bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 in a Child With Transposition of the Great Arteries S/P Fontan Palliation: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Wen Chen , Shi Guocheng , Liu Wei , Zhang Hao , Lin Gangxi , Chen Huiwen 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundAlthough adult patients with cardiovascular disease are at higher risk of adverse outcomes such as death or severe infection, limited data exist regarding pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. We would like to report our experience with COVID-19 in a pediatric patient with Fontan circulation. Furthermore, we present a review of patients with Fontan palliation and COVID-19 previously reported in the literature to summarize the clinical characteristics of this population.Case PresentationA 9-year-old boy with dextro-transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, patent foramen ovale, and borderline left ventricle post bidirectional Glenn shunt and Fontan palliation presented with paroxysmal cough in the context of COVID-19. The coagulation profile was beyond the normal limits, and the patient began to receive anticoagulant aspirin. On the 5th day, the patient presented with fever, sore throat, and fatigue. The oxygen saturations dropped to 93%, and he received nasal catheter oxygen inhalation. On the 7th day, computed tomography of the chest revealed little emerging flaky exudation in the posterior basal segment of the left lower lobe. Nasal cannula was removed on the 12th day, and the coagulation profile returned to normal on the 16th day. After two consecutively negative SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA tests (on the 18th and 19th days, interval ≥ 24 h), he was discharged from the hospital on the 21st day. Literature review indicated that COVID-19 with Fontan palliation seemed to be more common in male adults. Disease presentation varied from mild upper respiratory tract infection to severe pneumonia. Complications were not uncommon in this population. The treatments varied depending on the specific factors. Fortunately, most patients reported a favorable prognosis.ConclusionAlthough patients with COVID-19 and Fontan circulation might have the risk of adverse outcomes due to multiple mechanisms, most patients have a favorable prognosis.
Stimulatory Effect of Tofacitinib on Bone Marrow Adipocytes Differentiation
Authors: Letarouilly Jean-Guillaume , Paccou Julien , Badr Sammy , Chauveau Christophe , Broux Odile , Clabaut Aline 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundSystemic inflammation is the main factor underlying secondary osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), such as tofacitinib (Tofa), can control systemic inflammation and may have beneficial effects on bone in various models. This might be due to direct effects on the bone microenvironment and not exclusively based on their anti-inflammatory function. Bone marrow adipocytes (BMAds) are abundant in the bone microenvironment. The effect of JAKi on BMAds is unknown, but evidence suggests that there is competition between human bone marrow-derived stromal cell (hBMSC) differentiation routes towards BMAds and osteoblasts (Ob) in osteoporosis.ObjectivesThe aims of the study are to determine whether Tofa influences BMAds and Ob derived from hBMSCs and to investigate the potential effects of Tofa on bone marrow adiposity in RA patients.MethodsTo determine the effect of Tofa on cellular commitment, hBMSCs were differentiated to BMAds or OBs for 3 days together with Tofa at 200, 400, or 800 nM and TNFα. This study was also conducted using differentiated BMAds. The impact of Tofa was determined by gene and protein expression analysis and cell density monitoring. In parallel, in a pilot study of 9 RA patients treated with Tofa 5 mg twice a day (NCT04175886), the proton density fat fraction (PDFF) was measured using MRI at the lumbar spine at baseline and at 6 months.ResultsIn non-inflammatory conditions, the gene expression of Runx2 and Dlx5 decreased in Ob treated with Tofa (p &lt;0.05). The gene expression of PPARγ2, C/EBPα, and Perilipin 1 were increased compared to controls (p &lt;0.05) in BMAds treated with Tofa. Under inflammatory conditions, Tofa did not change the expression profiles of Ob compared to TNFα controls. In contrast, Tofa limited the negative effect of TNFα on BMAd differentiation (p &lt;0.05). An increase in the density of differentiated BMAds treated with Tofa under TNFα was noted (p &lt;0.001). These findings were consolidated by an increase in PDFF at 6 months of treatment with Tofa in RA patients (46.3 ± 7.0% versus 53.2 ± 9.2% p &lt;0.01).ConclusionTogether, these results suggest a stimulatory effect of Tofa on BMAd commitment and differentiation, which does not support a positive effect of Tofa on bone.
ENSO Teleconnection to Interannual Variability in Carbon Monoxide Over the North Atlantic European Region in Spring
Authors: Liu Yi , Liu Jane , Xie Min , Fang Keyan , Tarasick David W. , Wang Honglei , Meng Lingyun , Cheng Xugeng , Han Han , Zhang Xun 
Published: July 2022

