bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of conventional nursing in the operating room combined with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on postoperative cognitive dysfunction after total knee arthroplasty in elderly patients
Authors: Wang Xinxin , Zhou Jia , Zhang Gaojiao 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
To observe the effects of conventional theatre nursing combined with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients.

Methods
Forty elderly TKA patients were randomly divided into a conventional nursing (control) group and a TEAS group. Using conventional nursing, TEAS was used to stimulate the “Zusanli” and “Sanyinjiao” in the healthy leg of patients in the TEAS group. All patients received mini-mental (MMSE) scores 1 day before surgery (T0) and 1, 3, and 7 days after surgery (T1, T3, T7). Plasma levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and S100β were measured using venous blood samples.

Results
There were no significant differences in baseline clinical characteristics between the two groups. Compared to T0, the MMSE scores of patients in the control group were significantly reduced at T1 and T3 (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the MMSE scores of patients in the TEAS group increased significantly at T3 (P < 0.05). The incidence of POCD in the TEAS group was 10%, lower than in the control group (40%) (P < 0.05). The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and S-100β in patients in the TEAS group were lower than in the control group on days T1, T3 and T7 (P < 0.05).

Conclusion
Conventional intraoperative nursing combined with TEAS can reduce the incidence of POCD. The possible mechanism is related to the reduction of inflammatory response and neuronal injury with TEAS.
Clinical registration number: ChiCTR2300070281.
Biomechanical evaluation of the novel assembled internal fixed system in C2–C3 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a finite element analysis
Authors: Chen Hu , Sun Hao , Cao Lu , Xia Hong , Tu Qiang 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
To analyze and compare the biomechanical characteristics of the new combined cervical fusion device (NCCFD) and the traditional cage-plate construct (CPC) to ascertain its effectiveness in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using finite element analysis.

Methods
A finite element model of the cervical spine, inclusive of the occipital bone was created and validated. In the ACDF model, either CPC or NCCFD was implanted at the C2–C3 segment of the model. A pure moment of 1.0 Nm combined with a follower load of 50 N was directed onto the superior surfaces of the occipital bone to determine flexion, extension, lateral bending (left and right), and axial rotation (left and right). The range of motion (ROM), stress distribution at the bone-implant interface, and facet joint forces were investigated and compared between CPC and NCCFD systems.

Result
The results showed that the ROMs of the fused levels in both models were nearly zero, and the motions of the unfused segments were similar. In addition, the maximum displacement exhibited nearly identical values for both models. The maximum stress of NCCFD screws in lateral bending and rotational conditions is significantly higher than that of the CPC, while the NCCFD model’s maximum stress remains within an acceptable range. Comparing the maximum fusion stress, it was found that the CPC experiences much lower fusion stress in anterior flexion and extension than the NCCFD, with no significant difference between the two in lateral bending and rotational states. Stress on the cage was mainly concentrated on both sides of the wings. Comparing the maximum IDP in the CPC and NCCFD, it was observed that maximum stresses rise in extension and lateral bending for both models. Lastly, stress distributions of the facet joints were generally similar across the two devices.

Conclusion
NCCFD not only provides the same level of biomechanical stability as CPC but also avoids postoperative complications associated with uneven force damage to the implant. The device offers a novel surgical alternative for ACDF in C2–C3 level.
Cronkhite‒Canada syndrome as inflammatory hamartomatous polyposis: new evidence from whole transcriptome sequencing of colonic polyps
Authors: Liu Shuang , Zhi Yunfei , Zhang Runfeng , You Yan , You Wen , Xu Qiushi , Li Jingnan , Li Ji 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare, nonhereditary disease characterized by diffuse gastrointestinal polyposis and ectodermal abnormalities. Although it has been proposed to be a chronic inflammatory condition, direct evidence of its pathogenesis is lacking. This study aims to investigate the pathophysiology of CCS by analyzing transcriptomic changes in the colonic microenvironment.

