bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Surgical management of urachal remnants in children: open versus laparoscopic approach
Authors: Tanaka Keiichiro , Misawa Takeyuki , Baba Yuji , Ohashi Shinsuke , Suwa Katsuhito , Ashizuka Shuichi , Yoshizawa Jyoji , Ohki Takao 
Published: October 2019

Abstract
Urachal remnants (UR) represent a failure in the obliteration of the allantois, which connects the bladder to the umbilicus, at birth. Surgical management of UR in children is controversial. The traditional surgical approach involves a semicircular intraumbilical incision or a lower midline laparotomy. Recently, many reports have supported the laparoscopic approach (LA) for removing UR. However, there is a paucity of data comparing the benefits of LA those of the open approach (OA).
We retrospectively reviewed all children (aged ≤16 years) with UR who underwent surgical procedures. Age at surgery, sex, operative time, intraoperative or postoperative complications, total wound length, and length of hospital stay length after operation were analyzed.
Overall, 30 children aged between 9 months and 16 years (mean 9.0 years) underwent surgical procedures: 15 were treated by OA and 15 were treated by LA. The only statistically significant variable was the operative time. Furthermore, we reanalyzed the age distributions of the older children (aged ≥10 years). In this group, no significant difference in the operative time between OA and LA was observed; however, there was a statistically significant difference in the total wound length.
Our review indicated that LA required longer operative time than OA without any cosmetic advantage. However, in older children (aged ≥10 years), the difference in the operative time was not significant; moreover, LA provided greater cosmetic advantage. LA is recommended for older children (aged ≥10 years) because of its cosmetic advantage.
The 2019 guidelines from the American Society for Apheresis: what's new?
Authors: Connelly-Smith Laura , Dunbar Nancy M. 
Published: October 2019

Purpose of review
For over 30 years, the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) has published practice guidelines on the use of therapeutic apheresis in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis (JCA) Special Issue. These guidelines are periodically reviewed with the addition of new indications, retirement of some former indications and the provision of updated recommendations for current indications based on new published literature. During the last 12 years, updated guidelines have been published every 3 years to provide a reflection of current evidence-based apheresis practice. Recently, the eighth special issue was published. Significant updates and changes to the last edition are discussed in this review.

Recent findings
This review provides a description of the development of the eighth special issue with the evolution of the ASFA guidelines since introduced in 1986. There are no new indications for therapeutic apheresis listed in the 2019 edition, however, several recommended category changes to existing indications have been made. There are also several organizational changes with the renaming of some fact sheets.

Summary
ASFA has recently published its latest guidelines for therapeutic apheresis in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis ‘Eighth Special Edition’. This review describes the evolution of the ASFA guidelines and highlights significant changes to the prior edition.
Adaptive features of innate immune cells and their relevance to graft rejection
Authors: Wang Guangchuan , Kong Gangcheng , Li Xian C. 
Published: October 2019

Purpose of review
Allograft rejection involves both innate and adaptive immune cells, and the adaptive immune cells have dominated transplant studies for decades. Recent studies have identified surprising new features for the innate immune cells, including memory recall responses, which may have significant implications in further improvement of transplant outcomes.

Recent findings
Transplant survival is excellent in the short-term, but the long-term graft outcomes are not so, and most grafts are continuously lost to chronic rejection in the clinic. In both animal models and clinical settings, graft loss to chronic rejection is often dominated by innate immune cells, especially macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells in the grafts. Recent studies suggest that innate immune cells can acquire features of adaptive cells in that they either directly sense allogeneic nonself or become ‘trained’ in the allogeneic milieu, where they show features of memory recall responses. In certain models, targeting the adaptive features of such innate immune cells can promote long-term allograft survival. These findings may open new therapeutic opportunities in promoting transplant survival in the clinic.

