bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of antimicrobial agents for complicated intra- abdominal infection: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Kong Wenqiang , Deng Ting , Li Shiqin , Shu Yunfeng , Wu Yanyan 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background Which antimicrobial agents provide the optimal efficacy, safety, and tolerability for the empirical treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI) remains unclear but is paramount in the context of evolving antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, updated meta-analyses on this issue are warranted. Methods We systematically searched 4 major electronic databases from their inception through October 2022. Randomized controlled trials examining antimicrobial agents for cIAIs treatment were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of included studies utilizing the Cochrane Collaboration’s risk of bias tool as described in Cochrane Collaboration Handbook and extracted data from all manuscripts according to a predetermined list of interests. All meta-analyses were conducted using R software. The primary outcome was clinical success rate in patients with cIAI. Results Forty-five active-controlled trials with low to medium methodological quality and involving 14,267 adults with cIAI were included in network meta-analyses. The vast majority of patients with an APACHE II score < 10 had low risk of treatment failure or death. Twenty-one regimens were investigated. In the network meta-analyses, cephalosporin-based regimens were more effective and better tolerated than tigecycline with regard to clinical success rate (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00 ~ 1.70) and discontinuation due to adverse events (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.44 ~ 1.00). No statistically significant differences were found among antimicrobial agents regarding microbiological success rates and all-cause mortality. A statistically significant trend was observed favoring carbapenems, which exhibited fewer discontinuations because of adverse events when compared with tigecycline (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.42 ~ 1.00). In pairwise meta-analyses, compared with tigecycline, carbapenems (2,315 participants, OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.00 ~ 1.75,I2 = 24.0%) were associated with superior clinical success rate. These results were of borderline statistical significance. Compared with tigecycline, carbapenems (2,304 participants, OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.45 ~ 0.91;I2 = 48.5%) were associated with significantly reduced risk of serious adverse events. According to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis, cephalosporin-based regimens were more likely to be optimal among all treatments in terms of efficacy, and tigecycline was more likely to be worst regimen in terms of safety and tolerability. Conclusion This study suggests that cephalosporin-based regimens are optimal for the empiric treatment of patients with cIAIs and that tigecycline should be prescribed cautiously considering safety and tolerability concerns. However, it should be noted that data currently available for antimicrobial agent’ effectiveness, safety, and tolerability pertain mostly to lower-risk patients with cIAIs.
A postmortem MRI study of cerebrovascular disease and iron content at end-stage of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome
Authors: Wang Jun Yi , Sonico Gerard J. , Salcedo-Arellano Maria Jimena , Hagerman Randi J. , Martínez-Cerdeño Verónica 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Brain changes at end-stage of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) are largely unknown due to mobility impairment. We conducted a postmortem MRI study of FXTAS to quantify cerebrovascular disease, brain atrophy, and iron content and examined their relationships using principal component analysis (PCA). Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) was observed in 4/17 FXTAS cases among which one was confirmed by histologic staining. Compared with seven control brains, FXTAS cases showed higher ratings of T2-hyperintensities (indicating cerebral small vessel disease) in the cerebellum, globus pallidus, and frontoparietal white matter and significant atrophy in cerebellar white matter, red nucleus, and dentate nucleus. PCA of FXTAS cases revealed negative associations of T2-hyperintensity ratings with anatomic volumes and iron content in the white matter, hippocampus, and amygdala, that were independent from highly correlated number of regions with ICH and iron content in subcortical nuclei. Post hoc analysis confirmed PCA findings and further revealed increased iron content in the white matter, hippocampus, and amygdala in FXTAS cases than controls after adjusting for T2-hyperintensity ratings. These findings indicate that both ischemic and hemorrhagic brain damage may occur in FXTAS, with the former marked by demyelination/iron depletion and atrophy and the latter, ICH and iron accumulation in basal ganglia.
The Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale
Authors: Görgün Ceren Türkdoğan , Şen İlknur Koçak , McLennan Jim 
Published: January 2023

AbstractThe aim of this research was to investigate the validity and reliability of a Turkish version of the 26-item Australian Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale (PPDTS). A cross-sectional study involving 530 university students and staff at Giresun University was conducted to establish the psychometric properties of the PPDTS. Content analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach alpha values for reliability were used to analyze the data. Content analysis showed that one item needed to be dropped as it was not related to environmental threats to Turkish communities. The exploratory factor analysis indicated that 66% of the total variance was explained by three factors: (i) knowledge and management of the external situational environment, (ii) management of one’s emotional and psychological response, and (iii) management of one’s social environment. The confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable overall goodness of fit for the three-factor model: CFI (0.908), RMSEA (0.074) for the 21 item scale. Cronbach's α coefficients of the subscales were 0.91, 0.93, and 0.83 respectively, while for the whole scale it was 0.95. Four items from the original PPDTS were deleted in the course of the analyses. It was concluded that the Turkish version (PPDTS-T21) is a valid and reliable assessment tool for the evaluation of levels of psychological readiness for disaster threats to Turkish communities and will be useful in policy making for community preparedness for disaster events.
