bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Maternal peripheral blood platelet‐to‐white blood cell ratio and platelet count as potential diagnostic markers of histological chorioamnionitis‐related spontaneous preterm birth
Authors: Qiu Liyin , Pan Mian , Zhang Ronglian , Ren Kunhai 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundHistological chorioamnionitis (HCA) is one of the leading causes of spontaneous preterm birth, thus, to identify novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCA is in a great need.ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of maternal peripheral blood platelet‐to‐white blood cell ratio (PLT/WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts in HCA‐related preterm birth.MethodsA total of 400 patients with preterm birth were enrolled in this study: non‐HCA group (n = 193) and HCA group (n = 207), and 87 full‐term pregnancies were enrolled as the control. The peripheral blood of the participators was collected, and the neutrophil count, WBC count, platelet count, and levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin were recorded, and the platelet‐to‐white blood cell ratio (PLT/WBC) of the participators was calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve has been drawn to show the sensitivity and specificity of PLT/WBC and PLT count for the diagnosis of HCA‐related spontaneous preterm birth patients.ResultsThe neutrophil count, WBC count, and procalcitonin show no significant differences among the three groups, and the PLT count, PLT/WBC, and CRP (P < 0.05) were significantly increased in HCA group compared with non‐HCA group; moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) of PLT/WBC, PLT, and CRP was 0.744 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6966‐0.7922), 0.8095 (95% CI, 0.7676‐0.8514), and 0.5730 (95% CI, 0.5173‐0.6287), respectively.ConclusionPlatelet count and PLT/WBC may become a potential biomarker of HCA‐related spontaneous preterm birth.
Vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor variants are associated with chronic heart failure in Chinese patients
Authors: Hao Yi , Chen Yueling 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundVitamin D is an indispensable molecule for human health. Wide ranges of diseases are linked with vitamin D deficiencies. Role of vitamin D in chronic heart failure has been demonstrated in different populations; however, reports are limited in Chinese population. Vitamin D exerts its effect through vitamin D receptor and variants in vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene are shown to affect vitamin D signaling. In the present study, we hypothesized that both vitamin D levels and VDR variants could be associated with the development of chronic heart failure.Materials and MethodsWe enrolled 145, chronic heart failure patients those admitted to Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Beijing Luhe Hospital of Capital Medical University and fulfilled NYHA inclusions criteria. In addition, ninety healthy subjects from similar geographical location were enrolled as healthy controls. Plasma levels of vitamin D were quantified by ELISA. VDR variants (BsmI, ApaI, TaqI, and FokI) were genotyped by PCR‐RFLP.ResultsPlasma levels of vitamin D were significantly lower in chronic heart patients compared to healthy controls. Heterozygous and minor allele for FokI and TaqI polymorphisms were significantly higher in heart failure patients when compared to healthy controls. In addition, combined analysis of vitamin D levels and VDR mutants revealed association of vitamin D deficiencies and VDR mutants with chronic heart failure.ConclusionsThe results of the present investigation showed an important role of vitamin D and VDR variants with chronic heart failure.
Clinical features and disease severity of Turkish FMF children carrying E148Q mutation
Authors: Aydın Fatma , Çakar Nilgün , Özçakar Zeynep Birsin , Uncu Nermin , Başaran Özge , Özdel Semanur , Çelikel Elif , Elhan Atilla H. , Yalçınkaya Fatoş 
Published: February 2019

BackgroundFamilial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common hereditary monogenic autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in the MEFV gene. It is controversial whether E148Q alteration is an insignificant variant or a disease‐causing mutation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and disease severity of FMF patients carrying E148Q mutation.MethodsFiles of FMF patients were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with at least one E148Q mutation were included to the study. The clinical characteristics and disease severity of the patients who were carrying only E148Q mutation were compared with the patients who were compound heterozygous for E148Q and homozygous for M694V mutation.ResultsThe study group comprised 33 patients who were homozygous or heterozygous for E148Q; 34 with compound heterozygous E148Q mutations and 86 patients who had homozygous M694V mutation. Patients who had only E148Q mutation were found to have the oldest mean age of disease onset and lowest mean disease severity score. Attack frequency and colchicine doses were lower in patients with only E148Q mutation as compared with the other two groups. The frequency of clinical findings such as fever, abdominal pain, arthralgia, and arthritis among the three groups was similar.ConclusionFamilial Mediterranean fever patients with only E148Q mutation are presenting with late‐onset and milder disease course despite having similar clinical findings as compared with patients who had other mutations. Finally, we imply that E148Q is a mutation and colchicine treatment should be given.
Involvement of the synapse‐specific zinc transporter ZnT3 in cadmium‐induced hippocampal neurotoxicity
Authors: Ben Mimouna Safa , Le Charpentier Tifenn , Lebon Sophie , Van Steenwinckel Juliette , Messaoudi Imed , Gressens Pierre 
Published: February 2019

