bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pilot study on the dynamic interactions between cardiac activity and corneal biomechanics during eye movements
Authors: Shahiri Mohammadali , Kasprzak Henryk , Asejczyk Magdalena 
Published: December 2024

Background and objectiveThe study examines the relationship between ocular rotations and cardiovascular functions through detailed biomechanical analysis. The study documents specific patterns of ocular movements and their synchronization with cardiovascular activity, highlighting significant correlations. These findings provide a basis for understanding the opto-biomechanical interplay between ocular and cardiovascular dynamics.MethodsAuthors employed a custom-designed prototype, integrating a camera and numerical pulse oximeter, to analyze the right eyeballs of participants. The corneal surface reflections were recorded, along with concurrent blood pulsation (BP) signal acquisition. Numerical analysis helped determine the reflection positions and orientations to study eye movements and corneal deformations. Time and frequency domain analyses, including coherence functions, were utilized.ResultsSignificant correlations were found between variations in corneal curvature, selected fixational eye movements (FEM) parameters, and Pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF), revealing synchronized expansions of the corneal surfaces with cardiovascular activity. Furthermore, FEM displayed spectral correlations with BP, indicating an interrelation between ocular rotations and cardiovascular functions.ConclusionThese findings reveal the complex interactions between the cornea and Pulsatile Ocular Blood Flow (POBF), as well as between Fixational Eye Movements (FEM) and POBF. While the influence of POBF on both corneal dynamics and FEM is clear, further research is necessary to directly link corneal dynamics and FEM. These insights hold potential for non-invasive diagnostic applications and provide a deeper understanding of ocular biomechanics.
Trends and levels of the global, regional, and national burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension from 1990 to 2021: findings from the global burden of disease study 2021
Authors: Liu Le , Li Chen , Cai Jing , Kong Renjing , Wang Yanjiao , Wang Yi , Li Shuang , Zhan Junkun , Liu Youshuo 
Published: December 2024

BackgroundPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe and progressive lung disease that significantly impairs patients’ health and imposes heavy clinical and economic burdens. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological analysis on the global burden and trends of PAH.MethodsWe estimated the prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of PAH from 1990 to 2021 using the results of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). The average annual percentage changes were used to estimate the trends of PAH across 21 regions and 204 countries and territories.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, the number of prevalent cases and deaths associated with PAH worldwide increased by 81.5 and 48.4%. However, the age-standardized prevalence rate of PAH remained relatively stable, while the age-standardized mortality rate and DALYs declined. In 2021, the global age-standardized prevalence rate of PAH was 2.28 per 100,000, with 1.78 per 100,000 in males and 2.75 per 100,000 in females. The age-standardized mortality rate of PAH globally was 0.27 per 100,000, and the age-standardized DALYs was 8.24 per 100,000. Among the 21 regions, Western Europe had the highest age-standardized prevalence rate (3.56 per 100,000), while North Africa and the Middle East had the highest age-standardized mortality rate (0.44 per 100,000) and DALYs (14.81 per 100,000). Additionally, older individuals and females are at higher risk of PAH. The age-standardized mortality rate and DALYs associated with PAH increase with age, peaking in the 95+ age group. As the sociodemographic index increased, the age-standardized prevalence rates showed an upward trend, while both the age-standardized mortality rates and DALYs exhibited a downward trend.ConclusionFrom 1990 to 2021, the overall trend of PAH burden presents regional and national variations and differs by age, sex, and sociodemographic index. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing targeted interventions to alleviate the burden of PAH.
Isolation and evaluation of Cyberlindnera fabianii strains to improve cigar tobacco leaves fermentation effect
Authors: Guo Sida , Li Yasen , Yang Zhen , Zhang Qianying , Li Pinhe , Jiang Zhongrong , Zhang Jiabao , Cao Yu , Zhang Zhengcheng , Li Dongliang 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionFermentation is a crucial process in cigar manufacturing. Exogenous addition of functional microorganisms for fortified fermentation can further improve cigar tobacco leaves fermentation quality.MethodsIn this study, five Cyberlindnera fabianii strains were isolated from cigar tobacco leaves. Their fermentation effects were assessed by analyzing flavor components and major chemical compositions.ResultsAmong these five isolates, four C. fabianii strains demonstrated the ability to enhance the overall flavor profile, particularly by increasing esters and chlorophyll degradation products. Additionally, several strains, particularly F3 and F4, also reduced total alkaloid and nitrogen content. Among these, C. fabianii strain F4 exhibited the most significant improvements. Sensory evaluation revealed that strain F4 could enhance mellowness, richness and sweetness while reducing irritation and off-flavors in fermented cigar tobacco leaves.DiscussionOur findings indicate that C. fabianii strain F4 can significantly improve the overall quality of cigar tobacco leaves through fermentation. This study provides a promising microbial fermentation agent for potential application in the cigar industry.
Characterization of acidic lysine acylations in mycobacteria
Authors: Ye Tong , Wang Danfeng , Sun Yewen , Xie Shuyu , Liu Tianqi , Tian Nana , Tan Minjia , Xu Jun-Yu 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionProtein acetylation is an extensively investigated post-translational modification (PTM). In addition to lysine acetylation, three new types of lysine acylations characterized by the presence of an acidic carboxylic group have been recently identified and validated. These included lysine malonylation (Kmal), lysine succinylation (Ksucc) and lysine glutarylation (Kglu). Pathogens belonging to the genus Mycobacterium elicit severe diseases in mammalian hosts through the modulation of energy metabolism pathways. Throughout this process, malonyl-CoA, succinyl-CoA and glutaryl-CoA are important intermediates in metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, amino acid and lipid metabolism. These short-chain acyl-CoAs serve as substrates for corresponding acidic lysine acylation reactions. However, the landscape of these acyl-CoAs dependent acidic lysine acylomes remains unclear.MethodsWe used the high-affinity antibody enrichment combined with high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis to systematically investigate the global proteomic characteristics of the three acidic lysine acylations in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Subsequently, we employed in vitro enzymatic assays to validate the functional impact of acylated substrates, adenylate kinase and proteasome-associated ATPase. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of overexpressing these two substrates on the in vitro growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis, its invasion of THP-1 cells, and the influence on inflammatory cytokines.ResultsWe systematically investigated the global substrate characterization of 1,703 lysine malonylated sites, 5,320 lysine succinylated sites and 269 lysine glutarylated sites in the non-pathogenic model strain Mycobacterium smegmatis. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated a correlation between these acidic lysine acylations and the functional roles of ribosomes, in addition to their roles in various metabolic pathways. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of lysine acylations on the functional activity of adenylate kinase and proteasome-associated ATPase, as well as their roles in mycobacterial infection process.DiscussionCollectively, our study provided an important resource on substrate characterization and functional regulation of acidic lysine acylations in Mycobacterium smegmatis, giving valuable insights into their interrelation with the biology of infectious process.
STAFNet: an adaptive multi-feature learning network via spatiotemporal fusion for EEG-based emotion recognition
Authors: Hu Fo , He Kailun , Qian Mengyuan , Liu Xiaofeng , Qiao Zukang , Zhang Lekai , Xiong Junlong 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionEmotion recognition using electroencephalography (EEG) is a key aspect of brain-computer interface research. Achieving precision requires effectively extracting and integrating both spatial and temporal features. However, many studies focus on a single dimension, neglecting the interplay and complementarity of multi-feature information, and the importance of fully integrating spatial and temporal dynamics to enhance performance.MethodsWe propose the Spatiotemporal Adaptive Fusion Network (STAFNet), a novel framework combining adaptive graph convolution and temporal transformers to enhance the accuracy and robustness of EEG-based emotion recognition. The model includes an adaptive graph convolutional module to capture brain connectivity patterns through spatial dynamic evolution and a multi-structured transformer fusion module to integrate latent correlations between spatial and temporal features for emotion classification.ResultsExtensive experiments were conducted on the SEED and SEED-IV datasets to evaluate the performance of STAFNet. The model achieved accuracies of 97.89% and 93.64%, respectively, outperforming state-of-the-art methods. Interpretability analyses, including confusion matrices and t-SNE visualizations, were employed to examine the influence of different emotions on the model's recognition performance. Furthermore, an investigation of varying GCN layer depths demonstrated that STAFNet effectively mitigates the over-smoothing issue in deeper GCN architectures.DiscussionIn summary, the findings validate the effectiveness of STAFNet in EEG-based emotion recognition. The results emphasize the critical role of spatiotemporal feature extraction and introduce an innovative framework for feature fusion, advancing the state of the art in emotion recognition.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and its determinants among adult cancer patients on chemotherapy in northwest Ethiopia oncology centers, 2022
Authors: Habtie Tesfaye Engdaw , Abate Melsew Dagne , Abebe Gebremeskel Kibret , Wolie Zenaw Tessema , Alamaw Addis Wondmagegn , Mitiku Haymanot Zeleke 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionPeripheral neuropathy is a nerve disorder that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in different parts of the body. It is a major and common clinical problem associated with several chemotherapeutic medications frequently used in cancer treatment, with prevalence rates ranging from 19% to 85%. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is a lack of data on the magnitude and determinants of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in Ethiopia.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the magnitude and associated factors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy among adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in northwest Ethiopia oncology centers in 2022.MethodAn institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 406 eligible adult cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in northwest Ethiopia oncology centers, between May and July 2022.ResultsOut of 406 adult cancer patients included in the study, 54.4% had peripheral neuropathy. The stage of cancer (AOR = 4.36 [95% CI: 1.76; 10.8]), comorbidity (AOR = 2.74 [95% CI: 1.28; 5.83]), drug regimen (AOR = 2.99 [95% CI: 1.36; 6.54]), and cycle of therapy (AOR = 4.00 [CI: 1.67; 9.65]) were significantly associated with the magnitude of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.ConclusionChemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common adverse event among Ethiopian cancer patients treated with various chemotherapeutic drugs. Therefore, it is necessary to establish more effective diagnostic methods and incorporate validated assessment tools, such as the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer tools, either alone or in combination with other clinical instruments, into the routine evaluation of all patients receiving chemotherapeutic drug.
Burkitt lymphoma after adult liver transplantation: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zhang Ji , Chen Qing , Zhang Shuhua 
Published: December 2024

