bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mapping intellectual structure and research hotspots in the field of fibroblast-associated DFUs: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Zhu Yushu , Lu Jianyu , Wang Siqiao , Xu Dayuan , Wu Minjuan , Xian Shuyuan , Zhang Wei , Tong Xirui , Liu Yifan , Huang Jie , Jiang Luofeng , Guo Xinya , Xie Sujie , Gu Minyi , Jin Shuxin , Ma Yicheng , Huang Runzhi , Xiao Shichu , Ji Shizhao 
Published: April 2023

BackgroundDiabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are one of the most popular and severe complications of diabetes. The persistent non-healing of DFUs may eventually contribute to severe complications such as amputation, which presents patients with significant physical and psychological challenges. Fibroblasts are critical cells in wound healing and perform essential roles in all phases of wound healing. In diabetic foot patients, the disruption of fibroblast function exacerbates the non-healing of the wound. This study aimed to summarize the hotspots and evaluate the global research trends on fibroblast-related DFUs through bibliometric analysis.MethodsScientific publications on the study of fibroblast-related DFUs from January 1, 2000 to April 27, 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Biblioshiny software was primarily performed for the visual analysis of the literature, CiteSpace software and VOSviewer software were used to validate the results.ResultsA total of 479 articles on fibroblast-related DFUs were retrieved. The most published countries, institutions, journals, and authors in this field were the USA, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Wound Repair and Regeneration, and Seung-Kyu Han. In addition, keyword co-occurrence networks, historical direct citation networks, thematic map, and the trend topics map summarize the research hotspots and trends in this field.ConclusionCurrent studies indicated that research on fibroblast-related DFUs is attracting increasing concern and have clinical implications. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of the DFU pathophysiological process, the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets associated with DFUs angiogenesis, and the measures to promote DFUs wound healing are three worthy research hotspots in this field.
Immunomodulatory role of vitamin D and selenium supplementation in newly diagnosed Graves’ disease patients during methimazole treatment
Authors: Gallo Daniela , Bruno Antonino , Gallazzi Matteo , Cattaneo Simona Antonia Maria , Veronesi Giovanni , Genoni Angelo , Tanda Maria Laura , Bartalena Luigi , Passi Alberto , Piantanida Eliana , Mortara Lorenzo 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionMethimazole (MMI) represents the conventional therapeutic agent for Graves’ disease (GD) hyperthyroidism, but MMI efficacy is limited since it marginally affects the underlying autoimmune process. In a previous study, we randomly assigned 42 newly diagnosed GD patients with insufficient vitamin D (VitD) and selenium (Se) levels to treatment with MMI alone (standard) or combined with selenomethionine and cholecalciferol (intervention) and observed a prompter resolution of hyperthyroidism in the intervention group.MethodsIn the present study, we aimed to explore changes in peripheral T regulatory (Treg) and circulating natural killer (NK) cell frequency, circulating NK cell subset distribution and function, during treatment.ResultsAt baseline, circulating total CD3-CD56+NK cells and CD56bright NK cells were significantly higher in GD patients than in healthy controls (HC) (15.7 ± 9.6% vs 9.9 ± 5.6%, p=0.001; 12.2 ± 10.3% vs 7.3 ± 4.1%, p=0.02, respectively); no differences emerged in Treg cell frequency. Frequencies of total NK cells and CD56bright NK cells expressing the activation marker CD69 were significantly higher in GD patients than in HC, while total NK cells and CD56dim NK cells expressing CD161 (inhibitory receptor) were significantly lower. When co-cultured with the K562 target cell, NK cells from GD patients had a significantly lower degranulation ability compared to HC (p&lt;0.001). Following 6 months of treatment, NK cells decreased in both the intervention and MMI-alone groups, but significantly more in the intervention group (total NK: -10.3%, CI 95% -15.8; -4.8% vs -3.6%, CI 95% -9; 1.8%, p=0.09 and CD56bright NK cells: -6.5%, CI 95% -10.1; -3 vs -0.9%, CI 95% -4.4; 2%, p=0.03). Compared to baseline, CD69+ NK cells significantly decreased, while degranulation ability slightly improved, although no differences emerged between the two treatment groups. Compared to baseline, Treg cell frequency increased exclusively in the intervention group (+1.1%, CI 95% 0.4; 1.7%).DiscussionThis pilot study suggested that VitD and Se supplementation, in GD patients receiving MMI treatment, modulates Treg and NK cell frequency, favoring a more pronounced reduction of NK cells and the increase of Treg cells, compared to MMI alone. Even if further studies are needed, it is possible to speculate that this immunomodulatory action might have facilitated the prompter and better control of hyperthyroidism in the supplemented group observed in the previous study.
