bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis, treatment and long-term follow-up of neurocysticercosis complicated with hydrocephalus: a case report
Authors: Yu Xiujun , Li Man , Wang Liqing , Li Hui , Ma Liuchang , Meng Linghan , Li Yi , Tai Liwen , Zou Yueli , Liu Yue , Bu Hui , He Jun Ying , Liu Xiaopeng 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) presents a wide range of complex clinical manifestations and various complications, which depend on factors such as the number and size of cysticerci, developmental stage, brain location, and immune response.This study reports the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of a patient with neurocysticercosis complicated with hydrocephalus for up to two years.
Case presentation:
This study describes the clinical, radiological, and immunological features of a patient who initially presented with recurrent episodes of unconsciousness over five months. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was employed to identify the pathogen, and DNA from the pork tapeworm was detected in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid. Insecticidal treatment with praziquantel was administered, and upon readmission, secondary hypothyroidism was diagnosed, indicating the presence of hypopituitarism. Hormone treatment and thyroid hormone supplementation were initiated, resolving the patient's clinical symptoms and restoring thyroid function.
Conclusions
The manifestations of cerebral cysticercosis are diverse, underscoring the importance of accurate diagnosis and proactive intervention. Given the intricate and varied nature of these complications, extended follow-up emerges as a critical component. Such prolonged monitoring plays a pivotal role in determining the prognosis and enhancing the overall quality of life for affected individuals.
Commonalities in systemic inflammation, oxidative damage and neurocognition predict telomere length in type 2 diabetes mellitus and severe mental disorders
Authors: Tabarés-Seisdedos Rafael , Sánchez-Ortí Joan Vicent , Correa-Ghisays Patricia , Balanzá-Martínez Vicent , Saint-Gerons Diego Macías , Berenguer-Pascual Ester , Romá-Mateo Carlos , Víctor Víctor , Forés-Martos Jaume , San-Martin Constanza , Selva-Vera Gabriel 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Introduction: Epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and psychiatric disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that molecular pathways and neurocognitive performance regulate epigenetic dynamics in these disorders. The current prospective and transdiagnostic study investigated whether inflammatory, oxidative stress and adhesion molecule biomarkers and neurocognitive performance are significant predictors of telomere dynamics.
Methods: Peripheral blood inflammatory, oxidative stress and adhesion molecule biomarkers and neurocognitive function were assessed twice over a 1-year period in 80 individuals, including 16 with schizophrenia (SZ), 16 with bipolar disorder (BD), 16 with major depressive disorder (MDD), 15 with T2DM, and 17 healthy controls (HCs). A posteriori, individuals were classified based on their global methylation score (GMS) at baseline into two groups: the below-average methylation (BM) and above-average methylation (AM) groups. Hierarchical and k-means clustering methods, mixed one-way analysis of variance and linear regression analyses were performed.
Results: Overall, the BM group showed a significantly higher leukocyte telomere length (LTL) than the AM group at both time points (p < 0.05; η²p = 0.06). Moreover, the BM group had significantly lower levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP) than the AM group at the1-year follow-up (p < 0.05; η²p = 0.06). Across all participants, the regression models showed that inflammatory, oxidative stress and adhesion molecule biomarkers, together with neurocognitive performance, were significantly associated with LTL (p < 0.05). Moreover, the model predictive power was increased when tested in both groups separately, explaining 15.8% and 28.1% of the LTL variance at the 1-year follow-up for the AM and BM groups, respectively.
Conclusion: Heterogeneous DNA methylation in individuals with T2DM and severe mental disorders seems to support the hypothesis that epigenetic dysregulation occurs in a transdiagnostic manner. Our results elucidated the interplay between epigenetics, molecular processes and neurocognitive function in these disorders. DNA methylation and LTL are potential therapeutic targets for transdiagnostic interventions aimed at decreasing the risk of comorbidities.
