bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
LncRNA Inhibits the Viability of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) by Targeting the miR-330-5p/BCL2L2 Axis
Authors: Ye Haihan , Fan Xiaowei , Yang Enyu , Ding Qianyun , Zheng Aiwen , Ding Xianfeng , Wu Shupeng 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important regulatory roles in the progression of kinds of cancers. However, the biological roles of most lncRNAs in breast cancer, especially TNBC, remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the functional of a novel lncRNA, named lncRNA EWSAT1, in the breast cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms. EWSAT1 was significantly upregulated in the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues in the GEO databases. We verified the upregulated level of EWSAT1 in the TNBC patients’ serums compared with healthy serums, which also associated with clinical diagnosis. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that microRNA (miR)-330-5p was a potential target of SEAS1. Dual luciferase reporter assays confirmed that EWSAT1 functioned as a sponge for miR-330-5p, regulating the expression of BCL2L2. Moreover, RT-qPCR demonstrated that EWSAT1 negatively regulated the expression of miR-330-5p, and positively regulated the expression of BCL2L2 at transcription and protein level. CCK-8 demonstrated that EWSAT1 could inhibit the viability of TNBC cells. In conclusion, our studies find a functional lncRNA EWSAT1 in the TNBC, and reveal a novel pathway for TNBC treatment via EWSAT1/miR-330-5p/BCL2L2, and suggest EWSAT1 might be a potential biomarkers for TNBC diagnosis and therapeutic target for TNBC.
Changes in work after cancer diagnosis and their associations with depressive symptoms among cancer survivors: findings from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Lee Da-eun , Kim Yeonjin , Kim Young-mee , Cho Sung-il 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Purpose
Cancer survivors encounter significant psychological suffering throughout their survivorship, and are prone to develop depressive symptoms. While work contributes to getting personal fulfillment and social connections with resilience against these adversities, some cancer survivors find it challenging to maintain employment. This research aimed to identify the association between changes in work and depressive symptoms among cancer survivors in Korea, to emphasize the importance of support in their employment and to prevent depressive symptoms.
Methods
This study used the panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA) and included 166 cancer survivors(656 observations) between 2005 and 2018, aged 65 or younger. Changes in work were categorized as continuous unemployment or employment, quitting a job, and getting a job. The presence of depressive symptoms was defined using CES-D-10 and a multivariable generalized estimating equation(GEE) was employed to estimate the odds ratio(OR).
Results
For depressive symptoms, the OR of the continuous unemployment group was 3.28(95% CI = 1.24–8.71), and the OR of the group quitting a job was 2.53(95% CI = 1.00–6.38), compared to the continuous employment group. In addition, as survivorship increased, the odds of depressive symptoms decreased(OR = 0.91, 95%CI = 0.84–0.98).
Conclusions
Cancer survivors who quit a job or continued unemployment were more likely to get depressive symptoms, and the acute survivor stage was also associated. Assistance for continuing work or preparing alternative employment for cancer survivors can enhance resilience, lowering the risk of depressive symptoms. Psychological care is crucial, particularly post or under primary cancer treatment period.
Effects of Mediterranean Diet During Pregnancy on the Onset of Overweight or Obesity in the Offspring: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Canani Roberto Berni , Coppola Serena , Paparo Lorella , Bedogni Giorgio , Nocerino Rita , Costabile Davide , Cuomo Mariella , Chiariotti Lorenzo , Carucci Laura , Agangi Annalisa , Napolitano Marcello , Messina Francesco , Passariello Annalisa 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Background/Objectives
Maternal diet during pregnancy could represent a potential target for pediatric overweight/obesity prevention. Mediterranean Diet (MD) is one of the healthiest dietary models exerting protective effects against excess weight. To date, the evidence on the MD-effects during pregnancy for the prevention of childhood overweight/obesity are scarce and based on observational studies. The Mediterranean Diet during Pregnancy (PREMEDI) trial has been designed to evaluate the efficacy of a nutritional counseling aimed at promoting MD-adherence during pregnancy on the occurrence of overweight or obesity at 24 months in the offspring.
Methods
The PREMEDI was a randomized-controlled, parallel groups, prospective trial. 104 women in their first trimester of pregnancy were randomly assigned to standard obstetrical and gynecological care alone (CT group, n=52) or plus a nutritional counseling promoting MD (MD group, n=52). 5 women in the MD arm and 2 women in the CT arm were lost to follow-up. Women enrolled in the MD group were provided 3 session of nutritional counseling (one session for trimester). The primary outcome was the proportion of overweight or obesity at 24 months. Other outcomes included maternal MD-adherence, maternal weight gain, and epigenetic modulation of genes involved in metabolic pathways.
