bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dysregulation of RalA signaling through dual regulatory mechanisms exerts its oncogenic functions in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tian Lu , Zhao Luqing , Sze Karen Man‐Fong , Kam Charles Shing , Ming Vanessa Sheung‐In , Wang Xia , Zhang Vanilla Xin , Ho Daniel Wai‐Hung , Cheung Tan‐To , Chan Lo‐Kong , Ng Irene Oi‐Lin 
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Background and Aims
Ras‐like (Ral) small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), RalA and RalB, are proto‐oncogenes directly downstream of Ras and cycle between the active guanosine triphosphate‐bound and inactive guanosine diphosphate‐bound forms. RalGTPase‐activating protein (RalGAP) complex exerts a negative regulation. Currently, the role of Ral up‐regulation in cancers remains unclear. We aimed to examine the clinical significance, functional implications, and underlying mechanisms of RalA signaling in HCC.

Approach and Results
Our in‐house and The Cancer Genome Atlas RNA sequencing data and quantitative PCR data revealed significant up‐regulation of RalA in patients’ HCCs. Up‐regulation of RalA was associated with more aggressive tumor behavior and poorer prognosis. Consistently, knockdown of RalA in HCC cells attenuated cell proliferation and migration in vitro and tumorigenicity and metastasis in vivo. We found that RalA up‐regulation was driven by copy number gain and uncovered that SP1 and ETS proto‐oncogene 2 transcription factor cotranscriptionally drove RalA expression. On the other hand, RalGAPA2 knockdown increased the RalA activity and promoted intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis in vivo. Consistently, we observed significant RalGAPA2 down‐regulation in patients’ HCCs. Intriguingly, HCC tumors showing simultaneous down‐regulation of RalGAPA2 and up‐regulation of RalA displayed a significant association with more aggressive tumor behavior in terms of more frequent venous invasion, more advanced tumor stage, and poorer overall survival. Of note, Ral inhibition by a Ral‐specific inhibitor RBC8 suppressed the oncogenic functions in a dose‐dependent manner and sensitized HCC cells to sorafenib treatment, with an underlying enhanced inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling.

Conclusions
Our results provide biological insight that dysregulation of RalA signaling through dual regulatory mechanisms supports its oncogenic functions in HCC. Targeting RalA may serve as a potential alternative therapeutic approach alone or in combination with currently available therapy.
Immunophenotype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in minorities‐ analysis from the SEER database
Authors: Quiroz Elisa , Venkateswaran Aparajit Ram , Nelson Rebecca , Aldoss Ibrahim , Pullarkat Vinod , Rego Eduardo , Marcucci Guido , Douer Dan 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAcute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is a malignancy that originates from immature lymphoid cells and is clinically established with flow cytometry through disease‐specific markers. Variation between ethnic groups is an epidemiological aspect of ALL. Higher incidence rates have been observed in Latin American patients and ALL in Latinos carries a dismal prognosis. The cell of origin in ALL is derived from immature cells of either the B or T lineage. Most reported data among Latinos either exclusively looks at B cell precursor ALL or do not distinguish between subtypes. We used the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to delineate the differences in incidence rates of B‐ALL and T‐ALL across ethnic groups in the United States. Data from SEER‐18 was used to compare incidence rates of T‐ALL and B‐ALL. Due to the utilization of cytogenetics and subsequent changes in ICD coding over the years examined the most recent data reported from 2002 to 2017. We compared rates in Non‐Hispanic Whites (NHWs), Latinos, Blacks and Asian‐Pacific Islanders (API). Age‐adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 person‐years were calculated. The incidence rate of B‐ALL in the Latino population was consistently higher than other race/ethnicities throughout the years, ranging from 1.0 per 100,000 in 2002 to 2.5 per 100,000 in 2017. Blacks had the lowest age adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) of B‐ALL overall, with rates approximately one third of those found in Latinos and the highest AAIR of T‐ALL with an AAIR of 0.5 per 100,000.
