bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Safe zones of the maxillary alveolar bone in Down syndrome for orthodontic miniscrew placement assessed with cone-beam computed tomography
Authors: Limeres Posse Jacobo , Abeleira Pazos María Teresa , Fernández Casado María , Outumuro Rial Mercedes , Diz Dios Pedro , Diniz-Freitas Márcio 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe aim of this study was to quantify the available maxillary alveolar bone in a group of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) to determine the best areas for orthodontic miniscrew placement. The study group consisted of 40 patients with DS aged 12–30 years. We also selected an age and sex-matched control group. All measurements were performed on cross-sectional images obtained with cone-beam computed tomography. The selected areas of interest were the 4 interradicular spaces between the distal wall of the canine and the mesial wall of the second molar, in both maxillary quadrants. We measured the vestibular-palatine (VP) and mesiodistal (MD) dimensions to depths of 3, 6 and 9 mm from the alveolar ridge. We also measured the bone density in the same interradicular spaces of interest to 6 mm of depth from the alveolar crest. VP measurements were longer in the more posterior sectors and as the distance from the alveolar ridge increased. MD measurements also increased progressively as the distance from the alveolar ridge increased. In general, both the VP and MD measurements in the DS group were similar among the male and female participants. As age increased, the MD distance increased, while the VP distance decreased. The VP distance was ≥6 mm in at least 75% of the DS group in practically all assessed interdental spaces. The MD distance was ≥2 mm in at least 75% of the DS group only between the first and second molar, to 9 mm of depth from the alveolar ridge. The safe area for inserting orthodontic miniscrews in DS patients is restricted to the most posterior and deepest area of the maxillary alveolar bone.
Spatial analysis of thickness changes in ten retinal layers of Alzheimer’s disease patients based on optical coherence tomography
Authors: Jáñez-Escalada Luis , Jáñez-García Lucía , Salobrar-García Elena , Santos-Mayo Alejandro , de Hoz Rosa , Yubero Raquel , Gil Pedro , Ramírez José M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe retina is an attractive source of biomarkers since it shares many features with the brain. Thickness differences in 10 retinal layers between 19 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and a control group of 24 volunteers were investigated. Retinal layers were automatically segmented and their thickness at each scanned point was measured, corrected for tilt and spatially normalized. When the mean thickness of entire layers was compared between patients and controls, only the outer segment layer of patients showed statistically significant thinning. However, when the layers were compared point-by point, patients showed statistically significant thinning in irregular regions of total retina and nerve fiber, ganglion cell, inner plexiform, inner nuclear and outer segment layers. Our method, based on random field theory, provides a precise delimitation of regions where total retina and each of its layers show a statistically significant thinning in AD patients. All layers, except inner nuclear and outer segments, showed thickened regions. New analytic methods have shown that thinned regions are interspersed with thickened ones in all layers, except inner nuclear and outer segments. Across different layers we found a statistically significant trend of the thinned regions to overlap and of the thickened ones to avoid overlapping.
Stimulated phospholipid synthesis is key for hepatitis B virus replications
Authors: Huang Qingxia , Lei Hehua , Ding Laifeng , Wang Yulan 
Published: September 2019

AbstractChronic hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection has high morbidity, high pathogenicity and unclear pathogenesis. To elucidate the relationship between HBV replication and host phospholipid metabolites, we measured 10 classes of phospholipids in serum of HBV infected patients and cells using ultra performance liquid chromatograph-triple quadruple mass spectrometry. We found that the levels of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine, and lyso-phosphatidic acid were increased in HBsAg (+) serum of infected patients compared with HBsAg (−), while phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, and sphingomyelin were decreased, which were confirmed in an HBV infected HepG2.2.15 cell line. We further evaluated the enzyme levels of PC pathways and found that PCYT1A and LPP1 for PC synthesis were up-regulated after HBV infection. Moreover, HBV replication was inhibited when PCYT1A and LPP1 were inhibited. These results indicated that the PC synthesis in HBV infected host are regulated by PCYT1A and LPP1, which suggests that PCYT1A, LPP1 could be new potential targets for HBV treatment.
Mode-assisted Silicon Integrated Interferometric Optical Gyroscope
Authors: Wu Beibei , Yu Yu , Zhang Xinliang 
Published: September 2019

