bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Left ventricular function and exercise capacity after arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: van Wijk Sebastiaan W. , Driessen Mieke M. , Meijboom Folkert J. , Doevendans Pieter A. , Schoof Paul H. , Breur Hans M. , Takken Tim 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBackgroundThe arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries was initially believed to be an anatomical correction. Recent evidence shows reduced exercise capacity and left ventricular function in varying degrees in the long term after an arterial switch operation.ObjectiveTo perform a meta-analysis on long-term exercise capacity and left ventricular ejection fraction after an arterial switch operation.MethodsA literature search was performed to cover all studies on patients who had undergone a minimum of 6 years of follow-up that reported either left ventricular ejection fraction, peak oxygen uptake, peak workload, and/or peak heart rate. A meta-analysis was performed if more than three studies reported the outcome of interest.ResultsA total of 21 studies reported on the outcomes of interest. Oxygen uptake was consistently lower in patients who had undergone an arterial switch operation compared with healthy controls, with a pooled average peak oxygen uptake of 87.5±2.9% of predicted. The peak heart rate was also lower compared with that of controls, at 92±2% of predicted. Peak workload was significantly reduced in two studies. Pooled left ventricular ejection fraction was normal at 60.7±7.2%.ConclusionExercise capacity is reduced and left ventricular ejection fraction is preserved in the long term after an arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries.
The REACH protocol: an innovative strategy for home management of infants with complex CHD
Authors: Fleck Desiree A. , Marino Bradley S. , Costello John M. , Ravishankar Chitra , Torowicz Deborah , Alden Carrie , Van’t Hof Kathleen , Medoff-Cooper Barbara 
Published: May 2018

AbstractApproximately 32,000 infants are born with CHDs each year in the United States of America. Of every 1000 live births, 2.3 require surgical or transcatheter intervention in the first year of life. There are few more stressful times for parents than when their neonate receives a diagnosis of complex CHD requiring surgery. The stress of caring for these infants is often unrelenting and may last for weeks, months, and often years, placing parents at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a drastic decrease in quality of life. Anxiety often peaks in the days and weeks after discharge from the hospital as families no longer have immediate access to nursing and medical staff. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods of a randomised controlled trial that was designed to determine whether REACH would favourably affect parental and infant outcomes by decreasing parental stress, improve parental quality of life, increase infant stability, and decrease resource utilisation in infants with complex CHD.
The politics of negative emissions technologies and decarbonization in rural communities
Authors: Buck Holly Jean 
Published: May 2018

Non-technical summaryTechnologies and practices to remove carbon from the atmosphere (‘negative emissions technologies’) will be challenging to scale-up. Efforts to incentivize or govern their scale-up globally risk failing if they miss the social challenges. This paper analyzes prospective challenges for negative emissions through examining how decarbonization practices are evolving in one particular landscape: the Imperial Valley in southeast California, a desert landscape engineered for industrial agriculture. Based on semi-structured interviews and site visits, this paper examines how community actors have received, participated in, imagined or contested new energy technologies and climate practices, and draws out takeaways for negative emissions policy.
Kompetenztestung bei Grundschulkindern
Authors: Lockl Kathrin , Händel Marion , Artelt Cordula 
Published: May 2018

