bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Durable response of chemotherapy for cancer of unknown primary with unfavorable subset developed in retroperitoneal space
Authors: Matsukawa Atsuki , Kato Taigo , Kondo Fuki , Kawasaki Keisuke , Kawashima Atsunari , Kiuchi Hiroshi , Imamura Ryoichi , Uemura Motohide , Fukuhara Shinichiro , Morii Eiichi , Nonomura Norio 
Published: May 2021

IntroductionCarcinoma of unknown primary site is a heterogeneous group of cancer that is defined by the presence of metastatic disease with no identified primary tumor at initial presentation. Carcinoma of unknown primary site patients with unfavorable subsets particularly show poor prognosis with a median survival of 6–9 months with the treatment of empirical pactitaxel and carboplatin therapy (TC therapy). Recently, several studies have attempted to increase the response rate on the basis of prediction of the primary site by immunohistochemical tests or molecular profiling assays.Case presentationWe report the case of a 77‐year‐old woman who presented with a mass on the left side of the abdominal aorta. Careful clinical and laboratory examinations could not identify the site of primary cancer. Pathologic examination of biopsied tissue revealed the tumor as undifferentiated carcinoma, which reached the diagnosis of carcinoma of unknown primary site with unfavorable subsets. She received empirical TC therapy and had prolonged survival of 26 months. After reviewing the pathological findings carefully, we noticed that Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein‐15 showed positive in the tumor, leading to the suspicion of breast cancer as the primary site. The specific therapy for breast cancer is similar to the empirical TC therapy in carcinoma of unknown primary site, which may contribute durable response in this patient.ConclusionSite‐specific therapy based on careful immunohistochemical tests may improve the efficacy for carcinoma of unknown primary site patients with unfavorable prognosis subset.
In vitro screening of turfgrass species and cultivars for resistance to dollar spot
Authors: Espevig Tatsiana , Sundsdal Kristine , Aamlid Trygve S. , Crouch Jo Anne , Normann Karin , Usoltseva Marina , Entwistle Kate , Torp Torfinn , Brurberg May Bente 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDollar spot, caused by at least five Clarireedia species (formerly Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F. T. Benn.), is one of the economically most important turfgrass diseases worldwide. The disease was detected for the first time in Scandinavia in 2013. There is no available information from Scandinavian variety trials on resistance to dollar spot in turfgrass species and cultivars (http://www.scanturf.org/). Our in vitro screening (in glass vials) of nine turfgrass species comprising a total of 20 cultivars showed that on average for ten Clarireedia isolates of different origin, the ranking for dollar spot resistance in turfgrass species commonly found on Scandinavian golf courses was as follows: perennial ryegrass = slender creeping red fescue > strong creeping red fescue > Kentucky bluegrass = velvet bentgrass > colonial bentgrass = Chewings fescue ≥ creeping bentgrass = annual bluegrass. Significant differences in aggressiveness among Clarireedia isolates of different origin were found in all turfgrass species except annual bluegrass (cv. Two Putt). The U.S. C. jacksonii isolate MB‐01 and Canadian isolate SH44 were more aggressive than C. jacksonii isolates from Denmark and Sweden (14.10.DK, 14.15.SE, and 14.16.SE) in velvet bentgrass and creeping bentgrass. The Swedish isolate 14.112.SE was generally more aggressive than 14.12.NO despite the fact that they most likely belong to the same Clarireedia sp. The U.S. C. monteithiana isolate RB‐19 had similar aggressiveness as the Scandinavian C. jacksonii isolates, but was less aggressive than two U.S. C. jacksonii isolates MB‐01 and SH44. Thus, aggressiveness of Clarireedia isolates was more impacted by their geographic origin and less by species of the isolate and/or the host turfgrass species.
