bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suggestion the role of antibodies/immunoglobulins, produced by non-lymphoid cells, tissues and organs, as participants in different regulatory mechanisms
Authors: Sainova Iskra Ventseslavova , Kolyovska Vera , Ilieva Iliana , Drenska Desislava , Maslarov Dimitar
Published: May 2023

The main goal was related with a better understanding of the intra- and extra-cellular inter-molecular interactions in the different regulatory pathways, by which the separate cells, tissues and organs communicate to each other. The functions of tri-peptide Glutathione (GSH) as tumor suppressor, neuroprotector and endocrine regulatos, but also its role in the regulation of cellular growth, proliferation, differentiation and death, as well as of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory processes has been proved. In the current study, total extracts (controls) from rat brain and rat pancreas were prepared. Separate amounts were passed through GSH-agarose columns to select molecules, possessing affinity to GSH. The average titers of gangliosides and of anti-ganglioside antibodies in the so prepared biological samples were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Possibility about production of immunoglobulins/antibodies by non-lymphoid cells, tissues and organs was suggested, probably as one of the steps in the regulatory pathways. Because the so produced antibodies are outside the germinative centers of the specialized lymphoid tissues and organs, control of their function by small ions and molecules as gangliosides is very important, by direct intra- and extra-cellular inter-molecular interactions or by indirect influence on various regulatory mechanisms.
A Novel Approach for Screening Standard Anteroposterior Pelvic Radiographs in Children
Authors: Sha Jia , Huang Luyu , Chen Yaopeng , Lin Jincong , Fan Zongzhi , Li Yi , Yan Yabo
Published: May 2023

Anteroposterior pelvic radiography is the first-line imaging modality for diagnosing developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Nonstandard radiographs with pelvic malposition make the correct diagnosis of DDH challenging. However, as the only method available for screening standard pelvic radiographs, traditional manual assessment is relatively laborious and potentially erroneous. We retrospectively collected 3,247 pelvic radiographs. There were 2,887 radiographs randomly selected to train and optimize the AI model. Then 362 radiographs were used to test the model’s diagnostic performance. Its diagnostic accuracy was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and measurement consistency using Bland-Altman plots. In 362 radiographs, the AI model’s area under ROC curves, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for quality assessment was 0.993, 99.4% (360/362), 98.6% (138/140), and 100.0% (220/220), respectively. Compared with clinicians, the 95% limits of agreement (Bland-Altman analysis) for pelvic tilt index (PTI) and pelvic rotation index (PRI), as determined by the model, were − 0.052–0.072 and − 0.088 − 0.055, respectively. Conclusions: The artificial intelligence-assisted method was more efficient and highly consistent with clinical experts. This method can be used for real-time validation of the quality of pelvic radiographs in current picture archiving and communications systems (PACS).
Influence of Plastic Aggregate Geometry on Strength Properties of Cement-Stabilized Macadam
Authors: Chi Mingxiang , Shen Zhenzong , Chen Shibin , Yao Yunshi , Shen Jianjun , Li Chao , Yan Qingyao
Published: May 2023

In order to improve the toughness and flexibility of cement-stabilized macadams and inhibit crack formation and propagation, the influence of plastic aggregate geometry on the strength properties of cement-stabilized macadam is studied. The surface roughness of plastic aggregate was designed into Ra 12.5 and Ra 25. When the content of plastic coarse aggregate was gradually increased from 4–8%, 12%, 16%, 20%, and 24%, the compressive strength, splitting strength, and the tensile-compression ratio of the cement-stabilized macadam made of aggregate with rough surface texture were found higher than those of aggregate with smooth surface texture. The rough cylindrical, spherical, spindle, and dumbbell-shaped plastic coarse aggregates were designed and prepared for testing. The test results showed the maximum compressive strength, splitting strength, and tensile-compression ratio of cement-stabilized macadam with the dumbbell-shaped plastic coarse aggregate. The tensile-compression ratio increased by 15.2% compared to natural aggregate cement-stabilized macadam. The results show that under the same conditions, the plastic aggregate with different geometry can improve the compressive and splitting strengths of cement-stabilized macadam and significantly improve the toughness and flexibility, with dumbbell-shaped plastic coarse aggregate having the greatest improvement, especially compared with natural aggregate cement-stabilized crushed stone. This research provides insights for improving pavement engineering quality and new ideas for utilizing waste plastics.
A Method for Selecting Optimal MRI Sequence for Automatic Segmentation Based on Edge Analysis
Authors: Jung Yunsub , Simonsen Morten Bilde , Andersen Michael Skipper
Published: May 2023

