bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Large left varicocele in a patient with portal hypertension treated via transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement and both variceal and varicocele embolization
Authors: Megahed Ayah , Schlachter Todd , Cornman-Homonoff Joshua 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background:
Scrotal swelling from varicocele is a common complaint in adult men. Varicocele due to portosystemic collaterals is a rare presentation of portal hypertension. Imaging workup and intervention for varicocele in this case is more complex than varicocele due to absent or incompetent valves in the testicular veins and pampiniform plexus.
Case Presentation:
We present the case of a 53-year-old man with alcohol-related cirrhosis presented with persistent left scrotal heaviness, pain, and swelling found to have a large left varicocele. Given his history of cirrhosis, a contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis was obtained showing that the varices were supplied by a vessel arising from the splenic vein and draining into the left renal vein as well as gastric varices. Varicocele embolization alone is not sufficient in this case, and we treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, variceal and varicocele embolization.
Conclusion:
In patients presenting with a varicocele with a history of cirrhosis/portal hypertension, cross sectional imaging of the abdomen and pelvis should be obtained prior to treatment to evaluate for the presence of varices which may be pressured by varicocele embolization. If present, consideration should be given to referral to an interventional radiologist for possible concurrent variceal embolization and TIPS placement.
Postoperative chemotherapy with Eribulin following potentially curative surgery in patients with localized liposarcoma – a retrospective single center experience
Authors: Steinbrecher Oskar , Brodowicz Thomas , Scharrer Anke , Fabsits Johannes , Raderer Markus , Lamm Wolfgang 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Introduction:
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare and heterogenous malignancies with high recurrence rates following resection and a poor prognosis in advanced stages. Eribulin is used in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma patients, who have failed first line chemotherapy and has been approved in patients with pretreated advanced liposarcoma (LPS) in the United States and Europe due to data from a phase III trial. In addition, no data are available for eribulin as postoperative treatment after potentially curative surgery. We have thus retrospectively evaluated efficacy and tolerability of adjuvant eribulin in LPS patients not suitable for intensive chemotherapy in the routine clinical setting.
Methods
In this retrospective single center analysis, efficacy and safety of eribulin were retrospectively evaluated in 5 high risk LPS patients.
Results
Eribulin as postoperative treatment following surgical resection was administered to 5 patients with LPS. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 12.3 months (95% CI 5.6–18.9 months) and 44.3 months (3.8–84.8 95% CI), respectively. Toxicity was generally manageable, and grade 3 + 4 events were rare.
Conclusions
Postoperative eribulin may be feasible in selected high risk LPS patients, who are not candidates for intensive chemotherapy regimens. Further prospective trials, however, are needed.
Gamma-Flicker Light Reinforces MHC-II Mediated Antigen Processing and Presentation of Microglia in the Mouse Retina under Aging
Authors: Sheng Wang , Wang Qichang , Huang Yinghua , Gu Jianing , Ding Chengcheng , Cui Zekai , Tang Shibo , Chen Jiansu 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Aging, a common risk factor for multiple retinal degeneration diseases, is susceptible to the tissue immune state. Our previous study suggested that a gamma-flicker light (γFL) improves retinal aging features. However, it remains unclear whether γFL could affect the retinal immune function under aging. In this study, we first explored the effects of γFL on astrocyte and microglia morphologies in different inner-retinal layers for mice of 8 w, 9 m, and 18 m. Unfortunately, these morphologies appeared to change only with age independent of 6-d γFL treatment. The immune transcriptomic analysis was then carried out for the whole retina tissue of 20-m mice, and we found that the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC-II) mediated antigen processing and presentation was most affected by γFL. The MHC-II related markers in the retina were then assessed, and the staining of all-age retina flat-mount showed that MHC-II+ cells were ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (IBA-1) positive, the cells distributed along the retinal veins. The para-venous MHC-II+ microglia cells were increased with aging and further increased with γFL treatment in 18-m mice. Meanwhile, we found that γFL significantly activated subretinal microglia, whose MHC-II+ subpopulation was significantly increased. Echoing these results, γFL significantly elevated neural-retinal CD74 expression level in the western blotting. Furthermore, amyloid β (Aβ) oligomer solution was injected into the vitreous of 8-w and 9-m mice to mimic retina aging. Expression levels of CD68 and CD74 were increased in these mice after Aβ injection and further increased following 3-d γFL treatment. Similarly, we found that the Aβ-γFL treatment resulted in a linear distribution of MHC-II+ microglia along the retinal veins and brought about a co-staining of Aβ with other activated microglia distant from the veins. Overall, γFL treatment inspires the function of retinal microglia in MHC-II-mediated antigen phagocytosis and presentation under aging, thus being a potential immunomodulatory tool for the treatment of retinal aging or aging-related diseases.
