bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization combined with apatinib/camrelizumab for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatic arterioportal shunts
Authors: Ren Yanqiao , Sun Bo , Zhu Licheng , Chen Lei , Sun Tao , Dong Xiangjun , Zheng Chuansheng 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Objective
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of drug eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (D-TACE) combined with apatinib/camrelizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic arterioportal shunts (APSs).

Methods
From January 2021 to December 2022, the consecutive medical records of patients with advanced HCC and APS receiving D-TACE combined with apatinib/camrelizumab were reviewed for eligibility. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), tumour response, and adverse events (AEs) were assessed.

Results
A total of 23 patients were included in this study, with a median follow-up of 11 months (range, 2-26 months). Eight patients (34.8%) achieved partial response; 13 (56.5%), stable disease; and 2 (8.7%), progressive disease. The objective response and disease control rates were 34.8% and 91.3%, respectively. The OS and PFS rates were 11 and 7 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that the tumour number was an independent prognostic factor for PFS. AEs occurred in 19 patients after oral apatinib treatment and in 8 patients after camrelizumab treatment. No treatment-related death occurred during the study period.

Conclusions
D-TACE combined with apatinib/camrelizumab showed meaningful efficacy and controllable AEs in these patients, making it a promising treatment option.

Advances in knowledge
(1) We investigated a new treatment strategy for patients with advanced HCC and hepatic APS and (2) D-TACE combined with apatinib/camrelizumab demonstrated meaningful efficacy and manageable AEs, making it a promising treatment option.
Single-cell analysis reveals the implication of vascular endothelial cell-intrinsic ANGPT2 in human intracranial aneurysm
Authors: Yu Guo , Li Jia , Zhang Hongfei , Zi Huaxing , Liu Mingjian , An Qingzhu , Qiu Tianming , Li Peiliang , Song Jianping , Liu Peixi , Quan Kai , Li Sichen , Liu Yingjun , Zhu Wei , Du Jiulin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aims
While previous single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies have attempted to dissect intracranial aneurysm (IA), the primary molecular mechanism for IA pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we uncovered the alterations of cellular compositions, especially the transcriptome changes of vascular endothelial cells (ECs), in human IA.

Methods and results
We performed scRNA-seq to compare the cell atlas of sporadic IA and the control artery. The transcriptomes of 43 462 cells were profiled for further analysis. In general, IA had increased immune cells (T/NK cells, B cells, myeloid cells, mast cells, neutrophils) and fewer vascular cells (ECs, vascular smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts). Based on the obtained high-quantity and high-quality EC data, we found genes associated with angiogenesis in ECs from IA patients. By EC-specific expression of candidate genes in vivo, we observed the involvement of angpt2a in causing cerebral vascular abnormality. Furthermore, an IA zebrafish model mimicking the main features of human IA was generated through targeting pdgfrb gene, and knockdown of angpt2a alleviated the vascular dilation in the IA zebrafish model.

Conclusion
By performing a landscape view of the single-cell transcriptomes of IA and the control artery, we contribute to a deeper understanding of the cellular composition and the molecular changes of ECs in IA. The implication of angiogenic regulator ANGPT2 in IA formation and progression, provides a novel potential therapeutical target for IA interventions.
Optical coherence tomography assessment of the impact of colchicine on non-culprit coronary plaque composition after myocardial infarction
Authors: Psaltis Peter J , Nguyen Mau T , Singh Kuljit , Sinhal Ajay , Wong Dennis T L , Alcock Richard , Rajendran Sharmalar , Dautov Rustem , Barlis Peter , Patel Sanjay , Salagaras Thalia , Marathe Jessica A , Bursill Christina A , Montarello Nicholas J , Nidorf Stefan M , Thompson Peter L , Butters Julie , Cuthbert Alana R , Yelland Lisa N , Ottaway Juanita L , Kataoka Yu , Di Giovanni Giuseppe , Nicholls Stephen J 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Aims
Low-dose colchicine reduces the risk of cardiovascular events after myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of colchicine post-MI on coronary plaque morphology in non-culprit segments by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods and results
COCOMO-ACS was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that randomized 64 patients (median age 61.5 years; 9.4% female) with acute non-ST-segment elevation MI to colchicine 0.5 mg daily or placebo for a median of 17.8 months in addition to guideline-recommended therapy. Participants underwent serial OCT imaging within a matched segment of non-culprit coronary artery that contained at least one lipid-rich plaque causing ≥20% stenosis. The primary outcome was the change in minimum fibrous cap thickness (FCT) in non-culprit segments from baseline to final visit. Of those randomized, 57 (29 placebo, 28 colchicine) had evaluable imaging at baseline and follow-up. Overall, colchicine had no effect on relative (placebo +48.0 ± 35.1% vs. colchicine +62.4 ± 38.1%, P = 0.18) or absolute changes in minimum FCT (+29.2 ± 20.9 µm vs. + 37.2 ± 21.3 µm, P = 0.18), or change in maximum lipid arc (−38.8 ± 32.2° vs. −54.8 ± 46.9°, P = 0.18) throughout the imaged non-culprit segment. However, in patients assigned colchicine, cap rupture was less frequent (placebo 27.6% vs. colchicine 3.6%, P = 0.03). In post hoc analysis of 43 participants who had been followed for at least 16 months, minimum FCT increased to a greater extent in the colchicine group (placebo +38.7 ± 25.4% vs. colchicine +64.7 ± 34.1%, P = 0.005).

