bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Value of Colorectal Filling Contrast Ultrasonography in Diagnosing Paediatric Juvenile Polyps
Authors: Zhang Min , Lin Hai , Wu Tang Na , Hu Jie , Fu Sheng Xin , Jing Xiang Xiang , Qin Ling Ling 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Objectives: To describe a facilitated procedure of colorectal filling contrast ultrasonography (CFCUS) and investigate its potential role in the assessment of paediatric juvenile polyps. Methods: The general information, clinical symptoms, ultrasound image characteristics, and colonoscopy findings of 101 children with clinical signs of colorectal polyps admitted to our hospital between May 2018 and May 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. All children underwent conventional transabdominal ultrasonography (CTUS), and CFCUS before colonoscopy, and the latter served as the gold standard. Chi-squared tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Forty-five children with fifty-two colorectal polyps were diagnosed by colonoscopy. Ten polyps had false-negative results on CTUS, six of which were detected by CFCUS. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CFCUS vs CTUS was 92.3% vs 80.7%, 100% vs 100%, 100% vs 100%, 93.3% vs 84.8%, respectively. The maximum diameter of polyps (mean ± standard deviation) missed by CTUS was significantly smaller than that detected by CTUS (7.50±2.12 mm [range 4–12 mm] vs. 19.62±7.89 mm [range 6–41 mm], P<0.0001). A significant difference was observed between CTUS and CFCUS. The difference between CTUS and CFCUS regarding the detection rate of polyps with a diameter < 1 cm (P=0.031). A statistical difference was observed in the detection rate of polyps (P=0.031), and pedicles (P<0.001) between CTUS and CFCUS. The Kappa values for the assessment of Yamada’s classification between CTUS and colonoscopy and CFCUS and colonoscopy were 0.51 and 0.84, respectively. Six colonic polyps were accompanied by a punctate hyperechoic area on the surface, which may be suggestive of a correlation with erosion and bleeding findings.Conclusion: CFCUS can increase the detection rate of polyps and pedicles, especially polyps with diameters <1 cm, and accurately evaluate Yamada’s classification, providing useful preoperative information for colonoscopy.
Simulation-based Analysis of Ultra Thin-body Double Gate Ferroelectric TFET for an Enhanced Electric Performance
Authors: GOPAL GIRDHAR , varma Tarun 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
The Ultrathin body double gate FE layer TFET(UTB-DG-FE-TFET) is proposed and investigated in this work. Electrical performance parameters such as surface potential ψ(x), electrical field, drain current, sub-threshold swing, threshold voltage, and I on /I off ratio are further analyzed using simulation-based analysis. Integration of Si: HFO 2 ferroelectric layer on top and bottom surfaces make the structure that provides negative capacitance, higher on current, enormous surface potential, peak electric field, and improvement in SS with degradation in off Current. The suggested design is evaluated in comparison with FE-TFET and standard TFET devices. Finally, the impact of device geometry variants like ferroelectric layer thickness (t fe ), intrinsic channel thickness t si , interfacial layer types, interfacial layer thickness (t ox ) and channel length L c on transfer characteristics are investigated through 2D TCAD Sentaurus Simulator for a clear validation of its optimization. The recommended work demonstrates that it is a suitable device enabling superior performance and helpful in ultra-low-power applications.
Preparation of Ni-La/Al2O3-CeO2-Bamboo Charcoal Catalyst and its Application in Co-pyrolysis of Straw and Plastic for Hydrogen Production
Authors: Zhang YiRan , Li Jianfen , Li Bolin , Li Zeshan , He Yun , Qin Zhenhua , Gao Rongyi 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
The developed Ni-La/Al2O3-CeO2-Bamboo charcoal (ACB) catalyst was applied to the co-pyrolysis of straw and plastic to produce hydrogen in a horizontal quartz tube pyrolysis furnace. In this study, the effects of the mixing ratio of straw and plastic, the presence and stability of the catalyst on the co-pyrolysis hydrogen production were investigated. Experiment showed that the addition of PE can increase the yield of H2 within a certain range, and the best mass ratio of 5:5 was found. In the co-pyrolysis process with the participation of the catalysts, the macromolecular tar can be cracked into combustible gases such as H2, and the H2 yield could be increased to 332.2ml/g (Ni-La/ACB) is much higher than 68.87ml/g without catalyst. Compared with Ni/ACB, Ni-La/ACB had been increased the alkalinity by adding La element and enhanced the carbon deposition resistance of the catalyst, which makes the catalyst maintain higher stability. This was also confirmed in stability test experiments.
