bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Periprosthetic proximal femoral fractures in cemented and uncemented stems according to Vancouver classification: observation of a new fracture pattern
Authors: Karam James , Campbell Paul , Desai Shivang , Hunter Michael 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Periprosthetic fractures are increasingly encountered in hip arthroplasty. The Vancouver classification system is widely used. Little knowledge exists regarding the association of the Vancouver classification with either cemented or uncemented stems. The aim was to analyse a series of fractures and determine associations.

Methods
A series of consecutive patients over 8 years was identified including only post-operative fractures of primary hip arthroplasties. Baseline and radiographic characteristics were recorded including the type of stem fixation (cemented or uncemented) and Vancouver classification. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association of the Vancouver classification between cemented and uncemented stems.

Results
A total of 172 patients were identified (84 cemented stems, 88 uncemented stems). There were 30 Vancouver A fractures (12 cemented vs.18 uncemented, p > 0.05), 125 Vancouver B fractures (63 cemented vs. 62 uncemented, p > 0.05) and 17 Vancouver C fractures (9 cemented vs. 8 uncemented, p > 0.05). The Vancouver B2 fracture occurred most frequently (N = 95; 44 cemented vs. 51 uncemented, p > 0.05) and consists of four distinct fracture patterns: the previously described comminuted ‘burst’, clamshell and spiral patterns and the newly observed ‘reverse’ clamshell. The burst and spiral fracture patterns are significantly associated with cemented stems, and the clamshell pattern is significantly associated with uncemented stems.

Conclusions
Vancouver A, B and C fractures occur equally in cemented and uncemented stems. Awareness of four distinct Vancouver B2 fracture patterns, including the newly observed reverse clamshell, will aid surgeons in predicting stem instability.
A new fluorescent technique for pesticide detection by using metal coordination polymer and nanozyme
Authors: Wei Jinchao , Xue Yan , Dong Jiayi , Wang Shuangpeng , Hu Hao , Gao Hao , Li Peng , Wang Yitao 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Chinese herbs have been widely used for thousands of years. In order to kill or control insects and fungus during the cultivation of herb plants, pesticides have played a significant role. More than 30 kinds of pesticides have been documented in the latest version of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It is urgent to develop new analytical methods for pesticide detection.

Methods
A fluorescent detection system was established by using Cerium based fluorescent polymer and Sm-CeO2. As a new doped nanozyme, Sm-CeO2 exhibits OPH-like activity to hydrolyze OPP pesticide.

Results
The morphology of the prepared CFP and Sm-CeO2 were characterized. The optimal conditions for CFP synthesis are CeCl3 (16 mmol L−1, 200 μL), ATP (4 mmol L−1, 200 μL) and Tris buffer (5 mmol L−1, 500 μL, pH 8.0). Sm-CeO2 shows the best mimic activity to hydrolyze OPP pesticide at pH = 8.0. The results exhibit good linear relationship between fluorescent quenching effect and MP in the range of 2–50 μmol L−1. Finally, this fluorescent technique was successfully applied in Poria cocos and Semen Coicis sample.

Conclusions
It is the first report on OPP detection by using CFP and doped nanozyme. The successful application in real sample indicates this method is a rapid, reliable strategy to detect OPP in Chinese herbs.
Genetic and pharmacological targeting of A2a receptor improves function of anti-mesothelin CAR T cells
Authors: Masoumi Elham , Jafarzadeh Leila , Mirzaei Hamid Reza , Alishah Khadijeh , Fallah-Mehrjardi Keyvan , Rostamian Hosein , Khakpoor-Koosheh Mohammad , Meshkani Reza , Noorbakhsh Farshid , Hadjati Jamshid 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
CAR T cell-based therapies have shown promising results in hematological malignancies. Results of CAR T cell projects in solid tumors have been less impressive, and factors including lack of targetable antigens and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) have been suggested as culprits. Adenosine, a metabolite which is highly produced in TME, is known to mediate the suppression of anti-tumor T cell responses via binding and signaling through adenosine 2a receptor (A2aR).

Methods
In this study, the expression of A2aR and the effects of its activation on the function of fully human anti-mesothelin CAR T cells (MSLN-CAR T), were analyzed. Afterwards, the molecular and pharmacological means to overcome the inhibitory effects of A2aR signaling on CAR T cell function were used. This was performed by targeting A2aR expression in MSLN-CAR T cells using various anti-A2aR shRNA sequences embedded in the CAR vector and an A2aR pharmacological antagonist, SCH-58261. Statistical analyses were performed Prism 7 software.

