bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The optimal reference gene validation in Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja under environmental stresses
Authors: Yang Zheng‐Ting , Fan Si‐Xian , Li Rong , Huang Tai‐Min , An Yin , Guo Zi‐Qiang , Li Fei , Yi Yin , Li Kun 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja is a special plant species grown at high elevation in southwestern China. The bark, leaves, and roots are used for many purposes including reduction of fever and enhancement of blood insulin level. However, its growth is usually limited by the fragile environment and climate variability. Previous studies attributed the environment‐relevant yield reductions to stress induced gene expression changes. The accuracy and reliability of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR), a commonly accepted gene expression method, depends on the choice of appropriate reference genes, which are used for gene expression normalization. However, there are no reports at present about reference genes of C. paliurus under environmental stresses. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify reference genes for C. paliurus under environmental stresses. In this work, we selected seven common reference genes as our candidates: ACT2, ACTF, GAPDH, TUA, TUB, UBQ4, and 18SrRNA. The stability of these seven reference genes in C. paliurus was quantified by RT‐qPCR and evaluated by geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. The results suggest that although there were variations of the stability of the internal reference genes, two of them were usually good enough for the normalization purpose for low temperature (4 °C), high salinity (NaCl), and drought stress (polyethylene glycol [PEG] treatment). However, these genes should not be used for high‐temperature (42 °C) stress. This study provides insight for reference gene selection under experimental stresses in C. paliurus. It also sets the foundation of wide and accurate use of RT‐qPCR under environmental stresses.
Soil water storage, winter wheat yield, and water‐use efficiency with cover crops and nitrogen fertilization
Authors: Zhang Shaohong , Wang Jun , Sainju Upendra M. , Ghimire Rajan 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSummer cover crops extract soil water and may affect succeeding winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and water‐use efficiency (WUE). We examined the effect of summer cover crops and N fertilization rates on soil water storage at wheat planting (SWP) and harvest (SWH), winter wheat yield, evapotranspiration (ET), and WUE from 2017–2018 to 2019–2020 at Changwu and Chang'an in the Loess Plateau of China. Cover crops were soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr., SB], sudangrass [Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf, SG], soybean and sudangrass mixture (SS), and no cover crop (CK) and N fertilization rates were 0, 60, and 120 kg N ha–1 applied to winter wheat. Soil water was measured to a depth of 2 m at wheat planting and harvest, and grain yield, ET, and WUE of wheat were evaluated. Cover crop biomass was greater for SS than SB at both sites. The SWP and ET were greater for CK than other cover crops at all N fertilization rates, but SWH varied for cover crops, N fertilization rates, years, and sites. Winter wheat grain yield and WUE were greater for SS than other cover crops and increased with increased N fertilization rates in all years and sites. Although SS and 120 kg N ha–1 reduced SWP and ET, wheat yield and WUE were greater than other cover crops and N fertilization rates in the semiarid climatic condition of the Loess Plateau of China where annual precipitation is adequate to reduce the detrimental effect of water stress.
Assessment of a subgrid‐scale model for convection‐dominated mass transfer for initial transient rise of a bubble
Authors: Weiner Andre , Claassen Claire M. Y. , Hierck Irian R. , Kuipers J. A. M. , Baltussen Maike W. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe mass transfer between a rising bubble and the surrounding liquid is mainly determined by an extremely thin layer of dissolved gas near the bubble interface. Resolving this concentration boundary layer in numerical simulations is computationally expensive and limited to low Péclet numbers. Subgrid‐scale (SGS) models mitigate the resolution requirements by approximating the mass transfer near the interface. In this contribution, we validate an improved SGS model with a single‐phase simulation approach, which solves only the liquid phase at a highly resolved mesh. The mass transfer during the initial transient rise of moderately deformed bubbles in the range Re = 72–569 and Sc = 102–104 is carefully validated. The single‐phase approach is able to mirror the two‐phase flow field. The time‐dependent local and global mass transfer of both approaches agree well. The difference in the global Sherwood number is below than 2.5%. The improved SGS model predicts the mass transfer accurately and shows marginal mesh dependency.
