bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant and antidiabetic flavonoids from the leaves of Dypsis pembana (H.E.Moore) Beentje & J.Dransf., Arecaceae: in vitro and molecular docking studies
Authors: Abdelrahim Mohamed S. , Abdel-Baky Afaf M. , Bayoumi Soad A.L. , Backheet Enaam Y. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundOxidative stress and diabetes are medical conditions that have a growing prevalence worldwide, significantly impacting our bodies. Thus, it is essential to develop new natural antioxidant and antidiabetic agents.Dypsis pembana(H.E.Moore) Beentje & J.Dransf (DP) is an ornamental palm of the family Arecaceae. This study aimed to broaden the understanding of this plant’s biological properties by evaluating its in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic activities.MethodsThe in vitro antioxidant activities of the crude extract, fractions, and selected isolates were evaluated by DPPH method. While the in vitro antidiabetic activities of these samples were evaluated by assessing the degree of inhibition of α-glucosidase. Additionally, molecular docking analysis was performed to investigate the interactions of tested compounds with two potential targets, the cytochrome c peroxidase and alpha glucosidase.ResultsThe crude extract displayed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50of 11.56 µg/ml), whereas among the fractions, the EtOAc fraction was the most potent (IC50of 14.20 µg/ml). Among tested compounds, isoquercetrin (10) demonstrated the highest potency, with an IC50value of 3.30 µg/ml, followed by rutin (8) (IC50of 3.61 µg/ml). Regarding antidiabetic activity, the EtOAc (IC50of 60.4 µg/ml) and CH2Cl2fractions (IC50of 214.9 µg/ml) showed activity, while the other fractions did not demonstrate significant antidiabetic effects. Among tested compounds, kaempferol-3-O-neohesperidoside (9) showed the highest antidiabetic activity, with an IC50value of 18.38 µg/ml, followed by kaempferol (4) (IC50of 37.19 µg/ml). These experimental findings were further supported by molecular docking analysis, which revealed that isoquercetrin and kaempferol-3-O-neohesperidoside exhibited strong enzyme-binding affinities to the studied enzyme targets. This analysis provided insights into the structure-activity relationships among the investigated flavonol-O-glycosides.ConclusionThe biological and computational findings revealed that isoquercetrin and kaempferol-3-O-neohesperidoside have potential as lead compounds for inhibiting cytochrome c peroxidase and alpha glucosidase enzymes, respectively.
Dying at “home” - a qualitative study of end-of-life care in rural Northern Norway from the perspective of health care professionals
Authors: Ervik Bente , Dønnem Tom , Johansen May-Lill 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
‘Most patients want to die at home’ is a familiar statement in palliative care. The rate of home deaths is therefore often used as a success criterion. However, providing palliative care and enabling patients to die at home in rural and remote areas may be challenging due to limited health care resources and geographical factors. In this study we explored health care professionals’ experiences and reflections on providing palliative care to patients at the end of life in rural Northern Norway.

Methods
This is a qualitative focus group and interview study in rural Northern Norway including 52 health care professionals. Five uni-professional focus group discussions were followed by five interprofessional focus group discussions and six individual interviews. Transcripts were analysed thematically.

Results
Health care professionals did their utmost to fulfil patients’ wishes to die at home. They described pros and cons of providing palliative care in rural communities, especially their dual roles as health care professionals and neighbours, friends or even relatives of patients. Continuity and carers’ important contributions were underlined. When home death was considered difficult or impossible, nurses expressed a pragmatic attitude, and the concept of home was extended to include ‘home place’ in the form of local health care facilities.

