bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Receptor depletion and recovery in small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumors and normal tissues after administration of a single intravenous dose of octreotide measured by 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT
Authors: Jahn Ulrika , Ilan Ezgi , Velikyan Irina , Fröss-Baron Katarzyna , Lubberink Mark , Sundin Anders 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
Low-grade neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are characterized by an abundance of somatostatin receptors (SSTR) that can be targeted with somatostatin analogs (SSA). When activated with a single dose of SSA, the receptor-ligand complex is internalized, and the receptor is by default recycled within 24 h. Ongoing medication with long-acting SSAs at 68Ga-DOTA-SSA-PET has been shown to increase the tumor-to-normal organ contrast. This study was performed to investigate the time-dependent extended effect (7 h) of a single intravenous dose of 400 µg short-acting octreotide on the tumor versus normal tissue uptake of 68Ga-DOTATOC.

Methods
Patients with small-intestinal NETs received a single intravenous dose of 400 µg octreotide and underwent dynamic abdominal 68Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT at three sessions (0, 3 and 6 h) plus static whole-body (WB) PET/CT (1, 4 and 7 h), starting each PET/CT session by administering 167 ± 21 MBq, 23.5 ± 4.2 µg (mean ± SD, n = 12) of 68Ga-DOTATOC. A previously acquired clinical whole-body 68Ga-DOTATOC scan was used as baseline. SUV and net uptake rate Ki were calculated in tumors, and SUV in healthy organs.

Results
Tumor SUV decreased significantly from baseline to 1 h post-injection but subsequently increased over time and became similar to baseline at 4 h and 7 h. The tumor net uptake rate, Ki, similarly increased significantly over time and showed a linear correlation both with SUV and tumor-to-blood ratio. By contrast, the uptake in liver, spleen and pancreas remained significantly below baseline levels also at 7 h and the receptor turn-over in tumors thus exceeded that in the normal tissue, with restitution of tumor 68Ga-DOTATOC uptake mainly completed at 7 h. These results however differed depending on tumor size, with significant increases in Ki and SUV between the 1st and 2nd PET, in large tumors (≥ 4 mL) but not in small (> 1 to  < 4 mL) tumors.

Conclusion
SSTR recycling is faster in small-intestinal NETs than in liver, spleen and pancreas. This opens the possibility to protect normal tissues during PRRT by administering a single dose of cold peptide hours before peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), and most likely additionally improve the availability and uptake of the therapeutic preparation in the tumors.
What if health care worked like everything else?
Authors: Fischer Shira 
Published: November 2021

AbstractDoctors use up-to-date communication technology in their personal lives, but the tools they use to communicate with professional colleagues are much more limited. In light of new research exploring the use of WhatsApp in Israel, this commentary explores the barriers to such use and the technological, legal, and cultural factors that enable adoption of such technologies for medical communication. Common tools can be used for professional collaboration but must be adapted for that use as well as culturally acceptable for broad implementation.
Prevalence and factors associated with fertility desire among HIV-positive women in Rwanda in the context of improved life expectancy
Authors: Niragire François , Ndikumana Celestin , Nyirahabimana Marie Gaudence , Uwizeye Dieudonne 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Background
The knowledge of the key factors associated with fertility desire among people living with HIV/AIDS is crucial for the efficient planning of maternal and child health care programs. Fertility desire has generally increased among women of reproductive age in Rwanda. However, its level and determinants among women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHA) are currently not well known in the context of Rwanda. The present study aimed to fill in this knowledge gap.

Methods
Data were extracted from the 2015 Rwanda demographic and health survey (RDHS) for 243 HIV-positive women of reproductive age. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted in order to identify the most influential factors.