AbstractThe present study examined the involvement of zinc (Zn)‐transporters (ZnT3) in cadmium (Cd)‐induced alterations of Zn homeostasis in rat hippocampal neurons. We treated primary rat hippocampal neurons for 24 or 48 hr with various concentrations of CdCl2 (0, 0.5, 5, 10, 25, or 50 μM) and/or ZnCl
2 (0, 10, 30, 50, 70, or 90 μM), using normal neuronal medium as control. By The CellTiter 96
® Aqueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS; Promega, Madison, WI) assay and immunohistochemistry for cell death markers, 10 and 25 μM of Cd were found to be noncytotoxic doses, and both 30 and 90 μM of Zn as the best concentrations for cell proliferation. We tested these selected doses. Cd, at concentrations of 10 or 25 μM (and depending on the absence or presence of Zn), decreased the percentage of surviving cells. Cd‐induced neuronal death was either apoptotic or necrotic depending on dose, as indicated by 7‐AAD and/or annexin V labeling. At the molecular level, Cd exposure induced a decrease in hippocampal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor‐tropomyosin receptor kinase B (BDNF‐TrkB) and Erk1/2 signaling, a significant downregulation of the expression of learning‐ and memory‐related receptors and synaptic proteins such as the NMDAR NR2A subunit and PSD‐95, as well as the expression of the synapse‐specific vesicular Zn transporter ZnT3 in cultured hippocampal neurons. Zn supplementation, especially at the 30 μM concentration, led to partial or total protection against Cd neurotoxicity both with respect to the number of apoptotic cells and the expression of several genes. Interestingly, after knockdown of ZnT3 by small interfering RNA transfection, we did not find the restoration of the expression of this gene following Zn supplementation at 30 μM concentration. These data indicate the involvement of ZnT3 in the mechanism of Cd‐induced hippocampal neurotoxicity.
LncRNA TUSC7 suppresses pancreatic carcinoma progression by modulating miR‐371a‐5p expression
Authors: Yue Lei , Guo Jing 
Published: February 2019

AbstractPancreatic carcinoma is one of the most common and lethal human malignancies worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a well‐known type of nonprotein‐coding transcripts implicated in cancer development and progression. Increasing evidence has indicated that lncRNA tumor suppressor candidate 7 (TUSC7) is a novel cancer suppressor gene in various cancers. Nevertheless, the function of TUSC7 in pancreatic carcinoma is urgent to be clarified. We found that TUSC7 was notably decreased in tissues and cell lines of pancreatic carcinoma. Moreover, the low expression of TUSC7 was correlated with advanced clinical grades and poorer overall survival. Our findings revealed that TUSC7 repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and stemness whereas facilitated cell apoptosis of pancreatic carcinoma cells. Further investigations demonstrated that miR‐371a‐5p directly bound with TUSC7 and negatively regulated by TUSC7. MiR‐371a‐5p rescued the inhibitory effects of TUSC7 on the development of pancreatic carcinoma. We conclude that lncRNA TUSC7 suppresses pancreatic carcinoma progression by modulating miR‐371a‐5p expression, indicating an innovative therapeutic strategy for pancreatic carcinoma.
Functional characterization of various channel‐expressing central airway epithelial cells from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Yoshie Susumu , Nakamura Ryosuke , Kobayashi Daisuke , Miyake Masao , Omori Koichi , Hazama Akihiro 
Published: February 2019

