bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the predictability of a heavy rainfall event with dual rainbands
Authors: Lai Qiaozhen , Zhang Wei , Feng Jinqing 
Published: September 2023

An extremely heavy rainfall with dual rainbands occurred in the Fujian province on 22 May 2014, causing severe disasters in Fujian. In order to investigate the key forecasting factors and the predictability of this case, the evaluation and sensitivity analysis of precipitation forecasts by the ensemble prediction system which is based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global Model are carried out. The result show that the ECMWF-EPS have better ability to capture the intensity and spatial distribution of the northern rainband, but significantly underestimated the precipitation in the warm area. Through ensemble forecast sensitivity analysis and comparison between good and poor members, the main factors causing forecast deviations in the two rainbands and affecting the predictability of heavy rainfall were revealed. The forecast of rainfall distribution and intensity in the northern rainband was highly sensitive to the predictability of the weather-scale shear line. The westward bias in the forecasted position and the weakened intensity of the shear line were the main causes of the westward and weaker forecast of heavy precipitation in the northern region. Additionally, the forecast of 850 hPa low-level jets, especially the forecasted intensity of zonal winds, which were closely related to the shear line, significantly influenced the intensity forecast of precipitation in the northern region. The forecast of precipitation in the southern warm area, which was far from the shear line, was more sensitive to the wind speed and thermodynamic conditions of the southwestern airflow in the boundary layer of the upstream inflow region. Most ensemble forecast members underestimated the intensity of the southwestern airflow in the coastal boundary layer of South China, which was the main reason for the near omission of heavy rainfall in the southern warm area. This study provides a quantitative correlation between low-level southwest jets along the coast of Guangdong and Fujian and non-typhoon heavy rainfall in Fujian, and explores their impact on heavy precipitation forecasts.
A novel model based on necroptosis to assess progression for polycystic ovary syndrome and identification of potential therapeutic drugs
Authors: Wang Mingming , An Ke , Huang Jing , Mprah Richard , Ding Huanhuan 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine and reproductive disorder, lacks precise diagnostic strategies. Necroptosis was found to be crucial in reproductive and endocrine disorders, but its function in PCOS remains unclear. We aimed to identify differentially diagnostic genes for necroptosis (NDDGs), construct a diagnostic model to assess the progression of PCOS and explore the potential therapeutic drugs.MethodsGene expression datasets were combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and necroptosis gene sets to screen the differentially expressed genes for PCOS. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to construct a necroptosis-related gene signatures. Independent risk analyses were performed using nomograms. Pathway enrichment of NDDGs was conducted with the GeneMANIA database and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Immune microenvironment analysis was estimated based on ssGSEA algorithm analysis. The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) was used to explore potential therapeutic drugs for NDDGs. The expression of NDDGs was validated in GSE84958, mouse model and clinical samples.ResultsFour necroptosis-related signature genes, IL33, TNFSF10, BCL2 and PYGM, were identified to define necroptosis for PCOS. The areas under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) for training set and validation in diagnostic risk model were 0.940 and 0.788, respectively. Enrichment analysis showed that NDDGs were enriched in immune-related signaling pathways such as B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells. Immune microenvironment analysis revealed that NDDGs were significantly correlated with 13 markedly different immune cells. A nomogram was constructed based on features that would benefit patients clinically. Several compounds, such as resveratrol, tretinoin, quercetin, curcumin, etc., were mined as therapeutic drugs for PCOS. The expression of the NDDGs in the validated set, animal model and clinical samples was consistent with the results of the training sets.ConclusionIn this study, 4 NDDGs were identified to be highly effective in assessing the progression and prognosis of PCOS and exploring potential targets for PCOS treatment.
Comparative analysis of co-culture and monoculture models in simulating diabetic neurovascular dysfunction: insights into diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Wang Qiyun , Qiao Zhixin , Kang Wenting , Zhu Ling , Zhang Xinyuan 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundInteraction between retinal vascular endothelial cells and neurons plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study aims to compare an in vitro model over a monoculture model to simulate the neurovascular coupling under the hyperglycemic microenvironment of diabetes.MethodsRat retinal vascular endothelial cells (RRMECs) and ganglion cells (RGCs) were seeded mono- or co-cultured in a normal (NG, 5.5 mM) and high (HG, 75 mM) glucose concentrations culture medium. Cell viability was detected by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The ability of migration and lumen formation of RRMECs were determined by scratch wound, transwell migration, and lumen formation assays. The apoptosis index of cells was calculated and detected by propidium iodide (PI)/Hoechst staining. Quantitative and morphological analysis of RGCs was performed through the labeling of RGCs by brain-specific homeobox/POU domain protein 3A (BRN3A) and anti-beta-III tubulin (TUJ1). The gene and protein expression levels of occludin (OCLN) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsThe viability, migration, and lumen formation abilities of RRMECs in the HG group significantly increased (P&lt;0.05) in both mono- and co-culture models. Migration and lumen formation abilities of RRMECs in the co-culture with HG were lower than that in the monoculture group (P&lt;0.05). The viability of RGCs cells with HG significantly decreased in both mono- and co-culture models (Pmono&lt;0.001, Pco&lt;0.001), the apoptosis index of RGCs in the co-culture with HG was higher than that in the monoculture (P=0.010). The protein and gene expression of OCLN, and ZO-1 in RRMECs significantly decreased with HG culture medium in both culture models (P&lt;0.05). In the HG group, the protein and gene expression level of the ZO-1 and OCLN of RRMECs significantly decreased in the co-culture model than that in the monoculture model (P&lt;0.05).ConclusionCompared with mono cell culture, the established co-culture in vitro system for diabetic neurovascular dysfunction can better stimulate the micro-environment of the retinal neurovascular unit.