Results
A lower proportion of overweight or obesity was observed at 24 months in children of MD-arm mothers compared to those in the CT arm (6% vs. 33%, absolute risk difference=-27%, 95%CI -41% to -12%, intention to treat analysis, p<0.001; number needed to treat 3, 95%CI 2 to 8). This effect was associated with a higher DNA methylation rate of the leptin gene in cord blood (30.4% [1.02 SD] vs. 16.9% [2.99 SD], MD vs. CT arm, p<0.0001).
Conclusions
MD during pregnancy is an effective strategy to prevent pediatric overweight/obesity at 24 months. This effect could be mediated, at least in part, by an epigenetic modulation of leptin expression.
Improved Arabic Query Expansion using Word Embedding
Authors: Al-Lahham Yaser 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Word embedding enhances pseudo-relevance feedback query expansion (PRFQE), but training word embedding models needs a long time and is applied on large-size datasets. Moreover, training embedding models need special processing for languages with rich vocabulary and complex morphological structures, such as Arabic. This paper proposes using a representative subset of a dataset to train such models and defines the conditions of representativeness. Using a suitable subset of words to train a word embedding model is effective since it dramatically decreases the training time while preserving the retrieval efficiency. This paper shows that the subset of words that have the prefix ‘AL,’ or the AL-Definite words, represent the TREC2001/2022 dataset, and, for example, the time needed to train the SkipGram word embedding model by the AL-Definite words of this dataset becomes 10% of the time the whole dataset needs. The trained models are used to embed words for different scenarios of Arabic query expansion, and the proposed training method shows effectiveness as it outperforms the ordinary PRFQE by at least 7% Mean Average Precision (MAP) and 14.5% precision improvement at the 10th returned document (P10). Moreover, the improvement over not using the query expansion is 21.7% for MAP and 21.32% for the P10. The results show no significant differences between using different word embedding models for Arabic query expansion.
Novel Image Analytic Approach Reveals New Insights in Fine Tuning of Slime Mould Network Adaptation
Authors: Rosina Philipp , Grube Martin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

This study introduces a novel methodology to explore the network dynamics of Physarum polycephalum, an organism celebrated for its remarkable adaptive capabilities. We used two innovative techniques to analyse its growth behaviour and network modifications under varying stress conditions, including starvation and differential epinephrine exposures. The first method provided a quantitative assessment of growth and exploration over time, revealing significant reductions under stress. The second method provided a detailed microscopic examination of vein diameter and contraction patterns, illuminating the physiological adjustments P. polycephalum undergoes in response to environmental challenges. By integrating these approaches, we were able to estimate the total network volume of the organism, with a focus on the normalised estimated volume, unveiling insightful aspects of its structural adaptations. While starvation markedly reduced the volume, indicating a significant structural compromise, low and high epinephrine concentrations maintained a volume-to-area ratio comparable to the control. These methods, unprecedented in their application to P. polycephalum, enhance our ability to measure complex biological phenomena and offer a replicable framework for future research in similar systems. This research establishes a foundation for exploring complex network behaviours in biological systems, highlighting the potential of the organism in bioengineering and adaptive network design.
Contacts with environmental biodiversity affect human health: links to allergies, physical and mental health revealed during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Divín Daniel , Toman Jan , Flegr Jaroslav , Vinkler Michal 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The gradual decrease in the prevalence of serious infectious diseases over the last century has been followed by increase in so called “modern” diseases, including allergies, chronic inflammatory conditions, psychiatric, and metabolic disorders. Between 2019 and 2022, public awareness of the threat of infectious diseases in humans was renewed by the global pandemic of a new type of a coronavirus, the SARS-COV-2. This public interest opened improved possibilities to test hypotheses on the factors associated with inter-individual variation in susceptibility to infectious and “modern” diseases. Based on the Hygiene hypothesis and Biodiversity hypothesis, we predicted that contacts with natural environment and wildlife in childhood and/or in adulthood can improve general health and decrease the risks of severe COVID-19 progression or prevalence of the “modern” diseases, namely the allergies. Here we report the results of an online, self-evaluating questionnaire survey conducted in the Czech Republic, where we contrasted selected health issues, and linked them to the living environment, including the level of contacts with biodiversity. In a sample of 1188 respondents, we revealed a significant effect of time spent in nature and contacts with biodiversity on physical and mental health, and incidence of allergies. This is unlike the COVID-19 progression, which was related to age, physical health, smoking, allergies, and interaction of age with smoking, but not to contacts with the natural environmental diversity. Our findings are in agreement with the Biodiversity hypothesis of allergy and, linking human and environmental health, they urge for One Health approach application.