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important trace gas in the troposphere, while the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is the most important tropical climate variability. ENSO is known to influence interannual variation in meteorological variables on the global scale but its influence on atmospheric CO over large areas in a long term is uncertain. Here we report a strong positive teleconnection between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in winter (November to February) to tropospheric CO over the North Atlantic European region (NAE) in the following spring (March to May). This ENSO teleconnection is evident in trajectory-mapped airborne CO data (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System, IAGOS) over 2002–2019. CO concentrations in El Niño years are 5–20 ppbv higher than those in La Niña years over the NAE troposphere. The regional mean difference from the surface to 300 hPa is 9.4 ppbv (7.6% of the mean). The correlation coefficient (r) between the ENSO index and detrended CO concentrations in the NAE is 0.67 at 400 hPa and 0.63 near the surface, both statistically significant at the 95% level. Such a teleconnection is also observed in independent surface observations, withrranging from 0.57 to 0.74, all at 95% significance level. From analysis of fire emissions and atmospheric conditions, combined with tagged CO simulations using a chemical transport model, GEOS-Chem, we conclude that this teleconnection results from the combined effects of ENSO on both biomass burning and atmospheric transport. We find that in El Niño years, CO emissions from biomass burning are significantly enhanced in Northern Hemispheric South America, Southeast Asia, and North America due to warmer air temperatures and lowered precipitation. In addition, ENSO enhances CO transport from these regions to the NAE by enhancing upward and northeastward motions in the fire regions, accelerating westerlies over 20°N–40°N, and prompting ascents over the Atlantic and descents over Europe, while reducing CO outflow at the eastern boundary of Europe. The combined effect of ENSO on both CO emissions and CO transport leads to interannual variability in tropospheric CO over the NAE.
MSC-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Attenuate Autoimmune Dacryoadenitis by Promoting M2 Macrophage Polarization and Inducing Tregs via miR-100-5p
Authors: Li Na , Gao Zhiqi , Zhao Lu , Du Bei , Ma Binyun , Nian Hong , Wei Ruihua 
Published: July 2022

BackgroundMesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (MSC-sEVs) have been increasingly proved as promising immunomodulators against some autoimmune disorders. However, the possible effect and the underlying mechanism of MSC-sEVs in autoimmune dry eye have been rarely studied.MethodsSmall extracellular vesicles from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC-sEVs) were subconjunctivally injected to rabbit dry eye model, and their preventive or therapeutical effects were assessed by recording the clinical and histological scores. Quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR), western blot and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the immunomodulatory effects of hUC-MSC-sEVs on macrophages and T regulatory cells (Tregs) both in vivo and in vitro, and the in vitro T cell proliferation was detected by Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) assay. In addition, high expression of miR-100-5p in hUC-MSC-sEVs was identified by Q-PCR, and the functional role of sEVs-miR-100-5p on macrophages was explored by a series of co-culture experiments using sEVs derived from hUC-MSCs transfected with miR-100-5p inhibitor.ResultsWe firstly demonstrated that hUC-MSC-sEVs had the preventive and therapeutical effects on rabbit autoimmune dacryoadenitis, an animal model of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) dry eye. Further investigation revealed that hUC-MSC-sEVs administration effectively elicited macrophages into an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype and elevated the proportion of Tregs both in vivo and in vitro, which contributed to reduced inflammation and improved tissue damage. Importantly, hUC-MSC-sEVs-educated macrophages with M2-like phenotype exhibited strong capacity to inhibit CD4+ T cell proliferation and promote Treg generation in vitro. Mechanistically, miR-100-5p was highly enriched in hUC-MSC-sEVs, and knockdown of miR-100-5p in hUC-MSC-sEVs partially blunted the promotion of hUC-MSC-sEVs on M2 macrophage polarization and even attenuated the effect of hUC-MSC-sEVs-educated macrophages on T cell suppression and Treg expansion.ConclusionOur data indicated that hUC-MSC-sEVs alleviated autoimmune dacryoadenitis by promoting M2 macrophage polarization and Treg generation possibly through shuttling miR-100-5p. This study sheds new light on the application of MSC-sEVs as a promising therapeutic method for SS dry eye.
The Road Less Taken: Less Appreciated Pathways for Manipulating CD8+ T Cell Exhaustion
Authors: Pichler Andrea C. , Cannons Jennifer L. , Schwartzberg Pamela L. 
Published: July 2022

