bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dyslipidemia Is Related to Mortality in Critical Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Yue Jiang , Xu Hua , Zhou Yong , Liu Wen , Han Xiaofeng , Mao Qing , Li Shengxian , Tam Lai-Shan , Ma Jing , Liu Wei 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundIt has been reported that dyslipidemia is related to coronavirus-related diseases. Critical patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who suffered from multiple organ dysfunctions were treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) in Wuhan, China. Whether the lipids profile was associated with the prognosis of COVID-19 in critical patients remained unclear.MethodsA retrospective study was performed in critical patients (N=48) with coronavirus disease 2019 in Leishenshan hospital between February and April 2020 in Wuhan. The parameters including lipid profiles, liver function, and renal function were collected on admission day, 2-3days after the admission, and the day before the achievement of clinical outcome.ResultsAlbumin value and creatine kinase (ck) value were statistically decreased at 2-3 days after admission compared with those on admission day (P&lt;0.05). Low density lipoprotein (LDL-c), high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), apolipoprotein A (ApoA), and apolipoprotein A (Apo B) levels were statistically decreased after admission (P&lt;0.05). Logistic regression showed that HDL-c level both on admission day and the day before the achievement of clinical outcome were negatively associated with mortality in critical patients with COVID-19. Total cholesterol (TC) level at 2-3days after admission was related to mortality in critical patients with COVID-19.ConclusionsThere were lipid metabolic disorders in the critical patients with COVID-19. Lower levels of HDL-c and TC were related to the progression of critical COVID-19.
Energy Efficiency Optimization Design of a Forward-Swept Axial Flow Fan for Heat Pump
Authors: Yang Ke , Zhou Shuiqing , Hu Yinjie , Zhou Huaxin , Jin Weiya 
Published: June 2021

As one of the key components of the heat pump system, compared to that of a conventional axial fan, the blade tip area of a forward-swept axial fan is much larger than its blade root, which is the main noise source of the fan and also has an important influence on the fan efficiency. Enhancement of the aerodynamic performance and efficiency of a forward-swept axial fan was addressed by utilizing the Bezier function to parameterize the forward-swept curve on blade tops. In order to quickly select an agent model suitable for the project, an ES model was established by integration of the radial basis function model and the Kriging model. When NSGA-II was combined, multi-objective optimization was carried out with the flow rate and total pressure efficiency as optimization goals. Analysis of optimization results revealed that the optimized axial flow fan’s flow rate and total pressure efficiency were improved to some degree. At the design working point, the fan’s flow rate increased by 1.78 m³/min, while the total pressure efficiency increased by 3.0%. These results lay solid foundation for energy saving of the heat pump system.
Glycolysis-Related Gene Expression Profiling Screen for Prognostic Risk Signature of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Song Wenjing , He Xin , Gong Pengju , Yang Yan , Huang Sirui , Zeng Yifan , Wei Lei , Zhang Jingwei 
Published: June 2021

Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly lethal. Although progress has been made in the treatment of PDAC, its prognosis remains unsatisfactory. This study aimed to develop novel prognostic genes related to glycolysis in PDAC and to apply these genes to new risk stratification.Methods: In this study, based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PAAD cohort, the expression level of glycolysis-related gene at mRNA level in PAAD and its relationship with prognosis were analyzed. Non-negative matrix decomposition (NMF) clustering was used to cluster PDAC patients according to glycolytic genes. Prognostic glycolytic genes, screened by univariate Cox analysis and LASSO regression analysis were established to calculate risk scores. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the high-risk group and the low-risk group were analyzed, and the signal pathway was further enriched to analyze the correlation between glycolysis genes. In addition, based on RNA-seq data, CIBERSORT was used to evaluate the infiltration degree of immune cells in PDAC samples, and ESTIMATE was used to calculate the immune score of the samples.Results: A total of 319 glycolysis-related genes were retrieved, and all PDAC samples were divided into two clusters by NMF cluster analysis. Survival analysis showed that PDAC patients in cluster 1 had shorter survival time and worse prognosis compared with cluster 2 samples (P &lt; 0.001). A risk prediction model based on 11 glycolysis genes was constructed, according to which patients were divided into two groups, with significantly poorer prognosis in high-risk group than in low-risk group (P &lt; 0.001). Both internal validation and external dataset validation demonstrate good predictive ability of the model (AUC = 0.805, P &lt; 0.001; AUC = 0.763, P &lt; 0.001). Gene aggregation analysis showed that DEGs highly expressed in high-risk group were mainly concentrated in the glycolysis level, immune status, and tumor cell proliferation, etc. In addition, the samples in high-risk group showed immunosuppressed status and infiltrated by relatively more macrophages and less CD8+T cell.Conclusions: These findings suggested that the gene signature based on glycolysis-related genes had potential diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic value for PDAC.
