bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A novel prognostic model based on pyroptosis-related genes for multiple myeloma
Authors: Zhang Cuiling , Wu Sungui , Chen Bing 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundMultiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable and relapse-prone disease with apparently prognostic heterogeneity. At present, the risk stratification of myeloma is still incomplete. Pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death, has been shown to regulate tumor growth and may have potential prognostic value. However, the role of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in MM remains undetermined. The aims of this study were to identify potential prognostic biomarkers and to construct a predictive model related to PRGs.MethodsSequencing and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) was performed to identify molecular subtype screening. LASSO regression was used to screen for prognostic markers, and then a risk score model was constructed. The Maxstat package was utilized to calculate the optimal cutoff value, according to which patients were divided into a high-risk group and a low-risk group, and the survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method. Nomograms and calibration curves were established using the rms package.ResultsA total of 33 PRGs were extracted from the TCGA database underlying which 4 MM molecular subtypes were defined. Patients in cluster 1 had poorer survival than those in cluster 2 (p = 0.035). A total of 9 PRGs were screened out as prognostic markers, and the predictive ability of the 9-gene risk score for 3-year survival was best (AUC = 0.658). Patients in the high-risk group had worse survival than those in the low-risk group (p< 0.001), which was consistent with the results verified by the GSE2658 dataset. The nomogram constructed by gender, age, International Staging System (ISS) stage, and risk score had the best prognostic predictive performance with a c-index of 0.721.ConclusionOur model could enhance the predictive ability of ISS staging and give a reference for clinical decision-making. The new, prognostic, and pyroptosis-related markers screened out by us may facilitate the development of novel risk stratification for MM.Clinical trial registrationNot applicable.
Weigh change across adulthood is related to the presence of NAFLD: results from NHANES III
Authors: Wang Lili , Yi Jiayi , Guo Jiajun , Ren Xiangpeng 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Obesity is a widely recognized driving factor of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it remains unclear whether historical weight status was associated with the presence of NAFLD. The study aimed to explore the relationship between weight change across adulthood and the presence of NAFLD.

Methods
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III included 6586 participants. Weight change was assessed according to body mass index (BMI) at baseline, at 25 years old, and 10 years before baseline. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. NAFLD was assessed by hepatic ultrasonography.

Results
The prevalence of NAFLD was highest among stable obese participants (48.1%), and the lowest among stable non-obese participants (18.9%). Among non-obese participants, those who get obese in early adulthood had a higher risk for the presence of NAFLD than those who were never obese (odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–2.92). Among obese participants, those who become obese in middle-late adulthood had a lower risk of NAFLD (OR, 0.79; 95% CI 0.65–0.96) than those with stable obesity. A weight gain of more than 12 kg and 4 kg since early and middle-late adulthood respectively were associated with increased risks of NAFLD.

Conclusion
Among current nonobese individuals, those with a history of obesity in their early adulthood had a higher risk of NAFLD than those never obese. Among the currently obese population, those who became obese after mid-adulthood have a significantly lower risk of NAFLD compared with those who were stable obese.
Dynamics in the expression of programmed death ligand 1 and cluster of differentiation 163 in the tumor microenvironment of uterine cervical cancer: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Miyata Yusaku , Ogo Etsuyo , Abe Toshi , Hirata Hideki , Tsuda Naotake , Ushijima Kimio , Kawahara Akihiko , Akiba Jun , Obara Hitoshi , Kakuma Tatsuyuki 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Radiotherapy (RT) destroys cancer cells and activates the immune system while suppressing the immunity of tumor-associated tissues, including the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, to date, no anti-tumor therapeutic strategy that uses these immune mechanisms has been established. This study investigated changes in the immunity of the TME during standard radical RT for cervical cancer combined with external beam RT and brachytherapy and determined whether these changes affect prognosis.

Methods
Twenty-six patients who had completed radical RT for cervical cancer were categorized into the following two groups according to whether the cancer recurred and/or metastasized within 2 years after the start of treatment: treatment failure (n = 14) and treatment success (n = 12). We assessed the expression of programmed death 1, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), cluster of differentiation (CD) 8, CD68, CD163, Forkhead box protein P3, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in the TME of cervical tissues collected periodically during treatment and evaluated the difference in expression rates of each marker between the success and failure groups and assessed its effect on prognosis.

Results
The expression levels of PD-L1 and CD163 in the TME in the treatment success group were lower than those in the treatment failure group at the midpoint during brachytherapy (p < 0.01 and p = 0.08, respectively), and the 2-year progression-free-survival (PFS) rate depended on the expression levels of PD-L1 and CD163 (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively).

