bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Correlation study on gut microbiota and myosteatosis in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Zhao Ninghui , Bai Jinjia , Li Xinmiao , Xu Guofen , Fu Xiujuan , Li Jing , Niu Lingyun , Yao Jia , Zhou Xiaoshuang 
Published: February 2025

ObjectiveTo investigate the features of gut microbiota in cirrhotic patients with myosteatosis and identify specific bacterial species that may be involved in the pathogenesis of myosteatosis.Methods80 patients with liver cirrhosis were categorized into the myosteatosis group (n = 44) and the non-myosteatosis group (n = 36). Metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze the differences in gut microbiota composition between the two groups. Subsequently, the value of meaningful gut microbiota in the diagnosis of myosteatosis in patients with liver cirrhosis was analyzed.ResultsAt the species level, however, 15 bacterial species exhibited significant differences in relative abundance between these two groups. The relative abundance of Roseburia hominis and Subdoligranulum unclassified was inversely associated with mean muscle attenuation density at the L3 level (p &lt; 0.05). Assessement of the diagnostic potential of Roseburia hominis and Subdoligranulum unclassified for the development of myosteatosis showed that the areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) was 0.869 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.709–1.029; p &lt; 0.05] for Roseburia hominis and 0.828 (95% CI: 0.6472–1.009; p &lt; 0.05) for Subdoligranulum unclassified.ConclusionOur study establishes compositional alterations of gut microbiota in patients with liver cirrhosis combined with myosteatosis and suggests the diagnostic potential for using gut microbiota as noninvasive biomarkers.
Association between a body shape index and colorectal cancer in US population: a cross-sectional study based on NHANES
Authors: Liu Hui , Kang Jialu , Liu Wei , Shen Yongqing 
Published: February 2025

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is linked to obesity, particularly visceral fat. A more accurate measure of visceral fat accumulation is offered by a body shape index (ABSI). Currently, the direct application of the ABSI to populations with varying ethnic backgrounds might be restricted. Moreover, there is less evidence about the correlation between ABSI and CRC among individuals from different ethnical backgrounds.MethodsA total of 40,998 individuals who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 2003 to 2023 were subjected to analysis. Logistic regression was utilized to examine the associations between the ABSI and the risk of CRC. In addition, restricted cubic spline curves (RCS) were utilized, and subgroup analyses along with interaction tests were also carried out. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was employed to predict the risk of CRC relying on various anthropometric indicators.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, ABSI demonstrated a positive association with the incidence of CRC (OR = 1.03 [95% CI: 1.01–1.05], p = 0.018). Individuals in the upper quartile of ABSI exhibited a greater prevalence of CRC than those in the lower quartile (OR = 1.88 [95% CI: 1.19–2.96], p = 0.006). RCS analysis indicated a nonlinear correlation between ABSI and CRC (P for nonlinear = 0.030). Subgroup analysis indicated a notable interaction between age and BMI subgroups (interaction p &lt; 0.05), and ROC curves indicated that the ABSI was effective in predicting CRC risk (AUC = 0.658), demonstrating good sensitivity, particularly in individuals under 60 years of age.ConclusionA positive correlation exists between ABSI levels and the increased incidence of CRC among U.S. adults. This is especially true for people under 60 years of age (40–60 years), with a BMI below 25 kg/m2, and those with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or beyond. ABSI can be used as a simple anthropometric predictor of CRC.
DeepGlioSeg: advanced glioma MRI data segmentation with integrated local-global representation architecture
Authors: Li Ruipeng , Liao Yuehui , Huang Yueqi , Ma Xiaofei , Zhao Guohua , Wang Yanbin , Song Chen 
Published: February 2025

