bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Returning to Work After a Sickness Absence Due to Cancer: A Cohort Study of Salaried Workers in Catalonia (Spain)
Authors: Ayala-Garcia Amaya , Serra Laura , Hernando-Rodriguez Julio C. , Benavides Fernando G. 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Cancer incidence and survival rates have increased in the last decades and as a result, the number of working age people diagnosed with cancer who return to work. In this study the probability of accumulating days of employment and employment participation trajectories (EPTs) in a sample of salaried workers in Catalonia (Spain) who had a sickness absence (SA) due to cancer were compared to salaried workers with SA due to other diagnoses or without SA.Methods: Each individual with SA due to cancer between 2012-2015 was matched by age, sex, and time at risk to a worker with SA due to other diagnoses and another worker without SA. Accumulated days of employment were measured, and negative binomial Poisson models were applied to assess differences between comparison groups. Latent class models were applied to identify EPTs and multinomial regression models to analyse the probability of belonging to one EPT of each group.Results: Men and women without SA or with SA due to other diagnoses had at least a 9% higher probability of continuing in employment compared to workers who had an SA due to cancer, especially among men without SA (adjusted IRR 1.27, 95% CI: 1.06‒1.53). Men without SA had the highest probability of having high stable EPT compared to workers who had an SA due to cancer (adjusted RRR 3.21, 95% CI: 1.87‒5.50). Conclusions: Even though workers with SA due to cancer continue working after an SA, they do it less often than matched controls and with a less stable employment trajectory. Health and social protection systems should guaranty cancer survivors the opportunity to continue voluntary participation in the labour market.
Effects of Starch Content on Hydrogen and Methane Productions, Rumen Fermentation and Microbial Protein Synthesis During in Vitro Ruminal Culture
Authors: Yi Siyu , Zhang Xiumin , Wang Min , Zou Caixia , Chen Xuezong , Zhou Juwang , Gao Cheng , Lin Bo , Tan Zhiliang 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Starch has faster rate of rumen fermentation than fiber, and always causes a rapid increase in ruminal molecular hydrogen (H2) partial pressure and microbial protein synthesis, which may promote other H2 sinks to compete H2 from methanogenesis. The study was designed to investigate the effects of increasing starch content on methane (CH4), hydrogen gas (gH2) production, rumen fermentation, metabolic hydrogen ([H]) production, microbial protein (MCP) synthesis through in vitro ruminal batch incubation. Methods: Seven different treatments was prepared by replacing corn straw with corn grain, and starch content were 72, 185, 297, 410, 525, 634 and 747 g/kg DM.Results: Elevating starch content increased DM degradation (Plinear < 0.001), and decreased the CH4 (Plinear and Pquadratic < 0.001) and gH2 (Plinear < 0.001) productions relative to DM degraded. Elevating starch content increased VFA concentration (Plinear < 0.001), propionate molar percentage (Plinear < 0.001; Pquadratic = 0.001) and MCP concentration (Plinear and Pquadratic < 0.001), and decreased acetate molar percentage (Plinear < 0.001), acetate to propionate ratio (Plinear < 0.001) and estimated net [H] production relative to DM degraded (Plinear < 0.001). Elevating starch content decreased molar percentage of [H] utilized for CH4 (Pquadratic = 0.003) and gH2 (Plinear < 0.001) production. Conclusion: Increasing starch content alters rumen fermentation pathway from acetate to propionate production with reduction in efficiency of [H] production, promotes H2 utilization with enhanced MCP synthesis and leads to the reduction in efficiency of CH4 and gH2 production.
