bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Garry Oak Ecosystem Stand History in Southwest British Columbia, Canada: Implications of environmental change and Indigenous land use for Ecological Restoration and Population Recovery
Authors: Barlow Celeste M , Pellatt Marlow Gregory , Kohfeld Karen E 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
In the Pacific Northwest of North America, endangered Garry oak ecosystems have a complex history that integrates effects of Holocene climate change, Indigenous land management, and colonial settlement during the Anthropocene. In western Canada, Garry oak and Douglas fir recruitment corresponds with the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA; ca. 1870), after the collapse of Indigenous populations but in some cases prior to European settlement. We examined establishment patterns at three sites in southwest British Columbia, each with different edaphic characteristics based on slope, exposure, and drainage. At our Somenos Marsh site on Vancouver Island, we see a clear relationship between Indigenous occupation, subsequent European settlement, and development of an oak woodland, indicating that Indigenous land management was important for development of many Garry oak ecosystems. However, at the Tumbo Cliff site (Tumbo Island, BC), shallow soil xeric conditions, regional climate, and periodic fire were likely drivers of stand and ecosystem development. Finally, at the deep soil Tumbo Marsh site, Garry oak established and grew quickly when conditions were favorable, following the early 19th century conversion of a saltwater tidal flat into a freshwater marsh. Combining site level historical records, site characteristics, and dendrochronological data provides a greater understanding of the local and regional factors that shape the unique structures of Garry oak ecosystems at each site. This information can be integrated into restoration and fire management strategies for Garry oak ecosystems as well as elucidate the timing of European settler and climate change impacts on these ecosystems.
Genetic Risk Score for Predicting Schizophrenia Using Human Chromosomal-Scale Length Variation.
Authors: Toh Christopher , Brody James P. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
IntroductionSchizophrenia is a neurological disorder that often manifests itself as a combination of psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized cognitive functions. Several lines of evidence indicate that schizophrenia has a genetic component, however it cannot be isolated to a single gene. We set out to determine how well one could predict that a person will develop schizophrenia based on their germ line DNA.MethodsWe compared 1129 people from the UK Biobank dataset who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia to an equal number of age matched people drawn from the general UK Biobank population. For each person, we constructed a profile consisting of a sequence of numbers. Each number characterized the length of a segment of one of their chromosomes. We tested several machine learning algorithms using the h2o.ai framework to determine which was most effective in predicting schizophrenia. We also tested whether there was any improvement in prediction by breaking the chromosomes into smaller chunks. We used SHAP values to better understand features important to the predictive model.ResultsWe found that the stacked ensemble, a combination of four different machine learning algorithms, performed best with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.583 (95% CI 0.581-0.586). We noted an increase in the AUC by breaking the chromosomes into smaller chunks for analysis. Using SHAP values, we identified the X chromosome as the most important contributor to the predictive model. ConclusionWe conclude that germ line chromosomal scale length variation data can provide an effective genetic risk score for schizophrenia. Length variations of several regions of the X Chromosome are the greatest contributing factor.
Major Antigen Genotypes and Molecular Epidemiological Analysis of Bordetella Pertussis Isolated in Shenzhen
Authors: Wu Shuang , Hu Qinghua , Yang Chao , Zhou Haijian , Chen Hongyu , Zhang Yanwei , Jiang Min , He Yuxiang , Shi Xiaolu 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
BackgroundAlthough the global epidemic of pertussis has been controlled through the expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), the incidence of pertussis has increased significantly in recent years, with a "resurgence" of pertussis occurring in developed countries with high immunization coverage. The incidence of pertussis in Shenzhen, was about 2.02/100,000, far exceeding that of the whole province and the whole country (both < 1/100,000). At the same time, more and more studies have shown that there is antigenic drift in Bortella pertussis, which may be associated with the increased incidence. 50 strains of Bordetella pertussis isolated from 387 suspected cases were collected in Shenzhen in 2018 for genotype distributions and molecular epidemiological characteristics analysis. MethodsThere were 387 suspected cases of pertussis enrolled at surveillance sites in Shenzhen from June to August 2018. Nasopharyngeal swabs of suspicious cases were collected for separation and culture, and the positive strains were identified by real-time PCR. The immunization histories of patients were analyzed to investigate the relationship between pertussis vaccination and infection. The major antigen genes of the isolated positive strains, including ptxA, ptxC, ptxP, prn, fim2, and fim3, were analyzed by second-generation sequencing. The homology and phylogenetic analysis of these genes was performed using the public genome sequence downloaded from GenBank. Results50 strains of Bordetella pertussis were successfully isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs of 387 suspected cases, with a positive rate of 12.9%, including 28 males and 22 females, accounting for 56.0% and 44.0% respectively. It is worth noting that 38 were under one-year-old among the positive patients, accounting for 76.0%. Among the cases with a history of vaccination, 71.4% of positive patients did not complete the basic vaccination process of the DTaP at the time of onset. Three major antigen genotypes different from CS and Tohama I vaccine strains were identified, and they had distant genetic relationships and 62.0% of which was prn2/ptxC2/ptxP3/ptxA1/fim3-1/fim2-1. ConclusionsThe positive rate of cases under one-year-old was significantly higher than that of other age groups and should be monitored. The major antigenic genes of the Bordetella pertussis strains isolated in Shenzhen were different from those of common vaccine strains. This study explained the resurgence of whooping cough from certain angles, including immunization strategy, vaccination time and genome variation of strains, which is beneficial to prevent pertussis infections.
