bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of MDK as a diagnostic biomarker for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and its association with immune cell infiltration
Authors: Bai Yang , Zhan Ke , You Dengxia 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare and progressive disease, of which the diagnosis primarily relies on clinical, radiological, and pathological findings without considering the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and corresponding diagnostic biomarkers.
Aims: We tried to discover the potential diagnostic biomarkers for IPF and evaluate the contribution of immune cell infiltration in IPF pathogenesis.
Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed between IPF patients and healthy controls, and functional analyses were performed. Diagnostic biomarkers for IPF were identified simultaneously using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorisms. The CIBERSORT was applied to investigate the immune cell infiltration in IPF, of which the association with identified diagnostic biomarkers was evaluated.
Results: 6 common DEGs were discovered by the LASSO and SVM-RFE algorisms simultaneously, of which MDK was ultimately identified as a diagnostic biomarker for IPF, with areas under the curve of 1.000, 0.637, 1.000, and 0.524 in the GSE53845, GSE38958, GSE24206, and GSE101286 datasets, respectively. The IPF pathogenesis might be associated with increased infiltration of monocytes and decreased infiltration of neutrophils, memory B cells, resting memory CD4+ T cells, and naive CD4+ T cells. Moreover, MDK was significantly associated with M0 macrophages and T follicular helper cells.
Conclusion: MDK can be used as a diagnostic marker for IPF, and more studies are needed to elucidate the specific correlation between MDK and immune cell infiltration in IPF pathogenesis.
Perioperative Factors Associated With Survival Following Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer – a Nationwide Analyses of 473 Cases From Denmark
Authors: Spore Laura Marr , Dencker Emilie Even , Kvanner Eske Aasvang , Hansen Carsten Palnaes , Burgdorf Stefan Kobbelgaard , Krohn Paul Suno , Kollbeck Sophie Louise Gisela , Storkholm Jan Henrik , Sillesen Martin 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancer diseases worldwide, with an overall 5-year survival rate of only 5%. The effects of perioperative treatment factors including operation time, blood transfusions as well as choice of anesthesia and analgesia techniques on overall survival (OS) following pancreatic resections for PDAC, is currently not well known. We hypothesized that these perioperative factors could be associated with OS following pancreatic resections for PDAC.
METHODS
Retrospective study from a nationwide cohort of PDAC patients from 2011 to 2020 in Denmark. Data was obtained by joining the national Danish Pancreatic Cancer Database (DPCD) and the Danish Anesthesia Database (DAD). Associations between OS as the primary endpoint, and perioperative factor were assessed using Hazard Ratios (HRs) calculated by cox regression controlled for relevant confounders.
RESULTS
Overall, data from 473 resected PDAC patients were available. Multivariate cox regression indicated that perioperative blood transfusions were associated with shorter OS (HR 2.53, p = 0.005), with survival estimates of 8.8% in transfused vs. 28.0% in non-transfused patients at 72 months after surgery. No significant associations could be identified for operation time or anesthesia/analgesia techniques.
CONCLUSION
In this study, the use of perioperative blood transfusions was associated with shorter OS.
Fusarium species and strains involved in Fusarium Head Blight are differentially affected by the promising TickCore3-based plant care solution.
