bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association between circulatory microRNAs in plasma and atrial fibrillation among men and women from the general population
Authors: Geurts S , Mens MMJ , Bos MM , Ikram MA , Ghanbari M , Kavousi M 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): The Rotterdam Study is funded by Erasmus Medical Center and Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands Organization for the Health Research and Development (ZonMw), the Research Institute for Diseases in the Elderly (RIDE), the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Sports, the European Commission (DG XII), and the Municipality of Rotterdam. This project is further supported by the Gender and Prevention grant (555003017) from ZonMw.

Background
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. They have shown to play an important role in cardiovascular disease, but there is limited population-based data regarding the relationship between circulatory miRNAs in plasma and atrial fibrillation (AF). Moreover, it remains unclear if the associations between miRNAs with AF differ by sex.

Purpose
To determine the association of miRNAs with the risk of prevalent and incident AF among men and women from the general population.

Methods
Plasma levels of circulatory miRNAs were measured in 858 men and 1141 women from a large prospective population-based cohort study. Logistic regression and Cox Proportional Hazards models were used to assess the associations of 591 well-expressed miRNAs with the prevalence and incidence of AF. Models were adjusted for age and cardiovascular risk factors. We further examined the link between predicted target genes of identified miRNAs and AF.

Results
The mean age was 71.7 years (57.1% women), 58 men and 40 women had prevalent AF at baseline. Moreover, 96 men and 100 women developed AF during a median follow-up of 9.0 years. After adjusting for multiple testing, miR-4798-3p was significantly associated with prevalent AF among men; odds ratio: 0.39 (95% CI 0.24-0.66). No miRNAs were significantly associated with incident AF. MiR-4798-3p could potentially regulate the expression of AF-related genes, including genes involved in calcium and potassium handling in myocytes, protection of cells against oxidative stress, and cardiac fibrosis.

Conclusions
Plasma levels of miR-4798-3p were significantly associated with prevalent AF among men. Various target genes in relation to AF pathophysiology could potentially be regulated by miR-4798-3p that warrant further investigations in future experimental studies.
Smoking cessation after coronary angiography
Authors: Ramotowski B , Dziekan-Wislawska K , Lenarczyk E , Dzida M , Budaj A 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education

Background
Smoking cessation is crucial for risk reduction among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Effective support in smoking cessation (SC) and data regarding factors related to SC are still a matter of concern.

Purpose
To assess SC rates and factors related to effective smoking cessation in patients after coronary angiography (CA)

Methods
Patients scheduled to CA between 01.2014 and 11.2018 were screened for active smoking. Patients were contacted by phone after at least 6 months after procedure and investigated about current smoking, history of smoking and nicotine dependence.

Results
3719 consecutive patients were screened, overall 921 (24.8%) patients declared active smoking within the last month before CA. 241 patients were contacted and questionnaired after at least 6 months. The mean age of patients was 61.2 ± 9.3, 168 (69.7%) patients were men, 115 (47,7%) patients had acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Mean hospitalization time was 6 ± 4.4 days, 67 (27.8%) patients were scheduled for the second stage procedure. 80 (33.2%) patients declared SC during follow-up. In multivariate logistic regression analysis hospitalization time ≥4 days (OR 3.62; 95% CI 1.9-6.89), Fagerstrome score ≤4 (OR 1.96; 95%CI 1.01-3.79), scheduled second hospitalization (OR 2.54; 95%CI 1.32-4.86), and unexpectedly smoking load with ≥51 pack-years (OR 2.28; 95%CI 1.16-4.47) increased the chance of SC.