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie ging der Frage nach, ob die Validität eines sprachlich vorgegebenen Wissenstests für Grundschülerinnen und Grundschüler durch bestimmte Administrationsbedingungen gesteigert werden kann. In der Studie bearbeiteten 319 Drittklässlerinnen und Drittklässler im Klassenkontext einen inhaltlichen Test zum metakognitiven Wissen über Lernstrategien, der in zwei Varianten (Zuhören vs. Zuhören und Mitlesen) vorgegeben wurde. Darüber hinaus wurde ein Wortschatztest eingesetzt und der familiäre Sprachhintergrund der Kinder erhoben. Als wichtigsten Befund ergab eine Mehrebenenanalyse eine signifikante Interaktion von Testbedingung und den sprachlichen Kompetenzen: Kinder mit vergleichsweise geringem Wortschatz erzielten in der Zuhören-und-Mitlesen-Bedingung höhere Werte in einem Test zum metakognitiven Wissen als in der Zuhören-Bedingung, wohingegen sich bei Kindern mit größerem Wortschatz kein Unterschied zwischen den Testbedingungen ergab. Ein entsprechendes Befundmuster zeigte sich, wenn anstatt des Wortschatzes der Sprachhintergrund berücksichtigt wurde. Somit sprechen die Ergebnisse dafür, dass Kinder mit geringeren Sprachkompetenzen von der Möglichkeit profitieren, die Aufgabentexte mitzulesen. Folglich erhöht die Zuhören-und-Mitlesen-Bedingung die Validität der Testung, was mit Blick auf die theoretischen und diagnostischen Implikationen diskutiert wird.
Assessment of the Carbonate Chemistry Seasonal Cycles in the Southern Ocean From Persistent Observational Platforms
Authors: Williams N. L. , Juranek L. W. , Feely R. A. , Russell J. L. , Johnson K. S. , Hales B. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractObservations from Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) biogeochemical profiling Argo floats are used to characterize the climatological seasonal cycles and drivers of dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, pH, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2), and the saturation state of aragonite at the surface and at 200 m across five Southern Ocean frontal regimes, including under sea ice. The Southern Ocean ranges from a temperature‐dominated system in the northernmost Subtropical Zone to a biologically dominated system in the most poleward Seasonal Sea Ice Zone. In all zones, the ingassing or outgassing of CO2 must be balanced by geostrophic and Ekman transport, mixing from below, and particle transport of carbon into or out of the euphotic zone. The climatological seasonal cycles spanning the period from 2014 to 2017 compare favorably with existing climatologies in spring and summer and less so during winter months, at higher latitudes, and in ice‐covered regions due, in part, to limited wintertime observations before SOCCOM. We observe increases in the carbon and nutrient content of surface waters south of the Subantarctic Front between climatological data products and the SOCCOM float climatologies, even after adjusting for anthropogenic change, suggesting a large‐scale increase in the amount of upwelled carbon‐ and nutrient‐rich deep waters. This increased upwelling corresponds to a positive Southern Annular Mode Index over 2014–2017 and likely acts to decrease the magnitude of the Southern Ocean sink of total carbon by increasing outgassing of natural CO2, especially during winter months.
Microphysical and Kinematic Processes Associated With Anomalous Charge Structures in Isolated Convection
Authors: Fuchs Brody R. , Rutledge Steven A. , Dolan Brenda , Carey Lawrence D. , Schultz Christopher 
Published: May 2018

