bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The incremental value of computed tomography of COVID-19 pneumonia in predicting ICU admission
Authors: Bartolucci Maurizio , Benelli Matteo , Betti Margherita , Bicchi Sara , Fedeli Luca , Giannelli Federico , Aquilini Donatella , Baldini Alessio , Consales Guglielmo , Di Natale Massimo Edoardo , Lotti Pamela , Vannucchi Letizia , Trezzi Michele , Mazzoni Lorenzo Nicola , Santini Sandro , Carpi Roberto , Matarrese Daniela , Bernardi Luca , Mascalchi Mario ,   the COVID Working Group, Cavigli Edoardo , Bindi Alessandra , Cozzi Diletta , Miele Vittorio , Busoni Simone , Taddeucci Adriana , Allescia Germana , Zini Chiara , Dedola Giovanni Luca , Mazzocchi Silvia , Pozzessere Chiara , Viviani Adriano 
Published: August 2021

AbstractTriage is crucial for patient’s management and estimation of the required intensive care unit (ICU) beds is fundamental for health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed whether chest computed tomography (CT) of COVID-19 pneumonia has an incremental role in predicting patient’s admission to ICU. We performed volumetric and texture analysis of the areas of the affected lung in CT of 115 outpatients with COVID-19 infection presenting to the emergency room with dyspnea and unresponsive hypoxyemia. Admission blood laboratory including lymphocyte count, serum lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer and C-reactive protein and the ratio between the arterial partial pressure of oxygen and inspired oxygen were collected. By calculating the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUC), we compared the performance of blood laboratory-arterial gas analyses features alone and combined with the CT features in two hybrid models (Hybrid radiological and Hybrid radiomics)for predicting ICU admission. Following a machine learning approach, 63 patients were allocated to the training and 52 to the validation set. Twenty-nine (25%) of patients were admitted to ICU. The Hybrid radiological model comprising the lung %consolidation performed significantly (p = 0.04) better in predicting ICU admission in the validation (AUC = 0.82; 95% confidence interval 0.73–0.97) set than the blood laboratory-arterial gas analyses features alone (AUC = 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.56–0.86). A risk calculator for ICU admission was derived and is available at: https://github.com/cgplab/covidapp. The volume of the consolidated lung in CT of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia has a mild but significant incremental value in predicting ICU admission.
Lipoprotein (a) level as a risk factor for stroke and its subtype: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Swarnkar Priyanka , Misra Shubham , Nath Manabesh 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe role of lipoprotein-A [Lp (a)] as a risk factor for stroke is less well documented than for coronary heart disease. Hence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis for the published observational studies in order to investigate the association of Lp (a) levels with the risk of stroke and its subtypes. In our meta-analysis, 41 studies involving 7874 ischemic stroke (IS) patients and 32,138 controls; 13 studies for the IS subtypes based on TOAST classification and 7 studies with 871 Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) cases and 2865 control subjects were included. A significant association between increased levels of Lp (a) and risk of IS as compared to control subjects was observed (standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CIs) 0.53–0.99). Lp (a) levels were also found to be significantly associated with the risk of large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) subtype of IS (SMD 0.68; 95% CI 0.01–1.34) as well as significantly associated with the risk of ICH (SMD 0.65; 95% CI 0.13–1.17) as compared to controls. Increased Lp (a) levels could be considered as a predictive marker for identifying individuals who are at risk of developing IS, LAA and ICH.
Nutrient availability and pH level affect germination traits and seedling development of Conyza canadensis
Authors: Follmer Caroline Maldaner , Hummes Ana Paula , Lângaro Nadia Canali , Petry Claudia , Moterle Diovane Freire , Bortoluzzi Edson Campanhola 
Published: August 2021

