bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Microbial biotransformation to obtain stilbene methylglucoside with GPR119 agonistic activity
Authors: Peng Yu , Huan Yi , Chen Jing-Jing , Chen Tian-Jiao , Lei Lei , Yang Jin-Ling , Shen Zhu-Fang , Gong Ting , Zhu Ping 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionLimitation of pharmaceutical application of resveratrol (RSV) and piceatannol (PIC) continue to exist, there is a need to obtain the superior analogs of two stilbenes with promoted activity, stability, and bioavailability. Microbial transformation has been suggested as a common and efficient strategy to solve the above problems.MethodsIn this study, Beauveria bassiana was selected to transform RSV and PIC. LC-MS and NMR spectroscopies were used to analyze the transformed products and identify their structures. The biological activities of these metabolites were evaluated in vitro with GPR119 agonist and insulin secretion assays. Single factor tests were employed to optimize the biotransformation condition.ResultsThree new methylglucosylated derivatives of PIC (1–3) and two known RSV methylglucosides (4 and 5) were isolated and characterized from the fermentation broth. Among them, 1 not only showed moderate GPR119 agonistic activity with 65.9%, but also promoted insulin secretion level significantly (12.94 ng/mg protein/hour) at 1 μM. After optimization of fermentation conditions, the yield of 1 reached 45.53%, which was increased by 4.2-fold compared with the control.DiscussionOur work presents that 3-O-MG PIC (1), obtained by microbial transformation, is an effective and safer ligand targeting GPR119, which lays a foundation for the anti-diabetic drug design in the future.
Emergence and genomic analysis of a novel sublineage of bovine ephemeral fever virus in Southwest China
Authors: Chen Jing , Liu Mengru , Li Yixuan , Yang Liu , Tang Yunhan , Dan Ruitong , Xie Muhan , Fang Rendong , Li Nengzhang , Ye Chao , Peng Yuanyi 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionBovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV), belonging to the genus Ephemerovirus under the family Rhabdoviridae, is the etiological cause for the bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) in cattle and water buffalo.MethodsIn this study, we report recent BEF outbreaks in Southwest China and sequence the complete genome sequence of one BEFV isolate BEFV/CQ1/2022.Results and DiscussionComparative genomic analyses between BEFV/CQ1/2022 and isolates available in GenBank revealed remarkable inter-isolate divergence. Meanwhile, the sequence divergence was related to the evolutionary relationships and geographical distribution of the isolates. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the global BEFV isolates can be divided into 4 distinct lineages. The East Asia lineage was the most diverse and could be subdivided into 4 sublineages. Notably, BEFV/CQ1/2022 and other 10 recent isolates from Mainland China were found to be clustered in sublineage 2. Additionally, recombination analysis provided evidence of BEFV recombination among East Asian isolates for the first time. Taken together, a novel sublineage of the East Asian BEFV emerged in Southwest China, and large divergence and potential recombination among BEFV strains were investigated in this study, which may improve understanding of BEFV epidemiology and evolution.
Case report: Stem cell-based suicide gene therapy mediated by the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene reduces tumor progression in multifocal glioblastoma
Authors: Oraee-Yazdani Saeed , Akhlaghpasand Mohammadhosein , Rostami Fatemeh , Golmohammadi Maryam , Tavanaei Roozbeh , Shokri Gelareh , Hafizi Maryam , Oraee-Yazdani Maryam , Zali Ali-Reza , Soleimani Masoud 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe prognosis for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a malignant brain tumor, is poor despite recent advancements in treatments. Suicide gene therapy is a therapeutic strategy for cancer that requires a gene to encode a prodrug-activating enzyme which is then transduced into a vector, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The vector is then injected into the tumor tissue and exerts its antitumor effects.Case presentationA 37-year-old man presented to our department with two evident foci of glioblastoma multiforme at the left frontal and left parietal lobes. The patient received an injection of bone marrow-derived MSCs delivering the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene to the frontal focus of the tumor, followed by ganciclovir administration as a prodrug for 14 days. For follow-up, the patient was periodically assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The growth and recurrence patterns of the foci were assessed. After the injection on 09 February 2019, the patient's follow-up appointment on 19 December 2019 MRI revealed a recurrence of parietal focus. However, the frontal focus had a slight and unremarkable enhancement. On the last follow-up (18 March 2020), the left frontal focus had no prominent recurrence; however, the size of the left parietal focus increased and extended to the contralateral hemisphere through the corpus callosum. Eventually, the patient passed away on 16 July 2020 (progression-free survival (PFS) = 293 days, overall survival (OS) = 513 days).ConclusionThe gliomatous focus (frontal) treated with bone marrow-derived MSCs carrying the HSV-TK gene had a different pattern of growth and recurrence compared with the non-treated one (parietal).Trial registrationIRCT20200502047277N2. Registered 10 May 2020—Retrospectively registered, https://eng.irct.ir/trial/48110.
