bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Ecology of Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Nationwide Study
Authors: Aoki Takuya , Matsushima Masato 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on health care utilization. However, the overall picture of shifts in health-seeking behaviors remains unclear.
Objective.

We assessed the ecology of medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan and compared it with the results pre-pandemic. We also investigated the associations of sociodemographic and clinical factors with health-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design and Methods.

We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the general Japanese adult population in May 2021. The main outcomes were health care use for symptoms or health-related events in the last month. We assessed sociodemographic and clinical factors, including age, sex, years of education, annual household income, social isolation, and the number of chronic conditions.
Key Results.

Data were analyzed from 1,747 respondents. Over-the-counter drug use, physician’s office visits, and hospital outpatient clinic visits decreased drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-pandemic levels. The decrease in the use of medical facilities was especially pronounced among the elderly. Sociodemographic and clinical factors were differently associated with health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation and years of education were positively associated with over-the-counter drug use, while female sex was associated with increased over-the-counter drug use and physician’s office visits. In addition, the number of chronic conditions was associated with increased hospital visits.
Conclusions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of medical facilities for health-related events decreased drastically, especially among the elderly. A pharmacy is an important source of health care in a population with social isolation. These findings may be useful to researchers and policymakers in rethinking health care systems during and after the pandemic.
Gradient Eigen-decomposition Invariance Biogeography-based Optimization for Mobile Robot Path Planning
Authors: Wang Jiaqian , Na Xiaodong , Han Min , Li Deicai 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The path planning for mobile robots has attracted extensive attention, and evolutionary algorithms have been applied to this problem increas-ingly. In this paper, we propose a novel gradient eigen-decomposition invariance biogeography-based optimization (GEI-BBO) for mobile robot path planning, which has the merits of high rotation invariance and excel-lent search performance. In GEI-BBO, we design an eigen-decomposition mechanism for migration operation, which can reduce the dependence of biogeography-based optimization (BBO) on the coordinate system, improve the rotation invariance and share the information between eigen solutions more eﬀectively. Meanwhile, to ﬁnd the local opti-mal solution better, gradient descent is added, and the system search strategy can reduce the occurrence of local trapping phenomenon. In addition, combining the GEI-BBO with cubic spline interpola-tion will solve the problem of mobile robot path planning through a deﬁned coding method and ﬁtness function. A series of experiments are implemented on benchmark functions, whose results indicated that the optimization performance of GEI-BBO is superior to other algo-rithms. And the successful application of GEI-BBO for path planning in diﬀerent environments conﬁrms its eﬀectiveness and practicability.
The Pyroptosis-Related 9 LncRNA Signature and LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Analysis Based On TCGA Database
Authors: Tian Ye , Zhang Yanan , Dong Jing , Li Lin 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: Pytoproptosis has been verified to participate in various malignancies. However, studies on pyroptosis-related lncRNAs in breast cancer and its effects on tumor immune micro-environment are still limited. Consequently, it was aimed in this study to construct a pyroptosis-related lncRNAs signature for prognostic prediction and explore the effect of the pyroptosis-related LncRNAs on tumor immune microenvironment through LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network. Methods: The pyroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered using differential expression analysis. The differentially expressed LncRNAs (DELncRNAs) associated with DEGs were discovered using correlation analysis. The function of DEGs was analyed using GO and KEGG analyses. The LncRNAs signature used as the prognostic model of breast cancer was constructed using univariate and multivariate Cox analysis, and the effectiveness was verified by K-M analysis and ROC curve. The risk score calculated using the prognostic model was proved as an independent factor by univariate Cox analysis, multivariate Cox analysis and PCA analysis, and used to predict patient prognosis through nomogram. The pathyways enriched in High risk group and Low risk group were analyzed by GSEA. The differences in immune cell distribution (B cell memory, T cell CD4+, T cell CD8+ among others) were analyzed using ssGSEA. The immune function (type I/II IFN response among others), immune checkpoint (ADORA2A among others) and m6A-related protein expression (FTO among others) of High risk group and Low risk group were compared. The regulatory network of pyroptosis-related LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA was constructed and the core network was extracted. The functions of the target genes of miRNA associated with DELncRNAs were explored using GO and KEGG analysis. Results: A 9 LncRNAs signature (LMNTD2-AS1, AL589765.4, AC079298.3, U62317.3, LINC02446, AL645608.7, HSD11B1-AS1, AC009119.1, AC087239.1) was constructed as the prognostic model of breast cancer. Significant differences were discovered in immune cell distribution, immune function, immune checkpointand m6A-related protein expression between High risk group and Low risk group. The regulatory network of LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA was constructed and found to participate in the crosstalk among apoptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis of breast cancer. Conclusions: The 9 lncRNAs signature was valuable for predicting breast cancer prognosis, and the pyroptosis-related lncRNAs influenced tumor immune microenvironment of breast cancer through the LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network.
Selection Strategy For The Beverage Sensory Characterization In A Large Arabica Coffee Germplasm Bank
Authors: Nadaleti Denis H. S. , Abrahão Juliana C. de R. , Andrade Vinícius T. , Malta Marcelo R. , Botelho Cesar E. , Carvalho Gladyston R. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This study proposes a selection strategy to be applied to a large number of coffee accessions, which can be useful when exploring many genotypes in breeding programs for beverage quality. Over three consecutive years, 270 Arabica coffee accessions from the Germplasm Bank of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were sensorially characterized. At the end of this period, the 20 genotypes with the greatest potential for specialty coffee production were selected, which were subjected to a second sensory characterization. Additionally, we determined the genetic correlations between the attributes that make up the final beverage score. We did not identify an attribute that was more important than the others in the organoleptic performance of the studied accessions. Through the proposed method, we identified genetic variation in our original population and selected five accessions with beverage quality considered excellent according to the SCA classification. These accessions were planted in field conditions of highly specialized farms to study their interaction with the cultivation environment and to promote the increase in production of such coffees. Additionally, the five selected accessions are being used in crosses with elite cultivars create new segregating populations. We conclude that estimation of the heritable variation of each accession, the use over the years of common check cultivars with known performance, and extremely care of experimental precision in the entire processes warrant fair comparisons.
Evaluation of Performance of Detection of IgG and IgM Antibody Against Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 by a Rapid Kit in a Real-Life Hospital Setting
Authors: Irungbam Monica , Chitkara Anubhuti , Singh Vijay Kumar , Sonkar Subash Chandra , Dubey Abhisekh , Bansal Astha , Shrivastava Ritika , Goswami Binita , Manchanda Vikas , Saxena Sonal , Saxena Ritu , Garg Sandeep , Hussain Farrah , Talukdar Tanmaya , Kumar Dinesh , Koner Bidhan Chandra 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background

