bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy is associated with loss of tolerance to profilin
Authors: Orchard Paul J. , Nascene David R. , Gupta Ashish , Taisto Mandy E. , Higgins LeeAnn , Markowski Todd W. , Lund Troy C. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractChildhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD) is a devastating manifestation of ALD accompanied by demyelination, inflammation, and blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption with shared characteristics of an auto‐immune disease. We utilized plasma samples pre‐ and postdevelopment of cALD to determine the presence of specific auto‐antibodies. Mass spectrometry of protein specifically bound with post‐cALD plasma antibody identified Profilin1 (PFN1) as the target. In a screen of 94 boys with cALD 48 (51%) had anti‐PFN1 antibodies, whereas only 2/29 boys with ALD but without cerebral disease, and 0/30 healthy controls showed anti‐PFN1 immunoreactivity. Cerebral spinal fluid from those with cALD showed higher levels of PFN1 protein compared with non‐cALD samples (324 ± 634 versus 42 ± 23 pg/mL, p = 0.04). Boys that were anti‐PFN positive had a significant increase in the amount of gadolinium signal observed on MRI when compared to boys that were anti‐PFN1 negative (p = 0.04) possibly indicating increased BBB disruption. Anti‐PFN1 positivity was also associated with elevated levels of very long chain fatty acids (C26 of 1.12 ± 0.41 versus 0.97 ± 0.30 mg/dL, p = 0.03) and increased plasma BAFF (973 ± 277 versus 733 ± 269 pg/mL, p = 0.03). In conclusion, anti‐PFN may be a novel biomarker associated with the development of cALD in boys with ALD.
Dielectrophoretic cell trapping for improved surface plasmon resonance imaging sensing
Authors: Costella Marion , Avenas Quentin , Frénéa‐Robin Marie , Marchalot Julien , Bevilacqua Pascal , Charette Paul G. , Canva Michael 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThe performance of conventional surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors can be limited by the diffusion of the target analyte to the sensor surface. This work presents an SPR biosensor that incorporates an active mass‐transport mechanism based on dielectrophoresis and electroosmotic flow to enhance analyte transport to the sensor surface and reduce the time required for detection. Both these phenomena rely on the generation of AC electric fields that can be tailored by shaping the electrodes that also serve as the SPR sensing areas. Numerical simulations of electric field distribution and microparticle trajectories were performed to choose an optimal electrode design. The proposed design improves on previous work combining SPR with DEP by using face‐to‐face electrodes, rather than a planar interdigitated design. Two different top‐bottom electrode designs were experimentally tested to concentrate firstly latex beads and secondly biological cells onto the SPR sensing area. SPR measurements were then performed by varying the target concentrations. The electrohydrodynamic flow enabled efficient concentration of small objects (3 μm beads, yeasts) onto the SPR sensing area, which resulted in an order of magnitude increased SPR response. Negative dielectrophoresis was also used to concentrate HEK293 cells onto the metal electrodes surrounded by insulating areas, where the SPR response was improved by one order of magnitude.
Development of marama bean, an orphan legume, as a crop
Authors: Cullis Christopher , Lawlor David W. , Chimwamurombe Percy , Bbebe Nchimunya , Kunert Karl , Vorster Juan 
Published: March 2019

AbstractAdvances have been recently made in the breeding and characterization of three major legume crops of the semiarid tropics, chickpea, pigeon pea, and groundnut. However, other wild‐growing legumes, called “orphan legumes,” with potential as crops, but are not yet cultivated would benefit from further attention. This review considers the domestication of one such plant, marama bean (Tylosema esculentum). Marama has long been recognized as a potential crop particularly for southern Africa, but coordinated, long‐term research and development has been lacking. Marama is a perennial, outcrossing hexaploid, growing under extreme conditions in a restricted geographic range; only natural stands exist that are likely to be overexploited. Marama has two potential units of economic yield, seed and tuber. The seed is protein‐ and oil‐rich, with potential in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries while the tuber is high in carbohydrates. In this review, the different aspects of bringing a wild plant into cultivation are considered, together with the additional socioeconomic benefits of developing a breeding program. An international collaboration is analyzing aspects of the plant structure and physiology, molecular biology, and its interactions with environment with a view to developing marama as a crop, with a role in food security, that could be harvested by local communities. Molecular topics considered include next‐generation sequencing for developing molecular maps, genotyping by sequencing, identification of quantitative trait loci for important agronomic traits, protein quality, and incompatibility mechanisms. To achieve domestication requires seed gardens and fields, and the phenotyping of marama material from different locations. Community engagement will also ensure agronomic sustainability and farmer participation. This review describes an approach for a successful outcome of a breeding program to introduce improved marama and highlights the challenges in achieving this, which is a paradigm for the difficulties in the cultivation of “orphan species.”
