bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Simplified Comorbidity Index predicts non‐relapse mortality in reduced‐intensity conditioning allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Elias Shlomo , Brown Samantha , Devlin Sean M. , Barker Juliet N. , Cho Christina , Chung David J. , Dahi Parastoo B. , Giralt Sergio , Gyurkocza Boglarka , Jakubowski Ann A. , Lahoud Oscar B. , Landau Heather , Lin Richard J. , Papadopoulos Esperanza B. , Politikos Ioannis , Ponce Doris M. , Scordo Michael , Shaffer Brian C. , Shah Gunjan L. , Tamari Roni , Young James W. , Perales Miguel‐Angel , Shouval Roni 
Published: August 2023

SummaryComorbidity assessment before allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo‐HCT) is essential for estimating non‐relapse mortality (NRM) risk. We previously developed the Simplified Comorbidity Index (SCI), which captures a small number of ‘high‐yield’ comorbidities and older age. The SCI was predictive of NRM in myeloablative CD34‐selected allo‐HCT. Here, we evaluated the SCI in a single‐centre cohort of 327 patients receiving reduced‐intensity conditioning followed by unmanipulated allografts from HLA‐matched donors. Among the SCI factors, age above 60, mild renal impairment, moderate pulmonary disease and cardiac disease were most frequent. SCI scores ranged from 0 to 8, with 39%, 20%, 20% and 21% having scores of 0–1, 2, 3 and ≥4 respectively. Corresponding cumulative incidences of 3‐year NRM were 11%, 16%, 22% and 27%; p = 0.03. In multivariable models, higher SCI scores were associated with incremental risks of all‐cause mortality and NRM. The SCI had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 65.9%, 64.1% and 62.9% for predicting 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year NRM versus 58.4%, 60.4% and 59.3% with the haematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index. These results demonstrate for the first time that the SCI is predictive of NRM in patients receiving allo‐HCT from HLA‐matched donors after reduced‐intensity conditioning.
Dopamine regulates colonic glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor secretion through cholinergic dependent and independent pathways
Authors: Zhang Xiao‐Li , Sun Qi , Quan Zhu‐Sheng , Wu Liang , Liu Zi‐Ming , Xia Yan‐Qi , Wang Qian‐Yi , Zhang Yue , Zhu Jin‐Xia 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackground and PurposeGlial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) maintains gut homeostasis. Dopamine promotes GDNF release in astrocytes. We investigated the regulation by dopamine of colonic GDNF secretion.Experimental ApproachD1 receptor knockout (D1R−/−) mice, adeno‐associated viral 9‐short hairpin RNA carrying D2 receptor (AAV9‐shD2R)‐treated mice, 6‐hydroxydopamine treated (6‐OHDA) rats and primary enteric glial cells (EGCs) culture were used. Incubation fluid from colonic submucosal plexus and longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus were collected for GDNF and ACh measurements.Key ResultsD2 receptor‐immunoreactivity (IR), but not D1 receptor‐IR, was observed on EGCs. Both D1 receptor‐IR and D2 receptor‐IR were co‐localized on cholinergic neurons. Low concentrations of dopamine induced colonic GDNF secretion in a concentration‐dependent manner, which was mimicked by the D1 receptor agonist SKF38393, inhibited by TTX and atropine and eliminated in D1R−/− mice. SKF38393‐induced colonic ACh release was absent in D1R−/− mice. High concentrations of dopamine suppressed colonic GDNF secretion, which was mimicked by the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole, and absent in AAV‐shD2R‐treated mice. Quinpirole decreased GDNF secretion by reducing intracellular Ca2+ levels in primary cultured EGCs. Carbachol ( ACh analogue) promoted the release of GDNF. Quinpirole inhibited colonic ACh release, which was eliminated in the AAV9‐shD2R‐treated mice. 6‐OHDA treated rats with low ACh and high dopamine content showed decreased GDNF content and increased mucosal permeability in the colon.Conclusion and ImplicationsLow concentrations of dopamine promote colonic GDNF secretion via D1 receptors on cholinergic neurons, whereas high concentrations of dopamine inhibit GDNF secretion via D2 receptors on EGCs and/or cholinergic neurons.
