bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The association between physical activity levels and quality of life in elderly lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hou Xijie , Lian Siqin , Liu Weichen , Li Ming , Ling Ying 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to investigate the association between physical activity(PA) levels and quality of life(QOL) in elderly lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods
208 elderly lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were recruited by convenient sampling at two tertiary A hospitals in Guangxi from October 2023 to March 2024. The Evaluation of PA Levels by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was conducted and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) was utilized to measure the QOL. Multiple linear regression was used to identify factors correlated with QOL.
Results
Out of 208 elderly patients with lung cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy, 119 (57.20%) had low-level PA, 79 (38.00%) had moderate-level PA, and 10 (4.80%) had high-level PA. The mean score of FACT-L was 95.41 ± 15.01, and FACT-L was correlated with age, residency, education level, and per capita monthly household income (p < 0.05). Moderate to high PA levels explained 19.4% of the variation in QOL among elderly patients undergoing chemotherapy for lung cancer.
Conclusion
Elderly lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy exhibited lower levels of PA. The increase in PA levels was associated with better QOL. Treatment options for elderly lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy may involve PA plans to boost their QOL. It's vital to evaluate the patient's physical condition and functional level when creating these plans to ensure safety and effectiveness, thereby increasing patient engagement and maximizing enhancements in their QOL.
PRP infusion for persistent thin endometrium in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles: when should we start?
Authors: Hou Zhijin , Ren Yuan , Liang Yu , Ye Lin , Wu Tianrui , Yang Man , Jiang Fangjie , Meng Yushi 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
A thin endometrium often leads to the failure of assisted reproduction. Improving endometrial thickness and clinical outcomes in these patients is a significant challenge in reproductive medicine. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) intrauterine infusion is commonly used to treat thin endometrium. However, due to limited clinical research, the optimal timing, benefits for endometrial growth, and appropriate frequency and intervals of PRP infusion remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the optimal timing for the first intrauterine infusion of PRP in the FET cycle of patients with a thin endometrium?
Methods
The authors retrospectively analyzed 61 FET cycles involving the patients had endometrial thickness less than 7mm in the prior FET cycle between June 2023 to December 2023. A total of 61 patients were categorized into three groups: Group 1 received the first PRP infusion of on the ≤ 13th day of the FET cycle (n = 27); Group 2 received the first PRP infusion after the > 13th day of the FET cycle (n = 21).; and the control group (n = 13).
Results
After PRP treatment, compared to the control, the group1 showed greater increases in endometrial thickness, blood flow and a higher rate of β-hCG positivity; the group 2 showed greater degree of endometrial thickening. Compared to the group 2, the group1 showed higher increases in the depth of uterine artery blood flow and higher rate of β-hCG positivity.
Conclusions
Completing the first treatment between days 10–13 of the FET cycle had a more significant effect on increasing endometrial thickness, blood flow and pregnancy outcomes in patients with thin endometrium.
Experimental Study of Oxy-fuel Combustion and Emission Characteristics using a 10 kWth Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustor
Authors: Kim Dong Won , Lee Jong Min , Lee Gyu Hwa , Park Kyoung Il 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Pressurized oxy-fuel combustion (POFC) is a promising carbon capture and storage technology because of its ability for efficient CO2 capture and storage at a relatively low cost. However, the experimental studies conducted on this technology considering pressurized conditions are limited compared with those conducted considering atmospheric conditions. Thus, further investigation on the performance and environmental emissions of oxy-fuel combustion is necessary. In this study, oxy-fuel combustion experiments were conducted using a 10 kWth fluidized bed combustion (FBC) test rig at pressures ranging from 3 to 8 bar(g). The effects of combustion pressure, oxygen concentration, and cofiring with different fuels on combustion temperature, unburned carbon, combustion efficiency, as well as SOx and NOx emissions were examined. The experimental results showed that the CO2 concentration in the flue gas exceeds 90% in all POFC scenarios, thus facilitating the carbon capture process. Additionally, by increasing the combustion pressure, the unburned carbon and CO concentrations in the fly ash are reduced, thereby improving combustion efficiency. Furthermore, the variations in NO, NO2, N2O, and SO2 emissions were measured to assess their environmental impact. Moreover, cofiring tests using biomass under pressurized oxy-fuel conditions (5 bar(g), 30% O2:70% CO2) showed that POFC in a fluidized bed is environmentally friendlier and more efficient for energy production when burning a mixture of coal and biomass than other combustion methods.