AbstractReducing pesticide application in agricultural land is a major challenge for the twenty-first century. Responses of weed seed’s germination and seedling’s early development to chemical soil conditions around the seed may be a promising way to aid weed control in a no-till system. Thus, the objective of this work was to test, under controlled conditions, whether different chemical conditions affect the germination and development of horseweed [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist]. We used, as treatment, solutions containing different nutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mg), separately and in combination, and at two pH levels (4.8 and 6.5). Phosphorus alone inhibited horseweed seed germination at ~ 7 times while had ~ 4 times reduction in final germination percentage and germination speed index for both pH tested. Other nutrients tested had a no-effect in germination speed index compared to the control treatment. Potassium alone or associated with other ions (P, Ca, and Mg) at pH 4.8 had a synergistic effect on seedling development (root and shoot length). In the same way, K associated with Mg was synergistic to the root length at pH 6.5. Seeds in the control treatment (distilled water) presented a high germination speed index at pH 6.5, while at low pH this parameter was higher when in association with KMg, PMg and Ca. The findings demonstrate that seed germination traits and seedling development of horseweed depend on nutrient kind exposure and pH conditions in the seed environment. This work suggests that adequate topsoil management (i.e., pH and nutrient availability) may aid to reduce weed germination, because, it consists of an important factor of weed occurrence in agricultural areas.
KUS121 attenuates the progression of monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis in rats
Authors: Iwai Sachiko , Ikeda Hanako O. , Mera Hisashi , Nishitani Kohei , Saito Motoo , Tsujikawa Akitaka , Kakizuka Akira 
Published: August 2021

AbstractCurrently there is no effective treatment available for osteoarthritis (OA). We have recently developed Kyoto University Substances (KUSs), ATPase inhibitors specific for valosin-containing protein (VCP), as a novel class of medicine for cellular protection. KUSs suppressed intracellular ATP depletion, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and cell death. In this study, we investigated the effects of KUS121 on chondrocyte cell death. In cultured chondrocytes differentiated from ATDC5 cells, KUS121 suppressed the decline in ATP levels and apoptotic cell death under stress conditions induced by TNFα. KUS121 ameliorated TNFα-induced reduction of gene expression in chondrocytes, such as Sox9 and Col2α. KUS121 also suppressed ER stress and cell death in chondrocytes under tunicamycin load. Furthermore, intraperitoneal administration of KUS121 in vivo suppressed chondrocyte loss and proteoglycan reduction in knee joints of a monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA rat model. Moreover, intra-articular administration of KUS121 more prominently reduced the apoptosis of the affected chondrocytes. These results demonstrate that KUS121 protects chondrocytes from stress-induced cell death in vitro and in vivo, and indicate that KUS121 is a promising novel therapeutic agent to prevent the progression of OA.
Urocortin 3 overexpression reduces ER stress and heat shock response in 3T3-L1 adipocytes
Authors: Kavalakatt Sina , Khadir Abdelkrim , Madhu Dhanya , Koistinen Heikki A. , Al-Mulla Fahd , Tuomilehto Jaakko , Abubaker Jehad , Tiss Ali 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe neuropeptide urocortin 3 (UCN3) has a beneficial effect on metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It has been reported that UCN3 regulates insulin secretion and is dysregulated with increasing severity of obesity and diabetes. However, its function in the adipose tissue is unclear. We investigated the overexpression of UCN3 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and differentiated adipocytes and its effects on heat shock response, ER stress, inflammatory markers, and glucose uptake in the presence of stress-inducing concentrations of palmitic acid (PA). UCN3 overexpression significantly downregulated heat shock proteins (HSP60, HSP72 and HSP90) and ER stress response markers (GRP78, PERK, ATF6, and IRE1α) and attenuated inflammation (TNFα) and apoptosis (CHOP). Moreover, enhanced glucose uptake was observed in both preadipocytes and mature adipocytes, which is associated with upregulated phosphorylation of AKT and ERK but reduced p-JNK. Moderate effects of UCN3 overexpression were also observed in the presence of 400 μM of PA, and macrophage conditioned medium dramatically decreased the UCN3 mRNA levels in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. In conclusion, the beneficial effects of UCN3 in adipocytes are reflected, at least partially, by the improvement in cellular stress response and glucose uptake and attenuation of inflammation and apoptosis.
Metabolomics-based discrimination of patients with remitted depression from healthy controls using 1H-NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Hung Ching-I. , Lin Gigin , Chiang Meng-Han , Chiu Chih-Yung 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe aim of the study was to investigate differences in metabolic profiles between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) with full remission (FR) and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 119 age-matched MDD patients with FR (n = 47) and HCs (n = 72) were enrolled and randomly split into training and testing sets. A 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics approach was used to identify differences in expressions of plasma metabolite biomarkers. Eight metabolites, including histidine, succinic acid, proline, acetic acid, creatine, glutamine, glycine, and pyruvic acid, were significantly differentially-expressed in the MDD patients with FR in comparison with the HCs. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that pyruvate metabolism via the tricarboxylic acid cycle linked to amino acid metabolism was significantly associated with the MDD patients with FR. An algorithm based on these metabolites employing a linear support vector machine differentiated the MDD patients with FR from the HCs with a predictive accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of nearly 0.85. A metabolomics-based approach could effectively differentiate MDD patients with FR from HCs. Metabolomic signatures might exist long-term in MDD patients, with metabolic impacts on physical health even in patients with FR.
Nerve growth factor and glutamate increase the density and expression of substance P-containing nerve fibers in healthy human masseter muscles
Authors: Alhilou Abdelrahman M. , Shimada Akiko , Svensson Camilla I. , Svensson Peter , Ernberg Malin , Cairns Brian E. , Christidis Nikolaos 
Published: August 2021

