bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A cholestatic pattern predicts major liver‐related outcomes in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Pennisi Grazia , Pipitone Rosaria Maria , Cabibi Daniela , Enea Marco , Romero‐Gomez Manuel , Viganò Mauro , Bugianesi Elisabetta , Wong Vincent Wai‐Sun , Fracanzani Anna Ludovica , Sebastiani Giada , Berzigotti Annalisa , Di Salvo Francesca , Giannone Antonino Giulio , La Mantia Claudia , Lupo Giulia , Porcasi Rossana , Vernuccio Federica , Zito Rossella , Di Marco Vito , Cammà Calogero , Craxì Antonio , de Ledinghen Victor , Grimaudo Stefania , Petta Salvatore 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackground & AimsNAFLD patients usually have an increase in AST/ALT levels, but cholestasis can also be observed. We aimed to assess in subjects with NAFLD the impact of the (cholestatic) C pattern on the likelihood of developing major liver‐related outcomes (MALO).MethodsFive hundred and eighty‐two consecutive patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD or a clinical diagnosis of NAFLD‐related compensated cirrhosis were classified as hepatocellular (H), C and mixed (M) patterns, by using the formula (ALT/ALT Upper Limit of Normal‐ULN)/(ALP/ALP ULN). MALO were recorded during follow‐up. An external cohort of 1281 biopsy‐proven NAFLD patients was enrolled as validation set.ResultsH, M and C patterns were found in 153 (26.3%), 272 (46.7%) and 157 (27%) patients respectively. During a median follow‐up of 78 months, only 1 (0.6%) patient with H pattern experienced MALO, whilst 15 (5.5%) and 38 (24.2%) patients in M and C groups had MALO. At multivariate Cox regression analysis, age >55 years (HR 2.55, 95% CI 1.17–5.54;p = .01), platelets <150 000/mmc (HR 0.14, 95% CI 0.06–0.32;p < .001), albumin <4 g/L(HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.35–1.08;p = .09), C versus M pattern (HR 7.86, 95% CI 1.03–60.1;p = .04), C versus H pattern(HR 12.1, 95% CI 1.61–90.9;p = .01) and fibrosis F3–F4(HR 35.8, 95% CI 4.65–275.2;p < .001) were independent risk factors for MALO occurrence. C versus M pattern(HR 14.3, 95% CI 1.90–105.6;p = .008) and C versus H pattern (HR 15.6, 95% CI 2.10–115.1;p = .0068) were confirmed independently associated with MALO occurrence in the validation set. The immunohistochemical analysis found a significantly higher prevalence of moderate‐high‐grade ductular metaplasia combined with low‐grade ductular proliferation in C pattern when compared with the biochemical H pattern. Gene expression analysis showed a lower expression ofNR1H3, RXRα and VCAM1in patients with the C pattern.ConclusionsThe presence of a cholestatic pattern in patients with NAFLD predicts a higher risk of MALO independently from other features of liver disease.
Occult hepatitis B virus infection in hepatitis C virus negative chronic liver diseases
Authors: Franzè Maria Stella , Pollicino Teresa , Raimondo Giovanni , Squadrito Giovanni 
Published: March 2022

AbstractData concerning the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) occult infection (OBI) varies greatly in the different studies according to the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic approaches and the HBV prevalence in the different populations examined. The clinical implications of OBI are still debated. While the impact of OBI in HBV transmission as well as in HBV reactivation under immunosuppression are well established, the role of OBI in liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development are still not definitively elucidated. It has been hypothesized that OBI might contribute to worsening the liver disease course when other causes of liver damage co‐exist. Furthermore, much evidence suggests a role of OBI in the hepato‐carcinogenesis processes through both indirect and direct oncogenic mechanisms that might favour HCC development. Data on the OBI clinical implications mainly come from studies performed in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, HCV prevalence has dramatically fallen in the past years also because of the advent of specific and highly effective direct acting antivirals, with a consequent abrupt change of the worldwide scenario of chronic liver disease. Information about OBI prevalence and possible clinical impact in non‐HCV‐related liver disease are fragmentary, and the objective of this review is to critically summarize the available data in this field.
