bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incidence and Clinical Characteristics of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in Patients with Endocrinopathy
Authors: Hwang Sunghyun , Lee Yun Jeong , Song Mi Hyun , Cho Tae-Joon , Choi In Ho , Shin Chang Ho 
Published: December 2023

Background:
Endocrinopathy is a risk factor for slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). We aimed to determine (1) the incidence of endocrinopathy-associated SCFE compared with that of non-endocrinopathy-associated SCFE, (2) whether the incidence of SCFE increases with the number of deficient hormones, and (3) the clinical characteristics of endocrinopathy-associated SCFE.

Methods:
We conducted a population-based cohort study using a nationwide database in South Korea. All new diagnoses of endocrinopathy or SCFE between 2002 and 2019 in children born between 2002 and 2005 were identified. The incidence of SCFE was calculated for each type of endocrinopathy. The trend of the incidence of SCFE relative to the number of deficient hormones was analyzed. The male:female ratio was compared between endocrinopathy-associated SCFE and non-endocrinopathy-associated SCFE. For endocrinopathy-associated SCFE, the time between the diagnoses of SCFE and endocrinopathy was evaluated.

Results:
The incidence of SCFE was higher in children with endocrinopathy than in those without endocrinopathy (37.1/100,000 versus 9.0/100,000 children) (relative risk, 4.1 [95% confidence interval, 2.8-6.1]). Among various endocrinopathies, growth hormone deficiency showed the highest incidence of SCFE (583.8/100,000 children). The Cochran-Armitage test showed a linear trend, with an increased number of deficient hormones being associated with a higher incidence of SCFE (p < 0.001). Male sex was dominant in the non-endocrinopathy-associated SCFE group (73%; 117 of 161), whereas female sex was dominant in the endocrinopathy-associated SCFE group (53%; 16 of 30) (p = 0.009). Twenty-two of the 30 cases of endocrinopathy-associated SCFE were diagnosed after the diagnosis of endocrinopathy, with a median time of 3.6 years between the diagnoses. Six (27%) of these 22 children developed SCFE >5 years after the diagnosis of endocrinopathy.

Conclusions:
The incidence of SCFE was approximately 4 times higher in children with endocrinopathy than in those without endocrinopathy. The risk of SCFE increased with an increased number of deficient hormones. Long-term monitoring of SCFE occurrence in children with endocrinopathies is strongly recommended.

Level of Evidence:
Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Mitigating Fracture of the Acromion and Scapular Spine After Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty
Authors: Buchanan Timothy R. , Bindi Victoria E. , Caban-Klepac Ettienne , Hones Keegan M. , Wright Thomas W. , Schoch Bradley S. , King Joseph J. , Hao Kevin A. 
Published: December 2023

» Biomechanical studies report that thin scapular spine (SS) morphology, superiorly placed glenoid components, and increased glenoid baseplate screws contribute to increased acromial and SS strain and may increase fracture risk.
» Clinical risk factors of acromial and SS fractures after reverse shoulder arthroplasty include increasing age, female sex, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, thin midsubstance acromion morphology, previous acromioplasty, and surgical indication of cuff tear arthropathy.
» Clinical studies show that, in isolation, excessive humeral lengthening, humeral lateralization, and glenoid medialization may increase risk of acromial and SS fractures.
» Biomechanical studies suggest that a combination of glenoid medialization and humeral lateralization (MG/LH) may reduce fracture risk, although this requires clinical correlation.
» Surgeons might reduce fracture risk in patients of high-risk groups by guarding against excessively lengthening the humerus, using a MG/LH prosthesis, and targeting screws to avoid the scapular notch and base of the SS.