Conclusion
In this study, OCT failed to detect an effect of colchicine on the minimum FCT or maximum lipid arc of plaques in non-culprit segments post-MI. The post hoc observation that minimum FCT increased to a greater extent with colchicine after more prolonged treatment suggests that longer-term studies may be required to detect the effect of anti-inflammatory therapies on plaque morphology by OCT.

Clinical trial number
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Identifier, ACTRN12618000809235, registered on the 11 May 2018.
Case report: dyslipidaemia—dramatic increase in haemoglobin A1c following statin initiation
Authors: Chen Crystal B , Badri Marwan , Kelly Erik 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of hyperglycaemia and new-onset diabetes mellitus. The absolute increase in glycosylated haemoglobin (HgbA1c, a measure of average glucose level over the past three months) is typically small; dramatic and clinically relevant increases are rare.

Case summary
A 52-year-old man of South Indian descent with a history of hyperlipidaemia was started on rosuvastatin 40 mg daily for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He did not have a history of diabetes mellitus. He developed polyuria and weight loss within weeks of starting statin therapy. Laboratory assessment was notable for HgA1c of 12.4% and LDL cholesterol of 84 mg/dL. Rosuvastatin was discontinued. He was not started on antidiabetic therapy as there was suspicion that statin therapy was the culprit for his HgbA1c rise. He soon had symptom resolution, and follow-up HgA1c 3 months later was 5.5%. Two years later, patient presented to the hospital with an acute coronary syndrome. He was discharged on rosuvastatin 40 mg daily and developed polyuria 1 week later. Rosuvastatin was discontinued, and atorvastatin 40 mg daily was initiated. Antidiabetic therapy was not started. He had resolution of his symptoms; follow-up HgA1c was below the diabetes threshold.

Discussion
Statins are associated with a small increased risk of developing diabetes mellitus. The beneficial effects of statins on cardiovascular events typically outweigh any increased risk conferred by hyperglycaemia. While high-intensity statin therapy is routinely used as initial therapy for secondary prevention, we have no documentation explaining the choice of high-intensity statin for primary prevention in this case.
Mesalazine-induced myocarditis in a patient with ulcerative colitis: a case report
Authors: Littlewood Simon , Nikolou Evgenia , Aziz Waqar , Anderson Lisa 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Mesalazine is an established first-line therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and remains the mainstay of treatment for mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC). Both mesalazine and UC are rare but recognized causes of myopericarditis. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a non-invasive method of assessing for myopericarditis. This case reports highlights the importance of early CMR in diagnosis, and management of myocarditis in a patient with IBD.

Case summary
A 28-year-old male was admitted with a 2-day history of chest pain. Three weeks prior to this presentation, the patient was initiated on mesalazine for UC. Serum troponin T and C-reactive protein were elevated. An echocardiogram showed borderline low left ventricular systolic function (LVEF = 50–55%). A CMR showed extensive patchy late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in the mid to epicardial basal and mid lateral wall. The findings were consistent with acute myocarditis, and a working diagnosis of mesalazine-induced myocarditis was made. Mesalazine was stopped and guideline-directed anti-inflammatories initiated. Oral prednisolone was also introduced for IBD control. Follow-up CMR at four months showed near complete resolution of LGE.

Discussion
Myocarditis in the context of IBD may be infective, immune-mediated or due to mesalazine hypersensitivity. Histological conformation was not available in this case. This case report highlights the importance of access to early CMR in order establish the diagnosis and withdrawal of the culprit medication. In the majority of cases, CMR will replace the need for endomyocardial biopsy; however, this may still be required in the most severe cases.
Who are they? A retrospective study of unidentified bodies in Institute of Medical-Legal Paris from 2018 to 2023
Authors: Biro Alexandre , Ludes Bertrand , Delabarde Tania 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

