bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association between body roundness index and constipation: a cross‑sectional survey of NHANES 2005–2010
Authors: Guo Chaofan , Peng Qibo , Ao Qi , Zheng Zhangqiang , Yu Xiangyang 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
Obesity, particularly visceral fat, is linked to constipation. And Body Roundness Index (BRI) offers a precise evaluation of visceral fat levels. Nevertheless, the risk of developing constipation is not yet known to be connected with BRI.
Methods
From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 8,388 individuals aged 20 years or older were recruited for the study. The primary strategy employed to examine the relationship between BRI and the possibility of constipation was logistical regression, which encompassed multivariable regression analysis, smoothing curve fitting, and subgroup analysis.
Results
These findings revealed a negative correlation between elevated BRI values and the likelihood of constipation. After adjusting for variables, persons in the uppermost quartile (Q4) of BRI showed a 0.574-fold reduced likelihood of constipation in contrast to people who were in the bottom quartile (Q1), as shown in Table 2. The 95% confidence interval (CI) for this risk was 0.464–0.710, where P < 0.001. These findings support the negative correlation between increased BRI and reduced likelihood of constipation.
Conclusions
An elevated BRI ratio was linked to a reduced likelihood of developing constipation. Our findings suggest that maintaining a certain level of visceral fat may have a preventive and alleviating effect on constipation. However, additional prospective investigations are necessary to validate this hypothesis.
Immune Microenvironment Spatial Landscapes of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Xie Yi , Peng Haoxin , Hu Yajie , Jia Keren , Yuan Jiajia , Liu Dan , Li Yanyan , Feng Xujiao , Li Jian , Zhang Xiaotian , Sun Yu , Shen Lin , Chen Yang 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) correlate with tumour prognosis and immunotherapy responses in gastric cancer (GC) studies. However, understanding the complex and diverse immune microenvironment within TLS requires comprehensive analysis.
Methods
We examined the prognostic impact of TLS within the tumour core (TC) of 59 GC patients undergoing immunotherapy. Multispectral fluorescence imaging was employed to evaluate variations in immune cell infiltration across different TLS sites among 110 GC patients, by quantifying immune cell density and spatial characteristics. We also generated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of TLS-positive (n = 4) and TLS-negative (n = 8) microenvironments and performed spatial transcriptomics (ST) analysis on two samples.
Results
TLS presence in the TC significantly correlated with improved immune-related overall survival (P = 0.049). CD8+LAG-3−PD-1+TIM-3−, CD4+PD-L1+, and CD4+FoxP3− T cell densities were significantly higher in the TLS within TC compared to tumour and stromal regions. Immune cells within TLS exhibited closer intercellular proximity than those outside TLS. Five key density and spatial characteristics of immune cells within TLS in the TC were selected to develop the Density and Spatial Score risk model. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed strong intercellular interactions in the presence of TLS within the microenvironment. However, TLS-absent environment facilitated tumour cell interactions with immune cells through MIF- and galectin-dependent pathways, recruiting immunosuppressive cells. ST analysis confirmed that T and B cells co-localize within TLS, enhancing immune response activation compared to cancer nests and exerting a strong anti-tumour effect.
Conclusions
TLS presence facilitates frequent cell-to-cell communication, forming an active immune microenvironment, highlighting the prognostic value of TLS.
Monoclonal Antibody to Podoplanin SZ-168 Attenuates Microglia Pyroptosis and Neuroinflammation in Experimental Cerebral Haemorrhage
Authors: Liu Shiyao , Cui Jie , Liang Ruyi , Wang xia , Zhao Yiming 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
Neuroinflammation is an important factor in the development of secondary brain injury after intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), involving the interaction of haemorrhage formation and inflammatory pathways. Podoplanin is a small transmembrane mucin-like glycoprotein, and it has been demonstrated that the PDPN/CLEC-2 axis is involved in inflammatory diseases. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect of a monoclonal antibody against podoplanin, SZ168, on neuroinflammation in a mouse model of cerebral haemorrhage.