Level of Evidence:

Level V. Narrative Review. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Investigating intention in non-human animals. Part I. States of art and non-art
Authors: Dauphiné-Morer Anne-Lise , Zenasni Franck , Boissy Alain , Mambrini-Doudet Muriel 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Is the analytical framework used by ethologists sufficient to study the mental states of non-human animals (NHAs) at the appropriate level of complexity? To address this question our strategy was to i) reveal the experimental and analytic habits of scientists of different disciplines in the literature, and ii) use "intention" as a vector in an interdisciplinary prospect of the study of NHAs mental states. Our own intention was to outline the specific orientations and possible impasses of the ethological analytical framework which limits the consideration of NHAs intentions. We conducted a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature published between 2016 and 2020 in two steps: 1. through a first corpus, we identified the terms used in studies of NHAs intentions and 2. on this basis, 111 articles related to intentions in NHAs were selected. By analysing them using a co-occurrences network of the authors’ keywords, ten scientific approaches to intention in NHAs were identified. Our main findings are that i) the term « intention » is very seldom used in studies of NHAs; ii) approaches developed in humans are rarely transposed in these studies; and iii) in such few studies, it is not the NHAs intentions which are under question, but the link between NHAs and human intentions. This study highlights the limitations of the current theoretical framework used to study non-human animals’ cognition, which does not allow for the full spectrum of non-human cognitive specificities.
The association between polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and bronchial asthma in children: a meta-analysis
Authors: Ke Haiyan , Hu Jian , Su Xiaoyan 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background: The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene encodes the folate cycle enzyme involved in folate metabolism. Several studies have revealed the effects of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in child asthma, but the results were inconsistent.
Objective: We intends to systematically evaluate the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and child asthma in the existing studies.
Methods: We performed a comprehensive and systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI database, and six studies were finally included in this meta-analysis to determine whether MTHFR C677T variant contributed to the risk of asthma in children.
Results: Pooled data indicated that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism significantly increased asthma risk in children by the random-effects model (odds ratio (OR) = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33–3.19). In the subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, increased risk was found in Asians (OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.39–3.62).
Conclusion: Our meta-analysis demonstrated a definite correlation between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and asthma risk in children.
Understanding the role of Pax5 in development of taxane-resistant neuroendocrine like prostate cancers
Authors: Dutta Samikshan , Bhattacharya Sreyashi , Harris Hanna , Islam Ridwan , Bodas Sanika , Polavaram Navatha , Mishra Juhi , Das Dipanwita , Seshacharyulu Parthasarathy , Kalluchi Achyuth , Pal Anirban , Kohli Manish , Lele Subodh , Muders Michael , Batra Surinder , Ghosh Paramita , Datta Kaustubh , Rowley Michael 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Resistance to the current Androgen Receptor Signaling Inhibitor (ARSI) therapies has led to higher incidences of therapy-induced neuroendocrine-like prostate cancer (t-NEPC). This highly aggressive subtype with predominant small cell-like characteristics is resistant to taxane chemotherapies and has a dismal overall survival. t-NEPCs are mostly treated with platinum-based drugs with a combination of etoposide or taxane and have less selectivity and high systemic toxicity, which often limit their clinical potential. During t-NEPC transformation, adenocarcinomas lose their luminal features and adopt neuro-basal characteristics. Whether the adaptive neuronal characteristics of t-NEPC are responsible for such taxane resistance remains unknown. Pathway analysis from patient gene-expression databases indicates that t-NEPC upregulates various neuronal pathways associated with enhanced cellular networks. To identify transcription factor(s) (TF) that could be important for promoting the gene expression for neuronal characters in t-NEPC, we performed ATAC-Seq, acetylated-histone ChIP-seq, and RNA-seq in our NE-like cell line models and analyzed the promoters of transcriptionally active and significantly enriched neuroendocrine-like (NE-like) cancer-specific genes. Our results indicate that Pax5 could be an important transcription factor for neuronal gene expression and specific to t-NEPC. Pathway analysis revealed that Pax5 expression is involved in axonal guidance, neurotransmitter regulation, and neuronal adhesion, which are critical for strong cellular communications. Further results suggest that depletion of Pax5 disrupts cellular interaction in NE-like cells and reduces surface growth factor receptor activation, thereby, sensitizing them to taxane therapies. Moreover, t-NEPC specific hydroxymethylation of Pax5 promoter CpG islands favors Pbx1 binding to induce Pax5 expression. Based on our study, we concluded that continuous exposure to ARSI therapies leads to epigenetic modifications and Pax5 activation in t-NEPC, which promotes the expression of genes necessary to adopt taxane-resistant NE-like cancer. Thus, targeting the Pax5 axis can be beneficial for reverting their taxane sensitivity.
Deep learning genome-wide genetics through biregular sparse decoder layer: deriving new disease genetic associations and disease risk predictions
Authors: Gustafsson Mika , Dwivedi Sanjiv , Hellberg Sandra , Padyukov Leonid , Jornsten Rebecka 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Genomic biobanks provide valuable resources for studying how genetic variation affects phenotypic differences and disease
susceptibility, driving advancements in human health. While unsupervised deep learning frameworks like autoencoders have
gained attention in other omics domains with fewer features, the computational complexity of genetic data has hindered their
application. To overcome this challenge, we propose a sparse biregular decoder layer for deep genetic autoencoders. This
layer significantly reduces the computational burden by using parameters at the scale of output nodes rather than multiplying
output and input nodes, as in a fully-connected layer. We trained the genetic autoencoders efficiently by storing and computing data in the internal memory, both independently for each chromosome and collectively for all autosomal chromosomes, creating a trans-chromosomal autoencoder. This approach enabled the discovery of modular associations at the gene level in the