Results
The prevalence of desire to have another child in HIV-positive women was found to be as high as 40.7%. Multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that the woman’s age of 35–49 years (AOR = 0.051, 95% CI: 0.013–0.204), woman’s parity of 3 children or above (AOR = 0.177, 95% CI: 0.037–0.837), being employed (AOR = 0.298, 95% CI: 0.113–0.782) and currently using contraceptives (AOR = 0.146; 95% CI: 0.057–0.375) were significantly associated with low odds of fertility desire among HIV- positive women in Rwanda. Women younger than 25 years, with no living child, or who were unemployed or who were not using any contraceptive were significantly associated with greater odds of desire to have another child than did other HIV- positive women. A woman whose partner's desire for children is different from hers was associated with about four times higher odds (AOR = 3.752; 95% CI: 1.203–11.702) of desire for more children than women who desire the same as their partners.

Conclusion
Fertility desire in WLHA is currently high in Rwanda. It is significantly influenced by demographic and socioeconomic factors. The Rwanda’s health care system should be prepared to intensify the required services for the prevention of the vertical transmission of HIV, the delivery of maternal and child health care services, and the support to WLHA in planning their fertility. Interventions should target low-parity young women, with a particular focus on meeting their contraceptive needs.
Graphene oxide modified screen-printed electrode for highly sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of ciprofloxacin residues in milk
Authors: Pan Ming , Guo Peipei , Liu Haifeng , Lu Jiawei , Xie Qiubo 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe monitoring of antibiotic residues in foodstuffs by using rapid detection method is essential for food safety. In this work, the electrochemical sensor was developed by modification of screen-printed carbon electrode with graphene oxide, and then the ciprofloxacin (CIP) was detected based on the complexation of CIP with Mn2+. On modified electrode, the anodic stripping peak current response of Mn2+ was prohibited in the presence of CIP, and a peak current response of the complex was occurred. Thus, the peak current response of the complexation peak was employed as the indicating signal for CIP determination, which was more sensitive than the direct electrochemical oxidation response of CIP. Parameters that affect the signal response have been investigated in method. Under the optimum conditions, the peak current of the complexation peak was linearly correlated with the CIP content in the milk sample solution at 1.0 to 8.0 μM, and the linear correlation coefficients (R2) was 0.994. The limits of detection (LOD) was 0.30 μM. Recoveries of CIP in milk sample were ranged from 81.0 to 95.4% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 4.6%. The method showed high selectivity and sensitive, good reproducibility, indicated that this method has potential to be applied in CIP residue analysis.
Evensong: how the medical humanities can strengthen a patient-centred approach to both physical and mental health conditions
Authors: Dignan Corinne Rowena 
Published: November 2021