“I still don’t realize that he’s dead.... I cried over it. It makes me sad to know that he was buried unaccompanied on his last trip. We were all shocked.” This testimony corresponds to a family whose relative was buried in an anonymous grave 6 months after his disappearance was reported to the police. It is estimated that between 1 000 and 3 000 unidentified bodies are buried in anonymous graves in France each year. Most of these decedents have passed through the medico-legal system. However the identification of these bodies, outside the context of mass disasters, remains a complex problem. Several national and international publications have highlighted the prevalent problem of unidentified burials and the consequences for families who do not know the fate of their loved ones, specifically, whether they are alive or deceased. This 6-year retrospective study (2018–2023), covering a total of 2 324 unidentified decedents admitted to the Institute of Medical-Legal Paris (IMLP), aimed to assess the impact of the identification protocol implemented in 2017 on the number of bodies that remain unidentified (n = 164). In addition, this study aimed to establish profiles for individuals who remained unidentified with the objective of identifying the factors that hinder their identification and developing correlated methods to address these issues. The results of this study were compared with other published studies to highlight the global problem and the ongoing need for collaboration between forensic practitioners and relevant authorities.

Key points
The genomes of 5 underutilized Papilionoideae crops provide insights into root nodulation and disease resistance
Authors: Yuan Lihua , Lei Lihong , Jiang Fan , Wang Anqi , Chen Rong , Wang Hengchao , Meng Sihan , Fan Wei 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
The Papilionoideae subfamily contains a large amount of underutilized legume crops, which are important for food security and human sustainability. However, the lack of genomic resources has hindered the breeding and utilization of these crops.

Results
Here, we present chromosome-level reference genomes for 5 underutilized diploid Papilionoideae crops: sword bean (Canavalia gladiata), scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus), smooth rattlebox (Crotalaria pallida), and butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea), with assembled genome sizes of 0.62 Gb, 0.59 Gb, 0.71 Gb, 1.22 Gb, and 1.72 Gb, respectively. We found that the long period of higher long terminal repeat retrotransposon activity is the major reason that the genome size of smooth rattlebox and butterfly pea is enlarged. Additionally, there have been no recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) events in these 5 species except for the shared papilionoid-specific WGD event (∼55 million years ago). Then, we identified 5,328 and 10,434 species-specific genes between scarlet runner bean and common bean, respectively, which may be responsible for their phenotypic and functional differences and species-specific functions. Furthermore, we identified the key genes involved in root-nodule symbiosis (RNS) in all 5 species and found that the NIN gene was duplicated in the early Papilionoideae ancestor, followed by the loss of 1 gene copy in smooth rattlebox and butterfly pea lineages. Last, we identified the resistance (R) genes for plant defenses in these 5 species and characterized their evolutionary history.

Conclusions
In summary, this study provides chromosome-scale reference genomes for 3 grain and vegetable beans (sword bean, scarlet runner bean, winged bean), along with genomes for a green manure crop (smooth rattlebox) and a food dyeing crop (butterfly pea). These genomes are crucial for studying phylogenetic history, unraveling nitrogen-fixing RNS evolution, and advancing plant defense research.
Introduction to the Symposium: An Integrative Look at Whole-organism Trade-offs from the Female-centered Perspective of Biology
Authors: Josefson Chloe C , Orr Teri J 
Published: August 2024

Synopsis
Trade-offs during reproduction have long been a central focus within biology and much of the foundational work within life history evolution has focused on females, as the fitness of females is more easily quantified for use in theoretical models. However, in many regards, the field of organismal biology has deviated from this early focus on females, particularly as it relates to the nuances and dynamic nature of female reproduction. Regardless, at the organismal level, reproduction is thought to trade-off with other simultaneously occurring processes. Recent papers have sought to outline the issues with our current understanding of whole-organism trade-offs, though the field as a whole has not come to a consensus on what trade-offs mean to a reproducing female. To rectify this important gap in how trade-offs are discussed in organismal biology as well as confusion about what constitutes a trade-off, our overarching goal of this symposium was to discuss trade-offs from an integrative perspective that places female reproduction at the center. By answering what trade-offs are and what they mean to reproducing females, what has been neglected in the context of whole-organism physiology, and how maternal effects fit within this framework, our group of speakers and their associated papers will crystalize nuances of measuring and determining presence (if any) of trade-offs in reproducing females in a range of taxa and subfields.
A Novel Reinforcement Learning Balance Control Strategy for Electric Vehicle Energy Storage Battery Pack
Authors: Tang Zhongsheng , Yang Xiao , Feng Yetao 
Published: August 2024

