bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interactive effect of agricultural management and landscape in bee-plant interaction networks
Authors: de Castro Samantha Marx , Nagatani Cauê , Yoshikawa Vania Nobuko , Ramos Kelli dos Santos , Cordeiro Guaraci Duran , Morini Maria Santina de Castro 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Bees’ pollination is essential for ecosystems and ecosystem services, including in agriculture. Thus, agricultural management and environmental changes must not affect bee communities and native plants negatively. This study investigated the impact of management practices and areas of native forest around agricultural areas on bee-plant interaction networks. We carried it out in 12 small farming areas with distinct types of management (organic and conventional) and local landscapes (buffer of 1 km with more than 50% of native vegetation or less than it) in the São Paulo Green Belt Biosphere Reserve, SP, Brazil. Our results show that, regardless of the type of forest around the agricultural area and type of management, the bee-plant interaction networks are similar. We concluded that our studied areas were very similar in terms of cultivation characteristics. Nonetheless, our results suggest that less aggressive agriculture management, such as the maintenance of native plants in agricultural areas and the preservation of native forests contribute positively to bee-plant interaction networks, and consequently reduce the impact of pesticide use.
Isolated Epididymitis Tuberculosis in an Adolescent Male: When Foresight Clinical Decisions Determine the Right Diagnosis
Authors: Cesilia Citra , Nugraha Harry Galuh , Siregar Safendra , Nataprawira Heda Melinda 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background: Urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) is one of the common extrapulmonary TB in children. One form of UGTB is epididymitis TB, which is reported rarely in children. Epididymitis TB presented with unspecific chronic clinical manifestation and definitive diagnosis made by bacteriological confirmation due to paucibacillary and histopathology findings.
Case presentation: A 16-year-old boy had been admitted to the hospital due to painful swelling of the left scrotum in the last three month. Persistent coughing for 2 months was reported. Physical examination of the left scrotum showed swelling accompanied by cardinal signs. Palpable hard mass on the left scrotum, firm borders, pain, measuring 7x4 cm. Laboratory examination was within normal limits, tumor markers (AFP, CEA, LDH) within normal limits, and routine urinalysis showed leukocyturia. Genital ultrasound showed epididymitis sinistra with septal hydrocele. Genital MRI showed left epididymitis with bilateral inguinal lymph node enlargement. TB evaluation examination showed a PPD test of 0 mm and a negative bacteriologic examination, but CXR showed perihilar lymphadenopathy. The patient was diagnosed as isolated TB lymphadenitis and received quadruple ATT for two months, followed by RH for four months. After treatment, the size of the left testicle decreased and was equal to that of the right; no signs of inflammation were found, weight increased by 5 kg, and cough disappeared. However, sperm analysis at the end of treatment showed teratozoospermia. The patient is currently being treated for teratozoospermia by urologic surgery colleagues.
Conclusions: Biopsy and culture testing for TB epididymitis confirmation are difficult to perform in the clinical setting. TB epididymitis should be considered in adolescent boys with complaints of chronic scrotal swelling and pain. Clinical judgment based on history taking, physical examination, and radiologic features supporting the picture of tuberculosis is helpful to diagnose correctly and quickly for a favorable outcome.
Effect of First-line Chemotherapy Alone Versus First-line Chemotherapy Plus Radiotherapy on Survival in Patients with Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer in the IMRT era: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Meng Dong-Fang , Zheng Li-Sheng , Zhang Hai-Bo , Liu Zi-Hao , Tian Yaru , Ma Ji , Fu Lei 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purpose: The role of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and novel combination chemotherapy regimens in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) remains unclear. In this study, we focused on comparing survival between first-line chemotherapy alone and first-line chemotherapy plus IMRT in patients with LAPC.
Methods: Atotal of 70 patients from Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute were enrolled. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Survival outcomes were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test, and the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs), 95% CIs and independent prognostic factors.
Results: The median PFS was 10.0 months in the chemotherapy alone group and 14.0 months in the chemotherapy plus IMRT group (P=0.465). Patients who received chemotherapy alone had a median OS of 12.0 months vs. 21.0 months for patients who received chemotherapy plus IMRT (P=0.156). The chemotherapy alone group had a disease control rate (DCR) of 33.33% (6 of 18), while the chemotherapy plus IMRT group had a DCR of 61.54% (32 of 52) (P=0.038). The multivariate Cox regression model was used to adjust for potential prognostic factors. Shorter PFS was observed in men (P=0.042), and those with a high serum level of CA 19-9 (P=0.047). Similarly, shorter OS was significantly associated with men (P=0.010) and a high serum level of CA 19-9 (P=0.020).
Conclusions: The combination of first-line chemotherapy and IMRT improves the DCR rate. However, first-line chemotherapy plus IMRT had no significant difference in DFS and OS compared with chemotherapy alone.
