bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of COVID-19 Time on the Development of Pre-impaired Glucose Tolerance State in Children and Adolescents With Overweight and Obesity
Authors: Giannini Cosimo , Mastromauro Concetta , Chiarelli Franco , Mohn Angelika 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Objectives
We aimed to characterize the effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on 2-h glucose values after an OGTT postulating a correlation between 2-h glucose spectrum and the decline of β-cell function. Particularly, we tried to evaluate the effects on the risk of showing 2-h glucose values in the highest range of normal values in obese children and adolescent during COVID-19 Pandemic compared to those evaluated during the 13 years before.
Subjects/Methods
Data from 532 obese and overweight children and adolescents (before COVID-19 Pandemic, 209M/262F, 2008–2019; during COVID-19 Pandemic, 40M/21F, 2020–2021) who had undergone a complete evaluation and had performed an OGTT after their first visit were analyzed. The two groups were further divided into three sub-groups based on the 2-h glucose values, group 1 (< 100 mg/dL), group 2 (100–119 mg/dL), group 3 (120–139 mg/dL), respectively. The prevalence of 2-h glucose values distribution in children was evaluated between the pre- and during COVID-19 Pandemic period and the main differences between the two groups 3 of each period were analyzed.
Results
A significant difference (P = 0.01) in terms of distribution of the prevalence of 2-h glucose values was documented between the group before COVID-19 (35.6%, 45.9% and 18.5%) and the group during COVID-19 Pandemic period (31.1%, 31.1% and 37.8%). A roughly doble higher prevalence of subjects with pre-IGT was documented in the COVID-19 group. In addition, group 3 of COVID-19 time showed significantly higher values for waist circumference (WC), Waist/Height ratio (WtHR), fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, and AUC Insulin, compared to the group 3 of the period before COVID-19 Pandemic (all P < 0.05).
Conclusions
During COVID-19 time a higher percentage of children are in the highest range of normal 2-h glucose values which is known to be associated with a significant impairment of β-cell function relative to insulin sensitivity and at higher risk of developing IGT.
Analysis and experimental validation of the innate immune gene PSMD1 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma and pan-cancer
Authors: Chen Xing , Liu Guihai , Wu Buqiang 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic, prognostic and biological role of PSMD1 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma(LIHC), an innate immune gene that has been identified as a biomarker for various types of cancer. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we investigated the correlation of PSMD1 with overall survival (OS), prognosis and clinical characteristics of LIHC, its potential as a biomarker for LIHC, and validation using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data. Immunohistochemical and single-cell studies confirmed these findings and subsequently investigated its role in a variety of cancers. Results showed that PSMD1 was overexpressed in LIHC tissues and acted as an independent prognostic factor affecting patient survival, with effects on clinical traits reflected in advanced stage and T-stage. Genomic enrichment analysis revealed the regulation of synaptic signaling, organ development, cell membrane channel regulation and immune pathways by PSMD1. PSMD1 expression in LIHC was positively correlated with immune infiltration and involved multiple immune cells. Pan-cancer studies have shown that PSMD1 also has important research potential in various cancers. PSMD1 is a good biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of LIHC, and PSMD1 may contribute to the progression of LIHC through receptor ligand regulation and immune-related pathways.
Extraction and Characterization of Keratin (Natural Protein) from Waste Broiler Chicken Feathers
Authors: Singh Anurag , Maurya Shyam Dev 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The current research was to extract the keratin protein from waste broiler chicken feather. Due to high keratin content in chicken feathers offers a valuable source of protein. The two steps involved are first employing (Na2S) to chicken feather then extracting the protein from chemicals. Sodium sulfide are employed as reducing agents. After the feather have been broken down using reducing agents in order to precipitate the protein dil. HCl is added to the solution. Protein that has been precipitated is repeatedly rinsed with distilled water and then kept into solution form by adding it into sodium hydroxide solution. Keratin obtained from broiler chicken feather had a yield of 81.1% which is relatively high in case of waste raw material conversion into value added product. The prepared keratin was characterized by FTIR, XRD, TGA to investigate the chemical composition, thermal properties, crystallinity properties and also physicomechanical properties including density were tested. From these findings results suggested that chicken feather can be used to extract protein. Due to biocompatible & biodegradable in nature. The keratin protein solution has a variety of uses such as anti-aging treatment, shampoo, conditioner and for medical treatment such as bone replacement and bone graft.
