bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Osteoporosis risk factors analysis in rheumatoid arthritis patients: data from real practice
Authors: Ansarova A. A. , Kalinina E. V. , Zvonorenko M. S. , Solodenkova K. S. , Babaeva A. R. 
Published: August 2021

Background. Osteoporosis (OP) and its consequences is a pivotal medical and social problem. Rheumatic diseases especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a key factor in the development of secondary OP. At the same time, patients with RA also have traditional risk factors (RF) for OP, as well as the adverse effects of drugs on bone metabolism. Consideration of the full spectrum in each patient with RA plays an important role in the individualized assessment of the risk of OP and the rational management.The aim. To analyze the most significant RF of OP in a cohort of patients with verified RA observed by primary care specialists.Materials and methods. Medical cards of 100 patients with determined RA (ACR / EULAR criteria) who were observed at out-patient clinics were studied. Along with the analysis of the clinical manifestations of RA, the registration of OP RF, both traditional and disease-related, was carried out with an analysis of the prevalence of RF in the investigated cohort.Results. The RA cohort under study was dominated by patients with erosive arthritis, disease duration of more than 5 years, RF and/or ACCP positivity, moderate activity, functional class 2–3. Based on the available instrumental data, systemic OP was diagnosed in 33% of patients, while DXA-densitometry was performed only in 5% of patients with osteoporotic fractures. Among the traditional RF, the most significant were female sex, age higher than 50 years, BMI less than 20 kg/m2 . The frequency of registration of these RF was significantly higher in the subgroup of patients with confirmed OP. Of the disease-associated RF, the most common were the following: duration of RA more than 5 years, activity of 2–3 degrees, high titer of RF and ACCP, X-ray stage II and higher, long term systemic GC use.Conclusions. In real practice, the diagnosis of OP in primary care in patients with RA is based on the available instrumental methods, preferably on standard radiography of bones and joints, which leads to underestimation and/or late diagnosis of OP. Patients with RA have a wide range of traditional and specific OP RFs, the assessment of which is important for determining the risk of fractures and timely prevention of OP complications.
Effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors and their concentration and immunogenicity: features in various immune-mediated diseases
Authors: Nuriakhmetova T. Yu. , Valeeva I. Kh. , Shevnina Ya. O. , Cheremina N. A. , Sukhorukova E. V. , Sibgatullin T. B. , Vasiliev A. G. , Abdulganieva D. I. 
Published: August 2021

Aim. To compare the concentration and immunogenicity of TNF-α inhibitors (TNFi) and their relationship with efficacy in patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).Materials and methods. The study included 104 patients with RD (48.1%) and IBD (51.9%) who received infliximab (INF, 30.8%), adalimumab (ADA, 38.5%) and certolizumab pegol (CZP, 30.8%). We assessed the efficacy of the drug, trough concentration of TNFi and the level of antibodies. In 30 patients, the concentration of TNFi and the level of antibodies were assessed twice with an interval of 15 [13; 17] months.Results. TNF-α inhibitors were effective in 77 (74%) patients. In the group of IBD and RD, the incidence of inefficiency was 33.3% and 18.0%, the ineffectiveness of CZP was found only in IBD group (p = 0.024). A low concentration of TNFi was detected at the first visit in 29 (53.7%) patients with IBD and 24 (48.0%) with RD, at the second visit in 4 (36.4%) patients with IBD and 9 (47.4%) with RD. In all patients with RD who did not respond to IFN and CZP, the subtherapeutic concentration was determined (p = 0.047), in the IBD group – only in 64.3% cases (p > 0.050). At the first visit, antibodies to TNFi were found in 24 (23.1%) patients, at the second visit in 7 (23.3%) exclusively in the RD group (p = 0.019), in 5 of them repeatedly. The formation of Ab was associated with 27.8% of cases of escape of the effect of TNF-α in IBD and 22.2% of cases of ineffectiveness in RD (p > 0.050).Conclusions. The incidence of TNF-α efficacy did not differ between RD and IBD, CZP ineffectiveness was observed exclusively in patients with IBD. In patients with RD, a significant relationship was found between ineffectiveness and low concentration of TNFi. The frequency of Ab formation did not differ between the groups of diseases.
Bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis of knee joint
Authors: Usova E. V. , Averkieva Yu. V. , Raskina T. A. , Letaeva M. V. , Malyshenko O. S. , Koroleva M. V. 
Published: August 2021

