bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Rapid Increase of Oral Bacteria in Nasopharyngeal Microbiota After Antibiotic Treatment in Children With Invasive Pneumococcal Disease
Authors: Henares Desiree , Rocafort Muntsa , Brotons Pedro , de Sevilla Mariona F. , Mira Alex , Launes Cristian , Cabrera-Rubio Raul , Muñoz-Almagro Carmen 
Published: October 2021

IntroductionAntibiotics are commonly prescribed to young children for treating bacterial infections such as invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Despite the obvious benefits of antibiotics, little is known about their possible side effects on children’s nasopharyngeal microbiota. In other ecological niches, antibiotics have been described to perturb the balanced microbiota with short- and long-term effects on children’s health. The present study aims to evaluate and compare the nasopharyngeal microbiota of children with IPD and different degree of antibiotic exposure.MethodsWe investigated differences in nasopharyngeal microbiota of two groups of children &lt;18 years with IPD: children not exposed to antibiotics before sample collection (n=27) compared to children previously exposed (n=54). Epidemiological/clinical data were collected from subjects, and microbiota was characterized by Illumina sequencing of V3-V4 amplicons of the 16S rRNA gene.ResultsMain epidemiological/clinical factors were similar across groups. Antibiotic-exposed patients were treated during a median of 4 days (IQR: 3–6) with at least one beta-lactam (100.0%). Higher bacterial richness and diversity were found in the group exposed to antibiotics. Different streptococcal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were differentially abundant across groups: antibiotic use was associated to lower relative abundances of Streptococcus ASV2 and Streptococcus ASV11 (phylogenetically close to S. pneumoniae), and higher relative abundances of Streptococcus ASV3 and Streptococcus ASV12 (phylogenetically close to viridans group streptococci). ASVs assigned to typical bacteria from the oral cavity, including Veillonella, Alloprevotella, Porphyromonas, Granulicatella, or Capnocytophaga, were associated to the antibiotic-exposed group. Common nosocomial genera such as Staphylococcus, Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas were also enriched in the group exposed to antibiotics.ConclusionOur results point toward a reduction of S. pneumoniae abundance on the nasopharynx of children with IPD after antibiotic treatment and a short-term repopulation of this altered niche by oral and nosocomial bacteria. Future research studies will have to evaluate the clinical implications of these findings and if these populations would benefit from the probiotic/prebiotic administration or even from the improvement on oral hygiene practices frequently neglected among hospitalized children.
Arylmalonate Decarboxylase—A Versatile Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Optically Pure Carboxylic Acids
Authors: Schweiger Anna K. , Miyamoto Kenji , Kourist Robert 
Published: October 2021

Bacterial arylmalonate decarboxylase (AMDase) is an intriguing cofactor-independent enzyme with a broad substrate spectrum. Particularly, the highly stereoselective transformation of diverse arylmalonic acids into the corresponding chiral α-arylpropionates has contributed to the broad recognition of this biocatalyst. While, more than 30 years after its discovery, the native substrate and function of AMDase still remain undiscovered, contributions from multiple fields have ever since brought forth a powerful collection of AMDase variants to access a wide variety of optically pure α-substituted propionates. This review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the development of AMDase from an enzyme with unknown function up to a powerful tailored biocatalyst for the synthesis of industrially relevant optically pure α-arylpropionates. Historical perspectives as well as recent achievements in the field will be covered within this work.
Abrogation of CC Chemokine Receptor 9 Ameliorates Ventricular Electrical Remodeling in Mice After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Huang Yan , Ding Hua-Sheng , Song Tao , Chen Yu-Ting , Wang Teng , Tang Yan-Hong , Barajas-Martinez Hector , Huang Cong-Xin , Hu Dan 
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI) triggers structural and electrical remodeling. CC chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) mediates chemotaxis of inflammatory cells in MI. In our previous study, CCR9 knockout has been found to improve structural remodeling after MI. Here, we further investigate the potential influence of CCR9 on electrical remodeling following MI in order to explore potential new measures to improve the prognosis of MI.Methods and Results: Mice was used and divided into four groups: CCR9+/+/Sham, CCR9−/−/Sham, CCR9+/+/MI, CCR9−/−/MI. Animals were used at 1 week after MI surgery. Cardiomyocytes in the infracted border zone were acutely dissociated and the whole-cell patch clamp was used to record action potential duration (APD), L-type calcium current (ICa,L) and transient outward potassium current (Ito). Calcium transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium content under stimulation of Caffeine were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes by confocal microscopy. Multielectrode array (MEA) was used to measure the conduction of the left ventricle. The western-blot was performed for the expression level of connexin 43. We observed prolonged APD90, increased ICa,L and decreased Ito following MI, while CCR9 knockout attenuated these changes (APD90: 50.57 ± 6.51 ms in CCR9−/−/MI vs. 76.53 ± 5.98 ms in CCR9+/+/MI, p &lt; 0.05; ICa,L: −13.15 ± 0.86 pA/pF in CCR9−/−/MI group vs. −17.05 ± 1.11 pA/pF in CCR9+/+/MI, p &lt; 0.05; Ito: 4.01 ± 0.17 pA/pF in CCR9−/−/MI group vs. 2.71 ± 0.16 pA/pF in CCR9+/+/MI, p &lt; 0.05). The confocal microscopy results revealed CCR9 knockout reversed the calcium transient and calcium content reduction in sarcoplasmic reticulum following MI. MEA measurements showed improved conduction velocity in CCR9−/−/MI mice (290.1 ± 34.47 cm/s in CCR9−/−/MI group vs. 113.2 ± 14.4 cm/s in CCR9+/+/MI group, p &lt; 0.05). Western-blot results suggested connexin 43 expression was lowered after MI while CCR9 knockout improved its expression.Conclusion: This study shows CCR9 knockout prevents the electrical remodeling by normalizing ion currents, the calcium homeostasis, and the gap junction to maintain APD and the conduction function. It suggests CCR9 is a promising therapeutic target for MI-induced arrhythmia, which warrants further investigation.
Association Between Apelin and Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With High Risk of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Bohm Allan , Snopek Peter , Tothova Lubomira , Bezak Branislav , Jajcay Nikola , Vachalcova Marianna , Uher Tomas , Kurecko Marian , Kissova Viera , Danova Katarina , Olejnik Peter , Michalek Peter , Hlavata Tereza , Petrikova Katarina , Mojto Viliam , Kyselovic Jan , Farsky Stefan 
Published: October 2021

