bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical significance of filamin A in patients with acromegaly and its association with somatostatin and dopamine receptor profiles
Authors: Coelho Maria Caroline Alves , Vasquez Marina Lipkin , Wildemberg Luiz Eduardo , Vázquez-Borrego Mari C. , Bitana Luciana , Camacho Aline Helen da Silva , Silva Débora , Ogino Liana Lumi , Ventura Nina , Sánchez-Sánchez Rafael , Chimelli Leila , Kasuki Leandro , Luque Raul M. , Gadelha Mônica R. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFilamin-A (FLNA) plays a crucial role in somatostatin receptor (sst) subtype-2 signaling in somatotropinomas. Our objective was to investigate the in vivo association between FLNA and sst2 expression, sst5 expression, dopamine receptor subtype-2 (D2) expression, somatostatin receptor ligand (SRL) responsiveness and tumor invasiveness in somatotropinomas. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to evaluate the absolute mRNA copy numbers of FLNA/sst2/sst5/D2 in 96 somatotropinomas. FLNA, sst2 and sst5 protein expression levels were also evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The Knosp-Steiner criteria were used to evaluate tumor invasiveness. Median FLNA, sst2, sst5 and D2 copy numbers were 4,244, 731, 156 and 3,989, respectively. Thirty-one of the 35 available tumors (89%) were immune positive for FLNA in the cytoplasm and membrane but not in the nucleus. FLNA and sst5 expression were positively correlated at the mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.001 and p = 0.033, respectively). FLNA was positively correlated with sst2 mRNA in patients who were responsive to SRL (p = 0.014, R = 0.659). No association was found between FLNA and tumor invasiveness. Our findings show that in somatotropinomas FLNA expression positively correlated with in vivo sst5 and D2 expression. Notably, FLNA was only correlated with sst2 in patients who were controlled with SRL. FLNA was not associated with tumor invasiveness.
The Correlation between the Frontostriatal Network and Impulsivity in Internet Gaming Disorder
Authors: Kim Jin-Young , Chun Ji-Won , Park Chang-Hyun , Cho Hyun , Choi Jihye , Yang Siyun , Ahn Kook-Jin , Kim Dai Jin 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAs excessive use of internet gaming has become a serious public health concern, increasing studies have revealed that impulsivity is one of the important risk factors of internet gaming disorder (IGD). This study was designed to investigate the altered resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in IGD participants and to examine its relationship with impulsivity compared with the normal controls (NC). Seed-based analyses verified that participants with IGD displayed decreased FC between the OFC and frontal, striatal, temporal and occipital regions different from NC. Moreover, IGD participants showed weankened FC from the OFC with dorsal anterior cingulate cortex as well as with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatum as the results of group difference. These results could suggest that the decreased frontostriatal connectivity was associated with excessive internet gaming. Also, the increased FC in frontostriatal regions was correlated with impulse control in the NC but not the IGD participants. Further insight into the brain circuitry on frontostriatal could provide the target for developing treatment approaches of impulse control in IGD.
Estimation of Cardiovascular Relative Pressure Using Virtual Work-Energy
Authors: Marlevi David , Ruijsink Bram , Balmus Maximilian , Dillon-Murphy Desmond , Fovargue Daniel , Pushparajah Kuberan , Bertoglio Cristóbal , Colarieti-Tosti Massimiliano , Larsson Matilda , Lamata Pablo , Figueroa C. Alberto , Razavi Reza , Nordsletten David A. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMany cardiovascular diseases lead to local increases in relative pressure, reflecting the higher costs of driving blood flow. The utility of this biomarker for stratifying the severity of disease has thus driven the development of methods to measure these relative pressures. While intravascular catheterisation remains the most direct measure, its invasiveness limits clinical application in many instances. Non-invasive Doppler ultrasound estimates have partially addressed this gap; however only provide relative pressure estimates for a range of constricted cardiovascular conditions. Here we introduce a non-invasive method that enables arbitrary interrogation of relative pressures throughout an imaged vascular structure, leveraging modern phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging, the virtual work-energy equations, and a virtual field to provide robust and accurate estimates. The versatility and accuracy of the method is verified in a set of complex patient-specific cardiovascular models, where relative pressures into previously inaccessible flow regions are assessed. The method is further validated within a cohort of congenital heart disease patients, providing a novel tool for probing relative pressures in-vivo.