AbstractFunctional central airway epithelial cells (CAECs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are an attractive potential cell source for central airway regeneration. The central airway epithelium, such as the tracheal epithelium, is composed of ciliated cells, goblet cells, and basal cells and has physiologically important functions such as the regulation of water volume on the airway surface by Cl− and water channels and the elimination of particles inhaled from the external environment by ciliary movement. Previous work from our group and from other research groups has reported the generation of airway epithelial cells from iPSCs. However, it remains unclear whether iPSC‐derived CAECs express the various channels that are required for the regulation of water volume on the airway surface and whether these channels function properly. In this study, we generated CAECs from iPSCs supplemented with activin and bFGF using air–liquid interface culture. We then evaluated the physiological functioning of the iPSC‐derived CAECs by examining the gene expression and transport functions of Cl
− channels using a halide ion‐sensitive yellow fluorescent protein and ciliary movement. Reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry indicated that various channel markers such as cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and aquaporin (AQP) were present in iPSC‐derived CAECs. Furthermore, the transport functions of Cl
− channels and CFTR were successfully confirmed. Finally, ciliary movement was measured, and a ciliary beating frequency (CBF) of approximately 10 Hz was observed. These results demonstrate that CAECs generated by our method have physiological functions similar to those of native CAECs.
Study design of nationwide Japanese Catheter Ablation Registry: Protocol for a prospective, multicenter, open registry
Authors: Yamane Teiichi , Inoue Koichi , Kusano Kengo , Takegami Misa , Nakao Yoko M. , Miyamoto Yoshihiro , Goya Masahiko , Uno Kikuya , Shoda Morio , Murakawa Yuji , Hirao Kenzo , Nogami Akihiko ,   J‐AB registry investigators
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundCatheter ablation has become a popular interventional treatment for cardiac tachyarrhythmias and the number has been on the rise year by year. However, little is known about its efficacy and safety in the real‐world settings.MethodJapanese Catheter Ablation (J‐AB) Registry is a nationwide, multicenter, observational registry, performed by Japanese Heart Rhythm Society (JHRS), collaborated with National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center. This study is a voluntary nationwide registry and data are collected prospectively using a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) system. Detailed data collection including antiarrhythmic medication is also performed every September. The acute success rate at discharge and the complications associated with ablation procedure will be collected in all cases. Major bleeding events are defined according to Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria. Based on the provided information, the annual incidence and predictive factors for outcome will be investigated by the Event Assessment Committee. This registry started in August 2017 and the number of participating medical instructions will be more than 250 hospitals and the target procedure number will be 70 000 per year. We will also compare the results with other registries in foreign countries.ResultThe results of this study are currently under investigation.ConclusionThe J‐AB registry will provide a real‐world data regarding the acute success and complications in Japan, focusing on various types of catheter ablation for cardiac arrhythmias.
Antecedent Administration of Glutamine Benefits the Homeostasis of CD4+ T Cells and Attenuates Lung Injury in Mice With Gut‐Derived Polymicrobial Sepsis
Authors: Lei Cing‐Syuan , Wu Jin‐Ming , Lee Po‐Chu , Kuo Ting‐Chun , Chen Po‐Da , Hou Yu‐Chen , Yeh Sung‐Ling , Lin Ming‐Tsan 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundSepsis is a syndrome with CD4+ T‐cell dysfunction and dysregulation of T helper (Th) and regulatory T (Treg) cells. Glutamine (Gln) is a nutrient with immunomodulatory properties. This study investigated the effects of dietary Gln pretreatment on Th and Treg cell homeostasis and lung injury in mice with gut‐derived polymicrobial sepsis.MethodsMice were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 2 control (C and G) and 2 sepsis groups (SC and SG). The C and SC groups were fed a common semipurified diet, whereas the G and SG groups received an identical diet except that part of the casein was replaced by Gln. Mice were administered these diets for 2 weeks. Then mice in the control groups underwent a sham operation, whereas operations in the sepsis groups were performed with cecal ligation and puncture. Mice were killed 24 hours after the surgery. Blood, spleens, and lungs were collected for further examination.ResultsSepsis resulted in a decreased blood T‐lymphocyte percentage, whereas percentages of interferon‐γ‐expressing, interleukin (IL)‐4‐expressing, and IL‐17‐expressing CD4+ T cells were upregulated. Compared with the SC group, Gln administration before sepsis reduced blood Th1, Th2, and Th17 but increased Treg percentages. Also, percentages of CD69‐expressing CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the spleen increased. Concomitant with the decreased plasma IL‐6 and keratinocyte‐derived chemokine levels, the SG group exhibited a lower injury score of the lungs.ConclusionsPretreatment with Gln may elicit more balanced Th polarization, alleviate inflammatory response, and attenuate lung injury induced by polymicrobial sepsis.
Differences in the trophic ecology of micronekton driven by diel vertical migration
Authors: Romero‐Romero Sonia , Choy C. Anela , Hannides Cecelia C. S. , Popp Brian N. , Drazen Jeffrey C. 
Published: February 2019

