bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and outcome of anti‐hepatitis D virus positive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Giannini Edoardo G. , Pasta Andrea , Pieri Giulia , Plaz Torres Maria Corina , Marseglia Mariarosaria , Pelizzaro Filippo , Sangiovanni Angelo , Cabibbo Giuseppe , Ghittoni Giorgia , Di Marco Mariella , Foschi Francesco Giuseppe , Guarino Maria , Biasini Elisabetta , Saitta Carlo , Campani Claudia , Svegliati‐Baroni Gianluca , Gasbarrini Antonio , Brunetto Maurizia Rossana , Magalotti Donatella , Azzaroli Francesco , Mega Andrea , Sacco Rodolfo , Nardone Gerardo , Sacerdoti David , Masotto Alberto , Vidili Gianpaolo , Bucci Laura , Vitale Alessandro , Trevisani Franco ,   for the Italian Liver Cancer (ITA.LI.CA) group
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackground & AimsChronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) often leads to end‐stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Comprehensive data pertaining to large populations with HDV and HCC are missing, therefore we sought to assess the characteristics, management, and outcome of these patients, comparing them to patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.MethodsWe analysed the Italian Liver Cancer database focusing on patients with positivity for HBV surface antigen and anti‐HDV antibodies (HBV/HDV, n = 107) and patients with HBV infection alone (n = 588). Clinical and oncological characteristics, treatment, and survival were compared in the two groups.ResultsPatients with HBV/HDV had worse liver function [Model for End‐stage Liver Disease score: 11 vs. 9, p < .0001; Child‐Turcotte‐Pugh score: 7 vs. 5, p < .0001] than patients with HBV. HCC was more frequently diagnosed during surveillance (72.9% vs. 52.4%, p = .0002), and the oncological stage was more frequently Milan‐in (67.3% vs. 52.7%, p = .005) in patients with HBV/HDV. Liver transplantation was more frequently performed in HBV/HDV than in HBV patients (36.4% vs. 9.5%), while the opposite was observed for resection (8.4% vs. 20.1%, p < .0001), and in a competing risk analysis, HBV/HDV patients had a higher probability of receiving transplantation, independently of liver function and oncological stage. A trend towards longer survival was observed in patients with HBV/HDV (50.4 vs. 44.4 months, p = .106).ConclusionsIn patients with HBV/HDV, HCC is diagnosed more frequently during surveillance, resulting in a less advanced cancer stage in patients with more deranged liver function than HBV alone. Patients with HBV/HDV have a heightened benefit from liver transplantation, positively influencing survival.
Contribution of combined stressors on density and gene expression dynamics of the copepod Temora longicornis in the North Sea
Authors: Semmouri Ilias , De Schamphelaere Karel A. C. , Van Nieuwerburgh Filip , Deforce Dieter , Janssen Colin R. , Asselman Jana 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe impact of multiple environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the marine environment remains poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the contribution of environmental variables to the densities and gene expression of the dominant zooplankton species in the Belgian part of the North Sea, the calanoid copepod Temora longicornis. We observed a reduced density of copepods, which were also smaller in size, in samples taken from nearshore locations when compared to those obtained from offshore stations. To assess the factors influencing the population dynamics of this species, we applied generalised additive models. These models allowed us to quantify the relative contribution of temperature, nutrient levels, salinity, turbidity, concentrations of photosynthetic pigments, as well as chemical pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on copepod density. Temperature and Secchi depth, a proxy for turbidity, were the most important environmental variables predicting the densities of T. longicornis, followed by summed PAH and chlorophyll concentrations. Analysing gene expression in field‐collected adults, we observed significant variation in metabolic and stress‐response genes. Temperature correlated significantly with genes involved in proteolytic activities, and encoding heat shock proteins. Yet, concentrations of anthropogenic chemicals did not induce significant differences in the gene expression of genes involved in the copepod's fatty acid metabolism or well‐known stress‐related genes, such as glutathione transferases or cytochrome P450. Our study highlights the potential of gene expression biomonitoring and underscores the significance of a changing environment in future studies.
A case of autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy with excessive startle response and cortical hyperexcitability
Authors: Tanimura Jun , Kaneko Kikuko , Hashimoto Takao 
Published: March 2024

