bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Bilateral decompressive craniotomy complicated by postoperative mycoplasma hominis epidural empyema and meningitis: A case report
Authors: Chen Lizhen , Lu Yue , Liu Jia , Zhang Xiuzhong , Wang Ke 
Published: May 2023

Rationale:
Postoperative intracranial mycoplasma hominis infection was a rare complication. Timely diagnosis was difficult due to its growth characteristics and nonspecific clinical symptoms.

Patient concerns:
A 52-year-old man underwent bilateral decompressive craniotomy for severe traumatic brain injury. On the seventeenth day after surgery, the patient developed an unexplained high fever. Empirical anti-infective therapy was ineffective, and the fever persisted. In addition, viscous pus oozed from the head incision. Empiric therapy was still ineffective, the fever persisted, and the culture result was negative. The lumbar puncture pressure was 150 mmH2O and the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count was 3600 × 106/L, suggesting an intracranial infection.

Diagnoses:
Culture growth morphologically consistent with mycoplasma species was obtained from multiple specimens (scalp incision fluid and cerebrospinal fluid) and the identification of mycoplasma hominis was confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing.

Intervention:
Targeted anti-infective therapy (Minocycline), change of fresh wound dressing, and continued lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage.

Outcome:
At the 3-month follow-up, the patient was still in the rehabilitation department of the local hospital for treatment, but there were no symptoms of intracranial infection.

Lessons:
Neurosurgeons should carefully examine postoperative incisions and be aware of the possibility of mycoplasma infection during clinical management.
Testosterone elevation in ovarian adult granulosa cell tumor: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Jiang Ziwei , Qiu Yixuan , Hu Siwen , Li Yujing , Chen Xing , Jin Yichao , Dai Huihua 
Published: May 2023

Rationale:
Adult granulosa cell tumors (AGCT) mainly secret estrogen, but few androgens. It is rarer to have amenorrhea and hyperandrogenemia as clinical features. Here, we report a rare case of right side AGCTs with amenorrhea and hyperandrogenemia in a 19-year-old female.

Patient concerns:
The 19-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital due to amenorrhea for more than 1 year, and discovery of pelvic mass for 4 months. The gynecological ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) cannot define the nature of the mass. Surprisingly, an elevation in testosterone levels was also measured.

Diagnosis and interventions:
The present patient underwent laparoscopic right salpingo-oophorectomy and partial omentectomy and biopsy of the peritoneum.

Outcomes:
After the surgery, the testosterone value was down to normal. The patient menstrual cramps on August 13, 2021. Her clitoris is smaller than the front. Up to August 1, 2022, there was no obvious sign of recurrence.

Lessons:
Androgen-secreting AGCT is rare. We hope that this case can strengthen gynecologists’ early diagnosis and treatment of this disease and improve the prognosis.
“The eyes are the windows of the soul”: Portable automated pupillometry to monitor autonomic nervous activity in CO2 narcosis: A case report
Authors: Yamaguchi Junko , Kinoshita Kosaku , Hosokawa Toru , Ihara Shingo 
Published: May 2023

Rationale:
Altered autonomic responses can be observed in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU), and these changes in abnormal autonomic responses are known to be associated with patient prognosis. Therefore, it is important to monitor autonomic nervous system activity in these critically ill patients. While the utility of monitoring critically ill patients using heart rate (HR) variability measurements has been reported, portable automated pupillometers are small, lightweight, and easy-to-operate medical devices that may be more easily evaluated for autonomic nervous system function.

Patient concerns:
An unconscious 80-year-old female patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was brought to the medical emergency department after a call from her caregiver.

Diagnosis:
On arrival, the patient’s Glasgow coma scale score was 7, her blood pressure was 140/80 mm Hg, her HR was 114 bpm, and her respiratory rate was 27 breaths/minutes with increased breathing effort. Oxygen saturation was 90% on a venturi mask (3 L of supplemental oxygen). The arterial blood gas analysis showed a pH of 7.196, a partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) of 89.6 mm Hg, a partial pressure of oxygen of 87.5 mm Hg, and a bicarbonate level of 29.4 mmol/L. Other than CO2 narcosis, there were no abnormal findings to induce impaired consciousness. The patient did not respond to support with a bag-valve mask and was intubated. One hour after intubation, her impaired consciousness improved. The patient was extubated 20 hours later and discharged on Day 3.