Comparison of HPLC and NMR for Quantification of The Main Volatile Fatty Acids in Rumen Digesta
Authors: Wang Mengyuan , Wang Haiying , Zheng Huiru , Uhrin Dusan , Dewhurst Richard J. , Roehe Rainer 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
BackgroundAccurate quantification of volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in rumen fluid are essential for research on rumen metabolism. HPLC analysis of VFAs has the advantages of relatively simple sample preparation, no derivatization and high sensitivity, but it can only be used to quantify metabolites when standards are used. 1H Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) targeted metabolomics could provide more metabolism information by detecting the proton fingerprint of biochemical mixtures and chemometric analysis of metabolite concentration. This study comprehensively investigated the pros and cons of High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and 1H Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) analysis methods for ruminal VFA. We also investigated the performance of several commonly used data pre-treatments for the two sets of data using correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Our work aimed primarily to verify the repeatability, precision, and limits of the methods. It provided insights into the methods used for metabolite data pre-treatment before downstream analysis. ResultsThe molar proportion and reliability analysis demonstrated that the two approaches produce highly consistent VFA concentrations. In the pre-processing of NMR spectra, line broadening and shim correction may reduce estimated concentrations of metabolites. We identified differences in results using different spectral clusters and the chemical shifts of the spectral clusters as quantitative references for VFAs were provided. Different data pre-treatment strategies tested with both HPLC and NMR significantly affected the results of downstream data analysis. “Normalized by sum” pre-treatment can eliminate the large number of positive correlations between NMR-based VFA, which is helpful for correlation analysis between metabolites. To make the differences between samples based on metabolites comparable, scaling should be used. ConclusionsRegarding the quantitative processing steps of NMR spectroscopy and subsequent data pre-treatments, the study provided the following practical suggestions. In the pre-processing of NMR spectra, line broadening and shim correction are recommended to use with caution. A “Combine” strategy should be the first choice when calculating the correlation between metabolites or between samples, but it is not applicable in PCA and PLS-DA analysis. However, the PCA and PLS-DA suggest that except for “Normalize by sum”, pre-treatments should be used with caution.
Steroid Metabolism In Thermophilic Actinobacteria Saccharopolyspora Hirsuta Subsp. Hirsuta VKM Ac-666T
Authors: Lobastova Tatyana Gennadyevna , Fokina Victoria V. , Tarlachkov Sergey V. , Shutov Andrey A. , Bragin Eugeny Yu. , Kazantsev Alexey V. , Donova Marina V. 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Application of thermophile microorganisms opens new prospects in steroid biotechnology, however little is known on steroid catabolism by the thermophile strains.The thermophilic Saccharopolyspora hirsuta subsp. hirsuta strain VKM Ac-666T is capable of structural modification of different steroids, and fully degrades cholesterol. The intermediates of the cholesterol degradation pathway were identified as cholest-4-en-3-one, cholesta-1,4-dien-3-one, 26-hydroxycholest-4-en-3-one, 3-oxo-cholest-4-en-26-oic acid, 3-oxo-cholesta-1,4-dien-26-oic acid, 26-hydroxycholesterol, 3β-hydroxy-cholest-5-en-26-oic acid by MS, and H1- and C13-NMR analyses. The data evidence sterol degradation by the strain occurs simultaneously through the aliphatic side chain hydroxylation at C26 and the A-ring modification that are putatively catalyzed by cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP125 and cholesterol oxidase, respectively.The genes orthologous to those related to the sterol side chain degradation, steroid core rings A/B and C/D disruption and the steroid uptake were revealed. Most of the genes related to steroid degradation are grouped in three clusters. The sets of the genes putatively involved in steroid catabolism and peculiarities of their organization in S. hirsuta are discussed.Despite steroids abundancy in the environments, the ability to degrade them is not widespread among thermophilic bacteria as follows from the bioinformatic analysis of 52 publicly available genomes. Only seven candidate strains were revealed to possess the key genes related to the only known 9(10)-seco pathway of steroid degradation.The results contribute to the knowledge on diversity of microbial steroid degraders, the features of sterol catabolism by thermophilic actinobacteria and could be useful for application in the pharmaceutical and environmental biotechnology.