Quality of life after totally laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction versus totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy: Retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Ze-Qin , Liu Yan-Hong , Zhang Yu-Liang , Hong Jun , Wang Jian , Hua Lu-Chun , Wang Ya-Ping , Hao Han-Kun 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background
Gastrectomy remains a major surgery that may result in significant deterioration of the patient's health-related quality of life (QOL). This study assessed differences in short- and long-term QOL among patients following Totally Laparoscopic Proximal Gastrectomy with Double-Tract reconstruction (TLPG-DT) in comparison to those of Totally Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy (TLTG).
Methods
Patients with gastric cancer who underwent totally laparoscopic proximal and total gastrectomy in the Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, from January 2015 to January 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Participants completed the EORTC cancer (QLQ-C30) and gastric (QLQ-STO22) questionnaires less than six months after surgery and more than one year after surgery.
Results
There were 25 patients who underwent TLPG-DT and 30 patients who underwent TLTG. For short-term outcomes, TLPG-DT patients had worse social function (p-value = 0.014), appetite (p-value = 0.038), and anxiety (p-value = 0.004) than TLTG patients. As for long-term outcomes, patients in both groups had similar quality-of-life scores. Patients in the TLPG-DT group had higher albumin and hemoglobin levels, as well as more time and cost for the procedure (paid ¥8,713 and ¥1,271 more than patients in the TLTG group in terms of total cost and consumables cost, respectively). There was no difference in complications and OS between the two groups.
Conclusions
The short-term QOL of TLPG-DT patients was inferior to that of TLTG patients, while there was no significant difference in the long-term QOL between them. TLPG-DT had a satisfactory QOL, which, combined with the better nutritional status of this group of patients after surgery, warrants replication in established surgical centers.
Development of a recombinase-aided amplification assay for rapid detection of the human pathogen Nocardia farcinca
Authors: Li Fang , Xu Shuai , Wang Ruihuan , Han Lichao , Yuan Min , Qiu Xiaotong , Kang Yutong , Shen Jirao , Liu Xueping , Chen Shenglin , Yao Jiang , Li Zhenjun 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Nocardia farcinica, one of the most common etiological pathogens of nocardiosis in pulmonary infection, usually causes severe disseminated diseases in immunocompromised individuals. To date, there is a lack of rapid and reliable diagnostic tools for the detection of N. farcinica in clinical laboratories. In the present study, we reported the development of rapidity, simplicity, and high specificity real-time fluorescence recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA) assay for the detection of N. farcinica. RT-RAA technique was developed to amplify the specific gene of pbr1 and detected double labeled amplicons within 20 min by designing a specific labeled primer set and the corresponding probe. We identified 86 strains of N. farcinica and 46 closely related strains, analyzed the specificity of the developed assay, and estimated the clinical diagnostic efficacy of the method with simulated sputum samples. The results showed no cross-reaction was observed and specificity was 100%. The limit of detection of RT-RAA was 10 copies per reaction of Nocardia genomic DNA, which was up to 10 times higher sensitivity than conventional real-time quantitative PCR. In conclusion, the recombinase-mediated isothermal amplification technique is a fast, simple, and sensitive method for the detection of N. farcinica, which may have potential application for the detection of N. farcinica in clinical laboratories, especially in resource-poor areas.
