bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Switching Away From Smoking and Reduction in Cigarette Consumption Among U.S. Adult Purchasers of the JUUL System Across 24 Months Including Diverse Subpopulations Disproportionately Affected by Cigarette Smoking
Authors: Kim Sooyong , Goldenson Nicholas I , Selya Arielle , Shiffman Saul 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) can reduce tobacco-related health risks for adults who smoke cigarettes (AWS) by facilitating complete switching away from cigarettes. However, little is known about ENDS use and switching among subpopulations that have been disproportionately affected by smoking.

Aims and Methods
AWS (age ≥ 21 years) were recruited following their first purchase of a JUUL Starter Kit in 2018. Participants who self-reported switching (no past-30-day cigarette smoking) at 1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 15-, 18-, 21-, and 24-month follow-ups. Percent switched and percent with substantial smoking reduction (≥50% decrease in cigarettes per day among those who continued smoking) were calculated. Analyses focused on racial and ethnic minorities, persons with low income and education levels, sexual minorities, and those with mental and physical health conditions.

Results
Overall rates of switching away from cigarettes increased across follow-ups to 51.2% (month-12) to 58.6% (month-24, 87% of whom used ENDS). Among those who continued to smoke at 24 months, 45.4% reduced cigarettes per day by ≥ 50%. Rates of switching and substantial smoking reduction were largely similar across subgroups, with some statistically significant, but small, differences in month-24 switching rates (eg, education, mental and physical health conditions; switch rate range: 42%–57%).

Conclusions
AWS demonstrated progressively increasing switching rates over 2 years after purchasing JUUL products. Similar trends in switching and smoking reduction were observed across populations disproportionately affected by smoking. By facilitating switching and smoking reduction, ENDS products such as JUUL may provide an opportunity to reduce smoking-related harm among some populations disproportionately affected by smoking, potentially reducing tobacco-related health disparities.

