bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The outbreak of Drupella snails and its catastrophic effects on coral reefs: a comprehensive review
Authors: Zhang Fang , Jia Xiwang , Lin Zhenni , Jiang Yiyi , Qu Mengjie 
Published: January 2024

The recurring outbreaks of Drupella snails are a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems on a global scale. However, research on Drupella snails is currently very fragmentary. This article explores the ecological impacts and mitigation methods of Drupella snails and its outbreaks, and draws the following main conclusions. 1) Drupella snails inhabit the tropical oceans of the Indo-Pacific, utilizing their specialized radula to feed on coral polyps, and they predominantly spawn during summer, attaching egg capsules onto coral skeletons. 2) An outbreak of Drupella snails is defined by a density of &gt; 2 ind/m2, but large aggregations alone do not necessarily indicate an outbreak. 3) The damage of coral reef ecosystem is the primary cause of Drupella snail outbreaks, with the hypotheses of “terrestrial nutrient input” and “overfishing of predator” being widely accepted but not fully explaining all outbreak events. 4) Countering Drupella snail outbreaks involves improving the health of coral reef ecosystems, protected areas, biological control and manual removal, though manual removal is the most direct and effective in short-term. 5) The understanding of the physiological and ecological characteristics of Drupella snails is inadequate at present, with larval development and population ecology being areas of particular under-investigation. 6) Studies of Drupella snail outbreaks have focused mainly on mid-outbreak stages, with little attention to early warnings beforehand or adverse outcomes afterwards. Despite significant challenges, addressing knowledge gaps in the biology of Drupella snails is crucial to determine the true causes of their outbreaks and identify corresponding solutions.
Analysis of the relationship between axial length, optic disc morphology, and regional variations in retinal vessel density in young adults with healthy eyes
Authors: Chen Yanhui , Rong Hua , Liu Yuling , Gao Huijuan , Sun Ziwen , Dang Weiyu , Lu Kunpeng , Mi Baoyue , Li Jing , Wei Ruihua 
Published: January 2024

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between optic disc morphology, axial length, and regional distribution of retinal vessels in healthy eyes of young adults.MethodsNine hundred and two healthy eyes were enrolled in this university-based, cross-sectional study. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography was used to measure the parapapillary retinal vessel density. We automated the process of calculating optic disc tilt and rotation by using a program written in Python. Relationships between optic disc rotation, optic disc tilt, parapapillary vessel density, and other ocular parameters were analyzed using regression models.ResultsAs axial length increased, optic disc morphology became more tilted and rotated inferiorly. The superficial vessel density (SVD) and radial peripapillary capillary density (RPCD) gradually decreased in all regions except for the temporal quadrant. Increased temporal SVD (OR [95% CI] = 1.081 [1.039, 1.124], p &lt; 0.001), reduced nasal SVD (OR [95% CI] = 0.898 [0.861, 0.937], p &lt; 0.01), and short relative lens position (OR [95% CI] = 0.126 [0.032, 0.495], p = 0.003) were significantly associated with the presence of a tilted optic disc. Inferior disc rotation was associated with decreased superior deep vessel density (DVD) and increased inferior DVD and temporal DVD after adjusting for sex and axial length.ConclusionThe tilted and rotated optic discs were associated with the distribution of SVD and DVD, respectively. We should fully consider the influence of optic disc morphology on parapapillary vessel density in eyes with myopia.
