bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical study on the difference in intestinal microecology between patients with preeclampsia and pregnant women at different stages of pregnancy
Authors: Xie Fan , Zhang Huan , Peng Min , Jiang TingTing 
Published: March 2024

Objective: To explore the difference in intestinal microecology between patients with preeclampsia and pregnant women at different stages of pregnancy.Methods: From January 2020 to January 2022, clinical data, including blood routine, lipid profile, and renal function indicators, were gathered from a cohort consisting of 5 cases of preeclampsia and 34 cases of non-preeclampsia. The non-preeclampsia group was further categorized into 6 cases in the First trimester, 13 cases in the Second trimester, and 15 cases in the Third trimester. The data collection took place at the Obstetrics Department of the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province. Additionally, fecal samples were obtained from each subject for 16S rDNA gene sequencing and subsequent analysis. The clinical data and composition characteristics of the gut microbiota in each group were analyzed, and the correlation between gut microbiota and clinical data was analyzed by the Spearman correlation analysis method.Results: In comparison to pregnant women without preeclampsia, preeclampsia patients exhibited a statistically significant elevation in blood routine parameters (WBC, N, L, and PLT count), a rise in lipid-related indicators (TC, TG, and LDL-C levels), a reduction in HDL-C levels, and an increase in renal function-related indicators (Cr, BUN, UA and Pro levels). Compared with non-preeclampsia pregnant women, preeclampsia women exhibited an augmented diversity of gut microbiota. Differences in gut microbiota composition between the two groups were observed at the gate and genus levels. Moreover, there are significant differences in the composition of gut microbiota between the preeclampsia group and the third-trimester group in terms of genus and species, and this difference is mainly caused by Prevotella and s_ Bacteroides_ Uniformis and Ruminococcus_ bromii. In addition, actinobacteria, bifidobacterium at the genus level, and Ruminococcus_bromii at the species level are positively correlated with clinically relevant indicators (excluding HDL-C).Conclusion: There are significant differences in gut microbiota between preeclampsia pregnant women and late pregnancy pregnant without preeclampsia, including Prevotella and Bacteroides_ Uniformis, and Ruminococcus_ bromii. In addition, these differential bacteria are correlated with most clinical indicators. However, additional comprehensive analysis is required to ascertain the functional correlation between these bacteria and clinical indicators.
3D gait analysis in children using wearable sensors: feasibility of predicting joint kinematics and kinetics with personalized machine learning models and inertial measurement units
Authors: Mohammadi Moghadam Shima , Ortega Auriol Pablo , Yeung Ted , Choisne Julie 
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Children’s walking patterns evolve with age, exhibiting less repetitiveness at a young age and more variability than adults. Three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) is crucial for understanding and treating lower limb movement disorders in children, traditionally performed using Optical Motion Capture (OMC). Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) offer a cost-effective alternative to OMC, although challenges like drift errors persist. Machine learning (ML) models can mitigate these issues in adults, prompting an investigation into their applicability to a heterogeneous pediatric population. This study aimed at 1) quantifying personalized and generalized ML models’ performance for predicting gait time series in typically developed (TD) children using IMUs data, 2) Comparing random forest (RF) and convolutional neural networks (CNN) models’ performance, 3) Finding the optimal number of IMUs required for accurate predictions.Methodology: Seventeen TD children, aged 6 to 15, participated in data collection involving OMC, force plates, and IMU sensors. Joint kinematics and kinetics (targets) were computed from OMC and force plates’ data using OpenSim. Tsfresh, a Python package, extracted features from raw IMU data. Each target’s ten most important features were input in the development of personalized and generalized RF and CNN models. This procedure was initially conducted with 7 IMUs placed on all lower limb segments and then performed using only two IMUs on the feet.Results: Findings suggested that the RF and CNN models demonstrated comparable performance. RF predicted joint kinematics with a 9.5% and 19.9% NRMSE for personalized and generalized models, respectively, and joint kinetics with an NRMSE of 10.7% for personalized and 15.2% for generalized models in TD children. Personalized models provided accurate estimations from IMU data in children, while generalized models lacked accuracy due to the limited dataset. Furthermore, reducing the number of IMUs from 7 to 2 did not affect the results, and the performance remained consistent.Discussion: This study proposed a promising personalized approach for gait time series prediction in children, involving an RF model and two IMUs on the feet.
