bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isolated femoral artery revascularisation with or without iliac inflow improvement – a less invasive surgical option in critical limb ischemia
Authors: Peters Andreas S. , Meisenbacher Katrin , Weber Dorothea , Bisdas Theodosios , Torsello Giovanni , Böckler Dittmar , Bischoff Moritz S. ,   CRITISCH collaborators
Published: January 2021

Summary: Background: Isolated femoral artery revascularisation (iFAR) represents a well-established surgical method in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involving common femoral artery disease. Data for iFAR in multilevel PAD are inconsistent, particularly in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of iFAR in CLI regarding major amputation and reintervention and to identify associated risk factors for this outcome. Patients and methods: The data used have been derived from the German Registry of Firstline Treatment in Critical Limb Ischemia (CRITISCH). A total of 1200 patients were enrolled in 27 vascular centres. This sub-analysis included patients, which were treated with iFAR with/without concomitant iliac intervention. For detection of risk factors for the combined endpoint of major amputation and/or reintervention, selection of variables for multiple regression was conducted using stepwise forward/backward selection by Akaike’s information criterion. Results: 95 patients were included (mean age: 72 years ± 10.82; 64.2% male). Of those, 32 (33.7%) participants reached the combined endpoint. Risk factor analysis revealed continued tobacco use (odds ratio [OR] 2.316, confidence interval [CI] 0.832–6.674), TASC D-lesion (OR: 2.293, CI: 0.869–6.261) and previous vascular intervention in the trial leg (OR: 2.720, CI: 1.037–7.381) to be associated with reaching the combined endpoint. Conclusions: iFAR provides a reasonable, surgical option to treat CLI. Lesion length (TASC D) seems to have a negative impact on outcome. Further research is required to better define the future role of iFAR for combined femoro-popliteal lesions in CLI – best in terms of a randomised controlled trial.
Transglutaminase 2 crosslinks the glutathione S-transferase tag, impeding protein–protein interactions of the fused protein
Authors: Kim Hyo-Jun , Lee Jin-Haeng , Lee Ki Baek , Shin Ji-Woong , Kwon Mee-ae , Lee Soojin , Jeong Eui Man , Cho Sung-Yup , Kim In-Gyu 
Published: January 2021

AbstractGlutathione S-transferase (GST) from Schistosoma japonicum has been widely used as a tag for affinity purification and pulldown of fusion proteins to detect protein–protein interactions. However, the reliability of this technique is undermined by the formation of GST-fused protein aggregates after incubation with cell lysates. It remains unknown why this aggregation occurs. Here, we demonstrate that the GST tag is a substrate of transglutaminase 2 (TG2), which is a calcium-dependent enzyme that polyaminates or crosslinks substrate proteins. Mutation analysis identified four glutamine residues in the GST tag as polyamination sites. TG2-mediated modification of the GST tag caused aggregate formation but did not affect its glutathione binding affinity. When incubated with cell lysates, GST tag aggregation was dependent on cellular TG2 expression levels. A GST mutant in which four glutamine residues were replaced with asparagine (GST4QN) exhibited a glutathione binding affinity similar to that of wild-type GST and could be purified by glutathione affinity chromatography. Moreover, the use of GST4QN as a tag reduced fused p53 aggregation and enhanced the induction of p21 transcription and apoptosis in cells treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). These results indicated that TG2 interferes with the protein–protein interactions of GST-fused proteins by crosslinking the GST tag; therefore, a GST4QN tag could improve the reproducibility and reliability of GST pulldown experiments.
Restoration of the reduced CLSP activity alleviates memory impairment in Alzheimer disease
Authors: Hashimoto Yuichi , Kusakari Shinya , Nawa Mikiro , Okamoto Koichi , Toyama Yuka , Matsuoka Masaaki 
Published: January 2021

