bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cumulative pulse methylprednisolone and its relation to disease activity, damage and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: A post hoc analysis of COMOSLE-EGYPT study
Authors: Sobhy Nesreen , Ezzat Yasser , Gamal Sherif M. , Ghoniem Shada A. , Nasr Sarah S. , Badran Shaimaa , Soliman Ahmed , Fouad Nermeen Ahmed 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Objective
To investigate the relation between cumulative intravenous methylprednisolone dose and disease activity, damage, and mortality among a group of Egyptian SLE patients.

Patients and methods
This is a post hoc analysis of a retrospective multicenter COMOSLE study. Cumulative pulse methylprednisolone dose was abstracted from COMOSLE database. Patients with cumulative pulse dose of ≤ 3.0 g (median dose) were compared to those with cumulative dose of > 3.0 g regarding demographic data, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (SLICC) score as well as treatment received. Additionally, at 1.5, 3, 6, and 9 g of cumulative methylprednisolone, patients were compared regarding SLICC score and risk of mortality.

Results
Patients who received > 3 g of methylprednisolone were statistically significantly younger at disease onset, had longer disease duration, higher SLEDAI score at last visit, and higher SLICC score (p = 003, p = 0.002, p = 0.004 and p =  < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, with every gram increase in the cumulative methylprednisolone, there was a significant increase in SLICC score by 0.169 (B = 0.169, CI = 0.122–0.216, p-value =  < 0.001) and an increased risk of mortality by 13.5% (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.135, CI = 1.091–1.180, p-value = 0.001). The best cutoff value of methylprednisolone dose at which damage may occur, ranged between 2.75 (with sensitivity of 81.4% and specificity of 33.9%) and 3.25 g (with sensitivity of 48.3% and specificity of 71.5%).

Conclusion
With every gram increase in the cumulative methylprednisolone, there may be increase in damage and mortality, especially in doses exceeding the range of 2.75–3.25 g.

Key Points• Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus should be with the least possible dose of steroids to decrease the risk of damage and mortality.• With every gram increase in the cumulative intravenous methylprednisolone there may be increase in damage and mortality.
A competitive algorithm for throughput maximization on identical machines
Authors: Moseley Benjamin , Pruhs Kirk , Stein Clifford , Zhou Rudy 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThis paper considers the basic problem of scheduling jobs online with preemption to maximize the number of jobs completed by their deadline on m identical machines. The main result is an O(1) competitive deterministic algorithm for any number of machines $$m >1$$

m
>
1

.
Long-lasting adverse effects of short-term stress during the suckling–mastication transition period on masticatory function and intraoral sensation in rats
Authors: Katagiri Ayano , Yamada Masaharu , Sato Hajime , Toyoda Hiroki , Niwa Hitoshi , Kato Takafumi 
Published: January 2024

AbstractEarly-life stress affects brain development, eventually resulting in adverse behavioral and physical health consequences in adulthood. The present study assessed the hypothesis that short-term early-life stress during infancy before weaning, a period for the maturation of mastication and sleep, poses long-lasting adverse effects on masticatory function and intraoral sensations later in life.Rat pups were exposed to either maternal separation (MS) or intermittent hypoxia (IH-Infancy) for 6 h/day in the light/sleep phase from postnatal day (P)17 to P20 to generate “neglect” and “pediatric obstructive sleep apnea” models, respectively. The remaining rats were exposed to IH during P45–P48 (IH-Adult). Masticatory ability was evaluated based on the rats’ ability to chew pellets and bite pasta throughout the growth period (P21–P70). Intraoral chemical and mechanical sensitivities were assessed using two-bottle preference drinking tests, and hind paw pain thresholds were measured in adulthood (after P60).No differences were found in body weight, grip force, and hind paw sensitivity in MS, IH-Infancy, and IH-Adult rats compared with naïve rats. Masticatory ability was lower in MS and IH-Infancy rats from P28 to P70 than in naïve rats. MS and IH-Infancy rats exhibited intraoral hypersensitivity to capsaicin and mechanical stimulations in adulthood. The IH-Adult rats did not display inferior masticatory ability or intraoral hypersensitivity.In conclusion, short-term early-life stress during the suckling–mastication transition period potentially causes a persistent decrease in masticatory ability and intraoral hypersensitivity in adulthood. The period is a “critical window” for the maturation of oral motor and sensory functions.
Machine Learning-Based Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Radiomics Model for Preoperative Predicting the Deep Stromal Invasion in Patients with Early Cervical Cancer
Authors: Yan Haowen , Huang Gaoting , Yang Zhihe , Chen Yirong , Xiang Zhiming 
Published: January 2024

