bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Epigenetic Differences in Long Non-coding RNA Expression in Finnish and Russian Karelia Teenagers With Contrasting Risk of Allergy and Asthma
Authors: Ndika Joseph , Karisola Piia , Lahti Vilma , Fyhrquist Nanna , Laatikainen Tiina , Haahtela Tari , Alenius Harri 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundPreviously, we investigated skin microbiota and blood cell gene expression in Finnish and Russian teenagers with contrasting incidence of allergic conditions. The microbiota and transcriptomic signatures were distinctly different, with high Acinetobacter abundance and suppression of genes regulating innate immune response in healthy subjects.ObjectiveHere, we investigated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles of blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy and allergic subjects, to identify lncRNAs that act at the interphase of microbiome-mediated immune homeostasis in allergy/asthma.MethodsGenome-wide co-expression network analyses of blood cell lncRNA/mRNA expression was integrated with skin microbiota profiles of Finnish (69) and Russian (75) subjects. Selected lncRNAs were validated by stimulation of cohort-derived PBMCs and a macrophage cell model with birch pollen allergen (Betv1) or lipopolysaccharide, respectively.ResultsFinnish and Russian PBMCs were differentiated by 3,818 lncRNA transcripts. In the Finnish subjects with high prevalence of allergy and asthma, a subset of 37 downregulated lncRNAs (including, FAM155A-IT1 and LOC400958) were identified. They were part of a co-expression network with 20 genes known to be related to asthma and allergic rhinitis (R &gt; 0.95). Incidentally, all these 20 genes were also components of pathways corresponding to cellular response to bacterium. The Finnish and Russian samples were also differentiated by the abundance of 176 bacterial OTU (operational taxonomic units). The subset of 37 lncRNAs, associated with allergy, was most correlated with the abundance of Acinetobacter (R &gt; +0.5), Jeotgalicoccus (R &gt; +0.5), Corynebacterium (R &lt; −0.5) and Micrococcus (R &lt; −0.5).ConclusionIn Finnish and Russian teenagers with contrasting allergy and asthma prevalence, epigenetic differences in lncRNA expression appear to be important components of the underlying microbiota-immune interactions. Unraveling the functions of the 37 differing lncRNAs may be the key to understanding microbiome-immune crosstalk, and to develop clinically relevant biomarkers.
Virally Mediated Connexin 26 Expression in Postnatal Scala Media Significantly and Transiently Preserves Hearing in Connexin 30 Null Mice
Authors: Zhang Li , Wang Wenwen , Kim Sun Myoung , Wang Jianjun , Zhou Binfei , Kong Weijia , Zheng James , Lin Xi 
Published: April 2022

Non-sensory cells in the sensory epithelium of the cochlea are connected extensively by gap junctions. Functionally null mutations in GJB6 (encoding Cx30) cause hearing loss in humans. In this study, we injected AAV1-CB7-Gjb2 into the scala media between P0-2 in the cochlea of Gjb6−/− mice. The injection increased Cx26 expression and significantly preserved auditory functions. However, the hearing preservation gradually declined and essentially disappeared 3 months after the injections. In contrast, the morphological preservation was still significant at 3 months post-injection. We found that the expression of Cx26, at both the mRNA and protein levels, showed substantial decreases during the 3-month period. Curiously, treatments by injecting AAV1-CB7-Gjb6 with the identical approach failed to yield any hearing preservation. Our results demonstrated the first successful cochlear gene therapy treatment in mouse models by virally expressing a companion gene of Gjb6.
Dual RNA Sequencing Reveals Key Events When Different Giardia Life Cycle Stages Interact With Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells In Vitro
Authors: Rojas Laura , Grüttner Jana , Ma’ayeh Showgy , Xu Feifei , Svärd Staffan G. 
Published: April 2022