Authors: Leannec-Rialland Valentin , Atanasova Vessela , Cabezas-Cruz Alejandro , Chereau Sylvain , Minh-Trang Tran , Pinson-Gadais Laetitia , Richard-Forget Florence 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Cereal crops are frequently affected by Fusarium species that are responsible for the devastating fungal disease Fusarium Head Blight (FHB). These Fusarium species are also capable of producing mycotoxins that accumulate in grains. Reducing the use of synthetic fungicides in agriculture while guaranteeing low levels of mycotoxin contamination in crops requires the development of innovative and environment-friendly solutions. TickCore3 (TC3) is an antimicrobial peptide derived from a defensin DefMT3 of the tick Ixodes ricinus. This peptide was previously reported as a potent antifungal and anti-mycotoxin agent but was only tested against one strain of Fusarium graminearum, which is only one of the species causing FHB. In this study, we demonstrated that TC3 is active against major Fusarium species infecting wheat and has the capacity to inhibit the production of various mycotoxins. Fungal susceptibility to this peptide was shown to greatly vary according to the species and even the strain. We found that TC3 is highly efficient when applied at the spore stage and has a strong anti-germination activity. Using a FITC-labeled TC3 peptide and confocal microscopy, we showed that TC3 has strong affinity for the conidia surface and surrounds these fungal structures. While this study provides further arguments supporting the huge potential of TC3 as a novel and efficient anti-fungal agent, it also highlights the need for further studies to ensure that the application of TC3 in wheat fields will not induce a shift in Fusarium population such as in mycotoxin profile contaminating grains.
First report of Acinetobacter pittii acute community-acquired pneumonia in an immunocompetent patient in France following a heat wave
Authors: Souhail Bérénice , Danjean Maxime , Mercier-Darty Mélanie , Amaddeo Giuliana , Sessa Anna , Fihman Vincent , Galy Adrien , Woerther Paul Louis , Lepeule Raphaël 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background: In recent years, Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC) infections have attracted attention, mainly because of the impact of carbapenem-resistant isolates in hospital-acquired infections. However, acute community acquired ABC infections are not uncommon in warm and humid countries, where they are responsible for community-acquired infections with specific clinical features. So far, such infection has not been reported in France.
Case presentation: We report the case of a 55-year-old non-immunocompromised patient, living in France, with no known risk factors for community acquired ABC infections, presented a pneumonia with bloodstream infection, due to wild type A. pittii. The outcome was favorable after a 7 days antibiotic treatment with cefepime. We confirmed bacterial identification with whole-genome sequencing, and we looked into A. pitii core-genome phylogeny for genomic cluster.
Conclusions: This situation is uncommon in Europe and occurred after a heat wave in France with temperatures above 38°C. Herein, we discuss the possibility that this pneumonia may be emerging in the current context of global warming.
Impact of COVID-19 infection during the postoperative period in patients who underwent gastrointestinal surgery
Authors: Ryu Hyo Seon , Jung Se Hoon , Cho Eun Hye , Choo Jeong Min , Kim Ji-Seon , Baek Se-Jin , Kim Jin , Kwak Jung-Myun 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous casualties worldwide. Patients undergoing surgery are more vulnerable to infections and have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 infection during the postoperative period in patients who underwent gastrointestinal surgery.
Methods
This retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary center and patients who underwent gastrointestinal surgery between January 2022 and February 2023 were included. Postoperative COVID-19 infection was defined as patients in whom SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by RT-PCR within 14 days after surgery. Propensity score matching was performed including age, sex, ASA, and emergency operation between the COVID-19-negative and -positive groups. The primary outcome was major complications.
Results
Following 1:2 propensity score matching, 21 and 42 COVID-19-positive and -negative patients, respectively were included in the study. Of the COVID-19-positive patients, 14 (67%) had symptoms and 11 (52%) received antiviral therapy. No significant differences were observed in the clinical characteristics of the patients. Compared to the COVID-19-negative group, the COVID-19-positive group had a higher proportion of open surgeries than minimally invasive surgeries (57 vs. 28.6%, P = 0.053). In the COVID-19-positive group, the postoperative complication rate was significantly higher than in the COVID-19-negative group (52.4 vs. 23.8%, P = 0.023). Respiratory morbidity occurred in 47.6 and 38.1% of the COVID-19-positive and -negative groups, respectively (P = 0.48). Respiratory mortality was reported in one patient in the COVID-19-positive group and in none in the COVID-19-negative group. Thirty-day mortality was 4.8% in both groups (P = 0.98). Mechanical ventilator requirement, ICU admission, and readmission rate did not significantly differ between the two groups. The median length of ICU (19 vs. 4 days, P < 0.001) and hospital stay (18 vs. 8 days, P = 0.015) were significantly longer in the COVID-19-positive group. In the relative risk (RR) analyses, patients with COVID-19 had a 2.4-times higher risk of major complications than patients without COVID-19 (RR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.254–4.467; P = 0.015).