Implications
ENDS have the potential to benefit population health if they can replace cigarettes. This benefit must extend to populations disproportionately affected by smoking. In this real-world study, 59% of JUUL purchasers reported complete switching 2 years later (no past-30-day smoking, with most continuing to use ENDS). Furthermore, 45% of those who continued to smoke reduced cigarette consumption by at least half. These rates of switching and smoking reduction were largely comparable across populations disproportionately affected by smoking (defined, eg, by ethnicity and income). ENDS can serve as an effective harm reduction strategy to complement current efforts to reduce tobacco-related disparities.
The S-acylation cycle of transcription factor MtNAC80 influences cold stress responses in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Ye Qinyi , Zheng Lihua , Liu Peng , Liu Qianwen , Ji Tuo , Liu Jinling , Gao Yajuan , Liu Li , Dong Jiangli , Wang Tao 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
S-acylation is a reversible post-translational modification catalyzed by protein S-acyltransferases (PATs), and acyl protein thioesterases (APTs) mediate de-S-acylation. Although many proteins are S-acylated, how the S-acylation cycle modulates specific biological functions in plants is poorly understood. In this study, we report that the S-acylation cycle of transcription factor MtNAC80 is involved in the Medicago truncatula cold stress response. Under normal conditions, MtNAC80 localized to membranes through MtPAT9-induced S-acylation. In contrast, under cold stress conditions, MtNAC80 translocated to the nucleus through de-S-acylation mediated by thioesterases such as MtAPT1. MtNAC80 functions in the nucleus by directly binding the promoter of the glutathione S-transferase gene MtGSTU1 and promoting its expression, which enables plants to survive under cold stress by removing excess malondialdehyde and H2O2. Our findings reveal an important function of the S-acylation cycle in plants and provide insight into stress response and tolerance mechanisms.
A novel approach for quantitatively distinguishing between anthropogenic and natural effects on paleovegetation
Authors: Fan Baoshuo , Lu Houyuan , Li Yuecong , Shen Caiming , Xu Qinghai , Zhang Jianping , Huan Xiujia , Wang Yonglei , Wang Ningyuan , Xu Deke , Dong Yajie , Cui Anning , Wu Naiqin 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
How to distinguish and quantify past human impacts on vegetation is a significant challenge in paleoecology. Here, we propose a novel method, the error inflection point-discriminant technique. It finds out the inflection points (IPs) of the regression errors of pollen–climate transfer functions using modern pollen spectra from vegetation with different values of the Human Influence Index (HII), which represent the HII threshold values of native/secondary and secondary/artificial vegetation systems. Our results show that the HII value at the native/secondary vegetation IPs is approximately 22 and globally uniform, whereas it varies regionally for the secondary/artificial vegetation IPs. In a case study of the Liangzhu archaeological site in the lower Yangtze River, discriminant functions for pollen spectra from three vegetation types and pollen–climate transfer functions of the native vegetation were established to reconstruct paleovegetation and paleoclimate over the past 6,600 years. Our study demonstrates this method's feasibility for quantitatively distinguishing human impacts on paleovegetation and assessing quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions using pollen data.
International Comovement in the Global Production Network
Authors: Huo Zhen , Levchenko Andrei A , Pandalai-Nayar Nitya 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
This article provides a general framework to study the role of production networks in international GDP comovement. We first derive an additive decomposition of bilateral GDP comovement into components capturing shock transmission and shock correlation. We quantify this decomposition in a parsimonious multi-country, multi-sector dynamic network propagation model, using data for the G7 countries over the period 1978–2007. Our main finding is that while the network transmission of shocks is quantitatively important, it accounts for a minority of observed comovement under the estimated range of structural elasticities. Contemporaneous responses to correlated shocks in the production network are more successful at generating comovement than intertemporal propagation through capital accumulation. Extensions with multiple shocks, nominal rigidities, and international financial integration leave our main result unchanged. A combination of TFP and labour supply shocks is quantitatively successful at reproducing the observed international business cycle.
High-Copy Transposons from a Pathogen Give Rise to a Conserved sRNA Family with a Novel Host Immunity Target
Authors: Kunz Lukas , Poretti Manuel , Praz Coraline R. , Müller Marion C. , Wyler Michele , Keller Beat , Wicker Thomas , Bourras Salim 
Published: March 2024

Small RNAs (sRNAs) are involved in gene silencing in multiple ways, including through cross-kingdom transfers from parasites to their hosts. Little is known about the evolutionary mechanisms enabling eukaryotic microbes to evolve functional mimics of host small regulatory RNAs. Here, we describe the identification and functional characterization of SINE_sRNA1, an sRNA family derived from highly abundant short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) retrotransposons in the genome of the wheat powdery mildew pathogen. SINE_sRNA1 is encoded by a sequence motif that is conserved in multiple SINE families and corresponds to a functional plant microRNA (miRNA) mimic targeting Tae_AP1, a wheat gene encoding an aspartic protease only found in monocots. Tae_AP1 has a novel function enhancing both pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI), thereby contributing to the cross activation of plant defenses. We conclude that SINE_sRNA1 and Tae_AP1 are functional innovations, suggesting the contribution of transposons to the evolutionary arms race between a parasite and its host. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Inhibition of the glucocorticoid‐activating enzyme 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 drives concurrent 11‐oxygenated androgen excess
Authors: Schiffer Lina , Oestlund Imken , Snoep Jacky L. , Gilligan Lorna C. , Taylor Angela E. , Sinclair Alexandra J. , Singhal Rishi , Freeman Adrian , Ajjan Ramzi , Tiganescu Ana , Arlt Wiebke , Storbeck Karl‐Heinz 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAldo‐keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) is a key enzyme in the activation of both classic and 11‐oxygenated androgens. In adipose tissue, AKR1C3 is co‐expressed with 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1), which catalyzes not only the local activation of glucocorticoids but also the inactivation of 11‐oxygenated androgens, and thus has the potential to counteract AKR1C3. Using a combination of in vitro assays and in silico modeling we show that HSD11B1 attenuates the biosynthesis of the potent 11‐oxygenated androgen, 11‐ketotestosterone (11KT), by AKR1C3. Employing ex vivo incubations of human female adipose tissue samples we show that inhibition of HSD11B1 results in the increased peripheral biosynthesis of 11KT. Moreover, circulating 11KT increased 2–3 fold in individuals with type 2 diabetes after receiving the selective oral HSD11B1 inhibitor AZD4017 for 35 days, thus confirming that HSD11B1 inhibition results in systemic increases in 11KT concentrations. Our findings show that HSD11B1 protects against excess 11KT production by adipose tissue, a finding of particular significance when considering the evidence for adverse metabolic effects of androgens in women. Therefore, when targeting glucocorticoid activation by HSD11B1 inhibitor treatment in women, the consequently increased generation of 11KT may offset beneficial effects of decreased glucocorticoid activation.
Resolvin D2 attenuates LPS‐induced macrophage exhaustion
Authors: Padovani Cristina M. , Wilson Rachael M. , Rodriguez Ana , Spur Bernd W. , Yin Kingsley 
Published: March 2024

