bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Floristic composition and plant species diversity in and around the brickfield areas of Savar-Dhamrai region of Dhaka district
Authors: Islam Saiful , Shetu Shayla Sharmin , Rahim Md Abdur , Khan Saleh Ahammad 
Published: June 2021

This study has confirmed the occurrence of a total of 181 species of vascular plants under 133 genera and 51 families and estimates the plant species diversity in and around the brickfield areas of Savar-Dhamrai region of Dhaka district. Of these, six species were pteridophytes, 175 were Angiosperms, and 144 species were economically important. Five families, composed of six species, belonged to Pteridophyta, 40 families, consist of 128 species, to Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) and six families, comprised of 47 species, to Liliopsida (monocotyledons). Total of 161 species were herbs, 14 were shrubs, and only six were trees. Asteraceae with 14 species and Poaceae with 24 species were the largest family in Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida, respectively. Amaranthus L., Persicaria (L.) Mill., Solanum L. and Lindernia All. with four species each were appeared as the best representative genera in Mangoliopsida, while Cyperus L. with five species in Liliopsida. The species composition and diversity of abandoned brickfields were found to be higher than those of functional brickfields. A total of 42 (23.20%) species were common in both abandoned and functional brickfields of this region. Species composition in the abandoned brickfields of Savar and Dhamrai was mostly similar (64.15%). This study suggests to control and monitor the brickfields under the respective authorities to favor the formation and regeneration of natural vegetation in their neighboring areas.
Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 9(1 & 2): 91-108, 2020 (June & December)
Three new Angiospermic (Orchidaceae) records from Bangladesh
Authors: Huda Mohammed Kamrul , Hoque Mohammed Mozammel , Alam Md Owahidul 
Published: June 2021

Coelogyne schwadtkii Danell., Cleisostoma williamsonii (Rchb.) Garay. and Phalaenopsis difformis (Wall. ex Lindl.) Kocyan & Schuit. of the family Orchidaceae collected from southeast part of the country have been reported here as new angiospermic records for Bangladesh flora. Detailed critical examination of the specimens of these species has been made to confirm their taxonomic identification. Detailed taxonomic description with flowering time, ecology, geographical distribution, illustration and photographs of each species has been provided.
Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 9(1 & 2): 123-132, 2020 (June & December)
Website for scientific dissemination of research on problem-based learning with highschool chemistry teachers: Contexts of an investigation
Authors: Freitas Amanda Pereira de , Campos Angela Fernandes 
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study was to carry out the scientific dissemination of research on problem-based learning (PBL) with highschool Chemistry teachers through a website and to investigate their opinions on this digital resource. Also, analyse the knowledge of teachers about PBL and its use in the classroom. The set of data was collected through of a semi-structured interview conducted with ten highschool Chemistry teachers in the city of Recife - Pernambuco, Brazil. Analysis of data implied that teachers know PBL and that they use it in the classroom, however with some difficulties. In general, their opinions about the website were positive and significant. Most of them commented that the website will serve as a didactic support in the preparation of their lessons providing access to solutions to various problematic situations regarding different contents in chemistry. Furthermore, the website will allow basic education teachers to have access to knowledge that has been discussed in Brazilian universities.