Conclusions
The expression rates of CD163 and PD-L1 in the TME during brachytherapy were related to treatment response and the 2-year PFS. This study may increase our understanding of tumor-associated immunity in the TME and aid in the development of therapies targeting PD-L1 or M2 macrophages in the TME in conjunction with RT, especially brachytherapy, for cervical cancer patients.
Detailed observation of anatomical location and pattern in Hangman’s fracture based on computed tomography three-dimensional reconstruction
Authors: Li Guangzhou , Wang Qing 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Objective
To observe the precise anatomical location and pattern of the fracture lines in Hangman’s fracture.

Methods
Three-dimensional computed CT images of 210 patients with Hangman’s fracture were collected. According to the involvement of anatomical structures, the injuries were classified into facet joint injury and pure bony injury. The C2 ring was also divided into: anterior, middle, and posterior elements. The anatomical structures involvement and fracture patterns were observed.

Result
Total 520 anatomical structures injuries were involved in 210 patients Hangman’s fractures, including 298 facet joints injuries (57.3%) and 222 bony injuries (42.7%). The most common facet joints injury was superior articular facet injury of C2, and the most common pure bony injury was pediculoisthmic component fracture. The injuries of anterior element (60.6%) were more common than that of middle (20.4%) or posterior (19.0%) element. One injury in anterior element on one side and another injury located in the anterior, middle or posterior element other side was the most common fracture pattern. Injury of middle element on one side with another injury located in the middle or posterior element could be also observed.

Conclusion
In Hangman’s fractures, fracture lines could occur in any part of C2 ring. Facet joints injuries were more common than pure bony injuries, and the injuries of anterior element were also more common than that of middle or posterior element. The high prevalence of facet joints injuries means that most of Hangman’s fractures may be involved with intra-articular injuries.
The impact of gingivitis reduction on lung function: a randomized trial under intensified oral hygiene
Authors: Kühnisch Jan , Zhao Tianyu , Bertelsen Randi J. , Jörres Rudolf A. , Nowak Dennis , Heinrich Joachim 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Periodontal disease and lung function impairment were found to be associated with low-grade systemic or local inflammation, and it might be that gingival/periodontal inflammation triggers lung function due to systemic inflammation or the transfer of oral bacteria or its components to the lung. A recent observational study in non-smoking subjects showed that lung volumes and flow rates were significantly reduced by 71–185 ml for severe gingivitis regardless of the adjustment for potential confounders. The result did not show any confounding by smoking, and the association between gingivitis and lower lung function was not modified by systemic inflammation. The designed interventional trial primarily aims to test the hypothesis that gingivitis reduction by optimized daily oral hygiene, professional tooth cleaning and antibacterial chlorhexidine (CHX)-containing mouth rinse improves lung function in terms of forced vital capacity (FVC) by at least 2%. The secondary objective will test the hypothesis that gingivitis reduction improves forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced expiratory flow at 25–75% of the pulmonary volume (FEF25-75) by at least 2%. Furthermore, the influence of the oral microbiome will be taken into account.

Methods
The study has to include 120 non-smoking subjects aged between 18 and 30 years with biofilm-induced gingivitis. The chosen “waiting control group design” will compare the immediate intervention group with the delayed intervention group, which serves as a control group. Dental and gingival status, lung function and oral microbiome will be recorded. The intensified preventive intervention—professional tooth cleaning, one-stage full-mouth disinfection with CHX and safeguarding an optimal daily oral hygiene by each subject—cannot be blinded, but the outcome measurement in terms of lung function tests is blind.

Discussion
This proposed multidisciplinary study has several strengths. Only one previous intervention study with patients with severe periodontitis (mostly smokers) has been performed. It is novel to include non-smoking subjects with mild and potentially reversible oral inflammation. Furthermore, this research is innovative, because it includes evidence-based interventions for gingivitis reduction, standardized measures of the outcome on lung function and oral microbiome and combines expertise from dentistry, lung physiology, oral microbiology and epidemiology/statistical modelling.

Trial registration
German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00028176. Registered on February 2022.
A randomised open-label trial to assess outpatient induction of labour (HOMEIND) and compare efficacy of Propess vs Dilapan-S® for induction of labour at 39 weeks’ gestation in normal risk nulliparous women: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Nicholson Sarah M. , Smith Orla , Hatt Susan , Molphy Zara , Dicker Patrick , Flood Karen , Malone Fergal 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Induction of labour (IOL) at 39 weeks has been shown to decrease maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes. Given the growing demand for 39-week IOL, it is imperative that effective methods be assessed for induction in the outpatient setting.
The aim of this study is to answer the clinical question as to whether Dilapan-S® vs Propess® as a method of cervical ripening is non-inferior in the outpatient setting at 39 weeks and to ascertain whether Dilapan-S® 12 h is non-inferior to Dilapan-S® 24 h.

