bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Connecting the use of innovative treatments and glucocorticoids with the multidisciplinary evaluation through rule-based natural-language processing: a real-world study on patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis
Authors: Motta Francesca , Morandini Pierandrea , Maffia Fiore , Vecellio Matteo , Tonutti Antonio , De Santis Maria , Costanzo Antonio , Puggioni Francesca , Savevski Victor , Selmi Carlo 
Published: June 2023

BackgroundThe impact of a multidisciplinary management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and psoriasis on systemic glucocorticoids or innovative treatments remains unknown. Rule-based natural language processing and text extraction help to manage large datasets of unstructured information and provide insights into the profile of treatment choices.MethodsWe obtained structured information from text data of outpatient visits between 2017 and 2022 using regular expressions (RegEx) to define elastic search patterns and to consider only affirmative citation of diseases or prescribed therapy by detecting negations. Care processes were described by binary flags which express the presence of RA, PsA and psoriasis and the prescription of glucocorticoids and biologics or small molecules in each cases. Logistic regression analyses were used to train the classifier to predict outcomes using the number of visits and the other specialist visits as the main variables.ResultsWe identified 1743 patients with RA, 1359 with PsA and 2,287 with psoriasis, accounting for 5,677, 4,468 and 7,770 outpatient visits, respectively. Among these, 25% of RA, 32% of PsA and 25% of psoriasis cases received biologics or small molecules, while 49% of RA, 28% of PsA, and 40% of psoriasis cases received glucocorticoids. Patients evaluated also by other specialists were treated more frequently with glucocorticoids (70% vs. 49% for RA, 60% vs. 28% for PsA, 51% vs. 40% for psoriasis; p &lt; 0.001) as well as with biologics/small molecules (49% vs. 25% for RA, 64% vs. 32% in PsA; 51% vs. 25% for psoriasis; p &lt; 0.001) compared to cases seen only by the main specialist.ConclusionPatients with RA, PsA, or psoriasis undergoing multiple evaluations are more likely to receive innovative treatments or glucocorticoids, possibly reflecting more complex cases.
Characterization and expression of fungal defensin in Escherichia coli and its antifungal mechanism by RNA-seq analysis
Authors: Chen Yu-Pei , Li Yingying , Chen Fangfang , Wu Hongtan , Zhang Shudi 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionInvasive fungal infections (IFIs) are fatally threatening to critical patients. The fungal defensin as an antifungal protein can widely inhibit fungi.MethodsIn this study, eight antifungal genes from different filamentous fungi were optimized by synonymous codon bias and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli.Results and discussionOnly the antifungal protein (AFP) from Aspergillus giganteus was produced, whereas the AFP from its mutation of the chitin-binding domain could not be expressed, thereby suggesting the importance of the motif for protein folding. In addition, the recombinant AFP (rAFP, 100 μg/mL) pre-heated at 50°C for 1 h effectively inhibited Paecilomyces variotii CICC40716 of IFIs by 55%, and no cell cytotoxicity was observed in RAW264.7 cells. After being pre-heated at 50°C for 8 h, the fluorescence emission intensity of the rAFP decreased and shifted from 343 nm to 335 nm. Moreover, the helix and β-turn of the rAFP gradually decreased with the pre-heated treatment temperature of 50°C via circular dichroism spectroscopy. Propidium iodide staining revealed that the rAFP could cause damage to the cell membrane. Moreover, the corresponding differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for downregulation such as amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, as well as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway involved in the cell wall integrity were found via the RNA-seq of rAFP treatment. By contrast, the upregulated DEGs were enriched in response to the oxidative stress of Biological Process by the Gene Ontology (GO) database. The encoding proteins of laccase, multicopper oxidase, and nitroreductase that contributed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging could be recognized. These results suggested that the rAFP may affect the integrity of the cell wall and cell membrane, and promote the increase in ROS, thereby resulting in fungal death. Consequently, drug development could be based on the inhibitory effect of the rAFP on IFIs.