A Powerful Adversary Model and Corresponding Time OTP Slot Allocation Scheme in RIS-Assisted Physical Layer Key Generation
Authors: Chen Liquan , Song Yufan , Ma Wanting , Lu Tianyu , Zhang Peng , Chen Liang 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Physical layer key generation (PLKG) is a technique of information-theoretic security to tackle the problem of key distribution between resource-constrained legitimate users and is a promising candidate for the one time pad (OTP) technique. However, in quasi-static, the key rate is greatly limited due to low entropy. Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is introduced to adaptively reconfigure the radio environment. However, how to allocate time slots in the OTP to counter the increasingly powerful adversary model is an urgent problem to be solved. In this paper, we propose a very powerful adversary model and give an attack strategy called eavesdropping channel search, which allows Eve to use its search and eavesdropping capabilities to maximize the probability of successful attacks. Meanwhile, we propose a time slot allocation algorithm in the OTP to ensure the security of the key. Simulations validate that our proposed attack strategy is more powerful than any existing adversary model and our proposed time slot allocation algorithm does not have any security loss.
Adolescent Cognitive Abilities and Community Occupational Skill Levels: Evidence from China
Authors: Tian Jun , Chen Zuopeng , Wang Yu , Zhu Yue 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

With the deepening of China’s housing market reform, the spatial agglomeration of resources has become prominent. The impact of this new form of neighborhood environment on adolescents’ cognitive abilities is often neglected in the current discussion. In this paper, we use the 2013–2014 China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) data to explain the neighborhood effect on adolescents’ early cognitive abilities from the perspective of community occupational skill levels. We also use the instrumental variable based on the three-level spatial structure of region-city-community to correct the endogenous problems. The results show that in the stage of junior high school education, higher community occupational skills and their diversity play a positive role in promoting adolescents’ cognitive abilities. The family and self-education expectations caused by the community role model effect play a role in the transmission mechanism. Adolescents’ individual characteristics, social interactions, and community resource hardware produce differentiated images of cognitive abilities. Public education resources and school life auxiliary investment can alleviate the negative effect of poor community occupational skills on adolescent cognitive abilities. This paper has important practical significance for the formulation of intervention policies for educational equity.
Plexin D1 emerges as a novel target in the development of neural lineage plasticity in treatment-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Liu Chengfei , Chen Bo , Xu Pengfei , Yang Joy , Nip Christopher , Wang Leyi , Shen Yuqiu , Ning Shu , Shang Yufeng , Corey Eva , Gao Allen C. , Gestwicki Jason , Wei Qiang , Liu Liangren 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Treatment-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) often arises from adenocarcinoma via lineage plasticity in response to androgen receptor signaling inhibitors, such as enzalutamide. However, the specific regulators and targets involved in the transition to NEPC are not well understood. Plexin D1 (PLXND1) is a cellular receptor of the semaphorin (SEMA) family that plays important roles in modulating the cytoskeleton and cell adhesion. Here, we found that PLXND1 is highly expressed and positively correlated with neuroendocrine markers in patients with NEPC. High PLXND1 expression is associated with poorer prognosis in prostate cancer patients. Additionally, PLXND1 was upregulated and negatively regulated by androgen receptor signaling in enzalutamide-resistant cells. Knockdown or knockout of PLXND1 inhibit neural lineage pathways, suppressing NEPC cell proliferation, PDX tumor organoid viability, and xenograft tumor growth. Mechanistically, the chaperone protein HSP70 regulates PLXND1 protein stability through degradation, and inhibition of HSP70 decreases PLXND1 expression and NEPC organoid growth. In summary, our findings suggest that PLXND1 could be a new therapeutic target and molecular indicator for NEPC.
The importance of screening for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in older patients presenting to falls clinics
Authors: Maas Britta D. P. J. , Leeuwen Roeland B. van , Spies Petra E. , Schermer Tjard R. , Benthem Peter Paul G. van , Bruintjes Tjasse D. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Fall incidents are a rising problem amongst older people and can have multiple causes. Vestibular disturbances such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are often not recognized as risk factors. The aim of our study is to determine the prevalence of BPPV in an older population referred to the geriatric falls clinic. Second, we aim to examine whether there is a reduction in the number of fall incidents and severity of fall incidents after a successful repositioning manoeuvre in patients with BPPV.
Methods
Dutch adults, aged ≥ 65 years, referred to the specialised falls clinic with an increased risk of falling were included. Patients with additional neuro-otologic disorders or with severe disability were excluded. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the number and severity of fall incidents before they were subjected to diagnostic manoeuvres to determine whether they suffered from BPPV. If positive, patients were treated with a canalith repositioning manoeuvre and were followed up according to regular care. After six months follow-up ended and we asked patients to complete the questionnaire again.