A Case Report of Ichthyosis Uteri
Authors: Liu Zhouying , Liu Dongge 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Ichthyosis uteri is a rare condition in which the entire surface of the endometrium is replaced by squamous epithelium. The condition often is considered as benign, despite anaplastic and dysplastic changes have been reported. Case presentation: A 36-year-old female present with extensive squamous metaplasia and dispersed normal endometrium. The case displayed with a benign ichthyosis uteri showing heavy keratinization without dysplasia. The cervix showed no dysplastic changes without HPV infection. Conclusion: We conclude that a benign ichthyosis uteri was not associated with HPV infection.
The Preclinical Evaluation of Self-Replicating RNA Oral Vaccine to Simultaneously Neutralize Both SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Alpha Variants
Authors: Mohammadi Abbas , Jebali Ali 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
The aim of this study was to design an oral vaccine based on self-replicating RNA lipid nanoparticle (saRNA LNP) to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617 lineage) and Alpha (B.1.1.7 lineage) variants. Before immunization of mice with saRNA LNP, we saw the high expression of S-protein at both mRNA and protein levels after transfection of HEK293T/17 with saRNA LNP. After immunization of BALB/c mice with saRNA LNP at 0.1-10 μg, a high quantity of SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA was seen with a dose-dependent and Th1/Th2 skewing response in serum of vaccinated mice. We also found that the secreted antibodies could neutralize SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617 lineage) and Alpha (B.1.1.7 lineage) variants. Splenocytes from vaccinated mice re-stimulated with SARS-CoV-2 peptides had high IFN-γ, IL-6, and TNF- α secretion. Although the preclinical study confirmed the efficacy of saRNA LNP against SARS-CoV-2, its efficacy and safety must be evaluated in clinical trials.
Effects of Metformin on Bone-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell–breast Cancer Cell Line Interactions
Authors: Teufelsbauer Maryana , Lang Clemens , Plangger Adelina , Rath barbara , Moser Doris , Staud Clemens , Radke Christine , Neumayer Christoph , Hamilton Gerhard 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Metformin is used to treat patients with diabetes mellitus and that was found to lower the incidence of cancer. The present study investigated the effects of metformin on human bone-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) and their breast cancer cell line interactions. BM-MSCs were tested for growth stimulation and migration controlling activity on four breast cancer cell lines employing MTT tests, migration scratch tests and assays of the expression of adipokines in Western Blot arrays. Compared to breast cancer cell lines, metformin significantly inhibited the proliferation of BM-MSC lines. Pretreatment of BM-MSCs with metformin showed variable effects on breast cancer cell lines depending on the specific BM-MSC cancer line combination. Metformin significantly impaired the migration of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436 in response to conditioned media (CM) of drug pretreated BM-MSCs. Metformin-induced alterations of adipokines by BM-MSC CM indicated increased osteogenic signaling and possibly impairment of metastasis. The anticancer activities of metformin seem to be the result of direct and indirect mechanisms. A lower metformin-induced protumor activity of BM-MSCs in the bone microenvironment seem to contribute to the anticancer effects of this drug in breast cancer patients.