A Potential Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Pituitary Glands and Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Gu Wei Ting , Zhou Fen , Xie Wan Qun , Wang Shuo , Yao Hong , Liu Yan Ting , Gao Ling , Wu Zhe Bao 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Introduction: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The effects of SARS-CoV-2 on normal pituitary glands function or pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) have not yet been elucidated. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the potential risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the impairment of pituitary glands and the development of PitNETs.Methods: PitNETs tissues were obtained from 114 patients, and normal pituitary gland tissues were obtained from the autopsy. The mRNA levels of ACE2 and angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for ACE2 in 69 PitNETs and 3 normal pituitary glands. The primary tumor cells and pituitary cell lines (MMQ, GH3 and AtT-20/D16v-F2) were treated with diminazene aceturate (DIZE), an ACE2 agonist, with various dose regimens. The pituitary hormones between 43 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were compared with 45 healthy controls.Results: Pituitary glands and the majority of PitNET tissues showed low/negative ACE2 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels, while AGTR1 showed high expression in normal pituitary and corticotroph adenomas. ACE2 agonist increased the secretion of ACTH in AtT-20/D16v-F2 cells through downregulating AGTR1. The level of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was significantly increased in COVID-19 patients as compared to normal controls (p<0.001), but was dramatically decreased in critical cases as compared to non-critical patients (p=0.003).Conclusion: This study revealed a potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on corticotroph cells and adenomas.
Performance characterization and application of composite adsorbent LiCl@ACFF for moisture harvesting
Authors: Xie S. T. , Wang W. W. , Liu X. Y. , Pan Q. W. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Freshwater scarcity is a global threat for modern era of human society. Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is prospective to provide fresh water for remote water-stressed areas lacking in water and electricity. Adsorbent material plays a vital role in such AWH systems. Here, we report a solid adsorbent synthesized by impregnating hygroscopic salt lithium chloride (LiCl) into solidified activated carbon fiber felt (ACFF modified by silica sol). Composite samples immersed with different mass concentration of silica sol are prepared and characterized for dynamic water uptake, equilibrium water uptake, textural and thermal properties. AS5Li30 (ACFF + 5 wt% silica gel + 30 wt% LiCl) exhibits an efficient water uptake of 2.1 g/g at 25°C and 70 % relative humidity (RH). The material further demonstrates a heating storage capacity of 5456 kJ/kg. Its low generation temperature (< 80°C) and good cycle stability make it feasible to be used in practical water generating applications driven by solar energy and other low-grade energy. Estimation results showed that water harvesting unit can produce 1.41 gH2O/g AS5Li30 under 25°C and 75 % RH.
Bioinformatics analysis of common differential genes of coronary artery disease and carotid atherosclerosis
Authors: Song Luxia , Zhang Jie , Fan Yixuan , Liu Qiyu , Guan Baoyi , Xu Hao 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Coronary artery disease(CAD) is one of the most fatal diseases in the world, which seriously threatens human health. Studies have demonstrated that the appearance of carotid plaque is related to the risk of CAD, but the common differential genes and mechanism between these two conditions are still unclear. Our study identified the common differential genes between carotid atherosclerosis tissues and blood samples of CAD patients, aiming to search promising biomarkers in CAD predicting and diagnosing. We obtain datasets of GSE100927 and GSE56885 from GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS (GEO) database. Through scanning their mutual differentially expressed genes(DEGs), we performed Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes, Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and PPI analysis to get hub genes between these two conditions. We found that both CAD blood samples and carotid atherosclerotic plaque tissues were related to immune response, inflammatory response and cell chemotaxis. Followed by PPI network construction, MCODE analysis found that 1 subnetwork, including CCR5, CCR2, CXCR4 and C5AR1, was extracted, which concerned as hub genes of the two datasets. Indicating that CCR5, CCR2, CXCR4 and C5AR1maybe potential candidate biomarkers for CAD prediction in patients with carotid plaques.