AbstractNocifensive behavior induced by injection of glutamate or nerve growth factor (NGF) into rats masseter muscle is mediated, in part, through the activation of peripheral NMDA receptors. However, information is lacking about the mechanism that contributes to pain and sensitization induced by these substances in humans. Immunohistochemical analysis of microbiopsies obtained from human masseter muscle was used to investigate if injection of glutamate into the NGF-sensitized masseter muscle alters the density or expression of the NMDA receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) or NGF by putative sensory afferent (that express SP) fibers. The relationship between expression and pain characteristics was also examined. NGF and glutamate administration increased the density and expression of NR2B and NGF by muscle putative sensory afferent fibers (P < 0.050). This increase in expression was greater in women than in men (P < 0.050). Expression of NR2B receptors by putative sensory afferent fibers was positively correlated with pain characteristics. Results suggest that increased expression of peripheral NMDA receptors partly contributes to the increased pain and sensitivity induced by intramuscular injection of NGF and glutamate in healthy humans; a model of myofascial temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. Whether a similar increase in peripheral NMDA expression occurs in patients with painful TMDs warrants further investigation.
Plasma expression of microRNA-425-5p and microRNA-451a as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Taverner Delia , Llop Dídac , Rosales Roser , Ferré Raimon , Masana Luis , Vallvé Joan-Carles , Paredes Silvia 
Published: August 2021

AbstractTo validate in a cohort of 214 rheumatoid arthritis patients a panel of 10 plasmatic microRNAs, which we previously identified and that can facilitate earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients. We identified 10 plasma miRs that were downregulated in male rheumatoid arthritis patients and in patients with acute myocardial infarction compared to controls suggesting that these microRNAs could be epigenetic biomarkers for cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Six of those microRNAs were validated in independent plasma samples from 214 rheumatoid arthritis patients and levels of expression were associated with surrogate markers of cardiovascular disease (carotid intima-media thickness, plaque formation, pulse wave velocity and distensibility) and with prior cardiovascular disease. Multivariate analyses adjusted for traditional confounders and treatments showed that decreased expression of microRNA-425-5p in men and decreased expression of microRNA-451 in women were significantly associated with increased (β = 0.072; p = 0.017) and decreased carotid intima-media thickness (β = −0.05; p = 0.013), respectively. MicroRNA-425-5p and microRNA-451 also increased the accuracy to discriminate patients with pathological carotid intima-media thickness by 1.8% (p = 0.036) in men and 3.5% (p = 0.027) in women, respectively. In addition, microRNA-425-5p increased the accuracy to discriminate male patients with prior cardiovascular disease by 3% (p = 0.008). Additionally, decreased expression of microRNA-451 was significantly associated with decreased pulse wave velocity (β = −0.72; p = 0.035) in overall rheumatoid arthritis population. Distensibility showed no significant association with expression levels of the microRNAs studied. We provide evidence of a possible role of microRNA-425-5p and microRNA-451 as useful epigenetic biomarkers to assess cardiovascular disease risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The possible association of clusterin fucosylation changes with male fertility disorders
Authors: Janiszewska Ewa , Kokot Izabela , Gilowska Iwona , Faundez Ricardo , Kratz Ewa Maria 
Published: August 2021

