bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor ligand mismatch cord blood transplantation in high‐risk neuroblastoma
Authors: Matsuno Ryosuke , Toyama Daisuke , Akiyama Kosuke , Isoyama Keiichi , Shiozawa Eisuke , Yamamoto Shohei 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe prognosis of high‐risk neuroblastoma stage 4 with bone marrow metastasis, MYCN amplified, or refractory neuroblastoma is poor. To date, no standard treatment has been established. In four selected cases, we challenged the killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor ligand mismatch cord blood transplantation in graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) with reduced‐intensity conditioning.MethodsPrior to this study, conventional chemotherapy, autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with high‐dose chemotherapy (busulfan and melphalan), surgery and radiation therapy were completed in every case. The status before cord blood transplantation in two cases was not complete remission (CR) and in the others it was CR. The primary site was the mediastinum, two adrenal glands and a retroperitoneum, respectively. Three patients had bone and bone marrow metastasis and one had MYCN amplification. In all cases, international neuroblastoma pathology classification was unfavorable histology. All patients were >2 years of age.ResultsRelapse occurred only in one patient 17 months after the last transplantation, and the other three patients maintained disease‐free survival for 74, 36, and 24 months, respectively. In one case of relapse the disease could be controlled by conventional chemotherapy. Except one, all patients had no severe complications, such as acute or chronic GVHD. One patient had gastric antral vascular ectasia and hemorrhagic cystitis.ConclusionThis strategy might be feasible and should be investigated for efficacy in the future. No definite conclusion can be made, however, due to the very small number of patients. Further prospective studies are required to determine its efficacy.
Use of geographic information systems for aquaculture and recommendations for development of spatial tools
Authors: Falconer Lynne , Middelboe Anne Lise , Kaas Hanne , Ross Lindsay G. , Telfer Trevor C. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThere are many spatial issues associated with aquaculture which must be understood in order to support sustainable development and mitigate other potential issues. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used for investigation, analysis and modelling of aquaculture and there have been a considerable number of studies since the late 1980s. However, despite the range of applications, GIS is still often underutilized and stakeholders have requested more GIS‐based tools to support management and regulation of the sector. Consequently, there is a need to establish a knowledge base of existing applications and identify the challenges and opportunities to encourage development of tools that address user needs. This study presents a quantitative analysis of primary scientific literature, focusing on over 200 studies, to enable a comprehensive overview of the application of GIS and the trends associated with its use for aquaculture. Furthermore, there is a detailed assessment of the considerations when developing GIS‐based tools for aquaculture which culminates in five key recommendations regarding (i) usability of the tool; (ii) data requirements; (iii) accessibility to end user; (iv) capabilities and training requirements; and (v) longevity of the tool. These recommendations can guide future development and application of tools to support aquaculture planning and management and assess spatial issues relevant for the sector.
MicroRNA‐145 regulates immune cytokines via targeting FSCN1 in Staphylococcus aureus‐induced mastitis in dairy cows
Authors: Chen Zhi , Xu Xin , Tan Taoling , Chen Daijie , Liang Huanjie , Sun Kaidi , Li Mingxun , Zhang Huimin , Mao Yongjiang , Yang Zhangping 
Published: April 2019

AbstractDairy cow mastitis is a detrimental factor in milk quality and food safety. Mastitis generally refers to inflammation caused by infection by pathogenic microorganisms. Our studies in recent years have revealed the role of miRNA regulation in Staphylococcus aureus‐induced mastitis. In the present study, we overexpressed and suppressed miR‐145 to investigate the function of miR‐145 in Mac‐T cells. Flow cytometry, ELISA and EdU staining were used to detect changes in the secretion of several Mac‐T cytokines and in cell proliferation. We found that overexpression of miR‐145 in Mac‐T cells significantly reduced the secretion of IL‐12 and TNF‐α, but increased the secretion of IFN‐γ; the proliferation of bovine mammary epithelial cells was also inhibited. Using quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR), Western blotting and luciferase multiplex verification techniques, we found that miR‐145 targeted and regulated FSCN1. Knock‐down of FSCN1 significantly increased the secretion of IL‐12, while the secretion of TNF‐α was significantly downregulated in Mac‐T cells. Upon S. aureus infection of mammary gland tissue, the body initiated inflammatory responses; Bta‐miR‐145 expression was downregulated, which reduced the inhibitory effect on the FSCN1 gene; and upregulation of FSCN1 expression promoted mammary epithelial cell proliferation to allow the recovery of damaged tissue. The results of the present study will aid in understanding the immune mechanism opposing S. aureus infection in dairy cows and will provide a laboratory research basis for the prevention and treatment of mastitis.
