bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlative studies on vitamin D and total, free bioavailable testosterone levels in young, healthy men
Authors: Książek Anna , Mędraś Marek , Zagrodna Aleksandra , Słowińska-Lisowska Małgorzata , Lwow Felicja 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe relationship between vitamin D levels and testicular hormonal function in men has not been clearly established. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship between deficiency/insufficiency levels of 25(OH)D and luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), total (TT), free (FT), and bioavailable testosterone (BT), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in young, healthy men. We enrolled 176 healthy, active young men aged 18–35 years from a genetically homogenous population of Lower Silesia, Poland. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, LH, FSH, and TT were measured by electrochemiluminescence (ECLIA). FT levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BT levels were calculated from TT, SHBG, and albumin. SHBG was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay CLIA. We did not find any significant differences between the mean hormonal values (LH, FSH, TT, FT, BT, and SHBG) and the status of 25(OH)D level (deficient and insufficient). Based on our results, we concluded that there is no relationship between deficient and insufficient 25(OH)D concentration and androgen levels in young, healthy men.
One year of modeling and forecasting COVID-19 transmission to support policymakers in Connecticut
Authors: Morozova Olga , Li Zehang Richard , Crawford Forrest W. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractTo support public health policymakers in Connecticut, we developed a flexible county-structured compartmental SEIR-type model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 disease progression. Our goals were to provide projections of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and estimates of important features of disease transmission and clinical progression. In this paper, we outline the model design, implementation and calibration, and describe how projections and estimates were used to meet the changing requirements of policymakers and officials in Connecticut from March 2020 to February 2021. The approach takes advantage of our unique access to Connecticut public health surveillance and hospital data and our direct connection to state officials and policymakers. We calibrated this model to data on deaths and hospitalizations and developed a novel measure of close interpersonal contact frequency to capture changes in transmission risk over time and used multiple local data sources to infer dynamics of time-varying model inputs. Estimated epidemiologic features of the COVID-19 epidemic in Connecticut include the effective reproduction number, cumulative incidence of infection, infection hospitalization and fatality ratios, and the case detection ratio. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations inherent in predicting uncertain epidemic trajectories and lessons learned from one year of providing COVID-19 projections in Connecticut.
Antibodies against phosphorylcholine in hospitalized versus non-hospitalized obese subjects
Authors: Jujić Amra , Korduner J. , Holm H. , Engström G. , Bachus E. , Bhattacharya P. , Nilsson P. M. , Frostegård Johan , Magnusson M. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractObesity associates with reduced life expectancy, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and is characterized by chronic inflammation. Phosphorylcholine (PC) is an epitope on oxidized low-density lipoprotein, dead cells and some microorganisms. Antibodies against PC (anti-PC) have anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we explored the role of anti-PC in hospitalized versus non-hospitalized obese. One-hundred-and-twenty-eight obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) individuals (59.8 (± 5.5) years, 53.9% women) from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cardiovascular Cohort were examined and IgM, IgG1 and IgG2 anti-PC were analyzed by ELISA. Individuals with at least one recorded history of hospitalization prior to study baseline were considered hospitalized obese (HO). Associations between IgM, IgG1 and IgG2 anti-PC and HO (n = 32)/non-hospitalized obese (NHO) (n = 96), but also with metabolic syndrome and diabetes were analysed using logistic regressions. Both IgM and IgG1 anti-PC were inversely associated with HO, also after controlling for age and sex. When further adjusted for waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose levels and smoking status, only IgG1 anti-PC remained significantly associated with HO. In multivariate models, each 1 standard deviation of increment in anti-PC IgG1 levels was inversely associated with prevalence of HO (odds ratio 0.57; CI 95% 0.33–0.98; p = 0.044). IgG2 anti-PC did not show any associations with HO. Low levels of IgM and IgG1 anti-PC are associated with higher risk of being a HO individual independent of sex and age, IgG1 anti-PC also independently of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The anti-inflammatory properties of these antibodies may be related to inflammation in obesity and its complications.
Evaporation kinetics in highly porous tetrapodal zinc oxide networks studied using in situ SRµCT
Authors: Hindenlang Birte , Gapeeva Anna , Baum Martina J. , Kaps Sören , Saure Lena M. , Rasch Florian , Hammel Jörg , Moosmann Julian , Storm Malte , Adelung Rainer , Schütt Fabian , Zeller-Plumhoff Berit 
Published: October 2021

AbstractTetrapodal zinc oxide (t-ZnO) is used to fabricate polymer composites for many different applications ranging from biomedicine to electronics. In recent times, macroscopic framework structures from t-ZnO have been used as a versatile sacrificial template for the synthesis of multi-scaled foam structures from different nanomaterials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride or gallium nitride. Many of these fabrication methods rely on wet-chemical coating processes using nanomaterial dispersions, leading to a strong interest in the actual coating mechanism and factors influencing it. Depending on the type of medium (e.g. solvent) used, different results regarding the homogeneity of the nanomaterial coating can be achieved. In order to understand how a medium influences the coating behavior, the evaporation process of water and ethanol is investigated in this work using in situ synchrotron radiation-based micro computed tomography (SRµCT). By employing propagation-based phase contrast imaging, both the t-ZnO network and the medium can be visualized. Thus, the evaporation process can be monitored non-destructively in three dimensions. This investigation showed that using a polar medium such as water leads to uniform evaporation and, by that, a homogeneous coating of the entire network.