Methods
This study is an open-label parallel group single-centre randomised trial.
Participants are normal risk nulliparous women who have no pregnancy-related or medical contraindication to IOL. Women will be randomised to one of three induction groups—Dilapan-S® (12-h insertion or 24-h insertion) or Propess. Induction will be initiated between 39+0 and 39+4 weeks’ gestation and participants will return home for either 12 or 24 h. They will be readmitted 12/24 h later in order to continue with induction of labour.
Patient recruitment will take place over 30 months within a single centre. The study will recruit a maximum 109 women for each study arm. Total duration of participants’ involvement in the trial will be 8 weeks to allow for postpartum follow-up.

Discussion
This study will definitively answer whether Dilapan-S is non-inferior to Propess® as a method of induction of labour in the outpatient setting and whether cervical ripening with Dilapan-S over a 12-h timeframe is non-inferior to cervical ripening with Dilapan-S over a 24-h timeframe.

Trial registration
EudraCT Number 2019-004697-25 Registered 14 September 2020
Effect of stroke direction on plantar pressure in each foot during the forehand and backhand stroke among healthy adult tennis players of different performance levels
Authors: Lambrich Johanna , Muehlbauer Thomas 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
In tennis, previous studies have shown differences in plantar pressure depending on tennis-specific movements (i.e., baseline play, serve & volley play, change of direction), playing surface (e.g., hard, grass, or clay), and serve type (e.g., slice, topspin or flat). However, the influence of stroke direction on plantar pressure in tennis players with diverging skill level is unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of stroke direction on plantar pressure in each foot during the forehand and backhand stroke among players of different performance levels.

Methods
Thirty-nine female and male healthy adult tennis players (mean ± SD age: 23.5 ± 6.4 years) representing athletes from three performance levels (recreational, intermediate, advanced) participated in this study. The players performed longline/cross forehand and backhand groundstrokes (topspin) on a clay court while plantar pressure distribution was measured in each foot using flexible instrumented insoles.

Results
The three-way ANOVA (performance level × stroke direction × foot dominance) showed (a) no significant differences in plantar pressure data between cross and longline strokes in almost all cases, (b) in part, significantly larger pressure values in advanced compared to intermediate and recreational players, and (c) significantly larger pressure data for the dominant compared to the non-dominant foot in nearly all comparisons.

Conclusion
Regarding an appropriate plantar pressure distribution, our results suggest that during training of especially recreational and intermediate players attention should be paid to the feet rather than to stroke direction.
First report of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius ST71-SCCmec III and ST45-ΨSCCmec57395 from canine pyoderma in Argentina
Authors: Srednik Mariela E. , Perea Claudia A. , Giacoboni Gabriela I. , Hicks Jessica A. , Schlater Linda K. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractStaphylococcus pseudintermediusis an opportunistic pathogen commonly associated with skin infections in dogs. Twenty-three methicillin-resistantS. pseudintermedius(MRSP) isolated in Argentina from dogs with pyoderma were analyzed using whole genome sequencing (WGS) and classified into sequence types (ST) by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and staphylococcal chromosome cassettemec(SCCmec) types.Based on the WGS analysis, MLST, and SCCmectype results, we report for the first time in Argentina two MRSP strains, one each, belonging to ST71-SCCmecIII and ST45-ΨSCCmec57395from dogs with pyoderma. We also identified seven isolates with ST339, which had been previously reported in only two isolates in Argentina. Additionally, we identified ten MRSP isolates harboring variants of the SCCmecV found inS. aureus, seven SCCmecV (5C2&5) with twoccrC1 recombinases, and three SCCmecV (5C2) with oneccrC1 recombinase.Our findings provide important insights into the evolution and geographic spread of these hypervirulent dominant clones that threaten the health of our companion animals and represent a significant risk for zoonotic infections.
Survival, prognostic factors, hospitalization time and clinical performance status after first cerebral relapse or progression in 54 patients with primary CNS lymphoma not eligible for high dose chemotherapy: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Seidel Sabine , Kowalski Thomas , Nilius-Eliliwi Verena , Schroers Roland , Schlegel Uwe 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
Treatment of relapsed or refractory primary CNS lymphoma (r/r PCNSL) is difficult, particularly in patients not eligible for high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC-ASCT). No standard treatment has been defined for these patients yet.