Identifying the Key Genes in Mouse Liver Regeneration After Partial Hepatectomy by Bioinformatics Analysis and in vitro/vivo Experiments
Authors: Zhao Jian , Yu Shi-Zhe , Cai Qiang , Ma Duo , Jiang Long , Yang Ling-Peng , Yu Zhi-Yong 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundThe liver is the only organ that can completely regenerate after various injuries or tissue loss. There are still a large number of gene functions in liver regeneration that have not been explored. This study aimed to identify key genes in the early stage of liver regeneration in mice after partial hepatectomy (PH).Materials and MethodsWe first analyzed the expression profiles of genes in mouse liver at 48 and 72 h after PH from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Gene ontology (GO), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis were performed to identify key genes in liver regeneration. Finally, we validated key genes in vivo and in vitro.ResultsWe identified 46 upregulated genes and 19 downregulated genes at 48 h after PH, and 223 upregulated genes and 40 downregulated genes at 72 h after PH, respectively. These genes were mainly involved in cell cycle, DNA replication, and p53 signaling pathway. Among of these genes, cycle-related genes (Ccna2, Cdkn1a, Chek1, and Mcm5) and Ube2c were highly expressed in the residual liver both at 48 and 72 h after PH. Furthermore, Ube2c knockdown not only caused abnormal expression of Ccna2, Cdkn1a, Chek1, and Mcm5, but also inhibited transition of hepatocytes from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle in vitro.ConclusionMouse hepatocytes enter the proliferation phase at 48 h after PH. Ube2c may mediate cell proliferation by regulating or partially regulating Ccna2, Cdkn1a, Chek1, and Mcm5.
Elevated Serum Human Epididymis Protein 4 Is Associated With Disease Activity and Systemic Involvements in Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Chen Jiali , Sun Feng , Bao Huizhang , Liang Liu , Zhan Minghua , Yao Haihong , He Jing , Liu Yudong 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundWe aimed to investigate the clinical utility of human epididymis protein 4, a tumor biomarker being widely utilized in clinical practice in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, in primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS).MethodsA total of 109 pSS patients and 113 healthy controls (HCs) were included in the study. HE4 were determined by Roche Cobas E601 electrochemical luminescence analyzer. Clinical and laboratory findings were reviewed, and the relationships between HE4 and clinical parameters were determined by Spearman’s correlation test. The European league against rheumatism Sjögren’s syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI) was utilized to evaluate disease activity.FindingsThe levels of HE4 were significantly elevated in patients with pSS compared to HCs (103.65 pmol/L vs. 46.52 pmol/L, p&lt;0.001). The levels of HE4 were positively correlated with ESSDAI scores (r=0.462, p&lt;0.001). Significant positive correlations between the levels of HE4 with pulmonary involvements (r=0.442, p&lt;0.001) and renal involvements (r=0.320, p=0.001) were observed. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis revealed an optimal cut-off value of 104.90 pmol/L and 128.05 pmol/L for distinguishing patients with pulmonary and renal involvements, with the areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of 0.778 (95%CI 0.685-0.870, p&lt;0.001) and 0.768 (95%CI 0.646-0.891, p=0.001), respectively. Among patients with pulmonary involvement, the levels of HE4 were positively correlated with the semiquantitative HRCT grade (r=0.417, p=0.016), and negatively correlated with the percentage of forced vital capacity (FVC) (r= -0.460, p=0.047) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLco) (r= -0.623, p=0.004). For patients with renal involvement, HE4 was positively correlated with creatinine (r=0.588, p=0.021) and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (r= -0.599, p=0.030).ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated a novel role of HE4 in clinical stratification of pSS, suggesting that introducing HE4 to the current pSS test panel may provide additional diagnostic value, particularly in evaluating disease activity and pulmonary/renal involvements.