Identification of novel Jingmen tick virus from parasitic ticks fed on a giant panda and goats in Sichuan Province, southwestern China
Authors: Huang Lin , Liu Shunshuai , Chen Lu , Wang Fei , Ye Ping , Xia Luoyuan , Jiang Baogui , Tang Hao , Zhang Qingyu , Ruan Xiangdong , Chen Weijun , Jiang Jiafu 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionTick-borne viruses (TBVs) pose a significant risk to the health of humans and other vertebrates. A class of multisegmented flavi-like viruses, Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) was first discovered in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected from Jingmen of Hubei Province, China in 2010. JMTV has been confirmed to have a relatively wide distribution in vectors and hosts and is associated with human diseases.MethodsParasitic and host-seeking ticks were collected in Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province. Total RNA was extracted and then enriched the viral RNA. The DNA library was constructed and then were sequenced with MGI High-throughput Sequencing Set (PE150). After the adaptor sequences,low-quality bases and host genome were removed, resulting reads classified as a virus were subsequently de novo assembled into contigs, which were then compared to the NT database. Those annotated under the kingdom virus were initially identified as potential virus-associated sequences. Phylogenetic and Reassortment analysis of sequences were performed using MEGA and SimPlot software, respectively.Results and discussionTwo host-seeking ticks and 17 ticks that fed on giant pandas and goats were collected. Through high-throughput sequencing, whole virus genomes were attained from four tick samples (PC-13, PC-16, PC-18, and PC-19) that shared 88.7–96.3% similarity with known JMTV. Phylogenetic tree showed that it was a novel JMTV-like virus, referred to as Sichuan tick virus, which also had the signals of reassortment with other JMTV strains, suggesting a cross-species transmission and co-infection of segmented flavi-like viruses among multiple tick hosts.ConclusionWe discovered and confirmed one new Jingmen tick virus, Sichuan tick virus. Further investigation is required to determine the pathogenicity of Sichuan tick virus to humans and animals, as well as its epidemiological characteristics in nature.
The prognosis value of CONUT and SIS score for recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with second-line immunotherapy
Authors: Zhao Xiao-Han , Shen Wen-Bin , Wang Duo , Wang He-Song , Song Chun-Yang , Deng Wen-Zhao 
Published: June 2023

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive value of Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score and systemic inflammation (SIS) score in the prognosis, short-term efficacy, and immune-related side effects of patient with recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (R/M ESCC) receiving immunotherapy as second line therapy combined with or without radiotherapy.MethodsForty-eight patients with R/M ESCC who received second-line therapy with Camrelizumab were retrospectively studied. They were divided into the high and low score groups according to the CONUT and SIS score. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze factors that might affect patient prognosis and the effects of different CONUT score and SIS on the short-term efficacy and immune-related toxic and side effects of patients.ResultsThe 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 42.9% and 22.5%, and 29.0% and 5.8%, respectively. The CONUT score ranged from 0 to 6 (3.31 ± 1.43), whereas the SIS score ranged from 0 to 2 (1.19 ± 0.73). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment related toxicity, number of cycles of Camrelizumab used, short-term effect and SIS score were independent prognostic factors for OS (P=0.044, 0.021, 0.021, 0.030, respectively), whereas SIS and CONUT scores were independent prognostic factors for PFS (P=0.005, 0.047, respectively). Patients with low CONUT/SIS score had a low incidence rate of immune-related adverse reactions (X2 = 9.735, 5.693; P=0.002, 0.017) and better short-term efficacy (X2 = 4.427, 7.438; P=0.035, 0.006).ConclusionR/M ESCC patients with low CONUT/SIS score have better prognosis, higher objective response rate, lower incidence of immune-related toxic and side effects after receiving immunotherapy as second-line therapy. CONUT scores and SIS scores may be reliable prognostic indicators for patient receiving immunotherapy as second-line therapy for R/M ESCC.