A nodal‐based evolutionary optimization algorithm for frame structures
Authors: Zhang Xuyu , Xie Yi Min , Zhou Shiwei 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis work proposes a nodal‐based evolutionary design optimization algorithm to design frame structures whose edges are the Delaunay triangulation of homogeneously distributed nodes in the design domain. The remaining nodes can freely sway in the design domain except for the loading nodes and boundary nodes. As a result, it can extend the space of admissible solutions to this optimization problem and reduce the number of design variables. Then, the sensitivity of the objective function, namely, the sum of compliance and its volume, is input into the method of moving asymptotes to update the nodal coordinates and member thickness. The most inefficient node is deleted in each iteration based on the average nodal strain energy until its number reaches a prescribed limit. 2D numerical examples for the Michell arch, L‐shaped bracket, and Messerschmidt–Bölkow–Blohm beam show that the proposed algorithm can get the optimal structure within a few iterations. Compared with initial configurations in 3D, the optimal crane arm, transmission tower, and aquatic dome have less strain energy and fewer materials, showing a great potential of the proposed method to design actual space frames.
Identification of novel virulence factors in Erwinia amylovora through temporal transcriptomic analysis of infected apple flowers under field conditions
Authors: Schachterle Jeffrey K. , Gdanetz Kristi , Pandya Ishani , Sundin George W. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe enterobacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora uses multiple virulence‐associated traits to cause fire blight, a devastating disease of apple and pear trees. Many virulence‐associated phenotypes have been studied that are critical for virulence and pathogenicity. Despite the in vitro testing that has revealed how these systems are transcriptionally regulated, information on when and where in infected tissues these genes are being expressed is lacking. Here, we used a high‐throughput sequencing approach to characterize the transcriptome of E. amylovora during disease progression on apple flowers under field infection conditions. We report that type III secretion system genes and flagellar genes are strongly co‐expressed. Likewise, genes involved in biosynthesis of the exopolysaccharide amylovoran and sorbitol utilization had similar expression patterns. We further identified a group of 16 genes whose expression is increased and maintained at high levels throughout disease progression across time and tissues. We chose five of these genes for mutational analysis and observed that deletion mutants lacking these genes all display reduced symptom development on apple shoots. Furthermore, these induced genes were over‐represented for genes involved in sulphur metabolism and cycling, suggesting the possibility of an important role for maintenance of oxidative homeostasis during apple flower infection.
MdMTA‐mediated m6A modification enhances drought tolerance by promoting mRNA stability and translation efficiency of genes involved in lignin deposition and oxidative stress
Authors: Hou Nan , Li Chaoshuo , He Jieqiang , Liu Yu , Yu Sisi , Malnoy Mickael , Mobeen Tahir Muhammad , Xu Lingfei , Ma Fengwang , Guan Qingmei 
Published: March 2022

Summary

Although the N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most prevalent RNA modification in eukaryotes, the global m6A modification landscape and its molecular regulatory mechanism in response to drought stress remain unclear.

Transcriptome‐wide m6A methylome profiling revealed that m6A is mainly enriched in the coding sequence and 3′ untranslated region in response to drought stress in apple, by recognizing the plant‐specific sequence motif UGUAH (H=A, U or C). We identified a catalytically active component of the m6A methyltransferase complex, MdMTA. An in vitro methyl transfer assay, dot blot, LC‐MS/MS and m6A‐sequencing (m6A‐seq) suggested that MdMTA is an m6A writer and essential for m6A mRNA modification.

Further studies revealed that MdMTA is required for apple drought tolerance. m6A‐seq and RNA‐seq analyses under drought conditions showed that MdMTA mediates m6A modification and transcripts of mRNAs involved in oxidative stress and lignin deposition. Moreover, m6A modification promotes mRNA stability and the translation efficiency of these genes in response to drought stress. Consistently, MdMTA enhances lignin deposition and scavenging of reactive oxygen species under drought conditions.

Our results reveal the global involvement of m6A modification in the drought response of perennial apple trees and illustrate its molecular mechanisms, thereby providing candidate genes for the breeding of stress‐tolerant apple cultivars.