AbstractCalmodulin-like skin protein (CLSP), a secreted peptide, inhibits neuronal death in cell-based Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models and transgenic overexpression of the CLSP gene suppresses synaptic loss and memory impairment in AD model mice, APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice (APP/PS1 mice). Despite the anticipated role of CLSP as an AD-suppressing factor, it remains unanswered whether the insufficiency of the CLSP activity is linked to the AD pathogenesis. In this study, we first show that adiponectin, a CLSP potentiator/protector, dominantly determines the CLSP activity in the central nervous system where there are sufficient concentrations of CLSP, higher concentrations of CLSP inhibitors such as apolipoprotein E, and smaller concentrations of adiponectin. We next show that both the levels of brain adiponectin and the intraneuronal levels of SH3BP5, an important effector of the CLSP signal, are reduced in both AD patients and APP/PS1 mice. Finally, the restoration of the CLSP activity by subcutaneous injection of a hybrid peptide named CLSPCOL consisting of CLSP(1-61) and the collagen-homologous region of adiponectin, which has more potent neuroprotective activity than CLSP, is insensitive to the suppression by the CLSP inhibitors, and is efficiently recruited into brains, alleviates dementia and synaptic loss in the aged APP/PS1 mice. Collectively, these results suggest that the reduction in the CLSP activity, likely caused by the reduction in the levels of adiponectin, leads to the insufficient protection of neurons from neurotoxicity in the AD brains and the restoration of the CLSP activity is a promising strategy for the treatment of AD.
Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity in autism spectrum disorder and its relation with social defeat: an [18F]-FDOPA PET/CT study
Authors: Schalbroeck Rik , van Velden Floris H. P. , de Geus-Oei Lioe-Fee , Yaqub Maqsood , van Amelsvoort Therese , Booij Jan , Selten Jean-Paul 
Published: January 2021

AbstractAlterations in dopamine signalling have been implied in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and these could be associated with the risk of developing a psychotic disorder in ASD adults. Negative social experiences and feelings of social defeat might result in an increase in dopamine functioning. However, few studies examined dopamine functioning in vivo in ASD. Here we examine whether striatal dopamine synthesis capacity is increased in ASD and associated with social defeat. Forty-four unmedicated, non-psychotic adults diagnosed with ASD and 22 matched controls, aged 18–30 years, completed a dynamic 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-L-phenylalanine positron emission tomography/computed tomography ([18F]-FDOPA PET/CT) scan to measure presynaptic dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum. We considered unwanted loneliness, ascertained using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, as primary measure of social defeat. We found no statistically significant difference in striatal dopamine synthesis capacity between ASD and controls (F1,60 = 0.026,p = 0.87). In ASD, striatal dopamine synthesis capacity was not significantly associated with loneliness (β = 0.01,p = 0.96). Secondary analyses showed comparable results when examining the associative, limbic, and sensorimotor sub-regions of the striatum (allp-values > 0.05). Results were similar before and after adjusting for age, sex, smoking-status, and PET/CT-scanner-type. In conclusion, in unmedicated, non-psychotic adults with ASD, striatal dopamine synthesis capacity is not increased and not associated with social defeat.
Fear-induced brain activations distinguish anxious and trauma-exposed brains
Authors: Wen Zhenfu , Marin Marie-France , Blackford Jennifer Urbano , Chen Zhe Sage , Milad Mohammed R. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractTranslational models of fear conditioning and extinction have elucidated a core neural network involved in the learning, consolidation, and expression of conditioned fear and its extinction. Anxious or trauma-exposed brains are characterized by dysregulated neural activations within regions of this fear network. In this study, we examined how the functional MRI activations of 10 brain regions commonly activated during fear conditioning and extinction might distinguish anxious or trauma-exposed brains from controls. To achieve this, activations during four phases of a fear conditioning and extinction paradigm in 304 participants with or without a psychiatric diagnosis were studied. By training convolutional neural networks (CNNs) using task-specific brain activations, we reliably distinguished the anxious and trauma-exposed brains from controls. The performance of models decreased significantly when we trained our CNN using activations from task-irrelevant brain regions or from a brain network that is irrelevant to fear. Our results suggest that neuroimaging data analytics of task-induced brain activations within the fear network might provide novel prospects for development of brain-based psychiatric diagnosis.
FV-429 induces autophagy blockage and lysosome-dependent cell death of T-cell malignancies via lysosomal dysregulation
Authors: Hu Po , Wang Jubo , Qing Yingjie , Li Hui , Sun Wenzhuo , Yu Xiaoxuan , Hui Hui , Guo Qinglong , Xu Jingyan 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIt is widely accepted that lysosomes are essential for cell homeostasis, and autophagy plays an important role in tumor development. Here, we found FV-429, a synthetic flavonoid compound, inhibited autophagy flux, promoted autophagosomes accumulation, and inhibited lysosomal degradation in T-cell malignancies. These effects were likely to be achieved by lysosomal dysregulation. The destructive effects of FV-429 on lysosomes resulted in blockage of lysosome-associated membrane fusion, lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), and cathepsin-mediated caspase-independent cell death (CICD). Moreover, we initially investigated the effects of autophagy inhibition by FV-429 on the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy and found that FV-429 sensitized cancer cells to chemotherapy agents. Our findings suggest that FV-429 could be a potential novel autophagy inhibitor with notable antitumor efficacy as a single agent.
The effect of natural fillers on the marine biodegradation behaviour of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)
Authors: Meereboer Kjeld W. , Pal Akhilesh K. , Cisneros-López Erick O. , Misra Manjusri , Mohanty Amar K. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWorldwide, improper disposal of plastics is instigating environmental initiatives to combat plastics accumulation of in the environment and the world’s oceans. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) biocomposites with Miscanthus (Misc) fibres and distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) were studied to ascertain if natural fibres and proteinaceous fillers can improve polyhydroxyalkanoate marine biodegradability. Using ASTM standard D7991-15, the biodegradation of PHBV, PHBV with Misc (15 and 25 wt%) and PHBV with DDGS (15 and 25 wt%) was performed in a simulated marine environment for the first time, as indicated by a literature survey. PHBV/Misc (85/15) and (75/25) biocomposites showed 15 and 25% more biodegradation compared to PHBV, respectively. Proteinaceous PHBV/DDGS (85/15) and (75/25) biocomposites showed 17 and 40% more biodegradation compared to PHBV, respectively. Furthermore, PHBV/Misc (75/25) and PHBV/DDGS (75/25) biocomposites were marine biodegraded in 412 and 295 days, respectively. In conclusion, proteinaceous fillers (DDGS) biocomposites have better marine biodegradability than miscanthus.
Survivin and caspases serum protein levels and survivin variants mRNA expression in sepsis
Authors: Miliaraki Marianna , Briassoulis Panagiotis , Ilia Stavroula , Polonifi Aikaterini , Mantzourani Marina , Briassouli Efrossini , Vardas Konstantinos , Nanas Serafim , Pistiki Aikaterini , Theodorakopoulou Maria , Tavladaki Theonymfi , Spanaki Anna Maria , Kondili Eumorfia , Dimitriou Helen , Tsiodras Sotirios , Georgopoulos Dimitrios , Armaganidis Apostolos , Daikos George , Briassoulis George 
Published: January 2021