AbstractDeep stromal invasion is an important pathological factor associated with the treatments and prognosis of cervical cancer patients. Accurate determination of deep stromal invasion before radical hysterectomy (RH) is of great value for early clinical treatment decision-making and improving the prognosis of these patients. Machine learning is gradually applied in the construction of clinical models to improve the accuracy of clinical diagnosis or prediction, but whether machine learning can improve the preoperative diagnosis accuracy of deep stromal invasion in patients with cervical cancer was still unclear. This cross-sectional study was to construct three preoperative diagnostic models for deep stromal invasion in patients with early cervical cancer based on clinical, radiomics, and clinical combined radiomics data using the machine learning method. We enrolled 229 patients with early cervical cancer receiving RH combined with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and the fivefold cross-validation were applied to screen out radiomics features. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify clinical predictors. All subjects were divided into the training set (n = 160) and testing set (n = 69) at a ratio of 7:3. Three light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM) models were constructed in the training set and verified in the testing set. The radiomics features were statistically different between deep stromal invasion < 1/3 group and deep stromal invasion ≥ 1/3 group. In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC) of the prediction model based on radiomics features was 0.951 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.922–0.980), the AUC of the prediction model based on clinical predictors was 0.769 (95% CI 0.703–0.835), and the AUC of the prediction model based on radiomics features and clinical predictors was 0.969 (95% CI 0.947–0.990). The AUC of the prediction model based on radiomics features and clinical predictors was 0.914 (95% CI 0.848–0.980) in the testing set. The prediction model for deep stromal invasion in patients with early cervical cancer based on clinical and radiomics data exhibited good predictive performance with an AUC of 0.969, which might help the clinicians early identify patients with high risk of deep stromal invasion and provide timely interventions.
Application of Machine Learning to Ultrasonography in Identifying Anatomical Landmarks for Cricothyroidotomy Among Female Adults: A Multi-center Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Wang Chih-Hung , Li Jia-Da , Wu Cheng-Yi , Wu Yu-Chen , Tay Joyce , Wu Meng-Che , Hsu Ching-Hang , Liu Yi-Kuan , Chen Chu-Song , Huang Chien-Hua 
Published: January 2024