Multimodal 7T Imaging reveals enhanced functional coupling between Salience and Frontoparietal networks mediating aberrant intertemporal choice but intact microstructural architecture and diffusion connectivity in young adult tobacco cigarette smokers.
Authors: Francis Alan , Sebille Sophie , Gabrieli Susan Whitfield , Camprodon Joan 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Deficits in intertemporal choice (ITC) are an important predictor of tobacco use and relapse rates. Cigarette smoking is associated with disrupted brain network dynamics in cognitive resting networks including the Salience (SN) and Fronto parietal (FPN). Unified multimodal methods [Resting state connectivity analysis, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and cortical thickness analysis] were employed to test the hypothesis that smokers have deficits in inter temporal choice and these deficits may be due to alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure and connectivity, functional connectivity and cortical thickness (CT).
METHODS:
Multimodal analyses of previously collected 7 Tesla MRI data via the Human Connectome Project were performed on 22 smokers (average number of daily cigarettes was 40 ± 4) and 22 age- and sex-matched nonsmoking controls. First, subjects scores on the delay discounting test were analyzed. Functional connectivity analysis was used to examine SN-FPN interactions between smokers and nonsmokers. The anatomy of these networks was then assessed using DTI and CT analyses while microstructural architecture of WM was analyzed using NODDI.
RESULTS:
Smokers scored significantly lower on all the items within delay discounting task (DD)] except for tasks: subjective value for $4K at 6 months and subjective value for $4K at 1-year tasks where we observed a trend. Seed-based connectivity analysis revealed significantly enhanced within network [p = 0.001 FDR corrected] and between network functional coupling of the salience and R-FP networks in smokers [p = 0.004 FDR corrected]. Functional coupling scores were inversely correlated with DD scores in nonsmokers. The total number of cigarettes smoked strongly correlated with FagerstrÖm Test for Nicotine Dependence scores. Whole brain diffusion analysis revealed no significant differences between smokers and nonsmokers in Fractional Anisotropy, and Mean diffusivities and in neurite orienting and density. There were also no significant differences in CT in the hubs of these networks.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our results demonstrate that tobacco cigarette smoking is associated with steeper devaluation of delayed rewards mirrored in enhanced functional connectivity, but anatomy is largely intact in young adults. Whether these reductions are pre-existing, transient or permanent is not known. The observed disrupted salience in resting state networks may be the reason for steeper discounting in smokers which may contribute to difficulties in quitting and/or facilitating relapse.
Osteoimmunology in rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison between conventional therapies and biologics
Authors: Krüger Gabriella Stefenoni , Silva Cláudio José , Teodoro Reginado Botelho , Michelin Márcia Antoniazi 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Background Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune-mediated disease that affects the peripheral joints and is characterized by chronic systemic inflammation with systemic bone mineral density loss. Susceptibility to osteoporosis occurs due to systemic inflammation, as well as chronic corticosteroid use. The biologic and target-specific disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) act effectively blocking systemic inflammation. We hypothesized that patients receiving biologic and target-specific DMARDs have higher bone mineral density, exhibit lower serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and require lower corticosteroid doses than those receiving conventional therapy.
Methods To test this hypothesis, we conducted a quantitative, descriptive, observational, cross-sectional and prospective clinical trial by collecting data from eligible patients. The participants were divided into three groups according to DMARD class (conventional synthetic, biologic, and target-specific DMARDs). The main inflammatory mediators of osteoporosis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6), Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints, calculated using C-reactive protein, bone mineral density, bone turnover biomarker C-terminal telopeptide, and glucocorticoid dose were assessed in the three groups. Analysis of variance and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used to compare the results among groups. Trial Registration Number - Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Consideration (CAAE): 46069821.4.0000.8667, 07/15/2021.
Results TNF-α and IL-6 levels did not show significant correlation with any variable, such as DAS28-CRP, CTX, and bone mineral density of the lumbar spine, total femur, and femoral neck. The prednisone dose was significantly positively correlated with CTX and DAS28-CRP.
Conclusion Among patients with Rheumatoid arthritis treatment with any disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs achieving low disease activity or remission decrease circulating cytokine levels and low bone resorption.