Conclusion
Substantial group of patients scheduled to CA are current smokers. Self-reported SC rates after procedure are higher than in general population but still reasonably low. Prolonged in-hospital stay and repeated hospitalization increase chances for smoking cessation as well as low measured nicotine dependence. Paradoxically high load of packing-years also increase the chances of SC which may support repetitive attempts to SC in this group of patients.
The effects of exercise training on muscle oxygenation of patients with intermittent claudication
Authors: Chatzinikolaou P , Cornelis N , Claes J , Buys R , Fourneau I , Cornelissen I 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.
Background. Intermittent claudication (IC) is characterized by a cramp-like pain during walking caused by insufficient blood flow to the lower limbs during exercise. The walking impairment caused by IC can lead to a vicious cycle of physical inactivity, decreased quality of life and progression of cardiovascular risk factors. Although current evidence supports the benefits of walking training to increase walking capacity, little is known about its effect on muscle oxygenation in this population. Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a hybrid 12-week walking program (combined center- and home-based walking) on muscle oxygenation of IC patients. Methods. Thirty-seven patients with IC were enrolled of which 33 completed follow-up measurements (age 71 ± 9 yrs, body mass index 26 ± 4 kg/m2, ankle brachial index (ABI) 0.7 ± 0.2) after the 12-week intervention. Outcome measures were pain-free walking capacity (PFWC), maximal walking capacity (MWC) and calf muscle oxygenation, respectively evaluated using a submaximal treadmill test, a Gardner treadmill test and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Results. After the 12-week intervention, significantly higher values (reported as median and interquartiles) for PFWC (162 m [122, 217] to 272 m [150, 401]; p &lt; 0.001) and MWC (458 m [260, 638] to 611 m [333, 840]; p &lt; 0.001) were observed. As shown in Table 1, NIRS data measured during the submaximal walking test showed an increased availability of oxygenated hemoglobin (p = 0.048) and decreased deoxyhemoglobin (p = 0.013), while total hemoglobin remained unchanged after the 12-week intervention. During the Gardner test, time to reach minimum tissue saturation index (TSI%) increased (p &lt; 0.001), yet no change was noted on minimum TSI during exercise, despite increased MWC. Despite a trend towards faster recovery times, no significant changes were observed after the 12-week intervention. Conclusion. Hybrid walking exercise therapy improves deoxygenation kinetics and walking capacity in IC patients. Increased availability of oxygenated hemoglobin might underly the improvement in walking capacity.
Multimarker method in the study of laboratory predictors of vascular wall elasticity as the basis for the development of a personalized approach to the treatment of socially significant diseases
Authors: Petelina T , Avdeeva K , Musikhina N , Gapon L , Bykova S , Leonovich S , Gorbatenko E , Zueva E , Valeeva L 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.

Aim
To investigate the role of markers of vascular inflammation, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone as predictors of increased pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and degenerative bone changes in postmenopausal women with arterial hypertension (AH).

Methods
164 females were examined. Gr.1 included 42 healthy individuals, Gr.2 - 58 patients with AH and Gr.3 - 64 postmenopausal women with AH and osteoporosis. Parameters of blood pressure monitoring; PWV, osteodensitometry (T-Score); inflammatory markers: hsCRP, TNFα, homocysteine, IL-1β, 6, 8, endothelin-1; lipid profile parameters; sex and parathyroid hormones, vitamin D were measured.

Results
In Gr.3 excess levels of PWV, hsCRP, homocysteine, IL8, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, endothelin-1 and parathyroid hormone was detected with decrease in the level of sex hormones and vitamin D. Besides, negative correlations of T-Score with age, PWV, duration of menopause, IL-6, hsCRP were registered; positive correlations between PWV with IL6, LDL cholesterol, hsCRP, endothelin-1, DBP variability were found. The logistic regression method revealed the main markers that affect increase of PWV, such as hsCRP and endothelin-1.Rise of each marker by unit of measurement leads to increase in PWV by 1.3 times and 2.4%, respectively. In Gr.2 increase in PWV level of more than 12.05 m/s was associated with 3.8-fold increase in the risk of osteoporosis. In Gr.3 increase in PWV level on 1 m/s was associated with 6 fold increase in the risk of osteoporosis.

Conclusions
Elevated levels of PWV are associated with markers of inflammation, levels of parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, T-Score and may be part of the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular continuum in postmenopausal women, which will require an individual approach to the treatment of AH with comorbid metabolic disorders.
Postweaning Isolation Alters the Responses of Auditory Neurons to Serotonergic Modulation
Authors: Davis Sarah E D , Sansone Jack M , Hurley Laura M 
Published: May 2021

AbstractJuvenile social experience, such as social isolation, has profound effects on communicative behavior, including signal production and reception. In the current study, we explored responsiveness to the neuromodulator serotonin as a potential mechanistic link between early life social isolation and auditory processing. The serotonergic system is sensitive to social isolation in many brain regions including the inferior colliculus (IC), an auditory midbrain nucleus. We investigated the effects of social experience on serotonergic responsiveness by measuring cFos, an immediate early gene product, in the IC of female mice. Serotonin was manipulated pharmacologically by administering fenfluramine, pCPA, or saline to mice that had undergone an extreme dichotomy in social experience after weaning: being housed in social groups versus individually. These mice were exposed to a 60-min recording of vocalizations from an opposite-sex interaction and perfused. Using immunohistochemistry, we measured the density of cFos-positive (cFos+) nuclei in the major subdivisions of the IC. Housing condition, drug treatment, and IC subregion all had a significant effect on cFos+ density. The central IC showed the highest density of cFos+ cells and also the most pronounced effects of housing condition and drug treatment. In the central IC, cFos+ density was higher following fenfluramine treatment than saline, and lower following pCPA treatment than fenfluramine. Individually housed mice showed a higher cFos+ density than socially housed mice in both of the pharmacological treatment groups, but not in the saline group. Drug treatment but not housing condition had strong effects on the behaviors of grooming, digging, rearing, and movement. Once the effects of drug condition were controlled, there were no across-individual correlations between cFos+ densities and behaviors. These findings suggest that the responses of auditory neurons to neuromodulation by serotonin are influenced by early life experience.
From Telson to Attack in Mantis Shrimp: Bridging Biomechanics and Behavior in Crustacean Contests
Authors: deVries Maya S , Lowder Kaitlyn B , Taylor Jennifer R A 
Published: May 2021