IntroductionGlioma segmentation is vital for diagnostic decision-making, monitoring disease progression, and surgical planning. However, this task is hindered by substantial heterogeneity within gliomas and imbalanced region distributions, posing challenges to existing segmentation methods.MethodsTo address these challenges, we propose the DeepGlioSeg network, a U-shaped architecture with skip connections for continuous contextual feature integration. The model includes two primary components. First, a CTPC (CNN-Transformer Parallel Combination) module leverages parallel branches of CNN and Transformer networks to fuse local and global features of glioma images, enhancing feature representation. Second, the model computes a region-based probability by comparing the number of pixels in tumor and background regions and assigns greater weight to regions with lower probabilities, thereby focusing on the tumor segment. Test-time augmentation (TTA) and volume-constrained (VC) post-processing are subsequently applied to refine the final segmentation outputs.ResultsExtensive experiments were conducted on three publicly available glioma MRI datasets and one privately owned clinical dataset. The quantitative and qualitative findings consistently show that DeepGlioSeg achieves superior segmentation performance over other state-of-the-art methods.DiscussionBy integrating CNN- and Transformer-based features in parallel and adaptively emphasizing underrepresented tumor regions, DeepGlioSeg effectively addresses the challenges associated with glioma heterogeneity and imbalanced region distributions. The final pipeline, augmented with TTA and VC post-processing, demonstrates robust segmentation capabilities. The source code for this work is publicly available at https://github.com/smallboy-code/Brain-tumor-segmentation.
Timing of congenital cytomegalovirus diagnosis and missed opportunities
Authors: Baker Mallory R. , Wang Xing , Melvin Ann J. 
Published: February 2025

ObjectiveAlthough congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common congenital infection world-wide, many infected infants are not diagnosed at birth. Anticipating that infants with cCMV who are not tested at birth risk a delayed diagnosis, this study was conducted to investigate the timing of diagnosis for infants with cCMV and to determine the reasons for and impact of late diagnoses.MethodsClinical, imaging and laboratory data, hearing and developmental outcomes were abstracted from medical records between 2009 and 2021 for infants with virologically confirmed cCMV.ResultsOne hundred and twelve children with confirmed cCMV were identified. Diagnosis was within the first three weeks of life for 60 (54%) (early diagnosis group/EDG) and after this time for 52 (46%) (late diagnosis group/LDG). Infants in the LDG were diagnosed via CMV PCR on neonatal dried blood spot specimens with the majority (71%) tested after identification of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). The median time to first CMV testing in the LDG was 12 (IQR 3–42) months. Symptoms consistent with cCMV were present at birth in 17 (33%) of the infants with delayed diagnosis. More infants in the EDG received antiviral treatment (n = 41, 68% vs. n = 19, 23%). Developmental outcomes were similar between groups. Applying different screening strategies to the total cohort, 100%, 66% and 92% could have been diagnosed at birth with universal, hearing targeted and expanded testing strategies respectively.ConclusionThe lack of formal protocols for cCMV testing leads to delayed diagnoses for many infants. This delay results in missed opportunities for monitoring, intervention, and treatment.
Efficacy and safety assessment of propranolol tablets vs. oral solution for infantile hemangioma: a retrospective study in China
Authors: Chen Wenting , Qian Hua , Sun Qi , Zhang Shan , Zhu Lei , Wu Yafen , Qian Yingying , Wang Bingbing , Li Wei 
Published: February 2025

BackgroundPropranolol for infantile hemangiomas (IHs) is effective and relatively safe. However, propranolol has different formulations and there is no consensus on the optimal formulation for IHs. The propranolol oral solution was not used in China until 2022.ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of propranolol tablets and an oral solution in infants with high-risk IH.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 234 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of high-risk IH who were treated with propranolol between August 2018 and February 2023 (propranolol tablets, 168 patients; propranolol oral solution, 66 patients). All patients were assessed in the hospital at the initiation of treatment and in the outpatient setting during treatment. The Hemangioma Activity and Severity Index was used to monitor the clinical activity of the hemangioma after propranolol treatment.ResultsBased on the Hemangioma Activity and Severity Index, 66.52% and 69.15% improvement occurred in the propranolol tablet and oral solution groups, respectively. 23.21% of patients in the propranolol tablet group and 42.42% in the oral solution group achieved &gt;75% score improvement (X2 = 8.557; P = 0.003). Adverse reactions occurred in 34 (20.24%) and 11 patients (16.67%) in the propranolol tablet and oral solution groups, respectively. The most common adverse reaction in the propranolol tablet group was liver function abnormalities due to mild elevation of liver enzymes (X2 = 4.09; P = 0.045).ConclusionBoth propranolol tablets and oral solution had positive efficacy in patients with high-risk IHs, but more patients in the propranolol oral solution group achieve &gt;75% score improvement compared to the propranolol tablet group. No life-threatening adverse reactions occurred in either group but liver function abnormalities were more likely to occur in patients treated with propranolol tablets.
SEMbeddings: how to evaluate model misfit before data collection using large-language models
Authors: Feraco Tommaso , Toffalini Enrico 
Published: February 2025

