bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Expression of oxytocin in hypothalamus and reduction of nociceptive stress following administration of Kamikihi-to in female rats
Authors: Maruyama Takashi , Shimizu Makiko , Ikeda Naofumi , Baba Kazuhiko , Yoshimura Mitsuhiro , Ueta Yoichi 
Published: August 2022

Hypothalamo-neurohypophysial oxytocin (OXT) plays an essential role in reproduction and in several socio-physiological functions, including stress reduction, anxiety relief, feeding suppression, social recognition, and trust building. Recent studies suggest that the central OXT system is also involved in antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory functions. Kamikihi-to (KKT), a Japanese traditional herbal (Kampo) medicine composed of 14 herbal ingredients, is clinically prescribed for patients with psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and it has been associated with OXT expression. We investigated the antinociceptive response and OXT expression according to sex and the effects of KKT pre administration in a rat model. We found that nociceptive responses measured via the hot plate and formalin tests were attenuated following the administration of KKT-enriched feed for 4 weeks. The observation of mRFP1 fluorescence in OXT-mRFP1 transgenic rats revealed that KKT-administered rats showed increased expression of OXT in the magnocellular and parvocellular paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Food intake in the KKT-pre-administered group significantly decreased after cholecystokinin (CCK)-8 administration. Our results suggest that KKT is involved in the attenuation of nociceptive stress in female rats by enhancing the expression of OXT in the hypothalamus.
Lactate-induced lactylation in skeletal muscle is associated with insulin resistance in humans
Authors: Maschari Dominic , Saxena Gunjan , Law Timothy D. , Walsh Erin , Campbell Mason C. , Consitt Leslie A 
Published: August 2022

Elevated circulating lactate has been associated with obesity and insulin resistance. The aim of the current study was to determine if lactate-induced lysine lactylation (kla), a post-translational modification, was present in human skeletal muscle and related to insulin resistance. Fifteen lean (Body Mass Index: 22.1 ± 0.5 kg/m2) and fourteen obese (40.6 ± 1.4 kg/m2) adults underwent a muscle biopsy and 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. Skeletal muscle lactylation was increased in obese compared to lean females (19%, p &lt; 0.05) and associated with insulin resistance (r = 0.37, p &lt; 0.05) in the whole group. Skeletal muscle lactylation levels were significantly associated with markers of anaerobic metabolism (plasma lactate and skeletal muscle lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], p &lt; 0.05) and negatively associated with markers of oxidative metabolism (skeletal muscle cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 and Complex I [pyruvate] OXPHOS capacity, p &lt; 0.05). Treatment of primary human skeletal muscle cells (HSkMC) with sodium lactate for 24 h increased protein lactylation and IRS-1 serine 636 phosphorylation in a similar dose-dependent manner (p &lt; 0.05). Inhibition of glycolysis (with 2-deoxy-d-glucose) or LDH-A (with sodium oxamate or LDH-A siRNA) for 24 h reduced HSkMC lactylation which paralleled reductions in culture media lactate accumulation. This study identified the existence of a lactate-derived post-translational modification in human skeletal muscle and suggests skeletal muscle lactylation could provide additional insight into the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism, including insulin resistance.
Expression of long noncoding RNA uc.375 in bronchopulmonary dysplasia and its function in the proliferation and apoptosis of mouse alveolar epithelial cell line MLE 12
Authors: Bao Tianping , Zhu Haiyan , Zheng Yafei , Hu Jingjing , Wang Huifang , Cheng Huaiping , Zhang Yuan , Tian Zhaofang 
Published: August 2022