Differential Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages/Microglia Drives the Aggressiveness of Gliomas
Authors: Yao Nai-Wei , Lin Hsiu-Ting , Lin Ya-Lin , Geeviman Khamushavalli , Liao Fang , Chang Chen , Chen Jeou-Yuan 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Background: Glioblastoma is the most aggressive subtype of brain tumors. The major component of tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma is tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are associated with enhanced malignancy of glioblastoma. The polarization of macrophages to the pro-inflammatory M1 or anti-inflammatory M2 subtypes governed by the context of tumor microenvironment may dictate the aggressiveness and outcome of glioblastoma. Given that the immune responses to tumors vary distinctively among individuals due to intrinsic, environmental and genetic factors and that TAMs display a high level of diversity and plasticity, we aimed to examine the effects of differential polarization of TAMs on the glioblastoma development by implanting C6 glioma into brains of Sprague–Dawley (SD) and Wistar rats; these two rats have different genetic background and host microenvironment during tumor development. Methods: Sprague–Dawley (SD) and Wistar rats were implanted with C6 glioma in the brain. The measurement of tumor volumes, tumor morphology and tumor growth in C6 glioma implanted brains were measured by multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Immunofluorescence staining was performed to analyze tumor angiogenesis and M1 and M2 TAMs in C6 gliomas. Results: By multi-parametric MRI measurement, C6 gliomas developed in the SD rats were characterized with enlarged tumors, accompanied with shorter animal survival. In comparison to the gliomas in Wistar rats, the accelerated tumor growth in SD rats was associated with greater extent of angiogenesis accompanied with higher levels of VEGF/VEGFR2. In support, C6 gliomas in SD rats were filtrated with TAMs characterized with a higher M2/M1 ratio, in contrast to the TAMs of a high M1/M2 ratio in Wistar rats. Attempts were made to shift the M2/M1 balance. Administration of the cytokine IFN-γ that induces M1 TAMs to SD rats greatly suppressed glioma formation, accompanied with a remarkable increase of M1 TAMs. Administration of the cytokines IL-4 plus IL-10 that induces M2 TAMs significantly promoted glioma growth in the Wistar rats, associated with an increase in the M2 TAMs. Conclusions: These results demonstrate an important role of TAMs in glioma pathogenesis and the crucial role of microenvironment in dictating the polarization of TAMs, suggesting that targeting or repolarization of TAMs may serve as an effective intervention for gliomas.
Identification of a Novel Biomarker Based Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Gene Expression for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Authors: Kunadirek Pattapon , Ariyachet Chaiyaboot , Sriphoosanap Supachaya , Pinjaroen Nutcha , Sirichindakul Boonchoo , Nookaew Intawat , Chuaypen Natthaya , Tangkijvanich Pisit 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Novel and sensitive biomarkers is highly required for early detection and predicting prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we investigated transcription profiles from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 8 patients with HCC and PBMCs from co-culture model with HCC using RNA-Sequencing. These transcription profiles were cross compared with published microarray datasets of PBMCs in HCC to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of commonly identified of 24 DEGs among these data were proposed as cancer-induced genes in PBMCs, including 18 upregulated and 6 downregulated DEGs. The KEGG pathway showed that these enriched genes were mainly associated with immune responses. Five up-regulated candidate genes including BHLHE40, AREG, SOCS1, CCL5, and DDIT4 were selected and further validated in PBMCs of 100 patients with HBV-related HCC, 100 patients with chronic HBV infection and 100 healthy controls. Based on ROC analysis, BHLHE40 and DDIT4 displayed better diagnostic performance than alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in discriminating HCC from controls. Additionally, BHLHE40 and DDIT4 had high sensitivity for detecting AFP-negative and early-stage HCC. BHLHE40 was also emerged as an independent prognostic factor of overall survival of HCC. Together, our study indicated that BHLHE40 in PBMCs could be a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for HBV-related HCC.
