bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ensemble learning with speaker embeddings in multiple speech task stimuli for depression detection
Authors: Liu Zhenyu , Yu Huimin , Li Gang , Chen Qiongqiong , Ding Zhijie , Feng Lei , Yao Zhijun , Hu Bin 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionAs a biomarker of depression, speech signal has attracted the interest of many researchers due to its characteristics of easy collection and non-invasive. However, subjects’ speech variation under different scenes and emotional stimuli, the insufficient amount of depression speech data for deep learning, and the variable length of speech frame-level features have an impact on the recognition performance.MethodsThe above problems, this study proposes a multi-task ensemble learning method based on speaker embeddings for depression classification. First, we extract the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC), the Perceptual Linear Predictive Coefficients (PLP), and the Filter Bank (FBANK) from the out-domain dataset (CN-Celeb) and train the Resnet x-vector extractor, Time delay neural network (TDNN) x-vector extractor, and i-vector extractor. Then, we extract the corresponding speaker embeddings of fixed length from the depression speech database of the Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) are used to obtain the classification results of speaker embeddings in nine speech tasks. To make full use of the information of speech tasks with different scenes and emotions, we aggregate the classification results of nine tasks into new features and then obtain the final classification results by using Multilayer Perceptron (MLP). In order to take advantage of the complementary effects of different features, Resnet x-vectors based on different acoustic features are fused in the ensemble learning method.ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that (1) MFCC-based Resnet x-vectors perform best among the nine speaker embeddings for depression detection; (2) interview speech is better than picture descriptions speech, and neutral stimulus is the best among the three emotional valences in the depression recognition task; (3) our multi-task ensemble learning method with MFCC-based Resnet x-vectors can effectively identify depressed patients; (4) in all cases, the combination of MFCC-based Resnet x-vectors and PLP-based Resnet x-vectors in our ensemble learning method achieves the best results, outperforming other literature studies using the depression speech database.DiscussionOur multi-task ensemble learning method with MFCC-based Resnet x-vectors can fuse the depression related information of different stimuli effectively, which provides a new approach for depression detection. The limitation of this method is that speaker embeddings extractors were pre-trained on the out-domain dataset. We will consider using the augmented in-domain dataset for pre-training to improve the depression recognition performance further.
Reduced eye optical quality contributes to worse chromatic thresholds in aging
Authors: Costa Marcelo Fernandes , Rego Livia Soledade , Henriques Leonardo Dutra , Martins Gaddi Carlo , Souza Givago Silva 
Published: March 2023

PurposeAging causes substantial changes in the intraocular lens, which leads to a reduction in chromatic perception. We aimed to measure the ocular light dispersion component in relation to the reduction in color vision by aging.MethodsIntraocular straylight was quantified psychophysically by C-Quant for light dispersion [Log(s)], reliability of the results (ESD), and psychometric sampling quality (Q). The Cambridge Color Test Trivector protocol measured the chromaticity thresholds for protan, deutan, and tritan color confusion axis in CIE 1976 u’ v’ units. We tested 224 subjects aged 24–68 years (106 men) with normal best-corrected visual acuity and without clinical evidence of cataracts.ResultsA significant positive correlation was found between ocular dispersion of light and chromaticity thresholds for protan (r = 0.42; p &lt; 0.001), deutan (r = 0.49; p &lt; 0.001) and tritan (r = 0.51; p &lt; 0.0001) color confusion axes with a moderate effect size (η2 = 0.39). However, a weak contribution of the logarithm of the straylight in predicting the chromaticity threshold for protan (b = 0.15; p = 0.025), deutan (b = 0.27; p = 0.001) and tritan (b = 0.21; p = 0.001) color confusion axes was verified in the regression coefficients. The other two measurement quality parameters estimated in the C-Quant were not correlated with chromaticity thresholds, suggesting that there are no problems with the quality of the measurement performed.ConclusionAn increase in ocular light dispersion that occurs physiologically with aging negatively impacts the chromaticity threshold in a similar manner across all three color confusion axes. The weak regression effects suggest that neural rather than optical processes were more related to the reduction in chromaticity in aging.