Urinary proteomic analysis to identify a potential protein biomarker panel for the diagnosis of tuberculosis
Authors: Liu Liguo , Deng Jiaheng , Yang Qianting , Wei Candong , Liu Bo , Zhang Haoran , Xin Henan , Pan Shouguo , Liu Zisen , Wang Dakuan , Pang Yu , Chen Xinchun , Gao Lei , Zheng Jianhua , Liu Rongmei , Jin Qi 
Published: May 2021

AbstractTuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is one of the primary causes of death worldwide. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB is one of the most direct means to reduce the incidence of TB. In this study, urinary proteomic profiling of TB patients and non‐TB individual controls (HCs) was performed, and differentially expressed urinary proteins between TB and HCs were compared and exclusively expressed proteins in TB patients were selected to establish a clinically useful disease marker panel. In total, these top 11 targeted proteins with 265 peptides were scheduled for multiple reaction monitoring validation analysis by using urine samples from 52 TB patients and 52 HCs. The result demonstrated that a three‐protein combination out of the five‐protein panel (namely P22352, Q9P121, P15151, Q13291, and Q8NDA2) exhibited sensitivity rate of 82.7% in the diagnosis of TB. Furthermore, the three‐protein combination could differentiate TB from the latent tuberculosis (LTB) effectively, which exhibited specificity rate of 92.3% for the diagnosis of TB from the LTB category. Although more numbers of clinical samples are required for further verification, the results provided preliminary evidence that this “three‐protein combination” out of the five‐protein panel could probably be a novel TB diagnostic biomarker in clinical application.
PLK2 protects retinal ganglion cells from oxidative stress by potentiating Nrf2 signaling via GSK‐3β
Authors: Fan Yazhi , Wang Jianming , He Na , Feng Haixiao 
Published: May 2021

AbstractOxidative stress of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) has been established as a main contributor to retinal degeneration in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Polo‐like kinase 2 (PLK2) has recently been reported to be a potent antioxidant protein that enhances cell survival in response to oxidative stress. To date, the involvement of PLK2 in RGC‐associated oxidative stress is undermined. In the present work, we evaluated whether PLK2 regulates oxidative stress evoked by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in RGCs. PLK2 expression was induced by H2O2 stimulation in RGCs. Upregulation of PLK2 had a profoundly cytoprotective effect on H2O2‐stimulated RGCs by attenuating cellular apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Further data revealed that upregulation of PLK2 strikingly enhanced the activation of Nrf2 signaling. Moreover, PLK2 overexpression promoted glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)‐3β phosphorylation, whereas PLK2 knockdown reduced the levels of GSK‐3β phosphorylation. Notably, GSK‐3β inhibition using a chemical inhibitor markedly abrogated the suppressive effects of PLK2 knockdown on Nrf2 activation. Repression of Nrf2 blocked the PLK2 overexpression‐induced protective effects in H2O2‐stimulated RGCs. Overall, this study elucidates that upregulation of PLK2 protects RGCs against H2O2‐induced oxidative stress injury by upregulating Nrf2 activation via modulation of GSK‐3β phosphorylation. These findings underline the pivotal role of PLK2 in mediating oxidative stress‐evoked retinal degeneration in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
tRNAIniCAT inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells
Authors: Li Jun , Shen Zhisen , Luo Lin , Ye Dong , Deng Hongxia , Gu Shanshan , Zhou Chongchang 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundLaryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) brings a heavy blow to the patient's voice. Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a common RNA, the roles of tRNAs in LSCC are largely unknown.MethodsThe tRNA expression profile in LSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was measured by a tRNA qRT‐PCR array. The expression level of tRNAIniCAT in LSCC tissues and plasmas was detected by qRT‐PCR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established. tRNAIniCAT was upregulated by a lentivirus vector in the LSCC cell line. Moreover, tRNAIniCAT was upregulated in LSCC xenograft nude mouse model and the xenografts were used for pathological analysis and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation.ResultsThe top 10 upregulated tRNAs were tRNALysCTT‐1, tRNALeuTAA, tRNAPheGAA, tRNALeuCAG, tRNATyrATA, tRNAMetCAT, tRNATyrGTA‐1, tRNAThrCGT, tRNATyrGTA‐2, tRNAAlaAGC; and the top 10 downregulated tRNAs were tRNAIniCAT, mt‐tRNAGluTTC, tRNAValCAC‐3, mt‐tRNATrpTCA, mt‐tRNATyrGTA, mt‐tRNALysTTT, mt‐tRNAThrTGT, mt‐tRNAAspGTC, mt‐tRNAAsnGTT, mt‐tRNAProTGG. tRNAIniCAT was downregulated in LSCC tissues and plasma. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) in LSCC tissues and the plasma of patients with LSCC was 0.717 and 0.808, respectively. tRNAIniCAT inhibited LSCC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. The in vivo results showed that tRNAIniCAT inhibited the growth of the xenografts and promoted apoptosis.ConclusionsThis is the first study to provide tRNA expression profiles for LSCC tissues. tRNAIniCAT may be used as a new biomarker for the early diagnosis of LSCC. tRNAIniCAT inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.