High commitment work systems and employee well‐being: The roles of workplace friendship and task interdependence
Authors: Zhang Yejun , Sun Jian‐Min (James) , Shaffer Margaret A. , Lin Cai‐Hui (Veronica) 
Published: November 2021

AbstractHuman resource (HR) practices are potent in shaping workplace social relationships, which play a crucial role in employees' well‐being. While the role of formal relationships (i.e., relationships based on prescribed work roles) has received relatively more research attention, little is known about the nexus between HR practices, informal relationships at work and employee well‐being. Drawing on social interdependence theory, we conducted two studies to investigate how high commitment work systems (HCWS) affect employee well‐being through workplace friendship, beyond the effects of formal interpersonal relationships. In Study 1, using time‐lagged data from a sample of 253 full‐time employees, we found that workplace friendship, a type of informal relationship at work, mediated the relationship between HCWS and employee well‐being. In addition, task interdependence strengthened the relationship between HCWS and workplace friendship as well as the indirect effect of HCWS on employee well‐being. In Study 2, we replicated these findings and extended them to multiple forms of well‐being using multilevel data collected at three time points from 310 employees in 61 organizations. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings as well as future research directions are discussed.
Managing endometrioma to optimize future fertility
Authors: Horan Maebh , Glover Louise , Wingfield Mary 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe management of endometriomas in women wishing to preserve their fertility is complex. While surgery can help to achieve pregnancy in some, it may also have a detrimental effect on a woman's ovarian reserve. The present article reviews the impact of endometriomas on fertility and the different management approaches that should be considered in women who wish to preserve their fertility. This study also reviews the role of assisted reproduction in the setting of endometriomas, and the evolving role of oocyte cryopreservation for this benign but progressive disease. Using evidence from the latest guidelines and major publications, we emphasize the need to consider the woman's future fertility when navigating the diverse range of management strategies available, and outline an evidence‐based framework to help facilitate fertility‐friendly discussion, counseling and management of this complex disease.
Ethnic variation in causes of stillbirth in high‐income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bhat Saiuj , Birdus Nadya , Bhat Sangeeta Malla 
Published: November 2021

AbstractObjectiveInequities in stillbirth rate according to ethnicity persist in high‐income nations. The objective of the present study is to investigate whether causes of stillbirth differ by ethnicity in high‐income nations.MethodsThe following databases were searched since their inception to 1 February 2021: Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Global Health. Cohort, cross‐sectional, and retrospective studies were included. Causes of stillbirth were aligned to the International Classification of Disease 10 for Perinatal Mortality (ICD10‐PM) and pooled estimates were derived by meta‐analysis.ResultsFifteen reports from three countries (72 555 stillbirths) were included. Seven ethnic groups – “Caucasian” (n = 11 studies), “African” (n = 11 studies), “Hispanic” (n = 7 studies), “Indigenous Australian” (n = 4 studies), “Asian” (n = 2 studies), “South Asian” (n = 2 studies), and “American Indian” (n = 1 study) – were identified. There was an overall paucity of recent, high‐quality data for many ethnicities. For those with the greatest amount of data – Caucasian, African, and Hispanic – no major differences in the causes of stillbirth were identified.ConclusionThere is a paucity of high‐quality information on causes of stillbirth for many ethnicities. Improving investigation and standardizing classification of stillbirths is needed to assess whether causes of stillbirth differ across more diverse ethnic groups.