AbstractIn the seminal plasma (n = 118) and serum (n = 90) clusterin (CLU) the fucosylation and the expression of selected fucosyltransferases (FUTs) were analyzed. Samples from infertile men were divided into groups based on the results of the standard semen analysis: normozoospermic (N), teratozoospermic (T), asthenoteratozoospermic (AT) and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT). The CLU fucosylation was analyzed using lectin-ELISAs with biotinylated lectins specific to α1,3-, α1,2-linked antennary fucose, and α1,6-linked core fucose (LTA, UEA, and LCA, respectively). The concentrations of FUT3 and FUT4, reflecting the expression of Le oligosaccharide structures, were measured using ELISA tests. The differences in serum CLU and FUT4 concentrations, and in the expression of core fucose and antennary fucose α1,2-linked in CLU glycans between the N group and other groups examined suggest that the disturbances in sperm count, motility, and morphology are not the only cause of male infertility. Lack of similarities between levels of examined parameters in blood serum and seminal plasma may suggest the differences in mechanisms leading to glycoproteins glycosylation. It confirmed the observed differences in concentrations of seminal plasma CLU, FUT3, and FUT4 between the OAT group and N, T, AT groups, indicating that decreased sperm count may be related to these parameters expression. The serum CLU concentrations and expression of core fucose and fucose α1,2-linked in CLU, seem to be good markers differentiating normozoospermic men from those with abnormal sperm parameters, which was not observed for seminal plasma.
X-ray crystallography reveals molecular recognition mechanism for sugar binding in a melibiose transporter MelB
Authors: Guan Lan , Hariharan Parameswaran 
Published: August 2021

AbstractMajor facilitator superfamily_2 transporters are widely found from bacteria to mammals. The melibiose transporter MelB, which catalyzes melibiose symport with either Na+, Li+, or H+, is a prototype of the Na+-coupled MFS transporters, but its sugar recognition mechanism has been a long-unsolved puzzle. Two high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of a Salmonella typhimurium MelB mutant with a bound ligand, either nitrophenyl-α-d-galactoside or dodecyl-β-d-melibioside, were refined to a resolution of 3.05 or 3.15 Å, respectively. In the substrate-binding site, the interaction of both galactosyl moieties on the two ligands with MelBSt are virturally same, so the sugar specificity determinant pocket can be recognized, and hence the molecular recognition mechanism for sugar binding in MelB has been deciphered. The conserved cation-binding pocket is also proposed, which directly connects to the sugar specificity pocket. These key structural findings have laid a solid foundation for our understanding of the cooperative binding and symport mechanisms in Na+-coupled MFS transporters, including eukaryotic transporters such as MFSD2A.
Data-science driven autonomous process optimization
Authors: Christensen Melodie , Yunker Lars P. E. , Adedeji Folarin , Häse Florian , Roch Loïc M. , Gensch Tobias , dos Passos Gomes Gabriel , Zepel Tara , Sigman Matthew S. , Aspuru-Guzik Alán , Hein Jason E. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAutonomous process optimization involves the human intervention-free exploration of a range process parameters to improve responses such as product yield and selectivity. Utilizing off-the-shelf components, we develop a closed-loop system for carrying out parallel autonomous process optimization experiments in batch. Upon implementation of our system in the optimization of a stereoselective Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, we find that the definition of a set of meaningful, broad, and unbiased process parameters is the most critical aspect of successful optimization. Importantly, we discern that phosphine ligand, a categorical parameter, is vital to determination of the reaction outcome. To date, categorical parameter selection has relied on chemical intuition, potentially introducing bias into the experimental design. In seeking a systematic method for selecting a diverse set of phosphine ligands, we develop a strategy that leverages computed molecular feature clustering. The resulting optimization uncovers conditions to selectively access the desired product isomer in high yield.
DAF-16 acts as the “hub” of astaxanthin's anti-aging mechanism to improve aging-related physiological functions in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Liu Xiaojuan , Liu Han , Chen Zhiqing , Xiao Jie , Cao Yong 
Published: August 2021

