bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Polymerized human cord hemoglobin assisted with ascorbic acid as a red blood cell substitute alleviating oxidative stress for blood transfusion
Authors: Kong Weichen , Zhou Wentao , He Zeng , Zhang Xuejun , Li Shen , Zhong Rui , Liu Jiaxin 
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Blood transfusion is widely used in clinical settings, where considerable efforts have been devoted to develop red blood cell substitutes to overcome blood shortage and safety concerns. Among the several kinds of artificial oxygen carriers, hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers are promising due to their inherent good oxygen-binding and -loading properties. However, difficulties in prone to oxidation, production of oxidative stress, and injury in organs limited their clinical utility. In this work, we report a red blood cell substitute composed of polymerized human cord hemoglobin (PolyCHb) assisted with ascorbic acid (AA) that alleviates oxidative stress for blood transfusion.Methods: In this study, the in vitro impacts of AA on the PolyCHb were evaluated by testing the circular dichroism, methemoglobin (MetHb) contents and oxygen binding affinity before and after the addition of AA. In the in vivo study, guinea pigs were subjected to a 50% exchange transfusion with PolyCHb and AA co-administration, followed by the collection of blood, urine, and kidney samples. The hemoglobin contents of the urine samples were analyzed, and histopathologic changes, lipid peroxidation, DNA peroxidation, and heme catabolic markers in the kidneys were evaluated.Results: After treating with AA, there was no effect on the secondary structure and oxygen binding affinity of the PolyCHb, while the MetHb content was kept at 55%, which was much lower than that without AA treating. Moreover, the reduction of PolyCHbFe3+ was significantly promoted, and the content of MetHb could be reduced from 100% to 51% within 3 h. In vivo study results showed that PolyCHb assisted with AA inhibited the formation of hemoglobinuria, upgraded the total antioxidant capacity and downgraded the superoxide dismutase activity of kidney tissue, and lowered the expression of biomarkers for oxidative stress, e.g., malondialdehyde (ET vs ET+AA: 4.03±0.26 μmol/mg vs 1.83±0.16 μmol/mg), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (ET vs ET+AA: 0.98±0.07 vs 0.57±0.04), 8-hydroxy 2 deoxyguanosine(ET vs ET+AA: 14.81±1.58 ng/ml vs 10.91±1.36 ng/ml), heme oxygenase 1 (ET vs ET+AA: 1.51±0.08 vs 1.18±0.05) and ferritin (ET vs ET+AA: 1.75±0.09 vs 1.32±0.04). The kidney histopathology results also demonstrated that kidney tissue damage was effectively alleviated.Conclusion: In conclusion, these comprehensive results provide evidence for the potential role of AA in controlling oxidative stress and organ injury in the kidneys induced by PolyCHb, and suggest that PolyCHb assisted with AA has promising application for blood transfusion.
Computational exploration of molecular flexibility and interaction of meropenem analogs with the active site of oxacillinase-23 in Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Ramachandran Balajee , Muthupandian Saravanan , Jeyaraman Jeyakanthan , Lopes Bruno Silvester 
Published: February 2023

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for nosocomial infections and is one of the biggest global threats according to the World Health Organization (WHO), particularly causing substantial morbidity and mortality.Objectives: This study aimed at using computational approaches to screen meropenem and its analogs against OXA-23-positive Acinetobacter baumannii, analyzing the correlations between kinetic and phenotypic characteristics.Methods: A total of 5,450 compounds were screened using virtual screening workflow (HTVS, Glide-SP, and Glide-XP) to identify the best compounds based on their binding energy and interactions against OXA-23 and OXA-27 as they had phenotypic data available. Molecular dynamics simulation and density functional theory (DFT) studies were performed from the outcome of molecular docking analysis.Results: During simulations, meropenem and its analogs exhibited high-level stable interactions with Ser79, Ser126, Thr217, Trp219, and Arg259 of OXA-23. Meropenem displayed a CovDock energy of about −3.5 and −1.9 kcal mol-1 against OXA-23 and OXA-27, respectively. Among the 5,450 compounds, Pubchem_10645796, Pubchem_25224737, and ChEMBL_14 recorded CovDock energy between −6.0 and −9.0 kcal mol-1. Moreover, the infra-red (IR) spectrophotometric analysis revealed C=O and C-N atoms showing bands at 1,800 and 1,125 cm-1, respectively. These observed data are in congruence with the experimental observations.Conclusion: The identified compounds showed good agreement with the spectrophotometric analysis using DFT methods. In the earlier studies, meropenem’s MIC value was 32 μg mL−1 in OXA-23-positive isolate A2265 compared to the MIC of 1 μg mL−1 in ΔblaOXA-23 A2265. Comparing the CovDock energy and hydrogen-bonding interactions, the predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental data reported earlier. Our results highlight the importance of OXA-23 molecular docking studies and their compliance with the phenotypic results. It will help further in developing newer antibiotics for treating severe infections associated with carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii.