Alteration of neurofilament heavy chain and its phosphoforms reveals early subcellular damage beyond the optic nerve head in glaucoma
Authors: Zhou Lan , Lin Dongyue , Xu Guihua , Wang Xiaoyi , Chen Zilin , Wang Dingding , Fan Huiya 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundRetinal ganglion cells (RGCs) axon loss at the site of optic nerve head (ONH) is long believed as the common pathology in glaucoma since different types of glaucoma possessing different characteristic of intraocular pressure, and this damage was only detected at the later stage.MethodsTo address these disputes and detect early initiating events underlying RGCs, we firstly detected somatic or axonal change and compared their difference in acute and chronic phase of primary angle-closed glaucoma (PACG) patient using optical coherence tomography (OCT), then an axonal-enriched cytoskeletal protein neurofilament heavy chain and its phosphoforms (NF-H, pNF-H) were utilized to reveal spatio-temporal undetectable damage insulted by acute and chronic ocular hypertension (AOH, COH) in two well characterized glaucoma mice models.ResultsIn clinic, we detected nonhomogeneous changes such as ONH and soma of RGCs presenting edema in acute phase but atrophy in chronic one by OCT. In AOH animal models, an increase expression of NF-H especially its phosphorylation modification was observed as early as 4 h before RGCs loss, which presented as somatic accumulation in the peripheral retina and at the sites of ONH. In contrast, in microbeads induced COH model, NF-H and pNF-H reduced significantly, these changes firstly occurred as NF-H or pNF-H disconnection at ONH and optic nerve after 2 weeks when the intraocular pressure reaching the peak; Meanwhile, we detected aqueous humor pNF-H elevation after AOH and slight reduction in the COH.ConclusionTogether, our data supports that early alteration of NF-H and its phosphoforms would reveal undetectable subcellular damage consisting of peripheral somatic neurofilament compaction, impaired axonal transport and distal axonal disorganization of cytoskeleton beyond the ONH, and identifies two distinct axonal degeneration which were Wallerian combination with retrograde degeneration in acute PACG and retrograde degeneration in the chronic one.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and risk of ischemic stroke complication among patients with hypertension in the Ethiopian population
Authors: Melake Addisu , Berhane Nega 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundIschemic stroke is a complicated, multifaceted condition brought on by a confluence of vascular, environmental, and genetic variables. The burden of ischemic stroke is currently rising in terms of death, morbidity, and disability worldwide. Genetic variables also play significant roles in the pathophysiology of hypertension and ischemic stroke in addition to the greatest effects of demographic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors. The key functional variation of the ACE gene that has drawn the most interest is the ACE I/D variant. Even though the ACE gene I/D polymorphism has been widely studied, the findings of investigations on the involvement of this polymorphism in ischemic stroke were contradictory and provide conflicting data. The goal of this study was to look into the effect of the ACE gene I/D polymorphism on the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with hypertension.MethodsA hospital-based case–control study was carried out in 36 cases of patients with hypertensive IS and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Clinical and biochemical parameters were measured to assess the associated risk factors. The DNA was isolated from blood samples, and the ACE I/D genotypes were identified using polymerase chain reaction and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis.ResultsThe ACE-DD genotype (OR = 3.71, 95% CI = 1.02–13.5; P &lt; 0.05) and D allele (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.06–4.03; P &lt; 0.05) were significantly more common in patients than in controls, indicating that it is a risk factor for the development of ischemic stroke in hypertensive individuals.ConclusionThere is a significant correlation between the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and the development of ischemic stroke in patients with a history of hypertension in the Ethiopian population.
Efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for patients with spinal tumors receiving denosumab treatment: An initial real−clinical experience study
Authors: Wang Pengru , Li Bo , Zhou Shangbin , Xin Yingye , Zhu Zhipeng , Duan Shujie , Bai Danyang , Yuan Hao , Xu Wei , Xiao Jianru 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundEven if COVID-19 vaccine has gradually been adopted in the world, information of side effects and crosstalk in patients with spinal tumors is absent due to the exclusion from clinical research. In this research, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety for the patients with spinal tumors treated by denosumab.MethodsIn this retrospective research, 400 patients under treatment of denosumab against spinal tumors in real-clinical experience were grouped into two cohorts according to the treatment of COVID-19 vaccine. And linked hospital data, serum samples and unsolicited related adverse events had been collected from January 22nd 2021 to June 1st 2021 respectively.Results233 patients of all participants who received regular treatment of denosumab were vaccinated by mRNA or inactivated vaccine. Patients of metastatic disease and primary osseous spinal tumor showed similar distribution in both two groups. Over the study period, within 176 patients tested the status of serologic response of vaccine, 88(81.48%) and 41(87.23%) individuals injected one or two inactivated vaccines had effective antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infections. As 21 patients (85.71%) treated by mRNA vaccine did. Considering of the safety of vaccine, most common systemic adverse events were nausea or vomiting (45 events vs 23events). Interestingly, fewer participants in the vaccine group were statistically recorded in local adverse events than in the placebo group (16 events vs 33 events).ConclusionsOur initial real-clinical experience suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are likely safe and effective in in patients with spinal tumors receiving denosumab treatment.
Patients with advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer appear vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant: An observational study during the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai
Authors: Han Tao , Chen Lujun , Gu Jia , Wu Shen , Maihemuti Maiweilan , Yang Jue , Wang Hao , Wu Jun , Zhang Yue , Cong Yun , Wang Jiening , Chen Tingsong 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly across the globe. Cancer patients have a higher risk of severe infections and associated mortality than the general population. However, the lethal effect of Omicron-variant affection on advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer patients is still not clear. Herein, we designed an observational study to shed light on the influence of the Omicron variant on this so-called “King of Cancer” and improve management of these patients with COVID-19 in the future.MethodsOmicron-infected patients with advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer were enrolled from 15 April to 31 May 2022. Four groups were set up in this study: Group 1, Omicron-infected cancer patients (N = 4); Group 2, non-infected cancer patients (N = 4); Group 3, infected non-cancer-afflicted subjects (N = 4); Group 4, non-infected non-cancer-afflicted subjects (N = 4). On Days 0, 7, and 14 after infection, the blood samples were collected dynamically from all subjects. The primary endpoints were disease severity and survival.ResultsAt the endpoint of this observational study, Patient Nos. 2, 3, and 4 died separately on Days 11, 25, and 13 after viral infection. All of them had advanced cancer, with a death rate of up to 75%. Group 1 presented an overall T-cell exhaustion status compared with other groups. Group 1 had obviously lower T-cell populations and higher B-cell percentages and CD4+T/CD8+T ratios (P &lt;0.05). Time-course cytokine monitoring results showed that IL-1β was significantly decreased in Group 1 (P &lt;0.05) and generally kept at a low level without obvious fluctuation. IL-6 was markedly increased in infected cancer patients (P &lt;0.01) but remained at a low level and had no apparent change during the whole infection process in non-cancer-afflicted subjects. Furthermore, several inflammatory parameter indexes indicated a tight association of Omicron infection with the disease course and prognosis of Omicron-infected cancer patients.ConclusionsAdvanced pancreatic and biliary cancer patients with Omicron infection have severe symptoms and poor outcomes. More attention, protective measures, and routine healthcare services should be recommended to these vulnerable populations in clinical practice during the pandemic in the foreseeable future.