Molecular and clinical characterization of a founder mutation causing G6PC3 deficiency
Authors: Zhen Xin , Betti Michael , Kars Meltem Ece , Patterson Andrew , Medina-Torres Edgar Alejandro , Mendoza Selma Cecilia Scheffler , Sánchez Diana Andrea Herrera , Lopez-Herrera Gabriela , Svyryd Yevgeniya , Mutchinick Osvaldo , Gamazon Eric , Rathmell Jeffrey , Itan Yuval , Markle Janet , Romanillos Patricia O’Farrill , Lugo-Reyes Saul Oswaldo , Martinez-Barricarte Ruben 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

G6PC3 deficiency is a monogenic immunometabolic disorder that causes syndromic congenital neutropenia. Patients display heterogeneous extra-hematological manifestations, contributing to delayed diagnosis. Here, we investigated the origin and functional consequence of the G6PC3 c.210delC variant found in patients of Mexican origin. Based on the shared haplotypes amongst carriers of the c.210delC mutation, we estimated that this variant originated from a founder effect in a common ancestor. Furthermore, by ancestry analysis, we concluded that it originated in the indigenous Mexican population. At the protein level, we showed that this frameshift mutation leads to an aberrant protein expression in overexpression and patient-derived cells. G6PC3 pathology is driven by the intracellular accumulation of the metabolite 1,5-anhydroglucitol-6-phosphate (1,5-AG6P) that inhibits glycolysis. We characterized how the variant c.210delC impacts glycolysis by performing extracellular flux assays on patient-derived cells. When treated with 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG), the precursor to 1,5-AG6P, patient-derived cells exhibited markedly reduced engagement of glycolysis. Finally, we compared the clinical presentation of patients with the mutation c.210delC and all other G6PC3 deficient patients reported in the literature to date, and we found that c.210delC carriers display all prominent clinical features observed in prior G6PC3 deficient patients. In conclusion, G6PC3 c.210delC is a loss-of-function mutation that arose from a founder effect in the indigenous Mexican population. These findings may facilitate the diagnosis of additional patients in this geographical area. Moreover, the in vitro 1,5-AG-dependent functional assay used in our study could be employed to assess the pathogenicity of additional G6PC3 variants.
An integrated multi-omics analysis identifies novel regulators of circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions induced by changed photoperiod in Antarctica
Authors: Xu Chengli , Liu Shiying , Wang Jianan , Tian Xuan , Zhang Zhigang , Wang Liping , Xiong Yanlei , Liu Xinyuan , Xie Yalei , Wu Xiaopei 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Light is a dominant zeitgeber for biological clocks, and its regulatory mechanism for sleep-wake activity has been extensively studied. However, the molecular pathways through which the Antarctic unique photoperiod, i.e. polar days in summer and polar nights in winter, affects human sleep and circadian rhythm remain largely unidentified, despite previous studies have observed delayed circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions of expeditioners during polar nights. In this study, we conducted comprehensive dynamic research of the expeditioners during their residence in Antarctica for over one year. By integrating the phenotypic changes with multi-omics data, we tried to identify the novel candidate regulators and their correlation networks involved in circadian and sleep disorders under the extreme photoperiod. We found that during the austral winter, expeditioners exhibited delayed bedtime and get up time, reduced sleep efficiency, and increased sleep fragmentation. Meanwhile, serum dopamine metabolite levels significantly increased, while serotonin metabolites and antioxidants decreased. These changes were accompanied by altered expression of genes and proteins associated with neural functions, cellular activities, transcriptional regulation, and so on. Through the correlation and causal mediation analysis, we identified several potential pathways modulating human sleep-wake activity, involving genes and proteins related to neural function, glucose metabolism, and extracellular matrix homeostasis, as well as some lncRNAs. Based on the identified causal mediators, LASSO regression analysis further revealed a novel candidate gene, Shisa Family Member 8 (SHISA8), as a potential key regulatory hub in this process. These findings shed light on the probable molecular mechanisms of sleep disorders in Antarctica and suggested SHISA8 as a novel candidate target for the medical intervention of sleep disorders under changed light-dark cycle.
