bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of four hemoglobin separation analyzers for hemoglobinopathy diagnosis
Authors: Degandt Simon , Coens Rémy , Cauwelier Barbara , Devos Helena , Langlois Michel , Emmerechts Jan 
Published: April 2017

BackgroundFour automated hemoglobin separation devices are compared in their ability to detect hemoglobinopathies, both in HbA1c and in hemoglobinopathy mode.MethodsQuality control material and 58 samples, including one heterozygous α‐thalassemia sample, six heterozygote β‐thalassemia samples and 32 samples with a known hemoglobin variant, were used to assess imprecision of HbF and HbA2 measurements, correlation with the gold standard and sensitivity for detecting β‐thalassemia and Hb variants on D‐100 (Bio‐Rad Laboratories), HA 8180T (Menarini), HLC‐723G8 (Tosoh Bioscience) and Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing (Sebia).ResultsImprecision was <10% for both HbF and HbA2 in all modes of all analyzers. Correlation studies for HbF and HbA2 demonstrated statistically significant but small biases when compared to the gold standard. All six β‐thalassemia samples but one were detected on all analyzers using a HbA2 cut‐off value of 3.5%. D‐100, HA8180T and the Hb‐pathy mode of the HLC‐723G8 and the Capillarys are able to detect the most common important Hb variants (Hb C, D, E and S), but more seldom variants can be missed as they co‐elute with HbA0. The HbA1c mode of the Capillarys correctly detected all measured hemoglobin variants and can therefore be used as a hemoglobinopathy screening device. This was also the case for the most common important Hb variants on the HbA1c mode of the HLC‐723G8, but two rare variants were not detected.ConclusionThis study stresses the importance for individual laboratories to know the advantages and drawbacks of their hemoglobin separation analyzer and its different modes in the diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies.
Differential expression of urinary exosomal microRNAs in IgA nephropathy
Authors: Min Qing‐Hua , Chen Xi‐Min , Zou Ye‐Qing , Zhang Jing , Li Jing , Wang Yan , Li Shu‐Qi , Gao Qiu‐Fang , Sun Fan , Liu Jing , Xu Yan‐Mei , Lin Jin , Huang Lin‐Feng , Huang Bo , Wang Xiao‐Zhong 
Published: April 2017

BackgroundImmunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common type of primary glomerulonephritis in the world. Reliable biomarkers are required for the non‐invasive diagnosis and monitoring of IgAN. This study aims to investigate the difference in urinary exosomal microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles between patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and healthy controls, which may provide clues to identify novel potential non‐invasive miRNA biomarkers for renal diseases.MethodsUrine samples were collected from eighteen healthy controls and eighteen patients with IgAN. Differential centrifugation was performed to isolate exosomes from urine samples. High‐throughput sequencing and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) were sequentially used to screen and further validate miRNA expression profiles in urinary exosomes of patients with IgAN in two independent cohorts.ResultsUrinary exosomes were successfully isolated to obtain exosomal miRNAs. MiR‐215‐5p and miR‐378i were significantly upregulated in urinary exosomes of patients with IgAN compared with healthy controls (P<.01), while miR‐29c and miR‐205‐5p were significantly downregulated (P<.05). MiR‐215‐5p, miR‐378i, miR‐365b‐3p and miR‐135b‐5p were found to have altered expression in patients with IgAN from validation cohorts, which was consistent with the high‐throughput sequencing analysis.ConclusionThis study suggests that there is a significant difference in urinary exosomal miRNA profiles between patients with IgAN and healthy controls. These exosomal miRNAs, such as miR‐29c, miR‐146a and miR‐205 may potentially serve as novel non‐invasive biomarkers for IgAN.