Synopsis
In the spirit of this symposium on the physical mechanisms of behavior, we review mantis shrimp ritualized fighting, from the telson to the attack, as an inspiring example of how the integration of biomechanics and behavioral research can yield a penetrating narrative for how animals accomplish important activities, including agonistic actions. Resolving conflicts with conspecifics over valuable resources is an essential task for animals, and this takes an unusual form in mantis shrimp due to their powerful raptorial appendages. Decades of field and laboratory research have provided key insights into the natural agonistic interactions of diverse mantis shrimp species, including how they use their raptorial weapons against one another in telson sparring matches over cavities. These insights provided the foundation for functional morphologists, biomechanists, and engineers to work through different levels of organization: from the kinematics of how the appendages move to the elastic mechanisms that power the strike, and down to the structure, composition, and material properties that transmit and protect against high-impact forces. Completing this narrative are studies on the defensive telson and how this structure is biomechanically matched to the weapon and the role it plays in ritualized fighting. The biomechanical understanding of the weapon and defense in mantis shrimp has, in turn, enabled a better understanding of whether mantis shrimp assess one another during contests and encouraged questions of evolutionary drivers on both the arsenal and behavior. Altogether, the body of research focused on mantis shrimp has presented perhaps the most comprehensive understanding of fighting, weapons, and defenses among crustaceans, from morphology and biomechanics to behavior and evolution. While this multi-level analysis of ritualized fighting in mantis shrimp is comprehensive, we implore the need to include additional levels of analysis to obtain a truly holistic understanding of this and other crustacean agonistic interactions. Specifically, both molting and environmental conditions are often missing from the narrative, yet they greatly affect crustacean weapons, defenses, and behavior. Applying this approach more broadly would generate a similarly profound understanding of how crustaceans carry out a variety of important tasks in diverse habitats.
Is genetic liability to ADHD and ASD causally linked to educational attainment?
Authors: Dardani Christina , Riglin Lucy , Leppert Beate , Sanderson Eleanor , Rai Dheeraj , Howe Laura D , Davey Smith George , Tilling Kate , Thapar Anita , Davies Neil M , Anderson Emma , Stergiakouli Evie 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundThe association patterns of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with educational attainment (EA) are complex; children with ADHD and ASD are at risk of poor academic outcomes, and parental EA has been associated with risk of ADHD/ASD in the offspring. Little is known on the causal links between ADHD, ASD, EA and the potential contribution of cognitive ability.MethodsUsing the latest genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data on ADHD, ASD and EA, we applied two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the effects of genetic liability to ADHD and ASD on EA. Reverse direction analyses were additionally performed. Multivariable MR was performed to estimate any effects independent of cognitive ability.ResultsGenetic liability to ADHD had a negative effect on EA, independently of cognitive ability (MVMRIVW: -1.7 months of education per doubling of genetic liability to ADHD; 95% CI: -2.8 to -0.7), whereas genetic liability to ASD a positive effect (MVMRIVW: 30 days per doubling of the genetic liability to ASD; 95% CI: 2 to 53). Reverse direction analyses suggested that genetic liability to higher EA had an effect on lower risk of ADHD, independently of cognitive ability (MVMRIVWOR: 0.33 per SD increase; 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.43) and increased risk of ASD (MRIVWOR: 1.51 per SD increase; 95% CI: 1.29 to 1.77), which was partly explained by cognitive ability (MVMRIVWOR per SD increase: 1.24; 95%CI: 0.96 to 1.60).ConclusionsGenetic liability to ADHD and ASD is likely to affect educational attainment, independently of underlying cognitive ability.
Persistence of Antibody and Cellular Immune Responses in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Over Nine Months After Infection
Authors: Yao Lin , Wang Guo-Lin , Shen Yuan , Wang Zhuang-Ye , Zhan Bing-Dong , Duan Li-Jun , Lu Bing , Shi Chao , Gao Yu-Meng , Peng Hong-Hong , Wang Guo-Qiang , Wang Dong-Mei , Jiang Ming-Dong , Cao Guo-Ping , Ma Mai-Juan 
Published: May 2021

Abstract

Background
The duration of humoral and T and B cell response after the infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains unclear.

Methods
We performed a cross-sectional study to assess the virus-specific antibody and memory T and B cell responses in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients up to 343 days after infection. Neutralizing antibodies and antibodies against the receptor-binding domain, spike, and nucleoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 were measured. Virus-specific memory T and B cell responses were analyzed.