Efficacy of the DRL orthokeratology lens in slowing axial elongation in French children
Authors: Queirós António , Rolland le Moal Pauline , Angioi-Duprez Karine , Berrod Jean-Paul , Conart Jean-Baptiste , Chaume Aurélia , Pauné Jaume 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundThis study aims to assess and compare the impact of Orthokeratology Double Reservoir Lens (DRL) versus Single Vision Lenses (SVL) on axial elongation and anterior chamber biometric parameters in myopic children over a 6- and 12-month treatment period in France.MethodsA retrospective study involving 48 patients aged 7 to 17 years, who underwent either orthokeratology treatment or single-vision spectacle correction, was conducted. Changes in refractive error, axial length, and anterior chamber depth were examined.ResultsTwenty-five patients comprised the Orthokeratology (OK) group, while twenty-three were in the control group (single-vision spectacle group). Significant increases in mean axial length were observed over time in both the control (0.12 ± 0.13 mm and 0.20 ± 0.17 mm after 6 and 12 months, respectively; F (2,28.9) = 27.68, p &lt; 0.001) and OK groups (0.02 ± 0.07 mm and 0.06 ± 0.13 mm after 6 and 12 months, respectively; F (2,29.1) = 5.30, p = 0.023). No statistically significant differences in axial length were found between male and female children (p &gt; 0.620). Age-specific analysis revealed no significant axial elongation after 12 months in the 14–17 years group in the OK group. Anterior biometric data analysis at 6 and 12 months showed statistical significance only for the DRL group.ConclusionOrthokeratology resulted in an 86 and 70% reduction in axial elongation after 6 and 12 months of lens wear, respectively, compared to the single-vision spectacles group. Myopia progression was more pronounced in younger children, underscoring the importance of initiating myopia control strategies at early ages.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in soils where astragalus had grown for 2 years were similar to those in the abandoned farmland
Authors: An Zhi-Gang , Shang Hu-Shan , Cui Zhi-Jia , Huang Yu-Fang , Wu Rui , Li Run-Hong 
Published: January 2024

PurposeAstragalus-cultivated soils are enriched in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF); however, the community changes of AMF between years in stragalus-cultivated soils are still unclear.MethodsTo illustrate this, using high-throughput amplicon sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR, we analyzed the AMF communities of the abandoned farmlands and interannual astragalus-cultivated soils for 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-years, including community composition, dominant, core, specific and significantly fluctuating AMF, co-occurrence network, alpha diversity, and beta diversity.ResultsA total of 74 OTUs were classified into one phylum, Glomeromycota; one class, Glomeromycetes; four orders; four families; and six genera. The 2-year soil had the highest number of reads among the interannual soils. Only one OTU was shared among all interannual soils. The treatments significantly affected the Ace, Shannoneven, and Shannon estimators of the communities. The 2-year soil had the highest richness, evenness, and diversity among all interannual soils and was the closest to the abandoned farmland in terms of alpha diversity. Glomus of the family Glomeraceae was the dominant genus present in all treatments, and the composition of the dominant genus in interannual soils was different. Both Glomus and Diversispora were the core AMF in interannual soils, and specific AMF existed in different interannual soils. Glomus is a genus that exhibits significant interannual variation. The interannual time significantly affected the network connectivity. The results of the principal coordinate analysis showed that the community composition of the interannual soils was close to each other and separated from the abandoned farmland, and that the interannual time significantly affected the community composition.ConclusionAmong the interannual soils, the 2-year soil may be more suitable for A. sinensis seedling rotation.
Adaptive laboratory evolution to obtain furfural tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae for bioethanol production and the underlying mechanism
Authors: Yao Lan , Jia Youpiao , Zhang Qingyan , Zheng Xueyun , Yang Haitao , Dai Jun , Chen Xiong 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionFurfural, a main inhibitor produced during pretreatment of lignocellulose, has shown inhibitory effects on S. cerevisiae.MethodIn the present study, new strains named 12–1 with enhanced resistance to furfural were obtained through adaptive laboratory evolution, which exhibited a shortened lag phase by 36 h, and an increased ethanol conversion rate by 6.67% under 4 g/L furfural.Results and DiscussionTo further explore the mechanism of enhanced furfural tolerance, ADR1_1802 mutant was constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 technology, based on whole genome re-sequencing data. The results indicated that the time when ADR1_1802 begin to grow was shortened by 20 h compared with reference strain (S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113-5D) when furfural was 4 g/L. Additionally, the transcription levels of GRE2 and ADH6 in ADR1_ 1802 mutant were increased by 53.69 and 44.95%, respectively, according to real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis. These findings suggest that the enhanced furfural tolerance of mutant is due to accelerated furfural degradation. Importance: Renewable carbon worldwide is vital to achieve “zero carbon” target. Bioethanol obtained from biomass is one of them. To make bioethanol price competitive to fossil fuel, higher ethanol yield is necessary, therefore, monosaccharide produced during biomass pretreatment should be effectively converted to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, inhibitors formed by glucose or xylose oxidation could make ethanol yield lower. Thus, inhibitor tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae is important to this process. As one of the main component of pretreatment hydrolysate, furfural shows obvious impact on growth and ethanol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To get furfural tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae and find the underlying mechanism, adaptive laboratory evolution and CRISPR/Cas9 technology were applied in the present study
Mild cognitive impairment prediction and cognitive score regression in the elderly using EEG topological data analysis and machine learning with awareness assessed in affective reminiscent paradigm
Authors: Rutkowski Tomasz M. , Komendziński Tomasz , Otake-Matsuura Mihoko 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionThe main objective of this study is to evaluate working memory and determine EEG biomarkers that can assist in the field of health neuroscience. Our ultimate goal is to utilize this approach to predict the early signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in healthy elderly individuals, which could potentially lead to dementia. The advancements in health neuroscience research have revealed that affective reminiscence stimulation is an effective method for developing EEG-based neuro-biomarkers that can detect the signs of MCI.MethodsWe use topological data analysis (TDA) on multivariate EEG data to extract features that can be used for unsupervised clustering, subsequent machine learning-based classification, and cognitive score regression. We perform EEG experiments to evaluate conscious awareness in affective reminiscent photography settings.ResultsWe use EEG and interior photography to distinguish between healthy cognitive aging and MCI. Our clustering UMAP and random forest application accurately predict MCI stage and MoCA scores.DiscussionOur team has successfully implemented TDA feature extraction, MCI classification, and an initial regression of MoCA scores. However, our study has certain limitations due to a small sample size of only 23 participants and an unbalanced class distribution. To enhance the accuracy and validity of our results, future research should focus on expanding the sample size, ensuring gender balance, and extending the study to a cross-cultural context.
Evaluation of tractography-based myelin-weighted connectivity across the lifespan
Authors: Bosticardo Sara , Schiavi Simona , Schaedelin Sabine , Battocchio Matteo , Barakovic Muhamed , Lu Po-Jui , Weigel Matthias , Melie-Garcia Lester , Granziera Cristina , Daducci Alessandro 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionRecent studies showed that the myelin of the brain changes in the life span, and demyelination contributes to the loss of brain plasticity during normal aging. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) allows studying brain connectivity in vivo by mapping axons in white matter with tractography algorithms. However, dMRI does not provide insight into myelin; thus, combining tractography with myelin-sensitive maps is necessary to investigate myelin-weighted brain connectivity. Tractometry is designated for this purpose, but it suffers from some serious limitations. Our study assessed the effectiveness of the recently proposed Myelin Streamlines Decomposition (MySD) method in estimating myelin-weighted connectomes and its capacity to detect changes in myelin network architecture during the process of normal aging. This approach opens up new possibilities compared to traditional Tractometry.MethodsIn a group of 85 healthy controls aged between 18 and 68 years, we estimated myelin-weighted connectomes using Tractometry and MySD, and compared their modulation with age by means of three well-known global network metrics.ResultsFollowing the literature, our results show that myelin development continues until brain maturation (40 years old), after which degeneration begins. In particular, mean connectivity strength and efficiency show an increasing trend up to 40 years, after which the process reverses. Both Tractometry and MySD are sensitive to these changes, but MySD turned out to be more accurate.ConclusionAfter regressing the known predictors, MySD results in lower residual error, indicating that MySD provides more accurate estimates of myelin-weighted connectivity than Tractometry.
