bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expression and Refolding of the Plant Chitinase From Drosera capensis for Applications as a Sustainable and Integrated Pest Management
Authors: Sinelnikov Igor G. , Siedhoff Niklas E. , Chulkin Andrey M. , Zorov Ivan N. , Schwaneberg Ulrich , Davari Mehdi D. , Sinitsyna Olga A. , Shcherbakova Larisa A. , Sinitsyn Arkady P. , Rozhkova Aleksandra M. 
Published: September 2021

Recently, the study of chitinases has become an important target of numerous research projects due to their potential for applications, such as biocontrol pest agents. Plant chitinases from carnivorous plants of the genus Drosera are most aggressive against a wide range of phytopathogens. However, low solubility or insolubility of the target protein hampered application of chitinases as biofungicides. To obtain plant chitinase from carnivorous plants of the genus Drosera in soluble form in E.coli expression strains, three different approaches including dialysis, rapid dilution, and refolding on Ni-NTA agarose to renaturation were tested. The developed « Rapid dilution » protocol with renaturation buffer supplemented by 10% glycerol and 2M arginine in combination with the redox pair of reduced/oxidized glutathione, increased the yield of active soluble protein to 9.5 mg per 1 g of wet biomass. A structure-based removal of free cysteines in the core domain based on homology modeling of the structure was carried out in order to improve the soluble of chitinase. One improved chitinase variant (C191A/C231S/C286T) was identified which shows improved expression and solubility in E. coli expression systems compared to wild type. Computational analyzes of the wild-type and the improved variant revealed overall higher fluctuations of the structure while maintaining a global protein stability. It was shown that free cysteines on the surface of the protein globule which are not involved in the formation of inner disulfide bonds contribute to the insolubility of chitinase from Drosera capensis. The functional characteristics showed that chitinase exhibits high activity against colloidal chitin (360 units/g) and high fungicidal properties of recombinant chitinases against Parastagonospora nodorum. Latter highlights the application of chitinase from D. capensis as a promising enzyme for the control of fungal pathogens in agriculture.
LncRNA RP11-499E18.1 Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Process of Ovarian Cancer Cells by Dissociating PAK2–SOX2 Interaction
Authors: Yang Juan , Peng Shuping , Zhang Keqiang 
Published: September 2021

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC)is a deadly gynecological malignancy worldwide. It is urgent to identify diagnostic biomarkers of OC to disclose the underlying mechanism.Methods and Materials: Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify target genes. Gene expression was detected and altered by qRT-PCR and cell transfection, respectively. The interaction between RP11-499E18.1 and PAK2, as well as that between PAK2 and SOX2, was determined using RNA pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay, respectively. Localizations of RP11-499E18.1, PAK2, and SOX2 were respectively determined employing immunohistochemical (IHC), IF, and FISH. The regulatory effects of RP11-499E18.1, PAK2, and SOX2 on OC cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related factor expression, and SOX2 nuclear translocation were determined. Finally, the effects of RP11-499E18.1 and PAK2 expression on the tumor growth in nude mice were determined.Results: RP11-499E18.1, PAK2, and SOX2 were selected in our study. RP11-499E18.1 was downregulated, while PAK2 and SOX2 was upregulated in OC tissues and cells. RP11-499E18.1 coexists in the nucleus and cytoplasm of OC cells. There is an interaction between RP11-499E18.1 and PAK2, as well as PAK2 and SOX2 in OC cells. Alteration of RP11-499E18.1 and PAK2 expression both had no influence on PAK2 and SOX2 levels, but PAK2 upregulation notably augmented p-SOX2 level. RP11-499E18.1 overexpression suppressed OC cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation, as well as SOX2 nuclear translocation. Besides, it inhibited tumor growth in nude mice. However, these effects were notably reversed by PAK2 upregulation and eventually offset by SOX2 knockdown. Additionally, RP11-499E18.1 overexpression reduced PAK2–SOX2 interaction and SOX phosphorylation, and increased the binding of RP11-499E18.1 by PAK2.Conclusion: These lines of evidence demonstrated that RP11-499E18.1 might play its tumor suppressor roles in OC via regulation of the RP11-499E18.1–PAK2–SOX2 axis. This research indicated that RP11-499E18.1 might be used as a diagnostic biomarker for OC in the future.
Association of the Monocyte–to–High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio With Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Tang Xixiang , Tan Ying , Yang Yi , Li Mei , He Xuemin , Lu Yan , Shi Guojun , Zhu Yanhua , Nie Yuanpeng , Li Haicheng , Mu Panwei , Chen Yanming 
Published: September 2021