Background: According to our previous gene ChIP results, long noncoding RNA uc.375 was down-regulated in lung tissue of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) mice induced by hyperoxia. FoxA1 gene showed higher levels in lung tissue of BPD mice and is reported to promote the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells. We aimed to clarify the expression pattern of uc.375 in BPD and explore the interaction between uc.375 and FoxA1.Methods: Newborn mice were placed in a 95% high-oxygen environment for 7 days. Lung tissue samples from mice were used for lncRNA microarray to screen BPD related lncRNAs. Mouse alveolar epithelial cell line MLE 12 was stably transfected with uc.375 and FoxA1 silencing or overexpression lentiviral vectors. The proliferation activity of MLE 12 cells was detected by a cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay. MLE 12 cell apoptosis was determined by Hoechst/PI staining and flow cytometry analysis. The protein levels of Cleaved Caspase-3, FoxA1, SP-C and UCP2 were investigated by western blot. The relative mRNA expression levels were detected by quantitative real-time PCR.Results: uc.375 is mainly distributed in the nucleus of alveolar epithelial cells, as revealed by In Situ Hybridization assay results. uc.375 was lowly expressed in the lung tissues of BPD mice. According to the results of CCK-8 assay, analysis of Hoechst/PI staining and western blotting, uc.375 silencing inhibited cell proliferation, facilitated apoptosis of MLE 12 cells, promoted caspase 3 and FoxA1 expression, and inhibited the expression of SP-C and UCP2. On the contrary, after overexpressing uc.375, the opposite results were obtained. Silencing FoxA1 inhibited MLE 12 apoptosis, promoted proliferation, inhibited apoptosis-related factor caspase 3, and promoted the expression of SP-C and UCP2. FoxA1 silencing also reversed the effect induced by uc.375 knockdown on the proliferation and apoptosis of MLE 12 cells.Conclusion: Based on the biomedical images-derived analysis results, uc.375 negatively regulates FoxA1 expression, affects alveolar development, and plays an important role in the initiation and progression of BPD, providing a new molecular target for the prevention and treatment of BPD.
Physiological and muscle tissue responses in Litopenaeus vannamei under hypoxic stress via iTRAQ
Authors: Chang Fengtong , Li Na , Shi Xiang , Olga Volovych , Wang Xiaobing , Diao Xiaoping , Zhou Hailong , Tang Xianming 
Published: August 2022

