bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatially Explicit Linkages Between Redox Potential Cycles and Soil Moisture Fluctuations
Authors: Miele Filippo , Benettin Paolo , Wang Simiao , Retti Ivan , Asadollahi Mitra , Frutschi Manon , Mohanty Binayak , Bernier‐Latmani Rizlan , Rinaldo Andrea 
Published: February 2023

AbstractReduction‐oxidation cycles measured through soil redox potential (Eh) are associated with dynamic soil microbial activity. Understanding changes in the composition of, and resource use by, soil microbial communities requires Eh predictability under shifting hydrologic drivers. Here, 50‐cm soil column installations are manipulated to vary hydrologic and geochemical conditions, and are extensively monitored by a dense instrumental deployment to record the depth‐time variation of physical and biogeochemical conditions. We contrast measurements of Eh, soil saturation and key compounds in water samples (probing the majority of soil microbial metabolisms) with computations of the relevant state variables, to investigate the interplay between soil moisture and redox potential dynamics. Our results highlight the importance of joint spatially resolved hydrologic flow/transport and redox processes, the worth of contrasting experiments and computations for a sufficient understanding of the Eh dynamics, and the minimum amount of biogeochemistry needed to characterize the dynamics of electron donors/acceptors that are responsible for the patterns of Eh not directly explained by physical oxic/anoxic transitions. As an example, measured concentrations of sulfate, ammonium and iron II suggest coexistence of both oxic and anoxic conditions. We find that the local saturation velocity (a threshold value of the time derivative of soil saturation) exerts a significant hysteretic control on oxygen intrusion and on the cycling of redox potentials, in contrast with approaches using a single threshold saturation level as the determinant of anoxic conditions. Our findings improve our ability to target how and where hotspots of activity develop within soil microbial communities.
Fibulin2: a negative regulator of BMSC osteogenic differentiation in infected bone fracture healing
Authors: Li Shi-Dan , Xing Wei , Wang Shao-Chuan , Li You-Bin , Jiang Hao , Zheng Han-Xuan , Li Xiao-Ming , Yang Jing , Guo De-Bin , Xie Xiao-Yu , Jiang Ren-Qing , Fan Chao , Li Lei , Xu Xiang , Fei Jun 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBone fracture remains a common occurrence, with a population-weighted incidence of approximately 3.21 per 1000. In addition, approximately 2% to 50% of patients with skeletal fractures will develop an infection, one of the causes of disordered bone healing. Dysfunction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) plays a key role in disordered bone repair. However, the specific mechanisms underlying BMSC dysfunction caused by bone infection are largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that Fibulin2 expression was upregulated in infected bone tissues and that BMSCs were the source of infection-induced Fibulin2. Importantly, Fibulin2 knockout accelerated mineralized bone formation during skeletal development and inhibited inflammatory bone resorption. We demonstrated that Fibulin2 suppressed BMSC osteogenic differentiation by binding to Notch2 and inactivating the Notch2 signaling pathway. Moreover, Fibulin2 knockdown restored Notch2 pathway activation and promoted BMSC osteogenesis; these outcomes were abolished by DAPT, a Notch inhibitor. Furthermore, transplanted Fibulin2 knockdown BMSCs displayed better bone repair potential in vivo. Altogether, Fibulin2 is a negative regulator of BMSC osteogenic differentiation that inhibits osteogenesis by inactivating the Notch2 signaling pathway in infected bone.
Signaling pathways in rheumatoid arthritis: implications for targeted therapy
Authors: Ding Qian , Hu Wei , Wang Ran , Yang Qinyan , Zhu Menglin , Li Meng , Cai Jianghong , Rose Peter , Mao Jianchun , Zhu Yi Zhun 
Published: February 2023

