bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The use of Caralluma fimbriata as an appetite suppressant and weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
Authors: Jayawardena Ranil , Francis Tormalli V. , Abhayaratna Sachith , Ranasinghe Priyanga 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
Obesity prevalence has increased during the past few decades, causing a pandemic with an influx in other co-morbidities. Many factors influence weight gain in an obesogenic environment therefore strategies for treating obesity may vary from conventional dietary and physical activity interventions to pharamacotherapy. A shift in unconventional strategies as herbal products for treating obesity have been investigated and one such plant extract is Caralluma fimbriata (C. fimbriata). Further, the studies included were systematically reviewed to gather evidence on potential effects of C. fimbriata as an appetite suppressant and weight loss supplement.

Methods
A systematic review of clinical trials reporting the effects of C. fimbriata as appetite suppression and anti-obesity supplement was reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Data were obtained by searching three databases: PubMed®, Web of Science® and SciVerse Scopus® for studies published until 30th April 2020.

Results
A total of 7 articles studying C. fimbriata satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were sourced from various countries including Australia (3), Cuba (1), India (2) and Spain (1). Almost all studies recruited adults who were overweight or obese with a BMI > 25 kg/m2 (n = 5), with the exception of two studies, one that recruited healthy adults with a BMI average of 26.5 kg/m2 and the second one utilised a population of children and adolescents with Prader-Willis Syndrome (PWS). Parameters assessing obesity, biochemical and appetite factors were analysed by carrying out a meta-analysis. Compared to placebo controlled group, C. fimbriata extract significantly reduced WC by 1.59 cm (95% CI, − 3.07 to − 0.10, p = 0.041) and WHR by 0.06 (95% CI, − 0.12 to − 0.01, p = 0.05) although no significant effects were seen on BW, BMI and HC. Biochemical and appetite parameters outcome on C. fimbriata consumption had no significant changes. Any side effects of individuals who ingested the extract were reported by few studies of which most common effects were constipation, diarrhoea, nausea and rashes.

Conclusion
Appetite parameters showed no significant changes and metabolic parameters did not improve with C.fimbriata supplementation therefore it is unlikely to recommend C. fimbriata as a weight loss supplement and an appetite suppressant.
Lactate induces aberration in the miR-30a–DBF4 axis to promote the development of gastric cancer and weakens the sensitivity to 5-Fu
Authors: Wang Tengkai , Ji Rui , Liu Guanqun , Ma Beilei , Wang Zehua , Wang Qian 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies, molecular mechanism of which is still not clear. Aberrant expression of tumor-associated genes is the major cause of tumorigenesis. DBF4 is an important factor in cancers, although there is yet no report on its function and molecular mechanism in GC.

Methods
The expression of DBF4 in tumor tissues or cells of GC was detected by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 and AGS were transfected with DBF4 siRNA or overexpression vector to detect the function of DBF4 in proliferation, migration and the sensitivity to 5-Fu with CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and wound healing assay. miR-30a was found to be the regulator of DBF4 by online bioinformatics software and confirmed with qRT-PCR, western blot and dual-luciferase reporter assays.

Results
In our study, increased expression of DBF4 in GC tissues was first identified through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and later confirmed using specimens from GC patients. Furthermore, functional experiments were applied to demonstrate that DBF4 promotes cell proliferation and migration in GC cell lines, moreover weakens the sensitivity of MGC803 and AGS cells to 5-Fu. We further demonstrated that miR-30a showed significantly lower expression in GC cells and inhibited the expression of DBF4 through 3ʹ-UTR suppression. Furthermore, rescue experiments revealed that the miR-30a-DBF4 axis regulated the GC cell proliferation, migration and the sensitivity to 5-Fu. The important composition in tumor microenvironment, lactate, may be the primary factor that suppressed miR-30a to strengthen the expression of DBF4.