Role of pterostilbene in the regulation of notch signaling pathway of pulmonary fibrosis; comprehensive bioinformatics analysis model and in vivo study
Authors: Peng Yanfang , Xu Xianqun , Zhang Yabin , Zhang Yingwen 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
BACKGROUND
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease caused by a variety of factors. To investigate the role of the Notch pathway in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and of pterostilbene in Notch pathway regulation employing systematic bioinformatic model followed by the analysis of pterostilbene role in alleviating the bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in rats.
METHODS
Bioinformatics analysis was performed to screen and analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to PF, and further narrowed to those associated with the Notch signaling pathway and explore the mechanism of Notch and related genes on the pathological process of PF involved in the differential gene expression in the human lung and pterostilbene interaction with relevant proteins. For further confirmation, we induced PF in mice using BLM. Moreover, the effect of pterostilbene on the proliferation phenotype of BLM-induced PF was probed employing qRT-PCR analysis.
RESULTS
Following a systematic bioinformatics analysis model followed by experimental validations, we observed that Notch was upregulated in IPF patients and induced mice. Moreover, the results revealed that pterostilbene had activated SOD1 in lung fibroblasts, which led to the inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway via the reduction of the ROS levels.
CONCLUSION
We demonstrated that Notch overexpression is a key factor in inducing PF. Interestingly, our observations showed that pterostilbene’s primary function on PF is to regulate the Notch signaling pathway via activation of SOD1, reducing the ROS levels.
A Two-Dimensional NMR Relaxometry Method for Pork Fat Quantification
Authors: Chen Ke , Xu Zhiyu , Liu Ziyi , Zhou Jun , Zhou Xinlong , Ni Zhonghua 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
An accurate method for non-destructive quantification of pork fat content was investigated using two-dimensional inversion-recovery Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (IR-CPMG) pulse sequences in time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR). Pork samples with varied fat contents were analyzed using CPMG, IR, and IR-CPMG sequences to map relaxation properties and distinguish fat and muscle signals, revealing better separation along the longitudinal (T1) axis. Prediction models showed IR-CPMG achieved the highest accuracy with coefficient of determination (R2) over 0.98. Validation against Soxhlet extraction resulted in R2 approximately 0.9894 agreement, confirming IR-CPMG matches the reference standard. Therefore, the proposed IR-CPMG TD-NMR technique provides a robust and precise solution for non-invasive pork fat content determination with potential for industrial quality control through its ability to resolve overlapping signals by jointly examining two-dimensional relaxation behavior, demonstrating continued NMR innovation can generate powerful analytical methods addressing important applications.
Sustainable Mini-Grid Model as an Alternative Energy Source for Deprived Communities in Ghana
Authors: Arthur Jones Lewis , Acquaye Peter , Arthur Sonny Davis , Nsiah-Gyabaah Kwasi 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The study focuses on strategies for mini-grid development in rural North Ghana, addressing the critical link between electricity access and overall development. It covers rural communities in the Drobonso District, Sekyere Afram Plains. The research, involving two communities with 156 participants, employs a cluster approach and SPSS analysis. The Ghanaian island communities' experience, reflecting wider sub-Saharan African contexts, underscores the potential of renewable energy resources like solar. However, research gaps persist in understanding the co-benefits and barriers to widespread renewable energy deployment in the region. The success of Ghanaian island communities reflects broader contexts, emphasizing the suitability of renewable energy solutions for rural electrification in SSA and contributing to sustainable development goals. Research gaps persist in understanding co-benefits and barriers to widespread renewable energy deployment. The study recommends increased resources for solar mini-grid implementation to address climate change and energy access challenges in the region.
The role of miR-21, miR-223, and CLDN8 detection in UC-associated colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Huiling , Xie Qi , Liu Xiaoli , Zhao Shaohua , Li Hui 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease that leads to UC-associated colorectal cancer (UC-CRC), causing high mortality. Understanding UC-CRC's molecular mechanisms is vital for early diagnosis and treatment. The sensitivity and specificity of traditional tumor markers such as CEA, CA199, and CA153 are poor, establishing the need for more sensitive detection markers. Here we describe the clinical application of miR-21 and miR-223 combined with CLDN8 as new UC-CRC biomarkers.