Dietary supplementation with spray-dried animal plasma improves vaccine protection in aged mice
Authors: Miró Lluïsa , Rosell-Cardona Cristina , Amat Concepció , Polo Javier , Moretó Miquel , Pérez-Bosque Anna 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundSenescence is characterized by an aggravated inflammatory state that reduces vaccine responsiveness. Dietary supplementation with spray-dried porcine plasma (SDP) exerts anti-inflammatory effects in different mucosal areas. We aimed to determine if the anti-inflammatory properties of SDP improve the efficiency of immunization in senescent animals.MethodsExperiments were performed in 2-month-old and 6-month-old male SAMP8 mice fed control or SDP (8%) feeds for 4  months. The mice received nasal doses of 2.5  μg of Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB) or vehicle every 15  days (i.e., 3 times). Fifteen days after the last dose, a lethal shock was induced by intraperitoneal administration of SEB and LPS.ResultsImmunization increased anti-SEB IgA in intestinal and bronchoalveolar fluid (p &lt; 0.05). After the lethal shock, all immunized aged mice that were supplemented with SDP survived, in contrast to only 66% of those fed the control feed (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, after the lethal challenge, aged mice showed higher expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Il-6, Tnf-α, Ifn-γ, and Il-1β) in jejunal and (Tnf-α, and Il-1β) in lung tissues (p &lt; 0.05), which were reduced by SDP supplementation (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, in senescent mice, SDP supplementation augmented Il-4 and Il-10 expression in both tissues (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionSDP reduces the mucosal inflammation associated with aging, improving vaccine protection in senescent mice.
Dietary patterns and their association with cardiovascular risk factors in Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Kumma Wondimagegn Paulos , Loha Eskindir 
Published: March 2023

PurposeTo identify the dietary patterns and their association with cardiovascular risk factors among adult people in urban and rural areas of Wolaita, southern Ethiopia.MethodsA total of 2,483 participants aged 25–64 years were selected using a three-stage random sampling. Data for this study were collected using structured questionnaires, the previous 24-h dietary intake assessment, anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemical measurements. We used factor analysis to identify dietary patterns. Factors associated with dietary patterns were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. The adjusted regression coefficients with their 95% CI were used to ascertain the association.ResultWe identified three major dietary patterns that explained 51% of the variance in food consumption. Thewestern dietary patternwas characterized by the consumption of meat/organ meat, biscuits/sweets, chicken stew, pasta-macaroni recipes, butter, white wheat bread, egg recipe, and Ethiopian dishshiro-wet, and was positively associated with urban residence, obesity, hypertension, blood glucose, and total cholesterol levels. Adherence to the consumption of tubers, whole-grain maize products, coffee leaves-and-herbs beverage, legumes, and sweet potatoes featured thetraditional dietary pattern. Thetraditional dietary patternshowed a positive relationship with rural residence, physical activity, and obesity, and it had a negative relationship with hypertension. Thehealthy dietary patternwas characterized by the intake of green leafy vegetables, green pepper, and whole-grain maize products, and negatively related to obesity, and hypertension, while positively related to urban residence.ConclusionThe coexistence ofwestern, traditional, and healthy dietary patternsin the present study indicates the transition to a new dietary pattern in the study area. All dietary patterns were associated with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, but the western dietary pattern was associated with most of these, while the traditional diet showed fewer such associations. Therefore, it might be useful to promotehealthy and traditional dietary patternsalong with physical activity. Interventions related to the current findings, if initiated early in life, may benefit the public in preventing cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2-diabetes.