Antibody testing are often used for serosurveillance of COVID-19. ELISA and Chemiluminesence based antibody test are quiet sensitive and specific for such serological testing. Rapid antibody tests are developed and effectively used for this purpose. But their diagnostic efficiency needs to be evaluated. So, the present study was conducted in a dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Delhi, India to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of a Rapid antibody kit for COVID-19.
Material and Method

: Sixty COVID-19 confirmed cases by RT-PCR were recruited and categorized as early, intermediate and late cases based on the number of days of their first RT-PCR + ve tests, 20 subjects in each category. Twenty samples from pre-covid era were taken as controls. IgM and IgG antibodies against RBD of spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV2 virus were detected by Rapid antibody test and compared with total antibody against the nucleocapsid (N) antigen of SARS-CoV-2 by Electrochemiluminescence based Immunoassay (ECLIA).
Results

The detection IgM against Receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein by rapid kit was 0-37.5% sensitive and 0-100% specific for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, efficacy of detection of IgG by rapid kit was 87–89% sensitive and 75–100% specific when compared with total antibody against N antigen measured by ECLIA based immunoassay.
Conclusion

It can be concluded that detection of IgM against RBD of S protein by rapid kit is not effective but IgG detection can be used as an effective diagnostic tool for SARS-COV-2 infection.
Characterization of the Esophageal Microbiota in Patients with Esophagitis and Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Zongdan Jiang , wang jun , shen ziyang , zhang zhenyu , Wang shukui 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: Microbial imbalances have been well elucidated in esophageal adenocarcinoma, but few studies addressing the microbiota in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophagitis (ES). We aimed to explore the associations of esophageal microbiota with these patients.Results: A total of 68 individuals were enrolled (control = 21, ES=15, ESCC = 32). Microbial diversity was significant different between ESCC patients and healthy controls by Chao1 index, Shannon index and PLS-DA. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Fusobacteria were the five dominant bacterial phyla among three groups. Megamonas, Collinsella, Roseburia and Ruminococcus_2 showed a significantly continuous decreasing trend from Normal to ESCC at the genus level. When compared with control group, decreased Fusobacteria at phylum level and Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides, Curvibacter and Blautia at genus level were detected. ESCC samples also displayed a striking reduction of Bacteroidetes, Faecalibacterium, Bacteroides and Blautia in comparison with ES patients. LEfSe analysis indicated a greater abundance of Streptococcus, Actinobacillus, Peptostreptococcus, Fusobacterium, Prevotella in ESCC groups.Conclusions: Our study suggests a potential association between esophageal microbiome dysbiosis and ESCC and provides insights on a potential screening marker for esophageal cancer.
Social Segregation Cut Down the Prevalence of Acute Otitis Media in Children : Time-series Analyses From Non-pandemic and COVID-19 Period
Authors: Yu Huiqian , Gu Dantong , Li Huawei , Li Qingzhong 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: Preventing or reducing the attacks of acute otitis media (AOM) is a major worldwide healthcare problem in children. It is therefore urgent to evaluate the additional, unintended benefits of social segregation in cutting down the prevalence of AOM in children of various ages, especially during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) periods.Methods: Children aged from 6 months to 12 years who suffer from AOM and attended the outpatient clinic of tertiary hospital in the Eye Ear Nose Throat Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University in Shanghai were investigated from January 2015 to December 2020. The change in daily outpatient attendance for AOM and time-series analyses were estimated following both non-pandemic and COVID-19 period, and age and gender were taken into account. Results: 24543 outpatients (male:13529, female:11014) were enrolled in this clinic population. The epidemic trend of AOM in 2015-2019 was characterized by seasonal fluctuations, with a higher incidence in December and January but relatively lower outpatient records in winter and summer vacations (February, June and August). There was an estimated 63.6% (54.32%-70.36%) reduction