Predicting Response to Immunotherapy Plus Chemotherapy in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Non-Invasive Radiomic Biomarkers
Authors: Zhu Ying , Yao Wang , Xu Bing-Chen , Lei Yi-Yan , Guo Qi-Kun , Liu Li-Zhi , Li Hao-Jiang , Xu Min , Yan Jing , Chang Dan-Dan , Feng Shi-Ting , Zhu Zhihua 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Objectives: To develop and validate a radiomics model for evaluating treatment response to immune-checkpoint inhibitor plus chemotherapy (ICI+CT) in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Methods: A total of 64 patients with advance ESCC receiving first-line ICI+CT at two center between January 2019 and June 2020 were enrolled in this study. Both 2D ROIs and 3D ROIs were segmented. ComBat correction was applied to minimize the potential bias on the results due to different scan protocols. A total of 788 features were extracted and radiomics models were built on corrected/uncorrected 2D and 3D features by using 5-fold cross-validation. The performance of the radiomics models was assessed by its discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness with independent validation. Results: Five features and support vector machine algorithm were selected to build the 2D uncorrected, 2D corrected, 3D uncorrected and 3D corrected radiomics models. The 2D radiomics models significantly outperformed the 3D radiomics models in both primary and validation cohorts. When ComBat correction was used, the performance of 2D models was better (p=0.0059) in the training cohort, and significantly better (p<0.0001) in the validation cohort. The 2D corrected radiomics model yielded the optimal performance and was used to build the nomogram. The calibration curve of the radiomics model demonstrated good agreement between prediction and observation and the decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility. Conclusions: The easy-to-use 2D corrected radiomics model could facilitate noninvasive preselection of ESCC patients who would benefit from ICI+CT.
Long-Term Time Trends in Reactivated Herpes Simplex Infections and Treatment in Sweden.
Authors: Lindman Karin Lopatko , Lockman-Lundgren Judith , Weidung Bodil , Olsson Jan , Elgh Fredrik , Lövheim Hugo 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Our aim was to describe the annual prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) reactivation in relation to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and antiviral drug use in the Swedish adult population. Methods: The study comprised 2,879 anti-HSV-1 immunoglobulin (Ig) G positive subjects from five different cohorts who had donated serum from 1988–2010. The sera were analyzed for anti-HSV IgM using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Associations between the presence of anti-HSV IgM antibodies, the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele and the serum sampling year were assessed by logistic regression. Seasonality of anti-HSV IgM was evaluated in a UV radiation model. Data of antiviral drugs for the entire Swedish population were compiled from two different nationwide databases: the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register and the Swedish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry. Results: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated that the prevalence of anti-HSV IgM antibodies declined between 1988 and 2010 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.912, P < .001), while the total annual use of antiviral drugs in Sweden gradually increased from 1984 to 2017. Higher UV radiation was associated with higher prevalence of anti-HSV IgM antibodies (OR = 1.071, P = .043). Conclusion: The declining time trend of HSV reactivation coincides with a steady increase of antiviral drug use, indicating improved control of HSV reactivation in the Swedish adult population.
DNA Methylation and Asthma Acquisition During and Post-Adolescence, an Epigenome-Wide Longitudinal Study.
Authors: Rathod Aniruddha , Zhang Hongmei , Arshad Hasan , Ewart Susan , Relton Caroline , Karmaus Wilfried , Holloway John 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background- While the majority of asthma starts in early childhood, asthma onset in some individuals occurs during adolescence or in adulthood. However, the pathogenesis of later onset asthma as well as the observed sex specificity are not well understood. Objective- We hypothesized that DNAm at specific CpG sites measured before disease onset, either in pre- or post-adolescence would be associated with asthma acquisition both during adolescence and in later adulthood. Methods- Subjects from the Isle of Wight Birth Cohort (IOWBC) were included. DNAm in blood at ages 10 (pre-adolescence) and 18 (post-adolescence), and asthma acquisition from age 10-18, and 18-26 years was studied. To improve statistical power, we first screened epigenome-wide CpGs based on the association of DNAm at 10 years with asthma acquisition from 10-18 years. Logistic regression with repeated measures were then applied to the CpGs that survived screening to examine the associations of pre-adolescence DNAm with asthma acquisition from pre-to post-adolescence, and post-adolescence DNAm with asthma acquisition from post-adolescence to adulthood. The effect of DNAm on asthma acquisition at different transition period was evaluated using interaction terms. The ALSPAC birth cohort was used for independent replication. For biological assessment of identified CpGs, pathway enrichment analysis and Differentially Methylated Regions were assessed. Results- Significant interaction effects of DNAm and transition period (10-18 or 18-26 years) on asthma acquisition were found for 17 CpGs in males and 98 CpGs in females (FDR=0.05) in IOWBC. Consistent interaction effects were observed for 9 CpGs in males and 53 CpGs in females in ALSPAC. For CpGs not showing interaction effects (i.e., effect of DNAm is stable over time), association with asthma acquisition was found for 38 CpGs in males and 52 CpGs in females in IOWBC. Of these 90 CpGs, at 13 CpG in males and 37 CpG in females, consistent direction of associations was observed in ALSPAC. Genes that the identified CpGs were mapped to, e.g., AKAP1 and ENO1, have shown to be associated with asthma. Conclusion- DNAm at specific CpGs is associated with asthma acquisition and such association is likely to be sex and transition period specific.
