bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Citizen science for monitoring the spatial and temporal dynamics of malaria vectors in relation to environmental risk factors in Ruhuha, Rwanda
Authors: Murindahabi Marilyn Milumbu , Hoseni Arash , Corné Vreugdenhil L. C. , van Vliet Arnold J. H. , Umupfasoni Jackie , Mutabazi Alphonse , Hakizimana Emmanuel , Poortvliet P. Marijn , Mutesa Leon , Takken Willem , Koenraadt Constantianus J. M. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundAs part of malaria prevention and control efforts, the distribution and density of malaria mosquitoes requires continuous monitoring. Resources for long-term surveillance of malaria vectors, however, are often limited. The aim of the research was to evaluate the value of citizen science in providing insight into potential malaria vector hotspots and other malaria relevant information, and to determine predictors of malaria vector abundance in a region where routine mosquito monitoring has not been established to support vector surveillance.MethodsA 1-year citizen science programme for malaria mosquito surveillance was implemented in five villages of the Ruhuha sector in Bugesera district, Rwanda. In total, 112 volunteer citizens were enrolled and reported monthly data on mosquitoes collected in their peridomestic environment using handmade carbon-dioxide baited traps. Additionally, they reported mosquito nuisance experienced as well as the number of confirmed malaria cases in their household.ResultsIn total, 3793 female mosquitoes were collected, of which 10.8% were anophelines. For the entire period, 16% of the volunteers reported having at least one confirmed malaria case per month, but this varied by village and month. During the study year 66% of the households reported at least one malaria case. From a sector perspective, a higher mosquito and malaria vector abundance was observed in the two villages in the south of the study area. The findings revealed significant positive correlations among nuisance reported and confirmed malaria cases, and also between total number of Culicidae and confirmed malaria cases, but not between the numbers of the malaria vectorAnopheles gambiaeand malaria cases. At the sector level, of thirteen geographical risk factors considered for inclusion in multiple regression, distance to the river network and elevation played a role in explaining mosquito and malaria mosquito abundance.ConclusionsThe study demonstrates that a citizen science approach can contribute to mosquito monitoring, and can help to identify areas that, in view of limited resources for control, are at higher risk of malaria.
Circulating tumor DNA: a noninvasive biomarker for tracking ovarian cancer
Authors: Yang Fang , Tang Jun , Zhao Zihao , Zhao Chunling , Xiang Yuancai 
Published: December 2021

AbstractOvarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Despite the development of technologies over decades to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients with ovarian cancer, the survival rate remains dismal, mainly because most patients are diagnosed at a late stage. Traditional treatment methods and biomarkers such as cancer antigen-125 as a cancer screening tool lack specificity and cannot offer personalized combinatorial therapy schemes. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for ovarian cancer and can be detected using a noninvasive liquid biopsy. A wide variety of ctDNA applications are being elucidated in multiple studies for tracking ovarian carcinoma during diagnostic and prognostic evaluations of patients and are being integrated into clinical trials to evaluate the disease. Furthermore, ctDNA analysis may be used in combination with multiple “omic” techniques to analyze proteins, epigenetics, RNA, nucleosomes, exosomes, and associated immune markers to promote early detection. However, several technical and biological hurdles impede the application of ctDNA analysis. Certain intrinsic features of ctDNA that may enhance its utility as a biomarker are problematic for its detection, including ctDNA lengths, copy number variations, and methylation. Before the development of ctDNA assays for integration in the clinic, such issues are required to be resolved since these assays have substantial potential as a test for cancer screening. This review focuses on studies concerning the potential clinical applications of ctDNA in ovarian cancer diagnosis and discusses our perspective on the clinical research aimed to treat this daunting form of cancer.
n-Heptane isomerization activities of Pt catalyst supported on micro/mesoporous composites
Authors: Ghaderi Z. , Peyrovi M. H. , Parsafard N. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPt loaded on a series of MCM-48 silica and composites with HZSM-5 zeolite, HY zeolite, or TiO2has been prepared and studied for n-heptane isomerization reaction at 200–350 °C. The structural characterization, acid distribution, and morphology of these catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance, scanning electron microscope, temperature-programmed desorption of NH3, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption methods. The results show that these catalysts have a good selectivity to multi branched isomers, while producing low aromatic compounds. Also, these new composite catalysts prove the catalytic stability during the time of reaction. The most desirable results, and significantly higher n-heptane conversion and isomerization selectivity were achieved with Pt/MCM48-HZSM5 catalyst.
The clinical features of pulmonary artery involvement in Takayasu arteritis and its relationship with ischemic heart diseases and infection
Authors: Mukoyama Hiroki , Shirakashi Mirei , Tanaka Nozomi , Iwasaki Takeshi , Nakajima Toshiki , Onizawa Hideo , Tsuji Hideaki , Kitagori Koji , Akizuki Shuji , Nakashima Ran , Murakami Kosaku , Tanaka Masao , Morinobu Akio , Yoshifuji Hajime 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Pulmonary artery involvement (PAI) in Takayasu arteritis (TAK) can lead to severe complications, but the relationship between the two has not been fully clarified.