A study of the mediating effect of daily mobility between heart disease and depressive symptoms in older women and its potential profile analysis
Authors: LIN Lu , HE Pingping , OUYANG Wentao , QIU Xiaohui , QIU Sihui , CHEN Jiangping 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
To explore the mediating effect of daily activity ability between heart disease and depressive symptoms in elderly women, and to analyze the potential categories of daily activity ability in elderly women in China, so as to provide a reference basis for preventing and intervening in the development of depressive symptoms in elderly women.
Methods
Using the 2020 CHARLS data, stepwise regression analysis and Bootstrap mediation test were used to analyze the mediating effect of daily activity capacity between heart disease and depressive symptoms in elderly women, and latent category approach was used to identify the categories of daily activity capacity in elderly women in China.
Results
Three thousand seven hundred and ninety-three elderly women were included, with a prevalence of heart disease of 30.13% and a detection rate of depressive symptoms of 49.27%.Spearman's correlation analyses showed a positive correlation between the prevalence of heart disease and impaired ability to perform activities of daily living (r=0.157, P < 0.01), and between the prevalence of heart disease and depressive symptoms (r=0.108, P < 0.01), and ability to perform daily living activities impaired was positively associated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.321, P < 0.01). The results of the mediation effect test showed that ability to perform daily activities partially mediated the relationship between heart disease and depressive symptoms, with a mediation effect value of 0.0401 for ability to perform daily activities on depressive symptoms, and a mediation effect of 29.55% of the total effect. Potential profiles were categorized into 2 groups, the no impairment group (91.4%) and the impairment group (8.6%).
Conclusion
The types of daily activity ability of elderly women in China are heterogeneous and can be categorized into 2 types. Heart disease can have a certain impact on the depression symptoms of elderly women through daily activity ability, and comprehensive interventions should be taken to improve the heart health of elderly women, reduce the prevalence of heart disease, and improve the daily activity ability of elderly women, thereby preventing the occurrence of depression symptoms in elderly women.
Effects of the duration of a low-temperature pretreatment and hormone concentrations on anther cultures and the regeneration of awnless triticale
Authors: Ma Jun , Zhao Fangyuan , Tian Xinhui , Du Wenhua 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Compared to traditional breeding methods, anther culture method is an effective method for quickly obtaining homozygotes within one generation. The method of cultivating double haploid plants with the anthers of awnless triticale was studied and optimized. Results Young awnless triticale spikes were pretreated at 4°C for 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25 days, and the anthers were cultured on four CHB media with varying hormone concentrations. The callus induction rate (CIR) was highest (28.54%) for A3B3 (anthers pretreated for 15 days and CHB medium containing 1.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 1.5 mg/L KT). The green plantlet differentiation frequency (DFG) was highest (30.20%) for A5B1 (25-days pretreatment and CHB medium containing 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L KT). The green plantlet production (PPG) was highest (7.98%) for A2B1 (10-days + 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D + 0.5 mg/L KT). The success rate of chromosome doubling for the regenerated green plantlets was 52.8%. Appropriately decreasing the chromosome doubling time may increase the survival rate of the regenerated plants. Ten of the nineteen doubled haploid plants had tip and side awns shorter than 5 mm, implying they may be used for cultivating awnless triticale. Conclusion The anther culture technology of triticale was optimized in this paper, which made it possible to rapidly breed homozygous varieties of awnless triticale, and also accelerated the breeding program of new varieties of awnless triticale.
