bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exosomal microRNA profiles from serum and cerebrospinal fluid in neurosyphilis
Authors: Chen Huan , Zhou Yuan , Wang Zhao-Yuan , Yan Bing-Xi , Zhou Wei-Fang , Wang Ting-Ting , Zheng Min , Man Xiao-Yong 
Published: March 2019

ObjectiveChanges in microRNAs (miRNAs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are associated with different neurological diseases. Since alternations of miRNAs in neurosyphilis are insufficiently investigated, we analysed miRNAs in the CSF of patients suffering from neurosyphilis.MethodsExosomes were isolated from serum and CSF. Levels of 44 miRNAs were determined using quantitative real-time PCR-based miRNA array.ResultsIn patients with neurosyphilis (NSP), miR-590-5p, miR-570-3p and miR-570-5p were upregulated in the CSF and serum, when compared with patients with syphilis without neurosyphilis (SP). miR-590-5p and miR-570-3p were significantly upregulated (p<0.001). The expression of miR-21-5p was upregulated only in the CSF of NSP. Significant downregulation was observed for miR-93-3p in the CSF and serum of NSP. No statistical difference was found in the expression of miR-7-5p, miR-1307-5p, miR-203a-3p, miR-16, miR-23b-3p and miR-27b-5p in the CSF and serum of NSP and SP.ConclusionFor the first time, regulation profiles in miRNA in the CSF and serum were analysed in NSP. We found significant differences in upregulation and downregulation. Therefore, miRNAs may be potential biomarkers for the presence of neurosyphilis.
Next-Generation Sequencing of Tissue and Circulating Tumor DNA: The UC San Diego Moores Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy Experience with Breast Malignancies
Authors: Shatsky Rebecca , Parker Barbara A. , Bui Nam Q. , Helsten Teresa , Schwab Richard B. , Boles Sarah G , Kurzrock Razelle 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
Clinical-grade next-generation sequencing (NGS) of tissue- and blood-derived circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) allows assessment of multiple genomic alterations in patients with cancer. We analyzed ctDNA (54–70 genes) in 62 patients with advanced breast cancer (median = five prior therapies); 38 also had tissue NGS (236–315 genes). Overall, 42 of 62 patients (68%) had detectable (characterized) ctDNA alterations (variants of unknown significance excluded), and 37 of 38 (97%) had tissue alterations. The median (range) number of characterized alterations in ctDNA was 1 (0–7), and in tissue, 4 (0–17). The most common alterations in ctDNA were in TP53 (37% of patients) and PIK3CA (23%), and for tissue, TP53 (37%) and PIK3CA (24%); EGFR amplification was seen in ctDNA (11%), but not in tissue. Concordance between ctDNA and tissue appeared higher if &lt;6 months separated the sample acquisition, although small sample size precluded statistical validation. Overall, 32 of 67 tissue alterations (48%) were also detected in ctDNA; 35 of 72 ctDNA alterations (48%) were also in tissue. Excluding estrogen receptor and ERBB2, 41 of 62 patients (66%) had potentially actionable alterations in ctDNA, and 36 of 38 (95%), in tissue (with potential actionability based on either preclinical or clinical evidence). If ≥1 genomic alteration had ctDNA ≥5%, survival was shorter than if ctDNA was &lt;5% (median, 6.7 vs. 17.9 months; P = 0.01). In conclusion, tissue and ctDNA NGS reveal potentially actionable alterations in most patients. The genomic results of ctDNA and tissue NGS overlap, but there are differences, perhaps reflecting temporal spacing and tumor heterogeneity. ctDNA quantification also provides prognostic information.
Distribution and Activity of Lenvatinib in Brain Tumor Models of Human Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Cells in Severe Combined Immune Deficient Mice
Authors: Wang Rong , Yamada Tadaaki , Arai Sachiko , Fukuda Koji , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Tanimoto Azusa , Nishiyama Akihiro , Takeuchi Shinji , Yamashita Kaname , Ohtsubo Koshiro , Matsui Junji , Onoda Naoyoshi , Hirata Eishu , Taira Shu , Yano Seiji 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare but aggressive undifferentiated tumor that frequently metastasizes to the brain. The multiple kinase inhibitor lenvatinib and sorafenib have been approved to treat unresectable differentiated thyroid cancer, and lenvatinib has been approved in Japan to treat ATC. This study compared the effects of lenvatinib and sorafenib in mouse models of central nervous system metastases of ATC. Immunodeficient mice were inoculated with ATC cells, and the effects of lenvatinib and sorafenib were evaluated in subcutaneous- and brain metastasis–mimicking models. Drug distribution was evaluated by imaging tandem mass spectrometry (ITMS). Neither lenvatinib nor sorafenib affected the viability of ATC cell lines, whereas both inhibited VEGF secretion by ATC cells. In the subcutaneous tumor model, both lenvatinib and sorafenib inhibited growth and were associated with reduced tumor microvessel density. In the brain metastasis–mimicking model, lenvatinib, but not sorafenib, inhibited the growth of ATC cells and reduced microvessel density in brain lesions. ITMS showed that lenvatinib was well-distributed in both subcutaneous and brain lesions, whereas the distribution of sorafenib was lower in brain than in subcutaneous lesions. These results demonstrate that lenvatinib is well-distributed in mouse models of ATC, and inhibited the growth of ATC brain lesions predominantly by inhibiting angiogenesis, suggesting that lenvatinib is highly potent against ATC brain metastases.
Metformin Enhances Autophagy and Provides Cardioprotection in δ-Sarcoglycan Deficiency-Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kanamori Hiromitsu , Naruse Genki , Yoshida Akihiro , Minatoguchi Shingo , Watanabe Takatomo , Kawaguchi Tomonori , Yamada Yoshihisa , Mikami Atsushi , Kawasaki Masanori , Takemura Genzou , Minatoguchi Shinya 
Published: March 2019