A rust fungus effector directly binds plant pre‐mRNA splice site to reprogram alternative splicing and suppress host immunity
Authors: Tang Chunlei , Xu Qiang , Zhao Jinren , Yue Mingxing , Wang Jianfeng , Wang Xiaodong , Kang Zhensheng , Wang Xiaojie 
Published: March 2022

SummaryAlternative splicing (AS) is a crucial post‐transcriptional regulatory mechanism in plant resistance. However, whether and how plant pathogens target splicing in their host remains mostly unknown. For example, although infection by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), a pathogenic fungus that severely affects the yield of wheat worldwide, has been shown to significantly influence the levels of alternatively spliced transcripts in the host, the mechanisms that govern this process, and its functional consequence have not been examined. Here, we identified Pst_A23 as a new Pst arginine‐rich effector that localizes to host nuclear speckles, nuclear regions enriched in splicing factors. We demonstrated that transient expression of Pst_A23 suppresses plant basal defence dependent on the Pst_A23 nuclear speckle localization and that this protein plays an important role in virulence, stable silencing of which improves wheat stripe rust resistance. Remarkably, RNA‐Seq data revealed that AS patterns of 588 wheat genes are altered in Pst_A23‐overexpressing lines compared to control plants. To further examine the direct relationship between Pst_A23 and AS, we confirmed direct binding between two RNA motifs predicted from these altered splicing sites and Pst_A23 in vitro. The two RNA motifs we chose occur in the cis‐element of TaXa21‐H and TaWRKY53, and we validated that Pst_A23 overexpression results in decreased functional transcripts of TaXa21‐H and TaWRKY53 while silencing of TaXa21‐H and TaWRKY53 impairs wheat resistance to Pst. Overall, this represents formal evidence that plant pathogens produce ‘splicing’ effectors, which regulate host pre‐mRNA splicing by direct engagement of the splicing sites, thereby interfering with host immunity.
Silicon, biological seed treatment and cutting reduce the intensity of leaf spot diseases affecting Lolium multiflorum
Authors: Victoria Arellano Alfonso D. , Furtado Emanueli B. , Holz Tailine M. , Pazdiora Paulo C. , da Silva Gustavo M. , Del Ponte Emerson M. , Dallagnol Leandro J. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractItalian ryegrass is a major pasture crop cultivated mainly for feeding cattle in southern Brazil. The choice of crop is based on nutritional quality and the shortage of pastures that occur during the winter in the southernmost part of Brazil. In this region, the production of biomass and seeds are threatened by diseases, in particular fungal diseases that affect the foliage. In this study we identified and monitored the natural occurrence of a complex of leaf spotting diseases and evaluated the effects of combined management practices to reduce the intensity of foliar diseases: seed treatment with Trichoderma atroviride, soil amendment with silicon and cutting frequency (none, one or two cuts). Three diseases were present in a two‐season experiment: grey leaf spot (Pyricularia oryzae), brown leaf spot (Bipolaris sorokiniana) and parrot's eye leaf spot (Cercospora sp.). Grey leaf spot had the highest severity, regardless of treatment, during the first season, and was the only disease present in the following season. Grey leaf spot dominated, and plants receiving only one cut were more prone to P. oryzae infection. The treatments with silicon or T. atroviride reduced the relative disease by 40% to 80%, in relation to untreated and uncut regimes. This study showed the main leaf spot diseases associated with L. multiflorum. Moreover, it demonstrates for the first time in the region the effectiveness of reducing leaf spot via the application of silicon in the soil, inoculation of seeds with T. atroviride and managing the cutting regime.
A Semi-Parametric Integer-Valued Autoregressive Model with Covariates
Authors: Rao Yao , Harris David , McCabe Brendan 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe consider a low count data INAR (Integer Autoregressive Regression) model in which the arrivals are modelled non-parametrically and are allowed to contain covariates. Accommodating possible covariates is important as exogenous variability, such as seasonality, often needs to be catered for. The main challenge is to maintain the axiomatic properties of the arrivals non-parametric mass function while, at the same time, incorporating covariates directly into the associated probabilities. Compared with models that impose standard distributions such as Poisson or Negative Binomial for the arrivals, our approach is more flexible and provides a general arrival specification. The dependence structure is parametric and uses the standard binomial thinning operator. The parameters are estimated by the Maximum Likelihood. Monte Carlo simulations show that our proposed model performs very well with good finite sample results. Two empirical issues are addressed where incorporating covariates is a prerequisite for successful modelling. The first incorporates seasonal covariates into a semi-parametric model for forecasting the numbers of claimants of wage loss benefits in the logging industry in British Columbia, Canada. The second investigates if macro-economic indicators in an economy may be useful in predicting the number of bank failures in the US financial sector.