Symptom clusters after chemoradiotherapy in discharged nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients
Authors: Li Xiang , Fu Gui-Fen , Huang Yu-Ying , Jiang Qing-Yu , Huang Xiao-Yan , Zhang Jin-Tao , Qu Shen-Hong 
Published: June 2023

ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence of complications and types of chemoradiotherepy induces symptom clusters in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who were first diagnosed after treatment and discharged from hospital.MethodsAfter their discharge home, 130 NPC patients who had been treated with chemoradiotherapy were asked to complete a modified Chinese version of the Quality of Life Questionnaire–Head and Neck Module developed by the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer in the Head and Neck. Symptom clusters in patients were identified through exploratory factor analysis.ResultsThe most serious symptoms for discharged NPC patients who had received chemoradiotherapy were dental problems, a sense of obstruction while swallowing, embarrassment in physical contact with family members and friends, difficulty in speaking with others, and embarrassment in public. The six symptom clusters identified through exploratory factor analysis were (1) painful eating, (2) social difficulties, (3) psychological disorders, (4) symptomatic shame, (5) teeth/throat injuries, and (6) sensory abnormalities. The total contribution rate of variance was 65.73%.ConclusionNPC patients who are treated with chemoradiotherapy can experience adverse symptom clusters that continue after discharge. Nurses should evaluate the patients’ symptoms before discharge and provide targeted health education services which would reduce the patients’ complications and improve the quality of life at home. Besides, medical staff should evaluate the complications in a timely and comprehensive manner and provide individualized health education for the affected patients to help them manage chemoradiotherapy side effects.
Anal dysplasia in adolescent and young adult men who have sex with men: a single-center retrospective and descriptive study (2010–2020)
Authors: Addison Jessica , Assefa Ida , Woods Elizabeth R. , Fitzgerald Susan 
Published: June 2023

ObjectiveThere are limited studies evaluating anal cytology results or the prevalence of anal human papiloma virus in adolescent and young adult (AYA) men who have sex with men (MSM). The purpose of this study was to review anal cytology screening results and determine whether abnormal findings resulted in completion of anoscopy in AYA MSM (13–26 years old).Patients and MethodsThis was a retrospective study evaluating 84 anal Papanicolaou screening results among 36 AYA MSM patients aged 13–26 years who had an anal Papanicolaou test completed at an outpatient Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine Practice at Boston Children's Hospital, an urban, nonprofit, academic, free-standing children's hospital, from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2020.ResultsThe findings of anal Papanicolaou screening included atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) (37%), negative for squamous intraepithelial lesion (31%), inability to read (21.3%), and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (10.8%). Most patients who had ASCUS results were referred for anoscopy (n = 28, 90.3%), and of those referred only 6.5% (n = 2) completed an anoscopy. Of those with low-grade squamous cell intraepithelial lesion results, 88.9% (n = 8) were referred for anoscopy, and among those who were referred, only 3.3% (n = 3) had completed an anoscopy.ConclusionThis study showed that there were abnormalities in cytology when anal Papanicolaou test screening was performed in this population, and the completion rates for anoscopy were low.
Curcumin alleviates 1-methyl- 4-phenyl- 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine- induced Parkinson’s disease in mice via modulating gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids
Authors: Cai Benchi , Zhong Lifan , Wang Qitong , Xu Wendi , Li Xi , Chen Tao 
Published: June 2023

Background: The microbiota–gut–brain axis has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target of PD. The effects of curcumin against Parkinson’s disease have been demonstrated; however, its neuroprotective mechanisms remain unknown. Our study investigated the potential mechanisms through which curcumin ameliorates Parkinson’s disease via the microbiota–gut–brain axis.Methods: Mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, Curcumin, MPTP, and MPTP + Curcumin. Motor deficits and gastrointestinal dysfunction were assessed using behavioral test, intestinal motility test, and fecal parameter measurement. The loss of dopaminergic neurons and intestinal barrier function was measured using Western blot and immunofluorescence. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and LC-MS were parallelly performed on mice feces to investigate alterations in microbiota and metabolites.Results: Curcumin alleviated motor deficits and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in MPTP-induced mice. Curcumin ameliorated gastrointestinal and intestinal barrier dysfunctions in MPTP-induced mice. Curcumin reduced gut microbial dysbiosis and modulated carbohydrate metabolism in MPTP-induced mice. Curcumin restored short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles in MPTP-induced mice.Conclusion: Concurrently, these results indicate that curcumin inhibits Parkinson’s disease by regulating the gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids.
