bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biological response of nonhuman primates to controlled levels of acute blood loss
Authors: Roh Juhye , Park Eun Mi , Lee Haneulnari , Hwang Jeong Ho , Kim Hyung-Sun , Park Jinyoung , Kang Hee Jung 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThe global shortage of human blood for medical use has prompted the development of alternative blood sources. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are commonly used owing to their physiological similarities to humans. The objective of the current study was to establish a controlled-blood-loss model in NHPs to explore their clinical and biological responses.MethodsBlood was sequentially withdrawn from 10 cynomolgus monkeys (10, 14, 18, 22, and 25% of the total blood volume); their vital signs were monitored, and blood parameters were serially analyzed. Humoral mediators in the blood were measured using flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.ResultsIn NHPs subjects to 25% blood loss and presenting with related clinical symptoms, the systolic blood pressure ratio on day 0 after bleeding was significantly lower than that of the animals from the other groups (median: 0.65 vs. 0.88, P = 0.0444). Red blood cell counts from day 0–14 and hematocrit levels from day 0–7 were markedly decreased relative to the baseline (P &lt; 0.01). These parameters showed a direct correlation with the extent of blood loss. The levels of creatine phosphokinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase exhibited increases in response to blood loss and had a stronger correlation with the hemoglobin ratio than the volume of blood loss. The levels of C3a and C4a, as well as interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-15, displayed a strong correlation, with no apparent association with blood loss.ConclusionThe findings of the present study showed that only NHPs with 25% blood loss exhibited clinical decompensation and significant systolic blood pressure reduction without fatalities, suggesting that this level of blood loss is suitable for evaluating blood transfusion efficacy or other treatments in NHP models. In addition, the ratio of hemoglobin may serve as a more dependable marker for predicting clinical status than the actual volume of blood loss. Thus, our study could serve as a basis for future xenotransfusion research and to predict biological responses to massive blood loss in humans where controlled experiments cannot be ethically performed.
Tick innate immune responses to hematophagy and Ehrlichia infection at single-cell resolution
Authors: Adegoke Abdulsalam , Ribeiro Jose M. C. , Smith Ryan C. , Karim Shahid 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionTicks rely on robust cellular and humoral responses to control microbial infection. However, several aspects of the tick's innate immune system remain uncharacterized, most notably that of the immune cells (called hemocytes), which are known to play a significant role in cellular and humoral responses. Despite the importance of hemocytes in regulating microbial infection, our understanding of their basic biology and molecular mechanisms remains limited. Therefore, we believe that a more detailed understanding of the role of hemocytes in the interactions between ticks and tick-borne microbes is crucial to illuminating their function in vector competence and to help identify novel targets for developing new strategies to block tick-borne pathogen transmission.MethodsThis study examined hemocytes from the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) at the transcriptomic level using the 10X genomics single-cell RNA sequencing platform to analyze hemocyte populations from unfed, partially blood-fed, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis-infected ticks. The functional role of differentially expressed hemocyte markers in hemocyte proliferation and Ehrlichia dissemination was determined using an RNA interference approach.Results and discussionOur data exhibit the identification of fourteen distinct hemocyte populations. Our results uncover seven distinct lineages present in uninfected and Ehrlichia-infected hemocyte clusters. The functional characterization of hemocytin, cystatin, fibronectin, and lipocalin demonstrate their role in hemocyte population changes, proliferation, and Ehrlichia dissemination.ConclusionOur results uncover the tick immune responses to Ehrlichia infection and hematophagy at a single-cell resolution. This work opens a new field of tick innate immunobiology to understand the role of hemocytes, particularly in response to prolonged blood-feeding (hematophagy), and tick-microbial interactions.