Adverse events of immune checkpoint therapy alone versus when combined with vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors: a pooled meta-analysis of 1735 patients
Authors: Kovalenko Iuliia , Lynn Ng Wern , Geng Yimin , Wang Yinghong , Msaouel Pavlos , Bhatia Shailender , Grivas Petros , Benkhadra Raed , Alhalabi Omar 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundCombining immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (VEGFi) may result in increased treatment-related and immune-related adverse events (TRAEs and irAEs) compared to ICT alone. This metanalysis was conducted to identify prospective phase II or III clinical studies that evaluated the toxicity profile of ICT + VEGFi compared to ICT alone.MethodsA systematic search was performed across all cancer types and major databases until August 10, 2022, and screening was done by two independent investigators. Inclusion criteria included phase 2 or 3 studies with at least one arm of patients treated with combination therapy and one arm treated with monotherapy. Adverse event data were pooled using a restricted maximum likelihood fixed effects model, and heterogeneity using Cochran’s Q (chi-square) test.Results7 out of 9366 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 808 and 927 patients were treated with ICT monotherapy and a combination of ICT with VEGFi, respectively. Only one study reported irAEs, so the analysis was restricted to TRAEs. The total number of TRAEs was significantly higher in the ICT + VEGFi group (RR:1.49; 95% CI 1.37 -1.62; p=1.5×10-21), and more frequent treatment withdrawals were attributed to TRAEs (RR:3.10; 95% CI 1.12-8.59; p=0.029). The highest TRAE effect size increases noted for rash (RR 6.50; 95% CI 3.76 – 11.25; p=2.1×10-11), hypertension (RR:6.07; 95% CI 3.69–10.00; p=1.3×10-12), hypothyroidism (RR:5.02; 95% CI 3.08 – 8.19; p=8.9×10-11), and diarrhea (RR:4.94; 95% CI 3.21–7.62; p=3.8×10-13). Other significantly more frequent TRAEs included nausea, anemia, anorexia, and proteinuria.ConclusionCombination therapy with ICT and VEGFi carries a higher risk of certain TRAEs, such as rash, hypertension, hypothyroidism, diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, and proteinuria, compared to ICT monotherapy. More granular details on the cause of AEs, particularly irAEs, should be provided in future trials of such regimens.
Prospective deployment of an automated implementation solution for artificial intelligence translation to clinical radiation oncology
Authors: Kehayias Christopher E. , Yan Yujie , Bontempi Dennis , Quirk Sarah , Bitterman Danielle S. , Bredfeldt Jeremy S. , Aerts Hugo J. W. L. , Mak Raymond H. , Guthier Christian V. 
Published: January 2024

IntroductionArtificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies embody countless solutions in radiation oncology, yet translation of AI-assisted software tools to actual clinical environments remains unrealized. We present the Deep Learning On-Demand Assistant (DL-ODA), a fully automated, end-to-end clinical platform that enables AI interventions for any disease site featuring an automated model-training pipeline, auto-segmentations, and QA reporting.Materials and methodsWe developed, tested, and prospectively deployed the DL-ODA system at a large university affiliated hospital center. Medical professionals activate the DL-ODA via two pathways (1): On-Demand, used for immediate AI decision support for a patient-specific treatment plan, and (2) Ambient, in which QA is provided for all daily radiotherapy (RT) plans by comparing DL segmentations with manual delineations and calculating the dosimetric impact. To demonstrate the implementation of a new anatomy segmentation, we used the model-training pipeline to generate a breast segmentation model based on a large clinical dataset. Additionally, the contour QA functionality of existing models was assessed using a retrospective cohort of 3,399 lung and 885 spine RT cases. Ambient QA was performed for various disease sites including spine RT and heart for dosimetric sparing.ResultsSuccessful training of the breast model was completed in less than a day and resulted in clinically viable whole breast contours. For the retrospective analysis, we evaluated manual-versus-AI similarity for the ten most common structures. The DL-ODA detected high similarities in heart, lung, liver, and kidney delineations but lower for esophagus, trachea, stomach, and small bowel due largely to incomplete manual contouring. The deployed Ambient QAs for heart and spine sites have prospectively processed over 2,500 cases and 230 cases over 9 months and 5 months, respectively, automatically alerting the RT personnel.DiscussionThe DL-ODA capabilities in providing universal AI interventions were demonstrated for On-Demand contour QA, DL segmentations, and automated model training, and confirmed successful integration of the system into a large academic radiotherapy department. The novelty of deploying the DL-ODA as a multi-modal, fully automated end-to-end AI clinical implementation solution marks a significant step towards a generalizable framework that leverages AI to improve the efficiency and reliability of RT systems.