interactome and facilitated the prediction of disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that yielded additional
highly significant variants to pairwise linkage disequilibrium score. Furthermore, we demonstrated the effectiveness of deep
autoencoders in enhancing the prediction performance for patients’ genetic risk scores by incorporating their embeddings into a LASSO model. This improvement was replicated in independent multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort datasets, highlighting the potential of deep autoencoders in personalized medicine.
Community perceptions of incentives for minimally-invasive autopsy in Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) in Western Kenya: A qualitative study
Authors: Ochola Kennedy Omondi , Ngere Sarah Hawi , Otieno Peter , Agaya Janet , Onyango Dickens , Akelo Victor , Omore Richard , Barr Beth A Tippett 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Background
Incentives play an important role in improving research participation, and establishing ethically acceptable incentives is essential to preserving research integrity. The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project uses minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS) to ascertain the cause of death in children under five. Community beliefs about death and research with the dead necessitated a formative study on community perceptions about CHAMPS. Here we describe community perceptions about CHAMPS incentives, which include transportation of the body to place of burial, a US$40 contribution towards funeral expenses, and payment of the mortuary bill.
Methods
CHAMPS Kenya conducted a qualitative study of 88 community members between April 2017 and February 2018 using purposive sampling in an informal urban settlement in Kisumu County and in a rural Siaya county. Key informant interviews (n=29), semi-structured interviews (n=11), and focus group discussions (n=5) were conducted with community members, leaders, healthcare workers and caregivers. Respondents provided verbal consent, and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data management was completed on Nvivo 11, and analysis iterative, involving identification and collation of themes.
Results
Our study findings reveal positive perceptions towards study incentives because people believed that they were appropriate to the cultural context and well aligned to burial-related practices. Some expressed preference for non-monetary forms of incentives as monetary incentives is perceived as ‘selling’ of the body for research, and others felt that knowing and understanding the child’s cause of death should be enough motivation to participate. Respondents stated that the educational status of the participating family would influence their perception of study incentives; better-educated parents were believed to be less suspicious and view the incentives positively. However, some respondents believed that research incentives could raise suspicion among community members about the true intention of the research.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that CHAMPS has achieved a positive balance of both cultural and financial value with the study incentives provided in the Kenya site. Increased community sensitization is needed to address negative perceptions that may be associated with research incentives.
Diversity of Plant Pollen Sources, Microbial communities and Phenolic compounds present in Bee pollen and Bee bread
Authors: Iorizzo Massimo , Albanese Gianluca , Letizia Francesco , Testa Bruno , Criscio Dalila Di , Petrarca Sonia , Martino Catello Di , Ganassi Sonia , Avino Pasquale , Pannella Gianfranco , Aturki Zeineb , Tedino Cosimo , De Cristofaro Antonio 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The pollination of several crops, as well as wild plants, depends on honeybees. To get the nutrients required for growth and survival, honeybee colonies are dependent on pollen supply. Bee pollen (BP) is partially packed in honeycomb cells, and processed into beebread (BB) by microbial metabolism. The composition of pollen is highly variable and is mainly dependent on ecological habitat, geographical origin, honey plants, climatic conditions, and seasonal variations. Although there are important differences between the BP and the BB, little comparative chemical and microbiological data on this topic exists in the literature, particularly for samples with the same origin. In this study, BP and BB pollen samples were collected from two apiaries located in Campania and Molise regions of southern Italy. Phenolic profiles were detected via HPLC, while antioxidant activity was determined by ABTS assay. The Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) based on RNA analysis of 16S (rRNA), and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS2) regions was used to investigate the microbial community (bacteria and fungi) and botanical origin of the BP and BB. Chemical analysis showed a higher content of flavonols in BP (rutin, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol), while in BB there was a higher content of phenolic acids. The NGS analysis revealed that the microbial communities and pollen sources are dependent on the geographical location of apiaries. In addition, a diversity was highlighted between the microbial communities present in the BP and BB samples collected from each apiary.
Comparison of in vitro release profile of betaine from a multi-layered and single-layered electrospun structure based on Plantago ovata seed gum under the simulated digestive system
Authors: Abdollahzadeh Zahra , Honarvar Masoud , Ghavami Mehrdad 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
This study aimed to extract aspartic acid from sugar beet molasses using the cloud point method and encapsulate it in the structure of electrospun fast-dissolving poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Plantago ovata (P. ovata) seed gum fibers as the central layer of the sandwich structure. The outer layers of the sandwich structure were designed with corn zein electrospun fibers. The field emission scanning electron microscopy showed that the concentration of 35% w/v zein in 70% v/v ethanol provides uniform electrospun fibers for use as a delayed hydrophobic layer in a sandwich structure. The contact angle of the sandwich structure (92.45°) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the contact angle of electrospun mats of PVA/P. ovata seed gum containing 10% w/v sugar beet molasses betaine (53.5°). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the encapsulation process was successful. The use of a sandwich layer compared to the electrospun single-layer structure of PVA/P. ovata seed gum led to an increase in the thermal stability of betaine. In vitro release modeling showed that for all the structures of the Peppas-Sahlin model, it was the best model to describe the release behavior, and the Fickian diffusion mechanism was the dominant effective mechanism in betaine release.
NAT10 promotes chemoresistance of melanoma through regulating N4-acetylcytidine modification of DDX41 and ZNF746 mRNA
Authors: Liang Zuohui , Zeng Yuefen , Wang Li , Zhang Ying , Zhu Yun , Xu Shuangyan , Hao Yinglu , Zhao Haifeng 
Published: December 2023

