bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Taurine is essential for mouse uterine luminal fluid resorption during implantation window via the SCNN1A and AQP8 signaling
Authors: Zhou Yewen , Pei Shaona , Qiu Guobin , Zhang Jinglin , Guo Hongzhou , Cui Sheng , Liu Zongping , Zhang Di 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Uterine fluid homeostasis during peri-implantation is crucial for successful embryo implantation. Taurine (Tau) plays a crucial role in regulating osmotic pressure and ion transport. However, the precise mechanisms underlying Tau-mediated regulation of uterine fluid homeostasis during peri-implantation in mice remain unclear. In this study, we generated a Tau-deficient mouse model by administering Tau-free diet to Csad knockout (Csad−/−) mice to block endogenous Tau synthesis and exogenous Tau absorption (Csad−/−-Tau free). Our findings demonstrated that Csad−/−-Tau free mice with diminished level of Tau exhibited decreased rates of embryo implantation and impaired fertility. Further analysis revealed that the expression of Scnn1a was down-regulated during the implantation window, while Aqp8 was upregulated in Csad−/−-Tau free mice, leading to uterine luminal fluid retention and defects in luminal closure, resulting in failed embryo implantation. Additionally, it was also found that E2 inhibited uterine Csad expression and Tau synthesis, while P4 promoted them. Therefore, our findings suggest that ovarian steroid hormones regulate Csad expression and Tau synthesis, thereby affecting release and resorption of uterine luminal fluid, ultimately impacting embryo implantation success.
Changepoint detection on daily home activity pattern: a sliced Poisson process method
Authors: Martínez-Hernández Israel , Killick Rebecca 
Published: October 2024

ABSTRACT
The problem of health and care of people is being revolutionized. An important component of that revolution is disease prevention and health improvement from home. A natural approach to the health problem is monitoring changes in people’s behavior or activities. These changes can be indicators of potential health problems. However, due to a person’s daily pattern, changes will be observed throughout each day, with, eg, an increase of events around meal times and fewer events during the night. We do not wish to detect such within-day changes but rather changes in the daily behavior pattern from one day to the next. To this end, we assume the set of event times within a given day as a single observation. We model this observation as the realization of an inhomogeneous Poisson process where the rate function can vary with the time of day. Then, we propose to detect changes in the sequence of inhomogeneous Poisson processes. This approach is appropriate for many phenomena, particularly for home activity data. Our methodology is evaluated on simulated data. Overall, our approach uses local change information to detect changes across days. At the same time, it allows us to visualize and interpret the results, changes, and trends over time, allowing the detection of potential health decline.
Is seborrhoeic dermatitis of infancy and childhood related to maternal history of seborrhoeic dermatitis? A large population-based cohort study from the UK
Authors: Chiesa Fuxench Zelma C , Mitra Nandita , Grice Elizabeth , Hoffstad Ole , Margolis David J 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
The pathophysiology of seborrhoeic dermatitis (SebD) is complex and is likely to be related to an interplay of the microbial colonization of the skin and local immunity. There are also genetic components to the illness. At least two forms of SebD exist, infantile (ISebD), which has onset early in life, and SebD with later onset.

Objectives
We aimed to improve our understanding of SebD by evaluating whether maternal history of SebD is associated with increased risk of ISebD or childhood-onset SebD (CSebD, with onset after 5 years of life).

Methods
We performed a prospective cohort study of mother–child pairs using data from a large UK primary care electronic medical records database.

Results
We analysed 1 023 140 children with linked maternal data. The mean (SD) time of follow-up for the children was 10.2 (7.9) years for a total follow-up of more than 10 million person-years. Proportional hazards models [HRs (95% confidence intervals)] were used to examine the association between presence of SebD in mothers and SebD in the child. Maternal history of SebD was associated with development of SebD [1.99 (1.91–2.09)], ISebD [1.86 (1.74–1.99)] and CSebD [2.12 (1.97–2.29)] in their children. However, ISebD in a child was not associated with that child later developing CSebD [0.91 (0.82–1.01)].

Conclusions
Maternal history of SebD is a risk factor for the development of SebD in children. While we cannot fully differentiate SebD risk due to mother’s genetics (inheritance) from a newborn’s environment, our results lend credence to the possible role of genetics in SebD. A child with ISebD does not appear to be at risk for developing CSebD.
Diagnostic accuracy of MRI for detecting nerve injury in brachial plexus birth injury
Authors: Brooks James , Hardie Claire , Wade Ryckie , Teh Irvin , Bourke Grainne 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objectives
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for diagnosing nerve injury in brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI).

