bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Causality between Ankylosing Spondylitis and osteoarthritis in European ancestry: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Lu Yangguang , Lu Di , Zhang Hongzhi , Li Haoyang , Yu Bohuai , Zhang Yige , Hu Hantao , Sheng Hongfeng 
Published: February 2024

ObjectiveTo explore the bidirectional causal relationship between Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) and Osteoarthritis (OA) at the genetic level within the European ancestry.MethodsWe implemented a series of quality control steps to select instrumental variables (IVs) related to the exposure. We conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) using the inverse-variance weighted method as the primary approach. We adjusted significance levels using Bonferroni correction, assessed heterogeneity using Cochrane’s Q test. Sensitivity analysis was conducted through leave-one-out method. Additionally, external datasets and relaxed IV selection criteria were employed, and multivariate MR analyses were performed for validation purposes. Finally, Bayesian colocalization (COLOC) analysis identified common genes, validating the MR results.ResultsThe investigation focused on the correlation between OA and AS in knee, hip, and hand joints. MR results revealed that individuals with AS exhibit a decreased risk of knee OA (OR = 0.9882, 95% CI: 0.9804-0.9962) but no significant increase in the risk of hip OA (OR = 0.9901, 95% CI: 0.9786-1.0018). Conversely, AS emerged as a risk factor for hand OA (OR = 1.0026, 95% CI: 1.0015-1.0036). In reverse-direction MR analysis, OA did not significantly influence the occurrence of AS. Importantly, minimal heterogeneity was observed in our MR analysis results (p &gt; 0.05), and the robustness of these findings was confirmed through sensitivity analysis and multivariate MR analysis. COLOC analysis identified four colocalized variants for AS and hand OA (rs74707996, rs75240935, rs181468789, and rs748670681).ConclusionIn European population, individuals with AS have a relatively lower risk of knee OA, whereas AS serves as a risk factor for hand OA. However, no significant causal relationship was found between AS and hip OA. Additionally, it offers novel insights into genetic research on AS and OA.
Evaluation of the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization combined with microwave ablation followed by adjuvant therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Men Bowen , Cui Huzhe , Han Zhezhu , Jin Xiuying , Xu Qiang , Jin Yongmin , Piao Zhengri , Zhang Songnan 
Published: February 2024

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with microwave ablation (MWA) adjuvant to lenvatinib and anti–PD–1 antibodies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsA retrospective analysis of 67 patients with HCC treated at our hospital between October 2018 and May 2022 was conducted. All patients underwent a combination of TACE and MWA. Among them, 29 received postoperative treatment with molecular–targeted agents, like lenvatinib, along with anti–PD–1 antibodies such as sindilizumab, karelizumab, or tirilizumab. The remaining 38 patients did not receive postoperative systemic therapies, like targeted or immunotherapy. The survival and prognosis of all patients were analyzed.ResultsNine patients in the observation group and 29 patients in the control group experienced recurrence, and the median progression–free survival 1 (PFS1) was not reached ‘Not Applicable’(NA) and 17.05 months (P=0.035), respectively. Failure to combine adjuvant therapy was identified as an independent risk factor for tumor recurrence, and the observation group had a 0.245 times lower risk of recurrence compared to that in the control group (P=0.005). Multivariable Cox regression analysis confirmed that the maximum tumor size, and tumor number were risk factors for tumor recurrence. Patients with a large maximum tumor size had a 1.519 times higher risk of recurrence compared to those with a small maximum tumor size (P=0.006), and patients with a large number of tumors had a 5.978 times higher risk of recurrence compared to those with a small number of tumors (P=0.02). The median PFS2 of the two groups was 11.795 and 21.257 months, respectively, though not statistically significant (P=0.955). However, there was a disparity in the percentage of BCLC stages associated with recurrence between the two groups. In the observation group approximately 22.22% of patients progressed to stage C, while in the control group, this proportion was 34.48%. The observation group exhibited a lower risk of distant metastasis compared to the control group.ConclusionAdjuvant treatment of HCC following TACE combined with MWA improved PFS and achieved better clinical outcomes compared to that with TACE combined with MWA alone.
Association of peripheral B cells and delirium: combined single-cell sequencing and Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Tan Siyou , Pan Sining , Wei Lai , Chen Wenyan , Pan Bingbing , Kong Gaoyin , Chen Jing , Xie Yubo 
Published: February 2024