TRIM29 promotes bladder cancer invasion by regulating the intermediate filament network and focal adhesion.
Authors: Palmbos Phillip , Wang Yin , Jerome Nicole , Kelleher Alan , Henderson Marian , Day Mark , Coulombe Pierre 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Bladder cancer is a common malignancy whose lethality is determined by invasive potential. We have previously shown that TRIM29, also known as ATDC, is transcriptionally regulated by TP63 in basal bladder cancers where it promotes invasive progression and metastasis, but the molecular events which promote invasion and metastasis downstream of TRIM29 remained poorly understood. Here we identify stimulation of bladder cancer migration as the specific role of TRIM29 during invasion. We show that TRIM29 physically interacts with K14 + intermediate filaments which in turn regulates focal adhesion stability. Further, we find that both K14 and the focal adhesion protein, ZYX are required for bladder cancer migration and invasion. Taken together, these results establish a role for TRIM29 in the regulation of cytoskeleton and focal adhesions during invasion and identify a pathway with therapeutic potential.
Semantic Image Segmentation Using Transformers
Authors: DOPPALAPUDI SAI KRISHNA , P SUPREETHI K. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Since the development of deep learning, FCNNs—particularly "U-shaped" encoder-decoder architectures—have excelled at various medical semantic segmentation tasks.
For the bulk of medical picture segmentation applications during the past ten years, Fully Convolutional Neural Networks (FCNNs) with contracting and expanding paths have gained importance. In FCNNs, the encoder plays a crucial role in learning both global and local features as well as contextual representations that the decoder can use to expect semantic output. Despite its success, FCNNs' ability to learn long-range spatial relationships is constrained by the locality of their convolutional layers. Motivated by the recent popularity of Transformers. We reframe the challenge of volumetric (3D) medical picture segmentation as a sequence-to-sequence prediction issue, drawing inspiration from the recent success of transformers for Natural Language Processing (NLP) in long-range sequence learning.
Due to their ability to simulate long-range dependencies, transformers have proved to perform various natural language processing and computer vision tasks. Recent developments have shown how promising combining such transformers with CNN-based semantic picture segmentation algorithms is. The effectiveness of a pure transformer-based technique for picture segmentation has not yet been thoroughly investigated.
Encoder-decoder-based Fully Converter Networks, a novel framework for semantic picture segmentation, will be investigated in this paper (FTN) We offer a novel architecture that successfully captures the global multi-scale information and learns sequence representations of the input volume using a transformer as the encoder, while also employing the well-proven "U-shaped" network design for the encoder and decoder. To figure out the final semantic segmentation output, the transformer encoder is directly coupled by skip connections to a decoder at various resolutions.
Machine Learning-based Predictive Model for Mortality in Female Breast Cancer Patients Considering Lifestyle Factors
Authors: Zhen Meixin , Chen Haibing , Lu Qing , Li Hui , Yan Huang , Wang Ling 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Objective Current breast cancer mortality prediction models primarily rely on clinical and genetic data, which are costly and less accessible. Emerging evidence highlights the significance of lifestyle factors in postdiagnosis mortality among breast cancer patients. This study aimed to enhance predictive models by integrating lifestyle variables, creating an economical, practical, and interpretable prognostic tool.
Methods In this retrospective study, we utilized a ten-year follow-up dataset of female breast cancer patients from a major Chinese hospital and included 1,390 female breast cancer patients with a 7% (96) mortality rate. We employed six machine learning algorithms (ridge regression, k-nearest neighbors, neural network, random forest, support vector machine, and extremegradient boosting) to construct a prognostic model for breast cancer. The 10-fold cross-validation results indicated that the random forest model exhibited the best performance (average area under the curve (AUC)= 0.918; 1-yr AUC = 0.914, 2-yr AUC = 0.867, 3-yr AUC = 0.883). These models also performed strongly in an independent external dataset (external validation average AUC = 0.782; 1-yr AUC = 0.809; 2-yr AUC = 0.785; 3-yr AUC = 0.893). We developed a user-friendly web tool using Shiny-Web for easy model access. Cox regression identified postsurgery sexual activity, totally implantable venous access port use, and prosthetic breast wear as independent protective factors, while considering pain to be the greatest difficulty postoperatively was associated with a worse prognosis.
Conclusion Our postoperative mortality prediction model is cost-effective and accurate, aiding healthcare professionals in treatment decisions and promoting healthier lifestyles for breast cancer patients.
Progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells are associated with disease activity and damage in systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Silveira Gonzalo , Ranero Sabrina , Carlomagno Adriana , Brugnini Andreina , Trias Natalia , Lens Daniela , Rebella Martín , Danza Álvaro , Grille Sofía 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background: Despite treatment advances, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients frequently experience disease flares, which can lead to organ damage and premature death. Therefore, assessing disease activity in SLE patients is crucial for adjusting treatment and preventing further organ damage. The aim of this study was to investigate progenitor cells and circulating endothelial cells levels in relation to SLE activity and accumulate organ damage.
Methodos: A case-control study was conducted. CD34+CD45low/- progenitor cells, CD34+CD45low/-CD133+progenitor, Endothelial Progenitor cells (EPC) and Circulating Endothelial cells (CEC) levels in peripheral blood were assessed by flow cytometry.
Results: Thirty-two SLE patients and 28 matched controls were included. SLE patients had lower levels of CD34+CD45low/- progenitor cells (p=0.001), CD34+CD45low/-CD133+ progenitor cells (p=0.016), EPC (p=0.018) and CEC (p<0.001) compared to controls. In addition, cell subpopulations studied correlate with SLE activity biomarkers. CD34+CD45low/- progenitor cells showed a moderate negative correlation with levels of both C3 and C4. We also found significantly higher levels of CD34+CD45low/- progenitor cells, CD34+CD45low/- CD133+ progenitor cells, EPC and CEC in patients with SLE with SDI scores ≥1 versus those without organ damage (p=0.0073, p=0.018, p=0.018 and p=0.020, respectively).
Conclusion: We found that CD34+CD45low/- progenitor cells, CD34+CD45low/-CD133+ progenitor cells, CPE and CEC were significantly reduced in patients with SLE as well as associated with disease activity and organ damage. Our observations suggest that CD34+CD45low/- progenitor cells could serve as a potential biomarker for disease activity and organ damage in SLE patients. It should be confirmed in a prospective study.
Bovine lactoferrin inhibits inflammatory response and apoptosis in LPS-induced acute lung injury by targeting the PPAR-γ pathway
Authors: Li Yantao , Li Junhu , Dong Yan , Wang Can , Cai Zhigang 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background: Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding multifunctional cationic glycoprotein. Previous studies have demonstrated that LF may be a potential drug for treating acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In this study, we explored the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) in acute lung injury using the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology and transcriptome analysis.
Methods and Results: Based on the differentially expressed genes obtained from RNA-seq of the Lung from mouse model, The bioinformatics workflow was implemented using the BGISEQ-500 platform. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was obtained using STRING, and the hub gene was screened using Cytoscape. To verify the results of transcriptome analysis, the effects of bLF on LPS-induced BEAS-2B cells and its anti-reactive oxygen species (ROS), anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects were studied via CCK8 test, active oxygen detection test, ELISA, and western blot assay.
Transcriptome analysis revealed that two hub gene modules of DEGs were screened via PPI analysis using the STRING and MCODE plug-ins of Cytoscape. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that these core modules are enriched in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Through cell experiments, our study shows that bLF can inhibit ROS, inflammatory reaction, and LPS-induced BEAS-2B cell apoptosis, which are significantly antagonized by the PPAR-γ inhibitor GW9662,
Conclusion: This study has suggested that the PPAR-γ pathway is the critical target of bLF in anti-inflammatory reactions and apoptosis of acute lung injury, which provides a direction for further research.
Multi-material and thickness optimization of a wind turbine blade root section
Authors: Hermansen Sebastian M. , Lund Erik 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
State-of-the-art wind turbines blades are large and complex structures, consequently making design challenging. The complexity is largely a result of using laminated composites which are high-performing and versatile materials, but also inhomogeneous hence exhibiting anisotropic behavior as well as challenging failure mechanisms. Structural optimization has been shown to be an invaluable tool for solving such challenging design problems, however a framework for treating all relevant parameters, i.e., material choice, fiber orientation, stacking sequence, and layer thickness, on the current scale is not available. Thus, the motivation of the present work is to present an overall gradient-based approach, where the key structural criteria are considered for multiple design load cases. The optimization framework is based on a variation of the Discrete Material and Thickness Optimization approach, where the thickness is directly parametrized, allowing for appropriately treating the sandwich parts of the blade. Application of the developed framework leads to an optimized design consisting of complex variable-thickness laminates, a good overall distribution of the structural criteria in the model, and a 23% reduction in mass compared to the initial design.
Impaired proprioception and magnified scaling of proprioceptive error responses in chronic stroke
Authors: Tulimieri Duncan Thibodeau , Semrau Jennifer A. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Previous work has shown that ~ 50–60% of individuals have impaired proprioception after stroke. Typically, these studies have identified proprioceptive impairments using a narrow range of reference movements. While this has been important for identifying the prevalence of proprioceptive impairments, it is unknown whether these error responses are consistent for a broad range of reference movements. The objective of this study was to characterize proprioceptive accuracy as function of movement speed and distance in stroke.