Conclusions
Providing palliative care in patients’ homes is professionally and ethically challenging, and health care professionals’ dual roles in rural areas may lead to additional pressure. These factors need to be considered and addressed in discussions of the organization of care. Nurses’ pragmatic attitude when transfer to a local health care facility was necessary underlines the importance of building on local knowledge and collaboration. Systematic use of advance care planning may be one way of facilitating discussions between patients, family carers and health care professionals with the aim of achieving mutual understanding of what is feasible in a rural context.
Challenges and prospects of yeast-based microbial oil production within a biorefinery concept
Authors: Gallego-García María , Susmozas Ana , Negro María José , Moreno Antonio D. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBiodiesel, unlike to its fossil-based homologue (diesel), is renewable. Its use contributes to greater sustainability in the energy sector, mainly by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Current biodiesel production relies on plant- and animal-related feedstocks, resulting in high final costs to the prices of those raw materials. In addition, the production of those materials competes for arable land and has provoked a heated debate involving their use food vs. fuel. As an alternative, single-cell oils (SCOs) obtained from oleaginous microorganisms are attractive sources as a biofuel precursor due to their high lipid content, and composition similar to vegetable oils and animal fats. To make SCOs competitive from an economic point of view, the use of readily available low-cost substrates becomes essential. This work reviews the most recent advances in microbial oil production from non-synthetic sugar-rich media, particularly sugars from lignocellulosic wastes, highlighting the main challenges and prospects for deploying this technology fully in the framework of a Biorefinery concept.
BMP signaling in cancer stemness and differentiation
Authors: Zhou Wei , Yan Kun , Xi Qiaoran 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe BMP (Bone morphogenetic protein) signaling pathway plays a central role in metazoan biology, intricately shaping embryonic development, maintaining tissue homeostasis, and influencing disease progression. In the context of cancer, BMP signaling exhibits context-dependent dynamics, spanning from tumor suppression to promotion. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a modest subset of neoplastic cells with stem-like attributes, exert substantial influence by steering tumor growth, orchestrating therapy resistance, and contributing to relapse. A comprehensive grasp of the intricate interplay between CSCs and their microenvironment is pivotal for effective therapeutic strategies. Among the web of signaling pathways orchestrating cellular dynamics within CSCs, BMP signaling emerges as a vital conductor, overseeing CSC self-renewal, differentiation dynamics, and the intricate symphony within the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, BMP signaling’s influence in cancer extends beyond CSCs, intricately regulating cellular migration, invasion, and metastasis. This multifaceted role underscores the imperative of comprehending BMP signaling’s contributions to cancer, serving as the foundation for crafting precise therapies to navigate multifaceted challenges posed not only by CSCs but also by various dimensions of cancer progression. This article succinctly encapsulates the diverse roles of the BMP signaling pathway across different cancers, spanning glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), colorectal cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), lung cancer, prostate cancer, and osteosarcoma. It underscores the necessity of unraveling underlying mechanisms and molecular interactions. By delving into the intricate tapestry of BMP signaling’s engagement in cancers, researchers pave the way for meticulously tailored therapies, adroitly leveraging its dualistic aspects—whether as a suppressor or promoter—to effectively counter the relentless march of tumor progression.
Low HDL-C can be a biomarker to predict persistent severe AKI in septic patients? A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jiang Wei , Song Lin , Gong Weilei , Zhang Yaosheng , Shi Kerang , Liao Ting , Zhang Chuanqing , Yu Jiangquan , Zheng Ruiqiang 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Purposes
Low HDL-C is associated with an increased risk of sepsis-associated AKI and subsequent decline in eGFR. HDL-C possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and endothelial repair-promoting properties. The use of Apo A-I mimetic peptides, which are the main structural components of HDL-C, has been shown to improve renal function in animal models of sepsis. However, the diagnostic value of low HDL-C in persistent sepsis-associated AKI remains unclear.

Methods
This is a retrospective cohort study based on MIMIC IV (V 2.2). The study population consisted of all adult septic patients admitted to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Intensive Care Unit from 2008 to 2019, with plasma HDL-C measured within 24 h of ICU admission. The primary endpoint was persistent severe sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) and the secondary endpoint is kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Logistic regression was used to assess the correlation between HDL-C and persistent severe SA-AKI and KRT, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate predictive ability.