IntroductionRecent developments suggest that Large Language Models (LLMs) provide a promising approach for approximating empirical correlation matrices of item responses by utilizing item embeddings and their cosine similarities. In this paper, we introduce a novel tool, which we label SEMbeddings.MethodsThis tool integrates mpnet-personality (a fine-tuned embedding model) with latent measurement models to assess model fit or misfit prior to data collection. To support our statement, we apply SEMbeddings to the 96 items of the VIA-IS-P, which measures 24 different character strengths, using responses from 31,697 participants.ResultsOur analysis shows a significant, though not perfect, correlation (r = 0.67) between the cosine similarities of embeddings and empirical correlations among items. We then demonstrate how to fit confirmatory factor analyses on the cosine similarity matrices produced by mpnet-personality and interpret the outcomes using modification indices. We found that relying on traditional fit indices when using SEMbeddings can be misleading as they often lead to more conservative conclusions compared to empirical results. Nevertheless, they provide valuable suggestions about possible misfit, and we argue that the modification indices obtained from these models could serve as a useful screening tool to make informed decisions about items prior to data collection.DiscussionAs LLMs become increasingly precise and new fine-tuned models are released, these procedures have the potential to deliver more reliable results, potentially transforming the way new questionnaires are developed.
The effect of self-compassion versus mindfulness interventions on autonomic responses to stress in generalized anxiety disorders
Authors: Qi Xuejun , Shen Yonghui , Che Xianwei , Wang Ying , Luo Xi , Sun Lijun 
Published: February 2025

ObjectiveAlthough research on psychological interventions in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has provided evidence of their effectiveness regarding self-reported outcomes, few studies have examined their psychophysiological effects. Heart rate is emerging as a potential biomarker of efficacy in anxiety disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a self-compassion intervention versus a mindfulness intervention on physiological arousal in response to induced stress.MethodsForty-seven patients with GAD had heart rate data collected during a stress task before and after a 2-week pharmacological treatment (known as treatment as usual, TAU), a self-compassion intervention + TAU or a mindfulness intervention + TAU. They also reported state anxiety, positive affect, and negative affect at pre- and post- intervention before the stress task. ANOVAs were conducted to analyze the effects on electrocardiogram data self-reported measurements.ResultsSelf-compassion intervention uniquely decreased heart rate response to a stressor whereas mindfulness intervention did not. Both treatments decreased state anxiety and negative affect to a stressor, while increased positive affect in this context. We also demonstrated a significant correlation between decreased heart rate response and less negative emotions.ConclusionThe Findings provides novel physiological evidence that self-compassion interventions buffer stress reactivity in individuals with GAD. Attention shall be paid to the limitations in small and unequal sample size and a non-randomized study design.
Reading between the lines: exploring the discriminative ability of the Short-Story Task in identifying autistic individuals within autism outpatient services
Authors: Jarvers Irina , Sommer Monika , Ullmann Manuela , Simmel Verena , Blaas Lore , Gorski Stefanie , Krüger-Lassen Saskia , Vogel Matthias , Langguth Berthold 
Published: February 2025