Conclusions
Taken together, our study was the first to identify DBF4 as a regulator of cell proliferation and migration in GC. Furthermore, our study identified the lactate-miR-30a-DBF4 axis as a crucial regulator of tumor progression and the tumor sensitivity to 5-Fu, which maybe serve useful for the development of novel therapeutic targets.
Hexokinases 2 promoted cell motility and distant metastasis by elevating fibronectin through Akt1/p-Akt1 in cervical cancer cells
Authors: Chen Qian , Li Lu , Liu Xian , Feng Qian , Zhang Yanru , Zheng Pengsheng , Cui Nan 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
Hexokinases 2 (HK2) is a member of the hexokinases, linking with malignant tumor growth and distant metastasis. However, evidence regarding the potential role of HK2 in regulating cell motility and tumor metastasis during the cervical cancer malignant progression remains limited.

Methods
In vitro migration and invasion assay, in vivo metastasis experiments were performed to detect the effective of HK2 on regulating cell motility and tumor metastasis in cervical cancer cells. RNA-Seq was performed to explore the potential molecules that participate in HK2-mediated cell motility and tumor metastasis in cervical cancer cells. The correlation between HK2 and Akt1, p-Akt1, FN1 expression in cervical cancer cells and human squamous cervical carcinoma (SCC) samples was verified in this study.

Results
In this study, cervical cancer cells with exogenous HK2 expression exhibited enhanced cell motility and distant metastasis. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that fibronectin (FN1) was significantly increased in HK2-overexpressing HeLa cells, and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was identified by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Further studies demonstrated that this promotion of cell motility by HK2 was probably a result of it inducing FN1, MMP2 and MMP9 expression by activating Akt1 in cervical cancer cells. Additionally, HK2 expression was altered with the changing of Akt1/p-Akt1 expression, implying that HK2 expression is also modulated by Akt1/p-Akt1. Moreover, the positive correlation between HK2 and Akt1, p-Akt1, FN1 expression in human squamous cervical carcinoma (SCC) samples was verified by using Pearson correlation analysis.

Conclusions
This study demonstrated that HK2 could activate Akt1 in cervical cancer cells, subsequently enhancing cell motility and tumor metastasis by inducing FN1, MMP2 and MMP9 expression. There likely exists an interactive regulatory mechanism between HK2 and Akt1 during the malignant process of cervical cancer.
Absence of Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance gene mutations eleven years after the adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Nigeria
Authors: Ikegbunam Moses , Ojo Johnson A. , Kokou Kossiwa , Morikwe Ugonna , Nworu Chukwuemeka , Uba Chibuzo , Esimone Charles , Velavan Thirumalaisamy P. , Ojurongbe Olusola 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
The occurrence of artemisinin resistance (ART)-associated polymorphism of Plasmodium falciparum K13-propeller (pfk13) gene before and after the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in two regions of Nigeria was investigated in this study. Regular surveillance is necessary to make a definite conclusion on the emergence and pattern of possible resistance to ART.

Methods
This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Southwestern and Southeastern geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A total of 150, 217, and 475 participants were enrolled for the study in the Southwest (2004_Group A), Southwest (2015_Group B), and southeast (2015_Group C), respectively. Blood samples were collected from the study participants for DNA extraction and a nested PCR for P. falciparum identification. Samples that were positive for P. falciparum were genotyped for the pfk13 gene using the Sanger sequencing method. The single nucleotide polymorphisms were analysed using the Bioedit software.

Results
A total of 116, 125, and 83 samples were positive for P. falciparum, respectively for the samples collected from the Southwest (2004 and 2015) and southeast (2015). Parasite DNA samples collected from febrile children in 2004 (Group A; n = 71) and 2015 (Group B; n = 73) in Osogbo Western Nigeria and 2015_Group C (n = 36) in southeast Nigeria were sequenced successfully. This study did not observe mutations associated with the in vitro resistance in southeast Asia, such as Y493H, R539T, I543T, and C580Y. Two new polymorphisms V520A and V581I were observed in two samples collected in Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria. These two mutations occurred in the year 2004 (Group A) before the introduction of ACT. Six mutations were identified in 17% of the samples collected in southeast Nigeria. One of these mutations (D547G) was non-synonymous, while the remaining (V510V, R515R, Q613Q, E688E, and N458N) were synonymous. Also, one (2%) heterozygote allele was identified at codon 458 in the 2015 (Group C) samples.