Results
Our experiments showed significant A2aR upregulation on T cells during the CAR T cell production procedure (cell activation and transduction). Activation of adenosine signaling using adenosine analog led to the suppression of all major anti-tumor functions in MSLN-CAR T cells. Interestingly, CAR T cells that carried the anti-A2aR shRNA sequences were resistant to the inhibitory effects of adenosine signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of A2aR reversed the reduction in CAR T cell proliferation and cytokine response caused by the adenosine analog; however, it failed to rescue the cytotoxic function of the cells.

Conclusion
Altogether, our results indicate that mitigating A2aR signaling by genetic targeting of the receptor might be a promising approach in improving CAR T cell function in an unreceptive microenvironment and could potentially improve the outcome of treatment in clinical settings.
Fine-mapping and transcriptome analysis of a candidate gene controlling plant height in Brassica napus L.
Authors: Wang Xiaodong , Zheng Ming , Liu Hongfang , Zhang Liang , Chen Feng , Zhang Wei , Fan Shihang , Peng Menlu , Hu Maolong , Wang Hanzhong , Zhang Jiefu , Hua Wei 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Brassica napus provides approximately 13–16% of global vegetable oil for human consumption and biodiesel production. Plant height (PH) is a key trait that affects plant architecture, seed yield and harvest index. However, the genetic mechanism of PH in B. napus is poorly understood.

Results
A dwarf mutant df59 was isolated from a large-scale screening of an ethyl methanesulphonate-mutagenized rapeseed variety Ningyou 18. A genetic analysis showed that the dwarfism phenotype was controlled by one semi-dominant gene, which was mapped on C9 chromosome by quantitative trait loci sequencing analysis and designated as BnaDwf.C9. To fine-map BnaDwf.C9, two F2 populations were constructed from crosses between conventional rapeseed cultivars (Zhongshuang 11 and Holly) and df59. BnaDwf.C9 was fine-mapped to the region between single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers M14 and M4, corresponding to a 120.87-kb interval of the B. napus ‘Darmor-bzh’ genome. Within this interval, seven, eight and nine annotated or predicted genes were identified in “Darmor-bzh”, “Ningyou 7” and “Zhongshuang 11” reference genomes, respectively. In addition, a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed using stem tips from Ningyou 18 and df59 at the stem elongation stage. In total, 3995 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Among them, 118 DEGs were clustered in plant hormone-related signal transduction pathways, including 81 DEGs were enriched in auxin signal transduction. Combining the results of fine-mapping and transcriptome analyses, BnaC09g20450D was considered a candidate gene for BnaDwf.C9, which contains a SNP that co-segregated in 4746 individuals. Finally, a PCR-based marker was developed based on the SNP in BnaC09g20450D.

Conclusions
The combination of quantitative trait loci sequencing, fine-mapping and genome-wide transcriptomic analysis revealed one candidate gene located within the confidence interval of 120.87-kb region. This study provides a new genetic resource for semi-dwarf breeding and new insights into understanding the genetic architecture of PH in B. napus.
Inverse associations between serum urate and glycemic status in a general population and in persons with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Wakabayashi Ichiro 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Results of previous studies regarding the relationship between blood urate level and diabetes are conflicting. The aim of this study was to clarify the relations of urate with glycemic status and metabolic syndrome in a general population and in patients with diabetes.

Methods
The participants were 12,528 men receiving health-checkup examinations (29–70 years old) and they were divided into four quartile groups for serum urate levels. Relationships of urate with metabolic syndrome and its components were investigated after adjustment for age and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol drinking and regular exercise.

Results
In the overall participants and the participants with diabetes (n = 802), hemoglobin A1c levels were significantly lower in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles for urate than in the 1st quartile and the levels tended to be lower with an increase in the quartile. In the overall participants, the adjusted odds ratios for diabetes vs. the 1st quartile of urate were significantly lower in the 2nd quartile (0.71 [0.59–0.87])), 3rd quartile (0.51 [0.41–0.63]) and 4th quartile [0.35 (0.28–0.44)) than the reference level and the odds ratio tended to be lower with an increase in the quartile. A high urate level was positively associated with visceral obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and/or low HDL cholesterol) and metabolic syndrome, and these associations were less prominent in the diabetes group than in the overall participants.