Covalent adaptable networks using boronate linkages by incorporating TetraAzaADamantanes
Authors: van Hurne Simon , Kisters Marijn , Smulders Maarten M. J. 
Published: February 2023

Boronic esters prepared by condensation of boronic acids and diols have been widely used as dynamic covalent bonds in the synthesis of both discrete assemblies and polymer networks. In this study we investigate the potential of a new dynamic-covalent motif, derived from TetraAzaADamantanes (TAADs), with their adamantane-like triol structure, in boronic ester-based covalent adaptable networks (CANs). The TetraAzaADamantane-boronic ester linkage has recently been reported as a more hydrolytically stable boronic ester variant, while still having a dynamic pH response: small-molecule studies found little exchange at neutral pH, while fast exchange occurred at pH 3.8. In this work, bi- and trifunctional TetraAzaADamantane linkers were synthesised and crosslinked with boronic acids to form rubber-like materials, with a Young’s modulus of 1.75 MPa. The dynamic nature of the TetraAzaADamantane networks was confirmed by stress relaxation experiments, revealing Arrhenius-like behaviour, with a corresponding activation energy of 142 ± 10 kJ/mol. Increasing the crosslinking density of the material from 10% to 33% resulted in reduced relaxation times, as is consistent with a higher degree of crosslinking within the dynamic networks. In contrast to the reported accelerating effect of acid addition to small-molecule TetraAzaADamantane complexes, within the polymer network the addition of acid increased relaxation times, suggesting unanticipated interactions between the acid and the polymer that cannot occur in the corresponding small-molecules analogues. The obtained boronate-TetraAzaADamantane materials were thermally stable up to 150°C. This thermal stability, in combination with the intrinsically dynamic bonds inside the polymer network, allowed these materials to be reprocessed and healed after damage by hot-pressing.
Comparison of multiple treatment regimens in children with Helicobacter pylori infection: A network meta-analysis
Authors: Liang Miaomiao , Zhu Chengbi , Zhao Peipei , Zhu Xiaohui , Shi Junwei , Yuan Bin 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundMultiple regimens have been widely used in the eradication treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children. However, there is a lack of comparison and evaluation of their effectiveness in different regions of the world.MethodsRandomized controlled trials were retrieved. Review Manager 5.4, Stata SE 15 and R 4.0.4 statistical software were used to analyze date. The ranking probability is assessed according to the surfaces under cumulative ranking (SUCRA).Results163 studies were eligible for this study, involving 336 arms and 18,257 children, and 10 different interventions. The results showed that the eradication rates of sequential therapy with probiotics (SP), bismuth-containing quadruple (Quadruple) therapy, concomitant therapy and PCN therapy were at least 90%. Cumulative ranking showed that SP therapy had the best eradication effect (SUCRA 92.7%) whereas Bismuth-containing triple therapy (B) had the worst (SUCRA 3.5%). Subgroup analysis suggested that SP therapy ranked first in China and other regions, and the ranking of Triple therapy with probiotics therapy (TP) was equally stable (SUCRA 72.0% vs 76.4% respectively). The security of the SP and TP therapy had great advantages.ConclusionsAs for the eradication treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in children, SP therapy ranks highest. SP and TP therapies are most safe.