Results
A total of 79 (56%) out of 142 eligible subjects agreed to participate and were included. Fifty-eight (73%) were female and the median age was 82 years (± 6). We found a total of 15 patients (19%) with BPPV of whom 7 (47%) reported no complaints of BPPV. We found no differences in the number and severity of fall incidents between the groups in the 6 months prior to inclusion. We determined a significant reduction of the number of fall incidents 6 months after treatment within the BPPV group (p = 0.04).
Conclusion
Approximately one-fifth of geriatric patients appeared to suffer from BPPV and half of these patients reported no complaints of BPPV. BPPV seems to contribute to the risk of fall incidents in older people. Since treatment is easy to perform and likely to reduce fall incidents, we think it is of great importance to routinely check for BPPV in older patients with an increased risk of falling.
Trial registration
Approval by the medical ethics review board of Leiden University Medical Centre (September 28th 2018; trial number: P18.113) and the institutional review board of Gelre Hospitals (October 16th 2018, trial number: 18.39).
Discovering the diagnostic biomarkers underlying Type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease by integrating transcriptomics and machine learning
Authors: Selvam Prasanna Kumar , E Santhosh M , T DhanushKumar , C George Priya Doss , Vasudevan Karthick 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
An immune-mediated disease with a long latency period is type 1 diabetes (T1D). The beta cells in the pancreatic islets die due to antibody-mediated mechanisms in T1D. The most common chronic disorders are celiac disease (CD). A specific serum antibody response characterizes CD, a complicated systemic immune-mediated enteropathy. Due to the immunological driven nature of both CD and T1D, the risk factors are comparable. Both are increasing at a global rate, T1D screening is advised since CD and autoimmune diseases like T1D frequently co-occur. Based on a large number of research, even if the exact pathophysiology is yet unknown. Our understanding of one disease affects the way we treat as we discover about another, and vice versa. The goal of this study is to look at the connections between both conditions to identify biomarkers that could potentially utilized to diagnose the two. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) identified in the samples using a range of bioinformatics techniques and machine learning algorithms, built a network for the biological interactions, and discovered 3 potential diagnostic genes with statistical values (NAA15, RPL21, and HCLS1) as legitimate candidate genes as the biomarker for the diagnosis of T1D and CD.
Effect of activating fluxes on geometry, hardness, and microstructure of 316L stainless steel in GMAW
Authors: WANG HUIFENG , Klaric Stefanija 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Activating fluxes (AF) can be applied in the welding process to improve the morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties, such as hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, etc. In regard to published research on AF application in Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding, there are limited studies concerning the Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) process. This gap in research has prompted investigations aimed at finding out the AF’s influence during the GMAW process. The purpose of this paper is to apply three AF (SiO2, TiO2, and CaCO3) in 316L stainless steel GMAW processing and to analyze their influence on weld bead geometry, hardness and microstructure. The results showed that the highest penetration and the smallest width can be obtained using TiO2 as AF, and the highest reinforcement can be obtained by CaCO3 as AF. They also indicated that AF addition could significantly increase after-welding hardness, which might be caused by the microstructure changes. The microstructure observation revealed that the welding area without AF was mainly composed of austenite, and due to the addition of AF increased the welding temperature, which caused the martensite structure to be found in these samples. The heat treatment was introduced to reduce the hardness since the too big and uneven hardness would bring negative consequences such as brittleness. The after-HT analysis showed that HT can reduce the hardness effectively and can improve the uniformity of whole weld bead. Additionally, it was found that samples with AF were more sensitive to HT. This study concludes that AF can be applied in GMAW welding process and can influence the weld bead significantly.
Hyperoxia-activated Nrf2 regulates ferroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells and intervenes in inflammatory reaction through COX-2/PGE2/EP2 pathway
Authors: Liu Yanping , Li Tianming , Niu Changping , Yuan Zhengwei , Sun Siyu , Liu Dongyan 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The lack of knowledge about the mechanism of hyperoxia-induced intestinal injury has attracted considerable attention, due to the potential for this condition to cause neonatal complications. This study aimed to explore the relationship between hyperoxia-induced oxidative damage and ferroptosis in intestinal tissue and investigate the mechanism by which hyperoxia regulates inflammation through ferroptosis. The study systematically evaluated the effects of hyperoxia on oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, ferroptosis, and inflammation of intestinal epithelial cells both in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that ferroptosis was involved in intestinal oxidative damage caused by hyperoxia and was regulated by Nrf2. Moreover, hyperoxia-induced oxidative damage regulated inflammation through ferroptosis by upregulating the COX-2/PGE2/EP2 signaling pathway. These findings have important implications for future clinical prevention and therapeutic approaches to neonatal organ injury caused by hyperoxia treatment.