AbstractMany species of micronekton perform diel vertical migrations (DVMs), which ultimately contributes to carbon export to the deep sea. However, not all micronekton species perform DVM, and the nonmigrators, which are often understudied, have different energetic requirements that might be reflected in their trophic ecology. We analyze bulk tissue and whole animal stable nitrogen isotopic compositions (δ15N values) of micronekton species collected seasonally between 0 and 1250 m depth to explore differences in the trophic ecology of vertically migrating and nonmigrating micronekton in the central North Pacific. Nonmigrating species exhibit depth‐related increases in δ15N values mirroring their main prey, zooplankton. Higher variance in δ15N values of bathypelagic species points to the increasing reliance of deeper dwelling micronekton on microbially reworked, very small suspended particles. Migrators have higher δ15N values than nonmigrators inhabiting the epipelagic zone, suggesting the consumption of material during the day at depth, not only at night when they migrate closer to the surface. Migrating species also appear to eat larger prey and exhibit a higher range of variation in δ15N values seasonally than nonmigrators, likely because of their higher energy needs. The dependence on material at depth enriched in 15N relative to surface particles is higher in migratory fish that ascend only to the lower epipelagic zone. Our results confirm that stark differences in the food habits and dietary sources of micronekton species are driven by vertical migrations.
A family with Danon disease caused by a splice site mutation in LAMP2 that generates a truncated protein
Authors: Zhou Nianwei , Cui Jie , Zhao Weipeng , Jiang Yingying , Zhu Wenqing , Tang Lu , Li Xuejie , Sun Minmin , Pan Cuizhen , Shu Xianhong 
Published: February 2019

AbstractBackgroundDanon disease is an X‐linked dominant hereditary condition caused by mutations in the gene encoding lysosomal‐associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), leading to failure of lysosome binding to autophagosomes, accumulation of glycogen in the heart, and abnormal cardiac function.MethodsWe describe identification of a mutation in LAMP2, c.741+1G>T, in a family with Danon disease by whole exome sequencing.ResultsPathology examination of patient skeletal muscle biopsy showed myogenic damage and autophagic vacuoles with sarcolemmal features (AVSF). Numerous autophagic vacuoles accumulated in muscle cells were detected by electron microscopy, indicating abnormal autophagy function.ConclusionThe mutation did not result in loss of mRNA exons; rather, a 6‐nucleotide (two‐codon) insertion, where the latter was a stop codon, leading to early termination of LAMP2 protein translation. The resulting truncated protein lacks an important transmembrane domain, which will impair lysosome/autophagosome fusion, damage autophagy function, and result in the clinical manifestations of Danon disease.
Liquid metasurface‐based periodically stacked radome design
Authors: Patel Shobhit K. , Charola Shreyas , Kosta Y.P. , Rajdev Foram 
Published: February 2019

AbstractWe present liquid metasurface‐based periodically stacked radome design. Radome is a layer placed above the antenna to protect it from weather disturbances. The layer protects the antenna but reduces its gain. Periodic stacking of liquid metasurface based radome improve the antenna parameters like gain and bandwidth. Microstrip patch antenna is used as basic antenna to check the improvement in gain. The comparison of microstrip patch antenna, patch antenna with simple multilayer radome, patch antenna with liquid metasurface multilayer radome and patch antenna with liquid metasurface periodically stacked multilayer radome is presented in the manuscript. The improvement in terms of gain is clearly visible from the comparison of results for all the designs. Efficiency is also increasing by adding liquid metasurface periodically stacked multilayer radome to patch antenna.
A modified dielectric rod resonator with a purer mode distribution based on multi‐gap on the substrate
Authors: Long Jiawei , Li En , Guo Gaofeng 
Published: February 2019