Profiling of microRNAs Targeting Survivin in The Iranian Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Chavoshi Hadi , Bornehdeli Soghra , Asadi Milad , Dolatkhah Roya , Shanehbandi Dariush , Raeisi Mortaza 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Survivin is involved in the apoptosis of cells. Impaired levels of survivin have been associated with increased survival of tumor cells. In this study, we intended to profile the microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting survivin in the tumoral and marginal tissues obtained from Iranian patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Fifty CRC patients with Iranian Azari ethnicity were recruited. The RNA content of the tumoral and marginal tissues was isolated and the transcript levels of miR-34a, miR-16, miR-150, and miR-203a and survivin were determined through quantitative Real-time PCR. The mRNA expression of survivin was significantly increased (fold change = 3.21, P = 0.0029) in the tumoral tissues in comparison to the marginal tissues. There was significant downregulation of miR-16 (fold change = 0.28, P = 0.003) and miR-203a (fold change = 0.36, P = 0.014) in the tumoral samples in comparison to marginal samples. There was an inverse significant correlation (rho= -0.81; P < 0.001) between expression of miR-203a and mRNA expression of survivin in the tumoral tissues from CRC patients. mRNA expression of survivin was higher significantly in the tumoral tissues from CRC patients with lymph node metastasis in comparison to those without lymph node metastasis (P = 0.020). In addition, there was significantly higher miR-203 expression level in the tumoral tissues from CRC patients with lymph node metastasis in comparison to those without lymph node metastasis (P = 0.011). It is suggested that miR-203 play an oncogenic role in CRC cancer by regulating survivin and lymph node metastasis.
Comparison of Tomography Suspect Keratoconus Defined by Sirius and Pentacam in a Chinese Cohort
Authors: Feng Kang , Zhang Yu , Chen Yue-guo 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Purpose: The study is to compare the proportion of tomography suspect keratoconus (TSK) defined by Sirius and Pentacam, and to explore the possible causes of the differences between them in a Chinese cohort.Methods: Single center prospective cohort study. All subjects were selected from the Peking University Third Hospital Ectasia Cornea Disease Cohort Project database, which included myopic patients seeking corneal refractive surgical corrections since the year of 2013. In this study, all cases which were examined by Sirius and Pentacam respectively and have been followed up at least 2 years without abnormalities after laser corneal refractive surgeries (LASEK, FS-LASIK or SMILE). The composition ratio of TSK from Sirius and Pentacam, corneal diameter and thickness, and variables of corneal tomographers between the ‘normal eyes’ and the ‘TSK eyes’ defined by Sirius and Pentacam were compared. Results: To the date of December 31, 2018, total 171 cases (278 eyes) were selected in this study. Total 167 (167/278, 60.1%) eyes were diagnosed of TSK by Sirius, and 203 (203/278, 73.0%) eyes were diagnosed of TSK by Pentacam (P<0.001). The corneal horizontal diameter is 11.40 and 11.60 mm in normal eyes and Sirius-TSK eyes (P<0.001). The corneal horizontal diameter is 11.74 and 11.43 mm in normal eyes and Pentacam-TSK eyes (P<0.001). The central corneal thickness measured by Sirius is 530.1 μm and 518.1 μm (P=0.001) in normal eyes and Sirius-TSK eyes. The central corneal thickness measured by Pentacam is 521.5 μm and 526.6 μm (P=0.102) in normal eyes and Pentacam-TSK eyes. Conclusions: The proportion of TSK eyes diagnosed by Sirius is less than those diagnosed by Pentacam in Chinese. Smaller corneal diameter is liable to be judged as false positive of keratoconus by Pentacam in Chinese compared with Sirius. Thinner corneal thickness is liable to be judged as false positive of keratoconus by Sirius in Chinese compared with Pentacam.
