the absence or presence ofE. colilysate and allow extraction of only the F(ab′)2domain at pH 3.8 without concomitant aggregate dissolution or coextraction of bacterial impurities. Process yields range from 70 to 87% by densitometry. Recovered F(ab′)2fragments are monomeric (by dynamic light scattering), preserve their secondary structure (by circular dichroism) and are as pure as those obtained via Protein A chromatography (from a mixture of F(ab′)2and Fc fragments). The effect of process parameters on Ab binding and Ab extraction (e.g. temperature, pH, ionic strength, incubation time, composition of extraction buffer) are reported, using a monoclonal antibody (mAb) and polyclonal human IgG’s as test samples.
Ancient DNA, lipid biomarkers and palaeoecological evidence reveals construction and life on early medieval lake settlements
Authors: Brown A. G. , Van Hardenbroek M. , Fonville T. , Davies K. , Mackay H. , Murray E. , Head K. , Barratt P. , McCormick F. , Ficetola G. F. , Gielly L. , Henderson A. C. G. , Crone A. , Cavers G. , Langdon P. G. , Whitehouse N. J. , Pirrie D. , Alsos I. G. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractDirect evidence of ancient human occupation is typically established through archaeological excavation. Excavations are costly and destructive, and practically impossible in some lake and wetland environments. We present here an alternative approach, providing direct evidence from lake sediments using DNA metabarcoding, steroid lipid biomarkers (bile acids) and from traditional environmental analyses. Applied to an early Medieval Celtic settlement in Ireland (a crannog) this approach provides a site chronology and direct evidence of human occupation, crops, animal farming and on-site slaughtering. This is the first independently-dated, continuous molecular archive of human activity from an archeological site, demonstrating a link between animal husbandry, food resources, island use. These sites are under threat but are impossible to preserve in-situ so this approach can be used, with or without excavation, to produce a robust and full site chronology and provide direct evidence of occupation, the use of plants and animals, and activities such as butchery.
Evaluation of the immunomodulatory effects of cobalt, copper and magnesium ions in a pro inflammatory environment
Authors: Díez-Tercero Leire , Delgado Luis M. , Bosch-Rué Elia , Perez Roman A. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractBiomaterials and scaffolds for Tissue Engineering are widely used for an effective healing and regeneration. However, the implantation of these scaffolds causes an innate immune response in which the macrophage polarization from M1 (pro-inflammatory) to M2 (anti-inflammatory) phenotype is crucial to avoid chronic inflammation. Recent studies have showed that the use of bioactive ions such as cobalt (Co2+), copper (Cu2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) could improve tissue regeneration, although there is limited evidence on their effect on the macrophage response. Therefore, we investigated the immunomodulatory potential of Co2+, Cu2+and Mg2+in macrophage polarization. Our results indicate that Mg2+and concentrations of Cu2+lower than 10 μM promoted the expression of M2 related genes. However, higher concentrations of Cu2+and Co2+(100 μM) stimulated pro-inflammatory marker expression, indicating a concentration dependent effect of these ions. Furthermore, Mg2+were able to decrease M1 marker expression in presence of a mild pro-inflammatory stimulus, showing that Mg2+can be used to modulate the inflammatory response, even though their application can be limited in a strong pro-inflammatory environment.
Complete chloroplast genome of novel Adrinandra megaphylla Hu species: molecular structure, comparative and phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Nguyen Huu Quan , Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan , Doan Thi Nhung , Nguyen Thi Thu Nga , Phạm Mai Huong , Le Tung Lam , Sy Danh Thuong , Chu Hoang Ha , Chu Hoang Mau 
Published: June 2021

