bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Qizhu Rougan Granules suppress liver fibrosis by inhibiting the expression of the P2Y14 receptor on hepatic stellate cells
Authors: Tao Yujing , Niu Qun , Yao Yuanqian , Wang Kaixin , Dong Haijian , Zhao Xin , Zeng Zijian , Li Hui 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionLiver fibrosis is a globally prevalent chronic liver disease, often representing the advanced stage of various chronic liver conditions. Despite its widespread occurrence, there is currently no widely accepted or effective treatment for liver fibrosis. However, increasing evidence supports the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in inhibiting the progression of fibrosis. In this study, we explored the effects and potential mechanisms of Qizhu-Ruogan-Granules (QZRG), a formulation from the Affiliated Hospital of the Chengdu University of TCM, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in mice.MethodsA total of 40 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8 per group), with liver fibrosis induced by injecting 10% CCl4 for 15 weeks. From the 7th week onward, QZRG granules were administered orally to the treatment groups at low, medium, and high doses. To assess liver function, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured. Liver morphology and fibrosis were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (H&amp;E) and Masson’s trichrome staining, while gene and protein expression levels were analyzed through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot techniques.ResultsThe results showed that QZRG granules significantly reduced serum levels of AST, ALT, and ALP in CCl4-treated mice, alleviated liver damage, and reduced collagen accumulation. Furthermore, QZRG granules inhibited the expression of apoptosis-related proteins BAX, Caspase9, Caspase8, and Caspase3, while reducing P2Y14 expression in fibrotic liver tissues. Additionally, QZRG granules suppressed the proliferation of activated hepatic stellate cells.ConclusionOur findings suggest that QZRG granules may exert anti-fibrotic effects by downregulating P2Y14 expression and effectively slowing the progression of liver fibrosis.
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) mediates nicotine-induced podocyte injury
Authors: Datta Sayantap , Rahman Mohammad Atiqur , Koka Saisudha , Boini Krishna M. 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionCigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for renal dysfunction. Smoking associated with renal damage bears distinct physiological correlations in conditions such as diabetic nephropathy and obesity-induced glomerulopathy. However, the cellular and molecular basis of such an association remains poorly understood. High mobility group box 1(HMGB1) is a highly conserved non-histone chromatin associated protein that largely contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as sepsis, atherosclerosis, and chronic kidney diseases. Hence, the present study tested whether HMGB1 contributes to nicotine-induced podocyte injury.Methods and ResultsBiochemical analysis showed that nicotine treatment significantly increased the HMGB1 expression and release compared to vehicle treated podocytes. However, prior treatment with glycyrrhizin (Gly), a HMGB1 binder, abolished the nicotine-induced HMGB1 expression and release in podocytes. Furthermore, immunofluorescent analysis showed that nicotine treatment significantly decreased the expression of podocyte functional proteins- podocin and nephrin as compared to control cells. However, prior treatment with Gly attenuated the nicotine‐induced nephrin and podocin reduction. In addition, nicotine treatment significantly increased desmin expression and cell permeability compared to vehicle treated podocytes. However, prior treatment with Gly attenuated the nicotine-induced desmin expression and cell permeability. Mechanistic elucidation revealed that nicotine treatment augmented the expression of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) and pre-treatment with Gly abolished nicotine induced TLR4 upregulation. Pharmacological inhibition of TLR4 with Resatorvid, a TLR4 specific inhibitor, also attenuated nicotine induced podocyte damage.ConclusionHMGB1 is one of the important mediators of nicotine‐induced podocyte injury through TLR4 activation.
Foliar spraying with zinc oxide nanoparticles enhances the anti-osteoporotic efficacy of the fruit extracts of Silybum marianum L. by stimulating silybin production
Authors: Fahad Almulhim Bedoor , Sherif Fadia El , Younis Nancy S. , Safwat Yamen , Khattab Salah 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionSilybum marianum is a medicinal plant that produces silymarin, which has been demonstrated to possess antiviral, anti-neurodegenerative, and anticancer activities. Silybin (A+B) are two major hepatoprotective flavonolignans produced predominantly in S. marianum fruits. Several attempts have been made to increase the synthesis of silymarin, or its primary components, silybin (A+B). Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are considered a highly efficient Zn source widely used to promote crop development and productivity.MethodsIn this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the foliar application of ZnO-NPs on the growth, yield, photosynthetic pigment content, silybin (A+B) content, and the expression of the chalcone synthase (CHS) gene in S. marianum plants. Different concentrations of ZnO-NPs were administered as foliar sprays to S. marianum plants growing in greenhouse conditions. Furthermore, we evaluated the anti-osteoporotic efficacy of the corresponding fruit extract against dexamethasone (Dex)-induced osteoporosis.Results and discussionFoliar treatment at all ZnO-NP concentrations increased the amounts of bioactive components of silybin (A+B), which enhanced the growth and yield of S. marianum plants while increasing the levels of N, P, K, and Zn in their leaves, roots, and fruits; the levels of photosynthetic pigments in their leaves; and silybin (A+B) content in their fruits, thereby increasing the medicinal value of S. marianum. The highest gains were observed in plants sprayed with the highest ZnO-NP concentration (20.0 mg/L). In addition, gene expression studies revealed that ZnO-NPs stimulated silybin (A+B) production by activating CHS genes. The administration of S. marianum extracts to Dex-administered rats increased osteoblast and bone formation while inhibiting osteoclast and bone resorption, thereby protecting the animals against Dex-induced osteoporosis.