Conclusions
Blood urate level is inversely associated with glycemic status in both a general population and patients with diabetes. Positive associations of urate with metabolic syndrome and its components except for diabetes are confounded in the presence of diabetes.
Designing human-centric software artifacts with future users: a case study
Authors: Roccetti Marco , Prandi Catia , Mirri Silvia , Salomoni Paola 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
The quality and quantity of participation supplied by human beings during the different phases of the design and development of a software artifact are central to studies in human-centered computing. With this paper, we have investigated on what kind of experienced people should be engaged to design a new computational artifact, when a participatory approach is adopted. We compared two approaches: the former including only future users (i.e., novices) in the design process, and the latter enlarging the community to expert users. We experimented with the design of a large software artifact, in use at the University of Bologna, engaging almost 1500 users. Statistical methodologies were employed to validate our findings. Our analysis has provided mounting evidence that expert users have contributed to the design of the artifact only by a small amount. Instead, most of the innovative initiatives have come from future users, thus surpassing some traditional limitations that tend to exclude future users from this kind of processes. We here challenge the traditional opinion that expert users provide typically a more reliable contribution in a participatory software design process, demonstrating instead that future users would be often better suited. Along this line of sense, this is the first paper, in the field of human-centric computing, that discusses the relevant question to offer to future users a larger design space, intended as a higher level of freedom given in a software design situation, demarcated by precise design constraints. In this sense, the outcome has been positive.
An overview of recent distributed algorithms for learning fuzzy models in Big Data classification
Authors: Ducange Pietro , Fazzolari Michela , Marcelloni Francesco 
Published: March 2020

AbstractNowadays, a huge amount of data are generated, often in very short time intervals and in various formats, by a number of different heterogeneous sources such as social networks and media, mobile devices, internet transactions, networked devices and sensors. These data, identified as Big Data in the literature, are characterized by the popularVs features, such as Value, Veracity, Variety, Velocity and Volume. In particular, Value focuses on the useful knowledge that may be mined from data. Thus, in the last years, a number of data mining and machine learning algorithms have been proposed to extract knowledge from Big Data. These algorithms have been generally implemented by using ad-hoc programming paradigms, such as MapReduce, on specific distributed computing frameworks, such as Apache Hadoop and Apache Spark. In the context of Big Data, fuzzy models are currently playing a significant role, thanks to their capability of handling vague and imprecise data and their innate characteristic to be interpretable. In this work, we give an overview of the most recent distributed learning algorithms for generating fuzzy classification models for Big Data. In particular, we first show some design and implementation details of these learning algorithms. Thereafter, we compare them in terms of accuracy and interpretability. Finally, we argue about their scalability.
Selective Soxhlets extraction to enhance solubility of newly-synthesized poly(indoloindole-selenophene vinylene selenophene) donor for photovoltaic applications
Authors: Lim Jihyun , Kim Na Yeong , Jang Woongsik , An Un Su , Kyaw Aung Ko Ko , Kim Yun-Hi , Wang Dong Hwan 
Published: March 2020

AbstractAn electron-rich fused indoloindole-based poly(indoloindole-selenophene vinylene selenophene) was synthesized and characterized. Soxhlet can be obtained by continuously purifying the product with a specific solvent and obtaining a pure polymer with a high concentration. Molecular weight is affected by the vapor pressure of marginal solvent, and the polymer was fractionated using tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, and chlorobenzene. Solubility is closely related to the morphology of bulk heterojunction and device parameters. In the solution process of fabricating the organic solar cell, securement of solubility has a great effect on the performance of the device, because morphology and orientation of a photo-active layer which significantly affect charge transport in the device. Since tetrahydrofuran (THF) Soxhlet solvents have high vapor pressure and appropriate solubility parameters, THF induced the best solubility of P-IDI-SVS materials for organic solvents. And through additive optimization, the performance of the device based on P-IDI-SVS from THF-Soxhlet extraction was enhanced. This is expected to be a meaningful study because the effect on solubility of Soxhlet solvent suggests factors to be considered in the solution process in organic solar cell research. In addition, surface modified bulk heterojunction was observed using atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence, time-correlated single photon counting and Raman spectroscopy analysis.
Research and trends in STEM education: a systematic review of journal publications
Authors: Li Yeping , Wang Ke , Xiao Yu , Froyd Jeffrey E. 
Published: March 2020

AbstractWith the rapid increase in the number of scholarly publications on STEM education in recent years, reviews of the status and trends in STEM education research internationally support the development of the field. For this review, we conducted a systematic analysis of 798 articles in STEM education published between 2000 and the end of 2018 in 36 journals to get an overview about developments in STEM education scholarship. We examined those selected journal publications both quantitatively and qualitatively, including the number of articles published, journals in which the articles were published, authorship nationality, and research topic and methods over the years. The results show that research in STEM education is increasing in importance internationally and that the identity of STEM education journals is becoming clearer over time.
Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET /CT metabolic parameters in patients with locally advanced pancreatic Cancer treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy
Authors: Ren Shengnan , Zhu Xiaofei , Zhang Anyu , Li Danni , Zuo Changjing , Zhang Huojun 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters have been applied as prognostic factors in multi-malignancies. However, the role in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) was not confirmed. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters in LAPC patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods
Seventy three LAPC patients who received SBRT therapy and pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging from January 2012 to January 2016 were included in this retrospective study. The study aim was to evaluate the relationship between metabolic parameters with clinical factors, and the value of metabolic parameters in the prognosis of LAPC. The median of parameters was set as the cut-off value for statistical analysis. Univariate survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan Meier method and log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was carried out by a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results
Patients with lymph node metastasis or longer tumor diameters were associated with higher TLG (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed MTV, TLG, radiotherapy dose and chemotherapy were significantly associated with disease progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05). Lymph node metastasis and tumor longest diameter were associated with OS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated TLG, radiotherapy dose, and chemotherapy were independent factors of PFS and OS (HR: 2.307, 0.591, 0.572 and 2.145, 0.480, 0.471, P < 0.05).