AbstractAdrinandra megaphylla Hu is a medicinal plant belonging to the Adrinandra genus, which is well-known for its potential health benefits due to its bioactive compounds. This study aimed to assemble and annotate the chloroplast genome of A. megaphylla as well as compare it with previously published cp genomes within the Adrinandra genus. The chloroplast genome was reconstructed using de novo and reference-based assembly of paired-end reads generated by long-read sequencing of total genomic DNA. The size of the chloroplast genome was 156,298 bp, comprised a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,688 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,424 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 26,093 bp each; and a total of 51 SSRs and 48 repeat structures were detected. The chloroplast genome includes a total of 131 functional genes, containing 86 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. The A. megaphylla chloroplast genome indicated that gene content and structure are highly conserved. The phylogenetic reconstruction using complete cp sequences, matK and trnL genes from Pentaphylacaceae species exhibited a genetic relationship. Among them, matK sequence is a better candidate for phylogenetic resolution. This study is the first report for the chloroplast genome of the A. megaphylla.
Liver stiffness regression after sustained virological response by direct-acting antivirals reduces the risk of outcomes
Authors: Piedade Juliana , Pereira Gustavo , Guimarães Lívia , Duarte Joana , Victor Lívia , Baldin Caroline , Inacio Cintia , Santos Ricardo , Chaves Úrsula , Nunes Estevão P. , Grinsztejn Beatriz , Veloso Valdilea G. , Fernandes Flavia , Perazzo Hugo 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) after sustained virological response (SVR) in HCV patients treated by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate LSM regression value after SVR and to identify risk factors associated with liver related complications (LRC) or death. This retrospective study analyzed patients with LSM ≥ 10 kPa with LSM by transient elastography pre-DAAs and post-SVR. Patients with previous hepatic decompensation were excluded. Medical records were reviewed to identify primary outcomes. Kaplan–Meier curves and time-to-event Cox proportional-hazard models were performed. 456 patients [65% female, 62 years (IQR 57–68)] were included. During a follow-up of 2.3 years (IQR 1.6–2.7), 28 patients developed 37 outcomes [rate = 29.0 (95% CI 20.0–42.0) per 1000 person-years]. The cumulative incidence of outcomes was significantly lower in patients who regressed LSM ≥ 20% [3.4% (95% CI 1.8–7.0) vs. 9.0% (5.5–14.5), p = 0.028]. In a multivariate Cox-model [HR(95% CI)], male gender [HR = 3.00 (1.30–6.95), p = 0.010], baseline albumin < 3.5 mg/dL [HR = 4.49 (1.95–10.34), p < 0.001] and baseline unfavorable Baveno-VI [HR = 4.72 (1.32–16.83), p = 0.017] were independently associated and LSM regression ≥ 20% after SVR had a trend to reduce the risk of LRC or death [HR = 0.45 (0.21–1.02), p = 0.058]. The use of simple parameters before DAAs and repetition of LSM post-SVR can identify patients with different risks for severe outcome after HCV eradication.
Decompression effects on bone healing in rat mandible osteomyelitis
Authors: Sodnom-Ish Buyanbileg , Eo Mi Young , Oh Ji Hye , Seo Mi Hyun , Yang Hoon Joo , Lee Jong Ho , Kim Soung Min 
Published: June 2021

AbstractOsteomyelitis (OM) of the jaw is usually caused by a chronic odontogenic infection. Decompression is the release the intraluminal pressure in the cystic cavity allowing gradual bone growth from the periphery. The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of decompression in an OM jaw model. A 4-mm-diameter defect was made on mandibles of fourteen Sprague–Dawley rats and inoculated with S. aureus (20 μl of 1 × 107 CFU/ml) injection. Two weeks later, four groups were made as non-treatment (C1), only curettage (C2), curettage and decompression (E1), and curettage and decompression with normal saline irrigation (E2). After four weeks, each group was analyzed. Most micro-CT parameters, including bone mineral density [0.87 (± 0.08) g/cm3] with bone volume [0.73 (± 0.08) mm3] was higher in E2 group than that of C1 group (p = 0.04, p = 0.05, respectively). E2 group in histology showed the highest number of osteocytes than those of control groups, 91.00 (± 9.90) (p = 0.002). OPN were expressed strongly in the E1 (“5”: 76–100%) that those of other groups. Decompression drains induced advanced bone healing compared to that of curettage alone. Therefore, it could be recommended to use decompressive drain for enhancing the jaw OM management.
DC-SIGN binding to mannosylated B-cell receptors in follicular lymphoma down-modulates receptor signaling capacity
Authors: Valle-Argos Beatriz , Chiodin Giorgia , Bryant Dean J. , Taylor Joe , Lemm Elizabeth , Duriez Patrick J. , Rock Philip J. , Strefford Jonathan C. , Forconi Francesco , Burack Richard W. , Packham Graham , Stevenson Freda K. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractIn follicular lymphoma (FL), surface immunoglobulin (sIg) carries mandatory N-glycosylation sites in the variable regions, inserted during somatic hypermutation. These glycosylation sites are tumor-specific, indicating a critical function in FL. Added glycan unexpectedly terminates at high mannose (Mann) and confers capability for sIg-mediated interaction with local macrophage-expressed DC-SIGN lectin resulting in low-level activation of upstream B-cell receptor signaling responses. Here we show that despite being of low-level, DC-SIGN induces a similar downstream transcriptional response to anti-IgM in primary FL cells, characterized by activation of pathways associated with B-cell survival, proliferation and cell–cell communication. Lectin binding was also able to engage post-transcriptional receptor cross-talk pathways since, like anti-IgM, DC-SIGN down-modulated cell surface expression of CXCR4. Importantly, pre-exposure of a FL-derived cell line expressing sIgM-Mann or primary FL cells to DC-SIGN, which does not block anti-IgM binding, reversibly paralyzed the subsequent Ca2+ response to anti-IgM. These novel findings indicate that modulation of sIg function occurs in FL via lectin binding to acquired mannoses. The B-cell receptor alternative engagement described here provides two advantages to lymphoma cells: (i) activation of signaling, which, albeit of low-level, is sufficient to trigger canonical lymphoma-promoting responses, and (ii) protection from exogenous antigen by paralyzing anti-IgM-induced signaling. Blockade of this alternative engagement could offer a new therapeutic strategy.
Susceptibility of anurans, lizards, and fish to infection with Dracunculus species larvae and implications for their roles as paratenic hosts
Authors: Box Erin K. , Yabsley Michael J. , Garrett Kayla B. , Thompson Alec T. , Wyckoff Seth T. , Cleveland Christopher A. 
Published: June 2021