Ligustrazine improves the compensative effect of Akt survival signaling to protect liver Kupffer cells in trauma‐hemorrhagic shock rats
Authors: Chen Ray‐Jade , Chen Ming‐Cheng , Tsai Bruce Chi‐Kang , Roy Rakesh , Chang Yi‐Ru , Wang Tso‐Fu , Kuo Wei‐Wen , Kuo Chia‐Hua , Yao Chun‐Hsu , Li Chi‐Cheng , Huang Chih‐Yang 
Published: August 2023

AbstractTrauma‐hemorrhagic shock (THS) is a medical emergency that is encountered by physicians in the emergency department. Chuan Xiong is a traditional Chinese medicine and ligustrazine is a natural compound from it. Ligustrazine improves coronary blood flow and reduces cardiac ischemia in animals through Ca2+ and ATP‐dependent vascular relaxation. It also decreases the platelets' bioactivity and reduces reactive oxygen species formation. We hypothesized that ligustrazine could protect liver by decreasing the inflammation response, protein production, and apoptosis in THS rats. Ligustrazine at doses of 100 and 1000 μg/mL was administrated in Kupffer cells isolated from THS rats. The protein expressions were detected via western blot. The THS showed increased inflammation response proteins, mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis proteins, and had a compensation effect on the Akt pathway. After ligustrazine treatment, the hemorrhagic shock Kupffer cells decreased inflammatory response and mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis and promoted a more compensative effect of the Akt pathway. It suggests ligustrazine reduces inflammation response and mitochondria‐dependent apoptosis induced by THS in liver Kupffer cells and promotes more survival effects by elevating the Akt pathway. These findings demonstrate the beneficial effects of ligustrazine against THS‐induced hepatic injury, and ligustrazine could be a potential medication to treat the liver injury caused by THS.
The junctional adhesion molecule‐like protein (JAML) is important for the inflammatory response during contact hypersensitivity
Authors: Mraz Veronika , Lohmann Rebecca K. D. , Menzel Mandy , Hawkes Alana , Vaher Helen , Funch Anders B. , Jee Mia H. , Gadsbøll Anne‐Sofie Ø. , Weber Julie F. , Yeung Kelvin , Ødum Niels , Woetmann Anders , McKay Dianne , Witherden Deborah , Geisler Carsten , Bonefeld Charlotte M. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe junctional adhesion molecule‐like protein (JAML) plays important roles in wound healing and activation of epidermal γδ T cells in mice. Whether JAML plays a role in contact hypersensitivity (CHS), the animal model of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), is not known.MethodsTo examine the role of JAML in CHS, we used various mouse models of CHS in JAML knockout (KO) and wild‐type (WT) mice. Furthermore, the expression of the JAML ligand coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CXADR) on keratinocytes was accessed in vitro and in vivo.ResultsJAML KO mice had a diminished inflammatory response during both the sensitization and elicitation phase of CHS and had reduced numbers of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in the epidermis. Furthermore, interferon γ (IFNγ), interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) and CXCL10 production were significantly reduced in JAML KO mice during the elicitation phase. We found that CD8+ T cells express JAML and that JAML is essential for rapid flare‐up responses to contact allergens. Finally, we show that keratinocytes up‐regulate the JAML ligand CXADR following exposure to contact allergens.ConclusionOur study is the first to show a central role of JAML in CHS and reveals a potential new target for the treatment of ACD in humans.