Assessing causality between different risk factors and pulmonary embolism: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Wei Jian-ming , Song Yan-li , Zeng Huan , Yan Wen-wen , Liu Xue-bo 
Published: February 2023

ObjectivesMendelian randomization (MR) was used to estimate the causal relationship between body mass index (BMI), ever smoked, heart failure, alcohol intake frequency, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and pulmonary embolism (PE). This study aimed to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between BMI, the presence of smoking, heart failure, frequency of alcohol intake, IBD, and PE.MethodsPooled data on PE from a published GWAS meta-analysis involving approximately 461,164 participants of European ancestry were selected. A publicly available pooled dataset of BMI (461,460), ever smokers (461,066), heart failure (977,323), IBD (75,000), and frequency of alcohol intake (462,346) was used from another independent GWAS. MR was performed using established analysis methods, including Wald ratios, inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median (WM), and MR-Egger. Also, the final expansion was validated with multivariate MR.ResultsIn the IVW model, genetically elevated BMI was causally associated with PE [OR = 1.002, 95% CI (1.001, 1004), P = 0.039]. Cochran’s Q test was used to detect heterogeneity in the MR-Egger analysis (P = 0.576). Therefore, the effect of gene-level heterogeneity was not considered. In the MR analysis of other risk factors, we observed genes for ever smoking [IVW OR = 1.004, 95% CI (0.997, 1.012)], heart failure [IVW OR = 0.999, 95% CI (0.996, 1.001)], IBD [IVW OR = 1.000, 95% CI (0.999, 1.001)], and frequency of alcohol intake [IVW OR = 1.002, 95% CI (1.000, 1.004)] were not causally associated with PE. Analysis using multivariate MR expansion showed no causal effect of BMI on PE considering the effect of height as well as weight (P = 0.926).ConclusionIn European populations, a causal relationship exists between BMI and PE: increased BMI leads to PE. In contrast, ever smoking, heart failure, frequency of alcohol intake, and IBD are not directly associated with PE. There was no causal effect of BMI with PE in multivariate Mendelian randomized analysis.
Case report: An unusual case of phrenic nerve stimulation in a patient with single chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator
Authors: De Innocentiis Carlo , Astore Pasquale , Buonpane Angela , Santamaria Antonia Pia , Patragnoni Francesco , Santamaria Matteo 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundPhrenic nerve stimulation is a well-recognized complication related to cardiac implantable electronic devices, in particular with left ventricular coronary sinus pacing leads for cardiac resynchronization therapy.Case presentationWe report an unusual case of symptomatic phrenic nerve stimulation due to inadvertent placement of a right ventricular defibrillation lead in coronary sinus posterior branch in a patient with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction with a recently implanted single-chamber cardioverter defibrillator.DiscussionPhrenic nerve stimulation is a relatively common complication of left ventricular pacing. Inadvertent placement of a right ventricular lead in a coronary sinus branch is a rare but possible cause of phrenic nerve stimulation. Careful evaluation of intraprocedural fluoroscopic and electrocardiographic appearance of pacing and defibrillation leads during implantation may prevent inadvertent placement of a right ventricular lead in the coronary sinus.
Dynamic evolution of left ventricular strain and microvascular perfusion assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography and myocardial contrast echocardiography in diabetic rats: Effect of dapagliflozin
Authors: Liu Juan , Wang Yixuan , Zhang Jun , Li Xin , Tan Lin , Huang Haiyun , Dai Yang , Shang Yongning , Shen Ying 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundThis experimental study aimed to determine the dynamic changes in myocardial strain and microvascular perfusion in diabetic rats by comprehensive echocardiography while evaluating the effect of dapagliflozin (DAPA).Materials and methodsMale Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 128) were randomly divided into four groups based on the presence or absence of a high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetes with or without DAPA treatment (n = 32/group). Serial conventional ultrasound, two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) were performed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks, and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS), myocardial blood flow velocity (MBFV), myocardial blood flow (MBF), and myocardial blood volume (MBV) were determined. All animals were sacrificed immediately after the last echo measurement for histopathological assessment.ResultsDespite similar conventional Doppler-echo indexes among the groups at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks (p &gt; 0.05), left ventricular GLS, MBFV, MBF, and MBV were decreased at 8 weeks in diabetic rats (p &lt; 0.05) as detected by both 2D-STE and MCE. These indexes were significantly improved at 6 and 8 weeks after treatment with DAPA for diabetic rats (p &lt; 0.05), reaching similar values observed in non-diabetic controls. DAPA treatment was associated with increased myocardial vacuolization and microvessel density and reduced interstitial fibrosis in diabetic rats.ConclusionsCombined 2D-STE and MCE is sensitive for detecting left ventricular deformity and impaired microvascular perfusion in prediabetes and the early stage of diabetes mellitus. DAPA exerts a beneficial effect on protecting myocardial perfusion in diabetic rats.