TGF-β-Induced CCR8 Promoted Macrophage Transdifferentiation into Myofibroblast-Like Cells
Authors: Liu Haijun , Guan Qingzhou , Zhao Peng , Li Jiansheng 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an unknown interstitial disease characterized by tissue fibrosis for which there currently is no effective treatment. Macrophages, as the main immune cells in lung tissue, are involved in the whole process of pulmonary fibrosis. In recent years, intercellular transformation has been widespread concerned in pulmonary fibrosis researchers. The macrophages which have flexible heterogeneity and plasticity participate in different physiological processes of the body. Cell chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) expressed in a variety of cells plays a significant chemotactic role in inducing cell activation and migration. And it could also promote the differentiation of macrophages under certain environmental conditions. The current study is intended to explore the role of CCR8 in macrophage transdifferentiation into myofibroblast cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.Methods: We conducted experiments using Ccr8-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), autophagy inhibitor (3-methyladenine,3-MA) and agonist (rapamycin) to explore the underlying mechanisms of macrophage transdifferentiation into myofibroblast cells in TGF-β induced pulmonary fibrosis. Results: The results indicated that TGF-β treatment increased the CCR8 protein level in a time- and a dose-dependent manner in MH-S, as well as macrophage transdifferentiation-related markers, including Vimentin, Collagen 1, and a-SMA, and cell migration. In addition, levels of autophagy were enhanced in macrophages treated with TGF-β. We found that 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor decreased the expression levels of macrophage transdifferentiation-related markers and attenuated the cell migration. Furthermore, inhibition of CCR8 through using Ccr8-specific siRNA reduced the levels of autophagy and macrophage transdifferentiation-related markers, and inhibited the cell migration. Enhancing autophagy with rapamycin attenuated the inhibition effect of Ccr8-specific siRNA on macrophage migration and the increase of myofibroblast marker proteins.Conclusions: Our findings showed that the macrophages exposed to TGF-β had the potential to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts and CCR8 was involved in the process. The effect of CCR8 in TGF-β-induced macrophage transdifferentiation occurs mainly through autophagy. Targeting the CCR8 may become a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of IPF.
A Virtual Laboratory Based on Full-Field Crystal Plasticity Simulation to Characterize the Multiscale Mechanical Properties of AHSS
Authors: Ma Hongyue , Li Yangqi , Zhang Haiming , Li Qian , Chen Fei , Cui Zhenshan 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
In this work, we proposed a virtual laboratory based on full-field crystal plasticity simulation to track plastic anisotropy and to calibrate yield functions for multi-phase metals. The virtual laboratory, minimally, only requires easily accessible EBSD data for constructing the high-resolved microstructural representative volume element and macroscopic flow stress data for identifying the micromechanical parameters of constituent phases. An inverse simulation method based on global optimization scheme was developed for parameters identification, and a nonlinear least-squares method was employed to calibrate the yield functions. Various mechanical tests of an advanced high strengthening steel (DP980) sheet under different loading conditions were conducted to validate the virtual laboratory. Three well-known yield functions, the quadratic Hill48, Yld91, and Yld2004-18p, were selected as the validation benchmarks. All the studied functions, calibrated by numerous stress points under arbitrary loading conditions, successfully captured both the deformation and strength anisotropies. Furthermore, the full-field CP modeling well correlates the microscopic deformation mechanism and plastic heterogeneity to the macro-mechanical behavior of the sheet. The proposed virtual laboratory, which is readily extended with physically based CP model, could be a versatile tool to explore and predict the mechanical property and plastic anisotropy of advanced multi-phase metals.
