bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison between Prostaglandin E-major urinary metabolite and C-reactive protein levels to reflect endoscopic scores in patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Ishida Natsuki , Tamura Satoshi , Miyazu Takahiro , Tani Shinya , Yamade Mihoko , Iwaizumi Moriya , Hamaya Yasushi , Osawa Satoshi , Furuta Takahisa , Sugimoto Ken 
Published: August 2021

AbstractProstaglandin E-major urinary metabolite (PGE-MUM) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are useful biomarkers in patients with ulcerative colitis. However, whether changes in endoscopic scores over time are reflected in the values of these biomarkers has not been verified. This prospective observational study aimed to assess the relationship between changes in biomarker levels and endoscopic scores in patients with ulcerative colitis. A total of 100 colonoscopy intervals of patients with ulcerative colitis were enrolled. The relationship between variations in the Mayo endoscopic subscore over time and the accompanying changes in biomarker values were investigated. PGE-MUM levels showed a significant rise in the increased endoscopic score group (P = 0.007) and a decrease with reduced endoscopic score group (P = 0.023). CRP levels showed a significant decline with lower endoscopic values (P < 0.001); however, there was no corresponding increase with higher endoscopic scores (P = 0.141). Biomarker levels remained unchanged with stable endoscopic scores (P = 0.090 and P = 0.705). PGE-MUM levels varied significantly, and corresponded to the mucosal healing state (P = 0.019 and P = 0.009). The correlation between changes in PGE-MUM and the endoscopic score was stronger than that for CRP (r = 0.518, P < 0.001 vs. r = 0.444, P < 0.001, respectively). PGE-MUM reflected changes in endoscopic scores more accurately than CRP.
Effects of selective EP2 receptor agonist, omidenepag, on trabecular meshwork cells, Schlemm’s canal endothelial cells and ciliary muscle contraction
Authors: Nakamura Natsuko , Honjo Megumi , Yamagishi Reiko , Igarashi Nozomi , Sakata Rei , Aihara Makoto 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis study investigated the effects of omidenepag (OMD), a novel selective EP2 receptor agonist, on human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells, monkey Schlemm’s canal endothelial (SCE) cells, and porcine ciliary muscle (CM) to clarify the mechanism of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction involving conventional outflow pathway. In HTM and SCE cells, the effects of OMD on transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2)-induced changes were examined. The expression of actin cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation in HTM cells were evaluated using real-time quantitative PCR, immunocytochemistry, and western blotting. The expression of barrier-related proteins, ZO-1 and β-catenin, and permeability of SCE cells were evaluated using immunocytochemistry and transendothelial electrical resistance. The CM contraction was determined by contractibility assay. OMD significantly inhibited expression of TGF-β2 induced mRNA, protein, and MLC-phosphorylation on cytoskeletal and ECM remodeling in the HTM dose dependently. In SCE cells, OMD suppressed TGF-β2-induced expression of the barrier-related proteins and decreased SCE monolayer permeability. OMD at 3 µM significantly inhibited CM contraction, however, the effect was not significant at lower concentrations. IOP lowering effect of OMD through conventional outflow pathway is exerted by increasing outflow facilities with the modulation of TM cell fibrosis and SCE cell permeability.