Objective. Study the state of mineral bone density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee joint depending on the X-ray stage.Materials and methods. The study included 56 women between 44 and 75 years of age. The diagnosis of OA is established according to the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR, 1991). For comparative analysis, patients were divided into two groups, taking into account the radiological stage: the 1st with 38 women with I–II radiology stage, the 2nd with 18 patients with III–IV radiology stage. The X-ray of the knee joint in the anterior projection is performed in a fixed bending position using a special frame (SynaFlexer TM Plexiglass positioning frame, Synarc Inc., USA). The BMD is estimated by a two-energy X-ray absorption technique in the femoral neck and lumbar spine.Results. Osteopenic syndrome is diagnosed in 52 (92.8%) of the total number of patients, 27 (48.2%) have osteopenia and 25 (44.6%) have osteoporosis. Four women (7.1%) have a normal BMD. There is no statistically significant difference in the frequency of detection of the osteopenic syndrome between the groups studied (p > 0.050). Statistically significant increases in BMD and T-criteria have been found as the OA progresses in both the femoral neck and the lumbar spine. The correlation analysis results show a significant positive correlation between the BMD femoral neck and the OA X-ray stage (r = 501; p < 0.001).Conclusions. The data show the presence of the osteopenic syndrome in the vast majority in postmenopausal women with OA of the knee joint. The high BMD values of the femur neck and lumbar spine are associated with the late X-ray stages of the OA of the knee joint.
Discovery of Novel Genetic Risk Loci for Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy and Genetic Pleiotropic Effect With Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Feng Lei , Chen Si , Dai Huatuo , Dorajoo Rajkumar , Liu Jianjun , Kong Jinfeng , Yin Xianyong , Ren Yunqing 
Published: August 2021

BackgroundCentral serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a severe and heterogeneous chorioretinal disorder. Shared clinical manifestations between CSC and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the confirmation of CFH as genetic risk locus for both CSC and AMD suggest possible common pathophysiologic mechanisms between two diseases.MethodsTo advance the understanding of genetic susceptibility of CSC and further investigate genetic pleiotropy between CSC and AMD, we performed genetic association analysis of 38 AMD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a Chinese CSC cohort, consisting of 464 patients and 548 matched healthy controls.ResultsTwelve SNPs were found to be associated with CSC at nominal significance (p&lt; 0.05), and four SNPs on chromosomes 1, 4, and 15 showed strong associations whose evidences surpassed Bonferroni (BF)-corrected significance [rs1410996, odds ratios (OR) = 1.47,p= 2.37 × 10–5; rs1329428,OR= 1.40,p= 3.32 × 10–4; rs4698775,OR= 1.45,p= 2.20 × 10–4; and rs2043085,OR= 1.44,p= 1.91 × 10–4]. While the genetic risk effects of rs1410996 and rs1329428 (within the well-established locus CFH) are correlated (due to high LD), rs4698775 on chromosome 4 and rs2043085 on chromosome 15 are novel risk loci for CSC. Polygenetic risk score (PRS) constructed by using three independent SNPs (rs1410996, rs4698775, and rs2043085) showed highly significant association with CSC (p= 2.10 × 10–7), with the top 10% of subjects with high PRS showing 6.39 times higher risk than the bottom 10% of subjects with lowest PRS. Three SNPs were also found to be associated with clinic manifestations of CSC patients. In addition, by comparing the genetic effects (ORs) of these 38 SNPs between CSC and AMD, our study revealed significant, but complex genetic pleiotropic effect between the two diseases.ConclusionBy discovering two novel genetic risk loci and revealing significant genetic pleiotropic effect between CSC and AMD, the current study has provided novel insights into the role of genetic composition in the pathogenesis of CSC.
Nucleolipid Acid-Based Nanocarriers Restore Neuronal Lysosomal Acidification Defects
Authors: Brouillard Mathias , Barthélémy Philippe , Dehay Benjamin , Crauste-Manciet Sylvie , Desvergnes Valérie 
Published: August 2021

