bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
BRAFV600E Mutation Does Not Significantly Affect the Efficacy of Radioiodine Therapy in Patients With Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Without Known Distant Metastases
Authors: Shen Guohua , Kou Ying , Liu Bin , Huang Rui , Kuang Anren 
Published: May 2018

Purpose
The BRAF
V600E mutation is the most common and specific oncogenic event in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, its role in radioiodine therapy decision making has yet to be established. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the BRAF
V600E mutation on the clinical response to radioiodine therapy.

Methods
This retrospective study included PTC patients who received total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection, radioiodine therapy, and thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression between January 2012 and March 2016. Included patients were divided into 2 groups based on the BRAF mutation status. The association between the clinicopathological characteristics and the BRAF
V600E mutation was evaluated. After a median follow-up of 37 months, the clinical outcome between these 2 groups was also compared based on the ongoing risk stratification.

Results
A total of 512 PTC patients without distant metastases were included, with a positive BRAF mutation in 338 patients. No significant association was observed between the BRAF mutation and clinicopathological characteristics, except for sex, tumor size, and extrathyroidal extension. The initial risk stratification between the positive and negative mutation groups revealed no significant difference (P = 0.845). At the end of follow-up, no significant difference regarding the clinical response to radioiodine therapy was demonstrated between these 2 groups for all patients or patients with high recurrence risk (P = 0.586 and P = 0.680, respectively).

Conclusions
The BRAF
V600E mutation status may not impact the clinical response to radioiodine therapy for PTC patients without distant metastases.
Lymph Node With the Highest FDG Uptake Predicts Distant Metastasis-Free Survival in Patients With Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Cho Hojin , Kim Sung Hoon , Kim Hyunjeong , Koh Yoon Woo , Kim Se-Heon , Choi Eun Chang , Yun Mijin 
Published: May 2018

Purpose
Distant failure is a major concern in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We evaluated whether the metabolic features on 18F-FDG PET/CT can predict distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods
We retrospectively reviewed 51 patients stage III, IVA, and IVB nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT at staging. The SUVmax for the primary site and the lymph nodes with the highest uptake as well as at the farthest station were divided by the SUVmean of the background liver (TLR, NLR-H, and NLR-F, respectively). The prognostic value of clinicopathologic factors and SUV parameters for predicting DMFS were assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Differences in DMFS were examined by the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results
In the median follow-up period of 50.4 ± 39.3 months (median ± interquartile range; range, 3.8–130.9), distant metastasis developed in 11 patients (21.6%). In univariate analyses, N stage (N3b) (P = 0.003) and NLR-H >5.70 (P = 0.02) were significant prognostic factors for DMFS, and remained significant in multivariate analysis, whereas TLR (P = 0.18) and NLR-F (P = 0.76) did not. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed significantly poorer DMFS in patients with NLR-H >5.70 than in those with lower NLR-H (≤5.70) (1-year DMFS rate, 84.2% vs 93.5%; P = 0.01).

Conclusions
In addition to anatomical N stage, higher NLR-H on pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT is an independent prognostic factor for worse DMFS in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Reinforcement of Lower Lateral Cartilage Using Sliced Costal Periphery to Reconfigure Nasal Tip in Asian Rhinoplasty
Authors: Wang Lin , Niu Yonggan , Zhang Hui , Li Baokai 
Published: May 2018

Background:
Reinforcement of lower lateral crura (LLC) is an imperative prophylaxis against the secondary deformity of alar and nasal tip in Asian rhinoplasty. The common limitation of the existing techniques is loss of nasal tip's mobility to a large degree in exchange for structural stability. In search for a natural and animated postoperative nasal tip, the elasticity and rigidity of coastal periphery was taken into account.

Method:
Two pieces of sliced costal periphery (SCP) were used to reinforce the LLC. One hundred twenty patients who accepted this technique and completed 18-month follow-up were included in this study. They were all females in which 67 patients underwent the primary rhinoplasty, and the remaining 53 patients underwent the revision rhinoplasty. Two pieces of septal extension grafts and 2 strips of SCP were used in all patients. Videos and pictures were taken and analyzed preoperatively and at 18 months postoperatively.

