bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lysophosphatidic acid increases SLC26A3 expression in inflamed intestine and reduces diarrheal severity in C57BL/6 mice with dextran-sodium-sulfate-induced colitis
Authors: Xu Lihong , Xiao Fang , He Jiayi , Lan Xiaoqin , Ding Qiang , Li Junhua , Ursula Seidler , Zheng Yong , Tian Dean 
Published: January 2024

Background
Diarrhea is a common clinical feature of ulcerative colitis resulting from unbalanced intestinal fluid and salt absorption and secretion. The Cl-/HCO3
- exchanger SLC26A3 is strongly expressed in the mid-distal colon and plays an essential role in colonic Cl- absorption and HCO3
- secretion. Slc26a3 expression is up-regulated by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)in vitro. Our study was designed to investigate the effects of LPA on SLC26A3 expression and the diarrheal phenotype in a mouse colitis model.

Methods
Colitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by adding 4% of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to the drinking water. The mice were assigned to LPA treatment DSS group, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) treatment DSS group, DSS only group and untreated mice with a completely randomized design. Diarrhea severity was evaluated by measuring mice weight, disease activity index (DAI), stool water content and macroscopic evaluation of colonic damage. The effect of LPA treatment on Slc26a3 mRNA level and protein expression in the different groups of mice was investigated by quantitative PCR and Western blotting.

Results
All mice treated with DSS lost weight, but the onset and severity of weight loss was attenuated in the LPA treatment DSS group. The increases in stool water content and the macroscopic inflammation score in LPA treatment DSS group were significantly lower compared to DSS control group or PBS treatment DSS group ((18.89±8.67)% vs. (28.97±6.95)% or (29.48±6.71)%, P=0.049, P=0.041, respectively and 2.67±0.81 vs. 4.5±0.83 or 4.5±0.54, P=0.020, P=0.006, respectively), as well as the increase in DAI (P=0.004, P=0.008, respectively). LPA enema resulted in higher Slc26a3 mRNA and protein expression levels compared to PBS-treated and untreated DSS colitis mice.

Conclusion
LPA increases Slc26a3 expression in the inflamed intestine and reduces diarrhea severity in DSS-induced colitis, suggesting LPA might be a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of colitis associated diarrhea.
Uterine artery embolization in cesarean scar pregnancy: safe and effective intervention
Authors: Cao Shasha , Zhu Lihong , Jin Long , Gao Jian , Chen Chen 
Published: January 2024

Background
Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a very rare but life-threatening entity and there is no optimal management strategy. Here we report a successfully conservative treatment of CSP.

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 54 women with CSP, who underwent uterine artery embolization between January 2007 and September 2012 at the Peking University People's Hospital. We evaluated the clinical outcomes, the technique and the complications of uterine artery embolization.

Results
Of the 54 patients, 2 patients with hemorrhage after induced abortion received bilateral uterine artery embolization treatment alone, and 52 patients underwent suction curettage after bilateral uterine artery embolization. All 54 women were successfully cured, without any severe complications, and uterine function was restored. During the follow-up, one patient had accidental normal interuterine pregnancy and received induced abortion during the first trimester.

Conclution
Uterine artery embolization combined with suction curettage is an effective and safe conservative treatment for cesarean scar pregnancy.
Cardiorenal syndrome: pathophysiological mechanism, preclinical models, novel contributors and potential therapies
Authors: Qiang Fu , Longxing Cao , Huang Li , Binghui Wang , Zhiliang Li 
Published: January 2024

Objective
To review the current knowledge about the pathophysiological mechanisms, preclinical models, novel contributors and potential therapies of cardiorenal syndrome.

Data sources
The literature concerning cardiorenal syndrome in this review was collected from PubMed published in English up to January 2014.

Study selection
Original articles and critical reviews related to cardiorenal syndrome were selected and carefully analyzed.

