bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coordinated regulation of WNT/β-catenin, c-Met, and integrin signalling pathways by miR-193b controls triple negative breast cancer metastatic traits
Authors: Giacomelli Chiara , Jung Janine , Wachter Astrid , Ibing Susanne , Will Rainer , Uhlmann Stefan , Mannsperger Heiko , Sahin Özgür , Yarden Yosef , Beißbarth Tim , Korf Ulrike , Körner Cindy , Wiemann Stefan 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundTriple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer (BC). Treatment options for TNBC patients are limited and further insights into disease aetiology are needed to develop better therapeutic approaches. microRNAs’ ability to regulate multiple targets could hold a promising discovery approach to pathways relevant for TNBC aggressiveness. Thus, we address the role of miRNAs in controlling three signalling pathways relevant to the biology of TNBC, and their downstream phenotypes.MethodsTo identify miRNAs regulating WNT/β-catenin, c-Met, and integrin signalling pathways, we performed a high-throughput targeted proteomic approach, investigating the effect of 800 miRNAs on the expression of 62 proteins in the MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell line. We then developed a novel network analysis, Pathway Coregulatory (PC) score, to detect miRNAs regulating these three pathways. Using in vitro assays for cell growth, migration, apoptosis, and stem-cell content, we validated the function of candidate miRNAs. Bioinformatic analyses using BC patients’ datasets were employed to assess expression of miRNAs as well as their pathological relevance in TNBC patients.ResultsWe identified six candidate miRNAs coordinately regulating the three signalling pathways. Quantifying cell growth of three TNBC cell lines upon miRNA gain-of-function experiments, we characterised miR-193b as a strong and consistent repressor of proliferation. Importantly, the effects of miR-193b were stronger than chemical inhibition of the individual pathways. We further demonstrated that miR-193b induced apoptosis, repressed migration, and regulated stem-cell markers in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, miR-193b expression was the lowest in patients classified as TNBC or Basal compared to other subtypes. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis showed that miR-193b expression was significantly associated with reduced activity of WNT/β-catenin and c-Met signalling pathways in TNBC patients.ConclusionsIntegrating miRNA-mediated effects and protein functions on networks, we show that miRNAs predominantly act in a coordinated fashion to activate or repress connected signalling pathways responsible for metastatic traits in TNBC. We further demonstrate that our top candidate, miR-193b, regulates these phenotypes to an extent stronger than individual pathway inhibition, thus emphasizing that its effect on TNBC aggressiveness is mediated by the coordinated repression of these functionally interconnected pathways.
A sexual rehabilitation intervention for women with gynaecological cancer receiving radiotherapy (SPARC study): design of a multicentre randomized controlled trial
Authors: Suvaal Isabelle , Hummel Susanna B. , Mens Jan-Willem M. , van Doorn Helena C. , van den Hout Wilbert B. , Creutzberg Carien L. , ter Kuile Moniek M. 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Sexual problems are frequently reported after treatment with radiotherapy (RT) for gynaecological cancer (GC), in particular after combined external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy (EBRT+BT). Studies demonstrate that psychosexual support should include cognitive behavioural interventions and involvement of the patient’s partner, if available. Therefore, we developed a nurse-led sexual rehabilitation intervention, including these key components. The intervention was previously pilot-tested and results demonstrated that this intervention improves women’s sexual functioning and increases dilator compliance. The objective of the current study is to investigate the (cost-)effectiveness of the intervention compared to optimal care as usual (CAU). We expect that women who receive the intervention will report a statistically significant greater improvement in sexual functioning and – for women who receive EBRT+BT – higher compliance with dilator use, from baseline to 12 months post-RT than women who receive optimal care as usual (CAU).

Methods/design
The intervention is evaluated in the SPARC (Sexual rehabilitation Programme After Radiotherapy for gynaecological Cancer) study, a multicentre, randomized controlled trial (RCT). The primary endpoint is sexual functioning. Secondary outcomes include body image, fear of sexual activity, sexual-, treatment-related- and psychological distress, health-related quality of life and relationship satisfaction. A cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) will be conducted in which the costs of the intervention will be related to shifts in other health care costs and the impact on patient outcome. The study sample will consist of 220 women with GC treated with RT in specialized GC treatment centres (N = 10). Participants are randomized to either the intervention- or CAU control group (1:1), and within each centre stratified by type of radiotherapy (EBRT+BT vs. EBRT only) and having a partner (yes/no). All women complete questionnaires at baseline (T1) and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-RT (T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively).