In segmentation research using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images, the sequence is an important factor affecting segmentation performance. Therefore, a selection method is required to find the best-suited sequence according to a segmentation target. This study presents a method for finding the most suitable MRI sequence for automatic segmentation. Based on profile information of virtual rays, we devised metrics to compute the edge sharpness and contrast. The analysis was proceeded using three sequences (T1: T1-weighted, PD: proton density-weighted, and SPGR: fat-suppressed 3D spoiled gradient-echo) from five defined edges (EBB: between cancellous bone and cortical bone, EBC: between cortical bone and cartilage, ECF: between cartilage and fat, ECM: between cartilage and meniscus, EBT: between cortical bone and tissue). The edge characteristics were compared in the three sequences using the proposed metrics, and the inter-subject variability was evaluated as well. In the case of sharpness, T1 showed the highest at the EBB, ECF, and EBT(p < .05). SPGR was the highest at the EBC, and PD was the highest at the ECM(p < .005). For contrast, T1 was the highest at the EBBand EBT(p < .05). SPGR was the highest at the ECF(p < .005), and PD was the highest at the ECM(p < .005). PD and SPGR had similar contrast values at the EBC(PD ≈ SPGR > T1). It was confirmed that the edge properties of the structure depend on the type of adjacent materials. The presented method showed consistent results according to the edge, and it was confirmed that new metrics were suitable for finding the most suitable sequence for segmentation. The method and metrics we present quantitatively evaluate the edge characteristics, which will be a useful way for finding the most suitable MRI sequence for segmentation study.
Aerobic exercise improves hepatic steatosis by modulating miR-34a-mediated PPARα/SIRT1-AMPK signaling pathway
Authors: Wu Baoai , Tian Yiming , Xu Chong , Li Longpeng , Guan Yue , Chen Yinghua , Zhao Jinfeng
Published: May 2023

The role of aerobic exercise in preventing and ameliorating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)has been widely demonstrated. MicroRNA-34a (MiR-34a) , a small non-coding RNA that regulates gene expression, has received much attention for its essential role in the progression of metabolic liver disease. However, it is unclear whether exercise can prevent and ameliorate hepatic lipid degeneration by targeting miR-34a and its underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, normal or high-fat diet -induced male C57BL/6J mice underwent an 8-week running program (6 days/week, 18 m/min, 50 min, 6% incline) or remained sedentary. Histomorphometric examination and biochemical analysis were performed to evaluate intrahepatic lipid deposition. Adeno-associated viral vectors were injected into mice to construct miR-34a liver-specific overexpression mice. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression of genes and proteins related to lipid metabolism in the liver. After exercise intervention, the liver weight/body weight, liver TG, and HE of mice in the High-fat diet with aerobic exercise group (HCE) indicated significant improvement in hepatic steatosis, and mir-34a levels were significantly suppressed. This study identified aerobic exercise improves hepatic lipid degeneration by increasing the expression of its target genes PPARα and SIRT1 through mir-34a and activating the expression of AMPK and changes in genes related to lipid metabolism downstream of the PPARα/SIRT1-AMPK pathway.
A multi-approach perspective for the attention of the diversity of the audiences in science museums: the pedagogical model of the Bogota Planetarium.
Authors: Leal Maria Angelica , Molina Carlos , Valbuena Miguel , Guerra Yeimy , Carvajal Milton , Tovar David , Prada Nestor , Guevara Jorge , Ruiz Wyndy , Guerrero Camilo , Sepulveda Karina , Caicedo David , Benavides Juan Sebastian , Ceferino Maria Trinidad , Montenegro Oscar , Altafulla Jose Luis , Cuartas Kelly , Pulido Carolina , Cano Jeison Fabian , Cuervo Juan
Published: May 2023

The Bogota Planetarium, in its role as a science center, cultural equipment of the District Institute of the Arts IDARTES and science museum aims to ensure the exercise of cultural rights through the construction of communities with emphasis on the appropriation of scientific, artistic, and technological knowledge of the various audiences it impacts. For this purpose, an interdisciplinary network in dissemination and education has been proposed, implying a unified vision for developing actions. For this reason, it is necessary to have a pedagogical model for non-conventional educational spaces, which, for the Bogota Planetarium, is based on a constructivist theory that brings together the approaches of science, technology, and society, differential approach, universal learning design, an investigative approach, and visible thinking; these will be unified and put into action through a reflective methodology that works from a transdisciplinary thematic axis. Finally, based on the results and evidence obtained from the implementation of visible thinking, it will be possible to conduct a contextualized evaluation that will lead to feedback on the model and the processes.
Comparison of Self-Administered Web-Based and Printed Food Frequency Questionnaires for Dietary Assessment in the Iranian adult population
Authors: Morvaridi Mehrnaz , Karandish Majid , Bazyar Hadi , Rasekhi Hamid , Behbahani Hossein Bavi
Published: May 2023

Background: Today, with the increasing availability and usage of the internet, dietary assessment tools including FFQ are designed and modified using web technology. The web-based Nutripors food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed as a dietary assessment tool for healthy adults in Iran.
Objective: The present study aimed to develop a web-based FFQ for the Iranian adult population to assess dietary intakes and compare it with the validated printed FFQ.
Methods: Eligible participants were randomly asked to complete both the printed FFQ and Web-Based FFQ. The type of FFQ was changed for each participant after ten days. The level of agreement between two FFQs was evaluated using the Bland and Altman method and correlations.
Results: Out of 190 participants, the final analysis was performed on 141 participants. The results are from the dietary assessment of 70 females (49.6%) and 71 males (50.4%) that completed both FFQs. The level of agreement was high for all nutrient intakes (r>0.8). In food groups, “Whole grains” has the highest (0.84), and “Potato” has the lowest (0.25) correlation coefficients. Also, there were no significant differences in the time spent to complete the questionnaires.
Conclusion: We concluded that Web-Based FFQ as an online FFQ has good agreement with the validated printed FFQ and properly reflects the nutrient and food group intakes.
Combination therapy - is it time to start using? - A case-based review
Authors: Ferrari Luis Fernando Fernandes , Franco Andre S. , Saad Carla Gonçalves Schahin , de Moraes Julio César Bertacini
Published: May 2023