BackgroundDelirium seriously affects the prognosis of patients and greatly reduces the ability to work and live. Peripheral inflammatory events may contribute to the development of delirium, the mechanism of which is still unclear. There is a lack of effective diagnostic and treatments for delirium in clinical practice. The study aims to investigate alterations in peripheral immune cell subsets under inflammatory stress and to explore causal associations with delirium.MethodsSingle-cell transcriptional sequencing data of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) before and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intervention were processed by the Seurat package in R software. PBMC subsets and cellular markers were defined after downscaling and clustering by the Harmony algorithm to identify characteristic subsets in the context of inflammatory stress. Subsequently, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was used to explore the causal associations of these inflammation-related PBMC subsets and their molecular phenotypes with delirium. Based on publicly available genetic data, the study incorporated 70 PBMC-associated immune traits, including 8 types of circulating immune cells, 33 B cell subsets and molecular phenotypes, 13 T cell subsets, and 16 B cell-associated cytokines. The results were also validated for robustness, heterogeneity, and horizontal pleiotropy.ResultsUnder LPS-induced inflammatory stress, B cells, T cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells in human PBMC showed significant activation and quantitative changes. Of these, only lymphocyte and B cell counts were causally associated with delirium risk. This risk link is also seen in the TNF pathway. Further studies of B cells and their subsets revealed that this association may be related to unswitched memory B cells and CD27 expressed on memory B cells. Annotation of the screened SNPs revealed significant polymorphisms in CD27 and CD40 annotated by rs25680 and rs9883798, respectively. The functions of the key annotated genes may be related to the regulation of immune responses, cell differentiation, proliferation, and intercellular interactions.ConclusionThe present study revealed the potential possibility that B cell, memory B cell subset, and TNF-related molecules may be involved in the development of delirium due to peripheral inflammation, which can provide clues for further investigation of delirium prevention and treatment strategies.
Enabling uncertainty estimation in neural networks through weight perturbation for improved Alzheimer's disease classification
Authors: Ferrante Matteo , Boccato Tommaso , Toschi Nicola 
Published: February 2024

BackgroundThe willingness to trust predictions formulated by automatic algorithms is key in a wide range of domains. However, a vast number of deep architectures are only able to formulate predictions without associated uncertainty.PurposeIn this study, we propose a method to convert a standard neural network into a Bayesian neural network and estimate the variability of predictions by sampling different networks similar to the original one at each forward pass.MethodsWe combine our method with a tunable rejection-based approach that employs only the fraction of the data, i.e., the share that the model can classify with an uncertainty below a user-set threshold. We test our model in a large cohort of brain images from patients with Alzheimer's disease and healthy controls, discriminating the former and latter classes based on morphometric images exclusively.ResultsWe demonstrate how combining estimated uncertainty with a rejection-based approach increases classification accuracy from 0.86 to 0.95 while retaining 75% of the test set. In addition, the model can select the cases to be recommended for, e.g., expert human evaluation due to excessive uncertainty. Importantly, our framework circumvents additional workload during the training phase by using our network “turned into Bayesian” to implicitly investigate the loss landscape in the neighborhood of each test sample in order to determine the reliability of the predictions.ConclusionWe believe that being able to estimate the uncertainty of a prediction, along with tools that can modulate the behavior of the network to a degree of confidence that the user is informed about (and comfortable with), can represent a crucial step in the direction of user compliance and easier integration of deep learning tools into everyday tasks currently performed by human operators.
Omega-3 eicosapentaenoic polar-lipid rich extract from microalgae Nannochloropsis decreases plasma triglycerides and cholesterol in a real-world normolipidemic supplement consumer population
Authors: Ganuza Eneko , Etomi Eghogho H. , Olson Magdalena , Whisner Corrie M. 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionAlmegaPL® is an oil rich in polar-lipid (&gt; 15% w/w) derived from the microalga Nannochloropsis, that contains exclusively eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA &gt; 25% w/w), without the DHA that is present in all other natural sources of omega-3. Previous findings from a randomized controlled clinical trial demonstrated the ability of AlmegaPL® supplementation to reduce cholesterol levels.MethodsIn this post-market cohort study, we built upon previous findings and targeted the actual end-users of the supplement. Participants were recruited from a new subscriber database of AlmegaPL® capsules (1000–1100 mg/day) to capture the complexity of real-world clinical and consumer settings. Changes in circulating triglycerides (TG), remnant cholesterol (RC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were monitored at baseline, Month 3, and Month 6 of supplementation using the at-home Baseline Heart Health Testing Kit by Imaware® (Houston, TX, USA).ResultsParticipants, who had, on average, normal TG level at baseline (1.62 ± 0.60 mmol/L), experienced a significant and progressive decrease in TG at Month 3 (8.0%; −0.13 ± 0.59 mmol/L; p &lt; 0.001) and Month 6 (14.2%; −0.23 ± 0.64 mmol/L; p &lt; 0.001) (primary outcome). Furthermore, after 6 months of supplementation, TC and non-HDL-cholesterol decreased by 5.0% (−0.26 ± 0.98 mmol/L; p &lt; 0.001) and 5.5% (−0.21 ± 0.86 mmol/L; p &lt; 0.001) respectively, primarily driven by a 14.9% reduction in RC (−0.11 ± 0.29 mmol/L; p &lt; 0.001).DiscussionConsistent with our previous clinical trial, the decrease in RC was not coupled to an increase in LDL, which seems to be a benefit associated with EPA-only based formulations. In addition, this study demonstrated the AlmegaPL® capacity to maintain already healthy TG levels by further inducing a 14.9% decrease. Collectively, these findings highlight AlmegaPL® uniqueness as a natural over-the-counter option for EPA-only polar lipid that appears particularly effective in maintaining blood lipid levels in a generally healthy, normolipidemic population.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT05267301
An insight into market and non-market alternative food networks in Czechia during Covid-19 and beyond
Authors: Smutná Zdeňka , Vávra Jan , Duží Barbora 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionThe Covid-19 pandemic affected food systems in many countries and emphasized a lot of already existing social, economic and environmental agri-food problems. Alternative food networks (AFNs), praised for their ability to improve the food systems, were under stress, however, at the same time, the changed conditions may have opened new possibilities. In this paper we address the importance of AFNs during the pandemic and investigate how households have changed their participation in AFNs. Our research is novel by simultaneously focusing on both market and non-market AFNs which are often studied separately.MethodsA representative questionnaire study of Czech households was carried out in Autumn 2021 to provide a case study of food and consumption behavior of the European country after several waves of Covid-19.Results and discussionBased on the responses of 515 participants, the results show that 68% of Czech households participate in some form of AFNs, be it shopping or food self-provisioning, i.e., non-market food procurement in the form of gardening. Focusing on the market AFNs, farmers’ markets and farm gate sales are the most popular. Covid-19 and 2021 emerging economic pressures led to a decrease of consumption of organic food (22% of respondents) as well as fresh fruit and vegetables in general (10% of respondents) and a noticeable occurrence of food insecurity (18% of households). Based on these findings, the paper discusses the ability of AFNs to support food and nutritional resilience. Problems which may endanger market-oriented AFNs are discussed as well.ConclusionBy addressing both market and non-market AFNs, the paper brings new knowledge into the food environment and agri-food policies research.
Comparison of clinical efficacy of 3D-printed artificial vertebral body and conventional titanium mesh cage in spinal reconstruction after total en bloc spondylectomy for spinal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dong Mingjie , Gao Yingjie , Fan Hao , Wang Yushan , Lv Jia , Bai Junjun , Shao Pengfei , Gao Yu , Lv Zhi , Feng Yi 
Published: February 2024

