bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of a stemness-related prognostic model in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by Weighted gene co-expression network analysis
Authors: Huang Xiao-Yan , Qin Wen-Tao , Su Qi-Sheng , Qiu Cheng-Cheng , Liu Ruo-Chuan , Xie Shan-Shan , Hu Yang , Zhu Shang-Yong 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Objective: Aim of this study was to identify the stemness-related genes in Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Methods: The RNA-seq data of PADC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. mRNA expression base-index (mRNAsi) and epigenetically regulated mRNAsi (EREG-mRNAsi) of PADC were evaluated. The mRNAsi-based gene sets in PADC were identified by Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Functional Enrichment Analyses were performed with key genes. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the prognostic value of the key genes. Prognosis-associated hub genes were applied to establish nomograms. The receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and concordance index (C-index) were utilized to assess the discrimination and accuracy of the nomogram. Finally, these results were validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: 36 key genes associate with mRNAsi were screened via WGCNA. Next a five-gene signature compromised TPX2, NCAPH, UBE2C, CCNB2, CEP55. Based on the expression of the signature, the PADC patients were classify patients into high- and low-risk groups. Cox regression analysis revealed that the high-risk group was significantly positive with overall survival (OS). Moreover, the nomogram has better sensitivity and specificity for predicting the OS. And the ROC, C-index indicated good performance of the prognostic signature in the TCGA and GEO dataset. Conclusion: Prognostic model associated with cancer stem cells (CSCs) reliably predict OS in PADC. this might be beneficial for the treatment of PADC patients.
Understanding the Spatially Explicit Distribution of Regional Tree Species Using Multi-Seasonal Sentinel-1&amp;2 Imagery within Google Earth Engine
Authors: Xie Bo , Cao Chunxiang , Xu Min , Bashir Barjeece , Chen Yiyu , Duerler Robert S. , Wang Kaimin 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background Accurate information on tree species is much in demand for forestry management and further investigations on biodiversity and forest ecosystem services. Over regional or large areas, discriminating tree species at high resolution is deemed challenging by lack of representative features and computational power. Methods A novel methodology to delineate the explicit spatial distribution of dominated six tree species (Pinus, Quercus, Betula, Populus, Larch, and Apricot) and one residual class using the analysis-ready large volume multi-sensor imagery within Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform is demonstrated and used to map a 10 m classification with detail analysis of spatial pattern for an area covering over 90,000 km 2 between 41° N and 45° N. Random Forest (RF) algorithm built into GEE was used for tree species mapping, together with the multi-temporal features extracted from Sentinel-1/2 and topographic imagery data. The composition of tree species in natural forests and plantations in city and county-level were performed in detail afterwards. Results The proposed model achieved a reliable overall agreement (77.5%, 0.71 kappa), and the detailed analysis on the spatial distributing of targeted species indicated that the plantations (Pinus, Populus, Larch, and Apricot) outnumber natural forests (Quercus and Betula) by 6%, and they were mainly grown in the northern and southern regions, respectively. Moreover, Arhorchin had the largest total forest area of over 4,500 km 2 , while Hexingten and Aohan ranked first in natural forest and plantation area, and the class proportion of the number of tree species in Karqin and Ningcheng was more balanced. Conclusions It is our belief that combined multi-source information of the machine learning algorithm within cloud platforms is beneficial to map a reliable spatial tree species over large areas on a fine scale. High-resolution tree species information based on online tools could be more easily considered for practical forestry management and further studies on forest ecosystems.