Background
This case-based review presents a Reactive arthritis (ReA) refractory to conventional therapies with excellent response to the combination of ustekinumab and tofacitinib. This is the first case report of ReA with combination therapy with a bDMARD and a tsDMARD. Although not a consensus, combination therapy is already used especially in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases, motivating this choice since in monotherapy the last two drugs achieved the best responses in different domains, justifying the possibility of blocking several pathophysiological mechanisms of immune-mediated arthritis.
Case presentation:
A man with peripheral and axial arthritis, conjunctivitis, balanoposthitis, keratoderma blenorrhagicum and urethral discharge preceded by diarrhea, treated with antibiotics, then methotrexate and prednisone were introduced for ReA. Along the years he received three different anti-TNF drugs with no response. Same as IL-17a monoclonal antibody with primary failure. Treatment was changed to ustekinumab with resolution of cutaneous involvement, but not articular. Then, tofacitinib was tried and arthritis improved but skin relapsed. Since severity and refractoriness of the case, combination of ustekinumab and tofacitinib was considered, achieving remission in both domains
Conclusions
ReA has a difficult diagnosis and treatment, anti-TNF, anti-IL 17, anti-IL 12/23, and JAK inhibitors may be used based on limited data and clinical experience, specially adapted from other spondyloarthritis. This case had poor disease control with all such bDMARD used separately, but achieved low disease activity and resolution of skin lesions with combination of JAK inhibitor and anti-IL 12/23 with no severe adverse effects during follow-up.
Choroidal Measurements in Decision Making for Retinopathy of Prematurity: A Decision Tree Analysis
Authors: Bahar Mohammadreza Mehrabi , Salari Farhad , Dastjanifarahani Afsar , Ghassemi Fariba , III C. Armitage Harper , Bazvand Fatemeh
Published: May 2023

Objective: To compare the choroidal thickness and vascular profile of premature infants with ROP (retinopathy of prematurity) using a handheld SD-OCT device.
Design: A prospective cross-sectional case-control study
Subject: All ROP patients examined under sedation or general anesthesia in Farabi Eye Hospital or Mahdie Hospital from 2020 to 2022.
Methods: We performed horizontal SD-OCT scans through the fovea in 164 eyes of 82 premature infants. Premature infants included 2 groups (infants with ROP requiring treatment [as treatment group] vs. infant without ROP or with ROP not- requiring treatment [as no-treatment group]) Choroidal thicknesses (CT) were measured at 5 points, including the fovea, 250 µm, and 500µm mm nasal and temporal to the fovea. The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and choroidal stromal index (CSI) were also calculated. The classification and regression tree (CRT) algorithm was used to predict the need for treatment based on all OCT characteristics.
Main outcome: Treatment-require ROP patients.
Results: Mean CT was higher in 500 micrometers nasal to the fovea compared to temporal CT (275.8 ± 64.8 and 257.1 ± 57.07, P value<0.03). No statistically significant difference was found regarding CVI, corrected CVI, and temporal and nasal CT in the treatment group versus the no-treatment group. The foveal CT was significantly lower in ROP patients with the plus disease compared to not-plus ROP (P value=0.03. ANOVA, Bonferroni posthoc test). CT was not significantly different between plus and pre-plus patients (P-value=0.9, ANOVA, Bonferroni posthoc test). No significant relationship was found between the stage of ROP and choroidal thickness (P value>0.05, GEE). The decision tree analysis showed that in infants with ROP, the most important predictor for the need for treatment is CVI.
Conclusion:
This study delineated the possible effectiveness of choroidal measurements as an additive to decision-making for ROP. We also demonstrated that choroidal involution is associated with the presence of pre-plus/plus, not with the stage of ROP. We demonstrated that choroidal measurements are very sensitive but not specific tools for assessing the need for treatment in ROP patients.
Exploring the Mechanism of Inula japonica Thunb. against Non-small Cell Lung Cancer using a computer-aided drug design approach
Authors: Qian Huiqin , Wang Bailing
Published: May 2023