Preface and importanceBurkitt’s lymphoma (BL) is a relatively rare post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), and there is currently limited research on the occurrence of BL following adult liver transplantation.Case introductionWe report a 45-year-old male who developed BL that rapidly progressed at seven years after left liver transplantation. The patient eventually abandoned treatment due to severe clinical complications.Clinical discussionBL is a highly invasive B-cell-derived non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with fast progression and easy involvement of the central nervous system. The current case had sporadic BL with atypical site of onset. After analysis, the investigators considered the possible development of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in the later stage of hospitalization, which is a more serious complication of BL. There is currently no unified treatment plan for adult BL.ConclusionBL is a relatively rare complication after liver transplantation, and its early detection and treatment are crucial. For advanced BL, attention should be given in preventing the occurrence of TLS. Further research and exploration are needed to determine the optimal treatment plan for adult BL.
PRIO – a prospective integrative oncology registry: trial protocol
Authors: Werthmann Paul G. , Lederer Ann-Kathrin , Figura Hannah Maja , Kramer Klaus 
Published: December 2024

BackgroundIntegrative Oncology (IO) – the use of lifestyle modifications, mind-body practices and natural products in oncology – is increasingly asked for by patients. The evidence base of IO is growing and IO measures are included in national guidelines. Still, many questions about IO remain unanswered or still show a poor evidence base.MethodData about demography, socioeconomic status, cancer disease and therapy, integrative oncology measures and patient reported outcomes will be collected in regular visits in oncological patients at the University Cancer Center Ulm, Germany. An expansion to further study centers is planned. After one year and at regular intervals, the registry will be evaluated and adapted accordingly.DiscussionThe PRIO registry builds a solid data base to evaluate the use of integrative oncology measures in cancer patients. It includes patient reported outcome measures to investigate quality of life and satisfaction with health services in this population. The registry aims to enhance transparency in IO use and wants to inform future research in IO. The trial has been registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS) under the ID DRKS00033250 and in the studyBox of the German Cancer Association under the ID ST-U173 on 18th December 2023. The trial was approved by the ethics committee of the University Medical Center Ulm under the number 375/23 on 7th December 2023.
Development and validation of a preoperative model for predicting positive proximal margins in adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and assessing safe margin distance
Authors: Guo Zhenjiang , Wang Ning , Zhao Guangyuan , Du Liqiang , Cui Zhaobo , Liu Fangzhen 
Published: December 2024