Discussion
There is a need to improve sexual functioning after RT for GC. This RCT will provide evidence about the (cost-)effectiveness of a nurse-led sexual rehabilitation intervention. If proven effective, the intervention will be a much needed addition to care offered to GC survivors and will result in improved quality of life.

Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03611517. Registered 2 August 2018.
The assessment of the concentration of candidate cytokines in response to conjunctival-exposure of atmospheric low-temperature plasma in an animal model
Authors: Nejat Farhad , Jadidi Khosrow , Aghamollaei Hosein , Nejat Mohammad Amin , Nabavi Nazanin-Sadat , Eghtedari Shima 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Atmospheric Low-Temperature Plasma (ALTP) can be used as an effective tool in conjunctival cyst ablation, but little is known about how conjunctival ALTP-exposure affects the concentration of inflammatory mediators and also the duration of inflammatory responses.

Methods
We used 8 female adult Lewis rats that were followed up in 4 groups. The right eye of each rat was selected for the test, whereas the left eye was considered as a control. The ALTP was generated and used to target 3 spots of the conjunctiva. The digital camera examinations were performed to follow-up the clinical outcomes after ALTP exposure. Tear and serum samples were isolated—at 2 days, 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after treatment—from each rat and the concentration of candidate pro-inflammatory (i.e. IL-1α, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. IL-4 and IL-10) were measured using flow cytometry.

Results
The external and digital camera examinations showed no ocular surface complications in all ALTP-exposed rats after 1 week. The analyses revealed that the ALTP transiently increases the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines—IL-1α and IL-2 in tear samples in 1 week and 2 days after exposure, respectively; no differences were observed regarding other pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the tear or serum samples.

Conclusions
ALTP can probably be used as a minimally-invasive therapeutic method that triggers no permanent or continual inflammatory responses. The results of this study might help the patients to shorten the consumption of immunosuppressive drugs, e.g. corticosteroids, that are prescribed to mitigate the inflammation after ALTP-surgery.
Elevated activity of superoxide dismutase in male late-life schizophrenia and its correlation with clinical symptoms and cognitive deficits
Authors: Huo Lijuan , Lu Xiaobing , Wu Fengchun , Chang Catherine , Ning Yuping , Zhang Xiang Yang 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Despite inconsistent findings, accumulative evidence has shown abnormalities of the key antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD), in patients with schizophrenia. However, few studies explored SOD in late-life schizophrenia (LLS). Our work aimed to investigate changes in SOD activity and the relationship between SOD activity and psychotic symptoms or cognitive deficits in LLS.

Methods
32 geriatric male patients with schizophrenia (age ≥ 60) and 28 age-matched male normal controls were recruited in the study. We assessed cognitive functions with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), evaluated the severity of clinical symptoms with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and measured the plasma levels of SOD.

Results
Patients with LLS presented with higher total levels of SOD compared to the controls (81.70 vs. 65.26 U/ml, p < .001). Except for the visuospatial index, the cognitive performance was significantly worse on RBANS total and other domain scores in the schizophrenia group than the control group. In the schizophrenia group, SOD levels were positively correlated with subscores of general psychopathology and negative symptoms and total scores of the PANSS (all p < .05), and inversely associated with performance in immediate memory, language, and RBANS total scores (all p < .05).

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that patients with LLS display disturbances in the antioxidant system, which may underlie the pathological process of cognitive impairments and negative symptoms in the late stage of schizophrenia. Supplementing with antioxidants could be a potential treatment.
The associations between alcohol intake and cardiometabolic risk in African-origin adults spanning the epidemiologic transition
Authors: Baghdan Danny , Dugas Lara R. , Choo-Kang Candice , Plange-Rhule Jacob , Bovet Pascal , Viswanathan Bharathi , Forrester Terrence , Lambert Estelle V. , Riesen Walter , Korte Wolfgang , Choudhry Mashkoor A. , Luke Amy 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Cardiometabolic (CM) risk affects approximately 25% of adults globally, and is diagnosed by meeting 3 out of 5 of the following CM risk factors: elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, and abdominal obesity. Adults with CM risk are approximately 22% more likely to have higher mortality rates, and alcohol consumption may be associated with higher CM risk. While previous studies have investigated this potential connection, the majority of them did not include African-origin adults. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the association between alcohol intake and CM risk in 5 African-origin cohorts, spanning the epidemiologic transition in Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, Seychelles and the United States of America.