Exhausted CD8+T (Tex) cells are a distinct cell population that arise during persistent antigen exposure in the context of chronic infections and cancers. Although characterized by progressive loss of effector functions, high and sustained inhibitory receptor expression and distinct transcriptional and epigenetic programs, Tex cells are heterogeneous. Among these, a self-renewing TCF-1+ Tex population, having unique characteristics and the ability to respond to immune-checkpoint blockade, gives rise to TCF-1-terminally Tex cells. These TCF-1+ cells have stem cell-like properties similar to memory T cell populations, but the signals that regulate the developmental pathways and relationships among exhausted cell populations are still unclear. Here, we review our current understanding of Tex cell biology, and discuss some less appreciated molecules and pathways affecting T cell exhaustion. We highlight two co-stimulatory receptors, CD226 and CD137, and their role in inducing or restraining T cell exhaustion, as well as signaling pathways that may be amenable to pharmacological inhibition with a focus on Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase and IL-2 partial agonists. Finally, we discuss novel methods that may increase TCF-1+populations and therefore improve immunotherapy responsiveness. Understanding features of and pathways to exhaustion has important implications for the success of immunotherapy, including checkpoint blockade and adoptive T-cell transfer therapies.
Long-Term Warm–Cold Phase Shifts in the Gerlache Strait, Western Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Su Zhiqiang , Zhang Zhaoru , Zhu Yiwu , Zhou Meng 
Published: July 2022

The Gerlache Strait plays an important role for the transports of heat, nutrients, and primary producers between the northern West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and the continental shelf in the southern WAP. The means, seasonal variations, and long-term trends of currents in the Gerlache Strait are analyzed based on Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data between 1999 and 2016 available from the Joint Archive for Shipboard ADCP (JASADCP) dataset. The results revealed that the mean currents between the sea surface and 300 m in the Gerlache Strait (known as the Gerlache Strait Current) were predominantly northeastward, associated with the northeastward intrusion of Modified Circumpolar Deep Water (MCDW). The variance ellipses of currents were in parallel to the principal axis of the strait. The currents reached the maximum during austral spring and summer and were minimum during austral winter. The long-term trends revealed that the mean currents were southwestward during austral fall or winter before 2005, and the northeastward currents increased between 1999 and 2011, weakened, and reversed between 2011 and 2016. The long-term shifts between warm and cold phases in the Gerlache Strait were associated with shifts between the dominance of northeastward and southwestward currents in the strait, which are respectively associated with the intrusion of warm MCDW in the south and the transport of cold water from the Bransfield Strait in the north.
Oyster and Barnacle Recruitment Dynamics on and Near a Natural Reef in China: Implications for Oyster Reef Restoration
Authors: Jiang Wei , Shi Wen-Jing , Li Nan-Nan , Fan Rui-Liang , Zhang Wen-Kao , Quan Wei-Min 
Published: July 2022

Oysters and barnacles are dominant inhabitants of natural and restored oyster reefs around the world, and high areal coverage of barnacles at natural or restored reefs commonly decreases substrate accessibility for oyster settlement. The overall understanding of oyster and barnacle recruitment dynamics provides invaluable information on site selection and strategies employed for oyster reef restoration. This study documented the temporal and spatial patterns of oyster and barnacle recruitment on and near the largest natural intertidal oyster reef (Liyashan) in China during 2019–2020. The oyster Crassostrea sikamea recruitment appeared as a continuous process from June through late November or early December, with the peak in August. Greater recruits of oyster spat occurred on the sheltered inshore at the upstream of the natural oyster reef than on the reef and the nearby open coast (p &lt; 0.05). The barnacle recruitment extended from spring to early winter, with mid-spring and mid-summer peaks. Conversely, higher barnacle recruitment appeared on the natural oyster reef and the nearby open coast than on the sheltered inshore. Across all the monitoring sites, the cumulative recruits of oysters in each of 2019 and 2020 was negatively correlated with those of barnacles (p &lt; 0.05). The inshore sites (SH1 and SH2) with high oyster recruitment and low barnacle recruitment should be recognized as the natural spatfall sites for the natural oyster reef restoration. The separation in the recruitment peak between the oyster and the barnacle indicated that August was the most favorable window for capturing oyster spat through substratum addition to the water around the natural reef.
Inner Retinal Layer Hyperreflectivity Is an Early Biomarker for Acute Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
Authors: Wenzel Daniel A. , Poli Sven , Casagrande Maria , Druchkiv Vasyl , Spitzer Martin S. , Bartz-Schmidt Karl Ulrich , Grohmann Carsten , Schultheiss Maximilian 
Published: July 2022

