bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
HbA1c showed a positive association with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in only diabetes, not prediabetic or normal individuals
Authors: Chung Soie , Lee Yunhwan , Roh Eun Youn 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundThis study was conducted to investigate the association of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in normal, prediabetic, and diabetic subjects.MethodsA total of 2,911 participants who underwent general health checkups were enrolled and categorized into the normal, prediabetes, and diabetes groups. Demographic, anthropological, and clinical variables were investigated, and correlations with CEA were analyzed. For 28 diabetic subjects with CEA levels above the upper limit, the follow‐up CEA and HbA1c data were analyzed.ResultsCarcinoembryonic antigen levels were significantly different among the normal, prediabetes, and diabetes groups (1.7 ± 1.1 vs 2.0 ± 1.1 vs 2.5 ± 1.5; P < 0.001), and men had higher CEA levels than women in all three groups. Correlation analysis identified a significant positive correlation between serum CEA and HbA1c in the diabetes group using unadjusted and adjusted models (r = 0.189, P < 0.001 and r = 0.218, P < 0.001), and multiple linear regression analysis also revealed that HbA1c was independently and positively correlated with CEA in the diabetes group (β = 0.275, P < 0.001). However, these relationships were inconsistent in the normal and prediabetes groups. The changes in CEA and HbA1c from baseline to follow‐up (delta CEA and delta HbA1c) showed a significant positive correlation (P = 0.021).ConclusionsIn diabetes, the CEA level was independently and positively correlated with glycemic control status. Additionally, the change in CEA level (delta CEA) showed a positive correlation with the change in HbA1c level (delta HbA1c) in the follow‐up data analysis.
Intelligent TAT‐coupled anti‐HER2 immunoliposomes knock downed MDR1 to produce chemosensitize phenotype of multidrug resistant carcinoma
Authors: Gholamian Dehkordi Neda , Elahian Fatemeh , Khosravian Pegah , Mirzaei Seyed Abbas 
Published: April 2019

AbstractGene therapy using biocompatible cationic liposomes is amongst promising approaches that decreases death from cancers. Here an invasive multidrug resistant cell model has been developed by lentiviral transfection. In parallel phospholipids have been covalently conjugated to TAT, MMP2, and Herceptin. The functional lipids have been mixed to generate intelligent liposome harboring small interfering RNA (siRNA) with high efficiency. The final liposomal complex was uniformly monodisperse and particle dimension and zeta‐potential were respectively around 200 nm and −42.21 mV. Minimal cytotoxic effects have been reported for nanocarriers due to good biocompatibility of the selected phospholipids. Flourescence‐activated cell sorter (FACS) analyses have been represented that surface trastuzumab and TAT speciﬁcally promote cellular uptake of liposomes in the malignant tumor cells. Assessment of MDR1 transcript and protein expression has been exhibited maximum significant downregulation around of 128‐fold and 50‐fold, respectively after 48 hr of liposome exposure. As it has been concluded, targeted liposomes may become a potential tool in gene delivery for improving chemotherapeutic efficiency in cancer treatment.
