bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Puberty in girls with Prader-Willi syndrome: cohort evaluation and clinical recommendations in a Latin American tertiary center
Authors: Passone Caroline Gouveia Buff , Aragão Luciana Felipe Ferrer , Franco Ruth Rocha , Leite Junia Ellen Simioni , Gonzalez Michelle Antonella Benitez , Schil Priscila Schuindt de Albuquerque , Ybarra Marina , Damiani Durval , Kerkhof Gerthe Femke , Montenegro Junior Renan Magalhães , Silva Clovis Artur 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionPrader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder characterized by hypothalamic-pituitary deficiencies including hypogonadism. In girls with PWS, hypogonadism can present early in childhood, leading to genital hypoplasia, delayed puberty, incomplete pubertal development, and infertility. In contrast, girls can present with premature activation of the adrenal axis leading to early pubarche and advanced bone age. We aim to evaluate the progression of puberty and adrenarche signals in girls with PWS.MethodologyA longitudinal retrospective cohort study included girls with PWS followed at a Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic in a Tertiary University Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 2002 to 2022. Data collected via chart review included clinical information on birth history, breast and pubic hair Tanner stages, presence of genital hypoplasia, age at menarche, regularity of menstrual cycles, body mass index (BMI) z-score, final height, age of initiation of estrogen replacement and growth hormone replacement, as well as results for PWS genetic subtype; biochemical investigation (LH, FSH, estradiol, DHEA-S); radiographic bone age and pelvic ultrasound.ResultsA total of 69 girls were included in the study and the mean age of puberty onset was 10.2 years in those who started puberty after the age of 8 years. Breast Tanner stage IV was reached by 29.1% girls at a mean age of 14.9 years. Spontaneous menarche was present in 13.8% and only one patient had regular menstrual cycles. Early adrenarche was seen in 40.4% of cases.ConclusionOur study demonstrated in a large sample that girls with PWS often present with delayed onset of puberty despite frequent premature adrenarche. Based on our results, we suggest an estrogen replacement protocol for girls with PWS to be started at the chronological age or bone age of 12–13 years, taking into consideration the uterus size. Further prospective studies are needed.
Remote sensing inversion of soil organic matter in cropland combining topographic factors with spectral parameters
Authors: Zou Jinzhao , Wei Yanan , Zhang Yong , Liu Zheng , Gai Yuefeng , Chen Hongyan , Liu Peng , Song Qian 
Published: June 2024

Remote sensing has become an effective way for regional soil organic matter (SOM) quantitative analysis. Topographic factors affect SOM content and distribution, also influence the accuracy of SOM remote sensing inversion. In large region with complex topographic conditions, characteristic topographic factors of SOM in different topographic regions are unknown, and the effect of combining characteristic topographic factors with spectral parameters on improving SOM inversion accuracy remains to be further studied. Three typical topographic regions of Shandong Province in China, namely Western plain region (WPR), Central and southern mountain region (CSMR), Eastern hilly region (EHR), were selected. Topographic factors, namely Elevation, Slope, Aspect and Relief Amplitude, were introduced. Respectively, the characteristic topographic factors and spectral parameters of SOM in each region were identified. The SOM inversion models were built separately for each region by integrating spectral parameters with topographic factors. The results revealed that as for the characteristic topographic factors of SOM, none was in the WPR, E, RA, and S were in the CSMR, E and RA were in the EHR. In combination with characteristic topographic factors, the accuracy of SOM spectral inversion models improved, the calibration R2 increased by 0.075–0.102, the RMSE (Root mean square error) decreased by 0.162–0.171 g/kg, the validation R2 increased by 0.067–0.095, the RMSE decreased by 0.236–0.238 g/kg, and RPD (Relative prediction deviation) increased by 0.129–0.169. The most significant improvement was observed in the CSMR with the calibration R2 of 0.725, the validation R2 of 0.713 and the RPD of 1.852, followed by the EHR. This study not only contributes to the advancement of soil quantitative remote sensing theory but also offers more precise data support for the development of green, low-carbon, and precision agriculture.