AbstractThe increasing demands in consumer electronics markets have promoted the development of chip-scale optical gyroscopes. In this study, a mode-assisted on-chip silicon-on-insulator interferometric optical gyroscope is proposed and assessed. The proposed gyroscope uses two different spatial modes propagating oppositely in the sensing waveguide coil to form a fixed phase difference that ensures the system operating at the best sensitive point. Compared with conventional schemes, it avoids the phase modulator and the circulator, which are not easy to be integrated in the same platform. The simulated results show that the detectable angular rate reaches 0.64 deg/s with a footprint of 3.85 × 10−3 m2. The experimental results validate the realization of the highly sensitive phase bias of the fabricated device.
Identification of a Kavain Analog with Efficient Anti-inflammatory Effects
Authors: Huck Olivier , Han Xiaxian , Mulhall Hannah , Gumenchuk Iryna , Cai Bin , Panek James , Iyer Radha , Amar Salomon 
Published: September 2019

AbstractKavain, a compound derived from Piper methysticum, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. To optimize its drug properties, identification and development of new kavain-derived compounds was undertaken. A focused library of analogs was synthesized and their effects on Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) elicited inflammation were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The library contained cyclohexenones (5,5-dimethyl substituted cyclohexenones) substituted with a benzoate derivative at the 3-position of the cyclohexanone. The most promising analog identifed was a methylated derivative of kavain, Kava-205Me (5,5-dimethyl-3-oxocyclohex-1-en-1-yl 4-methylbenzoate.) In an in vitro assay of anti-inflammatory effects, murine macrophages (BMM) and THP-1 cells were infected with P. gingivalis (MOI = 20:1) and a panel of cytokines were measured. Both cell types treated with Kava-205Me (10 to 200 μg/ml) showed significantly and dose-dependently reduced TNF-α secretion induced by P. gingivalis. In BMM, Kava-205Me also reduced secretion of other cytokines involved in the early phase of inflammation, including IL-12, eotaxin, RANTES, IL-10 and interferon-γ (p < 0.05). In vivo, in an acute model of P. gingivalis-induced calvarial destruction, administration of Kava-205Me significantly improved the rate of healing associated with reduced soft tissue inflammation and osteoclast activation. In an infective arthritis murine model induced by injection of collagen-antibody (ArthriomAb) + P. gingivalis, administration of Kava-205Me was able to reduce efficiently paw swelling and joint destruction. These results highlight the strong anti-inflammatory properties of Kava-205Me and strengthen the interest of testing such compounds in the management of P. gingivalis elicited inflammation, especially in the management of periodontitis.
Reinvigoration of diploid strawberry (Fragaria vesca) during adventitious shoot regeneration
Authors: Wang Hua , Yang Yuan , Li Maofu , Liu Jiashen , Jin Wanmei 
Published: September 2019

AbstractDiploid strawberry (Fragaria vesca ‘Baiguo’) is a model plant for studying functional genomics in Rosaceae. Adventitious shoot regeneration is essential for functional genomics by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. An efficient shoot regeneration method using diploid strawberry leaf explants was conducted on 1/2MS + 1/2B5 medium that contained 2.0 mg L−1 TDZ over 14 days of dark culture; this induced the maximum percentage of shoot regeneration (96.44 ± 1.60%) and the highest number of shoots per explant (23.46 ± 2.14) after 11 weeks of culture. The explants considerably enlarged after 12 days; then, turned greenish brown after 30 days, yellowish brown after 36 days, and completely brown and necrotic after 48 days. Large numbers of adventitious shoots were produced from 48 to 66 days, and the shoots elongated from 66 to 78 days; this represents a critical period of reinvigoration, which included 30 days for leaf explant chlorosis, 36 days for adventitious shoot appearance, and 48 days for generation of numerous shoots. During the reinvigoration process, higher expressions of the hormone synthesis-related genes Ciszog1, CKX2, CKX3, CKX7, YUC2, YUC6, YUC10, YUC9, and GA2ox were detected from 30 to 48 days. Our results indicate that these genes may regulate reinvigoration of shoot regeneration.
18F-labelled triazolyl-linked argininamides targeting the neuropeptide Y Y1R for PET imaging of mammary carcinoma
Authors: Maschauer Simone , Ott Julian J. , Bernhardt Günther , Kuwert Torsten , Keller Max , Prante Olaf 
Published: September 2019