Results
A total of 604 cases of SA-AKI patients were included in the analysis, among which 88 cases (14.5%) experienced persistent severe SA-AKI. The median (IQR) HDL-C level in the group with persistent severe SA-AKI was lower (33.0 [24.0–45.5]) compared to the non-persistent severe SA-AKI group (42.0 [31.0–53.0]). However, HDL-C showed poor discriminatory ability with an AUROC [95%CI] of 0.62 [0.56–0.69]. Clinical prediction models based on serum creatinine concentration, 24-h creatinine change, APSIIIscore, lactate levels, APTT, and heart rate performed well in predicting persistent severe SA-AKI with an AUROC [95%CI] of 0.876 [0.84–0.91]. However, adding HDL-C to this model did not improve predictive performance.

Conclusions
The plasma HDL-C measured within 24 h after admission to the ICU does not provide a good prediction for persistent severe SA-AKI, and it does not improve the clinical predictive ability compared to conventional variables.
An integrative evaluation of circadian gene TIMELESS as a pan-cancer immunological and predictive biomarker
Authors: Yang Yaocheng , Tang Xianzhe , Lin Zhengjun , Zheng Tao , Zhang Sheng , Liu Tang , Yang Xiaolun 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The gene TIMELESS, which is involved in the circadian clock and the cell cycle, has recently been linked to various human cancers. Nevertheless, the association between TIMELESS expression and the prognosis of individuals afflicted with pan-cancer remains largely unknown.

Objectives
The present study aims to exhaustively scrutinize the expression patterns, functional attributes, prognostic implications, and immunological contributions of TIMELESS across diverse types of human cancer.

Methods
The expression of TIMELESS in normal and malignant tissues was examined, as well as their clinicopathologic and survival data. The characteristics of genetic alteration and molecular subtypes of cancers were also investigated. In addition, the relationship of TIMELESS with immune infiltration, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and drug sensitivity was illustrated. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to validate the expression of TIMELESS in clinical patients with several types of cancer.

Results
In contrast to the matching normal controls, most tumor types were found to often overexpress TIMELESS. Abnormal expression of TIMELESS was significantly related to more advanced tumor stage and poorer prognosis of breast cancer, as well as infiltrating immune cells such as cancer-associated fibroblast infiltration in various tumors. Multiple cancer types exhibited abnormal expression of TIMELESS, which was also highly correlated with MSI and TMB. More crucially, TIMELESS showed promise in predicting the effectiveness of immunotherapy and medication sensitivity in cancer therapy. Moreover, cell cycle, DNA replication, circadian rhythm, and mismatch repair were involved in the functional mechanisms of TIMELESS on carcinogenesis. Furthermore, immunohistochemical results manifested that the TIMELESS expression was abnormal in some cancers.

Conclusions
This study provides new insights into the link between the circadian gene TIMELESS and the development of various malignant tumors. The findings suggest that TIMELESS could be a prospective prognostic and immunological biomarker for pan-cancer.
Defining hip cartilage repair: a modified delphi study to establish the Magnetic Resonance Evaluation of the Repair of Cartilage in the Hip (MERCH) score
Authors:   The Magnetic Resonance Evaluation of the Repair of Cartilage in the Hip (MERCH) Investigators and The Canadian Hip Preservation Research Collaborative (CHIPR), Ayeni Olufemi R. 
Published: December 2023

AbstractPurposeTo develop a standardized scoring system to evaluate pre‐ to post‐operative repair or reconstruction of hip cartilage using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsA two‐phase modified Delphi study was conducted. Phase 1 involved a survey with suggested criteria and diagrams to define various stages of articular cartilage repair and phase 2 involved an expert consensus meeting that discussed the survey responses and voted on final scoring criteria. The survey was emailed to members of the Canadian Hip Preservation Research Collaborative (CHIPR) and respondents included both board certified orthopedic surgeons as well as musculoskeletal radiologists.ResultsOverall, there were 17 survey respondents from Canada and most (47%, 8/17) participants agreed that the minimum MRI protocol needed to evaluate cartilage repair was a 3.0 T MRI and 94% (17/18) agreed that the minimum time post‐operatively that they felt they would be able to accurately evaluate cartilage repair on an MRI was 12 months. Following phases 1 and 2, the final Magnetic Resonance Evaluation of the Repair of Cartilage in the Hip (MERCH) score was developed with 7 domains, 3 criteria per domain: 1) volume fill of cartilage defect, 2) integration into adjacent cartilage, 3) surface of the repair tissue, 4) structure of the repair tissue, 5) bony overgrowth, 6) subchondral changes, and 7) delamination. The score ranges from 60 (optimal) to ‐20 points (worst/none).ConclusionsThis consensus project established a new MRI scoring system to evaluate post‐operative cartilage restoration of the hip. The implementation of the MERCH score is essential in our ability to guide patient management and expectations in a rapidly evolving field and will help with standardizing our evaluation of cartilage repair in future research trials.Level of EvidenceLevel II Diagnostic.
Optimisation of the air fraction correction for lung PET/CT: addressing resolution mismatch
Authors: Leek Francesca , Anderson Cameron , Robinson Andrew P. , Moss Robert M. , Porter Joanna C. , Garthwaite Helen S. , Groves Ashley M. , Hutton Brian F. , Thielemans Kris 
Published: December 2023

