bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing Mental Health among Chinese Medical and Non-medical Students in the Early Stage of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Xiong Peng , Ming Wai-kit , Zhang Caiyun , Bai Jian , Luo Chaohua , Cao Wenyuan , Zhang Fan , Tao Qian 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern. This study aimed to assess the psychological outcomes and their influencing factors among medical and non-medical university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey using structured questionnaires was conducted from 20 February to 20 March 2020. Psychological outcomes were assessed according to the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Influencing factors were assessed by COVID-19 knowledge, mindful coping scale, and sense of control scale.Results: Our sample comprises of 563 university students (male = 172, mean age = 21.52). Among them, 382 are medical students. Among the participants, 12.26%, 18.47%, and 8.53% of them have moderate to severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. Compared with the non-medical students, the medical students had a higher knowledge level of COVID-19, a higher sense of awareness, and fewer mental health symptoms. After controlling the covariance, perceived constrains of sense of control were negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among both medical and non-medical students. Prevention of negative emotions by mindful coping was negatively associated with depression and anxiety among non-medical students. Knowledge of COVID-19 is not associated with mental distress among medical and non-medical students.Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic in China, the mental health of university students was affected. Our findings suggested that a sense of control is a protective factor for both medical and non-medical students, while mindful coping is a protective factor for only non-medical students.
Self-Renewal Assessment and Isolation of CD133 Positive Cancer Stem Cells from the Ovarian A2780 Cell Line
Authors: Keyvani Vahideh , Moghbeli Meysam , Nezhad Seyed Reza Kazemi , Abbaszadegan Mohammad Reza 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the 7th most common type of cancer and the 5th cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease which is quite variable from the genomic and histopathological aspect. In addition to the usual treatments for ovarian cancer, its recurrence is quite common, mainly due to lack of complete eradication of cancer stem cells. These cells have different properties such as self-renewal ability and stemness property, including proliferation.Method: In the present study, we isolated cancer stem cells with the CD133 surface marker from the ovarian A2780 cell line and examined the stemness property and self-renewal ability of these cells. Initially, CD133 surface marker expression in this cell line was assessed by the flow cytometry technique. Then, the isolation of these cells was performed by the Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) method. Flow cytometry (FCM) was also used to confirm the isolation efficiency. The levels of mRNA expression were evaluated in several stem cell markers in CD133+ cells compared with CD133- cells. Moreover, the self- renewal ability of the isolated cells was investigated in serum-free culture medium.Results: Ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) with CD133 surface marker showed high expression of some stemness markers such as Sox2, Nanog, Oct4, ABCG2, ALDH1, LGR5 and Msi. These cells also had the ability to regenerate themselves in a serum-free environment.Conclusion: Cancer stem cells can be isolated through surface markers by the MACS technique; they have stemness and self-renewal properties. So, the CD133 surface marker can be introduced as a key CSC marker in the isolation, characterization and targeted therapy of ovarian cancer patients.
Recurrent Postmenopausal Bleeding: Just Endometrial Disease or Ovarian Sex Cord Stromal Tumor? A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Wang Jiao , Yang Qing , Zhang Ningning , Wang Dandan 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) is a common gynecologic complaint among elderly women, and endometrial hyperplasia is a common cause of this bleeding. Ovarian fibromas are the most common ovarian sex cord stromal tumors (SCST). They arise from non-functioning stroma, rarely show estrogenic activity, and stimulate endometrial hyperplasia, leading to abnormal vaginal bleeding. Case presentation: We report herein the case of a 64-year-old Chinese woman who presented with recurrent PMB. A sex-hormone test revealed her estrogen level was significantly higher than normal, and other causes of hyperestrogenism had been excluded. In the past 7 years, the patient had undergone four curettage-and-hysteroscopy procedures due to recurrent PMB and endometrial hyperplasia. Finally, the culprit behind the rise in estrogen – an ovarian cellular fibroma with estrogenic activity – was found in the fifth operation.Conclusions: Ovarian cellular fibromas occur insidiously, and some may have endocrine functions. For postmenopausal patients with recurrent PMB and endometrial thickening indicated by ultrasonography, it is recommended they undergo sex-hormone testing while waiting for results regarding the pathology of the endometrium. If the estrogen level remains elevated, even if the imaging does not indicate an ovarian tumor, the clinician should consider the possibility of an ovarian SCST and follow the patient closely. Once the tumor is found, no matter the size, it should be removed as soon as possible to avoid endometrial lesions caused by long-term estrogen stimulation. More studies are needed to confirm whether preventive total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy should be recommended for postmenopausal women with recurrent bleeding whose estrogen levels are higher than normal, even when the auxiliary examination does not indicate ovarian mass. It is possible this could avoid the physical and psychological burden caused by repeated curettage.