Background:
Metformin is a popular antidiabetic agent that is also used to treat heart failure patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Several reports suggest that metformin may also have cardioprotective effects in patients without diabetes mellitus. In the present study, we investigated the possible therapeutic effect of metformin in heart failure and its underlying molecular mechanisms using a δ-sarcoglycan-deficient mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods and Results:
Thirty-two-week-old δ-sarcoglycan-deficient mice exhibiting established cardiomyopathy with extensive left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction were administered saline or metformin (200 mg/kg per day) for 4 weeks using osmotic mini-pumps. Metformin partially reversed the left ventricular dilatation (reverse remodeling) and significantly improved cardiac function. The hearts of metformin-treated mice showed less fibrosis, less cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and fewer degenerative subcellular changes than saline-treated mice. These effects were accompanied by restored expression of the sarcomeric proteins myosin heavy chain and troponin I, and their transcription factor, GATA-4. Autophagy was enhanced in the hearts from metformin-treated mice, as indicated by increase of myocardial microtubule-associated protein-1 LC-3 (light chain 3)-II levels and LC3-II/-I ratios as well as levels of cathepsin D and ATP. In addition, increased numbers of autophagic vacuoles and lysosomes were accompanied increased AMP-activated protein kinase activity and suppression of mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylation. Finally, autophagic flux assays using short-term chloroquine treatment revealed that autophagy was activated in δ-sarcoglycan-deficient hearts and was further augmented by metformin treatment.