Conclusion
COVID-19 infection during the postoperative period in gastrointestinal surgery may have adverse outcomes which may increase the risk of major complications. Preoperative COVID-19 screening and protocols for COVID-19 prevention in surgical patients should be maintained.
Music neurofeedback training improves college students' negative emotions and attention status
Authors: Liu Jiahe , Zhang Hailin , Liang Feng 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

In psychology, emotions such as anxiety, tension, anger, depression, sadness, and pain are collectively referred to as negative emotions. Such emotional experiences are not positive, and the body will feel uncomfortable, and even affect work and life. The probability of college students suffering from negative emotions is higher than that of other groups, which is a group that needs special attention. Emotion and cognition are closely related. Studies have shown that negative emotions can cause problems such as decreased attention and memory. We used Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) to evaluate negative emotions, and screened out those with SAS and SDS scores greater than 35 points and PANAS with moderate negative emotions. 50 Yanshan University student subjects with emotional score greater than 20 points. There were 20 subjects for music stimulation test, 20 subjects for neurofeedback training and 10 subjects for control group. The trial lasted for two weeks, 5 days a week, 5 minutes a day. Before the test on the first day and after the test on the last day, neuropsychological scales and attention tests were completed. Before training and after training every day, the EEG signals of the subjects in the resting state were collected. We analyzed the effects of the two intervention methods on the characteristic parameters of brain function, and then analyzed their effects on mood and cognition improvement. In particular, we analyzed differences in laterality of the brain by relative power changes, interhemispheric EEG coherence. The results of neuropsychological scale test and attention evaluation showed that both negative emotion and attention were improved with statistical significance. The change in the control group was not statistically significant. It is noted that the trail has been prospectively registered in ChiCTR on Oct 25, 2022. The trail registration number (TRN) is ChiCTR2101245362.
The role of bile acids in the development of Barrett’s Oesophagus and Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma: a systematic review
Authors: Cutliffe Alana L. , Vázquez Ana Ramón , McKenna Sharon L. , Drummond Frances J. , Mackrill John J. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) and its precursor, Barrett’s oesophagus (BO), have
overlapping risk factors, including gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Refluxed contents
contain bile acids (BAs) in an acidic environment. The aim of the current study was to
investigate, in human subjects, tissues and cell-lines, potential associations of BAs with
development or progression of BO to OAC, and to identify mechanisms underlying these
effects. A systematic review of six computerised databases was conducted on original
articles involving oesophageal tissue from human subjects or oesophageal cell-lines. All
articles retrieved for inclusion examined effects of BAs, at neutral pH, on development or
risk reduction of BO or OAC. Key findings from the 25 studies included were that deoxycholic acid exerted effects on BA-induced BO and OAC through several potentially co-operating mechanisms, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, inflammation, proliferation,
apoptosis, enhanced clonogenicity and angiogenesis. In BO, taurodeoxycholic acid was
associated with oxidative-stress, DNA damage and increased proliferation. Ursodeoxycholic
acid prevented deoxycholic-acid-induced inflammation in non-malignant human
oesophageal cells and BO. Lithocholic acid increased levels of SMAD4, promoting apoptosis
in BO. In conclusion, BAs are associated with biological features linked to cancer
development, which could be targeted therapeutically, through medication, bacterial
supplementation, or lifestyle modifications.