A study of depression, partnership and sexual satisfaction in patients with post-traumatic olfactory disorders
Authors: Kamrava Seyed Kamran , Tavakol Zeinab , Talebi Atefeh , Farhadi Mohammad , Jalessi Maryam , Hosseini Seyedeh Fahimeh , Amini Elahe , Chen Ben , Hummel Thomas , Alizadeh Rafieh 
Published: October 2021

AbstractPost-traumatic olfactory dysfunction (PTOD) is associated with a significant decrease in quality of life. The present study aimed to explore whether PTOD is associated with depression and changes in sexuality. There were two groups in this case–control study. The patient group consisted of patients with PTOD (n = 55), and the control group comprised healthy individuals without the olfactory disorder (n = 115). Olfactory function, depression, partnership, and sexual satisfaction were assessed using the Iranian version of the Sniffin’ Sticks test (Ir-SST), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Enrich Couple Scale (ECS) and Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSSW). The BDI scores were higher in the patient group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The SSSW score was lower in the patient group than in controls (p < 0.01), although the ECS score was not significantly different between patients and controls. Also, there was no significant difference in the severity of trauma between marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. However, the analysis showed a statistically significant difference in depression scores in connection with the head trauma severity. In the PTOD group, depression was increased and sexual satisfaction declined. Understanding the association of olfactory dysfunction with depression and sexuality allows patients and doctors to deal with less notable consequences of this disorder.
Protein co-expression network-based profiles revealed from laser-microdissected cancerous cells of lung squamous-cell carcinomas
Authors: Nishimura Toshihide , Fujii Kiyonaga , Nakamura Haruhiko , Naruki Saeko , Sakai Hiroki , Kimura Hiroyuki , Miyazawa Tomoyuki , Takagi Masayuki , Furuya Naoki , Marko-Varga Gyorgy , Kato Harubumi , Saji Hisashi 
Published: October 2021

AbstractNo therapeutic targets have been identified for lung squamous cell cancer (SqCC) which is the second most prevalent lung cancer because its molecular profiles remain unclear. This study aimed to unveil disease-related protein networks by proteomic and bioinformatic assessment of laser-microdissected cancerous cells from seven SqCCs compared with eight representative lung adenocarcinomas. We identified three network modules significant to lung SqCC using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. One module was intrinsically annotated to keratinization and cell proliferation of SqCC, accompanied by hypoxia-induced aerobic glycolysis, in which key regulators were activated (HIF1A, ROCK2, EFNA1-5) and highly suppressed (KMT2D). The other two modules were significant for translational initiation, nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, inhibited cell death, and interestingly, eIF2 signaling, in which key regulators, MYC and MLXIPL, were highly activated. Another key regulator LARP1, the master regulator in cap-dependent translation, was highly suppressed although upregulations were observed for hub proteins including EIF3F and LARP1 targeted ribosomal proteins, among which PS25 is the key ribosomal protein in IRES-dependent translation. Our results suggest an underlying progression mechanism largely caused by switching to the cap-independent, IRES-dependent translation of mRNA subsets encoding oncogenic proteins. Our findings may help to develop therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
Severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss related to risk of stroke and atherosclerosis
Authors: Tsuzuki Nobuyoshi , Wasano Koichiro , Oishi Naoki , Hentona Ko , Shimanuki Marie , Nishiyama Takanori , Hiraga Yoshihiko , Shinden Seiichi , Ogawa Kaoru 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe cause of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (idiopathic SSNHL)—diagnosed after excluding other causes of hearing loss, such as SSNHL associated with vestibular schwannoma (VS)—is unknown. The presumed pathogenesis of idiopathic SSNHL includes circulatory disorders (e.g., cochlear infarction). We tested the hypothesis that patients with SSNHL who are at high stroke risk will have a lower rate of VS compared to those with low stroke risk. The rationale is that the primary cause of SSNHL in patients with high stroke risk might be a circulatory disturbance. We conducted a retrospective study in six hospitals. Our sampling of SSNHL patients included those diagnosed with idiopathic SSNHL and VS-associated SSNHL. SSNHL patients who had a head MRI were stratified by severity of hearing loss and evaluated for differences in the detection rate of VS between the high-scoring CHADS2 (CHADS2-H-), an index of stroke risk, and low-scoring CHADS2 (CHADS2-L-) groups. We identified 916 patients who met the inclusion criteria. For severe hearing loss, the CHADS2-H group had a significantly lower rate of VS than the CHADS2-L group (OR 0 [95% CI 0.00–0.612]; P = 0.007). These results indirectly support the hypothesis that a primary cause of severe idiopathic SSNHL in those at high risk of stroke might be a circulatory disorder.