Sleep duration and anthropometric indices in an Iranian population: the Fasa PERSIAN cohort study
Authors: Yazdanpanah Mohammad Hosein , Farjam Mojtaba , Naghizadeh Mohammad Mehdi , Jedi Fariba , Mohebi Kamand , Homayounfar Reza 
Published: August 2021

AbstractRecent decades have seen a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity. While genetic factors can influence obesity, environmental factors and lifestyle may play important roles as well. Sleep can be regarded as one of these factors. This study aimed to examine sleep duration, as a potential risk factor for obesity in an Iranian population. In this cross-sectional study, the Fasa PERSIAN cohort study data was used and 10,136 subjects aged 35–70 were entered. Anthropometrics indices have been measured and the total body fat percentage (BFP) was obtained by Bio-Impedance Analysis. Also, physical activity and dietary intake have been recorded. Sleep duration was obtained and individuals categorized into two groups of “< 8” and “≥ 8” h of sleep. The mean age and sleep duration of the participants were 48.63 ± 9.57 years and 6.92 ± 1.62 h in the total population, respectively. All of the anthropometric indices were significantly higher in the “< 8 h of sleep” group than in the “≥ 8 h of sleep” group. Regarding BFP and fat mass index (FMI) the same results was seen (p-value < 0.05). Body mass index (BMI), Waist and hip circumferences (WC, HC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were in a significant negative association with night time sleep (p-value < 0.001), while these associations with daytime napping were positive (p-value < 0.001). After multi-variable adjusting, BMI, WC, HC, WHtR, and wrist circumference showed significant negative associations with 24-h sleep duration (p-value < 0.05). This study established the association between nocturnal, daytime napping, 24-h sleep duration and obesity parameters. Daytime napping was positively associated with obesity parameters and short 24-h sleep duration was associated with higher risk of overweight/obesity. These results indicate that insufficient sleep can be a screening indicator for an unhealthy lifestyle and poor health outcomes.
Rab1A promotes cell proliferation and migration by upregulating Gli1 in colorectal cancer
Authors: Peng Chaozhong , Li Xiao , Ye Zhixue , Wu Wenqing 
Published: August 2021

AbstractRab1A, as a highly conserved small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase), plays contentious roles in different types of cancers. The role of Rab1A in colorectal cancer (CRC) has been described in previous studies, but the molecular mechanisms of Rab1A in CRC remain far from being addressed. In the present study, we found that Rab1A expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues and increased Rab1A expression correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis (LNM) and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage of CRC patients. We also found that Rab1A exerts its promotive effect on CRC cell proliferation, migration and EMT progress. Further mechanistic experiments showed that glioma-associated oncogene-1 (Gli1), as a key transcriptional factor of the Hedgehog pathway, was implicated in Rab1A-mediated regulation of CRC cell proliferation and migration. In addition, Rab1A upregulated Gli1 expression through Smoothened homolog (SMO)-independent pathway. Finally, Rab1A activated mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling in CRC cells. Collectively, our results define Rab1A as a novel regulator of Gli1 to promote CRC cell proliferation and migration, and suggest that the Rab1A/mTOR/Gli1 axis may serve as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.
The predictive factors of nocturia in young Asian adult males: an online survey
Authors: Cheng Weiming , Fan Yu-Hua , Liou Ying-Jay , Hsu Yi-Ting 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe present study investigated the association between severity of depressive mood and nocturia in young Asian adult men. Participants were 3127 adult male Facebook users aged 20–40 years who could read and write traditional Chinese. Participants completed online questionnaires on demographic characteristics, frequency of waking to urinate during the night (International Prostate Symptoms Score [IPSS]), and frequency of depressive symptoms (Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire [TDQ]). Those who awoke to pass urine during the main sleep period were considered to have nocturia. Student’s t test and Pearson’s chi square test were used to compare participants with and without nocturia. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate predictive factors for nocturia. One thousand four hundred thirty (45.7%) participants had nocturia, and 21.9% were suspected to have depression. Age over 30 years, body mass index over 25 kg/m2, and higher IPSS score (except times of nocturnal voiding) were factors predictive of nocturia. Higher TDQ somatic subscores, rather than affective/cognitive subscores, were also predictive of nocturia. Associations were found between normal-high TDQ scores and nocturia. Young men with nocturia at risk of developing depression should be identified with a culturally relevant questionnaire. Early referral for psychiatric assessment and intervention may be warranted.
