bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Clinical Values of Afamin, Triglyceride and PLR in Predicting Risk of Gestational Diabetes During Early Pregnancy
Authors: Wang Xuechun , Zheng Xiuqiong , Yan Jianying , Xu Rongli , Xu Mu , Zheng Lin , Xu Liangpu , Lin Zhi 
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveTo establish a model to predict gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on the clinical characteristics, early pregnancy (10-12 weeks gestation) peripheral blood routine, and biochemical indicators, and to explore its predictive efficiencies.MethodsData from 607 pregnant women with GDM were compared to the data from 833 pregnant women without GDM admitted to the Obstetrics Department of Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital (affiliated to Fujian Medical University) from May 2018 to December 2018 were retrospectively included. The ages of the pregnant women, paternal ages, number of pregnancies, number of deliveries, pre-pregnancy heights/weights, and the calculated body mass indexes (BMI) were recorded. In all participants, 10-12 weeks of pregnancy, afamin concentration, routine blood work, prenatal aneuploidy screening, and biochemical testing were performed. At weeks 24-28 of gestation, patients underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for GDM screening.ResultsMultivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal age, early pregnancy afamin level, triglycerides, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were independent risk factors for gestational diabetes. The formula for predicting GDM probability was as follows: P = 1/1 + exp( − 6.054 + 0.774 × triglycerides + 0.002 × afamin + 0.155 × age − 0.012 × PLR)]. From the established ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.748, indicating that the model has a good degree of discrimination. When the predictive probability cut-off value was set on 0.358, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 69.2%, 68.3%, 42.5%, and 86.2%, respectively, and the accuracy rate was 70.2%. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test results showed that the goodness of the model fit has a good calibration ability (χ2 = 12.269, df=8, P=0.140).ConclusionsMaternal age, early pregnancy afamin level, triglycerides, and PLR are independent risk factors for gestational diabetes. When combined, the above indicators are helpful for prediction, early diagnosis, and intervention of gestational diabetes.
Prognostic Values and Clinical Significance of S100 Family Member’s Individualized mRNA Expression in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Xiaomin , Qiu Ning , Li Qijuan 
Published: November 2021

Objective: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a common malignant tumor worldwide. S100 family (S100s) is wildly involved in regulating the occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, and drug resistance of many malignant tumors. However, the expression pattern, prognostic value, and oncological role of individual S100s members in PAAD need to be elucidated.Methods: The transcriptional expression levels of S100s were analyzed through the Oncomine and GEPIA, respectively. The protein levels of S100s members in PAAD were studied by Human Protein Atlas. The correlation between S100 mRNA expression and overall survival and tumor stage in PAAD patients was studied by GEPIA. The transcriptional expression correlation and gene mutation rate of S100s members in PAAD patients were explored by cBioPortal. The co-expression networks of S100s are identified using STRING and Gene MANIA to predict their potential functions. The correlation of S100s expression and tumor-infiltrating immune cells was tested by TIMER. Pathway activity and drug target analyzed by GSCALite.Results: 13 S100s members were upregulated in PAAD tissues. 15 S100s members were associated with TP53 mutation. Expression levels of S100A3/A5/A6/A10/A11/A14/A16/B/P/Z were significantly correlated with the pathological stage. Prognosis analysis demonstrated that PAAD patients with low mRNA levels of S100A1/B/Z or high levels of S100A2/A3/A5/A10/A11/A14/A16 had a poor prognosis. Immuno-infiltration analysis showed that the mRNA levels of S100A10/A11/A14/A16 were correlated with the infiltration degree of macrophages in PAAD. Drug sensitivity analysis showed that PAAD expressing high levels of S100A2/A6/A10/A11/A13/A14/A16 maybe resistant to small molecule drugs.Conclusion: This study identifies the clinical significance and biological functions of the S100s in PAAD, which may provide novel insights for the selection of prognostic biomarkers.
Case Report: Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Caowu-Induced Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Ren Binbin , Wang Liming , Chen Kun , Chen Lin , Wang Huabin 
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Caowu, the main root of the Aconitum plant, is widely used in China. Aconitine is the main toxic component of Aconitum, which can cause a variety of malignant arrhythmias and lead to death. Four patients who developed malignant arrhythmia after drinking medicinal wine containing Caowu were reported in this study. Cardiac arrest occurred soon after symptom onset. All patients received venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support after conservative medical treatment had failed. Patients who were directly transferred to our hospital received VA-ECMO support earlier than patients who were first treated at a local hospital. One patient received hemoperfusion in the emergency room before VA-ECMO support; the other three patients began hemoperfusion after VA-ECMO treatment. Surviving patients who received VA-ECMO earlier after symptom onset showed no obvious neurological complications. The patient who received a longer cardiopulmonary resuscitation time but received hemoperfusion before VA-ECMO had mild neurological complications. The mortality rate was 25% (1 of 4 patients). Two patients had thrombotic complications in venous vessels.Conclusions: Cardiogenic shock due to refractory ventricular tachycardia caused by aconitine is lethal. Conservative supportive treatment did not provide a short-term antiarrhythmic effect and the cardiogenic shock was not well controlled. VA-ECMO treatment combined with hemoperfusion is promising temporary support to successfully treat aconitine-induced cardiogenic shock caused by refractory ventricular tachycardia.
Association Between a History of Dengue Fever and the Risk of Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: A Nationwide, Population-Based Case-Control Study
Authors: Chen Yun-Wen , Hsieh Tsu-Yi , Lin Ching-Heng , Chen Hsian-Min , Lin Chi-Chien , Chen Hsin-Hua 
Published: November 2021