Summary
The discovery of donor specificity and memory recall responses of certain innate immune cells, which are prominently featured in chronic allograft rejection, may open novel therapeutic opportunities in transplantation, as well as in treatment of cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Increasing Fat Graft Retention in Irradiated Tissue after Preconditioning with External Volume Expansion
Authors: Lujan-Hernandez Jorge , Chin Michael S. , Perry Dylan J. , Chappell Ava , Lancerotto Luca , Yu Nanze , Slamin Robert P. , Bannon Elizabeth , Fitzgerald Thomas J. , Lalikos Janice F. 
Published: October 2019

Background:
Fat grafting is an adjuvant that may improve the quality of radiation-damaged tissue. However, fat grafting for volume restoration in irradiated sites may be less effective because of a poorly vascularized fibrotic recipient bed. External volume expansion has emerged as a potential technique to prepare the recipient sites for improved survival of grafted fat. The authors previously demonstrated increased vasculature with external volume expansion stimulation of irradiated tissues. The authors now hypothesize that external volume expansion’s improvements in recipient-site vascularity will increase the volume retention and quality of fat grafts in fibrotic irradiated sites.

Methods:
Athymic mice were irradiated until development of chronic radiation injury. Then, the irradiated site was stimulated by external volume expansion (external volume expansion group), followed by subcutaneous fat grafting. Grafts in an irradiated site without external volume expansion stimulation (irradiated control group) and grafts in a healthy nonirradiated (nonirradiated control group) site were used as controls. All grafts were monitored for 8 weeks and evaluated both histologically and by micro–computed tomography for analysis of volume retention.

Results:
Hyperspectral imaging confirmed a 25 percent decrease in vascularity of irradiated tissue (irradiated control group) compared with nonirradiated tissue (nonirradiated control group). Grafts in the irradiated control group retained 11 percent less volume than grafts in the nonirradiated control group. The experimental external volume expansion group achieved a 20 percent (p = 0.01) increase in retained graft volume compared with the irradiated control group.

Conclusions:
External volume expansion stimulation can mitigate the effects of irradiation at the recipient site and in turn help preserve fat graft volume retention. Possible mechanisms include increased vascularity, adipogenic conversion, and increased compliance of a fibrotic recipient site.
Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shockwaves Therapy on Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Authors: Sağir Dilek , Bereket Cihan , Onger Mehmet Emin , Bakhit Nagi , Keskin Metehan , Ozkan Enes 
Published: October 2019

Purpose:
This study was conducted to determine the effects of different doses and methods of extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) on the sciatic nerve regeneration of rat model using unbiased quantitative stereological techniques and to know which method and dose were effective.

Methods:
Twenty-five Wistar albino rats were used in the experiment. All animals were randomly divided into 5 groups. To the first group (control, n = 5) ESWT and surgery were not applied. To 2nd group (E300∗2, n = 5), twice doses of 300 impulses uESWs (unfocused) were applied. To 3rd group (E500∗2, n = 5), twice doses of 500 impulses uESWs (unfocused) were applied. To 4th group (E300∗2, n = 5), twice doses of 300 impulses of fESWs (focused) were applied. To 5th group (E500∗2, n = 5), twice doses of 500 impulses of fESWs (focused) were applied. Rats were sacrificed and nerve samples analyzed on the 22nd day following the operation.

Results:
There is a variable increase in the axon numbers among the shockwave treated groups in compare to the control group. The focused groups showed better improvement and the 300-focused group has shown the highest regeneration rate.

