bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bronchial valve treatment for pulmonary air leak after anatomical lung resection for cancer
Authors: Dooms Christophe A. , Decaluwe Herbert , Yserbyt Jonas , De Leyn Paul , Van Raemdonck Dirk , Ninane Vincent 
Published: November 2013

A persistent post-operative pulmonary expiratory air leak after an anatomical pulmonary resection is usually managed conservatively, but can be associated with significant morbidity and increased costs. The use of bronchial valves is a minimally invasive method that may be an effective and safe treatment in this setting.In a prospective study, the clinical efficacy of intrabronchial valve treatment in patients with a prolonged persistent pulmonary air leak after anatomical surgical resection for cancer was investigated.10 out of 277 patients with anatomical pulmonary resection for cancer were included, and 90% were scheduled for valve treatment. We demonstrated an air leak cessation at a median of 2 days after valve placement, which resulted in chest tube removal at a median of 4 days after valve placement. Elective removal of the intrabronchial valves could be safely planned 3 weeks after valve implantation. Lung function alteration associated with airway occlusion by valves was limited.Intrabronchial valve treatment with the aid of a digital thoracic drainage system is an effective and safe therapy for patients with a prolonged pulmonary air leak after anatomical lung resection for cancer.
Asthma affects time to pregnancy and fertility: a register-based twin study
Authors: Gade Elisabeth J. , Thomsen Simon F. , Lindenberg Svend , Kyvik Kirsten O. , Lieberoth Sofie , Backer Vibeke 
Published: November 2013

Coexistence of infertility and asthma has been observed clinically. Therefore, we investigated the association between asthma and delayed pregnancy in a nationwide population-based cohort of twins.A cohort of 15 250 twins living in Denmark (aged 12–41 years) participated in a questionnaire study including questions about the presence of asthma and fertility. Differences in time to pregnancy and pregnancy outcome were analysed in subjects with asthma, allergy and in healthy individuals using multiple regression analysis.Asthma was associated with an increased time to pregnancy, the percentage of asthmatics with a time to pregnancy >1 year was 27%versus21.6% for non-asthmatics (OR (95% CI) 1.31 (1.1–1.6); p=0.009). The association remained significant after adjustment for age, age at menarche, body mass index and socioeconomic status (OR (95% CI) 1.25 (1.0–1.6); p=0.05), and was more pronounced in those >30 years of age (32.2%versus24.9%, OR (95% CI) 1.44 (1.1–1.9); p=0.04). Untreated asthmatics had a significant increased risk of prolonged time to pregnancy compared to healthy individuals (OR (95% CI) 1.79 (1.20–2.66); p=0.004), while asthmatics receiving any kind of treatment for asthma tended to have a shorter time to pregnancy than untreated asthmatics (OR 1.40; p=0.134).Asthma prolongs time to pregnancy. The negative effect of asthma on fertility increases with age and with disease intensity, indicating that a systemic disease characterised by systemic inflammation also can involve reproductive processes.
Genome-wide identification of Thellungiella salsuginea microRNAs with putative roles in the salt stress response
Authors: Zhang Quan , Zhao Chuanzhi , Li Ming , Sun Wei , Liu Yan , Xia Han , Sun Mingnan , Li Aiqin , Li Changsheng , Zhao Shuzhen , Hou Lei , Picimbon Jean-François , Wang Xingjun , Zhao Yanxiu 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
MicroRNAs are key regulators of plant growth and development with important roles in environmental adaptation. The microRNAs from the halophyte species Thellungiella salsuginea (salt cress), which exhibits extreme salt stress tolerance, remain to be investigated. The sequenced genome of T. salsuginea and the availability of high-throughput sequencing technology enabled us to discover the conserved and novel miRNAs in this plant species. It is interesting to identify the microRNAs from T. salsuginea genome wide and study their roles in salt stress response.

Results
In this study, two T. salsuginea small RNA libraries were constructed and sequenced using Solexa technology. We identified 109 miRNAs that had previously been reported in other plant species. A total of 137 novel miRNA candidates were identified, among which the miR* sequence of 26 miRNAs was detected. In addition, 143 and 425 target mRNAs were predicted for the previously identified and Thellungiella-specific miRNAs, respectively. A quarter of these putative targets encode transcription factors. Furthermore, numerous signaling factor encoding genes, defense-related genes, and transporter encoding genes were amongst the identified targets, some of which were shown to be important for salt tolerance. Cleavage sites of seven target genes were validated by 5’ RACE, and some of the miRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR analysis. The expression levels of 26 known miRNAs in the roots and leaves of plants subjected to NaCl treatment were determined by Affymetrix microarray analysis. The expression of most tested miRNA families was up- or down-regulated upon NaCl treatment. Differential response patterns between the leaves and roots were observed for these miRNAs.