A positive feedback between cholesterol synthesis and the pentose phosphate pathway rather than glycolysis promotes hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Song Guisheng , hu junjie , Liu Ningning , Song David , Steer Clifford , Zheng Guohua 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Hepatic cholesterol accumulation and hypercholesterolemia are implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the therapeutic effects of cholesterol lowering drugs on HCC are controversial, indicating that the relationship between cholesterol metabolism and HCC is more complex than anticipated. A positive feedback between cholesterol synthesis and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) rather than glycolysis was formed in tumors of c-Myc mice. Blocking the PPP prevented inhibited cholesterol synthesis and thereby HCC in c-Myc mice, while ablating glycolysis did not affect cholesterol synthesis and failed to prevent c-Myc-induced HCC. Unexpectedly, HMGCR (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase) and G6PD (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), the rate-limiting enzymes of cholesterol synthesis and the PPP, were identified as direct targets of microRNA-206. By targeting Hmgcr and G6pd, microRNA-206 disrupted the positive feedback and fully prevented HCC in c-Myc mice, while 100% of control mice dies of HCC. Disrupting the interaction of microRNA-206 with Hmgcr and G6pd restored cholesterol synthesis, the PPP and HCC growth that was inhibited by miR-206.
Conclusions: This study identified a previously undescribed positive feedback loop between cholesterol synthesis and the PPP, which drives HCC, while microRNA-206 prevents HCC by disrupting this loop. Cholesterol synthesis as a process rather than cholesterol itself is the major contributor of HCC.
Pattern of Consumption of Dietary and Herbal Supplements by Individuals with Non-communicable Diseases During Covid-19 Pandemic in Nigeria
Authors: Afolabi Bamgboye M. , Holdbrooke Susan A , Odubela Oluwatosin O. 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Cognizance of the implication of Covid-19 pandemic on health and well-being resulted in an upsurge is use of several dietary and herbal supplements (DHS) for the prevention and/or prophylaxis against the new disease.
Objectives: To evaluate the pattern of DHS consumption among Nigerians with Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Setting: Adolescents, and adults residing in Nigeria.
Participants:Participants with NCD (n = 165) from a larger study (n=645) were recruited from different geo-political zones and various ethnic groups.
Primary and Secondary Outcomes: Prevalence and determinants for the use of different DHS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria, and sources of information for DHS use.
Results: Hypertension was the most prevalent NCD (63.6%) in the study and both breast cancer and anxiety disorder were the least (0.6%). A minimum (75.2%) of the respondents had less than 8 hours of sleep daily and almost all did not smoke cigarette at all. The proportion of male and female hypertensives who believed that dietary supplements are necessary during infectious disease outbreak such as Covid-19 was moderately high (55.2%), higher among asthmatics (65.0%), diabetes (58/105, 68.4%), those with kidney disease (100.0%), ulcer (83.3%) and liver disease. Almost all the respondents with hypertension (101/105, 96.2%), asthma (19/20, 95.0%), diabetes (19/19, 100.0%) and kidney disease (6/6, 100.0%), consumed supplements more during Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The proportion of those who consumed supplements more during the pandemic in Nigeria was higher among male hypertensives (57/101, 56.4%) than among the female (44/101, 43.6%), though the difference was not significant (χ²=2.93, P-value=0.09). Vitamin C was the commonest vitamin taken by respondents with ulcer (83.3%), kidney disease (83.3%), diabetes (57.9%), asthma (50.0%), hypertension (48.6%) and the two respondents with breast cancer (1, 100.0%) and anxiety disorder (1, 100.0%) respectively. Calcium and zinc were the commonest minerals taken by respondents with ulcer (50.0%, 16.7%), diabetes (10.5%, 5.3%), asthma (30.0%, 10.0%) and hypertension (13.3%, 11.4%) respectively. High proportions (83.3%, 80.0%) of those with kidney disease and with asthma consumed DHS to maintain good health. Health workers were the dominant source of information for most on the use of supplements during Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
Conclusions: The findings showed widespread use of DHS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 among persons with NCD. The use of DHS in this study was mainly guided by health workers with a marginal role of social media and Mass media. These findings call for a more robust consolidative tactic towards DHS to ensure its proper and safe use.
Sex-based differences in IGF1 signaling pathways in response to PAPP-A2 deficiency
Authors: Navarro Juan Antonio , López-Gambero Antonio Jesús , Fernández-Arjona María del Mar , de Ceglia Marialuisa , Rubio Leticia , de Fonseca Fernando Rodríguez , Barrios Vicente , Chowen Julie A. , Argente Jesús , Perez Juan Suarez , Rivera Patricia 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Background.