Increasing evidence suggests that lysosomal dysfunction has a pathogenic role in neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, an increase in lysosomal pH has been reported in different cellular models of Parkinson’s disease. Thus, targeting lysosomes has emerged as a promising approach. More specifically, regulating its pH could play a central role against the neurodegeneration process. To date, only a few agents specifically targeting lysosomal pH are reported in the literature, partly due to the challenge of crossing the Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB), preventing drug penetration into the central nervous system (CNS). To develop chronic treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, crossing the BBB is crucial. We report herein the conception and synthesis of an innovative DNA derivative-based nanocarrier. Nucleolipids, carrying a biocompatible organic acid as an active ingredient, were designed and synthesized as prodrugs. They were successfully incorporated into an oil-in-water nanoemulsion vehicle to cross biological membranes and then release effectively biocompatible acidic components to restore the functional lysosomal pH of neuronal cells. Biological assays on a genetic cell model of Parkinson’s disease highlighted the non-toxicity of such nucleolipids after cellular uptake and their ability (at c = 40 µM) to fully restore lysosomal acidity.
Ideal Cardiovascular Health in the Oldest-Old and Centenarians and Its Association With Disability and Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Liu Miao , Kou Fuyin , Yang Shanshan , Wang Shengshu , He Yao , Zhang Wuping 
Published: August 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the distribution of ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) indicators among the oldest-old and centenarians and explore their relationships with disability and health-related quality of life of this population.Methods: One thousand two centenarians from China Hainan Centenarian Cohort Study and 798 oldest-old from the China Hainan Oldest-old Cohort study were the target subjects in this analysis. ICH status, disability, and health-related quality of life of study subjects were assessed.Findings: The median value of ICH indicators among centenarians and the oldest-old is 4 (4–5) and 3 (3–5), respectively. The ICH indicators with the highest percentage of ideal level/status are fasting plasm glucose (FPG) (90.2% of study subjects are at the ideal level), BMI (89.8% of study subjects are at the ideal level), and smoking (89.4% of study subjects are at the ideal status). The disability rates of basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) decrease with the increasing number of ICH indicators. The EQ VAS and EQ-5D score show an increasing trend along with the increasing number of ICH indicators (p &lt; 0.05). After adjusting related covariates, the risk of disability and lower health-related quality of life decreased gradually as the number of ICH metrics increased (p &lt; 0.05).Interpretation: The ICH metrics of centenarians and oldest-old were at a relatively good level, and there was a strong and independent relationship between the number of ICH indicators and disability as well as the lower health-related quality of life.
Mechanical Synchrony and Myocardial Work in Heart Failure Patients With Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing and Comparison With Biventricular Pacing
Authors: Liu Wen , Hu Chunqiang , Wang Yanan , Cheng Yufei , Zhao Yingjie , Liu Yang , Zheng Shaoxin , Chen Haiyan , Shu Xianhong 
Published: August 2021