AbstractWe aimed to develop machine learning (ML)-based algorithms to assist physicians in ultrasound-guided localization of cricoid cartilage (CC) and thyroid cartilage (TC) in cricothyroidotomy. Adult female volunteers were prospectively recruited from two hospitals between September and December, 2020. Ultrasonographic images were collected via a modified longitudinal technique. You Only Look Once (YOLOv5s), Faster Regions with Convolutional Neural Network features (Faster R-CNN), and Single Shot Detector (SSD) were selected as the model architectures. A total of 488 women (mean age: 36.0 years) participated in the study, contributing to a total of 292,053 frames of ultrasonographic images. The derived ML-based algorithms demonstrated excellent discriminative performance for the presence of CC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]: YOLOv5s, 0.989, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.982–0.994; Faster R-CNN, 0.986, 95% CI: 0.980–0.991; SSD, 0.968, 95% CI: 0.956–0.977) and TC (AUC: YOLOv5s, 0.989, 95% CI: 0.977–0.997; Faster R-CNN, 0.981, 95% CI: 0.965–0.991; SSD, 0.982, 95% CI: 0.973–0.990). Furthermore, in the frames where the model could correctly indicate the presence of CC or TC, it also accurately localized CC (intersection-over-union: YOLOv5s, 0.753, 95% CI: 0.739–0.765; Faster R-CNN, 0.720, 95% CI: 0.709–0.732; SSD, 0.739, 95% CI: 0.726–0.751) or TC (intersection-over-union: YOLOv5s, 0.739, 95% CI: 0.722–0.755; Faster R-CNN, 0.709, 95% CI: 0.687–0.730; SSD, 0.713, 95% CI: 0.695–0.730). The ML-based algorithms could identify anatomical landmarks for cricothyroidotomy in adult females with favorable discriminative and localization performance. Further studies are warranted to transfer this algorithm to hand-held portable ultrasound devices for clinical use.
KNSTRN Is a Prognostic Biomarker That Is Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer and Promotes Cell Cycle and Proliferation
Authors: Zhang Wenwu , Xiao Yuhan , Zhou Quan , Zhu Xin , Zhang Yanxia , Xiang Qin , Wu Shunhong , Song Xiaoyu , Zhao Junxiu , Yuan Ruanfei , Xiao Bin , Li Linhai 
Published: January 2024

AbstractKinetochore-localized astrin/SPAG5-binding protein (KNSTRN) promotes the progression of bladder cancer and lung adenocarcinoma. However, its expression and biological function in breast cancer remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze KNSTRN expression, prognoses, correlation with immune infiltration, expression-associated genes, and regulated signaling pathways to characterize its role in regulating the cell cycle using both bioinformatics and in vitro functional experiments. Analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, TIMER, and The Human Protein Atlas databases revealed a significant upregulation of KNSTRN transcript and protein levels in breast cancer. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses demonstrated a significant association between high expression of KNSTRN and poor overall survival, relapse-free survival, post-progression survival, and distant metastases-free survival in patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed that KNSTRN is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer. Immune infiltration analysis indicated a positive correlation between KNSTRN expression and T regulatory cell infiltration while showing a negative correlation with Tgd and natural killer cell infiltration. Gene set enrichment analysis along with single-cell transcriptome data analysis suggested that KNSTRN promoted cell cycle progression by regulating the expression of key cell cycle proteins. The overexpression and silencing of KNSTRN in vitro, respectively, promoted and inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells. The overexpression of KNSTRN enhanced the expression of key cell cycle regulators, including CDK4, CDK6, and cyclin D3, thereby accelerating the G1/S phase transition and leading to aberrant proliferation of breast cancer cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that KNSTRN functions as an oncogene in breast cancer by regulating immune response, promoting G1/S transition, and facilitating breast cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, KNSTRN has potential as a molecular biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic prediction in breast cancer.
Strong associations of serum selenoprotein P with all-cause mortality and mortality due to cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in older German adults
Authors: Schöttker Ben , Holleczek Bernd , Hybsier Sandra , Köhrle Josef , Schomburg Lutz , Brenner Hermann 
Published: January 2024

Abstract
Background
Selenium is an essential trace mineral. The main function of selenoprotein P (SELENOP) is to transport selenium but it has also been ascribed anti-oxidative effects.

Methods
To assess the association of repeated measurements of serum SELENOP concentration with all-cause and cause-specific mortality serum SELENOP was measured at baseline and 5-year follow-up in 7,186 and 4,164 participants of the ESTHER study, a German population-based cohort aged 50–74 years at baseline.