AbstractMicrophysical and kinematic characteristics of two storm populations, based on their macroscale charge structures, are investigated in an effort to increase our understanding of the processes that lead to anomalous (or inverted charge) structures. Nine normal polarity cases (midlevel negative charge) with dual‐Doppler and polarimetric coverage that occurred in northern Alabama and six anomalous polarity cases (midlevel positive charge) that occurred in northeastern Colorado are included in this study. The results show that even though anomalous polarity storms formed in environments with similar instability, they had significantly larger and stronger updrafts. Moreover, the anomalous polarity storms evidently have more robust mixed‐phase microphysics, based on a variety of metrics. We infer positively charged graupel, and therefore high supercooled water contents, in the midlevels of the anomalous storms based on the relationship between colocations of graupel and inferred positive charge from Lightning Mapping Array data. Anomalous polarity storms in Colorado have much higher cloud base heights and shallower warm cloud depths in this study, leading us to hypothesize that anomalous polarity storms have lower amounts of dilution and entrainment. Using representative updraft speeds and warm cloud depths, the time required for a parcel to traverse from cloud base to the freezing level was estimated for each storm observation. We suggest that this metric is the key discriminator between the two storm populations and leads us to hypothesize that it strongly influences the amount of supercooled water and the probability of positive charge in the midlevels, leading to an anomalous charge structure.
Methane Hydrate Formation in Thick Sandstones by Free Gas Flow
Authors: You Kehua , Flemings Peter B. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe show with a two‐dimensional multiphase flow and multicomponent transport model that free gas flow is a viable mechanism to form concentrated methane hydrate in meter‐scale, dipping sandstones far above the base of the hydrate stability zone (BHSZ). In this model, gas preferentially flows updip along the top of sandstone due to buoyancy. This drives hydrate formation, increasing the local salinity to the stability limit and developing three‐phase (gas, liquid, and hydrate) equilibrium above the BHSZ. With time, the gas and the hydrate solidification front (HSF) advance together updip. Behind the HSF, hydrate continues to form as the elevated salinity diffuses away. High hydrate saturations reduce the sediment permeability significantly. As a result, as the gas and HSF move updip, they are also pushed perpendicularly from the top to the base of the sandstone. The hydrate system ultimately self‐seals itself due to reduced permeability across the entire thickness of the sandstone. Gas starts to retreat downdip and accumulates below the BHSZ. With this model high hydrate saturations form far above the BHSZ at high methane supply rates while hydrate is concentrated at the BHSZ or no hydrate forms at low methane supply rates. This study provides further insights into hydrate formation by free gas flow, which can be used to design the best strategies for economic and environmental production of methane from hydrate reservoirs.
Microphysical and Kinematic Structure of Convective‐Scale Elements in the Inner Rainband of Typhoon Matmo (2014) After Landfall
Authors: Wang Mingjun , Zhao Kun , Lee Wen‐Chau , Zhang Fuqing 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe detailed microphysical structure and processes associated with the kinematic structure of the inner rainband of Typhoon Matmo (2014) over East China were examined using observations from an S band polarimetric Doppler radar and an S band Doppler radar. The kinematic structure of convective cells within the inland inner rainband was similar to that of the principal rainband over the ocean in terms of both updrafts and downdrafts. The hydrometeors within convective regions above the freezing level presented a layered pattern, with ice crystals at the top, dry snow in the middle, and graupel at the bottom just above the freezing level. Dry snow and graupel particles were mainly distributed downwind in relation to the overturning updraft. Heavy rainfall occurred mostly in the updraft region and the region affected by graupel. To further investigate the formation of heavy rainfall, variations in reflectivity, differential reflectivity, and rainwater content within different layers were examined. Two distinct mechanisms were identified: (1) in the updraft region the heavy rainfall was predominantly produced through warm‐rain processes of autoconversion, accretion, and coalescence between 0.5 and 5 km in altitude; and (2) outside the updraft region, the heavy rainfall was mainly produced through melting of graupel particles. Evaporation was also observed within the radial inflow layer, most likely due to the cool dry air transported by the low‐level downdraft. This study revealed, for the first time, the interactions between the microphysical and kinematic structure and the vertical evolution of warm‐rain processes in the inner rainbands of tropical cyclones after landfall.
Correction to: Efficient DNA-assisted synthesis of trans-membrane gold nanowires
Authors: Guo Maoxiang , Hernández-Neuta Iván , Madaboosi Narayanan , Nilsson Mats , van der Wijngaart Wouter 
Published: May 2018