Conclusions
None of the mutations observed in this study were previously validated to be associated with ART resistance. These results, therefore, suggest that artemisinin is likely to remain highly effective in treating malaria in the study areas that are malarious zone.
The proteomics analysis of the effects of Zhishi Rhubarb soup on ischaemic stroke
Authors: Zhang Jing-Hua , Shao Yue-Jia , Hui Zhen , Wang Su-Lei , Huang Chi , Zhao Yang 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
Stroke has always been a major threat worldwide but is most severe in China, with 2.5 million new stroke cases each year and 7.5 million stroke survivors, placing a heavy burden on the social and national health care systems. Zhishi Rhubarb Soup (ZRS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been used clinically for many years in China. To explore the potential mechanism of ZRS in the treatment of stroke, liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC–MS) was performed.

Methods
In this study, a quantitative proteomic method with LC–MS was used to analyse the proteomic differences between MACO samples treated with ZRS and those without ZRS treatment.

Results
Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analysis led to the identification of 35,006 peptides, with 5160.0 proteins identified and 4094.0 quantified. Significantly differentially expressed proteins were identified through data analysis, and the difference was found to be more than 1.2 times (P < 0.05). The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis provided a summary of the dysregulated protein expression in the biological process (BP), cell component (CC), and molecular function (MF) categories. Proteins related to brain repair, including BDNF, IL-10, IL-6, and TGF-β, were found to change significantly, partially demonstrating the effectiveness of ZRS to attenuate tissue injury.

Conclusion
In this study, LC–MS/MS was performed to assess the effects of ZRS on differentially expressed proteins in rats with cerebral infarction. These promising results could help to improve the understanding of the effects of drugs on stroke.
Leaf reflectance can surrogate foliar economics better than physiological traits across macrophyte species
Authors: Villa Paolo , Bolpagni Rossano , Pinardi Monica , Tóth Viktor R. 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
Macrophytes are key players in aquatic ecosystems diversity, but knowledge on variability of their functional traits, among and within species, is still limited. Remote sensing is a high-throughput, feasible option for characterizing plant traits at different scales, provided that reliable spectroscopy models are calibrated with congruous empirical data, but existing applications are biased towards terrestrial plants. We sampled leaves from six floating and emergent macrophyte species common in temperate areas, covering different phenological stages, seasons, and environmental conditions, and measured leaf reflectance (400–2500 nm) and leaf traits (dealing with photophysiology, pigments, and structure). We explored optimal spectral band combinations and established non-parametric reflectance-based models for selected traits, eventually showing how airborne hyperspectral data could capture spatial–temporal macrophyte variability.

Results
Our key finding is that structural—leaf dry matter content, leaf mass per area—and biochemical—chlorophyll-a content and chlorophylls to carotenoids ratio—traits can be surrogated by leaf reflectance with normalized error under 17% across macrophyte species. On the other hand, the performance of reflectance-based models for photophysiological traits substantively varies, depending on macrophyte species and target parameters.