A Novel Mutation in the NBD Domain of NLRC4 Causes Mild Autoinflammation With Recurrent Urticaria
Authors: Wang Li , Wen Wen , Deng Mengyue , Li Yue , Sun Gan , Zhao Xiaodong , Tang Xuemei , Mao Huawei 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundNOD-like receptor family CARD-containing 4 protein (NLRC4) is a cytosolic protein that forms an inflammasome in response to flagellin and type 3 secretion system (T3SS) proteins from invading Gram-negative bacteria. NLRC4 mutations have been recently identified in early-onset severe autoinflammatory disorders. In this study, we reported a novel mutation in NLRC4 in two Chinese patients, who manifested with recurrent urticaria and arthralgia.MethodsWe summarized the clinical data of the two patients. Gene mutations were identified by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Swiss-PdbViewer was used to predict the pathogenicity of the identified mutations. Cytokine levels and caspase-1 activation were detected in the patient PBMCs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. All previously published cases with NLRC4 mutations were reviewed.ResultsWe identified a missense heterozygous mutation (c.514G&gt;A, p.Gly172Ser), which was located in the highly conserved residue of nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) of NLRC4. The mutation did not alter the expression of NLRC4 protein, but induced considerably much higher production of IL-1β and IL-6 in patient PBMCs than in healthy controls after LPS stimulation. Four NLRC4 inflammasomopathy phenotypes have been described, with severe inflammatory diseases including macrophage activation syndrome, enterocolitis and NOMID in patients with mutations in the NBD and HD1 domains, whereas a mild clinical phenotype was associated with two mutations in the WHD domain of NLRC4.ConclusionWe identified a novel mutation in the NBD domain, and the patients just presented with a mild inflammatory phenotype. Thus, our findings reinforce the diversity of NLRC4 mutations and expand the clinical spectrum of associated diseases.
Case Report: Adult Post-COVID-19 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome and Thrombotic Microangiopathy
Authors: Boudhabhay Idris , Rabant Marion , Roumenina Lubka T. , Coupry Louis-Marie , Poillerat Victoria , Marchal Armance , Frémeaux-Bacchi Véronique , El Karoui Khalil , Monchi Mehran , Pourcine Franck 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide. A clinical series of Kawasaki-like multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), occurring after SARS-CoV-2 infection, have been described in children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A), but the pathophysiology remains unknown.Case PresentationWe describe a case of post-COVID-19 MIS-A in a 46-year-old man with biopsy-proven renal thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Specific complement inhibition with eculizumab was initiated promptly and led to a dramatic improvement of renal function.ConclusionOur case suggests that that TMA could play a central role in the pathophysiology of post-COVID-19 MIS-A, making complement blockers an interesting therapeutic option.
Estimating the Prevalence of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Cases and Their Contribution in Transmission - Using Henan Province, China, as an Example
Authors: Li Chunyu , Zhu Yuchen , Qi Chang , Liu Lili , Zhang Dandan , Wang Xu , She Kaili , Jia Yan , Liu Tingxuan , He Daihai , Xiong Momiao , Li Xiujun 
Published: June 2021

Background: Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), is now sweeping across the world. A substantial proportion of infections only lead to mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, but the proportion and infectivity of asymptomatic infections remains unknown. In this paper, we proposed a model to estimate the proportion and infectivity of asymptomatic cases, using COVID-19 in Henan Province, China, as an example.Methods: We extended the conventional susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered model by including asymptomatic, unconfirmed symptomatic, and quarantined cases. Based on this model, we used daily reported COVID-19 cases from January 21 to February 26, 2020, in Henan Province to estimate the proportion and infectivity of asymptomatic cases, as well as the change of effective reproductive number, Rt.Results: The proportion of asymptomatic cases among COVID-19 infected individuals was 42% and the infectivity was 10% that of symptomatic ones. The basic reproductive number R0 = 2.73, and Rt dropped below 1 on January 31 under a series of measures.Conclusion: The spread of the COVID-19 epidemic was rapid in the early stage, with a large number of asymptomatic infected individuals having relatively low infectivity. However, it was quickly brought under control with national measures.