Interventions:
The patient was admitted to the ICU after being intubated, where vital signs and blood gas analysis were monitored every 2 hours, and consciousness was assessed using the Glasgow coma scale. Using a portable automated pupillometer (NeurOptics NPi™-200, Neuroptics Inc., Irvine, CA), pupillary responses, including pupil size or light reflex, were measured every 2 hours during ICU stay.

Outcomes:
Changes in respiratory rate and partial pressure of CO2 values correlated with pupil size and constriction velocity, but HR changes were contrary.

Lessons:
Pupillary responses exhibited by automated pupillometers observed in patients with CO2 narcosis may be linked to vital signs and allow for autonomic evaluation.
Lung abscess with chronic cough secondary to xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis: A rare case report
Authors: Cheng Pai-Yu , Huang Yi-You , Jaw Fu-Shan , Chung Shiu-Dong 
Published: May 2023

Rationale:
Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGPN) is a form of chronic pyelonephritis caused by chronic calculus obstruction and bacterial infection, leading to the destruction of the renal parenchyma and calyces. Conservative treatment is usually not sufficient, and surgical intervention is still the main curative approach. XGPN with transdiaphragmatic extension and lung abscess formation is a rare condition.

Patient concerns:
We report a 64-year-old woman who presented with persistent productive cough.

Diagnoses:
Lung abscess secondary to XPGN. Both nephrostomy urine and sputum cultures showed Proteus mirabilis infection with the same antibiotic sensitivity spectrum, but blood culture was negative.

Interventions:
Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and prolonged antibiotic treatment.

Outcomes:
The lung abscess and cough gradually resolved in 1 month after nephrectomy.

Conclusion:
Lung abscess secondary to transdiaphragmatic extension of XGPN is rare but should be considered in patients with lower lung infections that are unresponsive to treatment, especially infections due to unusual respiratory pathogens such as P mirabilis.
Tislelizumab for squamous lung cancer combined with basal cell carcinoma of the skin: A case report
Authors: Wu Ming-Jun , Chen Yu-Chun , Cui Xiao-Li , Yang Qian , Xue Qing-Liang 
Published: May 2023

Introduction:
Surgery is the preferred treatment for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), locally advanced or metastatic BCC, radiation therapy or systemic therapy can be considered. Programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitors are rarely used to treat cutaneous BCC. In the present case, we found that tislelizumab, a PD-1 immunosuppressant, had a positive effect on BCC.

Patient concerns:
A 74-year-old male patient presented with a mass in the left back in October 2021, which was surgically removed and diagnosed as BCC. The patient was diagnosed with squamous lung cancer after presenting with a cough and coughing up a small amount of white, sticky sputum in December 2021.

Diagnosis:
BCC and squamous lung cancer.

Interventions:
Docetaxel + nedaplatin systemic chemotherapy combined with tislelizumab immunotherapy.

Outcomes:
Both BCC and squamous lung cancer were significantly reduced in size.

Conclusion:
After 2 cycles of immunotherapy with tislelizumab, the lung tumor shrank, the back mass disappeared, and the wound healed.
Oxidized LDL receptors: a recent update
Authors: Khan Mohd Azeem , Mohammad Irshad , Banerjee Sohom , Tomar Akanksha , Varughese Kottayil I , Mehta Jawahar L , Chandele Anmol , Arockiasamy Arulandu 
Published: May 2023

Purpose of review
LDL in its oxidized form, or ‘oxLDL’, is now generally acknowledged to be highly proatherogenic and to play a significant role in atherosclerotic plaque formation. Therefore, there has been increasing interest in understanding the significance of oxLDL and its receptors in different phases of atherosclerosis, leading to the accumulation of additional data at the cellular, structural, and physiological levels. This review focuses on the most recent discoveries about these receptors and how they influence lipid absorption, metabolism, and inflammation in various cell types.