Cancer-Preventive Role of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer: Roles of Gut Microbiota Involved
Authors: He Ruohang , Han Chaoqun , Li Ying , Qian Wei , Hou Xiaohua 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) treatment showed promising results in inflammatory bowel disease in both rodent models and patients. Nevertheless, previous studies conducted conflicting results on preclinical tumor models treated with MSCs concerning their influence on tumor initiation and progression. This study is designed to demonstrate the role of bone marrow-derived MSCs and the potential mechanism in the colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) model.MethodsBone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated from green fluorescent protein-transgenic mice, cultured, and identified by flow cytometry. Azoxymethane and dextran sulfate sodium were administrated to establish the CAC mouse model, and MSCs were infused intraperitoneally once per week. The mice were weighed weekly, and colon length, tumor number, and average tumor size were assessed after the mice were killed. MSC localization was detected by immunofluorescence staining; tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by immunohistochemistry staining of Ki-67 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling assay, respectively. The colonic tumor tissues were isolated for RNA-seq, and fecal samples were collected for 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing of the microbiome.ResultsAfter injection intraperitoneally, MSCs migrated to the intestine and inhibited the initiation of colitis-associated colorectal cancer. This inhibition effect was marked by less weight loss, longer colon length, and reduced tumor numbers. Moreover, MSCs reduced tumor cell proliferation and induced tumor cell apoptosis. Furthermore, MSCs could inhibit chronic inflammation assessed by RNA-sequencing and promote gut microbiome normalization detected by 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing.ConclusionThe results proved that MSCs could migrate to the colon, inhibit chronic inflammation, and regulate gut microbiome dysbiosis to suppress the development of CAC.
Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Predicts Cancer Death in Patients With Cardiovascular Risk Factors: The J-HOP Study
Authors: Negishi Keita , Hoshide Satoshi , Shimpo Masahisa , Kario Kazuomi 
Published: June 2021

Background: Disease-related anorexia-cachexia is associated with poor prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has emerged as a central regulator of appetite and body weight. However, the exact role of GDF-15 in lean patients has not been elucidated.Aim: Our aim is to evaluate whether the association of GDF-15 with mortality, including cancer death, differs according to body mass index (BMI) level.Methods and Results: We collected blood samples from 4,061 patients with CV risk factors who were enrolled in the nationwide practice-based J-HOP (Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure) study. Serum GDF-15 levels were determined by immunoassay analysis. During a mean follow-up period of 6.6 years, we observed 174 (6.7/1000 person-year) all-cause deaths, 68 (2.6/1000 person-year) cancer deaths, and 56 (2.2/1000 person-year) CV deaths. Patients were stratified according to the cut-points of GDF-15 at 1,200 ng/L and BMI at 22.5 and 25.0 kg/m2. The association between the GDF-15/BMI based study groups and each outcome was evaluated by Cox-proportional hazard models with adjustment for established risk factors. The multivariate Cox regression model showed that patients with elevated GDF-15 (≥1,200 ng/L) and low BMI (&lt;22.5 kg/m2) were significantly associated with increased risk of all outcomes [all-cause death, hazard ratio (HR) 3.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.85–5.34, p &lt; 0.001; cancer death, HR 3.52, 95%CI 1.64–7.57, p = 0.001; CV death, HR 2.88, 95%CI 1.20–6.92, p = 0.018, respectively] compared to a reference group with non-elevated GDF-15 and normal BMI (22.5–25.0 kg/m2). In analyses of a subgroup with low BMI (&lt;22.5 kg/m2), patients with elevated GDF-15 had 4.79-fold increased risk of cancer death and 11-fold greater risk of CV death when compared with patients with non-elevated GDF-15 (&lt;1,200 ng/L) after adjustment for established risk factors.Conclusion: In patients with CV risk factors, GDF-15 was associated with all-cause, cancer, and CV death. This relationship was especially remarkable in patients with low BMI. The serum GDF-15 levels in patients with low BMI might be a useful marker to identify the potential for anorexia-cachexia associated with CVD and cancer.