Result:
The videos and pictures showed the pleasing contour and mobility of nasal tip. No complications associated with the LLC occurred. All patients who underwent primary rhinoplasty were pleased about the postoperative contour and mobility of nasal tip. In revision rhinoplasty group, 30 patients (56.6%) who had complained about the stiffness or mobility loss of the nasal tip before became satisfied with the soft and animated nasal tip after the surgery.

Conclusion:
Reinforcement of LLC by SCP is a promising technique to achieve natural and animated nasal tip. Moreover, this technique is helpful to prevent or restore the problems associated with the inherent weak or iatrogenic cripple of LLC in Asians rhinoplasty. Studies with longer follow-up and larger sample should be done to trace the reliability and practicability in the long run.
Management of Severe Cicatricial Entropion With Labial Mucous Membrane Graft in Cicatricial Ocular Surface Disorders
Authors: Osaki Tammy H. , Sant’Anna Ana Estela , Osaki Midori H. , Kikkawa Don O. , Yabumoto Cristina , Yang Patrick , Korn Bobby S. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
The management of cicatricial entropion represents a therapeutic challenge especially when the underlying causes are progressive cicatricial diseases that affect the ocular surface. The authors aimed to report long-term efficacy of labial mucous membrane graft to manage severe cicatricial entropion of the upper eyelid. This study is a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent tarsotomy associated with labial mucous membrane graft to treat severe cicatricial entropion of the upper eyelid. Surgeries were performed over a 16-year period. Clinical data (age, gender, etiology of the cicatricial entropion, improvement of symptoms, eyelid position, recurrence, complications, and follow-up period) were extracted from these patients’ charts. Etiology of the cicatricial entropion, improvement of symptoms, eyelid position, recurrence, complications, and follow-up period were evaluated. Sixty-three eyelids from 44 patients underwent surgery. Mean follow-up was 48.4 ± 46.1 months (range 6 months to 15 years). Main underlying diagnoses were Stevens–Johnson syndrome (63%), trachoma (19%), chemical injury (8%), and trauma (5%). Forty-three patients (98%) reported improvement of ocular symptoms after the procedure. Complete resolution (restoration of the upper eyelid margin to normal anatomic position with good esthetic appearance) was achieved in 52 eyelids (83%). Recurrence occurred in 7 (11%) eyelids. No postoperative infection, failure of graft survival, or other complications were observed. The use of labial mucous membrane as a posterior lamella graft showed good functional and cosmetic outcomes, long-term stability and low recurrence rates in the treatment of severe cicatricial entropion of the upper eyelid.
Electromyographic Activity of the Masseter and Temporal Muscles in Patients With Nonsyndromic Complete Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate: 2-Stage Versus 1-Stage Palate Repair
Authors: Sabbag Anelise , Denadai Rafael , Raposo-Amaral Cesar Augusto , Buzzo Celso Luiz , Raposo-Amaral Cassio Eduardo , Nagae Mirian H. 
Published: May 2018

Objective:
To assess the electromyographic activity of the masseter and temporal muscles in cleft patients who underwent 1-stage palate repair versus 2-stage palate repair.

Methods:
Thirty-two patients with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate operated by 2 different protocols for palate repair, 1-stage (group 1, n = 16) versus 2-stage with delayed hard palate closure (group 2, n = 16) were available in the retrospective longitudinal study. Standardized electromyographic records of the masseter and anterior portion of temporal muscles were obtained with 2 repetitions during mastication and rest.

Results:
No statistically significant (all P > 0.05) differences were observed in the electromyographic data between the groups 1 and 2.