White L. vannamei have become the most widely cultivated shrimp species worldwide. Cultivation of L. vannamei is one of the predominant sectors in China’s aquaculture industry. This study focused on the physiological and biochemical responses, differential protein expression, and expression characteristics of the related crucial functional protein genes under low oxygen conditions among different strains of L. vannamei. It was found that 6 h of hypoxic stress caused a significant reduction in the total hemocyte number in both strains, while the hypoxia-sensitive strain showed a stronger reduction. In contrast, the hemocyanin concentration showed only an overall upward trend. Proteomic analysis of L. vannamei muscle tissue revealed 3,417 differential proteins after 12 h of hypoxic stress. Among them, 29 differentially expressed proteins were downregulated and 244 were upregulated in the hypoxia-sensitive strain. In contrast, there were only 10 differentially expressed proteins with a downregulation pattern and 25 with an upregulation pattern in the hypoxia-tolerant strain. Five protein genes that responded significantly to hypoxic stress were selected for quantitative real-time PCR analysis, namely, hemocyanin, chitinase, heat shock protein 90 (HSP 90), programmed death protein, and glycogen phosphorylase. The results showed that the gene expression patterns were consistent with proteomic experimental data except for death protein and glycogen phosphorylase. These results can enrich the general knowledge of hypoxic stress in L. vannamei and the information provided differentially expressed proteins which may be used to assist breeding programs of L. vannamei of new strains with tolerance to hypoxia.
Cognitive reserve and mental health in cognitive frailty phenotypes: Insights from a study with a Portuguese sample
Authors: Gaspar Pedro Miguel , Campos-Magdaleno María , Pereiro Arturo X. , Facal David , Juncos-Rabadán Onésimo 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundResearch on prevalence of cognitive frailty phenotypes in community-dwelling older adults in different countries is important to estimate their prevalence and to determine the influence of cognitive reserve and mental health in order to prevent frailty. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of reversible and potentially reversible cognitive frailty (R-CF, PR-CF) in a Portuguese sample of old adults and explore the associations between these phenotypes and demographic, comorbidity, social support, cognitive reserve and mental health factors.MethodsWe assessed frailty (Fried criteria) in 250 community-dwelling older adults (179 women) aged 60 years or over (mean 71.04 years) without dementia, neurological or psychiatric disorders. Subjective cognitive decline and Mild cognitive impairment were diagnosed according to standard criteria. The questionnaires Charlson Index, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support, Cognitive Reserve Index and General Health were used for assessing comorbidity, social support, cognitive reserve and mental health, respectively.ResultsPrevalence of R-CF was 14%, and that of PR-CF, 15.2%. Cognitive frailty profiles differed significantly in relation to education, comorbidity, mental health, and cognitive reserve, but not in age or sex. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age, sex, comorbidity, social support, mental health, and cognitive reserve together predicted R-CF and PR-CF (90% specificity 75% sensitivity) with significant OR for mental health and cognitive reserve.DiscussionCognitive reserve and mental health are important factors predicting R-CF and PR-CF. We recommend assessing these factors for early detection of cognitive frailty and promoting psychological well-being and lifestyles that increase cognitive reserve in adults.
The relationship between tooth decay with stress and BMI among elementary students in Iran
Authors: Hosseinpour Fatemeh , Panahi Rahman , Omidi Baharan Ranjbar , Khorasani Erfan , Dehghankar Leila 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundTooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children worldwide. Stress and body mass index are also amongst the arguable risk factors which will affect people considerably. They include biological (hormones and blood sugar), socio-economic, and environmental factors and also lifestyle. In the present study, the relationship between tooth decay with stress and BMI in children was therefore investigated.Materials and methodsThis was a cross-sectional study of a descriptive-analytical type. A total of 350 students who were referred to the clinic of the faculty of dentistry at Qazvin University of Medical Sciences during 2021–2022 were selected through convenience sampling method to participate in the study. First, the students underwent a dental examination after being measured on their height and weight. Then, two questionnaires; namely, demographic information and Children's Stress Symptom Scale (CSSS) of Scherer and Ryan-Wenger were completed by the children's parents through self-reporting. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23 and then descriptive statistics and logistic regression were applied.ResultsThe mean BMI of the participating students was in the normal range. The prevalence of tooth decay among participants was 76.9% (269 people). The mean and standard deviation of stress scores was 6.85 ± 4.01 out of 26, which was at a low level. Also, the mean and standard deviation of the BMI were 22.78 ± 5.28, which was within the normal range. The results of the logistic regression showed that the variables of “father's level of education,” “family's economic status,” “the experience of the toothache during the past year,” “the oral health status,” “the frequency of tooth brushing,” “flossing,” “stress,” and “BMI” were influential factors in tooth decay (P&lt;0.05).ConclusionStudents who had improper BMI, more stress, less educated fathers, families with poor economic status, the experience of toothache within the past year, poor oral health status, and those who used toothbrushes and floss to a minimal degree suffered more tooth decay. Therefore, it is necessary that we pay more attention to these students in designing and implementing educational programs to prevent tooth decay.
Mm-wave polarimeter and profilometry design study for retrieving plasma density in the PANDORA experiment
Authors: Torrisi G. , Naselli E. , Mascali D. , Di Donato L. , Sorbello G. 
Published: August 2022

In the recent past, the possibility to use a superconducting trap confining a hot and dense plasma as a tool to investigate radioactivity in astrophysical scenarios has been proposed. Making possible these kind of unprecedented measurements is the main aim of the PANDORA (Plasmas for Astrophysics Nuclear Decays Observation and Radiation for Archaeometry) project. In this context, it is planned to build a compact and flexible magnetic plasma trap where plasma reaches an electron density ne ∼ 1011–1013 cm−3, and an electron temperature, in units of kT, kTe ∼ 0.1–30 keV. The setup is conceived to be able to measure, for the first time, nuclear β-decay rates in stellar-like conditions in terms of ionization states. In this paper, the design study of a mm-wave polarimeter for the PANDORA plasma line-integrated electron density measurement is presented. The paper highlights the method of this type of measurements for the first time proposed for a magneto-plasma trap which represents an “intermediate” case between the ultra-compact plasma ion sources and the large-size thermonuclear fusion devices. Preliminary measurements at scaled microwave frequencies have carried out both on a “free-space” setup by using a wire-grid polarizer and a rotable Ka-band OMT + horn antennas system, and on a compact trap (called Flexible Plasma Trap) installed at INFN-LNS and used as PANDORA down-sized testbench are described. The polarimeter technique will support β-decay investigation by simultaneous measurements of the total plasma density, which is crucial to carefully evaluate the decay-constant and to extrapolate the laboratory observed data to the astrophysical scenarios. Moreover, this work proposes to adopt an electromagnetic inverse-scattering-based technique-based method to retrieve the electron density profile along the probing antennas line-of-sight. Numerical results of this so-called “inverse profilometry” are also shown.
Clinical features and prognostic indicators in upper-tract urothelial carcinoma with bone metastasis
Authors: Zhou Mingping , Zhang Jianxin , Chen Xiaowei , Wang Zhan , Liang Wei 
Published: August 2022

