bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Network analysis identifies circulating miR-155 as predictive biomarker of type 2 diabetes mellitus development in obese patients: a pilot study
Authors: Catanzaro Giuseppina , Conte Federica , Trocchianesi Sofia , Splendiani Elena , Bimonte Viviana Maria , Mocini Edoardo , Filardi Tiziana , Po Agnese , Besharat Zein Mersini , Gentile Maria Cristina , Paci Paola , Morano Susanna , Migliaccio Silvia , Ferretti Elisabetta 
Published: November 2023

AbstractObesity is the main risk factor for many non-communicable diseases. In clinical practice, unspecific markers are used for the determination of metabolic alterations and inflammation, without allowing the characterization of subjects at higher risk of complications. Circulating microRNAs represent an attractive approach for early screening to identify subjects affected by obesity more at risk of developing connected pathologies. The aim of this study was the identification of circulating free and extracellular vesicles (EVs)-embedded microRNAs able to identify obese patients at higher risk of type 2 diabetes (DM2). The expression data of circulating microRNAs derived from obese patients (OB), with DM2 (OBDM) and healthy donors were combined with clinical data, through network-based methodology implemented by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. The six circulating microRNAs overexpressed in OBDM patients were evaluated in a second group of patients, confirming the overexpression of miR-155-5p in OBDM patients. Interestingly, the combination of miR-155-5p with serum levels of IL-8, Leptin and RAGE was useful to identify OB patients most at risk of developing DM2. These results suggest that miR-155-5p is a potential circulating biomarker for DM2 and that the combination of this microRNA with other inflammatory markers in OB patients can predict the risk of developing DM2.
Treatment with a Lactococcus lactis that chromosomally express E. coli cfaI mitigates salivary flow loss in a Sjögren’s syndrome-like disease
Authors: Akgul Ali , Freguia Christian Furlan , Maddaloni Massimo , Hoffman Carol , Voigt Alexandria , Nguyen Cuong Q. , Fanger Neil A. , Fanger Gary R. , Pascual David W. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractSjögren’s Syndrome (SjS) results in loss of salivary and lacrimal gland excretion due to an autoimmune attack on these secretory glands. Conventional SjS treatments address the symptoms, but not the cause of disease. Recognizing this deficit of treatments to reverse SjS disease, studies were pursued using the fimbriae from enterotoxigenic E. coli, colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I), which has anti-inflammatory properties. To determine if CFA/I fimbriae could attenuate SjS-like disease in C57BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 (SjS) females, the Lactococcus lactis (LL) 301 strain was developed to chromosomally express the cfaI operon. Western blot analysis confirmed CFA/I protein expression, and this was tested in SjS females at different stages of disease. Repeated dosing with LL 301 proved effective in mitigating salivary flow loss and in reducing anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and inflammation in the submandibular glands (SMGs) in SjS females and in restoring salivary flow in diseased mice. LL 301 treatment reduced proinflammatory cytokine production with concomitant increases in TGF-β+ CD25+ CD4+ T cells. Moreover, LL 301 treatment reduced draining lymph and SMG follicular T helper (Tfh) cell levels and proinflammatory cytokines, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-17, and IL-21. Such evidence points to the therapeutic capacity of CFA/I protein to suppress SjS disease and to have restorative properties in combating autoimmune disease.