Time trend and age‐specific gender difference in the incidence of liver cancer from 2009 to 2018 in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chuen‐Fei , Chang Hung‐Chuen 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLiver cancer has a significant impact on global health. Taiwan is a country with a high incidence rate of liver cancer. Efforts in primary prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C are projected to decrease the liver cancer incidence in Taiwan. We used the Taiwan Cancer Registry data to explore the time trend of liver cancer incidence over the last decade, which showed a decreasing trend of 21% in males and 26.1% in females from 2009 to 2018. Both genders aged 30‐39 years had the greatest decrease in liver cancer incidence, while those >70 years old had the least decrease. Our study also showed gender disparity in liver cancer with a persistent male predominance over time. In the past decade, the liver cancer incidence had a 2.5 to 2.7 sex ratio (male to female) and varied gender differences at different ages. Sex ratios peaked at age 40‐49 years and gradually decreased as age increases. The pattern of age‐specific gender differences was similar between 2009 and 2018. This finding implies that female sex hormones may play a protective role in the development of liver cancer.
Migration of bird feather into bile duct mimicking bile duct stone recurrence: First‐ever case report
Authors: Chen Chia‐Chang , Peng Yen‐Chun , Yang Sheng‐Shun , Tung Chun‐Fang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe presence of a bird feather as a foreign object inside the human body has rarely been reported in the literature. A feather can cause severe complications such as neck infection or duodenal perforation. Early recognition and treatment of this condition may prevent associated morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a female patient who had a feather inside her bile duct. The feather caused abdominal pain without acute cholangitis. Fortunately, it was successfully removed before causing severe complications. This is the first‐ever case report of the migration of a feather into the common bile duct. A 54‐year‐old Taiwanese woman had a history of cholecystectomy due to acute calculous cholecystitis 1 year prior to this visit. She had also undergone endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) two times due to acute cholangitis (8 years ago and 1 year ago). Endoscopic papilla sphincterotomy had been performed during ERCP for stone extraction. This time, she visited our clinic due to intermittent epigastric pain for 2 weeks. There were no signs of acute cholangitis. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) did not reveal bile duct stone or foreign bodies. ERCP was arranged for possible hidden stones not detected by CT. To our surprise, we pulled a 5‐cm‐long bird feather out of her bile duct during ERCP. After successfully removing the feather, she remained free of abdominal pain and other complications during the next 6 months of follow‐up at our outpatient clinic. Migration of foreign bodies into the bile duct should be included in the differential diagnosis for unexplained abdominal pain in patients with choledochoduodenal fistula due to previous endoscopic papilla sphincterotomy.
The utility of HCV core antigen for evaluation of viremia at 48 weeks posttreatment with direct‐acting antivirals
Authors: Ko Ping‐Hung , Tseng Chih‐Wei , Tseng Kuo‐Chih , Chen Yen‐Chun , Hsu Ching‐Sheng 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCV‐cAg) assay is a cheap and rapid alternative to HCV‐RNA detection, while the results were limited to 12 weeks following direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of the HCV‐cAg assay up to 48 weeks after DAA treatment. We enrolled 98 patients with chronic HCV infection who received DAA treatment in this study. Plasma samples were assessed for HCV‐RNA (AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan assay, Roche) and HCV‐cAg (Abbott ARCHITECT HCV‐cAg assay) levels at baseline, 12 weeks (P12) and 48 weeks (P48) after DAA treatment. The sensitivity and specificity of HCV‐cAg were compared with those of HCV‐RNA. A total of 284 samples from 98 enrolled participants were analyzed. HCV‐cAg levels changed in parallel with HCV‐RNA levels in HCV‐infected patients during and after DAA therapy. HCV‐cAg levels showed excellent correlation with HCV viral load (R = 0.951, R2 = 0.905, β = 0.951, and P < .001). The overall sensitivity and specificity for HCV‐cAg in detecting quantifiable HCV‐RNA thresholds were 96.9% and 100%, respectively. Three patients with baseline HCV viremia had nonreactive HCV‐cAg (false‐negative rate was 1.02%); none of the patients were HCV‐cAg positive and HCV‐RNA negative. At 48 weeks after DAA treatment, the HCV‐cAg assay detected all patients with viremia, demonstrating 100% sensitivity and specificity. In conclusions, the HCV‐cAg assay has high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pre‐ and post‐DAA treatment viremia and may be a useful tool to confirm viremia at P12 and P48.