Boron removal and antifouling properties of thin‐film nanocomposite membrane incorporating PECVD‐modified titanate nanotubes
Authors: Ng Zhi‐Chien , Chong Chun‐Yew , Lau Woei‐Jye , Karaman Mustafa , Ismail Ahmad F 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDIncorporation of nanofillers into the polyamide (PA) layer of thin‐film composite (TFC) membrane could improve membrane surface properties for enhanced water separation efficiency. However, most nanofillers do not disperse well in organic medium. In this work, the surface of titanate nanotubes (TNTs) was modified via the plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method in order to promote its dispersion rate (in organic medium) during thin‐film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane fabrication.RESULTSFourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the surface chemistry of TNTs coated by hexafluorobutyl acrylate (HFBA) or hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) via PECVD method. The effects of embedding modified TNTs into the PA layer on membrane surface morphology, hydrophilicity and performance were also investigated and the results were further compared with commercial reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. It was found that the incorporation of HFBA‐ and HEMA‐modified TNTs could enhance the membrane water permeability by >25% and >40%, respectively, without compromising their salt rejection. The boron rejections of TFN membranes incorporated with HFBA‐ and HEMA‐modified TNTs meanwhile were recorded at 75.56% and 70.73%, respectively; these values were relatively higher than those for the self‐synthesized TFC (68.57%) and commercial RO membranes (37–39%). The developed TFN membranes also exhibited higher fouling tolerance than the commercial RO membranes, achieving >94% of water flux regeneration as a result of enhanced membrane surface hydrophilicity.CONCLUSIONCompared to hydrophilic modification using HEMA, nanofillers modified by hydrophobic HFBA proved more effective at producing a PA layer with better nanofiller distribution, making the resultant TFN membrane more suitable for desalination processes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
The investigation of an electric arc in a plasma chemical reactor for hazardous waste treatment
Authors: Valincius Vitas , Kėželis Romualdas , Gimžauskaitė Dovilė , Grigaitienė Viktorija , Valatkevičius Pranas 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDResearch was performed to reveal the main peculiarities of an operating electric arc in a plasma chemical reactor (PChR) for hazardous waste processing. The experimental study was performed in a model of PChR using thermal plasma as a heat source. Investigations described are conducted to study the voltage–current characteristics (VCC) and heat transfer between an electric arc and a flat anode during the free arc operation in an ambient nitrogen (N2) atmosphere.RESULTSPlasma torch (PT) parameters varied in the range of I = 100–600 A, U = 50–450 V, x = 0–400 mm, G = 2–4 g s−1 at atmospheric pressure using N2 as plasma‐forming gas. It was found that the power value of the laminar arc increased with increasing arc current and length. With increasing arc length, its initial part started to operate in a turbulent regime. It was observed that the region of laminar regime appeared in the area where arc power was inversely proportional to arc current. The dependence of the heat flux transferred by the electrons to the anode on arc current was determined. The distribution of convective heat flux density over the anode heating spot was analyzed and generalized. The experimental data on convective heat transfer in the anode (mean and critical point) were discussed.CONCLUSIONThis confirmed that plasma technology has several advantages over conventional incineration including higher temperatures, independence of heat source from the waste being destroyed or additional fuel, and shorter exposure time of hazards in the high‐temperature area. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Light and transmission electron microscopic structure of skin glands and dermal scales of a caecilian amphibian Gegeneophis ramaswamii, with a note on antimicrobial property of skin gland secretion
Authors: Arun Damodaran , Akbarsha Mohammad A. , Oommen Oommen V. , Divya Lekha 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAmphibian skin secretions contain a variety of bioactive compounds that are involved in diverse roles such as communication, homeostasis, defence against predators, pathogens, and so on. Especially, the caecilian amphibians possess numerous cutaneous glands that produce the secretory material, which facilitate survival in their harsh subterranean environment. Inspite of the fact that India has a fairly abundant distribution of caecilian amphibians, there has hardly been any study on their skin and its secretion. Herein, we describe, using light microscopy and electron microscopy, two types of dermal glands, mucous and granular, in Gegeneophis ramaswamii. The mucous glands are filled with mucous materials. The mucous‐producing cells are located near the periphery. The granular glands are surrounded by myoepithelial cells. A large number of granules of different sizes are present in the lumen of the granular gland. The granule‐producing cells are present near the myoepithelial lining of the gland. There are small flat disk‐like dermal scales in pockets in the transverse ridges of the posterior region of the body. Each pocket contains 1–4 scales of various sizes. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study of the skin surface showed numerous funnel‐shaped glandular openings. The antibacterial activity of the skin secretions was revealed in the test against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Aeromonas hydrophila, all gram‐negative bacteria. SEM analyses confirm the membrane damage in bacterial cells on exposure to skin secretions of G. ramaswamii.