Conclusions:
Metformin is a beneficial pharmacological tool that mitigates heart failure caused by δ-sarcoglycan deficiency in association with enhanced autophagy.
‘I Have Become a Stranger in a Foreign Land’: Reading the Exodus Narrative as the Villain
Authors: Hadjiev Tchavdar S. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThis article offers a reading of the beginning of the Exodus narrative that recognises the affinity between contemporary western readers and the villains of the story, the Egyptians. Both groups live in prosperous places where migrants wish to come in and settle, and both have to deal with minorities living in their midst and posing apparent threat to their security. Against such a background the modern reader can choose to read against the grain of the text and construe the otherness of the Hebrews as the main reason behind the devastation that engulfs Egypt. However, a more fruitful and attractive approach is to embrace the ideological stance of the narrative and place oneself in the role of the villain. This allows us to hear through the story the voice of the one who has become a stranger in a foreign land.
The State of Sexuality
Authors: Al-Noaimi Haya 
Published: March 2019

AbstractWhile many GCC states have been embracing widespread modernization reforms across various sectors in the past few decades, sexual and reproductive health education, social awareness campaigns, and relevant penal codes criminalizing sexual crimes still remain dangerously outdated. This article reviews the state of sexual norms and practices amongst khalījī youth, and argues that Persian Gulf states and families’ protectionist attitudes in restricting, regulating, and policing sexualities, has neither decreased the rate of sex crimes nor has it adequately defined the parameters of what is “acceptable” regarding sexual norms and behaviors. It argues that the domain of sexual norms needs to be renegotiated as a shared responsibility between the family unit and the state, considering that many youths’ mental and physical well-being is often contingent on the provision of sufficient sexual information, counseling, and education in their respective societies.
Cross-National Marriage in Qatar
Authors: Alharahsheh Sanaa Taha , Almeer Faras Khalid 
Published: March 2019

AbstractWhile cross-national marriage has come to public attention and is gaining traction in Western scholarship, it is still an understudied phenomenon in the Arab region, including Qatar. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore and describe the phenomenological constructs of cross-national marriages by Qataris through documenting the societal perception, family reaction, and motivating factors behind this marriage form. To achieve the study’s aim, a phenomenological qualitative method was used along with in-depth interviews as the primary source of data collection. The results indicated that cross-national marriage among Qataris is on the rise. Qatari society has become more accepting of cross-national marriage over the years. Yet, negative perceptions and resistance to cross-national marriage still persist. Furthermore, acceptance and consent are not expressed uniformly between families. Some families are more open and supportive towards cross-national marriages, while others express rejection and resentment that may or may not resolve itself as time passes. The results further showed that the costs of marriage and mahr (dowry), background similarities, exposure to other nationalities, and attraction to individual attributes have been identified as dominant reasons for interviewees who chose to marry outside their nationality. More research is needed to further investigate this phenomenon using a mixed-method approach.
Literary Doodling in the Long Nineteenth Century: The Examples of E. Cotton, G. K. Chesterton, and Max Beerbohm
Authors: Mercurio Jeremiah Romano , Gabelman Daniel 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
Although scholars have paid increasing attention to textual marginalia and their role in the consumption and production of texts, they have largely overlooked the phenomenon of doodling and its parallel role in reading and writing. Doodles trouble their accompanying texts; they record inattention, whimsical digression, critique, and sometimes outright hostility toward those texts, revealing the complexity of readerly response and exposing authors’ visions as less unified than they seem. By attending to doodles in manuscripts, notebooks, and published literature, scholars can gain insight into the subconscious and occasionally contradictory forces at play in textual genesis and reception. This article examines doodles and closely related drawings by three author-artists from the long nineteenth century: Max Beerbohm, G. K. Chesterton, and an amateur illustrator named E. Cotton. Their work demonstrates the importance of doodling to their respective authorial enterprises and reveals the (sometimes ambiguous) generic boundaries between doodles and related graphic forms.
On the Origins of Pop Rai
Authors: Swedenburg Ted 
Published: March 2019