β-CATENIN stabilizes HIF2 through lncRNA and inhibits intravenous immunoglobulin immunotherapy
Authors: Nakagawa Chad , Kadlera Nagaraj Manjunatha , Hernandez Juan Carlos , Uthay Kumar Dinesh Babu , Shukla Vivek , Machida Risa , Schüttrumpf Jörg , Sher Linda , Farci Patrizia , Mishra Lopa , Tahara Stanley M. , Ou Jing-Hsiung James , Machida Keigo 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionTumor-initiating cells (TICs) are rare, stem-like, and highly malignant. Although intravenous hepatitis B and C immunoglobulins have been used for HBV and HCV neutralization in patients, their tumor-inhibitory effects have not yet been examined. Hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) therapy is employed to reduce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence in patients after living donor liver transplantations (LDLT).HypothesisWe hypothesized that patient-derived intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) binding to HCC associated TICs will reduce self-renewal and cell viability driven by β-CATENIN-downstream pathways. β-CATENIN activity protected TICs from IVIG effects.MethodsThe effects of HBIG and HCIG binding to TICs were evaluated for cell viability and self-renewal.ResultsInhibition of β-CATENIN pathway(s) augmented TIC susceptibility to HBIG- and HCIG-immunotherapy. HBV X protein (HBx) upregulates both β-CATENIN and NANOG expression. The co-expression of constitutively active β-CATENIN with NANOG promotes self-renewal ability and tumor-initiating ability of hepatoblasts. HBIG bound to HBV+ cells led to growth inhibition in a TIC subset that expressed hepatitis B surface antigen. The HBx protein transformed cells through β-CATENIN-inducible lncRNAsEGLN3-AS1andlnc-β-CatM. Co-expression of constitutively active β-CATENIN with NANOG promoted self-renewal ability of TICs through EGLN3 induction. β-CATENIN-induced lncRNAs stabilized HIF2 to maintain self-renewal of TICs. Targeting ofEGLN3-AS1resulted in destabilization of EZH2-dependent β-CATENIN activity and synergized cell-killing of TICs by HBIG or HCIG immunotherapy.DiscussionTaken together, WNT and stemness pathways induced HIF2 of TICs via cooperating lncRNAs resulting in resistance to cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, therapeutic use of IVIG may suppress tumor recurrence through inhibition of TICs.
Northern Europe’s suitability for offshore European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) habitat restoration based on population dynamics
Authors: Stechele Brecht , Barbut Leo , Lacroix Geneviève , van Duren Luca A. , Van Lancker Vera , Degraer Steven , Gavazzi Giacomo Montereale , Bossier Peter , Declercq Annelies M. , Nevejan Nancy 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionEuropean and member state legislation encourage the sustainable development of offshore environments, with the restoration or creation of flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) habitats offering potential solutions to enhance biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. The site selection and identification of suitable habitats for flat oyster habitat restoration projects remains a significant knowledge gap.MethodsBy combining seabed substrate information with a coupled population (Dynamic Energy Budget - Individual-Based Models) and particle tracking model (for larvae dispersal), critical insights can be gained into the spatial distribution of suitability indicators such as population growth, fitness, reproduction, and self-recruitment. By applying this model to the English Channel and the North Sea over a ten-year period, suitable locations for flat oyster habitat restoration, restorative aquaculture, or oyster-related nature-inclusive designs can be identified. Comparing historical oyster bed locations with model outputs offers insights into why these locations were suitable for oyster bed development and allows for validation of the proposed approach.Results and discussionCoastal and nearshore environments are generally more suitable for flat oyster habitat restoration, and populations will grow more quickly in these areas. Offshore restoration in the North Sea presents challenges if it relies solely on self-recruitment. Besides site selection purposes, the model can be used to evaluate the effect of management strategies (e.g., initial population size) or environmental pressures (e.g., climate change, pollution) on restorations success.
