bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Corneal Biomechanics in Post-SMILE, Post-LASEK, and Keratoconic Eyes
Authors: Shang Jianmin , Shen Yang , Jhanji Vishal , Zhou Xueyi , Zhao Jing , Zhao Yu , Zhou Xingtao 
Published: September 2021

Significance: Our study found that SP-A1 (stiffness parameter at time of first applanation) was statistically different between post-laser-assisted subepithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) and post-small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) eyes. The stiffness of keratoconus was lower than that of post-refractive surgery corneas.Purpose: To compare corneal biomechanics among post-SMILE, post-LASEK, and keratoconic eyes.Methods: In this retrospective study, 36 eyes of 36 patients after SMILE, 36 eyes of 36 patients after LASEK, and 36 eyes of 36 patients with keratoconus with matching (±5 μm) central corneal thickness (CCT) were examined using Scheimpflug corneal topography (Pentacam HR) and dynamic Scheimpflug analyzer (CorVis ST). Mixed linear model analysis with Bonferroni-adjusted post-hoc comparisons was performed to compare the differences in corneal biomechanics and topographic parameters among the three groups with the CCT and the bIOP (intraocular pressure with biomechanical correction) as the random factor.Results: All groups had comparable CCT at baseline. The bIOPs between the three groups were comparable. The mean values of the Belin/Ambrósio Deviation (BAD-D) in the keratoconus group were significantly higher than those of the SMILE (post hoc p &lt; 0.001) and LASEK groups (post hoc p &lt; 0.001). The SP-A1 in the keratoconus group was the lowest when compared with those of the SMILE (post hoc p = 0.003) and LASEK groups (post hoc p &lt; 0.001). The SMILE group SP-A1 values were slightly lower than those of the LASEK group (post hoc p = 0.044).Conclusions: Keratoconus eyes were significantly softer when compared to post-refractive surgery corneas with comparable corneal thickness in terms of SP-A1 and BAD-D values, while the LASEK group may have the greatest stiffness. Post-SMILE and post-LASEK corneas showed significant differences in SP-A1.
Personalized Prediction of Short- and Long-Term PTH Changes in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Pirklbauer Markus , Bushinsky David A. , Kotanko Peter , Schappacher-Tilp Gudrun 
Published: September 2021

Background: Personalized management of secondary hyperparathyroidism is a critical part of hemodialysis patient care. We used a mathematical model of parathyroid gland (PTG) biology to predict (1) short-term peridialytic intact PTH (iPTH) changes in response to diffusive calcium (Ca) fluxes and (2) to predict long-term iPTH levels.Methods: We dialyzed 26 maintenance hemodialysis patients on a single occasion with a dialysate Ca concentration of 1.75 mmol/l to attain a positive dialysate-to-blood ionized Ca (iCa) gradient and thus diffusive Ca loading. Intradialytic iCa kinetics, peridialytic iPTH change, and dialysate-sided iCa mass balance (iCaMB) were assessed. Patient-specific PTG model parameters were estimated using clinical, medication, and laboratory data. We then used the personalized PTG model to predict peridialytic and long-term (6-months) iPTH levels.Results: At dialysis start, the median dialysate-to-blood iCa gradient was 0.3 mmol/l (IQR 0.11). The intradialytic iCa gain was 488 mg (IQR 268). Median iPTH decrease was 75% (IQR 15) from pre-dialysis 277 to post-dialysis 51 pg/ml. Neither iCa gradient nor iCaMB were significantly associated with peridialytic iPTH changes. The personalized PTG model accurately predicted both short-term, treatment-level peridialytic iPTH changes (r = 0.984, p &lt; 0.001, n = 26) and patient-level 6-months iPTH levels (r = 0.848, p &lt; 0.001, n = 13).Conclusions: This is the first report showing that both short-term and long-term iPTH dynamics can be predicted using a personalized mathematical model of PTG biology. Prospective studies are warranted to explore further model applications, such as patient-level prediction of iPTH response to PTH-lowering treatment.
Expression of LOX Suggests Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhu Jinfeng , Luo Chen , Zhao Jiefeng , Zhu Xiaojian , Lin Kang , Bu Fanqin , Yu Zhonglin , Zou Feilong , Zhu Zhengming 
Published: September 2021