Methods
Male C57BL/6 mice (weight 22–25 g, 6–8 weeks old, n = 108) were randomly divided into sham-operated, ICH-operated and SZ168-treated groups. Brain haemorrhage was induced by collagenase injection into the striatum, and SZ168 IgG was administered intraperitoneally 6 h after ICH. Neurological regression was assessed at the molecular, cellular, histological and functional levels by short-term neurobehavioural tests, cerebral oedema, Evans blue staining, Western blotting, ELISA and immunofluorescence staining. In vitro, human-derived microglial HMC3 cells were pretreated with SZ168 IgG and washed platelets. Then hemin treatment was added to construct an in vitro model of cerebral haemorrhage, which was detected by wound healing assay, transwell migration assay, cell counting kit-8 reagent, colony formation on solid media and western blot to detect the functional changes of microglia after PDPN inhibition.
Results
PDPN expression in mouse brains was elevated 48 h after ICH, and inhibition of PDPN function with SZ168 improved short-term neurological function after ICH and reduced cerebral oedema and cerebral haemorrhage. In vitro, SZ168 treatment inhibited microglial invasion, migration and proliferation functions. Mechanistically, inhibition of PDPN function with SZ168 in vivo and in vitro was able to attenuate ICH-induced expression of nlrp3, caspase-1 and gasdermin D as well as inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α and MPO.
Conclusions
Blocking PDPN can reduce microglial invasion, migration and proliferation functions by inhibiting the microglial NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD inflammatory pathway, which may play a role in reducing the inflammatory situation at the site of cerebral haemorrhage and ameliorating secondary brain injury.
Investigation of sensory attenuation in the somatosensory domain using EEG in a novel virtual reality paradigm
Authors: Giannini Gianluigi , Nierhaus Till , Blankenburg Felix 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

We are not only passively immersed in a sensorial world, but we are active agents that directly produce stimulations. Understanding what’s unique about the sensory consequences can give valuable insight into the action-perception-cycle. Sensory attenuation is the phenomenon that self-produced stimulations are perceived as less intense compared to externally-generated ones. Studying this phenomenon, however, requires considering a plethora of factors that could otherwise interfere with its interpretation, such as differences in stimulus properties, attentional resources, or temporal predictability. We therefore developed a novel Virtual Reality (VR) setup that allows to control several of these confounding factors. Further, we modulated the expectation of receiving a somatosensory stimulation across self-production and passive perception through a simple probabilistic learning task, allowing us to test to what extent the electrophysiological correlates of sensory attenuation are impacted by stimulus expectation. We obtained electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of 26 participants. Results indicate that early (P100), mid-latency (P200) and later negative contralateral potentials were significantly attenuated by self-generated sensations, independently of the stimulus expectation. Moreover, a component around 200 ms post-stimulus at frontal sites was found to be enhanced for self-produced stimuli. The P300 was influenced by stimulus expectation, regardless of whether the stimulation was actively produced or passively attended. Together, our results indicate that VR opens up new possibilities to study sensory attenuation in more ecological, yet well-controlled paradigms, and that sensory attenuation is not significantly modulated by stimulus predictability.
RAD51C-XRCC3 complex regulates FANCM-mediated R-loop resolution to safeguard genome integrity
Authors: Nagaraju Ganesh , Sahoo Satyaranjan , Nagraj Tarun , Bhattacharya Debanjali , Somyajit Kumar 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Fanconi anemia (FA) is characterized by bone marrow failure, congenital abnormalities, and cancer predisposition. Mutations in RAD51 paralogs have been identified in FA-like disorder and cancers. Although the role of RAD51 paralogs is well established in homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair, little is known about their role during replication stress responses. Here, we report that the RAD51C/XRCC3 (CX3) complex of RAD51 paralogs participates in the FA-pathway of R-loop tolerance mechanism. CX3 complex suppresses R-loops, transcription-replication collisions (TRC), and associated genome instability in physiological and replication stress conditions. Mechanistically, the CX3 complex physically interacts with FANCM and facilitates its recruitment to the R-loop sites to promote its resolution. Notably, cells expressing RAD51C R258H pathological mutant exhibit defective interaction with FANCM and display inefficient R-loop processing. This work identifies a novel role of the CX3 complex in preventing R-loop-induced genome instability by regulating FANCM-mediated R-loop resolution.
Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Structural, Optical, and Electronic Properties of PVC/BiVO4/ZnO Nanocomposite Films
Authors: Alshahrani Badriah , Fares Soad Saad , Alqurashi Rania Saleh , Salman Montasir , Korna Ahmed 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of gamma irradiation on PVC/BiVO4/ZnO nanocomposite films. The films were synthesized using the sol-gel method and characterized using various techniques, including XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, EDX, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Gamma irradiation was found to induce significant changes in the structural, optical, and electronic properties of the nanocomposite films. XRD analysis revealed a decrease in crystallinity and an increase in amorphous content with increasing irradiation doses. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of new chemical bonds and the degradation of existing functional groups. The optical bandgap of the nanocomposite films decreased with increasing gamma irradiation, as evidenced by the redshift in the transmittance spectra and Tauc plot analysis. This suggests changes in the electronic structure of the material. Additionally, the disorder parameter and Urbach energy increased, indicating an increase in disorder within the nanocomposite films. These findings demonstrate that gamma irradiation can effectively modify the properties of PVC/BiVO4/ZnO nanocomposite films, potentially enabling their application in various fields such as photocatalysis, sensors, and optoelectronic devices. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and optimize the properties of these materials for specific applications.
Global Meta-Analysis of the Gut-Brain Axis: Unveiling the Impact of Microbiome Alterations on Psychiatric Disorders
Authors: Li Runda 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background: Emerging research suggests a significant connection between the gut microbiome and mental health, termed the ”gut-brain axis.” However, findings across studies are inconsistent, and no comprehensive meta-analysis has quantified this relationship globally.
Objective: To systematically review and meta-analyze existing literature on the association between gut microbiome alterations and psychiatric disorders, identifying specific microbial profiles linked to different mental health conditions.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted across multiple databases for studies examining the gut microbiome in patients with psychiatric disorders compared to healthy controls. Data on microbial diversity, specific bacterial taxa, and psychiatric outcomes were extracted. Meta-analytic techniques were used to pool data and assess the strength of associations, with adjustments to include studies with varying designs and data availability.
Results: We identified 50 studies encompassing a total of 4,237 participants from various geographic regions. Meta-analysis revealed that patients with psychiatric disorders exhibited significantly reduced alpha diversity (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.45; 95% CI: -0.52 to -0.38; p < 0.001) compared to controls. Specific microbial taxa, such as decreased Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (SMD = -0.65; 95% CI:-0.75 to -0.55; p < 0.001), were consistently associated with conditions like depression and schizophrenia.
Conclusion: This comprehensive meta-analysis clarifies the role of the gut microbiome in psychiatric disorders, revealing consistent patterns of microbial alterations. These findings have potential implications for developing microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic interventions targeting the gut-brain axis.
Observation of quantum information collapse-and-revival in a strongly-interacting Rydberg atom array
Authors: Li Lin , Xiang De-Sheng , Zhang Yao-Wen , Liu Hao-Xiang , Zhou Peng , Yuan Dong , Zhang Kuan , Zhang Shun-Yao , Xu Biao , Liu Lu , Li Yitong 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Interactions of isolated quantum many-body systems typically scramble local information into the entire system and make it unrecoverable. Ergodicity-breaking systems possess the potential to exhibit fundamentally different information scrambling dynamics beyond this paradigm. For many-body localized systems with strong ergodicity breaking, local transport vanishes and information scrambles logarithmically slowly. Whereas in Rydberg atom arrays, local qubit flips induce dynamical retardation on surrounding qubits through the Rydberg blockade effect, giving rise to quantum many-body scars that weakly break ergodicity, and resulting in the predicted unconventional quantum information spreading behaviours. Here, we present the first measurements of out-of-time-ordered correlators and Holevo information in a Rydberg atom array, enabling us to precisely track quantum information scrambling and transport dynamics. By leveraging these tools, we observe a novel spatio-temporal collapse-and-revival behaviour of quantum information, which differs from both typical chaotic and many-body localized systems. Our experiment sheds light on the unique information dynamics in many-body systems with kinetic constraints, and demonstrates an effective digital-analogue approach to coherently reverse time evolution and steer information propagation in near-term quantum devices.
Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Following Osteophyte Excision for Respiratory Disorder caused by Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis Associated with Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Masuda Keisuke , Shigematsu Hideki , Okuda Akinori , Kawasaki Sachiko , Yamamoto Yusuke , Mui Takahiro , Tanaka Yasuhito 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a systemic non-inflammatory disorder characterized by enthesopathy and osteophyte formation. DISH can also cause several other symptoms. Limited range of motion (ROM) is the most common symptom; however, dysphagia and respiratory disorders are clinically important symptoms. Dysphagia caused by cervical DISH is initially treated conservatively, but surgical treatment is performed when conservative treatment is ineffective. Although there are many reports on the surgical excision of osteophytes for refractory dysphagia, only a few reports on surgery for dysphagia caused by DISH associated with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) exist. Here, we report a rare case of cervical spinal cord injury following osteophyte excision for a respiratory disorder caused by DISH associated with OPLL.
Case presentation
A 76-year-old male with hypertension and diabetes presented with dysphagia, respiratory insufficiency, and palpitations. Four months later, he experienced severe dyspnea and was hospitalized. His vital signs indicated respiratory distress, which led to intubation and tracheotomy due to his worsening condition. Imaging revealed massive anterior cervical osteophytes and multisegmental OPLL that caused spinal canal stenosis and tracheal compression. Surgical excision of the osteophytes was performed, but the patient later developed tetraplegia attributed to C5/C6 instability. Posterior fusion and laminoplasty were performed, resulting in neurological improvement but persistent dysphagia and motor deficits. He was transferred to another hospital for rehabilitation but died of aspiration pneumonia.
Conclusions
Patients with cervical OPLL and spinal cord compression may experience spinal cord injury when intervertebral mobility is slightly increased due to osteophyte excision. If dysphagia or respiratory disorders occur in patients with DISH and OPLL, decompression and fusion surgery at the mobile segment is required, in addition to osteophyte excision surgery. Posterior decompression and fusion surgery should be performed before anterior osteophyte excision surgery to avoid implant infection, particularly in patients with respiratory disorders who have undergone tracheostomy. Patients receiving long-term mechanical ventilation are less likely to recover their swallowing function and should undergo a total laryngectomy.
Biologically Synthesized Boron Oxide Nanoparticles Improve the Photosynthetic Performance and Yield in Potato Plants
Authors: Garg Drishti , Mandal Shovon , Singh Pushplata Prasad 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

In the pursuit of sustainable agriculture and clean environment, nano-fertilizers are emerging as a viable alternative to traditional chemical fertilizers. This is attributed to enhanced properties of nano-fertilizer such as stable dispersion in media, and bioavailability in plants. Boron nanoparticle based formulation can be used as a fertilizer to solve challenges associated with micronutrient boron, narrowly balanced between its deficiency and toxicity in plants. In this study, boron oxide nanoparticles (nano boron) were biologically synthesized. A comparative analysis was conducted between nano boron and commercially available borax (a standard boron fertilizer) after foliar application on potato plants. The study further encompasses time series, and correlation analyses to assess the impact of nano boron on agronomic and productivity parameters. The minimized dosage of nano boron enhanced photosystem II efficiency, plant biomass, and tuber yield, outperforming conventional borax. Nano boron is a potent, minimal-input, maximum-output solution for potato productivity. This study contributes valuable insights into the field of sustainable agriculture and food production, advocating for the adoption of green nanotechnology and setting a new paradigm in resource-efficient crop cultivation.