Applying User-Centered Design Methods to Understand Users' Day-to-Day Experiences Can Inform a Mobile Intervention for Binge Eating and Weight Management
Authors: Graham Andrea K. , Neubert Sarah W. , Chang Angela , Liu Jianyi , Fu Emily , Green Emilie A. , Kornfield Rachel , Nicholas Jennifer 
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Weight loss apps to date have not directly addressed binge eating. To inform the design of a new mobile behavioral intervention that addresses binge eating and weight management, we applied user-centered design methods to qualitatively assess how target intervention consumers experience these conditions in their day-to-day lives.Methods: The participants were 22 adults with self-reported obesity (body mass index ≥30) and recurrent binge eating (≥12 episodes in 3 months) who were interested in losing weight and reducing binge eating. The participants completed a digital diary study, which is a user-centered design technique for capturing individuals' day-to-day experiences in relevant contexts. Qualitative data describing the participants' experiences with binge eating and obesity were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results were then used to create personas (i.e., character archetypes of different intervention consumers).Results: The participants described triggers for binge eating and indicated that binge eating and excess weight negatively impact their mental health, physical health, and quality of life. The resulting personas reflected five different struggles individuals with these health problems experience in managing their binge eating and weight.Conclusions: Individuals with binge eating and obesity have varying precipitants of problematic eating as well as varying motivations for and challenges to behavior change. To meet the needs of all who seek intervention, an ideal intervention design will account for variations in these factors and be relevant to diverse experiences. Insights from the diary study and resulting personas will inform the next phases of the user-centered design process of iteratively designing prototypes and testing the intervention in practice.
Ice Cliff Dynamics of Debris-Covered Trakarding Glacier in the Rolwaling Region, Nepal Himalaya
Authors: Sato Yota , Fujita Koji , Inoue Hiroshi , Sunako Sojiro , Sakai Akiko , Tsushima Akane , Podolskiy Evgeny A. , Kayastha Rakesh , Kayastha Rijan B. 
Published: June 2021

Ice cliffs can act as “hot spots” for melt on debris-covered glaciers and promote local glacier mass loss. Repeat high-resolution remote-sensing data are therefore required to monitor the role of ice cliff dynamics in glacier mass loss. Here we analyze high-resolution aerial photogrammetry data acquired during the 2007, 2018, and 2019 post-monsoon seasons to delineate and monitor the morphology, distribution, and temporal changes of the ice cliffs across the debris-covered Trakarding Glacier in the eastern Nepal Himalaya. We generate an ice cliff inventory from the 2018 and 2019 precise terrain data, with ice cliffs accounting for 4.7 and 6.1% of the debris-covered area, respectively. We observe large surface lowering (&gt;2.0 m a−1) where there is a denser distribution of ice cliffs. We also track the survival, formation, and disappearance of ice cliffs from 2018 to 2019, and find that ∼15% of the total ice cliff area is replaced by new ice cliffs. Furthermore, we observe the overall predominance of northwest-facing ice cliffs, although we do observe spatial heterogeneities in the aspect variance of the ice cliffs (ice cliffs face in similar/various directions). Many new ice cliffs formed across the stagnant middle sections of the glacier, coincident with surface water drainage and englacial conduit intake observations. This spatial relationship between ice cliffs and the glacier hydrological system suggests that these englacial and supraglacial hydrological systems play a significant role in ice cliff formation.
Blood Pressure Level Is Associated With Changes in Plasma Aβ1 –40 and Aβ1–42 Levels: A Cross-sectional Study Conducted in the Suburbs of Xi’an, China
Authors: She Meilin , Shang Suhang , Hu Ningwei , Chen Chen , Dang Liangjun , Gao Ling , Wei Shan , Huo Kang , Wang Jingyi , Wang Jin , Qu Qiumin 
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the brain is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Hypertension is a risk factor for AD, but the effects of hypertension on Aβ deposition are not fully determined. Considering peripheral Aβ closely relates to Aβ deposition in the brain, we investigated the relationships between blood pressure (BP) level and plasma Aβ concentrations.Methods: One-thousand and sixty-nine participants (age above 45) from a village in the suburbs of Xi’an, China were enrolled. Questionnaires and validated Chinese versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to collect information about vascular risk factors and assess cognition function. The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype was detected using PCR and sequencing. Plasma Aβ levels were measured using ELISA. The associations between BP and plasma Aβ levels were analyzed by using multivariate linear regression.Results: Plasma Aβ1–40 level was higher in high BP group than that in normal BP group (53.34 ± 8.50 pg/ml vs. 51.98 ± 8.96 pg/ml, P = 0.013), in high SBP group than that in normal SBP group (53.68 ± 8.69 pg/ml vs. 51.88 ± 8.80 pg/ml, P = 0.001) and in high MABP group than that in normal MABP group (54.05 ± 8.78 pg/ml vs. 52.04 ± 8.75 pg/ml, P = 0.001). After controlling for the confounding factors, SBP (b = 0.078, P &lt; 0.001), DBP (b = 0.090, P = 0.008) and MABP (b = 0.104, P &lt; 0.001) correlated with plasma Aβ1–40 level positively in ApoE ε4 non-carriers, but not ApoE ε4 carriers.Conclusions: Elevated BP levels were associated with increased plasma Aβ1–40 levels in middle-aged and elderly ApoE ε4 non-carriers.
