bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The manipulation of cell suspensions from zebrafish intestinal mucosa contributes to understanding enteritis
Authors: Zhao Xuyang , Liu Yuhang , Xie Jiayuan , Zhang Lei , Zhu Qingsong , Su Lian , Guo Cheng , Li Heng , Wang Guangxin , Zhang Wanting , Cheng Yingyin , Wu Nan , Xia Xiao-Qin 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundAlthough zebrafish are commonly used to study intestinal mucosal immunity, no dedicated procedure for isolating immune cells from zebrafish intestines is currently available. A speedy and simple operating approach for preparing cell suspension from mucosa has been devised to better understanding of intestinal cellular immunity in zebrafish.Methods and resultsThe mucosal villi were separated away from the muscle layer by repeated blows. The complete deprivation of mucosa was done and evidenced by HE and qPCR results. Higher expression of both innate (mpeg1, mpx, and lck) and adaptive immune genes (zap70, blnk, foxp3a, and foxp3b) was revealed compared to cells obtained by typical mesh rubbing. The cytometric results also revealed that the tested operation group had a higher concentration and viability. Further, fluorescent-labelled immune cells from 3mo Tg(lyz:DsRED2), Tg(mpeg1:EGFP), Tg(Rag2:DsRED), and Tg(lck:EGFP), were isolated and evaluated for the proportion, and immune cells’ type could be inferred from the expression of marker genes. The transcriptomic data demonstrated that the intestinal immune cell suspension made using the new technique was enriched in immune-related genes and pathways, including il17a/f, il22, cd59, and zap70, as well as pattern recognition receptor signaling and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. In addition, the low expression of DEG for the adherent and close junctions indicated less muscular contamination. Also, lower expression of gel-forming mucus-associated genes in the mucosal cell suspension was consistent with the current less viscous cell suspension. To apply and validate the developed manipulation, enteritis was induced by soybean meal diet, and immune cell suspensions were analyzed by flow cytometry and qPCR. The finding that in enteritis samples, there was inflammatory increase of neutrophils and macrophages, was in line with upregulated cytokines (il8 and il10) and cell markers (mpeg1 and mpx).ConclusionAs a result, the current work created a realistic technique for studying intestinal immune cells in zebrafish. The immune cells acquired may aid in further research and knowledge of intestinal illness at the cellular level.
The consumption of fermented Chinese herbs has resulted in better intestinal health and increased resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
Authors: Jiang Li , Zhou Xinhong , Bao Songsong , Wu Qiuhong , Li Jin , Wang Yachao , Liu Bo 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionThis research aimed to assess the impact of Fermented Chinese herbs (FCHM) on the intestinal barrier, immunity, and protection against Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) infection in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).MethodsFour experimental diets were formulated, including H0 (basal diet), H1, H2, and H3, which contained 1%, 3%, and 5% FCHM added to the basal diet, respectively. The fish were randomly allocated to four treatment groups, each with 3 parallel per treatment, consisting of 20 fish per replicate and were raised for 56 days.Results and discussionThe experiment revealed that: compared with the control group, adding 1% FCHM significantly improved the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of the juvenile largemouth bass (P&lt; 0.05). The ingestion of FCHM substantially elevated the activities of CAT, SOD, GSH-PX, APK, ACP, and LZM, and T-AOC level in the gut region of largemouth bass, while decreasing the MDA content in intestine (P&lt; 0.05). Supplementation with FCHM enhanced the intestinal villus height and relative mRNA expression of intestinal barrier genes ZO-1, Claudin, and Occludin in juvenile largemouth bass. After injecting A.hydrophila, all groups of largemouth bass experienced mortality, but the consumption of FCHM resulted in a decrease in cumulative mortality. After infected with A.hydrophila, the antioxidant enzymes and immune enzymes activities of all test groups were enhanced compared to those before infection, and the antioxidant enzymes and immune enzymes activities of all groups were considerably higher than the control after feeding FCHM (P&lt; 0.05). After infected with A.hydrophila, the intestinal MDA content of largemouth bass was higher compared with that before infection in all cases (P&lt; 0.05), but after feeding FCHM, the MDA content was lower than the control (P&lt; 0.05). Upon consuming FCHM, the mRNA relative expressions of pro-inflammatory biomarkers IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-15 and IL-8 in largemouth bass infected with A.hydrophila were decreased in comparison to the control group. In contrast, the mRNA expression of the anti-inflammatory biomarkers TGF-β and IL-10 were significantly elevated (P&lt; 0.05). In summary, FCHM could improve the intestinal morphology, immunity, and antioxidant capacity of juvenile largemouth bass, and enhance it against A.hydrophila, with a better effect at 1% addition.