Behavioral, neural and ultrastructural alterations in a graded-dose 6-OHDA mouse model of early-stage Parkinson's disease
Authors: Slézia Andrea , Hegedüs Panna , Rusina Evgeniia , Lengyel Katalin , Solari Nicola , Kaszas Attila , Balázsfi Diána , Botzanowski Boris , Acerbo Emma , Missey Florian , Williamson Adam , Hangya Balázs 
Published: November 2023

AbstractStudying animal models furthers our understanding of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathophysiology by providing tools to investigate detailed molecular, cellular and circuit functions. Different versions of the neurotoxin-based 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of PD have been widely used in rats. However, these models typically assess the result of extensive and definitive dopaminergic lesions that reflect a late stage of PD, leading to a paucity of studies and a consequential gap of knowledge regarding initial stages, in which early interventions would be possible. Additionally, the better availability of genetic tools increasingly shifts the focus of research from rats to mice, but few mouse PD models are available yet. To address these, we characterize here the behavioral, neuronal and ultrastructural features of a graded-dose unilateral, single-injection, striatal 6-OHDA model in mice, focusing on early-stage changes within the first two weeks of lesion induction. We observed early onset, dose-dependent impairments of overall locomotion without substantial deterioration of motor coordination. In accordance, histological evaluation demonstrated a partial, dose-dependent loss of dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Furthermore, electron microscopic analysis revealed degenerative ultrastructural changes in SNc dopaminergic neurons. Our results show that mild ultrastructural and cellular degradation of dopaminergic neurons of the SNc can lead to certain motor deficits shortly after unilateral striatal lesions, suggesting that a unilateral dose-dependent intrastriatal 6-OHDA lesion protocol can serve as a successful model of the early stages of Parkinson’s disease in mice.
Competing length scales and 2D versus 3D dimensionality in relatively thick superconducting NbN films
Authors: Belogolovskii Mikhail , Poláčková Magdaléna , Zhitlukhina Elena , Grančič Branislav , Satrapinskyy Leonid , Gregor Maroš , Plecenik Tomáš 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMagneto-transport characteristics of 2D and 3D superconducting layers, in particular, temperature and angular dependences of the upper critical field Hc2, are usually considered to be fundamentally different. In the work, using non-local resistance measurements at temperatures near the normal-to-superconducting transition, we probed an effective dimensionality of nm-thick NbN films. It was found that in relatively thick NbN layers, the thicknesses of which varied from 50 to 100 nm, the temperature effect on Hc2 certainly pointed to the three-dimensionality of the samples, while the angular dependence of Hc2 revealed behavior typical for 2D samples. The seeming contradiction is explained by an intriguing interplay of three length scales in the dimensionally confined superconducting films: the thickness, the Ginzburg–Landau coherence length, and the magnetic-field penetration depth. Our results provide new insights into the physics of superconducting films with an extremely large ratio of the London penetration depth to the Ginzburg–Landau coherence length exhibiting simultaneously 3D isotropic superconducting properties and the 2D transport regime.
An effective method for culturing functional human corneal endothelial cells using a xenogeneic free culture medium
Authors: Alonso-Alonso S. , Vázquez N. , Chacón M. , Caballero-Sánchez N. , Del Olmo-Aguado S. , Suárez C. , Alfonso-Bartolozzi B. , Fernández-Vega-Cueto L. , Nagy L. , Merayo-Lloves J. , Meana A. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractEndothelial dysfunction is a leading cause of corneal blindness in developed countries and the only available treatment is the endothelial transplantation. However, the limited availability of suitable donors remains a significant challenge, driving the exploration of alternative regenerative therapies. Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products show promise but must adhere to strict regulations that prohibit the use of animal-derived substances. This study investigates a novel culture methodology using Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) as the only source of growth factors for primary cultures of human corneal endothelial cells (CECs). CECs were obtained from discarded corneas or endothelial rings and cultured in two different media: one supplemented with xenogeneic factors and other xenogeneic-free, using PRGF. Comprehensive characterization through immunofluorescence, morphological analyses, trans-endothelial electrical resistance measurements, RNA-seq, and qPCR was conducted on the two groups. Results demonstrate that CECs cultured in the xenogeneic-free medium exhibit comparable gene expression, morphology, and functionality to those cultured in the xenogeneic medium. Notably, PRGF-expanded CECs share 46.9% of the gene expression profile with native endothelium and express all studied endothelial markers. In conclusion, PRGF provides an effective source of xenogeneic-free growth factors for the culture of CECs from discarded corneal tissue. Further studies will be necessary to demonstrate the applicability of these cultures to cell therapies that make clinical translation possible.