Low Infiltration of CD8+ PD-L1+ T Cells and M2 Macrophages Predicts Improved Clinical Outcomes After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
Authors: Li Liuning , Lu Guojie , Liu Yang , Gong Longlong , Zheng Xue , Zheng Hongbo , Gu Weiguang , Yang Lin 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundMany clinical studies have shown that patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) can benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy; however, PD-L1 and tumor mutation burden (TMB), which are recommended by the NCCN guidelines, are still insufficient in predicting the response to and prognosis of immunotherapy. Given the widespread use of ICIs, it is important to find biomarkers that can predict immunotherapy outcomes in NSCLC patients, and the exploration of additional effective biomarkers for ICI therapy is urgently needed.MethodsA total of 33 stage II-IV NSCLC patients were included in this study. We analyzed immune markers in biopsy and surgical tissue resected from these patients before treatment with ICIs. We examined the infiltration of immune cells and expression of PD-L1 in immune cells using fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) stained with CD8/CD68/CD163/PD-L1 antibodies.ResultsIn this cohort, we observed that the levels of CD8+ T cells, CD8+PD-L1+ T cells, and CD68+CD163+ M2 macrophages in the total region were independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs (HR=0.04, P=0.013; HR=17.70, P=0.026; and HR=17.88, P=0.011, respectively). High infiltration of CD8+ T cells and low infiltration of CD8+PD-L1+ T cells throughout the region were correlated with prolonged PFS (P=0.016 and P=0.02, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed for CD68+CD163+ M2 macrophages. The joint parameters CD8+ high/CD8+PD-L1+ low, CD8+ high/CD68+CD163+ low and CD8+PD-L1+ low/CD68+CD163+ low predicted better PFS than other joint parameters (P&lt;0.01, P&lt;0.01, and P&lt;0.001, respectively), and they also demonstrated stronger stratification than single biomarkers. The response rate of patients with high infiltration of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher than that of those with low infiltration (P&lt;0.01), and the joint parameters CD8+/CD8+PD-L1+ and CD8+/CD68+CD163+ also demonstrated stronger stratification than single biomarkers.ConclusionsThis retrospective study identified the predictive value of CD8+PD-L1+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD68+CD163+ M2 macrophages in NSCLC patients who received ICIs. Interestingly, our results indicate that the evaluation of joint parameters has certain significance in guiding ICI treatment in NSCLC patients.
Radiomics Analysis of Contrast-Enhanced CT for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Grading
Authors: Chen Wen , Zhang Tao , Xu Lin , Zhao Liang , Liu Huan , Gu Liang Rui , Wang Dai Zhong , Zhang Ming 
Published: June 2021

ObjectivesTo investigate the value of contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT)-based on radiomics in discriminating high-grade and low-grade hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before surgery.MethodsThe retrospective study including 161 consecutive subjects with HCC which was approved by the institutional review board, and the patients were divided into a training group (n = 112) and test group (n = 49) from January 2013 to January 2018. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select the most valuable features to build a support vector machine (SVM) model. The performance of the predictive model was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.ResultsThe SVM model showed an acceptable ability to differentiate high-grade from low-grade HCC, with an AUC of 0.904 in the training dataset and 0.937 in the test dataset, accuracy (92.2% versus 95.7%), sensitivity(82.5% versus 88.0%), and specificity (92.7% versus 95.8%), respectively.ConclusionThe machine learning-based radiomics reflects a better evaluating performance in differentiating HCC between low-grade and high-grade, which may contribute to personalized treatment.