Patients with pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) mutations have progressive postnatal growth retardation and high circulating levels of IGF1 bound in ternary complexes. The present study aims to assess whether Pappa2 deficiency is associated with sex-specific differences in the main components of IGF1 ternary complexes and IGF1 signaling pathways in response to low IGF1 bioavailability.
Methods.
Plasma, hypothalamus, pituitary gland and liver were analyzed in constitutive Pappa2ko/ko mice of both sexes that have reduced skeletal growth and impaired bone composition.
Results.
The reduction in body and femur length of Pappa2ko/ko mice was associated with increases in total IGF1 and IGFBP5 concentrations in plasma of females, Igfbp5 mRNA levels in the hypothalamus of males, and Igf1, Igfbp3 and Igfals mRNA levels in the liver of females, suggesting sex- and tissue-specific effects of Pappa2 deficiency on IGF ternary/binary complexes. Pappa2 deficiency was also accompanied by increased pituitary GH concentrations in both sexes. Sex-specific dysregulation of IGF1 signaling pathways was found in Pappa2ko/ko mice with higher phosphorylated forms of AKT, mTOR, GSK3β and ERK1/2 in the female hypothalamus, GSK3β in the male pituitary gland, and PI3K and AMPKα in the female liver, suggesting sex-based alterations in regulators of cell proliferation/growth and protein/glucose metabolism.
Conclusions.
These data suggest that sex-specific differences in IGF ternary complexes and IGF1 signaling pathways are associated with Pappa2 deficiency, pointing to molecular mechanisms that may participate in the physiopathology of postnatal growth retardation in a sex-dependent manner.
Thickness effect on electro-optical characteristics of MoS 2 /p-Si heterojunction devices fabricated by Aerosol Jet Printing
Authors: Kaya Meltem Donmez , Ozcelik Suleyman 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The main aim of this article has to investigate some electro-optical properties of MoS2/p-Si heterojunctions fabricated by an innovative technique, AJP. For this purpose, MoS2 thin films of different thicknesses were deposited on corning glass and p-type Si substrates by using RF magnetron sputtering. The structural, morphological and optical properties of MoS2 films were analyzed by different characterization techniques. In addition, the electrical properties of heterojunction devices of MoS2/p-Si were examined by I-V measurements. Depending on the film thickness, localized states in the band gap region, which are explained by Urbach energy, electron-phonon interaction and steepness parameter analyses, were considered to be effective on device performance. It was observed that the fabricated MoS2/p-Si device with a thickness of 10 nm exhibited a higher rectification ratio and photovoltaic outputs. According to the obtained results, this study offers a new way to make better the performance of electro-optical devices based on MoS2.
A Higher Dysregulation Burden of Brain DNA Methylation in Female Patients Implicated in the Sex Bias of Schizophrenia
Authors: Chen Chao , Zhou Jiaqi , Xia Yan , Li Miao , Chen Yu , Dai Jiacheng , Liu Chunyu 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
Sex differences are pervasive in schizophrenia (SCZ), but the extent and magnitude of DNA methylation (DNAm) changes underlying these differences remain uncharacterized. In this study, sex-stratified differential DNAm analysis was performed in postmortem brain samples from 117 SCZ and 137 controls, partitioned into discovery and replication datasets. Three differentially methylated positions (DMPs) were identified (adj.p < 0.05) in females and 29 DMPs in males without overlap between them. Over 81% of these sex-stratified DMPs were directionally consistent between sexes but with different effect sizes. Down-sampling analysis revealed more DMPs in females than in males when the sample sizes matched. Females had higher DNAm levels in healthy individuals and larger magnitude of DNAm changes in patients than males. Despite similar proportions of female-related DMPs (fDMPs, 8%) being under genetic control compared with males (10%), significant enrichment of DMP-related SNPs in signals of genome-wide association studies was identified only in fDMPs. One DMP in each sex connected the SNPs and gene expression of CALHM1 in females and CCDC149 in males. PPI subnetworks revealed that both female- and male-related differential DNAm interacted with synapse-related dysregulation. Immune-related pathways were unique for females and neuron-related pathways were associated with males. This study reveals remarkable quantitative differences in DNAm-related sexual dimorphism in SCZ and that females have a higher dysregulation burden of SCZ-associated DNAm than males.