Xerogenic medications may contribute to decreased unstimulated salivary flow in patients with oral burning and/or gastro-esophageal reflux disease
Authors: Sangalli Linda , Eldomiaty Walied , Miller Craig S. 
Published: February 2023

BackgroundPatients who complain of mucosal burning sensations (i.e., glossodynia and gastro-esophageal reflux disease, GERD) often take multiple medications. However, the relationship between xerogenic medication intake and salivary flow in these patients has not been thoroughly examined.MethodsA retrospective study of 192 consecutive patients diagnosed with glossodynia (ICD-10-CM) at a regional center over a six-year period was performed. Data from electronic health records were extracted and relationships between medication intake, unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UWSFR), xerostomia, and GERD were determined by chi-square, t-test, and correlation analysis.ResultsOf 134 records that met inclusion criteria, 87.1% of patients reported daily intake of one or more xerogenic medications. Two or more xerogenic medications were taken significantly more often by patients with glossodynia reporting GERD than those with glossodynia without GERD (p = .02). UWSFR was negatively correlated with number of medications [r(103) = −.277, p = .005] and xerogenic medications [r(103) = −.195, p = .049]. The lowest UWSFR was observed with use of trazodone and cyclobenzaprine.ConclusionsDaily xerogenic medication intake, hyposalivation, and xerostomia were commonly present and potentially interrelated in patients who suffer from glossodynia and/or GERD.Practical implicationsClinicians should be aware of the consequences of prescribing multiple and certain xerogenic medications in reducing UWSFR, especially in patients physiologically at risk of hyposalivation such as those suffering from GERD and/or glossodynia.
Independent value of PMOI on hCG day in predicting pregnancy outcomes in IVF/ICSI cycles
Authors: Sun Xingyu , Yao Fei , Yin Chengliang , Meng Muzi , Lan Yunzhu , Yang Ming , Sun Chenyu , Liu Ling 
Published: February 2023

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine whether, on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection, the progesterone to number of mature oocytes index (PMOI) can be used alone or together with other parameters in a fresh embryo transfer in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle to predict pregnancy outcome.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of all couples who underwent a clinical pregnancy and received a fresh IVE/ICSI cycle at a single large reproductive medical center between June 2019 and March 2022. The study involved a total of 1239 cycles. To analyze risk factors associated with pregnancy outcomes on the day of HCG injection, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. The area under the curve (AUC) was determined, and PMOI and other factors were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultsThe clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in group A (60.76%) than in the other groups (Group B: 52.92% and Group C:47.88%, respectively, p =0.0306). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression revealed that PMOI levels were significantly correlated with the probability of pregnancy outcome, independent of other risk factors. More importantly, PMOI levels independently predict the occurrence of pregnancy outcome, comparable to the model combining age. The optimal serum PMOI cutoff value for pregnancy outcome was 0.063 ug/L.ConclusionOur results suggest that PMOI levels have an independent predictive value for pregnancy outcome in fresh IVF/ICSI cycles.
Comparative transcriptome responses of leaf and root tissues to salt stress in wheat strains with different salinity tolerances
Authors: Li Jianfeng , Gao Xin , Chen Xunji , Fan Zheru , Zhang Yueqiang , Wang Zhong , Shi Jia , Wang Chunsheng , Zhang Hongzhi , Wang Lihong , Zhao Qi 
Published: February 2023

Background: Salinity stress is a major adverse environmental factor that can limit crop yield and restrict normal land use. The selection of salt-tolerant strains and elucidation of the underlying mechanisms by plant breeding scientists are urgently needed to increase agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions.Results: In this study, we selected the salt-tolerant wheat (Triticum aestivum) strain ST9644 as a model to study differences in expression patterns between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive strains. High-throughput RNA sequencing resulted in more than 359.10 Gb of clean data from 54 samples, with an average of 6.65 Gb per sample. Compared to the IWGSC reference annotation, we identified 50,096 new genes, 32,923 of which have functional annotations. Comparisons of abundances between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive strains revealed 3,755, 5,504, and 4,344 genes that were differentially expressed at 0, 6, and 24 h, respectively, in root tissue under salt stress. KEGG pathway analysis of these genes showed that they were enriched for phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (ko00940), cysteine and methionine metabolism (ko00270), and glutathione metabolism (ko00480). We also applied weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) analysis to determine the time course of root tissue response to salt stress and found that the acute response lasts &gt;6 h and ends before 12 h. We also identified key alternative splicing factors showing different splicing patterns in salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant strains; however, only few of them were differentially expressed in the two groups.Conclusion: Our results offer a better understanding of wheat salt tolerance and improve wheat breeding.