YOLOv7-DWS: tea bud recognition and detection network in multi-density environment via improved YOLOv7
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Wu Zhenlong , Xiao Guannan , Han Chongyang , Fang Cheng 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionAccurate detection and recognition of tea bud images can drive advances in intelligent harvesting machinery for tea gardens and technology for tea bud pests and diseases. In order to realize the recognition and grading of tea buds in a complex multi-density tea garden environment.MethodsThis paper proposes an improved YOLOv7 object detection algorithm, called YOLOv7-DWS, which focuses on improving the accuracy of tea recognition. First, we make a series of improvements to the YOLOv7 algorithm, including decouple head to replace the head of YOLOv7, to enhance the feature extraction ability of the model and optimize the class decision logic. The problem of simultaneous detection and classification of one-bud-one-leaf and one-bud-two-leaves of tea was solved. Secondly, a new loss function WiseIoU is proposed for the loss function in YOLOv7, which improves the accuracy of the model. Finally, we evaluate different attention mechanisms to enhance the model’s focus on key features.Results and discussionThe experimental results show that the improved YOLOv7 algorithm has significantly improved over the original algorithm in all evaluation indexes, especially in the RTea(+6.2%) and mAP@0.5 (+7.7%). From the results, the algorithm in this paper helps to provide a new perspective and possibility for the field of tea image recognition.
“Longing is good”: proof-of-concept for a novel psychological intervention to tackle self-blaming emotions
Authors: Lajmi Nahed , Duan Suqian , Moll Jorge , Zahn Roland 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundMany people with depression, for which self-blame plays a key role, are not amenable to current standard psychological treatments. This calls for novel self-guided interventions, which require less attention and motivation. The present study sought to establish proof-of-concept for a novel self-guided intervention in a non-clinical sample, which prompts people to transform self-blaming feelings into “longing,” as a related unpleasant, but presumably more adaptive and approach-related emotion, which plays a key role in many musical and literary genres but has been largely overlooked in clinical research.MethodsThirty nine participants with no previous self-reported history of mental disorders, but who experienced frequent feelings of self-blame were enrolled remotely (n = 3 lost to follow-up). Self-blaming thoughts, along with depressive symptoms and other outcomes, were assessed pre- and post-intervention to determine the potential of the intervention, which consisted of creating a 10-min video starting with self-blame evoking materials, transitioning to sadness and finally longing. Participants were then asked to watch their video daily for 7 days.ResultsThe number of participants lost to follow-up was low (n = 3) and engagement with the intervention was very high. As predicted, the intervention significantly reduced depressive symptoms on our primary outcome measure (Beck’s Depression Inventory, BDI-II, Cohen’s d = 0.40) after 1 week. This was further confirmed by a reduction on the Maudsley-modified Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Unexpectedly, no changes were observed on the non-clinical measures.LimitationsA randomized controlled trial design is needed to determine whether these symptom reductions were causally related to the intervention. Additionally, our findings may not generalize to men, due to our inability to recruit a sex-balanced sample.ConclusionAs predicted, participants benefited from being prompted to transform self-blaming feelings into those related to longing which shows the feasibility and potential to be further developed in people with clinical depression. Our study highlights the adaptive potential of unpleasant approach-related emotions such as longing, which are rarely considered in standard psychotherapies.