PurposeWith the gradual increase in the incidence of upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), its metastatic disease has attracted much attention. The prognosis of UTUC patients with bone metastasis is worse than that of UTUC patients with other metastases. Therefore, the current study is performed to analyze the clinicopathologic features and survival predictors among UTUC patients with bone metastasis.Patients and methodsWe reviewed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to select cases diagnosed with UTUC and bone metastasis at present from 2010 to 2016. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were first performed by applying univariate Cox regression analysis. Then we performed multivariate Cox analysis to determine independent predictors of survival. Forest plots were drawn by GraphPad 8.0.1 and used to visually display the results of multivariate analysis. Kaplan-Meier method was applied to intuitively show the prognosis difference of each independent risk factor.ResultsWe finally identified 380 UTUC patients with bone metastasis for survival analysis, of which 230 males (60.5%) and 150 females (39.5%). The mean and median age at diagnosis were 71 and 72 years, respectively. Simultaneous lung metastasis (33.4%) and liver metastasis (31.1%) were more common in UTUC patients with bone metastasis. The 1-year OS and CSS rates of this research population were 23.8% and 26.6%, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling controlling for surgery, chemotherapy, brain metastasis, liver metastasis, lung metastasis, and marital status, revealed that surgery, chemotherapy, no liver metastasis, no lung metastasis, and married status predicted for better OS and CSS.ConclusionSurgery and chemotherapy are optimal management of UTUC patients with bone metastasis. Active treatments on lung and liver metastases should be performed. The prognosis of patients with unmarried status or others should be further improved.
The role of peripheral blood eosinophil counts in acute Stanford type A aortic dissection patients
Authors: Qin Xichun , Gao Yaxuan , Jiang Yi , Zhu Feng , Xie Wei , Tang Xinlong , Xue Yunxing , Wang Dongjin , Cao Hailong 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundAcute Stanford-A aortic dissection (AAAD) is a devastating cardiovascular condition with high mortality, therefore identifying risk prognosis factors is vital for the risk stratification of patients with AAAD. Here, we investigated peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS) counts in patients with AAAD and their possible biological implications.MethodsWe performed a single center retrospective cohort study. From 2011 to 2021, a total of 1,190 patients underwent AAAD surgery. Patients were categorized first by death and then admission EOS counts (0.00 × 109/L or &gt;0.00 × 109/L). Demographics, laboratory data, and outcomes were analyzed using standard statistical analyses. Ascending aorta specimens were used for western blotting and histological assessments.ResultsDeath group patients had lower EOS counts than the non-death group (P = 0.008). When patients were stratified using mean blood EOS counts: 681 patients had low (0.00 × 109/L) and 499 had high (&gt;0.00 × 109/L) counts. Patients with low EOS counts at admission were more likely to have a higher mortality risk (P = 0.017) and longer treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) days (P = 0.033) than patients with normal EOS counts. Also, the five blood coagulation items between both groups showed significantly different (P &lt; 0.001). Hematoxylin &amp; eosin-stained cross-sections of the ascending aorta false lumen showed that EOSs were readily observed in thrombi in the false lumen of the aorta.ConclusionsPeripheral blood EOS counts may be involved in thrombosis and could be an effective and efficient indicator for the diagnosis, evaluation, and prognosis monitoring of patients with AAAD.
Case report: Cavernous hemangioma in the right frontoparietal junction
Authors: Cao Xuemin , Chen Xiaoshuai , Wang Yi , Feng Shangang , Wang Zengwu 
Published: August 2022