Methods
The expression of CLDN8, miR-21, and miR-223 were detected by immunohistochemistry and Q-PCR. The diagnostic values of miRNAs and CLDN8 were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve. The optimal specificity and sensitivity were according to the Youden index, (Youden index = Sensitivity + Specificity − 1). The diagnostic panels were constructed using a stepwise logistic regression model. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry.
Results
CLDN8 was downregulated in the tissues of UC-CRC, and the expression of miR-21 and miR-223 both in the serum and intestinal mucosa tissues of patients with UC-CRC was higher compared with that of the control group. miR-21 and miR-223 combined with CLDN8 as a molecular marker of UC-related CRC are superior to traditional tumor markers. Corresponding changes occurred in downstream signaling pathway proteins related to CLDN8 and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) after miR-21 and miR-223 transfection.
Conclusion
miR-21 and miR-223 can destroy tight junctions between intestinal epithelial cells by targeting CLDN8 and promoting the occurrence and development of UC-CRC through EMT. Therefore, the combination of serum miR-21 and miR-223 and tissue CLDN8 detection is expected to become a new biomarker for early diagnosis and prognostic monitoring of UC-CRC.
Human tendon-on-a-chip for modeling vascular inflammatory fibrosis
Authors: Awad Hani , Ajalik Raquel , Alenchery Rahul , Linares Isabelle , Wright Terry , Miller Benjamin , McGrath James 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Understanding vascular inflammation and myofibroblast crosstalk is critical to developing therapies for fibrotic diseases. Here we report the development of a novel human Tendon-on-a-Chip (hToC) to model this crosstalk in peritendinous adhesions, a debilitating fibrotic condition affecting flexor tendon, which currently lacks biological therapies. The hToC enables cellular and paracrine interactions between a vascular compartment harboring endothelial cells and monocytes with a tissue hydrogel compartment containing tendon fibroblasts and macrophages. We find that the hToC replicates in vivo inflammatory and fibrotic phenotypes in preclinical and clinical samples, including myofibroblast differentiation and tissue contraction, excessive ECM deposition, and inflammatory cytokines secretion. We further show that the fibrotic phenotypes are driven by the transmigration of monocytes from the vascular to the tissue compartments of the chip. We demonstrate significant overlap in fibrotic transcriptional signatures in the hToC with human tenolysis samples, including mTOR signaling, a regulatory nexus of fibrosis across various organs. Treatment with rapamycin suppressed the fibrotic phenotype on the hToC, which validates the hToC as a preclinical alternative for investigating fibrosis and testing therapeutics.
An inversion problem for optical spectrum data via physics-guided machine learning
Authors: hwang jungseek , Park Jun , Park Hwiwoo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
We propose the regularized recurrent inference machine (rRIM), a novel machine-learning approach to solve the challenging problem of deriving the pairing glue function from measured optical spectra. The rRIM incorporates physical principles into both training and inference and affords noise robustness, flexibility with out-of-distribution data, and reduced data requirements. It effectively obtains reliable pairing glue functions from experimental optical spectra and yields promising solutions for similar inverse problems of the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind.