Conclusions
Our results indicated that diverse set of miRNAs of T. salsuginea were responsive to salt stress and could play an important role in the salt stress response.
External ocular surface bacterial isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among pre-operative cataract patients at Mulago National Hospital in Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Mshangila Barnabas , Paddy Musana , Kajumbula Henry , Ateenyi-Agaba Charles , Kahwa Binta , Seni Jeremiah 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Endophthalmitis is a severe complication of cataract surgery which leads to high ocular morbidity and visual loss even with antibiotic treatment. Bacterial ocular floras are the implicated causative agents. This study was undertaken to evaluate the external ocular surface bacterial isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among pre-operative cataract patients at Mulago National Hospital.

Methods
This cross sectional study enrolled consecutively 131 patients scheduled for routine cataract surgery in the Department of Ophthalmology at Mulago National Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. Eyelid margin and conjunctival swabs were collected and processed using standard microbiological procedures to identify bacterial isolates and their respective antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

Results
Of 131 patients involved (mean age 63.3 ± 14.5 years), 54.2% (71/131) were females. The eyelid margin and conjunctival samples were culture positive in 59.5% (78/138) and 45.8% (60/138) respectively. The most common organisms identified were Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) [65.9% (91/138)] and Staphylococcus aureus [21.0% (29/138)]. CoNS showed the highest resistance to tetracycline (58.2%, 53/91) and erythromycin (38.5%, 35/91), whereas in S. aureus the resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin were 55.2% (16/29) and 31.0% (9/29) respectively. Methicillin resistant CoNS (MRS) and Methicillin resistance S. aureus (MRSA) were 31.9% (29/91) and 27.6% (8/29) respectively. There were low resistance rates for CoNS, S. aureus and other bacterial isolates to ciprofloxacin (11.1%-24.2%), gentamicin (5.6-31.0%), tobramycin (17.2% -25.3%) and vancomycin (0.0%).

Conclusion
CoNS and S. aureus are the most common bacterial isolates found on the external ocular surface of the pre-operative cataract patients. Ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tobramycin and vancomycin showed the lowest resistance rates to all bacterial isolates, therefore may be used to reduce bacteria load in the conjunctiva sac among cataract patients prior to surgery.
Predictors of the resumption of menses in adolescent anorexia nervosa
Authors: Dempfle Astrid , Herpertz-Dahlmann Beate , Timmesfeld Nina , Schwarte Reinhild , Egberts Karin M , Pfeiffer Ernst , Fleischhaker Christian , Wewetzer Christoph , Bühren Katharina 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
The resumption of menses is an important indicator of recovery in anorexia nervosa (AN). Patients with early-onset AN are at particularly great risk of suffering from the long-term physical and psychological consequences of persistent gonadal dysfunction. However, the clinical variables that predict the recovery of menstrual function during weight gain in AN remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of several clinical parameters on the resumption of menses in first-onset adolescent AN in a large, well-characterized, homogenous sample that was followed-up for 12 months.

Methods
A total of 172 female adolescent patients with first-onset AN according to DSM-IV criteria were recruited for inclusion in a randomized, multi-center, German clinical trial. Menstrual status and clinical variables (i.e., premorbid body mass index (BMI), age at onset, duration of illness, duration of hospital treatment, achievement of target weight at discharge, and BMI) were assessed at the time of admission to or discharge from hospital treatment and at a 12-month follow-up. Based on German reference data, we calculated the percentage of expected body weight (%EBW), BMI percentile, and BMI standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) for all time points to investigate the relationship between different weight measurements and resumption of menses.

Results
Forty-seven percent of the patients spontaneously began menstruating during the follow-up period. %EBW at the 12-month follow-up was strongly correlated with the resumption of menses. The absence of menarche before admission, a higher premorbid BMI, discharge below target weight, and a longer duration of hospital treatment were the most relevant prognostic factors for continued amenorrhea.

Conclusions
The recovery of menstrual function in adolescent patients with AN should be a major treatment goal to prevent severe long-term physical and psychological sequelae. Patients with premenarchal onset of AN are at particular risk for protracted amenorrhea despite weight rehabilitation. Reaching and maintaining a target weight between the 15th and 20th BMI percentile is favorable for the resumption of menses within 12 months. Whether patients with a higher premorbid BMI may benefit from a higher target weight needs to be investigated in further studies.
Large-scale cell production of stem cells for clinical application using the automated cell processing machine
Authors: Kami Daisuke , Watakabe Keizo , Yamazaki-Inoue Mayu , Minami Kahori , Kitani Tomoya , Itakura Yoko , Toyoda Masashi , Sakurai Takashi , Umezawa Akihiro , Gojo Satoshi 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Cell-based regeneration therapies have great potential for application in new areas in clinical medicine, although some obstacles still remain to be overcome for a wide range of clinical applications. One major impediment is the difficulty in large-scale production of cells of interest with reproducibility. Current protocols of cell therapy require a time-consuming and laborious manual process. To solve this problem, we focused on the robotics of an automated and high-throughput cell culture system. Automated robotic cultivation of stem or progenitor cells in clinical trials has not been reported till date. The system AutoCulture® used in this study can automatically replace the culture medium, centrifuge cells, split cells, and take photographs for morphological assessment. We examined the feasibility of this system in a clinical setting.