Methods
Stroke (N = 25) and controls (N = 21) completed a robotic proprioception test that varied movement speed and distance. Participants mirror-matched various reference movement speeds (0.1–0.4 m/s) and distances (7.5–17.5 cm). Spatial and temporal parameters known to quantify proprioception were used to determine group differences in proprioceptive accuracy, and whether patterns of proprioceptive error were consistent across testing conditions within and across groups.
Results
Overall, we found that stroke participants had impaired proprioception compared to controls. Proprioceptive errors related to tested reference movement scaled similarly to controls, but some errors showed amplified scaling (e.g., significantly overshooting or undershooting reference speed). Further, interaction effects were present for speed and distance reference combinations at the extremes of the testing distribution.
Conclusions
We found that stroke participants have impaired proprioception and that some proprioceptive errors were dependent on characteristics of the movement (e.g., speed) and that reference movements at the extremes of the testing distribution resulted in significantly larger proprioceptive errors for the stroke group. Understanding how sensory information is utilized across a broad spectrum of movements after stroke may aid design of rehabilitation programs.
Association between heavy metal exposure and the risk of developing type-2 diabetes in American adults: NHANES 2013-2018
Authors: Zhang Haimeng , Jing Cuiqi , Xu Xiaoyu , zhang Fan , Ren Jiajia , Xie Hong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Studies indicate a link between the presence of various heavy metals and the development of insulin resistance. We sought to evaluate the association between the levels of certain urinary metals, including barium, cadmium, lead, molybdenum, strontium, uranium, and others, with the incidence of diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes was assessed by retrieving and analyzing the health questionnaire for patients data from NHANES 2013 to 2018. We observed that urinary barium (β = 0.04 95% CI: 0.01, 0.1), urinary strontium (β = 0.04 95% CI: 0.01, 0.1) and urinary uranium (β=-0.02 95% CI: -0.04, 0.004) were positively correlated with the risk of developing diabetes. In addition, consistent trends were maintained in quantile regression models. After adjusting for covariates (sex, age, education level, race, BMI, income, and heavy metals) for the associations of urinary and blood heavy metals with the risk of developing diabetes (β = 0.03, 95% CI: -0.06, 0.11), urinary strontium (β = 0.00) and urinary uranium (β = 0.10, 95% CI: -0.22, 0.43) showed linear relationships with the risk of developing diabetes. The role of mixed heavy metal exposure was evaluated using weighted quantiles and a weighted quantile sum (WQS) model. According to the WQS analysis, a mixed exposure was substantially positively associated with the chance of acquiring diabetes (β = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03). Therefore, our research showed that there were positive correlations of strontium and uranium with the prevalence of diabetes, and strontium also had a substantial impact on mixed heavy metal exposure, which causes serious harm to the human body.
Validation of Baveno VII criteria for clinically significant portal hypertension by two-dimensional shear wave elastography
Authors: He Ruiling , Liu Chuan , Grgurevic Ivica , Guo Ying , Xu Huixiong , Liu Jiacheng , Liu Yunfang , Wang XiaoYan , Shi Hongmei , Madir Anita , Podrug Kristian , Zhu Yuli , Hua Yongli , Wang Kun , Wen Jing , Su Meiqin , Zhang Qun , Li Jie , Qi Xiaolong 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background: The Baveno VII consensus proposed criteria for the non-invasively diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD). The performance of Baveno VII criteria for assessing CSPH by two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) had not been well validated. We aimed to validate the performance of Baveno VII criteria for rule-in and rule-out CSPH by 2D-SWE.
Method: This is an international multicenter study including cACLD patients from China and Croatia with paired liver stiffness measurement (LSM), spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) by 2D-SWE, and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) were included. CSPH was defined as HVPG ≥ 10 mmHg.
Result: A total of 146 patients with cACLD were enrolled, and finally 118 patients were included in the analysis. Among them, CSPH was documented in 79 (66.9%) patients. Applying the Baveno VII criteria for rule-out CSPH by 2D-SWE, [LSM ≤ 15 kPa and platelet count ≥ 150×109/L] OR SSM < 21 kPa, could exclude CSPH with sensitivity > 90% (93.5% or 98.7%) but negative predictive value < 90% (74.1% or 85.7%). Using the Baveno VII criteria for rule-in CSPH by 2D-SWE, LSM ≥ 25 kPa OR SSM ≥ 50 kPa, could diagnose CSPH with 100% specificity and 100% positive predictive values.
Conclusion: Baveno VII criteria by 2D-SWE showed a good diagnostic performance for ruling in but not for ruling out CSPH, which might become an emerging non-invasive elastography tool to select the patients who needed non-selective beta blocker therapy.