Real-World Clinical Outcomes of Biosimilar Trastuzumab (CT-P6) in HER2-Positive Early-Stage and Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Bae Soong June , Kim Jee Hung , Ahn Sung Gwe , Jeung Hei-Cheul , Sohn Joohyuk , Kim Gun Min , Kim Min Hwan , Kim Seung Il , Park Seho , Park Hyung Seok , Kim Ji Ye , Jeong Joon 
Published: June 2021

BackgroundThe trastuzumab biosimilar CT-P6 has demonstrated equivalent efficacy and comparable safety to reference trastuzumab (RTZ) in clinical trials of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer (EBC). Here, we present the first real-world comparison of CT-P6 versus RTZ with dual HER2-targeted therapy for the neoadjuvant and palliative first-line treatment with HER2-positive EBC and metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients in two tertiary hospitals in Korea.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated medical records in the Severance Breast Cancer Registry in Korea. We identified patients with HER2-positive EBC (n=254) who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with RTZ or CT-P6, plus pertuzumab, carboplatin and docetaxel (TCHP) and untreated stage IV MBC (n=103) who had received palliative first-line treatment with RTZ or CT-P6, plus pertuzumab and docetaxel (THP) between May 2014 and December 2019. The primary endpoints were pathologic complete response (pCR) in the EBC and progression-free survival (PFS) in the MBC cohort. Overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and cardiac safety were secondary endpoints.ResultsA similar percentage of EBC patients achieved a pCR with CT-P6 versus RTZ (74.4% [93/125]) vs 69.8% [90/129], p=0.411). For patients with MBC, median follow-up duration was 23.0 and 41.0 months for CT-P6 and RTZ groups, respectively; median PFS did not differ significantly between two groups (13.0 vs 18.0 months, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 0.0-26.6 vs 11.3-24.7, p=0.976). The ORR, DCR, and cardiac safety profiles did not also show significant difference efficacy outcomes between two groups.ConclusionsThese real-world data suggest that biosimilar trastuzumab CT-P6 has similar effectiveness and cardiac safety to RTZ in HER2-positive EBC and MBC patients, when administered as part of dual HER2-targeted therapy with pertuzumab plus chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant or palliative setting.
Comparison of the Metabolic Profiles in the Plasma and Urine Samples Between Autistic and Typically Developing Boys: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Xu Xin-Jie , Cai Xiao-E , Meng Fan-Chao , Song Tian-Jia , Wang Xiao-Xi , Wei Yi-Zhen , Zhai Fu-Jun , Long Bo , Wang Jun , You Xin , Zhang Rong 
Published: June 2021

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder which is caused by genetic and environmental risk factors. Besides the core behavioral symptoms, accumulated results indicate children with ASD also share some metabolic abnormalities.Objectives: To analyze the comprehensive metabolic profiles in both of the first-morning urine and plasma samples collected from the same cohort of autistic boys.Methods: In this study, 30 autistic boys and 30 tightly matched healthy control (HC) boys (age range: 2.4~6.7 years) were recruited. First-morning urine and plasma samples were collected and the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was applied to obtain the untargeted metabolic profiles. The acquired data were processed by multivariate analysis and the screened metabolites were grouped by metabolic pathway.Results: Different discriminating metabolites were found in plasma and urine samples. Notably, taurine and catechol levels were decreased in urine but increased in plasma in the same cohort of ASD children. Enriched pathway analysis revealed that perturbations in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism could be found in both of the plasma and urine samples.Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that a series of common metabolic perturbations exist in children with ASD, and confirmed the importance to have a comprehensive analysis of the metabolites in different biological samples to reveal the full picture of the complex metabolic patterns associated with ASD. Further targeted analyses are needed to validate these results in a larger cohort.