Comparative cost-effectiveness of first-line pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone in persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer
Authors: Lin Ying-tao , Wang Chang , He Xiao-yan , Yao Qi-min , Chen Jian 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundTreating persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer remains challenging. Although pembrolizumab, combined with chemotherapy and bevacizumab, offers a promising first-line option, its cost-effectiveness within the Chinese healthcare system has not been established.MethodsA partitioned survival model was constructed using patient data from the KEYNOTE-826 trial. Efficacy, safety, and economic data from both trial and real-world practices were utilized to determine the costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the treatment strategies. Comprehensive insights were gained through the sensitivity and subgroup analyses.ResultsOver five years, the combination of pembrolizumab, chemotherapy, and bevacizumab offered an additional 1.18 QALYs compared to that provided by standard treatments. This regimen increased the costs by US$ 134,502.57, resulting in an ICER of US$ 114,275.67 per QALY, relative to traditional treatment costs. The ICER for the pembrolizumab regimen was further calibrated to be US$ 52,765.69 per QALY. Both ICER values surpassed China’s established willingness-to-pay threshold. Importantly, subgroup analysis revealed enhanced cost-effectiveness in patients presenting with a programmed death-ligand 1 combined positive score (PD-L1 CPS) ≥10.ConclusionIntroducing pembrolizumab alongside chemotherapy and bevacizumab may not be a cost-effective primary strategy for advanced cervical cancer against current standards. However, for patients with a PD-L1 CPS ≥10, the therapeutic and economic outcomes could be improved by adjusting the pembrolizumab price.
A simplified decision feedback Chebyshev function link neural network with intelligent initialization for underwater acoustic channel equalization
Authors: Zhou Manli , Zhang Hao , Lv Tingting , Huang Wei , Duan Yingying , Gao Yong 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionIn shallow-water environments, the reliability of underwater communication links is often compromised by significant multipath effects. Some equalization techniques such as decision feedback equalizer, and deep neural network equalizer suffer from slow convergence and high computational complexity.MethodsTo address this challenge, this paper proposes a simplified decision feedback Chebyshev function link neural network equalizer (SDF-CFLNNE). The structure of the SDF-CFLNNE employs Chebyshev polynomial function expansion modules to directly and non-linearly transform the input signals into the output layer, without the inclusion of hidden layers. Additionally, it feeds the decision signal back to the input layer rather than the function expansion module, which significantly reduces computational complexity. Considering that, in the training phase of neural networks, the random initialization of weights and biases can substantially impact the training process and the ultimate performance of the network, this paper proposes a chaotic sparrow search algorithm combining the osprey optimization algorithm and Cauchy mutation (OCCSSA) to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the proposed equalizer. The OCCSSA utilizes the Piecewise chaotic population initialization and combines the exploration strategy of the ospreywith the Cauchy mutation strategy to enhance both global and local search capabilities. RseultsSimulations were conducted using underwater multipath signals generated by the Bellhop Acoustic Toolbox. The results demonstrate that the performance of the SDFCFLNNE initialized by OCCSSA surpasses that of CFLNN-based and traditional nonlinear equalizers, with a notable improvement of 2-6 dB in terms of signal-to-noise ratio at a bit error rate (BER) of 10−4 and a reduced mean square error (MSE). Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed equalizer was validated using the lake experimental data, demonstrating lower BER and MSE with improved stability. DiscussionThis underscores thepromise of employing the SDFCFLNNE initialized by OCCSSA as a promising solution to enhance the robustness of underwater communication in challenging environments.
Characteristics of retracted research papers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Furuse Yuki 
Published: January 2024

ObjectivesDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of research papers were published, and some of them were retracted. The present study aims to reveal the characteristics of retracted papers before and during the pandemic.MethodsThe study investigated 24,542,394 publications from 1999 to 2022 and analyzed the profiles of retracted papers from the perspectives of year, disease category, country, and journal.ResultsRetraction rates were generally increasing at least until 2019, and were the highest for “Neoplasms.” The number of publications for “Infections” and “Respiratory Tract Diseases” dramatically rose during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the retraction rates in the two categories or of COVID-19-related papers were not especially high compared to other diseases. The association with retraction was strongest for China in most disease categories, whereas for COVID-19 papers, other countries showed higher retraction rates than China. In recent years, retracted papers have become less likely to be published in high-impact journals.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic does not seem to affect the retractions of research papers much. We should keep monitoring retractions and analyze the effects of pandemics for better science.
