bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Program Evaluation: exploring health disparities that impact chronic pain referrals within a VA Health Care System
Authors: Hanson Eric R. , Quist Heidi E. , Mintert Jeffrey S. , Arshad Mahreen , Friedman Brittany L. , Pleasant Alexandra , Monico-Cristales N. Stacey , Tillman Rhonda , Mehelis Mark , Karnik Anita , Sonder Anais , Mardian Aram S. 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionThe present Program Evaluation study examines sociodemographic characteristics of Veterans in the Phoenix VA Health Care System who have back pain, and specifically the likelihood of those characteristics being associated with a referral to the Chronic Pain Wellness Center (CPWC) in the year 2021. We examined the following characteristics: Race/ethnicity, gender, age, mental health diagnosis, substance use disorder diagnosis, and service-connected diagnosis.MethodsOur study used cross sectional data from the Corporate Data Warehouse for 2021. 13624 records had complete data for the variables of interest. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the likelihood of patients' being referred to the Chronic Pain Wellness Center.ResultsThe multivariate model found under-referral to be significant for younger adults and for patients who identified as Hispanic/Latinx, Black/African American, or Native American/Alaskan. Those with depressive disorders and opioid use disorders, on the other hand, were found to be more likely to be referred to the pain clinic. Other sociodemographic characteristics were not found to be significant.DiscussionStudy limitations include the use of cross-sectional data, which cannot determine causality, and the inclusion of patients only if the ICD-10 codes of interest were recorded for an encounter in 2021 (i.e., a prior history of a particular diagnosis was not captured). In future efforts, we plan to examine, implement, and track the impact of interventions designed to mitigate these identified disparities in access to chronic pain specialty care.
Dietary intake assessment in children with cystic fibrosis using 3-day food diaries: a single-centre study
Authors: Gaschignard Margaux , Beaufils Fabien , Gallet Pauline , Clouzeau Haude , Menard Joris , Costanzo Aurélie , Nouard Lucie , Delhaes Laurence , Tetard Candice , Lamireau Thierry , Fayon Michael , Bui Stéphanie , Enaud Raphaël 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundMalnutrition is both a feature and major cause of morbidity in cystic fibrosis (CF). Therefore, nutritional management is an essential element of patient care. In 2016, an international guideline for nutritional management in patients with CF was published. In light of these recommendations, the aim of this study was to investigate the dietary intake of children with CF at the University Hospital of Bordeaux.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study at the Paediatric CF Centre of the University Hospital of Bordeaux. Patients aged 2–18 years with CF who completed a 3-day food diary at home between January 2015 and December 2020 were included.ResultsA total of 130 patients, with a median age of 11.8 [interquartile range (IQR): 8.3; 13.4] years, were included. The median Z-score for BMI was −0.35 (IQR: −0.9; 0.2) and 20% of the patients had a Z-score for BMI &lt; −1. Recommended total energy intakes were achieved in 53% of the patients, particularly those with nutritional support. Recommended protein intake was met in 28% of the cases, while fat and carbohydrate intakes were met in 54%. Vitamin and micronutrient levels were normal in 80% of the patients, with the exception of vitamin K, which was within the therapeutic range in only 42% of the cases.ConclusionRecommended nutritional targets are difficult to achieve in patients with CF, and providing nutritional support during follow-up remains a challenge.
Biomarkers for febrile urinary tract infection in children
Authors: Shaikh Nader , Kurs-Lasky Marcia , Liu Hui , Rajakumar Vinod , Qureini Heba , Conway Isabella O. , Lee Matthew C. , Lee Sojin 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundThe current reference standard for pediatric urinary tract infection (UTI) screening, the leukocyte esterase (LE) dipstick test, has suboptimal accuracy. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of novel urinary biomarkers to that of the LE test.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled febrile children who were evaluated for UTI based on their presenting symptoms. We compared the accuracy of urinary biomarkers to that of the test.ResultsWe included 374 children (50 with UTI, 324 without UTI, ages 1–35 months) and examined 35 urinary biomarkers. The urinary biomarkers that best discriminated between febrile children with and without UTI were urinary neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL), IL-1β, CXCL1, and IL-8. Of all examined urinary biomarkers, the urinary NGAL had the highest accuracy with a sensitivity of 90% (CI: 82–98) and a specificity of 96% (CI: 93–98).ConclusionBecause the sensitivity of the urinary NGAL test is slightly higher than that of the LE test, it can potentially reduce missed UTI cases. Limitations of using urinary NGAL over LE include increased cost and complexity. Further investigation is warranted to determine the cost-effectiveness of urinary NGAL as a screening test for UTI.