Effectiveness of immunosuppressant use for the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced liver injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Kefan , He Junhao , Xu Jing , Chen Jie 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundImmune-mediated liver injury caused by checkpoint inhibitors (ILICI) is a challenging clinical management issue. Although immunosuppressants are widely used to manage ILICI, no large-scale studies have proved definitive evidence for the most effective form of patient management.AimAnalysis of the effectiveness of immunosuppression for immune-related liver injury.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical outcomes of immunosuppressive treatment of ILICI patients. A literature search of PubMed, Ovid, and Cochrane Library was completed for dates from 2000 to January 1, 2022. The primary outcome was the response rate to immunosuppressive therapy for ILICI, with subgroup analysis based on the type of cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitor regimen, and severity of liver injury. The secondary outcome was the median time to recovery from ILICI with immunosuppressive therapy.ResultsA total of 30 studies that included 1120 patients were collected. The pooled ILICI response rate was 79% (95% CI 0.73-0.84) for treatment with corticosteroids and 93% (95% CI 0.79-1.0) for treatment with mycophenolate mofetil. For ILICI treated with corticosteroids, the median recovery time was 47.59 (95% CI 39.79-55.40) days compared to 37.74 (95% CI 31.12-44.35) days for all forms of immunosuppression.ConclusionFindings support the effectiveness of corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of ILICI. The identified median time to recovery is a beneficial guide for patients and physicians, allowing for realistic expectations and appropriate treatment management. Future prospective randomized controlled trials are required to define a standardized management approach to immunosuppressive therapy of ILICI.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022313454.
Integrative analysis of transcriptomic landscape and urinary signature reveals prognostic biomarkers for clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Wei , Liu Wenqiang , Yang Yiren , Xiao Chengwu , Xiao Yutian , Tan Xiaojie , Pang Qingyang , Wu Han , Hua Meimian , Shi Xiaolei 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundClear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients with venous tumor thrombus (VTT) have poor prognosis. We aimed to reveal features of ccRCC with VTT and develop a urine-based prognostic classifier to predict ccRCC prognosis through integrative analyses of transcriptomic landscape and urinary signature.MethodsRNA sequencing was performed in five patients with ccRCC thrombus-tumor-normal tissue triples, while mass spectrometry was performed for urine samples from 12 ccRCC and 11 healthy controls. A urine-based classifier consisting of three proteins was developed to predict patients’ survival and validated in an independent cohort.ResultsTranscriptomic analysis identified 856 invasion-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Furthermore, proteomic analysis showed 133 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Integration of transcriptomic landscape and urinary signature reveals 6 urinary detectable proteins (VSIG4, C3, GAL3ST1, TGFBI, AKR1C3, P4HB) displaying abundance changes consistent with corresponding genes in transcriptomic profiling. According to TCGA database, VSIG4, TGFBI, and P4HB were significantly overexpressed in patients with shorter survival and might be independent prognostic factors for ccRCC (all p&lt;0.05). A prognostic classifier consisting of the three DEPs highly associated with survival performed satisfactorily in predicting overall survival (HR=2.0, p&lt;0.01) and disease-free survival (HR=1.6, p&lt;0.001) of ccRCC patients. The ELISA analysis of urine samples from an independent cohort confirmed the satisfied predictive power of the classifier for pathological grade (AUC=0.795, p&lt;0.001) and stage (AUC=0.894, p&lt;0.001).ConclusionBased on integrative analyses of transcriptomic landscape and urinary signature, the urine-based prognostic classifier consisting of VSIG4, TGFBI, and P4HB has satisfied predictive power of ccRCC prognosis and may facilitate ccRCC molecular subtyping and treatment.