Fatty acid‐binding protein 4 regulates fatty infiltration after rotator cuff tear by hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 in mice
Authors: Lee Yong‐Soo , Kim Ja‐Yeon , Oh Kyung‐Soo , Chung Seok Won 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackgroundFatty infiltration in skeletal muscle is directly linked to loss of muscle strength and is associated with various adverse physical outcomes such as muscle atrophy, inflammation, insulin resistance, mobility impairments, and even mortality in the elderly. Aging, mechanical unloading, muscle injury, and hormonal imbalance are main causes of muscle fat accumulation, and the fat cells are derived from muscle stem cells via adipogenic differentiation. However, the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of fatty infiltration in muscles are still not fully defined. Fatty acid‐binding protein 4 (FABP4) is a carrier protein for fatty acids and is involved in fatty acid uptake, transport, and lipid metabolism. Rotator cuff tear (RCT) usually occurs in the elderly and is closely related with fatty infiltration in injured muscle. To investigate potential mechanisms for fatty infiltration other than adipogenic differentiation of muscle stem cells, we examined the role of FABP4 in muscle fatty infiltration in an RCT mouse model.MethodsIn the RCT model, we evaluated the expression of FABP4 by qRT‐PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemical analyses. Histological changes such as inflammation and fat accumulation in the injured muscles were examined immunohistochemically. To evaluate whether hypoxia induces FABP4 expression, the levels of FABP4 mRNA and protein in C3H10T1/2 cells after hypoxia were examined. Using a transient transfection assay in 293T cells, we assessed the promoter activity of FABP4 by hypoxia‐inducible factors (HIFs). Additionally, we evaluated the reduction in FABP4 expression and fat accumulation using specific inhibitors for HIF1 and FABP4, respectively.ResultsFABP4 expression was significantly increased after RCT in mice, and its expression was localized in the intramuscular fatty region. Rotator cuff tear‐induced FABP4 expression was up‐regulated by hypoxia. HIF1α, which is activated by hypoxia, augmented the promoter activity of FABP4, together with HIF1β. Hypoxia‐induced FABP4 expression was significantly decreased by HIF1 inhibitor treatment. Furthermore, in RCT model mice, fat accumulation was remarkably reduced by FABP4 inhibitor treatment.ConclusionsThis study shows that RCT induces FABP4 expression, leading to fat accumulation in injured muscle. FABP4 transcription is regulated by the direct binding of HIF1 to the FABP4 promoter in the hypoxic condition induced by RCT. Fat accumulation in injured muscle was reduced by the inhibition of FABP4. Ultimately, in the RCT model, we identified a novel mechanism for fatty infiltration by FABP4, which differs from adipogenic differentiation of muscle stem cells, and we found that fatty infiltration might be regulated by inhibition of HIF1 or FABP4.
Recovery of an yttrium europium oxide phosphor from waste fluorescent tubes using a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, 1‐methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate
Authors: Schaeffer Nicolas , Feng Xiaofan , Grimes Sue , Cheeseman Christopher 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDSpent fluorescent lamps, classified as hazardous waste in the EU, are segregated at source. Processes for the recovery of critical rare‐earth (RE) elements from the phosphor powder waste, however, often involve use of aggressive acid or alkali digestion, multi‐stage separation procedures, and production of large aqueous waste streams which require further treatment.RESULTSTo overcome these difficulties phosphor powder pre‐treated with dilute HCl was leached with a 1:1 wt. [Hmim][HSO4]:H2O solution at a solid:liquid ratio of 5%, at 80 °C for 4 h with stirring at 300 rpm to recover 91.6 wt% of the Y and 97.7 wt% of the Eu present. The yttrium‐europium oxide (YOX), (Y0.95Eu0.05)2O3, recovered by precipitating the dissolved RE elements from the leach solution with oxalic acid and converting the oxalate to an oxide phase by heating, was characterised by FTIR, XRD and luminescence analysis. The analyses suggest the recovered oxide has the potential to be directly reused as YOX phosphor. Regeneration and reuse of the ionic liquid is achieved with only minor leaching efficiency losses found over four leaching/recovery cycles.CONCLUSIONThe recovery of yttrium europium oxide from waste fluorescent tube phosphor by a simple efficient low cost ionic liquid process has been developed. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Lag of Immunity Across Seasonal Acclimation States in Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus)
Authors: Goessling Jeffrey M. , Koler Shane A. , Overman Brian D. , Hiltbold Elizabeth M. , Guyer Craig , Mendonça Mary T. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTDisease outbreaks are of increasing importance to ectothermic vertebrates as one of numerous results of global change. Anthropogenic climate change is predicted to increase climatic instability, thereby altering natural thermal environments. In this study, we evaluated the direct effects of rapid temperature change on immunity in Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). Specifically, we tested the lag hypothesis, which predicts significant misalignment of optimal and realized immunity when temperature rapidly changes. We assayed constitutive innate immunity, B‐cell humoral responses, and heterophil: lymphocyte ratios in response to rapid temperature changes corresponding to realistic changes in body temperature between winter and summer. We found that during summer, rapid temperature reduction caused a series of changes in immunity, including reduced bactericidal ability (P = 0.002), reduced humoral response (P < 0.0001), and increased heterophil:lymphocyte ratios (P < 0.0001). During winter, we found that a temperature increase provided no benefit to immunity. Specifically, there was no increase in bactericidal ability as was predicted by the lag hypothesis. In winter, humoral responses were significantly reduced as a result of rapid warming (P = 0.011) and the rapid warming caused a significant reduction in heterophil:lymphocyte ratios (P < 0.0001). Independent of temperature, we found a significant acclimation effect of winter relative to summer conditions in humoral response (P < 0.001), which showed an overall increase in this parameter during winter. Our findings demonstrate that rapid temperature change, regardless of its direction, is a constraint on immunity in ectothermic vertebrates.