RETRACTED: Mechanism of action of Asparagus officinalis extract against multiple myeloma using bioinformatics tools, in silico and in vitro study
Authors: Li Yanju , Yang Xu , Wang Feiqing , Zhao Jianing , Zhang Chike , Wu Dan , Yang Bo , Gao Rui , Zhao Peng , Zan Yun , Su Min , He Zhixu , Liu Yang , Wang Jishi , Tang Dongxin 
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial flowering plant species. Its main components have tumor-prevention, immune system-enhancement, and anti-inflammation effects. Network pharmacology is a powerful approach that is being applied increasingly to research of herbal medicines. Herb identification, study of compound targets, network construction, and network analysis have been used to elucidate how herbal medicines work. However, the interaction of bioactive substances from asparagus with the targets involved in multiple myeloma (MM) has not been elucidated. We explored the mechanism of action of asparagus in MM through network pharmacology and experimental verification.Methods: The active ingredients and corresponding targets of asparagus were acquired from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology database, followed by identification of MM-related target genes using GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases, which were matched with the potential targets of asparagus. Potential targets were identified and a target network of traditional Chinese medicine was constructed. The STRING database and Cytoscape were utilized to create protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and further screening of core targets.Results: The intersection of target genes and core target genes of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway was enriched, the top-five core target genes were selected, and the binding affinity of corresponding compounds to the top-five core targets was analyzed using molecular docking. Network pharmacology identified nine active components of asparagus from databases based on oral bioavailability and drug similarity, and predicted 157 potential targets related to asparagus. Enrichment analyses showed that “steroid receptor activity” and the “PI3K/AKT signaling pathway” were the most enriched biological process and signaling pathway, respectively. According to the top-10 core genes and targets of the PPI pathway, AKT1, interleukin (IL)-6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)A, MYC, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were selected for molecular docking. The latter showed that five core targets of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway could bind to quercetin, among which EGFR, IL-6, and MYC showed strong docking, and the diosgenin ligand could bind to VEGFA. Cell experiments showed that asparagus, through the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, inhibited the proliferation and migration of MM cells, and caused retardation and apoptosis of MM cells in the G0/G1 phase.Discussion: In this study, the anti-cancer activity of asparagus against MM was demonstrated using network pharmacology, and potential pharmacological mechanisms were inferred using in vitro experimental data.
Uncovering key molecules and immune landscape in cholestatic liver injury: implications for pathogenesis and drug therapy
Authors: Song Shuailing , Li Xiao , Geng Chong , Guo Yaoyu , Yang Yi , Wang Chunhui 
Published: May 2023

Background: Cholestasis is a common pathological process in a variety of liver diseases that may lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even liver failure. Cholestasis relief has been regarded as a principal target in the management of multiple chronic cholestasis liver diseases like primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) at present. However, complicated pathogenesis and limited acknowledgments fettered therapeutic development. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically analyze miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in cholestatic liver injury in order to provide new treatment strategies.Methods: Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE159676) was used to screen differentially expressed hepatic miRNAs and mRNAs in the PSC vs. control comparison and the PBC vs. control comparison, respectively. MiRWalk 2.0 tool was used to predict miRNA-mRNA pairs. Subsequently, functional analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis were performed to explore the pivotal functions of the target genes. RT-PCR was used to verify the result.Results: In total, a miRNA-mRNA network including 6 miRNAs (miR-122, miR-30e, let-7c, miR-107, miR-503, and miR-192) and 8 hub genes (PTPRC, TYROBP, LCP2, RAC2, SYK, TLR2, CD53, and LAPTM5) was constructed in cholestasis. Functional analysis revealed that these genes were mainly involved in the regulation of the immune system. Further analysis revealed that resting memory CD4 T cells and monocytes could potentially participate in cholestatic liver injury. The expressions of DEMis and eight hub genes were verified in ANIT-induced and BDL-induced cholestatic mouse models. Furthermore, SYK was found to have an impact on the response to UDCA, and its mechanism was possibly associated with complement activation and monocyte reduction.Conclusion: In the present study, a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed in cholestatic liver injury, which mostly mediated immune-related pathways. Moreover, the targeted gene SYK and monocytes were found to be related to UDCA response in PBC.