Methods
Electronic databases were searched from inception to February 15, 2023 for studies reporting the accuracy of MRI (index test) compared to surgical exploration (reference standard) in detecting the target conditions of: root avulsion, any nerve abnormality, and pseudomeningocele (as a marker of root avulsion) in children with BPBI. Meta-analysis using a bivariate model was performed where data allowed.

Results
Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. In total, 116 children with BPBI were included. All included studies were at risk of bias. The mean sensitivity and mean specificity of MRI for detecting root avulsion was 68% (95% CI: 55%, 79%) and 89% (95% CI: 78%, 95%), respectively. Pseudomeningocele was not a reliable marker of avulsion. Data were too sparse to determine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for any nerve abnormality.

Conclusions
At present, surgical exploration should remain as the diagnostic modality of choice for BPBI due to the modest diagnostic accuracy of MRI in detecting root avulsion. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI needs to be close to 100% as the results may determine whether a child undergoes invasive surgery.

Advances in knowledge
Previous research regarding MRI in detecting BPBI is highly variable and prior to our study the overall diagnostic accuracy was unclear. Through conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis, we were able to reliably determine the overall sensitivity and specificity of MRI for detecting root avulsion.
Deuterated-alkylation reagents based on sulfonium salts as cation and radical sources
Authors: Ban Kazuho , Tokunaga Jin , Yoshimura Sota , Akai Shuji , Sawama Yoshinari 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The replacement of C–H bonds with more stable C–D bonds at the α-position of heteroatoms, which is the typical metabolic site for cytochrome P450, is important in drug discovery. Recently, we have developed dn (deuterated)-alkylated sulfonium salts (1a-dn), which were easily prepared by deuteration (H/D exchange reaction) with D2O of the corresponding alkyl diphenylsulfonium salts (1a), as electrophilic dn-alkylating reagents (cation sources). Herein, we newly report an improved preparation method of 1a and one-pot synthesis of dn-alkylated compounds via the deuteration of 1a with D2O and the subsequent nucleophilic substitution under basic conditions. Additionally, dn-alkyl thianthrenium salts (1b-dn) were also found to work as dn-alkylating reagents (cation sources). Furthermore, 1b-dn served as radical sources under photo-induced reaction conditions with Ir photocatalyst, Hantzsch ester, or triphenylamine to obtain various regioselectively deuterium-incorporated alkyl compounds. These dn-alkylating reagents will contribute to advance the drug discovery.
Diagnostic accuracy of saliva-based testing as a Vibrio cholerae surveillance tool among naturally infected patients
Authors: Chisenga Caroline C , Phiri Bernard , Ng’ombe Harriet , Muchimba Mutinta , Liswaniso Fraser , Bernshtein Biana , Cunningham Adam F , Sack David , Bosomprah Samuel 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Saliva, as a diagnostic medium, offers a promising alternative to blood by virtue of its non-invasive collection, which enhances patient compliance, especially in paediatric and geriatric populations. In this study, we assessed the utility of saliva as a non-invasive medium for measuring Vibrio cholerae-specific serum antibodies in naturally infected individuals. We tested paired serum and saliva samples obtained from a total of 63 patients with cholera enrolled in a cohort study. Vibriocidal antibodies assay (IgM/IgG) as markers for accurate determination was used to determine cholera-specific antibody levels. Using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, we found that the best cut-off that maximizes (sensitivity + specificity) is 10 titres. At this saliva titre, the sensitivity is 76.9% (95%CI: 60.9%, 87.7%) and specificity is 80.0% (95%CI: 56.6%, 92.5%). Using Spearman’s correlation coefficient, we also found evidence of a positive correlation between V. cholerae saliva and serum antibodies (rho = 0.66, P &lt; 0.001). In conclusion, saliva-based diagnostic cholera tests have high diagnostic accuracy and would be advantageous, cheaper, and quicker for early diagnosis of severe cholera outcomes.
Multi-scale spiking network model of human cerebral cortex
Authors: Pronold Jari , van Meegen Alexander , Shimoura Renan O , Vollenbröker Hannah , Senden Mario , Hilgetag Claus C , Bakker Rembrandt , van Albada Sacha J 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Although the structure of cortical networks provides the necessary substrate for their neuronal activity, the structure alone does not suffice to understand the activity. Leveraging the increasing availability of human data, we developed a multi-scale, spiking network model of human cortex to investigate the relationship between structure and dynamics. In this model, each area in one hemisphere of the Desikan–Killiany parcellation is represented by a $1\,\mathrm{mm^{2}}$ column with a layered structure. The model aggregates data across multiple modalities, including electron microscopy, electrophysiology, morphological reconstructions, and diffusion tensor imaging, into a coherent framework. It predicts activity on all scales from the single-neuron spiking activity to the area-level functional connectivity. We compared the model activity with human electrophysiological data and human resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. This comparison reveals that the model can reproduce aspects of both spiking statistics and fMRI correlations if the inter-areal connections are sufficiently strong. Furthermore, we study the propagation of a single-spike perturbation and macroscopic fluctuations through the network. The open-source model serves as an integrative platform for further refinements and future in silico studies of human cortical structure, dynamics, and function.
Machine Learning-Based Detection of Bladder Cancer by Urine cfDNA Fragmentation Hotspots that Capture Cancer-Associated Molecular Features
Authors: Meng Xiang-Yu , Zhou Xiong-Hui , Li Shuo , Shi Ming-Jun , Li Xuan-Hao , Yang Bo-Yu , Liu Min , Yi Ke-Zhen , Wang Yun-Ze , Zhang Hong-Yu , Song Jian , Wang Fu-Bing , Wang Xing-Huan 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
cfDNA fragmentomics-based liquid biopsy is a potential option for noninvasive bladder cancer (BLCA) detection that remains an unmet clinical need.