Improvement of levan production in Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 31821 under osmotic pressure stress via Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE)
Authors: Bagoghli Norouz , Moghimi Hamid , Giyahchi Minoo 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The main idea of the current study was to increase the production of levan in Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 31821 using the Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE) approach which benefits from the principles of Darwinian evolution. In this study, ALE was used to improve the production of levan in Z. mobilis through the serial passage by gradually increasing KCl concentration. The morphological changes were assessed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Levan and ethanol production were evaluated using phenol-sulfuric acid and dichromate calorimetric methods, respectively. Production of levan in high osmotic pressure adapted strains was higher compared to the wild-type strain so levan production in the final evolved strain was 6 g l− 1 (10 times more than the ancestor strain). SEM images showed that adapted strains changed morphologically from rod to round shape. ALE had no adverse effect on ethanol production in evolved strains. These results suggested that ALE can play an essential role in the semi-rational metabolic engineering of industrial strains and compared to rational genetic engineering, provides broad insights into the genetic manipulation of microbial systems to improve the desired phenotype.
Association between DVWA gene polymorphisms and knee osteoarthritis in the North Chinese Han population
Authors: Zhang Dejian , Liu Xiaomeng , Min Hongwei , Liu Kemin , Qu Tiebing , mu huijuan 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Objective
Previous studies have shown that knee arthritis is a disease influenced by environmental and genetic factors. In this paper, we mainly investigate the association between SNPs in the DVWA gene region and the susceptibility to KOA in north Chinese Han people.
Methods
We performed two-center cross-sectional observational study that included 103 Chinese Han patients with KOA and 128 healthy Chinese Han volunteers. We investigated four SNPs (rs11718863, rs7639618, rs7651842 and rs7639807) in the DVWA gene region and extracted the genes using QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. We amplified the target gene fragment and sequenced the genotype.The corresponding frequency were counted and the counting results were statistically analyzed.
Results
The patient group was significantly older than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(P < 0.001). There were no statistically significance between-group differences in gender, height, weight, or BMI (P > 0.05, respectively). The chi-square test was used to analyze the four SNPs of DVWA gene, and rs11718863 and rs7639618 polymorphism was statistically different between the two groups(P = 0.04, P = 0.04, respectively). The rs11718863 and rs7639618 was consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Logistic regression analysis showed that KOA risk was significantly increased in the rs11718863 TT genotype (3.31, 95%CI 1.32, 8.34, P = 0.011) and the rs7639618 TT genotype (OR 2.86 ,95% CI 1.16, 7.04, P = 0.023). After age adjustment, the same result was observed in the rs11718863 SNP(OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.04, 7.43, P = 0.041), and the risk of KOA disappeared in the rs7639618 SNP (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.79, 2.86, P = 0.217). The rs7651842 and rs7639807SNP were monomorphic for the T and C allele respectively.
Conclusions
We found that the rs11718863 SNP was associated with KOA. The TT genotype and T allele were the highest risk factors for the development of KOA in the north Chinese Han population.
Study of weak solutions for a p(x)-Kirchhoff type variation-inequality problems arising from financial problems
Authors: Li Jia , Bai Xuelian 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
In this paper, we study variation-inequality initial-boundary value problems with variable parameter Kirchhoff operators. We constructed a map suitable for the Leray-Schauder principle in which the existence of solution is proved. The uniqueness and stability of the solution are also analyzed under a smallness condition on the parameter of Kirchhoff operators.
Mathematics Subject Classification 2010: 35K99, 97M30.
YTHDF1 promotes radio-resistance and regulates the repair of DNA double-strand breaks in ESCC
Authors: Shen Feng , Liu Shiyi , Zhang Wei , Han Tingting , Hu Yuhua , Huang Junxing , Guo Qing 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The morbidity and mortality of esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) patients is high in China for which radical radiotherapy remains the frontline treatment. Radio-resistant patients show high rates of relapse and poor overall survival (OS). In this study, we report high YTHDF1 expression in ESCA patients that is associated with radio-resistance and poor OS. Accordingly, YTHDF1 silencing improved the radio-sensitivity of ESCC cells. Bioinformatics, m6A sequencing, KEGG and GO analysis, and m6A-IP-qPCR validations revealed a positive correlation between AURKA and YTHDF1. AURKA was subsequently found to positively regulate NHEJ promoting radio-resistance. From these data, we speculate that YTHDF1 binds to AURKA to upregulate NHEJ, promoting radio-resistance. Clinical specimens were collected and the role of YTHDF1 and AURKA during radio-resistance in vivo were investigated. These data reveal new predictors of radiotherapy efficacy and highlight novel and effective interventions to reverse radio-resistance.