Correlation of caecal microbiome endotoxins genes and intestinal immune cells in Eimeria tenella infection based on bioinformatics
Authors: Han Mingzheng , Li Jiale , Wu Yijin , Liao Jianzhao 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionThe infection with Eimeria tenella (ET) can elicit expression of various intestinal immune cells, incite inflammation, disrupt intestinal homeostasis, and facilitate co-infection with diverse bacteria. However, the reciprocal interaction between intestinal immune cells and intestinal flora in the progression of ET-infection remains unclear.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between cecal microbial endotoxin (CME)-related genes and intestinal immunity in ET-infection, with subsequent identification of hub potential biomarker and immunotherapy target.MethodsDifferential expression genes (DEGs) within ET-infection and hub genes related to CME were identified through GSE39602 dataset based on bioinformatic methods and Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Moreover, immune infiltration was analyzed by CIBERSORT method. Subsequently, comprehensive functional enrichment analyses employing Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis along with Gene Ontology (GO), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were performed.ResultsA total of 1089 DEGs and 25 hub genes were identified and CXCR4 was ultimately identified as a essential CME related potential biomarker and immunotherapy target in the ET-infection. Furthermore, activated natural killer cells, M0 macrophages, M2 macrophages, and T regulatory cells were identified as expressed intestinal immune cells. The functional enrichment analysis revealed that both DEGs and hub genes were significantly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways.ConclusionCXCR4 was identified as a pivotal CME-related potential biomarker and immunotherapy target for expression of intestinal immune cells during ET-infection. These findings have significant implications in elucidating the intricate interplay among ET-infection, CME, and intestinal immunity.
Sentiment analysis of COP9-related tweets: a comparative study of pre-trained models and traditional techniques
Authors: Elmitwalli Sherif , Mehegan John 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionSentiment analysis has become a crucial area of research in natural language processing in recent years. The study aims to compare the performance of various sentiment analysis techniques, including lexicon-based, machine learning, Bi-LSTM, BERT, and GPT-3 approaches, using two commonly used datasets, IMDB reviews and Sentiment140. The objective is to identify the best-performing technique for an exemplar dataset, tweets associated with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Ninth Conference of the Parties in 2021 (COP9).MethodsA two-stage evaluation was conducted. In the first stage, various techniques were compared on standard sentiment analysis datasets using standard evaluation metrics such as accuracy, F1-score, and precision. In the second stage, the best-performing techniques from the first stage were applied to partially annotated COP9 conference-related tweets.ResultsIn the first stage, BERT achieved the highest F1-scores (0.9380 for IMDB and 0.8114 for Sentiment 140), followed by GPT-3 (0.9119 and 0.7913) and Bi-LSTM (0.8971 and 0.7778). In the second stage, GPT-3 performed the best for sentiment analysis on partially annotated COP9 conference-related tweets, with an F1-score of 0.8812.DiscussionThe study demonstrates the effectiveness of pre-trained models like BERT and GPT-3 for sentiment analysis tasks, outperforming traditional techniques on standard datasets. Moreover, the better performance of GPT-3 on the partially annotated COP9 tweets highlights its ability to generalize well to domain-specific data with limited annotations. This provides researchers and practitioners with a viable option of using pre-trained models for sentiment analysis in scenarios with limited or no annotated data across different domains.
Exploring the effectiveness of a novel memory training program for students with learning disabilities in the United Arab Emirates: investigating the role of gender differences
Authors: Alghazo Emad , Abo Hamza Eid , Bedewy Dalia 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionThe present research aims to investigate the efficacy of a newly developed memory training strategy on improving the memory capabilities of students with learning impairments.MethodsInvolving thirty male and female students with learning challenges, the study divided participants into experimental and control groups, with the former undergoing a novel memory training program. Memory was evaluated before and after a 3-month training period using a recall assessment technique developed from prior studies.ResultsFindings indicated statistically significant differences in memory scores between the experimental and control groups on the novel memory scale (total score) and its aspects (Auditory, Visual, and Visual kinesthetic memory), with improvements noted only in the experimental group. Gender did not significantly impact the scores, and there was no significant interaction between gender and group on training outcomes, suggesting the training's universal applicability.DiscussionThe study demonstrates that a novel memory training course can significantly enhance memory functions in students with learning impairments, irrespective of gender. These results offer promising directions for integrating cognitive training into educational strategies to support students facing learning challenges.