Pattern of Endoscopic Diagnoses in Patients with Dyspepsia in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria: A Three-Year Hospital based Retrospective Study
Authors: Ajayi Nnennaya Anthony , Obasi Emmanuel , Picardo Neri Gustavo 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background
Dyspepsia refers to a heterogeneous group of symptoms (pain or discomfort) originating from the upper abdomen and may include epigastric pain, postprandial fullness, early satiation, anorexia, belching, nausea, vomiting, upper abdominal bloating, and heartburn and regurgitation. It is very common, and may be associated with serious morbidity and occasionally mortality. It may also adversely affect the socioeconomic status of the sufferer. This study examined patients with dyspepsia and determined their common endoscopic diagnoses, risk factors and comorbidities.
Methods
This was a hospital-based Retrospective study carried out at the gastroenterology and hepatology unit of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria. Case notes and endoscopic records of patients who had endoscopy for dyspepsia between October 2018 and October 2020 were reviewed and information relating to demographics, dyspeptic symptoms, risk factors, comorbidities and endoscopic diagnoses were extracted.
Results
A total of 278 patients were studied with age range between 17 to 98 years. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 48.4 (15.6) years. There were more females than males 148 (53.2%) vs 130 (46.8%). The commonest symptom and associated risk factor in the subjects were epigastric pain 207(74.5%) and Helicobacter pylori infection 113 (40.6%) respectively. Other identified risk factors were use of NSAIDs 50 (18%), Alcohol 37 (13.3%) and herbal remedies 28 (10.1%). The commonest endoscopic diagnosis was gastritis 94 (33.8%) followed by normal findings 42 (15.1%) and GERD 37 (13.3%).
Conclusions
The commonest endoscopic finding in dyspepsia from this study was gastritis followed by normal findings. Thus, non-ulcer dyspepsias are the commonest cause of dyspepsia in the environment studied.
ST-TNet:An Spatio-temporal Joint Transformer Network for CSI Feedback in FDD-MIMO Systems
Authors: wang Linyu , cao Yize , xiang jian hong , Jiang Hanyu , zhong Yu 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

In recent years, deep learning methods have been shown to have strong potential and superiority in reducing channel state information (CSI) feedback overhead and further improving feedback accuracy to maximize the performance benefits of massive MIMO in frequency division duplex (FDD) mode. As the CSI matrices are transformed into sequences for input to the Transformer model, the rearrangement leads to the loss of the original physical location relationships. Based on this problem, this paper proposes a transformer decoder based on spatio-temporal joint (ST-T). We employ a spatial attention mechanism to compensate for this information loss and focus on key spatial features more accurately, further exploiting the potential of single- and two-layer transformers in reconstructing CSI matrices. The results are validated by simulations based on DCRNet and CLNet encoders, which show that higher performance can be achieved with lower computational load compared to other lightweight models.
Immunoexpression of Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) and Soluble FMS-like Tyrosine Kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in the Placental Bed of Preeclamptic women of African ancestry living with HIV infection
Authors: Mlambo Zinhle P , Sebitloane Motshedisi , Naicker Thajasvarie 
Published: July 2024

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication, is associated with defective placentation and adverse maternal risk. Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) are pivotal in placental development and are dysregulated in preeclampsia. Women with HIV/AIDS and receiving ART may face an increased susceptibility to preeclampsia development due to immunological and angiogenic imbalance. This study utilizes morphometric image analysis to investigate the immuno-expression of PlGF and sFlt-1 in HIV-associated preeclampsia, providing insight into its underlying aetiology.
Methods: Normotensive (N; n = 60) and preeclamptic (PE; n = 120) women were stratified by HIV status (HIV- and HIV+), and gestational age i.e. early onset of PE (EOPE; <34 weeks) and late onset of PE (LOPE; ≥34 weeks). Placental bed tissues were stained using conventional immunohistochemistry with mouse anti-human sFlt-1 and PlGF antibodies. Morphometric image analysis was performed using Zeiss Axio-Vision software. Results were analyzed using a Graph Pad Prism software.