Background: Chronic inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an essential contributor to the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The monocyte–to–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (MHR) is a novel and simple measure related to inflammatory and oxidative stress status. However, little is known regarding the role of the MHR in evaluating the development of DR.Methods: A total of 771 patients with T2DM and 607 healthy controls were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. MHR determination and eye examination were performed. The association of MHR with the prevalence of DR in T2DM patients was analyzed.Results: The MHR in patients with DR was significantly higher than that in both non-DR diabetic patients (P &lt; 0.05) and healthy controls (P &lt; 0.01). No significance was observed in the MHR of different DR severity grades. Moreover, the MHR was similar between patients with non-macular oedema and those with macular oedema. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that MHR was independently associated with the prevalence of DR in diabetic patients [odds ratio (OR) = 1.438, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.249–1.655, P &lt; 0.01]. After additional stratification by HbA1c level and diabetic duration, the MHR was still independently associated with the prevalence of DR.Conclusions: Our study suggests that the MHR can be used as a marker to indicate the prevalence of DR in patients with T2DM.
Relationship Between Change in Serum Uric Acid and Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Tan Qiu-hong , Liu Lin , Huang Yu-qing , Yu Yu-ling , Huang Jia-yi , Chen Chao-lei , Tang Song-tao , Feng Ying-qing 
Published: September 2021

Background: Limited studies focused on the association between serum uric acid (SUA) change with ischemic stroke, and their results remain controversial. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between change in SUA with ischemic stroke among hypertensive patients.Method: This was a retrospective cohort study. We recruited adult hypertensive patients who had two consecutive measurements of SUA levels from 2013 to 2014 and reported no history of stroke. Change in SUA was assessed as SUA concentration measured in 2014 minus SUA concentration in 2013. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank test were performed to quantify the difference in cumulative event rate. Additionally, subgroup analysis and interaction tests were conducted to investigate heterogeneity.Results: A total of 4,628 hypertensive patients were included, and 93 cases of ischemic stroke occurred during the mean follow-up time of 3.14 years. Participants were categorized into three groups according to their SUA change tertiles [low (SUA decrease substantially): &lt;-32.6 μmol/L; middle (SUA stable): ≥-32.6 μmol/L, &lt;40.2 μmol/L; high (SUA increase substantially): ≥40.2 μmol/L]. In the fully adjusted model, setting the SUA stable group as reference, participants in the SUA increase substantially group had a significantly elevated risk of ischemic stroke [HR (95% CI), 1.76 (1.01, 3.06), P = 0.0451], but for the SUA decrease substantially group, the hazard effect was insignificant [HR (95% CI), 1.31 (0.75, 2.28), P = 0.3353]. Age played an interactive role in the relationship between SUA change and ischemic stroke. Younger participants (age &lt; 65 years) tended to have a higher risk of ischemic stroke when SUA increase substantially.Conclusion: SUA increase substantially was significantly correlated with an elevated risk of ischemic stroke among patients with hypertension.
Baseline and Cumulative Blood Pressure in Predicting the Occurrence of Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Zuo Yingting , Zheng Deqiang , Chen Shuohua , Yang Xinghua , Yan Yuxiang , Liu Fen , Tian Xue , Wang Meiping , Su Xin , Wen Jing , Zhai Qi , Zhang Yibo , Gaisano Herbert Y. , Wu Shouling , Wang Anxin , He Yan 
Published: September 2021