Yishen Tongbi decoction attenuates inflammation and bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis by regulating JAK/STAT3/SOCS3 pathway
Authors: Xu Jia , Jiao Wei , Wu Dan-Bin , Yu Jia-Hui , Liu Li-Juan , Zhang Ming-Ying , Chen Guang-Xing 
Published: June 2024

BackgroundYishen-Tongbi Decoction (YSTB), a traditional Chinese prescription, has been used to improve syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for many years. Previous research has shown that YSTB has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the anti-RA effects of YSTB remains unclear.Purpose and study designThe purpose of this research was to investigate how YSTB affected mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and RAW264.7 cells induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).ResultsThe findings show that YSTB could significantly improve the clinical arthritic symptoms of CIA mice (mitigate paw swelling, arthritis score, thymus and spleen indices, augment body weight), downregulated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and IL-17, while upregulated the level of anti-inflammatory like IL-10 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Meanwhile, YSTB inhibits bone erosion and reduces inflammatory cell infiltration, synovial proliferation, and joint destruction in CIA mice. In addition, we found that YSTB was able to suppress the LPS-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 cells, which was ascribed to the suppression of nitric oxide (NO) production and reactive oxygen species formation (ROS). YSTB also inhibited the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase and reduced the releases of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, the phosphorylation expression of JAK2, JAK3, STAT3, p38, ERK and p65 protein could be suppressed by YSTB, while the expression of SOCS3 could be activated.ConclusionTaken together, YSTB possesses anti-inflammatory and prevention bone destruction effects in RA disease by regulating the JAK/STAT3/SOCS3 signaling pathway.
The impact of cholesteryl ester transfer protein on the progression of cutaneous leishmaniasis
Authors: Batista-Dantas Francisca Elda , Ozaki Christiane Yumi , Santana Kelly Gomes , Nunes Valéria Sutti , Uscata Bernardina Amorin , Siess-Portugal Cinthia , Reis Luiza Campos , Yamashiro-Kanashiro Edite H. , Tafuri Wagner Luiz , Duarte-Neto Amaro Nunes , Sotto Mirian Nacagami , Goto Hiro , Cazita Patrícia Miralda 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionPathogenesis of cutaneous leishmaniases involves parasite growth, persistent inflammation, and likely participation of lipoproteins (LP). The cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), involved in LP remodeling, has been shown to participate in the inflammatory response and the evolution of infectious conditions. MethodsWe evaluated the impact of the presence of CETP on infection by Leishmania (L.) amazonensis in an experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis using C57BL6/J mice transgenic for human CETP (CETP), having as control their littermates that do not express the protein, wild-type (WT) mice. The progression of the lesion after infection in the footpad was monitored for 12 weeks. Two groups of animals were formed to collect the plantar pad in the 4th and 12th week post-infection. ResultsThe lesion increased from the 3rd week onwards, in both groups, with a gradual decrease from the 10th week onwards in the CETP group compared to the WT group, showing a reduction in parasitism and an improvement in the healing process, a reduction in CD68+ cells, and an increase in CD163+ and CD206, characterizing a population of M2 macrophages. A reduction in ARG1+ cells and an increase in INOS+ cells were observed. During infection, the LP profile showed an increase in triglycerides in the VLDL fraction in the CETP group at 12 weeks. Gene expression revealed a decrease in the CD36 receptor in the CETP group at 12 weeks, correlating with healing and parasite reduction. In vitro, macrophages derived from bone marrow cells from CETP mice showed lower parasite load at 48 h and, a reduction in arginase activity at 4 h accompanied by increased NO production at 4 and 24 h compared to WT macrophages, corroborating the in vivo findings.DiscussionThe data indicate that the presence of CETP plays an important role in resolving Leishmania (L.) amazonensis infection, reducing parasitism, and modulating the inflammatory response in controlling infection and tissue repair.