A Late Carboniferous–Early Permian back‐arc basin in the southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Constraint from sedimentological and geochronological investigations of the Shoushangou Formation in the central Inner Mongolia
Authors: Wang Biren , Zhou Zhiguang , Yang Xiaosong , Li Shucai , Zhou Yi , Zhang Xiaofei , Zhang Huachuan 
Published: March 2019

The Solonker Suture Zone was formed during the closure process of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean (PAO). In order to better constrain its tectonic setting and evolution history in the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian, we conducted an integrated study of the Shoushangou Formation in the central Inner Mongolia, involving the sedimentological features, depositional age, and detrital zircon populations. Our results indicate that the Shoushangou Formation was deposited in ca. 320–280 Ma, overlain by the Dashizhai Formation with ages of ca. 280–274 Ma, and the 330‐ to 280‐Ma detrital age data almost serve as the entire age component of this formation. Also, its stratigraphic reconstruction shows a coarsening‐upward marine sequence upwards, which is characterized by sandstone turbidites with a Bouma sequence and the numerous tuff involvements in the lower strata, showing a deep marine environment and synchronous volcanism. Integrating previous data and our results, with a gradually deepening water depth and a geographic variation, detrital zircon age spectra from the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian sequence show distinct differences, and a marked shift of multiple resources to a single source occurred in the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian. These clues suggest an active marginal setting and a northward‐dipping subduction during this period in the north side of the PAO, and we further attribute such a source variation to the spreading of a marine back‐arc basin after the amalgamation of the Uliastai Active Continental Margin with the Northern Accretionary Orogen. The Shoushangou Formation was the direct depositional response to such a back‐arc basin.
Resting‐state fMRI effective connectivity between the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and amygdala nuclei
Authors: Hofmann David , Straube Thomas 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThe bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the laterobasal nucleus (LB), centromedial nucleus (CM), and superficial nucleus (SF) of the amygdala form an interconnected dynamical system, whose combined activity mediates a variety of behavioral and autonomic responses in reaction to homeostatic challenges. Although previous research provided deeper insight into the structural and functional connections between these nuclei, studies investigating their resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) connectivity were solely based on undirected connectivity measures. Here, we used high‐quality data of 391 subjects from the Human Connectome Project to estimate the effective connectivity (EC) between the BNST, the LB, CM, and SF through spectral dynamic causal modeling, the relation of the EC estimates with age and sex as well as their stability over time. Our results reveal a time‐stable asymmetric EC structure with positive EC between all amygdala nuclei, which strongly inhibited the BNST while the BNST exerted positive influence onto all amygdala nuclei. Simulation of the impulse response of the estimated system showed that this EC structure shapes partially antagonistic (out of phase) activity flow between the BNST and amygdala nuclei. Moreover, the BNST‐LB and BNST‐CM EC parameters were less negative in males. In conclusion, our data points toward partially separated information processing between BNST and amygdala nuclei in the resting‐state.