Comparative evaluation of molecular methods for the quantitative measure of torquetenovirus viremia, the new surrogate marker of immune competence
Authors: Macera Lisa , Spezia Pietro Giorgio , Medici Chiara , Rofi Eleonora , Del Re Marzia , Focosi Daniele , Mazzetti Paola , Navarro David , Antonelli Guido , Danesi Romano , Pistello Mauro , Maggi Fabrizio 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundTorquetenovirus (TTV) viremia is emerging as a promising tool to assess functional immune competence, to predict posttransplant immune‐related complications, and eventually to customize immunosuppression.MethodsIn this study, 327 blood samples were tested using two real‐time PCR (rtPCR) assays both targeted to the untranslated region of the TTV genome. The first assay was an in‐house rtPCR developed by our group, the second one was the recently marketed TTV R‐GENE assay.ResultsIn the validation study, the TTV R‐GENE showed good performances in precision and reproducibility, and sensitivity as low as 12 TTV DNA copies/mL, like previously reported for the in‐house rtPCR. The Bland‐Altman analysis showed that the mean difference between the two methods was −0.3 log copies/mL. In the comparison study, 69% and 72% of samples were detected positive by rtPCR and TTV R‐GENE, respectively (94% concordance, κ = 0.88). Performances did not differ between the two rtPCRs by type of TTV group examined. When a newly‐developed in‐house digital droplet PCR was applied for TTV quantification and used as an alternative method of comparison on 94 samples, the results strongly correlated with those obtained by the two rtPCR methods (99% concordance).ConclusionIn summary, all the molecular methods assayed are highly sensitive and accurate in quantitation of TTV DNA in blood samples.
Effect of heat treatment on the binding of selected flavor compounds to myofibrillar proteins
Authors: Xu Yongxia , Zhao Jiamei , Wang Rui , Li Xuepeng , Mi Hongbo , Li Jianrong 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDThe influence of heat‐induced structural modifications of grass carp myofibrillar protein (MP) on its ability to bind to selected aldehydes (hexanal, heptanal, octanal and nonanal) was investigated. The interactions of MP and flavor compounds were investigated using HS‐GC‐MS, intrinsic fluorescence spectra, Raman spectra, SDS‐PAGE, turbidity, total sulfhydryl content and surface hydrophobicity.RESULTSThe ability to bind to aldehydes was strongly influenced by changes in the structure and surface of proteins during the heating process (0–30 min). During the first 0–10 min of heating, the flavor‐binding ability increased, which is likely attributable to increased surface hydrophobicity and total sulfhydryl content, and to the unfolding of secondary structures of MP by exposure to reactive amino acids, sulfhydryl groups and hydrophobic bonding sites. Nevertheless, lengthy heating (>10 min) caused protein refolding and accelerated aggregation of protein, thus reducing hydrophobic interactions and weakening the resultant capacity of MP to bind to flavor compounds.CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that hydrophobic interactions were enhanced upon short‐term heating, whereas long‐term heating weakend them. The results provide information concerning improvement of the flavor profile of freshwater fish surimi products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Navigating difficult conversations
Authors: Johnston Fabian M. , Beckman Michael 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBreaking bad news and navigating difficult conversations is challenging and a frequent occurrence in surgical oncology practice. Cancer communication recommendations are guided by ethical principles, legal precedence, and emerging evidence regarding patient preference and efficacy of communication tools. Evidence continues to mount supporting a patient‐centered communication approach and a model of shared decision making. Likewise, physician training in effective patient‐centered cancer communication continues to evolve.
Ubiquitin specific peptidase 49 inhibits non‐small cell lung cancer cell growth by suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling
Authors: Shen Wen‐Ming , Yin Jin‐Nan , Xu Rui‐Jun , Xu Da‐Fu , Zheng Shi‐Ying 
Published: April 2019

AbstractUbiquitin specific peptidase 49 (USP49) has been reported as a tumor suppressor in several tumors, but its function and molecular mechanism in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are still unknown. In this study, USP49 was found downregulated in NSCLC primary tissues and cell lines, and high USP49 predicted a positive index for the overall survival of NSCLC patients. Overexpression of USP49 downregulated the expression levels of Cyclin D1, and upregulated p53 expression. Further flow cytometry analysis showed that overexpressed USP49 induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. As a result, overexpression of USP49 significantly inhibited cell growth of NSCLC cells. In mechanism, overexpression of USP49 inhibited PI3K/AKT signaling, but knockdown of USP49 enhanced this signaling. Further studies indicated that USP49 deubiquitinated PTEN and stabilized PTEN protein, which suggested that USP49 inhibited PI3K/AKT signaling by stabilizing PTEN in NSCLC cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that USP49 was functional in NSCLC cells, and inhibited NSCLC cell growth by suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling, suggesting that USP49 could be as a novel target for NSCLC therapy.