Use of phage display biopanning as a tool to design CAR-T cells against glioma stem cells
Authors: Potez Marine , Snedal Sebastian , She Chunhua , Kim Jongmyung , Thorner Konrad , Tran Timothy H. , Ramello Maria Cecilia , Abate-Daga Daniel , Liu James K. C. 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundGlioblastoma (GBM) is both the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor, associated with high mortality rates and resistance to conventional therapy. Despite recent advancements in knowledge and molecular profiling, recurrence of GBM is nearly inevitable. This recurrence has been attributed to the presence of glioma stem cells (GSCs), a small fraction of cells resistant to standard-of-care treatments and capable of self-renewal and tumor initiation. Therefore, targeting these cancer stem cells will allow for the development of more effective therapeutic strategies against GBM. We have previously identified several 7-amino acid length peptides which specifically target GSCs through in vitro and in vivo phage display biopanning.Methods and resultsWe have combined two of these peptides to create a dual peptide construct (EV), and demonstrated its ability to bind GSCs in vitro and target intracranial GBM in mouse models. A peptide pull-down performed with peptide EV followed by mass spectrometry determined N-cadherin as the binding partner of the peptide, which was validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance. To develop cytotoxic cellular products aimed at specifically targeting GSCs, chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) were engineered containing the peptide EV in place of the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) as the antigen-binding domain. EV CAR-transduced T cells demonstrated specific reactivity towards GSCs by production of interferon-gamma when exposed to GSCs, in addition to the induction of GSC-specific apoptosis as illustrated by Annexin-V staining.ConclusionThese results exemplify the use of phage display biopanning for the isolation of GSC-targeting peptides, and their potential application in the development of novel cytotoxic therapies for GBM.
Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma clonotypes are detectable prior to eMZL diagnosis in tissue biopsies and peripheral blood of Sjögren’s syndrome patients through immunogenetics
Authors: Kolijn P. Martijn , Huijser Erika , Wahadat M. Javad , van Helden-Meeuwsen Cornelia G. , van Daele Paul L. A. , Brkic Zana , Rijntjes Jos , Hebeda Konnie M. , Groenen Patricia J. T. A. , Versnel Marjan A. , Thurlings Rogier M. , Langerak Anton W. 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionActivated B cells play a key role in the pathogenesis of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) through the production of autoantibodies and the development of ectopic germinal centers in the salivary glands and other affected sites. Around 5-10% of pSS patients develop B-cell lymphoma, usually extranodal marginal zone lymphomas (eMZL) of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The aim of the current study is to investigate if the eMZL clonotype is detectable in prediagnostic blood and tissue biopsies of pSS patients.Methods/ResultsWe studied prediagnostic tissue biopsies of three pSS patients diagnosed with eMZL and four pSS controls through immunoglobulin (IG) gene repertoire sequencing. In all three cases, we observed the eMZL clonotype in prediagnostic tissue biopsies. Among controls, we observed transient elevation of clonotypes in two pSS patients. To evaluate if eMZL clonotypes may also be detected in the circulation, we sequenced a peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) sample drawn at eMZL diagnosis and two years prior to eMZL relapse in two pSS patients. The eMZL clonotype was detected in the peripheral blood prior to diagnosis in both cases. Next, we selected three pSS patients who developed eMZL lymphoma and five additional pSS patients who remained lymphoma-free. We sequenced the IG heavy chain (IGH) gene repertoire in PBMC samples taken a median of three years before eMZL diagnosis. In two out of three eMZL patients, the dominant clonotype in the prediagnostic PBMC samples matched the eMZL clonotype in the diagnostic biopsy. The eMZL clonotypes observed consisted of stereotypic IGHV gene combinations (IGHV1-69/IGHJ4 and IGHV4-59/IGHJ5) associated with rheumatoid factor activity, a previously reported feature of eMZL in pSS.DiscussionIn conclusion, our results indicate that eMZL clonotypes in pSS patients are detectable prior to overt eMZL diagnosis in both tissue biopsies and peripheral blood through immunogenetic sequencing, paving the way for the development of improved methods of early detection of eMZL.
Treatment discontinuation following low-dose TKIs in 248 chronic myeloid leukemia patients: Updated results from a campus CML real-life study
Authors: Iurlo A. , Cattaneo D. , Consonni D. , Castagnetti F. , Miggiano M. C. , Binotto G. , Bonifacio M. , Rege-Cambrin G. , Tiribelli M. , Lunghi F. , Gozzini A. , Pregno P. , Abruzzese E. , Capodanno I. , Bucelli C. , Pizzuti M. , Artuso S. , Iezza M. , Scalzulli E. , La Barba G. , Maggi A. , Russo S. , Elena C. , Scortechini A. R. , Tafuri A. , Latagliata R. , Caocci G. , Bocchia M. , Galimberti S. , Luciano L. , Fava C. , Foà R. , Saglio G. , Rosti G. , Breccia M. 