Incidence and risk factors of interstitial lung disease of patients with head and neck cancer treated with cetuximab
Authors: Nakano Kenji , Seto Akira , Sasaki Toru , Shimbashi Wataru , Fukushima Hirofumi , Yonekawa Hiroyuki , Mitani Hiroki , Takahashi Shunji 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackgroundInterstitial lung disease (ILD) is known as a potentially severe adverse event associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)‐targeted therapy. The incidence and risk factors of ILD in patients with head and neck squamous cancer (HNSCC) treated with cetuximab, an anti‐EGFR monoclonal antibody, have not been established.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients with HNSCC who received cetuximab from December 2012 to December 2016 at our institute and evaluated the incidence and risk factors of ILD.ResultsOf the 201 patients with HNSCC, ILD was observed in 9 patients (4.5%), 8 of whom had grade 3 or higher. High Krebs von den Lungen‐6 (KL‐6) and ≥50 pack‐years of smoking were significantly predictive of associated with ILD (P = 0.00011 and 0.05, respectively).ConclusionThe incidence of ILD in patients with HNSCC treated with cetuximab was <5%, but most of the ILD cases were severe. High KL‐6 and smoking histories might be predictive for ILD among patients with HNSCC.
Squamous cell carcinoma antigen concentration in fine needle aspiration samples: A new method to detect cervical lymph node metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: van Schaik Jeroen E. , Muller Kobold Anna C. , van der Laan Bernard F. A. M. , van der Vegt Bert , van Hemel Bettien M. , Plaat Boudewijn E. C. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine the additional diagnostic value of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC‐Ag) in cervical lymph node fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples for the detection of regional metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsIn 149 FNA samples of 114 patients, SCC‐Ag concentration was retrospectively analyzed and associated with diagnosis to establish a cutoff concentration in relation to sensitivity and specificity of HNSCC detection.ResultsSCC‐Ag was elevated in lymph nodes from patients with HNSCC compared to lymph nodes from other patients (P < 0.01). With 0.3 μg/L as the cutoff concentration, SCC‐Ag has 96% sensitivity for detecting HNSCC.ConclusionsSCC‐Ag in FNA is a reliable test for detecting HNSCC in cervical lymph nodes.
Lack of Association Between Select Circulating miRNAs and Bone Mass, Turnover, and Fractures: Data From the OFELY Cohort
Authors: Feurer Elodie , Kan Casina , Croset Martine , Sornay-Rendu Elisabeth , Chapurlat Roland 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACT

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is characterized by the occurrence of fragility fracture with an increase in morbidity and mortality. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have raised interest as regulators of translational repression, mediating a number of key processes, including bone tissue in both physiological and diseased states. The aim of this study was to examine the serum levels of 32 preselected miRNAs with reported function in bone and their association with osteoporotic fracture. We performed cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from the OFELY Cohort. Serum levels of the miRNAs were quantified by qRT-PCR in 682 women: 99 premenopausal and 583 postmenopausal women, with 1 and 122 women with prevalent fragility fractures in each group, respectively. We have collected clinical variables (such as age, prevalent, and incident fractures), bone turnover markers (BTMs), BMD by dual X-ray absorptiometry, and bone microarchitecture with HRpQCT. We observed a number of miRNAs to be associated with fragility fractures (prevalent or incident), BTMs, BMD, and microarchitecture. This effect, however, was negated after age adjustment. This may be because age was also strongly associated with the serum levels of the 32 miRNAs (correlation coefficient up to 0.49), confirming previous findings. In conclusion, in a well-characterized prospective cohort with a sizeable sample size, we found no evidence that these 32 preselected miRNAs were not associated with BTMs, BMD, microarchitecture, and or fragility fractures. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Effects of a physical activity programme to prevent physical performance decline in onco‐geriatric patients: a randomized multicentre trial
Authors: Arrieta Haritz , Astrugue Cyril , Regueme Sophie , Durrieu Jessica , Maillard Aline , Rieger Alban , Terrebonne Eric , Laurent Christophe , Maget Brigitte , Servent Véronique , Lavau‐Denès Sandrine , Dauba Jérôme , Fonck Marianne , Thiébaut Rodolphe , Bourdel‐Marchasson Isabelle 
Published: March 2019