Linac-integrated on-board spectral-CT/CBCT imaging using a photon-counting detector: a Monte Carlo study
Authors: Ye Fengsong , Wang Hui , Fang Jianqiang 
Published: May 2023

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of dual-modal on-board spectral-CT/CBCT imaging using a CZT photon-counting detector mounted on a Linac by Monte Carlo simulations.Methods: In this proof-of-concept study, the Monte Carlo software platform of Geant4 Application for Tomography Emission (GATE) and a high-performance computing hardware platform were utilized to design and validate the novel on-board spectral-CT and conventional CBCT imaging system using a single CZT detector integrated into a Linac. Through the combined use of the Monte Carlo simulation and the charge transportation model based on a diffusion equation, we simulated x-ray energy spectra of the CZT detector with pixel sizes ranging of 200–1,000 μm, based on which the optimized pixel size of the detector was determined. Spatial resolution of the CBCT imaging of the system was evaluated by oversampling a tilted tungsten wire. A PMMA phantom, containing calcium and contrast elements of iodine, gadolinium, and gold, was simulated to demonstrate the spectral CT imaging capability of the system by using the K-edge spectral imaging method.Results: Considering the trade-off between the photon-peak efficiency and spatial resolution of the detector, the pixel size of the CZT detector was determined to be 400 µm. The spatial resolution of the CBCT imaging of the system was estimated to be 19.2 lp/cm@10% modulation transfer function. The CBCT imaging of the system provided sufficient structural details of the phantom with a high image contrast. Compared to the CBCT image of the phantom, the K-edge spectral CT images differentiated the four elements contained within the phantom very well.Conclusion: The simulation results demonstrated the feasibility of dual-modal on-board spectral-CT/CBCT imaging by using a single CZT photon counting detector in a Linac.
Plasma-derived exosomal let-7c-5p, miR-335–3p, and miR-652–3p as potential diagnostic biomarkers for stable coronary artery disease
Authors: Han Jian , Cui Xiaogang , Yuan Tianqi , Yang Zhiming , Liu Yue , Ren Yajuan , Wu Changxin , Bian Yunfei 
Published: May 2023

Objectives: Circulating exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as promising biomarkers for diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, the diagnostic potential of miRNAs in circulating exosomes for stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) remains unclear. We aim here to analyze the exosomal differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in plasma of SCAD patients and investigate their diagnostic potential as SCAD biomarkers.Methods: Plasma was collected from SCAD patients and healthy controls, and exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Exosomal DEmiRNAs were analyzed by small RNA sequencing and were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in a larger set of plasma samples. Relationships between plasma exosomal let-7c-5p, miR-335–3p, miR-652–3p, genders and Gensini Scores in patients with SCAD were analyzed using correlation analyses. Moreover, we conducted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for these DEmiRNAs and analyzed their possible functions and signaling pathways.Results: Vesicles isolated from plasma displayed all characteristics of exosomes. In the small RNA sequencing study, a total of 12 DEmiRNAs were identified, among which seven were verified to be statistically significant by qRT-PCR. The areas under the ROC curves of exosomal let-7c-5p, miR-335–3p, and miR-652–3p were 0.8472, 0.8029, and 0.8009, respectively. Exosomal miR-335–3p levels were positively correlated with Gensini scores of patients with SCAD. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these DEmiRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of SCAD.Conclusion: Our findings indicated that plasma exosomal let-7c-5p, miR-335–3p, and miR-652–3p can be used as promising biomarkers for diagnosis of SCAD. In addition, plasma exosomal miR-335–3p levels coordinated with severity of SCAD.
Test–retest reliability of kinematic and kinetic parameters during dual-task stair walking in the elderly
Authors: Li Yue , Yu Ning , Zhang Cui , Song Qipeng , Wang Jiangna , Sun Wei 
Published: May 2023

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the test–retest reliability of kinematics and kinetics during single and dual-task stair walking in the elderly.Methods: Fifteen healthy elderly adults were recruited. Kinematic and kinetic parameters were measured using an infrared motion analysis system (Vicon, Oxford Metrics Ltd., Oxford, United Kingdom) and force platforms (Switzerland, Kistler 9287BA and 9281CA). Participants were tested under single-task and dual-task (serial 3 subtractions or carrying a cup of water) conditions. Each participant completed two sessions on two separate days with a 1-week interval. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), Pearson correlation coefficient (r), and Bland–Altman plot were used to assess the reliability of stair walking.Results: When ascending stairs, the ICC of kinematics and kinetics ranged from fair to excellent (ICC = 0.500–0.979) in the single and dual tasks, except for step length (ICC = 0.394) in the single task. The r value of kinematics and kinetics ranged from 0.704 to 0.999. When descending stairs, the ICC of kinematics and kinetics ranged from good to excellent (ICC = 0.661–0.963), except for min hip moment (ICC = 0.133) and min ankle moment (ICC = 0.057) in the manual task. The r value of kinematics and kinetics ranged from 0.773 to 0.960 in the single and dual tasks. In the Bland–Altman plots, all the zero values and most of the dots fell in the 95% confidence interval, and the mean difference was found to be close to zero for all the parameters during stair walking.Conclusion: These results obtained from this study show the good test-retest reliability of step cadence, step speed, and step width during single- and dual-task stair walking in the elderly, and the poor reliability of step length during ascending stairs. All the kinetic parameters, including min hip moment, max knee moment, and min ankle moment, had good test-retest reliability during single- and dual-task stair walking, but min hip moment and min ankle moment had poor reliability during manual-task descending stair. These results may help researchers in the assessment of biomechanics of dual-task stair walking in the elderly and to interpret the effect of interventions in this population.