Multimodal graph attention network for COVID-19 outcome prediction
Authors: Keicher Matthias , Burwinkel Hendrik , Bani-Harouni David , Paschali Magdalini , Czempiel Tobias , Burian Egon , Makowski Marcus R. , Braren Rickmer , Navab Nassir , Wendler Thomas 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWhen dealing with a newly emerging disease such as COVID-19, the impact of patient- and disease-specific factors (e.g., body weight or known co-morbidities) on the immediate course of the disease is largely unknown. An accurate prediction of the most likely individual disease progression can improve the planning of limited resources and finding the optimal treatment for patients. In the case of COVID-19, the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission of pneumonia patients can often only be determined on short notice by acute indicators such as vital signs (e.g., breathing rate, blood oxygen levels), whereas statistical analysis and decision support systems that integrate all of the available data could enable an earlier prognosis. To this end, we propose a holistic, multimodal graph-based approach combining imaging and non-imaging information. Specifically, we introduce a multimodal similarity metric to build a population graph that shows a clustering of patients. For each patient in the graph, we extract radiomic features from a segmentation network that also serves as a latent image feature encoder. Together with clinical patient data like vital signs, demographics, and lab results, these modalities are combined into a multimodal representation of each patient. This feature extraction is trained end-to-end with an image-based Graph Attention Network to process the population graph and predict the COVID-19 patient outcomes: admission to ICU, need for ventilation, and mortality. To combine multiple modalities, radiomic features are extracted from chest CTs using a segmentation neural network. Results on a dataset collected in Klinikum rechts der Isar in Munich, Germany and the publicly available iCTCF dataset show that our approach outperforms single modality and non-graph baselines. Moreover, our clustering and graph attention increases understanding of the patient relationships within the population graph and provides insight into the network’s decision-making process.
STAT3 phosphorylation at serine 727 activates specific genetic programs and promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) aggressiveness
Authors: Arévalo J. , Campoy I. , Durán M. , Nemours S. , Areny A. , Vall-Palomar M. , Martínez C. , Cantero-Recasens G. , Meseguer A. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor mainly activated by phosphorylation in either tyrosine 705 (Y705) or serine 727 (S727) residues that regulates essential processes such as cell differentiation, apoptosis inhibition, or cell survival. Aberrant activation of STAT3 has been related to development of nearly 50% of human cancers including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In fact, phosho-S727 (pS727) levels correlate with overall survival of ccRCC patients. With the aim to elucidate the contribution of STAT3 phosphorylation in ccRCC development and progression, we have generated human-derived ccRCC cell lines carrying STAT3 Y705 and S727 phosphomutants. Our data show that the phosphomimetic substitution Ser727Asp facilitates a pro-tumoral phenotype in vitro,in a Y705-phosphorylation-independent manner. Moreover, we describe that STAT3 phosphorylation state determines the expression of different subsets of target genes associated with distinct biological processes, being pS727-dependent genes the most related to cellular hallmarks of cancer. In summary, the present study constitutes the first analysis on the role of overall STAT3 phosphorylation state in ccRCC and demonstrates that pS727 promotes the expression of a specific subset of target genes that might be clinically relevant as novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for ccRCC.
Ultra-high sensitive cancerous cells detection and sensing capabilities of photonic biosensor
Authors: Aly Arafa H. , Mohamed B. A. , Al-Dossari M. , Awasthi S. K. , Fouad Emadelden , Amin A. F. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe ultra-high sensitive cancer cell detection capabilities of one-dimensional photonic crystal with defect have been theoretically examined in this work. The simulations of the work have been carried out with MATLAB programming and transfer matrix method. The performance of the proposed biosensor loaded separately with samples containing different cancer cells has been studied by changing the period number, defect layer thickness, and incident angle corresponding to s polarized light only to identify the parameters under which the proposed design becomes ultra-sensitive. The working principle of the proposed biosensor is to sense the minute change in the refractive index of the analytes containing different cancer cells of human. This sensing is done shifting the respective defect mode inside photonic band gap of the structure from one position to other near by position due to change in the refractive index of sample under consideration. Our structure under optimum conditions yields maximum shifting in the position of defect mode from 1538 to 1648 nm corresponding to the samples containing normal and Glioblastoma cells of refractive indices 1.350 and 1.4470 respectively which results a ultra-high sensitivity of 4270.525928 nm/RIU.