Conclusions
Our main results show the link between leaf reflectance and leaf economics (structure and biochemistry) for aquatic plants, thus envisioning a crucial role for remote sensing in enhancing the level of detail of macrophyte functional diversity analysis to intra-site and intra-species scales. At the same time, we highlighted some difficulties in establishing a general link between reflectance and photosynthetic performance under high environmental heterogeneity, potentially opening further investigation directions.
VMAT2 availability in Parkinson’s disease with probable REM sleep behaviour disorder
Authors: Valli Mikaeel , Cho Sang Soo , Uribe Carme , Masellis Mario , Chen Robert , Mihaescu Alexander , Strafella Antonio P. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractREM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) can be an early non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) with pathology involving mainly the pontine nuclei. Beyond the brainstem, it is unclear if RBD patients comorbid with PD have more affected striatal dopamine denervation compared to PD patients unaffected by RBD (PD-RBD−). To elucidate this, we evaluated the availability of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), an index of nigrostriatal dopamine innervation, in 15 PD patients with probable RBD (PD-RBD+), 15 PD-RBD−, and 15 age-matched healthy controls (HC) using [11C]DTBZ PET imaging. This technique measured VMAT2 availability within striatal regions of interest (ROI). A mixed effect model was used to compare the radioligand binding of VMAT2 between the three groups for each striatal ROI, while co-varying for sex, cognitive function and depression scores. Multiple regressions were also computed to predict clinical measures from group condition and VMAT2 binding within all ROIs explored. We observed a significant main effect of group condition on VMAT2 availability within the caudate, putamen, ventral striatum, globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and subthalamus. Specifically, our results revealed that PD-RBD+ had lower VMAT2 availability compared to HC in all these regions except for the subthalamus and substantia nigra, while PD-RBD− was significantly lower than HC in all these regions. PD-RBD− showed a negative relationship between motor severity and VMAT2 availability within the left caudate. Our findings reflect that both PD patient subgroups had similar denervation within the nigrostriatal pathway. There were no significant interactions detected between radioligand binding and clinical scores in PD-RBD+. Taken together, VMAT2 and striatal dopamine denervation in general may not be a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of RBD in PD patients. Future studies are encouraged to explore other underlying neural chemistry mechanisms contributing to RBD in PD patients.
Early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder: protocol for a scoping review of economic evaluations
Authors: Pye Katherine , Jackson Hannah , Iacono Teresa , Shiell Alan 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
In many countries, children who are diagnosed with autism during the first 5 years of life are offered a range of early intervention options. These options vary considerably in the theoretical approaches and techniques applied, their intensity and duration, settings, the person/s delivering supports and the training they require. Early interventions are a significant contributor to total autism-related costs in Western countries, but only in the last 10–20 years has there been adequate outcome data to enable the comparison of different interventions’ cost-effectiveness. This protocol describes a scoping review to better understand what economic evaluations have been completed in this field, and the methods used to date.

Methods
We will systematically search the following databases from their inception to 2021 for eligible studies: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Econlit, PEDE, NHS EED and HTA. Full economic evaluations of any types of early intervention for children with autism prior to school entry will be included. Two reviewers will screen the studies, extract the data and assess the study quality using established checklists. The risk of bias will be assessed using the extended CHEC-list for all studies and, additionally, the Philips checklist for modelled studies. Quality of reporting will be assessed using the CHEERS checklist. A narrative synthesis will be completed to collate the findings, describe the methods used and identify which interventions have been researched from an economic perspective.

Discussion
This review will provide researchers, policymakers and service providers with current information about the economic evidence for early interventions for young children with autism and point to priorities for further research. It will inform future economic evaluations by highlighting the gaps or inconsistencies in the methods used to date. Limitations of the review will be acknowledged and discussed.