Anticipation training for expert tennis players when facing a specific player
Authors: Triolet Céline , Benguigui Nicolas 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionIn fast ball sports, such as tennis, when spatiotemporal constraints are high, players have to anticipate the opponent action. Not much is known about how players acquire and improve this ability. The aim of this study was to use an implicit training protocol (no information was given to participants) based on the knowledge of one particular opponent to analyse how experts could improve their anticipation ability.MethodProfessional tennis players were tested and trained in a protocol consisted of watching videos with temporal occlusions before the opponent stroke and guessing the direction of the stroke. Three groups took part in the experiment: one with a specific training with the same opponent as in pre- and post-tests; one with a various training with players other than the one used in pre- and post-tests (to control that the improvement is link with the knowledge of one specific opponent and not to an adaptation to the task) and one control group without practice.ResultsOnly the group trained with the same opponent increased its response accuracy.DiscussionOur results suggest that anticipation can be improved in professional tennis players with a very specific training providing information about the opponent.
Ayahuasca-assisted meaning reconstruction therapy for grief: a non-randomized clinical trial protocol
Authors: Sabucedo Pablo , Andión Oscar , Neimeyer Robert A. , Soto-Angona Oscar , Javkin Julia , Haro Josep Maria , Farré Magi , González Débora 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundPsychotherapy for Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), a condition characterized by an intense and persistent grief response, has received increased attention over the past decades. Evidence-based approaches to prevent PGD are currently scarce, and not always effective. This paper introduces a protocol for a clinical trial exploring the effectiveness of a Meaning Reconstruction psychotherapy approach (MR) assisted with ayahuasca, a traditional indigenous medicine.MethodThe outlined protocol is a three-arm, non-randomized controlled trial focused on reducing normal and pathological grief symptoms, comparing the effectiveness of Ayahuasca-assisted MR therapy (A-MR), MR therapy alone (MR) and No Treatment (NT). At least 69 people who lost a first-degree relative during the prior year, and with a Texas Revised Inventory of Grief score up 39 (TRIG ≥ 40), will participate in the trial. Participants will be allocated to an A-MR (n ≥ 23), MR (n ≥ 23) or NT (n ≥ 23) group. Those from the A-MR and MR therapy groups will undergo a therapeutic process involving 9 sessions of online psychotherapy. In addition, the A-MR condition involves 2 group sessions of ayahuasca. The primary outcomes will be normal and pathological grief severity as measured by the TRIG and Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report (TGI-SR), administered at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow up. Measures of quality of life, post-traumatic growth, meaning-made, psychological flexibility, and self-belief consistency will be also included. In addition, subjective effects of ayahuasca and acceptance-avoidance promoting effects will be assessed following ayahuasca administration. Finally, we will analyze the potential mediating effect of meaning-made, psychological flexibility and self-belief consistency in grief symptoms (as measured by the TRIG and TGI).DiscussionThis trial is the first to empirically examinate the potential of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for grief, as well as the potential processes of change that may account for it.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT06150859.
Machine learning prediction of anxiety symptoms in social anxiety disorder: utilizing multimodal data from virtual reality sessions
Authors: Park Jin-Hyun , Shin Yu-Bin , Jung Dooyoung , Hur Ji-Won , Pack Seung Pil , Lee Heon-Jeong , Lee Hwamin , Cho Chul-Hyun 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionMachine learning (ML) is an effective tool for predicting mental states and is a key technology in digital psychiatry. This study aimed to develop ML algorithms to predict the upper tertile group of various anxiety symptoms based on multimodal data from virtual reality (VR) therapy sessions for social anxiety disorder (SAD) patients and to evaluate their predictive performance across each data type.MethodsThis study included 32 SAD-diagnosed individuals, and finalized a dataset of 132 samples from 25 participants. It utilized multimodal (physiological and acoustic) data from VR sessions to simulate social anxiety scenarios. This study employed extended Geneva minimalistic acoustic parameter set for acoustic feature extraction and extracted statistical attributes from time series-based physiological responses. We developed ML models that predict the upper tertile group for various anxiety symptoms in SAD using Random Forest, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and categorical boosting (CatBoost) models. The best parameters were explored through grid search or random search, and the models were validated using stratified cross-validation and leave-one-out cross-validation.ResultsThe CatBoost, using multimodal features, exhibited high performance, particularly for the Social Phobia Scale with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) of 0.852. It also showed strong performance in predicting cognitive symptoms, with the highest AUROC of 0.866 for the Post-Event Rumination Scale. For generalized anxiety, the LightGBM’s prediction for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-trait led to an AUROC of 0.819. In the same analysis, models using only physiological features had AUROCs of 0.626, 0.744, and 0.671, whereas models using only acoustic features had AUROCs of 0.788, 0.823, and 0.754.ConclusionsThis study showed that a ML algorithm using integrated multimodal data can predict upper tertile anxiety symptoms in patients with SAD with higher performance than acoustic or physiological data obtained during a VR session. The results of this study can be used as evidence for personalized VR sessions and to demonstrate the strength of the clinical use of multimodal data.