AbstractEarly in sepsis, a hyperinflammatory response is dominant, but later, an immunosuppressive phase dominates, and the host is susceptible to opportunistic infections. Anti‐inflammatory agents may accelerate the host into immunosuppression, and few agents can reverse immunosuppression without causing inflammation. Specialized pro‐resolving mediators (SPMs) such as resolvin D2 (RvD2) have been reported to resolve inflammation without being immunosuppressive, but little work has been conducted to examine their effects on immunosuppression. To assess the effects of RvD2 on immunosuppression, we established a model of macrophage exhaustion using two lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatments or hits. THP‐1 monocyte‐derived macrophages were first treated with RvD2 or vehicle for 1 h. One LPS hit increased NF‐κB activity 11‐fold and TNF‐α release 60‐fold compared to unstimulated macrophages. RvD2 decreased LPS‐induced NF‐κB activity and TNF‐α production but increased bacterial clearance. Two LPS hits reduced macrophage bacterial clearance and decreased macrophage NF‐κB activity (45%) and TNF‐α release (75%) compared to one LPS hit, demonstrating exhaustion. RvD2 increased NF‐κB activity, TNF‐α release, and bacterial clearance following two LPS hits compared to controls. TLR2 inhibition abolished RvD2‐mediated changes. In a mouse sepsis model, splenic macrophage response to exogenous LPS was reduced compared to controls and was restored by in vivo administration of RvD2, supporting the in vitro results. If RvD2 was added to monocytes before differentiation into macrophages, however, RvD2 reduced LPS responses and increased bacterial clearance following both one and two LPS hits. The results show that RvD2 attenuated macrophage suppression in vitro and in vivo and that this effect was macrophage‐specific.
The DDX6/KIFC1 signaling axis, as regulated by YY1, contributes to the malignant behavior of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Deng Xin , Liu Zhen , Wang Baosheng , Ma Jia , Meng Xiangpeng 
Published: March 2024