What happens after planting? Assessing canopy structure, vegetation cover index, and vegetation distribution of two Miyawaki forest stands in Bengaluru urban district, India
Authors: Roy Anirban , Chatterjee Nirmalya 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The Miyawaki method, as a technique of forest plantation, is receiving a lot of implementation support and popularity in India and beyond. However, there exists a paucity of scientific data on both pre-implementation baseline and post-implementation monitoring and ecological evaluation of such Miyawaki forest stands (hereafter, MwFS). Quantitative biophysical information on ecological performance is lacking.
This study evaluates two MwFS in Bengaluru urban district (India) using canopy measurements and vegetation analysis. Metrics like seasonal vegetation indices and on-ground assessments of canopy closure were done on MwFS with a spectrum of ages indicating canopy closure stabilization at 90-93% in about 60 months. Normalized Green-Red Difference Index calculations on time-series aerial imagery indicate a monotonic progression of seasonal open and closed canopy tree vegetation cover and a general reduction in bare ground cover. However, apronounced lack of vegetation diversity through natural recruitment, especially of herbaceousspecies even 6 years after plantation, and a general lack of structural diversity in trees indicateprobable deviation from standard forest evolution and ecological processes.
Based on our findings we recommend that age and structural diversity is encouraged throughalteration of planting design, canopy management like coppicing and pruning, and niche fillingusing active herbaceous planting in the MwFS. Such strategies will help these MwFS improveecological functioning and add to the urban ecosystem in ways other than mere visual aestheticimprovement.
cDCBLD2 mediates sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma by sponging miR-345-5p binding to the TOP2A coding sequence
Authors: Ruan YeLing , Chen TianYi , Zheng LongBo , Cai JingWei , Zhao Hu , Wang YaLi , Tao LiYe , Xu JunJie , Ji Lin , Cai XiuJun 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Sorafenib is a first-line chemotherapy drug for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its therapeutic effect has been seriously affected by the emergence of sorafenib resistance in HCC patients. The underlying mechanism of sorafenib resistance is unclear. Here, we report a circular RNA, cDCBLD2, which plays an important role in sorafenib resistance in HCC.Methods Use in vitro and in vivo experiments to study the function of cDCBLD2. Immunohistochemical detection of type IIA topoisomerase (TOP2A) expression in HCC tissue. The downstream molecules of cDCBLD2 were identified by differential gene analysis after knocking down cDCBLD2. QPCR, pull-down assay, FISH, Western blotting, dual-Luciferase reporter, cck8 assay, flow cytometry and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mice were used to determine the molecular mechanism.Results We found that cDCBLD2 was upregulated in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells, and knocking down cDCBLD2 expression could significantly increase sorafenib-related cytotoxicity. Further evidence showed that cDCBLD2 can bind to microRNA (miR)-345-5p through a competing endogenous RNA mechanism, increase type TOP2A mRNA stability through a miRNA sponge mechanism, and reduce the effects of sorafenib treatment on HCC by inhibiting apoptosis. Our findings also suggest that miR-345-5p can negatively regulate TOP2A levels by binding to the coding sequence region of its mRNA. Additionally, targeting cDCBLD2 by injecting a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) could significantly overcome sorafenib resistance in a PDX mouse model of liver cancer.Conclusion We found that cDCBLD2 can competitively bind to the TOP2A coding sequence region through the miR-345-5p sponge mechanism, and thus affect sorafenib resistance and caspase-3 mediated apoptosis of HCC cells. Taken together, our study provides a proof-of-concept for a potential strategy to overcome sorafenib resistance in HCC patients by targeting cDCBLD2 or TOP2A.