AbstractNeuropeptide Y Y1 receptors (Y1R) have been found to be overexpressed in a number of different tumours, such as breast, ovarian or renal cell cancer. In mammary carcinoma the high Y1R density together with its high incidence of 85% in primary human breast cancers and 100% in breast cancer derived lymph node metastases attracted special attention. Therefore, the aim of this study was the development of radioligands for Y1R imaging by positron emission tomography (PET) with a special emphasis on imaging agents with reduced lipophilicity to provide a PET ligand with improved biodistribution in comparison with previously published tracers targeting the Y1R. Three new radioligands based on BIBP3226, bearing an 18F-fluoroethoxy linker (12), an 18F-PEG-linker (13) or an 18F-fluoroglycosyl moiety (11) were radiosynthesised in high radioactivity yields. The new radioligands displayed Y1R affinities of 2.8 nM (12), 29 nM (13) and 208 nM (11) and were characterised in vitro regarding binding to human breast cancer MCF-7-Y1 cells and slices of tumour xenografts. In vivo, small animal PET studies were conducted in nude mice bearing MCF-7-Y1 tumours. The binding to tumours, solid tumour slices and tumour cells correlated well with the Y1R affinities. Although 12 and 13 showed displaceable and specific binding to Y1R in vitro and in vivo, the radioligands still need to be optimised to achieve higher tumour-to-background ratios for Y1R imaging by PET. Yet the present study is another step towards an optimized PET radioligand for imaging of Y1R in vivo.
Adhesion abilities and biosorption of Cd and Mg by microorganisms - first step for eco-friendly beneficiation of phosphate ore
Authors: Rabia Hakim , Ould Hamou Malek , Kasperkiewicz Katarzyna , Brożek Jolanta , Augustyniak Maria 
Published: September 2019

AbstractChemical reagents used in traditional mineral processing can be toxic and hazardous for the environment. Therefore, the use of biotechnological methods is becoming increasingly important. Great hopes are being placed in the use of microorganisms for bio-beneficiation of raw materials. However, assessment of adhesion abilities of bacteria onto minerals surface as well as biosorption of metals are essential steps before designing final process of each ore beneficiation. The main aim of this work was an investigation of biosorption of Cd and Mg, as well as adhesion abilities of five microorganism species with minerals included in the natural mixture of phosphate ore form Djebel Onk, Algeria. The ore, due to its unique composition, created conditions for adhesion of all five tested microbial strains onto apatite surface during incubation at pH 3. Moreover, Rhodococcus erythropolis CD 130, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Escherichia coli adhered distinctly onto apatite surface during incubation at pH 7. Incubation lasting 20 min at pH 4-6 created the most favorable conditions for biosorption of metals by B. subtilis and adhesion of cells. In case of C. albicans, biosorption of metals as well as adhesion of cells onto the mineral surface were more effective after longer time and in a wider pH range.
Synergistic antifungal interactions of amphotericin B with 4-(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-yl) benzene-1,3-diol
Authors: Chudzik Barbara , Bonio Katarzyna , Dabrowski Wojciech , Pietrzak Daniel , Niewiadomy Andrzej , Olender Alina , Malodobry Katarzyna , Gagoś Mariusz 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAmphotericin B (AmB) is a very potent antifungal drug with very rare resistance among clinical isolates. Treatment with the AmB formulations available currently is associated with severe side effects. A promising strategy to minimize the toxicity of AmB is reducing its dose by combination therapy with other antifungals, showing synergistic interactions. Therefore, substances that display synergistic interactions with AmB are still being searched for. Screening tests carried out on several dozen of synthetic 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives allowed selection of a compound called 4-(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-yl) benzene-1,3-diol (abbreviated as C1), which shows strong synergistic interaction with AmB and low toxicity towards human cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the type of in vitro antifungal interactions of the C1 compound with AmB against fungal clinical isolates differing in susceptibility. The results presented in the present paper indicate that the C1 derivative shows strong synergistic interaction with AmB, which allows the use of a dozen to several dozen times lower AmB concentration necessary for 100% inhibition of the growth of pathogenic fungi in vitro. Synergistic interactions were noted for all tested strains, including strains with reduced sensitivity to AmB and azole-resistant isolates. These observations give hope for the possibility of application of the AmB - C1 combinatory therapy in the treatment of fungal infections.
Alginates along the filament of the brown alga Ectocarpus help cells cope with stress
Authors: Rabillé Hervé , Torode Thomas A. , Tesson Benoit , Le Bail Aude , Billoud Bernard , Rolland Elodie , Le Panse Sophie , Jam Murielle , Charrier Bénédicte 
Published: September 2019