Figure 1 and the descriptive text in the Section “SEM characterization of synthesized nanowires” of the previously published version of this Article were erroneous. The authors would like to replace Fig. 1 and section “SEM characterization of synthesized nanowires” with the figure and text below:
Transcriptional cofactors Ski and SnoN are major regulators of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in health and disease
Authors: Tecalco-Cruz Angeles C. , Ríos-López Diana G. , Vázquez-Victorio Genaro , Rosales-Alvarez Reyna E. , Macías-Silva Marina 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family plays major pleiotropic roles by regulating many physiological processes in development and tissue homeostasis. The TGF-β signaling pathway outcome relies on the control of the spatial and temporal expression of >500 genes, which depend on the functions of the Smad protein along with those of diverse modulators of this signaling pathway, such as transcriptional factors and cofactors. Ski (Sloan-Kettering Institute) and SnoN (Ski novel) are Smad-interacting proteins that negatively regulate the TGF-β signaling pathway by disrupting the formation of R-Smad/Smad4 complexes, as well as by inhibiting Smad association with the p300/CBP coactivators. The Ski and SnoN transcriptional cofactors recruit diverse corepressors and histone deacetylases to repress gene transcription. The TGF-β/Smad pathway and coregulators Ski and SnoN clearly regulate each other through several positive and negative feedback mechanisms. Thus, these cross-regulatory processes finely modify the TGF-β signaling outcome as they control the magnitude and duration of the TGF-β signals. As a result, any alteration in these regulatory mechanisms may lead to disease development. Therefore, the design of targeted therapies to exert tight control of the levels of negative modulators of the TGF-β pathway, such as Ski and SnoN, is critical to restore cell homeostasis under the specific pathological conditions in which these cofactors are deregulated, such as fibrosis and cancer.
Resting T cells are hypersensitive to DNA damage due to defective DNA repair pathway
Authors: Hu Qian , Xie Yujie , Ge Yuanlong , Nie Xin , Tao Jun , Zhao Yong 
Published: May 2018

AbstractBlood cells are challenged by intrinsic and exogenous stress that may result in many types of damage to DNA. As a major participant in cell-mediated immunity in blood, T lymphocytes are maintained in their quiescent (resting) state for most of their lives and switch to the proliferating state once stimulated. How resting and stimulated T cells address DNA damage remains largely unknown. Here, we report that while different types of DNA damage are efficiently repaired in stimulated T cells, they result in massive apoptosis of resting T cells. Mechanistically, DNA damage in resting T cells activates the ATM/ATR/DNA-PKcs signaling pathway but fails to induce the formation of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci, leading to unrepaired DNA damage that activates apoptosis in a p53-independent but JNK/p73-dependent manner. Mice challenged with high DNA damage stress display far fewer T cells in peripheral blood, lymph nodes, and spleens. Collectively, these results reveal that resting T cells are hypersensitive to DNA damage due to defects in DNA damage repair mechanisms. These findings provide new insight into T-cell function and maintenance of immunity under highly stressed conditions.
(S)-crizotinib reduces gastric cancer growth through oxidative DNA damage and triggers pro-survival akt signal
Authors: Ji Jiansong , Chen Weiqian , Lian Weishuai , Chen Ruijie , Yang Jinqing , Zhang Qianqian , Weng Qiaoyou , Khan Zia , Hu Jie , Chen Xi , Zou Peng , Chen Xiaoming , Liang Guang 
Published: May 2018

AbstractGastric cancer (GC), a common gastrointestinal malignancy worldwide, has poor prognosis and frequent recurrence. There is a great need to identify effective therapy for GC. Crizotinib is a multi-targeted, clinically available oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for lung cancer, but its use for the highly heterogeneous disease of GC is unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer mechanisms of the (S)-crizotinib in inhibiting GC growth. Human GC cell lines (SGC-7901 and BGC-823) and the (S)-crizotinib-resistant BGC-823/R were cultured for determining the effects of (S)-crizotinib on cell viability, apoptosis, oxidant generation, and cell cycle progression. Involvement of ROS, Akt signaling, MTH1, and DNA damage was tested with respective pharmacological blockade. The in vivo anti-tumor effects of (S)-crizotinib were determined using xenograft tumor mice. Results indicated that (S)-crizotinib decreased GC cell viability, induced growth arrest and apoptosis, and increased levels of γH2AX and Ser1981-phosphorylated ATM, which were inhibited by NAC. The anti-cancer mechanism of (S)-crizotinib was independent of MTH1. Moreover, ATM-activated Akt, a pro-survival signal, whose inhibition further enhanced (S)-crizotinib-induced inhibition of GC cell growth and tumor growth in xenograft mice, and re-sensitized resistant GC cells to (S)-crizotinib. (S)-crizotinib reduced GC cell and tumor growth through oxidative DNA damage mechanism and triggered pro-survival Akt signaling. We conclude that inclusion of Akt inhibition (to block the survival signaling) with (S)-crizotinib may provide an effective and novel combination therapy for GC in the clinical setting.
STX2 promotes colorectal cancer metastasis through a positive feedback loop that activates the NF-κB pathway
Authors: Wang Yongxia , Xu Honghai , Jiao Hongli , Wang Shuyang , Xiao Zhiyuan , Zhao Yali , Bi Jiaxin , Wei Wenting , Liu Shanshan , Qiu Junfeng , Li Tingting , Liang Li , Ye Yaping , Liao Wenting , Ding Yanqing 
Published: May 2018

