bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
LRRC19 Promotes Permeability of the Gut Epithelial Barrier Through Degrading PKC-ζ and PKCι/λ to Reduce Expression of ZO1, ZO3, and Occludin
Authors: Su Xiaomin , Wei Jianmei , Qi Houbao , Jin Mengli , Zhang Qianjing , Zhang Yuan , Zhang Chunze , Yang Rongcun 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Background
A dysfunctional gut epithelial barrier allows the augmented permeation of endotoxins, luminal antigens, and bacteria into the bloodstream, causing disease. The maintenance of gut epithelial barrier integrity may be regulated by multiple factors. Herein we analyze the role of leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 19 (LRRC19) in regulating the permeability of the gut epithelial barrier.

Methods
We utilized Lrrc19 knockout (KO) mice and clinical samples through transmission electron, intestinal permeability assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining to characterize the role of LRRC19 in the permeability of the gut epithelial barrier.

Results
We found that LRRC19, which is expressed in gut epithelial cells, impairs gut barrier function. Transmission electron micrographs revealed a tighter junction and narrower gaps in the colon epithelium cells in LRRC19 KO mice. There were lower levels of serum lipopolysaccharide and 4 kDa-fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran after gavage in LRRC19 KO mice than in wild-type mice. We found that LRRC19 could reduce the expression of zonula occludens (ZO)-1, ZO-3, and occludin in the colonic epithelial cells. The decreased expression of ZO-1, ZO-3, and occludin was dependent on degrading protein kinase C (PKC) ζ and PKCι/λ through K48 ubiquitination by LRRC19. The expression of LRRC19 was also negatively correlated with ZO-1, ZO-3, occludin, PKCζ, and PKCι/λ in human colorectal cancers.

Conclusions
The protein LRRC19 can promote the permeability of the gut epithelial barrier through degrading PKC ζ and PKCι/λ to reduce the expression of ZO-1, ZO-3, and occludin.
Clinical Outcomes and Response Predictors of Vedolizumab Induction Treatment for Korean Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Who Failed Anti-TNF Therapy: A KASID Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Kim Jeongseok , Yoon Hyuk , Kim Nayoung , Lee Kang-Moon , Jung Sung-Ae , Choi Chang Hwan , Kim Eun Soo , Jung Yunho , Eun Chang Soo , Kim Tae Oh , Kang Sang-Bum , Kim You Sun , Seo Geom-Seog , Lee Chang Kyun , Im Jong Pil , Park Soo Jung , Park Dong Il , Ye Byong Duk 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

Background
We investigated the real-life effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab (VDZ) induction therapy among Korean patients with Crohn disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) for whom anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy previously failed.

Methods
Adult patients who started VDZ induction therapy at 16 centers were prospectively enrolled in the Korean VDZ nationwide registry. The coprimary outcomes were clinical remission, defined as a Crohn’s Disease Activity Index score &lt;150 points and a partial Mayo score ≤2 points with a combined rectal bleeding and stool frequency subscore ≤1 point at week 14 and endoscopic remission defined as a Mayo endoscopic subscore ≤1 point. We also analyzed predictors of clinical remission.

Results
Between August 2017 and November 2019, a total of 158 patients (80 with CD and 78 with UC) received VDZ induction therapy. Clinical remission rates among patients with CD and patients with UC were 44.1% and 44.0%, respectively. Among patients with UC, the endoscopic remission rate was 32.4%. Clinical response and remission rates showed increasing trends during induction therapy. Multivariable analysis revealed that clinical response at week 6 was the only predictor of clinical remission at week 14 for both patients with CD and patients with UC. Among patients who experienced 1 or more adverse events (n = 71; 44.9%), disease exacerbation (n = 28; 17.7%) was the most common adverse event.

Conclusions
Among Korean patients with CD or UC for whom anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy failed, VDZ induction therapy was effective and safe. The early clinical response was associated with clinical remission after VDZ induction therapy.
Intraoperative conversion during video-assisted thoracoscopy resection for lung cancer does not alter survival
Authors: Fourdrain Alex , Georges Olivier , Lafitte Sophie , Meynier Jonathan , Berna Pascal 
Published: January 2021

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes of patients treated by anatomical pulmonary resection with the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach, VATS requiring intraoperative conversion to thoracotomy or an upfront open thoracotomy for lung cancer surgery.