AbstractWe herein report a 60‐year‐old man with autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy (GFAP‐A) with excessive startle response (ESR), or hyperekplexia. Short‐latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) revealed high‐amplitude potentials of the early cortical component. Anti‐GFAPα antibodies in the spinal fluid were positive. The hyperekplexia, other clinical symptoms, and SSEP abnormalities were resolved by corticosteroid therapy. The present case demonstrates that ESR can be associated with GFAP‐A, and its pathophysiology may be cortical hyperexcitability.
Proximal esophageal impedance baseline increases the yield of impedance‐pH and is associated with response to PPIs in chronic cough patients
Authors: Ribolsi Mentore , De Bortoli Nicola , Frazzoni Marzio , Marchetti Lorenzo , Savarino Edoardo , Cicala Michele 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundChronic cough significantly impairs the quality of life. Although various studies focused on MNBI as assessed in the distal esophagus, scarce data are available on the clinical value of proximal measurements.AimTo investigate the role of proximal MNBI in the workup of patients with chronic cough and its ability to predict PPI response.MethodsDemographic, clinical, endoscopy findings, impedance‐pH and HRM tracings from consecutive cough patients were evaluated. MNBI was calculated at proximal and distal esophagus.ResultsOne hundred and sixty four patients were included. In addition to traditional variables, when considering also the PSPW index or MNBI at 3 cm or 15 cm, the proportion of patients with pathological impedance‐pH monitoring significantly increased. 70/164 patients were responders, while 94 (57.3%) were non‐responder to double PPI dose (p < 0.05). Patients with pathologic MNBI at 3 cm and/or 15 cm as well as those with pathologic PSPW index were characterized by a significantly higher proportion of responders than that observed among patients with normal impedance‐pH variables (p < 0.001). The proportion of responders with pathological MNBI at 15 cm was significantly higher than the proportion of responders with pathological MNBI at 3 cm (82.8% vs. 64.3%, p < 0.05). At multivariable model, pathological MNBI at both 3 cm and 15 cm as well as PSPW index were associated with PPI responsiveness. The strongest association with PPI response was observed for MNBI at 15 cm.ConclusionsThe assessment of MNBI at proximal esophagus increases the diagnostic yield of impedance‐pH monitoring and may represent a useful predictor of PPI responsiveness in the cumbersome clinical setting of suspected reflux‐related cough.
Dystocia frequency and causes in horses with pregnancy disorders or a history of dystocia: A prospective study
Authors: Ellerbrock Markus , Krohn Judith , Büttner Kathrin , Wehrend Axel 
Published: March 2024

AbstractDystocia typically presents a life‐threatening condition for both the mare and the foal. This prospective long‐term study aimed to ascertain whether mares with prior pregnancy disorders or a history of dystocia were at a higher risk of experiencing subsequent dystocia in comparison to those without such medical antecedents. To achieve this goal, the authors analysed 207 parturitions and 164 mares over a 10‐year period. Of these, 57 were associated with pregnancy disorders or prior dystocia (Group 1), while 150 parturitions followed uneventful pregnancies in mares that had not yet experienced dystocia (Group 2). Mares in Group 1 were significantly more likely to develop dystocia than those in Group 2 (p = .0180; odds ratio = 2.98). Foetal causes of dystocia were more prevalent than maternal causes (p < .0389). Maternal mortality stood at 0.5%, and neonatal mortality reached 1.9%. The results demonstrate that mares are at significantly higher risk of developing dystocia after experiencing pregnancy disorders or parturition complications during previous pregnancies, emphasizing the need for systematic birth monitoring.
Exploration of the causality of frailty index on psoriasis: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Lei Hao , Xing Zixuan , Chen Xin , Dai Yilin , Cheng Baochen , Wang Shengbang , Kang Tong , Wang Qian , Zhang Jing , Jia Jinjing , Zheng Yan 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackgroundFrailty is associated with a variety of diseases, but the relationship between frailty and psoriasis remains unclear.MethodsFirst, we conducted a two‐sample Mendelian randomization based on genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) to investigate genetic causality between frailty index and common diseases in dermatology. Inverse variance weighted was used to estimate causality. Second, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTLs) analysis was conducted to identify the genes affected by Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Third, we performed function and pathway enrichment, transcriptome‐wide association studies (TWAS) analysis based on eQTLs.ResultsIt was shown that the rise of frailty index could increase the risk of psoriasis (IVW, beta = 0.916, OR = 2.500, 95%CI:1.418‐4.408, p = 0.002) through Mendelian randomization (MR), and there was no heterogeneity and pleiotropy. There was no causality between the frailty index and other common diseases in dermatology. We found 31 eQTLs based on strongly correlated SNPs in the causality. TWAS analysis found that the expressions of four genes were closely related to psoriasis, including HLA‐DQA1, HLA‐DQA2, HLA‐DRB1 and HLA‐DQB1.ConclusionIt suggested that the frailty index had a significant positive causality on the risk of psoriasis, which was well documented by combined genomic, transcriptome, and proteome analyses.
Laser‐assisted dacryocystorhinostomy of acquired dacryops in a dog
Authors: Sesana Alberto , Smith David J. , Das Smita 
Published: March 2024