Extreme Accelerations During Earthquakes Caused by Elastic Flapping Effect
Authors: Goto Hiroyuki , Kaneko Yoshihiro , Young John , Avery Hamish , Damiano Len 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAccurate recording of large, earthquake-induced ground shaking is critical for our understanding of earthquake physics as well as seismic hazard assessment. Extremely large accelerations with the peak value of 3.2 times the gravity acceleration were recorded at seismic station WTMC located in northern South Island of New Zealand during the recent magnitude 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake. However, the mechanisms responsible for the generation of such large accelerations are not well understood. Here we use numerical simulations to examine a range of physical models that can reproduce the observed characteristics of the acceleration record. We find that the record of the asymmetric, vertical accelerations, also observed during a magnitude 6.3 earthquake, can be explained by a flapping effect, that is, the local, elastic bouncing of a foundation slab on which the sensor is installed. Our results suggest that the extremely large accelerations recorded at seismic station WTMC do not reflect the actual ground shaking, but were caused by a local, system response around the sensor. Our finding has important implications for both the evaluation of future seismic hazard based on the waveform records of the Kaikoura earthquake and the installation methodology of strong-motion seismometers in all earthquake prone countries.
SmvA is an important efflux pump for cationic biocides in Klebsiella pneumoniae and other Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Wand Matthew E. , Jamshidi Shirin , Bock Lucy J. , Rahman Khondaker Miraz , Sutton J. Mark 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe multidrug resistant (MDR) opportunistic pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae has previously been shown to adapt to chlorhexidine by increasing expression of the MFS efflux pump smvA. Here we show that loss of the regulator SmvR, through adaptation to chlorhexidine, results in increased resistance to a number of cationic biocides in K. pneumoniae and other members of the Enterobacteriaceae. Clinical Enterobacteriaceae isolates which lack smvA and smvR also have an increased susceptibility to chlorhexidine. When smvA from Salmonella and K. pneumoniae are expressed in Escherichia coli, which lacks a homologue to SmvAR, resistance to chlorhexidine increased (4-fold) but plasmid carriage of smvA alone was detrimental to the cell. Challenge of K. pneumoniae with chlorhexidine and another cationic biocide, octenidine, resulted in increased expression of smvA (approx. 70 fold). Adaptation to octenidine was achieved through mutating key residues in SmvA (A363V; Y391N) rather than abolishing the function of SmvR, as with chlorhexidine adaptation. Molecular modelling was able to predict that octenidine interacted more strongly with these mutated SmvA forms. These results show that SmvA is a major efflux pump for cationic biocides in several bacterial species and that increased efflux through SmvA can lead to increased chlorhexidine and octenidine tolerance.
The methylome of the celiac intestinal epithelium harbours genotype-independent alterations in the HLA region
Authors: Fernandez-Jimenez Nora , Garcia-Etxebarria Koldo , Plaza-Izurieta Leticia , Romero-Garmendia Irati , Jauregi-Miguel Amaia , Legarda Maria , Ecsedi Szilvia , Castellanos-Rubio Ainara , Cahais Vincent , Cuenin Cyrille , Degli Esposti Davide , Irastorza Iñaki , Hernandez-Vargas Hector , Herceg Zdenko , Bilbao Jose Ramon 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) locus and other DNA sequence variants identified in Genome-Wide Association (GWA) studies explain around 50% of the heritability of celiac disease (CD). However, the pathogenesis of CD could be driven by other layers of genomic information independent from sequence variation, such as DNA methylation, and it is possible that allele-specific methylation explains part of the SNP associations. Since the DNA methylation landscape is expected to be different among cell types, we analyzed the methylome of the epithelial and immune cell populations of duodenal biopsies in CD patients and controls separately. We found a cell type-specific methylation signature that includes genes mapping to the HLA region, namely TAP1 and HLA-B. We also performed Immunochip SNP genotyping of the same samples and interrogated the expression of some of the affected genes. Our analysis revealed that the epithelial methylome is characterized by the loss of CpG island (CGI) boundaries, often associated to altered gene expression, and by the increased variability of the methylation across the samples. The overlap between differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and CD-associated SNPs or variants contributing to methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) is minimal. In contrast, there is a notable enrichment of mQTLs among the most significant CD-associated SNPs. Our results support the notion that DNA methylation alterations constitute a genotype-independent event and confirm its role in the HLA region (apart from the well-known, DQ allele-specific effect). Finally, we find that a fraction of the CD-associated variants could exert its phenotypic effect through DNA methylation.