This study measured the effects of AX on the longevity and physiological indexes of C. elegans under different conditions, and explored the possible anti-aging mechanism of AX by analyzing aging proteins and signaling pathways through proteomics.
Sex differences in hypertension: lessons from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)
Authors: Elmarakby Ahmed A. , Sullivan Jennifer C. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractAlthough numerous clinical and experimental studies have clearly identified a sexual dimorphism in blood pressure control, the mechanism(s) underlying gender differences in blood pressure remain unclear. Over the past two decades, numerous laboratories have utilized the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) as an experimental model of essential hypertension to increase our understanding of the mechanisms regulating blood pressure in males and females. Previous work by our group and others have implicated that differential regulation of adrenergic receptors, the renin–angiotensin system, oxidative stress, nitric oxide bioavailability and immune cells contribute to sex differences in blood pressure control in SHR. The purpose of this review is to summarize previous findings to date regarding the mechanisms of blood pressure control in male versus female SHR.
Technical report: PID design of second‐order non‐linear uncertain systems with fractional order operations
Authors: Chen Song , Chen Tehuan , Xu Chao , Chu Jian 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis study considers a control problem related to the regulation of fractional‐order systems controlled by fractional order proportional‐integral‐derivative controllers (PIλDμ). The stability result of PIλDμ‐based control systems is provided, such that the closed‐loop systems can accomplish global stabilisation under some suitable conditions related to the system uncertainties. Finally, a simulation is demonstrated to verify the results.
Lithium abundance in a sample of active stars: High-resolution spectrograph observation with the 1.8 m telescope
Authors: Xing Li-Feng , Li Yuan-Chao , Chang Liang , Wang Chuan-Jun , Bai Jin-Ming 
Published: August 2021

Context. Observations of young, low-mass, main-sequence, and zero-age main-sequence stars show evidence of a correlation between lithium abundance and chromospheric activity, albeit with a very large scatter. Fast rotation stars (including T Tauri stars, RS CVn, and BY Dra systems) show the Li I doublet at 6707.8 Å in their spectra. The lithium depletion is probably related to the rotation (turbulent diffusion induced by rotation). Because the flare activity of stars increases with decreasing rotation period, a correlation can be expected between lithium abundance and chromospheric activity for active stars.
Aims. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relation between lithium abundance and the Ca II H and K emission index (R′HK = LHK/Lbol) for a sample of active stars.
Methods. Based on the high-resolution spectroscopic observations, we calculated lithium abundance for 14 chromospherically active late-type stars using the comparison of the measured Li I λ670.8 nm equivalent width with curve of growth calculations in non-local-thermodynamic-equilibrium conditions. We also searched the correlation between lithium abundance and the Ca II H & K emission index (log R′HK) for the 14 chromospherically active late-type stars.
Results. The study of the relationship between lithium abundance and the Ca II H & K emission index (log R′HK) found that the activity of sample stars increases with increasing lithium abundance. Next, the lithium abundance analogs progressively decrease as the rotation periods increase (rotation becomes slow) and the large values of the log R′HK along with small values of Rossby numbers for the sample of chromospherically active stars.
Conclusions. The lithium abundance (log N(Li)) versus the chromospheric activity and log N(Li) against the rotation period both indicate that the lithium abundance analogs progressively increase as the chromospheric activity index increases and/or the rotation velocity increase (rotation period becomes small) for our sample of active stars. On the other hand, the log R′HK against the Rossby number RO shows that there is a clear trend of increasing activity with increasing rotation velocity for these active stars. Considering that the lithium abundance decreases with increasing stellar age in late-type stars, we can deduce that the chromospheric activity and the rotation velocity both decrease with the increase of stellar age for our sample active stars.