METHODS
We performed a retrospective single-centre study that included consecutive patients between January 2011 and December 2018 treated either by VATS (with or without intraoperative conversion) or open thoracotomy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients treated for a benign or metastatic condition, stage IV disease, multiple primary lung cancer or by resection, such as pneumonectomies or angioplastic/bronchoplastic/chest wall resections, were excluded.

RESULTS
Among 1431 patients, 846 were included: 439 who underwent full-VATS, 94 who underwent VATS-conversion (21 emergent, 73 non-emergent) and 313 treated with upfront open thoracotomy. The median follow-up was 37 months. There were no statistical differences in stage-specific overall survival between the full-VATS, VATS-conversion, and open thoracotomy groups, with 5-year OS for stage I NSCLC of 76%, 72.3% and 69.4%, respectively (P = 0.47). There was a difference in disease-free survival for stage I NSCLC, with 71%, 60.2% and 53%, respectively at 5 years (P = 0.013). Fewer complications occurred in the full-VATS group (pneumonia, arrhythmia, length of stay), but complication rates were similar between the VATS-conversion and thoracotomy groups.

CONCLUSIONS
VATS resection for NSCLC with intraoperative conversion does not appear to alter the long-term oncological outcome relative to full-VATS or open upfront thoracotomy. Postoperative complications were higher than for full-VATS and comparable to those for thoracotomy. VATS should be favoured when possible.
Jacobi–Trudi Identity and Drinfeld Functor for Super Yangian
Authors: Lu Kang , Mukhin Evgeny 
Published: January 2021