Novel lateral whole‐body dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry of lumbar paraspinal muscle mass: results from the SarcoSpine study
Authors: Lee Sang Yoon , Kim Dong Hyun , Park Sang Joon , Park Jinhee , Chung Sun Gun , Lim Jae‐Young 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundHere, we aimed to propose novel lateral whole‐body dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (lateral DXA) as a simple tool for measuring spinal muscle mass and investigate the feasibility of lateral DXA to measure lumbar paraspinal muscle (LPM) mass compared with lumbosacral spine three‐dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D MRI).MethodsTwenty consecutive participants were enrolled from a prospective observational cohort (SarcoSpine study). Lateral DXA was scanned with each participant in the lateral decubitus position. The region of interest was defined to analyse the LPM mass. LPM total volume, LPM cross‐sectional area at the L3 mid‐vertebra and L4/5 mid‐disc levels and each signal intensity were measured by 3D MRI. Isokinetic and isometric back extensor muscle strengths as well as back extensor endurance were examined. The correlation between lateral DXA‐based mass (weight) and 3D MRI‐based LPM volume was analysed.ResultsThe mean age of the 20 participants (15 women, 5 men) was 72.2 ± 4.9 years. LPM mass by lateral DXA was positively correlated with LPM volume by 3D MRI (β = 0.333,r = 0.692,p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with signal intensity of the total LPM (β = −0.263,r = −0.530,p = 0.016). LPM mass was also correlated with appendicular limb muscle mass, handgrip strength and gait speed as well as back extensor endurance (r = 0.620,p = 0.004).ConclusionsOur data suggest that LPM mass assessed by lateral DXA was positively correlated with LPM volume by 3D MRI in older adults. Lateral DXA may be a potential substitute for the cross‐sectional area measurement of LPM mass. Further studies are required to validate this lateral DXA technique.
Evaluating mercury concentrations in edible plant and fungi species in the Canadian Arctic environment
Authors: Bergin Ryan , Koch Iris , Rutter Allison , Shirley Jamal , Zeeb Barbara 
Published: May 2021

AbstractLevels of environmental mercury (Hg) within the Canadian Arctic are a current area of concern. Although efforts have been made to reduce Hg released into the environment, levels remain elevated in flora and fauna. This study examined the concentrations of Hg in soil and naturally occurring edible plant and fungi species, identified by local Inuit residents, from eight locations in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and the surrounding area during the summers of 2018 and 2019. Total Hg concentrations were obtained in 24 soil samples, 112 flora samples from 23 plant and five lichen species, and 157 fungal samples from eight species. Median Hg concentrations in plant species ranged from 0.005 μg g−1 Hg dry weight (dw) in Saxifraga cernua to 0.19 μg g−1 Hg dw in Oxytropis maydelliana. Median concentrations in edible fungi species ranged from 0.084 μg g−1 Hg dw in the Cortinarius croceus (non‐puffball species) to 1.6 μg g−1 Hg dw in Lycoperdon perlatum (a puffball mushroom). Additionally, median Hg concentration in puffball species (1.4 μg g−1) were higher than non‐puffball species (0.12 μg g−1). Three puffball species were assessed for methylmercury (MeHg), with mean concentrations ranging from 0.013 to 0.085 μg g−1 MeHg dw. Limited research has been conducted on Hg uptake in naturally occurring edible plant and fungi species of the Canadian Arctic. This study contributes important information on Hg accumulation and processes in edible plant and fungi Arctic species, is the first to focus on plants used by the local Indigenous community, and demonstrates a need for further studies to assess Hg in Arctic environments.