Early detection of Parkinson’s disease through enriching the electronic health record using a biomedical knowledge graph
Authors: Soman Karthik , Nelson Charlotte A. , Cerono Gabriel , Goldman Samuel M. , Baranzini Sergio E. , Brown Ethan G. 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionEarly diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is important to identify treatments to slow neurodegeneration. People who develop PD often have symptoms before the disease manifests and may be coded as diagnoses in the electronic health record (EHR).MethodsTo predict PD diagnosis, we embedded EHR data of patients onto a biomedical knowledge graph called Scalable Precision medicine Open Knowledge Engine (SPOKE) and created patient embedding vectors. We trained and validated a classifier using these vectors from 3,004 PD patients, restricting records to 1, 3, and 5 years before diagnosis, and 457,197 non-PD group.ResultsThe classifier predicted PD diagnosis with moderate accuracy (AUC = 0.77 ± 0.06, 0.74 ± 0.05, 0.72 ± 0.05 at 1, 3, and 5 years) and performed better than other benchmark methods. Nodes in the SPOKE graph, among cases, revealed novel associations, while SPOKE patient vectors revealed the basis for individual risk classification.DiscussionThe proposed method was able to explain the clinical predictions using the knowledge graph, thereby making the predictions clinically interpretable. Through enriching EHR data with biomedical associations, SPOKE may be a cost-efficient and personalized way to predict PD diagnosis years before its occurrence.
Immunophenotypic expression profile of multiple myeloma cases at a tertiary hospital in Nairobi Kenya
Authors: Mengich Isabella , Rajput Sheerien , Malkit Riyat , Moloo Zahir , Kagotho Elizabeth , Lalani El-Nasir , Mwirigi Anne 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionMultiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell neoplasm that constitutes 10–15% of all hematopoietic neoplasms. Kenya is placed among the top five African countries for MM incidence and MM-related mortality. Prior studies have suggested that the aberrant expression of Cyclin D1, CD56, CD117 and Ki-67 on neoplastic plasma cells is useful in disease prognostication. The prevalence and significance of expression of these markers in a cohort of MM cases in Kenya has not been studied previously.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. The study population included 83 MM cases with available trephine blocks archived between 1st of January 2009 and 31st of March 2020. Immunohistochemical expression of Cyclin D1, CD56, CD117, and Ki-67 was analyzed and scored. The biomarkers were described using frequencies based on the positive and negative results. Fisher’s exact test was used to determine the association between the immunophenotypic markers and categorical variables.ResultsOf the 83 selected cases, expression of Cyclin D1, CD56, CD117 and Ki-67 was identified in 28.9, 34.9, 7.2, and 50.6%, respectively. Cyclin D1 positivity was significantly associated with hypercalcemia. Absence of CD117 expression was noted to be associated with adverse risk parameters including an IgA isotype or light chain disease, International Staging System (ISS) stage III disease, abnormal baseline serum free light chains (sFLC) and a high plasma cell burden.ConclusionCyclin D1 expression was congruent with previously reported studies. The frequency of CD56 and CD117 expression was lower than previously reported. This may be due to differences in disease biology between the study populations. Approximately half of cases were Ki-67 positive. Our data showed limited associations between the expression of studied markers and clinicopathologic variables. However, this could be attributed to the small study sample size. We would recommend further characterization of the disease in a larger prospective study with the inclusion of survival outcomes and cytogenetic studies.