AbstractWe show that the quantum Berezinian that gives a generating function of the integrals of motions of XXX spin chains associated to super Yangian $\textrm{Y}(\mathfrak{g}\mathfrak{l}_{m|n})$ can be written as a ratio of two difference operators of orders $m$ and $n$ whose coefficients are ratios of transfer matrices corresponding to explicit skew Young diagrams. In the process, we develop several missing parts of the representation theory of $\textrm{Y}(\mathfrak{g}\mathfrak{l}_{m|n})$ such as $q$-character theory, Jacobi–Trudi identity, Drinfeld functor, extended T-systems, and Harish-Chandra map.
Establishment of a High-Resolution Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Spectral Library for Screening Toxic Natural Products
Authors: Luo Yiqi Ruben , Goodnough Robert , Yun Cassandra , Wu Alan H B , Lynch Kara L 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Many natural products have biological effects on humans and animals. Poisoning caused by natural products is common in clinical toxicology cases. Liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) has recently emerged as a powerful analytical tool for large-scale target screening, and the application of LC–HRMS can be expanded to evaluate potential natural product poisoning in clinical cases. We report the construction of an LC–HRMS spectral library of 95 natural products commonly implicated in poisoning, and an LC–HRMS assay was validated for definitive detection of natural products in urine and serum samples. For each compound, the limit of detection was determined in the analytical range of 1.0–1,000 ng/mL for urine samples and 0.50–500 ng/mL for serum samples. The mean (SD) values of matrix effects for urine samples and that for serum samples were both −21% (22%), and the mean (SD) value of recovery for serum samples was 89% (26%). The LC–HRMS assay was successfully applied to identify natural products in clinical cases. The spectral library parameters of each compound are provided in the supplementary material to aid other laboratories in identification of unknown natural toxins and development of similar methods on different mass spectrometry platforms.
Family Strategies in Refugee Journeys to Europe
Authors: Dubow Talitha , Kuschminder Katie 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
This article contributes to the literature on refugee journeys and decision-making by providing an exploratory study of the strategies adopted by refugee families in order to overcome controls on their movement and access to asylum. Refugee family strategies are analysed in the context of dynamic policy changes along the Eastern Mediterranean route, drawing on semi-structured interviews with Afghan, Iraqi and Syrian family members who were on this route between 2015 and 2018. The results demonstrate, first, how refugee families negotiate the physical and financial barriers to their movement—often by separating, which emerges as a key adaptive strategy. Second, concomitant with the decision to separate, family reunification policies become important in shaping—and determining the outcomes—of these asylum-seeking trajectories. Third, the article reflects on the consequences of family separation on the families themselves, particularly in an environment of limited family reunification possibilities.
Risk of Workforce Exit due to Disability: State Differences in 2003–2016
Authors: Ben-Shalom Yonatan , Martinez Ignacio , Finucane Mariel McKenzie 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
A better understanding of trends in workforce exit due to disability and how these trends vary across states and subgroups can help federal and state policymakers identify both individual-level and state-level factors associated with increased risk of workforce exit due to disability. Using national survey data and Bayesian multilevel modeling techniques, we produce yearly estimates of trends in the risk of workforce exit due to disability for states and demographic subgroups. These estimates are more stable and have narrower uncertainty intervals than estimates produced using classical statistical methods. We identify Current Population Survey respondents as being “newly at-risk” of exiting the workforce due to disability if they reported being employed in one month and out of the labor force because of a disability in the next month, and we refer to their share of the working-age population as the “at-risk rate.” We find that age, education, race, and gender are important factors for the at-risk rate, in decreasing order. Holding demographics constant across states and time reduces the cross-state variation in the at-risk rate but does little to reduce variability over time. State at-risk rates are typically higher than application rates for the Social Security Administration’s disability programs, but the relationship between these rates varies considerably by state. Our preliminary exploration of the reasons for cross-state variation in this relationship suggests that differences across states may be due to differences in their industrial composition, job opportunities, and safety net structure.
Expansion and Accelerated Evolution of 9-Exon Odorant Receptors inPolistesPaper Wasps
Authors: Legan Andrew W , Jernigan Christopher M , Miller Sara E , Fuchs Matthieu F , Sheehan Michael J 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIndependent origins of sociality in bees and ants are associated with independent expansions of particular odorant receptor (OR) gene subfamilies. In ants, one clade within the OR gene family, the 9-exon subfamily, has dramatically expanded. These receptors detect cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), key social signaling molecules in insects. It is unclear to what extent 9-exon OR subfamily expansion is associated with the independent evolution of sociality across Hymenoptera, warranting studies of taxa with independently derived social behavior. Here, we describe OR gene family evolution in the northern paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, and compare it to four additional paper wasp species spanning ∼40 million years of evolutionary divergence. We find 200 putatively functional OR genes in P. fuscatus, matching predictions from neuroanatomy, and more than half of these are in the 9-exon subfamily. Most OR gene expansions are tandemly arrayed at orthologous loci in Polistes genomes, and microsynteny analysis shows species-specific gain and loss of 9-exon ORs within tandem arrays. There is evidence of episodic positive diversifying selection shaping ORs in expanded subfamilies. Values of omega (dN/dS) are higher among 9-exon ORs compared to other OR subfamilies. Within the Polistes OR gene tree, branches in the 9-exon OR clade experience relaxed negative (relaxed purifying) selection relative to other branches in the tree. Patterns of OR evolution within Polistes are consistent with 9-exon OR function in CHC perception by combinatorial coding, with both natural selection and neutral drift contributing to interspecies differences in gene copy number and sequence.
Dexamethasone-induced intrauterine growth restriction modulates expression of placental vascular growth factors and fetal and placental growth
Authors: Arias A , Schander J A , Bariani M V , Correa F , Domínguez Rubio A P , Cella M , Cymeryng C B , Wolfson M L , Franchi A M , Aisemberg J 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Prenatal exposure to glucocorticoids (GC) is a central topic of interest in medicine since GCs are essential for the maturation of fetal organs and intrauterine growth. Synthetic glucocorticoids, which are used in obstetric practice, exert beneficial effects on the fetus, but have also been reported to lead to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). In this study, a model of growth restriction in mice was established through maternal administration of dexamethasone during late gestation. We hypothesised that GC overexposure may adversely affect placental angiogenesis and fetal and placental growth. Female BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to control or dexamethasone treatment, either left to give birth or euthanised on days 15, 16, 17 and 18 of gestation followed by collection of maternal and fetal tissue. The IUGR rate increased to 100% in the dexamethasone group (8 mg/kg body weight on gestational days 14 and 15) and pups had clinical features of symmetrical IUGR at birth. Dexamethasone administration significantly decreased maternal body weight gain and serum corticosterone levels. Moreover, prenatal dexamethasone treatment not only induced fetal growth retardation but also decreased placental weight. In IUGR placentas, VEGFA protein levels and mRNA expression of VEGF receptors were reduced and NOS activity was lower. Maternal dexamethasone administration also reduced placental expression of the GC receptor, αGR. We demonstrated that maternal dexamethasone administration causes fetal and placental growth restriction. Furthermore, we propose that the growth retardation induced by prenatal GC overexposure may be caused, at least partially, by an altered placental angiogenic profile.
Capture of conspecific planktonic larvae by the suspension-feeding gastropodCrepipatella peruviana: association between adult and larval size
Authors: Rivera-Figueroa G A , Büchner-Miranda J A , Salas-Yanquin L P , Montory J A , Cubillos V M , Pechenik J A , Chaparro O R 
Published: January 2021