Results
Cardiorenal syndrome is a condition characterized by kidney and heart failure where failure of one organ worsens the function of the other thus further accelerating the progressive failure of both organs. The pathophysiology of cardiorenal syndrome is not fully understood, but may be caused by a complex combination of neurohormonal system activation, endothelial dysfunction, proteinuria, oxidative stress, uremic toxins and other factors. Managing cardiorenal syndrome is still a major therapeutic challenge in clinical practice because many of the drugs used to control heart failure can worsen renal function, and vice versa. Non-dialyzable uremic toxins, such as indoxyl sulfate, causing detrimental effects on the heart and kidney as well as stimulation of inflammatory responses, may be an effective therapeutic target for cardiorenal syndrome.

Conclusions
Suitable disease models of cardiorenal syndrome are urgently needed to investigate the pathophysiology and effective therapeutic approaches to the condition. Non-dialyzable protein-bound uremic toxins that may have cardiac and renal effects may provide therapeutic benefit to cardiorenal syndrome patients.
Microscopic examination of intracellular organisms in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a prospective multi-center study
Authors: Liu Chang , Du Zhaohui , Zhou Qing , Hu Bo , Li Zhifeng , Yu Li , Xu Tao , Fan Xuepeng , Yang Junhui , Li Jianguo 
Published: January 2024

Background
The presence of intracellular organisms (ICOs) in polymorphonuclear leukocytes obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) is a possible method for rapid diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, the validity of this diagnostic method remains controversial and the diagnostic thresholds reported by investigators were different. Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy of quantification of ICOs in BALF for the diagnosis of VAP, and to detect the best cutoff percentage of PMNs containing ICOs (PIC) in the microscopic examination of BALF for the diagnosis of VAP.

Methods
This was a prospective multi-center study conducted in 4 ICUs in Wuhan, China, which involved 181 patients suspected of first episode of VAP. BALF was obtained from all enrolled patients. The BALF samples underwent quantitative culture, cytological and bacteriological analysis to detect the culture results, PIC values and the morphological features of microorganisms. Definite diagnosis of VAP was based on pre-set criteria. The receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to detect the best cutoff point for PIC to diagnose VAP, and the diagnostic accuracy was calculated. Moreover, quantitative culture and Gram's stain of BALF were adopted to diagnose VAP, and their diagnostic accuracy was evaluated as well.

Results
There were 102 patients definitely diagnosed with VAP (VAP group), and 60 patients definitely diagnosed without VAP (no VAP group). We found that ICOs were present in 96.08% (98 out of 102) of VAP patients and 20.00% (12 out of 60) of no VAP patients. The PICs were significantly higher ((9.53±6.65)% vs. (0.52±1.33)%, P<0.01) in VAP group. In our study, the best cutoff point for PIC to diagnose VAP was 1.5%,which had a sensitivity of 94.12%, a specificity of 88.33%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 93.20% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 89.83%.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.956 (95% confidence interval,0.925-0.986; P<0.01). When the positive quantitative culture results of BALF were used to diagnose VAP, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 65.69%, 95.00%, 95.71% and 61.96%, respectively. Whereas they were 70.59%, 76.67%, 83.72% and 60.53%, respectively, when the positive Gram's stain results of BALF were used to diagnose VAP. The concordance between the results of Gram's stain and quantitative cultures was poor, only 32.10% (52 out of 162) was totally right, and 17.28% (28 out of 162) was partially right.

Conclusions
PIC>1.5% has good diagnostic performance in the microscopic examination of BALF for the diagnosis of VAP. However, Gram's stain is not reliable for the early application of antibiotic therapy, due to the poor bacteriological predictive value.
Echocardiographic evaluation of right ventricular function in congenital heart disease
Authors: Yiu-fai Cheung 
Published: January 2024

Objective
This review aims to provide an overview of conventional and novel indices used in clinical and research arenas for evaluation of right ventricular (RV) function in congenital heart diseases with a dual-chambered circulation.

Data sources
Articles cited in this review were selected using PubMed search of publications in English with no date limits. The search terms included “echocardiography”, “right ventricle”, “RV function”, “cardiac function”, and “congenital heart disease”. Key references were also searched for additional publications.