Effects of acid-sensing ion channel-1A (ASIC1A) on cocaine-induced synaptic adaptations
Authors: Gupta Subhash C. , Taugher-Hebl Rebecca J. , Hardie Jason B. , Fan Rong , LaLumiere Ryan T. , Wemmie John A. 
Published: June 2023

Chronic drug abuse is thought to induce synaptic changes in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that promote subsequent craving and drug-seeking behavior. Accumulating data suggest acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) may play a critical role. In drug naïve mice, disrupting the ASIC1A subunit produced a variety of synaptic changes reminiscent of wild-type mice following cocaine withdrawal, including increased AMPAR/NMDAR ratio, increased AMPAR rectification, and increased dendrite spine density. Importantly, these changes in Asic1a−/− mice were normalized by a single dose of cocaine. Here we sought to understand the temporal effects of cocaine exposure in Asic1a−/− mice and the cellular site of ASIC1A action. Six hours after cocaine exposure, there was no effect. However, 15 h, 24 h and 4 days after cocaine exposure there was a significant reduction in AMPAR/NMDAR ratio in Asic1a−/− mice. Within 7 days the AMPAR/NMDAR ratio had returned to baseline levels. Cocaine-evoked changes in AMPAR rectification and dendritic spine density followed a similar time course with significant reductions in rectification and dendritic spines 24 h after cocaine exposure in Asic1a−/− mice. To test the cellular site of ASIC1A action on these responses, we disrupted ASIC1A specifically in a subpopulation of MSNs. We found that effects of ASIC1A disruption were cell autonomous and restricted to neurons in which the channels are disrupted. We further tested whether ASIC1A disruption differentially affects MSNs subtypes and found AMPAR/NMDAR ratio was elevated in dopamine receptor 1-expressing MSNs, suggesting a preferential effect for these cells. Finally, we tested if protein synthesis was involved in synaptic adaptations that occurred after ASIC1A disruption, and found the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin normalized AMPAR-rectification and AMPAR/NMDAR ratio in drug-naïve Asic1a−/− mice to control levels, observed in wild-type mice. Together, these results provide valuable mechanistic insight into the effects of ASICs on synaptic plasticity and drug-induced effects and raise the possibility that ASIC1A might be therapeutically manipulated to oppose drug-induced synaptic changes and behavior.
Fungicidal and plant growth-promoting traits of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, an endophyte from Andrographis paniculata
Authors: Segaran Gayathri , Sathiavelu Mythili 
Published: June 2023

IntrodutionFungal endophytes are widespread and dwell inside plant cells for at least part of their life without producing any symptoms of infection. Distinct host plants may have different fungal endophyte rates and community compositions. Despite this, the endophytic fungi connected with the host plant and their hostile behaviors, remain unknown.MethodsThe objective of the current research was to isolate and identify endophytic fungal species from the root of Andrographis paniculata. The effects of fungal isolate APR5 on the mycelial growth of phytopathogens and the production of plant-promoting traits were assessed. Results and discussionEndophytic fungal isolate APR5 showed higher inhibitory efficacy in dual and double plate assay against the tested phytopathogenic fungi. The scanning electron microscope analysis demonstrated that the phytopathogenic fungal hyphae were coiled by endophytes which makes them shrink and disintegrate. Further, an ethyl acetate crude extract effectively suppressed the mycelium growth of Rhizoctonia solani by 75 ± 0.1% in an agar well diffusion assay. The fungal isolate APR5 was identified as Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae using the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and qualitatively evaluated for their capacity to produce plant growth-promoting hormones. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was implemented to acquire a preliminary understanding of the secondary metabolic profile of ethyl acetate crude extract. 1-octadecene, erythritol, niacin, oleic acid, phenol, pantolactone, phenyl ethyl alcohol, p-cresol, and tbutyl hydroquinone are the metabolites analyzed in a crude extract of APR5 isolate and are reported to have antimicrobial properties.