Canine peripheral blood TCRαβ T cell atlas: Identification of diverse subsets including CD8A+ MAIT-like cells by combined single-cell transcriptome and V(D)J repertoire analysis
Authors: Eschke Maria , Moore Peter F. , Chang Haiyang , Alber Gottfried , Keller Stefan M. 
Published: February 2023

The dog is valued as a companion animal and increasingly recognized as a model for human disorders. Given the importance of T cells in health and disease, comprehensive knowledge of canine T cells can contribute to our understanding of pathogenesis mechanisms and inform the development of new treatment strategies. However, the diversity of canine T cells is still poorly understood mainly due to the lack of species-reactive antibodies for use in flow cytometry. The aim of this study was to generate a detailed atlas of peripheral blood TCRαβ+ T cells of healthy dogs using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) combined with immune repertoire sequencing. A total of 22 TCRαβ+ T cell clusters were identified, which were classified into three major groups: CD4-dominant (11 clusters), CD8A-dominant (8 clusters), and CD4/CD8A-mixed (3 clusters). Based on differential gene expression, distinct differentiation states (naïve, effector, memory, exhausted) and lineages (e.g. CD4 T helper and regulatory T cells) could be distinguished. Importantly, several T cell populations were identified, which have not been described in dogs before. Of particular note, our data provide first evidence for the existence of canine mucosa-associated invariant T cell (MAIT)-like cells, representing one of three newly identified FCER1G+ innate-like CD8A+ T cell populations in the peripheral blood of healthy dogs. In conclusion, using scRNAseq combined with immune repertoire sequencing we were able to resolve canine TCRαβ+ T cell populations at unprecedented resolution. The peripheral blood TCRαβ+ T cell atlas of healthy dogs generated here represents an important reference data set for future studies and is of relevance for identifying new targets for T cell-specific therapies.
Ocean turbulent boundary-layer influence on ice crystal behaviour beneath fast ice in an Antarctic ice shelf water plume: The “dirty ice”
Authors: Stevens Craig , Robinson Natalie , O’Connor Gabby , Grant Brett 
Published: February 2023

The oceanic connection between ice shelf cavities and sea ice influences sea ice development and persistence. One unique feature in regions near ice shelves is the potential for sea ice growth due to crystal accretion on its underside. Here we present observations of ocean boundary-layer processes and ice crystal behaviour in an Ice Shelf Water outflow region from the Ross/McMurdo Ice Shelves. From a fast ice field camp during the Spring of 2015, we captured the kinematics of free-floating relatively large (in some cases 10s of mm in scale) ice crystals that were advecting and then settling upwards in a depositional layer on the sea ice underside (SIPL, sub-ice platelet layer). Simultaneously, we measured the background oceanic temperature, salinity, currents and turbulence structure. At the camp location the total water depth was 536 m, with the uppermost 50 m of the water column being in-situ super-cooled. Tidal flow speeds had an amplitude of around 0.1 m s-1 with dissipation rates in the under-ice boundary layer measured to be up to ε=10-6 W kg-1. Acoustic sampling (200 kHz) identified backscatter from large, individually identifiable suspended crystals associated with crystal sizes larger than normally described as frazil. Measurement of crystals in the SIPL found dimensions of the range 5-200 mm with an average of 93-101 mm depending on the year. The existence and settlement of crystals has implications for understanding SIPL evolution, the structure of sea ice, as well as the fate of Ice Shelf Water.