Spatial and temporal variability of dryness characteristics in Turkey
Authors: Kutiel H. , Türkeş M. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTDrought may occur in almost every climatic region on Earth at any time. Understanding the nature and magnitude of the dryness and drought events are crucial mainly in semi‐arid regions characterized by water shortage and warm/hot and dry Mediterranean type climate. The present article analyses the major patterns of the spatial and temporal characteristics of the climatological dryness in Turkey.This study adopts a relatively new approach for characterizing the dryness over a certain region; dry days since last rain (DDSLR). The DDSLR in a certain place can be evaluated using three different metrics; its severity, consistency and temporal uncertainty enabling to present intra‐ and inter‐annual variations of the dryness. The DDSLR is also coupled with the Mediterranean Climate Index (MCI) approach, measuring the seasonality of rainfall. Analyses were based on daily precipitation data recorded at 69 principal climatological and synoptic meteorological stations of the Turkish Meteorological Service network during the period 1970–2011.The spatial distributions of the MCI and the various DDSLR metrics are presented and analysed. Overall, the three metrics of the DDSLR show their highest values in southern parts of Turkey along the Mediterranean and the borders with Syria and Iraq. These dryness indices are even larger than in central Turkey which receives less annual rainfall. On the other hand, dryness is at its minimum along the Black Sea in northern Turkey.Logarithmic equations of the type f(DDSLR) = a × ln(MCI) + b were fitted to describe the dependence of these metrics on the MCI. All regressions are highly significant and enable to evaluate these metrics even in regions without daily data. Finally, linear trends of the longest DDSLR in each year were calculated and reveal trends toward more severe dry conditions in north‐western Turkey and less severe dry conditions in east Turkey.
The relationship between extent of hemoglobin purification and the performance characteristics of a blood‐based flocculant
Authors: Garcia Rafael A , Bumanlag Lorelie P , Piazza George J 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDWhole blood is a highly complex substance. Hemoglobin, the most abundant blood protein, can function as a flocculant; most of the other blood components exhibit poor flocculant activity. For the purpose of processing raw whole blood into a flocculant product, the practical value of hemoglobin purification is uncertain.RESULTSThis study compares the flocculant performance of whole blood to that of three different semi‐purified hemoglobin preparations. The whole blood is processed to remove the plasma proteins, the solid cell components, or both. The flocculant performance of whole blood and each hemoglobin preparation is compared over wide ranges of flocculant dose and suspension pH. The clarified liquids are examined for increases in chemical oxygen demand and Kjeldahl nitrogen. Hemoglobin preparations that excluded plasma gave peak flocculation performance at approximately 30 mg solids per gram of suspended kaolin, and gave greatly reduced performance at higher doses; preparations that included plasma gave very similar peak performance, but also maintained relatively high performance at doses up to at least 200 mg g−1.CONCLUSIONIt is shown that removal of the plasma and the cell solids does not improve the flocculant performance or lessen the residual pollutants in the treated water. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Functional outcome after surgery in patients with bone sarcoma around the knee; results from a long‐term prospective study
Authors: van Egmond‐van Dam Janneke C. , Bekkering W. Peter , Bramer Jos A.M. , Beishuizen Auke , Fiocco Marta , Dijkstra P.D. Sander 
Published: April 2017

Background and ObjectivesIn a previous conducted study functional outcome of young patients with bone sarcoma located around the knee was longitudinally evaluated during the first 2 years postoperatively. Functional outcome improved significantly over the first 2 years. The purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate the functional outcome of these patients at long‐term follow‐up of 7 years.MethodsFunctional outcome was assessed with the TESS, MSTS, Baecke questionnaire, and three functional performance tests: time up and down stairs (TUDS), various walking activities (VWA), and the 6‐min walking test (6MWT). Linear Mixed Model has been employed for the repeated measurements.ResultsTwenty patients of the original study (n = 44) participated in the current study. Fifteen limb‐salvage and five ablative surgery patients, median follow‐up 7.4 years (6.8‐8.0) (CI 95%), mean age 22.3 years (18.2‐31.6). Between 2 and 7 years after surgery, 8 limb‐salvage patients (53%) encountered surgery related complications. Questionnaires and functional performance tests showed no significant difference in functional outcome between 2 years and 7 years after surgery (P < 0.05).ConclusionsBetween 2 years and follow‐up at average 7 years after surgery no further improvements were noticed at young patients with a bone sarcoma located around the knee.