BMPR2‐expressing bone marrow‐derived endothelial‐like progenitor cells alleviate pulmonary arterial hypertension in vivo
Authors: Harper Rebecca L. , Maiolo Suzanne , Ward Rebekah J. , Seyfang Jemma , Cockshell Michaelia P. , Bonder Claudine S. , Reynolds Paul N. 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACTBackground and objectivePulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by increased resistance in the distal pulmonary arteries, ultimately leading to right heart failure and, despite the available therapeutics, survival remains poor. Reduced expression of bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2) is strongly associated with PAH. Cell therapies are of interest in PAH, but whether this approach can upregulate BMPR2 is not known. Our objective was to evaluate a preclinical cell therapy approach based on upregulation of BMPR2.MethodsWe assessed the therapeutic effect of intravenously injected BMPR2‐augmented rat bone marrow‐derived endothelial‐like progenitor cells (BMPR2‐BM‐ELPC) on PAH in the rat monocrotaline (MCT) model.ResultsThe cells accumulate in the lungs with negligible systemic distribution, but the vast majority are lost from the lungs by 24 h. Lungs from rats treated with BMPR2‐BM‐ELPC exhibited an immediate increase in BMPR2 and related intracellular signalling proteins. Treatment with BMPR2‐BM‐ELPC attenuated PAH as demonstrated by a reduction in right ventricular hypertrophy as well as right ventricular systolic and mean pulmonary arterial pressures. In addition, this treatment reversed PAH‐induced vascular remodelling with a significant reduction in vessel thickness and muscularization. In view of the short retention time of injected cells in the lungs, the mechanism for the effects seen may be intracellular communication via exosomes. In support of this hypothesis, we demonstrate that BMPR2‐transduced outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells (OECs) release BMPR2‐expressing exosomes.ConclusionBMPR2‐augmented ELPC demonstrate therapeutic benefits in the rat model and may have clinical translation potential.
Capital market integration and gender inequality
Authors: Komura Mizuki , Ogawa Hikaru 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThis study explores the effects of globalization on gender inequality. Specifically, we describe how, in terms of capital market integration, globalization alters the gender gap in wage rates through changes in labor demand for capital‐intensive sectors. Consequently, via changes in the bargaining positions of men and women, globalization leads to opposite effects on the couple's labor supply and fertility decisions in capital‐importing and capital‐exporting countries. Moreover, by considering the properties of the industrial structures of capital‐importing and capital‐exporting countries, we show that globalization induces empirically observed declines in fertility rates throughout the world.
Are dialysis patients too frail to exercise?
Authors: Wang Connie J. , Johansen Kirsten L. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractClinical manifestations of functional and morphological muscular abnormalities in dialysis patients are muscle weakness and low exercise capacity, possibly leading to a sedentary life style with low physical activity. Low cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle atrophy and weakness contribute to the development of frailty and affect patients’ ability to physically navigate their environment. While many dialysis patients may appear too frail to participate in moderate‐to‐vigorous aerobic exercise training, those who can complete such programs appear to derive substantial benefit. Less vigorous aerobic exercise, resistance training, and alternative forms of exercise can also be beneficial. Most patients on dialysis are not too frail to perform resistance exercise of adequate intensity to achieve increases in muscle size and strength, therefore, frailty should not be considered a contraindication to exercise.