Purpose: To determine the association between a history of clinically diagnosed dengue infection and the risk of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).Methods: Using claims data from the 1997–2013 Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database, we included 74,422 patients who were diagnosed with SARDs and 297,688 patients without SARDs who were matched (in a 1:4 ratio) for age, sex, year of SARDs index date, and city of residence. The associations between the development of SARDs and a history of dengue infection (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 061) were investigated using conditional logistic regression analysis shown as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for potential confounders.Results: We included 17,126 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 15,531 patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS), 37,685 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 1,911 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), 1,277 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), and 892 patients with polymyositis (PM). SLE (OR, 4.55; 95% CI, 2.77–7.46; p &lt;0.001) risk was significantly associated with a history of dengue infection. However, no statistically significant association was found between dengue infection and SS (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 0.88–2.26; p = 0.155), RA (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.70–1.50; p = 0.888), SSc (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 0.38–10.29; p = 0.420), DM (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.04–7.27; p = 0.641), or PM (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 0.23–18.79; p = 0.513).Conclusion: This study revealed that a history of dengue infection was significantly associated with the risk of SLE, but not SS, RA, SSc, DM, or PM.
New Approach to Intelligence Screening for Children With Global Development Delay Using Eye-Tracking Technology: A Pilot Study
Authors: Xu Hong , Xuan Xiaoyan , Zhang Li , Zhang Wenxin , Zhu Min , Zhao Xiaoke 
Published: November 2021

Objective: There has become a consensus for detecting intellectual disability in its early stages and implementing effective intervention. However, there are many difficulties and limitations in the evaluation of intelligence-related scales in low-age children. Eye-tracking technology may effectively solve some of the pain points in the evaluation.Method: We used an eye-tracking technology for cognitive assessment. The subjects looked at a series of task pictures and short videos, the fixation points of which were recorded by the eye-movement analyzer, and the data were statistically analyzed. A total of 120 children aged between 1.5 and 4 years participated in the study, including 60 typically developing children and 60 children with global development delay, all of whom were assessed via the Bayley scale, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), and Gesell scale.Results: Cognitive scores from eye-tracking technology are closely related to the scores of neuropsychological tests, which shows that the technique performs well as an early diagnostic test of children's intelligence.Conclusions: The results show that children's cognitive development can be quickly screened using eye-tracking technology and that it can track quantitative intelligence scores and sensitively detect intellectual impairment.
Clinicopathological and Preclinical Patient-Derived Model Studies Define High Expression of NRN1 as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Target for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Kamada Shuhei , Ikeda Kazuhiro , Suzuki Takashi , Sato Wataru , Kitayama Sachi , Kawakami Satoru , Ichikawa Tomohiko , Horie Kuniko , Inoue Satoshi 
Published: November 2021