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an incurable systemic autoimmune disease. Disease progression leads to joint deformity and associated loss of function, which significantly impacts the quality of life for sufferers and adds to losses in the labor force. In the past few decades, RA has attracted increased attention from researchers, the abnormal signaling pathways in RA are a very important research field in the diagnosis and treatment of RA, which provides important evidence for understanding this complex disease and developing novel RA-linked intervention targets. The current review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of RA, including a general introduction to the disease, historical events, epidemiology, risk factors, and pathological process, highlight the primary research progress of the disease and various signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms, including genetic factors, epigenetic factors, summarize the most recent developments in identifying novel signaling pathways in RA and new inhibitors for treating RA. therapeutic interventions including approved drugs, clinical drugs, pre-clinical drugs, and cutting-edge therapeutic technologies. These developments will hopefully drive progress in new strategically targeted therapies and hope to provide novel ideas for RA treatment options in the future.
Quantitative SWATH-based proteomic profiling of urine for the identification of endometrial cancer biomarkers in symptomatic women
Authors: Njoku Kelechi , Pierce Andrew , Geary Bethany , Campbell Amy E. , Kelsall Janet , Reed Rachel , Armit Alexander , Da Sylva Rachel , Zhang Liqun , Agnew Heather , Baricevic-Jones Ivona , Chiasserini Davide , Whetton Anthony D. , Crosbie Emma J. 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
A non-invasive endometrial cancer detection tool that can accurately triage symptomatic women for definitive testing would improve patient care. Urine is an attractive biofluid for cancer detection due to its simplicity and ease of collection. The aim of this study was to identify urine-based proteomic signatures that can discriminate endometrial cancer patients from symptomatic controls.

Methods
This was a prospective case–control study of symptomatic post-menopausal women (50 cancers, 54 controls). Voided self-collected urine samples were processed for mass spectrometry and run using sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra (SWATH-MS). Machine learning techniques were used to identify important discriminatory proteins, which were subsequently combined in multi-marker panels using logistic regression.

Results
The top discriminatory proteins individually showed moderate accuracy (AUC > 0.70) for endometrial cancer detection. However, algorithms combining the most discriminatory proteins performed well with AUCs > 0.90. The best performing diagnostic model was a 10-marker panel combining SPRR1B, CRNN, CALML3, TXN, FABP5, C1RL, MMP9, ECM1, S100A7 and CFI and predicted endometrial cancer with an AUC of 0.92 (0.96–0.97). Urine-based protein signatures showed good accuracy for the detection of early-stage cancers (AUC 0.92 (0.86–0.9)).

Conclusion
A patient-friendly, urine-based test could offer a non-invasive endometrial cancer detection tool in symptomatic women. Validation in a larger independent cohort is warranted.
Interleukin-35 -producing B cells rescues inflammatory bowel disease in a mouse model via STAT3 phosphorylation and intestinal microbiota modification
Authors: Xie Minxiang , Zhu Yuzhen , Zhou Yunjiao , Wang Qiao , Gu Erli , Chu Yiwei , Wang Luman 
Published: February 2023

AbstractInterleukin-35 (IL-35)-producing B cells (IL-35+B cells) play an important role in diseases, and the expansion of IL-35+ immune cells have been observed in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, how IL-35+B cells function and the manner in which they perform their roles remain unclear. In this study, human samples and animal models were used to confirm the expansion of IL-35+B cells during IBD. In addition, by using il12a−/− and ebi3−/− mice, we demonstrated that the regulatory role of B cells in IBD depends on IL-35. Mechanically, IL-35+B cells can promote its own expansion through endocrine actions and depend on the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. Interestingly, we found that the diversity of intestinal microbes and expression of microbial metabolites decreased during IBD. IL-35+B cells promote the high expression of indoleacetic acid (IAA), and exogenous metabolite supplementation with IAA can further promote the expansion of IL-35+B cells and rescues the disease. This study provides a new concept for the regulatory model of B cells and a new approach for the treatment of IBD.
Mechanism of activation and biased signaling in complement receptor C5aR1
Authors: Feng Yuying , Zhao Chang , Deng Yue , Wang Heli , Ma Liang , Liu Sicen , Tian Xiaowen , Wang Bo , Bin Yan , Chen Peipei , Yan Wei , Fu Ping , Shao Zhenhua 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe complement system plays an important role in the innate immune response to invading pathogens. The complement fragment C5a is one of its important effector components and exerts diverse physiological functions through activation of the C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1) and associated downstream G protein and β-arrestin signaling pathways. Dysfunction of the C5a-C5aR1 axis is linked to numerous inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases, but the structural basis for activation and biased signaling of C5aR1 remains elusive. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the activated wild-type C5aR1–Gi protein complex bound to each of the following: C5a, the hexapeptidic agonist C5apep, and the G protein-biased agonist BM213. The structures reveal the landscape of the C5a–C5aR1 interaction as well as a common motif for the recognition of diverse orthosteric ligands. Moreover, combined with mutagenesis studies and cell-based pharmacological assays, we deciphered a framework for biased signaling using different peptide analogs and provided insight into the activation mechanism of C5aR1 by solving the structure of C5aR1I116A mutant–Gi signaling activation complex induced by C089, which exerts antagonism on wild-type C5aR1. In addition, unusual conformational changes in the intracellular end of transmembrane domain 7 and helix 8 upon agonist binding suggest a differential signal transduction process. Collectively, our study provides mechanistic understanding into the ligand recognition, biased signaling modulation, activation, and Gi protein coupling of C5aR1, which may facilitate the future design of therapeutic agents.
Hybrid graphene electrode for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in free-moving animal models
Authors: Lim Jeongsik , Lee Sangwon , Kim Jejung , Hong Jeonghoon , Lim Sooho , Kim Kyungtae , Kim Jeongwoo , Yang Sungchil , Yang Sunggu , Ahn Jong-Hyun 
Published: February 2023