Tubular PAN/CNC Thin Film Nanocomposite (TFN) Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) Membrane: Fabrication and Preliminary Evaluation in Desalination Process
Authors: PASAOGLU Mehmet Emin , KOYUNCU Ismail 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
The aim of this work is to fabricate tubular nanocellulose-based nanofiber pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) by electrospinning. The PRO process requires high performance, high flux, high rejection and resistant membranes under harsh conditions. Because conventional phase-inversion membranes are not sufficient to perform the required water flux. Because of this reason, alternative membrane fabrication methods need to be develop. Recently, lots of studies are carried out to fabricate strong enough nanofiber pressure retarded osmosis membranes which are resistant higher pressure pressure while providing high flux and high rejection rates. In this study, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) added PAN nanocomposite nanofiber PRO membranes successfully fabricated by tailor made electrospinning equipment. According to the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), FT-IR, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis, Porometer and Contact Angle analysis results, it is concluded that PAN and CNC provided a complete mixture and the addition of CNC increased the mechanical strength in the PAN membranes which is the crucial phenomena in PRO applications.In this study, the newly fabricated membrane achieves a higher PRO water flux of 405.38 LMH with using a 1 M NaCl and a DI as feed water. The corresponding salt flux is found as 2.10 gMH which is higher than our previous study (Pasaoglu et al., 2020). The selectivity of the reversed flux represented by the ratio of the water flow to the reversed salt flux (Jw/ Js) was able to be kept as high as 193.03 L/g for PRO operation.As far as we know, the performance of the work developed membrane in this study has shawn better performance than all PRO membranes reported in the literature previously.
Green Cardamom Plus Low Calorie Diet Can Decrease Inflammatory Genes Expression Among Obese Women With Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Cheshmeh Sahar , Ghayyem Maysa , Khamooshi Firoozeh , Heydarzadeh Neda , Hojati Niloofar , Mosaieby Elaheh , Moradi Shima , Pasdar Yahya 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
PurposePolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of endocrine disorder and infertility among womenin which is related with low grade inflammation. Therefore, this current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlledclinical trial assessed the effects of green cardamom supplementation on inflammatory markers and gene expressionamong obese women with PCOS.MethodsWe included 194 obese PCOS women that gave all of them low calorie diet. These subjects were randomlydivided in two studied groups including intervention with 3 g/day green cardamom (n=99) and placebo groups (n=95).Anthropometric indices, androgen hormones, and inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), Interleukin6 (IL-6), and C- reactive protein (CRP)) were assessed before and after four months intervention. Their TNF-α, IL-6,and CRP genes expression level were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)method.ResultsAnthropometric indices were improved in both two studied groups (P<0.001). Among androgen hormonesluteinizing hormone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were significantly decreased (P<0.001), as wellas, follicle-stimulating hormone was significantly increased (P<0.001) in the green cardamom group. Our findingsshowed that TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP serum were significantly decreased after the intervention with green cardamomplus low calorie diet (P<0.001). In addition, the expression level of TNF-α and CRP genes were significantly decreasedin intervention groups (P<0.001).ConclusionsThis present study support the beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of green cardamom on theinflammatory status in the PCOS women.Level of evidenceLevel I, randomized clinical trialTrial registrationThis trial was registered with the Iranian Clinical Trials Registry (registration number:IRCT20200608047697N1). 1 August, 2020; https://www.irct.ir/trial/48748
Optimal Transport-Based Early Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients Based on Magnetic Resonance Images
Authors: Liu Ziyu , Johnson Travis , Shao Wei , Zhang Min , Zhang Jie , Huang Kun 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
BackgroundTo help clinicians provide timely treatment and delay disease progress, it is crucial to identifydementia patients during the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage and stratify these MCI patients into earlyand late MCI stages before they progress to alzheimer's disease (AD). In the process of diagnosing MCI andAD in living patients, brain scans are regularly collected using neuroimaging technologies such as computedtomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET). These brainscans measure the volume and molecular activity within the brain resulting in a very promising avenue todiagnose patients early in a non-invasive manner.MethodsWe have developed an optimal transport based transfer learning model to discriminate betweenearly and late MCI. Combing this transfer learning model with bootstrap aggregation strategy, we overcomethe over-tting problem and improve model stability and prediction accuracy.ResultsWith the transfer learning methods that we have developed, we outperform the current state of theart MCI stage classication frameworks and show that it is crucial to leverage alzheimer's disease and normalcontrol subjects to accurately predict early and late stage cognitive impairment.ConclusionsOur method is the current state of the art based on benchmark comparisons. This method is anecessary technological stepping stone to widespread clinical usage of MRI based early detection of AD.