Background: Both baseline blood pressure (BP) and cumulative BP have been used to estimate cardiovascular event (CVE) risk of higher BP, but which one is more reliable for recommendation to routine clinical practice is unclear.Methods: In this prospective study, conducted in the Kailuan community of Tanshan City, China, a total of 95,702 participants free of CVEs at baseline (2006–2007) were included and followed up until 2017. Time-weighted cumulative BP that expresses the extent of cumulative BP exposure is defined as the sum of the mean of two consecutive systolic or diastolic BP times the interval between the two determinations, then normalized by the total follow-up duration. Incident CVEs during 2006–2017 were confirmed by review of medical records. We performed a competing risk regression analysis to assess CVE risk of the different durations of higher BP exposure. ROC analysis was performed to assess the predictive value of higher BP on CVE occurrence.Results: We found that when the risk of higher BP on CVE occurrence was estimated based on time-weighted cumulative BP, the hazard ratios (HRs) increased with the increase in duration of higher BP exposure in each of the four BP groups: &lt;120/&lt;80, 120–129/&lt;80, 130–139/80–89, and ≥140/≥90 mmHg; this time trend also occurred across the four different BP groups, with the higher BP group exhibiting CVE risk earlier during the follow-up. These results were confirmed by the same analysis performed on participants without baseline hypertension. However, such reasonable time trends did not occur when a single baseline BP was used as the primary estimation. We also demonstrated that the predictive values of baseline systolic and diastolic BP that predict CVE occurrence were only 0.6–3.2 and 0.2–3.1% lower, respectively, than those of cumulative BP combined with baseline BP during follow-up.Conclusions: Baseline BP remains a useful indicator for predicting future occurrence of CVEs. Nevertheless, time-weighted cumulative BP could more reliably estimate the CVE risk of higher BP exposure than baseline BP.
Trends in Snow Cover Duration Across River Basins in High Mountain Asia From Daily Gap-Filled MODIS Fractional Snow Covered Area
Authors: Ackroyd Chelsea , Skiles S. McKenzie , Rittger Karl , Meyer Joachim 
Published: September 2021

High Mountain Asia (HMA) has the largest expanse of snow outside of the polar regions and it plays a critical role in climate and hydrology. In situ monitoring is rare due to terrain complexity and inaccessibility, making remote sensing the most practical way to understand snow patterns in HMA despite relatively short periods of record. Here, trends in snow cover duration were assessed using MODIS between 2002 and 2017 across the headwaters of the region’s primary river basins (Amu Darya, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, and Syr Darya). Data limitations, associated with traditional binary mapping and data gaps due to clouds, were addressed with a daily, spatially and temporally complete, snow cover product that maps the fraction of snow in each pixel using spectral mixture analysis. Trends in fractional snow cover duration (fSCD) were calculated at the annual and monthly scale, and across 1,000 m elevation bands, and compared to trends in binary snow cover duration (SCD). Snow cover is present, on average, for 102 days across all basin headwaters, with the longest duration in western basins and shortest in eastern basins. Broadly, snow cover is in decline, which is most pronounced in elevation bands where snow is most likely to be present and most needed to sustain glaciers. Some of the strongest negative trends in fSCD were in the Syr Darya, which has 13 fewer days between 4,000–5,000 m, and Brahmaputra, which has 31 fewer days between 5,000–6,000 m. The only increasing tendency was found in the Indus between 2,000 and 5,000 m. There were differences between fSCD and SCD trends, due to SCD overestimating snow cover area relative to fSCD.
Mapping Potential Zones for Groundwater Recharge Using a GIS Technique in the Lower Khwae Hanuman Sub-Basin Area, Prachin Buri Province, Thailand
Authors: Kaewdum Narongsak , Chotpantarat Srilert 
Published: September 2021