The Longitudinal Relationships between Social Relationships and Physical, Mental, and Cognitive Health: The Role of Frailty
Authors: Mehrabi Fereshteh , Béland François 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Socially isolated older adults incur increased risks of adverse health outcomes, though the strength of this association is unclear. We examined whether changes in physical frailty moderated the associations between changes in social relationships and changes in health outcomes among older adults.Methods This longitudinal study is based on three waves of the FRéLE study among 1643 Canadian community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older over two years. We performed latent growth curve modeling to assess changes with the assumption of missing not at random, adjusting for time-invariant covariates. Social relationships were measured by social participation, social networks, and social support from social ties. Frailty was assessed using the five components of the phenotype of frailty.Results The moderation results revealed that changes toward increasing social participation, social contact with friends, social support from friends, and nuclear and extended family were associated with greater changes toward better cognitive and mental health, but not physical health, among frailer older adults in contrast with those who were more robust. These results highlight the beneficial role of social relationships on mental and cognitive health among frail older adults.Conclusions This longitudinal study suggests that social support has a protective and compensatory role in enhancing mental health among frail older adults. Further experimental studies and interventions are warranted to extend findings on the relationships between social relationships and health outcomes, targeting frail older adults. Future studies may consider other health-related risk factors that may impact the associations between social relationships and physical, mental, and cognitive health outcomes among older adults.
Protective effect of phosphorylated Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Ching polysaccharide on vascular endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Yin Kaiyue , Chen Jiyu , Miao Changqing , Gao Feng , Sheng Jiwen , Liu Dongmei 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to prepare phosphorylated Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Cing polysaccharide (PPS) and investigate its protective effect on vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in vitro and in vivo and the underlying mechanisms. Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) and sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) were used as phosphorylation reagents and PPS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectra. Chemical analysis demonstrated that PPS was composed of mannose, glucosamine, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, galactosamine, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose and fucose with a molar ratio of 11.36:0.42:4.03:1.12:1.81:0.26:33.25:24.12:6.85:14.46:2.32 and a molecular weight of 28837 Da. Results from in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that PPS protected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against H2O2-induced oxidative injury and attenuated VECs damage in mice treated with D-galactose. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis disclosed that PPS down- or up-regulated the expression of eighteen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the functions of vascular endothelium repairment, cell growth and proliferation, cell survival and apoptosis, inflammation, angiogenesis and antioxidant in mice abdominal aorta, implying that these biological processes might play crucial roles in the protective actions of PPS on VECs.
Dynamic SLAM: A Visual SLAM in Outdoor Dynamic Scenes
Authors: Wen Shuhuan , Li Xiongfei , Zhang Hong , Li Jiaqi , Tao Sheng , Long Yidan 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) has been widely used in augmented reality(AR), virtual reality(VR), robotics, and autonomous vehicles as the theoretical basis for robots to perceive their environment. Most popular SLAM algorithms assume that objects in the scene are static. Solving dynamic problems in SLAM is now attracting increasing attention. In this paper, we propose a method that combines semantic segmentation information and spatial motion information of associated pixels to cope with dynamic objects in SLAM algorithms. Our system is built based on ORB-SLAM2. We add a deep segmentation network SegNet to segment each frame of the input image and obtain the semantic information for each feature point. Next, the spatial velocity of feature points between adjacent frames is calculated assuming uniform motion. Finally, the two parts are fused for the final judgment, and the dynamic feature points are removed to improve positioning accuracy. We evaluate our SLAM algorithms using the public KITTI dataset. The proposed algorithm has a similar overall accuracy level to ORB-SLAM2, but it is more accurate in sequences with many dynamic objects. On KITTI’s raw data sequence containing multiple dynamic objects, our pipeline achieves the best performance, improving 39.5% compared with the original system. We compare our algorithm with other state-of-the-art SLAM systems used to cope with dynamic environments. The results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance.