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with high risk of stroke preventable by timely initiation of anticoagulation. Currently available screening tools based on ECG are not optimal due to inconvenience and high costs. Aim of this study was to study the diagnostic value of apelin for AF in patients with high risk of stroke.Methods: We designed a multicenter, matched-cohort study. The population consisted of three study groups: a healthy control group (34 patients) and two matched groups of 60 patients with high risk of stroke (AF and non-AF group). Apelin levels were examined from peripheral blood.Results: Apelin was significantly lower in AF group compared to non-AF group (0.694 ± 0.148 vs. 0.975 ± 0.458 ng/ml, p = 0.001) and control group (0.982 ± 0.060 ng/ml, p &lt; 0.001), respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of apelin as a predictor of AF scored area under the curve (AUC) of 0.658. Apelin's concentration of 0.969 [ng/ml] had sensitivity = 0.966 and specificity = 0.467. Logistic regression based on manual feature selection showed that only apelin and NT-proBNP were independent predictors of AF. Logistic regression based on selection from bivariate analysis showed that only apelin was an independent predictor of AF. A logistic regression model using repeated stratified K-Fold cross-validation strategy scored an AUC of 0.725 ± 0.131.Conclusions: Our results suggest that apelin might be used to rule out AF in patients with high risk of stroke.
Extracorporeal Cardiac Shock Waves Therapy Improves the Function of Endothelial Progenitor Cells After Hypoxia Injury via Activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS Signal Pathway
Authors: Wang Mingqiang , Yang Dan , Hu Zhao , Shi Yunke , Ma Yiming , Cao Xingyu , Guo Tao , Cai Hongbo , Cai Hongyan 
Published: October 2021

Background: Extracorporeal cardiac shock waves (ECSW) have great potential in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a class of pluripotent progenitor cells derived from bone marrow or peripheral blood, which have the capacity to migrate to ischemic myocardium and differentiate into mature endothelial cells and play an important role in neovascularization and endothelial repair. In this study, we investigated whether ECSW therapy can improve EPCs dysfunction and apoptosis induced by hypoxia and explored the underlying mechanisms.Methods: EPCs were separated from ApoE gene knockout rat bone marrow and identified using flow cytometry and fluorescence staining. EPCs were used to produce in vitro hypoxia-injury models which were then divided into six groups: Control, Hypoxia, Hypoxia + ECSW, Hypoxia + LY294002 + ECSW, Hypoxia + MK-2206 + ECSW, and Hypoxia + L-NAME + ECSW. EPCs from the Control, Hypoxia, and Hypoxia + ECSW groups were used in mRNA sequencing reactions. mRNA and protein expression levels were analyzed using qRT-PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. Proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, migration, and angiogenesis were measured using CCK-8, flow cytometry, gelatin, transwell, and tube formation, respectively. Nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured using an NO assay kit.Results: Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in cancer signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, and Rap1 signaling pathways. We selected differentially expressed genes in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and verified them using a series of experiments. The results showed that ECSW therapy (500 shots at 0.09 mJ/mm2) significantly improved proliferation, adhesion, migration, and tube formation abilities of EPCs following hypoxic injury, accompanied by upregulation of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-eNOS, Bcl-2 protein and NO, PI3K, and Akt mRNA expression, and downregulation of Bax and Caspase3 protein expression. All these effects of ECSW were eliminated using inhibitors specific to PI3K (LY294002), Akt (MK-2206), and eNOS (L-NAME).Conclusion: ECSW exerted a strong repaired effect on EPCs suffering inhibited hypoxia injury by inhibiting cell apoptosis and promoting angiogenesis, mainly through activating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway, which provide new evidence for ECSW therapy in CHD.
Trends in Mortality From Aortic Stenosis in Europe: 2000–2017
Authors: Hartley Adam , Hammond-Haley Matthew , Marshall Dominic C. , Salciccioli Justin D. , Malik Iqbal S. , Khamis Ramzi Y. , Shalhoub Joseph 
Published: October 2021