Abstract
In this paper, I examine the emergence of pop rai in western Algeria during the 1970s and the subsequent transformation of rai into a very different sound, and a national and international phenomenon. The study is based in part on an analysis of previously hard-to-find pop rai recordings now available on the internet. Pop rai’s origins are in the rural music of the male performers of bédoui music and particularly the female cheikhat. After independence, constraints were imposed on female performances, and so, during the 1960s, male singers, most famously Belkacem Bouteldja, began to record a modern version of the cheikhat repertoire. Messaoud Bellemou, a trumpet player from the city of Aïn Témouchent, played a major role in the further development of the music; he created an ensemble that included singers like Boutaïba Sghir, Belkacem Bouteldja, Hamani Hadjoum and Younes Benfissa, that modernized the instrumental backing and overall sound of western Algeria’s local folkloric music, and thereby created the genre known as pop rai. Other artists who played a role in the development of pop rai include the Oran-based Chaba Fadela, who started her career with Bellemou’s group, Cheb Khaled, and Groupe El Azhar; and from Sidi Bel Abbès, guitarist and singer Ahmed Zergui. During the 1980s, rai music became national, and producer Rachid Baba Ahmed of Tlemcen further modernized its sound through the use of electronic keyboards. By the late 1980s, rai had become international, a new generation of artists had emerged, and the ensembles and artists that forged pop rai in the 1970s were displaced. Today those artists are largely forgotten, and this critical period in the history of rai remains seriously understudied.
Aliens and Emperors: Faithful Mongolian Officials in the Ming History
Authors: Guida Donatella 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThe biographies of nine Mongol officials recorded in the Ming History are not only useful in tracing the enduring Mongol presence at the highest levels of the Ming court; they are also a political demonstration of the close and continuous relationship with this ethnic group until the very end of the dynasty. Besides, since the History was compiled under the auspices of the Qing dynasty, it may give some hints about its own relations with the Mongol allies.
Kirakos Gandzakets‘i, as a Mongol Prisoner
Authors: Bayarsaikhan Dashdondog 
Published: March 2019

AbstractArmenian Historian Kirakos Gandzakets‘i was captured by Mongol noyan Molar during the first wave of Mongol conquest of the Caucasus. He was in captivity for about a year. This gave him a certain understanding of the history and religion of the Mongols as well as some knowledge of Mongolian.On Molar’s orders, Kirakos was taken to serve the Mongols’ secretarial needs, writing and reading letters.In this paper I argue that the Armenian source of Kirakos Gandzakets‘i is a first-hand history on the early Mongols in the Caucasus, and the Mongolian vocabulary that Kirakos gives in his work ranks among the earliest Mongolian glossaries in non-Mongol sources.
Sea Spray and Its Feedback Effects: Assessing Bulk Algorithms of Air–Sea Heat Fluxes via Direct Numerical Simulations
Authors: Peng Tianze , Richter David 
Published: March 2019

AbstractSea spray exchanging momentum, heat, and moisture is one of the major uncertainties in modeling air–sea surface heat fluxes under high wind speeds. As a result of several untested assumptions in existing models and low fidelity in the measurements, questions regarding the appropriate method for modeling the effects of spray on air–sea fluxes still exist. In this study, we implement idealized direct numerical simulations (DNS) via an Eulerian–Lagrangian model to simulate spray droplets in turbulent flows. Then, we verify the bulk spray models of Fairall et al. and Andreas et al. with the detailed physics from DNS. We find that the quality of the underlying assumptions of bulk models is sensitive to the time scales governing spray microphysics and lifetime. While both models assume that spray experiences a uniform and steady ambient condition, our results show that this assumption only works well for droplets with long thermodynamic time scales and relatively short lifetime. When the thermodynamic time scales are short, the models fail to predict the correct temperature and radius change of spray (e.g., condensation), thus spray-mediated heat fluxes, which in turn overestimates the total heat fluxes. Moreover, using our two-way coupled simulations, we find a negative feedback induced by the spray evaporation that may be missing in the bulk models, which could lead to further overestimates of the total heat flux when the spray-mediated flux is treated as an add-on to the corresponding interfacial flux. We further illustrate that the feedback effects are consistent under different flow Reynolds numbers, which suggests that the findings are relevant at practical scales.
Serum level of miR-142-3p predicts prognostic outcome for colorectal cancer following curative resection
Authors: Gao Wencang , Pang Dexiang , Yu Senquan 
Published: March 2019