IntroductionThe correct diagnosis of autistic individuals is an everyday challenge within autism outpatient services. While the short-story task (SST), a task measuring fiction-based mentalizing, has demonstrated promise in differentiating between autistic and non-autistic adults, its discriminative ability has not been investigated in a sample of individuals seeking autism diagnostics at outpatient services.MethodsThis study aimed to evaluate the utility of the SST in individuals seeking autism diagnostics between 2016 and 2022 at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychiatry &amp; Psychotherapy of the University of Regensburg at medbo District Hospital Regensburg. The sample consisted of 211 individuals. In 100 of them an autism spectrum disorder has been diagnosed and 111 individuals were diagnosed with other conditions or none at all.ResultsPerformance on the SST did not significantly differ between the two groups, and receiver operator curve analysis did not support the SST as a reliable discriminator. However, linear regression analyses revealed that autism diagnosis was the sole significant predictor of SST mentalizing performance. Additionally, specific items of the SST showed significant differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals and constituted a significant predictor of autism diagnosis.DiscussionWhile the SST may not be robust enough to accurately identify autistic individuals on its own, it does offer clinicians valuable insights into how individuals interpret others’ actions and whether they grasp the broader context of a story versus focusing solely on details.
Immunogenetics of longevity and its association with human endogenous retrovirus K
Authors: James Lisa M. , Georgopoulos Apostolos P. 
Published: February 2025

IntroductionThe human immune system is equipped to neutralize and eliminate viruses and other foreign antigens via binding of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules with foreign antigen epitopes and presenting them to T cells. HLA is highly polymorphic, resulting in subtle differences in the binding groove that influence foreign antigen binding and elimination. Here we tested the hypothesis that certain HLA alleles may promote longevity by enhanced ability to counter virus antigens that may otherwise contribute to morbidity and mortality.MethodsWe utilized high-resolution genotyping to characterize HLA and apolipoprotein E in a large sample (N = 986) of participants (469 men, 517 women) ranging in age from 24 to 90+ years old (mean age: 58.10 years) and identified 244 HLA alleles that occurred in the sample. Since each individual carries 12 classical HLA alleles (6 alleles of each Class I and Class II), we determined in silico the median predicted binding affinity for each individual (across the 12 HLA alleles) and each of 13 common viruses (Human Herpes Virus 1 [HHV1], HHV2, HHV3, HHV4, HHV5, HHV6A, HHV6B, HHV7, HHV8, human papilloma virus [HPV], human polyoma virus [JCV], human endogenous retrovirus K [HERVK], and HERVW). Next, we performed a stepwise multiple linear regression where the age of the participant was the dependent variable and the 13 median predicted HLA-virus binding affinities were the independent variables.ResultsThe analyses yielded only one statistically significant effect–namely, a positive association between age and HERVK (P = 0.005). Furthermore, we identified 13 HLA alleles (9 HLA-I and 4 HLA-II) that occurred at greater frequency in very old individuals (age ≥90 years) as compared to younger individuals. Remarkably, for those 13 alleles, the predicted binding affinities were significantly higher for HERVK than for the other viruses (P &lt; 0.001). ApoE genotypes did not differ significantly between older and younger groups.DiscussionTaken together, the results showed that HLA-HERVK binding affinity is a robust predictor of longevity and that HLA alleles that bind with high affinity to HERVK were enriched in very old individuals. The findings of the present study highlight the influence of interactions between host immunogenetics and virus exposure on longevity and suggest that specific HLA alleles may promote longevity via enhanced immune response to specific common viruses, notably HERVK.
Smoking Avoidance, Physical Activity and Diet as Preventative Behaviours for Lung, Prostate and Colorectal Cancer - A Comparison of the Extended Parallel Process Model Groups
Authors: Domosławska-Żylińska Katarzyna , Włodarczyk Dorota 
Published: February 2025

ObjectivesAn analysis of men’s perceptions of the role of three health behaviours (smoking avoidance, physical activity, and diet) in relation to the subjective threat of lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers, with adoption of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM).MethodsThe study was conducted using a survey questionnaire by Computer Assisted Web Interviewing on a representative sample of 1,000 male Polish citizens aged 18–65.ResultsProstate cancer was considered the most likely and most severe type of cancer. A healthy diet was the intervention that was considered the most effective and the one most likely to be implemented for colorectal cancer. Respondents perceived smoking avoidance to be the most effective intervention, while considering this to be the least feasible strategy to implement for lung cancer. In all of the behaviours, the Indifferent group was the most numerous. Belonging to the EPPM groups was mainly associated with educational level, financial situation, and self-assessed health status.ConclusionThe need to implement interventions aimed at: increase the perceived risk of smoking in the context of lung cancer incidence, increase men’s self-efficacy in smoking avoidance and reduce the level of perceived losses from undertaking a healthy diet and smoking avoidance.
THE ROLE OF KITAB LUBAB AL-HADIST IN ENHANCING OF DHIKR AMONG MAJELIS TA'LIM AL-WUSTHO CONGREGATION
Authors: Soraya Syarifah , Rahmawati Nadiyah 
Published: February 2025