AbstractObjectiveTo describe a novel minimally invasive surgical approach to treatment of a nasolacrimal duct cyst in a dog and outcome.Animal StudiedA 10‐year‐old, male entire, Springer Spaniel with a chronic right‐sided maxillary swelling and associated right eye epiphora and sneezing.ProcedureComputed tomography with dacryocystography confirmed a cystic structure and destruction of the right maxilla and zygomatic bone with invasion of the nasal cavity. Obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct was confirmed. Rhinoscopy was performed allowing visualization of the ventromedial wall of the cyst. Under direct visualization, dacryocystorhinostomy was performed and the wall of the cyst was ablated with the aid of a thulium laser fiber.ResultsNo intraoperative complications occurred during the procedure. Full resolution of clinical signs was noted within 2 weeks of treatment. No recurrence had occurred on long‐term follow‐up at 32 months.ConclusionsLaser‐assisted dacrocystorhinostomy under direct visualization was successful in the treatment and resolution of a nasolacrimal duct cyst (dacryops) in this case.
RhD mismatch does not affect haematopoietic recovery, graft‐versus‐host disease and survival in allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation: A Japanese registry‐based study
Authors: Konuma Takaaki , Uchida Naoyuki , Takeda Wataru , Doki Noriko , Yoshihara Satoshi , Nishida Tetsuya , Kuriyama Takuro , Tanaka Masatsugu , Ohigashi Hiroyuki , Nakamae Hirohisa , Katayama Yuta , Ota Shuichi , Hashii Yoshiko , Ishimaru Fumihiko , Fukuda Takahiro , Ohbiki Marie , Atsuta Yoshiko 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesABO blood group mismatch between the donor and the recipient can affect the success of the transplant as well as problems with the red blood cells during allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). However, the impact of the Rhesus (Rh) D mismatch on transplant outcomes in allogeneic HCT has been poorly elucidated.Materials and MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated the impact of the RhD mismatch on post‐transplant outcomes in 64,923 patients who underwent allogeneic HCT between 2000 and 2021 using a Japanese registry database.ResultsOut of the whole group, 64,293, 322, 270 and 38 HCTs were done when the recipient or donor was RhD‐mismatched with (+/+), (−/+), (+/−) or (−/−) combinations. The difference in RhD between recipient/donor (−/+), (+/−) and (−/−) did not affect haematopoietic recovery, acute and chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD), overall survival (OS), non‐relapse mortality (NRM) or relapse when RhD (+/+) was used as the reference group in multivariate analysis.ConclusionOur registry‐based study demonstrated that RhD mismatch between recipient and donor did not significantly impact haematopoietic recovery, GVHD, OS, NRM or relapse after allogeneic HCT. These data suggest that RhD mismatches may not need to be avoided for recipient and donor combinations in allogeneic HCT.
The effect of protein or amino acid provision on immobilization‐induced muscle atrophy in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Hughes Alix K. , Francis Thomas , Rooney Jessica , Pollock Ross , Witard Oliver C. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractBed rest and limb immobilization are models of muscle disuse associated with skeletal muscle atrophy and reduced strength. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the impact of protein or amino acid provision before and/or during a period of muscle disuse on muscle atrophy (primary outcome), strength and muscle protein synthesis (secondary outcomes) following a disuse period. We performed a systematic review of Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, PubMed and Clinical Trials in December 2022. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials that combined a dietary protein or amino acid intervention versus control during an experimental model of disuse (bed rest or unilateral limb immobilization) in healthy individuals aged ≥18 years. Nine articles from eight independent trials were identified and rated for risk of bias by two authors. A meta‐analysis of muscle mass data revealed no effect (standardized mean difference: 0.2; 95% confidence interval: −0.18 to 0.57, P = 0.31) of protein/amino acid intervention in preventing disuse‐induced muscle atrophy. Although the meta‐analysis was not conducted on strength or muscle protein synthesis data, there was insufficient evidence in the reviewed articles to support the use of protein/amino acid provision in mitigating the disuse‐induced decline in either outcome measurement. Additional high‐quality studies, including the reporting of randomization procedures and blinding procedures and the provision of statistical analysis plans, might be required to determine whether protein or amino acid provision serves as an effective strategy to attenuate muscle atrophy during periods of disuse.
In vitro
activity of meropenem-vaborbactam plus aztreonam against metallo-β-lactamase-producing
Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Cienfuegos-Gallet Astrid V. , Shashkina Elena , Chu Tingyu , Zhu Zhichen , Wang Bingjie , Kreiswirth Barry N. , Chen Liang 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the
in vitro
activity of meropenem-vaborbactam plus aztreonam (MEV-ATM) against 140 metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates. Among them, 25 isolates (17.9%) displayed minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ≥ 8 µg/mL, while 112 (80.0%) had MIC ≤ 2 µg/mL. Genomic analysis and subsequent gene cloning experiments revealed OmpK36 134-135GD-insertion and increased carbapenemase gene (
bla
NDM-1
and
bla
OXA-48-like
) copy numbers are the main factors responsible for MEV-ATM non-susceptibility. Notably, MEV-ATM is actively against aztreonam-avibactam-resistant mutants due to CMY-16 mutations.
Identification of a putative cell wall-hydrolyzing amidase involved in sporangiospore maturation in
Actinoplanes missouriensis
Authors: Tan Zhuwen , Tezuka Takeaki , Ohnishi Yasuo 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT

Actinoplanes missouriensis
is a filamentous bacterium that differentiates into terminal sporangia, each containing a few hundred spores. Previously, we reported that a cell wall-hydrolyzing
N
-acetylglucosaminidase, GsmA, is required for the maturation process of sporangiospores in
A. missouriensis
; sporangia of the
gsmA
null mutant (Δ
gsmA
) strain released chains of 2–20 spores under sporangium dehiscence-inducing conditions. In this study, we identified and characterized a putative cell wall hydrolase (AsmA) that is also involved in sporangiospore maturation. AsmA was predicted to have a signal peptide for the general secretion pathway and an
N
-acetylmuramoyl-
l
-alanine amidase domain. The transcript level of
asmA
increased during the early stages of sporangium formation. The
asmA
null mutant (Δ
asmA
) strain showed phenotypes similar to those of the wild-type strain, but sporangia of the Δ
gsmA
Δ
asmA
double mutant released longer spore chains than those from the Δ
gsmA
sporangia. Furthermore, a weak interaction between AsmA and GsmA was detected in a bacterial two-hybrid assay using
Escherichia coli
as the host. Based on these results, we propose that AsmA is an enzyme that hydrolyzes peptidoglycan at septum-forming sites to separate adjacent spores during sporangiospore maturation in cooperation with GsmA in
A. missouriensis
.