AbstractVarious electrophysiological and imaging techniques have been studied for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. In particular, electrocorticography (ECoG) provides valuable information that can guide clinical treatment of patients with epilepsy. Currently, it is necessary to define the clinical benefits of ECoG in free-moving animals for the treatment of epilepsy. Here, we present the results of simultaneous recordings of multiple cortical sites and responsive neurostimulations for epilepsy treatment carried out in free-moving rats. In this study, we developed a high-density, flexible electrode array comprising graphene/Au/graphene that stably wraps onto the cortex surface of a living rat brain, exhibiting a superior signal-to-noise ratio. The hybrid graphene multichannel electrode successfully detected brain signals with high-throughput spatiotemporal resolution and substantially suppressed pilocarpine-induced epileptic discharges and behavior. Simultaneous recording and neurostimulation in awake animals can lead to a fundamental change in the treatment of medically intractable epilepsy.
Efficacy of cholecalciferol rodenticide to control wood rat, Rattus tiomanicus and its secondary poisoning impact towards barn owl, Tyto javanica javanica
Authors: Noh Ariff Ateed Mohd , Ahmad Abu Hassan , Salim Hasber 
Published: February 2023

AbstractStudies were conducted on the potential use of cholecalciferol as an alternative to anticoagulant rodenticides to control common rat pest in oil palm plantations, i.e., wood rats, Rattus tiomanicus, and the secondary poisoning impact of cholecalciferol on barn owls, Tyto javanica javanica. The laboratory efficacy of cholecalciferol (0.075% a.i.) was compared with commonly used first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs): chlorophacinone (0.005% a.i) and warfarin (0.05% a.i). The 6-day wild wood rat laboratory feeding trial showed cholecalciferol baits had the highest mortality rate at 71.39%. Similarly, the FGAR chlorophacinone recorded a mortality rate of 74.20%, while warfarin baits recorded the lowest mortality rate at 46.07%. The days-to-death of rat samples was in range of 6–8 days. The highest daily consumption of bait by rat samples was recorded for warfarin at 5.85 ± 1.34 g per day while the lowest was recorded in rat samples fed cholecalciferol, i.e., 3.03 ± 0.17 g per day. Chlorophacinone-treated and control rat samples recorded consumption of about 5 g per day. A secondary poisoning assessment on barn owls in captivity fed with cholecalciferol-poisoned rats showed after 7 days of alternate feeding, the barn owls appeared to remain healthy. All the barn owls fed with cholecalciferol-poisoned rats survived the 7-day alternate feeding test and throughout the study, up to 6 months after exposure. All the barn owls did not show any abnormal behavior or physical change. The barn owls were observed to be as healthy as the barn owls from the control group throughout the study.
Serum lactate monitoring may help to predict neurological function impairment caused by acute metabolism crisis
Authors: Liu Dandan , Yao Qing , Song Bin , Sun Yue , Ju Hongyan , Li Guanggang 
Published: February 2023