The Symbiosis of Sectarianism, Authoritarianism, and Rentierism in the Saudi State
Authors: Freer Courtney 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSaudi Arabia provides a compelling example of how sectarianism sustains the dynamics of authoritarianism, especially when bolstered by a rentier political economy. In this paper, I investigate three claims about the link between Saudi authoritarianism and sectarianism, as follows: (1) Governing with a sectarian ideology impedes political reform, since it disrupts cross‐sectarian reform coalitions by attacking the sectarian outgroup. (2) The presence of multiple sects, as well as hydrocarbon wealth, allows regimes like that of al‐Saʿud to use divide‐and‐rule tactics to maintain control; it also enables the funding of media and education outlets with the purpose of perpetuating authoritarianism, especially when the authoritarian dynamics are underpinned by a rentier political economy. (3) Despite the authoritarian and rentier dynamics in play, the Saudi government has at times sought at least a degree of inclusion of the Shia minority, depending on the political economy and the relative influence of Shia and Sunni Islamists. Using the existing literature on the Saudi state and historical examples, I aim to clarify the link between sectarianism and authoritarianism in a state in which the Sunni/Shia division, bolstered by a rentier political economy, has emerged as a powerful means of maintaining the political status quo.
Civic Space and Sectarianism in the Gulf States: The Dynamics of Informal Civil Society in Kuwait and Bahrain beyond State Institutions
Authors: Hafidh Hasan , Fibiger Thomas 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe two small, multi‐sectarian Arab Gulf countries of Kuwait and Bahrain present two cases of the relationship between regimes and the everyday dynamics of sectarianism, offering both significant similarities and differences. In this article we focus on the role of informal spaces in amplifying or negating regime narratives of sectarianism. Both countries have a tradition of parliaments, which in both cases, however, have lost credibility among their citizens. Instead, informal spaces have become important, but they have come to be so in different ways in relation to the specific regime rhetoric of sectarianism: in Bahrain the regime promotes a sectarian narrative of political conflict, which is countered at the societal level, whereas in Kuwait, while the regime sees itself as cross‐sectarian, Kuwaiti society has become increasingly sectarianized. Relating this focus on informal spaces to a discussion of the ideological state apparatus (ISA), we provide a theoretical model for how this can be analyzed on a more general level, contributing to recent discussions of grassroots and non‐formal activism.
Interleukin‐21 enhances Toll‐like receptor 2/4‐mediated cytokine production via phosphorylation in the STAT3, Akt and p38 MAPK signalling pathways in human monocytic THP‐1 cells
Authors: Jian Leilei , Sun Lin , Li Changhong , Yu Ruohan , Ma Zhenzhen , Wang Xinyu , Zhao Jinxia , Liu Xiangyuan 
Published: April 2019

AbstractInterleukin‐21 (IL‐21) is a type I cytokine produced by activated T cells that promotes cytokine production in monocytes. Monocytes are activated by Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) to produce pro‐inflammatory mediators. However, little is known about the regulatory effect of IL‐21 on TLR‐mediated inflammation in human monocytes. This study investigated the potential association between IL‐21 and TLR2/4‐mediated inflammation in human monocytic THP‐1 cells. First, the expression of the IL‐21 receptor (IL‐21R) in human monocytic THP‐1 cells was examined by flow cytometry. Then, THP‐1 cells were treated with either the TLR2 ligand peptidoglycan (PGN) or the TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with or without IL‐21. Then, the production of several cytokines (IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and IL‐10), expression of TLR2/4, and activation of the downstream signaling pathways of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt), and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) were determined. We found that IL‐21R was highly expressed in human monocytic THP‐1 cells and that IL‐21 induced TLR2 and TLR4 expression and further enhanced PGN/LPS‐mediated TLR2/4 expression. In addition, IL‐21 also upregulated the expression of IL‐6, IL‐8, TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and IL‐10 and enhanced TLR2/4‐mediated cytokine production in THP‐1 cells via phosphorylation of the STAT3, Akt and p38 MAPK signalling pathways. Our study suggests, for the first time that IL‐21 enhances TLR2/4‐mediated cytokine production in human monocytic THP‐1 cells by activating the STAT3, PI3K/Akt and p38 MAPK signalling pathways.