Conservation agriculture practice influences soil organic carbon pools in intensive rice‐based systems of the Eastern Indo‐Gangetic Plain
Authors: Islam Md. Ariful , Bell Richard W. , Johansen Chris , Jahiruddin M. , Haque Md. Enamul , Vance Wendy 
Published: March 2022

AbstractStudies of rice‐based systems in the Indo‐Gangetic Plain (IGP) have demonstrated the beneficial effects of Conservation Agriculture on soil organic carbon (SOC) status, along with increased soil health and crop productivity. However, it remains unclear as to the time for such treatments to have a positive effect. In this study of lentil‐mung bean‐rice and wheat‐mung‐rice rotations in Bangladesh positive effects of strip planting or bed planting, along with residue return, on SOC pools were apparent after 1.5 years, compared with intensive conventional tillage and limited residue return. Conventional tillage resulted in higher CO2 emission compared with strip planting or bed planting as did high residue return. In the cereal‐dominated rotation, the strip planting system sequestered carbon at a rate of 0.24–0.53 Mg C ha−1 year−1 (at 0–0.15 m depth) while conventional tillage was associated with a carbon loss of 0.52–0.82 Mg C ha−1 year−1. In the legume‐dominated rotation, neither practice sequestered SOC. Under strip planting, a minimum annual crop residue input of 1.7 Mg C ha−1 for the cereal‐dominated system and 5.2 Mg C ha−1 for the legume‐dominated system was required to maintain SOC at equilibrium. We conclude that strip planting with high levels of crop residue return can be an effective and quick strategy in either slowing the loss of SOC or improving C sequestration in the intensive rice‐based systems of the Eastern IGP.
How do I perform cell salvage during vaginal obstetric hemorrhage?
Authors: Phillips Jaclyn M. , Sakamoto Sara , Buffie Alexandra , Su Selma , Waters Jonathan H. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractBackgroundObstetric hemorrhage is a leading cause of preventable maternal mortality. To combat this, obstetric organizations worldwide recommend consideration of autotransfusion during severe peripartum bleeding to minimize allogenic transfusion. Current guidelines for autotransfusion in obstetrics are limited to patients undergoing cesarean birth. At present, women experiencing vaginal obstetric hemorrhage are excluded from many obstetric autotransfusion protocols. However, emerging data suggest that autotransfusion of vaginally shed blood is both safe and feasible in the obstetric patient population.Methods and MaterialsIn this review, we will provide an overview of the current literature surrounding cell salvage of vaginally send blood and a detailed outline of our institution's blood collection protocol.ResultsRecent data suggests autotransfusion of vaginally shed blood is both safe and effective.DiscussionImplementation of autotransfusion technology into the delivery room is a critical next step for the advancement of transfusion medicine in obstetrics. This review provides an overview of the data surrounding autotransfusion of vaginally shed blood during maternal hemorrhage and describes practical suggestions for how it can be effectively implemented into routine practice.
A Unified Analogy-Based Computation Methodology From Elasticity to Electromagnetic-Chemical-Thermal Fields and a Concept of Multifield Sensing
Authors: Zhang Xin , Wang Q. Jane 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis paper reports a unified analogy-based computation methodology, together with a concept of multifield, multifunctional sensing, from elasticity to electromagnetic-chemical-thermal fields, via utilizing the similarities of mechanical-electromagnetic-chemical-thermal (MEMCT) field variables, governing equations, and the material properties pertaining to each individual field. Two equivalences are systemized, which are the field-formulation equivalence and surface-value equivalence. Due to similarity, a number of thermal, electromagnetic, or chemical solutions can be obtained from the direct degeneration of existing mechanical solutions by making specified equivalences of 2G↔k0↔ϖ0↔μ0↔β0 with G for shear modulus, k0 for heat conductivity, ϖ0 for dielectric permittivity, μ0 for magnetic permeability, and β0 for chemical diffusivity, as well as by setting Poisson’s ratio ν → 0.5. These specified equivalences enable quick solutions to other fields directly from mechanics formulations, such as those in the forms of the Galerkin vectors and Papkovich-Neuber potentials, and field coupling, by means of analogy. Several examples are given, one is used to demonstrate that the field solutions of a layered half-space with imperfect thermal, electromagnetic, or chemical interfaces can be readily obtained from the elastic solutions involving interfacial imperfections via the obtained formulation equivalence. A set of simple equations are derived to relate surface behaviors of different fields via the obtained surface-value equivalence, on which a concept of multifield sensing is proposed.