Background: Trends in mortality from aortic stenosis across European countries are not well-understood, especially given the significant growth in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in the last 10 years.Methods: Age-standardised death rates were extracted from the World Health Organisation Mortality Database, using the International Classification of Diseases 10th edition code for non-rheumatic aortic stenosis for those aged &gt; 45 years between 2000 and 2017. The UK and countries from the European Union with at least 1,000,000 inhabitants and at least 50% available datapoints over the study period were included: a total of 23 countries. Trends were described using Joinpoint regression analysis.Results: No reductions in mortality were demonstrated across all countries 2000–2017. Large increases in mortality were found for Croatia, Poland and Slovakia for both sexes (&gt;300% change). Mortality plateaued in Germany from 2008 in females and 2012 in males, whilst mortality in the Netherlands declined for both sexes from 2007. Mortality differences between the sexes were observed, with greater mortality for males than females across most countries.Conclusions: Mortality from aortic stenosis has increased across Europe from 2000 to 2017. There are, however, sizable differences in mortality trends between Eastern and Western European countries. The need for health resource planning strategies to specifically target AS, particularly given the expected increase with ageing populations, is highlighted.
Luteolin Prevents Cardiac Dysfunction and Improves the Chemotherapeutic Efficacy of Doxorubicin in Breast Cancer
Authors: Shi Youyang , Li Feifei , Shen Man , Sun Chenpin , Hao Wei , Wu Chunyu , Xie Ying , Zhang Shuai , Gao Hongzhi , Yang Jianfeng , Zhou Zhongyan , Gao Dongwen , Qin Yuenong , Han Xianghui , Liu Sheng 
Published: October 2021

Background: Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most effective chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. However, it causes dose-related cardiotoxicity that may lead to heart failure in patients. Luteolin (Lut) is a common flavonoid that exists in many types of plants. It has been studied for treating various diseases such as hypertension, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. In this study, we evaluated the cardioprotective and anticancer effects of Lut on Dox-induced cardiomyopathy in vitro and in vivo to explore related mechanisms in alleviating dynamin-related protein (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis.Methods: MTT and LDH assay were used to determine the viability and toxicity of cardiomyocytes treated with Dox and Lut. Flow cytometry was used to examine ROS levels, and electron and confocal microscopy was employed to assess the mitochondrial morphology. The level of apoptosis was examined by Hoechst 33258 staining. The protein levels of myocardial fission protein and apoptosis-related protein were examined using Western blot. Transcriptome analysis of the protective effect of Lut against Dox-induced cardiac toxicity in myocardial cells was performed using RNA sequencing technology. The protective effects of Lut against cardiotoxicity mediated by Dox in zebrafish were quantified. The effect of Lut increase the antitumor activity of Dox in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo were further employed.Results: Lut ameliorated Dox-induced toxicity in H9c2 and AC16 cells. The level of oxidative stress was downregulated by Lut after Dox treatment of myocardial cells. Lut effectively reduced the increased mitochondrial fission post Dox stimulation in cardiomyocytes. Apoptosis, fission protein Drp1, and Ser616 phosphorylation were also increased post Dox and reduced by Lut. In the zebrafish model, Lut significantly preserved the ventricular function of zebrafish after Dox treatment. Moreover, in the mouse model, Lut prevented Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and enhanced the cytotoxicity in triple-negative breast cancer by inhibiting proliferation and metastasis and inducing apoptosis.
Body Mass Index and Long-Term Follow-Up Outcomes in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction by the Median of Non-HDL Cholesterol: Results From an Observational Cohort Study in China
Authors: Gao Hui , Shen Aidong , Chen Hui , Li Hongwei 
Published: October 2021