ProposeThis meta-analysis aimed to determine whether 3D-printed artificial vertebral bodies (AVBs) have superior clinical efficacy compared to conventional titanium mesh cages (TMCs) for spinal reconstruction after total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for spinal tumors.MethodsElectronic databases, including PubMed, OVID, ScienceDirect, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WANFANG, and CNKI, were searched to identify clinical trials investigating 3D-printed AVB versus conventional TMC from inception to August 2023. Data on the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, preoperative and postoperative Frankel classification of spinal cord injury, vertebral body subsidence, and early complications were collected from eligible studies for a meta-analysis. Data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 14.0.ResultsNine studies assessing 374 patients were included. The results revealed significant differences between the 3D-printed AVB and conventional TMC groups with regard to operation time (P = 0.04), intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.004), postoperative VAS score (P = 0.02), vertebral body subsidence (P &lt; 0.0001), and early complications (P = 0.02). Conversely, the remaining preoperative VAS score and Frankel classifications (pre-and postoperative) did not differ significantly between the groups.ConclusionThe 3D-printed AVB in spinal reconstruction after TES for spinal tumors has the advantages of a short operative time, little intraoperative blood loss, weak postoperative pain, low occurrence of vertebral body subsidence and early complications, and a significant curative effect. This could provide a strong basis for physicians to make clinical decisions.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023441521, identifier CRD42023441521.
Most deprived Louisiana census tracts have higher hepatocellular carcinoma incidence and worse survival
Authors: Ratnapradipa Kendra L. , Li Tingting , Hsieh Mei-Chin , Tenner Laura , Peters Edward S. 
Published: February 2024