The lower Khwae Hanuman sub-basin in Thailand suffers from water shortage during each dry season. As such, groundwater resources are an additional freshwater source in this region, in particular for cultivating activities. Thus, an understanding of the volume of groundwater recharge into the saturated zone is required. The objective of the study is to assess the groundwater recharge potential (GRP) using the weighted overlay analysis method by geographic information system (GIS) and finally checking the reliability of GRP map using observed specific capacity carried out by the Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR). The geological and hydrogeological features that affect groundwater potential are the lithology, land use, lineaments, drainage, slope, and soil. The weighting and rating of these six influencing factors were determined by assessing the interrelationship of the main and minor influences of each factor based on several literature reviews, followed by a weighted overlay analysis with GIS, in association with groundwater recharge. The GRP can be classified in descending order: high, moderate, low, and very low, where about 33.9 km2 (2.26% of the total area of 1,500 km2) had high recharge potentiality, located at the center of the area. Only 12.8% of the total precipitation (271.75 million m3/y or approximately 181.2 mm) infiltrated the groundwater aquifer, while the rest was lost by either surface runoff or evapotranspiration. Based on GRP sensitivity analysis index, lithology was the most efficient influencing factor in GRP mapping. Most groundwater wells (&gt;96% or 369 wells) were classified into the classes of low and moderated, which agree to the GRP zones. The results of calculating the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were 86.0 percent, with relatively good predictive accuracy. The stable baseflow analysis would be used to confirm the amount of GRP by weighting overlay technique. Therefore, the GRP method can be applied in other areas, particular in similar hydrogeological characteristics. The first-hand recharge potential map and groundwater recharge information in this area can be used to establish an effective groundwater exploration program for agricultural activities; it is also used to appropriate sustainable yields from each groundwater basin to provide groundwater over the long-term, without negatively impacting the environment and without affecting the groundwater balance as it has recharge in the rainy seasons, which can use groundwater sustainably. It is in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in goal number six of the UN.
The Circadian Syndrome Predicts Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Suggestive of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Better Than Metabolic Syndrome in Aging Males: A 4-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Xiong Yang , Zhang Fuxun , Wu Changjing , Zhang Yangchang , Huang Xiaoyingzi , Qin Feng , Yuan Jiuhong 
Published: September 2021

Background: The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) increases in men. Although several risk factors, including metabolic syndrome (MetS) and depression, were identified, the underlying etiological factor remains unclear. Recently, circadian syndrome (CircS) was proposed as a novel risk cluster based on MetS. To compare the predictive power of the CircS and MetS for LUTS/BPH, this study was performed.Materials and Methods: In the baseline survey, 4,390 men older than 40 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were enrolled. Of them, 3,658 men were followed in the 2015 survey. Logistic regression was adopted to examine the relationships between CircS, MetS, and LUTS/BPH. To further verify the association, propensity score matching was used for sensitivity analyses. Moreover, the participants who had LUTS/BPH at the baseline were excluded to test the longitudinal relationships between CircS, MetS, and LUTS/BPH. In addition, we employed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to compare the predictive power using the number of components of CircS and MetS. The DeLong test was used to test the disparities of area under the curves (AUCs).Results: The prevalence of CircS and MetS in aging men was 30.23 and 38.36%, respectively. The odds ratios for prevalent LUTS/BPH were 1.61 (95% CI = 1.29–2.00, P &lt; 0.001) and 1.34 (95% CI = 1.08–1.66, P &lt; 0.01), respectively, in aging men. This increased risk was also observed in incident LUTS/BPH. The prevalence of LUTS/BPH in normal, CircS alone, MetS alone, and both CircS and MetS groups was 6.96, 8.77, 7.83, and 10.77%, respectively. The AUCs for CircS predicting prevalent and incident LUTS/BPH were higher than those for MetS (0.582 vs. 0.556 for incident LUTS/BPH, P &lt; 0.001; 0.574 vs. 0.561 for prevalent LUTS/BPH, P &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: The CircS predicts both incident and prevalent LUTS/BPH better than MetS.
Reliability of the Multiplex CytoBead CeliAK Immunoassay to Assess Anti-tTG IgA for Celiac Disease Screening
Authors: Abdukhakimova Diyora , Dossybayeva Kuanysh , Grechka Anna , Almukhamedova Zhaina , Boltanova Alyona , Kozina Larissa , Nurgaliyeva Kadisha , Hasanova Liliya , Tanko Matthew N. , Poddighe Dimitri 
Published: September 2021