Methods
Next-generation sequencing-based genome-wide transcriptional profiling was performed on colonic hamartomatous polyps from four CCS patients and normal colonic mucosa from four healthy volunteers. Analyses of differential expression and multiple enrichment analyses were conducted from the molecular level to the cellular level. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was carried out to validate the sequencing accuracy in samples from six CCS patients and six healthy volunteers.

Results
A total of 543 differentially expressed genes were identified, including an abundance of CC- and CXC-chemokines. Innate immune response-related pathways and processes, such as leukocyte chemotaxis, cytokine production, IL-17, TNF, IL-1 and NF-kB signaling pathways, were prominently enhanced in CCS colonic polyps. Upregulation of wound healing, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, Wnt, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were also observed. Enrichment analyses at different levels identified extracellular structure disorganization, dysfunction of the gut mucosal barrier, and increased angiogenesis. Validation by qRT-PCR confirmed increased expression of the LCN2, IL1B, CXCL1, and CXCL3 genes in CCS colonic polyps.

Conclusions
This case-control whole transcriptome analysis of active CCS colonic hamartomatous polyps revealed intricate molecular pathways, emphasizing the role of the innate immune response, extracellular matrix disorganization, inflammatory cell infiltration, increased angiogenesis, and potential epithelial to mesenchymal transition. These findings supports CCS as a chronic inflammatory condition and sheds light on potential therapeutic targets, paving the way for more effective and personalized management of CCS in the future.
AnnoPRO: a strategy for protein function annotation based on multi-scale protein representation and a hybrid deep learning of dual-path encoding
Authors: Zheng Lingyan , Shi Shuiyang , Lu Mingkun , Fang Pan , Pan Ziqi , Zhang Hongning , Zhou Zhimeng , Zhang Hanyu , Mou Minjie , Huang Shijie , Tao Lin , Xia Weiqi , Li Honglin , Zeng Zhenyu , Zhang Shun , Chen Yuzong , Li Zhaorong , Zhu Feng 
Published: February 2024

AbstractProtein function annotation has been one of the longstanding issues in biological sciences, and various computational methods have been developed. However, the existing methods suffer from a serious long-tail problem, with a large number of GO families containing few annotated proteins. Herein, an innovative strategy named AnnoPRO was therefore constructed by enabling sequence-based multi-scale protein representation, dual-path protein encoding using pre-training, and function annotation by long short-term memory-based decoding. A variety of case studies based on different benchmarks were conducted, which confirmed the superior performance of AnnoPRO among available methods. Source code and models have been made freely available at: https://github.com/idrblab/AnnoPRO and https://zenodo.org/records/10012272
kdr mutations and deltamethrin resistance in house flies in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Authors: Hamdan Mohamad , Kamalanathan Tamilarasan , Iqbal Asim , Gnanaprakasam Antony Raj , Shajahan Sabu , Alsadeq Mohammad Hamad , Ali Amgd sayed , Al-Deeb Mohammad Ali 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
The house fly, Musca domestica, is a significant carrier of diseases that can impact public health. Repeated use of pyrethroid insecticides may act as a selection pressure for mutations and amino acid substitutions in the house fly voltage-sensitive sodium channel (VSSC), which ultimately confers resistance. The objectives of this study were to determine the presence of knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations using molecular tools and to set up a CDC bottle bioassay specific for house flies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to screen for deltamethrin resistance.

Methods
Adult flies were collected from 19 locations in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and DNA was extracted, followed by PCR amplification of specific alleles (PASA) and conventional PCR using several primers to amplify regions of the VSSC gene. Sanger sequencing was performed on PCR products. We also designed primers that detect four kdr mutations using complementary DNA (cDNA) in reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Additionally, a CDC bottle bioassay was set up for detecting deltamethrin resistance in adult house flies.