AbstractBackgroundIncreased pulmonary$$^{18}{}$$18F-FDG metabolism in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and other forms of diffuse parenchymal lung disease, can predict measurements of health and lung physiology. To improve PET quantification, voxel-wise air fractions (AF) determined from CT can be used to correct for variable air content in lung PET/CT. However, resolution mismatches between PET and CT can cause artefacts in the AF-corrected image.MethodsThree methodologies for determining the optimal kernel to smooth the CT are compared with noiseless simulations and non-TOF MLEM reconstructions of a patient-realistic digital phantom: (i) the point source insertion-and-subtraction method,$$h_{pts}$$hpts; (ii) AF-correcting with varyingly smoothed CT to achieve the lowest RMSE with respect to the ground truth (GT) AF-corrected volume of interest (VOI),$$h_{AFC}$$hAFC; iii) smoothing the GT image to match the reconstruction within the VOI,$$h_{PVC}$$hPVC. The methods were evaluated both using VOI-specific kernels, and a single global kernel optimised for the six VOIs combined. Furthermore,$$h_{PVC}$$hPVCwas implemented on thorax phantom data measured on two clinical PET/CT scanners with various reconstruction protocols.ResultsThe simulations demonstrated that at$$<200$$<200iterations (200 i), the kernel width was dependent on iteration number and VOI position in the lung. The$$h_{pts}$$hptsmethod estimated a lower, more uniform, kernel width in all parts of the lung investigated. However, all three methods resulted in approximately equivalent AF-corrected VOI RMSEs (<10%) at$$\ge$$≥200i. The insensitivity of AF-corrected quantification to kernel width suggests that a single global kernel could be used. For all three methodologies, the computed global kernel resulted in an AF-corrected lung RMSE <10% at$$\ge$$≥200i, while larger lung RMSEs were observed for the VOI–specific kernels. The global kernel approach was then employed with the$$h_{PVC}$$hPVCmethod on measured data. The optimally smoothed GT emission matched the reconstructed image well, both within the VOI and the lung background. VOI RMSE was <10%, pre-AFC, for all reconstructions investigated.ConclusionsSimulations for non-TOF PET indicated that around 200i were needed to approach image resolution stability in the lung. In addition, at this iteration number, a single global kernel, determined from several VOIs, for AFC, performed well over the whole lung. The$$h_{PVC}$$hPVCmethod has the potential to be used to determine the kernel for AFC from scans of phantoms on clinical scanners.
Repeated exposure of wheat to the fungal root pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana modulates rhizosphere microbiome assembly and disease suppressiveness
Authors: Costa Lilian S. Abreu Soares , de Faria Mírian Rabelo , Chiaramonte Josiane Barros , Mendes Lucas W. , Sepo Edis , de Hollander Mattias , Fernandes José Maurício Cunha , Carrión Víctor J. , Bettiol Wagner , Mauchline Tim H. , Raaijmakers Jos M. , Mendes Rodrigo 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Disease suppressiveness of soils to fungal root pathogens is typically induced in the field by repeated infections of the host plant and concomitant changes in the taxonomic composition and functional traits of the rhizosphere microbiome. Here, we studied this remarkable phenomenon for Bipolaris sorokiniana in two wheat cultivars differing in resistance to this fungal root pathogen.