COVID-19 Associated Cerebral Infarction in an Elderly Patient: A Case Report
Authors: Xie Jumin , Feng Changwu , Chen Jie , Wang Zhu 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: The 2019 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) had been declared an emergency at the beginning and eventually progressing to a pandemic by World Health Organization. To date, more than 78,194,9471 people confirmed infected by SARS-Cov-2 and 1,736,752 dead, globally. Various characteristics were described in the case reports and clinical studies after SARS-Cov-2 hitting the whole world. Case presentation：COVID-19 cases accompanied with cerebral infraction were hardly reported. Herein, we present a 74-yesrs-old patient who got SARS-Cov-2 infected at the late January and developed cerebral infraction. After accurate treatment, the old patient recovered and discharged from hospital on April 3, 2020. We keep on supervising the patient, after 7 months long physical condition surveillance, the patient live a normal life with on obvious sequelae detected. Conclusions: In this paper, we present a elder COVID-19 case associated with cerebral infraction and whole process management in treatment. The elder patients lived a normal life after discharging from Huangshi central hospital which we believed that early introducing of traditional Chinese medicine played important roles in COVID-19 treatment. We aimed to broaden new cognition towards SARS-Cov-2 infection and suggest therapy to COVID-19 cases with cerebral infraction.
A Modified Risk Detection Approach of Biomarkers by Frailty Effect on Multiple Time-to-Event Data
Authors: Bhattacharjee Atanu , Vishwakarma Gajendra , Banerjee Souvik 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Multiple indications of disease progression found in a cancer patient by loco-regional relapse, distant metastasis and death. Early identification of these indications is necessary to change the treatment strategy. Biomarkers play an essential role in this aspect. The biomarkers can influence how particular cancer behaves and how it may respond to a specific treatment. The survival chance of a patient is dependent on the biomarker, and the treatment strategy also differs accordingly, e.g., the survival prediction of breast cancer patients diagnosed with HER2 positive status is different from the same with HER2 negative status. This results in a different treatment strategy. So, the heterogeneity of the biomarker statuses or levels should be taken into consideration while modelling the survival outcome. This heterogeneity factor which is often unobserved, is called frailty. When multiple indications are present simultaneously, the scenario becomes more complex as only one of them can occur, which will censor the occurrence of other events. Incorporating independent frailties of each biomarker status for every cause of indications will not depict the complete picture of heterogeneity. The events indicating cancer progression are likely to be inter-related. So, the correlation should be incorporated through the frailties of different events. In our study, we considered a multiple events or risks model with a heterogeneity component. Based on the estimated variance of the frailty, the threshold levels of a biomarker are utilised as early detection tool of the disease progression or death. Additive-gamma frailty model is considered to account the correlation between different frailty components and estimation of parameters are performed using Expectation-Maximization Algorithm. This work is about handling multiple indications by frailty model and promote personalised medicine. With the extensive algorithm in R, we have obtained the threshold levels of activity of a biomarker in a multiple events scenario.
An Exploratory Study on The Association Between Gender and Factors That Influence Animal-Source Food Dietary Intake for Households In Lower-Income Urban Informal Settings of Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Ngutu Mariah , Bukachi Salome A. , Muthiru Ann W. , Lépine Aurélia , Kadiyala Suneetha , Domínguez-Salas Paula 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Low-quality monotonous diets dominated by starchy foods are a major problem confronting resource-constrained settings worldwide including poor households in the urban informal settings of Nairobi, Kenya. This low-quality dietary intake is fueled by socio-economic disparities further complicated by gender hegemonies that influence decision making in food choice and consumption. This places the population, especially women of reproductive age and young children, at a risk of micronutrients deficiencies, such as anemia. Animal-source foods (ASFs) are high-quality nutrient-dense products that supply essential amino-acids, vitamins and minerals, to reduce stunting and micronutrient deficiencies. Previous research showed that the poorest households in Nairobi, Kenya, had low Animal-source foods (ASFs) consumption.Food security and nutrition dimensions of food security such as the gendered dimensions have been the main focus in most development interventions. However, there still exists gaps especially at the household level that try to understand the association between gender and factors that influence animal-source food dietary intake.Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was carried out to establish the association between gender and factors that influence animal-source foods dietary intake for households in lower-income urban informal settings of Nairobi, Kenya. We utilized 19 focus group discussions with embedded participatory exercises and 60 in-depth interviews differently for men and women alongside unstructured observations to enable in-depth exploration of ASFs consumption and choice determinants.Results: Gender and related factors including decision making, power position dynamics of men and women as well as coping mechanisms were seen to influence household ASF dietary intake. Both men and women had a role providing for food budgets and also deciding on when and what ASF would be consumed in their households. Notably, men and women in the informal low-income settings face socio-economic challenges in planning for and sustaining household food needs including ASF.Conclusion: Nutrition and health interventions and programs tackling malnutrition in lower-income households need to consider the gender and associated factors as identified in this exploratory research. These factors are seen as intersecting with the household economic status and sociocultural practices to influence ASF dietary intake including choice and consumption.