Study selection
Articles related to description of echocardiographic techniques in the evaluation of subpulmonary or systemic RV function and their applications in congenital cardiac malformations were retrieved and reviewed.

Results
Three approaches have been used to evaluate subpulmonary and systemic RV function: (1) assessment of changes in RV size in the cardiac cycle, (2) determination of Doppler-derived velocities and systolic and diastolic time intervals, and (3) quantification of myocardial velocities and deformation.

Conclusions
Conventional and novel echocardiographic techniques enable the evaluation of subpulmonary and systemic RV function. Novel echocardiographic techniques have further allowed quantification of RV volumes and direct interrogation of myocardial deformation. These new techniques show promise in a more comprehensive evaluation beyond “eye-balling” of RV function in the growing population of adolescent and adult congenital heart patients.
Association between maternal psychological status and fetal hemodynamic circulation in late pregnancy
Authors: Jing Fu , Ruifen Yang , Xiaodong Ma , Huimin Xia 
Published: January 2024

Background
The prevalence reported of maternal depression from the first to the third trimester was 7.4%, 12.8%, 12.0% respectively, which implies that around one-tenth of pregnant women suffer from psychological disorder during the whole pregnancy. It is assumed that during pregnancy the maternal-fetal circulation unit is also affected by maternal psychological status. The aim of this study is to explore the association between maternal psychological status and fetal dynamic blood flow circulation during pregnancy.

Methods
We recruited 102 singleton low risk pregnant women between 30 to 33 gestational weeks. The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used to assess maternal psychological status. Ultrasound Doppler was used to measure blood flow changes in maternal-fetal circulation. Pulsatility index (PI) value was measured in umbilical artery (UA), fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and maternal uterine arteries (UTA). Peak systolic velocity (PSV) was measured in MCA and velocity was measured in umbilical vein (UV). Statistical analysis was performed with standard nonparametric Mann-Whitney U tests. Two-tailed P values <0.05 were considered statistical significance.

Results
Of the 102 pregnant women, 12 patients show high levels of poor mental health. Women with poor mental health have higher umbilical artery PI values than good mental health patients (P=0.020). A higher MCA PI value is found in poor mental health patients but this does not reach statistical significance (P=0.053). Women with hostility show lower placental scores (P=0.030). Women with somatization demonstrate higher values in UA PI, MCA PI and MCA PSV (P=0.049, 0.030 and 0.035 respectively). A higher MCA PSV value is also found in phobic anxiety patients (P=0.046).

Conclusions
Poor mental health during pregnancy is found to have an adverse effect on maternal-fetal circulation. Umbilical artery and fetal cerebral circulation are more sensitive and affected by maternal psychological disorder.
Identification of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains harboring inactive extended-spectrum beta-lactamase antibiotic-resistance genes
Authors: Li Xu , Yao Zhai , Yuan Lyu , Qi Wang , Shuchang An , Jichao Chen , Yusheng Chen , Lin Liu , Jiabin Li , Zhancheng Gao 
Published: January 2024

Background
The extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae has increasingly become a major contributor to nosocomial infections and can exhibit multiple antibiotic resistance. Previous studies have focused on the resistance genes in ESBL-producing strains, and the resistance-associated genetic environment of non-ESBLproducing strains has been ignored until now. Here, we investigated the occurrence and characteristics of non-ESBLproducing K. pneumoniae, which potentially carries unexpressed resistance genes.

Methods

K. pneumoniae strains were collected from five medical institutions in China from February 2010 to August 2013. The VITEK-2 ESBL detection system was used as a primary screen to identify the ESBL-producing phenotype, and the three primary types of ESBL-associated genes (CTX, SHV, and TEM) were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm the strains presenting with a non-ESBL-producing phenotype. mRNA expression in the non-ESBLproducing strains was further screened by reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to validate their transcriptional efficiency.

Results
Out of 224 clinically isolated antibiotic-sensitive K. pneumoniae strains with a non-ESBL-producing phenotype, 5 (2.2%) were identified to carry inactivated ESBL blaSHV genes with intact upstream promoter regions and resistance gene sequences. Interestingly, three of the five antibiotic-sensitive K. pneumoniae strains containing ESBL blaSHV genes still exhibited mRNA transcription of blaSHV, while the other two exhibited no mRNA transcription.