Shaping Carbon into Carbon matrices with Tuneable Diameter and Photo luminescent Properties
Authors: Torre Alessandro La 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
We report on a new form of nanoscale carbon in the shape of hemispherical carbon matrices and with the bonding characteristics of either sp1 or sp2 carbon. The carbon matrices are formed spontaneously at high temperature from organic molecules adsorbed on the surface of colloidal nanoparticles, with the metal core acting simultaneously as catalyst and template for the carbon matrices growth. This new method of synthesis has demonstrated unprecedented levels of control over the carbon matrices formation, as thermally driven Ostwald ripening of the metal core provides for precise control of the carbon matrices diameter, whilst the propensity of metal nanoparticles to self-assemble into super-lattices enables the formation of highly ordered hexagonal arrays of the carbon matrices on different types of surfaces. Significantly, this new form of carbon exhibits photo luminescent activity in the visible and near-IR ranges, with the wavelength of emitted light determined by the length of sp1 chains which link sp2 domains.
Common and divergent gene regulatory networks control injury-induced and developmental neurogenesis in zebrafish retina.
Authors: Blackshaw Seth , Lyu Pin , Zhai Yijie , Qian Jiang , Iribarne Maria , Serjanov Dmitri , Campbell Leah , Boyd Patrick , Hyde David , Palazzo Isabella , Hoang Thanh , Nagashima Mikiko , Silva Nicholas , Hitchcock Peter 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Following acute retinal damage, zebrafish possess the ability to regenerate all neuronal subtypes. This regeneration requires Müller glia (MG) to reprogram and divide asymmetrically to produce a multipotent Müller glia-derived neuronal progenitor cell (MGPC). This raises three key questions. First, does loss of different retinal cell subtypes induce unique MG regeneration responses? Second, do MG reprogram to a developmental retinal progenitor cell state? And finally, to what extent does regeneration recapitulate retinal development? We examined these questions by performing single-nuclear and single-cell RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq in both developing and regenerating retinas. While MG reprogram to a state similar to late-stage retinal progenitors in developing retinas, there are transcriptional differences between reprogrammed MG/MGPCs and late progenitors, as well as reprogrammed MG in outer and inner retinal damage models. Validation of candidate genes confirmed that loss of different subtypes induces differences in transcription factor gene expression and regeneration outcomes. This work identifies major differences between gene regulatory networks activated following the selective loss of different subtypes of retina neurons, as well as between retinal regeneration and development.
Optimizing the key parameter to accelerate the recovery of AMOC under a rapid increase in greenhouse gas forcing
Authors: REN Haolan , ZHENG Fei , CAO Tingwei , WANG Qiang 
Published: September 2023

Abstract

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a central role in long-term climate variations through its heat and freshwater transports, which can collapse under a rapid increase in greenhouse gas forcing in climate models. Previous studies have suggested that the deviation of model parameters is one of the major factors inducing inaccurate AMOC simulations. In this work, with a low-resolution Earth system model, we try to explore whether reasonably adjusting the key model parameter can help to re-estabilish the AMOC after its collapse. Through a new optimization strategy, the freshwater flux (FWF) parameter is determined to be the dominant one on affecting the AMOC’s variability. Traditional ensemble optimal interpolation (EnOI) data assimilation and new machine learning methods are adopted to optimize the FWF parameter in an abrupted 4×CO2 forcing experiment to improve the adaptability of model parameters and accelerate the recovery of AMOC. The results show that under an abrupted 4×CO2 forcing in millennial simulations, the AMOC will first collapse and then be slowly re-established by the default FWF parameter. However, during the parameter adjustment process, the saltier and colder sea water over the North Atlantic region are the dominant factors in usefully improving the adaptability of the FWF parameter and accelerating the recovery of AMOC, according to their physical relationship with FWF on the interdecadal timescale.