Experimental hemodialysis in diet-induced ketosis and the potential use of dialysis as an adjuvant cancer treatment
Authors: Öberg Carl M. , Sternby Jan , Nilsson Anders , Storr Markus , Flieg Ralf , Harenski Kai , Roos Viktoria , Källquist Linda , Hobro Sture 
Published: November 2023

AbstractNumerous in vivo studies on the ketogenic diet, a diet that can induce metabolic conditions resembling those following extended starvation, demonstrate strong outcomes on cancer survival, particularly when combined with chemo-, radio- or immunological treatments. However, the therapeutic application of ketogenic diets requires strict dietary adherence from well-informed and motivated patients, and it has recently been proposed that hemodialysis might be utilized to boost ketosis and further destabilize the environment for cancer cells. Yet, plasma ketones may be lost in the dialysate—lowering blood ketone levels. Here we performed a single 180-min experimental hemodialysis (HD) session in six anesthetized Sprague–Dawley rats given ketogenic diet for five days. Median blood ketone levels pre-dialysis were 3.5 mmol/L (IQR 2.2 to 5.6) and 3.8 mmol/L (IQR 2.2 to 5.1) after 180 min HD, p = 0.54 (95% CI − 0.6 to 1.2). Plasma glucose levels were reduced by 36% (− 4.5 mmol/L), p < 0.05 (95% CI − 6.7 to − 2.5). Standard base excess was increased from − 3.5 mmol/L (IQR − 4 to − 2) to 0.5 mmol/L (IQR − 1 to 3), p < 0.01 (95% CI 2.0 to 5.0). A theoretical model was applied confirming that intra-dialytic glucose levels decrease, and ketone levels slightly increase since hepatic ketone production far exceeds dialytic removal. Our experimental data and in-silico modeling indicate that elevated blood ketone levels during ketosis are maintained during hemodialysis despite dialytic removal.
The influence of large-diameter multifocal contact lens on ocular surface, visual quality, and visual function for presbyopic adults with dry eye syndromes
Authors: Hsiao Ching-Jen , Tung Hsiao-Ching , Tien Chuen‐Lin , Chang Yu-Wen , Cheng Ching-Ying 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis study investigated the influence of large-diameter multifocal contact lenses on the ocular surface, visual quality, and visual function for presbyopic adults with dry eye syndromes. The study enrolled 40–55-year-old adults with presbyopia and dry eye syndromes (DES). The subjects were randomly assigned to three groups wearing different designs of contact lenses (Proclear, SMR, and Optimum) for 6–8 h a day for two weeks. Ocular surface health, tear quality, visual quality, and visual function were measured before and after lens wear. No significant difference was observed across all three groups for the amount of conjunctival redness, blink frequency (lens on), and stereopsis vision before and after wearing. Although there seemed to be a significant declining trend for corneal staining and limbal redness, non-invasive tear break-up time (TBUT), and lipid layer thickness while lens wear, the measured values were all within the normal range. Vice-versa after lens removal, results also showed significant improvement on lipid layer thickness, blink frequency (lens off), and contact TBUT. A significant improvement was observed in the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the total area ratio after wearing contact lenses. In contrast, the MTF of the high-order aberration area ratio resulting from lens wear was lower than that of the baseline measurement. There are also significant improvements observed for SMR and Optimum regarding near visual acuity, near point of accommodation, and the subjective questionnaire (OSDI and VBP) scores. Although it is difficult to avoid a specific negative impact on the ocular surface and tear film, visual function and visual quality can still be positively improved, especially shown on larger diameter and distance-center designed multifocal contact lenses.