Context:Inula japonica Thunb. (IJT) is widespread to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China with antiasthma, antitussive, and expectorant effect. However, due to the complexity of compounds and targets, the pharmacological mechanisms of IJT needs further research. The study explores the mechanisms of IJT against NSCLC through network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results showed that quercetin and luteolin were selected as major compounds, and 23 putative targets of IJT against NSCLC were picked out as major hubs. The major targets just modulated the NSCLC pathway, which included Ras, ERBB, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, calcium, and p53 signaling sub-pathways. Moreover, they involved in apoptosis, cell cycle, tumor progression, proliferation, and many other significant biological processes. The molecular docking simulation showed that all the major compounds with NSCLC pathway-relevant targets of IJT had effective binding. Further, MD simulations revealed that the lutolin-AKT1 and quercetin-AKT1 complexes possessed a steady state and bound extremely stably during molecular docking.
Methods: In the present study, the ingredients and targets prediction, compound-target (C-T), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks analysis, molecular docking, and MD simulations were applied to mine the anti-NSCLC mechanisms of IJT.
Distal oblique bundle influence on distal radioulnar joint stability – a biomechanical study
Authors: Hohenberger Gloria , Pirrung Felix , Hammer Niels , Niestrawska Justyna Anna
Published: May 2023

Chronic instability of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) presents a highly disabling condition. Several surgical techniques have been reported for its treatment. These involve reconstruction of the distal oblique bundle (DOB) of the interosseous membrane (IOM) of the forearm. The aim of this study was to examine whether surgical reconstruction of the DOB is necessary to restore DRUJ stability following trauma with DOB disruption and to compare two restoration techniques utilizing a tendon or suture-button graft. Stability in supination and pronation was assessed by means of maximum torque and force in twenty forearms. Test cycles were performed with the DOB/IOM in an intact condition, with the DOB or distal IOM transected, and following surgical reconstruction of the DOB with either tendon graft or suture-button system. In pronation, the relative change in maximum axial force was significantly lower in samples with a transected DOB in comparison to samples without a preexisting DOB. No statistically significant differences were observed between forearms including DOB reconstruction and specimens in the intact and transected state. Neither were there statistically significant differences concerning the two surgical techniques. From a biomechanical perspective, surgical DOB reconstruction is hence not indicated in cases of isolated DOB rupture.
Prediction of Nipple Involvement in Breast Cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Should We Rely on Breast MRI to Preserve the Nipple?
Authors: Ugurlu M.Umit , Bugdayci Onur , Akmercan Ahmet , Kaya Handan , Telli Tugba Akin , Akoglu Haldun , Gulluoglu Bahadir M
Published: May 2023

Background: Indications for nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) is extending to post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) setting. Eligibility for NSM with an optimum tumor nipple distance (TND) after NAC is unclear. We examined predictive factors for nipple tumor involvement in patients undergoing total mastectomy following NAC.
Methods: Clinical and pathological data from prospectively collected medical records of women with invasive breast carcinoma, who were undergone NAC and total mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or axillary lymph node dissection. PreNAC and postNAC magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were examined and a cut-off TND value for predicting the negative nipple tumor status was determined.
Results: Among 180 women, the final mastectomy specimen analysis revealed that 12 (7%) had nipple involvement as invasive carcinoma. Patients with nipple involvement had more postNAC multifocal/multicentric tumors (p:0.03), larger tumors on preNAC and postNAC images (p: 0.002 and p:<0.001) , shorter median TNDs on preNAC and postNAC images (7mm-IQR:1.5-14, p: 0.005 and 8.5-IQR:3-15.5, p: <0.001, respectively), more nipple retraction on preNAC and postNAC images (p: 0.007 and p:0.006) and more nipple areola complex skin thickening on preNAC and postNAC images (p: <0.001 and p: 0.01). The best likelihood ratios (LR) belonged to the post-NAC positivity of the 20 mm TND, with a +LR of 3.40, and -LR of 0.11 for nipple involvement. Pre-NAC positivity of the 20 mm TND also had a similar -LR of 0.14.
Conclusion: A TND ≥ 2 cm on preNAC and postNAC MRI was shown to be highly predictive of negative nipple tumor involvement.
Cross-Domain Multi-disease Ocular Disease Recognition via Data Enhancement
Authors: Wang Qiong , Guo Zhilin , Yao Jun , Yan Nan
Published: May 2023