Central retinal vein occlusion in patients with metastatic solid tumors on tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a report of case series and literature review
Authors: Luo Mingyue , Sun Lu , Dai Rongping , Chen Youxin , Wu Chan 
Published: June 2024

BackgroundCentral retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is a rare adverse effect related to the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with metastatic malignancies, which has only been reported in several case reports.Case presentationWe reported the case series of three CRVO patients on regular regimens of TKIs as part of targeted therapies for metastatic malignancies, all of whom were otherwise healthy with no or well-controlled systemic conditions. All these patients received injections of intravitreal dexamethasone implant (IDI) and achieved a fluid-free macula at the end of the visit. In addition, we reviewed the existing literature on this subject and present here an updated analysis of the related TKIs, ocular presentation, treatment, and prognosis.ConclusionAll patients diagnosed with CRVO on TKIs received dexamethasone implant treatment and obtained a fluid-free macula. We would like to raise awareness among our colleague oncologists about the possibility of CRVO related to TKI use and the necessity for patients to be screened regularly by a retinal specialist.
Cyanoacrylate glue for iatrogenic retinal breaks during vitrectomy in stage 5 familial exudative vitreoretinopathy
Authors: Zou Yihua , Peng Jie , Zhao Peiquan 
Published: June 2024

PurposeTo describe the role of cyanoacrylate glue in sealing iatrogenic retinal breaks (IRBs) during vitrectomy in stage 5 familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR) with funneled retinal detachment (RD).MethodsNine eyes of nine patients diagnosed as stage 5 FEVR were treated with cyanoacrylate glue for IRBs during vitrectomy from July 2020 to January 2022. The clinical records, including patient information, surgical process, and follow-up examinations, were collected retrospectively. Anatomical outcomes and visual outcomes were summarized.ResultsThe average age at surgery was 19.6 months (range: 3.8–41.1 months). The mean post-operative follow-up period was 12.5 months (range: 9.8–18.8 months). Before surgery, five eyes had an open-funnel RD and four eyes had a closed-funnel RD. All the preretinal fibroplasia membranes were removed as thoroughly as possible in the nine eyes. IRBs formed at the posterior pole in two eyes and peripheral retina in seven eyes. All the IRBs were sealed successfully by the cyanoacrylate glue when they appeared. At the final post-operative visit, eight eyes had partial retinal reattachment without progression of fibroplasia tissues, while one eye had total retinal redetachment. The rate for stable anatomical outcome was 88.9% (8/9) in this study. The visual testing available for seven eyes demonstrated light perception in five eyes and no light perception in two eyes. No severe perioperative glue-related complications were noted during the follow-ups.ConclusionThe application of cyanoacrylate glue may be an alternative therapy for IRBs in stage 5 FEVR surgeries, while the long-term efficacy and safety still need further investigation.
Evaluation of large language models as a diagnostic aid for complex medical cases
Authors: Ríos-Hoyo Alejandro , Shan Naing Lin , Li Anran , Pearson Alexander T. , Pusztai Lajos , Howard Frederick M. 
Published: June 2024

BackgroundThe use of large language models (LLM) has recently gained popularity in diverse areas, including answering questions posted by patients as well as medical professionals.ObjectiveTo evaluate the performance and limitations of LLMs in providing the correct diagnosis for a complex clinical case.DesignSeventy-five consecutive clinical cases were selected from the Massachusetts General Hospital Case Records, and differential diagnoses were generated by OpenAI’s GPT3.5 and 4 models.ResultsThe mean number of diagnoses provided by the Massachusetts General Hospital case discussants was 16.77, by GPT3.5 30 and by GPT4 15.45 (p &lt; 0.0001). GPT4 was more frequently able to list the correct diagnosis as first (22% versus 20% with GPT3.5, p = 0.86), provide the correct diagnosis among the top three generated diagnoses (42% versus 24%, p = 0.075). GPT4 was better at providing the correct diagnosis, when the different diagnoses were classified into groups according to the medical specialty and include the correct diagnosis at any point in the differential list (68% versus 48%, p = 0.0063). GPT4 provided a differential list that was more similar to the list provided by the case discussants than GPT3.5 (Jaccard Similarity Index 0.22 versus 0.12, p = 0.001). Inclusion of the correct diagnosis in the generated differential was correlated with PubMed articles matching the diagnosis (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.25–1.56 for GPT3.5, OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.13–1.40 for GPT4), but not with disease incidence.Conclusions and relevanceThe GPT4 model was able to generate a differential diagnosis list with the correct diagnosis in approximately two thirds of cases, but the most likely diagnosis was often incorrect for both models. In its current state, this tool can at most be used as an aid to expand on potential diagnostic considerations for a case, and future LLMs should be trained which account for the discrepancy between disease incidence and availability in the literature.