Novel mutations of TEX11 are associated with non-obstructive azoospermia
Authors: Song Jian , Sha Yanwei , Liu Xiaojun , Zeng Xuhui , Zhao Xiuling 
Published: April 2023

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) affects 10% of infertile men worldwide, and genetic studies revealed that there are plenty of monogenic mutations that responsible for a part of idiopathic NOA cases. Testis-expressed gene 11 (TEX11) is an X-linked meiosis-specific gene, many pathogenic variants in TEX11 have been detected in NOA patients, and the deficiency of this gene can cause abnormal meiotic recombination and chromosomal synapsis. However, many NOA-affected cases caused by TEX11 mutation remain largely unknown. This study reported three novel TEX11 mutations (exon 5, c.313C&gt;T: p.R105*), (exon 7, c.427A&gt;C: p.K143Q) and (exon 29, c.2575G&gt;A: p.G859R). Mutations were screened using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and further verified by amplifying and sequencing the specific exon. Histological analysis of testicular biopsy specimens revealed a thicker basement membrane of the seminiferous tubules and poorly developed spermatocytes, and no post-meiotic round spermatids or mature spermatozoa were observed in the seminiferous tubules of patients with TEX11 mutation.ConclusionThis study presents three novel variants of TEX11 as potential infertility alleles that have not been previously reported. It expanded the variant spectrum of patients with NOA, which also emphasizes the necessity of this gene screening for the clinical auxiliary diagnosis of patients with azoospermia.
Impact of follicular size categories on oocyte quality at trigger day in young and advanced-age patients undergoing GnRH-ant therapy
Authors: Yang Jingwei , Gao Jing , Wang Yuting , Liu Hongya , Lian Xuemei 
Published: April 2023

AimTo study the effect of follicle sizes of different proportions on oocyte and embryo quality in young and advanced-age patients, and provide evidence for personalized protocol adjustment.MethodsThis was a retrospective real-world data study including a total of 11,462 patients who had started their first in vitro fertilization cycle with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) protocol during 2018–2021. We classified patients into groups according to the size of the dominant proportion of follicles on the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger day: Large, Medium, Small, and Equal (containing equivalent proportions of all three size categories). The Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel test by different Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) was used to compare factors such as the metaphase II (MII) oocyte rate, normal fertilization rate, and two pronuclei (2PN) cleavage rate between groups. General linear model (GLM) analysis was performed for inter-group comparison of the oocyte and embryo quality.ResultsIn patients aged &lt; 35 years and with AMH ≥ 1.2μg/L, the MII oocyte percentages in the Large and Medium groups were significantly higher than in the Small group (P &lt; 0.001). The germinal vesicle (GV) oocyte and unavailable oocyte percentages in the Large and Medium groups were lower than in the Small group (P &lt; 0.001). Among patients aged ≥ 35 years with AFC &lt; 5 and AMH ≥ 1.2μg/L, the GV oocyte percentage in the Large group was significantly lower than in the Medium group (2.54% vs. 4.46%, P &lt; 0.001). In patients &lt; 35 years, the GLM demonstrated that the Large and Medium groups had positively impacted on the development of MII oocyte and live birth rate(LBR) of first embryo transfer(ET)(β&gt;0, all P value &lt; 0.05);and had less likely to develop into unavailable oocyte, degenerated oocyte, GV oocyte and MI oocyte rates relative to the Small group(β&lt;0, all P value &lt; 0.05). And among patients ≥ 35 years, the Medium group had positively impacted on the development of MII oocyte and 2PN rates relative to the Small group(β&gt;0, all P value &lt; 0.05); and had less likely to develop into MI oocytes relative to the Small group(β&lt;0, all P value &lt; 0.05). The GLM indicated that AMH, along with Gn total dose, start dose, and Gn days, had significant impact on oocyte and embryo quality. For young patients, age was not a significant influencing factor, but for advanced-age patients, age influenced the outcomes.ConclusionOur analysis suggests that for young patients (&lt; 35 years), triggering when there is a high proportion of large or medium follicles results in better quality oocytes, while for older patients (≥ 35 years), it is better to trigger when the proportion of medium follicles is no less than that of small follicles. Further research is required to confirm these findings.