SummaryThe medical humanities may offer an antidote to the unconscious depersonalisation of patients into clinical variables and diagnoses at the hands of physicians, cultivating a patient-centred and individual approach to the management of both physical and mental health conditions. The emphasis on the person behind the diagnosis helps physicians to remain motivated and compassionate in the face of increasing social and organisational pressures that threaten this human connection. As a doctor and the relative of a patient with dementia, I reflect on the way in which poetry has helped to translate my experience as a relative into improving my own practice as a doctor. This article includes one of the poems I wrote during my grandmother's illness to aid reflection on the patient perspective I gained during her time in hospital, and also a brief commentary exploring the influence this process has had on the interactions I now have with my patients.
Where Is This Now, Now?: Gertrude Stein's Literary Innovations and New Sound Media
Authors: Edmeades Lynley 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis article addresses the largely unexplored relationship between Stein's literary innovations and the new sound media of her time. By examining these connections, this article looks at Stein's compositional techniques—in particular her concept of the continuous present and her lifelong interest in speech and dialogue—to examine how new media technologies intersected with her attempt to change the way writing was written, read, and heard. By focusing on sound, and looking specifically at her final work Brewsie and Willie (1946), this article reads Stein's innovative poetics against the backdrop of concurrent changes to audio technologies during her career. Finally, the article argues that by paying attention to the ongoing shifts in media ecologies in relation to modernist innovations, we might gain insight into the larger phenomenological and sensorial sphere that formed the backdrop to modernism.
Plays within Songs: Sanqu Songs from Literary Refinement (ya) to Popular Appeal (su)
Authors: Shih-Pe Wang , Wang Erxin 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Through detailed analysis of several case studies, this essay investigates a special form of sanqu 散曲 song, namely, songs that embed references to dramas (quzhong daixi 曲中帶戲). A long song suite (changtao 長套) by Yuan author Sun Jichang 孫季昌 (fl. 14th century) is the best-known example of a pastiche of zaju play titles and dramatic protagonists intended to stimulate and guide readers' imagination. When late Ming dramatist Shen Jing 沈璟 (1553–1610) imitated Sun's pastiche song suite, he painstakingly sought to disrupt the obvious association between lyric and invoked play in an appeal to the literati aesthetic of lyrical indirection. Another, shorter song suite from the Ming, this one by an anonymous author, incorporates chuanqi play titles with little literary embellishment, catering to popular tastes. Finally, set to the tunes “Pipo yu” 劈破玉 and “Gua zhen'er” 掛真兒, popular songs featuring chuanqi play titles appear in three late Ming miscellanies. As these songs describe their source play's main protagonists and plot elements, they may be seen as expressing the voice of commoners and at the same time promoting ethical values. Taken together, these examples illustrate that it was not unusual for sanqu songs to incorporate dramatic references. This blending of song and drama can be traced to the arbitrary Yuan dynasty definition of yuefu 樂府 (literally, “Music Bureau songs”) and its relationship with sanqu songs. Thus the heterogeneous and inclusive nature characteristic of sanqu songs can be viewed in a new light.
Bi-phasic effect of gelatin in myogenesis and skeletal muscle regeneration
Authors: Liu Xiaoling , Zu Er , Chang Xinyu , Ma Xiaowei , Wang Ziqi , Song Xintong , Li Xiangru , Yu Qing , Kamei Ken-ichiro , Hayashi Toshihiko , Mizuno Kazunori , Hattori Shunji , Fujisaki Hitomi , Ikejima Takashi , Wang Dan Ohtan 
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT
Skeletal muscle regeneration requires extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, including an acute and transient breakdown of collagen that produces gelatin. Although the physiological function of this process is unclear, it has inspired the application of gelatin to injured skeletal muscle for a potential pro-regenerative effect. Here, we investigated a bi-phasic effect of gelatin in skeletal muscle regeneration, mediated by the hormetic effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Low-dose gelatin stimulated ROS production from NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and simultaneously upregulated the antioxidant system for cellular defense, reminiscent of the adaptive compensatory process during mild stress. This response triggered the release of the myokine IL-6, which stimulates myogenesis and facilitates muscle regeneration. By contrast, high-dose gelatin stimulated ROS overproduction from NOX2 and the mitochondrial chain complex, and ROS accumulation by suppressing the antioxidant system, triggering the release of TNFα, which inhibits myogenesis and regeneration. Our results have revealed a bi-phasic role of gelatin in regulating skeletal muscle repair mediated by intracellular ROS, the antioxidant system and cytokine (IL-6 and TNFα) signaling.
Rhodopsins at a glance
Authors: Nagata Takashi , Inoue Keiichi 
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACTRhodopsins are photoreceptive membrane proteins consisting of a common heptahelical transmembrane architecture that contains a retinal chromophore. Rhodopsin was first discovered in the animal retina in 1876, but a different type of rhodopsin, bacteriorhodopsin, was reported to be present in the cell membrane of an extreme halophilic archaeon, Halobacterium salinarum, 95 years later. Although these findings were made by physiological observation of pigmented tissue and cell bodies, recent progress in genomic and metagenomic analyses has revealed that there are more than 10,000 microbial rhodopsins and 9000 animal rhodopsins with large diversity and tremendous new functionality. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we provide an overview of the diversity of functions, structures, color discrimination mechanisms and optogenetic applications of these two rhodopsin families, and will also highlight the third distinctive rhodopsin family, heliorhodopsin.
Effect of Nigella sativa on general health and immune system in young healthy volunteers; a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial
Authors: Salem Ayad , Bamosa Abdullah , Alam Mohammed , Alshuraim Saleh , Alyalak Hamad , Alagga Abdulrahman , Tarabzouni Faisal , Alisa Omar , Sabit Hussein , Mohsin Ashfaq , Shaikh Mohammad , Farea Abdulaziz , Alshammari Thamer , Obeid Obeid 
Published: November 2021