Inhibition of AcrAB-TolC enhances antimicrobial activity of phytochemicals in Pectobacterium brasiliense
Authors: Pun Manoj , Khazanov Netaly , Galsurker Ortal , Kerem Zohar , Senderowitz Hanoch , Yedidia Iris 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionThe eons-long co-evolvement of plants and bacteria led to a plethora of interactions between the two kingdoms, in which bacterial pathogenicity is counteracted by plant-derived antimicrobial defense molecules. In return, efflux pumps (EP) form part of the resistance mechanism employed by bacteria to permit their survival in this hostile chemical environment. In this work we study the effect of combinations of efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) and plant-derived phytochemicals on bacterial activity using Pectobacteriun brasiliense 1692 (Pb1692) as a model system.MethodsWe measured the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of two phytochemicals, phloretin (Pht) and naringenin (Nar), and of one common antibiotic ciprofloxacin (Cip), either alone or in combinations with two known inhibitors of the AcrB EP of Escherichia coli, a close homolog of the AcrAB-TolC EP of Pb1692. In addition, we also measured the expression of genes encoding for the EP, under similar conditions.ResultsUsing the FICI equation, we observed synergism between the EPIs and the phytochemicals, but not between the EPIs and the antibiotic, suggesting that EP inhibition potentiated the antimicrobial activity of the plant derived compounds, but not of Cip. Docking simulations were successfully used to rationalize these experimental results.DiscussionOur findings suggest that AcrAB-TolC plays an important role in survival and fitness of Pb1692 in the plant environment and that its inhibition is a viable strategy for controlling bacterial pathogenicity.
TSPTFBS 2.0: trans-species prediction of transcription factor binding sites and identification of their core motifs in plants
Authors: Cheng Huiling , Liu Lifen , Zhou Yuying , Deng Kaixuan , Ge Yuanxin , Hu Xuehai 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionAn emerging approach using promoter tiling deletion via genome editing is beginning to become popular in plants. Identifying the precise positions of core motifs within plant gene promoter is of great demand but they are still largely unknown. We previously developed TSPTFBS of 265 Arabidopsis transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) prediction models, which now cannot meet the above demand of identifying the core motif.MethodsHere, we additionally introduced 104 maize and 20 rice TFBS datasets and utilized DenseNet for model construction on a large-scale dataset of a total of 389 plant TFs. More importantly, we combined three biological interpretability methods including DeepLIFT, in-silico tiling deletion, and in-silico mutagenesis to identify the potential core motifs of any given genomic region.ResultsFor the results, DenseNet not only has achieved greater predictability than baseline methods such as LS-GKM and MEME for above 389 TFs from Arabidopsis, maize and rice, but also has greater performance on trans-species prediction of a total of 15 TFs from other six plant species. A motif analysis based on TF-MoDISco and global importance analysis (GIA) further provide the biological implication of the core motif identified by three interpretability methods. Finally, we developed a pipeline of TSPTFBS 2.0, which integrates 389 DenseNet-based models of TF binding and the above three interpretability methods.DiscussionTSPTFBS 2.0 was implemented as a user-friendly web-server (http://www.hzau-hulab.com/TSPTFBS/), which can support important references for editing targets of any given plant promoters and it has great potentials to provide reliable editing target of genetic screen experiments in plants.
Influence of game features on attention in adults
Authors: Gallen Courtney L. , Schachtner Jessica N. , Anguera-Singla Roger , Anguera Joaquin A. , Gazzaley Adam 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionThe incorporation of game features into cognitive tasks can inform us about the influence of reward and motivation on attention. Continuous performance tasks (CPTs), designed to assess attention abilities, are examples of cognitive tasks that have been targeted for the addition of game features. However, previous results have been mixed regarding how game elements affect attention abilities and task performance.MethodsHere, we studied if there were factors that predict which individuals exhibit changes in attention from game features added to a CPT. Participants (N = 94, aged 21–71) played a traditional CPT and a game CPT with identical mechanics, but featured engaging game elements (aesthetics, storyline, competition, feedback, and reward).ResultsWe first found corroborating evidence that game features have mixed effects on attention performance: most attention metrics of interest exhibited no overall difference between the traditional and game CPT, while game elements reduced performance for a few metrics. Importantly, we also found that specific behavioral and demographic profiles predicted individual differences in performance on the game CPT compared to the traditional CPT. Those with more attention difficulties (ADHD symptoms), more reward responsiveness, and younger adults performed better on the game CPT while, conversely, those with fewer ADHD symptoms, less reward responsiveness, and older adults performed better on the traditional CPT.DiscussionThese findings provide insights into how game features can influence attention in different individuals and have important implications for the use of game elements in cognitive tasks and training interventions.