Methods
We retrospectively investigated 166 consecutive patients with TAK who attended Kyoto University Hospital from 1997 to 2018. The demographic data, clinical symptoms and signs, comorbidities, treatments, and imaging findings were compared between patients with and without PAI. TAK was diagnosed based on the American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria (1990) or the Japanese Clinical Diagnostic Criteria (2008). PAI was identified using enhanced computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or lung scintigraphy.

Results
PAI was detected in 14.6% (n = 24) of total TAK patients. Dyspnea (25.0% vs. 8.6%; p = 0.043), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (16.7% vs. 0.0%; p < 0.001), ischemic heart disease (IHD) (29% vs. 9.3%; p = 0.018), respiratory infection (25.0% vs. 6.0%; p = 0.009), and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection (20.8% vs. 0.8%; p < 0.001) were significantly more frequent, and renal artery stenosis (0% vs. 17%; p = 0.007) was significantly less frequent in TAK patients with PAI than in those without PAI. PAI and biologics were risk factors for NTM.

Conclusions
TAK patients with PAI more frequently have dyspnea, PAH, IHD, and respiratory infection, including NTM, than TAK patients without PAI.
Scalable user selection in FDD massive MIMO
Authors: Zhang Xing , Sabharwal Ashutosh 
Published: December 2021

AbstractUser subset selection requires full downlink channel state information to realize effective multi-user beamforming in frequency-division duplexing (FDD) massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. However, the channel estimation overhead scales with the number of users in FDD systems. In this paper, we propose a novel propagation domain-based user selection scheme, labeled as zero-measurement selection, for FDD massive MIMO systems with the aim of reducing the channel estimation overhead that scales with the number of users. The key idea is to infer downlink user channel norm and inter-user channel correlation from uplink channel in the propagation domain. In zero-measurement selection, the base-station performs downlink user selection before any downlink channel estimation. As a result, the downlink channel estimation overhead for both user selection and beamforming is independent of the total number of users. Then, we evaluate zero-measurement selection with both measured and simulated channels. The results show that zero-measurement selection achieves up to 92.5% weighted sum rate of genie-aided user selection on the average and scales well with both the number of base-station antennas and the number of users. We also employ simulated channels for further performance validation, and the numerical results yield similar observations as the experimental findings.
ASS1 and ASL suppress growth in clear cell renal cell carcinoma via altered nitrogen metabolism
Authors: Khare Sanika , Kim Laura C. , Lobel Graham , Doulias Paschalis-Thomas , Ischiropoulos Harry , Nissim Itzhak , Keith Brian , Simon M. Celeste 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundKidney cancer is a common adult malignancy in the USA. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the predominant subtype of kidney cancer, is characterized by widespread metabolic changes. Urea metabolism is one such altered pathway in ccRCC. The aim of this study was to elucidate the contributions of urea cycle enzymes, argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) towards ccRCC progression.MethodsWe employed a combination of computational, genetic, and metabolomic tools along with in vivo animal models to establish a tumor-suppressive role for ASS1 and ASL in ccRCC.ResultsWe show that the mRNA and protein expression of urea cycle enzymes ASS1 and ASL are reduced in ccRCC tumors when compared to the normal kidney. Furthermore, the loss of ASL in HK-2 cells (immortalized renal epithelial cells) promotes growth in 2D and 3D growth assays, while combined re-expression of ASS1 and ASL in ccRCC cell lines suppresses growth in 2D, 3D, and in vivo xenograft models. We establish that this suppression is dependent on their enzymatic activity. Finally, we demonstrate that conservation of cellular aspartate, regulation of nitric oxide synthesis, and pyrimidine production play pivotal roles in ASS1+ASL-mediated growth suppression in ccRCC.ConclusionsccRCC tumors downregulate the components of the urea cycle including the enzymes argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1) and argininosuccinate lyase (ASL). These cytosolic enzymes lie at a critical metabolic hub in the cell and are involved in aspartate catabolism and arginine and nitric oxide biosynthesis. Loss of ASS1 and ASL helps cells redirect aspartate towards pyrimidine synthesis and support enhanced proliferation. Additionally, reduced levels of ASS1 and ASL might help regulate nitric oxide (NO) generation and mitigate its cytotoxic effects. Overall, our work adds to the understanding of urea cycle enzymes in a context-independent of ureagenesis, their role in ccRCC progression, and uncovers novel potential metabolic vulnerabilities in ccRCC.
Physical modeling of the long-term behavior of integral abutment bridge backfill reinforced with tire-rubber
Authors: Zadehmohamad Mehdi , Bazaz Jafar Bolouri , Riahipour Ramin , Farhangi Visar 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe primary objective of this study is to investigate the benefits of adding tire rubber as an inclusion to backfill behind integral bridge abutments. In this respect, four physical model tests that enable cyclic loading of the backfill-abutment are conducted and evaluated. Each test consisted of 120 load cycles, and both the horizontal force applied to the top of the abutment wall and the pressures along the wall-backfill interface is measured. The primary variable in this study is the tire rubber content in the backfill soil behind the abutment. Results show adding tire rubber to the backfill would be beneficial for both pressure and settlement behind the abutment. According to results, adding tire rubber to soil decreases the equivalent peak lateral soil coefficient (Keq-peak) up to 55% and earth pressure coefficient ($${K}^{*}$$