Giardia intestinalis is a protozoan parasite causing diarrheal disease, giardiasis, after extracellular infection of humans and other mammals’ intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) of the upper small intestine. The parasite has two main life cycle stages: replicative trophozoites and transmissive cysts. Differentiating parasites (encysting cells) and trophozoites have recently been shown to be present in the same regions of the upper small intestine, whereas most mature cysts are found further down in the intestinal system. To learn more about host-parasite interactions during Giardia infections, we used an in vitro model of the parasite’s interaction with host IECs (differentiated Caco-2 cells) and Giardia WB trophozoites, early encysting cells (7 h), and cysts. Dual RNA sequencing (Dual RNAseq) was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both Giardia and the IECs, which might relate to establishing infection and disease induction. In the human cells, the largest gene expression changes were found in immune and MAPK signaling, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, cholesterol metabolism and oxidative stress. The different life cycle stages of Giardia induced a core of similar DEGs but at different levels and there are many life cycle stage-specific DEGs. The metabolic protein PCK1, the transcription factors HES7, HEY1 and JUN, the peptide hormone CCK and the mucins MUC2 and MUC5A are up-regulated in the IECs by trophozoites but not cysts. Cysts specifically induce the chemokines CCL4L2, CCL5 and CXCL5, the signaling protein TRKA and the anti-bacterial protein WFDC12. The parasite, in turn, up-regulated a large number of hypothetical genes, high cysteine membrane proteins (HCMPs) and oxidative stress response genes. Early encysting cells have unique DEGs compared to trophozoites (e.g. several uniquely up-regulated HCMPs) and interaction of these cells with IECs affected the encystation process. Our data show that different life cycle stages of Giardia induce different gene expression responses in the host cells and that the IECs in turn differentially affect the gene expression in trophozoites and early encysting cells. This life cycle stage-specific host-parasite cross-talk is an important aspect to consider during further studies of Giardia’s molecular pathogenesis.
Comparison Between Two Definitions of Contrast-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Wang Bo , Zheng Yiying , Li Huanqiang , Chen Shuling , Zhou Ziyou , Lun Zhubin , Ying Ming , Zhang Lingyu , Mai Ziling , Liu Liwei , Zhou Ziqing , Lin Mengfei , Yang Yongquan , Chen Jiyan , Liu Yong , Liu Jin , Chen Shiqun , Tan Ning 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundDifferent definitions of contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) have different predictive effects on prognosis. However, few studies explored the relationship between these definitions and long-term prognosis in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Thus, we aimed to evaluate this association and compared the population attributable risks (PAR) of different CA-AKI definitions.MethodsThis study enrolled 2,207 consecutive patients with CHF undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. Two different definitions of CA-AKI were used: CA-AKIA was defined as an increase ≥.5 mg/dl or &gt; 25% in serum creatinine (SCr) from baseline within 72 h after CAG, and CA-AKIB was defined as an increase of ≥.3 mg/dl or &gt; 50% in SCr from baseline within 48 h after CAG. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox regression were applied to evaluate the association between CA-AKI with long-term mortality. Population attributable risk (PAR) of different definitions for long-term prognosis was also calculated.ResultsDuring the 3.8-year median follow-up (interquartile range 2.1-6), the overall long-term mortality was 24.9%, and the long-term mortality in patients with the definitions of CA-AKIA and CA-AKIB were 30.4% and 34.3%, respectively. We found that CA-AKIA (HR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.19-1.74) and CA-AKIB (HR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.21-1.80) were associated with long-term mortality. The PAR was higher for CA-AKIA (9.6% vs. 8%).ConclusionsOur findings suggested that CA-AKI was associated with long-term mortality in patients with CHF irrespective of its definitions. The CA-AKIA was a much better definition of CA-AKI in patients with CHF due to its higher PAR. For these patients, cardiologists should pay more attention to the presence of CA-AKI, especially CA-AKIA.
Enrichment of the Postdischarge GRACE Score With Deceleration Capacity Enhances the Prediction Accuracy of the Long-Term Prognosis After Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Duan Shoupeng , Wang Jun , Yu Fu , Song Lingpeng , Liu Chengzhe , Sun Ji , Deng Qiang , Wang Yijun , Zhou Zhen , Guo Fuding , Zhou Liping , Wang Yueyi , Tan Wuping , Jiang Hong , Yu Lilei 
Published: April 2022