Conclusion:
The authors found that ESWT promotes nerve regeneration, increases the thickness of the myelin sheath and that the most effective result is in the 300 shock wave.
A Personalized Multi-Component Lifestyle Intervention Program Leads to Improved Quality of Life in Persons with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Headley Samuel A. , Hutchinson Jasmin C. , Thompson Brian A. , Ostroff Marissa L. , Doyle-Campbell Courtney J. , Cornelius Allen E. , Dempsey Kristen , Siddall Jennifer , Miele Emily M. , Evans Elizabeth E. , Wood Brianna , Sirois Cherilyn M. , Winston Brett A. , Whalen Stefanie K. , Germain Michael. J. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIntroductionLifestyle interventions have been shown to produce favorable changes in some health outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few such studies, employing “real world” methods have been completed in patients with CKD.ObjectiveThis study tested the effectiveness of a comprehensive, multicomponent, lifestyle intervention, delivered through individualized counseling on a variety of health outcomes in pre-dialysis CKD patients.MethodsEligible patients were assigned randomly to the intervention (TR) or usual care group (UC). A six-month home-based program involving personalized counseling to increase physical activity to recommended levels among stage G3a to G4 CKD patients while exchanging plant proteins for animal proteins was implemented. Physical function, cardiovascular function, dietary intake, medication use, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were assessed at baseline and after 1-month, 3-months (M3) and 6-months (M6).ResultsForty-two, patients (age 60.2 ± 9.2, BMI 34.5 ± 7.8) participated in this study (TR=27 UC=15). The intervention reduced (p<0.05) brachial (bSBP) and central systolic blood pressures (cSBP) at month 3 (M3) but both were attenuated at month 6 (M6). Scores on the effect of kidney disease subscale of the HRQOL measure improved in the intervention group at M3 and M6. There was no change in the other measures of HRQOL or in any physical function scores.ConclusionsThis personalized multi-component lifestyle intervention enabled CKD patients to self-report fewer concerns with how CKD affected their daily lives independent of changes in physical function.
Perinatal exposure to lead results in altered DNA methylation in adult mouse liver and blood: Implications for target versus surrogate tissue use in environmental epigenetics
Authors: Svoboda LK , Neier K , Cavalcante R , Tsai Z , Jones TR , Liu S , Goodrich JM , Lalancette C , Colacino JA , Sartor MA , Dolinoy DC 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTBackgroundDNA methylation is a critical epigenetic mechanism linking early developmental environment to long-term health. In humans, the extent to which toxicant-induced changes in DNA methylation in surrogate tissues, such as blood, mirror those in the target tissues is unclear. The Toxicant Exposures and Responses by Genomic and Epigenomic Regulators of Transcription (TaRGET II) consortium was established by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to address the utility of surrogate tissues as proxies for toxicant-induced epigenetic changes in target tissues.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to investigate the effects of perinatal exposure to a human environmentally relevant level (32 ppm in maternal drinking water) of lead (Pb) on liver and blood DNA methylation in adult male and female mice. We hypothesized that developmental Pb exposure would lead to persistent changes in DNA methylation, and that a subset of differentially methylated loci would overlap between liver and blood.MethodsEnhanced reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing was used to assess DNA methylation in 5 month old Pb-exposed and control mice. Sex-stratified modeling of differential methylation by Pb exposure was conducted using an established bioinformatics pipeline.ResultsAlthough Pb exposure ceased at 3 weeks of age, we observed thousands of stably modified, sex-specific differentially methylated regions in the blood and liver of Pb-exposed animals, including 44 genomically imprinted loci. In males, we discovered 5 sites that overlapped between blood and liver, and exhibited changes in DNA methylation in the same direction in both tissues.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that perinatal exposure to Pb induces sex-specific changes in hepatic DNA methylation in adulthood, some of which are also present in blood. Ongoing studies will provide additional exposure-specific insights, and include other epigenetic marks that will enable further refinement of the design and analysis of human studies where target tissues are inaccessible.
“Abnormal vertebral patterns in genetically heterogeneous deceased fetuses and neonates: evidence of selection against variations”
Authors: Schut Pauline C. , Brosens Erwin , Galis Frietson , Ten Broek Clara M. A. , Baijens Inge M.M. , Dremmen Marjolein H.G. , Tibboel Dick , Schol Martin P. , De Klein Annelies , Eggink Alex J. , Cohen-Overbeek Titia E. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the vertebral pattern in a cohort of deceased fetuses and neonates, and to study the possible impact of DNA Copy Number Variations (CNVs) in coding regions and/or disturbing enhancers on the development of the vertebral pattern.MethodRadiographs of 445 fetuses and infants, deceased between 2009 and 2015, were assessed. Terminations of pregnancies, stillbirths and neonatal deaths were included. Patients were excluded if the vertebral pattern could not be determined. Copy number profiles of 265 patients were determined using single nucleotide polymorphism array.Results274/374 patients (73.3%) had an abnormal vertebral pattern. Cervical ribs were present in 188/374 (50.3%) and were significantly more common in stillbirths (69/128 (53.9%)) and terminations of pregnancies (101/188 (53.7%)), compared to live births (18/58, 31.0%, p = 0.006). None of the rare CNVs were recurrent or overlapped candidate genes for vertebral patterning.ConclusionThe presence of an abnormal vertebral pattern, particularly in the cervical region, could be a sign of disruption at critical, highly interactive and conserved stages of embryogenesis. The vertebral pattern might provide valuable information regarding fetal and neonatal outcome. CNV analyses did not identify a mutual genetic cause for the occurrence of vertebral patterning abnormalities, indicating genetic heterogeneity.
The genetic origins of Saint Helena’s liberated Africans
Authors: Sandoval-Velasco Marcela , Jagadeesan Anuradha , Ávila-Arcos María C. , Gopalakrishnan Shyam , Ramos-Madrigal Jazmín , Víctor Moreno-Mayar J. , Renaud Gabriel , Cruz-Dávalos Diana I. , Johannesdóttir Erna , Watson Judy , Robson-Brown Kate , Pearson Andrew , Helgason Agnar , Gilbert M. Thomas P. , Schroeder Hannes 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBetween the early 16th and late 19th centuries, an estimated 12 million Africans were transported to the Americas as part of the transatlantic slave trade. Following Britain’s abolition of slave trade in 1807, the Royal Navy patrolled the Atlantic and intercepted slave ships that continued to operate. During this period, the island of St Helena in the middle of the South Atlantic served as a depot for “liberated” Africans. Between 1840 and 1867, approximately 27,000 Africans were disembarked on the island. To investigate their origins, we generated genome-wide ancient DNA data for 20 individuals recovered from St Helena. The genetic data indicate that they came from West Central Africa, possibly the area of present-day Gabon and Angola. The data further suggest that they did not belong to a single population, confirming historical reports of cultural heterogeneity among the island’s African community. Our results shed new light on the origins of enslaved Africans during the final stages of the slave trade and illustrate how genetic data can be used to complement and validate existing historical sources.
Variation in Base Composition Underlies Functional and Evolutionary Divergence in Non-LTR Retrotransposons
Authors: Ruggiero Robert P. , Boissinot Stéphane 
Published: October 2019