Results
We observed similar characteristics by both the culture methods in terms of the growth rate, gene expression profile, cell surface profile by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, surface glycan profile, and genomic DNA stability. These results indicate that AutoCulture® is a feasible method for the cultivation of human cells for regenerative medicine.

Conclusions
An automated cell-processing machine will play important roles in cell therapy and have widespread use from application in multicenter trials to provision of off-the-shelf cell products.
Si-RNA mediated knockdown of CELF1 gene suppressed the proliferation of human lung cancer cells
Authors: Wu Li-Na , Xue Yi-Jun , Zhang Li-Jian , Ma Xue-Mei , Chen Jin-Feng 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, with metastasis as the main reason for the mortality. CELF1 is an RNA-binding protein controlling the post-transcriptional regulation of genes related to cell survival. As yet, there is little knowledge of CELF1 expression and biological function in lung cancer. This study investigated the expression levels of CELF1 in lung cancer tissues and the biological function of CELF1 in lung cancer cells.

Methods
CELF1 mRNA expression was determined in lung cancer and normal tissues, and the relationship between the expression level of CELF1 and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated. The biological function of CELF1 in A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines growth was examined.

Results
The expression of CELF1 was higher in human lung cancer tissues compared with the normal lung tissue. Lentiviral-mediated transfection of CELF1 siRNA effectively silenced the expression of CELF1 in both A549 and H1299 cells. Moreover, CELF1 knockdown markedly reduced the survival rate of lung cancer cells. Colony formation assays revealed a reduction in the number and size of lung cancer cell colonies from CELF1 knockdown.

Conclusion
These results indicated that CELF1 may have significant roles in the progression of lung cancer, and suggested that siRNA mediated silencing of CELF1 could be an effective tool in lung cancer treatment.
Geographic information systems and logistic regression for high-resolution malaria risk mapping in a rural settlement of the southern Brazilian Amazon
Authors: de Oliveira Elaine Cristina , dos Santos Emerson Soares , Zeilhofer Peter , Souza-Santos Reinaldo , Atanaka-Santos Marina 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
In Brazil, 99% of the cases of malaria are concentrated in the Amazon region, with high level of transmission. The objectives of the study were to use geographic information systems (GIS) analysis and logistic regression as a tool to identify and analyse the relative likelihood and its socio-environmental determinants of malaria infection in the Vale do Amanhecer rural settlement, Brazil.

Methods
A GIS database of georeferenced malaria cases, recorded in 2005, and multiple explanatory data layers was built, based on a multispectral Landsat 5 TM image, digital map of the settlement blocks and a SRTM digital elevation model. Satellite imagery was used to map the spatial patterns of land use and cover (LUC) and to derive spectral indices of vegetation density (NDVI) and soil/vegetation humidity (VSHI). An Euclidian distance operator was applied to measure proximity of domiciles to potential mosquito breeding habitats and gold mining areas. The malaria risk model was generated by multiple logistic regression, in which environmental factors were considered as independent variables and the number of cases, binarized by a threshold value was the dependent variable.

Results
Out of a total of 336 cases of malaria, 133 positive slides were from inhabitants at Road 08, which corresponds to 37.60% of the notifications. The southern region of the settlement presented 276 cases and a greater number of domiciles in which more than ten cases/home were notified. From these, 102 (30.36%) cases were caused by Plasmodium falciparum and 174 (51.79%) cases by Plasmodium vivax. Malaria risk is the highest in the south of the settlement, associated with proximity to gold mining sites, intense land use, high levels of soil/vegetation humidity and low vegetation density.