Forearc magmatism along southwest Japan is caused by rupturing of the subducting slab
Authors: Mashima* Hidehisa 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACT
The genesis of the forearc magmatism in southwest Japan at 14 Ma was studied using geologic and seismic observations. Before the magmatism, the Shimanto accretionary complexes were uplifted by 1000–3000 m between 21 and 17 Ma during the opening of the Japan Sea and the Shikoku Basin. Opening of the Japan Sea and the Shikoku Basin terminated at 15 Ma, when the Kinan Seamount Chain on the Shikoku Basin activated. The magmatic products are distributed at segment boundaries and in aseismic areas of the subducting Philippine Sea plate. The segment boundaries are located on syncline and anticline axes of the subducting slab at Kyushu. The magmatic products at Shikoku are distributed at places where olistostromes uplifted between 21 and 17 Ma. Beneath the Kumano volcanic rocks at Kii, a significant discontinuity in the locations of deep earthquakes is observed. These observations indicate that rupturing of the subducting slab by the load of the overriding plate occurred at around 14 Ma. The slab rupturing would have enabled subslab asthenosphere and/or magma to be injected into the plate interface through the tear and cause the forearc magmatism. Since the oceanic plate has a number of preexisting weaknesses, such as fracture zones, slab rupturing could occur more commonly than previously considered. The forearc magmatism caused by slab rupture is an important process associated with the growth of continental crust in subduction zones.
Effect of Hypoxia on the Stability of Microcirculation Parameters in the Temporal Head Regions of Humans
Authors: Mezentseva L. V. , Dudnik E. N. , Nikenina E. V. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract—
A new computational and experimental method for assessing the stability of oscillatory processes occurring in the microcirculation (MCR) system is proposed. The technique is based on the analysis of the stability of a differential equations system describing fluctuations in the MCR parameters of blood in symmetrical temporal head regions of humans. Using this technique, we have investigated the change in the stability of MCR parameters of the symmetrical temporal head regions under hypoxic conditions. The study has involved 10 healthy male volunteers (18–19 years). The state of short-term hypoxia has been induced using a normobaric ReOxy Cardio device (S.A. Aimediq, Luxembourg) certified in the Russian Federation for obtaining hypoxic and hyperoxic gas mixtures based on biofeedback with a built-in pulse oximetric sensor (Masimo Rad-5, United States). Synchronous measurements of MCR parameters of symmetrical temporal head regions at the basal state and immediately after short-term hypoxic exposure have been carried out by the method of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) using a two-channel LAKK–02 device (LAZMA Research and Development enterprise, Russia). It has been shown that short-term hypoxic effects change the numerical values of the stability parameters in all subjects within the boundaries of stability levels. However, the response to hypoxic exposure has been very individual in different subjects. The proposed method allows for personalized assessments of the fitness level and resistance to hypoxic influences in different subject groups.
Doppler Blood Flow Characteristics and Hemodynamic Features in Posterior Circulation in Normal
Authors: Vishnyakova A. Yu. , Berdalin A. B. , Lelyuk S. E. , Lelyuk V. G. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine reference doppler values of blood flow and to investigate features of normal hemodynamics in main arteries of posterior circulation using color-coded duplex sonography (DS). The study involved 65 apparently healthy male volunteers aged 21 to 57 years (36 ± 12 years). A decrease in peak blood flow velocities during the transition from V1-segment of vertebral artery (VA) to V2 and an increase at intracranial level from proximal to distal part (from V4-segments of VA to distal part of basilar artery (BA)) were recorded. There was a tendency towards higher blood flow values in left VA and in posterior cerebral artery (PCA) in comparison with right ones. The features of hemodynamics, most likely, were due to the structural features of posterior circulation arteries—frequent asymmetry of VA in diameters, different branching of BA, as well as differences in peripheral resistance level associated with both the activity and metabolism of blood-supplied structures and the tone of resistive vascular network (less pronounced in the supratentorial structures).