The characteristics and nomogram for primary lung lepidic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tang Hui , Wang Yingyi , Bai Chunmei 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background

Lepidic adenocarcinoma (LPA) is an infrequent subtype of invasive pulmonary adenocarcinoma (ADC). However, the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of LPA have not been elucidated. We undertook a retrospective population-based analysis to examine the clinicopathological features of LPA, and construct nomograms predicting long-term survival of LPA patients.

Methods

Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of 4087 LPA patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with non-LPA pulmonary ADC to explore the clinicopathological and prognosis features of LPA. All patients included in our study were histologically confirmed. Those with multiple primary tumors in their lifetime, unknown survival data, unknown tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and unknown information including age, race, and marital status were excluded. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were performed to identify independent survival predictors for further nomogram development. The nomograms were internally and externally validated for concordance index and calibration plots as well as decision curve analysis.

Results

Compared with non-LPA pulmonary ADC patients, those with LPA exhibited unique clinicopathological features, including more elderly and female patients, smaller tumor size, lesser pleural invasion, lower histological grade and stage. Multivariate analyses showed that age, sex, marital status, primary tumor size, pleural invasion, histological grade, stage, primary tumor surgery, and chemotherapy were independently associated with overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with LPA, while race was the only independent prognostic factor for OS, not for CSS. The nomograms showed good accuracy comparing with actual observed results and demonstrated improved prognostic capacity than TNM stage.

Conclusions

Patients with LPA are more common in older age and female. The smaller tumor size, lower histological grade and stage are the clinicopathological features of LPA which may indicate a good prognosis. The constructed nomograms accurately predict the long-term survival of LPA patients.
Livelayer: A Semi-Automatic Software Program for Segmentation of Layers and Diabetic Macular Edema in Optical Coherence Tomography Images
Authors: Montazerin Mansooreh , Sajjadifar Zahra , Pour Elias Khalili , Riazi-Esfahani Hamid , Mahmoudi Tahereh , Rabbani Hossein , Movahedian Hossein , Dehghani Alireza , Akhlaghi Mohammadreza , Kafieh Rahele 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Given the capacity of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging to display symptoms of a wide variety of eye diseases and neurological disorders, the need for OCT image segmentation and the corresponding data interpretation is latterly felt more than ever before. In this paper, we wish to address this need by designing a semi-automatic software program for applying reliable segmentation of 8 different macular layers as well as outlining retinal pathologies such as diabetic macular edema. The software accommodates a novel graph-based semi-automatic method, called “Livelayer” which is designed for straightforward segmentation of retinal layers and fluids. This method is chiefly based on Dijkstra’s Shortest Path (SPF) algorithm and the Live-wire function together with some preprocessing operations on the to-be-segmented images. The software is indeed suitable for obtaining detailed segmentation of layers, exact localization of clear or unclear fluid objects and the ground truth, demanding far less endeavor in comparison to a common manual segmentation method. It is also valuable as a tool for calculating the irregularity index in deformed OCT images. The amount of time (seconds) that Livelayer required for segmentation of ILM, IPL-INL, OPL-ONL was much less than that for the manual segmentation, 5s for the ILM (minimum) and 15.57s for the OPL-ONL (maximum). The unsigned errors (pixels) between the semi-automatically labeled and gold standard data was on average 2.7, 1.9, 2.1 for ILM, IPL-INL, OPL-ONL, respectively. The Bland-Altman plots indicated perfect concordance between the Livelayer and the manual algorithm and that they could be used interchangeably. The repeatability error was around one pixel for the OPL-ONL and < 1 for the other two. The dice scores for comparing the two algorithms and for obtaining the repeatability on segmentation of fluid objects were at acceptable levels.