Gastric amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma: A rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Fang Huei‐Ling , Lin Cheng‐Kuan , Yu Yuan‐Bin , Chang Min‐Hsiang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAmyloidosis is defined as an excess extracellular deposit of protein fibrils, an associated syndrome with tissue injury and dysfunction. Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is the most common type of systemic amyloidosis. The most frequently involved organs are the kidneys, heart, liver, autonomous nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract. Systemic AL amyloidosis patients often have GI symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. Furthermore, asymptomatic gastric amyloid deposits are commonly found in patients with systemic AL amyloidosis. The clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and treatment of an 80‐year‐old female patient with AL amyloidosis of the gastrointestinal tract in our hospital were summarized. Relevant literatures on the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this disease were reviewed. The patient was referred to upper endoscopy because of melena for weeks. Large areas of irregular thickened gastric folds with overlying ulcers and friable polypoid masses at the fundus were seen, showing amyloid depositions. Further workup revealed that no involvement of other organs. Serum immunoelectrophoresis and bone marrow biopsy confirmed multiple myeloma, which was clinically thought to cause gastric amyloidosis. The patient was treated with melphalan, prednisolone, and thalidomide. After treatment, the melena was improved, the flattening gastric mass and a reduction in the serum kappa light chain level and kappa/lambda ratio were observed. Gastric amyloidosis is rarely seen at upper endoscopy in patients without a previously established diagnosis of myeloma. Early detection of gastrointestinal amyloidosis will ultimately improve the outcomes of patients with the rare disease.
The quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease: Focus on gender difference
Authors: Meng Detao , Jin Zhaohui , Gao Lei , Wang Yixuan , Wang Ruidan , Fang Jinping , Qi Lin , Su Yuan , Liu Aixian , Fang Boyan 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundTo improve understanding of gender differences on quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PWP) of a different race, the differences of clinical features and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) between male and female PWP were studied in a small cohort early to middle stage of Chinese PWP.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was carried out. PWP were consecutively included from April 2020 to July 2021 in Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital. HRQoL, motor symptoms, and nonmotor symptoms in each patient were evaluated. The differences of demographic, motor symptoms assessments, nonmotor symptoms assessments, and QoL between two gender groups were tested using t‐test statistics, Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test, or χ2 depending on the data type. To eliminate the possible factors contributing to the QoL, linear regression models were constructed to sort out the effect of gender.ResultsOne hundred and sixty‐two Parkinson's disease (PD) patients were included. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and symptom scale assessments had no statistical differences except for levodopa equivalent daily dose, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Score, REM sleep behavior disorder sleep questionnaire, and Hyposmia Rating Scale score. After baseline imbalance corrections, a significantly higher score of PD Questionnaire‐39 (PDQ‐39) in female than in male patients(p<.05) was found. In the questionnaire, summary Index and bodily discomfort, stigma, and emotional well‐being subscores were the main contribution differences.ConclusionsGender differences are associated with the QoL in the early to middle stage PWP in China. Female patients have poorer QoL than male patients, especially bodily discomfort, stigma, and emotional well‐being.