Abstract
Energy imbalance in electric vehicle energy storage battery packs poses a challenge due to design and usage variations. Traditional balancing control algorithms struggle to cope with large-scale battery data and complex nonlinear relationship modeling, which jeopardizes the stability of energy storage systems. To overcome this issue, we propose a reinforcement learning (RL)-based strategy for battery pack balancing control. Our approach begins with adaptive battery pack modeling followed by the employment of an active balancing control strategy to determine the duration of the balancing charge state and rank the balancing strength of individual battery pack cells. Subsequently, a RL network is employed to learn dynamic parameters that capture battery pack variations, enabling subsequent automatic learning and prediction of effective balancing strategies while simultaneously selecting the optimal control policy. Our simulation experiments demonstrate that our approach ensures an orderly charge and discharge process of battery pack cells, achieving an impressive balance efficiency of 91% when compared to other similar balancing control methods. Furthermore, the optimization of RL methods results in significant improvements in battery pack energy efficiency, stability, and operational costs. Notably, our method also outperforms other similar control methods in terms of energy utilization rates, establishing its superiority in this category.
Interplay Between Viral Shedding, Age, and Symptoms in Individual Infectiousness of Influenza Cases in Households
Authors: Zhang Chengyao , Fang Vicky J , Chan Kwok-Hung , Leung Gabriel M , Ip Dennis K M , Peiris J S Malik , Cowling Benjamin J , Tsang Tim K 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background
Understanding factors affecting the infectiousness of influenza cases is crucial for disease prevention and control. Viral shedding is expected to correlate with infectiousness of cases, but it is strongly associated with age and the presence of symptoms.

Methods
To elucidate this complex interplay, we analyze with an individual-based household transmission model a detailed household transmission study of influenza with 442 households and 1710 individuals from 2008 to 2017 in Hong Kong, to characterize the household transmission dynamics and identify factors affecting transmissions.

Results
We estimate that age, fever symptoms, and viral load were all associated with higher infectiousness. However, by model comparison, the best model included age and fever as factors affecting individual infectiousness, and estimates that preschool and school-aged children were 317% (95% credible interval [CrI], 103%, 1042%) and 161% (95% CrI, 33%, 601%) more infectious than adults, respectively, and patients having fever had 146% (95% CrI, 37%, 420%) higher infectiousness. Adding heterogeneity on individual infectiousness of cases does not improve the model fit, suggesting these factors could explain the difference in individual infectiousness.

Conclusions
Our study clarifies the contribution of age, symptoms, and viral shedding to individual infectiousness of influenza cases in households.
Pacifism, the Science of Peace, and the Constitution of War as a Governance Problem
Authors: Rodehau-Noack Johanna 
Published: August 2024

AbstractConflict prevention is a core item on the agenda of major international organizations and fora. In this article, I trace how war became a problem accessible to international governance. Adopting an object-centered approach to international relations (O-IR), I argue that war’s constitution as a problem of international governance unfolded in three interrelated processes. Firstly, pacifists and philanthropists designated war as a scientific object, thus giving rise to a “science of peace.” Secondly, scholars and pacifists compiled statistics on war, thus translating it across contexts and representing it as a global phenomenon. Statistics helped to make war accessible to advocacy and policymaking as an object of expertise. Thirdly, peace advocates problematized war as a governance object by representing it as a cost-benefit problem and a major cause in the reversal of economic development. By tracing the historical development of war as an epistemic object that can be investigated systematically, an object of expertise that can be measured and compared, and an object of governance that can be manipulated, this article bridges the strands of O-IR that have previously only focused on either knowledge and expertise or governance. Further, it adds to peace and conflict scholarship by providing an intellectual history of the prevention idea and its entanglement with modernism. Finally, it advances broader IR scholarship by offering an analysis of the role of scientific developments and nonstate activism in producing ideas and enabling policy agendas.
User guide for Social Determinants of Health Survey data in the All of Us Research Program
Authors: Koleck Theresa A , Dreisbach Caitlin , Zhang Chen , Grayson Susan , Lor Maichou , Deng Zhirui , Conway Alex , Higgins Peter D R , Bakken Suzanne 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Integration of social determinants of health into health outcomes research will allow researchers to study health inequities. The All of Us Research Program has the potential to be a rich source of social determinants of health data. However, user-friendly recommendations for scoring and interpreting the All of Us Social Determinants of Health Survey are needed to return value to communities through advancing researcher competencies in use of the All of Us Research Hub Researcher Workbench. We created a user guide aimed at providing researchers with an overview of the Social Determinants of Health Survey, recommendations for scoring and interpreting participant responses, and readily executable R and Python functions.

Target Audience
This user guide targets registered users of the All of Us Research Hub Researcher Workbench, a cloud-based platform that supports analysis of All of Us data, who are currently conducting or planning to conduct analyses using the Social Determinants of Health Survey.

Scope
We introduce 14 constructs evaluated as part of the Social Determinants of Health Survey and summarize construct operationalization. We offer 30 literature-informed recommendations for scoring participant responses and interpreting scores, with multiple options available for 8 of the constructs. Then, we walk through example R and Python functions for relabeling responses and scoring constructs that can be directly implemented in Jupyter Notebook or RStudio within the Researcher Workbench. Full source code is available in supplemental files and GitHub. Finally, we discuss psychometric considerations related to the Social Determinants of Health Survey for researchers.