AbstractBackgroundOlder adults with cancer experience negative long‐term functional effects of both cancer and treatments. Exercise may minimize their age‐related and cancer‐related functional decline.MethodsWe conducted a multicentre open‐label 12 month randomized clinical trial with two parallel arms including participants aged ≥70 years with lymphoma or carcinoma requiring curative treatment. The study started at the beginning of any phase of cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy). The usual care group (UCG) received the current national recommendations in physical activity (a guideline without specific counselling). The intervention group (IG) received 1 year phoned physical activity advice individually adapted to physical assessment (twice a month during the first 6 months and then monthly). The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects with a 1 year decreased short physical performance battery (SPPB) score of 1 point or more. Physical, cognitive, and clinical secondary outcomes were also investigated.ResultsWe allocated 301 participants (age 76.7 ± 5.0, female 60.6%) to each group. At baseline, the median SPPB was 10/12 in both groups. Breast was the most frequent tumour site (35.7%). After 1 year, 14.0% of participants in the UCG and 18.7% in the IG had a decrease in SPPB score of 1 point or more (P = 0.772). At 2 years, there was no difference in SPPB, gait speed, International Physical Activity Questionnaire score, and verbal fluency. Subgroup analyses after 2 years showed a decline in SPPB for 29.8% of UCG and 5.0% of IG breast cancer participants (P = 0.006), in 21.7% of UCG and 6.2% of IG female participants (P = 0.019), and in 24.5% of UCG and 11.1% of IG normal nutritional status participants (P = 0.009). Falls, hospitalization, institutionalization, and death rates were similar in both groups.ConclusionsPersonalized phoned physical activity advice had not reduced functional decline at 1 year but provided preliminary evidence that may prevent physical performance decline at 2 years in older adults with breast cancer.
Avian responses to aircraft in an airport environment
Authors: Blackwell Bradley F. , Seamans Thomas W. , Fernández‐Juricic Esteban , Devault Travis L. , Outward Randy J. 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACTUnderstanding how free‐ranging birds react to approaching aircraft can provide the foundation for predicting and mitigating risk of bird strikes. We characterized responses by avian species to aircraft (propeller‐driven, jet, rotorcraft) approach (taxi, takeoffs, landings) at Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, from June 2015 through September 2016. Based on opportunistic observations from fixed points on the airfield, we quantified 208 bird‐aircraft interactions across 16 species. However, we focused analyses on 5 species with >10 bird‐aircraft interactions (n = 176): American kestrel (Falco sparvarious), European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), killdeer (Charadrius vociferous), mourning dove (Zenaida macroura), and red‐winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). We evaluated the common measure of perceived risk, flight‐initiation distance (FID), and the likelihood of response (i.e., a measureable FID), each relative to species, flock size, flock altitude, perch height, aircraft approach category, and airframe type. We also assessed effects of light, temperature, and wind speed. None of our predictors contributed to FID. Across the 5 species, birds exposed to direct aircraft approach were ≥2 times more likely to initiate escape as those approached tangentially. The larger mourning dove was, by a factor ≥2, more likely to initiate escape response. As flock size increased, birds were more likely to initiate escape response. Birds were >2 times more likely to initiate escape when approaches involved jets relative to propeller‐driven airframes. Because smaller species were less likely to initiate escape response, thereby enhancing the possibility of latent responses close to aircraft, we suggest that airport biologists should not disregard management to reduce strike hazards posed by smaller species. Further, bird habitat on airfields and fixtures that concentrate bird use in a direct line of aircraft approach will inherently increase the frequency of bird‐aircraft interactions. Finally, our findings on flock size and airframe type underscore the need for continued efforts to develop methods to enhance avian detection of and response to approaching aircraft. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
Efficacy of oral appliance therapy in patients following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty failure
Authors: Stanley Jeffrey J. , Shelgikar Anita V. , Aronovich Sharon , O'Brien Louise M. 