Evaluating the Histopathology of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma by Intravoxel Incoherent Motion-Diffusion Weighted Imaging Comparing With Diffusion-Weighted Imaging
Authors: Liu Qi , Zhang Jinggang , Jiang Man , Zhang Yue , Chen Tongbing , Zhang Jilei , Li Bei , Chen Jie , Xing Wei 
Published: June 2021

ObjectivesTo explore the differences between intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in evaluating the histopathological characters of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 50 patients with PDAC confirmed by pathology from December 2018 to May 2020. All patients underwent DWI and IVIM-DWI before surgeries. Patients were classified into low- and high-fibrosis groups. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), diffusion coefficient (D), false diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were measured by two radiologists, respectively in GE AW 4.7 post-processing station, wherein ADC values were derived by mono-exponential fits and f, D, D* values were derived by biexponential fits. The tumor tissue was stained with Sirius red, CD34, and CK19 to evaluate fibrosis, microvascular density (MVD), and tumor cell density. Furthermore, the correlation between ADC, D, D*, and f values and histopathological results was analyzed.ResultsThe D values were lower in the high-fibrosis group than in the low-fibrosis group, while the f values were opposite. Further, no statistically significant differences were detected in ADC and D* values between the high- and low-fibrosis groups. The AUC of D and f values had higher evaluation efficacy in the high- and low-fibrosis groups than ADC values. A significant negative correlation was established between D values, and fibrosis and a significant positive correlation were observed between f values and fibrosis. No statistical difference was detected between DWI/IVIM parameters values and MVD or tumor cell density except for the positive correlation between D* values and tumor cell density.ConclusionsD and f values derived from the IVIM model had higher sensitivity and diagnostic performance for grading fibrosis in PDAC compared to the conventional DWI model. IVIM-DWI may have the potential as an imaging biomarker for predicting the fibrosis grade of PDAC.
Clinical Implementation of a 6D Treatment Chair for Fixed Ion Beam Lines
Authors: Sun Jiayao , Kong Lin , Chen Zhi , You Dan , Mao Jingfang , Guan Xiyin , Wu Xiaodong , Sheng Yinxiangzi 
Published: June 2021

PurposeTo verify the practicality and safety of a treatment chair with six degrees of freedom (6DTC) through demonstrating the efficacy of the workflow in clinical settings and analyzing the obtained technical data, including intra-fraction patient movement during the use of the 6DTC.Materials and MethodsA clinical study was designed and conducted to test the clinical treatment workflow and the safety of the 6DTC. Based on the demonstrated dosimetric advantages, fifteen patients with head and neck tumors were selected and treated with the 6DTC. The positional error at the first beam position (PE-B1) and the second beam position (PE-B2) were analyzed and compared with the results from daily quality assurance (QA) procedures of the 6DTC and imaging system performed each day before clinical treatment. The intra-fraction patient movement was derived from the total patient alignment positional error and the QA data based on a Gaussian distribution formulism.ResultsThe QA results showed sub-millimeter mechanical accuracy of the 6DTC over the course of the clinical study. For 150 patient treatment fractions, the mean deviations between PE-B1 and PE-B2 were 0.13mm (SD 0.88mm), 0.25mm (SD 1.17mm), -0.57mm (SD 0.85mm), 0.02° (SD 0.35°), 0.00° (SD 0.37°), and -0.02° (SD 0.37°) in the x, y, z (translational), and u, v, w (rotational) directions, respectively. The calculated intra-fraction patient movement was -0.08mm (SD 0.56mm), 0.71mm (SD 1.12mm), -0.52mm (SD 0.84mm), 0.10° (SD 0.32°), 0.09° (SD 0.36°), and -0.04° (SD 0.36°) in the x, y, z, u, v, w directions, respectively.ConclusionsThe performance stability of the 6DTC was satisfactory. The position accuracy and intra-fraction patient movement in an upright posture with the 6DTC were verified and found adequate for clinical implementation.