Conclusion:
There were similar electromyographic activity of masseter and temporal muscles during mastication and at rest after 1- and 2-stage palate closure.
Can herbivore-induced volatiles protect plants by increasing the herbivores’ susceptibility to natural pathogens?
Authors: Gasmi Laila , Martínez-Solís María , Frattini Ada , Ye Meng , Collado María Carmen , Turlings Ted C.J. , Erb Matthias , Herrero Salvador 
Published: May 2018

AbstractIn response to insect herbivory, plants mobilize various defenses. Defense responses include the release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that can serve as signals to alert undamaged tissues and to attract natural enemies of the herbivores. It has also been shown that some HIPVs can have a direct negative impact on herbivore survival, but it is not yet understood by what mechanism. Here we tested the hypothesis that exposure to HIPVs renders insects more susceptible to natural pathogens. Exposing caterpillars of the noctuidSpodoptera exiguato indole and linalool, but not exposure to (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate increased the susceptibility to its nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV). We also found that exposure to indole, but not exposure to linalool or (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, increased the pathogenicity ofBacillus thuringiensis. Additional experiments revealed significant changes on gut microbiota composition after forty-eight hours of larval exposure to indole. Overall, these results provide evidences that certain HIPVs can strongly enhance the susceptibility of caterpillars to pathogens, possibly through effects on the insects’ gut microbiota. These findings suggest a novel mechanism by which HIPVs can protect plants from herbivorous insects.
The Valuation of Social Rewards in Schizophrenia
Authors: Catalano Lauren T. , Heerey Erin A. , Gold James M. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractSocial impairment in schizophrenia is often thought to reflect poor social cognition. Here we examine responses to social rewards, an aspect of social functioning that is not featured prominently in the literature. The goal of this experiment was to explore whether people with schizophrenia (1) undervalue social rewards, and (2) whether the undervaluation of social rewards was related to social motivation and pleasure deficits in schizophrenia and decreased social functioning. People with schizophrenia and healthy participants completed a game (Shore & Heerey, 2011) to explore preferences for different types of social (polite and genuine smiles) and nonsocial (monetary) rewards from computerized opponents. Preferences for reward types were quantified for each participant based on choice behavior during the game. Participants also completed a smile discrimination task to assess their ability to discriminate these types of smiles. Analyses revealed that people with schizophrenia (N= 41) treated genuine smiles as significantly less rewarding than did healthy participants (N= 29), despite showing a similar preference for monetary rewards. Interestingly, the undervaluation of social rewards was not related to the ability to discriminate between the smiles. The current findings provide preliminary evidence of reduced social reward valuation among individuals with schizophrenia, which may have implications for behavior in face-to-face social interactions.General Scientific SummarySocial cognitive deficits are well documented in schizophrenia. However, it is less clear how people with schizophrenia respond to social rewards. Our study yields initial evidence of a deficit in social reward valuation (operationalized as a preference for genuine smiles) despite similar preferences for monetary rewards.
Links between environment, diet, and the hunter-gatherer microbiome
Authors: Fragiadakis Gabriela K. , Smits Samuel A. , Sonnenburg Erica D. , Van Treuren William , Reid Gregor , Knight Rob , Manjurano Alphaxard , Changalucha John , Dominguez-Bello Maria Gloria , Leach Jeff , Sonnenburg Justin L. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe study of traditional populations provides a view of human-associated microbes unperturbed by industrialization, as well as a window into the microbiota that co-evolved with humans. Here we discuss our recent work characterizing the microbiota from the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania. We found seasonal shifts in bacterial taxa, diversity, and carbohydrate utilization by the microbiota. When compared to the microbiota composition from other populations around the world, the Hadza microbiota shares bacterial families with other traditional societies that are rare or absent from microbiotas of industrialized nations. We present additional observations from the Hadza microbiota and their lifestyle and environment, including microbes detected on hands, water, and animal sources, how the microbiota varies with sex and age, and the shortterm effects of introducing agricultural products into the diet. In the context of our previously published findings and of these additional observations, we discuss a path forward for future work.
Bacterial virulence against an oceanic bloom-forming phytoplankter is mediated by algal DMSP
Authors: Barak-Gavish Noa , Frada Miguel José , Lee Peter A. , DiTullio Giacomo R. , Ku Chuan , Malitsky Sergey , Aharoni Asaph , Green Stefan J. , Rotkopf Ron , Kartvelishvily Elena , Sheyn Uri , Schatz Daniella , Vardi Assaf 
Published: May 2018