BackgroundCardiac autonomic nerve imbalance has been well documented to provide a critical foundation for the development of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) but is not included in the postdischarge GRACE score. We investigated whether capturing cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS)-related modulations by 24-h deceleration capacity (DC) could improve the capability of existing prognostic models, including the postdischarge Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score, to predict prognosis after ACS.MethodPatients with ACS were assessed with 24-h Holter monitoring in our department from June 2017 through June 2019. The GRACE score was calculated for postdischarge 6-month mortality. The patients were followed longitudinally for the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), set as a composite of non-fatal myocardial infarction and death. To evaluate the improvement in its discriminative and reclassification capabilities, the GRACE score with DC model was compared with a model using the GRACE score only, using area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve (AUC), Akaike's information criteria, the likelihood ratio test, category-free integrated discrimination index (IDI) and continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI).ResultsOverall, 323 patients were enrolled consecutively. After the follow-up period (mean, 43.78 months), 41 patients were found to have developed MACEs, which were more frequent among patients with DC &lt;2.5 ms. DC adjusted for the GRACE score independently predicted the occurrence of MACEs with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 0.885 and 95% CI of 0.831–0.943 (p &lt; 0.001). Moreover, adding DC to the GRACE score only model increased the discriminatory ability for MACEs, as indicated by the likelihood ratio test (χ2 = 9.277, 1 df; p &lt; 0.001). The model including the GRACE score combined with DC yielded a lower corrected Akaike's information criterion compared to that with the GRACE score alone. Incorporation of the DC into the existing model that uses the GRACE score enriched the net reclassification indices (NRIe&gt;0 7.3%, NRIne&gt;0 12.8%, NRI&gt;0 0.200; p = 0.003). Entering the DC into the GRACE score model enhanced discrimination (IDI of 1.04%, p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionDC serves as an independent and effective predictor of long-term adverse outcomes after ACS. Integration of DC and the postdischarge GRACE score significantly enhanced the discriminatory capability and precision in the prediction of poor long-term follow-up prognosis.
Extraction of Organic Compounds From Lacustrine Oil-Prone Shales and the Effect on Nanopore
Authors: Cao Huairen , Zhang Deping , Wang Xiaoyu , Fu Deliang 
Published: April 2022

Lacustrine oil-prone shale at the oil-generation stage develops a large number of nanopores; however, the influence of fluid–shale interactions on the nanopores of lacustrine shale is poorly understood. A suite of mature lacustrine shales from the Songliao Basin Qingshankou Formation was performed on sequential organic solvent (petroleum ether and mixture of dichloromethane and methanol) extractions, and nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorptions, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and field emission scanning electron microscopes (FE-SEM) observation. The sequential extractions show a decrease in total organic matter (TOC) and in the exacted organic matter content of shale, but an increase in the specific area (SBET) and pore volume of the extracted residues. Before and after extractions, the relationships between the extracted amount of OM and SBET, pore volume and their cumulative increments reveal OM as a main factor affecting the development of nanopores in these shales. The reasons are 1) SBET and mesopores are mainly blocked by EOMs in the initial samples, 2) the cumulative increases of SBET and mesopores are dominantly controlled by the extracted amount of hydrocarbons during petroleum ether extraction, and 3) both hydrocarbons and NSOs (resins and asphaltenes) have an influence on the cumulative increases of SBET and mesopores, and kerogen exposed more open porous-organic mesopores after the EOMs in the extracted shales. Here, further work concludes that oils adsorbed on pore surfaces are dominantly distributed on nanopores less than 10 nm, and free oils occur when the threshold of the average pore width in studied shales is over 11.7 nm.
Basal Insulin Reduces Glucose Variability and Hypoglycaemia Compared to Premixed Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Study Based on Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems
Authors: Wang Huiying , Zhou Yunting , Wang Yuming , Cai Tingting , Hu Yun , Jing Ting , Ding Bo , Su Xiaofei , Li Huiqin , Ma Jianhua 
Published: April 2022