Association between egg consumption and arterial stiffness: a longitudinal study
Authors: Ji Naiwen , Huang Zhe , Zhang Xinyuan , Sun Yuanyuan , Ye Shumao , Chen Shuohua , Tucker Katherine , Wu Shouling , Gao Xiang 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background
Inconsistent associations between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk have been observed in previous studies. This study aims to longitudinally investigate the association between egg consumption and altered risk of arterial stiffness, a major pre-clinical pathogenic change of CVD, which was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).
Methods
A total of 7,315 Chinese participants from the Kailuan Study, free of CVD and cancer were included in this study. Egg consumption was assessed by a semi-quantitative validated food frequency questionnaire in 2014. baPWV was repeatedly measured at baseline and during follow-up (mean follow-up: 3.41 years). General linear regression was used to calculate means of baPWV change rate across different egg consumption groups, adjusting for age, sex, baseline baPWV, healthy eating index, total energy, social-economic status, blood pressure, obesity, smoking, lipid profiles, and fasting glucose concentrations.
Results
Compared to the annual baPWV change rate in participants with 0-1.9 eggs/wk (adjusted mean: 35.9 ± 11.2 cm/s/y), those consuming 3-3.9 eggs/wk (adjusted mean: 0.2 ± 11.4 cm/s/y) had the lowest increase in baPWV during follow-up (P-difference = 0.002). Individuals with low (0-1.9 eggs/wk) vs. high (5 + eggs /wk) egg intake showed similar changes in baPWV.
Conclusions
In this large-scale longitudinal analysis, we did not find a significant difference in arterial stiffness, as assessed by baPWV level, between low and high egg consumption groups. However, moderate egg consumption (3-3.9 eggs/wk) appeared to have beneficial effects on arterial stiffness.
Multi-DOA Estimation Based on the KR Image Tensor and Improved CNN
Authors: Yuan Ye , Wu Shuang , Yang Yong , Yuan Naichang 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
In this paper, we propose an improved convolutional neural network (CNN) to solve the multi-DOA estimation problem. We use Khatri-Rao (KR) product to obtain the KR image tensor of covariance matrix and use the proposed estimation CNN to process the tensor. In order to increase the generalization of the proposed CNN and adapt the multi-label classification problem, we use the curriculum learning scheme (CLS) and partial label strategy (PLS) to develop an efficient training procedure. We implement several experiments to demonstrate the satisfying performance of the proposed estimation method. The simulation results show that our proposed method can finish the high resolution multi-DOA estimation use only a few sensors. Furthermore, the proposed method can obtain high estimation accuracy under low SNR situations and use fewer snapshots.
Clinical application of 3D virtual and printed models for cerebrovascular diseases
Authors: Bae Jin Woo , Lee Da Yeong , Pang Chang Hwan , Kim Jeong Eun , Park Chul-Kee , Lee Doohee , Park Sang Joon , Cho Won-Sang 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques are rapidly advancing in the medical industry and in clinical practice. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of 3D virtual and printed models of 12 representative cerebrovascular diseases, consisting of 9 intracranial aneurysms, 2 cavernous malformations and 1 arteriovenous malformation. Using the software we developed, segmentation of raw data and rendering and modification for 3D virtual models were processed mostly automatically. Among the 12 virtual models, 9 (excluding 3 intracranial aneurysms) were printed with a commercial 3D printing system and materials. Most intracranial structures were satisfactorily made, including the skull, brain, vessels, thrombus, tentorium and major cranial nerves. The 3D models were thought to be very helpful in experiencing the operative views from various directions in advance and in selecting an appropriate surgical approach. However, it was still difficult to discriminate small vessels and cranial nerves, to feel a realistic tactile sense and to directly perform presurgical simulations, such as dissection, removal, clipping and microanastomosis. With advancements in radiological resolution, processing techniques and material properties, 3D modeling is expected to simulate real brain tissues more closely.