AbstractEctocarpus is a filamentous brown alga, which cell wall is composed mainly of alginates and fucans (80%), two non-crystalline polysaccharide classes. Alginates are linear chains of epimers of 1,4-linked uronic acids, β-D-mannuronic acid (M) and α-L-guluronic acid (G). Previous physico-chemical studies showed that G-rich alginate gels are stiffer than M-rich alginate gels when prepared in vitro with calcium. In order to assess the possible role of alginates in Ectocarpus, we first immunolocalised M-rich or G-rich alginates using specific monoclonal antibodies along the filament. As a second step, we calculated the tensile stress experienced by the cell wall along the filament, and varied it with hypertonic or hypotonic solutions. As a third step, we measured the stiffness of the cell along the filament, using cell deformation measurements and atomic force microscopy. Overlapping of the three sets of data allowed to show that alginates co-localise with the stiffest and most stressed areas of the filament, namely the dome of the apical cell and the shanks of the central round cells. In addition, no major distinction between M-rich and G-rich alginate spatial patterns could be observed. Altogether, these results support that both M-rich and G-rich alginates play similar roles in stiffening the cell wall where the tensile stress is high and exposes cells to bursting, and that these roles are independent from cell growth and differentiation.
The complexity of porphyrin-like pigments in a marine annelid sheds new light on haem metabolism in aquatic invertebrates
Authors: Martins C. , Rodrigo A. P. , Cabrita L. , Henriques P. , Parola A. J. , Costa P. M. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractTrue green pigments in the animal kingdom are scarce and are almost invariably porphyrinoids. Endogenous porphyrins resulting from the breakdown of haem are usually known as “bile pigments”. The pigmentation of intertidal Polychaeta has long gained attention due to its variety and vivid patterning that often seems incompatible with camouflage, as it occurs withEulalia viridis, one of the few truly green Polychaeta. The present study combined UV and bright-field microscopy with HPLC to address the presence and distribution of pigments in several organs. The results showed two major types of porphyrin-like pigments, yellowish and greenish in colour, that are chiefly stored as intraplasmatic granules. Whereas the proboscis holds yellow pigments, the skin harbours both types in highly specialised cells. In their turn, oocytes and intestine have mostly green pigments. Despite some inter-individual variation, the pigments tend to be stable after prolonged storage at −20 °C, which has important implications for future studies. The results show that, in a foraging predator of the intertidal where melanins are circumscribed to lining the nervous system, porphyrinoid pigments have a key role in protection against UV light, in sensing and even as chemical defence against foulants and predators, which represents a remarkable adaptive feature.
Identification of in vivo nonlinear anisotropic mechanical properties of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm from patient-specific CT scans
Authors: Liu Minliang , Liang Liang , Sulejmani Fatiesa , Lou Xiaoying , Iannucci Glen , Chen Edward , Leshnower Bradley , Sun Wei 
Published: September 2019