ABSTRACTBackgroundNon-LTR retrotransposons often exhibit base composition that is markedly different from the nucleotide content of their host’s gene. For instance, the mammalian L1 element is AT-rich with a strong A bias on the positive strand, which results in a reduced transcription. It is plausible that the A-richness of mammalian L1 is a self-regulatory mechanism reflecting a trade-off between transposition efficiency and the deleterious effect of L1 on its host. We examined if the A-richness of L1 is a general feature of non-LTR retrotransposons or if different clades of elements have evolved different nucleotide content. We also investigated if elements belonging to the same clade evolved towards different base composition in different genomes or if elements from the same clades evolved towards similar base composition in the same genome.ResultsWe found that non-LTR retrotransposons differ in base composition among clades within the same host but also that elements belonging to the same clade differ in base composition among hosts. We showed that nucleotide content remains constant within the same host over extended period of evolutionary time, despite mutational patterns that should drive nucleotide content away from the observed base composition.ConclusionsOur results suggest that base composition is evolving under selection and may be reflective of the long-term co-evolution between non-LTR retrotransposons and their host. Finally, the coexistence of elements with drastically different base composition suggests that these elements may be using different strategies to persist and multiply in the genome of their host.
Ectopic Expression of Virus Innexins inHeliothis virescensDisrupts Hemocyte-Mediated Encapsulation and Host Viability
Authors: Zhang Peng , Turnbull Matthew W 
Published: October 2019