ABSTRACTFree-living, planktonic larvae can be vulnerable to capture and ingestion by adult suspension-feeders. This is particularly the case for larvae that settle gregariously in benthic environments where suspension-feeders occur at high densities. Larvae of gregarious suspension-feeding species are at particularly high risk, as adults of their own species often serve as cues for metamorphosis. We conducted laboratory experiments to assess the extent to which adults of the suspension-feeding caenogastropod Crepipatella peruviana would capture and ingest their own larvae. Experiments were conducted with adults of different sizes, with larvae of different ages and sizes, and in the presence or absence of phytoplankton. Adults captured larvae in all experiments. The presence of microalgae in the water did not influence the extent of larval capture. On average, 39% of larvae were captured during the 3-h feeding periods, regardless of adult size. However, up to 34% of the larvae that were captured on the gill were later discarded as pseudofaeces; the other 64% were ingested. The extent of capture by adults was not related to adult size, or to larval size and, thus, to larval age. Our results suggest that the filtration of congeneric larvae by adult C. peruviana is a result of accidental capture rather than a deliberate feeding preference. Such ingestion could, however, still be an important source of larval mortality, especially when the advanced larvae of this species are searching for a suitable substrate for metamorphosis.
The volume of the quiver vortex moduli space
Authors: Ohta Kazutoshi , Sakai Norisuke 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
We study the moduli space volume of BPS vortices in quiver gauge theories on compact Riemann surfaces. The existence of BPS vortices imposes constraints on the quiver gauge theories. We show that the moduli space volume is given by a vacuum expectation value of a suitable cohomological operator (volume operator) in a supersymmetric quiver gauge theory, where BPS equations of the vortices are embedded. In the supersymmetric gauge theory, the moduli space volume is exactly evaluated as a contour integral by using the localization. Graph theory is useful to construct the supersymmetric quiver gauge theory and to derive the volume formula. The contour integral formula of the volume (generalization of the Jeffrey–Kirwan residue formula) leads to the Bradlow bounds ( upper bounds on the vorticity by the area of the Riemann surface divided by the intrinsic size of the vortex). We give some examples of various quiver gauge theories and discuss the properties of the moduli space volume in these theories. Our formulae are applied to the volume of the vortex moduli space in the gauged non-linear sigma model with $\mathbb{C} P^N$ target space, which is obtained by a strong coupling limit of a parent quiver gauge theory. We also discuss a non-Abelian generalization of the quiver gauge theory and “Abelianization” of the volume formula.
UPTAKE OF 226RA FROM IRRIGATION WATER BY BASIL CROPS
Authors: Aviv Ofer , Tripler Effi , Yungrais Zohar , Baziza Tomer , Vaknin Dani , Koch Jean 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The transfer of 226Ra from irrigation water to basil crops was studied in field conditions. A dedicated basil plot was established and divided into test and control subplots irrigated with water having high (2.1 Bq L−1) and low (0.05 Bq L−1) activity concentrations of 226Ra, respectively. The experiment was performed over a period of 18 months during the autumn, winter and spring seasons, altogether eight cycles of growth and harvest. The activity concentration of 226Ra in basil grown in the test subplots was found to increase from a value of 0.6 Bq kg−1 up to 5.1 Bq kg−1 with successive cycles, compared to a mean value of 0.2 Bq kg−1 for basil grown in the control subplots. The increase in activity concentration of 226Ra in basil grown in the test subplots is mainly attributed to its build-up in the soil in which the level of 226Ra was found to increase by ~ 40%. The effective uptake of 226Ra from the irrigation water (via soil) by the basil plants was found to be approximately 0.4%. The maximal radiation dose following consumption of basil crops grown in the test subplots is negligible (~3 μSv/y).
Network Analysis of Symptom Comorbidity in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Illness Course and Brain White Matter Microstructure
Authors: Ye Hua , Zalesky Andrew , Lv Jinglei , Loi Samantha M , Cetin-Karayumak Suheyla , Rathi Yogesh , Tian Ye , Pantelis Christos , Di Biase Maria A 
Published: January 2021