Stress phenotypes in epilepsy: impact on cognitive functioning and quality of life
Authors: Catalán-Aguilar Judit , González-Bono Esperanza , Lozano-García Alejandro , Tormos-Pons Paula , Hampel Kevin G. , Villanueva Vicente , Cano-López Irene 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionDrug-resistant epilepsy has been proposed as a chronic stress model. Stress can be measured in terms of chronicity (epilepsy duration) and intensity (comorbidities), with depression and anxiety among the most important comorbidities in epilepsy due to its prevalence and its relationship with cognitive functioning and quality of life. This study aims to establish phenotypes according to how patients face a stressful condition (epilepsy) and examine differences in cognition and quality of life depending on these phenotypes. We hypothesize that there will be an interrelationship between epilepsy duration and negative affectivity, and these variables will influence cognition and quality of life.Methods170 patients (82 men and 88 women) underwent a neuropsychological evaluation in which trait anxiety, depression, attention and executive function, verbal and visual memory, language, emotional recognition, and quality of life were assessed. Hierarchical clustering was performed using z-scores for three variables: trait anxiety; depression; and epilepsy duration.ResultsThree clusters were found: vulnerable (high negative affectivity and short duration); resilient (moderate negative affectivity and long duration); and low-impact group (low negative affectivity and short duration). Results show that the vulnerable group had poorer cognitive functioning and quality of life than the other groups. Specifically, the vulnerable group had poorer scores than the low-impact group on verbal memory, visual confrontation naming, and quality of life (except seizure worry). Furthermore, resilient patients had better scores than the low-impact group on cognitive flexibility variables, but lower scores on some quality-of-life subscales (i.e., overall quality of life, emotional well-being, and energy). Finally, the vulnerable group had poorer scores than the resilient group in executive functioning, naming, and quality of life.DiscussionThese results suggest that dealing with stress in patients with epilepsy is related to cognitive performance and quality of life. These findings underline the relevance of considering comorbidities in epilepsy and may be useful for detecting vulnerable or resilient profiles as risk or protective factors for cognitive and quality of life decline.
Slowed alpha oscillations and percept formation in psychotic psychopathology
Authors: Sponheim Scott R. , Stim Joshua J. , Engel Stephen A. , Pokorny Victor J. 
Published: June 2023

IntroductionPsychosis is in part defined by disturbances in perception. Recent investigations have implicated the speed of alpha oscillations observed in brain electrical activity as reflective of a sampling rate of the visual environment and perception. Although both slowed alpha oscillations and aberrant percept formation are evident in disorders of psychotic psychopathology such as schizophrenia it is unclear whether slow alpha accounts for abnormal visual perception in these disorders.MethodsTo examine the role of the speed of alpha oscillations in perception in psychotic psychopathology we gathered resting-state magneto-encephalography data from probands with psychotic psychopathology (i.e., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder with a history of psychosis), their biological siblings, and healthy controls. We appraised visual perceptual function without the confound of cognitive ability and effort through the use of a simple binocular rivalry task.ResultsWe found a slowed pace of alpha oscillations in psychotic psychopathology that was associated with longer percept durations during binocular rivalry, consistent with the assertion that occipital alpha oscillations govern the rate of accumulation of visual information used to generate percepts. Alpha speed varied widely across individuals with psychotic psychopathology and was highly stable across several months indicating that it is likely a trait characteristic of neural function that is relevant to visual perception. Finally, a lower speed of alpha oscillation was associated with a lower IQ and greater disorder symptomatology implying that the effects of the endogenous neural oscillation on visual perception may have wider consequences for everyday functioning.DiscussionSlowed alpha oscillations in individuals with psychotic psychopathology appear to reflect altered neural functions related to percept formation.