Results
During 17.3 years of follow-up, 2,126 study participants (30%) died. The relationship of serum SELENOP concentration with all-cause mortality was L-shaped, with mortality being significantly higher at SELENOP concentrations < 4.1 mg/L, which is near the bottom tertile’s cut-off (4.2 mg/L). All-cause mortality of participants in the bottom SELENOP tertile was significantly increased compared to subjects in the top tertile (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.35 [1.21–1.50]). SELENOP in the bottom tertile was further associated with increased cardiovascular mortality (1.24 [1.04–1.49]), cancer mortality (1.31 [1.09–1.58]), respiratory disease mortality (2.06 [1.28–3.32]) and gastrointestinal disease mortality (2.04 [1.25–3.32]). The excess risk of all-cause mortality for those in the bottom SELENOP tertile was more than twice as strong in men as in women (interaction of SELENOP and sex; p = 0.008).

Conclusions
In this large cohort study, serum SELENOP concentration was inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Consistent inverse associations with multiple mortality outcomes might be explained by an impaired selenium transport and selenium deficiency in multiple organs. Trials testing the efficacy of selenium supplements in subjects with low baseline SELENOP concentration are needed.

Trial registration
Retrospectively registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on Feb 14, 2018 (ID: DRKS00014028).
Functional, structural, and molecular remodelling of the goldfish (Carassius auratus) heart under moderate hypoxia
Authors: Filice Mariacristina , Gattuso Alfonsina , Imbrogno Sandra , Mazza Rosa , Amelio Daniela , Caferro Alessia , Agnisola Claudio , Icardo José Manuel , Cerra Maria Carmela 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe goldfish (Carassiusauratus) is known for its physiologic ability to survive even long periods of oxygen limitation (hypoxia), adapting the cardiac performance to the requirements of peripheral tissue perfusion. We here investigated the effects of short-term moderate hypoxia on the heart, focusing on ventricular adaptation, in terms of hemodynamics and structural traits. Functional evaluations revealed that animals exposed to 4 days of environmental hypoxia increased the hemodynamic performance evaluated on ex vivo cardiac preparations. This was associated with a thicker and more vascularized ventricular compact layer and a reduced luminal lacunary space. Compared to normoxic animals, ventricular cardiomyocytes of goldfish exposed to hypoxia showed an extended mitochondrial compartment and a modulation of proteins involved in mitochondria dynamics. The enhanced expression of the pro-fission markers DRP1 and OMA1, and the modulation of the short and long forms of OPA1, suggested a hypoxia-related mitochondria fission. Our data propose that under hypoxia, the goldfish heart undergoes a structural remodelling associated with a potentiated cardiac activity. The energy demand for the highly performant myocardium is supported by an increased number of mitochondria, likely occurring through fission events.
On the Various Ways of Quantum Implementation of the Modular Exponentiation Function for Shor’s Factorization
Authors: Tomčala Jiří 
Published: January 2024

AbstractThe content of this paper is a detailed analysis of possible ways how to quantum implement a key part of Shor’s factorization algorithm, the modular exponentiation function. This implementation is a bottleneck for performing quantum factorization with polynomial complexity, which would make it possible to factorize really large numbers in a reasonable amount of time. In this paper, not only the general theory is presented, but also the results of successful factorizations of the numbers 247 and 143 using Shor’s algorithm from a quantum computer simulator. An interesting fact is that no ancillary qubits were needed in these factorizations. Based on the content of the paper, the conclusion also suggests possible future work on the development of this modular exponentiation function implementation.
Quantum Scalar Field Theory Based on an Extended Least Action Principle
Authors: Yang Jianhao M. 
Published: January 2024

AbstractRecently it is shown that the non-relativistic quantum formulations can be derived from an extended least action principle Yang (2023). In this paper, we apply the principle to massive scalar fields, and derive the Schrödinger equation of the wave functional for the scalar fields. The principle extends the least action principle in classical field theory by factoring in two assumptions. First, the Planck constant defines the minimal amount of action a field needs to exhibit in order to be observable. Second, there are constant random field fluctuations. A novel method is introduced to define the information metrics to measure additional observable information due to the field fluctuations, which is then converted to the additional action through the first assumption. Applying the variation principle to minimize the total actions allows us to elegantly derive the transition probability of field fluctuations, the uncertainty relation, and the Schrödinger equation of the wave functional. Furthermore, by defining the information metrics for field fluctuations using general definitions of relative entropy, we obtain a generalized Schrödinger equation of the wave functional that depends on the order of relative entropy. Our results demonstrate that the extended least action principle can be applied to derive both non-relativistic quantum mechanics and relativistic quantum scalar field theory. We expect it can be further used to obtain quantum theory for non-scalar fields.
Housing Welfare, Personal Responsibility, and Morale in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Chau-kiu 
Published: January 2024