Ophthalmic diseases afflict many people, and can even lead to irreversible blindness. Therefore, the search for effective early diagnosis methods has attracted the attention of many researchers and clinicians. At present, although there are some ways for the early screening of ophthalmic diseases, the early screening of fundus images based on deep learning is generally favored by the medical community due to its non-contact characteristic, non-invasive characteristic and high recognition accuracy. However, the generalization performance of a common model and cross-domain identification is usually weak due to different collection equipment, race, and patient conditions. Although the existing fundus image recognition technology has achieved some results, the effect is still in the cross-domain problem and is not satisfactory. In this paper, a cross-domain fundus image recognition framework based on deep neural networks with data enhancement is proposed. First, the ResNeXt101 model is chosen as the basic framework. Second, some data enhancement methods and focal loss are used to improve recognition performance. Finally, the results of experiment show that the final score of the framework is improved by about 10% using ordinary data enhancement methods and focal loss. In summary, the method proposed in this paper can effectively solve the problem of poor generalization ability for cross-domain early fundus screening and can provide inspiration and ideas for future related works.
Early Postoperative Digestive Obstruction Syndrome:tomographic Predictive Factors for Surgical Intervention
Authors: Bedel Jean-Baptiste , Burel Julien , Floch Mathilde , Cour Adrien , Hermary Capucine , Dacher Jean-Nicolas , Savoye-Collet Céline
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND
The early postoperative context is a complex situation and CT signs are poorly studied in the literature. The objective is to evaluate the usual tomographic signs of digestive obstruction in the early postoperative period (< 21 days) of abdominal-pelvic surgery and to search for predictive factors of surgical management.
METHODS
We searched for adult patients who presented with digestive obstruction diagnosed by a CT scan in the early postoperative period (<21 days) of abdominal-pelvic surgery in our center over a period of 21 months. Relevant epidemiological, clinical, biological and tomographic characteristics for this pathology were collected for each patient. The new surgical management was recorded in order to search for predictive factors for surgical management by univariate and multivariate analysis.
RESULTS
In this study, 109 patients were recruited (aged from 20 to 92 years with a median of 63 years). The type of obstruction observed was mainly a functional digestive obstruction and secondarily a mechanical digestive obstruction due to adhesions. Some signs were frequent (62% pneumoperitoneum and 26% mesenteric edema) and others rare or absent (4% wall enhancement defect, 0% spontaneous hyperdensity of the digestive wall). 33 patients (30%) underwent surgical management. Only the aspect of digestive obstruction due to adhesions (p = 0.003) and strangulated parietal hernia (p = 0.002) were identified as predictive factors of surgical management. Other mechanisms of digestive obstruction were not predictive of surgical management in multivariate analysis. Pneumoperitoneum (p = 0.801) and mesenteric edema (p = 0.229) did not demonstrate predictability of surgical management despite their high frequency. Wall enhancement defect was not predictive of surgical management (p = 1). More specific tomographic signs of the surgical context were not predictive of surgical management (e.g., intra-abdominal drain p = 0.668).
CONCLUSION
CT signs of digestive obstruction in the early postoperative period of abdominal-pelvic surgery seem to be superimposable on those in the general context, except for some signs such as pneumoperitoneum, which lose their predictive value for surgical management. Only the aspect of obstruction due to adhesions and strangulated parietal hernia were found as predictive signs of surgical management
The impact of different type 2 diabetes states stratified by baseline HbA1c on the periodontal outcomes of non-surgical periodontal treatment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Kang Shuai , Liu Zhang-ya , Yuan Huan-huan , Wang Shu-min , Pan Ge-ge , Wei Wei , Jiang Yi , Hou Yu
Published: May 2023

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been considered by many studies to have a bidirectional relationship with periodontitis. This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of different T2DM states stratified by baseline HbA1c on the clinical outcomes of non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT). Methods This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and involved an electronic literature search (from inception to the 2nd of January 2023). We included at least two groups of patients: chronic periodontitis only (No-DM) or periodontitis and well-control/poor-control type 2 diabetes mellitus (WC/PC-T2DM). Clinical outcomes included probing depth (PD) reduction, bleeding on probing (BOP) reduction, and clinical attachment level(CAL)gain. Direct and indirect comparisons between groups were assessed by network meta-analysis, allowing us to establish a treatment ranking. Results Ten prospective cohort studies (11 data sets) were included for qualitative analysis and network meta-analysis. The data included in this study had high consistency; in addition, a funnel plot and Egger’s test showed that the articles had low publication bias. The network meta-analysis showed that the NSPT effect in the No-DM group was significantly better than the WC-T2DM group [Weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.01, 0.18)] and PC-T2DM group [WMD = 0.09, 95%CI (0.01, 0.18)] in terms of CAL gain and better than the PC-T2DM group [WMD = 0.15, 95%CI (0.02, 0.28)] in terms of PD reduction. According to the SUCRA value, the No-DM group had the highest probability of achieving the best NSPT outcome. Conclusions The findings of this systematic review revealed that the NSPT had the best therapeutic effect in patients without diabetes mellitus. Further high-quality studies are now required to validate these findings.
Combined use of tumor markers in gastric cancer: A novel method with promising prognostic accuracy and practicality
Authors: zhang ruopeng , chen xiaojiang , chen guoming , zhao zhoukai , wei yicheng , zhang feiyang , lin jun , nie runcong , chen yingbo
Published: May 2023

Background The effect of a single tumor marker on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients is not ideal. This study explored a novel prognostic assessment method for gastric cancer (GC) patients using a combination of three important tumor markers (CEA, CA72-4 and CA19-9). Method The data of 1966 GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy at Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center (Guangzhou, China) were included. Hazard ratios (HR) for all factors for overall survival (OS) were analyzed by Cox regression. Nomogram and calibration curve was used to establish the survival prediction model. The prediction accuracy was evaluated with the concordance index (C-index). Results All patients were divided into four groups (C0-C3) according to the number of elevated tumor markers. The 5-year OS rates of the patients in preoperative groups C0-C3 were 83.8% (81.3%-86.4%), 72.8% (68.5%-77.4%), 58.9% (50.4%-68.9%), and 18.5% (4.0%-33.0%), respectively, and those in postoperative groups C0-C3 were 82.1% (79.4%-84.8%),76.1% (72.2%-80.3%) ,57.6% (48.4%-68.5%), and 16.8% (5.1%-28.5%), respectively, with significant differences between each C0-C3 subgroup both in pre- and post-cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative (HR: 6.001, 95%CI: 3.523–10.221) and postoperative (HR: 8.149, 95%CI: 4.962–13.528) elevated tumor markers were independent risk factors for GC patients. The C-index for the combined use of tumor markers was 0.65–0.66, which was higher than that for using a single tumor marker (0.53–0.56). Conclusion The combined use of tumor markers significantly improved the prognostic value compared to using a single tumor marker. The survival prediction model including the combined tumor markers was accurate and effective.
The Frequency of Intermediate Alleles in Patients With Cerebellar Phenotypes
Authors: Capacci Elena , Bagnoli Silvia , Giacomucci Giulia , Rapillo Costanza , Govoni^ Alessandra , Bessi Valentina , Polito° Cristina , Sorbi Sandro , Nacmias Benedetta , Ferrari Camilla
Published: May 2023

