bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Immune Implication of ASF1B Gene in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Meng Tao , Tong Zhong , Yang Ming-Ya , Wang Jing-Jing , Zhu Li-Xin , Zhang Yan , Liu Yu , Wang Zhen-Zhen 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background: Anti-silencing function 1B (ASF1B) has been demonstrated to contribute to tumorigenesis. However, its carcinogenic and immune effects in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been reported. This study aimed to identify immune role of ASF1B in HCC.Methods: HCC datasets obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used to investigate the role of ASF1B gene in HCC, followed by validation using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) website. CIBERSORT analysis was performed to evaluate immune cell infiltration levels. The TISIDB and cBioPortal network tool were used to seek ASF1B-associated immunomodulators and its co-expressed genes. TCGA cohort was divided into train set and test set according to the ratio of 7:3. Cox regression was used to identify ASF1B-associated prognostic immunomodulators in train set, followed by internal validation using the test set. Based on the median risk-score, HCC patients were divided into high- and low-risk group for the further survival curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, as well as nomogram and calibration curves analysis. Finally, the dataset collected from the GEO was adopted for external validation.Results: ASF1B was over-expressed in TCGA HCC cohort and contributed poor prognosis, which was verified in two GEO datasets (GSE14520 and GSE6764) and GEPIA, as well as Kaplan Meier Plotter network tool. The immune cell infiltration levels were found to be associated with the ASF1B copy numbers and mRNA expression. A total of 78 ASF1B-associated genes were screened out, including 7 immunoinhibitors, 21 immunostimulators and 50 tightly co-expressed genes. Finally, 5 ASF1B-associated genes (TNFSF4, TNFRSF4, KDR, MICB and CST7) were identified to be strongly related to HCC survival. Survival analysis demonstrated that the prognosis of patients in high-risk group was poor. The prognosis predict model, which was established by nomogram based on risk-score, and was validated in both TCGA test set and GEO validated datasets, exerted excellent predictive power in this study.Conclusion: Our findings showed that the ASF1B was associated with HCC immunity. The selected ASF1B-asociated immune markers could be promising biomarkers for the prognosis of HCC.
Analysis of macro-and microplastics in the water, soil/sediment in riverine, riverbanks and irrigated farms in Arusha Tanzania
Authors: Kundu Mercy Nasimiyu , Komakech Hans , Lugomela George 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Microplastics and macroplastics have been reported in different urban rivers and agricultural soil across the globe. However, the interlink between them has not been previously assessed therefore, the present study evaluated the relationship between macro-and microplastics in the water columns and sediments in riverine, riverbanks, and soils from irrigated farms in Arusha, Tanzania. Detached pieces from macroplastics and suspected particles of microplastics from the samples were analyzed using the total attenuated reflectance - Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy, where statistical analysis showed that the number of microplastics in the sediments was higher than in the water columns and that in irrigated farms than in the riverine by a magnitude of 4. Besides, the numbers of microplastics and macroplastics in the irrigation farms were exponentially-related while the macroplastics from the riverbanks had an inverse relationship with the rivers’ profile elevation. Polyethylene was the dominating macroplastic in the riverbanks and irrigated farms with a 100% frequency of occurrence while polystyrene was abundant in all samples of microplastics. However, the irrigated farms adjacent to canals had a greater number of microplastics and macroplastics. In generally, the findings showed a similar trend of plastic distribution in urban rivers and irrigated farms, suggesting an interaction between them.
CK2-mediated phosphorylation of Che-1/AATF is required for its pro-proliferative activity
Authors: Catena Valeria , Bruno Tiziana , Iezzi Simona , Matteoni Silvia , Salis Annalisa , Sorino Cristina , Damonte Gianluca , Fanciulli Maurizio 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background
Che-1/AATF (Che-1) is an RNA polymerase II binding protein involved in several cellular processes, including proliferation, apoptosis and response to stress. We have recently demonstrated that Che-1 is able to promote cell proliferation by sustaining global histone acetylation in Multiple Myeloma (MM) cells where it interacts with histone proteins and competes with HDAC class I members for binding.