Recent findings
Two crystal structures of lectin-like oxLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), one with a small molecule inhibitor and the other with a monoclonal antibody have been published. We recently demonstrated that the ‘surface site’ of LOX1, adjacent to the positively charged ‘basic spine region’ that facilitates oxLDL binding, is a targetable site for drug development. Further, recent human studies showed that soluble LOX-1 holds potential as a biomarker for cardiovascular disease diagnosis, prognosis, and assessing the efficacy of therapy.

Summary
Receptor-mediated oxLDL uptake results in cellular dysfunction of various cell types involved in atherogenesis and plaque development. The current advancements clearly demonstrate that targeting oxLDL-LOX-1 axis may lead to development of future therapeutics for the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
A novel tube for sperm density gradient centrifugation procedure
Authors: Xue Yun-Jing , Du Wei , Deng Cun-Zhong , Xu Yuan , Liu Chen-Chen , Yang Yan-Nan , Wang Ling , Lv Yu-Zhen , Li Zheng , Chian Ri-Cheng 
Published: May 2023

Objective:
Density gradient centrifugation (DGC), swim up (SU), or a combination of DGC and SU is used to prepare sperm for infertility treatments using assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of a new device for detecting sperm DGC.

Methods:
Sperm samples were collected from 119 males who required semen analysis at three different in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers (71 samples from Center A, 28 samples from Center B, and 20 samples from Center C). Semen samples were divided into two groups for DGC: (1) a normal centrifugation tube and (2) a specially designed RC-Tube. The sperm concentration, motility, and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were assessed using DGC. Sperm concentration and motility were assessed using a MAKLER counting chamber. Sperm DFI was measured and analyzed using flow cytometry using a DFI Kit.

Results:
There were no significant differences in sperm concentrations recovered following DGC between the two groups (31.1% ± 1.7% vs. 28.8% ± 1.3%). Sperm motility was not significantly different following the DGC procedure in both groups (77.6% ± 1.6%. vs. 75.8% ± 1.6%). The percentage of sperm DFI was also not significantly different following DGC between the two groups (10.4% ± 1.0% vs. 10.5% ± 1.0%).

Conclusions:
The newly designed RC-Tube is efficient for sperm DGC and can be used to simplify sperm preparation for infertility treatment.
A Novel Intraoperative Leak Test Procedure (GAM Procedure) to Prevent Postoperative Anastomotic Leakage in Gastric Cancer Patients Who Underwent Gastrectomy
Authors: Gao Zhenguo , Chen Xin , Bai Dan , Fahmy Lara , Qin Xiangzhi , Peng Yong , Ren Mingyang , Tian Yunhong , Hu Jiani 
Published: May 2023

Background:
Anastomotic leakage following a radical gastrectomy is a serious complication of gastric cancer and esophagogastric junction cancer. The benefit of intraoperative leak testing for the prevention of postoperative anastomotic leakage has been controversial. We introduce a new procedure, which combines the techniques of gastroscopy, air, and methylene blue (GAM) for intraoperative leakage testing. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the GAM procedure for intraoperative leak testing and to compare the surgical complications of gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy with and without intraoperative leak testing using the GAM procedure.

Materials and Methods:
A total of 210 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the intraoperative leak testing group using the GAM procedure (IOLT), and the group for which no intraoperative leak testing was done (NIOLT). Clinical and pathologic characteristics, the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage, and other surgical complications were compared between the 2 groups.

Results:
There were 82 patients in the IOLT group and 82 patients in the NIOLT group after propensity score matching. In the IOLT group, 4 (4.9%) patients were found to have anastomotic discontinuity during the operation; we repaired these anastomotic discontinuities intraoperatively. The incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage was higher in the NIOLT group compared with the IOLT group, 6 (7.3%) versus 0 (0%), respectively (P=0.01). The average time of the GAM procedure was 4.99±1.75 minutes. The surgical time was prolonged by 30 minutes in the IOLT group compared with the NIOLT group, 302.2±79.9 versus 272.1±85.2, respectively (P=0.02). The length of hospital stay, 15.80±4.55 versus 17.00±6.20 (P=0.16) was reduced in the IOLT group compared with the NIOLT group. The logistic regression model suggested that IOLT, sex, age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, cT stage, tumor diameter, pT stage, pN stage, and Lauren classification were not risk factors for postoperative complication.