Research on data classification and feature fusion method of cancer nuclei image based on deep learning
Authors: Liu Shanshan , Hu Ruo , Wu Jianfang , Zhang Xizheng , He Jun , Zhao Huimin , Wang Huajia , Li Xiangjun 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThere are many different types of nuclei in a tumor tissue. We can identify the specific nuclei and their distribution in the tissue to reflect the current cancer state of histopathological images. However, due to the existence of cellular heterogeneity, the recognition of nuclei in histopathological images has always been a problem of computer vision. In the paper, we use the transfer learning of Deep Convolutional Neural Network to classify nuclei, and found that adjusting the size of the nuclear image to a certain size can improve the accuracy of the nuclei classification model, while not significantly reducing the nuclei classification efficiency. Through further research, it was confirmed that the environment around the nuclei can bring great help to the model classification. Based on the principle, we design a feature fusion model. We extract features from nuclei image different sizes by CNN, fuse the features, and then use fully connected layer to classify the features. Experiments have proved that the feature fusion model has a considerable improvement in accuracy compared to the normal classification model.
Biological evaluation of a novel bilirubin adsorbent and its therapeutic effect on animal models of hyperbilirubinemia
Authors: Su Rui , Chen Guanming , Yan Lihua , Liu Wei , Zhao Shengjiang , Dai Qinghai , Yuan Shi , Shen Xiaomin , Yu Wanyou , Gong Xiaojie , Yu Meili 
Published: November 2021

AbstractHyperbilirubinemia caused severe hepatobiliary diseases with various causes, especially hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis caused by end‐stage hepatitis B and C. Plasma adsorption perfusion (PP) has a tremendous advantage in treating patients with hyperbilirubinemia and liver failure, wherein, a safe and effective adsorbent is the key to filter out bilirubin successfully in PP. In this work, a simple engineering strategy, a new porous polymer adsorption resin ERM‐0100 based on the homopolymer predispersion system, is proposed to produce high‐performance bilirubin adsorbents. Preliminary experimental results show that ERM‐0100 exhibits a large surface area and uniformly porous structure. Experimental results verify that ERM‐0100 has high biocompatibility and bilirubin adsorption efficiency (TBIL:35%, direct bilirubin [DBIL]:30%, IBIL:87%) that is significantly higher than most of the reported adsorbents. Animal experiments prove that ERM‐0100 has high bilirubin adsorption efficiency and can improve the liver function of animals. The combination of high biocompatibility and high adsorption capacity positions the ERM‐0100 as a promising candidate for bilirubin removal.
Protective effects of rosmarinic acid against azoxymethane‐induced colorectal cancer in rats
Authors: Ilhan Nevin , Bektas Ibrahim , Susam Solmaz , Ozercan Ibrahim H. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is increasing gradually and has been become one of the most common cancers worldwide. Hence, it is important to discover cheap, naturally occurring compounds to be effective in suppressing the devastating effect of colon‐related tumors. Rosmarinic acid (RA), one of the compounds of plant origin, possesses attractive features for use as an agent for cancer prevention and treatment. This study investigated the ability of RA to prevent azoxymethane (AOM)‐induced rat colon carcinogenesis by evaluating the effect of RA on tumor formation and circulatory oxidant‐antioxidant status. Moreover, plasma levels of adiponectin (APN) monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The animals were divided into three groups: Control, AOM, and AOM + RA. Rats were fed a modified pellet diet (15.8% peanut oil was added to the standard diet) during the experimental period. Colon cancer was formed by applying 15 mg/kg AOM intraperitoneal once a week for 4 weeks in both the CRC group and AOM + RA group. Besides AOM, AOM + RA group received 5 mg/kg body weight RA orally every day during the study. The results showed that adenocarcinoma rates formed 87.5% of the AOM group. With treatment of RA, a reduction in the incidence of adenocarcinoma was observed in the AOM + RA group. The plasma MCP‐1, IL‐6, and TO levels were significantly higher, APN and TAS levels were significantly lower in the AOM group with respect to controls. In addition, there was a significant increase in TAS levels in the RA treatment group compared to the AOM group. These findings suggested that RA may be beneficial in preventing AOM‐induced colon carcinogenesis formation.