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is traditionally used as an immune enhancer in different communities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of N. sativa on immunity related parameters in young healthy subjects. This study was a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial. Fifty-two healthy subjects (48 male and 4 female) 18-25 years old were enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into four groups; the first received charcoal capsules and served as controls and the other three received 0.5, 1 g, and 2 g of powdered N. sativa capsules, respectively. Two blood samples were obtained from all participant, before initiation of the trial and at the end of the four weeks intervention. One sample was used for routine health screening by evaluating liver and renal functions as well as complete blood count and differential. The second sample was used to measure certain cytokines including; IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF. A third and fourth samples were obtained from the last cohort of subjects before and after treatment; the third was used for measuring immunoglobulins and CD profile and the fourth for evaluating certain gene expressions (INF-γ, NF-κ-B, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-13, IL-8, and IL-6). Only 1 g dose of N. sativa produced a significant elevation in total lymphocyte count, CD3+ and CD4+ counts. One gram N. sativa increased the absolute lymphocyte count from 1850±0.24 to 2170±0.26 (p=0.008), CD3+ from 1184.4±75.60 to 1424±114.51 (p=0.009), and CD4+ from 665.6±141.66 to 841±143.36 (p=0.002). This elevation in T cells was lost by increasing the dose of N. sativa to 2g. The rest of the parameters were not changed significantly in all doses. The results show a promising immunopotentiation effect of N. sativa by elevating helper T cells and the optimum dose for young age group seems to be 1 g.
Predictors of transcatheter closure cancellation in children with ventricular septal defect
Authors: Yulianti Artha Christin , Murni Indah Kartika , Noormanto Noormanto , Nugroho Sasmito 
Published: November 2021

Background Ventricle septal defect (VSD) is the most common type of congenital heart disease in children. If definitive therapy delayed, failure to thrive and developmental delays can lead to decreased quality of life. The options for VSD closure include surgical and minimally invasive procedures with transcatheterization. Although transcatheterization is considered to be the safest therapy, the risk of complications can lead to cancellation of procedure.
Objective To determine whether nutritional status, body height, VSD type and size, and type of device used were predictors of cancellation of transcatheter closure of VSD.
Methods A retrospective cohort study using medical records was performed for all children who underwent transcatheter closure of VSD at Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Central Java, between January 2017 to March 2020. Cancellation of closure was defined as complications occurring during the procedure, such as cardiac conduction problems, valve regurgitation, and device embolization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to determine independent predictors of closure cancellation.
Results One hundred thirty-four children were enrolled. Independent variables that were significant predictors were doubly committed subarterial (DCSA) VSD type (OR 5.98; 95%CI 1.52 to 23.61; P=0.045), moderate VSD size (OR 15.59; 95%CI 4.67 to 52.06; P=0.001), and types of devices used: symmetric (OR 27.06; 95%CI 2.75 to 266.17; P=0.001), asymmetric (OR 16.46; 95%CI 2.15 to 210.0; P=0.001), and coil (OR 21.26; 95%CI 2.15 to 210.0; P=0.001). Taller body height was a protective factor against cancellation of the procedure (OR 0.98; 95%CI 0.96 to 1.00; P=0.008).
Conclusion Significant predictors of cancellation of transcatheter VSD closure are DCSA VSD, moderate VSD size, as well as coil, symmetric, and asymmetric devices, and increased body height.
Analytical study of inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulin expression following dust mite allergen exposure in pregnant mice
Authors: Etika Risa , Sudarmo Subijanto Marto , Suwarno Suwarno , Mapindra Muhammad Pradhika , Mahindra Muhammad Pradhiki 
Published: November 2021