The role of anti-inflammatory diets and supplementation in metabolic syndrome and symptom remission in adults with schizophrenia: a systematic review
Authors: Suschana Elizabeth , Anderson Thea , Hong Catriona , Narikatte Arun , Silverberg Jillian , Sharma Manu Suresh 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionImmune dysregulation and chronic inflammation have been hypothesized as potential pathways in metabolic syndrome and schizophrenia. Anti-inflammatory diets have the potential not only to treat metabolic syndrome but also to reduce the symptom burden in schizophrenia. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the role of anti-inflammatory diets and vitamin supplementation in the management of metabolic syndrome and in symptom remission in people with schizophrenia.MethodsThis systematic review included research articles from PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials. The primary outcomes were markers of metabolic syndrome and symptoms of psychosis.ResultsOur search identified 2,124 potential studies, of which 1,559 were screened based on the title and abstract, resulting in 81 full-text articles assessed for eligibility. A total of 17 studies were included, which demonstrated mixed findings on the impacts of anti-inflammatory diet interventions on metabolic markers and symptom remission in schizophrenia. Prebiotic, probiotic, and fish oil supplementation showed improvements in metabolic markers. Fish oil and vitamin D supplementation demonstrated symptom remission in some trials.ConclusionIt is important to consider that people with schizophrenia may experience common external barriers that hinder adherence to dietary interventions. These findings underscore the need for larger trials with standardized dietary protocols and consistent metabolic and symptom outcome measures in order to better understand the potential role of anti-inflammatory interventions in this population.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42024511596.
Regional disparities and dynamic evolution of suicide prevention and intervention efficiency in Japan
Authors: Tang Yin 
Published: January 2025

IntroductionThis study investigates the cost-effectiveness of suicide prevention and intervention (SPI) efforts by prefectural governments in Japan. It represents the first application of a public sector efficiency evaluation model to assess government SPI initiatives. The research aims to identify spatial disparities and dynamic evaluation in SPI efficiency, providing actionable insights for policymakers.MethodsWe employed a three-stage Modified Slacks-Based Measure of Super Efficiency to evaluate the SPI implementation efficiency of prefectural governments. This approach accounted for exogenous environmental and stochastic factors to isolate actual managerial efficiency. Additionally, the Luenberger productivity index was utilized to analyze the changes in SPI efficiency over time, focusing on the contributions of technological advancements and efficiency improvements.ResultsThe analysis revealed significant spatial disparities in SPI efficiency across prefectural governments. However, a substantial portion of these differences was attributable to exogenous environmental and stochastic factors, indicating relatively limited variations in actual managerial efficiency. The Luenberger productivity index indicated an overall upward trend in SPI productivity, driven primarily by technical change. Conversely, the analysis highlighted a decline in efficiency changes, predominantly due to reduced scale efficiency.DiscussionThe findings underscore the importance of considering external environmental and stochastic factors when evaluating SPI efficiency. While technical advancements have positively influenced SPI productivity, policymakers should address the deteriorating trend in scale efficiency changes to ensure sustainable improvements in efficiency. Strategies that balance technical change and efficiency enhancements are essential for optimizing local SPI efforts.
Sociodemographic characteristics and vaping motives as potential correlates of early vaping initiation
Authors: Al-Naimi Aisha , Al-Obaidli Fatma , Al-Rashdi Reem , Chokor Fatima Al Zahraa , Al-Hamdani Mohammed 
Published: January 2025

BackgroundVaping’s popularity has particularly increased among young people, with its prevalence varying across different regions, including the Middle East. The health impacts of vaping, especially when initiated early, are a growing concern.AimsThis study aimed to investigate the correlates of early vaping initiation (EVI) and explored the sociodemographic characteristics and vaping motives influencing EVI among vapers from Arab countries.MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey recruited 428regular vapers, aged 18–60 who resided in Arab countries at the time of the study. Sociodemographic and vaping motives data were collected. Stepwise logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with EVI.ResultsThe study findings revealed that older participants and expats have lower odds of EVI. Males and vapers from Qatar had around 4–5 times the odds of EVI as compared to females and those from Egypt, respectively.ConclusionTargeted social marketing and education campaigns may benefit groups at risk of EVI, including residents of Qatar, males, and those who are strongly influenced by social media or who have friends or family members who vape. Reducing EVI is particularly important, as vaping often begins at an early age, and early intervention is vital to prevent early initiation and subsequent addiction.