1.AbstractPolydnaviruses are dsDNA viruses associated with endoparasitoid wasps. Delivery of the virus during parasitization of a caterpillar and subsequent virus gene expression is required for production of an amenable environment for parasitoid offspring development. Consequently, understanding of Polydnavirus gene function provides insight into mechanisms of host susceptibility and parasitoid wasp host range. Polydnavirus genes predominantly are arranged in multimember gene families, one of which is thevinnexins, which are virus homologues of insect gap junction genes, theinnexins. Previous studies ofCampoletis sonorensisIchnovirus Vinnexins using various heterologous systems have suggested the four encoded members may provide different functionality in the infected caterpillar host. Here, we expressed two of the members,vnxGandvnxQ2, using recombinant baculoviruses in susceptible host, the caterpillarHeliothis virescens. Following intrahemocoelic injections, we observed >90% of hemocytes (blood cells) were infected, producing recombinant protein. Larvae infected with avinnexin-recombinant baculovirus exhibited significantly reduced molting rates relative to larvae infected with a control recombinant baculovirus and mock infected larvae. Similarly, larvae infected withvinnexin-recombinant baculoviruses were less likely to molt relative to controls, and showed reduced ability to encapsulate chromatography beads in an immune assay. In most assays, the VnxG protein was associated with more severe pathology than VnxQ2. These results, in light of previous findings, support that Polydnavirus Vinnexin gene family members may provide complementary, rather than redundant, effects. This in turn indicates a need to test gene family member functionality across infected hosts for effects to determine member contribution to host range.2.ImportancePolydnaviruses are obligate mutualistic associates of highly speciose wasp taxa that parasitize caterpillars. Expression of Polydnavirus-encoded genes in hosts parasitized by wasps is necessary for successful parasitization, and an unusual genome structure including multiple-membered gene families is hypothesized to contribute to host manipulation. We have tested this hypothesis byin vivoexpression of two members of a family of Polydnavirus homologues of Innexins, or insect gap junction proteins. Previous findings demonstrated that the two Vinnexins induce different physiological alterations in heterologous systems. Here, in host caterpillars, we observed differential alteration by the two proteins of host immune cell (hemocyte) bioelectrical physiology and the immune response of encapsulation. Not only do our data suggest a linkage between cellular bioelectricity and immunity in insects, but they support that gene family expansion has functional consequences to both Polydnavirus and host wasp success.
Organic soil amendment with Spent Mushroom Substrate results in fungal colonisation, alters bacterial-fungal co-occurrence patterns and improves plant productivity
Authors: Paula Fabiana S. , Tatti Enrico , Thorn Camilla , Abram Florence , Wilson Jude , O’Flaherty Vincent 
Published: October 2019

AbstractIn agricultural systems based on organic fertilisers, the activity of prokaryotes and fungi is essential for degradation of complex substrates and release of nutrients for plant uptake. Understanding the dynamics of microbial communities in these systems is, therefore, desirable for designing successful management strategies aiming to optimise nutrient availability and to improve plant productivity. Of particular interest is how the microbial inoculum provided by an organic substrate persists in the soil and interacts with soil and plant microbiomes, as these processes may affect the long-term benefits of organic amendments. We aimed to investigate how these dynamics occurred in soil treated with stabilised spent mushroom substrate (SMS), a soil amendment rich in nutrients and complex organic matter. We carried out a 14 weeks soil trial to assess the plant growth promoting properties of the SMS and to monitor the successional processes of the resulting SMS-soil communities compared to a mineral amended control. Bacterial and fungal communities were analysed by high-throughput sequencing at both DNA and RNA (cDNA) levels. Using a combination of computational tools, including SourceTracker and Network analysis, we assessed the persistence of SMS-derived taxa in soil, and the changes in co-occurrence patterns and microbial community structure over time. Prokaryotic and fungal communities presented remarkably distinct trajectories following SMS treatment. The soil prokaryotic communities displayed higher levels of resilience to the changes introduced by SMS treatment and rapidly tended toward a soil-like profile, with low persistence of SMS-derived prokaryotes. In contrast, the SMS fungal community had greater success in soil colonisation during the time monitored. SMS treatment promoted an increase in the participation of fungi in the highly connected fraction of the active community, including fungal taxa of SMS origin. We observed the presence of highly connected microbial guilds, composed by fungal and bacterial taxa with reported capabilities of complex organic matter degradation. Many of these taxa were also significantly correlated with the organic matter content and plant yield, suggesting that these highly connected taxa may play key roles not only in the community structure, but also in the plant-soil system under organic fertilisation.