Background: The association between obesity, non-HDL cholesterol, and clinical outcomes in subjects with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is incompletely understood. The aim of this investigation was to explore the association between body mass index (BMI), non-high density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol, and long-term follow-up prognosis.Methods: This present study used data obtained by the Cardiovascular Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital Database Bank. We identified 3,780 consecutive AMI populations aged 25–93 years from 2013 to 2020. Participants were categorized as normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI &lt;22.9 kg/m2), overweight (23.0 ≤ BMI &lt;24.9 kg/m2), obese class I (25.0 ≤ BMI &lt;29.9 kg/m2), and obese class II (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2). The endpoint of interest was cardiovascular (CV) death, all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, unplanned revascularization, and cardiac hospitalization.Results:Participants with higher BMI were younger and more likely to be males compared with lower BMI groups. Elevated non-HDL cholesterol was present in 8.7, 11.0, 24.3, and 5.9% of the normal, overweight, obese class I, and obese class II groups, respectively. After multivariate adjustment, compared to normal-weight participants with decreased non-HDL cholesterol (reference group), obese participants with and without elevated non-HDL cholesterol had a lower risk of mortality (with obese class I and elevated non-HDL cholesterol: hazard ratio [HR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28–0.67; with obese class I and decreased non-HDL cholesterol: HR, 0.68, 95% CI, 0.47–0.98; with obese class II and elevated non-HDL cholesterol: HR, 0.42, 95% CI, 0.20–0.87; with obese class II and decreased non-HDL cholesterol: HR, 0.35, 95% CI, 0.16–0.72).Conclusion: In AMI participants performing with PCI, obesity had a better long-term prognosis which probably unaffected by the level of non-HDL cholesterol.
Investigation on Coal Skeleton Deformation in CO2 Injection Enhanced CH4 Drainage From Underground Coal Seam
Authors: Fan Chaojun , Yang Lei , Wang Gang , Huang Qiming , Fu Xiang , Wen Haiou 
Published: October 2021

To reveal the evolution law of coal skeleton deformation during the process of CO2 flooding and displacing CH4 in coal seam, a fluid-solid coupling mathematical model of CO2 injection enhanced CH4 drainage was established based on Fick’s law, Darcy’s law, ideal gas state equation, and Langmuir equation. Meanwhile, numerical simulations were carried out by implementing the mathematical model in the COMSOL Multiphysics. Results show that the CH4 content of both regular gas drainage and CO2 enhanced gas drainage gradually decreases with time, and the decreasing rate is high between 10 and 60 days. Compared with regular gas drainage, the efficiency of CO2 enhanced gas drainage is more obvious with greater amount of CH4 extracted out. When coal seam gas is extracted for 10, 60, 120, and 180 days, CH4 content in coal seam is reduced by 5.2, 17.2, 23.6, and 26.7%, respectively. For regular gas drainage, the deformation of coal skeleton is dominated by the shrink of coal matrix induced by gas desorption, and the strain curve shows a continuous downward trend. For CO2 enhanced gas drainage, the strain curve of coal skeleton showed a decrease—rapid increase—slow increase trend. The evolution of permeability is opposite to the evolution of coal skeleton strain. Higher gas injection pressure will lead to a greater coal skeleton strain. The pumping pressure affects the deformation of coal skeleton slightly compared with that of initial water saturation and initial temperature. Greater initial water saturation leads to larger deformation of coal skeleton in the early stage. The strain value of coal skeleton gradually tends to be consistent as gas injection prolongs. Higher initial temperature leads to greater reduction in coal skeleton strain when the gas injection continues. Research achievements provide a basis for the field application of CO2 injection enhanced CH4 drainage in underground coal mines.
Brief Research Report: Agreement Between Teacher and Student Reports on Students’ Acceptance and Rejection
Authors: Schoop-Kasteler Noemi , Müller Christoph M. 
Published: October 2021

Student-reported peer nominations are typically used to obtain information on the social status (i.e., acceptance and rejection) of students in their classrooms. However, under certain circumstances this assessment method cannot be used, for example for logistical reasons or with students with intellectual disabilities (ID) who are not always able to fill out peer nominations. In such instances, teacher reports on students’ expected nominations may serve as a proxy. As part of a larger study on students with ID, we evaluated the agreement between teachers’ and students’ peer reports regarding individual students’ acceptance and rejection using unlimited nomination procedures in Grades 4–6 mainstream classrooms. As many students with ID cannot fill out peer nominations, this evaluation study used a sample of typically developing students without ID. Teachers (n = 27, Mage = 34.24 years, SD = 10.85; 85.2% female) nominated all peers from the classroom who they believed individual students would report as “liked” and “not liked”. For direct comparison, students (n = 441, Mage = 11.36 years, SD = 0.89; 46.8% female) themselves were also asked to report their “liked” and “not liked” nominations. Students received both more “liked” and more “not liked” nominations from their peers than from their teachers. Students’ social status as calculated from teacher reports showed only partial agreement with social status as calculated from student reports, suggesting that in mainstream classrooms student reports cannot be easily replaced by teacher reports. Perspectives on the application of teacher-reported peer nominations in special needs settings are discussed.