Background: Lysyl oxidase (LOX) is a key enzyme for the cross-linking of collagen and elastin in the extracellular matrix. This study evaluated the prognostic role of LOX in gastric cancer (GC) by analyzing the data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset.Methods: The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to calculate the expression difference of LOX gene in gastric cancer and normal tissues. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate the expression level of LOX protein in gastric cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the survival difference between the high expression group and the low expression group in gastric cancer. The relationship between statistical clinicopathological characteristics and LOX gene expression was analyzed by Wilcoxon or Kruskal-Wallis test and logistic regression. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to find independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of GC patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to screen the possible mechanisms of LOX and GC. The CIBERSORT calculation method was used to evaluate the distribution of tumor-infiltrating immune cell (TIC) abundance.Results: LOX is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and is significantly related to poor overall survival. Wilcoxon or Kruskal-Wallis test and Logistic regression analysis showed, LOX overexpression is significantly correlated with T-stage progression in gastric cancer. Multivariate Cox regression analysis on TCGA and GEO data found that LOX (all p &lt; 0.05) is an independent factor for poor GC prognosis. GSEA showed that high LOX expression is related to ECM receptor interaction, cancer, Hedgehog, TGF-beta, JAK-STAT, MAPK, Wnt, and mTOR signaling pathways. The expression level of LOX affects the immune activity of the tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer.Conclusion: High expression of LOX is a potential molecular indicator for poor prognosis of gastric cancer.
Non-invasive Urine Test for Molecular Classification of Clinical Significance in Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Guo Jinan , Zhang Xuhui , Xia Taolin , Johnson Heather , Feng Xiaoyan , Simoulis Athanasios , Wu Alan H. B. , Li Fei , Tan Wanlong , Johnson Allan , Dizeyi Nishtman , Abrahamsson Per-Anders , Kenner Lukas , Xiao Kefeng , Zhang Heqiu , Chen Lingwu , Zou Chang , Persson Jenny L. 
Published: September 2021

Objective: To avoid over-treatment of low-risk prostate cancer patients, it is important to identify clinically significant and insignificant cancer for treatment decision-making. However, no accurate test is currently available.Methods: To address this unmet medical need, we developed a novel gene classifier to distinguish clinically significant and insignificant cancer, which were classified based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk stratification guidelines. A non-invasive urine test was developed using quantitative mRNA expression data of 24 genes in the classifier with an algorithm to stratify the clinical significance of the cancer. Two independent, multicenter, retrospective and prospective studies were conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of the 24-Gene Classifier and the current clinicopathological measures by univariate and multivariate logistic regression and discriminant analysis. In addition, assessments were performed in various Gleason grades/ISUP Grade Groups.Results: The results showed high diagnostic accuracy of the 24-Gene Classifier with an AUC of 0.917 (95% CI 0.892–0.942) in the retrospective cohort (n = 520), AUC of 0.959 (95% CI 0.935–0.983) in the prospective cohort (n = 207), and AUC of 0.930 (95% 0.912-CI 0.947) in the combination cohort (n = 727). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the 24-Gene Classifier was more accurate than cancer stage, Gleason score, and PSA, especially in the low/intermediate-grade/ISUP Grade Group 1–3 cancer subgroups.Conclusions: The 24-Gene Classifier urine test is an accurate and non-invasive liquid biopsy method for identifying clinically significant prostate cancer in newly diagnosed cancer patients. It has the potential to improve prostate cancer treatment decisions and active surveillance.
Clonidine as an Additive to Local Anesthetics in Caudal Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Pediatric Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Ye , Guo Qianqian , An Qi , Zhao Lin , Wu Meng , Guo Zhenggang , Zhang Changsheng 
Published: September 2021