AbstractSepsis is a dysregulated host response to infection related to devastating outcomes. Recently, interest has been shifted towards apoptotic and antiapoptotic pathobiology. Apoptosis is executed through the activation of caspases regulated by a number of antiapoptotic proteins, such as survivin. The survivin and caspases’ responses to sepsis have not yet been elucidated. This is a multicenter prospective observational study concerning patients with sepsis (n = 107) compared to patients with traumatic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (n = 75) and to healthy controls (n = 89). The expression of survivin was quantified through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the different survivin splice variants (wild type-WT, ΔEx3, 2B, 3B) in peripheral blood leukocytes. The apoptotic or antiapoptotic tendency was specified by measuring survivin-WT, caspase-3, and -9 serum protein concentrations through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The survivin-WT, -2B, -ΔΕx3 mRNA, survivin protein, and caspases showed an escalated increase in SIRS and sepsis, whereas survivin-3B was repressed in sepsis (p < 0.05). Survivin correlated with IL-8 and caspase-9 (p < 0.01). For discriminating sepsis, caspase-9 achieved the best receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.95. In predicting mortality, caspase-9 and survivin protein achieved an AUROC of 0.70. In conclusion, specific apoptotic and antiapoptotic pathways might represent attractive targets for future research in sepsis.
Isolation, modification and characterisation of cellulose from wild Dioscorea bulbifera
Authors: Ogunjobi Joseph Kolawole , Balogun Olayinka Mary 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThis study attempted to valorise wildDioscorea bulbiferayam presently known to be poisonous and inedible obtained from three sources. The functional properties as well as its chemical composition were determined and isolated. Isolated cellulose was modified by the actions of sodium hydroxide and maleic anhydride. The biomass, isolated products and modified cellulose were characterized. Results showed that the highest cellulose obtained was 82.6%. FT-IR results showed successful modification of cellulose with the presence of a carbonyl (C = O) adsorption band at around 1725 cm-1. SEM images and XRD data showed a clear decrease in crystallinity but a slight increase in crystallite size after modification of the mercerized cellulose. TGA results showed the polymers degraded between 284 and 414 °C. The study reveals that the modified cellulose has potential application as an adsorbent and industrial material.
Wearable porous PDMS layer of high moisture permeability for skin trouble reduction
Authors: Yoon Sunghyun , Seok Minho , Kim Mookyum , Cho Young-Ho 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe present research proposes the present porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer for the skin trouble reduced daily life skin attachable devices. The present research proposes the new pores forming method in the PDMS by crystallization and dissolution of the citric acid in the PDMS for fabricating high uniform and small size pores. The present porous PDMS layer (i) decreases the pore size 93.2%p and increases the pore size uniformity 425%p compared to the conventional porous PDMS layer of mixing sugars and PDMS; (ii) is able to be fabricated in the thickness of 21–101 µm by spin-coating; (iii) has the 2.2 times higher water vapor transmission rate (947 ± 10.8 g/day•m2) compared to the human skin water vapor transmission rate. The present porous PDMS layer reduces the skin trouble effectively by having the high water vapor permeability, therefore is applicable to the human daily-life skin attachable devices.
Robust tunable plasmon induced transparency in coupled-resonance finite array of metasurface nanostructure
Authors: Liu Jie-Tao , Liu Zhi 
Published: January 2021