K

∗

) at upper parts of the abutment up to 59%. Moreover, the settlements of the soil behind the wall are decreased up to 60%.
Novel Insight Into the Association Between Obesity and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Occurrence and Recurrence: High-Throughput Microarray Data Set Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes
Authors: Hassani Seyedeh Faezeh , Sayaf Masoud , Danandeh Seyedeh Sara , Nourollahzadeh Zahra , Shahmohammadi Mahshid , Akbari Sanaz , Shirvaliloo Milad , Sheervalilou Roghayeh , Shams Zinat 
Published: December 2021

PURPOSE This study aims to identify potential biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence/recurrence and obesity, along with the molecular mechanisms that involve these biomarkers. METHODS Three microarray data sets, namely GSE18897, GSE25097, and GSE36376 (genetic suppressor elements associated with obesity, tumor, and recurrence, respectively), were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database to be investigated for their expression as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HCC and obesity. The functional and pathway enrichment analysis of these DEGs were identified by the Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The protein-protein interaction network analysis was performed with STRING online tool and Cytoscape software. RESULTS One hundred sixty common DEGs were screened. We found that these genes were associated with certain pathways such as metabolic pathways, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, and adipocytokine signaling pathway. The involvements of 10 genes, including RPS16, RPS7, CCT3, HNRNPA2B1, EIF4G1, PSMC4, NHP2, EGR1, FDPS, and MCM4, were identified in the subnetwork. HNRNPA2B1 and RPS7 in the GSE18897 data set, RPS16, RPS7, CCT3, HNRNPA2B1, PSMC4, NHP2, FDPS, and MCM4 in the GSE25097 data set, and RPS16, RPS7, CCT3, HNRNPA2B1, EIF4G1, PSMC4, NHP2, FDPS, and MCM4 in the GSE36376 data set exhibited positive fold changes. CONCLUSION These DEGs and pathways could be of diagnostic value as potential biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of HCC, pertaining to both obesity and HCC occurrence/recurrence.
Accuracy of Pathologic Diagnosis in Patients With Lymphoma and Survival: A Prospective Analysis From Botswana
Authors: Chipidza Fallon E. , Kayembe Mukendi K. A. , Nkele Isaac , Efstathiou Jason A. , Chabner Bruce A. , Abramson Jeremy , Dryden-Peterson Scott L. , Sohani Aliyah R. 
Published: December 2021