Subject terms: sustainable agriculture, nano-fertilizers, bioavailability, boron oxide nano particles, photosystem II efficiency
Susceptibility Assessment of Moraine-Dammed Glacial Lakes in the Eastern Himalaya: A Geospatial Approach
Authors: Pohal Sangeeta , Sharma Chitesh Kumar , Baisantry Munmun 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

The glaciers in the Himalayan region are some of the fastest retreating glaciers in the world with an annual rate of retreat of 16–35 m/yr. leading to creation of a large number of glacial lakes in the Himalaya. The global warming has contributed to the continuing expansion of the glacial lakes. These topographic depressions, confined by ice, bedrock, moraine, or a combination of these, accumulate the melt water annually, and often the poor structural integrity of moraine dam fails to withstand the pressure exerted by the volume of accumulated water, leading to occurrence of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). Since, GLOFs are mostly an instantaneous phenomenon and have the potential to cause severe damage to the property and loss of lives, a comprehensive analysis of GLOFs is necessary. The present study focuses on Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh (Indian Eastern Himalaya) to create an inventory of glacial lakes with area > 0.01 km2 and assess their hazard potential. 340 and 1529 lakes in Sikkim and Arunachal Himalaya were manually identified from the 50 cm high resolution combined product of Worldview-8 and Geo-Eye true Ortho-rectified Satellite Imageries, out of which 27 in Sikkim and 6 in Arunachal Himalaya were identified as moraine dammed lakes. A detailed inventory of these lakes in GIS environment incorporated 14 parameters including 11 crucial controls on outburst susceptibility using AHP. The susceptibility map is classified into 4 classes, namely very high (4 lakes), high (12 lakes), medium (13 lakes) and low (4 lakes). Validation of the susceptibility classes was validated with 3 known GLOF events from the Himalaya. This novel study highlights the need to monitor and assess possible GLOFs in future while providing a high precision base inventory to open further research in this direction.
Impact of breast cancer awareness program on breast screening utilization among women in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Abdulla Raseena Aboobacker , Kareem Nafeesa Abdul , Assadi Rifah Anwar , Sanaullah Afreen Abdul Rahim , Nandagopal Sathyapriya , Wazil Shahnaz Mohamed , Muttappallymyalil Jayakumary 
Published: December 2024

Abstract

Background
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. In 2020, approximately 2.3 million women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer, resulting in around 685,000 deaths globally. The high incidence and prevalence of breast cancer have made it a major public health problem in both developed and developing nations, leading to overburdened health systems and increased direct medical expenditure. This research was conducted to assess the impact of breast cancer awareness programs on breast screening utilization among women in the United Arab Emirates.
Methods
A cross-sectional study using a content-validated interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted among 959 women aged ≥ 20 years in the United Arab Emirates. Data on sociodemographics, awareness program participation, screening utilization, and barriers were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.
Results
Among the study participants,304 (31.7%) had attended awareness programs. Attendance was associated with younger age, higher education, and being single (p < 0.001). Among those who have ever attended any breast cancer awareness programs who had utilized the screening were 38.5% compared to 13.3% non-attendees (p < 0.001). The study concluded that age, education level, and marital status were significantly associated with participation in breast cancer awareness programs (p-value < 0.05). Key barriers included a lack of physician recommendations (24.3%), knowledge gaps (23%), and cost concerns (22.6%).
Conclusions
The study shows that participation in the awareness programs varied based on age, education and marital status, additionally, those with lower educational levels had a higher attendance at the awareness programs, emphasizing the significance of educational initiatives. The study showed a link between attending breast cancer awareness programs and the use of screening services, furthermore, notable gap in screening utilization such as emotional and perceived barriers were noted. Thus, its necessary to overcome these challenges for enchaning early detection and treatment outcomes. Interventions such as targeted educational campaigns, improved screening facility and better communication between physicians and patients can aid in addressing these challenges.