Abstract
Background
Rapidly developed chemoresistance to dacarbazine (DTIC) is one of the major obstacles in management of melanoma in the clinic, however, roles and mechanism of epi-transcriptomic RNA modification in this process have not been investigated.
Method
We established DTIC-resistant (DR) melanoma cells for bulk RNA-sequencing, expressions of mRNAs was detected using qRT-PCR, and protein levels were determined using Western Blotting and Immunohistochemistry. Acetylated RNAs was detected by dot blotting and immunoprecipitation sequencing (acRIP-seq). A lung metastasis mouse model of melanoma was established to evaluate the anti-melanoma effects in vivo.
Results
We identified the expression of N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10), a catalytic enzyme for the N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification of RNA, was significant upregulated in the DR cells. Clinically, NAT10 expression was elevated in disease progression samples and predicted a poor outcome. Using ac4C RNA immunoprecipitation (ac4c-RIP), we found mRNA of two C2H2 zinc finger transcriptional factors, DDX41and ZNF746, were targets of NAT10-mediated ac4C modification. Gain- and loss-of-functions either in NAT10, or in DDX41 and ZNF746, could alter chemosensitivity of melanoma accordingly, and the two target genes also negatively correlated with clinical outcomes. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of NAT10 with Remodelin sensitized melanoma cells to DTIC treatment in vitro and in a mouse xenograft model.
Conclusion
Our study elucidates previously unrecognized role of NAT10-mediated ac4c-modification in the chemoresistance of melanoma, and provides a rationale for developing new strategies to overcome chemoresistance of melanoma patients.
Determination of kilovoltage x-ray therapy depth doses with open-ended applicators
Authors: Perkins Anne , Healy Brendan , Coldrey Ben 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to determine percentage depth dose (PDD) curves for kilovoltage x-rays from the WOmed-T105 unit, with open-ended steel applicators and beam qualities ranging from 0.5 to 4.2 mm Al. Measurements were made with parallel plate chambers in a water phantom, with extrapolation based on a fifth order polynomial used to estimate the surface dose. Measurements were also made with parallel plate chambers in a plastic water phantom, with thin plastic sheets used to obtain detailed measurements at shallow depths (less than 1 mm). Monte Carlo simulations were performed using the EGSnrc package, with two different sources as input: a SpekPy simulation of the x-ray beam and a full simulation of the x-ray tube, treatment head and applicators. Results showed that all four methods (two measurements and two simulations) agreed within the measurement uncertainty at depths greater than 2 mm. At shallow depths, significant differences were noted. At depths less than 0.1 mm, the full Monte Carlo simulation and the solid water measurements showed a sharp spike in surface dose which is attributed to electron contamination, which was not seen in the SpekPy Monte Carlo simulation or the extrapolated water measurements. At depths between 0.1 mm and 2 mm, beyond the range of contaminant electrons, the extrapolated water measurements underestimate the dose by up to 13% compared to the full Monte Carlo simulation and the solid water measurements., attributed to fluorescent photons generated in the applicators. This work demonstrates that for open-ended applicators, measurement of depth doses in water with extrapolation of surface dose has the potential to significantly underestimate the dose at shallow depths between the surface and 2 mm, even after eliminating electron contamination from the beam.
Development of an anti-tauopathy mucosal vaccine specifically targeting pathologic conformers
Authors: Rhee Joon Haeng , Tan Wenzhi , Thiruppathi Jayalakshmi , Hong Seol Hee , Puth Sao , Pheng Sophea , Mun Bo-Ram , Choi Won-Seok , Lee Kyung-Hwa , Park Hyun-Sun , Nguyen Duc , Lee Min-Cheol , JEONG Kwangjoon , Zheng Jin Hai , Kim Young , Lee Shee Eun 
Published: December 2023