Development and Evaluation of a Multiplexed Immunoassay for Simultaneous Detection of Serum IgG Antibodies to Six Human Coronaviruses
Authors: Trivedi Suvang U. , Miao Congrong , Sanchez Joseph E. , Caidi Hayat , Tamin Azaibi , Haynes Lia , Thornburg Natalie J. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractKnown human coronaviruses (hCoV) usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, except SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, which, in addition to mild illness can also be associated with severe respiratory diseases and high mortality rates. Well-characterized multiplexed serologic assays are needed to aid in rapid detection and surveillance of hCoVs. The present study describes development and evaluation of a multiplexed magnetic microsphere immunoassay (MMIA) to simultaneously detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies specific for recombinant nucleocapsid proteins (recN) from hCoVs 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV. We used paired human sera to screen for IgG with reactivity against six hCoVs to determine assay sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. We found no signal interference between monoplex and multiplex assay formats (R2 range = 0.87–0.97). Screening of paired human sera using MMIA, resulted in 92 of 106 (sensitivity: 86%) as positive and 68 of 80 (specificity: 84%) as negative. This study serves as a proof of concept that it is feasible to develop and use a multiplexed microsphere immunoassay as a next generation screening tool for use in large scale seroprevalence studies of hCoVs.
Relaxation study of pre-densified silica glasses under 2.5 MeV electron irradiation
Authors: Ollier Nadège , Lancry Matthieu , Martinet Christine , Martinez Valérie , Le Floch Sylvie , Neuville Daniel 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe examined the “relaxation properties” of pre-densified synthetic fused silica glass under 2.5 MeV electron irradiation. The densification of the glass was either obtained by hot compression (5 GPa-350 °C and 5 GPa-1000 °C) or via a thermal treatment increasing its fictive temperature (Tf = 1050, 1250 and 1400 °C). Under irradiation, the pre-densified silica glasses exhibit a relaxation of their macroscopic density with increasing integrated dose. Density was reduced for hot compressed silica and increased for Tf samples with different relaxation rates but it is remarkable that all sample densities follow a trend towards the same equilibrium value around 2.26 for a dose larger than 10 GGy despite a different final topology. After irradiation of hot compressed silica, the Raman spectra display a significant increment of 4 and almost 3-membered rings whereas they exhibit a glass density reduction; demonstrating that a D2 band increase cannot be considered as an absolute marker of the glass compaction. The correlation between density and D2 intensity remains valid until silica density remains lower than 2.26. In contrast, the FWHM of the main band peaking at 440 cm−1 appears to remain correlated to the silica glass density for all investigated samples.
Telencephalon transcriptome analysis of chronically stressed adult zebrafish
Authors: Huang Victoria , Butler Anderson A. , Lubin Farah D. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractChronic stress leads to disruptions in learning and memory processes. The effects of chronic stress experience on the adult zebrafish brain, particularly the memory associated telencephalon brain region, is unclear. The goal of this study was to identify gene expression changes in the adult zebrafish brain triggered by chronic unpredictable stress. Transcriptome analysis of the telencephalon revealed 155 differentially expressed genes. Of these genes, some are critical genes involved in learning and memory, such ascdk5andchrna7, indicating effects of chronic unpredictable stress on zebrafish memory. Interestingly, several genes were annotated in the Orange domain, which is an amino acid sequence present in eukaryotic DNA-binding transcription repressors. Furthermore, we identifiedhsd11b2, a cortisol inactivating gene, as chronic stress-responsive in the whole zebrafish brain. Collectively, these findings suggest that memory associated gene expression changes in adult zebrafish telencephalon are affected by chronic stress experience.