Institutional development and the dowry death curve across states in India
Authors: Mitchell Austin M. , Soni Suparna 
Published: May 2021

AbstractWhy do some informal institutions increase in prevalence while other informal institutions decline? We study why dowry deaths have increased with economic development in some Indian states but have decreased in others. We argue that when economic development is low, traditional institutions rather than state institutions govern behaviour. But as economic development increases to a high level, modern formal institutions replace traditional informal institutions. Women are increasingly exploited and murdered over dowry as incomes increase from a low level, but fewer deaths occur as incomes increase from a high level. We test this argument using a dataset of dowry deaths in years 2001–2011 for 32 Indian states and territories. Our paper contributes to understanding how exploitation through informal institutions rises and falls with economic development.
Gut microbiota contributes to sexual dimorphism in murine autoimmune cholangitis
Authors: Huang Meng-Xing , Yang Si-Yu , Luo Pan-Yue , Long Jie , Liu Qing-Zhi , Wang Jinjun , He Yi , Li Liang , Zhao Zhi-Bin , Lian Zhe-Xiong 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe data demonstrated that a transgenic murine model of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), expressing dominant negative TGF-β receptor Ⅱ (dnTGFβRⅡ) under the CD4 promoter, showed similarity to PBC patients that is female-dominant. Female dnTGFβRII mice developed more severe lymphocytic infiltration in the liver and had higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IFN-γ and TNF-α, than the male mice. Interestingly, elimination of testosterone through gonadectomy in male dnTGFβRII mice did not influence disease severity, supporting that testosterone is an unessential factor in sustaining liver immune homeostasis. Meanwhile, it was observed that treating dnTGFβRII mice with oral antibiotics markedly reduced the differences in the levels of lymphocytic infiltration and cytokines between males and females, suggesting that the commensal gut microbiome plays a role in determining the observed sexual differences in dnTGFβRII mice. Furthermore, the diversity of gut microbiota composition and their metabolic functions in the male and female groups through metagenomic sequencing analysis were identified. The results revealed a testosterone-independent and commensal gut microbiota-mediated female bias in PBC.
Role of the non‐invasive imaging techniques in monitoring and understanding the evolution of brain edema
Authors: Obenaus Andre , Badaut Jérôme 
Published: May 2021

AbstractHuman brain injury elicits accumulation of water within the brain due to a variety of pathophysiological processes. As our understanding of edema emerged two temporally (and cellular) distinct processes were identified, cytotoxic and vasogenic edema. The emergence of both types of edema is reflected by the temporal evolution and is influenced by the underlying pathology (type and extent). However, this two‐edema compartment model does not adequately describe the transition between cytotoxic and vasogenic edema. Hence, a third category has been proposed, termed ionic edema, that is observed in the transition between cytotoxic and vasogenic edema. Magnetic resonance neuroimaging of edema today primarily utilizes T2‐weighted (T2WI) and diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI). Clinical diagnostics and translational science studies have clearly demonstrated the temporal ability of both T2WI and DWI to monitor edema content and evolution. DWI measures water mobility within the brain reflecting cytotoxic edema. T2WI at later time points when vasogenic edema develops visualizes increased water content in the brain. Clinically relevant imaging modalities, including ultrasound and positron emission tomography, are not typically used to assess edema. In sum, edema imaging is an important cornerstone of clinical diagnostics and translational studies and can guide effective therapeutics manage edema and improve patient outcomes.
Digging behavior discrimination test to probe burrowing and exploratory digging in male and female mice
Authors: Pond Heather L. , Heller Abigail T. , Gural Brian M. , McKissick Olivia P. , Wilkinson Molly K. , Manzini M. Chiara 
Published: May 2021

AbstractDigging behavior is often used to test motor function and repetitive behaviors in mice. Different digging paradigms have been developed for behaviors related to anxiety and compulsion in mouse lines generated to recapitulate genetic mutations leading to psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, the interpretation of these tests has been confounded by the difficulty of determining the motivation behind digging in mice. Digging is a naturalistic mouse behavior that can be focused toward different goals, that is foraging for food, burrowing for shelter, burying objects, or even for recreation as has been shown for dogs, ferrets, and human children. However, the interpretation of results from current testing protocols assumes the motivation behind the behavior often concluding that increased digging is a repetitive or compulsive behavior. We asked whether providing a choice between different types of digging activities would increase sensitivity to assess digging motivation. Here, we present a test to distinguish between burrowing and exploratory digging in mice. We found that mice prefer burrowing when the option is available. When food restriction was used to promote a switch from burrowing to exploration, males readily switched from burrowing to digging outside, while females did not. In addition, when we tested a model of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder that had shown inconsistent results in the marble burying test, the Cc2d1a conditional knockout mouse, we found greatly reduced burrowing only in males. Our findings indicate that digging is a nuanced motivated behavior and suggest that male and female rodents may perform it differently.