Background: Clonidine is an anesthetic with favorable efficacy and safety profiles for caudal epidural block, but comparisons with other adjuvants need to be confirmed in pediatric patients.Aim: To investigate the effects of clonidine as an adjuvant in caudal epidural block to improve the intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in pediatric surgery.Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for available papers published up to February 2021. The outcomes were pain score, duration of analgesia, complications, and number of analgesic requirements. The meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models.Results: Fifteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. There were no differences between clonidine and the control drug regarding the duration of analgesia (SMD = −0.71, 95%CI: −1.64, 0.23; I2 = 95.5%, Pheterogeneity &lt; 0.001), pain score (SMD = 0.35, 95%CI: −0.28, 0.98; I2 = 80.8%, Pheterogeneity &lt; 0.001), and requirement for additional analgesia (OR = 8.77, 95%CI: 0.70, 110.58, I2 = 81.9%, Pheterogeneity = 0.004), but using clonidine resulted in fewer complications than the control drugs (OR = 0.33, 95%CI: 0.20, 0.54, I2 = 21.8%, Pheterogeneity = 0.217). The sensitivity analysis showed that the results were robust. A publication bias was observed.Conclusion: Clonidine has the same efficacy as the other adjuvants for caudal epidural block for pediatric surgery but fewer complications. These results support clonidine as an adjuvant to local anesthetic, but additional studies should be conducted.
X-Ray Causes mRNA Transcripts Change to Enhance Orai2-Mediated Ca2+ Influx in Rat Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells
Authors: Xu Fangfang , Wang Yang , Gao Huiwen , Zhang Xinchen , Hu Yu , Han Tingting , Shen Bing , Zhang Lesha , Wu Qibing 
Published: September 2021

Background: Radiation-induced brain injury is a serious and treatment-limiting complication of brain radiation therapy. Although endothelial cell dysfunction plays a critical role in the development of this pathogenesis, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.Methods: Primary cultured rat brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) were divided into five groups without or with exposure of x-rays delivered at 5 Gy or 20 Gy. For the irradiated groups, cells were continued to cultivate for 12 or 24 h after being irradiated. Then the mRNA libraries of each group were established and applied for next-generation sequencing. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to analyze the sequencing results. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, cck8 assay and intracellular calcium concentration assays were conducted to analyze the role of Orai2-associated SOCE in x-ray induced cellular injury.Results: In total, 3,005 transcripts in all the four x-ray–exposed groups of BMECs showed expression level changes compared with controls. With the dose of x-ray augment and the following cultured time extension, the numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) increased significantly in BMECs. Venn diagrams identified 40 DEGs common to all four exposure groups. Functional pathway enrichment analyses indicated that those 40 DEGs were enriched in the calcium signaling pathway. Among those 40 DEGs, mRNA and protein expression levels of Orai2 were significantly upregulated for 24 h. Similarly, calcium influx via store-operated calcium entry, which is modulated by Orai2, was also significantly increased for 24 h in x-ray–exposed BMECs. Moreover, the change in SOCE was suppressed by btp-2, which is a non-selective inhibitor of Orai. Additionally, x-ray exposure induced a significant decrease of proliferation in BMECs in the dose- and time-dependent manner.Conclusion: These findings provide evidence for molecular mechanisms underlying BMECs dysfunction in development of radiation-induced brain injury and suggest new approaches for therapeutic targets.
A Novel Risk Factor Model Based on Glycolysis-Associated Genes for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Guo Kaixuan , Lai Cong , Shi Juanyi , Tang Zhuang , Liu Cheng , Li Kuiqing , Xu Kewei 
Published: September 2021