Fertility and Sperm Quality of 1- and 2-year-Old Native Ganders Used for Natural Mating and Artificial Insemination
Authors: BOZ Mehmet Akif , BAŞ Hatice , SARICA Musa , ERENSOY Kadir 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
In the present study, the fertility rate and egg-hatching results from either natural mating or artificial insemination using 1- and 2-year-old domestic Turkish geese were compared. Sperm quality traits of 1- and 2-year-old ganders used for mating were determined. The study comprised 72 two-year-old females, 12 one-year-old, and 12 two-year-old ganders at the beginning of the laying period. Thirty-six female geese were mated naturally (18 with 1-year-old ganders, 18 with 2-year-old ganders); the remaining 36 were artificially inseminated (18 with 1-year-old ganders, 18 with 2-year-old ganders). Twenty-four ganders were separated into groups (12 for natural mating; 12 for artificial insemination). The male-to-female ratio in both mating protocols was 1:3. The geese were housed during the laying period in a natural and artificially ventilated house under natural lighting (increased day length). Quality traits, such as semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm quality factor (SQF), sperm motility, and some sperm morphological properties were determined. Fertility was higher in the groups containing 2-year-old ganders than in those using 1-year-old ganders (P < 0.05). The effect of insemination on semen volume, sperm concentration, SQF, sperm motility, total live sperm, normal sperm, macrocephalus sperm, and dead sperm was determined to be significant (P < 0.05). As a result, there is a need to improve the egg production and broody behavior traits of domestic Turkish geese. In addition, the use of 2-year-old geese in artificial insemination is appropriate and will contribute positively to the breeding and selection process.
Sublobar Resection Versus Ablation for Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Yong , Yang Fang , Huang Ya-Yong , Wang Tao 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
BackgroundStage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be treated by both ablation and sublobar resection (SR). This meta-analysis was therefore designed to better compare the relative safety and efficacy of these two approaches to treating stage I NSCLC.Materials and MethodsRelevant studies published through November 2020 in the Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed databases were identified for analyses which were conducted with RevMan v5.3. ResultsIn total, 816 potentially relevant articles were identified, of which 8 were ultimately included in the final meta-analysis. Patients in the SR group exhibited a signficantly lower pooled local recurrence (LR) rate (5.0% vs. 25.4%, P < 0.0001), although pooled distant recurrence (DR) rates were similar in both groups (25.7% vs. 23.1%, P = 0.75). The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) (HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.13-1.33, P < 0.00001), progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.15-1.55, P = 0.0002), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.15-1.70, P = 0.0009) all indicated better survival outcomes among patients that underwent HR treatment, while pooled complication rates were similar in both groups (27.7% vs. 43.8%, P = 0.27). Patients that underwent ablation exhibited significantly shorter pooled post-operative hospitalization relative to those in the SR group (MD: 5.93; 95% CI: 0.78-11.07, P = 0.02). No evidence of publication bias was detected through funnel plot analyses.Conclusions﻿SR treatment of stage I NSCLC patients was associated with a lower LR rate and longer survival as compared to ablation.