Induced vergence-accommodation conflict reduces cognitive performance in the Stroop test
Authors: Daniel François , Kapoula Zoï 
Published: February 2019

AbstractInteraction mechanisms between cognition and binocular motor control in reading saccades remain unclear. In this study we examine objectively saccades and fixations parameters during the Stroop test, involving three different levels of cognitive demand (reading, color denomination and interference). In addition, we experimentally induce accommodation and vergence conflicts during the different tasks. Twenty-one visually normal subjects (age 20.9 ± 1.45) performed the Stroop test in three different randomized conditions: a control normal viewing condition, a 16Δ base-out prism condition, and a −2.50D spherical lenses condition. Prisms and spherical lenses induced Vergence-Accommodation conflict. Eye movements were recorded with the Eyeseecam video-oculography device. The results show (1) longer fixation duration in the interference task than in the denomination task, and shorter fixation duration in the reading task; (2) a higher interference effect in the conflict induced conditions compared to the control condition; (3) a lower tolerance to prism induced conflict, with a higher destabilization of the binocular motor control of saccades and fixations. This suggests an interplay between vergence accommodation conflict and cognitive load: tolerance to the conflict seems to be lower in the more cognitively demanding interference Stroop task. The results consolidate the link between cognition and high quality of single binocular vision.
Reconstitution of the embryonic kidney identifies a donor cell contribution to the renal vasculature upon transplantation
Authors: Murakami Yoichi , Naganuma Hidekazu , Tanigawa Shunsuke , Fujimori Toshihiko , Eto Masatoshi , Nishinakamura Ryuichi 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe kidney possesses a highly organised vasculature that is required for its filtration function. While recent advances in stem cell biology have enabled the in vitro generation of kidney tissues, at least partially, recapitulation of the complicated vascular architecture remains a huge challenge. Herein we develop a method to reconstitute both the kidney and its vascular architecture in vitro, using dissociated and sorted mouse embryonic kidney cells. Upon transplantation, arteriolar networks were re-established that ran through the interstitial space between branching ureteric buds and eventually entered glomeruli. Using this system, we found that donor-derived endothelial cells significantly contributed to the arterioles and glomerular capillaries formed after transplantation. Unexpectedly, the near-complete depletion of canonical endothelial cells from the donor embryonic kidney suggested the existence of unidentified donor-derived endothelial precursors that were negative for canonical endothelial markers, but still contributed significantly to the vasculature in the transplants. Thus, our protocol will serve as a useful platform for identification of renal endothelial precursors and induction of these precursors from pluripotent stem cells.
The pro-inflammatory stimulus of zinc- and copper-containing welding fumes in whole blood assay via protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibition
Authors: Bleidorn Johannes , Alamzad-Krabbe Hanif , Gerhards Benjamin , Kraus Thomas , Brand Peter , Krabbe Julia , Martin Christian 
Published: February 2019

AbstractAn asymptomatic systemic inflammation after exposure to zinc- and copper-containing welding fumes has been described as mild form of metal fume fever in recent studies. Since chronic systemic inflammation leads to a higher cardiovascular risk, examining the inflammation with the underlying pathomechanism is necessary to estimate and hopefully prevent long-term effects of welding. We established a whole blood assay to investigate the effects of zinc- and copper-containing welding fume particles on the blood immune response. Increased levels of IL-6, IL-8, TNFα and IL-1β determined after 24 hours of exposure indicated an acute systemic inflammatory reaction. In vitro increases of IL-6 were comparable to in vivo increases of serum IL-6 levels in a study with welding fume exposure of human subjects. Inhibition of PTP1B was identified as one pathway responsible for the effects of zinc- and copper-containing welding fumes and therefore welding fume fever. In conclusion, the whole blood assay is a reliable and feasible method to investigate effects of zinc- and copper-containing welding fumes on the immune system and as a surrogate for systemic inflammation and welding fume fever. Future research can utilize whole blood assays to reduce and partially replace human exposure studies for further investigations of welding fume fever.