AbstractIn this article, a modified dielectric rod resonator with a purer mode distribution has been proposed for the measurement of the dielectric properties of dielectric materials. The resonator is short circuited at both flat ends by two hard copper‐clad dielectric substrates, which replace the commonly used metal conducting plates. Concentric ring gaps are etched out on one side the dielectric substrates as shorting plates to reduce the degenerate TM0np modes while not affecting the dominant TE0np modes as much as possible. Experimental results show that the modified dielectric rod resonator has a better mode distribution in the high frequency band than the conventional resonator, which is very useful for the accurate and broadband measurement of dielectric materials.
Raman scattering for dosimetry using GAFCHROMIC EBT3 radiochromic dosimetry film
Authors: Talarico Olga S. , Krylova Tatyana A. , Melnik Nikolay N. 
Published: February 2019

PurposeRaman scattering spectra can be thought of as the “fingerprints” of the investigated material. The purpose of this work was to link the absorbed doses of irradiated radiochromic film at the micrometer level with changes in their Raman spectra.MethodsRaman spectra of irradiated GAFCHROMIC EBT3 film with doses ranging from 0 to 40 Gy were acquired. The excitation wavelengths used in the experiments (457.9 and 647.1 nm) coincided with electronic transitions of the active layer of the film. The effect of resonance Raman scattering enhanced Raman peaks in the resonance region. Spectra were taken in the range of room temperature to around the temperature of liquid nitrogen (−190°C).ResultsThe Raman peak intensity redistribution is shown for films with different absorbed doses. The ratio of intensities of the 1445 cm−1 band with respect to the 1330 cm−1 band increases with the increase in absorbed dose. This allows building a dose calibration curve for the film.ConclusionThe dose distribution of the irradiated film can be identified based on the intensity ratio of the 1445 and 1330 cm−1 bands by means of Raman mapping. This is a noninvasive and computerized readout method which provides micrometer resolution results for the film surface. This is beneficial in the use of radiochromic films as dosimeters for high‐precision radiotherapies.
Echo planar time‐resolved imaging (EPTI)
Authors: Wang Fuyixue , Dong Zijing , Reese Timothy G. , Bilgic Berkin , Katherine Manhard Mary , Chen Jingyuan , Polimeni Jonathan R. , Wald Lawrence L. , Setsompop Kawin 
Published: February 2019

PurposeTo develop an efficient distortion‐ and blurring‐free multi‐shot EPI technique for time‐resolved multiple‐contrast and/or quantitative imaging.MethodsEPI is a commonly used sequence but suffers from geometric distortions and blurring. Here, we introduce a new multi‐shot EPI technique termed echo planar time‐resolved imaging (EPTI), which has the ability to rapidly acquire distortion‐ and blurring‐free multi‐contrast data set. The EPTI approach performs encoding in ky‐t space and uses a new highly accelerated spatio–temporal CAIPI sampling trajectory to take advantage of signal correlation along these dimensions. Through this acquisition and a B0‐informed parallel imaging reconstruction, hundreds of “time‐resolved” distortion‐ and blurring‐free images at different TEs across the EPI readout window can be created at sub‐millisecond temporal increments using a small number of EPTI shots. Moreover, a method for self‐estimation and correction of shot‐to‐shot B0 variations was developed. Simultaneous multi‐slice acquisition was also incorporated to further improve the acquisition efficiency.ResultsWe evaluated EPTI under varying simulated acceleration factors, B0‐inhomogeneity, and shot‐to‐shot B0 variations to demonstrate its ability to provide distortion‐ and blurring‐free images at multiple TEs. Two variants of EPTI were demonstrated in vivo at 3T: (1) a combined gradient‐ and spin‐echo EPTI for quantitative mapping of T2, T2*, proton density, and susceptibility at 1.1 × 1.1 × 3 mm3 whole‐brain in 28 s (0.8 s/slice), and (2) a gradient‐echo EPTI, for multi‐echo and quantitative T2* fMRI at 2 × 2 × 3 mm3 whole‐brain at a 3.3 s temporal resolution.ConclusionEPTI is a new approach for multi‐contrast and/or quantitative imaging that can provide fast acquisition of distortion‐ and blurring‐free images at multiple TEs.