AbstractEmiliania huxleyiis a bloom forming microalga that impacts the global sulfur cycle by producing large amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and its volatile metabolic product dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Top-down regulation ofE. huxleyiblooms is attributed to viruses and grazers, however, the possible involvement of algicidal bacteria in bloom demise is still elusive. We isolated from a North AtlanticE. huxleyibloom aRoseobacterstrain,SulfitobacterD7, which exhibited algicidal effects againstE. huxleyiupon co-culturing. Both the alga and the bacterium were found to co-occur during a naturalE. huxleyibloom, therefore establishing this host-pathogen system as an attractive, ecologically relevant model for studying alga-bacterium interaction in the oceans. During interaction,SulfitobacterD7 consumed and metabolized algal DMSP to produce high amounts of methanethiol, an alternative product of DMSP catabolism. We revealed a unique strain-specific response, in whichE. huxleyistrains that exuded higher amounts of DMSP were more susceptible toSulfitobacterD7 infection. Intriguingly, exogenous application of DMSP enhanced bacterial virulence and induced susceptibility in a resistant algal strain to the bacterial pathogen. This DMSP-dependent pathogenicity was highly specific as compared to supplementation of propionate and glycerol. We propose a novel function for DMSP, in addition to its central role in mutualistic interactions, as a mediator of bacterial virulence that may regulateE. huxleyiblooms.
A re-inducible gap gene cascade patterns the anterior-posterior axis of insects in a threshold-free fashion
Authors: Boos Alena , Distler Jutta , Rudolf Heike , Klingler Martin , El-Sherif Ezzat 
Published: May 2018

AbstractGap genes mediate the division of the anterior-posterior axis of insects into different fates through regulating downstream hox genes. Decades of tinkering the segmentation gene network of the long-germ fruit flyDrosophila melanogasterled to the conclusion that gap genes are regulated (at least initially) through a threshold-based French Flag model, guided by both anteriorly- and posteriorly-localized morphogen gradients. In this paper, we show that the expression patterns of gap genes in the intermediate-germ beetleTribolium castaneumare mediated by a threshold-free ‘Speed Regulation’ mechanism, in which the speed of a genetic cascade of gap genes is regulated by a posterior gradient of the transcription factor Caudal. We show this by re-inducing the leading gap gene (namely,hunchback) resulting in the re-induction of the gap gene cascade at arbitrary points in time. This demonstrates that the gap gene network is self-regulatory and is primarily under the control of a posterior speed regulator inTriboliumand possibly all insects.
Fast Nonnegative Matrix Factorization and Applications to Pattern Extraction, Deconvolution and Imputation
Authors: Lin Xihui , Boutros Paul C. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractNonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) is a technique widely used in various fields, including artificial intelligence (AI), signal processing and bioinformatics. However existing algorithms and R packages cannot be applied to large matrices due to their slow convergence, and cannot handle missing values. In addition, most NMF research focuses only on blind decompositions: decomposition without utilizing prior knowledge. We adapt the idea of sequential coordinate-wise descent to NMF to increase the convergence rate. Our NMF algorithm thus handles missing values naturally and integrates prior knowledge to guide NMF towards a more meaningful decomposition. To support its use, we describe a novel imputation-based method to determine the rank of decomposition. All our algorithms are implemented in the R package NNLM, which is freely available on CRAN.
Biodiversity on Indigenous lands equals that in protected areas
Authors: Schuster Richard , Germain Ryan R. , Bennett Joseph R. , Reo Nicholas J. , Secord Dave L. , Arcese Peter 
Published: May 2018