Polyaniline as a Sacrificing Template for the Synthesis of Ultra-small Co3O4 Nanoparticles for the Sensitive and Selective Detection of Methotrexate (MTX)
Authors: Qureshi Irum Naz , Tahira Aneela , Aljadoa Khoulwod , Alsalme Ali M. , Al-Othman Asma A. , Nafady Ayman , Kasry Amal , Ibupoto Zafar Hussain 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
The successful monitoring of the anticancer drugs using nanostructured materials is very important but very challenging task. Beside this, uniform and ultra-small size of metal oxide nanoparticles is highly needed in order to enhance the catalytic activity which could result into the development of sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors for methotrexate (MTX). For this purpose, we have used a simple approach involving the polyaniline (PANI) as a sacrificing template for the growth of uniform and ultra-small Co3O4 nanoparticles by hydrothermal method. The structure, shape, composition and phase purity were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) techniques. The average size of Co3O4 nanoparticles was below 50 nm. The cubic crystallography is confirmed for the Co3O4 nanoparticles. The electrochemical properties of PANI assisted Co3O4 nanoparticles for MTX drug was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) in Britton–Robinson buffer (BRB) of pH 3.5. The PANI assisted Co3O4 nanoparticles were found highly sensitive for the MTX drug and exhibited a linear range from 5-75µM of MTX and limit of detection for the modified electrode was estimated 1.98µM. The proposed electrochemical sensor is low cost, simple, highly sensitive and selective towards MTX detection. The synthetic methodology using the conducting polymer as a sacrificing template for the growth of controlled and ultra-small Co3O4 nanoparticles can be utilized for the wide range of electrochemical applications.
Effect of n-3 Ployunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Pregnancy Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hao Yingying , Sun Xiaoshi , Wen Ningning , Li Hong 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
Background: The goal of this study was to review relevant studies in order to determine the effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation on pregnancy outcomes based on eligible randomized controlled trails (RCTs). Method: Qualified studies were searched by keywords in PubMed, Cochrane and Embase. Studies from other pertinent sources were also reviewed, RCT studies published before January 2021 were reviewed. For each study, we assessed and synthesized the outcomes by relative risk (RR) or weighted mean difference (WMD) combined with 95% confidence interval (95% CI).Result: We included 29 studies with 5623 patients. Compared with the control group, n-3 PUFA significantly decreased the incidence of preterm delivery (PD) (RR: 0.898, 95%CI: 0.819~0.984), low birthweight (RR: 0.797, 95%CI: 0.655~0.970), and preeclampsia (RR: 0.814, 95%CI: 0.687~0.966); increased the birth weight (WMD: 99.340, 95%CI: 10.503~188.177) and birth length (WMD: 0.449, 95%CI: 0.236~0.663). There was no significant difference in PIH, IUIG, early PD, anti-hypertensive therapy, gestational diabetes and head circumference at birth between the two groups.Conclusion: The available evidence shows that n-3 PUFA is not beneficial in reducing the incidence of maternal pregnancy outcomes such as gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertension, but it is beneficial to neonatal health.
Study on Mechanical Property and Biocompatibility in Vitro of 3D Printing Tantalum- Niobium Alloy Implants.
Authors: Li Huiling , Zhang Jian , Yao Zhigang , Huang Junhui 
Published: February 2021

Abstract
tooth defects or deletions. Tantalum (Ta) has been widely used in the biomedical field, but its application in artificial dental implants is rarely reported. In this study, Tantalum-Niobium alloy (TaNb40) implant prepared by 3D printing—SLS was used as the research subject. Its mechanical properties in vitro and the biocompatibility by utilizing human Oral Mucosa Fibroblasts (hOMF) were studied. Results: The mechanical property test results were that the Tensile Strength, Yield Strength, Elongation, and Vickers hardness of TaNb40 implant was 548 ± 50MPa, 420 ± 30MPa, 40%, and 425HV, respectively, manifesting the two indicators met the requirements of dental metal implant, and had good mechanical properties of wear resistance and not easy to brittle fracture. The cytocompatibility test showed that TaNb40 did not inhibit cell proliferation and produce cell cycle arrest. The cytotoxicity grade was 1, there was almost no metal ion release in the culture medium, and the surface had fine cell early adhesion, which met the requirements of biomedical materials. Conclusion: The TaNb40 prepared by domestic 3D printing—SLS has excellent mechanical properties and cytocompatibility in vitro, which is expected to replace the Titanium metal implant prepared by the traditional casting method, having a leading significance for the formation of implants with independent intellectual property rights.