Microbiota and transcriptome changes of Culex pipiens pallens larvae exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
Authors: Zhang Ruiling , Liu Wenjuan , Zhang Qian , Zhang Xinyu , Zhang Zhong 
Published: October 2021

AbstractCulex pipiens pallens is an important vector of lymphatic filariasis and epidemic encephalitis. Mosquito control is the main strategy used for the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is an entomopathogenic bacterium widely used in mosquito control. In this study, we profiled the microbiota and transcriptional response of the larvae of Cx. pipiens pallens exposed to different concentrations of Bti. The results demonstrated that Bti induced a significant effect on both the microbiota and gene expression of Cx. pipiens pallens. Compared to the control group, the predominant bacteria changed from Actinobacteria to Firmicutes, and with increase in the concentration of Bti, the abundance of Actinobacteria was gradually reduced. Similar changes were also detected at the genus level, where Bacillus replaced Microbacterium, becoming the predominant genus in Bti-exposed groups. Furthermore, alpha diversity analysis indicated that Bti exposure changed the diversity of the microbota, possibly because the dysbiosis caused by the Bti infection inhibits some bacteria and provides opportunities to other opportunistic taxa. Pathway analysis revealed significant enhancement for processes associated with sphingolipid metabolism, glutathione metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism between all Bti-exposed groups and control group. Additionally, genes associated with the Toll and Imd signaling pathway were found to be notably upregulated. Bti infection significantly changed the bacterial community of larvae of Cx. pipiens pallens.
Detection of nanoparticles suspended in a light scattering medium
Authors: Ye Yan , Pui David Y. H. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIntentionally intensifying the light scattering of medium molecules can allow the detection of suspended nanoparticles under conditions not suitable for conventional optical microscopies or laser particle counters. Here, we demonstrate how the collective light scattering of medium molecules and nanoparticles is imaged in response to the power, frequency, and oscillating direction of the incident light wave electric field, and how this response can be used to distinguish between nanoparticles and microparticles, such as viruses or bacteria. Under conditions that the medium light scattering is intensified, suspended nanoparticles appear as magnified shiny moving dots superimposed on the quasi-steady background of medium light scattering. Utilizing the visual enlargement resulted from the enhanced light scattering and possible light interference, we can detect directly suspended nanoparticles that are much smaller than visible light wavelengths even in unopened water bottles or other large containers. This suggests new approaches for detecting nanoparticles with many potential applications.
Reduced risk of skin cancer and internal malignancies in vitiligo patients: a retrospective population-based cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Weng Yu-Ching , Ho Hsiu J. , Chang Yi-Ling , Chang Yun-Ting , Wu Chun-Ying , Chen Yi-Ju 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe relationship between cancer and vitiligo has been explored but with inconsistent results. To examine the long-term cancer risk in vitiligo patients, we conducted a retrospective nationwide cohort study. From the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, a total of 13,824 vitiligo patients were identified and matched with 55,296 reference subjects without vitiligo by age, gender, and propensity score estimated by major comorbidities from 1997 to 2013. Demographic characteristics and comorbidities were compared between these two groups. Incidence rate ratios and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to examine cancer risks. The 16-year incidence rates of overall cancers were 621.06 (566.56–675.55) and 726.99 (697.24–756.74) per 100,000 person-years in the vitiligo and reference groups. Patients with vitiligo showed a significantly decreased risk of overall cancers [adjusted HR, 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77 to 0.93,p < 0.001] compared with reference subjects without vitiligo after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and treatments. The risks of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were significantly reduced (adjusted HR 0.21, 95% CI 0.11–0.38,p < 0.001), as well as internal malignancies (adjusted HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81–0.99,p = 0.026). The results were consistent across different subgroups of patients, including male gender, ages more than 40 years, and those receiving long-term systemic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and phototherapies. Information related to phenotype, disease duration, vitiligo lesion sites, family history of vitiligo or cancer, occupation, and personal lifestyle was not included in the database. Vitiligo is associated with reduced risks of BCC and SCC, as well as internal malignancies.