BackgroundProstate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers among males, and its mortality rate is increasing due to biochemical recurrence (BCR). Glycolysis has been proven to play an important regulatory role in tumorigenesis. Although several key regulators or predictors involved in PCa progression have been found, the relationship between glycolysis and PCa is unclear; we aimed to develop a novel glycolysis-associated multifactor prediction model for better predicting the prognosis of PCa.MethodsDifferential mRNA expression profiles derived from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PCa cohort were generated through the “edgeR” package. Glycolysis-related genes were obtained from the GSEA database. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were used to identify genes significantly associated with disease-free survival. ROC curves were applied to evaluate the predictive value of the model. An external dataset derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used to verify the predictive ability. Glucose consumption and lactic production assays were used to assess changes in metabolic capacity, and Transwell assays were used to assess the invasion and migration of PC3 cells.ResultsFive glycolysis-related genes were applied to construct a risk score prediction model. Patients with PCa derived from TCGA and GEO (GSE70770) were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the median. In the TCGA cohort, the high-risk group had a poorer prognosis than the low-risk group, and the results were further verified in the GSE70770 cohort. In vitro experiments demonstrated that knocking down HMMR, KIF20A, PGM2L1, and ANKZF1 separately led to less glucose consumption, less lactic production, and inhibition of cell migration and invasion, and the results were the opposite with GPR87 knockdown.ConclusionThe risk score based on five glycolysis-related genes may serve as an accurate prognostic marker for PCa patients with BCR.
MRCP Combined With CT Promotes the Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Distal Bile Duct Strictures
Authors: Wang Guang-xian , Ge Xiao-dong , Zhang Dong , Chen Hai-ling , Zhang Qi-chuan , Wen Li 
Published: September 2021

ObjectiveTo determine whether contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) can promote the identification of malignant and benign distal biliary strictures (DBSs) compared to the use of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) alone and to identify imaging findings of malignant DBSs.Materials and MethodsA total of 168 consecutive patients with confirmed DBSs were reviewed. MRCP alone and MRCP combined with CT images were blindly analyzed by two radiologists (e.g., stricture pattern, margins), and malignant or benign DBSs were identified based on surgical findings, endoscopy findings, or follow-up. The diagnostic accuracy of the two reviewers using MRCP alone and MRCP combined with CT were evaluated. MRCP and CT features of malignant and benign DBSs were compared using multiple logistic regression analysis to identify independent malignant risk factors.ResultsMRCP combined with CT examination could improve the diagnostic accuracy, which increased from 70.2% to 81.5% in Doctor A and from 85.1% to 89.3% in Doctor B. The multiple logistic regression model revealed that stricture length [odds ratio (OR) 1.070, P=0.016], angle of the DBS (OR 1.061, P&lt;0.001), double duct sign (OR 4.312, P=0.003) and low density in the arterial phase (OR 0.319, P=0.018) were associated with malignant DBS. A scoring model incorporating these four factors was established; at a threshold value of 1.75, and the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of malignant DBSs were 73.5 and 85.9%, respectively.ConclusionsCompared to the use of MRCP alone, MRCP combined with contrast-enhanced CT can improve the accuracy of DBS diagnosis. The scoring model accurately predicts malignant DBSs and helps make treatment decisions.
Low Back Pain Exacerbation Is Predictable Through Motif Identification in Center of Pressure Time Series Recorded During Dynamic Sitting
Authors: Wang Ziheng , Sato Keizo , Nawrin Saida Salima , Widatalla Namareq Salah , Kimura Yoshitaka , Nagatomi Ryoichi 
Published: September 2021