Cerebellar syndromes are clinically and etiologically heterogeneous and can be classified as hereditary, neurodegenerative non-hereditary and acquired. Few data are available on the frequency of each form in the clinical setting. Furthermore, growing interest is emerging regarding the genetic forms caused by triplets repeat expansions. Alleles with repeat expansion lower than the pathological threshold, termed intermediate alleles (IAs), have been found associated with diseases’ manifestations. In order to assess the relevance of IAs as cause of cerebellar syndrome, we enrolled 66 unrelated Italian ataxic patients and we described the distribution of the different etiology of their syndromes and the frequency of IAs. Each patient underwent a complete clinical, hematological, neurophysiological assessments, neuroimaging evaluations and genetic tests for autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (SCA) and fragile X associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). We identified the following diagnostic categories: 28% Sporadic Adult-Onset Ataxia, 18% cerebellar variant of Multiple System Atrophy, 9% acquired forms, 9% genetic forms with full-range expansion, 12% cases with intermediate-range expansion. The IAs were six in FXTAS-gene, two in SCA8-gene, and one in the SCA2-gene. The clinical phenotype of patients carrying the IAs resemble, in most of the cases, the one associated with the full-range expansion. Our study provides an exhaustive description of the causes of cerebellar ataxia, estimating for the first time the frequency of IAs in SCAs- and FXTAS- associated genes. The high percentage of cases with IAs supports further screening among patients with cerebellar syndromes.
"There could be something going wrong and I wouldn’t even know": A qualitative study of perceptions of people with cancer about CVD risk and its management.
Authors: Knowles Reegan , Kemp Emma , Miller Michelle , Koczwara Bogda
Published: May 2023

Purpose
Despite being at higher risk, many people with cancer do not receive adequate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment or management. The purpose of this research was to examine people with cancer’s perceptions, experiences and needs regarding CVD risk factor awareness, assessment and management.
Methods
We conducted 14 individual interviews to examine people with cancer’s perspectives regarding CVD care in cancer. Reflexive thematic analysis was utilized to collect and organize data into themes and to synthesise findings.
Results
Fourteen people (6 males) diagnosed with diverse cancer types participated. Majority participants were not, or only somewhat aware of CVD risk in cancer but all expressed it was an important issue. A diverse range of priorities and needs for CVD care were discussed, including some participants’ prioritization of dealing with cancer, and preferred amount, type and manner of information provision and support. Websites and brochures were identified as potential solutions for optimizing CVD care.
Conclusions
Codesign methodology should be used to engage patients in the development of flexible, tailored resources to increase awareness of CVD risk and strategies for its management.
Implications for cancer survivors:
Perceptions of people with cancer regarding CVD care can inform new interventions that reduce the impact of CVD in cancer.
The effect of air filtration on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Ren Jingyi , Zhang Zhenao , Li Ruiqiang , Tian Hao , Guo Zihao , Xue Wei , Zhang Yadong , Chen Fengge , Deng Yandong , Ma Yuxia
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND
Improvement of indoor air quality is beneficial for human health. However, previous studies have not reached consistent conclusions regarding the effects of indoor air filtration on inflammation and oxidative stress.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to determine the relationship between indoor air filtration and inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers.
METHODS
We conducted an electronic search that evaluated the association of indoor air filtration with biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in five databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus) from the beginning to April 23, 2022. Outcomes included the following markers: interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and 8-iso-prostaglandinF2α (8-isoPGF2α). We extracted data from the included studies according to the system evaluation and the preferred reporting item for meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and used the Cochrane risk of bias tool to assess bias risk.
RESULTS
Our meta-analysis included 15 studies with 678 participants to assess the combined effect size. The meta-analysis demonstrated that indoor air filtration could have a marked reduction in IL-6 (SMD: -0.275, 95% CI: − 0.545 to − 0.005, p = 0.046) but had no significant effect on other markers of inflammation or oxidative stress. Subgroup analysis results demonstrated a significant reduction in 8-OHdG levels in the subgroup with < 1 day of duration (SMD: − 0.916, 95% CI: − 1.513 to − 0.320; p = 0.003) and using filtrete air filter (SMD: − 5.530, 95% CI: − 5.962 to − 5.099; p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Our meta-analysis results depicted that indoor air filtration can significantly reduce levels of inflammation and oxidative stress markers. Considering the adverse effects of air pollution on human health, our study provides powerful evidence for applying air filtration to heavy atmospheric pollution.
Design, synthesis and antitumor activity evaluation in vitro of
4,6,7-trisubstituted quinazoline derivatives containing acrylamide moiety
Authors: Si Xiaojie , Yu Fuqiang , Wang Hao , Chi Lingling , Dai Honglin , Gao Chao , Zhu Yingnan , Liu Hongmin , Zhang Qiurong
Published: May 2023