Association of rs3750920 polymorphism in TOLLIP with clinical characteristics of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases in Japanese
Authors: Isshiki Takuma , Koyama Kazuya , Homma Sakae , Sakamoto Susumu , Yamasaki Akira , Shimizu Hiroshige , Miyoshi Shion , Nakamura Yasuhiko , Kishi Kazuma 
Published: August 2021

AbstractTOLLIP polymorphism has been implicated in the development and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), mainly in whites. However, ethnic differences in the characteristics of other interstitial pneumonia (non-IPF) subtypes are unclear. We evaluated the association between the rs3750920 genotype and the clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILD). We genotyped 102 patients with fibrosing ILD (75 IPF and 27 non-IPF patients) and analyzed the interaction between the rs3750920 genotype distribution and their clinical characteristics. The overall frequencies of the C/C, C/T, and T/T genotypes were 69%, 25%, and 6%, respectively. The proportion of minor T allele carriers was larger in IPF patients than in non-IPF patients (37% vs. 15%, P = 0.031). In addition, survival at 3 years was significantly better for carriers than for non-carriers of the T allele. There was no significant association between genotype distribution and change in pulmonary function after introduction of antifibrotic agents. The frequency of the minor T allele of rs3750920 was low in Japanese patients with fibrosing ILD, particularly in non-IPF patients. Carriers of the minor T allele had better survival than non-carriers. Presence of the T allele might thus be an indicator of better outcomes for fibrosing ILD.
Beyond performance metrics: modeling outcomes and cost for clinical machine learning
Authors: Diao James A. , Wedlund Leia , Kvedar Joseph 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAdvances in medical machine learning are expected to help personalize care, improve outcomes, and reduce wasteful spending. In quantifying potential benefits, it is important to account for constraints arising from clinical workflows. Practice variation is known to influence the accuracy and generalizability of predictive models, but its effects on cost-effectiveness and utilization are less well-described. A simulation-based approach by Mišić and colleagues goes beyond simple performance metrics to evaluate how process variables may influence the impact and financial feasibility of clinical prediction algorithms.
AQPX-cluster aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins are asymmetrically distributed in trypanosomes
Authors: Tesan Fiorella Carla , Lorenzo Ramiro , Alleva Karina , Fox Ana Romina 
Published: August 2021

AbstractMajor Intrinsic Proteins (MIPs) are membrane channels that permeate water and other small solutes. Some trypanosomatid MIPs mediate the uptake of antiparasitic compounds, placing them as potential drug targets. However, a thorough study of the diversity of these channels is still missing. Here we place trypanosomatid channels in the sequence-function space of the large MIP superfamily through a sequence similarity network. This analysis exposes that trypanosomatid aquaporins integrate a distant cluster from the currently defined MIP families, here named aquaporin X (AQPX). Our phylogenetic analyses reveal that trypanosomatid MIPs distribute exclusively between aquaglyceroporin (GLP) and AQPX, being the AQPX family expanded in the Metakinetoplastina common ancestor before the origin of the parasitic order Trypanosomatida. Synteny analysis shows how African trypanosomes specifically lost AQPXs, whereas American trypanosomes specifically lost GLPs. AQPXs diverge from already described MIPs on crucial residues. Together, our results expose the diversity of trypanosomatid MIPs and will aid further functional, structural, and physiological research needed to face the potentiality of the AQPXs as gateways for trypanocidal drugs.
Mediterranean heat injection to the North Atlantic delayed the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciations
Authors: Kaboth-Bahr Stefanie , Bahr André , Stepanek Christian , Catunda Maria Carolina Amorim , Karas Cyrus , Ziegler Martin , García-Gallardo Ángela , Grunert Patrick 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciations at the end of the Pliocene epoch marks one of the most substantial climatic shifts of the Cenozoic. Despite global cooling, sea surface temperatures in the high latitude North Atlantic Ocean rose between 2.9–2.7 million years ago. Here we present sedimentary geochemical proxy data from the Gulf of Cadiz to reconstruct the variability of Mediterranean Outflow Water, an important heat source to the North Atlantic. We find evidence for enhanced production of Mediterranean Outflow from the mid-Pliocene to the late Pliocene which we infer could have driven a sub-surface heat channel into the high-latitude North Atlantic. We then use Earth System Models to constrain the impact of enhanced Mediterranean Outflow production on the northward heat transport in the North Atlantic. In accord with the proxy data, the numerical model results support the formation of a sub-surface channel that pumped heat from the subtropics into the high latitude North Atlantic. We further suggest that this mechanism could have delayed ice sheet growth at the end of the Pliocene.