Orthogonal test design for optimization of synthesis ofBi2WO6superstructure with high photocatalytic activity by hydrothermal method
Authors: Han Zeng‐Yu , Ma Di , Chen Qing‐Yun , Wang Yun‐Hai 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDBismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6) has attractive photocatalytic performance in the degradation of organic compounds under visible light. The preparation conditions have an important influence on its properties. In this research, the effect of synthetic factors on the structure and photocatalytic activity of Bi2WO6was investigated based on an orthogonal experimental design using a hydrothermal method.RESULTSIt was found that the effect of pH value was greater than that of temperature and time. A three‐dimensional spherical Bi2WO6superstructure was hydrothermally synthesized using a pH of 0.36 and temperature of 200 °C for 20 h. It was found to have the best photocatalytic activity, with 98% degradation efficiency of rhodamine B in 30 min under visible light irradiation.CONCLUSIONSThe orthogonal design for optimal synthesis of Bi2WO6with hierarchical microsphere architecture promotes a positive balance between superstructure and high photocatalytic degradation performance. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Chronic lithium administration in a mouse model for Krabbe disease
Authors: Del Grosso Ambra , Parlanti Gabriele , Angella Lucia , Giordano Nadia , Tonazzini Ilaria , Ottalagana Elisa , Carpi Sara , Pellegrino Roberto Maria , Alabed Husam B. R. , Emiliani Carla , Caleo Matteo , Cecchini Marco 
Published: November 2021

AbstractKrabbe disease (KD; or globoid cell leukodystrophy) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of the galactosylceramidase (GALC) enzyme. No cure is currently available for KD. Clinical applied treatments are supportive only. Recently, we demonstrated that two differently acting autophagy inducers (lithium and rapamycin) can improve some KD hallmarks in‐vitro, laying the foundation for their in‐vivo pre‐clinical testing. Here, we test lithium carbonate in‐vivo, in the spontaneous mouse model for KD, the Twitcher (TWI) mouse. The drug is administered ad libitum via drinking water (600 mg/L) starting from post natal day 20. We longitudinally monitor the mouse motor performance through the grip strength, the hanging wire and the rotarod tests, and a set of biochemical parameters related to the KD pathogenesis [i.e., GALC enzymatic activity, psychosine (PSY) accumulation and astrogliosis]. Additionally, we investigate the expression of some crucial markers related to the two pathways that could be altered by lithium: the autophagy and the β‐catenin‐dependent pathways. Results demonstrate that lithium has not a significant rescue effect on the TWI phenotype, although it can slightly and transiently improves muscle strength. We also show that lithium, with this administration protocol, is unable to stimulate autophagy in the TWI mice central nervous system, whereas results suggest that it can restore the β‐catenin activation status in the TWI sciatic nerve. Overall, these data provide intriguing inputs for further evaluations of lithium treatment in TWI mice.
Epidemiology and analysis of potential risk factors of high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) in Shanghai China: A cross‐sectional one‐year study in non‐vaccinated women
Authors: Niu Jiaxin , Pan Shuting , Wei Yingting , Hong Zubei , Gu Liying , Di Wen , Qiu Lihua 
Published: November 2021

AbstractData regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence, its associated risk factors, and women's knowledge about this disease before the HPV vaccine was approved are limited in Shanghai, China. Therefore, we investigated these questions among females in Shanghai and aimed to provide comprehensive data to guide HPV vaccination and present the biopsychosocial risk factors that impact high‐risk HPV infection, and evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness of this disease among women aged 21–65 years old. A total of 6619 (aged from 21 to 65) women from different communities volunteered to participate in the HPV screening and complete questionnaires from December 2016 to December 2017 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of nine hospitals in Shanghai. Data were analyzed using sample logistic regression to assess biopsychosocial risk factors that impact high‐risk HPV infection and knowledge of HPV infection. A total of 632 (9.5%) cases were positive for high‐risk HPV test, 22.6% of them were HPV 16/18 infection, 77.4% of them were non HPV 16/18 infection. 40 potential risk factors may be related to high‐risk HPV infection, and there were 19 factors' p value < 0.1 from single factor logistic analysis. Finally, multivariable regression revealed education level, type of vaginitis, history of hyperlipidemias, family history of cancer, number of pregnancies, number of sex partners were independent risk factors for high‐risk HPV infection (p < 0.05). When stratified by education level, women who finished graduate school had significantly greater knowledge of cervical cancer, cervical screening, and the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer than other groups (p < 0.05). The prevalence rate of high‐risk HPV was a little lower than other regions in China and other countries, which may be related to regions, races, living habits, and economy. A less reported finding is that the history of vaginitis and the history of hyperlipidemias in our study were related to HPV infection. The majority of the participants had poor knowledge regarding cervical cancer, cervical screening, and the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer. Hence, these results should be served as a wake‐up call for the government to increase knowledge and awareness via the media and doctors.