PACS numbers: 74.25.Gz,74.20.Mn,74.25.-q
Application of a Bi-Directional Gated Recurrent Unit Combined with a Recurrent Neural Network Model Based on Fusion Attention Mechanism in Estimating Soil Salinity
Authors: Zhao Jiawei , Wang Huan , Zhang Lixin 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Soil salinization is an important limiting factor for agricultural and environmental sustainable development. To achieve rapid and accurate identification of soil salt content, a classification model called Attention-bidirectional gate recurrent unit recurrent neural network (Att-BiGRU-RNN) is designed, incorporating the fusion of attention mechanism. In the encoding and decoding modules of the model, BiGRU and RNN structures are used, enabling the extraction of deep spectral features by leveraging the correlation between spectral information in different bands of hyperspectral data. The attention mechanism is introduced to dynamically allocate weight information based on the differences in spectral information, thereby increasing the contribution of important spectral features to the classification model and improving the accuracy of the model. The research area is initially set in Dinge County, Shaanxi Province, China. Field spectroscopy measurements of 120 samples of original and air-dried soils are conducted using a ground-based spectrometer. Different mixed models for estimating soil salt content, including FDT-SVR, FDT-CNN, BiGRU-RNN, and Att-BiGRU-RNN, are constructed and validated and compared. The results show that compared to other models, the Att-BiGRU-RNN model optimized by the attention mechanism exhibits the highest prediction accuracy, with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.932 and root mean square error RMSE = 0.012. Additionally, the model's recall curve at different precision levels is obtained to meet the parameter selection requirements under different estimation demands. This method can effectively identify areas with high soil salt content or severe salinization based on portable hyperspectral sensors and unmanned aerial vehicle platforms, and statistically analyze the distribution of soil salt content.
Effect of Relaxation-Based Virtual Reality on Psychological and Physiological Stress of Substance Abusers under Detoxification: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Lotfinia Shahab , Yaseri Aram , Jamshidmofid Pardis , Nazari Fatemeh , Shahkaram Homa , Yaztappeh Jafar Sarani , Kianimoghadam Amir Sam 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Substance abuse is a widespread problem, with high rates of treatment dropout. Stress plays a crucial role in this problem, so innovative interventions with stressed patients can assist them in completing treatment. This study is a randomized controlled trial with 60 participants who have substance abuse disorder undergoing detoxification at a residency facility in Tehran, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: watching a 360-degree video of nature, a 360-degree video of a city environment, or no virtual experience. The intervention was performed only for one session. Psychological stress was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale and Perceived Stress Scale before and after the intervention. Physiological stress was assessed through respiratory rate, skin conductance, and heart rate recordings during the virtual reality experience. Data analysis was performed using R software (version 4.2). Paired t-test results indicated significant psychological differences before and after virtual nature experiences, but not in the control and city groups. The repeated measure ANOVA showed a significant reduction in skin conductance (p < 0.01) and respiratory rate (p < 0.01) scores in the nature group. The findings suggest that virtual reality relaxation could be potentially beneficial intervention for reducing stress in patients during detoxification.
Frailty Assessment Prior to Total Joint Arthroplasties Predicts Length of Hospitalization and Postoperative Discharge: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yu Benjamin , Huang Reiping , Tanenbaum JT , Etkin Caryn D. , Saif Areeba , Sweitzer Bobbie Jean , Stulberg Bernard N. , Stulberg S. David , Naqvi Syed Hassan Abbas , Stulberg Jonah J. 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background:Individuals age 65 and older account for 59% of total hip (THA) and total knee (TKA) arthroplasties. It is understood that this patient demographic is more frequently found to be frail, predisposing them to significantly poorer health outcomes. We developed a brief preoperative assessment tool to determine whether preoperative frailty predicts patients’ health care utilization following total joint arthroplasty (TJA).Methods:In a prospective cohort study, we conducted preoperative in-person frailty assessment for all orthopedic patients aged 65 years or older undergoing THA or TKA at a large academic center between April 2017 and September 2019. Frailty was defined based on the validated Fried Phenotype, examining patients across five domains: Shrinkage, Weakness, Exhaustion, Physical Activity and Slowness. We then examined risks of extended hospital stay and discharge to a facility amongst frail, pre-frail, and non-frail patients.Results:Of 1,373 TJA patients, 63 (4.6%) were frail, 402 (29.3%) were pre-frail, and 908 (66.1%) were non-frail. In univariate analysis, frail and pre-frail patients were found to have significantly higher resource utilization than their non-frail counterparts. Patients who underwent a revision procedure were more likely to have a facility discharge and an extended stay than those undergoing a primary procedure. THA patients had a higher risk of an extended stay than TKA patients but a similar risk for being discharge to a facility. Age was positively associated with discharge to a facility for age 71-75 years, as well as with an extended stay vs. 65-70 years. Adjusting for age, procedure type, and primary vs. revision surgery, the relative risk of being discharged to a facility (vs. home) was greater than two-fold for pre-frail patients, and nearly four-fold for frail patients compared to non-frail patients. Pre-frailty also increased patients’ risk of extended stay by 43%, while frailty doubled the risk compared to non-frail status.Conclusion:Frailty status clearly demonstrates an increased risk of resource utilization and represents a hidden risk in most orthopedic programs. Our preoperative frailty assessment tool proved to be useful for optimizing TJA patients, improving efficiency and optimizing care for our patients.