Multi-omics analysis reveals a macrophage-related marker gene signature for prognostic prediction, immune landscape, genomic heterogeneity, and drug choices in prostate cancer
Authors: Zhu Weian , Wu Jianjie , Huang Jiongduan , Xiao Dongming , Li Fengao , Wu Chenglun , Li Xiaojuan , Zeng Hengda , Zheng Jiayu , Lai Wenjie , Wen Xingqiao 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionMacrophages are components of the innate immune system and can play an anti-tumor or pro-tumor role in the tumor microenvironment owing to their high heterogeneity and plasticity. Meanwhile, prostate cancer (PCa) is an immune-sensitive tumor, making it essential to investigate the value of macrophage-associated networks in its prognosis and treatment.MethodsMacrophage-related marker genes (MRMGs) were identified through the comprehensive analysis of single-cell sequencing data from GSE141445 and the impact of macrophages on PCa was evaluated using consensus clustering of MRMGs in the TCGA database. Subsequently, a macrophage-related marker gene prognostic signature (MRMGPS) was constructed by LASSO-Cox regression analysis and grouped based on the median risk score. The predictive ability of MRMGPS was verified by experiments, survival analysis, and nomogram in the TCGA cohort and GEO-Merged cohort. Additionally, immune landscape, genomic heterogeneity, tumor stemness, drug sensitivity, and molecular docking were conducted to explore the relationship between MRMGPS and the tumor immune microenvironment, therapeutic response, and drug selection.ResultsWe identified 307 MRMGs and verified that macrophages had a strong influence on the development and progression of PCa. Furthermore, we showed that the MRMGPS constructed with 9 genes and the predictive nomogram had excellent predictive ability in both the TCGA and GEO-Merged cohorts. More importantly, we also found the close relationship between MRMGPS and the tumor immune microenvironment, therapeutic response, and drug selection by multi-omics analysis.DiscussionOur study reveals the application value of MRMGPS in predicting the prognosis of PCa patients. It also provides a novel perspective and theoretical basis for immune research and drug choices for PCa.
Inhibition of neutrophil extracellular trap formation attenuates NLRP1-dependent neuronal pyroptosis via STING/IRE1α pathway after traumatic brain injury in mice
Authors: Cao Yiyao , Shi Mingming , Liu Liang , Zuo Yan , Jia Haoran , Min Xiaobin , Liu Xilei , Chen Zhijuan , Zhou Yuan , Li Shenghui , Yang Guili , Liu Xiao , Deng Quanjun , Chen Fanglian , Chen Xin , Zhang Shu , Zhang Jianning 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionIncreased neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation has been reported to be associated with cerebrovascular dysfunction and neurological deficits in traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the biological function and underlying mechanisms of NETs in TBI-induced neuronal cell death are not yet fully understood.MethodsFirst, brain tissue and peripheral blood samples of TBI patients were collected, and NETs infiltration in TBI patients was detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Then, a controlled cortical impact device was used to model brain trauma in mice, and Anti-Ly6G, DNase, and CL-amidine were given to reduce the formation of neutrophilic or NETs in TBI mice to evaluate neuronal death and neurological function. Finally, the pathway changes of neuronal pyroptosis induced by NETs after TBI were investigated by administration of peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (a key enzyme of NET formation) adenovirus and inositol-requiring enzyme-1 alpha (IRE1α) inhibitors in TBI mice.ResultsWe detected that both peripheral circulating biomarkers of NETs and local NETs infiltration in the brain tissue were significantly increased and had positive correlations with worse intracranial pressure (ICP) and neurological dysfunction in TBI patients. Furthermore, the depletion of neutrophils effectively reduced the formation of NET in mice subjected to TBI. we found that degradation of NETs or inhibition of NET formation significantly inhibited nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor pyrin domain containing 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome-mediated neuronal pyroptosis after TBI, whereas these inhibitory effects were abolished by cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), an activator of stimulating Interferon genes (STING). Moreover, overexpression of PAD4 in the cortex by adenoviruses could aggravate NLRP1-mediated neuronal pyroptosis and neurological deficits after TBI, whereas these pro-pyroptotic effects were rescued in mice also receiving STING antagonists. Finally, IRE1α activation was significantly upregulated after TBI, and NET formation or STING activation was found to promote this process. Notably, IRE1α inhibitor administration significantly abrogated NETs-induced NLRP1 inflammasome-mediated neuronal pyroptosis in TBI mice.DiscussionOur findings indicated that NETs could contribute to TBI-induced neurological deficits and neuronal death by promoting NLRP1-mediated neuronal pyroptosis. Suppression of the STING/ IRE1α signaling pathway can ameliorate NETs-induced neuronal pyroptotic death after TBI.