Objective MicroRNA (miR)-142-3p may function as a tumor suppressor in the development of various cancers. In this study, we measured serum levels of miR-142-3p in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-142-3p. Methods Serum samples from 363 consecutive CRC patients and 156 healthy controls were retrospectively collected. Serum miR-142-3p levels were measured using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. All patients were followed up regularly after tumor resection. The correlation between serum miR-142-3p level and survival outcomes was analyzed. Results Serum levels of miR-142-3p were significantly lower in CRC patients than in healthy volunteers. A low serum miR-142-3p level was significantly associated with advanced cancer. Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with a low serum miR-142-3p had a lower 5-year overall survival rate than patients with a high serum miR-142-3p level (67.4% vs. 76.9%). Serum miR-142-3p level was also shown to be an independent risk factor for CRC in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval: 1.21–7.95). Conclusions Serum miR-142-3p might serve as a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for CRC.
Economic Burden of Gastric Cancer: A Case of Iran
Authors: Eghdami Abed , Ostovar Rahim , Jafari Abdosaleh , Palmer Andrew J. , Bordbar Najmeh , Ravangard Ramin 
Published: March 2019

Purpose: Today, cancers have become a major cause of mortality in developed and developing countries. Among various cancers, gastric cancer imposes a huge economic burden on patients, their families, and on the health-care system. This study aimed to determine the economic burden of gastric cancer in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran in 2016. Methods: This was a cross-sectional cost of illness study conducted in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran in 2016, using a prevalence-based approach. All patients were studied using the census method (N = 110). The required data on direct medical, direct nonmedical, and indirect costs were collected using a data collection form from the patients’ medical records, tariffs of diagnostic, and therapeutic services approved by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 2016. Results: The total cost and burden of gastric cancer in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad province of Iran in 2016 were $US436 237, among which the majority were direct medical costs (59%). The highest costs among direct medical costs, direct nonmedical costs, and indirect costs were, respectively, related to the costs of medications used by the patients (35%), transportation (31%), and absence of patients’ families from work and daily activities caused by patient care (56%). Conclusion: Our study has revealed for the first time high costs of gastric cancer in Iran. To decrease the total costs and burden, the following suggestions can be made: increasing insurance coverage and government subsidies for purchasing necessary medications, providing the required specialized care and services related to cancer diseases such as gastric cancer in other provincial cities rather than just in capital cities, and so on.
Association Between Maternal Feeding Practices and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among 6-Year-Old Children
Authors: Flahive Shannon , Chavan Bhakti , Haile Zelalem T 
Published: March 2019

Background: Maternal feeding practices (MFPs) have been linked to childhood obesity and other eating disorders. However, population-based research examining the association between MFPs and children’s emotional well-being is currently lacking. Methods: We examined 1241 participants from Year 6 Follow-Up of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II, conducted from March to June 2012 in the United States. Results: Approximately 57.5% and 47.8% of participants reported at least one symptom of childhood anxiety and depression, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, mothers who responded “yes” to “If I did not guide or regulate my child’s eating, he or she would eat too much of his or her favorite food” had higher odds of having a child who has symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with mothers who responded “no” (odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]) (2.02; 1.47-2.78, P < .001) and (1.41, 1.05-1.91, P = .024), respectively. The odds of having a child who has symptoms of depression were lower among mothers who responded “yes” to “I make sure that my child does not eat too many sweets or junk foods” compared with mothers who responded “no” (0.49; 0.26-0.91, P = .020). Mothers who responded “yes” to “I encourage my 6 year-old to eat all of the food on his or her plate” had higher odds of having a child who has symptoms of anxiety compared with mothers who responded “no” (1.43; 1.01-2.05, P = .049). Conclusions: Controlling MFPs may influence a child’s emotional well-being. Further research is needed to address the complex relationships between MFPs and psychosocial well-being in children.