ObjectiveTo develop and validate a model for preoperative prediction of positive proximal margins for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) by transabdominal approach, and to analyze the safe margin distances for patients with different risks of positive proximal margins.Materials and methodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 284 AEG patients who underwent surgery via the transabdominal approach at Hengshui People’s Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023. Patients were divided into a training set (n=201, first five years) and a test set (n=83, last two years). Clinicopathologic factors potentially influencing margin status were collected. The synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) was applied to address class imbalance in the training set. Two nomogram models were developed: one based on the original training set and the other using the SMOTE dataset. The model’s performance was compared using the test set, with the area under the curve (AUC) used to evaluate discrimination and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test used for model fit. The best-performing model was used to calculate total scores for the entire cohort, and the optimal cutoff value was determined via the ROC curve. Patients were classified into low- and high-risk groups based on the total score, and optimal margin distances were determined using Youden’s index.ResultsThe model developed using the SMOTE dataset showed superior AUC for predicting positive proximal margins in the test set compared to the model based on the original training set (0.814 vs. 0.780). Independent predictors of positive proximal margins included Borrmann classification, Lauren classification, cT stage, tumor differentiation, and Siewert classification. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed a good model fit (χ² = 5.397, P = 0.612). Using a cutoff total score of 206.811, patients were divided into low-risk (score &lt; 206.811) and high-risk (score ≥ 206.811) groups, with an AUC of 0.788. For the low-risk group, a proximal margin distance of 2.75 cm yielded an AUC of 0.824, with a sensitivity of 54.5%, specificity of 97.9%, and a Youden’s index of 0.524. For the high-risk group, a margin distance of 3.85 cm provided an AUC of 0.813, sensitivity of 73.1%, specificity of 80.0%, and a Youden’s index of 0.531.ConclusionsThe nomogram may offer a valuable preoperative tool for assessing the risk of positive proximal margins in AEG patients. While it holds the potential to inform surgical decision-making and help determine appropriate margin distances, further validation in larger and more diverse cohorts is needed to confirm its clinical utility.
Sex-specific associations of serum cotinine levels with depressive symptoms and sleep disorders in American adults: NHANES 2007-2014
Authors: Yang Hongguang , Liu Yao , Huang Zhenhe , Deng Guifang 
Published: December 2024

BackgroundAccumulating evidence have demonstrated that tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) causes damage to human mental issues. However, previous studies almost focus on the individual smoking exposure patterns and some inconsistent results are reported. Serum cotinine is a reliable and quantitative biomarker of TSE. This study aims to explore the association of serum cotinine with depression and sleep disorders and the potential gender differences.MethodsData from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2014 was used. Weighted multiple logistic regression methods, generalized additive models (GAM), and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used for association analyses. Moreover, gender-stratified analyses were conducted.ResultsOf 12,599 individuals included in the final analysis, 1,295 had depression, 3245 had trouble sleeping and 1152 had diagnostic sleep disorders. After adjusting for potential covariates, linear relationship suggested higher serum cotinine levels were positively associated with risk of depression and sleep disorders, including self-reported trouble sleeping and diagnostic sleep disorders in the total sample and female participants, and serum cotinine levels were positively correlated with depression and trouble sleeping in male participants. Additionally, inverted L-shaped associations between serum cotinine and depression and sleep disorders were detected, and at the same cotinine level, females have a higher risk of experiencing depression and sleep disorders.ConclusionsIn this study, higher serum cotinine increased the risk of depression and sleep disorders and there was stronger association in females than males. These findings provided novel evidence about how TSE affected the mental condition of the general US population.
Preserved learning of implicit regularities with predictive social cues in older adults
Authors: Salera Claudia , Yankouskaya Ala , Gazzaneo Maria Daniela , Bonavita Alessia , Pazzaglia Mariella , Guariglia Cecilia , Pecchinenda Anna 
Published: December 2024

IntroductionWith ageing there are changes in the ability to orient attention, which affect more endogenous than exogenous orienting. However, orienting attention by the gaze direction of others shares characteristics of both exogenous and endogenous attention and it is unclear how it is affected by ageing. Being able to orient attention by the gaze direction of others is important to establish successful social interactions (i.e., joint attention), and when gaze direction predicts where in the environment salient events occur, it helps to successfully navigate the environment.MethodsHere we investigated whether older individuals learn implicit regularities between the direction of eye gaze and a spatial location where salient events occur. We also assessed the association between orienting attention by the gaze of others and loneliness. Seventy older individuals completed the three-items UCLA loneliness scale and the gaze cueing task, in which gaze cues were non-predictive of target location (block 1), but unbeknownst to participants became predictive of the spatial location where the target appeared (block 2) and then, returned to being non-predictive (block 3).ResultsFindings clearly show that older individuals are less able to orient attention by non-predictive gaze cues, but they successfully learn from environmental regularities implemented with direction of eye gaze. This learning biases attention as it enhances the gaze cueing effect even when the regularities are not present. Importantly, gaze cueing was not affected by self-reported loneliness.DiscussionThese findings point to a training strategy to improve joint attention in older individuals.