Conclusions:
The GAM procedure of intraoperative leakage testing can effectively reduce the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage in gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy.
aaHash: recursive amino acid sequence hashing
Authors: Wong Johnathan , Kazemi Parham , Coombe Lauren , Warren René L. , Birol Inanç 
Published: May 2023

AbstractMotivationK-mer hashing is a common operation in many foundational bioinformatics problems. However, generic string hashing algorithms are not optimized for this application. Strings in bioinformatics use specific alphabets, a trait leveraged for nucleic acid sequences in earlier work. We note that amino acid sequences, with complexities and context that cannot be captured by generic hashing algorithms, can also benefit from a domain-specific hashing algorithm. Such a hashing algorithm can accelerate and improve the sensitivity of bioinformatics applications developed for protein sequences.ResultsHere, we present aaHash, a recursive hashing algorithm tailored for amino acid sequences. This algorithm utilizes multiple hash levels to represent biochemical similarities between amino acids. aaHash performs ∼10X faster than generic string hashing algorithms in hashing adjacentk-mers.Availability and implementationaaHash is available online athttps://github.com/bcgsc/btlliband is free for academic use.
Spontaneous Histone Exchange Between Nucleosomes
Authors: Das Subhra Kanti , Huynh Mai Thao , Lee Tae-Hee 
Published: May 2023

ABSTRACTThe nucleosome is the fundamental gene-packing unit in eukaryotes. Nucleosomes comprise ∼147 bp DNA wrapped around an octameric histone protein core composed of two H2A-H2B dimers and one (H3-H4)2tetramer. The strong yet flexible DNA-histone interactions are a physical basis of the dynamic regulation of genes packaged in chromatin. The dynamic nature of DNA-histone interactions implies that nucleosomes dissociate DNA-histone contacts transiently and repeatedly. This kinetic instability may lead to spontaneous nucleosome disassembly or histone exchange between nucleosomes. At a high nucleosome concentration, nucleosome-nucleosome collisions and subsequent histone exchange would be a more likely pathway, where nucleosomes act as their own histone chaperone. The spontaneous histone exchange would serve as a mechanism for maintaining the overall chromatin stability although it has never been reported. We employed three-color single-molecule FRET (smFRET) to demonstrate that histone H2A-H2B dimers are exchanged spontaneously between nucleosomes and that the time scale is on a few tens of seconds at a physiological nucleosome concentration. The rate of histone exchange increases at a higher monovalent salt concentration, with histone acetylated nucleosomes, and in the presence of histone chaperone Nap1, while it remains unchanged at a higher temperature, and decreases upon DNA methylation. These results support histone exchange via transient and repetitive partial disassembly of the nucleosome and corroborate spontaneous histone diffusion in a compact chromatin context, modulating the local concentrations of histone modifications and variants.
Diversity of mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites recovered from blood oranges infected byColletotrichum,Alternaria, andPenicilliumspecies
Authors: Rovetto Ermes Ivan , Luz Carlos , La Spada Federico , Meca Giuseppe , Riolo Mario , Cacciola Santa Olga 
Published: May 2023