Results
In PASA, the primers successfully amplified the target bands (480, 280 and 200 bp). The kdr allele was found in flies collected from 18 of the 19 locations, at the highest and lowest prevalence of 46.9% and 9.4%, respectively. Resistant homozygous (RR) insects constituted 5.0% of the tested populations, and heterozygous (RS) insects accounted for 36.5%. The RR genotype was prevalent in house flies collected at 10 of 19 sampling locations. House fly populations were mostly in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, except in three locations. In addition to verifying the presence of the previously identified kdr mutation L1014F, in this study we detected two kdr mutations, L1014H and T929I, that have not previously been reported in the UAE. Also, for the first time in the UAE, a CDC bottle bioassay for deltamethrin resistance was used, which found that 60 min and 4.5 µg/ml were the diagnostic time and dose, respectively. Using this assay, we detected deltamethrin resistance in house flies from two of 16 locations, with a resistance level of 12.5%.

Conclusions
Using DNA sequencing, we confirmed the presence of a known kdr mutation and uncovered two new kdr mutations in house flies from Abu Dhabi. Additionally, we detected deltamethrin resistance in these flies using a CDC bottle bioassay. Further research is recommended to comprehensively identify more kdr mutations in UAE house fly populations and assess their impacts on control strategies.

Graphical Abstract
Current and past depression as risk factors for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes in men and women: evidence from a longitudinal community cohort
Authors: Wicke Felix S. , Otten Daniëlle , Schulz Andreas , Wild Philipp S. , Lackner Karl J. , Münzel Thomas , König Jochem , Ernst Mareike , Wiltink Jörg , Reiner Iris , Ghaemi Kerahrodi Jasmin , Pfeiffer Norbert , Beutel Manfred E. 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
Depression is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, depression may take different courses, and it is not fully understood how these affect the development of diabetes. It is further to be determined whether sex modifies the association between depression and type 2 diabetes.

Methods
We analyzed data from the Gutenberg Health Study, a longitudinal and population-based cohort study (N = 15,010) in Germany. Depressive symptoms (measured by PHQ-9), history of depression, diabetes mellitus, and relevant covariates were assessed at baseline, and the outcomes of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus were evaluated 5 years later. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios of incident prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus, adjusting for potential confounders as identified in a Directed Acyclic Graph.

Results
In the confounder adjusted model, current depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10 at baseline; OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.74, p = 0.011), and persistent depression had a statistically significant (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.62 to 3.54, p = 0.005) effect on incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. A history of depression without current depression had no statistically significant effect on type 2 diabetes (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.68 to 1.43, p = 0.999). The effect of depression on incident diabetes did not differ significantly between women (OR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.32 to 3.09) and men (OR = 2.16; 95% CI = 1.41 to 3.31; p-value for interaction on the multiplicative scale p = 0.832 and on the additive scale p = 0.149). Depression did not have a significant effect on incident prediabetes.

Conclusion
This study shows how the history and trajectory of depression shape the risk for diabetes. This raises interesting questions on the cumulative effects of depression trajectories on diabetes and body metabolism in general. Depression can negatively affect physical health, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality in people with mental disorders.
Genes and pathways revealed by whole transcriptome analysis of milk derived bovine mammary epithelial cells after Escherichia coli challenge
Authors: Iso-Touru Terhi , Panitz Frank , Fischer Daniel , Kyläniemi Minna K. , Taponen Suvi , Tabell Jonna , Virta Anneli , Vilkki Johanna 
Published: February 2024

AbstractMastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, is the costliest disease in dairy cattle and a major animal welfare concern. Mastitis is usually caused by bacteria, of which staphylococci, streptococci and Escherichia coli are most frequently isolated from bovine mastitis. Bacteria activate the mammary immune system in variable ways, thereby influencing the severity of the disease. Escherichia coli is a common cause of mastitis in cattle causing both subclinical and clinical mastitis. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms that activate and regulate the host response would be central to effective prevention of mastitis and breeding of cows more resistant to mastitis. We used primary bovine mammary epithelial cell cultures extracted noninvasively from bovine milk samples to monitor the cellular responses to Escherichia coli challenge. Differences in gene expression between control and challenged cells were studied by total RNA-sequencing at two time points post-challenge. In total, 150 and 440 (Padj < 0.05) differentially expressed genes were identified at 3 h and 24 h post-challenge, respectively. The differentially expressed genes were mostly upregulated at 3 h (141/150) and 24 h (424/440) post-challenge. Our results are in line with known effects of E. coli infection, with a strong early inflammatory response mediated by pathogen receptor families. Among the most significantly enriched early KEGG pathways were the TNF signalling pathway, the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and the NF-kappa B signalling pathway. At 24 h post-challenge, most significantly enriched were the Influenza A, the NOD-like receptor signalling, and the IL-17 signaling pathway.
Metaphorical language and psychopathological symptoms: a case study of trauma victims’ metaphor use
Authors: Qiu Amy Han , Tay Dennis , Watson Bernadette 
Published: February 2024

Abstract
Background
While clinical diagnosis of mental health issues focuses on factual details represented by literal language (e.g., the onset and process of the triggering event and duration of symptom), the relationship between metaphorical language and psychopathological experiences remains an intriguing question. Focusing on psychological trauma triggered by the 2019–2020 Hong Kong social unrest, this study explored the correlations between trauma victims’ quantitative metaphor usage patterns and their experience of specific Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) symptoms.

Methods
Forty-six individuals with trauma exposure within 28 days were recruited through convenience sampling. Each completed a 20– to 30-minute semi-structured interview and filled out the Chinese version of the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ; 1). Metaphors in the interviews were identified using the discourse dynamic approach (2), and clinically interesting categories related to trauma and emotion expression, as revealed by previous literature, were sorted out. Standardized frequencies of the categories were correlated with participants’ SASRQ scores of five major ASD symptoms, and the correlational patterns were interpreted from a discourse analytic perspective.

Results
The study reveals how metaphor usage patterns can reflect the speakers’ differentiated experiences of psychopathological symptoms. Compared with individuals who experienced less trauma, those more disturbed by the re-experiencing symptom were more inclined to use emotion-related metaphors and to metaphorize about the self and the self-society relationship. Individuals who experienced more severe anxiety and hyperarousal showed a heightened awareness of self-related issues and diminished attention to others. Those who suffered from more severe impairment in functioning produced more metaphors in the negative valence. Dissociation and avoidance, which were less experientially salient and intense than the others, were not significantly correlated with metaphor usage patterns.