AbstractAccurate identification of in vivo nonlinear, anisotropic mechanical properties of the aortic wall of individual patients remains to be one of the critical challenges in the field of cardiovascular biomechanics. Since only the physiologically loaded states of the aorta are given from in vivo clinical images, inverse approaches, which take into account of the unloaded configuration, are needed for in vivo material parameter identification. Existing inverse methods are computationally expensive, which take days to weeks to complete for a single patient, inhibiting fast feedback for clinicians. Moreover, the current inverse methods have only been evaluated using synthetic data. In this study, we improved our recently developed multi-resolution direct search (MRDS) approach and the computation time cost was reduced to 1~2 hours. Using the improved MRDS approach, we estimated in vivo aortic tissue elastic properties of two ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA) patients from pre-operative gated CT scans. For comparison, corresponding surgically-resected aortic wall tissue samples were obtained and subjected to planar biaxial tests. Relatively close matches were achieved for the in vivo-identified and ex vivo-fitted stress-stretch responses. It is hoped that further development of this inverse approach can enable an accurate identification of the in vivo material parameters from in vivo image data.
Predictors for Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome in Denmark 2009–2014
Authors: Holden Inge K. , Lillebaek Troels , Seersholm Niels , Andersen Peter H. , Wejse Christian , Johansen Isik S. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractMonitoring of tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcome is essential to ensure an effective TB control program. In this nationwide retrospective cohort study from Denmark we present TB treatment outcome rates and risk factors associated with an unfavourable outcome. All patients notified with pulmonary TB from 2009 through 2014 were included. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for unfavourable outcome. In total, 1681 pulmonary TB cases were included. TB treatment success rates increased during the study period. In 2014, the treatment success rate reached 85% for new culture positive cases whereas 7% cases interrupted treatment. The mortality decreased during the study period from 12.3% to 4.1%. Several risk factors associated with unfavourable outcome were identified in a multivariable model: male (OR: 2.56), Greenlandic origin (OR: 1.80), abuse of alcohol (OR: 2.90), history of mental disorder (OR: 2.46), and anaemia at time of treatment initiation (OR: 1.92). In a TB low incidence setting such as the Danish, it is important to maintain focus on preventing an unfavourable TB outcome. Patient management and treatment can be optimized by taking into consideration risk factors such as those identified in the present study.
Synthesis and biological characterization of silver nanoparticles derived from the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limnetica
Authors: Hamouda Ragaa A. , Hussein Mervat H. , Abo-elmagd Rasha A. , Bawazir Salwa S. 
Published: September 2019

AbstractUsing aqueous cyanobacterial extracts in the synthesis of silver nanoparticle is looked as green, ecofriendly, low priced biotechnology that gives advancement over both chemical and physical methods. In the current study, an aqueous extract of Oscillatoria limnetica fresh biomass was used for the green synthesis of Ag-NPs, since O. limnetica extract plays a dual part in both reducing and stabilizing Oscillatoria-silver nanoparticles (O-AgNPs). The UV-Visible absorption spectrum, Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were achieved for confirming and characterizing the biosynthesized O-AgNPs. TEM images detected the quasi-spherical Ag-NPs shape with diverse size ranged within 3.30–17.97 nm. FT-IR analysis demonstrated the presence of free amino groups in addition to sulfur containing amino acid derivatives acting as stabilizing agents as well as the presence of either sulfur or phosphorus functional groups which possibly attaches silver. In this study, synthesized Ag-NPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus) as well as cytotoxic effects against both human breast (MCF-7) cell line giving IC50 (6.147 µg/ml) and human colon cancer (HCT-116) cell line giving IC50 (5.369 µg/ml). Hemolytic activity of Ag-NPs was investigated and confirmed as being non- toxic to human RBCs in low concentrations.
Non-contrast power Doppler ultrasound imaging for early assessment of trans-arterial chemoembolization of liver tumors
Authors: Tierney Jaime , Baker Jennifer , Borgmann Anthony , Brown Daniel , Byram Brett 
Published: September 2019

AbstractTrans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an important yet variably effective treatment for management of hepatic malignancies. Lack of response can be in part due to inability to assess treatment adequacy in real-time. Gold-standard contrast enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, although effective, suffer from treatment-induced artifacts that prevent early treatment evaluation. Non-contrast ultrasound is a potential solution but has historically been ineffective at detecting treatment response. Here, we propose non-contrast ultrasound with recent perfusion-focused advancements as a tool for immediate evaluation of TACE. We demonstrate initial feasibility in an 11-subject pilot study. Treatment-induced changes in tumor perfusion are detected best when combining adaptive demodulation (AD) and singular value decomposition (SVD) techniques. Using a 0.5 s (300-sample) ensemble size, AD + SVD resulted in a 7.42 dB median decrease in tumor power after TACE compared to only a 0.06 dB median decrease with conventional methods.