PurposeTo investigate inner retinal hyperreflectivity on optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a potential biomarker indicating acute central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).MethodsA total of 56 patients at two university hospitals with acute CRAO (symptom onset ≤48 h) were included in this retrospective study. The optical intensity of the inner retinal layers was determined in both eyes and the relationship between symptom onset and inner retinal layer optical intensity in OCT scans compared to the unaffected fellow eye was analyzed. Several differential diagnoses [central retinal vein occlusion, anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, diabetic macular edema, and subretinal fibrosis/disciform scar (Junius-Kuhnt)] served as controls to validate optical intensity-based diagnosis of CRAO.ResultsCRAO strongly correlated with an increased inner retinal layer hyperreflectivity in this cohort with acute CRAO with a time since symptom onset ranging from 1.1 to 48.0 h. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.99 to confirm CRAO with a true positive rate of 0.93 and a false positive rate of 0.02. No correlation between optical intensity and time since symptom onset was noticeable. None of the differential diagnoses did show an elevated optical intensity of the inner retinal layers as it was detectable in CRAO.ConclusionOCT-based determination of inner retinal layer hyperreflectivity is a very promising biomarker for a prompt diagnosis of CRAO in an emergency setting. This may be of major interest to speed up the administration of a possible thrombolytic treatment.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Profiles Can Distinguish Diffusivity and Neural Properties of White Matter Injury in Hydrocephalus vs. Non-hydrocephalus Using a Strategy of a Periodic Table of DTI Elements
Authors: Keong Nicole C. , Lock Christine , Soon Shereen , Hernowo Aditya Tri , Czosnyka Zofia , Czosnyka Marek , Pickard John D. , Narayanan Vairavan 
Published: July 2022

Background:The aim of this study was to create a simplistic taxonomy to improve transparency and consistency in, and reduce complexity of, interpreting diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) profiles in white matter disruption. Using a novel strategy of a periodic table of DTI elements, we examined if DTI profiles could demonstrate neural properties of disruption sufficient to characterize white matter changes specific for hydrocephalus vs. non-hydrocephalus, and to distinguish between cohorts of neural injury by their differing potential for reversibility.MethodsDTI datasets from three clinical cohorts representing pathological milestones from reversible to irreversible brain injury were compared to those of healthy controls at baseline, over time and with interventions. The final dataset comprised patients vs. controls in the following groupings: mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), n = 24 vs. 27, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), n = 16 vs. 9 and Alzheimer's disease (AD), n = 27 vs. 47. We generated DTI profiles from fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean, axial and radial diffusivity measures (MD, L1 and L2 and 3 respectively), and constructed an algorithm to map changes consistently to a periodic table of elements, which fully described their diffusivity and neural properties.ResultsMapping tissue signatures to a periodic table of DTI elements rapidly characterized cohorts by their differing patterns of injury. At baseline, patients with mTBI displayed the most preserved tracts. In NPH, the magnitude of changes was dependent on “familial” DTI neuroanatomy, i.e., potential for neural distortion from risk of ventriculomegaly. With time, patients with Alzheimer's disease were significantly different to controls across multiple measures. By contrast, patients with mTBI showed both loss of integrity and pathophysiological processes of neural repair. In NPH, some patterns of injury, such as “stretch/compression” and “compression” were more reversible following intervention than others; these neural profile properties suggested “microstructural resilience” to injury.ConclusionUsing the novel strategy of a periodic table of DTI elements, our study has demonstrated it is possible to distinguish between different cohorts along the spectrum of brain injury by describing neural profile properties of white matter disruption. Further work to contribute datasets of disease toward this proposed taxonomic framework would enhance the translatability of DTI profiles to the clinical-research interface.
Breast Milk Lipidome Is Associated With Maternal Diet and Infants' Growth
Authors: Calvo-Lerma Joaquim , Selma-Royo Marta , Hervas David , Yang Baoru , Intonen Linda , González Sonia , Martínez-Costa Cecilia , Linderborg Kaisa M. , Collado Maria Carmen 
Published: July 2022