Methods
Measurements included clinical measures for CM risk and self-reported alcohol consumption. Each participant was categorized into one of three drinking categories: non-drinker, light drinker (1–3 drinks daily for men and 1–2 drinks daily for women) and heavy drinker (4 or more drinks every day for men and 3 or more drinks per day for women). Using non-drinker status as the reference, the association between alcohol consumption status and prevalence of each of the five CM risk factors and overall elevated CM risk (having 3 out of 5 risk factors) was explored, adjusting for site, age and sex. Associations were explored using logistic regression and significance was determined using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals.

Results
Neither light nor heavy drinking was associated with increased odds for having higher CM risk compared to nondrinkers (OR = 1.05, p = 0.792 and OR = 1.11, p = 0.489, respectively). However, light drinking was associated with lower odds for having low high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol (OR = 0.69, p = 0.002) and increased risk for high triglycerides (OR = 1.48, p = 0.030). Heavy drinking was associated with elevated blood pressure (OR = 1.59, p = 0.002), high triglycerides (OR = 1.73, p = 0.006) and decreased risk of low HDL-cholesterol (OR = 0.621, p < 0.0005). Finally, country-specific analyses indicated that the relationship between heavy drinking and elevated CM risk varied widely across sites.

Conclusion
While several CM risk factors were associated with alcohol consumption, the associations were inconsistent and varied widely across five international cohorts of African-origin. Future studies should focus on understanding the individual site-related effects.
Health impacts of a randomized biomass cookstove intervention in northern Ghana
Authors: Abdo Mona , Kanyomse Ernest , Alirigia Rex , Coffey Evan R. , Piedrahita Ricardo , Diaz-Sanchez David , Hagar Yolanda , Naumenko Daniel J. , Wiedinmyer Christine , Hannigan Michael P. , Oduro Abraham Rexford , Dickinson Katherine L. 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with solid fuels has adverse health effects. REACCTING (Research on Emissions, Air quality, Climate, and Cooking Technologies in Northern Ghana) was a randomized cookstove intervention study that aimed to determine the effects of two types of “improved” biomass cookstoves on health using self-reported health symptoms and biomarkers of systemic inflammation from dried blood spots for female adult cooks and children, and anthropometric growth measures for children only.

Methods
Two hundred rural households were randomized into four different cookstove groups. Surveys and health measurements were conducted at four time points over a two-year period. Chi-square tests were conducted to determine differences in self-reported health outcomes. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effect of the stoves on inflammation biomarkers in adults and children, and to assess the z-score deviance for the anthropometric data for children.

Results
We find some evidence that two biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation, serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein, decreased among adult primary cooks in the intervention groups relative to the control group. We do not find detectable impacts for any of the anthropometry variables or self-reported health.

Conclusions
Overall, we conclude that the REACCTING intervention did not substantially improve the health outcomes examined here, likely due to continued use of traditional stoves, lack of evidence of particulate matter emissions reductions from “improved” stoves, and mixed results for HAP exposure reductions.

Clinical trial registry
ClinicalTrials.gov (National Institutes of Health); Trial Registration Number: NCT04633135; Date of Registration: 11 November 2020 – Retrospectively registered.
URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04633135?term=NCT04633135&draw=2&rank=1
Association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability in Chinese children aged 10–15 years: evidence from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Cao Shiyi , Li Dandan , Chen Fan , Jiang Qingqing , Zeng Jing 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundLimited information is available concerning the association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability during adolescence, especially in regards to the epidemiological studies in China. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability in Chinese children aged 10–15 years.MethodsThe dietary information, cognitive ability and sociodemographic data of 2029 children were retrieved from the 2010 China Family Panel Studies. Dietary patterns were assessed by principal component analysis. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to determine the association between dietary patterns and cognitive ability in these children.ResultsThree dietary patterns were identified, namely, ‘High protein’, ‘High fat’ and ‘High salt-oil’. Following adjustment for gender, age, nationality, household registration, school type, parental education level, family learning environment, annual household income and family size, we found that an increase in ‘High protein’ pattern score was significantly associated with higher mathematics test scores (OR = 1.62, CI: 1.23 ~ 2.15;P = 0.001), but not with vocabulary test scores (OR = 1.21, CI: 0.93 ~ 1.58;P = 0.149). On the contrary, an increase in ‘High fat’ pattern score was significantly associated with lower scores of mathematics (OR = 0.76, CI: 0.59 ~ 0.98;P = 0.031) and vocabulary (OR = 0.77, CI: 0.61 ~ 0.97;P = 0.029) tests. However, there was no significant association between ‘High salt-oil’ pattern and the scores of mathematics (OR = 0.99, CI: 0.77 ~ 1.27;P = 0.915) and vocabulary (OR = 0.93, CI: 0.73 ~ 1.18;P = 0.544) tests.ConclusionThe findings of this study demonstrated that ‘High protein’ pattern was positively associated with cognitive ability in Chinese children, while ‘High fat’ pattern exhibited a negative association.
Inequities in the utilization of HIV counseling and testing services among undergraduates in mainland China
Authors: Zhan Jihong , Fu Guochen , Wu Lei , Pan Mingliang , Yang Yuli , Chen Zhuo , Cao Yu , Li Yong , Wang Hao , Wang Bixiang , Du Ruyi , Xiong Yanting , Liu Wei , Xu Nuo , Xia Xiaobao , Li Qianqian , Ruan Fang , Wang Junfang 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
HIV counseling and testing (HCT) is provided free of charge on college campuses, but very few studies have examined whether HCT uptake is equitably distributed. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the relative importance of various determinants of HCT uptake among undergraduates in mainland China so as to assess and subsequently to suggest ways to eliminate inequities in its use, guided by the Andersen’s behavioral model.