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed survival, prognostic factors, hospitalization time and Karnofsky performance score (KPS) before and after treatment in 54 r/r PCNSL patients with isolated cerebral relapse or progression (n = 23 refractory, n = 31 relapsed) not eligible for HDC-ASCT, who received heterogenous salvage treatments.

Results
Treatments were temozolomide (+ rituximab) (n = 21), high dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based therapy (n = 11), whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT)/focal radiotherapy (n = 11), other systemic treatments (n = 2) and best supportive care (BSC, n = 9). Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 2.6 months (95% CI 1.0–4.2 months) and 4.8 months (95% CI 3.3–6.3 months), respectively. Eight patients survived for ≥ 3 years (13.1%, n = 3 received temozolomide, n = 3 WBRT, n = 2 HD-MTX-based treatment). Application of any salvage treatment (vs. BSC), younger age at relapse and asymptomatic (vs. symptomatic) relapse were positive prognostic factors. No significant differences in OS were found for the different salvage treatments. Median hospitalization time for treatment was 15/13 days for temozolomide (+ rituximab)/radiotherapy compared to 55 days for HD-MTX-based therapy. Median KPS in assessable patients (n = 41) was 60 (range 30–100) before treatment and 50 (range 20–90) after treatment. In patients with response to treatment (n = 16) KPS improved from 60 (range 40–90) before treatment to 70 (range 50–90) after treatment, while patients with PD (n = 25) deteriorated from 60 (range 30–100) to 40 (range 20–70).

Conclusion
Survival for this cohort of r/r PCNSL patients with isolated cerebral relapse or progression was poor. Considering long hospital stays associated with HD-MTX-based chemotherapy and neurotoxicity associated with WBRT, temozolomide might be worth considering with a chance of prolonged survival and avoidance of long hospitalization. Novel therapeutic agents are urgently needed to improve survival in r/r PCNSL patients.
Reproductive health of women with endometriosis: an improving educational intervention based on the planned behavior theory
Authors: Zandi Niusha , Behboodi Moghadam Zahra , Hossein Rashidi Batool , Namazi Masoumeh , Haghani Shima 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundEndometriosis is a chronic deliberating disease with devastating effects on reproductive health. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of education based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) on the reproductive health of women with endometriosis. This research was a randomized controlled trial performed on 71 women with endometriosis (35 intervention and 36 control groups) referred to the infertility clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran. The educational intervention based on the structures of the TPB was performed in the intervention group in 4 sessions, weekly for 90–120 min. The demographic questionnaire, model constructs questionnaire, and endometriosis reproductive health questionnaire (ERHQ) in both groups were completed in 3 stages (before intervention, 4, and 8 weeks after the intervention). Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24.ResultsAfter the educational intervention, TPB values and overall reproductive health of women with endometriosis improved significantly in the intervention group (p< 0.05), while changes were not significant in the control group.ConclusionThe study results showed that education based on the TPB had positive effects on the reproductive health of patients.Trial registrationIRCT20120414009463N64. Registered 21 Jun 2021 - Retrospectively registered, http://www.irct.ir/trial/53341.
The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Sudanese healthcare workers in quarantine centers: a cross-sectional study 2020–2021
Authors: Idrees Malaz Hassan Dafaalla , Bashir Moez Mohammed Ibrahim 
Published: February 2023

Abstract
Background
After its emergence in Wuhan in December 2019, the COVID-19 virus disseminated around the globe creating an incredible panic and outweighing the healthcare system’s capacities. As a result of this hazardous situation, healthcare workers were placed at an unprecedented challenge making them vulnerable to a wide spectrum of mental health issues including anxiety and depression. This was a cross-sectional health facility-based study aiming to explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sudanese healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment centers. Convenience sampling was applied. And two-part self-administered online questionnaire was used: the first part consisted of the demographic data and concerns related to COVID-19, and the second part consisted of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) standardized questionnaire. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ministry of Health.

Results
One-hundred thirty-three healthcare workers of different job titles were enrolled in this study. A total of 54% were females, and 46% were males. Most of the participants had borderline depression (44%) or anxiety scores (47%). Females had significantly a higher mean anxiety score than males. There was no significant difference between participants with and without chronic disease on both anxiety and depression scores.

Conclusions
Healthcare workers at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic are facing critical mental health challenges. An immediate intervention from the decision-makers is needed to mitigate this deleterious impact and to strengthen the healthcare system’s capacity in the face of healthcare emergencies in general.