AbstractIntroductionRecent network-based analyses suggest that schizophrenia symptoms are intricately connected and interdependent, such that central symptoms can activate adjacent symptoms and increase global symptom burden. Here, we sought to identify key clinical and neurobiological factors that relate to symptom organization in established schizophrenia.MethodsA symptom comorbidity network was mapped for a broad constellation of symptoms measured in 642 individuals with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. Centrality analyses were used to identify hub symptoms. The extent to which each patient’s symptoms formed clusters in the comorbidity network was quantified with cluster analysis and used to predict (1) clinical features, including illness duration and psychosis (positive symptom) severity and (2) brain white matter microstructure, indexed by the fractional anisotropy (FA), in a subset (n = 296) of individuals with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data.ResultsGlobal functioning, substance use, and blunted affect were the most central symptoms within the symptom comorbidity network. Symptom profiles for some patients formed highly interconnected clusters, whereas other patients displayed unrelated and disconnected symptoms. Stronger clustering among an individual’s symptoms was significantly associated with shorter illness duration (t = 2.7; P = .0074), greater psychosis severity (ie, positive symptoms expression) (t = −5.5; P &lt; 0.0001) and lower fractional anisotropy in fibers traversing the cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit (r = .59, P &lt; 0.05).ConclusionSymptom network structure varies over the course of schizophrenia: symptom interactions weaken with increasing illness duration and strengthen during periods of high positive symptom expression. Reduced white matter coherence relates to stronger symptom clustering, and thus, may underlie symptom cascades and global symptomatic burden in individuals with schizophrenia.
Fortuitous Eradication of an Aggressive Basal Cell Carcinoma Via Foreign Body Reaction to a Polyurethane Vacuum-Assisted Closure Sponge
Authors: Wenzel Alyssa N. , Apel Peter J. , Gosnell Hailey L. , Grider Douglas J. 
Published: January 2021

Abstract:
The foreign body reaction (FBR) is a well-documented immune reaction. Much of the literature on FBRs has focused on minimizing this immune response to mitigate the impact on medical implants. Here, we present a case that illustrates a serendipitous oncologic outcome from an FBR. A 54-year-old man presented with an aggressive basal cell carcinoma (BCC). At the first resection, he had broadly positive surgical margins. The surgical wound was temporized with a polyurethane wound vacuum assisted closure (VAC) device. He was lost to follow-up having retained a VAC sponge for a total of 12 weeks. A wide re-resection was performed 7 months after the initial resection. Exhaustive examination of the resected specimen was performed. There was an absence of any BCC, replaced by a widespread chronic FBR to polyurethane VAC sponge particles. This suggests that the foreign body immune response was sufficiently intense to eradicate any remaining BCC. This case illustrates the concept of an FBR as a novel method of local immunotherapy.