MiR-601-induced BMSCs senescence accelerates steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head progression by targeting SIRT1
Authors: Tang Boyu , Chen Yu , Zhao Pei , Yan Wenlong , Huang Xiao , Jiang Weiqian , Sun Mingjie , Zhang Hongrui , Xiang Dulei , Chen Tingmei , Lian Chengjie , zhang jian 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background: The imbalance between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is not only the primary pathological feature but also a major contributor to the pathogenesis of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH). Cellular senescence is one of the main causes of imbalanced BMSCs differentiation. The purpose of this study was to reveal whether cellular senescence could participate in the progression of SONFH and the related mechanisms.
Methods: The rat SONFH model was constructed, and rat BMSCs were extracted. Aging-related indicators were detected by SA-β-Gal staining, qRT-PCR and Western Blot experiments. Using H2O2 to construct a senescent cell model, and overexpressing and knocking down miR-601 and SIRT1 in hBMSCs, the effect on BMSCs differentiation was explored by qRT-PCR, Western Blot experiment, oil red O staining, alizarin red staining, and luciferase reporter gene experiment. A rat SONFH model was established to test the effects of miR-601 and metformin in vivo.
Results:The current study showed that glucocorticoids (GCs)-induced BMSCs senescence, which caused imbalanced osteogenesis and adipogenesis of BMSCs, was responsible for the SONFH progression. Further, elevated miR-601 caused by GCs was demonstrated to contribute to BMSC senescence through targeting SIRT1. In addition, the anti-aging drug metformin was shown to be able to alleviate GCs-induced BMSCs senescence and SONFH progression.
Conclusions: Considering the role of BMSCs aging in the progression of SONFH, this provides a new idea for the prevention and treatment of SONFH.
Comprehensive characterization of LINE-1 antisense promoter-driven genes across human cancers
Authors: Xu Baohong , Li Xueer , Zhang Shaoqi , Lian Meina , Huang Wenbin , Zhang Yin , Wang Yudong , Huang Zhiquan 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) comprises 17% of the human genome. As the only autonomous and active retrotransposon, L1 plays an essential role in cancer initiation and progression. The studies of L1 in cancer mainly focus on the impact of L1 insertion into the new genome locus. The L1 5´ untranslated region (UTR) also contains antisense promoter (ASP) activity, generating L1-gene chimeric transcripts to a neighbor exon. Some of these ASP-driven genes have been reported to be overexpressed in cancer and promote cancer cell growth. However, little is known about overall expression patterns and the roles of L1 ASP-driven genes in human cancers.Results L1 ASP-driven genes were frequently dysregulated in cancer and associated with the cell cycle, the P13K/AKT pathway, and the GTPase signaling pathway. The expression of L1 ASP-driven genes was correlated with tumor patient prognosis. Hub L1 ASP-driven genes CENPU and MCM2 showed a correlation with immune infiltration, clinical T stage, and cancer stemness in pan-cancer. Knockdown of L1 ASP-driven gene LINC00491 resulted in a significant decrease in the ability of tumor growth and migration.Conclusions The expression of L1 ASP-driven genes is significantly dysregulated at the pan-cancer level, which is closely related to the tumor microenvironment and progression, as well as patient prognosis. Hub genes CENPU and MCM2 are expected to be new tumor diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.
Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Photophysical Properties of Bis(4'-chloro-2,2':6',2''- terpyridyl)nickel(II)chloride dihydrate
Authors: Thippeswamy Basavaraja , Suchetan Parameshwar A. , Mahadevan Kittappa M. , Nagabhushana H. , Vijayakumar Giriyapura R. 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Ni(II) complex viz., bis(4'-chloro-2,2':6',2''-terpyridyl)nickel(II)chloride dihydrate, Ni(Cltpy)2(Cl2).2H2O was prepared under mild conditions by conventional method. A tridentate ligand 4'-chloro-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (Cltpy) was employed during the synthesis. The octahedral geometry of the complex was revealed by subjecting it to single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies. The synthesized complex, characterized primarily by fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and elemental analysis, was investigated with the aim of determining their thermal behaviour using thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and photophysical properties through photoluminescence (PL) and diffuse reflectance (DR) spectrum. Recording of DR spectrum in the range 200-1100 nm showed a prominent peak at 630 nm and the band gap energy of 2.38 eV was resulted in accordance with Kubelka–Munk (K-M) theory. The PL spectra of the title compound displayed the emission of blue green light. The commission internationale de l’eclairage (CIE) coordinates (0.2641, 0.3722) were obtained from its CIE graph. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was carried out to find its surface morphology.