Conclusions
Mid-resolution, remote sensing data and GIS-derived distance measures can be successfully combined with digital maps of the housing location of (non-) infected inhabitants to predict relative likelihood of disease infection through the analysis by logistic regression. Obtained findings on the relation between malaria cases and environmental factors should be applied in the future for land use planning in rural settlements in the Southern Amazon to minimize risks of disease transmission.
Expression analysis and in silico characterization of intronic long noncoding RNAs in renal cell carcinoma: emerging functional associations
Authors: Fachel Angela A , Tahira Ana C , Vilella-Arias Santiago A , Maracaja-Coutinho Vinicius , Gimba Etel RP , Vignal Giselle M , Campos Franz S , Reis Eduardo M , Verjovski-Almeida Sergio 
Published: November 2013

AbstractBackgroundIntronic and intergenic long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging gene expression regulators. The molecular pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is still poorly understood, and in particular, limited studies are available for intronic lncRNAs expressed in RCC.MethodsMicroarray experiments were performed with custom-designed arrays enriched with probes for lncRNAs mapping to intronic genomic regions. Samples from 18 primary RCC tumors and 11 nontumor adjacent matched tissues were analyzed. Meta-analyses were performed with microarray expression data from three additional human tissues (normal liver, prostate tumor and kidney nontumor samples), and with large-scale public data for epigenetic regulatory marks and for evolutionarily conserved sequences.ResultsA signature of 29 intronic lncRNAs differentially expressed between RCC and nontumor samples was obtained (false discovery rate (FDR) <5%). A signature of 26 intronic lncRNAs significantly correlated with the RCC five-year patient survival outcome was identified (FDR <5%, p-value ≤0.01). We identified 4303 intronic antisense lncRNAs expressed in RCC, of which 22% were significantly (p <0.05)ciscorrelated with the expression of the mRNA in the samelocusacross RCC and three other human tissues. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of thoselocipointed to 'regulation of biological processes’ as the main enriched category. A module map analysis of the protein-coding genes significantly (p <0.05)transcorrelated with the 20% most abundant lncRNAs, identified 51 enriched GO terms (p <0.05). We determined that 60% of the expressed lncRNAs are evolutionarily conserved. At the genomiclocicontaining the intronic RCC-expressed lncRNAs, a strong association (p <0.001) was found between their transcription start sites and genomic marks such as CpG islands, RNA Pol II binding and histones methylation and acetylation.ConclusionIntronic antisense lncRNAs are widely expressed in RCC tumors. Some of them are significantly altered in RCC in comparison with nontumor samples. The majority of these lncRNAs is evolutionarily conserved and possibly modulated by epigenetic modifications. Our data suggest that these RCC lncRNAs may contribute to the complex network of regulatory RNAs playing a role in renal cell malignant transformation.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of suspended monolayer graphene
Authors: Huang Cheng-Wen , Lin Bing-Jie , Lin Hsing-Ying , Huang Chen-Han , Shih Fu-Yu , Wang Wei-Hua , Liu Chih-Yi , Chui Hsiang-Chen 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
The interactions between phonons and electrons induced by the dopants or the substrate of graphene in spectroscopic investigation reveal a rich source of interesting physics. Raman spectra and surface-enhanced Raman spectra of supported and suspended monolayer graphenes were measured and analyzed systemically with different approaches. The weak Raman signals are greatly enhanced by the ability of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy which has attracted considerable interests. The technique is regarded as wonderful and useful tool, but the dopants that are produced by depositing metallic nanoparticles may affect the electron scattering processes of graphene. Therefore, the doping and substrate influences on graphene are also important issues to be investigated. In this work, the peak positions of G peak and 2D peak, the I
2D/I
G ratios, and enhancements of G and 2D bands with suspended and supported graphene flakes were measured and analyzed. The peak shifts of G and 2D bands between the Raman and SERS signals demonstrate the doping effect induced by silver nanoparticles by n-doping. The I
2D/I
G ratio can provide a more sensitive method to carry out the doping effect on the graphene surface than the peak shifts of G and 2D bands. The enhancements of 2D band of suspended and supported graphenes reached 138, and those of G band reached at least 169. Their good enhancements are helpful to measure the optical properties of graphene. The different substrates that covered the graphene surface with doping effect are more sensitive to the enhancements of G band with respect to 2D band. It provides us a new method to distinguish the substrate and doping effect on graphene.

PACS

78.67.Wj (optical properties of graphene); 74.25.nd (Raman and optical spectroscopy); 63.22.Rc (phonons in graphene)
Characterization of single 1.8-nm Au nanoparticle attachments on AFM tips for single sub-4-nm object pickup
Authors: Cheng Hui-Wen , Chang Yuan-Chih , Tang Song-Nien , Yuan Chi-Tsu , Tang Jau , Tseng Fan-Gang 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
This paper presents a novel method for the attachment of a 1.8-nm Au nanoparticle (Au-NP) to the tip of an atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe through the application of a current-limited bias voltage. The resulting probe is capable of picking up individual objects at the sub-4-nm scale. We also discuss the mechanisms involved in the attachment of the Au-NP to the very apex of an AFM probe tip. The Au-NP-modified AFM tips were used to pick up individual 4-nm quantum dots (QDs) using a chemically functionalized method. Single QD blinking was reduced considerably on the Au-NP-modified AFM tip. The resulting AFM tips present an excellent platform for the manipulation of single protein molecules in the study of single protein-protein interactions.