Staffing in hospital transfusion laboratories: UKTLC surveys show cause for concern
Authors: Bolton‐Maggs P. , Mistry H. , Glencross H. , Rook R. ,   on behalf of the UK Transfusion Laboratory Collaborative
Published: April 2019

SUMMARYObjectivesTo monitor minimum standards in hospital transfusion laboratories in relation to qualifications, training, competency and the use of information technology over time against published recommendations.BackgroundThe United Kingdom Transfusion Laboratory Collaborative was formed in 2006 with representatives from relevant organisations and has published standards for transfusion laboratory practice. The standards are set to ensure safe transfusion laboratory practice. Regular surveys are performed to see the extent to which laboratories are able to meet these standards and where any problems lie.MethodsAn electronic survey is sent to hospital transfusion laboratories on a single mid‐week day in the spring and is repeated every 2 years from 2011, to be completed by the lead in transfusion for the day. The questions cover staffing, training, funding and workload.ResultsTransfusion laboratories are having difficulty with staffing, particularly recruitment of suitably trained biomedical scientists, and with funding and time for training and education. Laboratory errors reported to the Serious Hazards of Transfusion haemovigilance scheme (SHOT) have not decreased with time, related to the under‐resourced workforce.ConclusionProblems in laboratory staffing and expertise in hospital transfusion laboratories need to be urgently addressed. The transfusion laboratory provides a key service to hospitals. The Blood Services in England and Wales are developing supportive strategies.
Genotyping of human neutrophil antigens 1, 3, 4 and 5 using a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Grabowski C. , Jorks S. , Kroll H. 
Published: April 2019

SUMMARYObjectivesOur study aimed to establish a novel multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for rapid simultaneous detection of all relevant human neutrophil antigen (HNA)‐1, ‐3, ‐4 and ‐5 alleles.BackgroundGranulocyte‐reactive antibodies are involved in several diseases, such as neonatal alloimmune neutropenia, autoimmune neutropenia and transfusion‐related acute lung injury. A panel of well‐defined test granulocytes is required for diagnostic antibody detection and prospective blood donor screening. Several genotyping methods for the detection of HNA alleles have been described, but most approaches require separate amplification of each HNA allele or at least a separate amplification of the HNA‐1 alleles.MethodsThe new method is based on simultaneous detection in one reaction tube, where each HNA‐1 allele is amplified by two allele‐specific primers, one primer of which is labelled with a fluorescent dye (HEX, FAM). Allelic polymorphisms for HNA‐3, ‐4 and ‐5 were amplified with one common unlabelled primer and two fluorescence‐labelled (HEX, FAM) allele‐specific primers. DNA fragments of HNA alleles are analysed on a Genetic Analyser 3130xl by amplicon size and fluorescent dye. A total of 110 blood donors with known genotypes were studied.ResultsIn the 110 DNA samples studied, all HNA‐1, ‐3, ‐4 and ‐5 alleles could be detected precisely. All results matched perfectly with those from reference typing by PCR‐sequence‐specific primer. Amplification performed well even at low DNA concentrations (10 ng μL−1).ConclusionOur method enables fast and easy genotyping of all relevant HNA‐alleles in one PCR reaction. Results are easy to analyse due to different amplicon sizes and fluorescent dyes. Furthermore, the method is suitable for high sample throughput.