BackgroundAcquired therapeutic resistance and metastasis/recurrence remain significant challenge in advance renal cell carcinoma (RCC), thus the establishment of patient-derived cancer models may provide a clue to assess the problem. We recently characterized that neuritogenesis-related protein neuritin 1 (NRN1) functions as an oncogene in testicular germ cell tumor. This study aims to elucidate the role of NRN1 in RCC.MethodsNRN1 expression in clinical RCC specimens was analyzed based on immunohistochemistry. NRN1-associated genes in RCC were screened by the RNA-sequencing dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). RCC patient-derived cancer cell (RCC-PDC) spheroid cultures were established and their viabilities were evaluated under the condition of gene silencing/overexpression. The therapeutic effect of NRN1-specific siRNA was evaluated in RCC-PDC xenograft models.ResultsNRN1 immunoreactivity was positively associated with shorter overall survival in RCC patients. In TCGA RCC RNA-sequencing dataset, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), a prognostic and stemness-related factor in RCC, is a gene whose expression is substantially correlated with NRN1 expression. Gain- and loss-of-function studies in RCC-PDC spheroid cultures revealed that NRN1 significantly promotes cell viability along with the upregulation of CXCR4. The NRN1-specific siRNA injection significantly suppressed the proliferation of RCC-PDC-derived xenograft tumors, in which CXCR4 expression is significantly repressed.ConclusionNRN1 can be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target in RCC as analyzed by preclinical patient-derived cancer models and clinicopathological studies.
Identification and Validation of Afatinib Potential Drug Resistance Gene BIRC5 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhu Xiaoxi , Zhou Renyu , Lu Yuanzhi , Zhang Ying , Chen Qiang , Li Yin 
Published: November 2021