Methods
Site-directed Mutagenesis was performed to generate a Che-1 mutant (Che-1 3S) lacking three-serine residue (Ser316, Ser320 and Ser321) in 308–325 AA region. Western blot experiments were conducted to examine the effect of depletion or over-expression of Che-1 and Che-1 3S mutant on histone acetylation, in different human cancer cell lines. Proliferation assays were assessed to estimate the change in cells number when Che-1 was over-expressed or deleted. Immunoprecipitation assays were performed to evaluate Che-1/histone H3 interaction when Ser316, Ser320 and Ser321 were removed. The involvement of CK2 kinase in Che-1 phosphorylation at these residues was analysed by in vitro kinase, 2D gel electrophoresis assays and mass spectrometry analysis.
Results
Here, we confirm that Che-1 depletion reduces cell proliferation with a concomitant general histone deacetylation in several tumor cell lines. Furthermore, we provided evidence that CK2 protein kinase phosphorylates Che-1 at Ser316, Ser320 and Ser321 and that these modifications are required for Che-1/histone H3 binding. These results improve our understanding onto the mechanisms by which Che-1 regulates histone acetylation and cell proliferation.
Conclusions
Che-1 phosphorylation at Ser316, Ser320 and Ser321 by CK2 promotes the interaction with histone H3 and represents an essential requirement for Che-1 pro-proliferative ability.
One Year Later: Global Impact of COVID-19 on Nuclear Medicine Departments; an International Follow-up Survey
Authors: Giammarile Francesco , Bolton Roberto C. Delgado , Haj Noura El , Freudenberg Lutz S. , Herrmann Ken , Mikhail Miriam , Morozova Olga , Orellana Pilar , Pellet Olivier , L. Enrique Estrada , Vinjamuri Sobhan , Gnanasegaran Gopinath , Pynda Yaroslav , M. Maria C. Navarro , Choudhary Partha , Paez Diana 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Aim: As a follow-up to the international survey conducted in April 2020, this survey aims to provide a situational snapshot of the COVID-19 impact on nuclear medicine services worldwide, one year later. The survey was designed to determine the impact of the pandemic at two specific time-points: June and October 2020 and compare them to the previously collected data.Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire, in the same format as the April 2020 survey was disseminated to nuclear medicine facilities worldwide. Survey data was collected using a secure software platform hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); it was made available for 6 weeks, from November 23 to December 31, 2020.Results: From 505 replies from 96 countries, data was extracted from 355 questionnaires (of which 338 were fully completed). The responses came from centres evenly distributed in different regions of the world and with different income status. Regional differences and challenges across the world were identified and analysed. Globally, the volume of nuclear medicine procedures decreased by 73.3% in June 2020 and 56.9% in October 2020. Among the nuclear medicine procedures, oncological PET studies showed less of a decline in utilization compared to conventional nuclear medicine and particularly nuclear cardiology. The impact was also significantly less in high-income countries. A trend towards a return to the pre-COVID-19 situation of the supply chains of radioisotopes, generators, and other essential materials was evident.Conclusion: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant reduction in nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic procedures throughout 2020. In June, the global decline recorded in the survey was greater than in October when there was a slight improvement. However, the total number of procedures continued below that recorded in April 2020, and less than half of the volumes normally carried out before the pandemic
Force-displacement relationship modelling of masonry infilled walls with openings in hinged steel frames
Authors: Zuo Haoran , Zhang Weiping , Wang Baotong , Gu Xianglin 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Seismic behaviour of masonry infilled frames has attracted extensive attentions from researchers, and it was found that infills normally experienced a diagonal compression under lateral loading. Infill was therefore assumed as an equivalent diagonal strut in structural response estimations of infilled frames, and a force-displacement curve was adopted to describe the mechanical properties of the strut. However, the influences of infill aspect ratio, vertical load acting on the surrounding frames, and opening were not systematically addressed in establishing the force-displacement relationship of infills. To investigate the effects of these influential parameters on the lateral responses of infilled walls including initial stiffness and strength, detailed three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of masonry infilled hinged steel frames are developed in ABAQUS in the present study, and a wide parametric study with respect to various aspect ratios, vertical loads, and opening sizes and locations is performed. A generalized force-displacement relationship model of infilled walls is proposed based on regression analyses of numerical results. The efficacy of the proposed model is examined by using the existing experimental test results, and it shows that the model can accurately predict the lateral stiffness and load carrying capacity of infilled walls and thus has great potential applications in structural designs and analyses for masonry infilled steel frames.