Comparison of MRI-based automated segmentation methods and functional neurosurgery targeting with direct visualization of the Ventro-intermediate thalamic nucleus at 7T
Authors: Najdenovska Elena , Tuleasca Constantin , Jorge João , Maeder Philippe , Marques José P. , Roine Timo , Gallichan Daniel , Thiran Jean-Philippe , Levivier Marc , Bach Cuadra Meritxell 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe ventro-intermediate nucleus (Vim), as part of the motor thalamic nuclei, is a commonly used target in functional stereotactic neurosurgery for treatment of drug-resistant tremor. As it cannot be directly visualized on routinely used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), its clinical targeting is performed using indirect methods. Recent literature suggests that the Vim can be directly visualized on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) acquired at 7 T. Our work aims to assess the distinguishable Vim on 7 T SWI in both healthy-population and patients and, using it as a reference, to compare it with: (1) The clinical targeting, (2) The automated parcellation of thalamic subparts based on 3 T diffusion MRI (dMRI), and (3) The multi-atlas segmentation techniques. In 95.2% of the data, the manual outline was adjacent to the inferior lateral border of the dMRI-based motor-nuclei group, while in 77.8% of the involved cases, its ventral part enclosed the Guiot points. Moreover, the late MRI signature in the patients was always observed in the anterior part of the manual delineation and it overlapped with the multi-atlas outline. Overall, our study provides new insight on Vim discrimination through MRI and imply novel strategies for its automated segmentation, thereby opening new perspectives for standardizing the clinical targeting.
Generation of bat-derived influenza viruses and their reassortants
Authors: Sato Masahiro , Maruyama Junki , Kondoh Tatsunari , Nao Naganori , Miyamoto Hiroko , Takadate Yoshihiro , Furuyama Wakako , Kajihara Masahiro , Ogawa Hirohito , Manzoor Rashid , Yoshida Reiko , Igarashi Manabu , Takada Ayato 
Published: February 2019

AbstractTwo novel influenza A virus-like genomes were detected in fruit bats in Central and South America. However, the biological properties of these bat-derived influenza viruses (BatIVs) are still largely unknown since infectious viral particles have never been isolated from the infected host species. In this study, a reverse genetics approach was used to generate infectious BatIV particles entirely from plasmids encoding full-length sequences in eight gene segments. We inoculated BatIV particles into various cell cultures including bat-derived cell lines and found that BatIVs infected particular bat-derived cells efficiently but not the other cell lines tested. Reassortant viruses between the two BatIVs were also successfully generated and their replication in the susceptible bat cell lines was confirmed. These findings suggest a limited host range and reassortment potential of BatIVs in nature, providing fundamental information for understanding of the ecology of BatIVs.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 epidemiology in the Middle East and North Africa: systematic review, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions
Authors: Chaabane Sonia , Harfouche Manale , Chemaitelly Hiam , Schwarzer Guido , Abu-Raddad Laith J. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThis study aimed at characterizing herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) epidemiology in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). HSV-1 records were systematically reviewed. Findings were reported following the PRISMA guidelines. Random-effects meta-analyses were implemented to estimate pooled mean HSV-1 seroprevalence. Random-effects meta-regressions were conducted to identify predictors of higher seroprevalence. Thirty-nine overall seroprevalence measures yielding 85 stratified measures were identified and included in the analyses. Pooled mean seroprevalence was 65.2% (95% CI: 53.6–76.1%) in children, and 91.5% (95% CI: 89.4–93.5%) in adults. By age group, seroprevalence was lowest at 60.5% (95% CI: 48.1–72.3%) in <10 years old, followed by 85.6% (95% CI: 80.5–90.1%) in 10–19 years old, 90.7% (95% CI: 84.7–95.5%) in 20–29 years old, and 94.3% (95% CI: 89.5–97.9%) in ≥30 years old. Age was the strongest predictor of seroprevalence explaining 44.3% of the variation. Assay type, sex, population type, year of data collection, year of publication, sample size, and sampling method were not significantly associated with seroprevalence. The aprioriconsidered factors explained 48.6% of the variation in seroprevalence. HSV-1 seroprevalence persists at high levels in MENA with most infections acquired in childhood. There is no evidence for declines in seroprevalence despite improving socio-economic conditions.