Systematic review registration
Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/sj7kt
Beyond muscles: role of intramuscular connective tissue elasticity and passive stiffness in octopus arm muscle function
Authors: Di Clemente Alessio , Maiole Federica , Bornia Irene , Zullo Letizia 
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT
The octopus arm is a ‘one of a kind’ muscular hydrostat, as demonstrated by its high maneuverability and complexity of motions. It is composed of a complex array of muscles and intramuscular connective tissue, allowing force and shape production. In this study, we investigated the organization of the intramuscular elastic fibers in two main muscles composing the arm bulk: the longitudinal (L) and the transverse (T) muscles. We assessed their contribution to the muscles’ passive elasticity and stiffness and inferred their possible roles in limb deformation. First, we performed confocal imaging of whole-arm samples and provided evidence of a muscle-specific organization of elastic fibers (more chaotic and less coiled in T than in L). We next showed that in an arm at rest, L muscles are maintained under 20% compression and T muscles under 30% stretching. Hence, tensional stresses are inherently present in the arm and affect the strain of elastic fibers. Because connective tissue in muscles is used to transmit stress and store elastic energy, we investigated the contribution of elastic fibers to passive forces using step-stretch and sinusoidal length-change protocols. We observed a higher viscoelasticity of L and a higher stiffness of T muscles, in line with their elastic fiber configurations. This suggests that L might be involved in energy storage and damping, whereas T is involved in posture maintenance and resistance to deformation. The elastic fiber configuration thus supports the specific role of muscles during movement and may contribute to the mechanics, energetics and control of arm motion.
Jumping in lantern bugs (Hemiptera, Fulgoridae)
Authors: Burrows M. , Ghosh A. , Sutton G. P. , Yeshwanth H. M. , Rogers S. M. , Sane S. P. 
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT
Lantern bugs are amongst the largest of the jumping hemipteran bugs, with body lengths reaching 44 mm and masses reaching 0.7 g. They are up to 600 times heavier than smaller hemipterans that jump powerfully using catapult mechanisms to store energy. Does a similar mechanism also propel jumping in these much larger insects? The jumping performance of two species of lantern bugs (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, family Fulgoridae) from India and Malaysia was therefore analysed from high-speed videos. The kinematics showed that jumps were propelled by rapid and synchronous movements of both hind legs, with their trochantera moving first. The hind legs were 20–40% longer than the front legs, which was attributable to longer tibiae. It took 5–6 ms to accelerate to take-off velocities reaching 4.65 m s−1 in the best jumps by female Kalidasa lanata. During these jumps, adults experienced an acceleration of 77 g, required an energy expenditure of 4800 μJ and a power output of 900 mW, and exerted a force of 400 mN. The required power output of the thoracic jumping muscles was 21,000 W kg−1, 40 times greater than the maximum active contractile limit of muscle. Such a jumping performance therefore required a power amplification mechanism with energy storage in advance of the movement, as in their smaller relatives. These large lantern bugs are near isometrically scaled-up versions of their smaller relatives, still achieve comparable, if not higher, take-off velocities, and outperform other large jumping insects such as grasshoppers.
[18F]Fluoromethylcholine PET/CT for CNS lymphoma assessment: a new tool
Authors: Marshall Kirsty , Sharma Bhupinder , Millard Thomas , Chhabda Sahil , Sheikh Fayed , Guilhem Emily , Cunningham Joel , Du Yong , Alexander Emma , Cunningham David , Attygalle Ayoma , Chau Ian , Iyengar Sunil , El-Sharkawi Dima 
Published: November 2021

Background Central nervous system (CNS) lymphomas are a rare subset of lymphoma, which are associated with a poor outcome. The gold standard for CNS imaging is with gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); however, there are a number of limitations, including some patients with small persistent abnormalities from scarring due to focal haemorrhage or from a previous biopsy, which can be difficult to discern from residual tumour. [18F]Fluoromethylcholine positron emission tomography–computed tomography (FCH-PET/CT) uses an analogue of choline, which due to the upregulation of choline kinase in tumour cells, allows increased uptake of FCH. As there is minimal background grey matter uptake of FCH, FCH-PET/CT can be used in CNS imaging and provide a useful tool for response assessment. Methods This is a cohort study, where we identified 40 patients with a diagnosis of primary or secondary CNS lymphoma between 1st November 2011 and 10th October 2019. Results 26 of the 40 patients (65%) had concordant results. Of the discordant results, 11 out of 14 had partial response (PR) on MRI but showed a metabolic complete response (mCR) on FCH-PET. The overall response rates (ORR) were similar between the two modalities (90% for MRI versus 95% with FCT-PET/CT). Conclusion We conclude that FCH-PET/CT is a reasonable alternative mode of imaging to gadolinium-enhanced MRI brain imaging, providing a new tool for assessment of CNS lymphoma.