The comparison of acute toxicities associated with craniospinal irradiation between photon beam therapy and proton beam therapy in children with brain tumors
Authors: Uemura Suguru , Demizu Yusuke , Hasegawa Daiichiro , Fujikawa Tomoko , Inoue Shotaro , Nishimura Akihiro , Tojyo Ryunosuke , Nakamura Sayaka , Kozaki Aiko , Saito Atsuro , Kishimoto Kenji , Ishida Toshiaki , Mori Takeshi , Koyama Jyunji , Kawamura Atsufumi , Akasaka Yoshinobu , Yoshida Makiko , Fukumitsu Nobuyoshi , Soejima Toshinori , Kosaka Yoshiyuki 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIntroductionThis study aimed to evaluate acute toxicities associated with irradiation between the X‐CSI (photon beam craniospinal irradiation) and P‐CSI (proton beam craniospinal irradiation) groups in children with brain tumors.MethodsSixty‐two consecutive patients who received initial craniospinal irradiation (CSI) for brain tumors in our center between January 1, 2011 and May 31, 2021, were included in the study. Acute toxicities were retrospectively evaluated during CSI using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Maximum grades of fatigue, headache, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, dermatitis, constipation, abdominal pain, oropharyngeal mucositis, and hematological toxicities were evaluated.ResultsThirty‐six patients received X‐CSI, and 26 patients received P‐CSI. The median dose of CSI was 18.0 Gy in the X‐CSI group and 23.4 Gy (relative biological effectiveness) in the P‐CSI group (p < 0.001). The P‐CSI group had a lower incidence of more than grade 2 nausea (11.5% vs. 69.4%, p = 0.008) and vomiting (7.7% vs. 38.8%, p < 0.001), compared with the X‐CSI group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustments for potential confounding factors of doses of CSI showed that proton radiation therapy was associated with a marked reduced risk of more than grade 2 nausea and vomiting during CSI (adjusted odds ratio, 0.050; 95% confidential interval, 0.011–0.24; p < 0.001).ConclusionThe present study suggests that P‐CSI reduces the acute gastrointestinal toxicities associated with irradiation.
NO Reduction on Cu‐Based Model Catalysts Studied by in‐situIRAS
Authors: Huang Wujun , Lin Na , Xie Xiuwen , Chen Mingshu , Wan Huilin 
Published: February 2022

Comprehensive SummaryCu‐based catalyst has been widely used for catalytic reduction of NO. Well‐defined TiOx/Cu(110) films were prepared and investigated by in situ reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (IRAS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). A complex surface structure of Cu+(‐O‐Ti‐)‐O‐Cuδ+/Cu(110) was proposed, in which the topmost surface Cu+ is highly dispersed, isolated and fixed by the TiOx layer. Such a ‘single atom’‐like surface site appears a very narrow νCO peak at 2130 cm–1, and is more stable upon both CO reduction and vacuum annealing than the Cu2O/Cu(110). Such isolated Cu+(‐O‐Ti‐) site on TiOx/Cu(110) is also fairly stable in NO+CO reaction, but the overall catalytic activity is slightly lower than that on the Cu(110) surface, indicating that the single‐atom Cu+(‐O‐Ti‐) site is less efficient for NO+CO reaction at the examined conditions. The study provides useful information for the design and application of single‐atom catalysts and understanding the nature of catalytically active centers.
Biomarker Qualification at the European Medicines Agency: A Review of Biomarker Qualification Procedures From 2008 to 2020
Authors: Bakker Elisabeth , Hendrikse Natalie M. , Ehmann Falk , van der Meer Daniëlla S. , Llinares Garcia Jordi , Vetter Thorsten , Starokozhko Viktoriia , Mol Peter G.M. 
Published: February 2022

Regulatory qualification of biomarkers facilitates their harmonized use across drug developers, enabling more personalized medicine. This study reviews various aspects of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’s) biomarker qualification procedure, including frequency and outcome, common challenges, and biomarker characteristics. Our findings provide insights into the EMA’s biomarker qualification process and will thereby support future applications. All biomarker‐related “Qualification of Novel Methodologies for Medicine Development” procedures that started from 2008 to 2020 were included. Procedural data were extracted from relevant documents and analyzed descriptively. In total, 86 biomarker qualification procedures were identified, of which 13 resulted in qualified biomarkers. Whereas initially many biomarker qualification procedures were linked to a single company and specific drug development program, a shift was observed to qualification efforts by consortia. Most biomarkers were proposed (n = 45) and qualified (n = 9) for use in patient selection, stratification, and/or enrichment, followed by efficacy biomarkers (37 proposed, 4 qualified). Overall, many issues were raised during qualification procedures, mostly related to biomarker properties and assay validation (in 79% and 77% of all procedures, respectively). Issues related to the proposed context of use and rationale were least common yet were still raised in 54% of all procedures. While few qualified biomarkers are currently available, procedures focus increasingly on biomarkers for general use instead of those linked to specific drug compounds. The issues raised during qualification procedures illustrate the thorough discussions taking place between applicants and regulators—highlighting aspects that need careful consideration and underlining the importance of an appropriate validation strategy.