Ultra-high photo responsivity and self-powered photodetector in broad spectral range based on non-layered MnSe/WSe2 heterojunction
Authors: Zhao Shuting , Ma Xiurong , Cao Xuanhao , Lei Zehong , Yang Yibin , Tao Lili , Zheng Zhaoqiang , Feng Xing , Zhao Yu 
Published: April 2023

Due to its good p-type semiconductor characteristics, MnSe has a great application prospect in high-performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. However, heterojunctions of MnSe still need to be deeply studied to improve its electrical and photoelectric properties. Here, it is reported that the two-dimensional (2D) MnSe/WSe2 heterojunction is structured by the non-layered MnSe nanosheets synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method and the mechanically exfoliated layered WSe2. The heterojunction device exhibits a rectification effect and a current on/off ratio of 6,557. Meanwhile, it has a broad spectral range response from ultraviolet (UV) to short-wave infrared radiation (SWIR) (300–2,200 nm), and achieves an ultra-high responsivity of 156 A/W, along with an excellent detectivity of 2.21 × 1012 jones, and an outstanding external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 36,400%. Moreover, the type II band alignment and the built-in potential in the MnSe/WSe2 heterojunction can facilitate the separation of the photoexcited electron-hole pairs, which enables the significant photovoltaic characteristics and self-powered photoswitching response. This work reveals the novel performance of the 2D MnSe/WSe2 heterojunction and a great potential in photoswitching, photodetector, and photovoltaic applications.
MIB-ANet: A novel multi-scale deep network for nasal endoscopy-based adenoid hypertrophy grading
Authors: Bi Mingmin , Zheng Siting , Li Xuechen , Liu Haiyan , Feng Xiaoshan , Fan Yunping , Shen Linlin 
Published: April 2023

IntroductionTo develop a novel deep learning model to automatically grade adenoid hypertrophy, based on nasal endoscopy, and asses its performance with that of E.N.T. clinicians.MethodsA total of 3,179 nasoendoscopic images, including 4-grade adenoid hypertrophy (Parikh grading standard, 2006), were collected to develop and test deep neural networks. MIB-ANet, a novel multi-scale grading network, was created for adenoid hypertrophy grading. A comparison between MIB-ANet and E.N.T. clinicians was conducted.ResultsIn the SYSU-SZU-EA Dataset, the MIB-ANet achieved 0.76251 F1 score and 0.76807 accuracy, and showed the best classification performance among all of the networks. The visualized heatmaps show that MIB-ANet can detect whether adenoid contact with adjacent tissues, which was interpretable for clinical decision. MIB-ANet achieved at least 6.38% higher F1 score and 4.31% higher accuracy than the junior E.N.T. clinician, with much higher (80× faster) diagnosing speed.DiscussionThe novel multi-scale grading network MIB-ANet, designed for adenoid hypertrophy, achieved better classification performance than four classical CNNs and the junior E.N.T. clinician. Nonetheless, further studies are required to improve the accuracy of MIB-ANet.