Conclusion
These findings suggest that inactivated ESBL genes exist in non-ESBL-producing antibiotic-sensitive K. pneumoniae strains, which have the potential to transform the strain into an ESBL phenotype if an inappropriate application or overdose of antibiotics is implemented during clinical management.
Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b is a potential biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study in Han Chinese
Authors: Tao Cheng , Mingjun Wang , Zhiwei Chen , Eisenberg Robert A , Yu Zhang , Yaohong Zou , Yingsu Deng , Mian Wang , Ling Zhou 
Published: January 2024

Background
Bone damage around the joints is one of the major pathophysiological mechanisms that leads to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) chronic disability. Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) is secreted by osteoclasts, its activity can be used as a clinically relevant bone resorption marker. The aim of this study was to test whether the measurement of serum levels of TRACP-5b in patients with RA would correlate with measures of disease activity and with responses to therapy.

Methods
Fifty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive recombinant human cytotoxic tlymphocyte-associated antigen-4 immunoglobulin (RhCTLA4-Ig), infliximab or methotrexate (MTX). The clinical and serologic indicators of RA activity were evaluated at baseline and at 24 weeks. Serum TRACP-5b was measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) at 0, 12 and 24 weeks. Hand X-rays were obtained at baseline.

Results
At baseline, the levels of TRACP-5b correlated with the severity of X-ray damage, disease duration (r=0.332, P=0.012), and tender joint count (r=0.408, P=0.002). The 24 weeks values of TRACP-5b for RhCTLA4-Ig group and infliximab group differed significantly from the baseline values in each group (P <0.05; P <0.05), whereas only the value for RhCTLA4-Ig group differed significantly from the 24 weeks value for the MTX group (P <0.01). Considering the two biologics-treated groups together, the TRACP-5b levels at 24 weeks differed significantly from the baseline values only in those patients who reached an ACR70 level (P <0.05).

Conclusions
Measurement of serum TRACP-5b in RA patients reflects clinical and radiological measures of disease activity, treatment with certain biologics, and degree of response to therapy. TRACP-5b should be investigated further as a potential biomarker to predict response to therapy, including slowing of radiographic progression.
A vascular endothelial growth factor activating transcription factor increases the endothelial progenitor cells population and induces therapeutic angiogenesis in a type 1 diabetic mouse with hindlimb ischemia
Authors: Yongpeng Diao , Lishan Lian , Lilong Guo , Houzao Chen , Yuexin Chen , Xiaojun Song , Yongjun Li 
Published: January 2024

Background
Therapeutic angiogenesis has been shown to promote blood vessel growth and improve tissue perfusion. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in angiogenesis. However, it has side effects that limit its therapeutic utility in vivo, especially at high concentrations. This study aimed to investigate whether an intramuscular injection of a genetically engineered zinc finger VEGF-activating transcription factor modulates the endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and promotes therapeutic angiogenesis in a hindlimb ischemia model with type 1 diabetes.

Methods
Alloxan (intravenous injection) was used to induce type I diabetes in C57BL/6 mice (n=58). The ischemic limb received ZFP-VEGF (125 μg ZFP-VEGF plasmid in 1% poloxamer) or placebo (1% poloxamer) intramuscularly. Mice were sacrificed 3, 5, 10, or 20 days post-injection. Limb blood flow was monitored using laser Doppler perfusion imaging. VEGF mRNA and protein expression were examined using real-time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Capillary density, proliferation, and apoptosis were examined using immunohistochemistry techniques. Flow cytometry was used to detect the EPC population in bone marrow. Two-tailed Student's paired t test and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.

Results
ZFP-VEGF increased VEGF mRNA and protein expression at 3 and 10 days post-injection, and increased EPC in bone marrow at day 5 and 20 post-injection compared with controls (P<0.05). ZFP-VEGF treatment resulted in better perfusion recovery, a higher capillary density and proliferation, and less apoptosis compared with controls (P<0.05).