Morphology of human sinoatrial node and its surrounding right atrial muscle in the global obesity pandemic—does fat matter?
Authors: Chen Weixuan , Rams Daniel , Zając Maciej , Albalawi Raghad , Atkinson Andrew J. , Aminu Abimbola J. , Mazur Malgorzata , Hołda Mateusz K. , Walocha Jerzy , Gil Krzysztof , Kuniewicz Marcin , Dobrzynski Halina 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionThe sinus node (SN) is the main pacemaker site of the heart, located in the upper right atrium at the junction of the superior vena cava and right atrium. The precise morphology of the SN in the human heart remains relatively unclear especially the SN microscopical anatomy in the hearts of aged and obese individuals. In this study, the histology of the SN with surrounding right atrial (RA) muscle was analyzed from young non-obese, aged non-obese, aged obese and young obese individuals. The impacts of aging and obesity on fibrosis, apoptosis and cellular hypertrophy were investigated in the SN and RA. Moreover, the impact of obesity on P wave morphology in ECG was also analyzed to determine the speed and conduction of the impulse generated by the SN.MethodsHuman SN/RA specimens were dissected from 23 post-mortem hearts (preserved in 4% formaldehyde solution), under Polish local ethical rules. The SN/RA tissue blocks were embedded in paraffin and histologically stained with Masson’s Trichrome. High and low-magnification images were taken, and analysis was done for appropriate statistical tests on Prism (GraphPad, USA). 12-lead ECGs from 14 patients under Polish local ethical rules were obtained. The P wave morphologies from lead II, lead III and lead aVF were analyzed.ResultsCompared to the surrounding RA, the SN in all four groups has significantly more connective tissue (P ≤ 0.05) (young non-obese individuals, aged non-obese individuals, aged obese individuals and young obese individuals) and significantly smaller nodal cells (P ≤ 0.05) (young non-obese individuals, aged non-obese individuals, aged obese individuals, young obese individuals). In aging, overall, there was a significant increase in fibrosis, apoptosis, and cellular hypertrophy in the SN (P ≤ 0.05) and RA (P ≤ 0.05). Obesity did not further exacerbate fibrosis but caused a further increase in cellular hypertrophy (SN P ≤ 0.05, RA P ≤ 0.05), especially in young obese individuals. However, there was more infiltrating fat within the SN and RA bundles in obesity. Compared to the young non-obese individuals, the young obese individuals showed decreased P wave amplitude and P wave slope in aVF lead.DiscussionAging and obesity are two risk factors for extensive fibrosis and cellular hypertrophy in SN and RA. Obesity exacerbates the morphological alterations, especially hypertrophy of nodal and atrial myocytes. These morphological alterations might lead to functional alterations and eventually cause cardiovascular diseases, such as SN dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, and heart failure.
Intelligent diagnosis system based on artificial intelligence models for predicting freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Al-Nefaie Abdullah H. , Aldhyani Theyazn H. H. , Farhah Nesren , Koundal Deepika 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionFreezing of gait (FoG) is a significant issue for those with Parkinson’s disease (PD) since it is a primary contributor to falls and is linked to a poor superiority of life. The underlying apparatus is still not understood; however, it is postulated that it is associated with cognitive disorders, namely impairments in executive and visuospatial functions. During episodes of FoG, patients may experience the risk of falling, which significantly effects their quality of life.MethodsThis research aims to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of machine learning approaches in accurately predicting a FoG event before it occurs. The system was tested using a dataset collected from the Kaggle repository and comprises 3D accelerometer data collected from the lower backs of people who suffer from episodes of FoG, a severe indication frequently realized in persons with Parkinson’s disease. Data were acquired by measuring acceleration from 65 patients and 20 healthy senior adults while they engaged in simulated daily life tasks. Of the total participants, 45 exhibited indications of FoG. This research utilizes seven machine learning methods, namely the decision tree, random forest, Knearest neighbors algorithm, LightGBM, and CatBoost models. The Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU)-Transformers and Longterm Recurrent Convolutional Networks (LRCN) models were applied to predict FoG. The construction and model parameters were planned to enhance performance by mitigating computational difficulty and evaluation duration.ResultsThe decision tree exhibited exceptional performance, achieving sensitivity rates of 91% in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1- score metrics for the FoG, transition, and normal activity classes, respectively. It has been noted that the system has the capacity to anticipate FoG objectively and precisely. This system will be instrumental in advancing consideration in furthering the comprehension and handling of FoG.