Reflecting on Exchanged Students' Learning: Bedside Demonstration, Case Reporting and Clinical Reasoning
Authors: Xu Dan , Feng Shaoting , Yang Suqing , Ding Shuqing , Yap Timothy , Chi Christopher , Tan Nicole , Nair Ankith , Nixon Dennis , Wee Cleo , Rosman Johan , Sandover Sally , Wang Jingsong , Kuang Ming , Xiao Haipeng 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background: The increasing opportunities for medical students to participate in international, supervised and structured electives have been shown in our recent study, which enhanced students’ professionalism, cultural competence and clinical reasoning skills in preclinical years. However, evidence is scant in achieving the specific learning objectives and improving clinical reasoning during clinical years. This study aims to demonstrate how the short-term supervised elective can improve students’ clinical reasoning skills, skills of case report writing and satisfactory academic performance.Results: We recorded daily discussions on the demonstrated skills and cases collection with six Curtin Medical School students from Australia during a 19-day supervised elective at the First Affiliated hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China. The daily clinical reasoning discussions, case collection and bedside demonstrations in different disciplines became the main content of the reflections discussed in this article. Their feedback was recorded post-elective to examine the impact of the exchange in their ongoing case report writing, clinical reasoning skills development and academic performance. The main themes of case-based clinical reasoning identified in the daily discussions and feedbacks were described by the students in two frameworks. Learning through clinical reasoning is well demonstrated during students-supervisors daily debrief. The students have used these clinical reasoning skills in their ensuing clinical placement with satisfactory academic performances. The students have completed two case reports individually with cases for publication in both Australian Doctor and BMJ case report. The supervisors obtained students’ feedbacks at the time of the elective, 6-month and 12-month post-elective, and feedback summary is highlighted in three aspects including improved clinical reasoning skills, scientific writing skills and satisfactory academic performance.Conclusions: These reflections provide insight into how this exchange elective may improve students’ clinical reasoning, enhance scientific writing skills and strengthen academic performance.
Associations among autistic traits, cognitive and affective empathy, and personality in adults with autism spectrum disorder and no intellectual disability or language delay
Authors: Shirayama Yukihiko , Matsumoto Kazuki , Hamatani Sayo , Muneoka Katsumasa , Okada Akihiro , Sato Koichi 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background: Reported empathy deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could be attributable to other ASD-related features. Method: We evaluated 28 adults with ASD and no intellectual disability or language delay and 24 age-matched healthy control subjects using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R). Results: Compared to the controls, ASD participants showed lower scores for perspective taking, online simulation, cognitive empathy, and peripheral responsivity on the QCAE, and lower scores for perspective taking and empathic concern on the IRI. Within the ASD group, the AQ scores showed significant relationships with perspective taking, online simulation and cognitive empathy on the QCAE, and perspective taking on the IRI. Only within the ASD group, significant correlations were revealed between personal distress on the IRI with emotional contagion, proximal responsivity, and affective empathy on the QCAE. The ASD group also showed higher scores for neuroticism and lower scores for extraversion on the NEO-PI-R compared to the controls. However, there were no relationships between AQ scores and NEO factors within the ASD group. There were significant correlations of online simulation and affective empathy on the QCAE with extraversion on the NEO-PI-R only within the ASD group. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that perspective taking score on the QCAE and extraversion score on the NEO-PI-R were good predictor variables to autistic traits on the AQ. Conclusions: These findings help our understanding of ASD adults with no intellectual disability or language delay.