Conclusions
TLG was found to be the independent prognostic factor of OS and PFS. Among clinical factors, radiotherapy dose and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors of OS and PFS.
Intestinal endometriosis treated by laparoscopic surgery: case series of 5 patients
Authors: Kondo Hiroka , Hirano Yasumitsu , Ishii Toshimasa , Hara Kiyoka , Obara Nao , Wang Liming , Asari Masahiro , Kato Takuya , Yamaguchi Shigeki 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Intestinal endometriosis is rare and most frequently involves the rectum and sigmoid colon.

Case presentation
Here, we report a case series of 5 patients who underwent laparoscopic resection for intestinal endometriosis. None of the patients developed postoperative complications, and all were discharged at 5–8 days after surgery. The diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis is difficult to obtain before surgery. Only 2 of 5 patients were diagnosed preoperatively. Among 1 of the 2 patients, the symptoms at the time of menstruation were obvious. In patients with submucosal tumors, the preoperative diagnosis can be difficult. Additional imaging examinations at the time of menstruation might be useful for obtaining a diagnosis. D2 dissections were performed for 3 patients, because malignancy could not be ruled out as a preoperative diagnosis. The surgical findings of 1 patient did not appear to be endometriosis. Surgery for intestinal endometriosis usually encounters advanced pelvic adhesions and fibrosis. For patients undergoing sigmoidectomy, the mean operative time was 152 min and mean blood loss was 10 mL. For patients undergoing rectal resection, the mean operative time was 282 min and mean blood loss was 17 mL. Two cases had severe pelvic adhesions, and the residual rectum could not be straightened. Therefore, side-to-side anastomosis was performed. For intestinal endometriosis surgery, flexible planning for the anastomosis method used for residual intestine should be undertaken.

Conclusion
Laparoscopic surgery for intestinal endometriosis was safe but technically difficult, because of fibrosis and adhesions. An accurate diagnosis should be attempted based on the clinical symptoms, imaging findings, and intraoperative findings. The method used for anastomosis should be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Antitumor efficacy of the Egyptian Scorpion Venom Androctonus Australis: in vitro and in vivo study
Authors: Nafie Mohamed S. , Abdel Daim Mohamed M. , Ali Ibrahim A. I. , Nabil Zohour I. , Tantawy Mohamed A. , Abdel-Rahman Mohamed A. 
Published: March 2020

Abstract
Background
Scorpion venom contains various biomolecules with potential therapeutic values against different diseases, including cancer. The present study was carried out to assess the antitumor efficacy of Androctonus australis crude venom using both in vitro and in vivo approaches.

Methodology
For in vitro assay, the cytotoxic effect of different venom concentrations was determined against HCT116, HepG2, MCF-7, and PC-3 as cancer cell lines and normal WISH cell line. The in vivo assay was carried out by the I.P. transplantation of EAC into Swiss albino female mice, followed by the I.P. injection of the venom at the sublethal dose 1/10 LD50 (0.025 mg/kg BW) compared to cisplatin (2 mg/kg BW), and both normal and EAC control groups were also included. The analysis of ascetic fluid tumor, survival study, and hematological, biochemical, antioxidant, and histopathological assays was evaluated in control and treated animal groups.

Results
Our in vitro results revealed that the A. australis venom had a selective promising activity against MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 19.71 μg/mL). Moreover, it was less cytotoxic on WISH cells. The in vivo data showed that A. australis venom exhibited a highly significant decrease in tumor volume, and viable tumor cell count, and increased the duration of lifespan compared to the EAC control group. The venom significantly enhanced both hematological and biochemical measurements compared to the EAC control group.

Conclusion
The results revealed that the A. australis venom exhibited in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities. Further venomics studies are needed to functionally characterize the active molecules from this scorpion venom and study their mode of action on cancer cells to develop them into potential anticancer agents.