in the daily outpatient attendance of AOM associated with the introduction of social segregation in COVID-19 period. When age was taken into account, children aged 4-6 who are in kindergarten were more vulnerable to AOM (66.2%), especially during the school period. Meanwhile, the outpatient attendance of AOM in preschoolers (before the age of three) was mainly in autumn and winter, with no significant relationship with semester change. And age structure of AOM in COVID-19 period broadly in line with that in non-pandemic period. Conclusions: Data from non-pandemic and COVID-19 periods indicated that AOM might spread into susceptible populations by close contact, and social segregation could effectively reduce the likelihood of catching AOM. In tandem with broader consequences, certain interpersonal distance, mask effects and good hand hygiene can significantly reduce the incidence of AOM, which provides a preventive and therapeutic point of view for AOM.
The Reduction of JunB Inhibits the Odontogenic Differentiation Potential of the DPSCs by Targeting PIN1 in Pulpitis
Authors: Li Lei , Jiang Chengfeng , Gu Yongchun , Jiang Rongrong , Han Jianpeng , Xu Zhiliang , Zhou Qiao , Bao Liuliu , Feng Yujie , Jiang Shenghua , Feng Xingmei 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Pulpitis is an inflammatory condition that can lead to the loss of tooth vitality. The odontogenic differentiation potential of the dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) is significantly decreased in the pulpitis microenvironment. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanism of the impaired odontogenic differentiation of the DPSCs in an inflammatory microenvironment. Overexpression and inhibition of the JunB were performed to evaluate its effect on the odontogenic differentiation potential of the DPSCs. The results showed that the JunB was positively correlated with the odontogenic differentiation ability of the DPSCs. The co-immunoprecipitation assay coupled with the mass spectrometry showed that peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans Isomerase NIMA-Interacting 1 (PIN1) was a downstream target of the JunB. Moreover, the expression of PIN1 was negatively correlated with the odontogenic differentiation potential of the DPSCs. Taken together, the decreased expression level of the JunB in an inflammatory state can impair the odontogenic differentiation ability of the DPSCs by upregulating the expression of the PIN1, a negative regulator of the odontogenic differentiation of the DPSCs.
The Association Between Habitual Sleep Duration and Hypertension Control in the United States (US) Adults With Hypertension
Authors: Ogugu Everlyne G. , Catz Sheryl L. , Bell Janice F. , Drake Christiana , Bidwell Julie T. , Gangwisch James E. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Although sleep duration has been identified as a significant factor in risk for hypertension, there is limited data on the relationship between sleep duration and hypertension control. This study examined the association between habitual sleep duration and hypertension control in United States of America (USA) adults with hypertension. A total of 5,163 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015 – 2018) were analyzed. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models were fit to examine the association between habitual sleep duration (coded as <6, 6 - <7, 7 – 9 (reference), and >9 hours) and hypertension control (BP <130/80mmHg versus ≥130/80mmHg), adjusted for sociodemographic, sleep and health characteristics. In the fully adjusted model, habitual sleep duration of <6 hours/main sleep period was associated with reduced odds of hypertension control (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.46 – 0.95, P = 0.027) when compared to 7 – 9 hours. No significant differences were noted in hypertension control between the reference group (7 - 9 hours) and the 6 - <7 or >9 hours groups. These findings suggest that measures to support adequate habitual sleep duration may help improve hypertension control in adults who habitually sleep for <6 hours/day.
Evaluating the Association Between Physical Activity and Neuroticism in UK Biobank Cohort