Effects of 1-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline on a diabetic neuropathic pain model
Authors: Tokhi Ahmed , Ahmed Zainab , Arif Mehreen , Rehman Naeem Ur , Sheibani Vahid , Sewell Robert D. E. , Rauf Khalid 
Published: March 2023

Background: Neuropathy is a prevalent and debilitating complication of poorly managed diabetes, contributing towards poor quality of life, amputation risk, and increased mortality. The available therapies for diabetic neuropathic pain (DPN) have limitations in terms of efficacy, tolerability and patient compliance. Dysfunction in the peripheral and central monoaminergic system has been evidenced in various types of neuropathic and acute pain. The objective of the present study was to investigate 1-methyl 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ), an endogenous amine found in human brain with a known neuroprotective profile, in a model of streptozotocin (STZ) induced neuropathic pain.Methods: Diabetic neuropathy in male BALB/c mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of STZ (200 mg/kg). Upon development of DPN after 4 weeks, mice were investigated for mechanical allodynia (von Frey filament pressure test) and thermal hyperalgesia (tail immersion test). Ondansetron (1.0 mg/kg i.p.), naloxone (3.0 mg/kg i.p.) and yohimbine (2.0 mg/kg i.p.) were used to elucidate the possible mechanism involved. Postmortem frontal cortical, striatal and hippocampal tissues were dissected and evaluated for changes in levels of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection.Results: Acute administration of 1MeTIQ (15–45 mg/kg i.p.) reversed streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathic static mechanical allodynia (von Frey filament pressure test) and thermal hyperalgesia (tail immersion test), these outcomes being comparable to standard gabapentin. Furthermore, HPLC analysis revealed that STZ-diabetic mice expressed lower concentrations of serotonin in all three brain regions examined, while dopamine was diminished in the striatum and 1MeTIQ reversed all these neurotransmitter modifications. These findings suggest that the antihyperalgesic/antiallodynic activity of 1MeTIQ may be mediated in part via supraspinal opioidergic and monoaminergic modulation since they were naloxone, yohimbine and ondansetron reversible.Conclusion: It was also concluded that acute treatment with 1MeTIQ ameliorated STZ-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia and restored brain regionally altered serotonin and dopamine concentrations which signify a potential for 1MeTIQ in the management of DPN.
Estimating the rice nitrogen nutrition index based on hyperspectral transform technology
Authors: Yu Fenghua , Bai Juchi , Jin Zhongyu , Zhang Honggang , Yang Jiaxin , Xu Tongyu 
Published: March 2023

Background and objectiveThe rapid diagnosis of rice nitrogen nutrition is of great significance to rice field management and precision fertilization. The nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) based on the standard nitrogen concentration curve is a common parameter for the quantitative diagnosis of rice nitrogen nutrition. However, the current NNI estimation methods based on hyperspectral techniques mainly focus on finding a better estimation model while ignoring the relationship between the critical nitrogen concentration curve and rice hyperspectral reflectance.MethodsThis study obtained canopy spectral data using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral remote sensing and determined the rice critical nitrogen concentration curve and NNI. Taking the spectrum at critical nitrogen concentration as the standard spectrum, the original spectral reflectance and logarithmic spectral reflectance data were transformed by the difference method, and the features of the spectral data were extracted by a Autoencoder. Finally, the NNI inversion models of rice based on Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and Bald Eagle Search-Extreme Learning Machine (BES-ELM) were constructed by taking the feature bands of four spectral extractions as input variables.Results1) from the feature extraction results of the self-encoder, simple logarithmic or difference transformation had little effect on NNI estimation, and logarithmic difference transformation effectively improved the NNI estimation results; 2) the estimation model based on the logarithmic difference spectrum and BES-ELM had the highest estimation accuracy, and the coefficient of determination (R2) values of the training set and verification set were 0.839 and 0.837, and the root mean square error (RMSE) values were 0.075 and 0.073, respectively; 3) according to the NNI, the samples were divided into a nitrogen-rich group (NNI ≥ 1) and nitrogen-deficient group (NNI &lt; 1).ConclusionThe logarithmic difference transformation of the spectrum can effectively improve the estimation accuracy of the NNI estimation model, providing a new approach for improving NNI estimation methods based on hyperspectral technology.