AbstractHuman DEAD/H box RNA helicase DDX6 acts as an oncogene in several different types of cancer, where it participates in RNA processing. Nevertheless, the role of DDX6 in pancreatic cancer (PC), together with the underlying mechanism, has yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, compared with adjacent tissues, the level of DDX6 was abnormally increased in human PC tissues, and this increased level of expression was associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, the role of DDX6 in PC was investigated by overexpressing or silencing the DDX6 in the PC cell lines, SW1990 and PaTu‐8988t. A xenograft model was established by injecting nude mice with either DDX6‐overexpressing or DDX6‐silenced SW1990 cells. DDX6 overexpression promoted the proliferation and cell cycle transition, inhibited the cell apoptosis of PC cells, and accelerated tumor formation, whereas DDX6 knockdown elicited the opposite effects. DDX6 exerted positive effects on PC. RNA immunoprecipitation assay showed that DDX6 bound to kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) mRNA, which was further confirmed by RNA pull‐down assay. These results suggested that DDX6 positively regulated the expression of KIFC1. KIFC1 overexpression enhanced the proliferative capability of PC cells with DDX6 knockdown and inhibited their apoptosis. By contrast, DDX6 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of KIFC1 silencing on tumor proliferation. Subsequently, the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) was shown to negatively regulate DDX6 at both the mRNA and protein levels. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay verified that YY1 targeted the promoter of DDX6 and inhibited its transcription. High expression levels of YY1 decreased the proliferation of PC cells and promoted cell apoptosis, although these effects were reversed by DDX6 overexpression. Taken together, YY1 may target the DDX6/KIFC1 axis, thereby negatively regulating its expression, leading to an inhibitory effect on pancreatic tumor.
Association of Preoperative Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy With Cardiopulmonary Instability and Organ Injury After High-Risk Surgery
Authors: Tang Ying-Hung , Bergmann Jules , Vaidya Dhananjay , Faraday Nauder 
Published: March 2024

OBJECTIVES:
To assess the relationship between prior exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and the risk of postoperative complications in cancer patients.

DESIGN:
Single-center retrospective cohort study

INTERVENTIONS:
The main exposure was treatment with an FDA-approved ICI within 6 months before surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:
Exposure to ICIs and covariates was determined from the electronic health record. The primary outcome was a composite of postoperative complications, including prolonged pressor or oxygen dependence, kidney injury, or myocardial injury. Secondary outcomes included each subcomponent of the primary outcome. Of 7674 subjects with cancer admitted to the ICU after surgery, 247 were exposed to one or more ICIs in the 6 months before surgery. After propensity score matching, 197 ICI-exposed subjects were matched to 777 nonexposed. The composite outcome occurred in 70 of 197 (35.5%) ICI-exposed subjects and 251 of 777 (32.3%) nonexposed. There was no difference between exposed and nonexposed groups in the primary composite outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.12; 95% CI, 0.80–1.58) by conditional logistic regression. Risk of the secondary outcome of prolonged pressor dependence was significantly higher in ICI-exposed subjects (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.01–2.67). Risks of oxygen dependence (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.75–1.73), kidney injury (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.77–1.71), and myocardial injury (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.00–3.10) were not significantly different. There was no difference between groups in the time to hospital discharge alive (p = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS:
Exposure to ICIs within 6 months before high-risk surgery was not associated with the composite outcome of cardiopulmonary instability or organ injury in patients with cancer. The potential for an association with the secondary outcomes of cardiac instability and injury is worthy of future study.
Energy-Based Devices for the Treatment of Cutaneous Verrucae: A Systematic Review
Authors: Le Michelle , Conte Santina , Hsu Jeffrey T. S. , Li Monica K. 
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND
Warts are one of the most common benign neoplasms caused by human papillomavirus infection and often pose a therapeutic challenge.

OBJECTIVE
To summarize the current evidence on the safety and efficacy of laser and energy-based devices for the treatment of cutaneous verrucae.

METHODS
A comprehensive systematic review of the literature on laser and energy-based devices for the treatment of cutaneous verrucae was performed.

RESULTS
A total of 904 unique studies were identified, of which 109 were included in this review. The most commonly used lasers as a single treatment modality for verrucae included the long-pulsed Nd:Yag (n = 20) and pulsed dye (n = 18) lasers. Other modalities included the CO2 ablative laser (n = 10), photodynamic therapy (n = 11), local hyperthermia (n = 11), microwave therapy (n = 2), and nanopulse stimulation (n = 1). Other studies combined energy-based modalities with additional treatments, such as retinoids, imiquimod, and intralesional bleomycin. Overall, such devices were generally well-tolerated, with only a mild side effect profile.