METS-IR and all-cause mortality in Korean over 60 years old: Korean genome and epidemiology study-health examinees (KoGES-HEXA) cohorts
Authors: Ryu Ha Eun , Jung Dong Hyuk , Heo Seok-Jae , Park Byoungjin , Lee Yong Jae 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundThe metabolic score for insulin resistance index (METS-IR) is a novel non insulin-based marker that indicates the risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, METS-IR has not been investigated in relation to all–cause mortality. We investigated the longitudinal effect of METS-IR on all–cause mortality in a significantly large cohort of Korean adults over 60 years old.MethodsData were assessed from 30,164 Korean participants over 60 years of age from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study-Health Examinees (KoGES-HEXA) cohort data, linked with the death certificate database of the National Statistical Office. The participants were grouped into three according to METS-IR tertiles. We used multivariate Cox proportional-hazard regression models to prospectively assess hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) over an 11-year postbaseline period.ResultsDuring the mean 11.7 years of follow-up, 2,821 individuals expired. The HRs of mortality for METS-IR tertiles were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.01–1.34) in T3 after adjustment for metabolic parameters, but the T2 did not show statistical significance towards increases for incident mortality respectively. In subgroup analysis depending on the cause of mortality, higher METS-IR was associated with cancer mortality (HR, 1.23, 95% CI, 1.01–1.51) but not with cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.14, 95% CI, 0.83–1.57) after adjustment for the same confounding variables.ConclusionThe METS-IR may be a useful predictive marker for all-cause mortality and cancer mortality, but not for cardiovascular mortality in subjects over 60 years of age. This implies that early detection and intervention strategies for metabolic syndrome could potentially benefit this identified group.
The effects of flavonoid supplementation on the mental health of postpartum parents
Authors: Colombage Rebecca Logan , Holden Sean , Lamport Daniel Joseph , Barfoot Katie Louise 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionDuring the postpartum period, parents face psychological challenges and consequently, changes in mood and associated mood disorders have become increasingly prevalent in the 6-months following birth. Dietary flavonoids have been found to benefit mood and are therefore an appealing non-pharmacological option for potentially treating mood disorders in the postpartum. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a two-week dietary flavonoid intervention would improve mothers’ and fathers’ mental health in the immediate 6-month postpartum period.MethodThe study employed a randomised, parallel groups, controlled design to explore the effects of a flavonoid intervention vs. control group on several outcomes, including mood (PANAS), postpartum depression (EPDS), postpartum anxiety (PSAS-RSF-C) and quality of life (WHOQOL). Sixty participants (mothers n = 40, fathers n = 20) in the 6-month post-partum period were randomised to either a “flavonoid” or “control” condition. The flavonoid group were asked to add two flavonoid-rich foods (approximate flavonoid intake 218 mg/day) into their daily diet whilst controls (n = 23) were asked to continue with their usual diet for two-weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04990622).ResultsSignificant effects were found in the flavonoid group where mothers reported higher positive affect and lower postpartum depression after the two-week intervention relative to baseline. This finding is especially relevant as a clinical reduction in postpartum depression scores in the flavonoid group by an average 2.6 scoring points was observed, which equated to a reduction from “possible depression” at baseline to “little or no depression” at 2-weeks, which was not observed in the control group. Fathers’ data was not analysed due to non-compliance with the intervention.DiscussionThis study provides evidence for the benefits of a dietary flavonoid intervention for mood and mental health in new mothers, supporting the utility of non-pharmacological, self—administrable changes to the diet for improving positive mood outcomes and reducing symptoms of postpartum depression in mothers during an especially challenging time. Further research for the effect of dietary interventions on paternal mental health is needed.
Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04990622.
Identification of apolipoprotein B–reactive CDR3 motifs allows tracking of atherosclerosis-related memory CD4+T cells in multiple donors
Authors: Roy Payel , Suthahar Sujit Silas Armstrong , Makings Jeffrey , Ley Klaus 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionAtherosclerosis is a major pathological condition that underlies many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Its etiology involves breach of tolerance to self, leading to clonal expansion of autoreactive apolipoprotein B (APOB)–reactive CD4+T cells that correlates with clinical CVD. The T-cell receptor (TCR) sequences that mediate activation of APOB-specific CD4+T cells are unknown.MethodsIn a previous study, we had profiled the hypervariable complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) of CD4+T cells that respond to six immunodominant APOB epitopes in most donors. Here, we comprehensively analyze this dataset of 149,065 APOB-reactive and 199,211 non-reactive control CDR3s from six human leukocyte antigen–typed donors.ResultsWe identified 672 highly expanded (frequency threshold &gt; 1.39E-03) clones that were significantly enriched in the APOB-reactive group as compared to the controls (log10 odds ratio ≥1, Fisher’s test p &lt; 0.01). Analysis of 114,755 naïve, 91,001 central memory (TCM) and 29,839 effector memory (TEM) CDR3 sequences from the same donors revealed that APOB+ clones can be traced to the complex repertoire of unenriched blood T cells. The fraction of APOB+ clones that overlapped with memory CDR3s ranged from 2.2% to 46% (average 16.4%). This was significantly higher than their overlap with the naïve pool, which ranged from 0.7% to 2% (average 1.36%). CDR3 motif analysis with the machine learning–based in-silico tool, GLIPHs (grouping of lymphocyte interactions by paratope hotspots), identified 532 APOB+ motifs. Analysis of naïve and memory CDR3 sequences with GLIPH revealed that ~40% (209 of 532) of these APOB+ motifs were enriched in the memory pool. Network analysis with Cytoscape revealed extensive sharing of the memory-affiliated APOB+ motifs across multiple donors. We identified six motifs that were present in TCM and TEM CDR3 sequences from &gt;80% of the donors and were highly enriched in the APOB-reactive TCR repertoire.DiscussionThe identified APOB-reactive expanded CD4+T cell clones and conserved motifs can be used to annotate and track human atherosclerosis-related autoreactive CD4+T cells and measure their clonal expansion.