Performance of China's journals indexed in SCIE: An evaluation based on megajournal metrics
Authors: Chen Lu , Zhang Min , Xiong Wan , Liu Qian 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe Chinese government has issued a series of policies and measures in recent years to enhance the international impact of its academic journals. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of such support measures on the overall performance of China's Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE)‐indexed journals. We aggregated China's SCIE journals together into a virtual, multi‐disciplinary ‘megajournal’, which we call Mega China. Based on Journal Citation Reports from 2015 to 2019, we compared Mega China with the two largest real megajournals, Scientific Reports and PLoS ONE, in terms of journal output and citation performance. The number of SCIE‐indexed journals in China and their impact factors have increased continuously every year. The total citations and h‐index of Mega China reached 489,036 and 247 in 2019, respectively. The immediacy index and impact factor of Mega China have gradually increased, in contrast to those of Scientific Reports and PLoS ONE, and reached 0.735 and 2.601, respectively, in 2019. Our analysis, by viewing all China's SCIE journals as one megajournal, provides evidence that their performance has improved under the Chinese government's new policies. Further improving China's academic journals will require fundamental reforms of the traditional Chinese publishing system.
Recent advances in top‐down proteome sample processing ahead of MS analysis
Authors: Nickerson Jessica L. , Baghalabadi Venus , Rajendran Subin R. C. K. , Jakubec Philip J. , Said Hammam , McMillen Teresa S. , Dang Ziheng , Doucette Alan A. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractTop‐down proteomics is emerging as a preferred approach to investigate biological systems, with objectives ranging from the detailed assessment of a single protein therapeutic, to the complete characterization of every possible protein including their modifications, which define the human proteoform. Given the controlling influence of protein modifications on their biological function, understanding how gene products manifest or respond to disease is most precisely achieved by characterization at the intact protein level. Top‐down mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of proteins entails unique challenges associated with processing whole proteins while maintaining their integrity throughout the processes of extraction, enrichment, purification, and fractionation. Recent advances in each of these critical front‐end preparation processes, including minimalistic workflows, have greatly expanded the capacity of MS for top‐down proteome analysis. Acknowledging the many contributions in MS technology and sample processing, the present review aims to highlight the diverse strategies that have forged a pathway for top‐down proteomics. We comprehensively discuss the evolution of front‐end workflows that today facilitate optimal characterization of proteoform‐driven biology, including a brief description of the clinical applications that have motivated these impactful contributions.
Systematic characterization of extracellular glycoproteins using mass spectrometry
Authors: Sun Fangxu , Suttapitugsakul Suttipong , Wu Ronghu 
Published: May 2021

AbstractSurface and secreted glycoproteins are essential to cells and regulate many extracellular events. Because of the diversity of glycans, the low abundance of many glycoproteins, and the complexity of biological samples, a system‐wide investigation of extracellular glycoproteins is a daunting task. With the development of modern mass spectrometry (MS)‐based proteomics, comprehensive analysis of different protein modifications including glycosylation has advanced dramatically. This review focuses on the investigation of extracellular glycoproteins using MS‐based proteomics. We first discuss the methods for selectively enriching surface glycoproteins and investigating protein interactions on the cell surface, followed by the application of MS‐based proteomics for surface glycoprotein dynamics analysis and biomarker discovery. We then summarize the methods to comprehensively study secreted glycoproteins by integrating various enrichment approaches with MS‐based proteomics and their applications for global analysis of secreted glycoproteins in different biological samples. Collectively, MS significantly expands our knowledge of extracellular glycoproteins and enables us to identify extracellular glycoproteins as potential biomarkers for disease detection and drug targets for disease treatment.