AbstractTo investigate the predictive value of serum lactate on neurological function impairment and the possible etiology. In this retrospective study, all the adult patients admitted to ICU more than 24 h after general anesthesia elective neurosurgery from January 2018 to January 2019 were recruited. The data of the serum lactate every 8 h during the 24 h of ICU admission were acquired and analyzed. 169 patients were included in the outcomes analysis. The average serum lactate after ICU admission was 3.7(3.4–4.1) mmol/L, higher than normal, and serum lactate elevated commonly after neurosurgery. The serum lactate at ICU admission (lactateserum0h) was not correlated with the outcomes, whereas the predictive value increased as the monitoring time was extended. The result indicated that lactateserum8h, the lactateserum16h, and the lactateserum24h were correlated with the primary outcome (difference of GCS scores before the surgery and after 24 h of ICU admission (ΔGCS24h) (p < 0.05). The lactateserum16h and the lactateserum 24 h were correlated with all the outcomes except for the hospital LOS. The ROC curve suggested that the lactateserum24h achieved the best predictive value. Patients with serum lactate non-recovered trend after 24 h of ICU stay had decreased GCS scores and vice versa, as indicated by the graph of the dynamic changes in the serum lactate. The predictive value of the serum glucose/serum lactate ratio at ICU admission (G/Lserum) was analyzed, and the result indicated that it was correlated with the ΔGCS24h (p < 0.05), the G/Lserum can predict neurological impairment earlier. Dynamic serum lactate monitoring and the G/Lserum at ICU admission have predict value on neurological function impairment after neurosurgery which might be attributed to ACMC.
Modeling cholinergic retinal waves: starburst amacrine cells shape wave generation, propagation, and direction bias
Authors: Tarchick Matthew J. , Clute Dustin A. , Renna Jordan M. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractStage II cholinergic retinal waves are one of the first instances of neural activity in the visual system as they are present at a developmental timepoint in which light-evoked activity remains largely undetectable. These waves of spontaneous neural activity sweeping across the developing retina are generated by starburst amacrine cells, depolarize retinal ganglion cells, and drive the refinement of retinofugal projections to numerous visual centers in the brain. Building from several well-established models, we assemble a spatial computational model of starburst amacrine cell-mediated wave generation and wave propagation that includes three significant advancements. First, we model the intrinsic spontaneous bursting of the starburst amacrine cells, including the slow afterhyperpolarization, which shapes the stochastic process of wave generation. Second, we establish a mechanism of wave propagation using reciprocal acetylcholine release, synchronizing the bursting activity of neighboring starburst amacrine cells. Third, we model the additional starburst amacrine cell release of GABA, changing the spatial propagation of retinal waves and in certain instances, the directional bias of the retinal wave front. In total, these advancements comprise a now more comprehensive model of wave generation, propagation, and direction bias.
Ultrasound assessment of gastric contents and volume in patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery: a prospective observational study
Authors: Jia Haitao , He Ertao , Gao Shixiong , Hao Wei , Li Yanli , Liu Wei , Chen Xiaoxia , Jia Yanfei , Wang Yingbin 
Published: February 2023

AbstractIntraoperative ingestion of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and irrigation fluid can lead to an increase in gastric volume, resulting in the potential risk of aspiration in patients after endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (EETS). In this prospective observational study, we aimed to assess the volume of gastric contents in patients undergoing this neurosurgical procedure using ultrasound, and to determine the factors associated with volume change. Eighty-two patients diagnosed with pituitary adenoma were recruited consecutively. Semi-quantitative (Perlas scores: 0, 1 and 2) and quantitative (cross-sectional area, CSA) ultrasound assessments of the gastric antrum were performed immediately before and after surgery in the semi-recumbent and semi-recumbent right-lateral positions. Seven (8.5%) patients had antrum scores from preoperative grade 0 to postoperative grade 2; nine (11%) patients had antrum scores from preoperative grade 0 to postoperative grade 1. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of increased gastric volume was 71.0 ± 33.1 mL and 236.5 ± 32.4 mL in postoperative grade 1 and 2 groups, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that 11 (13.4%) patients (4 in grade 1 and all in grade 2) had postoperative estimated gastric volume > 1.5 mL kg−1 (mean ± SD 3.08 ± 1.67, range 1.51–5.01 mL kg−1). Logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, diabetes mellitus, and long surgical duration were independent risk factors for significant volume change (all P < 0.05). Our results showed a significant increase in gastric volume in some patients who underwent EETS. Bedside ultrasound measurements of gastric volume can be used to assess the postoperative aspiration risk, particularly in older diabetic patients with a longer surgical duration.
Exudate identification in retinal fundus images using precise textural verifications
Authors: Monemian Maryam , Rabbani Hossein 
Published: February 2023