Early Prediction of Hemodynamic Shock in the Intensive Care Units with Deep Learning on Thermal Videos
Authors: Vats Vanshika , Nagori Aditya , Singh Pradeep , Dutt Raman , Bandhey Harsh , Wason Mahika , Lodha Rakesh , Sethi Tavpritesh 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Shock is one of the major killers in Intensive Care Units and early interventions can potentially reverse it. In this study, we advance a non-contact thermal imaging modality to continuous monitoring of hemodynamic shock working on 103,936 frames from 406 videos recorded longitudinally upon 22 patients. Deep learning was used to preprocess and extract the Center-to-Peripheral Difference (CPD) in temperature values from the videos. This time-series data along with heart rate was finally analyzed using Long-Short Term Memory models to predict the shock status up to the next 6 hours. Our models achieved the best area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.81 ± 0.06 and area under the precision-recall curve of 0.78 ± 0.05 at 5 hours, providing sufficient time to stabilize the patient. Our approach, thus, provides a reliable shock prediction using an automated decision pipeline, that can provide better care and save lives.
Obtaining a Vaccine Candidate Against Tumors Expressing the E7 Antigen of Human Papillomavirus type 18
Authors: Rodríguez Nadia Rodríguez , Chaviano Alain B Alfonso , Rodríguez Milaid Granadillo , Figueredo Aileen Batte , Madrazo Isis del Carmen Torréns 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide and was the leading cause of death among approximately 300 000 cases in 2018. The main risk factor for developing this disease is the persistent infection of high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV); specifically HPV-18 is recognized as one of the major contributors for adenocarcinoma and squamous cancer. There are three prophylactic vaccines to prevent infection by HPV, but these vaccines are not effective in infected people. On the other hand, despite the success of various types of therapeutic vaccine candidates in clinical trials, none of them is commercially available to treat women with HPV-related malignancies. As the methods used for obtaining those therapeutic candidates are awfully expensive, they could be inaccessible for developing countries. In this scenario, E7 antigen of HPV is considered and ideal target for developing therapeutic vaccines. In accordance with this, the aim of this work is to obtain a vaccine candidate with high levels of purity through a profitable process, for treating tumors expressing the E7 antigen of HPV-18.Results: We have obtained the novel therapeutic vaccine candidate CIGB550-E718 that comprises the fusion between an E7 mutein of HPV-18 and the cell-penetrating peptide with immunostimulatory properties CIGB550. The expression of the fusion protein evaluated using two strains of E. coli and 16 culture media with different composition enabled us to choose the best setting in which the interest protein accounted for approximately 16% of the total cellular protein. The best results were obtained using BL21(DE3) cells as host system grown in a culture medium containing M9 salt, casein hydrolysate and glycerol as a carbon source. The recombinant protein was purified by a single affinity chromatographic step up to 90% purity. Yields of 32 mg of the CIGB550-E718 per liter of culture were achieved from 2.5 L scale.Conclusions: These results are a promising and cost-effective approach for the future production and scale-up of the protein CIGB550-E718, which could be a therapeutic alternative for treating women with lesions associated to HPV-18 infection.
Hammer Chyme: The Russian-Doll Effect Limits Reconstructing Marine Trophic Food Webs
Authors: de Bruyn Mark , Barbato Matteo , DiBattista Joseph D. , Broadhurst Matt K. 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Increasing fishing effort, including bycatch and discard practices, are impacting marine biodiversity, particularly among slow-to-reproduce taxa such as elasmobranchs, and specifically sharks. While some fisheries involving sharks are sustainably managed, collateral mortalities continue, contributing towards >35% of species being threatened with extinction. To effectively manage shark stocks, life-history information, including resource use/feeding ecologies is pivotal, especially among those species with wide-ranging distributions and habitats. Two cosmopolitan sharks bycaught off eastern Australia are the common blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus; globally classified as Near Threatened) and great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran; Critically Endangered). We opportunistically sampled the digestive tracts of these two species and also any whole prey; (termed the ‘Russian-doll’ approach) caught in bather-protection gillnets off northern New South Wales to investigate their regional feeding ecologies and the capacity for DNA metabarcoding to delineate trophic interactions. Sphyrna mokkaran fed predominantly on Myliobatiformes and Rajiformes, but also teleosts, while C. limbatus mostly consumed teleosts, with some inter-specific dietary overlap of prey items. Extensive cross-contamination of predator and prey digestive tracts, likely via the predator’s stomach chyme, was evident from the metabarcoding assays limiting the opportunity to delineate trophic interactions from these data. This Russian-doll effect requires further investigation in DNA metabarcoding studies focused on dietary preferences, but implies any outcomes will need to be interpreted concomitant with traditional visual approaches.