AimsTo examine the glycaemic variability and safety of basal and premixed insulin by using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.Methods393 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with basal or premixed insulin for more than 3 months were enrolled. Patients were classified into a basal insulin group or premixed insulin group according to their insulin regimens. CGMs were used for 72 h with their previous hypoglycaemic regimen unchanged. The following glycaemic parameters were calculated for each 24 h using CGM data.ResultsDespite similar HbA1c and fasting C-peptide concentrations, glycaemic variability (GV), including the mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion (MAGE), standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV), and the time below range (TBR) were significantly lower in the basal insulin group than these in the premixed insulin group. Night-time hypoglycaemia was lower in the basal insulin group than that in the premixed insulin group (p&lt;0.01). Among participants with haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) &lt; 7%, the GV and TBR were higher in the premixed insulin group than that in the basal insulin group.ConclusionCompared with basal insulin, the patients who use premixed insulin had higher GV, smaller TIR and an increased incidence of hypoglycaemia. For patients who use premixed insulin and with HbA1c &lt; 7%, more attention needs to be given to hypoglycaemic events and asymptomatic hypoglycaemia.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03566472.
Effect of lncRNA MALAT1 on the Granulosa Cell Proliferation and Pregnancy Outcome in Patients With PCOS
Authors: Tu Mixue , Wu Yiqing , Wang Feixia , Huang Yun , Qian Yuli , Li Jingyi , Lv Pingping , Ying Yanyun , Liu Juan , Liu Yifeng , Zhang Runju , Zhao Wei , Zhang Dan 
Published: April 2022

Follicle arrest is one of the main characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrinological disorder in reproductive-aged women. Increasing evidence proves that high anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels may play an important role in follicular development. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) with a length of more than 200 nt is widely involved in the directional differentiation, growth, and development of cells, whereas whether lncRNA is involved in AMH’s role in follicular development is unknown. In this study, we analyzed lncRNA expression in ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) collected from women with and without PCOS via high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that a total of 79 noncoding transcripts were differently expressed in GCs of PCOS patients, including upregulated lncRNA MALAT1. The upregulation of MALAT1 was further confirmed by RT-qPCR in GCs from a larger cohort of PCOS patients. Furthermore, knockdown MALAT1 can promote the proliferation of KGN cell in vitro. These data suggested a role for MALAT1 in the development of PCOS. Meanwhile, MALAT1 and phosphorylated SMAD 1/5 (Ser463/465) protein were upregulated in KGN cells after exogenous AMH stimulation, which identified AMH perhaps as a regulator for the expression of MALAT1. We also found that MALAT1 can predict clinical pregnancy outcome to a certain extent by ROC curve analysis (area: 0.771, p = 0.007, 95% CI: 0.617–0.925, sensitivity: 57.1%, specificity: 91.7%). Thus, our findings revealed a role of lncRNA MALAT1 in inhibiting granulosa cell proliferation and may be correlated with pregnancy outcome in PCOS.
Heat-Resistant CO2 Foam for Promoting Carbon Capture and Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Liu Yali , Zhang Chao , Wen Quan , Li Zhaomin , Song Mingzhe 
Published: April 2022

Investigation of methods to effectively block the high-permeability channel and displace the residual oil in the small pores in the old oilfields is an urgent research hotspot. The heat-resistant carbon dioxide (CO2) foam with high viscoelasticity and low interfacial tension, which is suitable for improving the oil recovery of old oilfields, and at the same time aids in carbon sequestration. In this study, a suitable heat-resistant foaming agent was selected by considering the temperature resistance, plugging, and profile control as the evaluation indicators, and the heat-resistant CO2 foam was prepared. Then, the two-dimensional (2D) plate model experiment was designed to verify the feasibility of the heat-resistant CO2 foam profile control process in order to solve the problems of small sweep range and uneven sweep degree in the reservoir. The results show that the selected foaming agent (RSB-IV) still maintained a foaming volume of 375 ml at 300°C, and the interfacial tension was only 0.008 mNm−1. The prepared heat-resistant CO2 foam exhibited the best profile control effect when the gas and liquid mixed injection, the gas-liquid ratio was 1:1, and the injection volume was 4.5–5.5 PV. In the 2D plate experiment, heat-resistant CO2 foam flooding promoted the recovery of the remaining oil in the matrix, and the oil recovery was increased to 61.01%. Furthermore, by designing the CO2 gas cap, it was verified that when the volume of the gas cap was large (above 1.5 PV), the injection of the CO2 gas cap could not only effectively improve the recovery rate, but also achieve effective CO2 capture.
Spatial Spillover Effects of the Resource Curse: An Empirical Analysis in China
Authors: Men Xiaolu 
Published: April 2022