“The Effect of Atrial Septal Defect Closure on Cardiac Volumetric Changes in Adults, Transcatheter Versus Surgical Closure, and the Outcome of Tricuspid Regurgitation, a Pilot Cmr Study”
Authors: Mohamed Amr Mansour , Gamal Noha Mohamed , Mohamed Alaa Nady , Osman Amr Ibrahiem , El-maghraby Khaled Mohamed 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
BackgroundClosure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) reduces right heart volumes by eliminating shunting while improving left ventricle (LV) filling and function due to ventricular interdependence, thereby improving symptoms. Furthermore, studies on atrial volume changes following ASD closure are paucity. Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is frequently seen in adult patients with ASD as a consequence of right ventricle (RV) dilatation. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is widely accepted as the gold standard method for measuring cardiac volume and mass.ObjectiveWe aimed at studying the cardiac volumetric changes preclosure and 6 months after transcatheter and surgical closure, as well as fate of TR, using CMR analysis. MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 30 adult patients with isolated secundum ASD who were referred for ASD closure. CMR evaluates the right and left atrial volumes, as well as the ventricular end diastolic and end systolic volume indexes (EDVI and ESVI), function, the mass index, and tricuspid regurgitant fraction.ResultsRV volumes decreased in both groups when compared to baseline (P value 0.001), with the device group experiencing more reduction in volumes and improvement in RV function after closure (P 0.001). In each group, the absolute value of RV mass decreased significantly from the baseline (P value (0.001)), but with no difference between groups (P value 0.31). Improvement in functional TR occurred in both groups. LVEDVI increased significantly in both groups (P values 0.001 and 0.005, respectively), with a significant improvement in the LV mass index (P value = 0.01) and a non-significant difference in LVESVI. Only device closure resulted in an improvement in LV function (63.53 ± 3.85 versus 67.13 ± 4.34, P value =0.01). There was a significant reduction in right atrial (RA) volume (P value = 0.5), with a trend to decrease in left atrial (LA) volume but it was insignificant, with no difference between groups.Conclusion﻿Our findings revealed that both procedures resulted in normalization of ventricular volume and reduction of RA volumes, with only the device group showing improvement in ventricular function. Functional TR improved after closure with either a device or a surgical approach.
Contribution of HLA Class II Genes, DRB4*01:01, DRB1*07:01, and DQB1*03:03:2 to Clinical Features of Vitiligo Disease in Iranian Population
Authors: Ghaffarnia Roya , Saffarian Zahra , Shahbazi Majid , Zamani Mahdi 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Background: Vitiligo is a multifactorial depigmentation condition, which is due to skin melanocyte destruction. The increased expression of HLA class II genes in patients with pre-lesions of Vitiligo suggests an important role for the participation of immune response in the Vitiligo development. Recent studies progressively focused on HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 genes. In this study, we have evaluated the association and role of HLA-DRB4*01:01, -DRB1*07:01, and -DQB1*03:03:2 genes in different clinical subtypes of Vitiligo in the Iranian population.Methods: First, Genomic DNA from peripheral blood of 125 unrelated Vitiligo patients and 100 unrelated healthy controls were extracted through salting-out method. Then, HLA CLASS II genotyping were performed using sequence-specific primer PCR method. Finally, the clinical relevance of the testing for these genotypes were evaluated by applying the PcPPV (prevalence-corrected positive predictive value) formula.Results: Our results indicated the positive associations of DRB4*01:01 and DRB1*07:01 allelic genes with early-onset Vitiligo (P= 0.024 and 0.022, respectively). The DRB4*01:01 also showed a strong protection against late-onset Vitiligo (P= 0.0016, RR=0.360). Moreover, our data revealed that the DRB1*07:01 increases the susceptibility to Sporadic Vitiligo (P=0.030, RR=1.702). Furthermore, our findings proposed that elevated vulnerability of Vitiligo patients due to DRB4*01:01 and DRB1*07:01 alleles may be is correlated with the presence of amino acid Arginine at position 71 at pocket 4 on the antigen-binding site of the HLA-DRB1 receptor.Conclusion: Our findings on different subtypes of Vitiligo suggest that, despite a more apparent autoimmune involvement, a non-autoimmune nature for the etiology of Vitiligo could also be considered.
Enhancing the Methanol Tolerance of Candida antarctica Lipase B by Saturation Mutagenesis for Biodiesel Preparation
Authors: Tan Zhongbiao , Li Xiangqian , Shi Hao , Yin Xiulian , Zhu Xiaoyan , Bilal Muhammad , Onchari Mary Mongina 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Methanol tolerance of a lipase is one of the important factors affecting its esterification ability in biodiesel preparation. By B factor indicated prediction of Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB) surface amino acids, 8 sites (Val139, Ala146, Leu147, Pro218, Val286, Ala287, Val306, and Gly307) with high B value indicating more flexibility were chosen to perform saturation mutagenesis. High-methanol-tolerant variants, CalB-P218W and -V306N, created larger haloes on emulsified tributyrin solid plate including 15% (v/v) methanol and showed 19% and 31% higher activity over CalB-WT (wild type), respectively. By modeling, a newly formed hydrogen bond in CalB-V306N and hydrophobic force in CalB-P218W contributing more stability in protein may have resulted in increased methanol tolerance. CalB-P218W and -V306N transesterified the soybean oil into biodiesel at 30 °C by 85% and 89% yield, respectively, over 82% by CalB-WT for 24 h reactions. These results may provide a basis for molecular engineering of CalB and expand its applications in fuel industries. The as-developed semi-rational method could be utilized to enhance the stabilities of many other industrial enzymes.