Authors: Meng Peilin , Cheng Bolun , Wu Cuiyan , Ye Jing , Cheng Shiqiang , Liu Li , Liang Chujun , Yang Xuena , Chu Xiaomeng , Yao Yao , Li Chun'e , Zhang Zhen , Chen Yujing , Pan Chujun , Zhang Jingxi , Zhang Huijie , Wen Yan , Wang Sen , Wang Xi , Ning Yujie , Jia Yumeng , Zhang Feng 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Background: The association between physical activity (PA) and neuroticism has been established, but the genetic mechanism remains elusive now. Methods: In this study, 362,421 participants from UK Biobank were used to explore the associations between PA and neuroticism, using linear regression analysis. PA was measured as excess metabolic equivalent (MET)-hours per week, assessed from a combination of walking and moderate and vigorous PA. The Gene-environment-wide interaction analyses (GEWIS) was conducted by PLINK2.0 to evaluate gene×PA interacting effects on the risk of neuroticism. DAVID tool was then used to conduct gene ontology (GO) analysis of the observed PA-interacted genes. Results: We observed negative association between PA and neuroticism in total sample (b=−0.02, P=9.02×10−37), female sample (b=−0.02, P=5.74×10−28) and male sample (b=−0.02, P=6.17×10−14). GEWIS revealed multiple significant gene×PA interaction signals for neuroticism. 78 candidate genes were observed, such as ST18(rs76573348, P=6.45×10−16)，NRCAM (rs117655943, P=4.28×10-11) and RBFOX3(rs113329299, P=4.72×10-10) in total group, SYT1(rs151016298, P=1.56×10−11), S100B(rs80199493, P=8.56×10−11) and MYT1(rs111360063, P=1.53×10−10) in female group, and NOTCH3 (rs184928292, P=3.31×10-17), SLC24A2 (rs62563282, P=9.56×10-16), CSMD1(rs73177368, P=2.11×10-13) in male group. GO enrichment analysis identified 15, 11 and 38 GO terms for total, female and male samples, such as synapse assembly (Ptotal=1.37×10-2), calcium ion binding (Pfemale=3.33×10-2) and learning or memory (Pmale=1.14×10-2).Conclusion: This study suggested the influences of physical activity on neuroticism, and identified several neuroticism associated genes interacting with PA.
Unraveling the Therapeutic Potential of GANT61/Dactolisib Combination as a Novel Prostate Cancer Modality
Authors: youssef Mohamed , Moussa Nermine , Helmy Maged W. , Haroun Medhat 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Aberrant activation of several signaling pathways has been implicated in prostate cancer (PCa) progression to castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Protein Kinase B/mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and Hedgehog/GLI (Hh/GLI) pathways are major participants in progression to CRPC. In this sense, the current work aims to assess the potential antitumor effects resulting from co-targeting the aforementioned pathways in PC3 cells with Dactolisib as a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor and GANT61 as a GLI1 antagonist. Three replica of PC3 cells were assigned for four treatment groups; vehicle control, Dactolisib-treated, GANT61-treated, and combination-treated groups. GLI1 gene expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR while active caspase-3 was determined colorimetrically. P-AKT, p70 ribosomal s6 protein kinase 1 (pS6K1), cyclin D1, vascular endothelial growth factor 1 (VEGF1), and Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) protein levels were determined by ELISA technique. GLI1 gene expression was down-regulated as a result of Dactolisib, GANT61, and their combination. Additionally, both drugs significantly reduced p-AKT, pS6K1, cyclin D1, and VEGF1 protein levels. Dactolisib elevated LC3 protein levels and GANT61 augmented Dactolisib effect on LC3. Moreover, only Dactolisib/GANT61combination significantly increased active caspase-3 level. To sum up, Dactolisib/GANT61 combination was shown to be promising in PCa treatment. Further in-vitro and in-vivo studies are warranted to support our findings.
Recombinant TAT-Thymosin β-4 Promotes Angiogenesis by Activating VEGFR2 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Kim Chul Min , Jeong Yun-Mi , Kim Jae-Hun , Jin Guolong , Oh Hyeongkwon , Kim Jung Seok , Park Dal Yong , Jin Songwan , Shim Jin-Hyung , Yun Won-soo , Yun Seokhwan 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Thymosin β-4 is a 43-amino acid intracellular polypeptide that was originally isolated from bovine thymus. Of the 16 known thymosin families, thymosin β-4 is the most common type found in all tissues. Thymosin β-4 regulates angiogenesis, cell differentiation, morphogenesis, migration, and organogenesis and is linked to a dynamic equilibrium between G-actin and F-actin. In particular, thymosin β-4 is well-known for its angiogenic and anti-apoptotic functions. In this study, we synthesized thymosin β-4 linked with the well-known cell-penetrating peptide TAT (YGRKKRRRQRRR). TAT-thymosin β-4 promotes angiogenesis and cell migration in vitro via the VEGFR2 signaling pathway and reduces apoptosis. To examine angiogenic potential in vivo, a Matrigel Plus assay was conducted that revealed the angiogenic effect of TAT-thymosin β-4. In conclusion, TAT-thymosin β-4 promotes blood vessels and is expected to be applicable in regenerative medicine for all organs requiring blood vessels.