Klotho and calciprotein particles as therapeutic targets against accelerated ageing
Authors: Kuro-o Makoto 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
The klotho gene, named after a Greek goddess who spins the thread of life, was identified as a putative ‘ageing-suppressor’ gene. Klotho-deficient mice exhibit complex ageing-like phenotypes including hypogonadism, arteriosclerosis (vascular calcification), cardiac hypertrophy, osteopenia, sarcopenia, frailty, and premature death. Klotho protein functions as the obligate co-receptor for fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), a bone-derived hormone that promotes urinary phosphate excretion in response to phosphate intake. Thus, Klotho-deficient mice suffer not only from accelerated ageing but also from phosphate retention due to impaired phosphate excretion. Importantly, restoration of the phosphate balance by placing Klotho-deficient mice on low phosphate diet rescued them from premature ageing, leading us to the notion that phosphate accelerates ageing. Because the extracellular fluid is super-saturated in terms of phosphate and calcium ions, an increase in the phosphate concentration can trigger precipitation of calcium-phosphate. In the blood, calcium-phosphate precipitated upon increase in the blood phosphate concentration is adsorbed by serum protein fetuin-A to form colloidal nanoparticles called calciprotein particles (CPPs). In the urine, CPPs appear in the renal tubular fluid when FGF23 increases phosphate load excreted per nephron. CPPs can induce cell damage, ectopic calcification, and inflammatory responses. CPPs in the blood can induce arteriosclerosis and non-infectious chronic inflammation, whereas CPPs in the urine can induce renal tubular damage and interstitial inflammation/fibrosis. Thus, we propose that CPPs behave like a pathogen that accelerates ageing and should be regarded as a novel therapeutic target against age-related disorders including chronic kidney disease.
An analysis of hot‐started ADMM for linear MPC
Authors: Toyoda Mitsuru , Tanaka Mirai 
Published: August 2021

AbstractA convergence analysis of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) for linear model predictive control (MPC) problems with regularization terms is addressed here. Compared with conventional results, this paper focuses on the dynamical structure of the ADMM and derives the linear convergence of the state variables of the ADMM dynamics.In on‐line optimization problems associated with MPC problems, because the computation time is a significant issue, a hot‐start technique in which an initial point of the algorithm is set as the convergence point for the previous optimization problem is widely employed to improve the convergence property. Here, by utilizing the proposed convergence analysis framework, the effectiveness of the hot‐start is explored, and the upper bounds of the number of iterations to guarantee the required accuracy of an obtained iterative solution are deduced. The proposed hot‐start framework derives a criterion for choosing the penalty parameter of the ADMM in MPC problems and facilitates effective iteration, which is validated in a numerical example.
LR‐RoadNet: A long‐range context‐aware neural network for road extraction via high‐resolution remote sensing images
Authors: Li Panle , Tian Zhihui , He Xiaohui , Qiao Mengjia , Cheng Xijie , Song Dingjun , Chen Mingyang , Li Jiamian , Zhou Tao , Guo Xiaoyu , Li Zhiqiang , Li Daidong , Ding Zihao , Li Runchuan 
Published: August 2021

AbstractRoad extraction from high‐resolution remote sensing images (HRSIs) has great importance in various practical applications. However, most existing road extraction methods have considerable limitation in capturing long‐range shape feature of road, and thus, they are ineffective in extracting road region under complex scenes. To address this issue, a novel model called long‐range context‐aware road extraction neural network (LR‐RoadNet) is proposed. LR‐RoadNet takes advantage of strip pooling to capture long‐range context from horizontal and vertical directions, aiming to improve continuity and completeness of road extraction results. Specifically, the LR‐RoadNet consists of two parts: strip residual module (SRM) and strip pyramid pooling module (SPPM). The SRM is built based on residual unit, in which the strip pooling is employed to learn general and long‐range road feature from input image. Then, the SPPM is used to obtain long‐range feature from multiple scales by multiple parallel strip pooling operations. More importantly, a structural similarity (SS) loss function is introduced to further explore road structure for optimizing LR‐RoadNet. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves great improvement than other state‐of‐the‐art methods on three challenging datasets, Cheng‐Roads, Zimbabwe‐Roads and Mass‐Roads.