Geo-Analysis: The Distribution of Community Health Workers in Relation to the HIV Prevalence in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa
Authors: Khumalo Gugulethu Eve , Ntuli S , Lutge E , Mashamba-Thompson T P 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: The Ward Based Primary Health Care Outreach Team (WBPHCOT) policy framework states that community health workers (CHW)s should be distributed mainly according to poverty lines for each catchment population. We aimed to describe the spatial distribution of CHWs in relation to the HIV prevalence which has been associated with poverty in previous studies.Methods: We utilized geographic information system (GIS) method to visualize the distribution of CHWs in relation to HIV prevalence in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) districts. Dot density mapping, was used to visualize the random distribution of CHWs in relation to HIV prevalence in the districts. The districts’ HIV prevalence, number of PLWH, CHW: PLWH ratio and poverty scores were mapped using choropleth mapping. MapInfo 17, a GIS software was used to map geospatial presentation of the data.Results: Ten out of 11 KZN districts had more than a required CHW:PLWH ratio of 1:160-267, which indicates a significant shortage of CHWs regardless of the HIV prevalence or poverty scores. Furthermore, our findings showed extensive geospatial heterogeneity with no clear pattern in the distribution CHWs in relation to the HIV prevalence and poverty scores in the districts Conclusion: This finding represents inequalities in the provision of HIV services by the CHWs. It is critical to strengthen response to the HIV epidemic through the well informed and justified distribution of CHWs especially to the poor districts.
The Trunk Rotation May Reduce Lung Volume and Respiratory Muscle Strength Prominently in Female Than Male
Authors: Takahata Miki , Osawa Miho , Hoshina Mizuki , Yamaki Michiyasu , Sato Toshiaki 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
It is known that gender affect pulmonary function, associated with anatomical differences between male and female. However, the effects of trunk rotation on respiratory variables and its differences between males and females remain unclear. We examined the effects of gender and physical characteristics on postural changes in healthy young people. In this study, 9 males and 11 females (22 ± 1 year old for both males and females) were enrolled. We measure the vital capacity (VC), inspiratory capacity (IC), tidal volume (VT), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), and force vital capacity (FVC) and respiratory muscle (PImax and PEmax) with rest posture in the sitting position (rest posture) in sitting position and 30° trunk rotation both genders in the sitting position (rotational posture). The value of VC, IC, ERV, IRV, FVC, or FEV1.0 for males were significantly higher than that for females in both postures. In both genders, the VC, ERV, FVC, FEV1.0, and PEmax values in the rotational posture were significantly lower than that in the rest posture. Further, in females, there was a significant decrease in PImax in the rotational posture compared with the resting posture.This study indicated that trunk rotation may limit pulmonary function prominently in female than in male. These finding may provide important insights on gender differences in respiration in daily living.
Novel Field Effect Photodiode to Control the Output Photocurrent and Fast Optical Switching
Authors: Sharafi Foad , Orouji Ali A. , Soroosh Mohammad 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
This paper presents a novel device named Field Effect Photodiode (FEPD) to overcome the inherent drawbacks of PIN Photodiode (PIN-PD) and having an accurate control of the output photocurrent either applying the regular PIN-PD as a fast optical switch that provides a desire I ON /I OFF ratio for optical applications in the nanoscale regime. The proposed device combines a Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MESFET) and a regular PIN-PD device that can convert the incident light with photon energy greater than the semiconductor’s bandgap to the regulated photocurrent by changing the gates bias which mounted over the absorption region. Our work include additional models such as bandgap narrowing, Shockley–Read–Hall (SRH), Auger (AUGER), the dependence of the carrier mobility on the doping concentration, Lombardi mobility model (CVT), Fermi statistic dependence (FERMIDIRAC), and Lateral electric field-dependent mobility. To extract and illustrate the electrical and optical results of both the regular PIN-PD and the proposed FEPD in this work, we have used TCAD tools as a semiconductor simulator.