Results: sFlt-1 immunoreactivity showed no significant difference between preeclamptic and normotensive women (p=0.8661) but was slightly increased within the preeclamptic myometrium (20.83 ±3.134) compared to normotensive (20.67 ±3.188), irrespective of HIV status. Significant differences in sFlt-1 were noted when stratified by gestational age (p<0.0001), with higher levels in EOPE (22.27 ±2.707) compared to normotensive (20.67 ±3.188; p=0.0140) and LOPE (19.39 ±2.880; p=0.0054). PlGF immunostaining showed no significant difference overall (p=0.7387) but was decreased in PE (20.58 ±3.624) compared to normotensive (20.82 ±3.165) pregnancies. PlGF was significant increase in EOPE (21.79 ±3.54) compared to LOPE (19.37 ±3.312; p=0.0013) groups. HIV status did not significantly affect sFlt-1 or PlGF levels. Nonetheless, sFlt-1 was higher in HIV-negative (21.17 ±2.982) compared to HIV-positive (20.60 ±2.671; p=0.1411) women, and PlGF was slightly higher in HIV-positive women (20.93 ±3.827) compared to HIV-negative (20.40 ±3.072; p=0.3042).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the intricate interplay of angiogenic factors in the pathophysiology of PE, suggesting potential implications for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Despite, sFlt-1 being up-regulated by gestational age, ARTs may be implicated in the dysregulation of these angiogenic factors due to a heightened immune milieu.
Prediction of geogenic source of groundwater fluoride contamination in Indian states: A comparative study of different supervised machine learning algorithms
Authors: Singh Garima , Mehta Shikha 
Published: July 2024

ABSTRACTIndia has been dealing with fluoride contamination of groundwater for the past few decades. Long-term exposure of fluoride can cause skeletal and dental fluorosis. Therefore, an in-depth exploration of fluoride concentrations in different parts of India is desirable. This work employs machine learning algorithms to analyze the fluoride concentrations in five major affected Indian states (Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal). A correlation matrix was used to identify appropriate predictor variables for fluoride prediction. The various algorithms used for predictions included K-nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), support vector classifier (SVC), Gaussian NB, MLP classifier, decision tree classifier, gradient boosting classifier, voting classifier soft and voting classifier hard. The performance of these models is assessed over accuracy, precision, recall and error rate and receiver operating curve. As the dataset was skewed, the performance of models was evaluated before and after resampling. Analysis of results indicates that the RF model is the best model for predicting fluoride contamination in groundwater in Indian states.
Adherence of Polystyrene Microspheres on Cave Sediment: Implications for Organic Contaminants and Microplastics in Karst Systems
Authors: Riddell Jill L. , Vesper Dorothy J. , Mcdonald Louis M. 
Published: July 2024

Abstract
Interactions of karst aquifer sediments with organic contaminants or microplastics (MPs) have received relatively little attention even though the susceptibility of karst aquifers to contamination and their ability to store and transport sediment are well documented. Studies using polystyrene microspheres as surrogate tracers for bacteria transport in karst systems have generally observed low recovery of microspheres and attributed this to microsphere adsorption onto aquifer sediments. In addition to being used as surrogate tracers for bacteria, microspheres have the potential to be used as surrogate material for organic contaminants and MPs. Using cave sediments as a proxy for karst aquifer sediments, the adherence of two types of microspheres (carboxylated and non-functionalized) was measured in three different types of solutions: deionized water (DI), a calcium carbonate solution, and a karst spring water. Both types of microspheres adhered to the sediments; the most influential factor in adherence was solution type not microsphere type. Average adherence ranged from 51 to 94 percent with average adsorption coefficients (KD) ranging 11.8–442. Average estimated organic carbon–water partition coefficients (KOC) and retardation factors (RF) ranged from 1.64 × 103 to 6.13 × 104 and from 6.20 × 101 to 2.29 × 103, respectively. KD, KOC, and RF were an order of magnitude higher in the karst water than in DI or CaCO3 solution. The results illustrate the importance of sediment interactions with potential organic or MP contaminants in karst systems.