Structural uncertainty limits generality of fall harvest strategies for wild turkeys
Authors: Stevens Bryan S. , Bence James R. , Porter William F. , Parent Chad J. 
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACTWild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations are broadly distributed, occupy a variety of habitats, and have demographic rates that are heterogeneous through space and time. Dynamics of turkey populations are sensitive to the magnitude of fall either‐sex harvest, yet there have been few attempts to study performance of fall harvests systematically across a range of plausible demographic scenarios. Thus robustness of existing recommendations to structural uncertainty in population dynamics is marginally understood. We used a stochastic, sex‐specific theta‐logistic model to simulate performance of fall harvests (0–15%) across scenarios representing uncertainty about current rates of population productivity (3 levels), female losses during spring hunting (2 levels), and spring male harvest (3 levels), with uncertainty in the strength of density dependence as a common attribute. We demonstrated that performance of previously recommended fall harvests was not robust to changes in demographic parameters that occur within and among populations, and thus previous management recommendations may not be appropriate for all regions. Fall harvest rates capable of maintaining large populations with high probability varied from 0–6% with changes to population productivity, when median male and female spring harvests were 30% and 5%, respectively. In general, risks and management tradeoffs accompanying fall harvests were tightly linked to assumed values of population parameters, where changes to productivity and female loss had particularly strong effects on management outcomes. Specifically, reduced productivity or increased female loss decreased the ability to maintain large populations for a given fall harvest rate. Thus, fall harvest recommendations deduced from models that considered only a small portion of the demographic parameter space may not meet modern management objectives over a broader range of conditions. Moreover, our results suggest that future management could be improved by reducing structural uncertainty about turkey demography to allow for region‐specific harvest strategies, or by using decision‐theoretic approaches to identify harvest strategies that are robust to uncertainty about population parameters. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
Living Anionic Polymerization of 1‐Adamantyl 4‐vinylphenyl ketone
Authors: Matsuoka Daigo , Goseki Raita , Uchida Satoshi , Ishizone Takashi 
Published: April 2017

The anionic polymerization of 1‐adamantyl 4‐vinylphenyl ketone (1), a styrene derivative carrying an electrophilic carbonyl group, is carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Although no polymerization of 1 occurs with sec‐BuLi at −78 °C for 48 h, a polymeric product of 1 is obtained with diphenylmethyllithium in 10% yield under similar conditions. The resulting poly(1) has a very broad molar‐mass dispersity (Đ
M = M
w/M
n = 1.72) and a molecular weight higher than the calculated value based on the molar ratio of the monomer and initiator and the conversion. On the other hand, the polymerization of 1 with diphenylmethylpotassium or diphenylmethylcesium quantitatively proceeds in THF at −78 °C within 48 h to form the polymers with predicted molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (M
w/M
n < 1.1). The stability of the propagating carbanion derived from 1 is demonstrated by the quantitative efficiency of the postpolymerization (sequential monomer addition). The reaction of the adamantyl ketone moieties of poly(1) with methylmagnesium iodide quantitatively proceeds in THF/diethyl ether at room temperature, indicating the high electrophilicity of ketone groups. The resulting poly(1) has a high glass transition temperature at 193 °C, indicating the effect of the bulky adamantyl substituent.