T cell dysfunction in elderly ARDS patients based on miRNA and mRNA integration analysis
Authors: Mitsuyama Yumi , Matsumoto Hisatake , Togami Yuki , Oda Sayaka , Onishi Shinya , Yoshimura Jumpei , Murtatsu Arisa , Ito Hiroshi , Ogura Hiroshi , Okuzaki Daisuke , Oda Jun 
Published: March 2024

BackgroundAcute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is respiratory failure that commonly occurs in critically ill patients, and the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis and severity are poorly understood. We evaluated mRNA and miRNA in patients with ARDS and elucidated the pathogenesis of ARDS after performing mRNA and miRNA integration analysis.MethodsIn this single-center, prospective, observational clinical study of patients with ARDS, peripheral blood of each patient was collected within 24 hours of admission. Sequencing of mRNA and miRNA was performed using whole blood from the ARDS patients and healthy donors.ResultsThirty-four ARDS patients were compared with 15 healthy donors. Compared with the healthy donors, 1233 mRNAs and 6 miRNAs were upregulated and 1580 mRNAs and 13 miRNAs were downregulated in the ARDS patients. For both mRNA and miRNA-targeted mRNA, canonical pathway analysis showed that programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) cancer immunotherapy pathway was most activated and the Th2 pathway was most suppressed. For mRNA, the Th1 pathway was most suppressed. miR-149-3p and several miRNAs were identified as upstream regulators.ConclusionmiRNAs regulated the PD-1 and PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy pathway and Th2 pathway through miRNA interference action of mRNA. Integrated analysis of mRNAs and miRNAs showed that T cells were dysfunctional in ARDS patients.
Team performance during vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery: video review of obstetric multidisciplinary teams
Authors: Brogaard L. , Rosvig L. , Hjorth-Hansen K. R. , Hvidman L. , Hinshaw K. , Kierkegaard O. , Uldbjerg N. , Manser T. 
Published: March 2024

IntroductionVacuum extraction is generally considered an operator-dependent task, with most attention directed toward the obstetrician’s technical abilities (1–3). Little is known about the effect of the team and non-technical skills on clinical outcomes in vacuum-assisted delivery. This study aimed to investigate whether the non-technical skills of obstetricians were correlated with their level of clinical performance via the analysis of video recordings of teams conducting actual vacuum extractions.MethodsWe installed between two or three video cameras in each delivery room at Aarhus University Hospital and Horsens Regional Hospital and obtained 60 videos of teams managing vacuum extraction. Appropriate consent was obtained. Two raters carefully reviewed the videos and assessed the teams’ non-technical skills using the Assessment of Obstetric Team Performance (AOTP) checklist, rating all items on a Likert scale score from 1 to 5 (1 = poor; 3 = average; and 5 = excellent). This resulted in a total score ranging from 18 to 90. Two different raters independently assessed the teams’ clinical performance (adherence to clinical guidelines) using the TeamOBS-Vacuum-Assisted Delivery (VAD) checklist, rating each item (0 = not done, 1 = done incorrectly; and 2 = done correctly). This resulted in a total score with the following ranges (low clinical performance: 0–59; average: 60–84; and high: 85–100). Interrater agreement was analyzed using intraclass correlation (ICC), and the risk of high or low clinical performance was analyzed on a logit scale to meet the assumption of normality.ResultsTeams that received excellent non-technical scores had an 81% probability of achieving high clinical performance, whereas this probability was only 12% among teams with average non-technical scores (p &lt; 0.001). Teams with a high clinical performance often had excellent behavior in the non-technical items of “team interaction,” “anticipation,” “avoidance fixation,” and “focused communication.” Teams with a low or average clinical performance often neglected to consider analgesia, had delayed abandonment of the attempted vaginal delivery and insufficient use of appropriate fetal monitoring. Interrater reliability was high for both rater-teams, with an ICC for the non-technical skills of 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71–0.88) and 0.84 for the clinical performance (95% CI: 0.74–0.90).ConclusionAlthough assisted vaginal delivery by vacuum extraction is generally considered to be an operator-dependent task, our findings suggest that teamwork and effective team interaction play crucial roles in achieving high clinical performance. Teamwork helped the consultant anticipate the next step, avoid fixation, ensure adequate analgesia, and maintain thorough fetal monitoring during delivery.