In order to search for new antitumor drugs with high efficiency, a series of novel quinazoline derivatives containing acrylamide group were designed, synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines (PC-3, H1975, A549 and Eca-109) using MTT assay in vitro. Among them, compound N-(3-((6-((4-cyanobenzyl)oxy)-7-methoxyquinazolin-4-yl)amino)phenyl)acrylamide (14m) showed good anti-tumor proliferation activity against four tested cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 1.09 ± 0.04µM to H1975 cell. The antitumor activity was significantly better than that of 5-FU. Further mechanism studies showed that compound 14m inhibit the proliferation and migration of H1975 cells, block its cell cycle at G2/M phase and induce its apoptosis in a concentration dependent and time-dependent manner.
Downregulation of IGFBP7 and TIMP-2 protects kidney cells by regulating cell cycle in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Authors: Wen Shiyao , Wang Qian , Jia Jia , Gong Xiaoying , Zhao Yang , Li Guofu
Published: May 2023

Background
Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) are biomarkers for early-stage diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) and mediate the cell cycle transition from G1 to S. However, their pathophysiological roles in AKI remain obscure. Downregulation of IGFBP7 and TIMP-2 protects the kidney in AKI.Here, we aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanism and the contribution of the G1/S cell cycle arrest to AKI.
Methods
CLP and LPS were used to build the sepsis-associated AKI models in vivo and vitro respectively. The cyclinD, cyclinE, and pRB were detected to interpret the relationship between cell cyle arrest and sepsis-associated AKI. Then we studied the cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy after knocking-down the gene of IGFBP7 and TIMP-2. Finally, ribociclib was added to explore whether attenuation of LPS-induced apoptosis depend on G1/S cell cycle transition.
Results
Compared to sham mice, mice subjected to cecal ligation and puncture exhibited severe G1/S cell cycle arrest in the kidney and higher urine IGFBP7 and TIMP-2 levels. In vitro, IGFBP7 or TIMP-2 downregulation in lipopolysaccharide-treated HK-2 cells decreased inflammatory cytokine levels, reduced apoptosis and G1/S cell cycle arrest, and increased autophagy, relative to the control group. Furthermore, ribociclib was used to restore the G1/S cell cycle arrest, which was also attenuated by IGFBP7 or TIMP2 siRNA treatments.
Conclusions
Downregulation of IGFBP7 and TIMP-2 protects kidney cells from sepsis-induced acute kidney injury by regulating cell cycle, apoptosis and autophagy, and the protective effects are not totally reversed by alleviating cell cycle arrest.
Untargeted metabolomics analysis of plasma metabolic characteristics in patients with acne and insulin resistance
Authors: He Qingqing , Shu Huiling , Peng Yu , Xu Yang , Liu Li , Zhou Jie , Zhao Juan , Xiong Xia , Li Changqiang
Published: May 2023

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease with high incidence, diverse clinical manifestations, poor clinical efficacy, and easy recurrence. Recent studies have found that the occurrence of acne is related to metabolic factors such as insulin resistance; however, the specific mechanism of action remains unclear. This study aimed to identify significantly different metabolites and related metabolic pathways in the serum of patients with and without insulin resistance and acne vulgaris. LC-MS/MS was used to analyze serum samples from patients with acne and insulin resistance (n = 51) and acne without insulin resistance (n = 69) to identify significant metabolites and metabolic pathways. In this study, 18 significant differential metabolites were screened for the first time. In the positive ion mode, the upregulated substances were creatine, sarcosine, D-proline, uracil, Phe-Phe, L-pipecolic acid, and DL-phenylalanine; the downregulated substances were tridecanoic acid (tridecylic acid), L-lysine, cyclohexylamine, sphingomyelin (d18:1/18:0), gamma-L-Glu-epsilon-L-Lys, and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine. In the negative ion mode, the upregulated substance was cholesterol sulfate, and the downregulated substances were D(-)-beta-hydroxybutyric acid, myristic acid, D-galacturonic acid, and dihydrothymine. Cholesterol sulfate showed the most significant expression among all differential metabolites (VIP = 7.3411). Based on the KEGG database, necroptosis and ABC transporters were the most significantly enriched metabolic pathways in this experiment. The differential metabolites and pathways identified in this study may provide new possibilities for the clinical diagnosis and development of targeted drugs for acne patients with insulin resistance.
Neurotrophin-loaded PDADMAC/HEPARIN multilayers as an unexpected system to damage neuroblastoma cancer cells
Authors: Dąbkowska Maria , Stukan Iga , Kowalski Bogusław , Donerowicz Wiktoria , Wasilewska Monika , Szatanik Alicja , Stańczyk-Dunaj Małgorzata , Michna Aneta
Published: May 2023