Background: Little is known about the efficacy of permanent left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) in delivering cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of LBBAP on mechanical synchronization and myocardial work (MW) in heart failure (HF) patients and to compare LBBAP with biventricular pacing (BVP).Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective cohort study. From February 2018 to January 2021, 62 consecutive HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (LVEF ≤ 35%) and complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) who underwent LBBAP or BVP were enrolled in this study. Echocardiograms and electrocardiograms and were conducted before and 3–6 months after implantation. Intra- and interventricular synchronization were assessed using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI). The left ventricular pressure-strain loop was obtained by combining left ventricular strain with non-invasive blood pressure to evaluate mechanical efficiency.Results: The echocardiographic response rates were 68.6 and 88.9% in the BVP and LBBAP groups, respectively. Left bundle branch area pacing resulted in significant QRS narrowing (from 177.1 ± 16.7 to 113.0 ± 18.4 ms, P &lt; 0.001) and improvement in LVEF (from 29.9 ± 4.8 to 47.1 ± 8.3%, P &lt; 0.001). The global wasted work (GWW) (410.3 ± 166.6 vs. 283.0 ± 129.6 mmHg%, P = 0.001) and global work efficiency (GWE) (64.6 ± 7.8 vs. 80.5 ± 5.7%, P &lt; 0.001) were significantly improved along with shorter peak strain dispersion (PSD) (143.4 ± 45.2 vs. 92.6 ± 35.1 ms, P &lt; 0.001) and interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD) (56.4 ± 28.5 vs. 28.9 ± 19.0 ms, P &lt; 0.001), indicating its efficiency in improving mechanical synchronization. In comparison with BVP, LBBAP delivered greater improvement of QRS narrowing (−64.1 ± 18.9 vs. −32.5 ± 22.3 ms, P &lt; 0.001) and better mechanical synchronization and efficiency.Conclusions: Left bundle branch area pacing was effective in improving cardiac function, mechanical synchronization, and mechanical efficiency and may be a promising alternative cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Disease Modelling of Cognitive Outcomes and Biomarkers in the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia Longitudinal Cohort
Authors: Howlett James , Hill Steven M. , Ritchie Craig W. , Tom Brian D. M. 
Published: August 2021

A key challenge for the secondary prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia is the need to identify individuals early on in the disease process through sensitive cognitive tests and biomarkers. The European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia (EPAD) consortium recruited participants into a longitudinal cohort study with the aim of building a readiness cohort for a proof-of-concept clinical trial and also to generate a rich longitudinal data-set for disease modelling. Data have been collected on a wide range of measurements including cognitive outcomes, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, genetics and other clinical and environmental risk factors, and are available for 1,828 eligible participants at baseline, 1,567 at 6 months, 1,188 at one-year follow-up, 383 at 2 years, and 89 participants at three-year follow-up visit. We novelly apply state-of-the-art longitudinal modelling and risk stratification approaches to these data in order to characterise disease progression and biological heterogeneity within the cohort. Specifically, we use longitudinal class-specific mixed effects models to characterise the different clinical disease trajectories and a semi-supervised Bayesian clustering approach to explore whether participants can be stratified into homogeneous subgroups that have different patterns of cognitive functioning evolution, while also having subgroup-specific profiles in terms of baseline biomarkers and longitudinal rate of change in biomarkers.
Particulate and Dissolved Black Carbon in Bohai and Laizhou Bays, China: Distributions, Sources, and Contrasts Under Two Distinct Fluvial Hydrological Regimes
Authors: Fang Yin , Huang Guopei , Chen Yingjun , Hu Limin , Lin Jun , Lin Tian 
Published: August 2021