Experimental investigation of the alternate recurrence of quasi-static and dynamic crack propagation in PMMA.
Authors: Heinzmann Raphael , Seghir Rian , Alam Syed-Yasir , Réthoré Julien 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The alternate (stick-slip) cracking phenomenon in Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was investigated using high-speed imaging and digital image correlation (DIC). PMMA is known to show a great variety of fracture behaviors by even small changes in loading conditions. With TDCB-shaped samples and under a range of constant extension rates, the phenomenon of alternate cracking is observed. Here, loops of successive quasi-static and dynamic crack propagations are found within a single fracture experiment suggesting a `forbidden' velocity regime. For the first time, such material/structural cyclic fracture behavior is examined through the lens of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) by using in-situ High-Speed (HS) DIC. Energy release rates and crack velocities during fracture experiments are derived from full-field measurements using Williams' series expansion. Fracture surfaces of post-mortem samples have been systematically analyzed using optical microscopy. The investigation of the actual limits of the `forbidden' velocity regime in terms of critical velocity and energy release rate in relation to post-mortem crack length features is achieved by holistic experimental data on alternate cracking. This work provides key experimental data regarding the improved understanding of a unified theoretical framework of crack instabilities.
Wafer Particle Inspection Technique Using Computer Vision based on Color Space Transform Model
Authors: Wang Jingyan , Chun Heebum , Kim Jungsub , Lee ChaBum 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
This paper introduces a computer vision technique for wafer particle metrology and inspection. Artificially generated particle images based on their color properties were used to verify HSV (hue, saturation, value) color space models of each particle and to demonstrate how the proposed method efficiently classifiesparticles by their types with minimum crosstalk. A high-resolution microscope consisting of an imaging system, illumination system, and spectrometer was developed for the experimental validation. The three kinds of micrometer-scale particles were randomly placed on the wafers and the images collected under the exposed white light illumination were analyzed and segmented by particle types based on pre-developed HSV color space models specified for each particle type. The proposed method is expected to inspect and classify various wafer particles in the defect binning process.
Genetic mapping of the wheat leaf rust resistance gene Lr19 and development of translocation lines to break the linkage with PSY-E1
Authors: Xu Shoushen , Lyu Zhongfan , Zhang Na , Li Mingzhu , Wei Xinyi , Gao Yuhang , Cheng Xinxin , Ge Wenyang , Li Xuefeng , Bao Yinguang , Yang Zujun , Wang Hongwei , Kong Lingrang 
Published: January 2023

Abstract
The Lr19 locus, which was transferred to wheat from the wheat relative Thinopyrum ponticum in 1966, still confers broad resistance to most known leaf rust isolates worldwide. However, this gene has not been fine mapped to day, and its tight linkage with the yellow pigment gene PSY-E1 has limited the deployment of Lr19 in bread wheat breeding. In this paper, we genetically mapped Lr19 using a bi-parental population obtained by crossing two wheat-Th. ponticum substitution lines, 7E1(7D) (carrying Lr19) and 7E2(7D) (susceptible to leaf rust). Genetic analysis of the F2 population and F2:3 families showed that Lr19 is a single dominant gene, and it was successfully mapped within a 0.3 cM interval on the long arm of the Th. ponticum chromosome 7E1, flanked by markers XsdauK3734 and XsdauK2839. To reduce the size of the Th. ponticum chromosome segment carrying Lr19, the Chinese Spring Ph1b mutant was employed to promote recombination between the homoeologous chromosomes of the wheat chromosome 7D and 7E1. Two translocation lines with short Th. ponticum chromosome fragments carrying Lr19 were identified using markers closely linked to Lr19, and in one of the lines the linkage between Lr19 and PSY-E1 was broken. Both translocation lines were resistant to 16 Pt isolates collected from China. Thus, the Lr19 linkage markers and translocation lines developed in this study can be used for marker-assisted selection in common wheat breeding programs.