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae FliY and YdjN are involved in cysteine/cystine utilization, oxidative resistance, and biofilm formation but are not determinants of virulence
Authors: Zhao Fan , Xu Huan , Chen Yubing , Xiao Juan , Zhang Miao , Li Zhuo , Liu Jinlin , Qi Chao 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionActinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) is a member of Actinobacillus in family Pasteurellaceae. It is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, which has caused huge economic losses to pig industry over the world. Cysteine is a precursor of many important biomolecules and defense compounds in the cell. However, molecular mechanisms of cysteine transport in A. pleuropneumoniae are unclear.MethodsIn this study, gene-deleted mutants were generated and investigated, to reveal the roles of potential cysteine/cystine transport proteins FliY and YdjN of A. pleuropneumoniae.ResultsOur results indicated that the growth of A. pleuropneumoniae was not affected after fliY or ydjN single gene deletion, but absence of both FliY and YdjN decreased the growth ability significantly, when cultured in the chemically defined medium (CDM) supplemented with cysteine or cystine as the only sulfur source. A. pleuropneumoniae double deletion mutant ΔfliYΔydjN showed increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. Besides, trans-complementation of YdjN into ΔfliYΔydjN and wild type leads to increased biofilm formation in CDM. However, the virulence of ΔfliYΔydjN was not attenuated in mice or pigs.DiscussionThese findings suggest that A. pleuropneumoniae FliY and YdjN are involved in the cysteine/cystine acquisition, oxidative tolerance, and biofilm formation, but not contribute to the pathogenicity of A. pleuropneumoniae.
The role of homocysteine levels as a risk factor of ischemic stroke events: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pinzon Rizaldy Taslim , Wijaya Vincent Ongko , Veronica Vanessa 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionAmong numerous risk factors, homocysteine (Hcy) has been linked to cerebral infarction; however, results have been inconsistent. This review aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of published studies to investigate the relationship between plasma Hcy levels and the risk of ischemic stroke.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted until November 2022 to obtain articles reporting Hcy levels in ischemic stroke patients. Review Manager software was used to perform all statistical analyses (version 5.3).ResultsInitial investigation yielded 283 articles. The final evaluation included 21 articles, including two prospective studies, one retrospective cohort, and 18 case–control studies. These studies included 9888 participants, of which 5031 were admitted patients with ischemic stroke. An integrated analysis revealed that ischemic stroke patients had significantly higher levels of Hcy than controls (mean difference (MD) = +3.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.42–5.81, p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionThis meta-analysis and systematic review indicate that ischemic stroke patients have significantly higher homocysteine levels than controls. Detecting hyperhomocysteinemia and reducing homocysteine levels should be explored among individuals at increased risk for ischemic stroke.
Diagnostic potential of routine brain MRI and high-resolution, multi-contrast vessel wall imaging in the detection of internal carotid artery dissection
Authors: Xie Shanshan , Ran Yuncai , Wang Xiao , Zhang Yong , Fu Qichang , Ren Yanan , Liu Juanfang , Teng Zhongzhao , Cheng Jingliang 
Published: May 2023

ObjectiveCervical artery dissection (CAD) is one of the major causes of stroke and most commonly occurs at the site of the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA). This study aimed to assess the value of routine brain MRI, clinical information, and high-resolution, multi-contrast vessel wall MR imaging (hrVWI) for the timely detection of ICA dissection.MethodsA total of 105 patients with CAD and 105 without CAD were recruited for this study. The lesion type in the patients was determined based on images from different modalities, including brain MRI, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), digital subtraction angiography (DSA), ultrasonography, and hrVWI and clinical information. Each lesion was reviewed to determine the type following a stepwise procedure by referring to (1) brain MRI only; (2) brain MRI and clinical information; (3) hrVWI only; and (4) hrVWI, CTA, DSA, and clinical information.ResultsTypical clinical presentations of patients with potential CAD include headache, neck pain, and/or Horner's syndrome. Representative imaging signs in the brain MRI included a crescentic or circular iso- or hyperintensity around the lumen, a curvilinear and isointense line crossing the lumen, or aneurysmal vessel dilation. Based on brain MRI alone, 54.3% (57/105) of the patients with CAD were correctly classified, and the accuracy increased to 73.3% (77/105) when clinical information was combined (P &lt; 0.001) with high specificity and low sensitivity. Further analysis showed that hrVWI had the superior capability in detecting CAD, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 95.1% and 97.0%, respectively.ConclusionThe combination of brain MRI and clinical information could be used for the diagnosis of CAD; however, hrVWI should be sought for uncertain cases.