AbstractDracunculus spp. are parasitic nematodes that infect numerous species of mammals and reptiles. The life cycles of Dracunculus species are complex, and unknowns remain regarding the role of paratenic and transport hosts in transmission to definitive hosts. We had two primary objectives: to assess the susceptibility of several species of anurans, lizards, and fish as paratenic hosts for Dracunculus species, and to determine the long-term persistence of Dracunculus infections in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Animals were orally exposed to copepods infected with infectious third-stage larvae (L3s) of either Dracunculus insignis or D. medinensis. Dracunculus L3s were recovered from four anuran species, two lizard species, and one fish species, demonstrating that Dracunculus can infect tissues of a diversity of species. In long-term persistence trials, D. medinensis L3s were recovered from African clawed frogs tissues up to 58 days post-infection, and D. insignis L3s were recovered up to 244 days post-infection. Our findings regarding the susceptibility of novel species of frogs, lizards, and fish to infection with Dracunculus nematodes, and long-term persistence of L3s in paratenic hosts, address pressing knowledge gaps regarding Dracunculus infection in paratenic hosts and may guide future research regarding the transmission of Dracunculus to definitive mammalian hosts.
Impact of preprocedural coronary flow grade on duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Kim Yong Hoon , Her Ae-Young , Kim Byeong-Keuk , Hong Sung-Jin , Ahn Chul-Min , Kim Jung-Sun , Ko Young-Guk , Choi Donghoon , Hong Myeong-Ki , Jang Yangsoo 
Published: June 2021

AbstractWe investigated the impact of pre-percutaneous coronary intervention (pre-PCI) thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade (pre-TIMI) on 3-month (3-mo) and 12-mo of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This was a post hoc analysis of the TICO trial. A total of 2083 patients with AMI (pre-TIMI 0/1: n = 1143; pre-TIMI 2/3: n = 940) were evaluated. The primary outcome was the occurrence of net adverse clinical events (NACE), defined as a composite of TIMI major bleeding and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) within 12-mo following PCI. The secondary outcomes were the occurrence of the individual components of TIMI bleedings and MACCE. In the pre-TIMI 0/1 group, the primary and second outcomes were not significantly different between the 3-mo and 12-mo DAPT groups. However, in the pre-TIMI 2/3 group, the occurrences of TIMI minor (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.294; p = 0.016) and major or minor bleeding (aHR: 0.483; p = 0.014) on intention-to-treat analysis were significantly higher in the 12-mo than in the 3-mo DAPT group. The occurrence of MACCE was similar between the two groups. A higher bleeding tendency in 12-mo DAPT compared with 3-mo DAPT was more obvious in the pre-TIMI 2/3 group than in the pre-TIMI 0/1 group.Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02494895.
Contacts and behaviours of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of the 2020/2021 academic year
Authors: Nixon Emily , Trickey Adam , Christensen Hannah , Finn Adam , Thomas Amy , Relton Caroline , Montgomery Clara , Hemani Gibran , Metz Jane , Walker Josephine G. , Turner Katy , Kwiatkowska Rachel , Sauchelli Sarah , Danon Leon , Brooks-Pollock Ellen 
Published: June 2021