Fusobacterium nucleatum Accelerates Atherosclerosis via Macrophage-Driven Aberrant Proinflammatory Response and Lipid Metabolism
Authors: Zhou Jieyu , Liu Lin , Wu Peiyao , Zhao Lei , Wu Yafei 
Published: April 2023

Graphical AbstractSchematic diagram depicting the process of F. nucleatum inducing atherosclerosis. As one of the oral commensal bacteria, F. nucleatum is abundant in periodontitis sites and can enter blood circulation through damaged periodontal tissue. Subsequently, there is an increase in risk factors (dyslipidemia and inflammatory mediators) in the blood circulation. In addition, it has high invasiveness and can invade into the vascular intima, promoting macrophages M1 polarization, aberrant lipid metabolism, and cell apoptosis, thereby increasing the release of inflammatory mediators, and the degradation of extracellular matrix in the atherosclerotic plaque microenvironment. By then, plaques are prone to rupture.
Genetically supported causality between gut microbiota, gut metabolites and low back pain: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Su Mengchan , Tang Yidan , Kong Weishuang , Zhang Shuangyi , Zhu Tao 
Published: April 2023

BackgroundPrevious studies have implicated a vital association between gut microbiota/gut microbial metabolites and low back pain (LBP), but their causal relationship is still unclear. Therefore, we aim to comprehensively investigate their causal relationship and identify the effect of gut microbiota/gut microbial metabolites on risk of LBP using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study.MethodsSummary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of gut microbiota (18,340 participants), gut microbial metabolites (2,076 participants) and LBP (FinnGen biobank) were separately obtained. The inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method was used as the main MR analysis. Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) and MR-Egger regression were conducted to evaluate the horizontal pleiotropy and to eliminate outlier single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Cochran’s Q-test was applied for heterogeneity detection. Besides, leave-one-out analysis was conducted to determine whether the causal association signals were driven by any single SNP. Finally, a reverse MR was performed to evaluate the possibility of reverse causation.ResultsWe discovered that 20 gut microbial taxa and 2 gut microbial metabolites were causally related to LBP (p &lt; 0.05). Among them, the lower level of family Ruminococcaceae (OR: 0.771, 95% CI: 0.652–0.913, FDR-corrected p = 0.045) and Lactobacillaceae (OR: 0.875, 95% CI: 0.801–0.955, FDR-corrected p = 0.045) retained a strong causal relationship with higher risk of LBP after the Benjamini–Hochberg Corrected test. The Cochrane’s Q test revealed no Heterogeneity (p &gt; 0.05). Besides, MR-Egger and MR-PRESSO tests showed no significant horizontal pleiotropy (p &gt; 0.05). Furthermore, leave-one-out analysis confirmed the robustness of MR results. After adding BMI to the multivariate MR analysis, the 17 gut microbial taxa exposure-outcome effect were significantly attenuated and tended to be null.ConclusionOur findings confirm the the potential causal effect of specific gut microbiota and gut microbial metabolites on LBP, which offers new insights into the gut microbiota-mediated mechanism of LBP and provides the theoretical basis for further explorations of targeted prevention strategies.
Interactions of heparin with key glycoproteins of human respiratory syncytial virus
Authors: Shi Deling , He Peng , Song Yuefan , Linhardt Robert J. , Dordick Jonathan S. , Chi Lianli , Zhang Fuming 
Published: April 2023

Introduction: The unexpected surge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases following pandemic phase of COVID-19 has drawn much public attention. Drawing on the latest antiviral research, revisiting this heightened annual outbreak of respiratory disease could lead to new treatments. The ability of sulfated polysaccharides to compete for a variety of viruses binding to cell surface heparan sulfate, suggests several drugs that might have therapeutic potential for targeting RSV–glycosaminoglycan interactions.Methods: In the current study, the binding affinity and kinetics of two RSV glycoproteins (RSV-G protein and RSV-F protein) to heparin were investigated by surface plasmon resonance. Furthermore, solution competition studies using heparin oligosaccharides of different lengths indicated that the binding of RSV-G protein to heparin is size-dependent, whereas RSV-F protein did not show any chain length preference.Results and discussion: The two RSV glycoproteins have slightly different preferences for heparin sulfation patterns, but the N-sulfo group in heparin was most critical for the binding of heparin to both RSV-G protein and RSV-F protein. Finally, pentosan polysulfate and mucopolysaccharide polysulfate were evaluated for their inhibition of the RSV-G protein and RSV-F protein–heparin interaction, and both highly negative compounds showed strong inhibition.