Phylogeny and pathogenicity of Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) associated with potato tubers
Authors: Gherbawy Youssuf A. , Hussein Mohamed A. , Hassany Nabila A. , Shebany Yassmin M. , Hassan Sabry , El‐Dawy Eman G. A. E. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPotato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the known five crops cultivated throughout the world after corn, barley, cereals, rice, and wheat, due to its content of high carbohydrates. In developing countries, potatoes are especially had valuable contents as a rich source of starch, vitamins C and B6, and essential amino acids. Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) is one of the prevalent pathogens of potato, causing dry rot in Upper Egypt. In this study, FSSC were isolated and identified from potato tubers based on the morphological and molecular characteristics. F. solani isolates (187) were isolated from infected and noninfected potato tubers collected from various markets in Upper Egypt. Based on the morphology observations, sequence data from amplifying β‐tubulin, and specific translation elongation factor (TEF‐1α) genes, all of the chosen 88 FSSC isolates were grouped into three major groups (F. keratoplasticum, F. falciforme, and F. solani). All the tested FSSC were able to produce amylases. The selected isolates were examined for their pathogenic ability on healthy potato tubers, which exhibited pathogenic effects; with lesions sizes were quite variable. F. solani SVUFs73 showed a highly virulent effect.
Decreasing spring persistent rainfall over the Yangtze‐Huai River Valley of China during 1960–2019 and its possible causes
Authors: Tang Weian , Fu Yunfei , Wang Xujia , Lu Yanyu , Xu Min , Xie Wusan , Song Awei 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBased on the observations, reanalysis and sea surface temperature (SST) data sets, the spatio‐temporal distribution characteristics of the decreasing spring persistent rainfall (SPR) over the Yangtze‐Huai River Valley (YHRV) of China during 1960–2019 are revealed, and corresponding causes of the first leading two modes from the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis on the SPR are also explored. Results indicate that the SPR decreases northwards and exhibits spatially consistent declining trends over the YHRV, with the maximum along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, attributing to the decrease in total spring rainfall over the YHRV. The first EOF mode of the SPR (EOF‐1) over the YHRV shows a spatial mono‐sign pattern, while the South Indian Ocean dipole plays an important role in modulating its variability. Among them, the warming SST in the southwestern Indian Ocean is more important for the spatially consistent decrease of the SPR over the YHRV. The second EOF mode of the SPR (EOF‐2) over the YHRV exhibits a spatial distribution of north–south dipole pattern, while the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) contributes to the variation of EOF‐2. The inter‐decadal decreases of SPR at different rates are attributed to the transition between the first leading two EOF modes of SPR associated with the inter‐decadal changes of the external forcing factors and atmospheric circulations. From mid‐1970s to 1990s when the southern Indian Ocean SST increases rapidly, a mono‐sign pattern of the SPR is observed with a rapid decrease SPR over the whole YHRV. Since the mid‐1980s, when the NAO gradually reaches a predominantly positive phase, the SPR exhibits an increasing trend over the south of the YHRV, while a decreasing trend over the north part, causing the overall slowing of the precipitation decreasing trend.