BackgroundLiver cancer incidence increased in the US from 1975 through 2015 with heterogeneous rates across subpopulations. Upstream or distal area-level factors impact liver cancer risks.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the association between area-level deprivation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence and survival. We also explored the association between area deprivation and treatment modalities.MethodsLouisiana Tumor Registry identified 4,151 adult patients diagnosed with malignant HCC from 2011 to 2020 and linked residential address to census tract (CT)-level Area Deprivation Index (ADI) categorized into quartiles (Q1 = least deprived). ANOVA examined the association between ADI quartile and CT age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) per 100,000. Chi-square tested the distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics across ADI quartiles. Kaplan–Meier and proportional hazard models evaluated survival by deprivation quartile.ResultsAmong the 1,084 CTs with incident HCC, the average (SD) AAIR was 8.02 (7.05) HCC cases per 100,000 population. ADI was observed to be associated with incidence, and the mean (SD) AAIR increased from 5.80 (4.75) in Q1 to 9.26 (7.88) in Q4. ADI was also associated with receipt of surgery (p &lt; 0.01) and radiation (p &lt; 0.01) but not chemotherapy (p = 0.15). However, among those who received chemotherapy, people living in the least deprived areas began treatment approximately 10 days sooner than those living in other quartiles. Q4 patients experienced the worst survival with a median of 247 (95% CI 211–290) days vs. Q1 patients with a median of 474 (95% CI 407–547) days (p &lt; 0.0001). Q4 had marginally poorer survival (HR 1.20, 1.05–1.37) than Q1 but the association became non-significant (HR 1.12, 0.96–1.30) when adjusted for rurality, liquor store density, sex, race/ethnicity, age, insurance, BMI, stage, hepatitis diagnosis, and comorbidities.ConclusionIncreasing neighborhood (CT) deprivation (ADI) was observed to be associated with increased HCC incidence and poorer HCC survival. However, the association with poorer survival becomes attenuated after adjusting for putative confounders.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties of the Arabic version of the pain sensitivity questionnaire
Authors: Alqarni Abdullah , Khan Fayaz , Alabasi Umar , Ruscheweyh Ruth 
Published: February 2024

BackgroundThe Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is a reliable and valid self-reported tool for the assessment of pain sensitivity in clinical practice. The PSQ has been translated, validated, and cross-culturally adapted into multiple languages. However, a validated Arabic version of the PSQ is not available. Thus, this study aims to translate, validate, and cross-culturally adapt the English version of the PSQ into the Arabic language.Methods and materialsThe English version of the PSQ was translated and culturally adapted into Arabic following international guidelines. The psychometric properties of the final version of the PSQ-Arabic (PSQ-A) were tested among 119 patients with different persistent musculoskeletal (MSK) pain.FindingsThe Cronbach’s α for the PSQ-A-total, PSQ-A-moderate, and PSQ-C-minor were 0.81, 0.79, and 0.76, respectively. The means for the PSQ-A-total, PSQ-A-moderate, and PSQ-C-minor scores were 5.07 (±1.28), 5.64 (±2.07), and 4.50 (±0.50). The test-retest reliability measured with the interclass correlation coefficient for 68 subjects was 0.80 for the PSQ-A-total, 0.74 for the PSQ-A-moderate, and 0.77 for the PSQ-A-minor. The PSQ-A-total and the PSQ-A-minor showed positive significant correlations with pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) (r = 0.15, 0.17); P ≤ 0.05), respectively. The PSQ-A-total, PSQ-A-moderate, and PSQ-A-minor showed positive significant correlations with the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-pain scores (r = 0.47, 0.43, 0.45; P ≤ 0.01), respectively and with the BPI-pain interference scores (r = 0.37, 0.33, 0.34; P ≤ 0.01), respectively.ConclusionsThis study shows that the PSQ-A is a reliable and valid tool to assess individuals with pain sensitivity in Arabic populations. Further studies are recommended to examine the concurrent validity of the PSQ-A against experimental pain sensitivity measures.
Activation of renal epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC) in infants with congenital heart disease
Authors: Ortmann Laura A. , Nandi Shyam , Li Yu-long , Zheng Hong , Patel Kaushik P. 
Published: February 2024

IntroductionThis study was designed to measure the concentration and activity of urinary proteases that activate renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) mediated Na+ transport in infants with congenital heart disease, a potential mechanism for fluid retention.MethodsUrine samples from infants undergoing cardiac surgery were collected at three time points: T1) pre-operatively, T2) 6–8 h after surgery, and T3) 24 h after diuretics. Urine was collected from five heathy infant controls. The urine was tested for four proteases and whole-cell patch-clamp testing was conducted in renal collecting duct M-1 cells to test whether patient urine increased Na+ currents consistent with ENaC activation.ResultsHeavy chain of plasminogen, furin, and prostasin were significantly higher in cardiac patients prior to surgery compared to controls. There was no difference in most proteases before and after surgery. Urine from cardiac patients produced a significantly greater increase in Na+ inward currents compared to healthy controls.ConclusionUrine from infants with congenital heart disease is richer in proteases and has the potential to increase activation of ENaC in the nephron to enhance Na+ reabsorption, which may lead to fluid retention in this population.