AbstractDeclines in global biodiversity due to land conversion and habitat loss are driving a “Sixth Mass Extinction” and many countries currently fall short of meeting even nominal land protection targets to mitigate this crisis. Here, we quantify the potential contribution of Indigenous lands to biodiversity conservation using case studies of Australia, Brazil and Canada. Indigenous lands in each country are slightly more species rich than existing protected areas and, in Brazil and Canada, support more threatened species than existing protected areas or random sites. These results indicate that Indigenous lands and existing protected areas are similar in biodiversity. Enhanced partnerships between Indigenous communities and federal or state governments could help ameliorate current shortfalls in global biodiversity protection by facilitating protection for native species, helping to stem global biodiversity loss.
Epididymal glucocorticoid receptors promote intergenerational transmission of paternal stress
Authors: Chan Jennifer C , Nugent Bridget M , Morrison Kathleen E , Jašarević Eldin , Bhanu Natarajan V , Garcia Benjamin A , Bale Tracy L 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPaternal preconception exposures and insults, including stress, dietary challenge and drugs of abuse, can shape offspring health and disease risk outcomes, as evidenced from retrospective human studies and more recent animal models1–16. Mechanistic examination has implicated small noncoding RNA populations in sperm, including microRNA (miRs), as carriers of paternal environmental information that consequently influence offspring development15,17–21. However, the cellular mechanisms by which these paternal signals are relayed to sperm and how they may persist remain unknown. Here, using our previously established paternal stress mouse model we identify caput epididymal epithelial glucocorticoid receptors as crucial upstream mediators of long-lasting germ cell programming. We show that glucocorticoid treatment of caput epididymal epithelial cells results in increased glucocorticoid receptor levels and enduring changes to the miR content of secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs), or epididymosomes, known to interact with sperm and alter their RNA content22,23. Further, significant changes were detected in the caput epididymal histone code long after stress ended, bothin vitroandin vivo, as a potential mechanism whereby stress programmed enduring changes to EV miRs. Genetic targeting to reduce caput epididymal epithelial-specific glucocorticoid receptors reversed stress-induced chromatin remodeling and promoted cellular resilience to paternal stress, ultimately rescuing transmission of a stress dysregulated offspring phenotype. Taken together, these studies identify glucocorticoid receptor regulation of EV miRs in the caput epididymis as a key contributor in the intergenerational transmission of paternal environmental stress experiences.
Tissue-specifictransregulation of the mouse epigenome
Authors: Baker Christopher L. , Walker Michael , Arat Seda , Ananda Guruprasad , Petkova Pavlina , Powers Natalie , Tian Hui , Spruce Catrina , Ji Bo , Rausch Dylan , Choi Kwangbom , Petkov Petko M. , Carter Gregory W. , Paigen Kenneth 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACTAlthough a variety of writers, readers, and erasers of epigenetic modifications are known, we have little information about the underlying regulatory systems controlling the establishment and maintenance of the epigenetic landscape, which varies greatly among cell types. Here, we have explored how natural genetic variation impacts the epigenome in mice. Studying levels of H3K4me3, a histone modification at sites such as promoters, enhancers, and recombination hotspots, we found tissue-specifictrans-regulation of H3K4me3 levels in four highly diverse cell types: male germ cells, embryonic stem (ES) cells, hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes. To identify the genetic loci involved, we measured H3K4me3 levels in male germ cells in a mapping population of 60 BXD recombinant inbred lines, identifying extensivetrans-regulation primarily controlled by six major histone quantitative trait loci (hQTL). These chromatin regulatory loci act dominantly to suppress H3K4me3, which at hotspots reduces the likelihood of subsequent DNA double-strand breaks. QTL locations do not correspond with enzyme known to metabolize chromatin features. Instead their locations match clusters of zinc finger genes, making these possible candidates that explain the dominant suppression of H3K4me3. Collectively, these data describe an extensive, tissue-specific set of chromatin regulatory loci that control functionally related chromatin sites.
Underestimation of carbohydrates by sugar alcohols in classical anthrone-based colorimetric techniques compromises insect metabolic and energetic studies
Authors: Body Mélanie J.A. , Casas Jérôme , Christidès Jean-Philippe , Giron David 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPhysiologically based metabolic studies usually search for easy, sensitive, and cheap techniques to rapidly estimate biological parameters such as nutrient content. Colorimetric methods to estimate carbohydrates have been extensively used (over 120,000 references). However, sugar alcohols are underestimated under conventionally used analytical conditions, in particular if using the popular van Handel method. This may lead to misinterpretations of sugar implications in biological systems. We determined the anthrone reaction with various sugar alcohols and non-alcohols individually under standard conditions (Van Handel 1985). We then manipulated the proportion of either sugar alcohols or non-alcohols in three different sugar mixtures in order to estimate the impact on the total sugar estimation. In the case of a mixture with over 50% of sugar alcohols, total sugars are underestimated by 50% when using glucose as standard.