The Association Between High Birth Weight and Long-Term Outcomes—Implications for Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Magnusson Åsa , Laivuori Hannele , Loft Anne , Oldereid Nan B. , Pinborg Anja , Petzold Max , Romundstad Liv Bente , Söderström-Anttila Viveca , Bergh Christina 
Published: June 2021

Background: Studies have shown that the prevalence of children born with high birth weight or large for gestational age (LGA) is increasing. This is true for spontaneous pregnancies; however, children born after frozen embryo transfer (FET) as part of assisted reproductive technology (ART) also have an elevated risk. In recent years, the practice of FET has increased rapidly and while the perinatal and obstetric risks are well-studied, less is known about the long-term health consequences.Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to describe the association between high birth weight and LGA on long-term child outcomes.Data Sources: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched up to January 2021. Exposure included high birth weight and LGA. Long-term outcome variables included malignancies, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.Study Selection: Original studies published in English or Scandinavian languages were included. Studies with a control group were included while studies published as abstracts and case reports were excluded.Data Extraction: The methodological quality, in terms of risk of bias, was assessed by pairs of reviewers. Robins-I (www.methods.cochrane.org) was used for risk of bias assessment in original articles. For systematic reviews, AMSTAR (www.amstar.ca) was used. For certainty of evidence, we used the GRADE system. The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. When possible, meta-analyses were performed.Results: The search included 11,767 articles out of which 173 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative analysis, while 63 were included in quantitative synthesis (meta-analyses). High birth weight and/or LGA was associated with low to moderately elevated risks for certain malignancies in childhood, breast cancer, several psychiatric disorders, hypertension in childhood, and type 1 and 2 diabetes.Conclusions: Although the increased risks for adverse outcome in offspring associated with high birth weight and LGA represent serious health effects in childhood and in adulthood, the size of these effects seems moderate. The identified risk association should, however, be taken into account in decisions concerning fresh and frozen ART cycles and is of general importance in view of the increasing prevalence in high birthweight babies.
Allergic Asthma-Induced Cognitive Impairment is Alleviated by Dexamethasone
Authors: Ren Mengli , Feng Min , Long Zhimin , Ma Jing , Peng Xuehua , He Guiqiong 
Published: June 2021

Allergic asthma is a typical chronic inflammatory disease of respiratory tract. Clinical data shows that patients with allergic asthma have different degrees of cognitive dysfunction. The molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of asthma-induced cognitive disorder is not yet well defined. Dexamethasone (DEX), one of the first-line drugs being widely used in the treatment of asthma, has not been reported to have an effect on cognitive dysfunction in mice model. To investigate the effect of asthma on cognitive impairment as well as the effect of DEX on asthma-caused morphological and behavioral changes, C57BL/6J mice received treatment with house dust mites (HDM) for 60 days to become allergic asthma model mice, and a group of HDM-treated asthma model mice were treated with DEX. HDM-treated asthma model mice exhibited increased airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and inflammatory infiltration in lung tissue. An elevated level of IL-4, IL-5, and TNF-α was detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) by Luminex liquid suspension chip. Asthma model mice also presented memory deficits accompanied with morphological changes at the synaptic levels in the cortex and hippocampus. Meanwhile, vascular edema and increased expression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α were found in the brain of asthma model mice. Interestingly, DEX treatment could reverse the inflammatory changes in asthma model mice airway, rescue the cognitive impairment and improve the synaptic plasticity. Besides, DEX significantly decreased the expression of HIF-1α and HIF-2α in mice brain and lung. These processes may be used to decipher the complex interplay and pathological changes between asthma and cognition. This study provides laboratory evidence for the prevention and treatment of cognitive malfunction induced by asthma.