Effects of rational emotive behavior therapy on alexithymia, anxiety, depression and sleep quality of the elderly in nursing homes: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Qin Ning , Li Jie , Wu Xiaoqi , Zhang Chun , Luo Yating , Dong Xiaoqian , Cao Huan , Wang Sha , Liu Min , Xie Jianfei , Cheng Andy SK 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Alexithymia, a subclinical cognitive-affective impairment, is prevalent in the elderly and increases the risk of mental disorders. There is a vast alexithymia treatment gap, with majority of the elderly in nursing homes lacking access to adequate mental health care. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) on alexithymia, anxiety, depression and sleep quality of the elderly in nursing homes.Methods This quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups (the control group and intervention) from March to November 2021. This study enrolled 86 participants, two of whom were lost to follow-up; 42 received usual care (control group) and 42 received REBT based on usual care (intervention group) in nursing homes. The elderly in both groups were evaluated at baseline, within one-week post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were used by SPSS version 26 to assess the differential change in the outcomes between the two groups.Results The intervention group shows significantly greater improvement in alexithymia than the control group within one-week post-intervention (β = -8.167, 95%CI= -10.965, -5.368, P < 0.001) and at 3-month follow-up (β=-4.119, 95%CI= -7.171, -1.067, P = 0.008). Compared to the control group, the intervention group shows a significant improvement in sleep quality at 3-month follow‐up (β = -2.048, 95%CI=-4.004, -0.091, P = 0.040). For depression and anxiety, no significant differences were found between the intervention and control groups.Conclusions REBT showed to be an effective method for improving alexithymia and sleep quality of the elderly in nursing homes. However, it failed to significantly alleviate anxiety and depression at least in a short-term trial. Refining this intervention may have a broader, more substantial impact on future research.
Association Between Fibrosis-Related Gene Polymorphism and Long-term Allograft Outcome in Renal Transplant Recipients
Authors: Yin Yu , Zhang Han , Sun Li , Han Qianguang , Zheng Ming , Chen Hao , Fei Shuang , Tan Ruoyun , Gu Min , Ju Xiaobing , Wang Zijie 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
Background Renal allograft fibrosis is one of characteristic causes of long-term renal function loss. The purpose of our study is to investigate the association between fibrosis-related genes single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and kidney function in 5 years after kidney transplantation.Methods A total of 143 recipients were eligible for screening with 5-year follow-up information and SNP sequencing information from blood samples were included in this study. Minor Allele Frequency (MAF) and Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) analysis was conducted to identify tagger single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes. SNPs associated with the fifth year chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging were screened by SPSS and the "SNPassoc" package in RStudio and used for subsequent prediction model construction.Results A total of 275 renal transplant-related SNPs identified after target sequencing analysis. 64 Tagger SNPs were selected, and two SNPs (rs13969 and rs243849) were statistically significant for stage of CKD in 5 years. Finally, a model based on Gender, Age, rs1396, and rs243849 was constructed by multivariate linear regression analysis. Additionally, this model has a good performance in predicting uremia five years after kidney transplantation.Conclusion Two SNPs (rs13969 and rs243849) were identified to be significantly associated with long-term renal allograft function. Based on this, a prediction model for long-term allograft function was established containing Gender, Age, rs1396, and rs243849. However, an independent cohort should be enrolled to validate the predicting performance.