Dhikr mentioning and remembering Allah is not only commanded by Allah and His Messenger, but will also bring direct benefits to everyone who is dhikr. Whoever the person is and under any conditions, dhikr will have a positive impact. Dhikr will give peace to the public just like what a kiyai and ustadz enjoy. Dhikr will soothe a hard man's heart just as it soothes a gentle woman's heart. When people dhikr, God will be close to them without limits and status. However, many ta'lim assembly worshippers are not motivated to dhikr. It is often found that there is a lack of understanding of the congregation for the concept of dhikr in depth. This causes the dhikr to be less meaningful and does not have a significant impact on their spiritual life.This research aims to determine the role of the Book of Lubab Al-Hadith in improving the understanding, motivation, and quality of dhikr of the Ta'lim Al-Wustho Assembly. The research method used is qualitative with a phenomenological approach. Data collection techniques are carried out through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and documentation. The data obtained was analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model. The results of the study show that the Book of Lubab Al-Hadith has an important role in increasing the understanding and motivation of the Ta'lim Al-Wustho Assembly congregation in dhikr. The congregation's understanding of dhikr has become deeper, their motivation to dhikr has increased, and the quality of their dhikr has improved. This has a positive impact on the spiritual life of the congregation, which can be seen from the increase in peace of mind, closeness to Allah SWT, and enthusiasm in worship. This research makes a significant contribution in understanding the role of the book of hadith in improving the practice of dhikr and spirituality of Muslims. The findings of this study can be used as a reference for ustadz, ta'lim council administrators, and researchers in developing a more effective dhikr coaching program.
ORIENTALISM AND ISLAM: A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROPHET MUHAMMAD AND THE JEWS AS PRESENTED IN CHAPTER SIX OF MONTGOMERY WATT’SBOOK MUHAMMAD AT MEDINA
Authors: Masuwd Mowafg , Ayad Nahid , Albshkar Hajer , Alsayd Abdulnaser 
Published: February 2025

This research critically examines Montgomery Watt’s views on the Prophet’s biography, particularly his relationship with the Jews, in order to refute the misconceptions raised by Watt and other Orientalists who adopted similar perspectives. The study focuses on a critical analysis of Watt’s interpretations of the Prophet’s relationship with the Jews in Medina through a thorough reading of the sixth chapter of his book. The researchers present and objectively critique a selection of Watt’s views, highlighting the ambiguity and bias in his narrative. The study reveals the author’s lack of objectivity in his depiction of the Prophet’s biography, as he selectively frames events in a way that portrays the Jews as victims of the Arabs and Islam. Furthermore, the research aims to shed light on the intellectual and Orientalist influences that may have shaped Watt’s approach and analysis.
يتناول هذا البحث آراء مونتجمري وات في السيرة النبوية خصوصا علاقة الرسول محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم باليهود بالنقد والتمحيص لرد الشبهات التي أثيرت من قبل مونتجمري وات وبعض المستشرقين الآخرين ممن تبنوا أفكارا مشابهة. تركز هذه الدراسة على تحليل نقدي لآراء مونتجمري وات في علاقة الرسول باليهود في المدينة من خلال قراءة متأنية للفصل السادس من كتابه. وقد قام الباحثون بعرض مجموعة من هذه الآراء مع نقدها نقدا موضوعيا يساهم في رفع الغموض وإظهار الموقف العدائي للمؤلف من الإسلام ونبي الإسلام حيث يتبين عدم موضوعية المؤلف في سرده للسيرة النبوي وتناوله إياها بنوع من التحيز والانتقائية ليصور اليهود كضحية للعرب والإسلام. كما تسعى الدراسة إلى تسليط الضوء على التأثيرات الفكرية والاستشراقية التي قد تكون الأساس الذي شكل توجهات وات وتحليله.