A novel cardiovascular magnetic resonance risk score for predicting mortality following surgical aortic valve replacement
Authors: Vassiliou Vassilios S. , Pavlou Menelaos , Malley Tamir , Halliday Brian P. , Tsampasian Vasiliki , Raphael Claire E. , Tse Gary , Vieira Miguel Silva , Auger Dominique , Everett Russell , Chin Calvin , Alpendurada Francisco , Pepper John , Pennell Dudley J. , Newby David E. , Jabbour Andrew , Dweck Marc R. , Prasad Sanjay K. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe increasing prevalence of patients with aortic stenosis worldwide highlights a clinical need for improved and accurate prediction of clinical outcomes following surgery. We investigated patient demographic and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) characteristics to formulate a dedicated risk score estimating long-term survival following surgery. We recruited consecutive patients undergoing CMR with gadolinium administration prior to surgical aortic valve replacement from 2003 to 2016 in two UK centres. The outcome was overall mortality. A total of 250 patients were included (68 ± 12 years, male 185 (60%), with pre-operative mean aortic valve area 0.93 ± 0.32cm2, LVEF 62 ± 17%) and followed for 6.0 ± 3.3 years. Sixty-one deaths occurred, with 10-year mortality of 23.6%. Multivariable analysis showed that increasing age (HR 1.04, P = 0.005), use of antiplatelet therapy (HR 0.54, P = 0.027), presence of infarction or midwall late gadolinium enhancement (HR 1.52 and HR 2.14 respectively, combined P = 0.12), higher indexed left ventricular stroke volume (HR 0.98, P = 0.043) and higher left atrial ejection fraction (HR 0.98, P = 0.083) associated with mortality and developed a risk score with good discrimination. This is the first dedicated risk prediction score for patients with aortic stenosis undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement providing an individualised estimate for overall mortality. This model can help clinicians individualising medical and surgical care.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00930735 and ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01755936.
Pure tone discrimination with cochlear implants and filter-band spread
Authors: Wagner Luise , Altindal Reyhan , Plontke Stefan K. , Rahne Torsten 
Published: October 2021

AbstractFor many cochlear implant (CI) users, frequency discrimination is still challenging. We studied the effect of frequency differences relative to the electrode frequency bands on pure tone discrimination. A single-center, prospective, controlled, psychoacoustic exploratory study was conducted in a tertiary university referral center. Thirty-four patients with Cochlear Ltd. and MED-EL CIs and 19 age-matched normal-hearing control subjects were included. Two sinusoidal tones were presented with varying frequency differences. The reference tone frequency was chosen according to the center frequency of basal or apical electrodes. Discrimination abilities were psychophysically measured in a three-interval, two-alternative, forced-choice procedure (3I-2AFC) for various CI electrodes. Hit rates were measured, particularly with respect to discrimination abilities at the corner frequency of the electrode frequency-bands. The mean rate of correct decision concerning pitch difference was about 60% for CI users and about 90% for the normal-hearing control group. In CI users, the difference limen was two semitones, while normal-hearing participants detected the difference of one semitone. No influence of the corner frequency of the CI electrodes was found. In CI users, pure tone discrimination seems to be independent of tone positions relative to the corner frequency of the electrode frequency-band. Differences of 2 semitones can be distinguished within one electrode.
Impact of thermal radiation and non-uniform heat flux on MHD hybrid nanofluid along a stretching cylinder
Authors: Ali Aamir , Kanwal Tasmia , Awais Muhammad , Shah Zahir , Kumam Poom , Thounthong Phatiphat 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe current research investigates the thermal radiations and non-uniform heat flux impacts on magnetohydrodynamic hybrid nanofluid (CuO-Fe2O3/H2O) flow along a stretching cylinder, which is the main aim of this study. The velocity slip conditions have been invoked to investigate the slippage phenomenon on the flow. The impact of induced magnetic field with the assumption of low Reynolds number is imperceptible. Through the use of appropriate non-dimensional parameters and similarity transformations, the ruling PDE’s (partial differential equations) are reduced to set of ODE’s (ordinary differential equations), which are then numerically solved using Adams–Bashforth Predictor–Corrector method. Velocity and temperature fields with distinct physical parameters are investigated and explored graphically. The main observations about the hybrid nanofluid and non-uniform heat flux are analyzed graphically. A decrease in the velocity of the fluid is noted with addition of Hybrid nanofluid particles while temperature of the fluid increases by adding the CuO-Fe2O3 particles to the base fluid. Also, velocity of the fluid decreases when we incorporate the effects of magnetic field and slip. Raise in curvature parameter γ caused enhancement of velocity and temperature fields at a distance from the cylinder but displays opposite behavior nearby the surface of cylinder. The existence of heat generation and absorption for both mass dependent and time dependent parameters increases the temperature of the fluid.