YWHAE promotes proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance in breast cancer cells
Authors: Yang Yi‐Fang , Lee Yi‐Chen , Wang Yen‐Yun , Wang Chie‐Hong , Hou Ming‐Feng , Yuan Shyng‐Shiou F. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common female‐specific malignancy in Taiwan and developed countries worldwide, and its incidence continues to grow. 14‐3‐3ε (YWHAE), which belong to 14‐3‐3 family, it has been reported up‐regulated in breast cancer tissues. However, the clinical implication and function of YWHAE in breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of the YWHAE in human breast cancer. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze YWHAE expression in breast cancer tissues. Cell model was applied to examine the functions of YWHAE. The chemotherapeutic agents were used to evaluate the effect of YWHAE in breast cancer cell lines. YWHAE expression was associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and poor patient survival in patients with breast cancer. YWHAE overexpression significantly increased the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of breast cancer cells. Knockdown of YWHAE expression reduced the expression of Snail and Twist in breast cancer cells. We also found that YWHAE was responsible for the resistance of breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents, and knockdown of YWHAE enhanced sensitivity to multiple chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer cells. Taken together, our findings indicated that YWHAE promoted cancer progression and chemoresistance in breast cancer cells and can be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
The Influence of Macromolecular Structure and Composition on Mechanical Properties of Films Cast from Solvent‐Free Polyurethane/Acrylic Hybrid Dispersions
Authors: Mehravar Samane , Ballard Nicholas , Tomovska Radmila , Asua José M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractPolyurethane (PU) /acrylic dispersions are of great commercial interest due to the synergetic combination of the PU and acrylic polymers. In this work, a series of PU/acrylic dispersions is synthesized by a solvent‐free technique and the influence of colloidal structure, grafting between the two polymers, and the nature of the two polymer phases themselves on the mechanical properties of films cast from the dispersions is explored. TEM analysis shows that the particles have a PU shell/acrylic core structure which is translated into the morphology of films cast from the dispersions. This particle/film morphology leads to the acrylic copolymer acting as a filler material and allows high Tg copolymers to be employed, leading to films with very high mechanical strength. Grafting of the PU and acrylic phases leads to increased compatibility but has little effect on the mechanical properties which are largely determined by the hardness of both the diol used in the PU synthesis and more importantly the acrylic (co)polymer composition. This work allows us to propose a series of design principles in order to synthesize PU/acrylic hybrids with controlled mechanical properties.
Genome‐wide expression profiling‐based copy number variations and colorectal cancer risk in Chinese
Authors: Wang Ke , Yu Xingchen , Jiang Hongwei , Huang Jiao , Wang Huanzhuo , Jiang Hongyu , Wei Sheng , Liu Li 
Published: April 2019

AbstractGenetic factors play important roles in colorectal carcinogenesis. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of gene expression‐related copy number variations (CNVs) on the risk of colorectal cancer in Chinese. Expression Quantitative Trait Locus (eQTL) mapping was conducted to explore the most regulatable gene expressions by CNVs among the whole genome based on publicly available data. Then a case‐control study was performed to evaluate the associations between copy numbers of the most regulatable genes and colorectal cancer. The influence of the target CNVs on the expression of corresponding gene and protein was verified in colorectal tissue, and the biological effects of these CNVs on cell‐cycle arrest and apoptosis of colon cancer cell lines were further detected. The eQTL revealed the most significant association between CNV of HM3_CNP_342 and gene expressions of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DQA1 and HLA‐DQB1 among the whole genome. The later case‐control study found that amplified HLA‐DQB1 was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk (odds ratio = 0.73; 95% confidence interval: 0.58‐0.93), especially among those with a family history of cancer. The positive association between amplified HLA‐DQB1 and upregulation of gene and protein was validated in colorectal tissue. In addition, overexpression of HLA‐DQB1 in dendritic cells promoted cell‐cycle arrest and apoptosis of cocultured SW480 and HCT116 cell lines, and vice versa. Our study suggests that the amplified copy number of HLA‐DQB1 is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer and able to induce the apoptosis of colon cancer cells, which implies the potential of HLA class II in cancer predisposition and immunotherapy.