AbstractMetastatic progression is the main contributor to the poor prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, identifying the determinants of CRC metastasis will be of great significance. Based on our previous bioinformatics analysis, Syntaxin2 (STX2) may be upregulated and correlated with the poor prognosis of CRC patients. In this study, we found that STX2 expression was associated with CRC invasion and metastasis and poor patient survival. Gain- and loss-of-function analyses demonstrated that STX2 functioned as a key oncogene by promoting CRC invasion and metastasis. Mechanistically, STX2 selectively interacted with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and activated the nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis revealed that NF-κB directly bound to the STX2 promoter and drove STX2 transcription. Therefore, STX2 activated the NF-κB pathway, and in turn, NF-κB increased STX2 expression, forming a positive signaling loop that eventually promoted CRC metastasis. Collectively, our results reveal STX2 as a crucial modulator of the aggressive CRC phenotype and highlight STX2 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for combating CRC metastasis.
A novel oral camptothecin analog, gimatecan, exhibits superior antitumor efficacy than irinotecan toward esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Zou Jianling , Li Shuang , Chen Zuhua , Lu Zhihao , Gao Jing , Zou Jianyin , Lin Xiaoting , Li Yanyan , Zhang Cheng , Shen Lin 
Published: May 2018

AbstractEsophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a frequently diagnosed and deadly malignancy with few standard therapeutic options. Camptothecins are considered one of the most promising antitumor drugs. A modified lipophilic analog, gimatecan, was synthesized as a novel oral camptothecin and showed impressive effects in various tumors, but its therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms in ESCC remain unclear. This study investigated the antitumor efficacy and mechanisms of gimatecan in ECSS both in vitro and in vivo. Using ESCC cell lines, cell line-derived xenografts and patient-derived xenografts models, we evaluated gimatecan’s inhibition of tumor growth, and compared its antitumor efficacy with that of irinotecan. Topoisomerase I function and expression were assessed using the DNA relaxation assay and Western blotting, respectively. DNA damage was evaluated by Western blotting. Cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis were assessed using flow cytometry and Western blotting. Gimatecan could significantly suppress tumor growth in vivo and inhibit tumor cell proliferation in vitro, which was superior to irinotecan. Gimatecan suppressed the function and expression of topoisomerase I. It also caused DNA damage and activated the phosphorylation of multiple checkpoint gatekeepers, such as ATM, ATR, BRCA1, H2AX, CHK1, CHK2, and p53. It induced S phase arrest, enhanced the expression of p21WAF1/CIP, and suppressed the expression of CDK2 and cyclin A. Induction of apoptosis was accompanied by increases in Bax, cleaved-caspase 3 activation, cleaved-caspase 9 induction, and a decrease in Bcl-2. The molecular and phenotypic changes induced by gimatecan were stronger than that of irinotecan. In ESCC, gimatecan suppressed the expression and function of topoisomerase I, induced DNA damage and intra-S phase cell cycle arrest, and resulted in apoptosis. And the results suggest that gimatecan has higher potency in inhibiting ESCC tumor growth than irinotecan, providing a rational novel therapeutic strategy for future clinical evaluation.