Coastal seas, including coastal bays, are the geographically critical transitional zone that links terrestrial and open oceanic ecosystems. Organic carbon cycling in this area is a dynamic and disproportionally key component in the global carbon cycle and budget. As the thermally-transformed organic carbon produced exclusively from the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, the recalcitrance and resultant longer environmental residence times result in important implications of black carbon (BC) in the global carbon budget. However, the environmental dynamics of BC in coastal seas have not well been constrained. In this study, we conducted one seawater sampling campaign in the high-intensity BC emission influenced Bohai Bay (BHB) and Laizhou Bay (LZB) in 2013, and quantified both particulate and dissolved BC (PBC and DBC). We elaborated the distributions, sources, and associated influencing factors of PBC and DBC in BHB and LZB in 2013, and simultaneously contrasted the PBC and DBC quantity and quality under two distinct fluvial hydrological regimes of 2013 and 2014 [discussed in Fang et al. (Environ. Sci. Technol., 2021, 55, 788–796)]. Except for the overwhelmingly high PBC in northern BHB caused by anthropogenic point-source emission, horizontally, both PBC and DBC showed a seaward decreasing trend, suggesting that riverine discharge was the major source for PBC and DBC. Vertically, in contrast to the uniform concentrations of DBC between surface and bottom waters, the PBC levels in bottom waters was significantly higher than that in surface waters, which was primarily resulted from the intense sediment re-suspension process during this sampling period. The nearly simultaneous investigations in 2013 and 2014 revealed consistent spatial patterns of PBC and DBC quantity and quality. But significantly lower PBC and DBC quantity and quality were found in 2014 than in 2013, which were largely due to the significantly different climatic conditions (including the watershed hydrology and sunlit radiation) between these 2 years.
High Pressure Behaviors and a Novel High-Pressure Phase of Cuprous Oxide Cu2O
Authors: Qin Fei , Zhang Dongzhou , Qin Shan 
Published: August 2021

In the present study, we extensively explored the phase stabilities and elastic behaviors of Cu2O with elevated pressures up to 29.3 GPa based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements. The structural sequence of Cu2O is different than previously determined. Specifically, we have established that Cu2O under pressure, displays a cubic-tetragonal-monoclinic phase transition sequence, and a novel monoclinic high-pressure phase assigned to the P1a1 or P12/a1 space group was firstly observed. The monoclinic phase Cu2O exhibits anisotropic compression with axial compressibility βb &gt; βc &gt; βa in a ratio of 1.00:1.64:1.45. The obtained isothermal bulk modulus of cubic and monoclinic phase Cu2O are 125(2) and 41(6) GPa, respectively, and the KT0’ is fixed at 4. Our results provide new insights into the phase stability and elastic properties of copper oxides and chalcogenides at extreme conditions.
Combined Exposure to Multiple Endocrine Disruptors and Uterine Leiomyomata and Endometriosis in US Women
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Lu Yingying , Ma Huiyuan , Xu Qing , Wu Xiaoli 
Published: August 2021

BackgroundUterine leiomyomata (UL) and endometriosis (EM) are common gynecological diseases damaging the reproductive health of fertile women. Among all the potential factors, environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals are insufficiently addressed considering the multiple pollutants and mixture exposure.MethodsWomen aged 20 to 54 years old in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2006, having a complete measurement of ten commonly exposed endocrine-disrupting chemicals (including urinary phthalate metabolites, equol, and whole blood heavy metals) and answered questions about UL and EM were included (N=1204). Multivariable logistic regression model, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were implemented to analyze the combined effect of chemicals on the overall association with UL and EM.ResultsIn single chemical analysis, equol (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.27) and mercury (Hg) (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.14, 3.25) were found positively associated with UL in tertile 3 vs. tertile 1. In WQS regression and BKMR models, the significant positive association between WQS index and UL (OR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.52, 4.29) was identified and the positive relationship between equol and Hg exposure and UL were further verified. Besides, the mixture evaluation models (WQS and BKMR) also found MEHP negatively associated with UL. Although none of the single chemicals in tertile 3 were significantly associated with EM, the WQS index had a marginally positive association with EM (OR: 2.01, 95% CI: 0.98, 4.15), and a significant positive association was identified in subanalysis with participants restricted to premenopausal women (OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.03, 4.70). MIBP and MBzP weighted high in model of EM and MEHP weighted the lowest.ConclusionComparing results from these three statistical models, the associations between equol, Hg, and MEHP exposure with UL as well as the associations of MIBP, MBzP, and MEHP exposure with EM warrant further research.