AbstractRobust and dynamically polarization-controlled tunable plasmon induced transparency (PIT) resonance in designed finite-array nanostructures metasurface is demonstrated, where sharp resonance is guaranteed by design and protected against large geometrical imperfections even for micro-zone sub-array. By employing the explicit analysis of near-field characteristic in the reciprocal-space based on the momentum matching, and the far-field radiation features with point-scattering approach in real-space sparked from Huygens’s principles, the physics of interference resonance for plane-wave optical transmission and reflection of the metasurface is theoretically and thoroughly investigated. The distinctive polarization-selective and Q-tunable PIT shows robust features to performance degradations in traditional PIT system caused by inadvertent fabrication flaws or geometry asymmetry-variations, which paves way for the development of reconfigurable and flexible metasurface and, additionally, opens new avenues in robust and multifunctional controllable nanophotonics device design and applications.
Plasmon coupling nanorice trimer for ultrahigh enhancement of hyper-Raman scattering
Authors: Zhu Shuangmei , Fan Chunzhen , Liang Erjun , Ding Pei , Dong Xiguang , Hao Haoshan , Hou Hongwei , Wu Yuanda 
Published: January 2021

AbstractA new tactic that using Ag nanorice trimer as surface-enhanced hyper Raman scattering substrate is proposed for realizing maximum signal enhancement. In this paper, we numerically simulate and theoretically analyze the optical properties of the nanorice trimer consisting of two short nanorices and a long nanorice. The Ag nanorice trimer can excite Fano resonance at optical frequencies based on the strong interaction between the bright and the dark mode. The bright mode is attributed to the first longitudinal resonance of the short nanorice pair, while the dark mode originates from the third longitudinal mode resonance of the long nanorice. The electric field distributions demonstrate that the two resonances with the largest field strength correspond to the first-order resonance of the long nanorice and the Fano resonance of the trimer, respectively. Two plasmon resonances with maximum electromagnetic field enhancements and same spatial hot spot regions can match spectrally with the pump and second-order Stokes beams of hyper Raman scattering, respectively, through reasonable design of the trimer structure parameters. The estimated enhancement factor of surface-enhanced hyper Raman scattering can achieve as high as 5.32 × 1013.
Rating knockdown of flour beetles after exposure to two insecticides as an indicator of mortality
Authors: Athanassiou Christos G. , Kavallieratos Nickolas G. , Arthur Frank H. , Nakas Christos T. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractKnockdown and mortality of adults of the red flour beetle,Tribolium castaneum(Herbst) and the confused flour beetle,Tribolium confusumJacquelin du Val, were assessed after exposure to two contact insecticides, chlorfenapyr and cyfluthrin, on a concrete surface. Individuals were rated on a scale for knockdown of exposed adults according to their mobility from 1, representing immobilized adults to 5, representing normally moving (similar to the controls). Only cyfluthrin gave immediate knockdown. Adults were rated at 1, 3 and 7 days post-exposure. After the final assessment, adults were discarded and the same procedure was repeated for 5 consecutive weeks with new adults exposed on the same treated surfaces. Despite initial knockdown, many individuals did not eventually die after exposure to cyfluthrin. In contrast, adults exposed to chlorfenapyr were not initially knocked down after exposure but most died after 7 days. These trends were similar during the entire 5-week residual testing period. The storage of the treated dishes in illuminated or non-illuminated conditions did not affect the insecticidal effect of either insecticide. The results of the present study can be further implemented towards the design of a “lethality index” that can serve as a quick indicator of knockdown and mortality rates caused after exposure to insecticides.
Risk factors and knowledge associated with high unintended pregnancy rates and low family planning use among pregnant women in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Peach Elizabeth , Morgan Christopher , Scoullar Michelle J. L. , Fowkes Freya J. I. , Kennedy Elissa , Melepia Pele , Homiehombo Primrose , Au Lucy , Luchters Stanley , Umbers Alexandra J. , Vallely Andrew , Vallely Lisa M. , Kelly-Hanku Angela , Robinson Leanne J. , Crabb Brendan S. , Elijah Arthur , Siba Peter M. , Pomat William , Beeson James G. 
Published: January 2021