Conclusion
This study establishes symptom-level metaphor usage patterns as a previously overlooked but interesting avenue in trauma evaluation, treatment, and research. While the study is confined to a single context, it nevertheless reveals the potential for metaphor research findings to be incorporated as useful materials in psychology education and therapist training.
Early inner plexiform layer thinning and retinal nerve fiber layer thickening in excitotoxic retinal injury using deep learning-assisted optical coherence tomography
Authors: Ma Da , Deng Wenyu , Khera Zain , Sajitha Thajunnisa A. , Wang Xinlei , Wollstein Gadi , Schuman Joel S. , Lee Sieun , Shi Haolun , Ju Myeong Jin , Matsubara Joanne , Beg Mirza Faisal , Sarunic Marinko , Sappington Rebecca M. , Chan Kevin C. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractExcitotoxicity from the impairment of glutamate uptake constitutes an important mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. Within the eye, excitotoxicity is thought to play a critical role in retinal ganglion cell death in glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinal ischemia, and optic nerve injury, yet how excitotoxic injury impacts different retinal layers is not well understood. Here, we investigated the longitudinal effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxic retinal injury in a rat model using deep learning-assisted retinal layer thickness estimation. Before and after unilateral intravitreal NMDA injection in nine adult Long Evans rats, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to acquire volumetric retinal images in both eyes over 4 weeks. Ten retinal layers were automatically segmented from the OCT data using our deep learning-based algorithm. Retinal degeneration was evaluated using layer-specific retinal thickness changes at each time point (before, and at 3, 7, and 28 days after NMDA injection). Within the inner retina, our OCT results showed that retinal thinning occurred first in the inner plexiform layer at 3 days after NMDA injection, followed by the inner nuclear layer at 7 days post-injury. In contrast, the retinal nerve fiber layer exhibited an initial thickening 3 days after NMDA injection, followed by normalization and thinning up to 4 weeks post-injury. Our results demonstrated the pathological cascades of NMDA-induced neurotoxicity across different layers of the retina. The early inner plexiform layer thinning suggests early dendritic shrinkage, whereas the initial retinal nerve fiber layer thickening before subsequent normalization and thinning indicates early inflammation before axonal loss and cell death. These findings implicate the inner plexiform layer as an early imaging biomarker of excitotoxic retinal degeneration, whereas caution is warranted when interpreting the ganglion cell complex combining retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell layer, and inner plexiform layer thicknesses in conventional OCT measures. Deep learning-assisted retinal layer segmentation and longitudinal OCT monitoring can help evaluate the different phases of retinal layer damage upon excitotoxicity.
A machine learning-based credit risk prediction engine system using a stacked classifier and a filter-based feature selection method
Authors: Emmanuel Ileberi , Sun Yanxia , Wang Zenghui 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCredit risk prediction is a crucial task for financial institutions. The technological advancements in machine learning, coupled with the availability of data and computing power, has given rise to more credit risk prediction models in financial institutions. In this paper, we propose a stacked classifier approach coupled with a filter-based feature selection (FS) technique to achieve efficient credit risk prediction using multiple datasets. The proposed stacked model includes the following base estimators: Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting (GB), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB). Furthermore, the estimators in the Stacked architecture were linked sequentially to extract the best performance. The filter- based FS method that is used in this research is based on information gain (IG) theory. The proposed algorithm was evaluated using the accuracy, the F1-Score and the Area Under the Curve (AUC). Furthermore, the Stacked algorithm was compared to the following methods: Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Decision Tree (DT), and k-Nearest Neighbour (KNN). The experimental results show that stacked model obtained AUCs of 0.934, 0.944 and 0.870 on the Australian, German and Taiwan datasets, respectively. These results, in conjunction with the accuracy and F1-score metrics, demonstrated that the proposed stacked classifier outperforms the individual estimators and other existing methods.
Production of biliverdin by biotransformation of exogenous heme using recombinant Pichia pastoris cells
Authors: Mei Jianfeng , Han Yanchao , Zhuang Shihang , Yang Zhikai , Yi Yu , Ying Guoqing 
Published: February 2024

AbstractBiliverdin, a bile pigment hydrolyzed from heme by heme oxygenase (HO), serves multiple functions in the human body, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune response inhibitory activities. Biliverdin has great potential as a clinical drug; however, no economic and efficient production method is available currently. Therefore, the production of biliverdin by the biotransformation of exogenous heme using recombinant HO-expressing yeast cells was studied in this research. First, the heme oxygenase-1 gene (HO1) encoding the inducible plastidic isozyme from Arabidopsis thaliana, with the plastid transport peptide sequence removed, was recombined into Pichia pastoris GS115 cells. This resulted in the construction of a recombinant P. pastoris GS115-HO1 strain that expressed active HO1 in the cytoplasm. After that, the concentration of the inducer methanol, the induction culture time, the pH of the medium, and the concentration of sorbitol supplied in the medium were optimized, resulting in a significant improvement in the yield of HO1. Subsequently, the whole cells of GS115-HO1 were employed as catalysts to convert heme chloride (hemin) into biliverdin. The results showed that the yield of biliverdin was 132 mg/L when hemin was added to the culture of GS115-HO1 and incubated for 4 h at 30 °C. The findings of this study have laid a good foundation for future applications of this method for the economical production of biliverdin.
Graphical Abstract