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies are associated with pathological tau protein aggregation, which plays an important role in neurofibrillary degeneration and dementia. Immunotherapy targeting and resolving the pathological tau aggregates is known to improve cognitive deficits in AD animal models. The repeat domain of tau (TauRD) plays a pivotal role in tau-microtubule interactions and is critically involved in the aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Considering that TauRD forms the structural core of tau aggregates, the development of immunotherapy selectively targeting TauRD-induced pathological aggregates holds great promise for the modulation of tauopathies. In this study, we generated a recombinant TauRD polypeptide forming neurofibrillary tangle (NFT)-like structures and evaluated TauRD-specific immune responses following intranasal immunization in combination with the mucosal adjuvant FlaB. In BALB/C mice, repeated immunizations at one-week intervals induced robust TauRD-specific antibody responses in a TLR5-dependent manner. Notably, the resulting antiserum recognized only the aggregated form of TauRD, while ignoring monomeric TauRD. The antiserum effectively inhibited TauRD filament formation and promoted phagocytic degradation of TauRD aggregate fragments by microglia. The antiserum could also specifically recognize pathological tau conformers in the human AD brain. Based on these results, we engineered a built-in flagellin-adjuvanted TauRD (FlaB-TauRD) vaccine and tested the vaccine efficacy in a P301S transgenic mouse model. Mucosal immunization with FlaB-TauRD improved quality of life, such as memory deficits, and ameliorated tauopathy progression. More notably, the survival of the vaccinated mice was dramatically extended. Conclusively, we have developed a mucosal vaccine exclusively targeting pathological tau conformers and preventing disease progression.