PURPOSE With intense HIV epidemics, southern African countries have a high burden of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, suboptimal access to pathology resources limits subtype classification. We sought to assess the diagnostic accuracy of specimens classified as lymphoma and to determine association between discordant pathologic diagnosis and overall survival. METHODS Seventy patients with CHL or NHL and treated at three Botswana hospitals from 2010 to 2016 were analyzed. Local pathologic assessment relied primarily on morphology. All cases underwent secondary US hematopathology review, which is considered gold standard. RESULTS The median follow-up was 58 months. The overall reclassification rate was 20 of 70 cases (29%). All 20 CHL cases were correctly classified in Botswana, and mixed cellularity was the most common subtype, diagnosed in 11 (55%) cases. Of 47 confirmed NHL cases, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was the final US diagnosis in 28 cases (60%), another aggressive B-cell NHL in nine (19%), an indolent B-cell NHL in six (13%), and T-cell NHL in four (9%). Common types of diagnostic discordance included NHL subtype reclassification (11 of 20, 55%) and CHL reclassified as NHL (7 of 20, 35%). Concordant versus discordant diagnosis after secondary review was associated with improved 5-year overall survival (60.1% v 26.3%, P = .0066). Discordant diagnosis was independently associated with increased risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio 2.733; 95% CI, 1.102 to 6.775; P = .0300) even after stratifying results by CHL versus NHL. CONCLUSION In this single prospective cohort, discordant pathologic diagnosis was associated with a nearly three-fold increased risk of death. Limited access to relatively basic diagnostic techniques impairs treatment decisions and leads to poor patient outcomes in low-resource countries.
Low Programmed Death-Ligand 1–Expressing Subgroup Outcomes of First-Line Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Gastric or Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhao Joseph J. , Yap Dominic Wei Ting , Chan Yiong Huak , Tan Benjamin Kye Jyn , Teo Chong Boon , Syn Nicholas L. , Smyth Elizabeth C. , Soon Yu Yang , Sundar Raghav 
Published: December 2021