Using Machine Learning Techniques In Multi -Hazards Assessment of Golestan National Park, Iran
Authors: Faramarzi Hassan , Hosseini Seyed Mohsen , Pourghasemi Hamid Reza , Farnaghi Mahdi 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
Golestan National Park is one of the oldest biosphere reserves exposed to environmental hazards due to growing demand, geographical location of the park, mountainous conditions, and developments in the last five decades. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential environmental hazards using machine-learning techniques. In this study, maximum entropy, random forest, boosted regression tree, generalized additive model, and support vector machine methods were applied to model environmental hazards and evaluate the impact of affecting agents, their area of influence, and interactions. After data collection and preprocessing, the models were implemented, tuned, and trained, and their accuracies were determined using the receiver operating characteristic curve. The results indicate the high importance of climatic and human variables, including rainfall, temperature, presence of shepherds, and villagers for fire hazards, elevation, transit roads, temperature, and rainfall for the formation of floodplains, and elevation, transit roads, rainfall, and topographic wetness index in the occurrence of landslides in the national park. The boosted regression tree model with a ROC value of 0.98 for flooding, 0.97 for fire, and 0.93 for landslide hazards, had the best performance. The modeling estimated that, on average, 16.2% of the area of Golestan National Park has a high potential for landslides, 14% has a high potential for fire, and 7.2% has a high potential for flooding.
Combination of Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF) With Anti- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Therapy Protects the Retina From Ischemic Damage
Authors: Xi Lei 
Published: August 2021

Abstract
BackgroundOcular ischemia is a vision-threatening disease, and is a medical condition associated with many ocular diseases. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy successfully prevents the progression of retinal neovascularization caused by ocular ischemia. Anti-VEGF therapy has limitations related to its side effects and suppression of physiological revascularization. Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) has anti-angiogenesis and neurotrophic neuroprotective functions. It is a promising agent in the treatment of ischemia-induced retinal neurodegeneration. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of PEDF and anti-VEGF and the combined therapy on the ischemic rat eye model ex vivo.MethodsWe have previously established an ex vivo model of rat ocular ischemia by incubating the freshly enucleated eye in Dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM) at 4 ℃ for 14 hours. This ex vivo eye model has already been confirmed as an ocular ischemia model. In this study, 36 eyes of 18 rats were used and each group included 6 eyes. The PEDF protein (10μg, 4μl), anti-VEGF drug (Avastin, 50μg, 4μl) or combined PEDF/Avastin (10μg PEDF + 50μg Avastin, 4μl) were intravitreally injected after eye enucleation. Fourteen hours later, eyes were fixed by formalin and immunohistochemical staining for VEGF, PEDF and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was performed. The immunohistochemical staining intensity was analyzed for each group. Tunnel staining was used to determine the apoptosis of retinal neural cells.ResultsThe immunohistochemical staining intensity of VEGF and GFAP was significantly reduced in the neuroretina, the RPE cell layer and the choroidal vessels of the double treatment (PEDF/Anti-VEGF) eyes compared to the vehicle, PEDF, and anti-VEGF treatment alone. The intravitreally injected PEDF protein can penetrate the retina and locate in the neural retina, the RPE layer and the choroidal vessels. Compared to the vehicle-treated group, both the PEDF-treated and the double-treated groups showed significantly decreased number of TUNEL-positive nuclei, and the PEDF/Anti-VEGF treatment group had the least TUNEL-positive nuclei.Conclusions﻿PEDF/Anti-VEGF therapy shows a synergistic effect in the treatment of ischemic eye diseases. The combination of PEDF and anti-VEGF drug (Avastin) is a possible therapeutic strategy against ischemic retinal and choroidal diseases.