IntroductionResistance to second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), afatinib, is the most significant challenge in the clinical management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.MethodsGenomic signatures that may confer afatinib resistance in NSCLC were identified via data mining of public databases and integrative bioinformatic analyses. Furthermore, acquired afatinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cell lines (HCC827 AR) were established by long-term exposure under afatinib in vitro for stepwise escalation. The expression of baculovirus IAP repeat protein 5 (BIRC5) was detected by western blot, and cellular viability of HCC827 AR was determined by CCK8.ResultsThrough integrative bioinformatic analyses of public datasets, overexpression of baculovirus IAP repeat protein 5 (BIRC5) was identified in both afatinib-resistant NSCLC cells and tissues, and BIRC5 overexpression was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis as well as pathological stage in NSCLC. Furthermore, NSCLC patients with BIRC5 overexpression showed poor survival outcomes. Immune infiltration analysis suggested that BIRC5 expression was significantly inversely correlated with tumor-infiltrating cell numbers and immune biomarker expression in NSCLC. The functions of genes co-expressed with BIRC5 were mainly enriched in cell cycle mitotic phase transition, double-strand break repair, and negative regulation of the cell cycle process signaling pathway. In addition, overexpression of BIRC5 protein was detected in afatinib-resistant cells by western blot, while BIRC5-expressing cells treated with BIRC5 inhibitor, YM155, were sensitive to afatinib.ConclusionsIn this study, we showed that overexpression of BIRC5 resulted in resistance to afatinib in NSCLC and BIRC5-specific inhibitors may overcome the resistant phenotype, indicating that dysregulation of the apoptotic cell death pathway may be the key mechanism underlying TKI resistance in the development of NSCLC.
A Peer and Volunteer Program for Patients and Their Families in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Program Evaluation
Authors: Pereira Nichole , MacDonald Christine , Drobot Ashley , Bennett Alexandra , Ali Al-Bakir , Garros Daniel 
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Patients in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are at risk of developing long-term morbidities following recovery from their critical illness. One such health outcome is called post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). PICS in pediatrics may be mitigated by interventions that facilitate adjustment to the PICU setting.Methods: The PICU implemented a two-pronged Peer and Volunteer (P/V) Program to help: (a) families adjust to the PICU experience with the support of a peer mentor (PM); and (b) patients receive non-medical interaction from trained volunteers (V). We designed a mixed-methods program evaluation targeting perspectives and feedback from PICU families and healthcare professionals (HCPs).Results: All stakeholder groups agreed that the PICU P/V Program was a valuable resource for PICU patients and their families. HCPs reported that they lack both time and training to provide regular developmental care to patients. However, the P/V Program may influence both families' and HCP's confidence in their ability to offer non-medical interaction to children in the PICU.Discussion: Important initial and on-going strengths and barriers to successful implementation were identified, including the need to clarify roles and intervention scope. The program evaluation served as a change management strategy and also helped to identify both areas for improvement and strategies for on-going sustainability. HCP's exposure to the program and modeling by PMs may have helped HCPs to feel that it is within their job description and capacity to provide emotional support and guidance to families.
Mercury Content in Dietary Supplements From Poland Containing Ingredients of Plant Origin: A Safety Assessment
Authors: Puścion-Jakubik Anna , Mielech Anita , Abramiuk Dominika , Iwaniuk Małgorzata , Grabia Monika , Bielecka Joanna , Markiewicz-Żukowska Renata , Socha Katarzyna 
Published: November 2021

Mercury (Hg) is a fairly common environmental pollutant. Chronic exposure to this element may cause, inter alia, kidney damage, and disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system. Literature data indicate that food, including dietary supplements (DS), may sometimes be contaminated with Hg. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess Hg content in DS containing ingredients of plant origin. The study covered 200 DS available for sale in Poland. Hg content was determined by using the AAS method with the amalgamation technique using the AMA-254 analyzer. The highest average Hg content was found in preparations used as adjuncts for lowering glucose levels (23.97 ± 38.56 μg/kg). The highest percentage of PTWI (1.143%) was found in DS aimed at improving vitality. Due to the fact that DS are commonly used, their quality should be constantly monitored.
JieZe-1 Alleviates HSV-2 Infection-Induced Genital Herpes in Balb/c Mice by Inhibiting Cell Apoptosis via Inducing Autophagy
Authors: Shao Qingqing , Wu Fan , Liu Tong , Wang Wenjia , Liu Tianli , Jin Ximing , Xu Lijun , Ma Yonggui , Huang Guangying , Chen Zhuo 
Published: November 2021