Melanin as an Endogenous MRI Contrast Agent for Stem Cell Delivery in Stroke
Authors: Chang Randy , Jones Jesse 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
In vivo measures of survival, growth, and migration of stem cell transplants for stroke therapy remain inadequate. Since such biomarkers in the central nervous system do not exist, we sought to investigate the potential of melanin as an endogenous MR contrast medium for monitoring cell lineage transplants. Expression of a human gene, tyrosinase, induces melanogenesis, but unlike particle-based tracking agents, tyrosinase incorporated into the host genome will be replicated during mitosis.Tyrosinase and the gene for a co-enzyme, tyrosinase-related protein 1, were placed under the CMV promoter. The construct was inserted into 293 HEK (human embryonal kidney) and iPS NPC (induced pluripotent neural progenitor) cells via plasmid transfection and viral transduction, respectively. Stroked mice were injected with melanin-producing cells. Control mice were injected with native cell lines. In vitro expression was measured by fluorescent microscopy, immunocytochemistry, spectroscopy, PCR, and MRI.Robust in vitro melanin production was achieved in both cell lineages demonstrated by significant T1 shortening on in vivo MRI. Pathologic correlation demonstrated colocalization of pigmented regions in the injection sites with human antinuclear antibody staining. Through induction of melanogenesis that is reproducible across multiple cell divisions, MR-based imaging of clinically relevant cell lineage transplants is possible.
Triptolide Inhibited Liver Cancer Growth Based Through SPTLC2-S1P Signal Pathway
Authors: Tan Qinyou , Zhu Shengnan , Zhu Mingfei , Huang Lingyue , Xu Siyuan , Luo Yuqin , Xiao Juan , Su Huazhen , Huang Shaoyuan , Jia Lulu 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer that has a high incidence in men, and its incidence is increasing year by year. Studies show that angiogenesis plays an important role in the formation of tumors, not only providing nutrients to tumor cells, but also closely related to tumor growth and metastasis. So, how to find new anti-vascular and anti-tumor targets for the pathogenesis of liver cancer is a key issue that needs to be resolved. Methods: After treating HUVEC and HepG2 cells with different concentrations of TP, the relationship between TP's anti-vascular and anti-tumor activities and sphingolipids was investigated respectively. Then, the three-dimensional co-culture model was used to explore the correlation between HUVEC and HepG2 cells, and to find the relationship between it and sphingolipids. Results: TP can inhibit the tube formation process of HUVEC cells. Through PCR Array, PCR and Western Blot experiments, it is found that it may achieve this effect by down-regulating SPTLC2. TP can also inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of HepG2 cells through the same mechanism. In the three-dimensional co-culture model of HUVEC and HepG2 cells, it was found for the first time that HUVEC can promote the biological process of HepG2 cells. It was found through ELISA and Western Blot experiments that it may be achieved through the S1P/S1PRS pathway, and TP was found in the dosing experiment. It can significantly inhibit the induction of HUVEC on HepG2 cells. Conclusions: These data confirm that the level of SPTLC2 may be related to the anti-vascular and anti-tumor effects of TP. The data also showed that there is a correlation between the viability of HepG2 cells and HUVEC cells, which may be related to the expression of S1P/S1PRS. Ultimately, these data may help discover new anti-tumor targets.