AbstractOne of the most salient diseases of retina is Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) which may lead to irreparable damages to eye vision in the advanced phases. A large number of the people infected with diabetes experience DR. The early identification of DR signs facilitates the treatment process and prevents from blindness. Hard Exudates (HE) are bright lesions appeared in retinal fundus images of DR patients. Thus, the detection of HEs is an important task preventing the progress of DR. However, the detection of HEs is a challenging process due to their different appearance features. In this paper, an automatic method for the identification of HEs with various sizes and shapes is proposed. The method works based on a pixel-wise approach. It considers several semi-circular regions around each pixel. For each semi-circular region, the intensity changes around several directions and non-necessarily equal radiuses are computed. All pixels for which several semi-circular regions include considerable intensity changes are considered as the pixels located in HEs. In order to reduce false positives, an optic disc localization method is proposed in the post-processing phase. The performance of the proposed method has been evaluated on DIARETDB0 and DIARETDB1 datasets. The experimental results confirm the improved performance of the suggested method in term of accuracy.
Amniotic membrane application in surgical treatment of conjunctival tumors
Authors: Furdova Alena , Czanner Gabriela , Koller Jan , Vesely Pavol , Furda Robert , Pridavkova Zuzana 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe amniotic membrane (AM) has special properties, making it ideal for clinical applications in various surgical fields like ophthalmology. It is used more frequently to cover conjunctival and corneal defects. In our retrospective study we have been combined 68 patients with epibulbar conjunctival tumors they have been surgically treated in the period of 2011–2021. Seven (10.3%) patients have been treated with AM application after surgical removal of the tumor. 54 (79%) cases were malignant, and 14 (21%) were benign. In the analyzed dataset the males had just slightly higher chance of malignancy than females, 80% versus 78.3%. For the significancy calculation the Fisher exact test was used and the result proved no significancy (p = 0.99). Six patients with AM application were malignant. The observed difference in the number of quadrants of the bulbar conjunctiva infiltrated versus significant malignancy with p = 0.050 calculated by Fisher Exact test and with p = 0.023 calculated by Likelihood-ratio test. The results of our study indicate that AM grafts are an effective alternative to cover defects after removal of epibulbar lesions due to their anti-inflammatory properties because the conjunctiva must be preserved, and especially the most important application is in malignant epibulbar conjunctival tumors.
Bidirectional alterations in brain temperature profoundly modulate spatiotemporal neurovascular responses in-vivo
Authors: Boorman Luke W. , Harris Samuel S. , Shabir Osman , Lee Llywelyn , Eyre Beth , Howarth Clare , Berwick Jason 
Published: February 2023

AbstractNeurovascular coupling (NVC) is a mechanism that, amongst other known and latent critical functions, ensures activated brain regions are adequately supplied with oxygen and glucose. This biological phenomenon underpins non-invasive perfusion-related neuroimaging techniques and recent reports have implicated NVC impairment in several neurodegenerative disorders. Yet, much remains unknown regarding NVC in health and disease, and only recently has there been burgeoning recognition of a close interplay with brain thermodynamics. Accordingly, we developed a novel multi-modal approach to systematically modulate cortical temperature and interrogate the spatiotemporal dynamics of sensory-evoked NVC. We show that changes in cortical temperature profoundly and intricately modulate NVC, with low temperatures associated with diminished oxygen delivery, and high temperatures inducing a distinct vascular oscillation. These observations provide novel insights into the relationship between NVC and brain thermodynamics, with important implications for brain-temperature related therapies, functional biomarkers of elevated brain temperature, and in-vivo methods to study neurovascular coupling.