Effectiveness and safety of once‐daily tacrolimus formulations in de novo liver transplant recipients: The PRETHI study
Authors: Bilbao Itxarone , Gómez Bravo Miguel Ángel , Otero Alejandra , Lladó Laura , Montero José Luís , González Dieguez Luisa , Graus Javier , Pons Miñano José Antonio 
Published: August 2023

AbstractData comparing long‐term effectiveness and safety of once‐daily tacrolimus formulations in de novo liver transplantation are scarce. We compared the effectiveness, pharmacokinetic profile, and safety of LCPT (Envarsus) and PR‐Tac (Advagraf) for up to 12 months post‐transplant. Adult de novo liver transplant recipients who started IR‐Tac (Prograf) and were converted to LCPT or PR‐Tac 3–5 days post‐transplant were included. Data from 163 patients were analyzed, 87 treated with LCPT and 76 with PR‐Tac. The incidence of treatment failure was 30.5% in the LCPT group versus 23.0% in the PR‐Tac group (p = .291). Biopsy‐proven acute rejection (BPAR) was reported in 26.8% of patients in the LCPT group and 17.6% in the PR‐Tac group (p = .166). Graft loss was experienced in one patient (1.2%) in the LCPT group and three patients (4.1%) in the PR‐Tac group (p = .346). Death was registered in three patients (3.7%) in the LCPT group and three patients (4.1%) in the PR‐Tac group (p > .999). Patients in the LCPT group showed 45.7% higher relative bioavailability (Cmin/total daily dose [TDD]; p < .01) with similar Cmin and 33.3% lower TDD versus PR‐Tac (p < .01). The evolution of renal function, safety profile, and the incidence of post‐transplant renal failure, dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were similar in patients treated with LCPT and PR‐Tac. In de novo liver transplant patients, LCPT and PR‐Tac showed comparable effectiveness with higher relative bioavailability, similar Cmin and lower TDD in the LCPT group. Renal function, safety, and post‐transplant complications were comparable in LCPT and PR‐Tac groups.
Frozen and forgotten: What are South African fertility clinics to do with surplus cryopreserved embryos once their patients lose interest?
Authors: Thaldar Donrich W. , Edgcumbe Aliki 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAs is the case around the globe, South African fertility clinics face an ever‐expanding problem: what to do with the growing number of surplus cryopreserved embryos. Fertility clinics remain hesitant to destroy these abandoned embryos, partly because of concerns about the legal ramifications. This article clarifies the legal position in South Africa and offers practical recommendations to assist fertility clinics in managing abandoned embryos. In sum, fertility clinics cannot deem embryos as abandoned and discard them if fertility patients fail to respond to a notice that the embryo storage agreement is about to expire. However, if there is non‐payment for embryo storage by fertility patients and the fertility clinic has informed the fertility patients of other options available to them with respect to their embryos, and there is still no response, the fertility clinic is legally entitled – and legally obliged – to discard the embryos.
Cannabinoid receptor gene CNR1 is downregulated in subcortical brain samples and upregulated in blood samples of individuals with schizophrenia: A participant data systematic meta‐analysis
Authors: Bloch Priel Stav , Yitzhaky Assif , Gurwitz David , Hertzberg Libi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCannabis use leads to symptom exacerbation in schizophrenia patients, and endocannabinoid ligands have been studied as tentative schizophrenia therapeutics. Here, we aimed to characterise the connection between schizophrenia and the cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CNR1) and explore possible mechanisms affecting its expression in schizophrenia. We performed a participant data systematic meta‐analysis of CNR1 gene expression and additional endocannabinoid system genes in both brain (subcortical areas) and blood samples. We integrated eight brain sample datasets (overall 316 samples; 149 schizophrenia and 167 controls) and two blood sample datasets (overall 90 samples; 53 schizophrenia and 37 controls) while following the PRISMA meta‐analysis guidelines. CNR1 was downregulated in subcortical regions and upregulated in blood samples of patients with schizophrenia. CNR2 and genes encoding endocannabinoids synthesis and degradation did not show differential expression in the brain or blood, except fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which showed a downregulation trend in blood. In addition, the brain expression levels of CNR1 and three GABA receptor genes, GABRA1, GABRA6 and GABRG2, were positively correlated (R = .57, .36, .54; p = 2.7 × 10−14, 6.9 × 10−6 and 1.1 × 10−12, respectively). Brain CNR1 downregulation and the positive correlation with three GABA receptor genes suggest an association with GABA neurotransmission and possible effects on negative schizophrenia symptoms. Further studies are required for clarifying the opposite CNR1 dysregulation in the brain and blood of schizophrenia patients and the potential of endocannabinoid ligands as schizophrenia therapeutics.