Allergic rhinitis and other comorbidities associated with asthma control in Thailand
Authors: Sriprasart Thitiwat , Saiphoklang Narongkorn , Kawamatawong Theerasuk , Boonsawat Watchara , Mitthamsiri Wat , Chirakalwasan Naricha , Chiewchalermsri Chirawat , Athipongarporn Athipat , Kamalaporn Harutai , Kornthatchapong Kumpol , Kulpraneet Manaphol , Sompornrattanaphan Mongkhon , Oer-Areemitr Nittha , Rerkpattanapipat Ticha , Silairatana Santi , Thawanaphong Sarita , Gaensan Thanate , Jirakran Ketsupar , Poachanukoon Orapan 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundAsthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) can coexist and cause disabilities. This study aimed to assess the association between AR, asthma control, asthma-related quality of life, and other comorbidities.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in adults with asthma in six hospitals in Thailand. The outcomes were association of asthma control assessed by the asthma control test (ACT), AR, and asthma comorbidities. Not-well-controlled asthma was defined as ACT scores ≤22. The severity of AR was determined by visual analog scale (VAS). Severe AR was defined as VAS ≥5. Asthma-related quality of life (AQLQ), comorbidities, and total IgE were recorded.ResultsA total of 682 asthmatic patients were included. Median (IQR) age was 58.0 (47.0–64.0) years. 69.9% were female. Not-well-controlled asthma was present in 44.7%. The prevalence of AR was 86.1%. Moderate/severe persistent AR was diagnosed in 21.7% and severe AR was diagnosed in 30.2% of the patients. Inhaled corticosteroid-containing regimens were prescribed in 97.7% of patients. Intranasal corticosteroid and antihistamine were prescribed in 65.7 and 31.7%, respectively. Patients with not-well-controlled asthma had higher body mass index, VAS scores, proportions of pollution exposure, aeroallergen sensitization, severe AR, nasal polyp, urticaria, food allergy, gastroesophageal reflux disease, depression and anxiety, peptic ulcer, and asthma exacerbations, but younger age, lower AQLQ scores, and lower FEV1. Correlation was found between AR severity and ACT (r = −0.461, p &lt; 0.001), AQLQ (r = −0.512, p &lt; 0.001), and total IgE (r = 0.246, p &lt; 0.023). Multiple regression analysis revealed that ACT, AQLQ, and percentage of FEV1/FVC were significantly associated with severe AR.ConclusionAllergic rhinitis is prevalent in Thai asthmatic patients. AR severity is associated with asthma control, quality of life, and pulmonary function. Comprehensive care is essential for patients with uncontrolled asthma, particularly when coexisting with conditions.
Application of propidium monoazide quantitative PCR to discriminate of infectious African swine fever viruses
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Zewei , Qing Jie , Hu Dajun , Vo Hong Trang , Thi Kim Thanh , Wang Xinglong , Li Xiaowen 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThe detection of African swine fever virus (ASFV) is commonly performed using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), a widely used virological method known for its high sensitivity and specificity. However, qPCR has a limitation in distinguishing between infectious and inactivated virus, which can lead to an overestimation of viral targets.MethodsTo provide insights into ASFV infectivity, we evaluated the suitability of PMAxx, an improved version of propidium monoazide (PMA), as a means to differentiate between infectious and non-infectious ASFV. Pre-treatment with 50 μM PMAxx for 15 min significantly reduced the qPCR signal of ASFV in the live vaccine. Additionally, thermal treatment at 85°C for 5 min effectively inactivated the live ASFV in the vaccine. Based on a standard curve, the sensitivity of the PMAxx-qPCR assay was estimated to be approximately 10 copies/μL. Furthermore, we observed a strong agreement between the results obtained from PMAxx-qPCR and pig challenge experiments. Moreover, we utilized the PMAxx-qPCR assay to investigate the persistence of ASFV, revealing a close relationship between viral persistence and factors such as temperature and type of piggery materials.ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest that pre-treating viruses with PMAxx prior to qPCR is a reliable method for distinguishing between infectious and non-infectious ASFV. Thus, integrating of PMAxx-qPCR into routine diagnostic protocols holds potential for improving the interpretation of positive ASFV results obtained through qPCR.