CONCLUSION
Overall, the use of laser and energy-based devices is a safe and well-tolerated option for cutaneous verrucae that is relatively less invasive than surgical interventions. Future studies using more consistent outcome assessment tools will be valuable to help clinicians develop device-specific protocols and treatment regimens to ensure replicable and effective outcomes.
Comparative analysis of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 in Taiwan’s medical technologist certification: A study in artificial intelligence advancements
Authors: Yang Wan-Hua , Chan Yun-Hsiang , Huang Cheng-Pin , Chen Tzeng-Ji 
Published: March 2024

Background:This study examines the comparative effectiveness of GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0, in the certification of medical technologists (MT) in Taiwan, exploring their adeptness in processing complex medical language and their contributory role in the educational and communicative aspects of professional healthcare training.Methods:This study used GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.0 to test the medical laboratory technician professional college entrance examination questions. The questions in different fields, including six subjects, such as Clinical Physiology and Pathology, Hematology, and Blood Bank, among others were answered one-on-one using two generative pretrained transformer (GPT) versions, simulating the situations during exam preparation.Results:A total of 480 questions were analyzed and the results showed that both versions of the GPT met the certification standards. Version 4.0 was better than version 3.5 for all subjects, particularly in Clinical Biochemistry (score = 96.25) and Microbiology (score = 91.25). Outstanding performance compared to version 3.5, which had an average score of 65.42 and a maximum score of 77.5. Overall, version 4.0, which was significantly better than version 3.5 in both median and average scores, reflects a significant improvement in professional knowledge processing capabilities.Conclusion:The GPT can provide valuable support for both the upstream and downstream processes of MT certification. Future research can further explore the application of GPT in different educational and certification contexts and improve the passing rate of medical personnel in the certification process. This study provides useful information for exploring the potential applications of GPT in certifying medical examiners. Furthermore, it provides new directions for future research in medical education.
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma extrahepatic metastases can benefit from hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with lenvatinib plus programmed death-1 inhibitors
Authors: Guan Renguo , Zhang Nan , Deng Min , Lin Ye , Huang Guanjie , Fu Yizhen , Zheng Zehao , Wei Wei , Zhong Chong , Zhao Haitao , Mei Jie , Guo Rongping 
Published: March 2024

Background:
Lenvatinib plus programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors (LEN-P) have been recommended in China for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, they provide limited survival benefits to patients with extrahepatic metastases. We aimed to investigate whether combining hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with LEN-P could improve its efficacy.

Materials and methods:
This multicenter cohort study included patients with HCC extrahepatic metastases who received HAIC combined with LEN-P (HAIC-LEN-P group, n=127) or LEN-P alone (n=103) as the primary systemic treatment between January 2019 and December 2022. Baseline data were balanced using a one-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).

Results:
After PSM, the HAIC-LEN-P group significantly extended the median overall survival (mOS) and median progression-free survival (mPFS), compared with the LEN-P group (mOS: 27.0 months vs. 9.0 months, P<0.001; mPFS: 8.0 months vs. 3.0 months, P=0.001). After IPTW, the mOS [hazard ratio (HR)=0.384, P<0.001] and mPFS (HR=0.507, P<0.001) were significantly higher in the HAIC-LEN-P group than in the LEN-P group. The HAIC-LEN-P group’s objective response rate was twice as high as that of the LEN-P group (PSM cohort: 67.3% vs. 29.1%, P<0.001; IPTW cohort: 66.1% vs. 27.8%, P<0.001). Moreover, the HAIC-LEN-P group exhibited no noticeable increase in the percentages of grade 3 and 4 adverse events compared with the LEN-P group (P>0.05).

Conclusion:
HAIC can improve the efficacy of LEN-P in patients with HCC extrahepatic metastases and may be an alternative treatment for advanced HCC management.