Habitat partitioning by mobile intertidal invertebrates of sandy beaches shifts with the tides
Authors: Emery Kyle A. , Kramer Valerie R. , Schooler Nicholas K. , Michaud Kristen M. , Madden Jessica R. , Hubbard David M. , Miller Robert J. , Dugan Jenifer E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCoexistence of similar species can be influenced by the intensity of interspecific interactions, which often depends on the availability of limiting resources. Habitat availability varies strongly with tidal phase in many intertidal ecosystems, potentially affecting interspecific interaction strength, particularly for mobile species. Four closely related species of highly mobile intertidal detritivores (talitrid amphipods Megalorchestia californiana, M. corniculata, M. benedicti, M. minor) inhabit sandy beaches in southern California, where they consume wave‐cast macroalgal wrack originating on coastal reefs. Their coexistence suggests that mechanisms, such as niche separation, are operating to weaken competition among these species. To evaluate this possibility, we explored how tidal phase may mediate temporal and spatial patterns of habitat use among these closely related congeners. We hypothesized that neap tides that reduce intertidal habitat would strengthen temporal separation between species, whereas spatial separation would be greater during spring tides when more habitat is available. We investigated these questions during spring and neap tide phases using (1) comparisons of intertidal distributions of burrowed amphipods and (2) observations of surface activity of amphipods from pitfall traps and mesocosms. We found significant effects of tide phase and species identity on mean intertidal positions and separation of burrowed amphipods. Intertidal distributions of the four species overlapped during neap tide and were significantly separated during spring tide when more intertidal habitat was available. Surface activity patterns differed among species and were more widely separated in time during neap tide than during spring tide. Consequently, the cumulative activity time of all species on neap tides was twice that observed during spring tides. Our findings suggest that mobile intertidal species, like these sympatric talitrid amphipods, can avoid interspecific competition by shifting their activity patterns with tide phase and beach condition. As rising sea levels reduce beach habitat, interspecific competition among these important intertidal consumers may increasingly influence their behavior and coexistence.
Multimodal biological brain age prediction using magnetic resonance imaging and angiography with the identification of predictive regions
Authors: Mouches Pauline , Wilms Matthias , Rajashekar Deepthi , Langner Sönke , Forkert Nils D. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBiological brain age predicted using machine learning models based on high‐resolution imaging data has been suggested as a potential biomarker for neurological and cerebrovascular diseases. In this work, we aimed to develop deep learning models to predict the biological brain age using structural magnetic resonance imaging and angiography datasets from a large database of 2074 adults (21–81 years). Since different imaging modalities can provide complementary information, combining them might allow to identify more complex aging patterns, with angiography data, for instance, showing vascular aging effects complementary to the atrophic brain tissue changes seen in T1‐weighted MRI sequences. We used saliency maps to investigate the contribution of cortical, subcortical, and arterial structures to the prediction. Our results show that combining T1‐weighted and angiography MR data led to a significantly improved brain age prediction accuracy, with a mean absolute error of 3.85 years comparing the predicted and chronological age. The most predictive brain regions included the lateral sulcus, the fourth ventricle, and the amygdala, while the brain arteries contributing the most to the prediction included the basilar artery, the middle cerebral artery M2 segments, and the left posterior cerebral artery. Our study proposes a framework for brain age prediction using multimodal imaging, which gives accurate predictions and allows identifying the most predictive regions for this task, which can serve as a surrogate for the brain regions that are most affected by aging.