Results
We enrolled 59 patients with COVID-19, including 38 moderate, 16 mild, and 5 asymptomatic patients; 31 (52.5%) were men and 28 (47.5%) were women. The median age was 41 years (interquartile range, 30–55). The median day from symptom onset to enrollment was 317 days (range 257 to 343 days). We found that approximately 90% of patients still have detectable immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies against spike and nucleocapsid proteins and neutralizing antibodies against pseudovirus, whereas ~60% of patients had detectable IgG antibodies against receptor-binding domain and surrogate virus-neutralizing antibodies. The SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG+ memory B cell and interferon-γ-secreting T cell responses were detectable in more than 70% of patients.

Conclusions
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific immune memory response persists in most patients approximately 1 year after infection, which provides a promising sign for prevention from reinfection and vaccination strategy.
A very rare case report of an iatrogenic bladder perforation in a young female with concurrent Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome
Authors: Roy Susmit Prosun , Combes Alexander Dimitri , Perera Dayashan Shevantha 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Acute bladder injuries are rare and usually occur following significant amount of trauma. It has also been reported to occur in patients with chronic conditions like carcinoma, prolonged indwelling catheters, chronic infections of the bladder among others.
We present a case of an otherwise fit and healthy young woman who presented to our emergency department following an episode of binge drinking and urinary retention. She had a perforation of the bladder following a simple indwelling 18-Fr Foley’s catheter insertion.
In our knowledge, this is probably the first case to be described for such an injury with such mechanism.
Structure and folding of four putative kink turns identified in structured RNA species in a test of structural prediction rules
Authors: Huang Lin , Liao Xinli , Li Mengxiao , Wang Jia , Peng Xuemei , Wilson Timothy J , Lilley David M J 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
k-Turns are widespread key architectural elements that occur in many classes of RNA molecules. We have shown previously that their folding properties (whether or not they fold into their tightly kinked structure on addition of metal ions) and conformation depend on their local sequence, and we have elucidated a series of rules for prediction of these properties from sequence. In this work, we have expanded the rules for prediction of folding properties, and then applied the full set to predict the folding and conformation of four probable k-turns we have identified amongst 224 structured RNA species found in bacterial intergenenic regions by the Breaker lab (1). We have analyzed the ion-dependence of folding of the four k-turns using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and determined the conformation of two of them using X-ray crystallography. We find that the experimental data fully conform to both the predicted folding and conformational properties. We conclude that our folding rules are robust, and can be applied to new k-turns of unknown characteristics with confidence.
KOBAS-i: intelligent prioritization and exploratory visualization of biological functions for gene enrichment analysis
Authors: Bu Dechao , Luo Haitao , Huo Peipei , Wang Zhihao , Zhang Shan , He Zihao , Wu Yang , Zhao Lianhe , Liu Jingjia , Guo Jincheng , Fang Shuangsang , Cao Wanchen , Yi Lan , Zhao Yi , Kong Lei 
Published: May 2021

Abstract
Gene set enrichment (GSE) analysis plays an essential role in extracting biological insight from genome-scale experiments. ORA (overrepresentation analysis), FCS (functional class scoring), and PT (pathway topology) approaches are three generations of GSE methods along the timeline of development. Previous versions of KOBAS provided services based on just the ORA method. Here we presented version 3.0 of KOBAS, which is named KOBAS-i (short for KOBAS intelligent version). It introduced a novel machine learning-based method we published earlier, CGPS, which incorporates seven FCS tools and two PT tools into a single ensemble score and intelligently prioritizes the relevant biological pathways. In addition, KOBAS has expanded the downstream exploratory visualization for selecting and understanding the enriched results. The tool constructs a novel view of cirFunMap, which presents different enriched terms and their correlations in a landscape. Finally, based on the previous version's framework, KOBAS increased the number of supported species from 1327 to 5944. For an easier local run, it also provides a prebuilt Docker image that requires no installation, as a supplementary to the source code version. KOBAS can be freely accessed at http://kobas.cbi.pku.edu.cn, and a mirror site is available at http://bioinfo.org/kobas.
The Effectiveness of Vacuum-Assisted Closure Device in Managing Intramuscular Tuberculosis
Authors: Othman Sharifah A. , ElSharkawy Tarek M. , Alfaifi Doaa , Aljehani Yasser 
Published: May 2021

ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis (TB) is endemic to some geographic areas such as Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is called the great mimicker because of its diverse and variable presentation and affects almost every organ in the body with different symptomatology. Often, TB causes empyema necessitans, the rarest forms of which are intramuscular and cutaneous. Here, the authors report a case of empyema necessitans and intramuscular TB, which was managed successfully with negative-pressure wound therapy. The treatment provided a good outcome and patient satisfaction compared with traditional invasive surgical options.