Machine learning and feature extraction for rapid antimicrobial resistance prediction of Acinetobacter baumannii from whole-genome sequencing data
Authors: Gao Yue , Li Henan , Zhao Chunjiang , Li Shuguang , Yin Guankun , Wang Hui 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundWhole-genome sequencing (WGS) has contributed significantly to advancements in machine learning methods for predicting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, the comparisons of different methods for AMR prediction without requiring prior knowledge of resistance remains to be conducted.MethodsWe aimed to predict the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 13 antimicrobial agents against Acinetobacter baumannii using three machine learning algorithms (random forest, support vector machine, and XGBoost) combined with k-mer features extracted from WGS data.ResultsA cohort of 339 isolates was used for model construction. The average essential agreement and category agreement of the best models exceeded 90.90% (95%CI, 89.03–92.77%) and 95.29% (95%CI, 94.91–95.67%), respectively; the exceptions being levofloxacin, minocycline and imipenem. The very major error rates ranged from 0.0 to 5.71%. We applied feature selection pipelines to extract the top-ranked 11-mers to optimise training time and computing resources. This approach slightly improved the prediction performance and enabled us to obtain prediction results within 10 min. Notably, when employing these top-ranked 11-mers in an independent test dataset (120 isolates), we achieved an average accuracy of 0.96.ConclusionOur study is the first to demonstrate that AMR prediction for A. baumannii using machine learning methods based on k-mer features has competitive performance over traditional workflows; hence, sequence-based AMR prediction and its application could be further promoted. The k-mer-based workflow developed in this study demonstrated high recall/sensitivity and specificity, making it a dependable tool for MIC prediction in clinical settings.
Multi-omics analysis revealed the differences in lipid metabolism of the gut between adult and juvenile yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)
Authors: Zou Ying , Zhang Yanjie , Wu Di , Lu Zhiyuan , Xiao Juan , Huang Hai , Fu Qiongyao , Guo Zhiqiang 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionTuna has a cost-effective energy supply to support the regional endothermic and high-speed swimming performance. The gut symbiotic microbiotas and their metabolites play essential roles in tuna’s diet digestion, absorption, and energy acquirement, which are often highly related to the ontogenetic development of tuna.MethodsWe compared gut microbial compositions and metabolites, as well as mRNA expression of the intestine between juvenile and adult yellowfin tuna using 16S rRNA sequencing, metabolomic and transcriptomic, respectively.Results and discussionThe results revealed that adults had a significantly higher microbial diversity and abundance of Acinetobacter than juveniles. Regarding the gut microbiota-derived metabolites, fatty acids, especially glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid, were significantly enriched in adults than in juveniles. Moreover, the short-chain fatty acid (butyrate and isobutyrate) contents were significantly higher in adults than in juveniles. To find the relationship between gut microbiotas and host physiology, intestinal transcriptome analysis demonstrated that the enriched pathways of differential expression genes (DEGs) in adult tuna were the lipid metabolism pathway, including “fat digestion and absorption,” “cholesterol metabolism,” “steroid hormone biosynthesis,” “glycerolipid metabolism,” and “glycerophospholipid metabolism.” However, protein digestion and absorption and pancreatic secretion pathways were significantly enriched in the juveniles. The conjoint analysis indicated that the enriched pathways of both differential metabolites (DMs) and DEGs were remarkably related to the regulation of glycerophospholipids metabolism in adult tunas. This study highlights the role of gut microbiotas in fish nutrition metabolism. These findings provide new insights into the view of ontogenetic shifts of gut microbiotas and their metabolites on host health and gut function in endothermic and high-speed swimming marine fish species.