Immunotherapies for Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis: Multicenter Retrospective Pediatric Cohort Study in China
Authors: Guang Shiqi , Ma Jiannan , Ren Xiaotun , Zhou Shuizhen , Yang Jian , Zhang Jianzhao , Cao Xiaoshuang , Zhong Linxiu , Ding Xiao , Wang Xiaosu , Ren Changhong , Zhang Weihua , Zhang Linmei , Zhang Min , Sun Jing , Kessi Miriam , Yin Fei , Peng Jing , Jiang Yuwu 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
BackgroundAnti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis has been discovered and termed more than a decade, but the establishment of standardized immunotherapy protocol for pediatric patients still needs more clinical evidence. To help move this forward, we investigated the current status of immunotherapies for pediatric anti-NMDAR encephalitis in 6 tertiary medical centers across China and evaluated how different immunotherapy strategies affected patient outcomes.MethodsA multicenter, retrospective study was conducted on pediatric patients diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis between November 2011 and December 2018. The clinical records including clinical manifestations, immunotherapy strategies, and outcomes were collected and analyzed. Treatment response and outcome were evaluated using mRS. Outcomes among the treatment groups were analyzed with the Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test. p < 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsA total of 386 patients were included in our study and the median onset age was 7.89 (range 0.5-18) years. All patients received first-line immunotherapy and the majority (341, 88.3%) used the standard combination of methylprednisolone pulses and intravenous immunoglobulins, but 211 patients did not show satisfactory improvement (mRS ≥ 3). Mainly three treatment strategies were applied after first-line immunotherapy: second-line immunotherapy, repetitive first-line immunotherapy, and maintaining oral prednisolone. For patients with mRS ≥ 4 after first-line immunotherapy, the incidence of poor outcome (mRS ≥ 3) in oral prednisolone group was higher than that in other treatment groups (0.025 < p < 0.05). No difference in complete recovery rate (mRS = 0) was found between patients receiving second-line and repetitive first-line immunotherapy, or patients using long-term and short-term prednisolone. The relapse rate of oral prednisolone group was higher than that of other treatment groups (p < 0.01), but the relapse rate of patients using long-term and short-term prednisolone had no statistical difference. ConclusionsFor patients with mRS ≥ 4 after first-line immunotherapy, second-line immunotherapy is recommended. When second-line immunotherapy is not applicable, repetitive first-line immunotherapy can be considered as an option. Both second-line and repetitive first-line immunotherapy are beneficial to reduce relapse rate. The duration of sequential oral prednisolone can be shortened after fully evaluating patients’ conditions.
Exposure to airborne cadmium and breast cancer stage, grade and histology at diagnosis: Findings from the E3N cohort study
Authors: Amadou Amina , Praud Delphine , Coudon Thomas , Danjou Aurélie M N , Faure Elodie , Deygas Floriane , Grassot Lény , Leffondré Karen , Severi Gianluca , Salizzoni Pietro , Mancini Francesca Romana , Fervers Béatrice 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Purpose
Molecular and cellular studies reported a role of cadmium in risk of advanced breast cancer (BC). However epidemiological evidence is limited. Our previous study suggests that cadmium might be related to a decreased risk of ER- and ER-PR- breast tumors. In this study, we further explored the association between long-term exposure to airborne cadmium and risk of BC by stage, grade of differentiation, and histological types at diagnosis.
Methods
A nested case-control study of 4,401 cases and 4,401 matched controls was conducted within the French E3N cohort. A Geographic Information System (GIS) based metric was employed to evaluate outdoor airborne exposure to cadmium. Multivariable adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models.
Results
There was no statistically significant association between cadmium exposure and stage of BC in the multivariable analyses. The adjusted ORs for the fifth versus first quintile were 1.02 (95% CI: 0.83–1.25), 1.11 (95% CI: 0.84–1.49), and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.37–1.24) for stages I, II, and III-IV BC, respectively. The subgroup analyses showed no statistically significant association between cadmium exposure and grade of differentiation of BC at diagnosis. However, further analyses by histological type suggested a positive dose-response association between cadmium and risk of invasive tubular carcinoma (ITC) BC (OR for the fifth versus first quintile = 3.44 (95% CI: 1.10–10.7)).
Conclusions
Our results do not support the hypothesis that airborne cadmium exposure may have a role in advanced BC risk, but suggest that cadmium may be associated with an increased risk of ITC. However, these results should be considered with caution, and more epidemiological studies are needed to confirm our findings and to improve our understanding of the effects of cadmium exposure according to several clinic-pathological characteristics of BC.
Spatial differentiation of comprehensive suitability sustainable development for urban human settlements based on GIS：A case study of Liaoning Province, China
Authors: Guan Yingying , Li Xueming , Li Songbo , Tian Shenzhen 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The comprehensive suitability of regional human settlements is of great significance to the development and spatial distribution of regional human settlements and regional social and economic development. In this study, based on the traditional evaluation of the natural suitability of the human settlements, this study adds humanistic indicators to comprehensively evaluate the suitability of the human settlements in Liaoning, China. In particular, we sought to uncover the spatial differentiation law of the comprehensive suitability of these settlements and its correlations with population density and GDP density, provide a theoretical basis for urban human settlements planning and governance. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) the natural suitability index in Liaoning Province presents the law of longitudinal spatial differentiation from northeast to southwest, which follows the direction of the mountains; (2) the highest to lowest humanistic suitability indexes were as follows: the central, eastern, and western regions; (3) the highest to lowest spatial differentiations of the comprehensive suitability of the human settlements were as follows: the central and coastal, eastern, and western regions;(4) the spatial distribution of population–economy density in Liaoning Province was basically consistent with the spatial distribution of the comprehensive suitability index of human settlements, The population economy is concentrated in the areas with the best and moderate human settlements. Ultimately, we found that the distributions of population–economy and human settlement suitability were relatively coordinated and that highly suitable land was already fully utilized.