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem — sitting on a chair for a prolonged time is considered a significant risk factor. Furthermore, the level of LBP may vary at different times of the day. However, the role of the time-sequence property of sitting behavior in relation to LBP has not been considered. During the dynamic sitting, small changes, such as slight or big sways, have been identified. Therefore, it is possible to identify the motif consisting of such changes, which may be associated with the incidence, exacerbation, or improvement of LBP.Method: Office chairs installed with pressure sensors were provided to a total of 22 office workers (age = 43.4 ± 8.3 years) in Japan. Pressure sensors data were collected during working days and hours (from morning to evening). The participants were asked to answer subjective levels of pain including LBP. Center of pressure (COP) was calculated from the load level, the changes in COP were analyzed by applying the Toeplitz inverse covariance-based clustering (TICC) analysis, COP changes were categorized into several states. Based on the states, common motifs were identified as a recurring sitting behavior pattern combination of different states by motif-aware state assignment (MASA). Finally, the identified motif was tested as a feature to infer the changing levels of LBP within a day. Changes in the levels of LBP from morning to evening were categorized as exacerbated, did not change, or improved based on the survey questions. Here, we present a novel approach based on social spider algorithm (SSA) and probabilistic neural network (PNN) for the prediction of LBP. The specificity and sensitivity of the LBP inference were compared among ten different models, including SSA-PNN.Result: There exists a common motif, consisting of stable sitting and slight sway. When LBP level improved toward the evening, the frequency of motif appearance was higher than when LBP was exacerbated (p &lt; 0.05) or the level did not change. The performance of the SSA-PNN optimization was better than that of the other algorithms. Accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score were 59.20, 72.46, 40.94, and 63.24%, respectively.Conclusion: A lower frequency of a common motif of the COP dynamic changes characterized by stable sitting and slight sway was found to be associated with the exacerbation of LBP in the evening. LBP exacerbation is predictable by AI-based analysis of COP changes during the sitting behavior of the office workers.
Acute Effects of Different Plyometric and Strength Exercises on Balance Performance in Youth Weightlifters
Authors: Werfelli Hanen , Hammami Raouf , Selmi Mohamed Amine , Selmi Walid , Gabrilo Goran , Clark Cain C. T. , Duncan Michael , Sekulic Damir , Granacher Urs , Rebai Haithem 
Published: September 2021

Background: High-intensity muscle actions have the potential to temporarily improve the performance which has been denoted as postactivation performance enhancement.Objectives: This study determined the acute effects of different stretch-shortening (fast vs. low) and strength (dynamic vs. isometric) exercises executed during one training session on subsequent balance performance in youth weightlifters.Materials and Methods: Sixteen male and female young weightlifters, aged 11.3±0.6years, performed four strength exercise conditions in randomized order, including dynamic strength (DYN; 3 sets of 3 repetitions of 10 RM) and isometric strength exercises (ISOM; 3 sets of maintaining 3s of 10 RM of back-squat), as well as fast (FSSC; 3 sets of 3 repetitions of 20-cm drop-jumps) and slow (SSSC; 3 sets of 3 hurdle jumps over a 20-cm obstacle) stretch-shortening cycle protocols. Balance performance was tested before and after each of the four exercise conditions in bipedal stance on an unstable surface (i.e., BOSU ball with flat side facing up) using two dependent variables, i.e., center of pressure surface area (CoP SA) and velocity (CoP V).Results: There was a significant effect of time on CoP SA and CoP V [F(1,60)=54.37, d=1.88, p&lt;0.0001; F(1,60)=9.07, d=0.77, p=0.003]. In addition, a statistically significant effect of condition on CoP SA and CoP V [F(3,60)=11.81, d=1.53, p&lt;0.0001; F(3,60)=7.36, d=1.21, p=0.0003] was observed. Statistically significant condition-by-time interactions were found for the balance parameters CoP SA (p&lt;0.003, d=0.54) and CoP V (p&lt;0.002, d=0.70). Specific to contrast analysis, all specified hypotheses were tested and demonstrated that FSSC yielded significantly greater improvements than all other conditions in CoP SA and CoP V [p&lt;0.0001 (d=1.55); p=0.0004 (d=1.19), respectively]. In addition, FSSC yielded significantly greater improvements compared with the two conditions for both balance parameters [p&lt;0.0001 (d=2.03); p&lt;0.0001 (d=1.45)].Conclusion: Fast stretch-shortening cycle exercises appear to be more effective to improve short-term balance performance in young weightlifters. Due to the importance of balance for overall competitive achievement in weightlifting, it is recommended that young weightlifters implement dynamic plyometric exercises in the fast stretch-shortening cycle during the warm-up to improve their balance performance.