DME-DeepLabV3+: a lightweight model for diabetic macular edema extraction based on DeepLabV3+ architecture
Authors: Bai Yun , Li Jing , Shi Lianjun , Jiang Qin , Yan Biao , Wang Zhenhua 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionDiabetic macular edema (DME) is a major cause of vision impairment in the patients with diabetes. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is an important ophthalmic imaging method, which can enable early detection of DME. However, it is difficult to achieve high-efficiency and high-precision extraction of DME in OCT images because the sources of OCT images are diverse and the quality of OCT images is not stable. Thus, it is still required to design a model to improve the accuracy of DME extraction in OCT images.MethodsA lightweight model (DME-DeepLabV3+) was proposed for DME extraction using a DeepLabV3+ architecture. In this model, MobileNetV2 model was used as the backbone for extracting low-level features of DME. The improved ASPP with sawtooth wave-like dilation rate was used for extracting high-level features of DME. Then, the decoder was used to fuse and refine low-level and high-level features of DME. Finally, 1711 OCT images were collected from the Kermany dataset and the Affiliated Eye Hospital. 1369, 171, and 171 OCT images were randomly selected for training, validation, and testing, respectively.ConclusionIn ablation experiment, the proposed DME-DeepLabV3+ model was compared against DeepLabV3+ model with different setting to evaluate the effects of MobileNetV2 and improved ASPP on DME extraction. DME-DeepLabV3+ had better extraction performance, especially in small-scale macular edema regions. The extraction results of DME-DeepLabV3+ were close to ground truth. In comparative experiment, the proposed DME-DeepLabV3+ model was compared against other models, including FCN, UNet, PSPNet, ICNet, and DANet, to evaluate DME extraction performance. DME-DeepLabV3+ model had better DME extraction performance than other models as shown by greater pixel accuracy (PA), mean pixel accuracy (MPA), precision (Pre), recall (Re), F1-score (F1), and mean Intersection over Union (MIoU), which were 98.71%, 95.23%, 91.19%, 91.12%, 91.15%, and 91.18%, respectively.DiscussionDME-DeepLabV3+ model is suitable for DME extraction in OCT images and can assist the ophthalmologists in the management of ocular diseases.
Prevalence of associations among sarcopenia, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in Brazilian older adults
Authors: Pinheiro Luiz Carlos Holanda Torres , Rossi Marcelo , dos Santos Carlos André Freitas , Oliveira Luis Vicente Franco , Vencio Sergio , de Paula Vieira Rodolfo , Juliano Yara , Armond Jane , Silva Carlos Hassel Mendes , Fonseca Adriano Luís , França Carolina Nunes , Bachi André Luís Lacerda 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundAlthough aging is a process associated with the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and sarcopenia, the prevalence of these conditions in older adults from São Paulo, Brazil, is unclear.MethodsTherefore, the current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of obesity, sarcopenia, and MetS, both separately and together, in a community-based sample of older adults from São Paulo, Brazil. Data from the medical records of 418 older adults of both genders, aged 60  years or older (mean age 69.3 ± 6.5  years), who were not physically active, were used to conduct this retrospective cross-sectional study. Anthropometric variables were used to determine both body mass index (BMI) and Conicity index (C index). Sarcopenia and MetS were defined according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People and by the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, respectively.ResultsBased on BMI, the group of older men (n = 91) showed a predominance of adequate weight (n = 49) and the group of older women (n = 327) showed a predominance of obesity (n = 181). In association with obesity, while only the group of older women presented with sarcopenia (n = 5), 52 older women and 9 older men presented with MetS, and two older women presented with sarcopenia + MetS [prevalence ratio = 0.0385, 95% CI (0.007;0.1924)]. Based on the C index, 58 older women and 11 older men presented with MetS, while the occurrence of sarcopenia or MetS + sarcopenia was found in 32 and 5 older women, respectively [prevalence ratio = 0.0910, 95% CI (0.037;0.2241)].DiscussionOur results suggest that obesity, as measured by BMI or the C Index, was more closely associated with the occurrence of MetS than sarcopenia, regardless of gender, and also that sarcopenic obesity was only found in the group of older women. Additionally, the prevalence ratio of obesity, sarcopenia, and MetS evidenced using the C index was 2.3 times higher than the values found using the BMI classification.