AbstractThis study identified secondary metabolites produced byAlternaria alternata,Colletotrichum gloeosporioidesandPenicillium digitatumin fruits of two blood orange cultivars before harvest. Analysis was performed by UHPLC–Q-TOF-MS. Three types of fruits were selected, asymptomatic, symptomatic showing necrotic lesions caused by hail, and mummified. Extracts from peel and juice were analyzed separately.Penicillium digitatumwas the prevalent species recovered from mummified and hail-injured fruits. Among 47 secondary metabolites identified, 16, 18 and 13 were ofA. alternata,C. gloeosporioidesandP. digitatum, respectively. Consistently with isolations, indicating the presence of these fungi also in asymptomatic fruits, the metabolic profiles of the peel of hail-injured and asymptomatic fruits did not differ substantially. Major differences were found in the profiles of juice from hail injured and mummified fruits, such as a significant higher presence of 5,4-dihydroxy-3,7,8-trimethoxy-6C-methylflavone and Atrovenetins, particularly in the juice of mummified fruits of Tarocco Lempso cultivar. Moreover, the mycotoxins Patulin and Rubratoxin B were detected exclusively in mummified fruits. Patulin was detected in both the juice and peel, with a higher relative abundance in the juice, while Rubratoxin B was detected only in the juice. These findings provide basic information for evaluating and preventing the risk of contamination by mycotoxins in the citrus fresh fruit supply chain and juice industry.
Sequence-Dependent Material Properties of Biomolecular Condensates and their Relation to Dilute Phase Conformations
Authors: Devarajan Dinesh Sundaravadivelu , Wang Jiahui , Szała-Mendyk Beata , Rekhi Shiv , Nikoubashman Arash , Kim Young C. , Mittal Jeetain 
Published: May 2023

AbstractMaterial properties of phase-separated biomolecular assemblies, enriched with disordered proteins, dictate their ability to participate in many cellular functions. Despite the significant effort dedicated to understanding how the sequence of the disordered protein drives its phase separation to form condensates, little is known about the sequence determinants of condensate material properties. Here, we computationally decipher these relationships for charged disordered proteins using model sequences comprised of glutamic acid and lysine residues as well as naturally occurring sequences of LAF1’s RGG domain and DDX4’s N-terminal domain. We do so by delineating how the arrangement of oppositely charged residues within these sequences influences the dynamical, rheological, and interfacial properties of the condensed phase through equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular simulations using the hydropathy scale and Martini models. Our computations yield material properties that are quantitatively comparable with experimentally characterized condensate systems. Interestingly, we find that the material properties of both the model and natural proteins respond similarly to the segregation of charges, despite their very different sequence compositions. Condensates of the highly charge-segregated sequences exhibit slower dynamics than the uniformly charge-patterned sequences, because of their comparatively long-lived molecular contacts between oppositely charged residues. Surprisingly, the molecular interactions within the condensate are highly similar to those within a single-chain for all sequences. Consequently, the condensate material properties of charged disordered proteins are strongly correlated with their dense phase contact dynamics and their single-chain structural properties. Our findings demonstrate the potential to harness the sequence characteristics of disordered proteins for predicting and engineering the material properties of functional condensates, with insights from the dilute phase properties.
Elevated prevalence and treatment of sleep disorders from 2011 to 2020; a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study in Korea
Authors: Ahn Eun Kyoung , Baek Younghwa , Park Ji-Eun , Lee Siwoo , Jin Hee-Jeong 
Published: May 2023

AbstractObjectivesThis study used National Health Insurance claims data from Korea to report the prevalence of sleep disorders and treatment status, including traditional Korean medicine, in the last ten years.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study in Korea. All diagnosis and prescription data, including herbal medicine claims, from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2011 to 2020 were reviewed. Prevalence estimation, direct medical expenses, and prescribed amounts for sleep disorders were recorded.ResultsThe prevalence of sleep disorders increased from 3,867,975 (7.62%) in 2011 to 7,446,846 (14.41%) in 2020, nearly doubling over 10 years. Insomnia was observed in 91.44% (n=9,011,692) of the patients. The mean number of hospital visits per patient for sleep disorders was 11.5 (±26.62). Benzodiazepines are the most commonly prescribed medications for sleep disorders, and gamma-isoyosan is the most frequently prescribed herbal medicine.ConclusionsSleep disorders are continuously increasing, as is the use of medical services – personal and social medical expenses are also increasing accordingly. Sleep disorders should be recognized as a significant health problem that needs to be actively addressed to improve quality of life.Strengths and limitations of this studyThis is a nationwide health insurance claims data for prevalence and the status of treatment on sleep disorders for ten years.This study will be meaningful because we have confirmed the current address of the prevalence and treatment of sleep disorders in the last 10 years.The data source has the limitation of being able to confirm only the items subject to health insurance benefits and review.The results of tests for the diagnosis of sleep disorders were not confirmed.