BackgroundPrimary intraosseous cavernous hemangioma is a benign tumor with slow growth and is rarely seen in clinics. The clinical manifestations of most patients are progressive enlargement of the head mass.Case presentationWe report a 30-year-old female patient with cavernous hemangioma at the frontoparietal junction. Upon admission, the right frontal lobe mass was progressively enlarged for 3 years and underwent lesion resection and stage I skull reconstruction. The postoperative outcome was good, with no recurrence at 1-year follow-up.ConclusionPrimary intraosseous cavernous hemangioma is a relatively rare clinical tumor, the pathogenesis of which is still unclear, and most of them have no specific clinical manifestations. Characteristic imaging findings are highly suspicious of this disease, but the definitive diagnosis still depends on histopathological examination. Currently, total surgical resection of the tumor is a relatively effective and preferred treatment.
Lactococcus garvieae FUA009, a Novel Intestinal Bacterium Capable of Producing the Bioactive Metabolite Urolithin A from Ellagic Acid
Authors: Mi Haoyu , Liu Shu , Hai Yang , Yang Guang , Lu Jing , He Fuxiang , Zhao Yaling , Xia Mengjie , Hou Xiaoyue , Fang Yaowei 
Published: August 2022

Dietary polyphenol ellagic acid has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities, and these biological activities require the conversion of ellagic acid to urolithins by intestinal microbes. However, few gut microbes are capable of metabolizing ellagic acid to produce urolithins, limiting the beneficial effects of ellagic acid on health. Here, we describe an intestinal bacterium Lactococcus garvieae FUA009 isolated from the feces of a healthy volunteer. It was demonstrated via HPLC and UPLC-MS analysis that the end product of ellagic acid metabolism of FUA009 was urolithin A. In addition, we also examined the whole genome sequence of FUA009 and then assessed the safety and probiotic properties of FUA009 based on a complete genome and phenotype analysis. We indicated that FUA009 was safe, which was confirmed by FUA009 being sensitive to multiple antibiotics, having no hemolytic activity, and being free of aggressive putative virulence factors. Moreover, 19 stress-responsive protein genes and 8 adhesion-related genes were predicted in the FUA009 genome. Furthermore, we demonstrated that FUA009 was tolerant to acid and bile salt by determining the cell viability in a stress environment. In summary, Lactococcus garvieae FUA009, as a novel UA-producing bacterium, not only contributes to the study of the metabolic pathway of ellagic acid but is also expected to be a novel probiotic candidate.
A Genome-Wide Association Study of Genetic Variants of Apolipoprotein A1 Levels and Their Association with Vitamin D in Korean Cohorts
Authors: Lee Young , Yoon Ji Won , Kim Ye An , Choi Hyuk Jin , Yoon Byung Woo , Seo Je Hyun 
Published: August 2022

Dyslipidemia is an important independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Specifically, apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and the ApoB/A1 ratio have been linked to CVD. We conducted a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of two Korean cohorts containing a total of 12,924 patients to identify novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with ApoA1 and ApoB levels and the ApoB/A1 ratio. Additionally, an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis were performed. The statistically significant eQTL, DEG, and Gene Ontology (GO) results were used to explore the predicted interaction networks and retrieve the interacting genes and proteins. We identified three novel SNPs (rs11066280, p = 3.46 × 10−21; rs1227162, p = 2.98 × 10−15; rs73216931, p = 5.62 × 10−9) associated with ApoA1. SNP rs73216931 was an eQTL for KMT5A in the pancreas and whole blood. The network analysis revealed that HECTD4 and MYL2:LINC1405 are associated with AKT1. Our in silico analysis of ApoA1 genetic variants revealed heart muscle-related signals. ApoA1 also correlated positively with vitamin D, and genes associated with ApoA1 and vitamin D were found. Our data imply that more research into ApoA1 is needed to understand the links between dyslipidemia and CVD and vitamin D and CVD.