AbstractUniversity students have unique living, learning and social arrangements which may have implications for infectious disease transmission. To address this data gap, we created CONQUEST (COroNavirus QUESTionnaire), a longitudinal online survey of contacts, behaviour, and COVID-19 symptoms for University of Bristol (UoB) staff/students. Here, we analyse results from 740 students providing 1261 unique records from the start of the 2020/2021 academic year (14/09/2020–01/11/2020), where COVID-19 outbreaks led to the self-isolation of all students in some halls of residences. Although most students reported lower daily contacts than in pre-COVID-19 studies, there was heterogeneity, with some reporting many (median = 2, mean = 6.1, standard deviation = 15.0; 8% had ≥ 20 contacts). Around 40% of students’ contacts were with individuals external to the university, indicating potential for transmission to non-students/staff. Only 61% of those reporting cardinal symptoms in the past week self-isolated, although 99% with a positive COVID-19 test during the 2 weeks before survey completion had self-isolated within the last week. Some students who self-isolated had many contacts (mean = 4.3, standard deviation = 10.6). Our results provide context to the COVID-19 outbreaks seen in universities and are available for modelling future outbreaks and informing policy.
Prognostic analysis and beneficiary identification of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy for stage pT4b sigmoid colon cancer
Authors: Lin Yaobin , Wang Lei , Shao Lingdong , Zhang Xueqing , Lin Huaqin , Wang Youjia , Wu Junxin 
Published: June 2021

AbstractThe clinical efficacy of adjuvant radiotherapy in sigmoid colon cancer remains questioned. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for patients with pathologic stage T4b sigmoid colon cancer. Patients with stage pT4b sigmoid colon cancer receiving adjuvant EBRT or not followed by surgery between 2004 and 2016 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Analysis of overall survival (OS) was performed using Kaplan–Meier curves and prognostic factors were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression models with 95% confidence intervals within the entire cohort. A risk-stratification system was then developed based on the β regression coefficient. Among 2073 patients, 284 (13.7%) underwent adjuvant EBRT. The median OS in the group receiving adjuvant EBRT was significantly longer than that in the non-radiotherapy group (p < 0.001). Age, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, perineural invasion, lymph node dissection (LND) number, and adjuvant EBRT were independent factors associated with OS. A risk‐stratification system was generated, which showed that low‐risk patients had a higher 5-year survival rate than high-risk patients (75.6% vs. 42.3%, p < 0.001). Adjuvant EBRT significantly prolonged the 5-year survival rate of high-risk patients (62.6% vs. 38.3%, p = 0.009) but showed no survival benefit among low‐risk patients (87.7% vs. 73.2%, p = 0.100). Our risk‐stratification model comprising age, serum CEA, perineural invasion, and LND number predicted the outcomes of patients with stage pT4b sigmoid colon cancer based on which subgroup of high-risk patients should receive adjuvant EBRT.
Intraocular asymmetry of visual field defects in primary angle-closure glaucoma, high-tension glaucoma, and normal-tension glaucoma in a Chinese population
Authors: Jiang Junhong , Ye Cong , Zhang Cong , Ye Wenqing , Wang Xiaoyan , Shang Xiao , Xu Xiang , Zhang Hongte , Zhang Shaodan , Zheng Jingwei , Zuo Jingjing , Hu Jingjing , Congdon Nathan , Lu Fan , Liang Yuanbo 
Published: June 2021

AbstractDirect comparison data on spatial patterns of visual field (VF) defects among primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), high-tension glaucoma (HTG) and normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) are not available. We aimed to compare the intraocular asymmetry of VF loss among patients with PACG, NTG and HTG across different severity levels. A total of 162 eyes of 114 patients with PACG, 111 eyes of 74 patients with HTG and 148 eyes of 102 patients with NTG were included. VF defects were categorized into 3 stages (early, moderate, and advanced), and each hemifield was divided into 5 regions according to the Glaucoma hemifield test (GHT). The mean total deviation (TD) of each GHT region was calculated. In the early stage, the paracentral, peripheral arcuate 1 and peripheral arcuate 2 regions in the superior hemifield in the NTG group had significantly worse mean TDs than their corresponding regions in the inferior hemifield. In the advanced stage, the central region in the superior hemifield in the PACG group had a significantly worse mean TD than that in the inferior hemifield. There was no significant difference in the mean TD for any of the five regions between hemifields across all severity levels in the in the HTG group. The superior hemifield was affected more severely than the inferior hemifield in all three subtypes of primary glaucoma. This asymmetric tendency was more pronounced in NTG than in PACG and HTG.