Methods
We assessed the diagnostic performance of cfDNA hotspot-driven machine-learning models in a cohort of 55 BLCA patients, 51 subjects with benign conditions, and 11 healthy volunteers. We further performed functional bioinformatics analysis for biological understanding and interpretation of the tool’s diagnostic capability.

Results
Urinary cfDNA hotspots-based machine-learning model enabled effective BLCA detection, achieving high performance (area under curve 0.96) and an 87% sensitivity at 100% specificity. It outperformed models using other cfDNA-derived features. In stage-stratified analysis, the sensitivity at 100% specificity of the urine hotspots-based model was 71% and 92% for early (low-grade Ta and T1) and advanced (high-grade T1 and muscle-invasive) disease, respectively. Biologically, cfDNA hotspots effectively retrieved regulatory elements and were correlated with the cell of origin. Urine cfDNA hotspots specifically captured BLCA-related molecular features, including key functional pathways, chromosome loci associated with BLCA risk as identified in genome-wide association studies, or presenting frequent somatic alterations in BLCA tumors, and the transcription factor regulatory landscape.

Conclusions
Our findings support the applicability of urine cfDNA fragmentation hotspots for noninvasive BLCA diagnosis, as well as for future translational study regarding its molecular pathology and heterogeneity.
Is metadata of articles about COVID-19 enough for multilabel topic classification task?
Authors: Xu Shuo , Zhang Yuefu , Chen Liang , An Xin 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The ever-increasing volume of COVID-19-related articles presents a significant challenge for the manual curation and multilabel topic classification of LitCovid. For this purpose, a novel multilabel topic classification framework is developed in this study, which considers both the correlation and imbalance of topic labels, while empowering the pretrained model. With the help of this framework, this study devotes to answering the following question: Do full texts, MeSH (Medical Subject Heading), and biological entities of articles about COVID-19 encode more discriminative information than metadata (title, abstract, keyword, and journal name)? From extensive experiments on our enriched version of the BC7-LitCovid corpus and Hallmarks of Cancer corpus, the following conclusions can be drawn. Our framework demonstrates superior performance and robustness. The metadata of scientific publications about COVID-19 carries valuable information for multilabel topic classification. Compared to biological entities, full texts and MeSH can further enhance the performance of our framework for multilabel topic classification, but the improved performance is very limited.
Database URL: https://github.com/pzczxs/Enriched-BC7-LitCovid
Measuring concern about smile appearance among adults
Authors: Silva Bianca Nubia Souza , Campos Lucas Arrais , Martins Bianca Gonzalez , Marôco João , Peltomäki Timo , Campos Juliana Alvares Duarte Bonini 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background/Objectives
To adapt and estimate the psychometric properties of Utrecht Questionnaire for esthetic outcome assessment in rhinoplasty (OAR) to assess concern about smile appearance and to estimate the influence of demographic characteristics on this concern in adults.

Material/Methods
This was a cross-sectional observational study. Individuals aged between 18 and 40 years participated in the study. The Portuguese version of OAR was adapted for smile assessment in dental practice and was named Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment of Smile Aesthetic (OA-Smile). Data validity was estimated using factorial validity [confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)—CFI, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), SRMR)] and convergent validity (average variance extracted). Reliability was assessed using the alpha ordinal coefficient (αordinal) and the omega coefficient (ω). A structural model was elaborated to assess the contribution of demographic characteristics to smile appearance concerns. Model fit was evaluated, and the z-test (α = 5%) was used to estimate the significance of the path estimates (β).