A computational examination of the therapeutic advantages of fourth-generation ALK inhibitors TPX-0131 and repotrectinib over third-generation lorlatinib for NSCLC with ALK F1174C/L/V mutations
Authors: Balasundaram Ambritha , Doss George Priya C. 
Published: January 2024

Background: In non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a pivotal factor in promoting cancer development is the rearrangement in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase ALK gene, resulting in elevated ALK protein expression. F1174C/L/V is the acquired secondary resistant mutation in ALK. Significant survival improvements have been seen while tyrosine kinase inhibitors specifically target ALK. Nevertheless, the emergence of drug resistance hinders the clinical effectiveness of these drugs.Objective: This research sought to find the binding affinity/inhibitory effects of the existing drug lorlatinib (LOR) and upcoming TPX-0131 (zotizalkib/TPX) and repotrectinib (TPX-0005/REP) inhibitors against ALK F1174C/L/V mutations using computational approaches to identify potential strategies over resistance.Methods: We conducted molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and MMPBSA calculations to investigate how compact macrocyclic inhibitors, such as TPX-0131 and repotrectinib, fit within the ATP-binding boundary and differ from LOR.Results: Our results demonstrated that TPX-0131 and repotrectinib contributed to higher binding energy in F1174C and F1174L mutations than LOR. Repotrectinib showed greater binding energy in the F1174V mutation, whereas LOR and TPX-0131 exhibited similar binding energy. However, all three inhibitors showed significant binding energy toward F1174C/L/V mutations found in NSCLC.Conclusion: This comparative study of the potential binding effects of fourth-generation inhibitors TPX-0131 and repotrectinib and third-generation inhibitor LOR for ALK F1174C/L/V mutations revealed the atomistic insights of the binding mechanism. These computational findings enable us to carry out further research for the clinical implementation of fourth-generation ALK inhibitors on ALK-positive NSCLC.
Association of social integration with cognitive function trajectories among Chinese older adults: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS)
Authors: Mose Amu , Chen Yanhong , Tan Xiaoshuang , Ren Qingman , Ren Xiaohui 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundThe prevalence of cognitive impairment among older adults remains high. It has been proven that social integration is related to cognitive function. However, limited research has examined the association of social integration and its different dimensions with cognitive function trajectories of older adults.MethodsThe data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) spanning 2013 (T1) to 2018 (T3). A total of 3,977 older adults were included in the final analysis. Cognitive function was measured with items from an adapted Chinese version of the Mini-Mini-Mental Mental State Examination (MMSE), while the measurement of social integration included three dimensions: economic integration, relational integration and community integration. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to identify cognitive trajectory groups among participants and an unordered multinomial logistic regression was employed to explore the association of baseline social integration and its three dimensions with cognitive function trajectories.ResultThree cognitive function trajectory groups were identified: low-decline group (24.1%), medium-decline group (44.2%) and high-stable group (31.7%). Comparing to the medium-decline trajectory group, older adults with higher social integration scores were more likely to be in the high-stable trajectory group (OR = 1.087, 95%CI: 1.007 ~ 1.174), while less likely to be in the low-decline group (OR = 0.806, 95%CI: 0.736 ~ 0.882). Among the different dimensions of social integration, older adults with higher community integration scores were more likely to be in the high-stable trajectory group (OR = 1.222, 95%CI: 1.026 ~ 1.456); Older adults with higher relational integration scores were less likely to be in the low-decline trajectory group (OR = 0.816, 95%CI: 0.734 ~ 0.906). The economic integration was not found to correlate with the cognitive function trajectories. Stratified analyses revealed that the association between community integration and cognitive trajectories was only significant among older adults aged 60 to 69, and the association between relational integration and cognitive trajectories was only significant among older adults who was agricultural household registration.ConclusionThe developmental trajectories of cognitive function among Chinese older adults are heterogeneous. Social integration is significantly related to the trajectories of cognitive function in Chinese older adults. Measures should be taken to promote social integration of Chinese older adults to reduce the decline of cognitive function.