Smartphone‐based ear‐electroencephalography to study sound processing in everyday life
Authors: Hölle Daniel , Bleichner Martin G. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractIn everyday life, people differ in their sound perception and thus sound processing. Some people may be distracted by construction noise, while others do not even notice. With smartphone‐based mobile ear‐electroencephalography (ear‐EEG), we can measure and quantify sound processing in everyday life by analysing presented sounds and also naturally occurring ones. Twenty‐four participants completed four controlled conditions in the lab (1 h) and one condition in the office (3 h). All conditions used the same paired‐click stimuli. In the lab, participants listened to click tones under four different instructions: no task towards the sounds, reading a newspaper article, listening to an audio article or counting a rare deviant sound. In the office recording, participants followed daily activities while they were sporadically presented with clicks, without any further instruction. In the beyond‐the‐lab condition, in addition to the presented sounds, environmental sounds were recorded as acoustic features (i.e., loudness, power spectral density and sounds onsets). We found task‐dependent differences in the auditory event‐related potentials (ERPs) to the presented click sounds in all lab conditions, which underline that neural processes related to auditory attention can be differentiated with ear‐EEG. In the beyond‐the‐lab condition, we found ERPs comparable to some of the lab conditions. The N1 amplitude to the click sounds beyond the lab was dependent on the background noise, probably due to energetic masking. Contrary to our expectation, we did not find a clear ERP in response to the environmental sounds. Overall, we showed that smartphone‐based ear‐EEG can be used to study sound processing of well defined‐stimuli in everyday life.
Slave voices and experiences in the later medieval Europe
Authors: Skoda Hannah 
Published: August 2023

AbstractLate medieval slavery was profoundly entangled in urban life in particular. Cities all around the Mediterranean coast were implicated in the trade—although this article focuses on the Christian Mediterranean which was bound together by a general reliance on Roman law (alongside local customary laws and the canon law of the Church). Recently, scholarship on late medieval slavery has proliferated, offering a range of detailed studies primarily based on legal records. Late medieval slaves were predominantly women, and mostly worked in domestic settings. Scholars have addressed questions such as legal regulation; the ways in which racialized thinking emerged; the economics of slavery; the implications of slavery for Christian socio‐religious frameworks; the extent to which slaves were integrated into the societies in which they were trafficked; and the role of slavery in geopolitics. This article flips all these questions to explore the experiences of slaves themselves. Surviving legal records allow us to see how slaves could articulate and even, to a limited extent, shape their own experiences through law; what race meant to slaves; how they experienced labour; how they articulated their religious identities; what social integration meant to individuals; and the ways in which slaves understood the geopolitics of their situations. All slave experiences were shaped by gender.
Complex factors contribute to the chemical composition of clastic sediments traveling from rivers to the ocean along island arcs: A case study of the Otsuchi area, Northeast Japan
Authors: Sugiura Kei , Sawada Hikaru , Iizuka Mutsumi , Yasui Mana , Chang Qing , Kasaya Takafumi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe chemical composition of coastal sediments and river sediments is influenced by the geological constitution of provenance and fractionation of clastic particles during sedimentary processes. The intricate nature of the geology in active subduction zones has complicated the comprehension of detrital sediments. More geochemical case studies in such areas are necessary to enhance the understanding of the coastal detrital sediments. This study presents the results of a geochemical and particle size analysis of sediment samples from the Sanriku coastal area of Northeast Japan, including inside and outside of Otsuchi Bay and the three rivers that flow into the bay. Otsuchi Bay area is known to have been severely affected by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of the Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami, and tsunami deposits on its seabed have been reported. The present geochemical analysis indicates that the sediments along those three rivers are well explained by the mixing of rocks occurring in their respective provenance. The chemical composition and particle size distribution of the sediments within Otsuchi Bay suggested the removal of coarse‐grained quartz. They increased the abundance of fine‐grained mafic minerals from Unosumai River having the largest catchment area among the three rivers. During shell debris in the seabed sediment outside of the bay made interpretation of the results was difficult; the sediments collected closer to the bay mouth contained more coarse‐grained material with a composition closer to granitoid and sandstone in the provenance. In contrast, offshore sediments consisted of finer grains with a composition closer to mudstone. Notably, the sediments within Otsuchi Bay did not exhibit the characteristic compositional fractionation or particle size distribution associated with tsunami deposits. These findings underscore the importance of considering the geological diversity of provenances and the particle size distribution of minerals in understanding coastal sediments in subduction zones, including tsunami deposits.