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Effect of the Degree of Quaternization and Molar Mass on the Cloud Point of Poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] Aqueous Solutions: A Systematic Investigation
Authors: Yañez‐Macias Roberto , Alvarez‐Moises Isaac , Perevyazko Igor , Lezov Alexey , Guerrero‐Santos Ramiro , Schubert Ulrich S. , Guerrero‐Sanchez Carlos 
Published: April 2017

A systematic investigation to fine‐tune the cloud point of thermoresponsive poly[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (p(DMAEMA)) aqueous solutions in a broad temperature interval is reported. For this research, p(DMAEMA)s of different molar mass are quaternized at distinct degrees with methyl iodide to obtain an expanded library of poly[DMAEMA‐co‐poly[2‐(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] trimethylammonium iodide]s. Turbidity measurements show that depending on the molar mass of p(DMAEMA) and its degree of quaternization, the cloud point of the corresponding aqueous solutions can be adjusted within a rather broad temperature range from 23 to 70 °C. The cloud point and dynamics of the aggregation behavior of these polymers in the aqueous medium are also investigated by dynamic the light scattering. Furthermore, it is also found that the relationship between the molar mass and the cloud point of the respective aqueous solutions obeys an Arrhenius‐type model.
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Uniparental disomy determined by whole‐exome sequencing in a spectrum of rare motoneuron diseases and ataxias
Authors: Bis Dana M. , Schüle Rebecca , Reichbauer Jennifer , Synofzik Matthis , Rattay Tim W. , Soehn Anne , de Jonghe Peter , Schöls Ludger , Züchner Stephan 
Published: April 2017

AbstractBackgroundThe genetic causes of many rare inherited motoneuron diseases and ataxias (MND and ATX) remain largely unresolved, especially for sporadic patients, despite tremendous advances in gene discovery. Whole exome data is often available for patients, but it is rarely evaluated for unusual inheritance patterns, such as uniparental disomy (UPD). UPD is the inheritance of two copies of a chromosomal region from one parent, which may generate homozygosity for a deleterious recessive variant from only one carrier‐parent. Detection of UPD‐caused homozygous disease‐causing variants is detrimental to accurate genetic counseling. Whole‐exome sequencing can allow for the detection of such events.MethodsWe systematically studied the exomes of a phenotypically heterogeneous cohort of unresolved cases (n = 96 families) to reveal UPD events hindering a diagnosis and to evaluate the prevalence of UPD in recessive MND and ATX.ResultsOne hereditary spastic paraplegia case harbored homozygous regions spanning 80% of chromosome 16. A homozygous disease‐causing mutation in the SPG35 disease gene was then identified within this region.ConclusionThis study demonstrates the ability to detect UPD in exome data of index patients. Our results suggest that UPD is a rare mechanism for recessive MND and ATX.
Regional assessment of in vivo myocardial stiffness using 3D magnetic resonance elastography in a porcine model of myocardial infarction
Authors: Arunachalam Shivaram P. , Arani Arvin , Baffour Francis , Rysavy Joseph A. , Rossman Phillip J. , Glaser Kevin J. , Lake David S. , Trzasko Joshua D. , Manduca Armando , McGee Kiaran P. , Ehman Richard L. , Araoz Philip A. 
Published: April 2017

PurposeThe stiffness of a myocardial infarct affects the left ventricular pump function and remodeling. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a noninvasive imaging technique for measuring soft‐tissue stiffness in vivo. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of assessing in vivo regional myocardial stiffness with high‐frequency 3D cardiac MRE in a porcine model of myocardial infarction, and compare the results with ex vivo uniaxial tensile testing.MethodsMyocardial infarct was induced in a porcine model by embolizing the left circumflex artery. Fourteen days postinfarction, MRE imaging was performed in diastole using an echocardiogram‐gated spin‐echo echo‐planar‐imaging sequence with 140‐Hz vibrations and 3D MRE processing. The MRE stiffness and tensile modulus from uniaxial testing were compared between the remote and infarcted myocardium.ResultsMyocardial infarcts showed increased in vivo MRE stiffness compared with remote myocardium (4.6 ± 0.7 kPa versus 3.0 ± 0.6 kPa, P = 0.02) within the same pig. Ex vivo uniaxial mechanical testing confirmed the in vivo MRE results, showing that myocardial infarcts were stiffer than remote myocardium (650 ± 80 kPa versus 110 ± 20 kPa, P = 0.01).ConclusionsThese results demonstrate the feasibility of assessing in vivo regional myocardial stiffness with high‐frequency 3D cardiac MRE. Magn Reson Med 79:361–369, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.