IMPORTANCE

Actinoplanes missouriensis
produces sporangiospores as dormant cells. The spores inside the sporangia are assumed to be formed from prespores generated by the compartmentalization of intrasporangium hyphae via septation. Previously, we identified GsmA as a cell wall hydrolase responsible for the separation of adjacent spores inside sporangia. However, we predicted that an additional cell wall hydrolase(s) is inevitably involved in the maturation process of sporangiospores because the sporangia of the
gsmA
null mutant strain released not only tandemly connected spore chains (2–20 spores) but also single spores. In this study, we successfully identified a putative cell wall hydrolase (AsmA) that is involved in sporangiospore maturation in
A. missouriensis
.
Performance of eight commercial immunoassays for the detection of cytomegalovirus-specific IgM antibodies in pregnancy – no test fits all needs
Authors: Daiminger Anja , Beck Robert , Exler Simone , Bartelt Uwe , Enders Martin 
Published: March 2024

ABSTRACT

Detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies as first-line serologic diagnosis plays an important role in identifying CMV primary infection during pregnancy. The performance characteristics of eight commercially available CMV IgM assays were compared. Sensitivity and IgM antibody kinetics were assessed using 100 acute phase and follow-up sera from 39 pregnant women with a well-defined onset of CMV primary infection. Specificity was analyzed using 50 well-characterized serum samples from pregnant women not infected or latently infected with CMV and from patients with other acute infections. Until 12 weeks after the onset of primary infection, four assays showed sensitivities of 100%, whereas the others had individual gaps to detect all primary infections in this time period. All assays showed a time-dependent decrease of IgM levels. More than 12 weeks after the onset of infection, the IgM-positive rates varied considerably between tests. The specificity was between 92% and 98% in all but one assay. The observed differences in the performance characteristics must be taken into account in CMV screening and diagnosis of primary infection during pregnancy.
PaSTG: A Parallel Spatio-Temporal GCN Framework for Traffic Forecasting in Smart City
Authors: He Xianhao , Hu Yikun , Liao Qing , Xiong Hantao , Yang Wangdong , Li Kenli 
Published: March 2024

Predicting future traffic conditions from urban sensor data is crucial for smart city applications. Recent traffic forecasting methods are derived from Spatio-Temporal Graph Convolution Networks (STGCNs). Despite their remarkable achievements, these spatio-temporal models have mainly been evaluated on small-scale datasets. In light of the rapid growth of the Internet of Things and urbanization, cities are witnessing an increased deployment of sensors, resulting in the collection of extensive sensor data to provide more accurate insights into citywide traffic dynamics. Spatio-temporal graph modeling on large-scale traffic data is challenging due to the memory constraint of the computing device. For traffic forecasting, subgraph sampling from road networks onto multiple devices is feasible. Many GCN sampling methods have been proposed recently. However, combining these with STGCNs degrades performance. This is primarily due to prediction biases introduced by each sampled subgraph, which analyze traffic states from a regional perspective.
Addressing these challenges, we introduce a parallel STGCN framework called PaSTG. PaSTG divides the road network into regions, each processed by an individual STGCN in a device. To mitigate regional biases, Aggregation Blocks in PaSTG merge spatial-temporal features from each STBlock. This collaboration enhances traffic forecasting. Furthermore, PaSTG implements pipeline parallelism and employs a graph partition algorithm for optimized pipeline efficiency. We evaluate PaSTG on various STGCNs using three traffic datasets on multiple GPUs. Results demonstrate that our parallel approach applies widely to diverse STGCN models, surpassing existing GCN samplers by up to 57.4% in prediction accuracy. Additionally, the parallel framework achieves speedups of up to 2.87x and 4.70x in training and inference compared to GCN samplers.
Plasmodesmata: Channels Under Pressure
Authors: Bayer Emmanuelle M. , Benitez-Alfonso Yoselin 
Published: March 2024

Multicellularity has emerged multiple times in evolution, enabling groups of cells to share a living space and reducing the burden of solitary tasks. While unicellular organisms exhibit individuality and independence, cooperation among cells in multicellular organisms brings specialization and flexibility. However, multicellularity also necessitates intercellular dependence and relies on intercellular communication. In plants, this communication is facilitated by plasmodesmata: intercellular bridges that allow the direct (cytoplasm-to-cytoplasm) transfer of information between cells. Plasmodesmata transport essential molecules that regulate plant growth, development, and stress responses. They are embedded in the extracellular matrix but exhibit flexibility, adapting intercellular flux to meet the plant's needs.
In this review, we delve into the formation and functionality of plasmodesmata and examine the capacity of the plant communication network to respond to developmental and environmental cues. We illustrate how environmental pressure shapes cellular interactions and aids the plant in adapting its growth.