Comparison of radiological abnormalities between the jugular bulb and the vestibular aqueduct in patients with Ménière’s disease
Authors: Xia Kaijun , Lei Ping , Liu Yingzhao , Li Jing , Wang Miao , Leng Yangming , Liu Bo 
Published: May 2023

ObjectiveAnatomical variations of the inner ear may contribute to the development of Ménière’s disease (MD), which is a complex inner ear disorder histopathologically characterized by idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops (ELH). Abnormalities of the vestibular aqueduct (VA) and the jugular bulb (JB) have been suggested as predisposing factors. Yet, few studies have investigated the correlation between JB abnormalities and VA variations as well as its clinical relevance in these patients. In this retrospective study, we investigated the differences in the incidence of radiological abnormalities of the VA and JB in patients with definite MD.MethodsAnatomical variations of JB and VA were evaluated based on high-resolution CT (HRCT) in a series of 103 patients with MD (93 unilateral cases and 10 bilateral cases). JB-related indices included JB anteroposterior and mediolateral diameter, JB height, JB type regarding to Manjila classification system, and incidences of JB diverticulum (JBD), JB related inner ear dehiscence (JBID), and inner ear adjacent JB (IAJB). VA-related indices included CT-VA visibility, CT-VA morphology (funnel, tubular, filiform, hollow, and obliterated-shaped type), and peri-VA pneumatization. Radiological indices were compared between MD ears and control ears.ResultsRadiological JB abnormalities were comparable between MD ears and control ears. As for VA-related indices, the CT-VA visibility was lower in MD ears than in control ears (p = 0.004). The distribution of CT-VA morphology was significantly different between MD and control ears (p = 0.013), with a higher proportion of obliterated-shaped type in MD ears (22.1%) than in control ears (6.6%).ConclusionCompared with JB abnormalities, the anatomical variations of VA are more likely to be an anatomically predisposing factor for MD.
Research hotspots and frontiers of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation: a bibliometric study and visualization analysis
Authors: Wang Huan , Cai Ziping , Li Shengjuan , Zheng Jiaxing , Xie Yuyao , He Yuanyuan , Li Chen , Zheng Dongxiang 
Published: May 2023

BackgroundAphasia is a common complication of stroke and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in the comprehensive management of post-stroke aphasia and its consequences. However, bibliometric analysis in the field of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation is still lacking. This study aimed to comprehensively identify assistance networks, analyze research trends, focus on hot and cutting-edge health topics related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation, and inform future research guidelines.MethodsThe Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) electronic database was searched from inception to January 4, 2023 to identify studies related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. Bibliometric analysis and visualization of country, institution, journal, author, reference, and keywords were performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer software.ResultsA total of 2,325 papers were included in the analysis, with a progressive increase in the number of articles published each year. The USA was the country with the most publications (809 articles), and the University of Queensland was the institution with the most publications (137 articles). The subject area of post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation is dominated by clinical neurology (882 articles). Aphasiology was the journal with the most publications (254 articles) and the most cited journal (6,893 citations). Worrall L was the most prolific author (51 publications), and Frideriksson J was the most cited author (804 citations).ConclusionBy using bibliometrics, we provided a comprehensive review of studies related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation. Future research hotspots on topics related to post-stroke aphasia rehabilitation will mainly focus on the plasticity mechanisms of neurolinguistics networks, language function assessment, language rehabilitation modalities, and patients’ rehabilitation needs and participation experiences in post-stroke aphasia. This paper provides systematic information that is worth exploring in the future.