Published: March 2023

TKIs long-term treatment in CML may lead to persistent adverse events (AEs) that can promote relevant morbidity and mortality. Consequently, TKIs dose reduction is often used to prevent AEs. However, data on its impact on successful treatment-free remission (TFR) are quite scarce. We conducted a retrospective study on the outcome of CML subjects who discontinued low-dose TKIs from 54 Italian hematology centers participating in the Campus CML network. Overall, 1.785 of 5.108 (35.0%) regularly followed CML patients were treated with low-dose TKIs, more frequently due to relevant comorbidities or AEs (1.288, 72.2%). TFR was attempted in 248 (13.9%) subjects, all but three while in deep molecular response (DMR). After a median follow-up of 24.9 months, 172 (69.4%) patients were still in TFR. TFR outcome was not influenced by gender, Sokal/ELTS risk scores, prior interferon, number and last type of TKI used prior to treatment cessation, DMR degree, reason for dose reduction or median TKIs duration. Conversely, TFR probability was significantly better in the absence of resistance to any prior TKI. In addition, patients with a longer DMR duration before TKI discontinuation (i.e., &gt;6.8 years) and those with an e14a2 BCR::ABL1 transcript type showed a trend towards prolonged TFR. It should also be emphasized that only 30.6% of our cases suffered from molecular relapse, less than reported during full-dose TKI treatment. The use of low-dose TKIs does not appear to affect the likelihood of achieving a DMR and thus trying a treatment withdrawal, but might even promote the TFR rate.
Dose optimization of vancomycin in obese patients: A systematic review
Authors: Elrggal Mahmoud E. , Haseeb Abdul , AlGethamy Manal , Ahsan Umar , Saleem Zikria , Althaqafi Areej Sultan , Alshuail Sattam Saad , Alsiddiqi Zohair Ahmad , Iqbal Muhammad Shahid , Alzahrani Albaraa Faraj , AlQarni Abdullmoin , Radwan Rozan Mohammad , Qul Ameer Khalid Saab , Mahrous Ahmad Jamal , Alsharif Jumana Majdi , Alqurashi Mayyasah Khalid , Faidah Hani Saleh , Aldurdunji Mohammed 
Published: March 2023

Background: Dose optimization of vancomycin plays a substantial role in drug pharmacokinetics because of the increased incidence of obesity worldwide. This systematic review was aimed to highlight the current dosing strategy of vancomycin among obese patients.Methods: This systematic review was in concordance with Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature search was carried out on various databases such as Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and EMBASE using Keywords and MeSH terms related to vancomycin dosing among obese patients. Google Scholar was also searched for additional articles. The English language articles published after January, 2000 were included in this study. The quality of the study was assessed using different assessment tools for cohort, and case reports.Results: A total of 1,029 records were identified. After screening, 18 studies were included for the final review. Of total, twelve studies are retrospective and remaining six are case-control studies. A total of eight studies were conducted in pediatrics while remaining studies were conducted in adult population. Most of the studies reported the dosing interval every 6–8 h. Differences in target trough concentration exist with respect to target ranges. The administration of loading dose (20–25 mg/kg) followed by maintenance dose (15–25 mg/kg) of vancomycin is recommended in adult patients to target therapeutic outcomes. Moreover, a dose of 40–60 mg/kg/day appears appropriate for pediatric patients.Conclusion: The initial dosing of vancomycin based on TBW could be better predictor of vancomycin trough concentration. However, the clinical significance is uncertain. Therefore, more studies are needed to evaluate the dosing strategy of vancomycin in overweight or obese patients.