Methods
A total of 10,665 eligible undergraduates were conveniently selected to complete an online survey. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with HCT utilization.

Results
Only 7.7% of undergraduates had utilized HCT services. HCT uptake was inequitably distributed, since it was mainly determined by predisposing and enabling factors rather than by need factors. Further analysis indicated that HCT uptake was significantly related to two need factors, one enabling factor and six predisposing factors. Those with a higher need [i.e., perceiving themselves to be at higher risk of acquiring HIV infection (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI:2.02–3.78) and engaging in condomless sex (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI:1.00–1.67)] and those with more resources [i.e., being knowledgeable of local AIDS service organization (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI:1.37–1.85)] were more likely to utilize HCT services. Compared to non-heterosexual men, non-heterosexual women (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI:0.37–0.72), heterosexual men (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI:0.33–0.57) and women (AOR = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.24–0.41) were less likely to utilize HCT service. Furthermore, those with more knowledge (AOR = 0.80, 95% CI:0.69–0.94) and taking a positive attitude towards HCT services [i.e, expressing their willingness to utilize HCT services (AOR = 0.68, 95% CI:0.56–0.81) and having recognized the necessity to provide HTC services in the local university (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI:0.36–0.57)] were less likely to utilize HCT services. However, medical students (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.15–1.56) and non-freshmen (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI:1.03–1.45) were more likely to utilize HCT services.

Conclusions
To increase HCT uptake and simultaneously reduce the remaining inequities, a comprehensive intervention should be continued to target non-heterosexual men and non- freshmen and those with a higher need for HCT services, conduct health education, improve the availability and accessibility of HIV testing services.
Towards harmonisation of case definitions for eight work-related musculoskeletal disorders - an international multi-disciplinary Delphi study
Authors: Tamminga Sietske J. , Kuijer P. Paul F. M. , Badarin Kathryn , Alfonso Jose Hernán , Amaro Joana , Curti Stefania , Canu Irina Guseva , Mattioli Stefano , Mehlum Ingrid S. , Rempel David , Roquelaure Yves , Visser Steven , van der Molen Henk F. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractBackgroundInternational consensus is needed on case definitions of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and diseases (MSDs) for use in epidemiological research. We aim to: 1) study what information is needed for the case definition of work-related low back pain (LBP), lumbosacral radicular syndrome (LRS), subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS), carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), lateral and medial elbow tendinopathy, and knee and hip osteoarthritis, and to 2) seek consensus among occupational health professionals/researchers regarding the case definitions of these work-related MSDs.MethodsA two-round Delphi study was conducted with occupational health professionals/researchers from 24 countries. Definition of work-related MSDs were composed of a case definition with work exposures. Round 1 included 32 case definitions and round 2, 60 case definitions. After two rounds, consensus required 75% of the panellists to rate a case definition including work exposures ≥7 points on a 9-point rating scale (completely disagree/completely agree).ResultsFifty-eight panellists completed both rounds (response rate 90%). Forty-five (70%) panellists thought that for LBP a case definition can be based on symptoms only. Consensus was only reached for work-related medial elbow tendinopathy, while the lowest agreement was found for knee osteoarthritis. Where consensus was not reached, this was – except for LBP - related to physical examination and imaging rather than disagreement on key symptoms.ConclusionConsensus on case definitions was reached only for work-related medial elbow tendinopathy. Epidemiological research would benefit from harmonized case definitions for all MSDs including imaging and physical examination for LRS, SAPS, CTS, lateral elbow tendinopathy and hip and knee osteoarthritis.