Metamorphic history of mafic granulite and garnet‐bearing amphibolite from the Oki‐Dogo Island, Japan
Authors: Takahashi Mizuki , Endo Shunsuke , Kamei Atsushi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractOki metamorphic rocks have long been considered as a constituent of the Hida Belt based on their geographic proximity, lithology, and Permo‐Triassic metamorphism. However, recent geochronological studies have demonstrated that both para‐ and ortho‐gneisses in the Oki‐Dogo Island display Paleoproterozoic protolith formation and two separate phases of metamorphism at 1.85 Ga and 250–230 Ma. Consequently, the Oki metamorphic rocks are closely connected to the Paleoproterozoic massifs in the Korean Peninsula, although little is known about their pressure (P)–temperature (T) history. Here, we provide petrological data on mafic metamorphic rocks in the Oki‐Dogo Island. The mafic lithologies are classified into mafic granulite, amphibolitized granulite and amphibolite. In addition, we first discover a garnet‐bearing variety of amphibolite from the Oki‐Dogo Island. The texture and composition of Ca amphibole suggest these rock types share a common P–T history but the dominant mineral assemblage in each rock type records different stages of metamorphism. The inferred P–T history includes two distinct events. The first event includes a low‐P granulite facies stage (~900°C, 0.7–0.8 GPa) and subsequent amphibolite facies retrogression. This event is linked to the continuous compositional change of Ca amphibole from Ti‐rich pargasite to hornblende/actinolite. The second event is prograde amphibolite facies metamorphism, which is associated with the formation of tschermakitic hornblende and calcic plagioclase. In high Fe/(Mg + Fe) rocks, garnet was formed at ~550–580°C, 0.45–0.50 GPa in this stage. Depending on the age of the first event, the low‐P granulite facies metamorphism is likely to have occurred in a similar tectonic setting as the Paleoproterozoic crustal metamorphism in the Yeongnam Massif or the Permo‐Triassic ultrahigh‐T metamorphism in the northern Gyeonggi Massif.
Kevin Lafferty and the lymphocyte costimulator: theory and practice in Canberra
Authors: Hodgkin Philip D 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBetween 1969 and 1983 the lab of Kevin Lafferty in Canberra developed the concept of the T‐cell “costimulator,” an essential second signal for activation. A great deal of the work appeared in this journal before it was known as Immunology & Cell Biology (ICB). As part of the 100‐year anniversary of the journal, I offer a personal reflection on Kevin's legacy and impact.
Short communication—Lessons learnt during the implementation of Unity‐aligned SARS‐CoV‐2 seroprevalence studies in Africa
Authors: Farley Elise , Okeibunor Joseph , Balde Thierno , Donkor Irene Owusu , Kleynhans Jackie , Wamala Joseph Francis , Kaboré Nongodo Firmin , Balam Saidou , Chamla Dick , Braka Fiona , Subissi Lorenzo , Herring Belinda , Whelan Mairead G. , Bergeri Isabel , Lewis Hannah C. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe WHO Unity Studies initiative engaged low‐ and middle‐income countries in the implementation of standardised SARS‐CoV‐2 sero‐epidemiological investigation protocols and timely sharing of comparable results for evidence‐based action. To gain a deeper understanding of the methodological challenges faced when conducting seroprevalence studies in the African region, we conducted unstructured interviews with key study teams in five countries. We discuss the challenges identified: participant recruitment and retention, sampling, sample and data management, data analysis and presentation. Potential solutions to aid future implementation include preparedness actions such as the development of new tools, robust planning and practice.
Phase diagram study and thermodynamic modeling of the Na2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 system
Authors: Lee Jaesung , Jung In‐Ho 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe phase diagram of the Na2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 system was experimentally studied at 1500°C–1650°C by a classical equilibration/quenching method and differential thermal analysis followed by X‐ray diffraction phase analysis and electron probe micro‐analysis. A sealed Pt crucible was utilized to prevent the volatile loss of Na2O during high‐temperature phase equilibrium experiments and the hydration upon quenching. The phase diagram of the Na2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 system was revealed for the first time. Based on the present experimental data and available binary modeling results in literature, the thermodynamic modeling of the ternary system was performed using the Calculation of Phase Diagram method and the phase diagram of the entire the Na2O–Al2O3–ZrO2 system was constructed and the optimized thermodynamic properties for all solids and liquid phase within the ternary system were obtained.