miR‐197‐5p inhibits sarcomagenesis and induces cellular senescence via repression of KIAA0101
Authors: Jain Neha , Roy Jyoti , Das Basudeb , Mallick Bibekanand 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe abnormal expressions of microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be associated with various pathophysiological processes that lead to the development of a plethora of diseases including cancer. Among several miRNAs studied so far, miR‐197 has been reported to play a vital role either as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in different cancers. However, its role in carcinogenesis of fibrosarcoma has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the current study investigated the role of miR‐197‐5p, which is significantly downregulated in HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells compared to IMR90‐tert fibroblast cells. The transient overexpression of miR‐197‐5p causes a significant decrease in viability and proliferation of fibrosarcoma cells in both concentration‐ and time‐dependent manners. Interestingly, we did not observe any significant changes in cell cycle pattern or apoptotic cell populations, but rather noticed cellular senescence of fibrosarcoma cells upon overexpression of miR‐197‐5p. Further, this miRNA suppresses the metastatic properties, such as migration, invasion, and anchorage‐independent growth of fibrosarcoma possibly through targeting KIAA0101, which is a proliferating cell nuclear antigen‐associated factor and overexpressed in the malignancy. In nutshell, our result revealed that miR‐197‐5p acts as an oncosuppressor miRNA in fibrosarcoma through target regulation of KIAA0101, which can be exploited for developing RNA‐based therapeutic strategies for the cure of this malignancy.
Soft tissue free flap for reconstruction of upper extremities: A meta‐analysis on outcome and safety
Authors: Zhang Ying , Gazyakan Emre , Bigdeli Amir K. , Will‐Marks Patrick , Kneser Ulrich , Hirche Christoph 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate outcome and safety of free flaps to the upper extremity by pooled, summarized rates, compared with the existing pooled results of the lower extremity from literature, and to improve the level of evidence in a meta‐analysis.MethodsA literature search of PubMed and Embase was conducted addressing publications between January 2000 and April 2018. Publications were selected by inclusion/exclusion criteria on safety and outcome. Postoperative complications were statistically analyzed: flap loss, vessel thrombosis; recipient‐site infection, hematoma, seroma, wound dehiscence, dysesthesia; donor‐site morbidity.ResultsTwo hundred and seventy‐nine patients with 283 free flaps from 23 publications were extracted and eligible for this meta‐analysis. The predominant donor site was the lower extremity (56%), with the anterolateral thigh flap as the major workhorse (30%). The summarized rate of total and partial flap loss was 6.0% (95% CI = 3.0–9.0%, PQ = 1.0000) and 8.0% (95% CI = 6.0–13.0%, PQ = 0.9973), respectively. The rate of arterial and venous thrombosis was 5.0% (95% CI = 3.0–9.0%, PQ = 0.9999) and 8.0% (95% CI = 9.0–37.0%, PQ = 0.9804), respectively. Complication rates of recipient site were: early infection with 7.0% (95% CI = 4.0–11.0%, PQ = 0.9788), hematoma with 6.0% (95% CI = 3.0–8.0%, PQ = 1.0000), seroma with 6.0% (95% CI = 4.0–10.0%, PQ = 0.9948), dehiscence with 7.0% (95% CI = 4.0–11.0%, PQ = 0.9988), and dysesthesia with 6% (95% CI = 4.0–10.0%, PQ = 0.9988). The rate of donor‐site morbidity was 14% (95% CI = 8.0–21.0%, PQ = 0.0895).ConclusionsSoft tissue free flaps to the upper extremity have comparable success rates, but higher perioperative complication rates (e.g., partial flap loss, infection, and wound dehiscence) compared to the pooled data of lower extremity reconstruction from existing meta‐analysis.