ACE2 in tumor cells and tumor vasculature: Negligible intercellular transfer from cancer cells into endothelial cells
Authors: Liu Zhi-Jie , Mei Yan , Lu Jiang-Li , Lu Jia-Bin , Cao Yun , Cai Mu-Yan , Zheng Li-Sheng , Wang Ming-Dian , Peng Li-Xia , Li Yang , Huang Bi-Jun , Yun Jin-Ping , Qian Chao-Nan 
Published: August 2021

Cancer patients are more susceptible to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the functional host receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entering into human cells. Bioinformatics’ analyses have revealed that ACE2 is upregulated in some cancer cells. In the present study, we evaluated ACE2 protein expression levels in several common malignancies compared to non-cancerous normal tissues. ACE2 expression was elevated in colorectal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, and papillary renal cell carcinoma cancer. Yet, it was suppressed in chromophobe renal cell carcinoma, testicular germ cell tumors, and papillary thyroid carcinoma. Two tumor tissue microarrays were used to evaluate the prognostic value of ACE2 expression in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, and colorectal adenocarcinoma without COVID-19. No significant survival benefit was found for patients with overexpression of ACE2 in the tumor. In the tumor vasculature, ACE2 expression was observed in only 54% of the tumor micro-vessels. Using an in vitro co-culture of endothelial cells and tumor cells overexpressing fusion protein ACE2-red fluorescent protein, we did not observe any clear and convincing intercellular transfer of ACE2 from cancer cells into endothelial cells. In summary, alteration of ACE2 expression was found in common malignancies, but there is no evidence of intercellular transfer of ACE2 from cancer cells to endothelial cells.
Brachytherapy for Peripheral Retinal Capillary Haemangioblastoma in von Hippel-Lindau Disease
Authors: Dalbah Sami , Bechrakis Nikolaos E. , Thomasen Henning , Flühs Dirk , Rating Philipp , Guberina Maja , Stuschke Martin , Fiorentzis Miltiadis , Bornfeld Norbert , Biewald Eva 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Aim To report our experience with 106ruthenium-brachytherapy of peripheral capillary haemangioblastomas in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Design Retrospective case series.
Methods A total of 53 haemangioblastomas, treated with 106ruthenium-brachytherapy, were included in our study. The applied radiation dose, visual outcome, angioma activity, need for vitreoretinal surgery and incidence of secondary complications such as macular oedema, secondary glaucoma, vitreous haemorrhage, and epiretinal gliosis were assessed.
Results All treated eyes could be preserved. In 11 patients (20.8%), single brachytherapy did not achieve complete inactivation of the tumour. 31% developed macular oedema postoperatively. Tractional retinal detachment developed in 23.8%, and epiretinal gliosis was observed in 2.4% of patients. Vitreoretinal surgery was necessary in 50% of all treated eyes. At the end of the follow-up, 40.5% of all treated eyes achieved visual acuity (VA) of 0.6 or better, and one third reached a VA of less than 0.1. Mean irradiation dose to the tumour apex was 144 Gy. Higher apex doses correlated with better tumour control of irradiated haemanigoblastomas and lower complication rates.
Conclusions Brachytherapy of peripheral retinal capillary haemangioblastomas is an effective treatment modality. Higher irradiation doses seem to lead to more successful treatment.
Use of the Ophtec Artificial Iris Model C1 in Patients with Aniridia/Aphakia
Authors: Jakob-Girbig Juliane , Salewsky Susanne , Meller Daniel 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn the present cases, the use of the Ophtec Arificial Iris model C1 is described in patients with traumatic or postoperative aniridia/aphakia. In one of the patients, it was combined with perforating keratoplasty because of corneal scarring. In both of the presented cases, improvement in visual acuity and a satisfactory aesthetic result without any serious complications can be shown. However, the short follow-up time must be emphasised.