Biomaterial science has contributed tremendously to developing nanoscale materials for delivering biologically active compounds, enhancing protein stability, and enabling its therapeutic use. We describe a process of formation of polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) prepared by sequential adsorption of positively charged polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and negatively charged heparin sodium salt (HP), from low polyelectrolyte concentration, on a solid substrate. PEM was further applied as a platform for the adsorption of a brain-derived growth factor (BDNF), which is a protein capable of regulating neuronal cell development. The multilayers containing BDNF were thoroughly characterized by electrokinetic (streaming potential measurements, SPM) and optical (optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, OWLS) techniques. It was found that BDNF was successfully adsorbed on polyelectrolyte multilayers, terminated by PDADMAC and HP under physiological conditions. We further explore the effect of established PEMsin vitroon the neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) confirmed that BDNF was released from multilayers, and the use of the PEMs intensified its cellular uptake. PEMs significantly inhibited the proliferation of neuroblastoma cancer cells up to 72% and decreased polarization of mitochondrial membrane up to 58% (in relation to control). HPLC analysis showed that both PDADMAC and HP - terminated multilayers have antioxidative properties as they almost by half decreased lipid peroxidation in SH-SY5Y cells. Finally, enhanced formation of spheroid-like, 3D structures was observed by light microscopy. We offer a well-characterized, biodegradable PEM with antioxidant properties acting as BDNF carrier, stabilizing BDNF and making it more accessible to cells in an inhomogeneous, dynamic, and transientin vitroenvironment. Described multilayers can be utilized in future biomedical applications such as boosting the effect of treatment by selective anticancer as adjuvant therapy, and in biomedical research for future development of more precise neurodegenerative disease models, as they enhance cellular 3D structure formation.
First principles-based design of lightweight high entropy alloys
Authors: Sorkin Viacheslav , Yu Zhi Gen , Chen Shuai , Tan Teck Leong , Aitken Zachary , Zhang Yong-Wei
Published: May 2023

Recently, the design of lightweight high entropy alloys (HEAs) with a mass density lower than 5 g/cm3 has attracted much research interest in structural materials. We applied a first principles-based high-throughput method to design lightweight HEAs in single solid-solution phase. Three lightweight quinary HEA families were studied: AlBeMgTiLi, AlBeMgTiSi and AlBeMgTiCu. By comprehensively exploring their entire compositional spaces, we identified the most promising compositions according to the following design criteria: the highest stability, lowest mass density, largest elastic modulus and specific stiffness, along with highest Pugh’s ratio. We found that HEAs with the topmost compositions exhibit a negative formation energy, a low density and high specific Young’s modulus, but a low Pugh’s ratio. Importantly, we show that the most stable composition, Al0.31Be0.15Mg0.14Ti0.05Si0.35 is energetically more stable than its metallic compounds and it significantly outperforms the current lightweight engineering alloys such as the 7075 Al alloy. These results suggest that the designed lightweight HEAs can be energetically more stable, lighter, and stiffer but slightly less ductile compared to existing Al alloys. Similar conclusions can be also drawn for the AlBeMgTiLi and AlBeMgTiCu. Our design methodology and findings serve as a valuable tool and guidance for the experimental development of lightweight HEAs.
Implementation of Delay-Sensitive Smart Healthcare Framework in Cloud and Fog Environment
Authors: Rajpoot Navneet Kumar , Singh Prabhdeep , Pant Bhaskar
Published: May 2023

Smart healthcare systems are novel innovations that can improve healthcare services by giving individuals details about their medical conditions in real time. However, processing and analyzing huge amounts of information stored in these systems can frequently result in latency and interruptions, negatively impacting the system's efficiency. To solve this issue, this research presents an innovative healthcare framework incorporating cloud and fog computing techniques to reduce latency and enhance whole system performance. The framework has three different tiers: the user tier, the fog tier, and the cloud tier. Health-related information is gathered from users in the user tier using cloud pulses. An optimized Ant Colony Optimization load balancing algorithm subsequently monitors this data. The load balancer allocates user requests to fog servers in the fog tier, considering factors including response time and cost. The fog tier is comprised of fog servers that are located in closer proximity to end-users and are tasked with the real-time processing and analysis of data. The cloud tier accommodates vast quantities of healthcare data and facilitates sophisticated analytics and processing functionalities. The performance of the proposed framework was assessed by implementing it on the Cloud Analyst tool and utilizing metrics such as response time, cost, and system throughput. The experiment findings indicate that the proposed framework performs better in mitigating delay in healthcare compared to conventional healthcare systems. The load balancer that was optimized using Ant Colony Optimization algorithm efficiently allocated the workload among the fog servers, resulting in enhanced system response time and decreased latency. The concept of fog computing proved to be highly productive in mitigating latency by enabling local data processing and analysis near the end-user, thereby reducing reliance on the cloud tier. The empirical findings indicate that the framework put forward can transform the provision of healthcare services, rendering them more streamlined, economical, and focused on the needs of patients.