ObjectivesThe fatty acid (FA) composition of breast milk is a relevant aspect related to the development of the lactating infant. The present study aimed at exploring correlations between dietary intake of macro- and micronutrients with the FA profile in breast milk, and the possible implication for infants' growth.Study DesignBreast milk samples from a cohort of lactating women were collected 7–15 days postpartum. The FA profiles in triacylglycerol (TAG) and phospholipid (PL)-rich fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography. Diet was registered during the third trimester of pregnancy by means of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). In addition, anthropometric measurements of infants were collected from gestation and up to 12 months postpartum.ResultsThe FA profile in breast milk was characterized by a median of 37.4, 41.3 and 16.8% of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FAs, respectively. From the dietary components, zinc, iron, and B group vitamins were correlated positively with the proportion of total n-3 FAs in TAG and C20:5 n-3 in PL. Lycopene, vitamin E, zinc, and vitamin B2 showed a similar correlation with total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), total n-6 FAs, C20:4 n-6, and C18:2 n-6 in TAG. Regarding food groups, nuts showed the strongest association with several PUFA both in TAG and PL, while the vegetable group was also positively associated with C18:3 n-3. Furthermore, the concentration of linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) and palmitic acid (C16:0) were positively associated with increased length for age (LFA) and weight for age (WFA) at 12 months compared with birth [ΔLFA −0.16 (−0.85, 0.37); ΔWFA −0.26 (−0.77, 0.21)].ConclusionsMothers' intake of nuts, dietary sources of zinc, iron, and B group vitamins were identified as potential predictors of a high-unsaturated FA profile in breast milk. In addition, linolenic and palmitic acids in breast milk were positively associated with infants' growth in the first year of life.
Case Report: Report of Infective Endocarditis Caused by Abiotrophia defectiva and Literature Review
Authors: Du Yanqiang , Zhang Zhan , Chen Chao , Xia Han , Zhang Hua , Guo Zhangyan , Wang Yi 
Published: July 2022

ObjectiveTo report the clinical features of the first child with infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Abiotrophia defectiva in mainland China and to raise awareness of the disease.MethodsThe clinical data of a child with IE caused by A. defectiva admitted to Xi’an Children’s Hospital in July 2021 were collected, and the relevant literature was reviewed.ResultsThe child was a female, 8 years old, admitted with fever for 4 days and right-sided limb weakness for 3 days. The illness started with suppurative tonsillitis, followed by headache, fatigue, right-sided mouth, slurred speech, right limb weakness, and unstable holding. Transthoracic echocardiography showed that the mitral valve vegetation was formed and vegetation could also be seen at the entrance of the pulmonary vein at the posterior wall of the left atrium. Cranial contrast-enhanced MRI + magnetic resonance angiography showed multiple intracranial pseudoaneurysm formation and pontine infarction. After A. defectiva was detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in cerebrospinal fluid and blood detected, the infection was controlled by anti-infective treatment with meropenem and vancomycin. On the 36th day after admission, due to severe headache and slurred speech, the head CT showed hemorrhage of right parietal pseudoaneurysm and cerebral sickle hernia, and right temporo-occipital hematoma evacuation, cerebrovascular malformation resection, and cranial decompression were performed immediately. After the surgery, her speech ability gradually recovered, the muscle strength of her left upper limb was about grade III, while the muscle strength of the rest of the limbs was normal. After a total of 60 days of hospitalization, her family requested to be discharged.ConclusionThis pediatric patient is the first case of childhood IE caused by A. defectiva in mainland China, and the first time in the world that A. defectiva was detected by mNGS in patients with IE.