Background Allergen tolerability due to allergic immune reactions could be transferred through the placenta from maternal to fetal circulation. Hence, a further investigation regarding the tolerability following mite allergen exposures is desirable.
Objective To evaluate various doses of mite allergens and cytokines associated with Th1, Th2, and Treg cells with regards to possible allergic tolerance in neonatal mice.
Methods This study used an experimental design with a post-test only control group, to assess the effect of mite allergens on pregnant BALB/C mice and their newborns. In this study female BALB/C mice aged 10 weeks were mated with male mice, then pregnant BALB/C mice were exposed to allergens at 4 weeks gestation. During pregnancy, pregnant females’ blood specimens were taken to measure cytokines and immunoglobulins. Meanwhile, neonatal blood specimens were taken at 2 weeks postnatally to measure cytokines and immunoglobulins. Blood specimens from pregnant BALB/C mice and their newborns were evaluated using ELISA kits for the following cytokines: interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-10, TGF-β1, as well as immunoglobulins (Ig)G-1, IgG-2a, IgG-2b, IgG3 subclass, IgM, IgA, and IgE. The case group was the group that received high and low doses of exposure, while the control group did not get exposure.
Results In response to low dose mite allergen exposure, there were significant increases of IL-2, IFN-y, and IL-4, IL-5, and TGF-β1 in mothers and neonates. Pregnant mices that received high doses of allergens, however, had significant increases in IL-5 and TGF-B1; results were likewise for their offspring. Mothers and neonates, had significantly increased expression of IgG subclasses after a low dose of dust mite allergen. Following a ten-fold increase in allergen dose, the mothers showed significant increases in IgA, IgM, IgE, and IgG subclasses, whereas in neonatal mice, those immunoglobulin levels were not significantly different from control mice.
Conclusion Exposure to mite allergens can trigger regulatory functions of Th1, Th2, and Tregs cells to activate their cytokines, except IL-10. The regulatory function of Tregs is dominated by TGFβ in maternal and neonatal mice, at low and high doses. Th1 cytokines express cytokines during exposure only to low-dose allergens and Th2 cells regulate IL-5 levels to both low- and high-dose allergens.
Advances in mass cytometry and its applicability to digital pathology in clinical-translational cancer research
Authors: Cereceda Karina , Jorquera Roddy , Villarroel-Espíndola Franz 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
The development and subsequent adaptation of mass cytometry for the histological analysis of tissue sections has allowed the simultaneous spatial characterization of multiple components. This is useful to find the correlation between the genotypic and phenotypic profile of tumor cells and their environment in clinical-translational studies. In this revision, we provide an overview of the most relevant hallmarks in the development, implementation and application of multiplexed imaging in the study of cancer and other conditions. A special focus is placed on studies based on imaging mass cytometry (IMC) and multiplexed ion beam imaging (MIBI). The purpose of this review is to help our readers become familiar with the verification techniques employed on this tool and outline the multiple applications reported in the literature. This review will also provide guidance on the use of IMC or MIBI in any field of biomedical research.
Maximum principle for higher order operators in general domains
Authors: Cassani Daniele , Tarsia Antonio 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
We first prove De Giorgi type level estimates for functions in W
1,t
(Ω),

Ω
⊂

R

N

$ \Omega\subset{\mathbb R}^N $

, with

t
>
N
≥
2

$ t \gt N\geq 2 $

. This augmented integrability enables us to establish a new Harnack type inequality for functions which do not necessarily belong to De Giorgi’s classes as obtained in Di Benedetto–Trudinger [10] for functions in W
1,2(Ω). As a consequence, we prove the validity of the strong maximum principle for uniformly elliptic operators of any even order, in fairly general domains in dimension two and three, provided second order derivatives are taken into account.
Politically Connected Firms and the Environment
Authors: Yu Haowei , Zhang Lin 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
This paper examines the environmental effect of political connections at the individual and organizational levels. We integrate political connections at both levels in a four-stage game-theoretic framework to study the political interplay between an entrepreneur, a bureaucrat and a government. We distinguish individual-level political connections from bribery and argue that while the latter is generally more efficient for the firm aiming to reduce environmental tax payments, political connections become more appealing when the bureaucrat places a higher value on indirect non-monetary benefits. We find that individual-level political connections are associated with more emission discharges by the firm, while the effect of organizational-level political connections on emissions depends on a negative interaction effect between political connections at different levels and a positive resource-reallocation effect between abatement activities and production.