Objectives: Genital herpes (GH) is a common sexually transmitted disease mainly caused by herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). JieZe-1 (JZ-1) is an in-hospital prescription that has been used in Tongji Hospital for many years to treat various lower female genital tract infectious diseases. Our previous study showed that JZ-1 can protect against HSV-2 infection in vitro by inducing autophagy. However, whether JZ-1 can protect against HSV-2 infection in vivo, and the underlying mechanisms involved still remain unclear. Therefore, this study was designed to address above questions.Methods: 8-week-old female balb/c mice were injected intravaginally with HSV-2 to establish GH model. The symptom score, body weight, and histological examination were recorded to assess the animal model of HSV-2 infected and the therapeutic effect of JZ-1. Inflammatory response was determined by detecting inflammatory cells infiltration and local cytokines levels. After then, under autophagy inhibitor chloroquine application, we measured the levels of cell apoptosis and autophagy and investigated the relationship between enhanced autophagy and cell apoptosis. Next, the classic PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis was examined, and in vitro experiment was carried out for further verification.Results: Our results showed that JZ-1 administration significantly reduces symptom score, increases weight gain and alleviates histological damage in HSV-2 infection-induced GH in balb/c mice. JZ-1 administration obviously ameliorates inflammatory responses with reduced T-lymphocytes, T helper cells, macrophages and neutrophils infiltration, and local IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and CCL2 levels. HSV-2 infection leads to massive cell apoptosis, which was also restored by JZ-1. Meanwhile, we found that HSV-2 infection blocks autophagic flux in vivo and JZ-1 administration induces autophagy. After chloroquine application, it was observed that the inhibition of autophagy is strongly associated with increased cell apoptosis, whereas the promotion of autophagy remarkedly decreases apoptosis. These results suggested that JZ-1 inhibits cell apoptosis in GH by inducing autophagy, which was further supported in later in vitro experiment. Additionally, PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was also downregulated by JZ-1 administration.Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that JZ-1 can alleviate HSV-2 infection-induced GH in balb/c mice by inhibiting cell apoptosis via inducing autophagy, and the underlying mechanisms may be associated with the inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.
A Randomised Controlled Trial of Inhibitory Control Training for Smoking Cessation: Outcomes, Mediators and Methodological Considerations
Authors: Hughes Laura K. , Hayden Melissa J. , Bos Jason , Lawrence Natalia S. , Youssef George J. , Borland Ron , Staiger Petra K. 
Published: November 2021

Objective: Inhibitory control training (ICT) has shown promise for improving health behaviours, however, less is known about its mediators of effectiveness. The current paper reports whether ICT reduces smoking-related outcomes such as craving and nicotine dependence, increases motivation to quit and whether reductions in smoking or craving are mediated by response inhibition or a devaluation of smoking stimuli.Method: Adult smokers (minimum 10 cigarettes per day; N = 107, Mage = 46.15 years, 57 female) were randomly allocated to receive 14 days of smoking-specific ICT (named INST; a go/no-go task where participants were trained to not respond to smoking stimuli) or active control training (participants inhibited responding toward neutral stimuli). Participants were followed up to 3-months post-intervention. This trial was preregistered (Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ID: ACTRN12617000252314; URL: https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=370204).Results: There were no significant differences between ICT and active control training groups. Specifically, participants in both groups showed significant reductions in craving, nicotine dependence, motivation and a devaluation (reduced evaluation) of smoking-stimuli up to 3-months follow-up compared to baseline. Inhibition and devaluation of smoking stimuli did not act as mediators. Devaluation of smoking stimuli was an independent predictor of smoking and craving at follow-up.Conclusion: Inhibitory control training (ICT) was no more effective at reducing smoking-related outcomes compared to the active control group, however, significant improvements in craving, dependence indicators and evaluation of smoking stimuli were observed across both groups. A return to basic experimental research may be required to understand the most effective ICT approach to support smoking cessation.
A Novel (2, 3)-Threshold Reversible Secret Image Sharing Scheme Based on Optimized Crystal-Lattice Matrix
Authors: Lin Jiang-Yi , Horng Ji-Hwei , Chang Chin-Chen 
Published: November 2021

The (k, n)-threshold reversible secret image sharing (RSIS) is technology that conceals the secret data in a cover image and produces n shadow versions. While k (k ≤ n) or more shadows are gathered, the embedded secret data and the cover image can be retrieved without any error. This article proposes an optimal (2, 3) RSIS algorithm based on a crystal-lattice matrix. Sized by the assigned embedding capacity, a crystal-lattice model is first generated by simulating the crystal growth phenomenon with a greedy algorithm. A three-dimensional (3D) reference matrix based on translationally symmetric alignment of crystal-lattice models is constructed to guide production of the three secret image shadows. Any two of the three different shares can cooperate to restore the secret data and the cover image. When all three image shares are available, the third share can be applied to authenticate the obtained image shares. Experimental results prove that the proposed scheme can produce secret image shares with a better visual quality than other related works.