On the basis of a production function, an economic model consisting of three regions and two departments (resources and conventional departments) is constructed to explore the effect of natural resources on economic development and their spatial correlation. Then, we construct resource abundance and resource dependence indicators. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2004 to 2020, a spatial Durbin model is used to empirically test the theoretical hypothesis. The results demonstrate that the resource curse exists objectively, and its root lies in resource dependence; increased dependence on resource industries in a region can improve the economic situation of its surrounding regions, and the spatial spillover effect demonstrates obvious nearby features. The marginal measurement result of spatial spillover indicates that the economic effects of local resource dependence on surrounding areas peaks at 250 km. Further categorization discussions confirm that the resource curse in China is mainly the energy curse.
Identification of Novel Prognostic Biomarkers Relevant to Immune Infiltration in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Xia Zhi , Rong Xueyao , Dai Ziyu , Zhou Dongbo 
Published: April 2022

Background: Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is a biomarker for assessing the immune microenvironment, prognosis, and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in the clinical treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but it does not work for all patients. This study aims to discover alternative biomarkers.Methods: Public data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and gene ontology (GO) were used to determine the gene modules relevant to tumor immunity. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and GO semantic similarity analyses were applied to identify the module hub genes with functional similarities to PD-L1, and we assessed their correlations with immune infiltration, patient prognosis, and immunotherapy response. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&amp;E) staining were used to validate the outcome at the protein level.Results: We identified an immune response–related module, and two hub genes (PSTPIP1 and PILRA) were selected as potential biomarkers with functional similarities to PD-L1. High expression levels of PSTPIP1 and PILRA were associated with longer overall survival and rich immune infiltration in LUAD patients, and both were significantly high in patients who responded to anti–PD-L1 treatment. Compared to PD-L1–negative LUAD tissues, the protein levels of PSTPIP1 and PILRA were relatively increased in the PD-L1–positive tissues, and the expression of PSTPIP1 and PILRA positively correlated with the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.Conclusion: We identified PSTPIP1 and PILRA as prognostic biomarkers relevant to immune infiltration in LUAD, and both are associated with the response to anti–PD-L1 treatment.
Genetic and Phenotype Analysis of a Chinese Cohort of Infants and Children With Epilepsy
Authors: Chuan Zhang , Ruikun Cai , Qian Li , Shiyue Mei , Shengju Hao , Yong Yuan , Haibo Li , Neng Xiao , Yong Zhao , Huiqin Xue , Weijia Wang , Ling Hui , Bingbo Zhou , Zhang Qinghua , Yan Wang , Zongfu Cao , Xu Ma 
Published: April 2022

Background:Epilepsy in childhood is a common and diverse neurological disorder. We conducted a genetic and phenotype analysis of a Chinese cohort of infants and children with epilepsy.Methods:We conducted a pedigree analysis of 260 Chinese patients with epilepsy onset during infancy or childhood by whole exome sequencing (WES).Results:Of the 260 probands analyzed, a genetic diagnosis was established in 135 patients. One-hundred eighty-eight phenotypes were detected in those 135 positive/likely positive patients, 106 patients had more than two phenotypes, and 67 patients had more than three phenotypes. A total of 142 variants of 81 genes were detected among the positive/likely positive patients. Among these 142 variants, of which 87 of 66 genes were novel.Conclusion:Our findings extend the variant spectrum of genes related to epilepsy. Our results will be useful for genetic testing and counseling for patients with epilepsy.