Non-instrumental information seeking is resistant to acute stress
Authors: Bode Stefan , Jiwa Matthew , Chum Chelsea , Frost Leilani , Heekeren Hauke R. , Wingenfeld Katja , Deuter Christian E. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractPrevious research has shown that people intrinsically value non-instrumental information, which cannot be used to change the outcome of events, but only provides an early resolution of uncertainty. This is true even for information about rather inconsequential events, such as the outcomes of small lotteries. Here we investigated whether participants’ willingness to pay for non-instrumental information about the outcome of simple coin-flip lotteries with guaranteed winnings was modulated by acute stress. Stress was induced using the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT), and information-seeking choices were compared to a warm water control group. Our results neither support the hypothesis that stress decreases information-seeking by directing cognitive resources away from the relevance of the lotteries, nor the opposite hypothesis that stress increases information-seeking by driving anxiety levels up. Instead, we found that despite successful stress induction, as evidenced by increased saliva cortisol levels in the SECPT group, information valuation was remarkably stable. This finding is in line with recent findings that experimentally increased state anxiety did not modulate non-instrumental information seeking. Together, these results suggest that the aversiveness of “not knowing” is a stable cognitive state and not easily modulated by situational context, such as acute stress.
Rhombohedral boron monosulfide as a metal-free photocatalyst
Authors: Miyazaki Keisuke , Yamaguchi Akira , Kusaka Haruki , Watanabe Norinobu , Wardhana Aufandra Cakra , Ishii Satoshi , Yamamoto Akiyasu , Miyakawa Masashi , Taniguchi Takashi , Kondo Takahiro , Miyauchi Masahiro 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMost of previous photocatalysts contain metal species, thus exploring a metal-free photocatalyst is still challenging. A metal-free photocatalyst has an advantage for the development of economical and non-toxic artificial photosynthesis system and/or environmental purification applications. In this study, rhombohedral boron monosulfide (r-BS) was synthesized by a high-pressure solid-state reaction, and its photocatalytic properties were investigated. r-BS absorbed visible light, and its photocurrent action spectrum also exhibited visible light responsivity. The r-BS evolved hydrogen (H2) from water under ultraviolet (UV) as well as under visible light irradiation, and its internal quantum efficiency reached 1.8% under UV light irradiation. In addition to the H2 evolution reaction, the r-BS photocatalyst drove carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction and dye oxidation reactions under UV irradiation. Although bare r-BS was not so stable under strong light irradiation in water, cocatalyst modification improved its stability. These results indicate that r-BS is a new class of non-metal photocatalyst applicable for H2 production, CO2 reduction, and environmental purification reactions.
Harmful effect of repetitive intravenous iodinated contrast media administration on the long-term renal function of patients with early gastric cancer
Authors: Koo Ja Ho , Lee Myeongjee , Kim Eun Hwa , Oh Hyung Jung , Lim Joon Seok , Hyung Woo Jin , Yoon Hong In , Jung Inkyung , Chung Yong Eun 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis retrospective study investigated whether repetitive exposure to intravenous iodinated contrast media (ICM) affects long-term renal function in patients who undergo curative surgery for early gastric cancer (EGC) collected from the Korean Health Insurance and Review Assessment (HIRA) database. Patients diagnosed with gastric cancer between January 2010 and December 2013 underwent regular computed tomography (CT) scans to monitor for extragastric recurrence. Patients who already had chronic kidney disease (CKD) before cancer diagnosis or had undergone chemotherapy or repeated surgery were excluded. A nested case–control study design was chosen to analyze the effect of repetitive ICM exposure to long-term renal function by comparing patients who developed CKD 2 years after cancer diagnosis and patients who did not. Among 59,971 patients collected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1021 were diagnosed with CKD 2 years after cancer diagnosis. Using 1:5 matching after adjusting for age, sex and date of cancer diagnosis, 5097 control patients were matched to 1021 CKD patients. Conditional logistic regression showed that the number of CTs taken using ICM slightly increased the odds of CKD (odds ratio, 1.080; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.059, 1.100; P < 0.0001). Thus, the administration of ICM might contribute to chronic renal function impairment.