Results
The results showed that repeated exposure of the susceptible wheat cultivar to the pathogen led to a significant reduction in disease severity after five successive growth cycles. Surprisingly, the resistant wheat cultivar, initially included as a control, showed the opposite pattern with an increase in disease severity after repeated pathogen exposure. Amplicon analyses revealed that the bacterial families Chitinophagaceae, Anaerolineaceae and Nitrosomonadaceae were associated with disease suppressiveness in the susceptible wheat cultivar; disease suppressiveness in the resistant wheat cultivar was also associated with Chitinophagaceae and a higher abundance of Comamonadaceae. Metagenome analysis led to the selection of 604 Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs), out of a total of 2,571 identified by AntiSMASH analysis, that were overrepresented when the soil entered the disease suppressive state. These BGCs are involved in the biosynthesis of terpenes, non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, aryl polyenes and post-translationally modified peptides.

Conclusion
Combining taxonomic and functional profiling we identified key changes in the rhizosphere microbiome during disease suppression. This illustrates how the host plant relies on the rhizosphere microbiome as the first line of defense to fight soil-borne pathogens. Microbial taxa and functions identified here can be used in novel strategies to control soil-borne fungal pathogens.
Comparative analysis of Hmx expression and the distribution of neuronal somata in the trigeminal ganglion in lamprey and shark: insights into the homology of the trigeminal nerve branches and the evolutionary origin of the vertebrate jaw
Authors: Tamura Motoki , Ishikawa Ryota , Nakanishi Yuki , Pascual-Anaya Juan , Fukui Makiko , Saitou Takashi , Sugahara Fumiaki , Rijli Filippo M. , Kuratani Shigeru , Suzuki Daichi G. , Murakami Yasunori 
Published: December 2023

AbstractThe evolutionary origin of the jaw remains one of the most enigmatic events in vertebrate evolution. The trigeminal nerve is a key component for understanding jaw evolution, as it plays a crucial role as a sensorimotor interface for the effective manipulation of the jaw. This nerve is also found in the lamprey, an extant jawless vertebrate. The trigeminal nerve has three major branches in both the lamprey and jawed vertebrates. Although each of these branches was classically thought to be homologous between these two taxa, this homology is now in doubt. In the present study, we compared expression patterns of Hmx, a candidate genetic marker of the mandibular nerve (rV3, the third branch of the trigeminal nerve in jawed vertebrates), and the distribution of neuronal somata of trigeminal nerve branches in the trigeminal ganglion in lamprey and shark. We first confirmed the conserved expression pattern of Hmx1 in the shark rV3 neuronal somata, which are distributed in the caudal part of the trigeminal ganglion. By contrast, lamprey Hmx genes showed peculiar expression patterns, with expression in the ventrocaudal part of the trigeminal ganglion similar to Hmx1 expression in jawed vertebrates, which labeled the neuronal somata of the second branch. Based on these results, we propose two alternative hypotheses regarding the homology of the trigeminal nerve branches, providing new insights into the evolutionary origin of the vertebrate jaw.
Predictive underestimation of difficult direct laryngoscopy in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis-associated immobilized craniocervical junction
Authors: Matsuyama Hirotaka , Hara Masato , Seto Atsushi , Hiraki Teruyuki 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
The upper cervical spine is a major focus of damage by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Specific screening for mobility of the upper cervical spine, which is essential for direct laryngoscopy, is lacking. Herein, we present a case of RA with Cormack-Lehane grade IV, which was not predicted by preoperative examination.

Case presentation
A 66-year-old woman with RA was scheduled for a right total knee arthroplasty and right elbow synovectomy. She had a long history of RA without symptoms related to the cervical spine or spinal cord. Although physical examination suggested moderate risk of difficult intubation with preserved cervical retroflexion, her Cormack-Lehane classification was grade IV under muscle relaxation. Bony integration of the occiput to axis was considered to be the main cause of difficult direct laryngoscopy, and restricted neck rotation was found postoperatively.

Conclusions
RA patients may have limited upper cervical spine motion despite normal cervical retroflexion.