PURPOSEThe US Food and Drug Administration has granted regulatory approval for the use of nivolumab—an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)—in the first-line treatment of advanced gastric or esophageal adenocarcinoma (GEAC), regardless of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. However, the efficacy of ICIs in low PD-L1–expressing tumors remains unclear.MATERIALS AND METHODSThis study aims to reconstruct unreported Kaplan-Meier (KM) plots of PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) subgroups of randomized phase III trials comparing the addition of ICIs with conventional chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of GEAC. A graphical reconstructive algorithm was adopted to estimate time-to-event outcomes from reported overall survival and progression-free survival (OS and PFS) KM plots describing overall or subgroup cohorts. Using reconstructed time-to-event outcomes, KMSubtraction conducts bipartite matching of patients from the reported subgroup among the overall cohort. By excluding matched patients, KM plots and survival analyses of the unreported subgroups were retrieved.RESULTSCheckMate-649, KEYNOTE-062, and KEYNOTE-590 were included. Two PD-L1 subgroups were identified with data unreported in the primary manuscripts: PD-L1 CPS 1-4 from CheckMate-649 and PD-L1 CPS 1-9 from KEYNOTE-062. No significant differences in OS and PFS were demonstrated in ICI-chemotherapy combinations when compared with chemotherapy among CheckMate-649 PD-L1 CPS 1-4 (OS: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.950, 95% CI, 0.747 to 1.209, P = .678; PFS: HR = 0.958, 95% CI, 0.743 to 1.236, P = .743) and KEYNOTE-062 PD-L1 CPS 1-9 subgroups. In the KEYNOTE-062 PD-L1 CPS 1-9 subgroup, patients treated with pembrolizumab had an increased hazard of tumor progression (HR = 2.092, 95% CI, 1.661 to 2.635, P < .001).CONCLUSIONUsing KMSubtraction, data of PD-L1 subgroups previously unreported by primary manuscripts of pivotal clinical trials were retrieved. These data suggest the lack of benefit in the addition of ICI to chemotherapy in low PD-L1–expressing GEAC tumors.
Multi-disciplinary Approach for Drug and Gene Delivery Systems to the Brain
Authors: Ndemazie Nkafu Bechem , Inkoom Andriana , Morfaw Ellis Fualefeh , Smith Taylor , Aghimien Monica , Ebesoh Dexter , Agyare Edward 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Drug delivery into the brain has for long been a huge challenge as the blood–brain barrier (BBB) offers great resistance to entry of foreign substances (with drugs inclusive) into the brain. This barrier in healthy individuals is protective to the brain, disallowing noxious substances present in the blood to get to the brain while allowing for the exchange of small molecules into the brain by diffusion. However, BBB is disrupted under certain disease conditions, such as cerebrovascular diseases including acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, and neurodegenerative disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and cancers. This review aims to provide a broad overview of present-day strategies for brain drug delivery, emphasizing novel delivery systems. Hopefully, this review would inspire scientists and researchers in the field of drug delivery across BBB to uncover new techniques and strategies to optimize drug delivery to the brain. Considering the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiological functioning of the BBB in health and disease conditions, this review is focused on the controversies drawn from conclusions of recently published studies on issues such as the penetrability of nanoparticles into the brain, and whether active targeted drug delivery into the brain could be achieved with the use of nanoparticles. We also extended the review to cover novel non-nanoparticle strategies such as using viral and peptide vectors and other non-invasive techniques to enhance brain uptake of drugs.
Graphical abstract
Phospholipase C-related but catalytically inactive protein acts as a positive regulator of insulin signalling in adipocytes
Authors: Gao Jing , Mizokami Akiko , Takeuchi Hiroshi , Li Aonan , Huang Fei , Nagano Haruki , Kanematsu Takashi , Jimi Eijiro , Hirata Masato 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT
Insulin signalling is tightly controlled by various factors, but the exact molecular mechanism remains incompletely understood. We have previously reported that phospholipase C-related but catalytically inactive protein (PRIP; used here to refer to both PRIP-1 and PRIP-2, also known as PLCL1 and PLCL2, respectively) interacts with Akt1, the central molecule in insulin signalling. Here, we investigated whether PRIP is involved in the regulation of insulin signalling in adipocytes. We found that insulin signalling, including insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR), insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and Akt, and glucose uptake were impaired in adipocytes from PRIP double-knockout (PRIP-KO) mice compared with those from wild-type (WT) mice. The amount of IR expressed on the cell surface was decreased in PRIP-KO adipocytes. Immunoprecipitation assays showed that PRIP interacted with IR. The reduced cell surface IR in PRIP-KO adipocytes was comparable with that in WT cells when Rab5 (Rab5a, -5b and -5c) expression was silenced using specific siRNA. In contrast, the dephosphorylation of IRS-1 at serine residues, some of which have been reported to be involved in the internalisation of IR, was impaired in cells from PRIP-KO mice. These results suggest that PRIP facilitates insulin signalling by modulating the internalisation of IR in adipocytes.
Inhibition of minor intron splicing reduces Na+ and Ca2+ channel expression and function in cardiomyocytes
Authors: Montañés-Agudo Pablo , Casini Simona , Aufiero Simona , Ernault Auriane C. , van der Made Ingeborg , Pinto Yigal M. , Remme Carol Ann , Creemers Esther E. 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT
Eukaryotic genomes contain a tiny subset of ‘minor class’ introns with unique sequence elements that require their own splicing machinery. These minor introns are present in certain gene families with specific functions, such as voltage-gated Na+ and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Removal of minor introns by the minor spliceosome has been proposed as a post-transcriptional regulatory layer, which remains unexplored in the heart. Here, we investigate whether the minor spliceosome regulates electrophysiological properties of cardiomyocytes by knocking down the essential minor spliceosome small nuclear snRNA component U6atac in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. Loss of U6atac led to robust minor intron retention within Scn5a and Cacna1c, resulting in reduced protein levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 channels. Functional consequences were studied through patch-clamp analysis, and revealed reduced Na+ and L-type Ca2+ currents after loss of U6atac. In conclusion, minor intron splicing modulates voltage-dependent ion channel expression and function in cardiomyocytes. This may be of particular relevance in situations in which minor splicing activity changes, such as in genetic diseases affecting minor spliceosome components, or in acquired diseases in which minor spliceosome components are dysregulated, such as heart failure.