Published: March 2019

ObjectiveUvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the most common surgical procedure performed to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This surgery, when performed alone, benefits only a minority of patients. This study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of oral appliance (OA) therapy following unsuccessful UPPP and assess for specific patient and polysomnographic characteristics that may identify those patients most likely to benefit from this combined treatment strategy.Study DesignRetrospective of clinical outcomes in patients undergoing UPPP followed by treatment with an OA.MethodsPolysomnographic results (baseline, status post‐UPPP, and status post‐UPPP with oral appliance use), age, gender, race, and body mass index were subjected to statistical analysis.ResultsThe mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) decreased from 23.6 at baseline to 8.6 following UPPP and oral appliance therapy. The mean O2 nadir increased from 83% at baseline to 89.9% following UPPP and treatment with an oral appliance. Fifty percent of patients (9/18) achieved an AHI <5 and were deemed “cured” of their disease. Seventy‐three percent of patients (13/18) achieved benefit with an AHI <20 and ≥50% reduction in their baseline AHI, deemed “successful therapy.” No statistically relevant demographic or polysomnographic differences were found between those who were “cured” and those with persistent disease with the exception that the O2 nadir status post UPPP was found to be lower in the “cured” group.ConclusionOral appliance therapy is an effective treatment option for the majority of patients who have persistent obstructive sleep apnea following unsuccessful UPPP.Level of Evidence4
The transformation of macrophyte‐derived organic matter to methane relates to plant water and nutrient contents
Authors: Grasset Charlotte , Abril Gwenaël , Mendonça Raquel , Roland Fabio , Sobek Sebastian 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMacrophyte detritus is one of the main sources of organic carbon (OC) in inland waters, and it is potentially available for methane (CH4) production in anoxic bottom waters and sediments. However, the transformation of macrophyte‐derived OC into CH4 has not been studied systematically, thus its extent and relationship with macrophyte characteristics remains uncertain. We performed decomposition experiments of macrophyte detritus from 10 different species at anoxic conditions, in presence and absence of a freshwater sediment, in order to relate the extent and rate of CH4 production to the detritus water content, C/N and C/P ratios. A significant fraction of the macrophyte OC was transformed to CH4 (mean = 7.9%; range = 0–15.0%) during the 59‐d incubation, and the mean total C loss to CO2 and CH4 was 17.3% (range = 1.3–32.7%). The transformation efficiency of macrophyte OC to CH4 was significantly and positively related to the macrophyte water content, and negatively to its C/N and C/P ratios. The presence of sediment increased the transformation efficiency to CH4 from an average of 4.0% (without sediment) to 11.8%, possibly due to physicochemical conditions favorable for CH4 production (low redox potential, buffered pH) or because sediment particles facilitate biofilm formation. The relationship between macrophyte characteristics and CH4 production can be used by future studies to model CH4 emission in systems colonized by macrophytes. Furthermore, this study highlights that the extent to which macrophyte detritus is mixed with sediment also affects CH4 production.
Aqueous Synthesis of Multi‐Carbon Dot Cross‐Linked Polyethyleneimine Particles with Enhanced Photoluminescent Properties
Authors: Yao Yuan , Niu Dechao , Lee Cheng Hao , Li Yongsheng , Li Pei 
Published: March 2019

AbstractHeavy‐metal‐free fluorescent nanoparticles with high photostability and low toxicity are highly desirable as imaging probes for biological applications. Here, a novel synthetic strategy to prepare ultrabright multi‐carbon dot cross‐linked PEI particles, namely CDs@PEI, through self‐assembly of hydrophobically modified PEI and in situ generations of carbon dots within residual monomer‐swollen micelles is reported. The resulting particles consist of numerous carbon dots, which are individually and homogeneously embedded within the PEI network, and have an average hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 100 nm with ζ‐potential above +35 mV. The CDs@PEI particles possess the synergistic effect of photoluminescent carbon dot and crosslink‐enhanced emission of PEI, giving the particles superior optical properties such as high fluorescence quantum yield (up to 66%) in the aqueous system, excitation‐dependent emission phenomenon, stable fluorescence in a wide pH range, and resistance to photobleaching.