Results
2.523 subjects participated in the study [mean age = 32.86 (SD = 11.39) years, 68.1% female]. The factor model of orofacial appearance (OA)-Smile presented an adequate fit to the data [CFA: comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, SRMR ≤ 0.05]. Convergent validity (AVE ≥ 0.80) and reliability (αordinal and ω ≥ 0.85) were adequate. The structural model presented an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.974; TLI = 0.991 and SRMR = 0.053). Women, younger people, single people, people with lower income, people using dental prostheses, undergoing dental treatment, and those who do not like their smile were more concerned about their smile appearance.

Limitations
Nonprobability sampling, online data collection, and cross-sectional design are considered limitations of the study.

Conclusions/Implications
OA-Smile is a suitable scale to assess smile appearance concerns, and the data obtained with this scale were valid and reliable. Demographic characteristics should be considered when measuring concerns about smile appearance.
A caution on sibling comparisons in studying effects of the rearing environment
Authors: Engzell Per , Hällsten Martin 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Recent studies use sibling fixed effects to estimate the influence of the family environment on children, a practice we call the ‘discordant family design’. These studies suffer from a disconnect between the use of within-family variation, on the one hand, and relevant theories which mostly refer to variation between families on the other. In addition, reverse causality, within-family confounding, selection into identification, and measurement error complicate their interpretation further. We discuss three applied examples—the effects of parenting, family income, and neighbourhood context—and provide some general guidance. To avoid misinterpretation, researchers should have a strong grasp of the variance that enters into estimation, and not just the potential confounders a given strategy is designed to deal with.
Major clinical outcomes in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis
Authors: Karakasis Paschalis , Pamporis Konstantinos , Siontis Konstantinos C , Theofilis Panagiotis , Samaras Athanasios , Patoulias Dimitrios , Stachteas Panagiotis , Karagiannidis Efstratios , Stavropoulos George , Tzikas Apostolos , Kassimis George , Giannakoulas George , Karamitsos Theodoros , Katritsis Demosthenes G , Fragakis Nikolaos 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background and Aims
Current guidelines suggest that asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) is independently associated with increased risks of stroke and mortality compared with symptomatic AF. Considering that recent investigations have provided conflicting results, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between symptom status and clinical outcomes in patients with AF.

Methods
Medline, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched until 25 March 2024. Triple-independent study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed. Evidence was pooled using random-effects meta-analyses.

Results
Thirty-six studies (217 850 participants) were included. Based on the frequentist analysis, symptomatic individuals had no significant difference in the risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) .97, 95% confidence interval (CI) .80–1.17], cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.04, 95% CI .72–1.49), thromboembolism (HR 1.06, 95% CI .87–1.28), stroke (HR 1.06, 95% CI .84–1.34), hospitalization (HR 1.34, 95% CI .89–2.02), and myocardial infarction (HR .98, 95% CI .70–1.36), compared to the asymptomatic group. Symptomatic patients had a 33% increased risk of new-onset heart failure (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.19–1.49) and a 30% lower risk of progression to permanent AF (HR .70, 95% CI .54–.89). The Bayesian analysis yielded comparable results, yet the association between symptom status and new-onset heart failure was not significant (HR 1.27, 95% credible interval .76–1.93; Bayes factor = 1.2). Symptomatic patients had higher odds of receiving antiarrhythmic drugs (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% CI 1.33–2.03) and ablation therapy (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.06–2.05) compared to asymptomatic cases.

Conclusions
The risk of major clinical outcomes did not differ between individuals with and without AF-related symptoms. Asymptomatic patients had a greater hazard of progression to permanent AF.
Factors associated with patient activation in people with heart failure based on the individual and family self-management theory: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wei Shuangshuang , Zhou Yu , Shu Pan , Jiang Xiaolian 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Aims
Patient activation (PA) is crucial for effective self-management of people with heart failure (HF). Clarifying factors associated with PA might be important to develop interventions to promote PA. This study aimed to explore context factors associated with PA in people with HF.

Methods and results
Two hundred and sixty-eight patients were enrolled in a cross-sectional study (median age = 65 years). We surveyed variables based on context factors of the individual and family self-management theory, including demographic and disease factors, quality of chronic care, family function, and depression. Correlation analysis was conducted for data analysis, and path analysis was used to verify our hypothesis model about context factors and PA. The median PA score was 51.10. Path analysis showed that age, educational level, living arrangement, device therapy, quality of chronic care, family function, and depression were directly or indirectly related to PA. The quality of chronic care mediated the associations between device therapy and educational level and PA. Age, educational level, living arrangement, and quality of chronic care affected family function and then affected activation. Depression mediated the relationships between the quality of chronic care, educational level, family function, and PA.

Conclusion
This study increased the understanding of factors associated with PA in the HF population. When assessing PA in people with HF, those who are older, have a low educational level, and living alone need more attention from healthcare professionals. Interventions focusing on improving the quality of chronic care, family function, and depression might help activate people to practice self-management.