Contrasting Response Mechanism and Ecological Stress of Net Primary Productivity in the Juncture Region of Semi-arid and Sub-humid — A case study from the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Wang Chunsheng , Zhang Rui , Chang Lili 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is a crucial parameter for estimating the sustainability of the Earth’s carrying capacity in the terrestrial ecosystem process. With the intensification of global change, the overall function and structure of ecosystems in the Loess Plateau have changed to different extents. Based on long-time series images downloaded from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) and meteorological data, we introduced the deep regression models to process Hadoop and creatively proposed the ecological stress evaluation models from the perspective of vegetation productivity. The main research contents are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2019, the annual NPP maintained a fluctuating increasing trend (with a value of 4.57 (g∙m2·y–1)). From the perspective of spatial distribution, the NPP gradually increased in the region from semi-arid to the sub-humid; (2) The annual temperature and annual Precipitation have the highest positive control effect on NPP change. Semi-arid regions are mainly controlled by precipitation, temperature, and other related factors, while sub-humid regions are mainly controlled by solar radiation and other factors. Finally, the main controlling factors of NPP change were different under different soil conditions; (3) Spatio-temporal pattern of NPP and ecological stress are approximately the same. The ecological stress effect is significantly different in ecological functional regions and land uses; (4) Predictive value of 2020–2030 shows that the growth of NPP slowed down compared with previous years, and the areas with extreme ecological stress in the study area continued to decrease. This study provided a new approach for the protection, restoration and governance of national land space eco-environment in the Loess Plateau. Which afford a valuable reference for further study on how to realize ecosystem restoration and protection in the juncture region of semi-arid and sub-humid.
Curtobacterium uspiensis sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from Citrus sinensis (sweet orange) in Brazil
Authors: Araújo Welington Luiz , Belmonte Uirá Camilo Furlan , Dourado Manuella Nóbrega , Garrido Leandro Maza , Yara Ricardo , Azevedo Lúcio 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Endophytic bacteria were isolated from Citrus plants and based on the similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequence, 20 isolates were included in the genus Curtobacterium in the family Microbacteriaceae, class Actinobacteria. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analysis indicated that these strains formed four clusters with low variability that were separated from Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens. The isolates were Gram-positive, non-motile, non-spore forming, pale-yellow to orange-pink colonies. Analysis of eleven isolates showed that the major fatty acids of these strains were anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C16:0 and MK-9 and MK-8 as the major isoprenoid quinone, supporting the affiliation into Curtobacterium genus. The similarity of 16S rRNA gene between these isolates ranged from 99.9 to 100%, suggesting that this endophytic population present a low variability and similarity to species with validity published names within this genus, forming a distinct group in the phylogenetic tree. The DNA–DNA relatedness values to closest species were less than 48% for ER1/6T, suggesting that this strain does not belong to already described species. Analysis of the ER1/6T genome detected genes predicted to be involved in secondary metabolites synthesis, such as siderophore Desferrioxamine-like, bacteriocin Lactococcin 972-like, and terpene C50 carotenoid-like. Based on genome sequencing, the G + C content of the strain ER1/6T was 72.2%. Therefore, the polyphasic taxonomic characterization demonstrated that the strains ER1/6T, ER1.4/2, SR4/1 and SR4/8 dominant in the citrus tissues, represent a new species of the genus Curtobacterium, for which the name Curtobacterium uspiensis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain ER1/6T = CBMAI 2131 as the type strain.
Application of instrumental investigations of cosmic-ray muon arrival time measurements to human brain processing of subjective temporal order
Authors: Tanaka Hiroyuki K.M. 
Published: January 2023

Abstract

Since the 18th century, it has been widely accepted that causal order is independent from notions of time. Recent neurological experiments have shown that it is possible to violate subjective temporal order between motor-driven events and sensory events. This violation, subjective temporal order reversal, has been explained by the recalibration of the timeline to keep causality. However, subjective temporal order could also be violated between non-causal events. Therefore, it might be more appropriate to base a new approach upon another trivial condition. In this work, a condition called theconsistency of event sharingis employed. An event shared by 2 individuals (A and B) at the same location must be consistent between these individuals (e.g., if A shakes B's hand, the moment when A touches B's hand is exactly the same moment when B touches A's hand). First, the timeline recalibration was defined and formulated in an instrument-muon system under this condition. Then, theconsistency of event sharingrule was applied to prior neurological experiments. As a result, it was found that this condition sufficiently explains the reversed subjective causal order.