Conclusions
Intramuscular ZFP-VEGF injection promotes therapeutic angiogenesis in an ischemic hindlimb model with type 1 diabetes. This might be due to the effects of VEGF on cell survival and EPC recruitment.
Reduced dose of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin versus full dose of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after transurethral resection bladder tumor: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Qin Xin , Wu Keming , Xie Libo , Zhao Sixiu , Lu Yiping 
Published: January 2024

Background
Bladder cancer is widely known as the most common malignant tumor in the urinary tract, with 75%-85% of patients suffering from nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). However, the optimal dose of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of full dose (FD) with the reduced dose (RD) of BCG.

Methods
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected through the Cochrane Library, PubMed and Embase and were supplemented by hand searching of bibliographies. The end points include overall survival rate, recurrence rate, progression rate and side effects.

Results
Five RCTs that included a total of 1 473 patients (727 in the reduced dose group vs 746 in the full dose group), with a median follow-up period from 33.5 month to 7.1 year. Disease in 80 of 687 (11.6%) patients assigned to the RD group progress to the muscular layer or distant metastasis, compared with 81 of 698 (11.6%) patients assigned to the FD group (RR=1.02; 95% CI, 0.77–1.36; P=0.89). The incidence of recurrence at three year was reported in all five studies to be 41.1% (299 of 727) and 36.1% (269 of 746) in the RD and FD groups, respectively (RR=1.13; 95% CI, 1.00–1.29; P=0.05). The 5-year survival rate was 75.9% (502 of 662) in the RD group, and 75.8% (510 of 673) in the FD group. In the RD group 41 of 655 (6.3%) patients and 56 of 663 (8.7%) patients in the FD group did not complete the treatment due to systemic or local side effects (RR=0.75; 95% CI, 0.51–1.10; P=0.14)

Conclusions
In general, the results of our study demonstrate a trend towards a reduction of the toxicity in reduced dose group without affecting the efficacy of treatment when compared with full dose. More trials with large sample size are still necessary to explore the prognosis of the patients with high risk of tumor in different dose group.
Detection of hepatic and pancreatic fat infiltration in type II diabetes mellitus patients with IDEAL-Quant using 3.0T MR: comparison with single-voxel proton spectroscopy
Authors: Jing Ma , Zhiqiang Song , Fuhua Yan 
Published: January 2024

Background
Type II diabetes mellitus usually related to visceral and other organ (ectopic) fat. The purpose of this study was to detect hepatic and pancreatic fat infiltration in type II diabetes mellitus patients using 3.0T magnetic resonance (MR) and to compare the performance of iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL-Quant) with single-voxel proton spectroscopy (H1-MRS).

Methods
The study protocol was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Written informed consent was obtained from each subject in this study. We prospectively performed IDEAL-Quant and single-voxel proton spectroscopy with an echo time of 35 ms on 24 type II diabetes patients and 10 healthy volunteers. The hepatic proton density fat fraction (HPDFF) and pancreatic proton density fat fraction (PPDFF) were calculated, compared, and analyzed by t-tests and Spearman's correlation.

Results
The HPDFF and PPDFF measured with IDEAL-Quant were significantly different between the healthy volunteers and type II diabetes patients (th
=9.377, P=0.000; tp
=2.813, P=0.008). The HPDFF and PPDFF measured with MRS were also significantly different between the healthy volunteers and type II diabetes patients (th=5.342, P=0.000; tp
=2.63, P=0.013). The HPDFF and PPDFF measured by the two methods were in good agreement (rh=0.854, P=0.000; rp
=0.774, P=0.000). The HPDFF and PPDFF were not significantly correlated with each other (r
MRS=0.203, p=0.248; r
IDEAL-Quant=0.301, P=0.084). The PPDFF measured with IDEAL-Quant was associated with body mass index (r=0.377, P=0.028).

Conclusion
IDEAL-Quant is a nice method for hepatic and pancreatic fat detection, and it can be applied in clinical practice.