Background and Objective: The diagnosis of Celiac Disease (CD) is first based on the positivity for specific serological markers. The CytoBead CeliAK immunoassay simultaneously measures antibodies (IgA) directed to tissue transglutaminase (tTG), endomysium (EMA), and deamidated gliadin (DG), in addition to providing a control for total IgA levels. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of this multiplex assay to detect anti-tTG IgA positive patients, compared with a conventional single-parameter enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Methods: Serum samples from 149 pediatric patients were assessed by both CytoBead CeliAK immunoassay and ELISA, in order to evaluate their concordance for the measurement of anti-tTG IgA.Results: The measurement of anti-tTG IgA by CytoBead CeliAK immunoassay basically showed a complete concordance rate with the conventional and single-parameter ELISA, according to the respective cutoff values (3 U/ml and 10 U/ml).Conclusions: Our comparative analysis demonstrates a substantial equivalency between multiplex CytoBead CeliAK assay and the single-parameter conventional ELISA to assess anti-tTG IgA antibody in the context of the screening for CD in children. Importantly, CytoBead CeliAK assay could present some preanalytic, analytic, and economic advantages.
Family and Community Support, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: Findings From the Health, Wellbeing and Aging Study Population-Based Cohort
Authors: Souza-Talarico Juliana Nery , Bromberg Elke , Santos Jair Licio Ferreira , Freitas Betania Souza , Silva Diego Ferreira , Duarte Yeda Aparecida Oliveira 
Published: September 2021

Background: Social networks can modulate physiological responses, protects against the detrimental consequences of prolonged stress, and enhance health outcomes. Family ties represent an essential source of social networks among older adults. However, the impact of family support on cognitive performance and the biological factors influencing that relationship is still unclear. We aimed to determine the relationship between family support, cognitive performance and BDNF levels.Methods: Cross-sectional data from three-hundred, eight-six individuals aged on average 60 years enrolled in the Health, Wellbeing and Aging Study (SABE), a population-cohort study, were assessed for family support, community support and cognitive performance. Structural and functional family support was evaluated based on family size and interactions allied to scores in the Family APGAR questionnaire. Community assistance (received or provided) assessed the community support. Cognitive performance was determined using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), verbal fluency (animals per minute) and backward digital span. Blood samples were obtained to determine BDNF levels.Results: Multivariate analysis showed that functional family support, but not structural, was associated with higher MMSE, verbal fluency and digit span scores, even controlling for potential cofounders (p &lt; 0.001). Providing support to the community, rather than receiving support from others, was associated with better cognitive performance (p &lt; 0.001). BDNF concentration was not associated with community support, family function, or cognitive performance.Conclusion: These findings suggest that emotional components of functional family and community support (e.g., loving and empathic relationship) may be more significant to cognitive health than size and frequency of social interactions.
Surgical Clipping of Previously Coiled Recurrent Intracranial Aneurysms: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Zheng Yongtao , Zheng Lili , Sun Yuhao , Lin Dong , Wang Baofeng , Sun Qingfang , Bian Liuguan 
Published: September 2021

Objective: This study reviews our experiences in surgical clipping of previously coiled aneurysms, emphasizing on recurrence mechanism of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) and surgical techniques for different types of recurrent IAs.Method: We performed a retrospective study on 12 patients who underwent surgical clipping of aneurysms following endovascular treatment between January 2010 and October 2020. The indications for surgery, surgical techniques, and clinical outcomes were analyzed.Result: Twelve patients with previously coiled IAs were treated with clipping in this study, including nine females and three males. The reasons for the patients having clipping were as follows: early surgery (treatment failure in two patients, postoperative early rebleeding in one patient, and intraprocedural aneurysm rupture during embolization in one patient) and late surgery (aneurysm recurrence in five patients, SAH in one, mass effect in one, and aneurysm regrowth in one). All aneurysms were clipped directly, and coil removal was performed in four patients. One patient died (surgical mortality, 8.3%), 1 patient (8.3%) experienced permanent neurological morbidity, and the remaining 10 patients (83.4%) had good outcomes. Based on our clinical data and previous studies, we classified the recurrence mechanism of IAs into coil compaction, regrowth, coil migration, and coil loosening. Then, we elaborated the specific surgical planning and timing of surgery depending on the recurrence type of IAs.Conclusion: Surgical clipping can be a safe and effective treatment strategy for the management of recurrent coiled IAs, with acceptable morbidity and mortality in properly selected cases. Our classification of recurrent coiled aneurysms into four types helps to assess the optimal surgical approach and the associated risks in managing them.