AbstractControversies ring about the impacts of housing welfare on people’s responsibility and morale to help themselves and others. On the one hand, exchange theory predicts that receiving public welfare triggers responsibility to raise morale for returning favors to the public. On the other hand, the reception may weaken responsibility and morale through stigmatization. To address the controversies, this study analyzes survey data on 1088 adults in Hong Kong, China. Results reveal the contributions of receiving the housing loan, rental public housing, and purchased public housing to personal responsibility and morale. The contributions persist in various conditions, such that the contributions did not significantly vary across age, gender, and others. These findings thus warrant exchange theory concerning the reciprocation of housing benefits. This warrant implies the worth of strengthening housing welfare to benefit people and society.
Scalable Generation of Hybrid Graphene Nanoscrolls for High-Performance Solid Lubricants
Authors: Kasbe Pratik S. , Bosch Juan , Bu Jinyu , DellaCorte Christopher , Xu Weinan 
Published: January 2024

AbstractGraphene and other 2D materials have been extensively studied as solid lubricants in recent years. Low friction can sometimes be observed in those 2D lubricants, and one possible mechanism is that scroll-shaped nanostructures are formed during friction, which decreases the contact area and energy barrier, thus substantially reducing friction. The integration of graphene with metal or metal oxide nanostructures can further enhance its lubrication properties by increasing film formation ability and easy shearing of the nanosheets. However, it is not possible to reliably promote the formation of such nanoscroll-shaped low friction wear products, which limits the reproducibility and application of such nanostructures as solid lubricants. In this study, we address this issue by creating a scalable method for the synthesis of hybrid graphene-titanium oxide (G–TiO2) nanoscrolls and demonstrating their potential as solid lubricants with macroscopic coefficient of friction as low as 0.02 in ambient conditions. Our approach to generate the nanoscrolls is based on the in situ sol–gel synthesis of TiO2 on graphene followed by spray-freeze-drying–induced shape transformation. The solid lubrication performance of such G–TiO2 nanoscrolls can be further enhanced by applying a thin graphene oxide primer layer, which provides high affinity to both the substrate and the active materials. These hybrid nanoscrolls hold promising potential for applications in aerospace, automotive, and precision manufacturing fields as effective solid lubricants.
Graphical Abstract
Seasonal and age-dependent differences in mercury concentrations in Apodemus sp. in the north-western region of Slovakia
Authors: Zábojníková Lenka 
Published: January 2024

AbstractPollution of ecosystems by heavy metals such as mercury is currently a great concern. Mercury (Hg) can be released into the environment anthropogenically, but it is also naturally present in small quantities in all environmental compartments. Many different factors contribute to different rates of Hg deposition in animal bodies. The aim of this work is to describe how Hg concentrations in the bodies of small rodents change throughout the season at a site where massive anthropogenic pollution is not expected. Mice of the genus Apodemus were sampled during the whole year. Samples of blood, hair, liver, kidney, and brain were analyzed. Total Hg concentrations were measured by DMA-80. The mean Hg concentrations in examined organs were in the order hairs > kidney > liver > blood > brain, and their values decreased from 0.0500 to 0.0046 mg kg−1 dry weight. Males and females did not differ in contamination levels, but age-dependent differences in Hg concentrations were found. It was also identified how Hg concentrations in different organs correlate with each other. Different levels of seasonal variability were detected in Hg concentrations in blood, hair, and kidney.