68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and mpMRI in the diagnosis of initial lymph node staging of prostate cancer: a head-to-head comparative meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Yuanrong , Jing Ren , Wang Haiyan , Zhao Qiuyan 
Published: June 2024

PurposeThis meta-analysis evaluates the comparative diagnostic efficacy of 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 PET (68Ga-PSMA-11 PET) and multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for the initial lymph node staging of prostate cancer.MethodsWe searched PubMed and Embase databases through October 2023 for studies that provide a head-to-head comparison of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and mpMRI, using pelvic lymph node dissection as the gold standard. We assessed sensitivity and specificity using the DerSimonian and Laird method, with variance stabilization via the Freeman-Tukey double inverse sine transformation. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Performance Studies (QUADAS-2) tool.ResultsThe meta-analysis incorporated 13 articles, involving a total of 1,527 patients. 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET demonstrated an overall sensitivity of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.51–0.91) and a specificity of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88–0.99). In comparison, mpMRI showed a sensitivity of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.30–0.68) and a specificity of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88–0.99). Although 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET appeared to be more sensitive than mpMRI, the differences in sensitivity (p = 0.11) and specificity (p = 0.47) were not statistically significant.ConclusionOur findings indicated that 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET and mpMRI exhibit similar sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of initial lymph node staging of prostate cancer. However, given that most included studies were retrospective, further prospective studies with larger sample sizes are essential to validate these results.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO code is CRD42023495266.
Identification of the Ilex macrocarpa anthracnose pathogen and the antifungal potential of the cell-free supernatant of Bacillus velezensis against Colletotrichum fioriniae
Authors: Fu Chun , Wan Shushan , Yang Peng , Zhao Xizhu , Yan Yueyao , Jiang Shijiao , Ali Habib 
Published: June 2024

IntroductionAnthracnose is a significant fungal disease that affects tree growth and development, with Colletotrichum spp. exhibiting host non-specificity and targeting various organs, making disease control challenging.MethodsThis study aimed to identify the pathogenic species causing anthracnose in Ilex macrocarpa in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, and screen effective fungicides, particularly biological ones. The pathogen was identified as Colletotrichum fioriniae through morphological observation, pathogenicity assays, and molecular biological methods. Three biological and five chemical fungicides were evaluated for their effects on the mycelial growth and spore germination rate of the pathogen.ResultsThe results indicated that prochloraz was the most effective chemical fungicide, while the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Bacillus velezensis had the most significant inhibitory effect among the biological fungicides. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the CFS of B. velezensis significantly reduced the expression of genes associated with ribosomes, genetic information processing, membrane lipid metabolism, and sphingolipid biosynthesis in C. fioriniae. Additionally, the glutathione pathway’s expression of various genes, including key genes such as GST, GFA, Grx, TRR, and POD, was induced. Furthermore, the expression of 17 MFS transporters and 9 ABC transporters was increased. Autophagy-related ATGs were also affected by the B. velezensis CFS.DiscussionThese findings suggest that the B. velezensis CFS may inhibit C. fioriniae through interference with ribosomes, genetic information processing, cell membrane metabolism, and energy metabolism. These results provide potential target genes for the B. velezensis CFS and insights into the antifungal mechanism by which B. velezensis inhibits C. fioriniae.