Simulating neuronal development: exploring potential mechanisms for central nervous system metastasis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Li Ziping , Guo Zhi , Xiao Haitao , Chen Xuexing , Liu Wei , Zhou Hao 
Published: January 2024

BackgroundAcute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is prone to metastasize to the central nervous system (CNS), which is an important cause of poor treatment outcomes and unfavorable prognosis. However, the pathogenesis of CNS metastasis of ALL cells has not been fully illuminated. Recent reports have shed some light on the correlation between neural mechanisms and ALL CNS metastasis. These progressions prompt us to study the relationship between ALL central nervous system metastasis and neuronal development, exploring potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of CNS metastasis.Materials and methodsALL central nervous system metastasis- and neuronal development-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by analyzing gene expression datasets GSE60926 and GSE13715. Target prediction and network analysis methods were applied to assess protein–protein interaction networks. Gene Ontology (GO) terms and pathway enrichment for DEGs were assessed. Co-expressed differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) coupled with corresponding predicted microRNAs (miRNAs) were studied as well. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and flow cytometry were employed for the validation of key co-DEGs in primary ALL cells. Furthermore, ALL cells were treated with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor to block neuronal development and assess changes in the co-DEGs.ResultsWe identified 216, 208, and 204 DEGs in ALL CNS metastasis specimens and neuronal development samples (GSE60926 and GSE13715). CD2, CD3G, CD3D, and LCK may be implicated in ALL CNS metastasis. LAMB1, MATN3, IGFBP3, LGALS1, and NEUROD1 may be associated with neuronal development. Specifically, four co-DEGs (LGALS1, TMEM71, SHISA2, and S100A11) may link ALL central nervous system metastasis and neuronal development process. The miRNAs for each co-DEG could be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for ALL central nervous system metastasis, especially hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miR-548t-5p, and hsa-miR-6134. Additionally, four co-DEGs (LGALS1, TMEM71, SHISA2, and S100A11) were validated in CNS-infiltrated ALL cells. The VEGF inhibitor demonstrated a suppressive effect on mRNA and protein expression of key co-DEGs.ConclusionThe bioinformatic survey and key gene validation suggest a possible correlation between ALL CNS metastasis and the neuronal development process. Simulating the neuronal development process might be a possible strategy for CNS metastasis in ALL. LGALS1, TMEM71, SHISA2, and S100A11 genes are promising and novel biomarkers and targets in ALL CNS metastasis.
Orbital corticosteroid injections for the treatment of active thyroid eye disease
Authors: Eid Kevin T. , Kally Peter M. , Kahana Alon 
Published: January 2024

PurposeTo study the efficacy of orbital injections of triamcinolone acetonide mixed 1:1 with dexamethasone in the treatment of active thyroid eye disease.MethodsPatients that received orbital injection(s) of triamcinolone acetonide mixed 1:1 with dexamethasone for thyroid eye disease were included in this retrospective study. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the pre-treatment and 1 month follow up evaluations. Clinical data included subjective pain and diplopia scores, best-corrected visual acuity, Intraocular pressure, extraocular motility, clinical activity score, Hertel exophthalmometry, and upper eyelid margin to reflex distance.ResultsFifteen patients, 33 orbital injections, were included in the study. The average patient age was 59.2 years (SD ± 13.0) and 89% female. Subjectively, 67% of patients reported improvement of orbital pain and pressure versus 28% stable and 5% worse (p &lt;0.001). Post-procedure clinical activity score decreased from 3.84 to 3.00 (p = 0.0004). There were no significant differences in upper eyelid margin to reflex distance (4.1 ± 1.4 mm vs. 4.3 ± 2.6 mm, p = 0.45), Hertel exophthalmometry (21.7 ± 9.4 mm vs. 21.8 ± 7.6 mm, p = 0.56), or extraocular motility (21% improved vs. 72% stable and 7% worsening, p = 0.50). No steroid-responsive increases in intraocular pressure or injection-related complications were reported.ConclusionOrbital steroid injections can successfully reduce symptoms of TED and may be a reliable tool in the treatment of TED as a relatively safe, fast-acting, efficacious treatment option, particularly as a bridge to other therapies.