Seroprevalence of human T‐lymphotropic virus (HTLV) in blood donors in sub‐Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ngoma Alain M. , Omokoko Magot D. , Mutombo Paulin B. , Nollet Kenneth E. , Ohto Hitoshi 
Published: April 2019

Background and objectiveHuman T‐cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV) 1 and 2 are endemic in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), transfusion‐transmissible and causally linked to various severe diseases. However, even in SSA countries with moderate to high endemicity, routine blood donor screening for HTLV is rarely, if ever, performed. Information on seroprevalence is limited. The aim of this review is to establish the prevalence of HTLV‐1 and HTLV‐1/2 among blood donors in sub‐Saharan Africa.Materials and MethodsWe systematically reviewed databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE and the Cochrane database library from their inception to June 2018. Studies presenting data on HTLV prevalence among blood donors in sub‐Saharan Africa were included. A random‐effect meta‐analysis was conducted on all eligible studies.ResultsA total of 25 studies were included, representing 74 119 blood donors, of whom over 80% (61 002) were only tested for HTLV‐1. The evidence base was high and moderate in quality. The pooled prevalence of the 17 studies that screened only for HTLV‐1 and the nine studies that screened for HTLV‐1/2 was 0·68 (95% CI: 0·29–1·60) and 1·11 (95% CI: 0·47–2·59) per 100 blood donors, respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of HTLV‐1 infection among blood donors is relatively low. The current review is intended to inform debates and decisions about best practices to prevent transfusion‐transmitted HTLV in sub‐Saharan Africa. Further work is required to determine the risk of infections by transfusion and the cost‐effectiveness of any new measures such as routine screening.
Postcollisional transition from subduction- to intraplate-type magmatism in the eastern Sakarya zone, Turkey: Indicators of northern Neotethyan slab breakoff
Authors: Dokuz Abdurrahman , Aydin Faruk , Karslı Orhan 
Published: April 2019

AbstractPostcollisional magmatism in the eastern Sakarya zone was recorded by voluminous basic volcanism and repeated plutonism during the early Cenozoic. The temporal and geochemical evolution of these magmatic rocks is important for understanding the possible geodynamic history of the Sakarya zone. Here, we investigated three representative plutons lying between the towns of Çamlıhemşin (Rize) and İspir (Erzurum), Turkey. These are largely composed of medium-K gabbroic diorites (Marselavat Pluton), shoshonitic monzonites (Güllübağ Pluton), and high-K granites (Ayder Pluton). We present whole-rock geochemistry, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope analyses from the plutons to constrain the timing of variations in magmatism and source characteristics, and we provide a new approach to the proposed geodynamic models, which are still heavily debated. The 40Ar/39Ar geochronology reveals a cooling sequence from ca. 45 Ma for the Marselavat Pluton through ca. 41 Ma for the Güllübağ Pluton to ca. 40 Ma for the Ayder Pluton. Whole-rock geochemistry and Sr, Nd, Pb isotopes suggest that crustal contamination was not an important factor affecting magma compositions. Although there was no arc-related tectonic setting in the region during the middle Eocene, the Marselavat Pluton shows some subduction affinities, such as moderately negative Nb and Ta anomalies, and slightly positive Pb anomalies. These signatures were possibly inherited from a depleted mantle source that was modified by hydrous fluids released from the oceanic slab during Late Cretaceous subduction. Geochemical traces of the earlier subduction become uncertain in the Güllübağ samples. They display ocean-island basalt–like multi-element profiles and Nb/Ta, Ce/Pb, and La/Ba ratios. All these point to a mantle source in which earlier subduction signatures were hybridized by the addition of asthenospheric melts. Melting of calc-alkaline crustal material, probably emplaced during the first phase of middle Eocene magmatism (Marselavat), led to the formation of granitic plutonism (Ayder Pluton). Our data in conjunction with early Eocene adakite-like rocks show that melt generation, as in the given sequence, was most probably triggered by breakoff of the northern Neotethyan oceanic slab, ∼13 m.y. after the early Maastrichtian collision between the Sakarya zone and Anatolide-Tauride block, and continued until the end of the middle Eocene. A shallow-marine transgression occurred contemporaneously with the middle Eocene magmatism throughout the Sakarya zone. An extension in this magnitude seems unlikely to be the result of orogenic collapse processes only. The main cause of this extension was most probably related to the northward subduction of the southern Neotethys Ocean beneath the Anatolide-Tauride block. The result is a volumetrically larger amount of middle Eocene magmatism than that expected in response to slab breakoff.