Elevated CK-MB levels are associated with adverse clinical outcomes in acute pancreatitis: a propensity score-matched study
Authors: Jiang Xiao-Ting , Ding Ling , Huang Xin , Lei Yu-Peng , Ke Hua-Jing , Xiong Hui-Fang , Luo Ling-Yu , He Wen-Hua , Xia Liang , Lu Nong-Hua , Zhu Yin 
Published: September 2023

AimCardiac injury, reflected by the measured concentrations of chemicals released from injured cardiac muscle, is common in acute pancreatitis (AP). However, there is no adequate evidence assessing the impact of cardiac injury on AP-related outcomes. Creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) mainly exists in the myocardium. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the relationship between the increase in CK-MB and the adverse clinical outcomes of AP.MethodsThis propensity score-matched study analyzed AP patients admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from June 2017 to July 2022. Propensity score matching and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the relationship between CK-MB elevation and AP outcome variables.ResultsA total of 5,944 patients were screened for eligibility, of whom 4,802 were ultimately enrolled. Overall, 896 (18.66%) of AP patients had elevated (&gt;24 U/ml) CK-MB levels, and 895 (99.89%) were paired with controls using propensity score matching. The propensity score-matched cohort analysis demonstrated that mortality (OR, 5.87; 95% CI, 3.89–8.84; P &lt; 0.001), severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.23–3.35; P &lt; 0.001), and infected necrotizing pancreatitis (INP) (OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 2.34–4.94; P &lt; 0.001) were more frequent in the elevated CK-MB (&gt;24 U/ml) group than in the normal CK-MB (≤ 24 U/ml) group. Using the multivariate logistic regression analysis, elevated CK-MB levels were independently associated with increased mortality (OR, 2.753, 95% CI, 2.095–3.617, P &lt; 0.001), SAP incidence (OR, 2.223, CI, 1.870–2.643, P &lt; 0.001), and INP incidence (OR, 1.913, 95% CI, 1.467–2.494, P &lt; 0.001). CK-MB elevation was an independent risk factor for adverse clinical outcomes in AP patients.ConclusionCK-MB elevation was significantly related to adverse outcomes in AP patients, which makes it a potentially useful laboratory parameter for predicting adverse clinical outcomes of AP.
Effect of far-infrared radiation therapy on von Willebrand factor in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Yen Cheng-Chieh , Hsu Po-Chao , Lin Chih-Ching , Chen Szu-Chia , Hsiao Chih-Yen , Hwang Shang-Jyh 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundHemostatic abnormality has contributed to vascular access thrombosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Previous studies have demonstrated that far-infrared radiation (FIR) therapy can maintain the patency and maturity of arteriovenous fistulas of patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). However, prolonged access bleeding is observed once FIR is conducted at the end of dialysis. FIR can block the binding of platelet and von Willebrand factor (vWF), a predictor of hemostatic abnormality and vascular access thrombosis. However, clinical studies exploring FIR and vWF are sparse.MethodsWe recruited 20 HD patients, 21 CKD patients, and 20 controls to examine the alteration of vWF and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 repeats 13 (ADAMTS13) following a single 40-min session of FIR therapy. In addition, the alteration of these factors in the HD group was examined following a 40-min FIR session thrice a week for 3 months.ResultsA decreasing trend in the vWF activity-antigen ratio of participants in all groups following a single FIR session was observed. In addition, the ratio in the HD group was significantly lower following 3 months of FIR therapy. The subgroup analysis revealed a consistent trend and multiple regression analysis showed that participants not taking hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, diabetes mellitus, and higher hemoglobin levels were the significant factors. The alteration of the vWF activity-antigen ratio correlated moderately to that of ADAMTS13 antigen and activity.ConclusionFIR may alter the ratio of ultra-large vWF multimers through ADAMTS13, contributing to inhibiting platelet-endothelium interactions of CKD patients.
Predicting the risk of distant metastasis in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer using model based on pre-treatment T2WI-based radiomic features plus postoperative pathological stage
Authors: Wang Chen , Chen Jingjing , Zheng Nanxin , Zheng Kuo , Zhou Lu , Zhang Qianwen , Zhang Wei 
Published: September 2023

ObjectiveTo assess the prognostic value of a model based on pre-treatment T2WI-based radiomic features and postoperative pathological staging in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who have undergone neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.MethodsRadiomic features were derived from T2WI, and a radiomic signature (RS) was established and validated for the prediction of distant metastases (DM). Subsequently, we designed and validated a nomogram model that combined the radiomic signature and postoperative pathological staging for enhanced DM prediction. Performance measures such as the concordance index (C-index) and area under the curve (AUC) were computed to assess the predictive accuracy of the models.ResultsA total of 260 patients participated in this study, of whom 197 (75.8%) were male, and the mean age was 57.2 years with a standard deviation of 11.2 years. 15 radiomic features were selected to define the radiomic signature. Patients with a high-risk radiomic signature demonstrated significantly shorter distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in both the development and validation cohorts. A nomogram, incorporating the radiomic signature, pathological T stage, and N stage, achieved an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.60-0.83) in the development cohort and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.73-0.92) in the validation cohort.ConclusionA radiomic signature derived from T2WI-based radiomic features can effectively distinguish patients with varying risks of DM. Furthermore, a nomogram integrating the radiomic signature and postoperative pathological stage proves to be a robust predictor of DMFS.