AbstractUnintended pregnancy is a major driver of poor maternal and child health in resource-limited settings. Data on pregnancy intention and use of family planning (FP) is scarce in Papua New Guinea (PNG), but are needed to inform public health strategies to improve FP accessibility and uptake. Data from a facility-based cross-sectional sample of 699 pregnant women assessed prevalence and predictors of unintended pregnancy and modern FP use among pregnant women in East New Britain Province, PNG. More than half (55%) the women reported their pregnancy as unintended. Few (18%) reported ever having used a modern FP method, and knowledge of different methods was low. Being single, separated or divorced (AOR 9.66; 95% CI 3.27–28.54), educated to a tertiary or vocational level (AOR 1.78 CI 1.15–2.73), and gravidity > 1 (AOR 1.43 for each additional pregnancy CI 1.29–1.59) were associated with unintended pregnancy; being accompanied by a male partner to ANC was associated with a reduced unintended pregnancy (0.46 CI 0.30–0.73). Factors associated with modern FP use included male partner involvement (AOR 2.26 CI 1.39–3.67) and gravidity > 1 (AOR 1.54 for each additional pregnancy CI 1.36–1.74). FP use also varied by the facility women attended. Findings highlight an urgent need for targeted interventions to improve FP knowledge, uptake and access, and male partner involvement, to reduce unintended pregnancies and their complications.
Correlation between CT findings and outcomes in 46 patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Lei Qiang , Li Guangming , Ma Xiaofen , Tian Junzhang , Wu Yun fan , Chen Hui , Xu Wen , Li Cheng , Jiang Guihua 
Published: January 2021

AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyze initial chest computed tomography (CT) findings in COVID-19 pneumonia and identify features associated with poor prognosis. Patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection were assigned to recovery group if they made a full recovery and to death group if they died within 2 months of hospitalization. Chest CT examinations for ground-glass opacity, crazy-paving pattern, consolidation, and fibrosis were scored by two reviewers. The total CT score comprised the sum of lung involvement (5 lobes, scores 1–5 for each lobe, range; 0, none; 25, maximum). 40 patients who recovered from COVID-19 and six patients who died were enrolled. The initial chest CTs showed 27 (58.7%) patients had ground-glass opacity, 19 (41.3%) had ground glass and consolidation, and 35 (76.1%) patients had crazy-paving pattern. None of the patients who died had fibrosis in contrast to six (15%) patients who recovered from COVID-19. Most patients had subpleural lesions (89.0%) as well as bilateral (87.0%) and lower (93.0%) lung lobe involvement. Diffuse lesions were present in four (67%) patients who succumbed to coronavirus but only one (2.5%) patient who recovered (p < 0.001). In the death group of patients, the total CT score was higher than that of the recovery group (p = 0.005). Patients in the death group had lower lymphocyte count and higher C-reactive protein than those in the recovery group (p = 0.011 and p = 0.041, respectively). A high CT score and diffuse distribution of lung lesions in COVID-19 are indicative of disease severity and short-term mortality.