Visual reading for [18F]Florzolotau ([18F]APN-1607) tau PET imaging in clinical assessment of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Lin Huan-Chun , Lin Kun-Ju , Huang Kuo-Lun , Chen Shih-Hsin , Ho Tsung-Ying , Huang Chin-Chang , Hsu Jung-Lung , Chang Chiung-Chih , Hsiao Ing-Tsung 
Published: May 2023

IntroductionTau-targeted positron emission tomography (tau-PET) is a potential tool for the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and to clarify the distribution of tau deposition. In addition to the quantitative analysis of tau-PET scans, visual reading supports the assessment of tau loading for clinical diagnosis. This study aimed to propose a method for visually interpreting tau-PET using the [18F] Florzolotau tracer and investigate the performance and utility of the visual reading.Materials and methodsA total number of 46 individuals with 12 cognitively unimpaired subjects (CU), 20 AD patients with mild cognitive impairment (AD-MCI), and 14 AD with dementia (AD-D) patients with both [18F]Florbetapir amyloid PET and [18F]Florzolotau tau PET scans were included. Clinical information, cognitive assessment, and amyloid PET scan results were recorded. For visual interpretation, a modified rainbow colormap was created and a regional tau uptake scoring system was proposed to evaluate the degree of tracer uptake and its spatial distribution within five cortical regions. Each region was scored on a scale of [0, 2] as compared to the background, and that resulted in a global scale range of [0, 10]. Four readers interpreted [18F]Florzolotau PET using the visual scale. The global and regional standardized uptake value ratios (SUVr) were also calculated for analysis.ResultsThe result indicates the average global visual scores were 0 ± 0 in the CU group, 3.43 ± 3.35 in the AD-MCI group, and 6.31 ± 2.97 in the AD-D group (p &lt; 0.001). The consensus among the four observers on image scores was high with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.880 (95% CI: 0.767–0.936). The average global visual score was significantly associated with global SUVr (r = 0.884, p &lt; 0.0001) and with the CDR-sum of box (r = 0.677, p &lt; 0.0001).ConclusionThe visual reading method generated a visual score of [18F]Florzolotau tau-PET with good sensitivity and specificity to identify AD-D or CU individuals from the other patients. The preliminary result also showed that the global visual scores are significantly and reliably correlated with global cortical SUVr, and associated well with the clinical diagnosis and cognitive performance.
Dynamic alterations of spontaneous neural activity in post-stroke aphasia: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Xu Luyao , Wei Hongchun , Sun Zhongwen , Chu Tongpeng , Li Min , Liu Ruhui , Jiang Li , Liang Zhigang 
Published: May 2023

Background and purposeThe dynamic alterations in spontaneous neural activity of the brain during the acute phase of post-stroke aphasia (PSA) remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) was applied to explore abnormal temporal variability in local functional activity of the brain during acute PSA.Materials and methodsResting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 26 patients with PSA and 25 healthy controls (HCs) were acquired. The sliding window method was used to assess dALFF, with the k-means clustering method used to identify dALFF states. The two-sample t-test was applied to compare differences in dALFF variability and state metrics between the PSA and HC groups.Results(1) In the PSA group, greater variance of dALFF in the cerebellar network (CBN) and left fronto-temporo-parietal network (FTPN) was observed. (2) Three dALFF states were identified among all subjects. States 1 and 2 were identified in the PSA patients, and the two dALFF states shared a similar proportion. Moreover, the number of transitions between the two dALFF states was higher in the patients compared with that in HCs.ConclusionThe results of this study provide valuable insights into brain dysfunction that occurs during the acute phase (6.00 ± 3.52 days) of PSA. The observed increase in variability of local functional activities in CBN and left FTPN may be related to the spontaneous functional recovery of language during acute PSA, and it also suggests that cerebellum plays an important role in language.