Visual and cognitive functioning among older adults with low vision before vision rehabilitation: A pilot study
Authors: Aubin Gabrielle , Phillips Natalie , Jaiswal Atul , Johnson Aaron Paul , Joubert Sven , Bachir Vanessa , Kehayia Eva , Wittich Walter 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe occurrence of age-related vision changes is inevitable. However, some of these changes can become pathological. Research indicates that vision and hearing loss is correlated with age-related cognitive decline, and with a higher risk of developing dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Low vision rehabilitation could possibly be a protective factor against cognitive decline, as it provides the clients with compensatory strategies to overcome their visual deficits.Objectives and hypothesisThe aim of this pilot study was to assess correlations between visual and cognitive functions in older adults referred for low vision rehabilitation. We hypothesized that more severe impairment of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity would be correlated with more advanced levels of cognitive impairment. The second objective was to examine which of these correlations would remain significant once established variables that influence cognition are statistically removed (e.g., age, education).MethodsThirty-eight older adults (age range: 66–97 years old) with a visual impairment (acuity &lt;20/70) were recruited before the onset of their low vision rehabilitation. They underwent vision (reading acuity, reading speed, contrast sensitivity), hearing (audiogram, speech-in-noise perception) and cognitive (global cognition, memory, executive functions) testing, and demographic information was obtained.Results and discussionCorrelations among global cognition and visual aid use, memory and reading speed, memory and contrast sensitivity, memory, and visual aid use, and between executive functions and contrast sensitivity were significant. Correlations between contrast sensitivity and memory, as well as between global cognition and visual aid use remained significant after controlling for age and education. The present study is relevant to clinicians who are assessing the cognitive status of older adults, such as neuropsychologists, because it highlights the importance of considering low vision when administering neuropsychological tests, especially to persons who have not yet received rehabilitation for their visual impairment.
Social media use for coping with stress and psychological adjustment: A transactional model of stress and coping perspective
Authors: Sun Xiaobei , Li Benjamin J. , Zhang Heng , Zhang Guanwen 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe psychological well-being of individuals has become an essential issue during the global pandemic. As a pervasive activity for individuals to pull through COVID-19, social media use may play a role in psychological well-being. Drawing on the transactional model of stress and coping, the current study investigated the relationships between COVID-19-related stressors and the use of social media to facilitate specific coping strategies. We further investigated how social media coping strategies impact users’ psychological adjustment.MethodsWe collected the data from 641 quarantined residents through a two-wave survey that was conducted in two cities in China during government-mandated lockdowns.ResultsThe results showed that perceived COVID-19 stress was related to the intensity of social media use for problem-focused coping, socioemotional coping, and mental disengagement. In addition, individuals’ psychological adjustment was positively associated with social media use for socioemotional coping and mental disengagement while negatively related to problem-focused coping. Age was also found to be a moderator of the relationship between socioemotional coping and psychological adjustment.DiscussionTo relieve pandemic-related stress, individuals can actively utilize social media to implement various coping strategies. However, coping activities with social media may not always induce psychological benefits. By revealing the different levels of psychological adjustment among social media users with specific coping strategies, the current research enriched the literature on the effects of social media use on mental health. Findings from this study suggest the need for the prudent use of social media to cope with public health crises.