The impact of cognitive distraction on gustatory perception in volunteers with obesity
Authors: Ruda Iryna , Chellapandian Deepak Charles , Freiherr Jessica 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Obesity is a global health issue, the causes of which are complex and multifactorial, including biological, behavioral, socioeconomical and environmental. In our increasingly multitasking and technology-driven world, cognitive distraction while eating or making food-related decisions is a prevalent phenomenon. Yet, current knowledge on the neurocognitive mechanism behind distracted eating is limited and controversial. To address this blind spot in research, the study focuses on people affected by overweight and obesity, a group with a high prevalence worldwide. By examining both intensity and hedonic values of taste stimuli under distraction, the study takes a more comprehensive approach to understand how distraction affects human taste perception.
Methods
In this study involving 58 participants, two distinct groups were formed based on their weight status, lean and obese. These participants were engaged in a computer-controlled experiment during which they received various gustatory stimuli while simultaneously playing a Tetris game set at different difficulty levels, low or high. Their primary task was to provide ratings for both the intensity and pleasantness of gustatory stimuli. We employed linear mixed models to analyze distraction-related effects on these ratings. Additionally, the study gathered subjective reports of trial difficulty and physiological data, specifically electrodermal activity, to validate the experimental setup.
Results
The results of this study confirmed the anticipated outcomes: high levels of distraction had a diminishing effect on both the intensity and pleasantness perception of different tastes. Furthermore, these effects were found to be influenced by gender and weight status. Specifically, individuals classified as obese demonstrated more substantial changes in intensity perception due to distraction compared to their lean counterparts. It was also observed that taste sensitivity increased with increasing Body Mass Index (BMI) and interacted with gender, highlighting the complex interplay between these factors.
Conclusion
This study emphasizes that cognitive distraction during consumption affects perception of taste in terms of both decreased intensity and pleasantness, which may have implications for food choices and overall dietary habits. The significance of BMI status and gender as potential influencing factors is specifically stressed.
Tensor Network Representation and Entanglement Spreading in Many-Body Localized Systems: A Novel Approach
Authors: Gholami Zahra , Noorinejad Zahra , Amini Mohsen , Ghanbari-Adivi Ebrahim 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

A novel method has been devised to compute the Local Integrals ofMotion~(LIOMs) for a one-dimensional many-body localized system. Inthis approach, a class of optimal unitary transformations is deducedin a tensor-network formalism to diagonalize the Hamiltonian of thespecified system. To construct the tensor network, we utilize theeigenstates of the subsystems' Hamiltonian to attain the desiredunitary transformations. Subsequently, we optimize the eigenstatesand acquire appropriate unitary localized operators that willrepresent the LIOMs tensor network. The efficiency of the method wasassessed and found to be both fast and almost accurate. In frameworkof the introduced tensor-network representation, we examine how theentanglement spreads along the considered many-body localized systemand evaluate the outcomes of the approximations employed in thisapproach. The important and interesting result is that in theproposed tensor network approximation, if the length of the blocksis greater than the length of localization, then the entropy growthwill be linear in terms of the logarithmic time. Also, it has beendemonstrated that, the entanglement can be calculated by onlyconsidering two blocks next to each other, if the Hamiltonian hasbeen diagonalized using the unitary transformation made by theprovided tensor-network representation.