Energy Efficiency influence of Gaussian and Ring-shaped beam profiles for LPBF
Authors: Cozzolino Ersilia , Tiley Austin , Ramirez Antonio J. , Astarita Antonello , Herderick Edward D. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Additive Manufacturing (AM) has the potential for improving sustainability of metal processing through decreased energy and materials usage compared to casting and forging. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of high temperature alloys such as nickel alloy 718 is one of the key modalities supporting this effort. One of the major drawbacks to LPBF is its slow build speed on the order of 5–10 cubic centimeters per hour print speed. This experimental study investigates how to increase the productivity of LPBF process by switching from a traditional Gaussian laser shape to a ring laser shape using an nLight multi-modal laser. The objective is to increase productivity, reducing energy consumption and time, without sacrificing mechanical properties by switching to the ring laser thereby improving the sustainability for LPBF. Results include measuring the energy consumption of an Open Additive LPBF system during 718 printing and comparing the microstructure and mechanical properties of the two different lasers.
On the contribution of Land use, Extreme Events, and Ocean Tidal Regime for Flooding events into a Brazilian Exorheic River Basin
Authors: de Carvalho Victor Matheus da Cruz , Guimarães Gabriel do Nascimento , Bravo João Vitor Meza 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Floods are one of the most harmful natural disasters for humans and the intensification of rainfall and the increase in mean sea level caused by rising global temperatures can cause the occurrence of floods in coastal cities to emerge or worsen. Thus, the Reta do João XXIII region in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has recently suffered two floods, one in 2019 and another in 2020. To better understand what could be causing these phenomena, this paper aims to investigate the occurrence of floods in the urban area of Reta do João XXIII, located in the lower basins of the rivers Guandu and Guandu-Mirim. The methodological procedures were mainly based on the acquisition of data referring to precipitation records, ocean tide oscillations and other variables influencing the exorheic hydrographic basins. Furthermore, the Analytic Hierarchy Process method was fundamental to understanding the existing flood susceptibility in the research area and the execution of some calculations to determine the influence exerted by the oceanic tides in conjunction with the extreme rainfall records at the site.
Application of Response surface methodology in industrial wastewater treatment using Alpha-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquificiens grown on bread waste
Authors: Abd-Elhalim Basma T. , Gamal Rawia F. , El-Sayed Salwa M. , Abu-Hussien Samah H. 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Food waste is characterized as food loss by consumers or merchants as a result of inadequate storage and a lack of awareness. The objective of this study is to produce alpha-amylase on bread brown waste (BBW) and bread white waste (BWW) using solid medium and submerged fermentation and to use the amylase produced in the treatment of industrial wastewater. B. amyloliquificiens showed the highest starch hydrolysis ratio (SHR) and -amylase activity on both solid medium and submerged fermentation. The production of α-amylase was optimized using the one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method. By inoculating BBW (pH 7.0) with 2% (2.3 106 CFU/mL) B. amyloliquificiens and incubating for 24 hours at 37°C and 200 rpm while submerged, the maximum alpha-amylase activity was approached, reaching 695.2 U/mL. The crude enzyme was collected and immobilized on calcium alginate beads. It had an efficiency (IE%) of 96.6% and 88.5% remaining activity after 12 runs of useability. The interaction between the process parameters and the ideal conditions was determined using the Box-Behnken (BBD) statistical design. The quadratic model and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were produced by the BBD to represent the degradation of starch. The experimental values obtained for starch hydrolysis (%) were found to be very close to the predicted response values. According to the design, the ideal conditions were pH 9, 45°C, and 70% and 27.5 U/mL, respectively, of starch after 15 minutes, indicating a high value for the coefficient of determination, R2 (0.83). The alkaliphilic and thermophilic nature of the enzyme activity was confirmed by the ANOVA results, which showed that the quadratic model created from the RSM was statistically significant for starch hydrolysis. At concentrations ranging from 10.9 to 695.1 U/mL, the crude-amylase enzyme was used in the 15-minute desizing process for clothing at 45°C and pH 9.0, and it was discovered to maintain 96.3% of the desizing efficiency. From the study, it could be concluded that the RSM can be a useful tool for optimization and moderation of the process parameters to maximize starch hydrolysis in industrial wastewater treatment.