Simvastatin Influences Selected Aspects of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Pathology in a Mouse Model
Authors: Mucha Olga , Podkalicka Paulina , Kaziród Katarzyna , Dulak Józef , Łoboda Agnieszka 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an incurable disease, caused by the mutations in the DMD gene, encoding dystrophin, an actin-binding cytoskeletal protein. Lack of functional dystrophin results in muscle weakness, degeneration, and as an outcome cardiac and respiratory failure. As there is still no cure for affected individuals, the pharmacological compounds with the potential to treat or at least attenuate the symptoms of the disease are under constant evaluation. The pleiotropic agents, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, known as statins, have been suggested to exert beneficial effects in the mouse model of DMD. On the other hand, they were also reported to induce skeletal-muscle myopathy.Methods: Several methods including functional assessment of muscle function via grip strength measurement and treadmill test, enzymatic assays, histological analysis of muscle damage, gene expression evaluation, and immunofluorescence staining were conducted to study simvastatin-related alterations in mdx mice.Results: In our study, simvastatin treatment of mdx mice did not result in improved running performance; however, some beneficial effect was observed when grip strength was evaluated. Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activity, markers of muscle injury, were diminished after simvastatin delivery in mdx mice. Nevertheless, no significant changes in inflammation, fibrosis, and necrosis were noted. Interestingly, simvastatin treatment led to the decreased mRNA level of embryonic myosin heavy chain isoform, a declined percentage of centrally nucleated myofibers, and miR-1 upregulation, suggesting an alteration in the muscle regeneration. However, similarly to the changes noticed in the expression of some angiogenic factors, the obtained results are muscle-dependent, being prominent in gastrocnemius muscle but not in the diaphragm.Conclusion: In conclusion, we suggest that simvastatin has the potential to ameliorate selected aspects of DMD pathology; however, possible benefits still need to be thoroughly tested.
Site-Specific Chemical Doping Reveals Electron Atmospheres at the Surfaces of Organic Semiconductor Crystals
Authors: He Tao , Stolte Matthias , Wang Yan , Renner Rebecca , Ruden Paul , Würthner Frank , Frisbie C. Daniel 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Chemical doping controls the electronic properties of organic semiconductors, but so far, doping protocols and mechanisms are less developed than in conventional semiconductors. Here we describe a unique, site-specific, n-type surface doping mechanism for single crystals of two benchmark organic semiconductors that produces dramatic improvement in electron transport and concurrently provides unprecedented evidence for doping-induced space charge. The surface doping chemistry specifically targets crystallographic step edges, which are known electron traps, simultaneously passivating the traps and releasing itinerant electrons. The effect on electron transport is profound: field effect electron mobility increases by as much as a factor of 10 and its temperature dependent behavior switches from thermally-activated to band-like. Our findings suggest new site-specific strategies to dope organic semiconductors that differ from the conventional redox chemistry of randomly distributed substitutional impurities. Critically, they also verify the presence of dopant-induced electron atmospheres, confirming long-standing expectations for organic systems from conventional solid-state theory.
Novel Biallelic TLE6 Variants Induce Preimplantation Embryonic Lethality That Cannot be Rescued by IVF or ICSI
Authors: Zhang Manyu , Liu Chunyu , Chen Beili , Lv Mingrong , Zou Huijuan , Liu Yajing , Gao Yang , Wang Tianjuan , Xing Qiong , Zhu Yutong , Wu Huan , Zhang Zhiguo , Zhou Ping , Wei Zhaolian , He Xiaojin , Xu Yuping , Cao Yunxia 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Preimplantation embryonic lethality is a rare cause of primary female infertility. Transducin-like enhancer of split 6 (TLE6) is a maternal effect gene which encodes a component of the subcortical maternal complex located in the oocytes and early embryos. It has been reported that biallelic variants in TLE6 can lead to preimplantation embryonic lethality. However, the incidence of TLE6 variants in patients with preimplantation embryonic lethality is not fully understood.Methods: Whole-exome sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were used to analyze a cohort of 28 patients with preimplantation embryonic lethality. We retrospectively analyzed the process and outcome of their attempts at in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Results: In this study, four patients (14.29 %, 4/28) from three unrelated families in a cohort of 28 individuals with preimplantation embryonic lethality were identified as carrying biallelic TLE6 variants, including two homozygous variants and one compound heterozygous variant. These novel frameshift variants in TLE6 caused truncation of the TLE6 protein likely impairing its function. Immunofluorescence staining of oocytes for TLE6 indicated that it is localized in the oocyte cytoplasm, and that TLE6 was almost absent in the oocytes of the patients carrying biallelic TLE6 variants compared with normal control oocytes. A retrospective analysis showed that the four affected individuals underwent a total of nine in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection attempts, in which a total of 119 metaphase II oocytes were retrieved, but none of them obtained high-quality blastocysts or obtained a successful pregnancy. However, one of these patients became pregnant on the first attempt using donated oocytes.Conclusions: Biallelic TLE6 variants cause preimplantation embryonic lethality that cannot be rescued by in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Thus, oocyte donation may be the preferred treatment for patients harboring biallelic TLE6 variants.